Well I started out the 2012 season decently, 10 wins though a couple did bite me (Yeah, Buffalo and Green Bay I’m talkin’ to you) By and large most of the picks came out the way I figured that they would and I’m never upset about that. This week has a handful of 0-1 teams playing one another and since 1990 a team starting 0-2 has made the NFL playoffs only 12% of the time, so if your team is in that scenario already they might be facing a crucial game and we’re not even officially in fall season. Lines are provided by bodog.net and are for entertainment and comparison purposes only. Which means the only thing I should hear from you is birthday wishes next week, not complaining that you got took on the lines. I don’t pay bookies

NFL SCHEDULE – WEEK 2

Thursday, September 13

Bears (1-0) @ Packers (0-1)

Lambeau Field, Green Bay 8:20 (NFLN)

Favorite Packers by 5

Last Week Packers Lost to 49ers 30-22 Bears beat Colts 41-21

Fast Fact After winning 20 straight home games dating back to 2009, the Pack have lost their last two at Lambeau (You’re almost waiting for the classic clip of Lombardi shouting “What the hell is going on out there?”)

One of the leagues classic rivalries kicks off the week. The Pack looked like a shadow of its 15-1 2011 self as they got pushed around by the Niners while the Bears toyed with the young Colts. The Bears actually look like they have a competent balanced offense and that in itself should be a high worry for other teams. Jay Cutler finally has a solid go-to receiver to complement the efficient running game. These are tools that the Packers suddenly don’t look like they have. Aaron Rodgers is of course his scary efficient self but with a weak running game and an increasingly suspect defense a lot of heads are getting scratched. I picked the Pack last week and hesitate to pick against them at home. But I think the Bears are the better balanced team and I haven’t even mentioned their defense. This is an upset call only because the Pack rarely lose at home and losing 3 straight is near sacrilege

Pick-Chicago (Upset of the Week)

Sunday, September 16

Cardinals (1-0) @ Patriots (1-0) 

Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA 1:00 (FOX)

Favorite Patriots by 14

Last Week Cards beat Seahawks 20-16; Patriots beat Titans 34-13

Fast Fact The Pats have won the last five meetings to even the all-time series at 6 wins apiece.

The Cards were Sidney Rice dropped pass from having gotten the biggest hose job by the refs last week. but in any case they held off the Seahawks at home and there was actually a Kevin Kolb sighting. The curve gets significantly steeper against the Pats in Foxboro. The Pats slapped around the Titans on the road and look their usual dominant selves; I’ve long maintained that a western team going east for a 1p game is just about dead meat. Though the theory has been occasionally disproved, I can’t see the Cards going into Foxboro and winning.

Pick-New England (Lock of the Week)

Ravens (1-0) @ Eagles (1-0) 

Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia 1:00 (CBS)

Favorite Eagles by 3

Last Week Ravens beat Bengals 44-13; Eagles beat Browns 17-16

Fast Fact The last meeting between these two teams featured a 100 yard play for both teams (100 yard kickoff return by Eagles Quintin Demps, 107 yard interception return by Ed Reed)

Both of these aviary teams are coming off wins, the Ravens much easier than the Eagles. Michael Vick struggled against what has been regarded as a so-so Browns defense one has to wonder how he might fare against an aging but still deadly Ravens defense that fiddled around with the Bengals for a half then pounded them into submission.  Is it really time to start giving Joe Flacco his due as one the NFL’s elite QB’s? I’m still not fully sold but he is getting really close in my eyes. The Ravens are a better team in this matchup, but not by much. I think that the Eagles will play to the level of their opponent and this will be another tight matchup

Pick-Baltimore

Browns (0-1) @ Bengals (0-1) 

Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati 1:00 (CBS)

Favorite Bengals by 7

Last Week Browns lost to Eagles 17-16, Bengals lost to Ravens 44-13

Fast Fact The Browns have lost their last seven road games.

Both teams come off losses to the combatants in the previous capsule, the Browns in heartbreaking last minute fashion while the Bengals got housed in front of national audience on Monday Night. The Bengals need to get their minds right or be not only 0-2 but 2 games down in their division. Brandon Weeden looked hopelessly overmatched by a freewheeling defense and the Bengals defense will have a much easier time making Weeden squirm. Ol Red Dalton had a decent game against the Ravens save the pick 6 he threw and will likely bounce back strong.

Pick-Cincinnati

Texans (1-0) @ Jaguars (0-1)

EverBank Field, Jacksonville 1:00 (CBS)

Favorite Texans by 7½

Last Week Texans beat Dolphins 30-10, Jaguars lost to Vikings in OT 26-23

Fast Fact The Texans have won three straight and their 11 wins overall is the most against a single opponent

The Texans looked chillingly crisp in dismantling the Dolphins before a rabid home crowd; they head to Jacksonville to play in front a crowd likely half as big and a team twice as bad as the ones that they faced last week. Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, ArianFoster and company will make it a long day for the Jags home opener and that jump to LA looks more and more promising to the Jags.

Pick-Houston

Chiefs (0-1) @ Bills (0-1) 

Ralph Wilson Stadium; Orchard Park, NY 1:00 (CBS)

Favorite Bills by 3

Last Week Chiefs lost to Falcons 41-20, Bills lost to Jets 48-28

Fast Fact Bills have won four of the last five meetings.

Both teams got straight housed in week 1, the Bills looked stunningly bad in getting a beatdown in Gotham while the Chiefs embarrassed themselves in front of sold-out but sullen home crowd. This is a game where you are never quite sure what team on either side will show up, both have decent offenses and defenses that can play well when they want to. The question is which team bounces back after what were demoralizing losses in week 1. I think the Bills play well at home in front of their long suffering but loyal crowd and grinds out a win.

Pick-Buffalo

Vikings (1-0) @Colts (0-1) 

Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis 1:00 (FOX)

Favorite Vikings by 1½

Last Week Vikings beat Jaguars in OT 26-23, Colts lost to Bears 41-21

Fast Fact Vikings were the first team to win under the new expanded regular season OT rules

Your humble scribe is making the trek to Indy for this one. The Vikings are feeling good after outslugging a scrappy Jags team to get an opening day win. The Colts are going through a number of growing pains with the debut of Andrew Luck. Luck has tools and will be a primetime quarterback in this league and soon.  Vikes QB Christian Ponder is trying his best to be a good game manager and if Adrian Peterson continues his stunning recovery from his massive knee injury the Vikes will be at least serviceable to watch. This game is for all intents and purposes a real dud. The Colts offense is still a work in progress and the Vikes have little offense beyond Peterson. I think that the Vikes defense forces Luck into a couple mistakes and pulls out another ugly win.

Pick-Minnesota

Saints (0-1) @ Panthers (0-1)

Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte 1:00 (FOX)

Favorite Saints by 3

Last Week Saints lost to Redskins 40-32, Panthers lost to Buccaneers 17-14

Fast Fact Saints QB Drew Brees has completed 70% of his passes with 10 td passes and only 3 interceptions in the last four meetings between these teams, all Saints wins.

The Saints took a shocking punch to the gut as they watched RG3 shred them in a stunning home loss. The Panthers expected a walkover facing the Bucs and instead got walked on. This has the makings of another shootout, since neither team has any real proficiency on the defensive side. Cam Newton’s rookie year was so startling, it’s easy to forget that he is still developing and will have setbacks. I think that Brees will be able to put up his usual complement of points and while Newton will get his, the Saints pull out a high scoring affair.

Pick-New Orleans

Oakland (0-1) @ Miami (0-1)

SunLife Stadium, Miami 1:00 (CBS)

Favorite Raiders by 3

Last Week Raiders lost to Chargers 22-14, Dolphins lost to Texans 30-10

Fast Fact Dolphins have won the last five meetings in Miami

The Dolphins looked just about as lost as a team can get, while the Raiders did as much as possible to give away a winnable game at home. Most would say that the west coast team going east is an easy dead meat pick. But the Dolphins are an absolute train wreck and the Raiders while not playing their best are a much better team.

Pick-Oakland

Buccaneers (1-0) @ NY Giants (0-1)

MetLife Stadium; East Rutherford, NJ 1:00 (FOX)

Favorite Giants by 9

Last Week Bucs beat Panthers 17-14; Giants lost Cowboys 24-17

Fast Fact Giants are first defending Super Bowl champs since 1999 Broncos to lose season opener.

Both teams come in to this matchup off relative shockers. The Giants uncharacteristically came apart late in their opener against the Pokes. While the Bucs held firm at home and handled the Panthers.  I like the G-Men to bounce back strong against a team I think is inferior to them. Eli and Coughlin would rocket from toast of the town to village idiots if they stumble in this game. I can’t see the G-Men dropping two at home. Manning should be able to exploit what Cam Newton could not and with a marginally better running game

Pick-New York

Cowboys (1-0) @ Seahawks (0-1)

Quest Field, Seattle 4:05 (FOX)

Favorite Cowboys by 3

Last Week Cowboys beat Giants 24-17, Seahawks lost to Cardinals 20-16

Fast Fact Cowboys QB Tony Romo has a 111.2 career QB rating against Seattle the highest opponent rating against the Seahawks with a min. of 100 attempts.

The Pokes are feeling quite froggy after beating their nemesis on opening night and have to guard against a letdown when they head to the Pacific Northwest for the Seahawks home opener. The Seahawks are always a tough draw at home and will be amped for a glamour team like the Cowboys coming. I like Russell Wilson and his ability to keep a play going with his fluidity, but the Pokes are too disciplined a defense too fall for those wiles.

Pick-Dallas

Redskins (1-0) @ Rams (0-1) 

Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis 4:05 (FOX)

Favorite Redskins by 3

Last Week Redskins beat Saints 40-32, Rams lost to Lions 27-23

Fast Fact Redskins QB Robert Griffin III became the first rookie QB ever to win player of the week in week 1.

RG3 made a spectacular splash in his debut throwing for better than 300 yards and showing breathtaking poise and accuracy in leading the Skins to a stunning win over the Saints in New Orleans. He can further burnish that  image as he faces a Rams team that while showing signs of improvement  is still a long way from being respectable, they took a fall from ahead loss to the Lions and while Jeff Fisher seems to have the Rams moving in the right direction, but there is a lot of work to be done. Many skeptics are not in the RG3 believer camp, I’ve already set my super huge tent right in the middle.

Pick-Washington

NY Jets (1-0) @ Steelers (0-1) 

Heinz Field, Pittsburgh 4:25 (CBS)

Favorite

Last Week Jets beat Bills 48-28, Steelers lost to Broncos 31-19

Fast Fact The Jets are 4-17 all-time against the Steelers and 1-8 in Pittsburgh

The Jets are um, flying high after a rollicking rout of the Bills last weekend while the Steelers are starting to feel that they have sort of a Mile High jinx. As much as I root for Mark Sanchez to do well to keep that other guy rusting on the bench, I can’t see him going in to Pittsburgh and getting the win. The Steelers are not a team to face after they are coming off a tough loss and definitely not going into Heinz Field. The Steelers pedestrian run game may grow to become an increasing worry among the faithful and Big Ben has looked tentative at times, but I’m still confident that they can grind their way to a win. An 0-2 start would make Steeler Nation incredibly insufferable.

Pick-Pittsburgh

Titans (0-1) @ Chargers (1-0) 

Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego 4:25 (CBS)

Favorite Chargers by 6

Last Week Titans lost to Patriots 34-13, Chargers beat Raiders 22-14

Fast Fact The Chargers will be retiring the number 55 of Junior Seau who died this past summer.

The Titans got spanked at home and head west to face a Charger team quietly confident after grinding out an ugly win against their hated upstate rivals. Where has

Chris Johnson gone? Once a force, he has faded to an afterthought with an embarrassing 4 yards in the season opener. The Chargers look like a team that can win

ugly, and while Philip Rivers has a great complement of receivers at his disposal, his team’s lack of a running game is not a good sign either as they wait for Ryan Mathews to get healthy enough to play. The Chargers will be emotionally charged (pun intended) to honor their fallen legend with a win and I think that they can get it.

Pick-San Diego

Lions (1-0) @ 49ers (1-0)

Candlestick Park, San Francisco 8:20 (NBC)

Favorite Niners by 7

Last Week Lions beat Rams 27-23; Niners beat Packers 30-22

Fast Fact Lions ageless kicker Jason Hanson is the only player on either roster alive the last time the Lions won in Candlestick…which was 1975.

The Sunday night game is a good one with the Lions going to the bay to face a solid Niners squad. The Lions dawdled with the sad sack Rams for way to long before rallying for the win. That kind of nonsense against the Niners will get them housed badly. The Niners are looking like a real for real squad as Alex Smith is quietly coming into his own as a top notch QB. He has a solid core of wideouts and was that a Randy Moss (Is he still in this league?) sighting in Green Bay last week? I like Matthew Stafford and I’m a big Calvin “Megatron” Johnson fan, but I’m really leery of the Lions at times stepping up in big games. And I think the Niners are chomping at the bit for a rematch of the hard fought game from last year. This will be a good one start to finish but I think the Niners defense gives them the edge.

Pick-San Francisco

Monday, September 17

Broncos (1-0) @ Falcons (1-0) 

Georgia Dome, Atlanta 8:30 (ESPN)

Favorite Falcons by 3

Last Week Broncos beat Steelers 31-19; Falcons beat Chiefs 40-24

Fast Fact Broncos have 7 of the past 8 meetings

An interesting old school-new school battle finishes the week as the grizzled vet Peyton Manning faces off against young buck Matt Ryan. Both teams come in off of solid wins with both QB’s having solid performances. With both defenses marginal at best this has the makings of a high scoring shootout. I have went back and forth with which team to back on this game, but I think the Falcons secondary losing ace cornerback Brent Grimes will be a serious detriment. Asante Samuel coming in to replace might not be up to full speed and you really don’t need to give Peyton Manning anything extra to exploit. I think the Broncos win a thriller.

Pick-Denver

Last Week & Overall: 10-6 (Lock Correct, Upset Incorrect)

Locks: 1-0

Upsets: 0-1

Until Next Post Fellow Sports Fans!

Hugs, Dap and rejoicing all around!!! The NFL is back!!! Bob & Jeff are so happy and relieved (as is your humble scribe) that the preseason is finally over and the real games can begin.

Hey Everyone! Your buddy the Bandit here with my week 1 picks for the 2012 season!

It was just about 7 months ago, that Eli Manning raised his second Lombardi trophy to the roof of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indy and the second time that the Giants made a monkey out of me by beating the Pats. After a draft, a blistering summer and preseason full of malarkey and mess with replacement refs that haven’t the slightest clue what is going on, we get ready for the 94^th NFL season. The road is heading to N’Awlins for the 47th Super Bowl and there is plenty of questions drama and intrigue for the upcoming. The season starts with its usual primetime tilt, and for the first time in history a game will be played on a Wednesday. And as has become a neat first week custom there is a doubleheader on Monday. Your humble scribe is once again trying to prognosticate the games, listed will be the teams, venue; odds (provided usually by bodog.net) some insight on the game and a fast fact. The last two years I’ve averaged about 11 wins a week. I also provide a game, I’m pretty certain will come up right, that is the Lock of the Week, and there is a game I think will go against the grain, that is marked as the upset of the week. As a rule of thumb, I’m better with the locks than the upsets. As I caution with every post, the picks and odds are for informational, comparison and entertainment purposes only. Since I’m in the process of moving, I have no extra money to spare if you bet the lines and get cleaned out. Let’s get started

Week 1 NFL Picks (Records listed are 2011 final standings)

Wednesday September 5

Cowboys (8-8) @ Giants (9-7)

Metlife Stadium, E. Rutherford, NJ 8:30 (NBC)

Favorite: Giants by 4

Fast Fact: This is the 9^th straight season that the defending Super Bowl Champ opens the season in prime time at home with that team having won all 8 previous games.

As the defending Super Bowl Champs the G-Men get the opening gig and get to play the first ever Wednesday Night game against the NFL’s glamour boys. The G-Men have their usual holes and set of questions as do the Pokes but the G-Men have the hardware that the Pokes haven’t gotten the past few years. I used to be those that used to knock the laconic Eli Manning but at the end of the day he gets the job done with considerably less fanfare than his Jet brethren or his Poke counterpart does. I’m still not sold on the Cowboys bravado and so called swagger this year. The G-Men are always tough at home.

Pick-New York Giants

Sunday September 9

Jaguars (5-11) @ Vikings (3-13)

Mall of America Field @ HHH Metrodome, Minneapolis 1:00 (CBS)

Favorite: Vikings by 4

Fast Fact: The Jaguars have never won in Minnesota (0-2)

The Jags are a mess, Blaine Gabbert looks lost and with RB Maurice Jones-Drew holding out till just this past weekend their running game looks pretty anemic too. Unless Rashad Jennings has a break out game. RB Adrian Peterson is a question mark himself after making a shockingly speedy recovery from knee surgery. Those who know me know I’m a Vikings fan but a realistic one. I will cross my fingers here and hope for the best and that the Vikings can take advantage of a weak opening schedule to get off to a positive start.

Pick: Minnesota

Colts (2-14) @ Bears (8-8)

Soldier Field, Chicago 1:00 (CBS)

Favorite Bears by 9

Fast Fact: Contrary to what some might think, the Colts not the Packers are the team closest to the Bears in distance (163 vs. 185 miles)Back in the day, when the Colts were breaking in another wunderkind QB the Colts faced a daunting defense and said wunderkind spend the better part of the afternoon running for his life, Andrew Luck got no breaks when he got the regular season schedule, Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher will make his NFL baptism a painful one. Jay Cutler finally has a legit target with his reunion with Brandon Marshall

Pick: Chicago

Eagles (8-8) @ Browns (4-12)

Browns Stadium, Cleveland 1:00 (FOX)

Favorite Eagles by 9

Fast Fact The Browns first NFL game was against the Eagles in 1950, the Browns thrashed the defending NFL champs 35-10

The Eagles are more considerably under the radar at the start of this season as opposed to the “dream team” season last year. Their window of opportunity may be starting to close but they still have a dynamic squad on both sides of the ball. That is bad news for a young Browns team that is trying to put the foundation together for long term success. This isn’t the type of team that they need to face.

Pick: Philadelphia

Falcons (10-6) @ Chiefs (7-9)

Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City 1:00 (FOX)

Favorite Falcons by 3

Fast Fact: The Chiefs have won 5 of the 7 meetings and all four in Kansas City

Pick: Atlanta

Matty Ice leads a talented offense against a Chiefs team that is tough to figure. They have all sorts of offensive potential with Matt Cassel, Jamal Charles, Dwayne Bowe but they struggled offensively. That is not a good combo facing an underrated Falcons defense that has matured into a good unit. It’s always tough to win in KC, but the Falcons should get their first ever win

Pick-Atlanta

Bills (6-10) @ Jets (8-8)

MetLife Stadium; E. Rutherford, NJ 1:00 (CBS)

Favorite Jets by 3

Fast Fact: The Bills are the only team in the NFL that hasn’t made the playoff in the 21^st century.

Well let the catcalls and chants begin, Mark Sanchez piloted an offense that failed to score a single touchdown in the preseason. It’s hard to not read much into that, but you can be sure that the first miscue the Jets make on offense the catcalls for Tebow will begin, the Bills are far from world beaters but I could see them handing the grinning, jeering Rex Ryan a devastating loss to make the catcalls even louder.

Pick: Buffalo (upset of the week)

Rams (2-14) @ Lions (10-6)

Ford Field, Detroit 1:00 (FOX)

Favorite Lions by 7 ½

Fast Fact: This is the 82^nd meeting between these teams

The Lions are no longer the surprise team; we now get to see how they act when they are expected to win. This is more or less a lollipop game here. The Lions are better on both sides of the ball, while the Rams are still the same old sorry Rams that can’t get out of their owway. Jeff Fisher will learn how far he has to go to make his team anything close to the one he had in Tennessee

Pick: Detroit

Redskins (5-11) @ Saints (13-3)

Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans 1:00 (FOX)

Favorite Saints by 7

Fast Fact:

Another rookie quarterback gets a baptism by fire, the ubiquitous RGIII leads the Skins in to the Big Easy, you can be sure with all the bounty scandal mess that has been going on the league will be watching the Saints defense closely, but for all his talent RGIII will not be able to rectify the Saints still solid defense and the Skins defense will have acres of trouble with the still lethal Drew Brees led offense

Pick: New Orleans

Dolphins (6-10) @ Texans (10-6)

Reliant Stadium, Houston 1:00 (CBS)

Favorite Texans by 12

Fast Fact: The Dolphins have never beaten the Texans (0-6)

This theme is starting to get old, rookie quarterback having to cut his NFL teeth against a rugged defense on the road. While not as celebrated as his other rookie brethren, Ryan Tannehill has impressed. The problem here is that they are facing a ruthlessly fast and hunger defense and the Dolphins D while decent doesn’t have enough answers against a multifaceted Texans offense that can beat you so many ways. The Texans are my sleeper pick to get to the Super Bowl; they prove why in this game.

Pick: Houston (Lock of the Week)

(Patriots (13-3) @ Titans (9-7)

LP Field, Nashville 1:00 (CBS)

Favorite Patriots by 6

Fast Fact The Pats and the Titans predecessors the Oilers played in the first AFL game in 1960

The grumpy grumbly Bill Belichick takes his Pats to Tennessee where the Titans await. The Titans are another team that is hard to pin down, Chris Johnson has the potential to take over a game and the Titans have a bevy of dynamic receivers (though Kenny Britt is suspended for this game) but they have a young QB in Jake Locker though while talented is still going through growing pains though he wrested the starting spot from Matt Hasselbeck. The Pats have no such issue, Brady makes the offense go and as long as he stays upright the Pats offense is dealing. The Titans are a decent crew but won’t be able to keep up.

Pick: New England

Panthers (6-10) @ Bucs (4-12)

Raymond James Stadium, Tampa 4:25 (FOX)

Favorite Panthers by 3

Fast Fact One of the teams has swept the season series each of the last three years.

Now we see if there is a sophomore jinx, Cam Newton was a cause celebre in his rookie year, playing at a phenom level.  One of the teams he tormented was these very same Bucs. These Bucs are in the middle of a transition period and have a new coach. Josh Freeman is fast losing his “well he’s still learning the pro game” exemption and needs to produce now. The problem here is that he has few tools to assist in that endeavor. Newton and the Panthers are a young dangerous team.

Pick: Carolina

Seahawks (7-9) @ Cardinals (8-8)

University of Phoenix Stadium; Glendale, AZ 4:25 (FOX)

Favorite Seahawks by 3

Fast Fact Though the Seahawks have won 3 of the last four meetings, the Cards still own the series lead 14-12

This is a game that worries me; both teams are hella skittish and have all sorts of QB questions. The Hawks start a rookie QB in Russell Wilson while the Cards are reluctantly going with John Skelton since Kevin Kolb is showing no predilection on taking the starting reins. The Seahawks do have a better defense which gives them a decided edge but you wonder what defensive Jedi mind tricks Ken Whisenhunt might have in store for Wilson. I’m going to go with my gut and think the Cards pull a squeaker out

Pick: Arizona

49ers (13-3) @ Packers (15-1)

Lambeau Field, Green Bay 4:25 (FOX)

Favorite Packers by 5½

Fast Fact: The Pack have won the last seven meetings dating back to the 1998 Wild Card Game thriller won by the Niners and 13 of the last 14 meetings

One of the day’s best games, both teams are top contenders and looking to make that Super jump. A win here gets them off and winging. Though the Giants showed it can be done, it’s so hard to pick against the Pack in Lambeau. Aaron Rodgers will be aware of where Patrick Willis is at all times to prevent getting beat on like he did in the Pack’s Divisional loss. Alex Smith has to prove right out the box that 2011 wasn’t a fluke and he will find the going easier against a Pack secondary that can be thrown on. In the end, I think the Pack win a thrilling shootout.

Pick: Green Bay

Steelers (12-4) @ Broncos (8-8)

Sports Authority Field @ Mile High, Denver 8:20

Favorite Broncos by 2

Fast Fact: Despite last year’s division title and playoff run, the Broncos haven’t had an over .500 season in six seasons their longest drought since 1960-72

The Steelers return to the scene of their stunning OT playoff loss, but worse than see Tebow in the other huddle is seeing Peyton Manning eager to resume his Canton-bound career. The Steelers will go with their usual bread and butter hard running and the irrepressible Ben Roethlisberger shrugging defenders off to make precise throws. With the complement of receivers Manning has at his disposal this has the makings of another thriller. I’ll give the slight edge to the Broncos at home

Pick: Denver

Monday September 10

Bengals (9-7) @ Ravens (12-4)

M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore 7:00 (ESPN)

Favorite Ravens by 6

Fast Fact The Bengals have not had back to back winning seasons since 1981-82

The Ravens are just not a team that you want to face. So close to going to the Super Bowl they have a majority of their aging but still lethal defense. Joe Flacco shut a lot of critics up last year with his stellar play in the playoffs. Meanwhile the Bengals are looking to build on the success of 2011. I like the dynamic combination of Andy Dalton and AJ Green but I’m just not sold on BenJarvus Green-Ellis yet. The fact that the offense is not totally settled in Cincy troubles me. I hope I’m wrong but Baltimore has the better team on this night.

Pick: Baltimore

Chargers (8-8) @ Raiders (8-8)

O.co Stadium, Oakland 10:15 (ESPN)

Favorite Raiders by 1

Fast Fact: The home team has lost the last four meetings.

An old school AFL rivalry closes the first week. The Raiders are a hard team to figure, so many weapons on both sides of the ball but can’t seem to get out of their own way. Carson Palmer has to have a breakout season after essentially forcing his way out of Cincy last year and justify the massive trade. The Chargers are backsliding. I’ve always liked Philip Rivers but he has no dependable running game, Antonio Gates is starting to get injury prone and his core of receivers are decent though they have largely underachieved (though I have two of them on one of my fantasy teams…shaddap). Their defense will make you go gray in a hurry and that in itself gives me pause. I have the Raiders as a sleeper team this year, they show why this week.

Pick: Oakland

Last Year: 160-96

Locks: 13-4

Upsets: 6-11

These picks will normally post on Fridays with an insert for the weekly Thursday game. As always check out my column Musings From The Hoodwood for my take on the world of Sports and the World in general too...

Until Next Post Fellow Sports Fans!

Apparently Matthew Berry of ESPN didn't like my draft...i dont think much of it myself.

Greetngs from the Hoodwood, where the locals are sending their best to the folks in the path of Isaac. Ya’ll batten down the hatches and hang on, hopefully it’ll just be a lot of rain and nothing remotely worse.

MLB: Blockbuster! Dodgers go for the gold rush

Back when I was a kid, there used to be a game show called Blockbusters. It was a simple word association game that had an endgame called the gold rush. Seen played to effectiveness here by Leland Yeung.

He missed the cake one at the end...that was Bowling Green... Now you ask, what does a game show from 30 or so years ago have to do with anything? Simple, the Dodgers played Blockbusters  this week and hit a gold rush of their own with the jaw dropping trade for Adrian Gonzalez, the injured Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett heretofore of the Red Sox for the unremarkable James Loney and a host of minor leaguers. The stunning trade makes the Bums a serious power player in the NL. Inserting the respected and feared bat of Gonzalez to a lineup with Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Hanley Ramirez and Shane Victorino makes the Dodgers lineup tough from top to bottom. Im actually stunned that someone didn’t try to block this trade since it came past the waiver trade deadline. Moving a potent bat like Gonzalez is always going to get notice and moving him to a big market like LA should have set off tons of foul play cries from smaller markets, but no one said a word. I think the Red Sox are privately relieved to have shed over a quarter billion dollars in salary and long term contracts and may be in the process of starting a slow painful rebuilding process. The Dodgers on the other hand have gone from the hat in hand status that they were under during the McCourt days to being a real heavy in not only the NL but MLB as well. If Josh Beckett can get out from his doldrums he could be provide a real lethal 1-2 punch with Clayton Kershaw to make up the deficit they face with the Giants.

Cycling: Lance Armstrong gives up the fight

In a move that shocked many. Cycling legend Lance Armstrong has decided to not to continue his fight against the USADA in his anti-doping fight. Im one of those that think that the USADA are in a progressive witch hunt against Armstrong who had won 7 Tour de France titles. Armstrong decided that despite having never tested positive for anything. The USADA decided that the allegations that were made had some merit. Some people are of the mentality because they have thought there is no possible way that Armstrong could have been as dominant to have won 7 titles in a row without cheating. I guess in the cynical sports world that we are in that any kind of dominance is regarded with a type of disbelief as to how that can happen. I think that there still should be a innocent until proven guilty. Not accusations, proof. I still think of Armstrong as a real hero, not because he could ride a bike longer and faster than I could ever do but because he fought cancer, beat it and has been a vocal advocate for cancer research, treatment and care. I hope that fight isn’t marginalized because of the alleged doping.

MLB: Jeter does his thing in spite of the haters.

Ive long been one of the fiercest critic of Skip Bayless, the braying honk of ESPN’s First Take program. Bayless was debating with Stephen A. Smith the past Wednesday about the apparent resurgence of Derek Jeter who has been a vital cog in the Yanks usual dominant play. Batting .326 with 13 homers and 43 RBI’s Jeter’s number are a marked improvement over his play of 2011 where he batted .297 which was an improvement from his career low .270 in 2010 but many pundits were sure that Jeter had been on the decline. Bayless made a not too veiled comment about Jeter’s resurgence alluding that Jeter must have been taking something to have allowed him to improve his play. Bayless is a shit-stirrer, one that will say things just for effect and sit back and chuckle at the controversy that it generates. Jeter was his usual low-key classy self when asked about Bayless’ comments saying that maybe Bayless himself needed to be tested. I think personally that Jeter is the epitome of class and his resurgence is something that I don’t think is related to any kind of PED, I think that after the last subpar seasons, that he came out determined to come out stronger and better. He hasn’t come out hitting 35 or 40 homers he has 12. He is back hitting the spray line drives that he did when he was younger, his form is back and I think that he will finish his career very strong. I don’t think he would hang on long enough to past Pete Rose on the all time hit list of which he is just under a thousand shy. But I do think that he has enough to be supplant Tris Speaker as the AL all time hit leader which hes about 250 hits shy of.

NFL: NFC preview

With the NFL deciding to put games on Thursday for the first 13 weeks of the season, there will be some changes in the weekly NFL preview that I post. I will post the Thursday pick here in Hoodwood and the rest of the picks will post on Friday. Noting that, here are my picks on how I think the NFC will coalesce to the road to a Big Easy Super Bowl.

NFC East (Predicted Order of Finish)

Eagles

Reid is under the gun to bring a title to Philly and he has the tools to do it, but can Vick stay healthy enough to make the run?

Giants

G-Men get no pub and little respect from the national media and barely get noticed in their own city despite two Super Bowl win in 5 years. Eli has capably stepped from big bro’s shadow to his proper reconigtion as an elite QB.

Cowboys

Tony Romo takes the heat for a team that has underachieved in the past 5 years, but with better teams blocking their way in the division they may be stuck in this position.

Redskins

RG3 takes the reins but the learning curve will be steep in this rugged division. If Shanny can be patient this team will be tough every week but the wins will be hard to come by.

Fast Fact: Andy Reid is the NFL’s longest tenured coach and the 4th longest tenured in the four North American sports leagues behind Popovich of the NBA's Spurs, Ruff and Trotz in the NHL of the Sabres and Predators respectively and ahead of Mike Scioscia of the MLB Angels

Skinny: The Eagles window is closing fast, they have the tools to go deep but they also have the mentality sometimes to wander. I see the Eagles holding off the Giants to win the division.

NFC North

Packers

Aaron Rodgers is the best QB in the game, period and as long as he has his health the Packers will continue to be the bully in this division but are looking over their collective shoulders at hungry pursuers.

Lions

Shedding their status as NFL punching bag and punch line, the Lions will go as far as Matthew Staffords health will take them and that could be far. They have should the capability to slug it out with the Pack but they are still maybe a year or two shy from supplanting them.

Bears

Insert your favorite Jay Cutler joke here, the much maligned Bears signal caller has more weapons now than he has ever had in his time in Chi-town. Reunited with one time Broncos teammate Brandon Marshall and a contract happy Matt Forte the Bears offense for once looks potent. I still cant see them having enough to push past the two loaded teams ahead of them in this division.

Vikings

Its not a good time to be a fan of this team. Adrian Peterson looks like he has made a startlingly fast recovery from major knee surgery and may be ready to go in Week 1, the rest of the offense looks nondescript and the defense aside from Jared Allen looks punchy. That is a recipe for disaster in this super tough division, the Vikes might go another year without a division win. 5 wins total would be considered a realistic goal.

Fast Fact: The Packers became the first NFL team to win 15 regular season games, yet not win a single playoff game

Skinny: The Pack will win the division but holding off the Lions is getting tougher and tougher.

NFC South

Atlanta

Matt Ryan has the tools, the talent around him and still cant get anywhere in the playoffs. They have more than enough to hold off the decimated Saints and still growing Panthers. But that margin is closing fast.

Carolina

The startling growth of Cam Newton has turned this team from pushover to up and comer in a hurry. They still have too many questions on defense to be taken totally seriously as a contender but they have enough to give the Falcons some pause.

New Orleans

Drew Brees still pilots one of the most feared offenses in the NFL but without the leadership of Sean Payton there will be a critical element missing and that in itself will be what brings the Saints to their knees this season. Brees will keep them competitive and they will win a few games but not enough to make a playoff run this year.

Tampa Bay

Buc fans have to be discouraged, they are still waiting for Josh Freeman to make that step up to elite and fulfill his potential. Starting over with former Rutgers head man Greg Schiano, the Bucs are heading in a new direction but this division is way too deep for them to make a move up.

Fast Fact: The Falcons four consecutive winning seasons are the longest such streak in their history

Skinny: The Falcons still have more than enough to take the division but are not strong enough to get deep into January

NFC West

San Francisco

The much maligned Alex Smith finally took a huge step in not only leading the Niners to a division title but thrilling divisional round win over the Saints and taking the Giants to overtime in the NFC title game. With a defense led by the hard hitting Patrick Willis the Niners have more than enough to continue to dominate this super weak division

Seattle

The Seahawks are a tough team to figure, they spent hella cash to get Matt Flynn then turn around and hand the QB reins to talented rookie Russell Wilson. With plenty of offensive options including the seemingly ageless Terrell Owens (Is he still in this league?) and Marshawn Lynch the potential is high but the defense is spotty at best and can be as hideous as those Nike unis.

Arizona

Another team that brought in big money QB but may be handing the reins to someone less heralded. Kevin Kolb has done nothing to prove his worth and John Skelton may be starting, uber talented Larry Fitzgerald is seeing his talents wasted with an ineffective offensive game plan. If Beanie Wells can ever stay on the field healthy they could make some noise, but lacking that and with a so-so defense the Cards can stay afloat in this weak division but not have anything close to being a playoff contender

St. Louis

The Rams are trying a new direction with a proven vet coach in Jeff Fisher and may show some improvement but the clock is ticking on Sam Bradford. The running game is solid with Steven Jackson and rookie Isaiah Pead  but the defense is still very ragged and even in this weak division they simply don’t have enough to make inroads.

Skinny: It’s the Niners division to lose, they have the tools to get all the way to N'Awlins

Fast Fact: There have been three different division winners the last three years

Division Winners

Philly, San Fran, Green Bay, Atlanta

Wild Cards New York, Detroit

In the Wild Card Round

New York Beats Atlanta

Philly Beats Detroit

In the Divisional Round:

Philly Beats Green Bay

San Fran Beats New York

In the Championship Game:

San Fran beats Philly to win the NFC

Fantasy Football: Bandit on Brain Lock

My first fantasy draft was this past weekend. I think I was on something, either that or cursed. I drafted sixth in the HHFL (Humana Hardhitters Football League)  My 2012 Butler County Black Bandits are as follows: (Depth chart)

QB: Matthew Stafford

Alex Smith (stupid me, I left Matt Schaub on the board)

RB: Ryan Mathews (stupid me, i left AP on the board)

Ahmad Bradshaw

Bernard Scott (Hurt his thumb against GB)

Jahvid Best (another bad pick)

WR: Larry Fitzgerald

Wes Welker (steal)

Miles Austin

Darius Heyward-Bey

TE: Jermaine Gresham

K: Matt Bryant

D/ST Baltimore (I hope the loss of T-Sizzle doesnt hurt)

Philly

It seems that all the players that I drafted are either nicked up or worse. I find out yesterday that Jahvid Best will be on the PUP list. Matthew Stafford got drilled in Oakland and I'm holding my breath if he will be ready to go in week 1. Im trying to work a trade for Schaub but I doubt I can work that. In 7 years in playing in this league I've never finished better than 7-7 (2009 and last year) in this league which to me is an embarrassment. Comments (and ridicule) on my so-called draft are welcome

After weeks of speculation, and handwringing. The Man Cave is just about ready to show off. The first column of September will mark my 5th year of blogging and to celebrate I will show the man cave off in a Cribs style video. The AFC preview will also be next week as well.

Until Next Post Fellow Sports Fans!

Jimenez and Tulowitzki can’t play nice?? Detroit Pot Capital of the World?? ScottJax will tell you who’s in the MLB Playoffs?? All this and more in this weeks edition of…

If you don’t behave this Russian spy might do you in.

Ubaldo Jimenez was suspended for 5 games for intentionally hitting former teammate Troy Tulowitzki. Tulowitzki was hit in the elbow and then Jimenez charged toward him causing both benches to come out on the field. There is some bad blood between the Colorado Rockies and Ubaldo Jimenez steaming from his contract he signed with his former team. He is bitter because after he signed his deal, the following year Troy got a lot better deal.

Rockies manager Jim Tracy said it was "the most gutless act I've seen in 35 years in the game. Five days before opening day, you're going to take a pot shot like that? It's the worst I've ever seen. I've lost all respect for him, and that's a very difficult thing for me to say with all the players I've had to manage over the years. I've lost all respect for him, every bit."

Saying I am the best QB in the NFL must be the sure way to win the Super Bowl. One year after Eli Manning made that statement, Baltimore Raven’s QB Joe Flacco pronounced himself as the next best QB.

“ I mean, I think I'm the best. I don't think I'm top five, I think I'm the best. I don't think I'd be very successful at my job if I didn't feel that way. I mean, c'mon? That's not really too tough of a question.

”-- Ravens QB Joe Flacco 

Are the Detroit Lions the pot smoking team of the world?

First lions running back Mikel Leshoure getting busted last weekend chewing marijuana during a traffic stop in Michigan. An officer also found small pieces of marijuana on Mikel’s shirt.

Then several days later, defensive tackle Nick Fairley was arrested Tuesday on marijuana possesion. Police were called after seeing a suspicious Cadillac Escalade which Fairley was driving. Police pull the car over and detected a strong smell of marijuana inside the vehicle and a small amount in the ashtray.

When will players learn?? Does the court system hand down harsher sentences to athletes to make a statement to not only the players but the people who look up to them.

What a weird basketball play. It happened the other day.

Here is ScottJax’s MLB predictions for 2012:

AL East

Yankees

Rays

Red Sox

Blue Jays

Orioles

AL Central

Tigers

Indians

Royals

Twins

White Sox

AL West

Angeles

Rangers

Mariners

A’s

AL Wild Card

Rangers

Rays

Rangers will beat Rays

Angeles will be AL Champs

NL East

Phillies

Marlins

Braves

Nationals

Mets

NL Central

Reds

Cardinals

Brewers

Pirates

Cubs

Astros

NL West

Giants

Dodgers

Diamondbacks

Rockies

Padres

NL Wild Card

Marlins

Cardinals

Marlins beat Cardinals

Giants are the NL Champs

Angels defeat Giants in 6 games

Til Next Time

Scott

Greetings from the Hoodwood, where the locals have a contagious case of Bracket Fever.

After careful analysis, of my speculation, I determined that I only missed on eight of the 68 teams that made the tourney. I didn’t expect the MAAC to send two teams to the Tourney. I also had not the foggiest clue that the Bonnies would snag the A-10 berth and that conference would have double the bids of its opposite coast. I missed some of the minor conferences, which Im wont to do. The ACC sent 5 and the aforementioned Pac-12 only sent 2 as opposed to the three I projected. The final tally is below.

Atlantic Coast
(Conference Class-Power)
Projected Bids: 6
Bids Received: 5
Correctly Picked: Duke, North Carolina, Florida State, North Carolina State, Virginia
Incorrect: Miami
Skinny on the ACC: Miami was waiting for the dance invite that never came, I was on the fence with them to begin with.
Atlantic Coast Conference Champions: Florida State

Atlantic Ten
Conference Class-Mid Major
Projected Bids:3
Bids Received :4
Correctly Picked : Temple, Xavier, Saint Louis
Missed pick: St. Bonaventure
The A-10 Spec is: Xavier was safer than I thought, it seems that they beat a couple tourney bound teams early and that was good enough. The Bonnies ended up being a bid stealer, as it was revealed that their win prevented a vote on the final bid.

Atlantic 10 Conference Champions: St. Bonaventure

Big East
Conference Class-Power
Projected bids: 9
Bids received: 9
Correctly Picked: Louisville, Syracuse, Georgetown, Marquette, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, South Florida UConn, West Virginia
Big East Skinny: West Virginia got the call, as did UConn and South Florida but Seton Hall got left at the station. The Pirates couldn’t ride a so-so Big East record to a bid.  
Big East Champions: Louisville


Big Ten
Conference Class-Power
Projected Bids:6
Bids Received: 6
Correctly Picked: Michigan State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Indiana, Purdue
The word on the Big Ten is: No surprises here, if you really thought Northwestern was tourney bound, you have no clue.
Big Ten Conference Champions: Michigan State   

Big 12
Conference Class-Power
Projected Bids:6
Bids received:6
Correctly Picked: Kansas, Baylor, Missouri, Kansas State, Iowa State, Texas
Skinny from the heartland: I gave Longhorn fans a lot of grief, they now think it funny that they are now paired off with my beloved alma mater. No one was really questioning any of the teams coming out of here. Mizzou wont get bids this easy with their shift to the SEC
Big 12 Conference Champions:  Missouri
 

Colonial                                                                                                             
Conference Size-Mid Major
Projected Bids: 2
Bids Received: 1
Correctly Picked: VCU
Incorrectly Picked: Drexel
Colonial Spec: I say this every year about one team or another, this year it’s the Dragons. Drexel got the shaft!  And not because Iona got in, BYU got the seed that should have went to Drexel.
Colonial Athletic Association Tournament Champions: VCU
 

Conference USA
Conference Class-Major
Projected Bids: 2
Bids Received: 2
Correctl Picked: Memphis, Southern Miss
Oh Say Can You C-USA Spec: Memphis got an 8 seed and Southern Miss got a bid as expected
Conference USA Champions: Memphis


Horizon
Conference Class-Mid Major
Correctly Picked: Detroit,

Spec on The Horizon: I knew that when Valpo got beat that it relegated the Horizon to a one-bidder. What makes this worse is that with Butler looking to jump to the A-10, the Horizon will lose some of its mid-major luster.
Horizon League Champions: Detroit Mercy
Projected Bids: 1

IVY
Conference Class-Small
Projected Bids: 1
Bids Received:  1
Correctly Picked: Harvard
Spec on the Ivy Vine: Making their first appearance since 1946, the Crimson could be a tough out
Ivy Group Champions: Harvard

MAAC
Conference Class-Small
Projected Bids: 1
Bids Received: 2
Missed: Iona, Loyola-MD
Now ask yourself…whos the MAAC: Loyola was the auto bid winner, I picked Iona originally but didn’t figure the Gaels to garner an at-large bid.
Metro Atlantic Athtletic Conference Champions: Loyola-MD

Missouri Valley
Conference Class-Mid Major
Projected Bids: 2
Bids Received: 2
Correctly Picked:  Creighton, Wichita State
Missouri Valley Skinny: Bluejays and Shockers got their respective invites, something that was no secret long ago. These will be a pair of tough draws.

Missouri Valley Conference Champions: Creighton


Mountain West
Conference Class-Major
Projected Bids: 4
Bids Received: 4
Correctly Picked: New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV, Colorado State

Spec from the Mountains: Some laughed at me when I projected four teams out of the MWC, sneered at me when I said that they  would get more bids that the so-called power conference that the Pac-12 is supposed to be. This conference has good teams and will make noise in the tourney…take that shit to the bank. 
Mountain West Conference Champions: New Mexico


Pacific 12
Conference Class-Power
Projected Bids: 2
Bids Received: 2
Did Not Project: Colorado
Playing For Seed: Washington, Arizona, Cal, UCLA, Oregon, Stanford
Spec from the left coast: I went 0-2 on this conference. I projected Washington and who ever won the conference finale to garner the berth. I was expecting Washington to get a bid not Cal.
Pac-12 Conference Champions:  Colorado


Southeastern
Conference Class-Power
Projected Bids: 4
Bids Received: 4
Correctly Picked: Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Florida, Alabama
Spec is Down South: The SEC honks I know were hating on me big time, when I refused to incluse Tennessee and Mississippi State in my projections. Then they looked like jackasses when only four got in. I wasn’t too keen on Calipari whining about his teams draw, but as much as I detest the Wildcats this is their title to lose. Losing to Vandy might have just put that hunger back into their game, and that’s bad news for teams in their path
Southeastern Conference Champions: Vanderbilt

Western Athletic
Conference Class- Major
Projected Bids: 2
Bids Received: 1
Correctly Picked: New Mexico State
Incorrect: Nevada
Spec on the WAC: I had Nevada going but the Wolfpack got left at the station, the Aggies were the surprise winners in the WAC and the only team that got a bid.
Western Athletic Conference Champions: New Mexico State


West Coast
Conference Class- Mid Major
Projected Bids: 2
Bids received: 3
Correctly Picked: St. Marys, Gonzaga
Did Not Project: BYU
West Coast Spec: The Gaels were the auto and the Bulldogs were the at-large which was no shock. But the Cougars should be apologizing for garnering a bid that should have went to Drexel or Washington.

West Coast Conference Champions: St. Marys
 

Of my original projections for the smaller one bid conferences,  they were pretty accurate with a few exceptions. (conference winners in Bold,  Original Projections in italics)): Amer. East (Vermont) , Atlantic Sun (Belmont) , Big Sky (Montana) , Big South (UNC-Ashville) Big West (Long Beach State), MAC (Ohio), MEAC (Norfolk State/Savannah State), Northeast (Long Island-Brooklyn) , Ohio Valley (Murray State) , Patriot (Lehigh) , Southern (Davidson) , Southland (LamarTx-Arlington), Sun Belt (Western Kentucky/Middle Tennessee State) , Summit (South Dakota State), and SWAC (Mississippi Valley State).

Now to quote David Bowie…

LETS DANCE!!!!

Free Agent Frenzy

The NFL’s version of March Madness? The NFL’s 2012 calendar year begins this week and with it the mad scramble for stud players. Mario Williams didn’t get franchised by the Texans and is being hotly coveted by the Bears which would give them a frightening bookend DE combo with Julius Peppers. Matt Flynn played the game of his life on New Years against the Lions and has more than a few teams drooling over his possibilities but Miami looks to be the front runner if they cant land a certain QB to be discussed later.  Though Joe Philbin is the new coach in Miami and Flynn’s former offensive coordinator in Green Bay, I still wonder if this will be another Scott Mitchell like signing. You remember Mitchell had a stud half year filling in for an injured Dan Marino in the mid 90s and cashed that in for a highly profitable, if otherwise unremarkable career with a few teams.  

The Manning sweepstakes

Peyton Manning is the prize bull in a super rich free agent class. The suitors are numerous though the team I thought he would be best suited for in the New York Jets affirmed its comittement to Mark Sanchez by extending his contract. Manning has talked to the Broncos, to the chagrin of Tebow nation. Talked to the Cards who teaming with stud receiver Larry Fitzgerald would make for a dynamic combo. Dark horses include the Dolphins who have a stud receiver in Brandon Marshall, and the Titans. The latter is an interesting suitor considering they drafted Jake Locker last year and signed Matt Hasselbeck. Tennessee is in Nashville which isn’t too far from Knoxville where Manning played college ball and is considered a native son. Pity the poor Seahawks and Chiefs who cant even get Manning to return their phone calls after they expressed interest.   It will be weird to see Manning in another uniform but unlike Johnny Unitas and Joe Namath who stumbled through their last seasons Manning will do better than Joe Montana and Brett Favre who had solid years in uniforms other than the one that they made their bones in.

Moss: Back to the Bay

After a year sabbatical, Randy Moss is back in the NFL. The talented yet mercurial receiver has signed a one year deal with the 49ers. Following up on the possibility of Peyton Manning going to the Arizona Cards, Moss going to the Niners starts to make the possibility of the so-called NFC Worst a lot stronger. That has always been something  I never understood, the NFC West takes so much shit, but the NFC West has had a playoff win in each year since 2003. Something that the NFC South, AFC West or AFC South can say. Moss to the Niners gives them another field stretching receiver opposite of Michael Crabtree and stud TE Vernon Davis.  If the Niners get a stud QB or Alex Smith repeats his solid 2011, the Niners were not that far from the Super Bowl this past season whos says that they cant make that next step.

Now Does this really surprise you?

The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins were the only two teams to run afoul of the NFL’s salary cap rules. If you remember 2010 was an uncapped year ahead of the lockout and the NFL warned teams not to front load contracts to take advantage of the uncapped year. Who were the only two teams to violate this directive? The Cowboys and Redskins, imagine that. Jerry Jones who thinks he is above the rules because he has a huge crib and is the owner of “America’s team” and Dan Snyder who wants to be the George Steinbrenner of football in that he throws a boatload of money at everything but cant win for his own meddling. The Cowboys were found to be 10 million over the cap and the Redskins a whopping $36 mill over. The teams will be penalized that amount, though it will be spread over a number of years.  It surprises me little that these teams tried to circumvent the rules, though it did them little good as neither of them made the playoffs in 2010.

PHAT DAP/HEAD SLAP

Phat Dap

Phat Dap to NCAA selection Chair Jeff McKinney who was eloquent and articulate in his explanations of why the at-large selections were chosen. I wanted Drexel to get an invite but after hearing the reasoning behind why the Dragons were left out with 27 wins, I understood. This kind of transparency would do the college football some good.

Head Slaps

To the NIT who seeded Dayton second but could not give the Flyers a home game for their matchup with Iowa because of the First Four matchups on Tuesday and Wednesday night, so the Flyers will have to go to Iowa City. The NIT could have done the Flyers right in some capacity because they know that Dayton hosts the opening round games on a regular basis. A real shame since the UD fans are known as a passionate lot and would have drawn well. I hope the Flyers can win and come home for a second round game. 

Another head slap goes to a person not much liked in the Hoodwood. Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen who managed to get himself ejected from an exhibtion game against the Red Sox yesterday. Guillen who cant help but be combative and turn the look at me spotlight on him, got the gate for arguing a play in the field. The ump that tossed him had the look of "Don't make me do it" But Guillen continued with his histrionics till he got run. If Guillen is going to act this way during a meaningless Grapefruit League game how is gonna act when the Marlins and Braves are in a heated game? He is moron.

Im off to fill out my multiple brackets! Until Next Post Fellow Sports Fans!