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NFL General

2008 NFL Power Rankings Week 12

Oh, how the might have fallen. With the undefeated Titans joining the Giants as the only teams with one loss, they fall to second this week, as the Giants prove once again that they just might be the team to beat.

However, if the Jets can do this much damage to the previously assumed “best” team in the league, what does that mean for them? And more importantly, what does this mean for the rest of the league?

As much as I hate to say it, my guess is it means nothing. Not right now, anyways.

Sure, Brett Favre is playing good football, the Jets are solid on both side of the ball, and the Giants and Titans both can clearly be had. But that doesn’t mean the Browns are headed for a turn around, or that the Packers are going to the post-season, simply because they took Tennessee to over time.

In fact, their embarrassing loss to the Saints this Monday night showed us they’re not quite ready for playoffs without Favre, and they’re likely headed to a finish no better than 9-7.

So, then, what do we know? Again, I firmly stand on the guessing game plateau, shouting to the top of lungs; Nothing!

Until the Jets have more than a one game lead in their division, or anyone other than the Giants truly scares me in the NFC, we’re still looking at a Tennessee vs. New York title game. Well, probably.

That doesn’t mean a little Favre magic can’t mix things up in the playoffs though, does it?

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General Sports

Concussions in the NFL and NHL

As defined by the Centers for Disease Control, a concussion is a clinical syndrome characterized by immediate and transient alteration in brain function, including alteration of mental status and level of consciousness, resulting from mechanical force or trauma. Translated, a concussion is a blow to the head that causes a change in brain function.

Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman is probably one of the most recognizable names on the planet. He was a six time Pro Bowler, three time All-Pro selection, and a former Super Bowl MVP. Aikman was one of the cogs of the Dallas Cowboys’ dynasty in the 1990’s. Yet, when he retired, just a shell of who he was, in 2001, Aikman was reported to have suffered at least ten concussions in his career.

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NFL General

Week 12 2008 NFL Picks and Podcast

BostonMac won the week last week with 13-2-1 but missed his lock of the week. Trevor and Vegas Vinny both hit their locks for big money. RJ is missing and won’t return his bookie’s phone calls since the refs screwed him out of his Steelers lock with some ridiculous illegal forward pass ruling.

The featured games this week (picked Against the Spread) are: Jets @ Titans, Panthers @ Falcons, Giants @ Cardinals, and Packers @ Saints.

You can download the podcast directly  (running time 90 mins) or subscribe to the feed.  

If you use iTunes, just click here and then click subscribe and iTunes will take care of the rest.

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College Football

11-22-08 College Football Picks

Another 3-3 week for me as I still remain one game below the .500 mark.  Only a few complaints from the excuses department this week.  USC blew it!  How in the world do you let Stanford score a touchdown on the final play from scrimmage?  This cost them the spread as they only won by 22 (instead of 23).  On top of that, I will never pick a UNC football game ever again.  I feel like Butch Davis reads this column every week and tells his team to go out and make (amsteffe) cringe.  Due to time constraints this week I am going to be a little brief, so bare with me.  I owe RJ Warner a pick between the Oklahoma/Texas Tech game this week, and will hold true to my promise.

Come with me on my quest to get above .500…

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NFL General

2008 NFL Power Rankings Week 11

Another week is in the books, and outside of the Titans and Giants, we’re still unsure of how this season will play out.

Most analysts are positive we’ll be seeing the Titans and Giants square off in the final game of the season, and maybe I’m just seeing things differently, but I’m not completely sold on either team.

The Jets win over New England proves their relevancy, and a win over Tennessee would definitely garner some more national attention. And how about the Giants? Well, with two 6-4 teams in their division, as well as the Buccaneers and Panthers in their conference, they aren’t as safe as a lock as we once thought.

Ok, so where do we go from here?

I think the winner of the NFC North might do some damage in the post-season, but who that will be might not be decided until the final week of the season (the same could be said for the AFC East, as well).

But the most important thing to look at this season is the teams (other than Tennessee) that have come out of nowhere to request to be listed among the contenders.

Yes, whether we like it or not, we may have to start realizing the potential of the Cardinals and Dolphins, and possibly even the Falcons.

One thing is for sure, even after 11 weeks, we still have no idea how this will unfold. That is, unless you’re Merril Hoge, who is still backing the Steelers (and always will), or unless you’re Mike Ditka, who still believes it’s 1985 and the Bears will realize how good they really are.

But it’s too early for predictions, folks. So, for now, here’s where the teams stand. You’ll have to wait a few more weeks before I unleash my post-season predictions. But judging by the way the season has gone, I’m sure I will fall short.

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NHL General

NHL Power Rankings (for the week of Nov. 16-22)

The second week of the SportsColumn NHL power rankings sees a shake-up…at the bottom of the standings. People on the Island are rejoicing as the firing of Barry Melrose wasn’t the cap to a horrid week for the Lightning.

The top three teams stay the same, and at the rate things are going, the Sharks should be able to clinch the President’s Trophy by the end of the month.

This week’s Shaker Award winners are the Nashville Predators, while the Anahiem Ducks take home the Titanic Award. Nashville jumped an amazing nine spots to twelve this week, while the once top five ducks, fell to thirteenth from the aforementioned fifth spot.

Where did your team finish up?

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NFL General

Week 11 2008 NFL Picks and Podcast

Vegas Vinny wins week 10 with a 12-2 record and hit his Lock of the Week. Vegas is now only 1 game behind BostonMac in the straight up picks. Trevor still leads everyone in the money game.

The featured games this week (picked Against the Spread) are: Jets @ Patriots, Bears @ Vikings, Ravens @ Giants, and Cowboys @ Redskins.

You can download the podcast directly  (running time 90 mins) or subscribe to the feed.  

If you use iTunes, just click here and then click subscribe and iTunes will take care of the rest.

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College Football

11-15-08 College Football Picks

Another 3-3 week for myself, as my overall record becomes 8-10. I don’t really have much from the excuses department this week. The USC offense didn’t show up to play. The Georgia defense didn’t show up to play. North Carolina continued to prove me wrong. I continue to find success in the Big Ten and Big East. This week there is a huge slate of impressive games that I am really excited about. I promised an SC member a pick between Oklahoma and Texas Tech and will fulfill that promise next week.

As stated in each column before, I will pick an interleague game in each of the “Big Six” conferences using the lines from Sportsbook.com. (I still haven’t received any advertising money from them.) Follow me on my journey into spreads and statistics as I try to get over the .500 mark this week.

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NFL General

2008 NFL Power Rankings Week 10

It’s a weird feeling. We knew we’d be here, but we were positive we’d never get here.

On one side, you have Brett Favre and his Jets going up against the Patriots for first place. The new guy with his new girlfriend, and he’s already gearing up for marriage? Nah.

Forget about the Jets winning the game, the playoffs, the Super Bowl, whether or not Favre comes back next season. No, none of that matters.

The main thing is what this off-season led up to. Was Ted Thompson right?

Well, Aaron Rodgers has performed well, but a closer look at the games and his stats show that while he hasn’t really been winning games, he hasn’t exactly been losing them, either.

So, while everyone watches the Jets and Patriots on Thursday night, in the back of their minds, whether they like it or not, they’re continuing to watch the beautiful play that is Favre vs Rodgers.

If you ask me, it’s just a guy playing on a new team, and if they win their next game, they just might be a shoe-in for the Super Bowl.

The way this season has gone, though, there are no guarantees. Unless you count the Lions losing every week. That’s almost a lock. But no, for almost every other team and player in the league, you can’t assume anything. You just have to keep watching…

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NHL General

NHL Power Rankings (for the week of Nov. 9-15)

As our historic election is over, and the results have been counted, let me take a moment to congratulate Barack Obama on proving that Americans can see past the color of someone’s skin, and elect on ideas.

With that being said, the season’s first edition of the NHL’s power rankings are finally out. What have we learned so far? The Wings may not even be in the Stanley Cup finals. The Flyers are horrible, and most importantly, all three Islander fans should be ashamed of themselves.

Without any further adieu, here we go.

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