Friday, November 02, 2007

Friday 11/02 A.M. Quickie:
CFB/NFL Picks, Bonds, Torre, Hingis, More!

Today's Names to Know: Pats, Colts, Arizona State, Oregon, Barry Bonds, Joe Torre, Martina Hingis, Tracy McGrady, Tayshaun Prince, Kevin Durant, Grant Hill, Kobe Bryant, Andy Reid, Pro Football Talk and More!

Intro: This is a huge weekend in sports for marquee games: Friday, The NBA regular-season debut of the Celtics' "Big Three." Saturday, college football's Game of the Year, arguably. Sunday, the NFL Game of the Year. In today's Quickie post, we'll start with college football, hit the NFL preview, recap last night's NBA and then get into everything else you want/need/have to know for today, including Bonds' boycott, Torre's intro, Hingis' "retirement" and more...

CFB Preview and Picks: Arizona State at Oregon, in both foresight and hindsight, may turn out to be the Game of the Year in college football.

If Arizona State wins, they claim the biggest single win of the season by any contending team. They also deserve consideration as a Top 2 team.

If Oregon wins, they claim the biggest single win of the season by any contending team, to go along with wins over Michigan (more impressive now than then) and USC, with only that fumbled-away loss to Cal (looks worse now than then). They would arguably become the top one-loss team in the country and arguably deserve consideration as a Top 2 team.

(If the season ended today, Ohio State and BC would play for the national championship, and the two best teams in the country -- LSU and Oregon -- would not.)

To get you to that 6:40 ET kickoff, I recommend you check out LSU at Alabama at 3:30. LSU playing for a very quality BCS-impacting win -- not to mention the SEC West lead (and perhaps division title). Oh, and there's a little thing about Saban vs. his old team...

The Picks:
1 Ohio State over 21 Wisconsin
2 Boston College over Florida State
17 Alabama over 3 LSU (Upset Special!)
5 Oregon over 4 Arizona State (Game of the Week)
6 Oklahoma over Texas A&M (BCS Impact Game)
8 Kansas over Nebraska (Unbeaten Game)
9 Missouri over Colorado
10 Georgia over Troy
12 Michigan over Michigan State
13 Connecticut over Rutgers (Intriguing)
15 Texas over Oklahoma State
16 Auburn over Tennessee Tech
Cincinnati over 18 South Florida
19 USC over Oregon State
20 Florida over Vanderbilt
22 Boise State over San Jose State
24 Wake Forest over 23 Virginia
25 Clemson over Duke

Last Night: Virginia Tech rebounded from that season-gutting loss to BC by throttling Georgia Tech in Atlanta. (Sorry: Should have totally mentioned the VT players' jerseys going missing, with Sean Glennon wearing a white GT jersey with his name HANDWRITTEN on the back. Seriously, did they need to add his name in this instance?)

NFL Preview and Picks: Here are my Top 5 Most Intriguing Storylines for the Weekend:

1. Pats-Colts
2. Pats-Colts
3. Pats-Colts
4. Pats-Colts
5. Pats-Colts

I started out doing that list tongue-in-cheek and planned to fill in five more (real) storylines, but then I reconsidered: This IS the Game of the Year in the NFL, the true barometer of how far ahead of the rest of the league the Patriots are. Nationally, everything else is totally eclipsed.

49ers over at Falcons
Bengals over at Bills
Broncos over at Lions
Panthers over at Titans
Packers over at Chiefs
Chargers over at Vikings
Jags over at Saints
Redskins over at Jets
Cards over at Bucs
Seahawks over at Browns
Pats over at Colts (by 30+)
Texans over at Raiders
Cowboys over at Eagles
Steelers over Ravens (MNF)

(You read that right: I pick every road team playing on Sunday to win.)

NBA Tonight: Celtics' Big Three debut against my Wizards. I (with every other lazy bandwagoneer) have picked the Celtics to win the East this season, although I don't think many others agreed with me in picking Kevin Garnett as the runaway NBA MVP.

"Big Three's" are the new hotness in the NBA, and it's not like the Wizards have a weak Big Three of their own (Arenas, Butler, Jamison). Gilbert guaranteed victory a few months ago in his blog. We'll see...

NBA Last Night: Tracy McGrady tops Kobe for individual season high with 47... The Pistons' Tayshaun Prince (career-high 34 pts, 12 reb) isn't being traded anywhere... Kevin Durant scored 27 in his second game, displaying a quick ride up a steep learning curve... You can book Comeback Player of the Year right now: Grant Hill (13 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast)...

Barry Bonds will boycott Baseball Hall of Fame...: ...If they display his 756 ball with the asterisk branded onto it. "There is no such thing as an asterisk in baseball." I can see his point -- many baseball purists who loathe Bonds agreed that so-called populist branding of the ball was an insult to the game and its fans.

But now that it's done, and the HOF is in a position where they HAVE to display a ball of such historic importance, why would he make a fuss? He even said he'd skip his induction ceremony. (Anyone who argues that Bonds won't get into the Hall of Fame should be reminded: Crack is wack.)

Dodgers hire Joe Torre: I'm sure the Dodgers are excited, given Torre's track record and the fact that he's one of only a few managers in baseball who brings buzz with him -- especially because this is an NL pennant that is wide open for the taking. (I can only imagine the lure of the Dodgers for an old Brooklynite like Torre. I used to go jogging right past the old Torre house.)

(Meanwhile, I kind of like that Joe Girardi has chosen No. 27 as his uniform number; that's the number of titles the Yankees will have won... as soon as Girardi wins one.)

Tennis Scandal: I put this on my still-evolving Twitter feed yesterday afternoon, but is it wrong that I find Martina Hingis WAY more interesting now, just as she is -- sniff -- retiring.

Kobe Trade Watch: Bulls GM John Paxson says that Kobe won't be going to the Bulls, which is either a feint – or it really looks like Kobe won't be going anywhere. You know the Lakers won't trade him within the West, and no other East team seems to have the pieces to get Kobe to give up the no-trade clause.

(I'd dispute that: If the Nets offered Vince Carter AND Richard Jefferson, don't you think the Lakers would be better off? Meanwhile, Kobe could play with Jason Kidd and big man Nenad Krstic in a major market in the East, and the Nets would be better off, too.)

More reasonably, it's time for the Lakers to recognize that between Kobe and Phil, it's time to play to win now. Trade promising young center Andrew Bynum and get a win-now talent in return.

Soccer: Carlos Valderrama gets the prize for best ref-arguing skills. The former star turned assistant coach was ejected from a game for arguing with a ref... by waving cash in his face. Can't wait for the first NBA fan sitting courtside to try the same thing.

I feel incredibly bad for Andy Reid, whose son obviously has massive problems. That said: Without being overly proscriptive, it seems awkward at this point that he would continue coaching the Eagles, when his family is so obviously messed up. Cripes, the judge called Reid's home a "drug emporium."

Congrats to Pro Football Talk on its seven-year anniversary. In what might be the biggest news to hit the sports blogosphere of the year, PFT announced what many of its long-time fans have been waiting for: Permalinks on all individual Rumor Mill posts, along with (gasp) an RSS feed. Can't wait for that.

(I really like the new PFT logo, too. Hmm: Maybe it's time for a DanShanoff.com logo. Sorry, an NBA- or MLB-style silhouette of me slurping other bloggers isn't feasible.)

-- D.S.

139 comments:

David Kippe said...

um, i do not believe Grant Hill can even qualify for comeback player of the year.

CMFost said...

Dan, The reason BC and OSU would be playing in the National Championship instead of Oregon or LSU if the season ended today is simple they have not lost a game and both play in a major conference. Would LSU and Oregon beat either OSU or BC on a neutral field maybe but that is not the point. An since there is no playoff system we will never find out.

bkelly126 said...

dan I think you mean Oregon beat USC, they lost to Cal (which is looking worse and worse by the week)

The heroin sheik said...

Do you think I could get Andy Reid to adopt me? Truth be told his son is seriously SERIOUSLY fucked. If he is suitcasing that many pills into jail his problem is way worse than people realize. I have had to detox unwillingly in jail and it is worse than every other bad experience combined in my life. I don't envy the next few weeks of that kids life. Still if it were you or I in the same situation we wouldn't be getting such an easy sentence especially after he messed up awaiting trial.

Natsfan74 said...

How can you call LSU one of the top 2 teams in the Nation in the same post where you predict them to lose this week-end? The best team in the nation cannot have 2 losses. Most talented - maybe, but clearly not the best. As, they would not have been the best team on the field twice in the same season? Having said that, I still think LSU wins this week-end. Any team that lost to Florida State cannot beat LSU.

And, I do not think that Arizona State at Oregon is the biggest game of the season. Neither of those teams will win out. Oregon has the better chance, but they have to win this week-end to keep that alive. Arizona State loses to USC later, and Oregon loses at UCLA.

pv845 said...

I don't care what anyone else posts today: NatsFan wins for best post!

Coach Chip said...

Next years top Fantasy Football team name:
Andy Reid's Drug Emporium

Matt T said...

Good to see the Pac10 was able to work out a decent TV deal for once this weekend. It will be nice to see one of their games for once.

David Kippe said...

ah, nba basketball has started, and the NCAA season is close now as well.
boy did Shaq looked lost last night with no Wade.

Gary said...

It's amazing that UConn basketball started its exhitibion season yesterday, but all the talk is about football, its a changing of the guard in Storrs, or at least a temporary shift in the guard.

Go Huskies!

The heroin sheik said...

So if Martina Hingis and either of Reid sons were to have a child would it be me?

I must be on some good drugs I am actually betting against the Gators this weekend. I got an idiot to give me 21 points. Vandy always keeps it close. Buster Olney might have a stroke if they win.

I know some of yall hate my weird personal experience stories but I got a great one today. I have a court hearing over the phone this morning to get my drivers license back. I haven't had one since I was 18( 15 yrs ago). If I can impress a judge as to why I need a license I might actually get one. I have never gotten a DUI never gotten a speeding ticket and never been in an accident yet I didnt pay a ticket for a taillight being out on time when I was 18 and it snowballed. 13 driving without a licenses later here I am. If I get it back it will be the equivalent of stanford beating USC. I even have a bookie friend back home who is taking action among my friends on whether or not I get it back. I got better odds of winning the lotto. Speaking of which here is the judge calling now

David Kippe said...

Gary,

whats the outlook up there in Storrs for the basketball team? Haven't heard a word from up there since the loss to George Mason.

Tunsney said...

The Gopher basketball team kicked off their exhibition season last night with a decent win. The most intruiging story for them is if Tubby can land one of the two guys his is looking at (names escape me) the Gophers with have a TOP 5 recruiting class for '08. I am sorry but I am just excited that we might actually be relevant in the Big Ten and maybe the nation again soon.

David Kippe said...

tunsney,

08 could be very good for the entire Big Ten. We have another stud class as well coming in next year, and we SHOULD win the Big Ten this year. Indiana is getting better even with the idiot that is Kelvin Sampson, OSU will still be good, Wisconsin will be competitive, and I hate to say it but I think Beilin is going to make Michigan a relevent team once again. Screw football, were a basketball conference now!

Gary said...

sparty,

unfortunately I haven't been in storrs daily for three years, I miss the days being on campus for sure

The UConn basketball team is hit or miss this season, they are basically the same exact team back from a year ago when they struggled, but obviously with an extra year of experience. I think the key to the season is AJ Price (yes of the stealing laptops). He missed a year due to almost dying then another year due to stealing and last year he played poorly, but he's a top PG if he can get back to form. Jeff Adrian is a double double machine underneath. If the 7'3" Hasheem Thabeet can improve offensively, they could surprise some people in the Big East, but I wouldn't hold my breath. I think they can get into the NCAAs as a 7-10 seed. We'll see.

kway34 said...

There's a difference between "most talented" team and "best" team. If you're predicting LSU to lose (AGAIN) then they are clearly NOT one of the two best teams.

David Kippe said...

there is also a difference with team with the best record. No one seriously thought at any point that USF was the best team in Florida when they were undefeated, right?

The Mark Show said...

For all the horseshit Dan spews about the preseason rankings being a bunch of crap, he sure is sticking to them to pretty religiously when it comes to the SEC. What a fucking hypocrite.

Tunsney said...

Well thanks to Mark, my daughter is no longer allowed to read this blog or the comments. Potty mouth.

Darklawdog said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Darklawdog said...

Toledo Mudhens offer ARod a contract.

SEC (Sucks Enormous Cock)
At what point do all the losses mean that the conference is no better or no worse than any other conference?

I'm moving this Sunday so I may miss the NFL game to end all NFL games.

AND.....I welcome myself to the fraternity of first time homeowners. I closed on my house last night.

Tunsney said...

Actually she will still read it. I can thank this site for showing her the power a woman has over a man. They can take a guy that graduates from one college and turn him into a homer for another (that she didn't even attend) just because they have cute uniforms or something like that. It also teaches her that it is ok to be wrong 60% or more of the time. So thank you Dan for being Baby Daddy #2 for my sweet little Ava.

David Kippe said...

congrat lawdog, I hope to be not too far behind! freakin Bergen County is tough, gotta be patient here to find what you want without killing yourself.

Tim said...

The Patriots are having an unbelievable season and are having good luck along the way. Just watch out for the game that luck runs out. I don't believe it's possible for a team to go 16-0 in today's NFL and I expect that, if not this week, sometime there will be chinks in their armor - I'm not aware of any significant injuries for them. It helps that they play in the sorry AFC East.

Unknown said...

STUDS
1. Tracy McGrady - 17/27 FG, 2/5 3PT, 11/14 FT, 4 REB, 4 AST, 47 PTS
2. Tayshaun Prince - 13/23 FG, 7/7 FT, 12 REB, 34 PTS
3. Chris Wilcox - 11/17 FG, 1/2 FT, 11 REB, 2 AST, 3 STL, 23 PTS
4. Carlos Boozer - 13/25 FG, 4/7 FT, 16 REB (6 OREB), 3 AST, 30 PTS
5. Steve Nash - 6/13 FG, 3/6 3PT, 3/3 FT, 7 REB, 12 AST, 18 PTS

DUDS
1. Raja Bell - 2/9 FG, 2/7 3PT, 0/0 FT, 1 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 3 PF, 3 TO, 6 PTS, 32 MIN
2. Gordon Giricek - 0/3 FG, 0/1 3PT, 0 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0 PTS, 10 MIN
3. Mark Blount - 2/7 FG, 0/1 3PT, 1 REB, 3 PF, 1 TO, 4 PTS, 19 MIN
4. Delonte West - 1/5 FG, 1 REB, 3 AST, 1 TO, 2 PTS, 13 MIN
5. Jason Hart - 0/4 FG, 0/1 3PT, 1 REB, 2 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0 PTS, 9 MIN

Steve said...

Sparty, don't forget Purdue, they have a great class of freshman coming in this year, and while they may struggle this season, as sophomores I expect they'll be contenders for a Big 10 championship. Matt Painter has them back playing hard-nosed, defensive Purdue style basketball.

kway34 said...

Congrats lawdog! As a recent addition to that fraternity myself I'd like to say welcome aboard.

@sparty,

You're right about the team with the best record, otherwise the top 5 would be OSU, BC, Kansas, ASU, and Hawaii.

Steve said...

The Colts are the new Patriots winning by controlling the tempo of the game and tough defense, while the Patriots are the new Colts, all stats and offense and a soft defense. That's right I called their defense soft. The Colts have beaten them 3 straight, both teams have unstoppable offenses, but the Colts now have a better defense than the Patriots and it's at Indy. Colts win this week, then turn around and lose at San Diego next week.

Dan, making picks like this week where you pick every single road team is why you always suck at picking games. I guess when you usually go 4-10 you lose a bit of perspective.

J 2 The B said...

Dan,

That Reid blurb should have read "sons". Yes, both of his kids (Brit and Garrett) got sentenced to jail yesterday. Both for separate drug related offenses that happened on the SAME DAY. Jan 20th was a bad day for the Reid family.

I can only think one thing, that Andy is taking a tough love stance, he's letting these kids hit rock bottom and hope they clean themselves up.

Anyway, this whole incident is distracting him from his job, and while that isn't an excuse for the Eagles poor performance this season, it can't help any.

Jonathan said...

If BC doesn't play in the national championship I will never return to this blog again.

This is just the year that Boston sports dominates the US!

Boomhauertjs said...

You can't win Comeback Player of the Year if you play in less than 50 games (which will surely happen to injury-prone Hill).

Would anyone outside of San Fran be upset if Barroid skipped his HoF induction? And won't he be serving time for tax evasion by then?

J 2 The B said...

Good article on the Andy Reid story...
REID SONS ARE SENT TO JAIL

The heroin sheik said...

Wow Garrett Reid had 57 suboxone. It only took me six of those pills over a month of tapering to kick. Clear indication that he was just trying to get through his time so he could get back on it when he got off. I never understand why they say high on heroin since you are anything but high. More like down on heroin.

Gotta wait four more years to get a license what a bunch of horseshit.

David Kippe said...

i have a feeling that is not the real cmfost.

David Kippe said...

forgot about Purdue. They really surprised me last year with their improvement. Good things happening there as well.

chipp said...

I realize that NE-IND is a matchup of unbeatens, but it doesn't mean much in the long term. They're both going to the playoffs so what's the big deal? Wait until they play in January to make a fuss. Aren't CLE-SEA or PIT-BAL more important because they could be bubble teams fighting for playoff spots? At the end of the season, won't these games matter more?

verbal97 said...

Dan, if you tout college football's current regular season structure as the ultimate playoffs, you can't complain that two teams that lost aren't going to play in a championship game over two teams that haven't lost.

Let's say for the sake of argument that the top 4 win out. What are the chances that Oregon and/or LSU are placed above BC and/or OSU? If that happens, it will be the end of NCAA football as a credible competition. And I can say specifically that if BC were to drop out of the top 2 it will be because of the human polls who delude themselves to believe that the SEC and Pac10 (didn't a Pac10 team lose to ND) are superior to the Big10 and the ACC.

Also, to the commenter who said that "the Pats luck will run out", against which team did they get the luck to push them to victory. New England have put a beatdown on every team that they've played and it will continue this weekend. Perhaps Indy's defense is slightly better than New England's, but New England's offense is unstoppable.

David Kippe said...

yeah, tough to say it is luck what the pats are doing. In fact even when they won their last championship I would venture to say they won despite their lack of luck when it came to staying healthy.

They are good, I don't care for them, but they are just really really good (looking).

David Kippe said...

chipp, the big deal is that both teams have a really good shot at history with going undefeated. nobody has been a threat to either of them this season.

Jingoist said...

Guy:
I find it comforting that 2 former Celtics, West and Blount, are on your NBA Duds list. Better they stink for someone else than have to suffer through their ineptitude any longer.

The Mark Show said...

Right, Tusney, I'm the first person to EVER use curse words in the comments. First. Curse words. Ever!

kway34 said...

History and homefield advantage could both be on the line this weekend.

pv845 said...

@chipp: no those are not as important of games because ESPN lives in the here and now and the WWL would collapse if they had to promote something that made people think ahead.

Big D said...

@ coach chip:

"Next years top Fantasy Football team name:
Andy Reid's Drug Emporium"


Why wait till next season? I'm already tired of my current name - "MikeVick'sPrivateVet".

Though, I'm doing pretty well in the league with that name... maybe I don't want to shift the karma.

chipp said...

Sparty:
Didn't IND win by 2 pts and 6 pts back-to-back? Is a FG or a TD not a threat anymore?

David Kippe said...

doh, forgot about the homefield too!

Jingoist said...

chip and sparty:

The BIGGER deal is not the 16-0. It's the HFA in the AFC Championship because whoever comes out of this undefeated will have that (expected) 1-game lead over the other at season's end. Arguably these could both be just 1-loss teams at the end of the regular season, so the head-to-head comes in to play.

And look at last season's result in the AFC Championship in Indy. Then look at the Pats' playoff wins vs. Indy (in Foxboro). HFA iS HUGE for these 2 teams when they play each other.

Of course, I still reminisce over Willie McGinest's stuff of Edgerrin James several years ago in the RCA Dome to seal a win (that ultimately propelled the Pats to HFA). Of course, that was not a playoff game, but it had major ramifications.

Unknown said...

All i really have to add is that Martina Hingis was always the tennis player I most wanted to fornicate with.

These independent drug testing labs...i dunno...I have a hard time trusting them since they only seem to release negative news when someone is on the rise. Hingis' comeback had been looking good..then wham. Along with how badly these companies botch things with cyclists... grain of salt, grain of salt.

chipp said...

IND went 9-0 last year and 13-0 the year before that. Why should 8-0 this year be more meaningful?

Jingoist said...

You have to admit though that Hingis retiring amidst these allegations is pretty sketchy.

I can sort of understand not wanting to go through the scrutiny and legal battles, and that, on your second time around as a pro after 1 comeback, to rebound mentally and "bring it" tournament after tournament might be tough (though Hingis always impressed me as pretty hard around the edges).

But, really, retire? Seems like sidestepping to me. But I will reserve judgment on her until all the facts are in.

David Kippe said...

um, indy had the homefield last year, kinda helped.

Jingoist said...

Maybe Joe Torre should take #7 for the Dodgers.

Kind of has double-meaning: a) going for 7th WS title for the Dodgers and b) 1 better than his #6 with the Yankees.

The Mark Show said...

Fine Chipp, you go watch Seattle and Cleveland. Have fun.

Tunsney said...

@ Mark

I was kidding. My daughter is only 2 1/2 so I am more worried about her drinking something with a Mr Yuck sticker on it than anything on here. Well maybe that and anything that Sparty and fake cmfost writes.

David Kippe said...

what did i write to deserve that?

CMFost said...

HFA is the key thing both teams are trying to get out of this game. Indy does not want to have to go to NE in the middle of January.

I see one of the keys to this game being Seymour/Green/Vrabel vs. the Colts 2nd String LT. It he can not stop them from putting pressure on Peyton it is going to be a tough day for Indy.


My prediction Patriots 37 Indy 3

The heroin sheik said...

I liked how Hingis said that there was no way someone could do blow and play tennis then say that she has never done any drugs. How would she know if you could play while on Coke unless she tried it. Plus with as quick as blow gets out of your system especially after physical exertion I think it has to be an error on the labs part. I know that I have had to take drug tests before getting a job and smoke don the way to the test and still passed so there is no way they are reliable.

I am right there with you Rafael about wanting to get my man wet with Hingis. She was one hot little Swiss miss. Still she is no Dawn Buth.

The heroin sheik said...

The thing with either Indy or the Pats going undefeated is that it really wont matter if either of them don't make the SB. I will laugh my ass off if one of them doesn't lose then loses to a team like Cleveland in the playoffs. That would be fucking hysterical.

The Mark Show said...

Ah, gotcha Tunsney.

Hingis was ok but I don't think at any point was she in the top 5 of hottest tennis players.

verbal97 said...

i don't know mark, pre-Kournikova was a bleak period...

Tunsney said...

Sparty,

Again joking. I know you and CM check and post regularly so you were easy targets.

I really want either NE or Indy to go undefeated because I am so sick of the smug @sses in Miami. It is like hearing about the curse of The Babe every year. I am glad that is over too. Please, please put that to rest.

The heroin sheik said...

You know you all wanted to get in Martina navratilova or billie jean kings' drawers. Oh god I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.

Jimmy Delach said...

Hi Dan,

Correction on LSU-Alabama. It starts at 5 PM EST. Not 3:30.

Tunsney said...

Tennis...

http://www.armchairgm.com/index.php?title=10_Hottest_Foreign_Female_Tennis_Players

You're welcome!!

David Kippe said...

tend to agree with verbal at that. people fawned over Steffi Graf before Kournikova. not saying Steffi didn't have a nice set of legs, but come on, compare her to the list we have now. not even close.

Tunsney said...

Steffi is a two bagger compared to what we have to chose from these days. Yum Yum.

The Mark Show said...

Yeah alright, I can't really think of anyone, I guess I just never had a thing for Hingis...

The heroin sheik said...

I dont know who had a bigger nose steffi graf or wc fields.

Jingoist said...

Regarding the hot tennis player debate- it's all the hormone injections in foods like milk and eggs and beef. Children (including these tennis pros) are maturing so much faster than previous generations that the younger stars entering sports (or other celebrity avenues) already have more sex appeal to start.

It's not just tennis (or athletes). My wife is a high school teacher, and my god, you have to see the ridiculous social cultures among high school girls now- between looks, dress, and physical maturity, it's scary what these young teens display.

I say this as a concerned parent of 3 young children and have actually (to start) begun switching to organic dairy products for my kids long-term health. It's become scientific fact that kids are physically maturing faster because of hormone-supplemented foods.

OK, enough of the classroom lecture... back to your regularly scheduled commenting.

David Kippe said...

Jingoist said...

it's all the hormone injections in foods like milk and eggs and beef.

Damn skippy. Put my son who is 18 months (eating all kinds of hormone injected food) next to my friends son who is only a week apart in age (all organic foods). I swear my son looks about an entire year older.

Ed Chavis said...

Panthers over Titans and Cards over Bucs... those two picks are insane. Otherwise, I think the rest are doable (no way Pats win by +30, though... ).

Anonymous said...

If that was the real cmfost, the line between real and impostor is getting blurry.

The Pats are giving up 16 points per game, and the Colts are scoring 32 points per game, but you believe the Colts will score only 3 points at home against the Patriots?

wolverine425 said...

tunsney: the link didn't work...but this one should!

http://dontcostnothing.wordpress.com/2007/05/27/hot-tennis-players/

enjoy!

patrick said...

First the Devils talk,

I'm so pumped for this game. I thought my excitement last week for the home game I'd be at (plus tailgating) for Cal couldn't be topped. It has 1000000 fold. I think it's going to be tough for my Devils to go into Autzen (though not as powerful of a place as Oregon fans claim) and pull it out but it can happen. Our LBs and secondary need to play out of our mind. Our WRs can dissapear. Imagine a big day out of Brent Miller. I figure Oregon could probably run 80 quick WR screens and score 40 tds though. ASU always has problems with those.

And for the Suns,
Grant Hill needs to improve that three point shooting. He's going to have tons of open looks, and 1-7 is not going to cut it. Nash doesn't deserve to be on any Stud lists with all the turnovers he had. Ugly game by the Suns.

beans said...

How the hell are you going to say LSU is the best team not playing in the national championship and then pick them to lose to Alabama?! I know you hate OSU but at least be consistant.

David Kippe said...

patrick,

people have been saying that about G Hill's shot since he was with the Pistons.

Big D said...

@ cmfost:

"My prediction Patriots 37 Indy 3"


Wow brotha... even I'm not that much of a homer.

Considering I'm a gambling man, and the line had moved 2 full poiunts from Pats (-4) to Pats (-6) since Sunday, I'm inclined to make a bold move here and parlay the Pats' Money Line with the Colts (+6). I really see one of two things happening:

1) Pats' in a complete blow-out, payback for the AFC Title game type of situation, with a final in the 41-17 range, or...

2) Very, very close game, the type we'll be talking about and disecting for a full week, but still Pats 37-35ish...

Either way, both defenses are going to be beat up and tired, and look really bad. At least the Pats have a bye next week.

CMFost said...

37-3 is my prediction. I think the Patriots are out to prove a point this season and they are going to want to not only beat Indy but humiliate them. Also do not underestimate how important having Harrison and Seymour playing in this game is.


Did you know that the Patriots have never lost a game to the Colts when Rodney Harrison has started and finished the game?

THIS IS THE REAL CMFost - Check the Profile

marcomarco said...

Brady press conference
Highlight:
What impresses you most about Peyton Manning?

"He's a great actor."


-----------------------------
Dunge's Take
Highlight:

In the wake of the camera scandal with the Patriots earlier this year, you mentioned you were very disappointed. Do you still feel that way?

“No, I don’t think it was an advantage. It’s just disappointing to me whenever anything comes out and the public perception of the game gets hurt. Whether it’s us doing it or anybody else, and not because it was the Patriots doing it, but anything, because our game is on top right now and we have a great thing going and you want to keep it going.


Translation: Please, have mercy on us.

Anonymous said...

And when was the last time that any team held the Colts to 3 points? Nothing wrong with picking the Pats to win, but 37-3 is a ridiculous prediction.

I'll say Colts 27-Pats 24.

marcomarco said...

I wonder how long it will take for America to hate the Pats-Colts media throttling as much as they hate the Sox-Yanks.

Greatest rivalry in sports, anyone?

Steve said...

I like the fake cmfost better, but at this point I don't think there's too much difference between the 2. The Boston homer commenters on this site have gotten a bit ridiculous.

marcomarco said...

Pats 52, Colts 31

Geoff said...

37-3.... wow, bigger homer; Dan Shanoff or CMFost?

marcomarco said...

Let's try that again...

Brady press conference

The Mark Show said...

CMfost is quickly proving that he's no better than Shanoff when it comes to being a homer. It's pretty pathetic.

David Kippe said...

and tunsney was calling me a homer yesterday.

eileen said...

My prediction:

Pats 31
Colts 17

Hottest tennis player:
Roger Federer

Allen Wedge said...

I'm honestly more interested in the 0-16 race than 16-0 because it seems even more impossible and definitely more extrodinary.

16-0 is rare (mostly) because teams that far ahead usually rest people AND because all the teams they play are gunning for them. 0-16 is so much harder to accomplish because teams are resting and slacking against you, so it should be easy to catch someone off guard one week and come away with at least 1 win.

We've had 8-0 13-0 7-0 and all kinds of variations of undefeated in past seasons its not rare for teams to make runs but whens the last time we had not just one but TWO teams (including one many people picked to win the West) racing towards the ultimate in futility?

marcomarco said...

I'm telling you, they simply cannot put this Over high enough.

It's 58.5 right now. I'd still take it if it was 68.5

CMFost said...

Question: If you make a prediction that everyone says is a homer pick and then it is correct was it really a homer pick?

Sort of like when I pick the Red Sox in 4 in the World Series, you all said it was a homer pick but it was correct.

Jingoist said...

Here's the video feed of Brady's Wed. media session.

The "actor" comment is at the 3:!7 mark.

CMFost said...

marco I think both defense are better than you think and that teasing the Patriots and the under is the way to go.

The Mark Show said...

It's like Dan picking his crazy upsets and then bragging when one finally hits. You also picked the Red Sox to sweep the Indians. I guess you're choosing to ignore that along with the fact that you gave up on the team when they were down 3-1.

Anonymous said...

If you're right about 37-3 (or even close), I'll be the first one to give you credit on Monday morning. I wouldn't even fault you for picking a big Pats win in a high scoring game. But picking the Colts to score only 3 points is blind homerism.

Nobody has come close to holding this Colts team to 3 points in the last 5 years, if not longer.

CMFost said...

Actually it was 3 years ago in 2004 when the Patriots beat the Colts 20-3 in the Playoffs.

David Kippe said...

ahem, this is a homer pick...Spartans 31 Wolverines 24. :)

The Mark Show said...

That game was played in Foxboro in the snow and field was torn to shit. A little different than playing at home in the dome.

Anonymous said...

I should have said regular season games in the last 5 years. Still, your prediction of Pats 37, Colts 3 in Indy reminds me of the old Bears Superfans in the Saturday Night live skits: Ditka 72, god 3.

CMFost said...

If the Colts do get blown out is Bill Polian going to go crying to the League for a rule change something to the effect no team is allowed to pass the ball in the 4th qtr when you by more then 21 pts?

Geoff said...

The problem is you always make a homer pick. You picked a sweep against the Tribe also, then bailed on your team when they got down 3-1. You don't really get to flaunt it when you finally get a pick right when you constantly make a homer pick.

verbal97 said...

Indianapolis 17:38 New England
Boston Coll 37:13 Florida St
Arsenal 0:0 Manchester United
Blackburn 0:1 Liverpool

The heroin sheik said...

Verbal you are crazy. Arsenal will win 2-0. That team might even be better than the undefeated team a few years back.

OH and to whoever questioned the greatest rivalries in all of sports it is a no brainer Celtic Rangers. There is at least one murder related to every game plus religion gets involved. It has been a rivalry longer than any of the ones in American sports. If you get a chance to go to a game and dont want to get your ass kicked wear the claret and orange of my team Motherwell FC.

wolverine425 said...

Sparty said...ahem, this is a homer pick...Spartans 31 Wolverines 24. :)

another homer for ya'll:
MEEEECHIGAN 30 SPARTYS 14

Good luck this weekend sparty...should be a great game!!

Steve said...

If you want to really know what the key to Sunday's game is, it's if the Colts run the ball at least 30 times they will win. They've won their last 26 games when they've run at least 30 times dating back to the first game of 2004 including 2 wins over New England and all 4 playoff victories last year. If Manning has to throw the ball all over the field and they stop running the ball the Colts will lose.

Natsfan74 said...

I hope Michigan wins out. It will mean more to beat them when they are 9-2.

FSU will beat BC tomorrow. The magic almost ended last week.

Virginia beats Wake Forrest tomorrow as well (but our tailgate will be more fun than the game).

Finally -- tOSU beats Wisconsin in a close game (if you bet on this one, pick Wisconsin to cover).

David Kippe said...

you too wolverine. are only hope is if javon can put up numbers like hart. enjoy the game!

Natsfan74 said...

Which came first -- the running attack or the victory? It's such a skewed statistic. I would bet that most of those 30 runs per game are in late game clock burn duty. Even at the game in Foxboro last year (regular season), the Colts ran much more in the 2nd half to shorten the game with the lead.

Kinda like the statistics in Pittsburgh with Parker running for 100+ yards. Sometimes, his 100 yards creates the win. Usually, his 100+ is a product of holding on to the lead and shortening the game.

Teams don't run 30+ times for over 100 yards when they are behind the whole game!

David Kippe said...

the Parcells NYG ran the ball 30 times to win games.see Super Bowl 25.

Steve said...

natsfan I do agree it can be a chicken or egg type of thing, but in the Colts win over the Patriots in the playoffs last year they continued to run the ball even when they were down 18 and ended up with 30 rushes, so it's not like they were just protecting the lead every game of those 26. And actually in the regular season game against the Patriots last year they did not rush 30 times.

David Kippe said...

But team executives were told, sources say, that in order to arrange a meeting with Rodriguez, they would have to be prepared to make an extension offer that would take the third baseman's deal up to a total value of $350 million. That means that the offer the Yankees intended to propose would have been more than $100 million short.

Anonymous said...

If only there were an Indianapolis version of cmfost here, he'd ask:

Did you know that the Colts have never lost a game to the Patriots when Joseph Addai played?

CMFost said...

Natsfan I agree with you FSU will beat BC, the weather tomorrow is really going to effect BC's ability to throw the ball.

Steve said...

+1 voiceofreason

verbal97 said...

Because the weather at Va Tech was so great. People seem to neglect/forget that BC has a great defense. Given FSU's sputtering offense my having them get to 13 points was generous. Plus, who do you think will have more difficulty with the below 50 degree weather, a team from Boston or a team from Tallahassee? BC will win and it won't be close.

CMFost said...

but Voice there is a much larger sample of games that Rodney could of played in against the Colts versus the number of games Addai could of played in versus the Patriots. So it is not a equal comparison.

The Mark Show said...

See? I'm not a homer! Look! I'm picking against BC!!

CMFost said...

Verbal it will be the team that runs the ball better that will win that game and BC's running games has been average this year.

CMFost said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
verbal97 said...

And exactly who has run AGAINST BC??? Besides, Callendar is quietly having a good year.

CMFost said...

Believe what you want, in some ways we are all homers and we all have trouble picking against our teams. Be it College or Pro, Does that make you a bad person? No Does it mean you know nothing about sports? No What it means you like your team and sometimes you may embellish your pick because of it.

Do I think the Patriots are going to win? Yes Do I think they are going to win big? Yes Do I think the Colts will be held to 3 points? probably not but it could happen and that is why they play the games.

The heroin sheik said...

Hey it does get cold in Tally. I think FSU does better in the cold than a team farther south like UF would. I think FSU wins because they are used to playing in hurricanes. Plus you guys will only get the outer bands up there. You have to be total pussies to let something weak like that affect you.

CMFost said...

The one thing I do know about the BC-FSU game bet the under!!!

verbal97 said...

Ok, clearly I'm alone on BC winning. But if running successfully = winning, can someone please tell me how the 92nd ranked rushing offense is going to move the ball against the 2nd best rushing defense? Nevermind that BC is also playing AT HOME.

David Kippe said...

i am drinking the Matt Ryan kool-aid. i am with BC over FSU.

Anonymous said...

I'm a Terps fan. We've still got FSU and BC left on the schedule, but from everything I've seen so far this year, I think BC beats FSU no problem.

marcomarco said...

@ jingoist

Thanks for the link

bkelly126 said...

@verbal
just throwing this out there, the average rush offense BC has played is 90 (that's not even including Umass' 73rd ranked rushing offense in FCS/I-AA). it's easy to stop the run against teams that can't.

CMFost said...



Arenas backs off guarantee

verbal97 said...

bkelly, point taken...however, 13th ranked rush offense GT ran for just 63 yards against BC. Plus, FSU is 92nd in rush offense, so again, is there reason to believe that FSU will be able to run the football effectively?

Also, while teams have gained yardage in the passing game, BC is 16th in pass efficiency defense overall, and are tied with UConn for most interceptions.

These stats to me suggest that BC won't have a problem with FSU's 75th ranked offense.

Steve said...

I agree with you verbal, Florida St. just isn't relevenat anymore until Bowden retires and they're able to challenge Florida for in-state recruiting again. They're much more likely to lose at Maryland who although isn't all that good either alway seems to pull one or two unexpected upsets a year.

bkelly126 said...

if it's not maryland, it'll depend on what clemson teams shows up when they play

Steve said...

agreed bkelly, people just think Florida St. and Miami and think that must be their 2 best chances to lose but those 2 just aren't good anymore. Losses at Maryland or Clemson, despite not having the name of the former 2 are FAR more likely.

Jonathan said...

I get so mad that people call me a homer. It isn't my fault that all the Boston teams are so good this year.

Jonathan said...

BC is running the table and everyone just except it.

Steve said...

lol at the faker, you're way better at impressions than that douche Frank Caliendo. You should be on FOX instead.

Anonymous said...

Steve, there can only be one Steve and that's me, change you name dipshit.





































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Poser fagot.

DougOLis said...

Torre was a Giants fan growing up, so I don't think the fact it's the Dodgers is such a big draw. That's kind of awkward actually.

Steve said...

@ the other Steve,

Yes, because using my own name, one of the top 5 most popular names in America is soooooo original, and also because I totally give a shit I'll get right on that request and change my name on here right away! Also congratulations on finding the Enter key, you're awesome.