Rest of Week 12: Vick Gets Beaten, Stevie Drops the Ball, Manning Picked Off 4 Times and More

The Chicago Bears have been a questionable team this year despite being 7-3. Many have wondered if they can actually beat a good team. They did, they beat Philly. Michael Vick didn't play a bad game but it was lessened thanks to that blitzing Bears defense. Jay Cutler capitalized on the situation by throwing 4 TD passes. Bears win, 31-26. Another questionable team that played a worthy opponent was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and they played Baltimore. They didn't prove their mettle, however, as they lose to the Ravens, 17-10. No comeback run by Josh Freeman this week.

As for a heartbreaker, the Bills' Stevie Johnson provided that. The Bills, who might be one of the best teams that just suck, had a tie game in OT with the Steelers and Ryan Fitzpatrick threw a 40 Yard TD Pass to Stevie Johnnson for the win except Stevie drops the ball in the endzone. Steelers would get it back and win on a Shaun Suisham Field Goal, 19-16. A game that Stevie Johnson will never forget and for all the wrong reasons.

Other games included the prime time Sunday Night game between the Chargers and the Colts. Manning threw 4 TDs in that game. Unfortunately, two of those were technically Interceptions returned for a TD. Manning actually threw 2 TDs and 4 INTs in this game as the Colts lose, 36-14. Colts are now 6-5. The Falcons managed to escape with a victory over the Packers, 20-17. The Falcons scored a Field Goal with 9 seconds left in the game after the Packers just scored the game tying TD with 56 seconds to go. The Falcons are still undefeated at home, 6-0. A borderline hockey fight happened during the game between the Texans and Titans as Cortland Finnegan and Andre Johnson had a mini fight in the 4th Quarter. I smell suspensions. Texans won that game, 20-0.

Not a bad weekend for the NFL as the Holiday season begins. Who will find themselves on the Postseason list? Not the Lions.

P.S. The 49ers are 4-7 now with the win over Arizona, 27-6. Surprisingly, they are still in the race for the NFC West as they are a game back of the Seahawks and Rams. Man, that division sucks.

TCU Goes East

Conference moving is not over in the NCAA. TCU has decided to accept their invitation to join the Big East Conference and leave the Mountain West. They will become the 17th member of the Conference and will start their athletic programs in there by 2012. Now for namesake, this is a bad move. TCU is more around the Big 12 area than the Big East. If anyone should be wanting TCU, it's the Big 12 who have lost a couple of members. If you put namesake aside, It's a good move for TCU, at least for football. The Conference has higher prestige than the MWC, it has a automatic BCS Bowl bid attached to the conference, and as of now, TCU might be the top frog, so to speak. Although, the team will likely lose a bunch of players by then. I do think, however, that TCU will benefit overall from their new conference.

P.S. ALL ABANDON THE MWC!!!

Boise State Gets WAC'D Off While Top 2 Survive

A memorable night of College Football all around. First, #2 Auburn played against Alabama in the traditional Iron Bowl. Alabama seemed ready for an upset as they scored 24 unanswered points to start the game. Auburn didn't give up, though, as they fought back and took the lead, 28-27, in the 4th Quarter. The Tigers managed to hold on to a win by that score. 3 TD passes and a TD run by Cam Newton was the difference for this close win. Next was #1 Oregon as they faced Arizona. Arizona put up a respectable fight keeping Oregon either at a tie or just behind them throughout the first half. The 2nd half, though, the Ducks came back with 4 TDs on the ground and one in the air. The Ducks get by the Wildcats, 48-29.

The only other noteworthy game of the night was #4 Boise State going into Reno to face Nevada. The Broncos took a sizable lead going into half time, 24-7. Somehow, however, the Wolf Pack came back and managed to tie the game at 24. Then Doug Martin would score off a screen pass for a 79 yard TD for the Broncos. Nevada still wasn't done as Colin Kaepernick threw a TD pass to Rishard Matthews with 13 seconds left in regulation to tie it at 31. Boise State then gets the ball and decides to throw for a Hail Mary and Kellen Moore finds Titus Young who is down inside the 10 calling time out leaving 2 seconds on the clock. Kyle Brotzman comes on for a chip shot field goal and... HE MISSED IT!!! IT GOES JUST RIGHT OF THE POSTS, HE MISSED IT!!! OT comes and the Broncos get it first and are forced to take a Field Goal except BROTZMAN MISSES ANOTHER EASY KICK WIDE LEFT!!! The Wolf Pack get it, attempt a 34 yard kick, and Anthony Martinez makes history kicking the game winning field goal beating #4 Boise State, 34-31. NEVADA WINS, NEVADA WINS!!!

It has happened folks. Little David has beaten Big David. Rocky has been upset by a midget. The Underdog has been bested by a Chihuahua. The BCS Buster has been busted. Nevada has destroyed the National Title hopes of Boise State. The Cinderella of the last 5 years has had their glass slipper shattered. HOW COULD THIS BE?!?! The BCS Buster hopes now fall on TCU who takes on New Mexico tomorrow. The Crazy isn't over yet.

P.S. Even though Nevada fought back to tie, the Broncos had a miracle ending and they blew it. Hopefully, Kellen Moore decides to stay another year for another run.

Jets, Pats, and Saints Win on Thanksgiving

I hope you all had a great Turkey day yesterday. I know I did. I hung out with family, got me some Turkey with stuffing, and then a mouthful of pumpkin pie. Then we hung out and played some... what's that? You're only here for the sports? FINE!!!

Thanksgiving was once again a busy day in football. First the Patriots played the Lions in Detroit making the Lions Thanksgiving day game valid for once. The Lions would put up a good fight just as they always have done this year and even had a tie game at 24 entering the 4th quarter. The Patriots would open up on the Lions in the 4th, however, scoring 3 TDs, 2 of which came from Tom Brady. Brady threw for 341 Yards, 4 TDs, and had a perfect passer rating of 158.3 in this game. Patriots win and Brady has some cobbler, 45-24.

The Next game was the Cowboys hosting their annual Thanksgiving day game in Dallas against the Saints. New Orleans grabbed an early lead, 17-0, thanks to some Dallas tunrovers. It looked like a runaway Saints victory early on but the Cowboys regrouped at half time and managed to get the lead, 27-23, in the 4th Quarter. However, the Saints managed to get the ball back as Roy Williams was stripped by Malcolm Jenkins who ended up with it. Drew Brees would then drive 89 yards and then throw a 12 yard TD pass to Lance Moore with 1:55 to go. Saints would win, 30-27.

The last game featured the Jets taking on the Bengals. Brad Smith was the key man in this game as he ran for a 53 yard TD run in the 3rd and then an 89 yard kick off return for a TD in the 4th. He did that last one while losing a shoe. Jets win beat the overrated Bengals, 26-10.

What a good Thanksgiving day edition of the NFL. Now time for some leftovers.

Someone Turn Up the Heat

The Heat continue to underachieve. They faced the Magic yesterday in Orlando and lost, 104-95. Dwight Howard was impressive with 24 points and 18 rebounds. The Triple Heat have now lost three games in a row and fall to 8-7. As for an Achilles heel, many analysts are citing that they are not a big team. What hurts more is that they lost Udonis Haslem who may be out for the rest of the regular season. Now losing to Orlando is understandable but the two games prior they lost to Memphis by 2 and then Indiana by 16 points. How are they losing to the Pacers by that much? It's just embarrassing. Erik Spoelstra is in the hot seat right now and better get these guys back on a winning streak. If the Heat keep this pace, they will barely be get into the postseason.

Joey Votto and Josh Hamilton Win MVP Honors

The last two significant awards of the 2010 Baseball season were handed out in the past couple of days. The NL had Joey Votto as it's MVP batting a .324 with 37 Home Runs and 113 RBI's. He is in the top three in each of those categories in the NL. The AL named Josh Hamilton as their MVP batting a MLB Best .359 along with 32 Home Runs and a 100 RBI's. Both were highly significant to their team as Votto helped the Reds gets back into the postseason while Hamilton helped the Rangers get to their first World Series. Both players indeed deserve the award as it is likely neither teams would've made the playoffs without them.

P.S. Even though I did indeed call it, this might have been the easiest guess I ever made. They were that important to their teams.

Week 11: Colts Comeback Thwarted, Childress Gets Fired, Eagles Beat the Giants and More

The top two teams in the AFC East had a couple of tough games this week. The Patriots faced their top rival of the past decade, the Indianapolis Colts. The Pats looked to have dominated the game but Peyton Manning lead a comeback in the 4th quarter to get the Colts back within 3. Manning lead the Colts down field and with less than a minute left he threw an INT to James Sanders of the Pats. The kicker is that they were in field goal range and could've tied it. Pats hold on, 31-28. The Jets would also struggle to hold of their opponent, the Texans. Houston managed to scored 20 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to get the lead, 27-23. Miraculously, however, Mark Sanchez made two great throws within the final minute; one to Braylon Edwards to get them with the 10 yard line and then the second to Santonio Holmes for the TD. Jets pull off another late win, 30-27.

As for the unexpectedly bad teams, the Vikings continue to skid as they lost an embarrassing game to the Packers, 31-3. Aaron Rodgers threw 4 TDs while Favre just threw an INT in the loss. This game and the rest of the bad year has resulted in Brad Childress getting fired. Leslie Frazier gets his chance to show his stuff as he has been named the interim head coach for the rest of the season. Another bad team was the Bengals, who had a 31-14 lead at half time and somehow lost to the Buffalo Bills, 49-31. The Bengals are now 2-8 and may have humble T.O. in the process. And then the Cowboys continue to rebound as they beat the Lions, 35-19. Jason Garrett gets another win for Jerry Jones as the Cowboys are now 3-7.

Other games of the week included the Eagles beating the Giants, 27-17. One TD tun for Vick was his only score but he got the win. Chicago shut out Miami on Thursday night, 16-0. Not a very exciting game as the only TD came on a 2 yard run by Matt Forte in the 4th quarter. The Redskins defeated the Titans in OT, 19-16, after Vince Young left the game due to an injured thumb. Young had also apparently threw his jersey and shoulder pads after being booed heading into the locker. Rumors would later circulate that he left before Jeff Fisher addressed the team in the locker room. Last game I'll mention is the Jaguars beating the Browns with a late 1 yard TD run by Maurice Jones-Drew, 24-20. Jacksonville is currently tied atop the AFC South with the Colts at 6-4.

Another coach fired, Manning gets picked late, and Vince Young showing immaturity again. Any bets that Marvin Lewis gets fired next?

The Rapids Win First MLS Cup

I like talking about Soccer occasionally so deal with it. The 2010 MLS Cup came today with the Colorado Rapids facing FC Dallas. Not exactly the match up many Soccer fans were looking for but still an exciting finish. David Arturo Ferreira would score the first goal off a great cross in the 34' to give FC Dallas the lead. In the 2nd Half, Colorado would even things up with a goal by Conor Casey scoring while laying on the ground after a slide attempt. The game would go into Extras and in the 2nd half of Extras Macoumba Kandji of the Rapids would shot a ball from the side and it would hit the knee of George John, a FC Dallas defender, and go into the net. A unfortunate Own Goal. FC Dallas would make a late push to no avail as the Colorado Rapids win their First MLS Cup, 2-1.

Bad luck for FC Dallas and George John. A whole season comes down to that. What a shame. Still, congratulations to Colorado and their title. Great showing for them in Toronto capping off a great season of MLS.

P.S. Has Landon Donovan's popularity died down enough to be transferred permanently? Well find out in January.

Johnson's 5th Straight Title

NASCAR's season ended today with a familiar tune being played once more. Carl Edwards won the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami and he celebrated the victory with his traditional flip while the real winner celebrated by screeching his tires 30 feet away. Jimmie Johnson came in second at the Ford 400 and as a result won his Fifth straight Sprint Cup Title. Johnson became the first racer in the short history of the Chase to overcome a points deficit in the final race to win the Sprint Cup. He would finish 39 points in front of Kevin Harvick and 41 in front of Denny Hamlin. Johnson continues his dominance of NASCAR with a dramatic finish. Congratulations, Jimmie Johnson. Way to make a sport even less significant.

Buckeyes Get By the Hawkeyes, Stanford Wins The Big Game, Nebraska Stumbles Again and More

Not a very exciting week in College Football. #1-3 had the week off leaving Boise State as the highest rank team to play this weekend. They would easily beat Fresno State, 51-0. Kellen Moore threw for 333 yards, 4 TDs and 1 INT. Boise State will play #18 Nevada who just beat New Mexico State, 52-6. The Broncos' last real test of the year comes from within there own conference. Who would've thought that.

As for the rest of the top teams, Ohio State managed to beat Iowa, 20-17, thanks to a late TD by Dan Herron. The Buckeyes manage to stay alive for the Big 10 Title. So does Wisconsin as they beat Michigan, 48-28. The Badgers manage to hold off a rally by the Wolverines and stay in the race. Lastly, the Michigan State Spartans stay with Wisconsin and Ohio State at the top beating Purdue, 35-31. The Spartans late win keeps their BCS Hopes alive.

The Bay Area saw the "Big Game" come by again with it being held in Berkeley. It was no contest for Stanford as they reclaim the Axe, 48-14. Andrew Luck keeps going with 235 passing yards and 2 TD passes along with 72 yards on the ground. A big chunk of that came on a 58 yard run in which Luck took down a defensive player in the process. The upset of the day came when Texas A&M beat Nebraska, 9-6. The Aggies were able to take advantage of this defensive stand and beat the Cornhuskers. Arkansas manages to beat out Mississippi State in double OT, 38-31. Crazy first OT with a fumble and missed field goal somehow leads to Arkansas winning.

Maybe not the best weekend for College Football but the top 2 teams come back next week with big games: #1 Oregon will play against #22 Arizona and #2 Auburn will face #11 Alabama. Last call for an upset?

More Baseball?

The baseball playoffs already feel like an eternity with 8 teams and three rounds of baseball. Now Bud Selig wants more. Talks have begun to start going to a 10 team playoff format with a extra Wild Card Team by 2012 at the earliest. The Wild Card Teams would face each other in the first round to determine who goes on to the Divisional Round. It's basically a extra round to determine something that is already determined. This sounds a bit redundant. I would gladly approve of more playoff teams but on one condition: IF THERE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE BASEBALL TEAMS. More franchises should be the only reason a league would want to expand the postseason of any sport.

P.S. Besides, they do need fix something already in the postseason: they need go back to ending the World Series in October again.

King Felix and Doc Halladay Win Cy Youngs and the Managers of the Year

The Cy Young Award winners for the 2010 MLB Season were announced today with Roy Halladay and Felix Hernandez winning the awards. Roy Halladay had a 21-10 record with a 2.44 ERA and 219 K's. He tied for a MLB best 21 Wins with CC Sabathia. Felix Hernandez didn't win the AL Cy Young based on wins (13-12 record) but on his MLB leading 2.27 ERA and being 2nd in the Majors in K's with 232. This is the lowest amount of wins any starting pitcher has winning the Cy Young Award. I think Felix deserved this as the award was about the most dominant pitching in the league and even though Felix was not on a good team like the Yankees or the Phillies, he showed he wasn't the reason for that. The Mariners just need some better bats to get King Felix past 15 wins again.

I do have a beef with the manager of the year awards as Ron Gardenhire and Bud Black have them for their respective leagues. Gardenhire's award was all right but Bud Black didn't deserve this honor. True he led the Padres through a magnificent season but they had a horrible last stretch and lost the division and a playoff spot to the now World Champion, San Francisco Giants. Bruce Bochy or Dusty Baker deserved this award more.

The MVP awards are the only thing left. Josh Hamilton looks like a lock for the AL while Joey Vatto might edge out the defending NL MVP, Albert Pujols, because his team actually went to the playoffs. Announcements for the MVP Awards are next week.

Oden Out Again?

Greg Oden has played in the NBA for 2 seasons technically and has been marred by injuries. He even had to a wait a year to play his first NBA Game because of a knee injury. Oden was also hurt for most of last season. Unfortunately, this trend has changed as Greg Oden will miss the rest of the 2010/11 season to have microfracture surgery on his left knee. I'm sorry but don't you need to play at least one game to miss the rest of the season? I really feel sorry for Greg Oden as he had three season ending injuries already. Is he made of glass? For Oden, the injuries keep on coming and his time to shine is almost gone.

P.S. At least the surgeons are well employed.

Is McNabb Still Worth It?

When the Redskins got Donovan McNabb from the Eagles, they thought they were getting a top level QB to lead them to the playoffs. That hasn't exactly come to pass. McNabb has been only okay throughout the season with a 75.2 passer rating, he's only thrown for 2 or more TDs once (just last night), he was benched in he end of the Lions game, and he was trounced by his former team at home. Despite all of this, McNabb has been signed to a 5 year, $78 Million extension, though signed before last night's game. With details of this contract made known and the fact that Shanahan has benched him once, is McNabb still a top QB in the league? To be fair, McNabb doesn't have the WR's he had back in Philly. And it's his and the teams first year under Mike Shanahan. But right now he doesn't deserve this contract extension. He hasn't done enough to earn it yet. He still deserves a chance considering what he has done in the past but this should've been held off till the end of year.

P.S. Perhaps this was a move to satisfy an behind the scenes angry McNabb.

Week 10: Atlanta Bests the Ravens, Brady Spurs the Pats to Victory, A Couple of Last Minute Wins and More

Week 10 started off on Thursday night with the Ravens playing the Falcons in Atlanta. The Falcons dominated this game wearing down that Ravens defense and holding back Joe Flacco. Flacco wouldn't be held down forever, though, as he threw 2 TD passes in the 4th Quarter to grab the lead for the Ravens, 21-20, with only 1:05 to go. That proved to be enough time for Matt Ryan as he made a quick drive down the field and scored a TD pass to Roddy White with 20 seconds left in regulation. The Falcons would fail at the two point conversion but win the game, 26-21. Matt Ryan's 3 TD passes and 316 Passing Yards helped get Atlanta a win over the Ravens.

On Sunday Night Football, the Patriots went into Heinz Field to take on the Steelers. Tom Brady would get his team fired up to win the game, 39-26. Brady had 3 TD passes, all to Rob Gronkowski. Brady also had a TD on the ground. Speaking of firing up a team, the Cowboys took on the Giants with the Interim Head Coach, Jason Garrett. This team was ready to play and eventually put down the Giants, 33-20. Wade Phillips must be pretty confused right now. Another notable debut was Randy Moss making his Titans debut and third team debut this season. Miami, though, crushed that event as the Dolphins beat the Titans, 29-17. Though the Dolphins lose another QB, they win their first home game of the season. As for Moss, he had only one catch for 26 Yards.

Sunday though had some other late finishers with one being the Jaguars beating the Texans on the last play thanks to a Hail Mary, 31-24. Mike Thomas of the Jags caught the knocked pass seemingly surprised and then stepped into the End Zone as time expired. A Hail Mary has to work once in a while. Another win came in OT in the Jets-Browns game. With less than a half minute left in OT, Mark Sanchez threw a slant route to Santonio Holmes who managed to break away for a game winning 37 Yard TD, 26-20. The Browns played hard but not hard enough to beat the Jets.

Other notable games included the Eagles destroying the Redskins, 59-28. Vick had a total of 413 Yards and 6 TDs. Sucks to be Kolb. The Buffalo Bills finally get a win holding off the late surging Lions, 14-12. No team should ever have to go winless through the season... except the Lions. Way to stay special, Detroit. And of course Favre and the Vikings lost to the Bears, 27-13, falling to 3-6. Looks like the Vikings may be out of playoff contention for good.

Good showing for Falcons, Pats, and Eagles this week. Disappointment once again for the Vikings, Texans, and Bills.

P.S. The Bills are risking their #1 Draft Pick to Carolina. Not a smart move.

Posey and Feliz Win "Rookie of the Year" Honors

The first of the 2010 MLB Awards are being handed out and the Rookie of the Year Awards go first. Both of the rookies had a big thing in common, they both played in this year's World Series. The NL Rookie of the Year is Buster Posey with his .305 Batting Avg., 18 HRs, and 67 RBI's. Posey has been a great catcher for the Giants during the year and has shown his talent in the postseason as well. The AL Rookie of the Year is Neftali Feliz. Feliz had 40 Saves during the season, a rookie record, with a 2.73 ERA. Feliz became a great closer for the Rangers and helped them get to the World Series. Congratulations to both rookies. They've started their careers out very well.

P.S. Who called it in the NL?

49ers Survive the Rams and the Penalties

The 49ers played their NFC West rivals, the St. Louis Rams. With the season hanging by a thread, the 49ers played to kept it alive. There was one constant for them in this game: Penalties. They committed 14 penalties in which three of them took away TDs they would've scored. Still the 49ers hang in the game. On a tough drive, Troy Smith lead the red and gold for a TD pass to Michael Crabtree with 2:10 to go in regulation. That would give the Rams just enough time to drive down the field and kick a Field Goal to send it into OT. The 49ers defense forced the Rams to punt after St. Louis won the toss. The 49ers manage to then get into field goal range for Joe Nedney to win the game, 23-20.

Troy Smith impressed many with his composure through the penalties and the obstacles, perhaps winning the role of starting QB for good. I certainly hope so. I'm also proud of our defense keeping us in scoring range. They still have a miracle to go but it's a start.

Top 2 Survive, #3 and #4 Just Fine, How About Them Badgers and More

Big games for the top two teams in the country this weekend. #1 Oregon had a hard fought game against Cal. You have to give credit to Cal holding Oregon to 317 total yards and holding LaMichael James to under a 100 Rushing Yards. It turned out to be all about defense in this one and also a missed Cal field goal due to a false start by their own kicker in the previous attempt. Oregon wins this low scoring game, 15-13. As for #2 Auburn, they played against Georgia with their possibly scandalous QB, Cam Newton. Newton was able to ignore the bad press and had a great ballgame. He threw for 148 Yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT and ran for 151 Yards 2 TDs. Georgia kept it close but Auburn eventually got the win in the 4th Quarter, 49-31. Oregon and Auburn likely to stay as the top 2 teams in the country.

What about the BCS Busters TCU and Boise State? #3 TCU manage to get the win over San Diego State, 40-35. The Aztecs grabbed an early lead but the Horned Frogs came right back, scored a bunch, and then held off a comeback. As for #4 Boise State, they take out instate rivals, Idaho, with ease, 52-14. The Broncos keep right behind TCU. It's likely these two will remain at their respective rankings.

A big scoring headline was grabbed with #7 Wisconsin beating Indiana, 83-20. The Badgers scored 11 TDs in this game with 6 of those coming on the ground. They ran the ball for 338 yards. Rose Bowl hopes are kept alive for the Badgers. As for Buckeyes, they beat Penn State, 38-14. Ohio State stays behind the Badgers, however, as they lost to Wisconsin earlier in the season. In the SEC, South Carolina beats Florida 36-14 to clinch the SEC East. They will face Auburn in the SEC Title Game.

Oregon and Auburn still not a lock for a National Title Game yet. The Ducks still have to beat Arizona and Oregon State and Auburn needs to beat Alabama and then win the SEC Title Game. As for TCU and Boise State, there chances are running out.

Show the Love

An impressive individual feat was achieved in the NBA tonight in the Knicks-Twolves games. Kevin Love managed to score 31 points and 31 rebounds. No one in the NBA has been able to score at least 30 points and get 30 rebounds in 28 years. Of those rebounds, 12 of them were offensive rebounds. Great job for Love and the Twolves get the win, 112-103. As of now, Love leads the NBA with rebounds per game at 14.6 per game. Lets see Dwight Howard follow that performance.

Old Three Beats New Three... Again

Ah, what can be more fun than basketball that is actually unexpected. The Miami Heat faced the Boston Celtics for the second time this season. The Triple Heat wanted some redemption after losing their season opener to the Celtics. They would not get that redemption as the Celtics beat Miami again, this time in Miami, 112-107. Lebron had 35 Points but Bosh had only 15 and Wade only posted 8. Perhaps they need a couple more live balls on the court to win. A sad showing for the Heat as they lose a second straight game at home. How do you lose a 22 point lead to the Jazz? Whatever their problem is, they are 5-4 and need a new game plan. Or a 4th Horseman. At least they don't face the Celtics again until February.

P.S. They also need to stop playing those narcissistic ads of LeBron asking everyone "What Should I Do?" I got an idea, WIN SOME DAMN GAMES!!!

A Pick Up All Star Game

Given that many All Star Games are not really conceived as important, the NHL is doing something about theirs. The NHL has announced that they will get rid of the East vs. West match up in favor of two designated captains picking between a group of All Stars picked by the fans. It's basically school yard pick up game if you live in the frozen north. I'll give the NHL an "A" for effort but the move is questionable. Any kid growing up knows the pressure of not being picked last or "taken" last. Everyone knows the athletic and the popular kids go first followed by the average Jacks then lastly, if they have to, the nerds, the ill coordinated, and the fat kids. Why not bring that embarrassing part of life to the professional level. At least we get to see who the dorks are in the NHL.

P.S. Guess which one of the last three kids I was? That's right, all of them.

Week 9: Vick Outduels Manning, Favre Leads a Comeback, Cardinals Beat the Patriots and More

The return of the injured Michael Vick was one of the big stories of the week as he had to lead the Eagles against the Colts. Vick did a good job as he threw for 218 Yards and 1 TD while running for 74 Yards and 1 TD. Meanwhile, Peyton Manning had a hard time finding anyone to pass to considering all the injuries around him. He would throw for 294 Yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs. The Eagles would manage to win the game and prevent a Manning Comeback, 26-24. Vick shows he's not rusty from his recovery time and has probably earned back the starting QB position.

There were quite a few comebacks this week as Brett Favre managed to pull off one of them. The Vikings were down 24-10 in the 4th Quarter when Favre lead them back. First was a 4 Yard TD run by Adrian Peterson and then a Favre TD Pass to Visanthe Shiancoe with less than 30 seconds in regulation. The Vikings would then win it in OT with a Ryan Longwell Field Goal, 27-24. Other comebacks included Mark Sanchez leading the Jets back from a 20-10 deficit against the Lions in the 4th Quarter to win it in OT, 23-20. Also the Raiders made a comeback of 10-0 at halftime to beat the Chiefs in OT, 23-20.

A surprise outcome appeared in Cleveland as the Browns beat down the Patriots, 34-17. Peyton Hillis ran it down the Pats defensive throats for 184 yards and 2 TDs. The Browns have now beaten the Patriots and the Saints in back to back games (had a bye week in the middle). As for the Saints, they tamed the Panthers, 34-3, in Charlotte. The Saints keep a half game behind the leader of the NFC South. Who is that anyway? It's the Falcons. Atlanta beats the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 27-21 to gain sole possession of first place in the NFC South. Not a bad game from the Bucs but the Falcons are just better.

Week 8 concludes with a Vick return and a few impressive comebacks. Perhaps the most notable news of the week, however, is Wade Phillips getting fired from Dallas. Some other coaches may be near the firing block like Brad Childress or Mike Singletary. Who will have a job after Week 10? Winners, that's who.

Wade Phillips, YOU'RE FIRED!!!

We knew it was coming for a while now since the team was just that bad. Last Night, they lost to the Packers, 45-7. In all fairness, they didn't have Romo but even with Romo they were losing games and would've probably lost that game. Jerry Jones had said he would stick with Phillips through the season. Maybe he meant the baseball season because Jerry Jones just fired him. The Offensive Coordinator, Jason Garrett, will take over as Head Coach for the remainder of the season.

Though I don't like it when a coach or manager gets fired mid season, this seemed to be a different case. This team had been expected to win the NFC East and possibly host the Super Bowl. They now stand at 1-7 with their year virtually over. Jerry Jones no doubt just wants the embarrassment of this so called "talented team" to end. As a PR move and a move to try to get this team's head straight, it had to be done.

As for Jason Garrett, this your audition for the part of Head Coach. Don't miss your lines.

Wins for #1 and #2, TCU Takes Out Utah, JoePa's 400th Win and More

A couple of more tests for the top two teams in the country as #1 Oregon faced Washington and #2 Auburn played against Chattanooga. The Huskies stumped the Oregon Ducks for a while as scoring in this game didn't start until the 2nd Quarter. Oregon eventually cracked the Huskies as they didn't give up on the running game. LaMichael James ran for 121 Yards and 3 TDs and QB Darron Thomas ran for 89 Yards and 2 TDs while also throwing for 243 Yards and 1 TD. Ducks prevail, 53-16. As for Auburn, they won their game from the start. They scored 27 1st Quarter points. 5 total rushing TDs and 4 Passing TDs from Cam Newton did in the Mocs, 62-24. These two will likely stay atop the BCS.

As for the BCS Busters, #3 TCU went to Salt Lake City to take on #5 Utah in a de facto MWC Title Game. The Horned Frogs didn't give Utah a chance as they won it, 47-7. Andy Dalton leads the team onward with 355 Passing Yards and 3 Passing TDs. Looks like Utah will have to settle for a lesser bowl game. As for the other BCS Buster, Boise State takes out another WAC opponent, this one being Hawaii, 42-7. Pass Happy Kellen Moore threw for 507 Yards, 3 TDs, and 2 INTs in the Broncos victory. Pity they are still behind TCU in the polls despite beating them in last year's Fiesta Bowl. WTF?!?!

As for a career moment, Joe Paterno gets his 400th career victory being the first College Football Coach to break that barrier. Despite being down 21-0, the Nittany Lions came back and won it, 35-21. Though a disappointing season, a great moment for JoePa and Penn State.

As for other notable games, LSU holds off Alabama, 24-21. This loss likely knocks out Alabama from the National Title discussion for good and might give new life to LSU down the stretch. Texas A&M upsets #8 Oklahoma, 33-19, ending their National Title hopes as well. Good for the Aggies as they are now 6-3. Stanford crushes Arizona in a Pac-10 showdown, 42-17. Stanford barely keeps their Rose Bowl hopes alive as they trail the Ducks. And Nebraska survives a game against Iowa State, 31-30 as the Cyclones failed to convert a game ending 2 point conversion in OT. It is possible that the Cornhuskers might go up to #5.

Another week passes as the BCS Busting teams still look to take one of the top 2 spots from Oregon or Auburn. Oregon still has 3 games including Arizona while Auburn has 2 games left including their last regular season game against Alabama. Will these teams both survive?

P.S. SERIOUSLY, WHAT THE f**K?

ENOUGH WITH THE FINES!!!

I have lost count with the number of fines that have been handed out from Roger Goodell and his office but it has been too much. Lately, two Patriots have been fined for their hits on Favre this last weekend in which one busted open his chin. The amounts are small (only $7,500) and one of the hits was flagged for roughing the passer but the one that actually busted open Favre's chin was a clean hit. Yet Roger Goodell fines him. I'm starting to agree with Troy Polamalu: Why doesn't the NFL consult more than one branch or individual about this hits? Why not have a panel of ex-NFL Players that judge whether a hit is too violent or not? Goodell is not fully qualified in making these decisions and, if this was a government, he would be considered a tyrant.

Then again this issue might be smoke and mirrors with the true story looming in the NFL: the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. What if this set of fines is aimed as a jab at the players for when negotiations heat up closer to the deadline? Perhaps it is a problem created by Goodell so that he can use it as a concession instead of something else. WHY IS NOBODY MENTIONING THIS? Then again, this is pure speculation and conspiracy theory but I wouldn't be surprise if it comes up in the CBA talks. As for right now, FU ROGER GOODELL!!!

P.S. POLAMALU FOR COMMISSIONER 2012.

A Spark Goes Out

As the baseball season had just ended, one of the game's great managers would pass away. George "Sparky" Anderson died yesterday at the age of 76 just after being put into a hospice care facility. Sparky Anderson is remembered as the manager of the Reds during the Big Red Machine Era, winning two World Series Titles for the team. Anderson would later join the Tigers organization and eventually win a World Series Title for them. He would be one of two managers (other is Tony La Russa) in the history of MLB to have a World Series Title with a team in each league. Anderson had a career total of 2194 career wins as a manager which is 6th most in history. The baseball world mourns the passing of a legend and remembers the good times that once were. Rest in peace, Sparky Anderson. We won't forget you or your love for the game.

Moss to Titans and Merriman to Bills

Big day for the waiver train as two stars of the NFL find new homes. First, Randy Moss was claimed by the Tennessee Titans. The Titans, who are currently 5-3, look to use Moss to improve their passing game and, in turn, help the rushing attack of Chris Johnson... that is if Moss wants to really play for them and not be an effortless jerk. This will be Moss' third team this year alone. The second major claim was of Shawn Merriman who has been claimed by the winless Buffalo Bills. The Bills are serious about winning a game this year and will have more luck winning with Merriman. The only problem is that Merriman has been prone to injuries for the last few seasons and it might be a bad investment if Merriman falls to injury once more.

Questionable moves on two fronts as Jeff Fisher looks to handle Randy Moss and the Bills hope to keep Shawn Merriman healthy. What is more likely to happen? Neither of course.

Baseball 2010: What We Learned This Year

The 2010 MLB Season wraps up with the Giants winning the World Series which is great for baseball seeing a seemingly less dominant or underrated team take it all. This postseason and year really spoke to one overall theme: the Year of the Pitcher. There was 6 no hitters, one of which was in the postseason, and Two Perfect Games. The Giants dominant pitching lead this team into the postseason and to a World Series Title. Perhaps teams in the future will develop young pitchers more rather than give up hope on them and trade them away. The fact the Giants also won it with bits and pieces may cause teams to think about accumulating good players. Not great, but good. I doubt these tactics will change the ways of the larger market teams like the Yankees or the Phillies but it could help the smaller market ones.

Of course baseball can always move to improve itself. Why not take a look at expanding Instant Replay or maybe having test runs with it in the preseason? All the bad calls this year, the most notable being the Imperfect Game, must put pressure on MLB to do something. It may not happen by next season but I can feel it happening in the next few years. As for the other issue I care so deeply about, a Salary Cap possibility may have taken a step back. The fact that the Giants have won the World Series and the success of other teams that have less than a $100 million payrolls to start the season may have hurt the issue further as Bud Selig can say that not every team who spends a lot gets to the playoffs or even the World Series. Texas and San Francisco both started off the season under the $100 Million mark.

Then there is the looming free agency period ahead and to see who goes where. The biggest Free Agent this off season is Cliff Lee as he will be actively pursued by the Yankees and other large market teams. Texas will no doubt contend to keep their star pitcher but Nolan Ryan may be outmatched by the Steinbrenners. Another free agent to keep an eye is Derek Jeter. Will the Yankees keep paying him that high salary? Will they ask for a pay cut? Or will they simply look for a new Shortstop considering Jeter is 36? It's unlikely that Jeter will be a shortstop for much longer and may be asked to give it up if he stays with the Yankees.

A great season nonetheless but still room for improvement. All that's left to do is to hand out the rest of the individual awards. Buster Posey has to win NL Rookie of the Year, right?

P.S. We also need instant replay to make sure Derek Jeter isn't faking anymore "Hit by Pitch" calls. BURN!!!

Week 8: Favre Hit Hard, Saints Get By the Steelers, Shanahan's Two Minute Failure and More

A question mark for the week was whether or not Brett Favre would start and keep his consecutive starts streak alive. He would start and lead the Vikings into the hostile territory of Gillette Stadium. Though Favre did perform well, it was not good enough for the win as the Patriots won it, 28-18. In fact, Favre would leave the game in the 4th Quarter after a hit to the jaw by Myron Pryor (started as a clean hit). He would get 10 stitches under the jaw but would be well enough to answer questions after the game. Well or not, the Vikings are still struggling as they are now 2-5. Meanwhile, the Patriots have the best record in the league at 6-1.

As for the defending champs, the Saints took on the previous champs, the Steelers, at New Orleans. Drew Brees and the Saints would regain some of their composure and beat the strong Steelers' defense, 20-10. Brees threw 2 TDs, both in the 4th Quarter, to help get them the win. Meanwhile, their NFC South Rivals, Tampa Bay, barely got by the Arizona Cardinals, 38-35. The Cardinals actually made a comeback to take the lead but the Bucs manage to score a TD with a 1 yard score by LeGarrette Blount with just over 5 minutes to go. The last place team in the NFC South, the Panthers, lose again, this time to the Rams. Sam Bradford threw 2 TDs and no INTs in this game as he seems to be this year's "rookie that leads a team into the playoffs."

A controversial move that has been talked about non stop is the QB exchange near the end of the Redskins-Lions game. Being down by 6 with less than 2 minutes to go and with no Time Outs, Shanahan pulled McNabb and put in Rex Grossman later saying that Grossman was more prepared to run the two minute offense than McNabb. How did that work out? Grossman immediately fumbled the ball and Ndamukong Suh picked it up and ran in for the put away TD. Lions beat the Redskins, 37-25. Possibly Shanahan's worst move ever but perhaps aimed to get some respect in the locker room. It's seems he may have lost some, though, with his team and the fans.

Other games of the week include the Chiefs edging out the winless Bills in OT, 13-10. The Chiefs scored the game winning field as time expired in OT. Cutting it really close there. The Jets got shut out by the Packers in a close game, 9-0. No TDs for either side in this game but the offense of the Jets was out of sync as Sanchez threw 2 INTs. The Colts get some revenge over the Texans beating them, 30-17. Manning threw 2 TDs in their first divisional win of the year.

Of course the week ends with us talking about Shanahan's move and Moss being put on waivers. Is this "bad move week" or something?

GIANTS WIN FIRST WORLD SERIES IN SAN FRANCISCO!!!

Game 5 of the World Series was the pitchers duel everyone wanted back in Game 1. Tim Lincecum and Cliff Lee were on tonight making the hitters feel silly. The 7th inning, however, is where both had some trouble, Lee more than Timmy. Lee got in trouble allowing two hits by Cody Ross and Juan Uribe and then a sac bunt by Aubrey Huff to move the runners over. Pat Burell would strike out next leaving Edgar Renteria to try to bring the runners home with 2 outs. He would get them home and himself as he hit a 3-run Home Run to left center field. Lincecum would unravel a bit in the bottom of the 7th with Nelson Cruz Home Run but he regained his composure and managed to get through that inning and the 8th. "Fear the Beard" Brian Wilson would then be called out for the 9th and he closed the Rangers down striking out Nelson Cruz to win the game, 3-1, and the Series, 4-1. THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS ARE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!!!

What joy for this franchise as this is their first World Series Title since 1954. Perhaps this is a bigger deal for the city itself as it is the first World Series title for San Francisco. They didn't do it with big names like Willie Mays and Barry Bonds. They did it with bits and pieces and "Misfits." Tim Lincecum was one of the stars tonight with 8 strong innings allowing one run and striking out 10. The other star and now World Series MVP was Edgar Renteria, who already had the series winning hit of the 1997 World Series for the Marlins and now made the series winning 3-run Home Run for the Giants.

This team has had a great story to it all year long with it's individual players: The development of that pitching rotation over the years, the rookies of Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner, Aubrey Huff almost not finding a team to play for, Pat Burrell being released by the Rays and then signed by the Giants, Cody Ross not arriving till August, the "Fear the Beard" crowd of Wilson and the Bullpen... all great stories about a bunch of individuals who made a whole championship team. These San Francisco Giants have proven that you don't always need the big names like A-Rod or Hamilton, you just need great pitching/player development, some seemingly minor though key transactions, and a little bit of luck. Congratulations to your 2010 World Series Champions: The San Francisco Giants.

Moss Finished in Minnesota... Again

The reunion tour of Randy Moss and the Minnesota Vikings is over. After only 3 games back with his original team, Moss has been put on waivers. He will go through the waiver process and could be claimed by another team or just let go. Either way, he is done with Minnesota. Why did the Vikings even trade a third round pick for him in the first place? Also, why are they letting him go after only 3 games? It could be his attitude and that they remembered he can be hard to deal with. It's possible that he didn't Brad Childress. Then again, it might've been his low productive numbers even though he was still a viable threat on the field and had to be covered well. Either way, he is gone from the Vikings and his fate up in the air.

P.S. Could he actually go back to the Patriots? Not Likely but that would be weird.