This afternoon, I spent a couple hours conquering one of my biggest social phobias. No, it wasn't drinking outside naked (psh, like I'd be afraid of that). Today, for the first time, I set up an online dating account. It doesn't sound like something that someone should be afraid of admitting that they use.
Maybe it wasn't so much being afraid of admitting to use as it was that I just assumed that my random daily life of going out would have me meeting new people on an occasional basis. As it turns out, unless you (or at least I) meet new friends from the current group of friends that you have, then it makes it very difficult to achieve this goal.
Ok, so maybe it was a small fear of admitting to use...
As you can figure out by now, I am single again. Nothing to weep about or say "I'm sorry" about - we both agreed about the different directions that we wanted to go and it was about as mutual of a breakup as there could be. After exploring a possibility that went nowhere, I decided that I would give this dating site crap a shot.
It wasn't until Friday where I seriously considered it though. My friend uses the site OkCupid and had it recommended to him by a friend. It seems like he's had some bites, but nothing major yet. So I figure, why the hell should I be afraid to go on a site like this?
It's not like my normal single life ways of getting girls throughout the years were working. In the back of my mind though, I figured I'd want to meet women randomly and hope we connect and not depend on a match maker site. The stigma of being a loser who needs a site probably entered my mind, but why, I don't know. It's not like at the end of the day it matters how you meet.
I am fully on board now.
In fact, dating sites seem to be a better way of matching people with similar personalities. The 80 or so questions that I answered about myself and certain situations have (so far) matched me up with people who have similar likes and interests - assuming they are telling the truth in their profiles. I'd like to think they are, but maybe it's the naive part of me that believes that. I know I didn't fudge anything on my profile - for I would like to get the most I possibly can out of it.
I know of a few people that have used sites before with success. Whether they work long-term better than random meetings with people is up for debate. For someone such as myself that has limited resources on meeting new people consistently, online doesn't seem like a bad method of at least starting the conversation that would normally take place at a bar or party. And not only that, you're conversing with someone you believe to have similar interests as you already.
I've messaged a few girls so far - so we'll see if anything comes of it. I'm sure I'll share my story/stories of how it works (or if it doesn't). All I know is that I couldn't sit here making excuses anymore on not to use a site (especially a free one), so here goes nothing.
Wish me well.
8/28/2011
8/25/2011
Back to My Writing Roots
Suddenly feeling a creative writing buzz coming about.
This may be something I delete in time, depending on how it looks to me in a day/week/month, but here goes nothing.
I promise I'm not drunk, just inspired to write.
My Fuel
Like the best detective educating the sleuth,
It always helps to hear the truth.
No matter how hard it is to take,
It's only as bad as you want to make it.
Living in a world of fiction
Creates a state of confusion and friction.
They say the truth will set you free
But many worry about at what cost it will be.
Save me the sugar coat, I'm not hungry nor cold.
I'll sail on another boat. Gonna take this poker hand and fold it
Into the muck. Ran out of luck.
Like a Big Wheel facing a Monster Truck.
You thought I might find another word to rhyme in those above lines there.
The truth is, I just don't care.
Right now, I'm empowered by my sharpest tool-
The gift of word - my energy, my fuel.
This may be something I delete in time, depending on how it looks to me in a day/week/month, but here goes nothing.
I promise I'm not drunk, just inspired to write.
My Fuel
Like the best detective educating the sleuth,
It always helps to hear the truth.
No matter how hard it is to take,
It's only as bad as you want to make it.
Living in a world of fiction
Creates a state of confusion and friction.
They say the truth will set you free
But many worry about at what cost it will be.
Save me the sugar coat, I'm not hungry nor cold.
I'll sail on another boat. Gonna take this poker hand and fold it
Into the muck. Ran out of luck.
Like a Big Wheel facing a Monster Truck.
You thought I might find another word to rhyme in those above lines there.
The truth is, I just don't care.
Right now, I'm empowered by my sharpest tool-
The gift of word - my energy, my fuel.
8/23/2011
No Time to Weight
It's been a week of being on medication and going to see a physical therapist, and so far, so good. The back appears to be getting better, and hopefully by the time the month's worth of physical therapy appointments are done, I will be back to normal. I'm really tempted to test it out by bowling a game, even though that's how I threw out the back. But for now, I'll be smart and sit it out while watching my teammates bowl. Watching from the sidelines has been difficult. When you get used to a routine - and when you're passionate about something like I am about bowling, it's tough to watch it and know you can't do it.
One thing I'm glad that I haven't missed too much, surprisingly, is beer. These medications (for pain reduction and muscle relaxing) are not to be taken with alcohol. I'm sure most medications are that way, but I've taken this as a serious warning. The few beers I have had in the past week have been well after I took my last medication (like 6-7 hours), and in each situation, I only drank a beer.
Even watching people drink hasn't been as bad as I thought. Normally, that would be the biggest form of pressure to drink - when your peers are pouring down the suds. The ability to resist has been better than I imagined.
I was told by my physical therapist that losing some weight would help the back. This has inspired me to try eating healthier in addition to the reduction in alcohol consumption. As of 8/15/2011, I sit at 217 pounds, so we will see how this change of diets (in addition to moving around a little bit) will help my weight loss (and in turn, my back).
I did so good with my working out the last time 3 years ago and threw it all away in the past year. I need to get in the workout mindset again. My friends Jen and Steve are doing a good job with it- so much so, that when they came over last week for a swim and BBQ, they brought over some turkey burgers.
I need to get into the eating right/exercising regimen again. Let's hope that I (as well as Steve, Jen and any of my other friends who are aiming to get healthy/healthier) can get this in order.
One thing I'm glad that I haven't missed too much, surprisingly, is beer. These medications (for pain reduction and muscle relaxing) are not to be taken with alcohol. I'm sure most medications are that way, but I've taken this as a serious warning. The few beers I have had in the past week have been well after I took my last medication (like 6-7 hours), and in each situation, I only drank a beer.
Even watching people drink hasn't been as bad as I thought. Normally, that would be the biggest form of pressure to drink - when your peers are pouring down the suds. The ability to resist has been better than I imagined.
I was told by my physical therapist that losing some weight would help the back. This has inspired me to try eating healthier in addition to the reduction in alcohol consumption. As of 8/15/2011, I sit at 217 pounds, so we will see how this change of diets (in addition to moving around a little bit) will help my weight loss (and in turn, my back).
I did so good with my working out the last time 3 years ago and threw it all away in the past year. I need to get in the workout mindset again. My friends Jen and Steve are doing a good job with it- so much so, that when they came over last week for a swim and BBQ, they brought over some turkey burgers.
I need to get into the eating right/exercising regimen again. Let's hope that I (as well as Steve, Jen and any of my other friends who are aiming to get healthy/healthier) can get this in order.
8/22/2011
Breaking Good: Recent Records That Will Be Hard to Beat
As a frequent watcher of sporting events, one of the main topics that comes up on a continual basis is records/milestones that will never be broken or achieved. Each time, the same records are trotted out as unbreakable and are usually reflective of different eras of the sport of which they speak. Records like Cy Young's career win total or Wilt Chamberlain's numerous records (notably points in a game and points per game in a season) are just some of these records that will never be sniffed upon anytime soon, yet alone broken.
I decided I would compile some milestones or benchmarks in particular sports (whether it be a season or career) that have been set in the past 10-20 years that we will never see in the next 10-20 years (or perhaps ever), based on how each particular game is evolving. For example's sake, I'm going to focus on the sports that I know: NFL, MLB and NBA.
NFL records that will not be broken any time soon (in a 16 game regular season format):
Tomlinson's 31 TDs in 2006: Even though this record was broken several times in a 3-4 year span before this, I believe this record will stand the test of time. The way teams are going towards running backs by committee, there is no need for a guy to carry the ball as much as LT did that year.
Favre's 299 games in a row as starting QB: I assume this number includes playoffs - I saw it as this on the nfl.com page. With the concussion rule the way it is now (where they will make sure players cannot play if signs of a concussion are apparent), I don't see a QB (or any position for that matter) making it through 18+ seasons worth of games without missing a game. Peyton is the closest, but he still has over 5 years to go and may even miss Week 1 of this year. Of Favre's numerous accolades, this one should stand the test of time for the longest. (Note: NFL.com has the record wrong - my partner in crime Tim found the number to be 297 regular season games).
Jerry Rice's 1549 catches in a career: With all of his down years at the end weighing down his career average, he still averaged 75 catches a year in his career. Even if he didn't play an unbelievable 20 years in the league and ended it about 5 years earlier, many of his records would still be untouchable. A 22 year old receiver entering the league would need to average just under 100 catches a season for 16 seasons to get this record. It's just not gonna happen. Rice has so many unbreakable records to speak of, but this is the one I wanted to highlight.
Marvin Harrison - 143 catches in 2002: Never mind that this record is 20 higher than its second place finisher, the best offenses these days feature QBs who spread the ball all over the field, not to just one primary guy. Green Bay, New Orleans, Indianapolis and New England seem to have different receivers leading the team in catches/yards from game to game. There really isn't anyone currently capable of grabbing an average of 9 catches per game that it would take to beat this record.
MLB records/milestones that are unreachable in today's era
Cal Ripken's games streak: This one is fairly obviously, but no current player (nor will any future player) have the desire to play 16-17 years worth of games in a row. The best players need a handful of games off in a year now. With salaries the way they are, managers have no incentive to play a superstar through an injury that may require a few days of rest. Ripken's record is safe.
300Ks in a season for a pitcher: The last pitchers to achieve 300+Ks were Schilling and Randy Johnson for the 2002 D-Backs. Johnson topped the duo with 334, which was only the fourth highest total of his career. For a starter to get that many in a 5-man rotation (33-35 starts considering some rotations skip the 5th starters on days of), a pitcher needs to average 10Ks per game. These days, 10Ks is considered a great game - so to expect someone to average that (or even 9Ks per game) in the Pitch Count era is far-fetched.
60 Home Runs in a season: Unless another cheater era begins, I see Jose Bautista's number from last year (54) to be about the ceiling for home run hitters. Since the baseball drug testing began, home run numbers have gone down. There are some pitcher friendly parks being built these days (Petco comes to mind), but much of it has to do with normal-strength hitters hitting against normal-strength pitchers.
Ichiro's 262 hits in a season (2004): Considering that Ichiro is the only current player with a season in the top 80 of hits in a season (he has 4 of the top 80 hit seasons of all time), there doesn't appear to be anyone on the horizon that could sniff this record. Juan Pierre (2004) and Michael Young (2005) are the closest active players to this record when they got 221 hits in their respective seasons.
NBA Records/Milestones that are out of reach
Jordan's 30 points per game for a career: If you start your career with a couple of "sub-par" (when compared to Jordan's average) 22/game seasons, you have some major work to do. Jordan's average would have been higher had it not been for his years with the Wizards, which just goes to show you how dominant he was.
80 points in a game: Kobe achieved this back in 2006 (81 points to be exact), making him the first player since Wilt's 100 points to break the 80 point barrier. Not only do you have to be a tremendous ball hog to get this record, but you have to be a ball hog that can actually shoot well. Also, you have to be in a tight game where you won't be sat in the last 5-6 minutes of a game. Bryant's Lakers were trailing by double digits for the middle part of the game against the Raptors before pulling away in the 4th quarter. Someone like Carmelo has the best chance of getting this achievement.
Bulls' 72 wins in 1995-96: Ok, so none of these records have been team records thus far. I figured I'd throw in the one record that has been set recently that will not be beat in our lifetimes. For teams to actually get this record, they actually have to want to get this record. This means playing your starters (who have to be the elite of the elite) throughout the season without much rest. Once teams clinch home court advantage throughout the playoffs, there's very little incentive for the top players to continue to play 35-40 mins/game unless there's particular bonuses attached to their contract relating to individual marks. And by the time home court is clinched throughout a year, teams are well past the 10 loss mark. I don't see this one being touched.
I'm sure there's other records I'm neglecting, but these ones come to mind as recent records/milestones that seem untouchable based on how their respective sports are evolving. If there's any recent records or milestones that are untouchable, please share your thoughts.
I decided I would compile some milestones or benchmarks in particular sports (whether it be a season or career) that have been set in the past 10-20 years that we will never see in the next 10-20 years (or perhaps ever), based on how each particular game is evolving. For example's sake, I'm going to focus on the sports that I know: NFL, MLB and NBA.
NFL records that will not be broken any time soon (in a 16 game regular season format):
Tomlinson's 31 TDs in 2006: Even though this record was broken several times in a 3-4 year span before this, I believe this record will stand the test of time. The way teams are going towards running backs by committee, there is no need for a guy to carry the ball as much as LT did that year.
 |
| No one (not even Jenn Sterger) will touch Brett Favre's small....err, large records |
Jerry Rice's 1549 catches in a career: With all of his down years at the end weighing down his career average, he still averaged 75 catches a year in his career. Even if he didn't play an unbelievable 20 years in the league and ended it about 5 years earlier, many of his records would still be untouchable. A 22 year old receiver entering the league would need to average just under 100 catches a season for 16 seasons to get this record. It's just not gonna happen. Rice has so many unbreakable records to speak of, but this is the one I wanted to highlight.
Marvin Harrison - 143 catches in 2002: Never mind that this record is 20 higher than its second place finisher, the best offenses these days feature QBs who spread the ball all over the field, not to just one primary guy. Green Bay, New Orleans, Indianapolis and New England seem to have different receivers leading the team in catches/yards from game to game. There really isn't anyone currently capable of grabbing an average of 9 catches per game that it would take to beat this record.
MLB records/milestones that are unreachable in today's era
Cal Ripken's games streak: This one is fairly obviously, but no current player (nor will any future player) have the desire to play 16-17 years worth of games in a row. The best players need a handful of games off in a year now. With salaries the way they are, managers have no incentive to play a superstar through an injury that may require a few days of rest. Ripken's record is safe.
 |
| Just like the jersey he sports here, Randy Johnson's 300K seasons are a thing of the past. |
300Ks in a season for a pitcher: The last pitchers to achieve 300+Ks were Schilling and Randy Johnson for the 2002 D-Backs. Johnson topped the duo with 334, which was only the fourth highest total of his career. For a starter to get that many in a 5-man rotation (33-35 starts considering some rotations skip the 5th starters on days of), a pitcher needs to average 10Ks per game. These days, 10Ks is considered a great game - so to expect someone to average that (or even 9Ks per game) in the Pitch Count era is far-fetched.
60 Home Runs in a season: Unless another cheater era begins, I see Jose Bautista's number from last year (54) to be about the ceiling for home run hitters. Since the baseball drug testing began, home run numbers have gone down. There are some pitcher friendly parks being built these days (Petco comes to mind), but much of it has to do with normal-strength hitters hitting against normal-strength pitchers.
Ichiro's 262 hits in a season (2004): Considering that Ichiro is the only current player with a season in the top 80 of hits in a season (he has 4 of the top 80 hit seasons of all time), there doesn't appear to be anyone on the horizon that could sniff this record. Juan Pierre (2004) and Michael Young (2005) are the closest active players to this record when they got 221 hits in their respective seasons.
NBA Records/Milestones that are out of reach
Jordan's 30 points per game for a career: If you start your career with a couple of "sub-par" (when compared to Jordan's average) 22/game seasons, you have some major work to do. Jordan's average would have been higher had it not been for his years with the Wizards, which just goes to show you how dominant he was.
 |
| No one will get to 80+ points again any time soon. B-Bo knows this. |
80 points in a game: Kobe achieved this back in 2006 (81 points to be exact), making him the first player since Wilt's 100 points to break the 80 point barrier. Not only do you have to be a tremendous ball hog to get this record, but you have to be a ball hog that can actually shoot well. Also, you have to be in a tight game where you won't be sat in the last 5-6 minutes of a game. Bryant's Lakers were trailing by double digits for the middle part of the game against the Raptors before pulling away in the 4th quarter. Someone like Carmelo has the best chance of getting this achievement.
Bulls' 72 wins in 1995-96: Ok, so none of these records have been team records thus far. I figured I'd throw in the one record that has been set recently that will not be beat in our lifetimes. For teams to actually get this record, they actually have to want to get this record. This means playing your starters (who have to be the elite of the elite) throughout the season without much rest. Once teams clinch home court advantage throughout the playoffs, there's very little incentive for the top players to continue to play 35-40 mins/game unless there's particular bonuses attached to their contract relating to individual marks. And by the time home court is clinched throughout a year, teams are well past the 10 loss mark. I don't see this one being touched.
I'm sure there's other records I'm neglecting, but these ones come to mind as recent records/milestones that seem untouchable based on how their respective sports are evolving. If there's any recent records or milestones that are untouchable, please share your thoughts.
8/21/2011
Walkin' About Their Generation
I haven't had any good topics to write about lately, but after taking about a mile walk around the neighborhood (as part of my regimen that my physical therapist said I should move around more), one came to mind - and sure enough, it has to do with the topic of neighborhoods.
Remember those days your parents told you about, with them playing with their friends outside in their neighborhood, goofing around and having a good time on a daily basis? Hell, you may even remember it yourself with your youth, playing kickball or baseball or some activity that actually took place outside and proved that people actually lived in the neighborhood.
Nowadays, you're lucky to see kids outside. Everyone knows the culprits of this - video games, technology that would have seemed unfathomable 60 years ago and will seem ancient in about 5 years, computers, fear of idiots who roam the world, Gary Glitter, and so forth. There's not too many times I drive around in the late afternoon or early evening (whether it be during school months or not) where I have to worry about kids playing outside and getting in the way of my car.
In my short evening walk, it was nice to see people outside and kids being active. It seems to be the exception to the rule these days. I miss the days of my youth going outside all the time and participating in whatever sport we wanted to play at the time. It seems like this may be the generation of kids that will never have that to miss since they never experienced it like past generations did.
I hope my future walks will show me that maybe I've been observing life on the wrong blocks and people go out more often than I realize.
Remember those days your parents told you about, with them playing with their friends outside in their neighborhood, goofing around and having a good time on a daily basis? Hell, you may even remember it yourself with your youth, playing kickball or baseball or some activity that actually took place outside and proved that people actually lived in the neighborhood.
Nowadays, you're lucky to see kids outside. Everyone knows the culprits of this - video games, technology that would have seemed unfathomable 60 years ago and will seem ancient in about 5 years, computers, fear of idiots who roam the world, Gary Glitter, and so forth. There's not too many times I drive around in the late afternoon or early evening (whether it be during school months or not) where I have to worry about kids playing outside and getting in the way of my car.
In my short evening walk, it was nice to see people outside and kids being active. It seems to be the exception to the rule these days. I miss the days of my youth going outside all the time and participating in whatever sport we wanted to play at the time. It seems like this may be the generation of kids that will never have that to miss since they never experienced it like past generations did.
I hope my future walks will show me that maybe I've been observing life on the wrong blocks and people go out more often than I realize.
8/15/2011
People That Need to Shut Up
The title is pretty self-explanatory. I'm just gonna go through some instances of late where people should have just kept their mouths shut. Several of these stories have to do with the infamous "My Twitter account was hacked" excuse.
Braylon Edwards (San Francisco 49ers Wide Receiver): At the beginning of the month, Edwards, already on probation for random dumb things he has done off the field, was at the scene of a brawl that left several people with injuries. During the time that the fight was taking place, Edwards tweeted the following statements:
"Damn. Get ya knuckles ready."
"Don't fight if [y]ou don't know how."
You can see where this is going...Tweets were deleted and then Edwards gives the classic "Someone else was using my phone" excuse.
Trust me, the newest player on my favorite team, I've tried that before. Doesn't work so well. So please, catch us some touchdown passes and....shut up.
The Game (a rapper, not Triple H): Friday afternoon, he posted from his Twitter account a phone number that was to lead his 500K fans to obtain information for some internship, but it was actually the number of an important LA emergency dispatch. The prank tied up lines for hours and actually prevented certain emergencies from being tended to.
Naturally, the hack defense was in play. The Game, who removed the tweets after someone in the police dept found the Twitter connection to the calls told him to stop, stated "It wasn't me (Shaggy voice)" on his tweet, and then proceeded to blame someone with the twitter name wackstar.
I believe you, Mr. Game, just as much as I listen to your music - not really. Sure, I've heard you on a few collaborations that I enjoyed, but perhaps you should treat your phone like a solo act (assuming you are telling the truth). How do all these people end up having their phones in the wrong hands? Must be a coincidence.
Time for a rainout on this game. Shut up. Game over.
Carlos Zambrano: Anyone who has followed sports in Chicago over the past 6-7 years know the type of drama (that word being a severe understatement) that comes with the headcase that has the name of Carlos Zambrano. From fights with teammates and random outbursts that have occurred in his time as the supposed Cubs ace pitcher, there's been enough material going on with Zambrano to employ a city-full of shrinks.
His latest outburst on Friday (imploding on the field and then clearing out his locker and saying he was retiring) should be the icing on the cake for his career with the Cubs, who put him on the 30-day disqualified list (which means he won't get paid). I'll be honest - I never heard of this list before. Thankfully, I can credit Big Z for allowing this list to enter my life in the sports realm.
Zambrano is protesting his suspension, claiming he was not serious about retiring despite the fact that he completely cleared his locker and Cubs GM Jim Hendry basically accepting his retirement statement as fact. He said to Chicago Tribune Live that his statements of retirement were meant to stay in the clubhouse, apparently not realizing that there's pretty much media scattered everywhere. I'm sure he wasn't whispering this stuff in the locker room either, so again, he has no one to blame but himself. But does he blame himself? Ha! - about as much as Edwards and Mr. Game did.
Carlos - how's about you go hang out with Chief, Nurse Ratched and the others at the Cuckoo's Nest, get some electroshock therapy, and live the rest of your life in a padded room? Please Big Z...shut up.
Rex Grossman (Washington Redskins QB): I almost forgot about this idiot. He has gone on record as saying that Washington will win the NFC East. Doing a lot of talking for a guy who might not even be a starter. The infamous John Beck (who hasn't started a game since 2007) seems to have the inside edge at the moment. But it really doesn't matter who heads this ship.
I guess Grossman has nothing to lose by saying this (everyone expects the Redskins to suck and finish last in the division). There's a good reason they are a 150/1 shot to win the Super Bowl. If Shannahan could lead this team to a division title, it'd be more impressive than any of the Super Bowl wins that he got because of Elway & Terrell Davis.
But for now, Grossman seems to be writing checks that I don't think anyone, even their "Making It Rain" owner named Daniel Snyder, could cash.
Be content you still have an NFL job Grossman, and just shut the hell up.
I'm sure there's more knuckleheads to write about, but these are the one's I've come across in the past couple weeks that have provided the most unintentional humor in terms of just being stupid.
Thank you gents for the inspiration to write the Shut Up blog. Feel free to disregard my advice and keep talking (Big Z probably will ignore my words - so thank you in advance).
 |
| Just a hunch...this wasn't Edwards yearbook picture from senior year of high school. I could be wrong. |
Braylon Edwards (San Francisco 49ers Wide Receiver): At the beginning of the month, Edwards, already on probation for random dumb things he has done off the field, was at the scene of a brawl that left several people with injuries. During the time that the fight was taking place, Edwards tweeted the following statements:
"Damn. Get ya knuckles ready."
"Don't fight if [y]ou don't know how."
You can see where this is going...Tweets were deleted and then Edwards gives the classic "Someone else was using my phone" excuse.
Trust me, the newest player on my favorite team, I've tried that before. Doesn't work so well. So please, catch us some touchdown passes and....shut up.
 |
| Time to Play The (Blame) Game! |
The Game (a rapper, not Triple H): Friday afternoon, he posted from his Twitter account a phone number that was to lead his 500K fans to obtain information for some internship, but it was actually the number of an important LA emergency dispatch. The prank tied up lines for hours and actually prevented certain emergencies from being tended to.
Naturally, the hack defense was in play. The Game, who removed the tweets after someone in the police dept found the Twitter connection to the calls told him to stop, stated "It wasn't me (Shaggy voice)" on his tweet, and then proceeded to blame someone with the twitter name wackstar.
I believe you, Mr. Game, just as much as I listen to your music - not really. Sure, I've heard you on a few collaborations that I enjoyed, but perhaps you should treat your phone like a solo act (assuming you are telling the truth). How do all these people end up having their phones in the wrong hands? Must be a coincidence.
Time for a rainout on this game. Shut up. Game over.
 |
| I get a feeling this is how Zambrano's shrink visits go - at least he's consistently nuts. |
Carlos Zambrano: Anyone who has followed sports in Chicago over the past 6-7 years know the type of drama (that word being a severe understatement) that comes with the headcase that has the name of Carlos Zambrano. From fights with teammates and random outbursts that have occurred in his time as the supposed Cubs ace pitcher, there's been enough material going on with Zambrano to employ a city-full of shrinks.
His latest outburst on Friday (imploding on the field and then clearing out his locker and saying he was retiring) should be the icing on the cake for his career with the Cubs, who put him on the 30-day disqualified list (which means he won't get paid). I'll be honest - I never heard of this list before. Thankfully, I can credit Big Z for allowing this list to enter my life in the sports realm.
Zambrano is protesting his suspension, claiming he was not serious about retiring despite the fact that he completely cleared his locker and Cubs GM Jim Hendry basically accepting his retirement statement as fact. He said to Chicago Tribune Live that his statements of retirement were meant to stay in the clubhouse, apparently not realizing that there's pretty much media scattered everywhere. I'm sure he wasn't whispering this stuff in the locker room either, so again, he has no one to blame but himself. But does he blame himself? Ha! - about as much as Edwards and Mr. Game did.
Carlos - how's about you go hang out with Chief, Nurse Ratched and the others at the Cuckoo's Nest, get some electroshock therapy, and live the rest of your life in a padded room? Please Big Z...shut up.
 |
| He may end up being "Our Quarterback", but Rex needs to leave the terrible predictions to Miss Cleo |
Rex Grossman (Washington Redskins QB): I almost forgot about this idiot. He has gone on record as saying that Washington will win the NFC East. Doing a lot of talking for a guy who might not even be a starter. The infamous John Beck (who hasn't started a game since 2007) seems to have the inside edge at the moment. But it really doesn't matter who heads this ship.
I guess Grossman has nothing to lose by saying this (everyone expects the Redskins to suck and finish last in the division). There's a good reason they are a 150/1 shot to win the Super Bowl. If Shannahan could lead this team to a division title, it'd be more impressive than any of the Super Bowl wins that he got because of Elway & Terrell Davis.
But for now, Grossman seems to be writing checks that I don't think anyone, even their "Making It Rain" owner named Daniel Snyder, could cash.
Be content you still have an NFL job Grossman, and just shut the hell up.
I'm sure there's more knuckleheads to write about, but these are the one's I've come across in the past couple weeks that have provided the most unintentional humor in terms of just being stupid.
Thank you gents for the inspiration to write the Shut Up blog. Feel free to disregard my advice and keep talking (Big Z probably will ignore my words - so thank you in advance).
8/12/2011
Taking Things for Granted
How many of us truly appreciate the things around us on a daily basis? Even an activity that is something as mundane as walking, I guarantee there's a lot of things we take for granted.
Unfortunately, that's an activity that's proving itself awkward for me - even more awkward than some of the silences that have occurred after a controversial statement or two that I've made in my life. And sure enough, it's none other than the mundane task of walking.
Three weeks ago today, I threw out my back while bowling. I know, I know- you're all wondering, "How did such an athlete like Brian hurt his back in a 'sport' that allows umpire-shaped gentlemen participate and call themselves 'athletes'?" If there's any consolation, I threw a strike on that ball as it rolled down the lane at a Black Sheep-like 7 miles per hour.
Since then, I have been confined to the indoors for the most part. Last weekend, I got in the pool briefly but really couldn't swim. I tried playing bags, but my stride was stiffer than Rafael Palmeiro after popping a few....nevermind, you get it. The day before, my chiropractor said he had no idea what to do with me, since he had tried just about everything to loosen up my pelvic area on the right side. I just went to get x-rays yesterday and the lady taking my x-rays said I looked like a hot mess, and I don't think she meant it in the "I plan on getting sued for harrassment" sort of way.
So with the x-ray viewing on my chiropractor's part pending, I just hope that my back/leg will eventually heal itself. It's started to feel a little better since 6pm today, but who knows how it will be when I wake up tomorrow. All I know is that I miss bowling with my buddies. I need to get this back fixed so I could go back to contributing to my team's losses as opposed to just watching them.
For now, I reflect on how much I take for granted. I wouldn't say I take everything in life for granted - I am very conscious of the mortality of all of us and look to cherish any and all moments that I have with everyone. When I look back at the end of the day, I don't have any regrets regarding the people who I've kept in my life and the people who may have faded away for one reason or another.
I suppose the simple things in life are easy to take for granted, especially things you unconsciously and consciously do on a daily basis- like walking, brushing your truth (hopefully you're all doing that), and so forth. I just got back from a friend's house and watched a movie based on the true story of the world-class surfing teenager Bethany Hamilton, who had her left arm ripped from her body in a shark attack. Seeing how she was able to recover mentally over time and get used to the fact that she no longer had a left arm to become a world class surfer again, it's nothing short of a miracle.
There's no way you can anticipate some major life changes like that, and thus, easy to take certain things (like having a left arm) for granted. Whether it be something that can't be repaired like an arm or hopefully can be repaired like my back, all you can really do is make the best of these situations - regardless of whether you took these things for granted or not.
Unfortunately, that's an activity that's proving itself awkward for me - even more awkward than some of the silences that have occurred after a controversial statement or two that I've made in my life. And sure enough, it's none other than the mundane task of walking.
Three weeks ago today, I threw out my back while bowling. I know, I know- you're all wondering, "How did such an athlete like Brian hurt his back in a 'sport' that allows umpire-shaped gentlemen participate and call themselves 'athletes'?" If there's any consolation, I threw a strike on that ball as it rolled down the lane at a Black Sheep-like 7 miles per hour.
Since then, I have been confined to the indoors for the most part. Last weekend, I got in the pool briefly but really couldn't swim. I tried playing bags, but my stride was stiffer than Rafael Palmeiro after popping a few....nevermind, you get it. The day before, my chiropractor said he had no idea what to do with me, since he had tried just about everything to loosen up my pelvic area on the right side. I just went to get x-rays yesterday and the lady taking my x-rays said I looked like a hot mess, and I don't think she meant it in the "I plan on getting sued for harrassment" sort of way.
So with the x-ray viewing on my chiropractor's part pending, I just hope that my back/leg will eventually heal itself. It's started to feel a little better since 6pm today, but who knows how it will be when I wake up tomorrow. All I know is that I miss bowling with my buddies. I need to get this back fixed so I could go back to contributing to my team's losses as opposed to just watching them.
For now, I reflect on how much I take for granted. I wouldn't say I take everything in life for granted - I am very conscious of the mortality of all of us and look to cherish any and all moments that I have with everyone. When I look back at the end of the day, I don't have any regrets regarding the people who I've kept in my life and the people who may have faded away for one reason or another.
I suppose the simple things in life are easy to take for granted, especially things you unconsciously and consciously do on a daily basis- like walking, brushing your truth (hopefully you're all doing that), and so forth. I just got back from a friend's house and watched a movie based on the true story of the world-class surfing teenager Bethany Hamilton, who had her left arm ripped from her body in a shark attack. Seeing how she was able to recover mentally over time and get used to the fact that she no longer had a left arm to become a world class surfer again, it's nothing short of a miracle.
There's no way you can anticipate some major life changes like that, and thus, easy to take certain things (like having a left arm) for granted. Whether it be something that can't be repaired like an arm or hopefully can be repaired like my back, all you can really do is make the best of these situations - regardless of whether you took these things for granted or not.
8/10/2011
Long shots, Cutler, & Week 1 Gambling Leans
I can't not focus on football, so here's some more random football thoughts.
Long shots that I'd consider placing money on if I were in Vegas with these odds (Long shot defined as anything beyond 20/1) - odds provided by www.bookmaker.eu:
Houston Texans: 30/1 - If you read my last blog about football, you'd already know this would be a long-shot that I would like.
Chicago Bears: 38/1 - If they can protect their QB even slightly better than last year, they can be better than last year. Although I think teams around them in the upper echelon of the NFC got better and will be better. Still, at these odds, it'd be worth a small bet on these odds if their defense can play up to the same level as last year and offense improves slightly.
Tampa Bay: 45/1 - Big fan of these odds for a team with a soon-to-be Pro Bowl QB in Josh Freeman (25 TDs, only 6 ints), a tough-to-tackle RB in LeGarrette Blount, and a defense that was top 10 in points allowed and takeaway differential. These odds are inflated mainly due to their NFC South competition (New Orleans and Atlanta). But at 45/1, I'd be all over these odds.
Thoughts on how Jay Cutler will be received:
If Cutler is booed to start the year because of how last year ended, then I wish those fans a season full of Todd Collins and see how that goes. Everyone and their mother seemed to get caught up in the emotion of the injury last year that left Cutler sidelined for the 2nd half of the NFC Championship game in their eventual loss to the Packers. Fans and fellow NFL players (notably Maurice Jones-Drew) were basing their judgments of Cutler's "injury" on the shots that Fox showed of him on the sideline supposedly not caring about what was going on in the game or not helping Hanie out. I can't say this for certain because I wasn't there, but I'm fairly certain Fox was showing isolated shots of him by himself on purpose to paint this picture. It doesn't help that Cutler is cold to the media (and now seeing how misconstrued they painted him here, who can blame him?), so he gets no benefit of the doubt from the fans.
The dude got raped without protection all year (52 sacks in 15 games played) and should be soon delivering the bastard baby that the Giants impregnated him with last October. He started all but one game last year despite this beating behind one of the worst offensive lines that Chicago has ever seen. I'm not saying he shouldn't be taking the blame for some of these sacks and also just taking blame in general when the offense goes awry, but to question this guy's toughness (especially a guy who's playing with diabetes) is pure ignorance.
My favorite thing to come from the Cutler aftermath was when people said they saw him walking around just fine when they saw him going to a restaurant in the city or the like. Yeah - because walking into a restaurant is the same thing as running away from 250 pound linebackers on a football field with an MCL tear. If he's dodging angry waiters who lost money on the Bears after the game with amazing grace, then get back to me. Please don't boo him to start the year for last year because you think he pussied out of the biggest game of his life. Instead, save those boos for legitimate mistakes that he will eventually make in 2011.
22 days until college football starts, 29 till NFL kicks off...
which means I can't stop thinking about who I am going to bet on in week 1. The preseason in NFL will affect some of these odds, but I have some idea of a few potential week 1 NFL bets:
Kickoff game: New Orleans at Green Bay (-4.5/total of 46). I like the under here. Seems like week 1, especially opening game, defenses are ahead of offenses, which leads to lower scores. I'd love to see the total go up to about 48 or so if possible (the betting public almost always bets Overs on prime-time games), but will likely be happy with betting this at 46. I see about a 20/24-17 score in the opener.
Sunday games: Indianapolis at Houston (-3/total of 46). I like the over here. While I think the Houston defense will be better with Philips as their D-coordinator, I wouldn't be surprised if there's an adjustment for some of these guys to get acclimated to a 3-4 defense. If Manning plays, I'd expect a total score in the low 50s at least. If the line falls to 2.5, I may consider Houston as a pick.
Carolina at Arizona (-5.5, 36.5). Seems like most people are on the Kolb train, but I can't lay 5.5 on a team that didn't really do much else to improve their team through the free agent wire. Their offensive line allowed almost as many sacks as the Bears did, and it doesn't appear they addressed their O-line woes. Meanwhile, the Panthers were devastated with injuries last year and can't get worse than they were last year. I think Ron Rivera will get about 6 wins out of these guys this year. I'll gladly take the +5.5 and may consider a money line bet on them if I use a book this year that has money lines.
I know more lines will stick out soon, but those are the initial ones that I see. I'm going to try avoiding NCAA betting in week 1, but may find an angle to bet on in the high-profile game (LSU/Oregon).
Not much time left till the season starts in both, so let the countdown continue and let's watch baseball go swiftly into the sunset. This up/down/up/down from the Sox has me convinced they will end 81-81, so no use sweating that.
9 more days till fantasy football draft - which officially kicks off the football mania. Happy football!
Long shots that I'd consider placing money on if I were in Vegas with these odds (Long shot defined as anything beyond 20/1) - odds provided by www.bookmaker.eu:
Houston Texans: 30/1 - If you read my last blog about football, you'd already know this would be a long-shot that I would like.
Chicago Bears: 38/1 - If they can protect their QB even slightly better than last year, they can be better than last year. Although I think teams around them in the upper echelon of the NFC got better and will be better. Still, at these odds, it'd be worth a small bet on these odds if their defense can play up to the same level as last year and offense improves slightly.
Tampa Bay: 45/1 - Big fan of these odds for a team with a soon-to-be Pro Bowl QB in Josh Freeman (25 TDs, only 6 ints), a tough-to-tackle RB in LeGarrette Blount, and a defense that was top 10 in points allowed and takeaway differential. These odds are inflated mainly due to their NFC South competition (New Orleans and Atlanta). But at 45/1, I'd be all over these odds.
Thoughts on how Jay Cutler will be received:
If Cutler is booed to start the year because of how last year ended, then I wish those fans a season full of Todd Collins and see how that goes. Everyone and their mother seemed to get caught up in the emotion of the injury last year that left Cutler sidelined for the 2nd half of the NFC Championship game in their eventual loss to the Packers. Fans and fellow NFL players (notably Maurice Jones-Drew) were basing their judgments of Cutler's "injury" on the shots that Fox showed of him on the sideline supposedly not caring about what was going on in the game or not helping Hanie out. I can't say this for certain because I wasn't there, but I'm fairly certain Fox was showing isolated shots of him by himself on purpose to paint this picture. It doesn't help that Cutler is cold to the media (and now seeing how misconstrued they painted him here, who can blame him?), so he gets no benefit of the doubt from the fans.
The dude got raped without protection all year (52 sacks in 15 games played) and should be soon delivering the bastard baby that the Giants impregnated him with last October. He started all but one game last year despite this beating behind one of the worst offensive lines that Chicago has ever seen. I'm not saying he shouldn't be taking the blame for some of these sacks and also just taking blame in general when the offense goes awry, but to question this guy's toughness (especially a guy who's playing with diabetes) is pure ignorance.
My favorite thing to come from the Cutler aftermath was when people said they saw him walking around just fine when they saw him going to a restaurant in the city or the like. Yeah - because walking into a restaurant is the same thing as running away from 250 pound linebackers on a football field with an MCL tear. If he's dodging angry waiters who lost money on the Bears after the game with amazing grace, then get back to me. Please don't boo him to start the year for last year because you think he pussied out of the biggest game of his life. Instead, save those boos for legitimate mistakes that he will eventually make in 2011.
22 days until college football starts, 29 till NFL kicks off...
which means I can't stop thinking about who I am going to bet on in week 1. The preseason in NFL will affect some of these odds, but I have some idea of a few potential week 1 NFL bets:
Kickoff game: New Orleans at Green Bay (-4.5/total of 46). I like the under here. Seems like week 1, especially opening game, defenses are ahead of offenses, which leads to lower scores. I'd love to see the total go up to about 48 or so if possible (the betting public almost always bets Overs on prime-time games), but will likely be happy with betting this at 46. I see about a 20/24-17 score in the opener.
Sunday games: Indianapolis at Houston (-3/total of 46). I like the over here. While I think the Houston defense will be better with Philips as their D-coordinator, I wouldn't be surprised if there's an adjustment for some of these guys to get acclimated to a 3-4 defense. If Manning plays, I'd expect a total score in the low 50s at least. If the line falls to 2.5, I may consider Houston as a pick.
Carolina at Arizona (-5.5, 36.5). Seems like most people are on the Kolb train, but I can't lay 5.5 on a team that didn't really do much else to improve their team through the free agent wire. Their offensive line allowed almost as many sacks as the Bears did, and it doesn't appear they addressed their O-line woes. Meanwhile, the Panthers were devastated with injuries last year and can't get worse than they were last year. I think Ron Rivera will get about 6 wins out of these guys this year. I'll gladly take the +5.5 and may consider a money line bet on them if I use a book this year that has money lines.
I know more lines will stick out soon, but those are the initial ones that I see. I'm going to try avoiding NCAA betting in week 1, but may find an angle to bet on in the high-profile game (LSU/Oregon).
Not much time left till the season starts in both, so let the countdown continue and let's watch baseball go swiftly into the sunset. This up/down/up/down from the Sox has me convinced they will end 81-81, so no use sweating that.
9 more days till fantasy football draft - which officially kicks off the football mania. Happy football!
8/08/2011
Randomblings - About Our Current State of States
With how messed up this world seems to be these days, with our country fighting in wars we can't win, the debt ceiling crisis, US's credit rating gets lowered, stock market crashing, it's a wonder how many people can actually be legitimately happy these days. Besides a select few, most people are feeling the down times of the economy - whether it be worrying about losing their jobs or being afraid of making a new purchase for fear of the former situation happening. There's more worries than just that, but you get the point - you may be living a form of it yourself.
I've been lucky and been put in a more favorable situation than most - both in living arrangements and employment. That allows me to escape from the realites of the world more than others. It's probably a big reason why I'm able to be sidetracked by sports so easily. My biggest form of anxiety and excitement in the next month comes from fantasy football drafts and the start of both college and pro football seasons.
Many people wish they had these worries as a top priority. Instead, the never-ending pile of bills and many of the above worries are what have many in a bind. I've heard stories from several of my friends about their frustrating job searches. In two of their cases, they were both teachers and I heard/read about their plights often. The one friend who shared her frustrations with me was running short on patience. While I myself haven't been in that situation in over a year, the main thing I told her was what I told myself when I was looking for employment - just keep your head up and keep trying. The world can be a cold place, so you have to keep failing sometimes at these searches to find the right place. Luckily, the friend I told this to, in addition to my other teacher friend, had a happy ending.
At the end of the day, that's what most of us are looking for. We aren't necessarily looking for the perfect ending, but something resembling our hopes and dreams is what we want. The term "happy ending" seems movie-ish, but it's true. When bogged down in the daily life troubles, it's easy to forget to aim for more happiness in our lives, no matter how temporary. Easy for me to say, I know.
While this economy struggles to get back to normal, do all that you can to keep your head above water. And while it's above water, buy yourself an innertube and relax once in a while in this cesspool of a pool known as America.
I've been lucky and been put in a more favorable situation than most - both in living arrangements and employment. That allows me to escape from the realites of the world more than others. It's probably a big reason why I'm able to be sidetracked by sports so easily. My biggest form of anxiety and excitement in the next month comes from fantasy football drafts and the start of both college and pro football seasons.
Many people wish they had these worries as a top priority. Instead, the never-ending pile of bills and many of the above worries are what have many in a bind. I've heard stories from several of my friends about their frustrating job searches. In two of their cases, they were both teachers and I heard/read about their plights often. The one friend who shared her frustrations with me was running short on patience. While I myself haven't been in that situation in over a year, the main thing I told her was what I told myself when I was looking for employment - just keep your head up and keep trying. The world can be a cold place, so you have to keep failing sometimes at these searches to find the right place. Luckily, the friend I told this to, in addition to my other teacher friend, had a happy ending.
At the end of the day, that's what most of us are looking for. We aren't necessarily looking for the perfect ending, but something resembling our hopes and dreams is what we want. The term "happy ending" seems movie-ish, but it's true. When bogged down in the daily life troubles, it's easy to forget to aim for more happiness in our lives, no matter how temporary. Easy for me to say, I know.
While this economy struggles to get back to normal, do all that you can to keep your head above water. And while it's above water, buy yourself an innertube and relax once in a while in this cesspool of a pool known as America.
8/05/2011
Hot Doggin' It
Tomorrow, I am about to embark on a journey that no man, woman, child or rabid animal should partake in. It takes determination to overcome obstacles (both physical and mental). Staring at my goal face-to-face will be challenging, but I am ready for it.
My journey will be one that will only last 10 minutes, but the pain of this trecherous path will be felt for hours, if not days, after it is over. Many wish to see the journey, but very few, if any, will actually join me on this journey.
My chosen path for tomorrow? None other than a hot-dog eating contest of course.
Last month, around the time the Coney Island Hot Dog contest came onto its annual July 4th stage, I decided I wanted to participate in one of these at some point in my life- the earlier the better. A couple of facebook statuses were sent to scope interest in the contest and conversations in the weeks following said idea showed me that there would be interest in such a contest amongst my friends.
With all the talk about it, particularly from me, I knew I had to host it this year. The problem would be getting everyone who is interested together for it on a common time. This is impossible, given there was about a dozen people interested, and many of them I don't talk to on a frequent (daily) basis.
So far, I am unaware of any other participants in this contest, so I decided that I would put on a show regardless. More importantly, I need to establish a benchmark by which all future (yes, I said future, as in more than just this time) hot dog contests will be judged. Will it be 6? 8? Can I eat a 10 pack of hot dogs? Time will tell.
I did time myself eating 2 hot dogs the other day in about 90 seconds, so who knows how that will carry out to 510 seconds more of eating. All I know is that I am looking forward to this challenge.
If I succeed, feel free to call me a hero. If I fail, feel free to heckle me and call me a hack. If you are reading this, you are welcome to meet up for this - 3pm in O-Fo.
The future awaits. And so does a lot of hog anus- I mean hot dogs.
My journey will be one that will only last 10 minutes, but the pain of this trecherous path will be felt for hours, if not days, after it is over. Many wish to see the journey, but very few, if any, will actually join me on this journey.
My chosen path for tomorrow? None other than a hot-dog eating contest of course.
 |
| If I eat this much tomorrow, I will not be living come August 7th, 2011. |
Last month, around the time the Coney Island Hot Dog contest came onto its annual July 4th stage, I decided I wanted to participate in one of these at some point in my life- the earlier the better. A couple of facebook statuses were sent to scope interest in the contest and conversations in the weeks following said idea showed me that there would be interest in such a contest amongst my friends.
With all the talk about it, particularly from me, I knew I had to host it this year. The problem would be getting everyone who is interested together for it on a common time. This is impossible, given there was about a dozen people interested, and many of them I don't talk to on a frequent (daily) basis.
So far, I am unaware of any other participants in this contest, so I decided that I would put on a show regardless. More importantly, I need to establish a benchmark by which all future (yes, I said future, as in more than just this time) hot dog contests will be judged. Will it be 6? 8? Can I eat a 10 pack of hot dogs? Time will tell.
I did time myself eating 2 hot dogs the other day in about 90 seconds, so who knows how that will carry out to 510 seconds more of eating. All I know is that I am looking forward to this challenge.
If I succeed, feel free to call me a hero. If I fail, feel free to heckle me and call me a hack. If you are reading this, you are welcome to meet up for this - 3pm in O-Fo.
The future awaits. And so does a lot of hog anus- I mean hot dogs.
8/03/2011
Can't Wait: Preseason Pigskin Predictions
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| Bart Scott can't wait for the NFL season to start, and neither can I. Hence, NFL Predictions 5 weeks in advance. |
There's still trades and signings to be made, but my gut feelings for NFL predictions are coming clearer to me. I'm gonna use an offshoot of Bookmaker's new site for odds reference purposes. With each team, I will pick whether I project over/under for the total listed on Bookmaker.
Note: I am projecting team's win totals, but did not add up the wins to see if they add up to the proper amount of games
AFC East
It looks to be a two-horse race between New England (-175) & the Jets (+130). The Bills (20/1) and Dolphins (10/1) are popular bets if you are looking to piss money down the drain. I would have given the nod to the Jets here if they were able to sign Asomugha, but they are essentially the same team as last year, minus Brad Smith (who will be missed for his special teams contributions) & plus Plaxico (who will help in the red zone regardless of his layoff). The pick here is New England.
New England 11.5 (over - 13); NYJ 10 (push); Miami 8 (under - 7); Buffalo 5.5 (over - 6)
AFC North
Another two-horse race - with Baltimore (-160) edging Pittsburgh (+115) as the favorite, according to the site. Cincy (25/1) & Cleveland (10/1) are long-shots, and for good reason. I'll take the defending champs of the division (Pitt) to repeat, with Balt once again getting the wild card.
Pittsburgh 10.5 (over - 12); Balt 10.5 (under 10); Cleveland 6.5 (over -7); Cincy 5.5 (under - 5)
AFC South
According to oddsmakers, seems like the theme of the AFC so far is 2 teams with a real chance in each division. Every year, there's one division that has a team that surprises the league and wins a division. My first mild surprise in this regard is the Houston Texans (+175) over the Colts (-140). The moves of getting Wade Philips as defensive coordinator and Jonathan Joseph (a young solid cornerback) will help Mario Williams on the defensive end of the ball- which was the only thing that was holding them back from a playoff run last year. Their offense should continue to shine behind Schaub, Foster and Andre Johnson. The Colts aren't the same team they were a few years ago, when they made their run to the Super Bowl. I think Manning is gonna miss some games with the neck injury this year, and they cannot afford him to be out in the slightest. His current backup? Curtis Painter (28 career attempts in 3 years).
Houston 8.5 (over -11); Indy 10 - (under - 9); Tennessee 7 (under - 6); Jacksonville 6.5 (Under - 5)
AFC West
Last year, this was one of the division winners that caught Vegas offguard, with the Chiefs taking the division from perennial power San Diego. I think the Chiefs overachieved last year and will come back down. I expect the Chargers at -225 (being the first team in modern football history to miss the playoffs despite top yardage rankings in offense and defense) to rebound and retake the division easily. Their special teams cannot be as bad as they were last year - their Achilles Heel last year.
San Diego 10 (over - 12); Kansas City 8 - (under - 7); Denver 5.5 (over - 7); Oakland 7 (under - 4).
NFC East
I'm gonna take the bait and make the Eagles (-150) as my division pick, but I think Dallas at +280 has the best value, given the way they closed the year with Garrett as coach. They still got some money to spend after being spurned by Asomugha - who went to their rivals in the city of Brotherly Hate. There aren't too much. No way anyone (even Mike Shanahan) could reasonably make a case for Washington (25/1); otherwise, I could see anyone, including the Giants (+225), taking the division.
Phil 10.5 (over -11); NYG 9.5 (over - 10); Dallas 9 (push); Washington 6 (under - 4)
NFC North
With the Packers returning about a starting lineup's worth of starters from their 2010 injured reserved list, their depth is unparalleled in the league. The Bears won the division despite a terrible pre-season but ultimately fell short in the NFC Championship. I think they over-achieved last year, mainly thanks to their dynamic defense - the staple of any Bears team that has success. I think the Packers take the division. And I'll go against the grain here and say that the Lions under-achieve compared to how everyone is perceiving them.
GB 11.5 (Over - 12); Chi 8.5 (Under - 7); Detroit 8 (under - 7); Minnesota 7.5 (under - 6)
NFC South
Atlanta (+110) & New Orleans (-110) appear to be the front-runners again this year, with each making significant moves in the offseason. Atlanta's main transaction was to add to their offense by drafting Julio Jones, a stud from Alabama, and in the process trading about half of their draft. This deal reminded many of the deal the Saints made for Ricky Williams. While it should help their offense, I think the Saints will retake the division. They just signed San Fran's second best defensive player from last year (Franklin) to the D-Line and drafted Jordan out of Cal. These moves should help bolster a run defense that was about middle-of-the-pack. Tampa (+480), under the rising star of Josh Freeman, probably have the best odds of any team that I think has a reasonable chance at a division title.
NO 10 (Over - 11); Atlanta 10 (Push); Tampa 8 (Over - 9); Carolina 4.5 (Over - 6)
NFC West
Last and definitely least, here we are to the NFC Worst, the first division winner to ever sport a losing record. Never mind that Seattle (7-9 last year) upset New Orleans - doesn't erase the fact that this was the worst division in the history of any sport. San Fran (-130) is once again the preseason favorite, although not as highly hyped as last year, where just about every publication had them as the division winner. Again, until I see Alex Smith perform well consistently, I will find this division favorite stuff hard to believe - even in this division. The loss of Franklin to the D-Line will hurt the Niners more than most free agent losses to any team this year. I think the Rams (+200) will pull off the division victory. Bradford nearly did the impossible last year, having the Rams alive for the division crown going into the final week. This year, they will have it wrapped up by week 16.
StL 7.5 (Over - 9); San Fran 8 (Under - 7); Arizona 7 (Under - 6); Seattle 6 (Under - 4)
(I counted 13 overs, 16 unders and 3 pushes - so probably under-projected the league as a whole in terms of wins)
So to recap, division winners:
AFC: New England, Pittsburgh, Houston, San Diego
NFC: Philly, Green Bay, New Orleans, St. Louis
Wild Cards:
AFC: Baltimore, NYJ
NFC: Atlanta, NYG
AFC Championship: San Diego over New England
NFC Championship: Green Bay over New Orleans
Super Bowl: Green Bay over SD
Of course, I will be way off on this. There will likely be at least one team around 4 or 5/1 that sneaks up on everyone and wins their division (best chance of that is with Tampa). I will definitely revisit this in 6 months to see how wrong I was, just as I have analyzed my baseball predictions.
Enjoy the preseason, and let's enjoy the first of at least a decade's worth of NFL seasons of labor peace.
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