Loud Music Highlight and Low-light of the Month

In the span of 24 hours, I witnessed two opposite ends of the music spectrum.  While in downtown Greensboro after a night of trivia, I heard an SUV bumping "N*ggas in Paris" ...and it was awesome.  However, the next day while at work in Hillsborough, I heard from across a busy street someone blasting Nickelback with her windows down.

It's really sad that our society has millions of Nickelback fans. I must ask,  "How the hell did we wind up like this?"

September Sports Look-Alike of the Month

With the first month of the NFL season in the books, here is a starter to my sports look-alikes of the month

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=

Not pictured:  Cam as Rob Ryan

As a side note, when watching the "Modern Family" premier last week, I thought to myself that Gloria (played by Sofia Vergara) was the hottest TV show character I've seen riding a horse since Melody from "Hey Dude."

Week 3 Predictions

Last week was a solid one for straight up bets, going 13-3 in that regard.  As for spreads, I went 10-6.  For the year, that makes me 24-8 on straight up bets and 19-13 against the spread.

On to Week 3...


Patriots (-8.5) over BILLS --  NE 38-27

49ers (+2.5) over BENGALS -- CIN 14-13

BROWNS (-2.5) over Dolphins -- CLE 17-14

TITANS (-6.5) over Broncos -- TEN 24-13

Lions (-3.5) over VIKINGS -- DET 24-20

SAINTS (-3.5) over Texans -- NO 27-21

EAGLES (-7.5) over Giants -- PHI 20-10

PANTHERS (-3.5) over Jaguars -- CAR 17-13

RAIDERS (+3.5) over Jets --- NYJ 17-16

Ravens (-4.5) over RAMS -- BAL 23-14

Chiefs (+14.5) over CHARGERS -- SD 27-14

BEARS (+3.5) over Packers -- GB 20-17

SEAHAWKS (+3.5) over Cardinals -- SEA 16-10

BUCS (+1.5) over Falcons -- TB 31-28

Steelers (+10.5) over COLTS -- PIT 20-7

Redskins (+6.5) over COWBOYS -- DAL 24-21

Week 2 Predictions

Last week I was 11-5 on the straight up and 9-7 against the spread.  Let's see how this week fares...

REDSKINS (-3.5) over Cards -- WAS 21-17

JETS (-10.5) over Jags -- NYJ 17-6

SAINTS (-6.5) over Bears -- NO 27-17

Bucs (+2.5) over VIKINGS -- TB 17-13

Packers (-10.5) over PANTHERS -- GB 28-10

Raiders (+3.5) over BILLS -- OAK 20-17

TITANS (+5.5) over Ravens -- BAL 17-16

Browns (+2.5) over COLTS -- CLE 19-17

Chiefs (+8.5) over LIONS -- DET 24-16

STEELERS (-14.5) over Seahawks -- PIT 24-3

Cowboys (-3.5) over 49ERS -- DAL 20-10

Texans (-2.5) over DOLPHINS -- HOU 23-20

Chargers (+5.5) over PATRIOTS -- NE 28-24

Bengals (+5.5) over BRONCOS -- DEN 14-10

FALCONS (+3) over Eagles -- ATL 27-24

RAMS (+6.5) over Giants -- STL 20-17


Easy money:  Tampa Bay, Washington, Pittsburgh
Toughest picks: Tennessee, Cleveland, Cincinnati

Week 1 Predictions

I'm going to keep track of how these predictions hold up against the spread as well as straight up.  Due to lack of computer availability, here are Week 1's belated picks.  Week 2 picks will follow this shortly...


Saints (+4.5) over PACKERS - GB 27-24

BROWNS (-6.5) over Bengals - CLE 17-6

Lions (+2.5) over BUCS - DET 24-21

CHIEFS (-6.5) over Bills - KC 17-10

Falcons (-2.5) over BEARS - ATL 17-13

Eagles (-4.5) over RAMS - PHI 24-14

Steelers (+2.5) over RAVENS - PIT 16-13

TEXANS (-1.5) over Colts - HOU 20-10

Titans (+2.5) over JAGS - TEN 16-10

CARDS (-6.5) over Panthers - ARI 17-6

49ERS (-6.5) over Seahawks - SF 13-3

REDSKINS (+2.5) over Giants - WAS 20-16

CHARGERS (-8.5) over Vikings - SD 24-6

JETS (-4.5) over Cowboys - NYJ 20-14

Patriots (-6.5) over DOLPHINS - NE 24-14

Raiders (+2.5) over BRONCOS - OAK 23-16

NFL Season Predictions

Before it gets too late, here are some notes and predictions I jotted down before Week 1's games.



AFC East


NY Jets   12-4
*Patriots  12-4
Bills          5-11
Dolphins   4-12

Notes:  Before the season, Rex Ryan issued a challenge to the rest of the league if they were tough enough to beat the Patriots, who steamrolled through the regular season last year.  Expect one of the league's top rivalries to continue with the division winner being whoever sweeps through the Bills and Dolphins...The Bills still have a ways to go before being a legitimate contender, but there is hope going forward into 2012...The Dolphins are slowly becoming a laughingstock and a near shoe-in top 5 pick for the 2012 Andrew Luck Sweepstakes.  Between a lame duck head coach, a lame duck quarterback, and a front office committing blunder after blunder, this season reeks of turmoil.




AFC North


Steelers   12-4
*Ravens  11-5
Browns    6-10
Bengals    3-13

Notes:  With 8 games against a weakened AFC South and a dreadful NFC West, a first round bye seems easily attainable for Pittsburgh, who remains a cut above Baltimore...The Ravens are surely a talented team with one of the league's top Front Sevens and the ability to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.  I'm still not sold on Joe Flacco against elite defenses in the playoffs...Colt McCoy flew through the preseason, but I don't buy him as the longterm answer.  The dearth of weapons surrounding him and a mediocre defense does not help either...I for one thought Carson Palmer's abilities were dwindling by the second the past three years, but his situation was poorly handled to say the least.  To say the least, this team is going to struggle this year.




AFC South


Texans   11-5
Titans      8-8
Colts       6-10
Jaguars    5-11

Notes:  To say this division is gift-wrapped for the Texans might be the understatement of the year.  Nobody denies the talent on this team, but for whatever reason Houston could not make the leap year after year.  I would be hardly surprised if the defense finishes in the top 15, and the only thing preventing a division title is Gary Kubiak...Tennessee is tough team to get a read on this year.  Having a new head coach and offensive system during a locked out offseason is difficult, but Matt Hasselbeck, while on his last legs, gives the team some much needed competence that Kerry Collins could not provide the past two seasons....Speaking of Collins, with the Swiss cheese line in front of him in Indianapolis, the statuesque QB is going to fall harder than Humpty Dumpty this year.  The trickle down effect Peyton Manning's absence has on the team rivals the trickle down effect of Reaganomics.  Nobody else hides a team's weaknesses better than #18...Any team putting their hopes behind Luke McCown is not seriously competing for the upcoming season.  Consider this year a rebuilding one with its eyes on building a team around 2011 1st round pick Blaine Gabbert.




AFC West


Chargers   12-4
Chiefs         8-8
Raiders       7-9
Broncos     4-12

Notes:  Much like the Incredible Hulk, nobody wants to see Philip Rivers when he is angry.  He and the rest of the Chargers are out for blood after surprisingly missing the playoffs last year.  The division will be wrapped up shortly after Thanksgiving...Kansas City has to be the 2011 playoff team least likely to return to the playoffs.  I'll eat my hat if Matt Cassel comes anywhere near to his 2010 numbers.  Expect a step back against a tougher schedule...Losing Nnamdi Asomugha certainly hurts, but Oakland is far from the joke it was from 2004-2009.  The team's level of discipline will determine if it wins as low as six games or as high as nine or ten...The biggest question in Denver is if and when Tim Tebow takes over the reins.  With an extremely soft Front Seven, Kyle Orton will do his thing and rack up garbage statistics while his team continuously plays from behind.




NFC East


Eagles      11-5
Cowboys  9-7
Redskins   7-9
Giants       6-10

Notes:  During August, no team was hyped up more than the Eagles, and yet I still do not consider them more talented than Green Bay or New Orleans.  I expect them to win the division, but between a shoddy linebacking corps and an overrated offensive line, the division won't come as easy as hoped...Is any team a bigger mystery than the Cowboys?  Nobody doubts Dallas's talent, but this isn't college football; there is more to winning football games than simply being more talented than the other team...The hate piled on the Redskins this offseason got to be a little ridiculous.  I was a giant fan of their defensive acquisitions and picks in April's draft.  I don't know if they'll be able to hang around late in the season, but there is definitely reason for optimism in Washington...I'll bet my life savings that Tom Coughlin is not the coach in 2012.  Things will spiral out of control pretty quickly for the Giants and this will chalk up as a lost season.




NFC North


Packers   13-3
*Lions     10-6
Bears        8-8
Vikings     5-11

Notes:  Green Bay is going to quickly pick up where they left off last year.  Talented, deep, balanced, and well-coached, this is the best team in the NFL...Detroit will be this year's surprise team.  When healthy, Matthew Stafford will prove to be the best QB drafted in the last five years.  They are ready to take the next step...I usually tend to undersell Chicago, but I find it difficult to see them going back to the playoffs this year.  Teams change drastically over time, but something should be said about the fact that the Bears have only strung together one set of back-to-back winning seasons in the past twenty years...No team has a larger discrepancy between perception and actual ability than the Vikings.  The only thing saving this team is if it invents a time machine to 2008 for all of its players. Doc Brown eagerly awaits.




NFC South


Saints       13-3
*Falcons  11-5
Bucs          8-8
Panthers    5-11

Notes:  I was a big fan of the Saints's offseason pickups of Aubrayo Franklin, Shaun Rogers, and rookie Cameron Jordan.  The defense is far from elite, but for a high scoring offense, the defense complements it pretty well. Expect a bounce-back year for Brees and Co....Atlanta is a team slowly transitioning into a passing offense, so it will be interesting to see if they struggle with their identity from time to time.  I worry about the defense come playoff time, but they are stable enough to at worst win a wild card berth...Tampa Bay has been a popular playoff pick this season, but I'm not buying it.  2010 was certainly a pleasant surprise, but I question Josh Freeman's surrounding talent, most notably LeGarrette Blount, as well as the lack of experience on defense.  As promising as Freeman's progress has been, I cannot see him keeping up with New Orleans and Atlanta in a shootout...I was more than happy to see Ron Rivera name Cam Newton as his QB, who will have his struggles at times but also prove that he is the longterm answer.  However, Rivera has his work cut out for him on the defensive side of the ball.  The offensive line is dangerously thin, and an extended loss of Jordan Gross, Ryan Kalil, or fragile Jeff Otah would prove to be indispensable.




NFC West


Rams        9-7
Cardinals  7-9
49ers        5-11
Seahawks 3-13

Notes: The biggest question for this division this year is if the champion will have a winning record.  It won't be pretty, but I think the Rams will take care of business...Acquiring Kevin Kolb was music to Larry Fitzgerald's ears.  They are definitely capable of winning the division, but I question the defense and offensive line to consistently hold up...Even with the presence of head coach and former NFL QB Jim Harbaugh, Alex Smith is a total lost cause.  Hesitant in the pocket, inaccurate, and unwilling to throw down the field will prove to be his pitfalls yet again.  Harbaugh cannot wait to groom a new QB...Last year was a pleasant surprise for Seattle, but they are still in the middle of rebuilding.  This year could be ugly, even though I like the team's prospects in future years.




Playoffs


Wild Card Round:  Jets over Ravens; Patriots over Texans; Eagles over Lions; Falcons over Rams

Divisional Round:  Jets over Chargers; Patriots over Steelers; Saints over Eagles; Packers over Falcons

Conference Championship:  Jets over Patriots; Saints over Packers

Super Bowl XLVI:  Saints over Jets


Awards


MVP:  Philip Rivers
Defensive MVP:  Clay Matthews
Coach of the Year:  Jim Schwartz
Comeback Player of the Year:  Elvis Dumervil
Offensive Rookie of the Year:  Mark Ingram
Defensive Rookie of the Year:  JJ Watt

Why We'll See a New NFL Agreement by Independence Day

As baseball hits its summer doldrums, all sports eyes are fixated on the NBA Finals.  When we wake up Monday (or Wednesday) morning, a new NBA Champion will be crowned.  Whether the story is Dirk Nowitzki getting redemption five years later or the Big Three defying its doubters, it will be sure to dominate the airwaves for the week.  However, when the confetti in Dallas or Miami settles, all the attention will shift to the NFL Lockout and whether or not a season will be salvaged.

June 20th, the following Monday after the NBA Finals, will mark the 100th day of the NFL Lockout.  This infamous milestone will surely be harped on by our vast media outlets, as the season will be less than three months away and there is still so much uncertainty with OTAs, Minicamps, Free Agency, Training Camp, Preseason, and ultimately the Regular Season.  The general consensus is that a new Collective Bargaining Agreement must be made by roughly July 15th to ensure a (somewhat) normal procession of events.  If not, the NFL and NFLPA's coffers will start to shrink; according to NFL Network's Albert Breer, the loss of one Preseason game would equate to approximately $350MM and the loss of the entire Preseason will mean roughly $1B less to share.

At this point, however, optimism is growing.  Anyone who believes that there will not be an NFL season or that the season will be shortened is either misinformed or simply grabbing for ratings, or both like local sports radio station 99.9 The Fan.  The following is why we'll see a new CBA by the time Joey Chestnut terrorizes the Nathan's in Coney Island:

1) No public mudslinging - When the lockout first began, shots were fired from both sides, as recalcitrance elevated to new heights.  NFLPA leader DeMaurice Smith emphatically stated the NFL's lockout was illegal, while the NFL called the NFLPA's decertification as a union (in order to file an antitrust suit) a "sham."  Like in any heated settlement, both sides want to stick to their guns and not lose any leverage.

The tides have changed in recent weeks; instead of the NFLPA vehemently pursuing litigation, both sides have initiated talks on their own.  Part of it can be attributed to the NFLPA's realization that they cannot win outright in court.  The NFL always wanted to settle out of court and form an agreement that would last for years, but the NFLPA was going to take whatever means necessary to ensure the players do not get a bad deal.  While it is only a small step, productive talks in which both sides respect to each other is a vital beginning to framing a new CBA.

2) Talks are hush hush - As a brief aside, the CBA talks this year resemble last year's contract holdout by Darrelle Revis.  In the very beginning, both sides were feeding the media with heated shots.  After a while, both sides realized that hiding behind the media did no good for each other or for the fans.  Serious negotiations did not take place until both sides agreed to a "media freeze," that way talks could be private and nothing would be misconstrued by the public.  The next step of promising news on that front occurred when both sides agreed to issue a joint statement to the public.  It hadn't meant that an agreement was imminent, but  it showed that cooperation was growing.

The CBA talks this past week are eerily similar to those between the Jets and Revis camp in 2010.  On top of the "secret" meetings this week between several owners, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, DeMaurice Smith, and NFLPA player reps, Goodell and Smith reportedly met independently for dinner this past week on Long Island.  Not only that, but both sides are continually in talks, even when they are not meeting face-to-face.  While there hasn't been a "media freeze," both sides are committed to each other and are loath to feed into the media frenzy, hence the secret meetings.  Furthermore, the NFL and NFLPA took a page out of the Jets/Revis book this week by issuing a (predictably bland) joint statement.  While it may seem like nothing, it is a notable step of progress.  And all of this is occurring without the presence of lawyers, quite a leap from the persistence of litigation from the NFLPA's side up until June.

3) NBA Lockout will start June 30th - And you thought the NFL Lockout was ugly.  In a league where two-thirds of its teams struggle to break even, the NBA's impending lockout will also be a long, drawn out process, perhaps more grave than the NFL's. It's one that will commence the Thursday before Independence Day.

Can you imagine the PR nightmare of not one, but two high profile professional sports leagues being in an impasse?  Whether it is fair or not, fans across the country will gripe about millionaires and billionaires struggling to financially agree while the fans themselves are struggling just to afford season tickets.  The last thing both leagues want to see is having the fans turn a blind eye on them.  The NBA Lockout won't cause a new NFL CBA, but it could accelerate the process.

4) Nobody pisses away a $10B industry - If thirty-two owners were shrewd and intelligent enough to construct a league that would one day be worth $10B, there is no way in hell they would throw it all away.  This is not the NBA where most teams are struggling to make money; even the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills of the league are making money.

To take it a step further, those who say that the owners can afford a prolonged lockout are kidding themselves.  Do you think Jerry Jones, who constructed a $1B stadium in 2009, will be happy seeing his place only full three nights in 2011 for a few Keith Urban concerts and one Floyd Mayweather fight in which he is too much of a pansy to fight Pacquiao?  Do you think John Mara and Woody Johnson wanted the New Meadowlands to be used merely for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band?  In a league where roughly a half billion dollars is made each regular season week, everyone is a winner when games are played.


Nobody wins in a lockout.  Both sides know that.  So take a trip to South Carolina, buy some Black Cats and Roman Candles, and be ready to celebrate the looming 2011 NFL season this Fourth of July.