Sunday, January 24, 2010 by Myke.

I went 4-0 last week and I was told that my Minnesota and NY Jets picks were crazy…not so crazy anymore folks.  We have 4 teams left with the goal of making it to the Super Bowl and then winning the Lombardi trophy.  All 4 of these teams have great story lines and all 4 deserve to go but only two can make it to Miami.

Now some folks did not realise that the Pro Bowl is next weekend with the Super Bowl the following weekend and it is being held in Miami.  In my eyes this is stupid and can cause a team to lose a Super Bowl if they have say 10 players going to the Pro Bowl.  Keep the Pro Bowl after the Super Bowl and quit trying to make gimmicky crap for the fans.  I love that the Pro Bowl is in Miami…but before the Super Bowl…stupid and reckless.

Okay no more complaining, let’s get to today’s games and predictions!

AFC Championship Game
New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts - Indianapolis Colts
I think the Colts are more powerful than the Chargers and have better weapons.  The Colts defense is better than the Chargers so look for a smash mouth game from start to finish.  I like the storyline for the Jets but every story does not have a happy ending.

NFC Championship Game
Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints - Minnesota Vikings
This game will be loud and the Saints will come out gunning, but I think the Vikings will do the same.  This game could get ugly with some war of words but I think the missing link in this game is Adrian Peterson.  Everyone is focusing on the passing game but I truly believe that the Vikings have the upper hand with their running game.

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Wednesday, January 13, 2010 by Myke.

Well the wild card weekend lived up to be a very solid set of blow outs and one game that will be remembered for the rest of my life.  I went 3-1 over the weekend.

We saw the Jets beat up the Bengals for the second week in a row, the Cowboys destroy the Eagles for the second week in a row and the Ravens beat up and embarrass the Patriots in New England.  None of these games were a surprise to me at all but the Packers losing to the Cardinals caught me off guard.  But I have to admit after watching the game, it is a game I will remember for the rest of my life.  We saw 96 points and a 2nd half of football that will go down as the most exciting ever…for now.  The question is what will this weekend of football bring us?!?

Super Bowl XLIV takes an economy hit

As soon as the NFL regular season begins, everybody starts to anticipate the Super Bowl and all of its live music and commercials. It doesn’t matter if your team made the playoffs or not, it is one of the largest sporting events on the planet. But this year it might take a hit from the down economy too.

A single 30 second spot cost advertisers less 20 years ago compared to the now quadrupled price today. But according to TNS Media that trend has stopped this year with ads costing less than last year’s ads.

CBS reported charging between $2.5 million and $2.8 million for a 30-second ad during the game this year compared to the $3 million that NBC fetched in 2009.  According to the USA Today CBS is close to selling out its entire 62 ad slots.

The real price will be set when you realize who is actually playing for the Super Bowl title.  Despite the Colts being the favorites on the Super Bowl odds, anything can happen in the National Football League.

In the past 20 years the Super Bowls have produced $2.17 billion in ad sales for the main broadcasters, on behalf of more than 1,400 commercial messages and 210 advertisers.

Believe it or not the leading advertiser is the network itself. They take as much as one-quarter of the commercial time for their own shows.  During last year’s Super Bowl telecast, NBC set aside a record 45 minutes and 5 seconds of air time for their commercials.

Let’s get to the weekend’s games and make some predictions.

Arizona Cardnials at New Orleans Saints - New Orleans
I know Arizona is riding high after their OT victory over the Packers, but I think Brees will have his team ready and pumped.  Look for some points on the board but the Saints will control the final outcome with an even running game to slow down the Cardnials.

Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts - Indianapolis
I know Baltimore is tough and ready to go, but Peyton Manning is rested and his defense will fluster and confuse the Ravens offense.  The only way the Ravens have a chance is if they can get a solid running attack the entire game…but I do not see that happening.

Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings - Minnesota
I know, I am pretty much the only damn person calling this victory and being a life long and die hard Viking fan…my heart may get broke again.  But I have a feeling that Romo will get harassed all day and the Cowboys will get zero production from their running game.  I also would like to see Farve exercise his Cowboys demon and finally beat them in the playoffs.

NY Jets at San Diego Chargers - NY Jets
This is my one road team winner for the weekend.  I do not like the Chargers running game and with the defensive backs the Jets have, I think they can control the Chargers attack.  My long time friend Jason is going to kill me for this pick, but it is my gut feeling.

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Tuesday, January 12, 2010 by Myke.

“…and the truth shall set you free…”

Not in the case of McGwire.  I have only read one decent story about Mark McGwire admitting to steroids and the rest seem to be bashing him and basically telling him to get lost and that MLB should ban him for life.  So as a society today, when someone admits fault then we should shun them forever and call them cheaters and cowards?!?  This is not the way we want to live our lives.  We should live our lives as a caring and forgiving society, not a hateful society.  Even though these so called baseball experts want McGwire banned for life, we have current and active players in MLB playing and getting paid millions…after they admitted to using steroids.  If we want to take a firm stance, then every player that ever gets caught for cheating in any way needs to be banned for life, no questions asked.  If a sports writer does a false story, they should be banned for life from writing about sports.  MLB needs to do away with their suspensions for failing drug tests.  If you fail, you are banned for life.  Does that make sense to be that critical?  No.  Yes, cheating is wrong and should be punished.  But to say that one player should be banned for life and the others are forgiven is stupid and makes you look like a jackass.  A-Rod can admit to steroids and other drugs, swing his dick around every city in the World and use women like rag dolls…but he gets a free pass because he was young and dumb when he used them…or…he learned his lesson and has never cheated since.  Really?  REALLY?!?  Let’s ask his ex-wife how truthful of a man he is.  Let’s ask Madonna how truthful a man he is.  Come on man, wake the f**k up.  There was an entire era of baseball that was filled with drugs, steroids, HGH and what ever else they could get a hold of.  It was encouraged by trainers, scouts, managers and other players.

Should they hold records in the record books? No.  Should they be hailed as hero’s? No.  Should they be banned from MLB? No.  They should be used as poster boys of the wrong way of doing things for the younger generation out there.  The media always hypes how these drugs make boys into men with great strength and makes it unfair for the non-drug users.  Is that message we want our kids to read or hear about?  No.  The message should be about the side affects that these drugs can cause now and in the future.

I will keep Mark McGwire’s apology recorded for my son to watch when he gets a bit older.  I want him to see a grown man have to admit to the World the mistakes he made.  I want my son to know that there is a right way and a wrong way of playing sports.  The wrong way has life long lasting affects, medical affects and mental affects.

Having McGwire as a coach on the St Louis Cardinal’s is a great thing for baseball.  He will be there to tell every player around him the downside of everything he did.  He is basically like taking an ex-con into a school and letting him/her tell every student the bad side to prison…in graphic detail.  McGwire is going to be a modern day baseball scared straight coach.  He loves baseball and dedicated his life to it.  He has passion and love for a sport and that is something he can pass along to other players young and old.  If McGwire coached my son in baseball, I would feel honored to have such an honest and caring man teach him the right and wrong in baseball.

To be a sports writer and come out and say, “Ban him for life for lying, stealing and cheating”, is ignorant.  He apologized to the World after he apologized to his family, friends, fellow players and more importantly to the Roger Maris family.  He knows what he did was wrong and he came out to tell everyone after telling the ones he hurt the most first.  I also believe he saw how close he was to making the Hall of Fame and that really drove him to admit his wrong doing.  He knows he will never make the Hall after this apology and he accepts that.

You have to remember folks, taking steroids does not give you the ability to hit a 90 MPH fastball, a 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock breaking ball or the coordination to play great defense at a hot corner like first base.  It gave McGwire the ability to heal injuries quicker, get stronger and train longer.  Yes you can account for some homeruns going 500+ feet to steroids, but not every one of them.  Baseball is still a skill of the mind and takes great talent to make it to the majors.  I do agree that records should be cleared out of the record books, but do not clear out the players themselves.

*Note*
Steroids can give you an advantage in many sports, but in a game of skill and coordination it only goes so far.  Sports like boxing, MMA, martial arts, football (certain positions) and rugby, it gives you a great advantage…not in baseball.

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Friday, January 8, 2010 by Myke.

I went 12-4 last week finishing the regular season at 193-63, 75% correct for the year.  Decent.

The regular season ended with some decent drama and some decent games…but thanks to some teams the season ended with nothing but vomit.  The Colts and Saints decided that going into the bye week as limp noodles was good for them and Arizona looked awful at home against Green Bay.  Cincinnati looked like a pop warner team at the Jets and Minnesota played well against a very sorry Giants team.  I personally think that the Colts, Saints and Cardnials had the wrong idea when it came to their final games.  I could be wrong but only time will tell I suppose.

Let’s get to this weekends games and call them like I see them.

NY Jets at Cincinnati - NY Jets
I do not see Cincinnati getting the ship corrected from last week over night.  The Jets defense was just out right nasty and the Jets running game looked great.  The Bengals may have won their division but it may be next year before they can put together a playoff victory.

Philadelphia at Dallas - Dallas
After what I watched last week in Dallas, I am not sure the Eagles can win this game.  Dallas has put together back to back shutouts for the first time in franchise history and they look to be getting better each week.  If Philadelphia is going to win this game it will be on McNabb to win it for them.

Baltimore at New England - Baltimore
Baltimore looks hungry and New England looks beat up.  With Welker out, Moss limping and Brady trying to hide his injuries…the Ravens are begging to eat them alive.  I heard some “sports experts” say that Baltimore does not have enough offense to win this game.  WTF?!?  The passing game is good and Rice is a great RB that can catch and run and he can break tackles anywhere on the field.

Green Bay at Arizona - Green Bay
I liked what I saw last week from the Packers and I am not sure that Arizona can slow the Packers offense down.  This game could be close but I would look for the Packers to walk away with the victory.

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Friday, January 8, 2010 by Myke.

If anyone lives in Denver, CO and walks on the 16th Street Mall, you have more than likely encounter “Shoe Shine Jokester Joe”.  He will crack on you, your shoes and anything you say back to him.  He also has a very solid taste for the ladies and lets everyone of them know how he feels.  I have heard people say he is an a$$, a jerk, rude, mean, nasty and just about everything else.  But the fact is, he shines shoes very well and he is just a man out there trying to make a living.  The video was loaded on Break.com and they list him as a homeless man talking trash.  Not true at all.  If you have not signed his guestbook, then maybe it is you that is rude and nasty.  The video is not the greatest so maybe this summer we can get a better one (HD).

Homeless Man Talking Trash - Watch more Funny Videos

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