Classless

Al Davis has always been considered a lot of things, a maverick, an icon, misunderstood, but now I have a new moniker for him, CLASSLESS. Today, Al Davis finally brought the gavel down on Lane Kiffin and put him in the unemployment line. This soap opera has been played out through the media for almost 3 weeks. When it finally ended today, Kiffin received a phone call and also was told that he wouldn't be getting a check. Even Scott Linehan was given the opportunity to meet with the team before walking out of the door. I'm not here to say that Kiffin is the next great coach in the league, but the situation that this guy was in (he fully accepted it because he took the job) was terrible. He was given the head coach's job but with no power. He couldn't get rid of his defensive coordinator, Rob Ryan, whom Kiffin felt should have been fired. Kiffin also didn't agree with some of the off season moves that the Raiders agreed to. But at the end of the day, whether he liked him or not, Davis should have afforded Kiffin the respect of at least meeting with him to tell him he's gone. It's just classless by an organization that used to be great. Yes, that was years ago, when maybe Davis was still respected around the league. At this point, even the Raider faithful have to look at this and say, we screwed this guy, we screwed the last guy, and guess what, no one in their right mind is going to come and coach for us. We're screwed now. The Raiders have talent, but management seems to keep getting in the way. This is truly a sad day in football. It tells you a lot about the great legacy of the Raiders and how their owner is just simply classless.

NBA Round Up 9-30-08

Cleveland Cavaliers - Why is everyone talking about LBJ leaving Cleveland? Or at least something like that. LeBron addresses this question with the 'I love playing for Cleveland', 'I grew up 30 miles away', 'My family is here', blah blah blah. Why don't people just leave this issue alone? If some other teams offers LBJ mucho dinero to leave Cleveland and the team has a better chance of winning, why not take the money and the opportunity? No matter if he loves Cleveland or NYC, if someone in Europe offers him $50M (net) a year, odds are that LBJ would be doing a bid in Europe.

Dallas Mavericks - Mark Cuban, while professing his love and adoration for Avery Johnson discussed his reason behind firing Johnson. Supposedly, a lot of players were coming to him letting him know that they would want to be traded instead of playing for Johnson another year. Enough of them voiced the same concern to Cuban and so Cuban took the easy exit off the expressway, he fired Johnson. Talk about the inmates running the asylum. Cuban should have told them to suck it up and play ball.

Milwaukee Bucks - For Sale - short, defense lacking, friend of LeBron, point guard, with an over the top persona, and the matching suits to go with it, is yours for the highest bid. Well, maybe two happy meals with the special edition Batman toys and we can get a deal done. Damon Jones and the Bucks have mutually agreed that Jones shouldn't report to camp. He can be yours if the price is right.

Miami Heat - Kevin McHale is now assisting with running 3 teams (the Wolves, the Celtics, and now presumably the Heat). McHale informed everyone that Shaun Livingston has decided not to sign with the Timberwolves, but will accept an offer from the Miami Heat. This is all news to the Heat who haven't said anything concerning Livingston. I mean they are dealing with Randy Pfund leaving and Pat Riley adding yet another responsibility to his already full plate.

Houston Rockets - This is supposed to be a good time in Houston. They have their team back, they have a Tru Warrier, and everyone was supposedly healthy after many off season surgeries. Well, Battier is out a month with a hurt foot, and now Tracy McGrady is saying that his knee is about 80%, but that his shoulder will need another surgery after the season because he has arthritis in the shoulder. Each year Houston has health issues, maybe someone put a root on the city of Houston, or at least their basketball team.

Detroit Pistons - Have we seen the last of Lindsey Hunter? The Pistons signed Alex Acker to their roster on a partially guaranteed contract, which could mean that Hunter won't be back for his 16th season in the NBA. We'll keep a watch on this one, because there are a lot of teams that could use a defensive point guard who can shoot when it comes playoff time.

Fantasy Football Week 4 Wrap Up

FINALLY!!!! We got a W. As my fellow basement dweller, They May Be Giants, said ' we got the monkeys off our backs!!!'. My team showed up and for once I was able to pick the right lineup. The bad news is that Ray Lewis almost killed my backup running back, Rashard Mendenhall, so it's going to be tough going this week since I don't really have any other backs available because of a BYE for the Jets (Thomas Jones). But hey, we got all week to deal with that. Let's get on to the recap of week 4 games.

Cold Ones (0-3) vs Techno Raiders (2-1)

J.T. O'Sullivan (QB - SF) ----- Donovan McNabb (QB - Phi)
Terrell Owens (WR - Dal) -----Chad Johnson (WR - Cin)
Santana Moss (WR - Was) ----- Hines Ward (WR - Pit)
Lee Evans (WR - Buf) ----- Hank Baskett (WR -Phi)
Marshawn Lynch (RB - Buf) ------ Clinton Portis (RB - Was)
Thomas Jones (RB - NYJ) ------ Ryan Grant (RB - GB)
Dustin Keller (TE - Phi) ----- Dante Rosario (TE - Car)
Jeff Reed (K - Pit) ----- Robbie Gould (K - Chi)
Tampa Bay (DEF) ----- Jacksonville (DEF)

The Cold Ones had a balanced attack this week but the Tampa Bay defense led the way with 18 points. Lee Evans chipped in with 16.80 points while TO and Santana Moss helped lead with 14.20 and 14.50 points respectively. Clinton Portis led the Techno Raiders with 13.50 points but other than Portis, Donovan McNabb was the only other player to contribute with more than 10 points (11.98). This allowed the Cold Ones to dominate and win in a blowout 107.18 to 48.38.

They May Be Giants (0-3) vs RDU Saints (3-0)
They May Be Giants got off to a nice lead this week, led by Brett Favre's favorite target, Laveranues Coles and his 28.50 points. Jamal Lewis chipped in with 15.40 points and Philadelphia chipped in with 12 points. The RDU Saints had a somewhat balanced attack with Tennessee's defense contributing 13 points, Rob Bironas with 11 points, Frank Gore with 13.30 points, and Antwaan Randle-El chipping in with 10.10. They May Be Giants won in a nail biter, 79.76 to 78.90.

The Quite Franklies (2-1) vs Air Raiders (1-2)
The Quite Franklies depended on Jerricho Cottery (18.70) and Jay Cutler(15.04) for most of their points this week. As you can probably guess that wasn't enough as Adrian Peterson (20.10) and Steve Smith (15.60) basically covered those points for the Air Raiders. Brandon Marshall (10.60) and Tony Gonzalez (10.70) provided more firepower for the Air Raiders and helped them win 82.92 to 69.14.

Big Game Hunter (3-0) vs Silver & Black Rules (2-1)
Big Game Hunter got major contributions from Matt Schaub (26.68) and Steven Jackson (24.80) to take the lead. Silver & Black Rules bounced back with Tony Romo (22.70), Chris Johnson (19.50) and the Buffalo defense (13). However, Big Game Hunter outlasted the S&B Rules 94.48 to 85.40, to go 4-0 in the league.

Potomac PimpSlappers (1-2) vs Charlotte PrimeTime! (1-2)
The Potomac PimpSlappers were led by the career day that Brett Favre had with 33.56 points, and they also got 15 points apiece from Jason Witten and Correll Buckhalter. Charlotte PrimeTime didn't have Favre, but did have a very well balanced attack led by none other than LT with 23.50 points. Other contributions from JaMarcus Russell (11.48), Larry Fitzgerald (12.20) , Anquan Boldin (15.90), DeSean Jackson (14.60) and Antonio Gates (11.80). Charlotte PrimeTime! wins 106.98 to 96.36.

Tha Bruthaz (1-2) vs RobbBobbyBilly (2-1)

Tha Bruthaz strgulled with Muhsin Muhammad (20.70) and Jake Delhomme (19.76) leading the way. RobbBobbyBilly got great production from Drew Brees (24.42), Greg Jennings (22.90), and Earnest Graham (17.40) to pick up the win in a relatively easy game for them. RobbBobbyBilly wins 116.32 to 88.76.

So the week ended with two teams finally getting a win (the Cold Ones and They Might Be Giants) and one team going 4-0 (Big Game Hunter). I'm presently in 9th place out of 12, but this is the first quarter of the league. Here's to next week and another win. The matchups are as follows:

Cold Ones (1-3) vs RobbBobbyBilly (3-1)
The Quite Franklies (2-2) vs Big Game Hunter (4-0)
Potomac PimpSlappers (1-3) vs Air Raiders (2-2)
They Might Be Giants (1-3) vs Charlotte PrimeTime! (2-2)
Tha Bruthaz (1-3) vs Silver & Black Rules (2-2)
Techno Raiders (2-2) vs RDU Saints (3-1)

Despite Boos, Steelers Win

What a game last night between the Eagles and the Steelers? Who would have thought that one call would change the whole momentum of the game? The Ravens started the games last night by punishing EVERYONE with a Steelers jersey on. I'm sure there will be lawsuits coming shortly (just jokes). Rashard 'I'm going to have a big game' Mendenhall met Ray Lewis in the hole and came out with a cracked shoulder blade (out for the season), Carey Davis sprained his ankle and was out for the rest of the game, and Kendall Simmons tore his right Achilles (out for the season). The Ravens O was led by rookie Joe Flacco and they put up 13 points going into halftime. This was really my first chance to watch Flacco this closely but I liked what I saw. He has a good arm, some mobility, and a good head on his shoulders. This game all came down to one 15 yard penalty against the Ravens by Jarrett Johnson for some after the play pushing. After this call the Steelers were able to get in the end zone and make the score 13-10. On the Ravens' next possession, Flacco was sacked and fumbled and the Steelers ran it in for a TD to make it 17-13. After that Flacco was still able to drive his team down the field in the final minutes to tie the score at 20.

I don't know about you guys, but I watched the best linebacker in the game last night. We all know about Ray Lewis' intensity and ability to motivate his teammates, but a 33 year old LB who hits like that shouldn't still be in the league. Yes, he's better than Urlacher, he's better (by a smidgen) than Derrick Brooks, and last night he just proved how good he was. Lewis led his team with 13 tackles last night, 7 solo.

We all know that the Steelers ended up winning this one in overtime by a field goal by Jeff Reed. But for some reason, I just think the better team walked away with a loss last night. I know Ray would agree with me that the only W's that count are the ones on your record. It's a short week for both teams, so they better get ready. Thanks for a great game.

NBA round Up 9-29-08

Chicago Bulls - Still unable to work out a deal with the Bulls, it looks like Ben Gordon will be reporting to training camp and signing the one year tender offer (approximately $6.4M) and be an unrestricted free agent next year. This seems like Gordon's only chance to make this kind of money. The Bulls still have the original deal, around 5 years and $50M, still on the table, but Gordon wants closer to the $80M Deng got. I guess as an unrestricted free agent, Ben will really see what he's worth.

Los Angeles Clippers - If you don't want to play for the Clippers you don't have to retire. Jason Williams has done just that (not sure if that was the reason on his knees were). Williams has retired from basketball after signing a one year deal with the Clippers in August. Seems like the Clips will be trying to make Eric Gordon a backup point guard, a mistake if you ask me. It was nice watching you play Jason, enjoy retired life (at the ripe age of 32, man I'm in the wrong business).

Houston Rockets - Fresh off of keeping Carl Landry the Rockets ink yet another big. This time it's Joey Dorsey, formerly of Memphis, who gets a 4 year deal at $3.5M. The last two years of the deal are team option, so he's got a gig for 2 years. If this guy plays like the player he closely resembles, a young Ben Wallace, the Rockets got a steal.

Indiana Pacers - Danny Granger still doesn't have a deal done yet, but according to Larry Bird, Granger need not worry. The process is slow going, but Bird is sure that the deal will get done. Bird can't let this guy get away. With the roster they have, Granger is one of the guys that can put fear in other teams.

Fantasy Football Week 4

Wow, things got too busy and I wasn't able to put out my normal Fantasy Football Week 4 preview. It actually might have been a good thing. I have done it for 3 weeks and each week, I got an L. Well, I may be jinxing things here, but I decided to go ahead and put out this weeks matchup, albeit a little late. So without further ado,.......

Cold Ones (0-3) vs Techno Raiders (2-1)

J.T. O'Sullivan (QB - SF) ----- Donovan McNabb (QB - Phi)
Terrell Owens (WR - Dal) -----Chad Johnson (WR - Cin)
Santana Moss (WR - Was) ----- Hines Ward (WR - Pit)
Lee Evans (WR - Buf) ----- Hank Baskett (WR -Phi)
Marshawn Lynch (RB - Buf) ------ Clinton Portis (RB - Was)
Thomas Jones (RB - NYJ) ------ Ryan Grant (RB - GB)
Dustin Keller (TE - Phi) ----- Dante Rosario (TE - Car)
Jeff Reed (K - Pit) ----- Robbie Gould (K - Chi)
Tampa Bay (DEF) ----- Jacksonville (DEF)

As always, I felt like this was a good week for me and I still feel that way (great when you're leading 97.18 to 42.68 going into tonight's game). I still have Jeff Reed playing tonight while Techno Raiders has Hines Ward. I guess we'll see how this one turns out, but I'm looking for my first win of the season. The rest of the league was matched up as follows:

They May Be Giants (0-3) vs RDU Saints (3-0)
The Quite Franklies (2-1) vs Air Raiders (1-2)
Big Game Hunter (3-0) vs Silver & Black Rules (2-1)
Potomac PimpSlappers (1-2) vs Charlotte PrimeTime! (1-2)
Tha Bruthaz (1-2) vs RobbBobbyBilly (2-1)

The games will be finished after tonight so we'll see who made it out of Week 4 with some bragging rights.

NFL Round Up 9-29-08

Cincinnati Bengals - There is concern in Cincy that there's more to Carson Palmer's elbow than what's being said. The MRI on his elbow came back and it was 'scary' according to Palmer. He didn't want to comment too much on it, but this is one of the toughest QBs in the league. There is a rumor that Palmer will need Tommy John surgery to repair his elbow. Only Jake Delhomme of the Panthers has had that type of surgery and he's come back to play well this year. But having this surgery will doom the Bengals for 2008-09 and obviously frustrate that fan base even more. At least Chris Henry will be active this week, right?

Green Bay Packers - Aaron Rodgers only has a sprained shoulder. Mike McCarthy informed everyone that this is no major structural damage, but when are these guys honest? So, with everyone jumping on the Packers bandwagon and thusly siding with them over Favre, where are you now? A lot of people have said that the Packers have built this organization to go on without Favre. If that's the case, then welcome home Matt Flynn, this is destiny calling. If Rodgers is out for any extended time, this may turn in to a nightmare quickly for the Packers.

St. Louis Rams - Scott Linehan has been let go by the Rams. This wasn't surprising at all, unless you had Lane Kiffin getting fired before Linehan. The Rams have been horriawful this season and they didn't look to get any better even with the QB change to Trent Green. Jim Haslett will take over the reins and will undo the QB switch and put Marc Bulger back in as starter. Funny that Bulger was actually drafted by Haslett while he was in New Orleans.

NFL Week 4 Wrap Up

Good games all weekend. Lots of ups and downs to go with them. We'll see how I did.

Cleveland @Cincinnati - Don't I get a do over on this one because of Carson Palmer not playing? This was truly an ugly game. This was more of a soccer game (a lot of running around for not a lot of points). Ryan Fitzpatrick made his first start since 2005 and the rust was evident with his 21 of 35 for 156 yards, 1 TD, and 3 INTs. Chad Johnson got his first TD of the year and that was the highlight for the Bengals. Derek Anderson was able to keep his job for at least another week. Inquisitive Mind 0 - 1 for the week.

Minnesota @ Tennessee - The Titans were again led by their defense and they are probably the most interesting 4-0 team in the league. They have lost their starting star QB for an uncertain amount of time, but somehow they get it done each week. Kerry Collins was average (18 of 35 for 199) but the rookie running back, Chris Johnson, had two TD runs. Adrian Peterson was able to get his 80 yards and 2 TDs, but Gus Frerotte was hurt (cut hand) and Tavaris Jackson is now the starter again. Frerotte, you got hit fair and square, don't cry about it. Inquisitive Mind 0 -2 for the week.

Denver @ Kansas City - I see a pattern here. Every time I say a game is going to be an utter blowout, it goes the other way. I don't know if it's me or just karma. The Chiefs invited the Broncos in to Arrowhead and ate them alive. Larry Johnson got his 20+ carries (28) and 198 yards to go along with 2 TDs. The Chiefs D got 4 turnovers and that helped Damon Huard manage the game. Denver is only 3-1 but this was a not what anyone expected, not even the Chiefs. Inquisitive Mind 0 -3 for the week.

San Francisco @ New Orleans - The Saints D dominated from the beginning and didn't let the 49ers get on a roll. JT O'Sullivan accounted for the 3 turnovers from the 49ers (2 INTs, and 1 fumble) which the Saints converted into scores. Drew Brees went for 23 of 35 for 363 yards, 3 TDs, and 1 INT. Duce McAllister returned and gave the Saints ground game some ooomph. Inquisitive Mind 0 -4 for the week.

Arizona @ New York Jets - Dayum! I'm already 0 -4 and then this happens. Brett Favre decides that he wants to show exactly how well connected he is with his receivers. Favre goes for 24 of 34 for 289 yards, 6 TDs and 1 INT. Favre connected with 8 different receivers and Laveraneus Coles 8 times for 105 yards and 3 of those TDs. Arizona never got out of the corner as the Jets pummeled them from the beginning, 34 - 0 at halftime. Other than the loss, the Cardinals got a scare when Anquan Boldin as carted off the field after getting hit in the head. Reports on him are coming in. Inquisitive Mind 0 - 5 for the week.

Green Bay @ Tampa Bay - Finally a W for me. The Bucs D started this game strong and confused Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the Packers for the entirety. Both Brian Griese and Aaron Rodgers threw 3 INTs but the biggest difference in the game is Tampa's D stopping the anemic running game of the Packers. What made this loss even worse for the Packers is that Rodgers may have a separated shoulder. Who's his backup? Prayers go out to Matt Bryant and his family for their loss of their 3 month old son Matthew Tryson Bryant (I'm not sure how he even played today with his heavy heart). Inquisitive Mind 1 - 5 for the week.

Atlanta @ Carolina - This was a pretty dominate performance by the Panthers. They really put a clamp on the Falcons running game and then did the same to Matt Ryan. The Panthers didn't get a lot of production out of either of their running backs, but they totaled 109 yards on 30 carries, enough to eat the clock and go home with the win. Steve Smith scored his first TD of the year, while referee Ed Hoculli may have found himself in the midst of another bad call controversy. Peppers had a clean hit on Ryan. Inquisitive Mind 2 - 5 for the week.

Houston @ Jacksonville - When your kicker is probably your MVP 4 weeks into the season, it tells you how much your team is struggling. The Jaguars continue to get these wins when they should be losses. Matt Schaub played lights out for the Texans with his 29 of 40 for 307 yards and 3 TDs, but when it counted, David Garrard led his team down the field and put Josh Scobee in the position to win yet another game for the Jaguars. Inquisitive Mind 3 - 5 for the week.

San Diego @ Oakland - As I watched this game I couldn't believe my eyes. I thought maybe whatever the Chiefs were drinking, that the Raiders got some too. The Raiders jumped out to an early 15 - 0 lead at halftime led by a defense that came to play and pretty good play by Jamarcus Russell (who quietly out played Phillip Rivers). In the 4th quarter the Chargers scored 25 points. 25 points in the 4th when they looked inadequate the entire game. This definitely has to hurt the Raiders more than any other loss this year. This was probably the last game that Lane Kiffin coaches as the Raiders head coach. He actually had Janikowski try a 76 yard field goal. SEVENTY SIX YARD FIELD GOAL. You don't even try that on Madden. Inquisitive Mind 4 - 5 for the week.

Buffalo @ St. Louis - This should have been a relatively easy blow out, but the Rams made this a game early in the first half. They led going into halftime, 14 to 6. Scott Linehan was excited about his chance of keeping his job and then after that it went awry. The Bills started to dominate on D (interception by Jabari Greer for a TD) and on offense (TDs by Fred Jackson, and Lee Evans). Scott Linehan may be without job soon. Inquisitive Mind 5 - 5 for the week.

Washington @ Dallas - All I can say is the Redskins D held Marion Barber to 26 yards and no TDs. That in itself should tell you the outcome of the game. The Redskins really shut down the Dallas O and kept both Barber and TO limited. Jason Campbell looked great. Clinton Portis provided the ground game (121 yards on 21 carries), but again, Jason Campbell played like the seasoned veteran QB instead of Romo. He moved the Redskins around the field and often found Santana Moss (8 catches for 145 yards). The Redskins went into Dallas and won there, something that many felt was impossible this year. Maybe the Redskins are the toast of the NFC East? Inquisitive Mind 5 - 6 for the week.

Philadelphia @ Chicago - This was supposed to be a homecoming for Donovan McNabb. Let's just say it was a little bittersweet. Although Mama McNabb rolled out the food for her son and his teammates, the game went south late in the 4th. The Eagles should have won this game, but the Bears found a way not to lose this one. The highlights are really all about the Bears. The D held the Eagles out of the end zone late in the 4th on a 4th an 1, Matt Forte ran well (how did this guy slip in the draft?), and Kyle Orton stretched the field enough to keep the Eagles D honest. Inquisitive Mind 5 - 7 for the week.

Well it was a rough week and I'm not feeling any better about Monday's game and my pick of the Ravens. We all can have a bad week though, right? We'll see what happens.

NBA Round Up 9-26-08

Denver Nuggets - Finally!!! George Karl is feeling the pressure to win and get out of the first round of the playoffs. Although, Karl insists that the pressure is his own and not something the organization is talking about. Why not, is my question. The organization should be on his a$$ a little because they haven't been able to win. Yes, he has the talent, but for some reason by the end of the season, these guys don't listen to him.

Dallas Mavericks - Interesting. Dirk Nowitzki is looking to enjoy being a free agent at the end of the 2009-10 season. He would like to win a championship in Dallas within the next 3 years, but after that it would be up in the air as to where he plays. I like Dirk, but you aren't going to win any NBA Championships when your star player is 7ft tall, loves to shoot jumpers, and can't play defense*. Just not going to happen.

Houston Rockets - The Rockets match the offer sheet for Carl Landry (3 years for $9M) from the Charlotte Bobcats. With that deal done the Rockets are now trying to cut salary in other ways to bring in the ageless wonder, Dikembe Mutumbo.

Boston Celtics - Can they do it? The Celtics think that they can win the championship again this year. Although they lost an important piece of the team, James Posey, they feel that they can make this thing work again. How you might ask? Well, KG feels that they still have that hunger and they have had a positive off season with all of their team working out almost 3 weeks already. We know KG has that hunger, but will the rest of the guys? It'll be interesting to see.

Toronto Raptors - Jose Calderon has been dealing with a minor groin injury but things are looking good. He has been in town working with team doctors to get ready for training camp. Calderon will be the starting PG for the Raptors this year and a lot will be expected of him. get well.

Orlando Magic - Free JJ Redick!! Otis Smith was asked yet again was he ready to trade Redick. His response was that he likes him and he thinks he can help the Magic. When are we all going to come clean. I am a Dukie homer and I think this kid can play. Give him a chance or trade him. The Suns would have loved to get this guy. There might be a smidgen of hope for Redick to be shipped as Smith also said that 'I think in the next 20-30 days, we'll see how things shake out.' Maybe there is hope for Redick to actually play in the NBA.

*I've often said that when you're 7ft tall and the first thing that comes out of a coaches mouth is that 'you can pass the ball well' or 'you can run the floor well', you can't play for me. I don't want a 7ft guy who roams the perimeter and doesn't have the heart to play in the paint.

Trojan Upset

Corvallis, Oregon. Before last night, I didn't even know this place existed. For most Trojan fans, it's a place that they will never want to return to, but they will think about it for the rest of this year. The Oregon State Beavers shocked the world last night by beating the #1 team in the nation, the USC Trojans. The stadium looked like a bad orange juice commercial, but it was orange and the fans were loud as the Beavers jumped out to a 21-0 score going into halftime. The Beavers were led by diminutive freshman running back, Jacquizz Rodgers. This guy ran for 186 yards on 37 carries and had 2 TDs. Jacquizz is 5-6 and 180 pounds, until last night. He had to have lost about 10 pounds from the workout he had. 37 carries against a stout USC defense that just destroyed #5 Ohio State weeks ago. The Beavers played an all around great game on both sides of the ball. Rodgers got all of the sizzle for the game but his O line did work. They were running the ball right up the middle of the USC D. No trick plays, not too much motion, just 'hey we're running the ball right here'. The Beavers D did a great job also. They pressured the normally unflappable Sanchez for most of the night. They played some kind of zone that gave the Trojans fits because the defensive backs were just playing an area (which is normal in a zone), they were allowed to read the patterns of the receivers and make plays. USC looked out of sorts and never really got it together. Sanchez was over throwing receivers, sure handed Joe McKnight couldn't hold on to the ball or get those lanes that he's used to running down hill through. As good as they looked against Ohio State, they looked as equally bad against the Beavers. I'm not saying that to give the Trojans a pass, because they got it handed to them the entire game last night by a gutty Oregon State team. The noise you heard last night were the fireworks going of in Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, and LSU.

I Apologize

Cedric Benson this goes out to you. I can admit, I'm man enough, that I dumped you out with all of the trash when you first got in trouble during the infamous boating incident. I said that anytime a grown man starts yelling for his mother to 'make the cops stop', there had to be something wrong with that picture. Then when you decided to drive home from a restaurant after having a drink or two (or three), I was very eager to label you as a fool who should have known better. With the news that the grand jury decided not to indict you on charges for either incident, I am where I am now, eating crow. So, to Mr. Cedric Benson, welcome back to the world of being a regular joe, with no cases pending, and hopefully they removed that breathalyzer that you had to have installed in your car. You are now a free man with a clean slate. I would say that the Bears are probably kicking themselves today for releasing you, not that you were producing, but that you'd be a nice player to trade. I am assuming that the job market may open up a little more for you now and you'll be gainfully employed soon. Now if you could only solve the real issue behind the Bears releasing you: How can you pay a #1 running back who is 250lbs (closer to 260lbs) who has no heart?

Good luck with the next team that you play for.

NFL Matchup Week 4

32-15. Those are my picks so far this year. Let's see if we can't get this working a little better. I don't think I can win money in Vegas with these types of numbers. We'll see what's happening this week.

Cleveland @ Cincinnati - Two 0-3 teams who both were supposed to be a lot better than what thy have shown us thus far. The Browns are in the midst of a possible QB change, although at last check, Derek Anderson will start this week. The Bengals are hurting, although they showed some signs of life last weekend against a good team, the Giants. This is like picking the Alien vs the Predator, both are bad, so why pick one? Winner - Bengals

Minnesota @ Tennessee - The Titans have proved that all they need is someone upright in the QB position and they can still win games. The Titans actually have the top two guys on the INT list for the season so far. The Vikings are stout on D and again, I'm not a Frerotte fan. I think this goes horribly wrong for the Vikings if they get behind. I'm hoping they don't get behind. Winner - Vikings

Denver @ Kansas City - This for all intensive purposes should be a blow out of monumental proportions, but that's why they play the games. The Chiefs are talking about starting a 3rd different QB this week, not good when this is game 4 of the season. Denver looks to continue their run to 4-0. Winner - Broncos

San Francisco @ New Orleans - Well, this should be a shootout. New Orleans can't stop anyone and the 49ers are bringing in a balanced team with J.T. O'Sullivan playing well. The Saints are losing Shockey and Jamar Nesbit for this week at a minimum. This is my 'riding the wave' pick for the week. Winner - 49ers

Arizona @ New York Jets - Two similar teams. Two old as dirt starting QBs. Two decent running backs. Two decent defenses, when they come to play. This will come down to which O line protects their QB. Favre is hobbled with a sprained ankle and Warner is looking real good. Can Favre continue where he picked up last week (no, not with a loss, but being more comfortable with his receivers) or are the Cardinals clicking at the right time? Winner - Cardinals

Green Bay @ Tampa Bay - Battle of the Bays. The Bucs come off a come from behind win at Chicago and a QB that might not have an arm this week after 67 pass attempts. The Packers come off a tough loss at home against a very good Dallas team. This is Aaron Rodgers' chance to bounce back against a good team. Tampa is playing at home and hey if Griese's arm is dead, they got 4 other QBs to throw in the game. Winner - Bucs

Atlanta @ Carolina - Two 2-1 teams and this is oddly a statement game. The Panthers need to show that last week was an anomaly. They have their starting receivers back and a punishing ground game. The Panthers D will definitely not allow Michael Turner to get 200 yards or anything close. Winner - Panthers

Houston @ Jacksonville - Talk about what a win will do for you. The Jags looked like a team that found it's groove. I expect them to pound the ball again and get back to the way they were playing last year when no one wanted to see them. Garrard should have a good game too. Winner - Jaguars

San Diego @ Oakland - Normally this is a good game, if not for anything but the Black Hole. Well, as my brother-in-law told me, black implies the absence of light. The Black Hole has a lot of light coming through it. The Raiders are terrible and were it not for a sorry Chiefs team, they would probably be looking for their first win. Monte Kiffin is holding on to his job and trying to keep his chin up. Stay strong Kiffin. Winner - Chargers

Buffalo @ St. Louis - Does St. Louis have a football team? Trent Green is going to start? Even Marshall Faulk was concerned about Green's health starting behind this O line. Why isn't the coach? The Bills, even with the loss of Roscoe Parrish, should dominate this game. Someone please have an ambulance ready for Trent Green. For real. Winner - Bills

Washington @ Dallas - This ought to be good. The Redskins are coming to Dallas to play their final game in the Texas Stadium. The Redskins are 2-1 and the Cowboys look like they are world beaters after taking the Packers down a notch last week. TO had 2 catches for 17 yards. I expect that stat to be increased substantially. Felix Jones will get more carries this week too, although nothing does any Cowboys fan justice like giving Barber the rock often. Winner - Cowboys

Philadelphia @ Chicago - Another good one. McNabb comes home to Chicago with the Bears needing a win to stop the bleeding. The Bears couldn't sack Griese last week and he dropped back 67 times. McNabb and the Eagles just find a way to win even with Westbrook hobbled (ankle), LJ Smith hobbled (back), and McNabb himself with a sore chest. The Bears need to run the ball, fire their offensive coordinator, and pray that all of the Eagles linemen just fall down, allowing a bee line to McNabb. Why couldn't the Bears find a way to trade Urlacher for McNabb this summer? Winner - Eagles

Baltimore @ Pittsburgh - The Steelers are without Willie Parker, Casey Hampton, and Brett Keisel. Big Ben, Troy Polamalu, DeShea Townsend, LaMarr Woodley, and Donovan Woods are banged up. The Ravens are winning games like they used to, run the ball and don't let their QB screw it up. McGahee has a swollen eye after tangling with some of the Browns in a pile last week, so hopefully he'll be able to see the white jerseys hitting him on Monday night. Rashard Mendenhall gets his first start against a good Ravens D. Welcome to the NFL Rashard - Signed Ray Lewis. Winner - Ravens