Wednesday, December 7, 2011

AFC North theme songs

The AFC North definitely houses potential for football greatness. Here are their theme songs.

Baltimore Ravens



"Every dog has it's day every day has it's way of being forgotten- "Mom it's my birthday."" Don't forget that these Raven's have what it takes to go far into the playoffs. Their defense is solid and Ray Rice seems like the only workhorse running back who's staying healthy in the league. Can the Raven's make it to the big game? If it happened, what would YOU say?

Pittsburgh Steelers



"Possess the strength of confidence, that's the skill. You can best believe that he's a macho man." Who am I talking about? Ben Roethlisberger! The Steelers have put the offense into his hands and he's been performing at a high level. Plus, he's playing with a broken thumb. His macho man mentality will trickle down through the roster. Expect everyone to play big into the post season.

Cincinnati Bengals



"Something has been going on and I don't know what it is." Well said Hanson. What have you been doing Cincy? The team is 2-3 in their last 5 games. They're still in good position to get in as a wild card, but the Jets, Titans, and Raiders are looming. After such a great start, it would be a shame to miss the post season. Time to wake up, Hanson shouldn't be the bright part of your season.

Cleveland Browns



"Nobody wants to be lonely, nobody wants to cry." Pat Shurmur must feel pretty lonely. Peyton Hillis also probably feels lonely. What a disappointment this year for the Browns. The only high note is the defense plays well, and Colt McCoy doesn't look terrible. They'll need do develop at wide receiver and get the running game back in order. Otherwise Ricky and Christina may be your only fans.

NFC West theme songs

As promised, here are the NFC West theme songs. Love, hate, sadness, and regret are the emotions felt in this division.

San Francisco 49ers



"You can't say I didn't give it. I won't wait another minute. We're on our way this time around and we won't go down." A victory song for a team that's been struggling for such a long time. Finally an NFC West team that people can respect. I'm excited, even if they're stuck with Hanson.

Seattle Seahawks



"Even though I pretend that I've moved on, you'll always be my baby. I never found the words to say you're the one I think about each day." They miss Matt Hasselbeck. T Jack isn't the solution and neither is Pete Carrol. "No matter how I try and try I just can't say goodbye." You can say goodbye to your season Seattle. I bet this song sounds really cool on stadium speakers.

Arizona Cardinals



"These are the days when all that I can do is dream. But I don't wanna spend forever living in the in between." Kevin Kolb might be the answer. Larry Fitzgerald and Beanie Wells are solid. It's not too much of a dream, but there are still many defensive issues that need to be addressed in the off season. "Outside the window there's a sunny day. I wanna feel it on my face." Not a wise idea. Arizona is too dangerous in the summer, but at least the field can stay outside. The California bay area is perfect weather. Too bad the 49ers aren't going anywhere.

St. Louis Rams



"Oh, look what you've done you've made a fool of everyone. Oh well, it seems like such fun until you lose what you had won." Josh McDaniels has done a stellar job leading the offense to a league worst 11.7 points a game. Don't blame McDaniels for everything. Their defense is among the worst in the league. The good thing for Ram's fans is in 2009, they only scored 10.9 points a game. At this rate, by 2021 they'll be able to beat some high school teams.

AFC East theme songs

Over the next few days I decided to express my concern or excitement for each NFL team through song. Let's kick it off with the AFC East.

New England Patriots



"You can't mess with the Bizkit. Why? Cause we get it on. When? Everyday and every night. Oh see this platinum thing right here!" The Pats show off their experience in both Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. They know how to win the big ones. Super Bowl here they come?

New York Jets



"You gotta fight, for your right, to paaaaaaaaaarty!" Something like that I guess. Who knows who this team can beat. Bad loss to Denver, but solid against Oakland, Buffalo, and Dallas. Will they make it to the party?

The Buffalo Bills



"I wanna free fall out into nothing. Gonna leave this world for awhile." This about sums it up. They've lost 5 games in a row. It looks like the ground is nowhere in sight.

The Miami Dolphins



"Plant a seed, plant a flower, plant a rose. You can plant any one of those. Keep planting to find out which one grows." Is it Matt Moore, Reggie Bush, or Brandon Marshall? Andrew Luck would've been nice. Keep dancing Miami. At least you have a catchy song.

Stay tuned for the next division!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Making the case for Jeff George

Let everybody else fixate on Brett Favre - we'll keep our eyes on Jeff George. In the comments section of my recent post about why I wanted Jeff George to return to the NFL, my friend Erik offered more reasons. They're so good I felt they deserved some space here for anybody who missed them:

Couple of further thoughts:

1) Was suspended for most of the 1996 season, so it's like he didn't even play. That means he has at least a 14 solid games left.

2) He joins a team = instant entertainment. See: vile gestures to home town fans. That means he sells tickets if nothing more than to have the fans yell disparaging comments and/or really expensive concessions which boosts revenue (Jacksonville Jaguars anyone???).

3) In 2008 he said his arm felt like it was 28. That means his arm is really only 31. Unless it's dog years, in which case he couldn't be worse than Tyler Palko.

Beautifully put. Click here to see a blow-by-blow account of Jeff George's day this past Sunday 12/5/11.

Monday, December 5, 2011

My thoughts on Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods is back! Check out the tweet Tiger made after winning the Chevron on Sunday:

@TigerWoods: who's up for some ll cool j? :)

That music video is definitely symbolic of how he feels about his game, and how he wants other people to view his game.

People who know me know that I love Tiger Woods. But I also believe that he's finally getting his game back. This includes his mental game, which I can't help but believe was affected drastically by everything going on in his life. Hate it or not, I'm predicting Tiger Woods to win the Master's in Tiger-like fashion, and here's why:
  • Last year Tiger finished 4th in the Master's. Remember this was when he was virtually playing with a scrap together swing, with hardly any other tournament play the whole season. Tell me, who else in golf could do what he did at the Master's?
  • Joe LaCava. Finally Tiger has a real caddy. I've been impartial to Steve Williams throughout Woods' career. Williams did keep Tiger at bay when things got rough, but what Tiger really needs is someone to walk with him, give him clubs, and maybe give a nod of approval once in awhile. Joe LaCava is a perfect fit for Tiger's game.
  • The short game. Everyone who knows Tiger knows that it's always been his short game that produces wins. Who cares if he misses a few fairways here and there? Check out these putting stats from 2009. Tiger missed zero, ZERO putts within 5 feet. He was also an unbelievable 95% from 10 feet in. You win tournaments when your putting is that good, and he's showing signs of that again.
  • Drive. I honestly think Tiger wants to win again. It's hard when you've competed at the highest level and then fallen off the radar. If anyone says Tiger isn't capable of making a comeback, they're wrong.
  • The Swing. Sean Foley and Tiger have finally come up with the game plan for the swing. Finally Tiger seems confident with the swing and with his short game back, Tiger should be more than happy with the state of his game. As long as he can stay out of OB, he'll be fine going forward.
The biggest factor for Tiger's return is his tournament schedule. He'll have to suck up his ego and play in some lower profile tournaments to gain tournament experience. As stupid as it sounds, even Tiger Woods needs to get his tournament confidence back. If Tiger builds a solid schedule and sticks with it, his game will keep improving. Sure he'll have off weeks, he might miss a cut here and there, but it's all in the new learning process he has to go through. We've all seen what happens when Tiger plays well and produces wins. If Tiger starts creeping up the tournament leaderboards on Sunday in majors, you can't tell me that everyone ahead of him isn't going to be a little nervous. I'm looking forward to a similar 2009 performance this season. Welcome back Tiger Woods, I've missed you.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Fantasy football week 13: Weekend waiver booms

It's nearing playoff time for most leagues. These players are great pick ups if you're in need of a win this week.

Chaz Schilens (WR): With the injuries to Denarius Moore and Jacoby Ford, Schilens has moved up the depth chart to a starter. Vontae Davis will most likely be on Heyward-Bey leaving Schilens the best match. He's a must play at a 3 spot this week!

Johnny Knox (WR): He's still available in most leagues and is a good pick up going into the playoffs. Caleb Hanie and Knox have experience together playing on the 2nd string and practice squad teams. Their chemistry from last week should carry on the rest of the season as Hanie starts making better decisions.

Tim Tebow (QB): If you haven't gotten him and he's still available, it's time to pick up Tebow. His running ability and his improved passing makes Tebow the total fantasy package. Up against Minnesota this week, Tebow should have another solid week.

Scott Chandler (TE): He's a big target in the end zone and the Bills have continued to find creative ways to get Chandler the ball. With inconsistent performance from David Nelson and Stevie Johnson, Chandler might be the consistency that Fitzpatrick needs.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Fantasy football week 13: Booms & busts

This is the last week of the regular season for many leagues. Here are some great picks that should jump you into the playoffs or solidify your team going into championship week.

Quarterbacks

Boom: Tim Tebow. He's back for two straight weeks against a struggling Minnesota team. The passing game is slowly improving as Tebow builds chemistry with his wide receivers. The ground game is where Tebow's value greatly improves. A solid Denver defense also allows for Tebow to play his game.

Bust: Joe Flacco. Cleveland's pass defense is one of the best in the league, but their run defense is one of the worst in the league. Baltimore should shift their game plan and lean on Ray Rice. Flacco will have trouble finding his wideouts who have been inconsistent all season.

Running Backs

Boom: Matt Forte. Kansas City struggles against the run and Caleb Hanie needs all the help he can get. Look for Forte to be involved in a majority of the offensive plays this week. He might even bring the "governor" to town if things go well.



Bust: Steven Jackson. The Rams play the 49ers this week who don't give up points to running backs. Jackson will have trouble running this week so look elsewhere.

Wide Receivers

Boom: Pierre Garcon. He's been quiet as of late but against the Patriots defense, look for him to do well. The Colts will be down in this game and will have to throw the ball. Garcon is available in many leagues, so pick him up if you need him.

Bust: Roddy White. A scary match-up this week against the Texans. He'll be covered tight most of the game leaving Matt Ryan to check down to other options. Tony Gonzalez gets a lot of looks in the red zone and Julio Jones is becoming the big play receiver.

Tight Ends

Boom: Brent Celek. Even though the Eagles are in complete turmoil, he has a favorable match-up this week. Vince Young seems to have some chemistry with him, so don't be afraid to play him Thursday night.

Bust: Jermichael Finley. He only has 11 catches and 1 touchdown in the last 4 games. The Giants have a good defense and Rodgers has a ton of options in the passing game. Look for another quiet game from Finley.

Kickers

Boom: Sebastian Janikowski. It looks like he's back for good after his great game in Chicago. The hamstring injury doesn't seem to be affecting him anymore. Because of the injury he's been available in a lot of leagues. Miami's defense has played tough so getting into the end zone might be tough this week.

Bust: Robbie Gould. Looks like a tough day in Chicago on Sunday. The weather forecast looks like a rain and snow mix with 15 mph winds. Soldier Field always has swirling winds, and the tough conditions will hurt kickers.

Defense

Boom: New England. They're a pretty tough play...except against the Colts. Look for the Pats to shut down the winless Colts.

Bust: Giants. A tough play against the best offense in the NFL. Even if a team can cover Jennings, Nelson, Jones, Starks, Finley...wait you CAN'T cover them all. Look for the Packers to jump all over the Giants this week.

Check back on Friday for the weekend waiver booms!