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Rutgers ready for another prime time show

The cameras are back in Piscataway for another Thursday night showdown. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights host the South Florida Bulls in a key Big East matchup tonight. Both teams are already out of contention for the Big East title, but coming in at 6-2 each time can become bowl eligible with a win tonight. A win will also keep alive their hopes for a Gator Bowl berth. South Florida enters the game ranked #23 in the AP Poll.

The game will be nationally televised on ESPN. Chris Fowler, Craig James, and Jesse Palmer will work the game from the booth and Erin Andrews will be doing the sideline reporting.

Rutgers tends to really show up in these games. Since 2005, they are 6-3 in night games broadcast on ESPN or ESPN2. Tonight marks the fourth consecutive year that Rutgers has been part of a ESPN Thursday night matchup. The Knights have a 3-1 matchup lead against the Bulls. During the last three years, Rutgers has outscored South Florida 101-63. Last season Rutgers went into Tampa and blew out the Bulls by a score of 49-16.

The stadium is expected to be loud tonight. The November football atmosphere should return on The Banks. Rutgers has won six consecutive November home games. The student section will also be introducting the "Chop Squad" in the south end zone. Students will be seated in specific seats and will spell out "R" "U". Should be a nice sight for the television cameras.

Rutgers enters the game leading the entire country in turnover differential. The Knights have gained 25 turnovers so far this season and given up just 7. Three of those seven were in the season opening loss to Cincinnati. Rutgers has forced at least one turnover in every game this year. Their defense will try to continue that trend.

South Florida has a very dangerous QB once again. This time its not Matt Grothe. Redshirt freshman B.J. Daniels took over for Grothe after he suffered a season ending injury. The two quarterbacks are similar in style of play. Daniels can hurt you using his arm as well as his feet. He is very fast and does his best when he gets outside the pocket. Don't be surprised if Rutgers uses a spy against Daniels, possibly one of the safeties. If Rutgers can get pressure on him, Daniels will turn the ball over.

Luckily for Rutgers, it appears the Bulls biggest threat in the passing game is injured and will not play. Wide out Carlton Mitchell is South Florida's answer to Rutgers Tim Brown. Mitchell has an ankle injury. The Bulls do however have other athletes that can certainly take over. The South Florida running game has been their weak spot this season. They did have a good game last week against West Virginia but have struggled as a whole this year. Rutgers will need to stop the run and pressure B.J. Daniels all night. If Daniels is able to run all over the field, Rutgers could be in for a long night.

Rutgers offense can help the defense if they can find a running game and control the clock. So far in Big East play this season, that has not happened. Joe Martinek will need to use his power running style to wear down the South Florida defense.

The big matchup when Rutgers has the ball is on the line. The feature matchup will be between two NFL prospects. Anthony Davis will anchor the Rutgers offensive line and try to keep South Florida defensive end George Selvie away from freshman QB Tom Savage. Selvie is a two-time first team All-American. Selvie is just one of the Bulls defensive stars. Jason Paul-Pierre is the other defensive end and has been doing damage as well. Selvie and Paul-Pierre have combined for five sacks, 17 tackles for loss, and 10 QB hurries this sesaon. Linebacker Kion Wilson has been playing extremely well also. He has led his team in tackles in three straight games.

Rutgers needs to establish a running game that will help set up the passing attack. Savage has been very good at taking care of the ball so far this year. He has thrown just one interception in his young career. If Rutgers can protect Savage and give him some time to throw, he should be able to hook up with wide receivers Tim Brown and Mohamed Sanu. Brown is the obvious big play threat. Third wide out Mark Harrison has also begun to emerge in the offense lately. Again, it all comes down to the running game. South Florida's rushing defense has not been great. Rutgers needs to take advantage of that as much as possible.

Expect yet another hard fought close game between these two schools. Rutgers Stadium should be ready to rock, despite the current weather in the area.

Prediction

Thursday nights in Piscataway are usually when Rutgers shines. I think tonight will be another example. The defense will ride the energy from the crowd and put together a very good game. I expect to see Alex Silvestro have a good good. Devin McCourty should be able to shut down whoever South Florida's replacement for Mitchell is. Ryan D'Imperio and company will stuff South Florida's run game. Offensively, Rutgers however must find a way to run the ball. Cold, rainy, windy weather may limit the passing attack. I do think Rutgers finds a way to mix up the offense despite the weather. Savage will have a good game if Rutgers first establishes the run.

Rutgers 27, South Florida 21

Baseball Hot Stove Update

The GM meetings this week have provided some very interesting possibilities, both on the trade front and the free agent market. Its obviously very early in the offseason so a lot of these rumors will fly away but some may just happen. Lets take a look....

- The Yankees know the value that Johnny Damon brings to the top of their batting order. However, the Yankees could turn to free agent Chone Figgins. They could play him in left field. Figgins is a speadster and a little more then four years younger then Damon. One big reason the Yankees might decide to bring Damon back is that he has had success playing in New York, something that should not be overlooked.

- Money remains an issue as the Cubs try to trade outfielder Milton Bradley. The Tampa Bay Rays are the latest team to show interest in Bradley. They are discussing a swap of Bradley and Pat Burrell. However, the Rays want the Cubs to pay the majority of Bradley's contract. The Cubs have made it clear they want to trade Bradley. They would then like to move Kosuke Fukudome back to right field and sign a centerfielder. Marlon Byrd is a possibility.

- The Tigers budget is tight and therefore they are willing to listen to offers for some of their star players. Centerfielder Curtis Granderson is one possibility. They will likely want a lot in return for him however. Another star apparently on the trade block is starting pitcher Edwin Jackson. He is available and the Dodgers are interested. I've seen rumors of a Jackson for reliever George Sherill deal. That certainly makes sense for both clubs.

- John Lackey is the top starting pitcher on the market this year. Expect many teams to at least inquire about him. The Yankees may be one of those teams. However, don't count out the Angels just yet. They remain interested in re-signing their ace.

- Catcher Jason Varitek has decided to use his option and stay with the Red Sox. The team had declined their option on him just a few days before. His time will likely be limited however since the Red Sox have brought back Victor Martinez.

- Free agent reliever, J.J. Putz would prefer to be a closer again but will consider a set-up role in the right situation.

- The Brewers have said they are not listening to offers for first baseman Prince Fielder, while the Rockies are listening to offers for outfielder Brad Hawpe.

- Ken Griffey Jr. has agreed to a one year deal with the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners seem very active early on. They are hoping to add some veteran talent this offseason. Lately they have been talking with the Blue Jays about acquiring first baseman Lyle Overbay. Its still up in the air if they will try to re-sign Russell Branyan.

- The New York Mets are planning to pursue just about every big name on the trade and free agent market. Expect them to show interest in pitchers like John Lackey and Roy Halladay, as well as position players Jason Bay and Matt Holliday. Some other rumors have been that they will show interest in catcher Bengie Molina and possibly even outfielder Rick Ankiel. The Mets need help in many area's if they want to contend next season. Starting pitching is a concern. They need to add at least one pitcher for the rotation. They also need bullpen help. If will be interesting to see how the Mets handle this offseason after missing out on some key players last offseason.

Larry Johnson & Conway Twitty tapes for sale!

Thought #1 - Did you have yard sell lady in your neighborhood when you were growing up? You know, that one old lady on your block that spent every single Saturday between April and September trying to pawn off her old stuff from her front lawn? She'd start wheeling that junk out there at the crack of dawn, throw down that old blanket and cover that thing with random trinkets, old cook books, and the largest assortment of porcelain animals (especially chickens for some reason) you'd ever seen. There she sat, everyday, the junk never changed. Even though she was only asking a nickel for that tape of "Christmas in Dollywood" no body was buying. I'd imagine Larry Johnson feels a lot like that lady right now. Just sitting out there on the lawn, watching teams driving and try to avoid making eye contact with him. Nobody's stopping. Larry's sitting there all day, holding up that 2007 Fantasy Guide he was the cover boy for and even though dude only costs a nickel, even though KC will be picking up his entire contract for this season, so far, no body's pulled over. LJ, you got a bad reputation and some high mileage. You got to realize the longer you sit out there on that lawn, the harder it's going to be for anyone to suck it up and pay anything for that porcelain cat or that 3 pack of Conway Twitty tapes.

Thought #2 - The Washington Redskins have officially stated they are not interested in Larry Johnson, well I take that back. Jim Zorn, says they are not interested, not sure how much weight that carries at this point. Although I think it is against official Redskin policy to take on an aging player without having to pay him a huge salary. Way to stay consistent Washington.

Thought #3- Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis banned Chad Ochocinco from mailing things to the Steelers this week after learning Chad was planning to send them a surplus of mustard. Last week Chad sent packs of deodorant to the Baltimore Ravens. I feel like Chad honestly believes he lives in a Saved by the Bell episode. You remember, they get in that prank war with the rival school during basketball season, which by the way, I'm not sure when they all started playing basketball. Of course Mr. Belding find out and teaches them all some sappy important life lesson. That's what's running through Chad's head right now, prank war with Big Ben, and ol Coach Lewis busted it up. Dag! I just can't wait to Chad drops the "Time Out" freeze moment during the middle of a game. If youre Coach Lewis you got to watch out to, the last thing you want is for Ocho and Cedric Benson getting into it over who is taking Kelly to the Sweetheart dance, that could be disastrous for an offense.
I get it Chad, you're a fun guy, you like pranks, you love attention, and you've finally got a winner so you're going to milk it for all it's worth. To be honest you've done a great job of turning your 15 minutes of fame into about 3 hours. Just be careful, as long as you are winner, this stuff is cool, but as soon as things go bad you're going to be the scape goat of the week.

Thought #4 - Brady Quinn was announced as the Brown's starter for Monday nights game against the Ravens. Good news is, his QB rating is 30 points higher than former starter Derek Anderson's. Bad new, that means he is maxing out at 60. How awful are the Browns right now? How about this; they have combined for 3 touchdowns this year and 13 INTs, awesome huh? Let's face it, this car is on a one way collision course with a tree, so does it really matter who is driving it? Neither guy is capable to avoiding the wreck, so you might as well go down with the better looking and more marketable of the two. I mean yeah, Quinn has been pretty horrible this year, but maybe he can sell a few ab rollers or 5 dollar footlongs for you. Oh, and possibly a few tickets so you don't have to blackout a Monday night game in a classic football city. Listen Cleveland, the ship's going down fast, doesn't really matter whose holding onto to the wheel when it finally goes completely under.

TSD Week #10 NFL Challenge (Game Thursday)

· Win = 1 point

Loss = 0 point
Tie = .5 point
TSD Game of the week = +3 points win or -3 points loss
(new) AFC and NFC Rivalry Games of the week = +2 win or -2 loss
Upset Special +7 points (must pick one upset game)
(new) Cupcake Game rules: A game your team should win easily is a cupcake game. (Required)

If your team wins by 21 points or more +7
If your team wins by 14 points or more +3
If your team wins by 10 points or more +2
If your team wins by 7 points normal scoring of +1
If your team loses the game -3
If your team loses the game by 10 points or more -7

Tie break procedure – Pick one game and give a score. Closest to the score without going over wins. (required)
(new) 50 Burger Bonus – If a team you pick wins and they score 50 or more points +2
(new) Low Score Penalty – If a team you pick loses and they are blanked -2

YOU CANNOT Alter the TSD game of the week

You are allowed to change your picks until NOON Sunday

NFL Game odds for the Week – Check here to see who is favored in this week’s games

1. Bears at 49ers - TSD Pick Bears

2. Falcons at Panthers - TSD Upset special Panthers

3. Buccaneers at Dolphins - TSD Pick Dolphins

4. Lions at Vikings - Cupcake game TSD Pick Vikings

5. Jaguars at NY Jets - TSD Pick Jets

6. Bengals at Steelers - (AFC Rivalry Game) - TSD Pick Steelers

7. Saints at Rams - TSD Pick Saints

8. Bills at Titans - TSD Pick Titans

9. Broncos at Redskins - TSD Pick Broncos (24-7)

10. Chiefs at Raiders - TSD Pick Raiders

11. Seahawks at Cardinals - TSD Pick Cardinals

12. Cowboys at Packers - (NFC Rivalry game) TSD Pick Packers

13. Eagles at Chargers - TSD Pick Chargers

14. Patriots at Colts - TSD Game of the week - TSD Pick Pats

15. Ravens at Browns - TSD Pick Ravens

Week 10 Questions

Post whatever questions you might have about the upcoming week and the match-ups that you just are not sure about.

Week 9 Winners and Losers

As much as I have ragged on Chad Ochocinco, I could not help but roll my eyes at the idea of Roger Goodell fining him for "bribing an official". What Chad did was simply trying to lighten the mood and change up the ref's day a little bit. Instead, the NFL is going to take that dollar, and probably 4,999 more. I mean, I'm not much one for defending #85, but when did football stop being a game? Beyond that, Larry Johnson was released, Ty Law was signed, and fantasy points were raining down on us...well, most of us. Take a look...

WINNERS
Any quarterback who played in Chicago on Sunday: Kurt Warner and Jay Cutler combined for 8 touchdowns and 630 yards while there was only one interception on the day. Cutler looked phenomenal dropping a touchdown pass in triple coverage to Greg Olson. While Kurt Warner went off for 5 touchdowns to complete an absolute blow out of the Bear's defense. I bet you guys wish you would have seen that one coming.
Michael Turner: You can alert the Atlanta police department to call of the search party, the Falcons have finally found Michael Turner. Mike put up 166 yards and two touchdowns as the Falcons beat a team with something other than the cool arm of Matty-Ice.
Randy Moss: Well, I had to get something right. At least I got it REALLY right though. Moss had 147 yards and a touchdown on only 6 catches. With the reestablishment of the Brady/Moss marriage, the Patriots are comfortable at the top of the AFC East.

Losers
Kyle Orton: Orton went 8 weeks without throwing an interception to a defensive player...and then last night happened. Orton overthrew and misread all night to wind up with 3 picks and no touchdowns. Leaving the Broncos on a 2-game losing skid and questioning if their quarterback is playoff-worthy.
Ladanian Tomlinson: 22 yards, no touchdowns. the curse of 30-year olds is alive and well while Tomlinson appears to be on his way out in San Diego.
Desean Jackson: After a big week last week, fantasy owners were excited to have Jackson on their team and were already figuring out how many wins they would have with him scoring 15 every week. Well, they might have to wait a little longer. Jackson was a non-factor against the Cowboys with only 29 yards on 2 catches.

Double G Sports wins the TSD week #9 NFL Challenge!

Double G - 24 points (week #9 Champion)

Corey G - 23 points

Scuba - 22 points

Tracy - 7 points

TSD (Golden Terd Award) - 0 points

Congratulations to the victor and the losers are vanquished to the realm of the unworthy....

Luis Castillo on the Mets trade block?

Its early in the offseason but we have already seen a few trades take place. The rumor around baseball is there may be a lot of trades this season. There have also been some rumors that many mid to lower level teams will make some of their big time players available.

One rumor circulating lately is a three way deal that would send Mets second baseman Luis Castillo to the Cubs, Blue Jays first baseman Lyle Overbay to the Mets and the Cubs outfielder Milton Bradley to the Blue Jays. This rumor has however been called a long shot. It appears the Blue Jays dont have much interest in Bradley at this point.

The move would make sense for the Mets. Castillo's value is higher then the previous offseason after he had a productive 2009 season. Trading him would open a spot at second base where they could sign free agent Orlando Hudson. Hudson wanted to join the Mets last season but they did not have any room for him and he eventually signed with the Dodgers. He was also a Mets fan growing up.

Overbay is not really that much of an upgrade over Daniel Murphy at first base, however Overbay does hit right handed pitchers very well. You would like to think he would be an upgrade defensively as well.

Can't really fault the Blue Jays for being hesitant to acquire Bradley. The guy has been a train wreck everywhere he goes. He can flat out hit, its his attitude that gets him in hot water.

Stay tuned - Hot Stove season has just begun!

Tom Cable just needs a friend and the Wolverines AD gets rough with some students.

Thought #1- Remember that time in middle school when you got semi beat up in the boys room by that bully and you finally sucked it up and turned him in? Remember how instead of punishing him, kicking his black jeans, Dale Earnhardt t-shirt wearing butt out of school, they decided it was best to just send him to the Guidance Councilor for "help?" That's basically what the NFL has decided to do with Tom Cable. Cable "allegedly" broke an assistant coaches jaw earlier this season and "allegedly" has a history of beating women. So what does he obviously need? A buddy. Exactly, he just needs a ear, someone to listen and comfort him, meanwhile his former assistant and lady friends need a few stitches, prescription pain killer, and a couple frozen bags of peas. Yeah, that seems fair. The bully just smacked you around, ripped your favorite Alonzo Mourning Hornets tee, and stole your brand new trapper keeper. Now instead of getting suspended or punished in any way, he gets to skip science class and go sit on the couch in that dimly lit office that always smells like popcorn. You get to take notes on the reproduction system of a bird while he gets to talk about his feeling with that lady who reminds you of an overly joyful hobbit and eat candy corn. Yeah that's fair.

Thought #1b- By the way, I really don't want to see anymore pictures of Cable awkwardly hugging women. Why is it that bullies always look ridiculous in pictures with their significant others? They are always really awkwardly close and look like they are on the verge of a full on make out session at any moment. Gross.

Thought #2 - It must suck to be Matt Lienart. I mean the Ken Whisenhunt is really trying to give the guy a chance to play and Matt goes out, throws an INT, and forces Whisenhunt to pull him back out of the game. He's like the kid on your little team with all the gear, who looks great in the uniform, and whose dad is best friends with the coach. They try to play him, try to get him some reps, but at some point we might all just have to realize that kid may need a back up plan in life. Might want to start looking into accounting or law or something, because I don't know if you're going to be able to count on that MLB pay check to put bread on the table. Lienart looks great in a uniform, looks great on the cover of ESPN the magazine, even looks great on TV standing on the sidelines, but you know where he doesn't look great? Under center. Maybe he just needs some time to develop, maybe he just needs some more snaps, but he's not going to get to many more chances at that right now with Arizona, especially not after Sunday.

Thought #3- Can someone please get Michigan athletic director Bill Martin some passes to the guest area so he doesn't have to keep pushing college girls around to get in? On two occasions, when failing to produce the proper credentials to enter the guest area of the press box, Martin reportedly shoved the students running the gate out of the way in order to get in rather than just wait to have the matter cleared up. Being the AD I would imagine that would have taken all of what, 20, 30 seconds? I mean I know it must have been a shot to the old ego to have the college aged gate keepers not recognize you, but did you really need to get to that complimentary cocktail shrimp tray that bad? I know you couldn't have been in that big of a hurry to watch this year's Wolverines play. Were you afraid you'd get stuck with just getting the broken up Fritos or that someone would have already snagged all the Twix and Zagnuts from the candy tray and you'd be stuck eating those little butterscotch candies? I know those things suck and the dark chocolate M&Ms go fast but I don't think it's worth bullying up an undergrad for.

Chiefs Cut Larry Johnson

On the first day Larry Johnson was eligible to return to the Chiefs, they choose instead to cut him loose. Instead of the open-arm treatment after another loss, they give him the pink slip.

Johnson has been shelved for the past two weeks due to a suspension stemming from "conduct detrimental to the team". After a few public 'gay slurs' and comments attacking the credibility of the head coach, the Chiefs choose to go into another direction with the running game.

So what does that mean for the Chiefs ground game? It means more of what we saw in Jacksonville on Sunday, but hopefully with more attempts.

Jamaal Charles led the Chiefs with 36 yards rushing off of 6 carries. He was complemented by Kolby Smith with 4 carries for 17 yards.
With the Chiefs playing catch-up the majority of the game they chose only to run 12 times the entire game. However, we were able to get a glimpse of what these two backs roles will most likely be for the rest of the season.

Charles had the majority of the yards, but most of it was gained through draws and plays to the outside. Smith looks to be the between the tackles runner going forward with the Chiefs.

With the release of Johnson earlier this morning, it seems that the Chiefs are content to go on without Johnson, and to hand the reigns over to the two-back approach.

What You Should Strongly Consider Watching

Well, I may have missed two weeks of movie goodness, but I'm back this week to remind you of what just came out and what is coming out this weekend. First, lets reflect on this past weekend. I know its not easy, considering its Monday and thinking about the weekend hurts us all, but lets just power through okay?

The Men Who Stair at Goats:

If you didn't laugh at the trailer for this movie, clearly you don't have a soul (and for that I pity you dearly). Still funny trailers does not a good movie make. Still, the word is if you are in to dark, satirical humor, you'll probably enjoy this film. At the same time, don't expect to add it to your top 25 list.

Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol:

Do like you Christmas? Do you like Jim Carrey? If you answered yes to both, you probably won't hate this movie. Still, from what I gather, it falls in the same lines as The Polar Express (partially because it was made by the same people). By that I mean, its visually pretty and done well, but lacking that x-factor to make it something truly special. On the upside, Gary Oldman is in it and if you didn't know by now, I love Gary Oldman!

The Box:

The Box is my personal pick for the week because it looked balls crazy and because I really loved Donnie Darko which was directed by same man, Richard Kelly. The premise of the movie is super simple. A young, innocent couple are offered a million dollars if they press a button. However, by pressing the button, someone, somewhere will die. How is this made into a whole movie? I'm not sure, but I really want to know.

_______________________________

And now, here is the heads up on what is coming out this weekend.

2012: Personally, I'm a little sick of Roland Emmerich blowing up the world. He did it in Independance Day, Godzilla, and The Day After Tomorrow. I'm mostly sick of it because that is really all he does. It doesn't give us a very good story or good characters and generally, his jokes aren't especially funny when they are made. However, he is the man that gave us The Patriot (the Mel Gibson one), which while historically not super accurate, was far superior to anything else he has made. As far as his new destruction piece, initial word is that it is terrible. The thing is, the people saying this still love it. They say its so wrapped up in its badness and worthless excuse for a story that its fantastic. Its supposed to be quite entertaining but also utterly stupid. Then again, a lot of utterly stupid things are quite entertaining.

Fantastic Mr. Fox: Wes Anderson is arguably the king of quirky art-house films having done Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums. and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. So naturally his newest film would be a stop-motion family movie based on a children's book by Roald Dahl, the man who wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, the BFG, and Matilda. Regardless of how random the combination might be, the result is supposed to be...well...fantastic! If you are a family person, this would be a great film to take everyone to. Heck, even if you just want a solid, funny film, I'm fairly certain this won't let you down....but if it does, I am very sorry. Don't stop reading my blog because of it.

The Messenger: Prior to writing this blog, I actually hadn't heard of this movie. After looking it up, I very much want to see and you just might to because it is supposed to be incredible. The story follows two army soldiers who fill the position of messengers (hence the title), who have to inform parents, wives, etc that their loved one has died in service of the country. Unfortunately, its only limited release at the moment so finding it could be difficult. Hopefully it will go the way of the The Hurt Locker and get a broader release.

Here is a trailer:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/themessenger/

October Review, November Preview

The month of October was a productive one for Double G Sports. We got started on this site on October 2nd. I just wanted to share some of the things that Double G Sports has started so you can stay up to date with us.

October stats:

432 visits to our blog
242 first time visitors
919 page views

While I think those are very good numbers for our first month, we will continue to try and improve on those. I hope to continue developing a following and improve those numbers each month.

Free Newsletter!!!

Double G Sports has designed an email newsletter for anyone that is interested. The newsletter will be sent out a few times a month to your email and it is totally free! Links, photos, quotes and more! Subscribe by clicking where it says "Subscribe via email, Grab Your Free Newsletter," on the right side of this blog site. Its free! Why not?! You can always unsubscribe if you dont like it.

Facebook

Double G Sports is on facebook. Search for Double G Sports and you will find our page. On there, you will find links to the blogs as well as discussions on various sports topics.

Twitter

To follow us on Twitter, search for DoubleGSports. We will "tweet" the latest news, rumors and opinions. Its just another way to stay in contact wtih Double G Sports.

A look into November

The baseball season has ended. There will still be a few baseball stories to report however. Double G Sports will also try to focus a little more on football for the next few months. We will especially be covering the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. If there are any topics you would like me to discuss on thsi blog, please feel free to contact me and let me know: doublegsports@gmail.com

Special Thanks!

A special thank you to all of my readers so far. Without you, this site would not have had the early success. I hope you all continue to read this blog and provide input. If you enjoy any particular story, I encourage you all to share them with anyone you know. It will give them something to read as well as help Double G Sports continue to grow.

I also need to thank Jessica Kalieta for generously providing us with the site's logo.

Brandon Spikes adds a new twist to punishments and other thoughts from the Porch!

Thought #1- Was it part of Brandon Spikes "self imposed" punishment that he had to stand on the sideline wearing that ridiculous looking hat? I really hope so. I swear if that thing had a "M" on it instead of an "F" I would have thought it was Super Mario's hat from when he turns into fire throwing Mario. Honestly though, I think this is a trend that should catch on across the sports world. If you do something stupid, you have to not only sit out on the sideline, but wear something as awful as whatever act you committed. Think about it. You get suspended for a dirty hit, you wear parachute pants for a day. Get busted with pot, you have to dress as a 80 year old, members only jacket, shorts with high dark socks, and Velcro shoes required. And for more serious offenses like Spikes, well that calls for the Zebra print snuggie. Try playing the role of the tough guy while rocking that hideous thing. Bottom line, you embarrassed your team, now you should be embarrassed. I really hope this catches on.

Thought #2 - So it took what, a week and a half for Allen Iverson to get upset coming off the bench? I guess that's a week and a half longer than most of us expected. Having AI on your team is like dating a high maintenance girl, you talk yourself into thinking you can handle it, but as soon as you get that 3am phone call with her crying because of the sad episode of the OC she just watched, you realize you're in far over your head. You back off and let some other poor sap play that role. Well Memphis, today you are that poor sap. Detroit tried to warn you, but you thought you could handle this high maintenance veteran, who refuses to realize he's no longer AI, he's just Allen. Maybe next time you should considered actually calling those character references when a guy applies for a job.

Thought #3- I may have spoken to soon last night when I was elated over the fact that Notre Dame lost to Navy. It turns out the combined loses of Iowa, Oregon, and Notre Dame may have opened up the window for both Boise St. and TCU to get into BCS bowl games. Now, nothing against either of those teams, but I'm pretty sure this is just more evidence of what a strange and disappointing season this has become. I mean look at the standings, doesn't it remind you of a video game where you challenge yourself and your buddies to run the table with some of the lower teams? Seeing TCU, Boise, and Cincy up there, just looks awkward.

Thought #4 - Did the Green Bay Packers lose to the Tennessee Volunteers today? I swear I heard Rocky Top at some point in those highlights. Throwbacks are just out of control this season. It's like using a pepper shaker, you got to use the sprinkle feature, just a dab here or there spices things up just right. But you open that pour tab, you've just ruin your green bean casserole. A throw back here and there is a good thing, but the NFL has definitely opened the pour tab this season. Props to the Bucs for getting their first win though. I'm not nearly as surprised that they won, as I am that it wasn't against the Redskins.

Thought #5 - I'm not a big fan of claiming that sports are rigged or even manipulated by the officiating, but if I was, I'd be flipping out over what's gone on in the SEC this season. In yesterday's LSU - Alabama game, a clear interception was ruled an incomplete pass, both on the field and in the replay booth. Does the SEC really want that highly anticipated Alabama - Florida match up bad enough to swing a call here or there? Hmm, it's just sad that we even pause when we answer that question.

Thought #6- Was that Tony Romo I just saw interviewed or a 1920's race car driver? Hmm, with a hat like that, makes me wonder what Romo is punishing himself for.

Sammy goes MJ and we owe a couple of teams a big Thank you.

Thought #1 - Retirement can be tough, especially for athletes. Some put on weight, some play golf, and some just disappear. Sammy Sosa may be working towards the latter of these options. Recently Sosa showed up in the news looking far more white than usual. Listen Sammy, I know you aren't working outside as much as you used to be, but you got to get out of the house some buddy. I mean mix in a walk or mowing you yard or something. The last thing you want to do is to go Michael Jackson on us and turn into a white 50 year old woman. Man you have fallen off, 10 years ago you were a cult hero and today you are best known for randomly losing the ability to speak English. You really don't need to add fading to invisible to your resume. Get outside, mix in some Frisbee golf or something man.

Thought #2 - We all owe Louisiana Tech a big thank you. Yeah they didn't beat Boise State on Friday night, but they came close and that should be enough to debunk any talk of them in the National Title game. I know we all love the thought of an underdog wrecking the traditional party, but realistically that's about as far as it goes. None of us really want to watch Boise play Texas or Florida. It's like watching your little brother play pick up basketball, you love to talk about that one great play he made against the 6' 5" guy but you ain't picking him up on your team. We love to talk about the little guy, but let's be honest, we aren't tuning in to watch them in January.

Thought #3 - We also owe a big thanks to Navy for beating Notre Dame, giving them their third lose and eliminating them from all the BCS talk. This is basically like kicking Lou Holtz in the crotch. Every week we listen as he claims that Notre Dame has the credentials to be considered amongst the elite of college football. Its ridiculous and now its over. By the way, do you ever think Dr. Lou might be the love child of Mr. Magoo and Simon from Alvin and the Chipmunks?

Thought #4 - Jose Canseco has come out and said he wants to fight Alex Rodriguez. Jose said he would beat A-Rod "to a pulp." Doesn't Jose remind you of that crazy cousin, who you purposefully do not invite to family events, but yet he always seems to show up? You know, you're all having a good time, then in walks crazy uncle Jose, he eats all the veggie dip, insults your grandma, and proceeds to dominate the conversation by rattling off his high school i stats. We all sit and listen, secertly just wishing he would head back to the local strip club and drink himself into his normal stupor. Please just stop talking Jose.

Are Major College Football Programs Scared of Boise State?

Remember those days in grade school when two kids wanted to fight, one would say to the other, "Meet me in the playground at 3 p.m."? By the time school was out the entire school was aware of the situation and it was a packed playground with everyone wanting to see the action. Well the modern day college version of that is happening right now.

Boise State athletic director Gene Bleymaier has advised all major collegiate football programs that his program will play "any school anywhere" and as icing on the cake the school doesn't even have to return the favor by playing at Boise State! This kind of offer is one that should have schools chomping at the bit. There has to be at least twenty schools that have taken this offer, right? NOPE! NOT ONE!

Why hasn't a major school taken their offer? Could it be that this game wouldn't be one of those non-conference cupcake games to pad your stats in hope of a major bowl game. Boise is 4-1 against major conference opponents. The only major program on Boise State's schedule this year they beat, Oregon, and Oregon is now 8-1.

ESPN has even offered to assist Boise State in finding major opponents but even they have had success! ESPN would love to find some because they are a huge draw nationally. People love to see their explosive offense unfold before their eyes on national television. Boise State's games have been on national television seven times this season and this trend will continue into the future. Just imagine the draw if they were playing a team like USC!

How can the major football programs claim they are superior if they will not even give Boise State a chance? This reminds me of a bully that will pick on the weak and defenseless but when confronted backs down like a coward!

Hey Goliath, David is calling!

Quick Hitters: Week 9

The Saints and the Colts roll into week 9 with the leagues last two remaining untarnished records. The Saints host the Panthers while the Colts do the same for the Texans. One would assume this should be a fairly easy win for the Saints in the Superdome. The Colts on the other hand may have more to be worried about. The Colts secondary took a huge blow this week finding out that they will miss already absentee safety Bob Sanders for the rest of the season now. This weakens an already average secondary that now has to go up against a quarterback that is beating Peyton Manning in yards and touchdowns, Matt Shaub. Now it is hard to say that the Colts are not the favorite here, however, I do believe that if Shaub can get rolling right away and maybe get either Steve Slaton or Ryan Moats to show up, this game could be interesting. Other games around the league pose some interesting match-ups in the fantasy world, let's get cracking.

Oh Aaron
The Green Bay Packers come off a tough loss to the Minnesota Vikings and now have to rebound against...the worst team in the league. Aaron Rodgers is going to have a field day against Tampa Bay this week. Playing in the nice weather of Raymond James Stadium, expect Rodgers to throw at least 4 TD's while topping 300 yards, do I hear 400?
Cut Kurt
The Cardinals travel into Chicago to face the team that many thought would be winning the NFC North, not sitting at third. However, the Bears still play in Soldier Field, and Kurt Warner still is not the same guy from the "Greatest Show on Turf" years, or even last year for that matter. You throw him in a stadium with swirling winds and a surprisingly good secondary (not giving up a 300 yard game to a quarterback all season), and you have a bad mix for Grandpa Warner.
Heavy on Gore
I know, it is almost automatic to predict an offensive player to do good against the Titans, but this is almost a no brainer. Gore had a pretty quiet 91 yard week last week against the Colts and was constantly one arm-tackle away from breaking off a big run. Those arm-tackles will be non-issues against the Titans, and Gore will go big.
Tomlinson/Sproles Duo Down
Playing against the Giants D-line may not be the threat it was in week 5, however, this will still be a bad day for anyone wearing a Chargers jersey who wants to run the ball. Coach Turner will put this game in Phil Rivers hands and toss the scraps to the rest of the backfield.
Moss...again
Sure, the Patriots are not the undefeated giants (no pun intended) of 2007, but still...don't pick on them. Joey Porter called out the refs babying Tom Brady the week of the Dolphins hosting the Patriots. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Brady is going to embarrass the Dolphins and he will do so using his favorite target, Randy Moss.
Low Miles
Tony Romo's feelings are hurt again. Receiver Roy Williams was picking on him in the headlines and now Romo has to play a high pressure game against the rival Eagles. This could mean a quiet game for breakout receiver Miles Austin.

Could Prince of Persia Do It? I'm Not Sure I'm Ready to Believe...

Due to some computer transitions and internet problems, I've been away for a bit, but have no fear my five faithful readers, I'm back online and working at full capacity. As stated in my review of District 9, I have a large doubt in video game movies. For some reason, movies based on video games suck despite there being a huge potential. I won't back into the rant, but I will bring you a lovely new trailer for the latest video game adaption: Prince of Persia.

More Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Info

Pretty baller huh? Jake Gyllenhaal is usually a solid actor and he looks good here (I mean acting wise...not because of the muscles of stubble). If you think you recognize the girl from somewhere, its probably from her role as Agent Fields in Quantum of Solace. The director is a talented director, having handled everything from Four Weddings and a Funeral to Donnie Brasco to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (which I thought was beautiful). Lastly, it has basically the same production team as the Pirates trilogy with Jerry Brukheimer and Disney at the helm.

Everything seems perfect....too perfect. And for Prince of Persia fans, the screenplay was written by the writer and creator of the Prince of Persia saga (both the new ones and the original). The entire saga is known for some fantastic story telling so who know, maybe the curse will be broken. Maybe Roger Ebert will have to stop making fun of video games (which he does every chance he gets).

The Back Porch podcast = Nov. 5!

Highs and lows from the week, a look ahead, and more.

Check it out and drop your thoughts!

My once in a lifetime experience at the World Series

Now that I have relaxed (some what) and let the entire experience sink in a little bit, I'd like to share with you a once in a lifetime dream come true that happened to me last night, November 4, 2009.

Around 3pm I get a phone call that includes an invite to Game 6 of the World Series. Not only was this an invite to a World Series game, but an invite to sit in a luxury suite for this potential World Series clinching game. How do you turn that down??? You dont!

Being the huge Yankees fan I am, I immediately left work and headed home so I could get ready for the game. Knowing it will take a while to get to the stadium, I am rushing around a bit. Making sure the dogs are taken care of before I leave, finding my Yankees mock turtleneck and Joba Chamberlain jersey, and finding a pair of pants.

Since I was going to be watching the game from a luxury suite, I did not want to wear shorts or even jeans. The person that was driving me to the train station had arrived at my house in the mean time. Rushing so I wouldn't make this person wait, I left the house without my belt. Lets just say the pants I was wearing did not fit exactly how I would have liked, and not having a belt could develop into a problem at some point. I think to myself, no problem I will just find a belt shop in New York.

I get dropped off at the train station that I was to leave from. After walking up and purchasing my one way ticket to NY Penn Station, I just missed the train. No problem, I waited about a half hour and got on the next train toward NY Penn Station. Thankfully this one was some what of an express train, skipping a few stops on its route. I am estimating that the train ride took about 45 minutes.

Once I arrived at Penn Station in New York, I looked around for a tiny shop that I thought might sell belts. Luckily one of the first places I noticed was a tie shop. They also had belts. I went in and quickly picked out a belt. $35 later, problem solved. Once I was comfortable, I left Penn Station and walked a few blocks to Herald Square where I was to get on the subway. I took the D train from Herald Square to 161st, Yankee Stadium. It was a crowded train, as expected considering the event that was taking place in the Bronx.

Ok, I have arrived. I walked to the stadium, taking a deep breathe. The hustle was over. Game time was approaching. As per my instructions, I waited outside the Suite Entrance to Yankee Stadium until the gentleman that had invited me arrived with my ticket. While waiting, I had the pleasure of watching an individual who was selling Yankees apparel get arrested by a couple NYPD officers. Not sure if he definitely had gotten arrested or not, but he was handcuffed as the police officers searched his bags.

Once my ticket arrived, I entered the stadium and immediately took an elevator to the Suite Level since game time was quickly nearing. The suite was a beautiful room with plenty of seating for many guests. I did not know many of the others in the suite, but on this night, we were all Yankees fans. The suite was filled with tons of food and drinks and the wait staff was extremely friendly and helpful. The outside seating area of the suite was very cozy and offered a great view of the playing field.

As I looked around like anyone would do when they enter a ballpark, I took in the atmosphere. I looked to one side, then to the other. Then right back to that side as I recognized a woman in the suite right next to the one I was occupying. That woman was Dorothy Jeter, Derek Jeter's mother. Looking further, I also saw Dr. Jeter, Derek's father and Derek's sister as well. Then to the front row of that suite was Minka Kelly, Derek Jeter's girlfriend and rumored fiance. No ring though, so they either continue to keep it a secret, or its simply a rumor. Wow, I am sitting in a suite right next to the suite that Derek Jeter's family is located. How could this get any better you might say? Oh, it does.

Yankee stadium was packed and energetic from the get go. Mary J. Blige performed an excellent version of the National Anthem. She got the crowd going immediately. Former World Series hero, Scott Brosius threw out the ceremonial first pitch to a loud ovation. Another former star Tino Martinez then walked to the mound with a young boy to deliver the game ball. The "Let's Go Yankees" chant was being sung throughout the stadium at this point as the Yankees took the field. You would hear that chant many times during the night.

The next loud chant would be when Pedro Martinez took the mound for the Phillies in the bottom of the 1st inning. New York fans love to hate this guy. "Who's Your Daddy?" could be heard loud and clear. The crowd knew that our Yankees had a chance to become World Series Champions and to do it against the hated Pedro Martinez would make it even sweeter. As I said, the Game 6 crowd was into this game. Minka Kelly and the Jeter family even got into the chanting a little bit. And by the way, they are a very nice family. I was able to say hello to some of them. Mostly just passing hi, how are you's or a smile, but that's all that was needed. Just in case you were wondering, Minka Kelly loves gummy bears and sunflower seeds. Enough about them for a while though, lets go back to the game...

Hideki Matsui got this magical night started with a 2-run home run off Martinez. That was just the start of Matsui's historic night. In each at bat after that first one, Matsui was serenaded with chants of "MVP." An honor that he truly would eventually earn.

Another of the louder cheers was for Andy Pettitte. The veteran lefty did not have his best stuff this night, but he pitched well enough to keep the Phillies down and help the Yankees to their 27th World Series Championship. Pettitte would pitch 5 2/3 innings. When manager Joe Girardi went to the mound to relieve Pettitte, the Yankee Stadium crowd stood up and gave him a very loud ovation. Just before entering the dugout, Pettitte raised his cap to the crowd.

Former Yankees, Tino Martinez and Paul O'Neill stopped in the Jeter family suite for a little while. They obviously have known the family for years. They said their 'hello's' and talked with the family for a few minutes before leaving. Tino would be back in the 9th inning to finish watching the game with them.

There are certain times when you get that chilling feeling. One of those times was during the seventh inning stretch. I can't remember the name of the person singing but she was so good, the entire stadium joined her. What a great sound.

The experience of this game as I have been describing it was enhanced by such an awesome crowd. Another example of this is in the top of the 8th inning when yet another pitching change was made. The bullpen doors swung open and 'Enter Sandman' started playing. The Yankees stadium crowd went nuts. Mariano Rivera was making his way to the mound to close out the World Series.

We were 5 outs away at this point. Chants of "Mariano" took over the stadium. You could feel this World Series Championship inching closer and closer. Rivera came back out for the 9th. The stadium crowd was ready to explode.

When the ground ball was hit to second base and Robinson Cano threw the ball to first baseman Mark Teixiera for the final out, the crowd and Yankees players finally celebrated. Everyone in the stadium was screaming, jumping and pumping their hands in the air.

Everyone in the suite I was in gave high fives or fist pumps. Then I got a high five from Tino Martinez who was still in the Jeter family suite at the time of the last out.

The Yankees are World Champions again! The team was jumping all around the infield, hugging, clapping, high fiving each other like little kids. Derek Jeter met Alex Rodriguez with a big hug. Then another hug between the two.

The Yankees walked around the field so fans in all areas could get a look at their World Series Champions. Joba Chamberlain who had been scrutinized so much this season was clearly excited. He was at home plate waving a World Series Champions flag.

Once the celebrating calmed down a bit, though not much, the onfield ceremonies took place. Many people spoke to the crowd, including Hank and Hal Steinbrenner, Joe Girardi, and Derek Jeter.

Hideki Matsui was named World Series MVP. This celebration seemed like it would last forever. Everyone that was in the suite with me shared a champagne toast. A champagne toast as "New York, New York" is played over and over again. Start spreading the news...the Yankees are World Series Champions!

The night had to end at some point. Eventually I had to catch the car that was booked to drive me home. I said my 'goodbyes' to the people that made this experience possible and then made my way out of the stadium.

Outside the stadium, mobs of happy Yankee fans were celebrating. The NYPD had streets blocked off, traffic was locked up everywhere you turned. Nobody seemed to mind however because their New York Yankees were finally champions once again.

I walked a few blocks and found the car that was waiting for me. A very friendly driver knew his way around the city and got us out in a decent time considering the circumstances.

Driving through the Bronx toward the G.W. Bridge, people were in the streets celebrating. It was after midnight but people were in the streets banging on metal pans and honking car horns, dancing and chanting. What a city! What a night!

I eventually got home. By the time I got home, settled down, showered and got in bed, it was about 3am. Yes, I had to wake up for work this morning but it was all totally worth it.

This night is still very surreal to me. I'm not sure its completely sunk in yet. I know one thing is for sure...I will never ever forget the 2009 World Series Champions! Thank you to everyone that made this magical night possible. You all know who you are. You each had a part in making the once in a lifetime dream come true!

GO YANKEES!!!!

2009 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!

What To Watch Tonight

If you haven't already heard about this show, you may want to pay attention for the next few paragraphs.

There is a new comedy series on FX call "The League" which had its premiere last Thursday. Now let me first throw out this disclaimer - I did not see the premiere last week (flag football playoffs), so I haven't even seen this show up to this point.

With that said, I'm sure some of you have seen the previews over the past few months on FX leading up to last week's premiere. The previews look hilarious.....in fact I haven't been this excited based on a preview of a show since probably "Lost".

If you have no idea about what I am talking about here is the premise of the show:

This show is a new comedy series from FX about a group of friends who are in a fantasy football league. The show is centered around this fantasy football league and how the emotions stemming from the league branch out into the guy's relationships, work place, marriages, etc.

Something we can all relate to right?! Well, here is the supporting nod...the show was created by a husband and wife team; Jeff Schaffer (Exec. Producer - Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm), Jackie Marcus Schaffer (Disturbia).

FX also very brilliantly sandwiched this show between episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. If you're into that show then you might love this show.

As I said earlier, the previews thus far looks hilarious, and even my wife said I would love this show (I play flag football and she watches The League while I'm gone....lucky dude right here)....so there you go. That should be all you need to sit down, take a break, and take a chance on a new show tonight.

Show: The League
Channel: FX
Time: 10:30 PM Eastern

Time Traveling Today: Percy Harvin

The 1,445.73 mile transition from The Swamp to The Metrodome could not have gone smoother for rookie receiver Percy Harvin. The Vikings picked Harvin with the 22nd pick of the '09 draft. Since then Harvin has made the 21 rookies taken before him look absolutely silly. Speaking of 21, that's the age Harvin just turned. So he is making people feel silly and old all at the same time. While averaging 158.3 yards among his receiving, returning, and Wildcat responsibilities, Harvin has given the Vikings a whole new set of plays besides; "Adrian Peterson to the left", "Adrian Peterson to the right", and "Adrian Peterson up the middle". Harvin + Peterson = a problem other teams just can't solve. However, the one variable in this equation that I would love to ignore but can't, is someone almost twice as hold as Harvin, Mr. Favre. It is no mystery that Brett Favre has had a hand in the renewed offense of the Vikings. So, how much of this transformation has to do with Favre, and how much has to do with the weapons at Favre's disposal? To find the answer I decided to send Percy Harvin all the way back in time to...one year ago.
So there was Harvin, being thrown to by Tarvaris Jackson in the year 2008. Granted, Jackson's stats definitely improved. After all, Favre or no Favre, Harvin can still catch wild passes into triple coverage like the one against the Packers. However, Harvin was under-thrown constantly by the inconsistent Jackson. Now, even a bad quarterback could not stop Harvin's explosive return ability. However, without a quarterback, teams would continue to stack the box so Harvin making a living with the Wildcat wasn't even an option.
So the season went on with the Vikings ending up 9-7, losing the division to the Packers (who oddly enough, sign Favre for another season if you go back in time, consider that a lesson learned), lost in the wild card round, and all in all had another mediocre season. Except of course for Harvin who went on to rookie of the year after all. The only difference was that without Favre, the other rookies actually thought they had a chance at beating out Harvin....lesson learned.

Question for the Fans

Sitting here watching Game 6 of the NY Yankees and Philladelphia Phillies World Series match up and thinking about a something Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. During one of his press interviews Manuel told reporters that he planned on using "anybody except Lee tonight". This I completely agree with since if they lose tonight they get the next few months to rest!

The question is that should there be a game 7, would you start the dominant Cliff Lee on TWO days rest? I am almost positive that Lee would be all for pitching but would it be wise for the Phillies? As dominant as he has been during this series, you can't ignore how many innings/pitches he has thrown in such a time period. He could be willing but would his arm still have some juice left in it?

I myself would let him start but would keep an close eye on him and pull him at the first sign of trouble.

What would you do if you were the skipper?

Fans have their say and guns are dangerous.

Thought #1 - Browns owner Randy Lerner met with a couple of fans Tuesday to discuss the problems the team was having and hear their concerns. This was of course on the heals of the announcement that fans were planning an organized late arrival to their next home game on November 16. Now supposedly the two fans felt that their conversation went great and really felt like their concerns were heard. Right. I have a hard time seeing this as anything but a publicity stunt. It reminds me of those student councils you had in middle school, remember those? The school advertised that it was a place to have the students voice heard, when in hindsight well all know they really just wanted to make sure they had some kids parents on the hook for bringing snacks for the Sadie Hawkins Dance. So kids ran for office, talked about how their were going to change the school, get rid of homework, and get the no gum rule removed. They even had regular meetings with the Principal, where they "voiced" their opinions. And after all that show, what happened? We had crazy hat day on Friday, where if you paid a dollar you could wear a hat and not get yelled at. Thank you student council. Maybe Lerner did actually consider what they said and maybe things will change. But if I was you Cleveland, I would start looking for a dollar funny hat to wear on Friday.

Thought #2 - Fans are also speaking out in Kansas City, this time though its against just one player. Larry Johnson is 75 yards away from breaking the team's all time rushing record and fans aren't happy. In fact they have started an online protest to convince the team to deactivate him before this happens. Wow, Larry, that's a shot. They don't want a record that you were ever there. The fans, your supporters, want no lasting memory of you. That's like looking in an ex girl friends locker and seeing those pictures of you and her, only your face is now cut out. I'm guess that will be the scene around the Chiefs facilities in the near future. Kids will tour it and ask, "why is number 27's face covered up with a giant smiley face sticker?" And parents will respond, "Well it all started with an over hyped Penn State player...."

Thought #3 - Dodger's pitcher Vicente Padilla is recovering nicely after accidentally being shot in the leg at a shooting range in Nicaragua. Padilla was actually shot by his instructor while he was attempted to un-jam Padilla's gun. The instructor claimed he didn't know the gun was loaded as his reason for being careless with the weapon. Now I've taken like one gun safety class in my life but I distinctly remember there being two big rules; always treat a gun like it's loaded and don't shoot people in the leg. Maybe this is one of those do as I say, not as I do moments? Or maybe a shady Nicaraguan shooting range isn't the best place to spend your off season.

TSD-NFL Week #9 Pick Challenge

We’ve tweaked the scoring to provide more of a risk/reward factor to your picks. Last week it was all about the upset specials and the game of the weeks. Check out the new scoring system, check the odds, make your picks, talk plenty of trash and then check back Tuesday to see if you are a champ or a chump.

· Win = 1 point

Loss = 0 point
Tie = .5 point
TSD Game of the week = +3 points win or -3 points loss
(new) AFC and NFC Rivalry Games of the week = +2 win or -2 loss
Upset Special +5 points (must pick one upset game)
(new) Cupcake Game rules: A game your team should win easily is a cupcake game. (Required)

If your team wins by 21 points or more +7
If your team wins by 14 points or more +3
If your team wins by 10 points or more +2
If your team wins by 7 points normal scoring of +1
If your team loses the game -3
If your team loses the game by 10 points or more -7

Tie break procedure – Pick one game and give a score. Closest to the score without going over wins. (required)
(new) 50 Burger Bonus – If a team you pick wins and they score 50 or more points +2
(new) Low Score Penalty – If a team you pick loses and they are blanked -2

You are allowed to change your picks until NOON Sunday

NFL Game odds for the Week – Check here to see who is favored in this week’s games

Click on the game links below to get all the individual game information you need straight from NFL.com. Good luck!

1. Washington at Atlanta –TSD Pick Atlanta (tie break score 21-10)

2. Arizona at Chicago – TSD Pick Arizona

3. Baltimore at Cincinnati – (AFC rivalry game of the week) TSD Pick Baltimore

4. Houston at Indianapolis –TSD Pick Colts

5. Kansas City at Jacksonville – TSD Pick Jacksonville

6. Miami at New England – TSD Pick Pats

7. Green Bay at Tampa Bay – (Cupcake Game) TSD Pick Green Bay

8. Carolina at New Orleans – TSD Pick New Orleans

9. Detroit at Seattle – TSD Pick Seattle

10. San Diego at New York Giants – TSD Upset Special – San Diego

11. Tennessee at San Francisco – TSD Pick Tennessee

12. Dallas at Philadelphia - (NFC rivalry game of the week) – TSD Pick Philadelphia

13. Pittsburgh at Denver -(Game of the week) – TSD Pick Denver

Devin McCourty is Mr. Everything for Rutgers

If you have watched any Rutgers football game this season, you have seen #21 running all over the field. The player behind that number is senior Devin McCourty. McCourty is the starting cornerback for Rutgers football team but he is also so much more. McCourty is Mr. Everything for the Scarlet Knights.

Aside from his role as starting cornerback, McCourty also takes part in four other areas. He is one of the teams main kick returners as well as being part of the kickoff team. He is also a part of the punt coverage and punt return teams.

McCourty took over the role as Rutgers #1 cornerback after his brother Jason was drafted into the NFL. I am sure Devin would love to follow in his brothers footsteps, but first he has business to take care of for Rutgers. And taking care of business is certainly what he has been doing so far.

Last weekend in Rutgers game against the Connecticut Huskies, Devin McCourty was on the field for 111 total plays. The five units McCourty is a part of were on the field for 112 plays. That means the senior only took one play off the entire game. That play was UCONN's second kick return. Rutgers defensive unit was on the field for 86 plays, McCourty never left the field. Rutgers special teams units were on the field for 26 plays, McCourty was part of 25 of them.

He doesn't just participate in all of these plays, he makes an impact. In that game, McCourty recorded 6 total tackles and deflected to pass attempts on defense. On special teams, he ran the games opening kickoff back for a 98 yard touchdown to give Rutgers the very early lead. McCourty was also the guy almost running down UCONN's returner Robbie Frey during his kickoff return for a touchdown as well. Oh, one more thing..Devin McCourty ran down a Rutgers punt to down it at the UCONN two yard line. This guy just does not stop! For his superman like effort, Devin McCourty was named the Big East Special Teams Player of the Week. A well deserved honor.

On the season, McCourty leads the team in total tackles with 47. He is 17th in the entire Big East conference with a 5.9 tackles per game average. He is also ranked 8th in the Big East with 5 pass deflections. McCourty has returned one punt this season for 4 yards and returned 9 kickoffs for 238 yards. He is 5th on this Rutgers team in all purpose yards, and he doesnt even play offense. He has one interception so far this season and 2.5 tackles for lose. McCourty has also blocked a kick this season.

If anyone deserves a bye week this week, its Devin McCourty. Anyone who watches a Rutgers football game will see just how much this senior leader means to this team.

#21 - Devin McCourty - Mr. Everything for Rutgers football!

A memory, a thought, and a prayer of thanksgiving

Thought #1 - Once I got in trouble at school and my teacher called my dad at work. Now you know how serious things suddenly become when you have interrupted your father's work day and you know what's coming when you get home. You sit and pray that school won't end that day, that your bus will break down, or that by some miracle you Dad has to work late and you'll be in bed by the time he gets home. Now with all these thoughts running through my 6 year old head, I devised a plan. As I heard my Dad come down the hall I prepared myself and the moment he opened up my door, I hit him with, "Dad, I've saved you the trouble and already spanked myself. I just didn't want you to have to bother with it. You're welcome." Isn't exactly what Urban Myer did with the suspension of Brandon Spikes? Didn't he see the NCAA coming down on him, and think, "umm, no need fellas, I took care of it, he's suspended a half game." Nice Urban. Your guy goes WWE on another players face, potentially scarring him for life, and you decide he should sit all of 30 minutes. Fortunately for Urban, the NCAA is far more pro saving Florida's season, than my dad was pro saving the skin on my butt.

Thought #2 - So what's worse than taking crystal meth? Taking crystal meth while wearing a wig. Andre Agassi admitted the other day that he actually sported a wig for part of the 90's and at one point was even afraid to go all out in a match for fear that it might fall off. Wait, so you're telling me you paid money for that hair? You purchased that? Dude looked like he was hiding a small Pomeranian under that hat. I mean if I'm buying a wig, I'm getting something sweet. An afro, a sweet mo-hawk, or maybe even a sweet 90's fade. Definitely not dropping coin on a wet stringy mullet. Then again you were all coked up on trailor crack, so who am I to judge.

Thought #3 - Before I go to bed tonight I need to remember to thank God that I wasn't raised a Cleveland fan.

Busy day, more tomorrow.....

Week 9 Questions

Post your questions for you fantasy team in week 9 here in the comment section and I will personally answer back to get your team on the right track.

Chiefs claim Chris Chambers off of waivers

About three hours after I wrote about how the Chiefs probably shouldn't sign Chambers, they do.

Apparently, there were other teams interested in Chambers but it was Scott Pioli who pulled the trigger on Chambers.

The issue will be that if the Chiefs decide to sign him after 'claiming' him will owe him $2.4 million for the rest of the season, which is only 8 more games.

Chambers is 31 years old, and is capable of helping the Chiefs, specifically because of his speed.

There is very little talent and depth at the receiver position with the Chiefs, which is why Chambers could be a welcome addition. However, his production has been declining over the past 3 seasons.

Is he a better option than Bobby Wade, Bobby Engram, or Mark Bradley? Possibly.

I really just don't think he is worth that amount money. That is a big check to write for a guy who may only end up being a #3 receiver for the Chiefs. Of course, that hasn't stopped Pioli before in bringing in a suspect receiver; Ashley Lelie, Bobby Engram, Bobby Wade, Amani Toomer.

The bottom line is that he is an upgrade over what the Chiefs currently have, but is he worth it at that age and at this point of his career? I don't think so....I think his better days are behind him.

Week 8 Winners and Losers

Week 8 was a week of firsts for the Denver Broncos and the Tennessee Titans. The Broncos suffered their first loss of the season thanks to the revived defense of the Baltimore Ravens. Meanwhile, the Titans got the monkey off of their back and finally got a win over the dwindling Jaguars. Some would accredit this win to Vince Young getting his first start of the season, others would blame it on Chris Johnson's 228 rushing yards. You decide which side of the fence you land on this one. Then there were some teams that just kept on doing their same old same old as the Colts and Saints remained undefeated giving some idiots hopes for a perfect Super Bowl. If any part of the NFL was quiet, it was probably all of the fans at the Lions/Redskins...*cough*...game. However, the fantasy football world was definitely as loud as ever so lets dive in and take a look at the winners and losers of week 8.

Winners
Chris Johnson: As earlier mentioned, Johnson amassed 228 yards on the ground. This doesn't tell you half the story however. Johnson absolutely dominated this game. Ripping off touchdown runs of 52 and 89. Looks like CJ's initials could be M-V-P.
Ryan Moats: Not like you have a chance of picking this guy up in your league any more. But at this time last week you would never have even thought about it. But 126 yards and 3 touchdowns later, Moats may be the answer the Texans have been looking for to solve the question of Steve Slaton.
Quarterbacks who played in Green Bay this week: Between the two of them, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers passed the ball for 531 yards, 5 touchdowns, and no interceptions. The only difference to note between the two is that Brett Favre got to play the game behind a real offensive line.
Mark Sanchez: Granted, he was only playing against the Miami Dolphins, but he still took care of the ball throwing for 2 TD's and no picks. On an even better note, he stayed away from amusement park food for the WHOLE game.
Reggie Wayne: On a day where Peyton Manning (gulp) failed to pass for a single touchdown, Reggie Wayne still managed to catch a touchdown, helping the Colts struggle to a win. With 147 yards and a touchdown thrown to him by Colts running back Joseph Addai, Wayne showed that there is more than one star with a horseshoe on their helmet.
Ted Ginn Jr.: Considering this is the week the Dolphins dropped him from his #1 spot on the depth chart, I am just as surprised as you are to see his name here, however, anytime you make history you are going to get talked about. Ginn had 299 return yards and 2 kicks returned for a touchdown.

Losers
Ronnie Brown: The Jets declawed this Wildcat by only allowing him 29 all purpose yards and not once getting into the endzone. This is far from the kind of production fantasy owners are used to and Brown left many of them winless in week 8.
Kyle Orton: 152 passing yards is not horribly below his average. 0 interceptions is keeping in time with his accurate season. And throwing 0 touchdowns isn't totally un-Orton-ish. However, these stats have never looked more ugly than what Orton showed on Sunday against the Ravens. Never taking a chance down field and seeminly scared out of his mind by the second quarter. Granted, the Broncos O-line was left in utter confusion by the Ravens blitzing scheme. This still left Fantasy owners sure that their team still could never depend on Kyle Orton to be the starting quarterback.
Ted Ginn Jr.: A winner and a loser? Although he enjoyed an amazing day returning the football he also went the entire day without a single catch. Unfortunately, he is not going to rack up those kind of return yards in any other game for the rest of his career, so unless he can find a way to start grabbing some catches, Ginn Jr. will still be an extremely risky move for fantasy owners.

Should the Chiefs roll the dice with Chris Chambers?

One of the San Diego Chargers' key receivers over the past year and a half has been released by the team the day after the team beat the Raiders 24-16.

Chris Chambers made a very important catch in that game that helped the team secure the victory.

However, after 31 games played with the Chargers, they let him go, oddly after the trade deadline had already passed.

Norv Turner suggested a few reasons for the release of one of their key receivers was primarily due to the emergence of Malcolm Floyd. Another reason stated was that the team needed to make roster room to sign another linebacker, stemming from an injury to Tim Dobbins in the Raiders' game.

It has also been rumored in the media that part of the reason for the release is due to ongoing personal problems that Chambers is dealing with. There have not been any specific personal problems identified to cause the rift with the team up to this point.

It should be noted that prior to Sunday's game Chambers was demoted in favor of Floyd.

The question remains: Should the Chiefs sign Chris Chambers?

The Chiefs have been playing musical chairs all season trying to find a reliable receiver to complement Dwayne Bowe. It seems that no matter who Todd Haley plugs into the slot, they never perform up to Haley's high standards.

Haley made a career out of his work with Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald—an offense in which he transformed two up-and-coming receivers into two elite receivers who carried Kurt Warner into last year's Super Bowl.

Haley has no doubt been spoiled in the past with his receivers, but since joining the Chiefs he has been victim of downsizing. I think Haley looks at receivers much like how I do reality TV: I know it's going to be bad, but you just have to create different levels of "bad."

Obviously, blame for the Chiefs' slow start shouldn't end with the receivers. The blame for the Chiefs' 1-7 start should be spread evenly across the entire organization. From the coaching staff to the offensive and defensive line, from poor execution to lack of overall talent, everyone is to blame.

As fans we all know the Chiefs are rebuilding and will continue to do so for at least another year. The goal over the next few seasons should be to bring in as much talent as humanly possible.

That brings us back to the original question: Should the Chiefs sign Chris Chambers?

Here are a handful of reasons why the Chiefs should consider signing him:

1. He is more talented than all of our receivers with the exception of Dwayne Bowe.

2. He can help spread the field with his speed.

3. He is a better option than Bobby Wade.

4. The revenge factor—he will have his chance twice a year (one more time this year) to get back at the team that released him.

5. Chiefs need someone to fill the "slot." He could be just the answer.

On the flip side of that coin, here a few reasons the Chiefs should avoid signing Chambers:

1. He is 31 years old. The Chiefs don't need to bring in any more "veteran" receivers. They need to rebuild with young talent.

2. Chambers has been in the league for nine-and-a-half seasons and has only one season over 1,000 yards. Underachiever.

3. Character issues. He has already been rumored to have been released somewhat due to "personal reasons." He was also arrested in 2007 for a DWI.

4. His best season was in 2005 with the Dolphins. Since then his production has dropped every season.

Possibly, the biggest concern for signing Chambers is that whatever team does pick him up on waivers will have to pro-rate his base salary of $4.5 million due to him this season. The Chiefs would have to pay him $2.4 million and then could risk losing him in the offseason as an unrestricted free agent.

Personally, I don't think they should sign him. The Chiefs already have enough issues with players on the team, they don't need to add anymore question marks.