Ranking the AFL Throwback Jerseys

With the original AFL teams celebrating 50 years of excellence, they are popping out their original uniforms. So, I want to rank the uniforms from best to worst ... and the results surprised even me.

1-TENNESSEE TITANS: The old Oiler uniforms make the current Titans uniforms look foolish. I loved the Oilers logo and look. It's a shame that the NFL wouldn't let Houston keep it.

2-DENVER BRONCOS: If I did this post a week ago, Denver would be near the bottom. I don't know, I actually liked the brown and yellow unis. You just don't see that much brown in sports uniforms anymore. I loved the striped socks. I loved the simple helmets. It just works for what it is.

3-SAN DIEGO CHARGERS: I'm not all ga-ga about the powder blue Bolts jerseys but they are better than most of the others.

4-NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: I've always like the Patriot on the helmet. Yeah, it represents the tough times for the franchise while the new logo makes us remember three Super Bowl victories. But those helmets and logos have a bit more fun to them then the current model.

5-OAKLAND RAIDERS: Not a huge difference over the years. The silver and black always zings, even if it's 50 years old.

6-KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: Like the Raiders, these uniforms aren't much different than the originals. The old "Dallas Texans" had much different logos but it isn't quite the change as any of the other uniforms.

7-BUFFALO BILLS: I like the helmets more than the uniforms. Still, I prefer the 1990s era Bills gear more than anything.

8-NEW YORK JETS: The "Titans" uniforms are easily the ugliest of the bunch. The diarrhea yellow and skank blue doesn't go well together. Whomever thought that would look good should be forced to wear them until they die ... if they haven't already.

Sportz' NCAA Football Playoff Pairings - 1st Edition

Hi again. Another year and another opportunity for me to play fantasy college football. No, not with the players but with the teams. The fantasy world where teams actually compete in a playoff to determine a champion.

As usual, my playoff format consists of 12 teams. The champion of the six BCS conferences (ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big XII, Pac-10 and SEC) get into the dance. Also, the top ranked team among the non-BCS conferences (WAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt, MAC, Conference USA) gets in. The other five openings go to the five highest ranked BCS teams that didn't get in already.

The top four teams get byes. Only the national championship game is played on a neutral site. And regardless of how they got in, use the BCS poll to seed the teams (though some changes may be made to keep conference foes from meeting up in the first round).

So, here is my first edition of the year.

1-Florida (SEC Champ)
2-Alabama
3-Texas (Big XII Champ)
4-Virginia Tech (ACC Champ)

5-Boise State (top non-BCS team) vs 12-Oregon (Pac 10 Champ)
6-USC vs 11-Iowa
7-Ohio State (Big Ten Champ) vs 10-LSU
8-Cincinnati (Big East Champ) vs 9-Miami

We could make the schedule for the first round on December 12th:
12p-Miami at Cincinnati
3:30p-LSU at Ohio State
3:30p-Oregon at Boise State
8p-Iowa at USC

The second round set for December 19th:
12p-Boise State/Oregon at Virginia Tech
3:30p-Cincinnati/Miami at Florida
3:30p-USC/Iowa at Texas
8p-LSU/Ohio State at Alabama

Sunday Just Reaffirmed That I'm Not a Big Baseball Fan Anymore

On Sunday, I sat and watched a little bit of every game. With my NFL Sunday Ticket package, I had my TV flipping around games and my computer on the Red Zone channel.

I forgot completely that the baseball playoffs were also going on.

Why? I don't care as much anymore. I'm not a big baseball fan anymore. I've known it for years but I think I'm finally fine with it.

Please don't say that I just don't understand baseball. When I was young, baseball was my life. My grandpa coached Pete Rose in Knothole League. My uncle played for the Red Sox, White Sox and Indians and managed the Reds and Braves. My dad taught me everything as my youth coach. I just KNEW I was going to play professional baseball -- even if it was just the minors. It's all I cared about.

Not anymore.

Baseball has lost me. There is no single moment that drove me away. I just grew out of it. Now, I love the NFL. I love the NBA. I love college basketball. Those three would be my groomsmen. Baseball would get to be an usher.

Baseball isn't as accessable to me anymore. I know I can carve out 3 hours for a football game or 2 1/2 hours for some hoops action. Baseball? Who knows? That is picking nits, but it does matter when trying to fit it around your life.

Baseball also seems to have this line of thinking that players 50 years ago are better than players today. I've always said that the 0-16 Lions would beat the 17-0 Dolphins if they ever played. Football players are much faster, bigger and stronger than ever. Same goes to the NBA where guys built like Wilt Chamberlain are now shooting threes. But baseball fans believe that Mickey Mantle would still destroy today's pitchers. That kind of puts me off.

Also, the weird way that baseball has "embraced" technology. They finally have replay for home run calls ... but nothing else. Replay would have been helpful on that horrible call on Mauer's double that was ruled foul. Aside from balls and strikes, baseball is probably the easiest game to review. Was he safe or out? Fair or foul? Catch or trap? Not much else to look at. And give me all the crap about it would slow the game more than it already is. Would a quick look at the replay of that take as long as ... say ... a manager going out and arguing a call?

Heck, they put a left field umpire out there to pretty much just make THOSE CALLS and he can't do that right.

Saturday's Phillies-Rockies game was postponed because of the cold weather. Tonight's game may be the coldest in playoff history. We better hope for a Dodgers-Angels World Series so we don't have frigid temps in Denver, Philadelphia or New York in a November Series.

Yes, November. A month where college football is winding down, the NFL is in its second half, the NBA and NHL are in full swing and college basketball teams are practicing. Oh, and when World Series games are played. This is the "summer game". The other sports work well in cold weather ... but watching cold baseball just sucks. Just wait until Minnesota's next trip to the postseason and games are being held at frigid open-aired Target Field.

Also, playoff baseball goes on too long. The most memorable World Series I've ever saw was the 1991 Twins-Braves meeting. I missed most of the endings of those games because I was a junior in high school and had to go to sleep. When I woke up the next morning, I'd turn it on the ESPN to see who won that game.

I'm typing this as the Phillies-Rockies game is ending. I've probably watched a total of 12 innings of baseball this postseason. I've watched two preseason NBA games this weekend and sat through 10 hours of NFL action. I'm not saying I hate baseball at all. I'll keep an eye on the playoffs and definitely the World Series. It just doesn't grab me like it used to.

Week 5 Really Opened My Eyes

During the first few weeks of the season, you really don't know if what you are seeing is legit. Is this team really that good? Has this team lost it? Who really is a contender?

After Week 5, what you see is pretty much what you get. There are some things that may not be totally what they seem, but for the most part the picture comes clearer.

BRONCOS ARE FOR REAL: I've been the leader on the march that the Denver Broncos have benefitted from an easy schedule and two magical plays in order to stay undefeated. This defense has improved dramatically, the players seem to love playing for Josh McDaniels and Kyle Orton has really shined. You don't shut down the Patriots like that and then take the overtime kickoff and march it down their throats without being pretty good.

BENGALS, I GUESS, ARE LEGIT: I'm not as sold on the Bengals, but I gotta give them their propers. I didn't think they'd have a chance to win in Baltimore. But this much improved defense held down the second best scoring team in the league (their only points came from an Ed Reed return and a great effort on a long run from Ray Rice). I've really been impressed with the way the offense makes plays when they need to. Even including the Week 1 loss to Denver, Cincinnati has scored game tying/winning TDs at the end of each game. The new Cardiac Cats.

THERE ARE A LOT OF TEAMS THAT SUCK: The Rams really looked bad against the Vikings. The Buccaneers looked like garbage in Philly. That Bills-Browns game set football back 70 years.

PAGING MIKE SHANAHAN: Jim Zorn stuck another nail in his coffin when he still couldn't figure out how an offense is supposed to run. With the news that Daniel Snyder contacted Mike Shanahan, it is just a matter of time until Zorn is out as the Redskins coach. How in the heck can you be 2-3 when EVERY GAME YOU PLAYED was against a team that hadn't won a game going into that day.

Sportz' Central Division Predictions

CENTRAL DIVISION

1-CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (M. Williams, West, James, Varejao, S. O'Neal): Things are tight around Cleveland. With LeBron in possibly the final year of his deal and Shaq on his last legs, this could be the last year the window stays open before slamming shut. I'm not sold on how Shaq helps LeBron, and this Delonte West mess has me concerned. They are easily the best in the Central but this team won't top last year's regular season record.

2-CHICAGO BULLS (Rose, Salmons, Deng, Noah, B. Miller): The team that put fear in the Celtics last year should be back for more. I'm not sure if they can challenge the top three in the conference, but they are right there in the level just behind. This is a very athletic team that will miss Ben Gordon if Deng doesn't get back to his pre-injury production level.

3-DETROIT PISTONS (Stuckey, Gordon, Prince, Villeneuva, K. Brown): There has been quite a turnover in Detroit. Gone are Billups/Iverson and Sheed. Enter Gordon and Villeneuva. It really isn't a fair trade, but at least the team should have better chemistry. The key will be if Rip Hamilton can come be the sixth man we know he can be.

4-INDIANA PACERS (Ford, D. Jones, Granger, Murphy, Foster): This team is in a holding pattern. Granger is a stud, but the rest aren't much more than role guys. One key to the season is trying to develop Roy Hibbert and Tyler Hansbrough. If yes, then the future does look a little brighter.

5-MILWAUKEE BUCKS (Jennings, Redd, Delfino, Warrick, Bogut): Boy, things have fallen fast. Their two remaining studs, Bogut and Redd, are coming off injuries. Delfino and Warrick aren't much more than journeymen. The excitement will come from what Brandon Jennings brings to the table. He could have a Derrick Rose-type season and give the Bucks some hope.

Sportz' Southeast Division Predictions

SOUTHEAST DIVISION

1-ORLANDO MAGIC (Nelson, Carter, Pietrus, R. Lewis, Howard): Of course everyone will be wondering if Orlando did the right thing but letting Hedo go and bringing on Vince-anity. Vince brings a better offensive player, but Hedo was the man running things. Don't forget that to get Vince, they had to part with Raefer Alston and Courtney Lee ... two starters on their Finals squad. They still are the class of the division since no one can step to Howard, but I don't see them making a return trip to the Finals.

2-WASHINGTON WIZARDS (Arenas, M. Miller, Butler, Jamison, Haywood): Injuries decimated the Wizards last year. So much so, that despite being one of the worst teams in the East in '08-09, they are one of the trendy teams to pick in the conference this year. I love the fact that they dealt their No. 5 pick in the draft for two guys (Randy Foye, Mike Miller) that can help them immediately.

3-ATLANTA HAWKS (Bibby, J. Johnson, J. Smith, M. Williams, Horford): I really like the Hawks this year. They have a formidable starting lineup mixed with veteran reserves in Jamal Crawford, Mo Evans and Joe Smith. If draft pick Jeff Teague can bring something to the table, Atlanta could challenge for the division title.

4-MIAMI HEAT (Chalmers, Wade, Beasley, Haslem, J. O'Neal): The fact that D-Wade is so good makes anyone believe in this team. There isn't much talent behind him. Beasley has some issues to work out, O'Neal is a shell of his former self and the bench is filled with less than stellar role players. Look for Wade to lead the league in scoring.

5-CHARLOTTE BOBCATS (Felton, Bell, G. Wallace, Diaw, Chandler): Charlotte has enough to make a run for a playoff spot, but the offense still lacks a go-to scorer. This is a stellar defensive team who have to shut down opponents if they want to win. With the ownership situation unsettled, it will be tough for this team to bring in the pieces to compete.

My NFL Week 5 Picks

I've done alright in my NFL picks this season. As of now, I am 42-20.

Week 1: 12-4
Week 2: 7-9

Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 12-2

Not too bad. Not bad at all. So, here are my Week 5 picks:

Ravens over Bengals: Yes, Cincy fans have every right to be excited, but they aren't good enough to win in B-more.

Bills over Browns: Both teams have laid eggs since the season started. Still, the Bills are more talented and should beat the dysfunctional Browns.

Panthers over Redskins: This is a tough one for me. The Redskins are my favorite team. I grew up in Charlotte and want to see the hometown do well. But not that well. Go REDSKINS! I just think that the week off for the Panthers will get them back to basics and get them in the win column.

Steelers over Lions: Last year's champ will be last year's winless team. Even though it's this year now. Um, yeah.

Cowboys over Chiefs: This will be a confusing game as the "Dallas Cowboys" will be taking on the Chiefs origin team, the "Dallas Texans". Whatever. Dallas wins.

Giants over Raiders: Eli or not, New York rolls at home.

Eagles over Buccaneers: Tampa continues their trek through the NFC East with another loss.

Vikings over Rams: St. Louis has looked horrible all season long. The Vikings are on a roll. Easy call.

Niners over Falcons: Ooooh. First tough one. I love San Francisco's defense enough that I think they can slow down Atlanta.

Cardinals over Texans: This is a tough one and I was tempted to take Houston. But Mario Williams may miss the game and I think Arizona will get a lot from the bye week.

Jaguars over Seahawks: These are two tough teams to figure out. The long trip from Jacksonville to Seattle could hurt the Jags chances, but I just have this hunch.

Patriots over Broncos: Okay, the charade ends now!

Colts over Titans: This will be a lot closer than the records may indicate, but Peyton Manning is clicking right now and Tennessee is a bit banged up in the secondary.

Jets over Dolphins: Rex Ryan's defense will be too much for the young Chad Henne.

Sportz' NBA Atlantic Division Predictions

ATLANTIC DIVISION

1-BOSTON CELTICS (starters-Rondo, Allen, Pierce, Garnett, Perkins): Kevin Garnett will be back which should keep the team hungry. Key bench addition Rasheed Wallace adds to the hunger and another champion. The item to watch is the age factor. Is the core getting a bit long in the tooth? Also, how will Rondo respond after an offseason where rumors swirled that he was going to be dealt.

2-PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (L. Williams, Iguodala, Young, Brand, Dalembert): I really like this team. They aren't at the Celtics level, but this is a team that can challenge for a top-four seed. There are also some interesting bench guys with Jrue Holliday, Stro Swift, Jason Kapono and Marreese Speights adding unpredictability as part of their skill set. If Brand can stay healthy, this team could make it to the second round. If they can find a guy to take Andre Miller's role, they could be special.

3-TORONTO RAPTORS (Calderon, DeRozan, Turkoglu, Bosh, Bargnani): Turkoglu adds savvy to a team that is young, but extremely talented. The team took a big dip last year, but I think they'll turn it around and get back into the postseason. They aren't flashy and won't get much run on national television, but this franchise knows what it is and how they can be successful.

4-NEW YORK KNICKS (Duhon, Robinson, Chandler, D. Lee, Curry): It's hard to figure these Knicks out. There is no doubt that there is talent there. There is no doubt that Mike D'Antoni can get scoring out of his teams. The problem is that there are a bunch of guys on this team that thinks they are stars. Al Harrington and Larry Hughes are now role players and New York has two perceived busts in Darko Milicic and Danilo Gallinari.

5-NEW JERSEY NETS (Harris, C. Lee, Yi, S. Williams, Lopez): This team is a work in process. Harris came into his own last season. Lee, Yi and Lopez are up-and-comers who have benefited from the many minutes they got last year. The problem is that without Vince Carter, there is no take-charge scorer that can create his own points. Also, the bench isn't that good.

Sportz' Belated NHL Predictions

I'm not going to pretend that I'm an NHL guru. I like the NHL, especially during the Stanley Cup playoffs but I'm not as into it as I am with other sports.

So below is my very uninformed guess at how the standings will shake out this year (*-denotes a playoff team).

NORTHEAST: 1-Bruins*, 2-Canadians*, 3-Sabres*, 4-Senators, 5-Maple Leafs

ATLANTIC: 1-Penguins*, 2-Flyers*, 3-Devils*, 4-Rangers, 5-Islanders

SOUTHEAST: 1-Capitals*, 2-Hurricanes*, 3-Panthers, 4-Thrashers, 5-Lightning

CENTRAL: 1-Red Wings*, 2-Blackhawks*, 3-Blues*, 4-Blue Jackets, 5-Predators

NORTHWEST: 1-Canucks*, 2-Flames*, 3-Wild*, 4-Oilers, 5-Avalanche

PACIFIC: 1-Ducks*, 2-Sharks*, 3-Stars, 4-Kings, 5-Coyotes

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict a Red Wings-Penguins Finals for the third straight season. Though it wouldn't surprise me to see the Blackhawks, Bruins or Caps there instead.

How Do I View the UFL?

The UFL debuted last night to a modest crowd (not sure about the ratings, yet). I didn't know the opener was last night because I really didn't care.

Look, I want the UFL to last. I hope it does. But it is hard to believe in something that may not be around for very long. It's like all those shows my wife seems to latch on to -- they get cancelled after the first season and she get frustrated.

Because of that, I won't invest too much in this league. If it's on while I'm flipping channels, my curiosity will cause me to check it out. It looks more like regular football than the Arena League or the Canadian Football League so it has some chance. It isn't silly like the XFL or as ambitious as the USFL was.

The UFL must listen to one of their head coaches, Dennis Green. "They are what we think they are." A little league with just four teams, a six game schedule and some horrendous jerseys. But there are some healthy differences than our beloved NFL.

For one, all reviews are handled by a replay official. No challenges or lost timeouts. Also, that tuck rule isn't there. Neither is intentional grounding (which I'm not a fan of but should keep the game moving and have more scoring). Speaking of moving the game along, the play clock is just 25 seconds long -- 15 seconds less than the NFL's. Also, fumbling out of the endzone doesn't result in a touchback. Also, touchdown celebrations are encouraged and they use the college game's overtime rules.

The UFL should hope to find itself latched on to the NFL in some fashion. Whether it is a developmental league (like the former NFL-Europe) or just a level of play between the League and college football. It also gives fans a chance to see how pro football would look with some of those changes mentioned above. Like the intentional grounding rule: it sounds dumb when I heard about it but I may like it once I see it in action.

One thing I don't like is the uniforms. The California Redwoods and Las Vegas Locomotives had nearly identical gear on last night. When the Florida Tuskers and New York Sentinels play, you'll see similar style unis. I'm not liking that much.

With NFL-Europe and the Arena League folding, there is a spot for the UFL. Again, I never cared that much about either league, but I'd follow it from time to time just to see what's going on. The fact that the league is starting small should benefit it much more than the XFL's boisterous claims that they'd scare the NFL (the league folded after just one season).

Hopefully the UFL will do enough to have sticking power.

Holliday Has a Legit Point, Even If I Don't Agree

Cardinals' left fielder Matt Holliday made a very costly error in the 9th inning that helped give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five series. After the game, starting pitcher Adam Wainwright said that it wasn't fair that Dodger fans are allowed to have a "white out" of sorts where they were wearing white shirts and waving white towels.

While I'm not a true believer, I do see the reasoning behind it. Hitters get to have a dark spot behind the pitcher in order to see the ball -- and he's only 66 feet away. I can see a line drive getting caught behind a sea of white shirts and towels and complaining that it's not fair for a fielder to have to deal with.

The problem I have in this is that this is just the way it is. I mean, what can baseball do? Eliminate all white objects from the stadium? If the entire stadium wore black shirts except the one guy wearing a white shirt, there still is a chance that the ball would get lost.

Lost. Balls get lost all the time. They get lost in the lights all of the time. Maybe we shouldn't schedule any night games because that's not fair. But wait! We can't have them during the day either because the ball tends to get lost in the sun quite a bit. Maybe we should just have the games in domed stadiums. But wait! Pop ups are tough to deal with against the backdrop of a white roof (just ask any baseball player who has played at the Metrodome).

It's a fact of baseball life. Holliday has a complaint but there really is nothing he or the league could do about it. They won't go back and replay this game no matter what the whining is about. St. Louis just has to deal with this and move on.

The Yardbarker Bloggers NFL Poll

I am honored to be part of the first ever Yardbarker Bloggers NFL Poll that was released yesterday. I am part of an eight-blog collection that will rank every NFL team on a weekly basis.

Here is how I voted in the poll ... which you can see here:

1-COLTS: As I said on the poll, I've been very impressed with what Indy has done. The defense has really performed well and those young receivers have really stepped up.

2-GIANTS: With the other Manning banged up, I've moved New York down a peg. They own the line of scrimmage which keeps them in every game.

3-SAINTS
4-VIKINGS
5-PATRIOTS
6-RAVENS

7-EAGLES: I still don't know what I think of these Eagles yet.

8-FALCONS
9-JETS
10-CHARGERS
11-PACKERS

12-BRONCOS: Some people think that beating Dallas makes them legit. People are overestimating the Cowboys, too.

13-BEARS
14-NINERS

15-STEELERS: Having Troy P back will help. However, he can't run the football for them.

16-COWBOYS
17-BENGALS
18-TEXANS
19-CARDINALS
20-TITANS
21-JAGUARS
22-PANTHERS

23-BILLS: And sinking fast.

24-REDSKINS
25-DOLPHINS
26-SEAHAWKS
27-LIONS
28-RAIDERS
29-BROWNS
30-BUCCANEERS
31-CHIEFS
32-RAMS

It's Not Wrong For Packer Fans to Hate Brett Favre ... Right Now

Last night was a weird scene in Minnesota. Seeing Brett Favre face off against the Green Bay Packers was bizarre. It was also bizarre to see so many Packer fans in attendance with either Favre gear on or anti-Favre stuff.

Some in the media and the message boards think it's silly for Packer fans to hate on Favre. I understand -- and they should. Here is a guy that kept your franchise waiting and guessing and when he told you he wasn't coming back and you moved on ... he can't just walk back in like everything is cool.

And I understand the whole "leaving for the enemy" deal. I do. And I understand the hard feelings Packer fans have. I do.

As a Laker fan, I've soured on Shaquille O'Neal. He, like Favre, brought my favorite team back to the glory days. Shaq in the early part of this decade was so dominant (especially in the Finals). As you know, Shaq complained his way out of Los Angeles by demanding a trade. He got it and my team missed the playoffs the next season.

To this day, I have hard feelings for Shaq ... just as many Laker fans still do. All those things we used to defend him on we now pull out of our sarcastic hats. He ruined a good thing. And it wasn't like he went to the Clippers or Celtics or Spurs or anything. So it must be even harder for Packer backers.

However, there will be one day when this all blows over. One day, Shaq will be back at the Staples Center watching his number 34 retired and placed alongside the other Laker greats. One day after that, Kobe's number 24 will be next to it. The fans, like me, who once hated on him will forget all of that and celebrate his time with the Lakers for what it was.

Same thing will happen to Brett Favre one day. Someday down the road there will be a ceremony honoring Favre. And those Packer fans who became sick watching him in Vikings purple will stand and applaud. They will remember how he helped elevate a franchise that was just treading water and all but forgotten into a Super Bowl champion. They will remember all the great plays, the great comebacks and the great memories. And while there still will be a sting about how it ended, you push that aside for the outstanding times.

Just give it some time.

Oh, What a Exciting Day in the NFL!

Today was a pretty good day in the NFL. Not every game was a nail biter, but there were some great performances in the blowouts, too.

REDSKINS WIN: Forgive me for being both happy and concerned about the Redskins' 16-13 win over the Buccaneers. Beating anyone is a good thing and we needed that bad taste out of our mouths after the Rams win and Lions loss. Clinton Portis finally got in a groove, we ran the ball more than usual and Jason Campbell finally completed a bomb.

Of course, I'm concerned because we barely escaped a winless team. Washington is in the midst of the easiest portion of a schedule that anyone could possibly imagine. The Redskins faced the now 0-4 Rams, the now 1-3 Lions and the now 0-4 Buccaneers ... with the 0-3 Panthers and 0-4 Chiefs up next. The Skins should be 5-1 coming out of that (with the lone loss the season opener at the Giants). However, we didn't look well against the Rams and Bucs and became the first team in 20 games to lose to Detroit. In this game, Campbell made some horrible throws, was picked off three times and coach Jim Zorn had a few questionable play calls (mainly going for it on a 4th and 4 at midfield).

BENGALS DON'T CHOKE: I live in Cincinnati now and their game with Cleveland had letdown written all over it. The Bengals are coming off a big win and should pummel the crappy Browns. The Bengals never pummel anyone. Also, Cincy struggles to win in Cleveland no matter what.

So the fact that the Bengals were down 20-14 late in the game ... then the fact that they scored a TD and had the PAT blocked ... it looked as if they were going to disappoint again. But for the second straight week, Carson Palmer and the offense made some huge, huge plays late and pulled out a win. Now they head to Baltimore for a big matchup of 3-1 teams.

DALLAS DOES CHOKE: I must admit, I was surprised that the Denver Broncos defense is this good. They completely battered Tony Romo and held down one of the league's top rushing attacks. Still, Dallas had their chances to do something and didn't. How Brandon Marshall catches that pass and run through tacklers is beyond me. Then with the ball near the goal line, Romo threw a couple of passes a bit late.

The big question is why Romo and the Cowboys decided to throw Champ Bailey's way an amazing 16 times?

PATRIOTS EEK BY RAVENS: Amazing game. Amazing ending. Amazing drop.

T.O. NEEDS TO SHUT UP: Sorry, but Terrell Owens cannot whine about "running the plays that are called." He had two huge drops that I remember during the Bills loss to the Dolphins. And they were DROPS of good passes that the defenders didn't touch.

TWO TEAMS ARE MIRACLE PLAYS AWAY FROM BEING 4-0: Think about this: the Cincinnati Bengals are a freak TD pass to Brandon Stokley away from being undefeated right now. Also, the San Francisco 49ers are an amazing Brett Favre heave away from being unbeaten as well. Quite something when you think how inept these franchises have been this decade.

A Year Ago, I Predicted a Rio De Jameiro Olympics

Right after the Beijing Games ended, I focused on the 2016 games. I was working for The Fanhouse then and was part of their Olympic Team. I wrote this about how I actually was rooting for Rio to win the '16 Olympic Games:

One of the things I've enjoyed about the Sydney, Athens and Beijing Games is that I saw a place I hadn't seen before. Those corners of the earth that deserve to have a huge spotlight on them. Not to say that Tokyo, Chicago or Madrid don't deserve that, but Rio would make the Olympics pop!

I mean, there aren't many cities that can throw a party like Rio!!!

South America has never held an Olympics and it is about time. The IOC has expressed interest in moving the games to South America and/or Africa. Rio's time zone is just two hours ahead of us, so we'd pretty much get everything live during our normal viewing slots.

One thing that may hurt them is the fact that the 2014 World Cup will also be in Brazil. I don't see that as being a huge problem. After all, the USA hosted the World Cup in 1994 then the 1996 Olympics ... West Germany held the 1972 Olympics and 1974 World Cup ... and Mexico the 1968 Olympics and 1970 World Cup.

Say what you want about China, but they threw a hell of a party. Just like Sydney and Athens, it was neat to see a different part of the world's take of the big stage. I think Rio de Janeiro deserves the same shot at it.

I meant it. Sure, I wanted Chicago to win (today and in that piece I wrote a year ago). But going to Rio wasn't a bad idea for the reasons mentioned above. While I am bummed that Chicago was dismissed rather quickly today and I won't get the pleasure of living five hours away from another Olympics (I was living in Charlotte during the 1996 Atlanta Games), it doesn't hurt too much that the Olympics will be in Brazil.

By the way, I also predicted that President Obama would make a big push for the games.