Hey all...

Sorry for the lack of posts the last month. But with my schedule, it will be quite hard to write a blog that I would deem of high-quality for awhile. So, until further notice, there will not be any new posts. The Hofstra Pride Sports Network is in full swing with men's and women's basketball and lacrosse, wrestling, baseball and softball. Oh, and this little team called the New York Islanders (WRHU, the only college station in the country to be the flagship station of a pro sports team). So, sorry to the ten of you I have made upset.

Roll Pride

Rex Ryan Victim of Foot-In-Mouth Syndrome (No, Not That Way People)

I don't know what it is with Rex Ryan. Maybe he has short-term memory loss. Or maybe he is just plain stupid. I'm going to go with the latter, and for the New York Jets, their coach's mouth is only giving them less and less of a chance come this weekend against the Patriots.

You would think a 45-3 blowout loss on national television would be enough to shut up the exuberant Ryan. Or even the players. But no. While Bill Belichick and Tom Brady -- perhaps the most lethal coach-quarterback combo in league history -- sit back quietly, going about their business as usual, Ryan has been in front of the microphone once again. Last week he called out Peyton Manning, who traditionally has had his number, calling it "personal." At the same time, he took a shot at Brady by saying that Manning studies harder than anyone in the league, specifically calling out Brady by name and saying he's not on the same level as Peyton. Well, the Jets scraped by on a last second field goal, so I guess Rexy is thinking that route worked once, it could work again. On Monday he ranted that it's not Jets versus Pats this week in the AFC Divisional Round. It's Ryan versus Belichick.

"It's about him against myself," said Ryan. "That's what it's going to come down to." Apparently the reason the Pats won by 43 points in what many were calling the most important regular season game in Jets history is because Ryan was outcoached and Belichick took advantage of the lack of preparation on Ryan's part. In some aspects, it's respectable that Ryan tried to take the blame. And yes, Belichick had his Patriots infinitely more prepared than the Jets. But how exactly is trash-talking going to make New York more prepared? I hope Ryan remembers last time, when he said he wanted to "kick Belichick's ass."

45-3 Rex. 45-3.

And then there is Braylon Edwards, who said that he remembers the Week 13 beatdown, but that at the end of the day thinks the Jets are the better team. The Jets are talented, and they easily could compete. But remember who has the best coach and best quarterback in the league. Remember who have five capable receivers who could have a big game on any given Sunday. Remember who has lit into every team they've played since Thanksgiving. (Hint: It's not the Jets!)

For New York, this is monumental. The Patriots are the pinnacle. Once they beat them, they can beat anyone, at least in their minds (well, they think they could beat the Lakers at basketball and the Yankees at baseball, but that's besides the point). At the same press conference Monday, Ryan said Belichick will go down as either the greatest coach ever, or one of the greatest. But somehow, even that sounded a little condescending, if that's even possible. It's like he was saying "Well, Bill's the best there ever was, but still..."

I get that Ryan wants to do anything to get Belichick to pay attention to him and get into his head, but by now he should know it's not going to work. It never has, it never will. But because he needs to beat the Patriots -- needs to -- he'll try anyways. Idiot.

That's the problem with this "rivalry." It's one-sided. To the Patriots, the Jets aren't anything spectacular. Belichick is the the smart point guard: he knows the game better than anyone else. He may not have the best team around him, but he has a superstar to go to, and he makes everyone better. Ryan, on the other hand, is the big doofy center: lots and lots of talk, but not enough for the talent he has. Sure, the center led his team to victory in Week 2 (a 28-14 Jets win), but the point guard was playing with a major injury (Randy Moss was still on the team). Once they healed (dumped Moss), they became unstoppable.

Now, could the Jets go out and compete, and possibly win? Absolutely. That is, if the organization would shut up. Because although all this talking may fire up the Jets, New England is taking it all in. There is no better "Eff You" team in the NFL -- maybe in all of sports -- than the Pats. They rarely ever talk. They just sit back and take everything in, keeping it inside until game time. That's when New England strikes. They score. And keep scoring. Then the game appears over, and you know what happens? They score some more. Belichick will gladly keep Brady out there to score 50 points. He doesn't care.

I don't want to hear the reasons for Ryan doing this. Some say it's to take pressure off his players -- especially Mark Sanchez -- so the media won't keep asking them about the Week 13 dud Gang Green put up. If that's the case, then Sanchez needs a newsflash: He was the fourth overall pick, he's in his second postseason, and he's the quarterback. He needs to be a big boy and face the pressure.

I don't think Sunday's game will be a rematch of Week 13. But I don't think the Jets have a chance. It's not because they don't have the talent, because on any given week anyone in the NFL can win or lose a game, no matter the opponent. It's because the Jets are going out again, talking smack like they are undefeated and winning every game by 40, instead of preparing. Meanwhile the Patriots are doing their usual thing, keeping quiet, letting the Jets have their moment.

It very well could be a close game, but if New England gets off to a fast start, don't be surprised if it gets very, very ugly, very, very quickly. And if that is the case, Rex Ryan has only himself to blame, for teasing the caged lion and not expecting it to attack once it's let loose.

You could say he would be putting his foot in his mouth (assuming it's not already there to begin with). Yes, I had to.

Adams Should Have Dumped His Entire Family

Bud Adams had a decision to make. Would he get rid of the coach who has been manning the sidelines for 16 seasons? Or would he go with the troubled quarterback who he has backed so many times before?

All things considered, the Tennessee Titans owner made a good call in choosing to bring back Jeff Fisher for a 17th season and ridding the organization of Vince Young, who will be either traded or released. But if Adams really wanted to do what is best for the Titans organization, he should have said good-riddance to both and started fresh.

If Adams' thought process was to choose one over the other, he made the right choice with Fisher. Had he dumped Fisher and kept Young aboard, it would basically be telling the players that they were bigger than the coach. And that is just setting a precedent that no coach should have to go through. That next coach would go in with the mindset that they had no power. If a player disagreed with something, they could go to the owner and get it fixed. Not getting enough touches? Not on the field enough? Go to Bud. He'll make sure you get some targets. Remember, this is a team with Randy Moss (for now). The last thing a new coach would need is to hear an aging, chemistry-killing whiner like Moss complain to the owner about how he's not getting playing time. And although he claims he wants to be a mentor for a young, budding star in Kenny Britt, we all know the diva in him would be bound to come out eventually.

And obviously having both VY and Fisher together is just too much of a hassle. To recap, Fisher never wanted to draft Young in the first place, but Adams did, so the owner won that battle. In the 2008 season opener Young was struggling and reacted poorly to the home crowd's boos. He refused to go in the game for a bit, then hurt his knee four plays later. Enter Kerry Collins, a 13-3 record, and the AFC's best record. Then last year, with Collins leading the team to an 0-6 start, Fisher finally relented and named Young the new starter. The team finished 8-8. But the success was short-lived, as in Week 2 of this year Young was pulled for the fourth quarter in a loss to the Steelers. Then, the tipping point. Week 11, Young hurts his thumb. He is apparently okay (he eventually went in injured reserve because of it), but Fisher refused to put him back in. The stories are conflicting. Young says he asked to go back in. Fisher claimed there was no such request. Either way, it ended with Young throwing his pads into the stands as he stormed into the locker room, then screaming at Fisher during the coach's post-game speech and walking out.

No, Adams made the right move in that respect. Coaches need to know they have more control than the players. And there is no shot of reconciling the relationship between the two.

But that leads me to this: why is Fisher still the coach? There are reports that the players backed Fisher and wanted him back, but their performance this season proved otherwise. There were times when they seemed to show little to no effort on the field, as if they were giving up on Fisher. The Titans lost eight of their last nine, and if you take out the two games against the Colts -- which were both very winnable in the last few minutes -- it was just a lackluster effort. Kerry Collins looked every bit of a 38-year-old man. Chris Johnson had no one blocking for him, but he also looked nothing like his 2009 form. The team looked stale.

Don't get me wrong. Jeff Fisher is a good football coach. But I think his time has run out in Tennessee. In 16 seasons what exactly has he accomplished? Three times he led the team to a 13-3 record. Okay, that's nice. But what differentiates a good coach from a great one is what they do in the postseason. And, well, his accomplishments are nothing special. He's been to the playoffs six times. The highlight was the one Super Bowl loss (remember "The Tackle"?) to the Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV. But since then? Divisional Round, AFC Title Game (2001, in which the Steelers were hosed in the Divisional Round on a B.S. roughing the kicker call in what was a classic Bill Cowher-jaw moment... but I digress), Divisional Round, Wild-Card, Divisional Round (with a first-round bye). That is nothing spectacular.

But perhaps most importantly, was there one time in any of those instances (2000, '02, '03, '07, '08) -- just one time -- when you seriously considered the Titans a threat to win the Super Bowl? Maybe in 2000, seeing as they were just one year removed from almost winning a title. But that was a decade ago. In 2008, when they went 13-3, the Colts and Steelers were considered the overwhelming favorites. With Fisher, the Titans will never have a two, three, or four win season. But there will never be that fear, that sense that they can go out and win a championship with Fisher at the helm and the personnel around him.

Bud Adams didn't make the wrong move in getting rid of Vince Young and keeping Jeff Fisher. But it wasn't the right move, either. It looks like next year could be rough for Tennessee. They don't have a quarterback. Chris Johnson -- all 5-11, 191 lbs of him -- has touched the ball 768 times the last two years in a league where running backs last an average of 2.7 years. The defense was 20th against the run and 29th against the pass.

Significant changes need to be made. Bud Adams made a good start. But now is the time to let go of Fisher, because otherwise a much more somber, and publicized, firing will have to occur.

NHL Needs to Take Advantage of Work Stoppage

2011 could be a terrible year for sports, with the NFL and NBA facing potential work stoppages. Roger Goodell is looking on the bright side, saying a new collective bargaining agreement "can and will" happen, while David Stern has been mum on the subject. However, many are not as optimistic, and the vast majority of football and basketball folks believe there will be at the very best a delay in the 2011-12 seasons.

For the NFL, the country's most popular sport that attracts the most television viewers and revenue, a strike would anger fans when the league has never been more popular. For the NBA, a strike would negate all the progress made in regaining its popularity from the MJ/Magic/Bird days, and the league would have to start again from scratch.

But one league needs to take full advantage of the potential work stoppages, because there may never again be as good an opportunity to become relevant in the American mind. The NHL needs to take drastic action.

It is pretty clear by now that hockey will never be as popular as football or baseball in America. And they can't act like they are. Other than the annual Winter Classic and to some extent the playoffs, hockey ratings are just dreadful. Even for the Winter Classic, which is advertised for months, the ratings aren't that good. This year's between the Capitals and Penguins -- featuring the league's two biggest stars since Gretzky and Lemieux on prime-time, national television -- drew 4.5 million viewers. It was the most watched regular season game since 1975. To put that in perspective, NBC's pre-game show prior to Sunday Night Football drew over 11 million viewers last week.

Bottom line, no matter what happens, the NHL will never be on the same level as the National Football League. But that doesn't mean it can't have a more significant impact in sports. Right now, can you name 10 hockey players not named Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin?

Ever since the 2004-05 lockout, the league has struggled mightily. I think Gary Bettman expected Crosby and Ovechkin to have the same effect that Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa did on baseball. Fans were upset over the lockout that resulted in the cancellation of the 1994 postseason. It was the fourth stoppage in 22 years, and that anger was beginning to overcome the national adoration for the game. Then Big Mac and Slammin' Sammy come in and pump life back into the sport, catapulting it back into the forefront of American sports as they chased the single-season home run record (they were 'roided up, sure, but that's another story).  Bettman probably thought Sid the Kid and Alexander the Great would have this same effect.

He was wrong.

It was not until recently, within the last two years, where people have really begun to focus back on the NHL. This past Stanley Cup Finals between the Flyers and Blackhawks averaged 6.1 million viewers, its best ratings in 13 years. That's pretty good, admittedly. It is the largest audience in the sport's history, according to NHL officials. But for the best playoffs in sports to draw less than what an average NFL game will attract, or less than half of what the MLB postseason will draw, shows how irrelevant the sport is in the United States.

It is clear that Bettman's attempt to withdraw hockey from Canada and into the southern U.S. has not worked out. This year, of the 16 lowest attendance figures, only the Bruins, Oilers, Devils and Islanders existed prior to the 1990s. The other 12 were either expansion franchises or moved from one city to another. Since 2000, attendance has clearly shown hockey in the south and west to not be attractive to fans.

Season	Teams After 1990 in Bottom Half of Attendance	Teams After 1990 in Top 10 in Attendance
2010-11	12	0
2009-10	10	1
2008-09	10	1
2007-08	8	2
2006-07	7	2
2005-06	9	2
2004-05	(lockout)	(lockout)
2003-04	9	2
2002-03	8	3
2001-02	9	3
2000-01	8	2

Teams like the Thrashers, Blue Jackets, Predators, Panthers, Coyotes and Ducks are consistently among the worst in attendance. The only exception among these teams is the Wild, who are always in the top 10. But what makes them different than the other 11 teams that were created after 1990? They are in Minnesota. Attendance was never a constant problem for the North Stars. Their owner moved the team to Dallas in 1994, and the league promised a new team would be put there. They are the only team that gets any sort of regularity in attendance. Compare that to Canada. The Canadians and Maple Leafs are always among the best in attendance. For the gold medal game in these past Winter Olympics (the best hockey game since the Miracle on Ice, by the way), 75 percent of the nation watched. For the Super Bowl, less than half of America tunes in. 


And Bettman thought it would be smart to move hockey out of the Great White North...


But now is the time for change. The league needs to take advantage of being potentially the only major sport playing from November 2011 to March 2012. The television deal with Versus ends at the end of this season. Priority number one should be getting a deal with ESPN. Right now Versus reaches about 74 million households. However, only a quarter million watch games on average. For a professional sports league, having national ratings of that size is pathetic. And two of the Stanley Cup Finals games are aired there! The Yankees, Mets, Red Sox and Phillies get that many viewers on a given night for a regular season game, and they are regional broadcasts that reach nowhere even remotely close to 74 million households. It's embarrassing.


Right now the weekly agreement with NBC isn't working. The deal expires at the end of the season, but is expected to be renewed. That's fine. However, to broadcast nine Sundays of the regular season that lasts five and a half months is not enough. To get as much exposure as possible, the league needs to get back on ESPN. 


Think about it: the worldwide leader in sports advertising the crap out of hockey. Ratings would certainly go up substantially. Why do you think the X-Games are on ESPN? Because they wouldn't get a tenth of the exposure elsewhere. Why do you think LeBron James aired "The Decision" on ESPN? Because he's a narcissistic jerk who needed as much exposure as possible and knew where he would get the most. Being broadcast from Bristol, Connecticut means you are getting the most exposure possible.


And that is what the NHL needs to do during this potential two-sport work stoppage, no?


Hockey is physical, exciting, has the best playoffs bar none, yet no one cares. The Winter Classic is a good start to gain national attention. But now is the time for the NHL to step up and do everything it possibly can to get into the focus of American sports. There will be no better chance than 2011.

Gone Bowlin'!

I won't lie. Right now the college football season is going pretty well. I mean, through eight games only two have had any excitement and no one went to the games. But personally, I'm 7-for-8 in my Bowl Pick 'Em thus far. But come the New Year the low-tiered, pretty pointless bowls will start to wrap up, and it will be time for the big boys to step out onto the field in the BCS games. That means it's time for my second annual BCS predictions! Technically it's the third straight year I've done them, but it's the second year I've done them on this blog. Last year I went 2-3, and the year before I went 3-2, so I'm a solid .500 so far. So let's begin!

On New Year's Day is the Rose Bowl between Big Ten champ Wisconsin and #3 (and undefeated) TCU. This is a very interesting match-up to kick off the BCS games. Wisconsin is playing as well as anyone in the country, including Oregon and Auburn, and is powered by the nation's biggest and best offensive line and three capable running backs, all with over 800 yards rushing. This is their first BCS game since the 1999 Rose Bowl. TCU, in their second straight BCS game, is still looking for national respect. Looking at their schedule they beat only two ranked teams (#24 Oregon State in the season opener and a very overrated #5 Utah), but are ninth in the country in total offense and has a defense that leads the country in points allowed (11.4/gm) and yards allowed (215.4/gm). However, for all the statistics, they haven't seen an o-line that has two All-Americans and four returning starters all over 310 pounds. At 6-foot-7 and 327 pounds, Outland Trophy winner Gabe Carimi (who may be the best player in the nation) leads the way, and will do just that as Wisconsin runs away with a 35-24 win.

Later Jan. 1 is what most are expecting to be the most lopsided BCS game over when #7/Big 12 winner Oklahoma takes on the Big East "winner" Connecticut in the Fiesta Bowl. After stumbling to a 3-4 start out of the gates, UConn won their last five games to win a share of the conference title in a terrible Big East. Outside of Jordan Todman, the nation's second-leading rusher, the offense is non-existant, and the secondary is shaky at best. Many are calling the Huskies the worst BCS team ever. Oklahoma (11-2) should expect to pick apart the UConn defense and roam freely in the secondary, as Landry Jones and the third-ranked passing offense have a biiiiiit of an advantage. But don't expect a 40 point blowout. The Sooners will move the ball, but in their five-game win streak the Huskies have forced 17 turnovers -- while committing only five of their own. And the UConn offensive line is none too shabby, having dominated defenses since Halloween. Oklahoma will snap their five-game BCS losing streak, but it will be closer than expected. Sooners 32, Huskies 21.

Jan. 3 is the Orange Bowl between ACC-champ Virginia Tech and Pac-10 champion Stanford. This very easily could be the best bowl game of the season outside of Oregon-Auburn. Virginia Tech has been a totally different team since their 0-2 start, having not lost since then. ACC Player of the Year Tyrod Taylor has led the way, throwing a school-record 23 touchdowns to just 4 interceptions, and has added over 800 rushing yards. The defense is average, but like UConn they force a lot of turnovers (their 22 picks are second best in FBS). However, Stanford has Andrew Luck. A junior, Luck is considered to be the number one pick in next April's draft (if he declares, and if there is even a draft at all). He has over 3000 yards in the air, 28 TDs to just 7 INTs, and has completed a ludicrous 70 percent of his passes. So what gives? A defense that forces a ton of turnovers or a quarterback that rarely throws even an incompletion, let alone interceptions? I'll take the latter, as the Cardinal win 33-28.

The Sugar Bowl sees two at-large bids when Arkansas and Ohio State meet on Jan. 4. Ohio State is third in the nation in scoring defense. Arkansas has one of the most electrifying offenses and is third in passing. Ryan Mallett is turnover-prone, however, with 11 interceptions, but many coming in key situations (i.e. late in the fourth quarter against #1 Alabama). Terrelle Pryor of the Buckeyes is lucky to even be playing after the NCAA found that he and four teammates violated the rules by selling their rings, jerseys and awards, as well as receiving free tattoos. Which leads me to this week's tangent!!

There is absolutely no reason Pryor and his four teammates should play this game. The NCAA found they were wrong. In every prior situation that means immediate suspension. Georgia's AJ Greene sold a game-worn jersey -- a single jersey -- and was suspended immediately for four games. The six Buckeyes sold multiple jerseys and other memorabilia. Last year Oklahoma State's Dez Bryant was suspended for 10 games for talking to Deion Sanders and lying about it. The Buckeyes did not report their violations, and Pryor wrote on his Twitter page that he paid for all his tattoos. HE LIED. The NCAA tried to get out of it by saying that the players didn't deserve to be suspended because they were unaware they were breaking the rules. This just in: the reason Bryant lied was because he didn't know he was breaking the rules! Did that stop NCAA officials? Not even a little bit. But because the players are from Ohio State and it's a BCS game, Pryor and his teammates get to play. If it were any other team short of Michigan and Notre Dame, and I do mean any other team, these players get suspended. But because they are from the historic, precious Big Ten, they get to play because it is a "once in a lifetime opportunity". That shouldn't matter. It's like a parent saying "Oh, you snuck out, stole the car and crashed it? That's fine! You didn't know you were breaking the rules! So you can go to the concert tomorrow, but after that you are grounded!" And because most of them will be drafted, they can leave early, thus avoiding any punishment whatsoever.

Okay, tangent over.

Ohio State is 14th in rushing yards per game, while Arkansas is mediocre in stopping the run. Of course, they also had to face the likes of Cam Newton (Heisman winner), Mark Ingram (2009 Heisman winner) and Trent Richardson (most underrated back in the nation and best sidekick since Arkansas's Felix Jones backed up Darren McFadden). Although Jim Tressel's crew snapped their BCS losing streak in last year's Rose Bowl, they won't be extended any winning streaks, as the Razorbacks will throttle the Buckeyes 52-31.

Then there's the big one, when Auburn and Oregon play for the national title. Both teams have high-powered offenses. Oregon leads the nation in points (49.3/gm) and is fourth in rushing (over 300/gm) and has the football version of Mike D'Antoni's "Seven Seconds or Less" offense that he made famous with the Phoenix Suns. Auburn is sixth in points (42.7/gm) and rushing (287/gm) and is led by Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton, who is becoming as good a thrower as he is an athlete. The outcome in this game will come from the defensive side. Who will make a key stop? Because it seems as though neither offense can be stopped. My heart wants the Ducks to win, but I can't figure out how they will be able to stop Newton when teams like Alabama (sixth fewest yards allowed per game), LSU (eighth) and Florida (ninth) could not. The Tigers will win the national title -- outright this time, as opposed to 2004. Auburn 52-45.

After the title game I will post the results in the sidebar, and hope to get above the .500 mark.

You Haven't Done Nothin'

Stevie Wonder sure was right. Donovan McNabb hasn't done nothin'. The storyline going into Sunday's Redskins-Cowboys game was 'Skins coach Mike Shanahan's decision to bench starter McNabb in favor of Rex Grossman. When the announcement was made, Fletcher Smith, McNabb's agent, called the move "beyond disrespectful." Spare me. For all that McNabb has done in his career, Mike Shanahan and the Washington Redskins owe him nothing. And while I don't think the coaching staff has handled the situation properly, for Smith to play the "veteran-is-disrespected" card is just ridiculous.

In a phone interview, Smith said of the benching, "Disrespectful is probably not strong enough of a word. Donovan has handled himself with nothing but class, not just in Washington but as an ambassador for the league. To treat him this way ... it's beyond disrespectful." 


Newsflash to Fletcher: This is sports, where 99 percent of organizations demand results now (Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Pirates excluded) and for a quarterback who is in his first year on a new team, the past doesn't matter. What has Donovan McNabb done for the Redskins in his 12 years that Shanahan should think to himself "Gee, he's accomplished so much for me that I shouldn't be so quick to pull the plug."? Nothing, that's what. If this were Philadelphia, it would be different. In Philly, McNabb took the Eagles to the Super Bowl, five NFC Title Games and eight playoffs. He is the overwhelming franchise leader in every passing statistic, is 14th all-time in rushing and seventh in rushing touchdowns. In ten years fans will go to Lincoln Financial Field and see #5 alongside the other retired numbers in Eagles' lore.


But that is in Philadelphia. 


In Washington, none of that matters. Fact is, McNabb led the team to a 5-8 record and five losses in six games. He is 26th in the league in passer rating. Do you know who has a better passer rating than Donovan's 77.1? Jason Campbell. Alex Smith. Chad Henne. Carson Palmer. Do you realize how bad Carson Palmer has been this season? He's thrown 18 interceptions and had about 100 more dropped. He throws solely to Terrell Owens the majority of the time. And he's still got a higher rating than McNabb. 


McNabb has thrown more INTs (15) than TDs (14). He is 28th in completion percentage (58.3%). Fact is, because he is Donovan McNabb he got the starting nod because he, in theory, gave the team the best chance to win. If he were Jason Campbell, Alex Smith or Chad Henne, he probably would have been benched four weeks earlier. This is in some ways similar another quarterbacking situation involving He Who Shall Not Be Named On This Blog over in Minnesota, who wouldn't have been playing by Week 6 if he were Tarvaris Jackson.



Then there is the part where Smith said that McNabb deserves to start because he has "handled himself with nothing but class, not just in Washington but as an ambassador for the league." Unless you are doing something criminal or just plain stupid, that doesn't matter on the field. Charlie Batch has been recognized for his work in, among other things, helping underprivileged youth, those without food, those without shelter and advocating against gang violence. I would say he is a pretty good ambassador for the NFL. Yet when Ben Roethlisberger returned from his four-game suspension, I didn't see Batch's agent calling it "beyond disrespectful." And note that in the two games Batch started this season his passer rating (76.2) was not much worse than McNabb's, so this comparison isn't entirely dumb.


And the last two games of 2010 don't look good for him, either. Grossman didn't win against the Cowboys, but he didn't play poorly. His four touchdowns were two more than McNabb has thrown in any one game this year, and his two picks were something McNabb has done four times. Rexy's 93.7 rating topped all but two of McNabb's ratings, and he brought the team back from a 20-point deficit early in the third to tie the game with 7:37 to go. I mean, sure, it was against a Dallas defense that is 31st in points allowed, but some merit has to go into the comeback.


As for the off-season and beyond, well, that doesn't look too hot either. The five-year, $78 million extension he signed on Nov. 15 (which was followed by a 59-28 drubbing at the hands of the Eagles on Monday Night Football) has a clause where the team can get out the deal after the season. It is highly unlikely you will be seeing McNabb in the nation's capital next year.

For that, Redskins fans should only have one thing to say: All hail Rex Grossman!! Please draft Jake Locker!!

(NOTE: Stats from ESPN.com, pro-football-reference.com, and NFL.com)
Check back next week for my 2nd annual BCS prediction post!

Stop With the BCS BS

People seriously need to stop complaining about the BCS. This is the 13th year of its existence, and every year there has been an issue with it. There have been snubs (i.e. 11-1 Texas Tech in 2008), BCS-busters who have been discriminated against (Boise State in '06 and '09) and questionable BCS representatives. Countless solutions have been proposed: a playoff format, a plus-one system, basically anything not based off a computer. This year the problem has been with the Big East, whose members have -- to say the least -- underperformed a bit. Still, come Saturday either unranked UConn (7-4) or #24 West Virginia (7-3) will most likely accept a bid to the Fiesta or Orange Bowl. Meanwhile, it looks like #8 Michigan State, who finished 11-1, will be left out of the BCS bowl picture for being the third-lowest ranked Big Ten team (#5 Wisconsin will represent the conference as champions and #6 Ohio State will get an at-large bid... no more than two teams from the same conference can be in a BCS game). But to all the whiners out there, I have only one thing to say.

Stop it. Because no matter how much you complain, no matter how big a temper-tantrum you throw, nothing will be done.

Is anyone from the Big East deserving of a BCS bid? No. I'm not stupid. The conference has three wins against BCS opponents in 14 tries: West Virginia's massacre of 8-4 Maryland, UConn's trampling of SEC bottom-feeder Vanderbilt, and South Florida's overtime squeaker against underachieving Miami (FL). The Mountaineers needed a miracle comeback and overtime to beat in-state rival Marshall (5-7). Rutgers needed three quarters to get going against FCS opponent Norfolk State. And in what were supposed to be high-profile match-ups, Oklahoma edged two-time defending champion Cincinnati and Miami (FL) annihilated Pittsburgh, who was picked to win the league, 31-3. Pitt, who is currently 6-5, also lost their home opener to Utah. Until this week, when the BCS ranked West Virginia at #24, no Big East team had made an appearance in the rankings in five weeks. Currently no team is ranked in either the AP or Coaches' Poll, and none have since October 23. Basically, the conference has sucked.

Still, though, this is not the first time a three- or four-loss team would receive an automatic BCS bid. This is just the most scrutinized occurrence. In fact, it has happened three times:

• In 2002 Florida State finished the regular season 9-4. They lost to #1 Miami (FL) and #6 Notre Dame, but also lost to Louisville, who would finish 7-5, and unranked NC State. They went to the Sugar Bowl and lost to Georgia by 13.

• The Seminoles faced the same situation in 2005, when they finished 8-4, losing to Virginia, NC State, Clemson and Florida (the latter three in consecutive weeks). The Gators were the only team ranked out of those four. They lost to Penn State in the Orange Bowl in triple overtime.

• In 2008 Virginia Tech opened the season with a loss to East Carolina (unranked) to fall from #15 to unranked, then re-entered for two weeks before losing to Boston College (unranked) and #24 Florida State in back-to-back weeks, and then lost to a 7-6 Miami (FL) team. They were not ranked, but won the conference and beat Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl.

Most say West Virginia would do best in a BCS game. And by best I mean people believe they'll lose by the least amount. Unfortunately for the Mountaineers, though, their destiny in the hands of the Huskies. UConn started 3-4, ending that start with an uninspired 26-0 blowout at the hands of Louisville. But since then the team has won four straight, including wins over West Virginia and Pitt in consecutive weeks. If they win at South Florida -- another streaking team coming off a program-defining win against Miami -- they get the automatic bid. If they lose and West Virginia beats Rutgers (which will happen... the Scarlet Knights have completely collapsed in recent weeks), then the Mountaineers get the bid. If both teams lose and Pitt beats Cincinnati, then the Panthers, at 7-5, go bowling BCS style. If all three teams lose and there is a five-way tie in the conference between UConn, Pitt, West Virginia, South Florida and Syracuse, then it turns into a five-team mini-conference, and Connecticut would win based off their 3-1 record against the other four teams. Wouldn't life be so much easier if the Huskies won Saturday?

The main argument against the Big East, but specifically the Huskies and Mountaineers, is that they aren't as deserving as, say, Michigan State, LSU, Missouri, Boise State and Nebraska/Oklahoma (whichever loses in the Big 12 title game), all of whom will most likely not get an invitation to a BCS game. Michigan State is the victim of an unfortunate rule. I can't really argue this. But for all the other teams, they have no one to blame but themselves for their participation in lower-tiered bowls because they all broke (or will break) the unwritten rule of college football: don't lose after Halloween. If LSU beat Arkansas last week, they would be in. If Missouri didn't lose in consecutive weeks to Oklahoma and Texas Tech (the latter of which came on November 6), they would be in the Big 12 title game. If Boise State makes a few more plays and beats Nevada, they're in. (Note: This game was not lost entirely on the two missed field goals by Kyle Brotzman. There were plenty of other opportunities for the Broncos to put the game away and they didn't). And whoever loses the Big 12 title game, well, win and you'd be in, too. It has been the way the system has worked for years, and it will continue to be that way at least for the near future. A Big East team could be 10-1 right now and it wouldn't make a difference: none of these teams would be playing in a BCS bowl game. You may not agree with it, but complaining is going to fall upon deaf ears, as I don't believe the BCS computer has a built-in microphone to which you can talk into.

And who's to say UConn or West Virginia would automatically get blown out? UConn hasn't lost since Oct. 23, and WVU since Oct. 29. It looks like the Big East winner will face either the ACC champion in the Orange Bowl or the Big 12 champion in the Fiesta Bowl. That means they will either face Virginia Tech, Florida State, Nebraska or Oklahoma.

For UConn, they should be able to run, run, run all day. Jordan Todman is second in the nation in rushing at over 145 yards per game, has rushed for over 100 yards in all but one game he's played in this year, and is the UConn offense (the passing game is 113th in the nation). That being said, teams know this, but that hasn't stopped Todman and the offensive line, who have played as well as any line in the country over the past month. In the last four Husky victories Todman has averaged 161 yards per game. And those four opponents? Three are in the top-25 in fewest rushing yards allowed per game, and the fourth (Syracuse) is in the top 50. None of the four possible opponents are among the top 25 in this category. They are all middle of the pack. Sure, the secondary is a bit shaky, and in any shootout the Huskies would fade pretty quickly, but don't count them out entirely. Their defense gives up a lot of yards, but gets key turnovers. Against West Virginia they forced seven fumbles, recovering four. Among those included one on fourth down and another inside their own two-yard line in overtime. Against Cincinnati they forced five turnovers. In all they have forced 14 turnovers in their four straight wins, to just three turnovers of their own. I don't think the Huskies will win should they get the bid, but I think it could be closer than most people think. (And just remember, this Huskies team won five straight games to end 2009, including a dominating effort over South Carolina -- the same South Carolina who beat #1 Alabama and could very well upset #1 Auburn this weekend. Just saying.)

As for the Mountaineers, their defense is pretty damn good. Through 11 games only two teams have surpassed the 20-point plateau against WVU: Marshall scored 21, LSU scored 20. They have given up 10 points in three consecutive games. They are third in the nation in total yards allowed per game. The unit is, in a word, dominating. The offense is turnover-prone and Noel Devine has suffered nagging injuries all year, but something tells me with a few weeks off, he'll be just fine for the final game of his collegiate career.

I understand the criticism the Big East is facing. In all honesty, no one from that conference is worthy of a BCS bid. But by rule, someone will in fact get a bid, and it will be, barring the unforeseeable, UConn or West Virginia. I'm not saying either team will win. I'm not guaranteeing the game will be close. But please, stop with the B.S., because nothing will change, one of those teams will go to a BCS game, and, contrary to popular belief, they very well could compete.

Another year, more BCS madness. You know, just like usual.

Blast Back to the Past: A Look At My March Baseball Predictions

Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants. They were merely one of many, many teams, players and managers to make me look incredibly dumb with my March predictions. But, hey, I can't be right all the time. Now that all wthe awards have been handed out, and the 2010 season is now 100% behind us, we'll look back and grade the predictions based on a scale of -3 to 3, then go and give myself a numerical score that will judge just how truly stupid I was eight months ago.

1) The New York Yankees will repeat as World Series champions. Made it to the ALCS and were the World Series favorites, but lost because their starters couldn't pitch. Score: -1

2) The Phillies will make it to their 3rd straight World Series. Again, made it to the NLCS, but their bats went silent against the outstanding San Francisco pitching rotation. Score: -1

3) Curtis Granderson will become a superstar. In his first series against the hated Red Sox he hit a game-winning home run to get off to a fairly good start. However, he missed nearly all of May and could never get going. Hit only .247 with 24 home runs and 67 runs batted in. Score: -2

4) In a related note, the Tigers will realize that replacing Granderson with Damon will be an issue. Granderson had three times as many home runs (24 to Damon's eight), a higher slugging percentage (.455 to .401), one more stolen base, a far better WAR (3.6 to 1.9) and his UZR (ultimate zone rating) was 5.3 to Damon's 0.6. In a related note, the Tigers decreased in wins due to an offense that couldn't do anything without Miguel Cabrera and went from a second place finish in 2009 to a third place finish in 2010. Score: 2

5) Steven Strasburg will be average at best this season. Alright, if this kid's arm heals and returns to full strength, he'll be a star. A 5-3 record (with zero run support), 92 strikeouts in 68 innings (including 14 in his major league debut... though that was against the Pirates) and a sub-3 earned run average. It's too bad he had Tommy John Surgery and will miss most of next year, too. Even though his ERA in August was above 5, i'll still say he far exceeded my expectations. Score: -1

6) Roy Halladay will be fine in the regular season, but come the playoffs, he'll be in for a rude awakening. He was a unanimous choice for the NL Cy Young Award, with a 22-10 record and 2.44 ERA. And he threw the second no-hitter in postseason history. Still, in the NLCS he wasn't anything special, splitting two games with Tim Lincecum. However, I think Charlie Manuel messed up here. Halladay should have pitched on short rest and started Game 5, not Game 6. Instead Joe Blanton couldn't make it out of the fifth inning and the Phillies went down 3-1 in the series. So that isn't Halladay's fault (though he should have demanded the ball... an ace should when his team is facing a 3-1 hole). Score: 0

7) Albert Pujols will win another MVP. He finished second, so I wasn't too far off. All it took for someone to take the award away from the Machine was for Joey Votto to go after the Triple Crown. I'll give myself a point. Score: 1

8) Ivan Rodriguez, Adam Kennedy, and Willy Taveras may be names, but it won't stop the Nationals from finishing last in the NL East. 68-93, 28 games out of first place, 10 games behind the fourth place Mets. I-Rod played 111 games, Kennedy 135 and Taveras only 27. Still, something tells me Taveras' .274 average, eight homers and 128 RBIs (in seven seasons) wouldn't have made a difference. Score: 3

9) 3 of these 5 managers will be fired by August 1st: Manny Acta, Dave Trembley, Dusty Baker, Lou Piniella, Cito Gaston. Alright, so Dusty Baker didn't lose his job, considering the Reds won the division. Dave Trembley was canned by Baltimore on June 4th. Piniella and Gaston either announced their retirement (Gaston) or actually retired before the season ended (Piniella), but I don't think either was pressured to do it, but both organizations probably saw it coming before August 1st. Score: 1

10) Texas will have one of the best offenses in baseball, but will be a .500 team.

The team led the majors in batting average and hits, was fifth in RBIs and on-base percentage and struck out the third-fewest times. Nothing new. However the team finished with 90 wins, in large part because of the efforts of CJ Wilson and Colby Lewis on the mound (then Cliff Lee until the World Series). The offense was just as good as past years. I just didn't see the pitching coming around like it did. Score: -2

11) With the addition of Chone Figgins, Ichiro will score 120 runs. Wanna know how terrible the Mariners offense was this year? Only four players played more than 95 games. Figgins hit a dreadful .258 -- and it was third highest on the team. The fact that Ichiro scored 74 runs is a freakin' miracle. Score: -4 (yes, the scale is -3 to 3. That's how bad a prediction it was)

12) ESPN won't be the same without Peter Gammons. Tim Kurkjian is nice, and so is Buster Olney. But Gammons was irreplaceable. Baseball Tonight was considerably less interesting without him there. Score: 3

13) The only teams capable of beating the Yankees in a playoff series are the Red Sox and Mariners. I said this because of their pitching. And that is exactly how the Yankees lost -- they ran into a team with strong pitching. Too bad it wasn't the fairly disappointing Red Sox rotation (that means you, John Lackey), or the Mariners (who did finish in the top 12 of the league in ERA, opponent batting average, earned runs and allowed the third fewest walks). So I knew what it would take to beat the Yankees. Again, I just never thought it would be the Rangers who had the staff. Score: 0

14) Josh Johnson, Tim Lincecum, and Jair Jurrjens will be the NL Cy Young candidates. Josh Johnson had a streak of 13 starts without allowing more than two earned runs. Had he not been hurt in the second half, he would have ran away with it. Ubaldo Jimenez won 15 (not a misprint) games before the All-Star break. He should have easily won. However, he only won four games the rest of the year and disappeared down the stretch, even as the Rockies challenged once again for a playoff berth. Lincecum had a good season by most standards (16-10, 231 strikeouts) and will probably finish fourth or fifth in voting. Jurrjens was hurt for much of the season, could only make 20 starts and had a terrible WHIP (1.39).  Roy Halladay was the unanimous choice. Score: 2

15) The NL West rides on the arm of Brandon Webb. Webb didn't make a start, Arizona had all sorts of pitching problems (towards the bottom of the league in ERA, batting average against and strikeouts). And the D'Backs never really contended. Score: -1

16) These will be this year's playoff teams: AL - New York, Minnesota, Seattle, Boston (wild card) NL - Philadelphia, St. Louis, San Francisco, Atlanta (wild card) Got five out of eight teams right, and give me a break on the Sox (if they didn't have so many injuries they would have made it fairly easily). However, that more than gets cancelled out by the Mariners.... oh, the Mariners... Score: 1

17) The Royals will be 2nd in the AL Central on May 1st. By June 30th they will be last. Hey! For once the Royals started the way they finished: a terrible team! They were five games out and third on May 1st, and were already out of it by June 30th. Score: 1

18) Joe Mauer, Lance Berkman, and Derek Jeter, all in their last year of their contracts, will stay. Mauer signed an enormous deal right away, and it looks as though Jeter is going to stay a Yankee (it has to happen). Berkman, though, was traded to the Bronx. Two out of three ain't bad. Score: 2

19) Ozzie Guillen will feud with Jake Peavy at least twice. Peavy only started 17 games and went 7-6. Not worth $15 million by any stretch of the imagination. Unfortunately, no feuds, though. Score: -2

20) The NL East will be the best race. The Yankees and Rays had the tightest race, but it was a well-known fact that whoever finished second would get the wild-card. That goes out the window. You could make a claim for the NL West, but for the entire second half people were wondering if the Phillies were stumbling and if the Braves were for real. Then the roles flipped and led to the best long-term race. Score: 2

21) The AL West will be the 2nd best race. The Rangers had a stranglehold on the division. After July 25th their lead was never fewer than seven and a half games. Score: -2

22) The Pirates will trade Zach Duke and/or Andrew McCutchen. Duke went 8-15 and had an ERA of 5.71. McCutchen was the lone bright spot. Both were on the team all year. However, literally a minute before I was about to hit "Publish", I saw that Duke was traded to Arizona. So technically it wasn't during the season, but he was traded. Originally I was going to give myself a score of -3. New Score: 1

23) With José Reyes back, David Wright will once again hit 25 home runs. Wright hit 29 home runs. Reyes played in 133 games. Score: 3

24) This is the penultimate year for Mariano Rivera. Rivera had 33 saves this year, but have no one in line to replace him, as Joba Chamberlain proved nothing. Looks like Mo will have to go past 2011. Score: -1

25) Evan Longoria will win AL MVP. Longoria was very quiet. He had a solid year (.294, 22 homers, 104 RBIs), but was never amazing. Josh Hamilton ran away with MVP honors in convincing fashion. Score: -2

26) JA Happ and Jayson Werth will launch into superstardom. Happ only appeared in 13 games due to injury, and Werth struggled early but finished very strong, hitting a shade under .300 with 27 HRs and 85 RBIs. He finished eighth in MVP voting, and one of the most sought-after free agents this summer. Score: 1

27) Daisuke Matsuzaka will milk another injury in Boston. Matsuzaka made two trips to the disabled list for a right forearm strain. It was probably legitimate. Probably. But still, he has not been a "bust" but by no means has he been worth the billion and a half dollars or whatever it was that the Sox spent to get him. Score: 1

28) Managers of the Year: Don Wakamatsu, Bobby Cox. Wakamatsu was fired, Cox probably would have had it not been for the surprising Padres and Reds. The Twins' Ron Gardenhire and the Padres' Bud Black won the award. Score: -2

29) Brandon Webb and Garrett Atkins will be Comeback POY: Webb made one short-lived start. Atkins played in 44 games. Maybe I was a year too soon with these picks. Francisco Liriano and Tim Hudson won the award. Score: -3

30) The Marlins and Braves will be 2 of the NL's 5 best teams. Well, the Braves were. The Marlins finished two games under .500. Score: 1

31) Alfonso Soriano is no longer in his prime. By a long shot. Hit a nice and pathetic .258. Yeah, he had 24 homers and 79 RBIs, but he also had nearly as many strikeouts (123) as hits (128). Score: 3

32) Adam Lind will be the Blue Jays offense. Jose Bautista hit 54 home runs in leading of the most powerful offenses ever (in terms of home run hitting at least). Lind hit a dreadful .237 and hit only 23 home runs. Score: -3

33) Matt Holliday will redeem himself for last year's error. My boy hit .312, 28 homers and 103 RBIs, winning a Silver Slugger Award and going to the All-Star game. Although St. Louis didn't make the playoffs, Holliday had his fifth consecutive solid season. Score: 3

34) Brad Lidge makes a triumphant comeback this year. Well he wasn't 48-for-48 like he was in 2008, but his ERA also wasn't 7.21 like it was in 2009. He had a respectable 27 saves in 32 chances, striking out 52 in 45 2/3 innings of work and lowering the earned run average to below three. Not a triumphant comeback, but a good rebound nonetheless. Score: 1

35) Chan Ho Park will be the next Chien Ming Wang for the Yankees. Park went 2-1 with an ERA over five before being relegated to the minors traded to Pittsburgh. He was about as effective as Wang was in 2009. Score: 2

36) Griffey, Edmonds, and Vlad go out quietly. Griffey retired with a day of sadness around baseball, but nothing extraordinary. Edmonds played in only 86 games and drove in 23 runs. Vlad, though, had a huge resurgence, hitting .300 and surpassing 100 runs batted in. Score: 2

37) In his 1st at-bat of interleague play, Joba Chamberlain gets hit by a 95 mph fastball. Seeing as he wasn't a starter, he didn't get an at-bat this year. But I still dislike him. A lot. Score: 0

38) Tim McCarver says approximately 1.5 idiotic things per inning. Just how dumb is Tim McCarver? Before the World Series, partner Joe Buck was on Pardon the Interruption on ESPN doing an interview live. McCarver walked by and, oblivious of the camera or the fact that Buck was talking to it, smacked Buck on the shoulder and started talking to him. Then, when the games were actually played, here were some of my favorites: "The Rangers aren't hitting because the Giants are pitching."

"He's been throwing up some bad dreams to the Texas Rangers." Score: 3

 

39) Manny will say it's his last season in LA, then it's not, then it is again at least 10 times. Well seeing as he was a pain in Joe Torre's ass and ended the year an unproductive member of the White Sox (what's that? unproductive and White Sox are redundancies? Good to know). Score: 2

40) Minka Kelly is shown on camera at least five times per game. So I must say that I barely saw the Yankees play at all this year, but I'm going to assume that she was on at least occasionally. Plus, I need a few points. Score: 1

41) On a related note, Kelly will put the same curse on Jeter that Kate Hudson put on A-Rod. Jeter had his worst year since he was a rookie (though he still won a Gold Glove that was totally unjustified), and I am 100% attributing it to the lovely Minka Kelly. Score: 3

42) After breaking the single-season passing, rushing, and receiving records by Week 6 of the NFL season, Tim Tebow signs with a contender, wins MVP in the LCS and World Series, and in doing so makes his case for the Baseball Hall of Fame. This will be followed by Tebow returning to the NFL and winning the Super Bowl on a last second 76-yard touchdown run. It was a pipe-dream, but I shouldn't be surprised that Tebow didn't do all this. After all, he's humble. He simply didn't want to take the spotlight away from the already-unpopular baseball players (and by unpopular, I mean far less popular than NFL players, unless your name is Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols or Derek Jeter). Score: -3

Although it didn't seem like it, my score was a 16. I don't really know how good that is, because I couldn't figure out an accurate scoring system that would figure out how well I really did. So take from that score what you will. And in reality I probably -- okay, I knowingly -- gave myself an extra point here or there to boost my score that otherwise would have been shockingly terrible.

Still Sore Losers

There may not be a more tortured fan base than Cleveland. Not having won a championship of any sort since 1964, the city has come close numerous times, only to have their hopes shattered by some terrible play or occurrence. They even have names for all of them, which need no clarification (in fact, going into detail may or may not get you shot if you are anywhere near East Cleveland). "The Shot", "The Fumble" , "The Drive", The Decision. Just the mere mentioning of some names make the city collectively cringe. Jose Mesa, Art Modell, LeBron James. One would think that a fan base like that deserved some sort of success. But looking at how Cleveland fans have conducted themselves since the Decision, especially after the incident that occurred after the Browns' overtime loss to the Jets last week, it made me realize something: those fans don't deserve it.

To recap, the quietly dangerous Browns lost a key fumble late in overtime to New York, then four Cleveland defenders let Santonio Holmes weave through them like they were tackling dummies en route to the end zone. Among those in the stands was a Jets fan who lived in Cleveland, but was born in New York. He decided to take his eight-year-old son to the game, the boy's first ever NFL game. Being New York fans, they wore Jets jerseys. The game was fine, but afterwards, according to the boy's mother, Cleveland fans began throwing food and yelling at the boy and his father. Then, one drunken idiot tackled the boy to the ground. Not accidentally pushed or ran into him. But actually full on tackled the kid, leaving him with some scratches and a few tears.

Are you serious? A little kid?

Look, I'm as big a sports fan as anyone. As I was watching the Steelers get manhandled by New England last week I was getting angry at the television. But it's just a football game. Sports are meant to be a distraction from life. They aren't supposed to get this real. No amount of "fandom", no amount of alcohol, can be used as a defense in this case. No matter how passionate a fan you are, does the game really matter that much? Win or lose, you still live your life just the same. The only difference between winning and losing is -- or should be -- a few minutes of being annoyed or happy. Of course there are exceptions. When the Browns left Cleveland fans had a right to be angry and hold a grudge against Art Modell. Conversely, when New Orleans won the Super Bowl last year the entire city earned the right to party. But short of something drastic, there is absolutely no reason to be so emotional to the point where you lose self-control.

And in this case, the lack of self-control and common decency was disgusting. It would have been bad enough had this happened to some drunken Jets fan who was going around bragging about the win. But no, it happened to be a father who was minding his own business after a nice afternoon enjoying football. And he was with his kid. Kids are off-limits. If you feel the need to harass or make fun of a little kid for being a Jets fan, you are sick. But to go all the way and tackle an eight year old is the lowest of lows. People who do that are scumbags. It shouldn't have to be said that kids are off-limits. The fact that it needs to be shows how insanely stupid Cleveland fans have become.

Could it be that I'm being a little unfair for judging an entire city's fan base off of a group of idiots merely because of one isolated -- although sickening -- incident? You could make that argument. But ever since the Decision, fans have been nutty. Just look at the night James said he was leaving. Fans burned a jersey in the streets. Extra police was called in to handle crowds. Fans disowned LeBron, like he was some sort of monster. He's a basketball player. Obviously he handled the situation very poorly. He should have told the organization before that he wasn't coming back. He should not have announced it in a one-hour, nationally televised event. It was a backstabbing move. But do you really think the city would have reacted any differently had he done it via a press release at noon on a random Tuesday? I don't think so. The jerseys still would have been burned. The police would have still been called upon and fans would still be incredibly bitter.

I get it that LeBron inspired hope in the city. He was born there, he was raised there, he was supposed to give the city something to cheer for.  But it was entirely his right to leave Cleveland. Nowhere under the term "unrestricted free agent" is there some magic fine print that says "except you have to stay with your original team." Do I think he made the right choice? No. He handled the entire process poorly and he chose the wrong team. But that doesn't give the city a right to go berserk. It doesn't give them a right to go "Oh, woe is us!" It doesn't give them a right to act however they want. Most people are expecting the Cavaliers to finish well below .500 this year. The Indians are still rebuilding. The Browns are perennially terrible. And to be honest, that's exactly what this fan base deserves right now.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once said "You can't win unless you learn how to lose." You would think that after all these years, after all these heartbreaks, the city of Cleveland would have learned by now. I guess not, and until they do, I hope they never get to experience success. They aren't ready for it.

Ten Weeks, Four Questions

The NFL season has passed the mid-way point, and it is time for a valid question to become clear. Who is the best team in football? In past years there was a clear answer. In 2007 it was the Patriots. In 2008 it was the Steelers and Titans. Last year the Colts and Saints. But this year? Oh how it is different. Every week we learn something new. We think things are finally beginning to settle down. Then the next week all that comes crashing down, and we have an entirely new set of "best teams." But this week, with many high-profile and divisional games, things will begin to pan out and shape the rest of the season. Many questions will be answered. Here are the four big questions to be answered starting Thursday night.

Is the AFC or NFC the early favorite for the Super Bowl? 
Thursday night sees quite arguably the the AFC's best team against the NFC's best team when the Falcons host the Ravens. Baltimore's defense is still one of the top five in the game, but they are beginning to show signs of weakness and age. They give up 104 yards a game on the ground, and face Michael Turner, who is coming off his best game of the year against the Buccaneers. The pass defense is fourth in the game, but they also haven't seen anyone nearly as good as the Matt Ryan-to-Roddy White connection. Meanwhile, the Falcons defense can't stop the pass, and Joe Flacco isn't quite an elite quarterback, but he's good enough for 250 yards and three  scores. Right now these two are considered the best in their conference. If one team kicks the crap out of the other, it could be a good indication as to which conference has the upper hand, and has the apparent advantage for Super Bowl XLV in Dallas.

Who is the best team in the AFC?
The Jets had this title to start the year, but lost it after a pathetic Week 1 showing offensively against Baltimore. If you asked two or three weeks ago, it was the Steelers. Too bad they couldn't show up on Halloween against the Saints, then needed a defensive stand in the red zone to stave off a comeback by the woeful Bengals. Their pass defense has looked like an issue as of late. Then the title went back to the Jets, who then got shut out by Green Bay and needed a collapse by the Lions to win in overtime. Then it moved to the Patriots. They didn't just lose to the Browns. They got the living crap kicked out of them. Now the Ravens have the title, which is at stake Thursday. If the Ravens lose, the title is once again up for grabs. And the 6-2 Steelers face the 6-2 Patriots Sunday. Expect this to be the game of the week. The Steelers secondary against a Patriots receiving corps that always seems to do well because Tom Brady is under center. The Patriots always-shaky secondary against the league's best quarterback at keeping plays alive and making cornerbacks cover receivers for six, seven, eight seconds. I am expecting a very close game. And the playoffs should be among the most exciting in years (at least on the AFC side), with the potential for the Jets, Patriots, Steelers and Ravens to play each other in some order for spots in the conference title game.

What will the AFC South look like?
The 4-4 Texans play the 4-4 Jaguars. The 5-3 Colts play the Bengals. The 5-3 Titans travel to Miami to play the Dolphins. For the Colts, this could be an upset game. Think about it: they just lost a tough road game against the Eagles, they are playing a 2-6 Bengals team at home and next week they travel to New England to take on a team that has perennially beaten them in the past. They need the Patriots win to keep pace with the rest of the conference. And they are beat to hell, with their receivers being Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon and whoever else they could find off the streets of Indianapolis. Look for the Bengals to take their solid fourth quarter against the Steelers and continue that in Indy. I'm not saying Cincinnati will win, but don't expect a blowout. For Tennessee, the Dolphins are a dangerous team. And with Chad Pennington (who I honestly thought retired like last year) as the starter for Miami, the Titans' defense is guaranteed to see a mistake-free game from the quarterback position. Both the Titans and what's left of the Colts should win, but both could easily lose. and with the winner of the Texans-Jaguars game at 5-4, there could conceivably be a three-way tie for first place, with the last place team a game behind. There could also be a two-way tie, with the Houston-Jacksonville winner still fine and the last place team in a bit of a hole. The shaping of the division will be a lot more clear after this week.

Will the Giants essentially clinch the NFC East come Tuesday morning? 
As ugly as the Giants have looked at times this season (see: Weeks 1-3, Week 6 against the Lions), they are 6-2 and considered an NFC favorite. Their ability to not only get to the quarterback, but to throttle them and somehow injure all of them is incredible. Of course, their ability to turn the ball over is just as incredible. But with the dreadful, discombobulated, drama-filled 1-7 Cowboys coming to East Rutherford Sunday, theory has it they should cruise. It is Monday night's matchup that could determine the rest of their season when the Eagles play the Redskins. With a Philadelphia win, the Eagles would go to 6-3 and remain a game back (this is assuming the Giants take care of business). If Washington wins, both the 'Skins and Iggles will be 5-4 and two games back. This puts the Giants in a much more comfortable position. They still won't be able to put it on cruise control, but it means a slip-up later in the year (say, a loss to Jacksonville or Minnesota) wouldn't be as bad.

This is a key week. Soon it will be put-up-or-shut-up for many teams. Especially this year, where only a handful of teams are out of the mix already and seemingly anyone can lose on any given week, every game is important. It has been a long time since there has been such little dominance by any one team, and there are no guarantees for anyone going forward. But Week 10 of the season should see the start of things clearing up, as only six games affect nearly half the league.