Ah, baseball playoffs. Football in full swing. Foliage. All that crap. Forget Christmas, October is the holiday season for me. Especially this October. OJ’s guilty. It only took 13 years, but here we are. Was the OJ verdict one of those moments that we all remember where we were? I certainly do. I was a sophomore at
It seems appropriate to rehash, just briefly how it all went so wrong the first time. First, outgunned prosecution made this case far longer and more complicated than it needed to be to grandstand during their time in the sun. Second, Johnny Cochran, staggeringly brilliant attorney. Staggeringly. Third, jury selection. Prosecution thought it would be a good idea to seat black women. But studies consistently show that black women have utter disdain for the white women that black men left their black wives for. In this case, the victim. Fourth, failing to point out the painfully obvious. The defense theory was that OJ was framed by a few racist members of the LAPD. Hence the bloody glove and other DNA evidence. It was the only way to counter it. All the prosecution had to do to defeat this defense was to point out that the two primary people who would have had to be in cahoots to properly frame OJ had never met before the day of the murder. That’s it, case closed. Oh well, 13 years later and justice has been served. Or, I guess we should wait for sentencing.
I’ll fight my desire to get into the bailout, but I must say that I feel a lot better about our economy as it gives $100,000,000.00 to car race track owners. You know, as long as it was absolutely necessary to save the economy.
On to the Sporty Sports:
Poor TBS. They pay all their money for the entirety of MLB division series and they’re looking at four possible sweeps after getting three sweeps and a 3-1 series last year. No wonder Buck Martinez was lauding Santana after two batters. Two batters? Are you serious? The next five Red Sox reached base and put up four runs. Poor TBS. Has any manager ever so viciously gone after one player as Lou did after Fukudome? He’s a .257 hitter with 10 homeruns on the season. It’s not his fault you gave him all the money in the world. He’s 0-8. It’s not like he committed four infield errors. Ouch for those poor Cubbies’ fans though. Just one thought on you guys, do you really think it’s helping to turn on your team so fast? I felt like I was watching an Eagles’ home game at old Veterans’ Field after a couple of early picks by Donovan. If your players are just a tiny little bit extra nervous because you are going to rain boo’s down on them in the 3rd inning, aren’t you at least a small part of the problem? It’s irrelevant though. Nothing can stop the inevitable destiny of Manny versus the Sox for the series. Not only will it be great theatre, but could there be a series Yankees fans would less want to see? Their nemesis versus their greatest manager.
Oh those cocky Angels. They didn’t say it, but you could just feel in the air. 8-1 against the Sox during the regular season, it was going to be a romp. Oops. Chone, Hunter, Vlad, Teixeira, K-Rod. This was their year. From what I have learned from the announcers in this series, the entire concept of Angels aggressive baseball means going from 1st to 3rd. So, Vlad the Impaler did nothing wrong when he shot the Angels in the foot with his absurd base running blunder in game one.
Week 5 it is, how fast it all flies by. Home teams in CAPS:
TEXANS +3 over Colts
We’ve seen this Colts team before with a beat up defense missing Bob Sanders. They can’t stop anyone from running. Nevermind, unheard of super fantasy sleeper Steve Slaton. Texans finally start their season at home with a win. This team is not done yet. Just gotta win at home and go .500 on the road. They haven’t been home yet, so this is their chance.
RAVENS +3 over Titans
I have picked against the Titans every week so far and been wrong every week. Gotta switch it up here, you would think. I just can’t. Little offense versus no offense. No offense versus little offense, I can’t figure out which is which. I just can’t believe in Kerry Collins. When he came into the league, OJ was getting acquitted. That has finally turned around this week and so will Kerry’s luck. I don’t believe in QB’s whose career TD’s match or barely exceed their career INT’s: 176-173. INT’s will exceed TD’s by end of year. Albert “the headhunter” Haynesworth bad karma will catch up at some point.
Joe Flacco is unflaccable. I’m coining that phrase. Arm strength, poise. Terribly impressed with this guy who no one ever thought would be starting early on in his career. Out of
DOLPHINS -6.5 over Chargers
Why is it so hard to travel 3000 miles in the NFL and not play like crap? I don’t know. Maybe even with charters and private planes it's still really really uncomfortable to be cooped up on a plane for 5 hours when you are 6' 7" and 350 pounds. I can't find any legroom and I'm 5' 10". I think the Dolphins have something here. Great left tackle. Ronnie Brown is back to being Ronnie Brown. And the power of positive thinking. When was the last time you saw someone in Dolphins’ gear smile? No really, when? Coach, player, fan, anyone? The smiles are back. And Norv is ready to post his resume on the “ladders”. He’s a $100K earner right?
PANTHERS -9.5 over Chiefs
Herm Edwards cannot win two weeks in a row. It just can’t happen. His team stinks, his coaching is worse and Coors Light is clamoring for him to get fired. It’s coming.
Redskins +6 over EAGLES
I’m sorry Jim Zorn, I was apparently wrong. Skins are for real. Santana Moss is resurrected.
Bears -3.5 LIONS
Matt “many blessings” Millen is gone and the Lions are only a 3.5 point dog at home. I know they will be giddy and flying around at 100 mph, but these are same dolts that Millen picked that can’t get out of their way. Bears gave one away last week and take out their frustration on the hapless Lions.
Falcons +7 over PACKERS
Can someone please tell Aaron Rodgers that he is never going to be able to break Jon Favreau’s record of 9023 straight starts. If you’re hurt, sit down. He will never succeed if he continues to see Brett Favre in his rear view mirror. If he plays this week when his shoulder is not ready, which by all accounts it is not, he has Brett in his head, and Brett causes enough trouble in his own head.
GIANTS -7.5 over Seahawks
Another east coast trip for the Seattle MASH unit. That just don’t seem fair. Matt would be safer espousing conservative perspectives on the View. You can’t pick against any NFC East team right now, unless they are playing each other and you have to.
BRONCOS -3 over Bucs
Offensive guru Mike Shanahan has dreamed of this team for years. Weapons galore on offense. No defense. Broncos get back on track here. I think he secretly enjoys it.
Patriots -3 over 49ERS
Pats have not lost two in a row since 2002. And after that second loss, they ripped up the muddy pit that was in the middle of Gillette and replaced it with field turf. This team is still talented and the 49ers are still, well, not. Pats have to win one of these west coast games as they set up shop on the left coast for 10 days. And this one is all the more likely. There is a long list of people that hate Bill Belichick. Does anyone hate him more than Mike Martz? Billy drank his milk shake real good. Martz will throw the kitchen sink, but I think the Pats defense will prevail.
Bills -1 over CARDINALS
COWBOYS -16.5 over Bengals
Are Carson and the Bengals smart enough to leave him on the bench for this one? I don’t think so, but it won’t make any difference. Did Jason Garrett lose his mind last week? What the heck happened. I think this is a big negative for Princeton. Just recently kicked out of the top spot by Harvard in the US News and World Report rankings and now this. Jason Garrett, with his massive offensive line, stud running back Marion the Barbarian, super slick speedy back up Felix Jones, called 10 running plays last week. And 2 of them were to TO. He gave the ball to Marion Barber 8 times last week. His offensive line has been mauling people. I expect this kind of brain fart from the Cowboys coaches during the playoffs, not here. The Cowboys defense also played like a sieve, but this was amazing to watch.
How good are the Cowboys though? The onside kick goes through Sam Hurd's hands or the Cowboys likely march down and kick a winning field goal. This week they could leave Marion and Felix in the locker room, play with ten men, while Phillips and Garrett engage in a game of Battleship, and still win by 20. Sorry Bengals. Odds on Marvin Lewis surviving the season?
JAGUARS -4 over Steelers
SAINTS -3.5 over Vikings
This is our Monday night game. Can you say low ratings? Is this just me? AP is a joy to watch and the Saints generally throw it all over. I don't know, this game just don't do it for me. Might AP turn into the next Barry Sanders? No, not in that way. I mean stuck on a go-nowhere team for the entirety of his career. I never get these teams that think they can win with a steaming pile of dog crap under center. Of the last 16 Superbowl champs, 12 of them were Quarterbacked by Brady, Peyton, Favre, Elway, Young and Aikman. The others, Eli and Roethlisberger also quite good. And the two that buck the trend were Brad Johnson and Trent Dilfer. Dilfer had a historically great defense and Brad Johnson also had a great defense, and the advantage of a head coach who knew his opponents better than their own coach. The point is that great QB's win superbowls. Very good QB's can also. And piles of dog crap QB's do not. There will not be another dog pile QB to win a superbowl now that the rules favor the offense so blatantly. So if your QB stinks, start looking for someone. Or, do it the Minnesota way:
What are the yahoos in Minnesota thinking. "Well, we've got a great O-line, superstar running back, good run D. We could be a serious contender. What about QB? Eh, just go with Tavaris, sure he can't throw the ball in the ocean from a boat. If we get in trouble we have Gus "I am most famous for concussing myself" Frerotte. QB's are overrated, we'll just fudge it at that position." I really don't get it. By the way, during the brief stints when Frerotte was a starter, here's the list of QB's that took his job, Trent Green, Charlie Batch, Brian Griese, and Daunte Culpepper (the Miami one, not the one who could play). Can we just go ahead and add John David Booty to that list now, or should we wait? That list doesn't bode so well for JDB. I hope Tavaris has a silver tongue because he will be selling insurance for a living very shortly.
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