Summer 2009
10.9.08
I have quite a few options for next summer after graduation. I truly thank the Lord for that, because these past three years have been rough, coming off six straight years of increasing returns and being in the black with no worries. But hey, when you're doing what is right, satan will come at you and try to derail you; attempting to get you to let go of your faith. Hah.
Anyway, I'm back at it. In reality, I should have moved back to New York last August when I had the opportunity. I'm on first-name terms with the undergrad admissions rep at NYU and could have made the seamless transition. WHAT HAVE YOU...
I just get tired of Greensboro. UNCG isn't bad, but you can't enjoy it to the fullest in a town where you NEED a car. Well, most of you know I have been planning to move back to New York for two years now. I don't want to be taking a flashy car to Harlem. Not concerned about gettin' caught in the gaffle, but insurance is a BEAST. I don't need a car in New York. I know the train and bus lines like the back of my hand (as well as Exile aka Staten Island). I'm torn. But I am going to have to buy a car in the very near future. The past year was okay because my roommate was one of my friends; so I tagged along with him like someone's 12 year old little brother LOL. I'm sick of it.
But yeah, I have several options post-grad:
1. I could move directly after graduation, and begin working immediately (will either be on Wall Street or Midtown), and go directly into law school in September while continuing to work.
2. I could work and put off law school for a year (or two) and just work, dive back into real estate like I did in 2001 and do it for real this time. Acquiring some of the properties I had my eyes on in 212 right now will pay off when this housing market balances out in about 18-24 months. Mark my words. If I am able to swing things next year, by 2011, it's going to be VERY BEAUTIFUL if you own property there.
3. I could study abroad either for Session I or the entire summer in Roma or down in Santurce (so I can finally get up with some of my people!). This is what I have been leaning towards lately, but nothing is concrete right now by ANY means.
4. I could just do law school and my other stuff that I ain't got to talk about and just keep head above water (tired of that; been doing it for three years now -- enough is enough; but it is an option if it comes down to it).
5. OR, I could scrap all of that and go to school in Toronto or Montreal. They pay American students great money to come study there at the graduate level. As I said the other day, The U. (aka University of Miami-Florida) has a great Sports Law program. I have never wanted to live in Miami. I prefer to keep it as what it has always been for me: a great getaway spot for a week or two at a time. Living there would become monotonous after a while. After talking with one of my cousins who is in the same boat in terms of decisions at this point, the Canada option is looking real beautiful right now and of course at the end of the day I can fall back on the original plan of just moving back and work my original plans -- all of which I will never let out of the bag... YAK!!!
As politically incorrect as I wanna be.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
A Loss That Is Not a Loss, Pt. I
A Loss That Is Not a Loss, Pt. I
Hudson Russell Davis
Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
I sing songs when I am lonely, and I cry when it hurts. Yet that which plagues me, my specter, is ephemeral—it lacks substance, lacks shape, and lacks form.
It is a shadow; a longing and expectation fueled by desire and sustained by hope. It makes it difficult for me to explain my sorrow to those who would comfort me in a way that they understand. I mourn a loss that is not a loss—an ambiguous loss.
Psychologists use the term “ambiguous loss” to explain the sorrow all human beings experience in the face of traumatic circumstances and it is everywhere. The mother whose son has been kidnapped pleads with the kidnappers, “Just tell me if my boy is alright!” Ambiguous loss! In New Orleans, they buried the last unclaimed body from Hurricane Katrina on the third anniversary of that disaster and somewhere a family wonders if their loved one is still alive. Ambiguous loss!
The book, Ambiguous Loss: Learning to Live With Unresolved Grief, has been a balm to my soul. Just seeing the title I thought, “That’s it! Finally what I feel has a name. Finally the pain of singleness has some describable grounding.” The single, too, must learn to live with unresolved grief. The chapters made sense for the single life: “Frozen Grief,” “Leaving Without Goodbye,” “Goodbye Without Leaving,” “Mixed Emotions,” “Ups and Downs,” “The Turning Point,” “Making Sense of Ambiguity,” and finally “The Benefit of a Doubt.”
“Frozen Grief” describes a situation in which the loss is unnamed or unnamable. It describes a situation in which the mind considers whether it is right or whether it is time to mourn? “Goodbye Without Leaving” explains the confused sorrow we face when a loved one slips slowly away due to illness or—old age. That person is there, but not there. “Mixed Emotions” correspond to being content but not satisfied. The others are somewhat self-explanatory. All these fall under the heading “ambiguous loss”—a loss that is not a loss and thus difficult to mourn.
For the single, ambiguous loss takes the form of longing for a person who is not there and a family that does not (as yet) exist. The divorced single must face both the longing for what might be and the sorrow of what might have been. Both share the sorrow that is not only difficult to define but difficult to resolve, a loss that is difficult to mourn—a loss that is not a loss.
As with the wife of the soldier who is MIA, singles struggle to keep hope alive, to dream and to keep from growing cynical in the process of waiting. Singles also struggle because, while rejoicing with those who rejoice, they must constantly wonder why their dreams and hopes remain unfulfilled. Growing older, they mourn as though something has escaped their grasp. And yet, because marriage is still possible, because hope still exists, they cannot really say goodbye, cannot really give up or mourn the loss as a loss. It is a loss that is not a loss. Which makes hope a struggle and a proper goodbye—impossible.
There are two reasons, the book suggests, why ambiguous loss is so devastating to a person’s well-being. First: “Perceiving loved ones as present when they are physically gone, or perceiving them as gone when they are physically present, can make people feel helpless and thus more prone to depression, anxiety” (7). Secondly: “The uncertainty prevents people from adjusting to the ambiguity of their loss by reorganizing the roles and rules of their relationships…” This is compounded, the author adds, because “meaningful connections can’t happen if people in the community never validate and ambiguous loss as a traumatic loss” (79).
The first point is true because “the loss is confusing” and because the uncertainty is baffling. The ambiguity paralyzes. We are unable to make sense of the situation. We can’t problem-solve because we do not know whether the problem (the loss) “is final or temporary” (7).
The single, called to “prepare for marriage,” must perceive “loved ones as present” though in reality they are not. So the woman who has, for years, walked the aisle in her head can smell the roses on the pews and hear the wedding march in her ears. Marriage is as real to her as the air she breathes. She can hardly differentiate the possibilities that have been lost to time from what never was. Having never been married, she feels like a widow. How is she to mourn what has never been and who will listen without rebuke?
The man who longs to play ball with his son or know the comfort of his little girl’s arms works as though he is already supporting his family. He saves and plans and prepares and approaches despair at the thought that, for all his responsible planning, he may leave it all to someone other than his posterity. He may not have visualized his wedding but neither did he imagine he would be alone for so long.
There are mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, aunts and uncles, mourning children they hoped for by now to have spoiled rotten. We are not alone in our fears of growing old alone. Our parents, too, want to see us cared for and they, too, know the baffling sorrow of ambiguous loss.
All must find a way to store these desires without burying them; to nurture them without allowing them to become household gods—idols. There is an inexplicable loss that is not a loss. There is a sorrow that seems unfounded and yet it is a real sorrow and a real loss—an ambiguous loss that must be mourned.
There are many ways to cope with ambiguous loss but trying to master the confusion, attempting to harness the wind, will lead to disaster and certain depression. Our enemy is not flesh and blood that we cannot throw it to the ground and beat it into submission. Neither can we, by the power of our will, reason it away. For now this confused longing and loss is something we must live with and even thrive within.
“Be still and know that I am God,” means simply, “If you know that I am God you will cease your struggle.” He is God. Let us be still. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” BECAUSE OF THIS “we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.”
“He lifts his voice, the earth melts.”
“The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
“Come and see the works of the LORD … He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth …” and He will make the wars within us to cease.
Our comfort in the midst of ambiguity is the certainty that God sees our need and is concerned. “Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psa. 121:4). BECAUSE OF THIS—we can be still. “The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress” (Psa. 46). In this there is no ambiguity.
Hudson Russell Davis was born on a small Island in the West Indies called Dominica, and this is only one reason he does not like cold weather and loves guava. He is a graduate of James Madison University with a B.A. in Graphic Design and earned a Masters in Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. Currently he is a Ph.D. candidate at Saint Louis University studying historical theology. Hudson has worked as a graphic artist and worship leader but expresses himself through poetry, prose, photography, and music. His activities are just about anything outdoors, but tennis is his current passion.
Hudson Russell Davis
Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
I sing songs when I am lonely, and I cry when it hurts. Yet that which plagues me, my specter, is ephemeral—it lacks substance, lacks shape, and lacks form.
It is a shadow; a longing and expectation fueled by desire and sustained by hope. It makes it difficult for me to explain my sorrow to those who would comfort me in a way that they understand. I mourn a loss that is not a loss—an ambiguous loss.
Psychologists use the term “ambiguous loss” to explain the sorrow all human beings experience in the face of traumatic circumstances and it is everywhere. The mother whose son has been kidnapped pleads with the kidnappers, “Just tell me if my boy is alright!” Ambiguous loss! In New Orleans, they buried the last unclaimed body from Hurricane Katrina on the third anniversary of that disaster and somewhere a family wonders if their loved one is still alive. Ambiguous loss!
The book, Ambiguous Loss: Learning to Live With Unresolved Grief, has been a balm to my soul. Just seeing the title I thought, “That’s it! Finally what I feel has a name. Finally the pain of singleness has some describable grounding.” The single, too, must learn to live with unresolved grief. The chapters made sense for the single life: “Frozen Grief,” “Leaving Without Goodbye,” “Goodbye Without Leaving,” “Mixed Emotions,” “Ups and Downs,” “The Turning Point,” “Making Sense of Ambiguity,” and finally “The Benefit of a Doubt.”
“Frozen Grief” describes a situation in which the loss is unnamed or unnamable. It describes a situation in which the mind considers whether it is right or whether it is time to mourn? “Goodbye Without Leaving” explains the confused sorrow we face when a loved one slips slowly away due to illness or—old age. That person is there, but not there. “Mixed Emotions” correspond to being content but not satisfied. The others are somewhat self-explanatory. All these fall under the heading “ambiguous loss”—a loss that is not a loss and thus difficult to mourn.
For the single, ambiguous loss takes the form of longing for a person who is not there and a family that does not (as yet) exist. The divorced single must face both the longing for what might be and the sorrow of what might have been. Both share the sorrow that is not only difficult to define but difficult to resolve, a loss that is difficult to mourn—a loss that is not a loss.
As with the wife of the soldier who is MIA, singles struggle to keep hope alive, to dream and to keep from growing cynical in the process of waiting. Singles also struggle because, while rejoicing with those who rejoice, they must constantly wonder why their dreams and hopes remain unfulfilled. Growing older, they mourn as though something has escaped their grasp. And yet, because marriage is still possible, because hope still exists, they cannot really say goodbye, cannot really give up or mourn the loss as a loss. It is a loss that is not a loss. Which makes hope a struggle and a proper goodbye—impossible.
There are two reasons, the book suggests, why ambiguous loss is so devastating to a person’s well-being. First: “Perceiving loved ones as present when they are physically gone, or perceiving them as gone when they are physically present, can make people feel helpless and thus more prone to depression, anxiety” (7). Secondly: “The uncertainty prevents people from adjusting to the ambiguity of their loss by reorganizing the roles and rules of their relationships…” This is compounded, the author adds, because “meaningful connections can’t happen if people in the community never validate and ambiguous loss as a traumatic loss” (79).
The first point is true because “the loss is confusing” and because the uncertainty is baffling. The ambiguity paralyzes. We are unable to make sense of the situation. We can’t problem-solve because we do not know whether the problem (the loss) “is final or temporary” (7).
The single, called to “prepare for marriage,” must perceive “loved ones as present” though in reality they are not. So the woman who has, for years, walked the aisle in her head can smell the roses on the pews and hear the wedding march in her ears. Marriage is as real to her as the air she breathes. She can hardly differentiate the possibilities that have been lost to time from what never was. Having never been married, she feels like a widow. How is she to mourn what has never been and who will listen without rebuke?
The man who longs to play ball with his son or know the comfort of his little girl’s arms works as though he is already supporting his family. He saves and plans and prepares and approaches despair at the thought that, for all his responsible planning, he may leave it all to someone other than his posterity. He may not have visualized his wedding but neither did he imagine he would be alone for so long.
There are mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, aunts and uncles, mourning children they hoped for by now to have spoiled rotten. We are not alone in our fears of growing old alone. Our parents, too, want to see us cared for and they, too, know the baffling sorrow of ambiguous loss.
All must find a way to store these desires without burying them; to nurture them without allowing them to become household gods—idols. There is an inexplicable loss that is not a loss. There is a sorrow that seems unfounded and yet it is a real sorrow and a real loss—an ambiguous loss that must be mourned.
There are many ways to cope with ambiguous loss but trying to master the confusion, attempting to harness the wind, will lead to disaster and certain depression. Our enemy is not flesh and blood that we cannot throw it to the ground and beat it into submission. Neither can we, by the power of our will, reason it away. For now this confused longing and loss is something we must live with and even thrive within.
“Be still and know that I am God,” means simply, “If you know that I am God you will cease your struggle.” He is God. Let us be still. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” BECAUSE OF THIS “we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.”
“He lifts his voice, the earth melts.”
“The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
“Come and see the works of the LORD … He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth …” and He will make the wars within us to cease.
Our comfort in the midst of ambiguity is the certainty that God sees our need and is concerned. “Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psa. 121:4). BECAUSE OF THIS—we can be still. “The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress” (Psa. 46). In this there is no ambiguity.
Hudson Russell Davis was born on a small Island in the West Indies called Dominica, and this is only one reason he does not like cold weather and loves guava. He is a graduate of James Madison University with a B.A. in Graphic Design and earned a Masters in Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. Currently he is a Ph.D. candidate at Saint Louis University studying historical theology. Hudson has worked as a graphic artist and worship leader but expresses himself through poetry, prose, photography, and music. His activities are just about anything outdoors, but tennis is his current passion.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Tim McCarver Is An Idiot
Tim McCarver Is An Idiot: He Proved It Yet Again - Version 1,723.8
Michael D. Wright
10.8.08
I have never hidden my disdain for Tim McCarver (and Joe Buck, for that matter -- with his anti-New York bias forever shining during NFL and MLB broadcasts... see 2007 NFC Championship Game, 1996-2000 New York Yankees series clinching wins for the Yankees, etc. etc. etc.) but he just loses more and more points everytime he opens his mouth nowadays. We should be remembering him for being a pretty decent catcher from the 1960s and early 1970s. Unless you are 45 or older, you won't do that, sadly.
All most of us will know about McCarver is his annoying broadcasting style ala The Billy Packer School of Pisspoor Broadcasting. How you can manage to piss off the fans of an ENTIRE SPORT for the better part of 20 years is beyond me. What is even more beyond me is how he still has a job (and Joe Buck for that matter). FOX Sports does a great job with their package (no homo) in delivering MLB and NFL. But their "lead" announcers for the Major League Baseball playoffs are awful. Troy Aikman, who is probably the best color analyst right now in the NFL, saves their NFL telecasts when Buck is going off the deep end with his smug, elitist, anti-New York nonsense.
I was APPALLED when McCarver called out my then-idol (forgive me, I was 13, not knowledgeable about the Word of God and idols, etc.) Deion Sanders in 1992, he did not have his facts straight. He was just HATING. Plain and simple. Deion was not even under contract with the Atlanta Falcons; yet he went out and played for them earlier in the day, flew into Pittsburgh to join the Atlanta Braves, who were playing the Pittsburgh Pirates in the MLB National League Championship Series. After the game, Sanders was told what McCarver said, and proceeded to enter the clubhouse and dump Gatorade on McCarver (who was interviewing one of Sanders' Braves teammates post-game) Harry Carson/Carl Banks-style. HE DESERVED IT. Anyone who supported what McCarver -- who is known to belabor what he THINKS is true for as long as an hour during a baseball game, thereby dominating the telecast and taking the focus from the GAME itself -- is a meathead. I will not argue this.
I was 13 when this Sanders-McCarver thing occurred. McCarver remarked, "You're a real man, Deion, I'll tell you that..." Yeah, and you were mad that your bull got to Sanders before you could sneak out of town unscathed too, huh? Man I hate Tim McCarver.
THEN, I go on espn.com earlier this afternoon and read/hear what he said about my boy Manny Ramirez. Sure, everyone knows that at times Manny does not play 100% (his half-hearted effort is better than 95% of the guys in Baseball's BEST EFFORTS, by the way -- the man hit .347 with a near .500 On-Base Percentage when he was supposedly "not trying" -- most guys in the league would kill for those numbers; Manny does it half-asleep). Everyone knows that Manny is an eccentric. But this clown McCarver goes out of his way to talk trash about Manny (while throwing a few bigoted subliminals at Randy Moss -- what does he have to do with this? He made one statement and no one can cite evidence other than one questionable time where Moss ever "took plays off" -- and mentioning Terrell Owens, who NEVER does. You can hate Owens if you want, but you cannot claim he is a slacker on the field).
Screw McCarver.
Michael D. Wright
10.8.08
I have never hidden my disdain for Tim McCarver (and Joe Buck, for that matter -- with his anti-New York bias forever shining during NFL and MLB broadcasts... see 2007 NFC Championship Game, 1996-2000 New York Yankees series clinching wins for the Yankees, etc. etc. etc.) but he just loses more and more points everytime he opens his mouth nowadays. We should be remembering him for being a pretty decent catcher from the 1960s and early 1970s. Unless you are 45 or older, you won't do that, sadly.
All most of us will know about McCarver is his annoying broadcasting style ala The Billy Packer School of Pisspoor Broadcasting. How you can manage to piss off the fans of an ENTIRE SPORT for the better part of 20 years is beyond me. What is even more beyond me is how he still has a job (and Joe Buck for that matter). FOX Sports does a great job with their package (no homo) in delivering MLB and NFL. But their "lead" announcers for the Major League Baseball playoffs are awful. Troy Aikman, who is probably the best color analyst right now in the NFL, saves their NFL telecasts when Buck is going off the deep end with his smug, elitist, anti-New York nonsense.
I was APPALLED when McCarver called out my then-idol (forgive me, I was 13, not knowledgeable about the Word of God and idols, etc.) Deion Sanders in 1992, he did not have his facts straight. He was just HATING. Plain and simple. Deion was not even under contract with the Atlanta Falcons; yet he went out and played for them earlier in the day, flew into Pittsburgh to join the Atlanta Braves, who were playing the Pittsburgh Pirates in the MLB National League Championship Series. After the game, Sanders was told what McCarver said, and proceeded to enter the clubhouse and dump Gatorade on McCarver (who was interviewing one of Sanders' Braves teammates post-game) Harry Carson/Carl Banks-style. HE DESERVED IT. Anyone who supported what McCarver -- who is known to belabor what he THINKS is true for as long as an hour during a baseball game, thereby dominating the telecast and taking the focus from the GAME itself -- is a meathead. I will not argue this.
I was 13 when this Sanders-McCarver thing occurred. McCarver remarked, "You're a real man, Deion, I'll tell you that..." Yeah, and you were mad that your bull got to Sanders before you could sneak out of town unscathed too, huh? Man I hate Tim McCarver.
THEN, I go on espn.com earlier this afternoon and read/hear what he said about my boy Manny Ramirez. Sure, everyone knows that at times Manny does not play 100% (his half-hearted effort is better than 95% of the guys in Baseball's BEST EFFORTS, by the way -- the man hit .347 with a near .500 On-Base Percentage when he was supposedly "not trying" -- most guys in the league would kill for those numbers; Manny does it half-asleep). Everyone knows that Manny is an eccentric. But this clown McCarver goes out of his way to talk trash about Manny (while throwing a few bigoted subliminals at Randy Moss -- what does he have to do with this? He made one statement and no one can cite evidence other than one questionable time where Moss ever "took plays off" -- and mentioning Terrell Owens, who NEVER does. You can hate Owens if you want, but you cannot claim he is a slacker on the field).
Screw McCarver.
Why I Am Not Married Yet - Once And For All
Why I Am Not Married Yet - Once And For All
10.8.08
If I get asked this ONE more time. Whether it is that old lady who always speaks to you and compliments your attire and hair, or that cousin you haven't seen in a couple of years, or that ex co-worker that you bumped into who was always trying to hook you up with her slaggy friends -- you get tired of it after a while. If the wrong person asks you on the wrong day, you MIGHT release on 'em!
But yeah, real quick -- because even some of my friends (especially the ones who are just getting to know me in the past 2-3 years) have been asking me this and I'm sick of it. A little chronology of my adult life:
Throughout high school, I was stricken with Erythrodermic Psoriasis. I have a Photo Album on Facebook that exhibits what that affliction looks like -- and yes, that's EXACTLY what I looked like from late 1993 until early 2000. 24/7/365, the entire time. BE HONEST (ladies) -- HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD GIVE A YOUNG DUDE WHO LOOKED LIKE THAT THE TIME OF DAY??? I'll wait for a hand to come up so I can call you a boldface liar.
Fast forward. April, 2000. The Lord miraculously heals me. My skin clears up overnight. Literally. I wake up. I have newfound swag. Bought my first car (and since I never drive cars with hard mileage or old buckets; anyone who knows me knows my track record with cars) and I'm feeling good about myself. Except one thing: I'm 21 and work in an insurance company full of women 34, 37... 41... many of them RAW (my inner circle knows what that means) and the one or two that were my age were scary unattractive or hittin' off all the non-homo dudes in the office.
I started that job in January 1998. Left in August 2005. I started at UNCG in the fall of 2004, so I spent a full year working full time (50 hours a week) and going to school full time (12-15 hours per semester), plus I was president of the Singles Ministry at our church, and had started two businesses within that time.
I am now at a college where I am 8, 9, 10, sometimes ELEVEN years older than the young women I'm surrounded by all day. Excuse me? And the only ones who are about a relationship are clingy, ugly, over the tonnage limit, what have you. You finally meet a couple of them here or there and they are either on some extra nonsense... psycho-feminist, or you finally meet one who COULD turn out to be about something, but you are diametric opposites on THE fundamental thing that is non-negotiable(faith beliefs) or That Chick who gives up that Butter the FIRST NIGHT (not hating on them, trust me lol... but for what I am looking for, do I need that...?)
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. Merely explaining. If I wanted to be a manwhore, I could easily have done it. I try to do what's wRight. I try to set the standard. I've done some chicks wrong, I will admit LOL... I've had my share of "what the BLEEP!!! was I thinking that night???" moments, and many of them in the past two years. So I am not without fault or blame. But simply put, I have always been around cougars (from age 18 until 26) or greenbacks (now; around 18-22 year olds. When have I ever been around women my age... except for a few psychos from That Place (not saying where, because a few of them are on Facebook and will probably snitch on me for badmouthing That Place) but those of you who know me know where I am referring to.
I am going to state the glaringly obvious truth: "One stands a much better chance of meeting a potential life mate if he/she is around a multitude of peers of the opposite sex who are of similar age."
Well, you don't say?!?! I have no concept of what that is like. DEAD SERIOUS.
I hope that answers that question, because I'm going to give you the Lewis/Robinson Look to whoever asks me again until it happens; irrespective of age. That's just how sick of hearing it I am. Have friends who "wonder" about me. Direct them to this blog post.
Both teams played hard.
Both teams played hard.
Both teams played hard.
Both teams played hard.
Both teams played hard.
God bless and good night.
10.8.08
If I get asked this ONE more time. Whether it is that old lady who always speaks to you and compliments your attire and hair, or that cousin you haven't seen in a couple of years, or that ex co-worker that you bumped into who was always trying to hook you up with her slaggy friends -- you get tired of it after a while. If the wrong person asks you on the wrong day, you MIGHT release on 'em!
But yeah, real quick -- because even some of my friends (especially the ones who are just getting to know me in the past 2-3 years) have been asking me this and I'm sick of it. A little chronology of my adult life:
Throughout high school, I was stricken with Erythrodermic Psoriasis. I have a Photo Album on Facebook that exhibits what that affliction looks like -- and yes, that's EXACTLY what I looked like from late 1993 until early 2000. 24/7/365, the entire time. BE HONEST (ladies) -- HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD GIVE A YOUNG DUDE WHO LOOKED LIKE THAT THE TIME OF DAY??? I'll wait for a hand to come up so I can call you a boldface liar.
Fast forward. April, 2000. The Lord miraculously heals me. My skin clears up overnight. Literally. I wake up. I have newfound swag. Bought my first car (and since I never drive cars with hard mileage or old buckets; anyone who knows me knows my track record with cars) and I'm feeling good about myself. Except one thing: I'm 21 and work in an insurance company full of women 34, 37... 41... many of them RAW (my inner circle knows what that means) and the one or two that were my age were scary unattractive or hittin' off all the non-homo dudes in the office.
I started that job in January 1998. Left in August 2005. I started at UNCG in the fall of 2004, so I spent a full year working full time (50 hours a week) and going to school full time (12-15 hours per semester), plus I was president of the Singles Ministry at our church, and had started two businesses within that time.
I am now at a college where I am 8, 9, 10, sometimes ELEVEN years older than the young women I'm surrounded by all day. Excuse me? And the only ones who are about a relationship are clingy, ugly, over the tonnage limit, what have you. You finally meet a couple of them here or there and they are either on some extra nonsense... psycho-feminist, or you finally meet one who COULD turn out to be about something, but you are diametric opposites on THE fundamental thing that is non-negotiable(faith beliefs) or That Chick who gives up that Butter the FIRST NIGHT (not hating on them, trust me lol... but for what I am looking for, do I need that...?)
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. Merely explaining. If I wanted to be a manwhore, I could easily have done it. I try to do what's wRight. I try to set the standard. I've done some chicks wrong, I will admit LOL... I've had my share of "what the BLEEP!!! was I thinking that night???" moments, and many of them in the past two years. So I am not without fault or blame. But simply put, I have always been around cougars (from age 18 until 26) or greenbacks (now; around 18-22 year olds. When have I ever been around women my age... except for a few psychos from That Place (not saying where, because a few of them are on Facebook and will probably snitch on me for badmouthing That Place) but those of you who know me know where I am referring to.
I am going to state the glaringly obvious truth: "One stands a much better chance of meeting a potential life mate if he/she is around a multitude of peers of the opposite sex who are of similar age."
Well, you don't say?!?! I have no concept of what that is like. DEAD SERIOUS.
I hope that answers that question, because I'm going to give you the Lewis/Robinson Look to whoever asks me again until it happens; irrespective of age. That's just how sick of hearing it I am. Have friends who "wonder" about me. Direct them to this blog post.
Both teams played hard.
Both teams played hard.
Both teams played hard.
Both teams played hard.
Both teams played hard.
God bless and good night.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Politics & Mr. Wright
Politics & Mr. Wright
Michael D. Wright
10.7.08
This is the one and only time I am going to talk about politics until AFTER the Presidential/General Elections on November 4, 2008.
1) I am fed up with people trying to tell me about politics when I've been following them longer than they've been living. Or people who are much older than me assuming that I am just now "dabbling" into politics as if I wasn't with my mother in the '83/'84 campaign season when the candidates were in town; or at the booths with my parents in '88 inquiring about the whole process and instantly becoming interested in all things political (stayed up well past midnight in the 1988 Election to see what would happen with GHW Bush and Dukakis) and eager for 1997 to get here so that I could vote. Please. Enough already.
2) Too many people let their prejudices about the "other" party or their conspicuous (or inconspicuous, in some cases) bigotry get in the way of logic and common sense. When you cannot give a candidate credit SOLELY because he is Black or SOLELY because she is Republican, or Democrat or what have you, you have serious issues. The crap we see on TV isn't democracy in action. It is doghouse fighting. Plain and simple.
Anyone who, regardless of their party affiliation, cannot see that for the most part, Barack Obama is speaking more closely to the facts of his voting record and what he has said consistently over time than John McCain (who, for those of you who AREN'T OLD ENOUGH TO EVEN KNOW/REMEMBER -- was caught up in the big S&L investigation years back, while he talks about wasteful spending and pork barrel projects???) has. Sure, 26 years of Washington politics will set you up for inevitable wrong-doing at times and no one is perfect. But this isn't about "fundamentals", because anyone who knows politics knows that these candidates are swayed by every wind and doctrine; they are going to say what it takes (particularly when they see Gallup polls stating what is "most important" to the voting public) to garner more votes to support their platform.
Let's not forget, the President can only be an initiator and a pipeline of sorts. He/she does not have absolute power, for the system of checks and balances (especially with the upcoming volatility that will take place in the House after Nov. 4) will surely rise up to correct it. Nothing that these candidates CLAIM they will do can happen without the prescribed requirement of support in both parts of the House.
These guys, as I type, are arguing semantics. While we live in charged times, I can remember previous debates where there WERE distinct differences in fundamentals, where there WERE blatantly obvious differences between what one candidate/party stood for and the other(s). Now, more than ever, the lines are blurred. There has been much more "reaching across the aisle" than there was before 1980. There is no absolute "fundamental truth". Sure, Republicans TYPICALLY embodied the conservative spirit of America, whereas TYPICALLY embodied the more liberal spirit/outlook on things. This is no longer absolute, and therefore singling people out because of the way they dress, where they live, attend school, their political beliefs (which can line up with people from ALL parties) is meatheaded, irresponsible and reeks of control issues. Anyone with a psychology and/or sociology background can see from a mile away that such a person feels that anyone opposed to their ideaology is a threat and therefore, the quickest way to quiet a threat is to shout them down, and discredit their name (without any other basis outside of bigotry, hatred and willfull ignorance).
3) I am a registered Independent. I am sick of all the backbiting and finger-pointing. While I lean Conservative on some things and Liberal on others, I am neither a Republican (2001-2007) nor Democrat (1997-2001). I am more Moderate, and my voting/political outlook will definitely reflect as such. I refuse to cave in to the narrow-minded, single-minded whims of people (in denial as they are) who try to tug me into their political party's corner (I've had it happen quite frequently from many people in the past eighteen months). I'm done with all that. As is the case with my relationship with the Lord God and Jesus Christ, and from my CLOSEST FRIENDS -- it is ALL about absolute truth with me; whoever is speaking it. If they are Democrat; fine. If they are Republican; fine. If they are Libertarian; fine. If they are Independent; fine. If they have no political bents whatsoever; FINE. Just as it is with my friends, if you can't call me out when I am dead wrong, I don't want you around me, dullah! If I can't tell you the truth, which benefits you, I don't want to be around you. I used to hang around a circle of people who could witness their best friend mistreat people, lie, cheat and deceive and then co-sign that friend's actions as if they did not witness it all first-hand. I cannot deal with that. Such is the case with me and politics from now on. WHOEVER SPEAKS THE TRUTH AND CAN GET THE JOB DONE, THAT IS WHO I AM SIDING WITH.
Do not send me anymore messages talking about John McCain's age, or your unwillingness to vote for him because he cannot raise his arms above his head... or Sarah Palin's deer in the headlights OBVIOUS lack of knowledge/understanding (or those of you who see this and STILL think she's effective or a "barracuda" -- not realizing she's doing it because she's backed into a corner of unfamiliarity)... nor do I want to hear about Biden's comments about Obama before he was chosen as VP. What Biden said was spoken from the heart and not entirely without merit; regarding Obama's preparedness for the Office. I have told people recently that those who may speak about your inadequacies aren't AUTOMATICALLY an enemy (again, going back to someone being able to tell you the TRUTH!!!), indeed, as Obama probably thought, he was wise enough to know he lacks foreign policy experience and went and got the best person to do the job, DESPITE what Biden spoke; which was quite frankly true -- although relative to the other candidates ONLY.
Finally, I do not want to hear these blind Obama supporters who only support him because he is Black, or as I've heard a bunch of foolish women say, he's "good-looking" (no homo) or any superficial nonsense that has nothing to do with one's ability to do the job. I get just as sick and tired with Black people who are guilty as White people who only associate with Whites because they believe they are superior. The support of Obama solely based upon those reasons is no different. Let's not keep the cycle of cowardice, bigotry and predujice continue. Vote for who is the best for the job, not because he/she is Black (or voting AGAINST he/she solely BECAUSE he/she is Black or even FEMALE). And please, ENOUGH WITH THIS STUPID PARTISAN NONSENSE.
I am done talking politics. This debate was the final chapter. If you don't know who you are going to vote for by now, then so be it you. However, please remember a common courtesy, unless you have absolute facts (and none of us do, since we are not Washington insiders) or in someone's closest circle of friends, DO NOT engage in political discussion unless you are going to do it in a courteous manner. I have heard people who start out rational and the minute they find out you don't agree with their ideals, they lash out and bash you with a plethora of stereotypes. This is the ultimate reason why people do not vote as it is. Don't contribute to the problem. Learn how to debate properly and don't be a meathead when someone disagrees with you. You are not always right, your ideals aren't always what's best for the whole. Realize that and this "Democracy" (Republic) that we live in can move closer to actually BEING one.
Michael D. Wright
10.7.08
This is the one and only time I am going to talk about politics until AFTER the Presidential/General Elections on November 4, 2008.
1) I am fed up with people trying to tell me about politics when I've been following them longer than they've been living. Or people who are much older than me assuming that I am just now "dabbling" into politics as if I wasn't with my mother in the '83/'84 campaign season when the candidates were in town; or at the booths with my parents in '88 inquiring about the whole process and instantly becoming interested in all things political (stayed up well past midnight in the 1988 Election to see what would happen with GHW Bush and Dukakis) and eager for 1997 to get here so that I could vote. Please. Enough already.
2) Too many people let their prejudices about the "other" party or their conspicuous (or inconspicuous, in some cases) bigotry get in the way of logic and common sense. When you cannot give a candidate credit SOLELY because he is Black or SOLELY because she is Republican, or Democrat or what have you, you have serious issues. The crap we see on TV isn't democracy in action. It is doghouse fighting. Plain and simple.
Anyone who, regardless of their party affiliation, cannot see that for the most part, Barack Obama is speaking more closely to the facts of his voting record and what he has said consistently over time than John McCain (who, for those of you who AREN'T OLD ENOUGH TO EVEN KNOW/REMEMBER -- was caught up in the big S&L investigation years back, while he talks about wasteful spending and pork barrel projects???) has. Sure, 26 years of Washington politics will set you up for inevitable wrong-doing at times and no one is perfect. But this isn't about "fundamentals", because anyone who knows politics knows that these candidates are swayed by every wind and doctrine; they are going to say what it takes (particularly when they see Gallup polls stating what is "most important" to the voting public) to garner more votes to support their platform.
Let's not forget, the President can only be an initiator and a pipeline of sorts. He/she does not have absolute power, for the system of checks and balances (especially with the upcoming volatility that will take place in the House after Nov. 4) will surely rise up to correct it. Nothing that these candidates CLAIM they will do can happen without the prescribed requirement of support in both parts of the House.
These guys, as I type, are arguing semantics. While we live in charged times, I can remember previous debates where there WERE distinct differences in fundamentals, where there WERE blatantly obvious differences between what one candidate/party stood for and the other(s). Now, more than ever, the lines are blurred. There has been much more "reaching across the aisle" than there was before 1980. There is no absolute "fundamental truth". Sure, Republicans TYPICALLY embodied the conservative spirit of America, whereas TYPICALLY embodied the more liberal spirit/outlook on things. This is no longer absolute, and therefore singling people out because of the way they dress, where they live, attend school, their political beliefs (which can line up with people from ALL parties) is meatheaded, irresponsible and reeks of control issues. Anyone with a psychology and/or sociology background can see from a mile away that such a person feels that anyone opposed to their ideaology is a threat and therefore, the quickest way to quiet a threat is to shout them down, and discredit their name (without any other basis outside of bigotry, hatred and willfull ignorance).
3) I am a registered Independent. I am sick of all the backbiting and finger-pointing. While I lean Conservative on some things and Liberal on others, I am neither a Republican (2001-2007) nor Democrat (1997-2001). I am more Moderate, and my voting/political outlook will definitely reflect as such. I refuse to cave in to the narrow-minded, single-minded whims of people (in denial as they are) who try to tug me into their political party's corner (I've had it happen quite frequently from many people in the past eighteen months). I'm done with all that. As is the case with my relationship with the Lord God and Jesus Christ, and from my CLOSEST FRIENDS -- it is ALL about absolute truth with me; whoever is speaking it. If they are Democrat; fine. If they are Republican; fine. If they are Libertarian; fine. If they are Independent; fine. If they have no political bents whatsoever; FINE. Just as it is with my friends, if you can't call me out when I am dead wrong, I don't want you around me, dullah! If I can't tell you the truth, which benefits you, I don't want to be around you. I used to hang around a circle of people who could witness their best friend mistreat people, lie, cheat and deceive and then co-sign that friend's actions as if they did not witness it all first-hand. I cannot deal with that. Such is the case with me and politics from now on. WHOEVER SPEAKS THE TRUTH AND CAN GET THE JOB DONE, THAT IS WHO I AM SIDING WITH.
Do not send me anymore messages talking about John McCain's age, or your unwillingness to vote for him because he cannot raise his arms above his head... or Sarah Palin's deer in the headlights OBVIOUS lack of knowledge/understanding (or those of you who see this and STILL think she's effective or a "barracuda" -- not realizing she's doing it because she's backed into a corner of unfamiliarity)... nor do I want to hear about Biden's comments about Obama before he was chosen as VP. What Biden said was spoken from the heart and not entirely without merit; regarding Obama's preparedness for the Office. I have told people recently that those who may speak about your inadequacies aren't AUTOMATICALLY an enemy (again, going back to someone being able to tell you the TRUTH!!!), indeed, as Obama probably thought, he was wise enough to know he lacks foreign policy experience and went and got the best person to do the job, DESPITE what Biden spoke; which was quite frankly true -- although relative to the other candidates ONLY.
Finally, I do not want to hear these blind Obama supporters who only support him because he is Black, or as I've heard a bunch of foolish women say, he's "good-looking" (no homo) or any superficial nonsense that has nothing to do with one's ability to do the job. I get just as sick and tired with Black people who are guilty as White people who only associate with Whites because they believe they are superior. The support of Obama solely based upon those reasons is no different. Let's not keep the cycle of cowardice, bigotry and predujice continue. Vote for who is the best for the job, not because he/she is Black (or voting AGAINST he/she solely BECAUSE he/she is Black or even FEMALE). And please, ENOUGH WITH THIS STUPID PARTISAN NONSENSE.
I am done talking politics. This debate was the final chapter. If you don't know who you are going to vote for by now, then so be it you. However, please remember a common courtesy, unless you have absolute facts (and none of us do, since we are not Washington insiders) or in someone's closest circle of friends, DO NOT engage in political discussion unless you are going to do it in a courteous manner. I have heard people who start out rational and the minute they find out you don't agree with their ideals, they lash out and bash you with a plethora of stereotypes. This is the ultimate reason why people do not vote as it is. Don't contribute to the problem. Learn how to debate properly and don't be a meathead when someone disagrees with you. You are not always right, your ideals aren't always what's best for the whole. Realize that and this "Democracy" (Republic) that we live in can move closer to actually BEING one.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Revised Power Rankings
Revised Power Rankings
Michael D. Wright
10.6.08
See, I knew I would have to revise my power rankings after last week. Of course, we really do not know anything concrete about any team right now except the Redskins. I say Washington, because they have played the best division's (NFC East) teams on the road. They won two of three and they're playing great football right now. I have to move them up. The New York Football Giants (or, as Chris Berman says it with a heavy Jewish accent, the "New YAHK FOOTBAWL Giants")
Lots of pivotal injuries that just came about as of last night/early today that also shifts things potentially (although Philly was not going anywhere as it were -- I had them pegged 6-10 anyway -- they're DEFINITELY not winning more than that if Westbrook misses several games with ribs).
So with that... I'm just going to give my Top 5 RIGHT NOW.
1. New York FOOTBALL Giants. Best offense. Best defense. QB Eli Manning is playing the best of any QB in the NFL. RB Brandon Jacobs is deterring more and more dudes frmo trying to tackle him (15-136-2 on Sunday). The only thing that can prevent the Giants from repeating is a rash of injuries. Not one or two, a RASH, because they are stacked at RB (Jacobs, Ward, Bradshaw), WR (Burress, Toomer, Smith, Hixon, Manningham, Moss) and the secondary is loaded, should anyone get hurt. As long as Eli Manning does not get hurt (and the offensive line, which is ALSO the best in the NFL, doesn't allow anyone to get near him these days) the Giants are going to be tough to beat. However, we won't really know for sure what the Giants have until the Steeler and Cowboy games. The Cowboys aren't good defensively if you take away DE DeMarcus Ware. Their secondary is slow and does not make big plays. Their linebackers are just... there. Their defensive line is the stregnth of the defense, and again, without Ware, they're average.
2. Washington Redskins. The 'skins looked dead in the water after the Giants beat them opening night. I gave them a half-season learning curve with Jim Zorn's version of the West Coast Offense. Is QB Jason Campbell not one of the smartest cats in the NFL or what? He's in his sixth new offensive system in six seasons (including college). He's grasped this offense and is making plays. Equally important is the running game, which is spearheaded by RB Clinton Portis, who has had three straight strong games. They look tough. Their defense is only even MORE confident because of the way the offense is playing. Right now, this is the only team that can challenge the Giants seriously.
3. Carolina Panthers. The Panthers are clicking again. They look like the 2003 team, which featured QB Jake Delhomme playing his best football, a two-headed running game (2003: RB Stephen Davis, RB DeShaun Foster -- 2008: RB DeAngelo Williams, RB Jonathan Stewart), the return of WR Muhsin Muhammad to compliment/open up the field for WR Steven Smith, and for the first time in that same period, a completely healthy defense. Gone are old stiffs like DE Michael Rucker (retired), overweight and ineffective DT Kris Jenkins (free agent, Jets) and frequently concussed MLB Dan Morgan (released/semi-retired). Mike Linebacker Jon Beason is a BEAST and he makes all the difference being able to make plays all over the field and possessing the range of an elite strong safety, rather than a LB. Thomas Davis and Chris Gamble solidify the rest of the back seven. This team goes to East Rutherford to close out the Giants' home schedule on Week 16. Could be a NFC Championship game matchup. Could be.
4. Tennessee Titans. The Titans look alot like the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, who they beat yesterday. They have a shaky QB (Collins, who will make an INT that can kill a team -- trust me, as a Giants fan who watched Collins kill us for about 5 years at times) and another shaky one who is coming back from an injury/being booed in Vince Young. BTW, does he get his Black Card revoked for going to see a therapist AND talking about suicide? C'mon B...
Anyway, that defense is FEROCIOUS. They don't give up ANYTHING. That, along with the running game (RB LenDale White, RB Chris Johnson), and the Titans are the best team in the AFC.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers. I hesitated putting them here, because I think New England, Dallas, Arizona and depending on who you talk to, Buffalo, can all go here. However, aside from an anomaly of sorts in their loss to Philadelphia, featuring Ben Roethlisberger getting sacked 8 times and the Steelers being unable to do anything whatsoever, they've been very solid ever since. Their defense doesn't budge (even without their stalwart Nose Tackle, Casey Hampton, out with a groin). They started another backup at DE last night vs. Jacksonville and shut the Jags' running game DOWN. It almost seems like smoke and mirrors, but it isn't. Roethlisberger threw the ball 41 times last night, which is far more than the Steelers like. But hey, it worked. They used a third stringer (Mewelde Moore) and a practice squad (Gary Freeman) as running backs last night and got over 140 yards on the ground. Moore gained nearly 100 alone. However, if they can't replicate this against the Giants, I have to move them down. That is why I hesitated putting them here. It doesn't matter, anyway. After the Top 3 teams, the next 10-15 teams are identical and the bottom feeders all have the same glaring holes. The NFL is as predictable as it is unpredictable -- always 2-3 dominant teams, 10-15 average ones, and 13-15 more bad-to-awful ones.
As Cam said about Jay and his swagger jacking (the last time you will hear me use the word "swagger" or any of its variants, as it's all about AURA, as I've been saying for months) -- "You Gotta Love It"!
Michael D. Wright
10.6.08
See, I knew I would have to revise my power rankings after last week. Of course, we really do not know anything concrete about any team right now except the Redskins. I say Washington, because they have played the best division's (NFC East) teams on the road. They won two of three and they're playing great football right now. I have to move them up. The New York Football Giants (or, as Chris Berman says it with a heavy Jewish accent, the "New YAHK FOOTBAWL Giants")
Lots of pivotal injuries that just came about as of last night/early today that also shifts things potentially (although Philly was not going anywhere as it were -- I had them pegged 6-10 anyway -- they're DEFINITELY not winning more than that if Westbrook misses several games with ribs).
So with that... I'm just going to give my Top 5 RIGHT NOW.
1. New York FOOTBALL Giants. Best offense. Best defense. QB Eli Manning is playing the best of any QB in the NFL. RB Brandon Jacobs is deterring more and more dudes frmo trying to tackle him (15-136-2 on Sunday). The only thing that can prevent the Giants from repeating is a rash of injuries. Not one or two, a RASH, because they are stacked at RB (Jacobs, Ward, Bradshaw), WR (Burress, Toomer, Smith, Hixon, Manningham, Moss) and the secondary is loaded, should anyone get hurt. As long as Eli Manning does not get hurt (and the offensive line, which is ALSO the best in the NFL, doesn't allow anyone to get near him these days) the Giants are going to be tough to beat. However, we won't really know for sure what the Giants have until the Steeler and Cowboy games. The Cowboys aren't good defensively if you take away DE DeMarcus Ware. Their secondary is slow and does not make big plays. Their linebackers are just... there. Their defensive line is the stregnth of the defense, and again, without Ware, they're average.
2. Washington Redskins. The 'skins looked dead in the water after the Giants beat them opening night. I gave them a half-season learning curve with Jim Zorn's version of the West Coast Offense. Is QB Jason Campbell not one of the smartest cats in the NFL or what? He's in his sixth new offensive system in six seasons (including college). He's grasped this offense and is making plays. Equally important is the running game, which is spearheaded by RB Clinton Portis, who has had three straight strong games. They look tough. Their defense is only even MORE confident because of the way the offense is playing. Right now, this is the only team that can challenge the Giants seriously.
3. Carolina Panthers. The Panthers are clicking again. They look like the 2003 team, which featured QB Jake Delhomme playing his best football, a two-headed running game (2003: RB Stephen Davis, RB DeShaun Foster -- 2008: RB DeAngelo Williams, RB Jonathan Stewart), the return of WR Muhsin Muhammad to compliment/open up the field for WR Steven Smith, and for the first time in that same period, a completely healthy defense. Gone are old stiffs like DE Michael Rucker (retired), overweight and ineffective DT Kris Jenkins (free agent, Jets) and frequently concussed MLB Dan Morgan (released/semi-retired). Mike Linebacker Jon Beason is a BEAST and he makes all the difference being able to make plays all over the field and possessing the range of an elite strong safety, rather than a LB. Thomas Davis and Chris Gamble solidify the rest of the back seven. This team goes to East Rutherford to close out the Giants' home schedule on Week 16. Could be a NFC Championship game matchup. Could be.
4. Tennessee Titans. The Titans look alot like the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, who they beat yesterday. They have a shaky QB (Collins, who will make an INT that can kill a team -- trust me, as a Giants fan who watched Collins kill us for about 5 years at times) and another shaky one who is coming back from an injury/being booed in Vince Young. BTW, does he get his Black Card revoked for going to see a therapist AND talking about suicide? C'mon B...
Anyway, that defense is FEROCIOUS. They don't give up ANYTHING. That, along with the running game (RB LenDale White, RB Chris Johnson), and the Titans are the best team in the AFC.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers. I hesitated putting them here, because I think New England, Dallas, Arizona and depending on who you talk to, Buffalo, can all go here. However, aside from an anomaly of sorts in their loss to Philadelphia, featuring Ben Roethlisberger getting sacked 8 times and the Steelers being unable to do anything whatsoever, they've been very solid ever since. Their defense doesn't budge (even without their stalwart Nose Tackle, Casey Hampton, out with a groin). They started another backup at DE last night vs. Jacksonville and shut the Jags' running game DOWN. It almost seems like smoke and mirrors, but it isn't. Roethlisberger threw the ball 41 times last night, which is far more than the Steelers like. But hey, it worked. They used a third stringer (Mewelde Moore) and a practice squad (Gary Freeman) as running backs last night and got over 140 yards on the ground. Moore gained nearly 100 alone. However, if they can't replicate this against the Giants, I have to move them down. That is why I hesitated putting them here. It doesn't matter, anyway. After the Top 3 teams, the next 10-15 teams are identical and the bottom feeders all have the same glaring holes. The NFL is as predictable as it is unpredictable -- always 2-3 dominant teams, 10-15 average ones, and 13-15 more bad-to-awful ones.
As Cam said about Jay and his swagger jacking (the last time you will hear me use the word "swagger" or any of its variants, as it's all about AURA, as I've been saying for months) -- "You Gotta Love It"!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
NFL Week 5 Picks
NFL Week 5 Picks
Michael D. Wright
10.4.08
OK, so I am hovering around 55% on my picks this year. That is a departure from the near 75% that I usually have every year. YES, 75%. So instead of thinking I am losing it, I'd like to credit the parity within the league and the MONSTROSITY called Injured Reserve. I am waiting until the very last minute to post this, because too many pivotal players are game-time decisions for tomorrow's games (both for the sake of these picks and FANTASY FOOTBALL...)
Alright, without all the balderdash, now to the picks...
Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions
Ford Field
Detroit, Michigan
1PM
The Bears SHOULD win this handily, but you just never know. They are the 2008 version of the old Giants; playing down to the level of their competition one week and the next, beating one of the better teams in the NFL. I honestly do not know what to make of them right now. Their defense could not stop Philadelphia down the stretch last week, and the running game was stifled for once - forcing Kyle Orton to "win" the game for the Bears. Surprisingly, he did it, versus a very game Iggles defense (although staying in the no-huddle for much of the first half was the key to slowing down defensive coordinator Jim Johnson's blitz schemes). The Lions are an enigma. They really should not be 0-3. But hey, it is what it is. Matt Millen is gone, so the players better be on their Ps and Qs the rest of the way, or they'll be gone. WR Calvin Johnson SHOULD have a big game even with Peanut Tillman across from him. There is no way the Bears can shut down both Johnson and WR Roy Williams. This should be a good, close game, but the Bears SHOULD win it late with a defensive stand as Jon Kitna does what he does...
Call:
Chicago 27
Detroit 23
---
Atlanta Falcons vs. Green Bay Packers
Lambeau Field
Green Bay, Wisconsin
1 PM
The Falcons aren't as bad as people thought they would be, nor are the Packers. For that matter, these teams are pretty evenly matched, regardless of Rodgers' status heading into the game. If Rodgers does not play, both teams would be starting a rookie QB. Up and down the depth chart, it's an even draw. I will say that the Packers' defense makes a few more plays than the Falcons' does. However, the Falcons have not been blown away but once thus far. I figured them to be odds on the worst team in the NFL going into the season. Who really knows? If Michael Turner gets his touches and puts up numbers like he did in Week 1 (which will help my fantasy), the Falcons could "steal" this one. I believe it will be close.
Call:
Atlanta 34
Green Bay 31
---
San Diego (Super) Chargers vs. Miami Dolphins
Dolphin Stadium
Miami, Florida
1PM
The Chargers are primed and ready to go on their annual five-to-seven game winning streak. It starts right here against the Dolphins. Plus, it is time for Tomlinson to have one of his patented 27 rush, 210 yards, 3 TD, 8 rec, 86 yard, TD, TD pass games. I feel it in my bones. The Dolphins will be clinging to what they did to New England as a source of motivation after this one.
Call:
San Diego 42
Miami 17
---
Seattle Seahawks vs. New York Football Giants
Giants Stadium at the New Jersey Meadowlands
East Rutherford, New Jersey
1 PM
The Seahawks have a bunch of gimpy WRs, a suspect running game, which will not do much against the NFC's best defense, a QB whose back feels like mine felt a month ago -- and a defense that has been unable to slow down SAN FRANCISCO. I never predict the Giants to blow teams out unless they are playing the absolute worst team in the NFL (Rams, Week 2). The Seabags aren't THAT bad, but the Giants are the best team in the NFL and will play like it.
R.I.P. Dick Lynch. TRUE Giants fans know him well.
Call:
Seattle 16
NY Giants 38
---
Washington Redskins vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Lincoln Financial Field
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1PM
The Redskins are winning a lot of people over. I am not sold, yet. I moved them near the top of my Power Rankings earlier this week. If they win this one, I will be sold (but still not shaken, since the Giants have their number). If Brian Westbrook cannot go, the Eagles are in trouble. Donovan McNabb doesn't run anymore, and that kills the Iggles (see: Week 4 Goal Line stand by the Bears) in situations where they used to simply perplex opposing defenses/defensive coordinators. For the fourth straight year, and 13th out of the last 14th year, the Eagles have NO WRs, but DeSean Jackson, should he cease the bonehead mistakes that have contributed to two losses already this year, MIGHT be a playmaker for them.
QB Jason Campbell is smart. He has grasped Jim Zorn's version of the West Coast offense already. However, the truest test of that knowledge is against a great defense. He failed miserably against the Giants' defense, and the Iggles' defense ISN'T far behind. We will know a lot more after this game. Clinton Portis MUST get more than 80 yards for the Redskins to stay in this game.
Call:
Washington 31
Philadelphia 27
---
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Carolina Panthers
Bank of America Stadium
Charlotte, North Carolina
1 PM
The Chiefs are looking to build upon (lol -- see Herm Edwards' post-game pep talk) their win against the Broncos last week. Stunning, indeed, but the Panthers are on a MISSION this year. I don't think this game will be close. WRs Muhsin Muhammad and Steven Smith cannot be stopped.
Call:
Kansas City 13
Carolina 34
---
Tennessee Titans vs. Baltimore Ravens
M&T Bank Stadium
Baltimore, Maryland
1PM
The Titans are arguably the best team in the AFC. They have the best defense, the Ravens are right there. However, the Titans can consistently move the ball offensively. QB Kerry Collins is no star, but he doesn't kill the Titans, either. RB Chris Johnson offers a change of pace from LenDale White. The Titans are LEGIT on both sides of the ball.
The Ravens feature their stalwart defense, which is perennially in the Top 5 in the NFL and usually first or second in the AFC since 2000. This year is no different. What they DO have, finally, is a playmaker at QB. Too bad he cannot do it for four quarters. Joe Flacco looked pretty good against the Steelers in the first half Monday. However, in the second half, he could not evade the pressure nor the subsequent mistakes they forced him into. RB Willis McGahee will need to gain 100 yards. Given that he is horribly out of shape, and the Titans' defense being what it is, I do NOT see that happening, nor do I see the Ravens winning. Coming off a short week does not help, either.
Call:
Tennessee 24
Baltimore 13
---
Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans
Reliant Stadium
Houston, Texas
1PM
The Texans begin a four-game homestand. This should improve their play and their record. I think the Colts, coming off their bye week, will play better -- however, the Texans will, also. I am picking an upset here, and with no real justification why LOL
Call:
Indianapolis 27
Houston 28
---
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Denver Broncos
Invesco Field at Mile High
Denver, Colorado
4:05PM
Call me crazy, but I said what I said about Denver before the season began for a reason. I believe they are closer to the way they played last week vs. KC than they appeared vs. SD. And yes, I know I have flip-flopped on them more than a presidential candidate, but I am just not convinced. With a defense that would make Jim Mora go into one of his legendary rants, how CAN you be?
Tampa Bay has been playing with the house's money of late. Brian Griese has hoisted over 100 passes the past two games and thrown many passes up for grabs, resulting in several INTs, however, they manage to win. I think they will do it again. Quietly, Earnest Graham, who I have viewed as overrated since he (somehow) gained 100 yds against my Florida State Seminoles back in college several years ago, keeps getting it done. He's had 100 yds these past two games, also, not surprisingly. The Broncos cannot stop the run nor get to the QB. Too bad for Champ Bailey and D. Foxworth, huh?
Call:
Tampa Bay 35
Denver 31
---
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Dallas Cowboys
Texas Stadium
Irving, Texas
4:15PM
Dallas will either come out like gangbusters and put the Bengals away early, or this will be a carryover from last week's loss to Washington. If QB Carson Palmer cannot go for the Bengals (game-time decision?), then everything I am about to say is irrelevant.
WR Ocho Cinco pledged to have a breakout game vs. Dallas. You know what? He CAN do it. The Dallas defense is strong up front, but their secondary is full of holes, despite high draft picks and free agent acquisitions. CB Terrence Newman looks like he is scared to touch anyone, S Roy Williams looks 38, not 28 back there. Ironically, their only real playmaker is CB Adam Don't-Call-Me-Pacman-Anymore Jones. He has no INTs yet.
QB Tony Romo should have a pretty easy day against one of the league's worst defenses. However, the Bengals played well versus the Giants in Week 3, and the Giants have one of the NFL's best offensive lines. Could be interesting in Texas!
Call:
Cincinnati 31
Dallas 37
---
Buffalo Bills vs. Arizona Cardinals
University of Phoenix Stadium
Glendale, Arizona
4:15PM
The Cards are coming off two tough losses, but they've both been on the road. They play infinitely better at home. We will see if the Bills travel well, but I do not believe they will -- not in this case, even though the Cards will be missing WR Anquan Boldin, who is recovering from a cheap shot from one of the Jets' sucker defensive backs. They still have plenty of firepower.
However, if Kurt Warner coughs up the ball as he did vs. the Jets (56 pts to a below-average team???) then all bets are off.
Call:
Buffalo 24
Arizona 28
---
New England Patriots vs. San Francisco 49ers
Candlestick Park
San Francisco, California
4:15PM
These two teams are evenly matched, now that Tom Brady is injured. Scoff if you will, but the Pats aren't intimidating anymore with that aging defense. The 49ers were able to run the ball well against better defenses (Seattle) and should be able to do the same vs. NE.
However, this team goes, ultimately, as J.T. O'Sullivan goes. Imagine that. J.T. O'Sullivan???
Call:
New England 13
San Francisco 17
---
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Stadium
Jacksonville, Florida
8:15PM
There is one thing certain about this game. I AM SICK AND TIRED OF SEEING THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS IN PRIMETIME. Why are they featured more than the teams that were in the Super Bowl? I hate watching them play when healthy, and they are missing several key players (RB Willie Parker, T Kendall Simmons, rookie RB Rashard Mendenhall) and others are nicked up (QB Ben Roethlisberger), along with the obvious hole that Alan Faneca left on the offensive line. Without those players, the Steelers look verrrrrrrrry average on offense. The glaring lack of real playmakers (Santonio Holmes is a deep threat ONLY right now, and without time, Roethlisberg won't be able to get the ball to him) and Hines Ward, who I hate -- always have -- will play a bigger role. However, without the deep threat, and no running game, the Steelers are in trouble.
The Jagwires aren't playing great, as Dave Garrard has already thrown as many INTs (3) as he did all of last year. I think they will win this game solely on the strength of their running game with Fred Taylor, Greg Jones and Maurice Jones-Drew.
Call:
Pittsburgh 17
Jacksonville 30
---
Minnesota Vikings vs. New Orleans Saints
Louisiana Superdome
New Orleans, Louisiana
8:30PM (Monday Night Football)
No one knows what the Vikings' plan is. Not even head coach Brad Childress. Their puzzling change at QB will not help things, since Gus Frerotte is no better than Tavaris Jackson at this point. Face it, this team goes as Adrian Peterson goes. If he can run freely for more than 5 yards per carry, they win, if not, the QB has to do too much, and without any WRs worth mentioning, that is asking ALOT.
The Vikings' defense is still strong with the Williams DTs, but outside of that and CB Antoine Winfield, there aren't many playmakers out there. LB EJ Henderson is a beast, but he will have his hands full having to keep up with Reggie Bush in space. I think the Saints will pull this out, but it will be close.
Call:
Minnesota 17
New Orleans 21
---
Summary coming on Tuesday.
Michael D. Wright
10.4.08
OK, so I am hovering around 55% on my picks this year. That is a departure from the near 75% that I usually have every year. YES, 75%. So instead of thinking I am losing it, I'd like to credit the parity within the league and the MONSTROSITY called Injured Reserve. I am waiting until the very last minute to post this, because too many pivotal players are game-time decisions for tomorrow's games (both for the sake of these picks and FANTASY FOOTBALL...)
Alright, without all the balderdash, now to the picks...
Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions
Ford Field
Detroit, Michigan
1PM
The Bears SHOULD win this handily, but you just never know. They are the 2008 version of the old Giants; playing down to the level of their competition one week and the next, beating one of the better teams in the NFL. I honestly do not know what to make of them right now. Their defense could not stop Philadelphia down the stretch last week, and the running game was stifled for once - forcing Kyle Orton to "win" the game for the Bears. Surprisingly, he did it, versus a very game Iggles defense (although staying in the no-huddle for much of the first half was the key to slowing down defensive coordinator Jim Johnson's blitz schemes). The Lions are an enigma. They really should not be 0-3. But hey, it is what it is. Matt Millen is gone, so the players better be on their Ps and Qs the rest of the way, or they'll be gone. WR Calvin Johnson SHOULD have a big game even with Peanut Tillman across from him. There is no way the Bears can shut down both Johnson and WR Roy Williams. This should be a good, close game, but the Bears SHOULD win it late with a defensive stand as Jon Kitna does what he does...
Call:
Chicago 27
Detroit 23
---
Atlanta Falcons vs. Green Bay Packers
Lambeau Field
Green Bay, Wisconsin
1 PM
The Falcons aren't as bad as people thought they would be, nor are the Packers. For that matter, these teams are pretty evenly matched, regardless of Rodgers' status heading into the game. If Rodgers does not play, both teams would be starting a rookie QB. Up and down the depth chart, it's an even draw. I will say that the Packers' defense makes a few more plays than the Falcons' does. However, the Falcons have not been blown away but once thus far. I figured them to be odds on the worst team in the NFL going into the season. Who really knows? If Michael Turner gets his touches and puts up numbers like he did in Week 1 (which will help my fantasy), the Falcons could "steal" this one. I believe it will be close.
Call:
Atlanta 34
Green Bay 31
---
San Diego (Super) Chargers vs. Miami Dolphins
Dolphin Stadium
Miami, Florida
1PM
The Chargers are primed and ready to go on their annual five-to-seven game winning streak. It starts right here against the Dolphins. Plus, it is time for Tomlinson to have one of his patented 27 rush, 210 yards, 3 TD, 8 rec, 86 yard, TD, TD pass games. I feel it in my bones. The Dolphins will be clinging to what they did to New England as a source of motivation after this one.
Call:
San Diego 42
Miami 17
---
Seattle Seahawks vs. New York Football Giants
Giants Stadium at the New Jersey Meadowlands
East Rutherford, New Jersey
1 PM
The Seahawks have a bunch of gimpy WRs, a suspect running game, which will not do much against the NFC's best defense, a QB whose back feels like mine felt a month ago -- and a defense that has been unable to slow down SAN FRANCISCO. I never predict the Giants to blow teams out unless they are playing the absolute worst team in the NFL (Rams, Week 2). The Seabags aren't THAT bad, but the Giants are the best team in the NFL and will play like it.
R.I.P. Dick Lynch. TRUE Giants fans know him well.
Call:
Seattle 16
NY Giants 38
---
Washington Redskins vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Lincoln Financial Field
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1PM
The Redskins are winning a lot of people over. I am not sold, yet. I moved them near the top of my Power Rankings earlier this week. If they win this one, I will be sold (but still not shaken, since the Giants have their number). If Brian Westbrook cannot go, the Eagles are in trouble. Donovan McNabb doesn't run anymore, and that kills the Iggles (see: Week 4 Goal Line stand by the Bears) in situations where they used to simply perplex opposing defenses/defensive coordinators. For the fourth straight year, and 13th out of the last 14th year, the Eagles have NO WRs, but DeSean Jackson, should he cease the bonehead mistakes that have contributed to two losses already this year, MIGHT be a playmaker for them.
QB Jason Campbell is smart. He has grasped Jim Zorn's version of the West Coast offense already. However, the truest test of that knowledge is against a great defense. He failed miserably against the Giants' defense, and the Iggles' defense ISN'T far behind. We will know a lot more after this game. Clinton Portis MUST get more than 80 yards for the Redskins to stay in this game.
Call:
Washington 31
Philadelphia 27
---
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Carolina Panthers
Bank of America Stadium
Charlotte, North Carolina
1 PM
The Chiefs are looking to build upon (lol -- see Herm Edwards' post-game pep talk) their win against the Broncos last week. Stunning, indeed, but the Panthers are on a MISSION this year. I don't think this game will be close. WRs Muhsin Muhammad and Steven Smith cannot be stopped.
Call:
Kansas City 13
Carolina 34
---
Tennessee Titans vs. Baltimore Ravens
M&T Bank Stadium
Baltimore, Maryland
1PM
The Titans are arguably the best team in the AFC. They have the best defense, the Ravens are right there. However, the Titans can consistently move the ball offensively. QB Kerry Collins is no star, but he doesn't kill the Titans, either. RB Chris Johnson offers a change of pace from LenDale White. The Titans are LEGIT on both sides of the ball.
The Ravens feature their stalwart defense, which is perennially in the Top 5 in the NFL and usually first or second in the AFC since 2000. This year is no different. What they DO have, finally, is a playmaker at QB. Too bad he cannot do it for four quarters. Joe Flacco looked pretty good against the Steelers in the first half Monday. However, in the second half, he could not evade the pressure nor the subsequent mistakes they forced him into. RB Willis McGahee will need to gain 100 yards. Given that he is horribly out of shape, and the Titans' defense being what it is, I do NOT see that happening, nor do I see the Ravens winning. Coming off a short week does not help, either.
Call:
Tennessee 24
Baltimore 13
---
Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans
Reliant Stadium
Houston, Texas
1PM
The Texans begin a four-game homestand. This should improve their play and their record. I think the Colts, coming off their bye week, will play better -- however, the Texans will, also. I am picking an upset here, and with no real justification why LOL
Call:
Indianapolis 27
Houston 28
---
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Denver Broncos
Invesco Field at Mile High
Denver, Colorado
4:05PM
Call me crazy, but I said what I said about Denver before the season began for a reason. I believe they are closer to the way they played last week vs. KC than they appeared vs. SD. And yes, I know I have flip-flopped on them more than a presidential candidate, but I am just not convinced. With a defense that would make Jim Mora go into one of his legendary rants, how CAN you be?
Tampa Bay has been playing with the house's money of late. Brian Griese has hoisted over 100 passes the past two games and thrown many passes up for grabs, resulting in several INTs, however, they manage to win. I think they will do it again. Quietly, Earnest Graham, who I have viewed as overrated since he (somehow) gained 100 yds against my Florida State Seminoles back in college several years ago, keeps getting it done. He's had 100 yds these past two games, also, not surprisingly. The Broncos cannot stop the run nor get to the QB. Too bad for Champ Bailey and D. Foxworth, huh?
Call:
Tampa Bay 35
Denver 31
---
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Dallas Cowboys
Texas Stadium
Irving, Texas
4:15PM
Dallas will either come out like gangbusters and put the Bengals away early, or this will be a carryover from last week's loss to Washington. If QB Carson Palmer cannot go for the Bengals (game-time decision?), then everything I am about to say is irrelevant.
WR Ocho Cinco pledged to have a breakout game vs. Dallas. You know what? He CAN do it. The Dallas defense is strong up front, but their secondary is full of holes, despite high draft picks and free agent acquisitions. CB Terrence Newman looks like he is scared to touch anyone, S Roy Williams looks 38, not 28 back there. Ironically, their only real playmaker is CB Adam Don't-Call-Me-Pacman-Anymore Jones. He has no INTs yet.
QB Tony Romo should have a pretty easy day against one of the league's worst defenses. However, the Bengals played well versus the Giants in Week 3, and the Giants have one of the NFL's best offensive lines. Could be interesting in Texas!
Call:
Cincinnati 31
Dallas 37
---
Buffalo Bills vs. Arizona Cardinals
University of Phoenix Stadium
Glendale, Arizona
4:15PM
The Cards are coming off two tough losses, but they've both been on the road. They play infinitely better at home. We will see if the Bills travel well, but I do not believe they will -- not in this case, even though the Cards will be missing WR Anquan Boldin, who is recovering from a cheap shot from one of the Jets' sucker defensive backs. They still have plenty of firepower.
However, if Kurt Warner coughs up the ball as he did vs. the Jets (56 pts to a below-average team???) then all bets are off.
Call:
Buffalo 24
Arizona 28
---
New England Patriots vs. San Francisco 49ers
Candlestick Park
San Francisco, California
4:15PM
These two teams are evenly matched, now that Tom Brady is injured. Scoff if you will, but the Pats aren't intimidating anymore with that aging defense. The 49ers were able to run the ball well against better defenses (Seattle) and should be able to do the same vs. NE.
However, this team goes, ultimately, as J.T. O'Sullivan goes. Imagine that. J.T. O'Sullivan???
Call:
New England 13
San Francisco 17
---
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Stadium
Jacksonville, Florida
8:15PM
There is one thing certain about this game. I AM SICK AND TIRED OF SEEING THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS IN PRIMETIME. Why are they featured more than the teams that were in the Super Bowl? I hate watching them play when healthy, and they are missing several key players (RB Willie Parker, T Kendall Simmons, rookie RB Rashard Mendenhall) and others are nicked up (QB Ben Roethlisberger), along with the obvious hole that Alan Faneca left on the offensive line. Without those players, the Steelers look verrrrrrrrry average on offense. The glaring lack of real playmakers (Santonio Holmes is a deep threat ONLY right now, and without time, Roethlisberg won't be able to get the ball to him) and Hines Ward, who I hate -- always have -- will play a bigger role. However, without the deep threat, and no running game, the Steelers are in trouble.
The Jagwires aren't playing great, as Dave Garrard has already thrown as many INTs (3) as he did all of last year. I think they will win this game solely on the strength of their running game with Fred Taylor, Greg Jones and Maurice Jones-Drew.
Call:
Pittsburgh 17
Jacksonville 30
---
Minnesota Vikings vs. New Orleans Saints
Louisiana Superdome
New Orleans, Louisiana
8:30PM (Monday Night Football)
No one knows what the Vikings' plan is. Not even head coach Brad Childress. Their puzzling change at QB will not help things, since Gus Frerotte is no better than Tavaris Jackson at this point. Face it, this team goes as Adrian Peterson goes. If he can run freely for more than 5 yards per carry, they win, if not, the QB has to do too much, and without any WRs worth mentioning, that is asking ALOT.
The Vikings' defense is still strong with the Williams DTs, but outside of that and CB Antoine Winfield, there aren't many playmakers out there. LB EJ Henderson is a beast, but he will have his hands full having to keep up with Reggie Bush in space. I think the Saints will pull this out, but it will be close.
Call:
Minnesota 17
New Orleans 21
---
Summary coming on Tuesday.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Thoughts On The Bailout...
Thoughts On The Bailout...
Michael D. Wright
9.30.08
Let me get this straight, we're going to foot the bill for overzealous (greedy/parasitic) lenders who bit off more than they could chew? We are going to pay TWICE for their mistakes? Those of us who have debt, we're already paying them, and now we're paying them AGAIN if/whenever they pass this economic bailout bill into law? I don't see the sense in that, as if it truly is the thing that buoys the U.S. economy.
When I was little, in the 1980s, I remember getting lines of credit or a regular credit card being something that only White people and others who had substantial income (and in essence, did not really NEED credit) could attain.
Slowly, but surely, once Bill Clinton took office as President, and thereafter, much more quickly and willingly, creditors gave out credit cards, lines of credit, and mortgage financing (sometimes up to three times the amount of the value of the house the people were buying) until your neighbor's DOG could have $100,000 of credit with little or no concern for how much income you had or your level of risk, when it came time to repay the loaned funds.
That is not to say that consumers are by no means responsible for the way they have and currently do use credit, it just reflects how greedy the lenders were.
I said to myself in February 2006, when the new credit guidelines took effect (depending on the balance owed on your accounts, you would have to pay 3% or another prescribed amount per month in the form of a minimum payment; not considering interest) that a LOT of people who were living on the edge -- living paycheck to paycheck... maxing out credit cards just to get by... people you see eating out every night and going on exquisite trips and going to ball games, all of which more than exceeded their liquid assets -- all of which made me wonder -- WHEN IS THIS ALL GOING TO COME HOME TO ROOST?
Well, it took two years. I am only surprised it didn't occur sooner. These people you see taking trips, going to professional sports games -- games that cost the amount of most people's mortgage payments -- PER PERSON!!! are living off CREDIT!
On a personal note, I was debt-free. COMPLETELY debt-free in May of 2003. That same month, I went in for emergency surgery for a wisdom tooth and another extraction. Because I had spent the prior fifteen months getting out of debt, my on-hand funds were depleted. I had to resort to a loan in order to pay the orthodontist fees, which were nearly $1,000. I was still in good shape, though. I decided to add another arm to my business ventures and began doing consulting; which necessitated I had a laptop computer, as I was traveling even more than ever. OK, still no problem. Then, my Mazda 626 did what 90% of all 626s had done -- the transmission went bad for the second time. Instead of expending so much time and money to get it repaired, I went to the Nissan people, where I had a connection and got a pretty good deal on a brand new Nissan 350Z ('04 model, freshly shipped in from 150 miles away with my own requested package). This was September 2003. That New York mindset (especially Harlem) was still there, unfortunately. Always flashy over frugality. I thought I had shaken off the desire to be fly when I left New York in 1998. Not so. The minute I was tempted and had the ability to go back to it, I did.
My credit score was right around 800, which guaranteed that I could sign and drive that $34,000 car off the lot that night. I did so, non-chalantly, but in the back of my mind and at the bottom of my heart, I know I was making a bad decision that would affect my financial situation negatively in the long-term. I was making very good money at the time, and as long as I continued in that sector, I would be fine financially. However, long-term I knew I would either be like the people I mentioned earlier, or worse yet, LOSE IT ALL.
So instead of being debt free as I was just four months earlier in May, I now had nearly $40,000 in debt. My credit cards were barely being used until the general problem that occurred with that model of the 350Z (tires wearing in prematurely... Z-rated tires at that -- some of the most expensive tires out there, FYI) began to manifest. I went through five sets of tires within eighteen months. It was ridiculous. Add to that, the flashy attire crept back into the picture, as I had gone "all in" again with my spending habits.
Yet still, I was not in a bad situation. By the summer of 2004, I was disenchanted with my job. I was 25 and was NOT trying to be a lifer at Aetna, like many of my colleagues had become (many of whom had Masters, Doctorates and a few Ph.Ds were mixed in as well). I began praying for the Lord to bring to my remembrance the things that I was most passionate about and what steps I needed to take in order to take advantage of those gifts in a professional nature. I started my first business at age 18 in December 1997, but I got away from it once I began working at Aetna and making a comfortable salary.
I had a long and contentious relationship with my first college, Long Island University (Brooklyn Campus), and because I left the school in somewhat of a rush (a separate blog entry altogether), some paperwork was improperly processed at LIU, leaving me to repay nearly $10,000 in fees to the school before I could return to college ANYWHERE.
One reality that makes this reflection extra painful is the fact that St. John's University out in Queens was actively recruiting me to return to New York City and I would have had a full ride. FREE. This was 2003, while I was in the midst of car-buying. It was a tough decision to make. I was involved in real estate and looking to buy my first house for myself. The ONLY reason I did not go to St. John's was the fact that they did not offer campus housing; and everyone from New York knows that rent is ridiculous. As a full-time student, that was out of the question. However, looking back, and given that I am basically in that same position again next summer when I return to New York for graduate school, I wonder why I allowed such a thing to prevent me from moving forward. These past five years would not have been such a colossal and depressing tragedy had I gone back.
I had applied to Seton Hall University, which was five minutes from my then-home, Newark, New Jersey. I got in, but would have had to incur even more debt to pay for it. So I passed on that. Besides, as a New York resident, I could only get a reduction in tuition at a New York school. Given that I already knew that the City University system was a sick joke, I did not even apply there.
So later, I came back to North Carolina and applied to UNC-Chapel Hill (denied), UNC Charlotte (accepted, pending the transcripts that were being withheld until I repaid the aforementioned $10,000 to LIU -- so I could not go), NC A&T (accepted, no questions asked -- but I only applied to see if I COULD get in, never once in my life had I any desire to attend that school. No offense to A&T students and alumni). I applied to UNC Greensboro, which accepted me pending the transcripts. I swallowed the pill and paid the thousands of dollars to get my transcripts. That put me in even MORE debt. Then, because my financial aid was not processed in time, I could not attend in the Fall of 2004, as I desired. Because I was now an adult/independent student, even though I had a 3.5 GPA, I received nothing but loans from school. MORE DEBT.
I had plenty of haters who dinged up, keyed up, egged up my car the four years I had it. (Some of my friends remember how homicidal I was the night the kids from the neighborhood repeatedly egged my car. I had the gun in the glove compartment and sat in the car in the dark waiting for them to do it again -- thank God, for their sakes, they did not). That only made the situation worse. Then, as I began my first semeseter at UNCG, I ran into conflict with my supervisor at work, who already had it in for me and was just looking for a reason to fire me. She had nothing on me, but she COULD make it impossible for me to go to school and continue working there -- which she, of course, did with such glee. I was one of the best claims analysts in our division, they did not want me to leave, but at the same time, my boss did. Instead of waiting for her to set another trap, I threw myself into yet another business endeavor and gave the boss the universal "screw you" sign with my arms and left abruptly.
OK, now I have no income, several maxed out credit cards (due to the tires on the car, which were $1,500 every time I had to buy them), no job, and a car which used 93 octane gas, high insurance, because it was a sports car and no means to really do much financially, since everything was predicated upon my income. I had several thousand dollars saved up, well over $10,000, actually. But bills, business-starting costs and school-related expenses ate that up within a year and a half. Now I'm having to put the new business on the back burner and find work. Later, I had to sell the car. The whole situation would have been avoided, except...
THE NEW LAW THAT WAS PASSED, ALLOWING CREDIT CARD COMPANIES TO CHARGE THE GREATER OF 3% AND THE ASCRIBED MINIMUM PAYMENT. In short, if your minimum balance was $200/mo. in December 2005, it TRIPLED after that law took effect. It is easy to see why I, and many people who I know, ended up in financial ruin.
Keep this in mind as this $777B bill is being haggled over. If/when they pass it, there are going to be EVEN MORE people who went through what I've been through in the past five years. All the foreclosures, downsizing, having to sell cars, homes, businesses to stay afloat -- we have not seen ANYTHING YET. Do not get into credit card debt. PERIOD.
Michael D. Wright
9.30.08
Let me get this straight, we're going to foot the bill for overzealous (greedy/parasitic) lenders who bit off more than they could chew? We are going to pay TWICE for their mistakes? Those of us who have debt, we're already paying them, and now we're paying them AGAIN if/whenever they pass this economic bailout bill into law? I don't see the sense in that, as if it truly is the thing that buoys the U.S. economy.
When I was little, in the 1980s, I remember getting lines of credit or a regular credit card being something that only White people and others who had substantial income (and in essence, did not really NEED credit) could attain.
Slowly, but surely, once Bill Clinton took office as President, and thereafter, much more quickly and willingly, creditors gave out credit cards, lines of credit, and mortgage financing (sometimes up to three times the amount of the value of the house the people were buying) until your neighbor's DOG could have $100,000 of credit with little or no concern for how much income you had or your level of risk, when it came time to repay the loaned funds.
That is not to say that consumers are by no means responsible for the way they have and currently do use credit, it just reflects how greedy the lenders were.
I said to myself in February 2006, when the new credit guidelines took effect (depending on the balance owed on your accounts, you would have to pay 3% or another prescribed amount per month in the form of a minimum payment; not considering interest) that a LOT of people who were living on the edge -- living paycheck to paycheck... maxing out credit cards just to get by... people you see eating out every night and going on exquisite trips and going to ball games, all of which more than exceeded their liquid assets -- all of which made me wonder -- WHEN IS THIS ALL GOING TO COME HOME TO ROOST?
Well, it took two years. I am only surprised it didn't occur sooner. These people you see taking trips, going to professional sports games -- games that cost the amount of most people's mortgage payments -- PER PERSON!!! are living off CREDIT!
On a personal note, I was debt-free. COMPLETELY debt-free in May of 2003. That same month, I went in for emergency surgery for a wisdom tooth and another extraction. Because I had spent the prior fifteen months getting out of debt, my on-hand funds were depleted. I had to resort to a loan in order to pay the orthodontist fees, which were nearly $1,000. I was still in good shape, though. I decided to add another arm to my business ventures and began doing consulting; which necessitated I had a laptop computer, as I was traveling even more than ever. OK, still no problem. Then, my Mazda 626 did what 90% of all 626s had done -- the transmission went bad for the second time. Instead of expending so much time and money to get it repaired, I went to the Nissan people, where I had a connection and got a pretty good deal on a brand new Nissan 350Z ('04 model, freshly shipped in from 150 miles away with my own requested package). This was September 2003. That New York mindset (especially Harlem) was still there, unfortunately. Always flashy over frugality. I thought I had shaken off the desire to be fly when I left New York in 1998. Not so. The minute I was tempted and had the ability to go back to it, I did.
My credit score was right around 800, which guaranteed that I could sign and drive that $34,000 car off the lot that night. I did so, non-chalantly, but in the back of my mind and at the bottom of my heart, I know I was making a bad decision that would affect my financial situation negatively in the long-term. I was making very good money at the time, and as long as I continued in that sector, I would be fine financially. However, long-term I knew I would either be like the people I mentioned earlier, or worse yet, LOSE IT ALL.
So instead of being debt free as I was just four months earlier in May, I now had nearly $40,000 in debt. My credit cards were barely being used until the general problem that occurred with that model of the 350Z (tires wearing in prematurely... Z-rated tires at that -- some of the most expensive tires out there, FYI) began to manifest. I went through five sets of tires within eighteen months. It was ridiculous. Add to that, the flashy attire crept back into the picture, as I had gone "all in" again with my spending habits.
Yet still, I was not in a bad situation. By the summer of 2004, I was disenchanted with my job. I was 25 and was NOT trying to be a lifer at Aetna, like many of my colleagues had become (many of whom had Masters, Doctorates and a few Ph.Ds were mixed in as well). I began praying for the Lord to bring to my remembrance the things that I was most passionate about and what steps I needed to take in order to take advantage of those gifts in a professional nature. I started my first business at age 18 in December 1997, but I got away from it once I began working at Aetna and making a comfortable salary.
I had a long and contentious relationship with my first college, Long Island University (Brooklyn Campus), and because I left the school in somewhat of a rush (a separate blog entry altogether), some paperwork was improperly processed at LIU, leaving me to repay nearly $10,000 in fees to the school before I could return to college ANYWHERE.
One reality that makes this reflection extra painful is the fact that St. John's University out in Queens was actively recruiting me to return to New York City and I would have had a full ride. FREE. This was 2003, while I was in the midst of car-buying. It was a tough decision to make. I was involved in real estate and looking to buy my first house for myself. The ONLY reason I did not go to St. John's was the fact that they did not offer campus housing; and everyone from New York knows that rent is ridiculous. As a full-time student, that was out of the question. However, looking back, and given that I am basically in that same position again next summer when I return to New York for graduate school, I wonder why I allowed such a thing to prevent me from moving forward. These past five years would not have been such a colossal and depressing tragedy had I gone back.
I had applied to Seton Hall University, which was five minutes from my then-home, Newark, New Jersey. I got in, but would have had to incur even more debt to pay for it. So I passed on that. Besides, as a New York resident, I could only get a reduction in tuition at a New York school. Given that I already knew that the City University system was a sick joke, I did not even apply there.
So later, I came back to North Carolina and applied to UNC-Chapel Hill (denied), UNC Charlotte (accepted, pending the transcripts that were being withheld until I repaid the aforementioned $10,000 to LIU -- so I could not go), NC A&T (accepted, no questions asked -- but I only applied to see if I COULD get in, never once in my life had I any desire to attend that school. No offense to A&T students and alumni). I applied to UNC Greensboro, which accepted me pending the transcripts. I swallowed the pill and paid the thousands of dollars to get my transcripts. That put me in even MORE debt. Then, because my financial aid was not processed in time, I could not attend in the Fall of 2004, as I desired. Because I was now an adult/independent student, even though I had a 3.5 GPA, I received nothing but loans from school. MORE DEBT.
I had plenty of haters who dinged up, keyed up, egged up my car the four years I had it. (Some of my friends remember how homicidal I was the night the kids from the neighborhood repeatedly egged my car. I had the gun in the glove compartment and sat in the car in the dark waiting for them to do it again -- thank God, for their sakes, they did not). That only made the situation worse. Then, as I began my first semeseter at UNCG, I ran into conflict with my supervisor at work, who already had it in for me and was just looking for a reason to fire me. She had nothing on me, but she COULD make it impossible for me to go to school and continue working there -- which she, of course, did with such glee. I was one of the best claims analysts in our division, they did not want me to leave, but at the same time, my boss did. Instead of waiting for her to set another trap, I threw myself into yet another business endeavor and gave the boss the universal "screw you" sign with my arms and left abruptly.
OK, now I have no income, several maxed out credit cards (due to the tires on the car, which were $1,500 every time I had to buy them), no job, and a car which used 93 octane gas, high insurance, because it was a sports car and no means to really do much financially, since everything was predicated upon my income. I had several thousand dollars saved up, well over $10,000, actually. But bills, business-starting costs and school-related expenses ate that up within a year and a half. Now I'm having to put the new business on the back burner and find work. Later, I had to sell the car. The whole situation would have been avoided, except...
THE NEW LAW THAT WAS PASSED, ALLOWING CREDIT CARD COMPANIES TO CHARGE THE GREATER OF 3% AND THE ASCRIBED MINIMUM PAYMENT. In short, if your minimum balance was $200/mo. in December 2005, it TRIPLED after that law took effect. It is easy to see why I, and many people who I know, ended up in financial ruin.
Keep this in mind as this $777B bill is being haggled over. If/when they pass it, there are going to be EVEN MORE people who went through what I've been through in the past five years. All the foreclosures, downsizing, having to sell cars, homes, businesses to stay afloat -- we have not seen ANYTHING YET. Do not get into credit card debt. PERIOD.
Introducing... Camp's Corner
Introducing... Camp's Corner
By Kyle Campion
9.30.08
* Editor's Note:
Kyle is a New York Mets expert and an authority on all things related to Baseball, life in New York and North Carolina, the differences between a real slice of pizza and the knock-offs that are featured as "authentic New York Pizza" in other areas. He's also a BBQ connoisseur. That in an of itself earned him a spot on the Professor's blog. Check out his introductory column:
9.30.08
First off I would like to thank Mr. Wright for the opportunity to be able to contribute to this blog and with any luck I will hopefully add to the already spectacular content.
Before I say any thoughts I would like to introduce myself to you guys. I'm Kyle Campion, a 20 year old Junior at UNC-Greensboro down in North Carolina. Just like the editor and chief I was also born in Durham, NC before I moved to New York (Brooklyn and Long Island) where I spent the majority of my childhood. Being from Long Island it's only right that I grew up a Mets fan (for those unfamiliar with New York; Long Island is unquestionably the heart of Met-land due to its proximity to Shea and it's large ex-Brooklynite population). Being a Mets fan I am obviously in a state of sadness and anger and thus I am writing this to all the haters out there bashing on my Amazins...
Here are my thoughts on the following teams and their fan-bases:
Braves: It's funny you'd think I would have more hatred for this team than any other but I truly don't because it's hard to hate a fan base that you don't take seriously. Having been to Atlanta a few times to see the Mets, I don't think I can imagine a more pathetic fan-base. Only Atlanta can claim to be the team of an entire region yet not even sell out a playoff game! That's a sick joke if you ask me. Mostly the fan base consists of UGA students with little knowledge of the game and a few rednecks who openly spew hatred on New Yorkers who usually claim a good 20% of the seats at Turner. The only positive attribute is that the females at Turner are the CREAM OF THE CROP Southern Belle types who have just enough spunk and baseball knowledge to make any New Yorker try the tomahawk chop at least once.
Florida: While I'm not sure they even have fans I will say this much about their team...they need to get their priorities in order. While I understand that it's annoying that your home games turn into away games when the Mets are in town but that doesn't mean your entire season should revolve around trying to "spoil" the Mets season (trust me the opposing team doesn't matter, the Mets would choke if they were playing the Toms River, NJ Little League team). They're team is kind of like that kid in your group of friends who can only beat one person in Madden but constantly loses to everyone else...yet he only cares about beating that one kid...really cool guys...enjoy playing in Pro-Player in front of less people than your average HS football game.
Phillies: This is an interesting bunch of people. They will openly rip on the Mets for being too "flashy" yet their roster consists of Shane Victorino, Ryan "stare at my home runs" Howard and freakin' Jimmy Rollins... hmm. They're also quick to label New York fans as being irrational, trash and obnoxious...almost as quick as they throw batteries at their own players (for the record: John Rocker was asking for it and got what he deserved). Outside of this they are actually quite similar to Mets fans except they have seen even less success than we have.
Yankees: Although not all follow the stereotype, most Yankee fans, specifically the bandwagon variety are obnoxious, rude, and quite honestly just plain aggravating. Outside of that there are many good true-blue Yankee fans who know their stuff and are actually very friendly to fellow New York fans even if they root for royal blue instead of the dark navy they rock in the Bronx.
Red Sox: Up until about 5 years ago I considered myself to be a Met-sox fan which is a rare breed of fans who hate the Yankees as much as they love their own team. But after the two championships the fan base has just gotten out of hand. Suddenly "B" hats and championship t-shirts have been as prevalent as the fake swagger that permeates throughout the UNCG male student body...it's THAT bad. Just like the Yankees the average Sox fan knows his stuff and is fiercely loyal and for that I give him props and well deserved respect. But just like any fan base they need to know their limits, and quite frankly 2 championships over a 90+ year span is (the same as my Mets I may add) is certainly not enough to justify the same elitist attitude the Patriots adopted until Justin Tuck and the Giants defense beat it outta them (pause).
Final thoughts: I know I sound biased but there's no question in my mind that the North East is EASILY the best region for baseball. In my opinion the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Cubs and White Sox (in no particular order) are the five best fan bases in baseball. I can't add Philly in there because we constantly invade their stadium and it's hard to ever add California teams into the mix when their fans are way too "cowabunga dudeeee" for my taste.
Monday, September 29, 2008
NFL Week 5: Power Rankings
NFL Week 5: Power Rankings
By Michael D. Wright
9.29.08
I hate ESPN's Power Rankings, because you can see their bent toward (and conversely AGAINST) certain teams. Mine is less biased and based upon reality, the way all facets of each team plays and the overall impression each team leaves on me -- regardless of fandom and rivalries. I figure the Week 4 mark is 1/4 of the season and the first true barometer of where teams stand. I will probably do this bi-weekly, depending on how drastically things shift in the league. If not, it will remain quarterly (Week 8, 12, 16/17, etc.)
1. New York Giants
2. Tennessee Titans
3. Carolina Panthers
4. Buffalo Bills
5. Dallas Cowboys
6. Washington Redskins
7. San Diego Chargers
8. Baltimore Ravens
9. Philadelphia Eagles
10. Jacksonville Jaguars
11. Chicago Bears
12. Denver Broncos
13. Pittsburgh Steelers
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
15. New England Patriots
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Green Bay Packers
18. New York Jets
19. New Orleans Saints
20. San Francisco 49ers
21. Atlanta Falcons
22. Indianapolis Colts
23. Minnesota Vikings
24. Seattle Seahawks
25. Cleveland Browns
26. Houston Texans
27. Detroit Lions
28. Oakland Raiders
29. Kansas City Chiefs
30. Miami Dolphins
31. Cincinnati Bengals
32. St. Louis Rams
Here are ESPN's Power Rankings
9.30.08
* Previous Week's Ranking in ( )
1 (2) Giants 3-0-0 Took the NFC East lead without getting off the couch. With the Seahawks coming in, Giants are staring at 4-0. (MM)
2 (4) Titans 4-0-0 Hard to find fault with the franchise's first 4-0 start. But you have to take note that the teams they've beaten are 3-12 combined. The Titans are the only team that has played three home games. (PK)
3 (1) Cowboys 3-1-0 We'll see if the loss to the Redskins is a wake-up call. The good news is Cincinnati, Arizona and St. Louis are next. (MM)
4 (6) Bills 4-0-0 The Bills have overcome three straight fourth-quarter deficits to remain undefeated. Their opponents have a combined record of 4-11, but the Bills have been sensational when it matters most. (TG)
5 (5) Steelers 3-1-0 The Steelers got back on track with a big win against Baltimore to solidify their spot as one of the AFC's best. (JW)
6 (15) Redskins 3-1-0 Beating the Cowboys on their home turf has to count for something. Big game with Philly looms. (MM)
7 (10) Panthers 3-1-0 Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad give Panthers best receiver duo since Muhammad's departure three years ago. (PY)
8 (9) Chargers 2-2-0 The Chargers' win over Oakland wasn't pretty, but 25 points in the fourth quarter is a nice indication of what this team can do. (BW)
9 (3) Eagles 2-2-0 Deserve a little grace for playing without Brian Westbrook, L.J. Smith and Shawn Andrews. Can't afford to lose at home to the Redskins. (MM)
10 (13) Buccaneers 3-1-0 Brian Griese 3-0 since taking over as starter. (PY)
11 (7) Broncos 3-1-0 The Broncos will continue to slide down the rankings if their defense can't improve. Too much pressure is being put on the Denver offense. (BW)
12 (14) Jaguars 2-2-0 Two consecutive late-game rallies, spurred by a precise David Garrard. They've officially survived the 0-2 start and losses to Tennessee and Buffalo don't look so bad. (PK)
13 (11) Patriots 2-1-0 Eviscerating loss to Dolphins in Week 3 gave Patriots plenty to work on in their bye week. If they can't beat the 49ers on Sunday, prepare for panic to set in. (TG)
14 (17) Ravens 2-1-0 There's nothing wrong with a 2-1 start. But the Ravens missed out on a chance to make a huge statement in Monday's road loss to Pittsburgh. (JW)
15 (8) Packers 2-2-0 The Packers might have to start their backup quarterback for the first time in 16 years if Aaron Rodgers can't recover from a sprained shoulder. (KS)
16 (16) Saints 2-2-0 Deuce McAllister is back to bring much-needed balance to the offense. (PY)
17 (12) Colts 1-2-0 The Colts enjoyed a week off to help refocus and heal. But the best medicine could be the Texans, who've only beaten Indy once. (PK)
18 (20) Bears 2-2-0 The Bears hope they turned the corner in defeating
Philadelphia. One thing is for certain: They showed important versatility on offense. (KS)
19 (21) Jets 2-2-0 Brett Favre's six-touchdown day breathes new life into the Jets heading into their bye week. But defense ranks 28th on points allowed and 24th in yards allowed. (TG)
20 (18) Cardinals 2-2-0 Pass protection must improve or Kurt Warner won't last. Cards face must-win vs. Buffalo. (MS)
21 (19) Vikings 1-3-0 It doesn't get any easier this week at New Orleans on Monday Night Football. (KS)
22 (22) 49ers 2-2-0 J.T. O'Sullivan has taken 19 sacks in four games. Tough week for Niners with Pats coming off bye. (MS)
23 (23) Seahawks 1-2-0 Bye week allowed Seahawks to get healthier at receiver. Defense must step up. (MS)
24 (24) Falcons 2-2-0 Falcons beating bad teams and losing to good ones. Must keep Michael Turner running against the good ones. (PY)
25 (26) Browns 1-3-0 The Battle of Ohio wasn't pretty. But the Browns finally got a win and have the bye week to try to get better. (JW)
26 (25) Dolphins 1-2-0 Dolphins shocked the NFL with a crazy romp over the Patriots in Week 3. If the Dolphins can follow up with a win at home over the Chargers, they would rekindle long-lost hopes in South Florida. (TG)
27 (27) Texans 0-3-0 Remaining upbeat despite losing a game they should have won. Ready for a full month at home in Reliant Stadium with the roof open. (PK)
28 (29) Raiders 1-3-0 The Raiders may be a mess, but this team is playing hard. Good things will start to happen if that trend continues. (BW)
29 (31) Chiefs 1-3-0 The Chiefs deserve a lot of credit for their big win over Denver. Many pundits thought they'd go 0-16. That is no longer a worry. (BW)
30 (28) Bengals 0-4-0 This team wasn't good with Carson Palmer. Without him, it might be the worst team in the league. (JW)
31 (30) Lions 0-3-0 Matt Millen's departure doesn't make them any better. At least not this year. (KS)
32 (32) Rams 0-4-0 Rams would be wise to give Marc Bulger another shot. Trent Green's not the long-term answer. (MS)
By Michael D. Wright
9.29.08
I hate ESPN's Power Rankings, because you can see their bent toward (and conversely AGAINST) certain teams. Mine is less biased and based upon reality, the way all facets of each team plays and the overall impression each team leaves on me -- regardless of fandom and rivalries. I figure the Week 4 mark is 1/4 of the season and the first true barometer of where teams stand. I will probably do this bi-weekly, depending on how drastically things shift in the league. If not, it will remain quarterly (Week 8, 12, 16/17, etc.)
1. New York Giants
2. Tennessee Titans
3. Carolina Panthers
4. Buffalo Bills
5. Dallas Cowboys
6. Washington Redskins
7. San Diego Chargers
8. Baltimore Ravens
9. Philadelphia Eagles
10. Jacksonville Jaguars
11. Chicago Bears
12. Denver Broncos
13. Pittsburgh Steelers
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
15. New England Patriots
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Green Bay Packers
18. New York Jets
19. New Orleans Saints
20. San Francisco 49ers
21. Atlanta Falcons
22. Indianapolis Colts
23. Minnesota Vikings
24. Seattle Seahawks
25. Cleveland Browns
26. Houston Texans
27. Detroit Lions
28. Oakland Raiders
29. Kansas City Chiefs
30. Miami Dolphins
31. Cincinnati Bengals
32. St. Louis Rams
Here are ESPN's Power Rankings
9.30.08
* Previous Week's Ranking in ( )
1 (2) Giants 3-0-0 Took the NFC East lead without getting off the couch. With the Seahawks coming in, Giants are staring at 4-0. (MM)
2 (4) Titans 4-0-0 Hard to find fault with the franchise's first 4-0 start. But you have to take note that the teams they've beaten are 3-12 combined. The Titans are the only team that has played three home games. (PK)
3 (1) Cowboys 3-1-0 We'll see if the loss to the Redskins is a wake-up call. The good news is Cincinnati, Arizona and St. Louis are next. (MM)
4 (6) Bills 4-0-0 The Bills have overcome three straight fourth-quarter deficits to remain undefeated. Their opponents have a combined record of 4-11, but the Bills have been sensational when it matters most. (TG)
5 (5) Steelers 3-1-0 The Steelers got back on track with a big win against Baltimore to solidify their spot as one of the AFC's best. (JW)
6 (15) Redskins 3-1-0 Beating the Cowboys on their home turf has to count for something. Big game with Philly looms. (MM)
7 (10) Panthers 3-1-0 Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad give Panthers best receiver duo since Muhammad's departure three years ago. (PY)
8 (9) Chargers 2-2-0 The Chargers' win over Oakland wasn't pretty, but 25 points in the fourth quarter is a nice indication of what this team can do. (BW)
9 (3) Eagles 2-2-0 Deserve a little grace for playing without Brian Westbrook, L.J. Smith and Shawn Andrews. Can't afford to lose at home to the Redskins. (MM)
10 (13) Buccaneers 3-1-0 Brian Griese 3-0 since taking over as starter. (PY)
11 (7) Broncos 3-1-0 The Broncos will continue to slide down the rankings if their defense can't improve. Too much pressure is being put on the Denver offense. (BW)
12 (14) Jaguars 2-2-0 Two consecutive late-game rallies, spurred by a precise David Garrard. They've officially survived the 0-2 start and losses to Tennessee and Buffalo don't look so bad. (PK)
13 (11) Patriots 2-1-0 Eviscerating loss to Dolphins in Week 3 gave Patriots plenty to work on in their bye week. If they can't beat the 49ers on Sunday, prepare for panic to set in. (TG)
14 (17) Ravens 2-1-0 There's nothing wrong with a 2-1 start. But the Ravens missed out on a chance to make a huge statement in Monday's road loss to Pittsburgh. (JW)
15 (8) Packers 2-2-0 The Packers might have to start their backup quarterback for the first time in 16 years if Aaron Rodgers can't recover from a sprained shoulder. (KS)
16 (16) Saints 2-2-0 Deuce McAllister is back to bring much-needed balance to the offense. (PY)
17 (12) Colts 1-2-0 The Colts enjoyed a week off to help refocus and heal. But the best medicine could be the Texans, who've only beaten Indy once. (PK)
18 (20) Bears 2-2-0 The Bears hope they turned the corner in defeating
Philadelphia. One thing is for certain: They showed important versatility on offense. (KS)
19 (21) Jets 2-2-0 Brett Favre's six-touchdown day breathes new life into the Jets heading into their bye week. But defense ranks 28th on points allowed and 24th in yards allowed. (TG)
20 (18) Cardinals 2-2-0 Pass protection must improve or Kurt Warner won't last. Cards face must-win vs. Buffalo. (MS)
21 (19) Vikings 1-3-0 It doesn't get any easier this week at New Orleans on Monday Night Football. (KS)
22 (22) 49ers 2-2-0 J.T. O'Sullivan has taken 19 sacks in four games. Tough week for Niners with Pats coming off bye. (MS)
23 (23) Seahawks 1-2-0 Bye week allowed Seahawks to get healthier at receiver. Defense must step up. (MS)
24 (24) Falcons 2-2-0 Falcons beating bad teams and losing to good ones. Must keep Michael Turner running against the good ones. (PY)
25 (26) Browns 1-3-0 The Battle of Ohio wasn't pretty. But the Browns finally got a win and have the bye week to try to get better. (JW)
26 (25) Dolphins 1-2-0 Dolphins shocked the NFL with a crazy romp over the Patriots in Week 3. If the Dolphins can follow up with a win at home over the Chargers, they would rekindle long-lost hopes in South Florida. (TG)
27 (27) Texans 0-3-0 Remaining upbeat despite losing a game they should have won. Ready for a full month at home in Reliant Stadium with the roof open. (PK)
28 (29) Raiders 1-3-0 The Raiders may be a mess, but this team is playing hard. Good things will start to happen if that trend continues. (BW)
29 (31) Chiefs 1-3-0 The Chiefs deserve a lot of credit for their big win over Denver. Many pundits thought they'd go 0-16. That is no longer a worry. (BW)
30 (28) Bengals 0-4-0 This team wasn't good with Carson Palmer. Without him, it might be the worst team in the league. (JW)
31 (30) Lions 0-3-0 Matt Millen's departure doesn't make them any better. At least not this year. (KS)
32 (32) Rams 0-4-0 Rams would be wise to give Marc Bulger another shot. Trent Green's not the long-term answer. (MS)
NFL Week 4: Monday Morning Watercooler
NFL Week 4: Monday Morning Watercooler
By Michael D. Wright
9.29.08
So... how did I do with my picks in Week 4?
HORRIBLY.
Just as I have pretty much since Week 1. The NFL is more wide-open than ever, when I'm not even breaking even with my picks. Here is a rundown:
Minnesota Vikings vs. Tennessee Titans.
LP Field
Nashville, Tennessee
1 PM
I don't know what to make about the Vikings right now. They benched their starting QB (T. Jackson) and put in ol' man Gus Frerotte. Gus doesn't make many mistakes, but the problem with Minnesota is still the fact they don't stretch the field well enough with their WRs. Their defense is very good up front, but when the defensive line does not get pressure on the QB, the secondary looks average at best. They call Adrian Peterson A.D. because he can run... well... ALL DAY. With Chester Taylor spelling him whenever Peterson needs a breather, the Vikings are tough on the ground.
The Titans have Kerry Collins in for Vince Young at QB. Collins is to Frerotte as Young is to Jackson. Collins doesn't try to do too much (at least until he feels like he's the starter, then he reverts to the dumb nonsense he did while QB of the Giants). Like Minnesota, the Titans can run the ball all day. Their defense is tough up front like Minnesota's. This is a pick 'em game, and I'm going to go with the team that has been most consistent this far.
Call:
Minnesota 23
Tennessee 27
Actual:
Minnesota 17
Tennessee 30
OK, I figured the Titans' defense alone would be enough to stop Minnesota. While A.D. did his thing on the ground against the top-ranked Titans defense, they don't have a competent QB in their stead and that killed them. I got the call right, but the margin of victory... yeah, next!
---
Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs.
Arrowhead Stadium
Kansas City, Missouri
1 PM
The Chiefs are abysmal. Every week I wonder how Herm Edwards still has a job. Then I remember, the GM, Carl Peterson is one of his lifetime buddies. I get it now. Both teams are awful on defense, and you would think this would be one of those Pinball games, where the last team with the ball wins 51-48 or something, except the Chiefs don't have that kind of offense.
Denver is for real. I totally got it wrong with them in the preseason. They might rack up historic numbers on KC this weekend. Poor Herm.
Call:
Denver 48
Kansas City 10
Actual:
Denver 19
Kansas City 33
Just when I take a sip of Jim Jones'... *ehem*... Mike Shanahan's grape Flavor-Aid, they come out and lay this egg against arguably the second-worst team in the NFL. I don't get it. I'm not going to dwell on this. Here's to Denver fulfilling my ORIGINAL prediction about their season. I feel very strongly about this.
---
San Francisco 49ers vs. New Orleans Saints.
Louisiana Superdome
New Orleans, Louisiana
1 PM
The 49ers are game. I thought they would be like fishkill this season, but not the case. They Play. To Win. The. Game! The Saints are smarting right now (to steal a line from Hubie Brown). They're smarting. Missing Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey for about six weeks will hurt the Saints' offense. Reggie Bush is good in space, so Pat Willis and Co. will have their hands full. The 49ers' secondary is terrible outside of Nate Clements, but they won't be tested too often in this game. Brees will stick to underneath passes and patterns in the flat. I think Frank Gore has one of his annual "he's going to win the rushing title... watch!" games.
Call:
San Francisco 21
New Orleans 17
Actual:
San Francisco 17
New Orleans 31
Same thing here. I figured the Saints would be missing too many weapons on their offense to overpower the 49ers. Along with a porous defense, it is easy to see why I picked San Francisco. Rule #432 in calling games -- NEVER bet on a Mike Nolan-led team to win any game.
---
Arizona Cardinals vs. New York Jets.
The New Jersey Meadowlands
East Rutherford, New Jersey
1 PM
Anyone who thinks the Cardinals are not for real, let me tell you: THEY ARE LEGIT. Their offense can score with the best of them, and as I've said every week, their defense is very good. They just do not get much publicity because they play out west and don't get National TV exposure due to their annual ritual of not making the playoffs.
Benching Matt Leinart was the best thing the Cards could have done. Edgerrin James does his thing. Anquan Boldin (FROM?!?!?!) and Larry Fitzgerald form arguably the best WR tandem in the NFL. Both could catch 100 passes and well over 1,000 yards and possibly 10 TDs apiece if Kurt Warner stays healthy. The defense has players at each level who make plays every week. DE Bert Berry will not play Sunday, however. Brett Favre should thank God.
I think the Jets are a middle of the road team. Now that the New York media has gotten over the honeymoon with Favre, they know what football people already know: Brett Favre is AVERAGE. Their receivers, while being guys who I like (pause) are not game breakers. The Jets spent tons of money on both sides of the ball to improve and as of right now, they have not seen a return on their investment. I think the Jets will spend the entire game on their heels on both sides of the ball.
Call:
Arizona 38
NY Jets 21
Actual:
Arizona 35
NY Jets 56
Something crazy always happens when I am traveling while the games are on Sundays. Week 1, the Chargers lose to the Panthers on a Mike Patrick Special on the last play of the game (aka when he welps, "ARE YOU BELIEVING THIS?!?!?!" during a Duke/UNC basketball game and a player makes a great play). This week, an overrated Brett Favre and overtalked-about Jets team, both average at best, lay 56 on a very good defense! Kurt Warner just proved again why the Rams and Giants tired of him and his act. He can put up numbers like a pinball machine, but then every 3-4 games he'll do what he did against the Jets -- throw 3 INTs, fumble the ball 4 times and get sacked 5 times at that. The Cards' defense isn't as bad as the 56 points may indicate, as the Jets were working with a short field following Warner's FIVE turnovers -- including a couple of them going in for quick scores on the turnover. Ridiculous. Your kneejerk reaction would be to bench him, but then you remember another overrated USC bum named Matt Leinart is sitting there. So you stick with Warner and hope he plays as he did in Weeks 1 and 2.
---
Green Bay Packers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Raymond James Stadium
Tampa, Florida
1 PM
The Old "Bay of Pigs" rivalry (as Chris Berman calls it). It has lost its luster as guys like Warren Sapp, Brett Favre, Antonio Freeman are gone. However, the Bucs still have Derrick Brooks and Warrick Dunn is back after spending the past six seasons in Atlanta. The Bucs' defense is solid and keeps them in most games. No one knows who the Bucs' QB is from game to game, but Earnest Graham and Dunn get enough done on the ground to make defenses play them honest.
The Packers looked shellshocked against the Cowboys on Monday. No shame in that. I do notsee there being a carryover effect, though. Rodgers is the real deal. The question will be can the Packers control the ball long enough to outscore Tampa Bay? The Bucs typically eat up a lot of clock and their defense still gets it done even without all the big name stars they once had. Ronde Barber makes plays and so do Jermaine Phillips and Brian Kelly. I like the Bucs in this one.
Call:
Green Bay 27
Tampa Bay 30
Actual:
Green Bay 21
Tampa Bay 30
The outcome of this game was pretty much what I expected. Of course no one can predict what will happen during the course of the game to make it all come to pass as such, but I figured the Bucs to put up 30 and for them to shut down the Packers' running game (Grant didn't break 50 yards) and force A. Rodgers to win the game. Try as he might, Rodgers did not. So the Pack did not win. Simple as that.
---
Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers.
Bank of America Stadium
Charlotte, North Carolina
1 PM
The Falcons are surprisingly 2-1. The Panthers are, also. However, I expected the Panthers to be good (I have them winning the NFC South). I thought the Falcons would royally suck for the remainder of this decade and into the next. Matt Ryan's playing some decent ball at QB, and his big play to WR Roddy White last week got me a few fantasy league points LOL
DE John Abraham is still the same guy who always gets 10+ sacks and he will get after Garcia (should Garcia start). Keith Brooking is the QB of the defense and keeps them under control. I figured the loss of DeAngelo Hall would hurt them dearly. Not so (thus far). I like the dimension that RB Michael Turner brings to the Falcons. He makes teams play the Falcons honest, so they cannot just tee off on Ryan, thereby preserving Ryan and lengthening his learning curve.
The Panthers look poised to go on a winning streak. QB Jake Delhomme looked rattled at times versus the Bears, but that is to be expected. WR Steve Smith is back in the fold, and with Muhsin Muhammad on the other side, the Panthers look like the team that went to the Super Bowl after the 2003 season. Their offense is intact with two very good running backs. The aforementioned wide receivers are very good, and the defense is healthy. That has been the key for the Panthers the past four years - the relative health of their players, especially on defense. I like the Black Cats in this one.
Call:
Atlanta 24
Carolina 34
Actual:
Atlanta 9
Carolina 24
I gave the Fulcons (as the guy doing the game likes to call them) too much credit. I know the Panthers are too good to lose to this team comprised of rookies, aging vets and castoffs who couldn't cut it on already-bad teams. The Panthers are the second best team in the NFC behind the Giants.
---
Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jacksonville Stadium
Jacksonville, Florida
1 PM
The Texans are not as bad as they have looked in their two games. Their Week 3 game versus Baltimore might have been a better barometer of how good they are, but it was rained out due to Hurricane Ike. The Jaguars look like the average team that they are. Allowing DT Marcus Stroud to go to Buffalo in free agency was borderline lunacy. But hey, I'm not their capologist.
I think Andre Johnson lined up against Rasean Mathis is palpable TV. Mathis might get an INT, but I think Johnson will have about 8-10 catches for over 100 yards in this game.
The problem the Texans have is stopping the run. The Jaguars run the ball very well with Fred Taylor, Maurice Jones-Drew (questionable) and Greg Jones. Should be a close, low-scoring game. I think the Texans notch their first win.
Call:
Houston 19
Jacksonville 14
Actual:
Houston 27
Jacksonville 30
You just never know, huh? I thought the Texans were going to turn the corner this year with their guys healthy. I guess not. The Jaguars still aren't that good in my mind. David Garrard did not turn the ball over on INTs. That was the only difference between this game and the last two Jacksonville games.
---
Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals.
Paul Brown Stadium
Cincinnati, Ohio
1 PM
Everytime these teams play, it is high scoring. They gave us a 51-45 last year and the game before that was high scoring as well. Both teams are a disgrace defensively, especially when stopping the run (although the Bengals did a surprisingly good job versus the Giants in Week 3). I see another shootout. Neither team has changed personnel or philosophy since last year. And I see Cleveland pulling it out because the Bengals just aren't good at all; which is a shame, with Carson Palmer, Chad Ocho Cinco and T.J. Houshmandzadeh on offense.
Call:
Cleveland 48
Cincinnati 44
Actual:
Cleveland 20
Cincinnati 12
The high score was the only that could have made this game interesting. They couldn't even manage this. Both these teams are even worse than I originally thought. I had Cleveland winning the division, which won't happen. I had the Bengals winning six games, which won't happen either.
---
San Diego (Super) Chargers vs. Oakland Raiders.
McAfee Coliseum
Oakland, California
4:05 PM
The Chargers got untracked last week versus the Jets on Monday Night Football. I hope my eyes aren't deceiving me, but all those carries (approaching 2,500) are catching up with LaDainian Tomlinson. I know he has a toe injury, but he still looks as if he lost a step. I hope not. The Chargers can score with anyone, though. The defense is better than people think, but they have given up a ton of yards and points early.
I don't see the Raiders giving much of a fight. JaMarcus Russell will be glad to get in the whirlpool Monday after he gets sacked a half dozen times.
Call:
San Diego 41
Oakland 16
Actual:
San Diego 28
Oakland 18
I don't know why the Chargers even struggled with these losers for over a half. But a win's a win. Tomlinson finally got 100 yards for the first time this season. Philip Rivers shook off a couple of early INTs and played well in the second half. The Chargers' slow start is the only thing that preventing this game from turning out exactly the way I called it.
---
Buffalo Bills vs. St. Louis Rams.
The Edward Jones Dome
St. Louis, Missouri
4:05 PM
So the Rams switched QBs from Marc Bulger to Trent Green. *sigh*. This reeks of desperation on the part of head coach Scott Linehan. He might be gone before the end of this season if the Rams keep playing like this. They are the absolute worst team in the NFL -- the same NFL with the Raiders and Chiefs! Bulger isn't the problem. They just have an awful offensive line. They let WR Isaac Bruce leave. WR Torry Holt has lost a step. RB Steven Jackson cannot find holes in his turnstile of an offensive line. The defense is cavernous. They brought in a career backup and released a starter? I don't get it. The Rams don't have a plan. They look like Jimmy Carter at the end of his term in the White House in 1980-81! (History buffs know what I am referring to).
The Bills are for real. They may very well win the division. No other AFC East team is as balanced on both sides of the ball as Buffalo is. The Patrios are long in the tooth defensively. QB Matt Cassel will see more of the same pressure for the rest of the season. The Jets are middle of the road at best. The Dolphins think they are onto something because they got away with a few trick plays against a slow defense. Big deal. Watch out for the Bills.
Call:
Buffalo 47
St. Louis 21
Actual:
Buffalo 31
St. Louis 14
So they finally fired Scott Linehan in St. Louis. Now the GM and the interim coach aka the leader of the worst defense in the NFL (logic, please?) in Jim Haslett need to go before the Rams have a shot at ever being relevant again with the current set of stud (pause) players they have.
---
Washington Redskins vs. Dallas Cowboys.
Texas Stadium
Irving, Texas
4:15 PM
I suppose I gave the Redskins too much of a learning curve in Jim Zorn's version of the West Coast Offense. They matched up well with the Saints in Week 2 and last week handled the wide-open Arizona offense. That tells me something. DE Jason Taylor is out indefinitely with a potentially career/life-threatening blood clot in his leg.
The Cowboys better not enter this game with a smug demeanor. Their receivers will not run free this week like they did versus Green Bay in the second half of their Week 3 game. FS LaRon Landry will meet WR Terrell Owens in the middle of the field a time or two. However, I don't see any of the Redskins' DBs stopping Owens or Crayton.
This game will be close.
Call:
Washington 35
Dallas 34
Actual:
Washington 26
Dallas 24
See, I know what I am talking about. The game was close. I also said the Redskins would pull it out late. Enough said. No reason to gloat with my bad picks.
---
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Chicago Bears.
Soldier Field
Chicago, Illinois
8:15 PM (Sunday Night Football - NBC)
Why are the Bears on national TV so much? They are an eyesore.
Anyway, the Eagles are very good, but not better than Dallas or the NY Giants. That said, every team in the NFC East is better than the rest of the teams in the NFC except the Carolina Panthers. That may very well be the six-team lineup in the playoffs, if not for the 4 division winners automatically getting playoff bids (making the NFC North winner a waste of space, and preventing the 4th NFC East team from making the playoffs rightfully). I see Dallas and New York battling for the NFC East title, the one who doesn't get it gets the 5 seed, I see Philly making it and I see Chicago (now) winning the NFC North and the Cardinals winning the NFC West. Nonetheless, the Bears are the Smoke & Mirrors team of 2008. They are a joke offensively, but hey, they don't turn the ball over too much to the point where it kills them. Defensively, they're stout as always. They will get after Donovan F. McNabb, especially if B. Westbrook cannot play.
I can't name four guys on the Bears' offense (just kidding), but most people can't. Starting with their RB. However, this game will be close. The Iggles are too inconsistent to run away from decent-to-above average teams. The Bears are somewhere between decent and above average. Hence...
Call:
Philadelphia 25
Chicago 27
Actual:
Philadelphia 20
Chicago 24
Same thing here. Close game as predicted. Although we were basically watching The Unit while the fumble-fest was taking place in the second half of this game. I only wanted the Iggles to lose so that they, along with Dallas, would ensure that the Giants would be in first place ALONE heading into Week 5 vs. Seattle in East Rutherford.
---
By Michael D. Wright
9.29.08
So... how did I do with my picks in Week 4?
HORRIBLY.
Just as I have pretty much since Week 1. The NFL is more wide-open than ever, when I'm not even breaking even with my picks. Here is a rundown:
Minnesota Vikings vs. Tennessee Titans.
LP Field
Nashville, Tennessee
1 PM
I don't know what to make about the Vikings right now. They benched their starting QB (T. Jackson) and put in ol' man Gus Frerotte. Gus doesn't make many mistakes, but the problem with Minnesota is still the fact they don't stretch the field well enough with their WRs. Their defense is very good up front, but when the defensive line does not get pressure on the QB, the secondary looks average at best. They call Adrian Peterson A.D. because he can run... well... ALL DAY. With Chester Taylor spelling him whenever Peterson needs a breather, the Vikings are tough on the ground.
The Titans have Kerry Collins in for Vince Young at QB. Collins is to Frerotte as Young is to Jackson. Collins doesn't try to do too much (at least until he feels like he's the starter, then he reverts to the dumb nonsense he did while QB of the Giants). Like Minnesota, the Titans can run the ball all day. Their defense is tough up front like Minnesota's. This is a pick 'em game, and I'm going to go with the team that has been most consistent this far.
Call:
Minnesota 23
Tennessee 27
Actual:
Minnesota 17
Tennessee 30
OK, I figured the Titans' defense alone would be enough to stop Minnesota. While A.D. did his thing on the ground against the top-ranked Titans defense, they don't have a competent QB in their stead and that killed them. I got the call right, but the margin of victory... yeah, next!
---
Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs.
Arrowhead Stadium
Kansas City, Missouri
1 PM
The Chiefs are abysmal. Every week I wonder how Herm Edwards still has a job. Then I remember, the GM, Carl Peterson is one of his lifetime buddies. I get it now. Both teams are awful on defense, and you would think this would be one of those Pinball games, where the last team with the ball wins 51-48 or something, except the Chiefs don't have that kind of offense.
Denver is for real. I totally got it wrong with them in the preseason. They might rack up historic numbers on KC this weekend. Poor Herm.
Call:
Denver 48
Kansas City 10
Actual:
Denver 19
Kansas City 33
Just when I take a sip of Jim Jones'... *ehem*... Mike Shanahan's grape Flavor-Aid, they come out and lay this egg against arguably the second-worst team in the NFL. I don't get it. I'm not going to dwell on this. Here's to Denver fulfilling my ORIGINAL prediction about their season. I feel very strongly about this.
---
San Francisco 49ers vs. New Orleans Saints.
Louisiana Superdome
New Orleans, Louisiana
1 PM
The 49ers are game. I thought they would be like fishkill this season, but not the case. They Play. To Win. The. Game! The Saints are smarting right now (to steal a line from Hubie Brown). They're smarting. Missing Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey for about six weeks will hurt the Saints' offense. Reggie Bush is good in space, so Pat Willis and Co. will have their hands full. The 49ers' secondary is terrible outside of Nate Clements, but they won't be tested too often in this game. Brees will stick to underneath passes and patterns in the flat. I think Frank Gore has one of his annual "he's going to win the rushing title... watch!" games.
Call:
San Francisco 21
New Orleans 17
Actual:
San Francisco 17
New Orleans 31
Same thing here. I figured the Saints would be missing too many weapons on their offense to overpower the 49ers. Along with a porous defense, it is easy to see why I picked San Francisco. Rule #432 in calling games -- NEVER bet on a Mike Nolan-led team to win any game.
---
Arizona Cardinals vs. New York Jets.
The New Jersey Meadowlands
East Rutherford, New Jersey
1 PM
Anyone who thinks the Cardinals are not for real, let me tell you: THEY ARE LEGIT. Their offense can score with the best of them, and as I've said every week, their defense is very good. They just do not get much publicity because they play out west and don't get National TV exposure due to their annual ritual of not making the playoffs.
Benching Matt Leinart was the best thing the Cards could have done. Edgerrin James does his thing. Anquan Boldin (FROM?!?!?!) and Larry Fitzgerald form arguably the best WR tandem in the NFL. Both could catch 100 passes and well over 1,000 yards and possibly 10 TDs apiece if Kurt Warner stays healthy. The defense has players at each level who make plays every week. DE Bert Berry will not play Sunday, however. Brett Favre should thank God.
I think the Jets are a middle of the road team. Now that the New York media has gotten over the honeymoon with Favre, they know what football people already know: Brett Favre is AVERAGE. Their receivers, while being guys who I like (pause) are not game breakers. The Jets spent tons of money on both sides of the ball to improve and as of right now, they have not seen a return on their investment. I think the Jets will spend the entire game on their heels on both sides of the ball.
Call:
Arizona 38
NY Jets 21
Actual:
Arizona 35
NY Jets 56
Something crazy always happens when I am traveling while the games are on Sundays. Week 1, the Chargers lose to the Panthers on a Mike Patrick Special on the last play of the game (aka when he welps, "ARE YOU BELIEVING THIS?!?!?!" during a Duke/UNC basketball game and a player makes a great play). This week, an overrated Brett Favre and overtalked-about Jets team, both average at best, lay 56 on a very good defense! Kurt Warner just proved again why the Rams and Giants tired of him and his act. He can put up numbers like a pinball machine, but then every 3-4 games he'll do what he did against the Jets -- throw 3 INTs, fumble the ball 4 times and get sacked 5 times at that. The Cards' defense isn't as bad as the 56 points may indicate, as the Jets were working with a short field following Warner's FIVE turnovers -- including a couple of them going in for quick scores on the turnover. Ridiculous. Your kneejerk reaction would be to bench him, but then you remember another overrated USC bum named Matt Leinart is sitting there. So you stick with Warner and hope he plays as he did in Weeks 1 and 2.
---
Green Bay Packers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Raymond James Stadium
Tampa, Florida
1 PM
The Old "Bay of Pigs" rivalry (as Chris Berman calls it). It has lost its luster as guys like Warren Sapp, Brett Favre, Antonio Freeman are gone. However, the Bucs still have Derrick Brooks and Warrick Dunn is back after spending the past six seasons in Atlanta. The Bucs' defense is solid and keeps them in most games. No one knows who the Bucs' QB is from game to game, but Earnest Graham and Dunn get enough done on the ground to make defenses play them honest.
The Packers looked shellshocked against the Cowboys on Monday. No shame in that. I do notsee there being a carryover effect, though. Rodgers is the real deal. The question will be can the Packers control the ball long enough to outscore Tampa Bay? The Bucs typically eat up a lot of clock and their defense still gets it done even without all the big name stars they once had. Ronde Barber makes plays and so do Jermaine Phillips and Brian Kelly. I like the Bucs in this one.
Call:
Green Bay 27
Tampa Bay 30
Actual:
Green Bay 21
Tampa Bay 30
The outcome of this game was pretty much what I expected. Of course no one can predict what will happen during the course of the game to make it all come to pass as such, but I figured the Bucs to put up 30 and for them to shut down the Packers' running game (Grant didn't break 50 yards) and force A. Rodgers to win the game. Try as he might, Rodgers did not. So the Pack did not win. Simple as that.
---
Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers.
Bank of America Stadium
Charlotte, North Carolina
1 PM
The Falcons are surprisingly 2-1. The Panthers are, also. However, I expected the Panthers to be good (I have them winning the NFC South). I thought the Falcons would royally suck for the remainder of this decade and into the next. Matt Ryan's playing some decent ball at QB, and his big play to WR Roddy White last week got me a few fantasy league points LOL
DE John Abraham is still the same guy who always gets 10+ sacks and he will get after Garcia (should Garcia start). Keith Brooking is the QB of the defense and keeps them under control. I figured the loss of DeAngelo Hall would hurt them dearly. Not so (thus far). I like the dimension that RB Michael Turner brings to the Falcons. He makes teams play the Falcons honest, so they cannot just tee off on Ryan, thereby preserving Ryan and lengthening his learning curve.
The Panthers look poised to go on a winning streak. QB Jake Delhomme looked rattled at times versus the Bears, but that is to be expected. WR Steve Smith is back in the fold, and with Muhsin Muhammad on the other side, the Panthers look like the team that went to the Super Bowl after the 2003 season. Their offense is intact with two very good running backs. The aforementioned wide receivers are very good, and the defense is healthy. That has been the key for the Panthers the past four years - the relative health of their players, especially on defense. I like the Black Cats in this one.
Call:
Atlanta 24
Carolina 34
Actual:
Atlanta 9
Carolina 24
I gave the Fulcons (as the guy doing the game likes to call them) too much credit. I know the Panthers are too good to lose to this team comprised of rookies, aging vets and castoffs who couldn't cut it on already-bad teams. The Panthers are the second best team in the NFC behind the Giants.
---
Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jacksonville Stadium
Jacksonville, Florida
1 PM
The Texans are not as bad as they have looked in their two games. Their Week 3 game versus Baltimore might have been a better barometer of how good they are, but it was rained out due to Hurricane Ike. The Jaguars look like the average team that they are. Allowing DT Marcus Stroud to go to Buffalo in free agency was borderline lunacy. But hey, I'm not their capologist.
I think Andre Johnson lined up against Rasean Mathis is palpable TV. Mathis might get an INT, but I think Johnson will have about 8-10 catches for over 100 yards in this game.
The problem the Texans have is stopping the run. The Jaguars run the ball very well with Fred Taylor, Maurice Jones-Drew (questionable) and Greg Jones. Should be a close, low-scoring game. I think the Texans notch their first win.
Call:
Houston 19
Jacksonville 14
Actual:
Houston 27
Jacksonville 30
You just never know, huh? I thought the Texans were going to turn the corner this year with their guys healthy. I guess not. The Jaguars still aren't that good in my mind. David Garrard did not turn the ball over on INTs. That was the only difference between this game and the last two Jacksonville games.
---
Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals.
Paul Brown Stadium
Cincinnati, Ohio
1 PM
Everytime these teams play, it is high scoring. They gave us a 51-45 last year and the game before that was high scoring as well. Both teams are a disgrace defensively, especially when stopping the run (although the Bengals did a surprisingly good job versus the Giants in Week 3). I see another shootout. Neither team has changed personnel or philosophy since last year. And I see Cleveland pulling it out because the Bengals just aren't good at all; which is a shame, with Carson Palmer, Chad Ocho Cinco and T.J. Houshmandzadeh on offense.
Call:
Cleveland 48
Cincinnati 44
Actual:
Cleveland 20
Cincinnati 12
The high score was the only that could have made this game interesting. They couldn't even manage this. Both these teams are even worse than I originally thought. I had Cleveland winning the division, which won't happen. I had the Bengals winning six games, which won't happen either.
---
San Diego (Super) Chargers vs. Oakland Raiders.
McAfee Coliseum
Oakland, California
4:05 PM
The Chargers got untracked last week versus the Jets on Monday Night Football. I hope my eyes aren't deceiving me, but all those carries (approaching 2,500) are catching up with LaDainian Tomlinson. I know he has a toe injury, but he still looks as if he lost a step. I hope not. The Chargers can score with anyone, though. The defense is better than people think, but they have given up a ton of yards and points early.
I don't see the Raiders giving much of a fight. JaMarcus Russell will be glad to get in the whirlpool Monday after he gets sacked a half dozen times.
Call:
San Diego 41
Oakland 16
Actual:
San Diego 28
Oakland 18
I don't know why the Chargers even struggled with these losers for over a half. But a win's a win. Tomlinson finally got 100 yards for the first time this season. Philip Rivers shook off a couple of early INTs and played well in the second half. The Chargers' slow start is the only thing that preventing this game from turning out exactly the way I called it.
---
Buffalo Bills vs. St. Louis Rams.
The Edward Jones Dome
St. Louis, Missouri
4:05 PM
So the Rams switched QBs from Marc Bulger to Trent Green. *sigh*. This reeks of desperation on the part of head coach Scott Linehan. He might be gone before the end of this season if the Rams keep playing like this. They are the absolute worst team in the NFL -- the same NFL with the Raiders and Chiefs! Bulger isn't the problem. They just have an awful offensive line. They let WR Isaac Bruce leave. WR Torry Holt has lost a step. RB Steven Jackson cannot find holes in his turnstile of an offensive line. The defense is cavernous. They brought in a career backup and released a starter? I don't get it. The Rams don't have a plan. They look like Jimmy Carter at the end of his term in the White House in 1980-81! (History buffs know what I am referring to).
The Bills are for real. They may very well win the division. No other AFC East team is as balanced on both sides of the ball as Buffalo is. The Patrios are long in the tooth defensively. QB Matt Cassel will see more of the same pressure for the rest of the season. The Jets are middle of the road at best. The Dolphins think they are onto something because they got away with a few trick plays against a slow defense. Big deal. Watch out for the Bills.
Call:
Buffalo 47
St. Louis 21
Actual:
Buffalo 31
St. Louis 14
So they finally fired Scott Linehan in St. Louis. Now the GM and the interim coach aka the leader of the worst defense in the NFL (logic, please?) in Jim Haslett need to go before the Rams have a shot at ever being relevant again with the current set of stud (pause) players they have.
---
Washington Redskins vs. Dallas Cowboys.
Texas Stadium
Irving, Texas
4:15 PM
I suppose I gave the Redskins too much of a learning curve in Jim Zorn's version of the West Coast Offense. They matched up well with the Saints in Week 2 and last week handled the wide-open Arizona offense. That tells me something. DE Jason Taylor is out indefinitely with a potentially career/life-threatening blood clot in his leg.
The Cowboys better not enter this game with a smug demeanor. Their receivers will not run free this week like they did versus Green Bay in the second half of their Week 3 game. FS LaRon Landry will meet WR Terrell Owens in the middle of the field a time or two. However, I don't see any of the Redskins' DBs stopping Owens or Crayton.
This game will be close.
Call:
Washington 35
Dallas 34
Actual:
Washington 26
Dallas 24
See, I know what I am talking about. The game was close. I also said the Redskins would pull it out late. Enough said. No reason to gloat with my bad picks.
---
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Chicago Bears.
Soldier Field
Chicago, Illinois
8:15 PM (Sunday Night Football - NBC)
Why are the Bears on national TV so much? They are an eyesore.
Anyway, the Eagles are very good, but not better than Dallas or the NY Giants. That said, every team in the NFC East is better than the rest of the teams in the NFC except the Carolina Panthers. That may very well be the six-team lineup in the playoffs, if not for the 4 division winners automatically getting playoff bids (making the NFC North winner a waste of space, and preventing the 4th NFC East team from making the playoffs rightfully). I see Dallas and New York battling for the NFC East title, the one who doesn't get it gets the 5 seed, I see Philly making it and I see Chicago (now) winning the NFC North and the Cardinals winning the NFC West. Nonetheless, the Bears are the Smoke & Mirrors team of 2008. They are a joke offensively, but hey, they don't turn the ball over too much to the point where it kills them. Defensively, they're stout as always. They will get after Donovan F. McNabb, especially if B. Westbrook cannot play.
I can't name four guys on the Bears' offense (just kidding), but most people can't. Starting with their RB. However, this game will be close. The Iggles are too inconsistent to run away from decent-to-above average teams. The Bears are somewhere between decent and above average. Hence...
Call:
Philadelphia 25
Chicago 27
Actual:
Philadelphia 20
Chicago 24
Same thing here. Close game as predicted. Although we were basically watching The Unit while the fumble-fest was taking place in the second half of this game. I only wanted the Iggles to lose so that they, along with Dallas, would ensure that the Giants would be in first place ALONE heading into Week 5 vs. Seattle in East Rutherford.
---
Thursday, September 25, 2008
NFL Week 4 Picks
NFL Week 4 Picks
By Michael D. Wright
9.25.08
OK, I blew a few games last week, and I've been outright DEAD WRONG about some teams (Denver, Houston, Indianapolis - thus far). But I think my picks this week will be solid; especially since the Jints are on a bye LOL
Here are the picks:
Minnesota Vikings vs. Tennessee Titans.
LP Field
Nashville, Tennessee
1 PM
I don't know what to make about the Vikings right now. They benched their starting QB (T. Jackson) and put in ol' man Gus Frerotte. Gus doesn't make many mistakes, but the problem with Minnesota is still the fact they don't stretch the field well enough with their WRs. Their defense is very good up front, but when the defensive line does not get pressure on the QB, the secondary looks average at best. They call Adrian Peterson A.D. because he can run... well... ALL DAY. With Chester Taylor spelling him whenever Peterson needs a breather, the Vikings are tough on the ground.
The Titans have Kerry Collins in for Vince Young at QB. Collins is to Frerotte as Young is to Jackson. Collins doesn't try to do too much (at least until he feels like he's the starter, then he reverts to the dumb nonsense he did while QB of the Giants). Like Minnesota, the Titans can run the ball all day. Their defense is tough up front like Minnesota's. This is a pick 'em game, and I'm going to go with the team that has been most consistent this far.
Call:
Minnesota 23
Tennessee 27
---
Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs.
Arrowhead Stadium
Kansas City, Missouri
1 PM
The Chiefs are abysmal. Every week I wonder how Herm Edwards still has a job. Then I remember, the GM, Carl Peterson is one of his lifetime buddies. I get it now. Both teams are awful on defense, and you would think this would be one of those Pinball games, where the last team with the ball wins 51-48 or something, except the Chiefs don't have that kind of offense.
Denver is for real. I totally got it wrong with them in the preseason. They might rack up historic numbers on KC this weekend. Poor Herm.
Call:
Denver 48
Kansas City 10
---
San Francisco 49ers vs. New Orleans Saints.
Louisiana Superdome
New Orleans, Louisiana
1 PM
The 49ers are game. I thought they would be like fishkill this season, but not the case. They Play. To Win. The. Game! The Saints are smarting right now (to steal a line from Hubie Brown). They're smarting. Missing Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey for about six weeks will hurt the Saints' offense. Reggie Bush is good in space, so Pat Willis and Co. will have their hands full. The 49ers' secondary is terrible outside of Nate Clements, but they won't be tested too often in this game. Brees will stick to underneath passes and patterns in the flat. I think Frank Gore has one of his annual "he's going to win the rushing title... watch!" games.
Call:
San Francisco 21
New Orleans 17
---
Arizona Cardinals vs. New York Jets.
The New Jersey Meadowlands
East Rutherford, New Jersey
1 PM
Anyone who thinks the Cardinals are not for real, let me tell you: THEY ARE LEGIT. Their offense can score with the best of them, and as I've said every week, their defense is very good. They just do not get much publicity because they play out west and don't get National TV exposure due to their annual ritual of not making the playoffs.
Benching Matt Leinart was the best thing the Cards could have done. Edgerrin James does his thing. Anquan Boldin (FROM?!?!?!) and Larry Fitzgerald form arguably the best WR tandem in the NFL. Both could catch 100 passes and well over 1,000 yards and possibly 10 TDs apiece if Kurt Warner stays healthy. The defense has players at each level who make plays every week. DE Bert Berry will not play Sunday, however. Brett Favre should thank God.
I think the Jets are a middle of the road team. Now that the New York media has gotten over the honeymoon with Favre, they know what football people already know: Brett Favre is AVERAGE. Their receivers, while being guys who I like (pause) are not game breakers. The Jets spent tons of money on both sides of the ball to improve and as of right now, they have not seen a return on their investment. I think the Jets will spend the entire game on their heels on both sides of the ball.
Call:
Arizona 38
NY Jets 21
---
Green Bay Packers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Raymond James Stadium
Tampa, Florida
1 PM
The Old "Bay of Pigs" rivalry (as Chris Berman calls it). It has lost its luster as guys like Warren Sapp, Brett Favre, Antonio Freeman are gone. However, the Bucs still have Derrick Brooks and Warrick Dunn is back after spending the past six seasons in Atlanta. The Bucs' defense is solid and keeps them in most games. No one knows who the Bucs' QB is from game to game, but Earnest Graham and Dunn get enough done on the ground to make defenses play them honest.
The Packers looked shellshocked against the Cowboys on Monday. No shame in that. I do notsee there being a carryover effect, though. Rodgers is the real deal. The question will be can the Packers control the ball long enough to outscore Tampa Bay? The Bucs typically eat up a lot of clock and their defense still gets it done even without all the big name stars they once had. Ronde Barber makes plays and so do Jermaine Phillips and Brian Kelly. I like the Bucs in this one.
Call:
Green Bay 27
Tampa Bay 30
---
Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers.
Bank of America Stadium
Charlotte, North Carolina
1 PM
The Falcons are surprisingly 2-1. The Panthers are, also. However, I expected the Panthers to be good (I have them winning the NFC South). I thought the Falcons would royally suck for the remainder of this decade and into the next. Matt Ryan's playing some decent ball at QB, and his big play to WR Roddy White last week got me a few fantasy league points LOL
DE John Abraham is still the same guy who always gets 10+ sacks and he will get after Garcia (should Garcia start). Keith Brooking is the QB of the defense and keeps them under control. I figured the loss of DeAngelo Hall would hurt them dearly. Not so (thus far). I like the dimension that RB Michael Turner brings to the Falcons. He makes teams play the Falcons honest, so they cannot just tee off on Ryan, thereby preserving Ryan and lengthening his learning curve.
The Panthers look poised to go on a winning streak. QB Jake Delhomme looked rattled at times versus the Bears, but that is to be expected. WR Steve Smith is back in the fold, and with Muhsin Muhammad on the other side, the Panthers look like the team that went to the Super Bowl after the 2003 season. Their offense is intact with two very good running backs. The aforementioned wide receivers are very good, and the defense is healthy. That has been the key for the Panthers the past four years - the relative health of their players, especially on defense. I like the Black Cats in this one.
Call:
Atlanta 24
Carolina 34
---
Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jacksonville Stadium
Jacksonville, Florida
1 PM
The Texans are not as bad as they have looked in their two games. Their Week 3 game versus Baltimore might have been a better barometer of how good they are, but it was rained out due to Hurricane Ike. The Jaguars look like the average team that they are. Allowing DT Marcus Stroud to go to Buffalo in free agency was borderline lunacy. But hey, I'm not their capologist.
I think Andre Johnson lined up against Rasean Mathis is palpable TV. Mathis might get an INT, but I think Johnson will have about 8-10 catches for over 100 yards in this game.
The problem the Texans have is stopping the run. The Jaguars run the ball very well with Fred Taylor, Maurice Jones-Drew (questionable) and Greg Jones. Should be a close, low-scoring game. I think the Texans notch their first win.
Call:
Houston 19
Jacksonville 14
---
Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals.
Paul Brown Stadium
Cincinnati, Ohio
1 PM
Everytime these teams play, it is high scoring. They gave us a 51-45 last year and the game before that was high scoring as well. Both teams are a disgrace defensively, especially when stopping the run (although the Bengals did a surprisingly good job versus the Giants in Week 3). I see another shootout. Neither team has changed personnel or philosophy since last year. And I see Cleveland pulling it out because the Bengals just aren't good at all; which is a shame, with Carson Palmer, Chad Ocho Cinco and T.J. Houshmandzadeh on offense.
Call:
Cleveland 48
Cincinnati 44
---
San Diego (Super) Chargers vs. Oakland Raiders.
McAfee Coliseum
Oakland, California
4:05 PM
The Chargers got untracked last week versus the Jets on Monday Night Football. I hope my eyes aren't deceiving me, but all those carries (approaching 2,500) are catching up with LaDainian Tomlinson. I know he has a toe injury, but he still looks as if he lost a step. I hope not. The Chargers can score with anyone, though. The defense is better than people think, but they have given up a ton of yards and points early.
I don't see the Raiders giving much of a fight. JaMarcus Russell will be glad to get in the whirlpool Monday after he gets sacked a half dozen times.
Call:
San Diego 41
Oakland 16
---
Buffalo Bills vs. St. Louis Rams.
The Edward Jones Dome
St. Louis, Missouri
4:05 PM
So the Rams switched QBs from Marc Bulger to Trent Green. *sigh*. This reeks of desperation on the part of head coach Scott Linehan. He might be gone before the end of this season if the Rams keep playing like this. They are the absolute worst team in the NFL -- the same NFL with the Raiders and Chiefs! Bulger isn't the problem. They just have an awful offensive line. They let WR Isaac Bruce leave. WR Torry Holt has lost a step. RB Stephen Jackson cannot find holes in his turnstile of an offensive line. The defense is cavernous. They brought in a career backup and released a starter? I don't get it. The Rams don't have a plan. They look like Jimmy Carter at the end of his term in the White House in 1980-81! (History buffs know what I am referring to).
The Bills are for real. They may very well win the division. No other AFC East team is as balanced on both sides of the ball as Buffalo is. The Patrios are long in the tooth defensively. QB Matt Cassel will see more of the same pressure for the rest of the season. The Jets are middle of the road at best. The Dolphins think they are onto something because they got away with a few trick plays against a slow defense. Big deal. Watch out for the Bills.
Call:
Buffalo 47
St. Louis 21
---
Washington Redskins vs. Dallas Cowboys.
Texas Stadium
Irving, Texas
4:15 PM
I suppose I gave the Redskins too much of a learning curve in Jim Zorn's version of the West Coast Offense. They matched up well with the Saints in Week 2 and last week handled the wide-open Arizona offense. That tells me something. DE Jason Taylor is out indefinitely with a potentially career/life-threatening blood clot in his leg.
The Cowboys better not enter this game with a smug demeanor. Their receivers will not run free this week like they did versus Green Bay in the second half of their Week 3 game. FS LaRon Landry will meet WR Terrell Owens in the middle of the field a time or two. However, I don't see any of the Redskins' DBs stopping Owens or Crayton.
This game will be close.
Call:
Washington 35
Dallas 34
---
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Chicago Bears.
Soldier Field
Chicago, Illinois
8:15 PM (Sunday Night Football - NBC)
Why are the Bears on national TV so much? They are an eyesore.
Anyway, the Eagles are very good, but not better than Dallas or the NY Giants. That said, every team in the NFC East is better than the rest of the teams in the NFC except the Carolina Panthers. That may very well be the six-team lineup in the playoffs, if not for the 4 division winners automatically getting playoff bids (making the NFC North winner a waste of space, and preventing the 4th NFC East team from making the playoffs rightfully). I see Dallas and New York battling for the NFC East title, the one who doesn't get it gets the 5 seed, I see Philly making it and I see Chicago (now) winning the NFC North and the Cardinals winning the NFC West. Nonetheless, the Bears are the Smoke & Mirrors team of 2008. They are a joke offensively, but hey, they don't turn the ball over too much to the point where it kills them. Defensively, they're stout as always. They will get after Donovan F. McNabb, especially if B. Westbrook cannot play.
I can't name four guys on the Bears' offense (just kidding), but most people can't. Starting with their RB. However, this game will be close. The Iggles are too inconsistent to run away from decent-to-above average teams. The Bears are somewhere between decent and above average. Hence...
Call:
Philadelphia 25
Chicago 27
---
Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Heinz Field
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
8:30 PM (Monday Night Football - ABC)
The Ravens? Hmmm... they are somewhat like Chicago. They have a rookie QB in Joe Flacco. RB Willis McGahee is back in the lineup. They have no-name WRs and a patched up offensive line, following the retirement of Jonathan Ogden. They seem to get it done, nonetheless.
The Steelers looked unbeatable until last week. The Iggles showed what teams need to do in order to get Roethlisberger out of his comfort zone. Teams like Philly, Baltimore and NY Giants, teams the Steelers must face this year, have the personnel to emulate what the Iggles did last week. I think Big Ben will look more like Tiny Tim after this game also. The Ravens are tough. ON THE ROAD...
Call:
Baltimore 24
Pittsburgh 17
---
Back on Tuesday with commentary...
By Michael D. Wright
9.25.08
OK, I blew a few games last week, and I've been outright DEAD WRONG about some teams (Denver, Houston, Indianapolis - thus far). But I think my picks this week will be solid; especially since the Jints are on a bye LOL
Here are the picks:
Minnesota Vikings vs. Tennessee Titans.
LP Field
Nashville, Tennessee
1 PM
I don't know what to make about the Vikings right now. They benched their starting QB (T. Jackson) and put in ol' man Gus Frerotte. Gus doesn't make many mistakes, but the problem with Minnesota is still the fact they don't stretch the field well enough with their WRs. Their defense is very good up front, but when the defensive line does not get pressure on the QB, the secondary looks average at best. They call Adrian Peterson A.D. because he can run... well... ALL DAY. With Chester Taylor spelling him whenever Peterson needs a breather, the Vikings are tough on the ground.
The Titans have Kerry Collins in for Vince Young at QB. Collins is to Frerotte as Young is to Jackson. Collins doesn't try to do too much (at least until he feels like he's the starter, then he reverts to the dumb nonsense he did while QB of the Giants). Like Minnesota, the Titans can run the ball all day. Their defense is tough up front like Minnesota's. This is a pick 'em game, and I'm going to go with the team that has been most consistent this far.
Call:
Minnesota 23
Tennessee 27
---
Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs.
Arrowhead Stadium
Kansas City, Missouri
1 PM
The Chiefs are abysmal. Every week I wonder how Herm Edwards still has a job. Then I remember, the GM, Carl Peterson is one of his lifetime buddies. I get it now. Both teams are awful on defense, and you would think this would be one of those Pinball games, where the last team with the ball wins 51-48 or something, except the Chiefs don't have that kind of offense.
Denver is for real. I totally got it wrong with them in the preseason. They might rack up historic numbers on KC this weekend. Poor Herm.
Call:
Denver 48
Kansas City 10
---
San Francisco 49ers vs. New Orleans Saints.
Louisiana Superdome
New Orleans, Louisiana
1 PM
The 49ers are game. I thought they would be like fishkill this season, but not the case. They Play. To Win. The. Game! The Saints are smarting right now (to steal a line from Hubie Brown). They're smarting. Missing Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey for about six weeks will hurt the Saints' offense. Reggie Bush is good in space, so Pat Willis and Co. will have their hands full. The 49ers' secondary is terrible outside of Nate Clements, but they won't be tested too often in this game. Brees will stick to underneath passes and patterns in the flat. I think Frank Gore has one of his annual "he's going to win the rushing title... watch!" games.
Call:
San Francisco 21
New Orleans 17
---
Arizona Cardinals vs. New York Jets.
The New Jersey Meadowlands
East Rutherford, New Jersey
1 PM
Anyone who thinks the Cardinals are not for real, let me tell you: THEY ARE LEGIT. Their offense can score with the best of them, and as I've said every week, their defense is very good. They just do not get much publicity because they play out west and don't get National TV exposure due to their annual ritual of not making the playoffs.
Benching Matt Leinart was the best thing the Cards could have done. Edgerrin James does his thing. Anquan Boldin (FROM?!?!?!) and Larry Fitzgerald form arguably the best WR tandem in the NFL. Both could catch 100 passes and well over 1,000 yards and possibly 10 TDs apiece if Kurt Warner stays healthy. The defense has players at each level who make plays every week. DE Bert Berry will not play Sunday, however. Brett Favre should thank God.
I think the Jets are a middle of the road team. Now that the New York media has gotten over the honeymoon with Favre, they know what football people already know: Brett Favre is AVERAGE. Their receivers, while being guys who I like (pause) are not game breakers. The Jets spent tons of money on both sides of the ball to improve and as of right now, they have not seen a return on their investment. I think the Jets will spend the entire game on their heels on both sides of the ball.
Call:
Arizona 38
NY Jets 21
---
Green Bay Packers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Raymond James Stadium
Tampa, Florida
1 PM
The Old "Bay of Pigs" rivalry (as Chris Berman calls it). It has lost its luster as guys like Warren Sapp, Brett Favre, Antonio Freeman are gone. However, the Bucs still have Derrick Brooks and Warrick Dunn is back after spending the past six seasons in Atlanta. The Bucs' defense is solid and keeps them in most games. No one knows who the Bucs' QB is from game to game, but Earnest Graham and Dunn get enough done on the ground to make defenses play them honest.
The Packers looked shellshocked against the Cowboys on Monday. No shame in that. I do notsee there being a carryover effect, though. Rodgers is the real deal. The question will be can the Packers control the ball long enough to outscore Tampa Bay? The Bucs typically eat up a lot of clock and their defense still gets it done even without all the big name stars they once had. Ronde Barber makes plays and so do Jermaine Phillips and Brian Kelly. I like the Bucs in this one.
Call:
Green Bay 27
Tampa Bay 30
---
Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers.
Bank of America Stadium
Charlotte, North Carolina
1 PM
The Falcons are surprisingly 2-1. The Panthers are, also. However, I expected the Panthers to be good (I have them winning the NFC South). I thought the Falcons would royally suck for the remainder of this decade and into the next. Matt Ryan's playing some decent ball at QB, and his big play to WR Roddy White last week got me a few fantasy league points LOL
DE John Abraham is still the same guy who always gets 10+ sacks and he will get after Garcia (should Garcia start). Keith Brooking is the QB of the defense and keeps them under control. I figured the loss of DeAngelo Hall would hurt them dearly. Not so (thus far). I like the dimension that RB Michael Turner brings to the Falcons. He makes teams play the Falcons honest, so they cannot just tee off on Ryan, thereby preserving Ryan and lengthening his learning curve.
The Panthers look poised to go on a winning streak. QB Jake Delhomme looked rattled at times versus the Bears, but that is to be expected. WR Steve Smith is back in the fold, and with Muhsin Muhammad on the other side, the Panthers look like the team that went to the Super Bowl after the 2003 season. Their offense is intact with two very good running backs. The aforementioned wide receivers are very good, and the defense is healthy. That has been the key for the Panthers the past four years - the relative health of their players, especially on defense. I like the Black Cats in this one.
Call:
Atlanta 24
Carolina 34
---
Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jacksonville Stadium
Jacksonville, Florida
1 PM
The Texans are not as bad as they have looked in their two games. Their Week 3 game versus Baltimore might have been a better barometer of how good they are, but it was rained out due to Hurricane Ike. The Jaguars look like the average team that they are. Allowing DT Marcus Stroud to go to Buffalo in free agency was borderline lunacy. But hey, I'm not their capologist.
I think Andre Johnson lined up against Rasean Mathis is palpable TV. Mathis might get an INT, but I think Johnson will have about 8-10 catches for over 100 yards in this game.
The problem the Texans have is stopping the run. The Jaguars run the ball very well with Fred Taylor, Maurice Jones-Drew (questionable) and Greg Jones. Should be a close, low-scoring game. I think the Texans notch their first win.
Call:
Houston 19
Jacksonville 14
---
Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals.
Paul Brown Stadium
Cincinnati, Ohio
1 PM
Everytime these teams play, it is high scoring. They gave us a 51-45 last year and the game before that was high scoring as well. Both teams are a disgrace defensively, especially when stopping the run (although the Bengals did a surprisingly good job versus the Giants in Week 3). I see another shootout. Neither team has changed personnel or philosophy since last year. And I see Cleveland pulling it out because the Bengals just aren't good at all; which is a shame, with Carson Palmer, Chad Ocho Cinco and T.J. Houshmandzadeh on offense.
Call:
Cleveland 48
Cincinnati 44
---
San Diego (Super) Chargers vs. Oakland Raiders.
McAfee Coliseum
Oakland, California
4:05 PM
The Chargers got untracked last week versus the Jets on Monday Night Football. I hope my eyes aren't deceiving me, but all those carries (approaching 2,500) are catching up with LaDainian Tomlinson. I know he has a toe injury, but he still looks as if he lost a step. I hope not. The Chargers can score with anyone, though. The defense is better than people think, but they have given up a ton of yards and points early.
I don't see the Raiders giving much of a fight. JaMarcus Russell will be glad to get in the whirlpool Monday after he gets sacked a half dozen times.
Call:
San Diego 41
Oakland 16
---
Buffalo Bills vs. St. Louis Rams.
The Edward Jones Dome
St. Louis, Missouri
4:05 PM
So the Rams switched QBs from Marc Bulger to Trent Green. *sigh*. This reeks of desperation on the part of head coach Scott Linehan. He might be gone before the end of this season if the Rams keep playing like this. They are the absolute worst team in the NFL -- the same NFL with the Raiders and Chiefs! Bulger isn't the problem. They just have an awful offensive line. They let WR Isaac Bruce leave. WR Torry Holt has lost a step. RB Stephen Jackson cannot find holes in his turnstile of an offensive line. The defense is cavernous. They brought in a career backup and released a starter? I don't get it. The Rams don't have a plan. They look like Jimmy Carter at the end of his term in the White House in 1980-81! (History buffs know what I am referring to).
The Bills are for real. They may very well win the division. No other AFC East team is as balanced on both sides of the ball as Buffalo is. The Patrios are long in the tooth defensively. QB Matt Cassel will see more of the same pressure for the rest of the season. The Jets are middle of the road at best. The Dolphins think they are onto something because they got away with a few trick plays against a slow defense. Big deal. Watch out for the Bills.
Call:
Buffalo 47
St. Louis 21
---
Washington Redskins vs. Dallas Cowboys.
Texas Stadium
Irving, Texas
4:15 PM
I suppose I gave the Redskins too much of a learning curve in Jim Zorn's version of the West Coast Offense. They matched up well with the Saints in Week 2 and last week handled the wide-open Arizona offense. That tells me something. DE Jason Taylor is out indefinitely with a potentially career/life-threatening blood clot in his leg.
The Cowboys better not enter this game with a smug demeanor. Their receivers will not run free this week like they did versus Green Bay in the second half of their Week 3 game. FS LaRon Landry will meet WR Terrell Owens in the middle of the field a time or two. However, I don't see any of the Redskins' DBs stopping Owens or Crayton.
This game will be close.
Call:
Washington 35
Dallas 34
---
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Chicago Bears.
Soldier Field
Chicago, Illinois
8:15 PM (Sunday Night Football - NBC)
Why are the Bears on national TV so much? They are an eyesore.
Anyway, the Eagles are very good, but not better than Dallas or the NY Giants. That said, every team in the NFC East is better than the rest of the teams in the NFC except the Carolina Panthers. That may very well be the six-team lineup in the playoffs, if not for the 4 division winners automatically getting playoff bids (making the NFC North winner a waste of space, and preventing the 4th NFC East team from making the playoffs rightfully). I see Dallas and New York battling for the NFC East title, the one who doesn't get it gets the 5 seed, I see Philly making it and I see Chicago (now) winning the NFC North and the Cardinals winning the NFC West. Nonetheless, the Bears are the Smoke & Mirrors team of 2008. They are a joke offensively, but hey, they don't turn the ball over too much to the point where it kills them. Defensively, they're stout as always. They will get after Donovan F. McNabb, especially if B. Westbrook cannot play.
I can't name four guys on the Bears' offense (just kidding), but most people can't. Starting with their RB. However, this game will be close. The Iggles are too inconsistent to run away from decent-to-above average teams. The Bears are somewhere between decent and above average. Hence...
Call:
Philadelphia 25
Chicago 27
---
Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Heinz Field
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
8:30 PM (Monday Night Football - ABC)
The Ravens? Hmmm... they are somewhat like Chicago. They have a rookie QB in Joe Flacco. RB Willis McGahee is back in the lineup. They have no-name WRs and a patched up offensive line, following the retirement of Jonathan Ogden. They seem to get it done, nonetheless.
The Steelers looked unbeatable until last week. The Iggles showed what teams need to do in order to get Roethlisberger out of his comfort zone. Teams like Philly, Baltimore and NY Giants, teams the Steelers must face this year, have the personnel to emulate what the Iggles did last week. I think Big Ben will look more like Tiny Tim after this game also. The Ravens are tough. ON THE ROAD...
Call:
Baltimore 24
Pittsburgh 17
---
Back on Tuesday with commentary...
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