GET IN THE HOLE!

Say it loud, say it proud! Get in the hole! That phrase has the chance of being screamed at the top of someone’s lungs more than 100 times in the next 4 days. That’s because the man, the myth, the legend, the dirt bag, and the answer to the question, ‘What do you call thousands of white men following a single black man?’,  returns to the game of golf for the 2011 season. (Answer: The PGA)

His name… is Eldrick, I mean Tiger!

We’re talking about arguably the greatest golfer to ever set foot on a tee box. He entered the 2010 season on bad terms, coming off a public display of his marital issues. He never seemed to gain control of his game as he went winless in 2010 for the first time in his career.

For now he returns to Torrey Pines where he’s owned the course throughout his tenure. And even with everything that’s happened with Tiger, (the media attention, mistresses, divorce, horrible advertisements, and putter complaining) I still find myself wearing my red shirt and hoping for a victory.

I love Tiger Woods, the golfer. As a person and human being, I’m first admit the decisions he’s made were obviously the wrong ones, but his personal life shouldn’t take away from the way he entertains us. That’s all he is really or any professional athlete. They are performers.

Just because Michael Vick ran an underground dog fight, doesn’t mean I don’t love watching him juke the shorts out of a defenseless line backer. Or what about Mark McGuire? Steroids or not, thinking about that  number 62 homerun clear the fence in a hurry still gives me chills.

Tiger Woods is a marvel by any means. He’s simply a freak of nature, and his personal life shouldn’t take away from his talents. Would you turn down a perfectly carved dining room dinette set if the creator was a level 1 sex offender? Face it people, product is product, no matter who the producer.

The one thing not going in Tiger’s favor is his true followers. Some will hide in the shade, nervous to speak up for their free swinging hero. (See what I did there.) This will be a true test for Eldrick, proving if he really is as good as his stats show or is it all amped up by the crowd that use scream for him on the tee box and ask for his 3 wood head cover… Don’t laugh my brother actually asked a golfer for one of those.

So come these next few days, I know I’ll be cheering for him, because I openly admit that I love watching him play. Of course I see the personal problems he has but those things don’t need to be brought up on the fairway. Sure they’ll be joked about in the galley, but that’s different, those people aren’t playing for titles. I said titles, not… never mind. He use to play for those.

Before this post is filled with That’s what she said jokes, I suggest you put aside your hatred for a disgraceful ex-husband and narcissistic celebrity behind you, because this cocky professional has had a year and off season to regroup, with nothing but a fresh cut fairway in front of him.

That’s what she said.

J-E-T-S... What Am I Saying?

I like the Jets?

Now I know what you’re thinking. You mean I like the Jets to win the Super Bowl, or do well next season.

We’ll sorry sports fans (especially those in New England) but I think I actually like the Jets.

No I’m not switching teams or jumping on the band wagon. I simply hitting the “Like” button on their Facebook fan page.

I attribute this disease to HBO. On one summer day in August, I grabbed a beer, sat on my couch, and watched the highly anticipated Hard Knocks.

This year’s season revolved around The New York Jets. Let’s just say, I laughed at the antics, I screamed at the players, and I loved the story telling.

For this I blame HBO, because even after the 5 episodes ended, the Jets continued their journey. I watched them for 19 weeks, and I fell in Like.

When I watch a Jets game I know the players. I recognize the coaches; Schottenheimer, Westhoff, and the big man Ryan. The hard part for a Patriots fan like myself to admit, is that I enjoy watching the Jets play. 

Because I know all the faces, I can relate to them better than I can my own team.

I feel bad for the college kids that didn’t get picked, and the players that were overlooked. I feel that I have a better understanding of Danny Woodhead’s position with the Patriots because I saw the difficulty he went through in training camp.

Now I’m not saying I’m rooting for the Jets and I’m not saying I’m going out to by a Revis jersey, but honestly, I don’t really have a problem with the team.

Sure they have classless issues and are a bunch of whinny punks, but who isn’t these days. Sometimes you get players like that but every sport needs a bad guy. Golf now has Tiger, basketball now has LeBron, baseball has always had the Yankees, so why can’t football have the Jets.

I guess you could say I more than like the Jets, maybe I even love them. Okay maybe not to that extreme, but if they’re going to be a top team these next coming years, maybe one day I’ll love… to hate them.

Rivalry Takes a Step Forward

I remember it like it was this morning, September 19th of last year. I was sitting in living room watching the Jets comeback and man handle the Patriots.

I sat barely 2 feet away from my screen hunched over, eyes glued, stomping my feet, swearing loudly.

Then came the soft voice from my girlfriend sitting on the coach behind trying to tell me, "not to get so upset, it's just a game."

Just a game? It's not just a game! The Jets and Patriots are far more than just a game. It's become a heated tradition. Much like Christmas is every year, except it happens at least 2 times a year.

On Sunday, they'll meet for the 3rd time. Hold me back and break out the salsa, Christmas come-th again!

My temper has calmed down since Week 2, not only because of a 14-2 record but also a week 13, 45-3 trampling by the Brady Bunch over Sexy Rexy and the rest of the flat footed delinquents.

During the 2010 rivalry, I've screamed twice at my T.V. Once out of anger and the other because of hilarity.

Now the Jets head to New England (ONE MORE TIME) to square off again on the grid iron, hopefully I'll shed tears of joy instead of sadness.

This week has been full of trash talking, foot referencing, and personal grudging. Personally, I'm sick and tired of it, but at the same time I can't get enough.

I'm looking forward to 2 things come Sunday; The Final Score and post game press conference.

As a New England fan (if you didn't know that already) Here's a quote I wouldn't mind lending Rex after the game.

"They beat us. They're that good right now. They're that hot. I just tip my hat and call the Yankees...err.. The Patriots my daddy"

Michigan's Future... Under Center

Rich Rodriguez might be out of Michigan but what about his star player?

Quarterback Denard Robinson has a decision to make, to play or get paid?

He doesn’t have much time to decide as the date to declare is right around the corner.

Many believe that with the recent firing of head coach Rodriguez, Robinson may end up in the NFL earlier than expected.

But will Robinson be able to survive after only 1 full year of college ball? Sure he could be the best thing to come out of Michigan since the 199^th pick of the 2000 NFL Draft (His name has slipped my mind, but I know it’s someone important), but is it in his best interest to stay.

Michigan will likely bring in a coach that will run an offense similar to the Post Rich Rod era, a non-spread offense. Right now that, offense seems like a great fit for Robinson’s talents. He has a strong arm and legs that will take him any which way.

It’s unlikely that he will excel in the NFL without one of two things.

A.)   He continues to develop into an all around quarterback (Running/Throwing), which he is already, for the next two years. This way he will have enough experience and be able to up his draft order. As of right now he wouldn’t go to high, because he has the flash but lacks the experience.

B.)    He looks past being a quarterback and switched positions. With his speed and agility, he could be a very good wide out/special team’s guy. However, you don’t want to waste an arm like his.

The problem with part B is that when Robinson was recruited, Michigan wanted him to play cornerback, but he declined until they offered him a quarterback scholarship. If he was that stubborn about committing to a school, it’s up in the air if he’ll want to do the same thing in the pros.

Part A seems more realistic. Many people are already labeling him as a Vick 2.0, expect the only thing Denard is guilty of is not tying his shoes. Denard threw for more than 2,000 yards and ran for more than 1,500 this year. It’s also amazing because it’s his first full year.

Personally, I think he’ll excel either way, because the only thing that will likely stop him is his own untied shoe laces.

The End of the Road, Week 17

Week 17, I never thought this time would come. I’ve been making picks since week 3 and while it’s not worth running on the front page of the paper, my record is still pretty respectable. I’ve made 122 correct picks out of a possible 200, not bad if I don’t say so myself. However, there is one more week to go so let’s see if I can’t end the season with a bang. Week 17, here we go:

MIA @ NE – NE. After last year’s final game, there are a few people I would like to see on the sidelines come the start of this game, including but not limited to THE ENTIRE STARTING ROSTER FOR NEW ENGLAND!!!!! Hopefully they’ve learned their lesson once. Plus it would be nice to see what Brady’s back up can do. Who is his back up anyway?? Hoyer? In four game this guy has negative 9 rushing yards. Wondering why? Well it’s because he’s the victory formation guy. All he’s done this year is knell the ball.  

BUF @ NYJ – NYJ. The only thing that the Jets can do this week is move up a playoff spot with a win and a couple losses by Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Well since that’s not going to happen, they might want to prepare themselves for round one. As for Buffalo, they should just lay down and hope for a Bengals and Broncos win, which would give them a possible 2^nd pick of the draft.

CIN @ BAL – BAL. I would love to see Baltimore get a first round bye and wrap up the AFC North. That way the Patriots wouldn’t have to face them until at least round 3. We all know what happened last time they met in the playoffs, and we’ll just leave it at that.

OAK @ KC – KC. Oakland can’t reach the playoffs but they can play for pride. Who are we kidding, they lost that back in week 1…3…6…11…12, ehh you catch my drift.

PIT @ CLE – CLE. It’s all about pride with Cleveland and I don’t expect this team to just lay down and die, since they haven’t done that all year. Pittsburgh is trying to fight for a first round bye, which they can do simply by putting up a win against Cleveland. While the Browns can’t go any further than the tee box, nothing would make them happier than to be a division spoiler.

MIN @ DET – MIN. JOE WEBB BABY!!! There’s something to say about a player drafted 199^th overall. Hey, it worked for New England.

TB @ NO – NO. While I believe that ATL will wrap up the NFC South, that doesn’t mean New Orleans won’t be left out of post season play. They’ve already clinched a playoff spot and should win against TB in hopes of ATL choking.

CAR @ ATL – ATL. ATL is still fighting for the number 1 seed. Other than Cincinnati, I can’t think of any other team I’d rather face. Carolina should lay down and hope for a high draft pick.

JAC @ HOU – JAC. There are only two teams in the AFC fighting for a playoff spot, the Colts and Jaguars. The Jags need Indy to lose in order to get in. As for Jacksonville, Houston is a perfect team to face for a clincher since the Texans have been finding ways to lose games all year long. If the Texans want to try and pull off a win, they might want to do some praying, maybe a Hail Mary… too soon???

DAL @ PHI  - PHI. I said at the beginning of the year that Kevin Kolb would be the starting quarterback for the Eagles when the season ends. Sure he’s not the permanent starter but he’s still could be the starter for the end of the season. Even though Philly is a lock for the 3^rd seed, Kevin Kolb will play his heart out because he could be playing for a new job somewhere else.

CHI @ GB  - GB. Chicago doesn’t really have anything to play for, unless you call home field an advantage. But even that might be going in the wrong direction since 3 out for Chicago’s 4 losses have come at home. It’s also unlikely that both NO and ATL will lose, which is the only senerio that gives Chicago home field advantage. They’re better off resting their starters for round 2 of the playoffs.

ARI @ SF – ARI. Both teams are out so let’s go with ARI just because.

SD @ DEN – SD. SD had their chance last week and blew it with a sad lose to Cincinnati. Better luck next year.

NYG @ WAS – NYG. I’ve already picked GB to win, which means I don’t expect the Giants to get into the playoffs, but I do still believe that they’ll pull of a win against the Redskins.

TEN @ IND – IND. If you asked me at the beginning of the year if I thought it would come down to the last game of the year for Indy to clinch a playoff spot, I’d think you were nuts. Many people would, but injuries have plagued this team are year long, causing the team to shift the way they’ve played for years. Fortunately for IND, the only person fighting for anything on Sunday is Jeff Fisher for his job.

STL @ SEA – STL. It seems that more and more rookie quarterbacks have been able to bring a team to the playoffs. I expect Sam Bradford to be added to that list after Sunday’s game.

Week 16: Holiday Picks!

Last week started out pretty miserable. By 4pm alone, I was 5-5. Fortunately for me, the Football Gods were at least tuning in for the late games. My only loss after the 1pm games was picking Pittsburgh over the Jets. I went 9-6 in week 15 upping my total to 112-72, 40 games over .500.  If this were the end of the season, I’d be 20 games over .500, which gets you some extra playing time in most sports. (Baseball= 101-61 and Basketball= 61-21)

Let’s see if I can increase my chances for a first round bye. Here are Week 16 picks:

CAR @ PIT – PIT. I know Carolina got lucky last week with a win over Arizona last week but that win wasn't funny. It’s not funny. People like Derek Anderson take their job very serious and expect to win, but a team like Carolina denied them of that. Big Ben, however, will look to improve their chances of a first round bye with an easy win this week.

DAL @ ARI – DAL. They might be 5-9 and out of playoff contention, but that doesn’t mean they can’t play spoiler to… Arizona?? Never mind, this will probably be a boring game.

WAS @ JAC – JAC. At the beginning of the season, I never would have expected the Jags to be fighting for a playoff spot, but every week it seems to becoming more of a reality. This week could be that deciding factor depending on what Indy does. Jacksonville needs to come out throwing and running especially against a team like Washington who can’t go any further.

DET @ MIA – DET. Buffalo took a shot at MIA last week and killed any chances of the playoffs for the fins. Detroit is also out so this may be more of a pride game. If I were either team I’d lie down and take the draft pick.

SF @ STL – STL. It’s not over in the NFC West, even with the top team being 6-8. If the 49ners will out and the Rams and Seahawks loss out, then the 49ners will move on to the post season.

TEN @ KC – KC. Matt Cassel came to play last week even after recovering from an appendectomy. I’d look for more of the same as they look to lock up the AFC West.

NYJ @ CHI – NYJ. I know that Lovie Smith and Da Bears “SAY” they aren’t going to take it easy this week and fight it out with the Jets but let’s be honest; No team celebrates a division win and expects to fight the rest of the year. They’re going to sit starters and rest the unhealthy. Expect the Jets to win and expand their season.

NE @ BUF – NE. Tom Brady has thrown for more touchdowns over Buffalo, 36, than any other opponent. I wonder what their game plan is going to be this week. Merry Christmas Pats fans, looks like we’ll see a first round bye!

BAL @ CLE – BAL. Cleveland’s chances of the post season are long gone since week 10 but that doesn’t mean they aren’t here to play sleeper. However I think Baltimore isn’t going into this game to lightly. They know they need a win and what better way to celebrate the holidays then with another Division victory.

HOU @ DEN – DEN. Houston is out, Denver is out, but Tim Tebow is in! I can’t wait to see how he beats the Texans this week, a team that has been on struggles since week 8. (They’ve only won 1 game since November 1^st.)

SD @ CIN – SD. Rivers and Company need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, especially with KC leading the division. The sad thing is that every team in the AFC playoff bracket will have double digit wins, while teams in the NFC could be sporting a sub .500 record team.

IND @ OAK – IND. I honestly don’t think Indy has a chance to win but I really love seeing Oakland lose. I picked Oakland last week so this week it’s Indy’s turn. Plus I doubted the injured Colts last week. This week I won’t.

NYG @ GB – GB. This game will probably be the best game of the week. Both teams need a win but obviously only one will leave Lambeau Field with one. I’ll take the home team considering they almost beat New England even without their star quarterback.

SEA @ TB – TB. Josh Freeman let me down last week, but their playoff hopes aren’t crushed just yet. They’re fourth in line for a wild card spot and if things work out in their favor they could jump to the 6ths position by the end of week 17.

MIN @ PHI – PHI. Season’s over Vikings and Philly and fighting strong with an MVP candidate. I’ll take the Eagles.

NO @ ATL – ATL. The Falcons have practically already wrapped up the division since they’ve beat NO already and everyone else in the division. They’re riding an 8 game winning streak and looking to crush the dreams of the defending champs, or at the very least giving them a low playoff position.

Week 15 Picks... Go Steelers??

 

The wins just keep on coming. For the last few weeks I’ve been putting up playoff contention records, and last week was more of the same. 11-4 bringing my overall total past the one hundred mark to 103 with 66 losses. Not bad if I do say so myself. The best record on ESPN through all the experts is Mike Golic (http://espn.go.com/nfl/picks) who put up 132 wins so far this year. Granted I’ve missed some games, 39, so even if I split them, I’d be just as good as these guys; better than some. Heck, even Adam Schefter only has 112 wins, and these guys aren’t giving reasons for their picks. I’m at least doing the extra yard (sorry Tennessee fans.)

In hopes of continuing the winning ways, here’s week 15:

SF @ SD – N/A. Since losing in the first round of the playoffs, I was pretty much shutting myself off of the football world so I didn’t get a chance to see that there was a Thursday night game. Chances are I would have picked San Diego, but the no win works just the same as a no loss.

KC @ STL – KC. Kansas City was blanked by the Chargers last week but that was without their normal starting quarterback. If Matt Cassel plays, after recovering from an appendectomy, KC will look to break away from the Chargers who are right on their heels in the AFC West.

BUF @ MIA – BUF. I said before that Miami can’t be an afterthought but I think their big division win last week will catch them off guard when a potentially high scoring team like Buffalo heads south to play in warmer weather. Buffalo can put the ball in the endzone, they just haven’t had the opportunity to play in a good conditions yet.

CLE @ CIN – CLE. This game is usually a fun game to watch, as if the rivalry of Ohio boils the blood veins of the players. Right now, Cincinnati is on a 10 game losing streak and Cleveland seems to be showing signs of life for years to come. This week McCoy was named the starter for the rest of the season for Cleveland, hoping to spark a bit of a winning streak before the season ends. Unfortunately they have to face Baltimore and Pittsburgh to round out the season, which makes for a sleeper upset and wild card KA-JUMBLE-F***. If Cincinnati wants to claim their 3^rd win, they may want to think about starting Palmer, Jordan that is.

JAC @ IND – JAC. On one side you have a team that can’t keep a player healthy to save their life, but still find ways to stay afloat for the most part, and in the other hand you have an unlikely long time underdog putting up enough numbers to lead a division. Jacksonville has already beaten Indy once this year and look to sweep them this week for the first time since Peyton put on a Colts helmet.

HOU @ TEN – HOU. Indy found a way to beat Tennessee last week and so far everyone has found a way to beat Houston. I’ve never seen so many depressing losses. I think this game will be a bounce back for the Texans that are currently riding a 2 game skid; lucky for them that those two teams will see extra football in January. Losing to a good team usually sets up for a win against a bad one.

WAS @ DAL – DAL. Their 4-9 but Washington is 5-8. I don’t really know what more to say. Both teams have been eliminated from the playoffs and have nothing to fight for. Their better off losing it on purpose for the draft pick.

PHI @ NYG – PHI. Michael Vick behind Tom Brady leads the league in Pro Bowl votes. Well now it’s time to put up or shut up. You’ve beaten up on Houston and Washington and now it’s time to face your only division competition. Even without a strong receiving core, Eli and company have been finding ways to get into the end zone. Surprisingly enough it’s been on the ground. On defense, NYG has top five rush and pass defense, but can they do both at the same time. My guess is no, but I have been wrong before.

ARI @ CAR – ARI. What? You think my pick is funny? It’s not. It’s fine, fine, fine, fine. I put my heart and soul into this pick every G*d damn week! Arizona wins… I’m done!

DET @ TB – TB. JOSH FREEMAN!!!

NO @ BAL – BAL. I failed to trust in Joe Flacco last week against Houston during my fantasy playoffs. Instead I put in Aaron Rodgers against Detroit who he beats every year by a large margin. I don’t expect him to fail me this week in the consolation round.

ATL @ SEA -  ATL. MATTY HEISMAN!!!

 

NYJ @ PIT – PIT. Let the record show that I am not rooting for the Steelers, but rather rooting against the Jets. Honestly I can’t stand either team but stats/power rankings/abilities don’t lie. If I had it my way I’d pray for a tie, but then we all know Santonio Holmes would catch an overtime touchdown to win it, and I’d much rather have a Pittsburgh loss. So let’s go Pittsburgh?!?! Man that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

DEN @ OAK  - OAK. I hate picking Oakland but with Denver still without a true coach and Tim Tebow getting the nod for Sunday, I just don’t see things coming together. It’s also sad when your backup quarterback has more rushing touchdowns in the college than your starting running back, I’m just saying.

GB @ NE – NE. Without Aaron Rodgers, I don’t see this game taking as lasting the first quarter without a couple scores by NE. With Rodgers could mean a different story, however it’s still unclear whether or not he will be cleared. I love the momentum of the Patriots right now, especially with the big win in Chicago last week and more snow forecasted for Sunday night in New England. Buddle up and pop a bottle, this one is going to be messy.

CHI @ MIN – CHI. Chicago is pissed and Minnesota doesn’t have a legit quarterback in place. Well they did just sign one who has hours to prepare for a game outside in Minnesota against a division rival who will likely see post season play. WELL WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT LIKE THAT, IT’S NOT SO BAD. Chi-town wins number 10 in my book. The good news is they haven’t released to the public if alcohol will be allowed on the college campus where the game will be played. At least the fans will be paying attention when the Vikings lose.