Pittsburgh's Psycho Ward

2 quick items

2008-11-03T08:09:00.001-08:00

1. STEELER FANS - DO NOT BUY THESE SEATS FOR TONIGHT'S GAME. Wow....

2. Quite possibly the greatest Sweatshirt there ever was. I wonder if theres a big Penguin on the back. If I remember the Gin & Juice video correctly, I wouldnt be surprised if there was. Go get em Snoop.

Steelers @ Redskins Preview

2008-11-03T05:24:00.000-08:00

REDSKINS vs. STEELERS
Monday, November 3, 2008

So here we go. November 3 is upon us. The game that us DC area Steeler Fans had highlighted since the schedules came out. The schedule makers love to work those interesting angles, and it doesn’t get much better than two top tier teams battling in our nations capital the night before the Presidential election. The NFL and ESPN have gone as far as to include interviews with John McCain and Barack Obama that will air at halftime of the broadcast. Your resident psycho, will be at the game and will miss all the hoopla, including Tony Kornheiser undoubtedly reminding the masses repeatedly of the election trend that shows Redskins wins corresponding to incumbent election victories and opponents victories leading to the opposing party gaining the presidential nomination. Anyway, that’s all we'll get into about any political aspect of this game. Let's take a little look at what may transpire on the field.

The Skins faithful around here seemed pretty confident that the Steeler pass rush can't get to Campbell because they couldn't get to Eli Manning last week. "Everyone knows that to beat the Giants you have to pressure Eli!" one Skins fan reminded me. He must have forgotten that the Giants won the Super Bowl last year and are 6-1 this year. He's right, Eli gets rattled when pressured, but that Giants O line hasn’t allowed people to get to him very often this season. That said, the Redskins have a very good offensive line as well. Chris Samuels should be back after missing last weeks game, and the Skins line as a whole has only allowed 16 sacks all season. That would be an average of 2 per game, math majors. The Steelers have sacked the opposing quarterback 25 times, or about 3.5 times per game. Skins QB Jason Campbell has also had a little bit of trouble holding on to the ball when sacked. Seeing as the Redskins have yet to throw an interception this season, the defense will need to create turnovers any way they can. Pittsburgh comes in even in turnover ratio, but that’s slightly misleading in that they were +4 prior to last week, where they couldn’t generate a turnover, and the Giants picked Roethlisberger off 4 times. I'd say the Steelers have a distinct advantage in pressuring the quarterback, but the Skins have been proficient in holding on to the ball all season long, so we'll give them the edge in the turnover battle.

Next up, running games. Coming in to this game, the Redskins bring the 2nd ranked rushing offense in the league, but the Steelers have the 3rd ranked rushing defense. The Steelers haven't allowed any one individual running back to gain more than 63 yards on them all season. Clinton Portis has gone for double that in each of his last 4 games, and 121 in the game prior to that string. The Steelers tend to prefer going up against the big, bruising backs such as Brandon Jacobs and Jamal Lewis, who they had good success against in earlier games. Portis is more of a slasher. Definitely has a power back mentality, but is a little bit quicker on his feet, and finds holes sooner than the bruisers. He's been nagged by hip and ankle injuries this week, but will definitely play. This week will assuredly be the biggest test the Steelers run defense has faced this year. Word out of Pittsburgh is that neither Casey Hampton and Aaron Smith have practiced this week. Hampton has a toe injury and Smith an undisclosed personal matter. Given the Steelers 3-4 scheme, missing 2 of your top 3 against the rushing yardage leader doesn’t bode well. I'm sure both will play, but it will be interesting to see how they respond after missing practice all week.

Pittsburgh should get Willie Parker back, as he's practiced all week, and despite Mewelde Moore giving some very solid efforts in his place, having Willie back will bring a different dynamic to the offense. I'm not sure how great Willie will do coming off the injury, but I think he'll get the bulk of the workload, with Moore as a more than capable alternate. The key to beating the Redskins in my opinion, is keeping Big Ben upright. I don’t think it should be that hard, as the Skins have only sacked the opposing quarterback 10 times all season, and they'll be without their latest big name, little production signing, Jason Taylor. Parker should be able to create enough space to not allow the Skins to key on blitzing Ben, though I'm sure Greg Blache will try. I would hope that more short routes are implemented into the Steelers scheme, seeing as all the downfield routes that took forever to develop last week were critical in the loss to the Giants. Granted, Roethlisberger needs to make good decisions, as the Redskins secondary, even without Shawn Springs, is playing very well. Carlos Rogers is playing (as I prepare for spontaneous combustion) Pro bowl caliber football (OK, I think I'm good), Smoot is always scrappy and should match up well with Hines Ward if the situation calls for it, and the safeties in LaRon Landry and Chris Horton can create turnovers and/or make big hits when needed. I do, however like the idea of running a lot of 5 wide. The more the Steelers can coax Washington into putting Leigh Torrence on the field, the better their chances at winning. Burgundy and Gold faithful better hope that Smoot and Rogers don’t get caught by a Hines Ward block, or we may see Torrence a lot. If that’s the case, the odds of a Steeler victory move exponentially higher.

All things considered, this game should come down to the quarterback play. I don’t see either team running the ball with substantial success, so it will come down to who can hit their passes consistently and minimize turnovers.

Next, there are two things that concern me about the Redskins. Both surround the number 89. First is Santana Moss on punt returns. He came in last week, in a close game, after Randle El failed to muster any significant returns (we remember), and promptly returned a punt for a touchdown, all but sealing the game for the Redskins. The Steelers special teams of course took a big hit last week when Long Snapper Greg Warren tore his ACL and was put on injured reserve. Punter Mitch Berger is also banged up and may not play. That means the Steelers may have a rookie long snapper and rookie punter, each playing their first NFL game, against a dangerous tandem of return men. Don’t underestimate the importance of this matchup, should Berger not be able to play.

The second concern is the bubble screens to Moss that the Redskins LOVE to run. The Steeler corners line up about 10-15 yards off the line of scrimmage on about 90% of plays. One quick step move by Santana Moss around Ike or Deshea, or a double move and deep pass, could mean 6 points for the Skins. The Steelers have long been vulnerable to these types of plays, and a team like the Redskins, who run them regularly, may be able to exploit that.

That leads me to two other concerns, now that I think about it. Just as the Steelers have shown difficulty covering quick screens or shifty receivers such as Moss and Randle El, they CONSISTENTLY fail to cover running backs coming out of the backfield on passing plays, and tight ends. Clinton Portis and Chris Cooley both are fantastic receivers for their positions, and could give the Steelers trouble in the flat all game long. Portis worries me a lot more than Cooley does, but remember, of all the Giants weapons on offense, the only one who found the end zone against the Steelers was TE Kevin Boss…My final (I think) concern revolves our old friend Antwaan Randle El. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he's been like a little puppy dog following Jim Zorn this week BEGGING to get a pass play in. Whether it be something similar to what we saw in Pittsburgh with the option reverses, or cross field laterals, or a Redskin modified version of the Wildcat, anytime El gets the ball behind the line of scrimmage, the Steelers better make sure they cover down the field. This is where they'll miss Ryan Clark even more so. Tyrone Carter loves to play aggressive, so he would be susceptible to a play or two like this.

We'll be at the game, 50 yard line, 2nd to last row in the stadium :-) Only the best for the Ward. We may have some photo journal pics from the game, but either way, we move from the outhouse to the Penthouse in a mere 6 days, as next week we'll be on the field for the Colts-Steelers matchup at Heinz Field. First things first though, lets get through Monday night alive, healthy, at 6-2, and ready to move into an extremely tough 2nd half, current opponents records be damned. With the Ravens now right on their tail, every game will be an important one for the black and gold. Hopefully it all begins tonight!!

Wow...

2008-10-31T04:44:00.000-07:00

Haha....I'm hoping to get a decent amount in today, but this could not go unnoticed, and had to be posted immediately.

Regarding todays Victory Parade for the Phillies:

"This is a bright and shining moment," Mayor Michael Nutter said. "We're going to have a great time."

But he cautioned against the scattered vandalism that marred the postgame revelry late Wednesday and early Thursday. Police reported 76 arrests and several vandalized businesses; they are also examining photos and video of the crowds to identify and arrest additional offenders.

"You can be joyous; you cannot be a jackass," Nutter said. "That kind of idiotic, destructive behavior will not be accepted in the city of Philadelphia."

There goes any chance this guy had at re-election. He must have no idea where the hell he's at...

2008: The Year of the Douchebag Fan.

2008-10-30T06:24:00.000-07:00

A subdued congrats goes out to the Philadelphia Phillies, for finally getting the citys first Sports championship since the 83 Sixers. It's sad that the choking streak won't continue, and it's also sad that there are some very likeable guys on the Phillies roster. So while I congratulate them as a team, I don't congratulate the city. If nothing else, hopefully this will take the edge off for at least a year or two. The Rays played a spectacular season, coming from nowhere to make the World Series, and giving a little bit of hope to the long suffering fans of teams like the Royals and our Pirates.

The Phillies World Championship unfortunately solidifies 2008 as the year of the douchebag fans. I really have no problem with Detroit hockey fans, so I'll exclude the Red Wings from this analysis…but consider the cities and fan bases of the champions from each of the other major sports leagues. Boston wins the NBA title, New York wins the Super Bowl, and now Philadelphia wins the World Series. Here's hoping for a better outcome in 2009.

NBA Preview is on hold, on account that my links got deleted. Operator error at best. Instead we'll try to get back into some Power Rankings, and a full preview of this Monday's Steelers - Redskins game. Picks should be up this weekend as well.

Shame that the biggest game of the season for us DC area Steeler fans has also turned out to be a very busy week for me personally. Updates have been sporatic, but we're workin on it!

The Jon and the Terrible, horrible, No Good, Very bad weekend

2008-10-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

T'was a very bad weekend for the Steel City sports squadrons.

The Penguins allowed 2 goals in the third period, including one in the final seconds before falling to the hated Rangers 3-2 in a shootout.

The #17 Pitt Panthers dropped another home game as heavy favorites. Not only did they lose, they got demolished, 54-34. Rutgers QB Mike Teel threw for 6 touchdowns. Coming into the game he had thrown for 3 ALL SEASON. In addition, Pitt QB Bill Stull was carted off the field. Word is that he'll be fine, but suffered a concussion.

And the beloved Steelers let one slip away as well. A 21-14 loss to the Giants, combined with wins by the Browns and Ravens tightens things up a bit in the division. Luckily, the Ravens and Browns play each other this week, but the Steelers have no cupcake, as they hit the road to play the 6-2 Redskins at FedEx Field on Monday Night.

The common factor amongst all? The vicious bite of the injury bug. I know it's no excuse, but there's no denying the big part that injuries played over the course of the weekend.
With the Penguins, they have been, and will continue to be without their top two defensemen at least until the calendar shifts into 09. The young guns filling in have done so admirably, but hopefully Saturday nights collapse won't be the beginning of things to come. We mentioned Stull's injury, but at the same time, the performance of the Panther defense was one we havent seen since the Navy game last season. In a word, terrible. Theres no reason that a quarterback should be allowed to throw twice as many TD passes in one game then he had the previous 7 combined. More on the Steelers infirmary below.

Here are my observations on the Steelers - Giants game:

1. The offensive line did not play as everyone wants to say they did. The difference is this. The Giants came in with a game plan to combat the Steelers zone blitz scheme. Quick hitters, screens, dump offs, etc. The Steelers did not. Ben continued to hold on to the ball entirely too long, and they did not effectively run quick patterns to offset the Giants pass rush. Not having Santonio Holmes hurt, as it was well documented that it would. At no time was that more evident then on a slant pass that went off the hands of Nate Washington, and was intercepted by the Giants. One of 4 picks by Roethlisberger on the day.

2. The injuries to Greg Warren and Mitch Berger. It's true that you never hear about a long snapper until they screw up. Or in this case, get injured. Warren tore his ACL and is now done for the year. Berger strained a leg muscle early on in the game, and while remaining effective throughout the game, his injury impacted some of the coaches decisions to go for it on 4th downs, and his free kick following the safety suffered as well. The playcalling leading up to the errant long snap which caused the safety should not be overlooked. The holding penalty on Willie Colon that nullified what would have been Nate Washington's 2nd touchdown catch of the day can't be overlooked. And the fact that the Giants had a better scheme than the Steelers did as a whole, can't be overlooked.

We all know that it's pretty tough to get outcoached by Kevin Gilbride, but Bruce Arians, you achieved that yesterday.

We all know that the key to beating the Giants is to pressure the hell out of Eli Manning. The Steelers, despite being having the number one ranked defense, and leading the leage in sacks coming in, did not sack Eli once. Chalk that up to great offensive line play by the Giants, and good play calling allowing for short drops and getting the ball out quickly.

Long story short, there is still plenty of room for improvement for the Steelers moving forward, but there is also plenty to be excited about. They 'should have' beaten the defending Super Bowl champions despite the following:

1. Losing their #2 receiver after the game plan had already been devised and implemented.

2. Not having their top Defensive lineman or Strong Safety practice all week.

3. Injuries. They played the game without starters Willie Parker, Kendall Simmons, Marvel Smith, Daniel Sepulveda, or Bryant McFadden, and lost Ryan Clark and Greg Warren during the game.

I don't mean to make excuses. The Giants made the plays that needed to be made for them to win, so I give them credit. But at the same time, the Steelers turned the ball over 5 times. The defense continued to play brilliantly despite being back up in their own end for a better part of the game. They stifiled Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward (84 yards on 31 carries) but were not able to pressure Eli to the point that he became frazzled. It's a shame too, because the game started off so well, with the Steelers forcing New York into a 3 and out, then marching down the field and scoring on Mewelde Moore's 32 yard run. But the Giants regrouped, hung around, and then essentially dominated the 4th quarter.

It bothered me that during the last drive, the middle of the field was WIDE open, and the Steelers never once tried to run a route there. They had enough time, and a time out remaining to try to run some short to mid range middle routes, but Arians was so intent on getting to the sidelines, which the Giants had blanketed, that they had no chance.

All things considered, 5-2 at this point is solid. And hey, they have yet to lose outside of the state of Pennsylvania. Unless the Redskisn play a much improved game than they have the past 3 weeks, then I like the Steelers chances to rebound strong a week from today.

PICKS RECAP:

The Jon comes into Monday Night with a moderate 6-6-1 showing. The Virus may well have rather had a virus than review his 3-9-1 showing. They share differeing opinions on tonights game as well, so we'll see if The Jon can build on this inaugural week lead, or if the Virus can save a little bit of face moving forward.

TOMORROW:

A little NBA for you.

NFL Picks - Week 8 - Challenge us Both!

2008-10-26T06:51:00.001-07:00

There was a little bit of consistancy this past week in the NFL. The top teams for the most part won, Dallas continued to unravel, and the picture is starting to become a little bit clearer moving forward. One thing there was no consistency in was the spreads that the Virus had as opposed to my own in generating last weeks picks. We've gotten that all cleared up for this week, so the challenge is on. I'll be in black, the Virus in the Garnet (thats right).

Tampa Bay (+2.5) over DALLAS: Just too much going on in big D right now. This is a huge game in the NFC, as both teams are in dog fights (sorry...would it be better to say battles?) in their respective divisions. The Cowboys secondary is still decimated, and the more work that Jeff Garcia and Antonio Bryant get in with each other, the more formidable a tandem they become. Former Panther Bryant has put up significantly better numbers with Garcia as quarterback, and with the injuries around the Cowboys defensive backfield, I think that will continue. DeMarcus Ware could set a record in this game. With a sack, he'll have posted at least one sack in 11 straight games. Also of note, Cadillac Williams practiced with the Bucs this week, for the first time since suffering what some thought might be a career threatening knee injury. Not that he'll be a factor in this game, or even this season, but nice to see him fight back and look to be successful. Anyway, I like the Bucs D to keep constant pressure on Brad Johnson, and the O to be able to put up enough points to bring home the W and keep pace in the NFC South.

Tampa Bay (+2.5) over Dallas:

"Cuz I'm freeeeee. Freeee faaaaallin." Suddenly, 4-12 doesn't look that unreasonable.

Washington (-7.5) over DETROIT: Well, the Rams came in to DC a few weeks ago looking like the worst team in football and beat the Skins. Sorry Detroit, no such luck for the Lions this week. The Roy Williams trade now allows defenses to key on Calvin Johnson, and the Rudi Johnson/Kevin Smith duo just ins't getting it done. Dan Orlovsky will be pressured early and often, even with a hobbled Jason Taylor. Portis may run for 250 against Detroit, who rank dead last in team defense, allowing an average of 418 yards per game. The sputtering Skins offense should get back on track this week, and cruise easily past the 7.5 spread, gearing up for their big game next Monday when the Steelers pay a visit.

Detroit (+7.5) over Washington:

The Redskins don't make it easy on their fans. Portis and Shaun Alexander (yeah that's right) may set the record for most rushing yards in a game, but the Redskins haven't been able to blow out an opponent yet and I see no reason why this week should be any different, even if they're playing the Lions.

Buffalo (-1.5) over MIAMI: Since Marsha Brady has been in the news lately, lets give her a quasi shoutout in relation to this game...Marshawn, Marshawn, Marshawn!! The Buffalo O has come together a bit lately, to compliment their defense, who have been stellar all year. The league is slowly catching up to the wildcat, and the Bills defense is fast and athletic, which should help them counter those tricks. I dont think that the Dolphins have enough standard plays to be able to hang. I like Lee Evans in this game as well.

Buffalo (-1.5) over Miami:

Mine and Jon's picks aren't that fun this week yet considering we're on the same page about the first 3 games we've picked. Frankly I'm stunned that Buffalo's only giving 1.5. The Ravens murdered the Wildcat last week and are facing 27 consecutive life sentences. And speaking of murderers, we all know who used to be Running Back for the Bills. All these signs can't be ignored and the Dolphins are going to lose again, unfortunately for the viewers who find the wildcat irresistable.

NEW ENGLAND (-7.5) over St. Louis: So maybe not all hope is lost for the Rams. They have won 2 in a row over NFC East beasts, and now travel to the east coast to take on one of the AFC's finest. To say the Pats season has been a rollercoaster would be an understatement. Brady goes down, Cassel comes in and performs well, then terrible, then brilliantly...so who knows what's to come next. The running back matchup this week features Steven Jackson agains BenJarvis Green-Ellis. Wow. Despite that, now that they've been able to open up the playbook a little bit, the Pats may hit their stride. I think they have a lot of margin for error this week against the Rams, so I see no reason why they shouldnt be able to win by more than 7.5.

New England (-7.5) over St. Louis

Here's a statistic I heard on the radio yesterday. Bill Belichick has played against the NFC West 14 times in his career. Of those times, he is 7-7 against the spread. And by 7-7, I mean 14-0. When Belichick plays the west, you take the Patriots.

NEW ORLEANS (-3) over San Diego (@ Wembley Stadium, London, England): I hate to call this a home game for the Saints, as the NFL does...but oh well. We know Reggie Bush is out. We know the NFL is investigating 3 Saints players for illegal substances, 2 of which are starters. But look at what San Diego does on the road. Especially when coming East. They thought they couldnt come farther East than New York, then the NFL sends them to England. England thinks they're gonna see Shawne Merriman and LaDanian Tomlinson, and they get just L.T. at about 75% at best. The Chargers may get Chris Chambers back for this one, but won't know til gametime. I still like Brees and compnay to fight through the turmoil, and rebound big after last weeks embarrassing loss. They'll need to to keep up with the Bucs, Panthers, and Falcons.

San Diego (+3) over New Orleans

Finally, some dissent among the ranks. Too many distractions going on in New Orleans, and the Saints don't seem to be doing their part to take advantage of the season Brees is having. Meanwhile, Phillip "Anger Management" Rivers is also making his case for MVP, and it seems that the Chargers are healthier and less distracted than the Saints. The only losers here are those poor Brits who got the Giants and the Dolphins last year and are getting a depleted Saints - Chargers game this year. The NFL is trying too hard to be the good ex-boyfriend. America won the Revolutionary War AND the War of 1812, leave those Brits alone and stop extending the Olive Branch. No one wins when the NFL does this

Kansas City (+13.5) over NY JETS: Sorry, I'm not picking a team that lost to the Raiders to beat anyone by 2 touchdowns.

New York Jets (-13.5) over Kansas City:

Let's have some fun in the "You Play To Win The Game" Bowl. The Jets are such an enigma this year that it wouldn't surprise me if Pinnochio Favre threw for SEVEN touchdowns this week.

Atlanta (+9) over PHILADELPHIA: It rarely happens that the Iggles are overshadowed in their hometown, but with the Phillies coming home for the middle 3 games of the World Series, this is one of those times. Since I dont expect there to be many Falcons fans in the stands, the Philly faithful will resort to fighting each other over parking spaces between leaving the Linc and getting into Citizens Bank for game 4. So if game 4 isn't sold out, you know why. Need tickets? Check the Philadelphia emergency rooms for tickets. You may miss the first few innings, but hey, no one will be the wiser. Anyway, in this game I'd like to say I expect the Eagels D to bring the same pressure they brought on to Roethlisberger, but they havent been able to match that since then. I like the Eagles to win, but 9 is a lot against a still improving Atlanta team. Brian Westbrook should be back, whoich should directly correlate into more points for the Eagles, but I think Michael Turner, Matt Ryan, and Roddy White will have their opportunities as well.

Philadelphia (-9) over Atlanta:

At first I was ready to pick the Falcons, in shock that they were GETTING 9. But then I thought about it some more and decided to change my mind. I just don't fully believe in the Falcons yet. If they win this game, they'll have my support.

CAROLINA (-4) over Arizona: As was reaffirmed last week, home records vs. road records is a pretty valid stat. The Redbirds aren't too swift on the road, and Carolina is lights out at home. The Panthers stifled a strong New Orleans offense last week, so I like them to do the same against Arizona. The Cardinals may get Anquan Boldin back for this one, much sooner than expected, but I dont know that he'll be a huge upgrade over what Steve Breaston has done in his absence. I like Arizona, I really do...but after last weeks display, I can't pick against the Cats at home.

Carolina (-4) over Arizona:

Most complete team in the NFC?

BALTIMORE (-7) over Oakland: Stover vs. Janikowski. Unless Sebas can hit from 77, or whatever it was, I dont know that the Raiders will be able to score.

Baltimore (-7) over Oakland:

I picked up Flacco this week cuz Aaron Rogers is on a bye. If they can't throw up more than 7 over Oakland, they should be contracted. They stifled Miami in Baltimore, and Miami looks like the September through Early November 2007 Patriots compared to the Raiders. Thus begins the battle of the douchebag fan bases.

Cleveland (+7) over JACKSONVILLE: Eh, I'm not really too fond of this pick, but it seems like every time we get close to Brady Quinn time, D.A. has a big game. Jones-Drew should put up huge numbers, but I like the Browns to keep it close, and maybe even pull off a road win. Hopefully they wont, but I wouldnt be shocked to see it happen.

Jacksonville (-7) over Cleveland:

No way does Cleveland get within 7 of Jacksonville. Too much turmoil up in the land of Drew Carey. Meanwhile, Jacksonville's locked in a heated struggle with the Colts for #2 in the AFC South.

HOUSTON (-9) over Cincinnati: I am willing to bet anyone that this is the most that Houston has ever been favored by in franchise history. If anyone can prove me wrong, I'll owe you a coke. Schaub has continued his mini resurgence, and Steve Slaton has continued to run with that chip on his shoulder. The Bengals of course are without Keith Rivers, Carson Palmer may now finally announce that he's done for the year, and there's very VERY little to look at as a positive in jungleland. I might actually take the Texans at double that spread (another set o words that has probably never been muttered!)

Cincinnati (+9) over Houston

Just to dissent with Jon up there. 9 is a lot for an NFL game (and I use the term "NFL" VERY loosely).

PITTSBURGH (-3) over NY Giants: Dammit Santonio...It's not like he got busted before a Bengals game, or some lesser opponent, he waits til the meat of the schedule comes around then fires up some doobies. Even still, I like the Steelers in this game. I know the Giants have a nice pass rush, but I dont think the Steeler O Line will get embarrassed like they did against Philly. (By the way, Darnell Stapleton has filled in brilliantly for Kendall Simmons thus far, didn't I tell you Simmons going down was the biggest improvement the Steeler line could get?) So no Willie Parker, no Santonio Holmes, but I still think the Steelers have enough firepower to put up some points on the G men, and Dick LeBeau will have Woodley, Harrison, Farrior, Timmons, and Foote in Eli's face a lot, someway or another.

New York Giants (+3) over Pittsburgh

I think New York will win this game. Therefore, I obviously think they will cover the spread. I WANT Pittsburgh to win so that the Giants will drop in the NFC East standings and so Pittsburgh will be getting a little too cocky when they roll into Raljon next Monday Night, but I honestly don't see it happening. Sorry Jon, sorry self.

San Francisco (-5) over Seattle: Mike Singletary, meet Jim Haslett. The 9ers have talent, but a fresh approach on the coaching staff I think will help. Frank Gore will respond from last weeks abysmal game to run rampant over the Seahawks. Just cant help but continue to feel bad for Seattle's sports output in the past year.

San Francisco (-5) over Seattle:

Gore's doing some nice work in the land of the Grateful Dead. The Seahawk is STILL not a real bird. This one's a no-brainer

Indianapolis (+4) over TENNESSEE: Tennessee aint goin 16-0. While the Colts have only shown up in spots, they tend to play well in big games, and on national television. Tennessee isn't quite ready for their close up. Sure they have beaten up on inferior opponents, but now that the Colts come to town, I think the decline begins. I think Tennessee will definitely be a force throughout the year and into January, but their winning streak comes to an end on Monday night. Mercury Morris, get the champagne on ice.

Tennessee (-4) over Indianapolis

This is the first big test for a young Titans team (with the exception of Kerry Collins), featuring YOUR next President of the United States of America/NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Mr. Albert Haynesworth vs a battle-tested but aging and struggling Colts team. The balance of power in the AFC is shifting and Tennessee seems poised to take the reigns from their big brothers in the AFC South.

Steelers vs. NFL Collection Agents

2008-10-23T05:31:00.001-07:00

More news regarding fines, or lack thereof, for the Steelers. Apparantley Ray Anderson, NFL's executive Vice President of Football Operations, took some time out to pay a personal visit to the Steelers facilities yesterday to discuss some of the questionable fines some of the players have received recently, comments made by Troy Polamalu about the NFL becoming a 'pansy league', and to discuss the block that Hines Ward put on Bengals LB Keith Rivers that broke Rivers' jaw and put him out for the season. I applaud the league for making the gesture. Again, it wont change the way that the Steelers play, but it was a good, borderline necessary move to get everyone on the same page.

All sides seemed to have a better understanding of each other at the conclusion of the meeting. When asked why players were fined for plays that were not even penalized on the field, Anderson stated the following:

"It is not a requirement that, in fact, a flag be thrown before a person can be fined for a foul," said Anderson, who said there were 139 fines distributed so far leading into last week's games. "What we explained to the players is about 40 percent of our fines are assessed against plays that are actually not flagged on the field."

139 fines and we're moving into week 8. Yikes. Now I'm no math major, but lets do some numbers here:

139 fines divided by 7 weeks: 19.85 fines per WEEK. Meaning on average, every game you watch, someone will be fined for something that either happens in the game, or is said about the game afterwards. And more often than not, unless they happen to your team, you'll never know about 40% of them. I wish they also specified a monetary value of those 139 fines, so that we could get an average amount per fine.

In researching this, here is a listing of infractions that, if caught (and oh, you WILL be caught) will reserve players a nice NFL letterhead delivered by FedEx on Wednesday morning.

Fines listed are minimums unless otherwise specified. Other forms of discipline, including higher fines, suspension and banishment may also be imposed, based on the circumstances of the particular violation. Players who were fined for violations in 2007 and whose fines were either partially or fully upheld, will be considered second and/or repeat offenders under this policy. Rescission of fines for first offenders shall not be automatic.

Offense Against Game Official:

Physical Contact with Official:

First Offense: $25,000

Second Offense: $50,000

Verbal or other Non-Physical Offense Against Official:

First Offense: $20,000

Second Offense: $40,000

Flagrant Personal Foul:

Suspension or fine; severity to be determined by degree of violation; the fine may be $10,000 or higher for first offense.

Fighting:

First Offense: $10,000

Second Offense: $25,000

Unnecessarily Entering Fight Area (active involvement):

First Offense: $5,000

Second Offense: $10,000

Unnecessarily Entering Fight Area (no active involvement):

First Offense: $2,500

Second Offense: $7,500

Sportsmanship:

Excessive Profanity; other Unsportsmanlike Conduct (e.g., toward opponent(s), game personnel, fans, etc.):

First Offense: $10,000

Second Offense: $20,000

Taunting:

First Offense: $7,500

Second Offense: $10,000

Football Into Stands:

First Offense: $5,000

Second Offense: $10,000

Uniform:

Foreign Substances on Body/Uniform:

First Offense: $10,000

Second Offense: $15,000

Personal Messages:

First Offense: $5,000

Second Offense: $10,000

Chin Straps:

First Offense: $7,500

Second Offense: $10,000(Additional fines may be imposed on team management and coaching staffs for condoning, permitting, etc., violations in this area)

Other Uniform/Equipment Violation:

First Offense: $5,000

Second Offense: $10,000

On Field Logo Violation:

Preseason and Regular Season

First Offense: $10,000

Second Offense: $20,000

Playoffs (Including Pro Bowl)First Offense: $50,000

Second Offense: $75,000

Super Bowl$100,000

Gang Signing:

Considered conduct detrimental to the League; suspension or fine; severity to be determined in accordance with provisions of the Personal Conduct Policy.

The thing I actually take most from this is the 5 G's for tossing a ball into the stands. Hines does that after every touchdown, and it appears to me that Fast Willie did it after each of his three in the opener as well. That's in addition to the fines that Hines would receive for "Unnecessary Roughness" agains the Ravens.

Does the $5,000 fine also apply to those who keep the ball after they score a touchdown? I knew there was a charge for the balls that people kept or tossed up into the stands, but 5 G's. Damn!

Finally on this topic, they also discussed this apparant bounty that is on Hines Ward for the rematch against the Ravens on December 14. Again, opponents have been trying to get shots in at Hines his whole career, with very little success. If FrankenBerry (T-Sizzle), Ray Ray and mini me (Bart Scott) want to try again then so be it. Mr. Anderson did say that the league would look into the same bounty that Suggs admitted that the Ravens put on Ward and Mendenhall in their first meeting, and take appropriate action, if necessary. I don't really know what else there is to look into, the guy admitted they did it...but we'll see what happens. I have another clip for Mr. Anderson and the league offices. Of course ESPN miked up Ray Lewis for the Monday Nighter at Heinz. Go to the clip they showed of him huddling the defense up before kickoff. I dont remember the exact quote, but it was something like "EVERY TIME SOMEONE TOUCHES THE BALL, THEYRE GETTIN KNOCKED OUT, LETS GO!!!" No doubt, something commonly said amongst defensive captains league wide, but when paired with admission of a bounty on specific players, can be rather incriminating.

How dumb is it to admit that your team went out with the intent to injure players? I guess Ray Ray already knows he's above the law, given his status as a free man. As for Suggs...well, you ask him to draw you a picture of stupid and he'd eat his crayon.

More later, friends.

Things I learned last night

2008-10-23T05:06:00.000-07:00

Pretty good battle last night in St. Pete, as the Phillies took Game 1 of the World Series 3-2 over the Rays. The game mostly consisted of each team getting into, then out of, big jams. There could have been a lot more run out put. Some might say it was nerves, but that would take away from the excellent performances by Scott Kazmir and Cole Hamels. Hamels moves to 4-0 this postseason, and the Phils take one on the road. My prediction of J-Roll for MVP hasnt gotten off to such a good start though (0-5, 2 K's). Chase Utley hit a first inning home run, and the Phils added another in the 4th. Hamels made sure that stood up, despite some tough situations, then handed the ball over the Madson and Lidge, who slammed the door. Good game overall in my opinion.

I noticed two lookalikes in this game that I'd like to bring to your attention. Am I way off? Check out the pictures and be the judge.

Phillies Right Fielder Jayson Werth, and the WWE's Rated R Superstar Edge. Werth's hair has grown a bit since this photo, so maybe that's what tipped me off while watching last night, but I thought that it was pretty valid.

Now this one, I was very surprised by, but man..to me, Rays 2B Akinori Iwamura looks a LOT like our own Opening Day starter Ian Snell. I never thought I'd see the day where I'd say that a Japanese man looks like an African American, but look if you put a Pirates jersey over that Japan one, I dont think I'd be able to tell a difference right off the bat...

More to come later today. World Series game 2 tonight!

2008 WORLD SERIES - PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES VS. TAMPA BAY RAYS

2008-10-22T10:53:00.000-07:00

The 2008 World Series begins tonight, and features two teams who have one World Series Championship between them (1980 Phillies). The Tampa Bay Rays were probably right up there with the Pirates in the preseason odds to win the pennant (The Rays were 200-1), and the Phillies, while viewed as a strong contender, were viewed as being susceptible to the same choke jobs than have hampered Philadelphia sports teams since the Flyers Broad Street Bullies were hanging multiple Stanley Cup Banners in the 70's (with a few exceptions here and there).

Philadelphia hasn't won a major sports championship since 1983, despite those that may point you in the direction of the Philadelphia Soul's 2008 Arena Bowl victory, or the Phantoms 98 and 05 Calder Cups. Tampa Bay has had 2 in the past 6 years, with the Buccaneers winning Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003 and the Lightning winning the Stanley Cup in 2004.

What's the similarity in these Tampa Bay championships? In both situations, the Tampa Bay team defeated the Philadelphia team in order to earn the right to play for the title. The Bucs went to Veterans Stadium in 2003 and beat the Eagles 27-10 to advance to Super Bowl XXXVII. to add heartbreak to the Philladelphia faithful, that was also the last game ever played at the Vet. The Lightning outlasted the Flyers in a brutal 7 game series in 2004 to advance to the Stanley Cup finals. In both cases, the Tampa Bay representatives were the eventual champions of the league. Can the Rays continue the Tampa Bay roll over Philly? How bout a position by position breakdown.

First Base: Philadelphia's Ryan Howard vs. Tampa Bay's Carlos Pena: For the most part, these two are very similar players. Both are above average size, but play the position well. Howard obviously has a little more pop, as he again led the National League in Home Runs. Averages for each hovered right around .250 for the season, though Howard seemed to pick it up later in the year. Pena, while experiencing quite a resurgence since signing with the Rays, doesn’t quite bring what Ryan Howard does, even with Howard's power outage thus far in the postseason. Advantage: Phillies

Second Base: Philadelphia's Chase Utley vs. Tampa Bay's Akinori Iwamura: No brainer. Iwamura is a nice player, and proved very selfless when he moved from third to second to allow Evan Longoria to come in and take over the hot corner for years to come in Tampa Bay. Iwamura may have the advantage in speed, but that’s about it. Utley is arguably the best 2nd basemen in the league, let along this series. Advantage: Phillies

Shortstop: Philadelphia's Jimmy Rollins vs. Tampa Bay's Jason Bartlett: Again, a no brainer. Bartlett is a nice player, and has been a bit of a spark plug for the Rays all season long, but Jimmy Rollins, though not matching the production he showed last season, is still the reigning NL MVP. I look for him to shine brighter in this series as well. Advantage: Phillies

Third Base: Philadelphia's Pedro Feliz vs. Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria: We knew the Rays would get in there sooner or later. Longoria has been everything the Rays expected of him and more. He's come in and become the face of the franchise, their MVP, the leagues Rookie of the Year (it's not official yet, but cmon…) and has shown no ill effects in adjusting to the postseason spotlight either, as he hit home runs in his first two at bats, and 6 over the course of the postseason thus far. He's shined in the spotlight. Feliz is essentially a journeyman third baseman. Servicable, above average glove, but not the game changer Longoria can be. Greg Dobbs is also sure to factor in, as he brings a better bat than Feliz, but still nothing close to what Longoria can provide. Advantage: Rays

Left Field: Philadelphia's Pat Burrell vs. Tampa Bay's Carl Crawford: Nice matchup here. Interestingly enough, both left fielders are the longest tenured members of their respective teams. Both have had disappointing seasons over the course of their careers, but Crawfords has been this year, thus I'll lean towards Burrell. With their powers combined, they would be a huge force. Burrell's power combined with Crawfords speed and average (up until this season). But, Crawford's average has dipped, he's never head the power numbers typically expected of a corner outfielder, but he can make things happen on the basepaths. Again, a slight edge goes to Burrell because he's been more consistant over the 08 season. Advantage: Phillies

Center Field: Philadelphia's Shane Victorino vs. Tampa Bay's B.J. Upton: Another good one. It can be argued that both these guys have been their teams MVP's over the course of the playoffs. Victorino has been everywhere. Timely hitting, splendid baserunning, excellent defense, even a little bit of controversey, but always 100% hustle. Upton has overcome a somewhat disappointing regular season by doing nothing short of mashing in October. Upton, the number two overall pick in the 2002 draft (Ugh…The Pirates chose Bryan Bullington number one that year, in case you needed to be reminded), has always been viewed as a 5 tool guy, and he has been for the most part. Even still, this postseason has been his coming out party. Advantage: Rays

Right Field: Philadelphia's Jayson Werth vs. Tampa Bay's Gabe Gross: Werth has had a very solid season after being a platoon player for most of his career. He, like Victorino, is known for being gritty and hard nosed. He's got a little speed to him as well. He can be a factor hitting behind the big guns at the top of the lineup. Gross, who came to the Rays from the Brewers earlier this year, helped get the Rays into October, but has done very little since. Look for fan favorite Rocco Baldelli to get more time in right over the course of the series, as his body permits. Advantage: Phillies

Catcher: Philadelphia's Carlos Ruiz vs. Tampa Bay's Dioner Navarro: I personally don’t see why Ruiz has gotten the bulk of the starts over Chris Coste. Maybe he calls a better game, or has a better arm…not too sure. Coste has the better bat by far though. It will be interesting to see how Charlie Manuel works Coste into the lineup. Navarro emerged this season as an All Star for the Rays, has a crazy arm, throwing out 38% of base stealers this season (yes, that’s good), and possesses a good bat. He can show some pop every now and then too, but he's been more a gap to gap guy rather than a home run threat. Advantage: Rays

Rotation: Philadelphia's Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, Jamie Moyer, and Joe Blanton vs. Tampa Bay's Scott Kazmir, James Shields, Matt Garza, and Andy Sonnanstine: Outside of Hamels, who has been a stud all season long, you're not too sure about what you're gonna get from any of the Phillies starters. Myers has had a strong second half, but has struggled a bit in the playoffs, sporting an ERA over 5. That said, Jamie Moyer's playoff ERA nearly triples that, coming in at 13.50. Blanton is an arm, and can eat some innings, but I don’t see a dominating performance coming from him by any means. The Rays staff is solid top to bottom, though Garza has been their best lately. He threw two gems against the Red Sox to help catapult the Rays into the World Series. Kazmir overcame a rough start in game 2 of the ALCS and has been what you would expect from him outside of that start. Shields has had some rough patches in some of the games, but his playoff ERA is still 3.72, and has been the victim of low run support as well. Sonnanstine is a great choice for a Game 4 starter. He's battled all season and posted 13 wins on the board. Granted, he's no ace, but I'd take him over Blanton in a heartbeat. Advantage: Rays

Bullpen: The Phillies bullpen has been a strength all season long. Clay Condrey and Chad Durbin have controlled the middle innings when needed. They've been rocky at some points, but that’s kind of par for the course regarding middle relievers. Scott Eyre, J.C. Romero, and Ryan Madson have been damn near dominant (outside of some spotty control issues) in holding Phillie leads prior to handing the ball over to Brad Lidge, who hasn't blown a save ALL SEASON. We keep waiting for a Pujols-esqe walk off that will damage Lidge's psyche, but no ones been able to pull one off as of yet. The Rays pen is a little less standardized. Most of their guys can be put in in any situation. With a lead in the 7th, they usually start with J.P. Howell, moving into Grant Balfour, and then Dan Wheeler, who took the closer spot due to Troy Percival's injury. This offseason though, Manager Joe Maddon has interchanged roles, playing matchups, and showing no fear for tomorrow when throwing guys in there. In addition to the combo above, Trever Miller and Chad Bradford have been thrown in, and performed well, in difficult situations. Edwin Jackson moves to the pen for this series, as he can provide a lot of innings if necessary. A big question revolves around top prospect David Price. What will his role be in the World Series? Will he be a matchup guy? A set up man? Closer? He used his 98 MPH fastball and ridiculous curve to perfection against the Red Sox, and got the save in Game 7, so he's already been put in about as big a pressure situation as you can be put into. Both pens should be solid throughout the series, but I think I have to give the Phightins another slight edge here. Advantage: Phillies

So tally that up, and you have Phillies 6, Rays 4. Unfortunately I can't deviate from these rankings and pick against them. A rule of thumb is, when in doubt, go with pitching. However, I'm not sure that over 9 innings, the Rays pitching is THAT much better than the Phillies. Since they have a few more bats, I'll side with them. I give the managerial edge to Joe Maddon over Chuck Manuel, but not by much. Though, reasonbly so, that is overshadowed by the Phanatic's mascoterial dominance over Raymond.

Top to bottom, these should all be very competitive games, and a very fun series to watch. As I've mentioned, I like some of the players that the Phillies have, but I would definitely not enjoy seeing those obnoxious Philadelphia fans have reason to celebrate. Trust me, I would love nothing more than to see anohter Mitch Williams moment, but I just think Philadelphia extracts a little bit of vengeance on the Tampa area for the aforementioned Bucs and Lightning victories, and brings home the 2008 World Series Championship in 6 games. MVP: Jimmy Rollins.

"Fines" Ward?

2008-10-22T05:18:00.000-07:00

Still lots on the horizon today, and we're hoping to get a few different posts in today, but we'll start with this:

Hines Ward will not be fined for the block he put on Bengals LB Keith Rivers in Sunday's game. The block was viewed as brilliant by some, dirty by others. But the important thing is that Hines was not penalized, nor was he fined, nor should he have been for either. The NFL got it right this time.

For some insight on this, we found the following from "Ask Vic" on Jaguars.com, so it's a perspective from outside the division, that shouldn't be biased one way or another. Here goes:

Kevin from Orange Park, FL
What’s your reaction to Hines Ward breaking rookie LB Keith Rivers’ jaw? I, for one, think Hines Ward is a dirty player. Seems to me most games he purposely stirs up trouble and takes cheap hits.
Vic: I’ve watched the hit up close and in slow motion several times. I’ve even stopped the action at the point of impact. The block is clearly made with his right shoulder and there are no signs of using the helmet as a weapon. Ward’s feet are on the ground and he is in no way guilty of launching. At first I thought the block might be unnecessary but, on further review, it clearly springs the ball-carrier around the corner and denies Rivers the ability to make the tackle. Dirty? What’s dirty about it? There was no flag thrown. Fine him? They should pin a medal on him. In my time covering this game, I have seen head-hunting defensive backs try to cripple defenseless receivers. I saw Jack Tatum and George Atkinson target Lynn Swann; head-shot him repeatedly and even attack him from behind and karate chop him in the back of the neck. I saw Tatum cripple Daryl Stingley for life in a preseason game. I saw Thom Darden hit a receiver over the middle so hard I thought the guy was dead. I remember seeing Jaguars cornerback Dave Thomas crush Jerry Rice in a preseason game and celebrate as though it was the play that won the Super Bowl. In the preseason? How about the launch job on Anquan Boldin a few weeks ago? Well, finally, a wide receiver has come along who has decided to hit back. Ward is striking a blow for all the defenseless receivers over the years who’ve been targeted by defensive players with an intent to punish. All of a sudden, the hunters have become the hunted. I think everyone in the league is waiting to see what the league does about the Rivers hit. It’s going to define what the game has become and where it’s going.

The word out of New york that Hines will not be fined is great news in my opinion. Vic is absolutely right. So much of the fun has been taken out of the game already (Fines for TD celebrations, fines for mismatched socks, nixing tributes on peoples shoes, etc.) that the last thing they need to do is start taking the hitting out of the game as well. If you want to fine somebody, fine Terrell Suggs (A.K.A. Terrible Sucks) and Ray "Double Murder" Lewis for admitting that they put a bounty out on Ward and Rashard Mendenhall in the September 29th game. Injuries are one thing, full out intent is another. Fuck you Ravens.

Nice Spread.

2008-10-21T07:05:00.000-07:00

Lots to get to today, after another busy weekend.

Let's begin with the weekly NFL picks. We'll have to call the results in the initial JonJon - Virus challenge as inconclusive. The varying spreads in multiple games made it such, and for that I apologize. Next week we'll make sure we have the same spread source. Anyway, with the Patriots demolition of the Broncos last night, the way I had it was 6-6 for myself, and 6-6 for the virus, with 3 being impacted by a rather large difference in the spread (Cle @ Was, Det @ Hou, and Sea @ TB). By no means a stellar week for either of us, but still. We'll call this one our preseason, and get to the real challenge this week, espn spreads be damned!

The Steelers let Cincinnati hang around a bit towards the end of the first half, then had enough as they essentially dominated the 2nd half to defeat the Bengals 38-10 to move to 5-1. Ben Roethlisberger is now 10-0 in professional games played in his home state of Ohio. Mewelde Moore had a career high 3 Touchdwons, 2 rushing and one receiving. Hines Ward and Nate Washington accounted for the other Steeler touchdowns. The defense was, well, what we've come to expect from our Steeler D. 10 points allowed, not a lot to be had by the Bengals rushing attack, and 7 sacks of poor, poor Ryan Fitzpatrick. There is a bit of a buzz around the league concerning a tremendous hit that Hines Ward put on Bengals rookie linebacker Keith Rivers. Everyone you ask seems to have a differing opinion on it though. The hit ocurred on a Roethlisberger to Matt Spaeth pass. Spaeth is running down the sidelines, as Rivers is coming across from the middle of the field to help make the tackle. Hines breaks off his route to come back and stick his shoulder (yes, shoulder) right into the chest of Mr. Rivers. Rivers, who is 3 inches taller and weight 45-50 pounds more than Ward flies about 3 yards backwards and lands hard on his neck/back. There may have been some helmet to helmet contact, but theres no way that it was intentional, no matter how you look at the tape. Anyway, there was no penalty called on the play, but Keith Rivers left the game and did not return. (NOTE: The photo to the right was not from the play in question. This is from years ago during a battle I believe against Madieu Williams.) We discovered today that his jaw was broken on that play and he will be out, possibly for the season. Some Bengals called it a crackback block, or unnecessarily vicious, others say it was a clean hit, and if given the opportunity, they would have done the same thing. Others still say that if Rivers were a QB or RB, Hines would have been thrown out of the game for that kind of hit. All I see is a crazy hit from a tough player who is known for delivering such hits, against a rookie who wasn’t aware of everyone surrounding him. I grant you that it's upsetting that his jaw is broken and he'll be out for a substatial amount of time, but all the haters who want to make more out of it than that are ridiculous. It was a legal hit, one that Hines is good for probably at least once a game, and if these guys want to cry vengeance or place bounties for their next game, so be it. People have been trying to get good shots at Hines for 10 years now, and haven't had a ton of success. How the Cincy defense, or Chinedum Ndukwe, more specifically, expects to do so, will be comedic to see. Excellent write up by Ron Cook in todays Post-Gazette detailing the Bengals reaction compared to the Steelers, and Mr. Ward's himself (including some interesting retrospect to some of the comments and/or threats made by defenders over the years).

On a similar subject, some of the retribution that the Bengals are seeking might have been shown by Cedric Benson, who lowered his helmet into Troy Polamalu's on a run late in the game. However, no one seems to be making a huge deal out of that. Different situation, yes, but from my view there was a hell of a lot more intent to get a helmet shot in there than there was on Ward's block. Polamalu left the game, didn't return, and his status for next week is up in the air. He'll be a big factor in trying to contain Brandon Jacobs, Plaxico Burress, and the Giants offense, but given his history of concussions, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him be pronounced out for this week.

As much as it pains me to credit him, Bob Smizik of the Post-Gazette made a nice analogy of the Steelers upcoming schedule. Two pieces of toast (@ Bengals week 7, vs. Bengals week 12) filled with an array of meaty games against the Giants this weekend, then @ Washington on Monday night, then home games against the Colts and Chargers. This stretch will definitely tell us more about the Steelers as more than just AFC North contenders. The Giants have looked a bit more beatable over the past two weeks, the Redskins as well, and the Colts and Chargers have been wildly inconsistant. Having three of the next four at home helps as well. The best thing about a 5-1 start is that even if the Steelers play .500 ball the rest of the way, they would be 10-6, which looks like it should be enough to win the AFC North. You know the Giants will come in blitzing, doing all they can to get to Ben, so it will be interesting to see what Bruce Arians and co. have in store to ensure we don't have a repeat performance of week 3 in Philly.

We still have a lot to cover throughout the remainder of the week. We'll get your World Series Preview and Predictions later today, also a little bit of NHL and NBA coverage for you. And your Power Rankings and NFL picks as always.

NFL PICKS - Week 7

2008-10-18T20:16:00.000-07:00

Based on the Virus' stellar showing last weekend, 10-4 against the spread, we will continue to go with what works. The Virus returns with his picks and justifications for week 7, and he's gotten substantially more vulgar this week. Be forewarned. I guess I can understand his frustration after seeing his Redskins squander an opportunity to take over 1st place in their division...

However, instead of totally deferring to the Virus this week, I will make my own picks as well. Let's see who will bring home the bragging rights for week 7. Now, lets bring in the Virus:

Greetings folks,
Some random notes before I get to my picks this week:

-I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed that Troy "Mmmmm Jerry Jones, it tastes so good" Aikman said the words "Antrel Rolle continuously continues to miss tackles" last sunday.

-Everyone thought that the whole "The 4th place team in the NFC South always wins the division the next year" thing was over before this year except me. I put up the link last week...but Atlanta has more karma built up than the Dalai Lama after saving a crashing airplane full of blind orphans, simply because of this.

-I never played a sport in high school. But I'd imagine that...maybe not on the FIRST day...but at least during the first WEEK of JV football practice before your 9th grade starts, you learn that if you're an offensive lineman and a pass is tipped, heading in your direction, you BAT THE FUCKING BALL DOWN! And THEN he said "I was afraid if I did that, they'd call it a fumble." Wow...

-The Cowboys wasted a golden opportunity to gain some points with me and do something creative with their Roy Williamses. For shame, pussies. For shame.

-I traded Tony Romo, Miles Austin, and Thomas Jones for Plaxico Burress and Larry Johnson. The day the trade went through, Romo was ruled out for a month. I was ecstatic. Then Larry Johnson has to go and "hit" some woman in the face. And now Romo might actually play. Good one, God. Good one...

Ok, so onto the picks:

San Diego (PK) over Buffalo:

The Chargers are looking good. That was an utter beat down on Sunday night and I couldn't've been happier. The Bills are 2-0 at home but I like the Chargers to get on kind of a roll here. The Broncos are a house of cards with that defense, and the Chargers have an MVP candidate lining up under center. Granted, he's a raging dickhead frat boy whose two favorite artists are probably OAR and Kanye West, who never beat Maryland in college (come on...how sad is that), and they're coach by Norv "I guess I just never thought to tell Gus NOT to do that" Turner, but I just trust a 3-3 Chargers team more than a 4-1 Toronto team. That's just me though.

The Jon says: Chargers. I think Arizona may have exposed the Bills a bit.

Chicago (-1.5) over Minnesota:

Minnesota barely beat a team whose Quarterback ran out of the endzone and thought the play was still going on. And that's all I'm gonna say about that.

The Jon says: Bears. Kyle Orton may actually be the lesser of two evils this week.

Pittsburgh (-8) over Cincinnati

Sorry, dad. If this was one week ago and the Steelers didn't just have a bye after gaining a huge win, I'd say this game could be Week 7's edition of the letdown game. BUT, Pittsburgh just had an extra week of planning and the Bengals are STILL in the running for winning the title of "Worst Bengals Team of the Last 15 Years."

The Jon says: Steelers. Liks I said in the power rankings, you dont let you guard down on the road within the division.

Kansas City (+8) over Tennessee:

Tennessee is looking nice. And generally speaking, I'll throw my support behind a drunken alcoholic for a Quarterback. But I'm just not sure the Titans can score 8 points. Gunther Cunningham is still KC's defensive coordinator, right?

The Jon says: Titans. Arrowhead is tough, as the Chiefs proved when Denver waltzed in, but the Chiefs have trouble scoring against weak defenses, what can they do against Tennessee? The Titans D may cover 8 on their own

Dallas (-6.5) over St. Louis

Lightning isn't gonna strike twice for either me or St. Louis. Plus, the Cowboys have a great (read: horrendously overrated/"Wow. Really? 3 draft picks???") two-way player in Roy Williams. They're hurting, but there's no way St. Louis can put up only 4 FGs on offense and win again, or even come close. Sadly, I gotta go with the Cowboys on this one. Unless the Rams sign 4 WRs named Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde who can now run freely around the entire playing area.

The Jon says: Dallas. No need to elaborate.

Miami (-2.5) over Baltimore:

New coach, same patheticism for Baltimore. Joey "Unibrow" Flacco isn't looking too good anymore, and unfortunately, Ray Lewis won't be able to touch the ball carrier 3 seconds after the play has been blown dead in order to be granted a "tackle" after Ronnie Brown is dancing in the endzone right in his face. Danny Kleinman brought up this point a few years ago, and Bill Simmons addressed it last week:

Q: Doesn't Ray Lewis have to lead the league in my new stat: "Last Man to Dive in on an Already Made Tackle?" As the play is dying, he comes flying in, diving, rolling, jumping up, slapping the helmet, shouting, doing that crazy electric-boogaloo dance that makes my eyes bleed out before my head explodes. Having added nothing to the play other than his half-seizure, he's all of a sudden the center of attention for these nitwit announcers. -- Robert, Fort Worth, Texas

SG: I demand that "Last Man to Dive in on an Already Made Tackle" become an official Football Outsiders stat starting this week. The real shame is we'll never know who had more career LMDAMTs -- Lewis or Junior Seau, who had 650 of them last season alone. It's kind of like how we'll never know who has the sack record. We just have to wonder.

One of these days, Ray Lewis will be doing his stupid Fred Sanford dance (right up Charlie Murphy's alley, if you get my drift), and it really will be the big one, Elizabeth.

The Jon says: Ravens. I don't know what it is, but I'm thinking a little bounce back is in order. They'll be motivated by their old friend Joey Porter to put up a good fight.

New York Giants (-6) over San Francisco:

Definitely see no reason why the Giants won't rebound at home over a Mike Nolan-coached team. I'm still bitter because the last time the Redskins won the division (1999), we had one of the top offenses in the league, and something like the 30th ranked defense, "coordinated" by Nolan. But, to quote Hannibal Lecter..."Love the suit."

The Jon says: Giants. I wish I knew where our buddy gets his spreads, but I picked the Giants even when they were laying 10.5, so this is a slam dunk.

Carolina (PK) over New Orleans:

Carolina is playing at home, where they're 3-0. New Orleans is playing on the road, where they're 0-2. Carolina has a better record than New Orleans. As Homer Simpson said, "That's a pretty big lock."

The Jon says: Saints. Carolina's D, while still good, aint great. Brees is on a record pace, and gets his top WR and TE back. Good enough for me.

Houston (-5) over Detroit:

Again. Detroit's QB ran out of bounds and didn't even realize it. Remember a couple years ago when Ethan Albright's awareness rating in Madden was a 59?

"It’s also pretty wonderful that my awareness rating was 59. You make it sound like I wake up in the morning, helplessly shit and piss myself, then lose three of my teeth before I discover that I am trying to eat a rock for breakfast."

If I download my Madden roster update and Dan "The Nincompoopic Norseman" Orlovsky and he isn't a 58 at best, I wouldn't wanna be in EA's shoes because man...they will be receiving one HARSHLY-WORDED e-mail.

(Side Note: I spent quite some time trying to come up with a nickname for Orlovsky. Other contendors:

Dan "My ancestors pounded their fist on a keyboard once to come up with my last name" Orlovsky.

Dan "In soccer, if the balls is on the out-of-bounds line, it's still in play" Orlovsky.

Dan "I wish I was on the 1996 Broncos" Orlovsky (Look at the first pic in the second row).

and Dan "Man...fuck..." Orlovsky)

I think the Texans are a better team than what their record shows. So bet on them.

The Jon says: Again, a discrepancy in spread. I have the Lions getting 9.5, which I took. If it is indeed 9.5, I like Detroit to cover. If not, then....aw hell, lets still go with the Lions. Whatever. P.S. - If you're a fantasy player in need of a Wide Receiver moving forward, it may behoove you to look into Shaun McDonald, who should slide into the spot vacated by Roy Williams.

New York Jets (-4.5) over Oakland

If the Jets are wearing those blue uniforms again, then this is a done deal. If they're wearing their regular uniforms and they happen to be playing any of the following teams:

St. Louis

Houston

Cincinnati

Detroit

Oakland

then it's a done deal. They're playing Oakland. Therefore, it's a done deal.

The Jon says: Jets. Although, I hear Darren McFadden is watching Dolphins games and urging to implement some wildcat stuff into the Raiders O. Seriously. Still, I prefer to spend as little time as possible talking about the horrendous Raiders...

Indianapolis (-2) over Green Bay

I think the Colts are back to normal, while the Packers are fading fast. I also heard Marvin Harrison opened up a night club in Green Bay. What else do you need to hear? Oh...and whatever the Over is, for the love of God, take it.

The Jon says: Colts. I think my new favorite non Steeler is Melvin Bullitt.

Washington (-2.5) over Cleveland

The Redskins have outscored their opponents by a total of 9 points this season. This spread is a LOT more acceptable than the one last week. While the Redskins have a depleted secondary, I'm pretty confident that they're gonna come back with a vengeance this week. They made the mistake of thinking that 4-1 is the same as 7-1. They won't make that mistake twice.

The Jon says: This is getting ridicurous...I have 7.5 as the spread. For the future we'll get our sources straight. This time, if it's 7.5, give me Brownies. If it's 2.5, I'm taking the Skins.

Tampa Bay (-8.5) over Seattle:

The NFC West is a joke, the NFC South is looking nice. Even though it's a night game, Seattle isn't flying across the country and beating Tampa Bay in Tampa. Oh and just to satisfy my obligatory Mike Holmgren joke: "You like the mail, Mr. Kramer?"

The Jon says: Seahawks. Don't ask. Even I have no clue why...

New England (+2.5) over Denver:

Breaking News: Denver has no defense. Belichick will be angry, he'll whip out the tapes, and he'll find a way to stop Cutlter and Terrell Davis version 11.0 or whatever this year's Denver Running Back is named. Hopefully the Devil Rays will have taken the wind out of the Patriots fans' sails though.

The Jon says: I'm taking the Broncos, despite my stance that they are highly overrated. My only hope for this game is that Matt Cassel doesn't shit himself the way he did last week. Some TD's to Welker would be a bonus as well.

The Virus: Last week (10-4).

"Join Me or Die. Could you do any less?"

-M. Sparkle

The Jon: Last week: (N/A)
"What a brave corporate logo, I accept the challenge of Mr. Sparkle" (too easy)
- Lucy Liu's girls.

THE 9-9-9 CHALLENGE

2008-10-16T19:35:00.000-07:00

Date: Saturday, October 11, 2008.
Time: 8:07 PM
Game: ALCS Game 2: Boston Red Sox @ Tampa Bay Rays; Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
Contestants: Kevin F., Cyrus, Kevin L., Danny, Derrick, Matt (Dewey), Raph, Zach, and your faithful leader (who will be referred to as Page for the duration of this entry).

Olfactory senses in Clarksburg, MD were tickled with the delightful scent of over a hundred grilled frankfurters on the evening of Saturday, October 11, 2008, as grillmaster Zach prepared to host the inaugural 9-9-9 challenge. All comers were welcomed into the beautiful new home of Zach and Crystal to compete. The rules were simple. Consume 9 hot dogs (with bun) and 9 beers over the span of a 9 inning baseball game. The date, chosen months in advance, featured game two of the 2008 American League Championship Series between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. Contestants arrived with empty stomachs, but full aspirations.

As the dogs were distributed amongst the competitors, early discussion ensued. Who was the favorite? Who would even be able to complete the challenge? Should we have waited for a National League game, which are typically prone to more pitching changes, pinch hitters, and other stoppages in play which would extend the game, and the 9-9-9 challenge competitors chances at success? And, what would a competition be without a little action on the side? The 9-9-9 pool was initiated. Competitors and observers were invited to pitch in $5, and write down who they thought would successfully complete the challenge. One point was awarded for a successful completion, one point docked if you selected someone who was unable to finish. Tiebreaker was who would complete the challenge the fastest. People looked, discussed, and pondered. Among the things heard during the selection process were "The Kevin's are a lock, there's money involved", "Zach's got the home field advantage", "Cyrus? Really?", "Page? Didn't he just have food poisoning just yesterday? He's got no shot", and "Will Raph and Dewey kill each other before they have an opportunity to finish?". The chips were down, would the dogs and beers stay down with them?

The pitching matchup looked to be an unfavorable one for the teams on the field, and the men in Clarksburg. Josh Beckett vs. Scott Kazmir. Not only do neither tend to give up an abundance of hits or runs, but both also are not the type to spend a lot of time meandering around the mound between pitches. As first pitch drew near, our 9-9-9 contestants discussed strategy, technique, and expectations. Beers first or dogs first? Quick start or strong finish? Same beer throughout, or change it up at some point? Condiments…diversion from the taste of that 7th or 8th dog, or occupant of valuable stomach space? As Fox seamlessly transitioned from Jeanie Zelasko and Kevin Kennedy to Chip Carey, Ron Darling, and Buck Martinez, the Rays took the field and the 9-9-9 contestants took their seats. First pitch was minutes away. With it came a complete and utter disregard for the human body and digestive tract for the evening.

Timeline, 8:07 PM. The Rays Scott Kazmir delivers the first pitch to Red Sox Centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, and the 9-9-9 challenge gets underway. As soon as the game began, we had a disqualification, as the shocking revelation was uncovered that Cyrus had concealed 9 cocktail weenies into 2 buns, and brought 7.5 oz. Budweiser ponies as his competition beverage. Being that this is a clear and concise violation of official 9-9-9 challenge rules, Cyrus was disqualified, and a collective groan was heard throughout the gambling community.

Subsequent to our first elimination, the rest of the 9-9-9 challengers went to work. Raph had the theory that he would drink good, heavy beer first, to increase the intoxication level early, which would then allow him to finish more dogs in the mid to late innings. Raph was heavily questioned when his first Boddington's was poured, to which he responded with a typical series of expletives that only Raph can so eloquently deliver. Most of the other challengers loaded 4 dogs on their plate, and cracked beers as needed. Zach had a different approach. He polished off 7 dogs in the early going, then switched to the brews. Would one strategy succeed over another?

On the field, the game got off to a fast start as well. The Bo Sox put up 2 runs in the first, both coming after 2 quick outs. With 2 outs, David Ortiz walked, Kevin Youkilis singled, and our old friend Jason Bay doubled to put the 2 Sox runs on the board. The challengers cheered the walks, hits, and runs, not because they had a particular rooting interest in the game (other than Dewey), but because each baserunner extended the inning, and the opportunity at completing the 9-9-9 challenge. The Rays answered with 2 of their own in the bottom half of the first, again, much to the delight of all involved. An excruciating total of 58 pitches were thrown in the first inning, and the number of hot dogs polished off by our 9-9-9ers may have closely rivaled that number. With an inning in the books, the opening jitters dissolved, and hopes were high for completion.

The hit parade on the field continued throughout the first 5 innings, as through 5, Tampa led 8-6, a total of 7 home runs had been hit by the two teams, including two by Dustin Pedroia, and both starters had been knocked out of the game. As play on the field settled down, so did our challengers. Raph could be seen doing stomach crunches throughout the early innings, no doubt an effort to crunch everything down and create maximum space. Derrick took his usual spot face down on the floor periodically, to ensure he had enough fuel to finish the race. Page endlessly paced the basement, knowing that sitting down for an extended period of time would assuredly spell doom. Danny opted to walk outside, feeling as though the fresh air would be cleansing and nullify the negative effects that the gluttonous consumption of hot dogs and beers was bringing forth. The Kevins and Dewey took the leisurely approach, camping out on the sofas and recliners, watching the game while attempting to keep pace. Significant others and friends who were in attendance as bystanders slowly became more and more concerned and/or appalled with the challengers status with each bite or sip.

Our first voluntary white flag of the evening was waived by Kevin F. However, in waving the flag, he neglected to notice that it was only the 5th inning at the time, and there was still plenty of time to finish. When asked about his decision, Kevin responded "Yeah, I know there's time, I'm just not gonna do this to my body anymore." Eventually, Kevin's pride took over and he jumped back into the challenge. Was this a ploy to throw other challengers off? Would the break in the action disrupt his momentum? Whatever the motivation, Kevin was back, and was determined to make his presence felt. It was right around this point that Kevin L. had opted for the Kobayashi method, removing the hot dog from the bun, smashing the bun up, dunking it, and eating it. Only difference being that Kobayashi dunks his bun in water. Kevin decided that it would be wise to dunk his in his beer. Negative results ensued.

Into the 7th inning we travel, where Boston had pulled to within 8-7, but the 9th inning was slowly creeping up on the 9-9-9 participants. The field had benefitted from the fact that the game was about at the 3 hour point, with 3 full innings yet to play. Things were looking good for most, questionable for some, but not out of reach for any. At 11:12 PM, 3 hours and 5 minutes after first pitch, our winner was crowned. Not necessarily an underdog, but by no means a favorite, the house cheered the efforts of Raph, who takes home the crown for the first 9-9-9 challenge. Had the game gone at a normal pace, he may have been the only finisher in the group. Luckily for the rest of us, there was still plenty of time. Slowly but surely, our challengers goals were met. Danny followed Raph's finish, then Kevin F., even with his temporary withdrawal. Page had joined Derrick on the floor, but were they out of commission, or merely resting for a big finish? By this time, most of the bystanders had vacated the basement, as they could no longer bear witness to the excessive consumption of the 9-9-9 challengers.

Those remaining cheered a wild pitch by Dan Wheeler, allowing Dustin Pedroia to score the tying run in the top of the 8th, and again when the Rays were held scoreless in the bottom half. If nothing else, it bought the contenders precious minutes to finish, seeing as the tie score guaranteed that a bottom of the 9th would be played. Eventually, Zach, Dewey, and Kevin L. finished, and the Red Sox went quietly in the top of the 9th. As the Rays came to bat, Page and Derrick feverishly tried to finish what they needed to become 9-9-9 all stars. Page was down to 3/4 of a hot dog, and Derrick had about 1/2 a dog and 1/2 a beer. It wasn't until a slightly intoxicated Page was reminded that a walk off could end the game at any time, that the dog disappeared, and his challenge was successful. Meaning that all that was standing between a 100% success rate (sans Cyrus) was another bite of hot dog and sip of Coors Light belonging to Derrick. Derrick completed this with a batter remaining, meaning that all eligible contestants had successfully completed the 9-9-9 challenge. The question now was….at what cost?

Raph and Danny could be found on the floors of various rooms around the house following their completion. The Kevins departed not long after the 9th inning was completed, not sticking around for the completion of the game. As Erin collected the pool money for correctly choosing the most challengers to finish, a makeshift tent was built around Derrick, who hadn't moved from his comfortable spot on the basement floor since finishing the challenge. This tent, comprised of folding chairs and blankets, served its purpose, as it kept Derrick safe from hungry canines or other intruders, including yours truly.

The 9th inning had ended, but the game continued on. The race was on for the 9-9-9 challengers to keep everything down, as rules specify that no vomiting can occur until at least an hour after completion of the challenge. To this reporters knowledge, all challengers met this requirement as well, although Kevin L. didn't last much longer after that initial hour (Photo not for the squeamish). It's my understanding that he was the only one to rid himself of 9 beers and 9 dogs that night.

For me personally, Sunday was a long day. Though it could have been worse had the hangover been. After finishing the 9 beers, I switched straight to water, trying to fight off any potential lingering morning effects. For the most part it worked. The worst thing about Sunday morning was the taste in my mouth. You know how when you have a cigar, then next day your mouth tastes like shit? Well, it was essentially the same as that, only it tasted like day old hot dogs….repeatedly….for hours. 100 times worst than the morning after cigar taste. I guess it could have been worse, I could have been a Redskins fan and had to watch them lose to the Rams. It being the Steelers bye week was probably the best possible scenario for me, as I didn’t need to have an overly vested interest in what was going on.

Anyway, I'd like to offer a heartfelt congratulations to all the gentlemen who successfully became 9-9-9 All Stars this past Saturday. Additionally, our appreciation to Zach and Crystal for hosting and providing the dogs, despite the likelihood of potentially bad things happening to their new house. Luckily no damage was rendered. And finally, our appreciation and condolences to friends, wives, and girlfriends who undoubtedly lost a ton of respect for all of us over the course of the night. Thanks for driving our disgusting asses home afterwards.

Now that we've become all stars, I'm not sure that the 9-9-9 challenge is on any of our short lists of things we ever want to do again in our lives.

Oh, by the way, the Rays won 9-8 on a B.J. Upton sac fly in the bottom of the 11th to tie the series at 1. As we stand today, the Rays are now up 3-1 with game 5 in progress tonight in Boston.

NFL WEEKEND WRAP

2008-10-13T06:01:00.000-07:00

This is why we love sports, right?

For the first time in the HISTORY of the NFL, thats right, the HISTORY...5 games were decided within the last 10 seconds of regulation or in overtime. There were upsets all over the place, last second drama, things that happened in the first quarter that affected the outcome of games, etc. What a day it was. It actually made me glad that the Steelers had a bye so I could take in as many of the other games and highlights as possible. I just hope the Steelers took notice, as they waltz their way into one of these proverbial potential let down games coming up Sunday in Cincinnati.

Let's do a quick wrap around, starting with the 5 last second games, starting with the one I actually watched in full. I highly recommend watching the NFL Network higlight clips for each.

St. Louis: 19
Washington: 17
Not sure how they could let this happen. Jason Campbell just was in a different place yesterday than he has been over the previous 4 weeks. Balls were tipped, off target, just an off day for #17. It's easy to see the amount of talent that the Rams have on offense, but it was the big plays made by the defense that made the difference here. Maybe Jim Haslett lit a fire that Scott Linehan just couldn't. The Redskins turned the ball over 3 times in their first 4 posessions, after previously not allowing a turnover on offense all season. The big swing came just before halftime, when Campbell threw a pass that was tipped, and then caught by lineman Pete Kendall who tried to muster a few yards. A Ram defender put his helmet right into the ball, and Oshiomogho Atogwe took it 75 yards for a Rams TD. At least a 10 point swing just before the half. The Skins put up 10 points in the 4th quarter, including Clinton Portis' 2nd TD run of the day, to take a 17-16 lead with just under 4 minutes left. St. Louis drove to about mid field, then were faced with a 3rd and 13 at their own 41, with just over a minute to play. Marc Bulger let one fly, and a ridiculous catch was made by rookie Donnie Avery which put the Rams in position to attempt a 34 yard Field Goal. Bulger then took a knee to wind some clock down, but forgot that he played for the Rams, and that someone had to do something stupid to try to ruin the game for them. Today's culprit (and judging by the St. Louis media, he's a repeat offender) was Richie Incognito. Incognito played the role of idiot about as well as one can all game long, and is lucky it didnt cost the Rams their first victory of the year. His Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty on a KNEEL play pushed the game winning field goal attempt from 34 yards to 49. It mattered not, as Josh Brown knocked down the winner and the Rams departed DC with their first victory of the 08 season. Should be a dreary week at the office...

Minnesota: 12
Detroit: 10
So I lied. I DON'T recommend watching the highlight reel of this one. I can't believe how many people predicted the Vikings to be a Super Bowl contender. They have looked anything but. I think they definitely missed Bryant McKinnie's presence in the early going, and now that he's back, it opens up the running game more. Peterson went for over 100 yet again, and the defense did what they were expected to do against the Lions, in only allowing 10 points. The difference in the game actually, was the safety that Lions backup QB Dan Orlovsky essentially took on his own. He dropped back to pass and must have thought he was playing in the CFL, because he showed no bearing of where the back of the end zone was, ran out of bounds, 2 points for the Vikes, who eventually go on to win by those two point. Only you Detroit...Only you.

Houston: 29
Miami: 28
Miami was up to their usual tricks, and carried a lead late into this one. Matt Schaub was booed relentlessly in the early going, as his tendency to throw the ball to the opposite team remained throughout the first half. Give his his dap though, he battled back and brought the Texans back from down 5 with 1:45 to go. He called his own number on the game winning TD play, a QB draw on 4th and goal. Nice work. The Texans joined the Rams in getting their first victory on the season. How bout that Andre Johnson, by the way?

Atlanta: 22
Chicago: 20
This is easily the one I understand the least, yet in my opinion is the most impressive. Matt Ryan, making his 6th career start, torches the vaunted Bears defense for his first 300 yard passing game, including a 26 yard pass with :01 left on the clock, out of bounds, to set up the winning field goal. Incredible. The Bears scored with 17 seconds left in the game to take the lead. 17 seconds! They proceeded to squib the kickoff, allowing the Falcons to return it to about their own 45 with :06 left. Ryan find Michael Jenkins for 26, out of bounds (how on earth were the sidelines not locked down?), Jason Elam comes in to attempt a 48 yard field goal...ballgame. The Falcons move into a tie for first place in the NFC South, which is quietly laying claim to the 2nd best division in football. I would be concerned about Michael Turner though. He's not performing very well on teams that have any kind of defense. Not using this as a barometer, because it's extremely tough to run on the Bears, but over the season, he's fattening up on the lesser teams, and struggling mightily against the decent ones.

And now, everyones favorite:
Cardinals: 30
Cowboys: 24
If I hear one more time about how games at Arizona are like home games for the Cowboys I might shoot myself. Both quarterbacks in this game were beaten, battered, and bruised, but in the end, old man Warner triumphed over Tony Romo and company. It seemed like every other play there was a fumble, especially in the early going. The Cardinlas defense was very impressive. A far cry from their performance agianst the Jets just a few weeks ago. Dallas got some help on their game winning field goal attempt, as Romo hit a long pass to Jason Witten at the Arizona 39 with time quickly running down. As they were scrambling up the field to kill the clock, Cardinals LB Travis LaBoy, injured on the play, was trying to get off the field. He didnt quite make it, and the Cardinals were assessed a 5 yard offsides penalty. This changed a 56 yard FG attempt into a 51 yarder, and they needed evey bit of it. Prior to that though, Ken Whisenhunt channelled his inner Mike Shanahan, and called time out just before the snap. The Cardinals blocked that attempt, which would have ended the game there. The time out was granted, the play was nullified, and when Nick Folk got the chance to attempt the kick for real, he knocked it through. Definitely would not have been good from 56, so the penalty looked to be a huge break for Dallas. Break two came when they won the Overtime coin toss. At that point, they fell victim to T.O. T.O. called the toss correctly, and as the Cowboys were walking back to the sideline, they were all congratulating him and jumping on his back as if he had just caught a Super Bowl winning TD. Looking back, it's as if to say, this is your time now. We're getting you the ball, you're gonna win it for us. I think there was too much emphasis on trying to force the ball to T.O. in overtime. Overtime almost ended on the first play, as Romo, as usual in a tight spot, made a bad play, fumbled, and was lucky to have the ball bounce right back to him. 2nd and 3rd downs were the aforementioned attempts to force the ball to Owens, with no success. Dallas again abandoned the running game in overtime, despite Marion Barber's huge 4th quarter. They tried to go for a quick strike type of drive, rather than anything else. Dallas faced a 4th and 17 at their own 15. As punter Mat McBriar handled the snap, Cardinals special teams captain (and former Steeler) Sean Morey blocked the kick with ridiculous ease, Monty Beisel picked it up on the 3, and walked it into the end zone for the win. Arizona now leads the west by 2 full games. This is a different team at home than on the road. Watch out for Steve Breaston as well. He did a fantastic job filling in for Anquan Boldin, and has already made people forget about the departed Bryant Johnson.

Elsewhere around the league, Drew Brees had another insane day, 26-30, 320 yards, 3 TD's, against the Raiders as New Orleans cruised 34-3. The Colts offense got back on track agains tthe Ravens, crushing them 31-3. Remember when the Ravens were 2-0 and some of the wonderful Baltimore media types were talking playoffs? I hate to be an I told you so.....

Tampa Bay not only defeated Carolina, they made a huge statement. 27-3, as Jeff Garcia made Jon Gruden's upcoming decision tough as to whether or not to stick with Garcia, or go back to Brian Griese once he's healthy. Carolina is tough to figure out. They battle hard each week, but seem to have some critical let downs in big games. There's now a three way tie for first in the NFC South with the Bucs, Panthers, and Falcons at 4-2, and the Saints lurking at 3-3, and about to get their top two receiving threats back.

Theres not much better than to see Bill Belichick looking confused, distraught, angry, etc. as he did on Sunday night. What was even better was to see his offensive coordinater chewing him out on the way to the locker room at halftime because he didnt want to try to put a drive together despite there being 1:30 left before the half. The Chargers came out, well, Charging...and had the Patsies back on their heels from the first play. Philip Rivers threw 3 TD passes and Matt Cassel did anything but shine in his national TV debut. New England stil has talent, don't get me wrong, but wow, they should be looking hard at bringing in another quarterback before Tuesday's trade deadline. They welcome Denver this week, then have their bye, so there is definitely time to get someone else ready, unless they still believe in Cassel to do what they need him to do to stay successful. After seeing him struggle against a San Diego defense who allowed big games by Jake Delhomme, Jay Cutler, and hell, even JaMarcus Russell almost went for 300 on them, I know I sure dont. Just like that, the Chargers are right back in the thick of the AFC West race, as Denver lost at home to the Jaguars 24-17, as again, their defense was demolished. Maurice Jones-Drew ran at will on them, and Jacksonville's D did enough to curtail the Cutler-Marshall connection.

The Eagles got back on track, putting up 40 points on the road without Brian Westbrook. They beat the 49ers 40-26 in a game where the final score looks a lot worse than it was. The Eagles outscore Frisco 23-0 in the 4th quarter, including an interception return for a TD by Juqua Parker to ice the game for Philly. With the Redskins and Cowboys losing, they pull up to within a game of each, and all three will be fans of the Cleveland Browns tonight, as the undefeated Giants will attempt to seperate themselves further from the pack.

In games featuring 2 quaterbacks who have no business starting for NFL teams, The Jets kept the Bengals and Ryan Fitzpatrick winless, 26-14, and the Packers went into Seattle and beat the Charlie Frye led Seahawaks 27-17.

Giants @ Browns tonight. More to come from other weekend events, including a full recap of Saturday night's 9-9-9 challenge, later.

NFL Picks - Week 6

2008-10-12T06:45:00.001-07:00

Today, my friends, we welcome another psycho into the Ward. This particular gentleman, we affectionately refer to as the Virus. The Virus is a die hard Redskins fan, who also somehow likes the Lakers. The Virus' pet peeves are hockey, soccer, and celibacy. His continual thirst for education keeps him at the University of Maryland, despite his hatred for their football program. He thinks Gary Williams is the greatest recruiter there ever was, and that he and the Jon personally ruined LaVar Arrington's career. The Jon is deferring this weeks picks to the Virus, and will count them towards his own yearly record. Without further adieu, let's get to your week 6 picks. Enjoy.

Indianapolis(+1) over Baltimore:

It's just a matter of time before Peyton and the gang get things going. Bob Sanders is obviously out but I'd think the Indy D can still afford to put 8 in the box and stop Willis and dare Joe Flacco to beat them. The Ravens got hosed last week and should be at least 3-1, whereas the Colts got lucky last week. Having said that, I don't like a rookie head coach and a rookie QB going into Baltimore and stopping Peyton and Co., even if they've been underachieving this year.

Minnesota (-10.5) vs Detroit:

I'm gonna have to push.

Obviously I jest, the Lions may have earned the title of "Suckiest bunch of sucks that ever sucked." I think Gus will have a lot to celebrate about this Sunday, which isn't necessarily a good thing. Look for AP to follow up Oklahoma's win (whoops) with a dominant performance of his own.

New Orleans (-7) over Oakland:

TOUGH, tough loss on Monday night. I'm wondering how much they have left in the tank after such a kick in the stomach, especially playing on a short week. If this was any team besides Detroit, Oakland, or St. Louis (Yes, I'm excluding Cincinnati and Houston), I'd take the points. Sorry Al.

Atlanta (+4) over Chicago:

Atlanta is 2-0 at home, Chicago has Kyle Orton. Granted, Kyle Orton has looked better lately. But something about a pig and lipstick. I don't really remember. Matt Forte is a beast, the Bears' defense is still the Bears' defense, but Atlanta has surprised a lot of folks this year. Plus, Atlanta gave me this, I can't in good conscience pick against them. Like, ever again.

St. Louis (+13.5) over Washington:

I'm just picking this because I don't want to jinx my boys. We've all seen how much of an offensive genius Al Saunders is. There are a couple things that worry me here:

Washington is coming off two of the most emotional and hard-fought wins a team can get in back-to-back weeks, barring some form of tragedy (Sean Taylor, Matt Bryant's child). Can they keep it up for a team that they should demolish? This'll be a good test for Zorn's motivational skills. The Redskins have no business scoring less than 30 and giving up more than 7. Having said that, I'm terrified of a let-down game

Denver (-3.5) over Jacksonville:

A few favorable calls and circumstances have put Denver in the driver's seat in the AFC West. Meanwhile, the Jaguars are coming off of a tough loss on Sunday night. Jacksonville isn't good enough to make you rich, and they're just bad enough to make you poor. At least Tony Kornheiser loves the city.

San Francisco (+4) over Philadelphia:

I've always thought Andy Reid was possibly the most overrated coach in the league. He and Tony Romo make such horrible decisions that if I was a fan of either team, there would be bits of skull stuck on my walls for YEARS now. And this isn't referring to anything specific, it's just that this Reid-McNabb marriage has had it's run...they pumped out a couple nice looking kids, bought a nice house, made some money a few years back when the housing market was in its prime, and now it's time to cash out and cut their losses before McNabb's inevitable hospital bills put the couple in the poor house. To quote Dwight Schrute from The Office, "Frankly, I think they both could do better." McNabb moves to a lesser division (AFC North...kidding), Reid becomes an Offensive Coordinator on a defensive-minded squadron (Baltimore after Harbaugh gets canned). Anyways that's my rant. I think Philadelphia will win, I just don't think it'll be by 4.1 or more. Martz is doing some nice things, especially now that Alex Smith's little girl hands are outta the way.

New York Jets (-7) over Cincinnati:

It's unfortunate that Cincy won't get to capitalize on the headlines this week exposing them as temporarily NOT the most insane team in the league (See: Cowboys, Dallas). But I think the Bengals are too much of a joke and already have no shot at the playoffs, while the Jets are playing in a wide-open AFC East and need to win to stay alive. The Jets are motivated by staying in the playoff race, and the Bengals are motivated to win the title of "Worst Bengals Team Of The Past 15 Years." Neither will happen without hard work and dedication, and I feel that both teams are up to the task. I like Marvin Lewis though...I don't look forward to the day when some deranged Bengals fan (Chris Henry, I'm looking at you, though I'm not sure you're a fan considering you're at games less than most people in the stands) dumps his body in the river.

Miami (+2) over Houston

I really like what Tony Soprano has been doing down in Miami. Here I was the past year and a half thinking he was somewhere in the swamps of Jersey. I really like how that last trip to Miami with Paulie didn't sour him on it. It really is a lovely city. Plus, he's got a very sophisticated football mind, which was evident when he was telling AJ "You gotta watch the ball, AJ, The ball!" You can't teach instinct, and with statements like that, he's clearly got it in droves.

But seriously folks, it makes me REALLY sad to pick against Steve Slaton, after he shredded Maryland cheese/lettuce/papers of a Fortune 500 company whose top executives are about to pull a Greg Lougainas from 75 stories. Anyone who beats Maryland is OK in my book. Sorry, Steve, I just can't pick against Tony. Oh I also think that the direct snaps add a level of fun to any game, even though Ronnie Brown is Auburn scum. Roll Tide. At a 2 point spread, you're basically asking yourself who is going to win? I just don't think Houston can do it.

PS - I honestly think of the two Texas NFL teams, I would rather be a Texans fan right now. They may be bad...but no one in the locker room is gonna end up killing each other by the end of the year. That's all you can really ask for these days.

Tampa Bay (-3.5) over Carolina:

I don't really have much to say on this. Apparently Jake Del Homme still plays. I'm still grateful for him beating the Cowboys that one day when he was on the Saints like 10 years. I think it was him. Either him or another J. Del. Something. John Hobby. Something like that. And Steve Smith has that little twinkle of "psycho" you want in a WR these days. Having said that, Tampa's at home, take the points. And for the love of God, please stop DeAngelo Williams.

Green Bay (-4) over Seattle:

Finally. FINALLY. I don't have to hear "If there's one coach who knows Brett Favre's tendencies, it's Mike Holmgren" in reference to a Seattle - GB game. Sorry Mr. Brimley, Aaron Rodgers is gonna have a strong game this week, though it'll be nice for Seattle to finally have NFL receivers on its roster. That'll make things easier for Charlie Frye, right?

Poor Seattle...the Mariners had the 2nd worst record in baseball, the city's NBA fans still can't sit down without it hurting, and the Seahawks just can't get healthy together. At least they're plenty aware of the diabeetus.

Arizona (+4) over Dallas:

I had to do it. I can pick against the Redskins, but I can't pick Dallas. Make of that what you will. After the week they've had, and Terrence Newman being out, and Roy Williams being out (though that may be a good thing for the Cowboys), the Anquan Boldin-less Cardinals, Breaston and Fitzgerald can torch the Cowboys' secondary like the Skywalker Ranch (It took me this long to make a Star Wars reference?). If...IF (I wish there was something higher than Caps Lock because I can't write "IF" big enough) IF the Cardinals offensive line can keep Kurt Warner upright, and IF (a conjecture meaning "in the event that" or "unconditioned that") the Cardinals Defense (wow my computer almost blew up when I those two words next to each other) can screw with T.O. just a little bit, the post-game press conference for Dallas will be worth watching over and over. Sorry for all the parenthetical comments, my mind's too busy to only concentrate on one thing at a time.

San Diego (-2.5) over New England:

I'm picking Norv Turner over Bill Belichick? Am I drunk? Yes. But don't let that influence you. San Diego is two plays from being 4-1, while New England's quarterback is Matt Cassel. I hate Philip Rivers as much as the next red-blooded, God-fearing American, but the man can outshoot Matt Cassel any day.

New York Giants (-7.5) over Cleveland:

It's clear to everyone that Derek Anderson's contract negotiations with Lou Siffer have stalled, and it's affecting everyone on the Browns. The way Braylon Edwards has looked this year, it's hard to remember that he wasn't drafted by the Lions. Jamal Lewis has more miles on him than Jenna Jameson, and Romeo Crennel hasn't been the same since his daughter, Laura, finally got together with Steve Urkel. Meanwhile, Eli's suddenly being touted as being "Better than Peyton." Ignore the fact that that sounds like a great name for some crappy 80s band for a minute. Has anyone EVER gone from "underrated" to "overrated" SO quickly? And if he was so underrated before and now he's being overrated, does that just make him "rated?" And what happens if you eat pasta and antipasta? Things to ponder while the Giants comfortably move to 5-0.

Forgiv-a-ness pwease

2008-10-10T16:19:00.000-07:00

All apologies Psychos, your faithful leader has fallen ill. Cause unknown, but even sitting here typing this is a challenge currently. The Silver Lining is that it is the Steelers Bye Week, so there isn't a whole lot to report on there.

The bad news is that we're behind on Power Rankings, Week 6 picks, and other News and Notes. Depending on my own personal status tomorrow, we'll get to the PR. Picks this week will likely be a deferrral to a fellow psycho.

The worse news is that this puts a large question mark on The Jon's status for tomorrow's 999 Challenge. Hopefully it's a 24 hour thing, but even still...do I want to push it that early? I figure it will be difficult enough if you're 100%. I'm nowhere near at this point. Still time to change your votes and update your fantasy rosters accordingly.

Prayers and well wishes graciously accepted. Enjoy the LCS games and your College Football Saturday.

16 And Counting...

2008-10-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

As the League Championship Series combatants are now set, let's take a look back at your Pittsburgh Pirates in 2008. I mean hey, at this point last year, who would have ever thought the Rays would be .500, let alone playing to represent the American League in the World Series? The Pirates don't have anywhere near the young talent that the Rays have, but we have to find SOMETHING to believe in heading into 2009.

Today, we have the honor of welcoming a new contributor to the Pittsburgh Psycho Ward. Those of you in the area surely have seen him perusing the stands at PNC Park, Mellon Arena, Heinz Field, the Pete, Primanti Bros., Danny's Hoagies, the annual rib festival, hell, even Hamar Hall or Adamson Stadium on the Cal U campus. Today's entry is a 2008 Pirates Year in Review piece, from our old friend the Ramblin' Man. My additional thoughts and views will be added at the conclusion.

Greetings fellow psychos,

Well, another rough season for our beloved Buccaneers of the North Shore of Pittsburgh. While the standings sheet will indicate a 67-95 record, their 4th straight sub 70 win season, I tend to break things down in other, more positive ways.

For instance the Pirates were a really close to .500 (62-64) against teams who play their home games beyond a 30 mile radius of Lake Michigan. Unfortunately, MLB hasn't wised up and put the Bucs in their proper division with more natural rivals like the Mets and Phillies and the Bucs are stuck with playing the Cubs and Brewers way too much IMO. The Bucs did have winning records against 6 teams this season: Atlanta (5-2) Toronto (2-1), San Fran (4-2), Cincinnati (9-6) and to my surprise the Yankees (2-1, including a win over a 20 game winner) and Cardinals (10-7).

The Bucs were a respectable 39-42 at PNC Park this year (likely due to the dancing guy in section 142:), but road games were brutal this year. Do the math and it isn't pretty. What's really sad is I went to 9 road games this year and the Bucs were 2-7 in those games, including that muggy June evening in Baltimore where the Bucs squandered a 6-1 lead where had they held on, they would've reached .500. Needless to say, they never came that close the rest of the season.

Rome wasn't built in a day, but I'm fairly certain the romans got it right the first time, not like the Pirates who are on "Rebuilding VI" (note to The Jon, I can give my dissertation on all the rebuilding projects since 1993 if need be) I'd like to give the new administration credit so far for their moves, but it'll take a few years to see if these moves finally get the Bucs over .500, or if they'll end up like 90% of David Littlefield's decisions which have put the Bucs in the mess they're in now.

I see where Jeff Andrews was relieved of his duties. Considering the Bucs pitching staff had a 5.10 ERA, surrendered 884 runs this season, didn't have a single pitcher reach double digits in wins, and were one of only 2 teams (the Cardinals being the othe r) in the NL not to have 1000 strikeouts in a season, well that's a pretty grim assesment of the pitching staff this year.

There really isn't too much in the minors either (only the rookie league Pirates were the only affiliate to finish over .500 this year) which is why the deals were made to send Nady and Bay away (sure the cynics will say it was because of $, and that factored in, but it wasn't the #1 reason contrary to popular belief) to get more pitching. From what I've seen, Ohlendorf and Hansen show promise, if only Hansen learns that power is nothing without control. Karstens struggled after a great first 2 starts, and he'll be in the running for a spot in the rotation next year. I just hope whoever becomes the next pitching coach finds a way to get the pitchers on the same page. It's almost criminal the way we've been teased by Duke, Snell, Perez, and Gorzelanny. I just hope Paul Maholm doesn't fall into the same trap. The bullpen had some decent outings this year. Grabow and Yates both went 6-3 and set the table well for Matt Capps, even filled in (along with the traded Damaso Marte) when Capps was on the DL. Capps did go 21-26 in save opportunites this year. The rest of the pen was mediocre at best. Hitting wise everybody should know about the "breakout" year for Nate McLouth. Ryan Doumit also put up solid numbers when healthy. And Adam LaRoche and Freddy Sanchez finished with "respectable" numbers (LaRoche .270-25HR-85RBI, Sanchez .271-9HR-52RBI) after horrid starts. It's gonna be an interesting offseason ahead to see who stays and who goes (many think Jack Wilson will be dealt) and while the 2008 Champion has yet to be determined, I will make these predictions for 2009....

- The starting outfield will be McLouth, Moss, and McCutcheon

- The LaRoche brothers will start at the infield corner positions

- Doug Mientkiewicz will be on the roster

- Paul Maholm will be the opening day starter.

Of course a lot will happen between now and Opening Day 2009. While there isn't much to build on from this past season, I still hold out hope that the Pirates will somehow find a way to stay out of sole possesion of the infamous consecutive losing seasons record. I will continue to believe that until the 82nd loss of 2009. LETS GO BUCS!!

~The Ramblin' Man

NOTES AND VIEWS FROM THE JON:

While I agree with most of this, there are some views that I do disagree with, or would like to elaborate on. The first being that I don't think that Doug Mientkiewicz will return. I think he showed enough throughout the season for another team to show interest. He added versatility by playing 3rd base and even a little outfield, still has a good bat, a winning attitude, and a fire that a lot of contenders would love to have coming off the bench. As much as I Dig Doug, and would love for him to stay, I just don't see it happening, especially after what he saw from the team late in the season.

My thoughts about a Jack Wilson deal are still up in the air. I just don't see where the Bucs go to replace him. Brian Bixler didn't look like an answer during his time up with the big team, and the fact that no one on the Pirates pitching staff is overpowering, they need his glove behind them. Granted, he could probably garner a decent return, I think that they might hang on to him. I'd like to see him stay, but I really think management is exactly at 50/50 right now in terms of his return.

Just look at the turnaround on the Pirates roster from Opening Day til now:

Released or Traded: Franquelis Osoria, Jose Bautista, Jason Bay, Damaso Marte, Xavier Nady

Hurt: Tom Gorzelanny, Phil Dumatrait

Retired: Matt Morris

And we could throw Ronny Paulino on there, as he did actually finish the year with the big league club, but you'd have to dig deep through the box scores to find his name. 9 out of the 25 on the Opening Day roster turned around. That's pretty rare, no?

So who is there in return? Hard to say at this point who will stick, as the Buccos brought up a lot of guys to give them a chance to play in September, but my guess at the 9 who will remain and be on the 2009 Opening Day Roster is as follows:

Andy LaRoche, Brandon Moss (provided he's recovered from his knee surgery), Steve Pearce, Ross Ohlendorf, Jeff Karstens, Denny Bautista, Craig Hansen, Andrew McCutchen, Jason Davis. Other than McCutchen, doesn't look like much improvement there, eh?

The Pitching staff, outside of Paul Maholm, is wide open. They could have any combination of Zach Duke, Ian Snell, Gorzelanny, Karstens, Ohlendorf, Jimmy Barthmier, Davis, hell, even John Van Benschoten is still on the 40 man roster. So we'll see what, if any moves they make to get any more starters, or who they decide to go with out of camp, but regardless of what happens, they can't be much worse than this years rotation.

Additional trade rumors I've heard surround Freddy Sanchez and Adam LaRoche. LaRoche is arbitration eligible after this season, and rejected a previous offer by the Pirates prior to last season. If he goes, look for Steve Pearce and Mientkiewicz (if HE stays) to split time at 1st, with Pearce eventually becoming the everyday guy. As for Sanchez, I hope he stays. As mentioned by the Ramblin Man, he had a terrible first half, but still finished with respectable numbers. Luis Rivas is nothing more than the new Abe Nunez, so I hope he doesnt stick around either.

The thing I agree with most is that the Pirates need to be moved to the NL East. They need to generate all the interest they can, and more games against the Mets, Phillies, and even the Nationals would help do that. There obviously is already the Pittsburgh-Philly rivalry, the Bucs and Mets were about as good as it got in the early 90's in the NL East, I don't have to tell you about the hate that remains to this day for the Braves, and Washington is as short a trip as the Pirates could find in the National League. Who's to say these extra trips and time zone changes dont wear on the players. I know thats a reach, but still. A move to the NL East would greatly benefit the Pirates, in my opinion.

There are still a lot of things to figure out between now and the end of February, when Pitchers and Catchers report to lovely Bradenton. Who will be the new Pitching Coach? (LEO!), First Base Coach?, how many more guys from the 2008 Opening Day Roster will be gone?, Will McCutchen start the season in Pittsburgh?, What 5 guys will make up the rotation?

I'm with the Rambler in that I'll believe until loss number 82 is in the books, and root til the bitter end regardless of record, but I must admit that heading into the season, I'm not too confident that 2009 will be the end of this now record stretch of losing seasons. Hopefully I'm wrong.

On a final note - Ramblin' Man, we're always open to any and all Pittsburgh Sports related discussion. An entry detailing the trials and tribulations of 16 years of Pirates losing Seasons would definitely find its way into the Ward.

Picture Day!

2008-10-07T11:40:00.000-07:00

Granted, theres always a lot going on in the sports world, but with the Penguins on the way home from Sweden, the Steelers on their bye week, and the Buccos on their 11 month offseason (you know you had them out since May too...) we'll throw a few enjoyable photos and/or links your way to get you through your Tuesday afternoon.

We'll begin with the obligatory Ed Bouchette Weekly Chat Transcript. Is there an angrier tandem of Sportswriters anywhere than Mr. Bouchette and Bob Smizik of the Post-Gazette?

Next up, we have this absolutely brilliant portrayal of NFL players and their South Park counterparts. Thanks to the World of Issac.

This weekend, The Jon, head of your Psycho Ward, along with a significant conglomorate of buddies, will attempt to add their names to the vaunted pantheon of 999 All Stars. The rules are simple. 9 Hot dogs, 9 beers, 9 innings. Order of finish matters not. All who complete the challenge are recognized as all stars. Full coverage, along with success ratio, will follow next week.

Now to the visuals:

Your friend and mine, Jason Bay, sliding home with the winning run in the ALDS. I swear I never knew that they did not award MVP's for the Divisional rounds. If they did, it's a pretty safe bet that Mr. Bay would have been the choice. Hopefully he can continue his hot streak into the ALCS. I'd rather see the Rays represent the AL in the World Series, but think it would be more impressive to have correctly called an MVP.

Found this interesting map from a link on the magnificent uniwatch blog. Click on the Picture to get the full expanded view. I'm sure that plenty of arguments can be made about the validity of each teams fan base in accordance to this map, but it's a fun little thing nonetheless.

Steeler nation, no matter how things turn out over the upcoming rough schedule stretch, just keep in mind...THIS is what we're up against.

Speaking of, word is that not only will Willie Parker and Casey Hampton be back immediately following the bye, but that Brett Keisel will be as well. Excellent news for the Steelers, who already have a 1.5 game lead on the field.

Enjoy the update! New NFL Power Ranings tomorrow hopefully!

26-21 x 2 = Pittsburgh Football

2008-10-06T09:16:00.000-07:00

The two occupants of Heinz Field went down to alternate Florida coasts and came back victorious, both by the score of 26-21, and now both teams head into a bye week with national recognition.

The Pitt Panthers win over the #10 ranked South Florida Bulls was another in what's becoming a string of nice victories over nationally ranked teams. The Panthers game winning drive spanned three plays, after USF had just taken the lead with under 5 minutes to play. The Panthers could have easily succumbed to the Bulls and their raucous Thursday night crowd, but they provided the ultimate response. Over the past two games, Shady McCoy is looking every bit like the preseason All American he was pegged as. Quarterback Bill Stull remains a work in progress, but was solid when he needed to be. Big win for the Panthers, as they move to 4-1 overall, 2-0 in the Big East, and have made their way back into the AP Poll at number 24. Big test for the Panthers coming up, as they travel to Annaoplis, MD to take on the Naval Academy on October 18.

The Steelers extracted a little bit of vengeance against the Jacksonville Jaguars, as they too went in front of a National TV audience, in a hostile environment, and staged a nice 4th quarter comback victory. Ben Roethlisberger easily had his best game of the season, the defense continued to play excellent football, and Mewelde Moore played very well in a difficult situation. Roethlisberger and the Steelers are getting more national notoriety of their own, as more media pundits are touting them as the team to beat in the AFC. They go into the bye week now, with the meat of the schedule on the horizon. They should get Willie Parker and Casey Hampton back in time for the October 19th game in Cincinnati, and that will be a much needed tune up, as the schedule after Cincy features games against the Giants, @ Washington, Indy, San Diego, Cincy, @ New England, Dallas, @ Baltimore, @ Tennessee, and Cleveland. Yikes. The Steelers win coupled with the Ravens loss puts the Steelers a game and a half up on the rest of the division, but victories will be more and more difficult to come by with the upcoming schedule. More on this one later.

Penguins season opened with a bang, as Tyler Kennedy bookended the first of two "Premiere games" in Sweden, scoring less than a minute into the game, and then again with less than a minute remaining in overtime to give the Penguins a 4-3 win over the Ottawa Senators. The Sens returned the favor in the Sunday matchup, downing the Pens 3-1. Nice to see Kennedy contribute though, as he'll be one of the guys they look for to replace the scoring punch that Ryan Malone carried.

Other NFL Week 5 Observations:

Green Bay might be in trouble.

Buffalo looked pretty fraudulant.

Tennessee did not.

The Texans continue to be snakebitten.

I'm concerned about the Redskins tendency to fall behind then pick it up in the 4th quarter. I'm not sure how long they can continue to overcome late deficiets.

What's going on with Seattle? Not a good swan song for Mike Holmgren.

I have an interesting theory on Kyle Orton that I have to look further into. Once I do so, I'll post whether or not I was correct.

6-5-2 so far this week in picks. Cmon Saints, help me get my season record back to .500!!

NFL Picks - Week 5

2008-10-05T07:39:00.001-07:00

Busy weekend on the home front, so this weeks picks will be an abridged version. Just gotta make sure we stay on the record though.

Home teams in CAPS.

CAROLINA (-9.5) over Kansas City

DETROIT (+3.5) over Chicago: Just call it a "we're rid of Matt Millen" hunch.

GREEN BAY (off) over Atlanta: Big game for Ryan Grant.

BALTIMORE (+3) over Tennessee

San Diego (-6.5) over MIAMI

Indianapolis (-3) over HOUSTON

Seattle (+7) over NY GIANTS: Welcome back Matt Hasselbeck's WR corps.

Washington (+6) over PHILADELPHIA

DENVER (-3) over Tampa Bay

Buffalo (+1) over ARIZONA

Cincinnati (+17) over DALLAS

New England (-3) over SAN FRANCISCO

Pittsburgh (+4) over JACKSONVILLE

NEW ORLEANS (-3) over Minnesota

Last Week: 4-9-0

Season to Date: 28-31-1 (46.7%)

MORNING LINKS - Friday, October 3

2008-10-03T06:38:00.001-07:00

HUGE win for the Panthers last night. Any victory over a top 10 team is great, but to do it on the road, on national TV, in an area where there are a lot of recruits to be had, is a great win for the Stache's Program.

Based on last nights win, and the Well documented struggles of the Big East, The Panthers may now be the team to beat.

By attempting his 1,500th career pass in Monday nights victory over the Ravens, Ben Roethlisberger now qualifies for the NFL career record books. SI.com has put together an article showing how he stacks up. I love how some haters still think he's nothing more than a Chad Pennington type game manager...

I'd be remiss if I didnt bid a fond farewell to longtime Pirates announcer Lanny Frattare. Lanny was the voice of our buccos for 33 seasons. He's been there through the fam-a-lee years, to the Drug Trials and other terrible 80's teams, to the battling Buccos in the early 90's, to the past 16 consecutive losing seasons. It's a shame that the Pirates franchise hasn't had a lot of success for Mr. Frattare to broadcast over the past years, as he seemed to have fallen victim to losing interest in the later months of these rough seasons (and who among us hasn't?). Lanny has been a wonder in the community, and figures to still be, and I'm sure he'll still be very visible at PNC Park in 2009, but not behind the microphone. Mr. Frattare, Thank you for the wonderful years.

Coming later today: NFL Week 5 picks and Fantasy Predictions.

On the Horizon: 2008 Pirates year in review, A little bit of NHL coverage, Continued Steeler coverage.

QUICK PREDICTION

2008-10-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

I was planning on waiting until the League Championship Series' to pick my World Series Reps, and I dont have a lot of time to get into each series right now, but here are my Quickie MLB Playof Predictions.

NL:
Phillies over Brewers
Dodgers over Cubs

Phillies over Dodgers

AL:
Rays over White Sox
Angels over Red Sox

Angels over Rays

Angels over Phillies in 5. Not enough pitching for the Phils.

I said the day of the Jason Bay trade that he would wind up as an MVP of one of the playoff series'. Their matchup with the Angels will make it tough for that to come true, but I will reiterate that I think he will shine in the spotlight. I like the Angels in the series, but wouldn't be surprised at all to see Bay have a lot of success in his first playoff appearance.

Credit where Credit is Due

2008-10-01T05:15:00.000-07:00

In the interest of giving credit where it's due, let's put a little shout out to Jim Zorn and the Washington Redskins. As a fan of another team living in the DC area, I tend to dread the summer months, because once training camp time comes around, the local Redskins conglomerate comes up with 13,482 reasons why the Redskins are going to the Super Bowl that season. The Redskins last Super Bowl appearance was following the 1991 season. Here's a small sample of what's been heard about why the Redskins are going to the Super Bowl in any given year. Some real, some fictional. Try to guess which is which, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

- We're going back to back baby!!
- Richie Pettibon is the best assistant of all time. He'll be a GREAT head coach, we're goin to the Super Bowl!
- This Shuler kid looks amazing. He's the next Jurgenson! Super Bowl here we come!!
- We're closing out RFK with a bang! Super bowl Bound!
- This new place holds 90,000 plus! No one will come in hear and beat us. See you in San Diego!
- This is NORV'S year!!
- THIS is Norv's year!!
- This is Norv's YEAR!!
- This IS Norv's Year!!
- NORV IS GONE!!! GO GET EM MARTY!!!
- MARTY SUCKS!! (Repeat drunkenly 31x) SPURRIER IS GOD!!
- SPURRIER IS TERRIBLE!!
- G!!!!!!
- I!!!!!!!
- B!!!!!!!!!!!
- B!!!!!!!!!!
- S!!!!!!!!!
- !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (notice the sublte regression)
- Man, that Funky 4 really gets the crowd and team going.
- Man, that Patrick Ramsey is so Phony!!
- Arrington and Samuels! Book your flights!
- Choose one of the Following stud QB's: (Heath Shuler, John Friesz, Tony Banks, Gus Frerotte, Jeff George, Mark Brunell, Patrick Ramsey, Shane Matthews, Danny Wuerrfel, Brad Johnson, Trent Green, you get the idea...)
- Choose one of the following Draft Picks (Tom Carter, Reggie Brooks, Heath Shuler, Michael Westbrook, Kenard Lang, Champ Bailey, Rod Gardner, Carlos Rogers, etc.)
- Choose one of the following impact offseason acquisitions: (Dana Stubblefield, Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, Jesse Armstead, Dan Wilkinson, Laveraneus Coles, Adam Archuleta, Clinton Portis)

So as you can see, more often than not, delusion typically reigns supreme amongst the Skins faithful heading into the Regular Season.

So as July turned to August, the city was still buzzing over the Hall of Fame inductions of Darrell Green, and the long overdue entry of Art Monk. They were in the midst of their first training camp under Jim Zorn, an average, at best, quarterback from the 80's Seattle Seahawks teams turned QB coach, given an opportunity to become the head coach and offensive coordinator after the Redskins (yeah, I'll say it) shafted Gregg Williams, then were rebuffed by Bill Cowher, Steve Spagnuolo, and whatever happened with Jim Fassel, among others.

When the attention turned from the Hall of Fame ceremonies to the product on the fields of Redskins park, a subdued hush fell across the Washington faithful. If not for the Pirates annual trade deadline sell off, it would have been hard for me to tell what month it was. There wasn't a whole lot of excitement over the Jim Zorn hire. No one looked at him, or the way that the replacement of Joe Gibbs was handled and said, man, we did it RIGHT! We got OUR guy. Despite that the Redskins were a playoff team last year, there were questions marks heading into this season. With the way Todd Collins played last year, is there a QB controversey now between him and Jason Campbell? What are we going to do about the defensive line? We finally drafted some receivers, will they be able to contribute right away? Amongst others. No one looked at Jim Zorn, Devin Thomas, or Malcolm Kelly as keys to a Super Bowl run. Colt Brennan and Durant Brooks however….

So the season starts, and the chatter picks up a little bit. "Strahan retired, Umenyiora is out, we can beat the Giants!" was a popular saying as the preseason merged into the regular season. The Skins proceeded to look about as bad as you can look for a half, and trailed the Giants 16-0 early. They showed poor play calling, poor clock management, and the talk quickly turned into "I KNEW this guy wasn't ready to be a head coach!"

Enter the past three weeks. The Redskins come home from New York, get a few extra days to prepare, and while I can't say they shut down two of the leagues better offenses in New Orleans and Arizona, they did subdue them. Most of that can be attributed to the play of the defensive backfield. Much maligned Carlos Rogers has finally looked like an NFL caliber player, much less a first round pick, Chris Horton has stepped in and played rookie of the year type ball, and even old men Shawn Springs and Fred Smoot have been solid contributers. On the offensive side, Clinton Portis is in the top 5 in the league in rushing yards, Jason Campbell is in the top 5 in QB rating, and Santana Moss is making DB's look, well, like Carlos Rogers looked up until this season.

Even still, the excitement level that typifies this time of year in the area still seemed strained to me. "Eh, New Orleans had a few injuries, Arizona is Arizona, we still have to go TO Dallas and TO Philly over the next two weeks." Into Dallas they went, as an 11 POINT DOG somehow, and they proved that they should be entered into the conversation as a contender in the division and the conference. T.O. was blanketed by Shawn Springs, the Cowboys had no running attack, and the offense had more than one sustained drive that resulted in points. It's well documented that the NFC East is the strongest division in the league, so whoever comes out of there will be a Super Bowl favorite to represent the NFC. If the Redskins continue to play the way they have, they have just as good a shot as anyone. The Eagles are struggling with injuries and inconsistancy, Dallas is absolutely still a favorite, but, it's combustible with Tank Johnson starting to speak up again, Terrell Owens complaining despite being targeted 17 times, and them telling Pac Man Jones to keep a low profile. Some of the luster may be fading off of the Giants as well, as they needed overtime to beat Cincinnati, who has looked terrible, at home. The Giants lead the division at 3-0, but even they have their problems, with Plaxico Burress being suspended, appealing the suspension, and dragging out the process rather than admitting his mistake. Something I'm sure Coach Coughlin loves.

Now, the Redskisn take their turn against the Eagles in Philadelphia. They may be catching them at a great time, as the Eagles are coming off back to back games against extra-physical opponents in Pittsburgh and Chicago. McNabb is banged up, Brian Westbrook still may be unable to go, and they are still having trouble keping receivers on the field. Who knows what you're likely to get from the Philadelphia defense, as in their 4 games, they've given up 3 points, then 41, 6, and 24 (but factoring in the conversion rate for the Bears offense, counts as about 60). Based on that, the pattern would be that this is an "on" week for the D. Seeing as the Redskins have legitimate threats at all skill positions, it will be interesting to see what Philadelphia targets to stop first.

The chatter is back around DC. The Redskins haven't just played a few good games, they've been one of the top teams in the league for all but one half. They've showed multiple ways to attack a defense, and while the run defense (which was untested against Dallas, remember) is still probably their weakest link, if they get that right, they'll have a chance to make a run for the division and conference championships.

If the Redskins are victorious Sunday in Philadelphia, watch out. A win over Philly would put them at 4-1, and launch them into a three game set against the Rams (0-4), Browns (1-3) and Lions (0-3) with two of those three games being at FedEx Field. With the way the NFL season has gone, by no means is anything guaranteed, but you can't help but look at that and this that anything less than 6-2 at the halfway point in the season would be a huge disappointment. The second half schedule is pretty brutal, including games against the Steelers, and two west coast trips (@ Seattle, @ San Francisco) along with all the division opponents coming into FedEx, but again, as difficult as it is for me to admit, the way they've played thus far, the past 17 years of preseason hype, regular season hope, and postseason disappointment may finally result in the Redskins 6th Super Bowl appearance.

The Alpengeist

2008-09-29T11:57:00.000-07:00

NFL WEEK 4 OBSERVATIONS:

This post, aptly named after my current favorite roller coaster, relates to the ups and downs already seen throughout almost every team in the NFL this year. What a roller coaster year it has been already. Just when you think we're figuring out who is the class of each division, each conference, or the league, things change just as quickly. Lets take a little peek at some of the ups and downs so far of teams that we still haven't quite figured out.

Lets start with Arizona. They got off to a 2-0 start, and in typical Cardinal franchise fashion, have come to the east coast and dropped two consecutive games. They won at San Francisco, another enigma-type team, and beat the Dolphins at home. No big deal, right? Well then the 49ers go into Seattle and beat the Seahawks and the Dolphis travel to New England and demolish the Patriots. So that makes the Cards look better, right? They then proceed to neglect any semblance of defense, let Santana Moss have a field day, and become the first team to ever allow 6 TD passes in a game by Brett Favre. On top of the back to back losses, who know the short term availability of stud WR Anquan Boldin after the hit he took late in the Jets game. Or if there will be lingering effects. They lost heir apparent Bryant Johnson via Free Agency after last season, and now will go with former Michigan standout Steve Breaston opposite Larry Fitzgerald. I think on the field, Breaston will be effective, but I don't think he's an Anquan Boldin, contract matters be damned. Also, Kurt Warner has been very turnover prone over the last 6 quarters, including being responsible for 6 in this weeks game alone. A few more performances like that and we'll be back where we started with the QB controversey questions.

Next we'll take a look at the Browns, a preseason media darling. Derek Anderson has looked nothing like the QB who won over the Dawg Pound last season. However, if you look at the stats from last year, you'll see a significant drop off over the last 4 or 5 games for DA. Also, be reminded that the Cleveland faithful also fell prematurely in love with Charlie Frye towards the end of the 05 season, only to have him falter in 06, and last one game with the team in 07 before being shipped off to Seattle. The Browns were thought to be proficient on offense but questionsable on D. Thus far neither have been impressive to say the least. Derek Anderson says now they have their swagger back after putting up 6 points through 3 quarters to another struggling defense in Cincinnati before breaking through a little bit. That remains to be seen Mr. Anderson. Brady is still right there over your shoulder.

Now what about teams that have actually SHOWN stellar offenses but havent gotten any help from the defensive side of the ball. Starting in the Big Easy. The Saints focused a lot on improving the defense this past offseason, signing Randall Gay, trading for Jonathan Vilma, and drafting Sedrick Ellis. Thus far the results have been mediocre at best. The Saints offense has had plenty of injury problems, but are still having success putting points on the board. The D just isnt able to generate much of a pass rush or create any turnovers. They got back on track with a victory over San Francisco yesterday, but there is still work to be done if the Saints defense is to get to the level of their offense. That brings us to Denver. How their defense is so bad is beyond me. Only the Rams have given up more points than the Broncos. The RAMS. Until they find a way to stop the run, 198 yards for Larry Johnson yesterday, or the pass for that matter, they will have a hard time getting to, or advancing far into the playoffs. They were a quick AFC favorite after the Brady injury, and Colts, Jaguars, Browns, and Chargers struggles, but after seeing them lose to Kansas City, a team with far less talent, reduces their early season success substantially. As I've mentioned before, they beat San Diego on a blown call, and won when Martin Gramatica missed a field goal that would have given the Saints the win. They could just as easily be 1-3 rather than 3-1. In order to get where they want to be, they need to find a way to take advantage of those two close victories and hope that the defense discovers a way to stop somebody.

Our next question mark goes to the Baltimore Ravens. I'm sure we'll find out more about them tonight, but I still think it's a bit premature for the Baltimore press to crown them as division champions and/or Super Bowl contenders (?!?!) after two home victories over teams who currently stand at a combined 1-7. Tonight will be my first look at Mr. Flacco first hand, and I'm interested to see how he respondes to taking a hit or two at the hands of the Steelers zone blitzes.

I'm sure I could continue on, but I'll cut my point at the NFC East. By far this looks to be the supreme division in the league. However, where is the consistancy? The Giants will probably be back on top of everyones Super Bowl list (their argument, no doubt, will be that they should have never left, by rule of "to be the man you have to beat the man"). However, they will be without Plaxico Burress for their next game, adding to a long winded list of disciplinary actions handed down to Plax over the course of his career (Yet, he still picked up a cool $35 million contract on opening day of the season….must be nice). Then you have the Eagles. They come out and reduce Ben Roethlisberger to a crumbling heap throughout last weeks game, then in just 2 quarters they make Kyle Orton look like the second coming of Johnny Unitas. The defense buckled down in the second half, but odds are that if the Bears offense puts up 24 points, you'll have a tough time beating them. As for the Cowboys, one game does not a season make, but you have to take a good look at what happened at home, in their last game against the Redskins at Texas Stadium and be a bit concerned. They abandoned the run FAR too early in a game that wound up only being decided by 2 points. Guess how many touches Felix Jones had? NONE. Yet, with all the time they spent throwing the ball, it was rarely to Terrell Owens, who, by the way, made it known that he was unhappy with that, believe it or not. Remember, things were going well between T.O. and McNabb until the Eagles lost a game or two. Then it became a "get me the ball more" situation with T.O., McNabb trying to diffuse the situation, next thing you know you got Drew Rosenhaus deflecting questions like he was Marc-Andre Fleury. I'm not saying that this is the beginning of the end for the Tony Romo - Terrell Owens brotherhood, but you know what they say about those who fail to learn from history…

OTHER NEWS AND VIEWS:

First pitch of Tigers-White Sox is about to go down. Tigers win and the Twins are in. Sox win and they'll play a one game playoff with the Twins tomorrow. That's the scenario I'd like to see. Make one of them earn it against each other. I'll save my MLB Playoff Predictions until after we find out if the Twins or White Sox will get in. Granted, I don't think either will beat Tampa Bay, but this at least buys me some time…

The Pirates fired Pitching Coach Jeff Andrews and First Base Coach Lou Frazier today. Can't really fault them for either move. The pitching staff was nothing short of terrible under Andrews watch, despite the success of Paul Maholm, and base coaches seem to change every year, so I don’t fault Sweet Lou for anything, but it's just the way things go in an organization that has had 16 straight losing seasons. You have to find a scapegoat somewhere. Hopefully the Pirates hired a replacement masseuse for the one they lost in the 1st base coaches box. Notice to the Buccos Brass….Leo Mazzone is out there somewhere!!

Tough week for undefeateds all around sports. USC, Florida, Georgia, Wisconsin, among others in the college ranks; The Broncos and Cowboys in the pros, and two of my own personal fantasy teams. That is, unless Rashard Mendehall comes up with 18 points tonight in one league, and the combination of Mendenhall and Heath Miller come up with 40 in another. Not bloody likely! On the same note, I'm sad to report that despite making up 4 points on the last day of a roto league, Team Power Outage missed out on the league championship by 1/2 a point. Just sucks to think that one more RBI over the course of the season and we would have brought home the inaugural season trophy...

Another lousy week of picks for me. Updated numbers along with week 5 picks and predictions coming Wednesday or Thursday.

Quick, but IMPORTANT Updates

2008-09-25T09:00:00.001-07:00

CONTRACT SIGNED - PEDRO ALVAREZ IS A PIRATE!

More on this as time permits.

JAMIE DIXON SIGNS EXTENSION WITH PITT.

Excellent Strategy, Sir.

Enjoy the links for now, our take will follow up shortly.

NFL WEEK 4 PREDICTIONS AND FANTASY PICKS

2008-09-25T07:16:00.000-07:00

Home Teams in Caps:

Falcons (+7) over PANTHERS: All the Panthers games have been close, and Atlanta has been able to run the ball and control the time of posession battle with Turner and Norwood. If Carolina's D can't generate a pass rush on Gus Frerotte, what are they going to do against a younger, shiftier guy like Matt Ryan? I just think 7 is too much for Carolina to be giving at this point.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Gotta stick with Michael Turner

Broncos (-10) over CHIEFS: The Chiefs are a disaster. Granted, the Broncos defense hasn't been very good, but their offense has been out of this world. I think they cover this one easily.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Jay Cutler

49ers (+5.5) over SAINTS: In a few weeks, you may need a scroll to read New Orleans' injury report. Added this week were Jeremy Shockey and his backup Mark Campbell. It's not quite Seahawks territory, in terms of not having any healthy receivers, but it surely cuts into Drew Brees' game plan. I figure another big day for Frank Gore as well.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Frank Gore

Cardinals (+1.5) over JETS: I think this little plan of Ken Whisenhunt to keep the Cardinals on the east coast is a decent one, but not one that would have affected the outcome of this game one way or another. The Cardinals have a lot more talent than you might know about, especially on defense. Favre is banged up, and the Jets as a whole haven't really been overly impressive thus far. I actually think Arizona is capable of putting up offensive numbers similar to that which San Diego put up last week.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Here's my "Out on a limb" pick of the week - Tim Hightower

Vikings (+3) over TITANS: I still just have a hard time believing in Kerry Collins. Not that I believe in Gus Frerotte either. That would mean it comes more down to Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor against Chris Johnson and LenDale White. I like the Vikes in that department just a shade more. Advice for you gambling folk out there…Take the UNDER.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Vikings Defense.

Packers (+1) over BUCCANEERS: I think this is a virtual lock. I don’t think the Bucs can throw another 67 times and be successful. I think the Pack has too many weapons on offense for the Bucs to overcome. I know they put up 27 on the Bears in Chicago, but I'm not convinced they can duplicate that and be able to put up more than an offense led by Rodgers, Jennings, Grant, and Driver.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Greg Jennings

JAGUARS (-7.5) over Texans: Willie Parker ran all over the Houston D. I like MoJo and Fred Taylor to do much of the same.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Maurice Jones-Drew

BENGALS (-3.5) over Browns: The battle of 0 (and 6) Hio. I think the Bengals came together as a group a little bit last week, and both teams need this game badly to gain some relevance for their season. The long and the short of it is that I expect Carson Palmer to have a better game than Derek Anderson. Cleveland's defense has not improved, despite their offseason acquisitions, and the offense still looks lost. Derek Anderson is probably playing for his job this week. My thoughts? Hello Brady.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Chad Ocho Cinco. (I guess that’s going out on a limb too, given his performance thus far)

Chargers (-7.5) over RAIDERS: Just because I hate Al Davis.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Antonio Gates

Bills (-8) over RAMS: Just because the Rams are terrible. Boy I'm glad I have Marshawn Lynch on my fantasy team for this one.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Marshawn Lynch

Redskins (+11) over COWBOYS: Wow…11 points is a lot for any game in this rivalry. I don’t dispute the Cowboys ability to put them up at all, but I just am not sure that I think the Redskins will allow themselves to get beat by 11. If theres a strategy to beating the cowboys, I'm not sure I know what it is, but I do feel like the Redskins have the talent on both sides of the ball to keep it within double digits. Maybe they can run a little wild hog at em!

Fantasy Play of the Game: Clinton Portis

Eagles (-3) over BEARS: The Bears are hard to figure out. They stifle the Colts on the road, then give up 27 at home to Brians Griese and the Bucs. The Eagles are not very hard to figure out. They've found their blitz after having no sacks in either of their first 2 games, they have a dynamic offense that can hit you in many ways, and still are without their top WR options, and they play solid special teams. I think the Birds take this one in a relatively big way.

Fantasy Play of the Week: Donovan McNabb

STEELERS (-5.5) over Ravens: I agonize over this one. I just am not sure about the Ravens. I know their defense seems to be back, but the only litmus test they've had so far are home games against the Browns and Bengals, who's offenses have been about as inept as you can get thus far. What do you think Joe Flacco will think walking into Heinz Field? I think he'll have the "I'll show em" mentality, after not being able to cut it at University of Pittsburgh, but he has yet to face a quality defense either. I think the Steelers will take a page out of the book that the Eagles used to beat them last week and pressure Flacco often. But, with the 3 headed monster of McGahee, Rice, and McClain…the Ravens may be able to neutralize that. The Steelers are down 2/3 of their starting D line too, so look for the Ravens to attempt to exploit that. I like the Steelers in a 24-17 type game.

Fantasy Play of the Week: Heath Miller

WEEK 3 RECORD: 5-10-1

YEAR TO DATE RECORD: 24-22-1 (52.2%)

2008-09-22T14:29:00.000-07:00

A little behind the times this week, as things have been a bit crazy OUTSIDE the Ward, believe it or not.

Not gonna dwell too much on the Steeler game from Sunday, as I'm typically one to accentuate the positive, and, well....lets just say there wasn't a whole hell of a lot of positives coming from yesterday. If there are any, it's that the defense has still been great, and that this may possibly help the Steelers open up some swing passes, or learn to roll the pocket.

There was no one offensive lineman who played terribly, they all did. Maybe Kendall Simmons was concerned about a coming phone call. Maybe it's because Kemoeatu was back to the fro rather than the rows. Maybe Wille Colon was pissed about missing the last game at Yankee Stadium, or the new building next door replacing his childhood stomping grounds. Maybe Justin Hartwig channelled his inner Sean Mahan. Maybe Marvel Smith was just hungry.

Or, maybe the Eagles and Jim Johnson deserve credit where it's due.

The Eagles were criticized in the local media about their lack of pass rush against Dallas (and the Rams, but they didnt need one against that inept franchise), and had zero, I repeat, ZERO sacks coming into this game. Jim Johnson dialed it up. The Steelers came in and tried to throw right from the outset. A strategy which delighted Eagles LB Trent Cole. They actually never really tried to establish the run, and when they did, it was Parker up the middle, Davis around the edges, when if anything it should have been vice versa. Screens WERE attempted, despite what you may see elsewhere, but they were WR screens rather than swing passes to Willie, Mewelde, or Rashard as they should have been. Long story short, the Steelers offense had no answer for the blitz, and an angry Steeler nation seems to place the blame just as much on Larry Zeirlein and Bruce Arians as they do the offensive line.

STEELER WEEK 3 NOTES:

Some injuries to speak of, but Roethlisberger, who of course left the game with a hand injury, should be fine and ready to go for Baltimore on Monday night. I'm surprised he wasnt hurt more with all the punishment he took. Willie Parker sprained his knee late in the game and has been ruled out for the Ravens game. No word on how long he pay be out, but my thought would be that if Mendenhall carries the load well against Baltimore, the Steelers may be more apt to hold Willie out of the Jacksnoville game as well, thus giving him that plus the bye week to fully heal. The other injury, to Nose Tackle Casey Hampton might be a huge blow to the defensive line who is already without DE Brett Keisel at least until after the bye week. With Baltimore and Jacksonville coming up, two teams who love to run the ball, losing the big snack would be about the last thing the Steelers would want.

Nate Washington just impresses me less and less each week. That said, I don't know why he seemed to be the target of passes ONLY when he was covered by Asante Samuel. Additionally...if Limas Sweed can't beat him out for the last WR spot on gameday, I may be a tad bit concerned with our 2nd round selection there.

OTHER NFL WEEK 3 OBSERVATIONS:

Redskins WR Santana Moss now has a TD reception in 6 straight games, dating back to last season. Looks like him and Jason Campbell are developing into quite the tandem under Jim Zorn's west coast offense.

Speaking of streaks, one was broken in Foxborough Sunday, when Ronnie Brown accounted for 5 Dolphins touchdowns and the Dolphins rolled the Patriots, just as Joey Porter said they would. We all remember the last time a visiting team made some negative comments about the Patriots prior to playing them at Gilette stadium. But unlike one Anthony Smith, our old pal Joey Porter made sure that his play backed up his words, and made a positive impact on the game.

Didnt we tell you the Chargers would be pissed off and take it out on the Jets?

Excruciating week for the Ward on picks. A 5-10-1 week puts a big damper on our overall record. We'll pick it up and move forward starting this week.

Week 3 Fantasy Prediction Hits: Michael Turner, Marshawn Lynch, Antonio Bryant, Larry Fitzgerald, Jay Cutler, Frank Gore, Greg Jennings, Chris Chambers.

Week 3 misses: John Carlson, Braylon Edwards, Anthony Gonzalez, Brian Westbrook.

New Power Rankings coming today

OTHER:

Dale Sveum Watch: Brewers beat our Buccos 7-5 due to a Prince Fielder Walk Off. They pick up no ground however, as the Mets beat the Cubs behind yet another strong Johan Santana performance. Brewers remain one game back of the Mets, who are 1.5 back of the Phillies. Should come right down to the weekend!

NFL Preview - Week 3

2008-09-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

A lot of big spreads this week, which I typically like to avoid...but this week, I think I like a lot of the favorites, despite the big numbers some of them are laying (Home teams in Bold)...

Falcons (-6) over Chiefs: Luckily for the Chiefs, this game is being played in Atlanta. I'm not really sure there would be much of a positive reaction by the Kansas City faithful when they heard "And at Quarterback, from Coastal Carolina, Tylerrrrrrr THIGPEN!!!". The Chifs would be wise to get the ball into Larry Johnson's hands more often, although behind that offensive line, I'm not too sure it would matter. The Chiefs couldn't stop Darren McFadden or Michael Bush last week. I look for Michael Turner and Jerrious Norwood to have similar success.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Michael Turner

Bills (-10.5) over Raiders: The Bills have been one of those preseason bandwagon teams that have actually come out and been successful (unlike the Browns, Jaguars, and Texans). Trent Edwards has been effective, if not brilliant, and the defense has been spectacular at stopping the run. I feel as though the running game would be the Raiders only chance, but with Justin Fargas doubtful, and Darren McFadden questionable, that might leave Bush to try to find an answer for a Bills run defense that has been better than expected thus far, no dobut keyed by the addition of Marcus Stroud.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Marshawn Lynch

Buccaneers (+3) over Bears: Despite the QB controversy in Tampa, and what appears to be a re-emergence of the Bears defense that took them to a Super Bowl just two seasons ago, I like the Buccaneers to go into Chicago and bring home a W. Tampa Bay may be without their top WR, Joey Galloway, and defensive captain Derrick Brooks is still banged up. Hmm…maybe I should rethink this one. Eh, what the hell. I still just don’t think the Bears are able to do enough with Kyle Orton under center. Matt Forte has looked great to this point, but I trust the Bucs D to stifle him more than I trust the Bears D to stifle Earnest Graham. I also dont have faith that the Bears can get the field position help their offense relies on, if Hester is unable to go.

Fantasy Play of the Game: you ready? This is my out on a limb pick of the week…Antonio Bryant, WR, Bucs

Panthers (+3) over Vikings: The Vikings big roster move of the week: Replace starting QB Tarvaris Jackson with Gus Frerotte. Carolina's? Reinstating Pro Bowl WR Steve Smith after a 2 game suspension (during which they still went 2-0). As if that weren't enough to justify this pick, Vikings stud RB Adrian Peterson missed practice on Thursday with a hamstring injury. And the Panthers are GETTING 3 points? Nice.

Fantasy Play of the game: If Peterson is out, I say the Carolina Defense. If he's in, let's go with Steve Smith to pick up where he left off.

Patriots (-14) over Dolphins: Our old friend Joey Porter thinks it "shouldn't be hard" to win. He should probably consult with Chad Pennington, Ricky Williams, and Ted Ginn to see what they think. 14 is a big line for a team that hasn't really been able to put up a lot of points quite yet. But I think the Pats cover it. The Dolphins just don't have the horses to hang around for 4 quarters in New England.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Wes Welker typically does well against his former mates. I think Sunday will be no different.

Giants (-13.5) over Bengals: Another big spread, but another that I think is easily covered. The Giants put up points at will last week, and the defense has only allowed 20 points through 2 games. The Bengals O, on the other hand, has only scored one TD. It's one of those matchups that looks like a breeze on paper but might not be the case come Sunday….withholding laughter….ok, ok, maybe it will.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Eli Manning

Texans (+5) over Titans: Take nothing away from the Titans 2-0 start, but before you get too hung up on the way their defense has performed through 2 the first two weeks, be reminded that this was against a Jaguars team who've lost 3 starters on the O line, and a Bengals team who've lost…well…they're just lost. Despite the thrashing the Texans took at the hands of the Steelers week one, Mario Williams played well, and the Texans will have an easier time getting to Kerry Collins than they did against Roethlisberger. My thought is that this one comes down to a late field goal, so regardless of the winner, I don’t think the spread will be covered. Let's just say I trust Rob Bironas more than Kris Brown.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Vince Y…sorry, sorry…bad form. Chris Johnson.

Cardinals (+3) over Redskins: If you took a gander at the comments section a few days back, you may have found a new and exciting game to play next chance you get. The game, which is sure to be a bestseller at all New York, Philadelphia, Dallas, and Tuscaloosa retailers is "Who burned Carlos Rogers now?" The answer after Sunday will be Anquan Boldin and/or Larry Fitzgerald. The Skins haven't been able to generate much of a pass rush as of yet, and if you allow Warner a decent amount of time, with those weapons, against the Redskins secondary…It may not be pretty for the FedEx faithful. Arizona's D is better than advertised as well. Not saying that they'll totally shut down the Skins, but I definitely like the Cards to put up more points than the Skins can.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Larry Fitzgerald. Hey, A.B. got all the TD's last week. Switch it up a little!

Broncos (-5) over Saints: The Broncos are 2-0 largely behind the help of Ed Hochuli, but again, another large part is the offense, and the emergence of Jay Cutler. Cutler has overcome an offseason diagnosis of the diabeetus to seemingly hit his stride in the Mile High City. He already had a solid rapport with Brandon Marshall (who, however, may be somewhat preoccupied….again!) and Tony Scheffler, which has obviously continued, but he adds another threat in Eddie Royal, still has Brandon Stokley to go to, and that Denver run game will always be there as long as Shanahan is. The Saints had a tough time sticking with Santana Moss last week, so how will they find an answer to the 3 (or 4) headed monster that Denver will have? They also are missing Colston on offense, but may have a healthy Deuce McAllister this week to help offset that loss. McAllister played briefly against the Redskins, but declared himself ready to take on a greater workload, which can only help the Saints O expand. I still like the Saints to put up some points in this game, as the Chargers did last week, I just think Denver's O will be too much for them to overcome, even with the 5.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Jay Cutler

49ers (-4) over Lions: I expect this one to get ugly. Mike Martz is out to prove that the Lions made a mistake in firing him. The 49ers are gaining confidence each week, and another former Lion, J.T. O'Sullivan has made a nice transition into the starting position in San Francisco. The niners spent a good bit of money this offseason on receivers such as Issac Bruce and Bryant Johnson, and both have looked to be decent pickups. It's no secret amongst fantasy players that Frank Gore is expected to demolish the Lions D this week. I project no different. I think Charles Rogers will continue to put up good numbers, and may find the end zone again this week, but he doesn't play defense, and the Lions will have no answer for Gore and friends this week. By the way, where's Vernon Davis?

Fantasy Play of the Game: Frank Gore

Seahawks (-10.5) over Rams: There's still too much talent on the Rams for them to be this bad. I don’t know what the problem is (well, other than O Line, TE, depth, defense…), but I don’t count on it being solved by Sunday. The Seahawks won't be much better until the return of Bobby Engram and/or Deion Branch, but they should still cruise by 2 TD's or more this Sunday. Does it upset anyone else that Koren Robinson now gainfully employed again?

Fantasy Play of the Game: John Carlson

Browns (+1) over Ravens: I just have a feeling that the Browns offense will get it together this weekend. There's always that extra motivation from the Cleveland media and fans to beat Baltimore any and every chance they get. Donte Stallworth may finally make his Browns debut this Sunday, which should help open things up for Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards. The ravens D looks to have returned to a playoff caliber form though, so it will be a tough test for both sides. I still agree that Joe Flacco is the best option that the Ravens have at QB, but that aint sayin much. I think the Browns pick it up this weekend, and subside the WE WANT BRADY and FIRE ROMEO calls at least for a week.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Braylon Edwards

Colts (-5) over Jaguars: Injuries are spread out all over this game. The Colts will be without Jeff Saturday and Bob Sanders, and Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, and Dallas Clark all are trying to overcome some bumps and bruises that have affected their play through the first two weeks. The Jaguars of course are down 3 offensive linemen, which has all but decimated the running game, and the passing game has been unable to pick up the slack. The Jags always play the Colts tough, and this week should be no different, but I like Anthony Gonzalez and Reggie Wayne to have big games and for the Colts to get their first victory at their new home by at least a touchdown.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Anthony Gonzalez

Eagles (-3) over Steelers: I wish I didn’t have a bad feeling about this game…but I do. I don’t like the Keisel injury, I don’t like the questions surrounding Roethlisberger's arm, I don’t like how well McNabb and Westbrrok have been playing, I don’t like the threat of having to kick the ball to DeSean Jackson. Then again, I had similar bad feelings when the 2004 Eagles came to Heinz Field behind McNabb and T.O. with a 7-0 record. The Steelers promptly ended that with a 27-0 victory, in a game which some might postulate was the beginning of the end for the McNabb-T.O. relationship. The Steelers historically have trouble covering running backs catching passes out of the backfield. If I were LeBeau I might consider having Troy shadow Westbrook all day. He's way better than any of the current WR's they are trotting out there. Anyway, I guess thie difference between 04 and 08 is the location. The Philly faithful will be rabid as always, and as much as I hate to say it, I think the Eagles are clicking really well right now, and will be extremely tough to beat. Remember, if not for a flubbed handoff, they may have beaten Dallas and would probably have been regarded as the team to beat like Dallas is now.

Fantasy Play of the Game: Brian Westbrook

Cowboys (-3) over Packers: But the Eagles did screw up a handoff, and Dallas did win to go 2-0. They now travel to Lambeau Field to take on the Packers who find themselves at 2-0 as well. Dallas is averaging over 30 points per game through two weeks, and while they may not get that many over the Packers D, They should get enough to go in and cover a 3 point spread. The Packers, mind you, have scored 24 points over their last 7:51 of game time. Although I don’t know if I expect Tony Romo to make the same ill advised throws that Jon Kitna and Dan Orlovsky made last week, both of which were returned for touchdowns by the Pack. I don’t like the Packers running game coming in, with Ryan Grant still questionable (no, I don’t trust Brandon Jackson yet), and while I expect Greg Jennings to get his, I don’t think the rest of the Pack passing game will provide the firepower they'll need. I think the Aaron Rodgers lovefest takes a brief, yes brief, hiatus this week and that the Cowboys move to 3-0 heading into their first date with the Redskins.

Fantasy Play of the Week: Greg Jennings

Chargers (-10) over Jets: Between now and Monday Night, I assure you that you will be more tired of hearing about Brett Favre than you already may be, so I'll spare you much analysis on the Jets other than that I haven't really been overly impressed. The Chargers are pisssssssssssed, and with good reason. I see Chris Chambers, Vincet Jackson, and Antonio Gates putting up good numbers against the Jets DB's, and even if they hold LaDanian out of this game, Darren Sproles and Jacob Hester will prove to be valuable commodities in his place. I also am predicting a defensive TD for the bolts (I'm lookin your way, Cromartie). Chargers big at home.

Fantasy Play of the Week: Chris Chambers

Last Week (undocumented here, but trust me): 10-5

Season: 19-12 (61.2%)

Opinions and disagreements always welcome. Comments section is below.

OTHER NEWS AND NOTES:

Tough 12 inning loss by the Bucs yesterday. Somebody better teach this Craig Hansen guy how to throw some strikes before he winds up like Brian Rogers, last seasons pitching acquisition who was unceremoneously released earlier this year.

Stanley Druckenmiller has withdrawn his offer to purchase the Steelers. I see this as a bad sign. He seemed like he had the right frame of mind to continue the Steeler way, should he have been able to purchase the team. However the other Rooney brothers weren't quite ready to jump, so Druckenmiller, citing family and personal interests that required his focus, has bowed out. More on this in the coming days and weeks.

NHL Preview coming soon, including an update on some of the new third jerseys you'll see around the league this season.

An open letter to DC residents who frequent our lovely Metro Rail system. You dont have to wait for the turnstyles to close before hitting your SmarTrip card. Thats kind of the point. Also, please refrain from stopping directly in front of, inside, or behind the turnstyle lest you prefer being stampeded. This stipulation applies to the escalators as well. Find your card prior to getting to the gates, and put it away after you're through and clear of the area. In other words, use some common sense people.

The Final series at Yankee Stadium occurs this weekend as the Yankees and Baltimore Orioles finish off disappointing seasons. No one really expected much from the O's this year, but expectations were high, as always, for the Yanks. We here at the Ward will enjoy October baseball sans the bombers, but no doubt they'll open the checkbook to get what they want to try to make it back next season.

And then of course there's this.... Disclaimer: Not for the squeamish.

Dale Sveum Watch: Ryan Braun lets a fly ball slide under his glove with 2 outs in the 9th. The Cubs proceed to score 4 runs in the inning off former Bucco Salomon Torres to tie the game at 6-6. The Cubs go on to win it in the 12th, 7-6. Phillies and Mets both win. Brewers Record since firing Ned Yost: 1-2 Current games behind Wild Card Leader: 1.5. The Brewers travel to Cincinnati for a weekend set with the Reds.

The Ward's on a brief hiatus over the weekend. Updates will come either late Sunday night or Monday morning recapping the Steelers - Eagles game, and reflecting on Week 3 of the NFL, the MLB race to the postseason, and any significant NCAA Football news. Enjoy the Weekend folks.

Prove me wrong, kids. Prove me wrong.

2008-09-18T07:20:00.000-07:00

In a response to some of the thoughts posted yesterday, a couple of organizations were out to Prove me wrong. We'll begin today with one of my favorite exchanges from the Simpsons. This features Edna Krabappel and Seymour Skinner (with a cameo from Lunch Lady Doris) from "The PTA Disbands" episode from Season 6:

Edna: Seymour, the teachers are fed up. You have to start putting money back into the school. You've cut back on everything: salaries, supplies, the food -- [takes a bite] -- I don't care what you say, I can taste the newspaper.

Skinner: Posh. Shredded newspapers add much-needed ruffage and essential inks. Besides, you didn't notice the old gym mats. [Lunch Lady Doris feeds some into a grinder]

Doris: There's very little meat in these gym mats.

Edna: Our demands are very reasonable. By ignoring them, you're selling out these children's future!

Skinner: Oh, come on, Edna: we both know these children have no future!

[all the children stop and look at him]

Skinner: [chuckles nervously] Prove me wrong, kids. Prove me wrong.

Among those out to Prove me wrong last night were the Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers.

In my opinion, the Pirates had nowhere to go but up following Tuesday nights game against the Dodgers. And go up they surely did. As a follow up to Doug Mientkiewicz's comments following Tuesday night's loss to the Dodgers, and a guarantee of "superior effort" from manager John Russell earlier on Wednesday afternoon, the Pirates responded with one of their best offensive outputs in recent memory, a 15-6 drubbing of the NL West leading Los Angeles Dodgers. This included an 8 run 7th inning by your Bucco's. The offense was led by Adam LaRoche's 2 home runs, one of which being a grand slam. Adam is now hitting .348 in September.

The Bucs finish up the series with the Dodgers today at 12:35 as they send Paul Maholm (9-8, 3.68) to the mound against Clayton Kershaw (4-5, 4.41).

The Brewers were also out to Prove me wrong yesterday. They defeated the Chicago Cubs 6-2 to give Dale Sveum his first win as a Major League Manager. The bad news for the Brew Crew is that the Mets and Phillies also won. Oh yeah, Ben Sheets left the game with an injury as well. Not that that should come as a shock to anyone...but it may put yet another damper on their playoff hopes. The Brewers remain 1 game behind the New York Mets for the NL Wild Card spot.

On the other hand...

Among those who may have agreed with me include Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress. The Vikings announced yesterday that Tarvaris Jackson would be benched, and that Gus Frerotte would assume the QB duties for the remainder of the season. Fantasy Footballers Nationwide rejoice.

Tonight's College Football game features the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Colorado Buffaloes. West Virginia has looked pretty overrated thus far, but I can't claim to know anything about Colorado's team...so my apologies to you gamblers out there, but I got nothin in terms of a prediction for tonight. My only thought is that it's tough to fly cross country and win, even against whats supposed to be an inferior opponent. Right Cal?

OTHER NEWS & VIEWS

Those of you in the Gaithersburg, MD area, make an effort to get out to the "Celebrate Gaithersburg" event (which I always knew as "Olde Towne Day" but oh well...) happening this Sunday from noon -5:00 PM. Musical Performances from The Rembrants (no doubt singing the theme song from Friends...) and the Gin Blossoms. They finally made it!

Three of these guys started the season on my fantasy baseball team. Ugh. I'm still alive in the race for the championship, somehow.

All I can say to this is Wow. Wow Wow Wow Wow Wow...

NFL Week 3 Picks and Fantasy Predictions coming later today or tomorrow.

Penguins Practice Schedule and Pirates 2009 Schedule released

2008-09-17T11:00:00.001-07:00

Thanks to our friends at Mondesi's House, who have posted the Penguins practice schedule. All preseason practices are open to the public. Information can be found at the link below.

2008-09 Pittsburgh Penguins Practice Schedule.

And, the countdown to what may be a record BREAKING 17th straight losing season can now begin. Major league baseball has released the 2009 schedule. Use the month tabs at the top of the calendar to sort through the months. Our Buccos begin in St. Louis on Monday, April 6, and finish up in Cincinnati on Sunday, October 4. They come in to DC for a 4 game Monday through Thursday series May 18-21. Tickets are sure to sell out fast....

2009 Pittsburgh Pirates Schedule

WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, SIR?!?!

2008-09-16T05:02:00.000-07:00

The inaugural WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, SIR?!?! award goes to Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio. Last night the Brewers fired manager Ned Yost, and have replaced him with former Brewer (among MANY other teams) cult favorite Dale Sveum, who had been third base coach. The Brewers have lost 11 of their last 14 to fall into a tie with the Philadelphia Phillies for the NL Wild Card spot. Even still, the Brewers have been a joke for a long time. Cmon, they were owned by Bud Selig after all. Under Yost, they've built the right way, drafting cornerstones such as Ben Sheets, Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, and Rickie Weeks, and making key acquisitions that have worked well for them, i.e. C.C. Sabathia, Jason Kendall, and Mike Cameron. They've climbed back into relevancy, and have been strong challengers for the Wild Card, or even the division, all year. Now that the Cubs have pulled away, they are focusing more on the Wild Card, but this recent downturn may cost the Brewers more than their managers job. It might cost them their first playoff berth since 1982.

Given Yost's sometimes fiery personality, I can't imagine it was a necessarily cordial conversation between him and Attanasio when the owner broke the news. Maybe it went a little something like this:

Skinner : I'm sorry, did you just call me a liar?

Chalmers : No, I said you're fired.

Skinner : Oh..., that's much worse.

I can't help but question this move. The Brewers mortgaged their future with the Sabathia deal in an all or nothing attempt to win this season. Sabathia cost them their top prospect, Matt LaPorta, and is an unrestricted free agent after this season. Their other stud pitcher, Ben Sheets, is a UFA as well. There is little to no chance that the Brewers will be able to sign both. They may not even be able to bring back one. Why then, with 2 weeks left in the season, do you fire a manager who's brought you from obscurity to this point. The move was mostly met with shock around the league, and my guess would be that the players were pretty shocked as well. Is there an underlying method to this? Had Yost lost control of the team? You could see potential evidence of that when Prince Fielder went after Manny Parra in the dugout in an August game. Did Yost not handle the situation properly? Was he ever Attanasio's guy? Attanasio bought the team in 2005, Yost had been manager since 2002. Maybe Attanasio didn't have confidence that Yost could be the guy to get them over the hump. My take is that given where the Brewers were before Yost, to where they are now, he at least earned the opportunity to do so this season. They are now in the hands of Sveum, who has no MLB managerial experience. (But hey, he managed the Curve to a .502 winning percentage!)

I don't expect Mr. Yost to be unemployed long, especially with whats sure to be another glut of managerial openings after the season. I wouldn't be surprised to see Ned with the Phillies next year as a matter of fact.

WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, SIR?!?! Part 2.

This video speaks for itself. Welcome to the show, rook. At least someone hit the ball out of Leon Lett's hands.

Steeler fans, we have a similar gaffe of our own in this instance...Remember?

OTHER NEWS AND NOTES:

RIP Richard Wright. Shine on, you Crazy Diamond.

The Red Sox have climbed into a tie for 1st place in the AL East with Tampa Bay. I still think the Angels will be tough to beat in the postseason, but the races for first in the other two divisions will be compelling as we're now into the final 2 weeks.

Pirate fans, be sure to check out the latest edition of Inside Pirates Baseball. Sources tell me that there will be an interview with one of the biggest pirate fans there is (literally and figuratively), Big Yellow.

Bad day yesterday? You'll have a tough time topping major knee surgery and a $7,500 fine...

Not too shabby on my prediction last night. A lot more firepower than I expected, but I did get the Dallas win but not cover portion right. The Steelers travel to Philly next week. Hopefully the defense can hold Philly to fewer than 37 points.

On that note, terrible news for Steeler nation. Brett Keisel looks to be out for up to 2 months with a calf injury. The Post-Gazette reports that this is similar to the calf injury that Dan Kreider suffered in 2001. As I stated yesterday, don't underestimate the effect this may have on the defense. Nick Eason is no Brett Keisel. The Steelers could line the Diesel up almost anywhere on the field and his size and athleticism will be tough to replace. The only potential silver lining is that we may get to see one of my personal former favorite, Orpheus Roye, suit up this Sunday. Let it be recommended that since Keisel is the Diesel, we now refer to Nick Eason as Unleaded. Fills the same need, serves the same purpose, but not quite as effectively.

4-0 for the Jon in the Fantasy Football world this week! Also picked up my second straight office pool victory as well, after laying a big fat egg last season.

Full Preview of the Steelers - Eagles and Cardinals - Redskins games coming later this week. Also, full slate of week 3 NFL picks, and some college matchups to look forward to. September is always busy. Enjoy it while it lasts!

Because it has to be done...

2008-09-15T10:54:00.000-07:00

Must take the good with the bad...And there's been a LOT of bad for the Pirates over the last 16 years.

It's not pretty, but it has to be linked to...

Pirates blueprint for 16 consecutive losing seasons - DJ Gallo, ESPN

Week 2 Review

2008-09-15T07:58:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Pittsburgh Psycho Ward. Aptly named after Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward, and the mentality he displays on the field.

That said, we will not be a strictly Steelers oriented blog. We'll incorporate all Pittsburgh sports, national sports headlines, maybe a little entertainment and music here and there, as well as some other odds and ends. We had hoped to be up and running prior to the kickoff of the 2008 NFL season so that we could bring you predictions, but given all thats already happened in the first two weeks, it's probably good for our sake that we were not. We care based in the Washington, DC area, so we dont have all the resources that someone directly in the city of Pittsburgh would have, but we believe that helps make us a little more well rounded. Besides, the magic of DirecTV and the internet help keep us as informed as we need to be. Hope you enjoy!

Now, let's get right into it.

Yesterday I took in the Redskins - Saints game. If it weren't for that little soiree in Denver, then this would have gotten my vote for game of the week. After week one, I never expected the Redskins to be able to put up enough points to hang with the Saints. I think maybe I overrated the Saints a little bit. Granted they've played against tough D's in Tampa Bay and Washington, but it doesn't appear to me that the offense is clicking quite yet. Deuce McAllister played a little bit yesterday, which helped, but I think the loss of Colston will really set them back a bit. They don't have another guy with his size that they can trust on a 3rd and 6 or 7 type play (and don't tell me Mr. Enigmatic, Jeremy Shockey is that guy). They'll rely on wing passes to Reggie or deep balls to Devery Henderson more than strategic, prolonged drives.

The game started with the Skins pretty much dominating the stat sheets. Only problem was they had little to show for it. They drove 48 yards on their first drive, 50 on their second, and started their 3rd drive at the Saints 27 yard line after an interception, yet only had a 6-0 lead to show for it. An Antwaan Randle El fumble on a punt return breathed some life into the Saints, who scored 6 plays later to go up 7-6. Two more nice drives by the Redskins resulted in only 3 more points, after Shaun Suisham missed a field goal attempt after a bad hold attempt by Durant Brooks, then connected later on a 35 yarder. The Saints responded by driving 58 yards in the final :57 of the first half to get a field goal and go up 10-9 heading into the break. The Redskins got a huge first quarter from rookie Safety Chris Horton, who recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass in the first quarter alone. Horton only started because typical starter Reed Doughty was out with a stomach ailment. I know you're not supposed to lose a job to an injury (or illness, as it were), but it'd be tough for the Skins to take Horton out after that performance.

The Saints got the ball to start the second half, after deferring the decision after the coin toss. They drove 80 yards down the field on that opening drive, and took a 17-9 lead when Drew Brees hit Robert Meachem for a 19 yard touchdown. The Fox analysts, myself, and seeimingly many Skins fans, we're beginning to get the sense that the Redskins missed opportunities in the first half would come back to haunt them. However, the Redskins quickly responded with an 84 yard drive of their own, capped by a 9 yard Clinton Portis TD run. The Skins opted to go for 2, which I applaud. Brian Billick chimed in from the fox booth that it was the wrong call. You can look at it both ways...if you get it, of course you're tied and right back where you want to be. If you miss, then they go and score a TD, it's now a 2 score game. My opinion is that you might not get another chance to get down the field, take the opportunity while you can. Well, the Redskins did not convert, and shortly after, the Saint did score when the aforementioned Reggie Bush returned a bad Durant Brooks punt 56 yards to put the Saints up 24-15 heading into the 4th quarter. A 15 minute span which would belong to the Redskins. The Redskins officially drove 82 yards on their first possesion of the 4th quarter, but it was more like 94, after the Saints D sacked Jason Campbell back to the Washington 6 yard line on the first play of the drive. Campbell responded with passes to Chris Cooley for 22, and later Santana Moss for 25. Clinton Portis scored his 2nd TD of the game to bring the Skins back within 2. Campbell went 5-5 for 82 yards on the drive. New Orleans responded by trying to play ball control. Rather than trying to throw for a first down then wind some time off the clock, they mostly tried to run it up the gut and take 40 seconds off the clock each play. The Redskins defense had none of it. A 3 and out for the Saints and punt later, the Redskins took the ball back, down 2, with 3:29 remaining. They would only need 10 of those seconds. Campbell again connected with Santana Moss on a 67 yard TD pass. The most impressive part of the play may have been Antwaan Randle El's leapfrog over Moss in celebration. Campbell exploited a mismatch with a rookie DB on Moss, stepped away from a pass rusher who was picked up nicely by the fullback, and gunned the eventual game winner to Moss. The Saints got the ball back with 3:14 remaining, and were attempting to drive to get a winning score, when Chris Horton came up with his 2nd pick of the game, sealing the deal for the Redskins.

Postgame Thoughts:

The Redskins won the turnover battle 3-1, but were outscored 7-6 in points off those turnovers. In my opinion the story of the game was the discrepancy in the Rookie DB's. Chris Horton had a game that any DB would kill for, with 2 interceptions and a fumble recovery, and held the Saints receivers pretty much in check all day. Saints rookie Tracy Porter, playing for the injured Randall Gay, on the other hand, was abused by Santana Moss all day, to the tune of 164 receiving yards and the game winning TD.

Sedrick Ellis is a difference maker. He'll be an anchor for that Saints defense for years to come. He held out for a few weeks at the beginning of camp, but has come in and performed well through the first two weeks. He'll create space for Will Smith and Charles Grant, and take the Casey Hampton approach of tying up 2 O linemen to free up the linebackers to make plays. He looks like a nice pickup for a Saints defense that has struggled over the years.

I must say, the Redskins D has been pretty good, despite a lot of the scrutiny heard after the first game. They held the Giants to nothing after about halfway through the 2nd quarter, really only allowed the Saints, albeit undermanned, to two sustained drives, coming on the last drive of the first half, and the first drive of the second half. They scored a TD after Randle El's fumble gave them the ball at the Washington 29, and another on a punt return.

Player of the game: It would be easy to pick Jason Campbell or Santana Moss here, but my vote goes to Chris Horton. Any time a rookie gets his first start, the opponents look to pick on him. Especially a veteran QB like Brees. Horton responded with 2 interceptions and a fumble recovery. Two of which led to points, the other sealing the victory in the 4th quarter.

Goat of the game: Durant Brooks: Flubbed a hold, had 2 bad punts, one of which was returned for a touchdown...Somewhere Derrick Frost is smiling.

STEELERS @ BROWNS:
Ugh. I texted a friend of mine at the outset stating that it must be a prerequisite for any nationally televised Steeler game to have terrible weather (remember the Dolphins game last season)...Effects of Hurricane Ike (not Taylor) were felt up in Ohio, with wind gusts up to 50 MPH and rain off and on throughout the game. That contributed to there being VERY little flow to this game. It seemed like every 5 minutes there would be another break in the action and Heroes promo. The first half was riddled with 3 and outs on both sides. Braylon Edwards continued to have his early season case of the dropsies, as he dropped what would have been 2 critical 3rd down conversions. The Steeler defense continued to look good, not allowing anything to Jamal Lewis, but also not getting much of a pass rush on Derek Anderson. During the broadcast, Al and John mentioned that Derek Anderson was the least sacked QB last season, a credit to the Browns offensive line (anchored by Gaithersburg High School alum Hank Fraley). I would not have guessed that the Browns line was that great, but apparantley they are...who knew? The Steelers put up the first points in an otherwise dreary game with 6:25 left in the first half. A drive that covered 70 yards over six and a half minutes following a Bryant McFadden inteception of Derek Anderson. The drive was kept alive when Shaun Smith had Roethlisberger sacked, but was guilty of a facemask penalty, giving the Steelers an automatic first down. The Steelers nearly self destructed later that drive, when faced with a 4th and 1 inside Cleveland territory, Roethlisberger hurried the team to the line and forced the Browns to jump offsides. However, Coach Tomlin was granted a timeout just before the Cleveland player jumped, thus nullifying the play. Alls well that ends well though, as Willie Parker took the insuing handoff 13 yards following great blocks by Chris Kemoeatu and Heath Miller. Three plays later, Big Ben found Hines Ward in the middle of the end zone to put the Steelers up 7-0. Hines celebrated by turning his back to the vaunted Dawg Pound and kicking grass up to them. He stated that he "was just marking his territory". This is precisely why we all love Hines and other teams fans can't stand him. The Browns came back and were within range to put some poijnts on the board prior to halftime, but poor clock management in the last minute of the half led to the Browns needing to rush to get plays off. The Browns tried to run a quick pass to the end zone with :08 left, thinking they would either get the TD, or it would go incomplete and they could set up a field goal attempt. These thoughts were denied by Troy Polamalu's 2nd interception of the season, when he jumped the route and left the Browns with nothing after a 74 yard drive eating up the last 6:20 of the half.

The only other Steeler points of the game came following a 48 yard pass from Ben to Santonio Holmes on 1st down after a Cleveland punt. The Steelers didnt muster much more after that, and were left with a Jeff Reed FG attempt from 48 with the unpredictable winds. Reed made it look like an extra point, and put the Steelers up 10. The Browns were able to get 2 FG's on the board after that, including one kicked with under 3:30 to play, much to the chagrin of the Cleveland faithful. The Steelers were able to get one first down, on a nice pass play to Heath Miller, which I was thrilled by. You'll remember, that in the playoff game against the Jaguars last year, the Steelers had a very similar situation. Up one score, roughly 3 minutes to play, and they tried to run the ball three times, even though Jacksonville had all 3 time outs. We all know the end result of that one (Still think at LEAST 3 Steelers were held on Garrard's scramble, but thats neither here nor there...). That first down helped burn the remainder of Cleveland's time outs, and while the Browns did get the ball back at the end of the game, it was with :26 left rather than just under 3 minutes. A 2nd down sack of Derek Anderson sealed the game as the final seconds ticked off before the Browns could line up and get another play off. The Steelers move to 2-0, Browns to 0-2, as it is, was, and always SHOULD be. The Steelers also have taken over the all time series lead for the first time, 56-55. This is mostly attributed to the Steelers being awful prior to 1972, and the Browns being a juggernaut during the same time period.

Postgame Thoughts:

Player of the Game: I have to give it to the O Line. No one was overly spectacular, but Ben had time when he needed it, Willie had space, and his 2nd 100 yard game of the season, and the Steelers were able to keep Cleveland's big offseason acquisition, Shaun Rogers, relatively in check.

Goat of the Game: Derek Anderson: Poor game management, poor clock management, tried to force throws that weren't there, costing his team points on one occasion and giving the Steelers points on another. In a 4 point game, that's all the difference you need.

It's always fun to watch the Steelers beat the Browns. It's cute when they think they have a contender. There just seems to be something about going to the Browns that makes a person regress in their development. Remember, Bill Belichick, widely regarded as the biggest genius in football, couldn't win there. Granted, I was scared of them too coming into this season, but they look to have a lot of work to do. They still need a lot of help on defense, especially in the defensive backfield.

Michael Phelps took in the game from a suite. I wonder how a Baltimore guy was received in a Cleveland box...?

Speaking of which....Is it possible that Braylon Edwards should have been focusing more on catching passes over the offseason than swimming with Michael Phelps? BAD case of the dropsies for #17 so far.

Rivalry? What Rivalry?: The Steelers have now won 10 in a row over the Browns.

Ben Roethlisberger is 10-0 in games played as a pro in his home state of Ohio.
The offensive line has looked pretty good, I must say. I still am not a huge fan of Kendall Simmons, but you can't complain with the time Roethlisberger had on most of his pass attempts, and Willie running for over 100 for the second consecutive week. We know that Sean Mahan was a popular whipping boy for last years O line struggles, does the performance by Hartwig thus far prove us right? I would be inclined to say yes. I definitely like Chris Kemoeatu, who was sportin the dreds last night. You would never see Troy with those. By the way...what ever happened to that new rule they were supposed to institue that forced players to cut their hair if it came down out of their helmet?

It's funny to try to hear Al Michaels and John Madden try to pronounce Kemoeatu. (Its Kay-Moy-ah-tu, by the way)

Hopefully Brett Keisel's injury is minor and he'll be ready to go next week in Philly. Remember how far the defense fell after losing Aaron Smith last season?

The Special Teams have been worlds above what they were last year. Coverage has been great, and they've faced two top return men in Andre Davis and Josh Cribbs.

Troy looks like the Troy of 05/06, already with 2 picks already this season. Hines says he's completely healthy for the first time in years. It's shown, with 3 TD catches in the first 2 games.

Surprised by the relative abscence of LaMarr Woodley's name last night. Definitely not the impact on the game he had a week ago.

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

What a missed call by the refs in the Denver - San Diego game. Obvious to anyone that the ball comes out of Cutler's hand as he's going back. I mean, I won't complain because it makes the Chargers 0-2, and got me over 8 more fantasy points (Thank you Eddie Royal) as a result...but if I were a Chargers fan right now, I'd figure the fix is in. Denver however, looks to be a contender. 2-0, 2 games up on SD. Eddie Royal becoming an instant contributor is scary, as they already have Brandon Marshall (who blew up yesterday too, by the way...18 catches for 166) and Brandon Stokley, ever dangerous out of the slot. I hate Mike Shanahan, but what a BALLSY call to go for 2 at home in that situation. The call went to the rookie WR too. Trusting your youg QB to throw to a rookie WR with the game on the line. Good work sir.

Charger fans...unfortunately these are they types of things that seem to ONLY happen to Norv.

Is Darren McFadden this years Adrian Peterson? 164 yards yesterday, and with Fargas' injury, will probably get more carries over the next few weeks. Question is, do the Raiders have anyone to throw the ball to so that defenses won't be able to just key on DMac?

Is Larry Johnson this year's Shaun Alexander? 96 yards in 2 games. 2.8 YPC. 0 TD. Again, teams are probably keying on him, as they're happy to put the game in the hands of Brodie Croyle, Tyler Thigpen, or Damon Huard, but much like Shaun, he's lost a lot of O Linemen, and his fullback. Will be interesting to see if he can recover.

Detroit...ugh. Took the lead, 25-24 with 7:41 to play. Still managed to lose by 23. That's prety unprecedented. haha.

Indy still isn't clicking, but it looks like Marvin Harrison is slowly passing the torch to Anthony Gonzalez.

For those of you who think that Tom Brady will fully recover from his torn ACL and MCL, I offer you two words: Carson Palmer. He's definitely been a shell of his former self since going down with a similar injury in January 06. I wouldn't doubt Brady at all, but Palmer seems to have a similar work ethic and desire, but hasnt had much of the results after the knee surgery. Maybe it's his lack of a supermodel girlfriend...

The Cardiac Cats are back! Carolina comes back again to beat the Bears 20-17. They're now 2-0 and were without Steve Smith for either of the first two games. He'll be back for week three, which should only help Jake Delhomme and the rest of the Panthers offense.

Jacksonville's lost their identity. It's tough to overcome the loss of just one starting offensive lineman, let alone three. Especially if your offensive game plan revolves around a power running scheme.

I said to myself last week that the winner of the Arizona-San Francisco game would win the NFC West. Both won yesterday, moving the Cardinals to 2-0, 49ers to 1-1, Seahawks to 0-2, and the Rams to...well, the Rams will be irrelevant. Until Hasselbeck gets some receivers back from injury, Holmgren's swan song in the Emerald City may not be a very sweet one.

On that note, poor Seattle. it rains all the time, Starbucks is closing stores nationwide, Apple is rapidly overtaking Microsoft, the Sonics just skipped town, the Mariners have the worst record in baseball, University of Washington gets screwed by that celebration penalty in the BYU game, and now the Seahwaks start off 0-2.

Didn't catch a lot of the Pats-Jets game...but I know I'm still pissed that I took Wes Welker as my first WR in my fantasy league. What does it say about my competition thus far when I have Welker and Carson Palmer and am still 2-0.

TONIGHT:
We saw last night how Cleveland's offense has sputtered. So does that mean that Dallas' D isn't as good as they looked last week? We know the Rams are terrible, so does that mean that Philly's O isn't as good as they looked? Something's gotta give. I see where the Eagles are contemplating having Asante Samuel shadow T.O. all game, which would make for a great matchup...but what about the rest of the boys O? I think I have to give the edge to the Cowboys, mainly because the Eagles are still without Kevin Curtis, and probably Reggie Brown. I do think the Eagles will cover the 7 though...Dallas: 27 Philly: 21.