NFL Divisional Playoff Preview

Some tough games to pick are on the slate for this weekend. They should be some damn good ones though.

@

These two teams played in week 5 and the Titans won 13-10 on a late TD drive. The Ravens are considerably better now. Back in week 5 they had just lost in Pittsburgh, went to  Tennessee and lost and went on to lose in week 6 in Indy–giving them a 3 game losing streak against some tough teams.

The Titans biggest pro has to be that they are rested while Baltimore had to play their physical style of game play just last weekend. The Ravens best asset is still their defense even if not fully rested.

The Ravens cause for concern has to be the rookie QB going against a good Titans defense. On the other hand the Titans have not been playing meaningful games the last several weeks. That can sometimes hurt a team.

The Pick: Ravens

@

Most people are not giving the Cardinals a snow balls chance in Phoenix to win this game. I’ll tell you right now I’m not picking them straight up but I wouldn’t bury them just yet.

They could be getting as many as 10 points by kick off. The Cardinals already kept it close in Carolina earlier this year and now they have to be playing with even more confidence.

That being said, there is not much to say. The Panthers are the better team.

The Pick: Panthers

@

I give the Eagles the best change at getting the road win this weekend. They already beat the Giants in New York in week 14.

It’s hard because you never know which Eagles team is going to show up or should I say which McNabb. At the same time the Giants have struggled for several weeks now.

One key is is Brandon Jacobs is truly healthy. In the Giants loss to the Eagles he was held to 52 yards.

The Pick: Eagles

@

The big question; is Roethlisberger healthy? I do not think that it is going to matter THAT much. The Steelers passing game is not what is going to win the game for them. Compared to last week, I don’t think that the Chargers running attack is going to be as affective against the Steelers.

If this ends up being an ugly, low scoring game again then you have to think that the Steelers and their defense have the upper hand.

The Pick: Steelers

Read Full Post »

Arizona Cardinals; the worst of the best

The Arizona Cardinals might be the worst team to see playoff action in recent memory.

Who is going to be the lucky team that gets to play the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the playoffs this year? Arizona is nearly locked up at the 4th seed (but could still get the 3 spot with a couple of Viking losses) and will play the 5th seed.  Right now, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the lucky winners.

The Cardinals packed it in two weeks ago after clinching the worst division in football. Both the NFC and AFC west divisions are jokes this year. That 5th seed looks more and more friendly.

In fact, the AFC East team that doesn’t get in (Jets, ‘Phins or Pats) should just get the 4 seed in the NFC. F- it.

Also, as you know, the Panthers and Giants week 16 game is for the #1 seed in the NFC. This also means that whoever is the number one seed gets to be on the Cardinals/Bucs side of the playoff bracket which is seemingly a better place to be than the potential Minnesota/Atlanta side.

It looks like that NFC #1 seed have a great shot at hosting the NFC Championship game on January 20th. Current odds to win the NFC Championship; Gitans 7:4 and Panthers 2:1.

Read Full Post »

Plaxico Burress turns himself in, oddly appears healthier than ever

In this clip of Burress making his way into the Police station to turn himself in there is something that strikes me odd…

This man, who has had both ankle and hammy issues and been listed as ‘probable’ for a seemingly gazillion straight weeks, does not have crutches nor does he seem to be in any discomfort. Dude, just got shot in the thigh and hes walking around a lot better than he was during training camp!

Burress has long been know for playing through injuries. I am not sure how substantial any of them truly were but I can imagine a bullet to the thigh is up there.

A couple of things that I’ve heard regarding this situation that I have not seen being widely reported…

1. The gun was a Glock semiautomatic pistol

2. Burress was wearing sweatpants to the club on Friday night

3. Burress had a drink in one hand when the pistol went tumbling to the ground and fired hitting his thigh

4. The club was Latin Quarter in Manhattan

5. The first thing Burress said was to Antonio Pierce and was, “It hurts! It hurts!”

6. When Plax got to the hospital at Cornell he said his name was “Harris Smith” and that the injury had occurred at an Applebees

7. The club does not allow weapons and has metal detectors–thus Plaxico had to bribe his way in with the gun

8. The reason Burress gave for needing the weapon… “he had a lot of money and jewelry on him”

I’ve been a huge Plaxico fan since his Pittsburgh days coming out of MSU but I think this is the end of the line in New York for Burress. I would expect the Giants to recoup much of his $10+ million signing bonus and say see ya later to Plaxico as soon as the legal system runs it’s course.

Read Full Post »

Breaking News: Giants’ Plaxico Burress accidentally shot at club

Both ESPN and FOX SPORTS are reporting that Plaxico Burress was “accidentally” shot on Friday night at a night club in New York City. He spent Friday night in the hospital and was released Saturday morning.

UPDATE: ESPN has reported that Plaxico told the Giants that he shot himself accidentally at a club in Manhattan.

Read Full Post »

November 6th — Sports news from the link tank

Kansas loss won’t slow Coach Cal or Memphis — (FoxSports.com)

Life will not be as easy as it was last year when the Tigers were ranked No. 1 in the AP poll for the second time in school history and set an NCAA Division I record for victories in a season with 38. Memphis has non-league road games against Gonzaga, Georgetown and Tennessee and plays Syracuse, UMass and Cincinnati at home. They also play in a tournament in Puerto Rico, most likely drawing USC or Missouri.

But no one is questioning the Tigers’ credentials, anymore.

Calipari arrived at Memphis in 2000. He has averaged 27.3 victories during his first eight seasons there, coaching the Tigers, who were seeded 1, 3, 1 the last three tournaments, to the Elite Eight in 2006 and 2007 before advancing to the national title game last spring.

Giants Shut Down Tyree for Season; Raiders Cut Hall — (NYtimes.com)

David Tyree said he did not want to sound arrogant, but he thought he still might have something great left to accomplish in football, something even better than his celebrated catch last season that helped win the Super Bowl.

But Tyree will have to wait until at least next season to do it because the Giants put him on the injured reserve list Wednesday. He missed the first six weeks of the season while recovering from knee surgery.

Around FCS: Campaigning for playoff berths — (SportsNetwork.com)

As a nation, we’ve watched an exhausting presidential campaign wind its way to the finish line with the election of Barack Obama on Tuesday. I, for one, am glad it doesn’t take that long for teams to make their appeals for spots in the FCS playoffs.

You have an 11 or 12-game schedule for teams to state their cases before 16 squads move on to the postseason.

When the calendar turns the corner on November, you know you are in the stretch run for the regular season. Teams have just three more weekends to prove they belong.

When it comes to class, Garret Anderson could teach Jeff Kent — (LAtimes.com)

I spent four years trying to understand Jeff Kent, so many trying and aggravating chats before making a breakthrough here and there.

As bright as he was, Kent had so much to offer but was so unwilling to share it. His final days with the Dodgers were bitter ones, and off to himself as if he could separate himself any more from the team, he finally got his wish, leaving without any fanfare.

“Open-minded” about trading Holliday — (DenverPost.com)

O’Dowd is looking for the best deal, not the best pitchers, with multiple opposing executives predicting that Philadelphia and Oakland are the most likely trade partners.

“There is not much pitching in the market available. Period,” O’Dowd said. “And any pitching we get will likely be projection pitching. Not that guy that has been there, done it. We are completely open-minded to anything.”

O’Dowd has been laying the groundwork for weeks regarding Holliday, trying to sift through the best fits. O’Dowd held extensive talks with Philadelphia in July regarding Holliday and Brian Fuentes, asking for Triple-A pitching prospect Carlos Carrasco and big-league starter J.A. Happ. In the playoffs, multiple Phillies players were convinced the team would make another serious run at Holliday if left fielder Pat Burrell wasn’t re-signed.

Read Full Post »