The opening weekend of the college football season was definitely exciting. We had Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford’s injury leading to BYU’s upset over the Sooners…Oregon RB LeGarrette Blount losing his mind after Boise State scored a huge win over the Ducks…Alabama and Oklahoma State looking strong in their huge wins…and a great end to the weekend with a classic between Miami and Florida State. Will week 2 be just as exciting? On paper, it doesn’t seem that way. You would think it was a bakery with all the cupcake games out there. But nevertheless, it should be a good weekend of action and there is one huge game everyone will be watching. Let’s take a look at a preview of the action:
#1 Florida (1-0) vs. Troy (0-1) – Seems as though the Gators will be in another charitable mood on Saturday to dish out a beat down to an overmatched opponent. Florida cruised in their opener, crushing Charleston Southern 62-3. The competition gets a little tougher this week, but not that tough. Troy did go to the New Orleans Bowl last season and could hang around for a quarter, but they do not have anywhere near the personnel necessary to stop Florida on defense or match them on the scoreboard with their own offense. Troy lost 31-14 to Bowling Green last week and has lost 8 straight games to ranked teams, so expect another massacre for Florida by the final gun. We will not get a true measure of how good Florida is this year until they get into SEC play.
#2 Texas (1-0) vs. Wyoming (1-0) – Texas easily started their quest toward a National Championship with a 59-20 win over Louisiana-Monroe. Things should not really get much tougher this week as the Longhorns travel to Wyoming to face an overmatched Cowboys team. Texas now looks in prime position to win the Big 12 with Oklahoma’s early season struggles and they look motivated to get better this week. They were not happy that they gave up 20 points to Louisiana-Monroe, even though 10 of those points came in the 4th quarter when the starters were out of the game. Wyoming was last among FBS teams in scoring last season, but they have installed a no-huddle, spread offense this season and it got them a 29-22 win last week over Weber State. Unfortunately, Texas is not Weber State and the Longhorns should easily beat the Cowboys, who haven’t beaten a ranked team since 2002 and have never beaten a team ranked higher than #11. I would expect a win by at least 4-5 touchdowns.
#3 USC (1-0) vs. #8 Ohio State (1-0) – Without question, this is the marquee matchup of the week and the game everyone will be watching. USC had no trouble last week as they routed San Jose State 56-3. Ohio State struggled at home to beat Navy 31-27. So does that make this game a foregone conclusion? I don’t think you can say that, but there is no doubt that USC looks to have the edge and Ohio State needs to deal with recent demons. Over the past 3 seasons, the Buckeyes have struggled in high profile games and they can’t seem to get a huge win on national TV. This includes an embarrassing 35-3 loss to USC last year. Last week’s struggle will not help their confidence, but they do have home field advantage in this game. USC freshman QB Matt Barkley will get his first real test of his young career and he might be overwhelmed. He does have a powerful running game to back him up though, and Ohio State’s defense did look shaky against Navy. All in all, I do think the edge lies with USC and I would expect them to pull out a victory in this one. Ohio State is more than capable of winning, but I will stick with recent history.
#4 Alabama (1-0) vs. Florida International (0-0) – This is another baker’s special here as Alabama should have no trouble in this game. They are coming off of a huge 34-24 win over Virginia Tech and the talk about another run at the National Championship is well underway. The Crimson Tide defense was stifling against Virginia Tech and they only let up a few big plays in an otherwise dominating performance. The Tide did have a let down last year in their 2nd game, an uninspiring 20-6 win against Tulane, after a big opening week win over Clemson. That should serve as a learning lesson though for this team and Florida International, who are only 6-37 on the road since they started the football program in 2002, will be totally overmatched in this game.
#5 Oklahoma State (1-0) vs. Houston (1-0) – Oklahoma State got off to a huge start last week by beating Georgia 24-10 and vaulting up to #5 in the country. They will now have the challenge of trying to stay motivated and not play down to their competition as they enter a stretch of games against weaker opponents before opening Big 12 play. Houston will provide a decent challenge to the Cowboys. They feature an explosive offense and play a wide open style that can score points. These two teams played last September and Oklahoma State won a 56-37 shootout. This game will be a great test to see if Oklahoma State’s defense is really improved this year. The Cowboys could suffer a letdown and this game could be closer than some people think. Houston has won 2 straight games against ranked opponents and the all-time series between these two is tied at 9-9-1. I expect the Cowboys to prevail in this one, but it could be interesting for a while.
#7 Penn State (1-0) vs. Syracuse (0-1) – This figures to be another lackluster game as Syracuse visits Penn State in a rematch of last year’s 55-13 blowout win for the Nittany Lions. Penn State has won 22 straight games at home against unranked opponents and that streak should continue. Penn State had no trouble beating Akron last week 31-7, although they did play poorly in the 2nd half and will look to correct that this week. Syracuse will be totally overmatched and it does not help that former Duke point guard Greg Paulus is still adjusting back to being on the football field in live games after not playing since high school. This one could be ugly and be over early.
#9 BYU (1-0) vs. Tulane (0-1) – BYU is coming off one of the biggest wins in school history and the challenge against Tulane will be not to have a letdown. Florida State visits BYU next week, so this could be labeled as the classic “trap” game. BYU can afford no letdowns if they want a shot at a BCS Bowl game this year. However, Tulane struggled at home last week in a 37-13 loss against Tulsa, so they probably will not offer much resistance against the Cougars. BYU’s defense looked extremely solid against Oklahoma and Tulane’s offense was pretty bad last season, only scoring 16.7 points per game. BYU should score early and often and have no trouble putting this one away as they prepare for a huge game next week against the Seminoles.
#10 California (1-0) vs. Eastern Washington (1-0) – After beating up on Maryland last week, Cal should have no trouble at all doing the same to Eastern Washington. Heisman Trophy candidate RB Jahvid Best ran wild over the Terps and did the same to unranked competition last year. The Golden Bears should have no trouble blowing out an overmatched Eastern Washington team. Things will get much tougher when they hit Pac 10 conference play, so they had better enjoy the cupcakes now.
#11 LSU (1-0) vs. Vanderbilt (1-0) – SEC play begins for both these teams as Vanderbilt travels to LSU. LSU is trying to bounce back from last year’s disappointing 3-5 record in SEC games, the first season below .500 for the Tigers since 1999. LSU has won the past 5 meetings with Vanderbilt, but the teams have not played since 2005. LSU got off to a good start last week, surviving the longest road trip in program history and beating Washington 31-23. Coming back home should be welcomed for the Tigers and they should be able to win this game fairly easily. Vanderbilt was ranked as high as #13 last year, but they have slowly slipped off and are in the middle of the pack as far as SEC teams go. LSU can not afford a slip up, especially at home against an unranked opponent, if they have hopes of a big time Bowl game this year. So I would expect them to be focused and take care of business in this one.
#12 Boise State (1-0) vs. Miami, OH (0-1) – Boise State is coming off of a huge win against Oregon, which now gives them an inside track at going undefeated and getting a BCS Bowl game berth. Even though some may say Boise State could suffer a letdown this week, it seems highly unlikely. Miami (OH) has not beaten a ranked team since 2003 and they finished 2-10 last season. They also suffered the second worst season-opening loss in school history last week, a 42-0 drubbing at the hands of Kentucky. Expect Boise State to roll in this one.
#13 Oklahoma (0-1) vs. Idaho State (0-1) – Oklahoma will try to move forward after the 14-13 loss to BYU and the loss of QB Sam Bradford for up to a month and TE Jermaine Gresham for the entire year. It will be a struggle for Oklahoma to hang in there now, but they should not struggle this week. Even without Bradford, Oklahoma should beat up on Idaho State. Oklahoma has won 24 straight games at home and Idaho State has lost 16 straight on the road and has not beaten an FBS school since 2000. Idaho State also managed a MASSIVE 37 yards of offense last week against Arizona State. You do the math on this one…
#14 Virginia Tech (0-1) vs. Marshall (1-0) – Virginia Tech will try to rebound from a disappointing loss to Alabama in their opener last week. Tech had hopes of potentially making a run at the BCS Title game, but now they have to try and work back for a shot at any BCS Bowl game. The defense was pretty shaky and needs to improve and Tech’s offense needs to get more consistency. They only hung in against Alabama because of a few big plays. Virginia Tech should have an easy time with Marshall, who has not beaten a ranked team since 2003 and have lost their last eight attempts at it. Tech has also not lost a home opener since 1995, so the odds are on their side. I would expect a better defensive effort and Marshall’s defense will not be strong enough to hold Tech off the scoreboard.
#16 TCU (0-0) vs. Virginia (0-1) – TCU begins their season this week as they visit Virginia, who was embarrassed last week in losing to William & Mary at home 26-14. William & Mary is not even an FBS school and Virginia struggled mightily on offense. That does not bode well for the Cavaliers as they go up against one of the best defenses in the county. TCU only gave up 18 touchdowns last year and led the nation in yards from scrimmage allowed per game. There is always a chance TCU could be flat in their first game, but this game should not be that close. The Horned Frogs have high expectations and are coming off their highest final poll finish since 1959. Expect a big win for the Mountain West favorites in this one.
#17 Utah (1-0) vs. San Jose State (0-1) – Utah will look to extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 16 games as they take on a San Jose State team that was spanked by USC 56-3 last week. Utah has won 10 straight non-conference games, as well as their last 8 road games, and they should be able to continue the streak this week. San Jose State looked totally overmatched against USC, giving up 620 yards and only gaining 121. Utah is no USC, but they are certainly way too much for San Jose State to handle.
#18 Notre Dame (1-0) vs. Michigan (1-0) – This game has now turned into a big one and will be the 2nd marquee matchup in the Top 25 of the week. Notre Dame and Michigan are trying to build their programs back up and recapture past glory. It seems as though Notre Dame has the better prospects of the two and they enter this game favored to win. QB Jimmy Clausen was nearly flawless last week against Nevada in Notre Dame’s 35-0 victory. If he can duplicate that performance and the offensive line and defense continue to improve, Notre Dame will be tough to beat. Michigan rallied around Coach Rich Rodriguez and beat back allegations of NCAA rules violations to beat Western Michigan 31-7. They have shutout Notre Dame in two of the past three games at home and lead the series 11-7 at Ann Arbor. It will take a big effort though for Michigan to win because Notre Dame looks like they might meet some of the hype this year. I don’t think Michigan is that far along as a team and Notre Dame should win this game.
#19 North Carolina (1-0) vs. Connecticut (1-0) – This has the potential to be a pretty good football game in my estimation. It might not turn out that way however, if North Carolina repeats the defensive performance they had last week against The Citadel. The Tar Heels forced 4 turnovers and only allowed 30 yards rushing. Connecticut lost star RB Donald Brown to the NFL, so they will not be as dynamic this year. They put in a good rushing performance last week against Ohio and they need even more if they hope to pull the upset. It will also require better QB play from Zach Frazer. North Carolina pulled an upset of Connecticut last year 38-12 at home. Can the reverse happen this time around? I think it is possible, but the loss of Donald Brown might be too much to overcome and I expect a Tar Heels victory.
#21 Georgia (0-1) vs. South Carolina (1-0) – This game could turn out to be downright ugly and a real defensive struggle. Since Steve Spurrier became South Carolina’s coach, neither team has scored more than 18 points in a game. You also have two teams that struggled mightily on the offensive side of the ball last week and it is the SEC opener for both squads, which tend to be played close to the vest. Georgia obviously has to be deflated after losing to Oklahoma State and Spurrier has had 2 extra days to prepare for this one, so it could be good. I have to believe that Georgia will be desperate to avoid a 0-2 start and they will find a way to win this one. A loss would be an absolute disaster for them and the dreams of a BCS Bowl game will be a distant memory.
#22 Nebraska (1-0) vs. Arkansas State (1-0) – Nebraska got off to a good start last week by beating Florida Atlantic 49-3, but the defense was described as “soft” by head coach Bo Pelini. The Cornhuskers gave up 358 yards to Florida Atlantic and were not as physical as they could have been. They can probably get away with that again this week, since Arkansas State is only a slight step up in competition. Nebraska needs to be careful though because Arkansas State does have some talented athletes and the Cornhuskers have a huge game against Virginia Tech next week, so this could be another so-called “trap” game. However, I would still expect a pretty big victory for Nebraska here.
#23 Cincinnati (1-0) vs. Southeast Missouri State (1-0) – All the talk about Rutgers winning the Big East this year has gone away after Cincinnati pounded the Scarlet Knights 47-15. The win set the Bearcats up as the favorite to win the Big East once again and propelled Cincinnati into the Top 25. They look to be a more dangerous team than people expected and they should destroy Southeast Missouri State, who has been outscored 174-13 in their last three games against FBS schools.
#24 Kansas (1-0) vs. UTEP (0-1) – Kansas will be looking to win a non-conference road game for the first time since 2003 and the return of star WR Dezmon Briscoe could help that. Briscoe was suspended for the first game of the season for a violation of team rules during the spring. His return could strength an already talented team, who should be able to handle UTEP. The Miners lost to Buffalo last week 23-17 and Kansas is certainly much more talented. UTEP has lost 9 straight times to ranked opponents dating back to 1997 and they are 3-44 all-time against ranked teams. Even with the odds in their favor, Kansas is not planning to overlook UTEP and that should lead to a big win.
#25 Missouri (1-0) vs. Bowling Green (1-0) – Missouri had an impressive opening win last week against Illinois and the performance has sparked hope that the team can have a good year even after graduating one of the most successful classes in school history and losing Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin. If they can get solid play from sophomore QB Blaine Gabbert, it could be a better than expected year for the young Tigers. Bowling Green will provide a good test, but they are a notch below Illinois. Bowling Green did defeat Missouri back in 2001 and 2002, teams that were also coached by Gary Pinkel. They also sport an 11-8 record against major conference teams since those seasons, so Missouri will have to come prepared to get a victory.
The Game’s Quick Hits
Recap: Steelers 13, Titans 10 OT – The NFL season got off to a great start last night, even if it wasn’t very pretty. Pittsburgh was able to make enough clutch plays to escape with a 13-10 overtime win over the Titans. The first half of the game was a total defensive struggle and neither team looked particularly good on offense. The Steelers looked worse though as they could not run the ball and only got going in the final two minutes of the half. The defense held them in the game, even though All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu left the game due to injury. A Titans player fell on his left knee after a blocked FG and it was reported after the game that Polamalu sprained his MCL and could be out 3-6 weeks. They are fortunate that the injury is not any worse and their defense is strong enough to survive for a few weeks without him. The Steelers finally were able to move the ball in the second half by relying on the arm of QB Ben Roethlisberger. After Tennessee grabbed a 10-7 lead late in the game, Roethlisberger got the Steelers going for a tying field goal and then was driving the Steelers down for the winning score in regulation, but WR Hines Ward fumbled on the Titans’ 5-yard line. However, Pittsburgh won the coin toss and Roethlisberger drove them right down the field for a game winning 33-yard field goal by K Jeff Reed. Once again, the Steelers used the formula of strong defense and clutch play from Roethlisberger, who was 33-for-43 for 363 yards with 1 TD and 2 INTs, to win. They really need to get the running game in order though, considering Tennessee held them to only 36 yards rushing. Pittsburgh also needs to improve on converting short yardage plays. They stunk it up in that area last night and that could cost them sometime this year if they are not careful. This loss will by no means hurt the Titans in the long run. They played a tough game and the defense looks fierce. I think they will be fine and can be a force when it comes to playoff time. Both teams made a statement that they will be contenders this year.
Recap: #15 Georgia Tech 30, Clemson 27 – In what was a game of back and forth momentum, Georgia Tech barely escaped with a 3 point win after squandering a 24-0 lead. Early on it seemed like this game would be a blowout. Clemson came out extremely flat and blew great field position by making costly mistakes and turning the ball over. This allowed Georgia Tech to build a 24-0 lead on the strength of a long TD run, a punt return TD, and a fake FG which resulted in a TD pass from kicker Scott Blair. From that point on however, Clemson’s defense stepped up and Georgia Tech could do absolutely nothing offensively. The Tigers stuffed the running game and Georgia Tech’s passing game was dreadful. Clemson scored 27 straight points to take the lead, but then they fell apart. Georgia Tech finally put together two late drives for field goals and escaped with a 3 point win. From what I saw, if a team is able to contain the Yellow Jackets’ spread option run game, they can be beat. QB Josh Nesbitt looked extremely shaky throwing the ball and he only completed 3 of 14 passes and threw 2 interceptions. That is not the way to get it done. I think Virginia Tech’s defense could easily stuff Georgia Tech and I am not sure if Georgia Tech will be able to hang in there for a major Bowl game this year. Clemson has enough offensive weapons to stay in games and they will always be a tough opponent for anyone in the ACC this year.
- Well it seems as though Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre just can not stay out of the news these days. Favre told the media on Wednesday that the New York Jets knew about his torn biceps tendon last season, but they did not list him on any injury reports. Favre also said that he was receptive to sitting out and would have done so, but he was encouraged to keep playing even though he felt he was starting to hurt the team. Teams in the past have been fined anywhere from $10,000 to $25,000 (no draft picks have ever been taken though) for not being forthright on injury reports and the NFL is now looking into Favre’s statements. New York Jets’ GM Mike Tannenbaum stated that he will take responsibility and cooperate in a league investigation for not listing Favre, and said that he should have been listed as “probable” during the final 5 games last year. If you ask me, this comes as absolutely no surprise. The Jets were trying to fight for a division title last year, so surely they did not want to let teams know that Favre had an injury. They probably did not want the media circus and distraction that would have come along with reporting it either. Like it or not, an injury is a target, so everyone kept quiet about it. I don’t agree with the practice of doing this because the rules about reporting injuries should be followed for competitive fairness. Who knows if the NFL will end up fining the Jets, but at least it seems Favre will be levelheaded this year and sit down if he is hurt and not jeopardize team success.
- No doubt that it is a new world out there as the Shawne Merriman/Tila Tequila saga is playing out on Twitter. The two are exchanging charges and countercharges on their feeds. Tequila is planning to meet with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office on Friday as the investigation will continue to determine whether or not Merriman will be charged. Merriman is sticking to his position that he was only trying to help Tequila because she was drunk and he intends to clear his name and get to focusing on football. Tequila counters by saying Merriman is lying and she will not be a victim in all this, especially when someone lays their hands on her. This seems like it will just turn into a bizarre situation, but as I stated before, I don’t think Tequila is on a witch hunt here. She most likely is well off financially and Merriman has more to lose here, so of course he will deny any wrongdoing. I guess we will have to see what charges, if any, get levied against Merriman to determine how serious this could have been.
- Other NFL News and Notes: Recently traded defensive lineman Richard Seymour continues to not report to the Oakland Raiders and the Raiders have responded by sending him the dreaded “5 day letter”, which means he has 5 days to report to the team or be suspended. He is listed on the Raiders’ 53 man roster, so if nothing were to happen before Monday night’s game against the Chargers, he would still collect a paycheck for the game. Now I understand Seymour’s displeasure with the sudden trade and having to leave a championship caliber team, but I do not condone highly paid athletes getting money for nothing. I am pleased to see Oakland giving him an ultimatum because he does not deserve any money or special treatment here. Seymour is starting to now look childish and unprofessional in all this. At this point, I say suck it up and go play.
The Vikings have released WR Bobby Wade just days before the season opener. This seems to be a puzzling move considering that Wade has led the Vikings in receptions the past 2 seasons. The addition of Percy Harvin obviously means fewer balls to go around, but you never know when injuries will pop up and I would think Minnesota would want to have as many weapons as possible. Harvin battled some injuries at Florida and WR Bernard Berrian has been slowed by a hamstring injury already. I don’t think this is that smart of a move and Minnesota better hope they stay healthy.
It was announced Thursday that NFL fans’ whose local teams’ games are blacked out will be able to watch them for free online, though not until after midnight. Commissioner Goodell said that the league understands that the economy is making it harder to buy tickets, so I suppose this is a compromise and better than nothing. Many have said the league should be sensitive to the economic times and waive the blackouts for this season so fans can watch their local teams’ games. On the other hand, giving away the product for free would not encourage people to try and go buy tickets. The NFL has a product it is trying to protect and I understand the business part of it. I certainly do not want things to get to a point where I would have to buy games on Pay Per View or something of that sort. But due to how bad things are in this economy, I think it is a unique time and they should allow the blackouts to be waived for this season only. They can revert back to the usual rules next season when things will hopefully be better in economic terms.
John Madden is back in the NFL and will be an unpaid “special adviser” to Commissioner Roger Goodell and mostly have influence on the NFL competition committee. This is a really cool move in my opinion. Without question, Madden is one of the most knowledgeable people out there when it comes to the game of football and I am glad that he will be offering his opinions and advice to try and improve the game. Madden has a love and passion for the NFL and I am sure he will be able to help in some capacity.
- BMW Championship Update: The second to last FedEx Cup Playoff event got underway yesterday and Rory Sabbatini and Steve Marino were able to jump out to a 1-stroke lead after firing 5-under rounds of 66. Bo Van Pelt and Marc Leishman each shot 4-under rounds of 67 and Tiger Woods is in a pack of players who shot 3-under rounds of 68. This is pretty much an all-star tournament with the top players in the world, so getting off to a good start is desirable. Without question, this is the best round that Tiger has shot to open a tournament in the past few weeks and he seems to have figured some things out. These last two events will determine the FedEx Cup Champion, so it is the perfect time for Tiger to rise to the occasion. I give him a great shot to win this week. FedEx Cup point leader Steve Stricker did not get off to such a great start. He suffered a three putt bogey on his last hole as he shot a 1-over par 72 for the day. Now he will be in the position to have to chase Woods, unlike last week when Stricker was hunting Tiger.
- Miami Heat all-star guard Dwayne Wade says that the contract extension talks are now over and he will be focusing on the upcoming season. As expected, Wade is not signing any extension with the Heat right now and is looking at testing free agency next summer. Obviously, this is not surprising and I do not blame the guy. That is how it works in sports with free agency and players have every right to go out and try to get as much money as they can. I certainly would do the same if I had the opportunity. Next summer might be crazy as LeBron James, Wade, Chris Bosh, and Amare Stoudemire could all hit free agency. Teams are trying to clear cap room now and we could see a huge power shift in the NBA. It will be fun to see what goes down and I bet Wade will probably have a monster season again this year, carrying the Heat on his back to the playoffs.
-U.S. Open Update: Things are starting to wind down at the U.S. Open and the only single’s action today was the last two men’s quarterfinals. In the first one, #6 seed Juan Martin del Potro rallied after losing the first set to beat #16 seed Marin Cilic 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1. We still do not know who his opponent will be because the night match between #3 seed Rafael Nadal and #11 seed Fernando Gonzalez was postponed due to rain with Nadal leading 7-6, 6-6.
Showing posts with label merriman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label merriman. Show all posts
Friday, September 11, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
NFL Week 1 Preview
NFL football is back folks. The excitement around here is at a fever pitch as the season opens tonight with the Steelers taking on the Titans. Even though it is only Thursday, it is never too early to take a look at all the week 1 games, so let’s have a preview.
Titans at Steelers (Thurs.) – Pittsburgh will be looking to come out strong as they begin defense of their championship. The Titans will be looking to make a statement as well and we will all get a look at the game many predicted would be the AFC Championship Game last season. With all the emotions running high, I would have to give the edge to the Steelers in this one. They would not want to lay an egg in their home opener and the team has talked about staying hungry and focused. It should be a defensive struggle between two of the top units in the league, but I think Pittsburgh has more diversity to get the job done. I am not sure that QB Kerry Collins will be able to do a whole lot in the air and the Steelers should be able to hold RB Chris Johnson and RB LenDale White in check. Expect QB Ben Roethlisberger, WR Hines Ward, and RB Willie Parker to put enough points on the board to secure a victory. Prediction: Steelers
Dolphins at Falcons – This has the potential to be a very good game to open the season and we will get a look at how both teams start 2009 after their surprising 2008 campaigns. If I had to predict which team would come back to earth this year, I would have to go with Miami. I believe they snuck up on people last year and that will not be the case this season. Atlanta has tons of weapons now with QB Matt Ryan, RB Michael Turner, WR Roddy White, and newly acquired TE Tony Gonzalez. They will be on the fast turf of the Georgia Dome and I don’t think Miami will be able to keep pace. The Dolphins rely on ball control and some trick plays, but I don’t expect them to have enough in this one. Prediction: Falcons
Broncos at Bengals – Both of these teams will come into 2009 with higher expectations than they probably should have. It has really been an offseason of turmoil for the Broncos. QB Jay Cutler demanded a trade that was granted and WR Brandon Marshall did his best to try and follow suit and be a disruption to the team. The Bengals are trying to get back on track with a healthy QB Carson Palmer and new dedication from WRs Chad Ochocinco and Chris Henry. Denver’s defense has gotten progressively worse in recent years, so the Bengals should be able to score points. Cincinnati’s defense is not much better though, but it remains to be seen how well new QB Kyle Orton plays, especially with his injured finger, and how much Denver gets in the running game. This is close to a toss up in my opinion and on opening week I think you have to give the edge to the home team. Prediction: Bengals
Vikings at Browns – The main focus on both these teams in the offseason was on the quarterback position. The Vikings were able to lure QB Brett Favre out of retirement once again while the Browns took the entire preseason before deciding to go with QB Brady Quinn as their starter…or is it QB Derek Anderson? Coach Eric Mangini refuses to tell the public (although it has leaked that it is in fact Quinn starting) because he thinks it will give them an edge. Clearly though, the Vikings have a much better team than the Browns, regardless of who is at QB. Favre will come in and stabilize the offense, running it efficiently and letting RB Adrian Peterson be the driving force. Combine that with a stout defense and Minnesota should be contenders this year. They have more than enough to pick up a win on the road in week 1. Prediction: Vikings
Jaguars at Colts – It was an offseason of change for the Colts as Coach Tony Dungy retired and WR Marvin Harrison was let go. QB Peyton Manning remains constant though and that is always a good thing for the Colts. The window on another trip to the Super Bowl is quickly closing and this might be the last shot for the Colts. The Jaguars strike me as a pretty mediocre team and I don’t expect them to make much noise this year. Both the offense and defense are good enough to keep them in games, but the playoffs will not be in reach. Even through all the changes, expect the Colts to have enough to handle the Jaguars at home in game 1. Prediction: Colts
Lions at Saints – The Detroit Lions ride that huge cold streak into New Orleans, having lost 17 straight regular season games. Is this finally the week they get a win? Don’t count on it. QB Drew Brees and the Saints’ high powered offense should be able to light up the scoreboard against a Lions team that still has a long way to go before even being respectable. I believe it was a poor decision by the Lions to start QB Matthew Stafford in week 1. I said all along that QB Daunte Culpepper was motivated to do well and gave the Lions the best chance to get a win and get the losing monkey off their back. Expect Stafford to have a good moment or two, but certainly not do enough to get a win. Prediction: Saints
Cowboys at Buccaneers – The Cowboys are trying to steady the ship and get back to the playoffs after releasing WR Terrell Owens and getting some team chemistry going. The jury is still out on how things will go, but Dallas should have enough to go into Tampa and get a win. The Buccaneers looked pretty terrible in the preseason, especially on offense, and that was punctuated by the firing of offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski. The Cowboys have a pretty good defense, so I do not expect Tampa Bay to score much at all in this one. QB Tony Romo and the ‘Boys should roll fairly comfortably. Prediction: Cowboys
Eagles at Panthers – This is a great matchup of potential contenders in the NFC. The Eagles are getting a great deal of Super Bowl love and I agree that they have a great shot. QB Michael Vick will not be available for this game and that might be a good thing if Philly is able to get some rhythm on offense. Both of these teams sport a good defense and you would think that a 12-4 Panthers team at home would be a good pick in week 1. I disagree however. I don’t know exactly what it is, but I believe Carolina will not be as good this year. I watched them during week 3 of the preseason and they didn’t look too good in the “dress rehearsal” game against the Ravens. It might not be that much of an upset, but I am taking the Eagles to get a big road win to start the year. Prediction: Eagles
Chiefs at Ravens – I really do not need to go into great detail about this one, especially for those who have read my preseason thoughts about the Ravens. Baltimore has looked great in the preseason and the Chiefs are just in turmoil. The Ravens defense looks primed and ready to go while the Chiefs offense looks ready to spiral down the toilet. I expect a huge home opening win for the Ravens and more good things to come. Prediction: Ravens
Jets at Texans – This game will mark the regular season debut of Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez. All accounts say that Sanchez looks ready for the job and he has handled himself fairly well in the preseason with some solid play. But how will he react when the games actually count? The Jets will try to support Sanchez with a solid running game and some good play on defense. Many are saying that the Texans could be primed for a playoff run this year. They certainly have enough weapons on offense, but the defense is still lacking enough playmakers. The Texans did not look that great against the Vikings and Brett Favre in the preseason, but I am not sure the Jets and Sanchez will bring a great deal more. It seems tough to pinpoint an upset this week, but considering the hype around the Jets and Sanchez, it might be one to take the Texans and with them being at home, that’s what I will do. Prediction: Texans
Redskins at Giants – The Giants will look to get back on track toward another shot at the Super Bowl while the Redskins would be happy to just make it into the playoffs. There was some unrest in the offseason for the Redskins as it was reported the team tried to trade for QB Jay Cutler. This obviously did not sit well with QB Jason Campbell, so the Redskins will have to try and get the job done with him. Campbell has slowly improved, but he is not an elite level player and can only do so much. The defense will still take some time to gel I believe and the Redskins are only about a .500 team in my opinion. The Giants have more talent across the board and QB Eli Manning should be motivated to prove he is worth the huge contract extension he received in the offseason. Although I am not sure who will be catching passes for him, the Giants run game and defense should be enough to carry them at home in the opener. Prediction: Giants
49ers at Cardinals – The surprising Cardinals will be out to try and prove that last season’s trip to the Super Bowl was no fluke. QB Kurt Warner returned to the team and WR Anquan Boldin will once again have to play despite not receiving any big money. The loser of the Super Bowl in previous years has had trouble even making the playoffs, so there is a chance the Cardinals will crash and burn. I don’t foresee that happening in week 1 though. The 49ers and Coach Mike Singletary are slowly building the team back up, but they have more to do. The offense is still lacking firepower and Singletary is going with the steady hand of Shaun Hill at QB. WR Michael Crabtree continues to be an idiot and not sign with the team, so maybe that is an omen of things to come. The Cards should have enough at home to get a win. Prediction: Cardinals
Rams at Seahawks – Both of these teams need to do some serious rebuilding after poor seasons last year. The Seahawks are in a much better position to do that with the return of QB Matt Hasselbeck from injury and the addition of WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh. The Rams don’t have much outside of RB Steven Jackson and it will probably be another long season for them. Both of these teams should not be factors in the NFC playoff picture and I have to go with the Seahawks at home for the week 1 win. Prediction: Seahawks
Bears at Packers – Outside of the Steelers/Titans opening night matchup, this has the potential to be the game of the week. Bears QB Jay Cutler will try to take Chicago into Lambeau Field and get a win over the Packers. Without question, Cutler is a huge upgrade at QB and the Bears might finally be able to score some points through the air and provide some balance to the running game spearheaded by RB Matt Forte. QB Aaron Rodgers continues to grow into a star player, but he will have a challenge on his hands going up against the Bears defense. This game is a real toss up considering that both defenses may have the edge over the other. In a tight game like this, especially on opening day, I have to give the edge to the home team. Prediction: Packers
Bills at Patriots – The early game on Monday Night Football features the regular season debut of WR Terrell Owens for the Bills as they travel to New England. Patriots QB Tom Brady is good to go after a shoulder “scare” in the preseason and the Patriots look ready to pick back up where they left off before Brady got hurt. The Bills have shown nothing on offense in the preseason and fired their offensive coordinator because of it. The Patriots should have an easy time picking up the win. Prediction: Patriots
Chargers at Raiders – The final game of week 1 features QB Philip Rivers and RB LaDainian Tomlinson taking the Chargers into Oakland. Once again, the Raiders look like they are in disarray and are no closer to being a better team. The Chargers have been notorious in recent years for getting off to slow starts, but I do not anticipate that happening this year, at least in this game. Unfortunately, the final game of opening week could turn into a snoozer and a Chargers blowout. Prediction: Chargers
The Game’s Quick Hits
Preview: #15 Georgia Tech (1-0) vs. Clemson (1-0) – In addition to opening night in the NFL, we will also be treated to this game as Clemson travels to Georgia Tech to open ACC play for both schools. Georgia Tech has hopes of winning the ACC Coastal Division over Virginia Tech and trying to get to a BCS Bowl game, but they did not look like a team ready for that against Jacksonville State. They performed poorly at times and had 5 fumbles, looking mentally out of it. They can not afford a similar performance against Clemson, even being at home. Clemson features dynamic RB C.J. Spiller and have the ability to put points on the board. This should be a great ACC contest and I would expect a close game. Clemson is more than capable of pulling an upset, but if Georgia Tech limits their mistakes and plays good football, their overall better level of talent should allow them to win this game.
- The NFL’s all-time leading rusher and future Hall of Famer, Emmitt Smith, took a shot at Cowboys’ QB Tony Romo and Coach Wade Phillips by questioning whether they have the leadership ability to make Dallas successful. Smith said that Romo does not do enough to demand excellence from his teammates and he needs to be more vocal as to what is expected to be a great team. He also said that Phillips has the responsibility to bring the team together and that he should not just act tough, but actually be tough and instill discipline from day 1. This approach has worked for coaches like Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin and the Cowboys need it. Hey, I wholeheartedly agree with what Emmitt Smith is saying here. Romo and Phillips both strike me as people who have too much of a laid back attitude and not enough of a killer instinct. To win in the NFL, you have to be driven and have the intensity to go out there and be the absolute best you can and also drag the best out of your teammates. I don’t see strong leadership from either one, and that is one of the reasons why I think it will be a struggle for Dallas to make the playoffs this year. There seems to be no sense of urgency from the Cowboys and their team is less talented than it has been. I give credit to Emmitt for telling it like it is and Romo and Phillips would be wise to listen.
- Sources are now saying that the Denver Broncos and problem child WR Brandon Marshall are now talking about a possible contract extension. Part of Marshall’s problems with the Broncos has been the fact that he has not been able to get a long-term deal, so the fact that the two sides are now talking is encouraging. Here is a prime example of why the NFL is strictly business sometimes and how money talks. I bet if Brandon Marshall gets his money, he will shut the hell up, play well, and be a good teammate. I can’t say that I blame Denver for finally trying to lock this guy up. He is extremely talented and when on the field, he’s very productive. They can not just get a player of his caliber out of thin air, and it is hard to find a comparable player out of college or elsewhere because he has proven what he can bring to the table already in the NFL. I do not agree with seemingly rewarding the guy with a big money deal after the way he has acted, but business is business and a happy Brandon Marshall can help the Denver Broncos win football games.
- It now seems that the Shawne Merriman/Tila Tequila situation will be a full blown he said, she said drama and the District Attorney’s Office is now reviewing whether or not Merriman will be charged. Tequila’s attorney, Alan S. Gutman, has released a statement saying that Merriman’s explanation of the events, claiming that he was only trying to help and protect Tequila because she was drunk, is just “spin” and will be totally discredited. Gutman claimed that Merriman’s actions were illegal and indefensible and that society will not tolerate a physical assault on a 93 pound woman by a 270 pound football player. Well he is right about that, but who knows which side of the story is true. That is why we have our legal system in this country and the truth probably falls somewhere in the middle. I know nothing about Shawne Merriman as a person obviously, but I can believe that he sometimes could bring his intensity from the football field into other situations of his life where he shouldn’t be doing that. I doubt that Tequila is specifically out to ruin his life, so he is probably guilty of something, even if it is only bad judgment. When will these athletes learn that you can’t be out drinking and partying at 4 am in the morning and putting themselves in stupid situations? I can only hope the truth does come out in this case and that Merriman gets disciplined by the NFL if it is warranted.
- In more off-the-field legal drama, the woman accusing Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger of sexually assaulting her has said she will drop the civil suit if he acknowledges the rape and apologizes to her. She also would want Roethlisberger to donate $100,000 to the Committee to Aid Abused Women, a Reno, NV non-profit group, and her attorney claims that she is only seeking “to regain the dignity that was taken from her.” Excuse me a moment while I have a good laugh! Now as you all may know, being a Ravens fan makes me have no love for the Steelers. But even I can feel for a guy from Pittsburgh when he is trying to get railroaded. This lawsuit against him is an absolute farce and she is only trying to do a money grab on Big Ben. There is already plenty of evidence being leaked that shows her joking about a relationship with Roethlisberger and there is the very big fact that she did not bother to report anything or seem distraught to others after this so-called “rape” occurred. I am glad Roethlisberger and his attorneys flatly rejected this request and will continue to fight on. I’m pretty sure that Ben is a stand up guy and he would not do something like this. The woman is heading down a really dangerous path though and maybe she is just in too deep now or is getting bad advice from a sleazy lawyer who thinks he can win the case. As they say, more money more problems, and even though I dislike the Steelers with a passion, I hope Roethlisberger beats down this woman in court.
-Other NFL News and Notes: Vikings QB Brett Favre said he will not let his consecutive games played streak hurt the team this year. Favre will make his 270th straight start this weekend against the Browns, tying what the NFL considers to be the longest streak held by former Vikings defensive lineman Jim Marshall. He said that he will “absolutely” sit if he is not healthy enough and he may not make it through all 16 games. Well I am glad to see that Favre is taking the smart approach to this. Everyone knows he is a warrior, but he is at a point in his career where a less than 100% Favre might not be better than a 100% healthy Tarvaris Jackson. As I stated, if Favre can manage the game for the Vikings and not make mistakes, things will be good for Minnesota.
Coach Eric Mangini finally made up his mind and informed QB Brady Quinn and QB Derek Anderson as to who would be the starter. Mangini did not inform the public, but as you would expect, word has leaked out and Brady Quinn will be the starter. Even though I believe Mangini looks like a fool with this whole “secret” nonsense, I think he made the right move going with Quinn. Quinn looked a little better in the preseason games and I think he has the chance to develop into a solid quarterback. I have heard people say that Quinn has been given every chance to take the job and hasn’t done it, but I fail to see any solid confidence being shown to him. Hopefully now he will get a chance to shine and show his skills because the Browns desperately need as much help as they can get.
The Terrell Owens “blow up” watch is now officially on. When asked about his thoughts on Buffalo’s no-huddle offense, Owens said that he’s not a big fan of it and he will “deal with it.” He also said that the offense is tiring him out after missing four weeks with an injured toe. This just has disaster written all over it, doesn’t it? The Bills will not be a good team this year. I have to think defenses will be all over Owens and QB Trent Edwards is not good enough to compensate for that. The pot is slowly heating up and will be coming to a boil, just wait for it.
Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel participated in practice for the 2nd day this week, but he was not able to go through a full and normal workout. He wore a brace on his left knee and will officially be listed as questionable for this Sunday against the Ravens. I keep trying to tell them…just sit him down. The Ravens defense will destroy him, especially on a gimpy knee.
Denver Broncos QB Kyle Orton is still optimistic he will be able to play against the Packers this Sunday despite his dislocated right index finger. Orton has been wearing a glove in practice but does not particularly like it. This does not seem like a good idea for him. All it will take is one hit or one shot on a helmet and he could worsen the injury. I have heard he can’t make long, down-the-field throws, so this just seems foolish to me. QB Chris Simms is the backup and he is not a great option either, but at least he doesn’t have an issue with his throwing hand.
Looking for a surprise on Twitter this Sunday? Watch out for Chad Ochocinco then. He claims that he will have a surprise for everyone and that he has found loopholes in the NFL policy which bans the use of social networking sites immediately before and during games. I really think he should be more worried about preparing for the game against the Broncos than what he will be doing on Twitter, don’t you? Prove that you are not washed up yet Chad, then you can run your mouth and “entertain”.
- Allen Iverson broke the story on his own twitter feed Wednesday morning by saying “God chose Memphis as the place that I will continue my career.” So apparently Iverson will be taking the 1-year, $3.5 million contract that he was offered by Memphis. As I stated a few days ago, this was Iverson’s only option left. At least with the Grizzles he will probably get substantial playing time and he is making more money than any other team was willing to give him. At this point, both sides are saying the right things and Iverson says he wants to help Memphis win and that he will “shine” and lead by example. It remains to be seen what might happen if the minutes on the court start to dwindle though. Hopefully he can ease into being a role player and accept the fact that he is entering the twilight of his career. If he wants to try and win a ring though, he will still have to play well this season and then seriously consider going to a contender and accepting that he will have to come off the bench. I’m not sure he can let himself do that though, but it will either be that or retirement for A.I.
- U.S. Open Update: The amazing run of 17-year old American Melanie Oudin has finally come to an end as she lost to #9 seed Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets 6-2, 6-2. Oudin looked like she ran out of steam and was fatigued. She made way too many unforced errors and let Wozniacki dictate the action. Oudin’s future does look very bright though. Wozniacki will now play Yanina Wickmayer in one of the women’s semifinals. Wickmayer defeated Kateryna Bondarenko 7-5, 6-4. On the men’s side of the draw, #1 seed Roger Federer continues to roll along. He defeated #12 seed Robin Soderling in 4 sets, 6-0, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6. I will give Soderling credit for coming back after the 1st set and making Roger work for it, but he just did not have enough. Federer will now face #4 seed Novak Djokovic in one semifinal after he defeated #10 seed Fernando Verdasco in 4 sets. Djokovic has the ability to beat Federer, but will he come to play and bring his best? Sometimes Djokovic is brilliant and other times he looks terrible. He will need to be closer to brilliant to beat Roger. And in other important U.S. Open news, a man was arrested after running on the court to kiss Rafael Nadal following his victory Tuesday night. Well Nadal is certainly a strapping young man…feel the man love. LOL
Titans at Steelers (Thurs.) – Pittsburgh will be looking to come out strong as they begin defense of their championship. The Titans will be looking to make a statement as well and we will all get a look at the game many predicted would be the AFC Championship Game last season. With all the emotions running high, I would have to give the edge to the Steelers in this one. They would not want to lay an egg in their home opener and the team has talked about staying hungry and focused. It should be a defensive struggle between two of the top units in the league, but I think Pittsburgh has more diversity to get the job done. I am not sure that QB Kerry Collins will be able to do a whole lot in the air and the Steelers should be able to hold RB Chris Johnson and RB LenDale White in check. Expect QB Ben Roethlisberger, WR Hines Ward, and RB Willie Parker to put enough points on the board to secure a victory. Prediction: Steelers
Dolphins at Falcons – This has the potential to be a very good game to open the season and we will get a look at how both teams start 2009 after their surprising 2008 campaigns. If I had to predict which team would come back to earth this year, I would have to go with Miami. I believe they snuck up on people last year and that will not be the case this season. Atlanta has tons of weapons now with QB Matt Ryan, RB Michael Turner, WR Roddy White, and newly acquired TE Tony Gonzalez. They will be on the fast turf of the Georgia Dome and I don’t think Miami will be able to keep pace. The Dolphins rely on ball control and some trick plays, but I don’t expect them to have enough in this one. Prediction: Falcons
Broncos at Bengals – Both of these teams will come into 2009 with higher expectations than they probably should have. It has really been an offseason of turmoil for the Broncos. QB Jay Cutler demanded a trade that was granted and WR Brandon Marshall did his best to try and follow suit and be a disruption to the team. The Bengals are trying to get back on track with a healthy QB Carson Palmer and new dedication from WRs Chad Ochocinco and Chris Henry. Denver’s defense has gotten progressively worse in recent years, so the Bengals should be able to score points. Cincinnati’s defense is not much better though, but it remains to be seen how well new QB Kyle Orton plays, especially with his injured finger, and how much Denver gets in the running game. This is close to a toss up in my opinion and on opening week I think you have to give the edge to the home team. Prediction: Bengals
Vikings at Browns – The main focus on both these teams in the offseason was on the quarterback position. The Vikings were able to lure QB Brett Favre out of retirement once again while the Browns took the entire preseason before deciding to go with QB Brady Quinn as their starter…or is it QB Derek Anderson? Coach Eric Mangini refuses to tell the public (although it has leaked that it is in fact Quinn starting) because he thinks it will give them an edge. Clearly though, the Vikings have a much better team than the Browns, regardless of who is at QB. Favre will come in and stabilize the offense, running it efficiently and letting RB Adrian Peterson be the driving force. Combine that with a stout defense and Minnesota should be contenders this year. They have more than enough to pick up a win on the road in week 1. Prediction: Vikings
Jaguars at Colts – It was an offseason of change for the Colts as Coach Tony Dungy retired and WR Marvin Harrison was let go. QB Peyton Manning remains constant though and that is always a good thing for the Colts. The window on another trip to the Super Bowl is quickly closing and this might be the last shot for the Colts. The Jaguars strike me as a pretty mediocre team and I don’t expect them to make much noise this year. Both the offense and defense are good enough to keep them in games, but the playoffs will not be in reach. Even through all the changes, expect the Colts to have enough to handle the Jaguars at home in game 1. Prediction: Colts
Lions at Saints – The Detroit Lions ride that huge cold streak into New Orleans, having lost 17 straight regular season games. Is this finally the week they get a win? Don’t count on it. QB Drew Brees and the Saints’ high powered offense should be able to light up the scoreboard against a Lions team that still has a long way to go before even being respectable. I believe it was a poor decision by the Lions to start QB Matthew Stafford in week 1. I said all along that QB Daunte Culpepper was motivated to do well and gave the Lions the best chance to get a win and get the losing monkey off their back. Expect Stafford to have a good moment or two, but certainly not do enough to get a win. Prediction: Saints
Cowboys at Buccaneers – The Cowboys are trying to steady the ship and get back to the playoffs after releasing WR Terrell Owens and getting some team chemistry going. The jury is still out on how things will go, but Dallas should have enough to go into Tampa and get a win. The Buccaneers looked pretty terrible in the preseason, especially on offense, and that was punctuated by the firing of offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski. The Cowboys have a pretty good defense, so I do not expect Tampa Bay to score much at all in this one. QB Tony Romo and the ‘Boys should roll fairly comfortably. Prediction: Cowboys
Eagles at Panthers – This is a great matchup of potential contenders in the NFC. The Eagles are getting a great deal of Super Bowl love and I agree that they have a great shot. QB Michael Vick will not be available for this game and that might be a good thing if Philly is able to get some rhythm on offense. Both of these teams sport a good defense and you would think that a 12-4 Panthers team at home would be a good pick in week 1. I disagree however. I don’t know exactly what it is, but I believe Carolina will not be as good this year. I watched them during week 3 of the preseason and they didn’t look too good in the “dress rehearsal” game against the Ravens. It might not be that much of an upset, but I am taking the Eagles to get a big road win to start the year. Prediction: Eagles
Chiefs at Ravens – I really do not need to go into great detail about this one, especially for those who have read my preseason thoughts about the Ravens. Baltimore has looked great in the preseason and the Chiefs are just in turmoil. The Ravens defense looks primed and ready to go while the Chiefs offense looks ready to spiral down the toilet. I expect a huge home opening win for the Ravens and more good things to come. Prediction: Ravens
Jets at Texans – This game will mark the regular season debut of Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez. All accounts say that Sanchez looks ready for the job and he has handled himself fairly well in the preseason with some solid play. But how will he react when the games actually count? The Jets will try to support Sanchez with a solid running game and some good play on defense. Many are saying that the Texans could be primed for a playoff run this year. They certainly have enough weapons on offense, but the defense is still lacking enough playmakers. The Texans did not look that great against the Vikings and Brett Favre in the preseason, but I am not sure the Jets and Sanchez will bring a great deal more. It seems tough to pinpoint an upset this week, but considering the hype around the Jets and Sanchez, it might be one to take the Texans and with them being at home, that’s what I will do. Prediction: Texans
Redskins at Giants – The Giants will look to get back on track toward another shot at the Super Bowl while the Redskins would be happy to just make it into the playoffs. There was some unrest in the offseason for the Redskins as it was reported the team tried to trade for QB Jay Cutler. This obviously did not sit well with QB Jason Campbell, so the Redskins will have to try and get the job done with him. Campbell has slowly improved, but he is not an elite level player and can only do so much. The defense will still take some time to gel I believe and the Redskins are only about a .500 team in my opinion. The Giants have more talent across the board and QB Eli Manning should be motivated to prove he is worth the huge contract extension he received in the offseason. Although I am not sure who will be catching passes for him, the Giants run game and defense should be enough to carry them at home in the opener. Prediction: Giants
49ers at Cardinals – The surprising Cardinals will be out to try and prove that last season’s trip to the Super Bowl was no fluke. QB Kurt Warner returned to the team and WR Anquan Boldin will once again have to play despite not receiving any big money. The loser of the Super Bowl in previous years has had trouble even making the playoffs, so there is a chance the Cardinals will crash and burn. I don’t foresee that happening in week 1 though. The 49ers and Coach Mike Singletary are slowly building the team back up, but they have more to do. The offense is still lacking firepower and Singletary is going with the steady hand of Shaun Hill at QB. WR Michael Crabtree continues to be an idiot and not sign with the team, so maybe that is an omen of things to come. The Cards should have enough at home to get a win. Prediction: Cardinals
Rams at Seahawks – Both of these teams need to do some serious rebuilding after poor seasons last year. The Seahawks are in a much better position to do that with the return of QB Matt Hasselbeck from injury and the addition of WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh. The Rams don’t have much outside of RB Steven Jackson and it will probably be another long season for them. Both of these teams should not be factors in the NFC playoff picture and I have to go with the Seahawks at home for the week 1 win. Prediction: Seahawks
Bears at Packers – Outside of the Steelers/Titans opening night matchup, this has the potential to be the game of the week. Bears QB Jay Cutler will try to take Chicago into Lambeau Field and get a win over the Packers. Without question, Cutler is a huge upgrade at QB and the Bears might finally be able to score some points through the air and provide some balance to the running game spearheaded by RB Matt Forte. QB Aaron Rodgers continues to grow into a star player, but he will have a challenge on his hands going up against the Bears defense. This game is a real toss up considering that both defenses may have the edge over the other. In a tight game like this, especially on opening day, I have to give the edge to the home team. Prediction: Packers
Bills at Patriots – The early game on Monday Night Football features the regular season debut of WR Terrell Owens for the Bills as they travel to New England. Patriots QB Tom Brady is good to go after a shoulder “scare” in the preseason and the Patriots look ready to pick back up where they left off before Brady got hurt. The Bills have shown nothing on offense in the preseason and fired their offensive coordinator because of it. The Patriots should have an easy time picking up the win. Prediction: Patriots
Chargers at Raiders – The final game of week 1 features QB Philip Rivers and RB LaDainian Tomlinson taking the Chargers into Oakland. Once again, the Raiders look like they are in disarray and are no closer to being a better team. The Chargers have been notorious in recent years for getting off to slow starts, but I do not anticipate that happening this year, at least in this game. Unfortunately, the final game of opening week could turn into a snoozer and a Chargers blowout. Prediction: Chargers
The Game’s Quick Hits
Preview: #15 Georgia Tech (1-0) vs. Clemson (1-0) – In addition to opening night in the NFL, we will also be treated to this game as Clemson travels to Georgia Tech to open ACC play for both schools. Georgia Tech has hopes of winning the ACC Coastal Division over Virginia Tech and trying to get to a BCS Bowl game, but they did not look like a team ready for that against Jacksonville State. They performed poorly at times and had 5 fumbles, looking mentally out of it. They can not afford a similar performance against Clemson, even being at home. Clemson features dynamic RB C.J. Spiller and have the ability to put points on the board. This should be a great ACC contest and I would expect a close game. Clemson is more than capable of pulling an upset, but if Georgia Tech limits their mistakes and plays good football, their overall better level of talent should allow them to win this game.
- The NFL’s all-time leading rusher and future Hall of Famer, Emmitt Smith, took a shot at Cowboys’ QB Tony Romo and Coach Wade Phillips by questioning whether they have the leadership ability to make Dallas successful. Smith said that Romo does not do enough to demand excellence from his teammates and he needs to be more vocal as to what is expected to be a great team. He also said that Phillips has the responsibility to bring the team together and that he should not just act tough, but actually be tough and instill discipline from day 1. This approach has worked for coaches like Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin and the Cowboys need it. Hey, I wholeheartedly agree with what Emmitt Smith is saying here. Romo and Phillips both strike me as people who have too much of a laid back attitude and not enough of a killer instinct. To win in the NFL, you have to be driven and have the intensity to go out there and be the absolute best you can and also drag the best out of your teammates. I don’t see strong leadership from either one, and that is one of the reasons why I think it will be a struggle for Dallas to make the playoffs this year. There seems to be no sense of urgency from the Cowboys and their team is less talented than it has been. I give credit to Emmitt for telling it like it is and Romo and Phillips would be wise to listen.
- Sources are now saying that the Denver Broncos and problem child WR Brandon Marshall are now talking about a possible contract extension. Part of Marshall’s problems with the Broncos has been the fact that he has not been able to get a long-term deal, so the fact that the two sides are now talking is encouraging. Here is a prime example of why the NFL is strictly business sometimes and how money talks. I bet if Brandon Marshall gets his money, he will shut the hell up, play well, and be a good teammate. I can’t say that I blame Denver for finally trying to lock this guy up. He is extremely talented and when on the field, he’s very productive. They can not just get a player of his caliber out of thin air, and it is hard to find a comparable player out of college or elsewhere because he has proven what he can bring to the table already in the NFL. I do not agree with seemingly rewarding the guy with a big money deal after the way he has acted, but business is business and a happy Brandon Marshall can help the Denver Broncos win football games.
- It now seems that the Shawne Merriman/Tila Tequila situation will be a full blown he said, she said drama and the District Attorney’s Office is now reviewing whether or not Merriman will be charged. Tequila’s attorney, Alan S. Gutman, has released a statement saying that Merriman’s explanation of the events, claiming that he was only trying to help and protect Tequila because she was drunk, is just “spin” and will be totally discredited. Gutman claimed that Merriman’s actions were illegal and indefensible and that society will not tolerate a physical assault on a 93 pound woman by a 270 pound football player. Well he is right about that, but who knows which side of the story is true. That is why we have our legal system in this country and the truth probably falls somewhere in the middle. I know nothing about Shawne Merriman as a person obviously, but I can believe that he sometimes could bring his intensity from the football field into other situations of his life where he shouldn’t be doing that. I doubt that Tequila is specifically out to ruin his life, so he is probably guilty of something, even if it is only bad judgment. When will these athletes learn that you can’t be out drinking and partying at 4 am in the morning and putting themselves in stupid situations? I can only hope the truth does come out in this case and that Merriman gets disciplined by the NFL if it is warranted.
- In more off-the-field legal drama, the woman accusing Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger of sexually assaulting her has said she will drop the civil suit if he acknowledges the rape and apologizes to her. She also would want Roethlisberger to donate $100,000 to the Committee to Aid Abused Women, a Reno, NV non-profit group, and her attorney claims that she is only seeking “to regain the dignity that was taken from her.” Excuse me a moment while I have a good laugh! Now as you all may know, being a Ravens fan makes me have no love for the Steelers. But even I can feel for a guy from Pittsburgh when he is trying to get railroaded. This lawsuit against him is an absolute farce and she is only trying to do a money grab on Big Ben. There is already plenty of evidence being leaked that shows her joking about a relationship with Roethlisberger and there is the very big fact that she did not bother to report anything or seem distraught to others after this so-called “rape” occurred. I am glad Roethlisberger and his attorneys flatly rejected this request and will continue to fight on. I’m pretty sure that Ben is a stand up guy and he would not do something like this. The woman is heading down a really dangerous path though and maybe she is just in too deep now or is getting bad advice from a sleazy lawyer who thinks he can win the case. As they say, more money more problems, and even though I dislike the Steelers with a passion, I hope Roethlisberger beats down this woman in court.
-Other NFL News and Notes: Vikings QB Brett Favre said he will not let his consecutive games played streak hurt the team this year. Favre will make his 270th straight start this weekend against the Browns, tying what the NFL considers to be the longest streak held by former Vikings defensive lineman Jim Marshall. He said that he will “absolutely” sit if he is not healthy enough and he may not make it through all 16 games. Well I am glad to see that Favre is taking the smart approach to this. Everyone knows he is a warrior, but he is at a point in his career where a less than 100% Favre might not be better than a 100% healthy Tarvaris Jackson. As I stated, if Favre can manage the game for the Vikings and not make mistakes, things will be good for Minnesota.
Coach Eric Mangini finally made up his mind and informed QB Brady Quinn and QB Derek Anderson as to who would be the starter. Mangini did not inform the public, but as you would expect, word has leaked out and Brady Quinn will be the starter. Even though I believe Mangini looks like a fool with this whole “secret” nonsense, I think he made the right move going with Quinn. Quinn looked a little better in the preseason games and I think he has the chance to develop into a solid quarterback. I have heard people say that Quinn has been given every chance to take the job and hasn’t done it, but I fail to see any solid confidence being shown to him. Hopefully now he will get a chance to shine and show his skills because the Browns desperately need as much help as they can get.
The Terrell Owens “blow up” watch is now officially on. When asked about his thoughts on Buffalo’s no-huddle offense, Owens said that he’s not a big fan of it and he will “deal with it.” He also said that the offense is tiring him out after missing four weeks with an injured toe. This just has disaster written all over it, doesn’t it? The Bills will not be a good team this year. I have to think defenses will be all over Owens and QB Trent Edwards is not good enough to compensate for that. The pot is slowly heating up and will be coming to a boil, just wait for it.
Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel participated in practice for the 2nd day this week, but he was not able to go through a full and normal workout. He wore a brace on his left knee and will officially be listed as questionable for this Sunday against the Ravens. I keep trying to tell them…just sit him down. The Ravens defense will destroy him, especially on a gimpy knee.
Denver Broncos QB Kyle Orton is still optimistic he will be able to play against the Packers this Sunday despite his dislocated right index finger. Orton has been wearing a glove in practice but does not particularly like it. This does not seem like a good idea for him. All it will take is one hit or one shot on a helmet and he could worsen the injury. I have heard he can’t make long, down-the-field throws, so this just seems foolish to me. QB Chris Simms is the backup and he is not a great option either, but at least he doesn’t have an issue with his throwing hand.
Looking for a surprise on Twitter this Sunday? Watch out for Chad Ochocinco then. He claims that he will have a surprise for everyone and that he has found loopholes in the NFL policy which bans the use of social networking sites immediately before and during games. I really think he should be more worried about preparing for the game against the Broncos than what he will be doing on Twitter, don’t you? Prove that you are not washed up yet Chad, then you can run your mouth and “entertain”.
- Allen Iverson broke the story on his own twitter feed Wednesday morning by saying “God chose Memphis as the place that I will continue my career.” So apparently Iverson will be taking the 1-year, $3.5 million contract that he was offered by Memphis. As I stated a few days ago, this was Iverson’s only option left. At least with the Grizzles he will probably get substantial playing time and he is making more money than any other team was willing to give him. At this point, both sides are saying the right things and Iverson says he wants to help Memphis win and that he will “shine” and lead by example. It remains to be seen what might happen if the minutes on the court start to dwindle though. Hopefully he can ease into being a role player and accept the fact that he is entering the twilight of his career. If he wants to try and win a ring though, he will still have to play well this season and then seriously consider going to a contender and accepting that he will have to come off the bench. I’m not sure he can let himself do that though, but it will either be that or retirement for A.I.
- U.S. Open Update: The amazing run of 17-year old American Melanie Oudin has finally come to an end as she lost to #9 seed Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets 6-2, 6-2. Oudin looked like she ran out of steam and was fatigued. She made way too many unforced errors and let Wozniacki dictate the action. Oudin’s future does look very bright though. Wozniacki will now play Yanina Wickmayer in one of the women’s semifinals. Wickmayer defeated Kateryna Bondarenko 7-5, 6-4. On the men’s side of the draw, #1 seed Roger Federer continues to roll along. He defeated #12 seed Robin Soderling in 4 sets, 6-0, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6. I will give Soderling credit for coming back after the 1st set and making Roger work for it, but he just did not have enough. Federer will now face #4 seed Novak Djokovic in one semifinal after he defeated #10 seed Fernando Verdasco in 4 sets. Djokovic has the ability to beat Federer, but will he come to play and bring his best? Sometimes Djokovic is brilliant and other times he looks terrible. He will need to be closer to brilliant to beat Roger. And in other important U.S. Open news, a man was arrested after running on the court to kiss Rafael Nadal following his victory Tuesday night. Well Nadal is certainly a strapping young man…feel the man love. LOL
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Labor Day Quick Hits
Hope everyone enjoyed a safe and relaxing Labor Day holiday. Let’s take a look at what happened around the world of sports and wrestling yesterday.
The Game’s Quick Hits
Monday Night RAWind: When they announced that Bob Barker was going to be the special guest host this week, I immediately thought this could be a downright disaster and that it made no sense. After watching the show last night, I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised. Instead of having Barker do something truly stupid, they were able to mix him in and let him do what he does best, entertain. The WWE had Barker mix in some Price Is Right (or Price is RAW for the evening) games and they led to action that we saw in the ring. That was a pretty smart move. The crowd was very receptive to Barker and except for the schilling of his book, this was a well played night for the guest host concept.
The night started out with Santino, Jillian Hall, I.R.S., and Chris Jericho playing a pricing game on a “Best of Smackdown DVD”. Jericho was his usual smug self and wanted no part of it and he eventually confronted Barker, who had a nice interaction with Jericho. The whole thing led to a rematch from last week between Jericho and MVP. They both put on another solid match and as you might expect, MVP picked up the win this week after Jericho won last week. The pricing game segment came back later in the evening and that eventually led to a Bodyslam Challenge between Mark Henry and The Big Show. The same formula was followed and Henry won the match by slamming Show. While there was nothing spectacular in here, the matches did a good job of at least making the Unified Tag Team Championship match this Sunday at Breaking Point look important. MVP and Henry were made to look like legitimate threats, even though I believe it would be a mistake to have them win and take the belts off Jericho and Show.
In other significant developments, Cody Rhodes was given some time on the mic before a match with John Cena to explain why he did not attack Randy Orton after Orton gave his father, last week’s guest host Dusty Rhodes, an RKO at the end of the night. Granted, Cody is not great on the mic, but he got his point across that he is putting his career over his family and he will prove that he is making the right choice. He then threw in that he would make John Cena tap out in the upcoming match, so I knew that we were looking at either a Cena win or a DQ finish. And sure enough, Randy Orton ran in to cause a DQ after Cena and Rhodes put on a pretty good match. I was pleased to see the DQ because it would have been pointless to have Cena fight off Cody’s attempts at making him submit, only to “hulk up” and crush him. We already know Cena is like Superman, so I am glad I was spared the shtick tonight.
The main event of the evening was set up by Triple H and Shawn Michaels spinning the big wheel...well, pressing a button and watching the wheel spin on video…and having their opponents randomly selected. Randy Orton was one of the opponents selected and the other was…Chris Masters? Now why and how is Chris Masters making the main event of Raw? It made no sense to me and even if it looked cheesy from the whole “random” standpoint, it should have been Ted Dibiase main eventing with Orton. I will give Masters credit, though. He didn’t look that bad in the ring and he, along with Orton, and DX put on a pretty good tag team match. They did not let the match slow to a snail’s pace and there was some good drama near the end. DX picked up the win with stereo submission holds and were then attacked by Legacy. DX, Rhodes, and Dibiase fought all the way through the arena and out to the backstage lot where Legacy was able to steal a car and drive off. Orton slithered back to the ring to say a few words and this prompted Cena to come back out for a brawl. Cena got the upper hand early, but Orton was able to hit a spike DDT and then an RKO on a chair to stand tall over Cena to end the evening.
All in all, I thought this was a pretty good show going into the PPV. Raw has recovered nicely the past 2 weeks after the dismal post-Summerslam show. All of the main event feuds got some good and logical exposure and I believe that Breaking Point could be pretty interesting. Once again, it is clear that the best shows are the ones that cut down on stupid and idiotic segments and offer more wrestling. This show was chock full of backstage segments and shenanigans, but at least tonight they made some sense and had a purpose. And it was also nice to see Chavo Guerrero actually wrestle in a serious match against Evan Bourne…but of course they ruined it with Hornswoggle interfering. I guess you can’t win them all.
Miami, FL 38, #18 Florida State 34
Wow, what a way to end the long Labor Day weekend and first week of the college football season. Miami and Florida State put on a show in what was an awesome game. They traded punches back and forth and the game featured 6 lead changes. The pace of the game was fairly slow in the first half as both defenses held the game in check and Miami led 14-10 at halftime. But things really changed in the second half. Both teams were able to find a rhythm and it was big play after big play as the scoreboard was lit up. Miami took the lead with a 3-yard TD run with 1:53 left in the game, but then almost looked like they wanted to give it right back, hitting a weak squib kick on the kickoff and giving Florida State excellent field position on the Miami 49-yard line. Florida State QB Christian Ponder drove the Seminoles all the way down to the Miami 2, but threw three straight incompletions, the last one going through the hands of a receiver and to the ground as time expired. The star of the game clearly was Miami QB Jacory Harris. He looked extremely poised and much better than he did at any point last season. He made big completions when he had to and was able to lead his team to victory. Both of these teams look like serious contenders for bigger bowl games, but they both will have to try and sure up things on the defensive side of the ball. Miami could now be a huge spoiler and even challenge for the ACC title if they can carry this momentum. This loss will not kill Florida State just yet, but it is an obvious disappointment and they need to regroup. The Miami game against Oklahoma on October 3rd is now looking even better, especially with the question mark that is Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford…and speaking of that…
- As of right now, Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford is officially out 2-4 weeks. It was revealed on Monday that Bradford has a Grade 2 or Grade 3 sprain of his AC joint in his shoulder and it will be “a week or two” before his shoulder is reevaluated to see if he can stay on the now projected return timetable. Coach Bob Stoops said everything depends on how Bradford heals and how he is feeling, but the Sooners will be without him for “a while”. Bradford will not need to undergo surgery and reports indicate that he has already started on physical rehab for the shoulder. Obviously, this is good news for Oklahoma. The injury could have been more serious, but there exists the possibility that it could still linger on for weeks and hamper Bradford when he does return. Bradford smartly took out an insurance policy when he decided to return to school and put the NFL off for one more year. Hopefully Bradford himself and Oklahoma do consider Bradford’s long term health and future in this situation because he will still have the potential to be a top draft pick. Rushing him back will not do Oklahoma any good. My best guess right now is that Oklahoma wants to have him ready for the October 17th game against Texas. They stand no chance of winning that game without him. As I talked about yesterday though, this whole situation could set Oklahoma up for a loss at Miami, especially with how they looked tonight. I am not sure that the Sooners will be able to handle Miami without Bradford, and even with him, the game against Texas will be hard to win.
- The Detroit Lions have decided to go with rookie QB Matthew Stafford as their starting QB heading into the season. Coach Jim Schwartz stressed with the media that Stafford won the job and QB Daunte Culpepper did not lose it. As I have talked about before, I do not think this is the right move at this point. Without question, Stafford is the future of the franchise and the experience will help him. But the Lions are still a bad team and they do not have that much talent around Stafford. They are also desperate for a win after enduring the NFL’s first 0-16 season and they have lost 17 straight games overall. I believe that Culpepper should have started the season and been in there until the Lions broke through and got a win. Let’s face it, the season will be a disaster for Detroit and Stafford could always come in at mid-season and start to get his career rolling. Culpepper is a seasoned veteran and he came to camp this year motivated and in great shape. He would give the Lions the best opportunity to win a game right now. Instead, the Lions will have to put up with the growing pains of Stafford and if they lose 4…5…6 games in a row to start the year, the pressure will only mount on him. I think this is a bad move at the beginning of the season. Good luck to Stafford though…hope he can do something for this dismal franchise.
- As if it would be any shock otherwise, San Diego Chargers LB Shawne Merriman says that he did not harm Tila Tequila on Sunday and that he was only trying to prevent her from driving drunk. He says that she had been drinking and he was only looking out for the safety of Tequila, who he describes as a female acquaintance and not his girlfriend. Reports seem to suggest that paramedics and Sheriff’s deputies did not believe that Tequila had any serious injuries. Well this is certainly why I did not want to speculate on anything until more details came out. I can buy Merriman’s story that Tequila got seriously hammered and he tried to stop her from driving. If she was in an altered state and that drunk, it could be plausible that she tried to fight him and then in her mind she was “choked and falsely imprisoned”. We’ll have to see how this all plays out, but again, this is not a welcomed distraction for the Chargers.
- After being traded, Richard Seymour has still not reported to the Oakland Raiders. There has been talk going around that Seymour was extremely upset at being traded and one report said a friend close to Seymour is saying he might not even report at all. But Raiders Coach Tom Cable told the media that he has spoken with Seymour and he wants to play with the team. Seymour still needs to report and take a physical before the trade is official. I don’t blame Seymour for being mad, as he is going from the penthouse to the outhouse in the NFL. But he does need to be a professional about this and report to Oakland to try and make the best of things. He will still be getting paid well, so he needs to be an adult about this and do things the right way.
- Other NFL News and Notes: Cleveland Browns Coach Eric Mangini says that he has decided on who will be the Browns’ starting QB, but he will be keeping it a secret. Before Monday’s practice, Mangini has not yet told QB Brady Quinn or QB Derek Anderson who won and he believes that keeping it a secret gives the team a competitive advantage because it forces teams to prepare for 2 QBs instead of one. Oh give me a break with this garbage. The Browns need all the help they can get, but this isn’t going to do much good. I expect the Vikings to beat the Browns no matter who is starting at QB. Stop creating “drama” Mangini and get on with it.
As expected, the Denver Broncos have reinstated WR Brandon Marshall and he is now eligible to play in Denver’s season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. I’ve already made my feelings known about this guy, but this is probably the right move by Denver. They can’t just pay the guy to sit around and most likely, if he wants to get out of Denver, he will have to make some plays on the field and try to make an impact. The Broncos look to be in disarray, so they need all the playmakers they can get on the field. Hopefully Marshall can at least shut his mouth and play some football.
Titans RB LenDale White said he doesn’t think stomping on the “Terrible Towel” of the Steelers is so bad and he will do it again if he has the chance. "If there's a towel in the stands, I will stomp on it. I don't care who gets mad. ... If they throw a towel at me, I'm going to kick it and stomp all over it. If they don't want their towel stomped on, keep it out my face." This just makes me laugh imagining this guy running his mouth to a reporter about this. Hey, being a Ravens fan, I hate the Steelers as much as the next guy…but LenDale, just shut your mouth and play some football. This towel business is just plain silly.
Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel returned to the practice field Monday with a brace on his knee and his status for Sunday’s game against the Ravens is uncertain. Coach Todd Haley only said it was a positive sign that Cassel returned to practice. In my opinion, the Ravens will stomp Kansas City no matter who is starting at QB, so they should just rest Cassel if he is not 100% because the Ravens defense would knock him around and get to him all day.
The Eagles have cut QB A.J. Feeley and the move now leaves QB Michael Vick as the team’s number 3 QB. Definitely a smart move by Philly, they just had better hope QB Donovan McNabb does not get hurt in the first 2 games because all they have behind him is QB Kevin Kolb. In fact, a significant injury to McNabb will probably derail the Eagles’ entire season because Vick is not ready at this point to be a full time starter and Kolb is extremely untested…
- It seems as if Tiger Woods is starting to take offense to my posts about him struggling with his game and having no chance to win tournaments and even being in danger of losing the FedEx Cup. Tiger came out on absolute fire yesterday in the final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship, shooting a final round 8-under par 63 to jump up to -12 overall. Tiger actually was a bit disappointed with his round and had chances to get as low as 60. He ran out of steam however, and the golf course was playing too easy to think he had any chance of winning. That honor went to “Mr. September” Steve Stricker, who birdied his final two holes to shoot a 4-under par 67 and finish at -17 overall, which was good for a 1 shot win over Scott Verplank and Jason Dufner. The final round of the tournament was a very fun watch. About a dozen players flirted with the lead and there was some really great shot making going on. Stricker’s win vaulted him over Tiger for the top spot in the FedEx Cup point standings. He certainly has the momentum and now the task is on him to keep it up. Tiger seemed to find his game on Sunday and he will have to take that into the final 2 tournaments because it seems that everyone is hungrier than ever to knock Tiger down a peg. It should be fun seeing how the final two events in the playoffs play out.
- Boise State has decided not to suspend Byron Hout for his actions at the end of last week’s Oregon/Boise State game. Hout slapped Oregon RB LeGarrette Blount’s shoulder pads and verbally taunted him which led to Blount punching Hout. Coach Chris Peterson claims that Hout is being disciplined and that a suspension is not warranted. I actually disagree with this. Hout initiated contact with Blount and there is no place for taunting after a victory like that. Since we are talking college here, Boise State can not take money away from Hout, so the only reasonable punishment would be a suspension. He should have been suspended for one game, so I think Boise State is wrong not doing it.
- MLB News and Notes: American League home run leader Carlos Pena of the Tampa Bay Rays is now out for the year after being hit in the hand and breaking two fingers. Pena was hit by Yankees P C.C. Sabathia in the opener of a day-night doubleheader. This obviously is news that the fading Rays did not need to hear and it seems like they are dead in the water as far as the playoffs go. The Rays had a great run last year, but I believe it was too much to expect a repeat this year…The Pittsburgh Pirates lost yesterday to the Chicago Cubs 4-2, ensuring they would have a losing season for the 17th consecutive year. This is a major league record and also a record for any of the four major professional sports in North America. The Pirates are just a joke and at least it is one jab that everyone can take at Pittsburgh. Of course at this point, I’m sure everyone from Pittsburgh just laughs at the Pirates as well before they throw the Steelers and the Penguins in your face…
- U.S. Open Update: The amazing and remarkable run of 17-year old American Melanie Oudin continued at the U.S. Open as she once again came from behind to beat #13 seed Nadia Petrova 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3. This was the third straight seeded player that Oudin has knocked out and she is now in the quarterfinals. On the men’s side, #1 seed Roger Federer continued his march toward a sixth straight title by winning his 38th consecutive match over #14 seed Tommy Robredo in straight sets. American John Isner, who took out #5 seed Andy Roddick, was eliminated in 4 sets by #10 seed Fernando Verdasco. Number 4 seed Novak Djokovic also advanced in straight sets.
The Game’s Quick Hits
Monday Night RAWind: When they announced that Bob Barker was going to be the special guest host this week, I immediately thought this could be a downright disaster and that it made no sense. After watching the show last night, I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised. Instead of having Barker do something truly stupid, they were able to mix him in and let him do what he does best, entertain. The WWE had Barker mix in some Price Is Right (or Price is RAW for the evening) games and they led to action that we saw in the ring. That was a pretty smart move. The crowd was very receptive to Barker and except for the schilling of his book, this was a well played night for the guest host concept.
The night started out with Santino, Jillian Hall, I.R.S., and Chris Jericho playing a pricing game on a “Best of Smackdown DVD”. Jericho was his usual smug self and wanted no part of it and he eventually confronted Barker, who had a nice interaction with Jericho. The whole thing led to a rematch from last week between Jericho and MVP. They both put on another solid match and as you might expect, MVP picked up the win this week after Jericho won last week. The pricing game segment came back later in the evening and that eventually led to a Bodyslam Challenge between Mark Henry and The Big Show. The same formula was followed and Henry won the match by slamming Show. While there was nothing spectacular in here, the matches did a good job of at least making the Unified Tag Team Championship match this Sunday at Breaking Point look important. MVP and Henry were made to look like legitimate threats, even though I believe it would be a mistake to have them win and take the belts off Jericho and Show.
In other significant developments, Cody Rhodes was given some time on the mic before a match with John Cena to explain why he did not attack Randy Orton after Orton gave his father, last week’s guest host Dusty Rhodes, an RKO at the end of the night. Granted, Cody is not great on the mic, but he got his point across that he is putting his career over his family and he will prove that he is making the right choice. He then threw in that he would make John Cena tap out in the upcoming match, so I knew that we were looking at either a Cena win or a DQ finish. And sure enough, Randy Orton ran in to cause a DQ after Cena and Rhodes put on a pretty good match. I was pleased to see the DQ because it would have been pointless to have Cena fight off Cody’s attempts at making him submit, only to “hulk up” and crush him. We already know Cena is like Superman, so I am glad I was spared the shtick tonight.
The main event of the evening was set up by Triple H and Shawn Michaels spinning the big wheel...well, pressing a button and watching the wheel spin on video…and having their opponents randomly selected. Randy Orton was one of the opponents selected and the other was…Chris Masters? Now why and how is Chris Masters making the main event of Raw? It made no sense to me and even if it looked cheesy from the whole “random” standpoint, it should have been Ted Dibiase main eventing with Orton. I will give Masters credit, though. He didn’t look that bad in the ring and he, along with Orton, and DX put on a pretty good tag team match. They did not let the match slow to a snail’s pace and there was some good drama near the end. DX picked up the win with stereo submission holds and were then attacked by Legacy. DX, Rhodes, and Dibiase fought all the way through the arena and out to the backstage lot where Legacy was able to steal a car and drive off. Orton slithered back to the ring to say a few words and this prompted Cena to come back out for a brawl. Cena got the upper hand early, but Orton was able to hit a spike DDT and then an RKO on a chair to stand tall over Cena to end the evening.
All in all, I thought this was a pretty good show going into the PPV. Raw has recovered nicely the past 2 weeks after the dismal post-Summerslam show. All of the main event feuds got some good and logical exposure and I believe that Breaking Point could be pretty interesting. Once again, it is clear that the best shows are the ones that cut down on stupid and idiotic segments and offer more wrestling. This show was chock full of backstage segments and shenanigans, but at least tonight they made some sense and had a purpose. And it was also nice to see Chavo Guerrero actually wrestle in a serious match against Evan Bourne…but of course they ruined it with Hornswoggle interfering. I guess you can’t win them all.
Miami, FL 38, #18 Florida State 34
Wow, what a way to end the long Labor Day weekend and first week of the college football season. Miami and Florida State put on a show in what was an awesome game. They traded punches back and forth and the game featured 6 lead changes. The pace of the game was fairly slow in the first half as both defenses held the game in check and Miami led 14-10 at halftime. But things really changed in the second half. Both teams were able to find a rhythm and it was big play after big play as the scoreboard was lit up. Miami took the lead with a 3-yard TD run with 1:53 left in the game, but then almost looked like they wanted to give it right back, hitting a weak squib kick on the kickoff and giving Florida State excellent field position on the Miami 49-yard line. Florida State QB Christian Ponder drove the Seminoles all the way down to the Miami 2, but threw three straight incompletions, the last one going through the hands of a receiver and to the ground as time expired. The star of the game clearly was Miami QB Jacory Harris. He looked extremely poised and much better than he did at any point last season. He made big completions when he had to and was able to lead his team to victory. Both of these teams look like serious contenders for bigger bowl games, but they both will have to try and sure up things on the defensive side of the ball. Miami could now be a huge spoiler and even challenge for the ACC title if they can carry this momentum. This loss will not kill Florida State just yet, but it is an obvious disappointment and they need to regroup. The Miami game against Oklahoma on October 3rd is now looking even better, especially with the question mark that is Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford…and speaking of that…
- As of right now, Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford is officially out 2-4 weeks. It was revealed on Monday that Bradford has a Grade 2 or Grade 3 sprain of his AC joint in his shoulder and it will be “a week or two” before his shoulder is reevaluated to see if he can stay on the now projected return timetable. Coach Bob Stoops said everything depends on how Bradford heals and how he is feeling, but the Sooners will be without him for “a while”. Bradford will not need to undergo surgery and reports indicate that he has already started on physical rehab for the shoulder. Obviously, this is good news for Oklahoma. The injury could have been more serious, but there exists the possibility that it could still linger on for weeks and hamper Bradford when he does return. Bradford smartly took out an insurance policy when he decided to return to school and put the NFL off for one more year. Hopefully Bradford himself and Oklahoma do consider Bradford’s long term health and future in this situation because he will still have the potential to be a top draft pick. Rushing him back will not do Oklahoma any good. My best guess right now is that Oklahoma wants to have him ready for the October 17th game against Texas. They stand no chance of winning that game without him. As I talked about yesterday though, this whole situation could set Oklahoma up for a loss at Miami, especially with how they looked tonight. I am not sure that the Sooners will be able to handle Miami without Bradford, and even with him, the game against Texas will be hard to win.
- The Detroit Lions have decided to go with rookie QB Matthew Stafford as their starting QB heading into the season. Coach Jim Schwartz stressed with the media that Stafford won the job and QB Daunte Culpepper did not lose it. As I have talked about before, I do not think this is the right move at this point. Without question, Stafford is the future of the franchise and the experience will help him. But the Lions are still a bad team and they do not have that much talent around Stafford. They are also desperate for a win after enduring the NFL’s first 0-16 season and they have lost 17 straight games overall. I believe that Culpepper should have started the season and been in there until the Lions broke through and got a win. Let’s face it, the season will be a disaster for Detroit and Stafford could always come in at mid-season and start to get his career rolling. Culpepper is a seasoned veteran and he came to camp this year motivated and in great shape. He would give the Lions the best opportunity to win a game right now. Instead, the Lions will have to put up with the growing pains of Stafford and if they lose 4…5…6 games in a row to start the year, the pressure will only mount on him. I think this is a bad move at the beginning of the season. Good luck to Stafford though…hope he can do something for this dismal franchise.
- As if it would be any shock otherwise, San Diego Chargers LB Shawne Merriman says that he did not harm Tila Tequila on Sunday and that he was only trying to prevent her from driving drunk. He says that she had been drinking and he was only looking out for the safety of Tequila, who he describes as a female acquaintance and not his girlfriend. Reports seem to suggest that paramedics and Sheriff’s deputies did not believe that Tequila had any serious injuries. Well this is certainly why I did not want to speculate on anything until more details came out. I can buy Merriman’s story that Tequila got seriously hammered and he tried to stop her from driving. If she was in an altered state and that drunk, it could be plausible that she tried to fight him and then in her mind she was “choked and falsely imprisoned”. We’ll have to see how this all plays out, but again, this is not a welcomed distraction for the Chargers.
- After being traded, Richard Seymour has still not reported to the Oakland Raiders. There has been talk going around that Seymour was extremely upset at being traded and one report said a friend close to Seymour is saying he might not even report at all. But Raiders Coach Tom Cable told the media that he has spoken with Seymour and he wants to play with the team. Seymour still needs to report and take a physical before the trade is official. I don’t blame Seymour for being mad, as he is going from the penthouse to the outhouse in the NFL. But he does need to be a professional about this and report to Oakland to try and make the best of things. He will still be getting paid well, so he needs to be an adult about this and do things the right way.
- Other NFL News and Notes: Cleveland Browns Coach Eric Mangini says that he has decided on who will be the Browns’ starting QB, but he will be keeping it a secret. Before Monday’s practice, Mangini has not yet told QB Brady Quinn or QB Derek Anderson who won and he believes that keeping it a secret gives the team a competitive advantage because it forces teams to prepare for 2 QBs instead of one. Oh give me a break with this garbage. The Browns need all the help they can get, but this isn’t going to do much good. I expect the Vikings to beat the Browns no matter who is starting at QB. Stop creating “drama” Mangini and get on with it.
As expected, the Denver Broncos have reinstated WR Brandon Marshall and he is now eligible to play in Denver’s season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. I’ve already made my feelings known about this guy, but this is probably the right move by Denver. They can’t just pay the guy to sit around and most likely, if he wants to get out of Denver, he will have to make some plays on the field and try to make an impact. The Broncos look to be in disarray, so they need all the playmakers they can get on the field. Hopefully Marshall can at least shut his mouth and play some football.
Titans RB LenDale White said he doesn’t think stomping on the “Terrible Towel” of the Steelers is so bad and he will do it again if he has the chance. "If there's a towel in the stands, I will stomp on it. I don't care who gets mad. ... If they throw a towel at me, I'm going to kick it and stomp all over it. If they don't want their towel stomped on, keep it out my face." This just makes me laugh imagining this guy running his mouth to a reporter about this. Hey, being a Ravens fan, I hate the Steelers as much as the next guy…but LenDale, just shut your mouth and play some football. This towel business is just plain silly.
Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel returned to the practice field Monday with a brace on his knee and his status for Sunday’s game against the Ravens is uncertain. Coach Todd Haley only said it was a positive sign that Cassel returned to practice. In my opinion, the Ravens will stomp Kansas City no matter who is starting at QB, so they should just rest Cassel if he is not 100% because the Ravens defense would knock him around and get to him all day.
The Eagles have cut QB A.J. Feeley and the move now leaves QB Michael Vick as the team’s number 3 QB. Definitely a smart move by Philly, they just had better hope QB Donovan McNabb does not get hurt in the first 2 games because all they have behind him is QB Kevin Kolb. In fact, a significant injury to McNabb will probably derail the Eagles’ entire season because Vick is not ready at this point to be a full time starter and Kolb is extremely untested…
- It seems as if Tiger Woods is starting to take offense to my posts about him struggling with his game and having no chance to win tournaments and even being in danger of losing the FedEx Cup. Tiger came out on absolute fire yesterday in the final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship, shooting a final round 8-under par 63 to jump up to -12 overall. Tiger actually was a bit disappointed with his round and had chances to get as low as 60. He ran out of steam however, and the golf course was playing too easy to think he had any chance of winning. That honor went to “Mr. September” Steve Stricker, who birdied his final two holes to shoot a 4-under par 67 and finish at -17 overall, which was good for a 1 shot win over Scott Verplank and Jason Dufner. The final round of the tournament was a very fun watch. About a dozen players flirted with the lead and there was some really great shot making going on. Stricker’s win vaulted him over Tiger for the top spot in the FedEx Cup point standings. He certainly has the momentum and now the task is on him to keep it up. Tiger seemed to find his game on Sunday and he will have to take that into the final 2 tournaments because it seems that everyone is hungrier than ever to knock Tiger down a peg. It should be fun seeing how the final two events in the playoffs play out.
- Boise State has decided not to suspend Byron Hout for his actions at the end of last week’s Oregon/Boise State game. Hout slapped Oregon RB LeGarrette Blount’s shoulder pads and verbally taunted him which led to Blount punching Hout. Coach Chris Peterson claims that Hout is being disciplined and that a suspension is not warranted. I actually disagree with this. Hout initiated contact with Blount and there is no place for taunting after a victory like that. Since we are talking college here, Boise State can not take money away from Hout, so the only reasonable punishment would be a suspension. He should have been suspended for one game, so I think Boise State is wrong not doing it.
- MLB News and Notes: American League home run leader Carlos Pena of the Tampa Bay Rays is now out for the year after being hit in the hand and breaking two fingers. Pena was hit by Yankees P C.C. Sabathia in the opener of a day-night doubleheader. This obviously is news that the fading Rays did not need to hear and it seems like they are dead in the water as far as the playoffs go. The Rays had a great run last year, but I believe it was too much to expect a repeat this year…The Pittsburgh Pirates lost yesterday to the Chicago Cubs 4-2, ensuring they would have a losing season for the 17th consecutive year. This is a major league record and also a record for any of the four major professional sports in North America. The Pirates are just a joke and at least it is one jab that everyone can take at Pittsburgh. Of course at this point, I’m sure everyone from Pittsburgh just laughs at the Pirates as well before they throw the Steelers and the Penguins in your face…
- U.S. Open Update: The amazing and remarkable run of 17-year old American Melanie Oudin continued at the U.S. Open as she once again came from behind to beat #13 seed Nadia Petrova 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3. This was the third straight seeded player that Oudin has knocked out and she is now in the quarterfinals. On the men’s side, #1 seed Roger Federer continued his march toward a sixth straight title by winning his 38th consecutive match over #14 seed Tommy Robredo in straight sets. American John Isner, who took out #5 seed Andy Roddick, was eliminated in 4 sets by #10 seed Fernando Verdasco. Number 4 seed Novak Djokovic also advanced in straight sets.
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