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Porter: “Never in my lifetime did I think I’d see it to actually witness a black president.”

sjacobs — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 07:31:58 +0000

It’s election week extravaganza here at Juiced Sports, and change is happening all over the sports world as well

SCOTT JACOBS

Joey Porter never thought it possible. Not in his lifetime at least. He wasn’t alone.

Many believed that a woman would become president before an African American. Or black American, however you want to say it. Any way you spin it, politics have spilled onto the fields where our heros play. Athletes are speaking up like we’ve rarely heard before. They never thought they’d see it, they can still hardly believe it.

“For America to accept us on that level as people, we went through a whole lot,” said Porter. “You got to understand he’s going to the White House.”

And for a day I’ll be happy to let the NFL’s sack leader speak his mind. Usually Porter just bashes the opposition, like Denver’s Brandon Marshall, or Matt Cassel, but you have to hand it to the man, he’s backing his words up. He said Miami would beat the Patriots and they did. Fortunes have changed so much in Miami that ESPN analysts are begining to take notice. One ESPN analyst (his name escapes me) has the Dolphins not only making the playoffs but winning the AFC East. One thing at a time buddy.

I can live with an athlete that can back his smack up and I am totally okay with politics from our athletes. I’ve never been a huge smack talk fan, but if you can back it up, have at it. All’s fair in love and war, and Porter is loving life right now. His Dolphins (4-4) are the most excited .500 team in probably a decade. They’re a game back of three teams tied at the top. They believe. They have a quarterback who gives them a shot. There could be something special in the air. Special like last night, when what once seemed like the unthinkable, happened.

The Dolphins making the playoffs seemed laughable after last season’s 15 loss debacle. But thanks to Bill Parcells, Jeff Ireland, and Tony Sparano, Miami revamped their team, traded old parts for new ones, and they got themselves a quarterback.

Look at ‘em now. Road wins over New England and Denver. Home victories over San Diego and Buffalo. There’s not a bad win there. And for a team that was just plain horrible last year, 4-4 looks like 6-2. They’re begining to believe in Miami. And maybe things are changing. Afterall, few expected Florida to go blue. And yesterday it did.

And I hate to use that word, but maybe, just maybe, change is in the air.

Take a look at the division races for yourself:

AFC East: Three way tie (Patriots, Bills, Jets)
AFC South: Titans in an absolute runaway
AFC North: Steelers looking good after handily beating Skins
AFC West: No one wants it, but mediocre Denver leads it.

Now compare that to last year:

AFC East: Patriots, and it was never close
AFC South: Colts, what a difference a year makes
AFC North: Steelers, when the Browns were finally good for a change
AFC West: Chargers started slow, finished hot

Now we move over to the NFC:

NFC East: Giants, runaway train heading to big things it looks like
NFC South: Panthers looking good early, with no expectations for once
NFC North: Bears look shaky if Orton’s out for any length of time
NFC West: Cardinals, hey division: a little competition please?

Now compare that to last year:

NFC East: Cowboys dominated regular season
NFC South: Bucs did what they had to do to hold off rivals
NFC North: Packers, Where’s number four at?
NFC West: Seahawks prove no one’s in their division.

The point being: change is in the air. In football, in basketball (where the Hawks are 3-0 after beating New Orleans, and even in hockey (where Martin Brodeur will be out for 3-4 months for a Devils team that doesn’t know what it’s like to live without him) change is all around us.

Like it or not, it has arrived.

And lest us forget: congratulations to Kevin Johnson. The former Suns great was elected as Mayor of Sacramento on Tuesday night.

Obama wants a playoff system; Will we ever get one though?

sjacobs — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 20:49:06 +0000

Probably not, but don’t you think we’re due? Like eventually?

SCOTT JACOBS

It’s that time again! Now that we’ve survived a vigorous two year campaign that was both very heated and very historic, it’s time to move on to the bigger issues at hand: namely, the BCS. Yup, now that we’ve elected our President-elect in the U.S., our focus now need not shift to a sagging economy or an unbelievably expensive war, rather a system that, ten years and counting still makes no sense. The BCS. America’s punching bag. If the BCS was a person it’d be mocked more on SNL then Sarah Palin ever could. If the BCS was a party people would call for change, and change would happen. If the BCS came to a democratic vote by college football fans, coaches, and players all across the country, it would cease to exist. Instead, because all of those scenarios are either A) Unrealistic, B) Laughably absurd or C) Smart, college football has still not choosen to go the route of a playoff system.

You would think that if we can elect a black president in the U.S. we could do away with the BCS, but unfortunatley the two don’t go hand in hand. We can change history, but we can’t overcome the worst, most hair-pulling system in sports. We can go to war with other countries with the hope of coming up with peaceful solutions (or something supposedly like that), but we can’t find peace in college football, where the fans, coaches, and players are just dying to get a chance to ‘earn’ their national title.

All across the nation in Tuscaloosa, Lubbock, Gainseville, Los Angeles, State College, Stillwater, etc. the college football pundits are buzzing. And they’re not doing that “bzzzzzzzz” thing that Georgia Tech fans do when a kickoff occurs. No, they’re buzzing again at how we still have the same horrific system in place that is fun to curse out, but not nearly as enjoyable to play out.

But maybe there is change in the air. On Monday Night, during ESPN’s attempt at looking like a wannabe sports/election channel, they interviewed Obama and asked what he would change in sports. One thing, Chris Berman basically asked, is all you could change. Obama’s response:

“I think it is about time that we had playoffs in college football. I’m fed up with these computer rankings and this and that and the other,” he said. “Get eight teams — the top eight teams right at the end. You got a playoff. Decide on a national champion.”

And thus, hope springs eternal.

Kind of.

Whether Obama has any pull whatsoever on ‘changing’ a system that is as stubborn as a stubborn can be is highly debatable. Whether college football presidents, and conference presidents would even entertain the idea of letting Obama have a say is probably laughable. But I think it’s safe to say that he will fight for (or at least, entertain the notion) of fixing this mess.

Pete Caroll, who’s team made the title game three years in a row, winning two consecutive titles, before losing in epic fashion to Texas, is fed up with the system. His USC Trojans have shutout three of their last four opponents (Washington State, Arizona State, and Washington) and they actually dropped from fifth to seventh in this week’s BCS standings. Caroll is baffled, as am I, how you can mutilate three teams the way USC has, and drop? Like seriously? Are we really going to go there?

Meanwhile, Penn State fans are sweating out the prospect of their team running the table in the mediocre Big 10, and not making the title game. A friend of mine brought up a valiant point that if Alabama runs the table all the way to SEC title game, and Florida does the same and then beats Alabama, that the Gators could feasibly jump Penn State. Furthermore, if Texas Tech and Alabama don’t lose again, Penn State won’t have any chance to prove whether they’re great or not.

Texas Tech plays Oklahoma State this weekend and Oklahoma the next, so the prospects of them winning ‘em all are not likely. Not yet at least. And Alabama looks like they’re ready for a potential slipup. I don’t put it past LSU to sneak up on the Tide and win this weekend. USC is seventh, even though they lost like a million years ago to an Oregon State team that actually controls their own destiny in the disappointing, and borderline atrocious Pac 10. Such is the beauty of college football, where a team could contend for a national title and actually lose their conference!

But yeah, let’s just keep the BCS going.

Or… or, we could put together a playoff field that looks something along the lines of this, and play out a title on the field:

Alabama, Texas Tech, Penn State, Florida, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, USC, Utah… or something like that.

It’s like that great line in Remember the Titans, when Denzel Washington says, “let ‘em play ref. Let ‘em play!”

Will the college football big shots ever let them play? When you find out, you let me know. In the meantime, I’ll continue to buy those lotto tickets.

And the day I win the lottery, maybe college football will come to their senses.

RJ’s Week Ten NFL Picks

rjelliott — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 18:37:00 +0000

RJ Elliott, Blogcritics Magazine

So the Pats won Super Bowl 41.5 … so what? How about them Packers, Lions, and Browns!

I went 9-5 last week. That puts me at 84-46 for the season. For a comparison, check out the “experts” over at ESPN. Here are my picks for the NFL’s Week Ten:

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Atlanta (2-6) at Carolina (4-4) – 1:00 pm (Sheridan’s line – Carolina by 4½)

Atlanta beat the 49ers last week. They are winless on the road so far this season, and are also 0-2 against division opponents. They are ranked 30th in the league in points per game. RB Jerious Norwood may sit this week with an injured ankle. Carolina lost at Tennessee last week. They had just 191 yards of total offense in that game. QB David Carr, who was sacked seven times, suffered a concussion with three minutes left in the 4th quarter and was replaced by undrafted rookie Matt Moore. WR Steve Smith was also injured, although he is expected to start this week against Atlanta. Carolina is winless at home this season. If Moore starts under center this week, Atlanta has a good chance of pulling off an upset here. Heck, even if a dazed Carr or a gimpy Vinny Testaverde play, the Falcons have a decent shot in this one.

RJ’s Pick: FALCONS BY 1

Buffalo (4-4) at Miami (0-8) – 1:00 pm (Sheridan’s line – Buffalo by 3)

Buffalo beat the Bengals last week. And as I predicted, they had an explosion of offense, scoring a season-high 33 points and amassing 479 yards of total offense. They’ve now won three in a row. J. P. Losman is expected to start at QB again this week against Miami. The Dolphins mercifully had a bye last week. They are ranked 31st in the league in rushing yards allowed per game, so expect Bills rookie RB Marshawn Lynch to have another big game this week.

RJ’s Pick: BILLS BY 7

Cleveland (5-3) at Pittsburgh (6-2) – 1:00 pm (Sheridan’s line – Pittsburgh by 9½)

Cleveland beat Seattle last week, in overtime. QB Derek Anderson threw for 364 yards and RB Jamal Lewis rushed for 4 TDs. Color me impressed. They’ve won three games in a row now, but are just 1-2 on the road this season. The Steelers dismantled the Ravens last week on MNF. The defense held the Ravens to just 104 total yards, while QB Ben Roethlisberger threw 5 TD passes. They have given up the fewest points in the NFL, just 98 through eight games, or a little more than 12 points per game. Meanwhile, they are ranked second in rushing yards gained per game and fifth in points scored per game. They are also one of just four teams that are undefeated at home. In Week 14, they face the Patriots in New England. Can you say Super Bowl 41.75? Anyway, this week will pit the Browns awesome offense versus the Steelers dominating defense. It should be an epic battle.

RJ’s Pick: STEELERS BY 6

Denver (3-5) at Kansas City (4-4) – 1:00 pm (Sheridan’s line – Kansas City by 3½)

Denver was crushed by Detroit last week, 44-7. QB Jay Cutler injured his leg in that game, and may not be able to start this week. The Broncos are ranked 28th in points scored per game, and 29th in points allowed. Kansas City got beat by Green Bay last week. Although they are just .500 midway through the season, they remain in first place in the surprisingly-weak AFC West. RB Larry Johnson could be out for a couple games (or more) with a sprained ankle he suffered against the Packers. And Johnson’s backup, Priest Holmes, ain’t what he used to be. That is definitely not good news for a team that is already ranked 30th in total yards per game and 29th in points scored per game. Sheridan isn’t giving a line for this game (at least not yet), and that’s certainly understandable. This one could go either way, obviously. But the Broncos are in free-fall, while the Chiefs are still a semi-credible playoff team. So, go with Kansas City.

RJ’s Pick: CHIEFS BY 1

Jacksonville (5-3) at Tennessee (6-2) – 1:00 pm (Sheridan’s line – Tennessee by 4)

The Jacksonville Jaguars lost badly last week in New Orleans. The defense allowed 538 yards (most in franchise history), 445 of it through the air. QB Quinn Gray struggled, throwing 3 INTs. Thankfully for Jaguars fans, QB David Garrard might return this week. Even if he’s on crutches, or in a wheelchair, or an iron lung, or whatever, this team needs him back out on the field ASAP. The AFC South can be a pretty unforgiving place to play in. You know you’re in a tough division when a 5-3 record is just good enough for third place. The Titan beat the Panthers last week. QB Vince Young played like … Vince Young, throwing for just 110 yards and 2 INTs, but running for a score and getting the win. Tennessee has now won three games in a row, and is just one game behind the Colts for first place. The defense is giving up the second-fewest points per game and the second-fewest yards per game in the NFL. This is another game with no line (as of yet). If Garrard can play, the Jags have a chance. But I still give the edge to Tennessee.

RJ’s Pick: TITANS BY 2

Minnesota (3-5) at Green Bay (7-1) – 1:00 pm (Sheridan’s line – Green Bay by 6)

The Vikings ran all over (literally) San Diego last week, winning 35-17. Rookie RB Adrian Peterson ran for 296 yards, setting an NFL record for rushing yards in a single game. This guy runs like Barry Sanders in his prime, on steroids and HGH. Also, robot legs. Sadly, the Vikings are still being quarterbacked by some junk DNA named Tarvaris Jackson, who not only is a terrible passer and a horrible decision-maker – and has a broken finger! – but is now apparently recovering from a concussion as well. A couple more concussions and this guy will have the decision-making skills of Terri Schiavo. And she’s dead. The Packers beat the Chiefs in Kansas City last week, 33-22. That was their third straight win, and they remain undefeated on the road. They have the league’s eighth-ranked run defense, and they are sure gonna need it this week.

RJ’s Pick: PACKERS BY 3

Philadelphia (3-5) at Washington (5-3) – 1:00 pm (Sheridan’s line – Washington by 3)

The Eagles suck lost to the Cowboys on SNF last week, 38-17. They are 0-3 against division opponents so far this season. You’ve gotta feel bad for head coach Andy Reid – and I don’t mean just because his sons are criminal druggie scum. The Redskins beat the Jets in overtime last week. RB Clinton Portis carried the ball 36 times for 196 yards and a TD. Good thing, too, because the passing attack was anemic as usual. Through eight games, no Redskins wide receiver has even a single touchdown reception. I’ve picked eight Eagles games so far this year, and gotten seven wrong. So, basically, if I pick the them to win, they’ll lose. And if I pick them to lose, they’ll win. You’ve been warned.

RJ’s Pick: REDSKINS BY 8

St. Louis (0-8) at New Orleans (4-4) – 1:00 pm (Sheridan’s line – New Orleans by 12)

The Rams had a bye last week. I bet they enjoyed that. They have scored the fewest points in the NFL, and allowed the most in the NFC. And, to paraphrase Forrest Gump, that’s about all I need to say about that. The Saints won their fourth in a row last week, whipping the Jaguars 41-24. Not to toot my own horn, but I pretty much called this turnaround right after their Week Six win at Seattle. Now I’ll call something else: New Orleans is going to win the NFC South, unless QB Drew Brees suffers a season-ending injury sometime in November or early December.

RJ’s Pick: SAINTS BY 28

Cincinnati (2-6) at Baltimore (4-4) – 4:05 pm (Sheridan’s line – Baltimore by 4½)

The Bengals lost to the Bills last week. They are in an absolute tailspin, having lost six of their last seven games. The defense is giving up almost 400 yards per game, and is tied with Miami for last in the league in points allowed. WR T. J. Houshmandzadeh is a bright spot, however, with 10 TDs on the season, and at least one in every game. Baltimore got shredded by the Steelers on MNF last week. RB Willis McGahee was injured and had to leave the game in the 4th quarter, but it was just a little brain trauma and had nothing to do with his knee, so I’m sure he’ll be okay. The Ravens have dropped two in a row, and now find themselves in third place in the AFC North. Wasn’t this team 13-3 last season? What the hell happened? Anyway, they should be able to score bunches of points on Cincinnati this week, get the win, and remain undefeated at home.

RJ’s Pick: RAVENS BY 3

Chicago (3-5) at Oakland (2-6) – 4:15 pm (Sheridan’s line – Chicago by 3)

Da Bears had a bye last week. Minnesota won in Week Nine, so now last year’s NFC champs find themselves at the bottom of the standings in the NFC North. Turnovers are killing this team. It would also help if they had a credible running game and/or a competent quarterback. Oakland lost at home last week to the Sage Rosenfels-led Houston Texans (Don’t laugh; Rosenfels might be the greatest Jewish gunslinger since Gene Wilder starred in Blazing Saddles). The Raiders have now lost four in a row. If things keep going this way, Lane Kiffin might become the NFL’s youngest head coach to use Grecian Plus.

RJ’s Pick: BEARS BY 5

RJ’S GAME OF THE WEEK: Dallas (7-1) at New York Giants (6-2) – 4:15 pm (Sheridan’s line – Dallas by 1)

The Cowboys spanked the Eagles in Philly on SNF last week. WR Terrell Owens caught 10 passes for 174 yards and a TD against his former team, gleefully taunted the crowd, and talked a lot of smack during the post-game press conference. We may now safely assume that Richard Dawkins is right – there is no God. Dallas leads the NFC in points scored by a wide margin. They are undefeated on the road so far this season. The Giants had a bye last week. They have won six in a row, and desperately want revenge for their Week One loss at Dallas. RB Derrick Ward might be able to start this week, or he might not. This is a tough one to predict, but I believe Dallas is the superior (and healthier) team.

RJ’s Pick: COWBOYS BY 4

Detroit (6-2) at Arizona (3-5) – 4:15 pm (Sheridan’s line – Arizona by 1)

Detroit crushed Denver last week for their third win in a row. Their offense is ranked slightly above-average at 12th in yards per game, but is 6th in points per game. Defensively, they are fairly solid against the run, but still very iffy against the pass. Since their bye in Week Six, the Lions have given up just 30 total points in three games. They are fairly healthy right now, and they need to stay that way because their schedule for the second half of the season is hardly a cakewalk. Arizona lost to Tampa Bay last week, for their third straight defeat. QB Kurt Warner looked awful, completing just 10 of 30 passes for 172 yards, 0 TDs, and 2 INTs. RB Edgerrin James should have only limited success this week against the Lions defense.

RJ’s Pick: LIONS BY 6

Indianapolis (7-1) at San Diego (4-4) – 8:15 pm (Sheridan’s line – Indianapolis by 3½)

The Colts lost Super Bowl 41.5 in Week Nine to the Patriots, 24-20. It was a close game to the end, and if only WR Marvin Harrison had played … oh, well. The Empire struck back last week, but maybe the Jedi can return sometime in January. “Tell, time will, yes.” (That was in my Yoda voice.) The Chargers were humbled by the Vikings last week, 35-17. Cornerback Antonio Cromartie returned a missed field goal an NFL-record 109 yards for a TD in the loss. I see the Chargers losing this one badly.

RJ’s Pick: COLTS BY 15

Monday, November 12, 2007

San Francisco (2-6) at Seattle (4-4) – 8:30 pm (Sheridan’s line – Seattle by 9½)

San Francisco lost to Atlanta last week for their sixth consecutive loss. Luckily for them they play in the NFC West, so they are just two games out of first place. QB Alex Smith has a quarterback rating of just 57.6, and his completion percentage is below 50%. RB Frank Gore might sit out again this week with an ankle injury. Seattle lost to Cleveland last week in overtime. RB Shaun Alexander has been nagged by injuries and is having a very disappointing season. The Seahawks are 3-1 at home so far this year. There’s no reason not to go with the home team here.

RJ’s Pick: SEAHAWKS BY 5

[Bye week teams: Houston (4-5), New England (9-0), New York Jets (1-8), Tampa Bay (5-4)]

Recap

RJ’s Week Ten Picks: FALCONS, BILLS, STEELERS, CHIEFS, TITANS, PACKERS, REDSKINS, SAINTS, RAVENS, BEARS, COWBOYS, LIONS, COLTS, SEAHAWKS

(If you’re interested, you can check out the full list of Danny Sheridan’s Odds and ESPN’s NFL “Expert” Picks.)

2007 Weekly Results
Week One – 11-5
Week Two – 9-7
Week Three – 10-6
Week Four – 7-7
Week Five – 9-5
Week Six – 10-3
Week Seven – 9-5
Week Eight – 10-3
Week Nine – 9-5