NFL Playoffs- Call me crazy but I’m a little confused why they didn’t put one game on Saturday and the other on Sunday. It’s not like there was anything really worth watching on Saturday besides of course the Shrine game, which had football fans captivated throughout its entirety. Anyways onto the action.
Packers 21 Bears 14- I picked the Packers based on the fact that Jay Cutler would implode and throw four interceptions. I’d like to say I got the implosion part right but I never thought it would be an injury. To show how well he is liked around the league I figured I would give you a couple tweets from fellow NFL players. From Maurice Jones-Drew “Hey I think the urban meyer rule is effect right now... When the going gets tough........QUIT..” and “All I'm saying is that he can finish the game on a hurt knee... I played the whole season on one...”. From Derrick Brooks “FOX HAVENT SHOWED ANY TRAINERS LOOKING AT CUTLER, UMMM”. And my personal favorite from Anthony Armstrong “Knee-gate in Chicago”. Seriously I think a Bears vs. Steelers matchup would have matched up the two most hated quarterbacks in the league besides Brett Favre who is a landslide winner in this category. Fortunately for both Cutler and Roethlisberger the top spot appears to be up for grabs for the next NFL season (whenever that is). Of course all this will be ruined once Favre realizes there can’t be a SportsCenter without him being mentioned. Back to the game I’m quite sure Todd Collins is the worst Quarterback in the league right now, having him as the backup is a disgrace to playoff football and Caleb Hanie. Looking back on it the Bears wasted two possessions with Collins at the helm. Once Collins was shown warming up I told anyone that would listen that this game was effectively over. Little did I know that the Bears followed the standard procedure of having their best quarterback at number three on their depth chart.
Great comeback effort by Hanie which was helped by the Packers playing defense like any gain under twenty yards was a success. In another viewing of why defensive tackles can’t be trusted with the ball B.J. Raji intercepted a Hanie pass and then rumbled into the end zone while fumbling just inches past the pylon. Instead of doing the smart thing and recovering the ball Raji proceeded to turn around and make sure the official signaled a touchdown before starting either the best or worst touchdown celebration of the postseason (we miss you Ochocinco). There’s no in-between on this matter. Meanwhile two of his teammates that actually have some common-sense made sure that they recovered the ball before it rolled out of the back end of the end zone. Mike Martz of course had his one baffling play of the day when he called for a reverse on a 3rd and three with roughly fifty seconds left on the clock. Mark it down Cutler will not win a Super Bowl and I really doubt he ever gets this far again. They basically lucked themselves into the NFC Championship this year when they drew the Seahawks as their matchup. The Packers defense won them this game with Aaron Rodgers struggling in the elements. If I’m a Bears fan the one thing that will haunt me about this game is Brian Urlacher getting tackled by Rodgers after his goal line interception. Not trying to be harsh on the guy but anytime you have a quarterback between you and the end zone I expect the defensive player to win. Who would have thought this would have been Rodgers best play of the game? San Francisco fans can be heard saying the only difference between Rodgers and Alex Smith is that Smith misses those tackles. As long as the Packers aren’t up by more than fourteen their defense can shut any one down in the league right now. Side note is there any worse division for Rodgers to play in the guy is dynamite in domes/warm weather environments. Luckily for Rodgers and the cheeseheads the Super Bowl is getting played in Jerry’s world, bigger factor than you would think.
Steelers 24 Jets 19- Time for the Rex Ryan offseason foot jokes to begin. I don’t know about you guys but not having Rex Ryan quotes for the next two weeks feels like the biggest loss of the post-season. To the Jets this was viewed as the Pro-Bowl as they had already won the Super Bowl last week by defeating the Patriots. Side note who decided it was a good idea to have the Pro-Bowl the week before the Super Bowl? Really doesn’t affect me as I never watch it but just the idea sounds bad. On to the game any one who predicted a 24 to 19 final score is an idiot or has no idea how the football scoring system works. This is twice in the past couple weeks that a team has lost with 19 points (Ducks) so memo to other teams; don’t score 19 points bad things happen. Two plays determined this game; the Mark Sanchez fumble that was recovered for a touchdown and LaDainian Tomlinson getting stuffed on fourth and goal. I might be in the minority on this one but the decision to go for points by Ryan and the Jets with under two minutes left in the half was a stupid. Their offense had absolutely nothing going for it and I mean absolutely nothing, they only had fifty total yards at the half with the majority on the last drive that led to a field goal. I understand the need to get some points on the board but when your offense is playing that poorly there is always going to be the chance that you end up digging yourself a bigger hole. This is exactly what the Jets did (questionable call on the fumble) and it ended up being the difference. Tomlinson getting stuffed on the one was the other big play and who knows what would have happened if he is to punch it in. I have a couple problems with the play-calling/personnel that was used in this situation. The first down run was fine but then it gets a little strange the next pass plays had about zero chance of being completed. Your offensive motto is “Ground and Pound” give Shonn Greene the rock four times and he’s getting in the end zone. Side note as a disappointed fantasy owner of Greene this year I will still say this Greene is going to blow up next year (don’t remember anyone saying that this year). Giving the rock to Tomlinson on the fourth down run was also ill-advised in my opinion because he couldn’t get anything going at all throughout the game (9 carries for 16 yards). Greene was the only one that could get anything on the ground going plus I’m not to sure if he can be tackled backward (dude is a tank). Also if you’re going to throw a pass why not dial up the play that had Cotchery wide open by thirty yards later in the game. I understand I’m being a Monday morning quarterback but really not that big a fan of what they tried to do there.
As for the Steelers another impressive effort that gave them just enough to get the victory. Couple of things that caught my eye were the Maurkice Pouncey injury, the Steelers blitz packages, and Rashard Mendenhall running through the Jet defense at will. If Pouncey is unable to go in the Super Bowl this would be a considerable loss for the Steelers as evidenced by some questionable snap exchanges but also how much starting centers mean to both the quarterback and the rest of offensive line. Even though the Steelers only registered two sacks it is clear that they can and will bring pressure at Aaron Rodgers from every angle. This to me is going to be the match-up of the game as the Packers at times have some issues protecting the quarterback and for those of you who didn’t see Matt Flynn guiding the Packers, be glad I still am scarred from watching that. Lastly if Mendenhall is able to run like he was today the Steelers will be your Super Bowl winners. The ability to run gives the Steelers great balance and when you can get teams biting on Big Ben’s play-action the most likely end result is getting to watch Mike Wallace jog into the end-zone. The Packers have good corners but there has been at least one play every game where Wallace is open deep its just a question of whether Roethlisberger is going to make the pass (under threw the one this past game).
NBA- Someone finally told Mike Miller that he can’t just watch Wade, Bosh, and James. Apparently Miller thought it was perfectly reasonable to wave his towel on the bench and then receive his championship ring. Miller is a great player as fourth option although I’m not to sure where he exactly fits as for those that didn’t notice (many of you) the Heat have James and Wade at the two and three spots. If the Clippers realized that starting one and thirteen was unacceptable for playoff teams they would be right in the thick of the playoff hunt. Who can blame them though they just wanted to make it more challenging for themselves by starting so poorly because they are regular playoff entrants. Unfortunately for all viewers that hate SportsCenter being held hostage by Carmelo Anthony and his desire to play for Knicks, Anthony remains untraded. Can we all just say that there is no chance Anthony is playing for anyone besides the Knicks next year? Apparently the Nets came to their senses and realized having Melo and Chauncey Billups would basically be the Nuggets East, an exciting team that can’t win a title. Somewhere in New Jersey Troy Murphy continues to rot. I feel for the guy he goes from the Pacers to the Nets who then tell him he can’t play, good news for him his rumored trade to Detroit was nixed. I’m not to sure if going from New Jersey to Detroit is really an upgrade though. Power forwards everywhere are still eagerly waiting the day that him and his no-defense policy return.
Also I may be missing something but doesn’t the NBA need some rivalries? I would love to see the Clippers and Lakers begin one but that’s going to take a couple years because the Clippers need to continue to establish themselves as a legitimate NBA team instead of the D-League team that no one watched for the last couple of years. Side note is there a more intimidating front-court than Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan? Both those guys are absolute freak athletes and one day both will go up for an alley-oop and the rim will break prior to impact due to fear. You can’t go back to a Griffin and Chris Kaman lineup after watching Jordan and Griffin can you? I know it’s the Clippers and they will screw this up but this is team that seems to have all the bases covered and just needs a year or two before it becomes a legitimate title contender (think Thunder two years back). In news that no-one noticed or cared about the Hornets defense threw up back to back games in which they allowed 59 and 72 points. Anytime you play defense this well (it’s no fluke either they are number one in the league only giving up 91 pts a game) your going to succeed with Chris Paul running the show. Somewhere in Madison Square Garden the Knicks continue to practice their offense so they can offset their average of giving up 91 points through three quarters. It’s a little sad because the Hornets are absolutely awful at the shooting guard and small forward positions. If Chris Paul had another legitimate scorer running the wing besides him this team would be downright scary. I’m not to sure that the Hornets have the resources to swing a deal but even Richard Hamilton would be an upgrade (Stephen Jackson would make them a title contender).
NCAA Basketball- Really don’t have much to contribute for this sport (don’t really expect anything not Pac-10 related or March Madness related) but how is Kyrie Irving out indefinitely with a toe injury? I don’t know much about the situation but he might be out for the year with a toe injury? I always think I miss something but his status stays the same week after week. I saw him play the Ducks at the Rose Garden and this guy is dynamite but the whole toe injury thing has me a little miffed.
MLB- Really won’t focus on this until Spring Training commences and all the free agency dust has settled but I would like to remark that I thought that the Angels made a smart move by realizing the way to go was to overpay a player through trading and not through free agency. They passed on giving Carl Crawford a couple million more than he deserved so they could instead turn and give that to Vernon Wells. Trust me this move is as bad as it sounds I’m really not to sure that Vernon Wells is that much better than Juan Rivera who he basically replaces through this trade (at a price of more than 15 million more per year). The Rangers will win this division for at least five straight years unless the Athletics suddenly decide to spend money.
The news that everyone has been waiting to hear
Wet Bandits 38 Three Legged Greg 35- For those wondering who the Wet Bandits are this is my intramural team (trust me I was not in charge of the name) and we were able to pull out the victory in a game that had fans running for the exit. On second thought there were no fans to begin with. I think we had a range of scores from our players of three to seven. I know balance is a good thing but this was a little too ridiculous. It didn’t help that the refs thought every time a shot was attempted there had to be a foul called. Sad but true I think an opposing player fouled out in four minutes (Greg Oden is jealous). For those that didn’t catch SportsCenter I only scored three points, which puts my average at a robust three points per game for the year. Right now you should be checking if I’m still available in your fantasy leagues.
The Week Moving Forward
NFL- Nothing much will happen during this week but one thing to watch will be what the lines are for best commercial during the Super Bowl (I wish this actually existed). For this to be truly epic Clay Mathews needs to be signed to a shampoo deal to go against Troy Polumalu and Head and Shoulders shampoo. For my enjoyment I will act like some mysterious shampoo company follows my advice.
2-1- Beer commercials
They seem to have the funniest commercials every year and I think this year will be no different. I’m expecting big things from Bud Light personally.
3-1 Soft Drinks
Pepsi vs. Coke enough said.
7-1 Chips commercials
They always seem to have one or two that is absolutely hilarious but the rest are just awful. Cheetos are my chips to watch.
10-1 Mysterious Shampoo Competitor
I’m a guy I don’t know shampoos so this will have to be mysterious shampoo competitor (I had to Google who Troy Polumalu was signed with for those who wondered how I knew this) but this competitor whoever it may be is going to have to go big to knock off Head and Shoulders.
12-1 Head and Shoulders
They have to maintain their alpha-dog status, I’m not expecting too much though.
15-1 The field
If these were actual lines I’m really not to sure whom I would pick because you just don’t know, no matter what the so-called experts say.
100,000-1 GoDaddy.Com
Vegas will laugh while they take your money, don’t fall for the crazy odds, these ads always suck.
NBA- The NBA weekly outlook will remain the same for this week as it has been for the last month in that Carmelo Anthony will be on the verge of going somewhere only to have the deal somehow fall through at the last moment. There’s only three ways that this situation is going to play out; he stays in Denver for the rest of the season and then bolts for the Knicks, gets traded to the Knicks before the deadline and gets his contract extension from the Knicks, or gets traded to the Mavericks for half a season and then signs with the Knicks (this has a roughly zero percent chance of happening anyway). I really have no idea how this will end up playing out but one thing I can guarantee is that Melo will be playing for the Knicks next year (gut feeling Melo really keeps his feelings to himself). I’m not to sure what the Nuggets are supposed to do hear because Melo has basically ruined any chance for them to receive a fair trade offer by making it known that he won’t resign with any team not playing their home games in Madison Square Garden. This really leaves the Nuggets in a bad spot similar to the Cavaliers and Raptors of last year, you have a star that isn’t going to resign no matter what you do. The Cavaliers situation is different because LeBron was actually thought to seriously consider resigning in Cleveland but the Bosh situation is nearly identical in that the Raptor’s foolishly thought they had a shot at resigning Bosh right up until the moment that he left, leaving them with nothing. The Nuggets have to look at these two examples and realize no matter how badly they want to believe Melo will resign with them its time to move on. Unfortunately moving on for them means they aren’t going to get full value for Anthony, but they have to get something of value in return.
A trade package headlined by Danilo Gallinari and two trillion late first round picks really doesn’t do it for me either but you have to get something out of this. Side note Gallinari might be the single most confusing player to watch play I know he’s coming off an injury but he can somehow seem athletically explosive on offense and then on defense he appears to fit my definition of a stiff (someone that is white and cannot move in a way that can be called athletic). This actually might be the only reason I can watch the Knicks play defense. As for the Mavericks angle of this they don’t have the resources to pull this off but they would be the only team willing to take on Melo for half of a year. It’s really too bad that they decided to grossly overpay Brendan Haywood because if they had some cap space they could probably make a halfway decent offer for Melo. In other news the Eastern Conference will change their playoff system by either removing their last two playoff spots or taking two Western Conference teams. I’m in favor of the second idea personally because the Clippers, Warriors, Grizzlies, or Suns are infinitely better to watch than whomever takes the last two spots in the East (76ers, Pacers, Bucks, Bobcats). I’d also be fine with them just giving the top two teams in the East a bye instead of wasting television watching the Celtics and Heat lead each game by twenty plus points at the half.
Wet Bandits (-12) over Unnamed Opponent- I have forgotten how to check our intramural schedule so therefore we are playing unnamed opponent. This however hasn’t stopped Vegas from putting us as heavy favorites because of our incredible team chemistry (Henderson Hall representing). This game hinges on whether the Wet Bandits will be receiving the services of their star player (the one averaging a robust three points a game) who at times can be extremely forgetful. This star player might also pull a Cutler and become “injured” if the going gets tough (I had to say it).
NCAAB- Someone will finally locate the center court line at new Matt Knight arena.
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