Ravens vs. Orioles, Same City but Worlds Apart

Today was the last day of baseball's winter meetings. Just like every other year some big moves were made. Unfortunately another repeat is the Orioles being very quiet. Well not too quiet they did pick up the amazing pitcher known as Dana Eveland, who has the incredible career ERA of 5.52. Now i am not naive, I know to get players to come here they have to want to come here. My main problem with the Orioles is that they tell us they want to get better and yet do nothing to strive towards getting better. New GM Dan Duquette has stated that the goal for the Orioles in the 2012 season is to be at least .500. I know the regular season is still a couple months away, but as an O's fan you cant feel confident with how this past week has gone. That is what leads me to the comparison to the Ravens, but really its how they are nothing alike.

Back to how the Orioles don't add the players they need to become competitive. Before the 2011 season the Orioles picked up players like Vladimir Guerrero, Derrek Lee, Mark Reynolds and JJ Hardy. Out of those four players JJ Hardy is really the only one who played well in all facets of the game. Both Vlad and Lee were and are past their primes, and Reynolds while the power numbers were there, he couldn't play third to save his life. As for the Ravens they don't miss nearly as much as the O's do. Now I understand football is different than baseball, but the general concept of picking up the right player for the right situations should not change. Just look at some of the Ravens off season pick ups. Bryant McKinnie, Vonta Leach, Andre Gurode, Bernard Pollard and Lee Evans. The only argument you can make is Evans because of his injury. Other than that each one of those guys have contributed, and some in a big way. The Ravens know when they have a weakness and address it accordingly. The Orioles say that they do and try to convince you they will be a winner. However the glaring differences don't stop at player acquisitions.

The front offices are incredibly different as well. First the Orioles, the major concern from fans and baseball experts is the involvement of Peter Angelos. Mr. Angelos has always been criticized for how he handles the team. Angelos has never given the reigns to his GMs to do what they need to turn the team around. Since Pat Gillick (the last successful GM) the Orioles have had five men try, all have failed and none have last more than four seasons. I am willing to bet that Angelos is the main reason it took forever to find a new GM this season, and why the guy they hired hadn't been in baseball for 10 years. The Ravens have had one figure head who has made all the football decisions, Ozzie Newsome. Plenty of guys have left who were under Newsome, but since he was hired in 1996 Newsome has been the man. Neither Modell or Bisciotti have never been known to meddle, and in my opinion its a huge part of the Ravens success. From 1996 on the Orioles have had two winning seasons (96 & 97), the Ravens have had eight winning seasons, two division titles and a Super Bowl. The numbers speak for themselves.

Baltimore might be one of the most unique sports cities in America, not saying that its a good thing. You have one franchise that does everything right, and even if there are complaints they aren't major ones. The other franchise does everything it possibly can to frustrate its fan base, not on purpose but sometimes it feels that way. One last thing, the Ravens make you proud to wear their jerseys and colors. When I tell people I am an Orioles fan a look of pity comes to their face. I don't know when the Orioles will be winners again and until they do me and most of Baltimore will continue to reluctantly suffer through the baseball season so we can enjoy the Ravens.

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The Five Biggest Mistakes made by the BCS

Last night the selections were announced for this years BCS Bowl games, and as expected it comes with some controversy. In my opinion the only time the BCS doesn't screw it up is when you only have two undefeated teams and you cant screw it up. Now i will say that the BCS is better than what it used to be, however that doesn't mean the BCS is fool-proof. Many people want a playoff system, even it is just a plus one. For those who do want a playoff, don't hold your breath its not going to happen anytime soon. So after last night it got me thinking of some of the most boneheaded decisions made by the BCS. I will only list five but I'm sure i could definitely list more.

# 5: BCS chooses to see 'Game of the Century Part 2' over Oklahoma State
What better way to start then last night. Also its hard to rank this any higher because we really don't know how it will work out. Comparing the two teams schedules i have to say Oklahoma State had the tougher road to the BCS. The Cowboys won at Texas A&M, at Texas, they destroyed a pretty good Baylor team and embarrassed their in state rival Oklahoma. The only thing Alabama has over Oklahoma State is Bama's loss is better. Bama lost to the best team in the country while OKSt lost to Iowa State. Again hard to tell how big a mistake this is but as a fan id rather see OKSt-LSU than Bama-LSU.

# 4: Florida State gets nod over in state rival Miami in the BCS Title Game

In the early 2000s the Hurricanes had a mini dynasty going and this could have been the first step in that dynasty. Miami went 11-1, their only stumble, to the eventual Rose Bowl champs Washington Huskies on the road by five points. As for the Noles they also lost only once in the regular season, to the Hurricanes. FSU did end the season with an impressive win over Florida. When the season ended Miami was ranked # 2 in the AP and Coaches poll above Florida State, but in the BCS Standings FSU was # 2. In the bowl games Miami beat Florida by 17, and FSU mustered just 2 points in a loss to Oklahoma.

# 3: USC and LSU Share the National Championship

The one thing you could say about the BCS was there was always one champion. Well after the 2003 season that changed. USC stumbled early in the season but then righted the ship to finish 11-1 in the regular season. Now LSU was not the problem in this equation, its the Sooners. Oklahoma had an impressive regular season and they deserved to be in the conversation. Then the Big 12 Championship game happened. After all the domination the Sooners were crushed by Kansas State 35-7. So common sense would say they were done right? Well not only did Oklahoma get into the title game the BCS had them number 1, really??? Needless to say Oklahoma lost to LSU and USC beat Michigan leading to the first and only shared National Title under the BCS System.

# 2: Auburn runs the table in the SEC, doesn't get title shot

The SEC is the best conference in football, and has been for a long time. So when a team goes undefeated in that conference automatic championship game appearance right? Although this might not at first glance seem so bad. The two teams that played for the championship were also undefeated. Auburn did however beat four Top 25 teams, and three of those were top 10. The thing that made this more egregious is what happened in the BCS Title Game. USC obliterated Oklahoma 55-19. Auburn had a really good team and them against USC would have been an interesting match up.

# 1: Nebraska sneaks into the Title Game

The Cornhuskers were rolling back in 2001, they passed their only real challenge in beating second ranked Oklahoma by 10 points. Nebraska seemed to be heading into a championship showdown with Miami. In the season finale against rival Colorado the Cornhuskers were completely humiliated. Colorado ran all over Nebraska beating them 62-36, yea not a misprint 62-36. Nebraska did not even play in the Big 12 Title game, but somehow they were # 2 in the BCS and played Miami in the Rose Bowl (sound familiar). Miami won easily 37-14. Oregon, the team people wanted to see play Miami, also won easily. They beat the team Nebraska gave up 62 points to a month earlier. Nebraska did not belong in the Title game and the final score strongly indicated that.

The BCS is crap nothing else to say about it, and until they get a playoff system installed there will always be controversy. How college football doesn't determine its champion on the field of play is and will always be mind boggling. Unfortunately its not only the schools that miss out on the championship experience, it also deprives the fans of the best possible game.

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Tim Tebow is Vince Young 2.0

This NFL season one person/story has dominated the headlines more than any other, Tim Tebow. Whether its a website being created in honor of his post game celebration, or the numerous opinions of how good he can be, its been TebowMania in 2011. I am in the majority by saying Tim Tebow might be one of the worst throwing quarterbacks ive ever seen. I dont feel Tebow will ever be that franchise QB, but despite how I feel the guy is a winner. So while watching the debacle of the Philadelphia Eagles last night it got me thinking. Tim Tebow is the next Vince Young.

The first obvious similarity between the two men is just their style of play. Im willing to bet that most experts would say that neither is great at passing but both are good running quarterbacks. Even looking back at their college careers its eerie how similar they are. Both Young and Tebow are cult heroes on their respective campuses.

First to VY, Young was an amazing 30-2 as a starter at Texas. Young threw for over 6,000 yards at Texas while also running for over 3,000. His postseason success speaks for itself. Young might have had not only the best two Rose Bowls in history but maybe but Bowl games period. After the 2005 season Young led Texas over Michigan 38-37. Young had 180 yards passing, 192 yards rushing and 5 total Touchdowns. Hard to top that performance right? wrong. The next year on the same field only this time for the National Championship, Young threw for 267 yards ran for 200 with 3 touchdowns it what was maybe the greatest college football game ever. After that kind of career its no wonder why he was drafted third overall in 2006.

Now for Tim Tebow and honestly what can you can that hasnt already been said. For most of his freshman season he was used as a "wildcat" QB as the Gators won the National Championship. He was named starter before his sophomore season and the rest you can say is history. Even though he was never known as a passer Tebow had over 9,000 yards passing with 88 TDs. Rushing wise Tebow had over 2,900 yards, and in 2007 he had a then record of 23 rushing TDs for a quarterback. As for his postseason success, also very good. Tebow won 2 SEC Championships, 2 National Championships and was 2-1 in Bowl Games as a starter. And of course lets not forget the Heisman Trophy in 2007.

Now as far as their NFL careers go, not a lot to compare but still some similarities. As earlier mentioned neither is considered a "traditional" QB. Yet both men sport winning records as starting quarterbacks, Young is 31-19, Tebow is 6-3. Both Tebow and Young have given us jaw dropping moments that kept us on the edge of our seats. We all know what Tebow has pulled off in 2011, but VY was also exciting. Remember this epic run in his return to Texas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUukfA5ugtI&feature=related. Despite the great record and awesome moments Young's stats are not those of a franchise QB. Young has only 8900 yards passing and has thrown more INTs than TDs. Tebow's stats also leave something to be desired with under a 50 percent completion percentage, and he averages just 83 yards passing a game.

Now we all know that Vince Young has had some off the field maturity issues and this is the one main difference I see in the two men. I doubt Tebow will get into a bar fight if someone disses Florida, in fact i doubt Tebow even goes to bars. But as far as the career arches go, they are almost identical. Both men have given us thrilling end of the game moments. Both quarterbacks just know how to win football games. Depending on who you talk to both players are sub par quarterbacks. Now only time will tell if Tebow will turn into a backup like Young has in his career, but if I were a betting man id say Tebow is destined to be the next Vince Young.

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Ravens Offensive woes have wasted Ray Lewis' career

Living here in Baltimore and being a Ravens fan it has been surprisingly stressful. Since 2000 the Ravens have only had three losing seasons, they have gone to the playoffs seven times, won a division title, two AFC Championship game appearances and a Super Bowl title. Not much to complain about right, well as Lee Corso would say 'not so fast my friend'. As good as this decade run has been believe it or not it could or really should have been better. During that run we in Baltimore have witnessed maybe the most consistent and dominant defense in NFL history. A defense that currently has two sure fire hall of famers and maybe a third with Haloti Ngata. As awesome as the defense has been the offense has been just as bad and at times has held this team back from achieving true greatness. Monday nights debacle was unfortunately a tough reminder of how the Ravens inability to build an offense has wasted the career of maybe the best defensive player in NFL history.

There is a new show on ESPN called Numbers Never Lie, so what better way to show you how far apart these two units are than by the numbers. The Ravens have always been known for their great defense and when you look at the two most important categories (Yards allowed and Points allowed), they are truly elite. Since 1999 the Ravens have ranked in the top 10 in those two categories every year except for 3 occasions. During that same time the Ravens offense has ranked in the top 10 only twice in those same categories. Its easy to say that the O has always been in the shadow of the defense. For the most part the talent of that side of the ball has been terrible. I don't have to remind the Ravens fans of the Kyle Boller era. Really for that stretch our offense was Jamal and Heap and that was it. Its not just Boller though that was a huge disappointment. The Ravens drafted guys like Travis Taylor and Mark Clayton and most of their offensive draft picks have been busts. Ozzie Newsome is a great GM but for some reason finding an offense that works has been a struggle during his tenure.

Despite all the failures I actually like the pieces the Ravens have on offense this season. Joe Flacco, for all the crap he gets in this town I believe is more than capable of leading this team to a championship. Which makes Monday's embarrassing performance even more head scratching and disappointing. So whats the problem with this offense, is Joe not ready to be the leader? is Cam Cameron the problem? I wish I could answer it and so does all of Baltimore. The Ravens defense has allowed 13.8 points a game so far this year. That essentially means they need the offense to score 14-17 points per game, not a lot, no reason they shouldn't be 6-0. Most offenses can do that so why cant the Ravens?

Now back to my original point and the title of this entry. I don't want people to take this in the wrong way. Regardless of how many rings Lewis wins most will say he is at least the best linebacker to ever play, and hes in the conversation for best defensive player ever. Maybe 'waste' isn't the right word but if you can think of better one throw it out there. If you took the Colts offense of the past decade and put it with this Ravens defense tell me they wouldn't have won multiple championships. Try all you can to refute it but you cant, this offense has prevented the best linebacker from being a multiple champion. The Ravens should be ashamed that they haven't been able to put together more than a mediocre offense to counter their legendary defense.

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Perfect Start brings tempered Enthusiasm

The Washington Capitals have consistently been among the best teams in the NHL over the past couple of seasons. The one problem has been the constant failures in the postseason, never getting past the second round in the past four trips. So if you're a Caps fan you should be excited but its a long season and a lot more to be decided. So for right now I'll give some things I like and some things that might need some tweaking as the season moves along.

The most important part for me is the goal tending. The Caps have had young, talented but unproven goaltenders the last couple seasons. Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth both showed glimpses of being really good but they are still too young to carry a team, and of course Varlamov is no longer in Washington. So in the off season the Caps picked up veteran net minder Tomas Vokoun. Of course in typical Caps fashion Vokoun's first start in the red sweater was an offensive shootout in which he allowed 5 goals on just 28 shots. Since then Vokoun has allowed 5 goals in 4 games including a shutout against his former squad Florida. It is extremely early in the season but in the recent run of success the Caps have yet to have a dependable goalkeeper. Its unrealistic to expect Vokoun to keep up this kind of pace, especially when facing 40 shots a night. However hes the kind of goalie when hot can shut down the best teams in hockey and when you have the offensive power of Washington, advantage Capitals.

This second point ill bring up is what at least for me tempers my enthusiasm for now. In the Caps 6-0 start 13 different Capitals have put the puck in the net. Which means that Ovechkin is getting the support he needs. However getting production from his supporting cast in the regular season has never been the problem, its the postseason. In 37 career postseason games Ovechkin has 25 goals and 50 points, pretty damn good for your star player. Lets take a look at the other two members of the big three, first Nicklas Backstrom. In the same 37 games Backstrom has just 12 goals, none is last years run and 32 points. As for Alexander Semin he also has 12 goals and 30 points, and in the 2010 playoffs he went goal-less. At the very least the Caps need production from all members of their big three to make a deep postseason run.

Last thing ill mention which again has always been a problem in the Nations Capital, the defense. In two of their games they have allowed over 40 shots, now granted it was to two of the best teams in the east (Pittsburgh & Philadelphia) but those kind of nights have to be few and far between. Just watching as a fan in some games, not all, there seem to stretches of the game where the Caps are playing a large chunk of the period in their end of the ice. Vokoun has been good but he needs more games like the Panthers when he only faces 20 shots.

I and others can nitpick about certain things but the bottom line is the Caps haven't played their best hockey yet and they are 6-0. This Saturday will be yet another test as Detroit comes into DC. Win that game and the Caps become the early favorite to win the cup. Which is nice but we all know they don't decide the cup in October, the Caps have to translate their regular season dominance into a Stanley Cup Championship, another postseason failure is not an option for this team.

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2011 NFL WEEK 2 PREDICTIONS

One week is in the books and i had a decent week of predicting going 10-6.  Some games I didn't see coming especially Buffalo's slaughter of Kansas City, but that's what makes football exciting.  No need to look at the past anymore, on to week 2.

Raiders (1-0) @ Bills (1-0)
I know its only week 2 but didn't think this would be a match up of 1-0 teams.  Oakland continued its dominance over the AFC West (6-0 last year, 1-0 this year) and Janikowski landed in the record books with his 63 yard FG.  Buffalo had maybe the most surprising game of week 1, a 41-7 whooping of the Chiefs.  Can't believe I'm saying this but Buffalo will be 2-0.
PREDICTION: BILLS

Chiefs (0-1) @ Lions (1-0)
KC as mentioned earlier really cant do much worse that last week, losing at home the way they did.  Detroit seemed to be the sexy pick to make some noise this year.  In week 1 they didn't disappoint by beating the 10 win Buccs in Tampa. Wow first the Bills now I'm picking the Lions to be 2-0, i must be in the twilight zone.
PREDICTION: LIONS

Ravens (1-0) @ Titans (0-1)
On paper this looks like a mismatch, Baltimore destroyed Pittsburgh and Tennessee couldn't beat a team with Luke McCown as their QB.  The Ravens have to avoid a huge letdown here, but under John Harbaugh the Ravens are 18-1 against losing teams.  Expect that record to get better.
PREDICTION: RAVENS

Browns (0-1) @ Colts (0-1)
Not to any ones surprise the Colts looked lost without Manning under center and its going to be a long year in Indy.  The Browns had a lot of hype surrounding them and they let Bruce Gradkowski and the Bengals beat them at home.  That being said I think Peyton Hillis has a huge day against the poor Colt run defense.
PREDICTION: BROWNS

Buccaneers (0-1) @ Vikings (0-1)
This is one of the most interesting games of the week in my opinion.  Tampa lost a close game to Detroit at home and Minnesota despite only having 39 yards passing only lost to San Diego by 7.  McNabb wont have another day like that but i still like Tampa in a mild upset on the road.
PREDICTION: BUCCANEERS

Bears (1-0) @ Saints (0-1)
Chicago will be playing with heavy hearts after the death of Brian Urlacher's mother.  Its hard to say how well he will play but maybe it will help him heal.  As for the Saints they are 0-1 but Brees had over 400 yards passing in week 1.  Hard to go against the Saints at home.
PREDICTION: SAINTS

Jaguars (1-0) @ Jets (1-0)
Congrats to the Jags for that nice win over Tennessee in week 1, but now they head to New York.  Still not a believer in the Jets especially with Sanchez under center, but this should be an easy win at home.
PREDICTION: JETS


Seahawks (0-1) @ Steelers (0-1)
If there is one team i don't want to be this week its the Seattle Seahawks.  Pittsburgh was embarrassed by their most hated rival in week 1 and you could imagine how they are itching to get back on the field.  This is going to get ugly fast.
PREDICTION: STEELERS

Cardinals (1-0) @ Redskins (1-0)
Rex Grossman played surprisingly well against the Giants, but if i were a skins fan i would have an uneasy feeling that the old Rex Grossman will eventually rear its ugly head.  Arizona did win last week but gave up over 400 yard to a rookie QB, and they also don't play well on the east coast.
PREDICTION: REDSKINS

Packers (1-0) @ Panthers (0-1)
Speaking of that rookie QB, Cam Newton will make his home debut against the defending champs.  Personally I think the Newton craze is a little premature, it was only one game.  I don't expect him to have the same type of performance.  Also Aaron Rodgers getting a few more days to prepare doesn't bode well for Carolina.
PREDICTION: PACKERS

Cowboys (0-1) @ 49ers (1-0)
Coach Harbaugh won his debut but if it wasn't for two Ginn returns for TDs, Seattle could've won.  Dallas is on the other end they should have won against the Jets.  Tony Romo continues to make mistakes when it matters most, that being said I think he gets the job done in San Fran.
PREDICTION: COWBOYS

Bengals (1-0) @ Broncos (0-1)
Will somebody please tell the Denver fans to shut up when it comes to Tebow, he is not a good quarterback.  As for Cincinnati, nice win for them against Cleveland but still don't expect much for them this year.  Denver wins and Orton will throw for 400 yards and 4 TDs, at least I hope so.
PREDICTIONS: BRONCOS

Texans (1-0) @ Dolphins (0-1)
Houston did exactly what they should have in week 1, destroy a Manning-less Colts.  Miami was shredded by Tom Brady on national television.  Brady was so good it was almost an afterthought that Henne threw for over 400 himself, and could do it again against Houston secondary.  However the thought of Miami trying to defend Andre Johnson probably wont end well.
PREDICTION: TEXANS

Chargers (1-0) @ Patriots (1-0)
This is the game of the week in my opinion.  Most would probably pick New England after what Brady did against Miami.  However, San Diego's defense is much better than Miami and if New England lets Henne throw on them like he did, what do you think Rivers will do?  In a little bit of an upset i like San Diego here.
PREDICTION: CHARGERS

Eagles (1-0) @ Falcons (0-1)
The "Dream Team" made a triumphant debut in St. Louis, although might have been closer if both Steven Jackson and Sam Bradford didn't get hurt.  Atlanta looked bad, I mean real bad in Chicago.  This is another game I'm going against the grain with.  Vick is returning to Atlanta but the Falcons have been great in the dome under Mike Smith, Atlanta in a close one.
PREDICTION: FALCONS

Rams (0-1) @ Giants (0-1)
Talk about your walking wounded, both teams are going through terrible injury problems.  The Rams injuries might be a tad bit worse especially since its their QB and RB who are in question.  Probably not going to be a pretty game but they all count the same way.
PREDICTION: GIANTS

There you have it for Week number 2, lets see if I can improve on my 10-6 mark from week 1.

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2011 NFL Week 1 Wrap Up

That warm fuzzy feeling of having football hasn't quite worn off yet. We had an awesome opening weekend and before i get to my top and worst 5 of the week a few things about the week. Was it me or was there a lot of blowouts in week 1? The least surprising was the Colts losing to Houston 34-7, life without Manning may be uglier than previously thought. Philadelphia manhandled St. Louis not much of a surprise especially with the injuries they suffered in the first game. The two most surprising happened in Baltimore and Kansas City. First the Bills just rolled over the Chiefs 41-7, Ryan Fitzpatrick might have made a case to be the long term starter. The Ravens exercised some demons by totally dominating their arch rival Pittsburgh 35-7, quite head-scratching especially with the way this game is usually played. Tom Brady is still Tom Brady and the Chargers almost got off to another slow start. So that's about all i got lets go into my top 5 and worst 5 of Week number 1.

TOP 5 BEST OF WEEK 1
1) Tom Brady--32 for 48, 517 yards and 4 TDs-- Well it was only one game but Tom Brady looked to be in mid season form. Not exactly what the rest of the AFC east wanted to see out of Brady in Week 1.

2) Ryan Fitzpatrick--17 for 25, 208 yards and 4 TDs-- The Harvard grad made the Chiefs look bad in Kansas City. Again hard to take a lot out of week 1 but maybe the Bills will make some noise in 2011.

3) Ravens Defense--4 Sacks, 3 Ints, 4 Fumble recoveries-- The Baltimore defense completely dominated Pittsburgh, no other way to explain it. They got over the one hurdle they needed too, now they have to build on it.

4) Cam Newton--24 for 37, 422 yards and 2 TDs-- Cant really ask for a much better debut than this. Granted it was against the Cardinals but there is finally hope at the QB position in Carolina.

5) Ted Ginn--102 yard Kickoff and 55 yard Punt return for TDs-- Anytime you have 2 returns for touchdowns its impressive. Ginn turned a 19-17 49ers lead into a 33-17 blowout opening day win.

TOP 5 WORST OF WEEK 1
1) Ben Roethlisberger--3 INTs and 2 Lost Fumbles-- This could've very well been the worst game of his career. Big Ben looked lost against the Ravens but Pittsburgh shouldn't be worried, he will rebound against Seattle.

2) Donovan McNabb--39 yards passing-- Its tough to win games when you cant throw for more than 40 yards. I don't know whats worse McNabb's stat line or the fact that San Diego trailed for most of the game to a QB who only had 39 yards passing.

3) Chris Johnson--9 carries for 24 yards-- Johnson was made one of the highest paid players in the NFL after a holdout. Not the season debut you're looking for by your franchise player.

4) Kerry Collins--16 for 31, 197 yards 1 TD-- I hate to keep piling on the Colts but was the week 1 beat down they received really that surprising. Collins did the best he could but he retired for a reason, going to be a long year in Indianapolis.

5) Kansas City Chiefs-- Nothing went right for the Chiefs on opening weekend. Matt Cassel barely had 100 yards, Jamaal Charles was a non-factor and they gave up 41 points to the Bills at home. Not the way a division winner wants to start the season.

Well that's it for Week 1, and week 2 is right around the corner, stay tuned for my week 2 predictions.

2011 NFL WEEK 1 PREDICTIONS

FOOTBALL IS BACK!!!!! Especially for people in Baltimore this is glorious. No need to talk anymore about it lets get into the predicting.

Saints @ Packers
An awesome way to start the season with the last 2 super bowl champions. This game may also be a preview for this years NFC Championship game. Neither team went crazy in the off season as in free agent pick ups, but they didn't have to. I give the slight edge to the Packers just for opening the season at home.

PREDICTION: PACKERS

Falcons @ Bears

Chicago fans don't want to remember how last season ended and I'm sure Jay Cutler wants to erase the stigma of him quiting on his team. Unfortunately for da Bears they open against another team who should compete for the NFC Title. I love the draft pick Julio Jones from Alabama for Atlanta, but their defense still has question marks. Still they should have enough to pull this one out on the road.

PREDICTION: FALCONS

Bills @ Chiefs
This game might be one of the few that you couldn't pay me to watch. Buffalo is not very good and the Chiefs will be without their starting QB Matt Cassel. Even with Cassel on the bench the Chiefs are just a much better team, don't like the Bills chances here.

PREDICTION: CHIEFS

Steelers @ Ravens

This is the game of the week and while id rather watch this game more towards the end of the season it doesn't make any less anticipated. The Ravens added many new members that quite frankly we just don't know how they will perform. The Steeelers are well the Steelers, this game should be like any other between the two. The Ravens need this more than Pittsburgh.

PREDICTION: RAVENS

Bengals @ Browns

I know it was only preseason but Colt McCoy looked really good and might be the long term solution at QB for Cleveland. Ill be interested to see what Peyton Hillis does this year after his breakout 2010. Cincinnati is in for a long season, Palmer retired, Ocho Cinco is in New England, Jonathan Joseph is in Houston, in other words a lot of key parts are gone. Cleveland should roll in this one.

PREDICTION: BROWNS

Eagles @ Rams

So here it is the debut of the DREAM TEAM!!! Actually i could care less but if i were the Eagles id get off to a strong start after all the preseason hype. For St. Louis they were unable to win a division last year where the winner went 7-9, however Sam Bradford looks to be the real deal. St. Louis should win the west but week 1 will be a struggle.

PREDICTION: EAGLES

Lions @ Buccaneers

Tampa is coming off a surprising 10 win season of a year ago. Quarterback Josh Freeman is quickly becoming one of the best young guns in the game. Detroit is an interesting team as to most they are a sleeper, i like them to as long as their QB stays healthy. A healthy Stafford, Calvin Johnson and the defensive duo of Suh and Fairley, Detroit can definitely turn some head in 2011.

PREDICTION: LIONS

Titans @ Jaguars

Neither of these two teams excite me and they should be among the also rans in the AFC. I was leaning towards Jacksonville then they decided to cut David Garrard. No offense but if your QB is Luke McCown you're not going to win many football games.

PREDICTION: TITANS

Colts @ Texans

This week the headline that has dominated has been Peyton Manning not being able to make the start in week 1. I don't think I'm alone in saying that the Colts are a much different team without number 18. If Houston does not take advantage of this they might never win this division while Manning is still in the league.

PREDICTION: TEXANS

Panthers @ Cardinals

This is the game of debuts, Cam Newton's as an NFL player and Kevin Kolb's for a new team. For that reason it makes this game interesting, other than that maybe seeing Todd Heap in a Cardinals jersey, but that will be more weird that interesting.

PREDICTION: CARDINALS

Vikings @ Chargers
Another debut in this one, Donovan McNabb will be wearing purple for the first time in his career. Having Peterson in his backfield will help him transition into the Vikings. As for San Diego lot of love for this team and i just don't see it maybe I'm blind. I like San Diego in this game but wouldn't be surprised if Minnesota won.

PREDICTION: CHARGERS

Seahawks @ 49ers

Do you like awful quarterbacks? Do like watching this game being performed at a sub-par level? Well then this is the game for you. Tavaris Jackson vs. Alex Smith, enough said.

PREDICTION: 49ERS

Giants @ Redskins

This is another game in my opinion that wont be much of one. The Redskins decided to go with Rex Grossman as their QB, which i don't understand but that's why i don't coach i suppose. New York has lost some pieces but i still like their makeup, Giants big in this one.

PREDICTION: GIANTS

Cowboys @ Jets

Two of the most annoying people in the NFL will be in this game, and neither one will be wearing a helmet. Rob Ryan vs. Rex Ryan, both do nothing but talk and it bothers me. As for the game the Jets should once again be in the running for an AFC Title, the Cowboys could make a huge statement if they can pull off the upset.

PREDICTION: JETS

Patriots @ Dolphins

Who decided this would be a good way to open the Monday night schedule. Miami fans were chanting for a guy who wasn't on the trade block, and Reggie Bush is their number 1 back. New England was putting up 50 points in the preseason, going to be a long night for the Dolphins.

PREDICTION: PATRIOTS

Raiders @ Broncos

There was more talk in Denver about Tim Tebow being the starter than anything else. Lets just say Orton is the right choice. I like Oakland but with no Nnamdi Denver should have a field day with the Raiders secondary.

PREDICTION: BRONCOS

So thats it for Week 1 and again thank god for football being back.

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USA vs. Brazil: Greatest Finish Ever?

First let me start by saying its been way too long since my last post so what better way to make a comeback then....women's world cup?? Yup, I never ever thought I would write about women's soccer but after the game on Sunday how could you not. Just in case some of you have been living under a rock, on Sunday the US fell behind Brazil 2-1 in extra time. In the 122nd minute (the latest goal ever in WWC history) Abby Wambach scored to tie it up at 2, only to go on to win on penalty kicks 5-3. So I'll be the one to pose the question, is this game the best finish ever?

Now I know there have been dozens and dozens of fantastic finishes. Whether its a game winning hit to win a world series, a buzzer beater in the NCAA tournament, a game winning field goal anyway you get the point plenty to choose from. This game sticks out because of the situation to me. First there was a questionable re-do of a penalty kick. Hope Solo made a fantastic save that kept the game 1-0 US. However the ref called encroachment, Marta kicked the second one to tie the game. Then on Brazil's second goal it seemed that Brazil was offsides, and lets not forget the Americans played a woman down for about 35 minutes. As time continued to tick away it became apparent that the US was on there way out, until Brazil actually helped out.

In the 115th minute Brazil's Ericka looked to be injured and stayed on the field for a couple of minutes. When she was stretchered off the field she jumped up and sprinted to her bench then back on the field. This was obviously done to waste time, only it backfired. The minutes she spent on the ground were added on to the end of the game and we all know what happens next. The main reason i pose the question is how everything had to work perfectly for that final goal to be scored. First of all the pass, a couple inches higher and Wambach cant get to it, a couple inches lower and the goalie knocks it away. The game also went only for only about a minute after the goal it was a last ditch effort, that worked out. It also was a revenge game for the US, Brazil knocked them out in the 2007 world cup.

Its hard to compare this game to other great finishes in sports and of course this one will stick out more because it just happened. Whether or not you think it was an all time great finish you can guarantee that tomorrows game might be one of the highest rated sporting events in recent memory.