Media Slurping The Kool-Aid of Tim Tebow's Heisman

This is a special Sunday edition of Word On The Farm.  There won't be too many Sunday topical blogs, but after this weekend's college football action, I didn't think waiting until Monday would be a good idea.

The Word Of The Day is Kool-Aid.

I am sick and tired of the media's man-crush on Tim Tebow.  Gary Danielson, Skip Bayless, Verne Lundquist, and anyone else who believes that Tim Tebow's intangibles should make up for his lack of statistics in order to give The Golden Boy a second Heisman Trophy needs to stop drinking his kool-aid.  Yes, his intangibles are amazing.  His leadership skills are second to none on the football field, and his character is just as flawless.  However, leadership and character skills are not the criteria for the Heisman Trophy, and neither is career achievements.  Simply put, Tebow has been responsible for 25 fewer touchdowns this year than he was in his sophomore campaign when he won the Heisman.  That does not compute to another trophy, not when there are plenty of other candidates who are much more worthy of that honor.

I don't care what he does next week against Florida.  Mark Ingram lost ANY chance he had at the Heisman Trophy on Friday when he was sitting on the bench in the fourth quarter against Auburn because he wasn't moving the ball.  The fact that the Crimson Tide used the oh so handy excuse of a minor injury to cover that up to keep him in the Heisman race doesn't overshadow the fact that he did have a bad game on a national stage.  Especially when...

Colt McCoy had a HUGE game against Texas A&M to vault into the lead for the Heisman.  One more game against Nebraska next week like he had on Thursday and you can etch his name as a Heisman winner.  He will have to overcome a very solid Cornhusker defense, however, in order to do this.  It should be a great matchup between McCoy and Nebraska star tackle Ndamukong Suh, whose name has also been mentioned this year as a possible candidate.

Toby Gerhart might have had something to say about the Heisman race last night, rushing for over 200 yards for the third time in the last four games against a weak Notre Dame run defense.  He ran for three scores, and also threw his first career touchdown pass against the Irish.

Why isn't Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore getting more love for the Heisman than he's getting?  All he has done in his sophomore season is throw for 3053 yards, 38 touchdowns and only THREE interceptions in 362 attempts.  Those are numbers that any quarterback would love to have.  While he hasn't had that big 450-500 yard passing game that the Colt McCoys, Jimmy Clausens or Case Keenums have had, he's the reason the Broncos are going to the BCS.  That's right.  Boise State is going to the BCS.  More on that shortly.

Imagine what the race would look like if Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike hadn't gotten hurt and missed essentially four games.  When he got hurt, he was the front runner for the award.  He came out in his first full game since October 15th against Illinois and torched the Illini for 399 yards and 6 touchdowns.  Pike looks like he could very well be a first round pick in next April's NFL Draft.

Now onto the Bowl Championship Series.  Thanks to the upsets of Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, and Georgia Tech this week, you can absolutely put Boise State into the BCS as an at-large team along with TCU.  For the first time in BCS history, there will be TWO non-BCS conference schools playing in the BCS.  Here are my projections for the BCS games:

Rose Bowl: Ohio State (Big Ten Champ) vs Oregon (Pac Ten Champ)
FedEx Orange Bowl:  TCU (highest non-BCS team) vs Georgia Tech (ACC Champ)
Allstate Sugar Bowl:  Alabama (at-large team) vs. Cincinnati (Big East Champ)
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl:  Boise State (at-large team) vs. Penn State (at-large team)
National Championship Game:  Florida (BCS #1 - SEC Champ) vs Texas (BCS #2 - Big 12 Champ)

Some of you might ask me why I'm taking Penn State over Iowa as the last at-large team even though Iowa beat Penn State earlier in the season.  Look at how each of these two teams finished.  Penn State has won seven of their last eight.  Iowa's last three games were two losses and a 12-0 win over Minnesota.  Penn State also has the bigger fan base and is more likely to travel to Arizona to play in the Fiesta Bowl than Hawkeyes fans.  Face it, it's true.  Besides, it's a sentimental pick, I want to see JoePa get one last game of glory, even if I don't think the Nittany Lions have a prayer against Boise State.

I need to throw this out there.  I always thought of Pete Carroll as a classy guy, even if the USC program has undergone a lot of turmoil in recent years due to possible recruiting violations and character issues with their players.  While I don't condone UCLA's calling of the time out with 48 seconds left after USC downed the ball, what Pete Carroll did having Matt Barkley throw a useless 48 yard TD pass is completely bush league, and then to have the entire Trojans team come out onto the field and taunt the Bruins after the score is even worse.  If I were a player on the UCLA Bruins, I don't care who I would have had to run over, there would have been a fight.  Coaches shouldn't let their emotions get the best of them, especially in a rivalry game, but what Pete Carroll did was completely bush.

T-minus two days and counting before the inevitable announcement that Notre Dame and Charlie Weis have come to a mutual buyout agreement of his contract.  He said it himself, 6-6 is unacceptable as coach of the Fighting Irish.  Don't blame this year on Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate.  If Notre Dame had a better record, both of these guys would be mentioned as top Heisman Trophy contenders.  I would like to see both Clausen and Tate stick around one more year, as they would be the front runners along with Boise State's Kellen Moore.  If the Fighting Irish can install a halfway decent defense, there is no reason they can't finish 9-3 or 10-2 next year.  Then again, they were supposed to do that this year with their schedule.  Rumors are running rampant that Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops is at the top of their wish list.  That would be a major coup for the Irish if they can get him out of Oklahoma.

Enjoy the NFL games today.

NFL and College Quick Hits

Taking the cheap way out of the picks this week.  It is the holiday weekend after all.

NFL Thursday:
Green Bay 27, Detroit 10
Dallas 13, Oakland 10
Denver 24, NY Giants 13

NFL Sunday:
Atlanta 27, Tampa Bay 20
Miami 26, Buffalo 12
Cincinnati 38, Cleveland 7
St. Louis 20, Seattle 9
Carolina 24, NY Jets 19
Philadelphia 31, Washington 3
Houston 24, Indianapolis 21 UPSET SPECIAL #1
San Diego 27, Kansas City 21
San Francisco 20, Jacksonville 17
Minnesota 34, Chicago 10
Tennessee 24, Arizona 21
Baltimore 17, Pittsburgh 14

NFL Monday Night:
New England 37, New Orleans 31 UPSET SPECIAL #2


College Thursday Game:
#3 Texas 49, Texas A&M 14

College Friday Games:
#5 Cincinnati 37, Illinois 7
Auburn 17, #2 Alabama 14 UPSET SPECIAL #3
West Virginia 21, #9 Pittsburgh 17 UPSET SPECIAL #4
#6 Boise State 56, Nevada 45

College Saturday Games:
South Carolina 24, #18 Clemson 21 UPSET SPECIAL #5
#24 North Carolina 27, NC State 7
#25 Ole Miss 28, Mississippi State 13
#12 Oklahoma State 45, Oklah
#4 TCU 66, New Mexico 3
#1 Florida 27, Florida State 10
#14 Virginia Tech 33, Virginia 13
South Florida 20, #17 Miami 14 UPSET SPECIAL #6
#19 BYU 37, #21 Utah 21
#15 LSU 24, Arkansas 21
#7 Georgia Tech 20, Georgia 17
#23 Houston 56, Rice 21
#20 USC 44, UCLA 20
BONUS GAME Notre Dame 34, Stanford 30

Thanksgiving Edition

The Word Of The Day is Turkeys.

Well, it's Thanksgiving tomorrow.  While all of you are chomping on your turkeys and eating your pies and potatoes, watching the three putrid NFL games that you're being force fed because of these so-called traditions, I will be at work, watching people walking down the hallway to the restaurant here in the hotel to go eat and gorge on their Thanksgiving dinners.  Now that I am single and have no one to share this holiday with, I'm not celebrating it.  What's the point?

Anyhow, since it is Thanksgiving, and, well, we are On The Farm, I think it's appropriate that we present the first annual Word On The Farm Turkeys for 2009.  So without further ado,

Keizo Konishi - How do you justify voting Miguel Cabrera as the American League Most Valuable Player?  As you avid readers saw on my blog yesterday, Cabrera was at best the ninth most valuable player in the league last year.  Inexcusable.

Manny Ramirez - The biggest clown in Major League Baseball got himself a 50 game suspension for taking a banned substance, allegedly for "erectile dysfunction".  It's bad enough to get caught taking a banned substance.  It's MUCH worse to admit you have ED.  That's what Cialis and Viagra are for.

J.P. Ricciardi - Deservedly fired at the end of the baseball season, Ricciardi failed to make the trade to deal Roy Halladay during the season with either Philadelphia or Boston at the trade deadline, thus lowering the price that they can get during this offseason.  Halladay has since come out and said he will not re-sign with the Jays.  Dumb move, J.P.

Lane Kiffin - Rule one of becoming a coach of a major college football program: Don't rile up the opposing coaches.  He alienated Urban Meyer (he being the coach of the National Champion Florida Gators) by saying he would take the Volunteers and run all over the Gators.  How'd that work out?  At least you kept it close, Coach.

Bill Belichick - I love The Hoodie as much as anyone, but you have to be an absolute turkey to go for it on fourth and two from your own 28 yard line against Peyton Manning and the Colts.  Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Maurice Jones-Drew - This wasn't a turkey move as far as NFL plays goes, but it was a turkey move as far as Fantasy Football goes.  Mau-Jo cost approximately 10,000 players wins a couple of weeks ago by taking a knee at the 1 yard line instead of scoring the open touchdown, including himself.  Fortunately, I had already built a 50 point lead so those six points didn't matter to me.  Otherwise he'd be higher on the list.

Donnie Walsh - You passed on Brandon Jennings and Ty Lawson for who???  Someone who doesn't fit the Mike D'Antoni offense?  It's no wonder the Knicks have sucked this entire decade.  But at least they aren't the 0-14 New Jersey Nets.

Larry Johnson - "I'm not Grand-mama" Johnson made the cardinal mistake of using Twitter to spew out a gay slur against head coach Todd Haley.  If Johnson had been rushing for at least four yards a carry, maybe he's still in Kansas City.  Rushing for less than three yards a carry and doing this means you lose your paycheck.

Major League Umpires - Showed how blind they really are, letting a Joe Mauer sure double be called a foul ball even though it was clearly fair.  Then, in what should have been a double play, Ed Brinkman called only one of two players out at third base that were both off the third base bag.  Those were the most egregious calls, but they weren't the only ones.  More on officiating later.

Dante Wesley - You'll remember Wesley as the clown who launched himself into kick returner Clifton Smith, knocking Smith out of the game and out for a couple of weeks.  The NFL only gave him a one game suspension, although I think he should have been gone for the year.  I still think that way.

LaGarrett Blount - The senior Oregon running back sucker punched a Boise State player after their loss in the season opener, then went after the fans of Boise State after the game.  Suspended for the season by Oregon officials after the game, he was re-instated earlier this month after showing contrition.  I praise Oregon for giving this kid another chance to get his life in order and give him a chance at the NFL.

Brandon Spikes/Urban Meyer - The Florida All-American linebacker attempted to eye gouge Georgia running back Washaun Ealey in the middle of a pile a few weeks ago.  Urban Meyer suspended him for the first half against Vanderbilt, and it took a media circus to force Spikes to suspend himself for the entire game. This should have been the decision from the beginning, no matter what Ealey thought.

Bud Adams - His display of bird flipping during the Titans win over the Bills a few weeks ago was utterly embarrassing.  His full page ad in the Buffalo paper was worse, because nowhere in the advertisement was there an apology for his actions.

The Female Turkey of the Year goes to:
Elizabeth Lambert, New Mexico women's soccer - How do I explain how big of a turkey she was?  I can't.  I will let her actions speak for themselves.  Lambert's Actions against BYU

And finally, The Turkey of the Year goes to:
Southeastern Conference officials - How bad do you have to be to be suspended by your conference?  One crew was suspended because of egregious calls made in consecutive weeks.  The first was a reckless personal foul called for a touchdown celebration that wasn't much of a celebration.  The next week, they screwed up again, calling a penalty on LSU that cost them a win against Florida.  I wonder how much the Gators administration is paying the officials to give them wins.

Well DUHHHHHHHHHH

The Word of the Day is DUH.

(Just a quick note.  I've added a few new blogs to my network as great reads.  I hope you read those blogs as well as this one.  They are all very entertaining.  As you see at the top, I've also added a new logo, created at cooltext.com.  Hope you enjoy it.  Shameless plug: Please click on the advertisements you see on this page.  It would be nice to make money off this blog, but since I don't have any direct sponsorships yet, it would be nice if you click on the ads to help make me some much needed money for the holidays.)

Albert Pujols was just named the unanimous winner of the 2009 National League Most Valuable Player award.  Well duh.  Prince Albert was clearly the best player in baseball, and if he wasn't named a unanimous winner of the NL MVP award, it would have been the biggest travesty since, well, yesterday's AL MVP announcement that Joe Mauer only got 27 of 28 first place votes.

Speaking of which, what in the hell were you thinking, Keizo Konishi?  Miguel Cabrera was the best player in the American League?  By what criteria?  Most cheeseburgers eaten during the pre-game buffet?  Most hot dogs eaten at first base during the game?  Most times caught on camera picking his nose?  There is no justifiable reason that Miguel Cabrera was the best player in the American League.  Miguel Cabrera wasn't even the most valuable Detroit Tigers player this year.  Justin Verlander was.  In fact, if I had a ballot for the American League MVP, it would have looked something like this:

1. Joe Mauer
2. Derek Jeter
3. Kendry Morales
4. Ben Zobrist
5. Kevin Youkilis
6. Mark Teixeira
7. Zack Greinke
8. Aaron Hill
9. Miguel Cabrera
10. Jason Bay

Cabrera deserved to be in the top ten this year.  But the fact that he drank himself off during the month of September when the Tigers needed him most says enough about his character that he should not have been anywhere near the top of the ballot.

Speaking of dumb votes, what in the hell is Placido Polanco and Jeremy Affeldt doing getting MVP votes?  Really?  Polanco was at best the FIFTH best second baseman in the American League this past year, and even that is probably generous (Hill, Zobrist, Cano, Pedroia, Roberts come to mind before I even consider Polanco).  And a SETUP man in the National League is in the top ten?  The fact that Adrian Gonzalez finished TWELFTH should show that there is no way in hell that Jeremy Affeldt should have been considered a top FIFTY player in the National League, let alone top ten.  These voters should have their ballots revoked IMMEDIATELY.

College basketball season started in earnest last week.  After watching the Coaches vs Cancer classic last week, I want to know what the coaches of the Big East were thinking putting Syracuse SIXTH in the conference in their pre-season ranking.  They looked very impressive against Ohio State and North Carolina last week.  Mark my words right now.  Syracuse WILL be a Final Four team this year.  Since I really didn't do a college basketball preview, I'm going to announce my Final Four teams here as I think we will see Syracuse, Kansas, Duke and Texas as the last teams standing.

What took the Titans so long to give the reins to Vince Young.  All he does is simply win games.  He may not put up the best numbers (see Boller, Kyle), but he gets the job done.  Eight straight regular season wins for Vince.  If they had pulled the plug on Kerry Collins earlier, we might be talking about the Titans as a playoff contender.  Now, however, even if they win out, there is virtually zero chance that the Titans will make the playoffs.

My NFL MVP Watch:
1. Brett Favre.  Unheard of idea four months ago, but 21 TDs, 3 INTs and leading the NFL in QB rating shows that The Gunslinger is more than just a gunslinger.

2. Peyton Manning.  He is carrying this Colts offense to an undefeated season with guys named Garcon running the routes.

3. Drew Brees.  It's nothing that he did that is causing him to drop in my eyes.  It's just that Favre has been unbelievable.  Looking forward to seeing what he can do against Patriots defense.

4. Tom Brady.  He's BACK.  Enough said.

5.  Wes Welker.  Hear me out here folks, because this isn't just because of my Patriots fandom.  The Patriots didn't have Welker in week two, so the Jets could focus on shutting down Randy Moss because the Pats didn't have enough depth at WR.  Result: Jets win.  Welker is back the second time around, and he torches them for 15 catches and nearly 200 yards, getting first downs on nearly every single reception.  Result: Patriots win.

My Top Three Heisman Candidates:
(Before I begin, this is probably the weakest crop of Heisman candidates in recent memory.  At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.)
1. Case Keenum, Houston.  He is putting up staggering numbers.  If Houston had any type of defense, they would be in the discussion for BCS buster.

2. Mark Ingram, Alabama.  Ingram is carrying the Crimson Tide towards the BCS title game.  Yes, I said it.  Alabama will beat Florida to go to the BCS title game.

3. C.J. Spiller, Clemson.  Spiller is probably the most versatile player in college football this year.  This year's version of Percy Harvin.  That's right.  Percy Harvin.

Tomorrow:  NFL and College picks.  Probably won't be another blog after tomorrow this week due to Thanksgiving holiday, not that I will be celebrating it.  It is also the 11 year anniversary of my half brother's tragic passing due to a car accident.  I will be working instead to keep my mind off it.

Wow, what a weekend!

The Word of the Day is Legendary.

First off, I'm going to introduce a new weekly feature to Word On The Farm. It's called Tweet of the Week. No, it's not going to be a random tweet that I found most entertaining. It's going to be self-serving, a tweet that is a reference to anything that I post on my Twitter account that I find to be the most influential to my 51 followers. (Shameless plug - Please feel free to follow me on Twitter at @LynchCats. I post on more than just sports and poker on there. Want to get to know the man? Follow me there.) A little bit of backstory on this tweet. I believe this was Saturday morning, I was sitting at work, when Mark Schlereth (@markschlereth) posted a tweet referring to himself as Stink, speaking in "fourth person" - his nickname. Trey Wingo (@wingoz) suggested that he find a way to go "fifth person". Being the innovative mind that I am, here was my post, attached as a re-tweet with Trey Wingo's response:

@wingoz EXCELLENT POINT RT @LynchCats What if he goes Rock Hoover? Fictional Character = 5th person? @markschlereth see if you can go 5th person

9:13 AM Nov 21st from web

A little while later, my suggestion was realized.

@markschlereth There aint no messin with the Hoov. And the Hoov is about to go wheels up in a few. 5th person?

9:17 AM Nov 21st from UberTwitter

Enough said.

Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson for becoming the first driver in NASCAR history to win four consecutive Sprint Cup titles. How classy was it to see drivers like Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, and Brian Vickers to come up and congratulate him during his post-race interview. And Johnson is one of the great ambassadors of the sport, always celebrating the fans and his crew.

Brett Favre, 40 year old MVP? Say it isn't so. This is probably the best Brett Favre has ever looked, and that says something about the three-time Most Valuable Player. I mean, this gunslinger is putting up numbers that would make anyone jealous.

What a great day in the NFL yesterday. Six outstanding finishes in the final minutes of games. The Colts defense steps up and picks off Joe Flacco as the Ravens are driving for the game winning score. Oakland scoring the tying touchdown, then forcing a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and kicking the game winning field goal against Cincinnati. Dallas finding some offense out of a tree and scoring the game's winning touchdown with less than five minutes left against Washington. Ryan Succop (2009's Mr. Irrelevant) kicking the game winning field goal against Pittsburgh after Chris Chambers takes a catch and run down the field for 61 yards. Jacksonville scoring the game winning touchdown against Buffalo with a few minutes left, overcoming Terrell Owens' best game as a Bill with 197 yards receiving. The New York Giants driving and scoring the game winning field goal in overtime after Atlanta came back from 14 down to tie it.

And then there was Matthew Stafford. The Lions and Browns both came into the game at 1-9. I fully expected this game to be a snorefest. I wish I hadn't been saddled with the Bills/Jaguars or Giants/Falcons, because this Lions/Browns game might have been the game of the year. The game comes down to the final play, eight seconds left, Matthew Stafford getting absolutely pummeled while throwing a Hail Mary, and Hank Poteat throwing Calvin Johnson down in front of the referee forcing them to throw a rare pass interference flag on a hail mary, negating the game ending interception. Then, for some inexplicable reason, Cleveland CALLS A TIMEOUT, allowing Stafford to come back onto the field without missing a play. So what happens next? Eric Mangini becomes Karma's latest bitch, as Stafford finds a seam and throws the game winning touchdown with no time left.

Kudos to Kurt Warner for having the foresight to take himself out of the game after being hit in the head in the second quarter yesterday. The NFL has had a real problem with concussions being in the spotlight over the last few years, so Warner taking himself out was one of the smartest things I've seen in a long time. Pittsburgh should follow his lead and hold out Ben Roethlisberger as long as necessary to keep him healthy for the foreseeable future. And if I'm the Philadelphia Eagles, Brian Westbrook is done for the season, not just for three or four weeks. They need to see if LeSean McCoy is the answer at running back for the future, or if they have another kid who can come in and do the job.

Kiss Charlie Weis' career at Notre Dame over, and I think he even realizes it. And he's right. 6-5 is not good enough for Notre Dame, not when the schedule screamed for 10-2.

How putrid are the New Jersey Nets? Thirteen straight losses to start the season, with a very realistic chance to start an NBA record 0-18? I think Lawrence Frank is gone by the end of the week.

Northeastern University is ending its' football program after 73 years. A sad day for college football, and college sports in general. Granted, Northeastern isn't an FCS power, but it's still sad.

Congratulations to Real Salt Lake for winning the MLS cup in just their fifth year of existence. I wish I cared about soccer to care about this.

Condolences to Daniel Negreanu for the passing of his mother last night. Don't know the guy personally, but I know he is one of the great promoters of poker, and from what I hear is becoming quite the golfer as well.

NFL Power Rankings:

1. New Orleans (10-0). I can't give any specific reasons why I'm picking New Orleans over Indianapolis. Probably because Indy has struggled to win the last two weeks over New England and Baltimore. HUGE game next Monday against New England.

2. Indianapolis (10-0). Have looked ugly in close wins over New England and Baltimore. Need to step up their game to remain undefeated.

3. Minnesota (9-1). Brett Favre has clearly been the MVP this year. Apologies to Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Chris Johnson, et al.

4. New England (7-3). Probably playing the best football out of anyone right now. One dumb Bill Belichick decision away from being 8-2 and one game back of Indy for top seed in AFC.

5. San Diego (7-3). Three and a half games behind Denver just four weeks ago. Didn't we see this story just last year?

NFL Bottom Five:

32. Tampa Bay (1-9). I just can't penalize Cleveland after the game of the year.

31. St. Louis (1-9). Started following Steven Jackson (@sj39) on Twitter. Too bad he has no offensive help around him.

30. Cleveland (1-9). This was the first sign of life from the Browns all year.

29. Washington (3-7). Offense is just plain offensive. I can't put Detroit behind the Redskins.

28. Oakland (3-7). Win over Cincinnati aside, I still think they would lose to Detroit on a neutral field. Thus, can't put Detroit here either.

CFB and NFL Quick Picks

Busy week, first week of my second block of classes, so very busy.

CFB:

#1 Florida 56, Florida Int'l 7

#2 Alabama 45, Chattanooga 3

#3 Texas 55, Kansas 10 (Mark Mangino gets fired after the game).

#4 TCU 45, Wyoming 10

#8 LSU 27, Mississippi 14

Michigan 28, #10 Ohio State 24 (upset special #1)

Arizona 37, #11 Oregon 35 (upset special #2)

#13 Iowa 17, Minnesota 13

#14 Penn State 24, Michigan State 13

#15 Virginia Tech 33, NC State 6

#16 Wisconsin 20, Northwestern 10

#17 Stanford 55, #25 California 20

#19 Oregon State 30, Washington State 13

#20 Miami 20, Duke 17 (OT)

#21 Utah 47, San Diego State 10

#22 BYU 35, Air Force 27

#23 Clemson 48, Virginia 13

#24 Houston 52, Memphis 42

NFL Picks

Dallas 31, Washington 10

Detroit 21, Cleveland 2 (that's not a misprint)

San Francisco 24, Green Bay 23

Pittsburgh 30, Kansas City 7

Minnesota 34, Seattle 21

NY Giants 20, Atlanta 17

New Orleans 48, Tampa Bay 21

Jacksonville 27, Buffalo 6

Baltimore 21, Indianapolis 20 (NFL Upset Special)

Arizona 45, St. Louis 14

San Diego 27, Denver 12

Cincinnati 28, Oakland 3

New England 55, NY Jets 14

Philadelphia 27, Chicago 10

Houston 23, Tennessee 20 (Monday Night)

What the Deuce??

The Word of the Day is Dumb.

What in the hell was Bill Belichick thinking? Fourth and two on your own 29, Peyton Manning on the other side of the field, and two minutes left in the game. WHY IN THE HELL ARE YOU GOING FOR IT ON FORUTH AND TWO???????? I don't want to hear all of this statistical crap about how Belichick and company hits on fourth down 75% of the time, or that the Patriots defense had let the Colts run up and down the field in the fourth quarter. Unless you can GUARANTEE WITH 100% CERTAINTY that you will hit on fourth down, you PUNT, PUNT, PUNT.

Congratulations to Michelle Wie. She has had to endure a lot of unabashed criticism with the way that her father has advised her career. This is huge for Michelle's career, because now with the orangutuan off her back, she won't have to deal with the Anna Kournikova comparisons anymore. I think this is the start of a legendary career. One thing that has been overlooked this year is how close Wie has been to winning this year. She's had two second place finishes and two third place finishes. I will be the first one to go on the record right now and say that Wie WILL win a major championship next year, and in fact, my prediction will be she wins the Nabisco Championship. You heard it here first.

Nice to see the NFL took a very hard stance on Bud Adams. His egregious actions flipping off the Bills sideline is ridiculous. As an owner of a team, and a representative of the NFL, Adams MUST be held to a higher standard. The $250k fine is a great start, however, I would like to see a little bit more. First off, I think a full page apology from Bud Adams in the Buffalo News needs to be in order. I also think Adams needs to donate some money to a local charity, ideally the same amount as his fine.

Skip Bayless must be eating his words right about now. Chad Ochocinco boldly predicted that the Bengals would finish 12-4 this year. After sweeping both Baltimore and Pittsburgh, I don't see any way they don't finish 12-4 and win the AFC North. Right now they are in line for the #2 seed in the AFC, giving them an important bye and home field for the divisional round.

Manny Pacquiao was extremely impressive in his win over Miguel Cotto Saturday night. I am looking forward to a PacMan vs Money Mayweather matchup next year. This should be a match of the century candidate.

Congratulations to Andrew Bailey and Chris Coghlan for winning the American and National League Rookie Of The Year awards. Both players deserved to win, and both players flew under the radar for most of the season. I'm glad the writers went for the best years instead of the most hyped, as Elvis Andrus and Andrew McCutcheon didn't quite do enough to earn the awards. For McCutcheon that wasn't his fault though, as the Pirates waited until June to call him up.

So at midnight ESPN will be running 24 hours straight of LIVE NCAA basketball games to kick off the 2009-10 season. I'm looking forward to watching all 24 hours of their coverage, seeing teams that normally wouldn't get national TV coverage.

I swore to myself I wasn't going to mention the situation with Allen Iverson and the Grizzlies, but here it is. I knew that it was never going to work, because Iverson's ego was going to get in the way.

I'm going to skip the Browns/Ravens game tonight. The only way I would watch this game is if I wanted to sleep. And since I just woke up, I really don't want to sleep.

NFL Week Ten Preview

The Word of the Day is Sweeps.

It's Sweeps Time for the Nielsen ratings, which means it's time for the annual Indianapolis/New England regular season matchup. Brady vs. Manning, Colts vs. Patriots. It's an annual AFC Championship game preview that usually never disappoints. This year will be no exception. Indy and New England are 1st and 2nd respectively in scoring defense in the league. Add in the fact that Indianpolis is 8-0 right now and this has all the markings of an instant classic. This is the sixth undefeated team that New England has faced this year in nine games. I might be making this pick with my heart being a Patriots fan, but with the injuries that the Colts are dealing with on defense, I'm picking New England 38, Indianpolis 24.

Speaking of sweeps, the Cincinnati Bengals are looking for their second season sweep in two weeks when they travel to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers. Marvin Lewis has put the kibosh on Chad Ochocinco's plan to send the Steelers' secondary bottles of mustard. I think the emergence of Rashard Mendenhall for the Steelers is huge in this matchup, as he wasn't a big factor in their first meeting. In a close game, I'm picking the Steelers to win at home, 24-20.

The first Thursday night matchup of the year brings us the Chicago Bears traveling to San Francisco to face the 49ers in what is being billed as the Mike Singletary Bowl. Vernon Davis has already caused waves by trash talking the Bears, and the 49ers have yet to win after signing star wide receiver Michael Crabtree. The Bears looked dreadful against the Cardinals last week, and coming into a short week, I don't see any reason why things will be any different. 49ers blowout the Bears, 33-10.

Quick hits for the rest of the week:

Denver at Washington: This is going to be ugly for the Redskins. Broncos are looking to rebound from consecutive losses. Denver 42, Washington 6.

Jacksonville at New York Jets: Jacksonville has improved with the play of Maurice Jones-Drew, and the Jets are still hard to figure out. For some reason, I think the Jags pull off the upset, 21-17.

Buffalo at Tennessee. Vince Young is 2-0 for the Titans. The Bills have won two games all season. Vince goes to 3-0, Titans win 23-3.

New Orleans at St. Louis. A scrimmage for the Saints this week. No chance of an upset for the Rams here, as the Saints win big 49-13.

Tampa Bay at Miami. Tampa is coming off their first win of the season against Green Bay, and they don't have to travel far to face the Dolphins. The 'Fins didn't look impressive against New England last week offensively. I'm going on the board for a Buccaneers upset here, 16-10.

Detroit at Minnesota. Detroit got Calvin Johnson back last week, but still looked awful. Minnesota is coming off a very well timed bye week. Vikings win a game that will be closer than it should be, 27-21.

Atlanta at Carolina. Atlanta needs this win to have a chance to make the playoffs, as they have struggled in recent weeks. As long as Jake Delhomme is still the starting quarterback, I won't pick the Panthers. Atlanta bounces back, 30-13.

Kansas City at Oakland. This game has the potential to be a worst game of the year candidate. One of these teams has to win, however. Or do they? As much as I want to call for a tie, I'm not going to do that. Kansas City 10, Oakland 6.

Dallas at Green Bay. The Cowboys have run off five straight wins, while the Packers just lost to previously winless Tampa Bay. The Packers offensive line is a sieve, and the Cowboys will exploit that. Dallas 28, Green Bay 20.

Philadelphia at San Diego. The Chargers have charged back into the AFC West race thanks to the Broncos losing two straight, and the Eagles have fallen back into second in the NFC East after their loss to Dallas. A must win for the Eagles, but I don't think they will. Chargers win a close affair, 24-23.

Seattle at Arizona. Kurt Warner is coming off a 5 TD performance last week against the Bears overrated defense. The Seahawks aren't as good. Arizona gets their second home win big, 38-14.

Baltimore at Cleveland (Monday night): Baltimore looked bad against Cincinnati for the second time this year. The Browns would look bad against Cleveland State right now. Baltimore wins big 30-7.

Veterans Day

First off a very hearty shout-out to the veterans of the United States Armed Forces. Thank you for protecting our country both in wartime and in peace.

The Word of the Day for today is Youth.

For those who criticize poker as not being a sport, you're going to be disappointed that I am starting a blog with a poker note. But since it is covered by both ESPN and Sports Illustrated, and is featured on many sports networks, I'm covering it. Congratulations to 21 year old Joe Cada on winning the 2009 World Series of Poker, becoming the youngest Main Event champion of all time. He came back from having just over 1% of the chips with 7 players remaining to win the whole thing. He did get lucky a couple of times, notably when he had pocket 3s against Jeff Shulman's pocket jacks and hit a 3 on the flop, and when he hit another set with his deuces against Antoine Saout's pocket queens three handed. Watching Darvin Moon playing the final table made me realize that should I ever get the opportunity to drop $10k to play the main event that I have just as good a chance as anyone to win it. Could he have made losing look any easier?

The Pittsburgh Steelers looked impressive on the road Monday night against Denver. They rattled Kyle Orton into having his worst game of the season, forcing three interceptions, while Rashard Mendenhall showed why the Steelers made him their first round pick in 2008.

Brady Quinn has regained the starting quarterback position in Cleveland. Is there any worse job in sports right now than to be the Browns' QB? I can't seem to think of anything short of being the Oakland Raiders general manager. The Browns are making the Raiders look like a professional franchise.

The Patriots and Colts are set to play in their annual AFC Championship Game preview game. This is probably the biggest game for the Colts on their quest to go undefeated. More on this game tomorrow in my NFL preview blog.

I'm going to rail on Time Warner Cable for a minute. How is it that the NFL Network has been around as long as it has, yet you STILL refuse to add it to your basic cable package. It's pathetic the NFL is on their network on Thursdays starting this week, and so many NFL fans are unable to watch the game.

The Hot Stove season is in full swing, as teams are already starting to position themselves for the 2010 season. The Red Sox added Jeremy Hermida as insurance in case they are unable to re-sign Jason Bay, and extended Tim Wakefield for two years. Wakefield's contract is significant, as they have been working together on mutual options for the past four seasons.

The Twins and Brewers made a trade last week that filled needs for each team. The Brewers sent embattled shortstop J.J. Hardy to the Twins for outfielder Carlos Gomez. You'll remember Gomez as the centerpiece of the Johan Santana trade before the 2008 season. Gomez fills a need for the Brewers, as he will be cheaper than Mike Cameron would have been to re-sign, and the Twins had a gaping hole at shortstop. I really like the trade for the Twins if Hardy can go back to his pre-2009 form. The Brewers are going to need to get more offense though to make up for Gomez and his sub-.300 on base percentage, although Gomez is one of the best defenders in the game.

The Power Rankings section of the blog.

NFL Top Five:

1. New Orleans (8-0). Second straight week they've come back from a double digit deficit to win by double digits.

2. Indianapolis (8-0). Peyton Manning along with Drew Brees the top two MVP candidates.

3. Minnesota (7-1). Bye week couldn't have come at a better time. Let's see what Brett Favre has in the tank for the second half of the season.

4. New England (6-2). Two major tests in the next three weeks for the Patriots, first at Indianapolis this week, and two weeks later at New Orleans.

5. Cincinnati (6-2). They are for real. Two impressive wins over the Ravens, and a win over Pittsburgh. One tipped pass away from being 7-1. Big game this week against my #6 team Pittsburgh.

NFL Bottom Five:

28. St. Louis (1-7). Can Steven Jackson get some help, PLEASE?

29. Detroit (1-7). Matthew Stafford going through some growing pains in his rookie season.

30. Tampa Bay (1-7). Great to see Josh Freeman get a win in his first start.

31. Kansas City (1-7). Amazing what a little talent can do to a person, isn't it Matt Cassel?

32. Cleveland (1-7). Ugh, could things get any worse?

Sunday NFL Quick Hits

The Word of the Day is Shout-Out.

This blog goes out to Chad Ocho Cinco (@OGOchoCinco on Twitter). Watched your Ustream show this morning, you're one of the great players and promoters for the NFL. And your mama is cool too. Good luck against the Ravens Chad.

Here are my picks, three hours before game time.

Washington at Atlanta. Falcons win big, 34-10.

Arizona at Chicago. Bears win a close one at home, 24-23.

Baltimore at Cincinnati. No way I'm picking against the Bengals this week, why shout out to the star if you pick em to lose. Not good PR. Bengals 27, Ravens 17.

Houston at Indianapolis. Houston is 1-17 all time against Indy. Make it 1-18. Indy 31, Houston 28.

Miami at New England. This isn't last year's Wildcat offense. New England 34, Miami 27.

Green Bay at Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay goes to 0-8. Packers 28, Bucs 7.

Kansas City at Jacksonville. Jamaal Charles at RB for Chiefs. Chiefs upset on road, 23-18.

Carolina at New Orleans. A couple of close games for New Orleans. This won't be one of them. Saints 44, Panthers 13.

Detroit at Seattle. Stafford gets Johnson back at WR. Don't like the look of either team. Lions upset Seahawks, 17-13.

Tennessee at San Francisco. Tennessee got their first win last week, Niners are reeling. Tennessee gets win #2 with VY at quarterback, 20-14.

San Diego at New York Giants. Giants have lost three straight, can't run the ball. Chargers can't run it either. I like the Chargers secondary better. Chargers win a shoot out, 37-28.

Dallas at Philadelphia. Eagles are the hottest team in the NFC not named Minnesota or New Orleans. Eagles 28, Cowboys 20.

Pittsburgh at Denver (Monday). Denver suffered its first loss last week. They won't do it here. Broncos 26, Steelers 23.

Quick World Series Take

This isn't going to be long tonight.

The word of the day is Champion.

So now we're going to be oversaturated with Yankees discussion for the next week, and on a personal level I'm gonna be ridiculed without prejudice being a Red Sox fan. Joe Girardi got lucky that his three man rotation succeeded in October and November, because had they lost, he would have been highly criticized for it.

The person that will get a huge amount of criticism, however, is Charlie Manuel. How do you let the pitcher who was named the team's pitcher of the year in J.A. Happ get less than THREE innings of work in the postseason. Starting Joe Blanton in game four of the Series was a mistake against the Yankees' lefty heavy lineup.

It has been a turbulent season for the Yankees, starting with their expensive stadium and outrageous tickets, and Alex Rodriguez' steroids issues, and the big contracts they gave to C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira. They struggled in the early part of the season, in particular against the Red Sox, but after their last series loss to the Red Sox, and not coincidentally with the return of Alex Rodriguez, the Yankees heated up, and took the rest of the baseball world by the throat.

Hideki Matsui was huge in the three games he was able to play with the designated hitter, particularly tonight. He tied a World Series record with six RBI in one game, tying Bobby Richardson in 1960. I would have been tempted to start Matsui in the outfield in the NL games and move Damon over to right field just to keep his hot bat in the lineup, though. Matsui's game six performance wrested the MVP trophy away from Chase Utley, who was bidding to be the first player since Richardson to win the MVP for a losing team.

Now, onto the Hot Stove Season.

Being Played For A Fool

It's November. Yay.

The word of the day is Played. As in, I got played for a fool.

I really hate the internet sometimes. I really do. In particular, people who can't be who they really are and create different people just to get their jollies off. Pisses me off to no end.

Ok, now that I'm off that sandbox.

I've come to a conclusion. The Giants are overrated. For the third straight game, they have looked simply awful. The Eagles showed just how bad they were defensively, sending Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson all over the place. Speaking of DeSean Jackson, he's a total beast. He has six touchdowns already this year of more than 50 yeards. The Eagles are clearly the best team in the NFC East right now.

The Saints are as good as advertised, although Atlanta gave them a hell of a run last night. They are just one point per game behind the 2007 Patriots record pace. Looking at the rest of their schedule this year, I see only one or two games that they could lose.

The Rams and Lions showed in the same game just how bad they really are. Both offenses, save for Steven Jackson of the Rams, are putrid. How Steven Jackson is having the year he is having is amazing. Probably one of the most impressive seasons in NFL history considering the circumstances. Granted, Detroit was without Calvin Johnson, but even with him, they're still bad.

The 49ers defense took it to Peyton Manning, holding him without a touchdown this year. In fact, if it wasn't for a halfback option play by Joseph Addai, the Colts lose that game at home. Four trips to the red zone and all the Colts could muster were field goals. Not a good sign if you're Indianapolis.

How impressive was Ted Ginn in the third quarter? Two returns for at least 100 yards in the third quarter were a first in NFL history, and he went quickly from the doghouse to the penthouse for the Dolphins. And how bad can the New York Jets be to hold the Dolphins to as few yards as they did, but still lose the game that badly. Overrated? I think so.

I would like to congratulate the Houston Texans for having their best start in team history, going 5-3 over the first half of the season. It's nice to see them finally taking a big step forward after consecutive 8-8 seasons.

Oh yeah, and Brett Favre had a successful return to Green Bay. That is all I am going to say about Favre unless he's MVP. And he won't be.

My NFL Top Five:

1. New Orleans (7-0)

2. Indianapolis (7-0)

3. Minnesota (7-1)

4. Denver (6-1)

5. New England (5-2)

I am thoroughly enjoying this college football season. I'm enjoying it because it is allowing me to make a mockery of the Bull Crap System known as the Bowl Championship Series. I love the fact that we could have SIX undefeated teams going into bowl season. Yes, that's right. I'm calling for SIX of the seven current undefeated teams to stay that way (the only reason being the SEC championship game will eliminate one of Florida or Alabama). Should Florida/Alabama and Texas remain undefeated, those two teams definitely deserve to be in the BCS Championship game. However, the call for a playoff will run rampant because there will still be Iowa, Cincinnati, TCU, and Boise State undefeated. Oh, and the fact that TCU or Boise State won't even get the chance to even be IN the BCS is a joke. Both teams deserve to be there. The NCAA and the BCS need to their hands off of each other's units and stop counting the cash to see how much of a joke their system is. The only thing that is good is that the voters are still keeping Boise State ahead of Oregon. If Oregon jumps them, that will be a joke.

Speaking of jokes, the Florida Gators are a joke. Their "suspension" of Brandon Spikes is a joke. Tim Tebow's justification of Spikes' actions against Georgia is a joke. And Brandon Spikes' apology is a joke. If LaGarrett Blount got suspended for the year for Oregon, Spikes should be gone as well. The SEC once again has proven themselves to be a joke by accepting Florida's handling of the situation. F*ck the SEC. They are a classless organization from top to bottom.

My Heisman top five:

1. Jimmy Claussen

2. Mark Ingram

3. Tim Tebow

4. Case Keenum

5. Colt McCoy

Sunday NFL Quick Hits

This is gonna be a short but sweet entry with my quick NFL picks. No word on the farm for today. I'll save that for my weekend wrap-up after the Monday night game.

Houston at Buffalo

Matt Schaub is having an MVP caliber campaign this year. Buffalo is sucking eggs. Houston moves to 5-3 for the first time in team history, winning 35-14.

Cleveland at Chicago

The Bears are coming off a humiliating loss to Cincinnati last week, when Cedric Benson ran roughshod all over them. Cleveland is putrid. Bears take out their frustrations on Cleveland, 34-3.

Seattle at Dallas

Seattle has been inconsistent both offensively and defensively. Miles Austin has become Tony Romo's new play toy. Nothing changes this week. Dallas 24, Seattle 13.

St. Louis at Detroit

This could be the Rams' only shot at a win this year. However, Matthew Stafford has practiced all week for the Lions. Not a good sign for the Rams to say the least. Detroit wins a nail biter, 17-13.

San Francisco at Indianapolis

San Francisco has named former #1 pick Alex Smith as the starter for this game. Not a good sign for a team facing the Colts. Colts run away with this one, 42-16.

Miami at New York Jets

Mark Sanchez has been inconsistent the past four weeks. Everyone has been inconsistent in defending the Wildcat offense. I like Miami to win on the road, 27-21.

New York Giants at Philadelphia

The first of two huge games to be contested in Philly this week (if you don't know the other one, get the hell off my blog. Seriously.), Philadelphia needs a win to close the gap with the recently struggling New York Giants. I'd like to pick a tie, but since I can't, Philadelphia wins by a field goal at the end, 27-24.

Denver at Baltimore

Baltimore needs to right the ship and fast before Cincinnati and Pittsburgh completely run away from the division. (Who saw that coming???) Denver remains the class of the AFC West, but this is the first of three straight tests. Baltimore rights the ship, and Denver becomes the latest team to lose. Baltimore 23, Denver 21

Jacksonville at Tennessee

Vince Young has been given the reins by Jeff Fisher in Tennessee. I'm still not sure what to make of the Jaguars this year. Something tells me that Tennessee wins a sloppy game, 14-10.

Oakland at San Diego

Oakland, while they have two wins, are still the laughingstock of the NFL right now. San Diego needs a turn around game if they have ANY chance of catching Denver. San Diego wins a laugher, 31-13.

Minnesota at Green Bay

Brett Favre returns. The fans boo. The Packers win. The fans cheer. Packers 27, Vikings 20.

Carolina at Arizona

The Panthers are sticking with Jake Delhomme at quarterback. Big mistake. Arizona blows out the Panthers, 33-7.

Atlanta at New Orleans (Monday night)

Drew Brees is the MVP of the league so far. Anyone that says it's Peyton Manning needs to get their lips off his ass. New Orleans and Indianapolis remain the only undefeated teams, as the Saints win 28-21.

World Series Preview

The Word of the Day is Anticipation.

Tonight is the beginning of the World Series. I know I said in last night's blog I'm picking the Phillies in seven games, but now to go into detail as to why I'm picking the Phillies, starting with a position by position breakdown.

Catcher: Carlos Ruiz vs Jorge Posada

Jorge Posada is the sexier name, but I'm not necessarily so sure he's the better catcher at this stage of his career. I like the defense that Ruiz brings to the table, and outside of the power their offense is the pretty similar. I think based on the defense, I'm giving the slightest of edges to the Phillies.

First Base: Ryan Howard vs Mark Teixeira

Both first basemen are perennial All-Stars. However, Teixeira is the better player. His defense is annually in the Gold Glove discussion, and he is a better all-around hitter. Advantage Yankees.

Second Base: Chase Utley vs Robinson Cano

Cano had a much improved season over the 2008 season where he struggled mightily and the press and fans were calling for him to be replaced. However, his improvements this year still keep him behind Utley, although I am worried about the Steve Sax impersonation he's been doing lately. Advantage Phillies.

Shortstop: Jimmy Rollins vs Derek Jeter

Rollins has an MVP to his credit, whether deserved or not is another discussion. Unfortunately, this year Rollins played hit more like Mark Belanger, whereas Derek Jeter has his usual offensive season. Jeter also had a very improved defensive season as well. Big Advantage Yankees.

Third Base: Pedro Feliz vs Alex Rodriguez

Do I really need to make the comparison? Infinite advantage Yankees

Left Field: Raul Ibanez vs Johnny Damon

Ibanez had a career year this year for the Phillies, while Damon was hot early and cooled off as the season progressed. In a series where power is going to be the name of the game, advantage Phillies.

Center Field: Shane Victorino vs Melky Cabrera

Victorino is the spark plug of the Phillies lineup, and Cabrera is, well, Melky Cabrera, which means inconsistency. On a big stage like this, I like The Flyin' Hawaiian's experience. Advantage Phillies

Right Field: Jayson Werth vs Nick Swisher

If I were basing this on just the regular season, I would call this a dead heat. Both right fielders had great years this year. However, Swisher's poor postseason play has been well chronicled, and Werth has the best outfield arm in the playoffs. Advantage Phillies

Starting Rotation: Phillies (Cliff Lee, Pedro Martinez, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton) vs Yankees (CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, Andy Pettitte, Chad Gaudin)

As I sat here trying to compare the rotations, my initial reaction was to give the edge to the Phillies just because of the Yankees need to use Chad Gaudin as their fourth starter. However, the more I sat here and thought about it, I'm not sure the Phillies are making the right decision using Joe Blanton as the fourth starter instead of J.A. Happ. If the Phillies used Happ, this would be an easy decision. However, it's not. Push.

Bullpen: Phillies (Ryan Madson, J.A. Happ, Brett Myers, Scott Eyre, Chan Ho Park, Antonio Bastardo, Brad Lidge) vs Yankees (David Robertson, Joba Chamberlain, Alfredo Aceves, Phil Hughes, Phil Coke, Damaso Marte, Mariano Rivera)

I'm not sure where to go with this one as well. I think a lot is going to depend on how Myers and Lidge pitch for the Phillies, and how Joba and Hughes pitch for the Yankees. Lidge blew 11 saves in the regular season, but has been flawless in October. Rivera is the best postseason closer ever, and arguably the best ever period. Edge Yankees, albeit timidly.

Bench: Phillies (Eric Bruntlett, Matt Stairs, Paul Bako, Ben Francisco, Greg Dobbs) vs Yankees (Hideki Matsui, Francisco Cervelli, Jose Molina, Jerry Hairston Jr, Brett Gardner, Freddy Guzman)

I don't understand the Yankees' reasoning for carrying three catchers in the World Series. I know Posada is old, but Molina is only good for defense, while Cervelli has seen VERY little time since Posada's return. Other than Matsui and Stairs for their respective clubs, neither bench is very terrifying. Each team has a super sub (Bruntlett, Hairston Jr), but other than that, nothing is really impressive. Push.

Intangibles: Phillies vs Yankees

The Phillies come in as the defending champions, and have 18 players on their roster from last year's championship team. The Yankees, meanwhile, only have 8 players with World Series experience. I don't like how Girardi has poorly mismanaged his bullpen during the postseason, and I think that is going to kill him in this series. Advantage Phillies

Breakdown: Phillies 6, Yankees 4, Push 2

This is why I'm picking the Phillies to win in 7 games.

In related news, a Philadelphia woman was arrested for selling sex to two undercover cops to get World Series tickets. Not a wise idea posting on Craigslist that you're desperate for tickets and will do anything for them.

Larry Johnson used gay slurs in a Twitter post against his coach Todd Haley. The man Herm Edwards once called a crybaby needs to be suspended by the NFL, and released by the Chiefs immediately. His play this season (under 3.0 yards per carry average) is bad enough, his character is much worse.

Andre Agassi is coming clean in an upcoming autobiography about everything he did in his life, which apparently includes using crystal meth during his struggles in 1997. While I don't condone his actions, which apparently didn't help his struggles on the tennis court, I applaud Andre for coming clean. Hopefully this tell-all book can be a motivational tool for people (Martina Hingis for example) to recover and live by. This book will be on my must read list when it comes out.

Tampa Bay is moving to its third starting quarterback already, proclaiming rookie Josh Freeman as their new starter. It's about time. Now if Carolina would only get rid of Jake Delhomme, Oakland with JaMarcus Russell, and Tennessee with Kerry Collins. They suck, and they all need a spark that none of the guys can provide.

NBA Begins Tonight

My apologies. Lost my internet last night, so I was unable to post last night.

The Word Of The Day is Emergence.

As I write this, the Boston Celtics have already won their opener on the road at Cleveland. That win already gives the Celtics the early nod as the Eastern Conference favorite. Rasheed Wallace looked impressive in his Celtics debut, and the Celtics bench is MUCH deeper than it was a year ago. The Celtics can run their second team against some of the weaker first teams in the league and be better. 'Sheed's prediction of 73 wins is going to come short I think, but not by much. I see them as a 67, 68 win team this year.

The Raiders shot themselves in the foot letting Jeff Garcia go before the season started. Now they are stuck with JaMarcus "Incomplete" Russell at the quarterback position.

I think Tom Brady is back. I could be wrong, but I think he's back.

The World Series starts tomorrow. That means I have to listen to all the Yankees hacks proclaim how they are back and are the best in the world. (Unfortunately, living in NY as a Red Sox fan is NOT a recommended idea. I could be wrong. Fuck that, I know I'm right.) With that in mind, I'm picking the Phillies in 7. I won't pick the Yankees. Ever. Even if I think they are the better team. It's going to be an explosive series offensively, because other than the two aces (Sabathia and Lee), the pitching staffs aren't that solid.

What is with the officiating in the SEC this year? There hasn't been any complaints from any other conference this year, yet the officiating in the SEC has been ridiculous. We've seen one crew already suspended for a game, and now two coaches have been fined for speaking out against the crews in their games. Fix it.

It's gonna be a short blog tonight. Just not feeling so good. Probably a longer blog tomorrow.

TGIF... Sort of...

I'm currently on hour 23 of my joyride through the working weekend. I figure I still have at least another 28 hours before I can finally go to sleep comfortably. It's not gonna do any wonders for my sinus infection, but at least I will have about 120 hours to relax before my next shift.

Therefore, the word of the day today is exhaustion.

It's Friday, and since I didn't write one last Friday, we will call this the debut of the Friday Football Column, NFL style.

New England vs Tampa Bay in London

New England put 59 on Tennessee. Tampa Bay is no Tennessee. New England 70, Tampa Bay 3

San Francisco at Houston

Quick, name the quarterback who leads the NFL in touchdown passes? If you guessed Matt Schaub, you would be correct. Houston 27, San Francisco 21

Green Bay at Cleveland

Ugh. Aaron Rodgers is gonna have a field day with Cleveland in this one. It's gonna get ugly in a hurry. Green Bay 45, Cleveland 7

San Diego at Kansas City

San Diego lost a must win game against Denver last week at home, while the Chiefs are coming off their first win of the season. I think this is where we officially begin the Norv Turner watch. Kansas City 17, San Diego 14

Indianapolis at St. Louis

Peyton Manning will throw for 376 yards and 5 TDs. By halftime. Indianapolis 49, St. Louis 13

Minnesota at Pittsburgh

Probably the game of the week this week. Roethlisberger is coming of a career high in passing yards, while the ageless wonder is leading the charge for the Vikings. Vikings lose their first game of the season here. Pittsburgh in a close game, 24-21.

New York Jets at Oakland

Mark Sanchez against Nhandi Asomugha. I don't like the Sanchise's chances. Oakland in a slight upset, 16-10.

Buffalo at Carolina

Two putrid quarterback situations in Buffalo and Carolina. Terrell Owens having the worst year of his career. Steve Smith whining that he isn't a vital part of the offense. Carolina 6, Buffalo 0

Chicago at Cincinnati

The Cedric Benson Bowl. The Bears are asking where was this Cedric Benson 4 years ago. He just didn't fit in. Cincinnati 24, Chicago 17

Atlanta at Dallas

Miles Austin gets the starting nod over Patrick Crayton at wideout for Dallas. They're going to need every single one of those yards, but they won't get them. Atlanta 27, Dallas 17

New Orleans at Miami

New Orleans has the league's highest rated passer in Drew Brees, and a very improved defense over last year. This will be Chad Henne's first real test. New Orleans remains undefeated, 33-20.

Arizona at New York Giants

Two high powered offenses collide in the Sunday night game. It's a wet dream for NBC to get a good game like this early in the season. Giants rebound from their first loss, 28-23.

Philadelphia at Washington (Mon. night)

Jim Zorn was stripped of his play calling duties after their debacle last week. Philadelphia suffered their own embarrassing loss last week to Oakland. This is Washington's first game this year against a team who has won a game. Chalk another one up for the Eagles, 27-7.

Next column comes either Sunday after the college football games and the ALCS Game Six, or Monday after the BCS standings and the NFL games. Have a great weekend, and hopefully I get some sleep.

College Football Preview

The word of the day is... Blind. As in the blind umpires in the playoffs this year. I don't really feel the need to pile on, as the mainstream media is doing a good job of that already.

Here is my preview of this week's college football slate.

NCF Top 25 preview

Minnesota at (19) Ohio State

Terrelle Pryor has been thrown under the bus for his terrible performance this season for Ohio State. He seems to look like a perfect candidate for a Wildcat type quarterback, not a typical drop back QB. I don't like the Vegas line (Ohio State 17.5 favorite), mainly because I don't like Ohio State to win this game at all. Minnesota in an upset, 27-17.

South Florida at (20) Pittsburgh

South Florida suffered their first loss of the season at home against Cincinnati. Pittsburgh has become a strong team since an early loss to NC State. South Florida suffers it's second straight loss here. Pittsburgh wins comfortably, 31-14.

(12) Georgia Tech at Virginia

Virginia has come back nicely since starting the season 0-3. However, their loss against William and Mary is still a loss against William and Mary. Georgia Tech in a romp, 35-10.

Connecticut at (23) West Virginia

Connecticut comes into this game reeling after the tragic death of cornerback Jasper Howard Saturday. West Virginia is in the polls for the first time this season as Noel Devine will most likely have to carry the load after losing their starting QB due to injury last week. As much as my heart wants to pick Connecticut to win this game in memory of Jasper Howard, I just can't see it happening. West Virginia 27, Connecticut 21.

(15) Oklahoma St at Baylor

Oklahoma State has come along quietly in a powerful Big 12 conference this year, with their only loss coming to Houston. It won't change against Baylor. Oklahoma State in a rout, 49-10.

(13) Penn State at Michigan

Michigan was ranked earlier in the season after their big win over Notre Dame. However, they have fallen out of the top 25, after losing back to back games on the road against Michigan State and Iowa. Now they host Penn State at home, and while the win over Notre Dame is big, I just don't think they are that good in the Big Ten. Penn State wins easily, 33-16.

(11) Oregon at Washington

This isn't your brother's Washington Huskies team. They have a couple of huge wins on their resume already this year, over USC and Arizona. Both of those wins were at home, and their only home loss this year was an opening week loss to LSU. I think this week continues the trend. Washington upsets Oregon, 20-17.

Tennessee at (2) Alabama

Lane Kiffin's mouth has gotten him in trouble all year, and he finally officially signed his six year contract earlier this week. Alabama is just too good, with Heisman Trophy candidate Mark Ingram carrying the load. Alabama in a rout, 45-17.

Louisville at (5) Cincinnati

Cincinnati picked up their first huge win of the year last week, going to South Florida (ranked at the time) and beat them decisively without their own Heisman candidate QB Tony Pike. Louisville just isn't that good now. Cincinnati 30, Louisville 7

Oklahoma at (25) Kansas

Oklahoma will be without QB Sam Bradford for the remainder of the season most likely due to shoulder surgery. The team has struggled without Bradford this year, and going on the road to face Kansas isn't going to help. I think Oklahoma's fall continues. Kansas in a close contest, 27-23.

Clemson at (10) Miami

The U is back. They are as good as advertised. Clemson isn't as good as they used to be. Miami has a legitimate shot at a BCS game this year. Miami wins big, 34-13.

Air Force at (18) Utah

Utah's only loss this year came at the hands to Oregon, and are a half game back in the Mountain West Conference. Air Force has a very stingy defense, allowing an average of only 12 points per game. The problem is, their offense numbers are skewed by a 72-0 shellacking over Nichols State. Air Force is 0-3 against better teams, and Utah is a better team. Utah 24, Air Force 10

UCLA at (22) Arizona

Arizona has been up and down in their last four games, alternating wins and losses. Both of their losses, however, came on the road at Iowa and at Washington. UCLA is in the middle of the pack defensively, which doesn't bode well against Arizona's high powered offense. Arizona wins a slugfest, 35-24.

(6) Iowa at Michigan State

Kirk Ferentz has brought the Hawkeyes back to respectability this year, with a number of big wins already on their resume. Michigan State has come back to life after struggling early in the season, including an embarrassing loss to Central Michigan. Iowa's run continues here, as they look to leapfrog Boise State in the BCS standings. Iowa 37, Michigan State 20

vanderbilt at (24) South Carolina

Vanderbilt has remembered that they are Vanderbilt. South Carolina is coming off a tough loss to #2 Alabama. Prior to that they had run off four straight wins, including over then #4 Mississippi. Vanderbilt is no good, and they show it here. South Carolina 28, Vanderbilt 6

Auburn at (9) LSU

LSU is coming off a controversial loss last week to #1 Florida, and are in a foul mood. Auburn is a good team, but they've lost their last two games to Arkansas and Kentucky. Those teams aren't LSU, so make it three straight losses for Auburn. LSU 44, Auburn 17

SMU at (17) Houston

No description necessary. Houston in a rout, 66-7.

(8) TCU at (16) BYU

The game of the week this week. TCU is looking to maintain its BCS bowl hopes, while BYU could use a big win to vault them up the rankings a couple of spots. As much as I'd like to see TCU continue it's undefeated run and destroy the BCS, I don't see it happening. BYU in a close game, 21-20.

(1) Florida at Mississippi St

Florida has struggled in their last two games, as evidenced by the media leaping Alabama over them in their rankings. They will have no such struggles this week against Mississippi State. Florida 28, Mississippi State 10

Oregon St at (7) USC

USC won a close contest over then #25 Notre Dame last week, and that fact alone shows that USC isn't as good as in previous years. However, Oregon State is no Notre Dame. USC in a rout 45-10 over Oregon State.

(3) Texas at Missouri

Colt McCoy has struggled in the last couple of weeks, in particular against Oklahoma's strong defense. Missouri is a team that I have had a hard time figuring out this year. Even with their recent offensive struggles, Texas still leads the nation in scoring this year at 42 points per game. Look for that to continue. Texas 45, Missouri 20.

(4) Boise St at Hawaii

The last game of the night puts BCS darling Boise State on the road against the Rainbows of Hawaii. This isn't your Timmy Chang or Colt Brennan led Rainbows. Boise State in a laugher, 37-10.

Monday In Review

What an exciting day we had last night in sports.

The word on the farm today is barn-burner.

Before I get into last night's action, let me give my condolences to the University of Connecticut football team and to the family of cornerback Jasper Howard, who was murdered Saturday night after a school sponsored dance. While I mourn his death, I have to question why a bunch of football players were out after midnight. Doesn't the team have a curfew? I can't put myself in the situation of the two kids who were holding him, watching him die in their arms. It's very understandable if they end up not playing this Saturday against West Virginia.

I'm going to pile on to the mainstream media's criticism of the way Joe Girardi handled his pitching staff last night. I don't understand why Girardi took out David Robertson, who has nasty filthy stuff, for Alfredo Aceves in the 11th inning. I would rather have the guy with the best stuff out there in the playoffs, and save a guy like Aceves for a blowout game.

Bobby Abreu, what were you doing in the 8th inning? There was no need for you to try to turn a double into a triple with no outs. If the Angels get that run in the 8th inning, we don't see the 11th inning. And for all of the people (Jimmy Traina) who are slurping the kool-aid that is Derek Jeter's defense, get a clue. ANY shortstop with ANY defensive talent makes that play. The shortstop of the local high school team here makes that play. And he's no Derek Jeter.

Joe Torre, I told you this last night, I'm going to tell you this again. DON'T PITCH TO RYAN HOWARD. The man is a beast. This series is now over.

Memo to the Chargers and Broncos special teams: Make a tackle. Lay a hand on the returners. It's inexplicable that Eddie Royal can catch a punt ON A BOUNCE and run it back for a touchdown. To have three kick returns for a touchdown in one game is inexplicable. I know Darren Sproles and Royal are excellent returners, but still, it should not happen. And I'm officially starting the Josh McDaniel for Coach of the Year campaign. Who had the Broncos at 6-0? I didn't.

Steve Smith (the Carolina one, not the NY Giants one), just shut up. I understand your frustration, I really do. You're saddled on a team whose quarterback I could outplay. But to whine that you are not a vital piece to the Carolina Panthers? Just shut up and play, you're no longer the best Steve Smith in football now. Prove me wrong. I dare you.

Speaking of horrible Carolina Panthers players, how did cornerback Dante Wesley only get a one game suspension for that horrible hit on Clifton Smith? He launched himself in Smith for crying out loud. Wesley needs to be out for the season to make him an example for the rest of the league. He was trying to make a play? That was an absolutely ridiculous, classless play by Wesley. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool. (Yes, I'm talking to you Tim Hasselbeck.)

The BCS rankings are out. Yawn. Talk to me in December.

The Detroit Shock are moving to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Yawn. But seriously, what does it say about the WNBA that a team with THREE championships can't make it in their city? Let me know when the league folds, because this is the beginning of the end.

I think Tom Brady just threw another touchdown pass to Randy Moss.

My NFL Top Five:

1. New Orleans Saints. Destroyed the Giants defense for 48 points.

2. Minnesota Vikings. Adrian Peterson and Brett Favre are leading this team.

3. Denver Broncos. They are really good. Seriously. They have all three components going, special teams, offense AND defense.

4. Indianapolis Colts. This low only because they had a bye last week.

5 (tie). New England Patriots. Their offense just woke up. I would be scared if I'm the rest of the NFL.

5 (tie). New York Giants. They're still good. They're just not as good as we thought they were.

My NFL Bottom Five:

32. Washington Redskins. I know there are still winless teams. But they've struggled against winless teams in EVERY game this year.

31. St. Louis Rams. They are weak. Very, very weak.

30. Tennessee Titans. Maybe they should be 32 because a team quitting is completely unacceptable.

29. Cleveland Browns. Their offense is pathetic, their defense isn't much better.

28. Tampa Bay Buccanneers. They will fall even further after this week's game against New England.

Quick prediction on tonight's Yankees/Angels game. Sabathia on three days rest, I'm not sure I like that idea. Girardi has been micromanaging too much, so I'm going to give the Angels another win tonight in game four.

Embarrassing

What's up peeps?

The word on the farm today is... Embarrassing.

It's got to be embarrassing if you're a fan of the Tennessee Titans or Washington Redskins right now. First off, how do you quit on your coach TEN MINUTES into the game? That second quarter that you let Tom Brady, Randy Moss, etc. have was completely embarrassing. To allow FIVE touchdown passes in one quarter says a lot about the character of your team, and it isn't very good. I'd like to officially be the first one to coin the Terrible Towel Curse on the Titans. They haven't won a game since they stomped on the towel in Pittsburgh. I haven't heard many people call for Jeff Fisher's head, but after that performance yesterday, I think his time might be coming to an end in Tennessee. That was just flat out embarrassing. Vince Young needs to be your starting quarterback NOW. Your season is over, it's time to see if this kid has what it takes to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. Maybe he can put a spark in this franchise that hasn't been seen all year.

And leave it to the Redskins to be the first team to lose to the Kansas City Chiefs. I think it's very telling that the management has yet to back Jim Zorn, and who can blame them. Their two wins were squeakers over teams (St. Louis, Carolina) who in themselves have major holes. Their loss to Kansas City is almost as inexplicable as the Titans loss. Zorn's another coach who is on the hot seat, and deserves to be. I can see them finishing 3-13 this year.

Was that Jets/Bills game embarrassing? It was a horrible display of offense by both teams. The only game I've seen worse was last week, when the Bills lost to Cleveland. So much for Mark Sanchez being the posterboy of the NFL. He has looked horrible now the last couple of weeks. Gimme Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco over Sanchez.

Tom Brady and Randy Moss just hooked up for another touchdown. Embarrassing.

How do the Eagles let JaMarcus Russell put up those good numbers? And then lose on top of it? Yeah, you guessed it. Embarrassing. Donovan McNabb under 50% passing, and JaMarcus around 60% for the game? Are we living in some sort of alternate universe? Bring me back to reality, PLEASE!

I don't know about you, but I am not looking forward to next Sunday's game in London. I am about as big a New England Patriots fan as you can get, but any time you have to fly across the ocean to play a game, it's going to be sloppy. At least the opponent can't get any better for the Patriots. They get the 0-6 Buccanneers. I think Tom Brady's already thrown three touchdown passes, two to Moss, one to Welker, and the plane hasn't even landed in London yet. I think the Hoodie is salivating over this one.

Now, onto tonight's matchup. It's do or die time for the San Diego Chargers. They need to prove they belong in the playoff discussion now, or Denver is running away with the division. The Broncos are looking really good right now and are clearly the class of the AFC West. This is San Diego's last stand. They lose here, they will never in my eyes be considered a valid Super Bowl contender. (On a side note, I never really did think of them as one anyway, they are a glorified 8-8 team every year because of the division they play in.) I don't see the Chargers winning, even at home. Broncos 27, Chargers 13.

Game Three of the ALCS is tonight as well as Game Four of the NLCS. I'm not going to get too much into these games, as I haven't had the opportunity yet to watch either of these series yet. I will say this, however. The Angels and Dodgers had better win tonight for either team to have a chance to get to the World Series. Oh, and Joe Torre, you might want to pitch around Ryan Howard. I hear he's pretty good. Same goes for you Mike Scioscia. I wouldn't be pitching to Alex Rodriguez right about now. He's dialed in, and that's a bad sign for anyone who is playing the Yankees. Yankees take a 3-0 lead tonight, and the Dodgers even up their series.

That is all from this side of the farm.

Talk By The Fence

First off a melancholy goodbye to former Giants pitcher Larry Jansen who passed away last night at the age of 89. He'll be mostly remembered as the winning pitcher in the classic 1951 Shot Heard Round the World game.

Speaking of thrilling games, the Word of the Day is in fact, Thriller. We had two thrilling games last night, one in the NLDS, and the other on Monday Night Football.

First, the NLDS. The Phillies come back in the 9th inning to score three off Rockies closer Huston Street to finish off the Rockies 3 games to 1. AND Brad Lidge saved another game for the Phillies. Good for him after the year he's had this year. He rewarded Charlie Manuel's faith in him by giving him two decent, if not stellar outings. It's a sign for baseball that three of baseball's most reliable closers this year (Nathan, Papelbon, and Street) struggled, while Lidge, who had arguably the worst season by a closer ever, was a perfect two for two in save opportunities.

Now, the Monday night game. Chad Henne was superb for the Dolphins, going 20 for 26 and leading the Dolphins on a game winning drive. Ronnie Brown runs that Wildcat formation as well as anyone in the business. And the golden boy, Mark Sanchez, wasn't exactly golden, as he went 12 for 24 for the Jets in the 31-27 loss. That's a couple of bad games in a row for Sanchez. I think his inexperience is starting to show for the Jets. Matt Ryan, he's not. But he won't be Ryan Leaf either.

Chad Ochocinco is looking like a prophet right now, and Skip Bayless is probably somewhere eating some humble pie. Chad went onto First Take and said that the Bengals would win 12 games this year. Well, they're on pace to win 12 games, and they just went through the trifecta of beating the Browns (no tough chore), the Steelers at home (a tough task, something they hadn't done since 2001), and the Ravens on the road (a very difficult task no matter who you are). Definitely the most surprising team of the NFL season so far, positive or negative.

The Week Five Top Five NFL Power Rankings:

1. New York Giants (5-0)

2. Indianapolis Colts (5-0)

3. New Orleans Saints (4-0)

4. Minnesota Vikings (5-0)

5. Denver Broncos (5-0)

The Week Five Bottom Five NFL Power Rankings:

32. St. Louis Rams (0-5)

31. Cleveland Browns (1-4)

30. Oakland Raiders (1-4)

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-5)

28. Tennessee Titans (0-5)

If I'm the coach of the Calgary Flames, I would have that entire team on the ice RIGHT NOW. Yeah, that's right, on the ice at 4 A.M. How do you score 5 goals in the first 12 minutes of the game, and LOSE??? A 5-0 lead in hockey is supposed to be like 35-3 in football. Oh wait, that comeback has been done too.

I think the Rams just gave up another touchdown. So did Oakland.

What a quirky schedule the Patriots have had this year. (0-0) Buffalo, then (1-0) New York Jets, then (2-0) Atlanta, then (3-0) Baltimore, then (4-0) Denver. Now they get (0-5) Tennessee with a great shot of facing (0-6) Tampa Bay the following week in London. Amazing how the NFL schedule works out sometimes. The streak ends in week 9 when they play Miami.

A quiet day on the sports front tonight, so unless there's some breaking news, you probably won't get any Words On The Farm until Thursday or Friday.

The Weekend In Review

Thank you for reading the debut of Word On The Farm.

The word of the day is Ugh.

You all know the streak had to end sooner or later. 26 innings of shutout ball to start his playoff career. Then, in an instant, he yakked up a two run lead almost as fast as Brad Lidge. (Oh wait, he ACTUALLY did save a game last night for the Phillies.) Now the rumors are already flying about whether the Red Sox are going to trade Jonathan Papelbon and let the kid Daniel Bard take the closer role. Papelbon is in his second year of arbitration, and could command upwards of $9 million per year. (That is strictly a personal guess based on what he is currently making now.) Financially speaking, it wouldn't be a bad move for the Sawx, as Bard will be making league minimum money next year, and middle relievers are a dime a dozen.

So what should the Red Sox do with the money. Simple. KEEP JASON BAY. Whatever it takes. After the Mark Teixeira debacle last year, can the Sox really afford to take another PR hit by seeing Bay succeed somewhere other than Boston? JB carried the Sox offense for the first four months of the season until they got help from V-Mart.

I hate to say it, because I've been a big fan of his since he came up to the bigs in 1997, but Jason Varitek needs to retire and join the Sox front office staff. He has nothing left in the tank either offensively or defensively. Catchers age quicker than just about any other position in sports. That's right. All of sports, not just baseball. 'Tek has been around the game a long time, and is one of the smartest men in the game. It's time for him to take his knowledge and use it to work his way up the management level. I think he becomes a major league manager in no more than five years, if he leaves Boston.

It's nice to see A-Rod finally showed up for a playoff series. It's about time DJ got some help. Speaking of DJ, the people who makes the plaque in Cooperstown can start etching his name right now. The heads up play he made last night to nail Nick Punto in a 2-1 game at the time was classic Derek Jeter. Probably the second best play he has made in his career (behind the play he made to nail Jeremy Giambi in the playoffs in 2001). I only wish that ESPN and everyone else who claims the play he made in July 2004 to dive into the stands against was his best would shut up, because it wasn't even close. The only reason people think it was big was because he ended up in the stands with a bloodied nose. HE MADE THE CATCH FOUR STEPS AWAY!!!! HIS MOMENTUM CARRIED HIM INTO THE STANDS, NOT THE CATCH. You can look it up.

What happened, Bill Belichick? Did you feel bad that you were putting a whooping on your pupil Josh McD? What is the excuse for Randy only getting one catch this week? He had a better game on DEFENSE than he did on offense, and that's inexcusable. Get this man more touches Bill. And draft a running back. A GOOD running back. Maroney's a bust. Take a couple of these draft picks that you always seem to have in hand and trade up to get a power back.

Can I just say for the record that I have never seen three teams in the NFL worse than what the Browns, Raiders and Rams are doing right now? If you combined the best players on those three teams, they would STILL finish below .500. In the NFC West. The worst division in the NFL. I can name at least three college football teams right now that I would put as a favorite in Vegas over all three of those moribund, pathetic teams. Give me the Gators, the Longhorns, and the Crimson Tide right now as at least a 7 point favorite. I think USC and Oklahoma could give them a run for their money too.

The Redskins aren't too far behind on this train of suckdom. How can you barely beat St. Louis, lose to Detroit, barely beat Tampa Bay, and then lose to Carolina, and STILL have your job? I hear there's a help wanted ad being placed in the Washington Post for a soon to be vacant head coaching position. I hear Bill Cowher and Mike Shanahan already turned down the job because Dan Snyder is a dunderhead. (Dunderhead. A word that rarely gets used but is a perfect definition for Snyder.)

I think Eli just threw another touchdown pass against the Raiders.

I think Terrell Owens is requesting a trade from Buffalo. If he's not, that's probably the biggest upset so far this year.

The United States clinched a spot in the World Cup. Yawn. Wake me up after we actually win the damn thing. Then I might care about soccer. Might.