With a short week and three games on the docket tomorrow, we wanted to make sure we got these out today. By the way, last night I joined a few former teammates over at Northeastern for the NU-BU men’s hoops game. It was being dubbed the “Battle of Boston”. NU took a 41-40 lead into the half, but the Terriers came out firing in the 2nd half and took home an 83-75 win. I have to say, although I was excited about the Catamounts in America East this year, the Terriers are the team to beat. That’s a legit squad that could give a lot of major teams some fits, especially come tournament time. They shot 15-31 from behind the 3-point line. It was ridiculous.
Anyway, after the game we went to Conor Larkin’s on campus for Tuesday Night Trivia. We got 17 of 19 correct but didn’t take home the title. However, our consolation was winning best team name and a free pitcher of Bud Light. The winning team name was “Mangini’s Magnificent Meat Curtains”. I assume the owners of the bar thought we meant Eric Mangini and thus found it humorous. However, it was not Eric we were referring to…let your mind wander where it may. Regardless, it got us the consolation victory and that much closer to being fully inebriated.
During trivia, a few sports questions came up. I’ll share them and post the answers at the end of the picks:
1) Of the five major BCS bowl games, FOX has the TV rights to all but one. Which is it?
2) Who is the only player in college football history to win the Heisman trophy twice?
3) Which NHL player holds the record for most goals scored in a season (92)?
4) Bonus question, each answer being worth a point, was: What are the four remaining undefeated teams in college football?
Onto the picks…
Keefe’s picks:
Last week: 5-11; overall: 86-90
Titans -11.5 over Lions
Cowboys -12.5 over Seahawks
Cardinals +2.5 over Eagles
Bills -6.5 over 49ers
Ravens -7.5 over Bengals
Colts -4.5 over Browns
Panthers +3.5 over Packers
Dolphins -7.5 over Rams
Saints +4.5 over Buccaneers
Redskins +3.5 over Giants
Falcons +5.5 over Chargers
Jets -7.5 over Broncos
Raiders -2.5 over Chiefs
Steelers +1.5 over Patriots
Vikings -3.5 over Bears
Texans -3.5 over Jaguars
Besse’s picks:
Last week: 11-5; overall 96-80
Titans -11.5 over Lions
Cowboys -12.5 over Seahawks
Cardinals +2.5 over Eagles
49ers +6.5 over Bills
Ravens -7.5 over Bengals
Colts -4.5 over Browns
Panthers +3.5 over Packers
Dolphins -7.5 over Rams
Saints +4.5 over Buccaneers
Redskins +3.5 over Giants
Chargers -5.5 over Falcons
Broncos +7.5 over Jets
Chiefs +2.5 over Raiders
Patriots -1.5 over Steelers
Bears +3.5 over Vikings
Texans -3.5 over Jaguars
Random Rob’s picks
Last week: 6-10; overall: 97-79
Lions
Cowboys
Eagles
49ers
Ravens
Browns
Packers
Dolphins
Saints
Giants
Falcons
Jets
Chiefs
Steelers
Bears
Texans
Answers to the trivia questions:
1) Rose Bowl (ABC)
2) Archie Griffin
3) Wayne Gretzky
4) Alabama, Utah, Boise State, Ball State
Oh and by the way, remember how I hyped up Delaware’s volleyball team during last Sunday’s picks? Yea, they went ahead and beat Northeastern 3-2 to win the CAA championships. Can you say four in a row? Remember where you heard it first!!!
Happy thanksgiving to everyone from The Sports Brief.
-Bess
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
The Sports Brief's Week 12 NFL picks
Sorry these picks didn’t get up until today, but I wanted to make sure we posted them to keep the season going. Besides, Rich is finally over .500 and he needs to be commended for that. I would have posted them Friday as usual, but I actually had to do work. God forbid.
Then I wanted to post them yesterday, but had to work the Northeastern football game against URI. For the record, it was the coldest experience of my life. I now know what hikers/climbers are going through ascending Mount Everest, Kilimanjaro, whatever. It was awful. The only positive that came of the weather was that the two teams rushed a combined 74 times. That clock just kept burning and the game only went 2:50.
After the game I parlayed that by working a CAA women’s volleyball tournament game between Delaware and Towson. It pays bills so relax. Northeastern won the regular season and claimed the rights to host the tournament. I’m going to make a bold prediction right now. You may not care, but four years from now when you catch wind of it, you’ll have this tucked away and you’ll go, “Wow, Besse from The Sports Brief called that.” Here it is:
Delaware may or not win the tournament this year. After watching them yesterday, they’ll pose a tough challenge to the other remaining three teams. But I’m predicting that after this season, they’ll win the CAA title three consecutive years. And here’s why. Two All-CAA rookies Kim Stewart and Elena Delle Donne. For those of you that follow women’s college basketball, Delle Donne is former high school player of the year in basketball out of Ursuline (Del.) Academy that committed to UConn, then abruptly left to play volleyball at Delaware citing she was burned out and no longer wanted to play basketball. She’s 6’5 and an absolute smokeshow.
I also went ahead and pulled a YouTube video that highlights her career at Ursuline. She started as an 8th grader and dropped 2,818 points in her career, a state record. Oh and she missed most of her senior year with mono. Go to the 8:20 mark of this video and watch her drop 51, a career high, in a game her senior year with eight 3-pointers. 6’5 and she’s sniping 3’s like it’s NBA Jam.
Oh and if that wasn’t enough, she was also on ESPN’s “NEXT”.
I guess it goes to show that no matter how good you may be it’s not worth playing if you’re miserable. I applaud Delle Donne for making the decision. You can only hope other young student athletes can use her as a guide in assessing their situations and making a similar decision. Parents and coaches are getting increasingly overbearing on young players in all sports these days, vicariously living through them and pushing for college scholarships and professional contracts; it’s becoming more about their egos than the success of the players, and athletes burning out as Delle Donne did will not be uncommon. Nonetheless, Delle Donne and Stewart are absolutely ridiculous volleyball players, especially as freshmen. If they don’t win three straight after this year something had to have gone horribly wrong.
Onto the picks…
Keefe’s picks:
Last week: 12-4; overall: 81-79
Steelers -10.5 over Bengals
Panthers +1.5 over Falcons
Browns -3.5 over Texans
49ers +10.5 over Cowboys
Lions +8.5 over Buccaneers
Titans -5.5 over Jets
Chiefs +3.5 over Bills
Rams +7.5 over Bears
Patriots +1.5 over Dolphins
Vikings +2.5 over Jaguars
Ravens -1.5 over Eagles
Raiders +9.5 over Broncos
Cardinals +3.5 over Giants
Redskins -3.5 over Seahawks
Chargers -2.5 over Colts
Packers +2.5 over Saints
Besse’s picks:
Last week: 11-5; overall: 85-75
Steelers -10.5 over Bengals
Panthers +1.5 over Falcons
Texans +3.5 over Browns
Cowboys -10.5 over 49ers
Buccaneers -8.5 over Lions
Jets +5.5 over Titans
Bills -3.5 over Chiefs
Rams +7.5 over Bears
Patriots +1.5 over Dolphins
Vikings +2.5 over Jaguars
Eagles +1.5 over Ravens
Broncos -9.5 over Raiders
Cardinals +3.5 over Giants
Seahawks +3.5 over Redskins
Colts +2.5 over Chargers
Saints -2.5 over Packers
Random Rob’s picks:
Last week: 8-8; overall 91-69
Steelers
Panthers
Browns
49ers
Lions
Jets
Chiefs
Rams
Pats
Jags
Ravens
Raiders
Cardinals
Seahawks
Chargers
Packers
-Besse
Then I wanted to post them yesterday, but had to work the Northeastern football game against URI. For the record, it was the coldest experience of my life. I now know what hikers/climbers are going through ascending Mount Everest, Kilimanjaro, whatever. It was awful. The only positive that came of the weather was that the two teams rushed a combined 74 times. That clock just kept burning and the game only went 2:50.
After the game I parlayed that by working a CAA women’s volleyball tournament game between Delaware and Towson. It pays bills so relax. Northeastern won the regular season and claimed the rights to host the tournament. I’m going to make a bold prediction right now. You may not care, but four years from now when you catch wind of it, you’ll have this tucked away and you’ll go, “Wow, Besse from The Sports Brief called that.” Here it is:
Delaware may or not win the tournament this year. After watching them yesterday, they’ll pose a tough challenge to the other remaining three teams. But I’m predicting that after this season, they’ll win the CAA title three consecutive years. And here’s why. Two All-CAA rookies Kim Stewart and Elena Delle Donne. For those of you that follow women’s college basketball, Delle Donne is former high school player of the year in basketball out of Ursuline (Del.) Academy that committed to UConn, then abruptly left to play volleyball at Delaware citing she was burned out and no longer wanted to play basketball. She’s 6’5 and an absolute smokeshow.
I also went ahead and pulled a YouTube video that highlights her career at Ursuline. She started as an 8th grader and dropped 2,818 points in her career, a state record. Oh and she missed most of her senior year with mono. Go to the 8:20 mark of this video and watch her drop 51, a career high, in a game her senior year with eight 3-pointers. 6’5 and she’s sniping 3’s like it’s NBA Jam.
Oh and if that wasn’t enough, she was also on ESPN’s “NEXT”.
I guess it goes to show that no matter how good you may be it’s not worth playing if you’re miserable. I applaud Delle Donne for making the decision. You can only hope other young student athletes can use her as a guide in assessing their situations and making a similar decision. Parents and coaches are getting increasingly overbearing on young players in all sports these days, vicariously living through them and pushing for college scholarships and professional contracts; it’s becoming more about their egos than the success of the players, and athletes burning out as Delle Donne did will not be uncommon. Nonetheless, Delle Donne and Stewart are absolutely ridiculous volleyball players, especially as freshmen. If they don’t win three straight after this year something had to have gone horribly wrong.
Onto the picks…
Keefe’s picks:
Last week: 12-4; overall: 81-79
Steelers -10.5 over Bengals
Panthers +1.5 over Falcons
Browns -3.5 over Texans
49ers +10.5 over Cowboys
Lions +8.5 over Buccaneers
Titans -5.5 over Jets
Chiefs +3.5 over Bills
Rams +7.5 over Bears
Patriots +1.5 over Dolphins
Vikings +2.5 over Jaguars
Ravens -1.5 over Eagles
Raiders +9.5 over Broncos
Cardinals +3.5 over Giants
Redskins -3.5 over Seahawks
Chargers -2.5 over Colts
Packers +2.5 over Saints
Besse’s picks:
Last week: 11-5; overall: 85-75
Steelers -10.5 over Bengals
Panthers +1.5 over Falcons
Texans +3.5 over Browns
Cowboys -10.5 over 49ers
Buccaneers -8.5 over Lions
Jets +5.5 over Titans
Bills -3.5 over Chiefs
Rams +7.5 over Bears
Patriots +1.5 over Dolphins
Vikings +2.5 over Jaguars
Eagles +1.5 over Ravens
Broncos -9.5 over Raiders
Cardinals +3.5 over Giants
Seahawks +3.5 over Redskins
Colts +2.5 over Chargers
Saints -2.5 over Packers
Random Rob’s picks:
Last week: 8-8; overall 91-69
Steelers
Panthers
Browns
49ers
Lions
Jets
Chiefs
Rams
Pats
Jags
Ravens
Raiders
Cardinals
Seahawks
Chargers
Packers
-Besse
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
And the best MMA heavyweight in the world is...
According to this video, Fedor still reigns supreme. This is absolute gold, whoever put this together. Check out the gut on Mir. As funny as it is though, you still have to wonder how someone has this much time on their hands...but bravo. And great ending.
Brock Lesnar VS Frank Mir at UFC 81 - Watch more Free Videos
-Bess
Brock Lesnar VS Frank Mir at UFC 81 - Watch more Free Videos
-Bess
The Sports Brief's MMA rankings 11.19.08
Heavyweight:
1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
3. Brock Lesnar
4. Andrei Arlovski
5. Josh Barnett
6. Randy Couture
7. Tim Sylvia
8. Alistair Overeem
9. Frank Mir
10. Gabriel Gonzaga
Honorable mention: Shane Carwin, Ben Rothwell, Fabricio Werdum, Heath Herring, Chiek Kongo, Aleksander Emelianenko, Mirko Cro Cop, Junior Dos Santos
What an impressive performance by Lesnar at UFC 91. At this point, you have to think that guys like Fedor, Nog and Mir have the best chance to take him down with their ability to win a fight off their back. Gonzaga had a solid showing, as well, and with his size, grappling and jiu-jitsu technique, perhaps he’s on his way to another title challenge. Shane Carwin is a sleeper, as well. His striking may be more ferocious than Lesnar, but his wrestling, while credible, is not up to par. It’ll be interesting to see how the UFC develops him as a potential star. Nonetheless, the Fedor-Arlovski fight on the Affliction card should be a blockbuster.
Light Heavyweight:
1. Forrest Griffin
2. Quinton Jackson
3. Lyoto Machida
4. Wanderlei Silva
5. Rashad Evans
6. Maurcio ‘Shogun’ Rua
7. Chuck Liddell
8. Thiago Silva
9. Keith Jardine
10. Babalu Sobral
Honorable mention: Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Tito Ortiz, Vladimir Matyushenko, Brandon Vera, Luis Cane
Pretty cool that UFC 92 will feature four of The Sports Brief’s top-5 light heavyweights in the world on the same card. Machida and Silva will finally touch gloves at UFC 94, with the winner potentially looking at a title shot in the near future. Shogun returns at UFC 93 against Mark Coleman, and there are rumblings about a Chuck Liddell-Anderson Silva fight headlining UFC 95 in London, England. A lot of activity in this division in the coming months as the top fighters are competing against each other. It’ll be interesting to see how the division shakes out once the dust has settled.
Middleweight:
1. Anderson Silva
2. Matt Lindland
3. Dan Henderson
4. Rich Franklin
5. Robbie Lawler
6. Cung Le
7. Yushin Okami
8. Gegard Mousasi
9. Michael Bisping
10. Nathan Marquardt
Honorable mention: Denis Kang, Cael Sonnen, Paulo Filho, Frank Trigg, Patrick Cote, Frank Shamrock, Kazuo Misaki, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Thales Leites, Demian Maia, Chris Leben, Ricardo Almeida, Ronaldo Souza
The Anderson Silva-Patrick Cote was disappointing in how it ended, but I don’t feel Silva should have caught that much flack. I interpreted his performance as slow and methodical, picking apart his opponent in Roy Jones like fashion (his idol, by the way). While it was unfortunate to see Cote injure his knee to end the fight, there’s no doubt he was on his way to a loss. Perhaps the most unfortunate part of all this is that he almost deserves a rematch because of the premature ending, something that I certainly don’t want to see.
But the division is becoming more and more interesting. Lawler could potentially come over after EliteXC closed up shop, and Denis Kang has just been added to the mix fresh off a devastating knockout over “The man formerly known as the Beastman” Marvin Eastman.
Bisping and Maia seem in line for a contender clash, as well. Meanwhile, Henderson and Franklin will mix it up at 205. What does that do for anyone? Okami returns soon and will most likely be granted the next crack at Silva, but I don’t see him winning that fight if he even gets it. And with the WEC folding, Cael Sonnen is now a name to be discussed. His win over Filho, however, is tainted due to Filho showing up fat and disinterested.
Anyone see Mousasi kick the snot out of Ronaldo Souza? Look out for this guy. I’d be interested to see who he fights next.
Welterweight:
1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Jon Fitch
3. Jake Shields
4. Thiago Alves
5. Josh Koscheck
6. Diego Sanchez
t-7. Matt Hughes
t-7. Matt Serra
9. Karo Parisyan
10. Carlos Condit
Honorable mention: Nick Thompson, Mike Swick, Marcus Davis, Drew Fickett, Jay Hieron
This weight class has been fairly inactive as of late aside from Thiago Alves destroying Josh Koscheck. But I’ll tell you this: I became a huge Koscheck fan because of that fight. He took the fight on two weeks notice, took all that punishment but continued to come forward and scored some notable points against Alves. He had his moments and even appeared to hurt Alves at one point. And despite that convincing loss he’s still headlining the Dec. 10 Fight Night against Yoshida. The St. Pierre-Penn fight is still a couple months away, and this division will continue to be fairly quiet for a while. Hopefully Jake Shields signs with the UFC. He’s a legitimate threat to anyone in this division, especially the titleholder.
Lightweight:
1. BJ Penn
2. Eddie Alvarez
3. Joachim Hansen
4. Shinya Aoki
5. JZ Cavalcante
6. Takanori Gomi
7. Josh Thomson
8. Tatsuya Kawajiri
9. Sean Sherk
10. Kenny Florian
Honorable mention: Gilbert Melendez, KJ Noons, Nick Diaz, Victor Ribero, Joe Stevenson, Roger Huerta, Frankie Edgar
What an effort by Kenny Florian, and kudos to him for calling out BJ Penn. There’s no one left in the division for him to fight right now, not even Sean Sherk (at least not at the moment). The only unfortunate thing is that is will still be a long time before a fight with Penn happens, considering he is not fighting GSP until Super Bowl weekend.
Meanwhile, overseas where most of the lightweight talent is these guys all appear heading towards the K-1 New Years Eve event, where Hansen and Calvalcante are already scheduled to fight. Alvarez was supposed to fight Diaz on the Nov. 8 ShoXC event, but that was obviously scrapped. That would have been one hell of a fight. Suprisingly, Gomi lost a split decision to Johnny No Name last week, but we’ll chalk that up to a bad night. He’s still one of the best of the world.
Pound 4 Pound :
1. Anderson Silva
2. Fedor Emelianenko
3. Georges St. Pierre
4. BJ Penn
5. Miguel Torres
6. Forrest Griffin
7. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
8. Mike Brown
9. Quinton Jackson
10. Brock Lesnar
Lesnar creeps in with his impressive performance over Couture, and honestly, the sky is the limit for this guy. Don’t be surprised if he makes his way up this chart over the next year. Meanwhile, let’s all welcome unheralded Mike Brown to the mix, as he pops in at number 8 on the list. His impressive destruction of former WEC featherweight champ and pound for pound elitist Urijah Faber was shocking to some, but somewhat expected by others. He was bigger, stronger and more powerful than the former champ, and up until he caught Faber with that short right, he had been dominating and controlling the fight. I interpreted Faber’s ridiculous spinning back elbow as a somewhat desperate move, a sign that he realized it would take something spectacular and unordinary to chop down Brown.
Well there you have it. Let us know what you think and if we missed any fighters that you feel should be mentioned here. Chances are we may have, but for the most part we think we’ve accounted for the best in the world here.
-Bess
1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
3. Brock Lesnar
4. Andrei Arlovski
5. Josh Barnett
6. Randy Couture
7. Tim Sylvia
8. Alistair Overeem
9. Frank Mir
10. Gabriel Gonzaga
Honorable mention: Shane Carwin, Ben Rothwell, Fabricio Werdum, Heath Herring, Chiek Kongo, Aleksander Emelianenko, Mirko Cro Cop, Junior Dos Santos
What an impressive performance by Lesnar at UFC 91. At this point, you have to think that guys like Fedor, Nog and Mir have the best chance to take him down with their ability to win a fight off their back. Gonzaga had a solid showing, as well, and with his size, grappling and jiu-jitsu technique, perhaps he’s on his way to another title challenge. Shane Carwin is a sleeper, as well. His striking may be more ferocious than Lesnar, but his wrestling, while credible, is not up to par. It’ll be interesting to see how the UFC develops him as a potential star. Nonetheless, the Fedor-Arlovski fight on the Affliction card should be a blockbuster.
Light Heavyweight:
1. Forrest Griffin
2. Quinton Jackson
3. Lyoto Machida
4. Wanderlei Silva
5. Rashad Evans
6. Maurcio ‘Shogun’ Rua
7. Chuck Liddell
8. Thiago Silva
9. Keith Jardine
10. Babalu Sobral
Honorable mention: Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Tito Ortiz, Vladimir Matyushenko, Brandon Vera, Luis Cane
Pretty cool that UFC 92 will feature four of The Sports Brief’s top-5 light heavyweights in the world on the same card. Machida and Silva will finally touch gloves at UFC 94, with the winner potentially looking at a title shot in the near future. Shogun returns at UFC 93 against Mark Coleman, and there are rumblings about a Chuck Liddell-Anderson Silva fight headlining UFC 95 in London, England. A lot of activity in this division in the coming months as the top fighters are competing against each other. It’ll be interesting to see how the division shakes out once the dust has settled.
Middleweight:
1. Anderson Silva
2. Matt Lindland
3. Dan Henderson
4. Rich Franklin
5. Robbie Lawler
6. Cung Le
7. Yushin Okami
8. Gegard Mousasi
9. Michael Bisping
10. Nathan Marquardt
Honorable mention: Denis Kang, Cael Sonnen, Paulo Filho, Frank Trigg, Patrick Cote, Frank Shamrock, Kazuo Misaki, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Thales Leites, Demian Maia, Chris Leben, Ricardo Almeida, Ronaldo Souza
The Anderson Silva-Patrick Cote was disappointing in how it ended, but I don’t feel Silva should have caught that much flack. I interpreted his performance as slow and methodical, picking apart his opponent in Roy Jones like fashion (his idol, by the way). While it was unfortunate to see Cote injure his knee to end the fight, there’s no doubt he was on his way to a loss. Perhaps the most unfortunate part of all this is that he almost deserves a rematch because of the premature ending, something that I certainly don’t want to see.
But the division is becoming more and more interesting. Lawler could potentially come over after EliteXC closed up shop, and Denis Kang has just been added to the mix fresh off a devastating knockout over “The man formerly known as the Beastman” Marvin Eastman.
Bisping and Maia seem in line for a contender clash, as well. Meanwhile, Henderson and Franklin will mix it up at 205. What does that do for anyone? Okami returns soon and will most likely be granted the next crack at Silva, but I don’t see him winning that fight if he even gets it. And with the WEC folding, Cael Sonnen is now a name to be discussed. His win over Filho, however, is tainted due to Filho showing up fat and disinterested.
Anyone see Mousasi kick the snot out of Ronaldo Souza? Look out for this guy. I’d be interested to see who he fights next.
Welterweight:
1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Jon Fitch
3. Jake Shields
4. Thiago Alves
5. Josh Koscheck
6. Diego Sanchez
t-7. Matt Hughes
t-7. Matt Serra
9. Karo Parisyan
10. Carlos Condit
Honorable mention: Nick Thompson, Mike Swick, Marcus Davis, Drew Fickett, Jay Hieron
This weight class has been fairly inactive as of late aside from Thiago Alves destroying Josh Koscheck. But I’ll tell you this: I became a huge Koscheck fan because of that fight. He took the fight on two weeks notice, took all that punishment but continued to come forward and scored some notable points against Alves. He had his moments and even appeared to hurt Alves at one point. And despite that convincing loss he’s still headlining the Dec. 10 Fight Night against Yoshida. The St. Pierre-Penn fight is still a couple months away, and this division will continue to be fairly quiet for a while. Hopefully Jake Shields signs with the UFC. He’s a legitimate threat to anyone in this division, especially the titleholder.
Lightweight:
1. BJ Penn
2. Eddie Alvarez
3. Joachim Hansen
4. Shinya Aoki
5. JZ Cavalcante
6. Takanori Gomi
7. Josh Thomson
8. Tatsuya Kawajiri
9. Sean Sherk
10. Kenny Florian
Honorable mention: Gilbert Melendez, KJ Noons, Nick Diaz, Victor Ribero, Joe Stevenson, Roger Huerta, Frankie Edgar
What an effort by Kenny Florian, and kudos to him for calling out BJ Penn. There’s no one left in the division for him to fight right now, not even Sean Sherk (at least not at the moment). The only unfortunate thing is that is will still be a long time before a fight with Penn happens, considering he is not fighting GSP until Super Bowl weekend.
Meanwhile, overseas where most of the lightweight talent is these guys all appear heading towards the K-1 New Years Eve event, where Hansen and Calvalcante are already scheduled to fight. Alvarez was supposed to fight Diaz on the Nov. 8 ShoXC event, but that was obviously scrapped. That would have been one hell of a fight. Suprisingly, Gomi lost a split decision to Johnny No Name last week, but we’ll chalk that up to a bad night. He’s still one of the best of the world.
Pound 4 Pound :
1. Anderson Silva
2. Fedor Emelianenko
3. Georges St. Pierre
4. BJ Penn
5. Miguel Torres
6. Forrest Griffin
7. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
8. Mike Brown
9. Quinton Jackson
10. Brock Lesnar
Lesnar creeps in with his impressive performance over Couture, and honestly, the sky is the limit for this guy. Don’t be surprised if he makes his way up this chart over the next year. Meanwhile, let’s all welcome unheralded Mike Brown to the mix, as he pops in at number 8 on the list. His impressive destruction of former WEC featherweight champ and pound for pound elitist Urijah Faber was shocking to some, but somewhat expected by others. He was bigger, stronger and more powerful than the former champ, and up until he caught Faber with that short right, he had been dominating and controlling the fight. I interpreted Faber’s ridiculous spinning back elbow as a somewhat desperate move, a sign that he realized it would take something spectacular and unordinary to chop down Brown.
Well there you have it. Let us know what you think and if we missed any fighters that you feel should be mentioned here. Chances are we may have, but for the most part we think we’ve accounted for the best in the world here.
-Bess
Friday, November 14, 2008
The Sports Brief's Week 11 NFL picks
Half of The Sports Brief went to the Pats game last night against the Jets. Keefe would have gone, but he couldn’t get off the air soon enough, and when dealing with traffic, getting there late isn’t good for anyone. So I met my buddy Kevin from home there and we enjoyed the festivities.
Obviously the loss was tough given the circumstances. Nationally televised game on the NFL network, you’re at home, tied with the Jets at 6-3 atop the AFC East with the winner getting sole possession. Not only that, but you come back from a 24-6 deficit, tie it on a miraculous 60-second drive that consummate with an incredible pitch and catch from Cassel to Moss in the front corner of the end zone with one second left, only to see the Jets win the coin flip in OT and win on a field goal. And while I’ve never been a fan of highlighting moral victories and silver linings in professional sports, there was certainly a lot of good to be drawn from last night’s loss.
First off was the play of Matt Cassel. Is it me or is he a deep ball away from being a legitimate, top tier quarterback in the NFL? He’s slowly mastering the short routes, finding Wes Welker consistently in the middle of the field for short gains. He still needs to find his range throwing down the field to Moss, but what makes his a significant threat and dangerous QB is his mobility. Brady is mobile, but in a different way. He has tremendous pocket presence and finds small gaps as he eludes tackles, giving himself an extra split second to make a throw. Cassel, however, doesn’t quite have the pocket presence of Brady but makes up for it with his 10 and 15-yard scrambles up field. And he’s got balls too. Most quarterbacks slide in a yard or two shy of the first down marker. But Cassel is separating himself from those guys by working to get those last hard couple yards. It’s dangerous, especially with lord knows who behind him in the depth chart at this point, but he’s making a difference in doing so.
Another thing I enjoyed was the resilience of the Patriots despite spotting the Jets what appeared to be an insurmountable lead early in the game. I have to be honest, last night’s game had the feel of a Red Sox game at Fenway Park. Somehow, you just never sensed this team was out of it. The touchdown before the end of the first half shifted the momentum, and as the defense stepped up in the 3rd quarter holding the Jets at 24 points, you couldn’t help but think a comeback was in order. I couldn’t believe it when I saw people flocking to the exits after Thomas Jones punched one in to take a 31-24 lead with only 3:14 left and the Pats being forced to punt on the ensuing drive. For all those who left, serves you right, you missed a hell of an ending.
See I have a theory about leaving early…I don’t do it. I learned my lesson back in 2000 when my cousin Matt and I went to a Red game against the Devil Rays. It was the 8th inning, tied at 3 and all 6 runs have come via 3 by the Rays in the third and 3 by the Sox in the sixth. It was a fairly unexciting game. To beat traffic, we left in the bottom of the eighth and hit the Red Line to Quincy where he’d parked. While on the train, some guy was listening to the game on his handheld radio cassette player and screamed when he heard Rico Brogna hit a walk-off grand slam to win it in the bottom of the 9th. Rico hit one homerun that year for the Red Sox, and we missed it. Never again.
Finally, it was good to see Jabar Gaffney and Ben Watson step up last night, although Watson had a piss poor, critical fumble to open the 3rd quarter down in Jets territory. But each scored a touchdown with Gaffney adding an extra point, and that’s going to be important for the Pats down the stretch as teams seem to be covering Moss well and Cassel needs to look elsewhere if Welker isn’t freed up.
But one thing that did concern me was the defense and those penalties. The Jets didn’t score for 32 minutes spanning from 5:06 in the 2nd until there was only 3:14 left in the 4th. Solid showing by the Pats D after spotting 24 quick points. But down the stretch, it looked tired and overmatched. Those holding penalties on Vrabel and Sanders in the 4th were desperation moves after getting beat, and the Jets were able to convert two critical 3rd down plays in OT. The worst of which was the 3rd and 15 at their own 15. Favre bought time and hit Keller about 11 or 12 yards down field, and Meriweather was playing too soft a coverage. Not only that, but he got absolutely crushed and run over. I couldn’t help but wonder if the soft coverage was an attempt at preventing getting beat downfield and more or less focusing on damage control.
Nonetheless, I still think I’m in good shape to win my $20 bet with my buddy Scotty. If the Pats go 4-2 down the stretch. Three of those games are against Seattle, Oakland and Buffalo, and you have to think that Miami and Arizona will be winnable. The Steelers game scares me a bit, but the same could be said about the Colts game two weeks ago, a game in which the Pats should have come out on top.
Onto the picks…
Keefe’s picks:
Last week: 9-5; Overall: 69-75
Jets +3.5 over Patriots
Falcons -5.5 over Broncos
Bengals +9.5 over Eagles
Bears +5.5 over Packers
Texans +8.5 over Colts
Chiefs +4.5 over Saints
Raiders +10.5 over Dolphins
Ravens +6.5 over Giants
Buccaneers -3.5 over Vikings
Lions +14.5 over Panthers
Titans -2.5 over Jaguars
49ers -3.5 over Rams
Cardinals -3.5 over Seahawks
Chargers +4.5 over Steelers
Cowboys -1.5 over Redskins
Browns +4.5 over Bills
Besse’s picks:
Last week: 6-8; Overall: 74-70
Jets +3.5 over Patriots
Broncos +5.5 over Falcons
Bengals +9.5 over Eagles
Bears +5.5 over Packers
Texans +8.5 over Colts
Saints -4.5 over Chiefs
Raiders +10.5 over Dolphins
Ravens +6.5 over Giants
Vikings +3.5 over Buccaneers
Lions +14.5 over Panthers
Jaguars +2.5 over Titans **upset special of the week**
Rams +3.5 over 49ers
Cardinals -3.5 over Seahawks
Chargers +4.5 over Steelers
Cowboys -1.5 over Redskins
Browns +4.5 over Bills
Random Rob’s picks
Last week: 9-5; Overall: 83-61
Pats
Falcons
Bengals
Packers
Texans
Chiefs
Dolphins
Giants
Vikings
Panthers
Jags
49ers
Seahawks
Steelers
Cowboys
Browns
Obviously the loss was tough given the circumstances. Nationally televised game on the NFL network, you’re at home, tied with the Jets at 6-3 atop the AFC East with the winner getting sole possession. Not only that, but you come back from a 24-6 deficit, tie it on a miraculous 60-second drive that consummate with an incredible pitch and catch from Cassel to Moss in the front corner of the end zone with one second left, only to see the Jets win the coin flip in OT and win on a field goal. And while I’ve never been a fan of highlighting moral victories and silver linings in professional sports, there was certainly a lot of good to be drawn from last night’s loss.
First off was the play of Matt Cassel. Is it me or is he a deep ball away from being a legitimate, top tier quarterback in the NFL? He’s slowly mastering the short routes, finding Wes Welker consistently in the middle of the field for short gains. He still needs to find his range throwing down the field to Moss, but what makes his a significant threat and dangerous QB is his mobility. Brady is mobile, but in a different way. He has tremendous pocket presence and finds small gaps as he eludes tackles, giving himself an extra split second to make a throw. Cassel, however, doesn’t quite have the pocket presence of Brady but makes up for it with his 10 and 15-yard scrambles up field. And he’s got balls too. Most quarterbacks slide in a yard or two shy of the first down marker. But Cassel is separating himself from those guys by working to get those last hard couple yards. It’s dangerous, especially with lord knows who behind him in the depth chart at this point, but he’s making a difference in doing so.
Another thing I enjoyed was the resilience of the Patriots despite spotting the Jets what appeared to be an insurmountable lead early in the game. I have to be honest, last night’s game had the feel of a Red Sox game at Fenway Park. Somehow, you just never sensed this team was out of it. The touchdown before the end of the first half shifted the momentum, and as the defense stepped up in the 3rd quarter holding the Jets at 24 points, you couldn’t help but think a comeback was in order. I couldn’t believe it when I saw people flocking to the exits after Thomas Jones punched one in to take a 31-24 lead with only 3:14 left and the Pats being forced to punt on the ensuing drive. For all those who left, serves you right, you missed a hell of an ending.
See I have a theory about leaving early…I don’t do it. I learned my lesson back in 2000 when my cousin Matt and I went to a Red game against the Devil Rays. It was the 8th inning, tied at 3 and all 6 runs have come via 3 by the Rays in the third and 3 by the Sox in the sixth. It was a fairly unexciting game. To beat traffic, we left in the bottom of the eighth and hit the Red Line to Quincy where he’d parked. While on the train, some guy was listening to the game on his handheld radio cassette player and screamed when he heard Rico Brogna hit a walk-off grand slam to win it in the bottom of the 9th. Rico hit one homerun that year for the Red Sox, and we missed it. Never again.
Finally, it was good to see Jabar Gaffney and Ben Watson step up last night, although Watson had a piss poor, critical fumble to open the 3rd quarter down in Jets territory. But each scored a touchdown with Gaffney adding an extra point, and that’s going to be important for the Pats down the stretch as teams seem to be covering Moss well and Cassel needs to look elsewhere if Welker isn’t freed up.
But one thing that did concern me was the defense and those penalties. The Jets didn’t score for 32 minutes spanning from 5:06 in the 2nd until there was only 3:14 left in the 4th. Solid showing by the Pats D after spotting 24 quick points. But down the stretch, it looked tired and overmatched. Those holding penalties on Vrabel and Sanders in the 4th were desperation moves after getting beat, and the Jets were able to convert two critical 3rd down plays in OT. The worst of which was the 3rd and 15 at their own 15. Favre bought time and hit Keller about 11 or 12 yards down field, and Meriweather was playing too soft a coverage. Not only that, but he got absolutely crushed and run over. I couldn’t help but wonder if the soft coverage was an attempt at preventing getting beat downfield and more or less focusing on damage control.
Nonetheless, I still think I’m in good shape to win my $20 bet with my buddy Scotty. If the Pats go 4-2 down the stretch. Three of those games are against Seattle, Oakland and Buffalo, and you have to think that Miami and Arizona will be winnable. The Steelers game scares me a bit, but the same could be said about the Colts game two weeks ago, a game in which the Pats should have come out on top.
Onto the picks…
Keefe’s picks:
Last week: 9-5; Overall: 69-75
Jets +3.5 over Patriots
Falcons -5.5 over Broncos
Bengals +9.5 over Eagles
Bears +5.5 over Packers
Texans +8.5 over Colts
Chiefs +4.5 over Saints
Raiders +10.5 over Dolphins
Ravens +6.5 over Giants
Buccaneers -3.5 over Vikings
Lions +14.5 over Panthers
Titans -2.5 over Jaguars
49ers -3.5 over Rams
Cardinals -3.5 over Seahawks
Chargers +4.5 over Steelers
Cowboys -1.5 over Redskins
Browns +4.5 over Bills
Besse’s picks:
Last week: 6-8; Overall: 74-70
Jets +3.5 over Patriots
Broncos +5.5 over Falcons
Bengals +9.5 over Eagles
Bears +5.5 over Packers
Texans +8.5 over Colts
Saints -4.5 over Chiefs
Raiders +10.5 over Dolphins
Ravens +6.5 over Giants
Vikings +3.5 over Buccaneers
Lions +14.5 over Panthers
Jaguars +2.5 over Titans **upset special of the week**
Rams +3.5 over 49ers
Cardinals -3.5 over Seahawks
Chargers +4.5 over Steelers
Cowboys -1.5 over Redskins
Browns +4.5 over Bills
Random Rob’s picks
Last week: 9-5; Overall: 83-61
Pats
Falcons
Bengals
Packers
Texans
Chiefs
Dolphins
Giants
Vikings
Panthers
Jags
49ers
Seahawks
Steelers
Cowboys
Browns
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The Sports Brief's Preseason All-American Team
The college basketball season is underway, and I feel compelled to give you a list of the very best players in the country. As we all know it is both a blessing and a curse for college hoops, that the NBA makes players attend schools for at least a season. On the one hand college fans get to see the very best players such as Greg Oden, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, and O.J. Mayo (wow looks like the top of the draft the past 2 years). But as quick as they come on the scene, they are gone. Frankly I don't think 18 year olds, who can go to Iraq and fight for the United States, can not go to the NBA where there are plenty of teams that would take a chance on them for millions of dollars a season.
There is always incredible turnover from year to year in college basketball, and for me it's quite an adjustment to get used to the teams/ players. What do we know? Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, O.J. Mayo, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Eric Gordon, Joe Alexander, D.J. Augustin, Brook Lopez, Jerryd Bayliss, Brandon Rush, Anthony Randolph, Robin Lopez, Marresse Speights, JaVale McGee, J.J. Hickson, Ryan Anderson, Kosta Koufos, George Hill, Darrell Aruther, Donte Greene, Mario Chalmers, DeAndre Jordan, Chris Douglass-Roberts, and Bill Walker were all in college last season, could have been back this season, but all went to the NBA.
Where does that leave us? The same place as every new season since we've been attached to these incredble freshmen and underclassmen only to see them go pro, looking for the next big thing. We start our list with a very familiar face...
Tyler Hansbrough, SR, UNC
Like saying Tim Tebow could be a factor the year after he wins the Heisman. I would have voted for Beasley for player of the year a season ago, but truth is Hansbrough put up monster numbers in the ACC and then wisely came back to school. He's the best player on the best team, should be a force again and the overwhelming favorite to not only be All-American 1st team, but POY.
James Harden, Soph, Arizona St.
Last season the lefty Harden posted the 8th highest points per game average for a freshmen in Pac-10 history. His 17.8 ppg, helped him land on the All Pac-10 1st team, the other four players to earn that honor were lottery picks in this past draft. Harden, who is also a steals machine, flirted with going pro, but decided to come back to school. I predict a monster season that propells him into the early 1st round, a 2-and-down guy.
Luke Harangody, JR, Notre Dame
The Big East is loaded once again this year with 7 teams in the pre-season Top 25 including the Irish. Harangody burst onto the scene last year and was a 20-10 guy. If he comes close to those numbers this year, when everyone is expecting him to do it, he's a no brainer for the All-American team. The spotlight is on this season.
Blake Griffin, Soph, Oklahoma
Griffin was one of many incredible freshmen last season in college basketball. But unlike the majority of them who had success, even some who didn't, he returned to school like Harden. With Beasley, Walker, Augustin, the Kansas guys, and even DeAndre Jordan gone to the pros, Griffin should take down Big 12 Player of the Year no problem, promting him to All-American status.
Willie Warren, FR, Oklahoma
Wait a minute. Before we crown Griffin the Big 12 Player of the Year, his biggest competition could come from super stud freshmen teammate Willie Warren. Warren dropped a game-high 23 in the most recent McDonald's All-American game. We've seen freshmen make big time impacts in the past few seasons. Durant was POY and Beasely finished 2nd. I expect Warren to be in the mix as well.
Jrue Holiday, FR, UCLA
One of the few college freshmen that I actually saw play an entire game and did not just see in highlights, the McDonald's game, or read about. Holiday's high school team played on ESPN last year and he was as good as advertised. UCLA will get a lot of attention trying to make it back to 4 consecutive Final Fours. Darren Collison has been named a preseason All-American in some publications, not The Sports Brief however, but the Bruins will be in the public eye all season.
Holiday and Warren will continue the trend of freshmen showing up on post season All-American lists.
Yes I know that is 6 players, consider it a bonus. Sometimes they name 6 guys to the 1st team. Didn't 15 guys take home 1st Team All Big East last year? I'm looking forward to another exciting season.
Besse also wants everyone to keep an eye out for University of Vermont star junior Marqus Blakely (see below).
-Keefe
There is always incredible turnover from year to year in college basketball, and for me it's quite an adjustment to get used to the teams/ players. What do we know? Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, O.J. Mayo, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Eric Gordon, Joe Alexander, D.J. Augustin, Brook Lopez, Jerryd Bayliss, Brandon Rush, Anthony Randolph, Robin Lopez, Marresse Speights, JaVale McGee, J.J. Hickson, Ryan Anderson, Kosta Koufos, George Hill, Darrell Aruther, Donte Greene, Mario Chalmers, DeAndre Jordan, Chris Douglass-Roberts, and Bill Walker were all in college last season, could have been back this season, but all went to the NBA.
Where does that leave us? The same place as every new season since we've been attached to these incredble freshmen and underclassmen only to see them go pro, looking for the next big thing. We start our list with a very familiar face...
Tyler Hansbrough, SR, UNC
Like saying Tim Tebow could be a factor the year after he wins the Heisman. I would have voted for Beasley for player of the year a season ago, but truth is Hansbrough put up monster numbers in the ACC and then wisely came back to school. He's the best player on the best team, should be a force again and the overwhelming favorite to not only be All-American 1st team, but POY.
James Harden, Soph, Arizona St.
Last season the lefty Harden posted the 8th highest points per game average for a freshmen in Pac-10 history. His 17.8 ppg, helped him land on the All Pac-10 1st team, the other four players to earn that honor were lottery picks in this past draft. Harden, who is also a steals machine, flirted with going pro, but decided to come back to school. I predict a monster season that propells him into the early 1st round, a 2-and-down guy.
Luke Harangody, JR, Notre Dame
The Big East is loaded once again this year with 7 teams in the pre-season Top 25 including the Irish. Harangody burst onto the scene last year and was a 20-10 guy. If he comes close to those numbers this year, when everyone is expecting him to do it, he's a no brainer for the All-American team. The spotlight is on this season.
Blake Griffin, Soph, Oklahoma
Griffin was one of many incredible freshmen last season in college basketball. But unlike the majority of them who had success, even some who didn't, he returned to school like Harden. With Beasley, Walker, Augustin, the Kansas guys, and even DeAndre Jordan gone to the pros, Griffin should take down Big 12 Player of the Year no problem, promting him to All-American status.
Willie Warren, FR, Oklahoma
Wait a minute. Before we crown Griffin the Big 12 Player of the Year, his biggest competition could come from super stud freshmen teammate Willie Warren. Warren dropped a game-high 23 in the most recent McDonald's All-American game. We've seen freshmen make big time impacts in the past few seasons. Durant was POY and Beasely finished 2nd. I expect Warren to be in the mix as well.
Jrue Holiday, FR, UCLA
One of the few college freshmen that I actually saw play an entire game and did not just see in highlights, the McDonald's game, or read about. Holiday's high school team played on ESPN last year and he was as good as advertised. UCLA will get a lot of attention trying to make it back to 4 consecutive Final Fours. Darren Collison has been named a preseason All-American in some publications, not The Sports Brief however, but the Bruins will be in the public eye all season.
Holiday and Warren will continue the trend of freshmen showing up on post season All-American lists.
Yes I know that is 6 players, consider it a bonus. Sometimes they name 6 guys to the 1st team. Didn't 15 guys take home 1st Team All Big East last year? I'm looking forward to another exciting season.
Besse also wants everyone to keep an eye out for University of Vermont star junior Marqus Blakely (see below).
-Keefe
Friday, November 7, 2008
The Sports Brief's Week 10 NFL picks
Last night I went to Conor Larkin's on the campus of Northeastern to watch the first NFL start for Brady Quinn. I had a vested interest in the game because I managed to snatch Quinn in a couple fantasy leagues off the free agent list. But I also faced a dilemma. Start him? Or sit him?
I had him in fourleagues, three of which I had Romo as my starter (out) and Pennington as my number two guy. The Dolphins are at Seattle this week, and the Seahawks have been dishing out serious frequent flier miles to opposing offenses. Looking back, I think they've allowed over 300 yards in the air in the last 5 or 6 games. I felt compelled to start him over Quinn in those leagues. Rosenfels was my backup (to Romo) in another league, so I started Quinn there. My keeper league on Fanball.com (worst site, by the way) was a big question mark, as well. I had been rolling with Matt Schaub and Big Ben, but both got banged up last week, Schaub worse than Ben. I dropped Big Ben in hopes that Schaub could return later this year and picked up Quinn and Pennington. This is a touchdown league, and my contention was that Quinn would be efficient but Jamal Lewis, whom I also had, would run it in from a few yards out a couple times. So I went with Pennington.
Let's just say I wish I started both Quinn and Lewis; thankfully I rolled with Lewis though. Meanwhile, karma sure was a bitch last night. I was facing Eddie Royal in my fanball league but had him going in a yahoo league. When he got stuffed at the 1-yd line, I couldn't contain the excitement. As I said to Milano, I don't care if Royal goes 10 for 150 tonight, just don't score.
A 93 yard slant route later, it was a bittersweet moment.
How about Jay Cutler? I'm up against him in our NFL.com league this week and he shoved 35 points down my throat. Terrific. I have Drew Brees going, hopefully he can match that.
Anyway, onto the picks. Keefe and I still aren't picking well enough to warrant any explanation. But we'd love to hear your thoughts on the upcoming games and how you think some of them will play out.
Keefe’s picks:
Last week: 6-8; Overall: 60-70
Browns -3.5 over Broncos (definitely didn’t cheat on this one)
Falcons -.5 over Saints
Titans -3 over Bears
Lions +6.5 over Jaguars
Seahawks +9.5 over Dolphins
Packers +2.5 over Vikings
Patriots -3.5 over Bills
Jets -8.5 over Rams
Texans -1.5 over Ravens
Panthers -9.5 over Raiders
Steelers -3.5 over Colts
Chiefs +15.5 over Chargers
Giants +2.5 over Eagles
Cardinals -9.5 over 49ers
Besse’s picks:
Last week: 8-6; Overall: 68-62
Browns -3.5 over Broncos
Saints +0.5 over Falcons
Bears +3 over Titans
Lions +6.5 over Jaguars
Dolphins -9.5 over Seahawks
Packers +2.5 over Vikings
Patriots -3.5 over Bills
Rams +8.5 over Jets
Texans -1.5 over Ravens
Panthers -9.5 over Raiders
Colts +3.5 over Steelers
Chiefs +15.5 over Chargers
Giants +2.5 over Eagles
Cardinals -9.5 over 49ers
Random Rob’s picks:
Last week: 7-7; Overall: 74-56
Browns
Saints
Bears
Jaguars
Seahawks
Packers
Pats
Rams
Texans
Panthers
Colts
Chargers
Giants
49ers
Don't forget Calzaghe v. Jones tomorrow night for the light heavyweight championship of the world. And a week from tomorrow, Brock Lesnar challenges Randy Couture for the UFC heavyweight title. Should be a hell of a fight.
-Bess
I had him in fourleagues, three of which I had Romo as my starter (out) and Pennington as my number two guy. The Dolphins are at Seattle this week, and the Seahawks have been dishing out serious frequent flier miles to opposing offenses. Looking back, I think they've allowed over 300 yards in the air in the last 5 or 6 games. I felt compelled to start him over Quinn in those leagues. Rosenfels was my backup (to Romo) in another league, so I started Quinn there. My keeper league on Fanball.com (worst site, by the way) was a big question mark, as well. I had been rolling with Matt Schaub and Big Ben, but both got banged up last week, Schaub worse than Ben. I dropped Big Ben in hopes that Schaub could return later this year and picked up Quinn and Pennington. This is a touchdown league, and my contention was that Quinn would be efficient but Jamal Lewis, whom I also had, would run it in from a few yards out a couple times. So I went with Pennington.
Let's just say I wish I started both Quinn and Lewis; thankfully I rolled with Lewis though. Meanwhile, karma sure was a bitch last night. I was facing Eddie Royal in my fanball league but had him going in a yahoo league. When he got stuffed at the 1-yd line, I couldn't contain the excitement. As I said to Milano, I don't care if Royal goes 10 for 150 tonight, just don't score.
A 93 yard slant route later, it was a bittersweet moment.
How about Jay Cutler? I'm up against him in our NFL.com league this week and he shoved 35 points down my throat. Terrific. I have Drew Brees going, hopefully he can match that.
Anyway, onto the picks. Keefe and I still aren't picking well enough to warrant any explanation. But we'd love to hear your thoughts on the upcoming games and how you think some of them will play out.
Keefe’s picks:
Last week: 6-8; Overall: 60-70
Browns -3.5 over Broncos (definitely didn’t cheat on this one)
Falcons -.5 over Saints
Titans -3 over Bears
Lions +6.5 over Jaguars
Seahawks +9.5 over Dolphins
Packers +2.5 over Vikings
Patriots -3.5 over Bills
Jets -8.5 over Rams
Texans -1.5 over Ravens
Panthers -9.5 over Raiders
Steelers -3.5 over Colts
Chiefs +15.5 over Chargers
Giants +2.5 over Eagles
Cardinals -9.5 over 49ers
Besse’s picks:
Last week: 8-6; Overall: 68-62
Browns -3.5 over Broncos
Saints +0.5 over Falcons
Bears +3 over Titans
Lions +6.5 over Jaguars
Dolphins -9.5 over Seahawks
Packers +2.5 over Vikings
Patriots -3.5 over Bills
Rams +8.5 over Jets
Texans -1.5 over Ravens
Panthers -9.5 over Raiders
Colts +3.5 over Steelers
Chiefs +15.5 over Chargers
Giants +2.5 over Eagles
Cardinals -9.5 over 49ers
Random Rob’s picks:
Last week: 7-7; Overall: 74-56
Browns
Saints
Bears
Jaguars
Seahawks
Packers
Pats
Rams
Texans
Panthers
Colts
Chargers
Giants
49ers
Don't forget Calzaghe v. Jones tomorrow night for the light heavyweight championship of the world. And a week from tomorrow, Brock Lesnar challenges Randy Couture for the UFC heavyweight title. Should be a hell of a fight.
-Bess
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Rock the Vote!
With today being voting day, make sure you get out there, here are 10 more pressing issues that need your vote. As always feel free to write-in.
Best team in the NFL?
1. Giants
2. Titans
3. Steelers
4. Panthers
Best player in the NBA?
1. Kobe Bryant
2. LeBron James
3. Chris Paul
4. Dwight Howard
Best show on television?
1. CSI
2. The Office
3. 30 Rock
4. The New 90210
Best college football team?
1. Alabama
2. Texas Tech
3. Penn State
4. Texas
5. Florida
6. Oklahoma
Best NBA rookie?
1. Derrick Rose
2. Rudy Fernandez
3. O.J. Mayo
4. Michael Beasely
Best Will Ferrell movie?
1. Anchorman
2. Old School
3. Step Brothers
4. Talladega Nights
Best pound-for-pound MMA fighter?
1. Anderson Silva
2. Fedor Emelianko
3. Georges St. Pierre
4. B.J. Penn
MLB Free Agent who will have the best 2009?
1. Manny Ramirez
2. Mark Teixeira
3. CC Sabathia
4. A.J. Burnett
NFL MVP at the mid-way point?
1. Philip Rivers
2. Clinton Portis
3. Kurt Warner
4. Andre Johnson
5. Albert Haynesworth
MLB player you would start your franchise with?
1. Hanley Ramirez
2. Evan Longoria
3. CC Sabathia
4. Jose Reyes
5. Alex Rodriguez
Make sure you rock the vote(s) today!
-Keefe
Best team in the NFL?
1. Giants
2. Titans
3. Steelers
4. Panthers
Best player in the NBA?
1. Kobe Bryant
2. LeBron James
3. Chris Paul
4. Dwight Howard
Best show on television?
1. CSI
2. The Office
3. 30 Rock
4. The New 90210
Best college football team?
1. Alabama
2. Texas Tech
3. Penn State
4. Texas
5. Florida
6. Oklahoma
Best NBA rookie?
1. Derrick Rose
2. Rudy Fernandez
3. O.J. Mayo
4. Michael Beasely
Best Will Ferrell movie?
1. Anchorman
2. Old School
3. Step Brothers
4. Talladega Nights
Best pound-for-pound MMA fighter?
1. Anderson Silva
2. Fedor Emelianko
3. Georges St. Pierre
4. B.J. Penn
MLB Free Agent who will have the best 2009?
1. Manny Ramirez
2. Mark Teixeira
3. CC Sabathia
4. A.J. Burnett
NFL MVP at the mid-way point?
1. Philip Rivers
2. Clinton Portis
3. Kurt Warner
4. Andre Johnson
5. Albert Haynesworth
MLB player you would start your franchise with?
1. Hanley Ramirez
2. Evan Longoria
3. CC Sabathia
4. Jose Reyes
5. Alex Rodriguez
Make sure you rock the vote(s) today!
-Keefe
Monday, November 3, 2008
Calzaghe-Jones just six days away
If anyone's happened to tune into HBO last night for episode 2 of Calzaghe Jones 24/7, you would have heard Jones at one point exclaiming, "I'm baaaaack." While victories over Anthony Hanshaw and a washed-up Felix Trinidad are nothing more than confidence builders in my eyes, Jones has looked significantly better in those fights than he did during his horrific three-fight losing streak to Antonio Tarver (twice) and the brutal KO loss to Glen Johnson.
I've been a Jones, Jr. fan for almost 10 years. He was the pound for pound greatest when I first started sitting down to watch boxing matches, and with the likes of YouTube, I've had a chance to enjoy highlights and fights before my spectating began. He was the best in the world in five different weight classes, an entertainer and the most exciting fighter in the world. To see him plummet drastically, almost overnight, like he did against Tarver and Johnson was terrifying to me as a fan and boxing as a sport. Let's face it, Tarver is no where near the businessman, entertainer and fight mogul that Jones is. He can talk a fair game, but after his deflating performance in Rocky Balboa, he's been nothing but a disappointment in the light heavyweight division, particularly following losses to Bernard Hopkins and "Bad" Chad Dawson in his last fight. Couple that with uninspiring decision wins over Elvir Muriqi and Clinton Woods and you no longer have a major draw in the sport.
Glen Johnson, meanwhile, has a lot of John "Quietman" Ruiz in him. Well, actually, maybe it's more the nickname and nothing else. Johnson doesn't build up fights much, he lets his fists do the talking. And while he's probably legitimately lost no more than 3 fights in his career (he's gotten screwed in numerous decision losses), Johnson isn't much of a draw either. Which is why Joe Calzaghe chose Roy Jones, Jr. as his next opponent at Madison Square Garden this Saturday, Nov. 8. Regardless of whether Jones still has the speed, agility and ferocity in his fists that he possessed in the 90's and earlier this century, his aura and mystique along with his personality, confidence and gab are enough to crank out yet another blockbuster fight. I loved what Roy Jones, Sr. said last night:
"If Roy trained for this fight, Calzaghe can't beat him."
What is this guy Karo Parysian? I don't doubt that Jones, Jr. abstained from training for a good portion of his fights, particularly during the height of his career against bums like Antoine Byrd, Tony Thornton and Merqui Sosa. But it raises and interesting point. Calzaghe is the ultimate workhorse, a come at you type of fighter who is constantly busy and putting on the pressure. Ironically, he's a heavier version of Ricky Hatton. Jones, however, likes to circle and move, picking his spots and working in spurts, but exploding when he does and unleashing a fury that most have been able to endure. Who's that like? Floyd Mayweather.
Are Jones' skills declining? I don't doubt it. But can you argue that his brief, 3-fight losing streak could also be attributed to complacency and a declining work ethic? I don't doub that either. Personally, 24/7 may have been the best thing for him, because it gave him reason to establish a legitimate, hardcore training camp to prepare for this fight. And while he still thinks he's the best, no one else does. Perhaps he said it in the first episode:
"If I lose on the 8th, who cares? But if he lose, his streak has ENDED."
To me, nothing is more dangerous than a motivated Jones with nothing lose. I'll be tuning in on Saturday to watch the fight. One reason is because I'm still a tremendous Jones fan and still enjoy watching him compete at this level. To see him win the fight, the title, and thus a showdown (and re-match) with Bernard Hopkins could be the best possible scenario for the sport of boxing. Two of the boxing's best meeting over 10 years later to settle a score, and doing it at a different weight class which they both sat at the top of.
The other reason I'll be watching is because of the 24/7 series that HBO keeps pumping out. If you haven't been watching these, you should. The De la Hoya/Mayweather series set the standard, and Mayweather/Hatton was pretty tremendous, as well. This latest has met that standard and De la Hoya/Pacquiao will soon follow on the 16th. Below is episode 1 of Calzaghe/Jones. Check it out. I'll post episode 2 once it's available and you can catch episode 3 this Thursday night.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this matchup, where you think Jones stands today as a fighter and how you think things will play out on the 8th and beyond.
-Bess
I've been a Jones, Jr. fan for almost 10 years. He was the pound for pound greatest when I first started sitting down to watch boxing matches, and with the likes of YouTube, I've had a chance to enjoy highlights and fights before my spectating began. He was the best in the world in five different weight classes, an entertainer and the most exciting fighter in the world. To see him plummet drastically, almost overnight, like he did against Tarver and Johnson was terrifying to me as a fan and boxing as a sport. Let's face it, Tarver is no where near the businessman, entertainer and fight mogul that Jones is. He can talk a fair game, but after his deflating performance in Rocky Balboa, he's been nothing but a disappointment in the light heavyweight division, particularly following losses to Bernard Hopkins and "Bad" Chad Dawson in his last fight. Couple that with uninspiring decision wins over Elvir Muriqi and Clinton Woods and you no longer have a major draw in the sport.
Glen Johnson, meanwhile, has a lot of John "Quietman" Ruiz in him. Well, actually, maybe it's more the nickname and nothing else. Johnson doesn't build up fights much, he lets his fists do the talking. And while he's probably legitimately lost no more than 3 fights in his career (he's gotten screwed in numerous decision losses), Johnson isn't much of a draw either. Which is why Joe Calzaghe chose Roy Jones, Jr. as his next opponent at Madison Square Garden this Saturday, Nov. 8. Regardless of whether Jones still has the speed, agility and ferocity in his fists that he possessed in the 90's and earlier this century, his aura and mystique along with his personality, confidence and gab are enough to crank out yet another blockbuster fight. I loved what Roy Jones, Sr. said last night:
"If Roy trained for this fight, Calzaghe can't beat him."
What is this guy Karo Parysian? I don't doubt that Jones, Jr. abstained from training for a good portion of his fights, particularly during the height of his career against bums like Antoine Byrd, Tony Thornton and Merqui Sosa. But it raises and interesting point. Calzaghe is the ultimate workhorse, a come at you type of fighter who is constantly busy and putting on the pressure. Ironically, he's a heavier version of Ricky Hatton. Jones, however, likes to circle and move, picking his spots and working in spurts, but exploding when he does and unleashing a fury that most have been able to endure. Who's that like? Floyd Mayweather.
Are Jones' skills declining? I don't doubt it. But can you argue that his brief, 3-fight losing streak could also be attributed to complacency and a declining work ethic? I don't doub that either. Personally, 24/7 may have been the best thing for him, because it gave him reason to establish a legitimate, hardcore training camp to prepare for this fight. And while he still thinks he's the best, no one else does. Perhaps he said it in the first episode:
"If I lose on the 8th, who cares? But if he lose, his streak has ENDED."
To me, nothing is more dangerous than a motivated Jones with nothing lose. I'll be tuning in on Saturday to watch the fight. One reason is because I'm still a tremendous Jones fan and still enjoy watching him compete at this level. To see him win the fight, the title, and thus a showdown (and re-match) with Bernard Hopkins could be the best possible scenario for the sport of boxing. Two of the boxing's best meeting over 10 years later to settle a score, and doing it at a different weight class which they both sat at the top of.
The other reason I'll be watching is because of the 24/7 series that HBO keeps pumping out. If you haven't been watching these, you should. The De la Hoya/Mayweather series set the standard, and Mayweather/Hatton was pretty tremendous, as well. This latest has met that standard and De la Hoya/Pacquiao will soon follow on the 16th. Below is episode 1 of Calzaghe/Jones. Check it out. I'll post episode 2 once it's available and you can catch episode 3 this Thursday night.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this matchup, where you think Jones stands today as a fighter and how you think things will play out on the 8th and beyond.
-Bess
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