NFL Predictions

With the NFL Season set to kick off a week from today, it's time to talk predictions. In the AFC you have the usual suspects in the Colts and Patriots. While I see both of these teams winning their division and making the playoffs, I don't see either team making it past the second round. I see the Steelers and Chargers winning the other two divisions, with the Jets and Jaguars as the wild card teams. With both the Pats and Colts aging and injured, I look at two teams, the Chargers and Jaguars. These two teams are young, fast and athletic as any teams in the league. They play great aggressive defense, and punish you with the run, and both teams have vastly improved their passing game. I see the Chargers defeating the Jags 24-14 in the AFC Championship game to finally reach the Super Bowl.
As for the NFC, all the talk is about the Cowboys and Vikings. The Cowboys haven't won a playoff game in over a decade, and the Vikings will never win a Super Bowl with Tavaris Jackson at quarterback. I do see the Cowboys winning their division, with Green Bay, New Orleans, and Seattle winning their divisions. I think the Eagles and Giants will be the wild card teams. I know the Giants have lost allot of players since last season, but they always seem to find a way to go 10-6. Once again, I see the Cowboys failing to get out of the second round, getting upset by the Eagles. I then see the Eagles versus the Saints, with the Saints winning the NFC over the Eagles, 31-21. The Saints will have too much offense this season with a much improved defense with the addition of linebacker Johnathan Vilma.
So, I see a Saints vs. Chargers Super Bowl. It should be a great game. Two high powered offenses going up against one another. The deciding factor will be San Diego having a little better running game and defense. The Super Bowl Champion will Be the San Diego Chargers in a 28-24 victory over the New Orleans Saints.

NCAA Predictions

This plans to be another great year of college football. With the season set to kickoff tomorrow, it feels like Christmas eve. The Georgia Bulldogs are the favorite to start the season, but they have a really tough road ahead of them. Not only do they have to deal with the toughest schedule in the country, they also have to deal with injuries and off the field problems. They will have to find someone to protect QB Matthew Stafford's backside after Trinton Sturdivant went down with a season ending injury. Coach Mark Richt has also had to deal with off the field problems from many players. Luckily, he learned from the master, Bobby Bowden, about how to only punish players when you are playing against the weakest teams on your schedule. If they can find a way to get past all of this, and navigate through their schedule with zero to one losses, they will be playing for the title.
After saying all that, I can see the Dawgs losing up to as many as three games. The schedule is just too tough. Unfortunately I foresee one of the two proverbial BCS losers, Ohio State or Oklahoma, playing the champion of the SEC for the title. I know allot of people are very high on USC, but I'm just not sold on them or their quarterback. While I do think they will beat Ohio St., I think they will fall to either Arizona St. or Oregon, and maybe both. I can't see Ohio St. losing to anyone on their schedule other than USC, and because it will be so early in the season, they will have enough time to make up for it and pass USC in the ridiculous BCS. As for Oklahoma, I can't see them losing a single game in the Big 12 this year., and they play no out of conference teams that should be any kind of a threat.
As for the SEC, in my opinion, it's Florida's to lose. If Percy Harvin and Brandon Spikes can get healthy, there is no faster or more athletic team in the country. They have so much speed it's ridiculous and unfair. Not to mention they have the reigning Heisman Trophy winner in Tim Tebow. They lead the league in scoring last year and should be even better this year with the addition of wide out Deonte Thompson, and running backs Emanuel Moody and Chris Rainey, remember that name, Rainey will be the Knowshon Moreno of this season. They also add 5 star prospect Will Hill to a young and improving defense, along with stud defensive end Carlos Dunlap. While the defense won't be as good as two years ago, it should be close. The schedule is favorable, their only real challenge should be Georgia, and I think they will be up for that challenge.
To sum it up, if healthy, Florida will be playing for the National Championship versus either Oklahoma or Ohio State. If I was a beating man, I would put my money on the Gators. The sleeper team to keep your eye on that could take the place of OU or OSU is West Virginia. And the Heisman will go to either Tim Tebow or Percy Harvin.

Idiocracy

I've never heard a dumber conversation on a sports talk show then I did today. I heard a question posed about whether or not an asterisk should be placed by the name of the winner of the PGA Champion because Tiger isn't playing. That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. If that is the case, then Tiger should have an asterisk by everyone of his titles because Jack Nicklaus is retired, Nicklaus should have an asterisk because Bobby Jones wasn't around when he played, Montana and Walsh should have an asterisk because Bart Starr and Vince Lombardi were no longer around.
Don't for a second think I'm knocking Woods, because I'm not, but I must have missed were he's won every tournament he's entered. While he may be the two time defending champion, he's not the twelve time defending champion. I'm just getting so sick and tired of all the, golf can't survive without Tiger. Golf has been around forever, it didn't start in the nineties when Woods came along. Stars come and go in all sports, and new stars come in and take their place. The NBA has done just fine since Jordan, Magic, and Bird left. Now there is Kobe, LeBron, Melo, and D-Wade. I hear the same people complaining about the Favre situation and talking about how he's not bigger than the game, and that no one in any sport is bigger than the game, yet they are making Tiger bigger than the game. It is so unfair to all the other players on tour. Sure, they'd rather Tiger be there, because as a competitor you always want to beat the best, but there's nothing they can do about it. Tiger has only won four of the last fourteen majors he's entered. He went all of 2003 and 2004 without a major. So PLEASE give the whole, it doesn't matter without Tiger a rest. It's just plain stupid.

JET-ing Out Of Green Bay

After 17 years the New York Jets finally get their man. Back during the 1991 NFL Draft the Jets had Brett Favre rated as their number one player, but didn't have a first round pick. The Atlanta Falcons went on to select Favre in the second round, one pick before the Jets. Seventeen years and fifteen starting quarterbacks later, Favre is finally in the Big Apple. The messiest divorce in sports history has finally come to an end. And might I add that the Packers managed to add another piece of classlessness to the situation by stipulating that if the Jets traded Favre to Minnesota that they would have to give the Packers three first round picks. Make up your mind Green Bay, is Favre washed up, or the second coming of Johnny Unitas.
Personally I see this going one of two ways. Without a doubt Favre is going to be motivated like never before. Favre will either use this motivation to play like he did last year when he was the runner up for the league MVP, or he will try so hard to prove himself that he will struggle immensely. The thing that has always made Favre who he is has been his gunslinger mentality. This can be both good and bad at times. If Brett is able to keep his emotions in tack in the proper way, while still playing like he always has, the Jets should be a playoff team. You never want him to lose his gunslinger mentality, because that's who he is, he just needs to make sure he doesn't try and do too much. The Jets spent over $100 million on free agents this off season, most importantly improving their offensive line immensely, and also had a good draft. (as long as Vernon Golston pans out) With all the parity in the NFL today, it's not unrealistic to say the Jets are Super Bowl contenders. Favre lead the Packers from 8-8 to 13-3 and hosting the NFC Championship game. If I'm not mistaken Favre is 22-4 in his last 26 regular season games. Take from this trade what to will, but I see great things coming.

The Favre Chronicles

The end of an era appears to be inevitable. After 16 seasons with the Packers, it appears that Brett Favre is moving on. It is truly a sad day to be a Packer fan, and football fan for that matter. After more than four months of this mess I still don't get it. Like many of you, I have listened to countless experts opinions on the situation. I have agreed with some, and strongly disagreed with others. I could not have agreed more with Mike Golic today on Mike and Mike in the morning when he expressed the same feelings and thoughts on the situation that I have had. Just as I have been saying all along, and Golic said as well, what has really changed since Favre retired, nothing. No games have been played, no passes thrown. Like I've said since this all started, it's not like the Packers passed on a Peyton Manning type quarterback in the draft and then the next day Favre retired and left the Packers high and dry. They drafted his replacement, Aaron Rodgers years ago, and then drafted Brian Brohm this year, both of whom were at one time projected to go number one overall, and also drafted Matt Flynn, who quarterbacked the LSU Tigers to the National Championship this past season. So please, stop calling Favre selfish. I was listening to ESPN radio today and I actually heard Doug Gottleib compare this situation to the Manny Ramirez situation in Boston were he all but quit on his team. He all but called Brett Favre a selfish baby. He even went so far as to say that Favre only played in games when injured to set records. He said something along the lines of, "we'll never really know how injured his thumb really was and whether or not he hurt his team by playing." Yeah, cause Craig Nall would of been a much better choice to play. Gottleib should have been fired on the spot for idiocy. To disrespect the man who has thrown for more touchdowns, more yards, more completions, won more games, one of only three qb's to defeat all 31 teams, and the only three time MVP, while never missing a start, is absurd. Now it's time for me to give it to the Packers. I've made no secret of the fact that Favre is my favorite all time player, but I've been a Packers fan since before I even knew who Favre was, but no more. I wonder if the Packers were owned by one person, instead of a large group of shareholders, if this would be happening. I guarantee you if the Packers had an owner like Dan Rooney of the Steelers, this would not be happening. A classy organization, such as the Steelers, would either welcome Brett back with open arms, or have the balls to just say we don't want you, we think we are better off without you, and grant him his release. Which brings me to the biggest problem I have with the Packers. If they think they have a better chance of winning without Favre, and a better qb in Rodgers, then why are they so f-ing scared to just release him? So scared that they were willing to pay him $25 million to stay away. If they beat the Vikings twice last year and tied for the best record in the conference with Favre last year, and now have Rodgers,who they think is better, than what's the problem? How can you say you don't want Favre, but you're scared to play against him? Never will you here more boo's for the home team than every time Aaron Rodgers throws a pick, or when Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy are shown on the jumbo tron this year at Lambeau. My boo will be the loudest.

Dawg Gone It!!!

As maybe the biggest Florida Gator fan of all time, it pains me to see the Georgia Bulldogs as the preseason #1 team in college football. It pains me even more to say that I have to agree. Georgia is coming off a great season and has many returning starters, most notably Heisman hopeful running back Knowshon Moreno and quarterback Matthew Stafford. Although, they will have to navigate their way through the nations toughest schedule if they are to end the season were they will start it. The Bulldogs will face eight teams whose coach has won a National Championship. They will also have to deal with road games at South Carolina, Arizona State, LSU, and Auburn, and a neutral site game with Florida. That means they will have to play on the road against the last two National Champions. If the Bulldogs are able to pull off this feat, they may go down as having had the greatest Championship run of all time. One good thing going for the Dawgs is that by starting off #1 and having the nations toughest schedule, they are the one team that can afford a loss during the season and still have a very realistic chance of making the title game. It reminds me allot of Florida's title run two years ago when they had the nations toughest schedule and finished with one loss. If they are able to just win the SEC, I think they should play for the title. I really think that a knew rule should be instated saying that the winner of the SEC should play for the title every year. The only team I can truly imagine beating them is Florida. I've been saying since last season ended that I think both Georgia and Florida will go into their Nov. 1st meeting both undefeated, for the first time ever, and that the winner will play for the Championship and the Heisman winner will also come from that team, whether it's Moreno or Stafford from UGA, or Tebow or Harvin from the Gators. Last years season was one of the best in history, their were more upsets than any year in memory. I truly believe this year will top it. I don't see as many upsets happening as last year because I think that there are so many good teams, in the SEC in particular, that even if Georgia loses to Florida or LSU, it's not an upset. I've read some comments calling the SEC the greatest conference ever, and I have to agree. I for one can't wait. This season is going to be great, as long as Ohio State doesn't play in the title game again.