It’s A Little Chilly In Here

Before I get to Chilly being canned and my NFL picks for the week, let me first say that Auburn…I’m sorry. I did not believe in you what-so-ever and you have proven me wrong.  Cam Newton, you are a beast and Coach Gene, you are one badass mother fucker for going into Bama and wiping the floor with Nick Saban’s face in that 2nd half.  Damn…

And what a day today was in college football.  That great Iron Bowl followed by Oregon getting a scare from Arizona for three quarters until pulling away late and this Boise State v Nevada game has been everything you’d want to see in a football game.  And it’s only Friday!  Wooo!  Saturday brings us a full slate of games to get excited about as well.

Now…Chilly…

He basically was a dead man walking after that Randy Moss fiasco a few weeks back and not having the Silver Fox on your side really didn’t help him much either.  Going back a few weeks to my who said it post, you can see why no one would want to play for that guy.  He is a terrible communicator and an even worse coach.  Yeah, maybe good old #4 threw a few too many picks and yeah, maybe Sidney Rice should have gotten surgery right away but still…c’mon man.  It will be interesting to see if this Vikings team responds the way that the Cowboys did after they fired their coach and the vikes will try and salvage some sort of pride with their season.

Onto the picks…

First I’d like to say that if I had picked the Thanksgiving games I would have been 3-0, that’s kinda obvious when you look at the matchups but I digress…

Green Bay v ATLANTA

Green Bay is coming off of a beat down and a sweep of the rival Vikings and the Falcons are the newly crowned “best team” in the NFL power rankings (because, you know, those matter in the NFL when they have a playoff.  What a novel idea…)  The Falcons are at home where they are always tough but I really think the Pack and the Eagles are the teams to beat right now in the NFC.  The Packers are really good.  So is Aaron Rodgers…

Prediction: Pack 27 – ATL 21

Philadelphia v CHICAGO

I stand by my belief that the Bears are really garbage.  Plus the Eagles are good and they have a guy named Mike Vick (not to be mistaken for Michael Vick).  Mike Vick is a MVP, Jay Cutler is not…

Prediction: Phily 20 – Bears 13

Tampa Bay v BALTIMORE

That’s right, I’m jumping on the wagon Raheem!  I like the Buc’s.  I like Josh Freeman.  I like LaGarrett Blount running the ball and not punching people.  I like Mike Williams.  I like their swagger.  This will be their test.  The Ravens are a really good team and are playing at home.  Ray Ray doesn’t like to lose at home.  Ray Ray kills people when they lose at home.  I wouldn’t feel safe in Baltimore after Sunday’s game.

Prediction: Tampa 24 – Ravens 20

Indianapolis v SAN DIEGO

The Colts and Bolts meet again and come into the game with different attitudes.  The Colts just lost a heartbreaker last week in Foxboro on a last minute int thrown by Peyton and the Bolts come off of a clobbering of the Bronco’s on Monday Night Football and they look primed for another 2nd half surge.  I think Peyton rights the ship this week vs the Chargers because that’s what Peyton does, and he does it well (Tommy Boy anyone?  Anyone?)

Prediction: Colts 27 – Bolts 24

Rivalry Week!

One of the best weekends of college football is upon us with great matchups across the board.  So let’s get to my picks that are sure to be wrong shall we?

Auburn v ALABAMA

Cam Newton and his Tigers go into Tuscaloosa and have to come out with a win or else they will see their national championship dreams dashed (unless Oregon or Boise lose).  I’ve been saying that Alabama will win this game handedly and I’m not going back on that prediction now.  Alabama is just too tough at home and they will be upset minded for sure.

Prediction: Auburn 24 - ‘Bama 34

Boise State v NEVADA

If you were to tell me five years ago that Boise State vs Nevada would be a top 20 matchup I would have told you that you must have been playing NCAA 2006 for too long (quick tangent, that kinda stuff would always piss me off about college video games.  these terrible teams would be simulated to be good and mess all of the bowl games up. I guess thats how the people at the BCS feel right now.  Don’t even get me started on NCAA basketball….no 16 seed will ever beat a 1 seed.  C’mon video games)  Boise wins because they are the better football team and i wanna see them in the national championship.

Prediction: Boise 38 – Nevada 21

LSU v ARKANSAS

This game isn’t real important as far as the SEC goes because the championship game is already determined (Auburn v South Carolina) but it could have an effect of the BCS games as LSU is currently 5th and Arkansas is 12th.  Arkansas has had the upperhand lately in this matchup but in the end I think LSU is too tough defensively for Ryan Mallett and Co.

Prediction: LSU 24 – Arkansas 21

Oklahoma v OKLAHOMA STATE

BEDLAM!  Even though I have no idea what that means, everyone gets excited about it so I might as well too right?  I remember these games always being crazy and if I remember right Oklahoma State would always upset Oklahoma in some crazy way to ruin their season. Well this year the tables are tur….just kidding.  Oklahoma State is tough this year even with reloading at the QB and WR positions. As long as Justin Blackmon didn’t get drunk and drive home from the Cowboys game yesterday these Cowboys should be fine.

Prediction: Oklahoma 34 – OK State 42

UPSET PICK!!!!!!!

Iowa v MINNESOTA

Who hates Iowa? We hate Iowa! Gophs running the table to end the year and shockin the world!

Prediction: Iowa 24 – Minnesota 28 

 

NFL picks coming tomorrow.

The Greatest Professional Wrestling Gimmick of All Time

Tubby! Tubby! Tubby!

Well well well.  Look who got the first statement win of the season.  That’s right.  A University of Minnesota athletic team has actually pulled a major upset in a major sport and I’m majorly excited (you see what I did there?)  The Gophers beat the Tar Heels out of North Carolina (and ranked #8 in the nation) 72-67.  Harrison Barnes really showed why he was the first freshman to be a pre-season All-American by shooting 0-13 and Blake Hoffarber lead the way for the Gophers by scoring 20 points (and jacking up a shit ton of 3’s.  That’a boy Blake, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take).  TUBBY!

Anyway, there is still football to be played this weekend and the most ridiculous story of the weekend is not Cam Newtown getting paid a lot to play a spot he should be playing for free*. It’s the game that is to be played in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field.  What a story this is.  Northwestern faces off against in-state rival Illinois in the ballpark that hasn’t seen football in 70 years.  Only they aren’t using the old field layout that the Bears used to use, they decided to have one endzone in the 3rd base foul territory and the other one in right field.

This right field endzone is where the trouble lies.  This picture says it all…

Would you want to play on that field?  The outfield wall is only six inches away from the back endzone line.  Its basically Arena Football (which, unbeknownst to me, is back and going strong) for half of an endzone. So what do they do?  Well, they decided to have the offenses for each team try and score in the same endzone.  Obviously not the end zone above.  So basically if you have a seat in right field, sucks to be you because the only scoring you will see in your face is a defensive one.  My question is, why didn’t anyone think of this sooner?  It’s like they put up the padding and thought, “Wait a minute.  This doesn’t seem right.”  Well good thing that they decided to change it the day before they play the game, that was probably scheduled years ago, which meant that they would have already decided that Wrigley Field was suitable for that said football game to be played…something like that.

On to the picks! (Home team in CAPS)

Ohio State vs IOWA

Ohio State is coming off a big home win vs Penn State and Iowa is coming off a loss late in their game vs Northwestern (which lost QB Dan Persa on the game winning touchdown).  Iowa is allllways good at home and they showed that as they really took it to Michigan State but I like my Buckeyes in this one.  TPeezy2 will come ready to play and I think OSU has too many players for the Hawkeyes.

Prediction: OSU 20 – Iowa 9

Virginia Tech vs MIAMI

I’m picking Miami in this game for two reasons: One, this video:

and #2, I had to live 30 minutes away from Virginia Tech and Blacksburg, VA and all you hear about is Hokie this and Hokie that.  Well, screw you Hokies.  ITS ALL ABOUT DA U!

Prediction: Va Tech 21 – Da U 34

UPSET PICK!!!!  Wisconsin vs MICHIGAN

Fuck Wisconsin, clap clap clap clap clap, Fuck Wisconsin, clap clap clap clap clap

Prediction: Bucky 24 – Michigan 38

Green Bay vs MINNESOTA

Well Brett, this is it.  How fitting that this game is against the Packers too?  If the Vikings lose they go to 3-7 and for sure out of the playoffs and done for the season.  Does a loss mean that we see some T-Jack action?  Does a loss mean that Brett Favre gets surgery and retires? Could we see the last game ever played by Brett Favre?  Am I blowing your mind? 

Prediction: Packers 24 – Vikings 27

HOW ABOUT NOW!

Indianapolis vs NEW ENGLAND

The annual Manning-Brady bowl is also played this weekend marking the 11th time since 2002 that these qb’s have faced off and wouldn’t ya know it, the series is tied at 5 a piece.  Fitting right?  I expect the Patriots to hold their own at home and tip the scales towards Tom and pull out a close victory vs the banged up Colts.

Prediction: Colts 17 – Pats 27

New York vs PHILADELPHIA

Did you see Mike Vick on Monday?  DID YOU! DID YOU SEE THAT! All joking aside it was probably the most impressive display ever put on by a quarterback in my lifetime and Mike Vick was the guy to do it.  This guy is unreal.  Can’t say enough about him but the Giant pass rush could cause a problem for Vick in this game.  Not saying that they will sack Vick multiple times but they will force Vick out of the pocket and to run the football.  Vick has been successful this season because he is exhausting all of this throwing options before he runs with the football, not vise versa which he was doing in his Hotlanta days.  Vick has become this year’s MVP because he is dangerous passing the football and THEN running the football.  The Giants will try to make him a running QB again.  They still will lose.

Prediction: Giants 24 – Eagles 28

Lets hope I can win more than 2 games this weekend.  Until next time…

Nyle – Let the Beat Build

Who Knew That Prison Was Good For NFL Quarterbacks?

20-28 333 yards 4 touchdowns passing with 8 rushing attempts for 80 yards and two more touchdowns.   That was Mike Vick’s stat line from last night.  Yes, the Mike Vick that spent 23 months in jail and threw like 15 passes last year.  This year he is the leader in the MVP race and his Eagles looks like real NFC contenders.  Wow right?  But this is not a praising post, this is a post where I’m going to blatantly steal an idea from DJ Gallo of Page 2 on espn.com.  His idea was simple, which players from the NFL weekend, if on a fantasy football team, would crush your fantasy team.  Only these players weren’t Tom Brady and Adrian Peterson, they were Tyler Thigpen and Adrian Peterson, you know…the other one. 

Terrible Fantasy Team That Beat Your Fantasy Team Week 10

QB: Troy Smith SF – 17-28 356 yds 1 td, 12 yards rushing = 19 pts

RB: Keiland Williams WAS – 16-86 2 td’s, 4 catches for 50 yds and 1 td = 31 pts

RB: Jerome Harrison PHI – 11-109 1 td, 1 catch for 15 yds = 17 pts

WR: Mike Thomas JAX – 8-149 1 td, 18 yards rushing = 21 pts

WR: Early Doucet AZ – 6-71 1 td = 13 pts

TE: Rob Gronkowski NE – 5-72 3 tds = 25 pts

K: Jeff Reed PIT – 1/2 fg’s = 3 pts

In honor of Jeff Reed getting cut because of last week’s 26 yard duff off of the post I leave you with this picture…

yes this is really Jeff Reed….kickers right?

Oh yeah, my picks….lets not talk about my picks.  (2-4 on the weekend, 4-9 overall.  Hey, at least I’m consistent with my two right picks a week…)

Gus Johnson!

The Gus Johnson Rule in full effect this week.