This Blog is Looking a Little Blue in the Face...

It's been long enough, Blue Team. Nearly two months without a post? Enough already, write something so people can begin wasting time at work and in class again. Somehow I've managed to not write anything on Michael Vick, Brett Favre, Serena Williams, Carolina's hoops schedule, Kanye West, the MLB pennant races, or the nude jogger in Waxhaw, NC (no, it's not anyone in my family...I don't think). The obligatory college football & NFL previews were also temporarily shelved. But, in honor of Mark McGwire, let's keep all that in the past and move forward...sort of.

The NFL season is only a week old and yet it has already surprised us in numerous ways. Though there were not that many "upsets" once the games actually ended, there were some incredible games and finishes where we might not have expected them. Keep this in mind: every season, there are probably 4-6 teams that are going to make the playoffs, barring a major injury. There are probably 6-8 teams that barring a miracle, make-a-movie-about-it season, are not going to make the playoffs. Everyone else looks about even on paper in mid-September. You can seemingly count on Pittsburgh, New England, & probably the New York Giants this year. I'd argue that's all. Indy has defensive issues and a ton of new coaches, Tennessee's QB is still Kerry Collins, San Diego apparently is going to continue playing down to the level of its competition, Baltimore is stuck behind Pittsburgh and doesn't have a go-to offensive weapon in the AFC. Philadelphia is replacing the late Jim Johnson as its Defensive Coordinator and always must deal with a fragile QB & RB in MccNabb & Westbrook, Minnesota & Green Bay both have system challenges (Minny's offensive changes around Favre & the Packers transition into a 3-4 defense), and the Panthers...well, they suck. Even though the "playoff locks" don't always end up being dominant, they generally are going to finish in the top six of their conference. My point is this: there aren't as many locks this year. Bill Simmons has said that he feels the NFL has entered the "Tyson Zone" of unpredictability and I would agree with that; the above analysis helps show us why.

That being said, I think the AFC looks pretty simple this year. The Patriots, Colts, Titans, Steelers, Ravens, & Chargers are all solid. I also like the J-E-T-S to be good under Rex Ryan - lowered expectations and not dealing with the Brett Favre hoopla will help this team. Give me 6 of those 7 in the post-season. The NFC is a bit tougher, as the Giants, Iggles, Vikings, & Packers are the only team I'm counting on for much right now. The NFC South is pretty wide open and the NFC West just shouldn't put a team in the post-season anymore. The only "sleepers" I'll give you are the aforementioned J-E-T-S and Coach Singletary's 49ers (might they manage 9-7 and a division title?). I'm not counting New Orleans as a sleeper, as it wouldn't surprise anyone if they are very, very good this season. The Super Bowl smells like New England vs Green Bay to me, with the Pats coming out on top.

A quick aside: I checked out ESPN.com's NFL Predictions chart last week and noticed a startling trend: no one picks an NFC team to win the Super Bowl. Out of 16 guessers (cause that's all they're doing: guessing, just like you or me), not a one picks a National Football Conference foe to take home the Lombardi Trophy. Weird.

Moving on to the hometown Panthers, last Sunday was obviously awful. The entire team played poorly, but Jake Delhomme was clearly the worst, giving the Eagles possession of the football five times by himself. Add this performance to last season's post-season debacle and you get this. Of course, he's not the only one under fire. Apparently a 38-10 loss at home in the FIRST GAME of the season, after going 12-4 and winning the NFC South last season, is worthy of John Fox's job coming into question. Sigh.

The Panthers are 0-1. Just like Cincinnati, just like Arizona (Remember them? The team who murdered the Pamfuzz in the playoffs last year?), just like Tennessee. You don't get two losses for a bad performance like that. Now, don't get me wrong: I don't think 2009 is going to be a great season for the Carolina Panthers. The schedule is tougher, the depth is thin, and their best run stuffer is already done for the season...the karma is just not there for this team. Then again, last season started with its best player punching out its big-money defensive back in training camp and still ended up 12-4 - some karma, huh? Anyway, I do not foresee 12-4 again, but I also do not think we're headed for 4-12 either. Things often snowball in the NFL, so it's important to right the ship and get a win in at least one of the next two games (at Atlanta, at Dallas) so the team isn't staring at 0-3 and having to deal with the media and fans tearing them to bits. Even at 1-2, the season can easily be salvaged. So don't risk breaking your leg jumping off the bandwagon yet. Breath, stretch, shake and let game one go.

Moving to the college game, I have not had the chance to see a lot of games thus far. I did catch the Carolina game at UCONN (what an ugly game), I've seen Michigan play and win twice thanks to being in Michigan for Labor Day (congrats again to Gracie and Ryan), and I was able to watch USC squeak by The Overrated State University (henceforth my name for the Buckeyes). Of course I saw the employer, Virginia Tech, in both its effort versus Alabama & Marshall. The Hokies will be fine, typical 10-2 or 9-3. But my Tar Heels...I'm concerned. Health is far too big of an issue and it's only September. The offensive line was thin in May and is anorexic now, special teams are shaky, and the wide receivers have not given me any reason to be optimistic for this season, sans Erik Highsmith's two big 3rd down conversions last Saturday. The defense has done a nice job thus far, but the offense must find a way to put consistent points on the board and be able to move the football like they did during the fourth quarter at UCONN. My 8-4 prediction is starting to feel more like 6-6. Sigh again.

But in other news, Carolina did win the 2009 National Championship. Happy sigh. I feel better.

No promises, but The Blue Team seems to be back in bidness. We'll turn our attention to more of the world of sports again sometime soon. Bye bye bye...

Let's All Go Hump Brett Favre's Leg

It is 11:12pm EST on Wednesday night. I am watching the Rockets and Lakers in game 2 and decided to flip over to SportsCenter during a commercial real fast. The reason? To catch extended highlights and analysis of the two overtime Stanley Cup Playoffs games from earlier this evening, specifically the Hurricanes and Bruins. The show opened with Celtics/Magic highlights, as it probably should. The NBA is definitely more popular than the NHL across the majority of the Sportscenter audience, plus the Celtics are a cornerstone franchise defending their title. No problem. NHL highlights follow, opening with the Capitals/Penguins contest. The Pens won this game 3 matchup in overtime, and the series pits Crosby versus Ovechkin, who are the league's marquee superstars. Again, no problem. So naturally, the next set of highlights would be the Hurricanes/Bruins game 3 overtime contest, right? Nope. Let's talk about Brett Favre potentially un-"retiring" for the 432nd time to join the Minnesota Vikings. PROBLEM.

ESPN, seriously: I DON'T CARE ABOUT EFFING BRETT FAVRE. Call me when either a) the NFL season starts; or b) he appears on the Minnesota Love Boat II. I absolutely, positively could care less about whether or not a geriatric, washed-up Brett Favre comes back next year. We've had to listen to speculation, day-by-day reporting, and ficticious scenarios involving him for the past five years. Will he retire? Will he come back? Who will he be traded to? Can they make the playoffs behind The Great Brett Favre? Will he stay retired? Will he ask for extra mustard on his hot dog? What kind of puppy will he buy (oh wait, that wasn't Favre)? I'd say the percentage of people who really give a crap about Favre coming back (again) is limited to about sixteen Packers fans who just want to see him keep playing (and further tarnishing a legacy that was nearly unmatched), for their chief rival nonetheless, and the Minnesota Vikings contingency who want anyone but Tavaris Jackson behind center. Seriously, they might take Joakim Noah, Ellen Degeneres, Barney the Purple Dinosaur, or Yoda over Jackson at this point. In the meantime, we have to hear about Brett Favre before a playoff hockey game that involves the number one seed Boston Bruins losing to fall behind in the series to an underdog Carolina Hurricanes squad? Really ESPN? Really?

And, to make matters worse, as I typed the above sentence, we made it to 11:30pm. Still no Canes/Bruins. We've had baseball (Red Sox, Yankees, and the Mets/Phils game that was on - wait for it - ESPN earlier tonight), some decent news on Toledo basketball's point-shaving scandal, and a Terrelle Pryor interview. And, of course, a Sportscenter Reset on the Brett Favre story. That's right folks, TWO Brett Favre segments before overtime hockey highlights. FML.

My point is this: ESPN has a monopoly, so they can cover whatever they deem newsworthy. I know this, you know this. However, they have a nasty habit of latching on to a story they find particularly interesting and just oversaturating us with "news" and analysis. Far too much of it is speculative, and they will inevitably bury the supposed story into the ground. Barry Bonds and his alleged steroids, A-Rod and his alleged steroids, Terrell Owens, Brett Favre, etc. Give me more highlights. Give me more analysis of actual games and strategies. Do not create a story where there really is not that much to report, and, for goodness sake, do not force particular athletes and your collective agenda down our throats. I do not tune in for a running diary of Brett Favre. FYI, ESPN.

It is now 11:44pm and I finally have my Canes highlights. And yet, I am too worked up and pissed off to enjoy them. Thank you, ESPN Sportscenter, for ruining a perfectly calm, enjoyable evening of sports for me. I'm off to shoot BB's at my old Brett Favre Starting Lineup figures. Peace.

A Sports Scene Quickie

Let's hammer out three series of thoughts on the world of sports. The topics: Carolina Basketball, ACC Hoops &, the Super Bowl.

1. Carolina Basketball: The Heels came off an exciting but ugly victory vs FSU on Wednesday night to play at rival NC State on Saturday. Each season, I take a look at the schedule and try to identify games that the Heels will struggle with that one might not expect. The FSU/State back-to-back jumped out at me for a couple of reasons. Carolina typically seems to struggle after a break (the Heels had last weekend off) and any time you play a "rival" who gets up to play you more than you get up to play them, there can be problems. Without question, the Florida State game was awful from a Tar Heel perspective, minus the ridiculous conclusion. Somehow, instead of coming out completely flat, the Heels survived a sloppy first seven minutes to dominate the first half and go into halftime with a comfortable lead. But, instead of pulling away, Carolina struggled to be strong with the basketball and had no answer for the screen and roll, allowing the 'Noles to take a three point lead with two minutes remaining. From there, however, the Heels showed what it takes to be a great team - buckle down and find a way to win on a night that you can do nothing right. Missed dunks, terrible team defense, an off-night from your All-American...most teams do not survive such issues. But Carolina got a steal and-one from Danny Green, played unreal defense on consecutive possessions against Toney Douglas and got the ball back with 3.2 incorrect seconds remaining (how in the world did the officials blow this? Should have been 4.3 seconds. I watched it five times on my DVR to make certain on Friday night during my Tar Heel Rewind segment of the week). Ty Lawson's buzzer-beater was superb, as the Seminoles tried really hard not to foul. As a collegue of mine mentioned, "Florida State had this game wrapped up until Leonard (Hamilton) started to coach." Just piss-poor late-game execution by FSU, and a team that knows how to win doing just that. For the record, I watched this game in near-complete silence in my hotel room in Winston-Salem, NC, at an ISP Sales Academy in which nearly everyone else was pulling for Florida State (they are an ISP school, and a great one at that). And I never thought the Heels would lose. I promise. Somehow, I managed to not be kicked out of the hotel after the last shot, as I am pretty sure that everyone watching at the hotel bar still heard me screaming and whopping from the eighth floor of the Marriott.

Saturday, the game at NC State was emotional only twice - pre-game during ceremonies for the late Kay Yow, and at the end of the game as Mike Copeland tried to assault Ben McCauley after first being legally assaulted during a "hard foul". My rule for the Heels is now official: if Ty Lawson is head-and-shoulders above the opposing point guard, Carolina wins. Hands down. When everyone was panicking following the earlier back-to-back losses and fretting about the trip to UVA, I was not worried in the least. The reason? I had just seen UVA in person here in Blacksburg and can tell you that Lawson is much, much better than either of the 'Hoos lead guards. Same goes for today, as Degand and Mays were no match for #5. Of course, it did not help that the NC State bigs played matador style defense, ole-ing nearly every time a Carolina player got near the rim (mostly Hansbrough, but happened to the benefit of others as well).

So where does that leave the Boys in Blue? In a better place than they were three weeks ago, that much is fo' sho. Unfortunately, I do not think the ailments have been magically healed. The issues are consistent: lack of a perimeter defender (Dear Marcus, Get Well Soon. Love, Kyle), the inability (still) to be able to defend the screen and roll for crap, the tendency to get caught up in one-on-one battles instead of working the ball for a good shot, and little bench production whatsoever. I just imagine how much better the team could be having Ginyard at 100% (not including if Zeller were healthy). Three of those four issues would be solved in all likelihood, plus his leadership might help the one-on-one problems. I personally believe he will come back in a couple weeks and try his best to contribute for the late-season, March Madness run. Between really wanting to finish up with his classmates and the desire to win a national title, I predict a return. Unfortunately, if he's not 100%, it just won't matter.

By the way, I think we all entered this season assuming Lawson and Ellington would leave with the seniors. I'm not sure that will happen now. Ty might go anyway, but Ellington might end up having to stay. If both came back and Ginyard had to redshirt, only Green and Hansbrough would be lost from the starting lineup. Therefore, next year's team could potentially start Lawson, Ellington, Ginyard, Davis/John Henson and Thompson, with a bench of Zeller, Travis Wear, David Wear, Davis/Henson, William Graves, Larry Drew II, Leslie McDonald, and Dexter Strickland. You tellin' me that team ain't a Final Four favorite? Wow. I think I just shat myself.


2. ACC Hoops: The big story in the league right now is the top four. Clemson and Wake Forest have clearly separated themselves from the remainder of the league, along with the Dookies and Heels, and are national contenders. Of course, most folks are skeptical of Clemson, and rightfully so. Three consecutive years of hot starts and subpar finishes will do that to you. I do think they are legitimately good this year, and hungry to prove people wrong. I could see another 5-seed for the IPTAY backers. Wake Forest is really, really good. Unfortunately, I think we have seen their flaws the last couple of weeks. There are times the Deacs just do not defend the ball well, they have trouble executing on offense late in games (hint: get Teaguethat ball by letting him run the point and put Ish Smith on the pine), and they have some complete mental breakdowns by key guys (McFarland and Johnson, The Blue Team is looking at you). They might have enough talent to override these issues, but I think the problems will continue to rear an ugly head against some inferior opponents and again in the NCAA Tournament.

In the middle of the league, it seems that four teams are battling for a couple tournament bids: Virginia Tech, Boston College, Florida State, & Miami. They all have ugly losses, but also have some quality wins. Personally, I think a couple teams do just enough to sneak into the NCAA Tournament, but I would not put money on who it will be. By the way, for people who want to argue that the ACC is better than the Big East, I implore you: shut up. The top four ACC teams are Clemson, Duke, North Carolina, and Wake Forest. The Big East top four are probably Pittsburgh, UCONN, Louisville, and Marquette. The next four ACC teams? FSU, Miami, VT, and BC. The Big East? Georgetown, Syracuse, Notre Dame, and WVU. Do you really think VT can play with Georgetown? BC with Syracuse? FSU with any of those four teams? This is where the Big East is unquestionably better. As for the top four teams, we'll decide that in March.

One other quick note - Chas McFarland, the 7-footer for Wake Forest, is quickly earning a reputation in the league for being a complete and total douchebag. He whines, flails, flops, elbows, and bitches his way through every game, drawing the ire of fans and opposing players alike. This is not new - it's been going on for a couple of years now. But now that Wake Forest is actually good, people are taking notice. Chris Chase, a Wake Forest alum over at Player Hater's Ball has pointed this out already, so I'm just echoing the fact: McFarland is due to really hurt his team with his antics before this season is over. If nothing else, he's at least going to really piss people off and be remembered for being a jerkoff instead of a solid player.

3. Super Bowl XLIII: Steelers vs Cardinals. Thus far in the playoffs, my picks are at 7-3 (Colts, Panthers, and Titans were the losses, Scout's Honor). Not a bad year for sure. I have to say, I've picked some Super Bowl underdogs in the past. My backing of the Chargers prior to the beatdown of the century that allowed Steve Young to get the monkey off his back went down in infamy. On the flip side, my belief of the Pats against the Rams (and at the beginning of those playoffs mind you) are that of legend. But this ain't a year for the Dog...

I am going with the Steelers for a few reasons. First, I do not think Arizona can run on the Pittsburgh defense, period. The Cards were at least able to move the pigskin two or three yards in their three previous playoff games, but the Steelers will have none of it. Second, I think Big Ben will be able to hit the deep ball against an Arizona defense that likes to take some chances. Two or three big plays will be enough to give Pittsburgh good field position or to score. Third, Kurt Warner is due to struggle a bit. He's had some complete stink bombs this season to go with his great games, and I think Dick LeBeau can scheme Warner into struggling on Sunday. Last, the Steelers will not panic in this contest. A close game for a half, then Pittsburgh pulling away a little bit, and a key turnover will be enough. Of course, it does not hurt that I picked the Steelers before the season started...

The pick: Pittsburgh 30 Arizona 17

Even PETA Would Shoot Those Panthers

An NFL season that heard the Carolina Panthers growl ferociously all year long ended with a hardly a meow Saturday night. Those vicious, punishing, so-talented-it's-sick Arizona Cardinals (sarcasm?) came into Charlotte and intercepted the Panthers on their way to hosting the NFC Championship (get it? Intercepted. See how I did that?). In the most recent entry here on The Blue Team, I mentioned the Cardinals not being a great matchup for the Panthers because of a weakness in the secondary, but thought the Carolina defense would be motivated and the home team would prevail if they took care of the ball and were not overhyped. Instead, all of those contingencies were violated.

The seconday was horrendous, the defensive front produced little pressure, and the linebackers looked typically lost in coverage. More in-depth in my worry was that Arizona would move Fitzgerald around pre-snap (check), try and get him matched up on Richard Marshall (check), and cross him through the middle on our linebackers (and check). Warner had all day to throw the ball, which was a schematic error of collosal proportions. Pressuring a quarterback as prone to sacks, turnovers, and injury as Warner is might be the only way to beat him. I can assure you that letting him sit back and wait for a receiver to come open is not effective. This just goes to show you that the Panthers' coaches do not have a lot of confidence in the secondary in man-to-man coverage, or even just Cover 1. The few blitzes that were run when the game was still in doubt ended up with a toasted DB.

On the other side of the ball, the offense got away very quickly from running the football. Then again, it did not really have the football for much of the second quarter. Jake was just awful. Dreadful. Ghastly. Deplorable. Really all of these things. Delhomme is this type of quarterback: at the end of the year, his numbers look decent. Plus, you cannot measure his intangibles and leadership. Each year, he has 3-4 really good games (270, 2 TDs, clutch throws, etc); each year, he has 2-3 really bad games (170, 3 INTs, missing open guys). In those really good games, he leads the team to victory more often than not; in the really bad ones, he gives you NO CHANCE to win. Saturday night was one of those games that most decent NFL quarterbacks have once a year or so. Unfortunately, it was on the biggest stage thus far. He is known for trying to force the ball into coverage and locking onto a wide receiver (Smith) and he did both all night. Of course, the naysayers and Debbie Downers will spend the entire off-season whining about Delhomme, saying he needs to go. While I'm all for drafting and developing a quality quarterback, I am not for getting rid of Delhomme. Remember last year? David Carr and the white gloves? How bad the team was without its leader at QB? Until there is clearly a better/younger option, then keep Delhomme and learn to hand the ball off 40 times a game.

In closing, this game and season ended in incredibly disappointing fashion. Not to take away from the good things, but the lingering feeling is definitely "what might have been". This is the NFL, not college football, meaning two major differences exist: 1) a real champion is crowned; and 2) winning is the only expectation. And the Panthers did not win. Hopefully next season will begin, and end, with a roar.

NFL Stands for "No Freakin' Logic"

Back in September, I wrote a Nostradamus-esque piece about the upcoming NFL season. 23 (hey, that's Michael Jordan's number!) thoughts/predictions on the season to be, with commentary and analysis. Before we delve into looking at this weekend's playoff slate, let's take a moment to make fun of what I made fun of a few months back:

1) No one will go undefeated. Survey Says: Correct. Tennessee lasted the longest before falling to Brett Favre. Not the Jets. Just Brett Favre.

2) No one will go 0-fer. Survey Says: Incorrect. The Detroit Lions will now live in infamy. A brief aside on this - the Lions will be good in one of the next two season. Whoever survives and sticks around on this Lions team will be incredibly motivated to make people forget this season and it will be the "Story of the Year" whenever this happens. And Calvin Johnson will be the best wideout in the league when he gets a consistent quarterback.

3 & 4) Chad Ocho Cinco is sucko and Marvin Lewis needs to go crazy. Survey Says: Correct and N/A. Lewis was headed for the unemployment line until a late-season winning streak, but never went off. And Chad is MIA following a season of non-productivity.

5) The Colts will have to play out the entire season to make the playoffs. Survey Says: 97% correct. 3-4 record turned into 12-4 following the nine-game win streak. Played full-tilt until the final week.

6) Colts is a wimpy nickname. Survey Says: Duh. Still wimpy. My adorable 3 year-old neighbor, Emma, is not even scared of Colts and she wouldn't trick-or-treat this year.

7) 49ers will be good. Survey Says: Correct. Sort of. I really think they would have won the division if Singletary had been their coach all year. San Fran was the best team in the NFC West, but could not get out of the gate and dug themselves too big of a hole.

8) DeKyle. Survey Says: DeKyle is a great choice for my son's name and you cannot convince me otherwise.

9) Dallas is going to be really good or really implode. Survey Says: Incorrect, because my follow-up sentence was "I vote for the former". But boy did they ever implode. I watched the entire 44-6 loss at Philly with the sound on in order to soak up the moment. Boy do I ever hate Dallas.

10 & 11) San Diego (in German...) will sleepwalk through the year and still be 12-4. Survey Says: 1/2 credit - they did sleepwalk through most of the year, but only ended up 8-8...and in the second round of the playoffs. Makes no sense.
12) The local Redskins' fans will be disappointed. Survey Says: Right on! After starting 6-2 and yelling "hip hip hooray" in the locker room, the Skins fell apart and missed the playoffs. And I loved it.

13) Brett Favre will be overexposed. Survey Says: so will TO. Correct.

14 & 15) Carolina will be 10-6...or 6-10. Survey Says: Correct. The secondary was good enough to survive, the pass rush was better, Delhomme played fine, and the 2-RB system was outstanding.

16) AFC Playoff Teams - Survey Says: 2/3. I was correct on 4 out of 6, missing New England & Jacksonville. New England was clearly good enough to make it, but Jacksonville...wow.

17) NFC Playoff Teams - Survey Says: 1/3. I got the Panthers & Eagles. Missed the Cowboys, Packers, 49ers, and Saints. Yikes.

18) Carolina is 10-6 and Jon Beason is a Beast. Survey Says: Correct, except it was 12-4.

19) I will win at least one fantasy league this year. Survey Says: Correct. The Hokie Thugs put on a rally for the ages in the Phi Alpha League, sneaking into the playoffs and pulling off an upset in the finals. My MVP? Baltimore's Defense and...Tyler Thigpen. Anytime you win a championship behind a Coastal Carolina Chanticleer, it calls for a celebration.

20) Praying for Miss Angela. Survey Says: always, no matter what.

21) Tar Heels Football will be pretty good. Survey Says: Correct.

22) So will Virginia Tech football. Survey Says: the sky is blue.

23) Pittsburgh over Dallas in the Super Bowl. Survey Says:...


Four good NFL Playoff matchups this weekend. A quick breakdown of what is to come:

• San Diego at Pittsburgh: I still like the Steelers, mainly for being at home. The week off helped their health and I like Big Ben to bounce back with a good next three games or so. Plus, in my unpublished picks last week, San Diego was my only miss (I had Indy), so I'm still a little peeved with the Bolts. And oh, I did pick Pittsburgh to win the Super Bowl at the beginning of the season, as seen above, and I'm too stubborn to change my mind now. That O-line worries me, but that defense does not. Whoa.
• Baltimore at Tennessee: I'll take the home squad here. I really enjoyed watching this Baltimore team all season, especially Ed Reed & Co on the defensive side of the ball. However, I think Tennessee can force Joe Flacco to beat them and I'm not sure he's up to the challenge quite yet. Plus, the Ravens' corners can be beaten (Reed has covered this weakness for them all season). In a game that Baltimore will surely blitz often (both run and pass blitzes), that means a lot of man coverage for the DBs. I see Kerry Collins exploiting that matchup just enough to get a victory for the Titans.
• Philadelphia at New York Giants: The only upset I am picking - Eagles win. Philly is the worst possible matchup for the Giants. Without Plaxico Buress, the Giants have no wide receiver who requires a safety over the top, freeing up the Eagles to bring heat early and often. However, the Eagles' blitz will not be hunting after Eli Manning exclusively. In their upset of the G-Men earlier this season, the Eagles did a great job run blitzing and keeping the Earth, Wind & Fire combo from running the Giants down the field. A lack of success on first and second down left many third-and-long situations, allowing Philly to bring the heat on Manning and force him into bad throws under duress. As a result, I really think the Giants success in this game depends on their ability to stay out of third-and-long offensively. On the other side of the ball, the Eagles are not going to bother trying to run the ball down New York's throat. Instead, they will use screens, swings, reverses, etc to simulate a running game and force the Giants to respect a "run game" of sorts. Westbrook is just healthy enough to make this work and destroy New York again. Finally, I see DeSean Jackson continuing to have an impact, both on returns and as a deep threat offensively. (Ok, to be honest, New York probably wins this game because everyone is sniffing Philly's jock right now, but I just cannot find a scenario that makes sense matchup-wise. Plus, I want the Panthers playing at home next weekend).
• Arizona at Carolina: I'll take the Panthers. This really is not a great matchup for Carolina, as the secondary is the worst part of their defense (ahem, Ken Lucas). However, Anquan Boldin is less than 100% and I think having already seen Arizona's passing attack race up and down the field once this year will help motivate and teach the defense. As long as the Panthers take care of the ball and do not come out overhyped, I think they will come out on top.

In other news, there is a BCS Championship Game Thursday night that has drawn some coverage on ESPN this week. Do not confuse this with a National Championship Game, as that would only happen if everyone had a chance to play for the title. The blog entry related to fixing this system is coming very soon, I promise. For now, let's pick the game. I think Florida has had enough time to prepare for the OU offensive attack and can at least slow down Sam Bradford and the Sooners enough to pull this one out. A couple of untimely turnovers by the current Heisman winner will cost the Sooners. I like the Gators 34-24.

The first hater step, the first hater gettin' tossed out

Can You Smell What Barack is Cookin'?

With today being the Super Bowl of the United States’ political world, it is the duty of The Blue Team to provide you, the bored-at-work reader, with a live rundown of political commentary from a moderate poli-sci major…and some sports too. After all, sports is still the specialty around these parts, so we cannot possibly allow a good night for blogging to pass us by without some serious sports analysis. Alright Peas, let’s get it started…

• It is 8:00pm and sixteen states just closed the polls. An influx of electoral votes for Barack Obama gives him his first lead of the night, a lead he likely will not lose, at least according to Vegas. ABC has already awarded Pennsylvania to Obama, but CNN has not. According to ABC, Obama for your Mama (OFYM) leads 102-34.
• CNN has switched to Suzanne Malveaux out at Grant Park in Chicago, who is finally audible to viewers at home after providing us with nothing about half an hour ago. The crowd was so loud that no one could hear poor Suzanne. It sounded much more like the north end zone at Virginia Tech than a political event.
• Dana Bash (not Dane-A, but Dan-A), is at the McCain camp in Arizona where a boys choir is performing in the background. Apparently Kanye West was booked. Dan-A reports that the mood is pretty somber in the Republican camp. Glad she was there to give us that bit of information.
• A quick shout-out to tonight’s proud food sponsor of The Blue Team: Chick-Fil-A. A #5 eight-pack combo, four-piece chicken strips, and sweet tea courtesy of an old 2006 Chick-Fil-A Bowl gift card. Here’s to going back and getting another gift card this season.
• Virginia’s Senate race has already been called for Mark Warner, the former governor of the Commonwealth. You could have called that race two months ago. I did not even know who he was running against until I saw my electronic ballot while voting today. Seriously, it is that much of a landslide.
• North Carolina, though early, is currently showing a lead for Obama. As I have mentioned to many folks, the fact that NC is even close to turning blue is an indicator to me of the strength of the Obama campaign and a realistic chance of winning this election.
• According to David Axelrod, Obama’s chief strategist, Barack and Michelle are chilling at home, waiting to party a little later tonight. He did indeed play his good-luck basketball game this afternoon, a game that no doubt included former Dookie Reggie Love. What a great gig that guy has.
• I was not at all surprised that Philip Fulmer was essentially fired by Tennessee yesterday. Things have gotten really bad for the Volunteer Nation, but the division within the fanbase is what has been shocking to me. Many common Volunteer fans gave up on Fulmer a few years ago following his 5-6 season that was littered with arrests and team turmoil. However, a number of big boosters remained fiercely loyal to the coaching staff despite big losses to Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. A contract extension following last season seemed to give Fulmer and the boys a vote of confidence; instead, it has just increased the cost of his contract buyout. Up to $9.6 million total, combining the $6 million owed to Fulmer over the next four seasons and $3.6 million to his staff, will be paid out by the athletic booster club. Add in the salary of the new coach and his staff and you will have quite an expensive year for the Volunteer Nation.
• Fox News has also awarded Pennsylvania to Obama, but CNN is holding off. Bizarro World.
• 70% of post-graduate educated voters in New Hampshire voted for Barack Obama. Smart people love OFYM apparently.
• Speaking of smart people, an interesting read by Donald Miller. Check it out, and thanks to the owner of Matt Swab for providing.
• So Psycho T has a stress reaction in his knee, which no doubt caused a stress reaction within the extended Carolina family. Obviously no one wants our prized, beloved, walk-on-water big man injured. However, “early in the season” and “not too bad” were the phrases associated with this injury. So folks, chill out and don’t stress over it (pun intended). Tyler will be fine.
• I hope.
• Kay Hagan is well-ahead of Libby Dole in the Senate race in North Carolina, yet another Democratic candidate who is likely to win a seat in Congress this year. Future Senator Hagan sat next to us at the NCAA Tournament last year in Raleigh as she and her daughter rooted on the Heels. They were very nice and seemed to be good fans. We did not know until she left who she was, as it was then she shook our hands and passed us a business card. Never asked for our vote, just enjoyed the game. I could not vote for her given my Virginia residency, but I am glad to see many others did.
• Rudy G is on ABC discussing Sarah Palin. He makes a very good point, mentioning that she has many of the qualifications of a normal Presidential or Vice Presidential candidate. However, 60% of people polled upon exit said she was “unqualified” to serve as President. Giuliani attributes this fact to the debate and the harsh criticism of the Democratic party of Palin’s selection. This despite her ranking as a 7.8 out of 10 amongst males ages 31-55.
• Kay Hagan has just been officially projected by CNN as the winner. Somehow, this Senate seat has gone from Jesse Helms to Libby Dole to Kay Hagan in a decade. Wow. The best part of this race was the recent television ad campaign by Dole that accused Hagan of being “godless”. I just find that hilarious. On the bright side, Libby Dole can go home and enjoy more “right moments” with husband Bob, he of the original endorser of Viagra.
• 9:00pm update – CNN has it 174-49, Fox News 163-81 in favor of OFYM.
• “Race was an important factor” = 55% for Obama, 44% for McCain; “Race was NOT an important factor” = 53% Obama, 45% McCain. Age actually ended up being a much more important factor, nearly 2:1, with 70% of those votes going to Barack Obama. Interesting.
• “If he loses Florida, it’s peace out Cub Scout for McCain”. – some dude on CNN.
• The NBA season just started last week and I am the lone person in Blacksburg who cares I think. And care I do. I am really interested in the growth of some teams from last season, especially New Orleans and Houston. I watched both win key early games last week, New Orleans at Phoenix and Houston at Dallas, and both squads had a key role played by new off-season additions. James Posey hit huge three-pointers late for the Hornets and Ron Artest was awesome on both ends of the floor for Houston, scoring 30 points and shutting down Dirk. I like both teams moving forward and cannot wait to watch them continue to gel in the competitive Western Conference.
• A fascinating story about Lynchburg, VA and EC Glass High School. The anchor on ABC (sorry, missed the name) related that the last time he was in the auditorium at the high school, Paul Harvey received a standing ovation when he complained that the school had dropped “Dixie” as its fight song. Barack Obama stood in the same auditorium a few weeks back and has now carried the county that contains Lynchburg. Times are a changin’.
• I’d like to thank Willis McGahee (did not play), Marshawn Lynch (left early – stomach virus), David Garrard (lack of passing the football to his team), and Brandon Marshall (general suckiness) for a crushing loss for the Hokie Thugs in the Phi Alpha league. Really, thanks guys. Please redeem yourselves ASAP.
• Rest easy (er) Carolina fans, Butch says he ain’t goin’ to Tennessee. No truth to the rumor that he pointed to a picture of Sarah Palin and said “she’s the only 10 I see”.
• Virginia is 70% reported with only a 12,000+/- lead for McCain. NC is 47% reported with similar numbers, but for Obama.
• ABC News sending us out to Kogelo, Kenya for coverage of the ancestral village of Barack Obama. Unfortunately the audio is not working, which really sucks because I think hearing their perspective would be a great story on election night. We did get a great shot of an African man in a red cowboy hat, which is amusing. Keeping the international theme, the Hispanic vote in New Mexico and Arizona increased as a whole in this election, mostly in support of Obama. A good story by ABC about a family in that region that is really, really struggling to make ends meet, so much so that Christmas will not include any gifts this year. That in itself is not as unusual as many people think in America or anywhere else, but does go to show the plight of many people in our nation.
• Ohio to Obama. Get the fork out.
• Roger Wilkins, a professor at George Mason University, and a board member of the NAACP, weighs in on the election, citing the different life his 6 year-old grandson will have than he did as a youngster. What an incredible impact on a young black boy or girl to see an African-American as the figurehead and chief executive officer of the United States.
• I think concessions speeches should includes hot dogs, popcorn, peanuts, and beer. Did you get that one? It was kind of quick, I know, but hilarious. You can stop laughing now though. Really.
• The Minnesota governor, Tim Pawlenty, weighs in on ABC about the problems with the Republican party. He acknowledges a lack of connecting with core, day-to-day issues, and with the younger generation of voters. He also mentions the slowness of the party to respond to environmental and healthcare issues. Finally, he talks about how much an economic downturn has hurt the incumbent party in all national elections over history, as every time we face tough economic conditions, the non-ruling party tends to win the next vote.
• Facebook and Twitter are cited by ABC for data on younger voters. I love Facebook.
• Mark Warner’s acceptance speech as Senator of Virginia commences with “Right Here, Right Now” playing in the background. If he’d have played 311, I’d kiss him.
• A quick summary of my personal voting today. I moved two months ago and have not yet received my change-of-address information (i.e. new voter registration card). I also have two valid driver’s licenses, one with my old address, the other my new one. However, I went to my original voting locale and simply showed one license, got my name checked off, and voted. We voted for President, Senate, House of Representatives, and School Board here in Blacksburg, that was it. Four votes to cast. I was in and out in less than five minutes, and it would have been shorter had I not stood in the booth and stared at my electronic vote for an extra minute, taking it all in. On the flip side, my parents waited for over an hour in Mint Hill/Charlotte to vote. Yet another advantage of small college towns.
• A striking discussion on CNN between James Carville and their Republican correspondent, Alex Castellanous. Alex says that the Democratic party has moved towards the center with Barack Obama, while Carville claims the past two years to be “an absolute drubbing” in favor of the more liberal party. Both are correct to an extent. I do think that the party has moved a bit more towards the center in the past decade or so, post-Clinton, but I do not think that is the sole (or even major) reason for the dramatic shift in Congress toward the Democratic party. Much more of that has to do with the Republican party’s lack of connecting to voters on domestic policies and every-day issues. I’d go on, but let’s save two hours.
• Congressman John Lewis, a former associate of Martin Luther King Jr., weighs in on ABC, talking of shedding tears and being over-whelmed by the potential history of this day. The perspective of an African-American who lived through and experienced America during the Civil Rights Movement is so different from anyone else tonight. I think reading their thoughts in the coming days and weeks will be incredibly interesting.
• Thanks to Bailey’s and Coke Zero for their combined support here in the 10 o’clock hour.
• Quick shift to the NFL – how ‘bout them Cowboys? Dallas has fallen apart without Tony Romo and with the onslaught of defensive injuries. I find it funny that everyone on ESPN talked up Brad Johnson when Romo was injured, as he is experienced and solid at quarterback, except now they all think he sucks because he…well, he sucks. Funny how quickly these “experts” have changed their minds. The NFC is pretty clear to me: New York, Philly, and Carolina are really good (who hoo!), Arizona, New Orleans, and Green Bay are dangerous, Washington and Tampa Bay are tough, and Dallas is the wild card team that could go either way. Not too worried about the other squads, Atlanta included. The AFC is a bit cloudier, with Tennessee and Pittsburgh leading the way, but the entire AFC East (including Miami given their schedule), Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Baltimore, and San Diego lurking for the final four playoff spots. I picked Pittsburgh to win the Super Bowl, and I stand by that prediction so long as Big Ben’s big shoulder is ok.
• In local Virginia news, the 5th district race for a Congressional seat had originally been called for incumbent Virgil Goode over an hour ago by the Associated Press; however, they have back off that claim as of 10:30pm, as Democrat Tom Perriello is leading the vote by just over 2,500 votes with 95% reporting. I am amused by this, of course.
• Barack Obama is 47, right between the baby-boomers and Gen X, as pointed out by Roland Martin on CNN, potentially allowing him to relate to both major generations. The discussion then turns to Obama’s potential party allegiance as our President: will he turn left or stay closer to the center? Speculation says it depends on his ability to get Republicans in Congress to buy in to his policies.
• Fox News has just declared Virginia to Barack Obama. CNN, ABC, and Fox News will not go this far, but I’ll do it: stick the fork in John McCain, he is done.
• Will I Am of the Black Eyed Peas (ironic since this live rundown began with a reference to BEP) joins CNN’s Anderson Cooper live in the studio via hologram for his analysis. They joke about it, but it really looks like something out of Star Trek. This is unreal. He is really a hologram standing in their studio. I am bamboozled right now…maybe it was the Bailey’s.
• Let’s get real serious here for a minute. Barack Obama is about to become our President. Historically, he is significant because he will be the nation’s first minority President. But, will he really be a good President? Can he unite the nation, turn the economy around, protect our borders from both attack and illegal immigration, provide affordable healthcare while decreasing taxes, build stronger relationships with our international neighbors, police the world landscape, and represent the office with dignity, class, and integrity? Can he really do it? Just being the first black President cannot be enough; he must create a legacy of sound decision-making and leadership in addition to the historical significance due to his race. I liken this to Jackie Robinson breaking of the color barrier in Major League Baseball: had Jackie been an average player, his legacy would only have been related to the color of his skin. But, Robinson was a Hall of Fame player, a revolutionary player with speed and athleticism not yet seen in the league. He would have been remembered simply based on his skills had he not been black. That is what Barack Obama must strive for in his presidency. A legacy of change, of improvement, of greatness, in addition to the historical significance of his race.
• 11:00pm EST: Barack Obama has been elected the 44th President of the United States. United State history, for the first time, has no color barrier. Yes, we can. And we did.
• Watching the celebrations in Atlanta, Chicago, New York, and around the country is like one huge College World Series dog pile one the pitcher’s mound. What joy, what adulation.
• Great analysis on CNN about tonight’s result: this does not change anything overnight as far as US policy goes. However, it does go a long way in changing the way other nations, especially more progressive Europe, view our country. We must move forward as a nation, united as one now. “We the People” is finally just that: We, ALL of the People.
• Quick thoughts on President-Elect Barack Obama’s acceptance speech will have to come another day. In addition, more analysis will come in the next couple months, and hopefully we will find out the name of the new Obama dog as well. For now, let’s end with a couple of thoughts…

Galatians 3:26 – 28: “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

And from the song “Changes”, courtesy of Tupac Shakur: “It’s time for us as a people to start makin’ some changes . Let’s change the way we eat, let’s change the way we live and let’s change the way we treat each other. You see the old way wasn’t working so it’s on us to do what we gotta do, to survive.”

God bless America.

Because I Don't Want to Talk About the Economy Anymore

A lot of professional sports writers (i.e. not me) have creative names for columns in which they share their thoughts in a fairly randomized order. Me? I write two lines of introduction, then tell you I'm going to insert bullet points and write about how ever many sports and non-sports items I can think of in thirty minutes or less. And away we go...

• I purposely did not write a follow-up after Virginia Tech's victory at North Carolina a few weeks back for a number of reasons: 1) I am clearly in an awkward situation given my life-long loyalty to Carolina and current employment at VT. 2) The loss hurt really bad as football losses go, so forcing myself to rehash a choke job by the Heels was not high on the priority list. 3) Given the fact that I made it 1/4 of the way into Lee Pace's "Extra Points" column on TarHeelBlue.com following the game and nearly teared up reading how much the loss hurt Mark Paschal, I thought it was a bit trite to discuss how much the loss hurt for Carolina fans. Because as much as you think it hurts you, multiply by 311 and you get the pain the players and coaches feel.
• However, the win at Miami this past weekend was pretty much the polar opposite. A gleeful, surprising, "I just found $100 in my pants pocket" kind of win. Reading this week about Cam Sexton's plight the past two seasons has done two things: 1) make me really like and respect the guy; and 2) make me feel really bad for passing him off as a failure. I sure hope he keeps it up, for the team's sake, and his as a person.
• The coolest part about Cam Sexton is his perspective. I'm not saying he has it all together as a 22 year-old college student, but his faith does seem to play a big part of things for him. His rather subdued reactions following the two TD passes and quick references to being "blessed" are signs of maturity as a man, in my opinion.
• Last Carolina football thought - I left the VT game really down. But, on my loooooong drive back to Blacksburg, it occurred to me that even without TJ Yates, I thought this was an 8 win football team. And I still believe that. The Heels are actually pretty decent. Not great, but solid. Thanks Butch. Now go beat UCONN.
• The MLB Playoffs have started. The picks, as emailed to a buddy this afternoon: Phillies in 4, Dodgers in 5, Angels in 4, White Sox in 4; Dodgers in 6, Angels in 6; Angels in 6.
• I'm very tempted to pick the White Sox to go further, but I'm resisting. John Danks is my newest MLB pitching ManCrush.
• However, I have one HUGE problem with the MLB Playoffs: TBS. I think Ernie Johnson, for my money the best studio host in sports, sits in the studio with Cal Ripken Jr and Dennis Eckersley and thinks to himself, "I'm getting paid how much for this again?" Ripken is not great, but Eck...oh man, Eck. You had a heckuva pitching career sir. Hall of Famer, no doubt. Your broadcasting career? Awesomeness...in bizarro world. Please just find one camera and look at it when you're talking, cause the "deer in the headlights, look from camera to camera and hope you find the right one at some point" thing is not working. Plus, the games themselves are frequently covered by guys we have not heard do baseball all year. I love John Smoltz and Dick Stockton, but they are not the baseball voices of this generation. Not only does it wig me out during live games, but makes the sound bytes that go down in history lacking in goosebumps. I think I ranted about this at some point last year following the Rockies/Diamondbacks playoff game, but it is still bothering me.
• In other news, the Braves' season has mercifully come to an end. Thank you Jesus.
• Speaking of deer in headlights, there are a number of deer who live around my new hood on the north side of Blacksburg. In fact, one of them almost got a Toyota 4-Runner tattoo the other night. Sweet dinner that would have been on the new grill.
• This past weekend, I had the chance to fly out to the VT vs Nebraska football game with our team. Great experience, topped off by the Nebraska fans. They actually thanked us for coming. And that was after the Hokies beat them. Classy, polite, and football smart.
• Nebraska is flat and has A LOT of corn.
• SportsCenter just told me that the Detroit Shock and San Antonio Silver Stars are playing in the WNBA Finals. Not only did I not know this prior to a minute ago, but I had no idea that San Antonio had a WNBA team, much less the nickname of said team. Somebody call me when Jessica Alba decides to play.
• Congrats to the Hokie Diamond Thugs for going back-to-back.
• I was glued to the Redskins vs Cowboys game on Sunday afternoon, though slightly delirious after arriving back home at 4:30am Sunday morning from our trip. A terrific gameplan well-executed by my Dad's old favorite team, the 'Skins. On the other hand, TO is whining this week. Not to give him too much credit, because I do not at all think he is intentionally doing this, but...his antics are putting the spotlight squarely on him and not on the other flaws in Dallas' squad. Not much has been said about their inability to stop Santana Moss (over the last three years), lack of pressure on Jason Campbell, or failure to close out an opponent, which is a good thing for the team as it allows adjustments to be made out of the spotlight.
• I'm enjoying watching the Buffalo Bills succeed this year. Many moons ago, as a young and impressionable lad, I took a liking to the Bills. The following season, the Bills made their first Super Bowl and my fanmanship commenced in full force. Four Super Bowl losses later, it was still strong. Of course, once the Panthers came into the league, they became my team and the Bills had to take a backseat eventually. But, they still hold a fond place in my sports heart. Let's Go Buff-a-lo.
• Shhhh, it's getting kind of close to basketball season. But keep it on the DL, I don't want people getting all worked up yet.
• I have decided that Tootsie Rolls and sushi are my two favorite foods right now not named peanuts. I think I started eating Tootsie Rolls when I was about 3 years old in the backyard. Oh, what? That wasn't a Tootsie Roll? Maybe that explains why Brilla got so mad at me. Anyway, sushi started in college, but did not set in full-force until a few months ago. Now it's a once-a-week thing. And it's good for you. Unbelievable. And we've reached the breaking point on blog topics, so...
• Alright folks, enjoy post-season baseball, a good weekend of college football, and the 100 Greatest Hip-Hop songs of all-time countdown on VH1. We'll analyze that list at some point soon I'm sure. For now, in honor of number one, lemme hear ya say...

Fight the Power

NFL Stands for "Not For Long"

The above quote was famously made by then Atlanta Falcons head coach Jerry Glanville to an official after what he deemed to be a bad call. As in, "sir, this is the NFL, which stands for Not For Long when you make those kind of calls." It might be one of my favorites of all-time related to sports, up there for "we talkin' 'bout practice", "we didn't do diddly-poo", and "playoffs?!". I tell you all of this because I needed a creative title for an NFL Preview blog and that was the first thing that popped into my mind. Besides, I got to watch all of those classics while linking to them. With that being said, here is a list of some number of NFL thoughts, predictions, and ramblings. I'll decide how long the list is when I finish numbering it.

1. No one will go undefeated this season. I mentioned it following the Super Bowl, but as time has progressed, my disappointment in New England has grown. I am a fan only of the Independence High School Patriots, not the New Englanders. I do prefer them in general over the New York Giants, but would never lose sleep over them losing the the G-Men under normal circumstances. But I decided the other day that New England's Super Bowl XVIXXIVI loss is the most disappointed I have been in regards to the outcome of a game between two teams I do not have major rooting interest in. As in, I would not normally care that much who won, might have a slight preference at most. But to see NFL history of that magnitude pass us by is just really disappointing to me.

2. No one will go 0-fer either. Don't forget, through week 12 last season, the Fightin' Fish of Miami had not won a football game. Leave it to Baltimore to fix that for us. I don't think any team is quite that bad this year, but 2-14 is not out of the realm of possibility (Kansas City, I'm looking at you).

3. Chad "Ocho Cinco" might be the biggest idiot in sports history. He is a PR machine, but what do people really think about him? At least he has not gotten arrested or contributed to any major scandels thus far, which is saying something considering his surroundings in Cincinnati. Marvin Lewis should just get himself fired. You know, streak on the field during a game or something so that Cincinnati can talk about how "embarrassed" they are by his actions and are "forced to make a change". Do something memorable Marvin and then run after they release you from the hell that is that organization.

4. Did I just ask to see Marvin Lewis' junk on national TV? Oops. Wear a thong Marv, thanks.

5. The Colts are going to actually have to play an entire season. For the first time since 2000 or so, Indy will not have clenched their division or a playoff berth in November and will not be resting starters the last 3 games. Between Manning and Jeff Saturday (Tar Heel) dealing with injuries, plus a tough division, the Young Horses will have to fight for a post-season berth.

6. "Colts" has to be one of the wimpiest nicknames in professional sports. Check out the definition of colt. Would you want to be known as one of those? A compliment to a man is being referred to as a "stallion", not a "young, inexperienced person".

7. I like the 49ers this season. Last year, they were the trendy playoff team. This year, everyone assumes they are going to suck. Their defense is solid, Frank Gore is pretty good, and Mike Nolan needs a good season as coach. The problems are being in the first year of a Mike Martz offense (complicated), having below-average wide receivers, and DeShaun Foster is their backup running back. DeShaun is a great name. His game, not so much.

8. As much as I like the name "Lil' Kyle" for my son, I could be convinced of "DeKyle" as well. Make me a good argument on that one, I'll hear you out.

9. Dallas is either going to be really, really good or implode. I vote for the former.

10. Whale's Vagina is going to sleepwalk through another season and still be 12-4 or so. San Diego has enough talent to do that. The bigger issue is that I just wasted 20 minutes watching Anchorman clips on YouTube as a result of that joke.

11. And now, so did you. What a classic.

12. Living in Blacksburg, with a ton of Northern Virginia (Nova) transplants, there is a huge Redskins' following. There also used to be a large Atlanta Falcons following as well until DoggyGate. Anywho, I will say that Skins fans are loyal and loud. I will also say that this season, they will be disappointed. 6-10 disappointed.

13. Brett Favre has slight indigestion from the chicken burrito he had for dinner last night and ESPN has Wendy Nix on site to report on his condition. Turning it over to Wendi:

"Yes, it appears that Brett Favre did indeed consume a chicken burrito last evening. According to sources close to the situation, he was dining with his wife, Deanna, and actually ate the entire burrito in five minutes, twenty-seven seconds. It appeared to have been topped with sour cream, but no cheese since he no longer lives in Wisconsin and has to eat cheese on everything. Following the burrito, approximately forty-two minutes later, Favre was seen clutching his upper stomach and burping slightly. Thankfully, a couple of TUMS alleviated the pressure and Favre was able to sleep well throughout the night. ESPN will have a Town Meeting, an E:60 story, two SportsCenter features, a six-pack of questions, and Lou Holtz "Dr. Lou" segment, and of course its own Bottom-Line caption to update fans on the situation. Pedro Gomez will also shadow him moving forward, and Chris Berman will be by to blow Brett...I mean, lend his support. Now, back to the studio."

14. I am hopeful for the Panthers this year, but a number of things have to fall right: better secondary play and pressure on the quarterback leading to an increase in opposing teams' turnovers, Jake Delhomme's arm not falling off, and using the 2-RB system correctly. Williams and Stewart seem to be the kind of guys that are looking to make an impact in any way possible and do not care about the spotlight right now. A two-headed rush monster is just what this team needs. I can really see 10-6. But...

15. My theory is that each season, 75% of NFL teams have the ability to finish 10-6 or 6-10. Not somewhere in between, but those exact records. For example, I can talk myself into a 6-10 Carolina Panthers season just as easily as 10-6. This is also a league where every team has hopes of the playoffs each year (again excluding a handful - KC, Miami, Atlanta, and probably Baltimore), which is why the NFL is the most popular in pro sports: every fan feels like this could be their team's year.

16. AFC Playoff teams - New England, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Jacksonville, Indy, Tennessee (same 6 as last year which means it won't happen; don't believe in Cleveland; Houston, the Jets, and Buffalo are all 8-8 or 9-7 though)

17. NFC Playoff teams - Dallas, Green Bay, New Orleans, San Francisco, Carolina, Philadelphia (no Giants which was tough; Seattle finally misses; and not buying the Minnesota hype).

18. I talk myself into: Carolina is 10-6 and Jon Beason becomes a household name.

19. I will win at least one fantasy football league this year. I am in three, just like last season. Last year, I finished 2nd in two leagues and dead-freakin-last in a co-ed league that I co-founded and commish. How embarrassing is it to lose to your girlfriend, two female cousins, a school teacher, and a pharma-to-be who paid no attention all season? Pretty bad. But, shout out to cousin Car battling through freshman year of college, cousin Whitney battling through senior year of college, and cousin Lindsey for getting knocked up (by her husband, cousin-in-law Jason) and being preggers with "niece" numero uno. Quasi-Uncle Kyle is stoked. Anyway, the Hokie Thugs are determined to bring home a victory in one of these leagues in 2008.

20. Also, a shout out to Miss Angela - keep fighting, you are always in my prayers.

21. The Tar Heels were awful against McNeese State, but you knew that already. Maybe the team will use the extra rest this weekend to improve the run game and pass rush (fat chance on the second one) and the parachuters can practice landing at the correct stadium. My advice: remember that Kenan Stadium is the one with people actually in it to watch the game.

22. The Hokies hope to get well against the Purple Paladins of Furman this weekend. I had a friend in high school who wore a Furman University hat all the time because it said "FU" on it. Rutledge, if you're reading this crap for some awful reason, congrats on your recent tying of the knot. The Hokies, meanwhile, are switching back to using Tyrod Taylor at quarterback in some capacity, which has been the talk of Blacksburg this week. I did overhear a conversation this week about how it was stupid to waste Taylor's redshirt because "our season is already F-ed up anyway". Glad to know that a close loss in your first game to a good non-conference foe on a neutral field ruins the season. Moron.

23. It's time. All my rowdy friends are coming over tonight: Super Bowl XLIII Pittsburgh 31 Dallas 17.

Breaking News...

Major breaking news on ESPN today: Brett Favre took a dump.

Sean Taylor Dies

Sean Taylor, 24 year-old safety for the Washington Redskins, died from a gunshot wound early this morning. Details of the shooting here and of the on-going reaction of the Washington Redskins here.

Also, Jemele Hill, a fantastic and fresh writer for ESPN.com weighs in on the big picture problem that is illustrated in Taylor's death.

Only a few brief thoughts on my end. First, it's clearly very sad. A young man who was turning his life and playing career around is killed in his home in front of his girlfriend and with a one year-old child nearby. Second, this is a big sports story because Taylor was a Pro Bowl player, one of the best safeties in the league. Third, as described by Hill on the link above, this is one example in a long line of problems that plagues America. Especially Black America. There are far too many people who think that's not White America's problem to solve. They are wrong. I just look forward to the day that there's not a white or black America, but just an America.

From a slightly different perspective, the Redskins team has a tough road ahead of itself. I'm not talking about the games themselves, but just in growing as individuals from this sad tragedy. However, I think they have the head coach best equipped to help them get through this, learn, and grow. Joe Gibbs is a man of great faith in Jesus Christ. He serves as a coach, but also a father figure for many of his players, current and former. If there is any NFL coach who can delve into the emotions of his players, help them sort through their feelings, and demonstrate the faith in God and a bigger picture to get through this, it's Coach Gibbs.

Sean Taylor's death is another example of something else: a reason there's a heaven. There is no murder in heaven, no pain. Without this pain his family, friends, and teammates are going through, there would be no heaven, no reason for a higher place. I pray for his soul and pray for strength for the only source to help our sick world continue to get through tragedies and pain like this: Jesus Christ.

R.I.P Sean Taylor.

Role Reversal

The caption reads "Run Vick Run".

The Sports World

It is nice to write about something as meaningless and unnecessary as sports again. However, please continue to keep Jason Ray’s family, the victims & families at Virginia Tech, and Christie Smith in your prayers.

Random thoughts on sports, both recent past, present, and near future:

On a national scope, three major events right now. The NBA Playoffs are underway, which basically means the NBA season has finally commenced. After six months of boredom and tanking, the good teams are remaining and their stars will begin taking it to the next level. Of course, the excitement of the playoffs can be destroyed with an NBA Finals matchup of San Antonio & Detroit, or enhanced with Phoenix & Cleveland. Either way, I unashamedly love the NBA Playoffs. LOVE it. After discussing the matchups and big picture of the post-season with a few friends, I really have no gauge on who will win the title. San Antonio and Detroit have a huge advantage because of each team’s defensive prowess. Houston could say the same thing, but I just don’t see them going three rounds to even make the finals. I like Chicago’s squad, but there is no way they can ride four jump shooters to a title. Denver was the darkhorse, until they beat San Antonio in the first game of that series…now they’re the lighthorse I guess. Thanks, I’ll be here all weekend.

Seriously, as a buddy mentioned to me, Detroit should be the favorite because of their balance, experience, hunger, and the fact that they will be more rested if they make the finals than their counterparts. Cleveland looks to be the only Eastern Conference squad who could give the Pistons a run, seeing as Dwayne Wade is playing at about 65% health. Out west, I almost always pick the Spurs. However, I think Dallas will come back, defeat the pesky Warriors in a long series, then gain some confidence as they roll back to the finals. But go Spurs. And go Raptors, like anyone in Canada has anything else to cheer for, besides…

The NHL Playoffs. The NBA & NHL have identically long regular and post-seasons, but exactly the opposite color of dudes playing their sports. And I have no clue why. Either way, I love everyone, so I watch the mullets in hockey just as much as the afros & dreads in basketball. The NHL has already moved to the second round, with Vancouver the lone remaining representative from the Great White North, hence why Canadians have only the Canucks to cheer for besides the Toronto Raptors. Keeping this short and sweet, I like the Buffalo Sabres to roll through the east, even though the New York Rangers looked nasty in the opening round. Out west, Anaheim is the team to beat in my mind. What a great Stanley Cup Finals matchup that would produce, for all 17 of the hockey fans to watch. By the way, I love how last year everyone in North Carolina, especially the Triangle area, became a hockey fan for two months. Now, no one watches the playoffs since the Canes are not participating. And we want a Major League Baseball team in North Carolina? We don’t support the Bobcats, only support the Canes & Panthers when they’re winning, but we want a team in the state that has 81 home games a year? Just stick to college athletics and NASCAR.

Finally, the NFL Draft is coming up this weekend. Straight up, the Panthers should pick Patrick Willis, the linebacker from Ole Miss if he’s available at the fourteenth pick. They shouldn’t even use the entirely-too-long fifteen minute time block that’s allotted to them to make that selection. However, if he’s gone (which he should be), then we have a problem on our hands. I’m not a huge fan of picking a safety there if his name is not LaRon Landry, but I guess I could deal with Reggie Nelson. No other linebacker is supposed to be selected that high, with that Timmons guy from FSU as the only viable candidate. A WR is a possibility, as the draft has lots of those. Personally, if Willis is gone, I’m hoping Jamal Anderson, the defensive end from Arkansas, slides to the Panthers. Mike Rucker is a great human being, but not a healthy football player. I really think a decent safety can be had later in the draft while an elite pass rusher should be taken as early as possible. All I know is if I read one more mock draft that has the Panthers taking Greg Olsen at tight end in the first round, I’m going to flip out. I could be wrong, but it just doesn’t make sense that the team would waste its first rounder selection on the position it values the least. Yes, I’d love to have a great threat at tight end, but John Fox, Marty Hurney, et al do not value that spot. Last time I checked, they’re still in charge. My guess is we end up with Ted Ginn Jr. or a defensive end.

On to the more-localized portion of our show. Brandan Wright declared for the NBA Draft and Tar Heel fans everywhere shed a small tear. Ok, that’s an exaggeration, but the tantalizing thought of, “my, what could have been” is now in the past. Truthfully, any knowledgeable fan would agree that Wright made the correct decision. Yes, college is great, and yes, life is so much fan…but $3.5 million guaranteed dollars is still $3.5 million guaranteed dollars. Hel-lo. There is little tangible gain in staying. Of course winning an NCAA Championship is awesome and no feeling or amount of money can replace that, but it is not guaranteed. The last time I checked, the $3.5 million dollars are guaranteed. End of discussion.

So what does that mean for next year? Not a lot really. Carolina will still be top five pre-season and will more than likely finish in the top five at the end of the regular season. As a regular reader would know (can you be a regular reader of someone’s blog who writes on an irregular basis?), I am madly in love with Deon Thompson’s game. His offensive moves are solid and he has the chance to be an All-ACC player in his college career. More PT for Big D is a good thing. Alex Stepheson will also benefit. Not much was made of Stepheson’s season in 2006-2007, but he should be a more-than-adequate sub off the bench for Roy’s Boys. I am quietly optimistic that his shot-blocking skills will prove solid enough to make a difference for the team’s defense, as lack of a shot-blocking presence has been an Achilles heal for the Heels in recent years.

In truth, the success of next season will depend greatly on the success of this off-season. How much improvement will the freshmen make? Can Danny Green step into the roll of a consistent offensive threat at the 3-spot, whether he starts or not? Vitally important is the re-development of Bobby Frasor after last season became a lost cause due to injury. There is no real backup to Wayne Ellington at the 2-guard spot (assuming Ginyard is a 3) and Frasor has also proven to be a steady point guard when healthy. Also, Mike Copeland will be called on for spot minutes next season. I am afraid of Deon Thompson trying to guard the 4-spot, so foul trouble could become a regular issue, forcing Copeland into more minutes. I can really see Copeland becoming the Wes Miller of next year’s team. No, not a short white guy who shoots threes, but a high-energy, scrappy player who the fans and especially the students can rally behind. Ultimately, the Tar Heels will be fine next season. I’m not sure a national championship is on the horizon, but a solid year and hopefully an ACC title to boot.

Quick thoughts, then I’m out. Sebastian Telfair is immature and selfish. He’s at a crossroads, much like Pacman Jones: either be a man and grow up or keep acting like a thug and remain immature. One will lead to a great NBA comeback story, the other to the NBDL and eventually cleaning toilets.

TNT’s studio show consisting of Ernie Johnson, Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, & Kenny “The Jet” Smith (Tar Heel) is the best on television. I LOL-ed last night listening to a rant about Brokeback Mountain, the halftime show in Dallas, and Charles & Kenny’s quality time the previous evening. I’m not sure how they got away with it, but it was hilarious. Just like I said last season, it’s must-see TV.

The Braves are winning with smoke and mirrors. There will come a time this season that the starting pitching will be beaten up and broken down, and the bats will become silent in unison. As the boys and I have contended for three seasons now, this team’s reliance on the long ball looks good when it’s working, but can go into hibernation for extended periods of time. Please give us improved team speed and the ability to play some small ball when needed. Please.

I too am addicted to the possibilities of the upcoming NBA Draft. I will give my arm to have Kevin Durant on the Bobcats. More on that soon. Long drives on Fridays somehow lead to me talking to God in the car about the Bobcats.

Billy Gillispie is the right guy at Kentucky. I wanted State to hire him last year (and by wanted, I mean hoped they would not, because he’s good) and thought Kentucky should make a push for him after Donovan. In fact, I felt from the outset that if Donovan turned them down, he was the next best candidate. Sometimes a resume can be outweighed by potential and being a good fit. This is one of those cases.

Spoiler Alert for Bachelor watchers: Dear Andy the Midshipmen – please pick Amber.

Spoiler Alert for 24 watchers: Jack Bauer, please stop taking projects on your own. And quit producing a show that has stupid plot items that involve ridiculous inner-office politics.

I’m out. If sexy never left, then why’s everybody on my s-…