The NBA/NCAA Debate: Part I

Sorry for no post yesterday, hopefully this one will make up for it...

No, silly t-shirt!

I am here to say just the opposite:

The NBA is the best basketball league on the planet. Period. It is made up of the best players throughout the world, spread out among 30 professional teams in major cities across the USA (and Toronto). Just like the MLB for baseball and NFL for football, making it to the NBA is the mecca of the sport. So why, then, is basketball so much more exciting in the NCAA than it is in the NBA?

Last night the Lakers played the Cavaliers, and Cleveland won 93-87. These are the two best teams in the NBA and have, arguably, the two best basketball players (Kobe and LeBron) in the world. I, for one, could not have cared less. It was not a playoff game, so the outcome of this game was next to nothing; Cleveland is still #1 in the East and Los Angeles is still #1 in the West. The only reason anyone hyped it up is because that was the most interesting matchup of the entire season, and it probably will be until the two meet again in the NBA Finals.

How do I know that those two teams will meet again in the finals? Cleveland and Boston are the only two teams who have a shot at winning the East and once Los Angeles gets healthy by the end of the season, they will be the best team in the West. Sure, Oklahoma City and Memphis are surprises in the West, but once the playoffs come around they will not be able to get close to the finals, even if they do pull an upset in the first round.

"What's that coach? Oklahoma has a city?"

Meanwhile in the NCAA, there have been upsets, surprises and disappointments; just like there always are. There are three teams (Syracuse, Kansas St. and Pitt) who were not in the preseason top 25 poll but, as of 1/18/10, are now among the top 10 ranked teams in the country. North Carolina won the championship this past April and was ranked #6 in the preseason poll. Right now they are out of the top 25 and struggling after losing four of its past five games including a loss at College of Charleston(?!) two weeks ago. Syracuse lost a preseason game vs. the Le Moyne Dolphins, a Division-II team in Syracuse (no idea why they are called the Dolphins). Since then, Syracuse has gone 18-1 against Division-I foes, while Le Moyne is 10-7 in Division-II play.

Gross.

Bizarre? That kind of stuff happens every year in the NCAA! In comparison, if the New Jersey Nets, who are 3-38, beat Boston, who is 27-13, it would be an upset, but it would mean nothing because the Nets would still be 2,000 games out of a playoff spot. A win for Le Moyne over Big East power Syracuse gives the team some pride and bragging rights for an entire year until the two teams play again and the Orange wipe the floor with the Dolphins. Upsets create stories and excitement in the NCAA, while upsets create frustration and confusion in the NBA.

Le Moyne College official mascot and slogan.

There is an headline today on Yahoo! Sports that states "Frustration Mounts" for the Lakers after going 0-2 against the Cavaliers this season... BIG EFFING DEAL! Hey LA, be quiet, you are still 32-8 against the rest of the NBA. And so what if you can't beat Cleveland now? All that matters is that you take care of business in June (or whenever the hell the NBA Finals is played nowadays) when you play them in a seven-game series.

These are all observations someone could make by not even seeing one basketball game. Without seeing the actual players play the game, college basketball is light years ahead of the pros. But if you would see Carmelo Anthony dunk from the Rocky Mountains (figuratively speaking) or Steve Nash make a behind the back pass that makes your neck sore, then you will see why the NBA showcases the best talent in the world on the hardcourt. In my next NBA/NCAA post I will go into game action, and how the two leagues compare.

In the meantime... GO CLIPPERS(!?)

"Awe man! We suck, don't we?"

Brett Favre Sees the Shrink

Note: This is not actual transcript.

"Dude, you suckkkk!"

Shrink: Hello Brett, nice game on Sunday. I see you slapping guys' butts, it looks like you're really enjoying yourself.

Favre: Yes sir Mr. Miller, having a great time. I really think we can knock off those New Orleans boys next week.

Shrink: You better, I have $20,000 riding on it.

Favre: What?

Shrink: Nothing, so on to our appointment... How does it feel to get back to this point in a Minnesota uniform? Would you rather be in the NFC Championship with the Packers?

Favre: No sir Mr. Miller, I wouldn't have it any other way. As I said earlier this season, this is the best team I've ever been on.

Shrink: I hope you realize that 105% of all Packers fans have turned on you. It was one thing when you played for the Jets and nobody cared, but you turned around and signed with the enemy Vikings...

Favre: Man, I don't care what those Cheese-faces think. They turned their backs on me when I wanted to come out of retirement, but they already moved on to "Cali Boy" Rodgers.

Shrink: He is a good quarterback, Brett, and he waited his turn behind you for three years.

Favre: Yeah, but I'm Brett Favre, baby! I was the king of Wisconsin for 15 years, whatever I wanted to do, they should have obliged me.

WOOOOOO!

Shrink: But all they wanted to do was move on. They knew you were considering retirement soon and wanted to be prepared by drafting Rodgers.

Favre: They forced me out! They drafted Rodgers to push me out! They wanted me to retire!

Shrink: You may think that, Brett, but you did actually announce your retirement then back out of it, a few times.

Favre: Yeah but—

Shrink: I think it's fair to say that Green Bay had the right to move on after you retired. You can't expect them to sign Sage Rosenfels to a multi-year deal and have a grieving stage. Aaron Rodgers earned his chance to play in the NFL and he stepped in for you.

Favre: Geez Mr. Miller, that's being pretty blunt with me and I guess I deserved that. But that was a cheap shot at Sage, he is our third quarterback and a good guy... And his wife bakes me cookies.

Shrink: I apologize Brett, but you have to realize, you used to be King of Wisconsin, but now you are just a traitor. If you went to pretty much any other team than one in the NFC North, you would have been alright with the Green Bay fans, but you went to Minnesota. Why?

Favre: They welcomed me, okay? Minnesota really wanted me. Even though the players were kind of skeptical at first, saying it was Tarvaris Jackson's team, until they realized I was a beast and Jackson is a chump compared to me and I won them over.

WOOOOOO?

Shrink: Do you feel bad at all for Tarvaris Jackson? They got all of these weapons for him on offense and then you come in and take them away...

Favre: Do you know how ridiculous you sound? They were building their team around Tarvaris Jackson because he was all they had. Shit, even Gus Frerotte started over him at one point. He is a great guy, but he is a below-average quarterback at best.

Shrink: I think that's all for today Brett, good luck in the Superdome and I'll see you next week.

Favre: It's always great to talk to you Mr. Miller. I like this far better than doing an interview with some know-nothing sideline girl, at least here I can be real. See you next week, hopefully we'll be talking about the Super Bowl and not the Pro Bowl...

Rhetorical Questions of the Day — 1/19

1. How is Josh Hamilton only making $3.5 million this season?

2. Wait, the NY Jets are in the AFC Championship?

3. Can Brett Favre actually come through in the NFC Championship?

4. Why is "Favre" a recognized word on my computer?

5. What would you sacrifice in order to see LeBron in the dunk contest?

6. Which team will land the big NHL superstar at the trade deadline?

7. Are the UCLA and Connecticut recent dynasties over?

8. How insane would it be if Pitt made the Final Four this year?

9. Did anyone realize the PGA Tour season has already started?

Discuss...

NFL Divisional Predictions

I do not have much time today so I am just going to make my predictions, no explanations. My explanations are shit anyways, I have no idea why anyone would even read them...

Prediction: New Orleans 34 — Arizona 31

Prediction: Indianapolis 27 — Baltimore 17

Prediction: Dallas 24 — Minnesota 21

Prediction: San Diego 20 — New York 17

As you can see there should be some close games. I have most of these being decided by a field goal. Happy weekend everybody, enjoy the football.

Fleury's "It" Factor

For Penguins fans, Fleury is very frustrating to watch. He is consistently inconsistent to quote a very famous and annoying oxymoron. He'll stand on his head one night against Toronto, then let one of Mario Lemieux's illegitimate children put up four points on him in Minnesota a couple of nights later. People need to come to terms with the fact that Fleury is never going to be a dominating regular season goaltender. He will never be that Dominik Hasek or Martin Brodeur that wins Vezinas year after year. Honestly, blimp-sized Tim Thomas won a Vezina for Boston, so how prestigious can the award really be? What Fleury will do, however, is make the saves that matter most. That, above all else, is the MARC of a great goaltender.

Anyone who has watched Fleury play for an extended period of time will have no problem figuring out what I'm talking about. Fleury has a habit of giving up bad goals against bad teams. The first goal against Minnesota being the most recent. But, when the game is on the line, or if Fleury needs to make all the saves to keep his team in the game, absolutely nothing can get by him. An example was on display last night when Fleury stoned the Edmonton Oilers multiple times early in the 3rd period to keep the Penguins within striking distance. Who can forget Fleury's performance in the postseason last year? The best example of my theory is his performance against the Washington Capitals. Fleury had been very ordinary throughout the entire series. Game 7 rolls along and he makes a tremendous save against Ovechkin on a breakaway in the first three minutes of the game. It was obvious that the Capitals were demoralized after that and the Pens went on to steamroll them. Games 6 and 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals speak for themselves. Every save facing elimination is a pressure-packed one.

Above all, Fleury has the ability to win games by one goal. Grant Fuhr had this knack. Tom Barrasso had this knack. Patrick Roy had this knack. If the Penguins score 7 goals, Fleury will give up 6. If the Penguins score 2 goals, Fleury will give up 1. The sign of a great goaltender is feeling how his team is performing that night and how many saves he will have to make. Fleury has an uncanny ability for this. The Fleury critics can keep on expounding their hate though because Fleury can't hear you all that well. He's got a Stanley Cup ring plugging his ear.

NFL Wild Card Sunday Recap

First of all... HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to the blog!

"You know better than to trust a strange computer!"

On to business...

By the time I woke up at 1pm on Sunday, took a dump, brushed my teeth, put my contacts in and poured myself a bowl of cereal IT WAS 21-0 BALTIMORE ALREADY! Oh well, I suppose the Ravens deserved this game because they were the superior team and New Engl— err Tom Brady played like shit. You could see the 2010 version of the Patriots were so far removed from the 18-1 team of 2008. The defense got steamrolled by Baltimore's rushing attack early and could not make enough stops in the second half to attempt a legitimate comeback.

The first New England points came via a bizarre fumble recovery on a punt in which the Patriots' player never seemed to have control of the ball as he went out of bounds. For some reason John Harbaugh did not challenge the call, he probably did not care since the Ravens were up 59-0 at that point. The following New England drive was where Wes Welker Jr. made an appearance. His actual name is Julian Edelman, a 7th round pick this year out of Kent State; watch out for this guy if Welker misses any time next year. I swear, he might as well have been Wes, he immediately became Brady's #1 option because he was running quick slants or posts across the middle, and because Randy Moss was playing like "straight cash crap homey".

I liked him better in the Daunte Culpepper era...

Baltimore gets a rested but possibly groggy Colts team this weekend, will Indianapolis be ready for this physical of a game? I hope so. Too bad New England is not around for late January football... NOT. It was not like the Patriots were that good of a team this year anyway, it would kind of be a shame if they  would have made a run in the playoffs.

GAME: Baltimore 33 — New England 14

No defense whatsoever in this game...

If you like high-scoring playoff football this game was for you; if you like high-scoring playoff football you are a dumbass. Yes, this was a close, exciting game, but you knew once the score got to 78-72, the winner of this game was not gonna do squat in the rest of the playoffs. Quick recap: Green Bay had 10 turnovers in the first quarter, Arizona got out to a 17-0 lead which ended as a 24-10 score at the break. The second half went TD, TD, TD, TD, TD, TD, TD, TD, TD, TD, TD, TD, missed 34-yard field goal and the game was tied 45-45 going into overtime.

In overtime, Aaron Rodgers overthrew Greg Jennings, who got three steps behind the Arizona defense, by a yard. Then on second down the refs missed an obvious roughing the passer call, then on third down some defensive end came around the edge, forced a fumble off Rodgers and Carlos Dansby caught it in mid air and returned it 20 yards for a walk-off touchdown. What a fitting end to an offensive game for the defense to score a touchdown... HA! HA! HA! Shut up.

Green Bay was obviously the better team, their defense had a bad day and their offense could not take care of the football, but they should have won this game. I can foresee the Cardinals going NOWHERE past this weekend. Even though I like Kurt Warner, I do not really want to see Arizona win any more games, let alone the Super Bowl.

GAME: Arizona 51 — Green Bay 45 (OT)

This weekend's predictions coming up.

Rhetorical Questions of the Day — 1/13

1. Could Lane Kiffin have brought Tennessee to the top of the SEC?

2. Are the Kansas City Chiefs trying to be the New England Patriots?

3. Is Curtis Joseph a HOF goaltender without a Stanley Cup ring?

4. Will the world end if the Detroit Red Wings miss the playoffs?

5. Who will make more money this season: Alex Rodriguez or the Florida Marlins?

6. How did Charles Woodson win AP Defensive POY over Darrelle Revis?

7. Will Chris Johnson be better than Marshall Faulk? Is he already?

8. Is the 2010 Big East conference better than the 2009 Big East conference?

9. Can you imagine Pete Carroll as an NFL coach, for real?

10. Who are you, and what have you done with Evgeni Malkin?

11. Is it time that we speculate whether or not John Wall took the SATs?

Discuss...

Marky-Mark Used Roidy-Roids

It has been nearly five years since Mark McGwire went before the Supreme Court with Rafael Palmeathead, Sammy Sosa and others and preached "I'm not here to talk about the past". But on Monday, Big Mac admitted to using steroids sporadically during the 90s, including during the 1998 season when he and Sosa combined for 500 home runs. However, McGwire says the HGH did not improve his career as a baseball player other than to help him recover from injuries more quickly.

Now, HOFers are coming out and making statements about the issue. Goose Gossage thinks players like McGwire, Sosa, Barry Bonds and others linked to HGH should never be allowed in the HOF because of their lack of integrity. Willie McCovey says that he would still vote for McGwire because he resurrected baseball in the late 90s.

All of the above is true...

...from a certain point of view.

By admitting to steroid use, McGwire says he got a huge weight off of his shoulders. He also secured his fate as a never-HOFer. He was a fringe candidate anyways, even though he had 583 homeruns, because of his poor batting average, inconsistency and lack of defensive ability. Even so, he possibly could have been a last-year ballot vote-in. He either realized he had no chance of getting in the HOF and just wanted to relieve the stress or he wanted to clear everything up so he could carry on with his new job with St. Louis without any distractions. Both reasons are legit.

As for McGwire saying the steroids did not help his baseball career other than heal injuries quicker is crap. I have no doubt that the guy was a great power hitter, but to hit 70 homeruns in a season is beyond his talent level. I could imagine Big Mac hitting 50 homeruns once or twice in a clean career, but the fact that he was a career .250 hitter with not that many doubles makes me think that without the juice, a good amount of his over-fences would turn into two-base hits. This is not to mention that without the steroids, even McGwire admits, his health was a huge question; he may not have been on the field enough to reach even 400 homeruns.

Known needler Jose Canseco is now in the mix because, although McGwire admitted to using steroids, he denied injecting with Canseco in bathroom stalls. Canseco is outraged because this questions his "integrity" and the facts in his books. He took a polygraph test about McGwire's doings and passed it, and he wants McGwire to do the same. This story is going to turn from a mess to a slimy mess if Canseco gets involved.

To go from this guy...

...to this guy...

...without PEDs is a pretty absurd notion.

I suppose it is up to the individual whether to forgive him or not. My personal opinion is to keep the records, without asterisks, because PEDs were not technically illegal until 2001. You really have to feel bad for guys who did it straight like Mickey Mantle and Henry Aaron, as well as the MLB players in the late 80s and 90s who played with or against McGwire, Sosa, Palmiero, etc. But at least the guys who did it straight will go on to lead more normal, probably longer lives, while the steroid users will most likely have health issues and complications due to PEDs. So in the big picture, who is the winner?

All-Bryan Bullington Sucks Team

SUCK.

This list is inspired by the Pittsburgh Pirates el dubiouso #1 overall pick of Bryan Bullshitton. There were so many quality players selected after Bullington that you could field a pretty decent team of them, and I did with players chosen in the top three rounds. Here is a 25-man roster taken from the 2002 draft, you may notice the #1 overall pick is not included...

C: Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves #64 overall pick

1B: Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers #7 overall pick

2B: B.J. Upton, Tampa Bay [Devil] Rays #2 overall pick

3B: Mark Teahen, Oakland Athletics #39 overall pick

SS: Khalil Greene, San Diego Padres #13 overall pick

LF: Denard Span, Minnesota Twins #20 overall pick

CF: Curtis Granderson, Detroit Tigers #80 overall pick

RF: Nick Swisher, Oakland Athletics #16 overall pick

BN: James Loney 1B, Los Angeles Dodgers #19 overall pick
BN: Jeremy Hermida RF, Florida Marlins #11 overall pick
BN: Jeff Francoeur RF, Atlanta Braves #23 overall pick
BN: Joey Votto 1B, Cincinnati Reds #44 overall pick

SP: Zack Greinke, Kansas City Royals #6 overall pick

SP: Joe Saunders, Los Angeles Angels #12 overall pick

SP: Jon Lester, Boston Red Sox #57 overall pick

SP: Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies #17 overall pick

SP: Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants #25 overall pick

LR: Scott Kazmir, New York Mets #15 overall pick
LR: Joe Blanton, Oakland Athletics #24 overall pick
LR: Jeremy Guthrie, Cleveland Indians #22 overall pick
LR: David Bush, Toronto Blue Jays #55 overall pick

RP: Kevin Jepsen, Los Angeles Angels #53 overall pick

RP: Jesse Crain, Minnesota Twins #61 overall pick

CL: Jonathan Broxton, Los Angeles Dodgers #60 overall pick

I know it is tough to scout baseball players at a young age, but it is hard to deny that Pittsburgh screwed up big time. There are a lot of first round picks on this "roster" and any one of them could still be on the Pirates' roster right now, if not at least traded away for some young talent (ugh). The lineup is above average, but all five of those starting pitchers could end up being Cy Young competitors.

If I could have any of these players on here, I would take Prince Fielder. Zach Greinke, Matt Cain and Jon Lester are cool and everything, but at this point none of them are 100% proven; Fielder, on the other hand, is. He was the only Major Leaguer to play in all 162 games last season and is a legit 50 homerun guy every single year. Not only that, but his defense has improved dramatically and his fire and passion for the game is visible every single day.

I suppose that is the counterpoint...

Yes he is overweight (understatement of a lifetime), but he is a ballplayer, unlike Bry-Guy Bullington. Too bad there are as many donuts on that bat that Bullington has career appearances. Stooge.

Note: This is my first Pittsburgh Pirates related post on this site... STUNNED.

Rhetorical Questions of the Day — 1/11

1. If Evgeni Malkin breaks out tonight, will Ron Cook take all the credit?

2. Is Jamie Langenbrunner the correct "C" for team USA over Brian Rafalski and Chris Drury?

3. How long will this Gilbert Arenas gun scandal hang over the heads of the Washington Wizards?

4. How did North Carolina, with a 12-4 record, only drop from 9 to 12 in the AP poll after they lost at College of Charleston?

5. What mess did Pete Carroll leave behind in Southern Cal?

6. Who will pay for the two missed personal foul calls to end the Green Bay/Arizona game?

7. Why would Mark McGwire come clean about his steroid use now?

Discuss...

NFL Wild Card Saturday Recap

First off was the Jets/Cincinnati game on Saturday afternoon. As I expected, the Bengals were just not a team that could compete in the playoffs. The Jets were too physical and beat the Bengals on the ground and with an ultra-efficient passing game. Mark Sanchez made his postseason debut with a 12-15 182 yard performance with 1/0 TD/INT for a passer rating of 139.4. Meanwhile, Carson Palmer was mediocre, going 18-36 for 150 yards and a 1/1 TD/INT and a 58.3 passer rating. I am not blaming Palmer here, the Bengals just do not have any weapons besides Chad Ocho-Johnson and he was covered by Darrelle Revis soooo...

No chance.

The problem I found with Cincinnati this year is that they had a false identity. They were winning games by running the football and plating defense, which sounds good on paper. But they were not good enough of a running team to not balance it out with a passing game, which they had none of this season. The Bengals' defense played well for the most part of this year, but they did not have quality coaches or quality players to sustain such a defense in the playoffs, and they failed.

As for the J-E-T-S, they could be a thorn in the side of the Chargers next week. The way Shonn Greene and Thomas Jones are running the ball and the legit-ness of their Rex Ryan D could present some problems for the NFL's hottest team... Well at least I hope so because it could be a potential blowout.

GAME: New York 24 — Cincinnati 14

This thing has its own fucking aura...

Two weeks ago, Philadelphia was on a roll. The Eagles were on a six-game winning streak and were going into Dallas with a chance to get a first-round bye in the playoffs... Two weeks later, two losses to the Cowboys and Brian Westbrook and co. are making reservations at his Uncle Terry's house for the Super Bowl. It is like Dallas was Philadelphia's kryptonite this season. After losing to Dallas in week 9, the Eagles got stomped in week 17 and got stamped in week 18 by the 'Boys. The only reason Philadelphia was in this game at any point was a fluky 76-yard touchdown pass by Michael Vickski in the second quarter to tie the game at 7-7 although the Cowboys were dominating up to that point. Well, they continued to dominate and scored the next 20 points to end the game.

The Cowboys proved why they are Super Bowl contenders this year. The big key being Tony Romo having a good game. The Savior went 23-35 for 244 yards and 2/0 TD/INT and a 104.9 passer rating to dominate the Green Wings. We knew the Cowboys could come out and run the ball (198 yards on the ground) but for this team to go far, Romo will have to make plays like he did the other day.

Even though they showed promise, it was a semi-familiar end for Philadelphia. However, instead of waiting for the NFC Championship game to lose, they did it conveniently for all of the other playoff teams. For years to come, the Eagles will be a legit contender. They actually have weapons now with Brent Celek, DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin and a Westbrook replacement in LeSean McCoy. But Philadelphia will have to get younger on defense because they are getting older and they do not have as much talent on defense as one may think...

GAME: Dallas 34 — Philadelphia 14

My predictions were quite good for the Saturday games. Not only did my picks win, but they won how I said they would; the Jets came prepared and the Bengals did not, while Dallas simply just ran over Philadelphia. I had no such luck on Sunday, but on the bright side my Super Bowl champ pick is still on the market...

NFL Wild Card (and Super Bowl XLIV) Predictions

On paper, there are some great matchups this weekend in the NFL Wild Card games.

Saturday afternoon the Jets go to Cincy to take on the Bengals. NYJ spanked the Bungals in the final game at the Meadowlands this past Sunday to clinch a playoff spot and force a rematch this week. This year the Bengals earned the division outright, sweeping the Steelers, Ravens and Browns to post a 6-0 division record. The Jets season was a rollercoaster. They started out 3-0, then went 1-6 in their next seven, and had to finish the season 5-1 just to make the playoffs. Cincinnati is headed in the opposite direction, having gone 1-3 in their past four games. I have no confidence in Marvin Lewis to right the ship, especially if Chad Ocho-Johnson and Cedric Benson are not 100%. Rex Ryan and the Jets will prevail here.

Prediction: New York 20 — Cincinnati 13

Later Saturday night, there is another rematch from week 17. Philadelphia goes back to the Dallas Indoor Coliseum to face the Cowboys. Dallas crushed Philadelphia a week ago 24-0, ending the Eagles six-game winning streak. That marked only the third time this season the Eagles were held under 22 points, going 0-3 in those games. In fact, Philadelphia is 11-0 when scoring 24 points or more and 0-5 when scoring 23 points or less. Dallas has two consecutive shutouts, and has only allowed more than 21 points twice this season. Felix Jones and Marion "The Barbarian" Barber are healthy and running well, which is a huge advantage. The big house down south will be packed, and the hometown fans are gonna see Tony Homo's first playoff win.

Prediction: Dallas 28 — Philadelphia 17

As for the sunday games, leading off is the Ravens in New England. The biggest story here is that the Pats will be without Wes Welker, who tore his life in half in week 17. Welker missed weeks 2 and 3 this season, and the Patriots went 1-1. The Ravens are 1-6 this year against playoff teams including a loss in week 4 at Foxborough. New England has been average this year... for a New England team I suppose. However, they are 8-0 at home (opposed to 2-6 on the road). If the Ravens were the real deal this season, this would be a no-brainer, but they are not. However, it is still an easy pick: Go with Tom Brady. He is the comeback player of the year and the Golden Boy in the playoffs.

Prediction: New England 31 — Baltimore 23

Finally, on Sunday afternoon the Packers will travel down to Kurt Warner's house for a week 17 rematch. Arizona rested its starters last week and were grooved by Green Bay 33-7. Arizona has played a very weak schedule this season and the Packers have lost some tough games. Besides a last-second loss to Pittsburgh, Green Bay has won its past seven games. The offense has not been a question all year for the Packers, having scored at least 21 points in all but one game (a 17-7 win vs. Dallas), but the problem is when the defense fails to show up. In the five games the Packers have lost, they have given up 35 points per game, even though they scored 27.5 points per game. The Cardinals are at home, but Green Bay is a far superior team. Chalk it up to the Cheeseheads.

Prediction: Green Bay 34 — Arizona 17

I will just go ahead and give my Super Bowl XLIV quick pick right now.

San Diego will come out of the AFC, they are just playing too well right now to lose a game. Expect New England to make a good game out of their matchup, though. Indianapolis lost too much momentum towards the end of the season and I have a feeling someone is going to shut down Peyton Manning. When they won the Super Bowl in 2006, the Colts had a great defense and a great running game because that is what a team needs to win the championship; both are mediocre this year.

The NFC is a crapshoot. I know Minnesota will fall short, but New Orleans, Green Bay and Dallas are all very good teams this year. I think it could be any one of those teams, to be honest. I will go ahead and pick Dallas to run the table. New Orleans has been slacking lately, even before they benched everybody for the last two weeks. The Packers are a supreme underdog, and I like Aaron Rodgers a lot, but their success is going to be tested more than any other team. I just like the way the Cowboys are playing right now and Tony Homo's confidence is at an all-time high.

As for the Super Bowl, I think Dallas can slow down the Chargers enough to squeak past them in an epic game. Really, even though I am a Steelers' fan, I would rather have Dallas win it all than San Diego. I just HATE Philip Rivers so much and am not too keen on Shawne Merriman or LaDainian Tomlinson and it would pain me to see any of them lifting the Lombardi.

Prediction: Dallas 24 — San Diego 23

Sorry Philly fans... but not really.

How to BCS (Bump this Crappy System) the BCS

Awe... HOW CREATIVE!

Everybody keeps complaining about the BCS, and they have reason to. However, it is never going to change unless we take action. The argument about the BCS is that some teams get left out of the championship game just because they are not in a power conference; or sometimes there are more than two deserving teams that could compete for the National Championship (i.e. In 2004 with USC, Oklahoma and Auburn). However, the BCS succeeds, from a business standpoint, because the bowl games are all huge spectacles. All 34 winners get a trophy and every matchup seems to be intriguing to some degree. Therefore, people watch the games, attend the games, buy merchandise, etc.

So the common solution is that there should be a playoff bracket and the top 16 teams should have a shot at the championship. In theory, since they are not actually "The National Championship" shouldn't the Orange Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl and all other bowl games (as they stand now) not even matter? If we really wanted to change the NCAA Football championship system, then we should protest every bowl that is not the National Championship. Because if your team is in the National Championship, then the BCS system is effective and there is no reason for you to argue.

Why is Bob Stoops on there?

He would choke in the Sweet 16 every year...

Say you are an Iowa or Georgia Tech fan, two legitimate teams in the top ten, you should be outraged that your team has to play in the Orange Bowl and does not have a chance to win the National Championship even though you may have lost only one or two times. So here is what you do as fans: DO NOT go to the game and DO NOT watch the game; it is that simple. If there were zero people at the game and zero people watching the game, could you imagine how much money the BCS, NCAA and the broadcasting networks would lose?

Okay, maybe after this happens one time the networks and all things associated with the BCS would say "Ehh, this is an odd occurrence, but it will never happen again..." However, if it happened again the next year, these executives and all people involved may think "Wow, these people are serious. In order to get our audience back, we will have to change."

If you are actually on the teams who are in the top 16 (a coach, player, AD, etc.) here is what you do: DO NOT play in the bowl games that do not have "National Championship" in the title. Of course then we would see where the loyalty truly lies with these football programs. Other than Texas, Florida, Alabama and (usually) USC, there are different teams in BCS bowls every year. Could those fringe teams like Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon and Virginia Tech forego a consolation bowl every year they do not make the top 16 teams to play out the bracket system?

And throw away one of these?

Yeah right...

Let me get this straight: If there were a 16-team playoff system, it would be absolutely insane for there to still be consolation bowls. Nobody gives a shit about the GMAC Bowl now, just imagine what it would represent if the top 16 teams were off playing in their own little tournament to decide a national champion, which Central Michigan and Troy were playing in some throwaway bowl in Mobile, Alabama to decide... NOTHING!

I really do not mind the BCS system, it is just a little flawed. Then again, so are the weekly polls, but that is another story. This article is just to remind people that if you really dislike the BCS system, you cannot just sit back on New Year's Day and watch the Outback Bowl, because you are just feeding the monster.

Can We Steel a Playoff Spot?

So by now you may have noticed that the Pittsburgh Steelers did not make the playoffs. Four AFC teams finished at 9-7 (Baltimore, Houston, New York and Pittsburgh) and the Steelers and Texans were the two teams with no tiebreakers. But out of the four teams that were vying for the two playoff spots, I think the Ravens and Steelers were most deserving. Obviously there is no voting committee or anything of that nature to determine who gets into the playoffs, but I can still dream...

The Ravens had so much potential this season, but close losses put them in the back end of the AFC playoff picture and two losses to Cincinnati ruined Baltimore's chances of winning the North division. As for the Steelers, they had repeat on the minds of the Steeler Nation, but failed to play anywhere close to those expectations. Pittsburgh also fell to the Bengals twice, which had not happened in 400 years. They were not the best team in the AFC this season by far, but they could have been one of the scarier teams if they made the playoffs because Troy Polamalu was set to return.

There are a ton of quarterbacks who should be considered for league MVP this season: Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, and even Tony Homo and Felipe Rivers. You could also throw in Chris Johnson and Darrelle Revis if you want to. But if you were to go with the player truly most valuable to his team, you might even have to choose Troy Polamalu. Seriously.

This guy started and finished four games. The Steelers were 4-0 in those games. The defense let up an average of 13 points in those games. Polamalu had three interceptions and seven passes deflected in those four games. The rest of the Pittsburgh defense combined for four interceptions in those four games. Plain and simple, Troy Polamalu just comes to play every game, every down. The rest of the secondary, however, is a different story...

In the other twelve games, the Steelers were 5-7, the defense allowed an average of 23 points per game and the Polamalu-less defense had five interceptions IN 12 GAMES! For goodness sakes, the entire cornerbacking crew did not have an interception until Ike Taylor and Deshea Townsend picked off balls at Miami last week. This included a drop by Joe Burnett vs. Oakland in the final minute that would have sealed the game in the Steelers favor and one by Ike Taylor on a deep ball at Kansas City that would have clinched the win.

Although the Ravens, Texans and Jets wins in week 17 sealed the Steelers fate for the 2009 (kind of 2010) season, it would have been a real treat to see what Pittsburgh could have done in the postseason with the best safety in the NFL back on the field. But we will have to wait until next year to see what Troy Polamalu has in store. Hopefully Pittsburgh can draft some young talent in the secondary or grab a free agent, because we need some safety valves (no pun intended) in case our starters get hurt or suck out loud, like they did this season.

Kissing the season goodbye...

Outback Trick, No Treat

In the Outback Bowl this past weekend, Northwestern had a 20yard field goal attempt to tie the game in overtime. Instead of chipping in the field goal, the Wildcats tried a fake field goal "fumblerooskie" and were stopped short of the goal line, which ended the game. I was at my grandmother’s house at the time for New Year’s Day and my Uncle said: “Why would they go for it?” which got me thinking if a fake field goal could really be considered as “going for it”. If the offense came out and ran a play on fourth down, then I would say that they went for it; but I would give a fake field goal no more than a 1/3 chance to work.

There are times to run a fake on special teams and there are times to take points when they are available. It is not like this was a 40yarder to tie it; this was a chip-in 20yard field goal, basically an extra point, to tie the game. I guess they did it because their kicker, who was 0-2 for field goals and missed an extra point earlier in the game, was injured and the punter was serving as the backup kicker. But still, this kid has a scholarship for punting and had to have gotten some backup kicking reps throughout the year, and you have no confidence in him to kick a 20yard field goal? Please. Don't get me wrong, I like trick plays, but passing up a chance to tie the game from 20yards out? Insane.

Yeah, like THAT GUY is going to run it in...

On a trick play the defense can either be fooled or not fooled, there is not much gray area. If you are Northwestern's coach in that situation, you may not have much confidence in your kicker, but don't you have any confidence in your offense to get two yards, either? No, you have to resort to some bullshit "fumblerooskie" trickery that was a pathetic way to lose and, frankly, a pathetic way to win.