NFL Playoff Race

NFC
1-Bears [8-1]*
2-Seahawks [6-3]*
3-Saints [6-3]*
4-Giants [6-3]*
5-Eagles [5-4]
6-Falcons [5-4]

AFC
1-Colts [9-0]*
2-Broncos [7-2]*
3-Ravens [7-2]*
4-Patriots [6-3]*
5-Chargers [7-2]
6-Jets [5-4]

Sportz College Football Bracketology

                                                    

I grew up on Mr Rogers....so I'm going to live in the land of make believe right now.  Like Joe Lunardi does on ESPN's college hoops, I'm doing the same for football.  Yeah, I know that there isn't a playoff in college football...but who cares!  In my mind, there is.  And here is my bracketology.  It's based on a 12-team format where the 6 BCS conference champions get in....at least 1 team from the non-BCS conferences...and 5 at large bids.  The lower seed plays at home. 

1-Ohio State* vs winner of....
8-West Virginia vs 9-Wisconsin

Right now, Ohio State is the top seed in this tournament...and should stay with a first round bye even with a loss to Michigan.  Wisconsin should be safely in the tournament by dodging Ohio State.  West Virginia could move up by beating Rutgers in a few weeks. 

4-Florida* vs winner of....
5-Notre Dame vs 12-Wake Forest*

Florida could move up to a #2 or #3 seed with an SEC title, a USC loss and the Michigan/Ohio State loss.  Notre Dame gets USC later and could move up to a bye.  Wake Forest represent the ACC Champ, who should be a #11 or #12 seed. 

3-USC* vs winner of...
6-Rutgers* vs 11-Boise State*

You would think that USC will move up to one of the top two seeds with by winning out.  Rutgers is the most intriguing team in this tournament.  They are undefeated with a couple of big games coming up.  Again, Boise State gets in by way of the top non-BCS squad. 

2-Michigan vs winner of....
7-Arkansas vs 10-Texas*

Michigan are a win over Ohio State from being the #1 seed....which could be big.  Arkansas is the school no one is talking about but should scare everyone.  The thing is that the Razorback probably won't sit in this spot.  They will either win out, be the SEC champ and move up to maybe a bye....or drop out of this entirely with a loss or two.  Texas will slide in with a Big XII title and play in an interesting rematch of former SWC teams. 

Okay....Now It Is Over

EAGLES 27-REDSKINS 3 [Sportz 1-0 this week;  77-51 this season]:  When it rains, it pour.  In a downpour in Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field, the Redskins season...for all purposes....ended.  The Redskins lost to the Eagles 27-3 in a game dominated by big plays from Philly, nothing of note from Washington, a big injury and rain.  It started off bad with Donte Stallworth catching an 84-yd TD pass against a confused Redskins secondary.  Then, Clinton Portis breaks his hand and is knocked out of the game.  Then a pass caught by Reggie Brown that flips in the air and brought down by Corel Buckhalter who runs the rest of the way for a TD.  That play was worth 57 yards.  And then with the Redskins driving....an interception returned for a TD....that was worth 70 yds.  In between all of that was a bunch of big men rolling around in the mud and neither QB doing much of anything.  I am one of the very few Redskins fans who stuck with Mark Brunell thru the bad times...and if we were still in it I'd want him in there.  But the season is over...and the Jason Campbell Era needs to begin now. 

COWBOYS 27-CARDINALS 10 [Sportz 2-0;  78-51]:  Dallas romps the Cards....whee.  Just another game in the "we're great/we're exploding" week to week drama in Big D.  Oh, and there was the classic "fake spike" that didn't work here. 

BEARS 38-GIANTS 20 [Sportz 3-0, 79-51]:  The big game of the NFC did two things.  One, it moved the Bears to a 2-game lead in the NFC race with a tiebreaker over both the Giants and Seahawks....and it put the Giants back to the pack in the NFC.

PACKERS 23-VIKINGS 17 [Sportz 3-1; 79-52]:  Whoa, Brett Favre went off in the Metrodome.  And another don't look now, but the Packers and Vikes are tied for the top of the Bears Division doormat.  Plus, the Mighty Vikings that were a darling early in the year are falling back into their place.

NINERS 19-LIONS 13 [Sportz 3-2;  79-53]:  This game perplexes me.  I am one of those people that feels that Detroit is a decent team but has gotten some back breaks.  But you don't lose at home to San Francisco.  You don't do that.  The Lions are 2-9 and are fighting for the top pick in the draft again.  On the other end, the Niners are 4-5???? 

SEAHAWKS 24-RAMS 22 [Sportz 4-2; 80-53]:  Ya know, there are teams that whine "well, we have had injuries, that's why we've been playing bad."  Seattle has lost Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander and have still stayed afloat with Seneca Wallace and Maurice Morris carrying the load.  Great coaching job by Mike Holmgren, too.

BROWNS 17-FALCONS 13 [Sports 4-3;  80-54]:  All those Vick For MVP people can step back a little.  Cleveland...yeah, Cleveland....went into the Georgia Dome and did in Atlanta.  Atlanta is suddenly falling in the playoff race.

STEELERS 38-SAINTS 31 [Sportz 5-3;  81-54]:  Big Ben did his thing...but this time didn't turn the ball over.  Fast Willie Parker had a huge game, the defense held together just enough and the AFC is, again, imposing it's will on the NFC. 

CHARGERS 49-BENGALS 41 [Sportz 6-3;  82-54]:  Okay Bengals fans....now what?  This was like watching two completely different games.  The Bengals were lights out in the first half, getting Chad Johnson and Rudi Johnson involved in a 28-7 halftime lead.  But the 2nd half was all San Diego.  The Bolts outscored the Bengals 42-13 and watched as LaDainian Tomlinson bust up 4 TD runs...and nearly a 5th.  Cincy has now fallen to three games back of the Ravens in the AFC North and out of the playoff picture.  They've lost 4 straight games and 5 of 6....and are just 2-3 in "The Jungle".

RAVENS 27-TITANS 26 [Sportz 7-3;  83-54]:  Steve McNair goes back to Nashville for the first time as the opponent and looked really good.  Really good as he led B-more back for a win that put them 3 games up in the AFC North. 

COLTS 17-BILLS 16 [Sportz 8-3;  84-54]:  This is typical Indy.  Win big in the big games....and then eek out wins over the bottom of the league.

DOLPHINS 13-CHIEFS 10 [Sportz 8-4; 84-55]:  Well, now this Damon Huard/Trent Green QB controversy has more legs. 

                    

JETS 17-PATRIOTS 14 [Sportz 8-5;  84-56]:  Um...is this true?  The Jets are just a game back of the Patriots for the AFC East lead??  Is that right??  How??  By the way...this was Game 1 of the "fake spike" play that I saw on Sunday....and it didn't work here either.  Oh, and nice class there Bill Belechik by showing no respect to Eric Mangini. 

TEXANS 13-JAGUARS 10 [Sportz 8-6;  84-57]:  When you get beaten twice by Houston, that should be automatic elimination from the playoffs.   Also, Byron Leftwich is looking a bit better to you now, eh Jags fans???  This makes two out of three weeks that David Garrard looked like crap...and they didn't win this one. 

BRONCOS 17-RAIDERS 13 [Sportz 9-6;  85-57]:  Well, Denver won this game.  

The BCS Gets Murkier....and Clearer At The Same Time

      

What a week, eh?

Two days after having one of the most interesting subplots to the BCS wiped out....three more of the Championship hopefuls bit the dust in spectacular fashion.

THE LOSERS

First off, Louisville was beaten by Rutgers.  For the most part, Louisville is done from the National Championship picture. 

The same can be said for California, Texas and Auburn.  All three teams lost to unranked foes...with Auburn losing at home to a team that Kentucky slammed last week. 

These losses means that four of the top 8 in the BCS lost this weekend.  Cal, Texas and Auburn now have two losses and are pretty much eliminated from any chance at a title. 

THE WINNERS

With the loss of several 1-loss teams, Rutgers' shot at a BCS Championship looks a bit more realistic.  A long shot....but realistic.  More must happen for Rutgers to be a legit candidate....but that actually could happen.  More on this in a bit. 

Florida is a winner by barely beating South Carolina.  The Gators aren't exactly looking like world beaters right now and are right for the plucking.  But they could/should be the #3 ranked team in the BCS by this time tomorrow and would have the inside track to the title. 

USC should jump back into the title race just one week after losing to Oregon State.  If the Trojans win out, they will have beaten a couple of teams that were in the title race when Saturday started.  Another team that lost last week, West Virginia, may be in the thick of the race now. 

Notre Dameis now right in the thick of the race and could be in thetitle game if they run out the schedule.  Remember, their lone loss is to Michigan, who could be the #1 team in the land in a week.  Unlikely Arkansas is right in there too, with only a season opening loss to USC as their blemish.  Does Wisconsin have any shot to get in???  They have just one loss too...and that was to Michigan. 

Another winner is the, uh, loser of the Ohio State-Michigan game.  Whomever wins that game will be in the National Championship game.  The loser, however, has a good shot at the other spot if the voters [and computers] show them some love.

HOW THIS COULD SHAKE OUT

Of course, all this could come crashing down.  If I was a betting man, I'd say that we'll see Ohio State-Michigan for the BCS Championship in January.  I really believe that.  As I said before, one of them will be in the game after their meeting on Saturday.  The other team will have just one loss....to the team playing for the title.  The only other schools that can say that are Notre Dame and Wisconsin...and that is if Michigan wins this Saturday. 

Next in line is Florida.  The Gators have an impressive resume if they do run out the table.  They will have beaten Tennessee, LSU, Kentucky, Alabama and Georgia...who all will be in bowls....plus South Carolina and whomever they face in the SEC Championship.  They do have to go to Florida State [not a great team, but a rival] and then get Arkansas/LSU in the SEC Championship game.  They could lose either game...or both.

So, next in line is USC.  Despite not being the dominant Trojan team we all loved in the past....this season's team isn't that bad.  If they win out, they will have beaten Arkansas, Notre Dame, Cal, Nebraska and Oregon.  But, Cal and Notre Dame aren't in the bank....both are on deck.  A loss to either one would kill their chances.

That means that Notre Dame is still in the thick of the race.  They need a lot to fall their way, but a win at USC would really put them on the map for the title. Again, their lone loss is to Michigan.

If all these guys lose, then Arkansas has a good chance to get in.  They would've beaten Auburn, Tennessee, LSU and [most likely] Florida and own a 12-game winning streak heading into bowl season.  I don't think either Louisville, Wisconsin or West Virginia have a chance to get in because their 1-loss seasons aren't better than anything the Ohio State-Michigan loser can boast. 

Then there is Rutgers.  If Rutgers beats West Virginia and runs the table...they will be one of three undefeated teams [most likley Boise State will be shut out of National Championship contention].  But, if Arkansas loses to LSU....and then either one of those teams beats Florida in the SEC Championship game....Cal beats USC and then USC beats Notre Dame...then Rutgers could jump up into that conversation with the loser of the Buckeyes/Wolverine tilt for a title shot. 

Weird, eh?

Not when you accept the fact that we could have a 2nd Ohio State-Michigan game in Glendale, AZ to decide the National Champion.  And, for the 2nd time, the BCS title game will feature a team that didn't win it's conference championship.

PLAYOFF!!!

What Happened To Sports??

Bill Simmons of ESPN.com has wrote a very entertaining article [What happened to sports?].  I don't always agree with Simmons and sometimes find his articles whiny....but other times I really dig what he's saying.

Here is his lastest take on the Weird Weird World of Sports right now.  A sports world that is seemingly turning upside down:

------------------------------------------------------------

WHAT HAPPENED TO SPORTS???

The defending Super Bowl champs are 2-6.

Emmitt Smith is one of the two celebrity finalists remaining on "Dancing with the Stars."

Our reigning World Series champion is an 83-win team featuring Jeff Suppan and Jeff Weaver as its Nos. 2 and 3 starters.

The Clippers, Hawks, Hornets, Nets and Jazz are leading their respective divisions right now.

In the annual Pats-Colts showdown, Tony Dungy outcoached Bill Belichick and Peyton Manning outplayed Tom Brady.

Until last weekend, all four of our heavyweight champions were Russian or Lithuanian.

If somebody gets you an official NBA game ball for Christmas, that means they spent only $25 on you.

John Cougar Mellencamp ended up having a bigger impact on sports in October and November than anyone who actually played in a game.

A seventh-round draft pick from Hofstra University is going to win the NFL Rookie of the Year.

I have readers openly rooting for Osama bin Laden to become the cover boy for "Madden 2008" -- and they're dead serious.

Heath Shuler is now "Congressman Heath Shuler."

The NHL regular season is being shown on a network called "Versus."

A few years from now, we will be casually referring to pro teams named the Santa Clara 49ers, Fremont A's and Oklahoma City SuperSonics.

The best running back in football continues to call himself "LT," with no repercussions.

Three of the top college football teams are Louisville, West Virginia and Rutgers.

"Rocky VI" comes out next month.

Our president signed a bill to outlaw Internet gambling, but I could drive to a gas station right now and buy $500 worth of scratch cards.

The most famous active American male tennis player is Andy Roddick.

You can turn on one of the HBO channels at just about any time of the day and see Adam Sandler playing Paul Crewe in "The Longest Yard."

Ultimate fighting and poker are both more popular than boxing.

Because of Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake, every "live" sporting event runs on a televised delay that extends between four and 12 seconds.

If the NBA season ended today, Lamar Odom would be the MVP.

You're better off having money against Brett Favre during the final two minutes of any close Packers game.

The first pick in last June's NBA draft has the same name as the girl who had the crush on Brandon Walsh while they were working on the Beverly Blaze together.

Three of the most depressing franchises in sports right now are the Celtics, Knicks and Raiders.

Just in the past eight months, the best American baseball players, basketball players and golfers all had their asses handed to them in international play.

Steve Nash is the reigning two-time NBA MVP.

David Eckstein is the reigning World Series MVP.

It would be shocking to most people if they found out that the greatest baseball hitter and greatest baseball pitcher did NOT use performance enhancing drugs.

Ben Wallace makes $15 million per season.

One of our "Monday Night Football" announcers openly talks about his fantasy football team on the air.

ESPN Classic shows re-runs of "Arli$$."

A few weeks ago, a Huard brother came off the bench to save Kansas City's season and turn the Chiefs into a playoff contender.

Screw it, you get the point. Everything's been turned upside down. And I'm not sure I want to live in this sports world anymore. I feel like Brooks in "Shawshank." I want to go back to the place where everything makes sense. Give me a time machine. Give me my sanity back.

The Biggest Games Before The Bowls

#1-MICHIGAN v OHIO STATE [11/18]:  Not only is this college football's biggest rivalry, but the winner of this game [barring something unforseen later today] will be placed in the BCS Championship Game. 

#2-SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME [12/2]:  This game could be a BCS Championship playoff if Arkansas and Florida meet here.  Arkansas still has Tennessee and LSU on their plate;  Florida has a non-con game at Florida State.  So, heading into this game, both teams could be 11-1.  Auburn could be 11-1 heading into this game, too.  They have a high BCS ranking already, but I'm not sure if they'll put a team in the BCS title game that didn't even make their conference championship game.  Auburn needs to win out [just two games] and hope Arkansas loses twice [probably Tennessee and LSU] to get to the SEC Championship. 

#3-TEXAS A&M v TEXAS [11/24]:  Sure, a win here means another game in the Big XII title tilt...but no one there will have as good a shot at beating the Horns as the Aggies do. 

#4-CALIFORNIA v USC [11/18]:  This game is huge for both teams.  Both have one loss, but a win by Cal would put them into a BCS game.  USC needs this win to hold on to hope. 

#5-NOTRE DAME v USC [11/25]:   The very next week, the Trojans get Notre Dame.  If they run the table, I think they have an excellent shot at backing into the BCS Championship Game.  When the computer polls come out, USC would've benefitted by beating Arkansas, Nebraska, Washington State, Arizona State, Oregon, Cal and Notre Dame.  That should move them up to a pretty high ranking.   Notre Dame needs USC to have just beaten Cal so this game has impact on the Irish's BCS resume.  The Irish needs a big win here, as their biggest win thus far has been the opening weekend's win over Georgia Tech. 

#6-RUTGERS v WEST VIRGINIA [12/2]:  Rutgers is one of four remaining unbeaten teams and has an outside shot at the BCS Championship game.  To do so, Rutgers must win this game.  A win here and the win over Louisville in the bank give the Knights two wins over Top 10 teams.  West Virginia could get into the title game with a win here too.  They also have a win over Maryland, who could get into the BCS as well.

Heath Shuler Won Something

                         

Heath Shuler, the former Washington Redskins quarterback that turned into a bust, won a US House race in North Carolina. 

In Kansas, Jim Ryun....a former track star and former record holder...lost his bid for a 6th term in the House.

Hall of Fame receiver Lynn Swann lost his bid to become Pennsylvania's governor. 

15 Years Since Magic's Announcement

                          

On November 7, 1991....Magic Johnson announced to the world that he had HIV.

I was 16 years old and Magic Johnson was my favorite athlete.  Not my favorite Laker or my favorite NBA player.  He was my favorite athlete.  I am honest when I say that I couldn't really care that much [well, not as much as other people do] to meet an athlete.  Sure, bumping into Michael Jordan would be really cool....but I wouldn't rush him to meet him [dude has places in Charlotte...so I've had my chances].  But I really, really, really wanted to meet Magic.  In 1999, my wife gave me that chance by getting me tickets to a speaking engagement he held at a local college. 

Anyways....Magic was, and still is, my favorite athlete in any sport.  Needless to say that on November 7, 1991...my heart broke.

Funny, since earlier in 1991...the Lakers somehow got to the NBA Finals and were quickly dispersed by the Bulls.  In that series, I wondered what the Lakers would be like without Magic.  I mean, I really never knew a Laker team without Magic on it.  And then it happened before I got a chance to see him play again. 

I remember hearing the news.  My mom called me at home to tell me that the news was saying that Magic Johnson has AIDS.  Now, when you hear something like that...you obviously don't believe it.  But, upon turning Headline News on [remember, the internet wasn't that poppin' and there wasn't the wall-to-wall sports news stations like now]...she was right.  Not too much longer, I saw Magic's news conference that literally shocked me.  I probably spent the next day and a half watching nothing but that. 

It still bothers me.  It pretty much ended a great era in one of my favorite sports franchises [my Redskins great era ended the same time....and still haven't recovered].  When watching old games...I still can't see how there is any player in the league better than him.  Yeah, Jordan is great....but watch Magic play.  Jordan did these great things himself.  Magic made great things happen for other people.  No player ever made me feel comfortable that HE had the ball.  You knew he had complete control of the game.  I still have a tape of the 1992 NBA All Star Game he competed in and watch it from time to time [it also features the late Reggie Lewis and a young and unbelievably talented Dennis Rodman]. 

I hope everything stays good, Magic.

The Year Is Just Getting Worse for the Canes

                              

University of Miami defensive lineman Bryan Pata was shot and killed Tuesday night at his apartment complex, school officials said.

The shooting occurred about two hours after the Hurricanes ended their afternoon practice.

Pata, a 22-year-old senior who grew up in Miami, was pronounced dead in the parking lot outside his apartment, and his death was ruled a homicide, Miami-Dade police spokesman Roy Rutland said.

"Right now, we're just gathering ourselves and just trying to pull ourselves together," Miami athletic director Paul Dee said.

Rutland said police were called at 7:30 p.m. to the scene and found Pata's body. He lived about 4 miles from campus.

"Tonight the University of Miami tragically lost a member of our football family, Bryan Pata," the university athletic department said in a release. "Bryan was a fine person and a great competitor. He will be forever missed by his coaches and teammates. We offer our thoughts and prayers to his family."

The university also urged anyone with information about Pata's death to call police.

ESPN college football analyst Desmond Howard, who lives in Miami and was on campus Tuesday night, said coach Larry Coker was said to be "numb" at the news of Pata's death. Players met with Coker and coaches from other Miami sports gathered to lend Coker support.

The circumstances around Pata's death were not immediately clear, and Miami-Dade police did not say who made the 911 call after the shooting.

"They just shot him dead," Tonya Casimir, who identified herself as the player's cousin, told ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach by phone from the one of one of Pata's family members. "He's gone."

The 6-foot-4, 280-pound lineman was in his fourth year with the Hurricanes. He appeared in 41 games, making 23 starts, and was expected to be a first- or second-round pick in next spring's NFL draft.

Word spread quickly around campus, and grief counselors were quickly summoned to work with Pata's teammates.

Annette Ponnock, Miami's student body president, said Pata -- a fierce player on the field and somewhat soft-spoken off it -- was well known and popular on campus.

"Everyone is just more surprised than anything else," Ponnock said. "He's such a personality on campus. It was just really, really shocking to have such a loss. ... He was a big guy so it was kind of hard to miss him. He just had a presence about him."

The Hurricanes used Pata primarily at defensive tackle this season, and he had 13 tackles and two sacks.

Miami officials haven't yet decided whether the Hurricanes will practice the rest of the week or play Saturday's game at No. 23 Maryland, a school official said Tuesday night.

Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner John Swofford was aware of the shooting and was working with Miami officials to gather information, conference spokeswoman Amy Yakola said.

It was at least the fourth time that tragedy involving a player has struck the Hurricanes in recent years.

In April 1996, reserve linebacker and Miami native Marlin Barnes was murdered in a campus apartment. And in 2003, former Miami safety Al Blades was killed in a car accident, about a year after former Miami linebacker Chris Campbell -- who had just completed his eligibility with the Hurricanes -- also died in a crash.

Pata's death was the second incident involving guns this season for the Hurricanes.

In July, reserve safety Willie Cooper was shot in the buttocks when confronted in his yard before an early-morning workout. Cooper was not seriously injured. Brandon Meriweather, one of Cooper's teammates and roommates, returned fire at Cooper's assailant, taking three shots that apparently missed, police said.

Several Miami players, including Pata, said that incident was a robbery attempt, and cautioned other teammates to always be aware of their surroundings.

"We're targets because we play for the University of Miami. ... These guys, they know who we are," Miami linebacker Jon Beason said shortly after the Cooper shooting.

That incident prompted Coker to say that he did not want his players to have guns, even if they possessed them legally.

Pata played three seasons at North Miami High before moving on to Miami Central. He chose to attend the University of Miami after considering the Canes, Rutgers, Florida and Oklahoma.

Former South Carolina offensive tackle Woodly Telfort, who played football with Pata at North Miami, said he considered him a best friend and cousin.

"Brian was cool, calm and collective," Telfort told ESPN's Joe Schad on Tuesday night. "He would do anything for his friends. He was a guy everybody loved. Bryan never got in trouble with anybody. I have no clue who would do this to him."

Telfort said he'd spoken with Pata several says ago.

"He was talking about how it had been a tough season, but how things were looking good for him going to the NFL," Telfort said. "He was going to play in the NFL."

Said Miami Central coach Anthony Saunders: ''He was a great kid, a Christian. He had everything going for him. He was a role model and a motivator."

North Miami coach Leonard Graham said he was a father figure to Pata.

"Just like any other kid from the inner city, he was looking for a way out," Graham told ESPN's Schad. "He had his problems, but never had serious trouble. He had learned from his past experiences at Miami and had really grown up into a man."

Graham said Pata had for a time complained about playing time and had missed study halls.

"But I know the streets and to my knowledge he had no conflicts in the streets," Graham said, sobbing. "Maybe someone was jealous. Maybe someone tried to rob him. I have no idea why he was shot. I just know he was shot. I didn't know anyone that disliked him."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Sportz' College Football Bracketology

                                                    

I grew up on Mr Rogers....so I'm going to live in the land of make believe right now.  Like Joe Lunardi does on ESPN's college hoops, I'm doing the same for football.  Yeah, I know that there isn't a playoff in college football...but who cares!  In my mind, there is.  And here is my bracketology.  It's based on a 12-team format where the 6 BCS conference champions get in....at least 1 team from the non-BCS conferences...and 5 at large bids.  The lower seed plays at home. 

1-Ohio State* vs winner of....
8-California vs 9-Notre Dame

Right now, Ohio State is the top seed in this tournament...and should stay with a first round bye even with a loss to Michigan.  Cal's stock could rise with a win over USC soon.  Same can be said about Notre Dame.

4-Florida* vs winner of....
5-Texas* vs 12-Georgia Tech*

Florida will probably move up to a #2 or #3 seed with an SEC title and a Michigan/Ohio State loss.  So could Texas.  Whomever wins the ACC is staring right at the 12th seed.

3-Louisville* vs winner of....
6-Auburn vs 11-Boise State

If Louisville goes undefeated, they get a first round bye and at least one game at Papa John Stadium.  Auburn could be move all over this board with an SEC title.  Boise is the top non-BCS team and seems to have a lock on this bid. 

2-Michigan vs winner of....
7-USC vs 10-West Virginia

Michigan are a win over Ohio State from being the #1 seed....which could be big.  I mean, USC or West Virginia for their first playoff game is rough!  USC could fall completely out with losses to playoff hopefuls Notre Dame and California.  WVU could drop if Rutgers smacks them. 

ON THE BUBBLE:  Rutgers has every opportunity to get in.  They have L'ville and West Virginia staring at them in the face.  Wisconsin could sneak in since they avoid the Buckeyes and have just the one loss to Michigan on their record.  And who knows who will really win the ACC??  If Boise State continues undefeated, the ACC title team would get the #12 seed.

SIT DOWN CAMERON CRAZIES!!!!

Duke's opponents may have finally found something that will make the "Cameron Crazies" sit down -- the Durham fire code.

Duke's student fan section, which has been allowed to stand on floor space behind press row for decades, is being forced to retreat to the bleachers in Cameron Indoor Stadium in the interests of fire safety.

Durham's fire-code regulations, according to the school, forbid the Crazies -- or anyone else -- from occupying the floor space.

Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski was perplexed by the new mandate.

"Where were [the fire marshals] for the last 50 years?" he told the Durham Herald Sun. "It's like, 'Did we do something wrong? And if that is the case, then how might we be able to solve it without hurting the students?' They're on the team, too. They should be as close to the court as possible."

The move will only push fans a few feet back from the court, but the students who cram into the standing-room strip on the floor each game will now have to find another place to cheer.

The fire regulations have been in place for years, but Duke has not followed them until this year, according to Durham fire marshal Eddie Reid.

Reid told the Herald Sun that the fire department "just went over the occupancy plan with Duke" and he "had no idea" why the school would suddenly choose to enforce the regulations.

Don't Mess With Tar Heels!!!

                                  

from ESPN.com 

Washington Wizards centers Etan Thomas and Brendan Haywood were involved in a fight Thursday at the team's arena, according to a report in The Washington Post.

Two team sources told the Post that Thomas approached Haywood over comments made by Haywood's agent, Andy Miller, who was critical of coach Eddie Jordan's decision to start Thomas over Haywood.

"My concern is that this is based on personal issues rather than professional ones," Miller said when the decision was made.

The report said Thomas began arguing with Haywood over the comments, then threw a punch. Haywood responded by slamming Thomas to the ground and tearing out two of his dreadlocks.

Teammates separated the two, and both refused comment after Monday night's loss to the Orlando Magic.

Thomas and Haywood were locked in a battle for the team's starting center position throughout the preseason, with Thomas getting the nod shortly before the regular-season opener.

No suspensions or fines had been announced, but the team was making an effort to keep the matter private, according to the report.

Both players were in uniform for Monday's game.

Thomas and Haywood have a history of altercations. Haywood was suspended one game last season after an incident with Thomas during practice.

Why Are You Complaining About Louisville!?!?!?

Louisville just beat West Virginia, gets Rutgers this week and could be one of three undefeated teams when the regular season ends.  Yet everyone is complaining that they could be in the National Championship game against the Ohio State-Michigan winner.

Why?

First off, Louisville plays in the Big East....which is still a BCS conference.  What?  Are we complaining that a BCS conference champion that is undefeated is in the title tilt?  Isn't this why Louisville decided to move to the Big East in the first place??  To get this shot??  BCS and playoff honks are both full of crap with that arguement [I'm a playoff honk]. 

Is it the schedule??  Well, the Cardinals can only play what's ahead of them....and right now they play an 8-0 team right after playing a 7-0 team.  Sure, UConn and Syracuse blows and eat up the strength of L'ville's schedule.  What, Ohio State doesn't have bottom dwellers in the Big Eleven??  Freaking Indiana is 3-3 in league play!!!!  The only currently ranked team that Ohio State has beaten is Texas....with Michigan on the horizon.  Those are the only two teams that have a better than 6-4 record on the Buckeyes slate.  Is the current run against Bowling Green, Michigan State, Indiana, Minnesota and Illinois that much better than anything Louisville has faced??  Oh, and they get 3-7 Northwestern next.  They haven't played a team with a current winning record since beating Iowa on September 30th...and that 6-4 Iowa team just was spanked at home by Northwestern. 

Look....I know that Ohio State would smack up Louisville if they met in a 7-game series.  But that doesn't mean that Louisville doesn't deserve to get a chance.  All you BCS honks that hate playoffs....love this mess.  I love the computers since the entire POINT of them is to crunch the numbers and spit out who it thinks are the best teams.  The RPI does the same thing in basketball...but no one cares because they settle it on the field.  Of course, the voters who don't like it then skew the rankings in a manner to right the wrongs [meaning, ranking Louisville lower so it could even out].  So, BCS lovers...love the system.  It's yours. 

And enter my playoff arguement.  This is exactly why there should there would be a playoff.  I mean, how great would a playoff be???  In my 12-team format that allowed the champs of the 6 BCS conferences and 6 at large teams....I can see a great tournament with Ohio State, Michigan, Louisville, Texas, USC, Cal, Notre Dame, Boise State, LSU/Florida, Auburn, West Virginia and whomever comes out of the ACC.  We could even get an Ohio State/Michigan rematch for the title. 

Oh...what am I saying.  It will be Ohio State-Louisville for the title while Michigan and Florida battle in the Sugar Bowl.

How Bout Them Redskins, Eh????

REDSKINS 22-COWBOYS 19 [Sportz 0-1 this week; 69-45 this season]:  Wow...what a game.  The Skins saved their season with a...I guess....gutsy win.  They didn't really do anything more than take advantage of Cowboys mistakes and missed opportunities.  Washington really worked on running the football and working downfield.  Now, they didn't get any big passing plays, but got a few pass interference calls that moved the ball. 

It came down to Novak....who missed a game winning FG and, frankly, I hated him after that.  I was already scouting the available kickers that Gibbs may be auditioning this week.  Then, that blocked field goal attempt [which came right after my wife said "you really didn't think the Redskins would win, did you?"] and scuffle afterwards.  Novak got his 2nd chance....and hit it.  You got a job for another week, my friend. 

Here are some other musings:

-Terrell Owens did catch a TD and had a pretty good stat game.  But he cost his team this game.  After the TD, he did a 'sleep celebration' that cost his team 15 yds and ended up with him and Bill Parcells getting after it on the sidelines.  Then, he drops a wide open TD catch.  Mike Ditka said it best on ESPNews...and I am paraphrasing here.  He said that if Owens wants to celebrate and act up when he does something good, then he needs to act like a fool when he does something bad.  He does so many great things on the field...but he also has been dropping passes that a high school receiver would be benched for.

-Bill Parcells actually lost this game for the Cowboys.  For an old school coach, he made a new school mistake.  Up 6-5 after a TD in the first half, Parcells goes for the 2 point conversion.  Why?  That's good strategy late in a game but not smart when you have the entire game ahead of you.  If he kicked the PAT, then the Cowboys would have been up 20-19 when Novak missed his first FG...and Dallas would have killed the clock for the win.

-The Redskins aren't completely dead yet.  Being 3-5 isn't great...but it's better than 2-6 and with nothing to play for.  The Skins get the Eagles twice and the Giants at home...and have a serviceable skeddie to get back in this thing.  Next week: at Philly.

BILLS 24-PACKERS 10 [Sportz 0-2, 69-46]:  The only good player the Bills has goes down on the 7th play of the game...and G-Bay still gets rolled.  Ugh.

DOLPHINS 31-BEARS 13 [Sportz 0-3, 69-47]:  The Bears looked every bit as bad today as they did a few weeks ago in Arizona.  The difference here is that Miami didn't choke the game away.  This wasn't a fluke...Miami spanked them.  You can say Da Bears turned it over too much, which is true, but that doesn't explain how Ronnie Brown just abused the defense on the ground.  And I'd be concerned if I was a Chicago fan, as they could be without Brian Urhlacher and Mike Brown for a while.

LIONS 30-FALCONS 14 [Sportz 0-4, 69-48]:  Another game that made no sense.  The Lions defense has been bad all year long...but held Michael Vick in check.  On the other side, their offense looked awesome again.

CHIEFS 31-RAMS 17 [Sportz 0-5, 69-49]:  The Show Me State battle ended with two of the best running back performances you could ask for.  Both Larry Johnson and Steven Jackson got off with huge games.  But this game could be the one that keeps Damon Huard behind center the rest of the season.  KC is rolling right now and Herm Edwards needs to just keep it going.  Don't put Trent Green in there. 

GIANTS 14-TEXANS [Sportz 1-5, 70-49]:  This was an ugly win...but a win nonetheless for the Giants.  Oh, and Jeremy Shockey got LAID OUT in this one. 

SAINTS 31-BUCCANEERS 14 [Sportz 2-5, 71-49]:  What happened to that vaunted Bucs secondary?  Yeesh!

JAGUARS 37-TEXANS 7 [Sportz 3-5, 72-49]:  Speaking of QB controversies, can Byron Leftwich get back on the field after this effort from David Garrard??  He's managing the game very well and has the Jags back in the thick of the playoff chase.

RAVENS 26-BENGALS 20 [Sportz 4-5, 73-49]:  B-more pulled to a 2-game lead in the AFC North with this win.  The Ravens just smacked Cincy in the mouth and the Bengals lost their cool.  And, no, that wasn't an interference call you whiny Cincy fans.

NINERS 9-VIKINGS 3 [Sportz 4-6, 73-50]:  If this was college football, Minnesota would be penalized heavily for this loss.  And it startles me, since San Fran has the same record as my Redskins right now. 

BRONCOS 31-STEELERS 20 [Sportz 5-6, 74-50]:  Don't look now, but the Steelers are 2-6.  Last year, they lost their 6th game and never lost again.  It ain't happening this year.  I guess Jerome Bettis' leadership is greater than we thought.  And we'll see Bill Cowher at NC State eventually.

CHARGERS 32-BROWNS 25 [Sportz 6-6, 75-50]:  Two things. One, how did the Browns score 25 pts on the Bolts???  And, two, how great is LaDainian Tomlinson???  Oh, and three, am I the only one that doesn't like the Chargers powder blues??

COLTS 27-PATRIOTS 20 [Sportz 6-7, 75-51]:  The Colts are an impressive 8-0.  They just went into Denver and New England....the other top teams in the AFC...and came out with wins.  They could end up winning them all.  Well, they could be 15-0 heading into the final week against.....the Dolphins.

 

The Cincinnati Reds Have Baseball's Best Team!!!

The Reds won't compete for anything ever again.....but they will at least sound good.  Since the season ended, the Reds have put together a broadcast team that would rival anyone.

This is a franchise that has been built on great radio voices.  Marty Brennaman [a UNC graduate] is in baseball's Hall of Fame and has been a Reds staple for over 30 years.  He had been calling games with the recently retired [but still working here and there] Joe Nuxall for decades now...and with Nuxall stepping aside....a shakeup has insued. 

Here is the lineup.

Hall of Famer Marty Brennaman will work a bulk of the radio as he usually does.  Joining him will be Jeff Brantley, the former ESPN's "Baseball Tonight" analyst who did some TV work as well for the network.  Flexing in there will be Marty's son, Thom Brennaman, who leaves the same post with the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Now, Thom's work with Fox [mainly the Saturday game plus NFL work] will limit how many games he will call with the Reds....but it is still quite a get. 

On the TV side, George Grande and Chris Welsh will be together for the 15th year calling Reds games.....something they do very, very well.  Filling in the holes [like when one or both of those guys are off] will be Thom Brennaman and Brantley.  Quite a remarkable team. 

Here is the game breakdown from Cincinnati.com:

Marty Brennaman: The veteran Reds broadcaster is expected to be in the radio booth for 150 games this upcoming season.

Thom Brennaman: He will work 45-50 games on the radio and 45 on TV. His FOX deal keeps him from doing weekend radio games.

Jeff Brantley: The former Red will be mostly in the radio booth (120 games) but will do color commentary on TV for 25 games.

George Grande: Grande will provide his play-by-play from the TV booth for 100 games.

Chris Welsh: Welsh will offer his color commentary to TV viewers for 120 games.

Joe Nuxhall: The Ol' Left-hander is expected to join the radio booth for six to 12 games.