For 923 days I had something in common with in Eldrick "Tiger" Woods, neither one of us had won an official PGA tour event. A lot has happened since September, 2009. Peyton Manning's neck was fine, and he had the same number of Super Bowl wins as his brother Eli. Albert Pujols was the pride of the St Louis Cardinals. Nobody knew what a damn vuvuzela was as South Africa prepared to host the World Cup of Soccer. The New Orleans Saints appeared to be an upstanding franchise with no hint of putting bounties on other player's heads. The Minnesota Twins still played inside a dome with trash bags for outfield walls. The San Francisco Giants hadn't won the World Series since 1954. Lebron James was keeping his talents in his hometown of Cleveland. The Lakers hadn't beaten the Celtics in the NBA finals again, adding another chapter to their storied rivalry. Tiger Woods was the most popular and successful athlete on the planet.
I am too young to have watched Jack Nicklaus or Arnold Palmer or any other of the old time greats play golf (in their prime). For many of us, including people that do remember Jack, Tiger Woods was the most dominant golfer we had ever seen. When you saw that red shirt on Sunday, you knew it was over. 15 foot putts drop like rain and we celebrated the ferocious fist pump. I would play a round of golf on the Tiger Woods video game and convince myself it was that easy. Somehow I had a built in confidence going to the driving range just by pretending to be this guy.
Then there was a car wreck, and just like that the free fall had begun. Never in the history of sports has someone fallen from grace like this.The pedestal had been removed and our hero came crashing down. Where there was once dominance, there was now humiliation. The jokes were flying. It might even had been good marketing for the Waffle House. Women hated him, and Tiger Woods sought after treatment for his "addiction". There were months of pure shenanigans and it seemed like nothing could bring him back in the public eye.
During this "sabbatical" we rooted on favorites like Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els along with young up an comers like Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald, and Anthony Kim. We watched some good golf. We had some good moments. But it wasn't the same. Golfers can have great tournaments, great drives, great putts, but nobody embodied greatness like Tiger did. It was in this revelation that we knew that Tiger could win us all back again. All he had to do was clean up his act off the course and get back to playing winning golf. We missed what that Sunday red shirt meant. We missed the fear he brought to his opponents eyes. We missed the swagger. We missed the pursuit of history, only being 4 Major Championships away from tying Nicklaus.
This weekend at Bay Hill we finally got some of it back. Tiger built up a lead in the first 3 rounds and pulled away from most of the field keeping only Graeme McDowell in contention in the final round. He had the look in his eye. Those familiar putts were finally falling. He was crushing 3 irons 270 yards. It wasn't quite vintage Tiger, but it was close. For the first time since 2009, he put together a string of 4 solid outings. He didn't get lucky. He was the best player on the course. Golf just seems to be better when Tiger is in contention. He is at his best when he is giving snarky post round interviews, when he has the confidence in himself that we all once had in him. The Masters is only 2 weeks away and I can't wait. I don't know if Tiger will have enough to break or even tie Jack Nicholas' record 18 Majors, but with the way he looked this weekend the conversation is back on the table. Welcome back, Tiger. We are happy to have you back in the Winner's Circle.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Is this Heaven? No, its Denver!
I've been holding off writing about this until the full picture came around, and now I think we are close enough so here it is. Peyton Manning is a Bronco! And Tim Tebow is a Jet... or maybe not, but we now know for sure he is going to be moved (not that this is a huge surprise to football fans, sorry girls I've argued with because you are sad because he is soooooooo cute...)
First let me get to some thoughts on Football Jesus. I've said throughout this whole process that I drove the Tebow bandwagon last year and was not afraid to run it off a cliff with a chance to get Manning. That being said, I really have nothing bad to say about Timmy T. Last year was one of the most memorable football seasons that I've ever been a part of. He gave us Broncos fans so many incredible moments that we will never forget. He brought us back to relevance on a national stage, and honestly, without his success, I don't think Peyton Manning would have selected the Broncos if we were a 4-12, 5-11 team last season. He rallied a franchise and had me questioning my religious beliefs (not really, but fun to joke about all year). He gave us countless heart attacks, and unlimited amount of conversation time. He brought us back to the playoffs, winning the first game since Jake Plummer. Tebow, if you end up on the Jets, Jags, or Rams, I wish you nothing but the best, and I'll never forget your days here in Denver. Thank you for the memories, you will have no hard feelings from me.
Now for the fun stuff. Peyton Freaking Manning is on the Denver Freaking Broncos!!! I can't contain my excitement for this. I still don't believe its real. I'll never forget where I was when I got the news. I've never had my phone battery drained so quickly. I was texting, phone calling, facebooking, and twittering like crazy. When I wrote my blog about why I thought Manning should choose Denver, I didn't even think we were in the running. As my good friend John said, "I feel like my daughter when we were at Disney On Ice!" It was completely surreal. It was awesome.
It wasn't just me who was pumped about this. I can't even articulate a lot of my emotions, so I'll go to Twitter for some help. Check out some of these tweets!
"Signing Peyton Manning is a risk. But not nearly as big a risk as keeping a guy who completed 47% percent of his passes. Elway got it right" Jim Rome
"@ShannonSharpe: I think @Terrell_Davis and I should round up the old gang and make a comeback.” I got my cleats, I'll meet u @ Dove Valley!" Shannon Sharpe with a response from Terrell Davis
"We have a ton of work to do but boy we going to have some fun grinding! Gotta put the time in ....Lets welcome Manning Bronco Nation" Elvis Dumervil
First let me get to some thoughts on Football Jesus. I've said throughout this whole process that I drove the Tebow bandwagon last year and was not afraid to run it off a cliff with a chance to get Manning. That being said, I really have nothing bad to say about Timmy T. Last year was one of the most memorable football seasons that I've ever been a part of. He gave us Broncos fans so many incredible moments that we will never forget. He brought us back to relevance on a national stage, and honestly, without his success, I don't think Peyton Manning would have selected the Broncos if we were a 4-12, 5-11 team last season. He rallied a franchise and had me questioning my religious beliefs (not really, but fun to joke about all year). He gave us countless heart attacks, and unlimited amount of conversation time. He brought us back to the playoffs, winning the first game since Jake Plummer. Tebow, if you end up on the Jets, Jags, or Rams, I wish you nothing but the best, and I'll never forget your days here in Denver. Thank you for the memories, you will have no hard feelings from me.
Now for the fun stuff. Peyton Freaking Manning is on the Denver Freaking Broncos!!! I can't contain my excitement for this. I still don't believe its real. I'll never forget where I was when I got the news. I've never had my phone battery drained so quickly. I was texting, phone calling, facebooking, and twittering like crazy. When I wrote my blog about why I thought Manning should choose Denver, I didn't even think we were in the running. As my good friend John said, "I feel like my daughter when we were at Disney On Ice!" It was completely surreal. It was awesome.
It wasn't just me who was pumped about this. I can't even articulate a lot of my emotions, so I'll go to Twitter for some help. Check out some of these tweets!
"Signing Peyton Manning is a risk. But not nearly as big a risk as keeping a guy who completed 47% percent of his passes. Elway got it right" Jim Rome
"
"We have a ton of work to do but boy we going to have some fun grinding! Gotta put the time in ....Lets welcome Manning Bronco Nation" Elvis Dumervil
"Talked to Helton. "I am thrilled. I am a broncos fan. You get Peyton you get an offense.I have no doubt he can still perform at high level"" Troy Renck, Rockies beat reporter
"Broncos are trending on twitter! Leggo!!" Von Miller
"Wow, the #Broncos were 75-1 to win it all at the beginning of offseason now 10-1 #PowerOfManning" Ok, that one was me...
"Peyton Manning! Congrats to my Denver Broncos especially @johnelway -- still the MVP for Denver!" Ed McCaffery
"Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ryan Clady
There is no question that John Elway played a huge roll in getting Manning. Now it is up to Peyton to follow in John's footsteps and lead us back to the Super Bowl. We signed him for 5 years, but if we can get 3 good years, I'll be happy. It's been a long time since Denver has won a championship. As a fan base we haven't held these expectations since Elway's last years. We're all rooting for you Peyton. Bring us a ring, hoist up the Lombardi trophy, and pass Elway on the all time list! Go Broncos.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Dancing Through The Madness
Spring has always been my favorite season of the year. There is just so much to look forward to, so much optimism in the air. We have the best golf tournament of the year, the Masters. We have the excitement of the NFL draft and free agency. Opening Day for baseball. All of this while the weather is getting warmer and the roof top patios are filling up at the local bars. None of this, however, compares to the greatest event in all of sports. Its time for March Madness! Selection Sunday has come and gone, and the anticipation for games has begun. Who will be this year's Cinderella? Will the top seeds hold their position? With One Shining Moment playing over and over in my head, here is a look at my picks.
South Region:
The first thing I noticed when I looked at the South was tough break for Colorado. They are riding a high after winning the Pac 12 Tournament but I don't see them getting by UNLV. Last year they got snubbed all together, and this year the selection committee did them no more favors. I had a really tough time deciding between 5 seed Wichita State and 12 seed VCU. We all remember VCU's remarkable run to the Final 4, but I'm not sure Shaka Smart can get his Rams out of their first match up. I'm taking all the higher seeds in the first round.
Indiana was only 1 of 2 teams to beat Kentucky this season and they will get a chance to play them again in the Sweet 16. This time Kentucky will be too much for the Hoosiers to handle and they will advance. My upset team of this region is the UNLV Runnin' Rebels. After taking care of Colorado, they will upset Baylor and Duke in route to the Elite 8. That is where the road ends for them as Kentucky, with projected first pick in the NBA draft Anthony Davis, will display their dominance and advance to New Orleans and the Final 4.
West Region:
In my opinion this will be the craziest region in the bracket. I see a lot of upsets going down here. 5 seed New Mexico and 12 seed Long Beach State has the potential to be a great game. The 2 teams are a lot closer than their seeds suggest and I'm taking the 49ers of Long Beach State for the upset. Davidson this season has already played Kansas and Duke. They won't be afraid to take on Louisville. I'm going another upset pick, with 13 seed Davidson beating 4 seed Louisville in a close one. Another tough break for the state of Colorado as Colorado State being an 11 seed matches up with 6 seed Murray State who has only lost 1 game all year. The Rams did a great job making the Big Dance, but they won't have much time breaking in their dancing shoes. Virginia will also beat Florida as a slight upset in the 7-10 game.
In a rare 12-13 game, Long Beach State prevails to advance to the Sweet 16, becoming this years darling of the tournament. Murray State will continue their magical season by beating Marquette. Missouri will be playing with a chip on their shoulder as they thought they earned a number 1 seed by winning the Big 12 Tournament. Michigan State will end the great run by Long Beach State, and we will be left with a terrific match up between the Spartans and Tigers. Missouri's snub of that number 1 could make the difference as they will play with a ton of fire in this game and take down Michigan State to advance to the Final 4.
East Region:
Harvard has a lot going for them right now on the national stage. They have the President, the guy who made Facebook, and the biggest story in the NBA, Jeremy Lin. I really wanted to pick them to win at least one game, but as a 12 seed they are matched up against 5 seed Vanderbilt who just knocked off Kentucky in the SEC Tournament. Vanderbilt gets that win. Montana will have the big upset in the region taking care of Wisconsin in a 13-4 game. The only other slight upset will be West Virginia beating Gonzaga in a 7-10 game being played on the wrong end of the country for 7th seeded Gonzaga.
Syracuse has had to deal with a ton of off the court drama this season, and Jim Boeheim has done a remarkable job leading them to a number 1 seed. Ohio State has had a little bit of a disappointing season as many thought they could be a number 1 seed going into the season. They will falter to the 3rd seeded Florida State team who has already beat Duke and North Carolina TWICE this season. The only downfall for Syracuse is that the last time a predominantly zone playing team made the Final 4 was when they did it in 2003. Florida State stays hot after winning the ACC Tournament, and takes themselves all the way to the Final 4 beating Syracuse in the regional final.
Midwest Region:
Another fairly boring region if you are looking for big upsets. The only one I picked is 11 seed North Carolina State beating 6 seed San Diego State. I went back and forth with the Georgetown Belmont game (3-14) but couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger with Belmont. Chalk the rest of the way in the the opening round.
Number 1 seed North Carolina won't need a botched timeout call to beat 4 seed Michigan in the Sweet 16. North Carolina State rolls past Georgetown, but number 2 seed Kansas ends North Carolina State's chances at a rematch with North Carolina. This sets up a great game between North Carolina and Kansas. For those of you who don't remember, North Carolina coach Roy Williams was long time coach of Kansas. When an opening came up at his Alma mater he left Kansas for the Tar Heels and has since won 2 National Championships. However, it was Kansas that beat North Carolina in the Final 4 in 2008 to get a little revenge on Roy Williams in route to a National Championship of their own. There will be an intense atmosphere for this one, but North Carolina will come out on top rounding out the Final 4 down in New Orleans.
Final 4:
Last year there was a record set for the highest seeds making the Final 4. This year, the top seeds take control with Florida State being the worst seeded team at a 3. The match ups are Kentucky vs Missouri and North Carolina vs Florida State. Kentucky likely has 2 top 5 NBA picks in their lineup and while Missouri will give them all they can handle Kentucky will advance as their coach John Calipari attempts to win his first National Championship. The other semi-final teams are very familiar with each other, with Florida State beating North Carolina both in regular season play and in the ACC Tournament. I think it was George Bush Jr who said, "Beat me once, shame on me. Beat me twice.... well you can't beat me a third time." North Carolina finds a way past Florida State to set the table for another rematch for them, this time with Kentucky.
Final, Kentucky vs North Carolina:
Kentucky held on to win by 1 point in an early season match up against North Carolina. This final game will make us forget about he atrocity we witnessed in last year's final that set offensive basketball back 20 years. This game will have tremendous pace going back and forth. North Carolina needs their 2 big men, John Henson and Tyler Zellar, to stay out of foul trouble and bang down low with Anthony Davis of Kentucky. Unfortunately once again for coach Calipari, he comes up just short. North Carolina wins a close one 83-77 for their 6th NCAA Men's National Championship. Go crazy Tar Heel nation, go crazy!
South Region:
The first thing I noticed when I looked at the South was tough break for Colorado. They are riding a high after winning the Pac 12 Tournament but I don't see them getting by UNLV. Last year they got snubbed all together, and this year the selection committee did them no more favors. I had a really tough time deciding between 5 seed Wichita State and 12 seed VCU. We all remember VCU's remarkable run to the Final 4, but I'm not sure Shaka Smart can get his Rams out of their first match up. I'm taking all the higher seeds in the first round.
Indiana was only 1 of 2 teams to beat Kentucky this season and they will get a chance to play them again in the Sweet 16. This time Kentucky will be too much for the Hoosiers to handle and they will advance. My upset team of this region is the UNLV Runnin' Rebels. After taking care of Colorado, they will upset Baylor and Duke in route to the Elite 8. That is where the road ends for them as Kentucky, with projected first pick in the NBA draft Anthony Davis, will display their dominance and advance to New Orleans and the Final 4.
West Region:
In my opinion this will be the craziest region in the bracket. I see a lot of upsets going down here. 5 seed New Mexico and 12 seed Long Beach State has the potential to be a great game. The 2 teams are a lot closer than their seeds suggest and I'm taking the 49ers of Long Beach State for the upset. Davidson this season has already played Kansas and Duke. They won't be afraid to take on Louisville. I'm going another upset pick, with 13 seed Davidson beating 4 seed Louisville in a close one. Another tough break for the state of Colorado as Colorado State being an 11 seed matches up with 6 seed Murray State who has only lost 1 game all year. The Rams did a great job making the Big Dance, but they won't have much time breaking in their dancing shoes. Virginia will also beat Florida as a slight upset in the 7-10 game.
In a rare 12-13 game, Long Beach State prevails to advance to the Sweet 16, becoming this years darling of the tournament. Murray State will continue their magical season by beating Marquette. Missouri will be playing with a chip on their shoulder as they thought they earned a number 1 seed by winning the Big 12 Tournament. Michigan State will end the great run by Long Beach State, and we will be left with a terrific match up between the Spartans and Tigers. Missouri's snub of that number 1 could make the difference as they will play with a ton of fire in this game and take down Michigan State to advance to the Final 4.
East Region:
Harvard has a lot going for them right now on the national stage. They have the President, the guy who made Facebook, and the biggest story in the NBA, Jeremy Lin. I really wanted to pick them to win at least one game, but as a 12 seed they are matched up against 5 seed Vanderbilt who just knocked off Kentucky in the SEC Tournament. Vanderbilt gets that win. Montana will have the big upset in the region taking care of Wisconsin in a 13-4 game. The only other slight upset will be West Virginia beating Gonzaga in a 7-10 game being played on the wrong end of the country for 7th seeded Gonzaga.
Syracuse has had to deal with a ton of off the court drama this season, and Jim Boeheim has done a remarkable job leading them to a number 1 seed. Ohio State has had a little bit of a disappointing season as many thought they could be a number 1 seed going into the season. They will falter to the 3rd seeded Florida State team who has already beat Duke and North Carolina TWICE this season. The only downfall for Syracuse is that the last time a predominantly zone playing team made the Final 4 was when they did it in 2003. Florida State stays hot after winning the ACC Tournament, and takes themselves all the way to the Final 4 beating Syracuse in the regional final.
Midwest Region:
Another fairly boring region if you are looking for big upsets. The only one I picked is 11 seed North Carolina State beating 6 seed San Diego State. I went back and forth with the Georgetown Belmont game (3-14) but couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger with Belmont. Chalk the rest of the way in the the opening round.
Number 1 seed North Carolina won't need a botched timeout call to beat 4 seed Michigan in the Sweet 16. North Carolina State rolls past Georgetown, but number 2 seed Kansas ends North Carolina State's chances at a rematch with North Carolina. This sets up a great game between North Carolina and Kansas. For those of you who don't remember, North Carolina coach Roy Williams was long time coach of Kansas. When an opening came up at his Alma mater he left Kansas for the Tar Heels and has since won 2 National Championships. However, it was Kansas that beat North Carolina in the Final 4 in 2008 to get a little revenge on Roy Williams in route to a National Championship of their own. There will be an intense atmosphere for this one, but North Carolina will come out on top rounding out the Final 4 down in New Orleans.
Final 4:
Last year there was a record set for the highest seeds making the Final 4. This year, the top seeds take control with Florida State being the worst seeded team at a 3. The match ups are Kentucky vs Missouri and North Carolina vs Florida State. Kentucky likely has 2 top 5 NBA picks in their lineup and while Missouri will give them all they can handle Kentucky will advance as their coach John Calipari attempts to win his first National Championship. The other semi-final teams are very familiar with each other, with Florida State beating North Carolina both in regular season play and in the ACC Tournament. I think it was George Bush Jr who said, "Beat me once, shame on me. Beat me twice.... well you can't beat me a third time." North Carolina finds a way past Florida State to set the table for another rematch for them, this time with Kentucky.
Final, Kentucky vs North Carolina:
Kentucky held on to win by 1 point in an early season match up against North Carolina. This final game will make us forget about he atrocity we witnessed in last year's final that set offensive basketball back 20 years. This game will have tremendous pace going back and forth. North Carolina needs their 2 big men, John Henson and Tyler Zellar, to stay out of foul trouble and bang down low with Anthony Davis of Kentucky. Unfortunately once again for coach Calipari, he comes up just short. North Carolina wins a close one 83-77 for their 6th NCAA Men's National Championship. Go crazy Tar Heel nation, go crazy!
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Case for Manning to Denver
Last summer the story in the NFL was the lockout. This lockout had a very different feel to it than the one in the NBA. The NBA had some real issues, while the NFL was essentially trying to figure out how to split their billions of dollars in profit. We were cautious as fans, but at the same time confident a resolution would happen before we were in danger of missing any games. Once the season started the story of the NFL's first month became just how bad the Indianapolis Colts were without their star Quarterback, Peyton Manning.
Peyton Manning is a sure fire, first ballot Hall of Famer. He lead the Colts to 2 Super Bowl appearances, winning one. He has 4 MVP awards. 11 Pro bowls. A record 6 straight, and 11 over all 4,000 yard passing seasons. For all we know he was also the team's Offensive Coordinator. Nobody studied the game more, and nobody had a better command of their offense than Manning. He's entire 14 year career had been with Indianapolis since being the 1st overall pick in the 1998 NFL draft. And just like that, everything changed.
Being out for the year with a neck injury had a bigger impact on the Colts than anyone could have imagined. The team went 2-14 locking up the number 1 pick in the upcoming draft, a draft loaded with talent at the Quarterback position. The Colts also found themselves above the salary cap, and needing to make some significant changes to begin the rebuilding process. Rather than pay Manning a $28 million bonus and his upcoming salary, they decided to release their super star and start anew with Andrew Luck (widely regarded as the best college prospect since Manning himself). So what is next for Manning? Assuming he is healthy, which all indicators are saying currently, what city and team will he call home next season?
Manning wore orange for 4 years as the QB for Tennessee in college, then traded that for the Indianapolis blue. I say, its time to come full circle and end his career wearing orange again. Peyton Manning should come to the Denver Broncos. Before we break down the reasons why this should happen, I know what you all are thinking, so lets squash a couple things first. Yes, this a clear homer article based off mainly selfish wants for the Broncos to be Super Bowl contenders again. Yes, it is true I was basically driving the Tebow bandwagon last season, and am not afraid to crash that wagon. Now that we've got that out of the way, this actually makes football sense, just hear me out.
At this point in Manning's career, he can't do it all by himself. He needs help from the rushing game. In 2006 when Indy won the Super Bowl they ranked 18th in rushing, and when they lost the big game in 2009 they were 32nd (that's last in the freaking league). In 2011, the Denver Broncos were 1st in this category, even when every defense in the league knew we had to run the ball because of Tebow's inefficiencies throwing the ball. Coach, John Fox has always loved to run the football, and this could provide the balance Manning needs to protect him for the first time in his career.
Along with the running game, Manning needs to be in a place with a good offensive line to protect him. For a right handed QB the most important position is Left Tackle, and the Broncos have a damn good one in Ryan Clady. Clady will be entering in his 4th season, already collecting 2 Pro Bowls. With Clady at the anchor Manning should be spending most of the season upright with limited sacks.
Sports in general have always had the saying that "Defense wins Championships." Denver has a dynamic duo of Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil rushing the passer, with perennial super star Champ Baily in the secondary. They are expecting Ty Warren to return to help up the middle, and can focus their draft on filling in some gaps in a much improved defense.
The AFC West is not power house division. Hell, the AFC as a whole was pretty wide open last season. With a balanced offense and continually improved defense, the Broncos would be favorites to win the AFC West again, and probably be able to clinch a bye in the playoffs, if not home field advantage throughout. By adding Manning, Tebow would likely be traded (your welcome Jacksonville) which only gives the Broncos more draft picks. If Manning is in Denver, with added draft picks, they have a great opportunity to add the right pieces to be a Championship contender right away.
Broncos Running Back, Willis McGahee was college teammates with Reggie Wayne at the University of Miami, and it is widely regarded that Wayne will follow Manning in free agency this offseason. Todd Helton, 1st baseman of the Colorado Rockies, was also Manning's football teammate at Tennessee as they were both QBs. Helton's injury in college actually gave Manning his first opportunity to play as a freshman. Helton and Manning remain close friends still, as do Wayne and McGahee. There are some great recruitment opportunities here. The best however may be another QB legend, John Elway. Elway and Manning have a great mutual respect, and Elway would love to bring in a QB of his own. Adding another Super Bowl ring would be historic for both of them. Do the right thing Peyton, come to Denver. Win another Super Bowl. Plus, you are the only one that wouldn't cause a riot by replacing Tim Tebow.
Peyton Manning is a sure fire, first ballot Hall of Famer. He lead the Colts to 2 Super Bowl appearances, winning one. He has 4 MVP awards. 11 Pro bowls. A record 6 straight, and 11 over all 4,000 yard passing seasons. For all we know he was also the team's Offensive Coordinator. Nobody studied the game more, and nobody had a better command of their offense than Manning. He's entire 14 year career had been with Indianapolis since being the 1st overall pick in the 1998 NFL draft. And just like that, everything changed.
Being out for the year with a neck injury had a bigger impact on the Colts than anyone could have imagined. The team went 2-14 locking up the number 1 pick in the upcoming draft, a draft loaded with talent at the Quarterback position. The Colts also found themselves above the salary cap, and needing to make some significant changes to begin the rebuilding process. Rather than pay Manning a $28 million bonus and his upcoming salary, they decided to release their super star and start anew with Andrew Luck (widely regarded as the best college prospect since Manning himself). So what is next for Manning? Assuming he is healthy, which all indicators are saying currently, what city and team will he call home next season?
Manning wore orange for 4 years as the QB for Tennessee in college, then traded that for the Indianapolis blue. I say, its time to come full circle and end his career wearing orange again. Peyton Manning should come to the Denver Broncos. Before we break down the reasons why this should happen, I know what you all are thinking, so lets squash a couple things first. Yes, this a clear homer article based off mainly selfish wants for the Broncos to be Super Bowl contenders again. Yes, it is true I was basically driving the Tebow bandwagon last season, and am not afraid to crash that wagon. Now that we've got that out of the way, this actually makes football sense, just hear me out.
At this point in Manning's career, he can't do it all by himself. He needs help from the rushing game. In 2006 when Indy won the Super Bowl they ranked 18th in rushing, and when they lost the big game in 2009 they were 32nd (that's last in the freaking league). In 2011, the Denver Broncos were 1st in this category, even when every defense in the league knew we had to run the ball because of Tebow's inefficiencies throwing the ball. Coach, John Fox has always loved to run the football, and this could provide the balance Manning needs to protect him for the first time in his career.
Along with the running game, Manning needs to be in a place with a good offensive line to protect him. For a right handed QB the most important position is Left Tackle, and the Broncos have a damn good one in Ryan Clady. Clady will be entering in his 4th season, already collecting 2 Pro Bowls. With Clady at the anchor Manning should be spending most of the season upright with limited sacks.
Sports in general have always had the saying that "Defense wins Championships." Denver has a dynamic duo of Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil rushing the passer, with perennial super star Champ Baily in the secondary. They are expecting Ty Warren to return to help up the middle, and can focus their draft on filling in some gaps in a much improved defense.
The AFC West is not power house division. Hell, the AFC as a whole was pretty wide open last season. With a balanced offense and continually improved defense, the Broncos would be favorites to win the AFC West again, and probably be able to clinch a bye in the playoffs, if not home field advantage throughout. By adding Manning, Tebow would likely be traded (your welcome Jacksonville) which only gives the Broncos more draft picks. If Manning is in Denver, with added draft picks, they have a great opportunity to add the right pieces to be a Championship contender right away.
Broncos Running Back, Willis McGahee was college teammates with Reggie Wayne at the University of Miami, and it is widely regarded that Wayne will follow Manning in free agency this offseason. Todd Helton, 1st baseman of the Colorado Rockies, was also Manning's football teammate at Tennessee as they were both QBs. Helton's injury in college actually gave Manning his first opportunity to play as a freshman. Helton and Manning remain close friends still, as do Wayne and McGahee. There are some great recruitment opportunities here. The best however may be another QB legend, John Elway. Elway and Manning have a great mutual respect, and Elway would love to bring in a QB of his own. Adding another Super Bowl ring would be historic for both of them. Do the right thing Peyton, come to Denver. Win another Super Bowl. Plus, you are the only one that wouldn't cause a riot by replacing Tim Tebow.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Is it Good to be the King?
July 8th, 2010 is a day, that for many die hard basketball fans, will live in infamy (or at least on YouTube). Lebron James had a private interview on ESPN titled The Decision where he announced to the nation that he will be "taking his talents to South Beach" forever joining his legacy with Dwayne Wade. Little did we know then, that we would be comparing him to kid who went undrafted a mere 13 days prior in the 2010 NBA draft.
I have always respected Lebron's greatness and loved to watch him play basketball, but I could not have been more upset about him choosing Miami. To make matters worse for himself, the celebration that followed in Miami set the bar for their expectations (not 2, not 3 not 4, 5, 6, 7....championships) and in many ways vilified them to the rest of the league. In an era where many of the top basketball players consider themselves "brands" this decision was a major let down. We didn't want to see him join forces with a previous rival, we wanted to see him go after history. And if it was truly about the brand, he must have forgot where the top market in the world is. Needless to say, I joined forces with everyone who doesn't live in Miami in rooting for the Dallas Mavericks to win the finals, and had a hard time distinguishing if I was celebrating their victory or the Heat's loss.
Cut to February when the Knicks were crushed by injuries and sitting at a 8-14 record. The last man on the bench was almost forced to play, and when his opportunity came, he took full advantage of it. Linsanitiy was officially born. Jeremy Lin, now a more popular Harvard graduate than our President, was the previously mentioned undrafted kid back on June 24th, 2010. He helped turn around the Knicks season getting them back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture becoming a world wide phenomenon in the process. A month ago, nobody knew his name, and now he is tops in jersey sales in the entire NBA. His endorsement opportunities are endless, and he calls basketball's Mecca, Madison Square Garden, his home.
The Knicks haven't won a title since the famous 1973 finals, and even with Lin, probably won't this year either. Knicks fans are widely regarded as the best and most knowledgeable fans in the league. Madison Square Garden is historic, and that team and fans have been starving to make it great again. This is where Lebron went wrong. New York was the place he should be. Those endorsements were his that he left on the table. And most importantly, he didn't need to win 6 or 7 titles there. All he needed was 1 to enshrine him as the most popular person in the world, let alone New York City. Lebron calls himself King James yet he passed up his throne for a lawn chair on the beach.
The Miami Heat are still favorites to make a championship run this season (as they should be). Lebron is also putting up numbers we haven't seen since a guy named Michael Jordan wore number 23 for the Bulls. 24.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per game is remarkable! Amazing statistics that should be celebrated, yet all anyone can talk about are Lebron's 4th quarter flaws from last year, because we all secretly want them to lose again. Jeremy Lin is writing himself a terrific story in New York. I've never seen anyone become so beloved so quickly. We all love an underdog story, but its a story I wish would have happened elsewhere. Seeing what Jeremy Lin has done in the last month in New York with the Knicks has only gotten me thinking about what could have been if Lebron went there. Mel Brooks famously said "Its good to be the king" in his movie History of the World Part One, and just like that movie, Lebron, the 'common' people have revolted against you.
I have always respected Lebron's greatness and loved to watch him play basketball, but I could not have been more upset about him choosing Miami. To make matters worse for himself, the celebration that followed in Miami set the bar for their expectations (not 2, not 3 not 4, 5, 6, 7....championships) and in many ways vilified them to the rest of the league. In an era where many of the top basketball players consider themselves "brands" this decision was a major let down. We didn't want to see him join forces with a previous rival, we wanted to see him go after history. And if it was truly about the brand, he must have forgot where the top market in the world is. Needless to say, I joined forces with everyone who doesn't live in Miami in rooting for the Dallas Mavericks to win the finals, and had a hard time distinguishing if I was celebrating their victory or the Heat's loss.
Cut to February when the Knicks were crushed by injuries and sitting at a 8-14 record. The last man on the bench was almost forced to play, and when his opportunity came, he took full advantage of it. Linsanitiy was officially born. Jeremy Lin, now a more popular Harvard graduate than our President, was the previously mentioned undrafted kid back on June 24th, 2010. He helped turn around the Knicks season getting them back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture becoming a world wide phenomenon in the process. A month ago, nobody knew his name, and now he is tops in jersey sales in the entire NBA. His endorsement opportunities are endless, and he calls basketball's Mecca, Madison Square Garden, his home.
The Knicks haven't won a title since the famous 1973 finals, and even with Lin, probably won't this year either. Knicks fans are widely regarded as the best and most knowledgeable fans in the league. Madison Square Garden is historic, and that team and fans have been starving to make it great again. This is where Lebron went wrong. New York was the place he should be. Those endorsements were his that he left on the table. And most importantly, he didn't need to win 6 or 7 titles there. All he needed was 1 to enshrine him as the most popular person in the world, let alone New York City. Lebron calls himself King James yet he passed up his throne for a lawn chair on the beach.
The Miami Heat are still favorites to make a championship run this season (as they should be). Lebron is also putting up numbers we haven't seen since a guy named Michael Jordan wore number 23 for the Bulls. 24.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per game is remarkable! Amazing statistics that should be celebrated, yet all anyone can talk about are Lebron's 4th quarter flaws from last year, because we all secretly want them to lose again. Jeremy Lin is writing himself a terrific story in New York. I've never seen anyone become so beloved so quickly. We all love an underdog story, but its a story I wish would have happened elsewhere. Seeing what Jeremy Lin has done in the last month in New York with the Knicks has only gotten me thinking about what could have been if Lebron went there. Mel Brooks famously said "Its good to be the king" in his movie History of the World Part One, and just like that movie, Lebron, the 'common' people have revolted against you.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
North Carolina Duke Diary
What better way to enter back to the blogosphere than to cover the greatest rivalry in the history of college basketball? Number 3 rated Duke hosting number 6 North Carolina. My Tar Heel bias aside (probably not), lets get right to it!
4:50pm (Mountain Time) A nice moment for the Plumlee family as the oldest of 3 brothers, Miles is honored at senior night. I'm sure brothers, Mason and Marshall will miss him dearly as he probably ends up playing somewhere in Europe when he doesn't get drafted into the NBA
4:56pm Jay Bilas points out that Carolina is one of the best rebounding teams in the nation and Duke loves to shoot 3's. Dickie V says Duke needs to hit at least 10 3's to survive this one. I've always liked Dickie V Baby!
5:00pm Some dude named Adam Decker is singing the National Anthem... Its times like this I'm glad I don't watch American Idol.
5:02pm Dan Shulman lets us know this is the 234th all time meeting between the 2 schools. The Cameron Crazies are already going nuts during the opening introductions. If you can't get amped for this game, you shouldn't be allowed to consider yourself a basketball fan.
5:06pm Game Time! Erin Andrews in the house with some last minute pregame babble.
First Half:
19:50 Carolina wins the toss and goes to Tyler Zellar for a bucket. Big shot after getting blamed for the first loss.
18:50 Plumlee hitting his 2nd shot to score Duke's first 4 points. Good start to his senior night.
17:49 Zellar hits an outside jumper. 8-4 Carolina, fast pace to this one so far.
17:26 We have a Peyton Manning sighting. Apparently he has a lot of free time while Aaron Rodgers is stealing his commercial opportunities.
17:04 Kendall Marshall is on the verge of setting the ACC record for assists in a season, stay tuned.
16:10 Carolina is scoring at will and Duke has yet to hit a 3. 14-5 Tar Heels. Very similar to the start of the last meeting.
15:00 Goal tending on Plumlee. 18-5 and Duke needs their first TO. ESPN let us know Carolina is on a 17-1 run which is one of the biggest things that annoys me. Just say they are on a 18-5 run, that is the damn score!
The Duke Devil surfing across the crowd on the floor is always awesome.
14:46 Duke misses another 3, 0-6 to start.
13:31 A few missed shots on both sides, but the pace is exactly where Carolina wants it. Still 18-5
12:54 Huge follow dunk by James Macadoo. Duke has now missed 13 shots in a row, easy layup for Zellar. 22-5.
12:02 Duke misses 2 free throws, gets 2 offensive rebounds and misses 2 more shots. Dan Shulman thinks there is a lid on that hoop. Jay Bilas (Duke grad) is probably losing his mind as we go to commercial.
11:55 Dickie V throws out a really cool stat, since 1979 the total number of point differential between these 2 teams is only 1 point! Wow.
11:12 Seth Curry hits the first 3 for Duke, apparently 9 more to go according to Dickie V. Carolina answers with a bucket 24-8.
10:11 Austin Rivers hits a 3, the crazies are trying to rally.
8:11 A lob from Marshall to Harrison Barnes 28-15.
7:41 After a Duke bucket, Carolina answers with an And 1 by Reggie Bullock following his own miss. Those kind of moments kill momentum for the other team.
6:24 Carolina owning the boards with a better than 2-1 ratio, but having a bit of trouble really pulling away from Duke 32-19.
5:14 Apparently the reverse jinx worked. Barnes hits a 2, Zellar draws a charge then Bullock nails a 3. 37-19.
5:04 Austin Rivers gets called for a charge, while father Doc is not happy with the call. Bilas doesn't like the charge rule, which is convienent.
3:59 Carolina is playing good perimeter defense making Duke try and get the ball inside. They are shooting only 2-9 from 3 thus far.
3:09 I'm not sure either Roy Williams or Coach K's hair has moved in 10 years.
2:02 Miles Plumlee picks up his 3rd foul, Carolina now doubling Duke up 40-20.
1:17 Another follow slam by Carolina. They are putting a beating on Duke. 2nd chance points now 10-0 Heels.
0:00 Carolina ends the half on a beautifully executed 2 for 1 to go ahead 48-24. Harrison Barnes leads scoring for the Heels with a quite 11. Marshall has 10 points to go along with 6 assists.
The first half sure looks like Carolina is out for blood after giving away the first game between these 2 teams. Not only are they up 24, they held Duke to 2-11 from 3's, and Duke is shooting just 26.5% overall while being out rebounded by 19.
Second Half:
19:34 Zellar starts the 2nd half just like he did the 1st, bucket.
18:30 A couple buckets by Plumlee. This looks familiar...
17:37 2 more missed 3's from Duke, very familiar. Erin Andrews reporting Carolina wants to keep the same game plan, thanks for that gem.
17:14 Curry nails a 3 after a turnover by Carolina, Barnes then picks up a charge (35th charge called today). Duke is getting some momentum on their side. 50-31.
16:20 Big 3 at the end of the shot clock from Tyler Thornton. Zellar answers to somewhat slow down the crowd. The Dukies are showing some life in the 2nd half 52-34.
14:12 Sorry, I blacked out for a minute after seeing a Jack and Jill commercial trying to figure out what happened to Adam Sandler... 59-41.
13:22 Rivers picks up his 3rd foul, all of them charges. These refs love the charge call!
12:48 "Miles Plumlee has become the go to guy for Duke" usually means Duke loses... And right on cue, Plumlee picks up his 4th foul forcing him to the bench
11:32 John Henson hits a tough fall away to give Carolina a 65-43 lead. Henson now 1 rebound short of a double double. Now all of Carolina's starters have at least 10 points.
10:58 Henson with an unreal hook shot plus the foul. Duke can't catch a break right now.
10:35 Thornton hits his 2nd 3 of the game to cut it to a 20 point game, followed by a monster slaw by the younger Mason Plumlee 68-50.
10:01 Marshall gets a miracle roll on a wide open 3, Carolina back up 21. Fun pace in the last few minutes.
9:15 Amazing drive by Austin Rivers, his dad must have played or coaches in the NBA or something.
7:53 Seth Curry hits a 3, lead down to 14. Its never easy in this rivalry. 71-57. That was Duke's 6th 3. If they get a couple closer to 10 I'm gonna have to start drinking soon.
7:11 Mason Plumlee picks up his 4th foul. Miles back in. Carolina is already in the bonus with more than 7 minutes to play.
6:33 Barnes just makes a stupid foul on Seth Curry shooting a deep 3. That was also his 4th foul. 75-62.
5:59 Zellar just picks up his 4th foul on an over the back! Carolina has that "Oh Shit, its happening again" look. The Cameron Crazies are going wild.
4:30 Rivers misses the front end of a 1 and 1. Huge possession for Carolina, the clock can't tick faster for them. Marshall nails a deep 2. 77-64.
3:00 Macadoo with an offensive rebound and layup to give Carolina a 15 point lead. That could have been the dagger to end the comeback hopes for the Dukies.
2:07 Thornton with a great steal, misses the layup and Harrison Barnes nails a 3. The crowd is now silent. 82-64.
1:28 Zellar with another offensive rebound and put back. Carolina's rebounding and 2nd chance points are clearly the difference in this game.
55.9 Zellar caps it off with an And 1 layup off a great pass from Marshall. Miles Plumlee exits the game to a nice ovation from the crowd. Unfortunately for him, senior night will end in a loss. 87-69.
0:00 Its a final on Tobacco Road, North Carolina 88 Duke 70. With the win UNC clinches the ACC regular season Championship and will hold the #1 seed in the ACC tournament with a possible inside track to a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
That's it for me tonight. Nice win by the Heels and I look forward to being back in the World Wide Web of Blogging!
4:50pm (Mountain Time) A nice moment for the Plumlee family as the oldest of 3 brothers, Miles is honored at senior night. I'm sure brothers, Mason and Marshall will miss him dearly as he probably ends up playing somewhere in Europe when he doesn't get drafted into the NBA
4:56pm Jay Bilas points out that Carolina is one of the best rebounding teams in the nation and Duke loves to shoot 3's. Dickie V says Duke needs to hit at least 10 3's to survive this one. I've always liked Dickie V Baby!
5:00pm Some dude named Adam Decker is singing the National Anthem... Its times like this I'm glad I don't watch American Idol.
5:02pm Dan Shulman lets us know this is the 234th all time meeting between the 2 schools. The Cameron Crazies are already going nuts during the opening introductions. If you can't get amped for this game, you shouldn't be allowed to consider yourself a basketball fan.
5:06pm Game Time! Erin Andrews in the house with some last minute pregame babble.
First Half:
19:50 Carolina wins the toss and goes to Tyler Zellar for a bucket. Big shot after getting blamed for the first loss.
18:50 Plumlee hitting his 2nd shot to score Duke's first 4 points. Good start to his senior night.
17:49 Zellar hits an outside jumper. 8-4 Carolina, fast pace to this one so far.
17:26 We have a Peyton Manning sighting. Apparently he has a lot of free time while Aaron Rodgers is stealing his commercial opportunities.
17:04 Kendall Marshall is on the verge of setting the ACC record for assists in a season, stay tuned.
16:10 Carolina is scoring at will and Duke has yet to hit a 3. 14-5 Tar Heels. Very similar to the start of the last meeting.
15:00 Goal tending on Plumlee. 18-5 and Duke needs their first TO. ESPN let us know Carolina is on a 17-1 run which is one of the biggest things that annoys me. Just say they are on a 18-5 run, that is the damn score!
The Duke Devil surfing across the crowd on the floor is always awesome.
14:46 Duke misses another 3, 0-6 to start.
13:31 A few missed shots on both sides, but the pace is exactly where Carolina wants it. Still 18-5
12:54 Huge follow dunk by James Macadoo. Duke has now missed 13 shots in a row, easy layup for Zellar. 22-5.
12:02 Duke misses 2 free throws, gets 2 offensive rebounds and misses 2 more shots. Dan Shulman thinks there is a lid on that hoop. Jay Bilas (Duke grad) is probably losing his mind as we go to commercial.
11:55 Dickie V throws out a really cool stat, since 1979 the total number of point differential between these 2 teams is only 1 point! Wow.
11:12 Seth Curry hits the first 3 for Duke, apparently 9 more to go according to Dickie V. Carolina answers with a bucket 24-8.
10:11 Austin Rivers hits a 3, the crazies are trying to rally.
8:11 A lob from Marshall to Harrison Barnes 28-15.
7:41 After a Duke bucket, Carolina answers with an And 1 by Reggie Bullock following his own miss. Those kind of moments kill momentum for the other team.
6:24 Carolina owning the boards with a better than 2-1 ratio, but having a bit of trouble really pulling away from Duke 32-19.
5:14 Apparently the reverse jinx worked. Barnes hits a 2, Zellar draws a charge then Bullock nails a 3. 37-19.
5:04 Austin Rivers gets called for a charge, while father Doc is not happy with the call. Bilas doesn't like the charge rule, which is convienent.
3:59 Carolina is playing good perimeter defense making Duke try and get the ball inside. They are shooting only 2-9 from 3 thus far.
3:09 I'm not sure either Roy Williams or Coach K's hair has moved in 10 years.
2:02 Miles Plumlee picks up his 3rd foul, Carolina now doubling Duke up 40-20.
1:17 Another follow slam by Carolina. They are putting a beating on Duke. 2nd chance points now 10-0 Heels.
0:00 Carolina ends the half on a beautifully executed 2 for 1 to go ahead 48-24. Harrison Barnes leads scoring for the Heels with a quite 11. Marshall has 10 points to go along with 6 assists.
The first half sure looks like Carolina is out for blood after giving away the first game between these 2 teams. Not only are they up 24, they held Duke to 2-11 from 3's, and Duke is shooting just 26.5% overall while being out rebounded by 19.
Second Half:
19:34 Zellar starts the 2nd half just like he did the 1st, bucket.
18:30 A couple buckets by Plumlee. This looks familiar...
17:37 2 more missed 3's from Duke, very familiar. Erin Andrews reporting Carolina wants to keep the same game plan, thanks for that gem.
17:14 Curry nails a 3 after a turnover by Carolina, Barnes then picks up a charge (35th charge called today). Duke is getting some momentum on their side. 50-31.
16:20 Big 3 at the end of the shot clock from Tyler Thornton. Zellar answers to somewhat slow down the crowd. The Dukies are showing some life in the 2nd half 52-34.
14:12 Sorry, I blacked out for a minute after seeing a Jack and Jill commercial trying to figure out what happened to Adam Sandler... 59-41.
13:22 Rivers picks up his 3rd foul, all of them charges. These refs love the charge call!
12:48 "Miles Plumlee has become the go to guy for Duke" usually means Duke loses... And right on cue, Plumlee picks up his 4th foul forcing him to the bench
11:32 John Henson hits a tough fall away to give Carolina a 65-43 lead. Henson now 1 rebound short of a double double. Now all of Carolina's starters have at least 10 points.
10:58 Henson with an unreal hook shot plus the foul. Duke can't catch a break right now.
10:35 Thornton hits his 2nd 3 of the game to cut it to a 20 point game, followed by a monster slaw by the younger Mason Plumlee 68-50.
10:01 Marshall gets a miracle roll on a wide open 3, Carolina back up 21. Fun pace in the last few minutes.
9:15 Amazing drive by Austin Rivers, his dad must have played or coaches in the NBA or something.
7:53 Seth Curry hits a 3, lead down to 14. Its never easy in this rivalry. 71-57. That was Duke's 6th 3. If they get a couple closer to 10 I'm gonna have to start drinking soon.
7:11 Mason Plumlee picks up his 4th foul. Miles back in. Carolina is already in the bonus with more than 7 minutes to play.
6:33 Barnes just makes a stupid foul on Seth Curry shooting a deep 3. That was also his 4th foul. 75-62.
5:59 Zellar just picks up his 4th foul on an over the back! Carolina has that "Oh Shit, its happening again" look. The Cameron Crazies are going wild.
4:30 Rivers misses the front end of a 1 and 1. Huge possession for Carolina, the clock can't tick faster for them. Marshall nails a deep 2. 77-64.
3:00 Macadoo with an offensive rebound and layup to give Carolina a 15 point lead. That could have been the dagger to end the comeback hopes for the Dukies.
2:07 Thornton with a great steal, misses the layup and Harrison Barnes nails a 3. The crowd is now silent. 82-64.
1:28 Zellar with another offensive rebound and put back. Carolina's rebounding and 2nd chance points are clearly the difference in this game.
55.9 Zellar caps it off with an And 1 layup off a great pass from Marshall. Miles Plumlee exits the game to a nice ovation from the crowd. Unfortunately for him, senior night will end in a loss. 87-69.
0:00 Its a final on Tobacco Road, North Carolina 88 Duke 70. With the win UNC clinches the ACC regular season Championship and will hold the #1 seed in the ACC tournament with a possible inside track to a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
That's it for me tonight. Nice win by the Heels and I look forward to being back in the World Wide Web of Blogging!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving!
November 23, 2011
Indiana @ Cleveland, Memphis @ Charlotte, Toronto @ Boston, Portland @ Detroit, LA Lakers @ Oklahoma City, Dallas @ Houston, New Jersey @ Milwaukee, Golden State @ Minnesota, Orlando @ San Antonio, Utah @ Sacramento
For the first time in about 2 weeks the negotiating tables are reopened. That's a plus. This time it is to resolve legal issues in dealing with the lawsuits filed by the players after the last group of sessions broke down. A new proposed deal could start on Christmas day and run a regular season of 66 games. I'm holding back excitement on this one. The last time they were talking about having a 72 game season and full playoffs I was sure the deal was going to get done and was even more upset than I already was when it fell apart. I'm fragile at this point NBA. Please don't mess with my emotions, just get a deal done!
As we all get ready to celebrate a holiday of stuffing our faces, one thing I have no reservations being excited about is the slate of NFL games on tomorrow. It is the best set of Turkey Day football games that we've had in a very long time. For the first time in ages the Detroit Lions are relevant, and they have a chance to give the Green Bay Packers their first loss of the season. The Dallas Cowboys are in first place and playing a red hot Miami Dolphin team. The night game is a battle of the Harbaugh's as Jim's San Francisco 49ers play John's Baltimore Ravens. Lets get to the picks! Home teams in CAPS.
DETROIT (+6) over Green Bay
The Packers are going to be playing their 3rd game in 11 days. That's crazy. They appeared to show a little fatigue against the Tampa Bay Bucs last week but were able to hold on to win (although they didn't cover). The Lions can put up points, scoring 49 last week. They also have a very stout front 4 on the defensive line. I like the upset in this one, and even if they fall a little short I'm taking the points. Detroit Lions fans can be happy for once on Thanksgiving.
Miami (+7) over DALLAS
Matt Moore is a decent quarterback. Who knew? The Dolphins have won 3 straight and are playing great football right now. Dallas escaped with a win in Washington last week and are on a little bit of a roll of their own. Tony Romo has looked fantastic over the past month, which leads me to believe he is due for a stinker. This has the feeling of a close game and I like the Dolphins on the road.
San Francisco (+3) over BALTIMORE
Did I just take all 3 underdogs on Thanksgiving? Yes, yes I did. Baltimore seems to play to the level of their competition which is a little scary in this game, but I think San Fran is the better team. Alex Smith has limited his mistakes and Jim Harbaugh has brought a toughness to the Bay area that has been lacking for several years. With a win on the road, the 49ers could wrap up a division crown already. I think Jim takes down John and might tackle him for fun instead of giving a post game hand shake.
Whatever your Thanksgiving tradition is, I hope you all have a happy day. I am blessed to have a great family and many wonderful people that I am grateful to call friends. Thank you to all of you who have read the blog so far in my first attempt at it. I hope you are enjoying it as much as I have been. I truly appreciate the feedback I've gotten. Enjoy your turkey, football, and food comas! Hopefully we'll be reporting a NBA deal in the days to follow which is something I will be extremely grateful for.
Until Next Time,
Dan
Indiana @ Cleveland, Memphis @ Charlotte, Toronto @ Boston, Portland @ Detroit, LA Lakers @ Oklahoma City, Dallas @ Houston, New Jersey @ Milwaukee, Golden State @ Minnesota, Orlando @ San Antonio, Utah @ Sacramento
For the first time in about 2 weeks the negotiating tables are reopened. That's a plus. This time it is to resolve legal issues in dealing with the lawsuits filed by the players after the last group of sessions broke down. A new proposed deal could start on Christmas day and run a regular season of 66 games. I'm holding back excitement on this one. The last time they were talking about having a 72 game season and full playoffs I was sure the deal was going to get done and was even more upset than I already was when it fell apart. I'm fragile at this point NBA. Please don't mess with my emotions, just get a deal done!
As we all get ready to celebrate a holiday of stuffing our faces, one thing I have no reservations being excited about is the slate of NFL games on tomorrow. It is the best set of Turkey Day football games that we've had in a very long time. For the first time in ages the Detroit Lions are relevant, and they have a chance to give the Green Bay Packers their first loss of the season. The Dallas Cowboys are in first place and playing a red hot Miami Dolphin team. The night game is a battle of the Harbaugh's as Jim's San Francisco 49ers play John's Baltimore Ravens. Lets get to the picks! Home teams in CAPS.
DETROIT (+6) over Green Bay
The Packers are going to be playing their 3rd game in 11 days. That's crazy. They appeared to show a little fatigue against the Tampa Bay Bucs last week but were able to hold on to win (although they didn't cover). The Lions can put up points, scoring 49 last week. They also have a very stout front 4 on the defensive line. I like the upset in this one, and even if they fall a little short I'm taking the points. Detroit Lions fans can be happy for once on Thanksgiving.
Miami (+7) over DALLAS
Matt Moore is a decent quarterback. Who knew? The Dolphins have won 3 straight and are playing great football right now. Dallas escaped with a win in Washington last week and are on a little bit of a roll of their own. Tony Romo has looked fantastic over the past month, which leads me to believe he is due for a stinker. This has the feeling of a close game and I like the Dolphins on the road.
San Francisco (+3) over BALTIMORE
Did I just take all 3 underdogs on Thanksgiving? Yes, yes I did. Baltimore seems to play to the level of their competition which is a little scary in this game, but I think San Fran is the better team. Alex Smith has limited his mistakes and Jim Harbaugh has brought a toughness to the Bay area that has been lacking for several years. With a win on the road, the 49ers could wrap up a division crown already. I think Jim takes down John and might tackle him for fun instead of giving a post game hand shake.
Whatever your Thanksgiving tradition is, I hope you all have a happy day. I am blessed to have a great family and many wonderful people that I am grateful to call friends. Thank you to all of you who have read the blog so far in my first attempt at it. I hope you are enjoying it as much as I have been. I truly appreciate the feedback I've gotten. Enjoy your turkey, football, and food comas! Hopefully we'll be reporting a NBA deal in the days to follow which is something I will be extremely grateful for.
Until Next Time,
Dan
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