Friday, September 22, 2006

WEEK 3 PREVIEW

Being a bye week for the Chargers, means there's not a whole lot of REALLY exciting things to talk about in the upcoming week, but what I'd like to do this week is make my picks for the week, similar to what I did last week. I was critisized last week for weak effort on the picks, and critisized for picking the easy games. I think it should be noted that i was 4-0 last week, but I will admit they were all pretty easy games to call. This week won't be the case, with alot of games being close calls, but I'm gonna make 5 picks on games that I think, truthfully could go either way. Here it goes..

Bucs over Panthers
This is a tough division to play in right now, and both these teams have been struggling going into week 3 both 0-2. To many people's demise the Panthers havent been the team they were expected to be. Alot of people picked them to come out of the NFC, and maybe even to win the Superbowl. That dream is many galaxies away, as they're going to be 0-3 after three weeks this year. The Bucs will win this game with a stepped up performance by the D, and with Gruden re-establishing the run. Simms' passing numbers, especially attempts will be way down from last week, and you'll see Cadillac put up the best numbers of the season this week, despite Carolina's potential stingy run D.

Bears over Vikings
Not alot people will call a road team to win in the NFL, but this is a game that can't be called any other way. The Bears have looked unstoppable so far this season, matching the best defense in the league with a firey offense. They put up huge numbers last year, and if you check the fantasy leagues, you'll see the ownership numbers on Bears offensive players went through the roof. Rx looks like he's gonna be the man in Chicago, and with the two guys they've got in the backfield, this offense could be dangerous. Don't think the Vikings have been a slouch, because they've looked strong beating the Skins and Panthers, but this isn't a team that's going to succeed against the Bears.

Indy over Jacksonville
Jacksonville looked like a contender last week as they shut out the Steelers, and people should recognize that they are for real in the AFC this year. They've made a name for themselves on D, and have an O to go with it. BUT, Indy has somehow got lost in the mix this year. I watch alot of media coverage about teams that will be contenders for the Superbowl, and teams that will take their divisions, and alot of people just sort of skim over Indy. Indy won 13 games in a row last year, and have had few losses to that same team. Indy will beat Jacksonville, but the Jags won't go down easy.

Seahawks over Giants
New York has looked good this year so far, and Eli looks like he's going to be the QB everyone expected him to be. The defending NFC champs have also looked good so far this year, but had a shaky start to the season against the Lions. This should be a good game for the watching, but expect the Seahawks to have more rhythm on offense and a stepped up effort from the Defense that will catapult them to a victory.

Cardinals over Rams
The NFC West has been a weak division for a couple of years since the Rams went on their tear in the 90's. The Rams looked sharp in week 1 against the Bronco's, but the Cardinals are a team to be reckoned with this year. They'll be playing at home in their brand new stadium, and expect a HUGE day from the Card's offense as they pick apart the Rams secondary. Cards to win this won.

Well that's my picks. Hopefully they'll be as successful as last weeks. Pay attention this weekend, watch some good football, and don't let your meat loaf.

Leafs SUCK.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Drunkard Paves the Way for Small Town Boy

Growing up in a small town in Canada, there's two things that are important to a kid. One is hockey, and the other is 4x4ing. As I have nothing to say about 4x4ing, I'll talk about hockey. I grew up in a town of 300 people which was 15 mins down the road from a town that was about 1200 people. I played hockey in that town, and so did alot of guys from that area. My family has a history of alchohol abuse; my dad was a drunk, so was my grandfather, and so was my grandfather's dad. The "prime" of my grandfather's drunkeness was spent in the Manor Hotel, which was owned by Dick and Lucille Morrow. In my grandfather's "prime", the Morrow's had a young son who was in minor hockey. His name was Brendan Morrow. One could argue that because of my grandfather's commitment to Manor Hotel, the Morrow's were able to afford minor hockey for young Brendan. Well...

"Brenden Morrow, whose consistent scoring and tenacious checking has made him one of the NHL's best two-way forwards, has landed a US$24.6-million, six-year contract to remain one of the Dallas Stars' core players. "

Now, where's my damn inheritance??

Congrats Brendan. You deserve all that money. You've put alot of hard work into what you've done.

Leafs SUCK

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

L.A. Kings

I've loved the Kings since 1993, the year I fell in love with hockey. Wayne Gretzky was great, and so was Luc Robataille, and Tomas Sandstrom. In the future, there's sure to be some posts about the Kings, and their season of dominance that lies ahead. It all started tonight as they trashed on the not so Mighty Ducks. Check it out:

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=178019&hubname=

WEEK TWO: Tennessee @ San Diego

Another stellar week from the Chargers from SD. It's almost pointless to write about this victory, as it is OBVIOUS to all that San Diego dominated the Titans. It appears to me that San Diego might just be the best team in the NFL. Not because of these past two weeks, because those were two VERY subpar teams, but because this team is proving to have the finishing tools its lacked to win in the past few years. They've been close to awesome before, and have made the necessary tweaks to make them a top contender in the NFL week in and week out. This team suffocated the Titans again on Defense and proved that their team goes far beyond the solid play of Gates and Tomlinson. They allowed just one major score in this game, and it came late enough in the game that noone cared. Tomlinson was barely required to finish a half in this game, as the San Diego offense had by halftime already put the game far out of reach for the Titans. It was nice to see Vince Young this game, but really, does he look like the future of the Titans? Not to me he doesn't. You'll see the Titans kicking themselves in three years when Young is a floundering third string QB, and Matt Leinart is a Pro-Bowl selection with the Cards. Lucky for Leinart he ended up in Arizona. Sucky for the 13 teams that skipped him in the first round of the draft. Unfortunatley for Chargers fans, this is a bye week this week, so we'll be forced to watch more uninteresting games this coming week, but look out in week 4 when the Chargers lay the boots to the Ravens.



The boys on MNF tonight did their top five teams in the NFL after two weeks. Their picks suck, but I'll add my not-so-listened to opinion to the list, and I'll offer better explanations to the list than any of those honky's did. Here's the list:

5. Chicago Bears
The Bears are coming off a season where they posted an 11-5 record. They dominated teams last year with their suffocating defense. Undoubtedly around the league they are one of the most respected defenses. Dudes in fantasy football leagues everywhere picked them early in drafts because they have played with such dominance. HOWEVER, contrary to the opinion of several "professional" NFL analysts, I don't think that a good defense can soley win a championship. But, this Bears team has alot more than a solid defense. They have solved the quarterback controversy they had last year, and Rx has proven to be a top passer in the league so far. He has connected well with his veteran receiver core, and proven to provide a decent offense to compliment their suffocating defense. Look out for this team this year.

4. Cincinatti Bengals
With a dominant offense and an up and coming defense the Bengals poise a threat to the top teams in the AFC to push for a championship. Carson Palmer looks like he's back in game shape, with the potential to only get better. Rudi Johnson has dominated out of the backfield, and the combo of Houshamazilly and CJ at WR will ridicule secondary's all year.

3. Atlanta Falcons
Micheal Vick has alot of things to prove to his critics, but so far this year he's done it. Vick and Dunn combined to break a record this past week, by being the 5th QB/RB duo to both run for 100 yards in a single game. Although this record doesn't come as a surprise to many people, the combination of the top running game in the league and a solid beefed up defensive unit, this team could do alot of damage out of the NFC. They've already beaten two of the top teams in their division, and are poised for a third win when they go into New Orleans next week. With solid play from Vick, and a year where they can avoid the injury bug, and this team will win the NFC South, and compete for the NFC championship.

2. San Diego Chargers
Single handedly the greatest team in the NFL. Ok, maybe not, but this is a team that has made significant upgrades on D this year, with the additions of Pro Bowl safety Marlon McCree at strong safety, and a solid draft at corner, when they picked up Antonio Cromartie. Along with some of the top offensive players in the league, including Tomlinson and Gates, the only question mark on this team remains at QB, where they have the green Phillip Rivers. HOWEVER, what most people forget about Rivers is that he broke the passing yards record in the NCAA in his four years there, and was picked 4th overall in a draft where 4 QB's were taken in the first round, (including someone by the name of Eli Manning, you may have heard of him). This team is poised for success, and could do what the Steelers of '05 did when they went 15-1. Watch out for the Chargers!

1. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts came very close to a perfect season last year, and with all the hype that goes into the NFL during pre-season, it's easy to forget how good the Colts are. Sure, they play in an easy division with the Jaguars, Texans and Titans, but this team is for real. They have the number one offense in the league behind Peyton Manning, and one of the more solid defensive units in the league. They have lost Edge in the offseason, but it will just be a matter of time before Dungy turns Addai into a back just like Edge. It's impossible for a back to be in the same backfield as Manning and not turn into a stud. My prediction is that the Colts will post the top record in the AFC, but again will choke in the playoffs. But this being the top teams after two weeks, I've gotta put the Colts on top.


Leafs SUCK.

And Henderson, why don't you post some replies. I'm tired of antagonizing you to no end.

Saturday, September 16, 2006

WEEK 2 PREVIEW

In case you haven't noticed, I practically worship NFL football. I think as a sport, it reings superior to every other. It's gameplay, and strategy go far beyond and are far superior than any other sport. The calibur of athlete that competes in the NFL is second to none. This love, and adoration for this league will continue to bleed into this Blog week after week, so be ready.
Week 1 in the NFL left fans everywhere aching for more. The domination of the Bears, Ravens and Chargers left us in awe. The battle of blood in the Indy/Giants game was glorious. Even the comeback heroics of the Vikings inspired the soul. But, we shouldn't dwell on what's past, as there is a glorious week waiting in the reigns for NFL fans.
This week will showcase a number of divisonal matchups, such as the Bronco's and the Cheifs, the Redskins and the Cowboys, Cardinals and Seahawks, and Indy and the Texans, just to name a few. Be prepared to be glued to your television for a number of these games, as the love lost between these teams won't add up to much.
A preview wouldn't be a preview without someone making some picks. I'm a gambling man, and have already purchased my pro-line tickets, but if you haven't here's some good ones to bet on.
If you want a ticket that WILL win, then here's your picks:

Indy over theTexans
The Texans aren't the two win team they were a year ago, but even with their upgrades on offense, and defense, this team will do nothing to stop the destructive offense of Payton and friends. Expect the Indy offense to put up alot of points, and also expect the front seven of the Colts to put alot of pressure on David Carr, and his inexperienced O-Line, as the Texans will be forced to pass more than usual, with the lack of a steady back in the backfield.
Seattle over the Cardinals
With the addition of Edggerin James, and a healthy Kurt Warner behind centre, there was alot of excitement in Arizona for this year. They are the only team in the NFC West that was expected to challenge the Seahawks in their division, but don't expect a change in standings this year. This should be a high scoring affair, as both the Cards and Hawks field great offenses. If you can pick the Over/Under on this game, definately go over, but don't even think of taking the Cards to pull out the road game upset.
Giants over the Eagles
Alot people would say I'm crazy for picking an away team to win a game in the NFL, as the stats over the years have shown such a dominance by the home team, but this is a game where I think the Giants could pull the upset. McNabb looked good to open up the season, but people soon forget that the Eagles were playing a team that held the worst record in the NFL a year ago. The Eagles remain a floundering seagull on offense, and a hurting unit on defense. The Giants, Eli Manning is coming into his own on offense, and has never before had the offense in NY looking so good. Expect the Giants to not only pull off the win, but to pull it off by a large margin.
Chargers over the Titans
This may seem like a gimme call, but my undying love for the Chargers can't be left off my blog. The Chargers will ABSOLUTELY DOMINATE the Titans. They will suffocate them on defense, and pick them apart on offense. Expect Rivers to have a Pro-Bowl like performance, utilizing Jackson, McCardell, Gates and Tomlinson all over the place. The Chargers offensive numbers will dwarf their past weeks, and the defense will be equally as dominant. Expect a similar game review from last week on the blog.

Hope you enjoy the games this weekend. Don't let your meat loaf.


Oh, and don't forget. The Leafs SUCK

Friday, September 15, 2006

A bud most of his career has finally blossomed to a leaf

Not, that I take pleasure in wasting valuable space on the internet with information about the Toronto Maple Leafs, but this was a news peice, I could not let pass by. In a press conference held earlier today, the Toronto Maple Leafs finally confirmed a widely held opinion that ...

Doug Gilmour is in fact a homosexual.

And I quote,.. ""I'll be hands on with John, Mike and Paul," said Gilmour. "It's baby steps right now. "
"I'm going to give it all the effort I have and at times give an opinion. Whether it's right or wrong, they'll decide that." ...

Sounds like Dougie might be somebody's bitch, and by the sounds of it, it might be three honkies named John, Mike and Paul. Interesting...


In other, less important news, Doug Gilmour was hired as a talent evaluator with the Leafs.

Leafs SUCK.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Someone needs to fix this typo.

I started my day today with my usual paroosing of the internet. My home page is the not so unique www.msn.com . This page usually gives me what I'm looking for in news. It gives me 3 important headlines about local Canadian news, and then also gives me 3 headlines about sports that might be relevant to the Saskatchewan reader. Headlines about hockey, or the Roughriders, or the Blue Jays, or whatever. Now, as my close friends will confirm, I am anything BUT a perfectionist, but the typo I read today could not go uncorrected.

The headline read:
.."DiPietro inks 15 year deal"...

I am POSITIVE that this headline was SUPPOSED to read..
..."DiPietro wins 67.5M lottery"...

It's obvious to all that some random person located in, or somewhere near Long Island was awarded a 67.5 M lottery prize. This person is apparently Rick DiPietro. There is no way that he could have legitimately signed a contract that huge. DiPietro has done NOTHING in Long Island except lead the Islanders to consecutive losing seasons while splitting games with other goaltenders, one of which includes Garth Snow, the jackass who signed this deal with DiPietro.

Just to make sure I wasn't completely out to lunch on DiPietro's stats, I decided to go to the old faithful, www.hockeydb.com . If you haven't discovered this site yet, it is a gem for hockey stats on players from the NHL, right down to the WHL. Check it out sometime. Anyways, I checked DiPietro's stats, and this is how it pans out:

DiPietro, who is now 25, played his first season in the NHL in '00-'01 with the Islanders where he dominated the NHL with a record of 3 wins, 15 losses, and one tie. He also astounded onlookers with his amazing 3.49 GAA. To follow up this season of amazement, he spent two years with the Islanders AHL affiliate, Bridgeport Sound Tigers, where he led them to the playoffs ONCE. This was good enough to get him called back up to the bigs where he astounded the coaches again with his 2.97 GAA and 2-5-2 record. The following season he managed to stay in the big leagues and put up numbers of 23-18-5, with a 2.36 GAA, but ended up finishing the season with Bridgeport again. None the less, after a year of lockout, DiPietro comes to the big leagues and puts in his FIRST full NHL season, where he put up a record of 30-24-5, with a GAA of3.02. This is a decent season, especially with the Islanders, and for reasons not obvious to me, ensured a 67.5M 15 year deal from the Islanders.

I can almost say nothing, but to sit here in shock.

Til next time..

Monday, September 11, 2006

WEEK ONE: San Diego @ Oakland

I'm back. And I'm back with a swagger. And that's the way it should be when your team shuts out a division rival on the season opener. And I'm gonna go ahead and say that saying "shut out" just doesn't give justice to what the Bolts did to the Gayders, I mean Raiders tonight. San Diego defiled the Oakland offense, and embarrassed them infront of their home crowd. With an absolutely mind-boggling 9 sacks allowed, Oakland is lucky to have left the game with a healthy quarterback. Brooks was nailed 7 times, which further dwarfed his completion total, which was 6. It's embarrassing to every Oakland fan to even have to read that sentence. Seriously, what was Tom Walsh (Oakland off. coordinator) doing with his off-season? He definately wasn't preparing the offensive line, and seemed to have no game plan that included the ever dangerous Randy Moss. He didn't utilize the out of pocket speed of Brooks, and Lamont Jordan was almost a ghost and unseen the entire game. Meanwhile, while the Bolts had to ball, they ran it down Oakland's throats. LT2 racked up the numbers and stats, and did every one of those fantasy owners who picked him above the overrated LJ a huge favor and gave them the go ahead to boast over all the LJ lovers. How many yards did LJ have this week by the way? Doesn't really put him on pace for 2200 does it?
Since Drew Brees left SD this off-season, and Coach Marty and AJ Smith announced that Rivers would be the man behind centre in SD, the neigh sayers and critics have been all over Rivers. People can't stop talking about how Rivers hadn't started an NFL game, and how he was no Drew Brees. So, ok, forget the fact that Rivers broke the NCAA record for passing yards in his 4 years there, and that he was picked 4th overall in 2003, I just want to bring up one name: Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben was picked 11th in 2003, 7 picks AFTER Rivers, and what has he done in Pittsburgh? Something about a Lombardi trophy. Rivers has all the potential to do the exact same thing in SD, and tonight he showed that. He didn't light the Oakland secondary up, but he controlled the ball well, and man is he ever good at handing it off to the REAL man, LT2.
This was an absolute dominantion by the Bolts tonight, and they've made me so proud of them.
Til next time...

Opening Weekend in the NFL

Since my thoughts are near priceless, and everyone is dying to hear more about them, I decided to post them on the internet. This isn't going to be a blog about my love life, or lack thereof, nor is it going to be a blog about my inner most thoughts and feelings. This blog will be about something you actually might care about, and something that is actually important. Sports. Recently, I was given the opportunity to co-host a sports radio show on a local Regina radio station. As I am a procrastonator, and doubt the actuality of me actually getting things done and getting on the radio, I thought I would post my random thoughts about sports online. I will most definately be posting my thoughts weekly on the San Diego Chargers, as they are the NFL team that I live and die with. It's opening weekend in the NFL, and I'm posting this at the half time of the San Diego game (which looks like it may have a happy ending, and I don't mean the kind of "happy ending" you'd get in Thailand). After the game, I will post my thoughts on the ass-kicking San Diego is handing to Oakland.
Til next time...