My fantasy football team is going down FAST! But, enough about me, let’s talk about another week in the NFL. You could really call this… ‘haywire week’, in which some crazy things happened around the league.

1) This year’s New England Patriots are anything but what they were last season.  In 2007, the Patriots were purely unstoppable, winning a plethora of games by 30 points or more.  However, this year, especially after the loss of Tom Brady, they look horrible.  Matt Cassel is not turning into Tom Brady redux, their running game is banged up, and their defense looks abysmal.  This all culminated in Sunday’s match-up against the Dolphins, a team that, coming into the game, looked atrocious.  But, whoa, did the Dolphins kill the Patriots.  The Pats D couldn’t do ANYTHING!  And the Dolphins ran one trick play after another, all behind their running back, Ronnie Brown.  He had a total of 5TDs on the day, even taking the snap at Quarterback, then rushing forward and bruising his way into the end zone.  Miami 38, New England 13.

2) The Carolina Panthers were 2-0 coming into the game against Minnesota.  And Vikings star running-back, Adrian Peterson, was questionable for the game.  Essentially, the Panthers were expected to destroy the Vikes.  But, under the leadership of the Vikings new QB, veteran Gus Frerotte, the Vikings surged to a victory.  Their passing game actually looked good for a change, with Frerotte throwing for 204 yards and a TD.  Just another thing to add to haywire week.  Minnesota 20, Carolina 10.

3) The Buffalo Bills are 3-0.  Wait, we’ll repeat that, and put it in caps just so you can see it.  THE BUFFALO BILLS ARE 3-0.  However, it didn’t come easy, as the Oakland Raiders, with something to prove, kept the game a nail-biter the entire way.  But, with 2 minutes in the game, Buffalo quarterback, Trent Edwards, led them down the field along with their franchise running back, Marshawn Lynch.  And with 3 seconds left on the clock, Bills kicker, Rian Lindell booted a field goal to win the game, and seemingly preserve what is a great football tradition in Buffalo.  Buffalo 24, Oakland 23.

4) And get this, the San Francisco 49ers… GOOD!  Last week, they had an impressive showing against the Seahawks, and this week they proved that wasn’t a fluke.  49ers QB J.T. O’ Sullivan is airing it out with the confidence of a young Peyton Manning, and there seems to be life in the 49ers again.  They shredded the Lions defense apart, and now sit atop the NFC West (tied with, of all teams, the Arizona Cardinals. Go figure!)  San Francisco 31, Detroit 13.

5) Finally, rookie QB Matt Ryan has led the Atlanta Falcons to a winning record.  They actually look like a real football team again.  He’s not afraid to throw long bombs, and his young receivers, Roddy White and Michael Jenkins, have finally found their groove.  This team looks real, they crushed the Chiefs this weekend, and we’ll see if they can keep it up next week against Carolina.  Atlanta 38, Kansas City 14.

College Football

Crazy day in college football.  Let’s get right to it:

LSU won the grudge match against bitter rival Auburn, 26-21.  However, it was a back and forth match the entire way, with lead changes throughout.  And historically, the winner of this game wins the SEC West.  Good news for LSU.  We’ll see what happens.

In what used to be a down-to-the-wire showdown, the Florida v. Tennessee game was anything but.  #4 Florida trounced Tennessee 30-6.  Tennessee couldn’t get anything done, throwing picks and fumbling in the end zone.

UCLA, who got off to an exciting start v. (former) #16 Tennessee, has been atrocious since.  They looked to turn their season around against a typically beatable Arizona Wildcat team.  Nope, didn’t work out.  Arizona QB, Willie Tuitama threw for 222 yards and 2TDs, and the Wildcats improved to 3-1.  It doesn’t look so good for Rick Neuheisel and the Bruins this season.

And the #3 ranked Georgia Bulldogs marched into the desert to face the Arizona STATE Sun Devils.  For the record, Georgia looks phenomenal this season, but the Devils were hoping the 99-degree desert heat would slow them down.  Um, not quite, as the Bulldogs clobbered the Sun Devils, 27-10.

NFL

In the NFL, the highlight on Sunday will be the NBC Sunday night game between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers.  Both teams are 2-0, and both seem to be firing on all cylinders with machine-like offenses.  The winner will come away looking almighty, and the loser will appear to have dinks in their armor.  However, the majority of the pressure will be on Packers QB, Aaron Rodgers, who faces his first real test as the heir apparent to the legend Brett Favre.  If he wins this game, the state of Wisconsin can rest easy for the rest of the season.  If he loses, Wisconsinites will surely go into a frenzy.

Football

It’s Saturday, and that only means one thing:  college football.  It’s an action packed weekend, especially in the always dominant SEC.  LSU will take on Auburn, and in the recent past, they have been at each other’s throats.  Fourteen points, count ‘em, FOURTEEN POINTS is all that separates these two teams in their last 4 meetings.  Those were some incredibly close games.  Point is, whenever SEC teams clash they are either trying to remain unbeaten or trying to play spoiler.  It’s always a battle, and LSU/Auburn is a must watch.

But… it doesn’t end there for exciting college football action.  Power programs Florida and Tennessee will battle it out, and Arkansas will wrestle with rival Alabama.  And up north, Notre Dame will attempt to stay perfect against Michigan State.   If the Irish win this one, they might restore a little bit of faith in their critical (yet oddly loyal) fan base.

In the NFL, news came out this week that Monday Night Football this past Monday between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers was the highest rated program in the history of cable television.  That’s incredible!  Just a random football game.  However, some believe it’s because of the rapidly growing popularity of fantasy football, and that game featured many marquee players, all of which would play pivotal roles in deciding the fate of millions of fantasy football match ups.  At ESPN, sportswriter Bill Simmons suggests that fantasy football is the true goldmine of the NFL — saying that ESPN.com gets a 30% increase in fantasy players every year.  It’s these people that are driving ratings through the roof.  Read the full article.

Golf

And every now and then, golf hits the headlines.  This time… it’s the Ryder Cup, and the U.S. owns its largest lead since 1979.  This comes mainly on the strength and agility of two men:  a veteran (the illustrious Phil Mickelson) and a no-name rookie (the exciting Anthony Kim).  The tournament is still a few more days away, but with U.S. audiences still in Olympics mode, it’s fun to root for athletes in terms of national pride (i.e. “Go U.S.A.”)… even if it’s just golf.

The Denver Broncos have been riding high this season, opening up the season with an explosive offense, and a pretty good 2-0 record.  However, now there’s some bad news coming out of the Broncos organization.  Brandon Marshall, their star Wide Receiver, has been charged with battery assault in Georgia from an incident in March.  He’s been accused of slapping his ex-girlfriend and then trashing her apartment.  Sad stuff, and Marshall has been upfront with the Broncos organization about it (basically saying it’s true).  The Broncos knew they had a gifted athlete in Marshall, but they were also equally concerned about his off-the-field behavior.  It looks like the latter is still bad.

A couple weeks ago at the NBA rookie symposium, a multi-day conference where NBA rookies learn how to live life in the NBA, Kansas Jayhawk teammates Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur were caught with marijuana and girls in their hotel room.  The league fined them $20,000 dollars each, and is forcing them to attend the conference next year.  However, now it comes out that there was one more person involved:  Rookie Phenom and No. 2 overall pick, Michael Beasley.  Beasley came forward to the league yesterday, and said that he was privy to the event.  The league is fining him $50,000, but are also making it publicly known that they (at least) admire that he decided to step-up and stand by his friends.

The Minnesota Vikings have even more problems on their hands. Now, their all-star Running Back, Adrian Peterson may not play in their next game against Carolina due to a pulled hamstring.  And, basically, Adrian Peterson is their only offensive weapon.  Plus, their top two receivers, Sidney Rice and Bernard Berrian are suffering from nagging injuries as well.  We’ll keep an eye on the Vikings, but for a team predicted to reach the NFC Championship… it’s not looking good.

And finally, some fun, uplifting news.  Darius Miles, a former high-school standout, has had a sketchy NBA career.  He came into the league with people expecting nothing short of greatness from him.  He started on the Clippers to mediocre results, headed over to the Cavaliers for more average stats, then joined the Portland Trailblazers when their nickname was the JailBlazers (meaning their team comprised mostly of teammates with off-the-court issues).  Last season he was injured, and it appeared this once High School Phenom wouldn’t become the NBA all-star people imagined.  Now, however, he’s getting one more chance to play with… yep, the world Champion Boston Celtics.  He’s being brought in as a key reserve; a role player.  And this might finally be his time to shine, and show that he’s a winner.  But the best part, Darius said, “I’d play for the Celtics for $5 and a bag of Doritos”.  Big words coming from somebody who used to be all about the money.  Now it seems Darius wants to be part of a team, and finally put a good light on his career.

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Football

Ooooo, tough luck for 2nd Year Minnesota Vikings QB, Tarvaris Jackson, as the head coach Brad Childress decided to bench home going forward in favor of LONG-TIME veteran, Gus Frerotte. Before the season started, the Vikings were predicted to reach at least the NFC playoffs. The reasons:  Their solid defense, and stellar running game.  The only thing missing was a QB to lead it all and give them an efficient passing game.   Vikings coach Childress said Tarvaris Jackson looked amazing in the pre-season and training camp, giving him full confidence going forward.  However, their 0-2 start, and poor passing numbers from Jackson say otherwise.  Since the Vikings, armed with superstar RB Adrian Peterson, have a legitimate shot at a championship season, the Viking organization just couldn’t take the risk developing a QB.

Baseball

And the Tampa Bay Devil Rays continued their win streak, crushing the Boston Red Sox 10-3.  This extends their lead in the incredibly tough AL East to two full games.  It seems like a small margin, but at this point in the season, every single game matters.

Basketball

NBA

In the NBA, Gilbert Arenas, the Wizards all-star Point Guard, will be out until January recovering from knee surgery.  Normally, this wouldn’t be a huge headline, but the Wizards just gave Arenas a GIGANTIC contract, worth around $114 Million Dollars.  So when you hear that $114 Million dollars needs knee surgery and recovery time — it’s pretty embarrassing news for a general manager.

For your spoonful of controversy, Dallas Maverics Shooting-Guard, Josh Howard, got himself into some hot water (and the media spotlight).  He’s seen on video ‘disrespecting the National Anthem’, saying to the camera ‘I don’t celebrate that’.  For your viewing pleasure, click here.

Baseball

In baseball, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays are going STRONG!  Keep in mind that for 10 years, this team lived in the bottom of the standings.  Beyond that, if they ever did start getting better, there’s no way they could do anything substantial, especially in a division that included the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and the occasionally good Toronto Blue Jays.  But this season… the D-Rays are on FIRE!  They’re in first place, and Tuesday night they beat the Boston Red Sox, and now have a 7-1 record when playing the Red Sox in Tampa Bay.  Not a meaningless statistic, as this kind of home field dominance could become crucial come pennant time.

So you ask — ‘How did this perennially terrible team turn it around all of a sudden?’.  The Answer:  Their farm system.  Tampa Bay has one of the best minor league systems in the major leagues.  This is a very young (and underpaid) team.  They have become what the Montreal Expos used to be, a team that develops talent in the farm system, then loses that talent to big market, big money teams (i.e. Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Braves, etc…).  But for now, the Devil Rays are happy sitting atop the ultra competitive AL East Division.  Baring a final stretch collapse, they are destined to make the playoffs, and even, possibly… win the World Series.  It’s just been such a magical season for the D-Rays.  Now all they have to do is convince their fans to attend games, as Tampa Bay also boasts some of the worst attendance records in baseball.

NFL

Here’s some mid-week NFL news to wet your whistle until Sunday.  A banged up Seattle Seahawks team is literally without their top 4 receivers.  All of them down with injuries.  Superstar QB Matt Hasselbeck has nobody to throw to.  That’s quite frustrating for a quarterback used to airing out long balls to speedy recievers.  So, in haste, they signed badboy (and Mr. Off-The-Field-Headache) Koren Robinson to a 1-year contract, hoping he can add some high velocity to the passing attack.  They also traded a fifth round draft pick to the Denver Broncos for Keary Colbert.  Not a household name, but he did nab a healthy number of touchdowns while in Carolina.  It’s a long road ahead for Seattle, a city that’s had a rough sports year already, losing their NBA franchise, the Supersonics, and bearing witness to one of the worst seasons in Seattle Mariners history — but… at least the Seahawks are TRYING to dig themselves out of a hole.  Albeit a very… very… VERY deep hole.

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It was an offensive shootout between two bitter NFC East Rivals Monday Night, as the Philadelphia Eagles soared into Dallas to take on the Cowboys.  The game got off to an insane start with Tony Romo connecting with Terrell Owens on a 70 yard bomb for the Cowboys first TD.  And from that point forward, there were long balls thrown all over the place.  The score, at HALFTIME, was Philly 30, Dallas 24.  That made the top 5 highest scoring first halves in Monday Night Football History.

The drama didn’t cease a bit in the 2nd half, as there were two more lead changes.  The Cowboys grabbed the first TD, then the Eagles marched the other way and snatched the lead again, all behind a stunningly healthy Donovan McNabb (281 yards, 1 TD).  He was dodging tackles all over the place and looked razor sharp in his passing precision.  And remember, the Eagles were talking about benching or trading him this season in favor of their younger 2nd Year QB.  Bad move.  McNabb’s still got a lot left in the tank.

The game concluded with a critical Eagles turnover, giving the Cowboys excellent field position.  And Cowboys RB Marion Barber iced the game with a 1 yard goal-line TD run to put the Cowboys up 41-37.  The Eagles had one more chance, but they were spent.  Dallas hung on, winning the game 41-37 in a memorable showdown against their conference rival, Philadelphia.  However, these two will meet again later this season.  That’s one to put on your calendars.   (On a side note — this game was SO exciting, that the announcers didn’t mention Jessica Simpson once.  Except for the time that they mentioned how they hadn’t mentioned her.  And yes — they actually said this).

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What a wild weekend in the NFL.  Lets get right to it:

1) The Pats looked just fine with out their golden boy Tom Brady.  Matt Cassel, the lifetime back up (both in New England and at USC) threw for 165 Yards.  Sure, no touchdowns, but also… no interceptions.  They won’t be half as explosive without Brady, but hopefully Cassel can keep the locomotive running.  However, come playoff time, an inexperienced Cassel might become a HUGE weakness. (New England 19, NY Jets 10)

2) There was some intense controversy in a crazy offensive shoot out in Denver.  San Diego was winning in the 4th quarter, when the ball slipped out of the hands of Broncos QB Jay Cutler.  San Diego pounced on top of the ball, and thought they had the game won, but the referees ruled it an incomplete pass.  Chargers head coach Norv Turner was livid with the call, but the ruling gave the Broncos another chance.  And boy did it work out for Denver, with the Broncos icing the game on a risky 2-pt conversion where Cutler found rookie Eddie Royal in the end zone.  More controversy came after the game when the referee openly admitted to Chargers coach Norv Turner that it was a botched call.  It’s unfortunate when these things happen, but human error is simply a part of sports. (Denver 39, San Diego 38)

3) In Minnesota, it was a battle of two teams expected to have great seasons — the Vikings and the Colts.  However, both teams went into the game 0-1, and a win was crucial for both sides.  The offense on both sides was dormant for first half (with the exception of Vikings RB Adrian Peterson), but in the second half, the Colts turned into the Colts, and their kicker Adam Vinatieri won the game on a 47-yard last second field goal.  Furthermore, the Vikings have a good offense in place, but many think that their 2nd Year QB Tavarias Jackson just isn’t fit to steer the ship.  Will there be a change coming soon?  (Indy 18, Minnesota 15)

4) Over in in Kanasas City, it was a showdown of the terribles.  Note:  That’s a ‘bad’ terrible.  The Oakland Raiders visited Kansas City, hoping to prove that they weren’t destined for another godawful season.  Plus, there was much speculation in the Oakland media, that Raiders Head Coach Lane Kiffin’s job was on the line.  Talk about pressure.  But, Oakland prevailed behind their vicious rookie Running Back, Darren McFadden.  He ran for a whopping 164 yards and 1 TD.   Lane Kiffin’s job is safe… for now.  (Oakland 23, Kansas City
5) And finally, there was a shake-up in the NFC West.  This division was dominated by the St. Louis Rams in the early part of the decade, and then the torch was handed to the Seattle Seahawks for the past 4 years.  However, both those teams utterly stink right now, and there is someone new sitting on top.  It’s crazy, but the Arizona Cardinals (arguably the worst franchise in professional sports) are sitting pretty and undefeated atop the division.  They edged a putrid Miami Dolphins team behind, coincidentally, former Rams All-Pro QB, Kurt Warner.  He’s on fire this season, and threw for an incredible 361 yards and 3 touchdowns.  Maybe, for the first time, the Arizona Cardinals ARE for real. (Arizona 31, Miami 10)

Be sure to catch tonight’s Monday Night match-up.  A battle between two bitter rivals — the Cowboys and Eagles, both of which looked incredible in Week 1.   It should be a classic down to the last minute.

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Saturday was all college football, and… a little baseball.

College Football

The featured match-up of the week, was, well, anything but competitive.  USC trampled all over Ohio State 35-3.  Now, many in the college football community are asking, is USC unbeatable this season?

Meanwhile, two of the most winning programs in college football collided.  Notre Dame v Michigan.  However, both teams entered the game… unranked.  Notre Dame got the win, which was of paramount importance, as their fans hate it when they aren’t in the top 25.  ND has been poor the past couple seasons, and they truly needed this win.  Now they are 2-0, and fans can rest easy (at least till next week).   Their talented young QB, Jimmy Clausen, threw for 178 yards and 2TD.  Notre Dame 35.  Michigan 17.

UCLA, a team that many thought would really surge this year with new head coach Rick Neuheisel, didn’t exactly live up to those expectations on Saturday.  They made a brilliant comeback 2 weeks ago against Tennessee, and many wondered if they could bring this winning energy to BYU.  Nope.  BYU absolutely throttled the Bruins 59-0.  The big UCLA resurgence will have to wait until next year.

And how about this for something strange.  The No. 9 Auburn Tigers beat their SEC Rival Mississippi State Bulldogs.  However, get this, the score was 3-2.   A field goal (3pts) beat a holding call in the end zone, which is considered a safety (2pts).  Sounds like a baseball score, right?  But hey, a win is a win, and that’s all you need to move toward the National Championship.

Baseball

Speaking of baseball, a major record was set on Saturday.  The Los Angeles Angels’ Closer, Francisco Rodriguez, finished off the Seattle Mariners, and broke the record for most saves in a season with 58.  He eclipsed the #57 mark set by Bobby Thigpen with the Chicago White Sox in 1990.  The Angles look hot right now, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them at the World Series in October.

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What a wild Saturday (and Friday night) ahead of us.  First up, college football:

The most featured match-up in the country is easily Ohio St. @ USC.  However, there is another featured match-up tonight bearing an equal amount of importance in the world of College Football.  The up-and-coming Kansas Jayhawks (a school largely known for their dominant college basketball program) surged in football last year.  For decades they were a meaningless team in the Big 12, and then all of the sudden they’re playing in the Orange Bowl.  This year, they are still riding high, ranked #13 in the country, and being led by their all-pro quarterback, Todd Reesing.  However, Saturday isn’t just another game.  They’re going up against #19 Univ. of South Florida, another long dormant team that surged to a top 5 ranking last year.  Both of these schools are trying to prove that last year wasn’t a flash in the pan.  Therefore, Saturday’s game is about earning respect.  The winner might join the class of serious football programs, while the loser may be written off as having just a lucky year.

Meanwhile Rick Neuheisel and the UCLA Bruins will look to pick up where they left off after last week’s miracle comeback against Tennessee.  They’ll take this new confidence on the road against BYU’s iron-like defense.

Over in the NFL, this Vince Young drama heats up.  Tennessee Titans QB, Vince Young, was injured in their game v. the Jacksonville Jaguars.  And after the game, nobody could find him.  Finally did, and his mom came to his defense saying that her ‘baby’ wasn’t happy.  He’ll be fine, but he gets really depressed sometimes and has sometimes pondered quitting football.  Now, however, Vince Young’s therapist reports that Young would often talk of suicide.  Apparently, one time even drove away from the therapist’s office with a gun.  Now the whole state of Tennessee is worried about their QB, not to mention all the Texas Longhorn fans (Young’s alma mater).  Hopefully, Young will recover, return to the gridiron, dominant, and well… be happy.

And for those of you out there who can’t get enough of Michael Phelps and the Olympics, well, Phelps will be hosting the Season Premiere of Saturday Night Live.  How will they roast him?  What’s up for satire?  His 8 gold medals?  His mom’s reaction?  His 12,000 calorie-per-day diet.  We’ll just have to see.  SNL has a great tradition of sports icons hosting the show, and they always leave us with some classic skits (i.e. Peyton Manning’s United Way Ad, Joe Montana’s “I’m going upstairs to…”, and Michael Jordan’s lunch with Da Bears Guys).  It’s a must watch episode.

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