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Just Another Typical, Run of the Mill NFL Preview: NFC East

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Champs: Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)* – Mike Vick will not stay healthy for an entire 16 game schedule which is why the Eagles held onto backup Kevin Kolb for some extra insurance. They did what? Oh right, so they trading Kolb to the Cardinals and brought in a healthy Vince Young instead. A bad hamstring you say. Right, well it’s a good thing Mike Kafka is ready to morph into a starting QB should Vick go down.

On Deck: Dallas Cowboys (9-7)* – Why does the NFL continue to allow Tony Romo to wear that stupid looking backwards Starter cap? I was under the impression that the league only allowed players to wear NFL Equipment gear. If Romo does in fact have his own deal with Starter then I bet he has all sorts of sweet jackets at home in his closet. Too bad there aren’t any ski resorts around the Dallas area because he would look so awesomely 80’s flying down the slopes in a vintage Jimmy Johnson special to go along with a nice pair of tapered blue jeans.

Limbo: NY Giants (7-9) – Never has a Giant team entered a season with such uneven expectations. To those most loyal fans who expect the GMen to win the division, or even contend for a playoff spot, my question to you is how? Kevin Boss ain’t walking through that door anytime soon. And at what point of the season can we expect the Bill Cowher to the Meadowlands in 2012 rumors to begin? Poor Grandpa Tom Coughlin has been on life support nearly his entire career in the East Rutherford.

Chumps: Washington Redskins (6-10) – My father taught me two things in life: 1) always replace your divots and 2) don’t bet on a team w/ either an overweight or mormon QB.**

Fantasy Sleepers – Travis Beckum (TE, Giants), Ronnie Brown (RB, Eagles), Mike Kafka (QB, Eagles)**

Ready for Primetime Games – 9/11: Dallas @ NY Jets, 9/18: Philly @ Atlanta, 9/19 St. Louis @ NY Giants, 9/26: Washington @ Dallas, 10/30: Dallas @ Philly, 11/7: Chicago @ Philly, 11/20: Philly @ NY Giants, 11/28: NY Giants @ New Orleans, 12/1: Philly @ Seattle, 12/11: NY Giants @ Dallas, 12/17: Dallas @ Tampa Bay

** Stop it. Like you really think Vick is playing 16 games anyway.

*** Steve Young being the only exception

view from MetLife Stadium courtesy of @Miamor718

Monday Musings: Labor Day Edition

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Ahhh Labor Day. One of my favorite made up holidays of the year. What exactly are we honoring by not working today? If we were truly trying to pay tribute to the economic and social contributions of workers, shouldn’t we be working? Also, this just in from Madison, Governor Scott Walker has cancelled all state sponsored Labor Day events in Wisconsin. Apparently he didn’t want to send any mixed messages to the thousands of union members who have already lost all collective bargaining rights.

Surprisingly, that’s not the biggest story coming out of Badgerland this weekend. No, Wisco is a flutter with Heismania for Badger QB Russell Wilson who led UW to an impression victory over UNLV Thursday Night in Camp Randall Stadium. But you know how fluid awards hype can be. It was Wilson Thursday night, followed by Baylor QB Robert Griffin III Friday, and now after his performance Sat evening in the Georgia Dome, you can put Boise St. QB Kellen Moore right at the top of the early Heisman list.

Alas, it’s still early September and we have lots of time to argue over who is going to win the major college football awards. Right now our time is still better served talking baseball, particularly where the final month of the regular season is going to take us.

A Quick Trip Around the Bases

1B – Everyone wants to complain about the length of these Red Sox/Yankees games and I have reached the point where I am genuinely fed up with both sides of the argument. If you can’t appreciate Josh Beckett taking 2 minutes in between pitches to chew his gum while staring dimly at catcher Jason Varitek then you should watch something else. Rizzoli and Isles is beginning it’s second season on TNT and remember, they know drama.

2B – This past week, in a desperate attempt to find some sort of offense, the reigning world series champs the San Francisco Giants cut ties with two veterans INF Miguel Tejada and OF Aaron Rowand. No word as to what this means for Aubrey Huff, Pat Burrell, and Mike Fontenot who are all having equally anemic seasons at the plate. Where’s Kevin Mitchell when you need him?

3B – Can Albert Pujols really lead the Cardinals all the way back from nearly 10 games behind the NL Central leading Milwaukee Brewers? Is there enough time left in the 2011 season for Prince Albert to raise his average above the .300 mark making it 11 seasons in a row for him hitting .300 with over 30 HR’s, and 100 RBI. Anything’s possible when you’re talking about Pujols. He did after all attend Maple Woods Community College in Kansas City, Missouri.

HR – Finally, September call ups give us fans of even the most inept MLB teams to catch a glimpse of the future and hopefully brighter days ahead. Of course when that future consists of players like Matt Angle and Xavier Avery, how much do we really have to look forward to anyway?

That’s it everybody! Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend and make sure to travel safe.

view from Comerica Park courtesy of @22ptp

Just Another Simple, Run of the Mill NFL Preview: AFC North

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Champs: Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5)* – Why should we expect anything less from the been there done that Steelers? It was a relatively quiet offseason for Roethlisberger and the gang, that is unless you count the Hines Ward DUI as newsworthy. I would also like to apologize to the Pittsburgh Pirates who I apparently gave the kiss of death to once I made them my NL team. You can either blame me or Derrek Lee, it’s your choice.

On Deck: Baltimore Ravens (10-6)* – I don’t think I have ever heard Joe Flacco being interviewed so I still imagine his voice sounding like a cross between Bubbles best friend Johnny from The Wire and Chewbacca.

Limbo: Cleveland Browns (7-9) – I think I would like Colt McCoy a whole lot more if his name were not Colt McCoy. With a name like that he should be starring in Bonanza. Also, funny that he is backed up by a guy named Seneca Wallace. Rumor has it that next offseason the two QB’s will star in a Lonesome Dove remake alongside Matthew McConaughey and Beetroot McKinley.

Chumps: Cincinnati Bengals (2-14) – This is what you get for beating Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl Andy Dalton!!! And you thought being saddled with red hair was enough. Try manning the helm for the USS Suckville. It’s enough to make you long for the days of Louisiana-Monroe and Portland St.

Fantasy Sleepers: Lee Evans (WR – Baltimore), Jermaine Gresham (TE- Cincinnati), Jerricho Cotchery (WR – Pittsburgh)

Ready for Primetime Games: 10/2 – NY Jets @ Baltimore, 9/25 – Pittsburgh @ Indianapolis, 10/24 – Baltimore @ Jacksonville, 11/6 – Baltimore @ Pittsburgh, 11/24 – San Francisco @ Baltimore, 12/8 – Cleveland @ Pittsburgh, 12/18 – Baltimore @ San Diego, 12/19 Pittsburgh @ San Francisco

*denotes playoff team

view from Steelers practice courtesy of @ThaRedShirt901

 

 

 

Just Another Simple, Run of the Mill NFL Preview: NFC North

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Champs: Green Bay Packers (12-4)* – Honestly, what’s preventing the Packers from not being a better team this year than they were last year? I suppose they could take things for granted, enjoy the honeymoon like a lot of previous Super Bowl champs. But I don’t see that happening. Not with Aaron Rodgers. Especially not if the Packers QB keeps that dominant handlebar mustache. He looks like a character from The French Connection.

On Deck: Detroit Lions (8-8) – Warning! Warning! The Lions are quickly becoming the sleeper team of 2011. Proceed with caution. I need to see Matthew Stafford play all 16 games before jumping on the Detroit bandwagon. However, Ndamukong Suh is such a dominant force that I hear the Weather Channel is thinking of hiring the defensive lineman to stand in the path of the next hurricane before it makes landfall. Sorry Jim Cantore, you’ll have to find work elsewhere.

Limbo: Chicago Bears (7-9) –  I promised myself that I wasn’t going to take any cheap shots at Jay Cutler this season. So, I’m not going to tell you that it’s about time Cutler dropped those 20 extra lbs and came to camp in shape. You also won’t hear me say that I fully expect Cutler to be on the exercise bike as soon as the Chicago weather turns a tad frosty.

Chumps: Minnesota Vikings (6-10) – I am actually starting to believe that the Minnesota Vikings may surprise a few people this year. Donovan McNabb could in fact experience something of a career renaissance in the Twin Cities. Or he could just hand the ball off to Adrian Peterson 30 times a game and let All Day do the work. Either way, I sincerely hope the Vikings are not one of the 2(?) teams heading to LaLa Land in the not so distant future.

Fantasy Sleepers: Bernard Berrian (WR – Minnesota), Matthew Stafford** (QB – Detroit), Marion Barber (RB – Chicago)

Ready for Primetime Games: 9/8 New Orleans @ Green Bay, 10/9 Green Bay & Atlanta, 10/10 Chicago @ Detroit, 10/16 Minnesota @ Chicago, 11/7 Chicago @ Philadelphia, 11/14 Minnesota @ Green Bay, 12/25 Chicago @ Green Bay

* denotes playoff team

**sans the baby fat

view from Vikings training camp courtesy of @durkeee