Top 20 Favorite Albums Of The Decade (2000-2009)
M.D. Wright
12.31.09
We're all in a nostalgic mood of sorts all of a sudden at the end of every year. Even more so after a decade (most of which I do not remember except the extremely painful parts; i.e. 2006-present) but THANKFULLY, we had sports and MUSIC as a salve.
Here are my personal Top 20 Favorite Albums Of The 2000s:
20. Juelz Santana - "From Me To U".
19. Fred Hammond - "Free To Worship".
18. Faith Evans - "Faithfully".
17. Alicia Keys - "Songs In A-Minor".
16. Toni Braxton - "The Heat".
15. Sade - "Lovers Rock".
14. musiq soulchild - "juslisen"
13. Joe - "My Name Is Joe".
12. Cam'ron - "Killa Season".
11. Jill Scott - "Who Is Jill Scott? Words & Sounds, Vol. I".
10. Jagged Edge - "J.E. Heartbreak".
9. Gloria Estefan - "Alma Caribeña".
8. Ghostface Killah - "Supreme Clientele".
7. Fred Hammond - "Purpose By Design".
6. Carl Thomas - "Emotional".
5. Cam'ron - "Purple Haze".
4. Cam'ron - "Come Home With Me".
3. Joann Rosario - "More, More, More"
2. Lisa McClendon - "My Diary, Your Life".
1. The Diplomats - "Diplomatic Immunity".
This is based upon total spins on CDs, my iTunes, how much I reach for the albums or songs off the albums that I still listen to even today.
It's tough to compose a list like this when you're an audiophile, but feel free to come up with your own list and share with me.
As politically incorrect as I wanna be.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Young Mike's 2009 NFL All-Rookie Squad
Young Mike's 2009 NFL All-Rookie Squad
M.D. Wright
12.29.09
AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
OFFENSE
QB:
Pat White - MIAMI
Mark Sanchez - NEW YORK
Comments:
White didn't make the number of mistakes Sanchez did, but Sanchez played more and despite his rookie mistakes, the Jets may indeed be returning to the playoffs.
-------------------------
RB:
Knowshon Moreno - DENVER
Shonn Greene - NEW YORK
Donald Brown - INDIANAPOLIS
Comments:
Moreno logged the most carries out of the bunch and had a decent season. Denver still employs the zone blocking scheme when rushing the football and their RBs typically average close to 5.0 YPC in that system.
Greene emerged for the Jets when RB Leon Washington (FROM?!?!) went down with a gruesome leg fracture.
Donald Brown filled in nicely when Joseph Addai, and his annual missed games/injury parade got going with his trend.
--------------------------
WR:
Austin Collie - INDIANAPOLIS
Mohamed Massaquoi - CLEVELAND
Louis Murphy - OAKLAND
Honorable Mention:
Kenny Britt - TENNESSEE
Brian Hartline - MIAMI
Mike Wallace - 60 MINUTES... uhhh PITTSBURGH
Comments:
The Colts were able to answer the question surrounding what they would be able to do without WR Marvin Harrison, ALONG WITH WR Anthony Gonzalez, losing the latter after the very first game of the 2009 season. Collie has been dynamic for the Colts.
Massaquoi is a fantasy gem and if he has a decent QB (no real gimme in Cleveland) he can make plays. As he did wearing #1 at UGa.
Sweet Lou Murphy has my respect, even though he is a UF guy. Real. Tough. Guy.
--------------------------
TE:
None.
Offensive Line:
These guys usually do not have much of an impact early on in their careers unless they're #1 overall-type picks. Most of the First Round Picks were either injured all season or barely played (outside of Michael Oher).
-------------------------------
DEFENSE
DE:
Larry English - SAN DIEGO
Aaron Maybin - BUFFALO
Comments:
English was an active body for the Bolts. Maybin will be solid.
DT:
None.
OLB:
Brian Cushing - HOUSTON
Comments:
This guy knows how to play BALL.
-----------------------------
CB:
Jairus Byrd - BUFFALO
Vontae Davis - MIAMI
Comments:
Byrd led the NFL in INTs and Davis was all over the place for Miami this year.
S:
None.
K:
Ryan Succop - KANSAS CITY
Comments:
Succop kicks. The end.
--------------------------------------------
NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
OFFENSE
QB:
Matthew Stafford - DETROIT
Josh Freeman - TAMPA BAY
Comments:
Defaults. Stafford actually played pretty well in half his games before injuring his knee. Freeman has shown poise of late.
RB:
LeSean McCoy - PHILADELPHIA
Chris Wells - ARIZONA
Mike Goodson - CAROLINA
Comments:
McCoy filled in admirably while Westbrook missed half the season for the Iggles. Wells helped established a true running game for Arizona and Goodson came on late when Williams was nicked up for the Panthers.
WR:
Hakeem Nicks - NEW YORK
Percy Harvin - MINNESOTA
Johnny Knox - CHICAGO
Jeremy Maclin - PHILADELPHIA
Honorable Mention:
Sammie Stroughter - TAMPA BAY
Comments:
Nicks will be the best long-term WR of this bunch. He has oven mitts for hands and makes plays. Had nearly as many 50+ yard plays from scrimmage as DeSean Jackson and a couple more than young Percy Harvin.
Speaking of Harvin, got out of the gates explosively this year, faded a bit with Favre's lulls and came on with a clutch score in Week 16 to keep Minnesota close in a big game. He's a game changer.
Knox returns kicks and makes plays occasionally for the Bears. Before Aromashadu stepped in, the Bears pretty much had nothing in the way of receivers.
Maclin was nicked a bit, but provided solid playmaking for the Iggles opposite dynamo DeSean Jackson.
------------------------------
TE:
Brandon Pettigrew - DETROIT
Travis Beckum - NEW YORK
Comments:
Not many teams utilize TEs, especially not rookies, but Pettigrew actually had a very good season for the Lions, all things considered. Beckum served mostly as a backup to Elisha Manning safety net Kevin Boss.
Offensive Line:
T: Jason Smith - ST. LOUIS
T: Will Beatty - NEW YORK
T: TJ Lang - GREEN BAY
Comments:
Smith was drafted to be a cornerstone, Beatty was pressed into action due to injuries to Pro Bowler Kareem McKenzie and Lang played decently for Green Bay for most of the season.
DL:
DE: Brian Orakpo - WASHINGTON
DT: BJ Raji - GREEN BAY
Comments:
Orakpo was by far the best defense lineman taken in the 2009 Draft and he proved why. Everette Brown again showing how far Florida State has fallen, drafted high, output LOW. No mention. Raji was a stud for Green Bay at times.
LB:
Jasper Brinkley - MINNESOTA
Clay Matthews - GREEN BAY
Honorable Mention:
Clint Sintim - NEW YORK
Comments:
Jasper has ants in his pants. They're going to need him with EJ Henderson out. Matthews has the NFL genes and those USC guys sure proved to be legit (albeit the one who had the most touting put out the least this year no homo).
Clint Sintim should have played much more for the Giants. He was active and made plays when he did get on the field, and the LB/part-time DE rotation at RE was so dire that he shouldn't played more and would've been better than anyone who saw the field for the Giants.
CB:
Malcolm Jenkins - NEW ORLEANS
Captain Munnerlyn - CAROLINA
Comments:
Jenkins was as good as advertised. CAPTAIN MUNNERLYN, because I like the name Captain. I'm going to name one of my sons Captain.
S:
Louis Delmas - DETROIT
Comments:
My son YOUNG LOU in a class all by himself. He's going to be All-Madden before it's all over.
K:
Graham Gano - WASHINGTON
Comments:
Because he went to Florida State and Skins fans are glad SUISHAM is gone.
M.D. Wright
12.29.09
AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
OFFENSE
QB:
Pat White - MIAMI
Mark Sanchez - NEW YORK
Comments:
White didn't make the number of mistakes Sanchez did, but Sanchez played more and despite his rookie mistakes, the Jets may indeed be returning to the playoffs.
-------------------------
RB:
Knowshon Moreno - DENVER
Shonn Greene - NEW YORK
Donald Brown - INDIANAPOLIS
Comments:
Moreno logged the most carries out of the bunch and had a decent season. Denver still employs the zone blocking scheme when rushing the football and their RBs typically average close to 5.0 YPC in that system.
Greene emerged for the Jets when RB Leon Washington (FROM?!?!) went down with a gruesome leg fracture.
Donald Brown filled in nicely when Joseph Addai, and his annual missed games/injury parade got going with his trend.
--------------------------
WR:
Austin Collie - INDIANAPOLIS
Mohamed Massaquoi - CLEVELAND
Louis Murphy - OAKLAND
Honorable Mention:
Kenny Britt - TENNESSEE
Brian Hartline - MIAMI
Mike Wallace - 60 MINUTES... uhhh PITTSBURGH
Comments:
The Colts were able to answer the question surrounding what they would be able to do without WR Marvin Harrison, ALONG WITH WR Anthony Gonzalez, losing the latter after the very first game of the 2009 season. Collie has been dynamic for the Colts.
Massaquoi is a fantasy gem and if he has a decent QB (no real gimme in Cleveland) he can make plays. As he did wearing #1 at UGa.
Sweet Lou Murphy has my respect, even though he is a UF guy. Real. Tough. Guy.
--------------------------
TE:
None.
Offensive Line:
These guys usually do not have much of an impact early on in their careers unless they're #1 overall-type picks. Most of the First Round Picks were either injured all season or barely played (outside of Michael Oher).
-------------------------------
DEFENSE
DE:
Larry English - SAN DIEGO
Aaron Maybin - BUFFALO
Comments:
English was an active body for the Bolts. Maybin will be solid.
DT:
None.
OLB:
Brian Cushing - HOUSTON
Comments:
This guy knows how to play BALL.
-----------------------------
CB:
Jairus Byrd - BUFFALO
Vontae Davis - MIAMI
Comments:
Byrd led the NFL in INTs and Davis was all over the place for Miami this year.
S:
None.
K:
Ryan Succop - KANSAS CITY
Comments:
Succop kicks. The end.
--------------------------------------------
NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
OFFENSE
QB:
Matthew Stafford - DETROIT
Josh Freeman - TAMPA BAY
Comments:
Defaults. Stafford actually played pretty well in half his games before injuring his knee. Freeman has shown poise of late.
RB:
LeSean McCoy - PHILADELPHIA
Chris Wells - ARIZONA
Mike Goodson - CAROLINA
Comments:
McCoy filled in admirably while Westbrook missed half the season for the Iggles. Wells helped established a true running game for Arizona and Goodson came on late when Williams was nicked up for the Panthers.
WR:
Hakeem Nicks - NEW YORK
Percy Harvin - MINNESOTA
Johnny Knox - CHICAGO
Jeremy Maclin - PHILADELPHIA
Honorable Mention:
Sammie Stroughter - TAMPA BAY
Comments:
Nicks will be the best long-term WR of this bunch. He has oven mitts for hands and makes plays. Had nearly as many 50+ yard plays from scrimmage as DeSean Jackson and a couple more than young Percy Harvin.
Speaking of Harvin, got out of the gates explosively this year, faded a bit with Favre's lulls and came on with a clutch score in Week 16 to keep Minnesota close in a big game. He's a game changer.
Knox returns kicks and makes plays occasionally for the Bears. Before Aromashadu stepped in, the Bears pretty much had nothing in the way of receivers.
Maclin was nicked a bit, but provided solid playmaking for the Iggles opposite dynamo DeSean Jackson.
------------------------------
TE:
Brandon Pettigrew - DETROIT
Travis Beckum - NEW YORK
Comments:
Not many teams utilize TEs, especially not rookies, but Pettigrew actually had a very good season for the Lions, all things considered. Beckum served mostly as a backup to Elisha Manning safety net Kevin Boss.
Offensive Line:
T: Jason Smith - ST. LOUIS
T: Will Beatty - NEW YORK
T: TJ Lang - GREEN BAY
Comments:
Smith was drafted to be a cornerstone, Beatty was pressed into action due to injuries to Pro Bowler Kareem McKenzie and Lang played decently for Green Bay for most of the season.
DL:
DE: Brian Orakpo - WASHINGTON
DT: BJ Raji - GREEN BAY
Comments:
Orakpo was by far the best defense lineman taken in the 2009 Draft and he proved why. Everette Brown again showing how far Florida State has fallen, drafted high, output LOW. No mention. Raji was a stud for Green Bay at times.
LB:
Jasper Brinkley - MINNESOTA
Clay Matthews - GREEN BAY
Honorable Mention:
Clint Sintim - NEW YORK
Comments:
Jasper has ants in his pants. They're going to need him with EJ Henderson out. Matthews has the NFL genes and those USC guys sure proved to be legit (albeit the one who had the most touting put out the least this year no homo).
Clint Sintim should have played much more for the Giants. He was active and made plays when he did get on the field, and the LB/part-time DE rotation at RE was so dire that he shouldn't played more and would've been better than anyone who saw the field for the Giants.
CB:
Malcolm Jenkins - NEW ORLEANS
Captain Munnerlyn - CAROLINA
Comments:
Jenkins was as good as advertised. CAPTAIN MUNNERLYN, because I like the name Captain. I'm going to name one of my sons Captain.
S:
Louis Delmas - DETROIT
Comments:
My son YOUNG LOU in a class all by himself. He's going to be All-Madden before it's all over.
K:
Graham Gano - WASHINGTON
Comments:
Because he went to Florida State and Skins fans are glad SUISHAM is gone.
2010 NFL Pro Bowl Rosters
2010 NFL Pro Bowl Rosters
M.D. Wright
12.29.09
***EDITOR'S NOTE: Changes may be made due to potential for injuries, but these are the results of all the voting.
AFC
OFFENSE
* - First Player Listed Is STARTER
QB:
*Peyton Manning - INDIANAPOLIS
Tom Brady - NEW ENGLAND
Philip Rivers - SAN DIEGO
Comments:
Switch Rivers and Brady. Otherwise, this was indeed the top three in QBs in the AFC.
RB:
*Chris Johnson - TENNESSEE
*Maurice Jones-Drew - JACKSONVILLE
Ray Rice - BALTIMORE
Comments:
I don't care HOW MANY touchdowns Jones-Drew had, THOMAS JONES was the 2nd best RB in the AFC this year. The way the New York teams (actually more so the Giants, since the Jets' offensive line received acclaim) got slighted this year is beyond disgusting. Ray Rice deserves his spot 100%. Cedric Benson was probably the sole reason the Bengals are 10-5 and not 6-9 right now. Carson Palmer has had a disgustingly average to below average season (save for a couple of clutch moments late in a couple of games) and their defense bends but doesn't break, but isn't great. What was the Bengals' main problem last year offensively? RUNNING THE FOOTBALL. Cedric Benson should definitely be the Most Improved Player in the AFC.
FB:
*Le'Ron McClain - BALTIMORE
Comments:
Only other worthwhile mention was Tony Richardson.
WR:
*Andre Johnson - HOUSTON
*Reggie Wayne - INDIANAPOLIS
Brandon Marshall - DENVER
Wes Welker - NEW ENGLAND
Comments:
Marshall's numbers are inflated. 1/4 of his catches came in ONE GAME. He didn't do anything impressive at all otherwise. Andre Johnson is THE best WR in football. Wayne and Welker are debatable, but the Colts are better than the Patriots, so.
TE:
*Dallas Clark - INDIANAPOLIS
Antonio Gates - SAN DIEGO
Comments:
None.
C:
*Nick Mangold - NEW YORK
Jeff Saturday - INDIANAPOLIS
Comments:
None.
G:
*Alan Faneca - NEW YORK
*Logan Mankins - NEW ENGLAND
Kris Dielman - SAN DIEGO
Comment:
T:
*Ryan Clady - DENVER
*Jake Long - MIAMI
Joe Thomas - CLEVELAND
Comment:
This is a joke. Clady holds more defensive ends than R&B Crooners hold women during and after a concert.
AFC
DEFENSE
DE:
*Dwight Freeney - INDIANAPOLIS
*Robert Mathis - INDIANAPOLIS
Mario Williams - HOUSTON
Comment:
Hard to dispute Freeney. Mathis and Williams could have been flip-flopped, but that's splitting hairs.
DT/NT:
*Haloti Ngata - BALTIMORE
*Vince Wilfork - NEW ENGLAND
Casey Hampton - PITTSBURGH
Comments:
Ngata is one of the most agile big men I've ever seen and he doesn't have hands of stone like most defensive linemen. That's basically the edge he gets over Wilfork, who has been a problem at DT since he entered the league from The U. Hampton does not belong on this list DEAR GOD.
MLB:
*Ray Lewis - BALTIMORE
DeMeco Ryans - HOUSTON
Comments:
For what Lewis has lost in speed, he has gained in anticipation and guile. He still hits as hard as ever. Ryans is a PLAYER.
OLB:
*Elvis Dumervil - DENVER
*James Harrison - PITTSBURGH
Brian Cushing - HOUSTON
Comments:
Dumervil flourished when Denver moved him to OLB from DE this year. Led the AFC in sacks. JAMES HARRISON DOES NOT BELONG ON THIS LIST GOOD HEAVENS WHO VOTED FOR THESE SQUADS???
Cushing surprised me, because he has made a seamless transition from USC to the NFL. He's going to be great. And he's JUST A ROOKIE.
CB:
*Nnamdi Asomugha - OAKLAND
*Darrelle Revis - NEW YORK
Champ Bailey - DENVER
Comments:
Ahhhh MY old position. Nnamdi finally getting league-wide acclaim, but Revis is the ABSOLUTE best Cornerback in the NFL. Let's not be confused here.
SS:
*Brian Dawkins - DENVER
Comments:
Dawkins looks slow nowadays. I know that was the main reason Philadelphia cut him, but there are other guys who could have had this spot. Guys getting in on past laurels?
(Sidebar Conversation)
Noot-Noot: "WHERE DEY DO DET ET?"
Ace: "THE NFL DAWG!"
Noot-Noot: "Oh."
FS:
*Ed Reed - BALTIMORE
Jairus Byrd - BUFFALO
Comments:
Another joke. Reed would blush. He had an off season by his standards and Byrd led the NFL in INTs if I'm not mistaken -- as I kept up with that stat when it originally jumped off the page at me 5 or 6 weeks ago.
AFC
SPECIALISTS
P:
*Shane Lechler - OAKLAND
Comments:
RAY GUY, JR. NFL PURISTS KNOW THERE NEEDS TO BE NO MORE SAID.
KR:
*Joshua Cribbs - CLEVELAND
Comments:
Best in the game. BY FAR. If Cleveland is smart, they'll keep him there and not screw up their return game/wide receiving corp/salary cap in one failed swoop like the Bears did with KR/WR/CB/Whatever Devin Hester.
PK:
*Nate Kaeding - SAN DIEGO
Comments:
Most accurate kicker in NFL history with over 100 FGs made. Charger fans, both full-time and part-time (me) still gulp whenever he kicks with the game on the line, however.
ST:
*Kassim Osgood - SAN DIEGO
Comments:
Total toss-up. In my opinion, every team has a standout special teams guy. He's just always around the ball, even if he's not making the tackle. Exposure counts, huh?
--------------------------------------
NFC
OFFENSE
QB:
*Drew Brees - NEW ORLEANS
Brett Favre - MINNESOTA
Aaron Rodgers - GREEN BAY
Comments:
Always said if Rodgers had time, he would do work. Said it last year, he delivered, said it this year -- and once they got it corrected, he delivered again. This guy almost won me a fantasy football championship last year. Favre only got up there because of his name -- I don't care what his stats are, Eli deserved to go. Brees has stumbled 4 out of the last 5 games. Questionable. Argument can be made that Rodgers should've gotten the nod outright.
RB:
*Adrian Peterson - MINNESOTA
Steven Jackson - ST. LOUIS
DeAngelo Williams - CAROLINA
Comments:
Williams missed too many games, but managed to have good enough numbers since all the other teams split carries between 2 or 3 RBs. Peterson sure does fumble a lot (<<<) that's my son and all, but...
Jackson was an absolute HOSS all season. Deserved it.
FB:
*Leonard Weaver - PHILADELPHIA
Comments:
God I hate this guy. Where did he come from??? And why was he running over, around and past guys like he's Chris Johnson this year? No one else really uses a FB as no one else really runs a true West Coast system other than Philadelphia.
WR:
*Larry Fitzgerald - ARIZONA
*DeSean Jackson - PHILADELPHIA
Miles Austin - DALLAS
Sidney Rice - MINNESOTA
Comments:
No argument against Fitzgerald and Jackson, however:
BOTH STEVE SMITHS BELONG HERE.
Sidney Rice is more "Most Improved Player" material than Pro Bowl. Steve Smith (NYG) is going to have 105 catches and nearly 3/4 of them for first downs DEAR GOD. Countless Giants' drives were kept alive as he served as Manning's safety blanket. Miles Austin is a nice story, but stop it 5. The Dallas fanbase had something to do with this -- as Giants fanbase, typically not braggarts, don't OD stuff the ballot box for their favorite players. Steve Smith (CAR) is the toughest WR in the NFL. Had his arm broken by Giants' FS Michael Johnson, broke away, still scored and almost nets 1,000 yards despite having the absolute worst QB in the NFL and being double-teamed ALL GAME, EVERY GAME (even though Cutler had more INTs, he wasn't as bad as Delhomme and everyone knows this).
TE:
*Vernon Davis - SAN FRANCISCO
Jason Witten - DALLAS
Comments:
Romo didn't totally KEY IN on Witten all year this year, so his stats were down. However, SF's QBs DID use Davis as a safety blanket all season since they don't have a WR to speak of. Kevin Boss deserves honorable mention as well.
C:
*Andre Gurode - DALLAS
Shaun O'Hara - NEW YORK
Comments:
O'Hara was the only consistent performer for the Giants' offensive line, which had previously been the best in football the past 4 seasons. He and Dave Diehl were the only ones who seemed to come to play every week. And that said, Gurode, who was steady, but not spectacular, should be the backup to O'Hara.
G:
*Jahri Evans - NEW ORLEANS
*Steve Hutchinson - MINNESOTA
Leonard Davis - DALLAS
Comments:
WHO DAT? No, seriously -- WHO DAT? That boy should not be starting (Evans). HOUSE DAVIS paved the way for many a Felix Jones breakaway run this year. HE should be starting at RG this Pro Bowl. Hutchinson is the only reason more Adrian Peterson runs didn't get stopped for loss and Favre didn't get sacked more, because Bryant McKinnie absolutely sucked rectum this year.
T:
*Bryant McKinnie - MINNESOTA
*Jason Peters - PHILADELPHIA
Jon Stinchcomb - NEW ORLEANS
Comments:
Neither of the "starters" should be starting. Even fans of their teams will tell you that. Stinchcomb protected Brees superbly in all but one game this year. He deserves it. Dave Diehl should be a backup.
NFC
DEFENSE
DE:
*Jared Allen - MINNESOTA
*Julius Peppers - CAROLINA
Trent Cole - PHILADELPHIA
Comments:
Jared Allen: "HERE!"
Trent Cole (should be starting): "PRESENT!"
Justin Tuck: "...." JUSTIN TUCK: ".............."
Julius Peppers: "Oh, I decided to start playing when the games meant nothing and I could spoil other teams' playoff chances and seedings and now GMs are watching so I can get paid as a UFA".
What a joke this voting is. Peppers didn't do a thing 4/5 of the season.
Even Ray Edwards and Adewale Ogunleye (Staten Island native) played better.
DT/NT:
*Darnell Dockett - ARIZONA
*Kevin Williams - MINNESOTA
Jay Ratliff - DALLAS
Comments:
The voters ALMOST got this right. The correct THREE players, but Ratliff is the best DT in the NFC. The man has been downfield covering WIDE RECEIVERS this year and makes plays sideline to sideline like a MLB. Dockett is the best DT in the trenches. To me, Kevin Williams is a bit overrated. Pat Williams eats up two gaps (no pun intended) and Jared Allen gets doubled a ton.
Ratliff plays in a 3-4, has two-gap assignments and does everything I mentioned above ALONG WITH THAT.
So does Dockett in the same alignment.
MLB:
*Patrick Willis - SAN FRANCISCO
Jonathan Vilma - NEW ORLEANS
Comments:
No real arguments here. Pat Willis is a tackling machine. I would like to see London Fletcher make a Pro Bowl, even IF he is dirty. Show some love for Jon Beason also, please.
OLB:
*Lance Briggs - CHICAGO
*DeMarcus Ware - DALLAS
Brian Orakpo - WASHINGTON
Comments:
I have Orakpo personally listed as a DE. But whatever. He could've made Pro Bowl at DE over Peppers. That's how laughable the vote of Peppers is. Briggs was good, not great. Ware started slowly and didn't dominate this year. I dunno about this vote. Where's young Clay Matthews? Thomas Davis?
CB:
*Asante Samuel - PHILADELPHIA
*Charles Woodson - GREEN BAY
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie - ARIZONA
Comments:
No arguments here. All these guys deserve it. Woodson will win the Defensive Player of the Year, actually. Samuel gambles a lot, but like OMW, hits .725 on those gambles.
SS:
*Adrian Wilson - ARIZONA
Comments:
Adrian Wilson FROM?!?!?! HIGH POINT. Still doing it at age 30 and getting better with age.
FS:
*Darren Sharper - NEW ORLEANS
Nick Collins - GREEN BAY
Comments:
Sharper faded late. He's getting by on smarts and awareness. He's lost 3 steps since leaving Green Bay. Collins is good, but can YOUNG LOU DELMAS GET SOME LOVE?
NFC
SPECIALISTS
P:
Andy Lee - SAN FRANCISCO
Comments:
Puts in more work than your average (lying) rapper. However, Jeff Feagles is still the DEAN of Punting.
KR:
DeSean Jackson - PHILADELPHIA
Comments:
Tons of plays over 50+ yards in the kicking game alone. Only guy challenging Cribbs.
PK:
David Akers - PHILADELPHIA
Comments:
Kickers aren't worth arguing over, but Law Tynes and Neil Rackers deserve mention.
ST:
Heath Farwell - MINNESOTA
Comments:
WHO.
Chase Blackburn, Courtney Roby, Micheal Spurlock. Who even knows who Farwell is outside of Minnesota? These other guys either have returned kicks AND get tackles (both Spurlock and Roby) or contribute on another unit as well (Blackburn).
We love to argue over Pro Bowl rosters every year don't we?
(c) SINCE 1986.
DISCUSS.
M.D. Wright
12.29.09
***EDITOR'S NOTE: Changes may be made due to potential for injuries, but these are the results of all the voting.
AFC
OFFENSE
* - First Player Listed Is STARTER
QB:
*Peyton Manning - INDIANAPOLIS
Tom Brady - NEW ENGLAND
Philip Rivers - SAN DIEGO
Comments:
Switch Rivers and Brady. Otherwise, this was indeed the top three in QBs in the AFC.
RB:
*Chris Johnson - TENNESSEE
*Maurice Jones-Drew - JACKSONVILLE
Ray Rice - BALTIMORE
Comments:
I don't care HOW MANY touchdowns Jones-Drew had, THOMAS JONES was the 2nd best RB in the AFC this year. The way the New York teams (actually more so the Giants, since the Jets' offensive line received acclaim) got slighted this year is beyond disgusting. Ray Rice deserves his spot 100%. Cedric Benson was probably the sole reason the Bengals are 10-5 and not 6-9 right now. Carson Palmer has had a disgustingly average to below average season (save for a couple of clutch moments late in a couple of games) and their defense bends but doesn't break, but isn't great. What was the Bengals' main problem last year offensively? RUNNING THE FOOTBALL. Cedric Benson should definitely be the Most Improved Player in the AFC.
FB:
*Le'Ron McClain - BALTIMORE
Comments:
Only other worthwhile mention was Tony Richardson.
WR:
*Andre Johnson - HOUSTON
*Reggie Wayne - INDIANAPOLIS
Brandon Marshall - DENVER
Wes Welker - NEW ENGLAND
Comments:
Marshall's numbers are inflated. 1/4 of his catches came in ONE GAME. He didn't do anything impressive at all otherwise. Andre Johnson is THE best WR in football. Wayne and Welker are debatable, but the Colts are better than the Patriots, so.
TE:
*Dallas Clark - INDIANAPOLIS
Antonio Gates - SAN DIEGO
Comments:
None.
C:
*Nick Mangold - NEW YORK
Jeff Saturday - INDIANAPOLIS
Comments:
None.
G:
*Alan Faneca - NEW YORK
*Logan Mankins - NEW ENGLAND
Kris Dielman - SAN DIEGO
Comment:
T:
*Ryan Clady - DENVER
*Jake Long - MIAMI
Joe Thomas - CLEVELAND
Comment:
This is a joke. Clady holds more defensive ends than R&B Crooners hold women during and after a concert.
AFC
DEFENSE
DE:
*Dwight Freeney - INDIANAPOLIS
*Robert Mathis - INDIANAPOLIS
Mario Williams - HOUSTON
Comment:
Hard to dispute Freeney. Mathis and Williams could have been flip-flopped, but that's splitting hairs.
DT/NT:
*Haloti Ngata - BALTIMORE
*Vince Wilfork - NEW ENGLAND
Casey Hampton - PITTSBURGH
Comments:
Ngata is one of the most agile big men I've ever seen and he doesn't have hands of stone like most defensive linemen. That's basically the edge he gets over Wilfork, who has been a problem at DT since he entered the league from The U. Hampton does not belong on this list DEAR GOD.
MLB:
*Ray Lewis - BALTIMORE
DeMeco Ryans - HOUSTON
Comments:
For what Lewis has lost in speed, he has gained in anticipation and guile. He still hits as hard as ever. Ryans is a PLAYER.
OLB:
*Elvis Dumervil - DENVER
*James Harrison - PITTSBURGH
Brian Cushing - HOUSTON
Comments:
Dumervil flourished when Denver moved him to OLB from DE this year. Led the AFC in sacks. JAMES HARRISON DOES NOT BELONG ON THIS LIST GOOD HEAVENS WHO VOTED FOR THESE SQUADS???
Cushing surprised me, because he has made a seamless transition from USC to the NFL. He's going to be great. And he's JUST A ROOKIE.
CB:
*Nnamdi Asomugha - OAKLAND
*Darrelle Revis - NEW YORK
Champ Bailey - DENVER
Comments:
Ahhhh MY old position. Nnamdi finally getting league-wide acclaim, but Revis is the ABSOLUTE best Cornerback in the NFL. Let's not be confused here.
SS:
*Brian Dawkins - DENVER
Comments:
Dawkins looks slow nowadays. I know that was the main reason Philadelphia cut him, but there are other guys who could have had this spot. Guys getting in on past laurels?
(Sidebar Conversation)
Noot-Noot: "WHERE DEY DO DET ET?"
Ace: "THE NFL DAWG!"
Noot-Noot: "Oh."
FS:
*Ed Reed - BALTIMORE
Jairus Byrd - BUFFALO
Comments:
Another joke. Reed would blush. He had an off season by his standards and Byrd led the NFL in INTs if I'm not mistaken -- as I kept up with that stat when it originally jumped off the page at me 5 or 6 weeks ago.
AFC
SPECIALISTS
P:
*Shane Lechler - OAKLAND
Comments:
RAY GUY, JR. NFL PURISTS KNOW THERE NEEDS TO BE NO MORE SAID.
KR:
*Joshua Cribbs - CLEVELAND
Comments:
Best in the game. BY FAR. If Cleveland is smart, they'll keep him there and not screw up their return game/wide receiving corp/salary cap in one failed swoop like the Bears did with KR/WR/CB/Whatever Devin Hester.
PK:
*Nate Kaeding - SAN DIEGO
Comments:
Most accurate kicker in NFL history with over 100 FGs made. Charger fans, both full-time and part-time (me) still gulp whenever he kicks with the game on the line, however.
ST:
*Kassim Osgood - SAN DIEGO
Comments:
Total toss-up. In my opinion, every team has a standout special teams guy. He's just always around the ball, even if he's not making the tackle. Exposure counts, huh?
--------------------------------------
NFC
OFFENSE
QB:
*Drew Brees - NEW ORLEANS
Brett Favre - MINNESOTA
Aaron Rodgers - GREEN BAY
Comments:
Always said if Rodgers had time, he would do work. Said it last year, he delivered, said it this year -- and once they got it corrected, he delivered again. This guy almost won me a fantasy football championship last year. Favre only got up there because of his name -- I don't care what his stats are, Eli deserved to go. Brees has stumbled 4 out of the last 5 games. Questionable. Argument can be made that Rodgers should've gotten the nod outright.
RB:
*Adrian Peterson - MINNESOTA
Steven Jackson - ST. LOUIS
DeAngelo Williams - CAROLINA
Comments:
Williams missed too many games, but managed to have good enough numbers since all the other teams split carries between 2 or 3 RBs. Peterson sure does fumble a lot (<<<) that's my son and all, but...
Jackson was an absolute HOSS all season. Deserved it.
FB:
*Leonard Weaver - PHILADELPHIA
Comments:
God I hate this guy. Where did he come from??? And why was he running over, around and past guys like he's Chris Johnson this year? No one else really uses a FB as no one else really runs a true West Coast system other than Philadelphia.
WR:
*Larry Fitzgerald - ARIZONA
*DeSean Jackson - PHILADELPHIA
Miles Austin - DALLAS
Sidney Rice - MINNESOTA
Comments:
No argument against Fitzgerald and Jackson, however:
BOTH STEVE SMITHS BELONG HERE.
Sidney Rice is more "Most Improved Player" material than Pro Bowl. Steve Smith (NYG) is going to have 105 catches and nearly 3/4 of them for first downs DEAR GOD. Countless Giants' drives were kept alive as he served as Manning's safety blanket. Miles Austin is a nice story, but stop it 5. The Dallas fanbase had something to do with this -- as Giants fanbase, typically not braggarts, don't OD stuff the ballot box for their favorite players. Steve Smith (CAR) is the toughest WR in the NFL. Had his arm broken by Giants' FS Michael Johnson, broke away, still scored and almost nets 1,000 yards despite having the absolute worst QB in the NFL and being double-teamed ALL GAME, EVERY GAME (even though Cutler had more INTs, he wasn't as bad as Delhomme and everyone knows this).
TE:
*Vernon Davis - SAN FRANCISCO
Jason Witten - DALLAS
Comments:
Romo didn't totally KEY IN on Witten all year this year, so his stats were down. However, SF's QBs DID use Davis as a safety blanket all season since they don't have a WR to speak of. Kevin Boss deserves honorable mention as well.
C:
*Andre Gurode - DALLAS
Shaun O'Hara - NEW YORK
Comments:
O'Hara was the only consistent performer for the Giants' offensive line, which had previously been the best in football the past 4 seasons. He and Dave Diehl were the only ones who seemed to come to play every week. And that said, Gurode, who was steady, but not spectacular, should be the backup to O'Hara.
G:
*Jahri Evans - NEW ORLEANS
*Steve Hutchinson - MINNESOTA
Leonard Davis - DALLAS
Comments:
WHO DAT? No, seriously -- WHO DAT? That boy should not be starting (Evans). HOUSE DAVIS paved the way for many a Felix Jones breakaway run this year. HE should be starting at RG this Pro Bowl. Hutchinson is the only reason more Adrian Peterson runs didn't get stopped for loss and Favre didn't get sacked more, because Bryant McKinnie absolutely sucked rectum this year.
T:
*Bryant McKinnie - MINNESOTA
*Jason Peters - PHILADELPHIA
Jon Stinchcomb - NEW ORLEANS
Comments:
Neither of the "starters" should be starting. Even fans of their teams will tell you that. Stinchcomb protected Brees superbly in all but one game this year. He deserves it. Dave Diehl should be a backup.
NFC
DEFENSE
DE:
*Jared Allen - MINNESOTA
*Julius Peppers - CAROLINA
Trent Cole - PHILADELPHIA
Comments:
Jared Allen: "HERE!"
Trent Cole (should be starting): "PRESENT!"
Justin Tuck: "...." JUSTIN TUCK: ".............."
Julius Peppers: "Oh, I decided to start playing when the games meant nothing and I could spoil other teams' playoff chances and seedings and now GMs are watching so I can get paid as a UFA".
What a joke this voting is. Peppers didn't do a thing 4/5 of the season.
Even Ray Edwards and Adewale Ogunleye (Staten Island native) played better.
DT/NT:
*Darnell Dockett - ARIZONA
*Kevin Williams - MINNESOTA
Jay Ratliff - DALLAS
Comments:
The voters ALMOST got this right. The correct THREE players, but Ratliff is the best DT in the NFC. The man has been downfield covering WIDE RECEIVERS this year and makes plays sideline to sideline like a MLB. Dockett is the best DT in the trenches. To me, Kevin Williams is a bit overrated. Pat Williams eats up two gaps (no pun intended) and Jared Allen gets doubled a ton.
Ratliff plays in a 3-4, has two-gap assignments and does everything I mentioned above ALONG WITH THAT.
So does Dockett in the same alignment.
MLB:
*Patrick Willis - SAN FRANCISCO
Jonathan Vilma - NEW ORLEANS
Comments:
No real arguments here. Pat Willis is a tackling machine. I would like to see London Fletcher make a Pro Bowl, even IF he is dirty. Show some love for Jon Beason also, please.
OLB:
*Lance Briggs - CHICAGO
*DeMarcus Ware - DALLAS
Brian Orakpo - WASHINGTON
Comments:
I have Orakpo personally listed as a DE. But whatever. He could've made Pro Bowl at DE over Peppers. That's how laughable the vote of Peppers is. Briggs was good, not great. Ware started slowly and didn't dominate this year. I dunno about this vote. Where's young Clay Matthews? Thomas Davis?
CB:
*Asante Samuel - PHILADELPHIA
*Charles Woodson - GREEN BAY
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie - ARIZONA
Comments:
No arguments here. All these guys deserve it. Woodson will win the Defensive Player of the Year, actually. Samuel gambles a lot, but like OMW, hits .725 on those gambles.
SS:
*Adrian Wilson - ARIZONA
Comments:
Adrian Wilson FROM?!?!?! HIGH POINT. Still doing it at age 30 and getting better with age.
FS:
*Darren Sharper - NEW ORLEANS
Nick Collins - GREEN BAY
Comments:
Sharper faded late. He's getting by on smarts and awareness. He's lost 3 steps since leaving Green Bay. Collins is good, but can YOUNG LOU DELMAS GET SOME LOVE?
NFC
SPECIALISTS
P:
Andy Lee - SAN FRANCISCO
Comments:
Puts in more work than your average (lying) rapper. However, Jeff Feagles is still the DEAN of Punting.
KR:
DeSean Jackson - PHILADELPHIA
Comments:
Tons of plays over 50+ yards in the kicking game alone. Only guy challenging Cribbs.
PK:
David Akers - PHILADELPHIA
Comments:
Kickers aren't worth arguing over, but Law Tynes and Neil Rackers deserve mention.
ST:
Heath Farwell - MINNESOTA
Comments:
WHO.
Chase Blackburn, Courtney Roby, Micheal Spurlock. Who even knows who Farwell is outside of Minnesota? These other guys either have returned kicks AND get tackles (both Spurlock and Roby) or contribute on another unit as well (Blackburn).
We love to argue over Pro Bowl rosters every year don't we?
(c) SINCE 1986.
DISCUSS.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Woe Unto Those Who Seek Ye Advice
Woe Unto Those Who Seek Ye Advice
M.D. Wright
12.24.09
I'm going to take a break from writing from a man's perspective. Every now and then, I take suggestions from my friends with regards to what I will write about. A friend of mine and I were talking last night about some things she's dealing with and from whom she has received advice (however unsolicited it may have been in one particular case). As always, I worked a humorous angle into it all and we had a few good laughs about it. However, I do want to address two things.
1. SINGLE LADIES: BEWARE WHO YOU RECEIVE ADVICE FROM.
Why do I say this? There is a hierarchy that, for the most part, is in place to help young ladies and young professional women in their 20s and early 30s maneuver the landscape -- as pertains to dealing with men. Older women are wise for a reason: they've lived longer. They've seen more than you have and have an answer for almost every possible scenario and predicament. If you have any true, serious concerns about "men issues", why not seek their advice? Is this too easy? Hmmmm...
What do a good number of women aged 18-34 do, though? They ask their (supposed) friends.
Friends have your best interest in mind.
Friends tell you the truth about YOURSELF, especially if you're dead wrong.
Friends don't set you up to fail.
Friends, even if they are not happy themselves, will not put you out just to land you in the same miserable boat they're in.
Keep those points in mind as I wade through this further.
This demographic (18-34 year old women) usually has a solid network of female friends. And they know who they trust and who they don't. A growing number nowadays has more male friends (or all male friends -- something that bugs me more and more, because if you can't get along with women, knowing that "game recognizes game" and you try to put things over on men, some of whom will see right through you -- then something's amiss). But for those who rely upon their female friends for advice -- the ones who are their age, listen up.
What does each of them have in common?
Do you notice the dichotomy between the advice you receive from the Single Angry Women vs. Older Women/Happily Married Women?
My friend argued that Single Angry Women should not give advice. Period. End of story. Although I'm never really faced with this scenario as a man (I don't consult any woman under 35 about hardly ANYTHING unless she's talking about the Bible or Academics ha -- otherwise, what is she going to tell me? So this is enlightening to me to a degree), I listened to her and she made some salient points.
Single Angry Women are often bitter. Stinging from a relationship gone sour. They're angry at men. They're miserable. They're lonely. And the advice they will give you will most likely land you in the same boat if you don't learn to take out the meat and leave the bone that is the root of their bitterness. They're alone, lonely, can't get a man and they're TIGHT because of these facts. Worse yet, as your friend, they claim to have your best interest in mind, but they want you to be miserable right along with them. DEAR GOD MIKE, how is this possible, you ask? Well, let me give you the drop.
How many of you have found yourself in the following situation?
You met a guy, and you hit an inevitable bump in the road. Nothing serious, you just need to iron things out and communicate some things to one another. Nothing detrimental to the overall direction of the relationship (whether you're just talking, newly committed or been together for a while as an exclusive couple). Now, you go to your Single Angry friend and she will take your situation and make it seem like the Geneva Convention just got scrapped and is telling you to curse the man our, fly off the handle (to provoke him) and other ridiculous, buffoonish advice that is going to cause you a break-up.
Why would they do this? Well, my friend even gave me reasons why she thinks this is so (I am aghast just typing this, because it makes me both cringe and laugh with awe -- the intricacies of the female/female friend relationship ha). I've definitely encountered situations where I've been talking to a woman and, while I have my faults, in these situations I hadn't done anything wrong. Indeed, they were either cheating, wanted an out or what have you -- and their friends knew they were no good and weren't worthy of having me. But somehow managed to get into my interest's head and get her to turn the tables on me. And yes, I've been cursed out, flipped out on, given the alligator tears of despair -- all because she wanted an our and had eyes (and God knows what else sheesh) for another man.
But my friend threw out a few scenarios and I'm dying laughing just reading what I am typing after she gave it to me.
1. The advice from the Single Angry Woman will "always" be negative, she says. Hmmmmm. Interesting. I'll keep that in mind ha.
2. They want you to stay single along with them so you can continue hitting the clubs with them on the weekends. HAAAAAAAAAAAA I bet.
3. They know that giving you logical advice (like talking things out) will keep you in the relationship, so they'll tell you to cause a ruckus, curse the guy out and cause drama, because 9 times out of 10 a breakup/flee is coming soon.
WOW. Just WOW.
DISCUSS.
M.D. Wright
12.24.09
I'm going to take a break from writing from a man's perspective. Every now and then, I take suggestions from my friends with regards to what I will write about. A friend of mine and I were talking last night about some things she's dealing with and from whom she has received advice (however unsolicited it may have been in one particular case). As always, I worked a humorous angle into it all and we had a few good laughs about it. However, I do want to address two things.
1. SINGLE LADIES: BEWARE WHO YOU RECEIVE ADVICE FROM.
Why do I say this? There is a hierarchy that, for the most part, is in place to help young ladies and young professional women in their 20s and early 30s maneuver the landscape -- as pertains to dealing with men. Older women are wise for a reason: they've lived longer. They've seen more than you have and have an answer for almost every possible scenario and predicament. If you have any true, serious concerns about "men issues", why not seek their advice? Is this too easy? Hmmmm...
What do a good number of women aged 18-34 do, though? They ask their (supposed) friends.
Friends have your best interest in mind.
Friends tell you the truth about YOURSELF, especially if you're dead wrong.
Friends don't set you up to fail.
Friends, even if they are not happy themselves, will not put you out just to land you in the same miserable boat they're in.
Keep those points in mind as I wade through this further.
This demographic (18-34 year old women) usually has a solid network of female friends. And they know who they trust and who they don't. A growing number nowadays has more male friends (or all male friends -- something that bugs me more and more, because if you can't get along with women, knowing that "game recognizes game" and you try to put things over on men, some of whom will see right through you -- then something's amiss). But for those who rely upon their female friends for advice -- the ones who are their age, listen up.
What does each of them have in common?
Do you notice the dichotomy between the advice you receive from the Single Angry Women vs. Older Women/Happily Married Women?
My friend argued that Single Angry Women should not give advice. Period. End of story. Although I'm never really faced with this scenario as a man (I don't consult any woman under 35 about hardly ANYTHING unless she's talking about the Bible or Academics ha -- otherwise, what is she going to tell me? So this is enlightening to me to a degree), I listened to her and she made some salient points.
Single Angry Women are often bitter. Stinging from a relationship gone sour. They're angry at men. They're miserable. They're lonely. And the advice they will give you will most likely land you in the same boat if you don't learn to take out the meat and leave the bone that is the root of their bitterness. They're alone, lonely, can't get a man and they're TIGHT because of these facts. Worse yet, as your friend, they claim to have your best interest in mind, but they want you to be miserable right along with them. DEAR GOD MIKE, how is this possible, you ask? Well, let me give you the drop.
How many of you have found yourself in the following situation?
You met a guy, and you hit an inevitable bump in the road. Nothing serious, you just need to iron things out and communicate some things to one another. Nothing detrimental to the overall direction of the relationship (whether you're just talking, newly committed or been together for a while as an exclusive couple). Now, you go to your Single Angry friend and she will take your situation and make it seem like the Geneva Convention just got scrapped and is telling you to curse the man our, fly off the handle (to provoke him) and other ridiculous, buffoonish advice that is going to cause you a break-up.
Why would they do this? Well, my friend even gave me reasons why she thinks this is so (I am aghast just typing this, because it makes me both cringe and laugh with awe -- the intricacies of the female/female friend relationship ha). I've definitely encountered situations where I've been talking to a woman and, while I have my faults, in these situations I hadn't done anything wrong. Indeed, they were either cheating, wanted an out or what have you -- and their friends knew they were no good and weren't worthy of having me. But somehow managed to get into my interest's head and get her to turn the tables on me. And yes, I've been cursed out, flipped out on, given the alligator tears of despair -- all because she wanted an our and had eyes (and God knows what else sheesh) for another man.
But my friend threw out a few scenarios and I'm dying laughing just reading what I am typing after she gave it to me.
1. The advice from the Single Angry Woman will "always" be negative, she says. Hmmmmm. Interesting. I'll keep that in mind ha.
2. They want you to stay single along with them so you can continue hitting the clubs with them on the weekends. HAAAAAAAAAAAA I bet.
3. They know that giving you logical advice (like talking things out) will keep you in the relationship, so they'll tell you to cause a ruckus, curse the guy out and cause drama, because 9 times out of 10 a breakup/flee is coming soon.
WOW. Just WOW.
DISCUSS.
Law & Finances -- The Crux Of This Blog And What I Aspire To Do
Law & Finances -- The Crux Of This Blog And What I Aspire To Do
M.D. Wright
12.24.09
Some have wondered aloud to me "why 'Law and Finances'?" in reference to the title of my blog -- given that I talk mostly about Sports and Music. As with most things pertaining to me, there's more to it than meets the eye. To understand me, to be around me, you have to ALWAYS be thinking; because I AM. I'm like an artist "before his time", or a basketball player whose game was before his time, or a rapper who uses metaphors, slang and wordplay that is before his time and people deem as elementary because they can't decipher it on the surface.
But let me break things down a bit.
People think "Law" and think "Law & Order" and the courtroom. I have no desire nor plans to work in a courtroom setting. Most of my legal work will involve contracts at the negotiating table and working on Wall St. as a Financial Advisor. Indeed, I've worked on Wall St. already and gaining more expertise in the area of Financial Advising.
As many of you know, I obtained my Life, Health & Accident Insurance License in 2006. Prior to that, I had been approached by several companies (one of my regrets in life being that I didn't take advantage of what they offered at the time) to become a Financial Services Advisor. At the time, I saw "commission"/sales and balked. Truth is, back between 2000-2004, I had very little fiscal responsibility and tons in assets. I had the flexibility to do it then. I dropped the ball.
It wasn't until I had reached my wits' end that I returned to this, through that prophetic word God sent through my friend in 2004.
I've always had a calling on my life to do three things: 1) Help/Teach people 2) Use my musical ability and subsequently-attained knowledge of the music industry and 3) Work in sports in several capacities. Those of you who knew me years ago both in Greensboro and in New York know I was a year-round athlete, playing almost every sport and excelling in nearly all of them. I was one of the fastest guys in high school, I had a jump shot that most guys had nightmares guarding against, I (tried) to emulate Deion Sanders playing cornerback at football, I had a rifle of an arm while playing right field in baseball and softball, I am an avid swimmer (I suck at tennis, however ha), and maintain a 208 average in bowling and trying to get under 20 handicap in golf (after a 2 year layoff).
Needless to say, I have a calling in sports. I also want to do voice over work in sports, broadcast journalism, become an offensive line coach, own a team, you name it. I want to coach (again -- as I coached high school basketball for 3 years in the past). I want to be immersed in sports and music.
I played drums, keys and guitar before I even got to the 5th grade. I read sheet music (Thanks to Mrs. Mooring) before I was 10 and played a number of melodies on the keys. I had learned my chords on the guitar, but did not stick with it -- and I played drums for 7 years before being forced to give it up in 1994; still haven't gotten back to it. But with all those abilities, along with a desire to produce sounds and beats, coupled with the newfound digital technology we have at our disposal nowadays -- not to mention the bevy of talented singers and rappers I have around me -- I have unlimited potential.
But back to my original point -- I named this blog Law & Finances because everything I do and will do has a legal and fiscal connotation or underpinning involved with it. I had always thought about becoming a policeman and later entering into the legal profession after watching my mom work with the then-judge of Vance County in North Carolina for years. I don't even know what that guy does now, probably a DA or something ha, but with that, I kind of had a leg up when learning how to handle my business growing up. It spills into everything I do. I actually put the attorney generals in New York and North Carolina to good use, because I actually understand what their role is. Knowing that early on in life helped.
I also learned a lot about finances and managing them. Starting with my parents, then on to a close family friend, Mr. Terence Franklin, who gave me a wealth of insight into real estate investing, to a local millionaire who had shown me a few of the ropes to investing in real estate, life insurance, stocks and starting businesses. I learned quite a bit back in the latter part of the 1990s and first part of this decade.
People tell me that the trials that began to flood into my life in the past 4 years are there to help remind me of where I was brought from and to be able to relate to the people I will forever serve. That may be true, but one thing is for certain, it doesn't have to wait until then. I can do it with this blog, for starters, and that is what I hope I am doing -- aside from all the football talk, relationship banter and random thoughts, there is a wealth of information about legal procedure out there, as well as insight into the music industry, the sports field and starting businesses in general. I did not want to bore people by blogging about those topics since I began this blog in 2006, but I would not be doing justice by not sharing information that is vital to a new generation of up-and-comers.
Be on the lookout for that WAVE. In 2010, if you are not taking advantage of the multitude of opportunities and the influx of information at your disposal, you're NOT WAVY.
DECEMBER 24, 2009. I'm giving it to you BEFORE Watch Night ha.
M.D. Wright
12.24.09
Some have wondered aloud to me "why 'Law and Finances'?" in reference to the title of my blog -- given that I talk mostly about Sports and Music. As with most things pertaining to me, there's more to it than meets the eye. To understand me, to be around me, you have to ALWAYS be thinking; because I AM. I'm like an artist "before his time", or a basketball player whose game was before his time, or a rapper who uses metaphors, slang and wordplay that is before his time and people deem as elementary because they can't decipher it on the surface.
But let me break things down a bit.
People think "Law" and think "Law & Order" and the courtroom. I have no desire nor plans to work in a courtroom setting. Most of my legal work will involve contracts at the negotiating table and working on Wall St. as a Financial Advisor. Indeed, I've worked on Wall St. already and gaining more expertise in the area of Financial Advising.
As many of you know, I obtained my Life, Health & Accident Insurance License in 2006. Prior to that, I had been approached by several companies (one of my regrets in life being that I didn't take advantage of what they offered at the time) to become a Financial Services Advisor. At the time, I saw "commission"/sales and balked. Truth is, back between 2000-2004, I had very little fiscal responsibility and tons in assets. I had the flexibility to do it then. I dropped the ball.
It wasn't until I had reached my wits' end that I returned to this, through that prophetic word God sent through my friend in 2004.
I've always had a calling on my life to do three things: 1) Help/Teach people 2) Use my musical ability and subsequently-attained knowledge of the music industry and 3) Work in sports in several capacities. Those of you who knew me years ago both in Greensboro and in New York know I was a year-round athlete, playing almost every sport and excelling in nearly all of them. I was one of the fastest guys in high school, I had a jump shot that most guys had nightmares guarding against, I (tried) to emulate Deion Sanders playing cornerback at football, I had a rifle of an arm while playing right field in baseball and softball, I am an avid swimmer (I suck at tennis, however ha), and maintain a 208 average in bowling and trying to get under 20 handicap in golf (after a 2 year layoff).
Needless to say, I have a calling in sports. I also want to do voice over work in sports, broadcast journalism, become an offensive line coach, own a team, you name it. I want to coach (again -- as I coached high school basketball for 3 years in the past). I want to be immersed in sports and music.
I played drums, keys and guitar before I even got to the 5th grade. I read sheet music (Thanks to Mrs. Mooring) before I was 10 and played a number of melodies on the keys. I had learned my chords on the guitar, but did not stick with it -- and I played drums for 7 years before being forced to give it up in 1994; still haven't gotten back to it. But with all those abilities, along with a desire to produce sounds and beats, coupled with the newfound digital technology we have at our disposal nowadays -- not to mention the bevy of talented singers and rappers I have around me -- I have unlimited potential.
But back to my original point -- I named this blog Law & Finances because everything I do and will do has a legal and fiscal connotation or underpinning involved with it. I had always thought about becoming a policeman and later entering into the legal profession after watching my mom work with the then-judge of Vance County in North Carolina for years. I don't even know what that guy does now, probably a DA or something ha, but with that, I kind of had a leg up when learning how to handle my business growing up. It spills into everything I do. I actually put the attorney generals in New York and North Carolina to good use, because I actually understand what their role is. Knowing that early on in life helped.
I also learned a lot about finances and managing them. Starting with my parents, then on to a close family friend, Mr. Terence Franklin, who gave me a wealth of insight into real estate investing, to a local millionaire who had shown me a few of the ropes to investing in real estate, life insurance, stocks and starting businesses. I learned quite a bit back in the latter part of the 1990s and first part of this decade.
People tell me that the trials that began to flood into my life in the past 4 years are there to help remind me of where I was brought from and to be able to relate to the people I will forever serve. That may be true, but one thing is for certain, it doesn't have to wait until then. I can do it with this blog, for starters, and that is what I hope I am doing -- aside from all the football talk, relationship banter and random thoughts, there is a wealth of information about legal procedure out there, as well as insight into the music industry, the sports field and starting businesses in general. I did not want to bore people by blogging about those topics since I began this blog in 2006, but I would not be doing justice by not sharing information that is vital to a new generation of up-and-comers.
Be on the lookout for that WAVE. In 2010, if you are not taking advantage of the multitude of opportunities and the influx of information at your disposal, you're NOT WAVY.
DECEMBER 24, 2009. I'm giving it to you BEFORE Watch Night ha.
An Ode (Of Sorts)
An Ode (Of Sorts)
M.D. Wright
12.24.09
I'm almost going to write this half freestyle, half verse, but these are just random thoughts going through my mind.
See, I'm an old-fashioned kind of cat. I'm not a neanderthal. I'm not a man who wants a woman barefoot in the kitchen and never advancing herself academically or enhancing her skill set. No, not even. In actuality, I want her to be smart like me. Hell, I'm secure enough that she can be SMARTER than me and that's just fine. We'll never run out of the things to talk about, you see?
I give shouts to the women of generations past. They are like the 80s -- never to be recaptured again, but forever causing those who lived those times to wax nostalgic while living in this Generation L (L being for lost, ya know). Those women supported you, they cooked, they cleaned, they made sure you were in school, they held down jobs. They were APPRECIATED for it -- and most importantly, they LOVED making sure their family was taken care of and didn't feel demeaning doing so.
Why, you ask? Because that's the way God wired 'em, I believe. Has there ever been a better period of recorded history than the period from the early 1950s-early 1990s for raising a family?
I'll wait.
God thinks women are so special.
So do I.
And we both believe they are special for the same reasons:
There is no one, no THING, no living SPECIES with the capability, the wherewithal, the spirit and internal resources to raise a child, nurture a family and support a man as his wife than a WOMAN can. God believes those roles are so noble that He reserved them JUST FOR WOMAN.
For this, I give an ode to my grandmothers, my great aunts, my older aunts and older cousins and those even before them, upon whom this fact was not lost.
... and I pity this current generation and the ones to come to whom this is mostly lost.
GOD HELP US.
M.D. Wright
12.24.09
I'm almost going to write this half freestyle, half verse, but these are just random thoughts going through my mind.
See, I'm an old-fashioned kind of cat. I'm not a neanderthal. I'm not a man who wants a woman barefoot in the kitchen and never advancing herself academically or enhancing her skill set. No, not even. In actuality, I want her to be smart like me. Hell, I'm secure enough that she can be SMARTER than me and that's just fine. We'll never run out of the things to talk about, you see?
I give shouts to the women of generations past. They are like the 80s -- never to be recaptured again, but forever causing those who lived those times to wax nostalgic while living in this Generation L (L being for lost, ya know). Those women supported you, they cooked, they cleaned, they made sure you were in school, they held down jobs. They were APPRECIATED for it -- and most importantly, they LOVED making sure their family was taken care of and didn't feel demeaning doing so.
Why, you ask? Because that's the way God wired 'em, I believe. Has there ever been a better period of recorded history than the period from the early 1950s-early 1990s for raising a family?
I'll wait.
God thinks women are so special.
So do I.
And we both believe they are special for the same reasons:
There is no one, no THING, no living SPECIES with the capability, the wherewithal, the spirit and internal resources to raise a child, nurture a family and support a man as his wife than a WOMAN can. God believes those roles are so noble that He reserved them JUST FOR WOMAN.
For this, I give an ode to my grandmothers, my great aunts, my older aunts and older cousins and those even before them, upon whom this fact was not lost.
... and I pity this current generation and the ones to come to whom this is mostly lost.
GOD HELP US.
Relationships: Black Women & Black Men -- Why The Dichotomy?
Relationships: Black Women & Black Men -- Why The Dichotomy?
M.D. Wright
12.24.09
***EDITOR'S NOTE: As I write this, I have to explain that this is written from a MAN'S standpoint. And a BLACK MAN'S standpoint at that.
You know, I'm no Dr. Phil (thank God), but I get more questions asked of me daily as if I were. Questions about relationships. I will say this: I am trying to wade through the same BS that you all are and definitely don't have all the answers. People have become so accustomed to "faking it until they make it" and trying to "be who they want you to be" in order to impress others that they don't know how to be genuine and transparent anymore.
I can say for all of my qualities and warts alike, you cannot knock me for not being fully honest and transparent. That goes for every relationship I have from God on down to the same few people I see on the 1 train or the express bus every day and just shoot the s--- with while standing on line.
But this situation is dire. And for all the blither and back and forth that has gone on for the better part of an ENTIRE GENERATION, no progress has been made. If anything, we've REGRESSED. How is this possible you ask? How is it that no other ethnicity out there has such dichotomies in their relationships like Black people do? I don't have all the answers, but what I HAVE observed over the years has yielded quite a few axioms. Let me share:
1. MISS INDEPENDENT MOVEMENT.
For all the progress that Black women have made in the corporate arena, which was both necessary and welcome -- because the world needs their wisdom and unique contribution that no one else can provide. This is not placation nor fluff, these are true stories. The world takes on a different verve and character when Black women put their imprint on the things they are involved with. Just look at TV shows for a minor example. Look at Bennett College in Greensboro, NC. Look at Deloitte, a company based here in New York that has done an excellent job in promoting women who have families but are also business leaders and executives (including Black women). Things would not be the same without Black women present.
But there are things that SOME (not all, certainly) of these women do that alienate them from not only Black men but nearly all men. Why not date women? In some cases, many are starting to ha (I promise I'm going to keep it serious from here on in, but there has been an upshoot in lesbian coming out parties this decade -- but that is for another note, another day). No man wants to hear about all the degrees you have, where you went to school, how prestigious your job is and all your "celebrity buddies" off cuffs. Those are all perks, but if you are your resume, you are not going to get far with any worthwhile men.
These (from hence forward "these"/"they" refer to the SOME, not to those to which this does not apply) types are the very ones who claim about a supposed dearth of good men -- or any men at all. What a flippant statement to make. One parallel I have noticed is the MISS INDEPENDENT types and those of their ilk are usually the status chasers (the High School QB, Point Guard or the bad boy, who passes over 75 "regular dudes" to get to these guys, who have tons of action in their face themselves -- then get upset when they inevitably suffer a let down, and take it out on every man she meets thereafter). Even once she meets and gives a decent, smart, hard/smart-working fellow, he gets her newfound attitude, has her baggage thrust upon him and worst yet, gets to hear her constantly recite her resume to him (since she wants to now date the guy who is the antithesis of who hurt her repeatedly in the past -- his education, job status and income may not even reach hers).
Let me stop there for a second.
Why is it that women claim to be smarter than men, have Women's Intuition and all this nonsense, but never seem to apply it? If you have it, why don't you give a WORTHWHILE gentleman your all instead of your leftovers and baggage? I'm no slouch, sucker, chump or wuss by any stretch. Anyone who knows me knows this. I am disarmingly charming, Type A/Alpha male, strong-minded/willed and a dominant personality -- all while maintaining a gentlemanly demeanor. Hard for many guys to pull off, but I do it and have for years. If the converse of what women claimed were true, shouldn't I have been beating all these so-called qualified women off with sticks for the better part of the last decade instead of dealing with someone's sloppy seconds and Vengeful Vanika on The Rebound?
But I digress.
I could write for hours, but a guy doe snot want to hear your resume after he's met you. He does not need to hear it every time you have a disagreement over cat food. Why does your f'n job and where you went to school factor in something such as whether or not you can cook and clean? IT DOES NOT. KNOCK IT OFF, like Ryan Leaf says here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMe0Rz1frdE (sorry, I can't avoid putting humor into this, it's just a part of who I am ha).
I've had women roll with me when the proverbian gettin' was good -- when I had the 350Z, making good money, flipping it and spending freely. I've had them run out when tough times came and I had to pay for 4 years of school entirely out of pocket and having to sell everything I owned in order to complete my education. Although I did this for ME and ONLY ME, I thought (looking back on all the sacrifices I made just to go back to school -- some of which I am still dealing with to this day) this sort of dedication and perseverance was what women admired? Hmmmm... still comes down to what you have. I remember this one chick, who was all about status, all about material things and what a huge salary she was going to make from her job just because of her education -- she would see me parking my car at UNCG and we'd usually pull up at the same time. She flirted with me every day she saw me. Gave me lifts from the parking lot to my class in HER car (you know I'm no pimp, but I don't turn down offers of service ha), but when I had to sell that car two years later and depleted my savings paying for school, she didn't even know me anymore (and saw me just as frequently).
I'm certainly not pinning all of this on Black women. Not at all. From a materialistic standpoint, that's a universal problem. The thing is, I have YET to have one willing to build with me from where I CURRENTLY am. Oh, I get kind words and this, that and the third, but that's usually from older women or someone spewing out clichés they've heard around church. Never mind the fact that I am working toward some major endeavors that will come to fruition very soon, without the evidence of the success in place, I get nary a notice from MISS INDEPENDENT. But once the success pops off, who will be in my face? Some of self same ones who ignored me these past 4 years.
Why do I interject these two personal scenarios in the previous two paragraphs? Because I know a lot of Black men who are nodding their heads (press "like" RIGHT NOW if you nodded your head while reading that line) as they read this knowing they've been there themselves. The problem is, Black women don't even realize they're doing this many times. Some are malicious, but the majority aren't aware.
2. MISS INDEPENDENT'S PROBLEM.
She's so consumed with herself to realize the deterioration of the relationships with Black men (on all levels, not just dating/marriage) around her. Everything is about her job, her money, her house, her car, her education and reminding you of it all the time. What she fails to realize is that ESPECIALLY in 2009, (and the past 10 years in general) more than any other time, Black women are yielding interviews and landing jobs at a ratio that mirrors the Atlanta Falcons' chance of winning the Super Bowl this year. OK, that may be long odds, but my point is in essence, for every job that comes out and for every 1 job that a Black man lands, 15 Black women will land a job with equal or superior pay than he does; sometimes (especially since 2008) with less education. She is getting jobs that Black men were almost certain to get coming out of college between 1975-2005. Instead of realizing and being mindful of that fact, she goes and puts down Black men who are doing everything they can to keep themselves afloat with very little support, I may add -- when she got the job in SPITE of him, not because he's not "manning up" or "not trying".
As one of my friends, Lauren Carter says, "keep listening to Oprah, and you'll end up just like her (and not the richest Black woman in the US part, but an emotional wreck), keep listening to Tyra and you'll be alone". Why not just cut out the bull and heartache and just date women? That's where we are at this point, right?
All these factors cause strain on relationships that are already propped up with toothpicks as it is. A Black man has few places of refuge in this world. The home was one of the few left outside of the basketball court, football field, the studio booth, the pool hall or the bar (because God KNOWS church isn't the place right now).
I've heard every simpleton's conspiracy theory as to why Black men have begun dating and marrying women who aren't Black. Some of it is mere preference. And YES, one can have a preference that doesn't mirror him nor his mother (DEAR GOD CAN THAT GUILT TRIP OF A LINE BE RETIRED ALREADY???) and not be totally influenced by the media. It CAN be as simple as that. And yes, equally small numbers on the other end of the spectrum ARE self-loathing, image-consumed lackwit buffoons who only care about skin color.
BUT THE VAST MAJORITY COULD NOT CARE LESS.
All this talk about "self-hate", "he must hate his mother, since he doesn't exclusively date Black women", or (my personal favorite) "He's intimidated by my education/success/income" WUAAAAHWAUAHWAUWAWHWAHAWAAAAWAAAAAAAAAAA -- all that nonsense sounds like Charlie Brown's teacher to me. KNOCK IT OFF. To a secure man, whether you have a dollar or 23 million of them matters not. If you don't have the character to sustain you, then who cares? Mind you, insecure men are usually male golddiggers and don't care about character, just as long as you have that guap. Truth is, I can speak for many Black men when I say that "other" women are much more willing to get to know us, are interested and even intrigued to find out what makes us tick (and not talking sexual, curious things), and are generally more accepting of us where we ARE. Now, more than ever, Black women (THE ONES TO WHICH THIS APPLIES -- NOT ALL) won't give an average Black man a fair shot, unless she can see obvious signs that he's going to be rich and/or famous. It's not just trailer trash White women, or no-one-else-wants-them-so-I-guess-so women from India or southeast Asia, or those mixed with other races who don't really fit into one category, or Latinas or whoever -- that are generally more accepting, but truly, today , more than ever, I can say I have female friends from almost every country in the Western Hemisphere and many from across the Atlantic as well. I'm 30 years old and have been many places and met different women. Even in casual settings, with no strings attached, the greeting, incidental conversation is different. Who am I more likely to get a smile and courteous conversation from -- even if it is just to shoot the s---? Whereas, who am I most likely to get the ice grill, cold stares, look-aways like Magic Johnson http://www.livetoknow.com/articles/Magic_Johnson.jpg or even straight up snarls and gnashing of teeth from? Who, then, is most likely to get more attention from me?
I don't care what other guys do. Use your Women's Intuition, some God-given DISCERNMENT and realize who you have in front of you and save the attitude for those who deserve it. I speak for many Black men when I say this. We're sick of it. THE END.
Another side note:
Why do women value sensitivity so much, but are quick to label a guy who exhibits he's not a Neanderthal Man, while certainly NOT gay, but they love hanging around gay dudes? Any non-gay man should cringe and become immediately uncomfortable around that spirit. I will not entertain arguments to the contrary. If you are not gay, you are not comfortable being around gay men for more than a few moments. If you are, you better do some soul searching.
I bring this up, because it will lead me to my third and final point.
3. CHECKLISTS.
All women have laundry lists for what they want in a man. Some keep it short and sweet. Some have quite a few things on the list, but they are foundational things and not superfluous, frivolous, vain, spurious "demands" like MISS INDEPENDENT and much of this current generation has.
Should you not have values and demand chivalry, respect and other foundational things? OF COURSE NOT. If you present a man with THOSE things up front and not your resume, he's bound to respect you more. If he doesn't -- good, you have the freedom to cut your losses and move on without going down the valley with him like so many young knucklehead females incessantly do.
But what happens nowadays when you meet a lot of these 20-30 somethings nowadays? "I want this". "I want that". Almost none of them even have a concept of cooking nor cleaning. These are not "women's JOBS", but rather ways of expressing your love and care for your man. Even if you're under your parents' roof and you serve your father or even brother that way, it speaks volumes about your character, not because it is a woman's JOB, nor something to be deemed as insulting or demeaning.
I would go on a tangent about what "submission" means. But Submission and Subservience are NOT synonymous. Why, then, do MISS INDEPENDENT types cringe at this? I'll let YOU answer that, while you formulate your response with the following axiom in mind: THE MAN IN THIS CASE HAS THE PURE, GODLY FORM OF SUBMISSION IN MIND -- not the negative one that many are accustomed to.
DISCUSS.
While you ruminate upon that corollary, consider this as well: women -- Black women more so (as it can be substantiated and proven) are quick to have "deal breakers" and "must haves" over silly things. Dig in their closets enough and you'll wonder how they could ever be so finite about what a man can or cannot be to her when she has just as many slip-ups in her past. Quick to write off a man because he logged a misdemeanor when he was young and at folly. What about you and sleeping with half the football players and basketball team when you were in high school -- YOUNG AND AT FOLLY? What if he wrote you off after finding that out? Or to have the fact that you had a child out of wedlock during that same period of your life?
I hear women constantly saying there are no good men left. Some are resorting to dating gay men (W. T. F.) I'm not getting started on that, but once again, the very women who scream the loudest about this usually have the longest laundry lists of "must haves" and "dealbreakers" and usually are also the ones passing over good men left and right to pull a Brian Dawkins and leap over to snatch the cash cow that is running by them in the process.
I'm gonna end this one bluntly and I don't care if you get upset with me and defriend me for it -- as a matter of fact, if you don't like it, TURN OFF YOUR STATION AND PLEASE DELETE ME --
Stop blaming everything that is going wrong in your relationships on Black men. Remember, sometimes it's YOU. But if you never take a look in the mirror and realize how detestable you have become, you'll never realize it.
But those of you who have the most things on your "list" and have all these Death Penalty Deal Breakers are almost NEVER reaching the level YOURSELVES that you expect from a man. Successful women who have made it and are really truly doing something substantive don't have the time to construct all these cockamamie lists that have little to do with anything lasting long-term. Show me one who does and she's either willfully or, as a result of the lists -- ALONE.
M.D. Wright
12.24.09
***EDITOR'S NOTE: As I write this, I have to explain that this is written from a MAN'S standpoint. And a BLACK MAN'S standpoint at that.
You know, I'm no Dr. Phil (thank God), but I get more questions asked of me daily as if I were. Questions about relationships. I will say this: I am trying to wade through the same BS that you all are and definitely don't have all the answers. People have become so accustomed to "faking it until they make it" and trying to "be who they want you to be" in order to impress others that they don't know how to be genuine and transparent anymore.
I can say for all of my qualities and warts alike, you cannot knock me for not being fully honest and transparent. That goes for every relationship I have from God on down to the same few people I see on the 1 train or the express bus every day and just shoot the s--- with while standing on line.
But this situation is dire. And for all the blither and back and forth that has gone on for the better part of an ENTIRE GENERATION, no progress has been made. If anything, we've REGRESSED. How is this possible you ask? How is it that no other ethnicity out there has such dichotomies in their relationships like Black people do? I don't have all the answers, but what I HAVE observed over the years has yielded quite a few axioms. Let me share:
1. MISS INDEPENDENT MOVEMENT.
For all the progress that Black women have made in the corporate arena, which was both necessary and welcome -- because the world needs their wisdom and unique contribution that no one else can provide. This is not placation nor fluff, these are true stories. The world takes on a different verve and character when Black women put their imprint on the things they are involved with. Just look at TV shows for a minor example. Look at Bennett College in Greensboro, NC. Look at Deloitte, a company based here in New York that has done an excellent job in promoting women who have families but are also business leaders and executives (including Black women). Things would not be the same without Black women present.
But there are things that SOME (not all, certainly) of these women do that alienate them from not only Black men but nearly all men. Why not date women? In some cases, many are starting to ha (I promise I'm going to keep it serious from here on in, but there has been an upshoot in lesbian coming out parties this decade -- but that is for another note, another day). No man wants to hear about all the degrees you have, where you went to school, how prestigious your job is and all your "celebrity buddies" off cuffs. Those are all perks, but if you are your resume, you are not going to get far with any worthwhile men.
These (from hence forward "these"/"they" refer to the SOME, not to those to which this does not apply) types are the very ones who claim about a supposed dearth of good men -- or any men at all. What a flippant statement to make. One parallel I have noticed is the MISS INDEPENDENT types and those of their ilk are usually the status chasers (the High School QB, Point Guard or the bad boy, who passes over 75 "regular dudes" to get to these guys, who have tons of action in their face themselves -- then get upset when they inevitably suffer a let down, and take it out on every man she meets thereafter). Even once she meets and gives a decent, smart, hard/smart-working fellow, he gets her newfound attitude, has her baggage thrust upon him and worst yet, gets to hear her constantly recite her resume to him (since she wants to now date the guy who is the antithesis of who hurt her repeatedly in the past -- his education, job status and income may not even reach hers).
Let me stop there for a second.
Why is it that women claim to be smarter than men, have Women's Intuition and all this nonsense, but never seem to apply it? If you have it, why don't you give a WORTHWHILE gentleman your all instead of your leftovers and baggage? I'm no slouch, sucker, chump or wuss by any stretch. Anyone who knows me knows this. I am disarmingly charming, Type A/Alpha male, strong-minded/willed and a dominant personality -- all while maintaining a gentlemanly demeanor. Hard for many guys to pull off, but I do it and have for years. If the converse of what women claimed were true, shouldn't I have been beating all these so-called qualified women off with sticks for the better part of the last decade instead of dealing with someone's sloppy seconds and Vengeful Vanika on The Rebound?
But I digress.
I could write for hours, but a guy doe snot want to hear your resume after he's met you. He does not need to hear it every time you have a disagreement over cat food. Why does your f'n job and where you went to school factor in something such as whether or not you can cook and clean? IT DOES NOT. KNOCK IT OFF, like Ryan Leaf says here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMe0Rz1frdE (sorry, I can't avoid putting humor into this, it's just a part of who I am ha).
I've had women roll with me when the proverbian gettin' was good -- when I had the 350Z, making good money, flipping it and spending freely. I've had them run out when tough times came and I had to pay for 4 years of school entirely out of pocket and having to sell everything I owned in order to complete my education. Although I did this for ME and ONLY ME, I thought (looking back on all the sacrifices I made just to go back to school -- some of which I am still dealing with to this day) this sort of dedication and perseverance was what women admired? Hmmmm... still comes down to what you have. I remember this one chick, who was all about status, all about material things and what a huge salary she was going to make from her job just because of her education -- she would see me parking my car at UNCG and we'd usually pull up at the same time. She flirted with me every day she saw me. Gave me lifts from the parking lot to my class in HER car (you know I'm no pimp, but I don't turn down offers of service ha), but when I had to sell that car two years later and depleted my savings paying for school, she didn't even know me anymore (and saw me just as frequently).
I'm certainly not pinning all of this on Black women. Not at all. From a materialistic standpoint, that's a universal problem. The thing is, I have YET to have one willing to build with me from where I CURRENTLY am. Oh, I get kind words and this, that and the third, but that's usually from older women or someone spewing out clichés they've heard around church. Never mind the fact that I am working toward some major endeavors that will come to fruition very soon, without the evidence of the success in place, I get nary a notice from MISS INDEPENDENT. But once the success pops off, who will be in my face? Some of self same ones who ignored me these past 4 years.
Why do I interject these two personal scenarios in the previous two paragraphs? Because I know a lot of Black men who are nodding their heads (press "like" RIGHT NOW if you nodded your head while reading that line) as they read this knowing they've been there themselves. The problem is, Black women don't even realize they're doing this many times. Some are malicious, but the majority aren't aware.
2. MISS INDEPENDENT'S PROBLEM.
She's so consumed with herself to realize the deterioration of the relationships with Black men (on all levels, not just dating/marriage) around her. Everything is about her job, her money, her house, her car, her education and reminding you of it all the time. What she fails to realize is that ESPECIALLY in 2009, (and the past 10 years in general) more than any other time, Black women are yielding interviews and landing jobs at a ratio that mirrors the Atlanta Falcons' chance of winning the Super Bowl this year. OK, that may be long odds, but my point is in essence, for every job that comes out and for every 1 job that a Black man lands, 15 Black women will land a job with equal or superior pay than he does; sometimes (especially since 2008) with less education. She is getting jobs that Black men were almost certain to get coming out of college between 1975-2005. Instead of realizing and being mindful of that fact, she goes and puts down Black men who are doing everything they can to keep themselves afloat with very little support, I may add -- when she got the job in SPITE of him, not because he's not "manning up" or "not trying".
As one of my friends, Lauren Carter says, "keep listening to Oprah, and you'll end up just like her (and not the richest Black woman in the US part, but an emotional wreck), keep listening to Tyra and you'll be alone". Why not just cut out the bull and heartache and just date women? That's where we are at this point, right?
All these factors cause strain on relationships that are already propped up with toothpicks as it is. A Black man has few places of refuge in this world. The home was one of the few left outside of the basketball court, football field, the studio booth, the pool hall or the bar (because God KNOWS church isn't the place right now).
I've heard every simpleton's conspiracy theory as to why Black men have begun dating and marrying women who aren't Black. Some of it is mere preference. And YES, one can have a preference that doesn't mirror him nor his mother (DEAR GOD CAN THAT GUILT TRIP OF A LINE BE RETIRED ALREADY???) and not be totally influenced by the media. It CAN be as simple as that. And yes, equally small numbers on the other end of the spectrum ARE self-loathing, image-consumed lackwit buffoons who only care about skin color.
BUT THE VAST MAJORITY COULD NOT CARE LESS.
All this talk about "self-hate", "he must hate his mother, since he doesn't exclusively date Black women", or (my personal favorite) "He's intimidated by my education/success/income" WUAAAAHWAUAHWAUWAWHWAHAWAAAAWAAAAAAAAAAA -- all that nonsense sounds like Charlie Brown's teacher to me. KNOCK IT OFF. To a secure man, whether you have a dollar or 23 million of them matters not. If you don't have the character to sustain you, then who cares? Mind you, insecure men are usually male golddiggers and don't care about character, just as long as you have that guap. Truth is, I can speak for many Black men when I say that "other" women are much more willing to get to know us, are interested and even intrigued to find out what makes us tick (and not talking sexual, curious things), and are generally more accepting of us where we ARE. Now, more than ever, Black women (THE ONES TO WHICH THIS APPLIES -- NOT ALL) won't give an average Black man a fair shot, unless she can see obvious signs that he's going to be rich and/or famous. It's not just trailer trash White women, or no-one-else-wants-them-so-I-guess-so women from India or southeast Asia, or those mixed with other races who don't really fit into one category, or Latinas or whoever -- that are generally more accepting, but truly, today , more than ever, I can say I have female friends from almost every country in the Western Hemisphere and many from across the Atlantic as well. I'm 30 years old and have been many places and met different women. Even in casual settings, with no strings attached, the greeting, incidental conversation is different. Who am I more likely to get a smile and courteous conversation from -- even if it is just to shoot the s---? Whereas, who am I most likely to get the ice grill, cold stares, look-aways like Magic Johnson http://www.livetoknow.com/articles/Magic_Johnson.jpg or even straight up snarls and gnashing of teeth from? Who, then, is most likely to get more attention from me?
I don't care what other guys do. Use your Women's Intuition, some God-given DISCERNMENT and realize who you have in front of you and save the attitude for those who deserve it. I speak for many Black men when I say this. We're sick of it. THE END.
Another side note:
Why do women value sensitivity so much, but are quick to label a guy who exhibits he's not a Neanderthal Man, while certainly NOT gay, but they love hanging around gay dudes? Any non-gay man should cringe and become immediately uncomfortable around that spirit. I will not entertain arguments to the contrary. If you are not gay, you are not comfortable being around gay men for more than a few moments. If you are, you better do some soul searching.
I bring this up, because it will lead me to my third and final point.
3. CHECKLISTS.
All women have laundry lists for what they want in a man. Some keep it short and sweet. Some have quite a few things on the list, but they are foundational things and not superfluous, frivolous, vain, spurious "demands" like MISS INDEPENDENT and much of this current generation has.
Should you not have values and demand chivalry, respect and other foundational things? OF COURSE NOT. If you present a man with THOSE things up front and not your resume, he's bound to respect you more. If he doesn't -- good, you have the freedom to cut your losses and move on without going down the valley with him like so many young knucklehead females incessantly do.
But what happens nowadays when you meet a lot of these 20-30 somethings nowadays? "I want this". "I want that". Almost none of them even have a concept of cooking nor cleaning. These are not "women's JOBS", but rather ways of expressing your love and care for your man. Even if you're under your parents' roof and you serve your father or even brother that way, it speaks volumes about your character, not because it is a woman's JOB, nor something to be deemed as insulting or demeaning.
I would go on a tangent about what "submission" means. But Submission and Subservience are NOT synonymous. Why, then, do MISS INDEPENDENT types cringe at this? I'll let YOU answer that, while you formulate your response with the following axiom in mind: THE MAN IN THIS CASE HAS THE PURE, GODLY FORM OF SUBMISSION IN MIND -- not the negative one that many are accustomed to.
DISCUSS.
While you ruminate upon that corollary, consider this as well: women -- Black women more so (as it can be substantiated and proven) are quick to have "deal breakers" and "must haves" over silly things. Dig in their closets enough and you'll wonder how they could ever be so finite about what a man can or cannot be to her when she has just as many slip-ups in her past. Quick to write off a man because he logged a misdemeanor when he was young and at folly. What about you and sleeping with half the football players and basketball team when you were in high school -- YOUNG AND AT FOLLY? What if he wrote you off after finding that out? Or to have the fact that you had a child out of wedlock during that same period of your life?
I hear women constantly saying there are no good men left. Some are resorting to dating gay men (W. T. F.) I'm not getting started on that, but once again, the very women who scream the loudest about this usually have the longest laundry lists of "must haves" and "dealbreakers" and usually are also the ones passing over good men left and right to pull a Brian Dawkins and leap over to snatch the cash cow that is running by them in the process.
I'm gonna end this one bluntly and I don't care if you get upset with me and defriend me for it -- as a matter of fact, if you don't like it, TURN OFF YOUR STATION AND PLEASE DELETE ME --
Stop blaming everything that is going wrong in your relationships on Black men. Remember, sometimes it's YOU. But if you never take a look in the mirror and realize how detestable you have become, you'll never realize it.
But those of you who have the most things on your "list" and have all these Death Penalty Deal Breakers are almost NEVER reaching the level YOURSELVES that you expect from a man. Successful women who have made it and are really truly doing something substantive don't have the time to construct all these cockamamie lists that have little to do with anything lasting long-term. Show me one who does and she's either willfully or, as a result of the lists -- ALONE.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
NFL Week 16 Bettor's Guide: NO LOCAL SERVICE BETWEEN 14th and 181st Sts Edition
NFL Week 16 Bettor's Guide: NO LOCAL SERVICE BETWEEN 14th and 181st Sts Edition
M.D. Wright
12.23.09
I figured I'd send in my picks earlier this week, even though there is no Thursday game (Chargers vs. Titans on FRIDAY, Christmas Day). I'm going to be in and out of Jersey most likely and these are HUGE games. I want to be able to ruminate a bit before laying any numbers.
Here's what I have:
San Diego (Super) Chargers vs. Tennessee Titans
LP Field
Nashville, Tennessee
***FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL -- CHRISTMAS DAY EDITION***
Over/Under: 47
TEN: -3
SD: +135
TEN: -155
Uhhhh... how are the Titans favored ha? I know Vince has done nothing but win since he got his rightful spot back, and Chris Johnson is the best RB in the league, but these are the BOLTS here. Oh well, it's just a FG handicap, but I honestly think the Chargers are clicking in every facet of the game and they'll win by about 10.
Pick:
San Diego 34
Tennessee 24
FINAL
-------------------
Oakland Raiders vs. Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Stadium
Cleveland, Ohio
Over/Under: 38.5
CLE: -3
OAK: +150
CLE: -170
Browns are favored in a game ha? Wow. I guess Vegas keeled over after watching that pinball match vs. KC last week, huh? The Raiders are going to finish this season 7-9, as I predicted in SEPTEMBER, BTW. So there that go. The under looks REAL good here. Unlike KC, the Raiders DO have a defense.
Pick:
Oakland 20
Cleveland 9
FINAL
-------------------
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Paul Brown Stadium
Cincinnati, Ohio
Over/Under: 40
CIN: -13.5
KC: +550
CIN: -750
The Bengals cannot afford any gaffes (nor legit losses for that matter, because they have not clinched their division yet) and they know it.
Pick:
Kansas City 13
Cincinnati 34
FINAL
--------------------
Houston Texans vs. Miami Dolphins
Dolphin Stadium
Miami Gardens, Florida
Over/Under: 45
MIA: -3
HOU: +125
MIA: -145
In a game SATURATED with playoff implications, this one is simply the proverbial cliché: "WIN OR GO HOME". Winner has a chance to make a push for the #6 seed in the AFC. Loser is finished. Miami is in a better position to control a few things with tiebreakers over teams such as NY Jets, New England (should NE falter at all) and if they win this game and beat PIT in Week 17, the head-to-head there as well. The Texans have a propensity to finish seasons strong and/or play spoiler. Tough call. The Dolphins are at home after struggling vs. TEN last week. My GUT says take Miami, but I am thinking the Texans are going to pull this one out of the bag and make things interesting going into Week 17.
Pick:
Houston 26
Miami 24
FINAL
------------------
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints
The Louisiana Superdome
New Orleans, Louisiana
Over/Under: 49.5
NO: -14
TB: +625
NO: -850
The Saints were never "invincible" as some people put it, but they had holes all along. Not that the lowly Bucs are going to exploit them or anything.
I'm just saying, playoffs looking forward ha.
Pick:
Tampa Bay 16
New Orleans 35
FINAL
-------------------
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New England Patriots
Gillette Stadium
Foxborough, Massachusetts
Over/Under: 43.5
NE: -8
JAX: +290
NE: -350
You know what? The Jags are desperate. The Patriots have not been very impressive of late and have a false sense of security with their lead in the AFC East. But if they lose this game they are in trouble if Miami wins out. I'm going to pick Jacksonville here, because the Jags WILL stick with the running game with a) keeps them in the game and keeps the clock moving and b) keeps Brady, Welker and Moss off the field. I think the defense does just enough to get the win for Jacksonville and keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
Pick:
Jacksonville 24
New England 20
FINAL
-------------------
Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Heinz Field
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Over/Under: 42
PIT: -2.5
BAL: +125
PIT: -145
Am I the only person who has this utter disregard for the "toughness of playing in Heinz Field" nonsense? The Ravens aren't moved by this. And all those "since 1992" stats the people like to feature about playing in PIT are irrelevant here. Plain and simple, the Ravens run the ball better, don't give up sacks at an alarming rate like Roethlisberger is prone to do and their defense is playing far better than the Steelers' right now. The Ravens match up better with the Steelers man for man, level for level (defensive line, linebacker, secondary), unit for unit than anyone else other than the Bengals -- who swept PIT this year.
BYE, BYE STEELERS. Season's over.
Pick:
Baltimore 30
Pittsburgh 27
FINAL - OT
------------------------
Seattle Seahawks vs. Green Bay Packers
Lambeau Field
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Over/Under: 41.5
GB: -14
SEA:625
GB: -850
The Seabags are a mess. The Seabags are cowards. The Seabags are soft. The Seabags are injured. The Seabags have nothing to play for. The Packers are playing for their playoff lives. For sure the Packers blow away the Seahawks, right?
Upset of the week.
Pick:
Seattle 27
Green Bay 24
FINAL
----------------------
Buffalo Bills vs. Atlanta Falcons
The Georgia Dome
Atlanta, Georgia
Over/Under: 41
ATL: -9
BUF: +340
ATL: -440
The Falcons are too average to ever be giving a team this many points. Especially to a game Buffalo team. However S Jairus Byrd is out for the season for the young Bills. The Falcons ' beat up rushing attack is not going to be at 100%, but the Bills are slow in run defense and are now hampered in pass defense. The Falcons SHOULD win this one. But I don't like them covering.
Pick:
Buffalo 17
Atlanta 23
FINAL
----------------
Carolina Panthers vs. New York Football Giants
Giants Stadium
East Rutherford, New Jersey
Over/Under: 42.5
NYG: -7
CAR: +260
NYG: -320
The Panthers aren't the team that came here and matched us tit for tat last year and ran the ball pretty well. They aren't playing DeAngelo Williams much, and DEAR GOD their QB situation is laughable. Matt Moore isn't as mistake-prone as Jake Delhomme, but the Giants are playing New York FOOTBALL Giants football again defensive, and they may chase Moore (another lackluster offensive line) in favor of Delhomme much in the same way they chased Jason Campbell temporarily for Todd Collins vs. Washington. The Giants feature the 3rd best offense in the NFC and only the Saints (35 PPG) and Eagles (29 PPG) score more than the Giants (28 PPG). The Panthers ran into a team in a downward spiral (Minnesota) but the Giants are desperate and motivated -- and not fighting with their coach.
Pick:
Carolina 20
NY Giants 35
FINAL
----------------
St. Louis Rams vs. Arizona Cardinals
University of Phoenix Stadium
Glendale, Arizona
Over/Under: 43.5
ARZ: -14
STL: +625
ARZ: -850
The Cards are at home and have tons to play for. PERIOD.
Pick:
St. Louis 13
Arizona 31
FINAL
-------------------
Detroit Lions vs. San Francisco 49ers
Candlestick Park
San Francisco, California
Over/Under: 41
SF: -12
DET: +500
SF: -700
The 49ers get me tight. They beat Arizona, which kind of messed with things playoff-wise for me. Then they fail to show up against the Eagles. It sickens me. They almost don't deserve those 12 points they're giving up, but it seems like a good play against the Lions who are going west. Not sure about that OVER. I think the UNDER (barely) lives. SF's money line is a good play.
Pick:
Detroit 17
San Francisco 21
FINAL
-----------------
Denver Broncos vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Lincoln Financial Field
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Over/Under: 41/5
PHI: -7
DEN: +250
PHI: -300
The B-men are a collective enigma. I knew they'd lose to Oakland. And I said two weeks ago they'd win this game. I'm not budging from that. Somehow, they'll find a way, with the Eagles playing white hot football right now. FS Brian Dawkins will be extra motivated in his return to Philadelphia and will be sailing through the air attempting to take WR DeSean Jackson's head off (which I will pay him handsomely for if he does it ha).
For you squeamish women out there, I don't mean this LITERALLY DEAR GOD I can hear you already.
Pick:
Denver 31
Philadelphia 27
FINAL
-------------------
New York Jets vs. Indianapolis Colts
Lucas Oil Stadium
Indianapolis, Indiana
Over/Under: 40.5
IND: -5.5
NYJ: +200
IND: -240
The Colts won't be resting their starters at any point in this game. The Jets just need to keep the ball out of Sanchez's hands and run block for Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene and they'll have a chance. Having Sanchez make reads against a swarming defense like the Colts' and the Whirling Dervish himself spinning into Sanchez's face all day isn't wise if you're Brian Schottenheimer.
I just don't know if the Jets will be able to stop the Colts enough in order to keep it within shouting distance. The Jets ARE desperate for a win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, however.
Pick:
NY Jets 20
Indianapolis 30
FINAL
----------------
Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins
FedEx Field
Landover, Maryland
***SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL***
Over/Under: 42
WSH: +7
DAL: -290
WSH: +245
All season we have seen teams win or lose a game they probably weren't expected to and in unexpected fashion, then turn and do the opposite the following week. I'm not big on those "history" stats, but even sticking to relevant history (i.e. Romo's tenure as starting QB of the Dallas Cowboys, the Redskins have the Cowboys' number -- especially when they come to Landover). The Cowboys are pretty much Felix Jones and that's it, running the ball. Marion Barber looks slow. And the Skins, for all their warts and folly against the Giants, ONLY gave up two runs over 10 yards. Don't look for Felix Jones to change that. The Skins had chances to swing the game as there were 3 passes that could have been INTs for them. And Romo will definitely throw them 2-3 bones in this one. Don't think just because Dallas won at New Orleans that they are going to go in and demolish Washington as the Giants did. The Giants own Washington and have beaten the Cowboys themselves 4 out of the last 5 times they've played.
Besides, the Redskins had nearly SHUT OUT Dallas IN ARLINGTON the first time they played.
Funny side note, Suisham goes to Dallas, and will miss a FG after they fired their previous kicker, Nick Folk, who had been missing them like it was his job to do so. IRONY.
Pick:
Dallas 17
Washington 20
FINAL
--------------------
Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears
Soldier Field
Chicago, Illinois
***MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL***
Over/Under: 41
CHI: +7
MIN: -300
CHI: +250
GO BEARS! Ha. But seriously, are the wheels coming off for the Vikes at the absolute worst time? Brett Favre was due to cause the team problems, but I figured it would be with INTs, not trying to pull rank over his coach. Oh well. The Bears must run the ball, or they have no chance. Lately, teams have been neutralizing Jared Allen and Kevin Williams for Minnesota. I think it will be close.
Pick:
Minnesota 23
Chicago 24
FINAL
---------------------------
M.D. Wright
12.23.09
I figured I'd send in my picks earlier this week, even though there is no Thursday game (Chargers vs. Titans on FRIDAY, Christmas Day). I'm going to be in and out of Jersey most likely and these are HUGE games. I want to be able to ruminate a bit before laying any numbers.
Here's what I have:
San Diego (Super) Chargers vs. Tennessee Titans
LP Field
Nashville, Tennessee
***FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL -- CHRISTMAS DAY EDITION***
Over/Under: 47
TEN: -3
SD: +135
TEN: -155
Uhhhh... how are the Titans favored ha? I know Vince has done nothing but win since he got his rightful spot back, and Chris Johnson is the best RB in the league, but these are the BOLTS here. Oh well, it's just a FG handicap, but I honestly think the Chargers are clicking in every facet of the game and they'll win by about 10.
Pick:
San Diego 34
Tennessee 24
FINAL
-------------------
Oakland Raiders vs. Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Stadium
Cleveland, Ohio
Over/Under: 38.5
CLE: -3
OAK: +150
CLE: -170
Browns are favored in a game ha? Wow. I guess Vegas keeled over after watching that pinball match vs. KC last week, huh? The Raiders are going to finish this season 7-9, as I predicted in SEPTEMBER, BTW. So there that go. The under looks REAL good here. Unlike KC, the Raiders DO have a defense.
Pick:
Oakland 20
Cleveland 9
FINAL
-------------------
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Paul Brown Stadium
Cincinnati, Ohio
Over/Under: 40
CIN: -13.5
KC: +550
CIN: -750
The Bengals cannot afford any gaffes (nor legit losses for that matter, because they have not clinched their division yet) and they know it.
Pick:
Kansas City 13
Cincinnati 34
FINAL
--------------------
Houston Texans vs. Miami Dolphins
Dolphin Stadium
Miami Gardens, Florida
Over/Under: 45
MIA: -3
HOU: +125
MIA: -145
In a game SATURATED with playoff implications, this one is simply the proverbial cliché: "WIN OR GO HOME". Winner has a chance to make a push for the #6 seed in the AFC. Loser is finished. Miami is in a better position to control a few things with tiebreakers over teams such as NY Jets, New England (should NE falter at all) and if they win this game and beat PIT in Week 17, the head-to-head there as well. The Texans have a propensity to finish seasons strong and/or play spoiler. Tough call. The Dolphins are at home after struggling vs. TEN last week. My GUT says take Miami, but I am thinking the Texans are going to pull this one out of the bag and make things interesting going into Week 17.
Pick:
Houston 26
Miami 24
FINAL
------------------
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints
The Louisiana Superdome
New Orleans, Louisiana
Over/Under: 49.5
NO: -14
TB: +625
NO: -850
The Saints were never "invincible" as some people put it, but they had holes all along. Not that the lowly Bucs are going to exploit them or anything.
I'm just saying, playoffs looking forward ha.
Pick:
Tampa Bay 16
New Orleans 35
FINAL
-------------------
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New England Patriots
Gillette Stadium
Foxborough, Massachusetts
Over/Under: 43.5
NE: -8
JAX: +290
NE: -350
You know what? The Jags are desperate. The Patriots have not been very impressive of late and have a false sense of security with their lead in the AFC East. But if they lose this game they are in trouble if Miami wins out. I'm going to pick Jacksonville here, because the Jags WILL stick with the running game with a) keeps them in the game and keeps the clock moving and b) keeps Brady, Welker and Moss off the field. I think the defense does just enough to get the win for Jacksonville and keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
Pick:
Jacksonville 24
New England 20
FINAL
-------------------
Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Heinz Field
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Over/Under: 42
PIT: -2.5
BAL: +125
PIT: -145
Am I the only person who has this utter disregard for the "toughness of playing in Heinz Field" nonsense? The Ravens aren't moved by this. And all those "since 1992" stats the people like to feature about playing in PIT are irrelevant here. Plain and simple, the Ravens run the ball better, don't give up sacks at an alarming rate like Roethlisberger is prone to do and their defense is playing far better than the Steelers' right now. The Ravens match up better with the Steelers man for man, level for level (defensive line, linebacker, secondary), unit for unit than anyone else other than the Bengals -- who swept PIT this year.
BYE, BYE STEELERS. Season's over.
Pick:
Baltimore 30
Pittsburgh 27
FINAL - OT
------------------------
Seattle Seahawks vs. Green Bay Packers
Lambeau Field
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Over/Under: 41.5
GB: -14
SEA:625
GB: -850
The Seabags are a mess. The Seabags are cowards. The Seabags are soft. The Seabags are injured. The Seabags have nothing to play for. The Packers are playing for their playoff lives. For sure the Packers blow away the Seahawks, right?
Upset of the week.
Pick:
Seattle 27
Green Bay 24
FINAL
----------------------
Buffalo Bills vs. Atlanta Falcons
The Georgia Dome
Atlanta, Georgia
Over/Under: 41
ATL: -9
BUF: +340
ATL: -440
The Falcons are too average to ever be giving a team this many points. Especially to a game Buffalo team. However S Jairus Byrd is out for the season for the young Bills. The Falcons ' beat up rushing attack is not going to be at 100%, but the Bills are slow in run defense and are now hampered in pass defense. The Falcons SHOULD win this one. But I don't like them covering.
Pick:
Buffalo 17
Atlanta 23
FINAL
----------------
Carolina Panthers vs. New York Football Giants
Giants Stadium
East Rutherford, New Jersey
Over/Under: 42.5
NYG: -7
CAR: +260
NYG: -320
The Panthers aren't the team that came here and matched us tit for tat last year and ran the ball pretty well. They aren't playing DeAngelo Williams much, and DEAR GOD their QB situation is laughable. Matt Moore isn't as mistake-prone as Jake Delhomme, but the Giants are playing New York FOOTBALL Giants football again defensive, and they may chase Moore (another lackluster offensive line) in favor of Delhomme much in the same way they chased Jason Campbell temporarily for Todd Collins vs. Washington. The Giants feature the 3rd best offense in the NFC and only the Saints (35 PPG) and Eagles (29 PPG) score more than the Giants (28 PPG). The Panthers ran into a team in a downward spiral (Minnesota) but the Giants are desperate and motivated -- and not fighting with their coach.
Pick:
Carolina 20
NY Giants 35
FINAL
----------------
St. Louis Rams vs. Arizona Cardinals
University of Phoenix Stadium
Glendale, Arizona
Over/Under: 43.5
ARZ: -14
STL: +625
ARZ: -850
The Cards are at home and have tons to play for. PERIOD.
Pick:
St. Louis 13
Arizona 31
FINAL
-------------------
Detroit Lions vs. San Francisco 49ers
Candlestick Park
San Francisco, California
Over/Under: 41
SF: -12
DET: +500
SF: -700
The 49ers get me tight. They beat Arizona, which kind of messed with things playoff-wise for me. Then they fail to show up against the Eagles. It sickens me. They almost don't deserve those 12 points they're giving up, but it seems like a good play against the Lions who are going west. Not sure about that OVER. I think the UNDER (barely) lives. SF's money line is a good play.
Pick:
Detroit 17
San Francisco 21
FINAL
-----------------
Denver Broncos vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Lincoln Financial Field
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Over/Under: 41/5
PHI: -7
DEN: +250
PHI: -300
The B-men are a collective enigma. I knew they'd lose to Oakland. And I said two weeks ago they'd win this game. I'm not budging from that. Somehow, they'll find a way, with the Eagles playing white hot football right now. FS Brian Dawkins will be extra motivated in his return to Philadelphia and will be sailing through the air attempting to take WR DeSean Jackson's head off (which I will pay him handsomely for if he does it ha).
For you squeamish women out there, I don't mean this LITERALLY DEAR GOD I can hear you already.
Pick:
Denver 31
Philadelphia 27
FINAL
-------------------
New York Jets vs. Indianapolis Colts
Lucas Oil Stadium
Indianapolis, Indiana
Over/Under: 40.5
IND: -5.5
NYJ: +200
IND: -240
The Colts won't be resting their starters at any point in this game. The Jets just need to keep the ball out of Sanchez's hands and run block for Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene and they'll have a chance. Having Sanchez make reads against a swarming defense like the Colts' and the Whirling Dervish himself spinning into Sanchez's face all day isn't wise if you're Brian Schottenheimer.
I just don't know if the Jets will be able to stop the Colts enough in order to keep it within shouting distance. The Jets ARE desperate for a win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, however.
Pick:
NY Jets 20
Indianapolis 30
FINAL
----------------
Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins
FedEx Field
Landover, Maryland
***SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL***
Over/Under: 42
WSH: +7
DAL: -290
WSH: +245
All season we have seen teams win or lose a game they probably weren't expected to and in unexpected fashion, then turn and do the opposite the following week. I'm not big on those "history" stats, but even sticking to relevant history (i.e. Romo's tenure as starting QB of the Dallas Cowboys, the Redskins have the Cowboys' number -- especially when they come to Landover). The Cowboys are pretty much Felix Jones and that's it, running the ball. Marion Barber looks slow. And the Skins, for all their warts and folly against the Giants, ONLY gave up two runs over 10 yards. Don't look for Felix Jones to change that. The Skins had chances to swing the game as there were 3 passes that could have been INTs for them. And Romo will definitely throw them 2-3 bones in this one. Don't think just because Dallas won at New Orleans that they are going to go in and demolish Washington as the Giants did. The Giants own Washington and have beaten the Cowboys themselves 4 out of the last 5 times they've played.
Besides, the Redskins had nearly SHUT OUT Dallas IN ARLINGTON the first time they played.
Funny side note, Suisham goes to Dallas, and will miss a FG after they fired their previous kicker, Nick Folk, who had been missing them like it was his job to do so. IRONY.
Pick:
Dallas 17
Washington 20
FINAL
--------------------
Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears
Soldier Field
Chicago, Illinois
***MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL***
Over/Under: 41
CHI: +7
MIN: -300
CHI: +250
GO BEARS! Ha. But seriously, are the wheels coming off for the Vikes at the absolute worst time? Brett Favre was due to cause the team problems, but I figured it would be with INTs, not trying to pull rank over his coach. Oh well. The Bears must run the ball, or they have no chance. Lately, teams have been neutralizing Jared Allen and Kevin Williams for Minnesota. I think it will be close.
Pick:
Minnesota 23
Chicago 24
FINAL
---------------------------
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
NFL Playoff Predictions (Week 16 Version)
NFL Playoff Predictions (Week 16 Version)
M.D. Wright
12.22.09
***EDITOR'S NOTE: This is pure conjecture. If anything happens to turn out the way I claim in this note, fly me to Vegas so I can go work for the house ha.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
Big games coming up this weekend and next. Attention will be palpable. The Vikings' loss to Carolina in Week 15 opened the door for a whole new set of scenarios that previously looked impossible. A month ago, the Saints and Vikings were mortal locks for the #1 and #2 seeds in the NFC, leading to Bye Weeks in the first round of the playoffs. Now? Not so. By virtue of the aforementioned loss by Minnesota, and Philadelphia being White Hot right now, there lends more importance to every game being played over the next 11 days. ARE YOU READY?
As it stands today (again, mere conjecture), these are the real playoff contenders:
1. New Orleans Saints. (13-1).
2. Minnesota Vikings (11-3).
3. Philadelphia Eagles (10-4).
4. Arizona Cardinals (9-5).
5. Green Bay Packers (9-5).
6. Dallas Cowboys (9-5).
----------------
7. New York Giants (8-6).
The Eagles can possibly grab the #2 seed in the NFC.
The Cards can go as high as 2 (unlikely, as both MIN and PHI must lose both of their remaining games and ARZ must win both of its remaining 2 games in order for this to happen).
The Giants own the very important tiebreaker against Dallas, as well as the tiebreaker over Green Bay (should it come into play) due to better conference record and the common opponents tiebreaker.
The Cowboys can win the NFC East by winning their last two games and Philadelphia splits (with their loss obviously coming head to head with Dallas, who would own the tiebreaker against PHI, as a result).
Philadelphia clinches the NFC East with a win in Week 16 vs. Denver and a win Week 17 vs. Dallas.
The Giants cannot win the NFC East, however, they can either jostle for the #5 or #6 seed. The Packers have yet to clinch a playoff berth, and can potentially miss the playoffs altogether if they lose both of their final two games.
Because of the Vikings' loss, the Cards now have "something to play for" in both of their final two games, meaning Green Bay could very well need help from the Giants in order to make the playoffs in Week 17 (facing ARZ).
The Giants simply need to win vs. Carolina at home Week 16 and win vs. Minnesota Week 17 and they are in -- WITH a Dallas loss to either Washington or Philadelphia.
SUBPLOTS:
Washington OWNS Dallas in December in Landover.
Philadelphia ended Dallas' season last year and have the opportunity to do so again this year.
The Cardinals will not know who their opponent will be until their game ends Week 17. It could be any team between Green Bay, Dallas or NY Giants.
If Philadelphia wins the NFC East and gets the 3 seed, the Giants could return to Lincoln Financial Field. If they Iggles clinch the 2, the Giants could go back to Minnesota or Arizona and then would face New Orleans in a rematch.
IN OTHER WORDS, STAY TUNED. Every game matters these last two weeks. This is probably the most exciting final stretch in years.
AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
The AFC is a little more cut and dry (at the top, anyway) than the NFC.
1. Indianapolis Colts. (14-0)*.
* - Denotes clinched homefield advantage throughout playoffs, including Super Bowl (as home team, for what it's worth).
2. San Diego Chargers (11-3).
3. Cincinnati Bengals (9-5).
4. New England Patriots (9-5).
5. Baltimore Ravens (8-6).
6. Denver Broncos (8-6).
--------------
7. Miami Dolphins (7-7).
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7).
9. Tennessee Titans (7-7).
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-7).
11. Houston Texans (7-7).
12. NY Jets (7-7).
First off, the Colts have a major advantage avoiding having to play "in weather" by virtue of their #1 seed. However, they aren't the hottest team in the NFL right now. The Chargers are. And outside of playing in Foxborough, there isn't a place in the NFL where I think the Chargers have a chance of faltering right now. They are my favorites to win it all from THIS MOMENT.
The Colts and Chargers are both locked in as they own tiebreakers against all comers.
The Bengals had an opportunity to make a push for the #2 seed with a head to head game vs. SD, which would have yielded the tiebreaker with them and had them both with identical 10-4 records. As it stands, they must win out to avoid falling to the #4 seed, because New England likely will not lose another game.
The Ravens control their proverbial destiny. Win out and they're in. In that course, they have a tough game against the desperate Pittsburgh Steelers coming up Week 16.
Likewise with Denver. The Ravens control the head-to-head tiebreaker, but if they win out, they're in.
Denver has a tough game vs. Philadelphia Week 16, a loss muddles the picture, as there could be 6 teams with 8-7 records, with tiebreaker implications abounding.
Miami, Jacksonville, Tennessee, NY Jets, Houston and Pittsburgh all sit at 7-7.
Houston may have cost themselves an opportunity to control their destiny by losing several games late and a couple of games they "should have won". They need tons of help.
The Steelers have to play a steely (no pun) Ravens team and Miami in order to even have a chance to make the playoffs. A loss eliminates them. Even with a win vs. BAL, they would be in trouble because of the tiebreakers with TEN and HOU (who, if they win out, would have a voice in PIT's playoff stakes, amazingly).
Jacksonville lost two straight and put themselves in a tenuous situation.
Miami's loss Sunday may have crushed them. Although not confidence-wise, as they have bounced back several times this year from crushing defeats.
NY Jets are probably in the most trouble, and it has mostly been due to self-inflicted wounds -- including leaving at least 24 points on the field while America sat and observed a good half dozen times for them to progress beyond their 7-3 lead over the lowly Falcons. Allowing the Falcons to hang around and snatch the victory away at the last minute puts the Jets in a situation where they need the Dolphins and Jaguars to lose out and hope that Houston is the other team sitting at 9-7 at the end -- the only tiebreaker they own against the remaining teams.
---------------------------------
AS I SEE IT:
NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
1. New Orleans.
2. Philadelphia.
3. Arizona.
4. Minnesota.
5. Green Bay.
6. NY Giants.
1/2 -- Bye Weeks, Wild Card Playoff Weekend
6 plays at 3
5 plays at 4
NY Giants vs. Arizona Cardinals.
GIANTS RIDING MOMENTUM AND ADMITTEDLY HAVING A BETTER TEAM.
Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings.
WOW. The talking heads will have a field day if this happens. And if Favre does what FAVRE DOES (since 1997) DEAR GOD WATCH OUT. We may hear Favre stories from February until September. AGAIN.
I'm still picking Minnesota though.
NY Giants vs. New Orleans Saints.
TOO TOUGH TO CALL. Rematch, and the Giants won't be a step slow all game this time. Everyone saw what Dallas did to flummox Brees with an average defense, so it doesn't take the Jets' D to beat the Saints.
Minnesota Vikings vs. Philadelphia Eagles.
Peterson would have to earn his keep in this game, but I think Favre is going to be the deciding factor. He and/or Childress and his play-calling/decision-making. They have the defense to contend with Philadelphia. I'm not making a call here.
-------------------------
AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
1. Indianapolis Colts.
2. San Diego Chargers.
3. Cincinnati Bengals.
4. New England Patriots.
5. Baltimore Ravens.
6. Tennessee Titans.
NO ONE WANTS TO PLAY THE BOLTS. That's not supposed to be a C for COLTS. It is a B for BOLTS.
1/2 have Bye Weeks during the Wild Card Playoff.
" "
Tennessee Titans vs. Cincinnati Bengals.
WOW. Vince knows how to win games and they have the best RB in the NFL this year in Chris Johnson.
The Bengals don't really do anything in spectacular fashion. Benson has been slowed, Carson Palmer has been disgustingly average all season (even below average in many games) although he has been clutch, which is all that matters at the end.
I'd take Tennessee. This Chris Henry thing could galvanize the Bengals, but I think more than anything else, they don't have the front 7 to keep Johnson in front of them AND contend with Young.
Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots.
This is one game I can see going in the road team's favor. The Ravens were lined up to beat the Pats earlier before bobbling away (literally -- Mark Clayton and Derrick Mason) the game late when they played earlier in 2009. The Ravens do not fear nor respect New England and along with smacking Welker (which they did earlier as he came out of the slot), they will keep Moss under control and Ray Rice will have a field day against their slow defense. Flacco avoids mistakes for the most part.
Tennessee Titans vs. Indianapolis Colts.
Now.... the Colts certainly have Tennessee's number. Even with Young in the starting lineup, the Colts beat the Titans going away earlier this season. Unlike many teams, the Colts have the defensive staff. WATCH OUT. But I think the Colts prevail and make it back to the AFC Championship.
Baltimore Ravens vs. San Diego Chargers.
Rematch, but no revenge. The Chargers simply do everything great and the Ravens don't feature the dominant defense they once had. Philip Rivers is the 2nd best QB in the NFL and he proves it every week without begging the officials for flags nor failing to show up against an average defense at home with momentum.
Yeah, I said it. If you can read, you know who those statements were aimed at.
San Diego Chargers vs. Indianapolis Colts.
I won't make any calls until the playoffs materialize, but in both conferences, this is pretty much how I see it developing. We will report back at the end of Week 16, Week 17, Wild Card Weekend and after the Divisional Playoffs and Conference Championship Games with more predictions and analysis.
M.D. Wright
12.22.09
***EDITOR'S NOTE: This is pure conjecture. If anything happens to turn out the way I claim in this note, fly me to Vegas so I can go work for the house ha.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
Big games coming up this weekend and next. Attention will be palpable. The Vikings' loss to Carolina in Week 15 opened the door for a whole new set of scenarios that previously looked impossible. A month ago, the Saints and Vikings were mortal locks for the #1 and #2 seeds in the NFC, leading to Bye Weeks in the first round of the playoffs. Now? Not so. By virtue of the aforementioned loss by Minnesota, and Philadelphia being White Hot right now, there lends more importance to every game being played over the next 11 days. ARE YOU READY?
As it stands today (again, mere conjecture), these are the real playoff contenders:
1. New Orleans Saints. (13-1).
2. Minnesota Vikings (11-3).
3. Philadelphia Eagles (10-4).
4. Arizona Cardinals (9-5).
5. Green Bay Packers (9-5).
6. Dallas Cowboys (9-5).
----------------
7. New York Giants (8-6).
The Eagles can possibly grab the #2 seed in the NFC.
The Cards can go as high as 2 (unlikely, as both MIN and PHI must lose both of their remaining games and ARZ must win both of its remaining 2 games in order for this to happen).
The Giants own the very important tiebreaker against Dallas, as well as the tiebreaker over Green Bay (should it come into play) due to better conference record and the common opponents tiebreaker.
The Cowboys can win the NFC East by winning their last two games and Philadelphia splits (with their loss obviously coming head to head with Dallas, who would own the tiebreaker against PHI, as a result).
Philadelphia clinches the NFC East with a win in Week 16 vs. Denver and a win Week 17 vs. Dallas.
The Giants cannot win the NFC East, however, they can either jostle for the #5 or #6 seed. The Packers have yet to clinch a playoff berth, and can potentially miss the playoffs altogether if they lose both of their final two games.
Because of the Vikings' loss, the Cards now have "something to play for" in both of their final two games, meaning Green Bay could very well need help from the Giants in order to make the playoffs in Week 17 (facing ARZ).
The Giants simply need to win vs. Carolina at home Week 16 and win vs. Minnesota Week 17 and they are in -- WITH a Dallas loss to either Washington or Philadelphia.
SUBPLOTS:
Washington OWNS Dallas in December in Landover.
Philadelphia ended Dallas' season last year and have the opportunity to do so again this year.
The Cardinals will not know who their opponent will be until their game ends Week 17. It could be any team between Green Bay, Dallas or NY Giants.
If Philadelphia wins the NFC East and gets the 3 seed, the Giants could return to Lincoln Financial Field. If they Iggles clinch the 2, the Giants could go back to Minnesota or Arizona and then would face New Orleans in a rematch.
IN OTHER WORDS, STAY TUNED. Every game matters these last two weeks. This is probably the most exciting final stretch in years.
AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
The AFC is a little more cut and dry (at the top, anyway) than the NFC.
1. Indianapolis Colts. (14-0)*.
* - Denotes clinched homefield advantage throughout playoffs, including Super Bowl (as home team, for what it's worth).
2. San Diego Chargers (11-3).
3. Cincinnati Bengals (9-5).
4. New England Patriots (9-5).
5. Baltimore Ravens (8-6).
6. Denver Broncos (8-6).
--------------
7. Miami Dolphins (7-7).
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7).
9. Tennessee Titans (7-7).
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-7).
11. Houston Texans (7-7).
12. NY Jets (7-7).
First off, the Colts have a major advantage avoiding having to play "in weather" by virtue of their #1 seed. However, they aren't the hottest team in the NFL right now. The Chargers are. And outside of playing in Foxborough, there isn't a place in the NFL where I think the Chargers have a chance of faltering right now. They are my favorites to win it all from THIS MOMENT.
The Colts and Chargers are both locked in as they own tiebreakers against all comers.
The Bengals had an opportunity to make a push for the #2 seed with a head to head game vs. SD, which would have yielded the tiebreaker with them and had them both with identical 10-4 records. As it stands, they must win out to avoid falling to the #4 seed, because New England likely will not lose another game.
The Ravens control their proverbial destiny. Win out and they're in. In that course, they have a tough game against the desperate Pittsburgh Steelers coming up Week 16.
Likewise with Denver. The Ravens control the head-to-head tiebreaker, but if they win out, they're in.
Denver has a tough game vs. Philadelphia Week 16, a loss muddles the picture, as there could be 6 teams with 8-7 records, with tiebreaker implications abounding.
Miami, Jacksonville, Tennessee, NY Jets, Houston and Pittsburgh all sit at 7-7.
Houston may have cost themselves an opportunity to control their destiny by losing several games late and a couple of games they "should have won". They need tons of help.
The Steelers have to play a steely (no pun) Ravens team and Miami in order to even have a chance to make the playoffs. A loss eliminates them. Even with a win vs. BAL, they would be in trouble because of the tiebreakers with TEN and HOU (who, if they win out, would have a voice in PIT's playoff stakes, amazingly).
Jacksonville lost two straight and put themselves in a tenuous situation.
Miami's loss Sunday may have crushed them. Although not confidence-wise, as they have bounced back several times this year from crushing defeats.
NY Jets are probably in the most trouble, and it has mostly been due to self-inflicted wounds -- including leaving at least 24 points on the field while America sat and observed a good half dozen times for them to progress beyond their 7-3 lead over the lowly Falcons. Allowing the Falcons to hang around and snatch the victory away at the last minute puts the Jets in a situation where they need the Dolphins and Jaguars to lose out and hope that Houston is the other team sitting at 9-7 at the end -- the only tiebreaker they own against the remaining teams.
---------------------------------
AS I SEE IT:
NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
1. New Orleans.
2. Philadelphia.
3. Arizona.
4. Minnesota.
5. Green Bay.
6. NY Giants.
1/2 -- Bye Weeks, Wild Card Playoff Weekend
6 plays at 3
5 plays at 4
NY Giants vs. Arizona Cardinals.
GIANTS RIDING MOMENTUM AND ADMITTEDLY HAVING A BETTER TEAM.
Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings.
WOW. The talking heads will have a field day if this happens. And if Favre does what FAVRE DOES (since 1997) DEAR GOD WATCH OUT. We may hear Favre stories from February until September. AGAIN.
I'm still picking Minnesota though.
NY Giants vs. New Orleans Saints.
TOO TOUGH TO CALL. Rematch, and the Giants won't be a step slow all game this time. Everyone saw what Dallas did to flummox Brees with an average defense, so it doesn't take the Jets' D to beat the Saints.
Minnesota Vikings vs. Philadelphia Eagles.
Peterson would have to earn his keep in this game, but I think Favre is going to be the deciding factor. He and/or Childress and his play-calling/decision-making. They have the defense to contend with Philadelphia. I'm not making a call here.
-------------------------
AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
1. Indianapolis Colts.
2. San Diego Chargers.
3. Cincinnati Bengals.
4. New England Patriots.
5. Baltimore Ravens.
6. Tennessee Titans.
NO ONE WANTS TO PLAY THE BOLTS. That's not supposed to be a C for COLTS. It is a B for BOLTS.
1/2 have Bye Weeks during the Wild Card Playoff.
" "
Tennessee Titans vs. Cincinnati Bengals.
WOW. Vince knows how to win games and they have the best RB in the NFL this year in Chris Johnson.
The Bengals don't really do anything in spectacular fashion. Benson has been slowed, Carson Palmer has been disgustingly average all season (even below average in many games) although he has been clutch, which is all that matters at the end.
I'd take Tennessee. This Chris Henry thing could galvanize the Bengals, but I think more than anything else, they don't have the front 7 to keep Johnson in front of them AND contend with Young.
Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots.
This is one game I can see going in the road team's favor. The Ravens were lined up to beat the Pats earlier before bobbling away (literally -- Mark Clayton and Derrick Mason) the game late when they played earlier in 2009. The Ravens do not fear nor respect New England and along with smacking Welker (which they did earlier as he came out of the slot), they will keep Moss under control and Ray Rice will have a field day against their slow defense. Flacco avoids mistakes for the most part.
Tennessee Titans vs. Indianapolis Colts.
Now.... the Colts certainly have Tennessee's number. Even with Young in the starting lineup, the Colts beat the Titans going away earlier this season. Unlike many teams, the Colts have the defensive staff. WATCH OUT. But I think the Colts prevail and make it back to the AFC Championship.
Baltimore Ravens vs. San Diego Chargers.
Rematch, but no revenge. The Chargers simply do everything great and the Ravens don't feature the dominant defense they once had. Philip Rivers is the 2nd best QB in the NFL and he proves it every week without begging the officials for flags nor failing to show up against an average defense at home with momentum.
Yeah, I said it. If you can read, you know who those statements were aimed at.
San Diego Chargers vs. Indianapolis Colts.
I won't make any calls until the playoffs materialize, but in both conferences, this is pretty much how I see it developing. We will report back at the end of Week 16, Week 17, Wild Card Weekend and after the Divisional Playoffs and Conference Championship Games with more predictions and analysis.
NFL Week 16 Powre Rankings
NFL Week 16 Powre Rankings
M.D. Wright
12.22.09
1. San Diego Chargers.
At this point, I'm beginning to buy them as the best team in the NFL because the Colts' inability and lack of desire to run the ball (STRETCH PLAY, PLEASE???) is going to catch up to them when teams are able to get near Manning's feet. I think that's going to give the Chargers a slight edge should they face one another in the AFC Championship Game.
2. Indianapolis Colts.
What I just said.
3. New England Patriots.
Hard to detract from what they're doing at this point. No one in the NFC appears to be dominant.
4. Philadelphia Eagles.
For all that they have done (big plays all year, winning the NFC East -- as they're going to do -- and looking impressive the past month and a half) everyone knows that the playoffs are a different ball game and the other shoe will come down.
Side note: for all the so-called "EXPERTS" out there on ESPN (STEVE YOUNG, TONIGHT) who fail to mention a very important fact in the NFC playoff hunt, let me put you on: the Iggles have a chance to secure the 2 seed by virtue of the somewhat shocking Vikings loss last night. The Vikes aren't a shoe-in to win either of their last two games and they have not by any means secured that 2 spot yet. With the Cards having the head-to-head tiebreaker and the Iggles having it (if PHI wins out), they will be playing their starters. The Iggles will be also, meaning Dallas may be in for yet another epic collapse at the hands of the Iggles, more questions and thus thereby knocking down the final obstacle for the Giants to clinch a playoff berth. Don't act surprised two weeks from now when this materializes.
5. New Orleans Saints.
EXPOSED. And worse yet, it was against a team with a shaky confidence level that thoroughly smacked them around and proved that the Saints' running game is a mirage and their defense had been playing over its head/not as good as statistics would indicate.
6. Green Bay Packers.
Likewise with THEIR defense, which really hadn't done anything impressive except in the Dallas game.
7. Dallas Cowboys.
Credit to them for winning Saturday night, they get the December talk off their back -- at least until they lose to Washington Sunday.
8. Arizona Cardinals.
You just never know which team is going to show up every week. The way it looks, Bill Parcells is right ONCE AGAIN -- "YA ARE WHAT YA RECORD SAYS YA ARE" and the Cards record shows they post two good ones for every STINKER they mail in. They're 9-5 right now. By that ratio, they are due for a blowout next week (2:1 -- 10-5, get it?) and a STINKER vs. Green Bay. Hmmmm... with the 3 seed at stake for them, their last two games are actually not games where they will be resting starters.
9. Minnesota Vikings.
I've been pointing it out almost from the time Favre signed there. And I'm saying it AGAIN, you saw the crack in the dam last night -- it's going to be Childress' play-calling and decision-making and/or Favre's erratic playoff performance (a staple since 2000 -- look at the stats, records and outcomes -- Favre has STUNK in the playoffs since 1997, but especially since 2000; and that's WHEN they've made it to the playoffs). Keep an eye out, because they could be facing a desperate Giants team Week 17 and once again in the Wild Card Playoff the following week. The Giants have their mojo and moxie back and the Vikes are clearly missing EJ Henderson. They need to get their running game back on track and figure out what teams are doing to take Kevin Williams and Jared Allen out of games or they are going to be one and done.
10. New York Giants.
Even if it was for an extended period of time, anyone with eyes knows the Giants have the personnel on defense to return to their perennial perch amongst the best defenses in the NFL. They did not play like it for two months, but much like '07, there was a lull before the new coordinator (Spagnuolo) and his system took off. Sheridan finally got it right -- and if they continue to play to the personnel's strengths, the first 5 games and the Washington game will once again loom as the trend and not the aberration that they appear to be to the haters (and the 2-6 streak will be marked as an aberration). Too many playmakers on both sides of the ball to keep this team down -- a team that scores almost 27 PPG legitimately every season and had perennially ranked amongst the best defenses in the NFL the past few seasons before the aforementioned lull.
11. Cincinnati Bengals.
I dunno how much they'll have left in the tank after Chris Henry's passing. But more of a cause for alarm is how mediocre to downright bad Carson Palmer's numbers have been in most of the games this year. Coming off a 90 yard game in Week 14, he played well enough in Week 15 vs. San Diego, but the Bengals aren't dynamic enough in the running game -- rather solid -- if not unspectacular; to be able to get by with Palmer averaging less than 200 yards per game passing.
12. Tennessee Titans.
Record aside, VINCE YOUNG KNOWS HOW TO WIN. Had he been inserted sooner, the Titans might very well have one of those Wild Card spots sewn up with a 10-4 record. As it is, Jeff Fisher -- who is proving that he is losing his touch a bit (clock management in Week 15?) gave Young his job back a couple of weeks too late. The Titans CAN still make the playoffs, but they need help from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia in order to have a shot. That said:
NO ONE WANTS TO PLAY THEM IF THEY MAKE THE PLAYOFFS. NO ONE.
13. Baltimore Ravens.
Their destiny is in their hands. A win versus Pittsburgh almost certainly gives them control over one of the Wild Card spots. But it is a huge task to fulfill to go into Pittsburgh and beat a very desperate Steelers team. The caveat being the Steelers don't rely upon the run anymore for the Ravens to flex their true muscle (stuffing the run). The Ravens CAN be had in the air and Roethlisberger has been as prolific as any in doing so this season.
14. Miami Dolphins.
WATCH OUT. That's all I'm saying. The AFC East can break VERY CRAZY if the Patriots don't take care of business in these last two games.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers.
Gutsy play in Week 15, but they're at long odds to even make the playoffs. And I think the young Ravens end their season appropriately in Week 16.
16. Jacksonville Jaguars.
Valiant effort vs. Indianapolis, but -- eh.
17. Houston Texans.
As is their trademark year in and year out -- too little, too late. They don't have any tiebreaker advantages. All they can do is hope everyone ahead of them loses (and some of those teams play one another) so, yeah...
18. Denver Broncos.
I know this team. I knew they'd beat Dallas. I knew they'd lose to Baltimore. I knew they'd lost to Oakland. And I know they're going to beat Philadelphia this weekend. Brian Dawkins might try to take DeSean Jackson's head off this week. I wouldn't mind this.
19. Oakland Raiders.
How about the MOXIE of this team??? Old Man Cable is showing that with time, he can make a bunch of misfits, complete busts and undeveloped talent look pretty doggone good. They have some very impressive wins this year, which all look less and less fluky with each passing week.
20. Atlanta Falcons.
Not knocking them, but the Jets left 24 points on the field and left the door WIDE OPEN all game. They're still horridly average.
21. New York Jets.
Sanchez can't totally be blamed (although he's on the hook for a good 67% of it in this most recent loss) but he's cost them 5 full games and was most of the reason they lost Week 15.
22. Carolina Panthers.
They're riding high right now...
Until they come to East Rutherford and get smacked Sunday.
23. San Francisco 49ers.
Fading fast and complete lack of effort in a game they should have won Week 15.
24. Buffalo Bills.
...........
25. Washington Redskins.
They had been playing better for the past 5 games until they failed to show up Week 15.
26. Seattle Seahawks.
The Seabags are just a pile of garbage. No other way of putting it.
27. Chicago Bears.
Lovie, pack your bags.
28. Cleveland Browns.
WHO KNEW???
29. Kansas City Chiefs.
What a horrific defensive performance against one of the historically worst offenses ever.
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
They try.
31. St. Louis Rams.
Inspired ball of late, but I bet Spags wishes he had stayed on as our DC this year. He'd be 13-1 instead of 1-13.
32. Detroit Lions.
DEAR GOD. After an inspiring start in the first two weeks, they've reverted back to their ways from last season. 1-31 in their last 32 games (and I shant reel off their overall record in the decade. YIKES). The Rams are right there with them in these past two seasons, though. 2-30. UFFFFFF.
M.D. Wright
12.22.09
1. San Diego Chargers.
At this point, I'm beginning to buy them as the best team in the NFL because the Colts' inability and lack of desire to run the ball (STRETCH PLAY, PLEASE???) is going to catch up to them when teams are able to get near Manning's feet. I think that's going to give the Chargers a slight edge should they face one another in the AFC Championship Game.
2. Indianapolis Colts.
What I just said.
3. New England Patriots.
Hard to detract from what they're doing at this point. No one in the NFC appears to be dominant.
4. Philadelphia Eagles.
For all that they have done (big plays all year, winning the NFC East -- as they're going to do -- and looking impressive the past month and a half) everyone knows that the playoffs are a different ball game and the other shoe will come down.
Side note: for all the so-called "EXPERTS" out there on ESPN (STEVE YOUNG, TONIGHT) who fail to mention a very important fact in the NFC playoff hunt, let me put you on: the Iggles have a chance to secure the 2 seed by virtue of the somewhat shocking Vikings loss last night. The Vikes aren't a shoe-in to win either of their last two games and they have not by any means secured that 2 spot yet. With the Cards having the head-to-head tiebreaker and the Iggles having it (if PHI wins out), they will be playing their starters. The Iggles will be also, meaning Dallas may be in for yet another epic collapse at the hands of the Iggles, more questions and thus thereby knocking down the final obstacle for the Giants to clinch a playoff berth. Don't act surprised two weeks from now when this materializes.
5. New Orleans Saints.
EXPOSED. And worse yet, it was against a team with a shaky confidence level that thoroughly smacked them around and proved that the Saints' running game is a mirage and their defense had been playing over its head/not as good as statistics would indicate.
6. Green Bay Packers.
Likewise with THEIR defense, which really hadn't done anything impressive except in the Dallas game.
7. Dallas Cowboys.
Credit to them for winning Saturday night, they get the December talk off their back -- at least until they lose to Washington Sunday.
8. Arizona Cardinals.
You just never know which team is going to show up every week. The way it looks, Bill Parcells is right ONCE AGAIN -- "YA ARE WHAT YA RECORD SAYS YA ARE" and the Cards record shows they post two good ones for every STINKER they mail in. They're 9-5 right now. By that ratio, they are due for a blowout next week (2:1 -- 10-5, get it?) and a STINKER vs. Green Bay. Hmmmm... with the 3 seed at stake for them, their last two games are actually not games where they will be resting starters.
9. Minnesota Vikings.
I've been pointing it out almost from the time Favre signed there. And I'm saying it AGAIN, you saw the crack in the dam last night -- it's going to be Childress' play-calling and decision-making and/or Favre's erratic playoff performance (a staple since 2000 -- look at the stats, records and outcomes -- Favre has STUNK in the playoffs since 1997, but especially since 2000; and that's WHEN they've made it to the playoffs). Keep an eye out, because they could be facing a desperate Giants team Week 17 and once again in the Wild Card Playoff the following week. The Giants have their mojo and moxie back and the Vikes are clearly missing EJ Henderson. They need to get their running game back on track and figure out what teams are doing to take Kevin Williams and Jared Allen out of games or they are going to be one and done.
10. New York Giants.
Even if it was for an extended period of time, anyone with eyes knows the Giants have the personnel on defense to return to their perennial perch amongst the best defenses in the NFL. They did not play like it for two months, but much like '07, there was a lull before the new coordinator (Spagnuolo) and his system took off. Sheridan finally got it right -- and if they continue to play to the personnel's strengths, the first 5 games and the Washington game will once again loom as the trend and not the aberration that they appear to be to the haters (and the 2-6 streak will be marked as an aberration). Too many playmakers on both sides of the ball to keep this team down -- a team that scores almost 27 PPG legitimately every season and had perennially ranked amongst the best defenses in the NFL the past few seasons before the aforementioned lull.
11. Cincinnati Bengals.
I dunno how much they'll have left in the tank after Chris Henry's passing. But more of a cause for alarm is how mediocre to downright bad Carson Palmer's numbers have been in most of the games this year. Coming off a 90 yard game in Week 14, he played well enough in Week 15 vs. San Diego, but the Bengals aren't dynamic enough in the running game -- rather solid -- if not unspectacular; to be able to get by with Palmer averaging less than 200 yards per game passing.
12. Tennessee Titans.
Record aside, VINCE YOUNG KNOWS HOW TO WIN. Had he been inserted sooner, the Titans might very well have one of those Wild Card spots sewn up with a 10-4 record. As it is, Jeff Fisher -- who is proving that he is losing his touch a bit (clock management in Week 15?) gave Young his job back a couple of weeks too late. The Titans CAN still make the playoffs, but they need help from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia in order to have a shot. That said:
NO ONE WANTS TO PLAY THEM IF THEY MAKE THE PLAYOFFS. NO ONE.
13. Baltimore Ravens.
Their destiny is in their hands. A win versus Pittsburgh almost certainly gives them control over one of the Wild Card spots. But it is a huge task to fulfill to go into Pittsburgh and beat a very desperate Steelers team. The caveat being the Steelers don't rely upon the run anymore for the Ravens to flex their true muscle (stuffing the run). The Ravens CAN be had in the air and Roethlisberger has been as prolific as any in doing so this season.
14. Miami Dolphins.
WATCH OUT. That's all I'm saying. The AFC East can break VERY CRAZY if the Patriots don't take care of business in these last two games.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers.
Gutsy play in Week 15, but they're at long odds to even make the playoffs. And I think the young Ravens end their season appropriately in Week 16.
16. Jacksonville Jaguars.
Valiant effort vs. Indianapolis, but -- eh.
17. Houston Texans.
As is their trademark year in and year out -- too little, too late. They don't have any tiebreaker advantages. All they can do is hope everyone ahead of them loses (and some of those teams play one another) so, yeah...
18. Denver Broncos.
I know this team. I knew they'd beat Dallas. I knew they'd lose to Baltimore. I knew they'd lost to Oakland. And I know they're going to beat Philadelphia this weekend. Brian Dawkins might try to take DeSean Jackson's head off this week. I wouldn't mind this.
19. Oakland Raiders.
How about the MOXIE of this team??? Old Man Cable is showing that with time, he can make a bunch of misfits, complete busts and undeveloped talent look pretty doggone good. They have some very impressive wins this year, which all look less and less fluky with each passing week.
20. Atlanta Falcons.
Not knocking them, but the Jets left 24 points on the field and left the door WIDE OPEN all game. They're still horridly average.
21. New York Jets.
Sanchez can't totally be blamed (although he's on the hook for a good 67% of it in this most recent loss) but he's cost them 5 full games and was most of the reason they lost Week 15.
22. Carolina Panthers.
They're riding high right now...
Until they come to East Rutherford and get smacked Sunday.
23. San Francisco 49ers.
Fading fast and complete lack of effort in a game they should have won Week 15.
24. Buffalo Bills.
...........
25. Washington Redskins.
They had been playing better for the past 5 games until they failed to show up Week 15.
26. Seattle Seahawks.
The Seabags are just a pile of garbage. No other way of putting it.
27. Chicago Bears.
Lovie, pack your bags.
28. Cleveland Browns.
WHO KNEW???
29. Kansas City Chiefs.
What a horrific defensive performance against one of the historically worst offenses ever.
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
They try.
31. St. Louis Rams.
Inspired ball of late, but I bet Spags wishes he had stayed on as our DC this year. He'd be 13-1 instead of 1-13.
32. Detroit Lions.
DEAR GOD. After an inspiring start in the first two weeks, they've reverted back to their ways from last season. 1-31 in their last 32 games (and I shant reel off their overall record in the decade. YIKES). The Rams are right there with them in these past two seasons, though. 2-30. UFFFFFF.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
NFL Week 15 Bettor's Guide
NFL Week 15 Bettor's Guide
M.D. Wright
12.16.09
Remember, the SCORE I call is based upon the spread, money lines and the Over/Under; so when I refer to my record versus the SU (Straight-Up picks) and ATS (Against The Spread), that is what it in reference to.
Let's go.
Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Stadium
Jacksonville, Florida
***THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL***
Over/Under: 43
JAX: +3
IND: -175
JAX: +155
Hmmmm... the Jags usually give Peyton Manning fits, but I don't see it happening. And the Colts' D has been a fixture in all their games. That's why they're going to be a tough out for anyone not named San Diego.
Pick:
Indianapolis 31
Jacksonville 20
FINAL
-----------
Dallas Cowboys vs. New Orleans Saints
The Louisiana Superdome
New Orleans, Louisiana
***SATURDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL***
Over/Under: 53.5
NO: -7
DAL: +260
NO: -320
The carnage continues for Dallas and their fans. How can they deal with all the December swoon talk? They're going to get blown out in this game, they always lose to Washington late and that game in Philadelphia won't mean anything unless the Iggles lose to San Francisco and Denver prior (which COULD happen, but Dallas was 8-3 and in the driver's seat just 3 weeks ago -- now they are in danger of going 8-8 and missing the playoffs altogether?)
SHEESH.
Keep in mind the Saints are gunning for that scoring record (needing to average 41 PPG in the last 3 games to do so) so they will finish off the Cowboys.
Pick:
Dallas 27
New Orleans 48
FINAL
------------
Cleveland Browns vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Arrowhead Stadium
Kansas City, Missouri
Over/Under: 37
KC: -1.5
The Chiefs seemed poised to take a step forward before last week, but I dunno. The Browns have (at least what THEY call momentum) after last week's win vs. PIT. Vegas sets some ugly lines when the Chiefs are involved. Tough call. UNDER CITY though.
Pick:
Cleveland 13
Kansas City 17
FINAL
-------------
New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Orchard Park, New York
Over/Under: 40.5
BUF: +7
NE: -330
BUF: +270
People are predicting a big game by Randy Moss and a blowout by New England. But consider this: the Bills all but manhandled the Pats in their first game this season. And consider this also: the Pats' offense isn't NEAR as potent when Moss is the focal point. They are only able to move the ball consistently because of Welker's action in the slot (and never being bumped off the snap for the love of EVERYTHING SACRED). The Bills will rough up Welker and they did a decent job on Moss before. Owens has awakened since Jauron was fired, so this game is going to be closer than some think. More like the first game with the Bills possibly FINISHING what they didn't finish the first time.
Pick:
New England 27
Buffalo 31
FINAL
----------
Arizona Cardinals vs. Detroit Lions
Ford Field
Detroit, Michigan
Over/Under: 47
DET: +12
ARZ: -700
DET: +500
The Cards had their Every-Fourth-Game Stinker last week, so you know what's coming.
Pick:
Arizona 51
Detroit 10
FINAL
-----------
San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Lincoln Financial Field
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Over/Under: 42.5
PHI: -8
SF: +315
PHI: -390
The Niners do not travel well at all. Interesting enough, however, their back seven matches up very well with what the Iggles like to do in the air. Fans of the Cowboys (especially) and Giants are pulling for the Iggles to lose out and this will be one of the games where that will occur.
Pick:
San Francisco 27
Philadelphia 23
FINAL
----------
Chicago Bears vs. Baltimore Ravens
M&T Bank Stadium
Baltimore, Maryland
Over/Under: 40.5
BAL: -11
CHI: +460
BAL: -620
Lofty numbers here by Vegas. They're trying to suck in a few people who got happy after seeing the Ravens score 48 Sunday against the lowly Lions? The Bears, while admittedly trash, are not total slouches, and the Ravens are by NO MEANS to be confused with being consistent or thoroughbreds. This game will be close. So just look at the numbers above and draw the conclusion.
Pick:
Chicago 24
Baltimore 23
FINAL
-----------
Cincinnati Bengals vs. San Diego Chargers
Qualcomm Stadium
San Diego, California
Over/Under: 43.5
SD: -6.5
CIN: +250
SD: -300
Again, NO ONE wants to play the Chargers now NOR in the playoffs. If the Bengals went out west and struggled with the Raiders, best believe they are gonna be in for it in this one.
Pick:
Cincinnati 20
San Diego 41
FINAL
-----------
Oakland Raiders vs. Denver Broncos
InVesco Field
Denver, Colorado
Over/Under: 37.5
DEN: -14
Denver? 14 point favorites? ha. They are so wildly inconsistent. They got 3 INT off Peyton Manning Sunday, but still lost by 2 touchdowns. They will lose this game and SOMEHOW beat Philadelphia in Week 16. Go figure.
Pick:
Oakland 20
Denver 17
FINAL - OT
-----------------
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Seattle Seahawks
Qwest Field
Seattle, Washington
Over/Under: 39.5
SEA: -6.5
TB: +250
SEA: -300
The Seabags are a train wreck. As a matter of fact, this GAME is a train wreck, because you know the Bucs are a sick joke right now (after a minor "awakening" midseason).
Pick:
Tampa Bay 13
Seattle 17
FINAL
----------
Green Bay Packers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Heinz Field
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Over/Under: 40.5
PIT: -2
GB: +110
PIT: -130
Exactly WHY are the Steelers favorites here? Even if they're only 2 point favorites? The Pack go in there and cause heads to roll (and spin) on both sides of the ball. Steelers get embarrassed at home in back to back weeks. WHO KNEW???
Pick:
Green Bay 34
Pittsburgh 23
FINAL
------------
Minnesota Vikings vs. Carolina Panthers
Bank of America Stadium
Charlotte, North Carolina
***SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL***
Over/Under: 43
CAR: +9
MIN: -450
CAR: +350
Win or lose, are Chris Gamble and Richard Marshall & Co. gonna be giving out grades for YOUNG SID RICE and YOUNG PERCY HARVIN after they torch them, or will they claim that Berrian "quit" ha?
Oh, and Adrian Peterson smacks everyone in the face who said he was wearing down this year. 200 yard game coming.
Pick:
Minnesota 38
Carolina 21
FINAL
-----------
New York Giants vs. Washington Redskins
FedEx Field
Landover, Maryland
***MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL***
Over/Under: 44
WSH: +3
NYG: -140
WSH: +120
Appropriate lines here. Although the OVER may be a virtual lock with the way the Giants are able to score (and the Skins keep pace with teams that score -- see Saints and Eagles games of late). The Giants defense looks like a turnstile at Penn Station DEAR GOD. If the Skins had any semblance of an offense, I'd be legitimately worried. The Giants don't play well at night under Coughlin and DEFINITELY not on Monday Nights well, but it is a game they know they need and the Skins don't do anything particularly well for more than a quarter at a time (classic point: Jason Campbell, has good first halves and occasionally a good 3rd quarter, but falls apart like Jim Jones' "career" has since he broke up Dipset).
Pick:
NY Giants 34
Washington 24
FINAL
----------
***JETS GAME IS NOT POSTED, BUT WHEN IT IS, I WILL POST PICKS.
M.D. Wright
12.16.09
Remember, the SCORE I call is based upon the spread, money lines and the Over/Under; so when I refer to my record versus the SU (Straight-Up picks) and ATS (Against The Spread), that is what it in reference to.
Let's go.
Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Stadium
Jacksonville, Florida
***THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL***
Over/Under: 43
JAX: +3
IND: -175
JAX: +155
Hmmmm... the Jags usually give Peyton Manning fits, but I don't see it happening. And the Colts' D has been a fixture in all their games. That's why they're going to be a tough out for anyone not named San Diego.
Pick:
Indianapolis 31
Jacksonville 20
FINAL
-----------
Dallas Cowboys vs. New Orleans Saints
The Louisiana Superdome
New Orleans, Louisiana
***SATURDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL***
Over/Under: 53.5
NO: -7
DAL: +260
NO: -320
The carnage continues for Dallas and their fans. How can they deal with all the December swoon talk? They're going to get blown out in this game, they always lose to Washington late and that game in Philadelphia won't mean anything unless the Iggles lose to San Francisco and Denver prior (which COULD happen, but Dallas was 8-3 and in the driver's seat just 3 weeks ago -- now they are in danger of going 8-8 and missing the playoffs altogether?)
SHEESH.
Keep in mind the Saints are gunning for that scoring record (needing to average 41 PPG in the last 3 games to do so) so they will finish off the Cowboys.
Pick:
Dallas 27
New Orleans 48
FINAL
------------
Cleveland Browns vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Arrowhead Stadium
Kansas City, Missouri
Over/Under: 37
KC: -1.5
The Chiefs seemed poised to take a step forward before last week, but I dunno. The Browns have (at least what THEY call momentum) after last week's win vs. PIT. Vegas sets some ugly lines when the Chiefs are involved. Tough call. UNDER CITY though.
Pick:
Cleveland 13
Kansas City 17
FINAL
-------------
New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Orchard Park, New York
Over/Under: 40.5
BUF: +7
NE: -330
BUF: +270
People are predicting a big game by Randy Moss and a blowout by New England. But consider this: the Bills all but manhandled the Pats in their first game this season. And consider this also: the Pats' offense isn't NEAR as potent when Moss is the focal point. They are only able to move the ball consistently because of Welker's action in the slot (and never being bumped off the snap for the love of EVERYTHING SACRED). The Bills will rough up Welker and they did a decent job on Moss before. Owens has awakened since Jauron was fired, so this game is going to be closer than some think. More like the first game with the Bills possibly FINISHING what they didn't finish the first time.
Pick:
New England 27
Buffalo 31
FINAL
----------
Arizona Cardinals vs. Detroit Lions
Ford Field
Detroit, Michigan
Over/Under: 47
DET: +12
ARZ: -700
DET: +500
The Cards had their Every-Fourth-Game Stinker last week, so you know what's coming.
Pick:
Arizona 51
Detroit 10
FINAL
-----------
San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Lincoln Financial Field
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Over/Under: 42.5
PHI: -8
SF: +315
PHI: -390
The Niners do not travel well at all. Interesting enough, however, their back seven matches up very well with what the Iggles like to do in the air. Fans of the Cowboys (especially) and Giants are pulling for the Iggles to lose out and this will be one of the games where that will occur.
Pick:
San Francisco 27
Philadelphia 23
FINAL
----------
Chicago Bears vs. Baltimore Ravens
M&T Bank Stadium
Baltimore, Maryland
Over/Under: 40.5
BAL: -11
CHI: +460
BAL: -620
Lofty numbers here by Vegas. They're trying to suck in a few people who got happy after seeing the Ravens score 48 Sunday against the lowly Lions? The Bears, while admittedly trash, are not total slouches, and the Ravens are by NO MEANS to be confused with being consistent or thoroughbreds. This game will be close. So just look at the numbers above and draw the conclusion.
Pick:
Chicago 24
Baltimore 23
FINAL
-----------
Cincinnati Bengals vs. San Diego Chargers
Qualcomm Stadium
San Diego, California
Over/Under: 43.5
SD: -6.5
CIN: +250
SD: -300
Again, NO ONE wants to play the Chargers now NOR in the playoffs. If the Bengals went out west and struggled with the Raiders, best believe they are gonna be in for it in this one.
Pick:
Cincinnati 20
San Diego 41
FINAL
-----------
Oakland Raiders vs. Denver Broncos
InVesco Field
Denver, Colorado
Over/Under: 37.5
DEN: -14
Denver? 14 point favorites? ha. They are so wildly inconsistent. They got 3 INT off Peyton Manning Sunday, but still lost by 2 touchdowns. They will lose this game and SOMEHOW beat Philadelphia in Week 16. Go figure.
Pick:
Oakland 20
Denver 17
FINAL - OT
-----------------
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Seattle Seahawks
Qwest Field
Seattle, Washington
Over/Under: 39.5
SEA: -6.5
TB: +250
SEA: -300
The Seabags are a train wreck. As a matter of fact, this GAME is a train wreck, because you know the Bucs are a sick joke right now (after a minor "awakening" midseason).
Pick:
Tampa Bay 13
Seattle 17
FINAL
----------
Green Bay Packers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Heinz Field
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Over/Under: 40.5
PIT: -2
GB: +110
PIT: -130
Exactly WHY are the Steelers favorites here? Even if they're only 2 point favorites? The Pack go in there and cause heads to roll (and spin) on both sides of the ball. Steelers get embarrassed at home in back to back weeks. WHO KNEW???
Pick:
Green Bay 34
Pittsburgh 23
FINAL
------------
Minnesota Vikings vs. Carolina Panthers
Bank of America Stadium
Charlotte, North Carolina
***SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL***
Over/Under: 43
CAR: +9
MIN: -450
CAR: +350
Win or lose, are Chris Gamble and Richard Marshall & Co. gonna be giving out grades for YOUNG SID RICE and YOUNG PERCY HARVIN after they torch them, or will they claim that Berrian "quit" ha?
Oh, and Adrian Peterson smacks everyone in the face who said he was wearing down this year. 200 yard game coming.
Pick:
Minnesota 38
Carolina 21
FINAL
-----------
New York Giants vs. Washington Redskins
FedEx Field
Landover, Maryland
***MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL***
Over/Under: 44
WSH: +3
NYG: -140
WSH: +120
Appropriate lines here. Although the OVER may be a virtual lock with the way the Giants are able to score (and the Skins keep pace with teams that score -- see Saints and Eagles games of late). The Giants defense looks like a turnstile at Penn Station DEAR GOD. If the Skins had any semblance of an offense, I'd be legitimately worried. The Giants don't play well at night under Coughlin and DEFINITELY not on Monday Nights well, but it is a game they know they need and the Skins don't do anything particularly well for more than a quarter at a time (classic point: Jason Campbell, has good first halves and occasionally a good 3rd quarter, but falls apart like Jim Jones' "career" has since he broke up Dipset).
Pick:
NY Giants 34
Washington 24
FINAL
----------
***JETS GAME IS NOT POSTED, BUT WHEN IT IS, I WILL POST PICKS.
Black Men & Education
Black Men & Education
M.D. Wright
12.16.09
Arrite, I'mma get off real quick no homo, but after reading one of my friend's blogs earlier, and having a conversation with one of my boys about my plight since I left my last real job (August 2005), I gotta get this off my chest.
What is wrong with America? Capital gains taxes through the roof, corporate taxes further alienating big business, making it tougher for those companies who WOULD create jobs (let's be real, most companies would continue to outsource even with capital gains back down to 15% and corporate taxes back below 40% -- they would only create jobs here with MASSIVE INCENTIVES to do so, and creating jobs and paying the underclass a "reasonable wage" is NOT an incentive to them, so don't be naive) to do so. Women land interviews at a rate of about 40% more than men do, and land jobs at an ALARMING 80% rate than men in 2009.
Think about that for a minute: For every job posting in 1997, there was an average of 2-3 people applying for and interviewing for it. Meaning, you had a good 33% chance of getting the job. Now for every job posting, about 12-15 people apply for and interview for it. Obviously longer odds. Here in New York City, those odds are even longer; with every job posting yielding 25-30 applicants who garner interviews.
Of those, you already see that most of the hired hands will be women and non-Black men.
The interesting corollary here is actually rather complex and manifold. Especially within the Black community. You hear Black women flaunting their ability to be "Independent" now more than ever. You hear stories of good, hard (rather SMART-working, in my case, anyway), educated, innovative Black men getting put down because they don't have a bevy of material possessions or a cache of cash. But what these women forget is that guys like myself get passed over for jobs now or LOST our jobs so that many of these women would have the jobs THEY have today. Yet, we get accused of being "intimidated" by their education or success. I could see how that is valid in some men's cases, but for someone who simply isn't being given a shot, the sentiment is more "greatly annoyed" than "intimidated" (because not even multimillionaires and CEOs of Top 50 companies -- of whom I've met and interacted with on numerous occasions -- intimidate me; surely a woman who is at most my EQUAL is not going to do so, just because she is where I was 7 or 8 years ago financially and materially-speaking.
If you are a Black woman, it is not the time to put Black men down. It is the time to further ENCOURAGE and assist them in finding the right open door. Yet, the opposite is happening far more often.
Regardless of all this, one thing continues to FLUMMOX me -- how is it that I was able to get better job offers with a high school diploma and just a few college credits under my belt when I was applying for jobs in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn in the late 90s? Or when I was at Aetna and rival insurance companies were offering me several thousand just to jump ship -- but now that I have a Bachelors degree (REGARDLESS OF THE ECONOMY, because this was going on even when I was undergrad from 2005-2007 while things were still good)I can't even get an interview, much less the job?
Makes you think, huh?
DISCUSS.
M.D. Wright
12.16.09
Arrite, I'mma get off real quick no homo, but after reading one of my friend's blogs earlier, and having a conversation with one of my boys about my plight since I left my last real job (August 2005), I gotta get this off my chest.
What is wrong with America? Capital gains taxes through the roof, corporate taxes further alienating big business, making it tougher for those companies who WOULD create jobs (let's be real, most companies would continue to outsource even with capital gains back down to 15% and corporate taxes back below 40% -- they would only create jobs here with MASSIVE INCENTIVES to do so, and creating jobs and paying the underclass a "reasonable wage" is NOT an incentive to them, so don't be naive) to do so. Women land interviews at a rate of about 40% more than men do, and land jobs at an ALARMING 80% rate than men in 2009.
Think about that for a minute: For every job posting in 1997, there was an average of 2-3 people applying for and interviewing for it. Meaning, you had a good 33% chance of getting the job. Now for every job posting, about 12-15 people apply for and interview for it. Obviously longer odds. Here in New York City, those odds are even longer; with every job posting yielding 25-30 applicants who garner interviews.
Of those, you already see that most of the hired hands will be women and non-Black men.
The interesting corollary here is actually rather complex and manifold. Especially within the Black community. You hear Black women flaunting their ability to be "Independent" now more than ever. You hear stories of good, hard (rather SMART-working, in my case, anyway), educated, innovative Black men getting put down because they don't have a bevy of material possessions or a cache of cash. But what these women forget is that guys like myself get passed over for jobs now or LOST our jobs so that many of these women would have the jobs THEY have today. Yet, we get accused of being "intimidated" by their education or success. I could see how that is valid in some men's cases, but for someone who simply isn't being given a shot, the sentiment is more "greatly annoyed" than "intimidated" (because not even multimillionaires and CEOs of Top 50 companies -- of whom I've met and interacted with on numerous occasions -- intimidate me; surely a woman who is at most my EQUAL is not going to do so, just because she is where I was 7 or 8 years ago financially and materially-speaking.
If you are a Black woman, it is not the time to put Black men down. It is the time to further ENCOURAGE and assist them in finding the right open door. Yet, the opposite is happening far more often.
Regardless of all this, one thing continues to FLUMMOX me -- how is it that I was able to get better job offers with a high school diploma and just a few college credits under my belt when I was applying for jobs in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn in the late 90s? Or when I was at Aetna and rival insurance companies were offering me several thousand just to jump ship -- but now that I have a Bachelors degree (REGARDLESS OF THE ECONOMY, because this was going on even when I was undergrad from 2005-2007 while things were still good)I can't even get an interview, much less the job?
Makes you think, huh?
DISCUSS.
NFL Week 15 Powre Rankings
NFL Week 15 Powre Rankings
M.D. Wright
12.16.09
As always, I have to remind people, this is less about rankings as it is about how the team is playing RIGHT NOW -- and if they're sliding or on a hot streak, that plays a role.
1. Indianapolis Colts.
Cruise mode. Their defense is so good that Manning had a terrible game and they still win easily. Until the Saints can afford to have an off game by Brees against a decent team, then they cannot overtake the Colts.
2. San Diego Chargers.
NO ONE WANTS TO PLAY THEM NOW NOR IN THE PLAYOFFS. They will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
3. New Orleans Saints.
I am done writing about them. The only relevant thing to them is possibly breaking the Patriots' PPG/points scored record set in 2007 without cheating to do so. They're one and done in the playoffs, with that loss looking more and more like it's going to come at the hands of either the Packers or Eagles.
4. Green Bay Packers.
They're as hot as anyone right now. Why? Because they finally figured out how to protect Rodgers. Their line holds a TON, though. Somehow they get away with it.
5. Minnesota Vikings.
Nice win Sunday, but that loss to Arizona looks even worse after the Cards lost to a desperate San Francisco squad.
6. Philadelphia Eagles.
For the love of all sacred, why don't teams bump Desean Jackson and Wes Welker? Welker keeps the Patriots offense moving (when they'd have a ton of 3 and outs otherwise with their paltry running game and one-dimensional scheme to get the ball to Moss), and the Iggles LIVE on big plays, otherwise, they stink. Sure, against a sieve of a defense such as the Giants they look like studs, but don't buy the fool's gold. In the playoffs, the Iggles will have to move the ball more methodically and won't be able to in 3 straight games.
7. Cincinnati Bengals.
How they win and CURSIN' hasn't had a good game (he's been clutch late in a few, which is really all that matters) all season is a testament to Cedric Benson and their defense.
8. Arizona Cardinals.
Bad loss. Further shows why they're not ready to step up into the elite.
9. New England Patriots.
Buffalo gets their revenge Sunday and puts a huge damper on the Patriots' playoff chances.
10. Dallas Cowboys.
The free-fall has begun. They won't sniff higher than 15 after this beatdown coming Saturday night.
11. Denver Broncos.
Hard to take them seriously.
12. Miami Dolphins.
WATCH OUT FOR THE FINS.
13. New York Jets.
The Jets may have something here if Sanchez comes back. If they have to rely on Thomas Jones too much, they may wear down. Huge plays by their secondary the past few games. Kellen Clemens should make every Jets fan nervous for the entire game.
14. New York Giants.
Sheridan and the players seem to be of two different minds. Top shelf talent, BOTTOM SHELF/WORST-IN-NFL results prove this. The offense, just as it has been since Coughlin got here (averaging 26 PPG during his tenure and yes, 26 PPG this year) isn't the problem. We can move the ball and score on anyone. But conversely, we can't stop anyone all of a sudden. We really miss Kenny Phillips. But more than that, playing Aaron Ross at Safety makes little sense to me. He has the speed that Johnson and Rouse don't, but he has CB instincts, not S instincts. Rouse and Johnson got caught peeking in the backfield against McNabb like there was an X-rated Peep Show going on back there DEAR GOD. Jackson is NOT as great as we make him look. The previous sentence explains why he was so open.
15. Baltimore Ravens.
Flacco has made some mind-numbing mistakes in 3 of their losses -- each late in games.
16. Jacksonville Jaguars.
Does reality begin to set in after that loss to Miami? The Jags are NOT 7-5 good. Not 7-6 good. This is a 4-9 team. I don't get it.
17. Tennessee Titans.
They still put Vince in 3 games too late. Had he been in sooner, they'd be 9-4.
18. Houston Texans.
Kubiak has to go. Too much talent to continue the same start slow/go on a little run/fade/win meaningless games late in the season trend. This is 3 straight years.
19. Atlanta Falcons.
UGH.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers.
Thank God we won't have to listen to their fans in the playoffs. The fake ones, that is, since those are the ones you hear most.
21. San Francisco 49ers.
Season saving win. If for only one week ha.
22. Chicago Bears.
DEAR GOD LOVIE SMITH SHOW SOME EMOTION, 5!!!
23. Carolina Panthers.
They are great talent evaluators at the WR position, ha. But as Bill Belichick said Monday, (which was gold) "they would say that (Moss quit), but they haven't really won many games this year. They do an awful lot of talking, but they've lose a lot of games" (paraphrasing).
24. Buffalo Bills.
Spoiler mode begins Sunday.
25. Seattle Seahawks.
The Seabags are SOFT.
26. Oakland Raiders.
Watch out for the Raiders next year. SERIOUSLY!
27. Washington Redskins.
We appreciate having them on MNF next week to help us fine tune what we've been doing wrong on defense.
28. Kansas City Chiefs.
Just when I thought they were going to build on this...
29. Cleveland Browns.
HA.
30. Detroit Lions.
Cue the Jim Mora rant (one of the lesser known versions) from '92.
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
I don't know what kind of statement the Bucs' front office was trying to make by hiring Morris and gutting the team. How did they expect the man to fare? Not even a veteran coach could have done anything with this mess. So he's going to get fired and probably not even get serious consideration for a job until he's 52? I'm sick of them doing this to Black guys. Always putting them in positions to fail and when they don't work magic, they get chased out of town. He's no Tony Dungy (who, while admittedly having MUCH MORE talent with Sapp, Brooks, Dunn, Lynch, etc., was able to turn around the NFL-worst Bucs to winners -- which Gruden benefitted from, BTW).
32. St. Louis Rams.
YIKES. Just flat out YIKES. If not for Steven Jackson, they'd be pushing for back to back 0-16 seasons in the NFL.
M.D. Wright
12.16.09
As always, I have to remind people, this is less about rankings as it is about how the team is playing RIGHT NOW -- and if they're sliding or on a hot streak, that plays a role.
1. Indianapolis Colts.
Cruise mode. Their defense is so good that Manning had a terrible game and they still win easily. Until the Saints can afford to have an off game by Brees against a decent team, then they cannot overtake the Colts.
2. San Diego Chargers.
NO ONE WANTS TO PLAY THEM NOW NOR IN THE PLAYOFFS. They will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
3. New Orleans Saints.
I am done writing about them. The only relevant thing to them is possibly breaking the Patriots' PPG/points scored record set in 2007 without cheating to do so. They're one and done in the playoffs, with that loss looking more and more like it's going to come at the hands of either the Packers or Eagles.
4. Green Bay Packers.
They're as hot as anyone right now. Why? Because they finally figured out how to protect Rodgers. Their line holds a TON, though. Somehow they get away with it.
5. Minnesota Vikings.
Nice win Sunday, but that loss to Arizona looks even worse after the Cards lost to a desperate San Francisco squad.
6. Philadelphia Eagles.
For the love of all sacred, why don't teams bump Desean Jackson and Wes Welker? Welker keeps the Patriots offense moving (when they'd have a ton of 3 and outs otherwise with their paltry running game and one-dimensional scheme to get the ball to Moss), and the Iggles LIVE on big plays, otherwise, they stink. Sure, against a sieve of a defense such as the Giants they look like studs, but don't buy the fool's gold. In the playoffs, the Iggles will have to move the ball more methodically and won't be able to in 3 straight games.
7. Cincinnati Bengals.
How they win and CURSIN' hasn't had a good game (he's been clutch late in a few, which is really all that matters) all season is a testament to Cedric Benson and their defense.
8. Arizona Cardinals.
Bad loss. Further shows why they're not ready to step up into the elite.
9. New England Patriots.
Buffalo gets their revenge Sunday and puts a huge damper on the Patriots' playoff chances.
10. Dallas Cowboys.
The free-fall has begun. They won't sniff higher than 15 after this beatdown coming Saturday night.
11. Denver Broncos.
Hard to take them seriously.
12. Miami Dolphins.
WATCH OUT FOR THE FINS.
13. New York Jets.
The Jets may have something here if Sanchez comes back. If they have to rely on Thomas Jones too much, they may wear down. Huge plays by their secondary the past few games. Kellen Clemens should make every Jets fan nervous for the entire game.
14. New York Giants.
Sheridan and the players seem to be of two different minds. Top shelf talent, BOTTOM SHELF/WORST-IN-NFL results prove this. The offense, just as it has been since Coughlin got here (averaging 26 PPG during his tenure and yes, 26 PPG this year) isn't the problem. We can move the ball and score on anyone. But conversely, we can't stop anyone all of a sudden. We really miss Kenny Phillips. But more than that, playing Aaron Ross at Safety makes little sense to me. He has the speed that Johnson and Rouse don't, but he has CB instincts, not S instincts. Rouse and Johnson got caught peeking in the backfield against McNabb like there was an X-rated Peep Show going on back there DEAR GOD. Jackson is NOT as great as we make him look. The previous sentence explains why he was so open.
15. Baltimore Ravens.
Flacco has made some mind-numbing mistakes in 3 of their losses -- each late in games.
16. Jacksonville Jaguars.
Does reality begin to set in after that loss to Miami? The Jags are NOT 7-5 good. Not 7-6 good. This is a 4-9 team. I don't get it.
17. Tennessee Titans.
They still put Vince in 3 games too late. Had he been in sooner, they'd be 9-4.
18. Houston Texans.
Kubiak has to go. Too much talent to continue the same start slow/go on a little run/fade/win meaningless games late in the season trend. This is 3 straight years.
19. Atlanta Falcons.
UGH.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers.
Thank God we won't have to listen to their fans in the playoffs. The fake ones, that is, since those are the ones you hear most.
21. San Francisco 49ers.
Season saving win. If for only one week ha.
22. Chicago Bears.
DEAR GOD LOVIE SMITH SHOW SOME EMOTION, 5!!!
23. Carolina Panthers.
They are great talent evaluators at the WR position, ha. But as Bill Belichick said Monday, (which was gold) "they would say that (Moss quit), but they haven't really won many games this year. They do an awful lot of talking, but they've lose a lot of games" (paraphrasing).
24. Buffalo Bills.
Spoiler mode begins Sunday.
25. Seattle Seahawks.
The Seabags are SOFT.
26. Oakland Raiders.
Watch out for the Raiders next year. SERIOUSLY!
27. Washington Redskins.
We appreciate having them on MNF next week to help us fine tune what we've been doing wrong on defense.
28. Kansas City Chiefs.
Just when I thought they were going to build on this...
29. Cleveland Browns.
HA.
30. Detroit Lions.
Cue the Jim Mora rant (one of the lesser known versions) from '92.
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
I don't know what kind of statement the Bucs' front office was trying to make by hiring Morris and gutting the team. How did they expect the man to fare? Not even a veteran coach could have done anything with this mess. So he's going to get fired and probably not even get serious consideration for a job until he's 52? I'm sick of them doing this to Black guys. Always putting them in positions to fail and when they don't work magic, they get chased out of town. He's no Tony Dungy (who, while admittedly having MUCH MORE talent with Sapp, Brooks, Dunn, Lynch, etc., was able to turn around the NFL-worst Bucs to winners -- which Gruden benefitted from, BTW).
32. St. Louis Rams.
YIKES. Just flat out YIKES. If not for Steven Jackson, they'd be pushing for back to back 0-16 seasons in the NFL.
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