Stone Cold NFL Locks Week 8

   
     
     
After another 2-1 week I'm 14-7, so the less I say the better
off I am.  Once again let's see if I can shake this mediocrity,
and find a perfect 3-0 week, here goes:

1. Tennessee - The pickins' are slim, but the Titans have been
solid at home, so here goes.

2. San Diego - Either they win or Norv gets shipped to a
Community College near you right after the game.
 
3. Green Bay - Holy Crap!, This one looks too easy.
What could possibly go wrong? 
   
   
    
     
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Stone Cold NFL Locks Week 6

US Presswire  
  
10-5 and feeling disgusted with this "can't" miss picks,
but at least I said it from the onset last week, Green Bay
was my only shaky pick of the bunch, and they were my
only loss.  Next time I won't make that type of pick,
and I'll stick with the spirit of the"LOCK"
OK, Here goes:

1. Atlanta - Want the truth?  Hope I'm wrong, but I don't
see how Oakland wins this game.  Too many holes.

2. Baltimore - Ditto, read the description for pick one and
insert Dallas where it says Oakland, except for the "I hope
I'm wrong part"
 
3. San Francisco - Sorry Eli, but the Niners have payback
on their mind and I think they get some.  At least it won't
knock you out of the playoffs. 
 
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Mad Stork Sports on ScatterRadio Podcast For 8-29-12

Ed Hawkins and I had plenty to say about the
Yankees and Orioles, and there was also much
to say about Mark Sanchez and Tony Romo.
If you missed it on ScatterRadio Wednesday,
then you missed plenty. Here's the podcast
for you, enjoy the show!



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Break Up The New York Jets

AP Photo

No, seriously, break up the Jets. I know that it's
an expression used for when a team is doing really
well, but in this case the Jets who are not doing
well, are not just being broken up, but are falling
apart and trying to reassemble.

If the expression is "defense wins championships",
then I have a new one for you, "offense gets the
blame". The Jets scored the 5th most points in the
AFC this season, 1 point less than the 12-4 Baltimore
Ravens, 11th most in the NFL, that's in the top half
of all teams. Their defense allowed the 6th most
in AFC, 13th most in the NFL, that's the bottom half
in the league. The defense even allowed more points
than the woefully bad New England Patriots defense,
and though I'm sure you can make the case some some of
the points allowed came from the offense, and some of
the points scored came from the defense, those numbers
are usually a wash.

This is all relevant because since the season ended
just 10 short days ago, the Jets have lost a very good
O-Line coach in Bill Callahan (to Dallas), their WR
Coach Henry Ellard, their Offensive Coordinator Brian
Schottenheimer ("resigned"), and Quarterbacks Coach
Matt Cavanaugh. The defense kinda stunk this season
and the offense is getting revamped, huh. I'll be the
first to tell you that their offense kinda looked inept
this season, but it has the previous 2 seasons as well
and as the Jets are quick to point out, they went to
the AFC Championship two years in a row, so why such a
fuss now?

Is it fan uproar? Is it a panic move?, or is it because
their coach is all about the defense, and they can't
blame him if they are keeping him around this season or
beyond? I think it's clear that the last option is much
more viable, but I will remove the "beyond" part.
If the Jets look like this again this time next year,
they will be breaking up the Jets alright, and it may
start with Rex, though I'm not sure that their GM is
really safe from what might be a total gutting, in a
heads will roll type of atmosphere, and this off season
is just a preview of what may come.



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Who Are These Arkansas Paperbacks, errr Razorbacks?

Photo by Wesley Hitt/Arkansas

In the 2008 NFL Draft the Arkansas Razorbacks had the
honor of having a trio of running backs drafted and
eventually start for three different NFL franchises.
Darren McFadden became the stud back for the Raiders,
Felix Jones was drafted by the Cowboys and has been a
starter for them as well, and Peyton Hillis who was
originally drafted by the Denver Broncos, and was
later traded to the Browns is currently their starter
and leading rusher.

Now to my headline. As previously mentioned, one or
all members of this trio are either the starter for
their team or at have been, but it isn't because of
performance that more often than not that they aren't
the starter. Coming in to 2011 all three were either
the feature back or soon became that, but they cant
stay on the field, they are constantly on the injury
report. In a combined 45 games so far this season,
these three backs have managed to play in a total of
30 of those games, a mere 67%. Darren McFadden is the
biggest culprit of all having missed the all but seven
this season and is listed as out this weekend against
the Chargers. Peyton Hillis has been out for such
things as Strep Throat, and advice from his agent to
not rush back too soon and get hurt. In the last game
Felix Jones had just four rushing attempts in what was
a blowout loss to the Eagles, and was kept out in order
to ensure he would be healthy for this weeks must win
game against the Giants. Three weeks ago he had just
six attempts against the Cardinals in another expensive
loss by the Cowboys.

Jones is a probable this week, Hillis should play in what
is now a meaningless season finale for the Browns, and
McFadden is all but out for sure in a game the Raiders
must have in order to ensure a possible playoff birth.

Going forward can these three be counted on? Hillis is
holding out hope that he will "get paid" this off season,
but how big an investment would you make in him if you
were the one paying? Felix Jones is actually in jeopardy
of eventually losing his starting job, and maybe even his
roster spot. One thing for sure in the NFL is that no one,
including Peyton Manning is beyond that sort of speculation.
You can't be the starter if you can't play. McFadden is
clearly the biggest fish here, and the safest to stay, but
after huge splashes of brilliance last year and a great
start to this season, can the Raiders depend on him to stay
on the field? All three of these backs are obviously very
talented, and lots of questions remain, but my question is
something more along the lines of: Was there something in
the water at Arkansas? NO, I am not implying PED's, though
no one is immune ti that. I just wonder what the heck has
gone wrong with these three.




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Genius Alert: Chicago Bears Sam Hurd Arrested For Drugs

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Every once in a while we get a story like this one that
makes you scratch your head so hard it leaves a bruise.
Here's a guy who was earning a base salary of over
$650,000 this year, and since it's his sixth year in
the league, it's safe to say that if he is the guy
everyone thought he was, could have a million or two
stashed away for a rainy day, all the while still living
a decent life. Sam Hurd today joined the list of
geniuses in the NFL that don't think it's enough, he
wanted more. Now he may reach the point were he won't
even be getting that base salary anymore, and he will
NEED more.

Is it really to many shots to the head?,Or perhaps the
basket weaving classes he took in college in order to
stay academically eligible to play football that failed
to educate him enough to not make theses types of foolish
moves? What is it about GREED that makes some one who
is at the pinnacle of his profession to do such stupid and
bone headed things? I am truly at a loss. By the way,
forget about that 650k+ base salary. The deal he signed
earlier this year was worth $5.1 million and all he had
to do was play three years for that. Now not only may he
lose that, but he may be asked to give back part of the
$1.35 million in signing bonus. A great example of why
NFL salaries are not guaranteed, and you thought is was
injuries.

The best or worst part of this story, depending on how you
wish to view it is still to come. According to a report
from 670 The Score in Chicago, Bears WR Sam Hurd supplied
drugs to NFL players numbering in the "double digits."*
Roger Goodell is gonna love this, well, not really.
It won't make a difference what Goodell thinks, Hurd's
career is over. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Hurd
was looking to buy "5 to 10 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000
pounds of marijuana per week for distribution in the Chicago
area."* A real community guy, huh? Sam Hurd faces up to
40 years in prison. I can't wait to see who the next member
of this genius club is going to be.

*CBS Chicago

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A College & NFL FOOTBALL Feast

Courtesy: Turf Show Times

Green Bay and Detroit started out your Thanksgiving day
pigskin bonanza, and though that was soon thereafter
to be followed by Dallas and Miami it certainly wasn't
all there was. The Harbaugh bowl later took center
stage to cap off the evening and again this wasn't all.
College football fans also had a Texas Texas A&M battle
that could very well be there last for a long time, and
again this was to be just the beginning of what is and
was to be a weekend of football that seems never-ending.

College football on Friday had a huge tilt that would
see Arkansas and LSU with Alabama and Auburn to follow
Saturday, and then back to the NFL again on Sunday and
Monday. This certainly was not a weekend for Turkeys,
but rather just the right amount of football to keep
you craving the Bowls, and the NFL playoffs that follow.
If you're a football fan you are clearly in your element
this weekend and the bigger the upset, or the more a
team gets wronged in the BCS polls as far as your
concerned the deeper your passion for this is bound to
grow for more. Good food, good football, and if you're
lucky, good times with family and friends, WOW, what
else could you ask for?

So how long before football is truly year round?


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NFL Stone Cold Locks Week 6

My record is 16-2, that I like, but these easy games
get tougher as the year progresses, good thing this
week looks like I won't have a hard time spotting them.

1. Dallas - Cowboys desperate, and Rams are looking at 2012
2. Saints - Sean Peyton can coach from Mars in this one
3. Ravens - Ravens can only defeat themselves in this one.


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Cowboys Ball DeAngelo Hall

After seeing DeAngelo Hall allow his man to
get open with the Cowboys facing a 3rd and
21, two things are worth mentioning, and the
first one is forget the rest of his play in
this game, even though it wasn't any good,
and secondly, that it is quite apparent why
the Falcons didn't fight very hard to keep
him and the Raiders were glad to bite the
bullet on the $8 million they had already
paid him after just eight games, not to
mention the draft choices they gave up to
get him, so long as he got the heck out of
Oakland. I'm sure Rob Ryan, his defensive
coordinator with the Raiders whispered in
Tony Romo's ear, as if he needed to, and let
Romo know how easy it was to expose the
second rate first stringer. Hall's departure
from Oakland was highlighted by the fact that
when opposite Nnamdi Asomougha, teams through
in his direction, and his direction only,
quickly stealing the nick name of former
Giant cornerback Elvis Patterson of "Toast"
he was burned for huge games so often.
DeAngelo single handedly made a star out of
Broncos rookie wide receiver Eddie Royal when
he allowed Royal to run amock at receiver in
his NFL debut. And oh yeah, by the way, when
got replaced by Chris Johnson a relative
nobody in football circles, the defensive
secondary immediately improved. Leave it to
Dan Snyder to pick that junk up from the trash.
Good thing he got the chance to defend his honor
by later ripping the coaches and the referees
after the Redskins fell to the Cowboys.


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Rob Ryan Let Go?

I found it both comical and incredibly
amazing timing that this story would make
headlines today but it did. A day after
the Cowboys blew both a lead and game to
the NY Jets on such a grand stage, but alas
it was indeed a different Ryan.
Heck, they made me look!

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NFC: The New Monster Of The "Midway" Division

Courtesy: Yardbarker

Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but when
you have Dallas (Americas Team), the New York
Giants (New York, New York, so nice they named
it twice), the Philadelphia Eagles (The NEW
Miami Heat?), and The Washington Redskins
(Well it is the Nations Capitol, anyway), then
you have lots on swag going on, and as far as
divisions go, it is a bit of a Monster, and one
that will be followed very closely throughout
the year, especially if the Cowboys can steal
one against the Jets on Sunday night football
on the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and momentarily
silence Rex Ryan (Who am I kidding!). This is
how I think it will look at seasons end.

1. Philadelphia Eagles (Too Much REAL Talent)
2. Dallas Cowboys (For Real, & Will Make Some Noise)
3. NY Giants (Injuries Hurt/End Season Before It Begins)
4. Washington Redskins (Shanahan A One Trick Pony, No
Elway, No Tricks. O V E R R A T E D)

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Could There Be A New Titletown ?

It may sounds strange saying this about a
city that only has ONE Title in the past
20 plus years, and that came three years
ago, but in this past MLB off season there
was one prize jewel on the market and that
was Cliff Lee. The Phillies were no where
to be found when it came to rumors as to
where he might end up, and swoop, out of
nowhere, Mr. Lee the prize jewel himself
decides to take LESS money, that's right
it's not a typo, and go to Philadelphia.

If this sounds familiar, it could very well
be because there was a repeat of that just
this past week. Nnamdi Asomougha was the
prize jewel, of the NFL off season free agent
market and he too took less money to join a
Philadelphia team (sound familiar?). Very
few if anyone thought he would end up with
the Eagles and low and behold, SWOOP, just
like the real life Eagles, here they came,
even though the odds up until the last few
minutes gave the NY Jets an 80% chance to land
him, and the Dallas Cowboys a 20% chance, and
there was NO ONE else in the picture according
to the "EXPERTS".

Now, landing these two big fish does not ensure
that the Phillies and Eagles will win Titles
this season, or even appear in the finals of
their respective leagues for that matter, but
you can't deny that the Phillies are a serious
contender and at the very top of the list to at
least represent the National League with their
stellar starting rotation. The Eagles, dare I say
it, may have the best secondary since Mike Haynes
and Lester Hayes, and yes they won a "Title", and
though that alone won't win it, the Eagles don't
have huge holes on offense especially with a
healthy Michael Vick who has now assured everyone
that he is truly back.

Now with the term "Title Town", you have to have at
least three teams in the four major sports, and
Philly supersedes that by have at least one in all
four, so when you take a look at the other two teams,
you will see that the possibility of earning this
moniker is not so far fetched. The 76ers may have
the toughest road to travel, but they did make the
NBA playoffs this year, so that's a decent start,
and the Flyers were in the Finals just two short
years ago, so it isn't a stretch to believe that
they can not only repeat this feat, but this time
come away with the victory. Anyway you slice this
Philadelphia is no ones second city when it comes to
sports, and it may be a little pre mature to give
them this honor, but there's no doubt they're a
threat to take it. Look out Boston.