One Week Too Late: NFL Predictions That Are Sure To be Wrong

This might be a week late but I didn't see too much after Week 1 to affect these predictions.  Well except Dallas losing their biggest playmaker for at least half the season. Anyways here they are:
(* = Wild Card)

AFC East
1. New England 12-4
2. Buffalo 11-5 *
3. Miami 10-6 *
4. NY Jets 3-13

You could make the argument that the three best teams in the AFC reside on the East Coast.  The Patriots are still the gold standard.  Tyrod Taylor has finally gotten his chance.  I love everything about Miami EXCEPT Ryan Tannehill.  I just don't think he's good enough to take this talented roster deep into January.

AFC North
1. Cincinnati 10-6
2. Baltimore 9-7
3. Pittsburgh 6-10
4. Cleveland 5-11

This division is beyond over-hyped.  Pittsburgh probably has the best "Big Three" in the AFC (Big Ben, Le'Veon Bell, Antonio Brown) and that's about it.  The Bengals are far and away the most talented team.

AFC South
1. Indianapolis 10-6
2. Houston 7-9
3. Tennessee 6-10
4. Jacksonville 4-12

The Colts will win this division because they have the best quarterback on the planet.  Andrew Luck is living up to the hype, if that's possible.  The rest of this division is brutally awful though it will be interesting to see just how good Marcus "Mr. Humble" Mariota will do.  Oregon QB's havent exactly lit up the NFL in recent years.

AFC West
1. Kansas City 11-5
2. San Diego 9-7
3. Denver 7-9
4. Oakland 4-12

With Peyton Manning entering his "Dan Marino '99" phase of his career this division is up for grabs.  My money is on the team with the best coach (Andy Reid) and the best pass rusher (Justin Houston).  Plus you have to figure Alex Smith will be able to connect with Pro-Bowler Jeremy Maclin for at least ONE touchdown this year.

AFC Playoffs

Wild Card Round
Buffalo over Indianapolis
Cincinnati over Miami

Divisional Round
New England over Buffalo
Kansas City over Cincinnati

Super Bowl Representative = New England

NFC East
1. NY Giants 11-5
2. Philadelphia 10-6*
3. Dallas 9-7
4. Washington 2-14

This just feels like one of those years where Eli puts it all together. ODB is without a doubt a superstar and once Victor Cruz gets reacclimated into the offense following last year's BRUTAL knee injury this team looks the part.  The Eagles have way too many "If he can stay healthy" guys on the roster to be taken serious.  The Cowboys will severely miss Dez Bryant.  The D.C. Racial Slurs are a complete dumpster fire at this point.

NFC North
1. Green Bay 13-3
2. Detroit 11-5*
3. Minnesota 7-9
4. Chicago 5-11

It's not too complicated, the Packers have Aaron Rogers and Clay Matthews and the rest of the division does not.  Mike Zimmer will coach the hell out of the Vikings though.  Cutler gonna Cutler.

NFC South
1. Carolina 8-8
2. Atlanta 7-9
3. New Orleans 6-10
4. Tampa Bay 3-13

No debate needed for this.  Without question the worst division in the league.  The Panthers have the best QB (Cam Newton) and the best LB (Luke Kuechly) so they get my vote.  Drew Brees isn't nearly as good as you remember him to be and will really miss Jimmy Graham.  Jameis Winston will do something he never dealt with in college, losing on a weekly basis.

NFC West
1. Arizona 12-4
2. Seattle 10-6
3. St. Louis 7-9
4. San Francisco 6-10

The Cardinals are so good.  They have the best coach in the NFC and as long as they aren't relying on Logan Thomas in December they should run away with this division.  The Seahawks I just don't see recovering from last years Super Bowl disaster.  Jeff Fisher will finish where he always seems to finish, around .500.

NFC Playoffs

Wild Card Round
Detroit over Carolina
Philadelphia over NY Giants

Divisional Round
Green Bay over Philadelphia
Arizona over Detroit

Super Bowl Representative = Arizona

Super Bowl 50: New England 28, Arizona 14

Tom Brady officially becomes the greatest quarterback in NFL history.  And the internet will explode because of it.

College Football Projections

ORANGE BOWL
Florida versus Texas
Fiesta Bowl
Oklahoma versus Ohio State
Sugar Bowl
Alabama versus Utah
Rose Bowl
Penn State versus USC
orange bowl
Boston College versus Cincinnati

NFL Second Quarter Report

AFC East
1. New England 10-6
2. New York 10-6
3. Miami 9-7
4. Buffalo 7-9
AFC North
1. Pittsburgh 11-5
2. Baltimore 9-7
3. Cleveland 6-10
4. Cincinnati 2-14
AFC South
1. Tennessee 13-3
2. Indianapolis 10-6
3. Houston 8-8
4. Jacksonville 6-10
AFC West
1. San Diego 9-7
2. Denver 7-9
3. Oakland 4-12
4. Kansas City 2-14

NFC East
1. New York 12-4
2. Eagles 10-6
3. Dallas 9-7
4. Washington 9-7
NFC North
1. Chicago 11-5
2. Green Bay 9-7
3. Minnesota 8-8
4. Detroit 1-15
NFC South
1. Carolina 11-5
2. New Orleans 9-7
3. Atlanta 9-7
4. Tampa Bay 8-8
NFC West
1. Arizona 11-5
2. St. Louis 6-10
3. Seattle 5-11
4. San Francisco 4-12

Playoff Seeds:
AFC
1. Titans
2. Steelers
3. Patriots
4. Chargers
5. Jets
6. Colts
NFC
1. Giants
2. Bears
3. Cardinals
4. Panthers
5. Eagles
6. Packers

Awards So Far

MVP
Clinton Portis
Coach of the Year
Mike Smith
Rookie of the Year
Matt Ryan

Super Bowl Projection:
Giants over Steelers

Good Radiohead

Another Gem from In Rainbows- Last Flowers.

Bowl Projections Part Trois

ORANGE BOWL
USC versus Oklahoma
Sugar Bowl
Georgia versus Ohio State
Fiesta Bowl
Texas versus Boise State
Rose Bowl
Penn State versus Alabama
orange Bowl
Florida State versus West Virginia

Bowl Projections Part Deux

ORANGE BOWL
USC versus Oklahoma
Sugar Bowl
Florida versus Utah
Fiesta Bowl
Alabama versus Ohio State
Rose Bowl
Penn State versus Texas
orange Bowl
Wake Forest versus Pitt

NFL First Quarter Report

Now That all the teams are at least 25 percent done with their games I am starting to see who is good and who is not. My updated projections are:

AFC East
1. New England
2. Buffalo
3. New York
4. Miami
AFC North
1. Pittsburgh
2. Baltimore
3. Cleveland
4. Cincinnati
AFC South
1. Tennessee
2. Jacksonville
3. Indianapolis
4. Houston
AFC West
1. San Diego
2. Denver
3. Oakland
4. Kansas City

NFC East
1. New York
2. Dallas
3. Eagles
4. Washington
NFC North
1. Chicago
2. Minnesota
3. Green Bay
4. Detroit
NFC South
1. Carolina
2. New Orleans
3. Atlanta
4. Tampa Bay
NFC West
1. Arizona
2. San Francisco
3. Seattle
4. Rams

MVP (So Far)
Michael Turner
Coach of the Year (So Far)
Mike Smith
Rookie of the Year
Desean Jackson

Super Bowl
Giants over Steelers

MLB Postseason Revisions

Oops I was way wrong about Round 1. 1 out of 4 is bad. New Predictions are

Red Sox over Rays in 5

Dodgers over Phillies in 6

Dodgers over Red Sox in 5

MLB Postseason

The best Postseason in pro sports not named the Fed Ex Cup, mostly due to the fact that only 26.6 % of the league gets in. I would love to see Rays vs. Brewers but I doubt it. My picks are:

ALDS
White Sox in 3 ( Rays are just happy to be here)
Red Sox in 4 (Angels can't beat Red Sox in playoffs)

NLDS
Brewers in 4 (Ryan Braun!)
Cubs in 5 (Cubs pitching!)

ALCS
Red Sox in 4 (White Sox may strikeout 108 times)

NLCS
Cubs in 7 (Cubs pitching!)

World Series

Cubs in 5 (Cubbies Win! Cubbies Win!)

Bowl Projections

ORANGE BOWL
USC versus Oklahoma
Sugar Bowl
Georgia versus Penn State
Fiesta Bowl
Missouri versus BYU
Rose Bowl
Ohio State versus Florida
orange Bowl
Wake Forest versus South Florida

NFL Predictions

AFC EAST
1. NEW ENGLAND (4)
2. BUFFALO (6)
3. NEW YORK
4. MIAMI
NORTH
1. PITTSBURGH (2)
2. CLEVELAND
3. BALTIMORE
4. CINCINNATI
SOUTH
1. HOUSTON (3)
2. INDIANAPOLIS (5)
3. TENNESSEE
4. JACKSONVILLE
WEST
1. SAN DIEGO (1)
2. DENVER
3. OAKLAND
4. KANSAS CITY

NFC EAST
1. DALLAS (1)
2. EAGLES (5)
3. NEW YORK
4. WASHINGTON
NORTH
1. LIONS (3)
2. VIKINGS
3. PACKERS
4. BEARS
SOUTH
1. NEW ORLEANS (2)
2. CAROLINA (6)
3. TAMPA BAY
4. ATLANTA
WEST
1. ARIZONA (4)
2. SAN FRANSISCO
3. SEATTLE
4. ST. LOUIS

WILD CARD ROUND

COLTS OVER PATRIOTS
PANTHERS OVER LIONS
EAGLES OVER CARDINALS
TEXANS OVER BILLS

DIVISIONAL ROUND

STEELERS OVER TEXANS
COWBOYS OVER PANTHERS
EAGLES OVER SAINTS
CHARGERS OVER COLTS

SUPER BOWL

EAGLES 27
STEELERS 20

I like

The Sweet Smell of Roses

With the Conference Finals kicking off tonight in Boston it is time for me to announce my picks.

East- I still don't like the way Boston is playing on the road and Detroit is good enough to steal a game in Boston. However, this is Kevin Garnett's chance to redeem himself for past failures in the post-season and for his blah performance so far this year. Rasheed Wallace cannot guard him nor Jason Maxiell or Antonio Mcdyess. Also, watch for Rando to make Billups seem much older than he actually is. I think Detroit is a tad overrated. Boston in 6.
West- The ideal match-up. Kobe vs. Bowen & Ginnobli, Duncan vs. Odom & Gasol, Parker vs. Fisher & Farmar. Oh yea and the coaches aren't too bad either (13 combined titles). The Lakers have Kobe and the Spurs don't. Lakers in 6.

Oh yea, the Bulls won the Lottery!!!!!!

Dear Mr. Paxson,

Please draft Derrick Rose. We already have enough head cases at power forward.

Sincerely,
Bulls Fan Base

Draft Lottery Time

Say what you want about the Draft Lottery but it does bring some added excitement to an already exciting time of year.The top prize of this years lottery is Derrick Rose. Some may argue that Beasley is the best player in the draft but I don't think so. He reminds me of Derrick Coleman and Glen Robinson with a touch of Kenyon Martin's baggage. No thanks! Also in today's NBA you need a superior point guard (unless you have Kobe or Lebron). That being said here is how I believe the lottery will play out(note my alternate pick is in parenthesis):
1. Memphis - Michael Beasley or New York - Derrick Rose
2. Seattle - Derrick Rose or Miami - Michael Beasley
3. New York - OJ Mayo - or Memphis - Brook Lopez
4. Miami - Brook Lopez or Minnesota - OJ Mayo
5. Minnesota - Jerryd Bayless or Seattle - Jerryd Bayless
6. Clippers
7. Milwaukee
8. Charlotte
9. Da Bulls
10. New Jersey
11. Indiana
12. Sacramento
13. Portland
14. Golden St.

I only did a mock for the first 5 picks because I feel these are the 5 best players available and I don't think much will change between now and the draft that will affect the Top 5. I am hoping that Rose ends up in Seat.. I mean Oklahoma City.

My Baseball All Generation Team

All this talk about fading stars got me thinking about who I thought are the premier players of my generation. Since my first baseball memory consists of my mother crying after Mr. Rios dominated her beloved Bash Brothers, my time line will be from the start of the 1991 season to the current season. Note: I went with a four man rotation because I hate the fact that teams use a five man rotation. That really bothers me for some reason.

C - Ivan Rodriguez - Tough call over Piazza. He is much better defensively.
1B - Albert Pujols - Toughest position to choose from. Yet to have a bad season.
2B - Jeff Kent - Weakest position to choose from.
SS - Alex Rodriguez - Could be the greatest ever if he stays healthy. Sorry Cal.
3B - Chipper Jones - The most overlooked player on my list. Fantastic player.
LF - Barry Bonds - The bottom line: he's a Hall of Famer before 2000.
CF - Ken Griffey Jr - Prettiest swing I've ever seen.
RF - Manny Ramirez - Offensive juggernaut.

Starting Rotation
1. Randy Johnson - He's the Ace because of his performances in the playoffs.
2. Greg Maddox - Not exciting but can't argue with the results.
3. Pedro Martinez - Most intimidating pitcher I ever saw.
4. Tom Glavine - Steady throughout his career.

Cl - Mariano Rivera - One word: Dominant.

It's time to say Goodbye

As the baseball season begins to gain momentum heading towards summer I find it interesting that the few remaining prominent players from my childhood are vanishing right before my eyes. They are either in heavy decline or can't find a job.
The ones without job's are:
Mike Piazza,Barry Bonds,Kenny Lofton,Sammy Sosa.
The ones still active are:
Gary Sheffield- A perennial favorite for the annual Ty Cobb Award (Biggest Ass in Baseball) his numbers this year are pitiful. It's easy to say that it's due to his lack of artificial help but I think it has more to do with the fact that he is 39 years young. He is playing exactly how a 39 year old baseball player should be playing.
Frank Thomas- Fantastic career, battled with Griffey for AL supremacy for years. After being released from Toronto he has found a home back with the A's. His numbers have gone up since joining Oakland but they are still far from his career numbers, which are very good.
Ken Griffey Jr-The best baseball player of his generation. His injuries prevented him from challenging Mr.Mays for greatest center fielder ever. His last few years have been productive but not nearly what he showed in Seattle. I hope the trade goes down before he hits #600. It seems only fitting that he does it in Seattle.
Jeff Kent-Nobody seems to like this guy. Considering he is 40 years old his numbers aren't terrible. He is the best 2B of his generation.

Good Songs

Here is an excellent version of my favorite song this year "Fools" by The Dodos.



My second favorite song this year "I Stand Corrected" by Vampire Weekend. This song is so good. I look forward to seeing them live sometime soon.

Will the Real Contender's Please Stand Up?

These teams continue to baffle me. The motto for this years playoffs should be "Win Big at Home and Lose even Bigger on the Road" The Celtics, Spurs, Hornets, Lebron,Pistons(Game 3) all win big at home then lose big on the road. I believe it was Jeff Van Gundy who said that a playoff series doesn't start till someone wins a road game. So,since 3 of the 4 second round match-ups are tied up with no one being able to win on the road it should be interesting to see how things shake up. The Celtics bother me because it seems to me that a 66 win team should be able to win a road playoff game especially against the Hawks and Lebron James. It's interesting but the critics who said that the Celtics "Big" 3 haven't done this in the playoffs before seem to look real good right now. Watching these Celtics compared to Pistons and Spurs operate during crunch time is quite a contrast. They better figure things out quickly because they have no chance of advancing past Detroit playing like this. The Lakers and Hornets have to win their Game 5's or else their seasons probably will end on the road. It's starting to look more and more likely that we will see a repeat of last years Final Four. Pistons/Cave and Spurs/Jazz.

Current Finals Projection
Pistons versus Spurs

Random Baseball Thoughts

-Those Devils of Tampa will stay in the hunt if their pitching holds up
-Brandon Webb is the best pitcher in baseball
-Erik Bedard still gets no run support
-Go A's
-Miguel Cabrera is the new Albert Belle
-Hanley Ramirez is pretty good
-Go Marlins

Current World Series Match-UP
Red Sox versus Diamondbacks

A little Randall For Ya!

Oh yea I remember this guy, he was pretty good.3 time MVP.

AHHH! Memories!

Since the Bulls are nowhere to be seen this post-season I felt obligated to post my fondest memory as a sports fan. This would have been without question the greatest moment in NBA history if he hadn't of gone to Washington. I can still hear Bob screaming "Chicago with the lead!" Another memory from this game is Karl Malone's post-game interview with Jim Gray. As much as I don't like him that interview is one I haven't forgotten. I remember watching this game in the living room.

Erik Bedard is Tuff

The Orioles are currently in 2nd place in the AL East which I really don't care too much about since we all know they will finish last. But, for once I am excited about a couple young players that are showing their potential right now.
Nick Markakis- This is the first time he is starting off hot and there is no reason to believe this will not continue throughout the season. He needs to work on his power and he strikes out too much. But still this is the year he makes the leap to All-Star. I think he'll finish around .310/28 HR's/ 115 RBI's
Adam Jones-Good game tonight hopefully will get him rolling. The games I've watched this year(a lot more than I expected) he has shown signs of stardom. He has amazing speed and has a good power stroke. Hopefully by the end of the year he is hitting #2 where I think he will flourish. I expect he'll finish around .275/15 HR's/ 70 RBI's. Not bad for a rookie campaign.
Both these guys have great arms as well. Also, Aubrey Huff is on a power tear(try not to giggle) which started last August. By the way Bedard has no stats this season. Now if any of our starters could manage a quality start.

Radiohead Clip

Here is yet another example of why this is the best band on the planet.

NHL Second Round Preview

Last Night NHL Execs must have been in tears after their best player(Alexander the Great) was eliminated in overtime in thrilling fashion. There are few things better in sports then a Game 7 NHL game that goes into "Sudden Death". With that being said it is now time for Round 2 to begin and there are some interesting match-ups. The Penguins/Rangers series could be special with the silly talent level in Pittsburgh going against the suddenly defensive minded high priced Rangers. The young talent acquired in Pittsburgh is the equivalent to a team in the NBA drafting Lebron(Crosby) one year then drafting Oden(Fleury) the next. This team should win every Cup for the next decade. Any way here are my pics:
Flyers over Canadiens in 6
Red Wings over Avalanche in 5
Sharks over Stars in 7
Rangers over Penguins in 6

First Round Predictions

I'm a little late with this since all Game 1's have been finished but my picks are still the same.

Celtics in 4
Wizards in 7
Magic in 4
Pistons in 6

Lakers in 6
Jazz in 5
Spurs in 6
Mavericks in 7

Current Finals Prediction
Celtics versus Lakers

NBA Awards

Here's a quick rundown of who I believe should receive the Awards for the NBA regular season:
Michael Jordan Award (MVP)
Gold-Kobe Bryant(It's simple: He's the best player in the league.)
Silver- Chris Paul(His alley-oops to Chandler are a thing of beauty)
Bronze- Lebron James(The Cavs win 20 games without him)
Phil Jackson Award (Coach)
Gold- Byron Scott(Their rise to the top is stunning)
Silver- Rick Adelman(Look how well they played without Yao)
Bronze- Doc Rivers(Handled his situation surprisingly well)
Toni Kukoc/Ben Gordan Award (6th Man)
Gold- Manu Ginnobli(Rich man's Ben Gordan)
Silver- Leandro Barbosa(He glides down the court)
Bronze- Linas Kleiza(This team plays better when he's on the floor)
Elton Brand Award (Rookie)
Gold- Kevin Durant(Already commands respect)
Silver- Al Hortford(Future Double-Double Machine)
Bronze-Luis Scola(His ceiling won't get much higher but who cares!)
Dennis Rodman Award (Defensive)
Gold- Marcus Camby(Imagine if the Nuggets didn't have him down on the block)
Silver- Josh Smith(Blocks everything in sight)
Bronze- Dwight Howard(This is how a big man plays)
No Bull Has Ever Won This Award (Most Improved)
Gold- Chris Paul(Went from "really good" to "Holy Shit!")
Silver- Hedo Turkoglu(I thought he was gonna do this 7 years ago)
Bronze- Rudy Gay(Still not sold yet,I'm curious to see how well he plays with Beasley next year)

Sweetness

East
#1 North Carolina will handle Washington St with the score being much closer than it should be
#3 Louisville is on a roll while Tennessee still can't hit free throws
South
#1 Memphis will get by Michigan St...Barely!
#3 Stanford's front court will equalize Texas' back court
Midwest
#1 Kansas should easily defeat Villanova
#3 Wisconsin will end Stephon Curry's run
West
#1 UCLA will not struggle against the Hilltoppers
#7 West Virgina will make yours truly seem like Nostradamus

Baseball Preview

With Orioles being as bad as they have been for the past 10 years it is very hard for me to get excited about the up-coming season. I admit I have put baseball on the back burner so I can not offer much insight about into what may or may not happen for this season. Here are a few thoughts:
-The Red Sox and Yankees will battle for the national limelight as well as the AL East crown
-The Rays will finish 3rd
-The Orioles will finish 61-101
-The Tigers and Indians will both be very good
-Don't sleep on the Twins (I'm having flashbacks to the 2001 Mariners)
-The AL West will come down to whose pitching stays healthy (Bedard has a knack for crumbling in late August)
-The Braves rotation is very old (Mike Hampton!?)
-Johan is guaranteed to spend some time on the DL
-Cole Hamels will either win the Cy Young or have Tommy John surgery
-The National League is like the NFC: all the good teams are in the East and the rest of the league is garbage
-I am sincerely intrigued to read the attendance figures for the Royals/Marlins series in Miami

World Series: Tigers over Phillies

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

After studying the bracket here are a few comments:
-UCLA's path to San Antonio is way too easy. They are paired with the weakest #2,#3
-UNC is the overall #1 yet they are paired with Tennessee, the best #2, and could have the toughest second round match-up of any high seed with the intriguing Indiana Hoosiers. Louisville versus Tennessee could be good.
-UNC will have a very weak Sweet 16 opponent but will have to go through Indiana(ATop 15 all year),Tennessee/Louisville,Kansas,and UCLA to win the title. That will be very difficult.
-Memphis will have their hands full with potentially having to face the red hot Pitt Panthers(19-1 with Fields) then either Texas(no depth concerns me) or Stanford(Brook = overrated. Robin = underrated) in the regional final.Very tough.
-Kansas looks good to advance but Clemson(tough as hell) or USC(high on talent but low on consistency)could play spoiler. Wisconsin and Gerogetown are too slow and don't have enough athletes to play with Kansas.

-Some excellent First Round Match-ups:
East Region
#7 Butler/#10 South Alabama- not only did Butler get a bad seed but they now have to play S. Bama in Birmingham! ouch
South Region
#6 USC/#11 Kansas St-This proves that the committee has a great sense of theater.
#7 Gonzaga/#10 Davidson- Everybody loves Davidson, Gonzaga is pretty good though.
Midwest Region
Not really any great match-ups on day one but if the bracket holds form the sweet 16 could be special.
West Region
#7 West Virginia/#10 Arizona- The winner of this one will go to the Elite 8.

Seduced By Kobe.

Well after watching Kobe yesterday I realized that he is officially my current favorite athlete not named Donovan McNabb or Tiger Woods. I say this because he is the first player since MJ that I honestly expect to carry their team to victory anytime they have to. His performance was impressive but wasn't shocking he is simply doing what everyone thought he would: dominate the sport. He would be my favorite athlete if he played for the Bulls. Here are my 5 favorite current players not on the Bulls:
Honorable Mention Ray Allen- Ever since UConn I have admired his game, he has that perfect stroke(flawless),but I wouldn't say he's an elite player but rather an all-star. Sherman Douglas would be proud.
#5 Dirk Nowitzki- It's been fun watching him evolve from foreign shooter into superstar, his performance against the Spurs in 2006 was one I will never forget, still don't know how they lost to the Heat.
#4 Lebron James- I have him this low because he is the Bulls rival but his passing makes him elite. He is officially in MJ 1987-90 mode (putting up silly numbers on teams that are good but not great) remember the Bulls fired Doug Collins in 1989 after repeated failures in the playoffs. He and Tiger Woods actually EXCEEDED their massive hype.
#3 Allen Iverson- How can you hate on this guy? Come on. It's a shame he won't get a ring.
#2 Kevin Garnett- All I have to do is watch him and just by the way he runs the court you know he is one of the greatest ever. Kevin Garnett was put on this planet to play basketball.
#1 Kobe- The end of this NBA season could be his coronation. We shall see.

Current Finals Projection
Celtics versus Lakers