NFL Week 1 and looking ahead to week 2

Well like any year in the NFL week 1 is always the craziest and normally where most upsets occur, so if your team blew a big game or just got annihilated don't worry...yet. Normally it is to hard to tell how good a team will be until around week 4 or 5. Hell the Giants last year almost started off 0-3 until pulling off a great comeback on the road last year against the Redskins and holding them off on a goal line stand. So if you're a Jaguars or Seahawks fan it's not quite time to panic, you may just need to get healthy (what is Matt Hasselbeck going to do after losing his top 4 WR's?)

But let's get to the biggest story of the week obviously talking abot Tom Brady's season ending injury. You never want to see a team's best player go down, especially the 1st game of the season, and I say this as a fan who's teams odds just got a little better with the Brady injury. Do I feel sorry for the Patriots organization and there fans? Yes, even if I do think Bill Belichick is a giant jackass this type of thing sucks. The NFL is such a short season compared to any other sport, not saying just the amount of games but all the time between the Superbowl to training camp and the start of the season, it's just a giant waiting process and sometimes just feels like it will never get here. I just feel terrible for the players when these type of injuries happen, or like how the 1st play in the 1st practice this year in training camp Phillip Daniels, defensive end of the Washington Redskins tears his ACL and now his whole year is over and now he's got to wait to heal and have to deal with a bunch of rehab and repetition that he doesn't want to go through. The same thing happened to All-Pro Center LeCharles Bentley who signed with his hometown Cleveland Browns a couple seasons ago and gets hurt the 1st play of training camp and hasn't played a down since, though he is currently looking for work. These guys only play for a short time, especially the average to mediocre players because there is almost some guy who can do your job who is younger, quicker and cheaper then you are and to just see them have to sit around for a year of there life is depressing to think about (and I say this realzing most of these guys will make more money then I ever will).

I don't think it was a dirty play by Bernard Pollard but he certainly hit Brady in a sensitive area, somewhat similar to Carson Palmer's knee injury, I still don't think that Palmer has completely recovered from that injury, he just doesn't look as good or as promising as he once did. As for what I think Matt Cassel can do, it's tough to say, he's been in that system for awhile but I don't forsee spectacular things, if he can just move the chains and not screw up to much I think they have the defense to keep them in games. As a guy who finally took a WR early in the draft for about the 1st time ever I'm a bit worried about what Randy Moss will do, he caught a TD pass with 11:45 left in the 2nd quarter, at that point he had 6 catches with 116 yards and didn't get another reception the rest of the day. I think Welker's production will still be fine but Moss has a tendency to disappear at times from the offense and he may begin to pout if he can't get a capable QB to get him the ball. I think Sammy Morris and Laurence Maroney will get alot of touches this year, Patriot RB's are usually hard to rely on fantasy wise because Belichick likes to use several of them but a platoon of the running backs mentioned could put up some numbers.

Jason Whitlock is one of my favorite sports writers out there, I don't always read his stuff but evertime I come across an article of his I always think he brings up interesting and somewhat thought provoking points, especially on racial issues, here is his take on the Vince Young saga this week: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8550254

I'd also like to say thank you to Shawn Merriman for forgoing this season after 1 game and doing what's right for now and in your future, you'll be better off getting your surgery to repair your leg and will probabl come back next year as healthy as ever. You are only 24 and if the surgery heals probably you can possibly stick in this league for a dozen more years.

Other thoughts around the league:

My pick of Michael Turner is looking good through week 1, but lets wait and see what happens when he plays a legitimate defense against Tampa Bay this weekend.

Looks like I was wrong about Desean Jackson, figured he was to small and would be like Ted Ginn was like last year where he was primarily a return man, but as long as the Eagles top 2 WR's are hurt he will be getting an extensive look. Still curious how his body will hold up over an entire season, and if he is afraid of going over the middle.

Despite Desean Jackson's performance against the lowly Rams he still wasn't the best rookie WR, that goes to Eddie Royal, he torched Deagelo Hall all game, I thought Hall was overrated in Atlanta but could be a decent #2 CB opposite Nnamdi Asomugha but man he was terrible, not to mention getting 2 penalties on back to back plays. On a somewhat positive note the Raiders had a good running game early and if Jamarcus Russell can get some time in the pocket (and a good receiver) he has the makings of living up to his #1 pick status.

What a heartbreaker dropped by San Diego, on your home turf no less, I thought Jake Delhomme handled the final minute of that game poorly when he didn't call his final timeout with 25 seconds left and he didn't get a play off until 7 seconds left. But that pump fake that fooled the camera man then to find Dante Rosario in the endzone capped off a somewhat improbable upset especially without Steve Smith. I'm telling you that team plays different when Delhomme is healthy. And that was a good throw to, sure it went seemingly through 2 Charger defenders but it was smart to throw it up high to give his Tight end a shot at being the only one who could catch it.

Now onto my thoughts about the Dallas game, they looked fantastic, I can't remember the last time I saw our offensive line perform like that, Tony Romo wasn't forced to rush things even though Cleveland was sending quite a few blitzers in the 1st half. It appears for now that the line has recovered from the 4th quarter meltdown last playoffs. The entire offense played above expectations, and coming into this week I'm even more excited to see Felix Jones, the man has burst when he gets past the 1st level that is almost unmatched in this league. He gets a head of steam like Marion Barber. About the only 2 mistakes the offense made the entire day was a drop pass from the normally surehanded Jason Witten that just went through his hands. And then on Romo's INT, I think they wanted to give Terrell Owens a touchdown after just getting a big gain, and it was obvious Romo was going to him. He could have gotten it to Owens who had separation for a split second had Romo thrown it right when he received the ball but he hesitated briefly and made a poor decision. Thankfully they were in the lead by a comfortable margin. The offense however was once again getting to many penalties, from false starts to holding this type of thing has plagued us since Parcells was here and it's got to stop because it is just killing this team.

Defensively I think in the 1st half we were somewhat shaky but left our mark on Cleveland in the 2nd half completely shutting down both Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow. But in my opinion that Browns offense isn't right, right now, Donte Stallworth and Joe Jurevicius were both hurt and one of the top return man in the league Josh Cribbs also didn't play, they were also injured in the secondary but I doubt it would have slowed down our offense that much. But both Derek Anderson and Braylon Edwards look very very rusty, Edwards screwed his team over multiple times, dropping a would be TD (though they scored one later that drive) and several passes that would have resulted in some Browns 1st downs. But I'm happy with what I saw from the secondary, especially without Terrence Newman, I think he could have played in this game but due to our depth Wade didn't see it necessary.
Up front our pass rush could have been better but Anderson was on the run several times in the 2nd half and DeMarcus Ware was doubled and triple teammed the whole game and one of the few times he got single coverage against top T Joe Thomas he forced a fumble and was credited with a sack. But they weren't blitzing much and didn't have to. And also some people were wondering how Tank Johnson and Jay Ratliff would man the run defense and it was stellar, though it was up against an injured Jamal Lewis he didn't break free for any gigantic runs, and it's been mentioned by many Cowboy writers all camp about seeing a new Marcus Spears and he had a good game Sunday. He's always been very good against the run but is normally useless against the pass. One thing I would like to see improve is the Cowboys tackling technique, especially since this next week they'll be playing Brian Westbrook who is always tough to bring down. To many times this past Sunday did it take a couple times to take down a Browns player, it was also a problem in the pre-season.

Picks last week: 9-7, last week wasn't against the spread, what I want to to do as an experiment this year is try and see how I pick against the spread and straight up.

Picks:
Tennessee Titans @ Cincinnati Bengals (-1)
The Bengals struggled mightily on offense last week against a tough Ravens D, the Titans D is just as tough and features a better pass rush. Expect to see Carson Palmer on his back. Take the Titans.

Buffalo Bills @ Jacksonville Jaguars (-5.5)
The Jags are decimated with injuries on there offensive line which led to there pathetic offensive display against Tennessee. Buffalo is riding high after last week, I like both teams and this could be another low scoring game that's 13-10. Give me the Bills outright.

Oakland Raiders @ Kansas City Chiefs (-3.5)
This could be one of the few chances KC has to get a win this season, they won't spoil it, especially after nearly beating the Pats last week, they'll be riding high in the home opener. Chiefs

Indianapolis Colts (-2) @ Minnesota Vikings
Peyton Manning looked rusty last week, having an undrafted rookie Center doesn't help either, Manning could be running for his life in the pocket again this week. But so will Tarvaris Jackson and Peterson won't be running over Bob Sanders like he did Al Harris last week. Colts. By the way the over/under is at 43.5 I'd take the under

Chicago Bears @ Carolina Panthers (-3)
Both teams are riding high after surprising many (including myself) last week in some improbable upsets, I expect Jake Delhomme to run into some problems this week and missing Steve Smith will catch up to him, expect Matt Forte to build off a solid debut last week. Da Bears

Green Bay Packers (-3) @ Detroit Lions
Duh Duh Duh Da Duh Duh Duh GO PACK GO! Plain and simple, O/U is 45.5 expect Aaron Rodgers and Ryan Grant to do it big take the over.

NY Giants (-8.5) @ St. Louis Rams
I foresee the Rams surprsing some this game and Eli struggling, I think the Giants win the game in the end but by less then a touchdown.

New Orleans Saints @ Washington Redskins (even)
I can't believe this game is even, the only reason I can see is Colston will be hurt but that is not going to stop the Saints high powered offense, especially if new coach Jim Zorn puts out that excuse of an offense like he did last week vs. the Giants. Saints BIG

Atlanta Falcons @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-7)
I'm shocked the Bucs are a touchdown favorite, with Michael Turner and Jerius Norwood combining to run for over 300 yards and with John Gruden benching Jeff Garcia in favor of Brian Griese. This will be an interesting test for the Falcons ground game and could show if Michael Turner is legit, the run game needs to get going to not put any extra pressure on Matt Ryan. This is the type of game I see either being close the entire game or Gruden's Bucs will blow the Falcons out early and it won't even be the contest. I'll go with the former, take the Bucs to win, but the Falcons cover.

San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks (-7)
The only reason the 49ers should be in this game is the Seahawks lack of WR's and lack of competent running backs (since Maurice Morris will also miss this game, enter Julius 'Suck' Jones) I'll still take the 'Hawks and predicting there defense has a huge day.

New England Patriots @ NY Jets (-1.5)
Belichick spoils Favre's home debut and reminds everyone why he is a genius. Pats

San Diego Chargers (-1.5) @ Denver Broncos
Can the Chargers recover from last weeks game or will Jay Cutler and the Broncos be able to build off of last weeks game? I say the Chargers get down early and stage a 2nd half comeback, Chargers.

Miami Dolphins @ Arizona Cardinals (-6.5)
Don't ask why but I see the Cardinals covering this and the Dolphins struggle, and once the Cardinals go 2-0 some will start to wonder whether or not they are a legit team.

Pittsburgh Steelers (-6) @ Cleveland Browns
Clevelands display last week was pathetic, while Pittsburgh was arguably the most impressive team last week, Pittsburgh normally plays great at Cleveland, take Pittsburgh, though Cleveland will come out looking noticeably better.

Monday night:
Baltimore Ravens @ Houston Texans (-4.5)
Can Houston overcome the "elements" of Hurricane Ike? Possibly, you'd like to think coming home after a big blowout will cause the team to play with a little more fire, now they have this hurricane can possibly fire up the team even more. Houston was pathetic in nearly every aspect last week. But the Ravens still have a rookie QB starting for them, take Houston.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys (-7)
Tough matchup, obvious game of the week and both teams will come out guns a blazing, there are now a couple questions on whether or not Terrence Newman will play (for the 2nd straight week) I think we'll need him to go up against a guy like Desean Jackson because I don't know how comfortable you are with him going up against Anthony Henry, Henry is great against the bigger physical corners but can't handle the speedsters, Newman can play against anyone. Adam Jones looked good last week aside from a Pass Interference penalty, he almost had a Pick 6 too. I'll predict he picks off McNabb once this Monday. And I'll also say the Cowboys cover the spread.

Until next time. Where I'll probably be writing to myself again.

Quick NFL Predictions

Since I've been short on time and sort of neglecting doing a gigantic preview here are my predictions for the upcoming season:

NFC East:
1. Dallas Cowboys
2. Philadelphia Eagles
3. New York Giants
4. Washington Redskins

Going into this season I thought any of the 4 teams could win the division, still sort of do but my goodness Washington's offense is so pathetic, this past Thursday it was more conservative then a Joe Gibbs run offense, just watching it instantly made me put them 4th. And I have never seen such a non chalantly run 2 minute drill either, you are down 2 scores and you're acting like it's the middle of the 3rd quarter! Eli Manning also got lucky as hell that the Redskins DB's have hands of stones because they dropped several Interceptions. I think he's going to be the same inconsistent Eli and though everyone is saying now that Eli gets a free pass for now and maybe forever I see that changing sometime after the halfway point through the season. The 2 teams that really scare me as a Dallas fan are the Eagles and the Saints, for the Eagles it really depends on the health of McNabb and a couple other key guys, the Saints offensive fire power makes me fear them. Of course they could also prove that the Katrina year was all a fluke and just a wave of momentum that was a truly special year. Oh and the Cowboys special teams suck, really just there coverage teams.

NFC South
1. New Orleans Saints
2. Carolina Panthers
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4. Atlanta Falcons

I could see the Bucs finishing from 1st to 4th, will be interesting given there tougher schedule this year, Gruden seems to do well every other year with this Bucs team. But I haven't been a fan of that team for awhile, 1st round fodder at best. I could see Atlanta surprising some and finish 3rd (or if the division is extremely weak 2nd) The Panthers success hinges on Jake Delhomme and whether or not Steve Smith feels like fighting for his team rather then with it. Also needs a rebounded year from Julius Peppers who's in a contract year and is looking for a big pay day after a disappointing season last year.

NFC North
1. Minnesota Vikings
2. Green Bay Packers
3. Detroit Lions
4. Chicago Bears

Picking who finishes 1st and 2nd in this division is extremely tough, as hard as picking the winner of the AFC North. Adrian Peterson needs to play the whole season to prove everyone he can go a full season injury free, something he hasn't done since his freshman year at Oklahoma. I think the Vikings defense convinces me to put them over the Packers, they got the best run stuffers in the league with Pat and Kevin Williams and what some may call the best one-on-one pass rusher in the league in Jared Allen. The Vikings have lacked a pass rusher for the longest time and now teams will struggle running and passing against them. I still think Tarvaris Jackson sucks but maybe newcomer Bernard Berrian will help (doubtful) Jackson just can't make mistakes and try and move the chains especially if the running tandem of Peterson/Chester Taylor gets shut down. As cliche as it sounds he needs to be a bus driver.
I think Aaron Rodgers will do a fine job in replacing Brett Favre this year and I think the Packers made the right decision in moving on with the future at QB. Of course my wishful thinking is praying that both Favre and Rodgers fail in there new roles and everyone is pissed at the end of the day. But that defensive line is in trouble trading DT Corey Williams and Johnny Jolly could be facing drug charges soon. I hope also that I don't eventually regret passing on Ryan Grant in my fantasy draft for Randy Moss. The Lions will be the Lions and halfway through this year we will all wonder for the thousandth time what kind of incriminating pictures does Matt Millen have of the Ford Family. Look for Calvin Johnson to live up to draft hype and see what rookie Kevin Smith can do. That defense will still suck though. And even if Chicago's defense returns to Superbowl form that offense will be abysmal and it is never a good thing to rely on points from your return man, I don't care how good Devin Hester you can't expect him to score for you every week. Also no one can really think he's going to work out as there #1 receiver either, right?

NFC West
1. Seattle Seahawks
2. Arizona Cardinals
3. St. Louis Rams
4. San Francisco 49ers

Easily the worst division in the league and what makes it even more fun is that the Patriots and the AFC East get to play them this year (HOORAY!!!) Seattle has this division locked up already, but you have to wonder with Bobby Engram out and DJ Hackett gone how much will Nate Burleson step up along with there lackluster ground game. There defense and home field advantage is top notch but it might have to carry them for the 1st half of the season. Expect Matt Hasselback to throw a ton. And to see Julius Jones mope and bitch on the sidelines, or running into the back of Walter Jones ass. I hate the 'Hawks though, that team catches so many breaks it's not even funny. It's a bit of a crapshoot for who will finish 2-4, no team is particularly strong in any category. The only reason I would give the 49ers to finish out of the cellar is because of new O-coordinator Mike Martz, but you have to wonder how will JT O'Sullivan do in his 1st chance to be a starting QB and who the hell he will be throwing to. Over the hill Isacc Bruce and 3rd WR and underachiever Bryant Johnson, this could also be an important year for Vernon Davis, here's to him staying healthy. Frank Gore should put up huge numbers this year but then again we all know how Martz forgets to run the ball from time to time, that may be the only successful thing this team will do this year, that and unleashing Patrick Willis upon the league. The Arizona Cardinals and Rams could both be fighting for the 6th playoff spot by years end, the Rams were massacred by injuries last year, to there entire offensive line (and there backups) Steven Jackson was hurt and Marc Bulger should not have been playing in over half the games with broken ribs. Interesting to see how #2 overall pick Chris Long will perform, personally I think it was a mistake to pass over Glenn Dorsey, even if they did have Adam Carriker. For the Cardinals, Kurt Warner will win some games with his arm, then lose some with his fumblitis and INT problems, then he'll probably get hurt for about a month somewhere in there too and it looks more and more like Matt Leinart is a bust.

A message to the Cardinals: Pay Anquan Boldin or trade him to DALLAS!

1. Dallas Cowboys
2. Nawlins
3. Seattle Seahawks
4. Minnesota Vikings
5. Philly Eagles
6. Green Bay Packers

not neccessarily in the order they'll finish, though I think Dallas will be the #1 seed if all goes well for them and the injury bug settles down.

AFC East
1. NE Patriots
2. Buffalo Bills
3. New York J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!
4. Miami Dolphins

It would be beautiful to see the Dolphins beat Favre in his Jets debut tomorrow. Why do I think the Bills will finish ahead of the Jets? They were hit hard early on with season ending injuries to several key defensive players, missed Marshawn Lynch for a couple games, went over half the season with a rookie QB, Lee Evans massively underachieved and they were 2 last second field goals from finishing 9-7, oh and there best offensive player just ended a camp long holdout and is back with the team (OT Jason Peters is who I'm talking about) Sure the Jets improved in a ton of areas to and spent a crap load in free agency but I like what Dick Jauron is doing in Buffalo and if that city for once in it's history can get something to go their way they can make the playoffs. Vernon Gholston should be fun to watch as a Jet though. As for Miami, I think it is Bill Parcells goal to sign every player he can that he used to coach, no matter how old or crappy if you are available and he knows you, chances are you'll get a job.

AFC North
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
2. Cleveland Browns
3. Cincinatti Bengals
4. Baltimore Ravens

Pittsburgh's schedule is next to impossible, playing both the AFC South and NFC East in the same year (each conferences 2 toughest divisions) along with playing the other 2 1st place teams from the AFC (New England and the Chargers) But they are the Steelers and Big Ben is emerging as a top notch QB and he and WR Santonio Holmes are ready to take the next step. I just see Cleveland taking a bit of a step back, though they are going for it all this year and the next couple, they were very agressive on the trade front, not having a 1st 2nd or 3rd round pick in this years draft and giving up there 3rd rounder for next year too. They added Corey Williams, Donte Stallworth and Shaun Rogers who's great when motivated but at times seems seldom, but I think he has great size to be a nose tackle in the 3-4. But all in all I don't feel that great about there defense, Kamerion Wimbley needs to rebound from his sophmore slump to give this team a decent pass rush from the outside. Always reliable Joe Jurevicius will miss at least the 1st 6 weeks of the season and is up to Donte Stallworth to be the teams 3rd target behind phenom Braylon Edwards and the SOLDIER Kellen Winslow Jr. Cincinatti is in shambles and about the only thing keeping me from picking them last is the Ravens have a rookie coach and a rookie starting QB from a Division II school. Should still be fun to watch Carson Palmer, TJ whosyourmama and Chad Javon Ocho Cinco. I think rookie Keith Rivers will get enough tackles to make his stats look impressive to win defensive rookie of the year too.

AFC South
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. Indianapolis Colts
3. Tennessee Titans
4. Houston Texans

Why the Jags? I'm hoping the Jaguars agressive trading in the draft to get Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves, maybe they will finally get the one thing that has hurt them over the years and that is a steady pass rush. Plus they always seem to play Indy well but hardly ever beat them, but the Colts will coast a bit this year and turn it on come playoff time, the Jags will be the team to beat in the regular season. And why are the Titans ahead of the Texans? Because the Texans are taking a bit of a step back this year due to secondary concerns I have with them and they have yet to establish pretty much any running game. Andre Johnson goes down this season, and they are in trouble (and it's almost a guarantee he will miss some time this year, just don't know when) Im not even convinced Vince Young will show big time improvement, I just really like Jeff Fischer and will hazard a guess that his team isn't finishing last this year despite having a lackluster quarterback with limited passing skills and limited receivers. No one ever said I had to have perfect logic.

AFC West
1. San Diego Chargers
2. Denver Broncos
3. Oakland Raiders
4. KC Chiefs

1st I would like to say Shawne Merriman is the dumbest player in the league, he holds this title until he shuts his season down for what will preserve his career and get him paid down the line, which I think is the sole reason he is still playing, he wants that big time extension from San Diego, but with that knee injury looming they aren't even going to let him bring up an extension. Regardless of that situation this team is head and shoulders above this division, Id say this or the NFC South is the 2nd worst division in football. If Brandon Marshall can get it together and stay out of trouble him and Jay Cutler can possibly lead that team to a wild card spot but I think that defense is fairly weak and they are divisional round fodder, one and done. I also would love if Mike Shannahan would come out and say Selvin Young is the starting RB and that's that, would be great for my fantasy team but that will never happen. For all the credit they get for the great backs coming out of Denver they've been very unstable since Clinton Portis left, sure the running system works but there haven't been any big time studs in the backfield like they were churning out every year 5 years ago. Oakland I can see surprising some folks, they have arguably the best secondary in the league and I hope Jamarcus Russell succeeds this year with him and Darren McFadden in the backfield. I'm almost willing to guess they start the year good but fade down the stretch causing hype going into next season as a "sleeper" As for KC, they had a great draft, best by far in the league but someone has to go here and they are the most probable selection. This is a make or break year for Brodie Croyle and pretty much everyone is leaning towards break they could be and probably will be one of the teams hunting for a future QB to pair with rising WR Dwayne Bowe in this upcoming draft.

1. New England Patriots (what an easy schedule, not there fault though)
2. San Diego Chargers
3. Jacksonvill Jags
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
5. Indy Colts
6. Buffalo Bills

MVP: Tom Brady
DPOY: DeMarcus Ware
OROY: Kevin Smith (or whichever rookie RB does best)
DROY: Keith Rivers
COY: Dick Jauron

I'm not going to give my playoff predictions for fear of jinxing my prediction (that should be a big time hint)

Are you ready for some football?

Well the NFL season is officially started

I hope to get an NFL preview done but it's not happening til at least tomorrow.

One thing i would like to say before this game starts is I don't think the Giants are making the playoffs, I thought that this was happening before Osi Umenyiora went down, that injury just solidifies my prediction.

Another thing I hope to do is do football picks for everyweek, against the spread, right now I haven't looked at the spread for this week but here are my picks out right and not against the spread.

Washington Redskins @ New York Giants = 'skins
Detroit Lions @ Atlanta Falcons = falcons
Seattle Seahawks @ Buffalo Bills = seahawks (could see this as an upset)
New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins = ny jets
Kansas City Chiefs @ New England Patriots = patriots
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints = saints
St. Louis Rams @ Philadelphia Eagles = eagles
Houston Texans @ Pittsburgh Steelers = steelers
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans = jaguars
Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens = bengals
Dallas Cowboys @ Cleveland Browns = cowboys
Carolina Panthers @ San Diego Chargers = chargers
Arizona Cardinals @ San Francisco 49ers = cardinals
Chicago Bears @ Indianapolis Colts = colts
Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers = vikings
Denver Broncos @ Oakland Raiders = broncos (could see an upset)

Cya later

The Olympics are over....

And what a great 16 days it was! There really is no other events like the Olympics it really does bring the whole world together for 2 weeks and change and is always special. It makes you care to watch or see new sports that for 4 years you dont give a crap about until you see Bob Costas talking up the big name players in the event and hear that Olympic music blaring in the background (and it truly is some amazing music, one of my favorite sports theme songs. Which would be a good idea for a writing)

So many great moments and I'm positive that I missed some that I'm still learning about, mainly because NBC likes to keep the focus solely on Americans.

But I have realized that after watching the Olympics I like watching the sport of volleyball, but it's not ever covered over here, even though I would say the most entertaining women's sport to watch. But I watched the men's volleyball too, and this was probably the best showing US volleyball has ever had so maybe it will help it get more exposure on TV so I dont forget about it until London in 2012. There are also plenty of good looking women in volleyball of all ethnicities, I enjoyed getting to watch the Venezuelan indoor team vs. the US because they decided to wear bikini bottoms kind of like a beach team, some had some fantastic hineys! But that's not to say the US were without some, like Kim Glass. President Bush seemed to take quite a liking to Misti May



President Bush is one of the goofiest people I've ever seen and I have found the perfect comparison to him...Wade Phillips! These 2 guys are exactly alike, I'll blog on this later but trust me, they are very similar.


But seriously it was fun watching the women and men's beach volleyball tandems, sometimes I enjoy watching domination. About the most dominating performance I saw this past Olympics (save Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps) was watching Phil Dalhausser in the gold medal game vs. Brazil. Him and his partner won the 1st set and blew an early lead in the 2nd set and had seemingly lost momentum going into the 3rd and final game. The 3rd and final set is only played to 15, but no worries to the 6'8 Dalhausser, he killed! He had 9 blocks in the game and 6 of them came in the final set, Brazil was getting them past this monster early in the game hitting finesse shots in the right places, but then started losing composure early in the final set. And that's when Phil wasn't letting anything past him, they got out to a 9-1 lead and by that time Brazil knew what was up and the match was the US and so was the gold.

Big props to the US women's team and I guess the men's team though I paid no attention to them, nor would I have even if the Hamm brothers were healthy, still have to feel sorry for them though for working there ass off for 4 years (especially the body damage you can do being a gymnast) and then injuring yourself a month or 2 prior to the games. And for the 2nd straight Olympics a gymnast from Collin County has won the gold in All Around, 1st was Carly Patterson and now it's Nastia Liukin.


By the way, look here at Shawn Johnson, I simply can't believe that she is 16, she is adorable, I dont like to use the word cute but that's what she is, you just look at her and say to yourself, "AWWWWWWWW" a pedophile's wet dream, not to say all gymnast aren't. Most don't look grown up at all, though Nastia did and so did Alicia Sacramone.


And now onto Michael Phelps, him and his relay team presented 2 of my favorite sports moments of the year, 1st the relay, not only did the US swimmer make a near improbable comeback but he did it against the French, which probably made every American 2 times as happy. And the reaction from Phelps and his teammates were icing on the cake, I love seeing a guy like that win, but then to show that much emotion makes you want to cheer even more, which is 10 times better then a Kobe or Jordan normally being very reserved about everything. And then seeing Phelps barely pull out the 200 Individual Medley was just as cool, just seeing how close it actually was and seeing Phelps never give up, because without that final lunge he finishes 2nd and ties the Olympic record with 7 golds rather then 8 olympic golds that he eventually won. This guy is just a machine though, I just can't imagine how you can eat 10-12000 calories a day, and now that he's been doing it for so long how will he be able to get off those eating habits. I'd like to see him in some eating contests like trying to eat a 72 oz. steak, or I once saw that in Washington state there is this place that serves a 4 pound pancake, but no one could ever finish it.

And now onto the US men's basketball team, I'm not going to lie I kinda wanted to see them fail, why you ask? Sometimes I like seeing expectations not met. And to take a quote from Wilt Chamberlain, "Nobody roots for Goliath" Now you may be wondering why I would root for the top dogs like Michael Phelps or Misti May/Kerri Walsh but not the "Redeem Team" and the answer is, I'm not as invested in those sports nor do I follow them like I follow basketball so obviously I'm not familiar enough with the competition, plus there wasn't a real legitimate threat who would dethrone them anyways. There are just players on the US team that I don't like for various reasons and think it would be too funny to see them fail to meet expectations for the 2nd straight Olympics. My first choice would have been to see Dirk and ze Germans win gold but I knew that was farfetched, about the best they could have done is make it to the medal round, but they couldn't even beat China to do that. But the Gold Medal Game of the US vs. Spain was an amazing game and had it not been for Dwyane Wade in the 1st half and Kobe Bryant in the 4th quarter, they would have lost to this up and coming Spain team.


I think this could be the start of a nice rivalry of international play between these 2 teams. The Spaniards have the Gasol brothers, I still think Pau Gasol is a wuss and though he scored 21 points in the gold medal game, he missed a couple of bunny's, but his brother Marc, that is a specimen. He is so much bigger then his brother it's almost hard to believe they're related, I was skeptical on his ability in the pro's but I think he can come in next year for the Grizzlies and be a Luis Scola type player easily. And then Juan Carlos Navarro was breaking down the defense at will and penetrating into the lane, I still don't understand why he is heading back to Europe after having a good rookie season, especially since fellow Spaniard Marc will be joining him. And the 2 main reasons I think the Spanish will have a shot at beating the US maybe some day is Ricky Rubio and Rudy Fernandez, Rubio is only 17 and will be a top 10 and potentially top 3 pick next year. He's already great defensively and is improving offensively, he didn't shoot as much as I would have liked but did a nice job creating opportunities for his teammates. And he's a top player already in one of the best leagues in Europe.


And Rudy Fernandez was without a doubt the star of the game for Spain, and what's even scarier is he's going to be a Portland Trailblazer, if Greg Oden stays healthy and they can get a half decent PG this team could be looking at a dominant run, the possibilities are endless. They have a top 5 SG, a potential top C in the league defensively and we don't even know how good his offense is because he played his freshman year with his off hand. Then Lamarcus Aldridge is a top 10 PF and become an All Star once the likes of Dirk and Tim Duncan get older. And they have 3 quality small forwards also, with Fernandez, Martell Webster and Travis Outlaw, all excel in different facets of the game. And then they added freshman sensation from U. of Arizona Jerryd Bayless, he seems like a combo guard based on his college #'s but sometimes that is what a team like this needs. The only thing they really lack is a veteran presence but some may find that overrated. But back to Rudy, he's very versatile, he has the handles to play and/or guard the 1-3 positions, and he has a sweet shot w/some great hops. The dunk he had on Dwight Howard was sick.


I'd say the weakness to the US team this year was the inside game, Howard was limited and not that dominant and Chris Bosh isn't a C. I thought there lack of size would be there weakness, and if China had more talent around Yao they could give the US a run for there money, but they don't. But in 2012 I predict Greg Oden will provide a large interior presence to the US so there problems might be solved.

I also like the FIBA rules, it's a very entertaining game, not to mention quick, I'm curious if the NBA would become more popular if the NBA cut TV timeouts in half and reduced team called timeouts. It will never happen because ad revenue is part of what keeps the league going but if you watch a nationally televised game on TNT, it's going to last at minimum 2 hours and 45 minutes. The title game couldn't have lasted longer then 2 hours and change. You get in, you get out, you have a great time. But I think if the NBA adopted some of the International rules it could be better for the league. One thing I like is the physicality, though the refs were inconsistent, at times they'd be calling touch fouls then the next time down a player would get mauled and it'd be a no call. The things I hate though is the trapezoid lane, the 5 fouls (though if it's 10 minute quarters it makes sense) and the ball, that ball just seemed different, which is why the NBA scrapped plans when they switched to the international ball.


But overall I thouroughly enjoyed these games and can't wait 4 years when the Summer games in London.

Discipline

So in about 6 hours I'm heading off to Stillwater where I will be an Oklahoma St. Cowboy. I'm excited yet a little nervous. This will be my 3rd college in the 3 years and like the other 2 I'm pissed off because I won't be able to for at least the 1st semester get to participate in my major of choice because of GPA requirements. For those that don't know I want my major to be radio/broadcast journalism. It's that last word 'Journalism' that pretty much makes it have a GPA requirement. And though it's not an out of this world requirement for a slacker like me it kind of is. I have a 2.32 and need a 2.5, it will go up slightly after my summer school classes.

And it was today when I went to turn in my final to my English teacher Mr. Yarbrough. Fantastic teacher, I only had him for 5 weeks but he's one of the 4 best teachers I've had in college. I think that partly speaks on his teaching abilities, but also on other teachers, part of the problem with college is the teachers don't do much teaching, just lecture after lecture and note taking. It's supposed to be an enhanced learning experience and thought provoking where the majority of the classes you take are the exact opposite.

But thats beside the point as I'm rambling again, I get back my 1st paper I wrote and see I made a 60 on it, that's the bad part, the good part is he says I have the potential to be a great writer and have a sort of poetic style in writing. The problem was it's sloppy and undisciplined, in other words it looks like something you started working on 2 hours before class, which I did. And that pretty much sums up my whole life, especially academically since around 5th grade. I have no disciplined, no real drive, especially when it comes to things I'm not interested. It's almost amazing that I have a GPA above 2 with the lack of work I do. Normally when a paper is due, I "start" on it 3 hours before, horse around the computer for about an hour to hour an d a half then whip something together in 20 minutes to an hour then turn it in. Sometimes it works, other times teachers can see through the bullshit.

Part of the problem is this stupid shit known as MLA format, why is it that every paper must be the same structure P.O.S? He says he used to be the same way but you have to figure out how to fix your mistakes and write like everyone else, no matter how annoying it is. So obviously not being very informed about the rules and writing a paper seemingly on the fly as I scramble for sources it will obviously look sloppy.

I just wonder what is wrong with me and why am I so unmotivated to try new things or to work my ass off? Obviously long term it will lead to good things but short term I'm just getting a grade and on the whole uninterested. I wonder if I need to try and get some adderall, some of my friends take it, it almost sounds like steroids for school, but it works for them. It'd probably just make me focus more intently on an article I'm reading or movie I'm watching.

What makes a person lazy and what makes him not want to try and go out and fix there laziness? Why do I lack discipline when it comes to school? And why am I so afraid to go out and try and meet new people? Why am I so damn scared?

How is it that a person can point out practically every flaw about himself and then not try and change them? Does my laziness help shape my personality? Does it make me funny or give me some sort of comedic timing when making a joke a witty comment?

I've hardly cracked a book since 10th grade, my grades haven't been stellar since about 7th grade, as my dad's told me a hundred times I just do the bare minimum, and I don't exactly understand why I'm perfectly content with it. Part of the reason is people are afraid to stand out or even ask a question in class, I'm part of that crowd mostly but I don't like being associated with that crowd for the most part. I don't want to stand out because I don't want people to have a real opportunity to judge me and be thought of as a douchebag, I'm so self-conscious about everything, almost always afraid of looking like a moron. Just last week I was going to a party and without even thinking I get in a car with a pair of stained jeans and a raggedy Dallas Mavericks t-shirt. This was mainly with a bunch of people I'd never met and even before I had opened the door I already felt like a moron. Why can't I let things go, I always re-think conversations thinking of how much of an idiot I must have sounded like just because of one dumb thing I said or did and making myself feel like a complete tool.

Even this thing I'm writing right now is undisciplined, when I go and re-read it it'll just be sloppy and take on all sorts of directions. I just hope something in me changes when I get to Stillwater, there's a 99% chance it won't happen, even if I have the opportunity to change it, I'm just not that type of guy, for christ sake I've had the same comforter since I was in kindergarten, I hate changing things, I hate trying new things and meeting new people. But look where that's got me, I'm unhappy and for the most part a loser, despite being a complete badass. As cocky as it sounds if you got to know me I'm sure you'd feel that way.

But it's time to get disciplined, wake up on time the first time my alarm goes off and not the 5th, finally open a damn book instead of paying 80 bucks a book to see them collect dust. It's a new year in Stillwater, GO COWBOYS!

Why I love sports

I was watching the Rangers play the Yankees tonight, beaming with excitement that they just beat the Yankees the night before with not great offense but great pitching and hoping that they could bounce Joba Chamberlain early tonight after having him on the ropes early in the game. Normally I watch the games upstairs by myself because I can get a little worked up. But I went down to eat dinner and turn the game on and my mom asks the question, "How can you watch this everyday?"

Now I can understand a sane person who had a life with tons of friends or someone with a lot of responsibilities not watching just about every game he or she possibly can but I'm not every person. For the most part I keep to myself and spend my time chatting endlessly on forums when the Rangers, Mavericks or Cowboys aren't playing. And I'm a little unsure how my mom has put up with my dad and I watching sporting event after sporting event for the past 20 years. At the time I thought nothing of the question until it crept back into my mind after Rangers newcomer 1st baseman Chris Davis tagged 1st to end the game and the Rangers won there 2nd straight 1 run game vs. the Yankees in Yankee stadium.

Now the teams that I've followed in sports have given me a lot of heartbreak for various reasons, be it the Rangers constant failing, the Mavericks getting screwed in the finals or the Cowboys making mistakes costing them in the playoffs and prior to that just being plain incompetent from the time Jimmy Johnson left until Bill Parcells left. But then there are those moments where you get that little payoff or as a drug addict would say, that little "high" that keeps you coming back. It's so addicting and fulfilling that you just can't get enough, and given this youth movement the Rangers are having this season and the great success they are having with all the young guys I'm experiencing that high. The same goes for this past Cowboys regular season, the Rangers season in 2004 and the Mavericks playoff run in 2006.

And since the last 2 nights the Rangers have beaten the Yankees in Yankee stadium it's given me an extra kick and incentive to be so happy. I hate the Yankees, everything they stand for, from the overpaid players, the New York lore, the jackass of an owner (and his son) the bitchy fans and bandwagon fans that feel entitled because they're the Yankees (I'm sure people feel the same way about the Cowboys) and the constant attention they and the Red Sox get from ESPN. Not to mention that the Yankees usually kill the Rangers every time they meet and I was fully expecting to lose at least 2 of 3 if not get swept.

But when I see Scott Feldman who is a completely different pitcher this year as a starter then he was last year as a reliever (when I loathed him so much to the point that I wanted to release him) pitch 5 and 2/3 and hold the Yankees to 1 run and see the bullpen come in and completely shut down the Yankee offense, that's why I love sports. Especially after reading comments by Yankee fans thinking Scott's a bum or when NY sport show's just dismiss the Rangers altogether expecting a sweep in preparation for there 4 game series coming up vs. the Red Sox. But then also getting to see Chris Davis who has killed the ball at every level of his professional career bang an opposite field double off the wall for an RBI, that's why I love sport. That guy is a player and although he struckout a lot in the minors when he gets a hold of a ball WATCH OUT!

But then back to today's ballgame where the Rangers are clinging to a 1 run lead yet again after squandering a couple opportunities and Josh Rupe comes in and gets 2 quick outs. Then in typical Yankee fashion get a couple of soft hits that find holes and the Yankees tie up the game. Normally in year's past the Rangers would crumble like a cookie but Rupe didn't lose focus and got the 3rd out of the inning preventing further damage. Then after wasting a couple opportunities in the 7th and 8th innings the Rangers go to the top of the 9th facing the best reliever of all time Mariano Rivera who has only given up 3 runs all year coming into this game. So first guy up is Ian Kinsler and he gets his hands in fast enough to fight off the famous Rivera cutter and get a double down the line for his 4th time on base in the game. Did I mention prior to this AB Kinsler had 2 stolen bases, he couldn't seriously try and steal 3rd could he? Well Kinsler did just that so now there was a man on 3rd with no outs and your 3 best hitters coming up.

So the infield has to come in for Michael Young's at bat and the next pitch after Kinsler's stolen base MY hits a chopper over Rivera's head and past the outstretched arm of Wilson Betemit (Derek Jeter had the night off) So fast forward to the bottom of the inning: Enter CJ Wilson, the Rangers closer got a save the night before but has been shaky the past month, so what does he do to inspire confidence to all of us viewers back in Dallas? Walks a guy who's walked 1 time in 82 at bats this year on 4 pitches. Now that's a Ranger pitcher if I've ever seen one, but then something changed, he got ahead of Melky Cabrera and jammed him causing a groundball right to Michael Young who turned a double play. Then he got even more pumped up throwing a 98 MPH fastball (though I don't think it was actually that fast) to Johnny Damon and following it up with a 96 MPH fastball. So Damon get's down 1-2 and the best he can do is saw his bat in half for a little dribbler to Chris Davis for the final out giving the Rangers the 1st 2 games of the series and a chance for a sweep in the "House That Ruth Built".

Growth is what this season is all about for the Rangers, and the youth movement, every young player that has come up this year has contributed in one way or another. C/1st baseman Max Ramirez had a go ahead and what would turn out to be the game winning runs when he hit a towering HR off Roy Oswalt against Houston this past week. Eric Hurley went 5 and 2/3 to get his 1st major league win against the Philadelphia Phillies this past Sunday beating them 5-1, and Chris Davis also had his 2nd homerun in 2 games. I don't know if this team can contend or stay in the race but I know if they do it will be with the young guys mixed in with veterans, and if they aren't helping, the way the Rangers system is right now they'll replace you with someone who will.

I don't want this team to trade any of Vicente Padilla, Milton Bradley or Kevin Millwood unless I get an offer I can't refuse. Fewer and fewer teams are parting with Major league ready pitching but if they want either of these 3 guys they're going to have to pony up. Personally I want to resign Milton Bradley, he's been exactly what the Rangers need, a fiery spirit who's loud and wears his intensity on his uniform. I love guys like Michael Young and Johs Hamilton and CJ Wilson and how they play but you also need to mix it in with a few loud mouths who love to get after it and yell and scream. Plus I think Bradley can provide better protection for Josh Hamilton moreso then our young guys can right now. I also think in the offseason we will make a big move for a pitcher in the offseason whether it's by trade or free agency remains to be seen, but we know that Jon Daniels isn't afraid to pull the trigger on a deal.

Youth=Potential=New Hope which means that one day this team might be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel and fulfill there potential and we'll see the playoffs and hopefully World Series in Arlington. That is why I love sports.

Funniest man ever dies

Normally I start my day every morning (or actually afternoon) by logging on to the internet and I usually just browse the headlines to see if anything piques my interest. And today before I checked my email I see one of my favorite people ever and arguably the funniest man ever died. For the people who don't know it's George Carlin, the man I've seen referred to in several articles this morning as a counterculture hero. Famous for his bits such as the 7 words you can't say on TV, differences between baseball and football and his rants on topics such as the soft language of today and religion.

He was 71 and performed just last week, he looked to be in better shape in his last HBO special then his one before that. He had a history of heart and drug problems (including cocaine in the 70's) and checked himself into rehab several years ago for prescription drugs. He died of heart failure.

He also was the 1st host of Saturday Night Live and Mad TV and was on the long time TV show Shining Time Station that was seen by millions of kids. He also starred in movies like Dogma, Bill and Ted, and Cars. He also had 23 comedy albums, 14 HBO specials (including one as recently as March) and 3 best selling books.


The thing that I respected him the most is that he always told it like it is, wasn't afraid of authority, as evidenced by his 7 words you can't say on TV bit that got him arrested in Milwaukee. And here it is for those who have never seen it:



And now that he's died he'll complete the Mt. Rushmore of comedians along with Richard Pryor, Lenny Bruce and Bill Hicks. The 1st 3 are shoe-ins maybe Hicks is up for debate but for social commentary Hicks is at the top of the list.

He had just completed his 50th year in comedy and was slated to receive the Mark Twain award in American humor in November. He had won 4 Grammy's and has been cited by numerous people as being a big influence in the comedy world.

He was always pushing the envelope, causing people to think and question themselves and society. And though it almost cost him in his early career proved to have been the best decision he ever made, playing sold out concert halls and plenty of other venues. Here's a snippet of George Carlin's views on how language has softened over the years:




The man was also a linguist, just evidenced by his poem "Modern Man" or baseball vs. football or the 7 words bit. He was also never afraid to give his opinion on society and the deterioration of man. "I don't have any beliefs or allegiances. I don't believe in this country, I don't believe in religion, or a god, and I don't believe in all these man-made institutional ideas," he once said in a 2001 interview. No one will ever come close to his variety either constantly reinventing himself and finding new ways to present material, you could literally watch his entire collection of standup and find very few similarities in his performances. But at the same time they were all structured perfectly timed and executed to present joke after joke that could leave you laughing for hours and hours. I'm just lucky to have had the privilege to see George back in November when visiting my friend in Missourri. I leave you with a couple more bits that I liked including one on baseball vs. football







Here are some other articles on Carlin's death:

AP article about George

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OBIT_GEORGE_CARLIN?SITE=TXDAM&TEMPLATE=ENTERTAINMENT_GL.html

Picture gallery chronicling Carlin

http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20208391,00.html

Time article on George

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1817192,00.html?cnn=yes

Interview with Larry King on Carlin

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/06/23/larryking.carlin/index.html


Lastly I just hope kids more my age can get to know and love George Carlin for what he was, a great comedian and person. It sickens me to know that some kids may think Dane Cook might be the funniest person they know when in truth he's a hack and a thief. But people these days seem to not give a damn about stuff like morals and values they just want a cheap laugh, and never giving some guy before there time a chance at all.

RIP George wherever the hell you are, I'll pray to Joe Pesci for you tonight.