Final Four 2012

NFL Week 1 Predictions

Hey world!!! I know I haven’t blogged about anything in awhile but I’m starting up again. I was gone for the summer and never had a chance to write about anything. Now that I’m at school I have some extra time to spare.

Since the NFL starts tomorrow with the Packers vs. the Saints, I’m going to give you my predictions for all the week one games. So make some bets and win some money!!

New Orleans Saints vs. Green bay Packers

This is defiantly a great way to start out the season. The past two champions will battle it out. The is without a doubt the game of the week. Both teams have a high powered offense and that will make this game pretty high scoring. The Packers will still be hot and they have my pick this week. They have a better defense and they still have the momentum from winning the super bowl.

Packers win 34-24.

Detroit Lions vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Detroit went 4-0 in the preseason and they will continue to win as long as Stafford doesn’t get injured. Lions win 28-13.

Atlanta Falcons vs. Chicago Bears

The Falcons are the team to watch out for this season. I’m expecting a big year for Matt Ryan and the team. Falcons win.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns                                                                                            

This is a match-up of two not good teams. The Bengals don’t really have a quarterback or a defense and the Browns; well the Browns just aren’t good. This isn’t going to be the most exciting game to watch but I’m going to go with the Browns winning this one.

Buffalo Bills vs. Kansas City Chiefs

This is a easy prediction. The Bills are pretty terrible. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is starting and you never know what to expect from him. The Chiefs are on the rise, Matt Cassel is starting, Dwayne Bowe is receiving and Jamaal Charles is running. Expect this one to be a blowout. Chiefs win easily.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. St. Louis Rams

The eagles added a bunch of good players to their team. Michael Vick is healthy and is geared up for another monster season. Eagles win.

Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Well, Matt Hasselbeck is the starting QB for the Titans and Luck McCown is starting for the Jags. I can’t imagine this game being close but you never know. Chris Johnson will run all over the Jags with ease. Titans win.

Pittsburg Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens

Now this game has defense written all over it. The Steelers and the Ravens have a great history against each other. The Ravens lost to the Steelers in the playoffs last year and they want revenge and they just might get it. Expect this to be a close one but I still have the Steelers winning this one.

Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans

With Peyton Manning not playing this will make this pick that much easier. Texans win.

Carolina Panthers vs. Arizona Cardinals

I’m not a big fan of Cam Newton or Kevin Kolb. I’m not really sure who will win but expect a lot of turnovers on both sides. I’m going to go with the Cardinals winning this one based on their offensives players.

Minnesota Vikings vs. San Diego Chargers

Now that McNabb is on the Viking, the Vikings actually have a shot. They still have the best running back in the game in Adrian Peterson. They don’t have many receivers but they don’t need any. San Diego always seems to have a good season but they can just never make it through the playoffs. I’m going to go with the upset on this one and pick the Vikings to pull it out.

Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers

Both teams are not the most exciting teams to watch but I have the 49ers winning this one quite easily.

New York Giants vs. Washington Redskins

This one is simple. Redskins are terrible and the Giants aren't Giants win.

Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Jets

This is a very interesting game. Romo is back from his injury, and is looking to have a breakout season. The Jets are primed to go deep this year. They have one of the better defenses in the league. They brought in Plexico for some depth in the wide receiver category. Jets win this one.

New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins

For some reason whenever Miami plays the Patriots they always seem to play very good and they beat them sometimes too. But not this time. Patriots win.

Oakland Raiders vs. Denver Broncos

For some strange reason I’m feeling the Raiders on this one, so I’m going to go with the upset and say Raiders win.

NCAA National Championship Game

So tonight at 9:23pm the NCAA Tournament will come to a close and a champion will be crowned.  On one side is the Butler Bulldogs, the so-called underdog even though they were in the national championship game last year. On the other side is the Connecticut Huskies, who have never lost in tournament play this year. It looks to be a great game

The Connecticut Huskies has one of the best players in the college basketball, Kemba Walker. Kemba should be the NCAA player of the year but that award ended up going to BYU Guard, Jimmer Fredette. The Huskies coach Jim Calhoun is going for his 3^rd national championship and if he wins he will become the fifth coach in history to win three titles.

Butler on the other hand will be looking for their first NCAA championship in basketball since 1929, which is before the tournament began. Butler was the runner-up to Duke last year, so they will be looking to get to that next level and win. Just for Butler to be back there in back-to-back years is remarkable considering they are a mid-major school that doesn’t have the money or recruitment resources to get big name players from high school.

In this game I have UConn winning. I had UConn winning in my bracket so I am going to stick with them. UConn is bigger and faster than Butler but I think Butler will be able to control the flow of this game but I don’t think they have an answer for Kemba Walker or freshman sensation Jeremy Lamb. If Butler does win, it will be a great story for college basketball. Butlers coach, Brad Stevens, who is only 33 will be able to coach at any college he wants but he will probably stay with Butler.

UConn wins 67-60

Weekend Wrap-Up

So the weekend festivities are over and by that I mean the first three rounds of the NCAA Tournament have been complete. There were a few big upsets in the first three rounds and a number one seed has fallen.  Pittsburg lost to the number eight seed Butler. I was very surprised that they lost but I was surprised at how they lost. Pittsburg lost with no time left to a Butler free throw. If I was one of those refs I would have never called that foul and just let the game go into over time, but I guess that’s why I am not a ref. I had Pittsburg going to the Elite Eight but it looks like that’s not gonna happen.

Another big upset was Virginia Commonwealth. You might be asking yourself who in the world is Virginia Commonwealth, but don’t ask me cause I have no idea just like you. VCU beat Georgetown and Purdue. Beating Georgetown wasn’t as big of an upset as Purdue. I almost put Purdue in my Final Four but VCU blew them out and now VCU is on its way to play Florida St in the Sweet Sixteen. An 11^th seed versus a 10^th seed in the sweet sixteen, I love it.

Other than those upsets nothing too crazy happened.  Syracuse did lose to Marquette, which was a little surprising in my mind, but Marquette has a good basketball squad.

As for the number one seed in the whole tournament, well let’s just say their doing just fine with blowout wins against both UTSA and George Mason. Now they get to play Kentucky, which will be a good game but I have Ohio St winning that game as well.

As for my Finial Four picks, their all still in. In the East region I have Ohio St. In the West region I have the Connecticut Huskies, led by player of the year Kemba Walker. In the Southwest region I have Kansas beating either VCU or Florida State to play against the Southeast region champ Brigham Young University. 

Tournament Time

Since the brackets came out last night I have been putting my picks together to try to make the perfect bracket. First of all there were a few snubs that didn’t get in the tournament. Colorado defiantly should have made the tournament. They beat Kansas State three times; they also beat Texas and Missouri. Another team that didn’t get in that should have is Virginia Tech. Their big win came against Duke. Every other team that beat Duke made the tournament. They also have a win against Penn State. 

Now lets talk about the Tournament and the East Region.

Ohio St has the hardest road to the Final Four. Them being the number one seed in the tournament should have given them an easier road but not in this case. In the east there is North Carolina, Syracuse, Kentucky, Washington, and George Mason.  I have one upset in the East and that is Marquette over Xavier. Kentucky is the team to look out for in the East, it is very possible for them to pull the upset over Ohio St. Overall I have Ohio St winning against North Carolina to make it to the Final Four.

The West Region

Duke is the number one seed, which is well deserved. They destroyed North Carolina in the ACC Championship and they will be looking to do the same thing in the West. I have a couple upsets in the first round in the West region. I have Oakland over Texas and Penn State over Temple. Oakland has a very good team and they have a seven footer, who is bound to go to the NBA, Keith Benson. It will be a high scoring game and it will be one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.  In this region I have UConn winning and beating Duke in the Elite eight to go to the Final Four. Kemba Walker is the National Player of the Year, and he has been virtually unstoppable. He can create his own shot and he can take over a game when he was too.

The Southwest Region

Kansas has a tough road. Their first round game against Boston University is going to be a shootout. Kansas has been upset in the first round in the past and it will be interesting to see how Kansas does against BU So look out for the upset. Georgetown could be the sleeper in this region. They have some big wins against Missouri, Memphis, Louisville, Villanova, and Syracuse. Don’t be surprised if Georgetown goes far in the Southwest Region. In the first round I don’t have any upsets but I do have Illinois over UNLV. Purdue is another team to watch out for. They have a very good team and the Big Ten Player of the Year, JaJuan Johnson. I have Purdue going to the Semi-Finals in the southwest against Kansas. But I think Kansas has the experience and the players to win that game.

Southeast Region

Now Pittsburgh has the easiest road to the Final Four out of all of the number one seeds. Florida is the number two seed, which is not deserved. They are a very overrated team. They have losses to Kentucky and Ohio and overall they had an easy schedule during the season. The first round upsets I have in this region are Belmont over Wisconsin and Michigan State over UCLA. I don’t think Wisconsin will be over to get over their loss against Penn State, where they scored a pathetic 33 points. Also Michigan State has Tom Izzo, who is one of the best Tournament coaches ever. If Kalin Lucas is healthy and plays up to his potential MSU should win. BYU and Jimmer should get the job done in their first couple games but I have them losing to Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh going to the Final Four.

My Final Four picks are Ohio State, UConn, Pittsburgh and Kansas. I will post my winner in my next update so stay tuned!

The Big Trades

So Carmelo Anthony finally got his wish, to be a New York Knick.  He was born in Brooklyn and played at Syracuse University. So it was just a matter of time until he was back playing in New York. The trade also included Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter and Renaldo Balkman. Chauncey Billups is going to be the most important player in this trade other than Melo. Billups is an NBA champion and a veteran. He knows how to win and that is what the Knicks are going to need to learn. The Knicks gave up a lot in order to get this trade done. They traded Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov and a 2014 first-round draft pick and also 3 million dollars in cash. The Nuggets got a lot younger with this trade but their future is uncertain right now.

During their first game together, the Knicks won.  Carmelo Anthony scored 27 points and had 10 rebounds. Chauncey Billups scored 21, with 8 assits and 6 rebounds. The game was against Bucks so it wasn’t much of a test for the Knicks. The Knicks play Miami on Sunday, February 27 so that will be a great game to show what the Knicks are made of.

Another surprising trade that happened this morning was Deron Williams being traded to the New Jersey Nets. Nobody saw this trade coming, not even Deron Williams. He found out he was traded watching SportscCenter.  Utah received Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, two first-round draft picks and cash. This isn’t too bad of a trade for Utah. They get Devin Harris, who has been to the All-Star game was a point guard and Derrick Favors is a very young player with loads of potential.

The Nets brought in Deron Williams for the sole purpose of getting a big name player to sign with them in the offseason. Possibly Dwight Howard. Deron Willams is one of the best point guards in the league and a lot of players would love to play with him. The Bobcats were also interested in trading for Deron Williams but the Nets beat them to the punch. Deron Williams will defiantly help improve the Nets but they are still pretty bad. The Nets are looking toward the future and this is a good way to start.

Super-Bowl XLV

Its that time of the year again. Super-bowl time. Everyone around the world will gather around his or her televisions to watch the biggest sporting event of the year.  Get your chicken wings ready, and get you’re beer nice and cold because it’s going to be one hell of a game.

Kick-off is at 6:29pm at the billion-dollar Cowboy Stadium. The Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburg Steelers are two great franchises. The Vince Lombardi Trophy is obviously named after the great coach of the Packers and the Steelers have won six NFL championships.

The Steelers have the experience.  The Packers have Aaron Rodgers. Who will win? I do not know. Personally I am not a very big fan of the Pittsburg Steelers but they are a great game. They have been there before and if they win they become a dynasty, winning three championships in the last six years. The Steelers won in 2005 and in 2008. The Steelers have the better defense but not the better offense. The Packers have one of the best quarterbacks in the league, Aaron Rodgers. In Super-Bowl XLV, I can’t imagine the Packers running the ball a whole lot. They will air it out and put the ball in the hands of their quarterback. Both teams have great defenses. Pittsburg has the Defensive Player of the Year, which is Troy Polamalu. The Steelers also have the hardest hitting linebacker in the game, which is James Harrison. The Packers have the great young linebacker, Clay Matthews and the experienced cornerback in Charles Woodson. Both teams are very evenly matched, so it will be very hard to pick a winner. I believe its time for the Championship Trophy to go back home. If Aaron Rodgers has a great game, the Packers will win. The Packers offense is very explosive and versatile; it is going to be hard to stop them. Now don’t get me wrong, I will not be surprised if the Steelers win, but I think it’s the Packers time to win.

Packers win Super bowl XLV 31-24.

All-Star Weekend

This past weekend was quite exciting for sports fans. There was the NFL Pro bowl and there was the NHL All-Star weekend.

During the NHL All-Star weekend, there was a first ever fantasy draft for all the all-stars. Personally I thought the fantasy draft was awesome, they should do this for all sports. There was Team Lidstrom and Team Staal. Team Lidstrom had the first pick of the fantasy draft; he took Tampa Bay forward Steven Stamkos. Team Staal had then choose Cam Ward. Eric Staal and Cam Ward play on the same team during the season, so it was only appropriate for Eric Staal to choose his Goalie first. Phil Kessel was the last player picked in the draft. Because he was last he received a car, which is pretty cool. Whoever thought being picked last was a good thing?

During the skills competition Team Staal dominated Team Lidstrom. On Sunday, the game started quickly for Team Staal, starting with a 4-0 lead. Team Lidstrom soon scored 4 goals and tied it up. The game went back and forth, but in the end Team Lidstrom was victorious, winning 11-10.

During the Pro Bowl, a lot of players were mic’d up. All of the six quarterbacks and a few of the middle linebackers had a mic. It was cool watching the game and listening to the plays that were being called out. Overall it was a pretty pathetic game. The AFC looked terrible, throwing interception after interception. The game ended with a score of 55-41, NFC won. Every person on the NFC side was impressed with Calvin Johnson. At every interview, everyone had something great to say about Johnson. About how is a beast, and everyone wishes he was on their own team. I’m glad Calvin Johnson plays for Detroit.

The Road to the Super Bowl

So the match is set, and it’s a good one. On one side we have the Pittsburg Steelers, led by two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Big Ben Roethlishberger. Oh and did I forget to say he was also accused of sexual assault two times, that the same number as championships he has won, weird. On the other side are the Green bay Packers, led by the air-apparent to Brett Favre, and the so-called WWE Champion, Aaron Rodgers.  The game will be decided on February 6^th at the Cowboy Stadium.

For the first four games of the season Ben Roethlishberger was suspended and not too many people had their eye on the Steelers. Surprisingly the Steelers went 3-1 in those first four games, with Charlie Batch as quarterback. Their four looses in the season came from the Baltimore Ravens, New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots, and the New York Jets. All four of those teams went to the playoffs and it didn’t look to good on the Steelers because they couldn’t beat a playoff team in the season. The Steelers did beat Atlanta in week one, their only win against a playoff team.  The Steelers had home-field advantage in both of their playoff wins. The first win came against the Baltimore Ravens, in what was an epic game. I had the Ravens winning that game but with a minute and a half left on the clock Rashard Mendenhall scored and gave the Steelers the win. Last weekend the Steelers played and won against the New York Jets. The Jets didn’t feel like playing in the first half of the game and the Steelers didn’t feel like playing in the second half of the game. But the Steelers won the game and that’s that. I also had the Jets in that game, so you can probably guess who I want to win in the Super Bowl.  But just think if the Steelers do win, Ben Roethlishberger might try to go for the three peat, three rings, and three sexual assault cases.

Now for the Green Bay Packers. Lots of people thought Green Bay was the favorite in the NFC when the season started but then came the injuries and people lost faith in the Packers. The Packers had a few bad looses to Washington, Miami, and my hometown team the Detroit Lions. (Just give them a couple years and the Lions will be a powerhouse, you just wait.) The Packers also lost to the Bears, Atlanta, and New England, all playoff teams. In the Wild Card game against the Eagles, Rodgers threw for three touchdowns and he gained his first playoff win. In the Divisional game the Packers dominated Atlanta and won 48-21. Last weekend against Bears was a great game.  Jay Cutler was the Packers favorite player. He played a couple snaps when the second half started and he wasn’t seen on the field again.  He did tear his MCL, that’s a good enough excuse not to play in my book. No one knows what could have happened if he did keep playing but I think the results would have been the same and that’s with the Packers going to the Super bowl. 

I’m not going to pick my Super Bowl champ until the game comes a little closer but after reading this you can probably imagine who I want to win the big game.

NFC/ AFC Championships

Game 1. Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers

My Pick= Green Bay Packers

This is the first time these two teams have played each other since 1941. The Bears won that game. This is going to be a different outcome. The Packers proved that they are the team to beat in the playoffs. The Packers went into Atlanta and shattered them. Atlanta was supposed to be unstoppable at home but last week it looked like anyone could have beaten them. The Bears beat the Seahawks, the Seahawks shouldn’t have even been in that game, but that is why there are upsets. The Bears have one of the best defensives left in the playoffs. The Bears also have the best special teams game in the NFL. But the Packers have a better secondary than then Bears. Packers also have a better offensive than the Bears. Aaron Rodgers has been a stud throughout the playoffs. He has throw for three touchdowns in both playoff games and you should expect nothing left from Rodgers in this game. This is Jay Cutler’s first big game and it will be interesting to see how he performs under pressure. Packers win 24-17.

Game 2.  New York Jets vs. Pittsburg Steelers

My Pick= New York Jets

I am going out on the limb on this and I am picking the New York Jets. Obviously Big Ben will be a huge factor in this game. But I think that the Jets secondary is too good.  Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie are the best tandem of cornerbacks on any team in the league. The Jets already beat Payton Manning and Tom Brady in the playoffs because of their defense. As long as Mark Sanchez doesn’t turn over the ball and make stupid mistakes, the Jets will have a great chance to win this game. The Jets have already beaten the Steelers in Pittsburg and they could do it again. It’s been a strange week for the Jets. All week the Jets have been saying how great Ben Roethlishberger is, and how he is almost impossible to prepare for. I’m a little confused by this. The first two weeks of the playoffs they talked smack against both the Colts and New England but now they are praising the Steelers. Is this part of their strategy? I think so. But either way it is going to be an exciting game to watch. Jets win 23-20.

Week 2 Playoff Picks

Last week I was 2-2 on my picks hopefully they will be better this week. So here I go.

Game 1. Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburg Stealers

My Pick=Baltimore Ravens

This is going to be a physical football game. Both teams have great defensives and it looks like it might be a low scoring game. I think this is Joe Flacco’s time to shine. He has three good receivers to throw, four if you count Ray Rice.  On the other side the Stealers do have Mike Wallace. The fastest receiver in the league, look for him to have a big game. I really think the Ravens will win this game and advance to the AFC Championship.  Ravens win 17-13

FYI- Each time Joe Flacco wins a playoff game he gets a $200K bonus.

Game 2. Greenbay Packers vs. Atlanta Falcons

My Pick= Atlanta Falcons

It was tough to choose a winner for this game but Atlanta is playing at home. Matt Ryan is 20-2 at home. Atlanta has a great running game with Michael Turner. They have one of the best receivers in the league with Roddy White. Atlanta is stacked on offensive and they have a good defense.  The Falcons are not a fluke, they are a great team in every aspect.  Now don’t get me wrong Aaron Rodgers is a great Quarterback. He is easily a top 5 QB. Rodgers just came off his first playoff win of his career and his adrenaline is flowing. This game will be an all out war. Falcons win 28-24

Game 3. New York Jets vs. New England Patriots

My Pick-New England Patriots

Bill Belichick vs. Rex Ryan. Tom Brady vs. Matt Sanchez.  Round 3.  All week Rex Ryan has been saying this is personal. Didn’t Rex say that last week when the Jets played Colts? He has to come up with a new phrase. The Patriots have the best QB in the NFL. Brady is the veteran on his team and the MVP of the league this year. The Patriots are very young and hungry for a championship.  Brady doesn’t throw interceptions, only four the entire year. It will be a close game for a while but after half time the Patriots will let loose. Patriots win 31-21

Game 4. Chicago Bears vs. Seattle Seahawks

My Pick= Chicago Bears

Yes, Seattle beat the Saints in the first round. If they can beat the Saints they can beat the Bears. Wrong. Chicago has quietly had a very good season. Only lost 5 games, 6 if you count the Lions. The Bears have beaten Greenbay, Dallas, Philadelphia and the Jets this season. The Bears want redemption when they lost to Seattle in week 6. Seattle is going to help them out.  Pete Carroll says he is going to kick to Devin Hester. Why would anyone kick to Devin Hester?? The Bears defensive will be able to stop Seattle run game and Jay Cutler will be able to show off his arm strength. Bears win 23-17

The Perfect Season

The Perfect Season

Auburn and Cam Newton completed the undefeated season last night. Auburn beat Oregon in the National Championship Game and wow what a game it was. Everybody in the world thought the game would be a high scoring, back and forth battle between two great offensives and it was anything but. It was a defensive battle and Auburn won the battle. There were fumbles, interceptions, and even a safety. It was everything a sports fan wanted in a football game.

Auburns defense held the best running game in college football to only 75 yards.  The Heisman Finalist, LaMichael James only ran for 49 yards on 13 carries but he did have two receiving touchdowns. Nick Fairley and the defensive line shut down Oregon’s offense. Nick Fairley looked unstoppable. He had 5 tackles for a loss of yards and 1 sack.  Fairley won ended up winning the Defensive Player of the Game and no one else deserved it but him.

And then there is Cam Newton. He put all controversy with his dad behind him and won the game. His father wasn’t even allowed to come to the game but people know he was thinking about his father when he was holding up the championship trophy. Newton called his own number when it was a 3^rd down and he ran for the first down. Cam Newton won the Heisman Trophy because he had an amazing year and he took his team to the promise land. Newton will mostly declare for the NFL draft. With his year he will go middle or late 1^st round. He reminds me of a Vince Young but Newton is a better running the Young. Players like Cam Newton are always unpredictable in the NFL.  Some fail. Some succeed. Only time will tell what Cam Newton’s legacy will really be.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Weekend Wrap-Up

So the first weekend of the playoffs is over. The big upset was obviously Seattle beating the defending champs, New Orleans Saints. I would like to say Seattle won this game but it looked like New Orleans just lost it. Their defense lost them the game, pure and simple. The 67-yard run by Marshawn Lynch to clinch the game for Seattle was one of the most pathetic attempts at tackling by the Saints I have ever seen. Now Seattle has to play the Chicago Bears and they actually will have a decent chance to win this game and advance to the NFC Championship game, Good Luck.

The Jets outplayed the Colts and won the game on a game winning field goal by Nick Folk. I did think the Colt would win this one based on their experience but I was wrong. The Jets now get to play the unstoppable Patriots, Good Luck cause you’re gonna need it.

Baltimore dominated the Chiefs. Their defense was relentless and ended up forcing 5 turnovers on the Chiefs, which won them the game. Next up for the Ravens is the Pittsburg Steelers. This game will probably be a low scoring game because they both have great defenses. This game should be a great one. The Packers beat the Eagles just like I said they would. The game came down to the wire but Michael Vick ended up throwing an end zone interception to give the game to the Packers. Now it’s Greenbay vs. Atlanta. This game looks like it is going to be a shootout and it will be exciting to watch.

NBA News

It looks like Carmelo Anthony is on the move and its not the to Knicks. The New Jersey Nets, the Denver Nuggets, and the Detroit Pistons are part of this three-team trade that will bring Carmelo to the Nets. The deal hasn’t been finalized yet but it looks like it will be within a couple of days. The trade would bring Rip Hamilton, Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony to the Nets. The Nuggets would wind up getting Derrick Favors, Devin Harris and Anthony Morrow. Now Detroit would receive Nets Center, Johan Petro, Troy Murphy, and a possible 1^st or 2^nd round draft pick. Also Al Harrington could go to the Nets as well. This trade would make the Nets a strong playoff contender and Detroit would get rid of Rip Hamilton, which they have been trying to do all season long. Stay Tuned.

Other News

Tonight at 8:30pm is the BCS National Championship Game. Auburn Tigers vs. Oregon Ducks. Both teams are very similar. They both have quarterbacks that can run and pass the ball. This game will be a track meet. It will go back and forth all throughout the game. Auburn is a bigger team, starting with Cam Newton. He is 6’6 250 and he just dominates games. I really don’t know who will win this game. Both teams have the talent to win but the one thing Auburn has that Oregon doesn’t have is Cam Newton.

Week 1 Playoff Picks

My Week 1 of the 2010 NFL Playoffs are here.

Game 1. New Orleans Saints vs. Seattle Seahawks

My Pick=New Orleans Saints

The Seahawks are the first team in NFL history to make the playoffs without a winning record and that is will it will end. Unfortunately the Seahawks have to play the current Super Bowl Champs. The Saints do have some running problems with Pierre Thomas and Chris Ivory out, but they have Drew Brees. Brees will spread out the ball and I have the Saints winning 28 to 10

Game 2. New York Jets vs. Indianapolis Colts

My Pick=Indianapolis Colts

Rematch of last season's AFC championship game. The Jets are looking for revenge.  The Colts are playing at home. Their running game has been playing very well lately and the team much more experience than the Jets. Peyton Manning is having a great year but he has been overlooked by Tom Brady. The Colts have had a ton of injuries on offense this year and Manning has still managed to win 10 games this year. Colts 27-20

Game 3. Baltimore Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs

My Pick=Baltimore Ravens

Overall the Ravens are just the better team.The Ravens defense will overpower the Chiefs offensive line. The Ravens will stop the run and pressure Matt Cassel all day long. Flacco will dump the ball off to Ray Rice and Rice will have a huge game, running the ball and catching the ball. Ravens win 24-14

Game 4. Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles

My Pick=Green Bay Packers

Clay Matthews is the key to this game. If Matthews continues to pressure Michael Vick and stop him from running the ball, the Packers will win. Aaron Rodgers has been playing very well lately and I believe he will continue that throughout the playoffs. The Packers won week 1 of the regular season against the Eagles and they should win week 1 of the postseason against the Eagles. It will be a close game but Packers win this one 27-24

I Just Don't Get It

Every morning I wake up and it seems that there is another mediocre baseball player getting a huge contract.  This morning was no different. Adrian Beltre gets a 6-year, $96 million dollar contract from the Texas Rangers. Beltre had one good year with the Red Sox and all of a sudden he is a great player, I don’t understand. Over Beltre’s career, his batting average is a .275. He doesn’t deserve that type of contract. He deserves a 6-year, $50 million contract and that is being generous. Now don't get me wrong Beltre is a good major league ball player but he is earning the money as a Albert Pujols and a Carlos Lee when he clearly doesn't put up the same type of numbers as those two players do.

Then there is Derek Jeter, the worst player in the Yankee's lineup. The Yankees gave the 36 year old shortstop a $51 million dollar contract over the next 3 year, with a 4^th year option of 8 million dollars. The people of New York think Jeter is some kind of hero. Like he has some kind of super powers (which is making the all-star game and winning the gold glove when he clearly doesn’t deserve too) but in reality he is just another washed up, old player who needs to retire. When he was in his prime he was one of the best shortstops ever but that was a long time ago. In the 2010 season he made over $22 million dollars and his average was .270 with 10 homeruns and 63 RBI. Hanley Ramirez who also plays shortstop for the Florida Marlins is younger, faster, and just an overall much better player than Jeter, made $7 million dollars in the 2010 season.  I just don’t get it.

Who is going to be the next coach at UofM?

Since I am going into sports journalism I figured I would start my own sports blog.

The big news today in the sports world is the firing of Michigan's University football coach, Rich Rodriguez. I feel bad for Rich Rod. When he was hired three years ago everybody said he wouldn't last, and he didn't. Three years wasn't enough for Rich Rod. He needed at least four. Every year the team improved. Michigan isn't known for the spread offense but when Michigan brought in Rich Rod that is what he brought. Denard Robinson won the big ten player of the year and Michigan's offense averaged just less than 500 yards a game, which was good enough for 7th in the nation. The problem wasn't with the offense. It was the defense. Opponents averaged about 35 points a game, which is ridiculously high. Any defense that gives up 35 points a game is going to lose. It was surprising that Michigan even won 7 games this past season considering their defense was that bad. Rich Rod is an offensive coach and Michigan knew that when they hired him. Michigan shouldn't have fired Rich Rod this year. They should have given him one more year to change. Michigan should have fired their defensive coordinator and kept Rich Rod.

Now Michigan wants a Michigan Man. They want someone that went to Michigan and someone that knows Michigan. The obvious choice is Jim Harbaugh. Everybody in the state of Michigan wants Harbaugh. But come on now, everyone knows that's not going to happen. Harbaugh is going to go to the NFL or stay at Stanford where he just won the Orange Bowl with a 12-1 record. The other choice is Les Miles from LSU. I don't think Les is going to go anywhere. LSU is paying him so much money, so unless Michigan can match whatever LSU is paying him, Miles isn't going anywhere. My pick to become Michigan's coach is Brady Hoke. Brady Hoke is currently the head coach at San Diego State University. Hoke is a Michigan man, so he fits what Michigan is looking for. He is a defensive coach and that is exactly what Michigan needs. Brady Hoke isn't a huge name that everyone knows. But he is a great coach. When he was coach at Ball State, he took a terrible team and turned them into a 12-1 team and 8-0 in the MAC conference. This year when he was coach of San Diego State, he took them to their first bowl game since 1998 and they dominated in that game winning 35-14 against Navy. Now don't get me wrong, Hoke is not the same caliber as Harbaugh or Les Miles but he is still one hell of a coach.