Week 3 Pick'ems

After Week 2 Mike Dow already has a big three-game lead (14-2 to Simon's 11-5). Here are our Week 3 Pick'ems:

Simon Daugulis		Mike Dow
NO	HOU @ NO	NO
PHI	NYG @ PHI	PHI
CAR	JAC @ CAR	CAR
NE	NE @ BUF	NE
CLE	MIA @ CLE	MIA
CIN	SF @ CIN	CIN
TEN	DEN @ TEN	TEN
DET	DET @ MIN	DET
BAL	BAL @ STL	BAL
NYJ	NYJ @ OAK	NYJ
SD	KC @ SD	SD
ARI	ARI @ SEA	SEA
TB	ATL @ TB	ATL
GB	GB @ CHI	GB
PIT	PIT @ IND	PIT
DAL	WAS @ DAL	WAS

NHL 2011-12 Preview - Central Division

In anticipation of the upcoming NHL season, I will take a look at all thirty teams and try to determine their strengths, weaknesses and chances at making it to the postseason. The preview will be in six installments, one per division, starting in the Western conference. Enjoy! 

Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks finished in 8^th place in the Western conference and 3^rd in the Central division last year, behind Detroit and Nashville. They had a solid showing against Vancouver in round one of the playoffs, coming back from three games down to force a game 7. Expect bigger things from Chicago this year.

Week 3 Forecaster

Texans DE/OLB Mario WIlliams

Of all the 2-0 teams, the Houston Texans have to be the most over-hyped. Sure, they will probably win their division. But keep in mind half of the AFC South (the Peyton-less Colts, and the Luke McCown led Jags) have looked like NCAA I-AA teams at times.

The Texans are 2-0 with wins at home against the above mentioned Colts, and on the road in Miami. While I suppose the old adage “you can only beat who's on your schedule” applies, these were two remarkably easy games, with the Colts severely struggling, and the Dolphins having lost 11 of their last 12 home games. Despite going up against two stalling offences, some pundits seem to have bought in. Clark Judge of cbssports.com suggests that you “gotta believe” in their D, while his colleague Pete Prisco has the Texans 4 in his power rankings, also noting the defense as a strength.

Justin Verlander: Most Valuable Pitcher

Recently, on Bill Simmons' BS Report podcast, former Red Sox player Kevin Millar aired his belief that the MVP award should go to an everyday player. Millar's thinking was that pitchers already have the Cy Young Award, which should be enough.

In reality though, the award should go to the best player, the player most valuable to his team. As we head towards the playoffs, there is almost no doubt that the AL MVP is Justin Verlander.

Quick Hits: Sept.19th

I've seen a lot throughout my years as an NFL fan: a quarterback as mediocre as Trent Dilfer win a Superbowl; an unstoppable, undefeated team lose a Superbowl to a wildcard team; a man shoot himself in the leg and go to prison, only to return to the league. But one thing I'd never imagine, is a team one year removed from winning a division title stoop to worst record in the league. The 2011 Kansas City Chiefs, though, may just do that.

HC Vitkovice @ HC Plzen 1929

Yesterday, I experienced a surprising introduction to the world of Czech professional hockey. For starters, I didn't even know there was a game going on until two hours before puck-drop. My only clue was the mob of rowdy fans that got off our train which took us from Prague to Plzen yesterday afternoon. This was a pleasant surprise, and I just had to find out more. 

NFL Week 2 Questions

Thousands of NFL fans are affected by a terrible condition, which flares up every single week. Of course, I'm talking about the lack of NFL Sunday Ticket. The inability to choose which game to watch can cause some terrible side-effects, like being forced to watch a Browns game, or catching the score of your team's matchup only through game breaks. With these poor souls in mind, The Redshirt Freshmen present intriguing storylines of the week, with the hope that this life-affecting condition can soon be alleviated for fans around the world.

KC @ DET: Are the Lions really a playoff contender? Can the Chiefs, one year removed from a division title, really be that bad?

OAK @ BUF: Really? One of these teams will be 2-0 to start the season?

NFL Week 2 Pick'ems

Every week of the NFL season, we'll be picking winners for all the games. As we missed Week 1, here's our first edition of Pick'ems.

     Simon Daugulis                                            Mike Dow

RAIDERS	OAK @ BUF	BILLS
LIONS	KC @ DET	LIONS
RAVENS	BAL @ TEN	RAVENS
COLTS	CLE @ IND	BROWNS
VIKINGS	TB @ MIN	BUCCANEERS
SAINTS	CHI @ NO	SAINTS
JETS	JAC @ NYJ	JETS

Quick Hits: Sept. 17

(Editor's Note: As a diehard Yankees fan, this pains me to write)

If it's possible for a single game to be pivotal in a 162 game season, last night's Boston Red Sox 3-2 win fit the bill. In the midst of a dismal stretch, and with the Tampa Rays right on their heels, the BoSox got their ace, Josh Beckett, back from injury to provide the spark they needed. Beckett pitched a gritty 6 innings, throwing 7 strikeouts, and for the first time in what seems like months—and to the dismay of Red Sox haters across the universe—the bullpen actually held up.

Week 2 Forecaster

Rant of the Week:

Admit it: you knew it was coming. As the 4^th quarter of last Sunday night's game wound down, you knew Tony Romo would do something so unthinkably un-clutch, it couldn't really have come as a surprise. It was almost like watching the hot girl wander out into the woods in a horror movie, calling “who's out there?”. You knew how it would end.

A couple of classic Romo turnovers later, and all of a sudden a sure win for America's Team turned into a fourth quarter collapse. Did the Jets win that game? Not really. I mean, its tough for any Jets fan to come away from that game feeling amazing about their team. Rather, the Boys found a way to lose. Between the aforementioned turnovers, and Dez Bryant's sudden inability to run, they barely stood a chance, even with a late lead. You might even say, they pulled a Romo.