2009 Off-Season - AFC Team Needs

2008 was a great season for the NFL. The entire season was filled with drama and stayed competitive until the final week of the season. Some teams came from obscurity (Dolphins) and and some teams took a step back (Patriots). Here are the needs of all 16 AFC teams for the 2009 Off-Season. Let's hope it's very active and teams get what they need in the draft and free agency.

Pittsburgh Steelers - Offensive Line - "The Steel Curtain" was back on the defensive side of the ball, but the offensive line looked like tin foil. Big Ben needs to stay upright to stay healthy and lead this team.

Cleveland Browns - Defensive End - The Browns couldn't get any pressure on the quarterback this season. They were decent on short yardage situations, but they gave up too many 3rd and long first downs.

Cincinnati Bengals - Cornerback - Teams lit up the Bengals secondary in 2008. Injuries plagued the team, but Ndukwe can't be your best defender. They need to upgrade with more than one new face covering wideouts.

Baltimore Ravens - Wide Receiver - Baltimore took a step in the right direction last season by drafting Joe Flacco. He has a huge arm and can spread the field with long passes. They don't have any deep threats on the team currently and it would even help their running game by signing an #1 receiver.

Indianapolis Colts - Defensive Tackle - This has been a need for the Colts for a few years. They have been taking their early draft picks on offense and taking fliers in the late rounds with DTs that don't work out. They need to lighten the run-stopping load from Bob Sanders and get a large body to plug up running lanes.

Tennessee Titans - Wide Receiver - Whomever the quaterback is in Nashville next season, they need someone better than Justin Gage catching footballs. Bo Scaife is their best receiver and he's a top-15 TE, at best.

Houston Texans - Defensive End - Mario Williams is a great pass rusher and they are very fortunate to take him over Reggie Bush and Vince Young. He is often double-teamed and they would could be a playoff team if they had a book-end pass rusher on the other side to help him out.

Jacksonville Jaguars - Defensive Tackle - In 2007, the Jaguars had one of the best defenses in the NFL. Marcus Stroud, left via free agency, and they Jaguars couldn't stop the run. If Jacksonville is going to compete, they need a good defense. Their offense isn't built to consistently score 30 points a game.

Miami Dolphins - Wide Receiver - Chad Pennington had a good season for the Dolphins. He deserves all the credit for their success. If you step back and realize Greg Camarillo was his #1 receiver for most of the year, it's even more amazing.

Buffalo Bills - Quarterback - I'm not sold on Trent Edwards. I think he will be a decent quarterback eventually, but he needs more grooming. Dick Jauron has one more season in Buffalo and he needs to win or he's out of there.

New England Patriots - Linebacker - Jerod Mayo will be a great linebacker for many years. Unfortunately for the Patriots, the rest of the linebacking corps has an average age of 38. If they sign a few linebackers and stay healthy, the Patriots will be back on top of the AFC East, if not the entire conference.

New York Jets - Quarterback - Brett Favre has a 10% chance he'll be back and the Jets have to ask themselves if they even want him. Kellen Clemens is their next best option, but Matt Cassel could be a free agent and he could be a nice addition to open the new stadium.

Oakland Raiders - Offensive Line - After drafting many offensive linemen and none of them working out, Oakland has to get better fast. They spent a lot of money on JaMarcus Russell and he can't live up to his potential if he is running for his life.

Kansas City Chiefs - Linebacker - I would have mentioned quarterback for Kansas City, but Tyler Thigpen started looking like Len Dawson the last half of the season. The Chiefs have to get better at linebacker to help their young defensive line out.

San Diego Chargers - Fullback - After letter Lorenzo Neal leave last off-season, the Chargers realized his worth during the 2008 season. L.T. didn't look himself and needs a fullback to clear a path. If they sign a fullback, L.T. should go back to his normal numbers and scoring nearly 20 touchdowns a season.

Denver Broncos - Cornerback - Dre Bly and Champ Bailey looked good on paper, but when they are together on the field, it's quite scary. The Bly/Bailey duo looked old when they faced better-than-average wideouts. If they get younger and faster at this position, it should help them out, but they clearly need much more help in a variety of areas.

2009 Off-Season - NFC Team Needs

In 2008, we didn't have the one dominant team like we had last season. We did have a lot of good teams (Giants, Panthers, Eagles), but they still all had more than three losses each. Every team in the NFC has needs and this off-season will be full of free agent signings, trades, and drafting young talent. Here are all 16 NFC teams and their main need going into next season. I could write and entire post about the Lions needs, but I'll spare everyone's eyes and just list one.

Detroit Lions - Defensive End - I could go quarterback or every other position here, but they need to get to put pressure on the quarterback.

Chicago Bears - Wide Receiver - Devin Hester and Brandon Lloyd aren't #1 or #2 WRs in the NFL.

Green Bay Packers - Cornerback - Their secondary is getting older and they need some youth to keep up with the speed of the WRs.

Minnesota Vikings - Cornerback - Their defensive line is one of the best in the NFL, unfortunately teams can pass all over them.

New York Giants - Wide Receiver - Plaxico Burress will not be back in 2009 and this team will not go far with Domenik Hixon as your #1 option.

Philadelphia Eagles - Wide Receiver - If Donovan McNabb comes back in 2009, remember how he played with T.O.? The Eagles need a legit #1 receiver to catch passes, not Reggie Brown or Kevin Curtis.

Dallas Cowboys - Offensive Line - Tony Romo was on his back after every snap the last four games of the season. If you protect Romo and give him time, he can help get this team to the playoffs.

Washington Redskins - Offensive Line - With Jim Zorn as the head coach, the Redskins will be a run-first offense. Clinton Portis will have a monster season if you give him some holes.

Carolina Panthers - Tight End - Jake Delhomme is stacked with every offensive tool but Tight End. If they work on a short passing game, the long ball will be there for Steve Smith.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Linebacker - Derrick Brooks is getting older and I'm not completely sold on Cato June. If they want to keep the Tampa 2 intact once Monte Kiffin leaves, they need to get better at Linebacker.

Atlanta Falcons - Cornerback - The Falcons have a nice defensive line and linebacker personnel, but lack an elite corner. They have to fill the void that DeAngelo Hall left, back when he was good.

New Orleans Saints - Safety - The Saints were passed on in every game this season. They need a good safety to help cover when their corners get beat.

Arizona Cardinals - Running Back - If Arizona had a decent running back, they wouldn't have staggered into the playoffs. Tim Hightower and his sub-3.0 yards per attempt isn't going to cut it in the desert.

San Francisco 49ers - Defensive End - With Mike Singletary as their coach, the 49ers need to take on the personality of the '85 Bears. They don't have anyone to put pressure on the quarterback. I hear Julius Peppers is a free agent, he would look good next to Patrick Willis.

Seattle Seahawks - Running Back - Matt Hasselbeck may only have a few more seasons left in him and he'll do in this re-building period. A running back tandem of Maurice Morris and Julius Jones deserves an upgrade.

St. Louis Rams - Left Tackle - The Rams have to replace the spot Orlando Pace stood for many years. If there isn't any left tackles in free agency, Alabama has a couple nice tackles that could be available with the St. Louis pick.

Griffey Jr. To The Cubs?

Ken Giffey Jr. has been a superstar since he was old enough to put on a uniform. He has done just about everything you can do in baseball, but the most important thing, win a championship. Griffey is currently a free agent and he doesn't have many more years left to accomplish this goal. His trade to the Chicago White Sox late last season is an indication that he wants to play for a contender. The Chicago Cubs need a left-handed power bat, could Griffey Jr. be reunited with his old skipper in Seattle?

The Chicago Cubs haven't made it a secret that they are in the market for a left-handed power bat to solidfy their line-up. The rumors suggest that Milton Bradley will be their guy, but Griffey would be a great addition to the Cubs. The outfield for the Cubs will be a rotation of Alfonso Soriano, Joey Gathright/Felix Pie, Kosuke Fukudome, Reed Johnson, and possibly, Bradley. Trade rumors have been circulating around Felix Pie the last two seasons and early returns say that they have lost interest in developing the prospect. By signing Joey Gathright to a contract, the Cubs sealed Pie's fate. Chicago needs to add more defense to their squad and Soriano and Gathright aren't great in that department. Fukudome has a cannon arm, but he batted below the Mendoza line doing down the stretch.

Ken Griffey Jr. is a cheap option for a secondary left-handed bat in the lineup. He can fill the role that Jim Edmonds played for them last season. He can spell the outfield and can give you an extra lefty to face a tough pitcher. He would also be a great pinch-hitting option off the bench. He can use him in situations where they could say Gathright for pinch-runner duties, something that they saved Ronny Ceceno for last season. He would give the younger players a role model in the clubhouse and he could possibly be signed for around $2-3 million.

Jim Hendry, the Cubs GM, has made some nice trades and signings over the past few seasons, but I think signing Ken Grffey Jr. would be a step in the right direction. Not only would Griffey be comfortable playing for Pinella, but he had some of his best seasons under him in Seattle. I understand that he was in his prime during that period of time, but he doesn't have to play everyday and Pinella is smart enough to use him to best suit his skills.

The Chicago Cubs need to win the World Series this year and they need to add players that are hungry. Ken Griffey has played nearly 20 seasons and he is starving. Wrigley Field would be the best place for Junior, I know he has hit enough homers there against them in the past.

They've done it! The Detroit Lions have completed a "perfect" 0-16 season in the National Football League. This is the first time a team has lost all of its games since the league switched from a 14- to a 16-game schedule in 1978. An historical list of awful NFL teams compiled by ESPN.com (which looks to be at least a few years old, as it excludes, for example, the 2007 Miami Dolphins' 1-15 season) is available here.

NBA Trade Frenzy : Pack Your Bags

In between Christmas and the trade deadline in February, expect many NBA teams to jockey for position by making a few trades to improve their teams going down the stretch. A lot of contenders have some key players, and more importantly, expiring contracts, to dangle out there for the best deal. Who will make the trades and what players will go? Who will clear more cap-space for the 2010 free agency period? Here are the top eight expiring contracts likely to be traded before the deadline.

8. Ben Gordon - Chicago Bulls ($6,404,750) - Chicago could make a starting line-up filled with guards, and need front-court help. They have just a one-year qualifying offer and it will be hard to trade Gordon since he had what is the equivalent of a "no-trade clause," since he would get Larry Bird rights at the end of this season. It will be hard to trade him, but I have a hard time believing that if Chicago lines up a trade that would put Gordon on a contender, that he would decline the trade.

7. Bobby Jackson - Sacramento Kings ($6,487,888) - The Sacramento Kings are off to one of their worst starts in the team's history and looked like they have already packed it in. Their coach was already fired and appears to be playing for more ping-pong balls in the lottery. The Kings could move Jackson to clear cap space for 2010 and maybe get a draft pick in the process. He has been a deadline gem the last fe seasons and it seems like that could be the case again this season.

6. Andre Miller - Philadelphia 76ers ($10,333,334) - Philadelphia had high hopes coming into the 2008-09 season with a positive showing in the playoffs last year and the signing of Elton Brand. The season didn't start off as they hoped and their coach was fired just a few weeks ago. The 76ers aren't going to be players in the 2010 free agency bonanza, so if they move Miller, it would be a move to build for next year. Philadelphia would be looking for first round picks and maybe a young point guard, something similar to the Devin Harris/Jason Kidd trade last year.

5. Lamar Odom - Los Angeles Lakers ($14,148,596) - The Lakers could be looking to make a move if some other Western Conference teams start improving their rosters. Odom, who hasn't played well in the playoffs, is now the Lakers sixth-man and looks like the most movable piece. Odom seems like he is content with his role with the team, but that could change with a more prominent 4th quarter role for Andrew Bynum. If Portland, New Orleans, or Boston make some moves, look for the Lakers to dump Odom to compete.

4. Eric Snow - Cleveland Cavaliers ($7,312,500) - Eric Snow is basically the Keith Van Horn of this season. He hasn't played in a game this year, but with his contract due to expire at the end of the season, it could be worth dangling out there for teams looking to make a run at free agents this off-season (Carlos Boozer) or the coveted 2010 off-season. Snow's contract isn't Cleveland's only expiring contract worth-noting as you will find out later.

3. Shawn Marion - Miami Heat ($17,610,000) - Miami has had its share of deadline trades and Marion's move has been rumored since the end of last season. The Heat are currently floating around .500 and in the Eastern Conference its good enough to make the playoffs, but probably not get out of the first round. Marion is the biggest impact-players currently on the market and I'm positive that a deal will come across Pat Riley's desk that will be too good to pass up. Shawn Marion will not be in South Beach by mid-February.

2. Wally Szczerbiak - Cleveland Cavaliers ($13,275,000) - It's amazing that Wally Szczerbiak actually signed a contract where he is getting paid this kind of money, but worst contracts have been signed. He is still a great shooter and can put up 20 points on any given night, but Cleveland doesn't need him and can use him to obtain a player to help them win a championship. Rumors of a possible deal with Milwaukee for Michael Redd could be where Szczerbiak lands. His contract is the ace up Cleveland's sleeve, the other elite teams (Boston and L.A. Lakers) can make a trade and improve their club as much as the Cavaliers.

1. Raef Lafrentz - Portland Trailblazers ($12,722,500) - Once the apple of Mark Cuban's eye, Lafrentz is relegated to the bench. His expiring contract could lead to a large power shift in the Western Conference. Portland is a young, explosive team and a trade of Lafrentz could land them some veteran leadership that they desperately need. A veteran point guard would be first on their list, someone to spell Rudy Fernandez and can maximize their offensive ability, since they have some great defenders in the low-post. If Portland can get a veteran or two in a trade, the Blazers instantly jumps up a few spots and could guarantee a spot in the playoffs.

The trade activity this season has only just begun. I think there will be more trades this season than in year's past and will change the playoff landscape. I wonder if Keith Van Horn will make a comeback for some of this action?

UFC 92: A Night Of Surprises And Comebacks

Over the last few years, UFC has made the late-December pay-per-view into a must-see. This year's effort, UFC 92, lived up to the hype. The matches were filled with surprises, redemption, and a certain fighter looking like he's back. The Rashad Evans/Forrest Griffin main event was worth the buy, but fights like Mir/Nogueira and Jackson/Silva were main-event worthy as well.

The night started off with some nice under-card bouts. Patrick Berry defeated Dan Evenson pretty easy in the first round and Brad Blackburn had the crowd on his side against Ryo Chonan in a unanimous decision for Blackburn. The rest of the early under-card fights could have been mid-card bouts in any other pay-pre-view.

Matt Hamill, who has been on his game lately, faced Reese Andy. Hamill started out very aggressive, but looked like he hit a wall at the end of the first round. Andy took advantage of Hamill's fatigue and landed some major blows toward the end of the round. After a short breather, Hamill regained his stamina and took the fight to the mat. Hamill took over and broke Andy's guard and delivered a fury of punches to end the fight. This was a nice win to get Hamill's career back on track after a loss to Rich Franklin back in September.

Antoni Hardonk faced Mike Wessel in the next match. This was Wessel's first fight in the UFC and Hardonk has been in the UFC for a couple years. Hardonk took a loss to Frank Mir late last year and has strung up a few wins to get his confidence back up. Wessel started out the fight by out-wrestling Hardonk in the first round. Hardonk did connect with some nice knee shots, but it wasn't until the second round until he took control of the fight. Wessel ran out of gas and couldn't defend the barrage of fists he was being delivered. Hardonk won by TKO in the middle of the second round.

Dean Lister had his hands full with Yushin Okami. Okami has a nice resume, he has wins over Anderson Silva, Mick Swick, Evan Tanner. He took over this fight from the beginning and Lister looked lost for most of the fight. Okami won via unanimous decision, he looks like he could be a contender in the middleweight division.

Cheick Kongo, one of my sleeper picks to have a great 2009, faced a newcomer to UFC, Mostapha Al-Turk. This match pits a submission wrestler (Al-Turk) versus a tradition kickboxer (Kongo). Kongo has a long limbs and can really bother fighters who work best on the mat. The fight was marred with low blows by both fighters and a cat-an-mouse atmosphere, luckily it ended early. After a couple restarts, Kongo landed a couple punches that took out Al-Turk. At the end of the match, Al-Turk was bleeding all over the mat while Kongo finished him off with a seven-course meal of punches and elbows.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has had a tough year. He lost his title and had a mental breakdown that lead to an arrest. He faced Wanderlei Silva who he has lost to twice before and needed to win tonight to officially declare a comeback. There wasn't any love lost between the guys, they didn't touch gloves. Jackson looked like he wanted to get Silva on the ground, but he wasn't able to get him down the traditional way. It took a hard left for Silva to hit the mat, but this time, he was out cold. It only took a little more than three minutes for Jackson to prove that he is back.

The interim Heavyweight title was being defended in the Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira/Frank Mir fight. Mir and Nogueira have both looked like monsters in the octagon and it was a perfect pairing of fighters. Mir has been around for awhile and looked really good in his last fight against Brock Lesner, while Nogueira hasn't lost in the UFC. Mir dominated the fight and Nogueira couldn't compete with him on any level. Mir took this fight into the middle of the second round until he finished Nogueira with some left hands to become the new champion.

The final fight of the night was hyped up to be the fight of the year. Forrest Griffin won the Light Heavyweight title from "Rampage" Jackson in July and Rashad Evans was the clear pick for his first title defense. Evans hasn't lost a fight in his professional MMA career, with his only draw coming against Tito Ortiz. This was a nice fight from the start, with Griffin controlling the tempo of the fight. Over the first two round, Griffin contained Evans with controlled kicks and punches. It looked like Griffin was going to win this fight in the cards if it kept at this pace. The third round was when it went bad for Griffin. Evans took him down and thunderstorm of pain was delivered to Griffin. It looked like Griffin was actually knocked out well before the fight was stopped. It was amazing that the referee let the beating go on as long as it did. Evans won the Light Heavyweight title and it will be very difficult to get the title away from this elite fighter.

UFC 92 was one of the best pay-per-views in a few years. The Ortiz/Lidell pay-per-views two years ago could only top UFC 92, this is a high compliment. Wvans and Mir look like they are legit champions, while Jackson and Okami look like possible contenders. Dana White has done a great job with these pay-per-views and I can't wait until the next one.

In today's Ohio State men's basketball game against West Virginia, the 'eyes didn't have it. With the Buckeyes trailing 49-40, the Mountaineers went on a 27-4 run to increase their lead to a monstrous 76-44 en route to an easy victory (second half play-by-play). Ohio State's collapse is all the more surprising, considering that the Buckeyes came in nationally ranked (No. 13) whereas West Virginia was unranked, and the Buckeyes were playing at home.

The Biggest Choke Jobs of 2008

Since the year is winding down, we can look over the past year and put certain things in context. Some teams were supposed to have monumental years, but fell short. Some teams have better excuses for their lack of success. Injuries, arrests, or suspensions can lead to a team not fulfilling their potential, the following teams didn't have any of those reasons for not living up to their hype by failing to win a championship.

6. 2008 New York Yankees - With a payroll of over $200 million dollars, this Yankess team was supposed to make the playoffs, if not win a championship. They were so cocky about their chances of have a good team, that they didn't pull the trigger on a deal that would have landed them Johan Santana. The Minnesota Twins wanted either or both of the Yankees top pitching prospects, Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes. The Yankees wanted to keep their young guns and it ended up hurting them in the end. Johan Santana had a Cy Young caliber season and the Kennedy/Hughes tandem struggled to stay in the Majors. The Yankees didn't win the AL East and failed to win the Wild Card, making this the first season many of the Yankees players didn't see a pitch in the post-season.

5. 2007-2008 NBA Western Conference - The Western Conference was the superior conference in the NBA last season. The Western Conference owned the Eastern Conference in head-to-head competition and looked like they would come out with the NBA Championship at season's end. The only team that stood in their way was a team from Boston. The Lakers, Suns, Rockets, Hornets, Mavericks, San Antonio, and Utah had great seasons and looked like championship teams. After a long season of beating on each other, the Western Conference team that would make the Finals, had a long run. The Lakers finally won the Western Conference, but lost in seven games to the Boston Celtics. A few calls here and there would have changed the outcome, but the Western Conference definitely fell short of expectations in the end.

4. 2008 Detroit Tigers - With the move that brought Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to the Detroit Tigers and getting Edgar Renteria in another deal, Detroit was a lock for a World Series ring. The addition of Cabrera and Willis would have added to the depth of talent Detroit already had on their team. Magglio Ordonez, Ivan Rodriguez, Jason Verlander, and Gary Sheffield were already leaders on the team and could only perform better with the addition of more All-Stars. Unfortunately, things didn't work out as expected in Motown. Verlander's ERA rose to around 6.00, Renteria couldn't handle AL pitching, and Willis ended up in A-ball and struggled with command. The Tigers ended the season under .500 and started blowing up the team by trading Rodriguez mid-season.

3. 2007-2008 UCLA Men's Basketball - After making the Final Four in the two previous seasons, the UCLA Bruins had their eyes on an NCAA Championship. Darren Collison, Russell Westbrook, and Josh Shipp were all coming back and they would add top recruit, Kevin Love, to an already great team. UCLA coasted into the NCAA tournament with a top seed and made another Final Four. The other teams in the Final Four were some of the best teams in the country, but UCLA was the only team with players who had Final Four experience. UCLA lost in the National Semi-Final game to a much younger Memphis squad.

2. 2008 Chicago Cubs - The Chicago Cubs have a history of letting their fans down, but 2008 seemed different. They had the pitching and offense to finally end the curse and win a championship. The Cubs didn't stand pat and even improved their team by adding Rich Harden in a deadline trade. They had a great season and won the NL Central in a close race. The finished the regular season with the best record in the National League and faced the NL West champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the first round of the playoffs. The Dodgers were red hot going into the post-season and beat the Cubs in three games. The Cubs pitching and lack of left-handed bats were too much to overcome. This may have been one of the most disappointing ends to a Cubs season since 1984.

1. 2007-2008 New England Patriots - The New England Patriots played like they had something to prove during the 2007-2008 season. They won every game during the regular season very easily. The Vegas odds makers even started to fall for the Patriots dominance by throwing up point spreads in the 20s, something usually only seen in college games. New England used their 16-0 momentum by winning both the divisional game and AFC championship game and punching their ticket to the Super Bowl. The NFC champion, the New York Giants, was a team that barely made the playoffs and had to win on the road three times to just make the Super Bowl. Even though the Giants nearly beat New England in the final game of the season, no one gave them a shot at winning the Super Bowl. New England had trouble with the Giants from the start of the game to the finish. The Giants defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, had the perfect gameplan, he blitzed Tom Brady and caused chaos for the New England offense. The New York Giants, thanks to an insane catch by David Tyree, ended up ruining the Patriots perfect season. 18-1 is usually as good as it gets in the NFL, but 19-0 was so close, but the Patriots couldn't finish.

Merry Christmas

America's White Boy would like to wish everyone a merry Christmas. I hope everyone is enjoying NBA basketball while your children are playing with their gifts. I'm sure the children's favorite white boy, Santa, brought them plenty of gifts to keep them occupied so you can watch some amazing NBA action today.

What did Santa bring to you?

Will Charlies Weis Wear A Hawaiian Shirt?

Christmas Eve isn't much of a sports hotbed this year. The only game on in all four major sports is the Hawaii Bowl. This year's Hawaii Bowl is getting a lot more attention than the usual match-up since Notre Dame is traveling to Hawaii to take on the Hawaii Warriors in essentially a home game for the islands. No matter the outcome of the game, Notre Dame football will be headed in a new direction.

If Notre Dame wins the game, they will finally erase the stigma of have a 15-year winless bowl game streak. A win against Hawaii would help Notre Dame escape back-to-back losing seasons and 7-6 would actually seem like a nice season overall for this young Irish team. A win to cap off the season will help rejuvenate the rabid Irish fanbase and give them some juice going into the off-season. They haven't felt good ending a season since Raghib Ismail and Rick Mirer wore the golden helmets.

If Notre Dame loses, Weis's seat will get hotter, I know he has gotten the thumbs up from the athletic director, but a beating by Hawaii could change his mind. It could put a damper on recruiting and the overall feel of Notre Dame going into next season. If Jimmy Clausen has a bad game, you have to think that they will look for an open competition going into spring. He will be a junior and needs to keep getting better, since Weis's offense relies heavily on the quarterback. Dayne Crist could be a decent option if they grow sour of Clausen.

If Notre Dame hopes to win this game, Clausen will have to protect the ball and get the ball into the hands of his receivers. Notre Dame's receivers are quite elusive in the open field. Golden Tate and Michael Floyd need huge games for them to beat the Warriors.

The Hawaii Bowl line started out with Hawaii favored by two points, but as of today, the line moved and now the Irish is favored by two. I do think the Irish will win this game, but if Hawaii scores more than 24 points, the Irish probably won't be able to keep up. The score needs to be low and Clausen can't throw more than one interception. Let's hope that Weis doesn't shoot himself in the leg and start going deep early in the first quarter.No Charlie! Put the gun away!

Teixeira Will Be In Pinstripes

It took long enough, but the Yankees got their man. Mark Teixeira will sign an 8-year deal worth $180 million dollars. That is $22.5 million a year for a man who has been the last two years' trading deadline prize. This deal will shore up the 28-year old for the prime of his career. With the signings of C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, it looks like the Yankees are back to buying their way to the World Series.

The Red Sox, Orioles, and the Nationals were the only other teams left in the bidding war after the Angels pulled out earlier this week. As of yesterday, it didn't even look like the Yankees were in the mix for Teixeira, but money talks and the Yankees threw too much on the table for anyone to resist. New York will now try to move either Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Xavier Nady, or the newly acquired, Nick Swisher.

The Yankees are opening up a new stadium and look like they are wanting to bless the new ground with not one World Series championship, but a string of championships with the years attached to these monster deals this off-season. I'm waiting for the Red Sox to make their move, I don't know what could trump these moves the Evil Empire has made the last month. The Red Sox will have to sign Jesus of Nazareth.

As a consolation prize for not signing Teixeira, the Nationals signed Corey Patterson. I can't even imagine trying to explain that move to their fanbase.

The Redskins Are Clueless

After A Week One loss to the New York Giants, everyone was calling for Jim Zorn's head. The Redskins looked bad and their offense couldn't even run an average 2-minute offense. Then somehow the Redskins go on a hot streak and win a few games in a row and suddenly Zorn is a lifesaver. Well, it didn't take long for the Redskins to fall back to Earth. They were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention and now the village people are calling for Zorn's head again. If Daniel Snyder was smart, he would listen to the village.

Vinny Cerrato, the team's executive vice president of football operations, said Monday that Jim Zorn will return next season. This doesn't seem like a Dan Snyder move to me. Is this the same man who basically has a blank check when it comes to the Redskins? Has the economy hurt Snyder?

He has coaches like Mike Holmgren, Josh McDaniels, and Bill Cowher just waiting out there for the picking and he's not doubling down. You have Bill Cowher, who has a home on the East Coast (North Carolina area), which isn't a great distance from the nation's capital. There are arguments for and against bringing in a new coach, but you can clearly see the upside on bringing in an elite head coach, not a guy that you got last second after all the other coaches you interviewed didn't seem interested.

I know the fans of the Redskins think Jason Campbell could be the quarterback of the future. Does he have the skills to win a game with his arm? I'm not sold and if you bring in Josh McDaniels, he would bring Matt Cassel with him. You have a pretty good tandem with a head-start on learning the offense. Clinton Portis has a few years left on him, but the Redskins are in need of an elite, prototypical receiver. Receivers like Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle-El are more possession receivers that lack size.

Redskins fans need to write letters, text, or contact Dan Snyder in some way to get him to explore the idea of getting in an experience coach to lead this team. The Redskins are just a couple of pieces of away from being in the top-tier of the NFC, they just need the leadership to guide them.

Lions Can't Take A Joke

I guess when you're going "defeated" all year, your job has a 0% chance of going past this week, and you've been slung through the mud since Week 1, you don't have much of a sense of humor. Rob Parker, a columnist for the Detroit News, made a joke during a post-game press conference about Detroit's defensive coordinator. It usually wouldn't make national headlines, but this joke made fun of the coach's wife and son-in-law.

The defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions is Joe Barry, the son-in-law of coach Rod Marinelli. Parker has been a critic of Barry's all season. He asked "On a light note, do you wish your daughter would have married a better defensive coordinator?". Apparently, Parker didn't mean it as a personal attack, he actually meant to lighten up a down moment during the press conference. Marinelli didn't like the question and after many attempts by Parker to apologize to the coach, Marinelli will not accept.

FOX Post-game show aired the clip of Parker's question and Terry Bradshaw called Parker a "disgrace to his profession." I think that is a little strong coming from Bradshaw, who's press credentials are colored in crayon.

The only disgrace Rob Parker has done to his profession is appearing on ESPN's "1st and 10" with Skip Bayless. Other than that occasional lapse in judgment, Parker is an amazing journalist and hopefully this story will blow over once the Lions go 0-16.

Everybody Still Hates Skip Bayless

I have written about Skip Bayless in the past and my opinion of him has not changed. I think he's overly-opinionated, takes stands on issues that is purposely against the minority, and he's a pompous jerk. This week we are "lucky" to have Stephen A. Smith as Skip's opponent on ESPN's 1st and 10. Having Stephen A. and Skip on the same show is like having the Iron Sheik vs. Nikita Koloff going against each other. Sorry to reference an old-school WWF reference to describe the scenario, but it fits. I don't like either of these guys and I really want Skip and Stephen A. end up hitting each other with a steel chair.

Today's episode was insane. Skip screamed for the first 15 minutes and then tagged Stephen A. in and he screamed for the rest of the show. I can't imagine these guys eating dinner with each other, they would have to put them in their own food and give each other riot masks to protect themselves against flying spit. The highlight of the show was when they got in a heated argument against and for Brett Favre in New York. I will DV-R the episodes on Tuesday and Wednesday in hopes of Stephen A. finally pulling out a folding table and sending Skip through it via Powerbomb.

Here is an old clip of the two going at it, I hope it gives you an idea of how insane it is to have both of these guys on the same show. You may need earplugs, the decibels alone could do some ear damage.

Lendale White Hates Towels

After a very competitive game, "Big Fat" Lendale White decided to perform some towel abuse on the sideline. This abuse wasn't the kind Jerry Tarkanian used to perform as the coach of UNLV, White took a "Terrible Towel" and stomped on it. If you don't know what a "Terrible Towel" is, it's the yellow towels that Steeler fans have been throwing around in the stands for decades. It is Pittsburgh's version of the "Homer Hanky" or "Rally Monkey."

After the game Bill Cowher was fuming that Keith Bullock and Lendale White decided to disgrace the towel. Of couse he said that because he is still a Pittsburgh homer. I don't see anything wrong with it, but I'm sure Towelie would not approve.
Here is the video of Lendale White doing the Tennesse Waltz all over a Terrible Towel.

2008 Men's College Basketball - All-Name Team

Not everyone can have the last name 'Jordan' or 'Chamberlain', some of us have to go through life with a pretty ridiculous name. Most of these names are pretty rough to grow up with, but some are names you wish you may have, especially if you are named something bland like Joe Smith or Bobby Roberts.

Once again this year the lesser-known Division I teams make up the majority of the list, keep up the good recruiting work.

Woody Payne - G - Detroit
Scoop Jardine - G - Syracuse
Cashmere Wright - G - Cincinnati
Idong Ibok - C - Michigan State
Pawel Kielbasa - F - Chicago State
Chop Tang - F - Wisconsin-Green Bay
Hyman Taylor - C - San Francisco
Beloved Rogers - G - Oral Roberts
Chief Kickingstallionsims - C - Alabama State
King Cannon - F - Central Arkansas
Picasso Simmons - G - Murray State
Tweety Carter - G - Baylor
Lex Mongo - G - Massachusetts
Ookie Clayton - G - Tennessee-Martin

and of course...

Lil' Romeo - G - USC

Penn State last night won the NCAA women's volleyball championship, defeating Stanford three games to none. The Nittany Lions' title run was built upon multiple layers of streaks:

*Penn State won all of its matches this season, compiling a 38-0 record.

*This is the second straight year the Nittany Lions have won the NCAA championship; they won their final 26 matches of 2007, bringing their aggregate winning streak to 64 matches.

*Heading into last Thursday's semifinal match against Nebraska, Penn State had won all of its 2008 matches (36 matches at that point) via 3-0 sweeps. In other words, the Nittany Lions had not lost a game (also known as a "set") all season, taking all 108 they had played. Penn State then won the first two games against Nebraska, only to drop the next two, setting up a dramatic fifth-game victory for the Lions.

Though Penn State didn't quite achieve a season free of any lost games -- which would have been unprecedented in NCAA women's play -- it did set a record by winning 111 straight games (in addition to the 110 straight in the 2008 season, the Nittany Lions won the fifth and final game of the 2007 championship match, after losing Game 4).

God, Help Me!

After a rough day of college football and non-competitive college basketball games, I am stuck with the Browns/Bengals game on my television. These teams are two of the worst teams to watch since 50% of each of their teams are on injured reserve. Brady Quinn, Derek Anderson, Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson (Ocho Cinco), Kellen Winslow, and about thirty other players are not going to play in this game. This leaves me with watching a Ken Dorsey vs. Ryan Fitzpatrick match-up.

I want to have fun while watching this game, so these are the things that are going to keep me interested.

- Drink every time Braylon Edwards drops a ball.

- Over/Under 2 minutes into the game that they start talking about next season for both of these teams.

- Over/Under 4 times, that the announcers talk about Ken Dorsey's college career.

- Count the amount of people with bags over their heads vs. the idiots without any shirts on

- The Bengals should have less points than people in the team with felony charges

- Realize that Romeo Crennel outweighs most of his offensive linemen

- Laugh repeatedly when the announcers describe the history of this rivalry and try to make it sound watchable.

I'm not sure if I will be able to make it through this game, this might be my last post. If I don't make it, I hereby bequeath this blog to my roommate.

And the Riddler Is....

I am a big Batman fan and I'm basically interested in news about any comic book character that is going to appear in a movie. I am a fan of the movies that feature X-Men, Iron Man, the new Hulk, and many others. I loved "The Dark Knight" and I'm excited about the next movie in the franchise. They have recently announced who they cast to play The Riddler in the next Batman movie. The man who is set to play The Riddler is Eddie Murphy...say what?! Really? This guy?

This guy?

This guy?

The guy who wore this?

The guy who made this movie?!

Okay, so that guy is going to be this guy?!

Okay, I give up. I really don't know where they are going with this at all. I know that Heath Ledger wasn't the normal casting for the Joker and he hit it out of the park, but this seems like they didn't even try. I hope Eddie Murphy proves me wrong, but at this point I expect the casting for the Penguin to be played by Yao Ming.

Lazy Saturday

After a long week of looking at Excel spreadsheets and dealing with office politics, I needed a nice day of watching sports and eating junk food. I was looking forward to today since around this time of years there are great college basketball games and the college bowl seasons begins. I was very encouraged by the college basketball games, but extremely sad about the bowl games taking place today. First off let's talk about the lackluster bowl games of the day.

Eagle Bank Bowl - Wake Forest vs. Navy - I've never heard of Eagle Bank and probably won't after today. I predicted that Wake Forest would win this game and it wasn't really much of a game. I turned away from the game after the first quarter.

New Mexico Bowl - Fresno State vs. Colorado State - This is a pretty sad name for the game, I guess the state of New Mexico needed to put their name on a Bowl game to boost tourism. I can't think of one reason why I would want to visit New Mexico, even after I used wikipedia and google.

MagicJack St. Petersburg Bowl - South Florida vs. Memphis - First, MagicJack is a product that you see advertised around 2:30am on Sunday nights. You plug it in your computer and you suddenly have a landline phone, this product will be gone by this time next year. Secondly, this game was played at Tropicana Field, probably the worst place to play a baseball game and now probably the worst place to play a football game. I watched the first half of this game and kids were hitting the turf and coming away with knee injuries ever 5 minutes. The highlight of the game was the sideline reporting work of Rob Stone. I'll take a dude sideline reporter instead of Erin Andrews if he brings the funny. Do you think George Selvie is a solid NFL prospect or just a product of playing B talent on a year-round basis? Just curious, discuss this with friends.

Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl - BYU vs. Arizona - This game hasn't came on yet, but I will predict a blowout by BYU. Also, it has been snowing in Las Vegas, so sadly there will not be any showgirls on the sidelines.

After seeing those Bowl games, I instantly went to look at the college basketball schedule and same some gems. I thought that this day would be saved by some college hoops, but as of 6:30pm, it has been very bad. (Note: I didn't get the Michigan State vs. Texas game in my region)

Duke vs. Xavier - This was supposed to be a marquee match-up with the number six team facing the number seven team in the country. Either Duke is the real deal or Xavier is horrible. This wasn't even a game, I started watching the next game.

Minnesota vs. Louisville - This game was one of the best of the day. Louisville came into the game ranked #9 and Minnesota was undefeated, but haven't played any elite teams. I like to think that this game was the battle of the ex-Kentucky coaches. I wanted to see Ralph Sampson's kid, but he doesn't play a lot, but the way Minnesota played, they didn't really need him. It was a good game and both of these teams should have solid seasons.

Davidson vs. Purdue - I'm a big Stephen Curry fan, but maybe a bigger Sonya Curry fan, just kidding. I started this blog about the time that Curry was going off in the NCAA tournament last year. I haven't had the chance to see him play this year and I was excited to see him play against Purdue...my excitement ended with a 21-0 Purdue run to begin the game. Davidson looked like a team undeserving of the hype and Purdue looked like a team finally "getting it."

UConn vs. Gonzaga - I actually wasn't supposed to get this game, but since the Davidson/Purdue game was a blow-out, they switched over to this game of a game. My favorite announcer, Gus Johnson, was on the mic and throwing down some memorable lines. He blamed the officials for being "overly-officious," if that's even a word, and he said that one of the players was a pitching prospect for the "Kansas City Chiefs," clearly Gus Johnson doesn't broadcast baseball. This game turned out to be the kind of game that I was waiting for all day. Gonzaga had the advantage throughout the game, but Jim Calhoun worked his magic and got the line-up in the game that got them back in it. After A.J. Price blew it on the free-throw line (I found out that he's only a 37% free throw shooter, that's worse than Shaq and Chris Dudley), he made an amazing 3-pointer to force the game into overtime. I need to find this moment on YouTube, because Gus Johnson blew a load. UConn dominated in overtime and they won the game, which was surprised me, the game was in Seattle and the Huskies had issues even getting there.

Memphis vs. Syracuse - I am watching this game now and it is a good one. I actually wanted to watch this game to see Tyreke Evans. He was supposed to go to Kentucky, but decided on Memphis. Memphis misses Derrick Rose and Joey Dorsey, but they are loaded with young talent again this season. These teams should both have decent seasons and make the NCAA tourney easily.

Oklahoma vs. VCU - This is the late game of the day, I want to see Eric Maynor and Blake Griffin, they are both going to be playing in the NBA next year. Griffin will most likely be a top three pick and Maynor will playing in the NBA somewhere, but his draft stock is still to be determined. Maynor has turned it up against talented teams and first made a name for himself a couple seasons ago in the NCAA tournament against Duke. VCU has a good team this year with a win against Kentucky under their belt. Oklahoma was my pre-season pick to make the Final Four this season, they probably won't win it all with North Carolina looking unbeatable, but they will have a memorable season.

Since I do not have the NFL Network I will be unable to watch the Dallas Cowboys vs. Baltimore Ravens game. It will probably be a good game and I hope Tony Romo and Jason Witten have monster games, my fantasy football championship depends on it. I will probably end up watching some NHL hockey, the Columbus Blue Jackets play at the Phoenix Coyotes, I hope the Columbus BJs play well(something that I call them and hope it catches on). Here is to a weak Saturday of sports to all my fellow couch potatoes.

This is probably one of the more unique streaks I've written about! Chris Paul of the NBA's New Orleans Hornets just set a new league record with a steal in 106 straight games.

Funny Plaxico Burress PSA

Plaxico Burress' PSA on Gun Safety

Atom.com: Funny Videos | Sketch Groups | Funny Animations

Tennessee Hires Kiffin For His Wife

The University of Tennessee hired former Oakland Raiders coach, Lane Kiffin, as their new coach. Anyone who watched the news conference didn't even notice Lane Kiffin, his wife Layla should have been the one answering questions. My questions would be "Really? Lane Kiffin?, "Lane and Layla Kiffin, did you guys just make up those names?" and "How does it feel to be married to the man who will be getting beat by Spurrier, Meyer, and Miles on a weekly basis?"

Lane Kiffin isn't new to the college game, he was a mid-level assistant at USC before taking the Oakland Raiders head coaching job. It is rumored that he is bringing his father, defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along to run the defense at Tennessee. I wouldn't have just taken Lane Kiffin either, it was a smart move by either the university or by Lane's people to get his father involved in getting him the job. Tampa Bay has had a great defense since Kiffin's father has been the defensive coordinator and should bring another exciting defense to the SEC. In two or three years it should be fun to watch the Vols play teams like LSU, Florida, and Alabama. I'm not sold on Lane Kiffin's head coaching ability, but with his father there, I'm sure he will be able to delegate responsibility to qualified coaches.

Enough talking about Lane Kiffin, I'm sure about 95% people who are reading this just wants to know about Layla Kiffin. It looks like she has a couple cookie-cutter kids and that's about all the information we could find. When Tennessee starts the season next fall, look for a lot of camera time for Layla Kiffin. Remember when the Cubs and Marlins were playing the "Bartman Series" and they kept showing Kerry Wood's wife in the stands, expect that same camera work in 2009 and beyond.

RE-DO - 2005 NBA Draft

After any major sports draft, every team and their fans usually feel great about the future. The NBA many teams draft based on potential and not on the basis of past performance. 2005 was one of the last drafts that high school talent could bypass the college game and enter in the draft. Teams will still draft on potential, even a year in college doesn't show enough to make an educated determination on what player is better than the other. Here is a re-do of the 2005 NBA Draft if it happened today.

1. Chris Paul - Milwaukee Bucks - The Bucks would be a much improved team with Paul at the point. Andrew Bogut was a decent pick, but the draft class was presumed to be very thin in 2005 and they couldn't pass up on a big man with International flavor. Chris Paul is hands-down, head above shoulders, the filet mignon of this draft. (Paul went #3 to New Orleans)

2. Andrew Bynum - Atlanta Hawks - Atlanta was rebuilding a young roster and needed a scorer. At the time of the draft, Atlanta could have waited on a player to develop, but big men develop at a snail's pace. The Hawks ended up taking Marvin Williams, not a bad choice, but he was solely picked based on a predicted potential with no ceiling. (Bynum went #10 to the Lakers)

3. Deron Williams - Utah Jazz - Williams actually went at this spot and to-date seemed to be about the third best player in the draft. At the University of Illinois, Williams looked great, any other year, he would have went deeper in the draft, but he'll be great. (Williams went #3 to Utah)

4. Danny Granger - New Orleans Hornets - The Hornets was the lucky team in 2005 by picking Chris Paul. Granger would be a stud on any team in the NBA. He was supposed to go much earlier than where he went, many teams weren't sold on him. (Granger went #17 to Indiana)

5. Andrew Bogut - Charlotte Bobcats - Bogut would be a great addition to Charlotte. A Bogut/Okafor duo would be a much better front court team than May/Okafor. Charlotte went to take Raymond Felton at this spot, but many thought at the time that they needed to take some Tar Heels to increase attendance in Chartlotte. (Bogut went #1 to Milwaukee)

6. David Lee - Portland Trailblazers - Lee is an energy player that doesn't quit on either end of the floor. He was an Energizer bunny at the University of Florida, but many didn't think that his game wouldn't translate to the NBA. Portland picked Martell Webster, who is turning into a nice player, but in 2005 he was picked on potential. Lee has been the one constant on the Knicks roster during the last three years and will continue to be a piece of their future. (Lee was picked #30 by New York)

7. Marvin Williams - Toronto Raptors - I would like Marvin Williams on Toronto more than I do on Atlanta, where he ended up. Toronto was a team trying to find its identity without Vince Carter. They ended up taking Charlie Villanueva, which seemed like a decent move, since Villanueva could score all over the floor at UConn. (Williams went #2 to Atlanta)

8. Charlie Villanueva - New York Knicks - The Knicks could have used Villanueva on their team, especially since he would have been a nice middle of the floor scorer. New York had a ton of guards and wannabe big men, Villanueva fit a niche that they were missing. Channing Frye was the player chosen by New York, he may still end up being a decent guy, but probably not a starter. He was traded to Portland last season, where he is behind Greg Oden in the rotation. (Villanueva was chosen #7 by Toronto)

9. Jason Maxiell - Golden State Warriors - Maxiell would have added much needed defensive ability on the high-scoring Warriors. Golden State was coached by Don Nelson at the time he was just looking for more offense, so they chose Ike Idogu. Maxiell is coming into his own on Detroit where he is playing for a contender. (Maxiell was picked #26 by Detroit)

10. Jose Calderon - Los Angeles Lakers - Calderon was probably going to stay in Europe for a season or more, something the Lakers could have done. The Lakers were trying to find themselves as a team without Shaquille, so drafting a point guard may have not been in their plans. Andrew Bynum was probably the perfect pick for what they needed. (Calderon went undrafted in the 2005 NBA Draft)

The Lakers and Pacers played a wild and streak-laden NBA game Tuesday night, with a last-second tip-in giving host Indiana a 118-117 victory. Quoting from this ESPN.com/AP article:

...when [Los Angeles] closed the third quarter with a 17-0 run to take a 101-86 lead, it seemed as if the Lakers were destined for yet another rout...

[But] when Los Angeles put together its big run at the end of the third, [Danny] Granger and [Troy] Murphy returned the favor by igniting a 10-0 spurt early in the fourth to get the Pacers within seven.

Also, Indiana made 20 of 21 free throws.

Mr. Baseball : The Sequel

I loved the movie, "Mr. Baseball," it starred Tom Selleck as a Major League baseball player who was sold to a team in Japan. It kind of seems like it is happening more often. Over the past few weeks, some Major League Baseball teams have been exporters of talent to Japan. These players are the washed-up type that finish their careers, but younger talent. I guess it's only fair that we send some players, mediocre at best, to Japan since we've been stealing their superstars. Over the past few weeks the Yankees sent Darrell Rasner to the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, the Rangers sent Kameron Loe to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, and Justin Germano, formerly of the San Diego Padres, also went to Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

It's not completely out of the norm for an American baseball player to play in Japan, but the way it is happening is a little odd. Rasner, Loe, and Germano are all young and able pitchers that seem to have a decent future playing baseball. Most of the talent Japan gets from the U.S. are the likes of Terrmel Sledge or Karl "Tuffy" Rhodes, guys who were past their prime. I'm not saying that Rasner, Loe, or Germano are future superstars, but with the constant need for pitching in Major League Baseball, you would think that the teams would have traded them to another Major League to get more in return. Either this is a way of MLB saying they're sorry for stealing their talent, or a future sorry to stealing Yu Darvish in the future.

Song Of The Day - John Legend ft. Andre 3000 (Green Light)

John Legend has always been one of those acts that I couldn't ever get into. It seems like most of his influences come from early r&b and gospel music, two styles I haven't really embraced coming from a white, rather hillbilly upbringing in Indiana. I do like Andre 3000, Outkast is probably one of my all-time favorite hip-hop acts. About the only time I ever pay attention to John Legend is when he's a guest on either "Real Time with Bill Maher," a show I watch religiously, "The Daily Show," or "The Colbert Report." He is a very open democrat and is very driven by his views of politics. He's a smart guy and I love his new song, "Green Light."

John Legend will need to make more tracks like "Green Light" to stay relevant in the mainstream, since most of his work is critically-acclaimed, it doesn't always correlate to high album sales. His new album, "Evolver," came out recently and it getting the usual love from the critics. I haven't been able to get a copy of it yet, but I am already down on the album a little since 311 came out with an album with the same title a few years ago.

I'm sure "Evolver" will do very well and hopefully there will be a few more tracks like "Green Light" to really get the buzz growing about John Legend. Here is the video for "Green Light."