Back to the Bungals?

I had such high expectations for this team with this season with what I thought was a tough defense, a great back field, a solid QB, and of course the great T-Ocho combo. I really thought they could give the Ravens and Steelers a fight for a play-off spot but that doesn't seem like its happening anymore. This season could have easily went the other way but too many losses in close games killed them. They could easily be 5-4 if they could play a complete game on both sides of the ball. You can see the frustration from Ochocinco because theres nothing he can do against double coverage anymore. When he is open Carson Palmer hasnt been the most accurate cat and he's been hampered by a hip injury all year. The only pleasant surprise obviously is Terrell Owens who's has been loving the single coverage he gets because of his sidekick Robin getting doubled. Batman is having his best season since he had McNabb tossing him the ball. If he can keep this up maybe it will finally open up the field for Ocho to finally do something since week 1. I just hope T.O get re-signed so we can all see another season of the best show on TV the T-Ocho show. Why did it take so long for them to be on the same show?
Last year it didn't matter who was in the back field they were gonna run that football and move down the field to open up the pass game. It seems like this year the pass game has to open up then run. Last year the Bengals backs averaged 4.3 yds per carry. This year Cedric Benson is getting 3.7 yds a carry. They went from a top 10 rushing teams to a bottom 10 rushing team and that's not gonna get you in the playoffs. The defense is helping much either. Their run D is in the bottom half of the league and I'm sure their pass D will be there too after Peytons done with them this week. If they were gonna turn around the season it should have been last week and they missed their chance. They basically have to win out and that's not easy when they have to play Indy this week and still have to play the Ravens and Steelers again. Unfortunately this season is probably lost and it's time to take out the paper bags because the Bengals are back to the Bungals.

Big Disappointment in Dallas

Can it really get any worse for the Cowgirls this year? With Romo down for atleast 2 months the Cowboys can't do much worse with Kitna. This team is such a disaster and with so much talent I don't see how you can only win 1 game. Apparently people thought Dallas had a defense coming into the season and they were dead wrong. They got abused by the Giants last week and I have to admit it was pretty damn funny. Without any defense it doesn't matter how many times Kitna can hit Dez Bryant for a touchdown. Im surprised it took this long to really get him in the passing game. The problem with the Cowboys offense is that if they throw it to one guy they leave the other ones out completely. Miles Austin and Roy Williams the 1 and 2 receivers combined for 3 catches 36 yards against the Giants all of which were actually to Austin. Jason Witten on the other hand had 9 catches 96 yards and a td and Dez Bryant had 2 tds reciving too. Austin has a big game Williams and Bryant aren't heard of along with the run game. Williams has a big game Witten and Austin don't do anything. The defense plays well and the offense doesnt show up. This team can't get on the same page and I think that starts with the head coach. I think Wade Phillips should be fired and they should give the job to Jason Garrett. What do they have to lose? They're already last in a division they were predicted to win by almost everyone and they've been grooming him ever since he got his offensive coordinator position. I know Jerry Jones said he wouldn't fire Phillips during the season but who really believes him? If Dallas can't get it done vs. Jacksonville on Sunday then he should be gone no doubt. Worst passing D in league should be a walk in the park for Dallas but who knows.
If anyone can win with a 1-5 team it's Jon Kitna. He got the bumbling Seahawks to the playoffs in 1999, Got the Bengals to 8-8 after being a disaster for so many years, and even though he started the season with the 07 Lions 6-2 and ended 7-9 he still got 7 wins and 4000 passing yards with the Lions and thats a tough task. It's gonna be tough for Dallas because their aschedule isn't too easy. I don't see how Wade Phillips keeps his job and I see 10 losses for Big Disapointment this year.

Kolb is Back, Vick is Out

Mike Vick is sidelined with a rib cartiledge injury and Kolb is back as the starting quarterback this week against the 49ers. I dont think the starting job is Kolbs but what if he plays well? What if Vick is out two games and he puts up the same kind of numbers he did last year filling in for McNabb? Do you then start Kolb or go back to Vick? Thats gonna be a huge dilemma for Andy Reid because he loves Kevin Kolb, he was the starter to begin the season and he lost his job because of injury which sucks. It's not right to do the same to Vick but if Kolb plays really well Andy is in a hard place. Maybe he'll end up playing both depending on the defense who knows. I would like to see Kevin Kolb play a full game this season to see if he is the same quarterback he was last year passing for over 300 yards in two games. Kolb better keep his head up and out of the turf because right guard Nick Cole is questionable. If he gets hurt again they're down to Mike Kafka and he doesnt need to be playing for another couple years.

2010-2011 NHL Preview

The East:
It's gonna be between the Capitals and the Penguins. Both teams are way better then anyone else the east has to offer. Even though the Flyers made it to the finals last year that was only because they caught lightning in a bottle with Michael Leighton. If he plays most of a season he wont be as durable in the playoffs and he just hasn't proven he's a top goalie. There are a few other teams that could give the Caps and Pens a run for the east crown. The Devils have Ilya for a whole season now but does Brodeur have enough left in the tank? The Rangers could have a Vezina trophy winner in Lundqvist and if they can just figure out how to score on a consistent basis they could be a really good team. On the downside Glen Sather is still the GM and is bound to make a bad move. Then there is the Canadiens who have an American captain(Brian Gionta go figure) and a big question mark at goalie. Is Carey Price going to go back to All-Star form? Or is Alex Auld going to outplay him like Halak did last year. Their whole season hinges on that. The Bruins may have the best team other then Pitt and Washington but after losing like they did in last years playoffs I just don't see how you can comeback from that. I think the Pens will end up winning the east but it wont be easy.

The West:
Unlike the east, the west is full of cup contenders but no team stands out more than the Vancouver Canucks. I think they'll end up coming out of the west because they have everything a team needs to win a Stanley Cup. They have the scoring with Henrik Sedin(Hart Trophy winner) and his brother Daniel along with Ryan Kessler. They have one of the best two way defenses in the league and one of the best goalies in Robby Luongo. Even with a really good team they were very injured last year and that could kill this run. Plus with the depth in the west its going to be difficult but i think they'll get over the hump and finally beat the Blackhawks in the playoffs en route to their Stanley Cup appearance. The Red Wings will be give them a run for the best record in the west. Lidstrom making his final run and Datsyuk and Zetterberg at the top of their games they could go far but that may all depends on how good Jimmy Howard plays. San Jose is always a good team and always seem like they can make a cup run but they always hit a road block somewhere in the playoffs which i expect yet again. The Blackhawks are missing half their cup winning team. Can they really return with this one? I don't think so. I'm not a believer in Marty Turco who has been a shell of himself for the past two years. Then that leaves the L.A Kings. A team that could be 1 forward away from a cup. Look for them to make a move before the March deadline to add the immense young talent on this team. They have 2 great defensemen in Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson, An awesome 1st line of Kopitar, Brown and Ryan Smyth, and a great young goalie in Jonathan Quick. If the Kings couldve gotten Kovalchuk I'd probably have them going to the cup but theyre still one guy away. I'm anxious to see if they'll pull the trigger on something but I think the Kings will be the most exciting team to watch this year. It'd be a great thing for L.A to finally have a hockey team again.

Stanley Cup:
Canucks over Penguins. It only took 40 years but I think Vancouver will raise the cup behind stellar goal tending and the twins.

Award Winners:
Vezina- Henrik Lundqvist
Hart-Alex Ovechkin
Selke-Pavel Datsyuk
Norris-Shea Weber
Calder-Tyler Ennis
Jack Adams-Alain Vigneault

Moss back to Min

Randys back in purple and the Patriots got a 3rd rounder so they're happy. The system that Belichick runs won't go in flames without Moss. Gives Belichick and Brady a couple towel boys and cheerleaders and he'd still throw for 3500yds and 25tds. The Patriots will be fine and theyre only looking towards the future, now with 2 picks in each of the first 3 rounds of next years draft.
Hopefully Moss could be the spark that Favre needs to get out of his slump. The Vikings need a number 1 wide reciever for Favre because Greg Camarillo just doesnt cut it. With Moss, Harvin, Rice(when he comes back) and Shiancoe Favre has all the weapons he needs along with AP and a great defense theres no reason they cant make a serious Superbowl run. I think Randy is going to have a great attitude going into this and his impact is going to be dramatic. I have a feeling Favre and Moss might be hooking up a lot in the end zone and they just might give the Packers a run for the NFC North crown. (Bears aren't gonna be there)

Can the Eagles be Vicktorious?

Are the Eagles a Superbowl contender with Vick? Probably not. They lack an offensive line and have already lost Jamaal Jackson for the year. Mike Mcglynn is already having trouble filling in for him and the Eagles line is notorious for getting injured. Who's the better QB for getting away from pressure? Obviously Mike Vick but does that mean he should be starting? I'm not trying to take anything away from Vick because he has played very well(even though he should have ran that 3rd and goal in for a td week 1 but that's old news). He is a good quarterback worthy of a starting job but what is the point of starting him over Kolb? The Eagles got rid of one of the best QBs in their long history because Kevin Kolb was ready. He was prepared to be the number 1, to lead this team to the playoffs, and do what Donovan could not... Win a Superbowl. So now he's benched for the year. That's one more year he has to wait to start and he loses all that experience he could have gained. It wouldnt matter if he won 10 games or lost 10 games it's the learing he needed for next season(if there is one) where the Eagles probably would have had a better shot. I know a coaches number one goal is to win games but i'd take an 8-8 season with Kolb over a 10-6 out in 1st round with Vick to see the Eagles potentially go on a serious run next year. The Eagles very young team needs to mature a year or two. With so many young starters they don't have the experince needed to get to advance in the playoffs. Kolb now misses out on that and if he's not starting this year the Eagles best chance to win was with Donovan McNabb. Andy Reid said "Donovan is our quarterback" he gets traded. "Kolb is our quarterback" he gets benched. Are we gonna see Mike Kafka this year? I know Vick is back but can he sustain this level of play and take the Eagles to the playoffs and beyond?

NCAA Final 4 Preview

Talk about March Madness this year, damn. More emphasis on the Madness mainly because WTF and its April. Seriously wtf this year seemed to be crazier then ever and I'm sure everyones brackets are filled with red lines, lots of them. Butler in the Final 4 who wouldve thunk it. Thats why this is the greatest championship in all sports. I would not be surprised if any of these teams won it all. The way they have all played so well this year they are all deserving of being the National Champion.

What a bunch of great stories this year for all 4 teams. Butler gets to play at home and they're on a 24 game winning streak and a mid major in the Final 4. You have Tom Izzo making it for I think the 6th time in 12 years and doing it the last 2 games without the best player on the team Kalin Lucas. Then you have West Virginia making it for the first time since 1959 and Duke is finally back after being beaten for the last couple years in some very undukelike games(Nova destroying them last year, WVU a #7 in 08 beating them as a #2).

We have 2 very intriguing games tomorrow. Michigan St vs. Butler will be a very close game and should come down to the wire. These 2 teams know how to win these types of games but you have to give the edge to Michigan State and its solely based on the coaching of Tom Izzo. Butler is an odd opponent, they make you play their type of basketball with the great D they play. They force a lot of turnovers and that's something Michigan has to avoid or they will lose. That's how they beat Syracuse, Kansas State and Murray State along with rebounding. I think Tom Izzo can formulate some type of offense that can counter that amazing Butler D and beat it. That's what he does best, he makes his team play whatever style is necessary and it works. Butler is home and had an amazing run but I just don't think they can do it again. The Spartans have to handle that ball carefully and avoid the turnovers or they WILL lose. If they do that they win but it won't be by that much. My early lean is Mich St. wins 59-57.

Now for the big game of the night. Duke vs. West Virginia. Coach K vs. Bob Huggins. WVU won the last game they played against each other in the tourny but that was 2 years ago and both teams are very different. WVU will play their type of ball and try to own the boards and dish it to the cutting Kevin Jones or Desean Butler who is probably the best all around player in the final 4. Duke has the potential to be really good or just a disaster area. If they cant hit outside shots or come down with some o boards West Virginia clearly has the upper hand. But the great thing about Duke is they have 3 of the best shooters in the country in Scheyer, Singler, and Smith. If Zoubek, Plumlee and Thomas can out-rebound Butler, Jones and Ebanks and dish the ball out to those 3 shooters and if they can hit their shots Duke wins this game. If they don't hit shots and can't get those rebounds they're in trouble and the game will go the other way. This will be a high scoring game. In my heart(and in my bracket) I want to see the Mountaineers go on to face Michigan State but those Duke shooters scare the piss outta me. If they miss, WVU wins, but my early lean is Duke wins 77-69 and Richard O'Malley wins the Bracket contest :(

National Championship Michigan State-Duke.
This might sound repetetive but Duke will win if they hit their shots. If Butler somehow beats Mich State that would make it more interesting. But Duke will be the National Champs.

I just have to mention if I see a team lose a game on missed foul shots that player(s) deserve to get their hands cut off. Nothing pisses me off more then missing foul shots. There is NO EXCUSE for missing them in the final minutes and I cannot imagine how a coach feels if he loses that kind of game. Uncontrollable nausea and diarrhea? That's how I felt after Memphis choked, f****** CDR.

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