Where We Watch

Where to Watch the 2012 Super Bowl

Ramya — 2012-01-30T14:40:15+00:00

Specials are plentiful, but reservations will be hard to come by as the week goes on! Get your plans set soon!

Where to Watch the Australian Open in NYC

Murali — 2012-01-22T16:35:18+00:00

We enter the second week of the centennial Australian Open, with all the expected characters. Many young guns have tried to upset the balance of power, but still no one can break the dominance of the big four (Well, the Big Three and Andy Murray). Here's a couple storylines that we're watching:

Can the Djoker continue his dominance?
Up until the last month of last season, no one could touch Novak. He started this tournament with the same gusto, but it'll be interesting to see if he can keep up last year's pace.
Does Federer have anything left?
He played in only one final last year (Roland Garros) and, for the first time since 2002, did not win a single Major. He showed flashes of his old self in the ATF Final, but can he rise to the occasion for one more slam?
Will Del Potro join the upper echelon?
While his 2011 season was somewhat forgettable, he showed flashed of his US Open-winning form at the end of last year. He's been dominant through the first week of the tournament, but will have a big test again Federer on Tuesday.

Where to Watch the NBA in NYC

Ramya — 2011-12-26T17:23:36+00:00

The basketball season has officially begun and the drama of the lockout and the subsequent trade mill have introduced some intriguing storylines to the fold. Will the Heat represent a more unified front after their stunning collapse in the Finals? Will CP3 finally bring a little respect to the B team in LA? Will Melo return the Knicks to their former glory? Will Khloe Kardashian Odom be as much of a courtside fixture in Dallas as she was in LA?

All these questions and more will be answered in an abbreviated season that is guaranteed to thrill. Here are our general picks for New York's best basketball bars. Team-specific coverage is coming sooner than you can say "Be a team player, Lebron."

Where to Watch Pacquiao vs. Marquez III

Ramya — 2011-11-13T01:00:16+00:00

This fight seems lopsided, with Pacquiao going in at 11/1 odds. But let's be real, how many fighters would Pacquiao not be favored at least 11/1 over(Besides the one who won't fight him, of course.)? However, Marquez is a scrapper and if you watched any of the first two fights, you know Pacquiao won't have it easy in the Capital of Second Chances.

So, is it a Bills-Lions Super Bowl?

Ted — 2011-09-27T20:50:05+00:00

Over 76 percent of teams who start 3-0 have gone on to make the NFL playoffs, and if you consult the Buffalo Bills' schedule, it seems fairly logical they'll finish either 10-6 or 11-5 -- barring an epic collapse. If you consult the Detroit Lions' schedule, they could win 10 games even if they lose both games against the Packers (and, you know, provided Matt Stafford stays healthy).

Will they meet in the Super Bowl? Good Lord no. (They could, of course, but the odds would seem to be against it -- especially in the case of the Lions winning the entire NFC with the Saints and Packers lurking there.)

This, however, was still beastly:

As was this:

Enjoy the fall of Sunday surprises, friends.

Where To Watch The Rugby World Cup In NYC

Ted — 2011-09-23T16:43:58+00:00

You know very little about rugby? Join the (most of America) club. The basics: lots of tough dudes, gouging, fighting, scrums, nutsacks being torn off (it's happened, yes), and more -- and most of the really good teams tend to be from the south Pacific region (Australia, New Zealand, etc.) Canada's up in there too, as is Argentina, Wales, Georgia and some others (for the full schedule, consult here).

For the bars to hit up? Consult below.

Looking at the 0-2 and 2-0 NFL teams of the 2011 NFL season

Ted — 2011-09-19T17:21:04+00:00

The NFL makes a crapload of money, it consumes most people's attention on Sundays (you could argue it's a secondary form of organized religion, naitch), and people love to discuss it more than perhaps anything else (especially people with hanging genitalia). So, even though two weeks is a scant 1/8 of the NFL season, it's a good spot to stop and analyze -- because you know what? Only about nine percent of teams, give or take, come back from 0-2 to make the playoffs -- so if a squad's got a goose egg in the win column right now, they're probably not playing for much in the grand scheme of things.

There are seven (7) 2-0 teams right now; there are six (6) 0-2 teams (there will be seven of those once either the Giants or Rams lose on Monday Night Football). Let's break 'em down, quickly.

THE UNDEFEATEDS

Washington Redskins: The front-end of their schedule is easy, but the back-end is absolutely miserable -- so they need to be strong through the first eight or so games to have a legit shot at the playoffs. Once the schedule gets tough and a few losses mount, Rex Grossman's psyche is going to crumble like whoa, and John Beck is going to end up starting. Chemistry will be disrupted and they'll tank. If they had less trouble taking care of the Cardinals in Week 2, they'd seem a better play; when a rookie can gauge that defense, a Shanahan-designed attack should massacre them. That didn't happen.

Detroit Lions: They look like a real-deal, 10-6 team -- although obviously a good deal of it is contingent on Matt Stafford being healthy, and whether they can go at least 2-2 with the Bears and Packers.

Green Bay Packers: Yes, they're very good and can fight back when behind. 12-4 maybe, barring injuries? If they host the NFC Title Game, you can just about forget about anyone else winning the NFC. #ColdWeatherIsABitchToPlayIn.

New England Patriots: Yes. Yes. And more yes. Tom Brady might throw for 7,200 yards? OK, sure. Here's the bottom line: one thing matters, and that's winning it all, or at least winning one playoff game. If they can't do that, this whole season is a sham.

New York Jets: Had to come back late against what's probably a middle-of-the-road team (DAL) at home, then massacred a team no one knows really exists (JAC) at home as well. Not sure either of those wins tell you a ton about the Jets. They'll make the playoffs, but can they get over that AFC Title Game hump? That's a discussion we cannot have at this point.

Buffalo Bills: Lot of dudes on this team -- so they ** could ** be the feel-good story of the season. Still, though -- these wins are against a Chiefs team that might have quit already and a Raiders team that can't win for jack on the road. Let's not say Jim Kelly and Andre Reed are back just yet -- but there's definitely more excitement.

Houston Texans: If not now, when, ya know what we're saying? The wins are over a Colts team that has no idea WTF is going on, and a Dolphins team that, well, has no idea WTF is going on. So it doesn't say much. But they get the Saints next, so...

THE LOSERS BRACKET

Minnesota Vikings: Sad situation here, because they inked A.P. and now he might toil for them without anyone to help him take advantage of that talent. You think Christian Ponder is the future? Eh. They need more dudes on defense -- and they also can't let huge leads slip up at home, like they did to the Bucs in Week 2.

Carolina Panthers: There's hope, at least in terms of the sheer numbers Cam Newton is putting up. They had a lead on the defending world champs for a long time. They have parts. Probably a 6-10 team, then a solid draft, and ... boom. Fringe playoff contender in 2012.

Seattle Seahawks: Kinda seems like Pete Carroll wants to tank this season and get Pac-12'ers Andrew Luck or Matt Barkley, doesn't it?

Miami Dolphins: If you have any doubt that the coach of Miami in 2012 will be someone like Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden, Jeff Fisher ... you're dumb. Tony Sparano is completely lame duck after two weeks, especially considering he said he "didn't have any answers" after the loss to Houston in Week 2.

Indianapolis Colts: Bartender Sunday put it best -- Manning's 36, he's got the money, he's got a ring. Hang it up. This is your neck, man! You play four more years? Great! Then what happens from 40 until when you perish? Constant pain? Not worth it. Let's hope they get Luck, Barkley, Landry Jones, etc. in the draft so the successor is right there. Side note: if you're really an emotional person, you need to wonder how Curtis Painter feels about all this, don't you?

Kansas City Chiefs: Absolutely look like they've quit on the season already (outscored 89-10). Lost Eric Berry and Jamal Charles. Can you say Andrew Luck/Bill Cowher combo at minicamp this spring? Money might be able to say it. Seriously, though, this is a gawd-awful team with almost no ability to get pressure on the opposing QB.

The Five And Five: Sooners are good, but are they great?

Ted — 2011-09-19T16:58:52+00:00

FIVE OBSERVATIONS ON WEEK 3

1. Oklahoma is good, but are they great? In fairness, the victory over FSU -- while a big deal, because it was a road win against a top-10 team and all -- probably shouldn't be viewed through a massively rose-colored lens. FSU lost their main QB in this game, and to be honest, this group of Seminoles hadn't really "been here before." Oklahoma almost never loses at home, but if you look at their schedule, that game @Baylor on 11-19 is gradually becoming pretty interesting (as is, of course, the Oklahoma State game to end the season).

2. LSU is very good: In a lot of respects, that Mississippi State game on Thursday night looked like it could be a trap -- especially when it was hovering around 6-3 and 6-6 or so early on. LSU just asserted their will eventually, in advance of having to travel to Morgantown this weekend. An SEC schedule is brutal -- LSU has to play a Florida team that suddenly seems very good, and play @ Alabama in November -- but this team has the ability to end up in that national title game, without question.

3. Here comes Michigan: Look at their schedule. The only two seemingly obvious losses that are sitting there seem to be @ MSU and vs. Nebraska, right? Could this be a year they crack 10-2? Whoa...

4. The Ramblin' Wreck: They hung a ton of yards and offense on Kansas, which isn't a tremendous surprise. Some dude named Orwin Smith came out of nowhere and became a stud. Their schedule isn't that bad -- @Miami, hosting VT, etc. They just cracked the top 25 (at No. 25). Might be a sleeper team here.

5. Hmm, Texas: Back to the recent glory days with a McCoy at QB and a Shipley at WR, and lookie here -- the offense and defense seem to be clicking. Red River is in three weekends... circle it.

FIVE OBSERVATIONS TOWARDS WEEK 4

1. College Gameday in Morgantown? "Clean-up on Aisle 4, please." What a disaster that portends to be.

2. Ronnie Hillman at The Big House: Statistically, Hillman (SDSU) might be the most dominant RB in America. It's his coming-out party on Saturday, as the Aztecs hit Ann Arbor. He'll likely gash that defense -- yes, the same defense I just claimed might back up a 10-2 team -- but look for Michigan to win.

3. The FSU drop: Clemson's somehow ranked now (No. 21) -- presumably by beating an Auburn team that Vegas thought would win six games. Ah, well. Now they get FSU, after an emotional home loss. Could Clemson drop the Seminoles to 2-2? I mean, I dunno -- that's why they play the games. FSU has way more talent, but Death Valley is a brutal spot.

4. Is Okie State for real? They've been beating up on whomever (no offense, Tulsa) but here we go on Saturday -- 3:30 pm major focus game vs. another top 10 team (Texas A&M), and it's on the road. If Brandon Weeden wants the love that his cross-state counterpart Landry Jones is now getting, he needs to show up big here.

5. Look on down the line: Next weekend (Oct. 1)? Alabama's going into the Swamp. Charlie Weis has a whole lot of frustration over years of not being respected as a college coach to get out here, so... it might be time to dance, Nick Saban and that suffocating defense.

2011 College Football Week 3: Ryan Broyles and E.J. Manuel knuckle up, as do Buckeyes and Hurricanes

Ted — 2011-09-15T16:47:16+00:00

This week is around where the tide begins to turn from "big-time, prime-time non-conference battles" to "mostly conference knuckle-ups." There's a couple here and there next weekend -- LSU vs. West Virginia, for example -- but for the most part, as September begins to fade out, this is the last time you'll see a big 8pm game involve two teams from different conferences.

The 3:30 slot this weekend isn't bad -- you essentially have three interesting games, all of which should be easily accessible on television. Those would be Florida vs. Tennessee (CBS); Notre Dame vs. Michigan State (NBC) and UCLA vs. Texas (ESPN2 or ABC, depending on area).

Basically, UT-UF is about one team going 3-0 and being viewed as the primary challenger to SoCar in the SEC East; ND-MSU is about ND not starting 0-3, and MSU being undefeated when they face Wisconsin in a couple of weeks; and Texas-UCLA is about Texas continue to stagger around but still win the game, setting them up to spoil Oklahoma's season in Dallas.

Ah, perfect segues.

The main night games are Oklahoma vs. Florida State (ABC; both are top five teams) and Miami vs. Ohio State (ESPN).

In that OU-FSU game, it basically comes down to this: every year, Oklahoma loses one big road game -- will this one be the one this year? To believe that, you need to believe the talent gap has substanially closed, and 'Hassee makes a difference, on last year's 44-17 outcome. In that UM-OSU game, all the jokes will be about scandal-ridden programs, but this is a nice chance for Luke Fickell to go 3-0 headed into Big Ten play / Al Golden to get a win under his belt to avoid other topics.

If you have humorous (read: drunken) observations during the day, call this number: 206-338-1784. It's the "Reverb" line for the Solid Verbal Podcast, and you may get put on their podcast as part of an audio wrap-up.

You can also hit us all day on the ol' Tweeting machine: @wherewewatch.

See you guys out there -- and remember, go Idaho Vandals!

Where to Watch the Mayweather vs. Ortiz fight

Ramya — 2011-09-15T16:30:36+00:00

The experts all appear to be favoring Mayweather, despite his age and his extended vacation from the sport. The spry Ortiz, a decade Floyd's junior, is hungry and willing to take on the challenge. Can he maintain momentum for ten rounds? Is there still fire in Floyd's tires?

In which we make college football predictions, after two weeks of action

Ted — 2011-09-12T19:51:31+00:00

There are essentially four main people associated with this here site (others come and go, and others help out a lot, but we're talking four main names for these purposes). They also all follow college football. They ain't no "experts" -- but really, in this dog-eat-dog world, who is an expert on anything? -- but they know the game a little bit. We wrote these predictions sometime between Aug. 30 and ... well, the beginning of Week 2's games. Enjoy, and feel free to call us clowns in the comments.

The dog pictured above -- a wizard dog, capable of predictions -- did not make predictions for the site, but we may get him for NFL picks in upcoming weeks, naitch.

Cameron B.

BCS Title Game: Oklahoma vs Boise St
Heisman: Andrew Luck
Surprise Team: USF
Team That Utterly Collapses: LSU
Your One Main Hope For This Season: Florida and Michigan continue to stink.
Best Bar To Watch CFB At: Galway Hooker:

Ramya M.

BCS Title Game: Alabama - Boise State
Heisman: RG3
Surprise Team: Baylor
Team That Utterly Collapses: Ohio State
Best Bar To Watch CFB At: Draft Bar

Murali

BCS Title Game: LSU - Stanford
Heisman: Andrew Luck
Surprise Team: Baylor
Team That Utterly Collapses: Auburn
Your One Main Hope For This Season: FSU Beats Oklahoma.
Best Bar To Watch CFB At: Stout.

Ted B.

BCS Title Game: Alabama-Wisconsin (there, I said it)
Heisman: Denard Robinson
Surprise Team: Michigan
Team That Utterly Collapses: TCU
Main Hope For The Season: Alabama-LSU on Nov. 5 lives up to the potential hype.
Best Bar To Watch CFB At: Anyplace with Dogfish Pum'kin, which is to say... a craft beer bar. No, I'd say Duke's off Murray Hill.

Where to Watch the 2011 US Open Men’s Final

Ramya — 2011-09-12T18:30:22+00:00

Roger's wild fifth set collapse on Saturday set up a rematch of this summer's Wimbledon final with the world's top two seeds. We smell epic final.

The Five and Five: Watch out for Wisconsin, Stanford, and Nov. 5th

Ted — 2011-09-11T15:26:25+00:00

I'll be honest. I was at a dinner-type birthday party last night (i.e. not the type where a TV is blasting in the background) and as a result, I missed most of the end of Michigan-ND. I looked at it on my phone at 24-7 ND, then saw some Facebook updates before bed about Michigan winning. I figured the people posting were drunk. Then I took to the Interwebs and indeed, Michigan had won. Fun times. I've watched the YouTube two or three times this AM.

Let's chat.

FIVE OBSERVATIONS FROM WEEK 2

1. Watch out for Wisconsin, Stanford: Yes, neither team has played anyone yet. But Wisconsin gets Nebraska at home -- and Nebraska gave up 29 to Fresno State yesterday -- and only goes on the road for two key games: Ohio State (who was almost outgained by Toledo) and Michigan State (this game could decide the Big Ten). Stanford is @ USC, but gets Oregon at home. Both these teams could run the table.

2. Texas isn't that great: Kinda thought Texas was a potential 10-2 sleeper this year, but 17-16 over BYU was a bit of a wreck. They have talent, yes, but they seem closer to 8-4.

3. Brian Kelly's got some 'splaining to do: This is an obvious storyline, hence moving it to No. 3. Losing a 24-7 lead to a main rival in a nationally-televised prime-timer is not good. If MSU drops them (they could easily do so), that's 0-3 for a team some thought would be 11-1. Paging Urban Meyer. (Although, to be honest, giving a head coach only two years would be a joke.

4. All about November 5: That's LSU-Bama. That's gonna help decide one-half of the SEC Title Game / potentially one-half of the BCS Title game. Fun times.

5. Mark Richt is prolly gonna get fired: Again, fairly basic observation -- and again, probably not fair. These two losses are to (a) probably a top-three team in America and (b) potentially the third-best team in the SEC. It's not like losing to Sacramento State or anything. If Richt gets fired, expect Kirby Smart (Alabama D-Coordinator and UGA alum) to get that gig. Side note: what is it with Americans and our obsession to have people on hot seats?

FIVE OBSERVATIONS FOR WEEK 3

1. Time to knuckle up, Sooners: They rolled FSU last year. This year it's in Hassee. Stoops always tends to lose one game early. Is this it?

2. NCAA infractions joke time: Miami vs. OSU is this upcoming weekend. Yay for punchlines. (Actually should be an interesting game, though; both have looked "very good" / "horribly undisclipined" at times.)

3. Tyler Bray time: The Tennessee QB threw for over 400 yards against Cincy (a bunch of people had Cincy winning that game). Now it's Bray vs. the Gators -- and the winner is 3-0 in a generally weak SEC East.

4. Texas and UCLA: Remember above, when I said Texas wasn't that good? Ha, good. Apparently you can read. Last season, UCLA rolling Texas was the game when everyone was like, "WTF is up with Texas?" UCLA hasn't looked great this year, but rolling Texas again might buy Ricky Neuheisel a little bit of time.

5. LSU/Mississippi State: This is the Thursday night game. I kinda thought LSU was in a trouble spot here -- and I mean, they still might be, since the game is in Starkville -- but (cliche alert) this is what LSU does: they just win big football games, especially on the road and/or at neutral sites. I'd take LSU here, but it's worth watching.

2011 AFC Preview: And so again, is it the Steelers?

Ted — 2011-09-08T15:23:32+00:00

My man Cameron came up with this format, and in terms of not having to deeply analyze every team, I friggin' love it. We'll go division-by-division, touching on the basics you need to know, a couple of dudes, and a good bar for in-division action. Ready? Let's dance.

AFC East

This one is a weird 2-2 stack: two elite teams (Pats, Jets) and two basically horrible teams (Bills, Dolphins); phrased another way, you have two squads who could play for Lombardi and two who are ostensibly playing for Andrew Luck. Basic issues: can the Pats win another playoff game ever? (You know they're gonna get there; the issue is what happens when.) Can Mark Sanchez develop, along with Shonn Greene, so that the Jets can win an AFC Championship game in part because of their offense? Is Stevie Johnson of the Bills the next Ochocinco in terms of stupid-ass things when he scores? And, can the Fins win more than two games? (That's a very legitimate, and heartbreakingly honest, query.)

MVP Of This Jam: Tom Brady. His numbers won't be as gaudy, but the dude has a lot of options every time he drops back.

Winner: Patriots. Jets probably make it as a wild card.

Bar: Hairy Monk for Pats stuff, anything under the sun for Jets stuff, Third and Long for Dolphins stuff, and Kelly's Sports Bar or McFadden's for Bills. You're probably gonna be able to get part of this division's games on any TV in Manhattan if you're just casually cruising around.

AFC North

This thing is another 2-2 split: Steelers and Ravens are Super Bowl elite, Browns are "rising" but probably will finish 8-8, and the Bengals could be the worst team in the entire NFL. Good news for Cleveland/Cincy: they draw the NFC West this season. That might be a few Ws, eh? Key questions: is the Steelers' D getting too old? Is Balto's? Is Pat Shurmur going to be able to develop Colt McCoy with the head coaching responsibilities he now has? And, uh, is Andy Dalton red down below too? Sorry, I couldn't think of anything else relevant about the Bengals. I honestly couldn't. OK, here's one: when does Benson serve his jail time? Zing. Cheap shot.

MVP Here: Big Ben. Morally, I'm opposed to this selection, but he has a lot of dudes at WR this season -- it's probably going to be his best statistical season ever. A second choice here would be Joe Flacco. If he makes necessary strides, they could win the AFC.

Winner: Steelers, but Ravens likely also make the playoffs. Don't buy this age stuff. Buy it next year. You ever try to block Haloti Ngata? I'd imagine it's a challenge.

Bars: Croxley Ales, Blondie's, Angels and Kings work for Steelers; Wharf or Molly Pitcher's for Ravens; Phebe's for Browns (and Bengals), and yes, YES, McGee's on 55th and Broadway for Bengals. Also have seen Off the Wagon as a Bengals spot.

AFC South

If Peyton Manning is legitimately really messed up, someone needs to win this thing. It should be the Texans, but they can't close worth a damn. It could be the Titans, with a veteran QB and perhaps the best RB in football. It's not going to be the Jags, where Jack Del Rio will get canned. Basic Qs: is Manning out for a long time? Can Wade Phillips and two new secondary players fix the Texans' D? Is Hasselbeck too old to hit Kenny Britt in stride? Why would you cut your starting QB four days before your opening game?

MVP Here: Andre Johnson. Dude's gonna do it, especially when Ben Tate replaces Arian Foster as the man out of that backfield.

Winner: Texans. No one else making the playoffs.

Bars: Keat's for the Colts; Idle Hands for the Texans; Side Bar for Titans; and yes, there is a Jaguars' group at Rumors on 8th Avenue.

AFC West

I bought a Kansas City Chiefs shirt this off-season, so obviously I'm all in. Here's the thing, though: the Chargers had the best offense in football last year AND THE BEST DEFENSE. If they get anything out of special teams, they'll win this division. They might win the whole damn AFC. Key queries: who is SD's RB? Is Matt Cassel healthy/how can the Chiefs deal with that tough of a schedule? Are the Raiders "on the rise" or are they gonna flop? And, uh, what was John Fox thinking with this job?

MVP Here: Philip Rivers. May be the MVP of the entire damn thing.

Winner: Chargers. Ain't no one else making the playoffs. I'll wear that shirt until my girlfriend throws it out, though (O/U: Week 11).

Bars: Still, M.J. Armstrong's, Touchdowns for Chargers; Village Pourhouse for Chiefs; The Watering Hole and Dillon's for the Raiders; and Butterfield 8 for the Broncos. Side note: if you live in Astoria, there's one stoned kid who comes out to every game at Irish Rover (38th Street and 28th Avenue) wearing Raiders stuff, so that's an option too.

2011 NFC Preview, or How the West Was Terrible

Cameron — 2011-09-06T18:55:44+00:00

It is the dawning of a new season and it’s time to take a stab at how the NFC is going to look this season. In a macro view or last season, the East’s tide seems to have turned, the South had three teams with double digit wins, the North produced the eventual champions and the South, well, you know. The South. Let’s take a look division by division at which teams you should be watching and where you should be watching them.

NFC East –

On the east coast, there was a power shift. Tony Romo didn’t even have a chance to blow it in the playoffs when Michael Boley of the Giants tried to plant him in the turf in hopes of growing an overrated quarterback tree. But he’ll be back next year behind sinewy brainiac Jason Garrett. Fun fact, Garrett’s brothers played in the WLAF. Do you know what the WLAF is? Neither do I. The G-men missed the playoffs at 10-6, but gave up too many loses in tough spots (read: DeSean Jackson) to feel any kind of good about it. The Redskins slumped through another season but plan to begin a strong campaign on the golden arm of…Rex Grossman? Code red, DC. Panic. Also, the Eagles are good again, much to the chagrin of everyone who isn’t from Philadelphia.

MVP – Once Michael Vick breaks his leg in week three, it’ll pay to keep your eyes on Dez Bryant. He has the hands of a Randy Moss with the egomaniacal insanity of a, uh, Randy Moss.

Division Winner – Eagles, by default.

Best Bar of the Division – Wogie’s turns out a solid crowd for every Eagle game; just don’t get within 25 yards of the place if you don’t like hanging out on Broad Street.

NFC West –

It’s a sad state of affairs over in the NFC West. The Seahawks ruined Pete Carroll’s vacation by slinking into the playoffs at 7-9 and then accidental took out the defending champions. Jokes aside, that Marshawn Lynch touchdown run was magical. He made a top NFL defense look like keystone cops. Seriously, the most “proven” quarterback in the west is Alex Smith. That shit is up for grabs.

MVP – Watch out for Sam Bradford. A 76.5 passer rating is nothing to write home about, but the man closes out games (and ladies.)

Division Winner – Rams.

Best Bar of the Division – Finnerty’s gets a great turnout for all things Frisco.

NFC North –

After I emerged from my post-football hibernation, (i.e. cautiously attempting outdoor activities, pretending that baseball is as much fun to watch) I took a gander at last year’s standings and could not recall the Bears being “11-5 good.“ I remembered that Jay Cutler had a boo-boo and left his team in the trembling hands of Todd Collins and eventually, Caleb Hanie. I could not recall them coming in on top of the Packers. To that I say, at least the Vikings aren’t good.

MVP –Caleb Hanie.

Division Winner – Packers

WILDCARD - Bears

Best Bar of the Division – There is no team bar with more fervor and authenticity than Kettle of Fish. Line up early and stay late for the sausage and cheese.

NFC South –

With the exception of the dismal Panthers, every team in the NFC South has a shot at it all. I could talk about the confidence of Matt Ryan, the disgusting consistency of Drew Brees or the excitement of Josh Freeman. However, I would rather talk about the Panther’s net points from last season. -212. Why even continue to play? I would just trot out the Tarheels’ defense and send the whole lot of them to the UFL. Is Cam Newton going to clean up this mess? Of course not. Get comfortable, Carolina, you are about 3 years from relevant.

MVP – Michael Turner. If he stays healthy he is a dangerous little menace.

Division Winner – Falcons.

WILDCARD – Bucs. It’s hard to leave the Saints out, but this is the most up and coming division.

Best Bar of the Division – Bar None gets a raucous Saints crowd, with enough piss and vinegar to match the wonderful dive-iness of the bar.

The Five And Five: Les Miles, Wisco and Dayne Crist among names ripe for bar discussion

Ted — 2011-09-06T16:17:06+00:00

This jam is called "The Five and Five." That's not a cool name, nor does it really mean anything 'cept what it is: five observations looking back, and five looking forward. The hope is to write this Sunday morning each week -- the reality may be closer to Monday morning, however. The essential point: there are a million places to recap a week in college football, but only one place (right the expletive here) to recap quickly and then gloriously turn the page. Let's dance.

POINTS TO REMEMBER FROM WEEK 1 FOR FUTURE BAR CONVERSATIONS

1. Les Miles is good: People like to knock The Hat a lil' bit, because he's goofy, he can't seem to manage a clock, and he eats grass and whatnot. He is an absolute baller in big games. You know the last time LSU lost a non-conference game? 2002. A ton of people thought Oregon would run them off the field. Naw. They hung 40 on Oregon with a backup QB. Circle Alabama on Nov. 5th. Gonna be a HOOT-NANNY!

2. Dayne Crist -- full of sound and fury, signifying nothing: In the all-important "high school recruiting rankings" a few years ago, Crist was over 25 spots higher than Andrew Luck. Yea. So about judging men at age 18... realize this, ladies.

3. WISCONSIN IS THE BEST TEAM IN ALL THE WORLD: There are two reasons people will love to talk Wisco for the next week or so -- they played in the first nationally-televised game of the year (Thursday night), and Russell Wilson looked damn good. Um, it was UNLV. They'll finish 2-10. Let's wait a second -- or, at the very least, let's wait till Sept. 29th and Wisconsin-Nebraska. Epic battle of offense and defense there, no?

4. Lightning: Isn't football an all-weather sport?

5. B.J. Daniels: No knock on E.J. Manuel, but if B.J. Daniels went to FSU (he's from outside of Tallahassee), would FSU be preseason No. 2 or No. 3 right now?

POINTS TO TAKE WITH YOU TOWARDS WEEK 2!

1. Ann Arbor is beautiful at night: First night kickoff in Big House history. Gameday. A bunch of really drunk kids (9am - 7pm CST drinking? Yea.). Denard running around like whoa (502 yards last year in this game). And if Michigan wins, go ahead and Google "Urban Meyer" on Sunday morning. Someone will be linking him to the ND job.

2. Mark Richt: If he starts 0-2, despite a manageable schedule the rest of the way, he might be cooked. Meanwhile, if Spurrier starts 2-0, considering the SEC East is still a bit of a mess (at least compared to the SEC West), he might be headed towards the Georgia Dome at the beginning of December. (Don't sleep on Vols, Gators though.)

3. The young QB on the road theory: Alabama has to go into western PA and face PSU -- not a night game, but a prime 3:30 slot -- on the road with a QB (whoever it is) whose only signifcant experience is against Kent State. If PSU starts hot... could we have a nice Week 2 upset?

4. Dan Mullen and the Bulldogs: They go to Auburn -- who could have been the prime Week 1 upset, if not for a nice onside kick -- with Chris Reif and Vick Ballard looking like the best QB-RB duo in America in terms of speed. If they win there (they should, but it's a road game), they have LSU next. If Mullen wants to legitimately get the next big job that opens, which he theoretically does, going 2-0 in these next two would be huge.

5. Case Keenum: You wanna see some fireworks? Houston plays North Texas Saturday night. North Texas LOST by 25 points to FIU -- FIU! -- in Week 1. They gave up 41 points. Keenum should have an absolute pinball-score field day here. He needs about 700 or so yards to set some NCAA records. Can he do it in one night? A man can dream.

College Football 2011: Spreads, Les Miles and more to know for opening weekend

Ted — 2011-08-31T14:56:15+00:00

Quite simply, for a lot of people, this is the most exciting sports-related time of the year. For whatever reason you want to cite -- there's a litany you could cite -- football is the most popular game in America (we prefer the "it has replaced religion as a focus of the weekend" argument, although some may call "blasphemy" or "bullturd" on that). College comes back a week before pro, and it's vainglorious -- and by vainglorious, we mean it's mostly the top 10 teams in America beating the living crap out of schools that got paid a lot of money to come in and be a morale boost to open the season (there's a complex analogy about sex and new student orientation at a Big Ten school here, but we're too unfocused to see it through).

If you haven't done this yet this week, stop what you're doing and roll this through the first two minutes or so:

Pure, unadulterated bliss. Now let's talk about Labor Day Weekend 2011, shall we?

1. The spreads: Almost every game this weekend has a huge-ass spread, because it's a team like Alabama playing a team like Kent State (that's an actual game). The spread on that one, as of writing this? 37 points. How do you possibly even conceptualize that? That's essentially saying that Team A will score five touchdowns and a safety MORE than Team B. Sheesh. It's a complex psychological equation you must enter to do "Pick 'Em" leagues and whatnot on this weekend: do you believe Nick Saban will run it up for his home crowd? Will Trent Richardson be taken out early? Will Kent State pass the 50? Is 37-0 legitimate? (You'd take a bath.) Spreads like this are all over the place: Oklahoma is a machine on offense. 24.5 on Tulsa? Maybe. But Tulsa beat ND last year, so... you need to basically get to the root of who you are and what you believe about college football and college coaches to even wrap your head around this weekend. It's a potentially dark spot in the soul.

2. Throughout the afternoon, the only buzz is the upsets: The two "good" games are at 8pm (more on that in a second). If you hear 'BIG NEWS' during the day, it means someone got dropped that shouldn't have gotten dropped. I was at a public park (yes, a public park) the day this happened:

I got back to a TV and saw that, and I went absolutely nuts. I don't even have any true ties to Michigan, but the sheer notion of something like that happening, on opening weekend ... I lost it. I vowed never to set foot in a public park again! I have since broken that vow.

3. Les Miles: Let's be honest for a second here. Les Miles loses his starting QB (although probably not his best QB), is playing a team that went to the BCS Title game last year, is playing the biggest game of the weekend -- the Gameday game -- in front of probably dozens of potential Tigers, and he's got some injuries all over the roster too. Last year, this guy went batshit crazy. Fake field goals, 4th down stuff, eating grass, all that. Do you honestly think for a second that if this game stays even remotely close, he isn't gonna do something off-the-wall in the fourth quarter? You need to be around a TV at 11pm E.T. Something fun is going to go down.

4. The Mark Richt death march: It may begin on Saturday. UGA opens with Boise and then South Carolina. Those are both Ls, in all likelihood, but Boise could be a win -- it's at "neutral site" (ha!) Georgia Dome. If Isiah Crowell shows up as a baller (highly-recruited UGA RB), that could be a big thing. Also: Kellen Moore got married this off-season. Will that affect him? (Insert male cliche here.) Finally: when is Chris Petersen finally gonna take another job? It's gotta happen someday, right?

5. IT'S BACK! A word of caution -- oftentimes, people get too excited on Opening Weekend, and either (a) imbibe too much or (b) scream stuff in a loud voice in front of others who may not understand it or otherwise look down on the person. We've all been there. If you're gonna holler, keep it classy, or at the very least, creative. It's a damn shame that Montee Ball and the Badgers are playing on Thursday night, but feel free to make a t-shirt for JJ Di Luigi of the BYU Cougars. Keep it real out there, friends. We'll be here for you bar-wise.

Joga Europa: A New Season Begins â The State of Europe

Administrator — 2011-08-31T11:12:41+00:00

With the end of August upon us, the new season of domestic soccer is in kicking off in Europe. Setting aside labor disputes in Spain, scandal in Turkey and riots in England, the continent’s best teams and leagues are back to fighting form. As always, the summer brought us dramatic domestic soccer storylines. One such being Cesc Fabregas’ “will he, won’t he?” storyline concerning his desire to move to Barcelona, which he eventually did.

Luckily, this summer contained a dramatic and highly entertaining Women’s World Cup as well as the Gold Cup, Copa Americana and other distractions. But we’re back in the thick of things. The fantasy leagues are starting up and we’re two weekends into the Premier League season and one weekend into La Liga (labor negotiations that delayed the season by one week.)

As always, the dominant teams look to be dominant as Manchester United has been steamrolling opponents like Tottenham and the aforementioned Arsenal; 3 – 0 and 8 – 2 respectively. In Spain, Barcelona and Real Madrid look to maintain La Liga domination with impressive performances in their respective openers.

Of course, the beginning of the season also brings the myriad of minor trophies in the domestic leagues such as the FA Community Shield and the Carling Cup in England and the Spanish Super Cup. These smaller competitions are usually played between the top two teams from the previous year (as is the case with Spain) or the winners of other competitions like the FA Cup and the Domestic League in England. This year’s Community Shield saw the start of a vigorous rivalry between Manchester United and Manchester City, both clubs poised to compete, in contrast to years past. In Spain, no points for guessing who competed as Real Madrid and Barcelona met for a fierce two-legged competition which saw on –field fights and inter-coach altercations, par for the course, really.

However, most of these competitions served as glorified friendlies, allowing the popular teams to field and test their first and strongest teams against other stiff competition for a final time before the season began. These competitions are necessary when taking into consideration the ceaseless movements of players between clubs and continents throughout the summer and at the beginning of the season.

Though the transfers are too numerous to examine in detail, let us look at the few big name moves that have occurred in the off season. In England, Premier League champions Manchester United expanded their team with the addition of the highly favored Ashley Young from Aston Villa who has already scored for his new team. They also picked up hyped but young goalkeeper David De Gea from Atletico Madrid. The other Manchester club brought in a few big name players with their seemingly endless supply of money with the transfer of Sergio Aguero from Atletico Madrid and Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy from Arsenal. Meanwhile, they lost both Emmanuel Adebayor and Jo. Chelsea made some moves for young striker Romelu Lukaku and midfielder Juan Mata from Valencia. The most captivating (read: boring) transfer saga came from Arsenal and Barcelona as Cesc Fabregas’ multi-year desire to move back to his youth club finally came true. This occurred along side Arsenal’s unloading of Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy, Emmanuel Eboue and the loan moves of various players. Having made no major purchases besides Gervinho from Lille, Arsenal fans are left wondering whether their team will have any strength this season. Their recent embarrassing defeat at the hands of Manchester United seems to suggest otherwise.

In Spain, the big name moves are few, but still exciting. Barcelona made its two major acquisitions of Cesc Fabregas and forward Alexis Sanchez from Udinese. Atletico Madrid acquired Turkish midfielder Arda Turan while unloading David De Gea and Tomas Ujfalusi. Real Madrid made comparatively few changes, but picked up Turkish midfielder Hamit Altintop from Bayern Munich and the favored Turkish and German player Nuri Sahin from Borussia Dortmund. They also sold off Ezequiel Garay and Pablo Sarabia.

With the transfer window closing in for domestic leagues, other last minute moves are sure to follow. One thing that’s certain is that many teams have prepared themselves for another exciting season of Club football in both domestic and international in Europe. With the start of domestic seasons and the first rounds of the Champions League and Europa League already underway, stay tuned for more coverage from Joga Europa.

Erdi Erdem is the writer of Joga Europa, a column dedicated to European and occasionally international soccer. It will look at all the ins and outs of various national teams and domestic leagues while showcasing some of the brightest current and future stars of the game. The writer will use both the words football and soccer, often using both in the same sentence. Contact him by email at milleniacinder@gmail.comor on Twitter at @milleniacinder. This author also accepts face to face shout outs and copious responses.

2011 SEC Preview: Can Marcus Lattimore truck the winner of a dogfight?

Ted — 2011-08-24T15:45:21+00:00

Most top fives you're seeing right now probably involve some combo of these teams: Oklahoma, LSU, Oregon, Alabama, Boise State, and FSU. Maybe Stanford or Nebraska or Wisco or someone is sneaking in there, or whatever. Let's break this down: 1 Big 12 team, 1 SEC team, 1 Pac-12 team, a second SEC team, a whatever-the-hell Boise State is, and 1 ACC team. Those are from the conventional six.

I just so happen to be studying for the GRE right now, and since probability is part of that exam, I can explain to you, rather adroitly, that there's technically a better chance of an SEC team winning the whole damn thing (2 of 6) than a team from any other conference (1 of 6 in four different instances). Now, of course, that math is spotty, and will lead me to completely bomb this exam in a few weeks, but let's not spend much more time on that; rather, let's talk about the SEC this season.

I was gonna do one of those team-by-team breakdowns, but to be perfectly honest, you can get that in a million spots on the Internet. So, I'm gonna address this in a much more succinct way, and then discuss bars for a few moments. I know you'll enjoy it.

The SEC East is Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vanderbiilt. On paper, it appears the only legitimate threat to win that side of the coin is South Carolina -- they have a lot of legitimate dudes on offense and their D-line is loaded. Stephen Garcia could cause the entire thing to implode, but there may be too much on that roster to lose a weaker division. Tennessee will be better than you think, but they ain't winning the SEC East (they will win more than 6.5 games, though, so ride 'em in Vegas). Mark Richt will get fired after this year, probably. The other teams are not tremendously relevant, although the first year of Muschamp-Weis will lead to some YouTube sensations, if nothing else.

The SEC West is a goddamn dogfight. You have two of the top five teams in America -- LSU and Alabama -- and then Mississippi State (improved), Arkansas (lost Ryan Mallett and Knile Davis but still very good), and then Auburn (probably an also-ran this year) and Ole Miss (probably ditto). November 5th -- LSU vs. Alabama -- could be a semi-defacto (is that a word?) national title game in some respects. Arkansas is gonna sting someone; so is the Southern MSU. (Will Dan Mullen then get buzz for the Ohio State job? Stranger junk has happened.)

Here's what's gonna happen at the end: Alabama will win the West, and South Carolina will win the East. Since Alabama just came out of a dogfight of a division, we'll spend all week leading up to the SEC Championship Game thinking Spurrier can do something magical in the Georgia Dome. And then, uh, we'll remember last year (Auburn by over 40) and something similar will happen again, sending another SEC West team (this time, 'Bama) to the national title game.

Now, I mean, crazy stuff happens all the time in the SEC, and thinking that Mississippi State could be this year's Auburn isn't too amazingly far-fetched, so ... you never do know. But the smart money would be SoCar, Bama, Bama rout, SEC West team in the BCS title game.

Now, bar-wise? Most good SEC games are 3:30 kickoffs on CBS -- at least, past the middle of September. Week-to-week this is gonna vary (and week-to-week we'll tell you), but usually the other good 3:30 games are gonna be Big Ten contests on ABC/ESPN2 ("the reverse mirror"). In 90 percent of situations, if you are at a bar with audio, you will want the CBS feed audio, because Verne Lundquist, while quite old, still calls a hell of a game -- and Gary Danielson, while sometimes seeming like he wants to get down on the field and start knocking heads around, is pretty fun too. A sample of what makes them cool:

SEC games don't tend to get crazy good or interesting until the last weekend of September -- but, as with everything else, lock it here in the leadup to the weekend and we'll let you know where and what to view.

Andrew Luck, Quinton Coples and Matt Barkley: The 2012 NFL Draft awaits

Ted — 2011-08-18T18:22:56+00:00

The NFL Draft really blew up the last couple of years -- it switched its first night to prime time, it became a mainstream media discussion point (thank you, Tim Tebow) and is univerally now regarded as "the way you make your team better" (to an extent, it was always regarded in this way -- what's the point of a draft in any sport if not to make your team better? -- but when you look at drafts by the Bengals and Dolphins and Bills recently, you start to understand the big picture more).

People love the NFL Draft, for an assortment on reasons -- and one sub-section of the world populace that really f'n loves it is college football announcers. Specifically, they love to talk about the pro potential of a dude in a game they're calling, as if they know anything (absolute most frustrating announcer thing in the world: guy with no coaching experience or scouting experience projecting a prospect). Below are 10 guys you'll hear "... 2012 NFL Draft ..." around the name of fairly often on Saturdays this fall. Two of the first four are obvious, but they're grouped together for cool purposes.

Andrew Luck and Jonathan Martin, Stanford / Matt Barkley and Matt Kalil, USC: Get this -- based on how the draft order shakes out, it's possible that the first four picks off the board will be two QBs from the same conference and an O-Lineman for each QB. Nuts, right? There are conspiracy theorists in the world who believe that Pete Carroll only got Tarvaris Jackson to tank this season, thusly getting him Luck or Barkley in April 2012. Kalil is the brother of Ryan Kalil, a darn fine OT for the Carolina Panthers. Luck speaks for himself. Wherever he goes, give him a few dudes and they're a playoff team in three years or so.

Quinton Coples, UNC: Butch Davis left a lot of talent on the table when he got forced out of Chapel Hill. A lot of people think Coples will be the first defensive player off the board in April '12. I personally haven't seen enough of him to tell you he's Von Miller No. 2 (to use an analogy from the most recent draft), but he seems like he's got a (cue scout speak) "motor."

Jayron Hosley, VT: Seen this dude play here and there on the television, and he looks very good (9 INTs last year). Here's the thing I don't understand, probably because I'm not a scout and have never coached football aside from two day camp touch leagues: why aren't CBs more valued? If you have terrible CBs, you get absolutely torched and end up giving 25 PPG or something. That's trash. Patrick Peterson went top-five last year, and I feel like (again, I'm dumb) a CB should go top-three or top-five every year. Hosley is apparently similar to Brandon Flowers (so says the Internets). Maybe he could be the guy.

Bruce Irvin, WVU: DE who could go beast mode this year. If WVU's offense clicks like people think it will click, a lot of opposing teams are going to need to throw to catch up. Irvin had 14 sacks last year. He could hit 20 in the right situation. That will, if nothing else, generate buzz.

Alshon Jeffrey, South Carolina: Guy is an absolute torch down the field, with good height and solid hands. He's gonna be hurt a little because Stephen Garcia is inconsistent as a QB, and frequently in Steve Spurrier's doghouse -- and by "hurt," I mean "his numbers will suffer slightly." NFL guys will drool over this dude. You put him on the Rams in September 2012 and that's a 10-win team. Take that to the bank! OK, not really, I'm having a rough month fiscally...

Landry Jones, Oklahoma: This one'll be interesting. Mel Kiper has him as a top-10 talent. Barry Switzer, admittedly biased (he coached at OU forever), has him as a potential No. 1 overall. Some dudes at Sports Illustrated think he's a fourth-rounder. His decision-making is sometimes questionable and he doesn't have a true cannon or true legs, I 'spose. If they come out and have a ridic season -- thrash FSU, etc. -- his stock will probably skyrocket. It also helps that Sam Bradford had a nice little rookie year.

Jerel Worthy, Michigan State: I love this dude. He hasn't even hit the full impact of his potential yet. Sparty brings back most of the offensive parts from an 11-win season, but loses some dudes on the D. Worthy can step up big this year and skyrocket his stock. He's big, but he appears to be able to play in space. If you're not a fan of Kirk Cousins or B.J. Cunningham or the oddly roided-up mascot, then check Spartan games for this manchild.

Russell Wilson and Bo Pelini arrive, Jim Tressel leaves: The Big Ten in 2011

Ted — 2011-08-17T16:52:30+00:00

Listen, I'll admit this: some days, I kinda wish I had gone to a Big Ten school. I think I'd have been good in a frat. This is going to sound lame as hell, but I just started watching Greek on Netflix Streaming, and I like to think there's a lot of myself in Cappie. If I had posted up at Michigan State for my undergrad days, well, maybe I would have been Cappie. It's still a dream, albeit one with no possible tie to reality.

Every year, I get fascinated by the Big Ten and their fanbases. Every year, I get excited for the brand of football -- then the games begin, and predominantly, I'm fairly bored. Three yards and a cloud of dust. Last year was a little different -- Denard Robinson was the most exciting thing on two feet for about six weeks, and even Dan Persa can throw a nice ball here and there -- so I kinda came back to the flock, admittedly with some hope that I could go to grad school at MSU and run a frat at age 32 (I think Old School is a pretty good movie, but I'm probably painting a less-than-flattering picture of myself right now).

Here's the basics of the Big Ten this year, as far as I can tell -- then we'll go team-by-team: (1) Jim Tressel is gone, so OSU may be f*cked; or, conversely, Luke Fickell is the man; (2) Nebraska arrives, along with Taylor Martinez, and absolutely everyone would go nuts if they won the conference; (3) Russell Wilson arrives, which means maybe Wisconsin is a favorite to reach Pasadena again -- and by the way, is it weird that Bret Bielama isn't married? and (4) more people need to respect Sparty (and no, I'm not just saying that).

Here's a breakdown. The new divisions in the Big Ten, "Legends" and "Leaders," are both epic fails.

LEADERS

Wisconsin: 13 starters back, but that doesn't include two All-American OLs, their QB, their TE, and a DE taken in the first round of the NFL draft. Montee Ball and James White are legit runners, though. Offensive could be explosive if Wilson clicks -- or could just bang the ball down the field before getting six. Either way, they're going to win at least eight games.

Penn State: The story is always Joe Paterno here, which is probably a bad thing/a distraction. Story should be: QBs with reps (Matt McGloin, Rob Bolden), a nice WR (Derek Moye), and a former backup looking for his moment in the sun (Silas Redd). If they beat Alabama Week II, you know this team is trending up.

Ohio State: Honestly, they lost seven starters on defense, their QB, and some of their best players have to sit out the first five games. This probably isn't going to be a successful year. Mike Brewster is a bear of a lineman, though.

Illinois: Don't sleep here. They bring back 13 starters, including the main offensive skill positions -- and last year they put up 32.5 PPG. The LBs and DTs are young, though, so this team may be in a few shootouts.

Purdue: They return nine defensive starters, but not the good one (Ryan Kerrigan) and their defense was putrid last year. Their QB, Rob Henry, could be dual-threat, which is cool -- I legitimately had no idea how Robert Marve was still enrolled at any program. Probably not a contending team here in the Boilers, but they could score one upset you don't expect.

Indiana: Give it time. Kevin Wilson is in here now, and just got Gunner Kiel to be his QB -- in a few years. This year, he'll lose a bunch of close games and maybe win five. Similar blueprint: Charlie Strong at Louisville. Then, in 2-3 years, there'll be "buzz" around Indiana football. Just not necessarily this fall. 10/22 -- at Iowa -- expect them to win. That'll be their "landmark" for this year.

LEGENDS

Nebraska: Defense is incredible. Martinez is really fast. Their line allowed 29 sacks last year, and Bo Pelini may be a nutjob. If they won the Big Ten, thousands of Michigan alums (and other schools, naitch) would go absolutely nuts. This is a very interesting team to watch. They could become as "evil" as the Miami Heat were to a certain sub-section of the Midwest.

Michigan State: I ain't a betting guy (... right this second ...), but putting the over/under for MSU wins at 7.5 seems way too low. You should get in on it. Most of their big names are back, and their DTs are all massive dudes with NFL potential (keep an eye on Jerel Worthy). I guess the lack of belief in them is based on the notion that the program hasn't had sustained success since the mid-1960s, but whatever. Most of those guys are in their 60s and 70s now. They ain't suiting up on Saturdays.

Iowa: Only nine starters back, so they may be an also-ran. I do like me some Marvin McNutt, though.

Michigan: Ah! Brady Hoke! Here he comes, with a coaching staff that has 144 years of experience at the NFL and college level! Denard Robinson! But will their systems click? Will the D not be so porous? Can they beat a watered-down OSU, finally, in November? Time shall tell all these things ... but listen, don't go booking that New Year's flight from DET to LAX just yet, friends.

Northwestern: 16 returning starters, including Persa, but, uh ... they gave up 163 points in the final three games last year. You gotta figure Pat Fitzgerald is looking for a bigger job eventually, no? The offense should be good, but the defense needs to be ... something. Great story here: in 2002 (I believe), they beat OSU. It took them over an hour to knock down the goalposts, including some kids trying to organize the most effective angles to hit the posts at. Gotta love academic institutions in a conference of football powers, no?

Minnesota: No. Not this year. But with a new stadium and a new coach, maybe something down the line. MarQueis Gray is pretty exciting, though.

2011 Heisman Trophy: Andrew Luck’s to lose, right? Not so fast.

Ted — 2011-08-10T16:35:38+00:00

A couple of days ago, a friend of mine proposed a bar bet/discussion to me, but for the NFL. It's fairly simple: you're watching a NY Giants game, and you bet some dude at the bar that within the next four (4) offensive possessions for the G-Men, Eli Manning will toss an INT. He led the NFL in INTs last year, and despite the fact that he has a Super Bowl ring and they make the playoffs almost every year, he does tend to throw fairly hapless ducks that become INTs on the semi-regular. So, 12 downs and 1 INT, at any random spot in the game. Would you take that? I probably would. I mean, if the bet is just a beer, whatever.

When you talk about the Heisman this year, you can make a series of similar bets: most of the top dudes who came in behind Cam Newton are back -- Andrew Luck, LaMichael James, Kellen Moore, Denard Robinson, et al.

Everyone -- I mean everyone -- in America would say this is Luck's to lose. He's the most-minted QB since perhaps Peyton Manning. If you read ESPN.com sometimes (why), they did a piece predicting the AFC and NFC powers in 2016. One writer picked the Bills as the pre-eminent AFC power at that time -- and the whole argument was that they'll suck this season, get Luck, and become studs in a few years. That was the whole argument.

In terms of Luck winning the Heisman, consider these elements: (1) he lost Jim Harbaugh; (2) he lost receivers; (3) Jake Locker came back to school as a Heisman/No. 1 pick overall demigod and was a mess (admittedly, he did go No. 8 in the draft); (4) can anyone play that well at QB two years in a row? Then consider this flip side: Luck's toughest games -- Oregon, ND, probably -- are at home. He goes to Arizona (defense isn't amazing), Oregon State (the fog can kill a QB) and USC.

So here's the bet: you start the discussion with Luck. You take Luck, and you give your friend any three other guys. Would you take it? Let us know in the comments.

(Don't take the same bet as I noted about Eli; Luck doesn't throw a lot of INT ducks.)

OK, so if it's not Luck, who will it be? Let's discuss.

(I'm not gonna include YouTubes of all these guys, as it may slow the page up a bit -- but they're quite accessible if you have fingers and search ability, so feel free to consult on your own.)

Marcus Lattimore: I guess I didn't realize South Carolina was pretty good last year -- mostly because they got thrashed in the SEC title game, probably -- and have a ton of dudes coming back. Lattimore is a beast. The SEC has a lot of very good running backs -- Kniles Davis might be the one no one even really notices -- but Lattimore should lap them all. Obviously Stephen Garcia is a big factor in all this; can he lead? Will he lead? It's almost impossible to win the Heisman from a four-loss team, ya know? SoCar is at Georgia, Tennessee, Miss. State, and Arkansas this year. That's not easy.

Denard Robinson: Love him. Literally am in love with him in some respects. Moved in with my girlfriend last year on the weekend they beat Indiana, 42-35. He scored at the last second. Her and her mom went shopping, I watched that game. I turned to some old, semi-toothless guy near me and even he -- drunk, old, embittered -- was captivated. Denard basically was the most interesting thing about the first six weeks of college football last year. Problem is: Brady Hoke's system is going to be different. He might not be as electric this fall.

LaMichael James: You want another bet? Here's one. When Oregon starts a drive -- any drive -- bet your friend a beer they score on that drive, and within 10 real-time minutes. You'll win this bet more often than not, which is insane. James will be invited back to New York for the ceremony, no doubt, especially if they (a) remain in the national title hunt and (b) remain out of controversy's target marks for this recruiting services stuff.

Kellen Moore: Numbers are insane, but he tears up teams most people have never heard of, and the Heisman seems to be (oftentimes) about a "sexy pick." Moore is not sexy. I mean, I wouldn't kick him out of bed, but ... in the sense I meant the word "sexy," he's not.

Trent Richardson: No Mark Ingram + stronger Trent + inexperienced QB = Richardson will be a beast in the SEC this year. They need to be worthy of their No. 2 ranking for him to get up there, and they probably will be -- although the SEC West is a mother this year ("mother" in this case meaning "very difficult").

E.J. Manuel: This would be the Cam Newton-type choice of this year. If FSU runs it (read: if they beat Oklahoma on 9-17 and don't trip up in the ACC), he'll become part of this discussion.

Landry Jones: His numbers will look sick, probably. He slings to a wide net of talent. He's also pretty personable and comes from a school with a ton of Heisman winners, which could be beneficial.

Michael Floyd: How much would the media love a redemption story about a guy at the most famous program in America coming back from a near-suspension to win the most coveted individual trophy in sports? Answer: the media would absolutely love it. (And one curmudgeon would decry it.)

Dayne Crist: If they have a good year ... and he chucks a couple of TDs, maybe a game-winner ... don't count him out. ND brand is very strong.

Geno Smith: Sleeper. New offense that should suit him (Dana H. from Oklahoma State). Easy Big East schedule. Lots of talent. Would have to be considered a wide longshot, but if they beat LSU in September, he'll start getting more and more talk.

Why Baseball Needs Interleague Play

Administrator — 2011-08-08T21:00:23+00:00

Major League Baseball just entered the second half of the season. This is traditionally a sad time for many sports fans, as it marks the beginning of an awkward month and a half where baseball is the only major sport in action. Frankly, I have already started to slip into a pre-college football lull (call it a sports hibernation of sorts). In spite of this, there remains an intriguing point of discussion among baseball fans: interleague play. Since its inception in 1997, games between the two leagues have led to arguments about the excess amount of travel (http://www.scoresreport.com/2011/05/18/jim-leyland-interleague-play-%E2%80%9Ctotally-unfair%E2%80%9D/) or the fairness of interleague play (http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/18646310/). However, the last month of baseball reminded me both that interleague play is a necessary break from the “normal season” and that baseball fans are getting increasingly athletic (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow0SV-0Y9xY).

The most convincing argument to keep interleague play is the entertainment value of cross-town rivalry games. Imagine, for a second, the Oakland A’s selling out a three game series despite having a losing team and one of the worst stadiums (stadia?) in professional sports. Believe it or not, the novelty of seeing human beings in the stands inspires baseball players to play better (the A’s swept said three game series against the Giants). Similar rivalries in L.A., Chicago, and New York make for high-quality games and inspire contrived yet catchy rivalry names. To that end, I look forward to hearing more highway-related rivalries; someone on Baseball Tonight once called an Orioles-Nationals Series the I-66 rivalry.

I feel like this argument is incredibly under-cited in the interleague play argument: the Major League Baseball season is 162 games, which is about 60 games too long. Consider that later this season, viewers will be legitimately struggling over whether to watch baseball or the World Series of Poker. Baseball, more than any other sport, needs gimmicky things like Interleague Play to cut through the blandness of the regular season.

As I alluded to earlier, Interleague Play significantly increases attendance leaguewide. As much as I hate to give Bud Selig any credit whatsoever (slight tangent: With the NFL and NBA lockouts, he has the opportunity in the coming months to become the most liked commissioner in sports. These lockouts could potentially be very good for baseball), Interleague Play attendance in 2011 was over 18% higher than the average numbers for the rest of the year (http://www.jsonline.mobi/newswatch/125028999.htm).

In terms of the actual games themselves, Interleague Play requires a good dea lof strategy on the manager’s part, especially with designated hitter issues. Case in Point: last month, the Cleveland Indians were on a 9-game road trip, all without the use of the DH. Apparently, Indians manager Manny Acta thought that their best hitter and regular DH, Travis Hafner was such a terrible fielder that he benched him for the entire road trip. The fact that Cleveland lost almost all of these games is only part of the greatness of the DH fiasco; the games are great because managers have to make up for not being prepared to play with/without a DH by being crafty. In short, Interleague Play creates the types of quirky situations that have defined baseball for over a century.

As you the baseball fan move into the Dog Days of August and all the torturous, plodding fun that accompanies them, feel free to post your comments about interleague play below. If you can’t think of anything to say, I suggest daydreaming something during the 5^th inning of a scoreless Mariners-Royals game.

2011 Big 12 Preview: Four big dogs, including Landry Jones

Ted — 2011-08-08T20:22:47+00:00

In the interest of total honesty right out of the gate, the 2011 Big 12 campaign is basically about four teams -- the Oklahoma Sooners (No. 1 in the preseason), Texas Longhorns, Texas A&M Aggies, and Oklahoma State Cowboys. There's a chance that someone else could emerge from this conference -- maybe a resurgent Texas Tech under Tuberville, or Missouri with James Franklin running the show now -- but in all likelihood, it's going to be one of those four squads mentioned in the first line. As a result, we're probably going to spend more time on them below and less time on the Iowa State programs of the world -- but don't hate. We respect a good ol' fashioned rise from the ashes (or emergence from the cold) as much as anyone. Let's do this thing, lower Midwest style.

Baylor: Art Briles is a good dude and a good coach, but this is what you really need to know: they're 15-90 overall in conference play. They've emerged as a hoops school, but football may be a ways off.

Iowa State: One of the most unfair things about the world? The Cyclones, who basically don't have a QB and haven't been a relevant football program in over a decade, play one of America's hardest schedules -- 11 straight games against BCS schools, including Iowa and UConn.

Kansas: Turner Gill did a lot with a little at Buffalo, and Kansas has resources -- hell, they played in a BCS bowl game with Todd Reesing under center, and that kid may be five-foot-six with stilts -- so eventually, the Jayhawks will be "back" in a football sense. Right now, they're mostly young. There were 15 redshirts last year; this year there's 26 true frosh.

Kansas State: I loved it when they were really legitimate back in the late 1990s, and I love the notion of Bill Snyder returning for another go-round. Problem is: he's old, and getting elite kids to Manhattan, Kansas may be tough (ignore Josh Freeman as an example). They own Texas, though -- 5-2 in the last seven meetings. That's something. This Collin Klein kid -- their presumed QB -- was 25-37 for five TDs in the spring game so, hey, you never know...

Texas Tech: Quarterbacks from here can sometimes put up insane numbers. Is Seth Doege going to be the next one? He's already graduated, apparently, so that might help hone his focus -- and in the duty he's seen, he's looked good. This program still seems 1-2 years away, and this year they're at Oklahoma, at Texas, and at Missouri. Could be a rough run.

Missouri: You had Chase Daniel there, then you had Blaine Gabbert. Both are pros now, albeit second-string (at least for the time being). Now you have James Franklin, who had a lot of hype and then sat behind Gabbert for a while. Is he the real deal? It might determine a lot. You need to trust Gary Pinkel, though -- the dude consistently coaches this team up.

Texas: If you really analyze their schedule, and you believe that Garrett Gilbert can be a good QB (remember, he held his own against a NFL-pro-laden defense in the national title game two years ago), and you believe the RBs -- Malcolm Brown, Fozzy Whittaker -- can be legit, then maybe, just maybe, this is a 10-2, 11-1 type of team -- maybe even makes a run like last year's Auburn run, from the 20s in the preseason all the way to No. 1. There's a ton of ifs, including new coordinators, but Texas won't be as bad as they were last year, and might even win double digits.

Texas A&M: Overall, they kinda seemed overrated. They have good backs -- Cyrus Gray is a stud -- and Ryan Tannenhill did wonders when he came in for 'em last year, but really, is this a top-10 team in America, especially without Von Miller? It doesn't feel that way -- but I mean, that's why they play the games, right?

Oklahoma State: Offense is insane, even without Dana H. up in West Virginia. Brandon Weeden to Justin Blackmon should strike terror in a defensive coordinator's heart. Here's the problem: only five starters return on defense -- and this was a defense that was really bad last year anyway. They're gonna hang 40 on almost anyone -- and give up 60 to almost anyone as well.

Oklahoma: Preseason No. 1, yes, and many parts, yes, but you need to circle Florida State on September 17th, because if you know anything about Bob Stoops, it's that he always loses one game early and re-establishes himself late, so ... just remember this time, OU-FSU is in 'Hassee. Will they make a BCS bowl? Probably, barring injuries. They just have so many really good dudes. Will they win it all? Good Lord, let's wait a second on that one, OK? The mustache of Landry Jones will gain some type of cult following this year, in all likelihood.

The rise of Notre Dame and going gaga for Andrew Luck: 2011 CFB Storylines

Ted — 2011-08-05T16:33:30+00:00

Every sports website -- hell, every website -- under the sun does "storyline" articles for college football. "Holy Lord, there's 12 teams in the Pac-10 now!" We wanted to write a storyline article, because it seems like a good and right thing to do (under God, naitch), but we wanted to take a different approach. So here's what we're gonna do: we're gonna present various storylines in the header fields below, and then underneath said header fields, we're going to give you some talking points to introduce these storylines in bar conversation. I mean, it's a website about bars and where to watch games ... so it makes sense, right? Let's dance.

So, Andrew Luck.

Listen, the dude is good. His dad was a super-athlete and is currently destroying West Virginia athletics by forcing native son Bill Stewart -- the man who saved them after Rich Rod -- out in favor of a hot new flavor of the month. We digress. Luck is very, very good and cerebral at football. But don't forget this: 18 months ago or so, there was a dude in the same conference getting a ton of hype. Little guy by the name of Jake Locker. Now, he did end up going No. 8 in the NFL draft, and he will probably start for the Titans someday, but ... his senior year was a fall-off and a fail. And a big part of Luck was Jim Harbaugh, himself a former QB. He's an NFL coach now. So ... Luck's the man, no question, but will he be THE MAN this year? He might -- or he might not. ("That's why they play the games...") Point is: get off the jock for one second while we let the meat of his schedule play out.

So, Notre Dame.

Are they back?!?!? That's going to be a question that resonates, no doubt -- they ended strong last year, Brian Kelly, Michael Floyd, a better defense, etc. Here's their schedule. No real gimmies, but 10 wins is possible. Put it this way: put down the DVD copy of Rudy, OK douche? But ... they started No. 18 in the USA Today poll, and they'll probably climb to No. 6 or No. 7 before ending around No. 10. If they end up going with a young QB, watch out for them in 2012 -- THAT could be the true breakout year.

M GO BLUE!

Michigan has been a friggin' train wreck for several years. They wanted Harbaugh. They wanted Miles. They got Brady Hoke. Not sexy, but he made some smart moves -- Greg Mattison used to run the Ravens defense, and while there isn't a Ray Lewis clone in Ann Arbor, that's a good coaching pickup (I read somewhere, but can't link it because I can't re-locate it, that the Michigan staff has 144 years of coaching experience combined now, which is cool). Problem: Denard doesn't really fit with Hoke's system. Problem: I can't name more than three people on the Wolverines, I don't think. Solution: watch them make an unexpected run, as a combo of the Big Ten being a bit down and passion for the end of Rich Rod. Denard is a freak to watch regardless, and they're always in that 3:30 ABC game, so you'll find a way to see 'em and embrace the maize and blue.

So, Oklahoma

Look, here's the thing: sportswriters need stuff to talk about, ya know? Seasons are long. Every year in early August, this happens: people start complaining that the team ranked No. 1 has an easier path to the title, because they don't have to climb from the back of the pack. People are morons. Auburn was not No. 1 last year. Hell, I don't even think Auburn was top 20 in early August 2010. People lose, and others win. Oklahoma has to go into Tallahassee in the third weekend. Who knows what happens there? Plus, if you've followed the career of Bobby Stoops, he ALWAYS loses a game somewhat early. It'll happen. They don't have a paved path -- they're good, but who knows how good? Landry Jones has NEVER had this kind of pressure on him, and he just lost his coordinator (new coach at Indiana).

Florida!

You know that dude you work with, and he's very good at his job, but then he gets promoted and he's a complete friggin' disaster when he has to manage? Add like 150 pounds to that guy, and it's Charlie Weis. The dude is a genius as a coordinator -- look at what he did last year with Matt Cassel, for one small example -- and was a disaster as a head coach. Now he's back as a coordinator. John Brantley is probably gonna blow up. But then the question lingers -- is Will Muschamp like Charlie Weis? Will he falter when he switches to the CEO role? To quote Rick Pitino: Tim Tebow and Urban Meyer ain't walking through that door, so you gotta take the eggs and make the fritatta. OK, I paraphrased.

Scandals

I don't wanna spend a lot of time on this, but let's be honest: most people likely believe that in five years, Auburn and Cam Newton won't be last year's champs. It just seems like some dirty stuff went down there, no? If other dominoes start falling -- Oregon, etc. -- the black eye on this sport is gonna get bigger and bigger. People will still hit bars and 80,000-seat arenas on Saturday afternoons, but dang, absolute power done corrupts absolutely, no?

Bo Pelini, knocking on the door

Can Nebraska finally win a conference title and get to a BCS game? Probably, especially with Ohio State down big-time and Wisconsin breaking in a new QB. (I like Michigan State a lot, though, although no one else seems to.) Pelini looks like the most socially-awkward man on the face of the planet, and it's only going to be worse if he wins the first-ever Big Ten Championship game, because purists will boo the ever-loving crap out of him. Then he'll probably slap Taylor Martinez in the grill and blame it on him.

Year Of The Skill Positions

Dudes that are gonna go high in the 2012 NFL Draft: Luck, Matt Barkley, Landry Jones, Ryan Broyles, Justin Blackmon, Michael Floyd. There will be some fun, gunslinger-type games all over America (read: the west coast, primarily) this fall.

This year's Auburn

I wanna say this is finally the year that Boise State gets its shot to play for the big brass ring, but I dunno -- I just feel like something (politics, a botched punt, a freak injury) will happen there. I actually kinda like Texas -- there's no way a school like Texas has two bad years in a row, honestly, and the schedule is really pretty easy -- neutral with Oklahoma and at Missouri are the tough ones. If they get their QB situation sorted out -- remember when people said Garrett Gilbert was a young Dan Marino? -- and Malcolm Brown is the truth, this team will get into the top five by late October.

The completely random team you're gonna follow

Look, this isn't any storyline, but it's a necessary dialogue, so bear with me. Everyone knows the teams that get the audio feeds at bars (hell, look around this site): the Michigans, the NDs, the SEC teams, etc. What you need is an utterly random team -- buy their shirt for 15 dollars while you're at it -- to pretend to follow, in an ironic way. Ideal suggestion: University of Wyoming. Google them, learn two things about their QB, and just go to town. It makes any bar conversation more enjoyable. "Yes, I am familiar with Andrew Luck, but in my humble opine, he pales in comparison to ..." (name of some dude whose daddy was a rancher). Also, asking a bartender to turn off Florida-Alabama for a Wyoming-South Dakota game is hysterical, and -- provided they have a sense of humor, which most do -- it will endear you to them.

2011 Pac-12 Preview: Andrew Luck and LaMichael James, back for more

Ted — 2011-08-01T15:51:49+00:00

When I was a wee lad, I used to cherish staying up late to watch (a) movies I couldn't watch otherwise, likely on cable and (b) Pac-10 football. Why (b)? Because I was weird, for one -- and also because it seemed a more interesting game in some respects. In the Pac-10, at least in the late 1980s/early 1990s, it seemed like they threw a lot more than anywhere else in the country -- I swear to some deity that for about three straight years when I was in middle school, it seemed like whoever was QB'ing Arizona State was throwing for 4,500 yards by Week Eight. I couldn't run when I played football (fat and slow), but I had a solid arm, so I respected the throwers. This led me to a brief Warren Moon phase as well, but that's neither here nor there.

I lost track of the Pac-10 after a while -- you go to college, and when those games are on (10pm EST), you're out carousing. Then you get a job, and you're either out carousing or dead from the week. Then you get girlfriends, then you go through stages like my 2008 when I would start drinking for a 3:30 Big Ten game and be in no shape to even comprehend a Pac-10 game and, well, you know, things get away from you.

This year I'm going to try and be better about following the (now) Pac-12. You got the best QB in the country (Andrew Luck) out there, a guy that should almost assuredly be a member of the Carolina Panthers at this moment. You got the mighty mite RB, LaMichael James, and you have one-half of last year's national title game (the Oregon Ducks), who have a little recruiting scandal kinda hanging there, but otherwise should be primed for another run (QB Darron Thomas is also back), provided they get out of that game against LSU on the first weekend.

I'm going to write one or two lines on each squad right here, as a preview of sorts. If nothig else, take this way: eat dinner earlier on Saturdays this fall, so you can watch some of these knuckle-ups (and whatever you do, pace yourself).

Arizona: You got Nick Foles back, who looks like a dude that probably gets a ton of ass on that campus (and is a pretty solid QB, to boot). Juron Criner is back in the fold too. At some point, Mike Stoops has to win the Pac-12, right? This probably isn't the year, but this team -- at least on offense -- should be entertaining to watch.

Arizona State: Here's what's likely going to happen -- USC is going to win their division, ASU is going to come in second, and ASU is going to reach the Pac-12 title game because USC isn't allowed to play in such games (sanctions). Once you get to the dance, anything can happen. Brock Osweiler is pretty good, although it's remarkable Dennis Erickson is still hanging around the sidelines, isn't it?

Cal: You gotta assume that at some point, people will get off Jeff Tedford's jock, right? Can he be fired this year?

Colorado: They haven't won a road game since 2007. They are a semi-marquee name -- in the early 1990s, they were regularly contending for national titles -- and yet when they had a coach opening, they got some dude named Embree. I dunno what's going on here. I think anyone that roots for them can always lean on the ol' "We live in a really beautiful state" line, however.

Oregon: Offensively, they're a machine. Defensively, if a few guys step up -- and their CBs stop getting collared for speeding -- they can win most games and make another title run. It could all come crumbling down if reporters stay on their tail all year.

Oregon State: I really respect Mike Riley. He keeps coming through with the over-.500 seasons every year, despite years where you probably couldn't name a soul on his roster. Watching games in Corvallis (on TV) is cool. Fog is everywhere. That's how football was meant to be played (cue reference to the Green Bay Packers).

Stanford: No Jim Harbaugh and a lack of depth at WR is going to be a problem, but HOO BOY, Andrew Luck is a surgeon back there. Seriously, if you're a bad NFL team this season, just go in the tank. This dude could be Elway II for you in a few years.

UCLA: This has to be the year that Rick Neuheisel gets canned (the AD is apparently his boy from growing up). Kevin Prince has seriously been at UCLA since Lew Alcindor went there. How is he listed as a junior? I just hope he's not living in the dorms no more -- that's pedophilia.

USC: Here's a tree-falls-in-the-forest argument -- if they were to go 11-1, does it matter / does anyone care? Not really, because it can't affect any broader picture -- and really, all it would do is give people more gasoline for the ol' Lane Kiffin hate fire, which I've built a few of in my living room. Wait, I've built fires in my living room over a school I have no connection to whatsoever? Yep. I'm the wild card.

Utah: New addition alert! If Jordan Wynn is healthy, they'll probably be pretty good -- but the interesting thing to watch here is the whole notion of them stepping up. Utah has been in the top five a handful of times the last couple of years; now with a schedule that includes more of these guys and less of the Colorado States of the world, what happens? I think Kyle Whittingham runs a program like no other and deserves a big ass job soon. UGA? Probably not, but something.

Washington: Bye bye, Jake Locker (you should have left a year before you did) and hello, most-fun-part-of-watching-Washington-games, notably the amazing Samoan names of the D-Line. This team was average last year, and while Steve Sarkisian is adding dudes, he's basically a slow-moving version of Jimbo Fisher (who has added dudes to the tune of a No. 3 ranking) and they're probably a 6-6, 7-5 squad.

Washington State: This is almost comical at this point. They barely ever win. Still, there are cool things: four starters back on the O-line, and Jeff Tuel is the best QB you ain't never heard of. They have depth at WR. 4-8 would be an amazing year for them, but they might have the talent to do it. Also cool: on every College Gameday, that one dude has the Cougar flag. As consistent as anything in life will ever get right there, friends.

Where to Watch the Women’s World Cup Final

Ramya — 2011-07-15T18:30:58+00:00

The American women have made us love soccer again (or at least for the near future). So on Sunday, head over to a bar and watch the Americans and the Japanese face off. Here are the best places in NYC to watch:

Where to Watch the Open Championship

Ramya — 2011-07-15T16:30:35+00:00

The Open Championship has provided this novice golf fan with plenty to enjoy over the last few years. Starting with the 2007 playoff between Sergio Garcia and Paddy Harrington, I've been hooked. Rory McIlroy's commanding performance at the U.S. Open makes him one to watch (with the throngs of fans following him to prove it), but the tricky British courses ensure you can't count anyone out through Sunday. So far, we've seen Tom Watson's jumping ace at 6 and twenty two players within three shots of the lead. Two days to go - its anyone's game.

2011 Big East Preview: Teddy Bridgewater, Dana Holgorsen and B.J. Daniels slug it out

Ted — 2011-07-15T15:35:13+00:00

Hola, friends.

We "tackled" (horrible pun semi-intended) the ACC as a baseline preview earlier this week; our plan was to get after some type of personal accolade (Heisman) or position breakdown (QBs!) on Wednesday, but life got in the way. it has a messed-up way of doing that. We're back now with a look at the Big East in 2011.

Basic story on the Big East: it's fallen to the bottom of the Power Six conferences, no doubt. Unless you're an alum of one of these schools -- quite possible if you're reading this in the Northeast -- the only time you're probably going to watch a Big East game is the first Saturday in December, because one of those games is going to determine who reaches a BCS bowl (and likely gets plowed by the second-best team who couldn't play for the national title). There are two saving graces in the conference this year, though: West Virginia and Dana Holgorsen might be the most compelling team in all -- yes, all -- of college football; if someone was smart enough to get rights to film them this season for a documentary on the transition from Stewart to Holgorsen, that person is gonna be rich (or at least notable among college football fans) in a few years when his/her doc on "The Crazy First Year In Morgantown" comes out. Side note: coach succession plans do not work. Caveat: ignore Jimbo Fisher. The other saving grace is Louisville. Remember a couple of years ago when they were really good, Brian Brohm was topping Kiper's draft rankings, and Bobby Petrino wasn't synonymous with being a turncoat? Yeap. Well, they got a good guy at the helm -- Charlie Strong (and look, no racial inclination here, but you always love to see a dude passed over by about 19 jobs for essentially one reason start doing well) -- and Teddy Bridgewater looks like he's ready to be their QB (he was a stud recruit). Let's start with those two teams.

WVU: They should roll this conference. Geno Smith is a stud. No one knows how Holgorsen will do as a head coach -- it's like the transition from floor manager to CEO, to use a common analogy -- but they have talent in a weak conference, and "talent in a weak conference" should be enough. They have four starts back on the offensive line, and the Mountaineers program hasn't finished lower than second in conference in the last nine years. Expect that to continue.

Louisville: I have Louisville as the second-best team here, but a lot of the Interwebs disagrees with me. More on that in a second. Strong lost his top two running backs, his top two cornerbacks and four members of his O-line. That is brutal. But Bridgewater could be the real deal, this is an easy conference (I feel like I've said that already), and Victor Anderson is going to be an elite RB after missing time with injury. I think Strong seems like a good dude. He's one of those assistants who gets their own program and, based on the models he's seen and experiences he's had, knows what to do from Day One. I have faith they're gonna rise to a top three slot in this conference, even with the graduation hits.

USF: This is who (whom? I always get that -ish wrong) most people would put No. 2, probably. Skip Holtz is legit or, at the very least, he comes from pedigree that is now ranting and falling asleep on national television. Peep this: the Bulls are 9-0 in OT games in their history (it's not a very long history), and Holtz is 27-10-1 against the spread as a head coach. HOO BOY! He's 16-6 on the road ATS. DOUBLE DOWN! B.J. Daniels is an all-conference talent. If FSU had him right now instead of E.J. Manuel, they might be an even bigger national threat.

Pittsburgh: Usually a power here; feels like this year will be one of transition. Todd Graham came in after a lot of drama and he's bringing in a no-huddle, fast-action, high-octane offense. That's not what people think of when they think of Pitt (uh, Dorsett, steel mills, The Steel Curtain, etc.) They have an easy early schedule -- nice -- but then it gets tough, so watch out for a hard fall.

Syracuse: THE CUSE IS BACK! Eh. Temper your expectations. Doug Marrone has done a good job there, but they lost two elite LBs, and, well, allow me to offer up a personal story here. For most of the previous couple of years, I have lived in Astoria, NY, near a certain bar -- that may or may not just have gone cash-only -- that opens kinda early on Saturdays. 'Cuse almost always plays at noon. I'd hit this spot for lunch and a couple of beers now and again (read: every weekend) and there was this one hardcore 'Cuse fan who would always do the same. It was me and him a lot in there, friends -- drinking, bonding, contemplating how meaningless our existence had become. I learned a lot about 'Cuse. And believe me, even though Marrone has been good for that program, this is a fundamentally flawed football team on any number of levels. Yes, I was also intoxicated by the third quarter of a good portion of their games.

Cincy: They'll be good. Zach Collaros is back. Isiah Pead is back. 2010 was bad after Brian Kelly took the ND gig. Butch Jones wants to prove he's more than an understudy. The staff has been together two years. This could probably be a nine-win team; if I didn't have such a man crush on Charlie Strong right now, I'd probably pick them No. 2 in the conference -- No. 1 if Holgorsen has absolutely no idea what he's doing as a head coach.

UConn: Kinda interesting. Randy Edsall bounced (Maryland), and here comes Paul Pasqualoni, who it seems like has held every job in football. Check this stat out: the staff he brought to Storrs? 42 years of NFL experience and 196 years of college experience combined. WHOA! Pasqualoni was D-coordinator of the Cowboys and Dolphins in the NFL, and UConn's defensive unit returns nine guys. Should be nice on that side of the ball. The offense is another story, but the experience on that staff could be a boon. These are, as they say, football guys.

Rutgers: 4-8 last year was a debacle. They have 10 starters back on offense, though -- Tom Savage is transferring to Arizona, however -- and a really deep O-line. The situation with Greg Schiano is a classic "know your stock" situation. Dude coulda coached Michigan or Miami, and he's about to get his ass canned from Rutgers. Egad. SELL HIGH, BABY! Insert generic reference to Tony Soprano here.

2011 ACC Football Preview: Jimbo, Frankie, Mr. Golden and the gang

Ted — 2011-07-11T16:30:00+00:00

It's July 11 as I begin to write this witty, immaculate prose. That's 52 days until Thursday, September 1, which is opening night ("Opening Night!") for college football. Do I/this site really have 52 days of things to say about the upcoming season? Good Lord no. But we can take a look at some conferences, some players, some zany themes where we do things like link coaches to movies, etc. It should be a fun ride. 52 days. That's less than two months, right?

We'll start with the ACC. It houses two schools dear to this site's founders in Florida State and Miami. We thought about writing that the proper way -- Miami (FL) -- but honestly, if you've gotten three or four lines into this and you think Miami of Ohio is in the ACC, you should probably go click back to American Girl and keep your order fresh. Whoa, that was kinda harsh. To calm myself down, I shall now write about the ACC this year.

The ACC, as you may know, is organized into two divisions: the somewhat-more-logical-than-how-the-Big-Ten-did-it "Atlantic" and "Coastal." We'll begin with the Atlantic.

The Atlantic Division

Florida State: It all begins and ends here on this side of the coin. You can say that E.J. Manuel might not be ready for the prime time stage, potentially, but otherwise this team is very solid all around. 10 wins last year, great recruiting classes left and right, and pretty much the only place in America where a "coach succession" plan actually has worked. If they beat Oklahoma on Sept. 17, they are a much bigger deal than just the ACC; then it's a legitimate national discussion.

Clemson: With Wisconsin enjoying a measure of success in the Big Ten recently, you can shift the "always the bridesmaid, never the bride" line over to Clemson, South Carolina. Great traditions -- Howard's Rock! -- and some great players -- The Fridge -- but honestly, you can make an argument that Clemson is the most disappointing D-1 program of the past two decades, relative to how much the school spends on football, puts into recruiting, and the passion of the fan base. They have a small, very outside shot to win this division -- coming in No. 2 is likely -- but since it's Clemson, can't we just go pencil in 8-4?

Maryland: Randy Edsall rode a bowl game (in which he got masscared) at UConn into a sweeter gig with Under Armour money, and his first year might not be too bad -- Danny O'Brien was ACC Rookie of the Year at QB last night, the O-Line returns four starters, the D-Line returns three starters, Dave Meggett is an emerging RB, etc. Edsall will probably do some things at Maryland since the ACC, top-to-bottom, isn't super strong (at present, it has one, maybe two, elite programs and then a bunch of teams in the bottom or middle), but it could take a while for people to respond to him.

North Carolina State: No Russell Wilson (he's at Wisco), so the new starter is Mike Glennon (Sean Glennon's younger brother). Seems like an also-ran, honestly.

Boston College: Ended last year losing five straight. Mark Herzlich is gone. Their remaining LBs are actually really good, but this anticipates as a long season in Chestnut Hill.

Wake Forest: Dang, yo! The bloom is really off that Jim Grobe rose, eh? When he ran the Deacs to the Orange Bowl in 2006, people were saying he'd succeed Paterno at PSU. Now, no one can name a gosh-darn player on this team ("Is Abbate still there?") and they have nine games this year against teams that went to a bowl last season, including three games against teams that will probably win 10 games this year (FSU, ND, VT). Ugly, ugly year in Winston-Salem. They do have an underrated crop of bars, though, so there's that.

The Coastal Division

Virginia Tech: Tyrod Taylor is gone. New dude is apparently Logan Thomas. Usually VT's problem is in September, no? The first four games are cake. If this machine gets rolling, it's another 10-11 win season, probably.

UNC: T.J. Yates is gone. New dude is Bryn Renner (great name, theoretically will get a ton of ass in college). They lost a lot of elite NFL-type defensive presences, but they return a crapload of experience on both lines. Big issue here: could all the Butch Davis stuff utterly crumble this season? Magic eight ball says maybe.

Miami: Has talent, and will get more talent. Ton of options at RB, so expect a lot of ground and pound. That's what she said. Jacory Harris needs to go the hell home. He throws up a lot of wounded ducks. This could be a 10-win team by 2012 if Al Golden's mentality clicks with 'em.

Duke: They play football here? Easy joke, admittedly. Perhaps too easy. But no, they're not about to be a threat in the ACC, or the Coastal. They do return 14 starters, though, and Sean Renfree is a decent chucker, so four-five wins isn't out of the question.

Georgia Tech: Here's the issue -- they lost most of their top offensive skill position players. They run the triple option. That's not an easy offense to master. There's a learning curve here, maybe in the form of a 4-8 campaign or some such. Paul Johnson is a wacky dude, though; he'll pull out a few YouTube sensations this season, probably.