Debate Of The Young Sport Minds: PGA Player of the Year?

And here we go again. After our successful opening argument about who the best team in college football was, we are switching it up and heading out onto the links.

Since I won the first argument, I will get the topic started this week. I'm looking to repeat.

Same format as last week, the e-mails started on Monday, and will conclude on Wednesday. Then you guys tell us what you thought and who made the better case. Enjoy.

LUKE FLORENCE: September 15th, 3:29 PM

With the 2008 PGA season winding down, it is time to take a look at who will win the coveted PGA Tour Player of the Year.

In my mind, there are four candidates who can make a legit claim to this award. Vijay Singh - Money Leader, Fed EX Champion, Eight Top Ten Finishes (T-1st). Kenny Perry - 2nd in Regular Season Fed Ex, Three Wins, Seven Top Tens. Padraig Harrington - Won British Open and PGA Championship. However, the person I believe truly deserves this award is none other than Mr. Eldrick Woods.

Yes I know this may sound a little strange, but the stats don't lie, he should win. He was the Regular Season FedEx Points leader. He won the U.S. Open. He is second on the money list. He won four tournaments, most of anyone on tour. He had six top ten finishes, and only finished outside the top two on one occasion. And oh yeah, he did all of this while only playing in six events. Absolutely amazing.
It is well documented that Tiger did not play a single tournament after having knee surgery following his dramatic U.S. Open playoff win over Rocco Mediate. But, not a lot of people are giving him a chance to win PGA Tour Player of the Year. I just don't understand.

I'll put it this way. Had Tiger finished out the year, played in ten more events, didn't have a single top-ten finish in any one of those tournaments, he STILL would have won this award, hands down.

I know it is difficult to comprehend him winning this award despite playing just six times. But, he was so dominant in those six events, that he clearly stood out in a year where no one else really shined that brightly.

MATT BARNES: September 16th, 2:14 AM

There is no denying that Tiger Woods is amazing. No one will ever argue against that point. What he did in that U.S. Open was downright ridiculous. But the award is called PGA Tour Player of the YEAR. And that's why Vijay Singh deserves the award.

I'm not gonna act like golf is the hardest sport in the world physically but it still is tough on the body. It's a long season that stretches from the first week of January to the end of September. Not even the baseball season is that long. So to see a 45-year-old man like Vijay have the year he is having is amazing. And while Tiger is rehabbing a bum knee, Vijay is simply just showing off his strength, stamina, and skill.

So why does Vijay deserve the award? Many reasons. As Luke pointed out, he's the Fed Ex Champion ... well, that's as long as he plays in the final tournament. Yea, talk about dominating the playoffs, you know, the time when it matters and $10 million is on the line. Being the money leader isn't a big deal in my book but what is are the eight top-10 finishes he's had this season.
It started in February with a runner-up finish at Pebble Beach all the way to September when he finished off the field at the Deustche Bank. So not only has he been dominant this year, but consistent. And examine those top-10 finishes even closer and you'll see that they were all top-5 finishes. Now if that's not worthy, I don't know what is.

To say he did not shine as Luke stated in his argument is ridiculous. No one at Vijay's age has done what he has done. He's showing up young guns like Anthony Kim and Adam Scott every week. And while one can speculate all they want about how Tiger would have finished the season if healthy, it's just not fair to players like Vijay who stayed healthy, consistent, and dominant. Great six tourneys Tiger. Great YEAR Vijay.

LUKE FLORENCE: September 16th, 2:53 PM

Interesting choice by Matt, I thought he would go with Padraig Harrington and his two majors. Instead he chose Vijay Singh and then basically asked me to give him leeway because of how old he is.

Matt gives Vijay credit for playing the best when it matters the most. Let me remind everyone that Vijay did not win a single major this year. The following is how Vijay played in the four majors (when it REALLY matters the most).

Masters - T-14th
U.S. Open - T-65th
British Open - Missed Cut
PGA Championship - Missed Cut

Not exactly the most compelling statistics for Vijay.

As for Tiger, well he won the U.S. Open and finished 2nd at the Masters. I just don't see how you can give Vijay the player of the year for winning two playoff tournaments at the end of the year, and not Tiger for winning four at the beginning (including one major).
As it can not be stated enough, Tiger was the Fed Ex Regular Season Points Leader. This point total is accumulated from January all the way to the end of August. Yes, Vijay won two playoff titles this season, but he was behind Tiger in the Fed Ex standings before the playoffs started. This shows you that Tiger was SO dominant at the beginning of the season, he could not play half of the year and STILL be the points leader heading into the playoffs.

I do give Vijay credit for racking up Top Five finishes this season. As Matt and I both pointed out, he had eight. However, anyone who really follows golf knows that Vijay Singh is notorious for playing just about every tournament possible. If he could play two PGA tournaments in one weekend, he would. So, if he plays semi-decent golf in a field that may be sub-par, of course Vijay is going to pick up Top Fives.

Let's take an even closer look into Vijay's stats this season. He played in 22 events, made the cut in 17 of them, BUT, finished outside the top 25 in NINE of those tournaments. Matt said that Vijay should win player of the year because he was healthy, dominant and consistent all year long. Well Matt, you got the first one (health) right, but you mis-fired on the latter two. And those two are the most important. Advantage Tiger.

MATT BARNES: September 17th, 12:59 AM

Just like a McCain/Palin ticket, Luke has found a way to mix words.

First off, who said give Vijay leeway? No matter his age, Vijay deserves this award. His age is what makes his season that much more impressive. Your body is supposed to break down as you get older. Vijay is one of the exceptions.
And read my post again Luke. I said the playoffs matter, not matter the most. I'm not an idiot. I know the majors are big in golf but I'm not the kind of person to give the player of the year each year to one of the four major winners. Paddy Harrington had two great major tournaments, not a great year. Tiger had four wins and played in just six tournaments. But again, not a great year ... and a year is what we're talking about right?

And what does the fact that Tiger led the Fed Ex Cup points say? That the point system is dumb. I know it and you know it. It makes no sense. But what does make sense is that when Vijay is playing in tournaments with the best golfers in the world on some of the best courses, he shines.

Besides the majors, Vijay was again dominant and consistent against the best of the best. A second at Pebble Beach. A second at the World Golf Championship at Doral. A third at Bay Hill. A top-5 in the Match Play championship and when the season is winding down and fatigue should be setting in, he wins 3-of-4 tournaments, including a WGC and two Fed Ex Cup playoff events.

Vijay is notorious for playing in a lot of events. That's not the case this year. His 22 events is right on par with every golfer on the PGA Tour so kill that pathetic point. And in case you didn't pick up the point from the last paragraph, his top-5 finishes come against the best fields. And again, what is the name of the award? Player of the YEAR.

I know it's hard for a Tiger fan like you to dream of anyone else taking the trophy away but wake up Luke. He doesn't deserve an award that recognizes a great year of play when you only play in six tournaments. Again, we all know he is the best player in the world. We all know he had the potential to have a good year but he DID NOT. The best player of the YEAR is Vijay.

LUKE FLORENCE: September 17th, 4:32 PM

Anyone else notice a harsher tone in Matt's last e-mail? He references me to John McCain and then tells me to wake up because Tiger Woods did not have a good year.

Sounds like he is getting frustrated, which I don't doubt and completely understand. See, Matt trying to argue that Vijay Singh should win player of the year is in fact, an argument against history. And that can be frustrating.

Before we go down that road, let's take a look at some of those tournaments Matt gives Vijay credit for ALMOST winning. Vijay had a third at Bay Hill. Well, Tiger WON that one, as he sank a 25-foot-putt on the final hole to beat Bart Bryant by one stroke (shown below). Vijay had a top-five at the Accenture Match Play Challenge. Well, guess what, Tiger WON that one too. In fact, Vijay didn't register his first win until the beginning of August at the WGC @ Bridgestone. I fail to see how that is being dominant for an entire year like Matt claims.

And pity on Matt for saying Tiger did not have a great year, which is really a shame. For Tiger Woods, 2008 was not his greatest season. He only had four wins, including one major. He has raised the bar so high in the past that people do not recognize when he actually had a great year compared to everyone else. Instead, they compare his numbers with his past seasons. So again, Matt is right, Tiger did not have a great year compared with his others, BUT, he did have a great year when compared to other PLAYERS.

Now, Matt must not have done his research on who has won this award, because he claims he doesn't base player of the year on his performance in the four majors. Uh oh. Because the people who give out the award actually do. I know it's a crazy idea, because they are only the most important tournaments out of the entire season.

Dating all the way back to 1994, only TWICE has the winner of this award NOT won a major. Tiger Woods pulled it off in 2003 when he led the tour in wins (5). The other was Greg Norman in 1995, but he had two top-three finishes in majors. In fact, you have to go all the way back to 1990 (the first year they began voting) to find a winner who did not register at least one top ten in a major (Vijay's best finish in a major - T14th @ Masters). That man, was Wayne Levi. So for Vijay to win, he's going to have to pull off another Wayne Levi (who actually won four times, one more than Vijay this year).

Tiger has the better numbers, the better case and history on his side. I like Tiger's chances and I like mine repeating in these debates, thank you very much.

MATT BARNES: September 17th 6:07 PM

I agree that 2008 was not Tiger's greatest season. I mean, he didn't even play after mid-June. His half-season of six tourneys was good but what are we arguing again ... oh player of the year. Man, feel like you keep forgetting that Luke.

I know Ricky Bobby coined the phrase that "if you ain't first, you're last" but we all know how bad of a movie that was and how dumb of a quote that is. Vijay's performances in the tournaments in which he got a top-5 finish show consistency in playing well in tournaments with good fields. And with eight of them, I'd say that's pretty good and deserving of this yearly honor. Not to mention, it tops all players including Tiger Woods.
Compared to other players, Tiger did have a good half-season. You could even counter that Vijay had just as good of a second half. But since we are talking about player of the year, I'm still going with Vijay. Dominant down the stretch when $10 million is on the line and the best of the best are playing in every tournament. And you know they are playing as hard as they can cause $10 million isn't exactly chump change.

And while I appreciate your history lesson of the award, it is irrelevant to our debate. The topic we are debating who should be the Player Of The Year, not who WILL be. You and I both probably agree that Padraig Harrington will win the award because the voters are major-happy but look at the whole package and it's easy to see Vijay deserves this award for his play throughout the entire PGA season. So take history off Tiger's side.

In the end, you're arguing like a Tiger fan and not as someone who actually appreciates the award. The award should go to someone who has had great achievements throughout the golf season. A player that is a favorite no matter the tournament he entered. A player who won more than one tournament and in tourneys with some of the better fields. I read all that and I can think of one player that exhibited that from February to what will be the Tour Championship next weekend in the ATL. And that's Vijay Singh. Nice try Luke. Thanks for playing.

THE END ... LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK

2008 NFL ATS Pick 'Em: Week Two

One is an accident, two is a trend.

Week two in the NFL is upon us, and as far as these picks are concerned, the worst decision one can make is basing their week two picks solely based off of week one. Week one success or failure doesn’t guarantee anything. The hardest part however, is picking up on trends before everyone else does. So maybe the Atlanta Falcons and the Buffalo Bills are for real. Maybe the Indianapolis Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars are going to have a down year. It’s too soon to tell, but the person who finds the correct answers the earliest, will end up near the top of these picks standings.

Taking care of some business before I head into the games.

Brandin Bursa has not contacted me at all, so unfortunately he is officially out. He tore his meniscus during week two of Calvert’s football season, and we here wish him a speedy recovery. Taking his place will be my brother Joshua Florence, guaranteeing at least some sibling rivalry. Also, since Brad’s brother is out, he can develop a rivalry with Josh in the sense that they both go/have graduated from Franciscan University in Steubenville, OH. Josh will be given a 6-10 record, which is one game worse than the worst week one record.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: There were several contenders, but the winner of the week one quote of the week is Devin Frank.

“Luke Florence is at this game + God hates Luke Florence = Pick Dallas.”

At the end of the year I will put the 17 quotes of the week together to determine the quote of the year.

Bart sent me a text picking all the home teams except the Browns. Unfortunately he does not have any thoughts this week, but thankfully Lucius makes up for it.

Lastly, the Baltimore-Houston game has been rescheduled, which means we only have 15 games this week. Best of luck. Giddy up.

Chicago @ Carolina (-3)

I like a healthy Jake Delhomme more so than a healthy Kyle Orton on the road.
My Pick: CAR (-3)

Jake: “I'll take the Bears. It's too early to jump on the bandwagon that they're back, but if they take this one as easily as last week, the Cubs will have to step it up to remain the most popular team in town come October.”

Lucius: “I am making this pick because I’m rather confident that some day i am gonna be a superfan and eat polish sausage and have several heart attacks and say da bears alot.” Yes, these are my friends.

Barnes: “Is anyone really sold on the Bears offense? If you say yes, you're lying.” Good to see Barnes with a full slate of comments. It just really wasn’t the same without him.

Kevin: “When translated across Spanish and French languages ‘Delhomme’ means something like ‘of the man.’ At first I thought this was simply a Spanish translation, at which point I would say, ‘You know I don't speak Spanish,’ and take the Bears. But then I remembered Mrs. Hughes's French class and how fun that was, so I weighed French over Spanish and took Jake. I hate this pick already.” A strong pick for QOTW.

Chewy: “ I think Carolina will return to .500 this year. Chicago might as well let their defensive players play both ways.” Not a bad idea.

CHI: Grothaus, Braves, Curtis, Lucius, Justin, Jake, Josh

CAR: Luke, Kevin, Shane, Barnes, Chewy, Sara, Jeff, Bart, Polito, Devin, Bursa, Rapking, Brian

Tennessee @ Cincinnati (-1)

Not a big fan of either of these teams, but I just wouldn’t feel comfortable taking the Bengals.
My Pick: TEN (+1)

Maxine Hunt Pick of the Week (0-1): Cincinnati (-1)

“She chose the 2nd game on the list and even before I told her who was playing, she says she 'felt' like I was going to say that Cincinnati was one of the teams and that if it was, she'd have to take them (no matter the spread, mind you). So Maxine's psychic powers are taking the Bengals. Something tells me my parents were supposed to name me Kerry Collins Hunt because of this pick.”

Jake: “Tennessee...Tennessee...Tennessee...mark my words, this team is better with Kerry Collins under center than with Vince Young, and Albert Haynesworth will terrorize Carson all day. Man are the Bengals bad.” I’m not buying that the Titans are better with Kerry Collins, but they do have a dominant defense.

Rapking: “The last time I was in a pick-em league, it was helping my dad when I was 8 in his Air Force league. And yea, I have never picked against them.” I am so sorry.

Chewy: “ I don't really want to say that either of these teams is going to win, but Cincy is at home and healthier.” But they are still the Bengals though.

Jeff: “BULLETIN--BULLETIN---Carson Palmer considering suicide after another Bengals loss.” Jeff making a strong case for QOTW.

TEN: Luke, Grothaus, Braves, Shane, Jeff, Devin, Lucius, Jake, Brian

CIN: Kevin, Barnes, Chewy, Sara, Curtis, Bart, Polito, Bursa, Rapking, Justin, Josh

Green Bay (-3) @ Detroit

The Lions are awful, no way they win this one.
My Pick: GB (-3)

Jake: “The only time the Lions beat the Packers is on Turkey Day. I see no
turduckens in the near future. Therefore, Packers by at least 10 over the Liedowns.”

Lucius: “The lions are absolutely terrible, and Kid Rock is from Detroit and he definitely screwed the Browns last week.” On our way up to the Browns game last week, Lucius and I wanted to hear Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long.” It didn’t happen, and we put the loss squarely on his shoulders. On the way home a remarkable feat never to be forgotten took place, as Lucius successfully called when we would hear “All Summer Long,” as well as two other country songs. It was insane.

Devin: “Did the oddsmakers see something in Detroit I didn't?”

Kevin: “Ken Jones: Back the Pack cause the Pack is Back!! (even without Favre).” Yep, get used to a steady diet of Ken Jones references.

Chewy: “Rodgers has a great team around him, and they should really run all over Detroit's defense. Rogers may not fill Favre's shoes, but he doesn't have to with the team he has around him.”

GB: Everyone EXCEPT Bart and Polito

DET: Bart and Polito

Buffalo @ Jacksonville (-6)

I would take the Jaguars straight up, but don’t see them covering the spread. This pick also gives me insurance if the Bills do something crazy and win.
My Pick: BUF (+6)

Jake: “Should I jump on the Dick Jauron bandwagon against a tough team like the Jaguars?? I'm in last place already. I can only go up from here, right?? Besides, the Jags let me down last week, so screw them.” I like the pick, but don’t like the line of thinking. Going just off of one week can prove to be a disaster.

Lucius: “I am basing this on the fact that in the jungle a jaguar would absolutely destroy a freaking buffalo.” I would make this a QOTW contender, but Lucius has even better stored up his sleeve this week.

Kevin: “Jaguars eat Buffaloes. I don't care how much bigger they are.” Yes, these are my friends.

Devin: “I believe there is a law stating Grothaus can not win two straight. Ever. At anything.” Devin trying for the back-to-back QOTW crown. It’ll be interesting to see if Grothaus responds if the Bills win.

Jeff: “There is something good going on in Buffalo besides HOT Wings.” They win this one, and all of a sudden that AFC East gets very interesting.

Chewy: “ESPN Insider has this as an even spread. I like the way Buffalo played in week one, and I think Posluszny will be defensive rookie of the year and will help stuff Jacksonville's run game (which is their offense more or less). If Jacksonville does win they will not make the spread.” I completely agree.

BUF: Luke, Grothaus, Braves, Shane, Chewy, Jeff, Curtis, Polito, Jake, Brian, Josh

JAX: Kevin, Barnes, Sara, Bart, Devin, Lucius, Bursa, Rapking, Justin,

Oakland @ Kansas City (-4)

No idea on this one. The smart pick should probably be the Raiders, because they could win and I wouldn’t be surprised, but, they looked like a bad JV team last week, and they have a short week to prepare.
My Pick: KC (-4)

Jake: “This is based on the fact that Kansas City seemed like they played a game in Week One and Oakland seemed like they were kind of hoping they could play bad enough that Al Davis would die and they could start over.” Oakland is in disarray. Their owner wants to fire the head coach. The head coach wants to fire the defensive coordinator. And, no one got fired. Watch them win by 20 now.

Lucius: “Again, Oakland is freaking awful. JaMarcus Russell should probably just start selling cars down in Louisiana right now so he doesn’t suck any worse.”

Devin: “Wow, Lane Kiffin should be fired for simply being picked to loss by the oddsmakers against KC.”

Kevin: “I don't think there's a reason I would take the Raiders. Except that Michael Gase loves them. And that they have JaMarcus Russell. That being said, give me the Chefs (one of my all-time favorite Snickers commercials -- right up there with "I am Batman!!").” Only the Calvert High School people will realize how great of a comment this is.

Chewy: “I think they will play with a chip on their shoulder after my Broncos taught them a thing or two about playing football. Their run game should flourish against KC with the double threat of Fargas and McFadden (who were limited to only about 25 carries combined against Denver).” Now here is exactly what I was talking about. Not rushing to judgment on the Raiders after just one game. Chewy is attempting to pick up on a trend before everyone else. I TOLD you I low-balled him on odds.

OAK: Shane, Chewy, Curtis, Brian

KC: Luke, Grothaus, Braves, Kevin, Barnes, Sara, Jeff, Bart, Polito, Devin, Lucius, Bursa, Rapking, Justin, Jake, Josh

Indianapolis (-1.5) @ Minnesota

Two teams who desperately need a win. I’ll go with the Colts, but if they lose, they will in turn lose my confidence the rest of the year.
My Pick: IND (-1.5)

Jake: “Give it to the Vikes. You'd think Peyton wouldn't let his team start 0-2, and Aaron Rodgers did have success against the Vikes secondary, but if Matt Forte can run all over the Colts on the road, I predict a big day for #28 of Minnesota. Also, that Minnesota D-Line has to be a little pissed off that they put Rodgers on the ground less than five times with no sacks. Must really be gnawing at them.”

Lucius: “I dont think they will lose twice in a row because I have not seen any Peyton Manning commercials this week, so therefore it means he’s playing football somewhere and not acting.” Speaking of Peyton acting, that United Way SNL skit that Peyton did a while back is one of the best athlete-related SNL skit in it’s history.

Devin: “Will get on track this week...I hope...Peyton...my fantasy QB.” He sure looked bad last week.

Kevin: “Originally had this down as Indy, but then I realized that Colts are land animals and Vikings travel by water. Of course there is a lot more water on this earth than land -- and if Al Gore has anything to do with it, it'll all be water in about 50 years. Vikings are my early Super Bowl pick for 2059!” Someone please write this down so we can reference to it later.

Chewy: “Manning has shaken off the rust and will throw for at least three TD’s in a route of Minnesota who might as well snap the ball directly to Peterson.” Again, not a bad idea.

IND: Luke, Grothaus, Braves, Barnes, Chewy, Curtis, Polito, Devin, Lucius, Bursa, Rapking, Justin, Josh

MIN: Kevin, Shane, Sara, Jeff, Bart, Jake, Brian

New York Giants (-9) @ St. Louis

Too many points for the Giants to cover? Nope. This one has 10-0 written all over it.
My Pick: NYG (-9)

The Promise's Promise (1-0): St. Louis (+9.5)

“The Rams that showed up against the Eagles are not the Rams of 2008. They are much better than that. And if the offense plays like they are capable of, the depleted Giants defense will be exposed. Something the Redskins couldn't do. This game will be close...and that's a Promise.”

Jake: “The GGGGGGGG-Men. I CAN'T believe I gave St. Louis a chance last week. They're hopeless, and I may never pick them again.” Looks like Jake isn’t one to hold grudges.

Lucius: “St. Louis is the worst team probably in the history of the world. If France had a football team, they would beat the Rams.” Aw yes, here is Lucius’ QOTW choice.

Devin: “Sympathy this week again goes out to Marc Bulger, Mr. Jackson, and all those who watch these games with St. Louis jerseys.”

Chewy: “Jason Campbell should be a backup. Deuce is healthy now, Reggie Bush is amazing, and Shockey will have a big impact.” The question is, can the Saints win on the road?

Jeff: “Time for the Rams to move back to Los Angeles.” Well played.

NYG: Luke, Braves, Kevin, Shane, Jeff, Curtis, Devin, Lucius, Bursa, Rapking, Jake, Brian, Josh

STL: Grothaus, Barnes, Chewy, Sara, Bart, Polito, Justin

New Orleans @ Washington (PK)

Saints don’t typically play well on the road, but again, for me, I like to feel comfortable in the teams I pick. I would not be comfortable taking the Redskins.
My Pick: NO (PK)

Kevin Hunt's Ballbuster Pick of the Week (1-0): New Orleans (PK)

“I went with the 8th game on the list and took the team whose #25 had a last name begin with the latest letter in the alphabet. So ...

Reggie Bush -- #25 ... Washington didn't have one ... I take the Saints. Normally these don't work out so well, so we'll see how this one fares.”

When he gets complicated, like this week, it usually isn’t a good sign.

Jake: “Tough Call. The Saints lost Marques Colston, but the Redskins looked totally inept last week, and I'm not sure I want to risk being the only one to pick Washington for the second week in a row.” Aw, I forgot about Colston. Starting to lose some of that Saints comfort.

Lucius: “For the mere fact that I am actually eating a red skinned potato right now. Sign from God? I think so.” I have no reservations whatsoever that he actually was eating that potato.

Barnes: “I love how this is just a pick 'em. To me, it makes it a no-brainer.”

NO: Luke, Grothaus, Braves, Kevin, Shane, Barnes, Chewy, Jeff, Curtis, Polito, Devin, Bursa, Rapking, Jake, Brian

WAS: Sara, Bart, Lucius, Justin, Josh

San Francisco @ Seattle (-8)

J.T. O’Sullivan on the road? Not a chance.
My Pick: SEA (-8)

Jake: “Seriously... San Francisco is hardcore terrible. And, Seattle might want to try to make a statement this week because last week they embarrassed themselves, and you know what?? They embarrassed me too. I wouldn't pick them, but they're playing San Francisco. I'm not intentionally trying to lose.” QOTW contender.

Lucius: “Because again there are several documentaries on Alcatraz this week on the National Geographic channel and they are all sweet.” Remember Bart and the movie “Philadelphia” last year? Well, Alcatraz looks to have taken it’s spot.

Devin: “This game has Seattle rolls to get season on track, but who does Hasselback throw to?” No idea, but I’m banking on O’Sullivan throwing two TD’s … to Seattle’s defense that is.

Barnes: “One of the toughest places to play. Even tougher when your team is as bad as Notre Dame.” To be fair, Barnes sent in these picks before the OSU-USC game. If he had waited, he would have replaced ‘Notre Dame’ with ‘The Buckeyes.’

Kevin: “The Big Ju makes a big splash in Seahawks country. PLUS, Seattle just signed Samie Parker. I don't know what that means, but they did. And finally, one of my 6 and 10 anchors at NBC 15 lived in Seattle for years and talks about how insanely depressing that whole place is ... this big win will cheer them up.”

SF: Grothaus, Braves, Chewy, Jeff, Curtis, Polito, Devin, Lucius, Rapking, Justin, Brian, Josh

SEA: Luke, Kevin, Shane, Barnes, Sara, Bart, Bursa, Jake

Atlanta @ Tampa Bay (-8)

Jeff Garcia is out. Brian Griese is in. Michael Turner looked good. Matt Ryan looked good. All signs point to Atlanta, which makes me nervous picking them.
My Pick: ATL (+8)

Jake: “What you ask?? You're going with the Ragin' Ryans over the some alliteration word followed by Chuckies?? Yes. That's what I'm doing. Not only will Atlanta cover, they'll win!”

Barnes: “The Bucs are slowly crumbling and it's only week 2. Meanwhile, the Falcons have some confidence. Hmm, when's the last time one could say that?” Somewhere Jerry Glanville is cracking open a Keystone.

Devin: “Yeah, they suck, we will lose, but after I felt optimism coming into the season I figure it must last one more week, or else I would feel like a browns fan.” I heart the NFL.

Kevin: “Brian Griese will be tossing the rock for the Bucs. I'm to the point of rage at this decision and here's why... go to the Buccaneers depth chart, and Griese is listed third, behind former Cleveland QB and inspiration for one of the worst field entrances I've ever seen for a Browns game, Luke McCown. I mean, how does Griese just leapfrog a guy like McCown?? Anyways, I like Michael Turner A LOT. As in, I've been picking him in fantasy football for about three years ‘hoping’ LT would get hurt. I didn't this year and I'm already paying for it.” Welcome to the life of Kevin T. Hunt.

ATL: Luke, Braves, Kevin, Shane, Barnes, Chewy, Sara, Jeff, Curtis, Polito, Bursa, Lucius, Rapking, Justin, Jake, Brian

TB: Grothaus, Bart, Devin, Josh

Miami @ Arizona (-7)

I hate this match-up. However, the Cardinals might be in position to win the NFC West this year. If they want to do that, they have to win games like this.
My Pick: ARI (-7)

Jake: “How does Arizona get seven points on Miami?? They're both bad. Anyway, I've been making a point this week to not pick teams that screwed me last week (Miami), but the Cardinals are not my team and they never will be, so screw them. Man am I bitter this week. PS-Barnes will pick Arizona because he's a hater.” Let’s see if Jake is right.

Barnes: “They showed me something against the Jets. Chad Pennington was a great pick-up for them.” Guess not Jake. Wrong again.

Lucius: “I’m going with Miami, because that is where Tony Montana lived in Scarface.” Good, no wait, great movie.

Kevin: “When in doubt, go with the home team. Even giving a touchdown.” One of my favorite ATS sayings.

Jeff: “Miami must be lousy to be a TD underdog to the Cardinals.” If it smells like a lousy team, looks like a lousy team, and feels like a lousy team … it must be the Miami Dolphins.

MIA: Barnes, Lucius, Bursa, Jake

ARI: Luke, Grothaus, Braves, Kevin, Shane, Chewy, Sara, Jeff, Curtis, Bart, Polito, Devin, Rapking, Justin, Brian, Josh

San Diego (-2) @ Denver

The Chargers are a bit banged up, but so is Jay Cutler. Chargers need this win.
My Pick: SD (-2)

Jake: “LT will run for 700 yards, birth a baby, and save Darfur. Then, the
Democratic National Convention will come back to Infesco Field and proclaim LT as their nominee for the presidency.” I have no words.

Barnes: “First off, Jake, it's spelled Invesco. And second, Jay Cutler has finally arrived, just in time to help my fantasy team too.” Good to see some developing rivalries.

Chewy: “ Center Tom Nalen's injury may slow the offense down a tad, but with the acquisition of Casey Wiegmann this off season, who started for KC last year, Nalen's possible unavailability was anticipated and shouldn't have a great impact. The loss of Merriman will have a massive impact on SD defense this year, and Cromartie's hip injury should slow him down enough that Denver's Marshall and Royal should have their way on one side of the field. SD is also plagued by injuries on offense with two starters on the line out.” Chewy also provides a great balance to some of the rather ridiculous comments that show up from time to time.

SD: Luke, Kevin, Polito, Devin, Rapking, Jake, Brian

DEN: Grothaus, Braves, Shane, Barnes, Chewy, Sara, Jeff, Curtis, Bart, Lucius, Bursa, Justin, Josh

New England @ New York Jets (-2)

So the Pats lose Tom Brady and all of a sudden become the underdogs? While Eric Mangini has a history of playing the Patriots tough, I can’t let this opportunity pass me by. I will gladly take the Patriots here. All they have to do is win.
My Pick: NE (+2)

Jake: “J-E-T-S ... Bretts, Bretts, Bretts!! Wai t... no ... that's right. The Magic Man was at it again last week, and before the season even started I said they'd win this game, so why would I back down now. Now, if only he would grow a Merlin beard and start wearing a velvet robe.” Jake is showing some potential this week for absolutely absurd comments.

Lucius: “Sure they lost the best player in the NFL, however they really cant be that bad.” Can they? They are starting a QB who is making his first start since high school.

Barnes: “Matt Cassel has not started a game since high school. That means Austen Everson and Jimmy Clausen have more starting experience. But just like this presidential election, experience doesn't matter.” I am loving this mix of politics and sports.

Devin: “No Brady. Favre on the Jets. New England still wins. This game will mean way too much for New England.” I actually think it means more to the Jets. If they can’t beat New England now … then when?

Kevin: “This is so disturbing. I'm from Favre Country, but seriously, they beat the Dolphins (barely) and the Patriots will probably just run the ball a lot more now. Cassel just has to be sufficient -- throw the ball in Moss's direction and he'll probably catch it. Welker is a mid-range, across-the-middle guru ... perfect for keeping a QB from trying to do too much. I'm just a little disappointed that Daunte Culpepper didn't receive a phone call and Tim Rattay did.” Culpepper-Moss reunion shut down by Belichick.

Chewy: “The hardest pick of the week for me, but Favre looks great and Brady is missing two ligaments in his knee. The rest of the NE squad is solid (yet old). They will not be able to slow down the Jets offense enough to win this one.” Winner of this game becomes the favorite to win the AFC East. Big contest.

NE: Luke, Grothaus, Braves, Kevin, Shane, Barnes, Sara, Polito, Devin, Lucius, Bursa, Rapking, Justin, Brian, Josh

NYJ: Chewy, Jeff, Curtis, Bart

Pittsburgh (-6) @ Cleveland

The big game. ESPN Sunday Countdown showed a great montage of the PIT-CLE rivalry including lots of on the field banter between these two teams. It was hilarious. The best line came from an unidentified Steeler, who in ‘99, when Drew Carey introduced the Browns onto the field said, “They’re still just the Browns.” I’m as big as a Browns fan as you will find, but you have to admit, that’s pretty funny. As far as this game is concerned, I hope Cleveland can win, but again, I’m backing Pittsburgh for insurance reasons.
My Pick: PIT (-6)

Jake: “We saw the games last week. I won't go any farther for all of my Browns faithful.” They are well represented here, and Jake plays it smart by not angering them.

Barnes: “Whatever I say here will infuriate the countless Browns fans in this competition. So I'm gonna take the high road and let the Browns fans bash their own team.” Another smart move by a non-Browns fan.

Devin: “Working under the premise that 'Someone' hates Flo, I have a difficult choice. Will Pittsburgh destroy Cleveland? Or will it be very close with Pitt taking it right at the end? Tough call. Lets go with destroy for this one, and God will have the Brownies lose a close one at home down the stretch to a team they have no business losing to. Hey, when they play the Bengals??” I hate the NFL.

Polito: "I cant wait for the Steelers to make it 10 straight over the Clowns, and yes you better put this quote in your blog just so everyone can hate on me." Consider it done.

Let’s hear what these Browns fans (and one Steelers fan) have to say.

Lucius: “I’m a browns fan, lets get drunk.” Speaking of getting drunk, Lucius has an incredible account of drinking with Sportscenter’s John Buccigross a week ago. It’s ridiculous, which you come to expect with Lucius.

Jeff: “Steelers---I know-I know--how can I do this? The Browns have serious problems. I am not sold on Derek Anderson yet--and I think Willie Parker will torch our defense.” Again, I CAN NOT believe Jeff picked against the Browns. I’m shocked.

Kevin: “I remember one time saying, ‘When you bet on your hopes, that's when you're gonna lose.’ Well, I'm trying to reverse that curse.

I think God owes you and me one with this game. You see, I was supposed to buy tickets for this game back in July, but I slept til two hours past the time to buy the tickets because I got roofied at a bar the night before and didn't even really realize I got home (see facebook pictures for some pretty good commentary). All in all, you had to pay more for these tickets than you should have. But there's a lot of money that I'd pay to see the Browns FINALLY beat the Steelers. Plus I don't want to hear it from Steelers fan/reporter that sits behind me at work. Already this week he's said beating Cleveland would be like beating a high school team. Go Browns, that's all I have left.” Just another day for Kevin.

Justin gives us a little blurb on this game, and if the Browns win, he will be forced to write one of these every week.

“Why the Browns will beat the Steelers:

Engaging in his questionable 3-4 defense, Romeo Crennel will prove this week that he was in fact once a defensive coordinator.

Last week, the Browns counted on their offense to win the game and employed a defensive game plan aimed at containing the Cowboys but in no way stopping them. This was evidenced by the seemingly millions of times that the Browns only rushed three. Even though Romo had all day to find an open receiver, there were still times that he took way too long, meaning the Browns coverage downfield was adequate. Often, the receiver Romo hit was at a point in his route that a solid pass rush would have made impossible. Examples of this were crossing routes where the receiver was all the way on the other side of the hash marks by the time Romo hit him, and tight end chips and releases that took a few seconds too long to develop.

If Crennel deserves his spot on the sideline, he will count on his defense to have a little confidence this week, and will employ STUNTS and BLITZ PACKAGES to expose Pittsburgh's weaker than usual line and keep Roethlisberger on his toes. (Similar to how the Browns attacked in the beginning of the second half last week.) With four or five rushers, the Browns will make Roethlisberger a quick decision maker. As long as the Browns find a linebacker that can keep up with Heath Miller and Santonio Holmes doesn't get behind their secondary, the Browns defense will do enough to negate the passing attack.

When Pittsburgh runs, the Browns have to keep Parker in the box and can't allow him to get outside. Last week the linebackers looked slow, and if they look that way again Parker could have a feast. All of Cleveland must count on the new additions to the defensive line to make a difference.

On offense, Braylon Edwards will show up in a big way, and Kellen Winslow will put on a clinic as well. Nothing about the offense concerns me – even to a point that I will say if the Browns defense holds the Steelers to 28 points or less, Cleveland has a guaranteed victory.

Final score prediction: Browns 31, Steelers 27. “

Let’s hope Justin is right.

PIT: Luke, Grothaus, Braves, Barnes, Chewy, Sara, Jeff, Bart, Polito, Devin, Jake

CLE: Kevin, Shane, Curtis, Lucius, Bursa, Rapking, Justin, Brian, Josh

Philadelphia @ Dallas (-7)

Should be a good MNF contest, and I’m taking the Eagles because I wouldn’t be that shocked if they won. At the very least it should be a close game.
My Pick: PHI (+7)

Jake: “Doesn't this seem a little high?? Clear choice for me to take Philly. Romo, to me, will always be Tony *name that rhymes with Romo but is actually a stab at his sexual orientation*. Carrie Underwood > Jessica Simpson.”

Lucius: “Unless the Eagles have linebackers, a pass rush, an offense and a halfway decent coach, unlike the browns did last week, Dallas will win the Super Bowl. Jerry Jones gets a louder ovation then the entire browns team did.” True story, it was insane how well-liked Jerry Jones is.

Barnes: “And with this win, may all Jessica Simpson talk be silenced.” How she did not win an Oscar for her portrayal of Daisy Dukes in “The Dukes of Hazzard” continues to amaze me.

Devin: “As I believe I stated last week, Dallas on the road to the Super Bowl.” Yeah well, Devin said the same thing last year too.

Kevin: “The Browns loss to the Cowboys in week one will look better and better (or more justifiable, I guess) as the year goes on.” And that wraps up Hunt’s entertaining week of comments.

Jeff: “McNabb puts it all together this year and the Eagles stun the Boys.” This has the makings of a MNF upset.

We don’t have Bart’s Thoughts this week, but we do have Po’s Knowledge Dropping for the first time, as well as the return of Chew On This, and Alex’s Thoughts. Enjoy.

CHEW ON THIS - VOLUME TWO: By Andrew Reinhart

This week I am featuring Jake Long from that team up north. He is a 6-7 310Ib monster who is the reason why Pennington may have a chance to play well in Miami. Although the rest of the line is nothing impressing (giving up three sacks in week one), Long fills the ever important Left Tackle position. If Ginn can come into his own on the outside, look for Miami to have a record around 6-10 to 8-8 which doesn't sound so optomistic, but its a step in the right direction after only winning one game last season.

You are probably all saying (no way Miami could have 6-8 wins), but I believe even one solid improvement on O line can make a big difference (its why I take a few moments each week to write this peice). Jake you might not get any love from anyone else this season, but, for what its worth, in my opinion you might be the beginning of better days for football in Miami.

PO’S KNOWLEDGE DROPPING - Week One in Review: By Ryan Polito

This is a brand new column to the Argument King's blog this year, so I would like to start by saying I am honored to have a slot in this year's blog. Hopefully people will enjoy this even though I am the hated Steelers fan.

I will be listing my most and least dominant person/people from the previous week, along with my own comments. Then I will conclude with a quote of the week and a fun fact of the week. So sit back, enjoy, and watch the Steelers beat the Browns on Sunday night 8:15 NBC.

MOST DOMINANT- LUKE FLORENCE

I got to give my boy props here. I wasn’t a part of this last year so I had no idea how much effort he puts into putting all this together. From sending out all the emails for the past month about the league, to collecting everyone’s picks and setting up a dominant blog with polls, picks, and opinions. A very dedicated effort to put together a great NFL Pick 'Em league that is much better than any kind of Pick'em league that ESPN or CBSsports has to offer. So with not very many athletes putting together a totally dominant effort I feel its appropriate for Luke to be the Week 1 most dominant person.

Other most dominant nominees:
Myself - (for attending my first ever NFL game)

Michael Turner - (220 rush yards in his first NFL start with the Falcons)

LEAST DOMINANT- THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

As many people know, for the last 4 years Tom Brady has been on the Patriots injury report. If you believe Brady was hurt all those weeks then you also might believe they didn’t cheat in any of those games either. Well karma finally caught up to that team last week. For the first time in four years Tom Brady was NOT on the injury report ... the jinx was out and Brady tore his ACL and MCL in the 1st quarter of his game against Kansas City.

That’s not the only reason they are here for least dominant, but also because they let Tom Brady walk off the field by himself. Which wouldn’t be too bad, but then they let him walk down a flight of stairs to get to the locker room.

There you have your 3-time cheater ... I mean 3-time Super Bowl winning QB walking down steps just seconds after tearing up his knee. Ridiculously least dominant in my eyes.

Other least dominant nominees:
Indianapolis Colts (looking horrible against the Bears)

Quote of the Week:

"People always ask me when I’m going to retire. Why would I retire? When you retire you never get a day off ... think about it" -Dr. Lou Holtz

Fun Fact of the Week:

Everyone knows Tom Brady was drafted in the 6th round of the NFL draft by the Patriots. However, many may not know that he was also drafted in the 1995 MLB draft in the 18th round by the Montreal Expos.

ALEX’S THOUGHTS OF THE WEEK: By Alex Lucius

Wow last week sucked. The browns suck. My 8th grade team tied. How do you tie? I hate ties worse than I hate losing. Ties are like making out with your sister. It blows and it makes for an awkward morning.

Regardless this is a new week, the browns will finally beat Roethlisberger. Popeye’s chicken will not be out of chicken. I’m not even gonna get into that.

I want to give out a shout out to my old friend Bart, for his recent academic feat. A 3.6 is a gpa that if you would add up my two gpa's from my sophomore year, you would not reach it, and that is a fact. crazy. Nice job Bart.

In other news, the new volcano taco's at taco bell are absolutely fantastic. They are not nearly as spicy going down as you might guess. A red tortilla shell is absolutely intimidating. However the volcano that erupts the next days is absolutely awful.

Well I’m getting kind of hungry so I’ll go get some right now. Go browns, Pittsburgh sucks and so does everyone that likes them. Everyone.

THE END

That’s all I have for this week. Again, my apologies for not getting this out until the late games today. It happens sometimes. Go Browns, hope you enjoyed the column, and I will see you next week.

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

Flo and Barnes Debate: Best College Football Team Right Now?

*** 2nd UPDATE:*** Running way behind today. I came down with the plague more or less, and actually can't even go to the Browns game later today. Luckily Jared said he could go, so we are set there. I'll be working on the post through the first games, and hope to get it posted before 3:00. Here are my picks just so we are straight: CAR, TEN, GB, BUF, KC, IND, NYG, NO, SEA, ATL, ARI, SD, NE, PIT, PHI. Go Browns.

***UPDATE:*** This debate is now finished. Please read through, and let us know what you think.

The title of my blog is "King of Arguments." As I mentioned in a prior post, I picked this name because of my arguments with Matthew Barnes. We started them our freshman year of college and have been continuing them ever since. Even though he is in Georgia and I am here in Ohio, we have still found opportunities to argue. So, through an exchange of e-mails, we will be debating on different topics. What I post here will be a transcript of those e-mails.

Barnes will be posting these debates on his blog as well, which you can find on my sidebar. He wants people to vote on who wins through comments, but I really don't need validation for destroying him. But if you would like, please go ahead and tell us what you think.

Our first topic: Which college football team is the best in the country RIGHT NOW. Not at the end of the year, but as we currently stand.

There is nothing quite like a good argument, enjoy. NOTE: We will update these as they continue.

MATT BARNES: September 8th, 12:38 PM

Call me a homer or whatever you want but I think Georgia is the best team in the nation right now. In the first two weeks, all this team has done is take care of business. The offense is strong, led by two Heisman Trophy candidates in QB Matthew Stafford and RB Knowshown Moreno. Plus, when Moreno went down with a slight hamstring injury in the first game against Georgia Southern, his backup Caleb King ran for 93 yards.

Against Central Michigan, the Georgia defense showed off their stuff, giving Dan LeFevour fits all game, including forcing him to throw an INT that was returned for 78 yards by DeMarcus Dobbs (who took what seemed like two weeks to run into the end zone). And that bodes well for the Bulldogs, since LeFevour is the closest thing to Tim Tebow the Dawgs will see before that fateful game.

Plus, their head coach is unflappable. Mark Richt is the man to keep this team focused on each and every game. And they'll have to with five of their next six games against ranked foes. The speed, strength, and swagger of this team is by far the best in the nation. Now, it's just time to see if they have enough stamina to survive the schedule.

LUKE FLORENCE: September 8th, 5:09 PM

Well since you gave me permission, nice pick, Homer. Georgia is a nice team, and make no mistake they should be considered, but the answer to this question is the Oklahoma Sooners.

Let it be stated that what we are doing is not picking who we think is going to win the National Championship (although my answer would be the same), but who we think is the BEST TEAM RIGHT NOW. How can it not be OU?

First, they played a cupcake against Chattanooga in week one and did what powerhouses are supposed to do, dominate. The Sooners raced out to a 50-0 halftime lead and ended up winning 57-2. Their defense held Chattanooga to ONE first down. Then, the following week against Cincinnati (a team from a major BCS conference, something UGA hasn't faced yet), the Sooners rolled again. Mr. Homer down there in Georgia is on record saying that he thought Cincy could pull off the upset, which tells me he thinks Cincy is a good team. The Bearcats very well could be, but the Sooners wiped the floor with them 52-26.

QB Sam Bradford is an absolute machine, completing more than 75% of his passes, and racking up almost 600 yards through the air already. Instead of one dominant running-back, Oklahoma has two solid ones in DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown. Throw in a plethora of wide receivers (four receivers with more than 100 yards), and OU is stacked on offense.

Who cares about schedules down the road, if you had to pick the best team right now, it would be Oklahoma. No brainer.

MATT BARNES: September 8th, 11:51 PM

Alright, before I throw your jibberish on my blog, let's not throw stats in. We both know (or at least I do) Georgia Southern is better than Chattanooga so whatever numbers Bradford put up against them should just be erased. At least GSU put up a fight. In my mind, Bradford and Stafford are equal. Also, you're right, Georgia has one dominant running back and then a solid running back behind him in Caleb King. Think that trumps two solid running backs.

I'm not saying Oklahoma is not good but they aren't on Georgia's level yet. They just don't have the speed to even compete with Georgia. And you'll notice the "King Of Arguments" doesn't mention the OU defense. And that's a smart thing. When you only return six starters and some of them were the same players that gave up 48 points to WVU in the Fiesta Bowl, can't exactly say your defense is strong. Those 26 points Cincy scored ... against the first team defense. Only 14 points have been scored against the 1st team defense of the Bulldogs. 'Nuff said.

Oh, and sorry if my schedule talk took away from my point of how good they are. When I talk about the best team in the nation, I like to look ahead and not back.

LUKE FLORENCE: September 9th, 2:39 PM

You are making this too easy for me Homer. So let me get this straight, when you talk about the best team in the nation you like to look AHEAD?? How does that make any sense whatsoever? In order to see who the best team is, all you have to go with is what they have accomplished, meaning you have to look BEHIND.

The fact is, Oklahoma, by thumping Cincinnati (a BCS team) has done more than Georgia has thus far. Yes, the Bulldogs, if they keep winning, will prove to be the best team in the nation, but that is not what we are discussing right now. So far, UGA has defeated teams in the Southern Conference and the MAC. Wow, impressive.

As far as me not giving any credit to Oklahoma's defense, you do have a point, they only return six starters from a squad that give up nearly 50 against WVU. However, I see that as being a good thing. Obviously those defensive players from last year were not up to par, so Bob Stoops has the opportunity to get some new players a chance. So far, they are holding their own. It also helps that they have an offense that could put up 60 each time out.

Speaking of Stoops, and this has NOTHING to do with our conversation but worth mentioning all together, he is by FAR the better coaches of the two. He has a National Championship (2003) under his belt and has the Sooners in the mix for the title every single year. As for your boy Mark Richt, well I have a feeling that this season will turn out like 2004 did. Lofty ranking, high expectations, and then a surprising loss. In 2004 it was Tennessee, I wonder who it will be against this time around (possibly South Carolina this week)? Oh, and that decision to have a team celebration in the end-zone against Florida last year with the score 7-0? Yeah, that won't come back to bite him at all.

To give you credit Barnes, Georgia does deserve to be mentioned, they are in the top three right now. But the order goes, Oklahoma, USC and then Georgia. So don't feel bad, you almost picked the correct choice. But with you being a Buckeye fan and all, I guess you are used to ALMOST getting it right.

MATT BARNES: September 10th, 4:11 AM

You can flip my words all you want but you know Georgia is the best. Why do I look ahead? Because when you've watched both games live and seen the team play amazing football, there's no need to look back. The impression and statement has been made.

And before you pat yourself on the back for your "thumping Cincinnati" line, let's remember Cincy's QB Grutza went out during that game. I wouldn't expect you to credit the Chiefs for their great defensive performance against a Brady-less Patriot team. So let's not say words like "thump" without realizing they were playing a short-handed team. With Grutza in that game late, it may not have been the blowout you talk about over and over.

Oh, and Central Michigan could easily compete in the Big East. Just because they are in the MAC does not make them inferior to a BCS team. Unless you really think a BCS team like Duke or Syracuse is better than the Chippewas. And I noticed you stayed away from the Chattanooga-Georgia Southern comparison. Why? Because you know BOTH play in the Southern Conference. But you also know while Chattanooga has had only one winning season (6-5 in '05) in the past seven years, GSU has had six. So I think we know why Oklahoma won 57-2.

The defense is holding their own? Yea, 26 points to a sub par BCS team is not holding their own. It's called being thankful for having an offense that knows how to score points. This Oklahoma D has already shown they aren't up for a big game offense.

Oklahoma can score, but so far, they've played some sub par defenses. And though Georgia has played sub par defenses as well, they at least have a defense that returns 9 players, has experience playing in the much-tougher SEC over the past 3 years, and in their bowl game against a Hawaii team that boasted Colt Brennan and a high-octane offense, gave up just ten points. And I think I've already mentioned the inept performance the Oklahoma D had against WVU.

Stop trying to rationalize the wrong. Georgia is a battle-tested team returning 17 starters. They have a killer instinct and know how to put away a team early, unlike Oklahoma (only up 26-20 in the 3rd qtuarter against UC). And they have not one, but two Heisman trophy candidates in Moreno and Stafford that continue to prove that the Bulldogs are the best. Don't "stoop" down to Oklahoma's level. Get on my level and you'll realize that while Oklahoma shows promise (which I know about), they're nowhere near as good as the Bulldogs right now.

LUKE FLORENCE: September 10th, 2:40 PM

I think all that time spent out in the Georgia sun has caused you some mental fatigue. Of course, your arguments were always borderline inept, so maybe it has nothing to do with the change of locale.

Let me start off with a quote from my fellow debater, which dates back one week ago about the Cincinnati-Oklahoma game. "I am not sold at all on Oklahoma and I think this is the type of game they will overlook. Brian Kelly is a bright coaching mind. He led Central Michigan to a MAC championship in his time. He is trying to do the same at UC in the Big East. I'm picking CINCINNATI in a huge early upset."

Yep, that's right, he picked Cincinnati. It's a good thing this is the last e-mail, because this debate is over after that quote. You picked Cincinnati to win, and then you give no credit to the Sooners for winning by almost four touchdowns. Incredible.

As with your nonsense about the Southern Conference teams, that has absolutely nothing to do with what we are talking about. Georgia and Oklahoma both played cupcakes in week one. Maybe Georgia's cupcake tasted a tad better than Oklahoma's, but the fact is they are both cupcakes. In typical Barnes fashion, he tries to strengthen his argument by talking about things that have no relevance to the subject at hand. Central Michigan could easily compete in the Big East? Who cares? The fact is when Georgia made that schedule four years ago, they were figuring on playing an easy MAC contest, which they did.

Oh, and good move by The Promise by not debating anything about Mark Richt. He is a clown, an idiot, and will ultimately be the demise to this talented Bulldogs team. Let's be honest here. Both teams are talented. Oklahoma has a better QB and overall offense. Georgia has a better RB and overall defense. So, all things considered equal, I'll take my chances with the better head coach, which in this instance is undoubtedly Bob Stoops.

In the end, it's a good thing we did this particular argument this week, because after USC spanks Ohio State on Saturday night, there will be no debate as to who the best team in the country will be.

THE END

Well, that wraps up our first debate. PLEASE tell us what you thought, and who you thought did a better job of making their point. We really need some comments for this series. You can post them here on KOA or hop over to Barnes' blog, located on my sidebar.

This is going to be an annual Mon-Wed occurrence. Next week we will be discussing the Buckeyes and the Browns, because they are our favorite teams (Barnes-Buckeyes, Me-Browns) and are playing in respectively, their biggest games of the year this weekend.

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

2008 NFL ATS Pick 'Em: Week One

Week one. A new beginning. A fresh start. Underachieving teams a season ago such as Baltimore, Philadelphia and New Orleans look for redemption. Underachieving league members such as Barnes, Bart and Grothaus look to try and reverse their fortune. New league members such as Braves, Chewy, Shane and Bursa try to make their mark from the onset.

No matter how you slice it, Sunday's are back. Football is in full swing.

Instead of the poll question on the sidebar, I will post the standings for the league. Speaking of polls, based on the results from SportsNation the favorites are: Sara, yours truly, Polito, Barnes, and Braves. We will see.

Enough from me, this is a long enough post as it is. One important note however. Brandin Bursa cannot be reached and has not gotten his picks in. He does have a knee injury I do believe, but has not sent any picks to me. If he gets in touch to me sometime soon, I will update the league. More on this developing situation as it comes.

Enjoy, and thanks to everyone who got their picks in. Best of luck.

Detroit (-3) @ Atlanta

I've said it before, and I will say it again. This is a quarterback's league, especially with spreads. A basic rule in making these picks is not backing a rookie QB in his first start. That means I will not be taking Matt Ryan this week. Not going to lie, he didn't impress me that much at Boston College, so it's safe to say I have low expectations for the young quarterback.
MY PICK: DET (-3)

THE PROMISE'S PROMISE: *ATL +3* - This is where Matt Barnes will give his lock for the week.

"The Lion King may be my favorite movie but I'm not stupid. Matt Ryan was great in college. The Lions are pretty much a college team. Falcons win by at least seven. And that's a Promise."

We will be keeping a running record for this and all of our special picks of the week.

COMMENTS: (my reaction/response to them in bold)

Bart: "This may be the year that Detroit doesn't suck. This also may be the last time that I pick Detroit for the rest of my life. This first game is going to have a very large impact on how I pick Detroit games for the rest of the season and for the rest of my life." Unlike Bart, my pick in this game was more of a pick AGAINST Atlanta than FOR Detroit.

Kevin: "No Lions will have their bags at the Atlanta airport. Meanwhile Tatum Bell is wanted for identity theft. And somehow LeCharles Bentley is arrested for being the get-away driver and hits Kellen Winslow on his motorcycle." An early candidate for quote of the week.

Lucius: "Well I'll start off my perfect season by picking detroit. I find myself lost for words on this pick for the mere fact that you can still find lions tickets on ticketmaster. Wow grow a fan base." Let me have the honor of introducing Alex Lucius to the league. He has a full slate of comments.

Chewy: "I have got to go with the experienced QB in week 1. Matt Ryan may become a top QB, but this will be his first game. Their starting C is almost definitely out with an injured back, so I expect their line play to be sub par." Make sure to check out Andrew's "Chew On This" at the end of these picks. This man knows his football.

Jeff: "Going with the Lions - they beat the Bengals in preseason so they must be good!"

PICKS:

DET: Luke, Bart, Polito, Shane, Rapking, Chewy, Justin, Sara, Curtis, Brian, Grothaus, Devin, Jeff, Lucius, Bursa, Braves

ATL: Kevin, Barnes, Jake

Cincinnati (-1) @ Baltimore

See the Detroit game, and you will understand my pick. Let me go on record saying that Joe Flacco will have a better career than Matt Ryan, but he is still a rookie QB.
MY PICK: CIN (-1)

Devin: "Chad Javon Ocho Cinco scores a TD and he better have Ocho Cinco on the jersey." That's right, I almost forgot about Ocho Cinco. For those of you that don't know, Chad Johnson legally changed his name to Chad Javon Ocho Cinco, just so he can wear Ocho Cinco on the back of his jersey. I hate the Bengals, but I like Chad. He's just having some fun.

Sara: "I wonder how many 'Touchdown: Ocho Cinco's' we'll hear this year.

Bart: "I hate the Bungals. I hate their bandwagon fans. I hate "Who Dey". I hate Chad Ocho Cinco (That is his real name which makes me hate him more now, even though I wasn't sure that was possible before he pulled the stunt.) I hate Chris Henry. I hate the music they play on the loud speakers during games. I hate their colors. That's about all, I am picking with my
heart, not my head...usually not a good way to win betting pools." Three consecutive comments on Ocho Cinco. Love him or hate him, he always has people talking.

Kevin: "Are the Bengals really Joe Flacco-bad?"

Chewy: "Didn't want to pick them with Troy Smith sitting out, but I think Cincy with all its discipline issues and poor defense is a burning ship that is starting to finally sink. I expect Harbaugh to have a good start as Baltimore's head coach too." I'm with Chewy thinking Baltimore will improve with Harbaugh, but I think Cincy should be able to handle a rookie QB in his very first start.

Jeff: "I think the Bengals will win, but I am going with the Ravens. I love seeing all the pain at work each Monday!" God bless Browns fans.

CIN: Luke, Kevin, Polito, Barnes, Rapking, Justin, Grothaus, Devin, Bursa, Braves

BAL: Bart, Shane, Chewy, Jake, Sara, Curtis, Brian, Jeff, Lucius

Seattle @ Buffalo (PK)

Two things are working in the Bills favor. One, they played well at home all of last year. And two, home teams went 11-5 in week one against the spread. I'll take my chances based solely on those two reasons.
MY PICK: BUF (PK)

Devin: "Seattle is the better team." But what about ...

Bart: "I think Buffalo is going to surprise some people this year." For the new members this year, what Bart is doing right now is truly a phenomenon, picking games after analyzing the teams. He flipped coins one week. He based his picks off of a Bone Thugs N' Harmony song one week. He sent me texts saying "all the home teams except New England" for a couple of weeks. Either way, it wouldn't be the same without him.

Kevin: "As Ken Jones always told me, 'When in doubt, go with the home team.'" Ah yes, the first Ken Jones reference. Only took the third game of week one to get it in.

Chewy: "I think Seattle is a better team, but with Engram and Branch out, I am not sure how good of targets Hasselback will have (and their starting ILB is out)." If Chewy wasn't going to be a Priest, he would make a great John Clayton or Chris Mortensen.

Jeff: "I like the Bills, they might sneak up on some teams this year."

SEA: Barnes, Justin, Jake, Sara, Brian, Devin

BUF: Luke, Kevin, Bart, Polito, Shane, Rapking, Chewy, Curtis, Grothaus, Jeff, Lucius, Bursa, Braves

New York Jets (-3) @ Miami

Chad Pennington gets the start against the team who dumped him for Brett Favre. Unfortunately for Chad, he won't be missed. Yeah he does know the Jets playbook probably better than Favre does, but Miami just does not have good players, it's that simple. Besides, these Jets, if they stay healthy, will be competing for a playoff spot.
MY PICK: NYJ (-3)

Bart: J-E-T-S, JETS! JETS! JETS! - Bill Parcells looks like a disgruntled Michelin Man and he seems like is an A-Hole as well." I heart my friends.

Barnes: "Why is this spread only three? Seriously?" Yeah that scares me a little bit though. It seems as if the oddsmakers are trying to bait us into picking the Jets.

Lucius: "Ill take the jets with favres old ass at the helm. Miami is god awful and have made practically no improvements and traded away arguably one of the best de's in the league."

Jeff: "Bet against Brett Favre? This old man picks his favorite old QB, J--E--T--S JETS JETS JETS!" That is a very catchy phrase.

NYJ: Everyone EXCEPT Jake.

MIA: Jake

Kansas City @ New England (-16.5)

Ah yes, the 18-1 New England Patriots. As crazy as it sounds, the Pats are a bit of a mystery this year. However, last year, people were a little scared off by the large New England spreads, and it cost them, especially early on. I'm going to take New England until they stop covering.
MY PICK: NE (-16.5)

KEVIN HUNT'S BALLBUSTER PICK OF THE WEEK: *KC +16.5* - This pick originated two years ago where Hunt just randomly picked a game, I bet on it, and it was deemed a "ballbuster" pick, because of how crazy it was. Needless to say, I only bet on it once.

"Taking the underdog in the sixth game listed."

That's how it works. He can get a little crazy with his random thinking, but this week Hunt took the simple approach. Again, we will document how well he does.

Bart: "After the season they (Pats) had last year, they are going to have to prove that they shouldn't be picked, as opposed to proving that they should." Totally agree.

Lucius: "New England is almost an unstoppable machine and I dont believe that Kansas City is gonna be the ones to stop it."

Jeff: "Going against my better judgement but give me the Chiefs. Pats still not ready." Jeff was one of those who did NOT pick the Pats early in the season. He's doing it again here.

KC: Kevin, Rapking, Justin, Jake, Sara, Jeff, Bursa, Braves

NE: Luke, Bart, Polito, Shane, Barnes, Chewy, Curtis, Brian, Grothaus, Devin, Lucius

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans (-3.5)

Taking the home team. If the Saints are going to be as good as I believe they are capable of, then they should win this contest comfortably.
MY PICK: NO (-3.5)

Bart: "New Orleans is exactly the opposite of New England." I can see where Bart is going with this, but I'm not big on Tampa Bay this year. If you aren't getting better, you are getting worse.

Kevin: "Brees-to-Shockey produces two TD's in this game."

Lucius: "Let's just say New Orleans is lucky that Hurricane Cleveland isn't coming to town this week. I gotta go with the Saints in a blowout." Yes, these are my friends.

Jeff: "Could be Hurricane Brees that hits the Superdome this time. Bucs get drenched." Proof that the Hurricane reference can be spun several different ways and still be effective.

TB: Bart, Chewy, Justin, Brian, Devin, Bursa

NO: Luke, Kevin, Polito, Shane, Barnes, Rapking, Jake, Sara, Curtis, Grothaus, Jeff, Lucius, Braves

St. Louis @ Philadelphia (-7)

This was the hardest game for me to pick. On one hand, the Eagles don't have a single receiver. On the other, they do have Brian Westbrook and a healthy Donovan McNabb. On one hand, the Rams were pathetic last year. On the other, they can't get any worse, you would think. Still, I'll take the Eagles because I just wouldn't be comfortable backing the Rams.
MY PICK: PHI (-7)

Devin: "I feel actual sympathy for Marc Bulger." Devin is just flat out bad at spelling. Lucky for him, he's much better at making picks.

Bart: "When in doubt, take the points." Or is it, when in doubt take the home team?

Kevin: "Not sure I believe the Eagles yet, though I trust the Rams about as much." Seems like I'm not the only one struggling with this game.

Chewy: "They will win, but I am afraid the game will be very close and the spread will not be covered. I can't pick against them though with a healthy McNabb." Ah, the beauty of ATS. Obviously the straight-up pick would be the Eagles, but ATS?? Who knows.

Jeff: "McNabb will silence his critics, at least this week."

STL: Kevin, Bart, Polito, Rapking, Justin, Jake, Grothaus, Lucius

PHI: Luke, Shane, Barnes, Chewy, Sara, Curtis, Brian, Devin, Jeff, Bursa, Braves

Houston @ Pittsburgh (-6.5)

Last year, unlike my success with New England, I struggled with the Steelers. I absolutely love what they did in the draft. They are the team to beat in the AFC North, make no mistake. I hope I'm wrong, but I doubt it.
MY PICK: PIT (-6.5)

Bart: "Every time I see the word Pittsburgh, I am surprised that it has an "h" on the end of it." Sounds like Bart.

Kevin: "I hate the Steelers." Spoken like a true Browns fan.

Curtis: "Those dirty bastards." See my comment on Kevin's quote.

Lucius: "Homos." See my comment on Curtis' quote.

Chewy: "I love Houston's D-Line, but Pittsburgh is still a better overall team. They are also the most healthy team in the NFL to start the season." A nice change of pace from the Pittsburgh bashing.

Jeff: "Pitt at home in their first game, a lock for sure. I can still hope for a miracle though." Go Browns.

HOU: Brian, Jake

PIT: Everyone else.

Jacksonville (-3) @ Tennessee

Very intriguing game between two AFC playoff teams from a year ago. A lot of people are very high on the Jags, some even consider them the favorite to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. As for me, I think they are good, but not THAT good. However, they are good enough to cover this spread.
MY PICK: JAX (-3)

Devin: "This game has 7-6 written all over it."

Kevin: "Watch the Jags this year, cause no one in Florida will be."

Bart: "I think they (Jags) may give Indy a run for their money this year in the division race." A lot of pundits share Bart's thinking here. Maybe I'm just afraid of change, but I don't see it.

Lucius: "I hate Tennesee." The odds of Lucius spelling 'Tennessee' right were probably around 100:1. He got close, but needed just one more 's.'

Chewy: "Vince Young is a winner. He will come out of his sophomore slump this year and plays to his potential." I'll take 'Things that won't happen' for $300 Alex.

Jeff: "A tough game, but the Jags a little tougher."

JAX: Luke, Kevin, Bart, Polito, Shane, Barnes, Rapking, Jake, Justin, Brian, Devin, Jeff, Lucius, Bursa

TEN: Chewy, Sara, Curtis, Grothaus, Braves

Dallas (-4) @ Cleveland

This is THE game for week one, no doubt. With all of the Browns fans in this league, just about EVERYONE had a comment about this match-up. I'm taking the Cowboys as insurance. If the Browns win/cover then I'll be thrilled. If not, then at least I assured myself one victory. Also, this will probably be the lowest (-4) you can get Dallas all year.
MY PICK: DAL (-4)

Devin: "Luke Florence is at this game + God hates Luke Florence = Pick Dallas." And we have another contender for quote of the week.

Bart: "This game will have significant implications on how I pick both of these teams games for the rest of the season."

Barnes: "Anderson's concussion has brought him back to the real world ... where he is a bad QB." I wouldn't mind getting to see Brady Quinn play at sometime this year.

Kevin: "Derek Anderson will throw a touchdown pass so far over Pac Man Jones's head that 'Adam' will end up outside the stadium at a strip club trying to defend the pass ... giving a whole new meaning to the thought that Cleveland is a 'Dying City' and providing the Cleveland Police Department another reason to be worried on gameday - along with the drunken tailgaters and fears of the river starting on fire again." You wonder how he comes up with these things. Then you spend five minutes with him, and you just know.

Curtis: "The best of the best, CLEVELAND BROWNS." Excitement.

Lucius: "I'm a Cleveland fan, lets get drunk." I'm pretty sure those were the first words that Big Al ever spoke.

Justin: "Cowboys, only because I got the line at four. I wanna lose this pick so bad." Looks like we had the EXACT same line of thinking.

Brian: "I couldn't justify taking the Browns and only getting four." See Justin's comment.

Chewy: "Cleveland should be a playoff team, but, with Jones and Zack Thomas added to an already good Dallas defense, they should be able to contain Clevelands outstanding offense."

Jeff: "Dallas, this is killing me, but the Browns are so banged up already, I can't see them playing four good quarters." I can't believe Jeff went against the Browns.

DAL: Luke, Bart, Polito, Shane, Barnes, Chewy, Justin, Jake, Sara, Brian, Grothaus, Devin, Jeff, Bursa, Braves

CLE: Kevin, Rapking, Curtis, Lucius

Carolina @ San Diego (-9.5)

I have no idea on this one. None. The Panthers don't have Steve Smith, and the Chargers are a bit banged up as well, especially on their offensive line. I went with San Diego initially, but then switched to Carolina and took the points. I could see the Chargers winning, but I'm hoping a healthy Jake Delhomme will keep it close.
MY PICK: CAR (+9.5)

MAXINE HUNT PICK OF THE WEEK: *SD -9.5* - This pick started last year when Kevin asked his mother for some help picking games. She actually did quite well and was a big reason Kevin finished in second. I wonder if she got any of his winnings?

"Mom: I'll take the Chargers.
Me: Any particular reason??
Mom: Well, because of their red uniforms ... cause Wisconsin has red uniforms and we were just up there and Wisconsin is on my mind right now.
Me: They actually don't have red uniforms, but we'll go with it anyway??
Mom: Oh, they don't?? Oh yeah, they have yellow ones though right??
Me: No, actually they have dark blue, white and baby blue, but no red."

How great is that?

This is the last of the three special picks. My money is on Maxine Hunt ending up with the best record of the three.

Devin: "SD got off to slow start last year and their stars are coming off injuries."

Bart: "I am picking the Chargers based on the fact that it is my favorite city that I have ever been to and nothing else."

Lucius: "Whats up with squirrels?" I proudly present to you, Alex Lucius.

Chewy: "LaDainian Tomlinson." Enough said.

Jeff: "Chargers roll big time in this one. Get out the power blue jersey." Those are fantastic jerseys.

CAR: Luke, Shane, Barnes, Justin, Brian, Grothaus, Devin, Lucius

SD: Kevin, Bart, Polito, Rapking, Chewy, Jake, Sara, Curtis, Jeff, Bursa, Braves

Arizona (-3) @ San Francisco

Kurt Warner and J.T. O'Sullivan. No wonder Daunte Culpepper retired. These are two of the starting QB's in the NFL. Crazy.
MY PICK: ARI (-3)

Devin: "I just entered a sweepstakes to start at QB for SF in the opener."

Bart: "Same deal, I am picking the Cardinals because I want to move to Phoenix. San Francisco has way too many weird people. It's a true fact not a misguided stereotype, I saw it first hand."

Kevin: "J.T. O'Sullivan is going to shove this pick down my throat ... or not." And now go see Kevin's comments for the next game.

Lucius: "San Francisco for the mere fact that I watched a documentary on Alcatraz two nights ago and well it was pretty sweet." Quote of the week just got a little bit more interesting.

Jeff: "This JT at QB could be my sleeper player of the year!" Too ... many ... jokes

ARI: Luke, Kevin, Bart, Polito, Rapking, Barnes, Chewy, Jake, Sara, Curtis, Grothaus, Devin, Braves

SF: Shane, Justin, Brian, Jeff, Lucius, Bursa

Chicago @ Indianapolis (-9.5)

This is one of those games where you talk yourself into taking the points, but then the Colts come out and score a quick TD, and all of a sudden you wish you backed Indy.
MY PICK: IND (-9.5)

Bart: "Da Bears! - Based on the fact that one of the greatest SNL skits of all time was about them." Ditka.

Kevin: "Kyle Orton is going to shove this pick down my throat ... or not." Hunt is backing J.T. O'Sullivan AND Kyle Orton. I have no words.

Jeff: "The Colts will shoot sky high at new Lucas Oil field, just like my BP gas card bill - four bucks a gallon??" That's right, the Colts are playing at 'The Luke.' How cool is that?

CHI: Bart and Justin

IND: Everyone else.

Minnesota @ Green Bay (-3)

Another interesting game. Vikings have a tremendous defense but no quarterback. Tavaris Jackson on the road? I think not. Give me the Packers.
MY PICK: GB (-3)

Devin: "Minnesota on the road to the Super Bowl." They do have a defense of that caliber and a great running back. But NO QB and NO WR's.
Kevin: "Homer pick here. Meaning, my home is in Wisconsin now. My guess is that this pick will be a win for everyone anyway - GB 3, MIN 0."

Lucius: "I'm gonna go with the vikings because of the fact Aaron Rodgers sat in the draft forever." This start really has been a long time coming. He has a lot to prove, but even though it is his first start, he's got plenty of experience learning from Favre.

Chewy: "They didn't take the best QB in NFL history and the gods of football will punish them in this game as whoever they have playing QB will not be able to fill Favre's shoes." Had they gotten Favre, this would have been the team EVERYONE would have picked to go to the Super Bowl.

Jeff: "I like the Vikings Defense and think they will spoil Rodgers debut."

MIN: Polito, Shane, Barnes, Rapking, Chewy, Justin, Jake, Sara, Curtis, Brian, Devin, Jeff, Lucius, Braves

GB: Luke, Kevin, Bart, Grothaus, Bursa

Denver (-3) @ Oakland

And finally, we've reached the last game of the week. Oakland doesn't have a clue, and the Broncos are looking impressive. This one is easy.
MY PICK: DEN (-3)

Bart: "I am picking the Raiders on the basis that I am handing out a one week punishment to the Broncos for allowing the DNC to be held at their stadium this year." Who says you can't mix politics and sports?

Kevin: "Raider Nation is really pulling this line down I guess." It is one of those unusually low point-spreads. Maybe the oddsmakers don't have a clue yet either.

Chewy: "Denver, I think you all know why." Got to respect the loyalty. Although, it is easy when you also get to pick against Oakland as well.

Jeff: "Denver rolls, I think it is another long year for the Raiders." Word.

DEN: Luke, Kevin, Polito, Shane, Barnes, Rapking, Chewy, Jake, Brian, Grothaus, Devin, Jeff, Lucius, Bursa, Braves

OAK: Bart, Justin, Sara, Curtis

SPECIAL SECTIONS: This is where we will put the special sections that some of the league members have written for the week. Starting things off will be Chewy's 'Chew On This."

CHEW ON THIS - VOLUME ONE - A piece dedicated to the linemen of the NFL - By: Andrew Reinhart

To start off the season I wanted to share a few sentences about my Broncos O-Line (don't worry, this should be the only time I mention them all season). The rebuilt and healed O-Line in Denver is the best reason for my belief that we will return to the playoffs this year. Tom Nalen (the last player on the roster who played with Elway) is returning at center coming off a torn groin (which he played an entire game on because he is a true man and was the only center on the active roster). We also used our first draft choice to get Ryan Clady to anchor our line into the next decade. He looked great in preseason, and his mix of strength, size, and athleticism should make him a viable candidate for rookie of the year (even though he will get no attention because is a lineman). We have also upgraded at right tackle with Notre Damne standout Ryan Harris moving into a starting spot in his second season (you might remember him from the first season of MTV's True Life). They are joined by two solid and experienced veteren Guards Ben Hamilton (eight year veteran) and Chris Kuper (our best new starter of last season). This squad will keep Cutler safe for a third year in which he will put up the best numbers for Denver since Elway player, and they should be able to open up holes big enough for talented young and unproven backs like Selvin Young and Andre Hall.

BART AND ALEX'S THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK - You think you know, but you have no idea, this is the life of Bart and Alex - By: Bart Borer and Alex Lucius

BART'S THOUGHTS:

Thoughts for the Week (and for the summer): I managed to pull off a 3.66 GPA for summer quarter. To some of you that may have been/will be a regular occurrence during school, for me it is not and is worth mentioning. Included in that was my first ever "A" in an English class where I was the one that wrote all of my own papers. On to more exciting things. I need to give a shout out to my last buddy to swipe his V-Card. That fact that he did it doesn't mean anything to me, it's the way he did that earned him this shout. Other than that it has been a pretty quiet summer. Good luck to everyone (except Barnes), and good luck to the Bangladeshi Cricket team as they play a home match against the tough Australian team this week. Peace. Love. Hot Dogs.

ALEX'S THOUGHTS:

In closing I am getting ready to head to a bachelor party in west virginia with Bart. That is the first time I've ever used the words bachelor party and Bart in the same sentence. I think that is a complete formula for one hell of a night. I can only imagine what is about to go down, but I can imagine its going to involve bart and me drinking 10 too many and doing something absolutely fantastic.

THAT'S ALL SHE WROTE

Well, there you go. The week one column. What an experience it was for me putting this together, and I hope it turns out all right. Enjoy the games, and best of luck. Go Browns.

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