There is only one word that can accurately describe the theme of this post.
Excitement.
I am excited for many different reasons, but the mere fact that they have all culminated in one week makes for well, an exciting post.
Let's start with the Cleveland Indians. Granted they did blow a 3-1 series lead on the Red Sox, but they still have a chance to win tonight in a do-or-die game seven. Doesn't get too much more exciting than that.
The Cleveland Browns entered their bye week this year with a 3-3 record. After their opening day display I would have thought that to be impossible. It makes these next couple games they play quite exciting.
I went 9-4 last week in these picks, which just so happened to be the best record for week six. That puts me in a tie with Sara for first place. You can feel the excitement in the air.
Lastly, I'm registering for classes at Ohio University on Friday for the first time in over a year. Albeit a very simple thing, for me, it's signifying the beginning of the end of my collegiate career. The goal is in sight, and I'm kick-starting that this Friday. Excitement.
For some, too much excitement is a bad thing and can ruin performances. Take J-RO for example. Whenever there was too much excitement this summer during our bowling league Jared was in trouble. Also out on the golf course it would cause Jared to miss that pretty simple putt. Being surrounded with an overload of excitement caused Jared's bowling scores to lower and raised his golfing scores.
I'm also very excited to write this post. Not for my comments but to show the world the comments made by everyone else. We have another Maxine Hunt pick as well as Bart's thoughts for the week.
Like I said, excitement.
STANDINGS (after six weeks)
1) Sara 48-41 (8-5)
1) Luke 48-41 (9-4)
3) Devin 45-44 (7-6)
4) Grothaus 44-45 (5-8)
5) Mr. Normand 43-46 (6-7)
5) Kevin 43-46 (8-5)
7) Bart 42-47 (6-7)
8) Barnes 40-49 (7-6)
Here we go.
Arizona @ Washington (-7)
Well so maybe the excitement does not carry over into some of these week seven games. However, I feel the need to make the best out of a crappy situation and/or game this week.
There should be some level of excitement for this game just simply to see how Tim Rattay will handle the reigns at quarterback this week for the Cardinals. I'm a believer that Cleveland has had some raw breaks but these Arizona Cardinals can make the same argument. They entered the season with very little worries at the QB position. Now, just six weeks in, they have Tim Rattay starting. Ouch.
These Washington Redskins gave away their game last week against the Packers and should be ready to win this game convincingly. Pick: Washington
Let the best week for comments by far begin.
Bart starts out on a great note, "If any more quarterbacks get hurt Arizona will be giving Randy Johnson a call. You heard it from me first." Seriously, this might be an option at this point.
Kevin decides that the Cardinals will have some NLCS carry over, "Arizona got swept by the Rockies, so they obviously won't cover seven against the Redskins." That's one way to look at it.
Sara manages to divert my attention for a bit, "For those of you who haven't seen ... DO check out Chris Cooley's player page on sportsline.com. You won't regret it."
Mr. Normand follows my line of thinking, "Rattay, give me a break."
ARI: No one
WAS: Everyone
Atlanta @ New Orleans (-8.5)
The Saints finally showed up last week beating the Seahawks. The question is if that type of performance will continue. On the other hand, the Atlanta Falcons are starting Byron Leftwich at QB. I can not trust this New Orleans team until they show some consistency. So, believe it or not, I'm backing Leftwich in this one. I mean what's more exciting than backing Leftwich. Not much. Pick: Atlanta
Mr. Normand feels that New Orleans is ready to roll, "The Breeses are starting to bring the heat." We'll see.
Bart puts things in perspective, "Leftwich will help the Falcons, which is not really saying much because I don’t think that they can get much worse." True story.
Kevin looks back at his past comments which causes some unintentional humor, "I think somewhere in Week One I made this joke: 'Vince Young runs rampant, while Byron Leftwich laughs while watching the game with fellow recently-released quarterback Vinny Testaverde. Meanwhile, Testaverde cracks jokes about the 70s and Leftwich has no clue what he's talking about.' All of a sudden six weeks later they're both playing again. If Vinny had a game this week, I would pick both of them to win. I thought that line was pretty funny for a week one quote and now it's even better." Strong candidate for quote of the week.
ATL: Sara, Luke, Kevin, Grothaus
NO: Devin, Mr. Normand, Bart, Barnes
Baltimore (-3) @ Buffalo
This game was a difficult one for me to pick. For one, Baltimore has been playing decent but not really beating good teams. On the other hand, three points is not that much. However, the Bills have been covering at home ALL season. I'm going to follow the #1 rule in gambling and pick the Bills until they fail to cover in Buffalo. Pick: Buffalo
Sara is absolutely correct when she says, "Buffalo will try and try to give away this game at the end, too, but it'll get bailed out because I can't think of anything more pathetic than the Ravens' offense." Baltimore can not physically complete a play for more than 12 yards. Look it up.
Mr. Normand shows his true colors, "I'm rooting against my own pick here." Go Browns.
Bart chooses to keep things simple, "The Bills suck." Yeah, but I don't think Baltimore is that much better.
Kevin's Ballbuster Pick of the Week (1-4): Baltimore
Kevin decided to take the third game listed and take the team who came up first alphabetically. But first Kevin would spell the team mascot's backwards and go from there. Wow.
"snevaR @ slliB -- I've seriously hit some lows with these. I think I might have to just revert back to picking the games randomly. It's so complicated that I have to write everything out beforehand." While that is probably true, the more complicated Hunt makes these things, the better his chances to pick the winner.
BAL: Devin, Mr. Normand, Kevin, Bart, Grothaus
BUF: Sara, Luke, Barnes
Minnesota @ Dallas (-9.5)
Memo to the Cowboys last week: "Welcome to the AFC. Where actual good teams play." Dallas stays at home this week to face the all of a sudden dangerous Minnesota Vikings. Tavaris Jackson was the happiest person alive last week when Adrian Peterson ran for over 200 yards and three TD's. However, look for Dallas to come out and make Jackson beat them. Pick: Dallas
Mr. Normand thinks the Cowboys will be able to rebound from last week, "The 'boys come back from a whoopin'." If Dallas loses this game the Giants might be the best team in the NFC right now. God help us.
Maxine Hunt Pick of the Week (1-0): Dallas
"This was her exact thoughts on the pick ...
Mom: This week while i was at bodyworks, I saw the Dallas Cowboy cheerleader competition on CMT.
Mom: How's that for a reason?
She's 1-0, so I can't complain. But it was based on a country music channel, so we'll see."
Bart tells all of us where his true passion lies, "I already ate all of my popcorn, so I think I am gonna get my Lemon Heads ready instead." Yes, these are my friends.
MIN: Bart, Grothaus
DAL: Sara, Luke, Devin, Mr. Normand, Kevin, Barnes
New England (-17) @ Miami
New England is awesome. They are very very good. However, they have a history of not playing well at Miami. If EVER there was a week where I would pick against the Patriots, this would be the week. Pick: New England
Bart puts it best regarding Miami trading Chris Chambers for a 2nd round draft pick, "I don’t think getting rid of Chris Chambers is going to help them win games this year, or ever."
Sara thinks outside the box, "I just learned this week that there are officially TWO Brady's on the Patriots (the other being the back-up tight end, Kyle). 2x("Brady") + NE = Patriots beating the rest of their schedule by a zillion points instead of 1,000." It's crazy to think that this might ACTUALLY happen.
Kevin doesn't see the 17 points (which is the biggest spread we've seen yet this year) as a problem for New Engalnd, "You do realize the Browns had a 17-point lead on Miami until the Dolphins scored with under 2 minutes to go?? Wes Welker big game against his former team."
Mr. Normand disagrees, "17 points is a lot, anyone giving me more (28)?" Sorry about your luck.
NE: Sara, Luke, Devin, Kevin, Bart
MIA: Mr. Normand, Barnes, Grothaus
San Francisco @ New York Giants (-9)
The G-Men are on a roll, which is a sure sign that they are going to fall off here soon. That's just what the Giants do. They look good for a while but then stink it up when everyone starts backing them. Eli Manning does much better when everyone thinks that he's not that good. When people start liking him, he falls under the pressure and dare I say it, the excitement surrounding him. Pick: San Francisco
Bart gets strong consideration for quote of the week, "San Francisco doesn’t have enough offense or straight people in the city to have a good team." For the second time this week, yes these are my friends.
Mr. Normand is sorry he bet on Gore to win the rushing title this year. It's scary to think Adrian Peterson has a chance to win that title. I'm still furious the Browns passed him over at #3.
Kevin sums things up nicely, "The Giants are at home and Trent Dilfer is starting for the 49ers. The reason Dilfer was anything with the Ravens was because their defense covered up his awfulness." Apparently Kevin is forgetting Dilfer's wonder years with Cleveland.
SF: Luke, Barnes, Grothaus
NYG: Sara, Devin, Mr. Normand, Kevin, Bart
Tampa Bay @ Detroit (-2)
Still have no idea about either of these teams. The Lions are getting healthy this week when Calvin Johnson comes back. The Bucs barely beat Tennessee last week while the Lions had a bye week. I'll take the fresh team to win by a field goal. Pick: Detroit
Sara is glad that football players wear helmets, "Jeff Garcia + Jon Kitna = two pretty ugly dudes."
Kevin sees a Lions disaster, "Detroit defense gives this one away in the late stages of the game and Jon Kitna blows his top." We'll see.
Devin meanwhile picks Tampa Bay and wonders if it should even be allowed.
Mr. Normand follows my line of thinking, "I'm still not sure how good or bad either of these teams are." Welcome to the NFC. This could be a playoff preview for all we know.
TB: Sara, Devin, Kevin, Bart, Barnes
DET: Luke, Mr. Normand, Grothaus
Tennessee (-1) @ Houston
Is Vince Young going to play? Is Andre Johnson going to play? Well, as I write this the latter is definitely not playing. Like I've said before Johnson just makes Houston go. Without him they will fail to win this game. Even without Vince Young the Titans have a good enough defense to win this. Pick: Tennessee
Mr. Normand says exactly what I just got done saying, "Love their [Ten] defense, will Young play?" Great minds think alike.
Kevin hopes that Vince Young does not try to do too much to show off in Houston.
TEN: Luke, Devin, Mr. Normand, Kevin, Grothaus
HOU: Sara, Bart, Barnes
Kansas City @ Oakland (-3)
I heart Herm Edwards. It's really that simple. Larry Johnson is finally starting to do something and Kansas City all of a sudden doesn't look that bad. I expect this game to be close and will take the points accordingly. Pick: Kansas City
Kevin says it correctly, "Larry Johnson is going to start gathering yards now. His 'preseason' is over." True story.
Mr. Normand believes that Johnson woke up against the Bengals. Who Dey!!
KC: Sara, Luke, Devin, Mr. Normand, Kevin, Bart, Barnes
OAK: Grothaus
New York Jets @ Cincinnati (-6)
When did the Bengals get so bad? It feels all of a sudden. They won their opening week game against the Ravens and then just fell a part. They haven't won another game since. Maybe they all had to do community service at the same time and their focus slipped a bit on the field. I really don't know. However, the key to winning these things are to pick up on trends before they happen. Here's to hoping I get this one right. Pick: Cincinnati
Bart makes another provisional pick, which I will allow based on his provisions, "I am picking whoever wears the darker uniform for this game. Other than that I have no comment on this game because I think this may win the 'Boring Game of the Year Award.'" Gotta love it.
Sara has a great point, "Apparently the Bengals are playing with better teamwork now, says Marvin Lewis. Sounds like the words of a coach on the hot seat."
NYJ: Bart, Grothaus
CIN: Sara, Luke, Devin, Mr. Normand, Kevin, Bart, Barnes
Chicago @ Philadelphia (-5)
Are the Chicago Bulls better than the Philadelphia 76ers? Absolutely.
Are the Chicago Cubs better than the Philadelphia Phillies? They both got swept, but the Phillies opponent is still in it.
Would I rather travel to the Windy City or the City of Brotherly Love? Windy City, no question.
Go Bulls. Pick: Chicago
Bart keeps the ongoing theme running, "The movie still has not gotten any better, but the team has, a little." I love it.
Kevin throws in his hat for quote of the week, "Because Mike Golic said he'd be there stuffing his face with cheese steaks. Dan Marino and the folks at Nutrisystem, meanwhile, are ticked." Not a good year for Marino. Favre breaks his records, the Dolphins won't win a game and now this. He is completely miserable.
CHI: Luke, Devin, Grothaus
PHI: Sara, Mr. Normand, Kevin, Bart, Barnes
St. Louis @ Seattle (-8.5)
As Bill Simmons put it, "I hate the Seahawks." I agree. More importantly I hate Mr. Alexander. He has killed my fantasy team the last two weeks. So here it is. If he struggles again this week I'm done with him. Completely done. I'll trade him for rubbish because that is exactly what Alexander has become. However, this Rams team is pathetic. Pick: Seattle
Bart tells it like it is, "Marc Bulger is dumb."
Mr. Normand wonders if the Rams can stay this bad forever. To answer his question: if by forever you mean the rest of this year, then yes.
Kevin however still has hope, "Marc Bulger is coming back and I didn't like anything I saw out of Seattle's defense last week. The Rams will at least keep it close, even without Steven Jackson." When I first read this it made me like my pick a lot more.
STL: Mr. Normand, Kevin, Grothaus
SEA: Sara, Luke, Devin, Bart, Barnes
Pittsburgh (-3.5) @ Denver
When I first saw this game I guessed the spread would be around (-8) for Pittsburgh. However I was quite surprised to see it down to the current (-3.5). This makes me question if the oddsmakers know something I don't. I do know that Denver is not very good this year. I do know that Pittsburgh is better than the Broncos. Both teams are coming off a bye week and as much as I want to back the Broncos, I can't afford to give away games right now. Pick: Pittsburgh
Sara, as her father did earlier, shows her true colors, "Pittsburgh sucks."
Kevin comes through with THE quote of the week, "This is Denver's last chance to keep fans from leaving Invesco Field and heading to Coors Field. It could also be Travis Henry's second-to-last game at Invesco for a year. I would use the name 'Mile High Stadium' in this situation just because Henry is likely to be suspended for marijuana charges, but I still hate John Elway. And Ernest Byner. But Elway more." Congrats Hunt. This was a tough week to win it.
Mr. Normand picks the Broncos but simply because he too hates the Steelers. I'm a big fan of family ties, especially when the Browns are involved.
PIT: Sara, Luke, Devin, Bart, Barnes, Grothaus
DEN: Mr. Normand, Kevin
Indianapolis (-3) @ Jacksonville
These are two very good teams doing battle on Monday Night Football. The key here will be Peyton Manning. Manning always performs well on MNF and I expect him to do the same here this week. The Colts are fresh, as they had a bye week last week and their stars are starting to get healthy. Don't be surprised if this comes down to the last few minutes, but the Colts will come away with the win and the cover. Pick: Indianapolis
Kevin expects the same thing as me, "NEW ENGLAND IS THE BEST TEAM IN THE ENTIRE WORLD!! Oh yeah, Indy didn't play last week. I guess by luck they just don't get publicity. I look for the 'O' and the 'D' to come out in full force on Monday Night." New England IS the best team Hunt, but the Colts are 2nd, no doubt.
Mr. Normand also picks the Colts because their weapons are healing.
IND: Everyone
JAX: No one
That wraps it up for week seven. My apologies for not posting this until 1:45. These picks were all made and the column was ready to go I just simply forgot that I had not posted it yet.
I can't think of a more exciting and/or fitting way to end this post than with the return of Bart's Thoughts of the Week. Enjoy.
"Let me start off by saying sorry to all of the fans of my comments, my computer has been broke for the last two weeks therefore making it hard to send emails. To the other seven billion people in the world, you are going to have to start suffering through them again. Kevin you were definitely wrong last week with your 'Boring Game of the Week' pick, I mean, I don’t know what you look for but, a medium amount of scoring by both teams, a rookie running back with more than 200 yards and 3 TDs, Devin Hester (need I say more?), and a last second field goal to win the game, does not constitute boring in my book. Nice pick Kevin. That’s all I got. Good luck to Sunderland of the English Premier Soccer League, they will be facing West Ham United on Sunday in a very tough road match."
Best of luck to everyone and GO TRIBE!!!
"Read it, roll it, hole it."
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