Lance. T'eo, and Championship Sunday

It's been quite a busy week for sports: hockey is back, NFL playoffs are here, and in the arena of sports drama we have one bizarre story and one that was really more of a non-event.

We'll start off with one of the stories that's been headlining not just sports news, but pretty much every news outlet. This past week, cyclist Lance Armstrong had an interview with Oprah Winfrey, and admitted he took PED's to help his cycling career. The news that Lance had doped was about as shocking as Lance Bass or Ricky Martin coming out as gay. It's something most people suspected to be true, but until the word came out of the horse's mouth, couldn't quite 100% be sure.

It's disappointing for sure. Lance Armstrong has done a lot of good with his Live Strong charity. He won 7 Tour de France's and made cycling a sport Americans paid attention to. Because let's face it, cycling isn't exactly a popular American sport. Most of us aren't tuning in to watch a cycling race. We have enough distractions with baseball, football, basketball, hockey, world series of poker...

I will say this. At least he finally admitted it. Lance Armstrong taking PED's doesn't hurt me personally - I don't know him and I don't idolize him. But I also try not to idolize public figures like sports players or entertainers. I respect the talent, but I don't look up to them as people who mold how I should live my life.

In the ongoing PED debate in sports, it seems like in order to be clean in sports you can't take anything. Just recently two Seattle Seahawks players were suspended for a few games due to taking Adderol, which is commonly prescribed for ADD, but is considered a PED because it makes you more alert. So does Red Bull, so are energy drinks out?

Obviously I will say that blood doping, which Lance did should be illegal (not only that but it sounds dangerous) but I don't envy the powers that be struggles with where to draw the line. And if you let everyone be free to take PED's, then athletes will feel pressured to take them in order to compete, and that's dangerous.

I don't these this athletes who take PED's should be rewarded. The only way stuff like this will stop is if the punishment is harsh enough. Although I wonder, for some of these athletes, is the 15 minutes of fame enough for them to later on be stripped of titles and denied entry into hall of fames and so forth? Mark McGwire will probably never get into the baseball hall of fame. But he was VERY relevant during the home run race in the 90's. Were those years enough to make it worth it that any punishment later doesn't matter?

I'm starting to think that more and more, some athletes feel it's worth the risk. If they don't get caught for awhile they're admired, watched, important, winning or beating records, making tons of money. So what if a few years later it comes crumbling down? They still made money. They still had the spotlight at one point. And they'll always be remembered.

The other big story this week is one of the most bizarre stories I've ever heard. Manti T'eo, defensive player for Notre Dame, apparently was involved in a hoax about his girlfriend who died.The stroy of Teo's girlfriend became public in the media because his grandmother and his girlfriend Lennay, both died on the same day. The hearbreaking story brought T'eo to the forefront in the media and some say it may have helped his Heisman Trophy bid.

Lennay never died you see, because well, she never existed. The relationship was mostly online though there are several stories out there saying they met in person in 2009 that T'eo denies and his own father claiming that the two met but the truth is, Te'o never met her and the whole thing was concocted by a man named Roniah Tuiasosopo.

The big question is, did Te'o know, was he in on it? Or was he really duped? It's also lead to a new meme craze called "Te'oing."

I would hope a young man wouldn't make up a girlfriend and kill her off just to try and increase his Heisman Trophy chances - how does that even work? I guess if you're talked about more in the media, people know who you are and therefore start paying more attention to you. If that is the case, it's really sick.

Some say how could someone fall in love online and never meet a person, how could he have been duped? It happens more than people think. I did a research paper in college about online dating (this was in the early days before it became more common) and through my research I found so many stories of people who developed long term relationships through the internet and the phone only. It does happen.

We may never know the full truth. Some think this story will hurt Te'o's NFL draft options. I find this laughable. He will still get drafted first round if he's that good of a football player. The NFL is full of talented football players who aren't exactly pariahs of virtue in real life. Michael Vick went to prison for 2 years for participating in dog fighting and he came back to the NFL. Leonard Little, killed a human being in a drunk driving incident, barely paid any jail time, and still played in the NFL.

If he's a good enough player, he'll make it to the NFL. If he was in on the hoax, it's absolutely horrendous. But is it as bad as killing someone in a DUI? Killing innocent animals for fun? 

I guess we'll find out come the NFL Draft this April.

Okay, enough about PED's and hoaxes. Championship Sunday is upon us, and to my surprise, at this moment my Superbowl pick is still in tact. The Harbaugh Bowl could still happen, though most don't think it will.

I did want the Broncos to win last week. I still don't understand why Fox had Peyton take a knee at the end of the 4th quarter to go into OT with :30 seconds left and 2 time outs. At least try to see if you can get into field goal range. Although to be fair, it wasn't Peyton's greatest performance. He doesn't seem to do well in cold weather.

So, after this Sunday we'll know who will make the trip to New Orleans for the Superbowl.

NFC Championship: San Francisco Vs Atlanta

Colin Kaepernick had quite an amazing day last week against Green Bay. I thought the game would be much closer but the Niners - wow. It gives me a little hope as a Rams fan that we beat them and tied them this past season. Anyway, Atlanta is a good team, but I don't know if

they have what it takes to beat this 49'ers team. I've love to see Tony Gonzalez get a chance at the Superbowl since he's likely retiring at the end of the season, but I have serious doubts about the Falcons ability to pull this one off. After seeing the Niners against Green Bay last week, I don't think you can bet against them. Niners will win this game. I'm not saying that just because I picked them to go to the Superbowl, although it would be silly for me to pick against them now.

AFC Championship: New England Vs Baltimore

Almost every single sports pundit I've heard this week thinks Patriots have this game, hands down, no contest. Colin Cowherd, host of ESPN's The Herd, is so enamored with the New England Patriots as a whole sometimes I can't even listen to him (I'm limited to Dan Patrick or The Herd on the radio on my way to work in the morning).

I'm not the biggest fan of the Pats. Superbowl XXXVI and years of being a Peyton Manning/Colts fan are the reasons why. That doesn't mean I don't respect that Coach Belicheat, I mean Belichick, and Tom Brady and so forth aren't talented. But I'm human and it's normal to dislike teams that consistently keep your favorite team out of the playoffs or big games, or beat them in one of them. It's why I understand that any fanbase in the NL Central outside of Cardinals Nation is probably not a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals. They win too much.

The thing here is, I didn't expect Baltimore to do what they did last week in Denver. And what I saw last week was a team that had zero desire of quitting. And there is something to getting hot at the right time.

The Pats have been hot too, but the Ravens have a score to settle. They should have won the championship last year. So if anyone thinks they won't be hungry for this game? You're fooling yourselves.

I going to pick Baltimore here. Because why pick against them now when I picked at the beginning of the season, and I just can't stomach picking the Pats. I think it'll be a hard fought game.

We'll see what happens tomorrow!

NFL Divisional Playoffs

Quick post as I wanted to get my NFL Divisional Playoff Picks before the games start. I meant to post a blog earlier this week and things just got crazy.

First congrats to Alabama. It was hardly even a game. In fact it was so boring Brent Musburger was forced to do nothing but rant about how beautiful AJ McCarron's girlfriend was. It got so awkward that it's been perhaps the most talked about event from the game this week. You know Katherine Webb was Miss Alabama. Think Brent could have left it at that.

I was 3-1 in my playoff picks last week. I knew Cincinnati was a bit of a stretch but I just hadn't liked how Houston had played recently. The Bengals have talent but they are just not quite there yet. If they can make some good off season moves it might be another story next season.

Houston vs New England.

Have to go with the Pats here. I don't even think this is a close game. Pats smoked them earlier this season and they are going to have Gronk back.

Denver vs Baltimore

Even though I picked Baltimore to go to the Superbowl at the beginning of the season, I'm going against that pick here. I think the Broncos win this game. It won't be a blowout, but I do think the Broncos win this relatively easily.

Green Bay vs San Francisco

This one is tough. I picked the 49ers to go to the Superbowl and they definitely have the potential to go there. Green Bay has looked hot lately and they're finally heathy. However, they are playing in San Francisco and the Niners beat them handily in Lambeau earlier this season. AP put up yards last week and I expect Gore to do the same this week. I'm taking San Fracisco here.

Atlanta vs Seattle

Seattle has certainly impressed, but I think Atlanta has the advantage. They are at home, and they have to be hungry for this playoff win after missing so often. I think this is a close one, but I think Matt Ryan will find a way to win this game.

All right, time to watch the games. More in depth post later, I promise.

Oh and hockey. Welcome back.

Playoffs?

Happy New Year sports fans! Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and enjoyed the plethora of football we've had lately with the end of the NFL season and the start of College Bowl Game mania.

So, the NFL season is over, and sadly, my Rams did not make it to the playoffs this year. However, considering they only won 2 games last season the 7-8-1 finish isn't all bad. I saw a lot of good things from this Rams team and coach Jeff Fisher this past season and I expect that the Rams, along with the rest of the NFC West, are going to become tough teams to beat. I do like that the Rams only lost 1 game to a division rival - the last game against Seattle. Rams fought hard for this game but in the end, it's just super tough to win on the road in Seattle. Looking forward to an even better season - playoff contender type - next year for the Rams.

Wild Card weekend starts tomorrow (well, today technically) but we were treated to an NFL season where week 17 mattered - at least to Cowboys and Redskins fans.

Raise your hand if you knew that the Washington Redskins had a fight song? And a marching band? (If you're a Redskins fan, it doesn't count).

Until last Sunday, I did not know this. I was watching Sunday Night Football, as I do every week, and all of a sudden the game ended and I start hearing a marching band and fight song - I thought for a moment my cable decided to change the station on me and I was watching a college bowl game. Nope, they really have a fight song. Proof is here:

So the Redskins filled in that last playoff spot, much to the Cowboys dismay. I have to admit, the Cowboys are a bit of an enigma to me. Tony Romo is not a bad quarterback, at least when you look at QB ratings he isn't. But in the playoffs or in clutch positions? He's Tony Romo "Oh No!" Not that Romo is the reason why the Cowboys didn't make the playoffs. Cowboys have lost of issues. I'm a bit surprised that Jason Garrett survived "Black Monday" but there is still time. We'll see what Jerry Jones has in mind for the 2013-2014 season son. 

Speaking of "Black Monday," wow a LOT of fired coaches this week, and one of them already has a new job! That's just how they roll in the NFL. Most of these were not big surprises: Norv Turner, Andy Reid, Chan Gailey, Romeo Crennel and Pat Shurmer were all rumored/predicted to lose their head coaching jobs. The only one in this group who was thought to possibly have a chance at keeping his job was Reid, but apparently the Eagles decided it was time to clean house and start anew.

Two coaches that I didn't necessarily expect to get fired were Ken Whisenhunt and Lovie Smith. Whisenhunt I see a bit more as Arizona has pretty much been an abysmal team since Kurt Warner retired, and a big part of that is due to the fact that the Cardinals haven't found a replacement QB. Lovie Smith was a bit of a surprise to me. I get it, the Bears at the beginning of the season looked like they might upset the Green Bay Packers as NFC North division winners. But the Bears took a turn mid-season, and part of that was due to injuries, but some of it could have been due to something else. The team deflated and allowed themselves to lose their chance at the playoffs, which I guess was too much for the Bears organization to stomach. I'm sure Lovie will find a new coaching job - if not a head coach job, he's a hell of a defensive guy (want to come back to the Rams Lovie? We're not sure the guy we hired will ever be allowed to coach in the NFL again).

A coach who didn't get fired but thought he should have? Rex Ryan. Seriously, the Jets were just a horrible trainwreck this season all around. Why not clean house? They fire the GM but not Ryan? Um, okay. Regardless of who's decision it was to bring Tebow to NY Ryan's management of this Jets team has been awful. Maybe the Jets saw they had too many holes to fill and thought they should keep Ryan another year - who knows? All I know is, the Jets circus needs to come to a halt.

The first of the 7 fired head coaches to land a new job was announced Friday morning. Fired Monday, new job on Friday. Nice. Wish all layoff situations were as easy as that but I'm guessing most Americans who go through this process don't find a new job that fast.

Andy Reid has accepted a head coaching position with the Kansas City Chiefs. Wait, what? Hold the phone...need to clear out my ears, must have heard you wrong...I didn't?

Yes, it's true. Reid is going to Kansas City.

Nothing against Kansas City. It's just that many saw Reid fitting in better at San Diego, or Arizona. But perhaps Reid wanted the chance to have more control over the team, and in KC he does have that. They have a top draft pick, and they have Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe - both top talent in their positions. But Matt Cassell is his QB. We'll see how things shape up in the off-season.

Anyway, so Wild Card weekend is about to begin, so before the games start wanted to get in my thoughts on each of the matchups.

Cincinnati Bengals vs Houston Texans

The Houston Texans have shown weaknesses throughout the season, and those weaknesses cost them a first round bye in the playoffs, so now they face Cincinnati. I think this is going to be a tough game. The Bengals are a good team, better than their record shows. I like a lot about the Texans - JJ Watt is a beast. But I just have a feeling that the Texans have lost their momentum. And if the Bengals can rack up some points early, Houston has shown they aren't so great at coming back from behind. So I'm going to take the Bengals in this game.

Minnesota Vikings vs Green Bay Packers

Adrian Peterson is amazing, and will likely win MVP and/or Comeback Player of the Year. But AP alone can't lead the Vikings down the road to the Superbowl, and I think that road stops here at Lambeau Field. AP will have almost 200 yards, but Green Bay wins this game. Green Bay will have all of their major playmakers healthy for this game, homefield advantage and a desperate drive to beat them after losing to them last week. Green Bay wins.

Seattle Seahawks vs Washington Redskins

This one is a tough one for me to pick, because as a Rams fan, I don't really want to pick another NFC West team, and the Redskins have been so up and down all season it's hard to predict what will happen with this team. You have two rookie quarterbacks, both who have had amazing seasons. But I think Seattle has something that the Redskins don't: a really tough defense and homefield advantage. It is extremely difficult to win a game in Seattle. Ask the Rams, 49ers or Cardinals who have to play there every year - not an easy stadium to play a game in. While it pains me to pick them, I just think that Seattle will end up the victor here.

Indianapolis Colts vs Baltimore Ravens

This game is going to be full of emotion. You have the Indianapolis Colts, rallying around their coach, Chuck Pagano, who is back coaching after chemotherapy treatment, and you have the Baltimore Ravens, who know that Ray Lewis is retiring, and this weekend's game could be his last. On top of that, you have the Colts who used to be the Baltimore Colts competing against the new Baltimore team. I can't think of any game this weekend that has more emotion or drama than this one. My heart, because I do love the Colts organization, wants to say the Colts win this game. They have had such an amazing season coming back from winning only 2 games last year to making it to the playoffs - thank you, Andrew Luck. However, I think the Ray Lewis factor will hinder the Colts chances. Lewis will be amped, the team will be amped, the stadium will be amped and though Andrew Luck is an amazing offensive talent, I don't think the Colts offense can compete with the Ravens defense. While the Colts still have defensive greats Freeney and Matthis, their secondary has been horrendous and I think Flacco and co will exploit that. Baltimore wins this game.

So that's my wild card weekend predictions. At the beginning of the season I predicted a 49ers-Baltimore Superbowl. We'll see if that sticks. I feel confident on the 49ers pick, but not so sure about Baltimore. I think the Broncos or Pats have a better shot. But we'll see.

That's all I have for now. Enjoy watching the games this weekend, and thanks for reading.

BCS Bowl Predictions

I haven't spent as much time on college football as I have the NFL. And that's on purpose. I do enjoy college football but I don't follow it closely enough (not like I do NFL) to be able to comment on the plethora of college teams that play each year. Sure, there are teams that have a shot at a bowl game and those who don't, but college football has never been my sports forte. I went to a division III school (Go DePauw Tigers! Beat Wasbash!) so I don't know what it was like to be a student at Notre Dame, USC, Alabama, Florida, etc.

Just a random note. I remember specifically, one year, when I was in 7th grade, I had spent the holidays in California (was still a St. Louis girl at the time). The Bowl games all happened (at least the big ones) on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. My uncle had 3 TV's set-up so that on New Year's Day we could catch all of the games. When I got back to St. Louis, my 7th grade teacher did a trivia contest during class and I was able to answer correctly to every team that won a bowl game that year. That's when I knew something was wrong with me...just kidding.

So, bowl game predictions. I'm not as educated as I would like to be on these teams but am going to give it a shot anyway.

Louisville Vs Florida

Honestly? I think this could be a close game but I really don't know. My gut tells me Florida, because it's Florida.

Northern Illinois Vs Florida State

The Discover Orange Bowl? Wasn't it sponsored by someone else? Doesn't matter, all of these Bowl games have sponsors. They're just moneymakers. Anyway, here I've gotta go with Florida State. I love the midwest, but I think Florida State will have a bit of homefield advantage here. Plus, Northern Illinois State? Really?

Oregon Vs Kansas State

The Fiesta, I mean Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Both teams have had amazing seasons. Both thought to perhaps end up in the national title game. Here, it is very hard to say but I like Oregon here. I think Kansas State has done wonderfully this year but they showed some flaws when they lost games and lost their chance at going to the title game. I take Oregon here.

Wisconsin Vs Stanford

Stanford wins. No diss to Wisconsin, but Stanford wins here. I admit, I am surprised at how Stanford has been able to bounce back after losing both Harbaugh as coach and Luck but they had a lot of good things going on this season. 

Notre Dame Vs Alabama

Ahh yes, the BCS National Title Game. Saban vs Kelly. The unbelievable Notre Dame Fighting Irish reaching #1 in the BCS Poll. The national pundits seem to be in Alabama's favor. I get it. I do. But who know what? Notre Dame has found a way to win, even win they had their backs to the wall. So I'm going to go with Notre Dame here. 

That's all I have. We'll see in January how these predictions turned out!

Thanks for reading.

NFL Playoff Picture & More

Happy Holidays sports fans!

Again, I apologize for the delay in posts. I've been super busy with work, the holidays and so forth that I just have really gotten behind on trying to get out a weekly post. Every day at work I sit in front of a computer for 8 hours so sometimes when you get home the last thing you want to do is, well, get on a computer.

So. A lot has happened in this month of December in the NFL. As of today, the AFC playoff picture is set. The NFC? Has been a crazy wild ride and we won't know the full picture for another week. There will still be several teams with something to play for in Week 17 which is fantastic for the fans.

On a somewhat random sidenote, it looks like I am about to win my first fantasy football championship game. I've been playing fantasy football for at least 6 years now and have been commissioner of several leagues, have made it to the playoffs relatively consistently, and have made it to the championship game at least twice before this year, always finishing second. I was in 3 leagues this year, made it to the playoffs in two (just missed the one by one spot - ouch), lost out in one league in the first round, and am in the championship game in my work league. At this point, unless my opponent comes up with 40 points (which is possible with Lynch and Crabtree playing though it's now the 4th quarter and it's not looking too good), it looks like I will win. Special kudos to the following players: Aaron Rodgers, Jamaal Charles, Mikel Leshoure, Eric Decker, Wes Welker, Marques Colston and Matt Prater. Thing that kills me is I sat the Rams D which put up 19 points. The 49ers D right now, which I started? 2. Now that the Giants are out of the playoffs? The scariest team to face undoubtedly, is the Seattle Seahawks.

At the beginning of the season I made playoff predictions. Let's see how I've done shall we?

AFC EAST

Division Winner Prediction: New England Patriots

Actual Division Winner: New England Patriots

This one was likely the easiest one to predict. The Pats struggled early but came back strong, not that it really mattered as the Pats hardly had much competition in the division. The Bills and Miami are going to finish mediocre, which is where we thought they would be. I whiffed on the Jets though. I thought they might have a shot at a wild card spot and even though they did manage to stay in contention through this week they have just been awful. How this team managed to beat the Rams is beyond me. Jets are going to have to make some major changes for next season - it's time to clean house.

AFC NORTH

Division Winner Prediction: Baltimore Ravens

Actual Division Winner: Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens have somewhat quietly won their way into the playoffs. After Ray Lewis suffered an injury that benched him for the season, there were many questions about this Baltimore team and they just weren't talked about as much in the national sports media. I don't think they are as good as last season, and I see them struggling against New England or Denver, but they did look good tonight against the Giants. Perhaps moving Caldwell to OC and finally getting Ray Rice back into the game will make a difference.

I also mentioned that I thought the Bengals would contend for a wild card spot and guess what? Right again. Bengals have a tough road ahead of them though. Dalton hasn't been as sharp lately and in order for the Bengals to have a hope of advancing the passing game needs to be spot on.

AFC SOUTH

Division Winner Prediction: Houston Texans

Actual Division Winner: Houston Texans

This one was pretty much a no-brainer - I think every sports media pundit predicted the Texans to win the division. Though the Colts certainly gave them something to compete with for awhile there, which I totally whiffed on and had no idea that this Colts team, one year after winning only 2 games, would be 10-5 at this point and a wild card playoff team. They were not even in my thoughts as a potential wild card team. You have to give credit to Andrew Luck, Chuck Pagano and his staff, and a team that just seems to believe they can win. It also tells me just how bad Curtis Painter was at QB. Sure, the Colts gutted a good chunk of the offense but they kept a good amount of players from last year and the defense didn't change much. I always thought Curtis Painter looked like he should be competing for the US Surfing Championship, not the NFL.

Curtis Painter = Sean Penn ala Fast Times at Ridgemont High?

AFC WEST

Division Winner Prediction: Denver Broncos

Actual Division Winner: Denver Broncos

The AFC Worst, I mean West, seemed like a bit of a crap-shoot at the beginning of the season. No one was quite sure if Peyton was in the form we all know Peyton to be, and the rest of the division seemed to have talent that was just all sub .500/.500 caliber. What many of us didn't predict and I certainly did not was how the Broncos would just simply take this division like it was a walk in the park. Questions about Peyton Manning? He's as good as he has been and has a really good chance at getting to the Superbowl. I have to say I'd love to see it. I've always been a huge fan of Peyton and it would just be so great to see him go back to the Superbowl after everything that's happened.

NFC EAST

Division Winner Prediction: NY Giants

Actual Division Winner: TBD Cowboys or Redskins

This division. Honestly. Giants are officially out of playoff contention so I big time whiffed here. I did pick the Cowboys and Eagles as potential wild card contenders which the entire NFC East was at one point but Philly has just been awful. Michael Vick, talented as he is, just can't stay healthy. RGIII needs to pay attention to this, because he's already been hurt this season and missed games, to many fantasy football fans dismay.

The Cowboys-Redskins game has been moved to next week's Sunday Night Game so we'll have to wait until then to find out who wins this division and see how the wild card shapes up. At this point, I'm not sure who to pick but I'm leaning a bit toward the Redskins, if RGIII can stay healthy. 

NFC NORTH

Division Winner Prediction: Green Bay Packers
Actual Division Winner: Green Bay Packers

I said in my prediction post that I didn't think the Bears were good enough to top Green Bay, and to prove my point the Packers beat the Bears both times this season. The Packers had a bit of a rough start but managed to pull it together later in the season. For awhile there, it looked like the Bears might take the division. Now, they are fighting for a wild card spot. In the NFC, we won't know for sure until next week. One team I really whiffed on was the Vikings. Really. Congrats to Adrian Peterson, the likely Comeback Player of the Year. He will likely hit 2,000 yards next week, but needs over 200 yards to beat Eric Dickerson's record. Vikings are still alive in the playoff hunt and the Bears. But after tonight's win against the 49'ers, Seattle has clinched a spot. So the window is thinning.

NFC SOUTH

Division Winner Prediction: Atlanta Falcons
Actual Division Winner: Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons were the popular pick here, and now we all know why. Falcons are red hot right now. QB Matt Ryan has been outstanding. Tampa Bay and the Panthers ended up...just mediocre. I honestly thought the Panthers would be a bit better but Cam Newton showed some true colors this year. For one, the attitude needs to change if he expects to stay long term in the NFL. No one likes a diva. Doing Superman moves in the endzone? Come on (though I've seen worse touchdown dances. Hmm, that would be a good blog. Top NFL touchdown dances. The Bob-N-Weave would certainly be in there. Have a suggestion? Let me know). The Saints struggled, which was expected, but they're going to manage to end their season respectably. Just makes you wonder how they would have done if Bounty Gate hadn't happened. Perhaps they'd be in the playoffs and giving Atlanta a run for their money in the division.

NFC WEST 

Division Winner Prediction: San Francisco 49'ers
Actual Division Winner: San Francisco 49'ers OR Seattle Seahawks

The NFC West, which used to be referred to the NFC Worst, is hardly that. I expected the 49'ers to be where they are, but expected them to have a commanding division win by now. I 100% whiffed on the Seahawks."Seattle has a top ranked defense and I think will be a scary team once all of the offense holes are filled but can Russell Wilson really lead them to offensive greatness this season?" Answer? Yes, he can. Never expected them to be as good as they have been. They are now clearly the scariest team in the NFC to face, and I doubt any playoff team wants to go to Seattle to play. They are lights out at home.

The Rams were better, as I predicted, and I didn't expect them to do better than 9-7. They are 7-7-1. So I think I was pretty close there. I like a lot of what Jeff Fisher's influence has brought to this team and expect them to be a bigger force to recon with next season. I still like Bradford, though I have my doubts. I would like to see a full season with strong healthy receivers (I love Ammendola, but he's injury prone). They also could use a little extra help on the O-line. Like seeing Kendricks and Givens developing into potential stars. I didn't expect this to be their year but next year? It's going to be interesting.

WILD CARD

AFC Wild Card Predictions: Jets, Steelers

Actual AFC Wild Card: Colts, Bengals

NFC Wild Card Predictions: Saints, Eagles

Actual NFC Wild Card: TBD, but none of the above

I 100% whiffed on my wild card predictions, wow. Not even close. All of the teams I picked are out. Guess we'll have to see how the NFC picture turns out next week.

BCS Bowl Predictions in my next post. Thanks for reading.

Happy Movember

This sports blog post is brought to you by...

Who do you think you are Rodgers, Keith Hernandez?

Okay, well...it's a close one.

I don't know if Rodgers has the stache because of prostate cancer awareness month, aka "Movember," or if he just likes it. But seeing it in action on Sunday night definitely brought back memories of some of the great 80's baseball staches, such as Keith Hernandez's.

Sports fans, I apologize for my last post because it didn't have much substance and was more of run on of random thoughts. I've been meaning to post more often but for whatever reason, I caught November-itis. Good thing it's almost December so I can put that behind me.

Thanksgiving weekend is one of my favorite weekends of the year. Why?

1. I love spending time with family and friends and sharing food, fun and memories together.

2. Once Thanksgiving is over, I can officially put up my Christmas tree.

3. A LOT of football.

We were treated to 3 NFL games on Thanksgiving Day, had college football to carry us Friday and Saturday, then more NFL on Sunday through Monday night.

Before I get to my thoughts on the NFL at this point in the season, I'd like to take a moment to talk about BCS Bowl Madness.

I am one who has never really been a fan of the BCS. Main reason? Whoever goes to the national championship game shouldn't get there based on voting, but based on winning games to get there. The BCS poll is very subjective though it doesn't take super mathematics to figure out how the standings fall. I know we'll be moving to a playoff format soon but I wanted to state that I've always hated the BCS rankings deciding the national title game matchup.

But I have to say, seeing Notre Dame rise to #1 and clinch a trip to the national title game this year was pretty exciting. I've always liked Notre Dame. I didn't go there, but I'm Irish and Catholic, so there's that. But also growing up my family always seemed to like Notre Dame. My mom even has a button that plays the Fighting Irish song. I've known how that song goes since as early as I can remember.

Are they the best team in the country? It's debatable. They beat Oklahoma, Stanford and USC - all good teams. Alabama and Georgia are both great teams - maybe even better than Notre Dame, but they lost games. Now those two teams will play for the opportunity to play Notre Dame in the national championship.

Based on what I've seen from Notre Dame this year, I do believe they can compete with Alabama or Georgia. However, I think a match-up against Alabama favors them a bit more, because Alabama tends to win games with their defense. Notre Dame-Alabama would be a close game.

Georgia, on the other hand, could be more problematic for Notre Dame if ND's offense can't keep up with Georgia's. Not saying they couldn't win, but I think if you're a ND fan right now, you're probably hoping Alabama wins this game this weekend.

I'd like to see Notre Dame win a national title. It's a great story. And anyone who doesn't think Brian Kelly should win coach of the year? Tell me who else. Maybe Bill O'Brien from Penn State, who took over the Penn State job after all of the scandal, lost a ton of players, and the team finished 8-4. But I still think Brian Kelly should win - no one expected the Fighting Irish to have a shot at the national title game this year, except Notre Dame fans of course.

So, NFL. Week 12.

Calisportsdiva's Top 10 NFL Thoughts of the Week

10. If Norv Turner and Andy Reid still have their jobs at the end of the season color me surprised. Want to know a crazy stat? The Eagles have not won a game since September 30th. The Philadelphia Phillies last win of the season was on October 1st. That means, the Phillies have won a game since the Eagles last won (granted, by one day. Thanks DC for pointing out the stat). Nevertheless, that pretty much sums up just how bad the Eagles season has been. I think there is still a shot that they keep Reid, but not likely. Probably time to clean house. Michael Vick is an inconsistent injury prone mess and Foles could have potential, but we just don't really know yet. As for San Diego, it's looking like another disappointing season. How any defense can allow a team to get a first down when the game is on the line on a 4th and 29 play is beyond me. That Ravens-Chargers game this weekend, IMO, sealed the impending fate for Norv Turner. 

9. Houston, we have a problem. Okay, so the Texans are still at the top of the AFC South and still hold the best record in the AFC, but what was considered one of the top 2 defenses in the league at the beginning of the season is starting to look a bit circumspect after 2 near loses in a row to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions - and in reality, Houston should have lost both of those games but managed to hold on. Houston will make the playoffs, no doubt. But if I was a Texans fan these 2 games would have me seriously concerned about how they may perform in the playoffs.

8. Welcome back New England (*insert golf clap*). The Patriots we've all grown to love and hate, are back. They had some early losses this season but have been pretty strong the past several weeks, in fact, garnering some criticism for running up the scoreboard in games that they clearly had won, particularly against Indianapolis and the Jets. I'm not surprised, it's Belichick and he's done it before, with the Pats. I'm not a fan though. I just don't see the point in shoving it down the opponent's throats. Plus, risking your starters getting injured as the opposition gets more angry and frustrated with you running up the score. Gronk's injured now because of that. Well, all I can say is, karma will get you if you get too greedy.

7. The St. Louis Rams are undefeated against NFC West rivals (hey, a tie is a tie, not a loss). I know that may not seem like a big deal, but to a fan who has watched so many losing seasons it is nice to see this team start to come together. The Rams defense is becoming a force to recon with. Actually, the whole NFC West has really upped their defensive game. I've also seen a lot of offensive promise with the Rams. Chris Givens has so much potential at wideout. Danny Ammendola, when he can stay healthy, is a great offensive weapon. Steven Jackson's still got a lot of life and back up Richardson shows amazing promise for the future. The Rams, even at 4-6-1, could in theory have potential at a wild card spot. I think it's unlikely, but if they were to win the rest of their games this season they'd finish 9-6-1. And the rest of their match-ups are winnable games: San Francisco, Buffalo, Minnesota, Tampa Bay and Seattle. Realistic? Probably not, because I think the wild card will go to whoever doesn't win the NFC North - Green Bay or Chicago. But it's nice to think you still could maybe sort of have a shot.

6. Speaking of Green Bay, wow did they look awful on Sunday night, and I'm not talking about Rodger's stache. Mr. Rodgers only gave me 5 fantasy points this week so you know it's a bad week when that happens. The New York Giants apparently awoke from their recent slumber and just completely dominated this game. I've said it before, but I have to honestly say this. I know the Giants don't always have an amazing winning record regular season. But when they get hot, is there any team that is more scarier than the Giants? I don't think there is.

5. QB controversy? In the infamous 49'ers-Rams game that resulted in a tie, QB Alex Smith left the game with a concussion and a young guy named Colin Kaepernick took over and was...surprisingly good. Smith needed another week off so Colin got his first start against the Chicago Bears and the Niners won 32-7. So this week rolls around and even though Smith is cleared to play, Colin gets the start. Niners win though New Orleans fought hard. The question now becomes: who is the starting QB for San Francisco? In my opinion, though Kaepernick has looked sharp, I think if Alex Smith is healthy he should get the start. He lead this team to the NFC Championship last year (and nearly won that game) and SF was certainly not having any problems winning games before he got hurt. Niners have no idea how Kaepernick will perform under pressure in a playoff setting. And if they continue to bench Smith, it's going to cause some animosity. And it can affect performance should something happen to Kaepernick and Smith is asked to go back in. I just think, we've only seen 2 starts from Kaepernick. But maybe Harbaugh knows something I don't.

4. Andrew Luck has been pretty amazing. To go from the abysmal Colts team from last season to be 7-4 and having a really good shot at the AFC wild card, is just simply amazing. Hearing interviews from Colts players about Andrew Luck, I hear a lot of comparisons to Peyton Manning. Taking charge of the offense. Learning quickly. This guy is special, indeed. The Colts also have developed a strong team vibe in supporting their coach, Chuck Pagano, who is fighting leukemia. Colts players shaved their heads in support of the coach. There is just something that feels good about this team. Could we see a Broncos-Colts AFC Wild Card weekend game? It just might be in the cards...

3. The Chicago Bears clearly perform better with Jay Cutler at the helm. Cutler was knocked out of the game with a concussion (same week as Alex Smith) and had to miss a game but was back last week and the Bears had a nice win against Minnesota. I like a lot about the Bears, and I definitely see them in the playoffs - they may actually win the NFC North. They have to keep Cutler healthy though, because without him well...see 49'ers-Bears game, week 11. 

2. Peyton Manning is leading this Broncos team to the playoffs. It wasn't exactly a pretty win against Kansas City this week, but they have taken a commanding lead of the AFC West. It's not like Peyton's doing anything new - we know that he's competitive and will do what it takes to get the win. The Broncos will be an interesting postseason team to watch.

1. Apparently, running back Jamaal Charles asked Peyton Manning for his autograph after Kansas City's loss to Denver on Sunday. Read more about the story here. This lead to some discussion on sports radio today about whether that was okay or not. My thoughts? Peyton Manning is a hall of fame quarterback. He may play on the opposing team, but is it not okay to respect talent? If it was, oh, I don't know, Cam Newton, then yeah, that might seem silly. But when you're talking about top talent that's hall of fame bound? Why not get his autograph when you have the chance? I know I would.

That's all I have in the world of football. 

Welcome to the Los Angeles Lakers, Mike D'Antoni

Mike D'Antoni has officially taken over as head coach of the Lakers. A lot of fans were outraged by this hiring as they were hoping Phil Jackson would come back, but for whatever reason, it just didn't happen.

Here's the thing. The Lakers organization (and fans, for the most part) don't consider a season a success unless they win the NBA championship. And since Jackson has done that before, and D'Antoni, has not...let's just say there's a LOT of skepticism.

Coaching matters, that is for sure. But there is no way of knowing if Jackson could have led this Lakers team to a title. Maybe it's D'Antoni's turn to win a title. Maybe Lakers fans need to relax and be happy their team always has a shot as the playoffs, unlike Carolina or New Orleans.

Point is, it's HARD to win a championship. And it should be. If it was easy to win year after year and the same team kept doing it people (except for the fans of that team) would lose interest. So if D'Antoni does lead this Lakers team to a championship? Better give him credit. But for now, it's early, and there's a lot of season ahead of us.

All right, that's all I have for tonight. Promise to have more insightful posts soon!

An Update

I'm alive, in case you all were wondering. Life has been rather hectic lately and in some ways I blame the election. Typically, I listen to sports radio on my commute to and from work, but the last couple of weeks I was listening to a lot of NPR and news radio.

But, that doesn't mean I haven't been following sports. I have. And though it's late, congrats to the San Francisco Giants on their World Series win. The story of how that team won is just simply amazing. Not as amazing as the 2011 Cardinals (sorry Giants fans, but Game 6 of the 2011 World Series was pretty epic). And, you know, it's okay. The Giants won in 2010. Cardinals won in 2011. Giants won in 2012 so...Cardinals in 2013? :-)

We're over halfway into the NFL season and it's becoming clearer as to which teams have a shot at the playoffs, and which ones have no chance or a long way to go.

Since I'm behind a few weeks, instead of my Top 10 Afterthoughts I'm just going to list my thoughts on the NFL as of today, in no particular order.

- Andrew Luck. The Colts are 6-4 after today's loss to the Pats. Granted, today's loss was abysmal. But no one expected the Colts to be here. They are a AFC Wild Card contender. You have to give props to Andrew Luck who has just been amazing. There is a lot of promise with this team in the future.

-The Rams tie a game against the 49'ers then lose to the...JETS. My heads hurts. How in the world can you almost, hell, had multiple times to beat the Niners and then bow down to the Jets at home. Completely unacceptable. I just....no.

- The Cowboys are what we thought they were...mediocre.

- Peyton Manning could lead this Bronco team to the playoffs. Some may say he isn't the Peyton they remember but...he's still good.

- Falcons lost to NO last week. They almost lost to Arizona today. Team to beat in the NFC? We'll see.

So all I've hard about lately is the whole Lakers fiasco of: Fire Brown, Don't hire Jackson, hire D'Antoni.

All I have to say is this: sure, Lakers fans wanted Jackson back. But would he have been a good fit with this team?

Also, how about them Irish? Notre Dame will likely hit #1 in the BCS this week thanks to losses by Kansas State and Oregon.

Was a weird week in college football. We'll see how things go.

That's all I have for now, more insights soon.