2007 NFL Picks Week Three

My apologies for having such an abbreviated post this week. I'm going to be on the road much of the weekend and I did not allocate enough time for me to put up my usual 3,000 word column. This one will be more like 300.

Week Two of the NFL was bizarre. We saw the Cleveland Browns score 51 points and actually win. A couple years ago they scored 48 points and still managed to lose by double digits. We also saw the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings play in a game that can only be described as "downright ugly." It was one of those games where the teams were being overly polite throughout, "no, you go ahead and win, we really don't want to" or "no really, we don't mind." It was fitting FOX televised the game. As Homer Simpson put it, "I'm the worst thing to happen in sports since FOX." Absolutely.

In our picks we saw Sara have the best week, posting a 10-6 record. Sara managed to pick up two games on the entire field as the next closest went just 8-8. Barnes remains on top after two weeks, with a three way tie for second just two games back. Grothaus and Bart both took two steps in the wrong direction, each going 5-11.

STANDINGS
1) Barnes 19-13 (8-8)
2) Devin 17-15 (8-8)
2) Sara 17-15 (10-6)
2) Mr. N 17-15 (8-8)
5) Luke 16-16 (7-9)
6) Kevin 15-17 (7-9)
6) Grothaus 15-17 (5-11)
8) Bart 13-19 (5-11)

A couple of notes before the abbreviated picks. Kevin and Sara both had dreams last week involving the Cleveland Browns. Hunt dreamed he played for the Browns and after scoring a TD, Webster Slaughter came on to the field to celebrate. Sara meanwhile dreamed of marrying Derek Anderson. No joke. Bart meanwhile was so upset after last week he turned to Bone Thugs N' Harmony for all of his picks this week. The song Bart picked was "Thugs Mentality." If the team or region was represented in the song, Bart picked them for Week Three. Yes, these are my friends.

Indianapolis (-6) @ Houston

The Texans are playing without WR Andre Johnson. QB Matt Schaub won't know where to throw the ball. Pick: Indianapolis

Ind: Sara, Kevin, Mr. Normand, Devin, Luke, Barnes, Grothaus
Hou: Bart "My Texas thugs."

San Diego (-4.5) @ Green Bay

L.T has yet to return to his normal form. Expect him to get back to business this week. Pick: San Diego

SD: Sara, Mr. Normand, Devin, Luke, Barnes, Grothaus, Bart "My California thugs."
GB: Kevin

Minnesota @ Kansas City (-2.5)

Like I said last week. TAVARIS JACKSON ON THE ROAD!! TAVARIS JACKSON ON THE ROAD!! Pick: Kansas City

Min: Sara, Mr. Normand, Devin, Barnes, Grothaus
KC: Kevin, Luke, Bart "My Kansas City thugs."

Detroit @ Philadelphia (-6.5)

Six and a half points is a lot for a team that hasn't won a game facing a team that hasn't lost a game yet. If Donovan McNabb thinks he gets a lot of criticism, wait until they lose this one at home. Pick: Detroit

Det: Devin, Mr. Normand, Luke, Barnes, Bart "My Detroit thugs"
Phi: Sara, Kevin, Grothaus

Buffalo @ New England (-16.5)

This is the biggest spread we have seen all year. Until the Patriots stop covering, I'm not going to stop picking them. Pick: New England

Buf: Sara, Kevin, Mr. Normand, Barnes, Bart "My N.Y thugs", Devin
NE: Luke, Grothaus

Miami @ New York Jets (-3)

The Jets did not look that bad last week at Baltimore. Here's to hoping they continue that trend. Pick: New York Jets

Mia: Barnes, Bart "My Miami thugs"
NYJ: Sara, Kevin, Mr. Normand, Devin, Luke, Grothaus

San Francisco @ Pittsburgh (-8.5)

Pittsburgh had without a doubt the worst uniforms I've ever seen last week. For that reason alone, I'm taking the points. Pick: San Francisco

SF: Sara, Luke, Barnes, Grothaus, Bart "My California thugs"
Pit: Kevin, Mr. Normand, Devin

Arizona @ Baltimore (-8)

I still don't have a good feeling about this Cardinals team. Something tells me they could actually even win this game. I'm going against that feeling however. Pick: Baltimore

Ari: Sara, Devin, Grothaus, Bart "My Arizona thugs"
Bal: Kevin, Mr. Normand, Luke, Barnes

St. Louis @ Tampa Bay (-3.5)

Tampa Bay is not capable of having a winning streak, and RB Steven Jackson has yet to have a big game. Pick: St. Louis

Stl: Sara, Devin, Kevin, Luke, Grothaus, Barnes, Bart "My St. Louis thugs"
TB: Mr. Normand

Jacksonville @ Denver (-3)

Denver is 2-0, yet 0-2 ATS. To make matters worse, I've picked them both weeks. As our President G.W. Bush put it, "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice ... we can't be fooled again." You got it G.W. Pick: Jacksonville

Jax: Luke, Grothaus, Sara
Den: Kevin, Devin, Barnes, Mr. Normand, Bart "My Colorado thugs."

Cincinnati @ Seattle (-3)

Seattle let me down big time last week. If Cincy can get two stops on defense, they should win. Pick: Cincinnati

Cin: Sara, Devin, Mr. Normand, Luke, Grothaus, Barnes, Bart "My Cincinnati thugs."
Sea: Kevin

Cleveland @ Oakland (-3)

Last week everyone picked against Cleveland. This week, everyone is picking with Cleveland. Such is the life of the Cleveland Browns. Pick: Oakland

Cle: Sara, Devin, Mr. Normand, Kevin, Bart "Cleveland in the house."
Oak: Luke, Barnes, Grothaus

Carolina (-4) @ Atlanta

Not picking the Falcons until they name Leftwich the starter. Won't be this week. Pick: Carolina

Car: Sara, Mr. Normand, Devin, Kevin, Grothaus, Luke
Atl: Barnes, Bart "My Atlanta thugs."

New York Giants @ Washington (-4)

The Redskins will not be 3-0, no way. Pick: New York Giants

NYG: Devin, Mr. Normand, Grothaus, Luke, Bart "My New York thugs."
Was: Sara, Kevin, Barnes

Dallas @ Chicago (-3)

The Bears have yet to cover this year. I blame Rex Grossman. Pick: Dallas

Dal: Sara, Jeff, Devin, Grothaus, Luke
Chi: Kevin, Barnes, Bart "My Chicago thugs."

Tennessee @ New Orleans (-4.5)

Are the Saints that bad? I will give them one last chance. Pick: New Orleans

Ten: Sara, Mr. Normand
NO: Kevin, Barnes, Devin, Luke, Grothaus, Bart "My New Orleans thugs."

Again, sorry for the abbreviated version, we will be back next week with a full column. Thanks to everyone who got their picks in on time. It is much appreciated. This is the last week for a while where there are 16 games. Bye weeks begin next week.

Until then, "read it, roll it, hole it."

2007 NFL Picks Week Two

“That just happened.” That phrase was all that Lucius and I could muster after the Steelers manhandled the Browns 34-7. It was without a doubt the worst Cleveland Browns game I’ve ever attended. That is saying a lot, considering some of the games I’ve gone to. In 2003, a year after making the playoffs, I watched the 3-3 Browns lose to the 0-6 San Diego Chargers (L.T ran for 200 yards). I watched the Browns lose to a team that did not even have a home last year (Saints). I also watched as Luke McCown made his starting QB debut against the New England Patriots. After the Patriots returned the opening kick-off for a TD, Lucius shouted, “they are going to score a million points.” Yep, even after all of those embarrassing moments, that debacle last week was by far the worst. Moving on.

Week one in the NFL was full of surprises across the board. Maybe, just maybe, Jon Kitna was on to something. The Lions actually looked pretty good in their 36-21 victory over the Oakland Raiders. Speaking of the Raiders, they finally signed their #1 draft pick, JaMarcus Russell this past week. Russell’s holdout was the longest since Bo Jackson’s. The biggest surprise was that the New England Patriots are cheaters. I guess it’s not a big enough advantage to have Tom Brady, Randy Moss, a dominating defense and three super bowl rings. Reminds me of the line John Candy busts out in Cool Runnings, “I had made winning my whole life, and when you make winning your whole life, you have to keep on winning, no matter what.” Still scratching my head on the punishment handed out by the NFL. They fined Bill Belichick and made the Patriots forfeit a draft pick in next years draft. They do nothing to harm this current team. Go figure. On a personal note, my fantasy team, thanks to Big Ben’s four TD passes against the Browns, squeaked out a win for “Brady‘s Bunch.” However, for the Lions and my fantasy team, week one success does not guarantee anything.

The biggest mistake one can make in picking the week two games is basing it solely on the team’s week one performance. Just last year the Atlanta Falcons started out winning three of their first four games. They would win just four more the rest of the way en route to a 7-9 record. Two years ago the Detroit Lions roared to a week one win, only to get pounded by over 30 in week two. The lesson learned here is that it is way too early to judge just how good these teams are.

Last week saw Barnes, despite not even making a pick for one of the games, vault into the early lead with an 11-5 record. It’s pretty packed from top to bottom, as was expected after just one week. It does serve as good news that no one absolutely flopped, with last place only being four games back.

STANDINGS
1) Barnes 11-5
2) Grothaus 10-6
3) Devin 9-7
3) Mr. Normand 9-7
3) Luke 9-7
6) Kevin 8-8
6) Bart 8-8
8) Sara 7-9

On to the picks for week two.

Buffalo @ Pittsburgh (-9.5)

The Bills lost a heartbreaker last week to the Denver Broncos while the Steelers smoked the Browns. I still believe that Pittsburgh is the 3rd best team in the AFC North despite how impressive they looked in week one. That being said, I’ve talked myself into going with the points on this one. However, I have a feeling that Pittsburgh is going to jump out to an early 7-0 lead and I will be doing my best Charlie Frye impression (falling to the ground). Pick: Buffalo

Devin chooses to mix his picks with his fantasy football team, “I need them to win by 10 because I have half their players on my fantasy team,” while Bart shows what kind of education you get at Tiffin Calvert, “I dont think I ever noticed that there is an ‘h’ at the end of Pittsburgh.”

BUF: Grothaus, Luke PIT: Bart, Mr. Normand, Barnes, Devin, Hunt, Sara

Cincinnati (-6.5) @ Cleveland

I’m never taking the Cleveland Browns until they name Brady Quinn the starter. I’m looking forward to this game for three reasons. First and foremost, to see if Brady will play at all. Others have said that you are giving up on the season if Brady comes in. These people are clueless to the Browns situation. In order to be a successful NFL team you have to put the players in that give the team the best chance to win. Brady Quinn is the best QB the Browns have. He gives them the best chance to win. Done and done. Secondly, Steve Beuerlein is announcing this game on CBS. Last time I remember Steve announcing a Browns-Bengals game was in 2004 when Cincy beat the Browns in a defensive struggle 58-48. Beuerlein was talking about all the U.S Presidents that have come from Ohio. Then Steve threw this comment in, “Almost makes you wish you were from Ohio.” Yep, that’s what he said. No joke. I’m also looking forward to see what Chad Johnson will do. He says that he will jump into the Dawg Pound if he scores. I hope he does. Someone needs to. Pick: Cincinnati

Sara is following my line of thinking on this game, “My original plan was to pick Cleveland for every game, but after a disgrace like that in the opener, I'm just never picking them again in my life.” Doesn’t take much to turn on the Browns. Devin decides to group Cleveland with his Bucs, “I will now add the Browns to the list of teams I wont pick this year.”

Bart gets credit for the quote of the week, “Thank you Cleveland for sucking enough for me to hear "Who Dey" all week from the gay Cincinnati bandwagon fans, it is truly appreciated.” Gotta love it.

CIN: Everyone CLE: No one

Indianapolis (-7.5) @ Tennessee

By far the best 1:00 game on television. These teams played two classics last year, including Vince Young leading the Titans to a 20-17 win over the Colts in December. It may surprise you, but the defending Super Bowl champs have lost their last three division games. However the Colts looked very good last week against the Saints. I’m taking my own advice and not basing my decision off of one week of action. Something tells me I’m going to regret it. Pick: Tennessee

IND: Grothaus, Bart, Mr. Normand, Barnes, Devin, Hunt, Sara TEN: Luke

Houston @ Carolina (-6.5)

I hold a grudge against the Carolina Panthers. More specifically Panther QB Jake Delhomme. He single-handedly ruined my three team teaser last year and I have vowed never to pick the Panthers again. Both of these teams had convincing week one wins. Also, can everyone just get off the Houston Texans’ back for picking DE Mario Williams over RB Reggie Bush. Who has more TD’s so far this year? Mario does. Case closed. As for this game, I’ll go against Jake Delhomme more so than going with the Texans. Pick: Houston

HOU: Grothaus, Bart, Sara, Luke CAR: Mr. Normand, Barnes, Devin, Hunt

San Francisco @ St. Louis (-3)

My sympathies to anyone who stayed up late to watch the 2nd half of MNF last week where the Cardinals and the 49ers played an absolutely disgusting game. It was one of those games where, unfortunately, someone had to win. The only thing that kept me going was counting all the mis-pronounced words said by Mike Ditka. It was almost as if he stumbled into the booth and everyone else was too polite to ask him to leave. Back to this game. St. Louis does not have Orlando Pace. I will repeat, the Rams are without the services of Orlando Pace. Pick: San Francisco

Devin picks who he likes in the NFC West this year, “San Fran ain’t that good, Arizona is just that bad.” Bart comes through with yet another instant classic quote,
“Mmmmm you can find me in St. Louie

Where the gun play ring all day

Some got jobs and some sell yea'

Others just smoke…”

Yes, these are my friends.

SF: Mr. Normand, Barnes, Sara, Luke STL: Grothaus, Bart, Devin, Hunt

Green Bay @ New York Giants (-1)

If there was no question on whether Eli Manning was going to play, then the Giants would have been favored by around six points. That being said, this is a must win game for the G-Men. Head Coach Tom Coughlin has a history of getting out to fast starts, and with his job security being in question, a slow start would all but ensure himself of getting the axe. Yes the Packers were able to beat the Eagles, but I don’t see them winning this game on the road. With or without Eli playing. Pick: New York Giants

Bart predicts the G-Men to win “in a thriller,” and Devin predicts the Packers to win by twenty if back-up QB Jared Lorenzen sees any action.

GB: Grothaus, Barnes, Devin, Hunt, Sara NYG: Bart, Mr. Normand, Luke

Atlanta @ Jacksonville (-10.5)

Two teams that I could not be more unsure of. Joey Harrington played like he usually does, which spelled disaster for the Falcons last week. Meanwhile, the Jaguars gave up about 500 yards rushing in a week one loss to the Titans. Is Jacksonville capable of beating any team by over ten points? At this point, I just don’t know. However, I will not over think this game to a point in which I take Joey Harrington on the road. I got burned last week when I did it, and I will not make the same mistake here. Pick: Jacksonville

Devin picks the Falcons and almost immediately regrets it, “May God help me,” while Bart shares my thoughts, “Joey Harrington blows.” That he does Bart.

ATL: Mr. Normand, Barnes, Devin, Hunt JAX: Grothaus, Bart, Sara, Luke

New Orleans (-3) @ Tampa Bay

Everyone seems to think that the Saints went 13-3 last season. While they did make it to the NFC Championship game, they went only 10-6 in the regular season. The Achilles heel for New Orleans is that they have no defense. The Colts could have scored 80 last week if Peyton Manning felt like it. There is good news for the Saints. They play Tampa Bay this week, and guess what? They have no offense. I wonder how many touchdowns it will take Calvin Johnson to score before the Bucs realize they should have made that trade. Pick: New Orleans

Las Vegas must have gotten this spread wrong, because not only did everyone pick the Saints, some expressed their opinions on the sorry state of the Tampa Bay team. Bart rolls with, “The Saints by exactly one million,” and Devin, “wow … if anyone picks against this.” Well Devin, no one did, which makes me not like my selection that much anymore.

NO: Everyone TB: No one

Minnesota @ Detroit (-3)

TAVARIS JACKSON ON THE ROAD! TAVARIS JACKSON ON THE ROAD!! The Lions win this game while Tampa Bay fans wonder if anything has gone right since their 2002 Super Bowl win. Pick: Detroit

Bart delivers a provisional pick, which I will allow because of Bart’s provisions, “If Minnesota is wearing their purple uniforms they will lose ATS because those are the gayest uniforms EVER. If they are wearing their white ones, they will win ATS. (Luke be sure to make a note of this pick.)” Duly noted Bart. And Devin decides to jump on the Lions bandwagon, “Drinking the Detroit cool-aid, for now.” I love my friends.

MIN: Grothaus, Bart (white uni’s), Mr. Normand, Barnes, Sara DET: Bart (purple uni’s), Devin, Hunt, Luke

Dallas (-3.5) @ Miami

The Cowboys offense was impressive in week one, while their defense was equally un-impressive. It is time to anoint Cowboys DB Roy Williams as one of the most over-rated defensive players in the league. I would love to roll with the Dolphins, but they lost to the Redskins last week. No excuse for that. If they can’t beat the Redskins, they have no shot against the Cowboys. Pick: Dallas

Devin says he would be stunned if anyone picked Miami in this contest. Well D-Frank, some one did, and that some one is the leader after one week. Barnes will either pick one up on the field, or allow some of us to get one step closer.

DAL: Grothaus, Bart, Mr. Normand, Devin, Hunt, Sara, Luke MIA: Barnes

Seattle (-2.5) @ Arizona

The Seahawks did not allow a touchdown last week, and the Cardinals looked as if scoring was against their religion. Arizona really needs to win this game, but they won’t. The NFC West is going to be won by the Seahawks with an 11-5 record, with everyone else around 6-7 wins. This will not be one of the 6-7 wins for the Cardinals. Pick: Seattle

SEA: Grothaus, Bart, Mr. Normand, Devin, Hunt, Luke ARI: Barnes, Sara

New York Jets @ Baltimore (-10.5)

Leave it to Chris Berman to bust out the Joe Namaith reference in this game. Berman cites that those Jets were big underdogs against the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. I think Berman was 45 years old then. Anyways, the Ravens turned the ball over six times against the Bengals and still had a legitimate chance to win that game. As for the J-E-T-S, they are starting Kellen Clemens at QB. After contemplating this game for a while, I decided to roll with the Jets. I was awarded for my patience when I learned Hunt chose this match-up for his ball buster pick and going against me. Pick: New York Jets

Kevin’s Ballbuster Pick of the Week (0-1): Baltimore

Hunt went “completely random” with this pick, thus, according to his logic, actually improving his chances of picking a winner. Welcome to the life of Kevin Hunt.

Devin decides that, “ten points is too much for McNair.” I agree with D-Frank, while Bart believes the Jets were cheated last week, “They will have an easier time without the opposing coach spying on them.”

NYJ: Bart, Mr. Normand, Barnes, Devin, Sara, Luke BAL: Grothaus, Hunt

Oakland @ Denver (-9.5)

The Raiders are a mess of a professional franchise. It’s that simple. Pick: Denver

Devin again cites his fantasy team, “Hedging bets, if I lose this I probably won my fantasy league game.”

OAK: Grothaus, Mr. Normand, Devin DEN: Bart, Barnes, Hunt, Sara, Luke

Kansas City @ Chicago (-12)

This game has 50-0 written all over it. Kansas City is the worst team in the NFL, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Chicago has one of the best defensives in the league. While it is true that the Bears have Rex Grossman, he seems to have a couple of games each year where he throws for 300 yards and multiple TD’s. This is one of those games. I can’t see how K.C. kicks a field goal in this one. Pick: Chicago

Sara believes in the power that is Rex Grossman, “I don't think he can throw for even a touchdown and a half.” Well Sara, that maybe true, but I’m pretty sure the Bears defense can score three TD’s in this one. Devin follows my line of thinking, “Dear God, this maybe the sickest game ever.”

KC: Hunt, Sara CHI: Grothaus, Bart “Da Bears”, Mr. Normand, Barnes, Devin, Luke

San Diego @ New England (-3)

The Chargers won and covered last week against the Bears, but got beat up in the process. Meanwhile, the Patriots rolled over the Jets. If you are talking yourself into picking the Chargers, remember, Norv Turner is their head coach. That should end the debate right there. Random thought: Is any team going to start covering the L.T toss pass? It happens every other game, and every time it’s as if the defense has never seen it before. Let the cheater comments begin. Pick: New England

Bart, who was in San Diego last week picks the Chargers because, “I spent the whole week less than a block from Qualcomm Stadium.” Hmm, I wonder if he saw the Patriots putting up spy cams? Sara - “The Patriots will only win if the Chargers are kind enough to allow New England to tape them.” Devin rises above the cheating comments, “New England looked really good last week.”

SD: Grothaus, Bart NE: Mr. Normand, Barnes, Devin, Hunt, Sara, Luke

Washington @ Philadelphia (-7)

Still scratching my head over Philadelphia’s loss to Green Bay. They had the better defense, offense and coach, yet still managed to lose. Washington, at home, was able to beat the lowly Dolphins by a field goal. I’m still holding out hope for this Eagles team. If they lose this game, I’m jumping off the Philly train. Pick: Philadelphia

Bart shows that he is willing to stay consistent with his picks and comments, “Not only did the movie suck balls last week, but so did the team (Philadelphia).” Devin shows that he had no idea, “… flipped a coin.”

WAS: No one PHI: Everyone

Best of luck to everyone this week. I’m solely referring to those players on my fantasy team by the way.

Instead of ending with my normal sign off, I thought it would be more fitting to throw in another Cool Runnings quote.

“A gold medal is a wonderful thing, but if you are not enough without it, you will never be enough with it.”

Words to live by.

2007 NFL Week One

I learned a lot last weekend. The very first week of college football gives you an immediate look into how well each team will perform. I learned that Notre Dame is awful and very well could start out 0-8. I learned how to correctly pronounce Appalachian St. (App-ah-LATCH-an). I also learned that my California prediction turned out to be one of my best. College football lets you know right off the bat who the major players are.

The NFL is quite different. It typically takes five to six games before you can realistically determine the elite teams from the crap teams. For this very reason, the first few weeks of the NFL are a learning process for everyone. Teams are searching for an identity that will hold throughout the season, making it a roller coaster ride for their fans. This is why picking the winners of these games are very difficult in September.

For the next 17 weeks, football will rule all. They will dominate the sports scene as well as this column. Every single week myself, along with seven esteemed colleagues will pick every single NFL game. The twist is we will not necessarily be picking the winner of the game outright, but whoever will cover the spread. For example, this week Denver (-3) is favored to beat Buffalo by 3 points. If the final score is Denver 21 Buffalo 20, then Buffalo would be the correct pick. The Bills did not win the game, but they did not allow Denver to beat them by more than 3 points. It's a very simple notion, with the idea of the spread equalizing the match-ups. It is obvious that Indianapolis would be victorious over say, Oakland this year, but would they win by at least 14 points? That is the question we will be answering the entire year.

The Players

1) Kevin Hunt - As a huge Cleveland Browns fan like myself, Kevin is used to losing. He is the closest thing to the real life George Costanza. However Hunt always seems to be very close to the top of the standings with these NFL picks. Odds to win it all, 6-1.

2) Devin Frank - Devin is a Tampa Bay fan, which puts him in the same boat as all the Browns fans the last several years. Very knowledgeable with sports, Devin and I will team up for the much anticipated debut of our radio show in the upcoming weeks. Will he have bragging rights the entire semester? Not if I have anything to say about it. Odds to win it all, 5-1.

3) Sara Normand - The only female of the group, but quite possibly one of the best fantasy players I've ever come across. Sara loves the Browns and the Cincinnati Reds. Whoops. Talk about picking the bottom feeders for each city. Odds to win it all, 11-2.

4) Michael Grothaus - Grothaus played on the golf team with me back at Calvert for three years and we both currently go to Heidelberg. Grothaus loves the Bills, but can only name about four players on their roster. Pretty good poker player, but I'm not sure about picking NFL games. Odds to win it all, 8-1.

5) Matt Barnes - Met this guy on my second day at Ohio University back in 2004 and have been great friends with him ever since. Barnes doesn't really have a favorite NFL team in my opinion, which is only to his benefit in this contest. His only downfall might be too much time spent with high school football (host for Gridiron Glory), and not enough focus on the NFL. Odds to win it all, 7-1.

6) Mr. Jeff Normand - As Sara's dad, Mr. Normand is the elder of this group. I consider myself a pretty big Browns fan, but Mr. Normand takes it to another level that I'm not familiar with. He actually painted his car to resemble a Cleveland Browns helmet! I got the privilege to ride in it last year and it was an unforgettable experience. Odds to win it all, 4-1.

7) Bart Borer - As a Michigan fan, Bart probably had a tough time last weekend. Don't worry though Bart, rescue is well on its way in the form of Notre Dame coming to visit. I would not be surprised to see Michigan win that game by 50. Bart is very familiar with picking college football and NFL games. Only thing is, I don't think he is familiar with picking the winners. Odds to win it all, 15-2.

8) Luke Florence - Yours truly. It's very difficult to handicap yourself, and I must admit I'm struggling to come up with the correct odds. Not going to lie, I'm pretty good at picking the winners straight up in the NFL, but this is the first time I've tried it against the spread. Not wanting to hype myself up and give these other guys bulletin board material, I'll go along the conservative route. Odds to win it all, 13-2.

The Format

We each contributed $17 to the pot, for a total of $136. After it is all said and done, the top three players will be in the money. Third place will receive their entry fee back of $17. Second place will double their investment and come away with $39. The winner takes home $80.

Each player had the opportunity to make a comment with their picks. Some did, others did not. For those that did, they will be posted on here. Each week standings will be available here as well. If the spread is tied, then the game will be ruled a push, and everyone who made a pick will receive a win.

Covering all my tracks, I'd say it's time to get this up and running. Giddy up.

Week One

New Orleans @ Indianapolis (-6)

The NFL seems to pit two good teams together to kick off their season. This match-up is no exception. One team, the Colts, just so happens to be the defending Super Bowl champion. The other, the Saints, lost to the Bears in last years NFC Championship game. I'm going to take the underdog in this game solely based on the reasoning that the Colts are being presented with their championship banner from last year. Pick: New Orleans.

Mr. Normand thinks otherwise, "Indianapolis should roll." We will see.

Indy: Hunt, Devin, Mr. Normand, Bart, Grothaus, Barnes. N.O: Sara, Luke.

Kansas City @ Houston (-3)

"You play to win the game. Hello!!" One of the all-time best press conferences was when Coach Herm Edwards busted out that aforementioned quote. I have a question for Coach Edwards, I know why you play the game, but, "why would I want to watch this game?" Kansas City has no quarterback and Houston has no running back. When both teams are bad, you should always go with the home team. Pick: Houston.

Bart wonders, "Why is Houston favored?" Well Bart, because Kansas City is just that bad. Houston has one thing that K.C does not, hope for the future. Mr. Normand even went as far as saying, "Going with Houston, Larry who?" He is referring to Chiefs RB Larry Johnson whose limbs might fall off before this season is done due to overuse.

Hunt comes through with the quote of the week. "Demetrius Jones (Notre Dame's starting QB last week) at quarterback still wouldn't be enough for the Chiefs to lose to the Texans. There's a reason running backs don't have to participate in the preseason and I'm fairly confident LJ didn't have to be there for training camp either."

K.C: Sara, Hunt, Bart, Grothaus, Barnes. Hou: Devin, Mr. Normand, Luke.

Denver (-3) @ Buffalo

I've noticed that the handicappers of these games tend to favor the home teams. I could not be any more thankful. Denver is a much better team and will cover easily. Pick: Denver.

Mr. Normand shows off his true colors when he says, "Still hate Denver, but going with the Broncos." I'm with him on both accounts. Hunt follows my line of thinking for this game, "It's not cold enough in Buffalo to play the home team card."

Den: Everyone. Buf: No one.

Pittsburgh (-4.5) @ Cleveland

For the third consecutive year I will be attending the Browns home and regular season opener. I've gone to five regular season Browns games, and they have not won any of them. Will this year be any different? Probably not. As a huge fan of Bill Simmons, I found myself laughing out loud when reading his last column. He writes, "The Browns are one year away from being turned around by Bill Cowher and his rejuvenated spittle." So true. Taking the safe route and going with the Steelers. If the Browns win then I will be ecstatic, but if they don't, I hope it's by five points or more. Pick: Pittsburgh.

Mr. Normand chimes in with a "Come on Brownies!," while Hunt makes a very astute observation. He says, "The fact that I'm missing the home opener for the first time in three years should be enough to at least make it close."

Pit: Devin, Grothaus, Luke, Barnes. Cle: Sara, Kevin, Mr. Normand, Bart.

Tennessee @ Jacksonville (-6.5)

The Jaguars recently released their long time starting QB Byron Leftwich, choosing to go with David Gerrard. The Jaguars are better at running back, wide receiver and defense by far. Everything points to the Jags. However, I'm not a big believer in Gerrard. When it comes to picking against the spread, quarterbacks rule. I'll run with Vince Young on this one. Pick: Tennessee.

Hunt comes through with yet another great quote, "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 70's and Leftwich has no clue what he's talking about." If Hunt was as good at picking NFL games as he was coming up with great lines like that, he could quit school.

Ten: Sara, Kevin, Devin, Bart, Grothaus, Luke, Barnes. Jax: Mr. Normand, "Jags rule."

Carolina @ St. Louis (-1)

The NFC is chalk full of teams that I'm just not sure about. These two are prime examples. Both have quarterbacks that could play great or crappy, and no one would be surprised either way. They both have solid wide receivers and defenses that should keep them in just about every single game. The real difference in this game will be Rams RB Steven Jackson. He promises big things this year. I'll take him up on that, for now. Pick: St. Louis.

Car: Sara. Stl: Kevin, Devin, Mr. Normand, "Rams roll," Bart, Grothaus, Luke, Barnes.

Philadelphia (-3) @ Green Bay

I'm a big fan of Brett Favre. Maybe not to the level of say John Madden, but I'm a fan nonetheless. As Bill Russell said about Michael Jordan, the same can be applied to Favre, "He plays the game as it should be played." I'm not a fan of the talent around Favre though. He is not capable of carrying the Packers as he was back in the day. I'm also expecting big things from Donovan McNabb. He has a lot to prove and I think he will come through. Pick: Philadelphia.

If you are not familiar with Bart's work, then this should fill you in completely. He says, "The movie with Tom Hanks sucked balls." If you have watched that movie before, then that line is funny on a couple of different angles. Mr. Normand believes that Favre should have retired and Hunt busts out a quote from Ken Jones. "Back the pack, because the pack is back." Yes, these are my friends.

Phi: Sara, Devin, Mr. Normand, Bart, Grothaus, Luke, Barnes. G.B: Kevin.

Atlanta @ Minnesota (-3)

Let the dog references commence. Seriously though, this game comes down to one match-up. Atlanta QB Joey Harrington vs. Minnesota QB Tavaris Jackson. That's right, Tavaris Jackson. Ever heard of him? Me either. He just happens to be Minnesota's starting QB. As bad as Joey Harrington has been, I'll still take him over Tavaris Jackson any day of the week. Come on Joey. Just one time, please. Pick: Atlanta.

"Vikings will choke the dogs, I mean Falcons," is what Mr. Normand goes with. I guess he has heard of Tavaris Jackson. Hunt single-handedly makes me want to change my pick when he says, "Joey Harrington will throw three TD's and things look well for Bobby Petrino." Hunt saying this is almost guaranteeing that Joey will throw three INT's and Petrino will be screaming to pull a Nick Saban by halftime.

Atl: Kevin, Devin, Luke. Minn: Sara, Mr. Normand, Bart, Grothaus, Barnes.

Miami @ Washington (-3)

In a battle of two teams who have already locked up top ten draft positions for next year, I expect defenses to prevail here. The Dolphins have the better defense and they also have RB Ronnie Brown. Brown is starting on my fantasy team, so I have a lot is riding on him having a good game and season. Pick: Miami.

Hunt follows my line of thinking in an offensive struggle, "I might lose this pick because I could see Washington winning 2-0." No joke. Meanwhile, Mr. Normand shows tremendous confidence, "Picking the Skins, I'm sure I will pay for this." I hope he does too.

Mia: Bart, Luke, Barnes. Was: Sara, Kevin, Devin, Mr. Normand.

New England (-6.5) @ New York Jets

The Patriots were just five points away from going back to the Super Bowl last year. Apparently that is a down year for New England as they went out and grabbed WR Randy Moss, WR Wes Welker, WR Donte Stallworth, and LB Adalius Thomas. Watch out. This Patriots team is absolutely loaded. They are without a doubt the team to beat in the AFC this season. Did I mention they still have Tom Brady? Pick: New England.

Mr. Normand has it right, "You can't bet against the Pats." I might just pick them every single week. How can you not? Leave it to Hunt to find a way. "Too much of a good thing?? Tom Brady has too many weapons, delegates the ball too much, and Randy Moss finishes the game with more complaints than TD catches." Well Hunt, you may be right. I could see Moss grabbing two TD's and complaining three times. Bart chooses to keep it simple, "J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS."

NE: Sara, Mr. Normand, Grothaus, Luke, Barnes. NYJ: Kevin, Devin, Bart.

Tampa Bay @ Seattle (-6)

Sometimes the best way to pick these games is to keep it simple. Tampa Bay is awful. Seattle has Shaun Alexander. That should be enough to allow Seattle to win by at least a touchdown. Pick: Seattle.

Devin seems to have complete faith in his favorite team saying, "I won't pick Tampa Bay all year." Devin is still reeling from the draft where his Bucs went with DE Gaines Adams and could not make a deal for WR Calvin Johnson. It's going to be a long year for Devin and the entire Bucs organization. Mr. Normand just rubs it in saying, "Seattle beats the Devil Rays." Ouch.

Kevin's Ballbuster Pick of the Week (0-0): Tampa Bay (+6)

Last year, while I was "pretending" to make an NFL bet, I decided to ask Hunt for some advice. Note: Online gambling should not be encouraged. Kevin went completely random, saying, take the home team in the fifth game listed. It came to be known as Kevin's Ballbuster Pick of the Week.

Hunt goes on to say, "Jeff Garcia led this team to five straight wins to end last season and put Philly into the playoffs. Seattle wins this one close on a Josh Brown FG."

I lost that completely random game Hunt picked last year. I hope he gets off to a similar start this year.

TB: Kevin. Sea: Sara, Devin, Mr. Normand, Bart, Grothaus, Luke, Barnes.

Chicago @ San Diego (-6)

I have a rule which states if Rex Grossman is your quarterback, I will pick the other team. It's just that simple. Besides that rule, this is not a good match-up for the Bears. San Diego will neutralize Chicago's defense with L.T and Grossman is good for at least three INT's and four fumbled snaps. Count it. Pick: San Diego.

It's scary to think of all the times Hunt and I see eye to eye on matters like this. Hunt adds, "What defense?" in reference to Chicago. Mr. Normand says, "Go Chargers, you got to love that Charger blue." He is absolutely right. That powder blue uniform that S.D wears is the best professional uniform in all of sports. Hands down.

Chi: Sara, Devin, Bart. S.D: Kevin, Mr. Normand, Grothaus, Luke.

Detroit @ Oakland (-1.5)

I ranked the entire NFL last week, and I put the Oakland Raiders dead last. That franchise is going nowhere fast. They still have not signed JaMarcus Russell, their #1 draft pick yet. They signed QB Daunte "Throw It" Culpepper and will start RB LaMont Jordan. Making matters even worse, Culpepper is not even going to start! Oakland will go with Josh McCown. All signs point to Jon Kitna and the Detroit Lions. Pick: Detroit.

Hunt throws in, "The only Detroit fans who aren't already wearing the opposition's jersey are those who were dumb enough to buy a Kitna jersey or those who were hopeful enough to get a Calvin Johnson." Is it possible for the Lions to actually perform better than the Tigers? If you include expectations in this question, I would lean towards the affirmative.

Mr. Normand provides one of those accidentally humorous moments when he says, "Going with Culpepper, he has returned!" Whoops.

Det: Kevin, Devin, Bart, Grothaus, Luke, Barnes. Oak: Sara, Mr. Normand.

New York Giants @ Dallas (-6)

The Cowboys are the better team here. They have a better defense, running back, and wide receivers. The only problem is that the New York Giants have a history of playing so well at the beginning of the year and then fading towards the end. The greatest lesson you can learn from history is to not repeat past mistakes. I'll roll with history on this one. Pick: New York Giants.

Mr. Normand decides he likes the Cowboys, but not the six points. Thus the beauty of picking games against the spread. Typically the pick here would be Dallas to win, but usually these division rivals play close games, so picking the spread winner becomes a challenge. Bart however does not see this as being a difficult game to pick. "Dallas in a rout." Let's hope for Tony Romo's sake that you are correct Bart. Romo would hate to see this game come down to a last second field goal.

NYG: Sara, Mr. Normand, Grothaus, Luke. Dal: Kevin, Devin, Bart, Barnes.

Baltimore @ Cincinnati (-2.5)

In the second battle of AFC North teams this week, the Ravens travel to Cincy. Baltimore brings with them a solid defense as usual, and Cincy brings a team with an extensive rap sheet. Carson Palmer has not done well against the Ravens in years past, and I again look for this to continue. The Bengals have a pretty porous defense, so look for Willis McGahee to have a solid game. Pick: Baltimore.

Mr. Normand sums this game up perfectly, "Which team do I hate more?" The answer, Art Modell.

Bal: Sara, Kevin, Devin, Bart, Luke. Cin: Mr. Normand, Grothaus, Barnes.

Arizona @ San Francisco (-3)

The 49ers are the team that was middle of the road last year who went out and acquired a ton of talent, starting with CB Nate Clements. Whether or not this team thrives will depend on two things. Can Alex Smith stay out of his own way, and can Frank Gore stay healthy? If the answers to those questions are yes, then expect San Francisco to contend for the NFC West title. Meanwhile, Arizona always seems to be the trendy team to pick each year. I'll jump on the Arizona train early. Pick: Arizona.

Mr. Normand says, "I think the 49ers will do well this year, but I probably just jinxed them." He is not the only one who thinks the Niners will have a good season, a lot of the so called "experts" on ESPN follow this same line of thinking. All I know is that if they all think San Fran will be good, chances are they won't. Things usually have a habit of working out that way.

Ari: Devin, Bart, Luke. SF: Sara, Kevin, Mr. Normand, Grothaus, Barnes.

That's all she wrote for this massive column. I started writing this one hour before the kick off of the Colts-Saints game. It is now half-time. Looks like I'll be prepared for all of my classes tomorrow. Grothaus failed to pick the Miami-Washington game, and I guess he's right, there won't be any winners in that one.

Until next time, "read it, roll it, hole it."

2007 NCAA College Football Preview

Seven full months. Can you believe it’s been seven months since the Super Bowl? It seems like such a long time since Rex Grossman single-handedly gave the Indianapolis Colts their championship. In that span not much has really changed on the college football scene. USC appears to be the favorite, again. The SEC is absolutely loaded, again. Ohio State has a ridiculously easy schedule, again. And lastly, the BCS will more than likely mess everything up at the end, again.

However what makes college football so great are the unpredictable moments that last a lifetime. Take for instance last year with the Boise St. Broncos. The ‘hitch and ladder’ play to tie their bowl game against Oklahoma with under a minute to go, followed up by the ‘statue of liberty’ play to win it in overtime. You simply could not predict any of that. Another unpredictable moment occurred in the Championship game between Florida and Ohio State. The Buckeyes were big favorites but got pounded by the Gators 41-14.

The simple unpredictable nature of College Football is a big reason why I absolutely despise preseason rankings. In a sport where rankings and polls mean so much it is absurd to rank all the teams before anyone plays a game. It would make much more sense to wait until at least 4 or 5 weeks into the season before coming out with the first batch of rankings. As great as College Football is they do a lot of things that just do not make sense. The preseason rankings is one and the BCS is another.

College Football needs a playoff system. There is no debating this. A playoff system would truly crown a champion and would not require a whole lot of tweaking from the current system in place. The best playoff formula would include eight teams. You could even use the BCS rankings to determine the top eight teams and then use the current bowl games for each match-up of the postseason. For example, have the Cotton Bowl, the Capital One Bowl, and then two of the four ‘major’ bowls representing the first round of the playoffs. Then in the semi-finals you could use the other two ‘major’ bowls with the championship game simply being the NCAA Title Game (as it is now). Wouldn’t take too much work but it won’t happen for a very long time.

My buddy Max asked me to rank my top ten teams for the upcoming season, so what follows is a transcript of what I sent him. A couple teams I left out were Ohio State and Wisconsin. I just don’t see Ohio State having a very good year and when Barnes tells me that they will go 9-3 I tend to listen. As far as Wisconsin goes, they just never seem to put together an entire year. They have had some very talented teams over the past ten years but they never close the deal. Wisconsin is like the new girl who moves in across the street during the summer and looks absolutely stunning. However, when she shows up for the first day of school and you compare her to all the other good looking girls in the class, she falls back in the pack. They look good by themselves, but not so much with all the others.

As for Notre Dame, they are headed towards a 7-5 season. They have a very tough schedule and question marks at quarterback. This will be the first time during Coach Weis’ tenure the Irish do not make it to a BCS bowl game.

10) Florida - I think new quarterback Tim Tebow is awful and will not be able to run the offense effectively. I also believe that Auburn is better than the Gators, but there is this rule that if you win the national championship the year prior, you get a spot in the top ten. Here it is.

9) Louisville - Another rule in college football is that if you have the preseason consensus number one draft pick in next year's draft then you get a spot in the top ten. I really wanted to put TCU here. QB Brian Brohm will lead these Cardinals to a decent season, but I don't see them getting past West Virginia.

8) California - I really liked this team last year, but then Tennessee ruined their season early. If they get past that game this year, watch out. Yeah they don't have RB Marshawn Lynch anymore, but Justin Forsett should be able to handle the load. Name to remember is DT Matt Malele. Big frickin dude.

7) Oklahoma - Huge Bob Stoops fan. His team got absolutely screwed last year against Oregon. Oh, and there was that Boise St. game, but I really don't remember how that one ended. Only thing keeping me from making them higher on the list is their schedule. They got Miami, at Texas, and at Texas Tech. I just don't think they can win all of those games.

6) Texas - As much as I hate putting the Longhorns in the top ten, I guess you kind of have to. QB Colt McCoy is going to have a great season, unfortunately, and more than likely lead this team to a BCS Bowl game. Their offense will be sick this year.

5) West Virginia - The Steve Slaton and Pat White combo is going to be deadly this year. The Mountaineers are the class of the Big East and if they run the table, which they are more than capable of doing, they should be in a great position to maybe land in the title game. Owen Schmitt is another name to remember. Awesome fullback.

4) Virginia Tech - In a loaded ACC, the Hokies stand out tremendously. They are absolutely loaded on defense, and have a plethora of options for QB Sean Glennon to choose from. The only thing holding this team back is Glennon. He has to have a better year, it's a must. They play at LSU on September 8th. Good thing for the Hokies is that it's early. A loss will not ruin their chances of getting in the title game.

3) Michigan - Sorry Max, these guys are the class of the Big Ten. They bring back everybody on offense, including Jake Long who will win the Outland Trophy this year. They have a relatively soft schedule and it all will come down to the last two games of the year. At Wisconsin and then I think they end up with Ohio State. I guess those two teams typically play towards the end of the year. Only thing hurting Michigan is that QB Chad Henne has never beaten the Buckeyes.

2) USC - As much as I love Bob Stoops, I hate Pete Carroll that much more. However, he does bring back a very talented team with one of the more polished QB's in the nation with John David Booty. The Trojans are the consensus preseaon number one, but I believe they have two things working against them. First, they are inexperienced at both wide receiver and running back. Secondly, they have one helluva schedule. I don't see them running the tables at all. Two losses wouldn't take much.

1) LSU - When a team losses two players (Russell and Landry) who were drafted in the top ten and still somehow manages to not only make the top ten but be in first, well, then you know you have a special team. I see the Tigers as the best team in the country, hands down, no doubt about it. Russell is replaced by QB Matt Flynn who was the MVP of their bowl game against Miami a couple years back, so you know he is capable. Early Doucet is one of the best wideouts in all of college football. Despite losing Landry, some, myself included, believe they have the best secondary in the nation as well. They play in the SEC, so you know they have a tough schedule, but, they play all of the big games at home this year. VaTech, Florida, Auburn, Arkansas, and South Carolina all at home. These guys are the real deal.

In the national championship game LSU will defeat West Virginia in a shoot-out.

That’s all I got for this post. Expect my next couple of posts to include my NFL rankings and where I feel the Cleveland Indians will end up. Also, if anyone is still interested in my ATS (Against The Spread) NFL Pick’em, let me know soon.

Until next time, “read it, roll it, hole it.”

Brady Brady Brady

If I had to rank my favorite teams then the Cleveland Browns would be number one followed by Notre Dame. I guess that makes Brady Quinn my all-time favorite player. Well, I wouldn’t go that far, but back in May of 2006, when I compiled my top forty sports figures, Brady just missed the top twenty, falling in the #21 spot. It’s safe to say that he has made a small jump towards the top since that list was unveiled. I also wrote in September of ‘06 that if Brady would ever join the Browns then God would be faced with a huge conflict of interest. As of August 8, 2007, no Cleveland Brown is seriously injured and all key players are at camp. I can’t knock hard enough on wood for that one. (that’s what she said)

Unless you happen to live under a rock then you have heard that Brady Quinn has signed a five year deal with the Cleveland Browns. Brady has been under not a rock, but a microscope of scrutiny since his Sugar Bowl defeat back in January. “Brady does not perform well in big games.” “Brady is not worth a top ten draft pick.” “Brady is an inaccurate quarterback.” “Brady needs to get into camp, he is just being selfish.” These are just a small sample of some of the complaints I’ve been hearing about Brady over the past ten months.

Let’s go back to the days leading up to the NFL Draft to get my complete perspective on Brady Quinn.

The Browns had the #3 pick in the NFL Draft. Going into the draft I felt that Adrian Peterson would have been the best fit for the Browns. Not gonna lie, I still feel that way. Cleveland claims to be a running team, but never have the personnel in place to do so. The combination of Peterson and Jamal Lewis could have been lethal. However, I would have been fine if Calvin Johnson had slipped to Cleveland as well. As a big Brady fan it would have been cool for Cleveland to pick him, but deep down I wanted Brady to excel in the NFL and thought that Miami would give him the best chance to do so.

Turns out the Browns didn’t pick any of those three players and instead went with Offensive Tackle Joe Thomas. Pete and my dad loved the pick, while I hated it at the time, and not gonna lie, I still kind of do. Third is awfully high to pick an offensive lineman, and I did not think that Thomas had separated himself from the other lineman such as Levi Brown or even Joe Staley. However, they went with Thomas and I started to drink heavily in order to drown my sorrows and disappointment in my favorite team.

As the 1st round of the draft slowly labored on the big question remained, “Where will Brady land?” The cameras were on him after every single pick, gauging his reaction. The common thought among the experts on ESPN and the experts at the bar was that Brady would go to the Miami Dolphins. Jared confirmed my thoughts in that Miami would be a perfect situation for Brady. The Dolphins, on the other hand, thought differently.

Cue NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, “With the 9th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins select … Ted Ginn, wide receiver, Ohio State.”

Wait, what? Did I hear that right? Ted who? Have I been drinking that much already?

The NFL Network showed a split screen of the announcement of the pick along with Quinn, thinking Brady would be the obvious choice. Like all of us, Brady was equally as stunned. I’m no lip reader, but it was fairly easy to see that Brady said “That was surprising.”

Where would Brady go now? None of the teams drafting in the next few spots had a need for a young quarterback, no matter how talented he may be. Houston had Matt Schaub. Tennessee had Vince Young. St. Louis had Marc Bulger. It looked like Brady was going to have make himself comfortable for a while.

As I slowly regained consciousness from that enormous reach of a pick the Dolphins made, whispers started to float around that some teams were trying to make a trade to grab Brady. The Browns were one of them. Not only was I intrigued by these rumors, I was very excited for a chance to get Quinn.

Now, some of you might be thinking at this point, “Luke, you just said earlier you didn’t want Brady to come to the Browns, why the sudden change of heart?” Good question. Hear me out.

I entered the draft like I enter all of the drafts in which the Browns are drafting high (so, all of them that I can remember) by saying the Browns need to take the BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that what the Browns need are GOOD PLAYERS. They have about 1.5 good players currently on the roster. (Between Kellen Winslow Jr., Braylon Edwards and Andra Davis it adds up to 1.5) Was Joe Thomas the best player available when the Browns selected him? Not even close. Peterson, Quinn, and LaRon Landry are all better players than Thomas.

“Luke, how do you come to that conclusion?” Another good question.

I judge a good player by one who can have the greatest impact on a team. For Joe Thomas to be successful, the entire offensive line needs to be good. Thomas can only block so many people at once. In other words, Thomas is limited in what he can do, where as those other three players I mentioned are not.

You do need to have a good offensive line in order to be a successful team. Look at the Colts, the Patriots, and the Chargers. They all have decent o-linemen. Look back at their recent draft history. How many times did one of them take an offensive linemen in the 1st round the last six years? The answer, just one. The point being that you can still have a great o-line, without wasting your 1st round pick on them.

My father has cried ever since the Browns returned to the NFL that they don’t have a line. “Luke, it doesn’t matter who you got back there to throw or run if you don’t have a good o-line.” Okay dad, you have a point, to an extent.

What is the definition of a good o-line? Probably one that gives the quarterback sufficient time to make a throw and opens up enough space for the running back.

Guess what dad, the Browns did not have a terribly bad o-line last year. As for that matter, the last couple of years. Reuben Droughns ran for over 1200 yards back in 2005. Had he played all 16 games in 2006, he would have been close to another 1000 yard season. It is fairly safe to say that Droughns is not a great running back by any means, so he must have had a decent o-line to run behind, right?

The Cleveland Browns first priority is to be able to compete with their division rivals. For the most part the Browns have the players put in place in order to so. But, what about quarterback. Take a look at the AFC North. The Steelers have Big Ben, the Bengals have Carson Palmer, and the Ravens have Steve McNair. Who do the Browns have? Um, Chuck Frye and Derek Anderson. We’ve seen what they can do. Unfortunately.

The Browns are still miles behind any good NFL team when it comes to their starting quarterback. This is why they had to go and get Brady.

Back to the draft.

I never said that I didn’t want Brady to play for the Browns. I just simply said I would rather the Browns take Peterson or Calvin Johnson. Quinn would have been the 3rd choice, and I would not have had a big problem with it.

As picks #10 through #18 went off the board, Brady remained on it. The anticipation was starting to grow in me as Cleveland and now Baltimore was showing interest in Quinn. If Baltimore would have snatched Quinn, I might have thrown myself into oncoming traffic. I hate the Ravens more than any other team and having Quinn torch the Browns two games a year for the next decade would have, as Lauryn Hill put it, “killed me softly.”

Anyways, to make a long story short (at this point it might be too late), the Browns traded back into the first round to get Brady with the 22nd pick of the NFL Draft. They gave the Cowboys their 2nd round pick of the ‘07 draft along with their 2008 1st round choice.

I was absolutely ecstatic at this point. The combination of drinking for 5+ hours and frantic phone calls with Kevin and Jared made me about as excited as I’ve ever been for the Browns. They got Brady. Along with Brady’s arm, they got a face for their franchise, and more importantly, a future.

Okay, after that long story which should have been a column in of itself, I can continue on with my response to this bashing that Brady has taken for quite a while now.

Complaint #1 - “Brady does not perform well in big games”

First things first, it is best to identify what these “big games” are. In my opinion, just about every game that Notre Dame plays is a “big game.” Yes they usually play two of the Academies every year, but the fact remains that Notre Dame is a national powerhouse. Whereas teams such as Nebraska and Ohio State are very big in their specific region, Notre Dame fans stretch throughout the whole United States. That said, if their QB has a bad game, no matter who it is against, there will be scrutiny from a lot more angles then say a QB at Michigan.

The ones who claim Brady plays poorly when it matters the most, are probably referring to games against Michigan, USC, and any bowl games. Brady’s record in those games is 2-7. That’s pretty ugly.

Looks like these guys have a point. Looks can be deceiving, lets dig a little bit deeper.

Notre Dame plays year in and year out a top notch schedule. There is no arguing that whatsoever. Brady’s record in all other games besides those three previously mentioned is 23-5. That’s pretty darn good. It appears as if critics just picked out those three games, knowing full well what the result would be. Heck, they could have completely thrown out Michigan to better make their case (Brady has a 2-1 record against the Maize and Blue), but that just leaves two “big games” and doesn’t look as good all of a sudden.

It is safe to say that Notre Dame was over-hyped last year. They were ranked #2 in the preseason polls, and many thought they could compete for a national title. Well, Michigan spanked them early in the season, USC spanked them late, and then LSU finished them off in the Sugar Bowl. In all three cases, Notre Dame was picked apart on the defensive side of the ball. The three teams combined for 132 points. That is an average of 44 points per game! Brady can do only so much, and honestly, did not have much to work with. His offensive line was pathetic to say the least, his running back failed to even get picked in the ‘07 draft, and his best receiver is now a minor league pitcher. Even with all of that working against him, Brady managed to put up decent numbers in those games. Combining all three games, Brady completed 48% of his passes for 656 yards. He threw 8 TD’s to 4 INT’s. This is the absolute worst you can make Brady’s career numbers look. Doesn’t look all that bad now does it?

Complaint #2 - “Brady is not worth a top ten draft pick”

Make no mistake, Brady was NOT a top ten draft pick this year. He fell all the way down to #22. However, that does not mean that Brady is not a top ten talent at all. Throughout life one will find that often times circumstances dictate all. This is certainly the case with Brady and the 2007 NFL Draft.

USC quarterback Matt Leinart won the Heisman Trophy his junior year of college and was projected to be the #1 pick in the 2005 Draft. However, Leinart decided to stay in school for his senior season and bypass the NFL. Leinart did not repeat as the Heisman Trophy winner, but put up just as impressive numbers as he did the year prior. Where did Leinart get picked in the 2006 Draft? He fell all the way to #10.

Leinart being picked by the Cardinals with the #10 spot doesn’t mean that he is not a #1 talent, it just means that for whatever reason he happened to fall where he did. Having studs like Reggie Bush and Vince Young in your draft class were probably reasons for the slip, but it does not take away from Leinart’s abilities whatsoever.

The Leinart situation can be applied to Brady’s as well. There is no doubt that Brady is a top ten talent. He was the 2nd QB taken in the draft and it just so happened that when he went past the #9 spot, no one needed a quarterback. That doesn’t take away Brady’s abilities, it is simply a matter of circumstance.

Complaint #3 - “Brady is an inaccurate quarterback”

Brady has not even as much played a down in an NFL game so it would be unfair to say at this point in time that he is indeed inaccurate. The only things to go on would be his past performance in the college ranks and his mechanics.

Starting with mechanics, Brady has been mentioned several times as having almost “flawless” mechanics. This should come as no surprise. His coach at Notre Dame, Charlie Weis, is a quarterback guru. He took Tom Brady from being a nobody to well, Tom Brady. Coach Weis knows how to mold QB’s and he helped Brady achieve very good form.

While at Notre Dame, Brady just so happened to be a very accurate thrower. In his two seasons with Charlie Weis as the head coach Brady completed 63% of his passes for over 7300 yards. He then piled on 69 touchdowns to just 14 interceptions. I don’t know about you, but I like what I see there.

Complaint #4 - “Brady needs to get into camp, he is just being selfish”

Brady signed a five year contract today which ended a holdout that lasted 11 days. The contract totals roughly 20 million dollars and could reach a maximum of 30 million if a majority of incentives are reached. This holdout bothered a lot of fans, for some reason, as they thought Brady needed to get in camp from day one. I have one question for them, why?

Why does Brady need to get in camp? To bond with teammates? To practice being a backup? To learn the offense quicker? Give me a good reason. There might be one out there, I just haven’t heard it yet.

There is no surprise that the Cleveland Browns were expecting Brady to hold out. Now, I was obviously not in on the negotiations so I do not know exactly what went on, but after reading several reliable sources, I have come to the conclusion that the Browns were not that bent out of shape with Brady holding out. Here is why.

As Brady held out, the QB battle was down to Anderson and Frye. The thing is, neither Anderson nor Frye stood out at all during Brady’s holdout. Neither one of them impressed the coaches all too well. Had Brady been in camp from day one, the temptation would have been there not only from the fans and the media, but also by the performance of Chuck and Derek to start Brady. The Cleveland Browns do not want any part of Brady starting anytime soon. Now, since Brady held out, that temptation is not present and they can ease Brady into the starting role.

I’m not saying that Brady might have been offered a “low-ball” contract by the Browns, though that could have very well been the case. Brady’s agent Tom Condon was not asking for top ten money, rather, he was asking for top twenty money. That is not a reach at all, considering all the Browns gave up to get him.

Another fact in this holdout that makes me wonder is why the Browns were so furiously nit-picking at years four and five of the contract. Cleveland gave up next year’s 1st round pick to get Brady which tells me that he is the future QB of the franchise. It doesn’t make much sense to quibble about those last two years of the contract. By that time, Brady better be starting or something terribly went wrong, and the Browns could just release the contract. That is the beauty of NFL contracts, the only thing guaranteed is the “guaranteed money,” everything else can be wiped away instantly.

Will Brady Quinn start at any time this season for the Browns? I honestly do not know. In a perfect world, I honestly hope he does not. As cool as it would be for Brady to start a game in 2007, it would be much better for his future and the future of the team that he does not play at all in ‘07. Yes, Peyton Manning came right in, took some lumps, and now look at him. However, Manning is the exception, not the rule on rookie quarterbacks. The current trend, which I feel is the surest bet on rookie QB’s, is to have them sit one year and start playing in year two. Look at Phillip Rivers and Carson Palmer. Two Pro Bowl QB’s who never even sniffed the field their rookie season.

As I wrap up this novel of a column the whole idea of Brady as a Cleveland Brown just does not seem real to me. Brady IS going to be a good QB. He was groomed by one of the best in Charlie Weis and has never shown any signs at all that he will struggle. The next time the Browns win a playoff game, Quinn WILL BE the starter. Will the bashing stop then? I doubt it. Just look at Peyton Manning. They (myself included) said that Manning would never lead a team to the Super Bowl. Whoops.
Here’s to hoping “they” get it wrong again.

Go Browns.

Until next time, “Read it, roll it, hole it.”

2007 NBA Wrap

Congrats to the Cleveland Cavaliers for making it to the NBA Finals for the first time in team history. I was, and still am, a huge critic of the Cavs, but they did shut me up by beating the Pistons and winning the Eastern Conference this year. LeBron’s Game Five performance against Detroit will not soon be forgotten. I must admit, that was truly special. Unfortunately for the Cavs, LeBron mailed it in from that point on.

This year in the East there were four legit teams that had a chance to win the conference. The Pistons, Cavs, Heat, and my Chicago Bulls. When the postseason started it was fairly obvious one of those four teams were going to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. The Bulls promptly swept the Heat but then had to battle with Detroit. The Pistons dispatched of Chicago in six games as Cleveland awaited. Cleveland narrowly lost the first two games, but then rebounded to take the next four and the series with it.

The Cleveland Cavaliers won one legit series this postseason. That is the exact same as the Bulls and the Pistons. The Cavs benefited from being the #2 seed in the East and only having to face one of the three “good” teams on their path to the Finals. However, you can’t take that away from them, they went out and beat the teams that were in front of them. Do not get that confused with Cleveland being a great team by any means. They have one player and a bunch of junk floating around him.

The NBA, more so than any other professional league, is all about match-ups. In the NFL a team can ride a great defense to the Super Bowl (note the Ravens and Bears). In the MLB a team can ride a great duo of pitchers to the World Series (note the Diamondbacks and the Marlins). However, with the NBA, what you have is what you got. There is no where to hide. In the NBA you cannot substitute a great defensive line-up in because they won’t be able to score any points. Therefore, when the playoffs come around, the winner is often decided by who had the better series of match-ups. Let’s take a look at this year.

The Golden State Warriors were the 8th best team in the Western Conference, barely squeaked into the playoffs, and had to face THE best team in the NBA (record wise) in the very first round. Six games later, Golden State had just upset the Dallas Mavericks. Their victory marked the very first time an eight seed managed to beat a one seed in a best of seven game series. How did this happen? One word, two syllables, match-ups.

In four games during the regular season, Golden State actually won three against Dallas. Golden State loved to use their speed and quick guards to score a lot of points. This fit perfectly with what Dallas likes to do. The Mavs also like to run up and down the court, with defense sometimes taking a backseat. The question now is, who shot better? If both teams are running up and down shooting a ton of three-pointers and getting fast break lay-ups, then the team who shoots a better percentage is going to win. It’s that simple. Golden State matched up great with Dallas because they had matching systems and styles.

Common sense would tell you that since Golden State just beat the best team in the NBA that they should be able to beat everybody else as well. Not so fast my friends. While the Warriors had a great backcourt, they had absolutely no frontcourt. Enter Carlos Boozer and the Utah Jazz. While the Warriors were still able to score against Utah, they could not stop Boozer. This is why the team shooting lay-ups all series long will ALWAYS beat the team shooting three-pointers. Now that is using common sense.

Back to the Cavs. After beating Detroit they promptly were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals. This should come as no surprise, for not only were the Spurs the far better team, but the Cavs matched up horribly with the Spurs. Cleveland depends solely on LeBron James. If James does not have a good game, chances are the Cavs are not going to win. The Spurs have the best defensive player in the league, hands down, in Bruce Bowen. Now, while Bowen did not completely shut LeBron down, he did make him less effective. Without LeBron having fan-tastic games, the Cavs had no shot, and four games later, were all done.

This is why even though the Cavs beat the Pistons, Detroit would have matched up a lot better with the Spurs. Detroit does not solely rely on one person, but rather have a plethora of options they could go to when they need a bucket. The Spurs would have beaten Detroit, make no doubt, but it would have gone 6 games. For the same reason as Detroit, the Chicago Bulls would have matched up better against the Spurs than the Cavs. The Spurs would have won that series in 5 or 6 games as well.

The Cleveland Cavaliers were able to beat Detroit because the Pistons had no answer for LeBron. He could do whatever he wanted to. Take LeBron away and what do you have, a lottery team.

Here are some random thoughts.

- Robert “Big Shot” Horry won his 7th NBA title this season. This gave him more than Michael and Scottie. While you could argue that Horry did not make a ‘big shot’ this postseason, he did dish one out and was a huge reason the Spurs won it all. If it had not been for his ‘shot’ on Steve Nash in the closing seconds of Game 4, the Suns would have won that series. It’s hard to hate on Horry, all he does is win. First with the Rockets, then with the Lakers, and now with the Spurs. The only players who have more than Horry are all Boston Celtics during the Bill Russell era.

- Congrats to Dirk Nowitzki for winning the NBA MVP this season. While everyone was fast to jump on Dirk for disappearing in the playoffs, they should remember that the playoffs have nothing to do with the MVP. It is solely based on the regular season. Don’t bring down Dirk’s moment just because the league decides to name the winner after an entire postseason round has been completed. The league needs to get their act together and announce the winner before any postseason games have been played.

Staying with things that are wrong with the MVP, Steve Nash was the best player in the league this year, make no question about it. He put up better numbers than his previous two MVP award winning seasons and was the sole reason the Suns won as many games as they did. However, since Nash was a reigning two-time winner, he was not eligible to win it this year. There is an unspoken rule in the NBA that does not allow you to win the award three times in a row. This is the same reason Michael Jordan never won the MVP three consecutive times. Charles Barkley in 1993 and Karl Malone in 1997 both denied Jordan a third straight MVP. So again, congrats to Dirk for being the 2nd best player in the league this year. It was all it took.

- Kobe Bryant is not going anywhere. The Los Angeles Lakers are not going to trade him. The only way Bryant gets traded is if he doesn’t show up for training camp and makes it known that he won’t play during the regular season.

- Kevin Garnett is going somewhere. It might even be with Kobe to the Lakers. Garnett is still a dominant player in the league and will immediately drastically improve whatever team he lands on. Hopefully the Bulls, but it’s more than likely going to be Phoenix.

- The Portland Trail Blazers are going to be a force to reckon with next season. Take a look at this potential starting line-up. Jarrett Jack, Brandon Roy, Zach Randolph, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Greg Oden. Watch out. If everyone stays healthy, that is a scary team.

- My Chicago Bulls need to do something. They have just about maxed out talent wise. If they stay put this year, and make no moves, they will not be that much better next season. Ben Gordon can not get any better, he just can’t. Luol Deng and Tyrus Thomas have some upside, but there comes a time when you stop having potential and you start becoming an underachiever. Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant both would make Chicago the frontrunner in the East next season, but neither will suit up for the Bulls anytime soon.

Rather, look for Zach Randolph or Jermaine O’Neal to possibly join Chicago in the near future. The Bulls could package a deal that sends Ben Gordon, Chris Duhon, Andres Nocioni, and their 9th pick in exchange for either Randolph or O’Neal. It is a much more realistic possibility than KG or Kobe.

Well folks, that is all I have for now. Look for my thoughts on the Tribe, my recent academic changes, and an NFL preview in the near future.

Until next time, read it, role it, hole it.

We’ve only just begun.

Spring Cleaning

While March Madness is a tremendous time to be a sports fan, it is a little bit one-sided. If you do not like college basketball, then having CBS switch from its nightly lineup of CSI and Survivor to an evening full of NCAA hoops probably does not sit well with you. However, if you are any bit of a sports fan, then late April provides you with something that you will enjoy.

Think about it. Major League Baseball is in its first month of regular season action, and unless you are a Kansas City or a Washington fan then your team is still in decent shape. The NBA playoffs just got underway, and even though the first round drags on at times, there is a good chance of finding an exciting game on television for the next several weeks. The NHL playoffs have one round in the books, with the conference semi-finals gearing up in the next couple of days. The NHL gets a bad rap at times, but playoff hockey can provide some memorable moments, including multiple overtimes in a game seven to decide a series. Finally, the long anticipated NFL Draft goes down this Saturday. Fans of good teams like the Colts and Bears, who pick last in every round, are probably not as excited as a Browns fan like me is for the draft. Personally, I’ve been excited for every draft that I can remember. Welcome to the life of a Cleveland Browns fan.

I thought it would be appropriate, with so many different options to write about, that I would throw it all together and touch base with every one of them, adding some predictions at the end.
Mark Twain said, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” Good advice, giddy up.

Major League Baseball

Grady Sizemore started the 2007 season the best way humanly possible. He took the second pitch he saw and drilled it into the right field stands for a lead off home-run. Doesn’t get too much better than that. Sizemore went on to hit a homer in the first three games of the season. Only problem with this is that Grady bats lead off for the Tribe. While he is a good lead-off hitter, he would suit the Indians much better if he hit in the 3rd spot. The combination of Sizemore-Hafner-Martinez batting 3-5 would create an intimidating presence for any pitcher. If the Indians could put someone else, such as Josh Barfield possibly, into that lead-off spot, Cleveland could maximize its talent. Take a look at this potential line-up.

1) Josh Barfield - 2B
2) Trot Nixon - RF
3) Grady Sizemore - CF
4) Travis Hafner - DH
5) Victor Martinez - C
6) Ryan Garko - 1B
7) Casey Blake - 3B
8) Jhonny Peralta - SS
9) Jason Michales - LF

However, Indians manager Eric Wedge probably will never put a lineup like that into place. Wedge is what is holding back this Cleveland ball club. His refusal to bunt or hit-and-run is killing this team. Wedge relies too much on the home run. That is fine if you have a lineup like the New York Yankees, but Wedge does not. The Indians have one 40+ home run guy, one 30+, and maybe two 20 home run guys. Everyone else should be bunting and hitting sac flies to score runs. Once Wedge leaves this team, it truly will blossom.

Prediction - Indians win 80+ games but lose out on the division and wild card. GM Mark Shapiro finally gets his act together and fires his buddy Wedge. Whoever they replace him with will do a better job. Indians make a run in 2008. As for 2007, I like what the New York Mets are doing, so I’ll go with them to win it all.

National Basketball Association

Last year I wrote what the NBA needed to do to fix the playoffs. Well, the NBA did not take any of my advice and we are stuck watching the long dragged out first round again. My philosophy is “It is what it is.” Staying with that mindset, there are several interesting first round match-ups.

Starting off, my Chicago Bulls put themselves in a position to earn the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference, but lost the final game of the regular season to blow it. They dropped all the way to #5 with the loss and face the defending NBA champion Miami Heat in the first round. The Bulls lost to the Heat in the first round last year. This year, the Bulls have home court advantage, which will help, but they still have to deal with Shaq and Dwyane Wade. Over in the Western Conference the Denver Nuggets face the veteran San Antonio Spurs squad. A huge possible upset to keep an eye out for is the Golden State Warriors over the top seeded Dallas Mavericks. The Warriors are coached by Don Nelson, who used to coach the Mavericks.

Prediction - Bulls beat the Heat in 6 tough games, but then fall to Detroit by the same number in the conference semi-finals. Nuggets upset the Spurs, while the Mavericks barely get by the Warriors. When it is all said and done, the Phoenix Suns defeat the Detroit Pistons in 5 games. Steve Nash, who will more than likely get shunned in the MVP race to Dirk Nowitzki, will win the NBA Finals MVP instead. Sweet justice indeed.

National Hockey League

The Pittsburgh Penguins this year returned to a place where they had not been since 2001, the NHL playoffs. My many childhood memories included watching Jaromir Jagr and Mario Lemieux winning playoff games for the Penguins. This year, with Sidney Crosby leading the way, the Penguins were back. They didn’t stay long, losing to the Ottawa Senators in 5 games. Now that the Penguins are done, my time invested with the NHL will fade until next year.

Prediction - Penguins come back strong and experienced next year and win the Atlantic Division. They will win 2 playoff series before bowing out in the Eastern Conference Finals. In 2009 however, the Penguins will take home the Stanley Cup. It is a rule in the NHL where if you have the best player in the league, you will win the Stanley Cup. Good thing the Penguins have Crosby. Lucky me. As for this year’s Stanley Cup winner, well, Buffalo Bills Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas finally get to sleep easy as the Buffalo Sabres win it all.

National Football League

The NFL draft is upon us. The time where lousy teams have a chance to immediately upgrade their team to a possible winning franchise. Picking the right player could lead to winning records and playoff appearances, while picking the wrong player could lead to years of misery. Needless to say, there is a lot at stake for some of the teams picking on Saturday, the 28th.

The Cleveland Browns hold the 3rd pick of this years draft. Who will they take? Who should they take? Unfortunately for the Browns, the answers to those two questions are not the same. Looking at the Browns roster, they do not have too many great players. Who is their best player? That is a great question. Some could say Kellen Winslow Jr. Others could say newly acquired Offensive Lineman Eric Steinbach, or maybe Running Back Jamal Lewis. Either way, the player does not blow you away with their skills. What the Browns need is a great player.

This years draft has two great players. Wide Receiver Calvin Johnson and Running Back Adrian Peterson are the two great players. They both have the possibility to instantly make an impact on any NFL team. The Browns should take either player, as at least one of them will be available when they pick.

If the Browns were to draft any of those two “great” players, take a look at what their offense would look like. Draft Peterson and all of a sudden you have a great two back system that can win games in chilly November and December weather in Cleveland. Draft Johnson and you have the receiving core of Johnson-Braylon Edwards-Winslow which will be nearly impossible to defend. Either way, the Browns will be a much better team.

Unfortunately, it looks like the Browns are going to draft Quarterback Brady Quinn. Browns owner Randy Lerner is very high on Quinn, and Quinn’s college head coach, Charlie Weis, is good friends with Browns head coach Romeo Crennel. It appears as if Quinn is going to be the choice.

There are two different scenarios that will play itself out on Saturday. Note: These are scenarios that do not involve teams trading picks. The Detroit Lions should trade out of their #2 spot if they want Gaines Adams. If that happens, then the draft will shake out a little differently.

Scenario #1
1) Oakland Raiders - JaMarcus Russell
2) Detroit Lions - Gaines Adams
3) Cleveland Browns - Brady Quinn
4) Tampa Bay Bucs - Calvin Johnson
5) Arizona Cardinals - Joe Thomas
Scenario #2
1) Oakland Raiders - Calvin Johnson
2) Detroit Lions - JaMarcus Russell
3) Cleveland Browns - Adrian Peterson
4) Tampa Bay Bucs - Joe Thomas
5) Arizona Cardinals - Gaines Adams

Prediction - Scenario #1 goes down, and the Browns struggle to a 4-12 record. Things get better at this point however. The Browns fire Romeo Crennel and then hire Bill Cowher. Cowher comes in and immediately turns things around. Playoffs in 2009. Go Browns.