NBA Preview Part 3: The Postseason

NBA Playoff Preview

Eastern Conference Round 1:

Miami Heat (1) over Philadelphia 76ers (8) in 5 games

The Heat win this series easily and only lose one because of a dominating effort by Bynum.

Boston Celtics (2) over Chicago Bulls (7) in 6 games

Well the Celtics are improved off of last year’s team and I think the Bulls got worse.  The Bulls will be tougher than a normal 7 seed but in 6 extremely low scoring and defensive minded games the Celtics will prevail.

Indiana Pacers (3) over New York Knicks (6) in 7 games

This should be a tough hardnosed series that can go either way but if Carmelo isn’t the starting power forward then I don’t see the Knicks prevailing.  They don’t have the depth Indiana does and they just in many ways are too old and too predictable

Atlanta Hawks (4) over Brooklyn Nets (5) in 5 games

The Hawks biggest strength as a team is having a frontcourt of Al Horford and Josh Smith while the Nets biggest weakness is the fact that Brook Lopez and fan favorite Kris Humphries don’t have any idea on how to play defense.  The Hawks should dominate this series as they get their revenge on Joe Johnson and move to the 2^nd round of the post season.

Eastern Conference Semifinals:

Miami Heat (1) over Atlanta Hawks (4) in 5 games

I think the Hawks are going to be better than most people realize this season but that does not put them at the same level of the Miami Heat.  They aren’t going to be able to stop Lebron James and I’m not going to waste anyone’s time attempting to explain this.

Boston Celtics (2) over Indiana Pacers (3) in 5 games

This series is a little more interesting but I still see the Celtics winning it pretty easily.  Their defense is suffocating and when facing a team without a premier talent like Lebron James it can be almost impossible to score at times.  Their offense should be improved enough from last year that an Indian team that really didn’t get any better shouldn’t be difficult for them to handle.

Eastern Conference Finals

Miami Heat (1) over Boston Celtics (2) in 7 games

There are a lot of reasons why the Heat should beat the Celtics more easily than this, with most of them centering on Lebron James however I think Boston forces them into the 7^th game.  Boston almost always plays well against Miami and this year’s team is designed with its sole purpose to defeat them.  They have played more games against Miami then any team in recent memory and know the team’s, especially Lebron’s, strengths and weaknesses.  This veteran Boston team is not going down without a fight, but Lebron is so good that while Boston might throw everything they have at Miami, it just won’t be enough.

Western Conference 1^st Round

San Antonio Spurs (1) over Minnesota Timberwolves (8) in 5 games

This pick is out of respect for Kevin Love because he is the only way that the Timberwolves beat the Spurs in any game.  I’m sure Kevin Love will have one dominate game and besides that the Spurs will dominate.

Denver Nuggets (2) over Utah Jazz (7) in 6 games

The Jazz are an underrated team that has a great frontcourt that can give any team trouble and really should be quite a mix of talent for years to come.  However in a 7 game series the Nuggets will just be too athletic for them and should end up winning the series in 6 games.

Oklahoma City Thunder (3) over Los Angeles Clippers in 5 games

Well the Thunder are just significantly better than the Clippers and really just matches up well against them.  The Clippers defense isn’t strong enough to slow down Durant and OKC while the Thunder’s D should be able to slow down the effectiveness of Paul and the Clippers.

Los Angeles Lakers (4) over Memphis Grizzlies (5) in 6 games

This is actually one of the more interesting playoff matchups that match strength against strength.  The Lakers biggest strengths are Gasol and Howard down low with Kobe and Nash on the perimeter, the Grizzlies will combat that with the perimeter defense of Tony Allen and Mike Conley and the interior pounding of Zach Randolph and their own Gasol.  It’s going to be an interesting matchup that is going to make the Lakers look awful at times but overall I don’t see them losing that series.

Western Conference Semifinals

I need to say this at the start there’s probably a 70% chance that my heart is guiding these next two picks and not my head, but screw it I’m sticking with it.

San Antonio Spurs (1) over Los Angeles Lakers (4) in 7 games

This is a bet on the Lakers over the course of the season not to totally figure out how to play together and to be more injured then the Spurs.  The Spurs have more depth and while not always totally useful in the postseason in the regular season it unquestionably keeps them healthier.  The Spurs offense was still all time good last season and there is no reason to suspect that it will regress at all. The coaching edge also makes a significant difference as does home court advantadge.  

Denver Nuggets (2) over Oklahoma City Thunder (3) in 7 games

I can’t believe I’m doing this but the Nuggets are going to be in the Western Conference Finals.  They are such an athletic trade, and the loss of Harden by OKC makes the decision more understandable.  Iggy should be able to match up well enough with Durant and the improved defense of JaVale McGee and others should help them slow down the Thunder’s offense.  Offensively I don’t think OKC has a prayer of stopping the Nuggets in their free flowing fast break style.  Every minute Kendrick Perkins plays will be a total waste that will cost the team dearly as the Nuggets all just run around him.  Gallinari will improve of his underrated and evolving game while Lawson and Miller are throwing lobs and Faried is getting boards. 

Yes that’s right the Lakers and Thunder aren’t making it to the Conference Finals

Western Conference Finals

San Antonio Spurs (1) over Denver Nuggets (2)

Alright I’m still having trouble with this pick and what I think are going to be the two best offenses in the league by far and two of the most exciting teams.  You have the best passing team in the league that is always willing to make the extra pass and has more open shots than anybody.  The Nuggets offense is different but in many ways just as aesthetically pleasing with their blazing speed an awesome fast break attack.  These 7 games are going to be super exciting to watch as two of the best offenses in recent basketball history matchup.    I’m going with the Spurs if only because I think their defense will be able to hold a little bit better.  Duncan will be patrolling the paint, and while not as effective as at his peak is still quite the player. 

Spurs in 7.

NBA Finals

Miami Heat (1) over San Antonio Spurs (1) in 7

Every morsel in my body wants to take the Spurs in this series considering my love for the team and my dislike for the Heat.  However I just can’t convince myself that the Spurs will be able to do enough to contain Lebron James and the rest of the big 3.  While the Spurs will be able to score on the Heat, they won’t be able to do that as a high rate as normal with the stellar defense of the Heat.  The Heat should be able to attack the Heat and get Duncan in foul trouble enough to really punish them inside.  The addition of Ray Allen makes them that much more dangerous with their spacing and while the Spurs will give the Heat everything they can handle, the Heat will in fact prevail.

Now as a caveat I could be dead wrong about these predictions and you have my full blessing to make fun of me for them

Stay Hungry My Friends

NBA Preview Part 2: The Eastern Conference

Eastern Conference

1.       Miami Heat

Well this one is pretty simple, as long as Lebron James stays healthy there is no way that the Heat don’t finish with the best record in the East.  Lebron is playing at a beyond elite level right now and is playing at a level that has been only matched by a handful of players in league history.  Considering that the only team with the regular season chops to hang with them, the Bulls, have their best player recovering from an ACL tear.  The Heat should waltz to the top seed in the East, I don’t expect it to be close especially with the addition of perfect fit for the team Ray Allen.

2.       Boston Celtics

Well the Celtics are a much improved team off last year’s outfit that took the Heat to game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals and led that series 3-2.  While they lost Ray Allen they were able to get Jason Terry to replace him along with Courtney Lee, and have Jeff Green coming back.  Rookie Jared Sullinger seems primed to make an impact this season and helps give the team more depth.  However while I think this is a much deeper than normal Celtics team I still don’t see them competing with the Heat for the best record.  They are going to rest their starters too much for the postseason for them to truly compete, but I do think their depth will bring them the East’s 2^nd best record.

3.       Indiana Pacers

The Pacers made a huge progression last season as they climbed to the 3 seed in the East, advanced to the 2^nd round in the playoffs and took a lead in their series against the Heat.  However the question remaining is are they going to be able to progress any further?  In my opinion at least as this year is concerned the answer is no.  They are bringing back almost the exact same team from last season and only one, Paul George, really has the potential to improve substantially.  This is a solid defense and offensive team with one of the NBA’s most underrated starting fives.  They are probably going to be in the 2^nd round of the playoffs but the question is going to be, are they going to be able to advance any further. 

4.       Atlanta Hawks

Yes I think the Hawks are going to be the 4^th best team in the East this season despite the loss of Joe Johnson.  Last year they were basically the 4^th seed in the East and are replacing Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, and some other bench guys and are replacing them with Lou Williams, Devin Harris, Kyle Korver, and Anthony Morrow among others.  Overall this seems like it would be a net downgrade in play, but there is one factor not being considered.  Al Horford missed the vast majority of last season with injury and if he returns to his normal level of play then this team should be just as good if not better than last year’s unit.  This Hawks team is being vastly underrated right now and is going to survive the loss of Joe Johnson much more easily than most people expect.

5.       Brooklyn Nets

Well the Nets are entering Brooklyn with a lot of attention and glamor and the question is will they live up to it?  The answer in my mind is that yes this team is going to be substantially better than last year’s but in no way is this team an Eastern Conference contender.  This season the team is going to score a boatload of points but they probably aren’t going to be able to stop anyone they play from doing the same.  They might have the worst defensive frontcourt in all of basketball and playing in a conference where Lebron James is going to be attacking the rim prevents you from being a title contender.  While adding Joe Johnson and a few other pieces to the mix improves the teams substantially, especially offensively, Deron Williams isn’t enough of a superstar to elevate this team into the title conversation.

6.       New York Knicks

Well there has been some good news for Knicks fans; right now Amare Stoudemire is going to be missing time which means that Carmelo Anthony is going to be the starting power forward.  If Carmelo is the starting power forward then paired with Tyson Chandler you can make a case that they have the best frontcourt in the NBA.  Chandler is a dominant defensive player and an extremely effective offensive player that is the Knicks best player.  They had a bad offseason that saw them lose all their young talent and replace them with old players.  Once Amare comes back they are probably going to be worse than they are the rest of the season unless they play him as the 6^th man. 

7.       Chicago Bulls

If the Bulls sneak into the playoffs this season then without question they are going to be an extremely dangerous team.  However the Bulls lost more than just Rose and that might be the main reason they fall off as much as they are going to.  Their 2^nd unit, which might have been the best in basketball that played absolutely shutdown defense, has been seriously depleted. They lost Omar Asik, CJ Watson, Ronnie Brewer and Kyle Korver and this without question depletes the team.  I still see the Bulls making the playoffs but I don’t see them being the wrecking crew of a team that has dominated the past two seasons.

8.       Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers made one great offseason move, getting Andrew Bynum, and the rest of their moves were so bad that it probably offset that.  To me that means that the end result will probably be about the same, an 8^th seed in the East.  The team might even miss the playoffs if Bynum isn’t healthy and seems to loaf around some.  Well on the positive side at least they are going to have Kwame Brown playing games when last year they had Elton Brand.

9.       Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks are a fairly deep team that should be able to compete with most teams but has too many weaknesses to get into the playoffs.  They start two shoot first guards who while they have the ability to score in bunches aren’t exactly efficient in the process.  The loss of Bogut seriously hampers the team’s defensive abilities but its depth should help to make up for that.  If one of the above teams falters then I could easily see the team making the playoffs and then getting swept in the first round by the Heat.

10.   Toronto Raptors

Well the Raptors entered the offseason with one definite goal, acquire Steve Nash… they failed to achieve it but still should turnout alright for it.  While they dramatically overpaid for Landry Fields, they still got a decent rotation player out of the deal.  They added extremely underrated point guard Kyle Lowry and have Jonas Valanciunas coming over from Europe.  With coach Dwayne Casey the team competes hard on defense and these additions could definitely improve their offense.  Still they are a flawed team that doesn’t rebound well, and has some extreme weaknesses on the wing.  The team could easily rise up and make the playoffs but I just don’t think that is likely.

11.   Detroit Pistons

Well what team are the Pistons the team that started the year 4-20 and seemed like one of the 2 worst teams in baskeball, or the team that went 21-21 over its last 42 games and was shockingly good, the answer probably somewhere in between.  The team has a star big in Greg Monroe who is vastly underrated and deserves some attention for what he does.  However the other big Andre Drummond while having all the potential in the world is still extremely raw and is going to have a lot of hard times this season.  The team is still pretty good at most positions but only Monroe seems like a without question above average player for this season and that will likely hold the team back from really making the leap.

12.   Washington Wizards

Washington last season might have been the dumbest team in the history of professional sports so in terms of basketball IQ this team has improved dramatically.  However will that improvement mean more wins for them, I don’t think so.  John Wall is currently hurt with the severity of the injury being unknown in a season where a lot is expected of him.  Last season after being one of the youngest teams in the league they now have Nene, Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor all fine players in their own right but they have no business being on a rebuilding team.  The team doesn’t really have much depth and considering they only have two building blocks, John Wall and rookie Brandon Beal I think the Wizards are in for a long season.

13.   Cleveland Cavaliers

I really want to pick the Cavs to be better considering they employ Kyrie Irving and Anderson Varejao two great players but the rest of the team is so bad I can’t make the case.  There is a chance that in his 2^nd year as a pro that Irving is going to evolve his game even further and turn into a superstar that can singlehandedly carry his team to the postseason, but while I think he will improve, he won’t improve dramatically enough.  Really the problem is outside of Irving and Varejao you can make there is not another above average basketball player on the team.  Irving will stop them from being totally bottom of the barrel but I don’t see the team going very far.

14.   Orlando Magic

The Magic just lost the best defensive player in the league, the best rebounder in the league, and a dominant player in the low post, yes you could say the team will miss Dwight.  Also they lost Ryan Anderson, the superefficient 3 point specialist who was a much bigger component of the Magic’s offense then most people realize.  This team is going to be competing for the worst record in the league without question.  They do have some capable players in Aaron Afflalo, “Big Baby” Davis, Jameer Nelson and Hungry Dog Blog favorite Andrew Nicholson.  However the team is going to be atrocious defensively without Howard cleaning up the rest of the team’s mistakes and the offense will be quite bad as well without anyone who is really that threatening a scorer.  The Magic wanted to bottom out after losing Howard and are following the plan totally to script, even if it’s not the right one. 

15.   Charlotte Bobcats

Well the Bobcats were the worst team in the history of the NBA last season so really it can only improve from there.  The problem is that the Bobcats were so bad last season that even if they substantially improved from last year they would still be awful.  I do not believe however that they improved that much from last year with their only real addition being Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.  The team will be better this season as some of their young guys should get better and Gilchrist will help the team but they aren’t that skilled offensively or defensively.  

NBA Preview Part 1: The Western Conference

                I’m doing my NBA preview first by previewing each conference individually and then previewing how I think the playoffs will turn out.  So without further ado here is my Western Conference season preview:

Western Conference

1.       San Antonio Spurs

Every year people say the Spurs are too old and they aren’t as good as last year will be sad to learn that this team will probably have the best record in the NBA.  They did last year while basically resting their starters all year and I see no reason why they would be worse.  They are returning the same core players and personally I expect Kawhi Leonard to make a big jump in performance.  I expect him to expand his offensive game and turn into a shutdown defender.  Overall for the Spurs though I expect Coach Popovich to use the deepest team in the NBA to its full disposal and lead the Spurs to the best record in the NBA.

2.       Denver Nuggets

To be clear this is a regular season prediction piece and I don’t think the Nuggets when it comes to the playoffs are the 2^nd best team in the West, however when it comes to the regular season this team is as dangerous as any team.  They are the most athletic team in all of basketball who like the Spurs are extremely deep and Coach George Karl has shown a willingness to use that fact to its full advantage.  The team added Andre Igoudala and with the expected improvements of the “Manimal” Kenneth Faried and the always interesting Javele McGee the Nuggets are without question going to be good.  This team has one of the best offenses in basketball and with the addition of Igoudala should have a vastly improved defense.  This team can run any team off the floor with its youth and athleticism and given its depth the team is likely going to be a regular season juggernaut. 

3.       Oklahoma City Thunder

Before the trade of James Harden I had them as the 2^nd seed in the West but of course that changes everything.  So before I preview the team I’ll tell you my thoughts on the trade from the Thunder’s perspective.  Overall if the Thunder were going to trade Harden then they got as good a haul as they could hope to ask for.  Kevin Martin is a solid player, Lamb is a good prospect and the picks could prove to be valuable.  However the trade without question knocks them down a peg as a title contender this season.  Really though the move comes down to the fact that they weren’t willing to pay Harden the money he deserves and thus traded him because of it.  They probably got the best possible package back in return but if they hadn’t paid Kendrick Perkins as much as they did then it wouldn’t be an issue.  The team is very profitable and without question they would be financially fine if they decided to pay Harden.  Overall the team as a whole is quite strong and is on the short list of title contenders.  They have Kevin Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka and an underrated nucleus who can give any team in the NBA fits.  I think losing Harden makes them lose some of their regular season dominance especially as the team adjusts to playing without him at the start of the season. 

4.       Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers are without question another one of the few teams that can win the title this year, and they will have to do it on the strength of its Big 4.  They have offensive mastermind Steve Nash, one of the greatest of all time in Kobe Bryant, the always underrated Pau Gasol and the best center in basketball in Dwight Howard.  This team should be offensively and defensively dominant if all their players play up to their potential but there are many reasons, at least in the regular season this team is going to have its struggles.  First of all, their entire big 4 is in some way a question mark.  Dwight Howard is recovering from back surgery, Steve Nash is leaving Phoenix’s training staff, Pau Gasol is another year older, and Kobe Bryant is another year older and has to share the ball in the backcourt for the 1^st time in his career.  Really the team outside of those 4 players isn’t that good either so injuries to any of those guys, likely considering their age and Howard’s back would hurt them substantially.    The team is going to have its struggles as the regular season goes along but it is without question one of the best teams in all of basketball.

5.       Memphis Grizzlies

Well here we are, after everyone expected them to break through last year the Grizzlies lost in the 1^st round to the Clippers.  This team has an interesting makeup in the modern NBA as the team relies on their big men to score and their guards to play defense.  They are an extremely interesting team that can create some difficult matchup problems for teams ill prepared to play against their bigs.  This team is probably going to be about as good as last year’s unit but could improve slightly if Zach Randolph is able to return to his form from 2 seasons ago.  This team though is an overall solid unit that’s defense will keep them in all games and is one of the best teams in the West. 

6.       Los Angeles Clippers

In what I see as Chris Paul’s final season in Los Angeles I think the Clippers are going to have a disappointing season.  They have the worst coach in all of professional basketball, Vinny del Negro, and in an improved Western Conference in all likelihood didn’t get better.  By virtue of having the best point guard in basketball, Chris Paul, and one of the league’s best young talents, Blake Griffin, this team is without question going to be competitive.  However I just see this team closer to the middle of the Western Conference pack than the top of it.

7.       Utah Jazz

Last year the Jazz were able to sneak into the playoffs as the 8 seed and this season I expect them to build off that performance.  The team has one of the best frontcourts in basketball with Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter.  The rest of the team is solid with the underrated Gordon Hayward, and the added Mo Williams.  They coached by Ty Corbin who through his first couple of seasons has done a good job and seems to be improving.

8.       Minnesota Timberwolves

As long as Kevin Love stays healthy then I think the Timberwolves are a playoff team this year.  If they are able to survive the first couple of weeks while he recovers I think this team could definitely make the post season.  They have Ricky Rubio, the dynamic point guard who while struggling shooting the ball makes plays offensively and is extremely underrated defensively.  Nikola Pekovic is an extremely underrated center who is extremely physical and can be dominant at times in the low post.  Kevin Love is one of the 5 best players in all of basketball, and extremely gifted offensive player that is a dominant rebounder and amazing passer.  They also upgraded their wing rotation substantially, their weakness from last season, with the additions of Chase Budinger, Brandon Roy, and Andrei Kirilenko.  This team should be a playoff team as long as Kevin Love is able to recover fully from his injury.

9.       Dallas Mavericks

Another team that might have their season derailed by an injury to their superstar power forward, Dirk Nowitzki.  Overall as a team without question the Mavericks are going to be worse than they were last year, when they were barely a playoff team that had an almost embarrassing title defense.  They were banking on getting either Deron Williams or Dwight Howard and right now it is looking like they won’t be getting either.  This team did an admirable job of recovering from that effort and was able to sign OJ Mayo, Elton Brand to try to turn the team into a playoff one.  With Dirk’s injury starting the season off I don’t see the Mavericks rallying and making a playoff run.

10.   Golden State Warriors

The Warriors are a team that could go in many different directions as they have multiple talented players but many of those same players are unproven, injury prone, or flawed.  This team could easily make the jump into the playoffs if everything goes right, but I don’t see that happening.  Their point guard is Steph Curry, a gifted offensive talent who cannot for the life of him stay healthy.  Their center is the elite defensive but limited offensive and injury prone Andrew Bogut.  A full season out of him could singlehandedly turn a below average defense into an above average one.  However he hasn’t proven he can stay healthy for a full season and I can’t imagine him staying healthy for a full season.  This team can compete with anyone but over the course of a full season I can’t see them staying healthy enough to make the playoffs.

11.   New Orleans Hornets

Of any team on that isn’t making the playoffs, this team without question has the brightest future.  They have a future superstar, Anthony Davis, seemingly future star in Eric Gordon and underrated power forward Ryan Anderson.  Davis is going to be a superstar and there is a good chance that one day he is going to be one of the best players in all of basketball and I am expecting a great rookie season.  I think Anderson and Gordon have very good seasons as well surrounding him as the team does better than expected.  However outside of those 3 players the team is extremely weak which will likely prevent them from competing for a playoff spot this season.

12.   Houston Rockets

Well that changed quickly, before the trade I had them holding the worst record in the West, but with the addition of James Harden I see them doing substantially better.  This is even entirely due to what Harden brings on the court but I think his addition reinvigorates the franchise as well.  While they gave up a lot for Harden I feel like it is worth it considering they have been desperately seeking a star player and now they have it.  The move also makes them more likely to acquire other star players who want to join up and play with the Beard; especially with the emerging and controversial Jeremy Lin, along with the underrated defensive ace Omar Asik.  This team is also extremely young and has a ton of other assets that they could turn into another star player whether via trade or free agency.  The Rockets are one of the best run franchises in the league and while even with Harden they will struggle this season their future is quite bright.

13.   Portland Trailblazers

Well last season signaled the start of a rebuilding process in Portland a disappointing development brought about by injury problems with Greg Oden and Brandon Roy.  They have a star player in Lamarcus Aldridge and some solid wings in Wes Matthews and Nicholas Batum, but outside of that they have a lot of weaknesses.  Considering Aldridge becomes a free agent in 2015 they better hope this rebuilding process goes quickly if they hope to keep him. 

14.   Phoenix Suns

Well the Steve Nash era is finally over.  After being the face of the franchise since joining the team in 2005 the Suns are starting the season without Steve Nash.  Considering that he is not the only player that they are losing this is going to be a substantial loss and will cost the team dearly.  He singlehandedly can carry an offense and while they added Goran Dragic he is nowhere near the level that Nash is at.  They are a nice team but in a deadly and deep Western Conference their talent level just doesn’t matchup.  This team is going to be one of the worst in all of basketball and is going to be fully committed to rebuilding.

15.   Sacramento Kings

Well there is no possible way that any team could be worse put together than this Sacramento Kings team.  It’s one thing to play with one ball stopper who when he touches the basketball is almost a guarantee to shoot, but it is another thing entirely to have a team full of players like that.  They employ Marcus Thorton, Tyreke Evans, Demarcus Cousins, Jimmer Fredette, and Aaron Brooks.  Most teams don’t have one player that is as much of a black hole as any of those guys.  There are some great talents, especially Cousins, but they don’t play defense at all and offensively they never pass the basketball.  I think this team is going to be the worst in the West which might be a slight overstatement but I don’t think it will be.  

NFL Week 8 Preview

Hello all and welcome to Week 8 of the NFL season! (And week 1 of the Bills offseason). We’re nearly halfway through the season and it appears more than two thirds of the teams are painfully mediocre (except you Patriots….I’m on to you). We’re beginning to learn a few things about the league this season. First off we’ve learned the Bills are done (sorry I’ll stop), we’ve learned Peyton Manning no longer has the arm strength and he’s already learned to make it work, we’ve learned that the Redskins are the team you least want to see on your schedule and we’ve learned the Jets aren’t about to roll over on Rex Ryan (unlike another AFC East team I could mention.) Playoff pictures are starting to shape up so undoubtedly something crazy and unexpected is about to happen. So here we go, NFL week 8 picks:

Tampa over Minnesota: They’re winning 27-10 as I’m writing this. It appears as though, after a season of forgetting how to throw that oval shaped object, Josh Freeman is playing like the franchise player people expected him to be. Maybe Minnesota isn’t as good as their 5-2 record indicates and maybe they just played four days ago. Either way nothing can be proven on this ridiculous Thursday night schedule.

Chicago over Carolina (+7.5)- The only thing that would scare me off from taking the Bears over the lowly GM-less Panthers is their lack of explosiveness on offense. They allowed Detroit to cover last week because of their inability to protect Cutler (and occasionally Forte.) Then I remembered that Cam Newton was going to be throwing against Peanut Tillman and this incredible Bear’s D. Yup, I’ll take the Bears here.

Cleveland over San Diego (-2.5)- I think we may have finally reached that point, the end of San Diego’s era of being considered a contender. This may finally end all the preseason talk of “San Diego is the favorite in the West” or “they’re so talented”. They’re neither of those things. They can’t run the ball, the D is average, Rivers is a turnover machine and less time I checked, Norv Turner is still the coach. It’s time for the Chargers to start over. By the way, did you know Cleveland only has a -33 point differential? This is not your average 1-6 team. And San Diego is the perfect 4^th quarter team to steal a win against.

Seattle over Detroit (-1.5)- This is a major test for the Seahawks. If they can’t beat this less than average Lions team on the road, then something strange is going on in Seattle. We’ll find out if they’re just an average team with a major home advantage who could sneak in the playoffs or if they’re a legitimate team. Maybe, the Lions are just bad. All I know is Clemons and Irvin will be a nightmare for Mr. Paper-skin Glass-bones Stafford. By the way, he’s the only QB in the NFL to not have thrown a TD in the first half this season. Last year he threw 41 total td’s, this year he’s on pace for 13 each….quite the drop-off.

Green Bay over Jacksonville (15.5)- There’s nothing fun about betting on a line this big, anything could go wrong really. We’re still unsure of whether or not Gabbert will play….wait that matters? We know MJD isn’t playing and that’s all we really need to know. This Jags offense is about to get all kinds of historically bad. Legend has it that one of their receivers was a college great with enough talent to be a top-three pick (sorry Justin Blackmon). Meanwhile Aaron Rodgers just threw his way back to the top of the MVP favorite list. Don’t look now but number 12 now has nearly a 70%, 2000 yards, and 19 touchdowns to only four picks. With a blowout win over Jacksonville, the Packers will move to 5-3 and back into playoff contention. We haven’t heard the last from the Pack.

Indy over Tennessee (-3.5)- Now I know we all think Chris Johnson is “back” but Kurt Warner could have ran for 100 yards on this soul-less Bills defense. I refuse to take a defense as bad as Tennessee’s to cover by four points. On the other side of the ball, this is a perfect opportunity for Luck to make up for that ugly Jets game and throw all over the league’s worst defense. Take Indy here, look for Luck to make it clear who’s number two in the South.

St. Louis over New England (-7)- I can’t stress this enough. I’M TAKING ST. LOUIS AGAINST THE SPREAD. I still think the Patriots win the game but the Pats haven’t done anything to prove they deserve this spread and the Rams have been frisky as a cat all year. I’m looking for St. Louis to stick in this one all the way and maybe, just maybe squeeze out an upset over this slightly vulnerable Pats team.

New York Jets over Miami(+2)- Somehow the Jets have recovered from the embarrassment against San Francisco to play three solid games in a row. I’m not saying they’re to be trusted yet but I think they’ll do to Tannehill what they did to Luck and Fitz. This defense is solid and if the offense puts out at least a decent performance and Sanchez doesn’t turn the ball over too much, they’ll beat any average to bad team. I’m not downplaying the Dolphins, but I think the Jets will take care of them at home.

Atlanta over Philadelphia (-2) - In what psychotic universe should a 3-3 turnover machine be favored against the league’s only undefeated team? I’m not saying there’s no way the Eagles win but how about some respect for the Falcons? Bold predictions here: Eagles run the ball less than 25 times, we see two or more turnovers and then Matt Ryan does Matt Ryan stuff late in the game. Come on Vegas!

Washington over Pittsburgh (-4.5) - I’m not one of those guys who think Pittsburg is done or that their era is “over.” However, I am one of those guys that believe Robert Griffin is one of the greatest spread killers in NFL history. There’s no way an unproven Steelers team should be giving 4.5 points in this game. I believe the Steelers will win the game but look for the RG3’s to cover.

Kansas City over Oakland (-1)- CARSON PALMER BRADY QUINN! CAN YOU FEEL THE EXCITEMENT?!?! In a battle of quarterbacks who were on top of the world in 2005, Brady Quinn is a little less awful and has to drink a little less Jack Daniels to fall asleep Sunday night.

New York Giants over Dallas (+2.5) - Eli Manning’s 4^th quarter ability against the Cowboy’s 4^th quarter ability? Ha. Seriously though, are we sure the Cowboys are good? They haven’t impressed at all since their week one win and Romo just hasn’t looked like himself. Pretty safe pick to take the Giants here.

Denver over New Orleans (+6) - Is there some kind of law against Denver playing in the afternoon? I doubt they care though; Manning is possibly the best night time quarterback in NFL history. I’m sure they’d prefer to play game at night. I think this is the game where Denver is recognized as a contender and New Orleans begins to look toward next season. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a blowout here.

San Francisco over Arizona (+6.5)- Despite their winning record, Arizona has looked downright awful these past few weeks. The Cardinals offense is atrocious and America’s sympathy for Larry Fitzgerald is at an all- time high. Harbaugh and the Niners just don’t lose games like this.

Well that’s your week 8 preview. Enjoy your Bills-free Sunday!

World Series Preview

The 109th Fall Classic begins tomorrow night and as a baseball fan I am both excited and slightly disappointed. The Tigers and Giants was really the match-up no one was looking for, especially me. Despite both likely league MVPs (deserving or not) being involved in the series, there really isn't much buzz. America is always enticed by a young up and coming team such as Washington or Cincinnati but both were ousted in the first round. America would also have like the seen a Cindarella type team but the A's and O's both fell in the first round. The casual fan would of course like to see an old familiar, large market team with multiple recognizable players. Alas, the Cardinals and Yankees blew their shot at the pennant. But the series is not a total loss, there are a few bright spots for America to look forward to.

Star Power: As I mentioned before, both likely MVP's will face off in this series. Although we all know I'm not a supporter of Miguel Cabrera, he is one of the game's best power hitters and should play foil to the incredible Buster Posey. While neither of the two have shined in the post season thus far, both should be a force to be reckoned with on the game's biggest stage. Prince Fielder and Cabrera gives the Tigers the league's best power hitting duo but that's not who i'm most excited to see from this Tigers offense. Former Yankee prospect Austin Jackson has been tearing the cover off the ball and now has the chance to be introduced to mainstream America. Casual baseball fans, meet the guy who could cost Brian Cashman his job(kidding....I hope....), Jackson is maturing into one of the game's best young players.

From a pitching standpoint there is also a lot of star power. There are very few people in baseball who I'd want more on the mound if I needed to win one game than Matt Cain. As evidenced by his June perfect game and Game 7 NLCS shutout, Cain is pretty darn good. Vogelsong and Baumgardener are also more than solid starting pitchers and Barry Zito finally has to chance to be something other than a punchline. On the other hand, Tigers starting pitching is coming off an incredible ALCS (it was the pitching, not Yankee hiting...I swear...they'll be fine....shut up!). Porcello is more than servicable, Scherzer is a strike out maching and Fister is as good as any number two guy out there. Then there is the matter of that other fella, what's his name...oh right Mr. Verlander.
We are currently in the Justin Verlander era of baseball. He's coming off an MVP season and will likely win his second Cy Young in as many years. At the age of 29 he's starting his second World Series and is a few transcendent performances away from completely dominating baseball talk for an entire offseason.

Randomness: Ah, the best part of baseball, the complete random shit that happens in October. Let's take a look at the last few fall classics shall we? Hideki Matsui won series MVP in 2009 despite missing three games of the series due to his inability to field. In 2010 the decrepid Edgar Renteria took home the honors and was promptly cut in the offseason, never to be seen or heard from again. In 2011 David Freese came out of no-where to capture the attention of the nation and earned MVP honors. So who will win the honors this year? Cast offs like Marco Scutaro or Aubrey Huff? Sneaky good guys like Jhonny Peralta or Doug Fister? Jose Valverde? (haha it's funny because he's fat).
Another note on randomness...in 2010 the Giants only made the playoffs after a major collapse by division leading San Diego. In 2011 the Cardinals only did so after a collapse by the Braves. This pattern doesn't help us at all this year as neither team looked like they would make the playoffs. However, it really did take a Chicago collapse for these Tigers to make the playoffs so that's an advantage. And on the random nights of October, this may be the only advantage you need. Tigers in 7.

Week 7 NFL Recap/Bills thoughts

San Francisco 49ers over Seattle Seahawks

Looking at this game and you and you really get a feel for how good both teams are.  Both teams have pretty strong running attacks, with weaknesses at the quarterback position and two of the best defenses in football.  The 49ers are probably the better of the two teams, especially at home, while the Seahawks put forth a solid effort on the road.  This is going to be an intense race to win the division right up until the very end of the season and should be an intriguing one to follow.

Tennessee Titans over Buffalo Bills

I’m sorry if there are any Titans fans reading this, but I would like to take this opportunity to rant about the Buffalo Bills as a franchise.  Embrace mediocrity that really should be the Bills slogan, for a team that hasn’t managed to make the playoffs since 1999 and somehow hasn’t had the worst record in the league once.  This happens because of an attempt every year to “make the playoffs” and more importantly sell tickets and not actually build a team.  Where this really falls though is on Ralph Wilson, he goes cheap on coaches and GMs, getting mediocre level people and then gets mediocre results.  The Bills’ Head Coaches since Marv Levy’s retirement in order:

·         Wade Phillips, as a Head Coach considered a laughing stock, but great coordinator who had the most success by far of any Bills Head Coach and was fired for the wrong reasons

·         Greg Williams, well the leader of a bounty scandal now, but the hire did make some sense, but without question his teams underachieved

·         Mike Mularkey, probably got a worse rap then he deserved, pretty good first season followed by a disaster of a 2^nd season, but not a terrible hire

·         Dick Jauron, his first 3 seasons with the team he went 7-9, a record that really defines the franchise, a bad retread who had one good season before, and honestly was the worst coach I’ve ever seen even if his record doesn’t back that up

·         Perry Fewell (interim), really liked the job he did as an interim and considering the alternative would have given him a chance

·         Chan Gailey, another strikingly mediocre retread Head Coach who hasn’t proven to have any success in the league

Now the team’s GMs since John Butler left the team

·         Tom Donahue, lost a power struggle to Bill Cowher in Pittsburgh but in general as GM of the Bills go, was probably on the surface our best hire even though in Buffalo he didn’t have any idea how to build a team

·         Marv Levy, I would say the biggest joke but that comes next.  They hired an old former head coach with no management experience to be GM.  It is kind of sad actually that a team would do something like that just for some good publicity.

·         No GM, yes the team seriously functioned without a GM.  Ralph was so cheap that he actually refused to hire a general manager to run the team, and shockingly the team wasn’t successful

·         Buddy Nix, a 70 year old who somehow up to that point had never been impressive enough to get a GM job

 The franchise is a complete joke and this falls squarely on the shoulders of Ralph Wilson.  As owner of an NFL team before he sells any tickets or merchandise he is guaranteed to be profitable.  Also you would think a 94 year old man would be less stingy with his money.  Really to if you want to be cheap at least be creative and hire a Mike Leach like figure who will take an entirely new approach to the job instead of hiring a bunch of unsuccessful retreads.  Well those are my thoughts on the Bills now onto the rest of the league.

Indianapolis Colts over Cleveland Browns

On the strength of a solid defensive performance and running attack the Colts were able to escape with victory over the Browns.  While moving to 3-3 they are putting themselves into position to make a run to the playoffs in an extremely weak AFC.  Playing in the worst division in football certainly helps as Andrew Luck tries to lead his team on a surprising playoff run.  The Browns on the other hand find a way to lose another close game.  Every week this team is in games and if you are looking for a team to win a few surprise games at the season’s end this could definitely be it.

Houston Texans over Baltimore Ravens

Well that game about as well as it possibly could for the Texans.  After last week’s loss to the Packers the Texans reasserted themselves this week as without question the best team in the AFC.  They dominated in every single facet of the football game and really showed the weaknesses of this injury plagued Ravens team.  The Ravens are without question a significantly different team than the one that started the year and are going to have to rely on their offense to win them games.  If Sunday’s game is any indication then that might turn out to be a serious problem.

Green Bay Packers over St. Louis Rams

The team moved to above .500 and one thing is quite evident even from that, they are entirely dependent on Aaron Rodgers to win games.  Rodgers was sensational again this week but other components of the team struggled.  Rodgers was able to lead the Packers to a 15-1 record last year in a similar situation but having your entire team dependent on the strength of one player is a recipe for disaster.  Rodgers has the ability to do it, but any injuries or even a slight slippage in play could prove deadly, especially after the team’s slow start.  The Rams played hard in a good effort against one of the toughest teams to play in all of football.

New Orleans Saints over Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Saints were able to escape in a high scoring game that came down to the last play.  The Saints won their 2^nd game in a row and put on an offense showcase in the process, while letting the Bucs do the same.  The Saints may have won but the victory wasn’t that all together impressive and the team just doesn’t look that strong going forward.  They might have the worst defense in football and while their offense is still prolific is probably won’t end up meaning that much.  The Bucs lost another close game that they were right in as they move their record to 2-4 on the season.  This team is without question better than last year’s unit but it just hasn’t come to fruition on their record yet.

Dallas Cowboys over Carolina Panthers

The Cowboys were able to win an important victory over Carolina in the tight football game that probably features two of the worst coaches in football.  Both defenses played fairly well but Tony Romo was able to make a few more plays to lead the team to victory.  The Cowboys moved to 3-3 in a game that basically constituted keeping their playoff hopes alive.  The Panthers fell to 1-5 and rightfully so had their GM who built this team and the 1-15 team that landed Cam Newton fired.  A refreshing sign that teams do fire people if they aren’t able to meet expectations. 

Minnesota Vikings over Arizona Cardinals

The Vikings were able to get a win to prove what one of the early NFC surprising hot starters was legit.  The team moves to 5-2 and without question is right in the thick of the playoff discussion.  They have a solid defense, Adrian Peterson, and a quarterback who hopefully doesn’t lose them games.  The team will be an intriguing one to watch as the season progresses.  The Cardinals lost their 3^rd straight game and seem to be regressing toward who every thought they were before the season.  The offensive line literally can’t block anybody and every week the team is a threat to get sacked double digit times.  The Cardinals defense is still good but the play of the quarterback and offensive line will probably stop the team from progressing.

New York Giants over Washington Redskins

The Giants won a close game because Eli Manning is the most ridiculous quarterback in all of football who seems to throw a huge pass whenever the team needs it.  He has been arguably the best quarterback in football this season and seems to only be improving from his play from last year.  The Giants are an inconsistent bunch, but the team is built for the post season and even though like every year they will probably “quit on Tom Coughlin” toward the end of the season, if they make the playoffs they are one of the favorites.  The Redskins even though they lost really can’t help but being encouraged by the game.  RGIII is one of the best young players in all of football and basically seems to be Michael Vick 2.0.  He seems to have all of Vick’s strength while not having his over willingness to run and is less prone to turnovers.  The Redskins gave up a lot to draft him, but right now you can’t help but think that he is a total steal.

Oakland Raiders over Jacksonville Jaguars

Well the Jaguars were the worse team Sunday and thus were able to come out of the game with a loss in a matchup between two of the worst teams in all of football.  While the Raiders kept turning the ball over, the Jaguars major problem was not being able to move the ball at all after Chad Henne came in.  There isn’t much to say about these two teams going forward except that both are terrible and a win in the long run probably only hurts both teams.

New England Patriots over New York Jets

While the Patriots escape withed the win I think the win might have indicated more about the team then some of the previous losses.  The team quite simply isn’t the Patriots juggernaut we are used to seeing and is really the 2^nd best team in the AFC by default.  Every other team has serious flaws, but they are included in those teams.  They might have the worst pass defense in football and can make any quarterback, no matter how bad look like an MVP.  While they escaped with a tight victory the game really exposed the Patriots because this is the type of game that they you came to expect the Patriots to win in a blowout.  The Jets fought hard again this week and to their credit seems to keep fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive.  They have had multiple opportunities to quit on the season but they keep hanging in there and playing hard each week.

Pittsburgh Steelers over Cincinnati Bengals

The Steelers came out of Sunday with a victory as they got their record to .500 with a solid win over the Bengals.  This is definitely not one of the best Steelers teams in recent memory but it should be good enough to make the playoffs and considering the general state of the AFC if they do that than anything is possible.  They have a talented defense with one of the best quarterbacks in football along with a great receiving core.  This team can hang with anybody and each week is going to be quite dangerous to play.  The Bengals lost their 3^rd in a row and seem to be fading from the playoff race fast.  The team can still get back into it but with consistently weak play from the quarterback position that could prove to be quite difficult.

Chicago Bears over Detroit Lions

Well the Bears won again on Monday Night and to me at least totally presented their case as the best team in football.  They won 13-7, with a late score against that didn’t mean anything for the Lions and seem to have the best defense in football.  They force turnovers, get stops, and in many weeks score points for the Bears, an extremely dangerous unit.  The team might have only scored 13 points on Monday, but Jay Cutler was playing obviously injured, should have answered questions about his toughness, and that severely hampered his play.  The offense played good enough for the victory which most weeks probably isn’t going to need to be all that good.  The Lions lost again to move to 2-4 on the season in a year where they just can’t seem to find last year’s magic offensively.  The team is overly reliant on Calvin Johnson and when you play an elite unit like the Bears that makes your offense quite stoppable.  In a tough NFC, being 2-4 already makes it extremely unlikely that last years’ wild card team will be able to make it in their next season.

Stay Hungry My Friends

NFL Week 7 Picks

San Francisco 49ers (-7.5) over Seattle Seahawks

Ok I understand this pick was wrong but I think this is a good time to go over one of the craziest subtle happenings in the gambling world.  The 49ers were up by 7 with 43 seconds the Seahawks had the ball on their own 4 with 43 seconds left, making the game essentially over.  The Seahawks gained 16 yards on the next pass, short of the 1^st down, but were called for a chop block in their own endzone, resulting in a safety.  The 49ers seemingly were going to go up 9 and seal the game, and mean that the 49ers would cover the spread.  However to absolutely ensure the game they declined the penalty so they could kneel the ball and not have to worry about a fumble.  So the 49ers won the game, but the decision had widespread implications in the gambling world, showing how playing football and betting on football don’t always match.

Buffalo Bills (-3.5) over Tennessee Titans

Well I’m going back to picking the Bills this week because I think so far the Bills have shown this season that they can in fact beat bad teams.  Without question the Titans are a bad team and really when it comes down to it there is a chance that they are the worst in all of football.  I know right now they have 2 wins but they have been pretty lucky in both games and I don’t think that they are going to be able to sustain victories like that throughout the season.  So hopefully the Bills win led by their talented running backs and their hopefully resurgent defensive line.

Indianapolis Colts (-2.5) over Cleveland Browns

This line is saying that the Browns are a slightly better team the Colts.  Look I like the Browns and think that they are a little underrated.  However I think across the board the talent difference between Cleveland and Indy is pretty close, but Indy has an advantage at the quarterback position. I think Luck rebounds from his worst performance as a pro to have a big week and lead the Colts to victory.

St. Louis Rams (+5.5) over Green Bay Packers

The Rams this season have proven one thing that at home this team is very difficult to play.  They are 3-0 at home right now with wins against, the dangerous Washington Redskins, the at the time undefeated Arizona Cardinals, and the pretty good Seattle Seahawks.  I would be shocked if St. Louis at least didn’t make this game close, especially considering the only game they haven’t been close in is a loss to what might be the best team in football, the Chicago Bears.

Minnesota Vikings (-6) over Arizona Cardinals

Well the matchup between the NFC’s surprising upstart teams.  I like the Vikings this week because to me the Cardinals are on the road to a long losing skid.  Their offensive line has been horrific all year and when matched up against a front 4 like the Vikings that could be a serious problem.  I that for the most part it will be a low scoring affair but in the 4^th quarter the Vikings break it open to get the lead into double digits.

Washington Redskins (+5.5) over New York Giants

Well I think there are a couple of distinct things about the Giants, they are better on the road than at home, and right when you think you have them figured out, they play the opposite.  This week seems to be set up for that perfectly and I think this week the Giants fall prey to RGIII and his dynamic abilities.  My guess is after last week’s dominating victory that the Giants will play a little worse this week and that sets up perfectly for an upset.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+2) over New Orleans Saints

This line doesn’t make sense to me.  The Bucs are at home, have a better record and a better point differential and yet are underdogs to the Saints.  At this point the Saints are just coasting off reputation as there is no way at this point they should be favored on the road.  They probably have the worst defense in all of football and while Josh Freeman has struggled at points this season he probably has an easy week coming up.  The Bucs are better than most people realize, and I think that this week that comes to fruition when the Bucs move to 3-3 with a pretty easy win over the Saints.

Dallas Cowboys (-2) over Carolina Panthers

This week pretty much amounts to a must win game for the Cowboys and I think they pull it off.  This team is 2-3 right now but has played an extremely difficult schedule and to me they should be able to pull off the victory.  They are playing a Panthers team that doesn’t utilize its biggest strength, their running game, nearly enough and if they aren’t doing that aren’t that difficult a team to play.

Houston Texans (-6.5) over Baltimore Ravens

Well the Texans lost their first game this season, but I think this week they make a statement and go forward as the top team in the AFC.  The Ravens at this point are a little lucky to have the record they do and considering all the injuries they have on defense this would be a good point for them to regress a little.  I can’t see the Ravens slowing down the Texans considering at this point every top level defensive player on the Ravens is at least playing injured, and some of their top players are out for the season.  The Texans while not perfect should be able to manage fine this week as they run the ball all over the depleted Ravens defense.  Also J.J. Watt will probably be seeking vengeance after the defensive performance the team put forth last week. 

Oakland Raiders (-4) over Jacksonville Jaguars

Well an interesting matchup of what are two of the worst teams in all of football.  This game is probably going to come down to if either running back is able to make a few big plays and which quarterback makes fewer mistakes.  Shockingly I’m going to go with Carson Palmer and the Raiders, but that might just be because I don’t have it in me to take Blaine Gabbert in a road game.

New England Patriots (-10.5) over New York Jets

This spread is without question at least 3 points too high right now.  The problem is that even though this is the case I can’t talk myself into taking the Jets this week.  The Jets quite frankly are a flawed team that each and every week I am going to have to talk myself into finding a case for.  However, I think Brady comes back with a vengeance this week and takes advantage of the lack of Darrell Revis in the secondary and the Patriots win with a big aerial attack.

Pittsburgh Steelers (-1.5) over Cincinnati Bengals

I don’t know if this is me more believing in the Steelers or not believing in the Bengals but I am going with the Steelers this week.  I think the last two weeks have shown one thing about the Bengals, they aren’t that good.  However, the problem might be that the Steelers aren’t that good either.  I think Big Ben and the defense rise up to the challenge this week with a couple of big plays in the passing game and a few turnovers to pull out a victory this week.

Chicago Bears (-6.5) over Detroit Lions

Well this past week sealed the deal with the Bears, that team is awesome.  Playing at home against a team that offensively is kind of one dimensional, I couldn’t love this pick any more.  I’m sure they will double cover Calvin Johnson and with a pass rush that can generate pressure without blitzing I don’t know how the Lions counter.  Jay Cutler should be able to make enough plays in the passing game to score a few touchdowns, and the funny thing is with the kind of defense the Bears play, he might not have to. 

Stay Hungry My Friends

Why the NHL Lockout Must End Now

(This is an extended version of my Extra Point that ran in the Bona Venture two weeks ago. I felt this would be a good time to add to it and run it on the Blog with the labor deal impending and all.)

 

As Yogi Berra once said “it’s déjà vu all over again!” For the third time in 18 months North American sports fans face the possibility of a lockout. This time the perpetrators are the players and owners of the National Hockey League.

 

Every time a labor dispute occurs in professional sports, sports fans hear the same complaints. The talking heads remind us how millionaires and billionaires are fighting over money, and it’s the fans who really get hurt. For the most part, the pundits have been right. The NBA and NFL walked away from their respective lockouts stronger than ever before. However this may not be the case for the NHL.

 

For the past 20 or so years, the NHL’s status as a major sport in America has been debated. The average sport fan greeted the last lockout with yawns and shrugs.The NHL walked out of that one as weak and unpopular as ever. And their last image to the public was Todd Berttuzzi paralyzing Steve Moore with a blow to the back of the head.

 

The past seven seasons worked the NHL into mainstream popularity, and this season should have been the apex. Between 2006-2011, ratings for the Stanley Cup Finals tripled and game 7 of the 2011 finals was the highest rated hockey game in America since 1973, according to CBC Sports. Ratings dipped a bit in 2012, but important things still took place.

 

The Los Angeles Kings shocked the world by winning their first Stanley Cup and simultaneously making hockey important in the second largest market in the country. Meanwhile, the New York Rangers reached their first conference finals in over a decade, and added the top offseason prize (Rick Nash) to their squad. This ensured America’s two largest markets would be invested in the season. Both teams have some of the game’s most recognizable players in a league starved for stars.

But these were not the only developments in the league’s favor.

 

Two highly touted free agents, Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, signed in Minnesota, ensuring one of America’s most loyal hockey markets would recieve plenty of press. Meanwhile, teams that consistently win and have recognizable stars emerged, giving the league legitimacy among casual fans.Teams like Boston and Philadelphia made their bones with a tough, physical style that forces them to either be loved or hated. All the while teams like Pittsburgh and Vancouver garnered popularity with high-profile finesse stars. Even Carolina is putting together a pretty fierce scoring attack. Also, potential stars are emerging all over the league. Shea Weber and Drew Doughty have established themselves as the league’s best young defensemen while Zdeno Chara isn't quite done yet and Erik Karlson will surely be a force to be reckoned with. Jonathan Quick and Pekka Rinne seem to be the franchise goalies of the future and Henrk Lundqvist, Tuuka Rask and Carey Price won't be ignored. The league has an all-time great player/villain (Sidney Crosby), a Pippen to Jordan sidekick (Evgeni Malkin), the alleged lazy talent (Alex Ovechkin), evil twins (Sedins) and of course the young gun/best natural scorer (Steven Stamkos.)

 

The 2012-2013 campaign could be one when even more stars such as Tyler Seguin, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or John Tavares make names for themselves. It could be a year where the largest markets in the country begin to care about hockey as much as other professional sports.

It could be a year where a tortured fan base like Minnesota, Toronto or Buffalo finally hoists Lord Stanley’s Cup. It could be a year where the NHL breaks through to mainstream America and asserts itself as the fourth major sport. Instead, because of some labor dispute, 2012-2013 likely will be without hockey.

 

So, who’s really getting hurt here? Sure the fans will miss the games and the players will miss their paychecks for a short while. But the real loser of this labor dispute will be the legacy of the NHL.

Week 6 NFL Recap

Week 6 NFL Recap

Tennessee Titans over Pittsburgh Steelers

This game proved that the Steelers this season just aren’t that good.  They are plagued by injuries on offense and defense and I don’t think Big Ben is good enough to overcome the other weaknesses on the team.  This season they have no running game with the laundry list of injuries to the running backs and offensive line.  They might be able to overcome a weak division and a weak AFC to be a playoff team but unless they get substantially healthier by playoff time.  The Titans on the other hand just really aren’t that good.  Their defense still isn’t that good while their offense is an inconsistent unit.  Chris Johnson is as inconsistent a player that there is a really can’t be relied on.  The Titans might have 2 wins right now but they might not have another win for a long time. 

Baltimore Ravens over Dallas Cowboys

The Ravens won their 4^th game in a row but the game probably ended up hurting them more then helping them.  They lost star defensive back Lardarious Webb and linebacker Ray Lewis for the season.  This defense just isn’t going to be that good with those injuries along with injuries to Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs.  They seem pretty lucky to be 5-1 as is, winning their last 4 by 1 score, and seem like they may be due for a second half slump.  The Cowboys on the other hand without any question should have won that game.  They outgained the Ravens, substantially, were able to move the ball up and down the field without any problems, and shutdown the Ravens offense pretty easily.  Some special teams plays and coaching plays cost the Cowboys the game, something that should surprise nobody that has watched the Cowboys play the last few years.

Miami Dolphins over St. Louis Rams

The Dolphins this year continue to make their attempt to be the shocking team that made the playoffs.  Their defense is solid across the board and their offense is much better than anyone expected.  They have gotten a better than expected performance from Ryan Tannehill and every game no matter who they play seem to be competitive.  The Rams are another team that has been significantly better than people assumed.  They have played competitively in every game except for against the Bears, who might be the best team in football, and seem to be fighting for a playoff spot.  The super strong NFC seems to be increasingly competitive as the Rams seem to be a part of that.

Detroit Lions over Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles lost again because of you guessed it… TURNOVERS!  Michael Vick threw 2 picks and they lost another fumble.  This team has a lot of talent, but they are so inconsistent and turnover prone that this is quite unrealistic.  They haven’t shown an ability to hold onto the ball during the season and seriously I highly doubt that this will change as the season progresses.  The Lions won their 2^nd game as they try to work their way back into the playoff race.  The team made the playoffs last season but this season seems like they will struggle to get there.  The NFC is significantly stronger this year and their slow start will probably cost them any chance of making the postseason.  The Lions still have a dynamic offense and even if they miss the playoffs are a dangerous team each week.

Cleveland Browns over Cincinnati Bengals

The Browns were able to get their first win of the season against a Cincinnati Bengals team that seems to be showing its true colors.  They have a total stud in A.J. Green but I am not sold on Andy Dalton yet and the running game is far from elite.  The Bengals seem to be regressing toward the team I thought they were, as they have lost 2 in a row and seem to be far from a playoff team right now.  The Browns on the other hand finally got a win which they seemed quite due to get.  They put forth a solid effort defensively and offensively to get their first victory of the season.  If the team is going to win with Brandon Weeden then the team will have to improve soon, he is 28 years old, but for now they have something to build on. 

New York Jets over Indianapolis Colts

The Jets proved to be there inconsistent selves again in their win over the Colts.  They won because of one reason, a reason that happens to plague many teams… TURNOVERS!  The Jets were able to force Andrew Luck into turning the ball over with a wave of exotic blitzes and schemes.  They were able to confuse Andrew Luck as he followed up his best game of his career with a rough performance.  The Jets were able to stay in the thick of the hunt with their victory as the team hopes to stay competitive.  The Colts got a tough loss, after an emotional letdown game after Luck’s worse game of his career.  Growing pains like this gave to be expected by a rookie but they are tough to see coming with Andrew Luck.  Both these teams could fight for a playoff spot and we will see how both of these teams’ seasons progress.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Kansas City Chiefs

This victory for the Bucs was a huge win over a bad team.  The Bucs were able to dominate the Chiefs with their running game, passing game and defense.  They dominated the Chiefs in all of facets of the game and were able to win by a huge margin.  The Bucs, one of my sleeper teams for this season, may find the role tough to accomplish with the increasingly competitive NFC.  However the team isn’t terrible, they haven’t been blown out this year, and with a few victories could prove themselves to be quite dangerous.  The Chiefs on the other hand again presented their case as the worst team in all of football.  The offense is seemingly dependent almost exclusively on Jamaal Charles and if he isn’t producing then the team is just terrible.  I see them as the worst team in the NFL and they seem to be making the case each week that it is the case. 

Atlanta Falcons over Oakland Raiders

The Falcons escape again and remain the only undefeated team in all of football.  The team seemingly did everything wrong this week, their 3^rd straight close game against a team that is currently .500 or worst, and yet still escaped with a victory.  Their method of winning these games might not be entirely sustainable but right now they have to be the favorites to be the 1^st seed in the NFC.  For a team that built itself around a dome offense, getting home playoff games in a dome.  They may not be great but Matt Ryan has been impressive late in games and they are talented enough.  The Raiders lost their 4^th game this year and again look like one of the worst teams in football.  The Carson Palmer trade looks like a total disaster, as the team seems to have regressed from all the progress they had made as a franchise.   

Seattle Seahawks over New England Patriots

The Seahawks improved on their already impressive home resume beating the New England Patriots and moving to 4-2 over on the season.  They are playing in an increasingly impressive NFC West and every win a team can get is going to be crucial.  They did it through big plays on the offensive and defensive sides of the football.  After trailing 23-10 midway through the 4^th quarter Seattle was able to generate a great comeback against the Seahawks.   They were able to intercept Tom Brady twice and Russell Wilson was able to generate huge plays throwing the football down the field as he led the team to the upset.  The Patriots though just aren’t the juggernaut that I expected them to be and are used to seeing.   The team offensively while still an elite an extremely dangerous unit is without question entirely stoppable.  Brady isn’t as sharp as he once was and the offensive line doesn’t give him as much time as he used to have.  Defensively, especially in the secondary the team is notably susceptible.  They can’t cover anybody and any good offense should be able to score on the team.  All that said they are still one of the favorites in the AFC, and I fully expect them to go on a long winning streak soon and make us forget about this slow start.

Buffalo Bills over Arizona Cardinals

The Bills won a game!  I was ready to write this team off and hope for as good a pick as possible, but now who knows.  The team has looked like the worst team in football in there 3 losses, but in their 3 wins handled the 2 bad teams they played and beat an above .500 team on the road.  The defense looked good against what is probably the worst offensive line in football, and the offense, especially the running game played pretty well.  The biggest problem in that game was toward the end it seemed like Chan Gailey did everything in his power to stop the team from winning.  From the wildcat interception, to punting in OT, on the Cardinals 35 yard line, really it was an embarrassing coaching effort.   For the Cardinals after these past two weeks it is beginning to look like they are taking on the role of being this year’s Bills.  The offense is bad at quarterback, running back, and offensive line with their only true playmaker being Larry Fitzgerald.  While the defense might be able to carry them to some wins this year I don’t think an offense this bad can make the playoffs.

Washington Redskins over Minnesota Vikings

RGIII is really really really good at football and will be a top quarterback in this league for years to come.  He is an electric runner who can score on any play, as shown in this awesome run, and is a pretty good passer in his own right.  The Redskins have their flaws as a football team, and I don’t expect them to be a playoff team this year, but for once one of their crazy gambles appears to have paid off.  The Vikings weren’t able to complete the comeback because of the RGIII run, but really it’s an understandable loss for the team.  The team had been playing so far over its head that at some point it was bound to lose a game against an inferior team like the Redskins.  I still think they will complete for a playoff spot with a top notch defensive line, Christian Ponder, and the somehow playing great Adrian Peterson.

New York Giants over San Francisco 49ers

The Giants won this week by beating the 49ers at their own game.  They shut down the run, ran the ball effectively, forced the opposing quarterback into interceptions and had their quarterback manage the game to victory.  The Giants got a statement victory with that win and are going to be a real force to be reckoned with as the season progresses.  This Giants team is definitely improved over last year’s Super Bowl winning team and Eli Manning is putting himself in the middle of the MVP conversation.  The 49ers seem to have affirmed one thing about the team, they cannot play from behind.  Their team is designed with scoring first in mind and if they have to catch up to a team then they are going to struggle.  The team is going to look like the best team in football when it has the lead and when it doesn’t it is going to look fairly mediocre.

Green Bay Packers over Houston Texans

For the 1^st time this season Aaron Rodgers looked like the MVP that we all came to expect from last season and because of that the Packers were able to beat the very good Texans team fairly easily.  When Rodgers is playing well then the Packers are almost unstoppable with his scrambling abilities and his ability to make plays down field the offense becomes almost impossible to stop.  The team is going to be dependent on Rodgers the entire season and if he plays like an MVP then the Packers are an elite team and if he does not then the team is far from that.  The Texans got their 1^st loss of the season in kind of a shocking manner.  The offense struggled throwing the ball and running the ball and the defense couldn’t slow down Rodgers at all.  I still expect them to be an elite team this season and probably the top seed in the AFC, but for the 1^st time this season you could see some holes in the team.

Denver Broncos over San Diego Chargers

The Broncos were able to win by double digits in a game that they trailed 24-0 at halftime, the short answer on how that happened, Peyton Manning is the Broncos quarterback and Norv Turner is the Chargers Head Coach.  Really though the Broncos just looked like the better team across the board with the Chargers scoring 17 points off turnovers before the Broncos could blink then once the Broncos got ahold of themselves they looked like the better team.  Peyton Manning just completely picked apart the Chargers in the 2^nd half and Phillip Rivers just looked horrible.  I would say Norv Turner should be fired after this performance, but he has had some many performances he should have been fired after that it would seem pointless.  The Broncos take control of the AFC West after this huge comeback victory as they schedule eases up for them a bit I would expect them to make a run at a top seed in the AFC.

Stay Hungry My Friends