Big Day for the BCS

On the day after Thanksgiving, the BCS could take a major shake up, as the #2 Auburn Tigers travels to the #11 Alabama Crimson Tide. Then the #21 Arizona Wildcats go on the road to Autzen Stadium to take on the #1 Oregon Ducks. But not to be outdone, the #4 Boise State Broncos go to #19 Nevada Wolf Pack, in a game that the Broncos need to dominate in order to stay alive in the BCS race.

#21 Arizona @ #1 Oregon:

Of the three big games, I expect that this one is the biggest Laugh-er. The Oregon Ducks are the top ranked team in the nation for a reason, they are the best. Their offense is among the best in the country scoring an average of 50.7 points per game to go along with 291 rushing yards per game. To put it bluntly, the Oregon Ducks are hard to stop. Arizona is a good team, but have lost two games in a row to Stanford and then USC, and have looked bad in both of those games. I don't expect it to get any better as they travel to Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. The Ducks will roll in this one, and retain their #1 spot atop the BCS standings.

The spread in this one is Oregon by 19.5. Oregon stunk it up in their last game and barely survived California 15-13. I think that the Ducks get back on track here and dominate Arizona. I'll take the Ducks(-19.5) as they will beat up on the Wildcats at home, 44-14.


#2 Auburn @ #11 Alabama:

The Iron Bowl is set for this Friday, and it will be a dandy. This match-up features the 5th ranked offense of Auburn against the 3rd ranked defense of Alabama. Alabama has given up only an average of just 12.8 points per game, which makes you wonder how they have lost two games this year? Ohh yah, that because they are the SEC and have to play a tough team every single week. But wait, so is Auburn, and they are a perfect 11-0 for the year. Auburn averages 42.8 points a game, good enough for 5th best in the country, but this is a tough task to go to Alabama in the Iron Bowl. With the controversy surrounding Cameron Newton I don't know if Auburn can go to Tuscaloosa and win. Alabama is not where they expected to be right now, but that leaves them with no pressure in the Iron Bowl. You can bet that Alabama wants nothing more than to prevent their arch rivals from the chance at the BCS National Championship game. Auburn, on the other hand, has everything to lose, and that could lead to some tightness early in this, the biggest game of their season to date. This game will be a battle to the very end, and it could go either way in the Iron Bowl this year.

The spread here is Alabama by 4.5 points, which surprised me a little bit because Auburn is undefeated, but Alabama is the more experienced team in big games, having won the National Championship last year, and they deserve to be the favorites. They wont take Auburn lightly, and I think Alabama will "upset" a higher seeded Auburn team in Tuscaloosa on Friday. I do think that Auburn will cover the spread, but that Alabama will win the game. Ill take Auburn(+4.5). But Alabama wins the most competitive game of the day, 26-24.


#4 Boise State @ #19 Nevada:

This might be the biggest game that nobody is talking about on Friday, especially if Alabama handles Auburn. Boise State is the Cinderella team in college football, and the team that everybody wants to get their shot at the BCS National Championship game. Due to a weak strength of schedule, Boise has not gotten that opportunity. Is this this year? Maybe it's not fair, but I'll just say it. If Auburn and Oregon win out, then they will be the two teams playing for the National Championship, and again Boise State will be snubbed. BUT if one of those teams lose(most likely Auburn), and Boise can jump TCU then Boise could get that shot that everybody wants them to get. This is the game that Boise State wants on their schedule, a late season game against a ranked opponent on the road. This is that kind of game that they have been missing in the past. The interesting thing is that if Auburn can beat Alabama this game loses some of its luster because it doesn't matter as much for the BCS National Title game. Right now Boise State has a .8860 in the BCS, and TCU is only at .8995. TCU struggled in their last game against a mediocre San Diego State team, only beating them 40-35. If Auburn loses, and Boise keeps beating teams bad while TCU struggles against okay team, Boise could barely bump up enough to get that shot. Chris Petersen will have his troops ready to go into Reno and win a big game. "But wait, what about us?" says Nevada? And they have a point, Nevada is very good too, going 10-1 on the year so far with the only loss being to a good team at Hawaii. Colin Kaepernick can lead his team down the field and score, averaging 44.1 points per game, good enough for 4th in the country. But Boise prides themselves on defense and are ranked 2nd in the country for points against with 11.5 per game. I think that the home crown and very good offense will keep the Wolf Pack in this thing for a quarter or so, but Boise is too good on both sides of the ball and will run away with it late.

The spread is Boise State by 14. Here is how I see this one going down. Nevada will be great in the first quarter and a half but Boise State will stay with them and hang around and where them down by halftime, and come out and crush them in the second half once the crowd has been taken out of it. So bettors, don't be alarmed when Nevada comes out strong, and stays with the Broncos. If the score is 10-7 Boise or even Nevada after the first quarter that wouldn't scare me if I bet Boise. I would bet the farm on Boise(-14) in this game. Once the excitement of the game dies down a little, and the crowd has calmed down and it comes down to just the teams on the field, Boise will roll. After a 7-7 first quarter, Boise will come alive and win the game 35-13 in Reno.


RECAP:

Oregon rolls at home against a average Arizona squad 44-14. Auburn comes close, but misses their chance at the National Title with a 26-24 loss to the Crimson Tide. This leaves a opening for Boise State to jump to #2 in the BCS. TCU will win this week against a bad New Mexico team, but a big win for Boise will bump them to #2 because of the strength of their win versus TCU's win against a bad team. Boise State beats a good Nevada team on the road, 35-13, and come Sunday look for those pesky Broncos to be up to #2 in the BCS standings, for now at least.

2010 NFL Division Previews: AFC South

The AFC South seems to always belong to the Indianapolis Colts, will this be the year that changes? Houston, Tennessee, and even Jacksonville think so.

HOUSTON TEXANS-

Houston has one of the best teams in the league on paper it seems, but never seem to get it done. The Texans have one of, if not, the best wide receivers in the league in Andre Johnson and a great quarterback in Matt Schaub but somehow Houston just falls short every year. Part of that problem is the tough division that the AFC South has become over the years. The Texans famously took Mario Williams as the number one pick a few years ago in the draft over Reggie Bush, and that has proved to be a pretty solid choice as Williams has solidified the Texans defense. Texans took highly sought after runningback Steve Slaton but were not satisfied there yet. Texans selected Auburn runningback Ben Tate to add to their runningback core, but just half way through camp he has already came down with a bum ankle, so it looks like Slaton might get the majority of the carries early in the season. The Texans start out with a huge game at home against Indy, and then go on the road to the rejuvenated Washington Redskins team. If they can split those they might be off to a promising season, but to start at 0-2 could be the start of a tailspin. I'm not counting the Texans out, but it just seems like they are not ready to have that huge year yet.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS-

What is there to say about the Colts? They have, arguably, the leagues best quarterback in Peyton Manning. They have a great receiver in Reggie Wayne, and some pretty good up in comers with Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie. Dallas Clark is one of the best tight ends in the league, so where are the holes in the Colts? Ohh yah, and this year they will get back a healthy Bob Sanders, which will most definitely help out an already pretty good defense. The Colts went to the Superbowl last year, and it will be tough for anybody in this division to stop them from getting to the playoffs again this year. Nothing bad to say about the Colts. Injuries can always play a part though, and the Colts are not known for their youth, but you can never predict that and the Colts will again have a great season in front of the fans at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Jacksonville Jaguars-

MJD, MJD, MJD. That is by far the most important play on the Jaguars. Maurice Jones-Drew is a stud of a runningback and will be the focal point of the Jaguars offense again this year. The Jaguars finished last in their division last year, but the division is so competitive that there record was only 7-9, the best record for a team that was in the cellar of their division last year. Jacksonville's quarterback is good enough to be a part of a solid team. David Garrard doesn't throw the ball super deep, and likely is not a pro bowl quarterback, but usually has a good TD to interception ratio(although it was only 15-10 last season). The Jaguars also have a decent defense that will keep them in games if they can get some points. One of the biggest problems with the Jaguars is the lack of support in the local area. I mean don't get me wrong its not like there is no fans, but the buzz is not there that there is around the rest of the league. Jacksonville is often blacked out from TV in their local area because they do no sell out games at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. Jacksonville is always about the same team. They are pretty mediocre and hang in for a wild card spot the whole season long. I don't expect any of that to change this season, their division is so tough that it is hard to pick a mediocre team like them to do anything. They might compete in other divisions, but this one is just too good.

TENNESSEE TITANS-

The Tennessee Titans lost their first 6 games last season including a 59-0 loss at New England in week six. The Titans then decided to bring in Vince Young and everything turned around, as they won 8 of their last 10 games, and with one week left in the season they actually had a mathematical chance to make the playoffs. They did their part in beating the Seahawks but didn't get in the playoffs. The Titans have a lot to be excited about though as they enter the 2010 season. Vince Young is not a guy you would want on your fantasy team, but he just seems to be a winner. He was a winner in college, and the end of last season showed that he can be a winner in the NFL too. Aside from the quarterback position, the Titans have the most explosive runningback in the league in Chris Johnson. Chris Johnson has set a personal goal to break Eric Dickerson's single season rushing record, which is at 2105 yards. Chris Johnson ended the season last year with eleven straight games of 100+ yards, and if that continues then he could very well break the record. The Titans are fun to watch, and if they were in a different division, they might be a favorite, but they are just another team trying to chase down the Colts here in the AFC South.

WRAP-UP:

I feel bad for teams like Houston and Tennessee, as the players there are losing year after year just waiting for Peyton Manning to retire or something, but that doesn't seem like it will happen for awhile. I love Tennessee's leadership, and I love Houston's talent as they seem to be prime for a division championship eventually. But its hard to pick against the Colts in this one. Peyton Manning is just too good, and the weapons around him will prove, once again, to be too much for the competition in this league. I'll again take the easy pick in this league, Colts will win it again.

1. Indianapolis Colts
2. Tennessee Titans (Wild Card Birth)
3. Houston Texans
4. Jacksonville Jaguars

2010 NFL Division Previews: AFC West

The AFC West seems to be the one division in the NFL this year that looks like a runaway. Anything can happen though, lets have a look at the teams trying to get that AFC West crown.

DENVER BRONCOS-

There is lots of hype surrounding Tim Tebow as a Bronco, but to me it doesn't really matter a whole lot. He is not going to start for this season at least. Kyle Orton is the starting quarterback in Denver, and last year he actually had a pretty solid season considering who he had to work with. Last season the Broncos came out of the gates flying and started 6-0, but stumbled down the stretch to miss the playoffs, finishing at 8-8, including losses at home to Oakland in week 15, 20-19, and to the Chiefs in week 17, 44-24, in a game they had to win to have a shot at the playoffs. To me, they overachieved when the season started, and then everybody expected a lot, and they came back to reality at the end of the season. As far as the 2010 season, I don't expect a lot from the Broncos. They have an aging quarterback who was an afterthought when he went to the Broncos a couple years ago, and they lost one of the best wide receivers in the league in Brandon Marshall going to Miami. Denver has a decent Defense on paper, but giving up 44 points at home in a must win game against Kansas City isn't exactly promising for the upcoming season. Denver has a proud football tradition, but I don't expect anything to happen this year. If I'm a Denver fan, I'm hoping for them to lose some games and get some good draft picks to help Tebow in the future. I like Tebow because he seems to do things the right way, and seems to be a winner, but that will be in the future. not this year. 8-8 would be a best case scenario record for the Broncos this season.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS-

The Kansas City Chiefs were 4-12 last season after signing the highly sought after Matt Cassel from the New England Patriots. I thought Cassel was way over-rated when the Chiefs signed him because he benefited from a good system in New England. But nevertheless, Matt Cassel is the quarterback in Kansas City that fans are pinning their hopes of a turnaround season on. Matt Cassel has the help on offense though, with young runningback Jamaal Charles seeming to come into his own, and receiver Dwayne Bowe doing the same. The problem with the Chiefs is not the offense, its the defense. I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't expect the Chiefs to light up the scoreboard or anything but with a decent defense they might be able to compete in most games. I don't see the Chiefs competing this year, but they are a team on the upswing for sure. I'll pick them to finish second in the division, ahead of the Broncos. I'll say Kansas City finishes the season at 8-8 this year, and will be a much more competitive team then they have been in the past few seasons.

OAKLAND RAIDERS-

The Oakland Raiders have been the model of a bad franchise for the last few years. They have had bad draft picks, problems with coaches punching coaches, allegedly, and mostly have an owner that wants it his way or no way. Al Davies has been the owner of the Raiders for a long long time, and lots of people believe that it is time for him to go. The Oakland Raiders, as far as defense goes, are pretty solid. The offense is pretty bad though. Who is the Raiders quarterback? Russell? Gradkowski? Brennan? Boller? Well Russell had too much "purple drank" and wasn't good anyway. It looks like Al Davies and Head Coach Tom Cable have decided to go with Jason Campbell, who the Washington Redskins gave to the Raiders for six old water bottles. The Raiders think that the ex first round draft pick can make them competitive. This team is the opposite of Kansas City, as they have a solid enough defense but cannot score any points, and the quarterback position in the past has been a disaster. The Raiders were only 5-11 last year, so there is a lot of room to improve, but they were outscored in the season by 181 points. I don't see the season turning around too much for the Raiders. This franchise is just not ready to succeed. Raiders will be the last place team in the division, I'm guessing with a record of 5-11 again.

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS-

The San Diego Chargers are by far the class of the division in the AFC West, they have won the division the last four years, and I don't suspect that will change this year. The Chargers have the best offense in the AFC West with Philip Rivers leading the way at quarterback. The only real difference this year is that longtime runningback Ladainian Tomlinson has gone to the New York Jets. I think this will be a blessing for the Chargers because Tomlinson was a celebrity in San Diego, and he played a lot more than maybe he should have. He was great for the Chargers organization, but there is a time to leave, and that time was now for the Chargers. Taking over his spot will be rookie runningback Ryan Matthews from Fresno State University. This will be a big story to follow this year around the Chargers, but even if it doesn't go well, the Chargers have enough offensive and defensive firepower to handle this division. Philip Rivers is in the top five quarterbacks in the league, and certainly is the best quarterback in this division. With Rivers leading the way, and one of the best tight ends in the league in Antonio Gates, it should be the Chargers division to win. I predict that the Chargers will be 10-6 at worst, but will run away with the AFC West.

WRAP-UP:

When I think about division winners for any sport, it is fun to find a team to upset the favorite. It would be fun to pick the Chiefs to win the division, or the Raiders, or ride the hot start that the Broncos had last year and take them, but the truth is that this division is already over. The Chargers are the heavy favorites in this division, and I cannot find and reason to pick against them. I'll take the team that everybody expects, the San Diego Chargers, to win the AFC West. This is my prediction for the division:

1. San Diego Chargers
2. Kansas City Chiefs
3. Denver Broncos
4. Oakland Raiders

Goodbye to a Legend

John Wooden passed away this week at the age of 99. What an amazing life he led and should be an example to all of us. john Wooden coached the UCLA Bruins college basketball teams to one of the greatest dynasties in the history of sports back in the late 60's and early 70's.
From 1967 to 1973 the UCLA Bruins basketball team won everything there was to win with John Wooden as their coach. In those years they won 7 straight National Championships, a record that will seemingly never be touched. In the early 70's the UCLA basketball team won an NCAA basketball record 88 straight games, and four times had seasons of 30-0. From the beginning of the '63 season to the end of the '75 season the Bruins were an astounding 330-19.
John Wooden was so much more than a great basketball coach, he was a great man and mentor to a lot of people. Growing up in a small town in Indiana, Wooden learned the game as a young child and it was safe to say that he played and coached the game the old school way. I wish I could tell you where I heard or read this story but I heard it years ago. When Wooden coached UCLA he was a very basic coach. Every year on the first day of practice, the first thing he taught his players was how to put on their socks and tie their shoes so that they would not get blisters on their feet. That was Wooden, a down to earth simple guy who built a dynasty literally from the ground up. The world has one less great person in it than it did when it lost the much respected John Wooden. I'll leave you with a few sayings that were first said by Wooden but have since became popular in all walks of life. Goodbye John Wooden, you will be dearly missed.

"Learn as if you were to live forever, live as if you were to die tomorrow."

"Don't give up on your dreams, or your dreams will give up on you."

The End of an Era

Roger Federer got beat yesterday in the quarterfinals at the French Open by Robin Soderling of Sweden. This loss in the quarters ended a streak of 23 consecutive semi finals appearances in a major tournament by Federer. The last time the Roger Federer was not in a semi final at a major was in the French Open in 2004. Robin Soderling, who Federer beat last year in the French Open final will now move on to play a Federerless semifinal against Tomas Berdych. This was the first time in 13 matches where Federer had lost to Soderling, and clearly an important time for Soderling to get the win.
Roger Federer did this with so much class. He was, and still is, one of the most graceful tennis players the world has ever seen and I for one was cheering for this record to never be broken. It had to eventually come to an end, and Soderling was the guy for that in the quarters at the French. When I sit down on my comfy couch to watch the semifinals a couple of days, it will be sad not to be able to see that sweet one-handed backhand that Federer made so popular. It seems like every single time that I watched a Federer tennis match there is a few points where you say out loud, "Wow, did he just make that shot?" He never did it with amazing power or huge ground strokes, although he was no softy, but his angles and technique were truly amazing to watch. Congratulations to Robin Soderling for knocking him off, and congratulations to Roger for this amazing streak. With Rogers streak of 23, he more than doubled the next guys in line. Ivan Lendl in the mid 80's and Rod Laver in the early 60's are tied for second with just 10 straight trips to a semifinal. What Fed did is more than amazing. Year after year after year Federer's opponent brings his best effort with a chance to knock down one of the greatest ever, and time after time Roger won at least until the semis. Lets not talk about how much of an upset it was to see Federer go down, but instead lets celebrate the streak because it was so amazing. Hats off to you Mr. Federer, you make tennis a great sport to watch and follow. And you never know, he is still great, maybe there is another run left in the guy. Now if somebody can just beat Nadal it won't be a terrible Grand Slam after all.

"U"-n-"bald"-evable

Ubaldo Jimenez is dominating the National League right now with the Colorado Rockies. I go to school at Utah State so during the end of a school year and also the beginning of the next they are my "local" team being in Colorado so I watch a lot of their games. I would consider myself a moderate Rockies fan if and only if my Mariners and Cubs are out of it, which toward the end of the season they usually are. Ubaldo Jimenez has got to be the most unheard of great pitcher in the major leagues.
Jimenez has got to be the front runner to become the National Leagues Cy Young winner this year, I know its early but this guy is absolutely amazing so far. Ubaldo Jimenez so far this year is 9-1 with a 0.88 ERA so far. That is not a typo or his WHIP, that is his ERA through ten games. That is unheard of at this point in the major leagues. Last year Tim Lincecum won the National League Cy Young with only 16 wins. Jimenez is on pace to do that by the all-star break. This can be a season to remember for Ubaldo, who by the way maybe has the best first name in all of baseball too, which makes him fun to follow.
The thing that is so great about this run the Ubaldo is putting together is that he is doing it in a hitters paradise in the thin air of Coors Field in Colorado. This would be impressive if it happened in a pitchers park like Petco in San Diego or Safeco in Seattle or even AT&T Park in San Francisco but to put this kind of start together at at Coors is something special. It is very rare for a pitcher to continue this way throughout the year as good starts usually fade into just a pretty good season. I have a feeling though that this is going to stop, I'll be watching every time Ubaldo takes the hill as I am predicting this streak to continue. The number that is considered amazing for a starting pitcher throughout a year is a 2.00 ERA and I am predicting that Ubaldo does that and more this season. The reason why I think it will happen is because he is doing in the right way. He is not some phenom pitcher who nobody can figure out because he is new. He isn't getting lucky by putting this together. He is a pitcher that has been solid throughout the past couple years, he is in this thing for the long haul. He has worked through his kinks in the last couple years to get to be the pitcher he is now. I think with his 97-100 MPH fastball that moves more than John Candy's belly while doing jumping jacks, it is not unreasonable to assume an ERA under 2 and 25+ wins. I think Ubaldo will continue to be "U"-n-"bald"-evable, and will cruise to the National League Cy Young award this year.

Soggy Superbowl XLVIII

Tuesday the NFL finalized their plans to have the 2014 Superbowl in the new Stadium in the New York Area. The new stadium is going to be shared by the New York Jets and New York Giants. The New Meadow Lands Stadium will host Superbowl XLVIII. This is the first time that a cold weather winter city will host the Superbowl in an outdoor arena ever in the NFL.
Didn't we see enough of this a few years back when the Colts played the Bears at Miami's Dolphin Stadium? Did anyone really enjoy watching that game as it rained all game long and made the field soaking wet? At least in that one there is nobody really to blame because you can't expect that type of weather in Miami, but if you put the game in New York you have to expect cold weather and potentially rainy or even snowy conditions. There are two sides of the argument here. Some people think this is a good thing because football should be played in all weather conditions while others think that the biggest game of the year should not potentially favor one team over another team due to weather conditions. What if Green Bay and Miami get to the Superbowl in New York, then what happens? Would that give Green Bay an unfair advantage because they have played in the cold all year long? I would argue that it wouldn't because its not like the guys that are playing for Miami are Miami natives, and the same holds true for the players on Green Bay. So in my mind that part of this debate is not the problem. The part of this that nobody is talking about, and is the biggest problem to this idea is this, what about the fans? Does the NFL think that the fans are going to want to be spend the week in New York where it is freezing all week and then go to a cold weather game? I don't think so. I am a Seattle guy, a fan of all the Seattle sports teams. I bring this up because when the Seahawks went to the Superbowl in Detroit I had a friend that made the trip out there to go cheer on the Hawks. He mentioned how miserable the weather was the whole week in Detroit that week and that if he had to do it again he would fly in the day of and leave the next morning. Fans don't want this game in a cold weather environment. Fans want to take a week off of work, go to some nice warm climate and golf with there buddies leading up to the Superbowl. They want to go to all of the Superbowl festivities during the week and not have to wear a parka outside to keep warm. This is a bad idea by the NFL.
The other side of this if a cold weather city like New York can get this big game, then what is stopping it from going to Seattle in February, or Denver, or Green Bay, or even Chicago which clearly is a big market. Now one could imagine that New York has more to offer to the every day Joe than a place like Green Bay but where is the line drawn? The taxpayers in Seattle raised enough money to build the beautiful Qwest Field, why does New York get this game and not Seattle? The NFL, for a long time, answered that question by saying that the weather is better, but now with them giving the game to New York there appears to be no excuse anymore. Well see how it all pans out, but if I am the owner of any of the teams in a cold winter environment I am going to be on the phone to Roger Goodell tomorrow morning asking when my city gets the big game.
All of this probably will not matter a whole lot though. I have a feeling that after all the sports writers and football purist and sports radio host and angry and happy fans all voice how they feel, the game will end up being played in a nice sunny mediocre day in New York and there will be no chance that either team could blame the weather for a loss anyway. Well see how it all goes down, I hope that there will be no problems with the weather on that day. I don't want a team to have to be whining about how they got screwed like when the refs blew the game for the Seahawks at Ford Field. I'll never forget that one. Goodbye for now everybody.

The Clock Strikes 23 for Mike Brown

The Cleveland Cavaliers let go of their Head Coach Mike Brown today to avoid having to pay him his whole year of his contract next year for $4.5 million dollars. Are the Cavaliers fooling anybody here? I mean isn't it pretty clear that they are only firing Mike Brown in hopes of getting a great coach in there and in turn hope to be able to resign Lebron James? As everybody knows, the Lebron James Sweepstakes are well under way and the Cavaliers are hoping to be able to resign him just as the rest of the teams in the league are. How much more can Mike James do? The guy had more wins that any Cavaliers coach ever in just five years as the head coach. Yah, so he never won a championship, but he did help create one of the best atmospheres in the NBA for a home game. Most would argue that the atmosphere was created by a superb athlete in Lebron James, and so would I, but he may have been the very guy who made the call to fire Mike Brown.
This leaves a very interesting scenario for the Cavaliers. With free agency starting on July 1st, that means that unless they have somebody in mind before then, the Cavaliers could be going into free agency without a coach when they try and re sign Lebron James. So it begs many questions, first, do the Cavs already have a coach in mind that may be more of the liking to Lebron, and if so, does Lebron know about it? I have a hard time believing that the decision is not entirely Lebron's decision. But lets just say that Cavs owner, Dan Gilbert, and Lebron James go into Gilbert's office and talk about a potential coach, and when I say talk I mean Gilbert saying, "Hey Lebron, who do you want me to hire to be the coach of your team? Lets say Lebron says, Joe Smoe. Now because Lebron James is still an employee of the Cleveland Cavaliers then he cannot contact any other team until that day. What if on July 1st, the Chicago Bulls hire Coach John Calipari and go after Lebron? Lebron and Calipari are great friends apparently, and would that offer be too hard for Lebron to turn down? That would leave the Cavs with the aforementioned Joe Smoe, and Lebron would land in Chicago with his pal John Calipari. That would be quite the story line for the NBA and quite a problem for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
I think Cleveland made a mistake by firing Mike Brown because they need to have a coach in place come July 1st to be able to throw as much money and love to Lebron as they can. Here is a thought though, what if, in that closed door meeting between Dan Gilbert and Lebron James, James decides to take a run at John Calipari? There is a two month window to try and pry Calipari from his "dream job" at Kentucky. What a storyline that would be.
Sorry about you luck Mike Brown, the clock has struck 23 for you. Lebron is clearly more important that you in this scenario, as wrong as that may sound. Mike Brown was a solid coach an one day he should get another chance with an NBA team. And with a chance to run it his way, you never know what he could do with a solid group of talent to coach for himself, and not have to worry about a superstar who gets to call the shots.

Toss Out the Sleeping Speculation

The Seattle Mariners had a get away day game on Thursday against the BlueJays. With the Mariners only mustering up just one run through the first 8 innings of baseball it seemed as though they were gonna lose another close low scoring game, as they have gotten used to this season. The Sports media and fans had given up on the season because the Mariners were so bad at hitting, and already 12 games under .500 that it seemed that there was no hope in Seattle for the lowly Mariners. But on the day in the bottom of the 8th inning lightning may have struck and woken this team up.
Mike Sweeney is at the plate with two outs and Ichiro on first base, the Mariners are down 3-1. The ironic thing about this is I cannot foresee a scenario where Ichiro should be trying to steal a base with two outs and the aging 36 year old body of Mike Sweeney at the dish who will get thrown out on any ground ball anyway. I guess Don Wakamatsu was trying to take a force away from a ground ball, but I still don't it. Getting a guy into scoring position means nothing because you are down by two runs, why would you run the chance of getting thrown out and take away the chance to tie the game with a long ball. But either way, on the first pitch of Sweeney's at bat there goes Ichiro to controversially get thrown out at second base, and here comes Mr. Wakamatsu out of the dugout to argue the call. This team needed a spark, they needed something to get their adrenaline going again after having such a bad start to the season. Don Wakamatsu got tossed out of the game by the second base umpire and as he walking into the dugout to go hit the showers the fans in attendance gave Wakamatsu a standing ovation. Now I am a sports guy, and I've had coaches that have been animated and others that have been very quiet and mundane. The debate is whether or not Wakamatsu getting tossed out rallied the Mariners or not. I have a slightly different take on that, I grew up playing hockey mostly, and while I don't know for sure if the actual fact that he got tossed matters, but I do in fact know that when a coach stands up for his team and shows a little emotion when things are not going well, then the players can rally around that. I think it was very important to the M's making the comeback that they did.
On a day that seemed to be like any other Mariner game, Wakamatsu made it exciting, and it could not have ended any better. After the Mariners plated two runs already in the ninth to tie the game, up to the plate came pinch hitter Ken Griffey Jr., the man who "built" Safeco Field essentially. "The Kid," who apparently was acting like a kid when he was said to be sleeping in the dugout a couple weeks earlier during a game, silenced his critics for one day at least, and hit a walk off single to score Milton Bradley from second base. Griffey was wide awake on this day and was smiling from ear to ear after the big base hit with that famous Griffey smile that captured the hearts of so many in the city of Seattle.
I admit that I am an optimist but when I was work digging a ditch at some construction site and I listened to Wakamatsu get tossed, I had a feeling it could be a turning point. The manager gets excited and gets ejected from a game and then the team who doesn't score any runs scores 3 in the ninth to win. You can just sense the excitement in the stadium and with the players. Its a long long long season but for one day the Mariners were fun to cheer for. I called it, that the next game that the Mariners play in, which was Friday against the Padres they were gonna break out and they did. They won that game 15-8 and are starting to roll maybe. With their pitching being very very good, their hitting only needs to be decnet to put something together here. It could be the start of a very fun summer in Seattle. Go M's baby!!

2010 NHL Playoff Predictions

Western Conference-

1. San Jose Sharks
8. Colorado Avalanche

The San Jose Sharks have a huge monkey on their backs after last years first round loss to the 8 seed Anaheim Ducks. The Sharks have not been a team that shows up in the playoffs in years past and has never won a Stanley Cup. Its seems like every year we have this same discussion, will the Sharks show up in the playoffs and win games as they do all regular season long. Well the facts are the facts, the Sharks had the most points in the Western Conference, and have a team full of wily veterans such as Big Joe Thornton, Seattle Thunderbirds product Patrick Marleau, Dan Boyle, and Rob Blake to go along with a stud of a goaltender Evgeni Nabokov. The people picking against the Sharks and saying that they didn't improve forget about the acquisition of Dany Heatley, who played every single game of the regular season and recorded exactly a point per game with 82 points. The Sharks are a great team, and they have the makeup to make a deep run for the Cup. For San Jose, it just comes down to big players being big when it matters, if Heatley can make a difference in the playoffs they will be tough to beat.

What an exciting season for the young Colorado Avalanche. Rookies Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly making huge impacts in the league their first year. Goalie Craig Anderson wanted a chance to start, rather than backup, so he chose to go to Colorado, and what a great choice it was. Anderson stormed out of the gates to lead the Avalanche to an amazing start, considering that they were last in the Western Conference last year. Anderson was just average down the stretch though as the Avalanche limped into the playoffs barely holding off the Calgary Flames. Lots of young guys for the Avalanche, with a few veterans like captain Adam Foote and playoff veteran Darcy Tucker. If Anderson can play like he did to get the Avs off to such a hot start then they have a chance with all the young guys.

PREDICTION- Seems like a lot of people are picking against the best team in the Western Conference according to points. Not me. Dont think that the Sharks will forget what an embarrassment it was last year to go out to the 8 seed in the first round, I dont expect it to happen again. The addition of Dany Heatley will help. The Colorado Avalanche of 2010 are not the Anaheim Ducks of 2009. That Ducks team had a lot of injuries during the season and got into the playoffs finally healthy with a team full of veterans. Avalanche are just happy to have made the playoffs but are still a few years away from contending. They are young and energetic and will be a handfull for the Sharks to start the series, but as the series wears on, the more experienced better team will start to control the series. Everybody is cheering for the Avs to do it again to the Sharks, but I think everybody will be disappointed. Ill take the Sharks in this one, it won't be as close as everybody is thinking. Sharks 4-1.

2. Chicago Blackhawks
7. Nashville Predators

The Chicago Blackhawks are chalked full of talent, offensively, defensively, and in between the pipes? Oops, nevermind the in between the pipes part as this team reminds me a lot of the Capitals out East. It looks like the the Blackhawks will go with young Finnish Goaltender Antti Niemi to make their run to the finals. He replaced Cristobal Huet as the number one guy in net midway through the season. But does it really matter? The Blackhawks offense is so good, that all Niemi needs to do is be decent for this round at least. Blackhawks have offensive players like Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, and Marian Hossa(WHL Product) to go along with good role players like Kris Versteeg(Another WHL Product), and Andrew Ladd. Ohh and by the way, does anybody know who is second behind Kane in points? Defenseman Duncan Kieth. Yep, that's right, the Canadian born D-man used his bomb from the point on the power play to tally the second most points on the roster with 69 points, including 14 goals. If Niemi plays decent, it'll be tough to stop the balanced scoring attack that the Blackhawks can bring to the table. Could make a deep run this year.

The Nashville Predators always seem to be in this exact same spot. Nobody has heard of any of their players, but somehow they seem to do just enough to get into the playoffs. That is a testament to their coaching staff and the philosophy lead by Barry Trotz. But this year their goal is to get out of the first round, but it will be a tough task facing the Blackhawks. It all starts with Pekka Rinne who will get the call over Dan Ellis. So it will be Finnish goalie vs Finnish goalie in this one, and Pekka Rinne will have to absolutely stand on his head for the Preds to win this one. But Rinne has shown this year that he has the ability to do just that. The Predators offense is also a well balanced attack, but they just don't score a lot. They have veteran leadership from 34-year old Jason Arnott, and other vets like Steve Sullivan. Its going to take a monumental task for the Preds to get by the Hawks, but they just may have what it takes if Rinne plays out of his mind.

PREDICTION- The Preds deserve a lot of credit for getting this far, but I just dont see an upset here. The Fans in Chicago will be rocking as the United Center crowd will know that the Hawks have a chance to win this year. The Preds are a nice story getting this far without tons of talent, but the Blackhawks will just be too much for them. I'll give the Predators one game at home in Nashville, but the Blackhawks will be motivated to close it out quick and get some rest as the next round will likely be tougher. Blackhawks take this one 4-1.

3. Vancouver Canucks
6. Los Angeles Kings

The Vancouver Canucks have been a steady team all year long. Winning the division again, and being tough to play against every night. Led by captain, and Gold Medal winning goalie, Roberto Luongo the Canucks cruise into the playoffs comfortably. General Motors Place is one of the toughest building in the league to play in. The Canucks also have Art Ross winner(most points in the league) Henrik Sedin to go along with his brother Daniel and other scorers like Alexandre Burrows and Ryan Kesler. Make no mistake about it, this team can score goals, and that has been a problem in the past. The Canucks scored the second most goals in the league this year, only finishing behind the Washington Capitals. But as for most teams, it will come down to their goalie, Roberto Luongo. He has struggled since the Olympic break but come playoff time he will be the stud that he always has been. The Canucks will again contend this year for the Cup that has forever eluded them.

For the Los Angeles Kings its been a long time coming, but they are finally back in the playoffs after a 7 year absence. The problem for the Kings has always seemed to be goaltending, but it looks like they have finally found the answer to that equation with the arrival of American goalie, Jonathan Quick. Well at least that is what they thought for most of the season, but recently Quick has struggled, and hasn't won a game in his last eight starts to end the regular season. How much does that matter come playoff time, we will see. The Kings can help Quick out by getting some offensive pressure and scoring which they can do with guys like Dustin Brown, Alexander Frolov, Michal Handzus, and mostly Anze Kopitar who recorded 81 points in 82 games played. The Kings are anchored on the back end by emerging star, and Gold Medalist, Drew Doughty to go along with American Defenseman Jack Johnson. Maybe the biggest difference from last years squad is Ryan Smyth, who made a deep run in the playoffs with the 8 seeded Edmonton Oilers a few years back. Smyth is a guy who is gritty and knows how to win in the playoffs, he will be huge for the Kings young guys to follow after as it will be most of their first time in the playoffs. Kings will need to score goals, and I think they will be able to do that and keep this series interesting.

PREDICTION- The Los Angeles Kings are new to this whole playoff thing and will need to get their feet wet early in this series to feel comfortable. This L.A. team is too inexperienced for me to pick them here. Last season, the Canucks were again the 3 seed and took on the up and coming St. Louis Blues. Everybody was saying the the Blues had a shot, just as they are now with the Kings, but the Canucks swept them out of the playoffs. While I don't foresee that result against the Kings, I do think the Canucks will again move on the the second round behind the goaltending of Luongo and steady scoring form the guys up front. I'll take the Canucks in a pretty close series, but they will close in out at the Staples Center in L.A. Canucks take the series 4-2.

4. Phoenix Coyotes
5. Detroit Redwings

This is probably the best story of the season in the NHL, the Phoenix Coyotes shocked everybody by getting to the playoffs and what do they get? A date with two time defending Western Conference Champions the Detroit Redwings. The Coyotes thought for a few days that they were moving to Hamilton Ontario last summer when they battled a bankruptcy problem. The Yotes have not been a part of the playoffs in 7 years and have never won a playoff series since the move from Winnipeg. Seems like tough odds to overcome, especially when you have to face the Redwings, but the Yotes are not scared of them. The Coyotes were led all year long by goalie Ilya Bryzgalov who had the season of his life recording 42 wins with a 2.29 GAA and a .920 SV%. He has been amazing this year, and will have to do that same plus maybe more against the Redwings to advance to the next round. The Yotes can score some goals too, thanks largely to a trade deadline move that was under the radar. The Yotes picked up Lee Stempniak from the Mapleleafs and he has arguably been the best trade deadline pickup in the whole league recording 18 points, 14 of which were goals in just 18 games with the Yotes. If he can continue this scoring streak and get help from guys like Wojtek Wolski who was another trade deadline pickup, Matthew Lombardi, and Radim Vrbata they could get out of the first round. Shane Doan is the only player with the Yotes that played for the organization when they were in Winnipeg, and he is ready and willing to do anything to get a series win for the city of Phoenix.

What do you say about the Detroit Redwings? Who was everybody kidding when they thought the Wings wouldn't get to the playoffs when they were hovering around the 9 seed until the Olympic break. Ohh yah the Wings streaked to the playoffs with a 16-3-2 run after the Olympics to get into the playoffs as a 5 seed. They know what it takes to win games in the playoffs as they won the last two Western Conference Champions. There is a difference though, this year the Redwings have turned to rookie goaltender Jimmy Howard as he took over the job from aging goalie Chris Osgood. If the Wings get good enough goaltending from the rookie then they will always be tough to beat, but it remains to be seen how the rookie will handle the pressure. The Wings have battled injuries all year long, but are now healthy with Tomas Holmstrom and Johan "The Mule" Franzen back in the lineup. Anchored on the back end by perennial Norris Trophy canidate Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski the Redwings look like they will be tough to beat again. For me, it all depends on how rookie goaltender Jimmy Howard will handle the pressure of the playoffs. but the Wings will be in the running for the Cup for as long as I live.

PREDICTION- Everybody in the hockey community is picking the Redwings in this one, I've even heard words and terms like "obviously" and "Lets get serious." Well the Yotes are serious this year, it was no fluke that they finished fourth and at one point late in the season was sitting atop the Western Conference. Are they young, well some of them are but Shane Doan and Ed Jovanovski are experienced veterans that will look to lead their squad to the second round and beyond. The Wings are always here, and while I dont think they will underestimate the Coyotes, I do think they are getting old and might be plagued by a rookie goalie in this years playoffs. As good as the Redwings are, and as experienced as they are I am going to pick against the "obvious favorite" here. The Coyotes are ready to get their first series win in the playoffs since the move from Winnipeg and veterans like Doan and Jovanovski will make it happen. Phoenix will have a long awaited "white out" this year for home games, and while they get accused for not having a good fan base, the fans will come out for the playoffs as they have done down the stretch. Jobing.com Arena will be rocking with excitement as the NHL playoffs will be in that building for the first time ever, following the move from their old arena a few years ago. I'm picking the home underdog Coyotes in this one, and not just becasue they are my favorite team. Yotes take it in 7 games.


Well there you have it guys, I hope you all enjoy, and I hope somebody is actually reading this stuff. To recap, in the Western Conference I have:
1. San Jose Sharks
2. Chicago Blackhawks
3. Vancouver Canucks
4. Phoenix Coyotes

2010 NHL Playoff Predictions

Eastern Conference-

1. Washington Capitals
8. Montreal Canadians

The Washington Capitals won the Presidents trophy this year for one reason, OFFENSE!! Obviously the first person you think of when it comes to the Capitals is Alex Ovechkin, the great 8, and rightfully so with 50 goals this year while missing ten games. But the Capitals can throw a lot of offensive talent to the opposing team besides OV. They have 100+ point scorer Nicklas Backstrom to go along with 40 goal scorer Alexander Semin not to mention lots of complimentary scorers like, Tomas Fleischmann, WHL product Eric Fehr, Seattle Thunderbirds product Brooks Laich, and an excellent pick up last summer with Mike Knuble, to go along with the NHL's top scoring defenseman Mike Green. The Capitals had 12 guys that scored more than 10 goals this year, so offense will not be the problem. Can they defend well enough though? The Capitals dont have a goalie, as a matter of fact they just announced today(Tuesday) who will be starting in goal to start the playoffs. Shouldn't it be a given who the goalie is on a team that hopes to contend for the Cup this year? Jose Theodore had a year and a half of brilliant goaltending in Montreal a few years back but has never lived up to the stud he was predicted to be after that year. Who wants a goalie going into that playoffs that has been a three teams in the last six years? Well thats what the Capitals have this year in Theodore. They have a lot of scoring though, will they be able to score enough to make up for a mediocre run-of-the-mill goaltender that they will take into the playoffs? Well see...

The Montreal Canadians on the other hand are not an exciting offensive team. They have a few guys that can score, like, Tomas Plekanic and his sweet turtle neck, Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez(WHL product), and Michael Cammalleri, but all those guys are not nearly as flashy as some of the boys that the Caps can throw at you. The deciding factor in the Canadiens success will be the play of the goaltender, Jaroslov Halak. This guy took over (WHL product) Carey Price's job midway through the season, and has been stellar ever since, even starting for Team Slovakia in the Olympics. No playoff experience though for Halak, and I don't think hell be good enough to hold off the explosive Capitals.

PREDICTION- Canadian played well with what they had this year, but I just don't see this one being close. Even with the Capitals problems in goal, I dont see them losing to the Habs. Matter of fact they will roll em. Canadians take game 3 at home to keep everybody in Montreal interested and hopeful, but the Verizon Center will be rocking come playoff time, and the Capitals will play good enough in goal for now to not have a scare in this round. Capitals win the series 4-1, wrapping it up at Verizon.

2. New Jersey Devils
7. Philadelphia Flyers

The New Jersey Devils are in the playoffs for the 13th year in a row, but....YAWN....Ohh excuse me did I fall asleep? The Devils just bore me, they play great defense and have a great goalie in Marty Brodeur. And that is not very nice of me, they did try to fix this problem when the picked up Ilya Kovalchuk from the Thrashers before the trade deadline, and they do have some scorers like Parise, Zajac, and Elias. Overall though, they are just a grind it out defensive style hockey team that will win games 2-1. But that is what works in the playoffs most of the time, the Devils won the Cup in 2000 and 2003 with that same philosophy so it works. The Devils style will always make them a contender for the Cup.

The Philadelphia Flyers are an interesting story. After last years first round loss to the Penguins, they signed Ray Emery last summer to fix their goaltending problems only to have him get hurt half way through the year. The Flyers were stuck with their backup, Michael Leighton, who also got hurt awhile later. The Flyers are decimated between the pipes so they have to, or get to, turn to another WHL product, Brian Boucher. Brian Boucher started his NHL career with the Flyers back in the 99-00 season, and after playing for five other teams he is back with the Flyers for an unlikely playoff run. The Flyers barely snuck into the playoffs this year with a shootout win against the Rangers to earn their spot. In goal for that game was Brain Boucher who looked excited to prove the critics wrong when he stopped the final shooter to seal a birth. The Flyers compliment Boucher with a pretty good offensive and exciting team up front. Guys like Mike Richards, Danny Briere, Claude Giroux, and recently recovered Jeff Carter could make it tough on the Devils.

PREDICTION- The Devils always make it this far, and I think they may overlook the Flyers a bit, and not realize they are in a battle until its too late. Everybody talks about how bad Brian Boucher is but wait, doesnt he hold the record for longest shutout streak in the modern era for the NHL? Yes he does, it lasted 332:01 and spanned for five games back in his younger years with the Coyotes. I think Boucher has something to prove, and he knows that he can do that after winning the must win 82nd game of the season against the Rangers. If the Devils win, Brodeur is one of the greatest goalies ever, if the Devils lose he still is. I think I'm in the minority here, but I like the Flyers in this one. These two teams played six times in the regular season, being in the same division, and the Flyers won five of those games. The Devils are too used to being here, and the Flyers are elated not to have to play their big brothers from across their state in Pittsburgh. Call me crazy, but I'll take the Flyers in 6 games, clinching it at home in front of a wild Wachovia Center crowd.

3. Buffalo Sabres
6. Boston Bruins

When you think Buffalo Sabres, you think one player, Ryan Miller. After leading The United States to the Gold Medal game in Vancouver, he will try to put his Buffalo Sabres on his back too, and lead them deep into the playoffs. Ryan Miller is second in both Goals against average(GAA)and Save Percentage (SV%)at 2.22 and .929 respectively. He will need to keep that up to beat Boston and ultimately make a deep run into the playoffs. The Sabres can also score some goals though with 20+ goal scorers like Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy, Jason Pominville, and german born Jochen Hecht to go along with a set up man Tim Connolly. The Sabres hope that Raffi Torres can pitch in for their playoff run, as he has done next to nothing since being acquired from Columbus late in the year. If rookie defenseman, 6'8" Tyler Myers can perform as he did in the regular season in his first playoffs then the Sabres will have a great shot to move on.

The Boston Bruins are ranked near the bottom in the league in every offensive category. The loss of Marc Savard to a concussion a month ago won't help at all, as he was their best set up man. The Boston Bruins had one, that's right one, 20 goal scorer this year in Marco Sturm who had a blazing 22 to go along with only 15 assists in 76 games. Frankly, its hard to imagine that they have made it this far with their anemic scoring, but they did. Whats the old cliche? Offense wins games but Defense wins championships right? Well the Bruins can play Defense. Remember when I said that Ryan Miller is second in GAA and SV%, and guesses as to who is first? Not a lot of people would know that the league leader in GAA and SV% is Tuukka Rask with 1.97 and .931 number respectively. Aside from having maybe one of the best first names in hockey in Tuukka, he also has zero experience come playoff time. He had great numbers in the regualr season but whether that adds up to playoff success remains to be seen.

PREDICTION- Everybody is picking the Sabres in this one in a rout, but not so fast. Tuukka, Tuukka, Tuukka(I love saying that name) Rask can is athletic between the pipes for the B's. Against any of the other top seeds I might have predicted the upset, but not against Ryan Miller. I dont see this one being a sweep as some do, because this series will be low scoring and tight which means any team can win on any given night. All things being equal in net, which I'm not sure that they are because of Tuukka, Tuukka, Tuukka's lack of playoff experience, I still like the Sabres offense much better. I'll take the Sabres to close it out in 6 games at the TD Garden in Boston.

4. Pittsburgh Penguins
5. Ottawa Senators

What can you say about the Pens, they have some of the best offensive players in the league with Sid and Malkin to go along with veteran leadership in Billy Guerin-tee, and Sergei Gonchar, not to mention great role players like Matt Cooke and Tyler Kennedy. Sounds like a winning combination huh? Well not so fast. After getting over that hump winning the Cup last year, people expected them to come in and dominate the East this year. That hasn't happened yet, the Pens went 0-6 against the Devils this year, and it cost them the division. But that didn't seem to bother them last year when they won the Cup from the exact same position in the East, the 4 seed. With the talent that the Penguins have up front, as long as Marc-Andre Fluery steps it up come playoff time as he did last year, they will always have a chance.

Ohh yah, the Ottawa Senators are playing in this series too, I forgot. The Senators are maybe the most underrated 5 seed to ever play in the playoffs. All people are talking about is the Penguins, and that this series will be a formality. Not if Ottawa has anything to say about it. The Senators have a pretty good offensive team with guys like Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, and (recently engaged to one of the most attractive women in the world, Carrie Underwood) Mike Fisher. To have a chance in this series these three guys will have to do just that, score. After signing Pascal Leclaire to tend the pipes in Ottawa, another injury plagued year slowed him down, but not to worry Ottawa fans, Brian Elliott to the rescue. Elliott stepped in nicely midway through the season and ended up with pretty good numbers that give fans in Ottawa a reason to believe. And believe they will if the Sens can get a split in Pittsburgh. Don,t sleep on Elliott and the rest of the Sens, as they can be a problem for anybody in the league.

PREDICTION- Two years ago, the Senators got swept by the Pens in the first round, but I got this feeling that won't happen this time around. The Penguins expect to be here, and they are going to overlook the Sens. I think that if the Senators can go in to Pittsburgh and split the first two games, that will do wonders for their confidence. If that happens, and I think it will, the Senators will come back home to one of the best home records in the league this year and be energetic and ready to play for their fans. I dont know if its because I'm cheering for them or what, but I feel like a shocker is going to happen here. If it goes 7 games, the Penguins will win at home. I'm predicting an upset though, the Senators will win in 6 games in front of a rowdy crowd at Scotiabank.


There you have it. My first round predictions in the Eastern Conference are:
1. Washington Capitals
3. Buffalo Sabres
5. Ottawa Senators
7. Philadelphia Flyers

NFC Playoffs- Eagles@Cowboys- Saturday

Eagles- The Eagles started out the season at a mediocre 5-4 after two straight losses to the Cowboys and then the Chargers, but as the Eagles always seem to do toward the end of the season, they got hot when it mattered. They went on a 6 game winning streak and looked to be cruising when they headed into Dallas to play their last regular season game of the season. Going into that game, they had already clinched a playoff spot, but if they beat the Cowboys they would've been the two seed and clinched a first round bye, but if they loss they would the the final seed in the NFC. They went in to Dallas and laid an egg, losing 24-0 and getting absolutely dominated by the Cowboys. The Eagles have the tools though to be an explosive offense, and a good enough defense to hold a good offensive team down such as the Cowboys.

Cowboys- The Cowboys had two big monkeys on their backs going into this season. They first needed to get over their December struggles, and secondly they needed to win a playoff game, having not won a playoff game since 1996. The Boys lost the first two games of December and everybody was talking about a winless December again and coach Wade Phillips was being rumored to be fired. The Cowboys turned the corner the next week when they went into New Orleans and beat the then unbeaten Saints 24-17. After that game they didnt give up a single point in the final two games of the season. The Cowboys are among the hottest teams in the league going into the playoffs, and are as much as 5 point favorites. Can the Cowboys get the biggest monkey off their backs and get their first win in 13 years.

Prediction- The Eagles runningback Brian Westbrook is the key in my mind. He has missed games due to a concussion this season, but seems to be getting healthier and healthier. I expect a different game this week from last week. These two teams are actually pretty evenly matched despite the Cowboys sweeping the season series. But that is the exact reason why I am picking the Eagles in this one. It is too hard to beat a team three times in the same season, especially in football. I dont think the Cowboys can get off the snide in the playoffs quite yet, I'll take the City of Brotherly Love's team, 26-23.

AFC Playoffs- Jets@Bengals- Saturday

Jets- The first order of business for the playoffs is for the New York Jets to put Jim Caldwell on their Christmas card list. Jim Caldwell, the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, decided to rest Peyton Manning and some other starters early in the third quarter when the Colts lead 15-10. The Jets took full advantage and came back to win the game 29-15, and when the Jets beat the resting Bengals the next week they clinched a playoff spot. If Caldwell keeps his starters in the game in week 16 then the Jets are likely sitting on the couch watching the playoffs on TV. The Jets have a solid defense, in fact they are ranked number one in the nation, but can the score enough points to stay in the game and win it late? Thomas Jones is one of the most under rated running backs in the league, and always seems to have solid games on the ground. Problem is that everybody talks about quarterbacks when it comes to the playoffs, and the Jets have a quarterback in Mark Sanchez that is tied with me in playoff wins, zero. If the Jets can keep the ball on the ground to control the clock, and play solid defense, then they have a great chance to win this game.

Bengals- The Cincinnati Bengals were a great story at the beginning of the year, and still are I guess because nobody expected them to be in the playoffs this year, and with the teams in their division, including the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers, they were certainly not expected to win their division. But they did, going 6-0 against their own division, the AFC North. The Bengals all year long have had a pretty solid defense, and have had a revitalized offense. Cedric Benson, who was thought to be done a couple years ago has really turned his career around in Cincinnati to become one of the premiere backs in the league this year. The Bengals had a great start to the year but have kind of stumbled and limped down the stretch with bad losses to teams like the Raiders and a whooping by the Vikings. The Bengals will have a rowdy home crowd though, and if they can use them to their advantage they have a good chance to win.

Prediction- Its going to be cold in Cincinnati this Saturday, and the team with a better running game and defense should win this ball game. The Jets beat up on the Bengals last week to clinch a playoff spot 37-0. The Bengals were not motivated in that game because they have nothing to play for, and they also rested their guys in the second half. Dont be deceived though with last weeks game, yes the Bengals were unmotivated and rested their players, but even when Carson Palmer played the whole first half, he recorded a grand total of 0 yards passing. The Jets dominated that game even when the Bengals had all their top guys in the game. Ill take the 2.5 point underdog Jets in this one, they have the leagues top rated defense, and a very consistent running back to pound the Bengals all day in the cold weather playoff game. Although I dont expect this game to be anything like last weeks game, I do expect the Jets to be able to win in a low scoring, defensive style game. I'll take the Jets 20-14.