KO clips of the week

After watching the Phillies KO my Dodgers last night, and with the Red Sox on the brink of being KO'd by the Rays tonight, I thought I would pay tribute with yet another stirring rendition of The Sports Brief's KO clips of the week. As usual, we're posting three terrific KO clips courtesy of the internet. When looking for a rousing KO that will get you off your seat, I try and look for a trio of characteristics:

First and foremost is sheer brutality. It has to be vicious. I'm talking lights out, dropped like a bag of bricks and, when possible, moaning in pain. Second is humor. I like when there's humor involved. Something I might find humorous is one guy talking smack, initiating the fight, then getting slapped around like a thoroughbred at The Belmont. Third is the unexpected. It's always pleasant when KO's come out of nowhere. You're sitting there watching a clip knowing something bad is going to happen but giddy with excitement because you have no clue when it's coming. Then BOOM. Before you know it some poor sap is lying on the ground hoping it will all make sense. Today's clips embody all of these characteristics. Enjoy.



What I love about that KO was the poor guy trying to grab onto the black kid after getting laid out. All he wanted was for someone to hug him, console him, whatever. But homeboy laid the smackdown and wasn't done, continuing to beat the downed opponent with a plethora of kicks.



KO #2 certainly typified characteristics 1 and 2. That guy was out COLD and it happened in front of his girl, which is both brutal and funny. Now you could argue that because the KO occurred in the first couple seconds of the clip, it wasn't unexpected. But watch again. It was unexpected for the victim, who was trying to remove his jacket in anticipation of his throwdown when, with his hands caught in his jacket behind his back, big daddy dropped a bomb right down the pipe. So perhaps I'll change criteria #3. It can be unexpected for either the viewee (meaning us) or those participating in the actual video. By the way, the only thing that could have made this video better, and I almost wish they staged it just so we could think it happened, would have been to have the broad watch the love of her life get KO'd then leave with the other guy. I thought it might happen at the :12 second mark when the assailant returned, but it looked he was there more to assess the damage and claim victory than to claim the "Lady in Distress."



Can anyone tell me where Jeremy Williams is from? You may have seen him on the first couple seasons of The Contender. He was the guy who loved to tell fighters, "This is the last round of your life." I guess that's what happens when you get KTFO'd like this and realize you fought the last round of yours.

-Bess

WGAM Wing Challenge

Here is the WGAM Wing Challenge from last Friday where I ate 4 pounds of wings. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

The Sports Brief's Week 6 NFL picks

Was anyone else sickened by Tim McCarver and Joe Buck ranting about Manny Ramirez's turbelent end in Boston everytime he was relevant during last night's game? It was borderline ridiculous. In the first inning, he did something he's always done. Crushed a ball to the deepest part of the park and admired it along with everyone else in the stadium who thought that ball was way out of there. I can't blame the game for having it hit off a chain link fence that sits on top of the wall in dead center at the 409 mark. Sure, he trotted down the line, but he does that all the time. And he drove in the run with an RBI double. Could he have been on second? Sure, he might have made it. But McCarver and Buck just couldn't let it go. Then when he came up in the 5th, they made it a point to discuss how he gave up on Boston in the final weeks of July, opting out of games against Seattle and New York, going for the MRI on his knees, shoving the traveling secretary to the ground, etc. etc. etc. I don't know about them, but I heard about all of that stuff a few months ago when it happened. Two and a half months of major league baseball have expired since then, and what he's done for the Dodgers has been remarkable. Yet they're still caught up on that. Following McCarver's comments the other day about Ramirez's final days being "despicable" and a "disgrace", I couldn't help but feel he had an agenda going into that broadcast. And I thought his blatant efforts to continue the Manny bashing was an absolute disgrace in itself.

Did anyone else catch that episode of "The Office" last night? If so, you'll appreciate the following clip:



Onto this week's NFL games. Some interesting matchup as Week 6 proves to be critical for several teams across the league. The Chargers were pre-season Super Bowl favorites but have stumbled to a pedestrian 2-3 record. They host the Patriots in a game that seems more winnable now that Matt Cassel is the quarterback and not Tom Brady. But it will be intriguing to see how Bill Belicheck neutralizes the ground game with LT, especially seeing how Miami torched the Pats on the ground in Week 3. Meanwhile, the Colts struggling offense comes off a dramatic win over the lowly Texans and faces a defensive stalwart in the Ravens. And what are the odds we see Brady Quinn on Monday Night Football? Could the Giants improve to 6-0?

For Random Rob, it's darts galore once again. I couldn't find a quarter. Oh well. Once again let's go Mike Goldberg for the official introduction:

"And HERE...WE...GO!"

Besse's picks:
Last week: 11-3; 43-31

Bears -2.5 over Falcons
The Bears defense is tenacious, and I think Matt Ryan has one of those stumbling block weeks here. The Bears will contain Turner and Norwood and force Ryan to open things up. Look for Orton to have another steady game. This could very well be decided by a field goal, but nonetheless, Bears cover.

Panthers +2.5 over Bucs
I'm a big Panthers fan. This could be a real grinder of a game, but Jake Delhomme has a lot of weapons on offense now, and the Panthers run defense has been solid. Look for that to continue here.

Redskins -13.5 over Rams
This could potentially be a shootout. Clinton Portis should had a tremendous game and Jason Campbell throws for a pair of TD's. Rams will punch in a couple, but they'll get outworked in every phase of the game.

Texans -3.5 over Dolphins
Let's hope Matt Schaub protects the ball better than his backup did last week. I see a lot of gamblers overlooking the Texans this week and pushing Miami. Let's not forget, was it not for Rosenfels and his lack of awareness (I wonder what his rating is on Madden '09) the Texans would have had an impressive 27-17 win.

Ravens +4.5 over Colts
Colts win by a FG. McGahee and McClain could have career days on the ground, but I think the Colts manage to pull this out on a late FG by Adam Vinateri.

Vikings -13.5 over Lions
I'd like to see how St. Paul's fares against the Lions. They've only scored one TD in three ISL games this fall, but the Lions suck. Frerotte could be the top fantasy QB in Week 6. Yea that's right. Gus Frerotte.

Saints -7.5 over Raiders
I love the Saints and that offense. And I can't wait till Marques Colston gets back. In the meantime, as long as Henderson, Meachem and Moore can actually catch the balls that Brees throws to them, they should light up the Raiders.

Bengals +5.5 over Jets
I see this as an old fashioned, gun slinging shootout between Brett Favre and Carson Palmer. I think the Bengals get their first win this week in a minor upset.

Jaguars +3.5 over Broncos
Another high scoring affair that ends in close fashion. Both offenses should look impressive against each other's pedestrian defenses. I think the Jags keep it close.

Cardinals +5.5 over Cowboys
I actually believe Arizona could win this outright. And if Anquan Boldin is ready to play, that will affirm my belief even more. Cowboys are thin in the secondary and I think the Cardinals passing game will outduel that of Dallas. The best bet for the Boys is to run the ball and control the clock; keep Warner with his hat on for a while.

49ers +5.5 over Eagles
San Fran hosts another East Coast team this week, and I think they actually cover this time.

Packers +2.5 over Seahawks
Seattle's offense isn't there yet, and the Packers offense could duplicate that of the Giants in week 5.

Patriots -6.5 over Chargers
I just don't feel like rooting for the Chargers.

Browns +7.5 over Giants
Something tells me the Browns are going to hang tough in this one. I'm not calling an upset, but I think the Giants win by a score and fail to cover.

Keefe's picks:
Last week: 5-9; Overall 36-38

Falcons +2.5 over Bears
Michael Turner leads the league in rushing after the first 5 weeks. He has a tough match up but I like the surprise Falcons to roll.

Panthers +2.5 over Buccaneers
Sneaky good NFC battle in Tampa. I’ll take Steve Smith and the runningback tandem in Carolina, even though Jeff Garcia is a “winner.”

Redskins -13.5 over Rams
Rams are the worst team in football, Skins are playing like one of the best. Enough said.

Dolphins +3.5 over Texans
I think the Texans get their first W, but it will be by less than 4. Matt Schaub back in there after Sage literally gave away the game last Sunday.

Ravens +4.5 over Colts
Colts are down this year, Ravens D can overcome the offense… at least to cover.

Vikings -13.5 over Lions
Wait are the Rams the worst team, or the Lions? They both loss by 2 TDs.

Saints -7.5 over Raiders
Who’s coaching the raiders again? Saints get it figured out this week, Coleston and Shockey could be back.

Jets -5.5 over Bengals
Bengals remain winless, as the Jets keep pace in the suddenly ultra competitive AFC East.

Broncos -3.5 over Jaguars
I’ve been anti Jags all season, and maybe its reflected in my miserable picks the past couple weeks, but I’m going to keep it up.

Cardinals +5.5 over Cowboys
Will Pacman play? As of right now he will, but that could be a huge loss with Terrence Newman already sidelined against a great passing attack in Arizona.

Eagles -5.5 over 49ers
Philly is 2-3, they need this win, and they’ll get it.

Packers +2.5 over Seahawks
How are the Seahawks favored? I know they’re home, but come on. I’ll take the Pack.

Patriots -6.5 over Chargers
I’m not convinced the Patriots will win the game, but even if they don’t it will be pretty close thanks to a very banged up LT.

Giants -7.5 over Browns
And I thought the Browns would be in the playoff picture. They look bad, and may look even worse Monday Night against maybe the top team in the league.

Random Rob
Last week: 7-7; Overall: 44-30

Bears
Bucs
Rams
Dolphins
Colts
Lions
Raiders
Bengals
Broncos
Cardinals
Eagles
Packers
Pats
Browns

-Bess

How the Angels blew the ALDS I do not know...actually yes I do

If you watched last night's ALDS game 4 between the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels, you got a lesson in the art of seizing momentum, then failing to use it to your advantage and, ultimately, ending your season prematurely. In perspective, game 4 was a microcosm of the entire series. Mike Scioscia should be getting a lot more heat than he is right now, and I hope over the next couple days that will come to fruition. In particular, Scioscia made a couple questionable decisions, or lack thereof, in the final inning and a half of game 4.

First was the botched suicide squeeze play in the top of the 9th. With Reggie Willits on 3rd with one out, the Angels had momentum on their side. Two opportunities to get that run in, Erick Aybar at the plate and Chone Figgins on deck at 2 for 4 on the night and 7 for 16 over the span of games 2, 3 and 4. So he decides to pull a suicide squeeze and it failed, miserably. Not only did Aybar whiff on the bunt attempt, but Willits got caught halfway down the line and eventually tagged out by a diving Jason Varitek.

And for the record, that play wasn't even close. The ball popped out well after Varitek tagged Willits, and it was the force of his glove hitting the ground after he tagged out Willits that caused the loose ball. So I'm not sure why people are considering this a controversy, or asking me for my take on the "controversy." Put it to rest. Willits was out and Varitek had the ball pop out of his mitt after rolling around like an idiot.

But I digress. Here's my problem with the bunt attempt. You haven't bunted all series, which was a headscratcher. Lowell was standing at third with a wooden cane looking as vulnerable as ever and you didn't test the waters. Then last night you've got Kevin Youkilis at 3rd and the entire infield is in. And while it's a 2-0 pitch and odds are a fastball is on the way, not only are the Sox in position to field the bunt, but it's just as good a situation to swing away as it is to bunt there anyway. You're getting a FASTBALL! Look at it this way, if Aybar can lift that ball into the outfield, Willits has a shot at tagging and scoring. If he stings the ball on the ground, he'll need to hit it right at a guy in order for it to NOT get through. The Angels had Boston up against the proverbial wall. It reminded me of Heath Herring against Big Nog at UFC 73 when he landed that earth shattering head kick, then told Nog to stand back up. You don't knock down a seasoned veteran, former champion and guy known for taking abuse and utilizing late heroics to pull out a win. That's what the Red Sox are. And by going for a high risk play and getting burned, the Angels basically knocked down the Red Sox, and instead of delivering a knock out kick to the head, told the defending champions to stand back up and have at it.

I'm not buying the logic that this is how the Angels have played all season, so it's not like Scioscia went and changed their approach and philosophy. He had already done that by not playing this way the entire series. Then he decided to go back to it. As my buddy Jalbert said, there's a difference between aggression and stupidity. This was stupidity.

If the Angels were at home, I wouldn't be criticizing Scioscia as much. You're the home team, and if you take a shot and miss, that's okay because if you go out and give up the lead in the top half of the following inning, you still have a chance to come back up and make something happen. But here, you're on the road, not sure if you'll get another at-bat or not and you've just breathed new life into a team that plays as good as anyone in the game at home. It was poor timing by the Angels, because it was their shot to send the series back to LA for game 5, but instead cleared the bases, gave the Sox 2 outs in the inning and sent the game to the bottom of the inning still tied. All the Sox had to do was play for one run to win. And if they didn't get it, they could have simply gone back out in the 10th knowing they'd have another at-bat in the bottom half.

The situation brought me back to our final game at St. Paul's. We were up a run on Thayer Academy in the top of the 7th, but they had a runner on 3rd with 1 out. Keefe and I were in the outfield screaming at the infielders to play in and cut down the run while Parker Chase, our immortal coach, was instructing to play back and get the out. We were irate. His argument was that we were the home team and his contention was to play back and prevent the big inning because if that run scored and tied the game, we'd still have a chance in the bottom half to win it. Which is right. He was absolutely right. But Keefe and I were taking the situation into account, which is just as important as making the standard "correct play." We were probably 6-8 at the time, no chance of winning the league title and there was no playoff format, so this was it. Thayer was at the top of the league standings and a better team than us. The only thing we had to play for was pulling off a great upset to end our careers and have something special to talk about at dinner that night and, potentially, years later over a beer or twenty. So why would we play back and concede the run there? If we lose (which we eventually did in extra innings), so be it. That's what was expected. But we were two outs away from a great upset and instead of going for it, Parker Chase made a decision without taking the situation into account. That's exactly what Scioscia did last night. He made a managerial decision without considering all of the ramifications based on the situation.

But that's not where it ends for the Angels. Let's not forget, they went into the bottom of the 9th tied and managed to lose it right then and there. And it all started with a Jason Bay blooper to right. Did you see how far Willits had to come for that ball? Where was he playing? And where'd he get his route from, Magellan? I joked with Keefe that Scioscia must have had him warming up to pitch the 10th when Rich mused that Willits was running in all the way from the bullpen. Not only that, but people are applauding him for deflecting that ball into the stands and preventing a triple or even inside the park homerun. He never should have even dove for that ball. In a tie ball game, bottom of the last inning, you need to prevent the opposition from getting extra bases. Had he a) not been so far away he could have caught the ball in the air and b) not dove and instead knocked it down and in front of him he could have kept Bay out of scoring position. Take this into consideration. If Bay is still on first, Teixeira would have been straddling the bag and probably doubled up Bay on Kotsay's double play.

Nonetheless, no one saw Willits was sharing a hot chocolate with K-Rod in the bullpen and thus had to run a half mile to the spot. And he didn't exactly learn his lesson either. On Lowrie's groundball, the play at the plate wasn't even close. Bay was rounding third and a few steps down the line before Willits had even corraled the ball. He had so far to run just to get to it, that it would have required Bay stumbling and falling before home plate in order to get him out. I understand there are two outs, but when your season is 120ft away from ending, you need to treat it as a do or die play and assume the bases might as well be loaded with no outs. Willits needed to be more shallow than he was, in a position where he could easily get to a ball quickly have a chance to throw out the runner trying to score. If Lowrie smokes one over his head, I say you tip your cap. But you've already been beat once in the inning by a blooper of a hit, you can't allow yourself to be beaten like that again. That's exactly what happened.

In the end, the Angels played like a team that is 1-10 in its last 11 playoff games. The pitching was fantastic for LA. Lackey, Saunders and Santana all threw great, and I give Santana a lot of credit for posting a 4 spot in the first and bearing down to give his team a chance to come back. You can't ask a guy to do much more that what he did after that first inning. But it was the lack of productive hitting, generating runs and dominating the basepaths. It was the mental lapses in the field, like the 3-run bloop single by Ellsbury in game 3. The Angels luckily found a way to win despite that, but lack of focus and execution will always come back to haunt you. And that's exactly what it did.

Vikings-Saints

Anybody watch this game at all last night? I was checking in frequently because about 3 of my fantasy teams were hinging on the play of guys like Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and Lance Moore. A couple thoughts on all that took place:

• The Saints got screwed by poor officiating. Not only did Bush fumble on a blatant facemask that wasn't called, but I thought the ball was out of Peterson's hand before his knee hit the ground late in the fourth.
• Grammatica sucks.
• Drew Brees misses Marques Colston and David Patten, but not Jeremy Shockey. Moore, Henderson and Meachem dropped a plethora of passes last night, most of which were easily catchable. While Brees has still managed to put up good numbers, it's because he's that good. Shockey, meanwhile, isn't as immediate a concern. Billy Miller is a very capable tight end and one tough son of a bitch. Did you see the hit he took late in the 4th, only to come back in two plays later?
• You can't predict the NFL. That game has easy pickings with the Saints only giving up 3.5 at home, coming off a terrific team effort against San Francisco and facing a fledgling Minnesota team that looked uninspired last week against the Titans. Instead, the Saints gave the Vikings every opportunity to steal that game from them and they did. If it wasn't for Reggie Bush, that could have been a lot worse, and we'd be talking more about how badly that offense underachieved last night.

Dancing with the Stars

Can someone explain to me how Kim Kardashian and Jefferson Darcy got voted off, yet Warren Sapp is still on there? I'm sorry but that's just poor. Sapp shouldn't even be on the show, nevermind still a contestant after a couple weeks. I watched briefly last night and couldn't tell you who half the "celebrities" are on there. It looks like it's slowly turning into a D-list celebrity suaree.

That's all I got for now. Sox and Rays for the ALCS, Dodgers and Phillies for the NLCS. I have a bet with Chris in my office for a lunch at JA Stats across the street. I took the Rays. He's a Sox season ticket holder so naturally he's banking on a Sox win. I figure this is a win-win for me. If the Rays win, I'm eating a chef's salad with strips of smoked salmon for lunch on his dollar. If the Sox win, I buy him lunch and hopefully get to watch a Sox-Dodgers World Series. I'm still a Manny fan, and there's nothing I'd love more than watching him pimp a bomb onto the Pike off of Beckett.

-Bess

The Sports Brief's Week 5 NFL picks

Welcome to Week 5. As I walking into work this morning I noticed there’s a Ferris Wheel sitting in the middle of the greenway on Atlantic Ave. It’s probably the most random thing I’ve ever seen. It’s about 20ft high, has 10 or so dual seating compartments and looks to be about as much as fun as being a Cubs fan at Wrigley last night. I don’t know if the guy running this thing was on his way to a carnival, got lost and figured he’d just set up shop here and make some money, but I’m intrigued to see if anyone trusts to get on it. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a homeless guy sitting on a crate pedaling for change in his Dunkin Donuts cup while hits the “Stop” and “Go” button.

By the way, was I the only one that didn’t watch the VP debate last night? I got all jacked up for another episode of The Office before realizing the debate basically took over basic television last night. Thankfully there was nothing on before 9 and 10pm, so I watched Unfaithful on Lifetime. If you haven’t seen it, check it out. Richard Gere kills some stud for banging his wife. Great theatre.

Onto the picks. For Random Rob, I threw darts again. If it landed on a white area, “Home team.” If it landed on a black area, “Away team.”

In the words of Mike Goldberg…And here we go!

Keefe’s picks
Last week: 5-8, overall 31-29

Lions +3.5 over Bears
Lions aren’t good, but a home dog? They lose by a FG, and I still win. Come on Calvin Johnson!

Packers -7.5 over Falcons
How about Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan having the same number of starts in the NFL? The two young Q’s go head to head, but how healthy will Rodgers be? The alternative of Matt Flynn and Brian Brohm is about as promising as Matt Cassel and Kevin O’Connell… wait.

Chargers -6.5 over Dolphins
How many times does Ronnie Brown lineup at Q?

Giants -7.5 over Seahawks
Seattle got some receivers last week, but it won’t matter against New York. I hate Eli Manning and the Giants more than any other player/ team, but I can’t pick the Seahawks here. A rare both teams coming off of Byes here… No Plaxico either, maybe I should change my pick.

Redskins +5.5 over Eagles
The spread should never be higher than 3 this year in the NFC East. Well besides the Skins getting worked on by the Giants week 1. It’s been a different team since.

Panthers -9.5 over Chiefs
I think the Chiefs come back down to Earth this week. Carolina is quietly winning games and putting themselves in a great spot for the post season.

Titans -3.5 over Ravens
Titans looking to stay undefeated with the big question on everyone’s mind. Will Vince Young be the number 2 or number 3 QB? Stay tuned.

Texans +3.5 over Colts
The Colts are down this year, but coming off a Bye week. Houston has given them trouble even when they were at the top. This is my upset special. Enjoy.

Broncos -3.5 over Buccaneers
We’ll see if this high powered Denver offense can get back on track this weekend. Cutler is a great young QB with a fantastic 1-2 punch at WR, I think they bounce back in a big way.

Bills +0.5 over Cardinals
Can the Bills really go to 5-0? I say yes.

Patriots -3.5 over 49ers
This will be the first week the Pats score more than 20 points post Brady. Coming off the bye week Belichick will have them ready to go.

Cowboys -15.5 over Bengals
That’s a ton of points, but who on Cincy is going to stop anyone on Dallas? Terrell Owens puts last week behind him and has a monster game. Marion Barber better get more than 8 carries by the way. Will Ocho Cinco “kiss the star?”

Steelers +4.5 over Jaguars
The Jags may win but they won’t cover. They never do. I’m not impressed with either team having Super Bowl aspirations.

Saints -3.5 over Vikings
Vikings always hype up their run defense. Well Chris Johnson put in 2 TDs on the ground last week. Deuce could still score, but Bush is more of a wideout anyway. Advantage Saints.


Besse’s picks
Last week: 7-6, overall 32-28

Lions +3.5 over Bears
Matt Forte should have a solid game here. But the Lions at home, a new GM, and Calvin Johnson maturing into a top notch receiver right before our very eyes gives us…! Another Lions loss, by a Robbie Gould field goal late in the 4th.

Falcons +7.5 over Packers
Whether Aaron Rodgers plays or not doesn’t even matter at this point. He won’t be healthy. The Falcons may not win the game, but they’ll make it damn close.

Chargers -6.5 over Dolphins
Ronnie Brown will come back to Earth. I’m actually predicting Ricky Williams has more all-purpose yards. But LT will probably have more all-purpose yards than the two of them combined. Chargers in a romp.

Giants -7.5 over Seahawks
Seattle gets some manpower back on the wings, and while it will help Hasselbeck deliver the goods, Eli and Co. will have just enough. I picked up Amani Toomer in a couple fantasy leagues and expect a nice game out of him in the absence of Plaxico Burress. I suggest you do the same.

Redskins +5.5 over Eagles
I agree with Rich here. I feel like every NFC East game should be decided by a field goal. Even though Springs and Taylor are out for the Redskins, I still think that offense will keep them in the game. Eagles win…wait for it…by a field goal.

Panthers -9.5 over Chiefs
I really like this Panthers team, and picked them as my sleeper for the NFC this year. A lot of weapons on offense and the defense has shut down the run. Look for more of this winning combination this week.

Ravens +3.5 over Titans
If it wasn’t for Joe Flacco and Jarret Johnson imploding against the Steelers, the Ravens would have won that game and still been undefeated. Win or lose, this one is decided on a field goal.

Colts -3.5 over Texans
The Colts should win enough races to soundly hold off the Texans in this weekend’s track meet. Coming off a bye week, look for big production from the likes of Manning, Wayne and Clark.

Buccaneers +3.5 over Broncos
Jon Gruden is underrated as a coach. He always seem to put out competitive teams with sub par talent. Speaking of sub par, that’s what I’m hoping to be with my golf game tomorrow. I doubt it, just as much as I doubt the Broncos covering here.

Cardinals -0.5 over Bills
Buffalo flies cross country only to get hustled by the Cardinals. No way does that secondary allows 56 points in consecutive weeks, and the Bills should not be 5-0. Let’s hope the Cardinals don’t allow that travesty to occur.

Patriots -3.5 over 49ers
Week off for the Pats, so I expect Bill to walk into that stadium, have his way with the 49ers, then leave with no remorse. Kind of sounds like a rapist. Can I say that?

Bengals +15.5 over Cowboys
This could be a bloodbath if Carson Palmer doesn’t play. But I’m banking on two things: a) he does play and b) if he doesn’t play, someone, anyone, I don’t care who it is, gets Housh some touches and a TD reception. He’s been killing me in fantasy.

Steelers +4.5 over Jaguars
If the Jaguars happen to win, it’s by no more than a field goal. I think Big Ben has a nice week here and continues to get back on track. Moore should fill in fine for Willie Parker,

Saints -3.5 over Vikings
Big fan of Drew Brees. He could toss for 400 yards and a couple scores to a trio of wideouts with no hands. He’s been that good. Speaking of which, anyone watch that armless guy at the WSOP? Dude was playing with his feet. I wouldn’t want to win a pot from that guy with his feet all over those chips. “Take it down, pal, nice hand,” as I fold quad Aces.

Random Rob’s picks
Last week: 8-5, overall 37-23

Bears
Falcons
Dolphins
Seahawks
Redskins
Panthers
Titans
Colts
Broncos
Bills
49ers
Bengals
Jaguars
Saints

Don’t forget to check out Kimbo Slice and the rest of the cast on CBS’ Saturday Night Fights with the poetic Gus Johnson at the mic. Should be a great night of fights!

-Bess

31 Nights of Horror

October is here, and that means its international scary movie month. I’ll give you 31+ Horror movies to watch from now until Halloween. What does this have to do with sports? Absolutely nothing. I’m a fan of all these movies, and recommend you do your best to watch as many as you can this month. Of course it’s basically impossible to watch that many films in a given month, not even mentioning the fact that there’s playoff baseball, NFL, college football, and even the start of the NBA season. Well do what you can. (Each number corresponds with the appropriate day of the month.)

1. A Nightmare on Elm St. (1984)

We’ll kick off the movie marathon with a timeless classic. The emergence of Freddy Kruger, and he’s been putting the scare in kids for 24 years and counting. Also the film debut of one Johnny Depp.

2. Feast (2005)
This is one that you’ve probably never seen, but you’ll be glad you did. It was the winner of that Project Greenlight or whatever with Affleck and Damon a few years back. Bunch of people stuck in a bar in the middle of the desert when crazy creatures show up. Can’t miss.

3. Cape Fear (1991)
One of the few remakes that may actually be better than the original. Robert De Niro has a fantastic performance as Max Cady.

4. Psycho (1960)
It’s in black and white, but it’s a classic. Norman Bates is an absolute creep show, one of the best Horror movies of all time.

5. Urban Legend (1998)
Say what you want about Urban Legend, but I liked it. Takes place in a fictional school in NH and stars one Rebecca Gayheart.

6. Evil Dead II (1987) The Evil Dead (1981)
The Evil Dead’s are both horror classics. Bruce Campbell began his reign as a horror icon in these films. Watch them both if you want, if you had to only see one, I’d lean towards II. They’re pretty similar with II done just a bit better in my opinion.

7. Army of Darkness (1992)
The third installment of the Evil Dead trilogy is Army of Darkness. More blood, more gore, more action, more one liners. My personal favorite of the three. “First you wanna kill me, now you wanna kiss me. Blow.” -Ash

8. House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
Rob Zombie’s first feature film. There’s a lot going on here, and it’s pretty crazy, but give it a chance. You’ll be glad you did particularly when watching the film that comes next.

9. The Devil’s Reject’s (2005)
The sequel to House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects drops some of the wild fantastical story lines from the first, and focuses more on the Firefly’s, a serial killing family. This is in my top 5 all-time Horror movies. You don’t have to watch Corpses to understand what’s going on, but it adds to the characters.

10. Friday the 13th (1980)
Its Friday the 10th this month, really the best we can do. Part of that slasher triumvirate that has produced countless and mostly terrible sequels along with the Nightmare and Halloween franchises. This again, is the original, look for a young Kevin Bacon as one of the councilors at Camp Crystal Lake.

11. Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
This is actually the debut of hockey mask wearing killer Jason Voorhees, therefore it has to be on the countdown and on its own night.

12. Grindhouse (2007)
Not even sure if this qualifies as a horror movie. Grindhouse is the double feature that includes Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror and Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof. If you only have time for one go with Planet Terror. Rose McGowen is great as is the story and ensemble.

13. From Dusk til Dawn (1996)
Speaking of Rodriguez and Tarantino here is another collaborative effort from those two. Rodriguez directed the film that Tarantino wrote and co-stared in. Really two films in one as it starts out with George Clooney and Tarantino as bank-robbing/ killer brothers on the run that end up at a bar with their hostages that turns out to be a feeding ground for vampires. And it might even be better than it sounds. This starts off our string of Vampire films.

14. Dracula (1992)
You can’t have a horror movie list that doesn’t involve at least one Dracula film. I went with Bram Stoker’s Dracula starring Gary Oldman, Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, and Anthony Hopkins, and directed by Francis Ford Coppella. It’s the original story, and I figured you’d have a better chance of watching this one then the 1931 version starring Bela Lugosi.

15. Interview with the Vampire (1994)


In my mind probably the best performance by a child star as Kirsten Dunst, at 11 or 12, steals the show from Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. A great film to wrap up the mini vampire marathon.

16. Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Who doesn’t enjoy the headless horseman? Anyone? Tim Burton directs this creepy tale that stars Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci. “Heads will roll.”

17. Scream (1996)
In the middle of the month, make it a complete Scream weekend. Can’t believe this movie has been out for 12 years now, but you know what, it’s still good. Some horror fans love it others think it’s a mockery, I fall in the former. This is one of my top-10 films all-time, any genre.

18. Scream 2 (1997)
Clearly not as good as the first, but horror and sequels go together like roller coasters and nausea.

19. Scream 3 (2000)
I’ll do it, I’ll put the 3rd one on the list. Follow the ghostface killer (not the guy from Wu-Tang) through these Wes Craven led works of art. I admit, they get worst as they go on, but still worth a watch this October.

20. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
This movie is nuts. Crazy, creepy, scary, satanic, dark, you name it. You’ll feel for Rosemary, guaranteed.

21. Seven (1995)
Not sure if this is technically a horror movie. Seven does have some memorable gruesome images and a diabolical and unique serial killer, so I’m going to include it. Brad Pitt and the great Morgan Freeman try to track down John Doe who kills using the 7 deadly sins.

22. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
Is it cheesy? Yeah, maybe a little bit. One of the countless slasher films that came out immediately following the success of Scream, but in my opinion it’s one of the best out of that group. Teens stars, brutal deaths, what more could you want?

23. Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Only horror movie to sweep the Oscars. Everyone has seen this movie, all you need to say is Hannibal Lector.

24. Candyman (1992)
Say his name 5 times in the mirror. You won’t.

25. Saw (2004) Saw II (2005)
I remember seeing the first one in the theater during college and being blown away. Then the second one, and the third one… haven’t seen the fourth yet, and the fifth is on the way. Wow. Even Nightmare, Friday the 13th, and Halloween took some time off while making all their sequels. No rest for the Saw people. Definitely watch the first one, they’re short, so maybe squeeze in another couple.

26. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
The film quality is crappy and you’ll wonder what the hell you’re watching, but it’s a classic. One of the most well renowned B-movie horrors of all-time. There’s been remakes recently, but this the debut of Leatherface.

27. The Ring (2002)

Top-5 scariest movie on this list. It just creeps the hell out of me. Let’s move on.

28. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Another classic right here. You could swap it out with any George A. Romero zombie movie, but this is the first. I also really enjoyed the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead. Can’t go wrong with either.

29. The Shining (1980)
Talk about some crazy stuff going on. After you’ve seen it a couple of time, really look for things that you may have missed. Just weird. I never read the book, so I don’t know what that was like. Jack Nicholson is as scary as they come and his wife, played by Shelley Duvall is frightening just to look at.

30. The Exorcist (1973)
People passed out in the theaters when this movie was released in 1973. You combine the Devil with religious views and you’re just asking for trouble… or one of the highest grossing horror films of all time.

31. Halloween (1978) Halloween II (1981) Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
What else would you watch on Halloween. Make it an unprecedented triple-feature while you’re passing out candy this year. There’s I believe 9 films that carry the “Halloween” name, but these are the best 3 by far. The third one doesn’t even involve Michael Myers, so go original, II (which takes place literally right after the first ends), and then go 4. It’s the only way to cap off a ridiculous month of horror movies.

-Keefe

The Sports Brief's Week 4 NFL picks

Anybody watch “The Office” last night? Easily a top five episode of all time full of great moments. My personal favorite was when Kelly hit the floor like a bag of bricks during the weigh-in. Michael Klump was pretty ridiculous, as well. You could probably list a hundred different enjoyable tidbits from that episode and still leave something out.

The Jim/Pam proposal was a bittersweet moment for me, though. Tara had predicted at the end of last season that Jim not proposing meant they were going to have the two of them drift apart in Season 5. I refused to believe it, but when I saw Pam go off to Design school, the writing was on the wall. Then there was the scene where that dork commented on his “ex-girlfriend” being right behind them, pleading that no one look. Obviously they did and it turned out to be an 80-year old professor. I called it on the spot that Pam would get with that guy because he was just like Jim. Tara refused to agree, saying it wouldn’t be the jokester from the hallway, so we bet a dinner at Turner’s on it. Moments later Jim and Pam were having trouble making plans and Jim mentioned they hadn’t seen each other in 10 days. I gave a fist pump and an “I told you so” across the couch, then ate my foot when he dropped to a knee outside the gas station in the pouring rain. Pretty solid work on Jim’s part, I give him credit. But I’m wondering if this nullifies our bet or if I’ve lost. I argue that Tara and I both agreed they would drift apart, and the bet was on whether or not Pam would get with that geek from the hallway. Regardless, I’m pissed I didn’t win the bet. I thought I had that one pegged from a mile away.

Onto the picks…

Keefe and I tied last week, but he maintains honors due to his victory in Week 2. For Random Rob, I put four pieces of paper in a cup with the words “Home”, “Away”, “Favorite” and “Underdog” on them. Each game I drew one of the slips out of the cup and based on the word, selected a team to which that word applied. For example, I drew “Underdog” for the Browns/Bengals tilt, so the Browns got the nod since they are getting 3.5 points.

Keefe’s picks
Last week: 10-6
Overall: 26-21

Browns +3.5 over Bengals
Battle of 0-3 teams from Ohio. Derek Anderson could very well be playing for his job, remember last year’s battle with 11 TDs in the air? Expect a lot of points once again.

Vikings +3.5 over Titans
Vikings great run D will make Chris Johnson and Lendale White much less effective thus making Kerry Collins open it up, may very well equal their first loss.

Broncos -9.5 over Chiefs
Chiefs might just be the worst team in football not named the Rams. Cutler and Marshall continue their record breaking ways.

49ers +6.5 over Saints
I expect another high scoring affair here. No Coleston, no Shockey, no cover.

Cardinals +2.5 over Jets
You see the Jets on MNF? Not as good as I predicted them to be. Darrelle Revis is good, but he can’t stop both Fitzgerald and Boldin.

Packers +1.5 over Buccaneers
Is Brian Griese going to throw the ball 67 times again? He might, no Al Harris will be a big loss for the Packers’ D, but not enough in this one.

Falcons +7.5 over Panthers
I like Michael Turner. The sneaky Falcons will at least keep this one close.

Texans +7.5 over Jaguars
I know the Jags finally won a game last weekend, but I am not a fan. I think they’re the most over hyped team in football. Texans have struggled, but I think their defense keep them in it.

Chargers -7.5 over Raiders
Chargers made some plays on D last week. LT doesn’t look 100%, but Sproles does and the Raiders are terrible. Is Lane Kiffin still the coach?

Bills -8.5 over Rams
Buffalo 4-0? Looks like it. What quarter does Trent Green get hurt? I’ll do middle of the 3rd. Keep an eye on this.

Cowboys -11.5 over Redskins
Dallas certainly looks like the best team in football after the first 3 weeks. Despite a division game, I think they still roll.

Eagles -3.5 over Bears
The NFC East may have 3 of the top 5 teams in all of football. Donovan will get back on track passing the ball after a grind it out victory over the Steelers last week.

Ravens +7.5 over Steelers
Monday Night Football could be ugly with Joe Flacco at the helm. But no Willie Parker, can Mendenhall hold on to the ball? The Ravens could even go 3-0, not as bad a game as I first thought.

Besse’s picks
Last week: 10-6
Overall: 25-22

Browns +3.5 over Bengals
I think Cincy wins on a late field goal. But bet the Over and bet it heavy. This has the makings of another wild shootout, much like last year’s game. Anderson will save his job for another week, but Palmer, Housh and Ocho get the best of the Browns.

Vikings +3.5 over Titans
Vikings defense is potent and will not only shut down the run, but force Kerry Collins into some ill-advised throws. Low scoring affair here, but the Vikings win outright.

Broncos -9.5 over Chiefs
Shannon Sharpe may need to call the National Guard for this one, much like he did against the Pats several years ago. It will be ugly in so many ways.

Saints -6.5 over 49ers
I love the way the Saints played last week in a heartbreaking loss to the Broncos. At home against the 49ers, I think it’s a shootout but Brees and Bush will pull ahead late and cover.

Cardinals +2.5 over Jets
I don’t like the Cardinals traveling cross country for the second straight week, but I don’t like the Jets, period. Warner and Co. will light up the skies and Favre’s bum ankle won’t be able to keep pace. Cardinals secondary has been stingy, by the way. Anyone else notice that yet?

Bucs -1.5 over Packers
Jon Gruden is proving himself once again as one of the best, and most underrated coaches in the game. His defense will prevail in this one, pressuring Aaron Rodgers much like the Cowboys did last week.

Panthers -7.5 over Falcons
Panthers have kept Tomlinson, Forte and Peterson at bay the first three weeks of the season. They’ll load up 7 or 8 in the box this week and force Matt Ryan to make some uncomfortable throws. And Steve Smith will break out.

Jaguars -7.5 over Texans
Jaguars at home coming off a big win over Indy. I don’t expect a let down. The running game will have another big week and cover in a mini shootout.

Chargers -7.5 over Raiders
Lane Kiffin has kept the Raiders competitive in Week 2 and 3 and should probably be 2-1 right now. Regardless, his team will get lit up by San Diego and give Al Davis a reason to fire him. I don’t agree with the rumors swirling around Kiffin’s firing now and I won’t agree with it when it happens, either.

Rams +8.5 over Bills
Rams will win outright in a big upset. This could be a track meet in St. Louis, and while I’m concerned for Trent Green’s livelihood this week, I think he’ll survive and win.

Redskins +11.5 over Cowboys
Dallas has made some careless mistakes and shown flashes of vulnerability. I still think they’re the best team in the NFL and the favorite to win the Super Bowl, but the Redskins will put up a fight. The outcome won’t be decided until the final minutes, so look for the Skins to cover.

Eagles -3.5 over Bears
The Bears should really draft a quarterback this year. A good one. This is a great matchup for Philly, and whether Westbrook plays or not won’t really matter. Buckhalter is as good a back as any in this league when healthy, so the offense shouldn’t skip a beat.

Ravens +7.5 over Steelers
This could be as bad a Monday Night game as we’ve seen in a longtime. Flacco at QB, Big Ben playing hurt and Willie Parker out. It will be exciting only because neither team will be able to score and thus it will be close. Bet your mortgage on the under.

Random Rob’s picks
Last week: 8-8
Overall: 29-18

Browns
Titans
Broncos
Saints
Cardinals
Packers
Panthers
Jaguars
Chargers
Bills
Cowboys
Eagles
Ravens

-Bess