THE DEATH OF THE WEEKLY PREVIEW

You may be asking yourself, "where's my week 9 and 10 preview?" or you may not be asking yourself, since they tended to be very dry, and uninteresting. Not that my other posts have offered real jems of wit and charm, but I think the pics have at least spiced them up a bit.
What I really find myself thinking about lately is a few things. NFL.... Women.... NHL... NFL.... Women's Beach Volleyball... NFL... NHL... Getting a dog...NFL.. home renovations... NHL.. and on and on. You get the picture. After 9 weeks of NFL football I've watched alot of great games, read alot of good articles, and heard alot of good commentary and discussion on the NFL. Analylsts have talked about mid-season MVP's, teams that are most likely to go to the Superbowl, T.O., lots of T.O., and several other things, like how bad the Arizona Cardinals are. Analysts make their picks, and share their opinions, because that's their job. But there's one thing that continues to drive me nuts about sports media, and sports analysts; Making stories out of things that happen that aren't really stories, and making bigger deals out of situations that are in fact small potatoes.
For example, I've heard ALOT of talk this week about T.O. and the incident in the endzone last week, and I've heard even MORE talk about the pass he dropped that would have been a guaranteed touchdown. NEVER in my life have I heard so much talk about a dropped pass. Every week receivers drop passes. Ocho drops em, Tory drops em, hell even Jerry Rice dropped passes. They even dropped passes that hit them in the chest. Passes that hit them in the hands. Passes that hit them in the hands while they were standing still. The catch that T.O. dropped last week was NOT an easy catch. He was running all out, and fully extended. The ball rolled off his finger tips and he bobbled it - while running at top speed. IT HAPPENS. T.O. DID NOT LOSE THAT GAME FOR DALLAS. End of story.
Secondly, I've heard alot of talk about who the best team in the league is right now. Some people say Indy, some say the Bears, even still some say the Chargers. Of course I refuse to write from a completely unbiased POV, so I'll just go ahead and pick the Chargers. They've got a great combo of Offense with Defense.
Ok, but seriously? Can someone tell me what has changed with the Colts in a year, other than Tony Dungy's kid has died, and every player on that team is a year older? Oh and don't forget, they've lost their stud running back in Edge. This team is no different from last year. The Colts will continue to impress during the regluar season and will put up a stunning record just like last year, BUT when it comes to playoffs this year, the Colts WILL choke. They're Defense, especially against the run is TERRIBLE, and by the end of the year every Defense in the league will know how to stop them, just like last year. Peyton Manning is great. He's got my vote for MVP this year, but singlehandedly Peyton CAN be stopped, and will be by the end of the year.
The best team in the league right now is the Chicago Bears. Their Defense is astounding. They're pass rush on the D-line is fearsome, their linebackers are overwhelming, and smart to boot, and their secondary is second to none. That Defense will continue to win games for them, and if their offense can return to the form they had in the first 5 games, and manage to NOT turn the ball over, this team WILL win the Superbowl.

NFL.com did some mid-season award nominations with all their writers. It was boring, and it seemed that everyone except for Rod Woodson (who apparently has a hard on for the Chargers just like me) picked the same players. Very compelling guys, thanks for the article. F.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9790388

Here's my picks. If yours are different, I wanna know. Post a comment.
Offensive MVP: Peyton Manning - I know it's the same as every person on NFL.com, but seriously, how can you argue against him?
Defensive MVP: Ray Lewis - Everything in me wants to pick Merriman, and I think I rightfully could, but Ray Lewis has revived the Baltimore D, and they look as solid as ever.
Rookie of the Year: Laurence Maroney - For a rookie back to pick up a Belicheck offense as quick as he has is astounding. I don't care who you are, even if you do catch Drew Brees passes.
Coach of the Year: Lovie Smith - The best bang for your buck. No matter how much or how little cash you throw his way.
Superbowl Pick: Chargers - AFC. Bears - NFC. All bias aside, I can't see a better team in each of these conferences. They're Defenses are outstanding, and the offenses compliment them well.


That's all I got.