NFL Week 8 Preview

Posted in NFL by James Caughlin on October 30th, 2011

I’m all for teams wanting to show loyalty to players who helped them to success, in fact I think there needs to be more loyalty to players but the harsh reality is the game we all love is a business and to have success there needs to be someone to run the franchise as such. This week however I saw an article suggesting that the Colts, should they get the chance, pass on drafting Andrew Luck as a sign of loyalty to Peyton Manning who, by all reports, is expected to return next season and may even get some run this year (why they would risk him though is beyond me). Manning has been probably one of, if not the main reason for the Colts success over the last 12/13 seasons and he deserves to be recognized as a franchise icon but the fact of the matter still remains that he is in his mid-30′s and is coming off what was clearly a very serious neck injury. In the offseason he got his reward of a 5-year $90 million deal and is likely to see a fair bit of that money coming his way. The opportunity presented to Indianapolis here though is very rare if not almost unbelievable in that they had the #1 pick 13 years ago and the first time he’s missed in his whole career comes as he is approaching the twilight of his time in the NFL and his team sucks so bad without him they may get the top pick once again and a chance to draft a player who is by all accounts, the best quarterback since their current guy. I don’t think Manning would stand in the way of the Colts drafting Luck (should the opportunity arise) but the Colts should not pass on him if they get the chance since they could wind up in the rare situation of having a true franchise quarterback replace the current all-world franchise quarterback and be set there for another 13/14/15 years. It’s a business and it may not make Manning happy to see a true successor on the roster but the best case scenario for the Colts if they get the chance to draft Luck, it spurs Manning onto 2 or 3 years at the top of his game before he retires by which time Luck has learned the system and can produce an almost seamless transition. Anyway with that rant out of my system, onto this week! Which should be a touch more entertaining than nearly all the games last week.

Game Breakdowns

Washington Redskins vs Buffalo Bills

4:05pm Rodgers Centre [Toronto]

Line: Bills -6

Storyline: Buffalo trying to get their first win in this building and get a good chance against Washington who started out strong but appear to be leveling out now.

For the Bills to Win: Coming off getting a new contract that pays him like a second tier quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick needs to play like his is getting paid and do his bit to turn this game into a shootout. The Redskins defense is tough but not unbreakable and he should have his opportunities to make plays. On the ground it is usually a safe bet to count on Fred Jackson to get 100+ yards at 4+ yards a carry with the form he is in right now so there is no reason to think he won’t do the same.

For the Redskins to Win: John Beck isn’t getting paid like a second tier quarterback because he is still trying to prove he is one of the top 32 in the league and is worthy of a starting job and this will be a good chance to rebound after a rough showing against the Panthers. If the Redskins are to have any chance they need to slow down the Bills offense and turn it into a slug fest and hope that they can put up enough points to get by. They won’t be able to sell out trying to stop just one of the Bills running game or passing game but their defense may not have a lot of big names, but as a unit it could be enough to get the job done.

Pick: Bills, both teams are playing closer to expectations now but the Bills roster is healthier.

New England Patriots vs Pittsburgh Steelers

4:15pm Heinz Field

Line: Patriots -3

Storyline: Two of the more dominant teams in the last 10 years who, between them have 5 Super Bowls and 7 Lamar Hunt trophies face off in Pittsburgh in a rivalry that isn’t as close as some may think.

For the Steelers to Win: For starters, their defense needs to not get caught up in the mind games of the Patriots offense and they need to stick to their convictions and play smart. On offense they need to do something which Dallas did not and take a deep shot against the Patriots suspect secondary. If Mike Wallace gets one on one coverage against James Ihedigbo then all bets are off and he could have a field day going all over the defense for several scores. That is of course working on the assumption that the offensive line can give Big Ben enough time to throw long.

For the Patriots to Win: For this I went back and watched last season’s game between these two teams to see how Brady dissected the Steelers defense and the answer was pretty simple. There was some impressive play design which got favourable one on one coverage by spreading the defense out rather than employing the 2 tight end formation they usually do. Rob Gronkowski is a one on one nightmare for a lot of players with his 6’6″ frame and massive wingspan and last time he played the Steelers he went for 3 touchdowns and could have a big day again. By spreading the defense out the Patriots should be able to get Benjarvus Green-Ellis and Stevan Ridley plenty of touches through the middle of a defense that is still good but is not as fearsome as it once was.

Pick: Patriots, can’t go against history & Brady here

Week 8 NFL Picks: My Wife Knows More than You

Posted in NFL by Seth Cox on October 29th, 2011

Week 8 in the NFL is upon us and it is time to bring back the Mrs. to help you win money, because apparently she is the only site participant with that ability at this juncture. Yes in the battle of the sexes the wife rolled in the first week to a 9-4 record, I stumbled to another 6-7 week.

So no fancy intro, let’s get right to it:

New Orleans @ St. Louis (+13.5): Do the Rams even keep it within 20? That’s the real question to me. There isn’t really a lot of analysis that goes into this one; hell did you see the Saints offense last week against the lowly Colts? It must be nice to see back to back winless teams as one of the best teams in the league without their starting quarterbacks.

As an aside, can we PLEASE stop crowning quarterbacks as the next great thing until they win some games? Bradford hasn’t won yet, let’s see if year two of being an awful team, and yes I know they almost won the NFC West last year they still weren’t good, wears on him, or if he is able to continue to develop.

I will leave you with one good thought though: Drew Brees single handedly save my fantasy season, with the only double digit scorers being my TE and K, I needed a huge game from him, and he provided that. Thanks Brees.

Saints-38
Rams- 10

The Mrs. – Saints. But can I just say what they did last week to the Colts was just wrong. We all know the Colts are nothing without Peyton but come on do you have to cream them just to prove it even more?

Miami @ New York Giants (-9.5):

The Mrs. – Giants. I like Eli and the Dolphins are almost as bad as the Colts.

I’ll leave her analysis up, because it goes fine there.

The Future of the BCS: How a playoff might look.

Posted in College Football by Bryan Doherty on October 28th, 2011

First of all, it is my belief that we will see a playoff system in Division 1 college football and it may happen as soon as the current BCS contract ends and a new one starts. My reasons for believing this are as follows:

Too much demand: There is simply too much demand for a playoff. Fans of college football have been clamoring for a playoff since before the inception of the BCS. Every poll that has been conducted on the subject shows that the majority of fans want a playoff and that majority seems to get larger every year.

The players are also in favor of a playoff and it is “their game” after all.

Most of the major media are in favor of a playoff as well. This is what, I believe, will ultimately drive the start of a playoff. More and more writers, television analysts, etc. are becoming extremely critical of the current system. It is becoming increasingly difficult for BCS proponents to defend the system.

Ultimately, it is my belief that the pressure applied by fans, players and the media will eventually force college football to come up with a playoff system.

Too much money to be made: Every study that has been done, indicates that a playoff system would be more profitable than the current system. Once the university presidents, conference commissioners, etc. come to grips with the amount of money that a school can make, they will sign off on a playoff.

Now, assuming that we get a playoff, how might we get there?

I believe that it will start with the often talked about “plus one”, which in reality is a “final four”. I think that we will see a system put in place where the top 4 teams according to the final BCS poll will play each other in what would essentially be a “final four” using 2 of the BCS bowls followed by the National Championship game. I believe that these games will be played, either in a BCS bowl close to the higher ranked team or on a rotating basis. If we had a “plus one” last season using a BCS bowl game close to the higher ranked team, it could have looked like this:

#1 Auburn vs. #4 Stanford in either the Sugar Bowl or Orange Bowl

#2 Oregon vs. #3 TCU in the Rose Bowl or Fiesta Bowl

Once we have had a “plus one” for a few seasons, I believe that a couple of things will happen that will cause the “plus one” to be expanded to an 8 team playoff.

Complaints from other top 10 teams: As with the expansion of the NCAA basketball tournament, there will be teams and fans who are upset when they feel that their team was improperly ranked or has improved enough to feel that they could win a playoff, but are left out. While this will not be the deciding factor, it will likely be the impetus that gets the conversation started. There are those who use the expansion of the NCAA Basketball Tournament to what is now 65 teams as an argument against a football playoff. I believe that the very nature of football (a game that can only be played once per week) will prevent any expansion beyond 16 teams and I have my doubts that it will ever expand to include 16 teams.

Big 12 Down to 10 Teams but League Won’t Suffer

Posted in College Basketball by Gus Elvin on October 28th, 2011

Big 12 Preseason Preview

by Gus Elvin

Hope you enjoyed the ACC preview but now it’s time to move on with our Conference Preview Series as we take a closer look at the Big 12, where a group of upstarts look to unseat Kansas from the top spot they have held or shared the past 7 seasons. Kansas loses 4 starters from last year’s 35 win team, headlined by the loss of Morris twins and will have an uphill climb if they hope to earn a share of the Big 12 crown once again. The new Big 12 champ will likely come from a trio of schools as Baylor, Missouri and Texas A&M all appear to be the top challengers to the Jayhawks’ dynasty this year. The Big 12 will also have a different look this season as Colorado(Pac-12 ) and Nebraska (Big 10) have moved on which doesn’t hurt all that much in terms of basketball and sets up a full home and home conference schedule of 18 games. The Big 12 was also hit hard by the 2011 NBA Draft as 6 players were selected in the 1^st round, which especially hurts when you consider all 6 were early entrants. The key departures include Tristan Thompson (Texas) Marcus and Markieff Morris (Kansas), LaceDarius Dunn (Baylor) and Alec Burks of Colorado. Even with these key departures plenty of talent returns in the Big 12 as players like Perry Jones III of Baylor, Marcus Denmon of Missouri, Thomas Robinson of Kansas and Khris Middleton of Texas A&M headline a group of returning conference stars. The Big 12 will also welcome some talented youth as some of the top recruits in the country join the conference. Players like Quincy Miller (Baylor), LeBryan Nash (OSU) and Myck Kabongo (Texas) will all splash onto the Big 12 scene this season and are expected make major contributions this season as freshmen. The Big 12 will be an interesting conference to watch as there is not clear favorite at the top and it looks as if someone will finally unseat Kansas as the Big 12 Champion. With that it’s time to breakdown the teams of the Big 12 starting with the Baylor Bears.

Big 12 Projected Conference Standings

1. Baylor Bears

2. Missouri Tigers

3. Texas &M Aggies

4. Kansas Jayhawks

5. Texas Longhorns

6. Oklahoma State Cowboys

7. Kansas State Wildcats

8. Iowa State Cyclones

9. Oklahoma Sooners

10. Texas Tech Red Raiders

TSHQ’s Gamblers CFB Sexy Six Week 9

Posted in College Football, Gambling by Bryan Doherty on October 27th, 2011

Alright, alright, I know. I fell on my face last week. It happens. I hadn’t had a terrible week all season, winning at least 2 games every week. So I finally faced some troubles. Sue me. Yes, I told you to raid the kids’ college tuition jar. I told you to borrow from your mother-in-law. But RELAXXXXX. Hey, Babe Ruth struck out. Larry Bird missed jumpshots. Jim Brown fumbled. Settle down. These things happen. O F*** me? No Screw you. I handed you a profit on college basketball last year. I handed you a profit on the regular season for college football last year. More weeks than not I’ve done well for you this year. One down week and the armchair gamblers that read this blog are all over me. There’s 6 or so weeks left. Little Jimmy is still 5-10 years away from college, so relax. We’ll fill that jar right up. Tell your wife you rented a hooker or something, I don’t know. Just don’t send them after me. We’ll right this ship. All that matters is the finish line a**holes. Jump off at your own risk. But NOBODY gets back on the wagon after they’re off. Not even my mother. I told you last week in the writeup I didn’t like the games and large spreads. This week is a bit better but there’s still some large spreads out there. You want to be mad at me? No, be mad at Tennessee for getting outscored by 30 in the second half. You want to be mad at me? No, be mad at Wisconsin for blowing a 14 point lead. But enough excuses, I’ll be better. If you don’t like it, kiss my a….

ALRIGHTY then. Moving on to week 9, Week 8 was disastrous, just a crappy week all around. K.M and I struggled to say the least and put a dent into our records. I collapsed into a 4-2 SU, 1-5 ATS record while K.M was only slightly better at 4-2 SU, 2-4 ATS. Hot Hook Ups were ice cold. 0-3 for the week. That goldmine last year? Yea, avoid our hook ups at all costs. They’re terrible this year. Post week 8, here’s where we stand…

Bryan: 34-14 SU, 24-23-1 ATS
K.M: 26-22 SU, 20-27-1 ATS
Hot Hook Ups: 11-14-1

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8

So it is week 9 and we have some intriguing matchups this week. After that horrendous weekend last weekend that saw us playing 30-point spreads, we’re back to normal. Think of upgrading from 2011 Jessica Simpson to 2005 Jessica Simpson. Sure the intelligence level of the convos may not be great, but it’s a trade you’ll make everytime. That’s what we’re dealing with here. We have a bunch of games that people will want to watch with relatively reasonable spreads. We’re all winners and hopefully at weekend’s end we’ll be back to giving you some…

It’s the Sexy Six Week 9…

Georgia (-3) vs. Florida

Bryan: There appears to be a ton of uncertainty as to whether John Brantley will suit up for the Gators on Saturday. Woopdie-doo. That’s like my Sox in September being unsure if Bedard or Lackey was ready to go. What difference does it make? Florida’s passing game is terrible regardless. Any chance they were going to have in this game fell on the shoulders of their defense and run game anyways. Both teams had a bye week to prepare for this one and everyone knows the history by now of Georgia in this game. Hell, if I was the coach and we were 3-18 in the last 21 meetings vs an opponent, I’d flood the field after a TD too. Georgia is the better team and can eliminate Florida from the SEC race with a win here. While everyone likes to talk about Aaron Murray and deservedly so, this may be the sneakiest top 10 defense in the country. The Bulldogs will be able to make enough plays to win this game. I understand Florida has done Georgia in many a times, but how many times with a QB this bad?

Prediction: Georgia 28 Florida 17

K.M: Time is running short for me to have the season I intend to have, and also time is running short for me to write this Sexy Six up, so forgive the somewhat brief nature of my analysis. Georgia is really in a must win situation here, the pressure on the coaching staff and team that was put on them with an 0-2 start is boiling over for this game. Georgia has the better team, better weapons, and more to play for. Florida is on the slide.

But I never pick Georgia at the Cocktail Party. Ever. Well, I did it once and won. I’m quitting on that move while I’m ahead. Florida, just like I pick every year here…

Prediction: Florida 27, Georgia 24

Oklahoma (-13.5) at Kansas St.

K.M: I’m picking against K-State. Because I hate them. This team owes me a win and I’m coming to claim it.

Prediction: Oklahoma 51, Kansas State 21

Bryan: Two TDs on the road after getting knocked off by Texas Tech. That’s quite a bit to lay your trust in. However I like what Joey Harrington said today on ESPNU. “Oklahoma was the preseason #1 for a reason. Kansas St. wasn’t on the radar for a reason.” Sometimes people miss. I think I’ve maintained many times that Kansas St. proved me very wrong, but this is the weekend their run comes to an end. Oklahoma wins this game. Only question is by how much. The matchups work out favorably for Oklahoma almost across the board. Oklahoma loves throwing the ball. Kansas St. can’t defend the pass. Oklahoma is decent against the run but their secondary is exposable. Kansas St. is a run-first team. What happens if Oklahoma gets ahead by a couple scores? Can Kansas St. get back in the game with the run game or do they have to turn to the pass? If they do turn to the pass, how successful can that be? I think I’m taking a BIG roll of the dice here, but I’m going to lay the points.

Prediction: Oklahoma 45 Kansas St. 28

Hot Hook-Up: Sooners laying the points

Michigan State (+4) at Nebraska

Bryan: I LOVE SUCKER BETS!!! I’m 0-2 already this year on them and this is the first one of the week. Sparty comes into this game high as hell off a big win over Wisconsin. Nebraska is off anyone’s radar except the pollsters who still have them top 15. If this game is on a neutral field or in East Lansing, Sparty is the favorite. So is Lincoln, Nebraska that big a deal to make Nebraska a 4-point favorite? I don’t think so. Nebraska’s offense is so damn one-dimensional. Sparty should be able to shut down the Cornhuskers ground attack and then it is just a matter of hoping the crappy Sparty’s offense that shows up sometimes doesn’t reappear. Still, you’re telling me the team I believe is better, against a team I think is overrated, doesn’t even have to win or cover points but just has to stay within a FG of the inferior team? Sure, I’ll take that….

Prediction: Michigan State 31 Nebraska 27

K.M: Is this a sucker bet? You damn right it is. But you know what else is a sucker bet? Ever picking Nebraska. Nebraska does not impress me on either side of the ball. I’m not sure how they beat Ohio State, who also does not impress me any, meanwhile Michigan State is out there getting solid wins. Yea, I’ll fall for this trap too, I cannot fathom making a case for the other side of this one.

Hot Hook-Up: Sparty with the points

Handicapping the NFL: Week 8

Posted in NFL by Cole Zwicker on October 27th, 2011

Season ATS: 16-12-1

Season Over/Unders: 1-3

Season Parlays: 1-3

Season Teasers: 0-5

Season Units: -21.5 units

Week 7 Recap: Well, the unpredictable pandemonium that is the NFL continued. The Packers squelched a 17 point lead to the Vikings down the stretch allowing Minnesota the backdoor cover at the hands of Ponder, while Joe Wacko pulled his now infamous Mr. Hyde act in no showing against the Jags. I didn’t see AP running for 165 yards, or Ponder looking that sharp in his first start, so props to the Vikes who have decimated my picks on consecutive weeks on both sides of the coin. The Ravens collapse was however foreseeable. With them you bet and hope adequate Wacko shows up. I’m still surprised the Ravens didn’t cover just by their defense despite Average Joe’s ineptitude. Luckily, the divine spirit that is Tim Tebow struck in the last two minutes of the Miami game and DeMarco Murray to the dismay of my fantasy team destroyed the Rams single handedly, lessening the blow. I’m still upbeat despite consecutive weeks of losing. I’ve been here before, and have found a way to scratch and claw my way out of the hole. It’s that time again. I actually like this weeks slate of games more than any other week this season. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but regardless it’s go time..

I.Line Plays

Cleveland at San Francisco(-9)

This is a great matchup for the Niners. The Browns have given up at least 100 yards rushing to every team they’ve played outside of Seattle last week who didn’t have Marshawn Lynch. San Fran is a meat and potatoes offense. They pound the ball if they’re tied, up by 20, or down by 20, and in the process simplify the game for Alex Smith. I expect there will be a heavy dose of Gore and Kendall Hunter toting the rock, and Cleveland will be helpless to stop it. On the opposite end of the ball, the Browns offense is feeble. They mustered just 6 points against the Hawks last week at home and now travel to play a defense that is #2 against the run and have 17 sacks. The Browns will have to rely on borderline mediocre Colt McCoy to win this game through the air. You know I’m fading that.

Bet: San Fran -9 (3 units)

If you can’t beat em join em, right? Also, this line seems like it should be higher but the books aren’t ready to make San Fran double digit favorites just based on principle. I think we’re getting at least a point of value here.

Minnesota (+3.5) at Carolina

Cam Covers and the Panthers are gaining appreciation from the public due to their 5-1-1 ATS mark. However, lost in translation is how bad they are defensively. Carolina’s D gives up over 130 yards per game on the ground, and due to the fact teams just run on them their #12 rank against the pass is misleading. Simply put this is a bad defense, and now they have to deal with Peterson this week who just lit up a stiff Packers rush D for 165 yards. AP could legit go for 200 on Sunday, especially with Ponder now under the helm. Ponder’s 13-32 stat line against the Packers obviously isn’t sexy, but for those who watched the game his impact was much greater than that. The Vikes offense seemed reinvigorated with Ponder, and moving forward this team is better than 1-6 with a live body now at quarterback. Overall, I expect the Vikes to run AP into the ground and control time of possession, keeping Cam away from field and the Vikes porous secondary.

Bet: Minnesota +3.5 (2 units)

Week 7 Power Rankings and Tim Tebow’s Best Use

Posted in NFL by Seth Cox on October 27th, 2011

Week 7 NFL Review

Welcome one and all to the wonderful world of the NFL, where Tim Tebow should be banished to the Arena League for 3 ½ quarters, but finds a way to win the game. Where the Raiders trade TWO first round draft picks in an attempt to make the playoffs (semantics I know it is a 1 and a conditional 1-2) then roll out Kyle Boeller in the first half and watch him throw three interceptions, then bring in their new shiny QB and he goes on to throw three INT’s as well. Just Win Baby!

It was one of the more… interesting weeks in this NFL season leading to an unspectacular 7-6 week for me, and 9-4 week for the Mrs. meaning she is the superior football prognosticating mind in the relationship… not surprising really.

Thoughts from Week 7 would typically come at this point, but I need to talk to you about something else, power rankings, and in this week’s edition of the power rankings, we are going to look at what each team in the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes needs to become a better offense, and with the Broncos, we are going to solve the Tim Tebow mystery.

Andrew Luck Sweepstakes:

32. Indianapolis Colts: Did you see the game on Sunday Night? Did You? I could give a damn about the 62 points given up, but how the hell do you only score 7 points on that defense?

This is painfully obvious, but Peyton Manning is the key to this team getting back on track offensively, but what this year could help? How about an effective running game that can take some pressure off of Curtis Painter? Donald Brown has been a gargantuan bust, but Delonte Carter has been a nice surprise, and they need to find out if he can be the back of the future, because the draft next year is chalk full of NFL talent after round 1: Lamar Miller from Miami, Montee Ball from Wisconsin, Chris Polk from Washington could all be players for this team offensively, but they also need help along that offensive line as well: Levy Adcock and Mike Adams could be options early in the second round to put at right tackle, moving Ben Ijlana back inside to guard.

31. Miami Dolphins: THIS CLOSE to beating the Tebow. Oh well, can’t go back now. Andrew Luck is the key to Miami’s immediate turn around, but they don’t get that chance at this point. So who could work for them? Matt Kalil is the consensus second best player, but how would he work? They just drafted Daniel Thomas, and gave Reggie Bush money, so Trent Richardson doesn’t make sense, and Jake Long has been extremely effective as a left tackle, so I am not sure Matt Kalil, even as the best available would make sense, so where do they go? TRADE DOWN or take Kalil and have two of the best young tackles in the game.

30. St. Louis Rams: Things just keep getting worse, or maybe they are getting better since the schedule seems to be lightening up after they lose to the Saints this week. They have @Arizona, @Cleveland, Seattle, Arizona for four weeks in a row, so some very winnable games. In that case they are going to be out of the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes, and hoping that they can find a weapon for Sam Bradford to throw the ball to. Trent Richardson could be intriguing with Steven Jackson coming up to voidable years in his contract and lots and lots of talent at WR available in free agency: Marques Colston, Dwayne Bowe, both Colts WR’s and Vincent Jackson at the top of every WR needy teams wish list. If they are not sold on Richardson, look for Justin Blackmon to be the pick, even though it won’t be the third overall selection.

29. Arizona Cardinals: WooHoo… We suck again. As the great Bob Kemp likes to say, it looks like we are back to the Same Old Sorry Ass Cardinals. The Cardinals need to get out of “Suck for Luck” mode, even though it would land them a haul of draft picks and talent, and get into the Matt Kalil or Jonathan Martin “Future Left Tackle Extraordinaire” Sweepstakes. In doing so they can then extend and olive branch to incumbent turn style, Levi Brown, and try and rework his contract instead of just cutting him, to move him to right tackle, which he is much more suited for.

If they can’t reach a deal to bring back Levi on the right side, then the free agent market is ultra thin, but I guess Brandon Keith has been good.

28. Minnesota Vikings: Ponder looked like a rookie in his debut, making some phenomenal plays early, then making some boneheaded plays later, but keeping the Vikings in it. He needs weapons and protection, with Kalil and Martin gone, that leaves Alshon Jeffery as the best offensive option.

I like the way this little draft is shaping up thus far.

Addition by Subtraction: A NBA Blueprint.

Posted in NBA by Bryan Doherty on October 27th, 2011

Well, all this CBA crap has me in a bad mood. I should be watching preseason games right now. Yes, I watch preseason games. Sad, I know. Anyways, I have already laid out my feeling about this whole mess that is the NBA a couple of weeks ago. Today, I want to offer a blueprint that I believe would solve the problems in the league and would at the same time create a much better all around product. Now let me say right out of the gate that this is simply an exchange of an idea and that this idea is quite fictional in that it would never happen. Often what is the best solution in matters is the last to be considered. My thought require two major changes that would make many people angry, but I still think it is worth discussing. Here is my idea and trust me it is not a new one at all.

1. Contraction. There has been talk of contraction for ever now but it never really goes any further then talk, nor do I think it ever will. This is just the solution that makes most sense to me. Less teams equals less crappy players in the league and more star players to be spread out. Will this make every team equal and perfect? No, but it is a step in the right direction. Teams that are failing to fill the seats or turn a profit are a cancer to the league as a whole. you now have small market teams wanting larger market teams to “bail” them out by spreading the wealth. Bad idea in my book. If you cannot turn a profit then you should cease to exist as a team. Very simple.

My idea is to remove 3 teams from each conference to bring the league total of teams down to 24. Removing 6 teams equates to the removal of 90 players. You might say that 90 players is a ton and that that would certainly require the loss of some decent roleplayers. I would laugh. I looked at all the teams in the league and their rosters and then I went to NBA.com and looked at the bottom 90 guys or so on the efficiency chart. Few names stood out at all. many of the “better” players at the bottom have been injured, but for the most part we are talking about players like: Brian Scalabrine, Sean Marks, Theo Ratliff, Luke Walton, and Brian Skinner. Those are a few of the names that stood out to me. Here are some names that I have never heard before: Gani Lawal, Pape Sy, Orien Greene, Craig Brackins, and Cole Aldrich. Who the hell are these guys? We are talking about players that either need to retire or belong in the Dleague anyways.

By removing 90 players and 6 teams each team might really have some decent roleplayers sitting at the end of the bench and I for one would rather watch a league like that. So, which team need to go? Well like i said i want to remove 3 from each conference and my criteria is part to do with attendance but more to do with revenues and the dept to revenue ratio. With this in mind a team like the Raptors stick around in my league. Everyone always seems to want to get rid of them first, but they are not in bad shape as a team and their attendance is average. Here are the teams that must go:

Random Thoughts From The College Football Weekend

Posted in College Football by Bryan Doherty on October 26th, 2011

Random thoughts. They might be right, they might be wrong, but at least they’re mine.

USC vs. Notre Dame: This game showed us a few things about both teams:

We learned that while Notre Dame is on the right track, they are not as close to BCS level as many in the media would like us to believe (especially the unofficial Irish mascot, Lou Holtz).

We learned that USC has not fallen as far as many would like us to believe.

We learned that while Brian Kelly may be a great head coach, he is not the miracle worker that many would like us to believe he is. He is going to need some time.

We learned that while Lane Kiffin may not be the greatest head coach, he is not as bad as many would like us to believe. At the very least, he is smart enough to have a great staff.

This game also showed that the NCAA really, really needs to look at how some of these rules are being enforced. There was a play in which a Notre Dame defensive back was called for a helmet to helmet hit, when the USC receiver actually lowered his head first. It helped keep a drive alive that ended in a USC score.

I thought that both head coaches handled the potentially incendiary comments by USC linebacker Chris Galippo when he said about Notre Dame that “they quit” and “that’s what Notre Dame football is all about” with appropriate class. Lane Kiffin immediately called Brian Kelly to apologize on behalf of the Trojans and assure him that what Galippo said does not represent USC’s opinion of Notre Dame. He also forced Galippo to apologize (and I’m sure that young Mr. Galippo has been given some quality time with the strength and conditioning coach so that he may have the opportunity to reflect on the error of his ways).

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly simply stated: “Our guys know what happened. They got their butts beat…They didn’t play very well, and that comes with it. You get what you deserve”.

It’s this mutual respect and continued insistence on playing one another when they don’t have to, that makes this such a great rivalry.

NFL Week 7 Breakdown

Posted in NFL by James Caughlin on October 26th, 2011

Last week when Arizona was on a bye, Seth mentioned it was nice to be able to go into a week not worrying about his team losing. The other positive that comes from your team not playing is you don’t get too invested in one game from the week and get to enjoy the lineup from a neutral perspective. On Sunday night (my time) before the NFL kicked off there were two games that I got to sit back & enjoy as a neutral, the Rugby World Cup Final between France & New Zealand which was a great, defensive struggle which came down to the final minutes and the Manchester Derby in the English Premier League which turned into an absolute mauling. Now in these games and the NFL I still had my fan interests (wanting New Zealand, Manchester City & the Jets to lose), but in the end it was great to sit back and enjoy how the games unfolded. There weren’t any games that I would put down as instant classics but there were still plenty of entertaining games including Jets-Chargers, Vikings-Packers and even the end of the Dolphins-Broncos game was kind of fun. Unfortunately the game I got to see the most of was the Saints-Colts game which was over after 5 minutes.

Game Recaps

1:00pm

Chicago (24) -d- Tampa Bay (18)

Realistically this game should not have been close at all with the Bears running all over the Buccaneers through their best player Matt Forte. The running games proved to be the big difference here in this game as the Chicago one was functioning on all cylinders and the Tampa one was struggling just to get started. Blount was missing and Ernest Graham looked like he tore his achillies tendon leaving the offensive responsibility on Josh Freeman who cannot carry the team yet. He did lead an almost comeback in the 4th but just fell short as he couldn’t overcome his 4 interceptions.

Pick: Buccaneers, you would think experience traveling would have helped.

Cleveland (6) -d- Seattle (3)

I struggled just with the highlights from this game & believe me it was a short video. Seattle knew they were in for a long day when Marshawn Lynch hurt his lower back in pregame warmups after the inactive list had been released meaning they were stuck playing one short from the get go. Cleveland won the game by holding the ball for essentially 43 minutes and not making any mistakes but they did the bare minimum to get by in this one.

Pick: Browns, Whitehurst got me -1 fantasy points this week with Brady on the bye.

Denver (18) -d- Miami (15) [OT]

Ok, let’s get this out of the way, Tebow did a good job leading his team in building the comeback in the final 5 minutes. That being said however, he did suck royally for the first 55 minutes and seemed like he was doing his best to not win the game at times. Miami meanwhile continues to struggle as they can’t seem to win at home, a rather worrying trend for the last few years. When it came time to make a play though, the Denver defense stepped up and got a strip sack of Matt Moore to give them the chance to win the game on field goal in overtime.

Pick: Broncos, let’s not go crazy here, they got away with it.

New York (27) -d- San Diego (21)

You would think that San Diego had this one in the bag given their 21-10 halftime lead and the fact that they were comfortably moving the ball on the Jets but mistakes killed them along with poor execution. Plaxico Burress had a nice day however catching four passes for 3 touchdowns and being the scoring difference for San Diego. The Jets deserve credit for winning the game but you have to look at San Diego’s 2 interceptions (including the one that set up the go-ahead score by Revis) and their 13 penalties and think that they could have won this easily.

Pick: Chargers, did not see the 4th quarter capitulation

Atlanta (23) -d- Detroit (16)

This was a rough game with players needing to be seperated before kickoff setting the tone for a hostile game. Detroit seems to be struggling without Jahvid Best in the backfield and the passing game is suffering as Matthew Stafford is expected to produce even more. Over 1/3 of his passes wound up going towards Calvin Johnson on the day including a nice 57 yard touchdown throw on a fake reverse. Michael Turner is still churning out the yardage when he is asked to by the team and carrying the team to victory. The Lions had a chance to get the ball back but could not make a proper tackle.

Pick: Lions, Falcons played well & Detroit’s making enemies

Carolina (33) -d- Washington (20)

Well done to Cam Newton, Washington aren’t a great team but they are a tough challenge this year and he made the plays to get his team up including an impressive 25 yard scramble when backed up against his own end zone. The Panthers running game continued to roll with Newton and the original Panthers two headed monster of Stewart and Williams combined for 162 yards on 34 carries which kept the chains moving. John Beck was good but not spectacular in his time passing the ball and could still have some hope, he just couldn’t get it done in this one.

Pick: Panthers, Newton looking like he was worth the draft pick so far

Houston (41) -d- Tennessee (7)

Arian Foster decided that with the offense missing Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub reportedly hindered by a hip niggle, he would just do it all himself to make up for missing some time earlier in the year. In the matchup between two of the leagues better running backs Foster won in a clean knockout showing decisiveness and aggressiveness hammering the ball down the throat of the Titans defense while Chris Johnson danced his way to another disappointing performance.

Pick: Texans, their running game won out.

4:15pm

Pittsburgh (32) -d- Arizona (20)

This game really wasn’t as close as the scoreline says it was, Pittsburgh looked like they were comfortable for the entire game as it turned into a quarterback duel as both running backs struggled to make any inroads. Roethlisberger went for 340 yards and tossed 3 touchdowns in an impressive road performance. This wasn’t as epic as the last time these two teams met in Super Bowl XLIII but it would have taken a lot to match that game.

Pick: Steelers, Kolb starting to take some heat.

Kansas City (28) -d- Oakland (0)

What do you do when you are starting a quarterback who is a backup at best and on the bench is a guy who has been on the team 5 days and knows about 10% of the playbook? Run the ball with your game breaking running back until his tongue hangs out. What do you do when that running back gets injured? Throw 6 interceptions, 3 by each quarterback… apparently. Ok so maybe that last part really isn’t what you should do but it’s what happened to the Raiders, Kyle Boller getting the start dug the Raiders into a 21-0 hole which Carson Palmer was asked to dig the team out of only to throw another 3 interceptions as he struggled with rust. The Raiders had an effective day running the ball with Michael Bush who went for 99 yards and had a good yards per carry average but the mistakes in the passing game killed them here. Kansas City is quietly building back to their form from last year but they weren’t great today but they had the game handed to them on a platter and they didn’t spill it.

Pick: Raiders, mental note: next time Kyle Boller starts, go against him!