Bad Reception

This is an embarrassing moment for the NFL in my opinion. It is terrible that one of the best match ups of the regular season so far, and a game that will probably decide home field advantage in the NFC playoff picture, will not be seen by at least 75% of NFL fans (according to a survey that I just made up), but in reality only 39% of people in the US with televisions are able to receive the NFL Network, according to USA Today.

I believe that this is a part of a greater trend that sports leagues, primarily the juggernaut that is the NFL, are putting a burden on the fans. You want to come watch games at our new stadium? Well, ok then you're going to have to pay higher ticket prices and also $5 for a water or $10 for a beer (one example, when the Steelers built their new football stadium ticket prices went up 62%). Hmmmm, alright NFL, but what if I want to watch a Thursday night game in the comfort of my own living room? Well, fan, you're going to have to get a satillite dish. Eventually the costs of attending, and maybe even possibly watching the games on television, might become too expensive for the average fan. There's a reason why there isn't the blue-collar worker watching the ball game in the bleacher seats anymore. Because he can't go to the game. Instead it's the upper crust of society that can afford those season tickets. These fans also don't care about the game as much. One of the reasons college football is so great is because the fans in the stands care almost just as much, if not more, than the players and coaches on the field.

Again, the burden of a large majority of these costs in professional sports is being put on the shoulders of the fanbase. Eventually, there will get to be a point where the fans just won't pay the prices and franchises won't be able to pay their bills.

I'm kind of getting off on a rant here, but I hate the corporatization/bastardization of sports. The little white towels that a corporate sponsor hands out before the game that just a rip-off of the terrible towel are pretty much the epitomy of what I hate about sports today. And best of all, they look like surrender flags. What's next? The Chicago Bears brought to you by Huggies, or AT&T presents the Denver Broncos? Eventually, it's going to get to that point and it makes me sick. Our sports leagues are starting to look a lot like our economy, and I mean that in a sense that instead of being bought up by Chinese bankers and European CEOs, that our leagues are in essence auctioning themselves off to the highest bidder and it's the fans that suffer.

Week 13 Picks

This will be brief. I am procrastinating very badly and doing 4 things at once while trying to write a paper, which is due tomorrow, at the same time. So here are the picks.

Home teams in CAPS


DALLAS (-7) over Green Bay
Jacksonville (+7) over INDIANAPOLIS
ST. LOUIS (NL) over Atlanta
Buffalo (+5.5) over WASHINGTON
MINNESOTA (-3) over Detroit
Houston (+4) over TENNESSEE
N.Y. Jets (+1) over MIAMI
San Diego (-5) over KANSAS CITY
PHILADELPHIA (-3) over Seattle
San Francisco (+3) over CAROLINA
Tampa Bay (+3) over NEW ORLEANS
Cleveland (+1.5) over ARIZONA
Denver (-3.5) over OAKLAND
CHICAGO (+1.5) over N.Y. Giants
Cincinnati (+7) over PITTSBURGH
New England (-20.5) over BALTIMORE

It looks like it's going to be a hell week for home teams so just be aware fans when you go to the game on Sunday.

Week 11:9-7
Week 12:Week Off (holiday)

Year of the Longshot

Starting with Appalachian State's triumph at Michigan, continuing with the upsets of USC at the hands of a Stanford team that lost to Notre Dame, Colorado beating Oklahoma, Florida State beating Boston College, and the rolling along through the systematic toppling of top ranked teams, it's been an amazing year.

And the result? Well, with one more win apiece, the national championship game will be contested by those perennial powerhouses, Missouri and West Virginia. That's a prospect akin to Albania playing for the World Cup title, and that's probably disrespectful to Albania. Another example is someone like Adam Sandler being an Academy Award nominee. That seems to make the point more accordingly.

The vast American sports commentariat will weigh what it all means. Parity, scholarship limits, departures of talented underclassmen for the pros will be among explanations that are cited with frequency. And that's all very interesting, but more importantly, this year's topsy-turvy scramble shows the need for a systematic championship scheme--perhaps a single elimination tournament of anywhere between 8 and 32 teams, using established bowl games as sites.

As it is, a championship won by the likes of Missouri or West Virginia will inevitably produce widespread grumbling that the result was a fluke. Soreheads will claim that the team that was really best didn't get to play. I think though that this year that there are a lot of #2 and #3 teams but no number one and no year seems to need a playoff more than this one.

There'd be far less griping after a real playoff, even if it was won by Albania, or even Mizzou.

McNabb: A Fantasy Complaint

Thanks Donovan McNabb, Thanks for actually getting me one point in fantasy football. Thanks for rushing for 30 yards and Passing for 30 yards. Thanks for the 2 interceptions. Thanks for making me start Kurt Warner next week.






ET

Kansas, Really?

No. 2 Oregon went down in flames yesterday to unranked conference opponent Arizona(who apparently is quite good against ranked teams in November). Zona opens the gates for yet another no. 2 team. Everyone must believe it will be Kansas (Cinderella or not they are 10 and 0). But will they be able to hold the position? With Iowa State and Missouri left, i say no. I don't think that Iowa State will beat them but i do believe that (given the cyclones past) Iowa St. will play them hard and wear them out. Letting a great Missouri squad reap the benefits of beating the Undefeated. Thus thrusting Mizzou into a possible title match. That is, if Oklahoma (The only team to beat Mizzou) fails to get past either OSU and Texas Tech.


Hey What About:

No. 6 West Virgina (8 - 1) - Well WVU has 3 games left all of them conference. Two of them verse ranked opponents. Granted UCONN and Cincy are the two teams hardly anyone would expect to be ranked in November, but they are tough and one might prove capable of defeating Slaton and White. Even if they do win out, i don't believe they will have the quality wins to get to the big game. The only way they get there is if everyone in front of them loses (again).

No. 7 Ohio State (10 - 1) - Well, They need to beat Michigan. Hope Kansas and OU lose and leap frog Mizzou, still a long shot. Oh and i don't think they should have dropped that far after losing to the Illini (Illinois is 8 and 3 and beat Wisconsin and Penn State, here is a website for ya hireronzook.com!)

No. 8 Arizona State (9 - 1) - Is and always will be overrated. there is a good chance they may drop out of the top 25 and go 0 and 2 in the next 2 games (USC and Arizona)




Although the Sun Devils are overated the uniforms are fantastic! (Photo From: Pac-10 Poon)

Week 11 Picks

I figured that it was time that I started making my NFL picks here because lately I've been raking in the funds. So betters gather round and heed my words!

Home Teams in CAPS

CINCINNATI (-3.5) over Arizona

I'm not really who's playing quarterback for this Arizona team anymore. I guess it's Warner but I haven't really heard anything about them for a long time. And they're 1-5 when they're not in the desert.

JACKSONVILLE (-3) over San Diego

I'm taking the Jags for a couple reasons, (a) that win by SD over Indy was a fluke if I ever saw one, (b) Norv Turner, offensive genius, will plan the game around not giving the ball to LDT, and (c) Jacksonville is kind of good.

MINNESOTA (-5.5) over Oakland

I know it looks like I'm only taking the home favorites this week and I hate it. I hate this game especially. Both these teams are awful, Adrian Peterson isn't going to play, Oakland doesn't do anything especially well, and did I mention both teams are terrible? I'll take the favorite at home everytime in games like these.

Cleveland (-2.5) over BALTIMORE

Probably the easiest pick of the week. Only a fool would take the Ravens at this point. Will they ever make a decision on Kyle Boller? Seriously I have no idea how Billick can be married if he is as indecisive on women as he is on his quarterbacks. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Kyle Boller is fighting for a starting spot in training camp in 2046.

INDIANAPOLIS (-14.5) over Kansas City

I know that Freeney is out, but it's really not that big a deal for this game. Hopefully Indy can get their act together this week but I'm skeptical. Normally I would take the points in KC's favor in this one but I'm not for two reasons, (a) Brodie Croyle is making his first regular season start in a hostile environment and (b) I'm not putting my money on a team who's coached by someone who doesn't have an internet connection.

Pittsburgh (-9.5) over NY JETS

Normally when Pitt lets a team stick around in a game that shouldn't they go out and shallack the next opponent, and the Jets' qb is going to only make his second start.

Tampa Bay (-3) over ATLANTA

Atlanta is Tampa's home away from home. Now I am a Tampa Bay fan but I really hate this team. They're first round fodder for sure. But I'm not going to pick a team with John Joseph Harrington at the helm, I will not.

PHILADELPHIA (-10.5) over Miami

Again a rookie qb making their first start on the road in hostile environments, I'll take the home favorite every time. Especially when the underdog is a team with the best chance to go winless in a long time. It has to be harder to go winless than undefeated, because when you're undefeated everyone is gunning for you, but when you're winless, no one takes you seriously, so based on the odds alone you have to win sometime. But not this week.

New England (-15.5) over BUFFALO

I'm taking the Pats until they lose, if they lose.

DALLAS (-10.5) over Washington

Dallas is just too good for Washington. They're heads and shoulders above everyone else. Washington is one of those teams where one week they'll look kind of good but then the next week they look terrible and give up a big lead in the fourth quarter.

DETROIT (-3) over Ny Giants

The Lions are nearly unstoppable at home, and Eli looked really bad in their last game. This week the Lions are one win closer to Kitna's preseason prediction of 10 wins.

The rest of the games honestly suck and I don't even want to talk about them but here are the picks for the rest of the games.

New Orleans (-1) over HOUSTON
GREEN BAY (-10.5) over Carolina
St. Louis (-3) over SAN FRANCISCO
SEATTLE (-6) over Chicago
Tennessee (+2) over DENVER

Playoff Sickness...

Today i was dreaming of how amazing it would be if there were a Division 1A football playoff...

You'd think with how many times the top 2 teams have fallen from grace this year that we'd be somewhat close...

Now, i don't normally agree with James Carville but he has it right in this case


“The BCS is like the electoral college — a convoluted way to pick a winner, The electoral college was a bad idea thought up by great men trying to do a noble thing. The BCS is a stupid idea thought up by intellectual midgets trying to protect greedy college presidents.

It's possible the Ohio State could lose to Illinois or Michigan...then who's our true No. 1?

Only A playoff will tell.

E.T.

Ps. this isn't the last your gonna hear about this, consider it an hors d'oeuvre