Dave's NFL LOCKS of the Week

Dave's DIVISONAL LOCKS of the Week

2012-01-14T12:48:00.000-08:00

Dave's (crash!)
LOCKS (smash!)
of the Week (bash!)

2-2 last week in Wild Card LOCKS (fantastic results for me), so on to the Divisional round:

Three picks to select, one omitted out of respect for my friends who are Giants and Packers fans. Here we go!

In SAN FRANCISCO, I'd hate to do this to SF, but I have no choice but to take the 49ers +3.5. The odds of winning are too good to pass up, but thankfully that also allows for SF to lose by a field goal. Niners to strike gold and make this a tight game at the Stick!

In FOXBORO, I'm going Broncos +13.5 . I have less than zero confidence in the Broncos actually winning the game, but I'll root for the Tebow Nation just the same and expect them to be within two touchdowns at game's end.

and

In BALTIMORE, I have Texans +7.5, making the pick with 50% confidence. I would have taken the Ravens with any line less than 7 points, but with the sportsbooks placing the spread above 7, I'm going conservative and taking Houston. I just don't feel like this will actually hit. It's Joe Flacco's first career home playoff game, and if Ray Rice gets any kind of seam, he's going to destroy the Texans' defense. On the flip side, the Ravens have the 2nd best rush defense in the NFL and won't give an inch to either Foster or Tate from the Texans' backfield. Despite all this, I think it will be a relatively low scoring affair with Baltimore winning a close one. Possibly 27-21 as a final score.

That's the Divisional Round for

Dave's (bang!)
LOCKS (snap!)
of the Week (crunch!)

Your picks are: SF +3.5, Den +13.5, HOU +7.5

I can already hear Admiral Ackbar yelling "It's a TRAP!!! It's a TRAP!!!!"

Dave's NFL WILD CARDS of the Week

2012-01-06T08:24:00.000-08:00

I couldn't go the week without posting...

Dave's (blam!)
WILD CARDS (clank!)
of the Week (snap!)

Let's do this... Four Games, four mediocre to good teams... onward.

First, in Houston, I'm going Bungles to cover +3 and take the game outright. Upset City!

Next, in the Big Easy of New Orleans, I have the Saints -10.5 in a landslide. In fact, I'm also taking the OVER of 59.0 points. It's going to be a laugher, gents.

Next, in New Jersey, I'm going Falcons to take +3 at the Giants. Two unpredictable teams, but also a situation where the G-Men are expected to win. You know what that means... those mental minded Big Blue will lay an egg.

Lastly, we go to Denver, where the only thing high right now is the altitude for the game. The Broncos have hit on very hard times, and rumors circulated that Brady Quinn could take Tebow's place at quarterback if the game gets out of hand. In light of this, I'm still picking Denver +9.0 in a reasonably low scoring game.

There's your Wild Card picks. Enjoy the games, all.

How about an NBA Prediction for ya?

2011-12-28T23:02:00.001-08:00

Dave's
NBA (slam!)
of the Week

I don't do NBA Picks all the time, but quickly, here's how I see the Knicks/Lakers game tomorrow.

I see orange, I see blue, I see the Knicks winning on the road. The Knicks were just pounded last night by the Golden State Warriors in Oakland. Meanwhile, the weary Lakers, coming off an idle day, are still in the midst of 6 games in 8 days. This is also a team, the Lakers, that is learning a new system and integrating new players like Josh McRoberts, Troy Murphy, and others.

The Knicks have some new personnel also, but I feel like they're more ready for this game than LA would be. Despite they being the team of rooting interest, I'm picking the Knicks to beat LA and score in the 100's Thursday night at Staples.

Panic not, Laker fans, it is still a long season. But yes, be prepared for some Orange and Blue to come out with a W.

More picks to come here on this Blog Network..!

--Dave

Thanksgiving LOCKS of the Week: Part 5

2011-11-23T09:34:00.000-08:00

It's time to give thanks, break out the Turkey and hope for some good football on the THANKSGIVING...

Dave's (gobble)
LOCKS (sizzle)
of the Week (chop!)

I've been looking forward to writing these picks all week. I have a really good feeling about all three teams in Week 12. What better way to feast on success than on Thanksgiving, the ultimate eating holiday this side of Independence Day! Here's what we have for Thanksgiving in the NFL:

In Detroit: I'm going Packers solidly to win and cover -6.5. While the game is on the road, and while the Packers struggle defensively lately, I think that's a pretty small point spread for a team that is magnificent at scoring points. It's Rodgers, it's Jones, it could be Jennings, and more. While Stafford, Johnson, and Smith may be a good counter, I also think the Packers eat the Lions alive. Pack -6.5.

In Dallas: We've often struggled with this game with the results being less than stellar, but in recent years we've seen some pretty good games in Texas. I would give the Dolphins a fair shot, but overall I think the Cowboys STILL cover the spread of -7. Dallas in a semi-close one.

Finally, in Baltimore: the Crab city hosts the hotter than fire 49ers with an old defense that's still going strong. The Ravens' Joe Flacco is erratic but is also facing some breaks: He's playing at home, he's going against a team that's traveled a long way on short rest, and he's got the momentum of having beaten Cincinnati the week before. I like the Ravens to win outright and give the -3.

Gobble up for your Thanksgiving action on

Dave's (zzzzzz!)
LOCKS (ding!)
of the Week (conk)

Enjoy your Thanksgiving everyone, and hope it's a good time for you and your family.

MNF LOCK of the Week: Chiefs at Patriots

2011-11-21T09:36:00.000-08:00

We nailed our Thursday night pick last week, and we do it again on...

Dave's (clank!)
LOCKS (bonk!)
of the Week (squish)

And now we go on to MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL with possibly the most lopsided matchup of the season: Chiefs vs Patriots.

In this game you have one of the NFL's best offenses, granted, one that's struggled lately. That's the Patriots. You also get possibly the worst NFL offense you've seen yet this year. That's the Chiefs.

The Patriots have looked better with each week with their pass rush. Their corners are still awful, but I think they have the ability to defend teams once in a while. Put together, the Pats will take this game by storm and destroy the -16.5 spread at Gillette Stadium. I'm going Patriots -16.5 at home in a complete "waste-of-time" game tonight in Foxboro.

..one reason why we call it

Dave's (crackle)
LOCKS (gobble)
of the Week (smash!)

Coming up later this week: our Turkey Day picks with some games that may not be as bad as you think. Stay tuned!

SPECIAL: Thursday Night Pick of the Week: NYJ vs DEN

2011-11-17T16:07:00.000-08:00

1-2 last week, and here for the rebound on

Dave's (clank!)
LOCKS (fwisssshhh)
of the Week (booom!)

To start, we're doing a special THURSDAY NIGHT PICK this week.

Here's the scene: Jets, coming off a Sunday night game against the Patriots, going to face the Broncos at Denver. The Jets are favored by -6.5, and I'm going the other way! I don't think the Broncos are that good, but while this is the case, I think they'll have no problem with the Jets great pass coverage. The Broncs barely throw the ball with Tebow leading the charge. Charge he will: there will be a lot of wildcat formations and option plays tonight. Get ready for it... BRONCOS by 6.5!

On

Dave's (bink)
LOCKS (bink)
of the Week (BOOM!)

It's going to be a fun one over at Mile High...

3-0 and Back for Mo'!

2011-11-10T08:56:00.000-08:00

Last week on LOCKS, we went 3-0 on our picks: LSU, NYG, and Chicago. Not only that, but the Bears won outright at Philadelphia on Monday Night. Time to keep it rolling with the new

Dave's (slam!)
LOCKS (clink!)
of the Week (crinkle)

Three more picks this week, three obvious looks. How about we start in college?

Arizona State has a late one at Washington State and I think even on the road, the Sun Devils will cover 11.5. ASU -11.5 on the road.

Next, we switch gears to the NFL. I think it's about time the Lions got a nice road win and I can guarantee Jay Cutler won't play well for the Bears. He rarely plays well in back to back games. Let's go Motor City and the Lions +3 at Chicago.

Finally, we turn to the Ravens/Seahawks where I think the Hawks are getting too many points at home. I know they're usually pretty bad, but defensively the Hawks have their moments and the Ravens are never that great against the bad teams. Remember that Baltimore had to stage the biggest comeback of their franchise history to beat the Cardinals. Baltimore is very hot and cold and I'm going to take Seattle to cover. Seattle +7 at home.

We go into the Veterans Day weekend to commemorate those who served as we serve up

Dave's (blam!)
LOCKS (bink!)
of the Week (slap)

In summary: ASU - 11.5; DET +3; SEA +7

Wow, nearly one year gone??

2011-11-03T13:14:00.000-07:00

My goodness!

It's so good to have you all back. Where have I been? Honestly, where? It's time for some more

Dave's (BLAM!)
LOCKS (snap!)
of the Week (clomp)

I've been very busy of late, compiling great radio programs on the Dave in the City Podcast . I've been taking my lumps with bad predictions: remember the Cardinals and the World Series? That was me. Remember the blown 17 point lead in the NBA Playoffs for the Thunder against Dallas? That was me. I haven't had a great streak of late.

Maybe this time we can get it back and get it roooolling. I'll start with the big Northeastern Showdown in Gillette. Pats are a whopping 9.5 point favorite, but I think Big Blue comes up big and stays in it. Giants +9.5

And now! We're introducing some COLLEGE ACTION deep in the south. LSU vs Alabama, and with the Tigers on the road, we think they're an easy +4.5 cover. Take the Tiger's Roar over the Crimson's tide.

And lastly, the big one for Philly: Bears/Eagles. Am I crazy or do I think Bears +4.5 is going to work? It's true the Eagles have made a nice surge of late and their defense looked dominant a week ago vs. Dallas, but I'm calling for the BEARS +7.5! I think we're going to see some shuffling this weekend....

on

Dave's (smash!)
LOCKS (zoom!)
of the Week (crinkle)

Your picks: NYG +9.5, LSU +4.5, CHI +7.5

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 17 -- Dave's Unpredictables of the Week

2010-12-30T11:17:00.001-08:00

Here we go, the last one of the Week... it's time for

Dave's (clomp!)
LOCKS (clink!)
of the Week (slam!!)

Dave's UNPREDICTABLES of the Week
Week 17

Week 17... it's often come upon many unpredictable twists and changes, some which we could never have expected. What's to come this week for the NFL in its final Sunday of the regular season? Let's GO TO THE PICKS!

First, in Atlanta, the Falcons suffered a setback and failed to clinch the #1 seed in the NFC. This week vs the visiting, quitting Panthers, I have a sneaky feeling the Falcons playoff pressure is getting to them. Dare I say the PANTHERS sneak up and cover +14.5?? Seems like the Falcons are about to swoop into Carolina's path to me! Carolina +14.5

Next, to Cleveland Browns Stadium, where the Browns face the Steelers, still without Polamalu (we think). Cleveland is a +6.0 point underdog at home. That seems like a mistake! McCoy is back, the team wants to finish on a big note, and let's face it, it's not what it was, but it's still Steelers/Browns, and these teams and fans really go at it! Best of times, worst of times, who cares? I'm taking the Brownies and the points. Cleveland +6.0 .

and finally, to the Northwest we go and Qwest Field, where the Seahawks try to make the playoffs by hosting their rival, the St. Louis Rams. Interestingly, the Sea-birds are a +3.0 underdog, but call me crazy... I'M PICKING THE HAWKS!!

So we're looking at three big Week 17 upsets here on

Dave's (boom!)
LOCKS (klunk!)
of the Week (screeeeeeech!)

It's been great compiling LOCKS of the Week. Happy New Year to you all, and hope you all celebrate responsibly.

To Review: Carolina +14.5; Cleveland +6.0; Seattle +3.0

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 16 -- The Next to Last LOCKS of the Week

2010-12-24T08:41:00.000-08:00

Ho Ho Ho, and a Merrry

Dave's (clink!)
LOCKS (clunk)
of the Week (konk!)

Dave's LOCKS of the Week
Week 16: The Pentultimate One

Merry Christmas everyone! On this Christmas Eve Santa Dave offers these three selections. Didn't mean to post this so late but here we go!

In Cincinnati, look for the Bolts to short circuit the Bungles and win *very* convincingly. San Diego -7.5

In Buffalo, I know they're hot, and I'll say that the Patriots continue the momentum and fry the Buffalo Bills on the road. Patriots -7.5

And finally, out in the BLACK HOLE of Oakland, I'm looking for the Colts to put a HUGE black hole sized dent on the Oakland Raiders. Colts -3 for a team that's a rare home favorite.

Our picks, our fun our seasonal wishes on

Dave's (crinkle)
LOCKS (rip!)
of the Week (slap)

To Review: SD -7.5; NE -7.5; Ind -3

Dave's LOCKS of the Week -- Week 15 Jolly Good Jubilee Pt. 2 La La la la la laaa LOCKS of the Week

2010-12-16T16:58:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la la laa laaa

Dave's (boink)

LOCKS (conk!)

of the Week (snap!)

Dave's Fa La La LOCKS of the Week

Week 15

You know? It's an unusual circumstance when our Christmas Picks spread over three long weeks, and this year is one of those cases. Come now and enjoy our three LOCKS of the Week. To the Picks and Prizes...

In San Diego, I had to get this one in, expect the 49ers to dig up nothing but a lump of coal as they get shocked by the Chargers. San Diego -9 Easily at SF.

Also this great and festive weekend, look for the Eagles to peck out the Giants and swoop to a thrilling 3 point (or more) victory. We're taking the Eagles and the points to FLY EAGLES FLY at the New Meadowlands. Philly +3.

and finally, in the Steel City, watch for the new curtain to close the Jets season as the Steelers ground the Jets onto the tarmac at Three Rivers. Steelers -6.

Season's Greetings from

Dave's (Ka-ching!)

LOCKS (carrack)

of the Week (jingle..)

To review: SD -9; Philly +3; Pit -6

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 14 -- Jolly Good Jubilee and Football Prognostications (of the Week)

2010-12-09T10:00:00.001-08:00

Greetings fellow Christmas Season followers!

Come and join in our festive Christmas, Hannukah, and other seasons of the Winter. Come, come all to our festive feast...

Dave's (jingle)

LOCKS (jangle)

of the Week (poof!)

Dave's Jolly Good Jubilee of the Week

Week 14

Boy do these games get tougher to pick or what? I'll tell you what, we are in for a monster finish in the NFL and to get it all going in this Holiday season we go... TO THE PICKS!

First, off to the Moootor City, vroom vroom, where the Lions host the Packers. Meat, meet the Lion, oooh, no good no good!

But this week, the Lions won't devour their meat... far from. Anyone who's anyone knows that Aaron Rodgers absolutely DOMINATES in the D... Expect him to throw at least 3 touchdowns this week and expect Green Bay to pack up a THOROUGH beat down of the Lions. Packers -6.5.

Let's cruise down the highway from Michigan down to the Bayou in Louisiana. It's the Rams hosting the surging Saints, and these red hots have been close to the outs many times this year. The tricky pickin's this week involve the Saints who host a competent quarterback in Sam Bradford. New Orleans wasn't cooking so much as a cornbread last week in the Queen City, Paul Brown Stadium. I doubt they pick up the entire 9, even at home. Look for the Rams to bounce the Saints into territory too close for comfort. Rams +9.

Finally, we come up the Mississippi River and out towards Lake Michigan where the suddenly Superior (get it? Michigan? Superior? The Great Lakes! Wokka Wokkaaaa!), ahem suddenly Superior New England Patriots meet the Chicago Bears. The Patriots thrive on down the middle passing, but the Bears also have some tricks up their sleeves: namely, a GOOD DEFENSE, which I dare say can cover the middle pretty well. This is the first shot at the Pats meeting a defense that can attack their strength, and at this point it's all they got. The Patriots are *dead last* in all passing defensive categories. Fortunately, the spread is only -3 points, so I'm picking the *Spirit of New England* to gut out the victory (or at least push!). Pats -3 on the road.

And that does it for

Dave's (brr!)

LOCKS (bzzz)

of the Week (clank!)

To Review: GB -6.5; STL +9; NE -3

In Memoriam: Ron Santo

2010-12-03T09:05:00.000-08:00

To the greatest homer in MLB Broadcasting: Ron Santo, we hope you rest in peace.

He may not have been the greatest...
He may not have been the funniest...
But he was authentic, and his enthusiam was rarely matched.

For Ron Santo, the World's Greatest Cubs Fan, thank you, for making Chicago a better place.

Ron Santo
1940-2010

The 25 Christmas Songs Everyone Loves to Sing!

2010-12-01T16:55:00.001-08:00

Here they all are! in no particular order

1. White Christmas

2. We Wish You A Merry Christmas

3. O Christmas Tree

4. Jingle Bells

5. I'll Be Home For Christmas

6. Happy Holiday

7. Deck the Halls

8. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

9. Let it Snow

10. Ave Maria

11. Carol of the Bells

12. Hark the Herald Angel Sings

13. Silver Bells

14. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

15. Silent Night

16. Frosty the Snowman

17. Over the River and Through the Woods

18. Santa Claus is Coming to Town

19. The Christmas Song

20. The 12 Days of Christmas

21. The Little Drummer Boy

22. Joy to the World

23. O Come Let Us Adore Him

24. Do You Hear What I Hear

25. O Holy Night

To this list, we'll add a 26th Song:

26. Artist's Personal Song about the Holidays

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 13 -- Dave's RANDOMS of the Week

2010-12-01T16:32:00.000-08:00

Oi!

How about going 0-3 last week? Just goes to show that sometimes, at the end of the day, you're better off just throwing darts to see who to select in a big game:

Let's try it again on

Dave's (squeak!)

LOCKS (slap!)

of the Week (smash!!)

Week Numeral 13

The Redemption.

A Horrible Week Last week, so let's get to it and throw up some random draws for Week 13 in the NFL. To the picks!

IN SEATTLE, look for the Panthers to drench the Seahawks in rainy Se-attle with a torrent of unlikely touchdowns and some continued success from Matt Moore. Panthers roar on to hunt down the Seahawks and take the +6 on the road.

IN MINNEAPOLIS, as the city awaits word on whether they get to keep their team, the Vikings will pillage the innards of the woeful Bills. Look for the Vikings to feast on the stumbling Buffalo and hoo-OOOOOOOOT to a huge, HUGE -6 cover.

IN GLENDALE (Arizona), I'm taking the Rams -3 on the road. I TAKE THESE PICKS SERIOUSLY! I PUT MY HEART AND SOUL INTO THIS @#$@$ EVERY SINGLE WEEK.

and St. Louis will throw their hearts out at U of P stadium with Bradford leading the wa--

I'M JUST TELLING YOU WHAT I DO EVERY SINGLE WEEK! EVERY SINGLE WEEK, I STUDY MY ASS OFF and... ok I'm done... I'm done here...

Dave's (slam!)

LOCKS (crumple)

of the Week (bink)

-- and I hope you're enjoying these picks, *every* single week. Til next time!

To Review: Carolina +6, Minnesota -6, St. Louis -3

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 12 -- Dave's THANKS of the Week

2010-11-23T15:53:00.001-08:00

Dave's (gobble)
LOCKS (gobble)
of the Week (gobble gobble!)

We have much to gobble on for this Thanksgiving Weekend and much to give thanks for:

-- I give thanks for my health and well being, 28 and still going strong.
-- I give thanks for the success of the sports teams I root for, especially those on the football field: the Trojans over the years and the Steelers today.
-- I give thanks for the people who supported me, my friends, family, and those who listen to the DITC podcast at http://daveinthecity.podbean.com .

Onward, to the selections!

Ah, we have a gorgeous Turkey of a game for you, look at it up above where 35th street is, they're sponsored by the Ford Motor company and it's a Lion of a feast. Now, Jim, this is what you call the New England Patriots, and they come from a long lineage of victories including last weeks against the Colts. Oh and you'll see its acompanying piece, the Detroit Lions, who had a pretty good passing effort against Dallas but doesn't seem to get over the top... OHH it just trampled a traffic signal.

Matt, I think we gotta give some points to the Lions for Effort. We'll take them +7.

Our next floating game is the size of a dome, the SUPER dome, Jenny, and boy does it look great! It's called the "Saints" and you can see it rising higher and higher. Watch it soar now right over the Cowboys. A mighty feat... we gotta give some points to New Orleans for the crafting of this terrific sight. -3.5 for New Orleans.

Lastly, a late comer to the party, it's a special inflatable from Baltimore known as the Raven. It's slogan, "Never More!" Ho ho, that sounds marvelous, Jim, and they tell us that the Raven(s) also have a commanding ground feature that will trample Buccaneers to and fro. The Bucs unfortuantely don't have a real defense for the ground features, so we gotta give the Raven a score of -7.5 . Marvelous on a nice day like this one, isn't it?

We'll be back with a special performance by Justin Bieber right after this message from...

Dave's (bang!)
LOCKS (pfffft)
of the Week (chomp!)

To review: Detroit +7; New Orleans -3.5; Baltimore -7.5

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 11 -- Dave's QUICKIES of the Week

2010-11-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

Once a year I get caught up in the other things and try to write a Cliffs Notes version of our...

Dave's (clomp)

LOCKS (clank!)

of the Week (bong!)

Dave's QUICKIES of the Week

Week 11

We keep it short and concise this week, so here we go: To the picks!

IN PITTSBURGH, I like the Raiders off a bye week to keep the game against the Steelers closer than the +7.5 . The Steelers have a very soft defense, that didn't really come to light until the Patriots game. The quick short passing scheme NE used is pretty similar to what Oakland does outside of the occasional deep route to a guy like Ford from Campbell. Not to mention, the Raiders are among the best pass coverage teams in the NFL, which is really going to inhibit the Steelers' offense. This game will be much closer than expected so I take the Autumn Wind and the Raiders to whistle over the Steel Curtain's fortress of 7.5 points.

IN SAN FRANCISCO, the Bucs are on another mission to prove their worth against a slightly surging 49er team. The Bucs, on the road, are not great... they have not a single win away from home. Their last such test was a failure at Atlanta. Nonetheless, I think the Bucs take this and take the points +3. I mean ARE YOU KIDDING with the 49ers?? Niner fans still think this is a playoff team, a "talented team" (not my words, theirs). Nobody ever said 49er fans weren't delusional. This is the easiest LOCK of the bunch. Bucs should *win* by 3, and most likely more. Why? Because I think TB will clean up on turnovers, and LeGarrette Blount figures to have a decent game on the ground. So long as Freeman doesn't throw too many times, I think the Bucs take this game easily, even at Candlestick.

IN PHILLY, the Eagles will be in for a crash landing after a prolific, yet tiresome performance on Monday Night Football. The Giants will rumble in to meet an Eagle team that has a short week, a tired arm, and a recently elated staff of Philly Players. The Giants, meanwhile, are much better than they showed in their annual home letdown game (tm) against Dallas. The Giants, still, have one of the best running games in the NFL. Assuming they keep Eli Manning upright, the Giants should be able to pound the football and keep Vick off the field. I like the G-Men and I like 'em a lot. Take the GIANTS and the Points, NYG +3!

and those are the quickies on

Dave's (splat!)

LOCKS (fwap!)

of the Week (drip)

To Review: Oak +7.5, TB +3, NYG +3

Try again, NFL.

2010-11-16T08:39:00.001-08:00

I couldn't help but smile. Sam Farmer's sole purpose in life is to stir the pot on a ficticious NFL franchise in Los Angeles. He's made a career out of it! But this Los Angeles Times writer is once again in for some sobering reality.

I caught wind of Peter King's MMQ and his report, really RUMOR, of the Wasserman's proposing a new stadium in the LA Live Area.

All along, what's held the NFL back is either that the league didn't really want to be at the Coliseum -- and USC wasn't crazy about having the NFL there -- or the league didn't want to be in the endless 'burbs of southern California. But the backers of the new stadium, Casey Wasserman and Tim Leiweke, are well-connected guys who want to build the kind of retractable-roof events center that could be used to attract the 2022 World Cup final (or some future World Cup) and Final Fours, as well as an NFL team. Influential owners in the league are excited about the Los Angeles prospect ending a generation-long drought in the city, and these are owners who -- I can tell you with certainty -- have not been nearly as excited about any of the previous L.A. ventures.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...#ixzz15Sn0qZVv

This is nearly all speculation! The Wassermans already tried this over five years ago. Unbelievable. The most striking element here is that it is now clear to me that the NFL needs LA much more than LA needs the NFL. It's a good thing.

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 10 -- Dave's Night Moves of the Week

2010-11-09T08:24:00.000-08:00

Dave's (zing!)

LOCKS (bonk!)

of the Week (doink!)

And it's here... Dave's LOCKS of the Week

Week 10

It's time here on LOCKS of the Week that we look into three night games, juicy games under the lights that are screaming to be bet on. To the picks!

First, we start with tonight's big showdown in Atlanta. Normally Atlanta is HOT lanta, and the Falcons have a remarkable home field advantage and tremendous running game. The 92nd (or whatever) Battle of the Birds features an improving Matt Ryan vs a Struggling Joe Flacco. Not to mention, the Ravens defense lately is pitiful on the edges. They give up tons of passing yards and I think the Falcons will fly right over Baltimore's D-Line and take this by more than the -1 point they give. Only one point? Falcons -1, and that's a layup!!

Next, we fly out from Atlanta to another night game up in Pittsburgh, PA. The Steelers will host the Patriots at home and while I don't think much of the Patriots defense, and while I think NE is vastly overrated, and while Tom Brady is hurt, I do think this presents an interesting matchup for the Steelers. I figure the Pats will utilize ball control and keep Pittsburgh's offense off the field, and the game will likely be closer than the +4.5 . I'll take the points and salute Patriotism with the Pride of New England at the Steel City. Pats +4.5!

Lastly, we head out to Washington D.C., where the Redskins host the Philadelphia Eagles. Once again, the Redskins are a 3 point underdog at home! While I was sure to give the road favorite the points the last time (GB), this time out, I'm going to take the points and go Washington and the +3. Tribe owns Eagle... boom. Washington and the Points along the Potomac.

That's your Night Cap for this week's

Dave's (blink)
LOCKS (click)
of the Week (snap!)

To Review: Atl -1, Pit +4.5, Wash +3

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week Love Potion Number 9!

2010-11-03T14:05:00.000-07:00

It's love, it's passion... IT'S A TRAP!

It's

Dave's (smooch!)

LOCKS (smack!)

of the Week (squish)

Dave's LOCKS of the Week

Week Loooove Potion No. 9!!

We don't get to have a Valentine's Day edition of the LOCKS of the Week normally so I though to dedicate a love, betrayal, sex, edition of our LOCKS of the Week.

We're coming up on Week Nine of the NFL Season, and we have many trap games to enjoy. Of those games, some of them, of our LOCKS of the Week!

To the picks..!

First to Sweet Georgia (Brown Leaves) and Atlanta where the Falcons are hosting the visiting upstart Buccaneers. Coach Raheem Morris of the Bucs says "Who cares about the stats?! We're a great team."

All right mister Ice Cream, *prove it!*

The Bucs have a lot to prove as they defend their record against a pretty good although not perfect Atlanta Falcons team atop the NFC South. I still think the Falcons have tremendous depth at WR, RB, as well as a good QB and should have a very good game, but that line: way too high! I'll take the Bucs to cover +8.5 but not win and pillage the line of scrimmage by the yaarrrrrd.

Onward, from the Georgia Dome over to the State of Texans, where Texas baseball and football teams have combined to go 0-4 since Sunday Afternoon. YOI! This week the struggling Texans return home to face the visiting Chargers on a Sunday afternoon. The Texans lost at Indy last week, but I am NOT going to write off Houston just like that. The Houston front seven is still a great asset and will most definitely give Philip Rivers fits. I look for the Texans to dominate, and take the +1.5 points easily at home!

Finally, out West we go to Seattle and we see the home of tremendous foils and folly: Qwest Field, home of the Seahawks. Many have already crowned the New York Giants kings of the NFC East, but not so fast! The Giants often struggle in unusual places: at home, in bad weather conditions, and in Seattle. Who could forget Jay Feely's THREE missed field goals on that very field one fateful evening in 2005? Seattle is truly the house of horrors for NFC East Talent, as witnessed by Tony Romo's bobbled snap to win the game in the Wild Card round on that same field.

This week, we may enjoy the Giants success so far, but it ends right here. Look for the Seahawks to trash the Giants O-Line and rip apart Eli Manning. Seahawks should take the +5.5 games and possibly win this Sunday Afternoon.

Three Dogs on a Dog Eat Dog week on

Dave's (bark!)

LOCKS (woof!)

of the Week (arf!)

To Review on this Week Love Potion No. 9 with all the Traps: TB +8.5, HOU +1.5, SEA +5.5

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 8 Hallowed LOCKS of the Week

2010-10-28T08:58:00.000-07:00

Ghosts and goblins rule the night..

Monsters stare and watch in fright...!

But Dave's predictions see the light

Dave's (howwwwwwwl)

LOCKS (boo!)

of the Week (Aieeeee!)

Dave's Hallowed LOCKS of the Week

Week 8

Many screams of jubilee as Dave went 2-1 for thee

Now to this week's hand of picks, on we go, it shall be SICK!

[To the picks...]

At Louis, the Saint, a flock appears... We'll take the Rams, give (-3) and fearrr..

AAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHHHH!!!

Next, to the home of Paul Brown, sight of Orange Hue, the road dogs, nay, Dolphins, shall take the deuce (+2).

HUHUHUHUHUHHH!!! AAAH HAHAHAHAH!! (blam!! blam!!!)

And last in the land of the ragged Saints, this Hallowed Night, strange things eminate.

I take the Saints (-1), to haunt and hail, the Steelers D is doomed... to FAIL.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA AAAAH HAHAHAHAHAHAHH!!! (BLAM!!!!)

Do be careful on Night of the Dead

Treat Responsibly, I said...

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh

with

Dave's (chop!)

LOCKS (clang!)

of the Week (bonng)

To Review: Rams -3, Dolphins +2, Saints -1

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 7 -- LOUTS of the Week

2010-10-21T08:36:00.000-07:00

Hi friends!

Wow, who went 0-3? It's me! It's me!

Ugh... all right let's start it up, y'all...

Dave's (donk)

LOCKS (binng!)

of the Week (THUMP)

Dave's LOUTS of the Week

Week 7

Nuts.. I can't catch a break. I had a edge on all three of my LOCKS last week and ALL THREE of them were blown in the 3rd quarter!! All three!!!!!! COME ON NOW!! Can't I catch a break?

We'll try to do it all again, STARTING...

...in HOT-lanta where the Falcons continue to get it done, with some exceptions. The Flirty Birds always flirt with the line on the road but not last week. A total PATHETIC effort at Philadelphia, but in better news, Atlanta is now at home, facing the Bungles. Take the Falcons to peck all across the Bungle's Fir. Atlanta -3.5!

Next, out of the deep south and into the beaches of Florida. It's going to hurt me to pick this but I gotta go with the flipping Dolphins against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers. The Dolphins will jump through those steel hoops and drown the curtain in Sunny Miami Gardens and we will take the DOLPHINS +3

And finally, we'll hover over to the big spaceship in Arlington, Cowboys Stadium for the big Monday Nighter with Dallas and NYG. The Cowboys, as desperate as ever (don't listen to what Wade Phillips says) will put forth some GREAT pressure, as they tend to do, on the Giants and Eli Manning and DOMINATE on the big stage, giving the -3 points easily.

And that will hopefully flip, whip, and peck things around on

Dave's (whiirrrrr)

LOCKS (zzzzzzzzzzzzz)

of the Week (rattle...!)

To Review: Atlanta -3.5; Miami +3; Dallas -3

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 6 -- Disappointments of the Week

2010-10-14T09:06:00.001-07:00

Hiya Folks!

HIIIII DAAAVE!

I had a bad week last week!

HOWWW BAD WAS IT...

It was so bad, the Packers took the field and at the end of the game, the Detroit Lions walked off of it. ZING!! I'm killing it, on

Dave's (Bonk!)

LOCKS (brrrrp)

of the Week (zzzzzt!)

Dave's DISAPPOINTMENTS of the Week

Sixth Edition

Oi! My streak of winning weeks on LOTW hung in the air and rested on a ball Mason Crosby kicked near the end of Regulation at FedEx Field against the Redskins. And by God, it was so close to hitting, and with it, my unbeaten streak. But no!! It hit off the crossbar despite having plenty of distance!! The Packers would go on to lose in Overtime and blow the -2.5 point cover. Argh!

Enough of the rants, we try to rebound as we enter...

DISAPPOINTMENTS of the Week. To the picks!

We start in HOU-STONNNN! Where the Texans face the Chiefs. Ok, so "HOU-STONNN" doesn't have quite the ring that "KAN-SAS City!" does, but what does ring is the ears of the Texans after getting beaten to death by the NY Football Giants. This week, I dare say the Chiefs start a new streak, that is, a LOSING one, as the Ranging Texans (yipee, yee ha!) stampede the sneaking Chiefs (HOW, Otowe!) and destroy the (-4.5) point spread. Texans by 5+ at least!.

Onward, from the Texas Toast up to the Spirit of New Englannnnd! (WBZ Booostoonn!) and Gillette Stadium. At the Razor this week: The Patriots host the surging Baltimore Ravens who are slowly finding their offense. Flacco has been off to a rough start no doubt, but quoth this Raven... "Never more!" The Brady Bunch will not have that easy of a start and as you remember, the Ravens still have them figured out if last year's Wild Card game was any indication. Look for the Ravens to peck all over the Minute Men in Massachussets and cover the +3 easily.

Now let's go on to our DOG of the Week (woof woof!)

Down the rivers and lakes we go from Massachussets to Cleveland Ohio. Big Ben makes his return for the Steelers on the road at Browns Stadium. The Steelers coming off a bye and looking hungry, but wait just a second! The Browns have given many teams a tough time all year long and have had 3 point spreads almost every week. Now all of a sudden they're a +13.5 point underdog?? Something is amiss, and these bloodhounds will sniff it out. Let's take the points in Cleveland with the Moon over Parma and take the BROWNS to bark out the points (+13.5) against the visiting Steel Curtain.

And THESE are our rebound picks for

Dave's (boinnng!)

LOCKS (dink!)

of the Week (blamm!)

To Review: Houston -2.5; Baltimore +3; Cleveland +13.5

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 5 -- One Liner's of the Week

2010-10-06T08:57:00.000-07:00

Hey! You ever hear the one about the Rabbi that went to the Casino and did

Dave's (bang!)
LOCKS (ka-ching!)
of the Week (rrriing)

Dave's ONE LINERS of the Week
Week 5 Edition

I had a great week last week, HOW GREAT WAS IT???

I went 2-1 in LOTW and it felt like Moss joined the Vikings again. ZING!

To the picks (wah wahhh...)

Why did the Packers Cross the Redskins and cover (-2.5)? To get to the other hyde! Get it?? Zing!!!

Knock Knock... (who's there?) Big Blue... (Big Blue hoo?) Houston's (-3.0) gonna make Big Blue go BOO HOO!! Aahhh I'm killing it! Tapaiya!

What do you get when you cross an Falcon (-3.0) with a Brown? The Dirty Bird!! Aaaahhahahahaha That's all I got, good night everybody!!!

on

Dave's (yaaay!)
LOCKS (neiiiiggghhh)
of the Week (clank)

To review: Three Favorites this week, and I'll probably get one of them: GB -2.5, Houston -3.0, Atlanta -3.0

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 4 -- Dave's ?'s of the Week

2010-09-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

Hey hey!! Who wants to play...

Dave's (bang!)

LOCKS (clanggg!)

of the Week (plop)

Dave's LOCKS of the Week

Week Numero Quatro.. (that's Week 4 for those of you who don't speak Spanish)

Success! Last week, the LOTW went 3-0, to bring LOCKS of the Week to a remarkable 6-1-2 to start the year. NOW, it starts to get *very* dicey, and I don't anticipate great results, but here we go: To the Picks......!

We start in Buffalo where the Bills have really been picked apart, wing by wing, from start to finish. Would you believe the Bills covered the spread last week? An unusual finish at Foxboro as Buffalo nearly sauced the Pats in Massachussetts.

This week: expect a much different story as the Jets fly into Ralph Wilson Stadium coming off their best offensive effort of the year so far, an effort against a presumably good Dolphins Defense, but also one where the Jets defense played its worst game yet. Not surprising, given they were without Star CB Darrelle Revis. You might think the Bills will rise up and keep pace with the Jets. BUT THIS IS THE BILLS and Proud Buffalo Bill ought to be left in the dust as the Jets fire afterburners, and fry the Buffalo Bills straight into Hidden Valley (Ranch, that is). I'm taking J-E-T-S JETS! JETS! JETS! and giving the -5.

Our flight continues at high altitude then lands at the home of Three Rivers, the Steel City, Pittsburgh, PA. At stake: Pride, Power, and a stint atop the AFC North (possibly). The Steelers (3-0) against the Ravens (2-1). Baltimore is the team everyone expects to take the AFC North this year, BUT NOT SO FAST! It's the Black and GOLD who've been just golden on defense, whether it be Harrison, Polamalu, and the like. Nonetheless, look for the Ravens to float onto Heinz field and pour the ketchup on the new Steel Curtain. Take the Ravens AND the +1.5 points, in another tough fought, defensive, physical game.

Finally, down the river and into the everglades we go as we see the Indianapolis Colts visit the Jacksonville Jaguars, and boy are they bad. Traditionally, the Colts have run and passed all over Jacksonville, and this week will be no different. Jaguars are capable creatures but against THESE Stallions? No chance! Manning will pass it up big time and I will give the -7.5 to the Colts.

And that is your line or three on

Dave's (zzzzzzz!)

LOCKS (ping!)

of the Week (clink!)

To review: NYJ -5; Bal +1.5; Ind -7.5

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 3, It Just Seems Too Easy.

2010-09-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

Who's ready for a free ride?
A soul tide?
Well, open wide!

Dave's (creak)
LOCKS (squeak)
of the Week! (tweak!)

Dave's LOCKS of the Week
Week Number 3

It seems too easy doesn't it sports fans? I had a good week in LOCKS last week, despite the 1-1-1 record. Pushes are frustrating... you could take them as either a win or a loss. In this case, it felt like a win with Houston down double digits at DC. I'll take it!

Now then, to the picks!

Last week felt hard, but this week, WHOOF, so so easy! SO easy! Let's eeeease into Reliant Stadium. Ah yes, easy, reliable... but can you rely on the Cowboys lately? They've been shut down by two teams that no one expected to do so. Suddenly, Dallas is a painful 0-2 going to Houston this Sunday. But look for the Cowboys to ride 'em HIGH and show Houston who the *real* Texans are! Yipee Kai-Yo-Kai-YAY as we take Dallas and the meager +3 points off into the sunset.

Riding off from Houston to the Carolinas, we see the Bungles of Cincy meet the Panthers of Charlotte. If you think the Panther are at all a good team, you are FOOLING yourself. These meager kittens switch their RBs like they switch socks, and the QB is nothing to speak of with or WITHOUT Casey Klaussen. *Lame.* You can take Cincinnati and give the (-3). Then, laugh it all the way to the bank.

Ka-CHING!

Now on to Denver in the next annual battle of the stallions. The Broncos are nursing grief from the death of a fallen WR. The Colts are hungry and hoping for a big showing. Given the circumstances I'm taking the horseshoes over the non-horseshoes. Colts gallop to a big win and give (-5.5) . In fact, I'm amazed that's the line is that low!

We like it a lot and we're going favorites here on

Dave's (wheeeeeeze)
LOCKS (clank!)
of the Week (bonnnng!)

To Review: Dallas +3, Cincy -3, Indy -5.5

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 2 -- The Sequel

2010-09-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

One good week of picks deserves another, bring it on!!

Ba-baaaaaa!

Here comes the latest

Dave's (clank!)

LOCKS (squish)

of the Week (crumble..)

Dave's LOCKS of the Week

Week 2: The Sequel

IMPRESSIVE week on my part last week, going 2-0-1 in picks for the NFL in Week One. I can't believe it? I have a winning record? Let's make it TWO, as we get...

--to the picks!

First, out to Cleveland, Ohio where the Browns host the Chiefs in a showdown for nobody. All right, I know that the Brownies were my "1" that I pushed on last week, but let me tell you, the Browns are here to play.

The Chiefs did a remarkable feat last week. Kan-sas City won a game with no offense and spe-cial teams. How do you even do that?? It boggles the mind but the smoked meat goes South this week as the Dog Pound laps up the table scraps from the ol' Monday Night affair. Look to the Browns to cover AFC North of -1.5 (that's it?!) at the mistake by the lake. What can BROWNS... do for you?

Shipping out from the great midwest to the Potomac and into to FedEx field, a place where UPS company is NOT welcome, but nonetheless, a package of Titans vs Redskins awaits us. Witness, gentlemen, the young, feisty Texans stampede onto the grass and take on the Tribe. And if you saw their "act" a week ago you can tell the Tribe ain't got bite in their offense. Bows and Arrows won't be enough to take down the Red White and Houston Blue, so I am taking the TEXANS and giving the Points (-3) with their ever improving run game and pass rush.

Onward, up the river and back around the bend, South Bend that is, and upwards to Indy, where the Defending AFC Champion Colts host their first home game. OOH, can you imagine the excitement when the fans get to hoist their... what?! The Colts *lost* the Super Bowl?? --and LOST Week 1 to Houston? ...and LOST their safety Bob Sanders?!?! Indy's defense so far is a season of losses, but as they do in the brickyards, look for the Colts to ZOOM to a resounding victory over Big Blue, the G-Men, and take their home opener just above the (-5.5) point spread. These Colts always take it *right* to the finish line!

It's a wrap! And another day of excitement on

Dave's (Screech!)

LOCKS (Vroom!)

of the Week (Bonk)

Enjoy this less than thrilling Week 2, folks. Hope to do more of the same next week.

To review: Browns -1.5, Texans -3.0, Colts -5.5

Dave's LOCKS of the Week - Week 1: Two Dogs for the Price of One!

2010-09-09T10:09:00.000-07:00

Football is a great game...

It is a grand game...

It is, the only game...

[MLB] Heyyyy!! What about baseball!

[NFL] Get out of here! Two cow-town teams just beat you in the ratings!

[MLB] Waaaaaaaaahhhhh!

Ahem, where was I?

Played no where else on Earth... it is, the best game...

It deserves: The Best Picks

Annnd NOW, beginning it's FOURTH SEASON: Here it is!!!

Dave's (clank!)

LOCKS (bink!)

of the Week! (pi-yoiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!)

Dave's LOCKS of the Week

Week 1

Let's get to it boys! (yeaaaaahhh!) TO THE PICKS. Week 1

We're calling out the Dogs this week. Read on, enjoy, devour!

We will NOT be selecting from the Vikings/Saints game. The revolution... will NOT be televised. We start instead in Tampa Bay! Ohh Tampa... uh... damn, there's no Tampa Bay theme song is there? Landmarks? No? Really?! Ok, anyway, the Bucs are (-3) point favorites at home to rebuilding Cleveland Brownies. Tampa Bay is HORRIBLE, they have a lot of ?'s and few options offensively. Freeman is not really what you'd call a quarterback, but while the Browns don't offer much either, they finished on a high note winning their last month of games, and featuring new direction (Holmgren), a better defense, and perhaps some leadership from one Jake Delhomme. The better QB usually wins, so I'm baking the Brownies and taking the points. Browns +3.

Nothing says lovin' like Brownies from the oven but NOTHING says "junkpile" than our sail up the Atlantic and up through New York to BUFFALO where the Dolphins are on the road to face the Buffaloooo Bills! Buffalo Bill, on top of a hill, he fetched a pail of water, the owner flipped out, the team fell back and no one came watching thereafter. C.J. Spiller could have potential, Evans might have another decent year, but I'd rather go with the better coverage defense. The Dolphins will splash all over the Buffalo, water or non, and I'll EASILY take the -3 points.

Does anyone realize how BAD the Bills are?

Onward! From the meager slopes of Upstate NY down to the Meadowlands we go for the Monday night showdown with the Jets and the Ravens. Defense, both teams have it. Offense... oooh, not so much. And who would have guessed the flyin' Ravens would have a better air attack than Jets? It's true! Look at Flacco over the season and compare with Turnover Sanchez on the Jets. I dare say we'll see some Joe Cool outlast the Dirty Sanchez over in NJ. Take the Ravens and the points. Quoth the Ravens: "We had a lockdown defense way before you did and you stole our idea to go on HBO and do the Hard Knocks Show too!" Ravens +2.5.

Two Dogs... for the price of one! Right here on...

Dave's (bang!)

LOCKS (bong!)

of the Week (BOOOOOM!)

Low point spreads but I'm still riding high. To review: Cleveland +3, Miami -3, Baltimore +2.5

Dave Medina vs the Universe (beat it, Pilgrim!)

2010-09-09T10:05:00.000-07:00

Okey folks! Here's the Official Dave in the City College Pick'em, Week 2

(brought to you by themikefrancesa.com)

Thursday

Miss St. +1.5 (I must be nuts)

Friday

West Virginia -12.5
Houston -19.5

Saturday

SCAR -3.5
Hawaii +3
Florida -15
OU -7.5
Michigan +4
Iowa -13.5
Miami +8.5
Tennessee +12
BYU +1
Bama -11.5
Stanford -6
USC -19.5

Aren't you glad you used NFL?

2010-09-09T10:01:00.000-07:00

Here it comes!

Walkin' down the street...

Everybody you look for blah blah meet.

Hey hey it's Football, the best stinkin' sport a-r-ounnnd

And everybody's singing... because their favorite team's in townnnn.

HEY HEY! It's Football... don't you just love to sit down?

Watch a little pregame with munchies..

America is kickoff BOUND!

[What is it with me leading off every NFL season with a TV theme spoof?]

Sorry, Boise... Not Impressed.

2010-09-07T16:17:00.000-07:00

Saw the Boise State/Va Tech game last night. I thought it was a great game. Unfortunately, because it was so great, and so close, I have to dock Boise State some points. You watch: If Virginia Tech gets its head kicked in this season, and I mean by anybody, that is going to be a BIG hit on Boise State. Boise barely beat this team. Now I know that it was very impressive the way Boise State came back after giving up the lead, and I know they were initially up 17-0, but that they let the team back into the game in *this* manner doesn't speak well for the Broncos.

I'll explain... There've been other teams in history that have gone out on the road and dominated in games just like this. USC, in basically the same situation took care of Virginia Tech handily, 24-13. Same location as last night too. To win by only 3 points?! And on a desperation drive?? And with Virginia Tech basically STILL having a chance to win at the end?

Color me unconvinced.

Beginneth the College Footballeth

2010-09-02T10:16:00.001-07:00

Alllll right, folks! For better or worse, here comes College Football!

Here's my picks for the weekend:

Thursday Night:

Don't know who that opponent is, but I'll take SCAR -14
Pitt +3
Hawaii +21

Rest of the Schedule:

Az -15
Illinois +11
Vandy -5.5
Purdue +11
Michigan -3
Kentucky -3
BYU -3
Oregon State +13.5
Fresno State -3.5
Texas Tech -14
Navy -6.5
Boise -2.5

Manny Ramirez is Alllll Right with Me

2010-08-30T08:41:00.000-07:00

Hey hey...

I don't really care about baseball right now, but I heard that Manny argued a *first pitch strike* at Coors in a pinch hit effort and was thrown out.

uh... ok. If you want to start railing on him for that, whatever. I still think he's been great for us and I'm not going to suddenly say "he's a bum or he's this or that". Nope... I just am not going to fall for it.

Besides this isn't Manny's fault. This is more on the Dodgers and White Sox for not working out a deal sooner. I know Tuesday is the deadline but c'mon we already know what's going to happen they should have had something figured out already.

Now Manny will leave basically for nothing in return from Chicago. Again, I'm not blaming Manny for this, I blame McCourt and Reinsdorf and the two teams.

In better Dodger News, I understand that today they'll start trials to determine who gets ownership of the Dodgers. That means, between Frank and Jamie, one of them will control the team and these meetings will decide who it is. I know I bag on Frank a lot, but for GOD's Sake, please don't give this team to Jamie! You do that and its Georgia Frontiere part two. Complete with relocation to St. Louis (or wherever Jamie is from). Even as lame as McCourt is, I want Frank to own the team, if I had to choose between the two. Hopefully the jurisdiction has a brain and decides to do the right thing.

With the White Sox 4.5 games behind the Twins, a Manny Ramirez pickup would be nothing more than a shit-show. I certainly hope Manny does well, but this White Sox team ain't that great. Too old, too beat up, not very athletic aside from Beckham and Alexi Ramirez, and with suspect pitching and a HORRIBLE bullpen. So as for Chicago taking the division... FORGET IT.

Predicting the BCS Top 10

2010-08-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

The NCAA Pre-Season rankings were released over the weekend with the following teams:

AP Top 25
RK	TEAM	RECORD	PTS
1	Alabama (54)	0-0	1491
2	Ohio State (3)	0-0	1400
3	Boise State (1)	0-0	1336
4	Florida	0-0	1237
5	Texas (1)	0-0	1223
6	TCU	0-0	1160
7	Oklahoma (1)	0-0	1104
8	Nebraska	0-0	1033
9	Iowa	0-0	1007
10	Virginia Tech	0-0	973

To be honest with you, I think these are great rankings! A lot of people complained about Boise State. And? Boise State has a lousy schedule and their only competition is a neutral site game against Virginia Tech, which they'll win of course, to fan the flames.

I don't think Boise has the kind of players that can compete with any of these other teams on a week to week basis. Not even TCU. Va Tech is the only exception. I'd probably put Oregon above Va Tech with my limited knowledge of College Football.

So! Who of these teams will hang around and remain in the Top Ten at the end of the year (and by "Top Ten" we mean the BCS Top Ten which gets released in November)?

My picks:

Alabama
Florida
Ohio State
Texas
Oklahoma

I definitely wanted to include Nebraska, but Suh will now be an NFL player and I'm not familiar with the remainder of the team to make a competent prediction. It's possible to see them in there. Alabama is an easy one: they returned many of their starters and figure to at least be in the Top Five. Ohio State should be ready to go: they're well coached and now feature a seasoned Terrelle Pryor. Pryor is overrated, but is also good enough to win the majority of their games.

Texas continues to recruit well, so despite losing McCoy, I think that is a team to beat in the salvaged Big XII. Florida will win on the strength of their size and speed, but won't contend for a National Title (remember, Tebow is now a pro at Denver).

Boise State has too much pressure. I can't help but think about all the expectations weighed on Oregon a year ago when LeGarrette Blount nearly derailed the season in Week One! Ironically enough, that game went to Boise State. Nonetheless, the Ducks carried on, rebounded and made the Rose Bowl.

The difference is, Oregon had a large conference with USC on its schedule which really boosted the brownie points when the Ducks beat the Men of Troy. What will Boise State fall back on? Fresno State?! Idaho?!?! It's a no-win situation for Boise State, but it's also their own fault for not willing themselves to schedule more road games out of conference. SC would have been happy to host the Broncos. Any SEC team would pony up. Boise State has to go out and challenge the best to be the best. Remember: that's what USC does, and always has done.

So in all, it leaves Boise with no room for error. Lose one game and their ranking drops a ton. They may finish in the mid-teens.

Who knows how much of this list will truly remain. I listed 5 teams but that may be generous. We shall see.

The other New York Team...

2010-08-17T10:21:00.000-07:00

Last night I got to see the first football game (and no, soccer does not count!) at the new Meadowlands Stadium. Giants... Jets... a clash between two NY institutions.

So you look into this game (which featured a *nasty* hit to Eli Manning! Oof!) and start to wonder about the Jets. This is the team a lot of people, and I mean a LOT, picked to do big things this year. Can you believe everyone forgot about the Giants?

I don't know about you, but I think the Giants looked like the team ready to make a big post-season run. The Giants looked like they were hungry and ready (not that the Jets weren't but the G-Men seemed poised and ready for the challenge [well, for preseason]). The Giants looked experienced. The Giants acted as if they were there before.

And while it was pre-season it seemed like Big Blue dominated Gang Green in the First half, and ultimately, the game, which the Giants won 31-16. Jets fans seem to be shrugging this off, but I won't.

All along I thought the G-Men were getting overlooked. First, by the SUPREMELY Overrated Redskins who suddenly became a Super Bowl team because they added one over the hill QB. Next, understandably, by the Eagles, who I also think are pretty darn good and could have a nice season with Kolb and Co. Lastly, and predictably, by the Cowboys, who by all means *should* be a favorite to win it all.

Yet, it seems to me like the Giants might be a team that could get it done. I was in Las Vegas last week and saw they were 15/1 favorites to win it all. At one point they were 20/1 and 25/1 favorites. Kind of crazy to do this for a team with an improving defense plus two nice pickups from the Titans to augment said defense, they being Bullock and Antrelle Rolle.

Nuts! The Jets get all the hype but it seems like the Giants are a more sound team. Offensively? Ok, they're still limited. The Running game may never be good again post-EWF. The Giants are still looking to find their playmakers. Fair enough. But the Giants may be the sleeper of sleepers: a team multiple pundits predict to wallow nondescriptly that *instead* becomes the team to beat in the NFC East.

We shall see. The division seems to be weaker than in years past, which means its as wide open as it's ever been.

Clash of the Texans?

2010-08-09T08:13:00.000-07:00

Houston Texans owner Bob McNair is going to meet with NFL Commissioner Roger Goddell in an attempt to reduce or (in a fantasy world) eliminate Brian Cushing's 4 game suspension for PED violations.

We'll see the results of this in a few hours, but take a look at the NFL Super Bowl Odds today:

(courtesy of Sportsbook.com)

Odds to win Super Bowl XLV (as of 8/7/10)

Arizona Cardinals: 75/1
Atlanta Falcons: 20/1
Baltimore Ravens: 12/1
Buffalo Bills: 100/1
Carolina Panthers: 100/1
Chicago Bears: 25/1
Cincinnati Bengals: 30/1
Cleveland Browns: 100/1
Dallas Cowboys: 8/1
Denver Broncos: 75/1
Detroit Lions: 100/1
Green Bay Packers: 8/1
Houston Texans: 40/1
Indianapolis Colts: 7/1
Jacksonville Jaguars: 100/1
Kansas City Chiefs: 100/1
Miami Dolphins: 30/1
Minnesota Vikings: 15/1
New England Patriots: 10/1
New Orleans Saints: 8/1
New York Giants: 20/1
New York Jets: 10/1
Oakland Raiders: 100/1
Philadelphia Eagles: 20/1
Pittsburgh Steelers: 18/1
San Diego Chargers: 10/1
San Francisco 49ers: 20/1
Seattle Seahawks: 100/1
St Louis Rams: 200/1
Tampa Bay Buccanneers: 200/1
Tennessee Titans: 40/1
Washington Redskins: 30/1

Anyone notice Houston's odds? 40/1! Seems like an awfully talented team to be 40/1, and more importantly this team has been so close to making the playoffs the last three years, I think this year is when they finally break through.

Although, in so doing, they'll have a formidable schedule, and not to mention a VERY tough season opener at home against the Defending AFC Champion Indianapolis Colts. Yep, the same team that is 15-1 lifetime against the Texans with their only loss coming, ironically, on December 24, 2006, the Colts Super Bowl Season.

And believe *me*, today's Texans are measures better than the 2006 team. I think, even though it's a Week 1 game, this could be a HUGE indicator of things to come for Houston. Tune in, won't you?

Gut Check Time for the Dodgers: Rev. 2.0

2010-08-05T08:09:00.000-07:00

It seemed like a week ago when the Dodgers had a chance to save their season against the Padres, and they failed miserably. They scored not more than 2 runs in a game for the whole series. It was, in a word, awful.

Today, the same scenario repeats itself, but this time with the Dodgers even further back in the standings. Today, LA is 7 games back of the San Diego Padres. If the Dodgers win, it gives them a slight window of opportunity, but realistically they still are too far to have a shot to get to the playoffs.

At this point, Dodger Fans want to see a team with some fight in it. If they can win tonight, maybe some of that fight will return. Anyone notice how Russell Martin and Rafael Furcal did not play last night due to injury, yet, it seemed like offense was more fluid than before.

It may have been a fluke. Going into the Giants series, Furcal was red hot. Hard to figure. Martin, though, needs a break.

The Dodgers had their first real break-out game in a month, when they beat the frontrunning Padres 9-0, with the aid of a Complete Game 2 hit Shutout by Vicente Padilla. Excellent performance, and the best performance I've ever seen from Padilla. He mixed in a curveball that was so fluttery, so fluffy, yet, with its slow motion glory fooled about every hitter in the lineup. Padilla also had 9 strikeouts on the night in a moment where he was "Going the Distance."

Great to know movie studios are plugging another mediocre movie set in New York about a boy and a girl who find the perfect match. Yuck. I've seen this movie 1000 times. Try again, Hollywood.

But for LA... it's been a very tough season, and I think this is just a temporary success story that will eventually be erased by another slide in the standings. Tonight will set the pace for the rest of the season. Billingsley will need to be great once again. Can he do it three times in a row?

The Mother of All Bandwagons

2010-07-29T09:34:00.000-07:00

Get ready for it everyone. You think Brett Favre is a bandwagon... it'll look like a midget compared to the Death Star of bandwagons... the 2011 Miami Heat.

More and more people are jumping on the bandwagon, even NBA guys who are usually keen on the league. It's unfortunate.

To Riles' credit, he's augmented the lineup very nicely with what little he has. But a lot of these guys are spot up shooters, like Miller and Z and Maglore and Arroyo.

But seriously where's the defense??? We all know the rub with spot shooters. When they go cold, it becomes an infection and what if one of the Big 3 is having an off night? I guess I'm underestimating Bosh during all this since I basically ignored him in all my analysis.

I just don't think this team has the defense NOR the front court to match up with Orlando, Boston, SA, LA, and possibly Oklahoma City. So suddenly this team is a "LOCK" to win the NBA Finals? I must be nuts... either I am or they are. Which is it?

Your Weekly Pennant Race Showdown Predictions

2010-07-27T12:55:00.000-07:00

-- with all due respect to Awful Announcing

Today we're looking into the big Pennant Race matchups in MLB. Some of these series may already be in progress.

A quick outlook:

Dodgers vs Padres: Tough pitching matchup for all three games. I'm going to go with LA to take 2 of 3 despite some empirical statistical advantages for pitchers on the SD rotation.

Marlins vs Giants: I think this is a series split. The Marlins can't close games. The Giants can't get hits in weird spots (or at best, they're very streaky). We saw a sample of it last night when Ricky Nolasco (of all people) shut down the G-Men.

Red Sox vs Angels: Surprisingly, I think the Red Sox will win this one. The Angels have fallen on hard times, and Haren's minor setback last night isn't a great sign. Boston has won game one, so we'll see what happens from here on.

Phillies vs Diamondbacks: Phils on a win streak. D'backs basically quit on their season. Just by default, I'm going to guess the depleted Phils overtake the Diamondbacks' dreadful club.

Cardinals vs Mets: I think the Mets have this series. While they had a terrible road trip, remember, the Mets are equally as good at home. Mets get 2 of 3.

Braves vs Nats: A better series than you might expect. I'll call for the upset on the strength of Strasburg's start. Nats take the series.

Other Superpower Teams in the NBA...

2010-07-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

I thought of this this morning while I was in bed. With Chris Paul potentially joining the New York Knicks, I figured they'd be able to make some real noise.

If the LeBron/Wade/Bosh team is "Superteam." That'd make the Knicks, "Batman-team". Stoudamire, Paul, and elusive combo with many weapons. Although in the end they're just regular guys with toys, so they don't have much for defense.

What other Comic Book groups can we assign our NBA Super Powers? I came up with these ideas.

Lakers: The Fantastic Four! Kobe Bryant, Gasol, Odom, and Artest.
Celtics: The Justice League. You may not beat them, but their toughness makes you pay!
Magic: The Spidermen. Look at how Dwight Howard can scale walls and swat things away! He can leap from building to building with the best of 'em.
Atlanta: The X-Men. You never know what to expect from these jokers.

There's more, but I thought this was a good start.

The Rebound: Who recovers?

2010-07-19T20:38:00.000-07:00

Four teams had terrible four game series over the weekend:

The Dodgers lost 4 straight to the Cardinals
The Red Sox lost 3 of 4 to the Rangers
The Phillies lost 3 of 4 to the Cubs
The Mets lost 3 of 4 to the Giants

Who rebounds? I think we'll go into a week long projection (which takes us to next Monday).

I say...

Dodgers split their next two series
Sox win their next two series
Phillies lose their next two series
Mets split their next two series

And THAT's why they call 'em "LOCKS of the Week" :)

The Weekend: East vs West

2010-07-14T14:46:00.000-07:00

Two big baseball series pepper the weekend, among others (such as LA/StL):

Mets vs Giants
Rangers vs Red Sox

Basically you're looking at East division vs West Division contenders in both cases. One NL, one AL.

Predictions: Believe it or not I'm going to select the Giants to take three of four at home. They tend to play well there, and I imagine the 1-2-3 for SF beats the 1-2-3 for NY. And looking at probables...

Dickey vs Lincecum: Are you kidding me? Timmy will dominate compared to R.A. Dickey. Dickey can barely get a wiffle ball across the plate!
Niese vs Zito: Going with the experience here. Zito is a workhorse and will keep the Giants in the game throughout. All he needs is some run support.
Pelfrey vs TBA: Well it's that always tough TBA... TBA really has a wicked curveball and an underrated slider. More importantly, Big Pelf has come apart in the last week. I think TBA will display more poise.
Santana vs TBA: No telling who Bochy will start here, but if he goes with Cain, this might be a tight, 0-0 game. But I do think the Mets gut it out to break the sweep.

For the Rangers and Red Sox:

Hunter vs Wakefield: Gotta give the edge to the youngin'. His stuff easily beats Wakefields 50/50 knuckleball. You can never tell for sure, but I'd go Hunter for the win.
Lewis vs Doubront: No idea. Not familiar with either pitcher but I imagine they cancel each other out. I'll give it to Boston on the strength of Home Field.
Lee vs TBA: Jury's still out on Lee. He *has* pitched at Fenway before, but he has a career ERA of 5.79 there with a WHIP of 1.6! Go for TBA.
Wilson vs TBA: You'd have to think the Red Sox would find a way to work in Jon Lester or possibly Clay Bucholz in this series. If either pitches in this game, I go with the Red Sox.

In total, I think both the Rangers and Red Sox split the four games.

So predictions are set... let's play ball! (tomorrow)

note: R.I.P. George Steinbrenner. He was an iconic figure and a memorable character. I don't know if he was good for the game of baseball. We'll know for sure as the years go by.

Announcer, "Number One", Mr. Bob Sheppard... "Number One"...

2010-07-11T16:34:00.000-07:00

Rest in Peace Mr. Bob Sheppard. You've been a great longtime Yankee Announcer, have been as much a part of the tradition as the pinstripes and frieze, and we all are grateful for your many contributions. Condolences go out to the Sheppard family from all of us here at LOCKS of the Week.

The (Micro) Preview: World Cup Final -- Netherlands vs Spain

2010-07-10T20:39:00.000-07:00

I probably know less about International Soccer than I do about any other sport, including swimming. That said, I think we're in for a real dog-fight Sunday Afternoon (Sunday Night over in South Africa)!

The Spaniards and the Dutch: Two people who have never tasted a World Cup Championship before. Doesn't it feel like Super Bowl XVI at the Silverdome? A new(ish) building, a new power, a new matchup... two teams that had never been there before. There was a lot of wonder leading up to that matchup.

Actually there were some additional firsts to that game. For CBS, it was the first Super Bowl Featuring John Madden and Pat Summerall. It was, more or less, the first Super Bowl held in a Cold-Weather City.

Today, some additional freshness and wonder evades the tip of the African Continent. For the match, I predict the Spaniards win it. For me, I hope they can pull it off. They've been to a few international events with high expectations, only to meet their demise. I do think it will go into extra time, and the goal will be scored there.

Again, I really have no semblance of expertise with Soccer, but I hope there's a great game in the making!

The final score? 2-1 Spain in the Extra Time.

Rockies/Padres Prediction (well, for two games)

2010-07-10T14:17:00.001-07:00

Great comeback by Colorado last night! Down 8-5, a run, then a Grand Slam put the Rockies ahead 10-8, after which the lead stood up.

Today, the Rockies try to repeat the recent trend. Three of their last wins have been come from behind efforts. Hard to think that will continue. It's also hard to think the Padres will keep winning with dinks and dunks and lucky bounces.

The Rockies take one of these next two and start to put some pressure on the Padres this season. Almost everyone predicts SD will fall off, and we could be close to seeing it now.

The Prediction: LeBron James

2010-07-08T15:07:00.000-07:00

The last two nights, the world has been lit ablaze with the prospect of LeBron James on a new team. Last night, it came to a head as Chris Broussard of ESPN leaked a detail that LeBron was "by all accounts" going to sign with the Miami Heat. He'd join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Since then I've been skeptical of that "leak." I don't even know if it is going to hold up. Tonight, the real decision begins! At 9pm ET, LeBron James will announce his intentions.

And LOCKS of the Week believes...... drumroll here please..........

LeBron is going to the New York Knicks!

--and you say "Whaaaaat?" It's true! He spends so much time there in that city that I feel like he's bound to do so. But notice he planted seeds in every town: Condos in Chicago, Hotel Reservations in Miami, a Gym Workout in Ohio, and on and on and on. But the most activity seems to have been in NYC. I think it happens. Tune in, won't you, as millions of lives are affected by this decision.

Please remember, though, it's just a game, and just a sport. Back with more predictions soon!

I'm baaaaaack

2010-07-08T15:03:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,

Boy am I sorry for the extremely long hiatus I've had here on the program. And wouldn't you know: the Magic didn't even come CLOSE to winning the damn Eastern Conference. Who knew???

Thanks so much for being there for the DITC podcast here on LOCKS of the Week, and now, I think I'm going to start doing some posts again.

The problem, in the past, was that I tried too hard. I wanted to do some very analytical, fact supported articles akin to those on Baseball Prospectus or other Sports Blogs. I tried to be a columnist in the footsteps of Bill Simmons or Jim Murray. Why do that? Why couldn't I do it differently??

So, I thought, instead of being some generic sports commentary site, I have determined that this blog space will now be the home for all of my crazy wacky predictions. Just as it was in the very beginning, except this time, I'll be doing predictions for sports other than football.

Let the prognostication begin!

-- and then the Magic won the Eastern Conference Finals

2010-05-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

This morning proves once and for all the media is a widely broadcast group of bandwagoners. All month we said that the Magic would storm through the East and now because of one game against Boston suddenly the Magic are a bus full of weaklings?

How about we settle down some? Now granted, the big comeback from Orlando doesn't prove anything except Boston has the tendency to let up with a big lead.

Otherwise, you can't conclude *anything* from Game 1! Magic were rusty, Celtics happened to play very well and summoned a lot of effort despite the short rest. C's played good defense in the first half and well there you go.

so?

That's why we suddenly throw the Magic under the bus and proclaim the series over? and trust me, this isn't just Herd, Herd's just piling on. its all these other commentators and other fans who are giving up on the Magic. The same two teams met a year ago minus two players: KG and Jameer Nelson. And despite these deficiencies, the Magic won the series... and won game 7 AT BOSTON.

So it's very very short sighted to award the Celtics the Eastern Conference championship... after ONE GAME! A little early fellas...

Magic will be fine. They'll bounce back here in Game 2, and then we'll have a series.

vtred predicts the Mets will win 98 Games

2010-03-29T14:06:00.001-07:00

On themikefrancesa.com one very optimistic Mets fan said the following:

98 wins for the Mets this year...mark it down...done!

98 wins, well, to put it in perspective, no NL team has won 98 wins since the St. Louis Cardinals won 100 games in 2005. These predictions are all in good fun, and for a talented team like the Mets, 2010 is going to be a fun watch!

Special thanks to themikefrancesa.com for the added juice and inspiration (TheMikeFrancesa.com Website)

Butler, West Virginia, Michigan State... the Season of Miracles

2010-03-29T14:03:00.001-07:00

On the Dave in the City Podcast I went over all the upsets that littered this year's College Basketball Tournament. Syracuse, Ohio State, Kentucky, Marquette, Kansas... GONE, GONE, GONE, GONE, GONE.

It's a fun one this year, and now you have a chance for a team, Butler, to win its first ever Championship in the 64+1 Tournament Era. Same goes for West Virginia... heck, the last time they made the tournament Jerry West was on it!

So are you ready? Set? ...MADNESS!!

Dave joins the Duke Bandwagon

2010-03-29T14:02:00.000-07:00

I'm shocked, just as you are... but I think Duke is pretty good.

They're more physical than I thought.

They're better defensively than I thought.

They're experienced, just as I thought, but they were certainly prepared and didn't let up.

What can I say? I underestimated the Duke Blue Devils. Congratulations to them for making the Final Four.

The Perfect Weekend

2010-03-07T10:17:00.000-08:00

Here are LA teams since Wednesday, leading up to this morning's game between the Lakers and Magic:

Lakers: 0-2
Clippers: 0-3
UCLA: 0-2
USC: 0-2
Kings: 0-2

Now THAT's losing! Nothing like "The Perfect Weekend" to buoy those spirits in the Southland. The rain seems to be fitting for a lousy sports weekend such as this.

Bob Miller Misses a Kings Game... It's News!

2010-03-06T21:08:00.000-08:00

First, before going on... WHO DAT!!!! Saints win the Super Bowl. Did I call it?

Onward....

I got home in West LA just a few minutes ago and come to find out that Jim Fox started to comment on the LA Kings to start the 3rd period. Then the period started, and he kept going!

I was shocked. Where was Bob Miller? --the Longtime, Legendary, Very Good Hockey Play by Play man Bob Miller?

As it turns out, he is missing today's game due to illness, for the first time since 2002. All reports indicate it's not a serious illness, and interestingly enough Bob Miller misses a good number of Kings games for other reasons. For example, a good number of games are not televised due to scheduling conflicts or the little-known rule that FSN will not produce road telecasts North of the Border.

Even so, this is a momentous occasion and a rare one. Get well soon, Mr. Miller!

Note: Jim Fox and Radio Analyst Daryl Evans are covering the Canadiens/Kings game in Bob's absence. To be honest, Jim is doing a pretty good job. Reminds me of the one time Chick Hearn had laryngitis and Stu Lantz did play by play for the second half. They even got Derek Fisher off the bench to help provide color commentary.

The only man in America who picks the Saints to win the Super Bowl

2010-02-01T15:31:00.000-08:00

Well, friends, here it is: Super Bowl Week.

On the "Dave in the City" podcast, I begin a series of podcasts about why I think the Saints are the team which will bring home the Lombardi Trophy.

There are long odds, to be sure. The Colts are a 5.5 point favorite, Peyton Manning is the reigning NFL MVP, and Indianapolis has Super Bowl Experience to boot! Even so, I am undeterred in my pick. Here's why:

1. Dwight Freeney means more to the Colts than we know, and he won't be 100%. We learned earlier today that Dwight Freeney has a torn ligament which may be more severe than we think. Freeney will play, but he'll be only half as effective on the pass rush.

2. The Colts appear to be the superior offense, but look at the teams they played against. They faced an up-and-down Baltimore Ravens squad and a mediocre (at best) New York Jets team led by Rookie QB Mark Sanchez. It's easy to look like a good offense when the other team can't score points.

3. Defensively I give the edge to the Saints. The Colts have the aforementioned Freeney, but with or without him, the D looks slow and overmatched. This would be the first time, I think, the Colts secondary has faced multiple competent receivers. Baltimore featured only Mason. New York featured only Cotchery. With New Orleans, you get Colston, Moore, and Henderson. I'm not about to say the Saints defense is a picnic, but I'd be more confident placing a bet on their pass coverage vs Indy's pass coverage.

4. The "Chip On Their Shoulder". The Saints are almost universally panned as a Super Bowl contender. Most experts believe they "can" win the game, but almost everyone I know has given the edge to the Colts. Just about everyone has roundly criticized New Orleans for their lackluster defensive performance in the NFC Championship game. The Saints couldn't put the game away. The Saints gave up the ball too many times. The Saints had an awful passing performance in the 3rd and 4th quarter. Yet, I honestly think the Vikings had more to do with this than the Saints inherent problems "closing games." Come now, this isn't baseball! If you're good, you're good!

I've seen the Saints go toe to toe with many of the league's best teams this season: The Patriots, the Jets, the Cowboys (in a loss), and so on. Who's to stop them from keeping it close with Indy? And WHO, dare I ask, is to stop this Saints team from taking it all? In the end, I think the better defense wins, and if you ask me, that defense lies in New Orleans. Sharper and Co. will make it happen.

Week 17: For the last time this year, Dave's LOCKS of the Week

2009-12-31T14:14:00.000-08:00

The year is just about over sports fans, but before we close out 2009, let's get into the last LOTW of the decade... Letting the ball drop on

Dave's (3)
LOCKS (2...)
of the Week (1......!)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Should all aquaintance be forgot, blah blah blah... you know, that "Auld Lang Syne" song has nothing to do with "year" or "new". It's have been nice if they mixed in the words "Happy New Year" in there.... awwwwwww well!

How ye be fellers?? Ready to do one more LOCKS of the Week this season? I sure am!

I went 1-2 last week, but hope to finish off strong. so here we go, TO THE PICKS!

Talk about "dropping the ball" how about what happened with the Colts last week, throwing the game against the Jets. 3rd quarter... AH LETS JUST SUB IN OUR BENCH PLAYERS... I'm still made about it! Grrr!! Why didn't they want to at least try to go for the perfect season? Very curious.

Anyhow, there is a very unusual case with the Colts final regular season game at Buffalo. It turns out that the Bills are an 8 point favorite. I can't remember the last time the Bills were an 8 point favorite against anybody! Just goes to show how awful the Colts' second stringers are. Nevertheless, I'm picking the Colts to cover the spread (+8) because I can't fathom the Bills scoring enough points to make up that margin. ONWARD...

Next, we stop in at the Meadowlands for Giants' Stadium's last game. Although the G-men played the week before, the Jets will have the honor of hosting the stadium's final regular season game. The Jets are facing Cincinnati, and it seems like the Bungles are all by throwing this game too. IN theory, the Jets, 10 point home favorites, would be s cinch to fly over the Bungles onto a playoff berth.

But these are the Jets we're talking about. Even if JT O'Sullivan throws 5 interceptions, somehow I feel like the Bungles will make this interesting. I dare say take the points (+10) and watch Cincy cover as NY struggles to score points.

And finally for our LOCKS of the Week Season, we go to Minneapolis. The Vikings are playing the Giants in a game they really didn't want any part of. Because they botched opportunities vs Chicago and Carolina, among others, the Vikes are now forced to play all their starters just to salvage a bye week. With Minnesota in such desperation, who knows what will happen?! However, given how much the G-men have struggled defensively, and let's face it, they've out and out QUIT by now, I'll give the nod to the Vikes to cover -9 at home.

Folks, it's been a great year bringing LOCKS of the Week to you and I wish you a wonderful happy new year. Be safe!

Happyyyyy NEW YEAR!!! on

Dave's (tweeee!)
LOCKS (yaaaay!)
of the Week (BOOM!)

See y'all next season!

To review: IND (+8) at BUF; CIN (+10) at NYJ; MIN (-9) at home

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 16

2009-12-24T08:53:00.001-08:00

From my Christmas travels it's time for

Dave's (plop)
LOCKS (bonk)
of the Week (fwop)

Dave's LOCKS of the Week
Week 16

Again a Merry Christmas to you all! This week, an adbridged LOCKS of the Week to round out the second to last week of the season. You can bet everyone has the holidays on their mind, but let's hope they also have playoffs on their mind too. LOTS of teams still in it for the playoffs. TO THE PICKS!

First, let's do the easy one: Pittsburgh at Balitmore. I don't see how the Ravens lose this game, and to top it off, they get points! Quoth the Ravens "we get points? How did that happen?" The Oddsmakers are pretty smart on this one. They not only factor in the teams but the fans too. Imagine... they're having coffee and say "wow, all those goober Steeler fans must think they're going to run the table now... let's make them a FAVORITE!" No way should the Steelers be favored in this game, but Vegas has played the crowd and made them a 2.5 pt favorite. I want the Steelers to win so badly, but I'm going to use the brain instead and flock to the underdog. I'm going Ravens (+2.5)!

Next to Indianapolis, where the still undefeated Colts are playing the still in it Jets...

STILL the ONE, we're 14-0
STILL the ONE, we barely beat San Francisco
We're still having fun but we're STILL THE ONE.

C'mon, has there ever been a less convincing 14-0 team in NFL history? You gotta be kidding me with all these wins the Colts are pulling out of their pants... Even a magician couldn't pull off half these tricks. I'm not convinced by this team, and furthermore, with everything clinched, I imagine they may not have full intensity for this game. Jets are getting (+5.5). I'm taking the points and taking the Jets out in flyover country.

Finally, we go back in time a couple days to Christmas Day (the last two picks were for Sunday games). The Titans face the Chargers on Thursday Night Football! Yes, I said "Thursday Night Football". YES, they have one. No, I know most people don't get the NFL network... YES, I know Padres cable access baseball gets a bigger audience than NFL network.... I know, I know... ok ok.

Anyway, the Titans are rightfully favored by (-3). One might think that's a mistake, but after the 0-6 start, Tennessee has been doing a marvelous job battling back to about .500 . This team will have a ton to play for, and statistically speaking, the Chargers are due for a loss after 9 straight wins. Not to mention, Chris Johnson leads a Titans running attack that is near the top of the league (2nd overall in YPC). If the Titans are able to exert the runinng attack, it should allow for them to control the clock and minimize Philip Rivers' effectiveness. I'm going BIG, TITAN BIG and I'm going Tennessee (-3) on X-mas day.

I went 1-1-1 last week (yuck) and hope to turn it around this time on

Dave's (dink)
LOCKS (donk)
of the Week (beep beep)

Again, here are the picks: Bal (+2.5) at Pit; NYJ (+5.5) at Indy; TEN (-3) at home

Dave's LOCKS of the Week, Week 15

2009-12-16T08:15:00.000-08:00

Last Chrsitmas, I gave you my heart

The very next day, you gave it away

This year, to save me from tears,

I'm giving you

Dave's (ring ring!)

LOCKS (ho ho ho!)

of the Week (bing bong!)

Dave's IT'S A WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS OR SO LOCKS of the Week

Week 15

Season's Greetings Gentlemen and Gentle Ladies! It's our week before Xmas picks here on LOCKS of the Week. This week, we feature several interesting matchups. LOCKS went 3-0, to put the season record at 23-16!! oooh baby, now time to lock in the picks:

First! To the Thursday night game in Jacksonville... The Indianapolis C*O*L*T*S are a medic crew right now. EVERYBODY is injured! 20+ players! It's time for Dave to make his...

STUPENDOUS GUARANTEE OF THE MONTH (tm)

The Jaguars *will*, not might, not could, I say WILL beat the Colts on Thursday night! There's no point spread, but I have this thing under LOCK and key. Stop thinking about benching starters, Colts fans. Jags take it, BELIEVE IT!

Next! To the Steel City where the mighty have fallen... and fallen, and fallen and FALLEN. The Steelers, two months ago would be a 7 point favorite this week hosting the Packers. Today, they are barely a 1 point favorite. Even though Pittsburgh falls on hard times, I'll take the Stillllers to cover (+1) and beat the Pack. The Law of Averages has to win sometime... I find it hard to believe that this team would lose 6 games in a row.

Lastly I'll be headin' to Nashville where both teams could potentially be without their starting QB. The Titans host the Dolphins, and Titans fans will continue to keep the faith! The game is a pick 'em, which means (no line). I'm taking the Titans to pick up the pace and beat the Dolphins outright, at home.

I saww mommy kissing

Dave's (smooch!)

LOCKS (riiip!)

of the Week (bling!)

Merry Christmas to you and Chanukkah to others of you!

Review: JAX (no line) at home; PIT (-1) at home; TEN (no line) at home

Dave's ATTEMPTS of the Week, Week 14

2009-12-10T09:33:00.000-08:00

Oh man... another tough set of point spreads on

Dave's (CLOP!)

LOCKS (POP!)

of the Week (CLINK!)

Dave's ATTEMPTS of the Week

Week 14 (well, its two times seven...?)

WOW, look at the tough picks this week... this is tough. 1-2 last week, brining me to 21-18. My winning season is in jeopardy!

Speaking of which, we start our journey in HOT-lanta where the Falcons host the Saints. Talk about Jeopardy! The Falcons are in danger of blowing back to back winning seasons, which has NEVER happened in their franchise history. That's both impressive and depressing. This week, they're a (+10.5) point dog against the undefeated Saints.

The Falcons have numerous injuries: Ryan is banged up, Turner is too... not looking too good. But, the fact remains, Roddy White is still hanging around as is Tony Gonzalez. Could be a good effort for the Georgia Peaches. I'm taking the Falcons and the points (+10.5)!

Next, out to the Meadowlands! It's another division clash between the Giants and Eagles. Nothing giant about these two teams, this is the epitome of mediocrity. The Eagles... they can't even win consistently, but they might be able to beat the Giants here on the road. The key is, while McNabb can't handle a west coast offense, he CAN handle launching the ball to receivers who burn the secondary. The Giants secondary is lousy right now, and I think the Eagles might pull off the minor upset. The point spread is just (+1) but I'll take the point and go EAGLES... E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!

I must be nuts...

Finally the Colts are at home to face the Broncos. Indy is favored by (-7), and they have played very well at home. Talk about a battle of the horses. In this one I'm taking the thoroughbreds, and that's the Colts... Colts to win place AND show (-7) at home!

That's the tricky outlook for

Dave's (VROOM!)

LOCKS (SCREECH!)

of the Week (wum wum wum wum...)

To review: ATL (+10.5) at home; PHI (+1) at NYG; IND(-7) at home.

LOCKS of the Week went 20-16 through Week 12

2009-12-04T08:35:00.000-08:00

So far, this has been the best Season of LOCKS of the Week ever!

Through 12 weeks, well over half the season, LOTW are 20-16...

Dave's JINXES of the Week... Week 13

2009-12-04T08:14:00.000-08:00

ooo eee ooo

Dave's (clank!)
LOCKS (bing!)
of the Week (yaaaaah!)

Dave's JINXES of the Week
for Week UN-Lucky Number 13

I was 2-1 last week, continuing my long streak of winners here on LOCKS of the Week. This week, we go for the juggular... or perhaps I'll just jinx all of them. Here we go!

First, to Cincinnati, where the Bungles will be hosting the Detroit Lions. No spiel this time... if the Bungles are as good as they think they are, they better dominate and dominate and DOMINATE the Lions in the Queen city. The only thing is, the Bengals' Carson Palmer has not be impressive in the least, lately. Nevertheless, I pick the Bungles to cover (-13) at home and out roare the Detroit Lions.

Next, we pounce from South Ohio to somewhere in New Jersey. The Giants take on the surging Dallas Cowboys... but wha oh! It's DECEMBER! And that means it's officially time for the Cowboys to suck!! It's going to be an ugly game no matter what, and I dare say the Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-men take it, and take the points +2.

Finally we travel to Greeeen Bay, where the Packers *think* they're in the playoff hunt, hosting the Ravens, but they really aren't. The Packers may have one of the worst defenses in the league, and the Ravens have a middle of the road/solid defense. The Packers always look good against bad teams, but this time around they'll get shut down. Take the Ravens in an upset (+3) on the road.

and that is probably, likely, supposedly...

Dave's (clangalangalang!)
LOCKS (bonk!)
of the Week (fwat!)

Good times ahead to close the season. Again, the picks: Cincy -13 at home; Giants +2 at home; Ravens +3 at GB

Games that Count

2009-12-04T08:12:00.000-08:00

Oregon State vs Oregon was everything college football should be. Intense, meaningful, and emotional.

Oregon was the victor 37-33, and for that they get to go to the Rose Bowl. The game was thrilling every step of the sway.

Now, do you see the value in a bowl system, as opposed to a fabricated playoff system?

Wow was THAT a beatdown?

2009-12-01T07:52:00.000-08:00

Last Monday night was quite a show. I don't think anyone expected this outcome: Saints 38, Patriots 17. Many thought the Saints could win, but to school the Pats as they did was impressive indeed.

I have mixed feelings on this. I'm 100% happy for the Saints and their fans, they're off to a great start... hell... Start? The Saints are storming the barn this year! To think that this franchise used to cling to a SINGLE WIN during the entire season. The "ain'ts" ain't, no more!

And then there's the Patriots. The "mix" in my feelings is that while I want to be just so ecastic over a Patriot beat down, what I realized was the Patriots were badly overrated, and I was one of those who overrated them. I really thought the Patriots were a better team, but the numbers don't lie. Outside of a neutral field "road win" in London, the Pats have not won a single road game all year.

It's the kind of statistic you don't notice right away, because the Patriots only played four road games all year. Now you see them just get clobbered at New Orleans. Shame on me! I really thought the Patriots would compete more than this.

Truth be told, the Pats' problem is the same problem they've had for the last five years: their defense suffers. It is just not that good. Remember in the second quarter when Devery Henderson was wide open without a Patriot within 50 yards of him? That told the whole story.

Going back to the Saints, I've been pretty high on them the whole year, and this time around, I feel like I'm justified. The Saints are bound to lose a game, and honestly it's better for them if they do. I'm not saying "don't win games," but a loss is really good at refocusing a team for the long term.

Last night though, really was a showcase of conferences. The Saints, and the NFC, are clearly the superior group.

Speaking of losses, man, are you getting a kick out of MNF analyst Jon Gruden, who proclaimed "The Saints are going to run the table!"? This is the same guy who said "The Steelers won't lose another game the rest of the season [paraphrasing]", after which they proceeded to lose three in a row. Jon, you're killing me! Stop jinxing the NFL!

Dave's LEGS of the Week, the turkey kind, Week 12!

2009-11-25T08:46:00.001-08:00

Gobble up some fun, it's time for

Dave's (bok bok bok)
LOCKS (gaaah!)
of the Week (chomp!)

Dave's Turkey LEG LOCKS of the Week
Week 12

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you all have a safe and good weekend with your family. Enjoy the big meal and... that's about it.

I'd say "enjoy the games" but what's to enjoy...?

In DETROIT, we have another Thanksgiving rematch with the Lions and Packers. Perhaps the networks scheduled this years in advance hoping Favre would still be on the Packers. Perhaps the Lions can score points again. After all, they beat the Browns 38-37. And perhaps cows will jump the moon and cheese will grow out of trees. Are you kidding?! Aaron Rodgers tears up the Lions, just like Philip Rivers tears up the Broncos in Denver. Give the points to the Packers, all (-10.5) of them.

Let us also be thankful for an interesting game at night between the Giants and Broncos. Won't make a LOCK of the Week there, so let's go on to Sunday's games...

Off we go to Houston, Texas! At Reliant Stadium the Texans will host a rootin' tootin' good football game against the still undefeated Indianapolis Colts. I'd be hard pressed to see the Colts take yet ANOTHER game, but to be honest, I *do* think the game will be close... in fact, even closer than you think: The Texans are getting only (+3.0) points, but I believe they'll either win or lose by 1-2 points. HIDEE HO!!!!

Our last stop this week is down in Nashville, TN. This almost isn't fair, but the Titans, as hot as they are, will face the Warner-less Arizona Cardinals. And there's no line. It's just not fair... how can you not take the Titans? I'll take the Titans (0.0) and then take candy from a baby, shoot fish in a barrel, make a layup....

And that's the Mayflower edition of...

Dave's (toooooot)
LOCKS (sqwak!)
of the Week (blat!)

Again the picks are: Packers -10.5 at Det; Texans +3.0 at home; Titans 0.0 at home

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 11

2009-11-20T08:07:00.000-08:00

Look at us! Here we are! Right where we belong...

It's time again for

Dave's (BOOM!)

LOCKS (clunk!)

of the Week (fwap)

Dave's LOCKS of the Week

Week 11

Another big week of LOCKS, after a tough 1-2 record last week. Here we go, TO THE PICKS!

First, we go to Dallas, and in Big D the Cowboys are looking to avoid some big L's... And for the Redskins, a +11 point underdog, you might be surprised to see the spread so large. Take the REDSKINS +11 and watch them skim the points of the margin of victory.

NEXT..! To Tampa Bay where the Bucs are getting a lot of close calls... Nearly beat the Dolphins! Nearly beat another team... BEAT the Packers in a close one.

And facing them are the Saints, who have had some close calls themselves... the Rams nearly beat them with 2 min to go, the Dolphins SHOULD have beat them with two minutes to go... it goes on. While the Saints are the class of the NFC, I'm a-gonna give the Bucs the Points, all +11.5 of them at home.

Finally, out to the Rocky Mountain High, Denver Colorado. It's the Chargers and the Broncos... and let me tell 'ya, Philip Rivers LOVES that high altitude. He's thrown for a great qb rating and several touchdowns up there, PLUS, the Chargers have never scored less than 35 points in the Philip Rivers era. It's gonna be an interesting one, we think, but it could be close. Fortunately, the game is a "pick 'em" and with a zero point spread, I gotta go with the Chargers. No points? No problem!

That will do it for the 11th (hour) edition of

Dave's (BANG!)

LOCKS (swish)

of the Week (zap!)

again, here are the picks: Was +11 at Dal; TB +11.5 at home; Chargers (no spread) at Den

Dave in the City Sportstalk Podcast (11-17-09)

2009-11-16T22:49:00.000-08:00

Today in the City, Andrew Jacobsen stops by to bring the Bests and Worst of the NFL Weekend, PLUS a look at the most predicted Stephen Jackson trade between the Warriors and Bobcats. And a quick look at the NHL and NBA so far.

http://daveinthecity.podbean.com/2009/11/16/dave-in-the-city-sportstalk-podcast-11-17-09/

On the Show…

Bests and Worst of NFL Week 10 with Andrew Jacobsen

The Islanders make a mini-comeback in the NHL

The NBA: Who’s Hot and Who’s not, including how the Hawks overcame the world (and a deficit against Portland)

A Preview of Tonight’s big game of up and comers: Bulls vs Kings at Arco Arena.

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Weeks 1-10

2009-11-14T22:47:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! We now present to all of you, Dave's LOCKS of the Week for the First 10 Weeks of the NFL Season.

WEEK 1

Gloooory gloory hallelujah!

Gloooory gloory hallelujah!

Gloooooooooooory gloory hallelujah!

His LOCKS are Marching on!

From a distance, a cricket chirps. It's back! Dave's LOCKS of the Week...

[ahem, excuse me, you didn't say it right!]

My apologies, it's

Dave's (squeak!)

LOCKS (tweak!)

of the Week (bonk!)

Dave's LOCKS of the Week (2009 Edition)

Week One

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we're back everybodyyy! How's the world looking for you today? I see 6 LOCKS of the week this week: there will be 6 NFL game black outs due to low attendance! wokka wokka...! ok ok, let's go to the picks... time for another year of thrills, spills, and embarrassments as we start...

LOCKS... of the week! to the picks!

First to Kansas City! The Ravens Meet the Chiefs... the Chiefs are terrible, but in week 1, the Ravens are expected to outscore them by at least *thirteen* (-13). Really?! I dare quoth the raven: "too much!". Got it Chief? "Got it!". The Ravens might not score 13 points in the whole game! Quoth the Dave: "Not enough! Chief Yahoo Covers" Take the Chiefs and the points (Bal -13), easy bbq peezy.

NEXT, to the desert in Glendale, AZ. The defending NFC Champions... the unending quagmire of San Francisco... who will win? Ah forget the wins... Even though Mike Singletary says "I want WINNERS!". We'll give you covers!! Covers good enough, Sing?

"Can't do it!"

No c'mon it's easier this way!

"Can't do it!"

You sure?

"I want WINNERS!"

Ok fine, here's a winner: take the 49ers to take the spread of +6.5! The last several games between these teams have been decided by no more than 7 points and several of them went to overtime. I see no reason for it to change now. Look for the Niners to uncover some FOOLS GOLD in Arizona! (SF +6.5)

And finally... over in San Diego, we have some thunder... (boom!) lightning (boom!) the Charger Defense is frightening... they'd better knock knock knock...

ON WOOD... baby! woooo hooo hoo hoo hoo hooooo.... baby.....

I'll tell you what gets knocked: the RAIDERS, on their ass! Chargers on the Monday Night Midnight Special, take over the Raiders and cover the spread easily (SD -9.5). If they don't, fire Norv Turner on the spot!

And thats it for

Dave's (clash!)

LOCKS (smash!)

of the Week (crunch!)

ENJOY WEEK ONE, Y'ALL!

The Picks: KC +13, SF +6.5, SD -9.5

---

WEEK 2

here are

Dave's (clang!)
LOCKS (bang!)
of the Week (..dang!)

Dave's LOCKS of the Week
Week 2

Short and sweet this week...

TO THE PICKS!

First, to the Georgia Dome where the Falcons are on my mind against Sweet Caroline (bum bum bum!). Falcons home opener. It wont be too sweet for the Panthers this week as they meet some down dirty and nasty.... Matt Ryan and the falcons soar HIGH and tear apart the Panthers easily, FALCONS BY DOUBLE DIGITS! or at least by more than -6.5 .

Next, to the Motor City... where the auto industry aint the only thing dying. Hell, the Lions franchise has been dead for decades! So the moribund Lions with their new QB (note how we didn't say "improved") Matthew Stafford going up against the Minnesota Vikings and their QB Brett Favre, who's as old as dirt. WHO WINS THIS CONFLAGARATION?! There is no way in hell the Vikings should be challenged in this game, but guess what? The Dave Jinx owns all... nevertheless VIKES to cover on the road (-10) am I nuts? These prognostications are sure to be IN-SANE...

and you know speaking of Crazy Eddie, let's look to another Eddie, former Niners Owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. It's time to make... the PICK to end all Picks.

TO SAN FRANCISCO WE GOOOOOO!!!

ahem... sike!

I just did that to rile up Jake and Andrew. No SF 49ers prediction from me, instead we head out to WASHINGTON DC, our nation's capital, where four score and 7 days ago, the Redskins were taken down by the G-men in the Meadowlands. This week, they play their home opener against the Lousy St. Louis Rams. Can the Rams repeat the impossible and cover the spread like they did last year (same teams, same stadium too, in DC!). To quote President Obama: YES WE CAN!!

I'm Picking the RAMS to cover +10... take the points and eat them hearty... Rams put a dent into the point spread at FedEx Field.

And THAT is the scoop on

Dave's (flush!)
LOCKS (gush!)
of the Week (mush!)

Enjoy the games, all. This week it was Falcons (-6.5), Vikes (-10), and Rams (+10)

---

WEEK 3

I present:

Dave's (bang!)

CLIFF NOTES LOCKS (whiz!)

of the Week (plump!)

No spiel this time, just the meat... TO THE PICKS!

In New England... I know its "Andrew's Team" but to think so many people are pumping up the Falcons this week is so silly! I hate to say it but, statistically the Pats are superiors in passing yards and passing yards allowed. Not to mention, the rush defense is better for the Pats. Pats win this easy... give the -4.0 to NE.

In East Rutherford, NJ... I am a huge fan of the Jets defense. I think their defense is terrific! I think Sanchez is terrific. I know its "Dave's Team", but to think it's an automatic for them to win against the Titans is short-sighted. The Titans are 0-2, but the two losses were at least to some pretty good teams: they lost to the Texans, who compete, and they lost to the Steelers on opening week. Titans are GETTING (+2.5) points. You couple that with Sanchez' knee tendonitis, take the Titans, easy!

In Cincinnati... The woeful Steelers make their way to the Queen city to salvage the season against the Bungles. Here we are suddenly thinking "Wow the Bengals are playing great!" You know what? I know it's "Jacob's Team", but I just can't see the Bengals keeping it close. Every time the steelers go to Cincy to play, they beat up on the Bungles pretty good. and Pit couldn't run the ball THEN either. Steelers -4.0? that's it? Woww, Steelers to cover cover cover the 4. Easy!

And that's

Dave's (boinnnng!)

ABRIDGED LOCKS (bing!)

of the Week (bonnng!)

To review: NE -4, Ten +2.5, Pit -4.0 . And quite honestly, if the Bengals actually beat the Steelers this week then I will truly think pigs have flown in the sky.

---

WEEK 4

Week 4 is upon us so once again we call upon

Dave's (BOOM!)

LOCKS (BLAM!)

of the Week (crinkle)

Dave's LOCKS of the Week

Cliffs Notes Edition, Week 4.

Don't have the new keyboard yet, so I will type shorter sentences to save time. Let's go right to the picks!

I'm a picking the STEELERS to cover the -6.5 points at home vs San Diego. Steel City needs a little iron tough home cheer to get them going, and they'll get it. It's about TIME the steelers played an easy team. yes, I just called the Chargers and easy team. May I be struck by a LIGHTNING BOLT.

onward! to New England!

What? The same location in back to back LOCKS of the Week? OH YES BABY... I'm going to show a little more LOVE this week to the NE Patriots.

P-A-T -- NE will kick a lot of those

R-I-O -- Oh NO, Baltimore!

T-S New England!

Patriots! (donald duck!)

Wherever we may go we'll wager high HIGH HIGH HIGH!

ok ok, enough. Patriots for the win and for the cover (-2.0)

now back home to my kind of town CHICAGO, Illinois!

The Bears are who we thought they were! and they're playing the Lions.

Should be a tougher game than you might think. However, the Lions are still not a good football team, and this time the Bears can score points. I dare say this will be a blowout for Chicago. Bears -10.

that does it for

Dave's (fwish!)

LOCKS (splash!)

of the Week (doink!)

To review: Steelers -6.5, Pats -2.0, Bears -10

---

WEEK 5

Time to start on the losing trail... it's!

Dave's (bonk!)

LOCKS (whirrrrrrrrrrr!)

of the Week (ping!)

Dave's FLUNKS of the Week

Week 5

I just know I'm going to lose this week... It's too good to be true to have back to back winning weeks. Even so, I'm going to try anyway:

TO THE PICKS....

First in NY/NJ/CT: The G-men meet the raiders in likely a very ugly, ugly football game. Not to mention, Eli Manning is questionable to start. Even *if* he starts, you're looking at a qb with a bum foot, even against the Oakland chucks.

The chucks (no longer "raiders") have had embarrassing losses, each one more embarrassing than the last. This week, you'd think "well they're gonna get brow beaten!" but maybe not... consider this: the chucks do pretty decently with pass coverage. They're allowing around 200 yards per game... not great, but not bad.

More importantly, only three times last year did Eli Manning have a home qb rating above 80. 80!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Eli Manning flat out doesn't play as well at home. While the Chucks have a pathetic run defense, there may be enough turnovers to keep them in it. So a line of 14.5 is extreme. I say Oakland covers +15.5 on the road at the meadowlands. Let's give it up to the CHUCKS!!!! but G-men still win it.

onward!

It's Crab City! It's Baltimore! It's the Ravens! It's the Browns! It's a WHUPPIN'! The bengals have had some pretty good run so far, but they are a pretty mediocre team... which for them is a great year.

but..!

The ravens are going to go out there and tame the bungles... Ravens by 90! (-8.5)

final pick of the day... to the Gateway city!!!

For all the good the cardinals are, the rams are just as BAD. This is a really REALLY terrible team, and the line of -10 for the Vikings? Not enough! I dare say the Packers go out to the dome and take this puppy by at least 10 pts. Minnesota (-10) for da win!

Ravens, Vikes, Chucks... THAT is

Dave's (bloom)

LOCKS (zoom!)

of the Week (clack!)

again, Ravens -8.5, Vikes -10, Chucks +15.5. Here comes 0-3!!

---

WEEK 6

Here it comes... the time is running... it's TIME for

Dave's (tick)

LOCKS (tock)

of the Week (BONNNG!)

Dave's LOCKS of the Week, Week 6

The *timely* edition

Time is running out for many teams here in the NFL, and this week we focus on Time time time... see what's become of me... while I look around, for a possiblity... that is blah blah...

[how in flip did I memorize that much of a Bangles cover song?]

Welp here we go... to the PICKS!!

tick tick tick tick tick tick tick...

First, we go to Minneapolis, where the Ravens have been hitting some hard times... Their wings were nearly fried up and served with ranch dressing. Their spirits are as low as the tide (nevah mohr!), and boy are they crabby... so crabby, I think they'll rip the horns off the Vikes and peck away at an UPSET SPECIAL... take the points and possibly the win for the Ravens (+3) AT Minnesota! BOOM SHAKE, FAVRE'd for the Count!

tick tick tick tick tick tick tick...

Next, out to Pittsburgh... where the steel city's home team have been struggling this year. At home, on the road, it doesn't really matter. Not to mention, they haven't really covered the spread outside of that SNF game against San Diego, wherein they still nearly blew the game. While pittsburgh is favored by 14 against the lowly browns, I have yet to see any game between these two classic cities decided by more than two touchdowns. If I haven't seen it I may have missed it... go for the Brownies to pick up the dog biscuits and cover the sperad of kibbles and bits... Browns +14 baby!

tick tick tick tick tick tick tick...

Finally, we go to San diego, where I think the time is RUNNING out for the mighty broncos' undefeated season. Undefeated the broncs will be no more. Once they play a talented team, and by that I mean the Chargers, away from their comfort zone in Mile High, the Broncos will be in for a rude awakening. The Chargers often play the Broncos very very well even when they had Cutler. Take the Chargers -4.0 at home easily!

And THAT (tick tick tick tick tick tick tick...) is

Dave's (bleep)

LOCKS (buzzz)

of the Week (rrrrrrrinnng!)

So to review Bal +3.0, Browns +14, SD -4.0 . It's a dog eat dog weekend, save for the Chargers. Although if you think about it, the Chargers might be considered media underdogs, so its as good as an upset :)

---

WEEK 7

Boy look at these lines! The oddsmakers have the point spread of 11 of the 13 game set at 7.5 points or less!!

[bum bum BUMMMMMM..!]

How will we get by on

Dave's (aieee!)

LOCKS (aaaaaaah!)

of the Week (slash!)

Dave's LOCKS of the Week

The Thrilla in the Chilla, Week Lucky Seven Edition

so come join us, as we enter the HOUSE... of horrroooohhhhsss

twwwweeeee! [organ]

Your ghouish moment of suspense begins in London town (bonnng!) Where there *is* a double digit point spread *bonnnng*... and there are two teams *bonnng* and a hellish offense from Tampa Bay *bonnnnng*... But there is long travel afoot! You must take the Bucs and the (+14.5)... OR DIEEEE AAAhahahahahaaaaa...

AAAAAHHHH!!!!!

Our next tale takes place in a little lair... a fine place with a rarified air...

It's Kansas City, where there's smoke afoot...

It's the smell of ribs and a little soot...

So the home town team goes out to play

And the Chiefs look to ruin the Chargers' day

Ah, but what line do we have in store?

But a paltry line of half plus four?!

Bah! We cannot play the lie... Take San Diego to cover (-4.5) and say... goodbye!

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHHHH (noooooo!!!)

And at last, the... Dolphins come to play... ok enough horror schtick... basically, the Saints are visiting the Dolphins, and with Miami coming off a bye, they are going to be more ready than ever before. Don't be surprised if the Dolphins give the most dominant NFC team so far this a tough time. Line is -6.5, and it would be extremely impressive if the Saints won by double digits... BUT IT WONT HAPPEN! The Dolphins are well coached, have a good running game, and a good home crowd. Planet Miamiwood takes the points! (+6.5)

And THAT is

Dave's (chop!)

LOCKS (whiiiiirrrrr!)

of the Week (creeeeeeeeak)

Amazing that October is almost over already... years gone by fast. So again the picks are Miami +6.5, SD -4.5 and TB +14.5

---

WEEK 8

A doo dooo doo wa wa wa... booo bee booo....

Daaaaaaaaaaaaave's (ahhh ha ha)

LOOOOOOOCKS (ay ay ay)

oooooooooooooooof theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK (ooo ooo oooo oooooooooo)

Dave's Doo Wop LOCKS of the Week

Week 8

Nothing pre-produced about this week's LOCKS of the week... we're going acoustic and acapella... TO THE PICKS!

First off to Orchard Park...

In the stilll...... of the niiiiiight

The bills were suuucking.... sucking it tiiiiiight

And the Teeeeeeeeexans were coooomiiiing

They had an ooooooffeeeeense, they got it riiiight

Buffalo saww them... out in the 20...

A pass (doo wop), so deep (doo wop), and three touchdowwwns

In the stiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiill, of the niiiiight (in the stiiiiill of the niiiiight)

Take a wild guess who I'm picking! Texans (-3.5), EASY.

and now to the revenge LOCK of the week...

A ba ba woombawombababa baa ba ba ba HOO! (stomp!), Who kicks the dolphins' aaaaass?

Tell me tell me baby, I know just what you do...

You pile up points on the New Orleans and just when I knew you

A grip of points were scored on you like simmons in the ass

a ba ba wombabobobbaba ba bab aba HOO! (stomp!) Who kicks the dolphins' aaaaaass?

46-34, the final scored on you

How can anyone believe you, its dumb the picks you threw

So this week at the meadowlands the Jets score 52

a bab ab wombowomba ba ba ba baaba HOO! (stomp!) Jets cover (-3.0)!

and now, finally, to the game of the week... VIKINGS vs PACKERS!

You brought us joy and laughter... we needed you so...

But then you sucked a new one, we had to let you go....

Favre you had said you loved us... but now you want to to stick one in us...

We have to stay with Rodgers, your ego wouldn't let it go...

so I say...

YOU WHIIINE, like a baby (you whine like a baby)

WHINE WHINE like a baby (Favre you little baaaby)

WAAH WAAAH why'd you hate me (you got to move ooooon!)

woah woah woah woah woah...

btw, I can't be-LIEVE herd is so adamant the packers are going to tear up the Vikes. man I would LOVE to see it happen, but frankly, the Vikes win this one, not by a ton, but by enough to cover the (-3.0) spread. Either way, it's gaonna be a good one!

So that ends

Daaaaaaaaaave's (wa waa)

LOOOOOOCKS (ooh hooooo)

of the WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK (wweeeeeeeee heee heeeeeeee)

So again, no dogs this week (you can see what happened last time I picked underdogs... ugh.) Texans -3.5, Jets -3.5, Vikes -3.0.

btw, I also have three "parallel universe" locks of the week this week, just in case something disrupts the time space continum

:::WWWWHOOOSH!:::

Parallel Universe LOCKS (clink!) of the Week: Seattle +9.0, Arizoner -10, Baltimore -3.5

---

WEEK 9

Start spreading the newwwwwwssss...

I'm leaving todaaaayyyy

I want to be a part of it...

Dave's (clang!)

LOCKS (bang!)

of the Weeeeeeek (gonnnng!)

I want to be in the LOCKS that never keep... ok enough singing.

So! Dave did it again last week... proving once and for all he's as sure a bet as Jim Cramer's financial stock picks! 2-1 the previous week bringing his season total tooo.. (drumroll)

ba baba ba baaaa 13-8

and this week we do it again, TO THE PICKS!!

First, over yonder in the sticks of Indy... It's the Indianapolis Colts hosting the medium hot Pace Picante Houston Texans (yee ha!). The Texans, 5-3 are on the road with their pretty good QB Matt Schaub and their very good WR Andre Johnson. Would you believe they're actually doing what everyone predicted them to? wow! The Colts, as good as they are offensively, as wonderful as Manning has played, are really asking for it. They're 7-0, but overdue like a lost library book! I'm not calling the upset, but I am calling the Texans to cover that REEEEEEEE-DICULOUS (+9.0) point spread. Take the points, and take the Texans to make it a close game.

Next, we go down south to the Peach State of Georgia. The Falcons, coming off a short week and a tough loss at New orleans, try to lick their wounds as they face the woeful Redskins. I know Washington's off a bye week, and I know the Falcons are tired, but I'm a still calling the Falcons to cover the (-10). Falcons dirty bird all over the tribe and take over in Atlanta!

and now, finally, the game of the time slot from 1pm to 4pm pacific time! It's the Chargers, sending electricity all the way out to New Jersey where they'll meet the reeling NY Giants. Hoo boy, here comes another butt kicking...? not so fast everbody! The Giants will have their way against the Chargers, they'll rebound from the pounding they took last month AND... the G-MEN will take the (-4.5) and blow out San Diego.

and that is...

Dave's (boing!)

LOCKS (doink!)

of the Week (blam!!)

Special note to my LOTW readers... I also did LOCKS of the Week on Todays podcast, complete with background music. Again, the picks: HOU +9, ATL -10, NYG -4.5

---

WEEK 10

Once again it is time for our Count-up edition of

Dave's (ping!)

LOCKS (bang!)

of the Week (whizzzzzzzzzzz)

Dave's LOCKS of the Week

Week 10: the Pinball edition...

link in case you have no idea what I'm talking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa39mmh-Tkk&feature=related

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh WOW!!

1-2-3-4, 5, 6-7-8-9-10, 11-12...

dooooooo dodododod dooo dodododododoooo doo doo dodododo doo doo dooh

1-2-3-4, 5-, 6-7-8-9-10, 11-12....

doooooo dodododoo dooo dododododo doo doo dododododo doo doo dooh...

da da da DAH, 10!!

Here we go for week TEN...

First to the Steel City where TWO big games will be played this weekend. Not only will the Steelers host the Bengals, but you also get a huge game for the Pittsburgh Panthers against the Note Dame Fighting irish. First of all... take the Panthers -7 at home. Are you kidding? Panthers will devour the irish for breakfast... lunch, dinner, snacks, tea time, you name it.

Now to the actual LOCK of the week... STEELERS by the same margin, -7. Ok Cincy you had your fun, with your close finishes and surprise wins, but now its time to play a game with real expectations. Cincy is going to fold over like a pancake. Steelers by 28!

Wanna wait until you actually WIN something first?

2009-10-25T09:22:00.001-07:00

The photo says it all... it's only 12:23 ET on 10/25, BEFORE Game 6:

86 Yards

2009-09-13T07:10:00.000-07:00

This is normally where I write in a cheezy double entendre Title and use some hyperbole to describe my reaction to a big game. Today I'll keep it simple:

86 yards.

It was on the road against a very firece crowd. If ESPN broadcasters Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit are to believed, the loudest crowd they have heard in their lives. It was Ohio Stadium, cheering hard for the buckeyes on a Saturday night, and there they were, up 15-10 in what was touted as a HUGE game between visiting USC and the hometown Ohio State.

Way back in January I remember hearing about this game! There was so much on the line for a Week 2 game. This wasn't just a game for Ohio State, this was a game for the entire Big Ten. Everyone remembers how Ohio State was clobbered in multiple bowl games, and most folks still have USC's 2008 Buckeye Pounding fresh on their mind.

Last night, it seemed like the state of Ohio was going to issue huge payback to the rest of the nation. Before the game started, I insisted Ohio State needed not to win, not to dominate, but needed to compete. I was really fed up with their ineptitude in past games such as this.

Also before the game started, I had two good reasons to believe Ohio State would deliver:

1. In the Fiesta Bowl last year, Ohio State really gave Texas the business, and practically embarrasssed the Longhorns, who were favored in most peoples' minds. This was a big moral victory for the Big Ten. Unfortunately, Texas still won.

2. Not only were the Buckeyes at home, but they faced a USC team that lost most of its defensive starters, and also a USC team with a true freshman, Matt Barkley, at quarterback.

We saw the Buckeyes stifle the Trojans for most of the game. The running game was mostly stopped, and Barkley looked like... well, a true freshman.

Then the fourth quarter showed me something special. The Trojans took the ball at their own 14 yard line. Only about 4 minutes remained in regulation. From then on, Matt Barkley quarterbacked the drive of champions: it was a wonderful Touchdown Drive, capped off by a rushing touchdown, which put the Trojans ahead 16-10 with about a minute left. Pete Caroll wisely went for two, and completed the two point conversion. The Trojans fought all the way back and led 18-10.

The Trojan defense took over from there, keeping the Buckeyes at bay, where they never crossed the Trojan 40 yard line. The game ended and a relatively inexperienced USC celebrated on the field!

What a game! First of all, the kind of drive we saw from Matt Barkley is a feat we don't often see from most Senior Quarterbacks. I've never seen Tim Tebow put a team on a game winning drive such as this. I haven't even seen Matt Leinart do this when he was at SC. I could be wrong (feel free to post below if I am). Anyway, two things impressed me besides this drive:

One was Pete Caroll's game plan. I was amazed at how well he prepared for Ohio State. He knew that on the road, a mostly conservative, run happy, game plan was going to succeed, and by George, he was right! Caroll knew that the name of the game was turnovers, and with fewer turnovers, the Trojans would hang around the whole way. Only one interception was thrown by freshman Matt Barkley on this night.

Secondly, and more importantly, I was impressed by how well Ohio State played last night. I imagine Buckeye fans are so disappointed, but they really shouldn't be. I am very proud of their defense last night and their ability to control the ball. 86 yards is the reason they lost, but there was no true shame last night.

Ohio State will drop in the polls, but they will rise in the minds of many. The respect for Ohio State and the Big Ten is sure to be as good as its ever been. I, for one, feel that Ohio State may not have won the game, but they notched a big win for the Big Ten. As Herbstreit says: this may be one game of a two game series.

The rematch? The National Championship game: at the Rose Bowl. It's otherwise known as "A Return to Glory."

More on the Labor Day Laser-Shootout...

2009-09-07T21:17:00.000-07:00

A couple of other things impressed me on this night:

Jacory Harris is a man who I've never seen play before, but on Monday I saw something special. Jacory Harris proved last night that he is indeed quite the athlete. However, unlike most mobile quarterbacks, he decided to use the biggest muscle in his body: his mind. I know some of his success is owed to Florida State's extremely soft pass coverage, but Harris set himself apart from other "mobile QBs" like Michael Vick, Terrelle Pryor, and yes, sports fans, even Tim Tebow. He's still a work in progress, but I felt like Harris made some great moves last night.

and in a twist...

Christian Ponder had a similar style, but opted to use his feet more than his arm in big moments. A highlight of his night included a big run to set up a score mid-way through the fourth quarter. Ponder certainly knows about his counterpart in Gainesville. I wonder if he and the FSU staff weren't inspired by the doings of the Gators?

Travis Benjamin made a terrific catch for Miami on this night. Actually, he made a few of them. Now again, he was wide open on a lot of his receptions, but he did make a great catch near the sideline towards the end of the game. Fortunately he had his back foot firmly on the ground when he got control of the catch. Had he lifted that foot an inch, the huge pass from Jacory Harris wouldn't count, and likely the Seminoles keep the lead.

There were many stars on this night, and it was one reason why I enjoyed this matchup immensely.

The Greatest Week One Game Ever Played (in 2009)

2009-09-07T21:01:00.000-07:00

Once in a while, you forget about the standings. You forget the stakes, the pressure, the grandeur and the "Championship Prospects". It could be one of those long nights where you wake up from a nap and put on the TV.

Labor Day is a tribute to all of us who put in our hard work in whatever we do. In sports, we often get caught up in the "meaning" of games. Today, I took a day off from this too. Tonight, I just put on the TV and watched some football.

Some of the greatest moments I can remember in sports came as a result of casually tuning in without expectation and last night was no exception. With practically every MLB game in the books this day, all I had left was a mostly meaningless game between Miami, FL, and Florida St. over in Tallahassee.

Was it? If you look at "BCS Standings, Heisman Hopes, and all that", the game doesn't amount to anything. But on this night, we were treated to the most entertaining game of the weekend, bar none.

Imagine my surprise when is saw Miami take a 24-23 lead in the fourth quarter. I was full of wonder when sophomore QB Jacory Harris, of Miami, alluded several linebackers, and instead of running wildly, he STOPPED.

A QB with lots of room just STOPPED as if the play was frozen in time! Harris looked down field, found his man Travis Benjamin, and fired a laser right into his arms. It was a sign of great things to come for the Hurricanes, a beaten football program who haven't had much of anything to celebrate lately.

Imagine my surprise when Harris led the Canes to a touchdown, not only through his elusiveness, but with his stellar accuracy on this night. 21 for 34 he was, for 386 yards and two touchdowns. Interestingly enough, the two biggest TDs of the night were capped off not by Harris, but by running backs Javarris James and Graig Cooper.

But what a night. Even though Miami had that 24-23 lead, it was QB Christian Ponder who pulled his best Tim Tebow impression and ran in a semi-spread offense to the tune of two huge first downs, and a great run for some 10-20 yards. Let's not forget the Seminoles' last chance with about 6 shots at the goal line with 17 seconds left (a pass interference call gave a slight boost of life to FSU). The last play of the game was a pass from Ponder out to Jarmon Fortson that was dropped at the bitter end. The game was as competitive as it gets, and in the end the Hurricanes rose victoriously.

Imagine THAT! The sheer thrill of the fight between both teams was one of the greatest highlights of my weekend in sports. I enjoyed every second of the fourth quarter between two teams that, quite honestly, will factor almost nothing into the Championship Race.

No matter. This was a game I will remember for a good while and I was privileged to be a part of it. It goes to show that sometimes, the greatest moments in sport are games, people, and events that we witness by simply taking a... break from our labor, soaking it all in.

Why Should I Worry?

2009-09-06T22:22:00.000-07:00

This post is called Why Should I Worry?

Why Should Sam Bradford Worry?

It seemed like the season was over for both OU and Bradford after Sam was pile drived into the turf at the new Cowboys Stadium. OU suffers a major setback with the ensuing loss to BYU. It seems like Sam Bradford's hopes at a big season and another Heisman are dashed. However, Bradfor ought to be back next month. Not all is lost!

Why Should the SEC Worry?

Not a convincing weekend for SEC Football. LSU gets all it can handle at Washington, Florida embarrasses itself and Charleston Southern by even agreeing to play the game (and yes I understand the benefits and money going to CSU). Despite all this, I think it's still clear both teams are solid in the SEC. Florida's action to even host their game is inexcusable and in all honesty, it shouldn't count. The Gators, however, will have a decent enough schedule the rest of the way to make up for it.

Why Should Matt Barkley Worry?

Seriously, why should Barkley worry? Everyone wrote him off and declared him a failure from the get go. And yet, he turns up a sparkling performance in his USC Debut: 15 for 19, 233 yards, and a Touchdown Pass. I think it's safe to say he's ready for a starting role.

Why Should the Los Angeles Dodgers Worry?

It would be so easy to write this team off now. After all, they are .500 since the All-Star Break. Perhaps the schedule is just catching up to them. Perhaps injuries are catching up to them. Perhaps the stigma of a steroids allegation is catching up to them. Whatever it is, the Dodgers have shown more truly positive signs over the last week, as opposed to signs of danger.

Indeed, the last few games featured great Dodger pitching, one very spritied comeback that came short, and a lineup that suddenly has a pretty good gauntlet in it: Manny, Ethier, Kemp, Thome, Loney, Belliard (not exactly in that order or the same lineup). I don't know about you, but ignore the standings for now: I think the Dodgers could be looking up towards October. They look ready to break out at any moment.

So Why Should I Worry? It's early, and who knows what the future will bring?

Tom, Vick, and McNabb

2009-08-28T08:52:00.000-07:00

Three guys are going to be among the most interesting stories this year. Then there's Brett Favre, who's a story in itself. Ugh. Brett Favre. The guy who doesn't know when to quit. A man who can't spend more than a month without the spotlight.

It turns out, the joke is on him. Favre joined the Vikings this month for two reasons:

1) To stick it to the Packers for "giving up on him"
2) To get the front page of the NFL news.

So far, (2) worked out brilliantly... for a week. Eventually we realized the joke's on him. No sooner than he starts his first pre-season game, do we get a stack of reports that the Eagles now have one Michael Vick on their roster. Now THIS is a story. Michael Vick was much maligned for torturing pets and other animals over the years. He has paid serious retribution: two years in jail and a loss of most of his millions.

Now he's trying to make a return to his own normalcy. It's not easy. It's also a much more intriguing story than a 40+ year old trying to recapture glory long gone by.

Just to finish up on Favre, we already heard reports that he is ALREADY causing a rift in the Vikings Locker Room. How about that?! He's wasting no time dividing the team. Except, in another twist, the team is actually rather UNITED. United against Favre, that is.

So now to the three most interesting stories of the NFL far: Tom, Vick, and McNabb

Michael Vick: I think we already know his QB prowess is overblown. Actually, it was overblown even before he was prosecuted years ago. He joins the Eagles as a "gadget guy", so say the Eagles. Basically he's supposed to be an option, but not THE option nor THE QB. So why then, is Donovan McNabb so defensive about his usage last night? Could Vick be the new QB in Philly eventually? It depends...

Donovan McNabb: Donovan McNabb takes a lot of junk from a lot of people. After last season, and knowing his age, he's at a turning point, or more precisely, a breaking point. The Philadlephia un-faithful are fed up with him, as is the Philly media. Basically if McNabb screws up even a little, the whole city will let him have it. Michael Vick represents a threat, in my opinion. A physical sign to McNabb that this is "his last chance."

Tom Brady: and meanwhile, caught in the hulabaloo, is Tom Brady, who has a comeback of his own brewing. Remember his season ending injury in the FIRST SERIES of the year last year? It remains to be seen how a man who was inactive for nearly a calendar year will rebound and become an All Star again. His competitive juices will make it happen, but I don't think it will be immediate. Still, this is a very interesting story, and ironically, a story that has been shifted to the back burner compared to two other car wrecks: Favre and to a lesser degree Vick.

Of the four, you'd figure that Brady will have the most success. Obvious, right? Now I wonder who will come out ahead between Vick and McNabb. For now, Michael Vick has his head on straightest, but who knows? I'll predict, quite honestly that the Eagles fall apart. When there's two strong willed QBs on the same team, it usually doesn't end well.

It really made me wonder why so many experts predicted the Eagles to take the NFC East. I won't! I pick the G-Men of the Meadowlands.

Welcome BACK!

2009-08-09T20:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome Back...

Your dreams were your ticket out...

Welcome back
The first downs and touchdowns are what it's all about
And the plays and defenses will be gathering 'round
While the half backs and full backs will set 'em down

Oooh you're gonna feel it (ooh yer gonna feel it)
Right here where you need it (right heeere where you need it)
Oh its starting round the clock, take your tailgate the the lot, WELCOME BACK

WELCOME BACK, WELCOME BACK, WELCOME BAAACK
WELCOME BACK, WELCOME BACK, WELCOME BAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!

Don't forget to touch third base... WHOOPS!

2009-05-18T23:04:00.000-07:00

I just couldn't stop laughing. This was one for the books. ONLY THE METS!!!!

[picture is forthcoming]

Will you please give it up, Brett Favre?!

2009-05-05T22:18:00.000-07:00

GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZUS!

Favre, what's it gonna take for you to retire already? ENOUGH!!

link: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4142857

Surprise!

2009-05-01T15:21:00.000-07:00

I'm back!! After a fairly long hiatus, I'm back... but not sure how long it will be before I get into another posting routine.

It's been busy... here's some thoughts I have from the last two weeks.

Bulls/Celtics might be the best first round playoff series I've ever seen. How often does a series have nearly all its games go to overtime, AND feature a single overtime game, a double overtime game, and a triple overtime game? Game 7 could be electric!

There were a lot of expectations for the Yankees, Mets, Cubs and Rays going into this season. So far, all three of them are flailing to stay above .500. Even the defending Central Division Cubbies are stuck around .500 to start the year. I feel like most of these teams will pick it up. We'll see.

The Lakers and Cavs appear to be on a path of destiny. After seeing the first round, I can't see who would beat either on the way to the Finals.

A-Rod allegations, more fun from Selena Roberts. Much credit is due, however, for most of us not jumping into the recent scandals.

The NFL draft was mystifying all right. How'd SF wind up with an open shot at Michael Crabtree? How'd the Raiders pick a guy they could have drafted in the fourth round? How'd the Browns agree to trade picks *so* many times? How'd the Jets get lucky enough to land Mark Sanchez?

There's much more to tell, but the games must be played! Back soon (I hope).

Why I'm still not convinced by the Trail Blazers

2009-04-21T23:02:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry... but even though the Trail Blazers won last night, I have no confidence in them winning the series against the Rockets.

Take a look at the game last night at the Rose Garden. It took the game of Brandon Roy's life to beat the Rockets last night. Roy scored 39 points (clearly a career high for a playoff game), and the Blazers STILL only won 107-103.

It took Roy's greatest scoring performance to win by only FOUR?! This series is done. The Blazers still have no answer for Yao Ming in the paint, and most of their front court was in foul trouble. I can't see the Blazers pulling this out.

Take your souvenir pictures on the way out, Portland.

Harrison locked up with a Steel Safe!

2009-04-13T21:37:00.000-07:00

It's done! The Steelers lock up Defensive Linebacker James Harrison to a Six Year, $51.7 million deal.

Here are the details from NFL.com:

Harrison will get a guaranteed $20 million, more than any other Steeler outside of Ben Roethlisberger. This also gives Harrison the distinction of being the second highest paid player in team history.

The Contract runs through 2014, however, it is unlikely Harrison will play out the duration of the deal. Harrison will be 31 in the first season of the new deal.

---

While it's a rather steep price for one guy, it's only right to give the best defensive player on the team his proper reward. One could consider the contract retribution for his efforts in 2008. Either way, it's a great moment for the Steelers and Steeler fans, which ensures Harrison will remain a Steeler as long as he is a productive player.

It's nice to see the Steelers finally hand out contracts on par with the rest of the league. It wasn't always the case going back, and furthermore, the dividends are paying off. Roethlisberger, offered a lucrative 8 year deal last year, only led the Steelers down the field in a 2 minute drill most players dream of. Down a score late with the Super Bowl on the line, Big Ben Roethlisberger engineered a near length of the field drive that put the Steelers ahead and won them a championship!

Enough of my Steeler bias! The deal is a good one and a refreshing sign of fiscal assertiveness from the Steeler organization.

Orlando Hudson: proving once and for all "what goes around comes around!"

2009-04-13T21:22:00.000-07:00

A CYCLE!!!!!!!!!!!

After Andre Ethier came so close to one last season for the Dodgers, the LA Dodgers finally... FINALLY have a new player to hit for the Cycle.

In 39 years of Dodger Baseball, no Dodger had been able to hit for the Cycle since Wes Parker's cycle back on May 7, 1970 at the Mets' Shea Stadium. The record withstood several expansions, two huge MLB player strikes, realignment, a steroids scandal, and the 80s. It even survived Disco! Even Shea Stadium itself fell before Wes Parker's long standing "record."

The nearly 40 years between Dodger players to hit for the cycle may be the longest such drought in MLB history. The only team to eclipse such a drought is the San Diego Padres, who never had a player hit for the cycle in its history.

Outside of that, the Dodgers stood alone as the only team to have gone over three decades between when a player hit for the cycle and the next player hit for the cycle. To make things even sweeter, Orlando Hudson was the first Dodger to hit for the cycle at Dodger Stadium.

And how sweet it was! It started with a squib single that was dribbled a total of 50 feet. Hudson legged it out on a close play. Next, a home run that was hit, admittedly, just a few rows past the meager 3 foot wall near the Left Field fould pole. After that, it was a double that split the gap and finally, Hudson went the other way and stroked a triple into the corner. The way the ball was hit, it was roughly 7-10 feet high. There was a split second when it looked like another fly ball, but instead it dropped at just the right spot.

To me, waiting for this cycle was even more arduous than waiting for a no hitter. Oddly enough, both the Padres and Mets share the distinction of having never had a pitcher throw a no-hitter. Anyway, I was fortunate to be at the right place at the right time to witness Dodger history. At last, a cycle for the Modern Era, and who better than the O-Dog, a man who was signed just this off season to chip in. If he was chipping in, he surely was using an Axe! Goodness!

Jay Cutler Gets Traded to the Bears

2009-04-02T22:30:00.000-07:00

This is amazing!

The Broncos traded Quarterback Jay Cutler, their franchise quarterback to the Chicago Bears for two first round draft picks, a third round draft pick, AND QB Kyle Orton.

What a huge trade this is. The biggest trade I've seen in quite sometime, if not the entire decade.

Wow! Who'd have thought this would happen and then happen so quickly? To be honest, I was sure the Broncos would wind up keeping Cutler after all the hubub. I stand corrected! I still don't know for sure who got the better end of the deal. I've been convinced Denver made out like bandits, but we won't know for sure until a few years down the line.

Short term, this seems like a winner for the Bears. They gave up a *lot* to get him, but you get a QB who was very solid last season. The only issue is all the mental baggage. My opinion: Jay Cuter is NOT ready for the intense Chicago Media.

Long term, this could be a big move for the Broncos. Provided they learn how to draft, the Broncos have the potential to completely patch up their holes in only two years time. We know they have issues on defense. We know they need a Running Back. We know it might be a good idea to draft another QB for the future. All three items could be aided through the draft.

There's potential here. Not just for Denver, but for Chicago. There is MUCH more on the subject, along with extensive coverage of the trade on today's Dave in the City Podcast! Do listen and enjoy! Meanwhile, there is also a second companion podcast devoted to the Final Four this weekend.

Madness Workin' Overtime

2009-03-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

I wanted to sleep, but I couldn't. There was so much excitement at a shade past Midnight on the East Coast. Two games went into overtime, one of them a double OT. In the end, it was HUGE shot by WIsconsin and a HUGE shot by Siena that sealed the deal for both teams.

Talk about excitement! When Verne Lundquist kept shouting in disbelief time after time during the Ohio State/Siena game, he and Bill Raftery knew why they chose broadcasting as a profession.

I have to admit, before the Midnight Madness, I was really disappointed at the Tournament so far. Hardly any big upsets, and ZERO late game heroics. Even the Marquette one-point win over Utah State seemed like a formality. FINALLY some drama for the tournament...

Then today, I see Memphis dominating Maryland, 'Nova blowing out UCLA, and UConn smoking Texas A&M. Man oh mannn... So much for "parity in College Basketball"....

The Pac 10 Sends a Trojan Horse to the Tournament

2009-03-15T09:02:00.000-07:00

I can't even begin to tell you why I think USC's Pac 10 Championship is so cool.

Pac 10 Championship: USC 66, Arizona State 63

It is SO cool. Here you had a team that nobody expected to do anything, the same team on the bubble of getting into the NCAA's at all. Here's a group that lost easily its best player in 25 years, O.J. Mayo, and a considerable underdog going up against teams like UCLA, Washington, and Arizona State.

But here you are! The Trojans, usually not much in basketball, rise to the top and defeat both the Bruins and Sun Devils in the Process. I don't have a dog in the fight. In general, I don't root for other USC Sports, and I've also been pulling for Baylor and Georgia Tech for no good reason. But you know what? I am really, REALLY happy to see the Trojans win the Pac 10. This is the greatest underdog story in the Pac 10; obviously it guarantees the Trojans a berth in the tourney, and who knows? Maybe they'll get a chance to upset someone in the first round.

---

Other Tournament News and Notes...

How about Cal State Northridge taking care of Pacific to win the Big West? CSUN wins 71-66, despite blowing a 18 point lead and having to go to OT to do it. Pacific with all the hype they've been getting looked like the darling of everyone in the Big West. So too did Long Beach State. Yet it's Northridge who takes it all. That's a big win for Northridge, plus, its the first time they've won the Big West Tournament. Granted, they got an at large bid several years ago, but for the Matadors, a strong season for that group.

...but to think UCSB had them on the ropes three times!!!!!

Michigan State ousted by Ohio State, and it wasn't even close. Ohio State won 82-70, and honestly they were up by much more than that. I'm surprised, but I probably should be. Tony Jimenez tells us the Big Ten is really not that strong this season. Be careful about Big 10 teams in the NCAA Tournament!

North Carolina falls to Florida State, and nobody cares. FSU beat UNC 73-70 on Saturday in the ACC tournament. Boy do the Tarheels miss Ty Lawson!

The end of the Line for Baylor: Baylor gets blown out by Missouri 73-60 in the Big 12 Championship Game Saturday. DaMare Carroll scored 20 points as he carried the Tigers to its first Big 12 title since 1993. It was quite a great ride for Baylor, but Mizzou is simply a better team.

The moment I saw Louisville clobber Providence despite playing their worst game of the week, I knew this was the team to beat in the Big East Tournament. Surely enough, they took the Big East championship on Saturday night as they defeated a worn out Syracuse 76-66. The headline reads "Louisville takes its first ever Big East Title." That's obvious: Louisville didn't join the Big East until 2005. They are good. I know so often we see them choke before making the Final Four, but depending on seed, I can see them making it this year.

The Tournament in a Nutshell...

Off the top of my head, I see these teams being "Final Four" good. Again it depends on how they're seeded later this afternoon:

Memphis, GOOD
Louisville, GOOD
North Carolina, good, but iffy (depends on Lawson)
Pitt, GOOD
UConn, good, but I have a hard time thinking they'll get a #1 seed now. Losing to Pitt Twice, check that, getting EMBARASSED by Pitt Twice and now the deal with Syracuse in the Big East tourney. I just don't see them doing much past the Elite 8.
Duke, good. Once again I think they're a Sweet Sixteeen team at best.

Teams that didn't impress me.

Hey what about Kansas? No way. You don't lose to the worst team in the conference and live to tell about it. They aren't due a top seed anyway, but I'd be really surprised if they even won a game in the tournament. I don't like Kansas.

Most of the Big Ten, except *maybe* Ohio State... nope, even Ohio State! Pretty much any team with a running game will have their way against the Big Ten. I do see two teams with Final Four potential in the Big Ten, but I'll get to that in a moment. Everyone else? They ought to flame out in the first weekend.

Washington. I don't think I ever considered Washington as a legitimate contender in the Pac 10. I know they had the top seed in the Pac 10 tournament, but I just never take them seriously. It's probably my own fault, but that's been how I've seen them, even though they made a nice comeback against Arizona State on Friday.

Dark Horses

USC... well I think they'll have a chance to advance a round, and potentially get a huge upset in the second round. That's the extent to which SC would be a "dark horse".

Penn State and Purdue: ok they lost in embarrassing fashion, but since everyone loves to dog the Big Ten (like me), I have to think they'll use that as momentum to make a big run. There's an outisde shot either team makes the Final Four, but as usual, it will take a lot.

Arizona State and UCLA: Both of them have Elite Eight potential. After that, it's a coin flip. UCLA's defense is overrated, but no slouch. I wouldn't be surprised to see either team get into the big dance.

Oklahoma: Oklahoma had been without Blake Griffin for a while, and while they couldn't round the wagons with him back the other day, I still see OU as a legitimate contender. This probably shouldn't even be in the "Dark Horse" category, but if they get a seed lower than 3rd, I think it qualifies.

I think we're in for another good ride here in the NCAAs. For all we know, we could end up with few upsets, but if Conference Week was any indication, man am I ever seeing some huge upsets this time around.

Disclaimer: I watched a limited amount of college basketball this season, so most of these picks are instinctual reactions. Nonetheless, I'm proud to say I made a similar pick when I chose CSUN to win the Big West Tournament. Who's the man? Oh yeah.. I AM!!

Mini March Madness!!

2009-03-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

Can you believe all these tournament upsets already?

Whether its Kansas, Oklahoma, or Pitt, not to mention UConn's fall after 6 overtimes, you have one of the wildest Conference Tournament weeks ever. The Big 12 final is completely decimated. The Big East final will feature Syracuse vs Louisville. The Big Ten Semis will have Illinois, and you get a Pac 10 finalist out of nowhere, USC, playing Arizona State.

Man! That's madness if you ever seen it.

This is the most fun I've had watching college basketball in a long while. I've noted on the podcast numerous times how pointless I thought conference tournaments are, but the sheer thrill of the little guy getting a chance to make the party is what draws me to watch.

There are some conferences, like the MAC or the Big West, which need the team to win the conference tournament to make the Field of 64+1. Generally when I spoke of my disdain for Conference Tourneys, I meant with respect to Big Conferences. Nonetheless, I'm having fun with them all! The Big Conferences and the little ones are all offering drama I did not expect.

Another example, in the ACC. Could you imagine if Georgia Tech held on to its 62-61 lead over Florida State with seconds to go? It would have been a last place team making the ACC Semifinals! I don't know if that's *ever* happened in the ACC. Florida State went on to win, but the possibility was fun to think about.

Then in the Big East, after playing a 6OT game the previous night, the Syracuse Orangemen stave off another overtime against West Virginia to win 74-69 and advance to the conference final game.

I certainly hope this is a sign of greater things to come in the NCAA Tournament next week. Lots of huge matchups are to come, I'm sure.

Why the Clippers are the Clippers

2009-03-10T22:25:00.000-07:00

Usually a basketball team won't go up by 19 on the Cleveland Cavs, at home.

And then blow the lead

And then get it back on a great three pointer inside of a minute

And then give up a three right afterward to Mo Williams

And then with less than ten seconds to go your fattest player just heaves a 3 pointer from 30 feet with the game on the line, and the shot doesn't even draw iron.

And end up losing 87-83.

That's why the Clippers are the Clippers.

The Preview: AL West

2009-03-06T10:16:00.001-08:00

I got a lot of dissension during the NL Central preview yesterday, and for good reason. I really really REALLY expect the Cubs to win the Central, but I can't bring myself to make it an official prediction.

Now to the AL West, where things like curses and goats do not apply.

The AL West: Well, somebody has to win it

Best team first this time...

Angels... No matter how bad or lame their offense is, the Angels are the team to beat in this division. I'm not even doing any buildup here... because its so freakin' obvious the Angels are better than the other teams in the AL West. Starting Pitching is the big reason why. The Angels have four starters who pitched ERAs under 4 last season. Four! Thats impressive, and shows the depth of their rotation. I don't even think the Angels care that Frankie Rodriguez bolted for NY. Not a whit... They still have Scott Shields, one of the best setup guys in the game, along with new closer Brian Fuentes from Colorado.

Offense is going to be the same as it ever was, possibly worse. Anaheim (and yes I said Anaheim, Arte... live with it!) lost Garret Anderson and Mark Teixiera to free agency. Granted, they won't really miss GA, but its a bummer that they don't have much to replace him with. Torri Hunter and Vlad Guerrero have the pop of a soda can, and everyone else would celebrate if they got a ball past the infield. Nevertheless, a very capable manager, Scoscia, will make the most of whatever lineup they have and get them to a division title. Remember, this is a regular season preview, so its irrelevant if their entire rotation is "not built for October".

[that said, it would be REMARKABLE if the Angels lost in the first round again... for a third year in a row]

Now to the teams that will compete for 2nd.

A's... I like the A's, and I have no idea why. But I've always appreciated their commitment to smart management. Some good that "smart management" has done the last two seasons, but this year will be different. For one, they have Matt Holliday and got Giambi back. For two, theres also Kurt Zusuki, Eric Chavez, and a budding bullpen. Yes, we know watching A's games is like watching baseball in slow motion, but it should at least be compelling for half a season.

M's... No Ibanez? No problem! We'll bring back Jr. Griff! He's almost as good, and older, but less expensive! there ya go! The M's also feature Kenji Johjima at catcher... not great, but listen, he's a catcher, and um... ok he has good defense? Oh and they have beltre!! He's not that bad but he's not that great. Maybe Franklin Gutierrez would be a bright spot, but we have yet to see.

"Not bad but not great" is basically the M's in general. I still can't believe how dumb that Bedard for Adam Jones trade is. Unless Bedard pitches Cy Young quality innings this year, I doubt they're getting the better end of that deal. Just wait until Bedard hits the DL... again! The rest of the staff... Felix Hernandez, who's solid, and three scrubs. The bullpen isn't much better without JJ Putz. This team might have one good month of baseball in them.

Rangers... Go go power raaaaangers! More like go go steroid juicers. What a joke this franchise is. I didn't say "become", because they were a joke to begin with. Even when I was a little kid, their highlights were a 59 year old pitcher pounding Robin Ventura and a ball going off Canseco's skull. To even attempt to break them down is an insult to baseball. That is ALL.

Dave's Take: The Angels win this thing fairly easily. One could make a case for Oakland, but they'd really rely on their bullpen to get it done. Unless someone knows of farmhands in the Oak Farm System, I doubt they'll muster anyone to get through innings 1-6 consistently.

Halos
A's
M's
Roid-Rangers

The Preview: NL Central

2009-03-05T10:25:00.000-08:00

We're continuing our MLB Previews of each division, one by one. Now we're up to the NL Central.

I'm in one of those loopy moods today, so I'll do this in order of "Teams Least Likely to Win" first.

We know where this is going...

Astros... Man oh man, the Astros. Oswalt is one tweaked elbow from turning into a frog, Ed Wade may be gone, but his stench is still destroying the franchise. Goodness... Carlos Lee and Lance Berkman may pick up where they left off, but everybody else... ugh. Tejada won't be that great, Wigginton, Towles, Pence, Blum, oof, oof, oof, and oof... The Pitching just ain't all that either. This is a bad team, no way around it.

Pirates... Yeah, they suck. While overall, they're awful, they have a couple of talented guys on the team. The biggest of the bunch is Nate McClouth who can occasionally sock it to 'em. I saw that first hand in an April night game at Dodger Stadium. McLouth belted a 3 run homer in the 9th inning with, I believe, 2 outs against Saito to power the Bucs to a win. That was just the beginning. McLouth went on to hit .276 with nearly a .500 slugging percentage, 26 Home Runs, and 94 RBI's in '08. What a tremendous breakout year for the blonde-haired knick knack in Center. Doumit, ADAM LaRoche, and Freddy Sanchez will be pretty decent this season, while not spectacular.

How then, is this team consistently in last place most of the time? Generally the pitching lets them down. It hard to believe too, because Ian Snell and Tom Gorzelanny were supposed to be the GOOD pitchers, but last year, both posted ERAs over 5. As Andrew Jacobsen says, "Yikes!" This year, I suspect both guys will be better, joined by Paul Maholm (3.71 ERA) and a cage match between Zach Duke, Jeff Karstens, and Ross Ohlendorf. The Pirates have a good GM for once, so they won't be lousy for long, but right now, I see them as a just below .500 club.

Isn't it funny how much easier it is for me to write NL previews? Uncanny. Moving on...

Reds... Another one of those deals where you just don't know how good their pitching will be. In theory their rotation should be very good, because they're going to get another year out of Volquez, Cueto, Harang, and Arroyo. Even Arroyo is underrated, if nothing else. His ERA was never great, but he's not supposed to be an ace to begin with, one, and secondly, he still winds up with around 150 Ks a year along with 200 innings a season. Innings eaters are very valuable over the course of a long year. Again, the bullpen will be solid. It ought to be, when they pay their closer 12 million! Goodness!! Cordero, the 12 million dollar man, is flanked by Arthur Rhodes, Jared Burton, Mike Lincoln, and Dave Weathers. Yep, I like the Reds bully.

You know, usually we just pencil in "great offense" for the Reds. Not this year. It might be a down year for the Reds bats. They used to have Dunn, Griffey, and Kearns all in the outfield. Now its Willy Taveras (really?!), Jay Bruce, and possibly Norris Hopper out there. Major downgrade, albeit a younger group. The Infielders are the better hitters. Joey Votto ought to maintain pace, Brandon Phillips is solid at 2nd, Edwin Encarnacion never met a pitch he didn't like, but he'll be pretty good. The pitching might be better than most years, but the lineup is weaker than usual. Despite this, I could see a Reds division championship. Do you believe it?!

Brewers... Most of you fellas are familiar with the Brewers, so I'll just summarize. Bullpen sucks, Rotation is shaky, and the offense is fantastic. The whole universe thought Fielder was leaving, but he instead stayed put. With that, you are looking at a deep lineup, with Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, JJ Hardy, and Mike Cameron, you get a lot of tough outs. I have to admit, the entire rotation is guys who "could be good". Almost all of their remaining starters had ERAs at 4 or above last season. Not a positive sign when combined with a lousy bullpen. And Hoffman as closer? GOOD LUCK. I think the Brewers have potential to slug their way to a few wins, but how far they'll go remains to be seen.

Cubs... Basically the same team as last year, and while streaky, I still like the lineup. The ability to choke is beyond comprehension, so I simply throw that out, and look at how Cubbie hitters did in the regular year. I liked it. Lee, Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, Soto, and to a lesser degree Theriot, and Milton Bradley. The biggest obstacle will be health.

Now as far as the rotation, it might be the best in the division. They have some very good starters. Zambrano, a full season of Rich Harden, Ted lilly, and Ryan Dempster are all pretty good. Definitely the deepest starting staff, when healthy, considering Aaron Heilman is in the wings as a 5th starter or a spot starter. The Bullpen isn't that bad... I loved bagging on it, but its really not terrible. Kevin Gregg will be interesting to watch, but I believe he's just setting up Carlos Marmol the closer. Combined, thats a decent 1-2 punch, depending on if Marmol can handle the role. I think he does, and I think the Cubs might be a good wild card team. I really really want to pick them to win the Central, but I can't. The Cubs normally don't even win back to back division titles... theres no way they win three in a row! I can't trust that team to stay healthy. Something will happen, maybe another goat curse or something.

Dave's Take: Again, most folks will pick the Cubbies to take this easily, and normally I would too, but... it's the Cubs. Instead I see possibly the Brewers or Reds taking it, but I'll give the edge to the Reds, because their pitching is so, SO much better. After that, the Cubs might be good for a WC, and while everyone else just plays out the string.

Reds
Cubbies
Brew-Crew
Buckos
Astros

I'm hedging my bets here, picking Chicago to finish 2nd. AL West preview tomorrow!

The Preview: AL Central

2009-03-05T09:26:00.000-08:00

We're doing MLB previews all week long, one a day, except today, where we'll be rolling out TWO previews. First, let's take a look at the AL Central. Yes!

The AL Central: (Middle) America's Game

The only division in baseball where you can make a case for any team to win the division. Any team except the Royals. They Royals won't be that bad this season, but likely still under .500, lets begin with them.

Royals... Its been too long since they've been any good, but there are signs of change afoot. Theck this out. We knew about Gil Meche, with a pretty decent line last season (3.98 ERA, 183K, etc), but how about Zack Greinke last year? Only 24, and already piling up strikeouts... 183 of them to go with a 3.46 ERA. Not a misprint, Meche and Greinke had the same number of strikeouts. In addition, Joakim Soria, already a VERY good closer, now has some help in the bullpen. Kyle Farnsworth, Juan Cruz, and Ron Mahay, will all be stepping in to set up. Boy that Royals pitching staff looks pretty good all of a sudden!

Offensively, we're looking at a Buck and Olivo platoon at C, they're ok. but wait until you see the rest of the infield... Mike Jacobs takes 1st coming in from the Marlins... he can slug it! 29+ HRs last year. Then there's Callapso who's mostly unproven but serviceable, and Aviles barely out of the farm. Alex Gordon might be the best guy of the bunch, and he too is under 25. This infield has a lot of potential. The outfield is Coco Crisp, Jose Guillen, and David DeJesus... not fantastic, but DeJesus ain't so bad. This isn't your brother's Royals... they'll still be a non-factor but I think they'll be better than most years.

I had to be more in-depth with the Royals since I didn't really follow them last year, and neither did anyone else.

Now to the teams that matter...

White Sox... I have no idea how good their pitching is. Even Mark Burhle is good not great, and even at that I'm not sure if he'll keep it up. Last year, John Danks and Gavin Floyd had great seasons, but its hard to tell if they're keepin that up. reason is that before last year, their ERA was well above 5... no clue and given the mediocre periphs, we just won't know how good any of these guys will be. The best thing is, most of them are very young, so its not as if they're injury risks. The Bullpen is going to be interesting to watch, because Jenks will have to stay sharp to keep the Sox in games. Linebrink underperformed last season (lots of injuries, otherwise very good).

Offensively, ugh... do I really have to get into this? this offense sucks!! Even guys like Konerko and Jermaine Dye... They're ok, but just not that big a deal... honest to God! All right, well Alexi Ramirez was pretty good and so too was Carlos Quentin. Jim Thome also made decent contributions. But despite all this I get the impression we're looking at a team that was assembled using the "throw @$%! on the wall and see what sticks" strategy. The White Sox are probably a below .500 team all told. To be better, they'd have to have better rotational depth and more "WOW, look at that guy" hitters. They have neither.

Twins... Twins lose Santana, no problem! Twins lose Hunter... oh hell NO theres no problem! Hunter, as it turns out, was quite overrated. Seems to me the offense worked just fine without him. Span, Morneau, Mauer, and Punto all can slap the ball past the infield. Those are just the names I got off the top of my head. They dont have a TON of power, but they are a good good offense. Ok when I said "don't have a ton of power", I mean they were DEAD last in the AL in HRs last year (only 111). But they still averaged 5.09 runs a game, good for 3rd in the AL... boy how good is your offense when you average 5 runs a game AND are dead last in HRs? wow!!

Pitching is middle of the pack... Scott Baker, Francisco Liriano, Nick Blackburn and others will be their rotation this year... mostly home grown, and no FA pitching pickups for the Twins this season. The Bullpen is again solid with Joe Nathan taking his spot at closer among others. I like the pitching on the Twins. They're as good as anyone to compete for the crown, but the complete absence of power could eat them alive!

Tigers... It's too predictable to roll out the Tigers preview last, so instead I'll go next to last. While they lose Renteria, the remainder of the lineup will be excellent. Miguel Cabrera was not as good as usual, but damn he was GOOD last year. Even in a "down year" he led the AL in HRs. Mags is still there, Sheff is still there, Guillen is still there, and Polanco is still there. Provided Granderson doesnt wreck his thumb again he'll be ready to go opening day, and that will do a lot to spark the offense. I think not having him was as big a reason as any the Tigers got off to a slow start. I'll bet anybody 5 garrets the Tigers don't lose six in a row to start the season. It won't happen.

Now for pitching, their rotation will be much better. Verlander should be good again. Jeremy Bonderman was bad last year, but he is a very good pitcher... I'm not giving up on him yet. Plus, the Tigers picked up Edwin Jackson who even now has a lot of potential. Sure I'm biased; Jackson was a former Dodger and Ray, but he can turn it around. The bully? Better! Yea Brandon Lyon is a gascan, but with that HUGE ballpark he'll get his share of saves, plus lots of run support. Lyon will be fine. Then there's Rodney and Zumaya, both likely to be at full strength. Tigers' pitching will be a TON better this season. I like the Tigers... I've liked the Tigers in this division since 2002, but still... I think they can be the team to beat.

Indians... If there's going to be a chic, popular, "in" pick for the AL Central, it will be the Indians. And why not? They have Carlos Santana waiting in the wings to take over if Victor Martinez falls apart. They have Sizemore wowing audiences in CF. They've got Cliff Lee and Fausto Carmona anchoring the rotation. And this year they have............... (gasp!) a closer! While they grossly overpaid, Kerry Wood will end up being a very good pick to close for the Tribe, provided he stays off the IR. We shall see... This year, the Indians' record will be much closer to the 2007 team than the 2008 team. Roll out the barrel for the Indians!

Dave's Take: I gotta give this one to the Tigers. Isn't it obvious? They have the World's Greatest Offense. They have a much better pitching staff this year. They have a lot of experienced hitters. They have no weight of expectations. Think about it: If you thought the Red Sox were getting overlooked, how about Detroit? Nobody expects them to be any good. This is going to be the second story of MLB this year (the first story is how the Dodgers challenge the 2001 M's for the most wins in a season). The Indians are going to be very close behind. I really like the Tribe this year, so I wouldn't be surprised to see Cleveland take it. I'd leave out an olive branch for Minnesota, because their lineup has been together for a while now, give or take a guy. Love the Twins' pitching. I'd even give the Royals an outside shot... I have no hope for the White Sox... too many things are on tenuous ground. Too many "ifs" on that team. They're last.

Tigers
Tribe
Twinks
Royals
Sox

The Preview: NL East

2009-03-03T13:30:00.000-08:00

We're doing MLB Division previews all week. Today it's the NL East.

The NL East: Feel the excitement!

Jacob Rosales referenced it in today's podcast: The NL East is the most fun division in baseball. The Drama is hard to match in any other division. Even in the AL East, you don't get fans that are this passionate about their teams.

Let's take the Mets and Phillies for example. Both fanbases feel slighted as the ugly stepchild, compared to their more popular sibling, the Yankees and Eagles respectively. So as a result, they really really want their team to win, so they can prove they belong.

For years, the Mets and Phils have duked it out for either a division crown or a WC spot. Before that, it was always about Mets and Braves. Sometimes its Braves and Marlins. The NL East is a very underrated division.

Since it's underrated, I'll start with the most underrated team in the group.

Marlins... I tell you, that infield is great. They can't field worth a bleep, but their bats are electric. Every infielder on that team hit 29+ HRs. Every one! Mike Jacobs at 1st had 32, Dan Uggla at 2nd had 32, Jorge Cantu at 3rd had 29, and who could forget Hanley Ramirez at Short with his 33 HRs.

Honestly, people who tell you "The AL has teams with much better lineups" is not paying attention. You try and find me another team where almost half the lineup is hit 29+ HRs last year. Unfortunately, Mike Jacobs was traded to the Royals this offseason, so the lineup will have a little less pop... Howver, in return they got Leo Nunez a reliever that could assuage the loss of Kevin Gregg. Frankly even without Nunez, ditching Gregg is addition by subtraction... he really folded down the stretch last year, Gregg did. The rotation is again young and inexperienced, but I trust the Fish's farm system here.

Nationals... OK, so they have Adam Dunn. OK, so they have Guzman and Zimmerman. Ok, ok... but they still have almost no pitching... and even as lame as Jon Rauch was last year he was still serviceable, yet they sent him to Arizona mid-season. Other than the big three, you get an awful lineup: Nick Swisher anyone? Lastings Milledge? No need to waste any more time breaking down this squad.

Braves... here comes another one of those "it depends" teams. It depends on how well the Braves have organized their rotation and bullpen. They now have Derek Lowe, who's been pretty good over the last decade. Offensively they'll be ok, but not great. How much longer can Chipper Jones keep up his great hitting? Will Garret Anderson (picked up from the Angels) be a waste in the outfield? The surest things on the Braves so far are catcher Brian McCann, second baseman Kelly Johnson, and Escobar. Of the three, McCann is the only one with good power. The biggest liability for Atlanta is still the bullpen. They'll be in most games if nothing else.

Now for the real showdown...

Mets... A very good team that could have been great had they had the nuts to sign Manny Ramirez this offseason. He was ready to go too, all the Mets had to do was offer a solid 2-3 year deal for about 23+ mil per, guaranteed money. That said, their lineup is still quite nice, with David Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado, and Carlos Beltran all ready to go on cue. Best of all, they *finally* did something about that bullpen. Granted, they overpaid for two guys who I think are overrated i.e. JJ Putz and Frankie Rodriguez, but the odds are they'll be good, not great. Quite frankly, "good not great" is a MAJOR improvement for the Mets bully... this is the team that blew game after game in September two years in a row. They had to do something. I see the Mets being a serious contender not just for the East, but for the whole NL.

Phils... The Defending World Series champions. A now weaker lineup without Pat Burrell. I suppose they will still be very solid, but it really depends on how well Jayson Werth can hold up. Honestly, he had a career year that came out of nowhere. What are the odds Werth stays that healthy again? How will the Phils do without Chase Utley for a big chunk of the season? Whats interesting is that the Phils also signed Raul Ibanez to take burrell's slot. Actually, Ibanez is a very good hitter and cheaper than Burrell to boot. So all told, the Phils will still have a good offense. The only thing is, the pitching won't be anywhere near as good. Scumbag extraordinaire Brett Myers is going to get his ASS kicked his season. Jamie Moyer, now 956 years old, won't be much better. Reliever JC Romero is suspended for the first 50 games. Lets face it: the pitching staff pitched way over their heads last year, and won't repeat it in 2009. If they win 90+ games, I'll be very surprised.

Dave's Take: This one appears wide-open on the surface, but not really. First the easy ones. Washington and Philly are both out of the running for the division. The Phils might get a WC, but post-championship hangover plus other things will pretty much bog them down all year. That leaves Atlanta, Florida and the Mets. Gotta be the Mets. Granted, their rotation is not proven for anything, but they're mostly young now save Santana. I like him, Perez, and Maine, provided they're healthy. This is the Mets division to lose. Lets go Mets to win the East this year, with the Phils or Braves close behind.

Mets
Phils
Braves (Phils and Braves will have close to the same record)
Fish
Nats

Tomorrow... ohh boy! The AL Central. I can't wait!!!!

The Preview: AL East

2009-03-02T18:55:00.000-08:00

It's time for MLB previews for 2009. Boy who isn't excited for baseball? I certainly am, although despite this, I feel like the season is really sneaking up on me. Know what I mean? As if it just started without any hoopla.

That would never happen in the NFL... EFCSPN (that's Entertainment and Football @#%@% Sucking Program Network) would have been trumpeting Kickoff Week since February... oh wait... THEY JUST DID!! Anyhow, its baseball time, so lets get into the divisions, one at a time. Today it's the AL East.

The AL East (in a nutshell)

Easily the toughest division in MLB. Not only do most of the teams have great lineups, but they each have good pitching staffs to boot.

Orioles... The exception is Baltimore, who has neither. But for O's fans, do not fret... Nick Markakis is a nice young hitter, and Adam Jones is a possible breakout superstar... only 23 or so, and ready to roll! Still, not a whole lot else.

Yanks... love to overpay for people on the downside of their career. This year they didn't quite do that, but came close... signed two guys arguably in their prime (CC and Tex). CC Sabathia wasn't a bad move, but I can't see him pitching as well as he did for two months in Milwaukee. Teixiera... you can have him, NY. I don't even know how he gets all those gaudy numbers, because he is such an ORDINARY hitter... an MLB equivalent to Marvin Harrison.

Red Sox... the forgotten team... dare I say that? Almost no one is talking Red Sox in the off season... Lineup's basically the same as last year post deadline, which means, quite good. Quietly they stole the Dodgers' leftovers in Brad Penny and Takashi Saito. Another instance of "you can have 'em". Good luck trying to get Penny to give you a straight answer on injuries. However, IF he is healthy, Brad Penny ought to be a very solid option, and at a good price. The Red Sox are now Sanford and Son... who knew?

Rays... FEEL... the HEAT... RAYS!! The first step to get to the next step, Tampa Bay, is to ditch that God-awful home run song! For Christ's sake... that is a TERRIBLE song... you might as well play "YMCA" after home runs... even THAT would be better. I like the Rays... but I don't necessarily like them to be as good as last year. Lots and LOTS of young guys on that team, even a rook (Longoria). I think they got Burrell to replace Floyd... Wow is that ever an upgrade. Not sure how Pat the Bat will do, but the turf ought to remind him of the Vet. Comfort! Love the pitching... Don't love the bullpen, save Price (great stuff)... That's a serious wild card.

Jays... Halladay is not good enough to be a pitching staff. Staff = more than one person. BJ Ryan is pretty good to close, but I doubt the Jays repeat that MLB best E.R.A. from last year. The lineup is a joke... Good Lord, unless Rios and Wells just have the seasons of their lives... I can't see Overbay, Rolen, and Scutaro doing much, although stranger things have happened.

Dave's Take: This is going to be the Red Sox' year. No personality at all on that team... but the Ro-Bo sox will get it done. Less hype but more results. Not that they're this little market team or anything, but the Sox are unheralded and they like it that way. Yanks and Rays will likely challenge for the Wild Card and the other two teams will be eliminated by August, easily.

Sox
Yanks
Rays
Jays
O's

NL East preview coming tomorrow!

28 Sentences to Describe a Week

2009-02-28T10:14:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I went a whole week without posting anything about sports!

Do you believe February is the longest *and* the shortest month of the sports year?

Denver 90, LA Lakers 79: The Lakers played the single WORST game of the season last night, by far.

All that hoopla for Tiger Woods return for nothing?

Jim Calhoun might be The Jerk, but he has a point.

Nothing excites me more for baseball than when I see a glimpse of a spring training game.

The Redskins are out of their wit signing a free agent to boat loads of dollars... again!

This weekend might be the most trying weekend in sports yet.

Why are we talking about the NFL draft in February?

I still think Denver is going to be a dark horse in the NBA.

Larry Benifest, why would you give the Marlins such a hard time about infield defense in the first game of Spring Training?

The LA Hockey Kings are a much worse team than I thought, so when they say "rebuilding" they mean "losing a lot of games."

Celebrity Jeopardy is a dumb idea, unless they use the "answers" from the regular show.

Santa Barbara is back to being good weather central.

Could the Red Wings now be the team to beat in the West?

UCLA basketball is, always has been, and always will be overrated.

Marvin Harrison is the quiet receiver (save a gun incident), such a shame to see him cut but also a good move by Indy.

Johan Santana missing a start due to a sore elbow: early, but not a good sign.

Are the Academy Awards like Super Bowl commercials, where there's so much hype going in but the results are never great save for a brief moment in the Mid-90s?

American Idol is ruining TV schedules!

The Phoenix Suns still look like a mess.

Wow, another solid road win for Cleveland, even though the Cavs beat half the San Antonio Spurs.

Why in the hell did the Boston Celtics sign Stephon Marbury?

The C's without KG are a much weaker D.

Will somebody please just SIGN Manny Ramirez already?!

Charles Barkley is a human being, remember that.

MLB Extra Innings ought to be a waste of money this year.

Isn't it always the hardest thing to find a great snappy closing line to an article or an essay?

We won a game!

2009-02-18T23:40:00.000-08:00

Hockey??? I'm going to write a whole post about Hockey? REALLY?!?!

I have to... everyone's heard enough about A-Rod (see El Hebrew Hammer's post below). Everybody got blown out in the NBA. The Trade Deadline is full of gems like "Chandler to the Thunder.... uh never mind!".

And the biggest story in the NFL, is unfortunately, an untimely death, that of Brad Van Pelt.

So the most positive story tonight is the plight of my own hockey team, the L.A. Hockey Kings, as they finally rose up and won a game. They won a game!! Against the Ducks! Finally!!

Always extra sweet to beat the quacks... honestly do they still have a team? I thought they were a new Disney Pixar presentation. Who thought that was a good idea? Actually everyone did, they get good attendance.

Anyway, it was good ol' Anze Kopitar who sinked the game winner in the 3rd period, after which the Kings held on to win 4-3. Finally, a win! The Kings came home after that blazing hot road trip, then put up a donut in regulation. Officially they went 0-1-2 on a three game homestand, but still tip toed to Anaheim having won 7 of 11.

A much needed win for the Kings. The Kings are a young team, but more losses like that would have ended their playoff run for sure. Outside of that, we had some fun over in DC with the Caps beating the Canadiens in a shootout. Go Ovechkin!

---

People in New York City are really up in arms about the New York Rangers. They got off to a blazing hot start, at one point near the top of the East standings. Now they're on the ropes and coach Tom Renney is already looking behind his back for the ax. Had they lost tonight to the Islanders at home, it would have been the absolute nadir to an underachieving season. Instead they dominated and beat the Isles 3-1.

I'm surprised Steve Somers didn't have more to say about that. Turns out "ice" disappoints less than rock any day of the week, doesn't it? The Isles have no money and no audience... what's the Rangers' excuse?

That's the latest from the NHL... and I'm sticking to it!

Needles and Balls!!!

2009-02-18T13:09:00.000-08:00

Hey...

Did you know Arod did PEDs???
I KNOW!!!!

WHO KNEW?!?!?!?

We Cheat to Win and Wonder Why

2009-02-12T12:11:00.000-08:00

I tell you, this whole scandal with A-Rod and Steroids and other things is starting to bring a little reality to the game of baseball. Why are many folks disturbed by this? We know cheating has been a part of the game as long as there was a game. Granted, we now deal with legally banned substances, inasmuch as the products used are not only illegal in baseball, they're illegal in society at large!

Nevertheless, I think the onus is on Bud Selig. I've been saying this forever, but if you don't enforce anything, things are not going to correct themselves. Don't try to tell me Selig never knew all of these things were going down. I'm pretty sure this is the case, but let's face it, I get the impression that Bud Selig is a puppet of the ownership group and owners could care less what gets tarnished in the record books.

That brings up another point. Why do we care so much about these records? Do we ever get all upset when some hot-shot sets the "youngest to 20,000 points" or "most Assists in a season" mark? Did anyone start throwing ceremonies for Tom Brady when he set the mark for most Touchdown Passes in a season? Seriously, why did baseball single itself out as a venue to write big novels about silly statistics.

I love statistics. Stats make my day and help me evaluate talent. However I don't value them so much that I'll be telling tall tales to kids about how "The Great Alex Rodriguez set x, y, and z mark".

I'll be honest. I was really mesmerized when Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire were setting new home run records in 1998. BUT, years after it happened (McGwire's 62) I realized "boy what was the big deal about that?" I loved the nature of McGwire's moon shots, but then when I saw Cesar Izturis hit opposite field home runs or Brett Boone lifting balls into the upper deck, I realized how relatively unimpressive home runs were.

I'll be honest again. I don't think I'd be following baseball full time if it weren't for that home run chase. I'd be fooling myself if the chase didn't drive us back to the game. That it was driven by foreign substances is unfortunate, but you know what? I can live with it. It's just a sport, and as good as it got, home runs really became a joke entering the 2000s.

A guy by the name of Ben Maller (awful sports host but interesting guy) was on the radio one day in 2000 and he was talking about how great it was to see the myriad of home runs lately. Maller said something like "I used to remember when I was a kid you'd have to wait forever to see a home run, and now it's great because there's home runs all the time." Maller thought it was cool to relax and soak in the fun.

Then it got out of hand. When the skinniest guy on the team, Luis Gonzalez hit 57 home runs in 2001 after not sniffing 35 in any other season of his career, we knew something was up. Something was up when in 2000, Major League Baseball teams combined to hit 5,693 homers, the most home runs in its entire history, and not by a little.

GRANTED, its important to note that from 1998 on, Baseball expanded to 30 teams... so automatically one can expect more home runs because there are more games.. Still, observe the peak at that point and compare to 2007: 4,957 HRs. That is over 700 fewer home runs accross the board. Something was up all right, but it took way too long to take action.

Finally the Mitchell Report was released. Cold hard facts, which took down the abusers like how Richie Roberts brought the Lucas Empire to its knees (Frank, not George Lucas). Now it seems like baseball is much less of a slugfest, but also a more three dimensional experience.

Then again, I think if there's anyone that we should blame, it's ourselves. We were too naive to simply accept the increased power as fact. BUT, with that said, it's better late than never, and seeing home runs become more of an event than a formality is a good thing.

The game is now, once again, a game.

What to do on a Monday night when there's no game

2009-02-09T22:30:00.000-08:00

Tough, boring night last night. The best the sports world had to offer was a decent game between Memphis and Kansas.

Blase, Jose. I do like how A-Rod just came out with it (granted, half-assedly) and admitted he took the "stuff". So what did I do?

I went to Chubbie's. Their hamburgers are amazing... they're so good, I might go back tomorrow. I couldn't believe how juicy mine was last night. I ordered a double chubbie burger with regular onions. If you're ever in SB, gotta check them out on De La Vina Street. That hamburger made my night!

Oh wait, what were we talking about again...?

23 and out!

2009-02-08T15:03:00.000-08:00

CLEVELAND -- 23 Cavalier home wins to start the season were snapped with one ball of fury from the Lakers in the 2nd half over at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. The Lakers won 101-91 to go 5-0 on their road trip and end a long ride of home success for James' Kingdom.

Why is Kobe Bryant not shown in the picture above? First of all, Kobe was deathly ill from apparently the nastiest flu of the year. After the game, Lamar Odom told ESPN Reporter Lisa Salters that Bryant had moments of vomiting and IV's throughout the game. In scenarios like this one it's up to the team mates to step up. ENTER Lamar Odom.

Can you believe the way Lamar Odom is playing lately? He came on like a big Gila Monster in the second half on Sunday, dominating the game like Neo dominated the Matrix. In all, Odom was clearly the player of the game, scoring 28 points on 13 of 19 shooting. Best of all, he collected 17 rebounds! Without question, this is the best performance of the season for Odom, who now takes an opportunity and runs with it.

Kobe wouldn't be completely silent this afternoon. Even though he was held without a point through most of the 4th quarter, his first field goal of the 4th was a killer: a high rainbow shot that nearly grazed the ceiling and fell in to break the Cavaliers' back. One could sense that after this last gasp, Kobe was spent, and surely enough he retreated for relief after a timeout.

Last season, the Lakers went 9-0 on the longest road trip of that season. This year, the Lakers go on an East Coast swing against the two toughest teams in the NBA and beat both. This is an incredible run for the Lakers, who figured to reel after losing Bynum for extended time.

A Missed Opportunity...

LeBron James is, unfairly or no, compared to Kobe Bryant every day. The Cavs were riding a great home court advantage that dispatched the Celtics in short order and stomped the Jazz on the drop of a hat. After Kobe dropped 61 points on the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, James did his best imitation with a 52 point, 9 rebound, 11 assist effort.

This year, James has some King's Men to assist the King. Williams and Szczerbiak chipped in with their first full season with the Cavs. On Sunday, they had a chance to really make a statement with a win against the Lakers.

Instead, LeBron James struggled, going 5 for 20 from the field and only 4 for 8 from the Free Throw line. That was a terrible performance, let's face it, and worse yet, James didn't have a flu to use as an excuse. Credit, of course, should be dealt to the Lakers for dedicating the game to containing James' attack. Despite a very good 12 assists, James +/- rating for the game was a lousy -12. Go figure.

Nonetheless, I'm disappointed. I thought the Cavs would have maintained their home court dominance and likely stamped their mark as "Best in the East". I thought LeBron James would outduel Kobe Bryant and post his usual terrific game. Things started promisingly enough for Cleveland, entering halftime with a ten point lead. The second half was when it fell apart. Their traps were opened up by quick moves to the basket, and Lamar Odom was after almost every ball in the Lakers end of the court. Holy moly!

Fortunately, the Cavs can take heart that despite one of the worse performances of James' season, they were within 5 points as late as 3 minutes to go in the game. It's just a matter of closing out on defense. The Cavs are fine.

Some teams have their day, and some days aren't yours. The only problem is, for Cleveland, it happened under a national spotlight!

No WONDER They Called Him A-Fraud!!!!!

2009-02-07T08:02:00.000-08:00

I do not believe this. Are you KIDDING???

A-Rod now hit with the stigma of Steroids? WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!

This is not a "El Hebrew Hammer" I don't believe it, I really don't believe it. Not that he'd do the juice, A-Rod, but the fact that it would come down so damn quickly. Is this for real? No trial? No Jury? No elongated investigation? Nope, Nope, Nope!

Holy smokes. I already felt like we should have put an asterisk on most elements of his career, including his manhood. THIS now gives pretty much everybody a good reason to hate his guts.

...And would you believe that even all those performance enhancements couldn't get him one lousy hit that mattered in the playoffs?!! That's the real crime here, folks.

Water and Pot!!!!

2009-02-07T01:01:00.000-08:00

Hey!
Did you know Michael Phelps smokes pot?
I KNOW!?!?!?!

WHO KNEW!?!??!

Who's afraid of the Big Bad Celtics?

2009-02-06T22:30:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK -- Boston this Boston that...

Last night, the Celtics beat the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, 110-100. BUT...

It took a 38 point 4th quarter to do it. The Celtics can thank James Dolan the Knicks don't have a defense. Ray Allen fouled out half way through the final period. Up until the 4th, the Knicks gave Boston ALL it could handle! The Knicks... let me repeat that, the "we gave up 61 to Kobe and 52 to LeBron" Knicks gave the C's everything but the kitchen sink. The Knicks LED 76-72 after 3 quarters!

Goodness, how the mighty have struggled. All teams go through rough patches, no doubt. But how about the Celtics defense lately? 101 points to Minnesota, 99 to Philly (a game where they practically pulled a houdini act to win), 110 to the Lakers, and now 100 to NY.

Has the rest of the NBA figured them out???

Probably not. The fact is, the Celtics are operating with Kevin Garnett at half speed. His flu has clearly been affecting his play. It also doesn't help that he's been getting called for a lot of the physical moves he makes this week. Fascinating.

Secondly, the C's have been turning the ball over a lot. 15+ turnovers 3 games in a row, several of them late. Rondo really needs to clean it up. He's very good with assists, he's having a very good season, but he makes some of the stupidest decisions. Why would anyone give the ball to anyone besides Paul Pierce or Ray Allen towards the end of OT on Thursday? Things like that.

No need to panic, Celtics fans. It's a rough patch and they'll get through it, but it looks like teams have formulated a nasty, Trojan Horse game plan. Can Rivers make the adjustments? That... is what will make or break championships!!

I see baseball in your future...

2009-02-04T21:51:00.000-08:00

THE FUTURE OF "LOCKS OF THE WEEK":

No, no, no, I'm not going to start doing a goodbye speech like the folks at Baseball Toaster. Rest assured, there will still be content going into the indefinite future.

I love this place, and even with football over, we'll still get to cover lots of neat topics... especially (da da da da da daaaaa) BASEBALL!

Yep, get ready for some fun and good times coming up from me and some of our contemporaries here on LOCKS of the Week. Don't forget, our podcast is still up and running daily on the site. We likewise have a food show called "Dining with Dave" which comes on every Wednesday morning.

This was on my mind today: Who's the greatest hitting Rivera of all time?

The winner turns out to be the very first Rivera in Major League Baseball. Anyone remember "Jungle Jim" Rivera from the Chicago White Sox? He had a solid career from 1952-1961, OPS+ ing over 85 in every year but two. Not the greatest statistics ever, but in the 50's he was a solid hitter and a GREAT base stealer... the kind of player that Juan Pierre could only hope to be. But still... only about an 85 OPS+er.

Despite that, he had 422 career RBIs, the most of any Rivera to date. He also won the Triples Crown in 1955, finishing second in triples in numerous other years. Remember that folks, as we start watching Rising Riveras go up through the minors.

We did it Steelers... WE DID IT!!!

2009-02-02T23:28:00.000-08:00

Congratulations Pittsburgh Steelers! 2008 Super Bowl Champions!!

I have one thing to say, to my friends who are Steelers fans...

Pittsburgh... WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dave's NFL LOCKS of the Week

Dave's DIVISONAL LOCKS of the Week

Dave's NFL WILD CARDS of the Week

How about an NBA Prediction for ya?

Thanksgiving LOCKS of the Week: Part 5

MNF LOCK of the Week: Chiefs at Patriots

SPECIAL: Thursday Night Pick of the Week: NYJ vs DEN

3-0 and Back for Mo'!

Wow, nearly one year gone??

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 17 -- Dave's Unpredictables of the Week

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 16 -- The Next to Last LOCKS of the Week

Dave's LOCKS of the Week -- Week 15 Jolly Good Jubilee Pt. 2 La La la la la laaa LOCKS of the Week

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 14 -- Jolly Good Jubilee and Football Prognostications (of the Week)

In Memoriam: Ron Santo

The 25 Christmas Songs Everyone Loves to Sing!

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 13 -- Dave's RANDOMS of the Week

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 12 -- Dave's THANKS of the Week

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 11 -- Dave's QUICKIES of the Week

Try again, NFL.

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 10 -- Dave's Night Moves of the Week

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week Love Potion Number 9!

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 8 Hallowed LOCKS of the Week

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 7 -- LOUTS of the Week

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 6 -- Disappointments of the Week

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 5 -- One Liner's of the Week

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 4 -- Dave's ?'s of the Week

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 3, It Just Seems Too Easy.

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 2 -- The Sequel

Dave's LOCKS of the Week - Week 1: Two Dogs for the Price of One!

Dave Medina vs the Universe (beat it, Pilgrim!)

Aren't you glad you used NFL?

Sorry, Boise... Not Impressed.

Beginneth the College Footballeth

Manny Ramirez is Alllll Right with Me

Predicting the BCS Top 10

The *other* New York Team...

Clash of the Texans?

Gut Check Time for the Dodgers: Rev. 2.0

The Mother of All Bandwagons

Your Weekly Pennant Race Showdown Predictions

Other Superpower Teams in the NBA...

The Rebound: Who recovers?

The Weekend: East vs West

Announcer, "Number One", Mr. Bob Sheppard... "Number One"...

The (Micro) Preview: World Cup Final -- Netherlands vs Spain

Rockies/Padres Prediction (well, for two games)

The Prediction: LeBron James

I'm baaaaaack

-- and then the Magic won the Eastern Conference Finals

vtred predicts the Mets will win 98 Games

Butler, West Virginia, Michigan State... the Season of Miracles

Dave joins the Duke Bandwagon

The Perfect Weekend

Bob Miller Misses a Kings Game... It's News!

The only man in America who picks the Saints to win the Super Bowl

Week 17: For the last time this year, Dave's LOCKS of the Week

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 16

Dave's LOCKS of the Week, Week 15

Dave's ATTEMPTS of the Week, Week 14

LOCKS of the Week went 20-16 through Week 12

Dave's JINXES of the Week... Week 13

Games that Count

Wow was THAT a beatdown?

Dave's LEGS of the Week, the turkey kind, Week 12!

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 11

Dave in the City Sportstalk Podcast (11-17-09)

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Weeks 1-10

Wanna wait until you actually WIN something first?

86 Yards

More on the Labor Day Laser-Shootout...

The Greatest Week One Game Ever Played (in 2009)

Why Should I Worry?

Tom, Vick, and McNabb

Welcome BACK!

Don't forget to touch third base... WHOOPS!

Will you please give it up, Brett Favre?!

Surprise!

Why I'm still not convinced by the Trail Blazers

Harrison locked up with a Steel Safe!

Orlando Hudson: proving once and for all "what goes around comes around!"

The other New York Team...