Justice For Genarlow

I'm not one to be political in this blog. I try to keep it in sports mode here, but there are times where things need to be said and in this case, folks need to speak up.
I refer to the case of Genarlow Wilson. He is languishing in jail for aggravated child molestation. He received a 10 year sentence. Nevermind that Wilson was 17 when the act happened. Nevermind that the act of oral sex was consensual. Lets get that fact crystal clear folks. It was consensual This is something that everyone involved in the case has agreed on and does not dispute including the young lady who performed the act. Wilson was sentenced under an antiquated law, that says oral sex between minors more than three years apart is a felony. Now if these individuals had sexual intercourse. It would have been a misdemeanor...aint that a bitch??? Now Wilson was a not only a standout football player but a promising scholar. He was being recruited by Columbia and Brown, those schools aren't JC's or city colleges there people. He wasn't some thug trying to get his groove on with some innocent girl. He isn't innocent by any means what he and other underage friends were doing in a hotel room at a party should be debated and reprimands are in order. But consensual sex between people, even underage should not carry a heavy burden one person and not the other. This law is under review and looks to be changed further to free Wilson. It has already been changed but has not been changed retroactively to free Wilson.
The prosecutor in this case offered Wilson a plea deal. But the plea included being labeled a regsitered sex offender. Wilson is being covered by the same wide net meant to catch these pervs that get caught on Dateline trying to get with 13 year old. Wilson declined the deal because as a regsitered sex offender he would not be able to live at home with his baby sister. The thing that irritates me is that according to the prosecuting attorney in this case, the other defendants in this trial took the plea and Wilson has himself to blame because the others "took their medicine." I am one that sees this law as injust and Genarlow should be freed. I could but won't get into why it seems that the law seems to find young black men and target them if they get sexually involved with white girls. I'm not excusing stautory rape in any manner. But you wonder why a female teacher got only 90 days suspended for having sexual relations with a student and Wilson got 10 years. It seems that old stereotypes are coming into place. I join the growing multitude of voices that call for justice and freedom for Genarlow Wilson.

Heres A New One For Ya

I'm on Kobe's side...
No hell hasn't frozen over and I haven't gone out of my head nutso. I'm
just looking at the situation. Kobe Bryant was given a one game
suspension by the NBA. He would miss the Lakers visit to Madison Square
Garden to play the Knicks. Bryant got the suspension for elbowing the
Spurs Manu Ginobli. Since Kobe is in New York he could literally run up
the street to appeal his suspension. Something he wanted to do.
I'm not a Kobe fan. He has great game but I'm not a fan of his. But I
detest the Spurs and Ginobli is a noted flopper and whiner. I think that
the NBA is too quick to kowtow to its foreign contingent and this
suspension is meritless. I say to Ginobli and Spurs coach Greg Popovich
another noted whiner: "Shaddup and quitcha whinin'!"
You read it right, folks. Kobe, I feel ya, brah! Fight the power!

The 100th Post...Let The Speculation Begin!

With this being the off week before the Super Bowl. Now is as good a time as any to start speculating on who I think will make the NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament.
As the NCAA tournament draws closer the speculation on who will be selected as the 65 teams to play for the NCAA Mens division I basketball championship. Realistically only about a dozen of the teams that get selected have a chance to win the 6 games needed to become national champions but all want the chance to get in. Last year a small commuter school in Fairfax, Virginia rode a magical carpet ride all the way to the national semifinals. So let the speculations begin. For the third year I will analyze the prospects for teams qualifying for the tournament. I have broken down the possibilities by conference. The teams that I list are the ones in serious contention or ones to consider so there are more than 65 teams in contention. I also will list key games and/or teams to watch. As the regular season winds down and the conference tournaments heat up, teams will appear and some will drop off. The sheet will be updated as needed for the early part of the month then be updated almost daily until Selection Sunday March 11.

These conferences will get multiple bids teams listed are the ones with the best chances

Atlantic Coast
Solid North Carolina, Duke, Clemson
Work to do- Florida State, Maryland, BC, Va. Tech, Ga Tech
Skinny- UNC is quietly biding its time till the first of two showdowns with its hated rival. Clemson barring a big time collapse should be okay. The Noles win over Florida is getting further away, while the Hokies are getting closer to Solid status with signature wins at Duke and a thumping of UNC. The Terps, Jackets and Eagles need to keep winning to make their resumes better. With B.C's win over the Noles making them more solid


Big East
Solid Pitt, Marquette,
Work to do- Notre Dame, Depaul, West Virginia, Louisville, G-Town, Villanova
Notre Dame now has work to do, after dropping a bewildering loss to a sad-sack St. John’s squad and getting hammered by Villanova. Those wins over Maryland and Bama are the only thing that keeps them afloat. Louisville has entered the conversation with a nice run of their own but need to keep winning to stay. UConn is on the outside looking in and the ‘Cuse is close to being finished before the discussion really gets serious

Big Ten
Solid-Wisconsin, Ohio State
Work To Do-Indiana, Michigan State, Illinois, Purdue Michigan
I doubt that the Big 10 plus one will send seven. The Badgers and Bucks are safe but the Hoosiers win over UConn doesn’t look as nice as it once would have. The Illini righted their free fall with a gutty home win over Indiana. The mess that consist of the Wolverines, Spartans and Boilers will sort itself out.

Big 12
Solid-Kansas, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M
Work To Do-Texas, Texas Tech, Kansas State
Texas is getting close despite the 3OT loss in Stillwater and struggling at home vs. Baylor, Tech will be in the mix and are closer to solid status. K-State keeps winning ugly but ugly wins are better than pretty losses.

Missouri Valley
Solid- Southern Illinois
Work To Do, Wichita State Creighton, Northern Iowa, Missouri State
If you read my spec sheet last year you know my love for the MVC runs deep. Bradley and Southern Illinois made the big boy apologists cry last year by getting berths in the tourney and proving they deserved them by knocking off big boy teams. Once again the MVC is fast proving that they deserve multiple berths but now face the problem of hurting each other by making road trips most dangerous. As it stands The Salukis are the most solid, but the Blue Jays and Panthers are lurking and could easily join the aforementioned in the tourney rather than take a berth from them. The Shockers dropped out of the solid block and are in trouble with an 3-8 stretch, the committee doesn’t need an excuse to keep the smaller teams out. Stay tuned.

Mountain West
Solid-Air Force
Work To Do-UNLV, Brigham Young
The Falcons are the class of this conference and are pretty safe but don’t discount the prospect of this conference getting two bids with a resurgent UNLV, The Runnin’ Rebels are a handful and will be a tough out. The Cougars are hangin' around but still have much to prove.

Pacific 10
Solid-UCLA, Arizona, Oregon, Wash. St, SC
Work To Do-Stanford, Cal Washington
Six bids from the West coast? Believe it! The Pac-10 is a no joke league this year and have five solid teams already. Southern Cal has proven that they belong in the solid category with big wins and respectable losses that cover the bad loss against South Carolina. Keep your eye on a good young Stanford Cardinal team who have wins at Virginia and have already beaten both Washington teams. Arizona is going to have to prove that they are deserving of anything higher than a 5 or 6 as their signature wins get further and further in the past, but they are still solidly in.

Southeastern
Solid-Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, UK
Work to do-Arkansas, LSU, Georgia, Vanderbilt
Bama and the Vols sit in the solid category. The Gators are a mortal lock to defend their title. UK have an insane RPI and schedule strength to back them up despite bad losses to Vandy and at Georgia . The Hogs, Tigers and Bulldogs need to keep winning and Vandy is the dark horse charging into the discussion with an impressive win in Rupp. Bama is in danger of falling from the solid category as they keep getting clocked on the road and trips to LSU, Florida and Tennessee are still on the Tide's docket. Watch out.

Western Athletic
Solid-Nevada
Work To Do- New Mexico St
As long as Nick Fazekas comes back in relatively good shape the Wolfpack stay solid. Meanwhile, Reggie Theus has a sleeper in the Aggies and with the WAC tourney in Las Cruces they will have to be dealt with soon.

Top Conferences that should only send one team

Atlantic Ten
Solid-None
Work To Do-Xavier, Geo. Wash, Rhode Island
No one has stood out in this conference and are looking more and more like a one-bidder. The Muskies, Colonials and Rams are the top three teams, but none have stood out.

Conference USA
Solid-Memphis
The Tigers are on cruise control and get a mention cause they are nationally ranked, no one else in the field is worth a mention yet, but stay tuned.

Horizon
Solid-Butler
The Bulldogs have a top 15 ranking, only a free fall keeps them out.

West Coast
Solid-Gonzaga
Remember when the Bulldogs (I refuse to call them the ‘Zags) used to be a stone lock for the tourney? They are still very solid, but they have way too many bad losses to make them locks right now

There are others in the mix to be sure. Teams like Drexel and Old Dominion, Appalachain State, Virginia Commonwealth and Hofstra are going to be high on the list for getting invites. And of course the teams from the following get an automatic bid: Amer. East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Horizon, Ivy, MAC, MAAC, MEAC, Mid-Continent, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Southern, Southland, Sun Belt, SWAC

Since this is an early spec, nothing here is solid and we haven't even brought up the possibilty of upsets. But those never happen, right?

The next spec sheet will come at the end of this week after the super bowl preview...

Thoughts on Bush

Not the prez, we all know what I think of that criminal...
Saints RB and former USC Heisman trophy winner Reggie Bush is once
again at the forefront of an illegal payments and gifts controversy.
According to reports by Yahoo! Bush has been reportedly taped in
conversations with a failed sports agency that was trying to extort him
in an effort to sign him as a client. Bush allegedly received cash and
other gifts while he was still at USC. If the allegations are proven,
Bush could lose his Heisman.
What I dont understand is what one has to prove by sullying the name of
an otherwise fine indiviual. The NCAA could levy sanctions on USC for
using an ineligible player. I think that in itself is a mistake, Pete
Carroll and his staff knew nothing about this and had no clue what might
have been going on. Why punish the school? I think that an extortionist
who failed in his attempt could succeed in a larger sense by hanging a
blot on a person from whom they could not gravy train into a big payday
of their own. They think, I cant get mine so I'm gonna ruin his. It
makes no sense and it should be exposed for the scum it is. What point
are you proving by taking Bush's heisman? No one thought of taking OJ
Simpson's Heisman when he was on trial for murder...of which he was
acquitted.
Ignore the braying hacks like Skip Bayless who are so quick to lionize
players like Bush when they are fufulling their image of amateurs and
entertaining the masses. They are not to be compensated or gain anything
and if they even look like that they would: Cast them into the darkness.
Take anything and everything that they have done on the field and ignore
it. If Bush's parents took money or gifts that doesn't mean that Bush
was influenced. He never signed with the sports agency. Which is pretty
obvious since it failed. Hacks like Bayless immediately figure "The
athlete is cheating, guilty by association, and so forth." So tarnish
his image and cast him out. That thinking is as ludacrist as it is nieve
and bullheaded. And shame on those who judge before everything is said
and done.

Why does it have to be a black thang?

I really can't believe the Tuna quit, but I doesn't surprise me any. He
looked like someone who was out of it on the sidelines, people have to
realize that no one is afraid of Parcells anymore. He can't bully and
browbeat his way to perenial contention. People are already starting the
hype. The Colts and Bears will meet up for the Super Bowl in Miami and
the talk has already started. Lovie Smith has taken the Bears to the
Super Bowl in his third season, while Tony Dungy finally got the Colts
past the Pats and to the Super Bowl for the 1st time since moving to
Indy 22 years ago. Both teams are well deserving and even though I
didn't pick the Bears, their convincing win against a good Saints team
proves that they are no fluke. Peyton Manning led the Colts to a
historic comeback and quieted the critics who have knocked him since
college as one that couldn't win the big game.
But my main beef now is the whole commotion about both Smith and Dungy
being black coaches. Both are great game planners. Both known for being
well respected defensive coordinators who waited too long for a head
coaching shot. Dungy may have proven that a black head coach could not
only get hired, but rehired after being run from Tampa Bay despite
turning that one time laughingstock into a perennial contender. Say what
you want about Chucky Gruden, the Bucs haven't won much since they won
the Super Bowl only making the playoffs once since. Dungy got snapped up
by the Colts and though it took 4 years he got the Colts to the Super
Bowl. Smith was a defensive coordinator in St. Louis and was highly
sought. But the thing that will be talked about from now till after the
game is that both coaches are black.
Does it really matter?
Dungy has won 117 regular season games, the Colts have won their
division four years straight and have been a top team in the AFC since
Dungy arrived. Smith took over the Bears in 2004 and has steadily
improved them each year. Both are great coaches, does it matter that
they are black? (I hate the term African-American by the way and I'm
allowed to make that distinction on how I describe folks. I am a black
man.) I think that we as a nation have come far enough where it should
not matter. I think black folks should be able to be judged on their
merit. Hired, fired and honored based on their ability. I think people
don't care, the media is hyping it up though. I wonder if Rush Limbaugh
thinks that the media wants a team to do good because the coach is
black?

Tuna Quits!!!

I had to put in here first and foremost before my rant on Dungy and
Smith that a coach that I think is very overrated, Bill Parcells is
retiring. Why do I feel like the Tuna will end up somewhere else in a
year or two?

Championship Sunday Preview

Now we are down to four. The NFL has tried to make the conference
championship more important, but everyone knows that the confernce title
games are a prelude to the bigger game in Miami in a little over two
weeks. All four teams have earned their way to this point and range from
playoff tested vets in the Patriots, to inspiring one year turnarounds
in the Saints to teams that are looking to shake their playoff jinxes in
the Colts and Bears. The teams that emerge victorious will claim
trophies: The George Halas trophy will go to the NFC winner and the
Lamar Hunt trophy will go to the AFC champion. But both winners want a silver trophy named after a guy named Vince and to get to that
opportunity they have to win the game in front of them.

January 21
NFC Championship
Saints (11-6 NFC South Champs #2 seed) vs Bears (14-3 NFC North Champs#1 Seed)
Soldier Field, Chicago- 3:00 (Fox)
Favorite-Bears by 2.5
How They Got Here-Both teams had first round byes as the NFC's top 2
seeded teams. Saints defeated Eagles 27-24 and Bears defeated Seahawks 27-24 in OT in their respective divisional playoff games.
Playoff History-Bears are 1-2 in the NFC Championship games, this the
Saints first conference championship game.
Playoff Matchup History-Bears defeated Saints 16-6 in the 1990 wild
card round
Just The Facts-The Bears are 1-1 at home in the NFC Title game, The
Saints have 2 playoff wins in team history both at home. The Bears won
their first playoff game since 1994 (0-4)
The Bears got here in spite of themselves. This team just seems to get
any and every fortunate break. The Saints are fast growing into a
cinderella/hollywood script status. But to think they are riding a lucky
wave is to miss the point of this team. They are a resillient bunch who
can beat you in so many ways. Drew Brees is a solid QB who if he has Joe
Horn at his disposal will have an even deeper cadre of offensive
weapons. Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush are fast growing into a
Thunder and Lightning combo. Bush's breathtaking speed and McAllister sledgehammer power and deceptive quickness of his own will be the Bears biggest challenge this year. Rock solid LB Brian Urlacher will make the plays and Tank Johnson will create havoc on the line but the Bears will miss Tommie Smith helping with pass rush and gap control, something the Saints can and will exploit. All that said, the Bears will live or dieon the play of Rex Grossman. He will try to get silky WR Bernard Berrian the ball early an often to stretch the Saints defense and open holes for the running game If he doesn't try to force plays and can properly utilize the running game that the underrated duo of Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson provide. He and the Bears could carry the day. But I'm betting that Rex will wreck the plan and the Saints win the NFL JV errr....NFC title completing an improbable turnaround
Pick-New Orleans

AFC Championship
Patriots (14-4, AFC East Champs #4 seed) vs Colts (14-4 AFC South Champs #3 Seed)
RCA Dome, Indianapolis-6:30 (CBS)
Favorite-Colts by 3
How They Got Here-The Patriots defeated the Jets 37-16 in the Wild Card Round and the Chargers 24-21 in the Divisional round. The Colts defeatedthe Chiefs 23-8 in the Wild Card Round and the Ravens 15-6 in the Divisional round. The Colts have the higher seed and home field
advantage due to their 27-20 win over the Patriots on November 5.
Playoff History-The Colts are 2-3 in conference/league championship
games, 0-2 since moving to Indianapolis. The Patriots are 5-0 in AFC
Title games
Playoff Matchup History-The Pats have beaten the Colts in both playoff
meetings most recently 20-3 in the 2004 divisional round
Just the Facts-The Pats have played all but 2 of their conference title
games on the road (1996, 2003) This is the Colts first time hosting the
AFC title game. Tom Brady is 10-0 in domes
Will the 3rd time in the playoffs be the charm for the
Colts? They broke a long losing streak against the Patriots last season
and won again in Foxboro in November but the playoffs are a different
story Peyton Manning has thrown 5 interceptions in two playoff games and the Colts offense has looked sluggish, but they have rode a surprisingly stout defense to their first home AFC title game. The Patriots took
advantage of sloppy play by the Chargers to rally to a win. Tom Brady
has not been very sharp, but efficent enough to get the Pats to this
point. Simply put I think the Pats are living off their rep. They beat
the Colts in the last two playoff meetings by grinding out long TD
drives in the cold and forcing Manning to beat them with passing. With
Ty Law (who owns Manning) and Rodney Harrison lurking in the secondary passing was a dangerous proposition at best. This is not the case this year. Brady is Brady and with Maroney and Dillon the Pats can control the clock, but the Colts D has gotten markedly better as of late. That will force Brady to throw and his Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell are not Deion Branch and Terry Glenn. The lack of a real big play receiver will come back to bite Belichick this time. Though Manning has not been particularly effective, the running game and defense have been. I think Manning is way overdue for a big game and playing at home this time around is a huge edge. A fellow scribe says thou should never bet on a Manning in a playoff game. I think this Manning blows that thinking to
shreds this time around and gets the Colts to their first Super Bowl in
Indy and first since winning it in 36 years ago.
Pick-Indianapolis

Last Week 3-1
Playoffs 7-1
Overall 162-102

Great Playoff Weekend

Hey 3 outta 4 aint bad. I came oh so close to picking against the
Chargers and given Marty Schottenheimer's dismal playoff record, I
should've known better. But you have four teams left now. The Colts have
suddenly become a stout defensive unit. If you had've told me that
Peyton Manning would have thrown five interceptions in two games. I
would have said the Colts would have split the games. The
Chargers...welll what can you say though it did seem like LT was sour
graping it a bit. The Bears won in spite of Rex Grossman. Mind you he
did nothing to win the game, but he nothing to lose it mind you. And its
hard not to give mad love to the Saints. Their scrappy play reflects
their resillient city still working to recover from Hurricane Katrina.
But Championship Sunday will be great. I'll look at both games in depth
Friday. And we're only a couple of weeks from the NCAA spec sheet.

Divisional Playoffs

The Wild Cards have been weeded out and for the first time since the NFL
went to four divisions in each conference in 2002 all the division
winners got through wild card weekend. I'm not gloating that I picked
all the games right. (Thanks for the great hold there, Romo) The four
teams that will be left after this weekend will be the best of each
conference, no flukes here.

NFL Divisional Playoffs
Saturday January 13

Colts (13-4 AFC #3 Seed) @ Ravens (13-3 #2 Seed)
M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore-4:30 (CBS)
Favorite- Ravens by 4
How They Got Here- Ravens had a bye to this round as AFC #2 seed, Colts
defeated Chiefs 23-8 in Wild Card Round
Playoff History-First Meeting
Its A Fact-Colts playing first playoff game in Baltimore since losing
to Oakland in the 1977 playoffs, Ravens have lost last two playoff
games
The Ravens will show more firepower offensively than the Chiefs who
stubbornly kept running the ball up the middle when the Colts were
putting everybody but the mascot in the middle and daring the Chiefs to
throw the ball. The Colts will get their horse's you know what handed to
them if Peyton Manning throws as bad as he did against the Chiefs. I'm
banking that Manning's performance was an abberation and that Joseph
Addai can keep the Ravens defense honest enough to not sit back in
coverage. This will be a tight game all the way around. But I smell an
upset.
Pick-Indianapolis

Eagles(11-6 NFC #3 seed) @ Saints (10-6 #2 seed)
Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans- 8 (FOX)
Favorite- Saints by 5
How They Got Here- Saints had a bye to this round as NFC #2 seed,
Eagles defeated Giants 23-20 in the Wild Card Round
Playoff History The Eagles beat the Saints in the 1992 Wild Card round
36-20
Its A Fact-This is only the Saints 3rd Home playoff game in team
history (1-1), The Eagles have at least one win in each of their last 5
playoff appearances.
The Saints beat the Eagles 27-24 in week 6 (which gave them the
tiebreaker to earn the home game) but the Eagles are a vastly different
team now. The Saints are a tough team, period. Drew Brees would have won
MVP in any other year, and his play has inspired this team. As he goes
so go the Saints. Reggie Bush has gotten a lot of pub, but Deuce
McAllister is one of the most underrated backs in the game. His quiet
steady performance keeps defenses from trying to load up to stop Brees.
Jeff Garcia's season saving play has gotten the Eagles this far but
he'll have his work cut out for him facing the Saints top ranked pass
defense. Brian Westbrook is the key to this game. The Eagles will need
his running to quiet the rowdy Superdome crowd. I'm betting that the
Saints will ride the energy of a rare home playoff game to a tight win.
Pick-New Orleans

January 14th
Seahawks (10-7 #4 seed) at Bears (13-3 #1 seed)
Soldier Field, Chicago-1 (Fox)
Favorite-Bears by 9
How They Got Here-Bears had a bye to this round as NFC's top seed,
Seahawks beat Cowboys 21-20 in the wild card round.
Playoff History-First Playoff Meeting
Just The Facts-Bears have lost their last three playoff games all at
home. The Seahawks are 3-2 in the NFC playoffs after being 3-5 all time
in their AFC playoff appearances.
The Seahawks came a botched snap away from being bounced out last week.
This is a team that can win in spite of itself. The Bears went 13-3 in
spite of Rex Grossman whos stock is falling faster than Enron's did. The
Bears went 14-2 with a solid defense, specail teams and the redoubtable
running of Thomas Jones. The problem is that the defense has gotten a
bit soft and have given up points at an alarming rate as of late. Look
for the Seahawks to jack up the tempo on the Bears defense. But I can't
see it making that much of a difference. The Bears need only to force a
turnover or two and give Grossman a short field to work with. The Bears
are money with a lead.
Pick-Chicago

Patriots (13-4 #4 seed) at Chargers (14-2 #1 seed)
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego- 4:30 (CBS)
Favorite-Chargers by 4.5
How They Got Here-Chargers had a bye to this round as the AFC's top
seed, Patriots beat the Jets 37-16 in the wild card round.
Playoff History- The Chargers beat the Patriots 51-10 in the 1963 AFL
title game
Just the Facts-The Chargers have lost their last three playoff games,
and two of those were at home. The Patriots are 11-1 in the playoffs
under Bill Belichick
Its well documented that Marty Schottenheimer is 5-12 in the playoffs,
but this is undoubtedly his best team. LaDainian Tomlinson is everyones
"Well Duh!" MVP after his record setting year. But don't sleep on the
slam-bang job that QB Philip Rivers has done in his first year. The
Patriots are playoff tested and then some. Tom Brady doesn't have the
weapons that he is used to, but he has a solid running tandem in
Lawrence Maroney and Corey Dillon. The Chargers are tough on defense and
if Shawne Merriman can wreck havoc, the Chargers can have their way. The
Pats have flown under the radar for most of the season, and its soooo
hard to pick against the Pats. The Pats defense will have to play very
well, they won't get the breaks like they did against the Jets. How
can a #1 seed winning be an upset? Given who they're playing, it would
be.
Pick-San Diego

Last Week 4-0

Overall 159-101

Gwynn and Ripken...what Hall of Famers should be.

Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. were voted in the Baseball Hall of Fame on
their first year of eligibilty. Both players are what baseball is about
and should be. Gwynn was the portly outfielder with the sweet stroke and
analytical approach to hitting Cal Ripken Jr. redefined the position of
shortstop, had pop in his bat and was the defintion of work ethic. His
2632 consecutive game streak should not be the only thing one thinks of
when his name is mentioned.
I've always been a big fan of Tony Gwynn. He just went out and got
hits, punching crisp singles the opposite way in what he used to call
the 5.5 hole between the shortstop and 3rd baseman. Had the '94 season
not ended in a strike, I'm certain he would have joined fellow San
Diegan and pal Ted Williamsin the .400 club. I had the opportunity to
meet him by chance when the Padres were playing the Reds in 1990, he was
coming out of his hotel and I literally ran into him by accident. I
happened to have a bunch of baseball cards with me and one of them was
his. I showed it to him and got a laugh. He was nice enough to chat with
me about his theories on hitting for a few minutes and he signed the
card. That card is one of my treasured possesions. I'm pretty sure that
if I had a chance meeting like that with Cal Ripken Jr. it woudl have
went the same way. Ripken was well known for his penchant for signing
autographs after a game and staying till everyone had an autograph. Both
players were and still are the defintion of classy and there won't be
any question of what hat they will have on their plaque. Cal Ripken
literally grew up in the Oriole system with his dad and brother. Tony
Gwynn signed with the Padres out of San Diego State and would come to be
known as Mr. Padre. Even though Dave Winfield is in the Hall of Fame
with a Padre hat, Gwynn will be the first from that team to be in the
Hall of Fame having played a majority of his career in San Diego playing
all twenty seasons of his career as a Padre.
This brings me to another salient point, Mark McGwire. He didn't even
get close to the 75% needed for election but after his blubbering at
Congressional hearings in 2005 his chances went down the drain. He might
get in but it'll take a while. The thing that make me angry is the 8
morons who send it blank ballots. Like they are some sort of sacred
guardians of the baseball temples. I would like a few words with them
and the 5 others that did not put Tony Gwynn on their ballot. Were these
the same ones that put Jose Canseco or Bret Saberhagen or Jay Buhner on
their ballots? Now if the ones that voted for the aforementioned players
put Ripken and Gwynn along with their inane selections, more power to
them. I'm just annoyed about this so-called unspoken rule about a player
never being a unanimous selection. The old codgers that rant that if
greats like Cobb and Ruth were not unanimous selections and legends like
Mays and Aaron were not, then players like Gwynn and Ripken should not.
I agree that Ruth and Aaron should have been unanimous selections. I
also think that neither one should have had to wait 5 years, but the
writers feel like they are the keepers of the flame. I'd take the blank
eight and the four morons that vote for that criminal Pete Rose take
their hall of fame vote away and make them watch bad baseball movies for
two years.

Show Shocker! Gators romp and stomp Bucks

For the second time this calendar year. I must apologize. This time to
Gator Nation. Unlike some scribes that totally wrote off any chance you
had against the alleged mighty Buckeyes, I at least gave you dap and
pointed out your strengths. I admit that I thought the Bucks would wear
you down with their running game. A point that even members of your
nation said was a concern. I didn't see the Gator pass rush pinning
their collective ears back and wrecking like a 7.0. Troy Smith looked
dazed Jim Tressel looked confused. The Gators took the Bucks opening
bell roundhouse of Ted Ginn Jr.'s electrifying opening kickoff return
for a touchdown and responded with a steadying touchdown of their own.
The Gators looked even more relaxed after that score. When the Bucks
went nowhere on their first offensive series and the Gators scored twice
more, the game was over.
Buckeye fans, I don't want to hear the whining about the loss of Ginn
early on. Losing Ginn did not affect your porous offensive line or your
soft and suspect defense. And please lay off the "we had soooo much time
off after the Michigan game." Gee, Penn State and Wisconsin had long
layoffs after their last regular season games and both won their
respective New Years day bowl games. Call a spade a spade, Buck nation.
You got housed and I cant really say that I'm not tickled to death about
it. Divisonal playoff picks will be posted on Friday.

The wait is over

You keep waiting for the strains of Kenny Loggins to pipe up with the
old Song "This Is It". The speculation and guessing is over. The game to
settle it for the season is finally here. The alleged two best teams in
college football square off. No one questions Ohio State, they have been
the best team in the country from the start of the season. Florida is
good and supoosedly the best of the one loss teams that dot the football
landscape. The problem is that there are some teams that feel as if
Florida got their shot because the powers that be did not want to see a
rematch between OSU and Michigan. Given the way the Wolverines played in
the Rose Bowl against USC, that might have been a good thing. But
nonetheless the one loss team left standing to face the Bucks. I'll
break the game down later. But I won't talk too much about my
weekend...4-0. All the games went pretty much the way I called them. I
was glad, I didn't waffle on the Colts-Chiefs game. The Chiefs marriage
to the run up the middle was their downfall. C'mon Herm, no first downs
until 3 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter? Geez, that was as pathetic an
offensive showing as I've ever seen in 25 years of watching football.
The Jets looked exactly like they were student vs teacher. And the
teacher teaches the student everything the student knows but not
everything the teacher knows. The 37-16 score was misleading because the
game was tight until the Pats pulled away in the 4th with a long drive
and the pick for six. The Pokes played it tight but blew it in the end.
You want to put the blame on someone for the loss, it shouldn't be Tony
Romo. Who despite his bobble of a potential lead changing field goal had
the werewithal to make a desperate dash for the goal line. Blame Tuna
who seemed clueless, blame TO who was on a milk carton for most of the
game. The G-Men played a valiiant game in Tiki Barber's swan song, but
it may not be enough to save Tom Coughlin's job. But the game to watch
is tonight.

NCAA College Football

January 8

BCS Championship Game
#2 Florida (12-1 SEC Champs) vs #1 Ohio State (12-0 Big Ten Champs)
University of Phoenix Stadium; Glendale, AZ-8 (FOX)
Favorite-Ohio State by 7
Just The Facts-The Bucks are trying to be the first team to win two BCS
Championships, Urban Meyer is trying to be the 4th coach to win a
national title in his 2nd year at a school.
Unlike the 2002 championship the Bucks are the favorite, not the
scrappy underdog facing a supposed powerhouse. The Bucks can beat you so
many ways. Heisman winner Troy Smith can beat you with his mobility and
an underrated strength throwing the ball. Antoino Pittman is a money
back who can score from anywhere and there aren't enough superlatives to
begin to describe Ted Ginn Jr. Not to say that Florida with their spread
offense and rock solid defense aren't a solid team in their own right.
Chris Leak has finally shown the poise, leadership and promise that so
many pundits thought he had. Though Tim Tebow is a wild card in the
Gators offensive plan, look for Urban Meyer to dig in to his bag of
tricks to try to misdirect the fast pursuit style the Bucks defense
employs. The Bucks have a slight advantage in the running game, but the
Gators solid run defense will be the toughest the Bucks have faced this
year. Add the fact that the Gators have an embarrasment of riches at the
WR position and this game could be a lot closer than some think. I can't
give the nod to the Gators, they are just missing something. And you
can't go into the game of the year missing anything espcially against a
Bucks team that has so many weapons. The Bucks will wear the Gators down
with strong running and Troy Smith will prove why he was the deserving
runaway winner of the Heisman.
Pick-Ohio State

Bowl Tally

Weekend 2-0

Overall 24-7

Its Playoff Time!

Time to step it up step it up it's playoff time! U better bring your best game or wrecked and checked!- Chuck D in Janet Jackson's song New Agenda

And then there were 12, actually only 8 this weekend. The NFL playoffs are here and its gets extra crucial. There are no 2nd chances. You have a bad game, you go home. Win and get one step closer to the Super Bowl. There used to be a bit of a stigma to being a wild card. Someone with little chance of getting far in the playoffs. But there have been three Super Bowl winners in the last ten years that came out of the wild card weekend. Restructured after the 2002 realignment, the wild card weekend makes it tougher for a team that didn't win its division to get to the Super Bowl, but The Jets,Chiefs, Giants and Cowboys have all won Super Bowls and can look no further than last years champs who went through tough venues in Cincinnati, Indy and Denver to win Super Bowl XL.
So let the road to Miami begin

Wild Card Weekend

January 6

Chiefs (9-7 #6 seed, Wild Card qualifier) vs Colts (12-4 #3 seed, AFC South Champs)
RCA Dome, Indianapolis-4:30 (NBC)
Favorite-Colts by 7
Last Playoff Meeting- Colts beat Chiefs 38-31 in 2004 divisional round in Kansas City
Its A Fact-The Colts were unbeaten at home for the first time since moving to Indy.
The Colts righted their ship late and have ridden the hot hand of Peyton Manning. The Chiefs, all but left for dead three weeks ago has everything fall right and got the last berth. Larry Johnson has been the workhorse for the Cheifs and questions about his durability have gone out the window. The Colts suspect run defense will get a test, but the Colts will try to score points quickly to prevent the Chiefs from riding the run. If the Chiefs weren't 3-5 on the road, I'd call this an upset waiting to happen. But the Colts are too tough in the small but extremely noisy RCA Dome
Pick-Indianapolis

Cowboys (9-7 #5 Seed, wild card qualifier) vs Seahawks (9-7 #4 seed, NFC West Champs)
Qwest Field, Seattle- 8 (NBC)
Favorite-Seahawks by 3
First Playoff Meeting, Seahawks lost SB XL to Steelers, Cowboys lost in Wild Card round to Panthers in 2003
Its A Fact-The Cowboys have qualified 28 times for the playoffs, the most in the NFL, but have lost their last four playoff games.
The Pokes stumbled badly down the stretch losing their last two to fall from the division lead to a #5 seed. The Seahawks took advantage of an incredibly weak NFC West to defend their divisional crown for a third time. But as goes Shaun Alexander so go the 'Hawks who have been playing to the level of their opponent as of late. Tony Romo has been up and down lately and the Pokes can ill afford another uneven performance. Winning in Seattle is always a tough task, and I can't see the Pokes getting out of their funk. It'll take one overthrown ball over TO's head for things to go badly. Of course the Tuna jinx will follow me into the playoffs
Pick-Seattle

January 7

NY Jets (10-6 #5 seed wild card qualifier) vs Patriots (12-4 #4 seed AFC East Champs)
Gillette Stadium; Foxboro, MA- 1 (CBS)
Favorite-Patriots by 8.5
Last Playoff Meeting-Patriots defeated the Jets 26-14 in the Wild Card round in the 1985 playoffs
Its A Fact-Tom Brady has yet to lose a home playoff game
The Pats seem to be peaking at the right time. The two headed running monster that is Corey Dillon and Lawrence Maroney are grinding opponents into the ground. Tom Brady may not have the weapons for a total aerial assualt but you'll be hard pressed to bet against his coolness in playoff battle. If not for the Saints, the Jets would be the feel good story of the year. Eric Mangini took the ruins of a 4-12 team from '05 and made them efficent and dangerous. Chad Pennington was the right choice for comeback player of the year and while he isn't flashy he gets the job done and is the Jets heart and soul. If it were any other team the Jets were playing, I'd give them a punchers chance. But Belichick is the master and he has a few more lessons to teach his protégé,
Pick-New England

NY Giants (8-8 #6 seed, wild card qualifier) vs Eagles (10-6 #3 Seed NFC East Champs)
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia- 4:30 (Fox)
Favorite-Eagles by 7
Last Playoff Meeting The Giants beat the Eagles 20-10 in the 2000 NFC Divisional Round
Its A Fact-The Eagles are playing their first playoff game since 1996 without Donovan McNabb
The Eagles are quietly confident after streaking into the playoffs, a scenario thought impossible after the season ending injury to Donovan McNabb. The Eagles have rode the steady leadership of Jeff Garcia to an improbable divisional title. The Giants are an enigma, qualifying for a playoff spot that most pundits (me included) didn't think they deserved. The Eagles can ride the solid running of Brian Westbrook and a very underrated defense to a lead and watch Eli Manning implode trying to get it back. I think this might very well be Tom Coughlin's last stand in a Giants sweater.
Pick-Philadelphia

Last Week 11-5
Overall 155-101

Two More Bowl Games before the Ultimate College Bowl game of the Century

NCAA College Football

January 6

International Bowl
Western Michigan (8-4) vs Cincinnati (7-5)
Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario Canada- 12 Noon (ESPN)
Favorite-Cincinnati by 7
Its A Fact-This is the first bowl game since the 1937 Bacardi Bowl in Havana to be played outside of the US
New UC head coach Brian Kelly gets to make his first impression in Red and Black. He gets a solid defensive unit SS Dominic Ross is a hard hitter and it will be interesting to see how this defenses handles power RB Mark Bonds. The Bearcats have a three headed monster in the run as Bradley Glatthaar, Butler Benton and Greg Moore can keep a defense guessing with their distinct running styles. The Broncos have a strong run defense and LB Ameer Ismail is a sack machine. The Bearcats are best advised to know where this playmaker is at all times. I think the Bearcats can establish the run and use TE Brent Celek as a safety valve to wear down the Broncos. It'll be a close low scoring affair.
Pick-Cincinnati

GMAC Bowl
Ohio (9-4) vs Southern Miss (8-5)
Ladd Peebles Stadium; Mobile, AL- 8 (ESPN)
Favorite-Southern Miss by 6
Its A Fact-This is Ohio's first bowl game since 1968, while the Golden Eagles are making their 9th bowl appearance in the last 10 years.
If its Southern Miss, you're talking about a solid defense. They'll have they're hands full with shifty scatback Kalvin McRae who rushed for 15 TD's and over 1200 yards. The Bobcats have yet to lose a game when McRae rushes for more than 100 yards, so it'll be a good bet that he'll get plenty of touches. Southern Miss QB Jeremy Young isn't flashy but he directs a solid, error free offense. I can't see the bowl vet Golden Eagles being awed by the primetime lights as much as the baby Bobcats will. Frank Solich will have this team in bowl games often, but a win isn't in the mix this time.
Pick-Southern Miss

Bowl Tally
Wednesday 1-0
Overall 22-7

I apologize to Boise State

Seriously, I underestimated you.
Not that you didn't belong your undefeated regular season which got you
to the BCS didn't earn you some respect. I never questioned that
deserved to get a BCS berth. I just thought that you'd be the "Happy
we're here." and take a moderate beatdown from Oklahoma and go away.
I can't sing (I got cut from the choir in the fourth grade) but I'll
borrow a page from the song from Anita Baker. "I Apologize, believe me."

I sat sllck jawed as you jumped out to a 14-0 lead but was expecting
Oklahoma to rally...and they did.

"I apologize, honest and true"
When your QB Jared Zabransky threw an interception that got run back
for a seemingly backbreaking score with under a minute left I thought.
Oh well so much for the plucky Broncos.

"Because I know I was wrong, thats why I'm singing this song."
But you got off the canvas and raced back down field and scored on an
improbable hook and lateral play on 4th and 18 to force OT. And still
Oklahoma backed you to the wall by scoring in OT. After scoring on a
halfback option pass with the QB going in motion away from the side of
the field the pass eventually went to and looking to seemingly tie the
game with the PAT, your bold coach (who might get a serious look-see
from the power conference teams) went balls to the wall and went for
two...and that wasn't the most shocking part. Using a gadget play on the
winning two point conversion. The fake throw to the right and the
backflip to Ian Johnson who scampered in for the score and then dropped
to one knee to propose to his girlfriend a Boise State cheerleader...you
couldn't write this and if you did you'd get laughed out of every
studio.

"I know that its true and I'm gonna have to make it up to you"
I'm going to go to the Boise State website and see about buying a
Bronco jersey. Thats the least I can do after not believing in you.

Tonights game has two teams that are just as improbable to have made it
to the BCS

NCAA College Football
January 2

FedEx Orange Bowl
Wake Forest (11-1 ACC Champs) vs Louisville (11-2 Big East Champs)
Dolphin Stadium, Miami-8:00 Fox
Favorite
Its A Fact- This is Wake 4th bowl appearance in the last 15 years
(1992, 1999, 2002) they aer on a 3 game win streak
If it weren't for Boise State, Wake Forest might be the cinderella
story this year. 11-1 and a surprise winner of the ACC. Coach Jim Grobe
has so much with so little. QB Riley Skinner is a freshman but has
played with poise and aplomb, the Demon Deacons get mass mileage from
their big play ball hawking defense who registered 22 picks. They will
get a test from Cardinal QB Brian Brohn who despite missing games with a
broken thumb has guided the Cards to a second ranked scoring offense.
The Cards acheived this in the face of the devastating loss of RB
Michael Bush. Senior Kolby Smith and frosh Anthony Allen have stepped in
and been adequate fill ins. The Cards can and will score, while the
Deacons have been a nice story in their first 11 win season. The clock
will strike midnight as a solid Cards team has its way.
Pick-Louisville

Bowl Tally
New Years Day 4-2
Overall 20-7

I Tried To Tell Ya

Even though last night, I got lots of hater e-mail. "Why do you hate the
Irish?" and "You're just bitter since you're Wolverines lost their last
two games." They tried to rationalize why the media is in their mind
rightfullhy lionizing the Irish. They lambasted me for picking LSU over
Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl last night. They tried to chastize me
saying that I didn't give Brady Quinn props (not true) I admit freely
that I loathe the Irish, but I respect them as a historically great
team. The only flaw is that this team was not great and they weren't
even really good. Winning ten games over weak competition should not get
you into a BCS bowl. They get in and a deserving team like Rutgers, West
Virginia or Wisconsin (Teams that Notre Dame wouldn't dare schedule) get
shoved to lesser bowl. All three aforementioned teams by the way won
their respective bowl games. Notre Dame would never schedule an LSU in
regular season for two reasons, a return game would be demanded and the
likelihood of a woodshed like beating would commence. But Notre Dame is
given its free pass to cakewalk to 9 or 10 wins and play a BCS bowl. Of
course when the Irish get to said bowl, they get hammered by a rock
solid team like Ohio State did to them last year or LSU did so
convincingly last night. I'll preview the two remaining bowls before the
"Game of The Century-2007" and the NFL playoffs are here with a preview
as well tommorrow.

Bowl Season Winds Down

The last of the regular BCS games play tonight and there are two other
bowls to be played this weekend. The Big One is on Monday. And contrary
to what some thought, I have previewed all the games so far and at 21-7
so far with Louisville's 24-13 win over Wake Forest in the Orange Bowl.
A .750 clip ain't too shabby.

NCAA College Football

January 3

Nokia Sugar Bowl
LSU (10-2) vs Notre Dame (10-2)
Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans 8 (Fox)
Favorite- LSU by 8.5
Its A Fact-Notre Dame has lost its last 8 bowl games
Its already a well documented fact of my loathing of Notre Dame. I
abhor the fact that with their load of creampuffs on their schedule
(half of their the teams they played didn't make a bowl) I will admit
that they did go 5-2 against the teams they played that were bowl
eligble, but G-Tech and Penn State cam on late and they needed miracles
to beat Michigan State and UCLA. Put the Irish against a fast team or
team that is not intimidated by their so-called lore and they get
thumped. (See Michigan's 47-21 pasting in South Bend or USC 44-24
thrashing) LSU boasts speed and quickness. JaMarcus Russell is as toughas he is talented and he has a trio of receivers in Craig Davis, Early
Doucet and Dwyane Bowe that can break a game open. Notre Dame does have talent. Brady Quinn has thrown for over 3500 yards and Jeff
Samardzija and Rhema McKnight are a talented receiving duo in their own right.
Ignore the bleatings of Notre Dame nation whining that they get no
respect and the media trying desperately to make them a power, they aren't as good as they or the media plays them up to be. Simply put, the Irish cant afford to get into a shootout with the Tigers as their defense will give up way too many yards and points and the Tigers are relentless
offensively. If the Tigers defense can get to Quinn the very partisan
Superdome crowd will make it a long night.
Pick-LSU

Bowl Tally
Last Night 1-0
Overall 21-7

New Years Day Bowls

Happy New Year! 2007 is looking like things could be bright. Lets take a looksee at the biggest bowl day of the whole bowl season. Some of the most famous and well known games are being played today.

NCAA College Football


January 1

Outback Bowl
Penn State (9-3) vs. Tennessee (8-4)
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa 11 am (ESPN)
Favorite- Tennessee by 4
Its A Fact-The Vols are back in a bowl after missing last year, the first time since 1987 the Vols missed making a bowl game.
Two of the more storied college football lead the day off. JoePa ain't as washed up as people thought him to be three years ago. They feature the usual litany of power running and rugged defense. The Vols have improved as QB Erik Ainge has done as well. The Vols have a good defense and if they can slow the Nittany Lions running game down they can steal a win.
Pick-Tennessee

AT&T Cotton Bowl
Nebraska (9-4) vs Auburn (10-2)
Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas- 11:30am (FOX)
Favorite-Auburn by 1.5
Its A Fact-This is Nebraska first Cotton Bowl game since 1979
Both these teams are no stranger to playing on New Years. Nebraska is still getting used to Bill Callahan's pro set offense and has struggled at times. QB Zac Taylor is a solid if unspectacular leader. On the other hand Auburn has a very inconsistent offense. Their defense is the key if they can keep Husker RB Brandon Jackson under control they can steal a tight low scoring affair.
Pick-Auburn

Toyota Gator Bowl
West Virginia (10-2) vs Georgia Tech(9-4)
Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville-1 (CBS)
Favorite-West Virginia by 10
Its A Fact-The Mountaineers have the #2 rushing game in the country
The Yellow Jackets had a real chance to be a big time BCS player but lost two in a row in bad fashion to Georgia and Wake Forest. They suddenly developed offense problems and not utilizing all world WR Calvin Johnson enough. The Mountineers are solid featuring QB Pat White and RB Steve Slaton. This may be a New Years Yawner.
Pick-West Virginia

Capital One Bowl
Wisconsin (11-1) vs Arkansas(10-3)
Citrus Bowl, Orlando-1 (ABC)
Favorite -Arkansas by 2.5
Its A Fact- The Badgers have only missed making a bowl once in the past 10 years (2001)
Wisconsin is probably the best team that you've never heard of. Had they not fallen to Michigan in Ann Arbor in September, there would have been a very messy situation as the Badgers did not play Ohio State. They face a tough Arkansas team who shook off an opening week rout by USC and reeled off 10 straight wins. Losses to LSU and Florida dimmed their outside BCS chances, but they are a solid team. This will be the best non BCS game. Both teams have studs at RB as Razorback Darren McFadden does it all from QBing and running back kicks. While Fab frosh Badger RB PJ Hill is a workhouse and pretty much cancel one another out as factors.
I think it'll be a close tight game with the the underrated Badgers pulling it out late.
Pick-Wisconsin

Rose Bowl presented by Citi
USC (10-2 Pac 10 Champs) vs Michigan (11-1)
Rose Bowl, Pasadena-4:30 (ABC)
Favorite-Michigan by 1
Its A Fact-This is the eighth time these teams have met in the Rose Bowl (USC leads 5-2)
The left out bowl, both teams are coming off of distant losses to archrivals. USC brings its usual stabele of studs led by QB John David Booty has filled in well for graduating Matt Lineart and WR Dwayne Jarrett can flat out fly. Michigan has a strong offense led by RB Mike Hart but keep your eye on the Wolverine defense led by DE/LB Lamar Woodley who is fast agile and a hard hitter. SC has shown itself to have problems with athletic defenses and the Wolverines move fast and hit hard. Booty isn't very mobile and that will be trouble for the Trojans.
Pick-Michigan

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
Boise State (12-0, WAC Champs) vs Oklahoma (11-2 Big 12 Champs)
University of Phoenix Stadium; Glendale, AZ- 8 (FOX)
Favorite-Oklahoma by 8
Its A Fact-Boise State is the second non power school to qualify for the BCS
Boise State crashes the BCS party and its all under a first year coach. The Broncos have a talented QB in Jared Zabransky and a fast RB in Ian Johnson. The Broncos are no cinderella they are good and can score points. Oklahoma is not really counting on one time Heisman hopeful Adrian Peterson and has an effiecent offense. Their defense is the key, which ranked 17th nationally and though they have no big name stars are plenty good as a unit. Boise State hasn't seen anything like it in the WAC.
Pick-Oklahoma

Bowl Tally
Sat/Sun 3-1
Overall 16-5