NFL Picks

Last week I was 3-0, which is why they are called "LOCKS".

This brings my record this season thus far to 5-1.

Here are your nuggets for this week, handle with care



Indianapolis

San Diego

Houston


Enjoy !

Nostra-Rollins?

Just before the start of the 2007 baseball season
Jimmy Rollins proclaimed "we are the team to beat",
referring to he and his Philadelphia Phillies teammates.
People laughed, Mets fans gave him the business the
first few visits to NY and beyond, but the question
begs to be asked. Who's laughing, crying tearing, and
choking now? Separate answers to the many choices,
please.

Yes there are two more games left in the season,
and it's only a one game lead, however the Mets
couldn't hold on to that same lead two nights ago.
If you're thinking the Phillies are finishing off
against a sad Washington Nationals team, them
consider this. the NY Mets lost five of six to those
same Nationals in just the past 10 days.

Make no mistake Rollins and teammates, Chase
Utley, reigning MVP and Former rookie of the Year
Ryan Howard, and company are a force to be
reckoned with for a long time. If they can find a
way to compliment Cole Hammels on that pitching
staff the no championship Mets dominance will be
very short lived, very very short lived indeed.

Excitement or Disappointment

If you're a Colorado Rockies fan, or a Philadelphia
Phillie's fan this is a fun time, but if you're a New York
Mets fan, or a Milwaukee Brewers fan this is not only
frustrating but disappointing as well. When you
consider they have spent practically all season in first
place what else could it be?

Also consider that the NLDS may not start until
Friday October 5th this year, because it is still a
mathematical possibility for a 5 team tie at the end
of this final weekend of the regular season.

I for one am disappointed, even though I
have been saying since June that the NY Mets
are the worst first place team in baseball.
I wish they could have proven me wrong,
now they may do just that, by no longer
being a first place team after all.

Hope your baseball weekend is all you expected.

Parity or Paltry

Consider this, there are three divisions in the National
League, East, Central, and West. Heading into the final
weekend no first place team a a larger than two game
lead with four games remaining. The NY Mets lead
over Philadelphia is now one, and have embarrassed
themselves beyond belief, and have made the
Atlanta Braves a mathematical player.

The Chicago Cubs lead by two in the Central, and are
nothing more than a slightly over 500 team who look
like monster of the midway compared the 81-80
NY Mets team of 1973 that made it to game seven
of the World Series Before falling to Reggie Jackson's
Oakland A's.

In the West the Arizona Diamondbacks lead has shrunk
to one over the San Diego Padres and two over the
Colorado Rockies who have been a streaky team at best
all season and are the hottest team heading into Thursday
having won 10 in a row.

I won't even talk about the NL Wildcard, there are still
three teams alive there, and sadly enough the second
place Brewers aren't even one of them

The American League? Divisions wrapped up, no lip
from you Yankee fans ! The wildcard? Stick a fork
in it it's done.

Enjoy, Baseball fans, Enjoy !

What Kind of Representation?

I could just say it's kind of a slow news night,
but the truth is that baseball provided enough
laughter, and tears tonight. I also hate giving
this guy any more print than he's already gotten,
but I got no beef with him tonight.

This is a sports rant, with a twist. Sports because
it involves Michael Vick, and in case you haven't
noticed , he's still on the Atlanta Falcons payroll.

The twist lies here. The DA in Virginia has
decided to pursue charges on Michael Vick.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for this guy
doing time for his crime, Bu I am certainly
perturbed over the fact that they are wasting
tax payer dollars on this one. Even though
they are trying him on dogfighting charges,
charges that he was not indicted on in the
Federal courts. Should they find him to be
guilty on these charges, the likely hood that
he would serve any more time than he is
already sentenced to is slim and none.

So why do it?

Another DA trying to make a name for himself?
Uh, can anyone say Duke Lacrosse?

C'mon stop wasting time, money, and resources.
If Michael Vick was going to do more time, I would,
say, hey he deserves it just for the cruelty aspect
alone, but if you are not going to add not even a
single day, then the crime committed here is
this new trial. Why do we stand for this?

And, oh yeah the Royal Bank of Canada is suing
Mr. Vick for 2.3 million dollars, but at least they're
using their own funds for that one, I Hope.

World Series Chumpions

I don't know how you may feel about this, but if
you put your allegiance aside, and I'm trying.
I have to believe that the Angels of the AL
West and whatever town/city/state they play
for, have to be the front runner to win the World
Series. I know Boston got off to a sizzling start,
but now they look kinda ordinary, and many
prognosticators laid their hat on Detroit, but
their eliminated. The Indians have a manager
that can't at times get out of his own way.
Please let's not talk about who the NL
representative might turn out to be.

All that being said, and yes it's still a little
early, and I know I was blowing the
Yankees horn just recently, but the Angels
and Master Sciocia have their number.
I guess what I want to say is, I think the
Angels are set to win it all again. I would
check back though.

Remember talk is cheap, but print costs.

NFL Locks For This Week

Last week I was 2-1, who among you really
thought the Browns would score 51 Points.

L I A R ! ! ! !

OK Here goes:

New England

Philadelphia

Carolina

I never said I was going to pick hard ones. Enjoy !

Bonds, Barry Bonds

I wish I could compliment the San Fransisco Giants
for doing the right thing, but their greed got in the way
of that possibility. I'm sure they won't lose much sleep
over that though. I guess many of you might think
that the next finger I point will be at greedy corporate
America, but no, we are ALL guilty of that greed.
Yes I know that many of you didn't care for his HR
chase, and like myself even rooted against him, but
many of you would be eliminated from that group
had he played for your team.

You see I would love to make it cut and dry and say
now that they milked Barry in his HR record setting
chase they disposed of him, but the truth is he is as
guilty of using them as they are of using him.

The RIGHT thing to do was for no one to sign this
cheater, yes CHEATER, No one had the back bone
to do that, and more importantly, there was MONEY
to be made. That's usually a bad time to look for
principals.

Now the Giants with two weeks left in the 2007
season say they want to part ways and move in
a new direction. A classless move, but one
befitting them and Bonds. Fifteen seasons,
thanks for the memories, GOODBYE.
You can't make this stuff up, problem is, this
kind of stuff is becoming so commonplace that
I bet many aren't even surprised. I can't
understand why Barry is.

Childhood may never be the same.

O. J.

See here's what I don't get, and maybe it's because I have
never enjoyed major fame like OJ Simpson, but what makes
you get up out of bed and say: "Today I'm an Idiot?"

Here is a guy that got most people including this writer believe
got away with murder. So let me re-phrase. What makes him
get out of bed that morning and say: " Today I, and a few armed
men are going to set up a sting operation to get back stuff that
belongs to me, but really doesn't belong to me because a judge
said that everything I own belongs to the Goldman's to the
tune of up to three and a half million dollars?"

Why would anyone put themselves in such a position, when
you and I both know that he should probably be a crochet
champ by now. Did he think no one would recognize him?
When he got it back did he believe that the courts would let
him keep the proceeds of the sale of these items?
Someone please help me, because I am utterly confused
beyond comprehension. I mean you get away with MURDER,
and this is your follow up. Oh wait, "If I did it" is the follow up.

Nature does love Stupid !

Yankee Doodle Dandy

George Steinbrenner is indeed that, born on the
fourth of July, he is one of two known owners in pro
sports with that distinction, the other being the
immortal Al Davis. This isn’t why I am refer to him
as that. Mr. Steinbrenner whether it be for health
or other internal issues has been for the most part
quiet this year as his beloved Yankees floundered
and flailed through the first half of the 2007 baseball
season. Fire Joe Torre!, Fire Brian Cashman!,
Kill The Ballboy! These were very frequent headlines
in the NY media outlets

But then came the All Star Break

Since after the All Star break the NY Yankees have
far and away had the best record in baseball. They are
44-18, that’s a 71% winning percentage, and as predicted
by this very Blogger, they are breathing hard and heavy
down the necks of the Boston Red Sox, and without
question have been the class of NY baseball this season.

This brings me to another point. The Yankees can in a
small way avenge the embarrassment of blowing a three
games to none lead in the playoffs a few years ago by
doing the seemingly impossible to the Red Sox twice in
less than 30 years, and that’s erasing what many believe
was an insurmountable lead at the break.

The Bonus for you and I? Watching REAL history, not
some fabricated home run record being established.
For the Yankees? Well, actually earning respect from
those willing to acknowledge it, and well earned praise,
because they didn’t cruise through the season, but rather
really earned it. For Mr. Steinbrenner? Perhaps a well
earned smirk on the face of the Yankee Doodle Dandy
that he is.

Oh woe is me, and my beloved NY Mets.

Sheer Futility

I recently asked if anyone from the National
League East deserved to win the World Series
Championship this year, no one responded.
That was until tonight. The NY Mets managed
to get swept by the Philadelphia Phillies this past
weekend allowing them to get within two and
a half games of the lead, while all the while
allowing themselves to be embarrassed in front
of their home fans. This was the third time
Philadelphia swept them this season.

The Mets followed that up on Monday by blowing
a four to nothing lead to the fourth place and
lowest scoring team in the majors, the Washington
Nationals, while setting a team record for futility
by committing four more fielding errors for a total
of ten in their past two games.

Philadelphia could have been the good answer
to that question, however they blew a 12-0
lead over the St, Louis Cardinals. They won,
but none the less in embarrassing fashion 13-11.
I know you have to lose the lead to blow it,
but when you need your bullpen to save the
game after you led 12-0, win or lose, you blew
it.

Shame, Shame, I hope baseball can be spared
the embarrassment of having either of these
two members of the Keystone Cops win it all.

Sudden Death or Easy Way Out?

It Seems that every year the NFL has a weekend
were there is more than one overtime game in the
same week, and that's when the whispers begin.

Though yesterday's games didn't have the usual
three or four games go into overtime, it did have
two
.
In one, both teams had a chance to go on offense,
so no debate there, but in the other only one team
touched the ball, scored, GAME OVER!

What do you think?

Are they doing this to avoid injury to the players
after a long and tiring game (i.e. protect their
investments), or because they are just to stubborn
to try something else. I'm not sure, but I do sense
that the NFL fan base doesn't like this first come
first serve attitude used in overtime.

In the NBA, MLB, NHL, and even Pro Soccer,
all teams get to touch the ball/puck, even in sudden
death situations. A few years back the NCAA changed
how they dealt with ties at the end of regulation.
Where it used to end in a tie, they devised a way
where each team got possession at least once, just
like baseball with a top and bottom of the inning of sorts.

I don't have the solution, but I know I don't like the
answer. You?.............................................I'm all ears.

Mediocrity Flourishes

At the end of August the NY Mets, a team picked by many
to win the World Series, and one that has spent about 99.9%
of the season in first place in the Eastern Division of the
National League went into Philadelphia to face the Phillies
for a four game series with a six game lead. After that series
they had a 2 game lead, they were swept. This weekend
the Phillies came to Shea stadium in NY for a 3 game series
trailing NY by 6 1/2, they had given it all that back and more.
The Mets went on to win 10 of 12 since leaving Philadelphia,
and in the process swept a 3 game series from their main
nemesis the Atlanta Braves in Atlanta.

As of this posting the Mets have lost the first 2 of a 3
game set to the Phillies, the lead is now 4 1/2. If they
get swept again do they really deserve to be marked
Champions should they win the World Series, or is
the Phillies failure to beat anyone else when it matters
their own sign that they don't deserve to be Champions
as well?


Either way if the Champion comes out of the National
League East this year it is just one more sign of how
diluted professional baseball has become, and if you
need further proof, then you need to go back no further
than last years Champion St. Louis Cardinals who won
with their worst team in the past three years.


One more sign that we will settle for almost anything.

NFL Picks

Since this Blog didn't start until after the first week

of the NFL season, we'll pick it up here. I will make

what will be referred to as "locks", and just for fun we

can keep track of them. Feel free to play along at home.

I will pick three, no spreads, just winners and losers.

Think it's easier?, try it then. Here goes.

Cincinnati Bengals

Jacksonville Jaguars

Chicago Bears....................................Good Luck

Appropriate Fines

So Bill Belicheck gets fined $500,000 and the New
England Patriots $250,000 for their part in Spy-Gate.
Do you think that's enough? Well consider this, and
I won't get into the finite details, but in F1
(Formula One) the Maclaren Mercedes team was
fined the points for the entire 2007 season, but their
drivers won't be affected, they had no direct part in this,
and $100,000,000. Yes One Hundred Million Dollars,
as well as the fact that F1 must inspect every aspect
of their 2008 model to ensure that none of Ferrari's
secrets, they team they cheated against, will be
implemented in their new car. Do you think that's
too much?

I say no to the first, because even if he wasn't able
to use it the film info in real time, he knew the rules,
and still he cheated. Yes to the second, but would
certainly like to know what kind of money floats in
those circles that they can levy such a hefty fine.

It makes little sense, but it rarely does.

Introduction

This is my view, spin, opinion on sports.
If you don't like it, chances are there may
be something wrong with you, but I'll try
to listen to what you have to say.

ENJOY!

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