A lot of thoughts on this past weekend of football, but I'm going to start with the present instead. Sitting here watching the pre-game for the first NFL football game in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina, I have a number of thoughts. There will be contrasts here, so bear with me, as I see many sides to this; after all, I am a moderate.
First, let me say that the emotion of the night for most everyone involved is quite genuine. I have no idea how they really feel except based on what I can see; what I see is people who are thankful to be alive and who seem to be looking to the future. I hope and pray that the future is brighter than the last year has been in many ways. However, the strength of many individuals in the area and the unity that has formed amongst the people is to be commended. Truly, at least that one positive has come about from all of the adversity. To me, that can be seen as part of God's will for those individuals and that region.
However, I have a hard time fully supporting the positive spin of this night. The region is still decimated, as has been covered. I do agree that the football game can be seen as a symbol of a return to normalcy, a beacon of hope, and a rallying point. I also commend ESPN for emphasizing, at least thus far, the need for further assistance in the area during its pregame coverage. What I do not support is this supposed "love for the Saints." Prior to Katrina, the Saints were in the news only as 1) a bad football team, 2) the team whose fans wore bags on their heads during games, & 3) the most likely franchise to be relocated. Support for professional sports in New Orleans is...um...poor. Which is obviously an understatement.
The Saints just blocked a punt for a touchdown. Wow. Amazing. That is really awesome, the Superdome is going nuts.
Anyway, when the Charlotte Hornets moved to New Orleans, my Dad and I laughed about how they had gone out of the frying pan into the fire. Why anyone would move an NBA team to a city that does not have solid support for its NFL team is beyond me. My point is that the Saints franchise may be seashells and balloons right now, but it certainly has not typically been the case. Maybe part of the hurricane's point was to help keep this team in New Orleans. Whatever the divine purpose, the positive spin of the franchise is almost comical. It really took a hurricane to save this team, at least for now.
For more, go to www.chrischase.com. This guy, a Wake Forest grad, has a widely-read blog that is witty and opinionated. He beat me to some of my thoughts, and is a good writer, so check it out. In fact, check out his blog often, it's typically good stuff.
A few more thoughts on this game. The pregame show featuring Green Day and U2 was well done. A New Orleans flavor and helping promote a good cause created by the two bands. Definitely two of my favorite rock bands, Green Day for its fast songs, creativity, and drumming, and U2 for just being awesome.
Good to see Robin Roberts given the task of emceeing the pregame event. It's good to see a woman given the opportunity and no woman is more deserving than Roberts. She has long been the best female in the sportscasting profession in my opinion, as she is thorough, knowledgeable, and smooth on the air.
Kinda ironic that President George Bush Sr. was brought in to do the coin toss, seeing as Ray Nagin, the mayor of New Orleans, has been so critical of his son's policy as President.
I found ESPN's "black church" intro between the concert and the MNF crew taking over to be a little tasteless. Seemed to patronize black churches, football, and the events of the past year. I'm sure it was not intended that way, and was creative...but it was still the wrong creative decision in my opinion.
How do you give a pregame pep talk if you're the coach of the Falcons? "All right , who cares about the stupid hurricane, this is football, let's go kick their &*#$@^! !@$" or "Katrina wiped them out last year, now it's our turn to wipe them out this season"?? I mean, really, what do you say? You know the Saints will be more fired up than usual, and the crowd will be stoked as well. So how do you hype your own team up?
I think we should have seen this early season success coming for the Saints. Between the schedule and the fact that this season has to be easier on them than last year, it was too obvious. Yet, no one noticed it prior to now. So much for the experts and idiots like myself.
Moving on to the NFL weekend. Big, big, big win for Denver at New England. I picked Denver, probably because I was being stubborn since I picked the Broncos to win the Super Bowl. The Broncs really are a good football team and should be around most of the season. Their upcoming games with the Chargers should be fun.
Bigger win for the now 1-2 Panthers. John Kasay with an NFL record in winning the game for Carolina: first kicker in NFL history to make four field goals from 45+ yards in a game. Unfortunately, as most of you have heard by now, Bucs' quarterback Chris Simms had his spleen removed following the game. He got hurt, was bleeding internally, and did not know it, choosing to return to the game and try to help his team win. Never been the biggest Chris Simms fan, but that is gutsy. Literally.
Big news today is that Shaun Alexander, the reigning NFL MVP, has a broken bone in his foot and will miss 4-6 weeks. Maybe that Madden cover jinx is for real. I guess we will see how important Alexander really is to the success of the Seahawks' offense now.
On to college football and the teams I follow. Carolina apparently did not realize they had a game this weekend, so I will not comment other than to say this: John Bunting will not be fired this season. It costs the university too much money, and the recruiting class for next year is strong enough that the administration will not risk losing signees because of a coaching change. Also, keep in mind the schedule softens considerably as the year progresses for Carolina. Unless the team ends up 2-10 or so, Bunting is not really in trouble. Everyone should also note that Marvin Sanders, the Defensive Coordinator, a young, up-and-coming coach, and Frank Cignetti, the new Offensive Coordinator, each have committed to being at Carolina over other schools and should be kept around to be given time to recruit and implement their systems. Finally, keep in mind the goal of football at Carolina right now: make a bowl, stay out of trouble, graduate players, make money. That's it. Anything else is gravy. Bunting and his staff are capable of that.
The gf and I went to Big Al's, a local Blacksburg hot spot, Saturday night to enjoy some refreshments and watch football. Throughout the night, I was ripped for wearing a Notre Dame hat, as the Irish were getting drilled at Michigan St on national television. Needless to say, the Irish comeback was that much sweeter when you get to yell over a loud crowd when no one but you wants to see a team win. Almost as much fun as Carolina winning at Cameron Indoor...
Finally, Georgia had a nice comeback win at home over Colorado, a game that never should have been a tight game given the ineptitude of Colorado thus far. But, give the Buffs credit for coming to play between the hedges. Georgia is a team I generally pull for and prefer in the SEC, but more so recently given the plethora of Independence High School alumni who have gone on to play for the Dawgs. Robert Brannon, Mario Raley (Sr. WR), Mohamed Massaquoi (So. WR), and Joe Cox (RsFr QB). Joe Cox was the QB who came on in the fourth quarter Saturday in relief of "golden child" Matthew Stafford and did nothing other than go 10-13 for 153 yards and two TDs. Joe Cox is a winner, having not lost a game in which he appeared in since sometime prior to high school. My very biased note to UGA: start Joe Cox, he's better than you think. And, we have the same dentist.
Quick overall NCAA thoughts: I like this Florida team, they are legitimately good. Southern Cal is much more balanced than recent years, as the defense is quite good (as evidenced by them holding Arizona to 3 points this past weekend). I'm interested to see what Iowa can do with Ohio St in Iowa City this weekend. The atmosphere will be great. Hopefully the Hawkeyes can at least make it a competitive game. I still like Auburn as the best team, fyi. I'll go as far as to say the winner of Florida/Auburn will play for the national title.
I heard 311 on the radio today as background music on the local Blacksburg rock station. They did not play the song, just the instrumental intro while some stupid deejay talked. I have not heard 311 on the radio since moving here; hearing them used in this way just furthered my dislike of 105.3FM The Bear.
Enjoy the week. Big home game for VT this weekend, hosting Georgia Tech. Hokie Hokie High.
Loos-en up-my but-tons babe...
Monday, September 25, 2006
Monday, September 18, 2006
Football galore
It sure is nice to have cable again, as it has given me the opportunity to watch many a football game. College football is in full swing and the NFL is underway as well. First, looking at the college ranks.
"Separation Saturday" as so eloquently dubbed by ESPN and it's genius marketers (sarcasm) actually lived up to the hype. Thank you Auburn/LSU, Oregon/OU/officials, Tenn/Fla, FSU/Clemson and Carolina/Furman for helping make my Saturday worth watching.
Auburn vs LSU was my favorite game of the day. These two teams simply play another game than most other college teams, as the speed and hitting are unreal. Unlike FSU and Miami, I would wager that both teams are actually pretty good, offenses included. I would still contend that Auburn is the biggest challenger to Ohio St this season, although Auburn's schedule will make it much tougher for the Tigers to go undefeated. Somehow, a 7-3 ballgame held my attention, almost the same way a scoreless hockey game would. This is the time of the year I love the BCS. Yes, I said I love the BCS. Without the system, this game would matter only to see who gets the higher seed in the "playoffs" of college football; instead, with the BCS, the LSU/Auburn game most likely eliminated one team from the national title race. As many a coach would say, you can't win the national title in September, but you sure can lose it.
Moving to other games, the OU/Oregon ending has been criticized thoroughly by the mainstream media, so I will spare us the repetition. Obviously the officials made a questionable series of calls at best, but Oregon still made two or three huge plays to win the game, so props to the Ducks. Don't blame Oregon for taking advantage of the circumstances presented to them.
I was very glad to see Florida win. In my ideal world, now that Carolina and Notre Dame will probably not win the national title, I am hoping the Gators run the table. I have never been a Florida fan, but after Chris Leak graduated from the alma mater, Independence High School, and chose UF, I have to pull for him. Therefore, I want Chris to shut up the ridiculous Florida fans and win the Heisman Trophy and the national title. So it's not as much go Florida as it is go Chris Leak. Independence, by the way, continued its nation-leading high school football win streak of ninety five (?) straight games with a 21-20 victory over Vance High School in Charlotte after stopping a two-point conversion attempt on the game's final play. I think tarheelpwin almost had a heart attack. Go Big I.
On to Notre Dame, as the Irish came back down to earth this weekend, getting spanked by Michigan at home. Clearly overconfident and less athletic, Notre Dame made too many mistakes against a quality opponent and paid the price for it. Disappointing, yes, but not really that surprising. They will most likely lose again before the season is out, as I stand by the claim that ND is top ten good, but no where near numero uno.
Finally, Carolina won its first game of the season in convincing fashion...scrapping by I-AA Furman. Furman is a good I-AA team, yes; but any decent D-I team should defeat them rather easily, especially at home. Clearly, the Tar Heels are not a decent I-A team, period. Analysis from the game is not necessary; the offense played pretty well, the defense was horrid. Looking forward, I would not be at all shocked to see Carolina give Clemson or Miami a good game the next two weeks on the road. Clemson will be a little overconfident having won at Tallahassee and should have a natural letdown. Miami does not look capable of blowing anyone out right now, so hopefully the Heels can at least hang in there at the Orange Bowl.
Quick hits: West VA looked awesome for the first quarter against Maryland last Thursday, just amazing how fast that team is; Georgia and Virginia Tech are playing the same game right now. Both struggle at QB a little bit, but have amazing defenses. Neither will win the national title, but each is in good position to contend for league titles in the SEC & ACC respectively; Speaking of the ACC, way to drop the ball NC State and UVA, and so much for my "Florida St could be really good this year" prediction; Southern Cal is scary right now because they are so young, but so good. So much fun to watch; Louisville is really banged up with Brian Brohm going down in the huge win over Miami, but they are still mauling teams. Imagine if they were healthy. Trust me, their fans are imagining the same thing; TCU defeated Texas Tech Saturday, 12-3, in a game that was overshadowed by the other great games of the day. However, the game has BCS implications, as TCU is now clear to run the table and earn the non-BCS conference berth in the BCS. If that makes sense.
Moving on to the NFL...first, the bad news. The Panthers are 0-2 and have some crucial injury issues. Steve Smith, Ken Lucas, Shawn Williams, Dan Morgan, Travelle Wharton, etc. Weak offensive line play and bonehead decision-making/play-calling unraveled a sure victory this past Sunday at Minnesota. It's not panic time yet, but Carolina must regain it focus and confidence quickly or watch its pre-season hype crash and burn.
On the flip side, a number of teams are 2-0 that are not as talented as Carolina. What happens every year in the NFL is a few teams get off to a good start, wins a game or two they shouldn't, get a good vibe and chemistry going, and find themselves 6-2 or 5-3 at the halfway point, often taking advantage of weaker schedules. Then, one or two fall apart, while another team or two keeps the momentum and ends up in the playoffs. The year Baltimore won the Super Bowl, the Ravens did this. Atlanta when they eventually lost to Denver in the Super Bowl did this. Chicago has done it twice in the last six years or so. This year, Minnesota, New Orleans, Baltimore, San Diego, and Atlanta are five teams who missed the playoffs last year and are currently 2-0. Minnesota has already beaten two teams with more talent and seem to be gaining confidence and buying into new Head Coach Brad Childress' system. New Orleans has defeated two poor teams (Cleveland and Green Bay; so much for my "Cleveland is a sleeper" theory) but is generating excitement nonetheless. Baltimore looks to be legit, dominating Tampa Bay (whose offense has looked inept) on the road, then rolling over the hapless Raiders in the home opener. San Diego and Atlanta both narrowly missed the playoffs last season and were expected by many to bounce back. They are two of the most complete-looking teams at this early juncture of the season. The point of this discussion is to keep an eye on these teams over the next few weeks to see if one or two can develop into quality playoff teams as the season progresses.
I've had enough. I'm typing as I watch Monday Night Football (did you know it moved to ESPN? I had no clue. Why didn't ESPN publicize this? Brilliant marketing again, sarcasm again). As I pointed out to Gramps in our usual Monday night IM chat, it seems like Auburn and LSU changed jerseys and decided to dress up as Jacksonville and Pittsburgh and stage a rematch of their low-scoring, hard-hitting affair from Saturday afternoon. This game is intense right now, a big-time game for this early in the season.
Do ya chain hang low?
(I'm afraid the white people radio stations are quickly ruining this song, as I have heard it far too often and once witnessed a sorority girl singing it...sort of). Therefore, this week's lyric...taking it back a lil bit...
Motown Philly back again...doin' a little east coast swaaang.
Keep it real ya'll.
"Separation Saturday" as so eloquently dubbed by ESPN and it's genius marketers (sarcasm) actually lived up to the hype. Thank you Auburn/LSU, Oregon/OU/officials, Tenn/Fla, FSU/Clemson and Carolina/Furman for helping make my Saturday worth watching.
Auburn vs LSU was my favorite game of the day. These two teams simply play another game than most other college teams, as the speed and hitting are unreal. Unlike FSU and Miami, I would wager that both teams are actually pretty good, offenses included. I would still contend that Auburn is the biggest challenger to Ohio St this season, although Auburn's schedule will make it much tougher for the Tigers to go undefeated. Somehow, a 7-3 ballgame held my attention, almost the same way a scoreless hockey game would. This is the time of the year I love the BCS. Yes, I said I love the BCS. Without the system, this game would matter only to see who gets the higher seed in the "playoffs" of college football; instead, with the BCS, the LSU/Auburn game most likely eliminated one team from the national title race. As many a coach would say, you can't win the national title in September, but you sure can lose it.
Moving to other games, the OU/Oregon ending has been criticized thoroughly by the mainstream media, so I will spare us the repetition. Obviously the officials made a questionable series of calls at best, but Oregon still made two or three huge plays to win the game, so props to the Ducks. Don't blame Oregon for taking advantage of the circumstances presented to them.
I was very glad to see Florida win. In my ideal world, now that Carolina and Notre Dame will probably not win the national title, I am hoping the Gators run the table. I have never been a Florida fan, but after Chris Leak graduated from the alma mater, Independence High School, and chose UF, I have to pull for him. Therefore, I want Chris to shut up the ridiculous Florida fans and win the Heisman Trophy and the national title. So it's not as much go Florida as it is go Chris Leak. Independence, by the way, continued its nation-leading high school football win streak of ninety five (?) straight games with a 21-20 victory over Vance High School in Charlotte after stopping a two-point conversion attempt on the game's final play. I think tarheelpwin almost had a heart attack. Go Big I.
On to Notre Dame, as the Irish came back down to earth this weekend, getting spanked by Michigan at home. Clearly overconfident and less athletic, Notre Dame made too many mistakes against a quality opponent and paid the price for it. Disappointing, yes, but not really that surprising. They will most likely lose again before the season is out, as I stand by the claim that ND is top ten good, but no where near numero uno.
Finally, Carolina won its first game of the season in convincing fashion...scrapping by I-AA Furman. Furman is a good I-AA team, yes; but any decent D-I team should defeat them rather easily, especially at home. Clearly, the Tar Heels are not a decent I-A team, period. Analysis from the game is not necessary; the offense played pretty well, the defense was horrid. Looking forward, I would not be at all shocked to see Carolina give Clemson or Miami a good game the next two weeks on the road. Clemson will be a little overconfident having won at Tallahassee and should have a natural letdown. Miami does not look capable of blowing anyone out right now, so hopefully the Heels can at least hang in there at the Orange Bowl.
Quick hits: West VA looked awesome for the first quarter against Maryland last Thursday, just amazing how fast that team is; Georgia and Virginia Tech are playing the same game right now. Both struggle at QB a little bit, but have amazing defenses. Neither will win the national title, but each is in good position to contend for league titles in the SEC & ACC respectively; Speaking of the ACC, way to drop the ball NC State and UVA, and so much for my "Florida St could be really good this year" prediction; Southern Cal is scary right now because they are so young, but so good. So much fun to watch; Louisville is really banged up with Brian Brohm going down in the huge win over Miami, but they are still mauling teams. Imagine if they were healthy. Trust me, their fans are imagining the same thing; TCU defeated Texas Tech Saturday, 12-3, in a game that was overshadowed by the other great games of the day. However, the game has BCS implications, as TCU is now clear to run the table and earn the non-BCS conference berth in the BCS. If that makes sense.
Moving on to the NFL...first, the bad news. The Panthers are 0-2 and have some crucial injury issues. Steve Smith, Ken Lucas, Shawn Williams, Dan Morgan, Travelle Wharton, etc. Weak offensive line play and bonehead decision-making/play-calling unraveled a sure victory this past Sunday at Minnesota. It's not panic time yet, but Carolina must regain it focus and confidence quickly or watch its pre-season hype crash and burn.
On the flip side, a number of teams are 2-0 that are not as talented as Carolina. What happens every year in the NFL is a few teams get off to a good start, wins a game or two they shouldn't, get a good vibe and chemistry going, and find themselves 6-2 or 5-3 at the halfway point, often taking advantage of weaker schedules. Then, one or two fall apart, while another team or two keeps the momentum and ends up in the playoffs. The year Baltimore won the Super Bowl, the Ravens did this. Atlanta when they eventually lost to Denver in the Super Bowl did this. Chicago has done it twice in the last six years or so. This year, Minnesota, New Orleans, Baltimore, San Diego, and Atlanta are five teams who missed the playoffs last year and are currently 2-0. Minnesota has already beaten two teams with more talent and seem to be gaining confidence and buying into new Head Coach Brad Childress' system. New Orleans has defeated two poor teams (Cleveland and Green Bay; so much for my "Cleveland is a sleeper" theory) but is generating excitement nonetheless. Baltimore looks to be legit, dominating Tampa Bay (whose offense has looked inept) on the road, then rolling over the hapless Raiders in the home opener. San Diego and Atlanta both narrowly missed the playoffs last season and were expected by many to bounce back. They are two of the most complete-looking teams at this early juncture of the season. The point of this discussion is to keep an eye on these teams over the next few weeks to see if one or two can develop into quality playoff teams as the season progresses.
I've had enough. I'm typing as I watch Monday Night Football (did you know it moved to ESPN? I had no clue. Why didn't ESPN publicize this? Brilliant marketing again, sarcasm again). As I pointed out to Gramps in our usual Monday night IM chat, it seems like Auburn and LSU changed jerseys and decided to dress up as Jacksonville and Pittsburgh and stage a rematch of their low-scoring, hard-hitting affair from Saturday afternoon. This game is intense right now, a big-time game for this early in the season.
Do ya chain hang low?
(I'm afraid the white people radio stations are quickly ruining this song, as I have heard it far too often and once witnessed a sorority girl singing it...sort of). Therefore, this week's lyric...taking it back a lil bit...
Motown Philly back again...doin' a little east coast swaaang.
Keep it real ya'll.
Friday, September 08, 2006
NFL Preview
I heard a rumor that the NFL is starting tonight, Thursday night, September 7th. The reason it is a rumor is I have no television still in Blacksburg and have seen the internet for about ten minutes since last week, sans my college football posting on Monday night. By the way, I’m glad Florida St rallied; my ACC pick is still alive. Anyway, my point in telling you this is that Pittsburgh and Miami are kicking off the NFL season as I type this and I have no clue what is going on. This blog entry will be completed on the ole Carolina IBM ThinkPad from 2001 that cost around $3,000. Yes, that’s $3,000 American dollars. It will then be transferred via a USB Memory Key to my work computer at some point on Friday and posted. Basically, I’m grouchy as I preview the NFL, because I should be watching it. Therefore, expect some horrible predictions. Daggum.
Also, most years, I preview the NFL by examining schedules, timing of games, transactions, etc. This year? I’m just putting down what I think about each team and that’s it. No rocket science going on over here.
Now, are you ready for some football? Here’s the preview:
Who’s Good: Denver, Indy, Pittsburgh, New England, probably Cincinnati, Carolina, the NFC East sans Philly, Tampa Bay maybe, and I guess Seattle.
Who’s Bad: Houston, NY Jets, Buffalo, Tennessee, Oakland, San Fran, the NFC North, the NFC West
Who has Potential: Baltimore (I say that every year. Sigh), Atlanta, Miami, Cleveland.
Last year, I was pushing Chicago before the season started. I told my buddy Gramps that Da Bears could be 9-7 good. They weren’t; they were better (I also had Baltimore in the AFC Championship. Nice). I don’t have a feeling on anyone this season like that. Cleveland strikes me as the type of team that could evolve into a “Run, run, run, punt, play defense, improve field position, kick field goal, win by 3 points” team. The whole “Charlie Frye is our QB” thing bothers me, but he can’t be worse than what they’ve had before. Plus, I have Reuben Droughns in the Phi Alpha Gamma Fantasy Football League, so he’s due for a breakout season. Or a broken-in-half season.
As for winning the Super Bowl, most “experts” have favored Indianapolis, Carolina, Seattle, Pittsburgh, and a few New England. I picked the Pats three straight years, keeping with Ric Flair’s “To be the man, whooo, ya gotta beat the man” motto. New England was beaten by Denver last season, opening up the door for the Steelers. Now, picking a winner is tougher for me. There is no favorite in my eyes, so I’m going to do something stupid. I’m picking…the Denver Broncos. Reasons:
Jake Plummer strikes me as the type of QB who chokes year after year, is constantly criticized by the media and fans, underachieves, and then, all of a sudden, wins a Super Bowl. I’ve never thought that until now. Jim Plunkett, the old Oakland Raiders QB, was similar. He was a talented college quarterback, bounced around a bit in the NFL, then had one great season leading the Raiders to a Super Bowl victory over crying Dick Vermeil and the Philadelphia Eagles. Like a complete crackhead, I’m going against everything I know about Plummer already, and saying he does a 180. This is your year Jake Plummer.
The Broncs defense is very, very good. Their linebackers may be the fastest unit in the NFL, led by DJ Williams. If the defensive line continues to be solid (after all coming over from Cleveland), I could see a top-5 D in Denver.
Javon Walker is poised to either have a great comeback season or be a bust. Denver winning the Super Bowl indicates the former.
There are, of course, plenty of reasons why Denver will not win the Super Bowl. Jake Plummer, the lack of a star running back, and Mike Shannahan’s habit of over-complicating things are three. However, I’ve decided to go kind of nuts here and throw out the Broncos as my pick. Yes, they did make the AFC Championship last season, but no one really thought they were that good. Also, keep in mind that both Jake Plummer and Javon Walker ended up on the Hokie Thugs Fantasy Football team. Instant doom. Denver will probably end up 5-11 now. My picks, completely making up projected records for each team:
AFC
East
New England 10-6
Miami 9-7
Buffalo 5-11
NY Jets 3-13
North
Pittsburgh 11-5
Cleveland 9-7
Cincinnati 9-7
Baltimore 7-9
South
Indianapolis 12-4
Jacksonville 9-7
Tennessee 4-12
Houston 4-12
West
Denver 11-5
San Diego 10-6
Kansas City 7-9
Oakland 6-10
NFC
East
Washington 10-6
Dallas 9-7
NY Giants 9-7
Philadelphia 7-9
North
Chicago 10-6
Green Bay 7-9
Minnesota 7-9
Detroit 6-10
South
Carolina 12-4
Tampa Bay 10-6
Atlanta 8-8
New Orleans 5-11
West
Seattle 10-6
Arizona 8-8
St Louis 8-8
San Francisco 4-12
Playoffs
Wild Card Weekend
Pittsburgh over Cleveland
New England over San Diego
Dallas over Chicago
Seattle over Tampa Bay
Divisional Playoffs
Denver over Pittsburgh
Indianapolis over New England
Carolina over Dallas
Washington over Seattle
Championship Games
Denver over Indianapolis
Carolina over Washington
Super Bowl XXXXI
Denver 31 Carolina 21
I know I’m going to catch some serious heat for putting the home team in the Super Bowl, then having them lose. And, of course, I generally (always) refuse to pick “my team” to win anything, being so pessimistic. That being said…
I’m concerned with a few areas for the Panthers this year. Linebacker is a major concern because when Dan Morgan gets his yearly concussion and is out for three games, we will have three new starters at LB. Major problem. The depth is good on the defensive front four, but I am still concerned about our free safety position. The Panthers’ pass coverage is typically as good as its rush; translation being if they are not pressuring the QB, the secondary becomes increasingly vulnerable.
Offensively, Steve Smith’s current hamstring problem is ominous for his year. Let’s face it: he’s just not going to have another 1,400 yd season. But, if he has a 1,100-1,200 yard season and Keyshawn/Colbert/Carter have another 1,200-1,400 yards between them, then we’re doing just fine. I’ve gone on record twice as being skeptical of drafting DeAngelo Williams, but it would be nice for his “home run” potential to pay off this season. It’s funny: three years ago, DeShaun Foster was our “home run” back while Stephen Davis logged all the tough yards. That makes me a little uncomfortable with Foster being the sole feature back.
Finally, the Panthers will need some good old fashioned luck. Injuries are a problem for all teams, but the Panthers had them occur at the worst possible time last season (i.e. during the playoffs). Staying healthy throughout would sure be nice for once. Let’s knock on wood the Jake Delhomme does not suffer a major injury of any sort, as Chris Weinke looks much better in a ballcap that covers his bald noggin on the sideline than he does quarterbacking the Panthers. Most Carolina fans would agree that this team has the most talent and potential of any team in the franchise’s existence, so let’s hope it culminates in a Super Bowl Championship.
But if the Broncos beat the Panthers in the Super Bowl, I’ll either become the next Miss Cleo or run for my life.
Stand and cheer for the Panthers…
Also, most years, I preview the NFL by examining schedules, timing of games, transactions, etc. This year? I’m just putting down what I think about each team and that’s it. No rocket science going on over here.
Now, are you ready for some football? Here’s the preview:
Who’s Good: Denver, Indy, Pittsburgh, New England, probably Cincinnati, Carolina, the NFC East sans Philly, Tampa Bay maybe, and I guess Seattle.
Who’s Bad: Houston, NY Jets, Buffalo, Tennessee, Oakland, San Fran, the NFC North, the NFC West
Who has Potential: Baltimore (I say that every year. Sigh), Atlanta, Miami, Cleveland.
Last year, I was pushing Chicago before the season started. I told my buddy Gramps that Da Bears could be 9-7 good. They weren’t; they were better (I also had Baltimore in the AFC Championship. Nice). I don’t have a feeling on anyone this season like that. Cleveland strikes me as the type of team that could evolve into a “Run, run, run, punt, play defense, improve field position, kick field goal, win by 3 points” team. The whole “Charlie Frye is our QB” thing bothers me, but he can’t be worse than what they’ve had before. Plus, I have Reuben Droughns in the Phi Alpha Gamma Fantasy Football League, so he’s due for a breakout season. Or a broken-in-half season.
As for winning the Super Bowl, most “experts” have favored Indianapolis, Carolina, Seattle, Pittsburgh, and a few New England. I picked the Pats three straight years, keeping with Ric Flair’s “To be the man, whooo, ya gotta beat the man” motto. New England was beaten by Denver last season, opening up the door for the Steelers. Now, picking a winner is tougher for me. There is no favorite in my eyes, so I’m going to do something stupid. I’m picking…the Denver Broncos. Reasons:
Jake Plummer strikes me as the type of QB who chokes year after year, is constantly criticized by the media and fans, underachieves, and then, all of a sudden, wins a Super Bowl. I’ve never thought that until now. Jim Plunkett, the old Oakland Raiders QB, was similar. He was a talented college quarterback, bounced around a bit in the NFL, then had one great season leading the Raiders to a Super Bowl victory over crying Dick Vermeil and the Philadelphia Eagles. Like a complete crackhead, I’m going against everything I know about Plummer already, and saying he does a 180. This is your year Jake Plummer.
The Broncs defense is very, very good. Their linebackers may be the fastest unit in the NFL, led by DJ Williams. If the defensive line continues to be solid (after all coming over from Cleveland), I could see a top-5 D in Denver.
Javon Walker is poised to either have a great comeback season or be a bust. Denver winning the Super Bowl indicates the former.
There are, of course, plenty of reasons why Denver will not win the Super Bowl. Jake Plummer, the lack of a star running back, and Mike Shannahan’s habit of over-complicating things are three. However, I’ve decided to go kind of nuts here and throw out the Broncos as my pick. Yes, they did make the AFC Championship last season, but no one really thought they were that good. Also, keep in mind that both Jake Plummer and Javon Walker ended up on the Hokie Thugs Fantasy Football team. Instant doom. Denver will probably end up 5-11 now. My picks, completely making up projected records for each team:
AFC
East
New England 10-6
Miami 9-7
Buffalo 5-11
NY Jets 3-13
North
Pittsburgh 11-5
Cleveland 9-7
Cincinnati 9-7
Baltimore 7-9
South
Indianapolis 12-4
Jacksonville 9-7
Tennessee 4-12
Houston 4-12
West
Denver 11-5
San Diego 10-6
Kansas City 7-9
Oakland 6-10
NFC
East
Washington 10-6
Dallas 9-7
NY Giants 9-7
Philadelphia 7-9
North
Chicago 10-6
Green Bay 7-9
Minnesota 7-9
Detroit 6-10
South
Carolina 12-4
Tampa Bay 10-6
Atlanta 8-8
New Orleans 5-11
West
Seattle 10-6
Arizona 8-8
St Louis 8-8
San Francisco 4-12
Playoffs
Wild Card Weekend
Pittsburgh over Cleveland
New England over San Diego
Dallas over Chicago
Seattle over Tampa Bay
Divisional Playoffs
Denver over Pittsburgh
Indianapolis over New England
Carolina over Dallas
Washington over Seattle
Championship Games
Denver over Indianapolis
Carolina over Washington
Super Bowl XXXXI
Denver 31 Carolina 21
I know I’m going to catch some serious heat for putting the home team in the Super Bowl, then having them lose. And, of course, I generally (always) refuse to pick “my team” to win anything, being so pessimistic. That being said…
I’m concerned with a few areas for the Panthers this year. Linebacker is a major concern because when Dan Morgan gets his yearly concussion and is out for three games, we will have three new starters at LB. Major problem. The depth is good on the defensive front four, but I am still concerned about our free safety position. The Panthers’ pass coverage is typically as good as its rush; translation being if they are not pressuring the QB, the secondary becomes increasingly vulnerable.
Offensively, Steve Smith’s current hamstring problem is ominous for his year. Let’s face it: he’s just not going to have another 1,400 yd season. But, if he has a 1,100-1,200 yard season and Keyshawn/Colbert/Carter have another 1,200-1,400 yards between them, then we’re doing just fine. I’ve gone on record twice as being skeptical of drafting DeAngelo Williams, but it would be nice for his “home run” potential to pay off this season. It’s funny: three years ago, DeShaun Foster was our “home run” back while Stephen Davis logged all the tough yards. That makes me a little uncomfortable with Foster being the sole feature back.
Finally, the Panthers will need some good old fashioned luck. Injuries are a problem for all teams, but the Panthers had them occur at the worst possible time last season (i.e. during the playoffs). Staying healthy throughout would sure be nice for once. Let’s knock on wood the Jake Delhomme does not suffer a major injury of any sort, as Chris Weinke looks much better in a ballcap that covers his bald noggin on the sideline than he does quarterbacking the Panthers. Most Carolina fans would agree that this team has the most talent and potential of any team in the franchise’s existence, so let’s hope it culminates in a Super Bowl Championship.
But if the Broncos beat the Panthers in the Super Bowl, I’ll either become the next Miss Cleo or run for my life.
Stand and cheer for the Panthers…
Monday, September 04, 2006
College Football Preview
I know, I know...way to make a college football preview after the first weekend of games. In truth, the only game I saw much of all weekend long was Notre Dame's slugfest victory at Georgia Tech. Because of work, I saw about six minutes of Virginia Tech's 38-0 shutout of I-AA Northeastern, but otherwise, saw no one else play. Therefore, I don't feel too bad about making these selections until now.
I will point out that Cal obviously will not be in my national title game after bombing on the road at Tennessee, nor will Louisville after Michael Bush's leg injury, ending his season. My former employer, Clemson University, also suffered a season-ending loss when star MLB Anthony Waters tore his ACL. Both Louisville and Clemson are league title contenders, but have now lost irreplaceable parts of their offense and defense respectively.
On a side note, I'm sitting here at the office watching FSU/Miami. These teams are going to absolutely kill one another. Someone will be broken in half, it's unreal. Even though both team have been down a little bit in recent years, the speed, tackling, and intensity of each is unmatched in Division I. It is certainly a rivalry that I must attend at some point in the future.
Now, on to my season predictions. In the ACC, I like Florida St. As I write that sentence, the Seminoles trail Miami 10-3 at halftime, but I'm sticking with my gut and with my opinion prior to this game. In fact, a rematch of these two teams in Jacksonville for the ACC title looks good to me right now. I'm not sold on my present employer, Virginia Tech, nor the consistency of Georgia Tech over the year. The Jackets lack intensity against lesser opponents and seem to always lose a game or two each year that they shouldn't. Boston College will be tough in the Atlantic division, but FSU comes out on top in the end.
The Big East is now West Virginia's to lose. If the Mountaineers do not go undefeated this season, it will be because of Louisville or Pittsburgh. Both games are on the road on Thursday nights. Prior to Bush's injury in the blowout against Kentucky, I really liked Louisville. All the pre-season attention was on West Virginia, and Louisville was quietly waiting to have their moment. Now, their Heisman candidate is done and so are their national title hopes. I will save myself the typing time and just pick West Virginia as the winner of the Big East, leaving the only question as whether or not the Mountaineers are playing on January 8th.
The Big Ten comes down to three teams in my mind. Ohio St, Michigan, and Iowa are all poised for good seasons. Penn St will also be a contender, but they seem to have a tougher schedule than the other three. Ultimately, Ohio St is the best team of the three. The Buckeyes will make a return to the Rose Bowl this season by winning the Big Ten.
The Big 12 has only four decent teams from what I can tell. Nebraska will have a solid record based solely on playing the North Division. The other five teams each have major flaws. Texas Tech is its usual self, another ho-hum 9-3 year on the horizon. Very good, but not big enough or physical enough to beat Texas or OU. Therefore, the division comes down to the Red River Shootout (excuse me, Red River Rivalry) between the Horns and Sooners. I'm going with Texas. Get'em Mack.
The Pac-10 is not worthy of a paragraph. I might have given Cal a few sentences prior to Saturday, but no more. UCLA, Oregon, and Arizona will be ok, as will the Golden Bears once they figure out what happened at Tennessee. USC is head, shoulders, knees, and toes better than the rest of the league...still.
The SEC will be sick. Just sick. Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, and LSU are all capable of making the SEC Championship in Atlanta. I'm going with Auburn in the West, as the Tigers' schedule is more manageable than 'Bama or LSU. In the East, South Carolina actually has a favorable schedule as well, with road games at Vandy, Mississsippi St (already won), and Kentucky, along with a homecoming for the Ole Ball Coach at the Swamp in Gainesville. However, the best teams win no matter where they are playing; I don't think the Gamecocks are the best team. Tennessee's season last year was an aberration, as 5-6 will not become the norm in Knoxville. However, I'm not convinced that the QB situation or depth is settled enough for the Vols to win the SEC East. Therefore, the matchup between Florida and Georgia, formerly known as "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party," will once again decide the division. Though Florida has the more-seasoned QB in fellow Independence alum Chris Leak, I think the toughness, tailback depth, and defensive pressure of Georgia will be the difference. However, I'm taking Auburn over Georgia in the SEC Championship, as the Tigers defeat the Bulldogs for the second time in the season to advance to the BCS.
I have not yet mentioned Notre Dame in my preview, as the Irish are not affiliated with any of the six BCS leagues. Pre-season expectations and hype aside, I just do not think Notre Dame can survive its brutal schedule unscathed. Home games with Penn St, Michigan, and UCLA combined with trips to East Lansing and sunny So-Cal is just so tough.
The National Championship picture is cloudier this season than many in recent memory. Good teams galore, but all with major faults. There is no 2001 Miami, 1996 Nebraska, 2004/2005 USC in this bunch. Looking at the schedules, Texas, Ohio St, Notre Dame, Southern Cal, Auburn, West Virginia and Florida St all have a shot to go undefeated. They could each lose two games as well. Let's look at each quickly:
I will point out that Cal obviously will not be in my national title game after bombing on the road at Tennessee, nor will Louisville after Michael Bush's leg injury, ending his season. My former employer, Clemson University, also suffered a season-ending loss when star MLB Anthony Waters tore his ACL. Both Louisville and Clemson are league title contenders, but have now lost irreplaceable parts of their offense and defense respectively.
On a side note, I'm sitting here at the office watching FSU/Miami. These teams are going to absolutely kill one another. Someone will be broken in half, it's unreal. Even though both team have been down a little bit in recent years, the speed, tackling, and intensity of each is unmatched in Division I. It is certainly a rivalry that I must attend at some point in the future.
Now, on to my season predictions. In the ACC, I like Florida St. As I write that sentence, the Seminoles trail Miami 10-3 at halftime, but I'm sticking with my gut and with my opinion prior to this game. In fact, a rematch of these two teams in Jacksonville for the ACC title looks good to me right now. I'm not sold on my present employer, Virginia Tech, nor the consistency of Georgia Tech over the year. The Jackets lack intensity against lesser opponents and seem to always lose a game or two each year that they shouldn't. Boston College will be tough in the Atlantic division, but FSU comes out on top in the end.
The Big East is now West Virginia's to lose. If the Mountaineers do not go undefeated this season, it will be because of Louisville or Pittsburgh. Both games are on the road on Thursday nights. Prior to Bush's injury in the blowout against Kentucky, I really liked Louisville. All the pre-season attention was on West Virginia, and Louisville was quietly waiting to have their moment. Now, their Heisman candidate is done and so are their national title hopes. I will save myself the typing time and just pick West Virginia as the winner of the Big East, leaving the only question as whether or not the Mountaineers are playing on January 8th.
The Big Ten comes down to three teams in my mind. Ohio St, Michigan, and Iowa are all poised for good seasons. Penn St will also be a contender, but they seem to have a tougher schedule than the other three. Ultimately, Ohio St is the best team of the three. The Buckeyes will make a return to the Rose Bowl this season by winning the Big Ten.
The Big 12 has only four decent teams from what I can tell. Nebraska will have a solid record based solely on playing the North Division. The other five teams each have major flaws. Texas Tech is its usual self, another ho-hum 9-3 year on the horizon. Very good, but not big enough or physical enough to beat Texas or OU. Therefore, the division comes down to the Red River Shootout (excuse me, Red River Rivalry) between the Horns and Sooners. I'm going with Texas. Get'em Mack.
The Pac-10 is not worthy of a paragraph. I might have given Cal a few sentences prior to Saturday, but no more. UCLA, Oregon, and Arizona will be ok, as will the Golden Bears once they figure out what happened at Tennessee. USC is head, shoulders, knees, and toes better than the rest of the league...still.
The SEC will be sick. Just sick. Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, and LSU are all capable of making the SEC Championship in Atlanta. I'm going with Auburn in the West, as the Tigers' schedule is more manageable than 'Bama or LSU. In the East, South Carolina actually has a favorable schedule as well, with road games at Vandy, Mississsippi St (already won), and Kentucky, along with a homecoming for the Ole Ball Coach at the Swamp in Gainesville. However, the best teams win no matter where they are playing; I don't think the Gamecocks are the best team. Tennessee's season last year was an aberration, as 5-6 will not become the norm in Knoxville. However, I'm not convinced that the QB situation or depth is settled enough for the Vols to win the SEC East. Therefore, the matchup between Florida and Georgia, formerly known as "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party," will once again decide the division. Though Florida has the more-seasoned QB in fellow Independence alum Chris Leak, I think the toughness, tailback depth, and defensive pressure of Georgia will be the difference. However, I'm taking Auburn over Georgia in the SEC Championship, as the Tigers defeat the Bulldogs for the second time in the season to advance to the BCS.
I have not yet mentioned Notre Dame in my preview, as the Irish are not affiliated with any of the six BCS leagues. Pre-season expectations and hype aside, I just do not think Notre Dame can survive its brutal schedule unscathed. Home games with Penn St, Michigan, and UCLA combined with trips to East Lansing and sunny So-Cal is just so tough.
The National Championship picture is cloudier this season than many in recent memory. Good teams galore, but all with major faults. There is no 2001 Miami, 1996 Nebraska, 2004/2005 USC in this bunch. Looking at the schedules, Texas, Ohio St, Notre Dame, Southern Cal, Auburn, West Virginia and Florida St all have a shot to go undefeated. They could each lose two games as well. Let's look at each quickly:
- Texas: Can afford loss to Ohio St. Season decided on last two weeks in October with back-to-back trips to Nebraska and Texas Tech. Rematch with the Cornhuskers in the Big 12 Championship for a BCS berth.
- Ohio St: Can afford loss at Texas. I think they'll go undefeated in the Big Ten, so 11-1 is looking good for OSU.
- Notre Dame: I'm not sure who they will lose to, but I just have a feeling they'll drop a game before losing at USC. 10-2 and a BCS berth.
- USC: There is just no loss on this schedule. Last three games are all at home versus Oregon, Cal, and Notre Dame. I really think they could run the table again.
- Auburn: I honestly think they are the best team, but the SEC is like the NFL Junior. There has to be a loss somewhere in there for the Tigers.
- West VA: Favorable schedule, yes. Talent, yes. Experience...not really. I may regret doubting them, but I just cannot see this team going undefeated. All the pressure is on them this year, the bull's eye on their back. Somewhere, a loss will occur. BCS, yes; Nat'l Title, no.
- Florida St: As I am typing this, FSU leads Miami 13-10. My thought coming into tonight was "if FSU wins at Miami, they might play for the title." Road games at NC State and Maryland are ahead, along with home matchups featuring Clemson, BC, and Florida. Of course, the ACC Championship game would be a stop on the road to the title game as well. I'm going to say FSU does not go undefeated or play for the national title; but I'm telling you, they are going to be really good and it would not surprise me if they made a run.
What does all of this mean? I have no clue what is going to happen this year.
Rose Bowl: Ohio St vs USC
Orange Bowl: Florida St vs West Virginia
Sugar Bowl: Notre Dame vs LSU
Fiesta Bowl: TCU vs Iowa
BCS Championship: Auburn vs Texas
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