Playoffs?! Playoffs?! Don’t Talk to me about Playoffs! Playoffs already?!?! (NFC edition)

When it comes to the NFC side of the playoffs I really wish none of these match-ups were happening. Eagles vs. Packers is a matchup I’d much rather see in later rounds as both teams have the potential to go deep in the playoffs. On the other hand, Saints vs. Seahawks features the first sub .500 team in the playoffs and I really wish that wasn’t happening, especially since they happen to be playing the defending Superbowl champs. Anyway, here’s the breakdown of these games:

New Orleans Saints vs. Seattle Seahawks

Usually I break down the individual matchups but I’m going to save time here: there’s no way the Seahawks beat the Saints. Despite the facts that the Saints are not as strong a teams as they were last year, they should be able to easily defeat a team that is ranked 28th offensively and 27th defensively. In fact, a quick Google search of the matchup reveals that the only reason people think that Seattle could win this game is because the last Superbowl winners to win a playoff game were the 2005 Patriots.

My Prediction: The Saints take this one and talks of a repeat title will begin. Final Score: 35-7.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Offense vs. Philadelphia Defense

Most people expect this game to be an offensive showdown and for once I’m inclined to agree. The Packers offense has been clicking despite the fact that they lack a quality running game. While their passing game is led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers and is ranked 5th in league, their running game is ranked 24th in the league and alternates between competent and dreadful. The Eagles defense is filled with a bunch of no names yet have managed to stay competent. Can their defense oppose a high powered offensive team? That question is yet to be determined. Their defense is ranked 15th against the run and 14th against the pass with their defense being ranked 12th overall. Basically this matchup will come down to two squads that can either play great or dreadful. If Aaron Rodgers and Greg Jenning hit their stride and the running game is competent, the Packers could win this matchup. However if the Eagles defense steps up and makes the Packers work for their points, similar to how Chicago played last week, the Eagles could win this matchup. Because of these facts I’m calling this a tie.

Philadelphia Offense vs. Green Bay Defense

Michael Vick got his first significant playing time almost leading the Eagles to a comeback victory over the Packers after starting QB Kevin Kolb was knocked out of the game. Since that time Michael Vick has been up for MVP, DeSean Jackson has been phenomenal and Jeremy Maclin has been deadly all year. In addition LeSean McCoy has been explosive all season and can be tough for a defense to contain if they forget to plan for him. It’ll be interesting to watch the league’s #2 offense go up against the #5 defense. The Packers D has been great led by Clay Matthews. Add in BJ Raiji, AJ Hawk, and Charles Woodson and it’s a matchup that any football fan would love. The real difference could be momentum. The Packers have won their last two games to get into the playoffs. In addition they almost beat the Patriots without Aaron Rodgers. Meanwhile the Eagles have lost their last two games and rumors have surfaced that Vick could be benched because he can’t recognize the blitz. Despite this I think the Eagles offense will click again in the playoffs and the Eagles offense will win this matchup.

My Prediction: This will be a close game but Vick will hit his stride and the Eagles will win in a close one. Final Score: 35-31

Playoffs?! Playoffs?! Don’t Talk to me about Playoffs! Playoffs already?!?! (AFC edition)

Guess what people? This Sunday marked the last week of the regular NFL season. With that the playoffs are now finalized and the predictions can begin! On the AFC side we have an intriguing matchup in the Chiefs vs. Ravens game and a rematch of last year’s AFC championship game in the Jets vs. Colts game. Here’s my breakdown and predictions for the two games:

New York Jets vs. Indianapolis Colts

Colts Offense vs. Jets Defense

In a way I could have written the same post in this section without finding out if the Colts were playing the Ravens or the Jets. Because Rex Ryan was the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens before becoming the head coach of the New York Jets, both teams play a similar style of defense. The personnel might be different but the schemes are the same. That’s good news if you’re a Colts fan because Manning has been able to pick apart these defenses with inhuman precision in the past. Despite this it’s still going to be an intriguing matchup and there are still a few questions whose answers will likely decide the game. Will Manning still be able to operate with so many weapons missing? We know he can beat teams like the Jaguars, Raiders, and Titans but can he keep in form against a defense like the Jets with so many key people missing? Will Rex Ryan change things on defense? Let’s face it unless you constantly mix things up against the Colts, Manning will find the mismatches and burn your defense. The answers to these questions will decide the game but for now I’m giving the advantage to the Colts.

Jets Offense vs. Colts Defense

This is a tough matchup to predict, especially because the winner of this matchup will most likely win the game. For all the talk about Mark Sanchez and the Jets passing game, their running game is where their real strength lies and so it comes down to the same factor that the Colts Defense always seems to face: If the Colts stop the run they’ll likely win the game, if they don’t they won’t. Simple as that. That’s not to say that the Jets passing game is not dangerous, it’s just that they’re ranked 22nd in the league while the Colts are ranked 13th in pass defense. Most of this is because of the pressure that ProBowlers Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis bring on the outside that forces opposing quarterbacks into hurrying their throws and making mistakes. If they can rattle Mark Sanchez the Colts should be able to effectively shut down the Jets’ inconsistent passing attack. With a matchup this close, I’ll call it a tie. Either team could pull this one out. I am saying that whoever wins this matchup wins the game.

My Prediction: I say the Colts win this in a nailbiter. Final score: 27-24

Baltimore Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Baltimore Offense vs. Kansas City Defense

Does anyone know a player on the Kansas City Defense? I honestly had to go look at their roster before breaking down this matchup! This matchup is more a matter of both teams making sure they play solid consistent ball. The Chiefs feature a solid but average defense, they’re ranked 14th in the NFL. The Ravens offense on the other hand is ranked 22nd. They have a good running game led by Ray Rice, but their passing game has been a disappointment. Don’t count them out though, they can still make a big play in the air. In this matchup I give the advantage to the Ravens, but just slightly. While they statistically have a worse offense than the Chiefs’ defense, I think their experience in the playoffs will allow them to win this matchup.

Kansas City Offense vs. Baltimore Defense

This matchup is the one that everyone will want to see. The Chiefs have the #1 rushing attack in the league, led by Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles. Their passing game is their big weakness, they have one of the worst passing games in the league. However, like the Ravens, you can’t count these guys out. They still have Pro Bowl receiver Dwayne Bowe in addition to receiver Chris Chambers and the inconsistent yet capable Matt Cassel. Facing this offense will be a defense that needs no introduction, the Baltimore Ravens usually have one of, if not the, best defenses in the league. With four Pro Bowlers, including Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, and Ed Reed, the Ravens defense is always a tough matchup. Surprisingly they matchup with the Chiefs in an alarming fashion: Their defense is the 5th best run defense while being one of the worst pass defenses in the league. This matchup will be close and will be interesting to watch. I think that despite the Chiefs excellent offense, the Ravens D will end up winning this matchup.

My Prediction: This is a hard prediction for me but I think the Ravens end up winning this game. Final Score: 21-17

2010 (A Year in Review): Sports

For some reason, every year sports are different and yet every year they stay the same. Brady and the Pats are still rocking the football world, Peyton and the Colts are still eyeing a Super Bowl, Kobe and the Lakers are still talking smack about the rest of the NBA, and Jeter and the Yankees still looking solid. Yet 2010 also saw some big changes. We witnessed LeBron James take his talents to South Beach, we saw Brett Favre play what could be his last game in the NFL, we witnessed the demise of Tiger Woods, the return of Michael Vick, the Cam Newton scandal and more.

As for the results of my poll, either I’ve got a lot of Colts fans or Peyton Manning had a stellar year. In 2010 we saw Peyton Manning lead the Colts to the Super Bowl while also coming very close to having a perfect regular season. Then we saw the Colts fall behind in their division due to many key injuries. Yet Manning steered his team to a position where the Colts can still clinch the division. While I certainly agree that Manning had a great year, my pick would have gone to either Manning or Michael Vick. Now before you start protesting, hear me out. Vick made some bad decisions. His dog fighting ring was a horrible crime and whether he’s sorry for it or not is up to debate. However I don’t think that Vick should be in jail or executed as some people have suggested. The fact is legally he’s paid his debt to society. Should he have been charged with more than what he was? Perhaps. The fact is that we’ll never get the chance to re-sentence him and even if we stuck him in jail for life, no one can force someone else to be sorry for their actions. With that said, the Michael Vick we’ve seen this season has been a much better player and person and has at least shown a lot of on-field maturity that had not been there before. For that reason I’d give him my vote for favorite athlete of 2010.

LeBron James is this year’s Time’s Person of the Year?

Did you hear about this? LeBron James is a nominee for Time’s Person of the Year! Did you hear about this? (Ok enough of my lame Jay Leno impression.) Apparently infuriating an entire state is good enough to win you a nomination for Person of the Year. If he wins will the people of Ohio burn Time magazine along with their LeBron jerseys? Other finalists this year include President Barack Obama, Lady Gaga, Sarah Palin, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, Glenn Beck, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Mark Zuckerburg, the Chilean miners, the unemployed American, and Steve Jobs.

Personally I don’t agree with sports figures or celebrities winning person of the year unless they’ve really done something worthwhile. Can you tell me something that Lady Gaga of Lebron James has done that would make them the Person of the Year? Even Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are somewhat worthy just because of the sheer numbers of people who watch their show and the fact that many of these people go on to score well when it comes to knowledge and awareness of global and political issues. To LeBron’s credit he acknowledges that he isn’t worthy of the award. According to the AP, “That’s just crazy,” James said. “What those guys did, the courage and what they stood for, I should be nowhere near that list. Nowhere near it.” For once I agree whole heartedly with Mr. James.

So out of this list, who do you think should be Time’s Person of the Year? You can head over to Time’s website for a full list as well as vote for your choice. The voting has no effect on the outcome but LeBron is currently 22nd out of 25.

Welcome to… Randomness!

Unlike previous random news posts, this post will be small snippets of information and opinions that are too small to warrant a post of their own. So without further ado:

• The Oscars were last night and basically we can take this away: As long as your film features average acting and a realistic plot, you’ll win big. Avatar won for its visuals and art but besides that they were shut out. Up won best animated feature, which gives Pixar their second Oscar in a row.
• The Iron Man 2 trailer debuted and the only thing I can say is WOW! It looks like this film will be really big!
• Speaking of Iron Man, has anyone noticed that Marvel has a lot of red-headed girlfriends? I think Stan Lee must have liked red hair. There’s Mary Jane (Spider-Man’s gf), Jean Gray (Cyclops’ gf), the Black Widow, and Pepper Potts. (Both are in Iron Man) Of course you could also make the case that he liked blondes too. There’s Karen Page (Daredevil’s one time gf), Susan Storm (Mr. Fantastic’s wife), Gwen Stacy(Spider-Man’s first gf), and Agent 13 (Captain America’s gf).
• Rush Limbaugh’s New York Penthouse is on sale for $13.95 million. If you haven’t seen the pictures go take a look. I can’t tell whether it’s neat, wasteful, or just plain over the top.
• Yahoo news blog has a post about President Obama making the same mistakes as Bush.  It’s a good post that deserves a read. I only wonder, why is it that the last two presidents made the same mistakes?
• The Cincinnati Bengals are in talks with Terrell Owens. All I can say is that even if Ochocinco and Owens don’t produce results on the field, the off the field antics would be awesome!
• A new study has concluded that men become more accident prone in the presence of a beautiful woman. Basically a male’s testosterone levels go up which leads to a reduced sense of caution which in turn leads to more spectacular feats as well as more accidents. All of a sudden cheerleaders at sporting events make a lot more sense!(Note: Not that cheerleaders don’t keep spirits high, but in a huge college or professional stadium you can’t see them unless you’re on the field or on the bench)

Democrats vs. Republicans: Super Bowl Edition

You know how people say that the two parties can’t agree on anything? Well looks like that holds true once again. According to a new survey, a majority of Democrats support the Saints, while most Republicans support the Colts. The funny part? The governors of both states are not only Republican, but are also possible Presidential candidates. Does this mean anything? Not really, no. Still maybe it’s one more sign that bipartisanship in any area really is close to impossible.

Applause to…(My semi-regular weekly shoutouts)

So we now come to another edition of the weekly shoutout. If you want to nominate someone or something for a shout out, then just tell me in the comments.

So the first Random Blog Gold Dollar goes to…Kurt Warner! Kurt Warner announced his retirement Friday. The veteran QB led the St. Louis Rams to their only Super Bowl win. He retires holding the record for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd most yards in a Super Bowl. He started as a grocery bagger, then went to Super Bowl QB, then becoming labelled a has-been whose only role was to teach new quarterbacks the game, before reviving his career once more.Still he deserves the shout-out for walking away from a lot of money and giving his family the priority in his life. Some sports writers speculate that he will be back because “nothing fills the void” like football. I would disagree because Kurt Warner is also a fine Christian and I believe that he has many more years ahead.

Our 2nd Gold Dollar goes to…AT&T! (I know I said I wouldn’t feature corporations but here me out on this one) As most of you know, texting HAITI to 90999 results in a $10 donation to help the earthquake victims in Haiti. Well one AT&T employee decided to use the live display phones in the store to text the donation to Haiti. Essentially he donated to Haiti using AT&T’s money. It’s unclear whether AT&T will release the funds but if they do they will have earned their award!

Third, a Gold Dollar to the GOP. Again not a popular choice for me. To quote the President, “It was about as popular as a root canal.” Still I appreciate their invitation to the president to meet with them and to talk about issues that they agree and disagree with. While I doubt that this will produce results (I’m a skeptic at heart.) the gesture earns them an award.

Finally, a Gold Dollar to my readers! You guys are the only 2nd time winners so give yourselves a hand! Seriously this week was one of the most viewed weeks in this blog’s short history so I thank everyone for that! Cause really (besides from the relief at airing out my opinion) you guys are why I write this so, keep coming back and commenting!

Predictions, predictions, predictions: Super Bowl XLIV edition

So here we go, the last football game of this season! So without further ado, lets breakdown the matchup between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts.

Going in to this I have to say that the best way that each team can prepare is to just go ahead and play themselves. Both teams boast a high powered offense that spreads the ball around and is led by one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Both defenses are steady and dependable. New Orleans is definitely the more inspirational story, but as we all know, inspiration counts for very little in the Super Bowl.

Saints Offense vs. Colts Defense. The Saints offense is much like the Colts offense. Drew Brees is a master at spreading the ball and Sean Payton is a master playcaller. The Saints offense can be random, often times using multiple looks to confuse the defense. At the same time the Colts defense is different than most. Built on speed and blitzes, the Colts defense can be unstoppable at times.

Two key groups will have to perform well for their respective teams to win. The Saints offensive line will have to perform well against the Colts pass rush. While the Colts defense is good, they rely heavily on the ability of Dwight Freeny and Robert Mathis to provide pressure on the quarterback. If the Saints o-line can’t protect Drew Brees, it’s going to be a very long day for the Saints.

The other group are the Colts linebackers. Since the Saints are so good at spreading the ball out, the task will fall to the linebackers to limit the short throws underneath as well as stop the run. This is a vital part of the Saints offense. If the Colts force Brees to go upfield and look at the longer riskier throws, the Colts have a good shot at the title.

Colts Offense vs Saints Defense. Like the Saints, the Colts boast a great offense. Quarterback Peyton Manning is the key to Colts offense. Manning is a machine that prepares like few others. The key for the Saints will be confusing Manning and constantly adjusting their defense. The Colts will have to continue to do what they do. Again the best way the Saints can prepare will be to practice against their own offense. As the Jets found out, it’s not enough to shut down Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark. The Saints will need to find a way to stop all of Indy’s weapons without sacrificing their run defense. Joesph Addai and the rest of Indy’s running backs have shown that they can run when they have to. If Indy can establish all of their threats, the Colts will run away with the title.

So who do I think will win? I think this one will be interesting simply because neither team has faced another team exactly like them. Still I say the Colts win in an interesting and close game. I like the Saints but I don’t think they’ll be able to stop Peyton Manning. Plus with the experience the Colts have both in the Super Bowl and in close games, they have the close edge to win this game.

Hahaha! The teams that deserved to lose!

Now I’m not going to take this time to brag that I called both championship games exactly right even though I want to. (HAHAHA! I called them both exactly right!!!) Ok there! Now that that’s out of my system let me tell you why both the New York Jets and the Minnesota Vikings deserved to lose.

New York Jets. Yes they had an amazing Cinderella run. Still when you’re going up against the number one team in the league, the last thing you want to do is shoot your mouth off. Despite the fact that opposing kickers were 0-6 against them, and yes kickers are very important in playoff games, you had Rex Ryan saying they’d be “shocked” if they lost, Kerry Rhodes saying that Manning is easily flustered, and (although not a part of the Jets staff) Bengals Defensive coordinator was quoted in the NY Daily News as saying that “If the Colts are leading 12-9 in the fourth quarter they’re going to get frustrated.” Add that to the fact that some Jets players were arguing that they won the Dec. 27 match up fair and square, and you’re asking for trouble. The Jets are a good team, a little maturity could have gone a long way.

Minnesota Vikings: This one is a little harder to say that the team deserved it. So I’ll boil this down: Brett Farve and Brad Childress deserved to lose this game. I love Adrian Peterson, I think Sidney Rice will be a very good player, Percy Harvin is an absolute joy to watch, and I doubt you could find a defense that is better than the Vikings. However Brett Favre doesn’t deserve a shot at the Super Bowl for several reasons. 1. For his annoying drama queen like performances every off-season. 2. For his deliberate flaunting of NFL rules: he wanted to go to the Vikings so he was going, forget about everything else. 3. For his annoying ability to upstage a coach and take complete control of a team. 4. For almost making the team center around him.  5. For his insistence to try to be the hero (and as we saw in the game, that didn’t work so well.) 6. For his inability to see past the game of football and move on with his life. Another reason is the way that the media just swoons in his presence. He might be one of the best of our time but please, show some dignity media! Childress on the other hand deserves this loss for some minor reasons. 1. For his willingness to let Brett Favre run his team. For those of you who don’t remember, Favre refused to let himself be benched during a game where Favre was playing horribly! No coach should take that from a player yet Childress did. 2. For his groveling at the feet of Brett Favre. Again for those of you who have forgotten, Childress BEGGED Favre to come to the Vikings and gave up anything and everything that he could to make that a possibility.

Now I know that fans of these teams (and of Brett Favre, whose fan base is larger than that of many teams) will hate me for this, but argue with the facts and you’ll see that the deserving teams are in the Super Bowl. Now may the best team win!

Pro Bowl or Pro Boring?

For the first time the NFL Pro Bowl will be held at the same location as the Super Bowl and will be a week before the Super Bowl. Now the Pro Bowl suffers from a complete lack of interest in the game. Yes all the All-Stars playing together is cool, but it’s not that interesting as the game is not designed to be competitive and people understand that. However this move in just a disaster. See the Pro Bowl had a few things going for it and this move to generate interest has taken away everything that made the Pro Bowl worth watching.

The Pro Bowl was the last NFL game of the season as well as the last real sports game till March Madness. Let’s face it, part of the reason people watched it was because this was the end. The grand finale. Even if the game stunk it was still football for those who love the sport and it was still sports for those who love athletic competition. By eliminating this most of the reason to watch the Pro Bowl is lost.

It was the last chance to watch marquee players play for the fun of the game. In addition it was a chance to watch football in the unique Hawaiian atmosphere. Really watching the fun that the players were having was also part of the fun. The whole Hawaiian atmosphere made the game seem similar to a game of football in the backyard with your best friends. Now the only players there are those who are not injured (Say hello to Vince Young and Matt Schaub as Pro Bowl QBs!) and not in the Super Bowl. Not only that but it makes the value of being a Pro Bowler diminish.

All the great stories that came out of the event. Who’ll ever forget the stories about Peyton Manning and Bill Belichick talking about football for hours while trying their best to not give anything away about their teams? Or the stories about how Peyton Manning would try to get young defensive players drunk so that they would reveal things about their defense? Stories like this made the thing feel like a giant exclusive party. Now, with so many players missing the Pro Bowl, the same anticipation is non-existent. Basically the NFL replaced the party with a bland imitation.

So in the end this is a huge mistake. If it’s a one year experiment then ok, the result is that it failed. Besides there’s always the weather to consider. Sure a Pro Bowl in Miami is not too much different from Hawaii but what about 2012 when it will come to Indianapolis? You think the snow and the cold will make the game feel the same as Honolulu? I doubt it. If Roger Goodell knows what he’s doing, he’ll move the Pro Bowl back to Hawaii.