Here's To The Year That Was

“It may be quite simple, but, now that it’s done…”

So ends another year of sports. So, in addition to my little awards column I wrote earlier, I’m going to go back and reflect on all that was 2006.

By far one of the most depressing experiences of my young life occurred on Christmas night, when WBZ decided to air a look back at Boston sports in 2006. You have to know that when the Revolution making the MLS Cup Finals is either the best or second-best story of the year, Boston has fallen from the zenith of the sports landscape of America. It was only two years ago when we held both the Lombardi Trophy and, most importantly, the World Series trophies in our possession, and we won “Best Sports City” in the Sporting News’ annual poll in a laugher. All of our teams were in some kind of contention. The Pats and the Sox each won their respective championships, the Celts were perennial “heavyweights” in the lackluster Atlantic Division, and the B’s were a force to be reckoned with in the East. Oh how two years have changed it all. Now, the Celts are undergoing the biggest rebuilding process since the Russell era. The B’s traded off their two franchise players for scraps, attempting to build around “the next thing,” Patrice Bergeron. The Pats, well, ok, they haven’t changed, but still, there is not the aura of invincibility that surrounded this team just two years ago. It’s not as though they are going to be able to waltz through the AFC and the Super Bowl like they did in 2004. As for the Sox, well, now this is the team that has arguably caused a fan base the most grief in the history of sports in the last two years ago. The only reason that it’s arguable is because of our little 86-year draught, which we thankfully ended, without winning it all. The Sox front office has got to be the biggest anomaly in all of sports right now. Which direction are we heading? See, here’s the problem: we put too much trust in them. Remember “in Theo we trust?” We never questioned any of the moves he made in the offseason after the Sox won it all, and why? Well, because we won it all. I mean when you have a team that people live and die by to win a championship, and they finally do, you tend to give the architect a little leeway after the fact. But we as a nation were naïve. We had never experienced “the thrill of victory,” rather, it was always the “agony of defeat.” (On that note, if anyone knows anywhere I can get that “Wide World of Sports” blazer, let me know. That is the single greatest piece of announcing decorum in the history of announcing decorum. What I would do for one of those…ya don’t even wanna know.) So, when we won, we were so soaked up in all that came with winning, we failed to realize that our team was moving in a direction where few of us wanted to be heading: yuppie-land. Here was our blue-collar team, one that prided ourselves on hard work, discipline, and always playing our hearts, whether we were up by 10 or down 20. Ok, sure, a few moves were expected. The Pedro dealings went almost to script. No one really expected that he would stick around. He had demands, and we just weren’t willing to give him four guaranteed years. The Mets came in, did the deal, and benefited for most of the two years they’ve had him, but his ineffectiveness late in the season, coupled with injuries, rendered him useless in the postseason. So, without going out and polling every fan, I have to say that this was a good move. Then, they resigned Jason Varitek, who was undoubtedly the leader in that clubhouse from all accounts. Now this was the move that really could have clued us into if they were “blowing up” this team. If they didn’t sign ‘Tek, then we would have known that something was up, and there would have been an immediate public outcry. So, the deal got done, which turned out to be a lot harder than the Sox had anticipated, given the lack of other suitors for a $10 million a year catcher. Varitek probably gets about $2-3 million for being the player he is on the field, and the rest is for his ability to know and familiarize himself with the pitching staff and be the “glue” that keeps all the “idiots” from straying too far away from the common goal of continuing to win championships. See, the Sox said all along that they were trying to pattern themselves after the Pats, you know, signing character guys and not those who have flaws, and having a winning tradition. Well, the first sign that we should have realized that the front office was straying away from the original plan was the signing of Edgar Renteria and the departure of Orlando Cabrera. When Edgar came to town, we were promised more offense, around the same defense, and a real good clubhouse guy. What did we get? How about eight homers, 70 RBIs, a major league leading 30 errors, and a guy who looked like if you tapped him on the shoulder, he would lose is GD’d mind. (I’m trying to get off of saying g—d----, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult day by day, especially with this team.) So, “Rent-a-wreck,” as he was so aptly named, lasted only one year and peaced, going to ATL for promising young prospect Andy Marte. Ok, before I get into anymore moves, I have to go back and talk about the OC. Does anyone remember who he replaced? Ok, if it were 2002, and I was going to tell you that at the trading deadline, we just traded Nomar for Cabrera and Doug Mienkeitwicz, I would have been hit with shiny objects that would distract me from the hemorrhaging going on in my head. This guy was the icon, the Ted Williams of a generation. Ever since his breakout, rookie of the year campaign in ’97, #5 was a mainstay in Boston. There would be no way they could ever trade him! Then, Nomar started becoming a little too “Hollywood” for his own good, balking at a five year, $75 million contract offer the Sox floated him at the start of the ’04 Spring Training. Then, Nomar gets hurt, forcing him to miss a majority of the first half of the season. Right there and then, the front office basically goes, “ok look, the guy is hurt, and we he may not be as great as he once was, still, he is a legend in these parts, let’s try another offer.” This one was for far less money, but still was a fairly decent offer at the time; four years, $40 million. Nomar felt insulted by this. I don’t really understand why he would feel insulted. Doesn’t the value of a player go down after he gets injured? Anyway, the Sox knew that had to trade him, but still, in the back of their minds, they were fully aware of the repercussions of a potential deal, and that if it went sour, they would get their asses handed to them by the most loyal fan-base on the face of the world (it’s biased, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find any other fans of a team with the knowledge and dedication of Sox fans). So on the night of the deadline, the pull the deal, then take a few steps back from the situation and see how people would react. As a fan, I will tell you the exact repetition of what die-hard fans did in the first hour after they had heard about the deal. First, an initial wave of shock was felt. “They traded Nomar? Are you kidding?” That’s about the same you got from everyone, then, it was “what are they gonna do to replace him? I mean the guy is still a great hitter and fielder, now what?” Then, after you let the news sink in, you immediately tell yourself “you know what? These are the same guys who got Schill from the D-Backs for seemingly nothing and signed Keith Foulke (believe me, back then, we were super-pumped about landing an “excellent closer,” so just keep that in mind while you are convulsively laughing), so these guys are pretty sharp, they know what they’re doing, maybe this was the correct move. I mean Nomar was hurt, and he didn’t seem as though he wanted to be with this team anymore. (see the July 1 game against the Yanks, with him being the only guy sitting on the bench while everyone else was on the top of the dugout) They seem to have plenty of offense on the team already, so I guess we need a fresh direction, and fresh blood to provide a spark.” So now there was the anticipation of how this guy was going to work out playing the 6-spot in replace of Nomar. The results? Well, the guy not only held is own, he almost made everyone forget Nomar was still playing. Minky proved to be a great sub option in the late innings for Millar, and the rest is history. Cabrera was the toast of Boston, getting praise for the care-free way he conducted himself in the dugout, and his extraordinary defense, which he made look so effortless. So now the Sox were the champs, and instead of holding their team in tact, the first move was levied; only offering Cabrera $6 million when he wanted, and got $8.5-9 million. Cabrera was one of the guys who represented all that was great about the championship team, a guy who had fun playing baseball. He did not let the pressures of Boston get to him like Renteria let get into his conscious. The problem was that Renteria was being put on a pedestal that he did not really deserve. He is a good player, but the Sox built him up as “great,” not only through their words, but their wallets, offering a four year, $40 million contract. They saw it as an upgrade, but here’s the thing: Cabrera, if he went on to have a sub-par year with the Sox in ’05, would have been given a pass by the “Nation.” See, he had already exceeded the expectations of fans and then some. Therefore, if he came back down to Earth, it wouldn’t be as scrutinized as someone new coming in and trying to play the role. So, getting rid of Cabrera was the beginning of the end. I always look at that move as the difference maker in where the franchise is going. I believe that move set them back about five years. Do you honestly think Julio Lugo is going to do well in this town? I think my expectations of him are so low that anything that he might do in the future would be a bonus. Honestly, I think he’s another Renteria. They may hold onto him for one or two years, but I cannot see him staying for all four years. There have been other moves (Lowe, Ramirez, Nixon, Damon, Arroyo) that really haven’t panned out, but the Cabrera move is the lightning rod for me. This offseason, in addition to Lugo, they made another mistake by bringing in “Mr. Intensity,” J.D. Drew. I don’t recall, at least in Boston, any move having as much of a negative reaction like the one Drew got. $14 million a year? Please. Speaking of this, how’s that Johnny Damon deal looking right now? What a stupid move that was. They expected to get the same productivity from Coco Crisp? Basically, they traded Renteria and Marte for Crisp…not smart. However, in order to avert from what could have been the worst offseason in the history of the franchise, the Sox saved face, signing Brendan Donnelly and J.C. Romero for the bullpen help they sorely needed. Donnelly is going to assume the “Timlin role” either this year, if they choose to have Timlin close (which would be batty, but hey, I’ve seen crazier). Donnelly has been one of the best middle relievers since Anaheim won their World Series title in 2003. Romero will be used as a lefty specialist, which in today’s game you need, especially when you play the Yankees 19 times. Then, the final blow came when Matsuzaka was officially signed to a six-year deal. Everyone is all up in arms about this around the country. “How could they pay so much for him?” I have to side with the Sox on this deal. See, since the new ownership has taken over, it’s been their goal to globalize the Red Sox brand name. They made their initial impact on the Dominican Republic, and easily did so with the likes of Papi, Pedro, and Manny. Now, they are trying to infiltrate one of the biggest economies in the world by signing Dice-K. If you have money, why not do that? First, you get a quality arm, second, you open up a new revenue stream, and third, and maybe most important, his title will be “Red Sox pitcher.” Red Sox. We don’t wear pinstripes, and neither will this guy.

Ok, I feel like I’ve vented enough about the Sox, and believe me, I could, and may, write a book on the pure frustrations of being a fan of this team. Now, I want to comment on a couple things that happened throughout the year.

Vince Young should be Athlete of the Year, not Tiger Woods. This guy transcends logic. First, at the beginning of the year, he led the most underappreciated team in college football into Pasadena to play the hometown Trojans. Young’s Longhorns literally destroyed everything in their paths, including a 70-3 drubbing of Colorado in the Big 12 Championship. 70-3! I don’t care how bad Colorado may have been, if you’re in the Big 12, playing Division I football, you should never lose by more than 40, let alone 67. Texas went into the Rose Bowl as eight point underdogs, with basically everyone in the country siding with USC and the dynamic combo of Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. So what happened? Young went off, and you know what, “going off” doesn’t even begin to describe the utter dominance that Young had on that game. It was like watching Beethoven or Mozart on the football field. He went back, and literally did anything he wanted to. USC did not have a great defense. They were good though, so the fact that Young had their way with them makes this probably the most amazing performance by a single athlete I have seen since Tiger in the ’97 Masters. Then, Young gets drafted third overall by the lowly Titans, who just disbanded their franchise quarterback in Steve McNair. Young is expected to start behind Kerry Collins and learn the offense so he can step in either later on in the year, or they could have even waited until next year for him to go, much like what the Bengals did with Carson Palmer. However, Collins was so terrible that Young was pushed into the spotlight early on in the season. After a humiliating loss at the hands of the Colts, Young has single-handedly resurrected the franchise from the laughing stock it was to the playoff contender it is now. If you’re a Pats fan, did you really think that Titans game at the end of the year would be a big deal? Now, it’s one of the best games of the final week of the season. In just a small example, look at how well Young played last week at Buffalo, one of the most difficult places to play in the league, especially in December, even though it was abnormally mild at the Ralph. Again, Young led his team from behind in the final quarter, giving the Titans their eighth win of the year. Eight wins? I guarantee before the season started, the Titans were busy scouting top-10 draft picks. Now, they are looking in the high to mid twenties. All this guy does is win. That is the best possible attribute you can have as a quarterback, is the ability to win no matter what the circumstances are. Brady has it, Montana had it, now Vince Young has become the newest “it” quarterback. To say Tiger Woods had a better year than Young is laughable. Am I honestly supposed to believe that it’s even newsworthy that Tiger won two majors? I think Tiger is going to have to win the Grand Slam in order to win Athlete of the Year. On that note, shouldn’t Roger Federer have more claim on that award if we are basing it on dominating one’s field? Federer won three of the four majors in his sport and basically never lost all year, why didn’t he win?

Mobile ESPN was a noble idea, but did not have the right timing or the initial value to become huge. This issue is near and dear to me, because I actually owned the phone. I have no regrets either, and why should I? If you went into a Best Buy and looked at the phone, yes, it was kind of bulky, but the whole concept of having ESPN be the platform for a cell phone was ground-breaking. In effect, Mobile ESPN was its own cell phone provider, although it bought time from Sprint towers, and, all the ESPN content was included in the service. You did not have to have any kind of internet service to receive this. I think that, although the service failed in the end, it was a groundbreaking idea that could shape the way you will be able to access sports information in the future. Personally, I don’t think this is the last we’ve seen of a cell phone provided by ESPN. Here was their downfall: the two-year contract. Every time someone gets a new cell phone, they are basically forced into a two-year contract. People were impressed by what ESPN provided, but initially, its prices were so far out of whack that no one was even close to buying it, so they bought phones provided by other services. Then, when ESPN started losing big bucks, they came out with a new set of plans at much more affordable rates. The only problem was, the majority of cell phone buyers were already locked into a contract and did not feel like paying a termination fee, which was sometimes in excess of $300, to get out of their contract and switch. Also, ESPN did not make it clear that they were using Sprint to get its airtime. I believe that if more people knew about the network that ESPN provided, maybe they could have received more subscribers. When I signed up in July, I got the ESPN phone, headphones, and a year subscription to both ESPN Insider and ESPN The Magazine, all just for signing up. Well, in a few days, Mobile ESPN will be dead, but again, I believe it laid out a blueprint for others to follow. What will happen in the future is that cell phone providers, like Verizon, Cingular, and Sprint will team up with sports providers, like ESPN and Sports Illustrated, to create a phone that serves as a sports platform, with the ability to access scores and articles without subscribing to any kind of internet service. When this does start, the rates will be comparable to those already out there, making it affordable to those who are skeptical. Also, if you already have Cingular or whatever provider it ends up being, you should be offered a special deal as far as an upgrade is concerned. In my heart of hearts, I really hope this will happen because I absolutely loved the months I had my phone, at least I know all my friends enjoyed the months I had the phone (hey, claustrophobic, back up!)

This was truly the year of the little guy, be it in stature or in reputation. Leading off has to be the George Mason basketball team, who ended up being one of the top stories of the year, running through UNC, Michigan St., and UConn in its improbable run to the Final Four and loss to the eventual champion Florida Gators. Again, this is one of the great examples of what makes March Madness the greatest sports event by far. Every year, it’s someone else. There have been so many stories of underdogs coming out of nowhere to beat some of the best teams in all the land. The whole “one and done” philosophy makes the tournament that much more enthralling. Every game counts. This is the reason the NFL is the most popular sport in America. Every game counts. There are so few examples of this philosophy that the NFL is starting to destroy the competition in terms of popularity. College football is even more popular than any of the other major sports. The first two days of the NCAA tourney are arguably the best two sports days of the entire year. Anxiously, you sit with your brackets, watching an inconsequential game (usually 1 vs. 16, 2 vs. 15) and glaring at the top left corner of the screen, watching, and watching the scores go by, praying for teams that you a.) do not know any of the players that play for that team or b.) have never even heard of that team all together. In any account, you live for this as a sports fan. Seeing great teams fall at the hands of teams that, especially in George Mason’s case, may not have even “deserved” to have been there in the first place. After all, it is not the top 65 teams in the country that get to go. It’s more like the top 45, with 20 teams that run through seeds 13-16, or amazingly got in over a “snub.” In any case, the tournament selection has and will always be a controversial issue, but at least it is done by humans and not by computers. I hate to tangent off of this, but I feel I need to lay out my opinion about the BCS right here. No offense to George Mason, they were a great story, but I feel as though, because we are in football season now, I’m almost obliged to talk about this issue right now. The system sucks, but then again, you knew that. Anytime Notre Dame is playing in a $15 million bowl game after beating no one (come on, what do ya got?...Navy? Please.), you have to know that the system is completely bush-league. This system has now f’d it up three times (Oklahoma over USC, undefeated Auburn having no national title shot, and Notre Dame losing its two games where they actually played someone, and they got spanked in both). This is just inexcusable with the amount of money that is being thrown out there. So now, Mell-o’s BCS fixer-upper. Ok, it is a tournament. I mean it has to come to that. The NFL even has a tournament, and they play more games than the college kids do. So what exactly is the problem with this? It’s all about the NFL and them basically owning the month of January. Outside of New Year’s Day, the NFL owns the weekends, and because of the mutual understanding that the NCAA and NFL have about playing games on the same day, a tournament would result in games being played during the week. But the thing is, doesn’t the NCAA already do this? Look at the Thursday games from this year. In the span of one week, Rutgers played in arguably the best game of the year, propelling them to BCS bowl contention, and then the next week, they get dismantled on the road against Cincinnati. Those are two games that weren't played on a Saturday, but yet people watched it in drones. I believe that if there is enough buzz, you can still get ratings. Because every game would be so important, people would be watching in record amounts. The tournament would consist of the top six teams, and of course, there’s probably going to have to be a Notre Dame clause thrown in there as well. When I say the top six, this refers to the best six teams. If you win a conference, and you are not in the top six, then you will go to one of the other BCS games. Under this format, the present BCS games (Orange, Sugar, Rose, Fiesta) would still be played, with teams going to those games probably getting slightly less money (maybe $10 compared to the $15 they get now). The top two teams would receive bye-weeks, meaning 3 plays 6 and 4 plays 5. This would take place two weeks after championship week, right around the second or third week of December. Because the NFL would still be in the regular season, and with the new NFL Network contract, which broadcasts games on Thursday and Saturday, the NCAA would be able to negotiate with a network partner (CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX) to broadcast the first round of the tournament on that Saturday. The games will be played in different venues according to the NFL schedule, so there will not be any conflictions. When a team, like the Saints, Cardinals, Texans, or any other warm city/dome team. Then, as each school progresses through the tournament, they would receive an increase of money for every round they get to. Again, just an idea, but the first round participants should get $10 million, semi-finals $15 million, and $20 million for the championship. So, if you start off in the first round, winning the tournament could bring the school around $45 million. That’s a pretty good chunk of change. This means that if a team goes one-and-out, they still get the $10 million that the other BCS-bound teams are making. Once this system is implemented, you will see ratings skyrocket, meaning that, in the future, there will be more money to spread around. If you think this is a lot of money, think about how it is now. Presently, there are five BCS games, with teams in the Orange, Rose, Sugar, and Fiesta earning around $15 million and teams in the BCS Championship receiving around $20-25 million. So, the total prize purse is approximately $180 million. In the new format, counting the tournament and all other BCS games the purse would increase to $220 million. With the revenue of college football skyrocketing, this is not so far fetched. Another thing, if they continue to “tweak” the system, I am going to lose my mind. Fellas, pick a system, then stick to it. It becomes very easy to ridicule something when you constantly try and change it, and it still doesn’t work. The committee needs to just come in and put their foot down one year and say "this is how it is, and we're not going to change it." If this were the case, no one would be able to complain, because the committee can just shrug their shoulders. "Oh well, that's the breaks. Should have just gone undefeated." So, that's my BCS shakedown. It will probably never come to fruition, but it may get you to thinking, which is the ultimate goal anyway.

Ok, so back to the little guy. Nate Robinson won the slam dunk contest. Ok, so this was controversial, given the fact that Robinson attempted the same dunk 80 times and Igoudala pulled off one of the sickest dunks in the history of dunks (jumping from out of bounds and ducking his head under the backboard for a reverse dunk...timeless). Still, the way Robinson won was by using Spud Webb as a "prop" of sorts. Imagine, the two little guys taking out the big guy. Well, it happened. Should it have happened? Probably not, but think about when Spud won his dunk title. He had a lot of good dunks, but to say that his were better than Dominique's or Larry Nance's may be stretching it. The reason he won was because it's just an unreal sight to see such a little guy get up that high. Iguodala should have won, but Nate did because he's the little guy, and little guys get way more respect than the big guys do, because simply, it just doesn't happen very often.

More examples: The league and NBA finals MVPs were guards, the Cardinals winning behind World Series MVP David Eckstein, Texas beating USC, UCLA beating USC, Oregon St. beating USC (yeah I'm not a big USC guy), Maurice Jones-Drew, the resurgence of the Saints, Jason McElwin (autistic high school basketball manager who drained six 3s in a game), Dakoda Dowd (played an LPGA event at age 14), Japan winning the inaugural WBC, Justin Morneau winning MVP, Detroit's turnaround from cellar dwellers to pennant winners, Devin Hester, and Geoff Ogilvy wins the U.S. Open (Mickelson helped just a bit on that one).

So, thus concludes the year in review. Hopefully, next year will be better. You have to be hoping that. I mean when the biggest stories of the year is steroids, you have to hope for a more positive new year. Plus, in terms of Boston sports...it has to get better right? Alright, so let's toast to 2007. Have a safe and happy new year. Peace.

~Mell-o

Bowl Preview Part II

Merry Christmas everyone! Wow, 2006 is almost over. Somewhat hard to believe, but I'm gonna take some time right now to review what was one of the most bizarre weeks of the NFL season, and maybe by some coincidence, the last week of the NFL until we peel another year off the calendar and start the 2007 portion of the season:

If you were betting underdogs, congrats, you killed this week. I, unfortunately, did not, and other than the good ol' Pats, got absolutely reamed this week. Next week, mark my word, I will have at least a 75/25 underdog/favorite ratio in my ATS picks. But let's talk about some happy things, and nothing, to me, was any more pleasant than watching the hometown team take down another AFC East crown. The Pats were dominant for most of the game, even though the scoreboard may not tell it like that. Other than a fluke TD run by Jones-Drew, the Pats held their ground on defense. It was a very clean game overall, with only one turnover commited by either team all game. Fortunately for the Pats, and all of Patriot Nation, it was a crucial fumble by Garrard in the closing minutes of the game. Tom was amazing, and surprisingly, it was not in any means related to any deep throws, rather, he used little six-seven yard patterns to pick apart the Jags. When Mike Peterson went down with a season ending injury a few weeks back, it created a void in the middle of the field that no one really took advantage of, until today that is. As Scott Zolak said in 5th Quarter, Brady "looked like a surgeon out there." By the way, I miss everything Patriot related that they throw on before and after the game. For instance, last night, I watched New England Tailgate with Ordway, Smerlis, and DeOssie. For those who don't know who these guys are, I suggest getting on to WEEI.com and checking out "The Big Show." (Also, check out the Whiner Line in the Audio Vault...some of the stuff may be a little inside, but most of the stuff is just hysterical.) Yeah, now you understand why I'm thinking that stage has to have its base reinforced for every taping. Anyway, it was good to see guys be completely biased towards the Pats on TV. Sure, I stream 'EEI through my computer, but I don't get that hometown feel, so that was nice while it lasted. Also, ya think we missed Maroney and Harrison? Wow, talk about instant impact. Maroney led the team in rushing, with 48 yards on only seven carries for a TD. He also contributed two catches for 10 yards. Harrison had a quiet day in the stat book, but you could just feel his presence out there when he was in coverage and especially when he was blitzing, putting a real good shot on Garrard on one play when he ran through untouched. Also, Rodney was able to recover Garrard's fumble that sealed the game. It was definitely a good thing to have both of those guys back. Let's go a step further in breaking down this game:

I think my parents started to get sick of me saying "hey look, it's the Wendy's guy!," but Dave Thomas was all over the place today in place of the injured Ben Watson, racking up 83 yards on five catches, including a pretty 22-yard TD reception in the 2nd quarter to give the Pats a 17-7 lead at the time. Thomas has shown a lot of potential throughout the year. After being a Pats fan since birth, you tend to realize all the trends that this team has. Bill's trend when he goes into the draft is that he is going to draft the smartest linebacker/TE on the board. Remember he surprisingly took Watson with the 32nd overall pick, then last year, taking Thomas in the 3rd round when there was a lot of value still out there (Thomas went #86, Ko Simpson went #105, Leon Washington #117...you get the idea).

And now, on less of an upbeat note, the rest of the games. Unbeliveable. Seriously, if you bet favorites today, you were screwed. Of all the favorites that have played up until Sunday night, only St. Louis and Kansas City have covered. That's 2-12 ATS for the favorites! Is it too late to change my Monday Night picks? I'm kidding, but on the other hand...yeah, there's a little truth to that. The most bizarre play of the day that screwed you over today was the end of the Denver-Cincy game. Cincy has just tied the game on a Who's-Your-Daddy TD with 40 seconds left. Ok, 24-23 w/ PAT pending, thinking OT right? Wrong. The Bungles muff the extra point, lose by 1, but beat the spread, meaning that if you had the presence of mind to know the Broncos would win, you still got screwed. Even if you had Denver, you would be rooting for Graham to make that extra point, tying the game up, and making it so you could at least get a GW FG in regulation or OT to push, and maybe even a TD to beat the -3 spread, but no, not today.

Indy's defense is that bad. If your offense is even somewhat potent, they are all done. My original prediction of them going down in the first round is all dependent on who they play in the first round. If it's Denver, I think the Colts could actually take them, but if it's the Jags or the Bengals, they're screwed. I have never heard of a team be this bad against the run and put together any kind of playoff run. Peyton did all that he could possibly do today, but when you let Ron Dayne run for 153 yards and two scores, you're F'd, and that's putting it lightly.

San Diego had a real problem with Seattle, which I accurately predicted would happen. Seattle is a Jekyll and Hyde team, but then again, outside of San Diego, what team isn't like that? Tomlinson was kept out of the end zone today to my delight, as, not surprisingly, I am up against him in both leagues! Can you remember anything like this guy in terms of fantasy value? If there was any debate this year as to who's #1, there won't be next year. Yahoo! has a stat called "keys to success," which outlines 50 players and ranks them by how many of the top 500 public league teams have him. LT is on 98.8% of all teams in the Top 500...98.8%! Hopefully I can buck the trend and jump on the back of Larry Johnson (hey anyone remember him? 1651 yards rushing, 16 total TDs, hello?) and take both my leagues down. Oh by the way, both played fairly well, which definitely helped my mood.

Well, as I mentioned, it is Christmas, which means something different for everyone. However, there's one holiday ritual that I'm convinced is one of the greatest ideas in television history: 24 hours of "A Christmas Story" on TBS, the greatest holiday movie ever made. I know, Christmas Vacation is definitely up there. By the way, have you ever noticed that in both movies, Raplhie and Clark say "fore-flushing?" What does that mean? Anybody? Anyway, the reason I bring this up is I thought I would submit my top 20 quotes, not in any order of significance, from the movie:

1.) "That son of a bitch would freeze in the middle of summer on the equator."

2.) Schwartz created a slight breach of etiquette, when he skipped over the triple dare, and going right for the throat."

3.) "Some people are baptists, others catholics, my father was an Oldsmobile man."

4.) "Three blocks away Schwartz was getting his. Every kid, at the back of his mind, vaguely but insistently, believes that he will be struck blind before his 21st birthday. And then they'll be sorry."

5.) I mean I have to put this in..."Fra-gee-lee...huh, it must be Italian."

6.) "Scut Farkus! What a rotten name. There he stood, between us and the alley. Scut Farkus staring out at us with his yellow eyes. He had yellow eyes! So, help me God, yellow eyes!"

7.) "He looks like a deranged Easter bunny...he does too, he looks like a pink nightmare."

8.) "They'll send the deed for cripsake. I didn't expect them to send a whole damn bowling alley."

9.) "Randy lay there like a slug...it was his only defense."

10.) "Aunt Clara had for years labored under the delusion that I was not only perpetually 4 years old, but also a girl."

11.) "Only I didn't say fudge, I said the word, the big one, the queen-mother of dirty words, the F-dash-dash-dash word."

12.) "Sons of bitches! Bumpuses!"

13.) "It was all over, I was dead. What would it be...the guillotine? Hanging? The chair? The rack? The Chinese water torture? Hmmph. Mere child's play compared to what surely awaited me."

14.) "I have since heard of people under extreme duress speaking in strange tongues. I became conscious that a steady torrent of obscenities and swearing of all kinds was pouring out of me as I screamed."

15.) "Now, I had heard that word at least ten times a day from my old man. He worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay. It was his true medium, a master."

16.) "Oh, life is like that. Sometimes, at the height of our revelries, when our joy is at it's zenith, when all is most right with the world, the most unthinkable disasters decend upon us."

17.) "Oh you should see what it looks like from out here!"

18.) "In the heat of battle my father wove a tapestry of obscenities that as far as we know is still hanging in space over Lake Michigan."

19.) "Ovaltine? A crummy commercial? Son of a bitch!"

20.) "Holy cow, it was 6:45. Only one thing in the world could've dragged me away from the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window."

Predictions:
Motor City Bowl (12/26, 7:30, ESPN): Central Michigan (-8.5) over Middle Tennessee St. So far, this is one of the biggest disparities as far as spreads go. However, a look inside the stats tells the whole story. Middle Tennessee's offense is deplorable: 207th in total yards, 206th in passing yards, 110th in points scored. If that wasn't bad enough, their pass defense ain't too hot either: 168th against the pass, 119th in total points. It's going to be a real hassle containing the Chippewa passing attack, which ranks 29th in the country, leading to 29.6 points a game, gooe enough for 39th in the country. While their defense certainly isn't anything to write home about, the Blue Raiders simply have no offense, and the one thing they are above average in, defending the run, they won't even be using, due to the fact that the Chippewas hold the 142nd best run offense, meaning they will rely heavily on the passing game. I expect a blowout of about three TD's.

Central Michigan 35, Middle Tennesse St. 10

Emerald Bowl (12/27, 8:00, ESPN) Florida St. (+2) over UCLA. The Seminoles are reeling from one of their worst seasons in recent memory. Meanwhile, the Bruins are coming off of one of their biggest wins in school history, knocking crosstown rival USC out of the BCS title game. Will this be a let down game? That remains to be seen. Here's what we do know. Florida St., despite having stnadout tailback Lorenzo Booker, ranked 210th in the nation in running. To me, this was shocking considering how explosive I thought Booker was the few times I had seen him play, somewhat reminicent of another FSU runner who dawned the #28 (Dunn). UCLA is going to have a hard time stopping the pass. Despite having the 17th best run defense, their pass defense ranks 189th, while the Seminoles have the 60th best passing attack. This is going to cause problems for the Bruins. If Drew Watherford can get going, this guy is dangerous. In terms of the Bruin offense, they are not too hot, ranking in the hundreds in every category. Meanwhile, the 'Noles rank 12th against the pass and are 35th in total offense. Even though the Seminoles have been struggling all year long, I have to think that the Bruins will come back to Earth. As seen on numeorus occasions this year, giant wins usually equate to a letdown the next game.

Florida St. 31, UCLA 21

Independence Bowl (12/28. 4:30, ESPN): Alabama (+2.5) over Oklahoma St. This game comes down to one thing: Can the Tide stop the Cowboy offense? Alabama has been real good defensively, coming in at 52rd against the pass, 63rd against the pass, coupling in the 43rd best defense in the country. Their offense has a real good passing attack and can put points on the board, but will it be enough to counter that high-powered Okla St. offense? I'm taking 'Bama and here's why: When you look at all the intrical offensive and defensive stats, here's what you come up with: When comparing Okla St's offense vs. the Tide's defense, the average ranks are 32.5 and 47.9 respectively. The Tide's offense vs. the Cowboys' defense ranks 70.7 to 102. The Cowboys' defense is terrible. This is another team where all their defensive ranks are in the hundreds. I feel like Alabama will use this to its advantage and mount a steep passing attack on Okla St. which ranks 195th against the pass. The Sooners rank in the top 30 in points, rushing, and total yards, but Alabama has the defense to combat that, so I'm leaning toward the Crimson. Roll tide!

Alabama 17, Oklahoma St. 10

Holiday Bowl (12/28, 8:00, ESPN) Texas A&M (+4) over California. Cal has been a team that has been shaky at best this year. They had an eight-game winning streak in the middle of the season, including wins against bowl teams Oregon, Oregon St., Arizona St., and UCLA. Then, they go on the road, losing to USC (well that was kind of expected) and Arizona (now that was not) before beating the Cardinal in the final game of the year by only nine points when they were 20+ point favorites. Meanwhile, the Aggies went on the road and beat Texas in their final game. If you take a look at their last three games, they are 1-2, with the Longhorns win and losses to Nebraska and Oklahoma at home...by one point! Does anyone realize that if this team gets one or two breaks in those games, they would have been playing for the Big 12 championship, probably landing them in Oklahoma's place in the Fiesta Bowl? This team is real dangerous, and I love the Aggie offense (25th) against Cal's defense (182nd). I love the line as well, getting four points is big. Even though the letdown theory is in full effect right here, I just think that, because they're underdogs, and the matchup is so lobsided, the Aggies will be able to pull out a win here.

Texas A&M 34, California 21

Texas Bowl (12/28, 8:00, NFL Network) Rutgers (-8) over Kansas St. NFL Network? Nice. I can't even begin to describe the idiocy of this. It's NFL Newtwork. What the hell does that have to do with college bowl games? The NFL Network, making new enemies every day. Catchy little slogan I think. Anyway, this game is a laugher on paper. I'm not going to bore you with the details. I'll keep it simple. Rutgers has a good run offense, K-State has a bad run defense. K-State has a horrible offense, Rutgers has a tremendous D. This game should be won by 30. I don't know, that's just me. I just can't see Rutgers, who almost beat West Virginia in Morgantown (in fact they lost in OT), ending this dream season on a loss.

Rutgers 41, Kansas St. 10

Music City Bowl (12/29, 1:00, ESPN) Clemson (-10) over Kentucky. I know, I know. How could I? Well, here's the thing: Clemson dominates Kentucky in literally every single category. The only chance the Wildcats have is having a huge game through the air. Kentucky ranks in the top-10 in passing offense. However, they have no defense, and as shown previously, no defense = no chance. Clemson's dynamic duo of tailbacks will prove to be too much for Big Blue. I had a first-hand account of Kentucky this year, and I can tell you that this defense could not stop anything. Clemson of course is still reeling from their last loss (you're welcome), but I still think they will be able to destroy Kentucky in this one.

Clemson 41, Kentucky 17

Sun Bowl (12/29, 2:00, CBS) Oregon St. (-3.5) over Missouri. From what I can gather, this is the most even matchup that I have previewed so far. If you look at the stats head-to-head (by the way, I get most of my info from foxsports.com; they have a feature where you can put two teams side-by-side and compare stats, very cool), you will notice that these teams are almost identical, except Missouri's pass attack seemingly has a gigantic advantage over the Beaver pass defense. Now, Oregon St. counters with one of the best run defenses in the country. So, you basically have to pick your poison, and I'm going with OSU on this fact alone: Those who can stop the run can also apply pressure on a quarterback. Because Mizzou has a weak running game, the Beavers will not have to rely on stopping the run, rather, they will force the Tigers to start running because of the overwhelming pressure that will be applied. Look for Oregon St. to jump out to a quick lead and be able to hold on for the rest of the game.

Oregon St. 38, Mizzouri 31

Liberty Bowl (12/29, 4:30, ESPN): South Carolina (-6) over Houston. Loyalty.

South Carolina 31, Houston 17

Champs Sports Bowl (12/29, 8:00, ESPN) Purdue (Pk) over Maryland. This will come down to who blinks first between the two defenses, because they are both downright awful. Purdue has an amazing pass offense and scores a ton of points. While the Boilermaker defense may suck at best, I still think their offense will give them just enough support to get by. Close game.

Purdue 27, Maryland 24

Insight Bowl (12/29, 8:00, NFL Network) Texas Tech (-7) over Minnesota. The NFL Network seemingly has no end to its rath. Oh well. The Red Raiders are going to get their points, there's no denying that. The matchup will come down to the Tech defense against the Gopher offense. If Texas Tech is able to maintain a even-kiel defense, they should be able to survive what looks like a potential shootout. Tech has the most explosive offense in the country, and while the Gophers have an adamant D, they simply do not have what it takes to stay in this game with Texas Tech.

Texas Tech 49, Minnesota 35

Well, that should give ya some reading material up until the 30th. Again, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Y'all come back real soon. Peace.

~Mell-o

There's Something In The Air

“’Bout your love, that Will and Grace…”

Alright, NFL predictions. And not to toot my own horn too much, but last week went fairly well. So my hunch about Atlanta wasn’t too hot. I’m such a moron for not factoring in the fact that Dunn and Norwood were both inactive for that game. However, if you started Justin Griffith in your fantasy lineup, turns out you did ok, as he didn’t really do much on the ground, but made up for it with his two receptions, both of which went for touchdowns. So that was a mistake. Other than that, I was pleased at how things went. Here’s the rundown:

Week 15:
Straight Up: 10-5
ATS: 8-7

So I have to work on how I work with the spreads. You do have to give me credit for Tennessee. Hey, I’ll take wins however I can get ‘em. “And he could, eat, all, the, dots!” Go Pacman go. Alright, so on to this week. I’m expecting a pretty good week, but I won’t lie, there are some tough games out there. First, random observations:

Troy beat Rice…handily. This is a good thing. We’re now 3-0 in the bowl season. So, with 29 to go, I know that we have a ways to go…but I got a feelin’. I got a feelin’ baby! A lot of football tomorrow. I’ve said it once, I’m gonna say it even if they lose: Put the house on South Florida. I’m telling you, the day I trust Skip Holtz is the day Massachusetts gets a black…I mean a female…nevermind. Just trust me on this.

Tank Johnson needs court permission in order to leave the state of Illinois. And you thought homefield advantage was only for the fans. Chicago hasn’t had this big of a scandal since Jake and Elwood played the Country Pit and ticked off the Good Ol’ Boys. Again, my advice to you, is to start drinking…I mean, do not associate yourself with Tank Johnson, or any of his posse, hommies, or however the kids are calling associates of someone.

All quiet on the closer front. Hey, here’s a thought. You think they looked at the stats from last year, and perhaps said to themselves, “boy you know that guy we had last year was decent, why don’t we use him again?” I’m thinking there’s a real good chance. Also, does anyone realize that Papelbon is coming up on his arbitration year next year? In terms of money, guess who’s gonna get more money from an arbitrator if you have a starter and a reliever? I’m thinking probably a starter. Now, hopefully it doesn’t come to that, and they get a long, long-term deal done (I mean I’m thinking like six years, but you need to lock this guy up now and make sure he doesn’t hit free agency until he’s 30). Obviously the trade talks between the Sox and the Pirates for Mike Gonzalez have broken down, so where else can they turn? Expect an announcement in the coming weeks about this. Plus, look at the rotation right now sans Pap. Beck, Schill, Wake, Dice, Lester, and if Lester can’t go, I think you can plug Julian Tavarez in for the time being while Jon recuperates. By the way, Red Sox Nation is still together praying for Jon to make it to full recovery. Knock that cancer on its ass kid! Anyway, here is my ideal lineup for next year:

1. Lugo, SS
2. Youkilis, 1B
3. Ortiz, DH
4. Ramirez, LF
5. Varitek, C
6. Nixon, RF
7. Lowell, 3B
8. Pedroia, 2B
9. Crisp, CF

That’s right, no J.D. Drew…hey, it’s ideal baby! That’s how everyone wants it!

I was watching the Suns/Wizards game, and I gotta tell you, the Wiz have the ugliest uniforms I’ve seen in my lifetime. In fact, here comes a list: The top 10 ugliest pro uniforms in the last 25 years:

10. Nuggets uniform with the rainbow and city-scape. I mean I’m a big Alex English guy, but even I won’t buy that throwback…yikes. I mean I might do it for ‘Melo, but…you know you could have seen that coming.
9. Brewer uniform, the white one, just said “Brewers” on the front.
8. White Sox uni’s, both home and away, that just said “Sox” on the front
7. The Nets uniform that said Nets with the basketball, the white one, I actually kind of liked the blue one.
6. The Islanders orange jersey
5. Current Seahawk uniforms…teal and green? Get real.
4. Wizards alternate jerseys…yeah, that bad.
3. The Mighty Ducks and their purple and teal monstrosity.
2. Padres brown uniform
1. Buffalo Sabres new uniforms…look it up.

Now to be fair, since I have to say I’m kind of an expert in this field, here are my top 10 prettiest uniforms, and yes, you already know what’s #1:

10. Edmonton Oilers blue uniform from the Gretzky/Messier/Grant Fuhr days
9. Royals powder blue uniform
8. Old Sabres uniforms, with the crest of the buffalo and the sabers. Hey, it kind of makes sense when you break it down.
7. Quebec Nordiques blue uniform
6. Chicago Bears orange uniform, especially when it snows
5. 49er white uniforms from the Montana to Rice/Bill Walsh era, by the way, how is Bill Walsh? I know he had cancer, but is he ok? Someone please…inform.
4. Bullets red, white, and blue uniform
3. Oakland A’s yellow jersey
2. Hartford Whalers green jersey with the white W
1. San Diego Super Chargers powder blue uniform

One last thought. If you are playing fantasy basketball, you were most likely affected by events that have taken place in the last week. First, Chris Bosh gets a knee bruise and is out indefinitely, then there was the brawl, and then, Marcus Camby is out for two weeks. Paul Pierce is out for up to a month, and last, but certainly not least, Rashard Lewis, who was either #1 or #2 in most fantasy formats, is going to be sidelined for at least eight weeks. Unreal. Well, if you are keeping up with your team, make sure to always have your eye on the waiver wire. If someone happens to drop Lewis, pick him up like he’s still healthy. The impact he will provide when he returns will outweigh any other kind of stats that your worst player will put up in his absence.

Now, on to the picks:

Saturday: Oakland (+6.5) over Kansas City. So I’m thinking that the only way to survive in picking the NFL is backwards logic. The offense of the Raiders is absolutely pathetic, and the Chiefs feature a stud running back, my fantasy team’s own, Larry Johnson. Plus, they are giving six and a half on the road, meaning they are around a 10 point favorite at a neutral site, which is why I’m picking the Raiders. This is not a neutral site, and believe me, Raider fans have had this one circled on the calendar from the get-go. This is one of the most underrated rivalry, not only in the NFL, but in all of sports. I mean these teams hate each other. In their last contest at Arrowhead, the Raiders made a game of it in Trent Green’s return to the team, losing 17-13. I’m telling you, even though Art Shell coaches this team, they still have been in most of their games. The last three have been rough on them however, including last week, when they were blanked at home against the Rams. Still, this is a different game, and in their last home game, I see the Raiders pulling a shocker.

Raiders 21, Chiefs 17

Sunday:

1:00 Games: New England (+3) over Jacksonville. So I’m really turned off by this game. I have been thinking for two weeks about this one. Yes, I completely overlooked the Texans, and for excellent reason, because I’m not out there wearing pads. The Jags have a great run tandem, but could be a man down if they sideline Fred Taylor, who is listed as questionable with his hamstring injury he suffered last week against Tennessee. The Pats have an outside shot of getting Laurence Maroney back, who they have been missing dearly for the last few weeks (especially against Miami). I suspect that the Jags will come out and bring the house on the first drive, with the Jags crowd going ape for their team. However, this is Tom Brady. You can take away all his receivers, and conceivably Ben Watson for this week, but guess what, #12 is still under center, and until the day comes, God forbid, that he isn’t, I will never, ever pick against the Pats. Never! I don’t care if my head tells me I shouldn’t, my heart will always be true. Go Pats…go Pats go.

Patriots 20, Jags 14

Tennessee (+4.5) over Buffalo. Here’s the first instance where I will be picking different straight up and ATS. I feel Buffalo will pull it off, but watch for this game to be one of the ones that CBS will turn to if your game is over or it really sucks. I think the Bills will either have a four point lead with Vince Young attempting to drive them to a winning TD, or the game will be tied, and the Bills pull out the game on a last-second field goal. In any case, I see Buffalo pulling this one out by the skin of their teeth, making me choose the Titans ATS.

Bills 30, Titans 27

NY Giants (-3) over New Orleans. Can you believe I’m picking the Giants again? Here’s my logic…there’s got to be some kind of law of averages thing involved that will get the G-Men a win right? Anyway, Strahan is reportedly coming back this week, and that is huge for this team. He is their leader, and they’ve needed his pass rushing desperately. The Saints are coming off a tough loss to Washington at the Superdome. The Saints, other than that one little glitch, have been good against the NFC East, beating Philly at home by a field goal when they were huge underdogs, then, they dismantled Dallas on the road. All that being said…the Giants have to win one game. Come on! Win one for the Gipper!

Giants 38, Saints 28

Atlanta (-6.5) over Carolina. Ok, not only do I like it, I like it a lot. You know why? Jake Delhomme: doubtful. Oh baby. There go the flashing lights again. No need for any further breakdown, but in case you need more, Dunn and Norwood are both probable. Falcons already won their first matchup at Carolina. In my mind, it’s all over but the crying. Let the Carolina elimination party commence!

Falcons 27, Panthers 7

St. Louis (-2) over Washington. Ok, so I was wrong about the ‘Skins last week. They put it on the Saints early, and their defense was able to step it up against a prolific Saints offense. Here’s my feeling: There is no way that Washington can pull off beating an amazing offense on turf two weeks in a row on the road. Steven Jackson is like a combination of Deuce and Reggie Bush. This guy is dangerous, and is on pace for over 100 receptions. I previously had him ranked #3 overall as far as fantasy value goes, ahead of Shaun Alexander (by the way, if you have Alexander, and you are still alive in your fantasy playoffs, you get the gold star award for sure). Also, Marcus Washington is listed as questionable with a knee injury, so keep that on your radar, as he as been integral in replacing Lavar Arrington in the linebacking core.

Rams 28, Redskins 21

Indianapolis (-9) over Houston. I know these games are sometimes close, but I just don’t see it this year. Houston is in absolute disarray and they looked miserable against the Pats last week, and our offense isn’t all that great. Now they have to go up against Peyton Manning and the rest of that offense? I’m not seeing it. Houston is 1-4 ATS at home this year. Love the Colts here.

Colts 42, Texans 17

Pittsburgh (-3) over Baltimore. This was one of the toughest games I had to predict all season long. The old boss vs. the new boss. Playing at Heinz Field gives the Steelers a distinct advantage, as, like it or not, they have some rabid fans in the steel city. This game will hinge on the health of Raven LT Jonathan Ogden, who had to leave last week’s game against the Browns with a toe injury. He is listed as questionable, but there have been no reports saying whether or not he will play. This is a huge game-changer, literally and figuratively. Ogden has been consistently one of the best left tackles in the league, ranking right up there with Walter Jones and Orlando Pace. With Ogden out of the lineup, J-Lew will have a real tough time moving the ball on Pittsburgh’s front seven. Also, if Polamalu can return, the Ravens offense will have little hope of getting anything going, considering Derrick Mason is also listed as questionable. Just a lot of questions. But here’s a good stat to know. Steelers are 5-2 at home ATS, while the Ravens are 3-4 ATS on the road.

Steelers 24, Ravens 17

Cleveland (-3) over Tampa Bay. Ok, I’ll believe this when I see it, but if Tampa can go up north in back to back weeks and play as well as they played against the Bears last week, they will be an impressive three-win team. The Browns have literally half their roster listed as questionable. To me, I think Romeo is pulling a Bill move by listing all these guys as questionable in hopes that the Bucs will not gameplan for those players. The one known factor is that Charlie Frye is out, Derek Anderson is in. I was impressed by the way he played against the Ravens on the road last week. He showed tremendous poise in the pocket against the fast and furious Baltimore blitz. I like Anderson so long as he doesn’t pass in Ronde Barber’s direction.

Browns 17, Bucs 7

Chicago (-4.5) over Detroit. So the reason that the Bears are giving such few points in this game is because everything for them is already locked up. Division, home field throughout, it’s all done. The Lions are a terrible team, just awful, but here’s the reason I love the Bears in this game. The Lions own fans are going in Bears colors and paraphernalia, rooting for the Bears as part of their “Millen Man March” in hopes that the Detroit front office comes to gripes with the fact that the guy they hired to be their GM sucks. When I say he sucks, that is giving Matt Millen like a slap on the wrist. There are plenty of other words to throw in there, but to make it a PG article, “sucks” is pretty good to describe Millen. Three receivers in the first round three straight years? Alrighty.

Bears 48, Lions 10

4:00 Games: San Francisco (-4) over Arizona. I’m going to continue to ride this Frank Gore wave as far as it will take me. Also, the return of Vernon Davis spells instant offense for the Niners. Here’s what’s weird about this game. These are the two worst teams, statistically, as far as defense goes, in the NFL, which means that it will either be very low scoring or very high scoring. For some reason, I’m thinking a little on the low side in this game. Even with Arizona having their dynamic WR duo, I still believe there will not be a lot of points put up.

49ers 20, Cardinals 10

Denver (-3) over Cincinnati. Without even getting into the whole Mile High environment, let’s talk turkey. Carson Palmer is going to be at around 75% health I would guess. Then, you factor in Denver’s defense, which again is going unnoticed because of the Jake Plummer/Jay Cutler fiasco, and this team has a real good shot at shutting down this offense. One of the great matchups that will take place this year will be the one pitting Chad Johnson against Champ Bailey. I mean it doesn’t get much better than that. Of course my man-crush with Champ is going to show here, but the guy is the best corner in the NFL, period. It’s not even a discussion anymore. And to discuss amongst yourselves, I will submit the top 10 corners in the league. These are not just shut-down corners, they can be coverage guys as well:

1. Champ Bailey, Broncos
2. Mike McKenzie, Saints
3. Antoine Winfield, Vikings
4. Deangelo Hall, Falcons
5. Chris Gamble, Panthers
6. Rasheen Mathis, Jaguars
7. Charles Woodson, Packers
8. Asante Samuel, Patriots
9. Quentin Jammer, Chargers
10. Chris McAlister, Ravens

Anyway, Denver seemed to have a good offensive rhythm last week against the Cardinals. Cutler seemed to be more composed than he was in his previous two games. I think that the line should hold up enough not only for Cutler, but also for the Bell brothers, who will help get first downs and create a large disparity in time of possession.

Broncos 27, Bengals 20

San Diego (-4) over Seattle. This is another game that I wrestled with, and knowing that there is a distinct chance the Seahawks will come with a vengeance after a 10-day layoff, I still have to go with the Chargers. As long as that #21 they have is in the backfield, I don't see any way you can pick against them. This one will depend on weather big time, so I am submitting two scores here. Hey, I figure this is fair. I have the Chargers winning both by the same margin, so who cares? By the way, just like I said about the Bears game last week, this one has "trap game" written all over it, but the Chargers have just been incredible this year. Again, I will not be shocked if this one goes against me. One last note, Seattle is 5-8 ATS this year.

Nice (sunny/partly cloudy): Chargers 35, Seahawks 28
Not so nice (rain/snow/other not so nice variables): Chargers 17, Seahawks 10

Monday:

Dallas (-7) over Philadelphia. Oh I'm picking against them again. I know, almost suicidal right now, but this is the biggest momentum collision course of the year right here. Romo and Big D going up against Jeff Garcia and the resurgent Eagles. You think when NBC heard that McNabb went down, "oh s***" was audibly noted? Now, NBC again backs their way into another good game. Honestly, can you remember any prime time network, be it ABC, NBC, or ESPN getting so many good games in one year. If you get a chance, review the games that have been played on NBC this year. It's quite a list. Anyway, here's why I'm sticking with the 'Boys in this one: Dallas run game vs. Philly's run D. Philly has been questionable at best when it comes to stopping the run this year, giving up an average of 138.6 yards per game on the ground, good for 28th in the league. Dallas features a pretty good combination at running back with Julius Jones and Marion Barber III. If Philly is somehow able to contain these two, then they have a real shot, but odds are, they won't be able to get it done. Then, you go to the outside with the receivers. As much as I like Lito, he is no match for T.O. Then, Sheldon Brown (you know where he's from) battling Terry Glenn is another mismatch. As much as I love Sheldon, Glenn's speed makes this a big mismatch for the Eagles. Their two safeties, Dawkins and Lewis, which is by far the best safety duo in the league, will be called upon non-stop to try and help the corners. This is why I think Jason Witten is going to have an outstanding game. Witten will be matched up a majority of the time with a linebacker, whether it be Dhani Jones or Omar Gaither, and this will create yet another problem for the defense. I just think that the Eagles, as of right now, do not have the defense capable of slowing down Romo and company. Garcia will also have to face DeMarcus Ware. Bare in mind that, besides Julius Peppers, this guy has not faced a premiere pass-rusher so far this year. Expect Ware to be all over Garcia, as he will clearly be able to get around the most overrated tackle in the game, Jon Runyan.

Cowboys 35, Eagles 17

Miami (-2.5) over NY Jets. Yes, I'm fully aware of the recent history between these two teams. The Jets have dominated this series for what seems like a hundred years. I think the last time I actually remember the Dolphins winning was the "fake spike" game at the Meadowlands many years ago. Here's my thing: the Dolphins love playing at home, and they hate playing on the road. 5-3 at home, 2-5 on the road. Also, this is the reverse deal from what it used to be. Apparently, the scheduling committee thought it would be nice to shake up when these two teams play down in Miami, from September to December. Believe me, that's not always a good thing. The Pats started doing this a couple of years ago. Two years ago, they beat us using the distracting orange uniforms in our second 14-2 Super Bowl season (by the way, all three commemorative Super Bowl DVD's are available at Patriots.com...once again that's all three Super Bowl DVD's, highlighting the greatest dynasty of this century, and I believe you get a discount if you buy in bulk). Then they beat us 21-0 this year. Also, the 'Fins beat the Jets in a December game at home last year 24-20. I just have a feeling the trend will continue. I want to go to Miami in September damn it!

Dolphins 23, Jets 16

Alright people, that's all for this week in the NFL. Next week is the last week of the regular season, then it's playoff (Tom Brady) time. So I'm hoping I could be of some assistance for you. Until the next time, good night and good luck. Peace.

~Mell-o

I'm A Travelin' Man

“Welcome back, to that same old place that you laughed about…”

So I’m back in good old sunny Massachusetts, and I am offering you up some ramblings. The NFL and college previews will be done on Friday and Saturday respectably. I know you guys are on pins and needles waiting for it. Not to worry, Mell-o hears ya. Anyway, here’s a random thought about air travel: The Sky Magazine. Have you ever seen a more random array of product selection in one catalog? It’s insane. On one page, you can buy a watch, on another, a floor steamer, and the next, a marshmallow shooter. I’m serious, that was pages 24, 25 and 26. So what to make of all of this? I present to you my top 10 of the most clever and most stupid ideas found in the Sky Mall Magazine. Again, all these items are real…at least they are pictured and have names, so I guess they are real. Anyway, here goes, these are in no particular order:

Clever:

1. The Upside-Down Tomato Garden, $70, Hammacher-Schlemmer. The boys at Hammacher have numerous entries in this list, so they will hereby be abbreviated H/S. Here’s the concept: It’s a stand made with a plastic base that is to be filled with something to keep it stable, preferably sand, and held together with PVC pipes. The reason this is useful is that the tomatoes hang in the air and not on the ground, where there is more likely a chance that the roots will rot. Also, the top layer can hold up to 8- lbs. of soil, meaning that, besides tomatoes, you could plant other herbs, which could be used to make a tomato sauce or whatever you want.

2. The LP-to-CD Recorder Stereo System, $400, H/S. Here’s the answer for anyone who has a massive record collection and wants to preserve it onto CDs without having to buy all the albums. The recorder supports every kind of vinyl, and has a CD playback function.

3. The Heated Vest, $130, H/S. This runs on batteries and can produce heat for up to four consecutive hours. The batteries are rechargeable and “unobtrusive,” so it won’t get into the way if you’re a biathlete trying to take out some targets with your sniper rifle. The whole biathlon thing is a whole different issue for a different column. It’s an old Seinfeld bit, but you can’t help but wonder how cross-country skiing and shooting targets ever got mixed into the same category of competition.

4. The Waterproof Picture-Taking Binoculars With LCD Screen, $80, H/S. Does anyone notice every item these guys make starts with “the?” I’m almost expecting to turn the page and see “The Contest” and “The Jimmy” or something. Anyway, this item is great for any underwater enthusiast looking to capture some amazing aquatic moments. The binoculars can store up to 40 pictures in its internal memory, and, it can capture up to 90 seconds of viewing with its camcorder function. The LCD screen allows you to view your pictures. There is also a slideshow feature, which allows you to view pictures that can be taken of something from as far away as 50 feet.

5. Secret Security Camcorder Hidden In A Clock, $180, Sharper Image. This is pretty good, almost in a “Scarface” motif of sorts. The clock features a camera that is no bigger than the butt of a pen. The camera turns on when there is any motion and automatically shuts off when the motion stops. To view the video, there is an included USB cable, so you can stream the video on a compatible PC. I’m not sure what kind of range this covers, but I can almost see someone getting one for each room, then you have to believe the robbers will know something is up when there is the same digital clock hanging on the wall of every room.

6. Phillips 9-Inch Rechargable Digital Photo Frame, $250, Sharper Image. Also included are four colors for the frame: white, red, silver, and black. This comes with an AC adapter and runs for 50 minutes on a lithium-ion battery. This also allows for slideshow viewing and has a zoom function. This is perfect for someone who has no stability in their lives. Just keep changing in and out with no cost to you.

7. Alcohawk ABI Blood Alcohol Content Breath Screener, $120, Sharper Image. Ok, now I’m wondering if there are gift certificates available to Sharper Image, because I’m thinking that if you’re thinking of any kind of graduation present for me, that would be a lock. Anyway, who among us has not thought about having one of these? This isn’t even that cleaver of an idea. I mean it’s been around for a good, long time. But, still, you can never underestimate an alcoholic’s dream of seeing how far they can raise the bar. $120 is still a little pricey for me though. I think I’m waiting on the Wal-Mart/Target version to fit my budget.

8. Stereo/Clock/Speaker Tower With An IPod Dock, $130-$500, Sharper Image. Anytime you combine anything with the word “IPod,” it’s basically dynamite right off the bat. This is no different. The speaker system is my personal favorite. It runs you $200, but the thing looks so good it could conceivably be worth it. Imagine something 42” tall, but is probably, I don’t know, maybe 6” wide. It’s pretty sleek looking.

9. Massaging Bed Lounger, $149, Frontgate. This has the look of one of those cushions that have arms on their sides. The lounger is made from memory foam, which is the new “thing” I guess. Here’s a random thought, speaking of memory foam. Anyone remember when Temperpudic came out with the memory foam mattress. You know, that commercial with the glass of wine, and the girl jumps up and down and it’s like, “hey, look, in case I ever have a full glass of wine on the bed, and I’m attempting a Triple Lindy from off the bed, the wine won’t spill…hooray!” Anyway, at the end of the commercial, they would always say something about how this is from “NASA technologies.” Ok…so apparently that’s where the money is going. Not for determining if there’s life on Mars, or different satellite missions, no, we’re concentrating on mattresses. And there seemingly hasn’t been any outrage, because we’re all drowsy alcoholics.

10. DigiMemo $150, Sky Mall Collection. Now this is just cool. Basically, you are given a 8.5 by 11” clipboard. You affix a regular piece of paper to it. Then, you use the wireless pen that they provide you. When you are ready, you attach a USB cable that connects from the clipboard to your computer, and “bam!,” the notes get sent to your computer. This is a great invention. For some reason, I almost believe that this could be in the whole “flying cars and moving sidewalks” movement. Handwritten notes on a computer, quite the concept. The only downside to this is that you have to use the pen they give you, so if the ink runs out, the pen sucks, or if you’re a pencil kind of guy, like myself, then you’re screwed. Hopefully if this will ever be made affordable, there will be some kind of trial offer.

Honorable Mentions: Portable Ice Rink, Marshmallow Shooter, Customizable Putting Green.

Stupid:

1. Icuiti Video Eyewear, $270, Sky Mall Collection. This is actually deemed as a “featured pick for 2006.” Yikes. I think Sky Mall may be over-hyping this one. Basically, this set of eyeglasses allows you to view a wider scope than what your normal vision allows. Ok, maybe Arnold when he’s in the jungle in “Predator” needs these, or Han Solo shooting TIE fighters, but for recreational use? I don’t think so. It’s enough when you’re watching like an IMAX movie or something to that effect, but when you add on to it, it’s going to be an overload.

2. The Pet Staircase, $80-$150, H/S. This has always been one of my “look what we’ve become” products. This needs no explanation. Everyone knows how it works. The only thing I’m going to point out is now it comes in three, four, five, and six steps. Six steps? Unless you have like an eight foot disparity between the floor and the bed, what’s the point?

3. Closet Organizer Trouser Rack, $40-$60. Ok, now this is a good concept on paper. It’s like, “well, we want to create some kind of organization method for pants, like we have with racks or hooks.” Here’s the thing, this looks ridiculous. I don’t care how functional it is. When you see this thing, you’ll know where I’m coming from. It comes in 10 or 20 slots. Who has 20 pairs of pants? Let me tell you something. If someone has twenty pairs of pants, they have butlers and maids to take care of this. They’re not relying on any sort of closet organizer.

4. The High-Capacity Portable Teeth Cleaner, $50, H/S. I mean I hate to crash this party, but I believe this has already been invented, and is known in the common world by the name “toothbrush.” Seriously, 50 dollars? I’m thinking you can probably get the same sensation by brushing with Crest and swishing with some Scope. Combined price: $3.00. Oh I do my market research.

5. The Fish Finder Watch, $140, H/S. This is the lowest of lows. Nothing screams “I have no clue” like wearing a watch to try and find fish. Anyone who buys this was repeatedly beaten up when they were a kid. Speaking of which, I’m intrigued by that new video game “Bully.” I think that’s a great concept for a game. Anyway, the beatings will continue if the buyer has any friends left.

6. Ok, I’m looking right now, and there are about 5 pet-related things available. I’m just going to generalize them all right now. They’re all stupid, all of them. Maybe it’s because I’m not a pet person and I don’t get it. Maybe, but still, I cannot see any person in their right minds (notice I threw that clause in there) buying any of these. A large capacity feline drinking fountain? For $70? These are the same people being proud that they were named Time’s Person Of The Year…by the way, big up to Time, who realized that 2006 was such a lackluster year for anything positive that they decided to create some delusional tactic of naming everyone person of the year for making the internet huge. Wasn’t the internet already huge to begin with? Just because people are getting ripped off on EBay for a Playstation 3, or because high-speed internet is now available to more porn freaks, this gives some justification for naming us person of the year? You know when the President isn’t even on the ballot, that these are trying times to be an American. Honestly, I think the chick who created Harry Potter should be the default person of the year until someone does something extraordinary to knock her off. Think about it. This book is about kids, and magic, and old people, and other stuff because I’ve never read the books. Anyway, people line up to get these books, and that’s what, like $15 a crack? Then, three box office smashes are released. I mean this lady’s got to be worth more than Oprah now right? And all of that money from such a stupid concept. She’s like the female George Lucas.

7. The Color Pattern Clock, $60, H/S. Seriously, Hammacher Schlemmer covers the entire spectrum in the cleaver-stupid range. This one, however, really pushes the limit of suckiness. This is like Morse code for clocks. Unless you understand what the different nautical flags represent, you will have no idea on what time it is. The clock basically sets up so that each number is represented by a different pattern. I mean you could give me this thing to try and figure out for three months, I would have no clue. This has to be the worst right? I mean, granted, I stopped reading the Sky Mall after 100 pages because there’s only so much I can take, but this, to me, is the come all, be all of the worst catalog-available product ever.

8. SeaScooter XL, $200, Sharper Image. The official height of laziness is when you need a motorized contraption to get around in the water in. I admit, if I tried it once, I’d probably have a good time. However, I can see this catching on, and then it will become something I can’t stand. Therefore, I deem this stupid based on potential fad status, and for establishing a new standard for an already overweight country.

9. Ston-O-Max, $100, Gadget Universe. You’ve seen this, especially if you watch Spanish soap operas. By the way, if you think that’s weird, you’ve obviously never watched them, or you would know exactly what I was talking about. I mean I’m sure all the premises are insane like the ones in the states, but I don’t understand it, and therefore, I only have to look at the girls, so it’s nice…it’s nice.. For a visual interpretation, it’s the thing you strap to your abs, and it vibrates, and then you are suddenly suppose to get a six-pack like the “mimbo” that’s in the ad. So now, fat people will sit around, watch TV all day, and have this thing vibrating against their abs, until the thing starts smoking, explodes, and you’re left with a hernia. Exercise people. That’s how you lose weight. Eat right and exercise. It’s not hard. Are you saying I could make millions of dollars by telling people this? I could have been millionaire. I could have been an exercise millionaire!

10. The Buckner Play…Framed…And Signed!, $99, $199, Steiner Sports. So the great thing about this idiotic memoir is that it’s signed by Buckner and Mookie. And I love the quote above it to entice people: “Back by popular demand!” How 'bout "Go f*** yourselves!", how ya like that little quote? I’m really starting to not like the Mets because of this. Before, I didn’t really have any problem. Ok, so one time, we got screwed at the behest of the Mets, but hey, they play in the NL, and they hate the Yankees, so what’s the problem? Well now the problem is that there’s a demand for this stupid picture. Oh by the way, it’s available in 8x10 and 16x20, so delusional Mets fans can decide how much space of their parent’s basement it takes up. Did I mention that there’s a ball that’s also available with both signatures. How much money are they paying Buckner to, not only have done it once, but to do a second session of signings? I’m really starting to dislike the Mets, and I hate the Drake!

Ok so that was fun…long, but fun. So, there’s even more things to get into. This is gonna cover miscellaneous issues in sports. Get ready…

Ok, I'm going to comment again on what happened at Madison Square Garden and the whole 'Melo incident. Despite the fact that we share the same name, granted there is an extra “l” and a hyphen in mine, I did not approve of the way ‘Melo went about his business. First of all, I applaud his initial efforts to get in the face of Mardy Collins and say that was a bush-league play, because it was. At no point, during any point of any NBA game, should a player try and foul a guy by attempting a chokehold. Then, here’s where I have a difference of opinion. First, the sucker punch. Ok, not the smartest move, but if you’re Collins, you have to expecting some kind of backlash and perhaps a fight to ensue. But the worst thing was when ‘Melo staggered back to the bench. If you punch a guy, you have to stand your ground. Going back to your bench to get behind the rest of the team is not the sign of a leader. A leader punches a guy, then expects the rest of his team to have his back, no matter what the circumstances. I will continue to support my man, I will continue to call myself Mell-o, I will continue to wear the #15, but as far as this incident is concerned, remember that my name’s spelled different, and therefore, I am not that kind of guy.

Speaking of which, the Nuggets threw the switch on the A.I. trade just a few days after the suspensions were handed down. So now the Nuggets will not lose as much as far as points. They gain a guy who is a leader, which they were obviously lacking before. This guy is a former MVP who is a game-changer. Unfortunately, they just lost Camby for two weeks, which is really going to set this team back. Fortunately, they did not have to get rid of any of the size from the team in the trade with the Sixers, so they will still have their reserves, coupled with J.R. Smith, who is currently appealing his ten-game suspension, and Iverson. The Nugs still have Nene to play center, and will somehow have to survive right now in the tough Western Conference until they come back to full strength. I happen to love the trade for the Nuggets. Andre Miller is a hell of a player. The guy is pretty much good for about 8-9 assists a game per year, but he is not the presence that the Nugs were lacking. With Iverson in the fold, they now get a lot of respect as far as being a team with a lot of weapons. J.R. Smith is still developing, but with the core of ‘Melo, Camby, and A.I., there is no reason to think that Denver can at least hang with a San Antonio or a Dallas. As far as Phoenix goes, no one can hang with them.

The J.D. Drew deal is still not done, and if you’re the Red Sox right now, you have got to take advantage and get out of this deal. With the excuse of a failed physical, they have all the leverage right now. If they do sign him, they should be able to knock the amount of guaranteed money down significantly, like $4-5 million a year. Considering the offseason that has been going on in baseball, $9 million for Drew would be considered a bargain. And, if they can somehow get out of a deal with Drew, they should make every effort necessary to get Trot back. Right now, no one, I mean no one, is even touching this guy. Here’s the thing, everyone knows about his history of missing games and all that, but this guy is a born and bred Boston guy. He plays that corner as well as anyone I’ve ever seen, perhaps only Dewey Evans played it better. Still, if you can get Nixon at, say, $7 million for just this year, it would be a fantastic move. All they need is a fix for one year. Ellsbury and Murphy are coming along at a rapid pace, especially Ellsbury. If they can get through this year, and maybe make the playoffs, then that would be a huge success. Then, in next year’s offseason, you’re most likely going to be seeing Torii Hunter, Ichiro, and Andruw Jones available. Jones will be the biggest target by the Red Sox, and they will do anything possible to dump Coco Crisp. Then, you can throw Murphy or Ellsbury over in right field. Also, this year, they should give one of the two some chances out in right this year to make sure they can get comfortable with the corner and the other messed-up dimensions in right.

The Celts are going through a real tough time right now. True, they had a five-game winning streak before it was snapped by Golden State on Wednesday, but in that time, they’ve lost Wally for an undetermined amount of time and Pierce for two to three weeks. So right now, they have three of their starting five from the season opener on the injured list. You know what this means? Hello Gerald Green! This guy is going to see a big bump in the amount of minutes he will play. This could be a litmus scale into determining if this guy is for real or if they should sell high on his tremendous upside. Remember…Joe Johnson or Marcus Banks? You never can tell. I am ecstatic about the play of Tony Allen and Al Jefferson over the past couple of games. Allen has really stepped up and is playing a wonderful two-guard. He is surprisingly physical, which was noticeable at the game I attended in Charlotte last Saturday. And of course, you can never sleep on Big Al, who has been attempting to break through for the last two years, but has been saddled with injuries and other setbacks. Now, it seems that Al is stepping up his game. He looks great, like he lost about 20 pounds. He’s really buff now. He’s been averaging nearly a double-double a night since being re-instated into the starting lineup. I have always been a big Big Al fan, and I’m just praying that he can contain some of this magic for the duration of the season, because with the lackluster play of now-injured Kendrick Perkins, this guy is going to have to become the rock in the middle.

I’m going to try and get my NFL picks in by Saturday’s KC-Oakland throwdown in the Coliseum. Meanwhile, again, my best wishes goes to everyone over the holidays. Take care now.

The Bowl Preview Part I

"And I think I think too much..."

Alright, one of the best times of the year is upon us. It's bowl season, and this year, there are thirty two of them, all of which I will eventually be previewing. When the bowls started growing at an exponential rate a few years ago, I initially didn't like that idea. I thought it kind of dilluted the meaningfulness of the college regular season. All a team has to do is finish a game or more above .500 in a major conference, and they almost automatically get a bowl bid. But now that I look at it, there will be football on basically every day from now until January 8th. That's two straight weeks, including multiple games towards the end of this year and beginning of the next year. So if you think about it like this, it's fantastic. Always something to look forward to. For instance, take the first game, the San Diego Union County Credit Union Poinsetta Bowl should be an interesting matchup, featuring TCU and Northern Illinois. Ok, so the names are ridiculous, I totally agree with you. However, I believe I have a solution to all of this. Each bowl can only have a maximum of two words before "bowl," like Las Vegas Bowl and Motor City Bowl are ok, but Pioneer Pure Vision Las Vegas and Bell Helicopter Armed Forces. If a company wishes to sponsor the bowl, they absolutely can, but the bowl will be pronounced as the something-something bowl, presented by someone. I don't know, I think if the names weren't so obnoxious, people wouldn't be all up in arms all the time about so many bowl games.

But before I get into the bowl breakdowns, a few thoughts on some of this past week's events:

'Melo went bezerk on Saturday, started shoving people, then eventually landed a punch on Mardy Collins. Being that he is my namesake, I have to say that I don't approve of what Anthony did. First of all, I understand the initial shoving involved, because Collins' foul was horrendous. There is no need to make that hard of a foul when you're down by 19 with a minute and a half left. However, when he sucker-punched Collins, I found it to be very cowardly of Anthony, which is extremely unusual considering his usual laid back attitude. The way he "hit and ran" on that play was a very immasculine move. It's a very unfortunate situation, and it's been reported that Anthony could receive anywhere from an 8 to 10 game suspension. This is a fantasy basketball disaster for me, and kind of a dark day for the 'Melo fellowship.

***UPDATE: 'Melo has been suspended 15 games...more ouch.

If you or anyone you know has any association with Chicago DE Tank Johnson, may I suggest you take a leave of absence from any occupation you may have and leave wherever you're at right now for a couple of months. Just two days after having his house raided, with the authorities finding six unregistered guns in Johnson's possession, his bodyguard was shot to death outside a Chicago-area night club. Oh by the way, his bodyguard was charged with "cannabis" possession at the same time Johnson's home was searched. Does anyone really still call it cannabis? Seriously, unless you're referring to the rapper, or as a question to ask someone if you're in the mood to bust something, I think weed or marijuana is probably an accepted term. Also, what does Tank Johnson need a bodyguard for? The guy has been clocked at 6'3, 300 pounds. Seriously, unless he's involved with something real illegal, which is a very real possibility, this guy did not need a bodyguard when he went out, so something is definitely up there.

Ok, bowl predictions. As I do for the NFL, I will show the spread and predict the games accordingly, but I will also say who I think will win straight up. I admit, this is gonna be tough, considering I haven't seen many of these teams in action. I'll do the best I can though, and hopefully pull a winning record. Seriously, I don't have very high expectations. So, here we go, Part I, which will cover the games through Christmas Eve...

Poinsetta Bowl (12/18, 8:00, Deuce): TCU (-11.5) over Northern Illinois. One of the few players you're going to recognize in this game will be Garrett Wolfe, the stud running back of Northern Illinois. Wolfe was a preseason Heisman candidate, and finished the year with 1,900 yards rushing. However, Wolfe and the rest of the NIU offense will have their hands full against the Horned Frogs' D, which was ranked 9th in total defense, 8th in rushing defense, and 6th in points allowed. The Huskies will try to get a passing game established to take pressure off of Wolfe, so look for newly-appointed starting QB Dan Nicholson to try and spread out the Frogs so Wolfe can get running lanes establisehed. Unfortunately, I can't see this happening for the Huskies because TCU is on a tear, winning its last 5 and going 6-1 ATS in their last seven. Also, surprisingly, TCU has a more potent rushing offense than Northern Illinois (194.3 to 180.2), and with the Huskies giving up 357 yards, I think TCU will be able to come away with this one. However, I do think it will be low scoring, which means that TCU will have a tough time covering, but I still see them winning by around two to three TDs.

TCU 27, Northern Illinois 10

Las Vegas Bowl (12/21, 8:00, ESPN): BYU (-3) over Oregon. This is going to be high scoring from all indications. BYU has long been known for its pass offense (Young, McMahon, Detmer), and this year is no exception, ranking 4th in the country. The Ducks counter with a above-average pass D (30th in the country). However, when BYU has the ball, they should try and run on the Ducks, even though they were ranked 119th in rush offense. Oregon is woeful against the run, giving up 146.6 yards a game, good for 138th in the country. If BYU can have even a moderate running game, it should loosen up Oregon's secondary. When Oregon has the ball, they are extremely dangerous. The Ducks bring a very balanced attack into this game, with the 29th best run offense and 34th in pass offense, which totals to the 10th best offense in the land, and with BYU's 99th best defense, including a feeble pass defense, ranking 170th, Oregon will get its fair share of points. The reason I like BYU is that they play well in shootouts, being as that is the style of play in the Mountain West Conference. Couple that with the Ducks three-game skid, and I like the Cougars. Again, a lot of points.

BYU 48, Oregon 38

New Orleans Bowl (12/22, 8:00, Deuce): Troy (+4.5) over Rice. Now if anyone knows anything about either of these teams, they have far too much time on their hands. I've done a little research though, so I'm going to try and help you guys out as far as trends and what to watch for. Rice's defense is dreadful. Take a look: Rice has the 230th ranked defense, 222nd against the run, 202nd against the pass. They allow 32.6 points a gamea (224th) and give up 417.7 total yards. They have been able to get by with their offense, whose 27.8 points per game lands them 58th in the nation. They have won their last five heading into this one, all of which they won ATS as well. However, when you look over their last 25, Rice is 8-17 over their last 25 contests, so this seems to be a bit of a resurgence for Rice, who plays in C-USA. They have knocked off Tulsa and East Carolina, both of whom play in the conference and are bowl bound, so they do have some credentials in this matchup. Troy plays out of the Sun Belt Conference. They are 6-1 in their last seven while going 4-1 ATS in their last five. A big win for the Trojans came against Middle Tennessee St. two games ago, knocking the eventual conference winners off on the road 21-20. I believe Troy will provide their fair share of offense, and will be able to slow down the Owls enough to beat them straight up.

Troy 28, Rice 21

PapaJohns.Com Bowl (12/23, 1:00, Deuce): South Florida (-4.5) over East Carolina. I got two words for you. Skip Holtz. With Holtz coaching the Pirates, this was a fairly easy decision for me. For a more statistical approach, consider the following: The Pirates have a good pass offense, with 230.1 yards a game, but, the Bulls counter with a defense surrendering only 176.6 pass yards a game, 73rd in the land. The Bulls, overall, have a very good defense, while the Pirates, not surprisingly, do not. Come on people, just because it's a different team, did you honjestly expect Skip Holtz to change? Not a chance. South Florida...big time.

South Florida 38, East Carolina 14

New Mexico Bowl (12/23, 4:30, ESPN): San Jose St. (+3.5) over New Mexico. Ok, I know what you're thinking. New Mexico, New Mexico bowl, slam dunk right? Not so fast (damn it I did a Corso line, I promised I would only do that when I was drunk). The Spartans played BCS-bound Boise St. and only lost by a field goal. This fact alone is good enough for me to pick San Jose St. New Mexico finished with a 6-6 record, but is 4-2 in their last six and 5-1 ATS. San Jose St. has a good enough defense and good enough offense to bring a good fight to the Lobos. The Spartans have won four of their last five, with their one loss coming on the road at the hands of Hawaii, the proverbial black hole for visiting teams. Also, I recall Boise St. losing on their home blue turf to BC last year, so I really don't see anyway you can justify the Lobos having any kind of advantage.

San Jose St. 23, New Mexico 16

Armed Forces Bowl (12/23, 8:00, ESPN): Utah (-1.5) over Tulsa. All the key stats indicate Tulsa has the upper hand in this one, but you have to recognize how well a team is playing when they make their way into a bowl game. Tulsa had lost three games in a row before knocking off Tulane in their final game. Utah has won three of their last four, with their loss being a two-pointer against BYU. The win streak includes a win at Air Force, which has always been a tough place to play. Expect Utah's balanced attack on offense to be too much for the Golden Hurricanes to handle. This will be a close game, but I like the Utes.

Utah 35, Tulsa 31

Hawaii Bowl (12/24, 8:00, ESPN): Hawaii (-7) over Arizona St. Ok, remember what I said about the whole home field advantage thing in regards to New Mexico. Well, this is completely different. Hawaii is in their own element when they play at home. True, their last game was a loss to Oregon St. at home, who is also a Pac-10 member along with the Sun Devils. Here's the thing about that game against the Beavers: Hawaii had a -2 turnover margin. The Rainbows will be looking to air it out against ASU, and look for them to have a lot of success right off the bat, putting the Devils away quickly.

Hawaii 49, Arizona St. 38

Stay tuned for the next installment. Also, I will try and get the NFL predictions up before the holidays. So, to you and yours, happy holidays. I'm telling everyone one key word...relax. Let the weight off of your shoulders and forget about everything. The Christmas Eve matchup between the Pats and the Jags should be a doosy. Take care now. Peace.

~Mell-o

And Now For Something Completely Different...

"Lord knows I can't change..."

Ok, so I was thinking to myself, "what could I do to be a staple for the blog?" And then the most unoriginal idea hit me:

"Why not do a picks page?"

So yes, I'm going to start previewing and predicting some foozball action. So far this year, I would say I've been decent, then again, if you've been decent in the NFL this year, that translates into amazing. Dogs are 30 games over .500...30! That's out of control. However, I guess this is something for the NFL to pat themselves on the back for. Why is it that the NFL doesn't want a dynasty? Doesn't it make for a classic moment when the underdog takes the legs out from under the team no one can seemingly compete with. Think about it, when the Pats were on their 21 game win streak, even I was compelled by the Steelers and Big Ben's confidence. Oh well...yay parody...

By the way, bit of a side note here: I'm watching the Pitt-Wisconsin game, 28 seconds have elapsed, Wisconsin's up 2-0, and people are chanting "overrated" at Pitt. Is it me, or perhaps there was some free E-Dub dispersal at the gate. I don't know. I like conspiracy theories though, I do know that.

One last item before the picks, has there ever been a signing that everyone hated more than J.D. Drew? The only people who seem to be enjoying this are Dodger fans for him leaving, and Yankee fans, who are starting to realize that there will be a role-reversal of sides in the epic "Evil Empire" struggle in the next five years. I mean no one...no one has anything good to say about him, except Theo, but you can almost detect that he knows what a big mistake this was. It's just painfully obvious he felt he had a Manny deal within his grasp, and he went after anything that looked like protection from Papi walking 500 times next year. You just have to hope Drew has a breakout year, then, in a moment of clarity, the Sox will dump him for three prospects, a la Gary Sheffield. Seriously, just because he opted out of an $11 million a year contract, it doesn't necessarily mean that he deserves more than $11 million. Now, the recent moves by the Sox actually show they have some intelligence. Getting Brandon Donnelly for a guy who came off Tommy John surgery two years ago, and picking up J.C. Romero to be a lefty specialist, which is key when you're playing the Yankees 18 times. Also, I would be remissed if I didn't mention the signing of Dice-K. If this guy comes through with half of his potential, this is a great move. Considering Gil Meche got $55 million from the Royals, Ted Lily got $40 million from the Cubs, and Jason Schmidt got $47 million fron the Dodgers, if this guy gets you 13 wins, it's considered to be a steal right now. Speaking of which, where did the Cubbies get all this money from? They are just flaunting it like they play in the AL East or something. Wild card or bust baby! As far as the $51 million posting fee, think of it as a loan of sorts. Seibu will get the money, rebuild their stadium, maybe re-up some contracts for players they're probably going to post in the future...ok maybe a couple geisha house visits. Come on! This is like hitting powerball kid! It's a lump sum payment. You can't possibly expect they're gonna throw it all in the bank now do you? Can you even comprehend the party that went on as soon as they found out the Sox has signed him? It must have been like New Year's Eve times a thousand. Another round of saki over here!

And now...the picks...I'm going to use spreads, but I will provide a final score, which shows how I see it straight up, because that's the only thing that matters. I mean no one I know gambles right?...

Right???

And we start with the future Super Bowl Champs (already planning the parade in this brain...):

Patriots (-11) over the Texans. This will be like the appocalyptic crossroads for the Pats. When the offense is off the field, they should look at the Texans offense, and then realize that they are starting to mimic them. Brady honestly looked like David Carr, or some other awkward QB of your liking, last week against the 'Fins. It's funny, because I would find myself literally screaming at the TV to run the ball. Then, they would start running, and then I would say "ok, thanks for doing that for me, but you can pass any time now." But no, they kept running in incredibly easy-to-predict situations. Then, if they even attempted a five-step drop, the pass would have to be off by step five or else Jason Taylor was most likely going to get within about an inch of landing Brady on IR. Do you really want the Vinny and the Pats era to begin? I know Jason Taylor is a great player, but is Matt Light that bad? I wonder. I always have wondered this. Ever since they gave Light an extension into 2010, I have wondered if he is a premiere left tackle like they, and his contract, are making him out to be. Whatever the case, they definitely need some depth for the O-Line. Anyway, I could just go on and on about the Pats, but I respectfully will save you from this, and instead revert to a future column to rant and rave. Patriots in a laugher...correction, if the Pats don't win this game in a laugher, I will officially give up on the Pats making the Super Bowl.

Patriots 31, Texans 7

Atlanta (+3.5) over Dallas. Call it a hunch, but road favorites have been deplorable this year. I think the shine that was Tony Romo's Mop N' Glo for the offense is about to rust. Let's face it, Romo is not going to be a good NFL QB. This guy brought an incredible amount of energy to the table, and the 'Boys responded by reeling off a bunch of big victories, but after watching them get trounced by the Saints, I'm thinking that Dallas is reeling right now. Meanwhile, across the field, Atlanta's coach doesn't know if he wants to be there or not. Mora came out and said he was joking, but there's always some truth behind every joke. But this is Atlanta...when has coaching mattered in the Vick era? Never. There is no coach that could possibly know the depths to which he could utilize a player like Michael Vick. His talents will never be fully realized. Everyone attempts to put him in a system. Here's a thought, when you let the guy play and do what he wants, he wins. Obviously that will not happen. They do pay coaches millions to do something. What it is I'm not exactly sure. Wouldn't you agree that, with the exception of Brian Billick, basically games are won and lost, from a coaching standpoint, by the coordinators? Maybe it's just me. Last time I checked, Bill still hasn't won big games without Charlie and Romeo. Therefore, I kind of like that Mora made implications that he wanted out. I like the Falcons on the fast track in Atlanta.

Falcons 31, Cowboys 17

Minnesota (-3) over the Jets. For some reason, a lot of people are going with the Jets on this one. I don't get it. I mean, does anyone realize how good this front seven is? I mean they are beyond good, they're, dare I say, dy-no-mite! On pace to have the fewest rushing yards allowed since the merger, the Vikings, using Williams and Co., have forced teams to become one-dimensional. Pennington has looked good at times this year, but I think the Vikes will be too physical for the Jets to recover from. Also, Chester Taylor will most likely be returning to the lineup, and watch out for the four-headed running back they may start to imploy, with Taylor, Mewelde Moore, Ciatrick Fason, and America's newest sweetheart, Artose Pinner. Artose Pinner people! Dap.

Vikings 27, Jets 14

Baltimore (-11.5) over Cleveland. Honestly, if Cleveland scores, I will be shocked. I'll be stunned. The Ravens? At home? You're so not scoring on that. I love Boomer's explanation for the Ravens D in his little Swami prediction nonsense. "The Raiders played them early in the year, and haven't been the same sense." So while watching Andrew Walter get the bejeezus knocked out of him, I kind of had to wonder exactly how high were those Raider expectations to begin with? Yeah, I'm sure the Ravens ended what could have been a playoff push...right...anyway, the Brownies got a point guard at quarterback, and from what I can gather, they still have Kellen Winslow, who is now just begging for people to call him out so that he can live up to his feminist style of play. Soldier!

Ravens 31, Browns 3 (ok I'm giving them 3, but that's 'cause I like Phil Dawson, I think he's "big-time underrated." And by the way, that's definitely my line. You like it? Don't steal it.

Buffalo (-2.5) over Miami. I'm loving how right now this spread is under three. This is almost begging you to throw a lot down on the Bills, and of course, I'll get suckered in, then watch Sammy Morris do his best Ricky Williams the year he won the rushing title impression, go off for like 150 and two scores, and Harrington will be made to look like the second-coming of Jay Fiedler (hey he was a winner...and from Dartmouth...ok...). Anyway, I love...love Willis McGahee. Could Drew Rosenhaus have been right? This guy is a legitament top-10 back when healthy, and that's a big "when." The linebackers are a great unit...London Fletcher and Takeo Spikes...look out. They are playing at the Ralph, so look for an advantage. I don't know how well the 'Fins play in Buffalo in December, but I'm pretty sure they would rather be playing in sunny Miami. I have also been assured that Miami has not purchased any audio of J.P. Losman'a audibles, because they probably are gonna kick the crap out of him anyway. Still, I like McGahee and the A-Train carrying the load for the Bills.

Bills 20, Dolphins 13

Pittsburgh (-3) over Carolina. Chris Weinke. A name that strikes fear in the hearts of all Panther fans. Horrendousness. I had to make up a word to describe how bad Weinke is. What's he like 40? Led all the NFL in passing yards last week. Well, you know, that usually happens when you throw the ball 63 TIMES!!! Are you serious? The Panthers were out of the game real quick...real quick. Now they're playing a team that basically parallels the Giants in the Steelers, a team with a QB who's better off handing off the ball, an outstanding runner, a #1 receiver that has no support around him, a banged up D-Line, solid linebackers, and a secondary with a big play guy. Troy Polamalu may not play on Sunday, which would be huge for Pittsburgh, and would almost compell me to change my pick. As of right now, I'm liking how Big Ben is not passing the ball and giving it to Willie Parker a lot. With ten days to rest, Parker will most likely be at full strength going into this one.

Steelers 17, Panthers 10

New Orleans (-10) over Washington. This one is going to get ugly real quick. The 'Skins are going to need even more from Ladell Betts, and he led the league in rushing last week. Simply put, the 'Skins are driving in reverse, and, now that they've been eliminated from postseason play, have been relegated to the spoiler role. They play the second best team in the NFL (my opinion) in the Saints, who absolutely destroyed the Cowboys at Texas Stadium last Sunday night. Expect Colston to have one of his usual days, as he will be playing his second game after being sidelined with a high ankle injury. Most interesting stat of the year, and if this is true, thank you Cris Carter: No QB who has led the league in passing has won a championship since Johnny Unitas in 1958. That, to me, is amazing. Then again, think about the big-time passers of all time: Marino, Manning, Tarkenton, Favre (only won one),...even Bledsoe (hey he's in the top 10...it only started going real bad for him like two years ago). Anyway, the offense will have a field day on the 'Skins, who definitely showed a weakness to the big play last week against the Eagles.

Saints 45, Redskins 17

Tennessee (+3.5) over Jacksonville. Ok, I realize I may be riding the Vince Young momentum train one week too far here, but I can't see a reason, other than that, to pick against him. When has he ever let you down? All the guy does is win. Did you see that OT run? Is this guy really a rookie. Speaking of rookie, the Rookie of the Year award will be decided in this game. If Jones-Drew puts together another phenomenal performance, he might edge out Young. Jones-Drew has been huge for the Jags, keeping Fred Taylor healthy for the most part (knock on wood). Although Taylor left last week when his hamstring was acting up, he said he could have played, but the Jags had a bit of a margin over Indy, so decided to not chance it. The Titans are going to have to force Garrard to put the ball in the air, where he has shown that he is far from invincible, and get their secondary involved, which is actually pretty good with Pac Man and Chris Hope, one of the best tacklers coming from the secondary in the league. Young will be looking to hand the ball off to Travis Henry, and if they are able to penetrate that stiffling Jag run D, it will open up the field for Young, who could prove to be a real headache for the Jags. Also, Jacksonville has been bad on the road (2-4). You know, just putting fuel on the fire.

Tennessee 27, Jacksonville 24

Chicago (-13.5) over Tampa Bay. Really I could have put minus anything, and I'd probably still go with da Bears. Simply put, if the return man, who basically only does return and is a dime-back on defense, is being talked about for Rookie of the Year in some circles (by the way, Kornheiser was talking about him up for MVP...easy buddy...easy...he'll be lucky to finish in the top 3 for ROY, let's stay with that), you're doing good things. This could end up being a trap game (remember that other team from Florida that played at Soldier Field this year...yeah, they did ok for themselves), but I just don't have the vision to put any confidence behind that.

Bears 31, Bucs 10

New York Giants (-5.5) over Philadelphia. I fully realize that I said numerous times before that the Giants were all done. But here's the thing, they will have just enough to beat the Eagles. The Eagles do not have the run defense to stop Tiki Barber and Brandon Jacobs. The G-Men showed last week that they still have some potential. It was Chris Weinke, I'm fully aware of this. However, I was impressed by the play of Gabril Wilson and Will Demps. This duo has gone largely unnoticed, but they could rank in the top 5 as far as safety combinations in the league. In fact, here's the top 5 safety combinations, haha:

1. Brian Dawkins/Michael Lewis (Eagles)
2. Adam Archuleta/Sean Taylor (Redskins)
3. Gabril Wilson/Will Demps (Giants)
4. Roy Williams/Anthony Henry (Cowboys)
5. Dwight Smith/Darren Sharper (Vikings)

(4 out of 5 come out of the NFC East...coincidence? Yeah right.)
Anyway, Jeff Garcia has been one of the surprises of the season. His play of late has been just what the Eagles needed. No INT's in five games. The Eagles also have shown a resurgence in their secondary with the return of Lito (wa-oh-oh-oh!) Sheppard. However, I have to believe that their hot streak will come to an end here in the Meadowlands.

Giants 28, Eagles 21

Green Bay (-5.5) over Detroit. I like this one, check that, I love this game. This is almost the easiest one on the board right now. Brett Favre looked good against the Niners last week, and there is no reason to believe that he won't be able to duplicate his performance this week. Donald Driver should have a big game in this one. Look for the Packers to really limit the Lions' offense, especially with Kevin Jones now being out for the year. There aren't a whole lot of corners you would rather have on Roy Williams than Charles Woodson. The Pack are going to have to find a way to stop Mike Furrey. He's having a pretty good year considering he's a number two option in Detroit.

Packers 28, Lions 17

Arizona (+3) over Denver. Ok, so maybe I was wrong about Jay Cutler's impact on the Broncos. He simply has not lived up to the hype, which I did see happening, but I did not expect the Broncos to fold up the way they have, losing four straight. The Cardinals looked good against the Seahawks last week. They seem to play very well at home. The only real blowout loss was during the Tony Romo blitzkrieg. Other than that, they've lost their other three home games by a combined six points. Leinart will have some trouble throwing, but eventually, the Broncos will not be able to contain the Cards' dynamic receiving duo.

Cardinals 28, Broncos 24

St. Louis (+3) over Oakland. For some reason, I'm thinking the Oakland D will relent in this game. Oakland has tried to revamp their offense by bringing back Aaron Brooks, but let's face it, they're still the Raiders, it's still Art Shell, so I have absolutely no confidence to be picking the Raiders. Give them credit though, it's week 15, and they are favorites in a game. Good for 'dem, a good for 'dem!

Rams 17, Raiders 6

San Diego (-8.5) over Kansas City. The Chargers are on way too good of a hot streak right now. In fact, they have the potential to run the tables and win the whole damn thing. With LT and Gates on offense, they are probably going to continue to put up 30-40 points a game. Then, when you factor in an improved defense, this team is the best team in the NFL right now. Tomlinson broke the TD mark with three games to go! Are you serious? 28 TD's in 13 games. Wow. Great linebackers, and with the return of Luis Castillo, this D is at full strength. I also said the Chiefs would be the most dangerous team if they made the playoffs. Unfortunately, I don't see them getting there anymore.

Super Chargers 45, Chiefs 21

Indianapolis (-3.5) over Cincinnati. Yeah, so if they were making lines on this game two weeks ago, Indy might be a double-digit favorite. After their debacle in Jacksonville last week, the confidence in the Colts has vanished. The Colts need Bob Sanders back in the worst way. Sanders has played in only four games, but has made an impact in all four contests, especially the Pats game (again, thanks for coming back for that one...bastard). Cincy has a very potent offense, and they have been rolling right along the last few weeks, winning four straight. However, they have not played well against the Colts, losing four in a row, with three of those games coming at the RCA Dome. The Colts and Bengals played in one of the best games of the year in their last encounter in Cincy, combining for 82 points. Expect something to that affect this time around in the dome, but the Colts will win this with surprising ease.

Colts 45, Bengals 28

That's all for now. Enjoy your weekend. Get ready for the college football bowl preview, where I will preview and predict all 32 bowl games. This sounds like a large task, but rest assured, this is something I'm going to enjoy putting together, and hopefully I get lucky on a couple to make me look, ya know, somewhat like I know what I'm talking about. Peace.

~Mell-o

The First Annual Pop Culture/Sports Awards

"First of all, I would like to thank the academy..."

Welcome boys and girls, to my first annual Pop Culture/Sports Award ceremony, looking at the best and the worst from the past year, or however far back I can remember. The categories are in order from the first things on my mind, so don't feel like this are in order of significance. So without further ado...

Best New Show On TV (tie): Rob & Big (MTV): This was a runaway smash from the beginning, and you had to see this coming right from the initial promo. Little white guy + big black guy = ratings bonanza. There is no more infectious character on TV right now than Big Black. Hopefully, this show gets picked up for the next ten years. Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX): This is Curb Your Enthusiasm on acid. I can't even describe how funny this show is. This is something you just have to see for yourself.


Worst New Show On TV: Twenty Four Seven (MTV): If you wonder why the term "player hater" exists, you need look no further than right here. As excrutiating as it may be, attempt to watch about 5-10 minutes of this show to witness the absolute horror this show presents. Honorable mentions (because there were many): Show Me the Money (ABC): Shattner + overused movie catch phrase = you're not gonna have a good time. Rachael Ray Show (some network): She's a cook! What is wrong with you people! What, you think people like her? Now she's on Wheat Thins boxes, like she's the next American sweetheart?...I can't take it! I mean at least give something to look at you know?

Most Even Trade in Sports: Gary Sheffield to the Tigers for 3 Minor Leaguers: The Tigers get the power they were lacking against the Cardinals in the World Series. The Yankees get some minor league help which they desperately needed. Also, the Yanks had no room for him, and got tremendous value for a 39-year old outfielder that was distraught with the Pinstripes.

Most Lobsided Trade in Sports: Joe Thornton to the Shraks for Wayne Primeau, Marco Sturm and Brad Stuart: Ok, completely biased, but totally the right call by me here. There's nothing like trading the MVP of the league in mid-season for three guys that have not panned out yet in the league, and guess what, they won't turn it around either. This, coupled with the Samsonov trade that happened a few weeks later, completely killed the Bruins and set them back about ten years from becoming contenders again. Remember, it wasn't too long ago that the B's were the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference, but those days are long gone.

Best Show That Just Went Into Syndication: Scrubs (Fox, WGN, Comedy Central, am I missing one?): This show grows on you, because you see that redhead doctor, and you just think, "So what is it, you say, ya do here?" Honorable mention: 24 (Spike): This is a great opportunity to find out about the show's roots because I watched a new one on Fox and was completely lost...I mean I'm still lost, but at least I have some kind of background now.

Worst Show That Just Went Into Syndication: House (USA): What is the deal with this show? Everyone seems to love this show. I mean I gave it a shot, but absolutely could not get into it. But hey, good for that guy, because they are throwing boatloads of cash at him, so why not? Honorable mention: The Sopranos (A&E). Not a good idea. It hasn't even aired on A&E yet, and I can already tell it's gonna suck. This show is great because of the swearing, boobs, and violence, and I'm thinking A&E, who I guess figured that Dog: The Bounty Hunter couldn't continue to carry the network by itself, decided to shake things up. I'm not sold on this at all.

Best Show in Syndication: Seinfeld (Fox, TBS): Well, this used to be a landslide, but now Cartoon Network is putting on the newer Family Guy episodes, so the race has become a little closer.

Worst Show in Syndication: Dharma and Greg (FX): This wins the Lifetime Achievement Award in this category. This is simply the worst show to have ever been on TV, and not only was it on for a long time, it's now on FX for an hour a day! Why?

Best Show Still On The Air: South Park (Comedy Central): This is one of the very few shows in TV history that continues to get better with each year. There is seemingly no end in sight either, as long as there are really idiotic people doing really idiotic things. Honorable mentions: The Simpsons (Fox): This is definitely getting up to a Family Guy/South Park level. Even though this was the original animation conglomarate, it is now taking on a lot more current event parodies, and being more cleaver, for the most part, than what Family Guy has been doing lately. The Shield (FX): The definition of kick-ass, and the main character is from Boston. Can anyone ask for more?

Worst Show Still On The Air: How I Met Your Mother (CBS): I can't take Doogie Howser on this. He is beyond obnoxious, yet they get good ratings, so the show goes on. Honorable mentions: CSI:NY (CBS): Enough is enough. Why can't I just see Gary Sinise in the Tom Hanks movies and let's leave it at that. Any Law & Order that has letter after the words "Law & Order" (NBC): Again, it's just too much. Along with CSI, the original show actually isn't all that bad, but when you start adding on CI and SVU, and I think they just came out with another one, it's just beating a dead horse.

Lifetime Achievement Award: The Price is Right (CBS): Someone said Bob Barker is retiring this year. If this is the case, the Red Sox need to come in, buy this show, and offer Bob $51 million to stay. The greatest game show host in history. It's not even close. Someone's gotta tell Bob that he needs to be like Brett Favre. The only way that Favre will get out of the NFL is if they carry him off and tell him that he has literally no way of competing again. Don't leave Bob!

Athlete You Wish You Knew And Could Hang Out With: David Ortiz. Think about it, here's a guy who's literally done it all. And he's only 30! You could probably get about 200 hours of stories from the 2004 run, and all the clutch moments he's been involved with. And, I mean, he's Big Papi. The guy's the most lovable guy in baseball and maybe all of sports. Plus, he just got a four year, $48 million contract, so he might be able to pick up a check here and there.

Athlete You Want To Belt In The Mouth: Barry Bonds. Again, this could almost be a lifetime achievement award here. You know he did it. This is like Pete Rose. Eventually, in my lifetime, Bonds will wear down, he'll run out of money, and release a tell-all book and start speaking around the country, signing baseballs "I'm sorry I used steroids." And he's just so smug about it, it makes you wince and wish you were taller and bigger (thanks Skee-Lo). Honorable mention: Terrell Owens. He doesn't win this one because he is too predictable, and frankly, no one really cares anymore. Plaxico Burress is battling him tooth and nail for his NFL crybaby title. Also, now that he has a QB who is scared of him, he's starting to get his fair share of catches, so not a lot has come out of Dallas so far. There was that blowup on Bledsoe, but you have to be completely out of it to have not seen that coming.

Someone Sports Related You Want To Chill With: Mark Cuban (Mavs Owner, future Cubs Owner?). This guy has the right mind-set. Just live for the day. He is the most outspoken owner ever, because he is outspoken while the game is happening. He's been ejected from games and fined over a million dollars by the NBA. Al Davis and Jerry Jones were the previous favorites for this, but ever since Cuban took over the Mavs, he may have stamped his name on this award for the near future. Honorable mention: The Maloof Brothers (Kings owners). They now own the Palms, the biggest hot spot in Vegas. They have turned a team in one of the most boring cities in America into one of the bigger attractions in all of sports. Also, they seem to be pretty chill, so there are very good odds you'll be having a good time with these two in Vegas. It definitely won't be in Sac-Town. I mean I don't even think Carmen could make that interesting...actually I'm going to immediately recant on that.

Someone Sports Related You Want To Nudge Cloeser to the Cliff (tie): Drew Rosenhaus (Sports Agent). The most hated man in the NFL. This guy is just dispicable. He goes behind people's backs to get their clients. It would be kind of interesting to see how he operates, but I'll say it now and I'll say it again...I'll buy the bullets. Scott Boras (Sports Agent). Is it any coincidence that there is a tie between two sports agents? Absolutely not. These are suppose to be the most hated guys. Boras is in another class though. This is becoming increasingly personal with me too. Boras drove the price up on Varitek to stay, then, he forced the Sox hand in getting J.D. Drew for 70 mil over five years, now, he is playing dumb about the Dice-K dealings, most likely driving him back to Japan. This guy...this guy is starting to get to me.

Best College Sports Story (tie): George Mason Patriots. Forget about past cinderellas. This is the cinderella. The first double-digit team to make the Final Four, George Mason was not even expected to make the tournament, and when they did, there was public outcry that a team like Florida St. was left out for little George Mason. Not only did they make it to Indianapolis, but they knocked off three past champions who have won in the last decade (UNC, UConn, and Michigan St.) before getting bounced by the eventual champs in Florida. Vince Young (Texas QB). If you were not familiar with Young before the Rose Bowl, you were very quick to realize that this is one of the most special football players to have ever played in college. His performance in that game against the other USC was probably the best single performance I ever witnessed in any game. And to do it in the National Title game was the icing on the cake. Young can now be seen pulling W's out of his backside in the NFL with the Titans.

Best Pro Sports Story: Dwayne Wade (Miami Heat SG). As far as one player who transpires a game that they play, there was no one who did it like Wade. His performance in the playoffs for the Heat was remarkable, and this was only his second year in the league. I don't think anyone could have possibly realized how good Wade would be in the league. If he did, Darko Milicic would not have been a household name in Detroit. Wade teamed up with Shaq to bring Miami their first title. Shaq is the most dominant player in the history of the league, but even the greatest player has always needed a sidekick. This is especially true with Shaq, as he is going through his third right-hand man (Penny, Kobe, Wade). This relationship looks to be even more potent than the first two, and if the Heat get some more youth, could potentially contend again in the near future.

Biggest Choke (3-way tie): New York Yankees: In a year where the last two champions were absent from the postseason (BoSox, ChiSox), the Yanks couldn't make it out of the first round again, proving that whatever formula the boys in the Bronx are running is not panning out in the postseason. They had arguably the easiest road to the World Series that they've ever had, and only managed to win one game against Detroit, who they dominated in the regular season. New York Mets. For basically the same reasons as listed above. This time, the Mets were actually in the NLCS, so they did make it farther than their Bronx counterparts. In the series, the Mets fell quickly to 0-2 after losing two in a row at Shea, then, miraculously won three straight at St. Louis and were in the driver's seat going back to New York with a 3-2 lead in the series. And what do they do? Lose two in a row to the Cardinals, coughing away a trip to the World Series. Finally, what would a choke category be without the Colts? But actually, this award is specifically for Mike Vanderjagt. Peyton Manning and the Colts had the best record of any NFL team in the regular season, winning 13 straight and going 15-1 on the year. Then they face the Steelers. In one of the craziest playoff games in recent history, the Steelers had a hammer-lock on the game. Then the Colts clawed their way back in the game, getting the deficit down to three points, setting up a field goal attempt from 43 yards out. Only problem, their kicker is Mike Vanderjagt. Oh he's the best kicker as far as percentage in NFL history, but this guy is no good in big spots, and it showed in this one. I mean this kick wasn't even in the general range of the uprights, missing everything, even the net behind the posts. This kick, coupled with Vanderjerk's attitude, got him shipped to Dallas, where he just lost his job to Martin Gramatica. That's a bit of a tumble there, from being on the best team, to being a free agent in about 9 months. This one's for you...idiot.

Best Commercial In Regular Rotation: Snicker's. The best song in a commercial since the Busch commercials. Honorable mention: Burger King. Be truthful, the first time you heard it, you thought he said the F word. Then, you wanted to see the commercial again. That's the mark of a great ad.

Worst Commercial In Regualar Rotation (tie): Guitar Hero. Killing VH one play at a time. You know, David Lee Roth did kick ass at one time. Ford. The American Idol guy...that's all I need to say.

Most Predictable Sports Event (tie): Roger Federer at Wimbledon. Oh like you're gonna beat this guy on grass. Please. Tiger Woods at the Masters. It's his tournament to lose every year. They literally try and modify the course every year (this is where the term "Tiger-proofing" came into play) and yet he still wins.

Most Unpredictable Sports Event Besides George Mason: St. Louis Defeating Detroit. No one gave the Cardinals a shot as Detroit reeled off seven straight postseason wins in getting to the Series, beating the Yankees and Oakland, two teams with better records than St. Louis. So what did St. Louis do? How about take out the Tigers in five games. St. Louis used what champs the last few years have used. Incredibly, and I mean incredibly hot pitching, and just enough offense. Do you realize that the World Series has not seen a Game 6 in three years? (Marlins vs. Yanks). Funny considering that these are suppose to be the best two teams in the league. Jeff Suppan is about to get $10 million a year. Enough said.

Lifetime Achievement Award For Most Annoying Announcer: Tim McCarver. Sometimes, you wish you could be Deion and just splash a huge tub of ice water on this guy non-stop...

"There's a world of difference when a batter is looking at a count of two balls and one strike than when the batter is looking at a count of one ball and two strikes."...

Wow.

Best Sports Coverage In General: NASCAR on Fox. Best announcing crew, best crew of pit road reporters, best technical analysis, best single segment in all of sports (Crank It Up), and to sum it up, the most revolutionary show that has happened in sports since Monday Night Football.

Worst Sports Coverage In General: NFL Network doing NFL Games: I mean I haven't seen it, but I've heard it's bad. I mean Bryant Gumbel on play-by-play. That's like Sudafed on the mic.

Best Movie I Haven't Seen: Departed. This movie was there in a time when I couldn't see it. I mean, here I am, in my last year in college. I'm not going to the movies here. Then along comes this movie, a mob story based in Boston directed by Scorsese, and now I'm clammoring for this DVD release. Mark my words, I will own this movie the first day it comes out. I don't care that I haven't seen it, I know this is good sight un-seen.

Worst Movie I Haven't Seen: Little Man. Wow, were there a lot to choose from here. I just think super-imposing Shawn Wayans is just the last pot-laced brain cell at work for the Wayans brothers. Honorable mention: Literally every movie out in theaters right now.

Best Sports Quote: Dennis Green. The field was wide open, but then the Cardinals played the Bears, and Denny wins this in a runaway. So this is kind of a happy trails award, and if he doesn't get fired, I don't know what to think anymore.

"The Bears are who we thought they were! That's why we took the damn field! The Bears are who we thought they were! (hits microphone) Now if you want to crown them, then crown their ass, but they are who we thought they were, and we let 'em off the hook!"

The Next Big Thing: Greg Oden (Ohio St. Center): Literally, the next big thing. This guy has people wondering if he's 40 and not 18. He will no doubt be the #1 pick in next year's draft, and will have an immediate, almost LeBron-like, impact on whatever team drafts him.

Most Intriguing Sports Story in 2007: Boston Red Sox. This could be it. This could be the year when the Red Sox fade off into the sunset. Two years after winning their first World Series in 86 years, the Sox are about to have their worst year in a long time. They have brought in a bunch of clowns and have given them long-term contracts, something they vowed not to do when the new ownership took over. Now, after the Dice-K massacre that took the heart and patience out of Red Sox Nation for a month, the Sox are left with a sub-par lineup, an even worse pitching staff that includes no closer, and literally millions of people wondering where it all went wrong. Once the Sox started focusing on OBP and not on character, it all started to slip away. There is one or two characters left, but the rest of the championship team has been blown-up and reassembled into a shadow of their former-selves.

Hottest Celebrity Right Now: Scarlett Johansson: And she's 21. They got pictures on that internet there. Good times.

Hottest Trend: White Trash. This one has actually won a number of years in a row, but it now being recognized. Trucker hats, NASCAR, anything country, the white trash has been hot for a while, although we have seemingly peaked on this, with declining NASCAR ratings and the breakup of Britney and K-Fed.

The How Does He Have a Job Award: Charlie Sheen. This guy was an alcoholic and visited prostitutes, and not only was he not totally condemned, he was given a lead role on a sitcom (Spin City). Then, he tries rehab, comes out, and goes back to the same old song and dance. This time, he's married to Denise Richards (think Wild Things, ya know?...???...ok stop it!), he manages to blow that even after she posed for Playboy, which takes away some of the self-esteem edge she had over him. Now, he's on another highly popular sitcom (Two and a Half Men), so we have to round up the boys, get drunk and get a "loosey" from one of Columbia's finest, then we'll be in business.

Bobby Valentine Award: Jack Del Rio's Suit. This award is for best coaching accesory. Think when Bobby V put on the t-shirt and glasses and went all "incognetus" after being tossed out of a game. Normally, this would be Belichick's sweatshirt in a laugher, but lately, you cannot deny the effect the suit has has on the Jags, who now have won two huge games at home while Del Rio rocked out his slick Reebok blazer. So here's to you, o titan of the topcoat, you may be completely uncomfortable, and literally sweating buckets, but you're a few more Maurice Jones-Drew games away from making a playoff run once again.

Most Underrated College Athlete: Al Thornton (Florida St. F/C): I know, you're thinking who is this guy, and probably about Wild Things still, but the fact remains, if you're going to be underrated, you're probably not playing for a great team. Here's the facts, Thornton plays really well against the best teams on the Seminole schedule, especially Duke, who Florida St. knocked off in Talahassee last year and nearly stunned the Dukies at Cameron Indoor. Thornton absolutely dominates games, and leads his team in points, rebounds, and blocks. Look for him to be at least a second round pick in next year's draft. Also, you'll probably be seeing him in the NIT once again this year. Honorable mention: Felix Jones (Arkansas RB): Ok, so you're playing in the same backfield as a Heisman finalist, but when you rush for over 1,000 yards in his true freshman year, now that's special. Jones helped Arkansas to 10 consecutive wins before being bounced in consecutive contests by LSU and Florida in the SEC Championship game. While McFadden will still only be a junior next year, he will have Jones to thank for sharing some of the heavy workload the Razorbacks running game endurred.

Overrated College Athlete: Brady Quinn (Notre Dame QB): This guy has about zero potential. None. He'll probably be the first pick in the draft, becoming the league's next Alex Smith, except at least Alex Smith is a starter in the league, while Brady Quinn could conceivably end up on the Raiders, which would be the absolute last thing that franchise needs, considering they need...everything. Honorable mention: The rest of the Notre Dame team. Ok, so they beat who? I'm thinking, I don't know, Navy, Stanford, Michigan St. in a bizarre comeback, but other than that, no one. However, Notre Dame = ratings. Always remember that formula when you question why exactly Notre Dame continues to get BCS games. Ok, their last two they have played in: 2001 Fiesta Bowl, Oregon St. 41, Notre Dame 9, and last year's Fiesta Bowl, Ohio St. 34, Notre Dame 20, but don't let the score fool you, this game wasn't even close. So, I'm hoping this year, when the Irish take on the Bayou Bengals from LSU, that Notre Dame gets absolutely slaughtered, because I cannot stand how they are able to get an exemption into the BCS, stealing away a bid from a much more deserving team, like Wisconsin or Auburn.

Underrated Pro Athlete (tie): Donald Driver (Green Bay WR): His game-breaking ability has gone largely unnoticed in the past few years up in Green Bay, but Driver has shown that just one catch can turn a game around. He still has amazing speed, and can be seen running across the middle with great frequency, unlike a lot of upper-echelon receivers. With three games to go, Driver has accumulated 73 catches for 1103 yards and 7 TD's. Adam Wainwright (St. Louis RP). After coming on in place of Jason Isringhausen, Wainwright proved to be the difference maker in the postseason for the Cardinals. In 11 appearances as a closer, nine in the postseason, Wainwright posted a robust zero ERA...zero. That's 0.00. He had four postseason saves, including one in the World Series clinching Game 5. Honorable mention: Frank Gore (San Francisco RB). Ok, this guy could have been up for this award ever since he was at Miami, being overshadowed by Edgerrin James and Clinton Portis. Now, he plays for a terrible team, and with teams going in knowing he is basically the only offensive weapon, he has rushed for nearly 1500 yards and 6 TD's. Also, he has come out of the backfield to catch 53 balls for 418 yards and another score. Gore's 5.5 yards per rush is currently leading the NFL. This is only Gore's second season, and already, he has proven to be a big-time impact player.

Overrated Pro Athlete (tie): This award is given to every single free agent from baseball's offseason, except for Alfonso Soriano. If you break it down, this is one of the weakest free agent classes of all time. Yet, this has been the most money that has been thrown at players since the 2000 offseason (A-Rod, Manny). Carlos Lee gets $100 million? And now, reports are that Barry Zito might get the same? Unbelievable. Also, Gil Meche got $55 million over five years...from the Royals! What the hell? This goes to show that pitching is at a premium, and trading prospects for an established starter has become the best option for teams. Unless you trade, or build your staff through the minors, you will ultimately get screwed now-a-days. Hey, good for the players getting paid, but a horrible job done by the GM's and owners allowing this salary influx to happen.

Best Team of 2006: Ohio St. Football. Unless my guess is way off, the Buckeyes will romp the Gators in the National Title game, pulling off the most dominant college football season since the 2000 Miami Hurricanes. With their Heisman-winning quarterback, the Bucks have one of the top playmakers in the nation in Ted Ginn, Jr., a big-time underrated running back option in Antonio Pittman and #2 receiver in Anthony Gonzalez, and a really tough defense, highlighted by the player of the year in James Laurinaitis. They should be able to steamroll Florida, who has barely survived to make it into the #2 spot in the BCS. Honorable mention: San Diego Chargers. This team is banging on all cylinders right now, and is seemingly unstoppable in their quest to reach the Super Bowl. With all-world running back LaDanian Tomlinson, and a stingy defense that has brought back the controversial Shawne Merriman, the Chargers are now the odds on favorite to win the AFC and the Super Bowl.

Well, I may add to this if I think of anything, but for now, I would like to thank you for reading, and I hope 2007 is an even better year for sports and Scarlett Johansson. Take care now. Happy New Year. Peace.

~Mell-o

It Goes To Show You Never Can Tell

"'Cause once I get started I go to town..."

Observations from the weekend:

Vince Young could have won at Duke. He could have gotten them nine wins easy. Seriously though, all this guy does is win. His 39-yard run on Sunday further implemented that, and made me think about the draft in general. Yes, the Texans messed up to some degree that I think exists. Whatever degree it is, it's way out there. But it made me think about drafting quarterbacks from big schools, and some not-so-big schools, that were winners in the college ranks. I now think that their overall ability, in the long run, may not matter as much as a winning attitude. Now, if they've been on six or seven win teams, go to the Humanitarian Bowl, and are somewhat used to being underwhelmed, then they have a clear disadvantage from a guy who goes to a Texas, Ohio St., or even a smaller school like a Boise St. A guy like Troy Smith may not be a regular in the NFL, but the guy is just not used to losing, and therefore, has a decided advantage in the way he carries himself on the field. The top quarterbacks right now all went to "BCS" games in their careers. Brady, P. Manning, Brees, McNabb, all of them played in the spotlight in college. Anyway, Vince Young has guided the Texans to one game under .500, which is improbable considering Tennessee has lost three of its intrical components in the last couple of years that led them to within a yard of beating the Rams in the Super Bowl (McNair, George, Kearse).

The Patriots are complacent to the fact that they believe they can win with anyone. Eventually, you are going to be put too far behind the 8-ball for the aura of Belichick to matter. Look, Belichick as a good coach...just good. You cannot tell me he's the best coach in the league. There have been plenty of teams, who have had much less than the Pats had in their Super Bowl runs, that have made serious pushes toward a championship. A perfect example of this in the current NFL is Sean Payton in New Orleans. Ok, he has Reggie, but Payton has used his offensive knowledge to pass on a new found confidence in Drew Brees, who is now considered a top-5 QB, and launched the career of seventh-round pick Marques Colston in the absence of star-receiver Joe Horn. Also, the defense has played just well enough, using Packer castaway Mike McKenzie, who is a top 5 shut-down corner in the league, developing former first-rounder Will Smith into a feared pass rusher, and discovering unknown linebacker Scott Fujita, who has 77 tackles and two picks. The Saints have jetissoned themselves into the national spotlight and have an eye on the #1 seed in the NFC. The Pats' offense and defense have experienced far too many exits in the last few years, with it being completely evident in their shutout loss to Miami. Tom Brady was rushed all day long by Jason Taylor and Co. The O-Line was absolutely horrendous today. Corey Dillon, who had to shoulder the entire running game in absence of Laurence Maroney and his hurt back. Dillon has a very nice day, rushing 16 times for 79 yards (4.9 per), but Brady was being flustered all game long, and the Dolphins took advantage of three fumbles by the Patriots. In the end, it was just a very sloppily played game by New England, who came out flat-footed at the outset of the game, and never recovered at any point in the game. Luckily, the Bills were able to upset the Jets at the Meadowlands, so the Pats remain two games in front in the AFC East, a division they should win by default every year. However, with injuries to both Rodney Harrison an Eugene Wilson in the D-Backfield, and Junior Seau going down for the year, coupled with a possibly Vince Wilfork injury, the Pats are going to be in real big trouble. It also became apparent that the Pats need a star on offense besides Brady. They definitely need to explore the market next year and spend some of that money. Remember, they are nearly $20 million under the salary cap. Next week, they host the Texans at Gilette. Can we please get something going against Houston, who will be playing without Reggie Bush, who for whatever reason is still MIA from the Texans roster. They did draft him didn't they?

The Rookie of the Year race is as tight as it may have ever been. About three weeks ago, it was Marques Colston by a landslide. Now, four other names can be thrown into the race. Young, Bush, Maurice Jones-Drew, and the shocking emergence of Devin Hester on the Bears. Hester had two kickoff returns for touchdowns in the Bears' victory over the Rams on Monday Night Football. Hester now has the single season record for most returns for touchdowns in NFL history, and that alone gives him the credentials needed to contend for the title. Also, in the absence of Nathan Vasher, Hester has been thrown into playing starting CB on arguably the best D in the NFL. Although he got burned on the first Torry Holt TD, he still has been able to hold his own. This guy is the new Dante Hall, who has faded off the Earth after having that amazing season a couple of years ago, where he had three consecutive games with return TD's. This will be interesting to keep an eye on as the season unwinds in the next three weeks.

Now onto some baseball news. The Matsuzaka thing has taken on a life of its own. There have been amazing twists and turns in these negotiations. The highest posting rate for any player before Dice-K was Ichiro, but that was only for around $13 million. This is $51 million. Anyway, it's three in the morning, and still, no signs of anything happening has been reported. However, Theo and Larry are, as we speak, out in Cali meeting with Boras to try and iron out a deal. Everyone, and I mean everyone in Red Sox Nation absolutely hates Scott Boras. Always have, always will. Unfortunately, this is why he gets his clients. He is ruthless in negotiations, always getting the top dollar for his clients. For years, he has driven up the price on free agents. His landmark deal represented the apex in the history of professional sports as far as value of a total contract. Now, Boras is embarking on the largest contract for a player to have never played in the major leagues. His initial asking price was reported as being somewhere between $15-20 million a year. That's a big hunk of change. It also doesn't help the Sox that the free-agent pitchers this year have been pulling down some incredible contracts, topping off, for the moment, with Jason Schmidt getting $46 million over three years from the Dodgers. Boras believes Dice-K should be compensated at around those kind of figures, given that he is regarded as one of the top pitchers available. The Sox came out with an offer of around $8-9 million a year over four years. The reason the two sides are so far apart is the initial posting fee the Sox had to put up to negotiate with the Japanese star. The Sox feel that they should be given some kind of "discount" with Dice-K after paying over $50 million just to talk with him. Here's my feeling about the whole thing: The Sox are going to cave. They have to. They have made such a splash with this whole thing, they now need to seal the deal. I mean you know they're trying to be the Yankees now, and when has spending ever been an issue for them? Also, there is a very real possibility that the Yanks will have both Pettitte and Clemens coming to them from Houston next year, as they already signed Pettitte to a one-year deal worth $16 million (wait, it gets better) with a player option for 2008 (OMG, you have to like New York. Hello, spending isn't the answer, and they know it. Andy Pettitte getting 16 a year is an absolute joke. And then, they give him a player option for 16 mil more the next year? When are they gonna learn?). By the way, I know in an earlier post, I stated that the posting fee was non-refundable. Of course, now I know that it is. At the time, people in the MLB offices were reporting that the Sox could not claim that money back if a deal wasn't struck, which is obviously false.

The closer front is still wide open, with the latest rumor being the Sox have interest in Pirates closer Mike Williams. Why can't we get guys like him? Oh wait, we did four years ago, then traded him back to the Pirates for...Brandon Lyon? Wow. Also the Yankees have reportedly had discussions with the Bucs, because let's face it, their bullpen...ehhh, not too good. It's actually one of the very few battles we are winning right now. I think the Yankees may even be winning the character battle now.

The Sox have also been reported to have interest in Roger Clemens if a deal doesn't get done for Dice-K. I don't know how I feel about this. I'm feeling that this is the Boston media betraying Sox fans again by blowing something way out of porportion. Remember, Gordon Edes and Nick Cafardo, they are baseball writers. That's all they do. So when there are no games being played, they have to look for some kind of issue to continue to get a paycheck. So all this speculation about the Rocket wanting to come back to Boston, to me, is totally bogus. I think the way he left, absolutely ashamed and determined to give the Sox hell. He was a different pitcher then. This was a guy who did not have the workout regiment that he does now. He was simply awful in his last year, posting a 14-14 record. Then, the next year, he goes on to win the Cy Young in one of the most dominating pitching seasons ever put together. I mean I don't see it, but I've been wrong before.

The final note, and of course, I have to bring this up being a Celtics fan. It's official, AI's tenure in Philly is over, and the rumors have been swirling around about Boston's interest in Iverson's services. This can't be deemed as "surprising" considering their pursuit of him over the summer was pretty intense. Ultimately, this is what it will come down to: Gerald Green. It is all about how much stock the Celts put in the future of Gerald Green. Will he be a Joe Johnson or a Ron Mercer. Many first-round picks have come and gone, and for every Johnson and Chauncey Billups, there has been a Mercer and a Marcus Banks. So it's fair to say that there has been a large disparity in the effectiveness of the former lottery picks. Green, although he was not a lottery pick (18th overall in 2005), he certainly has the potential to be a great player in the league someday. But the question remains, when do you want to be good? Now or later? And if you choose later, do you really know what you're getting? This is why I think it's in the best interests of the Celts to aggressively pursue Iverson, offering a Gerald Green/Theo Ratliff/Delonte West package for AI. Basically, you would be shipping off three guys who come off the bench for a legitament top-10 player in the league. I think Green will be an ok player in the league, but I don't see him living up to all the hype. Another rumor has been a 4-for-1 trade, with West, Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair, and Al Jefferson for Iverson. I would not do this trade. I repeat, not. Here's why. Right now, the Celts have absolutely no size down low. If they packaged Big Al in a trade, who would play center? Perkins is out for another three weeks, and you would be including Ratliff in any potential deal. So I cannot say I would approve any deal with Jefferson in it. Don't get me wrong, I would love to have Iverson, and he would have an instant box-office impact, but to give up that much of the future of this team for him just seems to be a little too much to offer.

I will be updating this more frequently once the insanity dies down. Until the next pne, have a good week. Peace.

~Mell-o

Inexplicable Things

"This isn't Russia is it?..."

So I feel bad about the last post, the playoff predictions. Obviously, that's something I should have written all of it at once. But anyway, let's move right along...

Ok, the Sox have made it official with the signings of Drew and Lugo. Again, this is shaping up to be one of the worst offseasons in the history of the Sox. Letting a guy like Trot walk away and then signing a primadonna for five years, and $70 million. That's inexplicable. That's going to be the hot word of this post...inexplicable. Anyway, so they sign Drew, then they sign Lugo for four years and a cool $36 million. $9 million a year for Lugo. Insert hot word here. It's simply baffling how the Sox continue to drive their team to being made purely due to "sabermetrics" and not character. When are they gonna learn? I'm thinking after we only get to 85 wins again this year, then maybe, just maybe, Theo and his nerd pals will figure out that championship teams are not made purely on stats and on payroll, they are made through connections in the clubhouse and played as a team. Then, they apparently are going to pass on Eric Gagne because they aren't willing to pay him $5 million guaranteed. Are you serious? Does anyone realize how much we paid Jason Johnson last year? ($3.5 million). What the hell are we doing? We have a team that seems to care very little about how much they spend, they need a closer, and this guy won the Cy Young three years ago. So he hasn't pitched in a while. They've taken much bigger risks before. Look at the Josh Beckett trade. Here was a guy who had never reached more than 200 innings in one season, and they were willing to part with the current Rookie of the Year and a promising pitcher, who threw a no-hitter this year, and also, were willing to eat Mike Lowell's monsterous contract. Interesting note about Lowell: He had a clause in his contract with the Marlins that stated that if a new stadium for the Marlins failed, he would have the right to file for free agency or exercise a player option worth $14 million, but, in order to waive this, the Marlins guaranteed his contract through the 2007 season. So, Lowell will be owed $9 million this year, and this is thankfully his last year under contract. So, anyway, back to Gagne. Although there is not a lot of proof to say that he is the pitcher he once was, he, nevertheless, has tremendous upside, and if you can get him at 80%, he's still a very effective closer, and $6 million, in this day in age, doesn't appear to be that much. So now it appears he will either be going to Cleveland or Texas. Cleveland has done a great job stabilizing its bullpen already by adding Joe Borowski, so, if they are able to get Gagne, they will have a very formidable one-two punch at the back-end of the 'pen.

So now the Sox will be looking at trade possibilities for a closer. Chad Cordero has been a name thrown out there. Apparently, Bowden has some fascination with Wily Mo Pena from their days in Cincinnati, but it remains to be seen if Wily Mo will be enough to land Cordero, who has been extremely underrated due to the fact he has played with the lowly Expos/Nationals franchise. Bowden has also made a lot of interesting moves in both his tenures (Griffey comes to mind, then again, you couldn't have possibly seen that coming). If the Sox do get Cordero, they will once again have a solid bullpen, with the young dogs now one year older and wiser. Look for Craig Hansen to be molded into the 8th inning man, as Mike Timlin is most likely in his final year in baseball. Manny Declarmen will be a force this year. Also, watch out for Okajima. No one really knows about this guy, but all things coming out of Japan have been positive, and if this is the case, the Sox got a pretty good bargain at $1.25 million a year.

Pats have a huge game this week against the Dolphins, who have riding pretty good as of late. Funny how Daunte Culpepper is basically destined for obscurity after the Vikings traded Moss, and then later, traded Culpepper himself to the 'Fins. Miami was excited that they were getting Culpepper at nearly full health for just a second round pick. That trade is now a laugher for the Vikings. Culpepper was miserable his first couple of games before being sidelined indefinitely after a shoulder injury he suffered in Week 4. Moss has also not been the same since his relocation to Oakland, as the Raiders have been struggling mightily with their passing game ever since, gulp, Rich Gannon was at the helm. Meanwhile, the Vikings are playoff contenders, and the other two, well, not so much. Back to the Dolphins. Joey Harrington has injected some new blood into the Miami offense, getting four straight wins until their loss last week to Jacksonville. A lot of credit has to be given to the Dolphin defense, who have played phenomenally. With the mainstays like Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor playing at their usual all-pro level, and the emergence of Channing Crowder, along with Vonnie Holliday, who is having a breakthrough year, they have been able to record the 6th best defense in the league. The key to the game, as it seemingly is for every game, is turnover margin, which has plagued the Pats this year. Although they come into this game with a +4 margin, they have been very shaky against quality defenses so far (Denver especially). Look for Brady to have no more than around 30 pass attempts, as I feel like the Pats will be looking to challenge the front seven and keep the ball on the ground. However, if Maroney is unable to go for them, you can throw that strategy right out the window. They must establish the run to set up the little screen passes that will exploit an over-anxious defense. Their secondary, for the most part, is weak. So if the Pats can get a ground game going, they will be able to put up a lot of points on the defense. Also, the Pats have got to blitz Harrington. They will be playing without Ronnie Brown, so look for a lot of zone blitzing and safety blitzes to try and confuse Harrington. In the end, they should win this game going away, but they have to execute, which, at times this year, has been anything but easy.

And now, my weekly feature. Houston Texans, this is your life:

Mario: 2 tackles, 1 pass deflection
Reggie: 10 rushes, 37 yards, 3TDs; 9 receptions, 131 yards, TD; 1 punt return, 4 yards...

I could be really mean and throw in Vince Young, but I think the Texans are facing the facts that they ended their franchise's chance of winning...well, anything by executing the "Sam Bowie" pick of my generation...dumb.

Bruins caught fire, and now, well, not so much. And that's all I have to say about that.

Celts are struggling big time...real big. AI has just demanded a trade from Philly, but will the Celts attempt to make a move? Nope. Unless they move Telfair and Delonte West in the deal, they will have way too many guards on the team. Hopefully we don't become the Boston Knicks. Perk is sidelined for up to four weeks with Plantar fasciaitis (???), and that means that Big Al will be playing in the 5-hole. This is a big step for him, as he has not been reliable in the past when playing in the post. The Celts need a big man real bad, so if they do pull an Iverson trade, it may lead to some success in the short-run, but you have to be worried about the long-term of this team. Ever since losing the Tim Duncan lottery, they have not been able to find anyone to take over down low, and it has been that way since the Chief retired. For a team that won a lot of championships with some outstanding big men (Russell, Cowens, Parish), this has not been a good look for the Celts. Way too small to be competing in this league.

So that's it for now. Enjoy your weekend everyone. Peace.

~Mell-o

Yes, We Are Talking About Playoffs

Note: This article was started like a week and a half ago, but just haven't had the time to finish...sorry.

"Stuntin' like my daddy..."

Ok, so the NFL season is winding down. Time for predictions. Actually before I get into this, I will devulge the latest, and not so greatest, news from the BoSox. Manny wants out. Ok, so that's not really breaking news, but apparently there's not the smoke and mirror effect that hovered over this issue like in years past. Manny's value is at an all-time high as far as trading interest is concerned. There seems to be two main suitors out there right now, the Padres and the Dodgers. The Padres are said to be the front-runner, but there has been some news that was broken today that may throw a wrench into that. First, the Sox apparently have renegged on giving Trot Nixon arbitration, meaning that the planned Nixon-Crisp-Drew outfield will not take shape. Also, they would be down an outfielder, meaning that the Sox would be much less likely to trade off Manny than they would if Nixon was kept on the team. Another aspect that may keep Manny here is San Diego's unwillingness to give up Jake Peavy as part of the deal. I am not too thrilled about this. It seemed up until a couple of days ago that he was most likely going to be the Padres' main bargaining chip. Now, Kevin Towers, Padres GM, has unfortunately come to his senses in what would have been the best trade the Sox made since the Varitek/Lowe trade for Heathcliff Slocumb (side note: I mean that's like top-10 ever as far as most lobsided trades in any sport). The Sox signed Hideki Okajima, a left-handed reliever from Japan. Hey aren't we trying to sign a guy from Japan? Maybe add some leverage? Actually, there won't really be much said about this during the negotiations, other than the fact that now Dice-K will have someone else to talk to and wonder why they are in Boston when Japan felt so good. I mean I'm sure these are two great pitchers, but do I have my inner-doubts about them getting adjusted to Boston? Well, f*** yeah doesn't even put it into perspective. I am frightened for these guys. Hey, at least this isn't five years ago when real fans were at Fenway instead of the "pink hats," you know, the young aristocrats who go to the game just to say "hey, I only started liking them when they started winning," and "I'm going just because it's the place to be." The rowdiness has been taken out of Fenway for the most part (bleachers and grandstands still hopping...and they do make up for the box seat yuppies). Well, I hope they are able to adjust, because 2006 may become the most interesting and talked about season in the history of the Sox. Well, you know, besides 2004, but that goes without saying.

Ok, onto the predictions. These are going to be extremely biased, so fair warning. Yes, I have the Pats winning it all. What, you want me to have them lose against the Colts? Please. Ok, starting with the AFC:

AFC East: Duh.

AFC North: Baltimore...assuming that McNair stays healthy...big "if."

AFC South: Well I mean I have to say the Colts. It's like picking Tiger in the majors. If he doesn't win, I'll give the other guy a ton of credit. And if the Jags catch the Colts...I don't even know.

AFC West: San Diego, Super Chargers...they should be mandated to play every game, home or away, in powder blues...it may be overkill, but you honestly can't believe I care about that.

Wild Card #1: Chiefs...look out

Wild Card #2: Can Cutler make it happen? All sides point to yes. Broncos.

Honorable Mention: The Bengals are on a hell of a run right now. Last night, they dominated the Ravens. Dominated. Well, this is judging from the stats from the game, and from the five minutes of the game I saw at the gym (love you NFL Network...what's that, like a five year deal...sweet). Anyway, they looked really good, but I just don't see them making a playoff run this year. This is why...run defense. Frankly, they don't have it. At least not for a team who has to go on the road to play Indy and Denver, then end the season with the Steelers at home. They have Oakland next week...so they may pull that out. It's gonna take a great effort for the Bungles to keep it going. Have you noticed that anytime any offensive player complains about not getting the ball, they inevitably have a monster game the next week? 85 went off for like 250 after he blew up in a postgame interview. Since then, he's been red hot, but they will go 2-2 over their next four, putting them about a game short at 9-7. You best believe you're gonna need 10 wins to get in the AFC this year (see KC last year)

Wild Card Weekend, and again, these are just projections as of right now:

Chiefs @ Ravens: This is going to be an amazing game. Physical, physical, physical. This is going to be an incredibly tough task for the Chiefs. Here's the thing. The Ravens are 2nd in the leagues in rushing defense, 10th against the pass, and have the 2nd overall defense. In this game, they will be up against, most likely, the rushing title winner in LJ. Also, with Trent Green at full health, the Chiefs have a formidable passing attack. The Ravens, in their, now, three losses, gave up 116 yards rushing to the Broncos, 356 yards passing to the Panthers, and were unable to force any turnovers in their loss last night to the Bengals. Oh by the way, they lead the NFL in turnover margin at an astounding +14. It all comes down to two things. First, can Steve McNair possibly be at full strength for this game? The Ravens losing last night was devastating to their hopes of getting a first-round bye, which they desperately need to recoup and get back to full strength. If one thing is certain in the NFL right now, it's teams that come off of extremely large wins, as far as scoring margin goes, generally lay down the next week. Such was the case last night, with the Ravens, who hung a 27 spot on the Steelers last week. Then, last night, looked very heistant playing against a high-powered offense and an opportunistic defense (by the way, they're a +9 now in turnover margin, 5th in the league). So if McNair is able to stay healthy for this one, they definitely have a shot. Secondly, can the Ravens force the Chiefs into a lot of third and longs? It all starts with the containment of LJ and the coverage of Gonzo running over the middle. Personally, I think the Ravens D will come out firing, but do they have enough to sustain an entire game. Well...yup. As much as I hate to see my dark horse get knocked off in the first game, the Ravens will have just enough offense, and plenty of defense, to be able to knock off KC and advance into the divisional playoffs

Final: Ravens 24, Chiefs 14

Broncos @ Patriots: ...dum dum dum, it's vengeance time! The Pats will be looking to avenge their loss to Denver earlier this year when they get a rematch at Foxboro. Here's why I know, for a fact, that if this scenario plays out, the Broncos have absolutely no chance of pulling this off. Jay Cutler will be the quarterback for the Broncos. That's right, a rookie quarterback in the playoffs. A rookie, in the playoffs, against Belichick? Not gonna happen. I don't even have to worry about breaking this one down. All I have to say is Cutler is going to have anywhere between 10-15 pass attempts. In other words, Shanahan will do anything he can to take the game out of Cutler's hands and let the running game take over, which brings up another point. What will the health of Tatum Bell be like at game-time? He is going to start this week against the Seahwaks and claims to be "ready," but who really knows about the severity of his toe injury that has forced him to miss three of the last four games. The Broncos have a great running attack, and the injury to Junior Seau will prove to be a large obstacle for the Pats to overcome, but I cannot bet against Bill in the playoffs. Plus, this is like a double-vengeance game for the Pats, who played arguably their worst game in the Tom Brady-era against the Broncos in last year's divisional playoff game. There is no way they lose three in a row is there?...Nope.

Final: Patriots 24, Broncos 6

AFC Divisonal Playoffs:
Patriots @ Chargers: This is going to be a barn-burner for the Pats. Honestly, I hope we play the Colts right here instead of the Chargers, because frankly, LT frightens me. Of any player in the last five years who can literally take over a game, he is by far the most dangerous. Just an absolute legend in the making. So, how do you stop him? Luck and circumstance. That's it. You just have to hope he doesn't break too many, because he's gonna get his 100 most likely, along with a TD or two. The key for the Pats will be to jump out to an early advantage. If they have San Diego down by two TDs going into the 2nd half, that would be an absolute ideal situation, with the Chargers being forced to depend on LT and Philip Rivers. I feel much more confident if they are able to force the Chargers into a "Marty-ball" type of game (real close one where Marty figures out some new way to screw things up). Of all the games that I will be previewing with the Pats winning, this one is by far the scariest one to me. If it were a perfect world, it would be Pats/Colts here. If it comes down to this, Junior Seau, from the sidelines, will be a big factor, because of that "inside information" addage. Also, you wouldn't know it, but these teams are both in the top 10 in total defense, and can you believe the Pats are third in rush defense? Third??? Wow. That's just amazing to me. Unfortunately, the loss of #55, both the old and the present one, have affected the way the Pats play their hybrid 3-4 defense. Key player of the game will be Tully Banta-Cain. That's right, Tully F'n Banta-Cain. #95, one of my all-time favorite Pats players. The former special teams specialist now gets a chance to play linebacker. This guy is a total wild card and has shown flashes of brilliance. The stars will have to align just right for Tully and the rush D to pull it out. However, Rivers makes some rookie mistakes, and Marty will find some kind of clock management thing to deep-six his team's chances (come on, you know it happens every time he's in the playoffs right?). Squeaker right here...squeaker.

Final: Pats 27, Chargers 21

Ravens @ Colts: Intriguing huh? Great offense, great defense. In the end, it's still Peyton Manning in the playoffs. If there is a good defense on the other side of the ball, it will not bode well for Manning and the Colts. That being said, the Colts are going to win. So while you double-take that last sentence, let me explain myself. Ok, Peyton is bad in the playoffs (3-6), and when he faces a 3-4, he tends to fold up pretty good. But here's the thing, over the last 5 years, the Colts are 3-0 against Baltimore. Two wins at home (by the way, both were fairly close (2 & 10 points each)) and one on the road (won by 20). Here's what happens to Peyton when he plays at home during the playoffs. He gets so bogged down by the pressure of winning a "big game" that he has a knack for choking his brains out. However, he seems to fair well against this Ravens D, which is pretty much the same as it was for the last three meetings (Samari Rolle and Terrell Suggs being the only two of great significance I can think of that were not in all of them). Also, look for the Colts' D to have somewhat of a rejuvenation in the next few weeks, starting against Cincinnati next week. They could surprise some people. The Ravens had a tremendous turnaround, and it is all due to Steve McNair, who you could possibly consider for MVP right now. I mean it ain't gonna happen, but still, the guy is a proven winner and a leader of the offense, which is what the Ravens had been missing all this time. Once they acquired Elvis Grbac and drafted Kyle Boller in place of Trent Dilfer, the Ravens took a tailspin into mediocrity. However, their season ends in Indy, with a Pats/Colts matchup at RCA for the AFC title.

Final: Colts 35, Ravens 17

AFC Championship Game:
Pats @ Colts: This one I honestly think could go in favor of the Colts. The Pats, to this point, have played a grueling playoff schedule, with two tremendous defenses from the AFC West, coupled with their running games which are equally as good. The Colts, on the other hand, have just played one game against the Ravens, in what I think was a giant let-down game for Baltimore. So the Colts have had it easy to this point. Also, they have beaten the Pats twice in the last two years in the regular season, in prime time, at Gilette...but, that was the regular season. This is the playoffs. A whole different animal. Another somewhat underappreciated aspect of this game is Adam Vinatieri in the dome. For his career, he's hasn't missed too often indoors...or, you know, never. So this is an intriguing factor. If this is a close game, I don't like our chances. I also don't like our chances because, for some reason, I think this might be the year that Peyton plows ahead into the Super Bowl. I mean seriously, how many times can you have that offense in the playoffs and not get to the promised land? So that's definitely a scary thing to consider. However, here's how we pull this one out. Run, run, run. They're bad against the run, and tick-tick-tick goes the clock, keeping Peyton on the sidelines, where he can't beat you with that "rocket for an arm." Laurence has already made it known that he will be a force to be reckoned with in the future, and also, in the right now, which is something Joseph Addai, even though he had a big game last Sunday night, has not yet proven. Addai is a good little back, but he can be contained. I don't think you can possibly use his performance against a desolate Philly defense to say that he's a "premiere" back. Maroney had already shown "superstar" material with his bruising runs. With this two-headed monster in the backfield, and the emergence of Ben Watson (you know, when he catches the ball and doesn't tip it to Charles Tillman...twice!) and Reche Caldwell, Brady will have just enough offensively. On defense, it will all be about Asante Samuel. He will be most likely be matched up on Reggie Wayne. Manning has targeted Wayne even more than normal this year (fantasy points kid), and it seems as though Marvin has been almost estranged from the offense. The health of Dallas Clark will become a big-time issue for the Colts, as they lose their "under" man they go to in case their deep routes are covered. Asante will have to have a game of all games to try and stop Wayne from going off. Plus, the Pats cannot become complacent when they are trying to stop Manning. They need to apply pressure from all over the place constantly. Perhaps the toughest thing to do in the NFL is try and confuse Peyton. However, the Pats have been in his head before. However, in those situations, they had Ty Law making ungodly plays, so now, without his presence, the defensive backfield looks that much more pourous. Also, Rodney Harrison has not played in a real long time, and his return this season is questionable at best. Without Harrison, you can almost be assured the Pats will go down in this one. But for the sake of this column, he's there, and we win. Welcome to Miami.

Final: Pats 24, Colts 14

Now, onto the senior circuit. The NFC has been absolutely dreadful this year. The Bears, at one point, were being casted as the best team in the NFL and drew comparisons to the '85 Super Bowl team. Now, after two losses to two AFC East teams, a lot of people aren't too confident about them any more. The G-Men, the second favorite, have self-destructed and now are attempting to pick up the pieces and get enough momentum to make it into the playoffs. The hottest team out there right now is Dallas. The pre-season pick for the Super Bowl, Carolina, is trying to hang on to a wild card spot as the Saints, by far the biggest story of the year, have found a leader in Drew Brees and have made an improbable run to a 7-4 mark, tops in the NFC South. There is also a sleeping giant out west who just got their MVP back, and he ran for 200 his first game back. Alright, predicition time:

NFC East: Dallas. It was probably the best thing the Cowboys ever could have done. Instead of sitting Drew Bledsoe at the beginning of the year and starting Romo, they waited until half way through the year, when everyone had written them off for the season. Then, they caught fire and just exploded on everyone. Romo and the Cowboys are winning the same way Brady did when he took over for the Pats after the Mo Lewis incident (by the way, have you thanked Mo Lewis lately?...you have to make sure at least one time a year to sit down and say the words, "Thank you Mo Lewis for resurrecting our franchise."). Anyway, the key is that Bledsoe is always locking onto one receiver and not looking for the best option. This leads to the inevitable sack or turnover. It's almost like clockwork. You can tell when Drew's going to have a bad game right after his first series. If he tries forcing balls, it's all over. If he sits back and looks around for the little 5-yard dump passes, he's golden. Unfortunately, he's in the twilight of his career, and the rust is showing. Romo injected something into the offense much like what Tom did in '01. Dallas may lose this game coming up at the Meadowlands, but after that, they get New Orleans, Atlanta, Philly, and Detroit. I don't see them not coming away with at least a 2-1 mark, putting them at around 9-7 (loss against Giants), or 10-6 (beating the Giants in a vengeance game from their first encounter at Dallas, a very real possibility). Anyway, with the Giants having their problems, and their tough schedule, which includes the Saints, Panthers, and the upstart Redskins, I can't see them being able to make a run at the Cowboys. Furthermore, I don't even know if they can make the playoffs, but more on that later.

NFC North: Da Bears. No need to ramble. It's a done deal.

NFC South: You gotta love the Saints. I have absolutely no reason not to think they will not get at least one home game at the Superdome. The Panthers are up and down, and the Falcons lately have been, well, down.

NFC West: Think their reign as NFC Champs is going to end? You can't be too sure anymore after the return of both Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander to the lineup. The Rams will put up a good fight, but in the end, the Seahawks will be riding the momentum train right into another division title.

Wild Card #1: Here's where it's going to get interesting. So many teams can take these two spots. So many amazingly mediocre teams who actually have chances to ruin the home team's seasons. Here's the thing. Because all these teams are so closely bunched together, an upset in the playoffs, and a wild card making a deep run, is not completely out of the question. As of right now, there are seven teams all within a game of each other for the last two spots. So, without further ado, team #1 will be...Carolina. As much as I hate to say this, the Panthers definitely have a chance to play spoiler in the playoffs. This is a team that can go on a run from the wild card spot, as they have proven the past few years. Carolina has won the NFC Championship from the wild card back in 2003, and were one game away last year as they lost to Seattle at Qwest Field in the championship game. Two words. Steve Smith. That's it. This teakm literally falls apart if #89 doesn't have his game going, which is a rare thing. He gave the Bears headaches two years ago at Soldier Field, as the Panthers marched on into the Super Bowl. So, you know that they can get it done in crunch time on the road.

Wild Card #2: Could the Falcons possibly pull of this comeback? Answer...No. Here comes a shocker...G-MEN!. Even though I have previously written of the boys from the Meadowlands (by the way, somewhat surprised they lost the vengeance game last week...but they are the Giants, and I said they were finished, so you never know), the Giants will miraculously slip into the final wild card spot. And why? Because the NFC is that bad. They will be able to get a team who is on their last leg into the postseason. Can you say re-alignment? Yikes. Anyway, they still have a running game, and, they will be getting back Strahan in the next few weeks, and if you don't think that will make a difference, you're nuts.

Ok, here comes playoff game predictions, to determine who will lose to the Pats...

Wild Card Weekend:

G-Men vs. New Orleans: Way too much is clicking right now for the Saints. People are talking records concerning Drew Brees this year. Imagine if the Chargers kept him. Not saying Rivers won't be great some day, but you have to wonder about the present. Anyway, they are just good enough defensively to make this a laugher. Well, maybe not a laugher, but it remains to be seen how well Strahan will be when he comes back. As of right now, too much offense and just enought D for the Saints.

Saints 28, Giants 14
Carolina vs. Dallas: All aboard the momentum train, the 'Boys are back in town. Even though the Panthers have proven in the past that they can win virutally anywhere in a playoff game, they seemingly keep taking one step backwards this year. First it was the injury to DeShaun Foster, now it's the un-doing of Jake Delhomme. He as looked as shaky as ever, which is not a good sign considering how well Dallas has played at home (4-1) and their overall defensive rank (7th). One thing to note is how well the Dallas run game will perform against the front seven of Carolina. If they can run the ball, Romo will be able to take advantage of this, at times, overly-aggressive defense. And the Carolina elimination party commences.

Cowboys 21, Panthers 14

NFC Divisional Playoffs:
Dallas vs. Seattle: And now the trains will collide on the same track. Dallas has been red-hot since the emergence of Romo, and Seattle has looked unstoppable since the re-aquantince of Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander to the offense. With Seattle, you have to be aware of just how much an advantage it is for them to play at Qwest Field. It is going to be tough for Dallas to hang, in fact, way too tough. The bottom line is that Seattle has too much firepower for Dallas, and the Cowboys' hot streak will eventually cool off, and Seattle is the right team to end it...but it will be close.

Seahawks 17, Cowboys 14

New Orleans vs. Chicago: Now this will be interesting. You don't really know what you're gonna get in this one. Chicago has been struggling to get wins the last few weeks, basically depending on the defense and special teams, which is why they will win this game. Look, Reggie is a difference maker, an "X-factor," but the Saints have no way to match up against this front seven. Also, how effective will Marques Colston be when he returns to the lineup? The Saints will be looking to exploit the Bears' secondary, but they will have to survive the fact that their running game will be ineffective. Although Brees has had a tremendous year, he will be put into too many third-and-longs, which opens himself up to the blitz, leading to a high probability of poorly-thrown balls. Bears will have way too much of everything, and they will not be relying on Rex Grossman either. Grossman has been exposed as the same old Gator QB trash that has been coming out of the Swamp since Shane Matthews. Look for a heavy dosage of Thomas Jones, the reigning "most underrated player" in the league. Seriously, can you think of a more underappreciated player in the league? I got news for you, if TJ wasn't getting 1,000 a year, the Bears would be a 8-9 win team at best. Devin Hester has been a major impact player for them in his rookie year, already having 4 TDs. Look for him to shorten the field for the woeful offense, as they will actually appear to have an adequate passing game. A surprising stat is the Saints' pass defense. They rank 4th in the league, and this is totally coincidental to the fact they have Mike McKenzie. However, they will not have any impact on this game, as the Bears are finally realizing that Rex cannot carry the offense by himself. Bears in a runaway

Bears 35, Saints 7

NFC Championship...again, eventual Pats victims:
Seattle vs. Chicago: Can you say repeat?...Answer: Yup. Seattle will do the improbable, once again going to the Super Bowl after beating the Bears on their own turf. Here's the reason: the Bears lose big games at home. In what should be a top-5 home field advantage in the league, the Bears have shown over and over again that they are vulnerable at Soldier Field. Whether it's complaceny or something else is unknown. What is known is that the Bears haven't been to a Super Bowl in 20 years, and the trend will not end this year. Simply put, Rex Grossman will eventually kill this team. Even if he only throws the ball ten times, which could very well be a reality, he will find a way to deep-six this team. The "impregnable" (shout to Iron Mike) defense will not be able to keep the 'Hawks from scoring just enough. Believe me, no matter who plays in this game, points will be at a premium. GAMBLERS ALERT! GAMBLERS ALERT! Literally any combination of playoff teams in the NFC will score no more than 30 combined points. Anyone. Seattle will come out on fire in this game. Watch for the play action with Seattle. They have all the weapons Hasselbeck could possibly want. The best combination of receivers in the league (Jackson, Branch, Burleson, Engram, Hackett...yeah that's right, D.J. Hackett on the spot). They have a top-3, reigning MVP running back in Alexander, and the best fullback name in recent memory, Mack Strong. Awesome. Anyway, this team is peaking at the right moment, and is about to overshadow the Cowboys as the "it" team of the moment. Seahawks in an upset, and a surprisngly easy win.

Seahawks 17, Bears 7

Super Bowl, this is the part when we win again. You remember:

Seattle vs. New England: The Pats will be wearing blue in Miami, and in the end, will win their fourth title in six years. Here's how they're going to do it. Run, run, run, run, screen pass, run, run...ok maybe some play action. Anyway, time of possession people. That's what the league runs on...literally and figuratively. Once the Pats got a running game, they started winning. And the quarterback's pretty good too. Losing Junior hurt real bas, as the Pats were in need of someone to take over Big Willie's spot, and who better than a guy who went to USC and wore 55? Are you kidding me. But Junior's gone, and the Pats have been able to keep up their momentum despite both him and Rodney being out (by the way, this is a good "where did he go to school" question, and while you look that up, I'll continue). Also, Eugene Wilson was just placed on IR, so now we are down to reserve safeties for the moment...but it just doesn't matter. It's Bill! He'll figure something out right? Right. I mean Troy Brown is actually a pretty good slot corner, so Bill has me believing that anything is possible, even the potent combo of Artrell Hawkins and James Sanders (asking where they went to school, I would have to think, is some kind of cruel and unusual punishment...they have laws against that you know). Here's the big picture, the Pats can claim this as a "vengeance" game. How? Mike Holmgren, that's how. Watching that fat bastard get carried off at the Superdome in '97 would make anyone, at first, cringe, and then want to hit/throw something. Ok, so there are only two guys from that team left (Bruschi and Brown), but anything can be used as bulletin board material. By the way, if your team isn't the Pats, does your team have anyone from ten years ago? Joe Gibbs doesn't count. The Pats' experience in big games is a huge factor,. Not to say that Seattle could potentially have picked up a bit of poise from last year's big game, but the Pats have done it all. With Harrison coming back, they don't stand a chance. At least that's how the game plays in this brain. Pats by a field goal. Why stop the trend here?

Pats 27, Seahawks 24

That's all for now. Peace.

~Mell-o