Everything In Its Right Place

"The way I do it is to think of something pleasant. A fun party, a moment of triumph...a sexual encounter. I actually project myself to that place...a little transcendental meditation, if you will. The trick is to imagine every little detail."

This is going to be one of those times where I'm going to gush about all the teams I like. There's your fair warning.

If anyone ever asks you to go to Foxboro to check out a game, my suggestion would be to go. It's a nice feeling to go from a place that had three Pats fans to one that had 55,000, put it that way. In an absolute demolition, the Pats picked up their sixth win yesterday, beating the stumbling Bills 20-10 in a game that was never in question. The atmosphere was crazy, especially considering it was a 1:00 game, meaning tailgating time was cut fairly short, but despite that, Gillette was packed, and the crowd stood on every Buffalo third down...every one. Just think that like seven years ago, that piece of land had a harness track and a run-down (but still amazing) Foxboro Stadium, now it has arguably the nicest stadium in the league (the only reason I say arguably is because, well, I've only been to two NFL stadiums...I gotta work on that, I know). Anyway, here's what I took from the game:

Wes Welker is some kind of wonderful. He got his hands on quite a record yesterday, becoming the first receiver in NFL history to have at least six catches in his team's first nine games. You think that trade is working out? Ten catches, 109 yards, and add in a couple of end-arounds and a punt return, and it's just another day for the best slot receiver in the game (in a landslide). The greatest thing ever is seeing him in the huddle. Seriously, he could have been the kid handing out Gatorade. Also, this furthers my point that undersized athletes are easily the funnest to root for. Here's a nice list for you:

My Fav Five Undersized Athletes:

1. Wes Welker (Guns Up!)
2. Dustin Pedroia
3. Darren Sproles
4. Spud Webb
5. Jeff Lerg

That Welker video gives me chills. Anyway, it's going to be tough to keep the man who is one reception back from the NFL lead (Andre Johnson, 67) from Hawaii this year, as he is on pace to break his own franchise record and may even end with an unprecedented back-to-back receptions title (last time it was accomplished was in '92 and '93 by Sterling Sharpe...from the University of South Carolina...sorry that was too easy).

BenJarvus-Green Ellis...officially for real. The "Law Firm" showcased his ability to not only run north-south, something he has been noted for from the preseason, but also to get around the tackles and show the speed to get to the outside. His first 100-yard game also featured him getting into the end zone fo his fifth straight game with a touchdown. This team is 6-3 with a backup QB and a fourth-string RB...and the dynasty continues...

Speaking of which, that backup QB had another solid outing. The new "Matty Ice" of the Boston sports scene (taking over for the departed Matt Ryan), Matt Cassel had a very efficient game yesterday, and while he was unable to pass for a touchdown for the second straight game, which obviously could have frustrated fantasy owners (this guy), he did have a 13-yard sneak, and when watching it real-time, was the longest I've ever seen a non-running QB sneak straight up the middle for a TD. Seriously, he ran twenty yards straight up the middle...you think the Bills were feeling the loss of Donte Whitner on that play? 23 of 34 for 234 yards, the rushing TD, and most importantly, no INTs (although he did have a fumble where he just got crushed). This "maturation" that you hear NFL pundits speak of is about to translate into a sweet payday for Cassel (hello Detroit!).

The defense was dominating, stuffing one of the better RBs in the game, Marshawn Lynch, allowing only 48 yards to the super soph (by the way, at this point, I want to call a "my bad" on my prognostication last year that Lynch would not be a good RB at the next level...my bad). Also, here's a fact I read in the Globe before the game yesterday: Lynch and Fred Jackson had combined to have the second-most receptions for a backfield tandem in the league (Bush/McAllister). Yesterday? Two receptions and eleven yards for Jackson, and nothing for Lynch. They made Trent Edwards beat them down the field, and that obviously didn't work, with Edwards firing two critical interceptions to Ellis Hobbs and Deltha O'Neal.

Speaking of "maturation," you have to be loving Jerod Mayo right now. Honestly, I thought that Mayo was not even on the Pats' radar last year, and that when they made the draft-day trade with New Orleans, it was them attempting to trade down and still get their guy, Keith Rivers. While I still think this is the case, they have to be loving how well Mayo has stepped up his game, especially in the Pats' complex 3-4 arrangement. His 65 tackles place him first on the team, and just outside the top 10 in tackles in the AFC. He is leading all rookies by 12 tackles at this point (Rivers has 37 by the way). In any event, this is a promising talent, and is infusing some energy into the linebacking core, which they desperately needed (hey, look at that, I described the Patriots' linebacker unit and didn't use the word "aging"...another first!).

Okay, I know the Bills didn't have Whitner and Aaron Schobel, who has just killed us in the past, but still, a huge win in the start of the three-game division gauntlet ahead for the Pats. Next comes Brett Favre and the Jets (to answer your question...no, I'm still not used to Favre being a Jet) on Thursday night...a short week...but it's a short week for both teams, so no excuses there. Plus, it is being played at said Gillette Stadium, so a huge advantage for the home team. If history has told us anything, the Pats are really good under the lights at home (here's a reminder), so hopefully, we will be the lone team atop the East at the end.

A couple of quick NFL notes:

Detroit...that bad...

Just when it looked like the Rams had turned the corner with a new coach (Jim Haslett) and a dynamic receiver to compliment Torry Holt (Donnie Avery), they have officially come back to Earth, starting with a loss from a certain team from a certain Northeast region of the country, and then yesterday's debaucle of a game at the Meadowlands. Favre threw for one touchdown...and they lost 47-3. How is that even possible?

My initial reaction to Herm Edwards going for two at the end of the Chargers game: stupid. However, after thinking about it, and hearing Herm's postgame conference, it makes a lot of sense. The Chiefs have one win, and going against the Chargers straight up, they probably wouldn't have been able to get it done in the OT, so it makes sense. In watching the highlights, I continue to be impressed by Tyler Thigpen. Here's another good one for you:

Fav Five Fantasy Players On Really Bad Teams:

1. Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit (0-9)
   
2. Tyler Thigpen, QB, Kansas City (1-8)
   
3. Frank Gore, RB, San Francisco (2-6)
   
4. Cedric Benson, RB, Cincinnati (1-8)
   
5. Andre Johnson, WR, Houston (3-6)

Tennessee just continues to win, this despite running for 14 yards all game against the Bears. That one I really didn't get. I'm going to chalk that up to the Rex Grossman factor. If the Titans do lose, and by the way, after the last two weeks, it's looking emminent, it's likely going to be on the road. Circle the game at Reliant Stadium against the Texans. Also, if the stars align right, you are going to be seeing an unbeaten team and a winless team on Thanksgiving...and if that's the game they go down in, it would likely be the biggest upset in the history of the NFL (I'm already taking the points).

The Colts winning at Pittsburgh did not surprise me in the least bit. In fact, I thought it was one of the more easy upsets to predict. Roethlisberger is great, but without a steady run game, he is in big trouble (to his credit, Mewelde Moore has held his own, but he is no Willie Parker). The Colts are just helping the Patriots now. Barring a collapse of epic proportions, Tennessee will win the AFC South, meaning the Colts are out for a wild-card bid, meaning they are out of the hunt for home-field in the playoffs. With a Steelers loss yesterday, the Pats are now tied with Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and the Jets for the #2 spot in the AFC. Again, playing with a backup QB and a fourth-string RB...we're second in the AFC.

Here come the Falcons. Matt Ryan lead them to another win, this time over division heavyweight New Orleans (granted they were without Reggie Bush). Next week, they draw Denver. This could be a very interesting game between two teams with completely different offenses. The Falcons have preferred to let Michael Turner carry the bulk of the load on offense, while Ryan is in the role of the "no mistake" guy. Meanwhile, Denver has seen about nine of its running backs get hurt this year, which has resulted in Jay Cutler stepping up and bombing the ball this season, putting him second in the league in yards (2,616). Very interesting indeed.

Why were the Giants 'dogged in last night's game against the Eagles? Anyone? Oh well, thanks for the two and a half points Vegas. The G-Men have easily become the best team in the NFC, and with big road wins like that last night, don't expect them to be slowing down anytime soon. Eli has been good (some have suggested he is better than Peyton, which is lunacy), but the keys have been the pass rush and the continually steady play of Brandon Jacobs. I think the teams that could potentially give the Giants troouble down the road are the Panthers (I can't believe I'm saying that) and the Cardinals. The Panthers feature a running attack and a pass rush that are every bit as good as the Giants, with a giant X-factor on defense in Jon Beason (one of my can't-miss draftees from two years ago). The Cardinals could expose the one weakness this team does have, their secondary. Kurt Warner is throwing for 400 yards at will it seems, so that will be an extremely tough challenge for Aaron Ross and Co.

Another rookie who has done an absolutely tremendous job is Joe Flacco. He guided the Ravens to yet another road win yesterday, this time at Houston. That would be the Ravens' fourth in a row, a streak that has seen them score at least 27 points in each game. You could tell Flacco was going to be alright in this league pretty much from the get-go. He had a really positive vibe coming from Delaware, and not to mention a cannon for an arm. I'm thinking this one of the bigger make-up calls being made by Baltimore in terms of trading up for a QB (kind of sweeping Kyle Boller under the table).

Here's my first installment of how I think the MVP race is shaking up:

Fav Five MVP Candidates:

1. Brett Favre, QB, New York Jets
2. Clinton Portis, RB, Washington
3. Kurt Warner, QB, Arizona
4. Jay Cutler, QB, Denver
5. Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota
   

Speaking of South Carolina football, the Gamecocks have officially clinched a birth into some kind of decent bowl with their win over Arkansas on Saturday. It wasn't the prettiest of wins...but then again, it rarely is (Tennessee this year being an obvious exception...by the way, nice loss to Wyoming at home...I don't care how much of a down year it is...it's Wyoming people...at Rocky Top?...I'll coach them...hey, they can't find anyone else). The defense once again had a solid effort (what a difference not having two first-round running backs makes). Michael Smith, who was one of the SEC's better runners, was held to 27 yards on seven carries. Casey Dick was effective for his part, but it's tough to get anything going when you get sacked six times. So, USC was able to go from dominating in the secondary to dominating in the trenches. I know it hasn't exactly been a tough road for SC this year, but no one has really figured out how to get anything off of this defense, who has held all opponents to 24 or less points (15.6 per game, 10th in the country). You are looking at an incredibly balanced unit. 11th in rushing yards allowed (101.4...TCU is leading with 39.5 a game...do they not run in the Mountain West anymore), 4th in passing (155.1), and 3rd in total defense (256.5). Everything is peachy right now, but here's a few problems I'm hoping we avoid this week. Of course, the Cocks are playing at the Swamp, a place that, well, we haven't exactly played well at (I only looked back to like '70, but I can't see a year we ever won there...if someone knows any differently, please let me know). Plus, it seems that a combination of two things (jumping into the top 25 and having a nationally televised game...3:30 on CBS) really seem to doom us...especially the national TV thing. We are just horrendous on national TV. Hopefully USC can right that ship. Going into this game, there really is no pressure on them. They're heading into a game they are supposed to lose...big (currently 'dogged by 21) and playing a team that needs to win all of their games to get a shot at the national title. I hope that the team is pumped for this game. National setting, back in the top 25, playing a top-5 team, and potentially getting the biggest win in school history. But again, they're supposed to lose by three touchdowns. Granted, Tim Tebow is an amazing football player, but, and get ready for this...he has not played a defense as good as South Carolina's. Believe it.

Penn St., who I thought would have the easiest road to the BCS title game of any of the remaining unbeatens, choked pretty bad against Iowa, and now, they are in a fight for their Rose Bowl-lives against Ohio St. and an upstart Michigan St. team they will face in the season finale. Good luck with all that. It's going to be even tougher considering Ohio St. can basically punch its ticket on a one-loss season, and the Spartans potentially spoiling the party if they win out, which would have to include a win at Happy Valley.

Texas Tech continues to roll along. Here's a tip for the young gamblers out there: Anytime a team announces they are doing a blackout (or any kind of color, but especially black), take them. Never fails. 56-20? This team is no joke. However, they have another "game of the century" in two weeks against Oklahoma at Norman. I really hope the Raiders prove me wrong, but it's been shown time and time again that if a team continues to play mammouth game after mammouth game, eventually, the straw breaks. I think it is a tremendous story, but I also think that for the Raiders to win out would take an absolute miracle.

Fav Five Heisman Candidates:

1. Graham Harrell, QB, Texas Tech
2. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
3. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
4. Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
5. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
   

The Bruins are on fire, winning their third in a row on Saturday against the Sabres, pushing them atop the Northeast Division. Manny Fernandez was in goal on Saturday, and if they can get the kind of production out of him that they saw against Buffalo on a regular basis (one goal allowed, 32 saves), the B's are in for a big season. Coupled with the great goaltending has been a collective stepping-up by a team of no-namers. Marc Savard (who has been nothing short of outstanding this year), Zdeno Chara, and Patrice Bergeron are the obvious exceptions to the no-name label, but the team's success has riden on guys like Milan Lucic, Dennis Wideman, Andrew Ference, and David Krejci to name a few. They play with a lot of power, but in doing so, they have also shown a lot of finesse (evident in the Maple Leafs game). Man is this a fun team to watch.

(in case you've been living under a rock for the past couple of weeks, you've probably seen this, but it's totally worth about ten views...consecutively)

(Editor's note: I'm about to talk about European futbol...soccer if you will, something I have not done...ever. While I have always followed it, for some reason, I just never really detailed it. So this might get strange for some of you...think of it as mind-expansion though)

So I've finally decided on a team to back in the UEFA. After much deliberation, I settled upon Chelsea as my team. Now the point can be argued that I'm front-running with Chelsea because they were in the finals last year and they are tied in first this year, but seriously, I took a long time looking through each team and researching them. Here's why I landed on Chelsea: The team is over a hundred years old. They have played every home match in the same location (Stamford Bridge) since that time. They went through a long spell where they had little success. They pack in a relatively small stadium (42,055 capacity) every game, which is a blend of blue and white-collar workers (oddly enough, the team's colors are blue and white...which could be ironic or totally planned...I'll have to look into that). The team has become one of the best not only in England, but the world after a new owner took over in 2003...is this reminding you of anyone? Outside of a large green wall, you're looking at Europe's version of the Sox, which is outstanding. I do have to stress that I have been watching Euro futbol for a while, and finally, much like what happened with me and NASCAR, I was tired of not having a team to call my own. Also, I totally didn't "pink hat" it because I took a lot of things into consideration and actually looked up the history of the Blues (that's their nickname by the way). While it's great that the team is having the success it's having right now, that was not the reason I chose them. Here was the thought process: Okay, who's my favorite team here: The Sox. And who resembles them the most in Europe? Chelsea. Well, let's go with that then. Sorry, I take the whole bandwagon thing fairly serious, especially because of the corruption it has caused to the Sox' fan base and which is now spilling into the Celtics' one as well. In any event, I'm a Chelsea fan, they won 2-0 against Blackburn yesterday...I'm happy.

Writing about your teams when they are winning is really easy by the way. I didn't even mention the Celtics and their early dominance of the league. Good times. They won't last forever, but it's rolling pretty good right now. Take care everyone. Peace.

~Mell-o

Change

"It's been a long time coming."

In no way is this column a place that I'm going to be sharing political viewpoints in any regularity, but America is in an amazing state this morning. A black man is president, a former SNL cast member is a recount away from being a senator, and pot has been decriminalized in MA...

THERE IS HOPE FOR EVERYONE...

The Pats played another game that I'm not going to get into because I didn't purchase the protection plan on my laptop...just looking out for my investment...damn you Dave Thomas (not the Wendy's guy...square hamburgers, spicy chicken sandwich, Frosties...we're cool).

Well, here are some positive things with the Pats. First, I'm actually going to be at Gillette on Sunday when the Bills come to town. Saying I'm pumped is an understatement of epic proportions. After outplaying the Colts in Indy, I feel like this team is ready to take on the rest of the schedule, which, after the Buffalo game, will include two or three more tough games (at home against Pittsburgh and Arizona, then on the road against the Bills). I still project this team to be at least 10-6 when all is said and done, which should be enough to get us yet another AFC East title. Obviously the tailgaiting will not be as wild this time with my dad and my uncle, but it should be loads of fun none the less. When is football in November not fun? (Rain)

I was reading a really interesting report on ESPN today about the Raiders looking to clean house to get themselves back to a respectable cap number given that their team sucks and what not. This could be a very interesting turn of events for the Pats. Now before anyone jumps on me, just hear me out. These cuts could include the likes of Deangelo Hall, Javon Walker, Ronald Curry, Michael Huff. Hall is probably going to be the most publicized of all the players let go. He is a former Pro-Bowler who got signed for big bucks in Oakland (seven years, $66.28 million...okay maybe big is putting that lightly). So far this season, he's been accused of taking plays off due to said gi-normous contract. But, if he gets cut, bye-bye contract (reasons 1 through 9 million as to why Scott Boras would not last a day in the NFL: non-guaranteed contracts...look out below!). Me, personally, I'm not sure if the Pats will have any interest in Hall, as I suspect that there will be a line of teams ready to snatch him up (he is coming off his best game as a Raider, getting eight tackles). Walker also will probably slip off the radar due to past injury concerns. The two guys I really have my eye on are Huff and Curry. Huff was the #7 pick in the draft just two years ago, and recorded 78 and 85 tackles in the last two years respectively. Since the Cable guy took over in Oakland, Huff has been benched, in this new policy of benching all of your good players in attempt to get the #1 pick which, surprise, won't help anything. Huff was a phenom at Texas, and while I haven't seen a whole lot of the Raiders the last few years (again, surprise), I'm sure Huff, 25, still has plenty in the tank, and has already shown a skill-set that translates well to the NFL. Given the current situation at safety (Harrison likely done for his career, Meriweather becoming one of the hardest hitters in the game, but still having trouble in coverage, and Colonel Sanders showing that perhaps last year was a fluke), I think Huff would be a nice pickup to get some depth back there, if anything else. I also like Ronald Curry. He was a point guard at UNC, which means he possesses tremendous athleticism. Plus, remember this catch (the snow angel needs work...on the stomach...for real?)? A big possession receiver is something the Pats are lacking. I love Ben Watson, but he has not shown the ability to be the big guy to go over the middle, something I think Curry would flourish in doing (I'm not going to lie, if it's going to help Wes Welker, I'm going to think it's a good idea...keep that in mind the next time you read anything about the Pats I write). So, I hope the Pats at least look into some of these guys, because it is becoming evident that they are a couple pieces away from having a legitimate shot at defending the AFC crown.

Random giant pat on the back: Two weeks in a row I've won all three leagues in fantasy football with Gus Frerotte, Derek Anderson, and Matt Cassel as my starting QBs, and I'm kicking ass in fantasy basketball (thank you Marc Gasol) and hockey (thank you Dany Heatley and basically the entire Bruins roster). Oooooooo yeah!

Speaking of teams that kick ass, the Celts pulled of an election night victory over the Rockets, basically going wire to wire, holding off a late rally to win 103-99. Why is this important? Glad you asked...and even if you didn't, here we go: The Rockets were one of the teams out West that many figured would give the C's problems, especially due to the upgrade in defense they receive with Ron Artest. Sure, the Celts looked sloppy at times, but in turn, so didn't the Rockets, which is why this team is great. They may give the ball up sometimes, but they play the grittiest defense in the league, dare I say, Spurs-esque. Not enough can be said about Rajon Rondo, who went from being an arch-nemisis of mine during his SEC days at Kentucky, to being probably my second favorite player on the C's (for all intensive purposes, Eddie House is going to be holding down the top spot until he literally stabs a teammate in the back...so keep that in mind). I mean look at this line: 10 pts., 7 assists, 7 rebounds, 5-10 shooting, 2 TOs. How can you not like that? He's a point guard getting seven rebounds! Absolutely loving it. Of course the Big Three are going to lead the team, but what makes the Celts go is how well Rondo and Perk do starting the game, and how well the bench can come in and give the starters a breather. I love the bench. House, Tony Allen, Leon Powe, Big Baby, and a guy I'm really looking forward to seeing, Bill Walker (and boom goes the dynamite...). So don't annoint them the champs (yet), or give the MVP to KG (yet) or say they are the best team in almost twenty years (yet)...but you can say that they are a tremendous group of athletes that have brought basketball back to a city that was starved for it.

I am contractually obligated at this point to delve into the Hot Stove for the Sox, and being back in Massachusetts, that's still the second most important story up here (the first being the kidnapping of Bill Belichick and the subsequent clone that was put on the field that likes to challenge 12 men on the field plays, call ridiculous timeouts, and not punting on 4th and 16 when it's completely illogical to go for it...but I digress). Okay, here's a rundown of what's going on here:

Jason Varitek: The captain, one of the best at "calling a game," but $52 million for four years (Boras, believe it or not, has likened Jorge Posada's deal as a benchmark for 'Tek...shocking to use a Yankee contract in renegotiations...shocking)? That's cooky talk. 'Tek will be 37 when the season starts next year. We're really supposed to believe that he's worth 13 mil until he's 40? "I'm not so sure about that." He's a great baseball player, but he has become a liability at the plate, and while I believe the Sox are better with him than without him, there is no way I think he's worth 13 a year...he's getting 10 now, and his production has gone way down since that deal was made. So, again, I look for the Sox to be offering two years at 9-10 per. That's a more-than-fair price for a catcher who, while having excellent leadership skills, has seen a steady decline in his production the past few years.

Khalil Greene: There has been a lot of talk about the Sox making an attempt to sure up the shortstop position and go after Greene, a perennial gold-glover from the Padres, but the Globe is reporting that those rumors are just that...rumors. So, hopefully, this talk will die down because I really do not want anything to compromise what the Sox are likely thinking right now: Jed Lowrie is our shortstop, and Julio Lugo can continue to wear a jersey as long as he doesn't wander ten feet from the bench.

Junichi Tazawa: The Sox are really looking into this guy from across the other pond. As expected, I really don't know too much about this guy, but here is what we do know: He's 22, his fastball clocks out at anywhere between 92-95, he has a Dice-like slider...in fact, his makeup is very much like Dice (fastball in the mid 90s, over-powering slider, ridiculous curve, a forkball-like pitch, and a changeup). However, here's how he's a bit different: He's 22 years old, and if you want to talk to him, you have to pay...nothing. That's right, no posting fee. Ummm, go ahead and watch this, and if you don't think we could use this guy, then you are wanted on Dan Duquette's staff from eight years ago immediately.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia: Okay, so obviously this is a perfect example of the Boston media toying with me. Here's a guy I am so high on for so many reasons (hits for average from both sides of the plate, above-average defensively, longest last name in baseball history), and it appears the Sox are gauging what they need to part with if they want to pick up Salty. Keep in mind that he was the centerpiece in the Mark Teixeira trade from Atlanta, so the asking price could be steep (right now, it seems like it would have to be either Clay Buchholz, who the Sox seem a little more willing to part with (what a difference a year and an injury makes) or Michael Bowden). I think this is something the Sox should seriously look into even if they sign 'Tek, because if you look at the Sox' farm system, the catching ranks are pretty barren, so adding a guy like Salty would add some much needed depth, and would show the fans that the team is looking ahead when #33 will not be behind the plate.

Derek Lowe: Homecoming? Perhaps. But it's going to take some concessions from both sides to get a deal done. While the Sox likely will not match the yearly dollar figures Lowe is likely to be commanding, they are going to have to make up for that by probably heading into that 5-year contract range that they absolutely dread doing. If you want to be realistic about it, four years and $44-48 million will get this done. Do the Sox want to spend that kind of cash for a guy who will likely be their fourth starter? I think it all depends on if they can lock up the "franchise" guys (Pedroia, Youkilis, Papelbon, Lester), and how much financial flexibility they have after they pull off a couple of those moves. Still, a very interesting scenario none the less.

I'm just going to mention the names A.J. Burnett and Ben Sheets purely for the fact that the Sox will "kick the tires," but as of right now, they have not shown substantial interest in either, likely due to the price tag that will come with either.

So that's pretty much all the news on the Sox that I have right now. I'm sure as winter rolls around, the scene will become a lot clearer in terms of what they might be thinking about doing. One final note: Your South Carolina Gamecocks are back in the AP Poll...okay not in the Top 25, but we got votes! Right now, the Gamecocks are, in tabulating votes, 33rd in the country...not bad for a team with three losses. Again, USC will likely need to go 2-1 to reach either the Peach Bowl or the Outback Bowl on account of the fact that Auburn and Tennessee have been dreadful this year, opening up the door for the Cocks (by the way, if the coach at Duke turns down the Tennessee job because he's "comfortable where's he's at" despite the fact that he was the offensive coordinator at UT for eight years and, well...it's Duke...you know the Vols have fallen far from grace right now). This weekend is a huge game for us, so I command anyone within somewhat respectable driving distance be at the fairgrounds this weekend, because they're going to need us this weekend (last home game of the year by the way), and as shown by the beatdown we put on the Vols last week, once the crowd at the WB gets going, there's not a whole lot better place to be playing at home in the country. Another heads up: January 20th is Barack's first day, and then the next day I turn 24...I'm thinking we're going to have cause for celebration, what do you think?...

We're back...

Peace.

~Mell-o

The World's Largest Outdoor Beatdown

"Do you believe in what you see?"

(Editor's Note: I'm back home...for good...)

49-10?...Really??? So I take it that this may be a minor setback for UGA. I'm not sure...you think anyone was watching that game? That was an extremely effective way to straighten out the BCS though. Georgia basically has no shot of making the SEC Championship (they would need to win out and have Florida lose...twice), so they're out for intensive purposes. Meanwhile...oh hey, they're called the Florida Gators. I guess after the loss at The Swamp against Ole Miss, the entire country just stopped talking about them. Well, they're back. Tim Tebow is not about to give up that Heisman Trophy just yet, and in typical Tebow fashion, he only attempted 13 passes yesterday (completed 10), but had two TDs through the air, and, in what makes him perhaps the best player in the nation, rushed for three more. Here's the problem for Florida: They have that one loss. What the Gators have to hope for is that they win out, thus putting them in the SEC Championship against 'Bama. Outside of an SEC Championship win, the Gators will need help from 'Bama, Penn St., or Texas Tech (more on them later). Another thing that I came out of this game with is that Knowshon Moreno may end up as a liability for some team at the next level. I really dig how emotional he is on the field, but sometimes, those emotions can work against you, as was evident yesterday. Sure, Florida was putting a hurting on the 'Dawgs, but it looked like Moreno was not himself. His poisture was terrible, and he basically spent the second half slumped over. This was especially true on the pitch that he botched, which subsequently was recovered by Florida and nearly returned for a TD (there is nothing in the history of football like a D-Tackle trying to take a fumble/INT to the end zone from more than 40 yards out...that's good stuff...don't believe me?...here you go). Moreno's abilities cannot be denied. He's a great runner, and a great pass-catcher, but his emotions are something to watch out for. If times are tough, especially in the NFL, where he's likely going to end up next year (draft-eligible sophomore...three words that strike the fear of God into college ADs), it will be interesting to see how he handles himself. Hey, at least the score was respectable in the first half (14-3), so they had my attention for a couple of hours there.

If you didn't see the Texas/Texas Tech game, you may want to turn to ESPN Classic about...oh, right now. I don't get the Classic anymore (which basically cuts about half of my daily routine out), but I'm quite sure that game will get some "Instant Classic" acclaim. In one of the more remarkable victories in recent memory, the Red Raiders had their coming out party against Texas, winning with one second left on a Michael Crabtree TD. This has a four-prong effect (stay with me, I know that's a lot of prongs to handle). Okay, first, and most importantly, Texas Tech is officially the "it" team, but there comes a lot of responsibilities in being the "it" team...just ask the team they beat last night. Okie St. comes to town next week (and again, I would like to throw out that they are an exceptional team), and if Tech can survive that, they have a meeting in Norman with the Sooners, who I have to say have teamed up with Florida as the two best teams that no one seemingly are paying any attention to...yet. Second, Graham Harrell has taken the driver's seat for the Heisman, with Tebow likely taking over in the 2-spot, and Colt McCoy, whose name will likely disappear from any kind of publicity until bowl season comes around, in third. Harrell has been doing it his whole career (him and every QB that's played for Tech in the last 10 years), but because of the fact that Tech has played just a pinch of defense, that team will be in the top 5 after the biggest win in school history, and when you're the starting QB of a top 5 team, and you throw for 500 yards a game...it helps. Third, Michael Crabtree is now the hands-down (no pun intended) best receiver in the country...it's not even close anymore. This kid is an absolute animal...and that's what I kept saying over and over last night, which probably annoyed my Dad to no end. He's got speed, physicality, and this just in: tightroping-the-sidelines ability. I mean does anyone understand how good this kid is? He's a sophomore! Are you kidding?! He almost hit 2,000 yards receiving last year. What?! 1,962 yards in a freshman year, and after last night, he's at 921 (he's going to get about 1,300 yards...and it will be considered a down year...wow), but none more important than the five yards after the catch he had last night. If he comes out in the draft this year (three words baby: DRAFT-ELIGIBLE SOPHOMORE!!!), he may be the first receiver taken #1 since Keyshawn back in '93. Look, taking a receiver in the top 5 usually pays off (unless you're the Lions...and even they eventually got it right with Calvin Johnson), so in terms of trying to predict how well a draft pick will fare, it's not completely unheard of to take the receiver over the O-Lineman, which notoriously has been the "safe" pick for teams high in the draft order. Okay, and fourth...what happens to Texas now? Well, here's the thing: The Longhorns could definitely go on the same road as Kansas did last year. While not even playing in the conference championship game, the Jayhawks wound up in the Orange Bowl. Now the BCS standings have not come out yet (it's really early on Sunday right now...in all fairness to me, it felt like 9:00 when I got up today...I'm still in the process of falling back...usually takes a couple days), but I'm thinking Texas will fall to right around #5, which still puts them in prime position with one loss. If Tech runs the table, they will be playing Mizzou in the Big 12 Championship. Meanwhile, the Longhorns have a cream-puff finish (this usually happens when you play four top-10 teams in a row), with Baylor and A&M coming to Austin, and a potential landmine game against Kansas on the road, although I'm wildly skeptical that will happen. So, basically, Texas can slip into the BCS without playing in the championship game. Again, and this should be emphasized, it could be a lot worse. It's tough to lose like that, especially to an in-state...rival? Anyway, what Texas needs to do now is take care of the business at hand, i.e. win their next three, and watch the madness unfold. Tech has two top-8 teams in the next two weeks, 'Bama plays LSU on the road next week and will likely draw Florida at the end of the season. Devastating loss? Yes. Season over? Hardly.

The Fighting Gamecocks everybody! If anyone from the Outback Bowl selection committee is reading this (and if they are, I am way famous), have I got a team for you! Much like he's done his whole career, Coach Spurrier won another big game with the defense...wait, that is completely wrong. Spurrier...a defensive genius? My mind is about to explode. As first reported here, USC's defense is incredibly bad-ass (and on that note, probably the best named defense ever...Jasper and Casper Brinkley, Captain Munnerlyn, Stoney Woodson...you can't make this stuff up!), and after the shalacking they put on the Vols last night, find themselves 6-3 with three to play (by the way, how refreshing is it to say that Tennessee sucks?...just go to a mirror and say it, and magically, your day will get so much better...like taking half a vic0din...not that I would know what that's like...and in other news, my cover is blown). So, with Arkansas at the duba-duba-WB next week, and the remaining two road contests against Florida and Clemson, the Cocks need to go 2-1 to get to said bowl game in not-said-until-now Tampa, FL. USC has fought valiantly this season, with near-misses against two conference powerhouses (7-point losses to both UGA and LSU). The defense is...well...bad-ass. I mean how else can I say it? Third in the country in yards/game and second in the country against the pass...oh yeah! So calling all of Gamecock Nation: Let's gear up and get these two wins!

Fav Five Heisman Finalists:

1. Graham Harrell (sorry for putting an "E" on the end of Graham last time...for some reason I thought he spelled it like that), QB, Texas Tech
2. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
3. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
4. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
5. Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech

The NFL should be amazing this week. Tons of good matchups today and especially tomorrow. Today, you have Brett Favre and Co. (the Co. in this instance is the Jets...I think we're still at the point where it's weird to believe Favre ia a Jet) go up to Ralph Wilson Stadium, which has to be in the top-5 of home-field advantages, to play the Bills. Actually let me think about this:

Top 5 Home-Field Advantages in the NFL:

1. Lambeau Field, Green Bay Packers (by default...has to be)
2. Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo Bills
3. Qwest Field, Seattle Seahawks
4. Soldier Field, Chicago Bears
5. Edward Jones Stadium, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

(lots of NFC...interesting)

Anyway, this is a huge division game for both. If the Bills win, they have a shot at regaining sole posession of the AFC East. A Jets win could potentially line up a three team log-jam at the top of the division (log-jam has just been annointed word of the week by the way...not just the day...you need more than one day to celebrate how great a word log-jam is).

Houston at Minnesota is probably the most interesting matchup of 3-4 teams you may see in a while. Lots of people had the Vikings not only winning the North, but going to the Super Bowl, putting about 100,000% of their convictions on Adrian Peterson having 2,000 yards and 35 TDs. Well, hasn't quite happened for them (there's still room for you on the Tarvaris Jackson bandwagon...order now, and we'll throw in a spot on the Kellen Clemens bandwagon absolutely free!). I love the Texans. There is so much that appeals to me on that team. Matt Schaub is the shining light for backup QBs everywhere (that means you too Matt Cassell!). Andre Johnson is probably the most underrated receiver in the game (not by this guy of course). Speaking of underrated, ditto for tight end Owen Daniels (he's so underrated that I had to throw the tight end in there). Steve Slaton is a beast, and has teamed with Ahman Green for the down-low thunder/lightning combination of the year. Mario Williams is proving me and everyone else wrong that he was the deservant #1 pick two years ago. Plus, as an added bonus, their starting cornerbacks are both Gamecocks! Oh yeah! Love it.

In the annual Art Modell classic, Baltimore travels to Cleveland to face the Browns. I see pure ugliness in this game, and a lot of it will be coming from the Ravens. I see Derek Anderson and Braylon Edwards having big games (purely coincidental that they're both on my fantasy teams...right...). Also, Jamal Lewis has to get pumped for this. The Ravens didn't think he had anything left in the tank. He had a TD in both contests last year.

In what was originally thought of as an absolute monster of a game, the Cowboys take on the G-Men live from East Rutherford (Giants Stadium is way cool at night...sure I was half-awake, but it's always cool to see pro stadiums from the highway...slight side note, I saw BB&T in Baltimore and the Linc in Philly, which could not have been any closer to the road if they tried...awesome...Philly by the way is still in tact, and surprisingly did not burn down after the Phillies won the World Series). So the Cowboys are reeling at this point. Did you think two years ago how huge Tony Romo would mean to this franchise at any point in the future? Also, Pac-Man...what happened? (Oh, and you can call him Pac-Man because, contrary to what was told to you and yours, he's still an insane partier). Anyway, he's in rehab, Terrence Newman has been sidelined in what seems like forever (Newman!)...I mean they barely got by the Bengals for crying out loud. For the G-Men, Plaxico Burress is a total head case. Well, at least some things you can count on each year: The leaves turning in New England being amazing, Pac Man Jones somehow managing to top himself in irresponsibleness (hopefully the grammar police aren't seeing this), and Plaxico doing something totally selfish without having any regard for his team...nice. Anyway, I still see this game being good for two reasons: Marion Barber and Brandon Jacobs. I don't think there are two more fun running backs to watch in the league than these two.

Two landmine games face a couple of 4-3 teams, with Philly on the road at Seattle, and Atlanta...that's right, the 4-3 Atlanta Falcons, rookie QB and all, going out to Oakland, a place they have never won (a fact that I was reminded about by J.T. The Brick about 100,000 times on Friday...really wish I had that hour of my life back). Philly and Atlanta are similar in the fact that they are playing well, but are both in division where they aren't really even in contention despite being above .500 and being only a couple games back. Definite upset potential here, but because Seattle is still rolling with Seneca Wallace, I think the Raiders have the better shot at making it happen. However, they are going to have to contain Rowdy Roddy White (easy set-up for that nickname), who is third in the league in receiving yards, and the Burner, who is third in rushing.

Monday night will see Pittsburgh going to Landover to play the 'Skins...and the intrigue is bubbling over for this one. Both should find themselves in the playoffs, with a home game in the opening round to boot. For the first time I think...ever, the 'Skins fans actually have to pull for the Cowboys to beat the Giants to bring them into a tie at the top of the NFC East with a win against the Steelers. It will be interesting to see how much Willie Parker will get into this game. The Steelers obviously are taking their time getting him back into action, as Mewelde Moore has done more than I think even Pittsburgh could have thought was possible in backing Parker up. Santonio Holmes has not taken over the reigns of #1 receiver from Hines Ward as many thought he would, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but also, a lot of people really thought Holmes would have a breakout season, and so far, he's been just decent...nothing too special. It's early, but I think it may be next year when Holmes busts out and becomes the guy in Pittsburgh. For the time being though, he, and everyone's favorite receiver from Tiffin, Nate Washington, remain compliments to Hines Ward in the passing game. The 'Skins could potentially have three giant holes in their secondary, with Shawn Springs out, and Carlos Rogers and LaRon Landry both listed as questionable. This will be one of the major things to watch for. The other will be how well Pittsburgh stops Clinton Portis in an attempt to put the game on Jason Campbell. Not saying Campbell will not be up for the challenge, but he has not seen anything quite like the "Blitzburgh" scheme the Steelers utilize, which could confuse the young QB. He has been terrific this year, but this will be one of the bigger tests he will face all season. Portis is an absolute monster though, and slowing him down will be a daunting task for that defense (his league lead in rushing over Peterson is 260 yards...unbelievable). Right now, I would think it's a two-man race for MVP: Portis and Drew Brees. That one's a tough call. Quick side-note: Is the Clinton Portis-Champ Bailey the "fairest" trade of all-time in any sport? That, and the Hanley Ramirez-Josh Beckett/Mike Lowell trade are up there that I can think of right now.

Finally, the Pats...remember them? Hi, we were undefeated in the regular season last year, and stand at 5-2 right now...when were we supposed to collapse again? Was it after the Miami game or the San Diego game? I don't know...someone look that up. In any event, here's what I've learned: The Pats can play in tight games and get the occasional blowout (great revenge game against the Broncos), but if we lose, we lose big, and in those games, nothing goes right. So, it will be very easy to tell how this game is going to go down based on the first couple of series. If we go down like 10, 14-0, we're screwed. The Pats do not have the kind of team to come back from a big early defecit, and by "kind of team," I mean Tom Brady. We were down to Indy late last year and won, but if the game follows a similar first three quarters, I don't see the results being as friendly this time around. Two things to watch for, both of which will be on the defensive side of the ball: First, Brandon Meriweather is now the man at safety. While many predicted that this would go down next year, surprise! Rodney Harrison goes down for the year, and likely, unfortunately, his career, and the time is now. Meriweather is an explosive hitter, but likely has not seen anything the likes of Peyton Manning and all his head-game shenanigans, so it will be very interesting to see how he adjusts to that, as it would make a lot of sense for the Colts to test the middle of the field against Meriweather and Colonel Sanders manning the safety positions. Second, Deltha O'Neal has filled in admirably for the departed Asante Samuel, but he and Ellis Hobbs are still behind the eight ball in terms of teams continuing to test them out. Look at the damage Donnie Avery did last week (six receptions, 163 yards and a score). There is no way they can put up a similar game against Reggie Wayne, Marvin Harrison, and Anthony Gonzalez, and expect to come out roses like last week ("roses" in this case meaning 16 points). Look for the Colts to be an air-first team with a returning Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes in the backfield. Also, Bob Sanders will make his return to the lineup after missing five weeks with knee and ankle injuries. Why does he always have to come back against the Pats? This already happened once two years ago, and he had a monster game, and the Colts won at Foxboro. Hate that Bob Sanders! Again, the first quarter will likely dictate the outcome of this game. I'm just hoping for a respectable showing to be totally honest. I don't have too many expectations...just keep them honest, that's all.

So, that's all for now. I'm back to literally being a stone's throw from the beach, which works out perfectly because it's November and all. Still, very cool to see the beach from my bedroom window. I remember people planning like weeks in advance to go to the beach the last three places I lived at (Columbia, Charlotte, Lynchburg), and now it's like "should I go?...do I have the two minutes needed to make the walk?" Oh well. In any event, the job search is still on, but I have a feeling it will go a lot better up here because, well, I actually know people. I know this is a weird concept, but if you have people helping you out that already work somewhere to get you the place they work at, you have a much better chance. I know that may seem crazy and all, but I kind of dig that. Hopefully things progress from there...but I gotta get there first right? So, we're taking things one step at a time. Well, I'm home, I'm alive, I have enough Sudafed to knock out a horse, and I somehow have managed to continue to bootleg wireless internet again, so you'll be hearing from me...especially because I got plenty of free time for the moment. Well, I got football to watch, and endlees mixtapes to make, so stay classy...I'll be in touch. Peace.

~Mell-o

Told You So

"That's how it happens livin' life by the drop."

So, as first reported here, Curlin did not win the Breeders Cup Classic. Not only did he not win, but he did not even place in the race. So going against preconceived knowledge, my prediction came out right, trumping the fact that I missed like 10 of the 12 races (Henrythenavigator, my pick to win, came in second...so close!)

Oklahoma St. really hung tough with Texas (although I was not able to see this game because of VA Tech/Florida St.). They are definitely going to be a team to watch out for when the New Years' Day bowl games come around. The Longhorns now are going up into what I predicted would be the game of the year, Texas @ Texas Tech. You don't even know how much I am looking forward to that game. I will say that the over/under will be like 77, and the final will exceed that number. Colt McCoy continues to have a stranglehold on the Heisman, having another monstrous game against the Cowboys.

However, Javon Ringer has suddenly sneaked back into the Heisman discussion with an equally monstrous game at the venue formally known as the "Big House," as Michigan St. won at Ann Arbor for the first time since 1990, and the first win over the Wolverines since 2002. Ringer had almost 200 yards on the ground, including a long touchdown to pace the Spartans in the early going, and a 3-yarder to put the game away. Ringer for some reason is ranked fairly low on most mock drafts despite is unbelievable season (1,179 yards, 14 TDs, both numbers leading the nation with three games to go). I don't know. I have Ringer and Knowshon Moreno 1-2 for RBs eligible for the Draft.

Speaking of Moreno, has there ever been a better time to be an SEC road team like this year? Ole Miss beat Florida at the Swamp and almost beat Alabama last week at Tuscaloosa. 'Bama blew the doors off of Georgia between the hedges, Carolina narrowly lost to both LSU and Georgia, and in the battle of those two teams today in Baton Rouge, Georgia put it to the Tigers from the opening bell, and pulled off a huge road win. I guess this speaks to the reserve these teams have playing conference opponents on the road. Very impressive performance from UGA.

I have been looking forward to this Penn St./Ohio St. game ever since the emmergence of Tyrelle Pryor for the Buckeyes, and the fact that the Nittany Lions have had incredible success this season, and really have been pushed very little all season. Pryor is Ohio St.'s great equalizer because of his ability to scramble. The reason the Buckeyes were not successful at all in their offense the past two BCS Championships is because they started two QBs (Troy Smith and Todd Boeckham) who were pure pocket passers, and against such a quick front seven, they don't stand a chance. You at least have a shot when you have a dual-threat like Pryor behind center. He has a chance to elude oncoming tacklers and make something happen. Keep in mind that the one time the Buckeyes lost this year was a road loss to Southern Cal, who at that moment was thought to be invincible. Plus, they did not have Chris Wells at 100% (I can't call him "Beanie." I know that's the cool thing to do...I just can't get on that wagon), so look for Ohio St., playing at the Horseshoe, to come up with a big game.

Fav Five Heisman Candidates

1. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
2. Grahame Harrell, QB, Texas Tech
3. Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
4. Chase Daniel, QB, Missouri
5. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma

The NBA season starts up on Tuesday, and you know what that means...Banner 17 to the rafters! The Celts face 'Bron-'Bron and the Cavs at the "Garden" to open up their defense of the title (and you have no idea how nice that is to say...by the way, I'm still pissed that David Stern only referred to us as the "Boston Celtics," and not "the defending champion Boston Celtics."). The start of the season also means the start of fantasy basketball (in other words, something to help me forget about fantasy football). I'm not going to do a full-fledged preview, but here are some guys to look out for:

• Rajon Rondo, G- Ok, you had to have known I was going to go this route. Now that Rondo has officially taken the reigns of, again, the defending World Champions. Expect him to be in the top 5 in steals, while upping his points, boards, and assists.
  
• Rashard Lewis, SF, PF- With another year under his belt in Orlando, and the perimeter being open because off the dominance of Dwight Howard down low, expect a big year from Lewis, especially in made three-pointers. Plus, he can be implimented in both forward positions
  
• Michael Beasley, PF- The rookie from K-State has been annointed the pre-season Rookie of the Year almost unanimously by the NBA pundits, and with good reason. Beasley has a rare combination of size and long-range touch which makes him deadly in multiple categories. If anything, Miami will be fun to watch with Beasley, Dwayne Wade fresh off his Olympic performance, and Shawn Marion.
• Gerald Wallace, SF- Wallace seems to go overlooked every year. I liken him to a poor man's Shawn Marion: He gives you numbers in every single category, and while they may not amass to Marion-like numbers, this is a guy that will be available in the 5th or 6th round, which is a great value.
• Rudy Gay, SF- With Gasol gone, and basically no offense to be accounted for in Memphis, it will fall back on Gay to come through with about 25 a night. O.J. Mayo should also be thrown into this discussion because, much like Gay, Mayo is a quick-moving, streaky shooter who can definitely make a bigger rookie impact that guys like Derrick Rose or Kevin Love will have.

Well, I'm gearing up for the PSU/OSU game (also will be checking in on the 'Bama/UT game, which could be a trap for the Tide). Also, the Bruins are killing me this year. Two shootout losses already! And they're losing 2-0 tonight. At least back at home, I can watch them lose in HD. Hopefully the Pats can tame the Rams tomorrow, who have been scorching after their two-game romp of the NFC East. Hope everyone is doing well. If I don't get to this again this week: Lycnhburg, it's been real. I had so much fun here. In fact, it pretty much made up for the mostly negative experience I had in Charlotte (having three jobs helps). Seriously, there are way worse places to go than the 'Burg. In any event, have a happy and a safe night. Take care. Peace.

~Mell-o

Did You See That Hit?

"There will be times when all the things she said
Will fill your head
You won't forget her..."

Oh, hello there. In lieu of packing for my move back home to the Bay State, I figured I would share some of what I'm thinking right about now:

Welll, if you didn't see it, here you go. Yikes. Lucic is in my fave 5 Bruins (Kessel, Bergeron, Savard, Axelsson), and if you had never heard of him before last night, I'm thinking this hit will leave an indelible mark on your conscience...The Big Bad Bruins everyone! (I really hope the fans that got hit with the glass make a speedy recovery as well).

So the Breeders Cup starts today (oh by the way, my team got eliminated from the playoffs...no big deal). I've never had any horse picks that I can recall (don't even think I'm going to review every post I've ever had to try and fact-check that...just take my word for it), and I figured it would definitely not be a bad time at all to throw out my Cup predicitions. For those who are completely uninterested, know this: The "Classic" being run tomorrow is a $7 million purse...7. I'm going to pick a trifecta each race, consisting of Win (1st), Place (2nd), and Show (3rd), with the morning lines for each horse. A star will denote the favorite:

The Picks:

Fily and Mare Sprint (3:35, Friday):

• 3- Intangroo (9/2)
• 9- Dream Rush (20/1)
• 5- Indian Blessing (2/1)*

Juvenile Fillies Turf (4:15, Friday):

• 7- Consequence (8/1)
• 1- April Pride (12/1)
• 10- Beyond Our Reach (15/1)
  

Juvenile Fillies (4:55, Friday):

• 11- Pursuit Of Glory (8/1)
• 10- Stardom Bound (2/1)*
• 4- Sky Diva (7/2)

Filly & Mare Turf (5:35, Friday):

• 7- Mauralakana (5/1)
• 3- Forever Together (6/1)
• 4- Visit (15/1)

Ladies Classic (which sounds like an event at the World Series of Poker) (6:15, Friday):

• 1- Zenyatta (3/5)*
• 6- Ginger Punch (9/2)
• 8- Bear Now (30/1)

Marathon (1:10, Saturday):

• 6- Zappa (5/2)
• 4- Sixties Icon (2/1)*
• 8- Cedar Mountain (6/1)

Turf Sprint (1:50. Saturday):

• 11- Idiot Proof (8/1)
• 1- Heros Reward (8/1)
• 8- Diabolical (6/1)

Dirt Mile (2:30, Saturday):

• 6- Pyro (20/1)
• 1- Lewis Michael (5/1)
• 11- My Pal Charlie (20/1)

Mile (3:15, Saturday):

• 9- War Monger (12/1)
• 11- Whatsthescript (4/1)
• 6- Awesome Gem (20/1)

Juvenile (3:55, Saturday):

• 6- Silent Valor (15/1)
  
• 2- Gallant Son (15/1)
• 11- Midshipman (5/1)

Juvenile Turf (4:35, Saturday):

• 4- Donativum (6/1)
• 3- Westphalia (5/1)
• 12- Grand Adventure (5/1)

Sprint (5:15, Saturday):

• 9- Fatal Bullet (6/1)
  
• 2- Street Boss (3/1)*
• 5- First Defence (12/1)

Turf (6:00, Saturday):

• 3- Grand Couturier (6/1)
  
• 2- Red Rocks (5/1)
• 10- Out Of Control (10/1)

(quick note of interest...in the "Turf," there is Red Rocks and Red Rock Canyon, both of whom are Irish...none of whom are likely referencing the concert venue)

Classic (6:45, Saturday):

• 5- Henrythenavigator (10/1)
• 1- Go Between (8/1)
• 11- Colonel John (20/1)

Wow, that was almost painfully long. The reason I didn't pick Curlin in the "Classic" is because it seems like every time a horse is about to make some kind of history, they choke. I mean Curlin is an amazing horse, and if he wins this race, he passes Cigar for the most earnings ever. I have to say though that after watching two sure-fire horses that were supposed to win the Triple Crown (Smarty Jones and Big Brown) choke in the final race that would ultimately put them in very rare air, I have my concerns. Even Cigar choked in the Classic (1996...although he did win in '95). Plus, Curlin won last year, and only one other horse in the 24-year history of the race has repeated (Tiznow: 2000-2001), so the odds are against him.

Ok, well, I'll probably have more for you today, but now, it's laundry time...and I gotta make it back for the first race (bet your bottom dollar I'm watching all these races because fake money, integrity, and extremely small-time bragging rights are up for grabs). Every horse will get a $2 wager on their spot, and I'll let you know how I did when it's all over. If any excuse, this is a nice excuse for drinking I have to say. So, good luck to all...even if you're not betting...See you soon. Peace.

~Mell-o

Now It's Getting Interesting (Part II)

"And boom goes the dynamite."

I changed the channel in the top of the seventh...I can't lie to you guys and say that I watched all of Game 4 in its entirety. Now the question is this: "Am I a true Red Sox fan if I switched channels in what could have been the last game of the 2008 season?" Well, let me just stop you and tell you about what Red Sox fans have been doing their entire lives. See when a game is bad, you know, like 7-0 with three innings left bad, you change the station on your TV or radio, wait about 20-30 minutes, then turn back, hoping something good has happened while you were trying to ward off all of the negative thoughts that had filled your mind...and hey, guess what? It worked again! See, just because we've won championships, it never hurts to revert back to old tactics, especially when seemingly every time I have done this, good things happen. So, here we go again. Are you ready for this? Seriously, are you ready to take this ride again? I have broken this down in my mind, and to me, this feels like '04 all over again. Facing impending doom, and after getting the crap kicked out of us the game before, the Sox, in both instances, were down to a division rival who was on the brink of making the World Series if they could hang on to the lead (by the way, just tossing this out there...given all that's happened this year, the division race, the brawl involving Coco, and this series, Tampa is getting increasingly Yankee-like in terms of straight up bitterness...of course, not payroll-wise...but their confidence has almost become cokiness, and I really, really want to stick it to this team...just saying). Back to '04 vs. '08, the series came down to two pitchers who figured to not be a huge factor to either team (Lowe wasn't even in the rotation; the Sox had to go with Dice in Game 1 due to how the rotation played out), both games turned on a dime after one play by two outfielders who weren't even starters (Dave Roberts' SB which he parlayed into the tying run, and Coco's never-ending at-bat to tie the game), and two relievers making improbable stops to win the game (Curtis Leskanic pitched one and a third scoreless to earn the win, and Justin Masterson getting a huge DP from Carlos Pena to send it to the bottom of the ninth). And because of who went in the first elimination game, the table is set for the two best pitchers to go the next two games (Lowe set up Pedro in 5 and Schill in 6, Dice sets up Beckett in 6 and Lester in 7, which will hopefully be extremely necessary), and those two pitchers in both instances started off the series in horrid fashion. In '04, Pedro and Schill rebounded magnificently to win back-to-back games. So hopefully, the comparisons will continue to that effect. Whatever happens though, you have to say this: The Red Sox are champions, and like Rudy Tomjanovich said, "Never underestimate the heart of a champion." So, Game 6...tomorrow...now I'm feeling it. Thank you Red Sox...again.

(Another thing I just realized...I'm typing this on the four-year anniversary of Game 4...how can you not love this? Well, if your a Tampa fan I guess you wouldn't...definitely a Yankees fan, they really wouldn't like this...I love those poor Yankee fans...so helpless...it's adorable)

So how did the Sox win? Two things: A.) The Sox' pitchers finally decided to pitch inside to the Rays instead of insisting on throwing every pitch over the plate, and B.) The Rays decided that everyone's fastball, even Dan Wheeler, was so powerful that they would simply blow every hitter out. Hmmm...not such a good idea...again, especially Wheeler, who can barely get it up to 90 on the gun (I think the fastest I can throw is about 55 by the way). Let's start with Part A. So I think this is the first time I've heard Ron Darling (former pitcher and MA native) do color for a game. Anyway, he could not have been more spot-on than when he pointed this out in the middle of Game 5, when Pena and Longoria went back-to-back to make the score 5-0. He basically said that the Tampa hitters were way too comfortable at the plate, and that the only real way to remedy that would be to at least brush some hitters back. Not hit them, but at least keep them on their toes. No one exemplified this last night more than Masterson, who repeatedly was tossing cut fastballs around the inside corner and, at some points, really getting in on the hands and making the Rays duck back. It's not about trying to hit them, it's about trying to exude some intimidation on a team that has beaten the cover off the ball for three straight games. It's a strategy. Not anything personal, but sometimes, you need to be a little wild just to mix it up and not to let the hitters be able to clock your pitches and where they're most likely ending up, which is a perfect segway to Part B. So apparently, after Kazmir was taken out of the game, so too went the off-speed pitches. Grant Balfour and Wheeler continually tried to throw by the Sox hitters, a clear indication that Dioner Navarro stopped calling the game and put it into cruise control. Not a good idea. Sure, the Sox did not look too hot up until they got to the bullpen, but look at that lineup...even without Lowell, this team is very dangerous, especially when they have their backs against the wall (see two-out hitting). I will give J.P. Howell credit for at least attempting to throw some off-speed stuff, but by then, the flood gates were open, and there was nothing that Howell could do to stop it. When the Sox get going, they are an out-of-control freight train, and again, I really hope this translates to the pitching for the rest of the series.

The Pats are playing Denver on Monday...I think they had an off-week last week because I don't recall them playing at all...that's my story and I'm sticking to it (prescription drugs and Yuengling...if you don't want to remember something...try that out...responsibly of course...actually that is completely irresponsible...sorry). I see Brandon Marshall having a big game, but the fact that the Broncos have not shown a consistent running attack, and Jay Cutler is prone to mistakes, makes me think the D will have a much bigger impact than they did last week in that game that never happened. If you want to take any positives from last week, it was that they were able to give Sammy Morris some PT in place of a banged-up Laurence Maroney, and he came through with some nice gains running and catching out of the backfield and added a touchdown. So what happened to the deep ball? I thought we proved a point against the Niners that the deep ball is how this offense starts. So let's stick with the plan shall we? Sure, Champ Bailey and Dre Bly are definitely competent and are a potent duo, but the Pats have enough weapons to neutralize them. Again though, the deep ball is key, and Cassel needs to execute that early to get the message across. The defense is really struggling, but there's only so long you can go with a make-shift backfield and an aging LB core before they start to show some wear. I do like the Pats in this matchup, even though they have been horrendous against Denver historically.

Ok, some random thoughts before I go:

USC has a mammouth game against LSU at the WB on Saturday night. In terms of talent, there is no comparison. LSU is bigger, stronger, and faster, but the one thing that the Cocks have shown this year is that they can match up with teams that are more talented than they are (UGA especially), so do not write them off entirely. Keep in mind that USC sports the third best defense in the country...you heard me...third. Also, if Ricky Jean-Francois cannot go again, it could be devastating to the Tiger morale (as it did against Florida...51-21...ouch). There's definitely a shot, but what I really want to see is the Cocks at least hanging with the Tigers much like they did last year until Jasper Brinkley got hurt and the Tigers pulled one of the more memorable fake field goals in recent history (why are we always on the opposing end of historic plays? The push off, the Pollack interception, then this...what gives?). So don't give this one to LSU just yet.

Colt McCoy is now your Heisman favorite after out-battling fellow candidate Sam Bradford in the Red River Shootout last Saturday. McCoy is the Big 12's Tim Tebow, basically carrying the entire offense on his back not only through the air but also on the ground, something that gives him a decided advantage over every other QB in the running except for the incumbent Tebow. McCoy also leads the nation in passing accuracy. If McCoy is again able to outduel another Heisman candidate this week (Mizzou's Chase Daniel, who saw both his Heisman chances and national title hopes perhaps dashed last week against Okie St.), then he could propel his stock to an unreachable status.

Thank you Cleveland for finally coming through for me. Week after week, I kept saying that Derek Anderson and Braylon Edwards were going to break out, and they did against the G-Men on Sunday. If Anderson can get a healthy Kellen Winslow back, this team could again rise to the offensive heights that they reached last year.

I just had my fantasy NBA and NHL drafts. Okay, even I admit that in my hockey draft I had no idea what I was doing. My top priority was drafting Phil Kessel, then after that, who knows? I got a bunch of Bruins (Kessel, Marc Savard, Michael Ryder) and then getting players that I've heard of and don't hate, so I think I did a very good job at that. In my NBA, which I actually had strategy in, I was able to get KG and Shawn Marion...how the hell did that happen? They are both in the top 8! Totally fantastic. Plus I got Rondo...double bonus. In any event, the team is stacked with scorers, and hopefully Gilbert Arenas made a full recovery (kind of took a gamble there). So overall...happy times. Fantasy leagues for no money and no prizes...terrific.

What to watch for:

Saturday:

• #16 Kansas vs. #4 Oklahoma (3:30, ABC)
• #12 Ohio St. vs. #20 Michigan St. (3:30, ABC...is it just me, or shouldn't GameDay be in East Lansing this week? Texas again? Isn't that a little played?)
• #11 Missouri vs. #1 Texas (8:00, ABC)
• #13 LSU vs. South Carolina (8:00, ESPN)
• #17 Virginia Tech vs. Boston College (8:00, ESPN2)

Sunday:

• New Orleans vs. Carolina (1:00, FOX)
• Indianapolis vs. Green Bay (4:15, CBS)

Monday:

• Denver vs. New England (8:30, ESPN)

You might want to check out those Sox games too...just saying. Take care everyone. Peace.

~Mell-o

Now It's Getting Interesting

"How cool would it be if there was a genie in this hooka?"
"Not for him, he'd be on fire."

Well you don't see this very often...in fact, it's been 22 years since the Angels beat the Sox in the postseason. After an improbable three-run single by Jacoby Ellsbury (after which I kept thinking that we only got two runs...but after about two innings I caught on...I was a little slow yesterday, back off), it appeared like the Sox were in prime position to add yet another notch to the seemingly endless winning streak we had against the Halos, no matter how good they have been. With Beckett on the mound and a two-run lead, things were looking good. However, the Angels actually decided to be...the Angels, mounting a comeback to get the game into extra innings, then winning it in the twelvth. Mike Napoli, who was out for a majority of the season, came through with two homers off of Beckett, and Jered Weaver came in at the end of the game, and was able to keep the Sox off the board in the extra frames. The Sox' bullpen did an admirable job going blow to blow with the Angels' bullpen for six innings. In the end though, it seemed like our luck finally ran out (let's face it, Ellsbury's hit was complete B.S...although I enjoyed it throughly). So now, it's back to where we started...kind of. Well, in this installment of Lester-Lackey, the Sox still have a lead in the series, and they are at home, where Lester has been absolutely tremendous this year (11-1, 2.49 ERA). However, it would seem that a lot of the momentum the Sox had built up in Anaheim has been slowed, or even worse, halted. Did you see it last night? It just felt like an inevitability that the Halos were going to walk away with that game purely because the Sox simply could not get anything done against the Angel bullpen, which brings me to my point: If the Sox are going to win either of the next two games, they have to do it against the starters and cannot rely on hitting off of their bullpen to win games. It sounds easy enough, but the fact remains that if the Sox are able to jump out to a big lead (at least two runs) early, they have an infinitely better chance of winning these games than if they let the Angels stay in these games. As shown in the last two games, Anaheim does not go down without a fight, but considering Lester's dominance at home this year, and his equally dominant performance in Game 1, it is going to be tough for the Angels to send this series back to the west coast. In other news...Go White Sox! Regardless of what happens, I really don't want the Rays to even sniff the World Series. They appear to be incredibly dangerous to our attempt to repeat as champions (this is, of course, if we get by the Angels...one game at a time). I agree with Lil' Wayne on this (by the way, his blog on ESPN.com is remarkably good...the man is a Sox and a Bruins fan...you have to respect that) in that if Tampa gets to the ALCS, it doesn't appear like anyone, including the Sox, will stop them. I hope I'm wrong, and also, if we, God forbid, lose the next two games, it will be very interesting to see how well the Rays do when they do not have home-field advantage (decidely the best home-field this year). But, I'm not going to think about that anymore. Thinking positive from here on in for Game 4 tonight.

The Pats pulled down an absolutely huge win over the Niners yesterday, and despite basically the entire world writing us off after the Miami loss, the Pats are 3-1, tying Buffalo in the loss column atop the division. I realize that we have a new QB, but if you saw any of yesterday's game, you had to see some improvements out of Cassel. For one, he threw the deep ball to Moss, something I had been calling for the last three games. The way the offense works is that you spread the defense and make the safeties play center field, opening up the running game, and some room for a certain #83 to go over the middle. What I did not like was when Cassel could not make his reads fast enough and continued to get ambushed by the Niner defense (a much-impoved unit than we're used to seeing). The right side of the O-Line is weak...everyone knows that...people who don't even watch football that watched the Super Bowl last year know that. So, Cassel needs to get the ball out of his hand quicker, and they need to continue to spread the field with Moss, because as shown on Sunday, against one of the better cover-corners in the league (Nate Clements), no one can stop Randy Moss...no one. The defense was able to turn things around after a very shaky first quarter in which they allowed journeyman J.T. O'Sullivan to pass all over them. This D really makes me nervous, which is something I haven't said or thought about in like a decade. The thing that continues to baffle me is the seeming unwillingness to let Adalius Thomas run wild. If they allow A.T. free reign, he will be an absolute beast and an unstoppable force, like he was in Baltimore during his Pro Bowl season two years ago. Next on the dockett for the Pats is the Chargers. I expect a whole bunch of Darren Sproiles, Antonio Gates, and Chris Chambers, and not a whole lot from L.T. (see the last two times these teams have met in Foxboro in primetime). Sproiles really scares me. He's small and explosive...I'm getting nervous just typing this. Gates is going to be a problem because, most likely, either Jerod Mayo or Tedy Bruschi will draw him in coverage. One is a rookie, and one has shown some wear this season. Chambers poses matchup problems because of his size (he's not especially tall (5', 11"), but he is a load at 210 lbs.). Look for Deltha O'Neal (5', 11") to take Chambers as opposed to Ellis Hobbs (5', 9"). In any event, great win on the road yesterday (first time the Pats have ever won in San Fran), but there are still a lot of things this team needs to improve on as the season progresses.

In a small shout-out section, I first want to say how impressed I am with the Redskins, winning another road division game yesterday at Philly. J-Cam has been a mark of consistency this year, and through five games, they still have yet to yield an offensive turnover. Clinton Portis, who I have been saying all along is a top-5 back in this league, came through with another huge game, and now sits only behind Michael Turner for the top spot in rushing in the NFL. Also, thanks for finally getting Chris Cooley in the end zone (fantasy implications of course...now we need to get Wes Welker there!).

Matt Ryan guided the Falcons to a huge victory up in Green Bay. I still don't like his game translating to the pros, but so far, he's looked decent, and he hasn't made a ton of mistakes (4 TDs to 3 INTs, about as good as you can expect from a rookie).

I am officially off the Ben Roethlisberger hate-wagon, and in another official move, have put him on the list of players I really respect. He showed a ton of heart last night in leading the Steelers to a comeback win at Jacksonville, a team that has been a thorn in Pittsburgh's side, especially the last two meetings.

The two best games going into yesterday outside of the Steelers/Jags (which everyone knew would be a big-time matchup) was the Broncos/Bucs and the Titans/Ravens. Both games lived up to that billing, with Denver and Tennessee (the undefeated Tennessee Titans mind you) winning by a field goal. Tennessee...apparently for real. Jay Cutler...likewise. In fact, you would be hard-pressed to find a better QB this year than Cutler.

What to watch for this week (besides the playoffs...you should already know about that):

Thursday:

• Clemson at #21 Wake Forest (7:30, ESPN)

Saturday:

• #1 Oklahoma vs. #5 Texas from the Cotton Bowl (12:00, ABC)
• Tennessee at #10 Georgia (3:00, CBS)
• Notre Dame at #22 North Carolina (3:30, ABC)
• #23 Michigan St. at Northwestern (3:30, ESPN2)
• #17 Oklahoma St. at #3 Missouri (8:00, ESPN2)
• #4 LSU at #11 Florida (8:00, CBS)
• #6 Penn St. at Wisconsin (8:00, ESPN)

Sunday:

• Baltimore at Indianapolis (1:00, CBS)
• Carolina at Tampa Bay (1:00. FOX)
• Dallas at Arizona (4:15, FOX)
• San Diego at New England (8:15, NBC)

Have a good week everyone. Peace.

~Mell-o

Top 100 Albums Of All Time

"Great, now everyone's taxes are going to smell like bong water."

So I realize that there is pretty much no way I can do the predictions like I did last year because...well, I'm actually working. So, hopefully, I can write down some of my thoughts and observations, but unfortunately, they won't be nearly as in-depth as in previous times. So, I figured I would do something a little different this time around. In case you are not aware of this, I am obsessed with making lists. Always have been, and it doesn't seem like I'll be slowing down anytime soon. Anyway, I have been doing a ton of downloading since I got my new laptop (let's just assume that it's legal and I'm doing it over a connection that I'm paying for...). With all that being said, here's my newest list: The Top 100 Albums of All Time. Many have made them before, and I won't be the last, but I guess I figured I would give you some insight into the kind of tunes I'm into. Here's the list (I know you won't agree with this...I wouldn't agree with yours either probably right?):

1. Rubber Soul- Beatles
2. Pet Sounds- Beach Boys
3. Revolver- Beatles
4. Blood On The Tracks- Bob Dylan
5. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band- Beatles
6. London Calling- The Clash
7. Rumours- Fleetwood Mac
8. The Dark Side Of The Moon- Pink Floyd
9. Blonde On Blonde- Bob Dylan
10. Who's Next- The Who
11. Exile On Main St.- Rolling Stones
12. Abbey Road- Beatles
13. OK Computer- Radiohead
14. Bringing It All Back Home- Bob Dylan
15. The Beatles (White Album)- Beatles
16. Highway 61 Revisited- Bob Dylan
17. Kind Of Blue- Miles Davis
18. Nevermind- Nirvana
19. Are You Experienced?- The Jimi Hendrix Experience
20. Innervisions- Stevie Wonder
21. What's Going On- Marvin Gaye
22. Appetite For Destruction- Guns N' Roses
23. Led Zeppelin II- Led Zeppelin
24. Please Please Me- Beatles
25. Songs In The Key Of Life- Stevie Wonder
26. The Wall- Pink Floyd
27. Bridge Over Troubled Water- Simon and Garfunkel
28. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars- David Bowie
    
29. Moondance- Van Morrison
30. Houses Of The Holy- Led Zeppelin
31. Exodus- Bob Marley and The Wailers
32. Beggars Banquet- Rolling Stones
33. It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back- Public Enemy
34. Let It Bleed- Rolling Stones
35. The Sun Sessions- Elvis Presley
36. Thriller- Michael Jackson
37. The Joshua Tree- U2
38. The Doors- The Doors
39. The Stranger- Billy Joel
40. Electric Ladyland- The Jimi Hendrix Experience
41. Bookends- Simon and Garfunkel
42. Sticky Fingers- Rolling Stones
43. Purple Rain- Prince and The Revolution
44. Cosmo's Factory- CCR
45. The Bends- Radiohead
46. Astral Weeks- Van Morrison
    
47. At Folsom Prison- Johnny Cash
48. Led Zeppelin IV- Led Zeppelin
    
49. Live From Fillmore East- Allman Brothers
50. A Night At The Opera- Queen
51. Plastic Ono Band- John Lennon
52. Physical Graffiti- Led Zeppelin
53. Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness- Smashing Pumpkins
54. Born To Run- Bruce Springsteen and The E. Street Band
55. Kid A- Radiohead
56. Paul's Boutique- Beastie Boys
57. Back In Black- AC/DC
58. Sex Machine- James Brown
59. Rage Against The Machine- Rage Against The Machine
60. Ten- Pearl Jam
61. Deja Vu- Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
62. Off The Wall- Michael Jackson
63. Bitches Brew- Miles Davis
64. Odelay- Beck
65. Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music- Ray Charles
66. Low End Theory- A Tribe Called Quest
67. Master Of Puppets- Metallica
68. BloodSugarSexMagik- Red Hot Chili Peppers
69. Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd- Lynyrd Skynyrd
70. Ramones- Ramones
71. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road- Elton John
72. The Downward Spiral- Nine Inch Nails
73. American Beauty- Grateful Dead
74. Illmatic- Nas
    
75. Unplugged- Eric Clapton
    
76. Licensed To Ill- Beastie Boys
77. Play- Moby
78. Life After Death- Notorious B.I.G.
79. Toys In The Attic- Aerosmith
80. Sweet Baby James- James Taylor
81. Catch A Fire- Bob Marley and The Wailers
82. Metallica (The Black Album)- Metallica
83. Pearl- Janis Joplin
84. The Score- Fugees
85. Tommy- The Who
86. Disraeli Gears- Cream
87. Things Fall Apart- The Roots
88. A Hard Day's Night- Beatles
89. All Eyez On Me- 2Pac
90. Parachutes- Coldplay
91. Raising Hell- Run D.M.C.
92. Damn The Torpedoes- Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
93. Black Star- Mos Def and Talib Kweli
94. Sublime- Sublime
95. ATLiens- Outkast
96. Superfly- Curtis Mayfield
97. Chronic 2001- Dr. Dre
98. Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs- Derek and The Dominoes
99. War- U2
100. Green River- CCR

Oh by the way, the Sox are up 2-0 on the Angels...but more on that later. Take care everyone. Peace.

~Mell-o

Week 3 Predictions

"It was just another night
With a sunset
And a moonrise not so far behind
To give us just enough light."

So it's been awhile on this, and while I'm not expecting anyone to give me a grace period or anything, but hold a little back if you could when Monday QB'ing me. In any event, I think I'll be following my format from last year, picking 10 in college and all the pro games. I did fairly well last year, so I'm hoping to improve...wow that was a lame thing to say. So, enough with the cliches already...

College:

Florida vs. Tennessee: Might as well start off big. Two big-time SEC East schools meet in Knoxville on Saturday. While I think that the Vols have definite potential to make an upset happen at home, I really don't think they can stop the Gators' offense, which put up 554 yards of total offense in their 59-20 drubbing of UF last year in Gainesville. Included in those yards was 255 yards of rushing, something that Tennessee can still do nothing to stop. It will be closer than last year, but I'll still go with the Gators here. And did I mention UT has a freshman starting at QB? Florida (W, -7.5)

LSU vs. Auburn: And continue even bigger! These two Tiger ballclubs both landed in the top 10 and don't look as though either will look back anytime soon. Auburn has won both matchups ATS in the last two years, including a win at home, 7-3, two years ago (by the way, take the under (36.5)...I'm begging you). Originally, I was thinking LSU here, but its real, real tough to win on the road in the SEC, and LSU basically had all the components of their national championship team two years ago, and lost at Auburn. So, upon further review...Auburn (W, +2.5)

Wake Forest vs. Florida St.: I really feel like this is the game when the 'Noles take back control of the ACC. It was two years ago when the Deacons shocked FSU at Doak Campbell, shutting them out 30-0. Wake was one of the preseason picks to win the ACC, but this is a topsy-turby conference...Duke is 2-1 for crying out loud. Florida St. (W, -4.5)

Utah vs. Air Force: This one caught my eye because I'm feeling like this could be one of those inevitable mid-major meltdowns. Face it, only two small schools in the BCS era have ran the tables, so it's incredibly difficult for these small schools to survive these "landmine" games...actually, it's hard for the big schools to do it too (it took a Mike Davis fumble on the goal line for Georgia to sneak out of Columbia last week...sorry to bring that up). Air Force (W, +8.5)

Miami vs. Texas A&M: I know Miami is continuing to improve, and they're actually favored on the road this week. Still, I don't really think they are ready for a Big 12 team on the road just yet. Last year, they went to Nebraska and got demolished by the Huskers. I'm not feeling blowout, but still, College Station will be rocking as it always is. Texas A&M (W, +3)

East Carolina vs. North Carolina St.: In going back to the Utah game for a quick second, this one has "landmine" potential, but here's the thing: ECU had a huge scare against Tulane last week, which makes me believe that this will be a bounce back game for them. NC State has a -14 scoring differential...they barely got by William & Mary...just leave it at that. East Carolina (W, -7)

...sorry guys, that was all I had time for...

NFL:

Miami vs. New England: Why is Joey Porter running his mouth? Miami has won one game in nearly two years now. All aboard the Randy Moss freight train. New England (W, -14)

Kansas City vs. Atlanta: KC has just a dreadful team this year. Is their QB of any relation to Bobby Thigpen? Someone should probably look into that. In the meantime, Matty Light gets his third NFL start, and should have a pretty good outing against a weak Chiefs' defense. Look for the Burner to break off a 100-yard game at least. Atlanta (W, -7)

Oakland vs. Buffalo: I'm loving what the Bills have done so far. Finally, they are utilizing their offense to its potential, and their defense is healthy, something that has not happened in quite some time. The Raiders are a huge wild card for many reasons:

A. McFadden and Fargas may not play this week, leaving the door open for Michael Bush, who had a nice game last week against said KC defense.

B. Their coach is literally seconds away from getting fired...when you hire a guy who not only did not coach in the NFL, but did not even serve as a head coach in college. I liken Kiffin to Pete Carroll...the guy should stay in college and continue to do what he was good at (he was also the recruiting coordinator at Southern Cal, a skill set that has absolutely no meaning in the NFL)

C. The defense should be outstanding, but a certain Deangelo Hall has been horrendous thus far, and at times appears like he is taking plays off. If they get everyone on the same page, this good be a really good unit, and finally...

D. JaMarcus Russell needs to target Zach Miller a lot more over the middle, much like he did during the preseason. They seemed to develop a nice rapport with each other during the preseason, and now, it seems they are in a bit of a disconnect. If I said it once, I'll say it again: The tight end is a young QB's best friend.

So, with all that said: Buffalo (W, -9.5)

Houston vs. Tennessee: The Texans simply have had no answer for the Titans throughout the years. If you recall last year, Rod Bironas hit a record eight FGs in their win at Reliant Stadium (speaking of which, I hope they are able to get that stadium up and running soon...really beautiful venue). I expect the Titans to use their thunder and lightning RB combo of LenDale White and Chris Johnson to run a muck on the Texans' D. An interesting sub-plot will be how well the Titans O-line will protect Kerry Collins from the likes of Mario Williams and Amobi Okoye. Tennessee (W, -4.5)

Cincinnati vs. New York Giants: In a fierce battle for the worst team in the league, the Bengals took great strides in attempting to get to the #1 spot in the first two games, including abandoning their passsing game, which oh by the way has kind of carried that team since Corey Dillon was running for them. The Giants have looked good so far, but you can't really tell how good this team is yet considering they took on a very wobbly Redskins team in Week 1, and a Rams team that is equally dreadful to Cincy. Is there a possibility that the Bengals could awaken in this game? Absolutely...plus, anytime you have a 2 TD spread, there is a definite chance that the 'dog could cover...but I'll stay safe here. NY Giants (W, -14).

Arizona vs. Washington: Hey, a good game! How about that? The 'Skins had a huge win last week against preseason NFC South favorite New Orleans last week, and 'Zona was lead by Kurt Warner and Anquan Boldin in their beatdown of the Dolphins. The 'Skins did a much better job in stopping the run last week than they did against NY, and in addition, the pass D has been great considering they've gone up against two of the best QBs in the NFC (Manning, Brees). 'Zona's D has looked great as well, but they have played inferior opponents (SF & MIA), so they haven't quite been tested like they will this week. There are a couple key things to look for here:

A. What will the 'Skins do to try and contain Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald? They have three talented corners in Shawn Springs, Carlos Rodgers, and Fred Smoot, so they at least have the depth on paper to slow the tandem down. Still, look for a fair amount of blitzing on Warner, forcing him to throw to his first or second target. If he is allowed to stand back in the pocket, he will pick apart the Washington secondary.

B. Will the 'Skins continue to be a run-heavy team, or will Jim Zorn allow Jason Campbell to have a few five-step drops to look for Santana Moss? As shown last week, Campbell can air it out, and if he can stretch the D, it will take Adrian Wilson, one of the best safeties in the NFL (I'm continuing my push from last year of trying to give him some pub in being the best safety in the league), away from the line of scrimmage, it opens the door for Clinton Portis and Chris Cooley on screens and inside passes.

Ultimately, it is going to be tough for Arizona to defensively counter Washington, and I see the 'Skins being able to do a much better job on Warner than Zona's previous opponents have. Washington (+3)

Return Of The Hack

"I'm back to save the universe..."

It's been awhile...I know, right?

Happy to be writing once again. Just picked up a spankin' new laptop, and hopefully I can regain whatever it was I had going before. In case you were just tuning in, I'm in a different locale...Lynchburg,VA. Why Lynchburg you ask? Or some of you may get this one confused with the one that makes Jack Daniels (that's Tennessee by the way). Well, I took a job as an intern with the minor league team here...the Hillcats...the mighty Hillcats who finished last in the league at the end of the season. In any event, I learned a bunch, but now it's over, and basically I'm reduced to sitting at home and sending out resumes in large quantities. Think of it as throwing a thousand darts at once at a board...one's got to hit bulls...or at least close right? Anyway, so for the time being, I'm working two part-time jobs to keep me afloat, and it's given me some time to get back to the column. Now I'm not exactly sure how often I will be able to update this, but hopefully it's a little more than once every nine months.

The top story right now has to be the Sox losing two of three to the D-Rays (I know they're the "Rays" now, and I think that's all well and good...but come on...you need an adjective before ray; there's sting rays, riibontail rays, fantail rays, etc.). Everything was looking good on Monday after almost everyone in the lineup hit a homer (by the way, if you were wondering how I felt about the Manny trade, here's a thought: 28-15 since July 31...in silence...nice). After blowing up Kazmir, it seemed the Sox were potentially going to take the division lead once the series was over. Of course it seems my instinct of premature thinking once again has gotten the best of me, and we are now two back with ten to go. While part of me still believes that there is a shot for the Sox to take first by the end of the season, realistically, a wild-card birth almost seems inevitable at this point. All things considered, it's not the worst thing to be the wild card. Look at '04...that worked out ok. However, that being said, the Sox would be on a collision course with the Halos and their west-coast home advantage. Again, the same thing happened in '04, but this time around, I'm expecting Anaheim to be just a smidgin better. With the addition of Mark Teixeira to what was already an extremely potent lineup, the Angels are easily the best team in baseball. The key to the Angels has been their starting pitching and K-Rod closing games out. Not only is Rodriguez breaking the all-time single-season saves record, it appears like he'll be finishing in the neighborhood of 65 saves this year, potentially becoming the first reliever since Eric Gagne in '04 to win the Cy Young and the first occasion in the AL since Eck won the award and the MVP in 1991.

To be brutally honest with you, I was more concerned about the upcoming series with the Jays than the one against the Rays. For whatever reason, historically, once the Sox get past that border, they just cannot seem to put it together in the Skydome...or Rogers Centre...I really should grab a newspaper and get with it or something. With a 2-4 mark already on the road against Toronto, the Sox are in desperate need to win this series, not just because it would help them in the division race, but I also think that for the psyche of this team, they need to be reminded of the fact that they have an excellent team, and its one that should be winning these crucial games on the road. If they can't beat Toronto on the road, then what chance are we giving ourselves if and when we play the Angels on the road (as painful as it may sound, a trip to the world series goes through the O.C. this year pretty much no matter what)?

On Friday, after a much-deserved day off, it will be Byrd vs. Burnett...I have to say that this is the one game I really can't say I have a whole ton of confidence in. Burnett has been tremendous this year. It's bad enough that he's 10-3 at home this year, but he's also 2-0 with a 2.18 ERA in three starts against the Sox this season. While Paul Byrd has been a very nice post-deadline pickup, it seems like he's overmatched here. I'm not throwing this game out, but I'm doing pretty much everything short of throwing this game out. Saturday's matchup is definitely one of the better matchups you could ask for in the entire American League, let alone between these two teams. Jon Lester, who continues to break expectations even though they have been set on a ridiculous level, against Roy Halladay, the quality start machine. Halladay has seen the Sox four times this year, and while he is 2-2, he has gone at least seven innings in all four starts. Halladay is another pitcher that does extremely well at home, so getting to him early, which is the key to the game, is going to be no small feat. From pitches 1-25, Halladay's OAVG (opponents' average) is .258. That number shrinks to .212 from 26-50 and .206 from 51-75. Basically, Lester is going to have to find a way to keep the Sox in the game without giving up the big hit that would put them behind. I like our chances, but if we fall behind early, you can pretty much forget about it. In the series finale, it's the Dice man against Shawn Marcum. This is actually going to be a big test for the Sox. This is one of those potential let-down games, especially if they happen to win Saturday against Halladay. Do not take Marcum for granted. He has performed extremely well this season, and yes, that also reflects on his home performances as well. Dice has been remarkable this season considering it is only his second year in the "bigs," but he has also been extremely fortunate, and at times, lucky to get out of some of the jams he has put himself into. The Jays are not nearly as strong of an offensive club as they have been in the past, but this is still a team that can make you pay if you start screwing around and putting runners on base. Remember also that this team is leading the AL in ERA and has been back and forth with the Julio Lugo-less Sox for the top spot in fielding, so even the smallest mistake could be the difference in each of the three games.

In switching gears now, I have to comment on my beloved Patriots and their quest to run the regular season tables again...that's right, I said it. Look, I know that it's not the easiest thing to win without the best player on the planet (ok, laugh if you want...but take a second and think about it...who is better than Tom Brady right now?...I refer all Tomlinson fans to the '07 AFC Championship game...he's just not the man anymore), but the Pats still have a strong D, a good O-line (at least one that won't get Cassel killed), and the best duo of receivers in the AFC (as much as my man-crush on Wes Welker wants me to say the NFL, I still have to defer to Boldin and Fitzgerald in 'Zona). In addition, Cassel has been in meetings and running the same offense for the last four years when he has been given a chance. Sure, his preseason numbers weren't outstanding, but as Randy Moss showed last year, the preseason is not the come all, be all of comparitive translations to the regular season (Moss did not play one snap last preseason, then the regular season came...catch my drift?). I kind of just brainstormed this one up...see if this makes any sense. It is almost safe to assume that Cassel is the AFC's Aaron Rodgers? They both backed up two of the best QBs of all-time, then through a set of circumstances, they suddenly landed the starting job, and both were criticized for their lack of experience right out of the gate before they had ever even thrown a pass. While Rodgers knew, well, kind of knew, that he would be the starter this year all along, still, there was much skepticism about how he would do in Lambeau, much like how Cassel attempted to, and for the most part did, silence his critics as the Pats...the underdogged Pats, went into the Meadowlands and pulled out a very efficient 19-10 victory. I don't know, but both of these guys have major intrigue factors right now and will most likely continue the rest of the season...and possibly beyond. If you've noticed around the league, getting a capable signal-caller behind center is not the easiest thing to do. Imagine if Cassel is able to put up not superstar numbers, but respectable numbers the rest of the year. There is no telling what kind of pay day he could be playing himself into if he continues to show the poise he did on Sunday. Look at a guy like Matt Schaub. Here's a guy who came in for a few appearances while Michael Vick was out, and netted a $49 million contract with Houston after Atlanta wanted to get two first-rounders for him during the season. It will be interesting to see how Cassel does though. Obviously, he is not completely comfortable with the offense yet. Anytime Randy Moss only gets two catches, it's a sign that the play-calling was fairly conservative, which is absolutely the right move in terms of bringing a new QB into the starting role. First, you have to pump your confidence up with drop passes and slant patterns in the 5-10 yard range, then eventually, you can spread the ball around more once that confidence in yourself is raised, as well as the confidence your teammates have in you getting them the ball. If this happened to Randy Moss two years ago, he probably would have demanded a trade, but now, being on a winning team, I feel like he has somewhat checked his ego at the door. Not saying that the "playmaker" mentality is gone, but I feel like he is seeing the bigger picture now, and that Cassel is a young guy who is trying to get his bearings. Moss' time will come, and I think he has the patience to wait and let Cassel develop his game into being able to throw the deep ball. Against Miami on Sunday, I would not be at all surprised if Moss gets close to 100 yards receiving purely on the notion that no one on the Dolphins can hold a candle to him, which was evident last year when Brady was literally just throwing the ball in the air, and Moss was able to come down with two long touchdowns. I really think this is the game where Moss gets involved again in the passing game, after starting of the '08 season on a quiet note.

Also, Wes Welker, because he's Wes Welker, will likely torch his old team. Have you ever seen anyone run the middle and basically know that it's an automatic first down if you get him the ball? There's nothing like watching Welker play.

Tomorrow, I hope that during my check-cashing, resume-chucking day, I can get to some predictions that you will lose a bunch of money on if you take. Other than that, hey, it's been good to get back on this. I really missed being able to rant and rave about God knows what all the time. Again, hopefully I can keep this going for the forseeable future. Until next time, take care everyone. Peace.

~Mell-o

PEDROIA FOR MVP!!!