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Quick Snaps: NFL Week 12

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Falcons 24 Vikings 14 – I’ll give Christian Ponder and Percy Harvin credit, they made this game much closer than most people thought. Your move Saints/Giants.

Bengals 23 Browns 20 – Peyton Hillis is alive and well but not healthy enough to lead the Browns past Andy Dalton and the Bengals. For Cleveland, is it time to start thinking about how Matt Barkley will look in orange/brown?

Titans 23 Buccaneers 17 – Did I call it or did I call it? I told y’all that Chris Johnson was going to bust out and I do believe 23 carries for 190 yards qualifies as a breakout performance. Poor Raheem Morris. Maybe it’s time to dust off the old resume after all.

Panthers 27 Colts 19 – You know what they say, horseshoes and hand grenades.

Cardinals 23 Rams 20 – How long before Arizona returner extraordinaire Patrick Peterson starts getting the Devin Hester treatment? Also, 228 yards! Who knew Beanie Wells had it in him? I guess the Ohio State alum wasn’t too affected by his alma-mater’s loss to Michigan Saturday.

Jets 28 Bills 24 – First, Stevie Johnson mocks Plaxico Burress during a TD celebration and then the Buffalo WR drops a crucial pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick which could have led to a Buffalo score and an improbable last second comeback over the jets. I guess you could say Stevie put his foot in his mouth or rather, shot himself in the hands.

Texans 20 Jaguars 13 – I feel for Matt Leinart, I really do. If his season has really come to a close after only one start, I guess it helps to know that he has already made over $20 million serving primarily as a backup QB. I’d say that kinda cash is worth a broken collarbone now and again.

Raiders 25 Bears 20 – I was riding with Caleb Hanie until his 3 interceptions, and 6 Sebastian Janikowski FG’s, did the Bears in. It’s going to be very close between the Falcons/Saints/Lions/Giants/Cowboys/Bears for the final playoff spot.

Redskins 23 Seahawks 17 – Rex Grossman just proving all the haters wrong once again.

Patriots 38 Eagles 20 – The Patriots secondary made Vince Young look like second coming of Randall Cunningham early on but eventually settled down long enough to allow Tom Brady and the New England offense to take over. Speaking of over, could this be the end of Andy Reid in Philly?

Broncos 16 Chargers 13 – Who goes first: Andy Reid or Norv Turner? I say Reid, the venom in Philly is much more paralyzing than in San Diego. And Tim Tebow, no postgame handshakes for John Elway until he fesses up and admits that he doesn’t want you to be the Broncos long term solution at quarterback.

view from Arrowhead Stadium courtesy of @corylutgen

If Gambling Were Legal: NFL Week 12

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NFL Week 12 (Nothing like a little holiday to set your writing schedule back a few days.)

ST. LOUIS (-2.5) over Arizona – Suggestion. Arizona returns the name Cardinals to St. Louis in exchange for Sam Bradford and a player to be named. The St. Louis Cardinals can now start fresh with a new/old identity and then roll the dice by drafting Baylor QB Robert Griffin III while the Arizona Fighting Fitzgeralds pick up a young QB in Bradford who is sure to make most desert dwellers forget all about the Kevin Kolb Experiment.

NY JETS (-9.5) over Buffalo – It would be so like the bully Jets to take their frustations out on the once proud Buffalo Bills. Question for New York, who would you rather have as your quarterback: Mark Sanchez, Mark Brunell, or Glenn Foley?

CINCINNATI (-7) over Cleveland – With the NBA lockout coming to an end, I guess we won’t be seeing LeBron James suiting up for the Browns anytime soon.

Houston (-6.5) over JACKSONVILLE – I mean, all Matt Leinart should have to do is hand the ball off to Arian Foster and Ben Tate a combined 50 times for the Texans to be successful against the Jags. But, this is Matt Leinart after all so I wouldn’t be surprised if this thing is won or lost on the very last drive of the game.

Carolina (-3.5) over INDIANAPOLIS – If the Colts don’t plan on using the top pick in the 2012 draft on Andrew Luck, maybe they should have a few scouts hang around Lucas Oil Stadium next weekend to watch the Wisconsin Badgers take on the Michigan State Spartans in the first ever Legends vs. Leaders Big Ten Championship Game. Badger quarterback Russell Wilson would be a steal for Indy in the 3rd or 4th round, even though the diminutive QB measures in at roughly the same height as Drew Brees.

TENNESSEE (-3.5) over Tampa Bay – Mark this down as the game where Chris Johnson finally decided to bring the noise. Or he rushes for less than 25 yards again and the Titans decide to cut him on the spot.

ATLANTA (-9.5) over Minnesota – I just realized that none of these Sunday games are any good. I guess that’s the price we pay for three stellar contests on Thanksgiving. And, just in case you were wondering, for Thursday I went with DETROIT (+6.5), Miami (+7) and San Fran (+3.5). That 49ers one hurts me the most, thought they had a chance of covering till the very end.

Chicago (+3) over OAKLAND – Upset Special!!!! Upset Special!!! Caleb Hanie does it for the Bears with a big assist from Jay Cutler who’ll be watching from the sidelines while wearing baggy sweatpants and one of those stupid looking brimmed winter hats.

SEATTLE (-3) over Washington – As I type the Apple Cup between Washington and Washington State is on in the background and I’m pretty sure Ed Hochuli’s younger brother is the referee. Can’t be certain however as this Hochuli has much much smaller deltoids.

New England (-3.5) over PHILADELPHIA – Too many injuries for the Eagles who could lose this game and still have an outside chance in the NFC East.

SAN DIEGO (-5.5) over Denver – John Elway is such a flip-flopper that Mitt Romney has decided to make him his running mate in 2012. Hey ohh!!

KANSAS CITY (+10.5) over Pittsburgh – I’m calling Kyle Orton is in at QB for the Chiefs by halftime.

New York (+7) over NEW ORLEANS – It would be just like the Giants to make this a close ballgame.

Last Week 9-5 (Overall 84-76)

view from Stanford/Notre Dame courtesy of @DavidHibiske

 

Quick Snaps: NFL Week 11

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NFL WEEK 11 – SUNDAY RECAP

Browns 14 Jaguars 10 – The good news is that, unless you have Direct TV, this game was probably only on in two markets and I’m still not even sure if Jacksonville is aware that they have a professional football team.

Lions 49 Panthers 35 – Matthew Stafford threw for 5 TD’s as the Lions took care of business against the Panthers as they now prepare for their biggest Thanksgiving Day Game perhaps ever. With the undefeated Packers coming to town this Thursday, Detroit has a chance to show the national television audience that they are for real for the first time since the retirement of #20.

Packers 35 Buccaneers 26 – Speaking of Green Bay, the Bucs made this game on the Frozen Tundra much closer than most of us anticipated. But in the end, Aaron Rodgers played like Aaron Rodgers and the 10-0 Pack now prepare to feast on a little Turducken.

Dolphins 35 Bills 8 – Maybe Matt Moore is the long term answer at quarterback for the suddenly 3-7 Miami Dolphins. For Buffalo, 4-1 feels like eons ago and if things keep trending downward, look for Buffalo to switch uniforms again before next season.

Raiders 27 Vikings – Oakland was able to hold on for dear life in the Ponderosa as the Vikings mounted a valiant comeback only to fall a little short thanks to the rookie play of rookie quarterback Christian Ponder. Here’s hoping Adrian Peterson isn’t too hurt as he continues to show us all that great running backs can continue to run hard even after signing lucrative contract extensions. (We’re looking at you Chris Johnson.)

Cowboys 27 Redskins 24 – Tony Romo continues to impress as the Cowboys needed all the skill and talent they could muster to outlast the surprisingly spunky Redskins. Hold tight Washington fans, help in the form of Peyton Manning is coming next season. (No I don’t have any insider info but when this now rumor does come to fruition next offseason, I would like at least partial credit for calling it all the way back in October.)

Ravens 31 Bengals 24 – Late last night, during the second half of the USC/Oregon game, a little twitter hyperbole took place as a few notable football pundits like Peter King, lined up to praise Matt Barkley and begin to question if the Trojan quarterback might just as well turn out to be a better pro than the anointed one Andrew Luck. I liked what I saw from Barkley last night, but if we’re going to talk about an “under the radar” college quarterback who could end up being the goods in the pros, look no further than Waco, Texas and Baylor star Robert Griffin III. Dude is electric.

Seahawks 24 Rams 7 – In any other season, the NFC West would be the Seattle Seahawks to lose. And poor Sam Bradford. Are the St. Louis wide receivers that bad or do the Rams need to look for another franchise QB?

49ers 23 Cardinals 7 – A Happy Harbaugh Day to the brothers Harbaugh as Jim Harbaugh brings his 9-1 49ers into Baltimore to take on brother John Harbaugh and the 7-3 Ravens on Thanksgiving night. Apologies in advance if you do not get the NFL Network.

Falcons 23 Titans 17 – Jake Locker the future is now. Well, probably in a few years as Tennessee starting QB Matt Hasselbeck will probably be back next week after suffering a minor arm injury against Atlanta. The Falcons look to be one of 4 teams along with the Cowboys, Bears, Lions battling for the 2 wild card spots.

Bears 31 Chargers 20 – Speaking of Chicago, Jay Cutler took care of business once again as the Bears look like a legit obstacle in the Packers path to perfection. And Philip Rivers, enjoy the bench as I’m poised to announce Big Ben Roethlisberger as my fantasy starter for the remainder of the season.

view from MetLife Stadium courtesy of @wcv76

 

 

If Gambling Were Legal: NFL Week 11

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NFL Week 11

NY Jets (-6) over DENVER – I understand Tim Tebow is never going to be the most accomplished thrower of the football but aren’t there a few other routes he could complete on a regular basis besides the straight down the field go pattern? Like what about a swing pass to a running back in the flat? Or a TE screen? Quick slant anybody?

Tennessee (+6) over ATLANTA – Media members think Mike Smith made a mistake last week against the Saints by going for it on 4th and 1 from his own 29 yard line while his Falcons players apparently still love the uber-agressive play calling. Either way, Falcons and Titans both still have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs.

MIAMI (-2) over Buffalo – All it took for Reggie Bush to break out of his season long malaise was the dissolution of Kim Kardashian’s brief, but profitable, marriage. On a separate note, could the Dolphins be the perfect landing spot for a healthy Peyton Manning next season?

Baltimore (-7) over Cincinnati – Didn’t love what I saw from the Bengals last week against the Steelers. Didn’t watch much of the Ravens game in Seattle but saw enough to know that a Joe Flacco led offense is about as reliable as

Jacksonville (-1) over CLEVELAND – The Jaguars helmets remind me of those hypercolor tshirts that were big back in the early 90s.

MINNESOTA (+1) over Oakland – While most people focus on the embarrassing disappointment Titans running back Chris Johnson has been this season after holding out and signing a lucrative long term contract, maybe more attention should be given to Adrian Peterson, who also signed a new deal this summer, but who has refused to let all the new money slow him down.

DETROIT (-7) over Carolina – The Lions are going to run all over the suspect Panthers defense while avoiding the dreaded pre Thanksgiving Day trap game. There was a time when the Packers/Lions Turkey Day classic was destined to be the most impactful contest of the year. Now, this game can best be described as two ships passing in the night.

GREEN BAY (-14) over Tampa Bay – A whole bunch of sports talk show have started debating what’s more likely: 16-0 for the Packers or 0-16 for the Indianapolis Colts. I say the Colts going winless is a much more likely scenario because they have absolutely nothing to play for other than Andrew Luck and the only way to get the top pick in the 2012 NFL Draft is to lose the remaining games on their schedule. If pride or saving Jim Caldwell’s job were a major motivational factor you’d thing they would have already won a game or two.

Dallas (-7.5) over WASHINGTON – Best thing going for the Redskins are their yellow throwback pants.

Arizona (+9.5) over SAN FRANCISCO – Now THIS is a trap game! Niners are going to look past the lowly Cardinals in anticipation of their Thanksgiving Night game against the Ravens in Baltimore. I for one am already excited about the endless “human interest” pieces feature brothers John and Jim Harbaugh.

Seattle (+2) over ST. LOUIS – Maybe Tarvaris Jackson isn’t that bad after all.

CHICAGO (-3.5) over San Diego – Maybe Philip Rivers isn’t as good as we thought.

NY GIANTS (-4.5) over Philadelphia – The Eagles have been the biggest disappointment in the NFL. Now they must deal with a QB who has broken ribs and a WR with maxed out credit cards.

NEW ENGLAND (-15) Kansas City – Tyler Palko is going to be as bad as we thought.

Last Week 9-7 (Overall: 75-71)

view from Sports Authority Field courtesy of @blaxirican52

 

 

College Hoops: The Stage is Set

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College Basketball is here and, thanks to the NBA, the stage is theirs for the foreseable future. I have trended away for NCAA hoops these past few seasons, usually waiting until March Madness rolls around and the conference tournaments begin before consuming copious amounts of basketball. So while the NBAPA decertifies, and players wait by the docks to catch the next steamship overseas, basketball fans have little choice but to delve into some early season college basketball live from exotic locations like New York City, Maui, Puerto Rico, Anchorage, and Uncasville, Connecticut.

I for one am always surprised by the high quality of several early season marque matchups. If college football programs were to adopt a similar path – tough, early season out of conference scheduling – then we may have a BCS Championship Game featuring teams with two losses apiece. Of course, the CFB season is much shorter than the CBB marathon, therefore a single loss is much more damaging to a football team’s chances at a championship. Yet another reason to eliminate the BCS in favor of a true postseason playoff in college football.

Here are a few quick observations from Tuesday night’s Champions Classic live from Madison Square featuring Michigan State/Duke and Kentucky/Kansas:

i – I’m happy for Coach K. Passing his mentor Bob Knight for the most wins all time is an impressive feat to say the least. Since the demise of Joe Paterno at Penn St., a few cynical twitter voices – are there any other kind – have wondered when the skeletons will emerge from the squeaky clean Duke program. If there are any cracks in the Krzyzewskiville armor, however unlikely, I highly doubt they rival anything close to the evil emerging from Happy Valley.

ii – Michigan St. still plays with a little chip on their shoulder. Their play has always modeled the gruff exterior of head coach Tom Izzo who has found great success by recruiting the mean streets of Flint and Detroit. Spartan opponents can usually expect a wayward elbow or two.

iii – Another Plumlee? Pretty soon the sports world will be run by Plumlee’s, Pouncey’s. and Pelini’s.

iv – It’s impossible for me to watch Kentucky without wondering how exactly Caliparai acquired this fresh crop of talent. The scars of two vacated Final Fours still linger as skeptics continue to wonder how it is so easy for the Wildcats to reload after losing so much talent year after year to the NBA Draft.

v – If you’re a current NBA player, one of the good things about the lockout is that now you have a chance to watch your alma-mater play in person. On a slightly different note, wouldn’t it be something if the NCAA all of sudden allowed NBA players to regain years of college eligibility? Where would LeBron go? Ohio State? And what team would be favored to win it all? UConn? Kentucky? Texas? The possibilities are endless.

view from MSG courtesy of @thechiver