Karma Is Supposed to Be A …..

During the end of the 2005 baseball regular season the Chicago White Sox were in position to win the AL East. They had a four game lead over the second place Indians. Though mathematically possible, it was a long shot for the Indians to catch the Sox because they had to sweep all four games to win the division. The more important race was that the Indians could have gotten into the playoffs as a wildcard instead of the Boston Red Sox. All they had to do was split the series against the White Sox to get in. The Yankees and the Red Sox were locked in a battle along with Cleveland. Well, basically the Indians got swept and the Red Sox and Yankees both got in. Ozzie Guillen, on his trip to the mound to make a pitching change during the game his team eliminated the Indians from playoff contention, gave this disgraceful choking gesture. He thought it was funny. Even for Ozzie Guillen, this was a bad show of sportsmanship.

Turn the clock forward to 2008. The White Sox went into the final series of the season against Cleveland, with a chance to clinch the division. This time Cleveland won 3 out of 4 games, which led to the Sox having to play a makeup game (which they won) against the Tigers. Then they now have to play a makeup game against the Twins in a 1 game playoff for the division and the last playoff birth. Will karma finally strike Ozzie Guillen? It couldn’t happen to a more deserving person, if it does. He is a disgrace to the sport of baseball and unless you are a White Sox fan you probably dislike (I’m being as nice as I can) him like I do. There isn’t a team in baseball I despise more than the Chicago White Sox. So even though my Indians are missing the post season, I am hoping to take pleasure in Ozzie Guillen’s misery. I will take pleasure knowing that the Indians had a hand in their ejection from the playoffs. Tonight I am a Twins fan.

Say goodbye to these NFL coaches

Marvin Lewis-
Marvin Lewis may be looking for a new job by year’s end. This team is in the 3rd consecutive year of a downturn. This once promising offense led by Carson Palmer is below average. The defensive minded Lewis leads a defense to the field who is usually on the ESPN highlights….for the other team’s offense. He has a receiver making more headlines than the team itself. And speaking of Ocho Cinco, please change your name back to Chad Johnson. I liked to watch that guy better. This Ocho Cino person is terrible. After 3 weeks, Ocho Cinco has 8 receptions for 88 yards. Chad Johnson used to beat those numbers by halftime of one game. This team is known for keeping the justice system in Cincinnati in business. All those things equals a need for change with this team. Carson Palmer’s prime years are going to waste.

Herman Edwards-
Herman Edwards and that whole KC organization should be embarrassed. To get blown out this week by a Falcons team who is at the beginning stages of a rebuilding a process, a year after the Michael Vick fiasco, is just plain embarrassing. No other way to put it. Of course to get beat down by an Oakland team that is one of the top 3 worst teams in the league is equally as embarrassing. The offense is horrendous. How’s taking Glenn Dorsey with the 5th overall pick working for you Herm? Remember what I wrote about Glenn Dorsey before the draft? Taking a DT that high in the draft just doesn’t make any sense in terms of smart football. Looking at KC makes me proud to be a Dolphins fan. That’s how bad it is in KC. They need to reboot the system.

Matt Millen-
Ok so he’s the GM of the Lions and not the head coach. I actually think that Marinelli is a pretty decent coach. It won’t matter because Matt Millen is the GM that has no clue on what it takes to put a roster together. To be fair, I agreed on all three of the WRs that Millen took in the first round, starting with Roy Williams, Mike Williams, and Calvin Johnson. Yes Mike Williams was a bust, but Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson are two very good receivers worthy of their draft status. That’s not the problem. It’s the rest of the draft and FA moves that make Millen a true executive retard. With those horrible credentials he may be qualified to run for the white house. It’s not easy being that bad. I mean he’s Isiah Thomas bad.

Lane Kiffin-
He’s only on this list because the reports are swarming that he’s about to get fired. I think Kiffin is a good coach but I think he would be better suited for the college game. He will make an excellent college coach. We’ll see if he ends up in college. The real person that should go is Al Davis. Too bad you can’t fire an owner. I think Kiffin can’t wait to be fired so he can move on. He certainly isn’t quitting and walking away from the millions that is owed to him. Al Davis is trying to play chicken so he doesn’t have to pay him and Kiffin isn’t budging.

Scott Linehan-
This one is easy. Linehan is a proven offensive coordinator but he’s been so bad at everything head coach related that it’s time for St. Lois to cut their losses, and yes I mean that literally. He has been as bit of a bad head coach as Cam Cameron was with the Dolphins. That team has taken a step back every year since he’s been there. How do you turn a Pro Bowl QB into a clip board holder? Linehan has managed to do it with Marc Bulger. Heck Marvin Lewis didn’t screw up this bad with Carson Palmer.

2-0 Doesn’t Mean Squat

In the NFL, a 2-0 start doesn’t mean anything. Excluding the Dolphins, any team can start off with victories in their first two games. There isn’t a sport out there that changes so much from week to week. Small sample: Detroit Lions started off 2-0 last year. Does anyone remember anything about that team? No, because they were pretty bad from then on. They finished the rest of the season 5-9, ending at 7-9.
On the flip side it also doesn’t mean anything for a team to start 0-2. Last year, the Super Bowl winning Giants started off 0-2. Point is, teams can go on a roll. They can go on a downward roll or an upward roll. I’m going to dissect each end of the spectrum by going over the 2-0s and the 0-2s that matter.

The 2-0s:

Dallas Cowboys- Beat Cleveland and Philadelphia.
The Cowboys are very good, as you all know. The only question this team has is on defense. The offense is too good for the defense to matter on most weeks. I would be shocked if this team lost more than 3 games this season. I expect Dallas to keep it going and end up with the best record in the NFL. The REAL DEAL.

NY Giants- Beat Washington and St. Lois.
The defending Super Bowl champs are off to a good start. Looking at their schedule, they should have no problems starting the season 6-0. Their first real test will be at Pittsburgh in week 8. From there, they’ll have to play several tough teams in consecutive weeks. Dallas, Philadelphia, and Baltimore (Baltimore is good this year. Record won’t be all that great but they have a good football team). Going 1-3 during that stretch is a real possibility. THE REAL DEAL.

Green Bay Packers- Beat Minnesota and Detroit.
Let’s hold off on the crowning of Aaron Rodgers as a great QB. I think he’s a good QB but this team has deficiencies and Rogers has yet to face a good pass defense. I still think this team is an 8-8 or 9-7 team. This team will only make the playoffs by default. They play in a bad division. I still think there is a chance the Vikings can overtake them. Dennis Green comes to mind when talking about this team. At season’s end we’ll all be saying, “THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!” FAKES.

Carolina Panthers- Beat San Diego and Chicago.
Carolina beat San Diego on the last play of the game and then beat Chicago in a similar fourth quarter comeback. Let’s give credit where credit is due, which is they hung in there and won the games w/o their best WR (Steve Smith). Reality is reality though. The Saints are the best team in this division. And Carolina has always been a streaky team. They will sputter to the finish line after their good start. Even if they make the playoffs, they will not get very far. FAKES.

Arizona Cardinals- Beat San Francisco and Miami.
Not a great resume of victories there. If there were to be a Div II in the NFL, the Dolphins would fit the bill. Beating San Francisco doesn’t give you any bragging rights either. However, this team has some real players. The offense, as long as Kurt Warner remains healthy, is dangerous and will be among the top 5 of the NFL this year. It’s just asking a lot to expect Warner to stay healthy.The defense shows flashes of being good. And this division is quite possibly the worst in the NFL. This team could be playoff bound with an unimpressive record but they will be a dangerous opponent. THE REAL DEAL.

New England Patriots- Beat Kansas City and NY Jets.
Let’s be real here. This team lost Tom Brady. They have played a really bad KC team and a mediocre NY Jets team. This week they play Div II Miami. At 3-0 they will look good. It won’t last. They will lose at least 6 games this year. Matt Cassel may be a capable player as long as things are going well. However, when he will need to put the team on his shoulders to carry them to victory they will realize just how weak they are w/o Tom Brady. The Patriots are about to see why the Vikings and the Raiders traded Moss to begin with. No QB = No point in playing hard every play. The snowball hasn’t started downhill yet but it will. FAKES.

Pittsburgh Steelers- Beat Houston and Cleveland.
W/o Brady playing in New England, suddenly the Steelers are becoming a lot of people’s AFC pick for the Super Bowl. The picks are not unwarranted. The Steelers have a legitimate chance here. They are as good as any team in the AFC right now. The next 3 weeks will give is a true test of how good this team can be with games against Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Jacksonville on the horizon. There isn’t a doubt this is a playoff team. The only question is how will they play come playoff time? THE REAL DEAL.

Tennessee Titans- Beat Jacksonville and Cincinnati.
Beating the Jags is something to brag about but beating the Bungals, not so much. The Titans never really dominate record wise but they have a great defense and a good enough offense. Vince Young is on the “Nut Case” list and unable to go. Kerry Collins doesn’t exactly say Super Bowl QB either. But, this team is built around defense and a great running game. It doesn’t really matter who the QB is as long as it’s not Joey Harrington. Chris Johnson and LenDale White are what this offense is built around. If Collins can make a few first downs with his arm, this team will climb up everyone’s radar very soon. It won’t be pretty but as long as DE Albert Haynesworth is healthy, this team will compete every week. THE REAL DEAL.

Denver Broncos- Beat Oakland and *San Diego.
Notice the asterisk by SD. A win is a win because it counts in the standings as a win. But, this team needed a miracle at home to beat the only team that matters in this division. Denver is not as good as the record says. Their offense looks good but that defense looks very shaky. I’m not a believer and think Denver will end up 2nd in the AFC West. If they get in the playoffs (queue the Jim Mora tape, “Playoffs!?....Playoffs??!!) they won’t get far. FAKES.



Now the 0-2 teams that matter……

The Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings have a pretty good team despite their 0-2 record. I think the QB change will do them some good and as long as Adrian Peterson remains on the field healthy, this team can beat the Packers for the NFC North title. I think the 0-2 start vs the 2-0 start by the Packers may be hard to overcome but this team will make a run at it. It wouldn’t surprise me to see the Vikings in the playoffs in place of those Packers.

The San Diego Chargers.
I think they will bounce back and still win the AFC West ahead of the Denver Broncos despite starting off 0-2. Yes it hurts to lose Shawne Merriman. But this team can still outscore people. And they have a good enough defense to compete. I don’t like Philip Rivers personally, but he’s tough and a good NFL QB. LT is still one of the best RBs in the league, when healthy. Even if he’s not, this team has capable backups. Sproles is as good as Devin Hester on special teams and certainly can fill in for LT if needed. Point is there is too much talent on this roster for them not to bounce back and I expect them to.

I'm Back!

Well it’s been a long while since I posted. It took football season to get here to get me fired up again to write. Life’s been busy over the past few months but I’m back. I have lots to talk about so let’s get to it. I’m going to do some good old fashioned bullet points to talk about everything since it will be random stuff to get the ball rolling again. I’ve also separated the topics so everyone can post separately on the sport. Also, just a reminder, my first post of 2009 will be a review of all my predictions that I’ve made on this blog during 2008. Feel free to go back to some of my older posts to refresh your memory. Today’s posts are just to get things rolling.
First Topic: College Football
-USC, as usual, looks like they are in a class by themselves. However, they generally have a game that has you scratching your head at some point during the season. This year will be no different. One of these games USC will play down to an inferior opponent and struggle. This year I expect them to win that game though. Mark Sanchez is an impressive looking QB. He’s definitely an NFL first rounder in my book. He’s got a great arm, great poise, and very accurate. He has all of Matt Leinart’s strengths and none of his weaknesses.

-I’ve never been impressed with this Georgia team. They got too much credit for beating a smaller less talented Hawaii team last year in the Sugar Bowl. Don’t get me wrong. This team is an elite team in the SEC. I just don’t believe they are the 3rd best team in the country. They will get a chance to prove themselves with bouts against Alabama, Tennessee, LSU, and Florida. That’s a tough schedule. I’ll be a believer if they get through that. SEC is argued to be the best conference every year but I don’t think it’s an argument this year. The SEC is the best and it’s not even close. Man that was hard to say out loud.

MLB

-The Tampa Rays and the Boston Red Sox are battling it out for the American League East. Going into today (September 18th) the Rays have a 2 game lead over the BoSox. I said at the beginning of the year on this blog that I picked Boston to win the World Series against the Mets so I guess I’ll stick to that. Manny leaving town was not expected but I won’t make excuses. The BoSox still have a great team and don’t feel pressure. We’ll see what happens in the playoffs.

-And speaking of those Mets, and my pick for the National League representatives, they are in a even tighter race for the playoffs. Going into today they are locked in a big time pennant race with the Phillies and half a game back in the standings. They are also a half a game ahead of the Brewers for the wild card. It’s going to be a crazy week and a half finish to the season. I’m not sure it matters all that much because I think the road to the World Series will go through the Chicago Cubs. Again, I picked the Mets so I will stick by the pick.

-To speak about the Cubs more, they have no weaknesses (well if you include the curse they have 1). Their top 3 pitchers can matchup against anyone’s top 3. Harden, Zambrano, and Dempster are big power arms that can shut down any lineup. The bullpen? Tops in the league. Samardzija, Marmol, and Wood are the best COMBINED trio of relief pitchers in the league.

NFL

-Though not on this blog, I picked the Titans and the Cowboys to play in the Super Bowl this year. The Titans were a random pick that I just had a feeling about and the Cowboys a more obvious pick. After the first 2 weeks of the season I still feel confident with those picks.
-What is up with Vince Young? I don’t believe that he was suicidal, like some of the reports. I do believe that he did have a meltdown though. What is up with these mental cases that come from the University of Texas? Ricky Williams, Cedric Benson, and now Vince Young. Let’s not forget about Roy Williams and some of the crazy things he’s said while being a member of the Detroit Lions. What the heck is Mack Brown doing to these kids? Watch out Denver Broncos. Former Texas RB Selvin Young is next to do something crazy. You heard it here first…..Geez.

-Speaking of the Broncos. That call by Ref Ed Hercules was just awful. At least he admitted that it was awful. That allowed the Broncos to get a win they didn’t deserve against the Chargers. Making matters worse, it made Mike Shanahan look good by going for two to win the game. You know, no one in the NFL has better job security than Mike Shanahan (Bill Bellicheat but that’s it). Any other coach wouldn’t be able to make the call to try this. Fail and you are certain to lose your job at season’s end, if not before. Shanahan has the luxury of going with his gut because if he’s wrong he still has a job no matter what. Other coaches have to play it safe.