NFL: Conference Championships

After four exciting Divisional football games last weekend, we enter the Conference Championships on Sunday, to find out who matches up in Super Bowl XLVII down in New Orleans.  
Picks:
1) The New England Patriots had the easiest road to victory last week although the Texans kept coming back until the Patriots finally put them away in the fourth.  The Baltimore Ravens beat Peyton Manning and the Broncos in Denver in a classic. The game which went to double overtime and the Ravens came out on top due to a couple mistakes by Peyton Manning and a Denver defense that had a dreadful day right down to the end, the d couldn't hold up as the Ravens drove for the tying score after a Broncos knee.  This will be a rematch of last years AFC Championship game in which the Ravens should have won.  Tom Brady and New England are good but better on offense than defense, Baltimore can hang with you and wear you down.  I'll pick the Baltimore Ravens (+8) who I believe are on a mission with the retiring Ray Lewis they also have a fearless quarterback who will have to throw the ball, to Beat the New England Patriots and advance to the Super Bowl.  Baltimore Ravens +8 

2) The San Francisco 49ers over a good Packer team behind young quarterback Colin Kaepernick.  The Atlanta Falcons got a demon off their chest with a win versus the Seahawks, that win almost didn't happen as the Seahawks kept battling back (trailing 20-0, then 27-7 in the fourth) as Atlanta couldn't seal the win until the final buzzer.  This will be a grind it out kind of game.  The 49ers are playing a very complete game right now, while the Falcons will have to adjust to the aspects of the read option in the 49ers offense and they're not a great tacking team.  if the Falcons want to win this game they will have to throw the ball and tackle, the 49ers are a near complete team with a good defense.  I'll pick the San Francisco 49ers (-4) over the Atlanta Falcons on the road and in the dome, and go to New Orleans.  San Fransisco 49ers -4                  

NHL is back

After a lockout that forced just under 50% of the season to be cancelled an agreement has been reached and we will have a shortened NHL season, starting Saturday.  The shortened hockey season will start after a shortened training camp, teams really only started practicing together last weekend.  Since everything is shortened, play might be sloppy early on.  I for one am interested in hockey but probably not what you would call a die-hard, I got into the New York Rangers run last year, I like it when it means something.  The question is will the real hockey fans come back again after missing just under half a season this time and missing one and a half seasons previously under commissioner Gary Bettman.  During each lockout Bettman did get what was wanted, for example this time he got a 50-50 revenue split, hopefully the fans will come back to what is an exciting game but some might be frustrated with the league after the third lockout in the last 20 years.  This should be fun, a sprint to the playoffs this year and then we will have 10 years of labor peace.        

Lance Armstrong

When Lance Armstrong was winning his seen Tour de France's we thought it was the greatest thing in the world.  Lance Armstrong was never a great athlete he was a fraud who was hooked on steroids, probably on both ends of his cancer treatment (could be how he got cancer) but defiantly afterwards.  It has been pretty safe to say for awhile that the sport of bicycling is littered with drugs.  Well, Lance Armstrong won his seven Tour titles and more on steroids and it sound like he did them often with many of his teammates coming out against him and saying he was a (pretty heavy) user.  Lance is coming clean to us all in an Opera interview that will air Thursday on all his drug use.  I believe Lance is coming clean now, after being stripped of all his titles last year because he has no where else to turn.  Lance has now tarnished his name forever and he is coming clean because he wants to clear his name as much as possible, so that he can run triathlons and have a life.  We now know that Lance was just putting on a show because what he really was and is, is a fraud on steroids.  Why would anyone give money to Lance's LIVESTRONG charity now that he has been proven to be a fraud, there are plenty of other ways to give money to cancer research other then through his charity.  This I think makes him a bigger fraud than say Roger Clemens (don't tell me that Roger never did steroids because he was never guilty in a court of law, the judge threw out the important testimony like Andy Pettitte who was going to say Roger did it), because Lance did them for longer and continued to lie about it.          

MLB Hall of Fame

Last week the baseball writers voted for the annual Hall of Fame class, although no one got elected this year.  Except for the three people who got in on the veterans committee ballot their will be no living members inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame at the ceremony in July.
This was the first real year that players who were accused and in some ways proven to do steroids were eligible.  Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were punished by not getting close to enshriement.  Some voters felt they could not vote for a steroid user, some felt they could not vote for certain people (steroids or not) on their first year of legibility.  Voters might change their mind on certain guys as the years go on, retired players are on the ballot for 15 years as long as they receive five percent of the vote.  Voters vote for 10 guys on their ballot and 75% of the vote is need for entrainment.  These writers that vote have a hard job in going through every eligible player and deciding if their worthy of the Hall of Fame, based on their numbers.  I don't think it's a black eye for baseball that no one got elected this year, it should be hard to get into the Hall.  The Hall of Fame should be rarefied territory, if you don't get in maybe your numbers don't reflect it, it should be a special honor and not everyone should be there.  I don't look at this as a bad thing for baseball, I look at it as the system worked, the writers who have the honor of voting did not feel that any players numbers made them stand out this year.  This shows that the Hall of Fame is hard to get into and thats the way it should be, we shouldn't have 4 or 5 inductees every year, not everyone is a Hall of Famer.  The guys whos first year it was on the ballot, will get in eventually Craig Biggio 3,000+ hits is a hall of framer (got 68%) and Mike Piazza (got 58%) the best offensive catcher of his time should be in.  Next year these guys will be on the ballot once again along with first timers Greg Maddux (3.16 ERA, 355 wins, only had a loosing pitching record 7 times in his 23 year career), Tom Glavine (3.54 ERA, 305 Wins, 164 victories in the 1990's second to teammate Greg Maddux) and Mike Mussina (3.68 ERA, 270 wins all in the competitive American League East), Mussina should get in but Maddux and Glavine are first ballot guys.  Jack Morris will also be on the Ballot for the final time and can make a case for entrainment with 254 wins and a 3.90 ERA he has already gotten close to the 75% needed.
This July the baseball Hall of Fame will not have any inductees from the writers ballot, only three from the veterans committee.  It will be a lack luster weekend in Cooperstown with out a lot of pageantry but thing will be fine as far as the game is concerned.                    

NFL Divisional Weekend

As we enter Divisional Weekend of the Wild Card games we have some intriguing matchups on tap.   Teams in the AFC are heavy favorites but the NFC teams aren’t so lucky.

Picks:
1)   The Houston Texans come off a game in which they let a lot of opportunities slip away and were lucky to win the game, but it shouldn’t have been as close as it was.  The Texans travel to New England to face the Patriots this weekend who come off a bye week and have an explosive offensive, Rob Gronkowski did not play the last time these two teams met.  I’ll pick the New England Patriots (-9.5) who may score enough points to run circles around their opponent to beat the Houston Texans who could barely score enough points to beat the Bengals at home last week.  New England Patriots -9.5  
2)   The Baltimore Ravens who won an emotional game with Ray Lewis playing his last home game, last week.  Now the Ravens travel to Denver to Face Peyton Manning and the Broncos.  I don’t see the Broncos loosing in the playoffs, they’re a near complete team led by Manning and the altitude in Denver is no easy place to win a playoff game.  I’ll take the Denver Broncos (-9.5) over the Baltimore Ravens in Denver.  Denver Broncos -9.5           
3)   The Green Bay Packers travel west to take on a San Francisco 49er team that comes off a bye.  Aaron Rodgers and the packers have all their weapons back while the 49ers might be coming in to this game a little banged up, with place kickers and star players.   I’ll take the Green Bay Packers (+3) on the road in San Francisco.  Green Bay Packers +3 4)   The Seattle Seahawks won the best of the four games last week in Washington.  Seattle now has to come east two weeks in a row this time to face the Atlanta Falcons.  Atlanta doesn’t have a good track record in the playoffs, I do like them with Tony Gonzalez and Julio Jones but Matt Ryan has to show me he can lead a team to a playoff win.  I’ll pick the Seattle Seahawks (+3) with their speed, especially on the outside and dynamic ability over the Atlanta Falcons, who have run into a bad matchup.  Seattle Seahawks +3      

BCS National Championship

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish take the field Monday night against SEC power the Alabama Crimson Tide for the National Title in College Football.  Neither team has played the other in a while, so the opponent will not be familiar, but the film and the play on the field will.  Alabama will want to run the ball to set up their play action pass and Notre Dame will want to throw the ball a little more (behind freshman quarterback Everettt Golson  before they run.  This game will be won upfront, will Notre Dame be able to stop the Alabama run game with their front seven, (Manti Te'o-linebacker) if they have to bring 8 and 9 in the box it won't be good.  For Alabama the question is weather their corners and secondary can stop the Irish.  Notre Dame has some good receivers and a defensive front that the Tide haven't seen while Alabama's Offensive line is good and strong.  This game does have a freshman quarterback in Everett Golson who has to step up for the Irish, but I think that he has been brought along at the right pace behind coach Brian Kelly and will step up for this big game.  Brian Kelly has learned the game along the way first at Grand Valley State, Central Michigan, Cincinnati and now Notre Dame, he is someone guys look up to and if he wins he will be one of the best coaches in college football history and at Notre Dame (who will hail him as a saint) as well, their last National Title was in 1988.  On the other side of the ball is Nick Saban who last won a National Title with the Tide in 2011, the South Eastern Conference has been dominate as of late.  Yes, Alabama does have the experience of playing in National Title games (won 2 of last 4) but Notre Dame has fans all over the place and since they play in a lot of big games (USC is a big one) I don't think they'll be shocked. As long as the Irish are prepared for an opponent from the SEC, and I think Brian Kelley will have them prepared, they are going against maybe more experience but Notre Dame is on a mission their passionate and they want to finish the season with a bang.  Prediction: Notre Dame
Notre Dame 21, Alabama 16                  

Wild Card Weekend

The NFL regular season is over and now we start the playoffs, a one and done tournament.  The NFL playoffs should be interesting as some new and talented teams are in the postseason.

Picks:
1) The Houston Texans came into this season as one of the NFL's best teams but have faltered as of late, slipping from a #1 to a #3 seed last weekend, they have to get it back together.  The Cincinnati Bengals have come together and are some what surprising.  I'll pick the Houston Texans (-4.5) to get back on track and beat the Cincinnati Bengals.  Houston Texans -4.5 
2)  The Minnesota Vikings played a good game last week (Adrian Peterson was 9 yards short of the single-season rushing record), now they have a rematch with the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau.  I'll go with the Green Bay Packers (-7.5) in this rematch with the Minnesota Vikings at home in the cold, maybe snow.  Green Bay Packers -7.5
3) In a matchup of two teams which called Baltimore home, the Indianapolis Colts come in to play the Baltimore Ravens.  The Colts have had a good season behind rookie quarterback Andrew Luck, the Ravens are a good team despite a short home loosing streak.  I'm going to pick an upset in this one, I'll take the Indianapolis Colts (+7) and Andrew Luck over the Baltimore Ravens with Joe Flacco who will come up just short.  Indianapolis Colts +7 
4) Two rookie quarterbacks suare off in Washington, the Seattle Seahawks have been surprising rookie Russell Wilson although not the same team on the road.  Robert Griffin III has been hurt and might not be 100%.  The Seattle Seahawks are fast and I think despite being on the road they'll get to RGIII and the Washington Redskins option,  I'll pick the Seahawks (-3) on the road over the Redskins.  Seattle Seahawks -3