The Sports Brief's Week 9 NFL picks

Trick or treat from The Brief.

Last week was somewhat of a recovery for The Brief, although Rich was still below .500 with his picks at 6-8. Random Rob rebounded from a tough week 7 to once again take the crown. I'm waiting for Rob to hit the proverbial wall in his rookie season. This is getting downright ridiculous.

Speaking of ridiculous, how about Danyelle Sargent as a sports reporter? In case you're not familiar with Sargent or her work, here's a snipet from a couple years ago when she was working for ESPN. Talk about a brutal opening to the show. Sargent vented her frustration to the producers in the back, but didn't realize she was sharing it with the millions watching at home. It's now classic YouTube material:



Anyway, Sargent was at it again last weekend as she is now working as a sideline reporter for FOX. Before the 49ers and Seahawks game, Sargent pulled aside Mike Singletary for a pre-game interview, the significance being that it was the first time Singletary was leading the troops onto the field as the head coach since Mike Shula got canned. The interview started a little something like this:

"I heard that your mentor Bill Walsh was one of the first phone calls that you made when you found out that you had the job. What does it mean to you to be the head coach of the 49ers?"

Singletary was caught off-guard, understably so since Walsh died in July 2007 and Singletary actually played for the Bears. If anyone was his mentor, it was Mike Ditka. Apparently producers were screaming wildly in Sargent's ear, because she stopped the interview saying, "I'm sorry. Oh. I'm sorry. What, what did I, what was wrong?" Did she do any preparation for this interview? Or did she simply rely on football knowledge she clearly didn't possess? Regardless, what an idiot. The video of the interview was available on the internet earlier this week but has since been taken down. Nonetheless, she's been taking a lot of heat for it. Could this have been the beginning of the end for Singletary, leading to that solid post-game press conference meltdown?



Another solid YouTube clip from this past week's football action. Gotta feel bad for this kid. What the hell are these carts doing in the back of the end zone? Going all out to make a catch and this is how he's rewarded. As much as I want to fault the QB for making such a terrible throw, the WR had to realize at some point that the ball was clearly way out of the back of the end zone. It wasn't even close. I won't put this on the same level as Dan Orlovsky bad, but jesus, this is bad. So in the resulting injury. If you couldn't handle Willis Mcgahee, Napoleon Kaufman or even Alvin Mack getting his leg stretched another foot and a half in the program, this video isn't for you.



Here's McGahee's injury at Miami in the National Championship game:



And different sport here, but you gotta love a little Sid Vicious:



Alright, onto this week's picks...

Keefe’s picks:

Last week: 6-8; Overall: 54-62

Bills -5.5 over Jets
Bears -12.5 over Lions
Bengals +7.5 over Jaguars
Browns -1.5 over Ravens
Cardinals -2.5 over Rams
Texans +4.5 over Vikings
Titans -6.5 over Packers
Buccaneers -8.5 over Chiefs
Dolphins +3.5 over Broncos
Cowboys +7.5 over Giants
Eagles -6.5 over Seahawks
Falcons -2.5 over Raiders
Patriots +5.5 over Colts
Redskins -2.5 over Steelers

Besse’s picks:

Last week: 7-7; Overall: 60-56

Bills -5.5 over Jets
Bears -12.5 over Lions
Bengals +7.5 over Jaguars
Browns -1.5 over Ravens
Cardinals -2.5 over Rams
Texans +4.5 over Vikings
Packers +6.5 over Titans
Chief +8.5 over Bucs
Dolphins +3.5 over Broncos
Cowboys +7.5 over Giants
Eagles -6.5 over Seahawks
Falcons -2.5 over Raiders
Patriots +5.5 over Colts
Redskins -2.5 over Steelers

Random Rob:

Last week: 9-5; Overall: 67-49

Bills -5.5 over Jets
Lions +12.5 over Bears
Bengals +7.5 over Jaguars
Ravens +1.5 over Browns
Rams +2.5 over Cardinals
Vikings -4.5 over Texans
Packers +6.5 over Titans
Buccaneers -8.5 over Chiefs
Dolphins +3.5 over Broncos
Cowboys +7.5 over Giants
Seahawks +6.5 over Eagles
Raiders +2.5 over Falcons
Colts -5.5 over Patriots
Steelers +2.5 over Redskins

-Bess

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from The Sports Brief

NBA ’08-’09 Preview

Tonight the NBA season kicks off with a trio of games including the Boston Celtics raising their 17th banner before their showdown with LeBron and the Cavs. Also tonight marks the NBA debut of one Greg Oden as the Blazers face the Lakers. I’m looking forward to another great basketball season, many teams have improved themselves thanks to free agency, trades, and the draft. I will get on record now with my picks for playoff teams and individual awards. (playoff teams in bold)

Eastern Conference

Atlantic:
1. Boston Celtics
2. Toronto Raptors
3. Philadelphia 76ers
4. New York Knicks
5. New Jersey Nets

The Celtics will miss James Posey, but not enough to effect them winning the division again. The 6ers made the most noise bringing in Elton Brand, but I like Calderon running the point for a Raps team that, if healthy, have the best 4-5 duo in the East with Bosh and Jermaine O’Neal. Mike D’Antoni will actually keep the Knicks out the basement. The Nets will struggle and eventually trade Vince.

Central:
1. Detroit Pistons
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Indiana Pacers
4. Milwaukee Bucks
5. Chicago Bulls

Pistons got the same crew back, and the Cavs added Mo Williams which should make it a good battle at the top. Pacers are sneaky good with the likes of Danny Granger and a surprisingly good Mike Dunleavy, I think they beat out the Hawks and Wiz for the 8 seed. I liked the Bucks pick up of Richard Jefferson at first, but even he and Michael Redd will need more help, losing the aforementioned Mo Williams is going to hurt. The Bulls have plenty of guards, and they’ll also have plenty of losses.

Southeast:
1. Orlando Magic
2. Miami Heat
3. Atlanta Hawks
4. Washington Wizards
5. Charlotte Bobcats

Can the Heat turn it around? I think they can. Wade looked great in the Olympics and will be one of the best players in the NBA all season. It may be tough but they need to keep Marion happy, by letting him shoot, and throwing him oops. Dwight Howard will continue to improve, scary right? Wizards have the 2nd best “Big 3” in the East, but how many games will they play together? They’re certainly an X-factor.


Western Conference:

Northwest:
1. Utah Jazz
2. Portland Trail Blazers
3. Denver Nuggets
4. Minnesota Timberwolves
5. Oklahoma City Thunder

Deron Williams will miss the start of the season, but once again the debate of who is the best PG in the league will come down to him and CP3 at the end of the year. I know I’m not alone in liking the Blazers, how can you not? Great young team that could be stalled by injuries once again. Nuggets will score plenty of points, but the loss of Camby makes them even worse defensively, they’ll battle for the 8th seen to no avail.

Pacific:
1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Phoenix Suns
3. Los Angeles Clippers
4. Golden State Warriors
5. Sacramento Kings

Lakers look like the clear cut favorite bringing everyone back from the Western Conference championship team plus Andrew Bynum. After that it could get interesting. A full season with Shaq and Grant Hill in Phoenix with a new coach. Nash and Amare are good enough to get any team to the playoffs. Corey Maggette is now on the Warriors with Baron Davis and Marcus Camby playing for the Clips. The injury of Monta Ellis significantly impacts their chances of a post season appearance.

Southwest:
1. New Orleans Hornets
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Houston Rockets
4. Dallas Mavericks
5. Memphis Grizzlies

The Celtics lost James Posey and the Hornets found him. He could very well be the missing piece. Ron Artest comes to Houston to shake things up a bit. If Yao and T-Mac stay healthy (goodluck) they could be a major player. The Spurs are the Spurs, and the Mavs have Dirk and a new head coach. Put everything together and you got the toughest division in basketball, and the only one with 4 playoff teams.


Playoffs:

Eastern Finals: Celtics over Raptors
Western Finals: Hornets over Jazz

Finals: Celtics over Hornets

Awards:

MVP: Chris Paul, Hornets

Rookie of the Year: Michael Beasley, Heat

Defensive Player of the Year: Kevin Garnett, Celtics

6th Man of the Year: Lamar Odom, Lakers

Coach of the Year: Nate McMillan, Trail Blazers

All-NBA 1st Team:
Chris Paul, Hornets
Kobe Bryant, Lakers
LeBron James, Cavaliers
Amare Stoudemire, Suns
Dwight Howard, Magic

All-NBA 2nd Team:
Deron Williams, Jazz
Dwayne Wade, Heat
Chris Bosh, Raptors
Kevin Garnett, Celtics
Tim Duncan, Spurs

All-Rookie Team:
Michael Beasely, Heat
Greg Oden, Trail Blazers
Derrick Rose, Bulls
O.J. Mayo, Grizzlies
Eric Gordon, Clippers
Rudy Fernandez, Trail Blazers*

*Some how left him off, the next day had to add him. Watching the Olympics I said he could potentially win the ROY over Beasley and teammate Oden. Also we've seen at least 6 guys be named to the All-Rookie team before, so I'm keeping 6.

-Keefe

The Sports Brief's Week 8 NFL picks

The Sports Brief hits the road this weekend. We will be up at Jillian's tomorrow night in Manchester, NH to watch the execution of Patrick Cote. Anderson Silva will play the role of executioner. All kidding aside, Cote does have boulders for hands and a chin of granite, so it could be fairly exciting. If he get inside the long reach of Silva, you never know what will happen. Mark Delagrotte is a master of gameplans, so perhaps this will be just a taste of what he brings to the table if Kenny Florian ever gets to match up against BJ Penn.

On Sunday, we take our act to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA for a rematch (of sorts) between the St. Louis Rams and your New England Patriots. Should be interesting to see if there's a letdown for either team. The Pats have scored some impressive wins and followed that up with horrible losses. The Rams, meanwhile, are streaking under new head coach Jim Haselett. Steven Jackson is questionable, and I would assume that every Patriots fans is hoping he's unable to go. The last thing the Pats need is another Ronnie Brownesque performance. Anyway, onto the picks. Keefe and I have been taking a beating as of late. Let's hope it gets better.

Keefe's picks:

Last Week: 5-9 overall: 48-54

"I will not comment on each game until I am above .500. It’s not worth it for anyone involved. Let’s see if I can get back in it with these…"

Buccaneers +3.5 over Cowboys
Redskins -7.5 over Lions
Bills -1.5 over Dolphins
Patriots -7.5 over Rams
Chargers -3.5 over Saints (in London)
Jets -12.5 over Chiefs
Falcons +8.5 over Eagles
Raiders +6.5 over Ravens
Cardinals +4.5 over Panthers
Browns +6.5 over Jaguars
Texans -9.5 over Bengals
Giants +2.5 over Steelers
49ers -4.5 over Seahawks
Titans -4.5 over Colts

Besse's picks:

Last week: 5-9; Overall: 53-49

This week I gave up on trying to figure out matchups, as well. Instead, I clicked on teams I want to win. Not sure how that'll work out, but at least I'll be rooting for teams that I want to cover.

Bucs +3.5 over Cowboys
Saints +3.5 over Chargers
Panthers -4.5 over Cardinals
Falcons +8.5 over Eagles
Ravens -6.5 over Raiders
Pats -7.5 over Rams
Redskins -7.5 over Lions
Jets -12.5 over Chiefs
Dolphins +1.5 over Bills
Browns +6.5 over Jaguars
Texans -9.5 over Bengals
Giants +2.5 over Steelers
49ers -4.5 over Seahawks
Colts +4.5 over Titans

Random Rob's picks:
Last week: 5-9; Overall: 58-44

Cowboys
Chargers
Cardinals
Eagles
Ravens
Pats
Redskins
Jets
Bills
Jaguars
Texans
Steelers
Seahawks
Titans

-Bess

Success causing complacency in Red Sox Nation

The Red Sox season ended last night in Game 7 of the ALCS. The last time the Sox lost in a deciding Game 7 of the Championship Series was back in 2003, the old Aaron Boone classic. For Sox fans, the feeling of watching Tim Wakefield giving up the gopher ball to Boone was the most painful sports moment. Probably even worse than the Tim Duncan draft lottery, the Oden/ Durant draft lottery, and even the Patriots losing the Super Bowl last year with a chance for perfection. It was that bad. The team had come so close, but ultimately it was another year, (85 at the time, but I don’t think anyone was counting, without a World Series title.)

So why did last night’s loss not seem to bother the fans, players, and manager like it did just 5 years ago? 1 win away from the World Series. Is it as simple as the team had won twice the previous four years? Really? I guess maybe that’s good enough for some. Don’t get me wrong there are fans out there who live and die with this team, and they’re not worried about 2003, 2004, 2007, or even 2009, just this team right here and right now.

Terry Francona said, and I’m paraphrasing, that’s he has had the most fun he’s ever had the past couple of months. Wow. I guess World Series rings in ’04 and ’07 weren’t a good time. I think winning it again would have been fun Tito. Maybe that’s just me. I don’t know if this was a cheap shot at Manny Ramirez, by saying how enjoyable the past 2 months were, (the only 2 months Francona has managed the Sox without Manny). This goes back to my article “Sox Gave Away Manny,” chemistry, getting alone, and having fun is important, but so is talent. The team made it further, I’ll admit then I thought when they handed LA the division, and paid for it mind you, but still this was the defending World Series champions. Do you want to get along and have fun playing cards or win? Theo and the crew made their decision.

In 2003, on October 17th, the day after, no Red Sox fan had a productive day. Even if you were able to make it to work or school you were simply in a daze. After 11 innings and having your heart ripped out your chest Temple of Doom style you just went through the motions the next day, at best.

Today? The day after yet another Game 7 loss in the ALCS? You hear things, “They were down 3-1,” “4 ALCS’s in the past 6 years,” “The future is bright (we’ll access this point later on),” “Patriots play the Broncos tonight,” “Celtics start next week,” “The Sports Brief is the best sports blog out there.” Ok not all of that is being said. I still feel that a combination of winning 2 World Series rings has taken away that killer instinct. And not just 2 Championships for the Sox, but look at the entire sports town.

In this decade the New England Patriots got the whole thing started and won 3 Super Bowls, the Boston Red Sox have won 2 World Series titles, the Boston Celtics just won the NBA title, and the Bruins still have a team, so I’ve been told. What comes from all of this? Mainly, spoiled fans. The New England fan base has changed tremendously in the past 7-8 years. Now everyone expects their teams to win, and if they don’t, well look back at all the other trophies and banners. As Besse points out, For a fan base that grew tired of losing and anxious for a World Series title, it's hard to believe that it's now growing tired of winning.

Is the excitement still there? As Jalbert pointed out in his “Old School Fenway” piece, it is, but you have to look for it. It’s not there as much as before with all the corporate and front running fans. For die hard fans, it can be tough, but you have to block out all of those people who can seemingly bring your experience down. Don’t forget, winning championships, despite the recent trend is not easy. My grandfather has still seen the Sox win as many times as I have. Don’t take the success of these teams for granted. Remember it wasn’t that long ago when I was writing letters to the Patriots to start Scott Zolak because he actually won a game.

The 2008 baseball season is over for the Sox, we’ll let it marinate for just a little bit. But here comes the off season. And this isn’t an off season coming of a World Series title, where you have to debate on whether you even need a guy like Johan Santana. No, this will be different. Health, free agents, trades, will be more important this time around. And don’t look now but the American League champs just got better last night, during the game… David Price is here to stay.

-Keefe

Old School Fenway

The Sports Brief is proud to offer you a special submission from reader and dear friend Brian Jalbert. Please don't forget to scroll down and enjoy our Week 7 NFL picks after this terrific read.

As I was sitting in my seat at Fenway last night for Game 5 of the ALCS, for most of the game, I had planned in my head what type of rant I was going to go on after the game was finally over, the series was finally over, and the season was over. I had a list of things I wanted to complain about, most of which had nothing to do with the Red Sox team, but more with the fans.

Scenario number 1: Two couples sat to our left trying to throw peanuts into each other's mouths from a distance of five feet away. This would be acceptable in a middle school cafeteria maybe, but completely unacceptable at a Red Sox playoff game. Especially in the fifth inning of a possible elimination game. And especially during pitches so I can't see the damn game! (I know I said they were to my left, but anyone that has been to Fenway before knows that if you're in the right field grandstands, section 8 to be exact, your whole body is turned to the left to see the game.

Scenario number 2: The professional camera man. Sitting behind me was a man with a camera so large that I thought it was an old school computer from the 80's. Anytime a big play happened (which wasn't often before 2 outs in the 7th), while most of us were cheering, this guy was busy taking pictures. It made absolutely no sense to me. Although after looking at some of the photos on his camera, it was pretty cool. But that's beside the point.

Scenario number 3: A two-run double puts the Rays up 7-0, the fair-weather fans start to leave the ballpark. This is a playoff game. Not only is it a playoff game, but it's a do-or-die playoff game. If they lose, that's it. How do you leave early? Isn't there a tiny 1% chance of you that thinks they could make the comeback? And if they do make this comeback, don't you want to say "I was there!" instead of saying "Well, we left in the top of the 7th because it was getting late."

And this is what Fenway has become my friends. It was making me sad right before my very eyes. I've been going to games for a while now. I've even emptied out my bank account when I was younger in order to go to a regular season game that Pedro was pitching in the middle of April. I also hold the record for most Sports Bars consumed in one game at 12, but that can be written about in another article. I remember the days of tie ball games in the 8th and hoping Brian Daubach would get a chance in the 9th because he "had a flare for the dramatic." I remember the days that place was loud, that place was the place to be. I never wanted to leave. Most of all, I remember going to game 4 of the 2004 ALCS and fans still holding out hope even though we were down 3-0 in the series to the Yankees, a team we NEVER beat. Now, Fenway had turned into something I was almost embarrassed of. My aunt, who admittedly is not a huge baseball fan, lives in Tampa. Around the 5th, she called me and asked why the crowd was so quiet. She told me we needed some of those cowbells that her fans in Tampa had. I calmly explained to her that in Boston, we always prided ourselves on never having to use cowbells or thunderstix because we made our own noise. And that's what had made Fenway so amazing over the years. It was still old school. The fans still had to show up and make the noise to become the 10th man on the field. Not anymore though. It seemed those days were gone and the "real fans" were far and few between. As that top of the 7th rolled on, I began to wonder if the old Fenway would ever come back. If the place would ever shake again the way it used to. If it would ever be so loud that you couldn't even hear the music playing after a big play or a big hit.

Then, something happened. Almost as if the 7-0 lead by the Rays weeded out those fair-weather fans. They had all left. Now, all that was left at Fenway was about 33,000 people who cared. About 33,000 people who knew they probably weren't going to win this game, but also knew there was a 1% chance that they did win the game and at no point did they want to miss it.

As Pedroia hit a single that stayed in the air for a good 3 hours to right, the place started to gain some life back. Maybe it was a mock cheer because we had cut the lead to 7-1, maybe it was the fact that Gabe Gross easily could have caught the ball, or maybe it was just pure excitement from the Fenway Faithful. Whatever it was, the place was damn loud for a 6 run ballgame. Just as we were settling back in, Papi comes up and puts one out of the park. And we're not talking about a home run that just cleared the wall, we're talking a good 20 rows back. All of a sudden, Fenway was back! The place was loud. People were jumping up and down all over again. It felt like it was a late 90's, early 2000's walk off game. They were down 7-4, but the place was just hoppin because everyone knew that they weren't out of this yet. Fenway was old school once again and it was LOUD! A four run 7th cuts the lead to 3 and Fenway was the place to be. At that moment, I was picturing a man in a business suit trying to get back into the stadium and laughing. Of course, the man behind us was still flashing his camera, and the couples to our left didn't seem to care much, but 99% of that stadium cared. And they cared a lot. As the game went on, we all know how it ended. J.D. Drew became a hero, Sox win, I ate at least 3 Fenway Franks, and the place went nuts. The place was literally shaking. I've never felt anything like it. My knee is swollen to the size of a hot air balloon today from jumping up and coming down awkwardly on it, but at no point last night did I care. Nobody cared. The Sox won. All our worries were behind us.

The whole experience made me feel good again. Made me proud to be a Boston fan again. As the security was kicking us out about 45 minutes after the game, we proceeded to high five the people around us and be on our way. And while I'm watching Games 6 and 7 over the weekend, I'm going to hear those cowbells and think to myself, I'm happy to have had Old School Fenway back, even if it was just for one night.

-Jalbert

The Sports Brief's Week 7 NFL picks

I'll admit, I (Besse) went to bed before the Red Sox dramatic comeback last night at Fenway Park. Then again, I know a lot of people that went to bed or left the park, as well. But they all did it when the score was 5-0, or if that wasn't enough, waited until Upton hooked one of the wall in left off Papelbon to make it 7-0. For me, I waited until Ortiz launched a Tiger Woods tee shot into the right field seats to make it 7-4 and a ballgame again. I couldn't do it. I was exhausted and sure the Rays would hold on. The last thing I wanted to do was stay up waiting for a dramatic comeback and not get it, or even worse, root for the Rays to hold and collapse. So instead, I slept soundly until I got a text from a buddy saying, "Wow. What a comeback." Mind you, I'm rooting for the Rays here for several reasons:

1) I just don't like Boston. Not when the team is led by Pedroia and Youkilis, two of the biggest shitheads in all of baseball.
2) Carlos Pena. We both played at Northeastern, although I'd say he played a bit more and a bit better than I did. I also played with his brother Omar, who was a hell of a player himself.
3) Evan Longoria. What a player.
4) What a story. This team is so exciting to watch, and after 10 years of holding down the fort in the basement of the AL East all those first round picks are paying on.
5) I have a friendly lunch bet going with a co-worker who is also a season ticket holder at Fenway. I'm not exactly making bank right now, so any free lunch is certainly welcome when I can get it.

Nonetheless, at least the comeback makes the series exciting again, and will give the Rays the chance to clinch at home. But I said it after Game 4 and I'll say it again, Francona lined up his rotation for this exact situation. Down 3-1, he had a fighting chance with Dice-K, Beckett and Lester. Although the Sox dodged a bullet last night with Dice-K, they now send one of the greatest postseason pitchers of all time seeking redemption, and one of the best lefties in the game today coming off a rough start. The Sox are in great shape to make another run, but the Rays have been resilient all year. This should make for absolute tremendous threater. Too bad Chip Carey and company have the call. Where's Donny O. and Rem-Dawg when you need 'em?

Game six actually being necessary does pose a bit of a problem for us here at The Sports Brief, however. You see, UFC 89 takes place in England on Saturday and is being show, for free, on SpikeTV in a delayed telecast. Headlining the card is an exciting showdown between two promising middleweights. Chris "The Crippler" Leben, fresh of a 30-day stint in the slammer, takes on Michael "The Count" Bisping, who has looked very impressive in a pair of middleweight fights since dropping from 205. Keefe and I are both die-hard Leben fans. He's an exciting fighter who loves to brawl and has a chin of iron, granite, brick, whatever. The only guy to knock him out is Anderson Silva, and well, it's almost an honor at this point to be knocked out by Silva. Bisping, meanwhile, is relentless. He fights at a torrid pace, something you might expect out of Manny Pacquiao at 135 lbs. He doesn't throw bombs like Leben, and his chin, for the most part, is untested. But he's highly skilled, athletic and agile, and it should make for a terrific matchup.

On the undercard, Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine takes on Brandon "The Truth" Vera. Jardine is coming off that awful, brutal beatdown at the hands of The Axe Murderer. But he's taking on Vera, a fighter with a completely different style and approach, perhaps one that is tailored to Jardine's liking. Vera is in search of an impressive victory after a couple snoozers for wins, but Jardine is in the same boat.

Keefe and I will go on the record as saying that we like Leben and Jardine, both 'dawgs in Vegas, to come out as winners on Saturday. If you can parlay that ass, let us know. You should consider doing it too.

Onto the picks. I'm praying that Romo starts this week. I have him in four fantasy leagues and need him. I went to pick up Brad Johnson in those leagues as insurance, but in my ESPN league, "Turd Ferguson" (my girlfriend's brother) made a strategic move and claimed him on waivers ahead of me. Well played. I texted him and told him I hope Romo plays just to spite him. Some solid action ahead of us this weekend, including what could be a brutal Monday Night game between the Broncos and Pats. Keefe and I are heading to Gillette next week for the Rams game. Normally we'd be excited, but with Matt Cassel at the helm, that's certainly not the case these days.

For Random Rob this week, I utilized the little box of paper clips on my desk. I counted out seven red (Home team), seven blue (Away team), seven green (Favorite) and seven purple (Underdog). I gave it a hard shake or two, then drew a clip for each game, matching up the color with the respective team.

Keefe's picks:
Last week 7-7, overall 43-45

Chargers +0.5 over the Bills
In a basically pick em game I’ll go with San Diego after what they did to the Pats last week. Bills are good, but get their 2nd loss.

Bears -3.5 over Vikings
Kyle Orton has provided some passing to the offense that’s needed a boast. Matt Forte is solid, but they’ll be better off passing this week in the battle of 3-3 teams in the NFC North.

Steelers -9.5 over Bengals
Is Carson Palmer healthy? I don’t know.

Chiefs +7.5 over Titans
Undefeated Titans have a close call in a game they should dominate. Chris Johnson has good game coming off the bye week.

Saints +3.5 over Panthers
Carolina D looks sorry last week, think the Saints should put up some points.

Cowboys -6.5 over Rams
Roy Williams, in. Pacman Jones, out. Tony Romo, ? Either way America’s team wins by at least a touchdown.

Dolphins -2.5 over Ravens
Ravens O is terrible. The D, is ok. Miami will continue to surprise with another W.

49ers +10.5 over Giants
Giants should bounce back with a win, but asking them to cover with that number, is too much.

Texans -8.5 over Lions
How many 1 win teams in week 7 of the NFL season have been 8.5 point favorites? I’ll still take Schaub, Andre Johnson and the Texans.

Raiders +3.5 over Jets
If the Jets are going to be a playoff team this is one they need to have. I think they win it, but it’s close.

Browns +7.5 over Redskins
Browns beat the Giants, and the Skins loss to the Rams, and Washington is understandably 7.5 point favorites this week. How about the NFL? Anderson and Edwards looked like the ’07 Browns last week, keep an eye on them.

Packers +1.5 over Colts
Colts looked good last week, but how much does it matter? I’ll take Aaron Rodgers and the points this week. No Addai for Indy.

Buccaneers -10.5 over Seahawks
Talk about a stinker on Sunday Night. Seattle is hurting, and quietly Tampa Bay is having a nice season. Can that city have playoff baseball and football this year?

Broncos +3.5 over Patriots
Patriots don’t deserve to be the favorites after last weeks game. It’s not just Matt Cassel hurting this team. The secondary was brutal. Malcolm Floyd and Vincent Jackson looked like All-Pros, what will Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal do on MNF? I’m afraid to watch.

Besse's picks:
Last week: 5-9, Overall: 48-40

Chargers +0.5 over Bills
San Diego looked impressive against the Patriots last week, and I still think the Bills are slightly overrated. Edwards suffered a concussion and it'll be interesting to see how he bounces back after the bye week. LT has a solid two score game.

Vikings +3.5 over Bears
Matt Ryan passed for 301 yards against that Bears secondary. Gus Frerotte is a solid veteran who will find some open lanes through the air and create a little breathing room for AP. Bears may win by a FG, but don't cover.

Steelers -9.5 over Bengals
Carson Palmer is out. Willie Parker is also out. Bengals have a solid pass defense, and but Mewelde Moore has been a nice fill-in. He should rush for 100 yards and a score or two while Big Ben should just limit the mistakes. Solid win for the Steelers here.

Titans -7.5 over Chiefs
Larry Johnson has been suspended and the Chiefs already suck. Look for a virtual shutout in this one for the Titans defense.

Saints +3.5 over Panthers
This could be a fun game to watch two offenses go at it. Both quarterbacks have a lot of weapons, but Brees is one of the best in the game AND he gets Colston AND Shockey (potentially) back this week. I really like this Saints team.

Rame +6.5 over Cowboys
Cowboys win, but there have been a lot of distractions this week. Pacman is a tough hit to that already porous secondary. Whether Romo plays or not, the offense should be sufficient. With him, it's explosive. But the Rams should have some openings to score points this week and at least keep pace for a while.

Dolphins -2.5 over Ravens
I was sorely disappointed by the Ravens defense last week. And that offense is just pathetic. This seems like a trap game to me in terms of betting, but the Dolphins are playing some solid football these days.

Giants -10.5 over 49ers
This could be the last time JT O'Sullivan quarterbacks an NFL team. He has completely wilted under pressure the last couple weeks, and the Giants defensive line will do just that. Solid bounce back performance for the Giants here.

Texans -8.5 over Lions
I think we have a new poll question. Worst current starting quarterback in football is a) Dan Orlovsky b) JT O'Sullivan c) Joe Flacco d) Seneca Wallace e) Matt Cassel

Jets -3.5 over Raiders
This Jets team is looking better and better to me. Raiders are still a joke, and McFadden is coming down to earth a bit.

Browns +7.5 over Redskins
Good game here. Browns looked like they found themselves a bit last week. Jason Campbell needs to pull his head out of his ass and start looking for Santana Moss again. Redskins should bounce back with a win, but no way do they cover the spread.

Colts -1.5 over Packers
No Addai? No problem. Colts continue to roll over Rodgers and the Packers with Dominic Rhodes filling in. Pick him up in fantasy.

Buccaneers -10.5 over Seahawks
This spread could have been 80 and I would have taken the Bucs. Seahawks are the worst team in the NFL right now without Matt Hasselbeck.

Broncos +3.5 over Patriots
How are the Pats a favorite? I can't believe this. I feel like this is one of those "bet the house on this one" games. Even if the Pats find a way to win, it's only by a field goal. Broncos are just a much better team on paper.

Random Rob's picks:
Last week: 9-5, Overall: 53-35

Chargers
Vikings
Bengals
Chiefs
Panthers
Cowboys
Dolphins
Giants
Texans
Raiders
Browns
Colts
Bucs
Pats

-Bess

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