I haven’t bitched in a while… so I guess for health purposes I should let out some steam… Here's 20 more of everyone's favorite Romo writings...
1. People not covering their mouth when they sneeze/cough in class. Seriuosly? I don’t have time for the swine flu. I have better things to do. Like clean out my sock drawer...
2. My sleep schedule. So dumbass signs up for a Mon, Wed, Friday 8am class then follows it up with a 10am, so it’s not even like I can nap after my 8am is over. Oh no. I go right back at it after one hour of television/MLB the Show/the homework I shoulda did the previous night/Reese’s Puffs then off to class…
3. The new Primo’s. I got an idea, let’s get rid of half the stuff we used to sell, put tables in the middle of everyone’s way, hand out portions that are for elves or midgets (I imagine midgets don’t eat much…?), and make everyone pay when they enter for the not at all outrageous price of… hmm… 12 bucks. Sounds like a winner.
4. Facebook statuses about sports teams from people who should not be making facebook statuses about sports teams. “GIANTS!!!” “JETER!!” "Ravens!!!<3" "Patriots!! OMG BRADY" All of these were written by people who have no idea what their talking about. As a new rule, you should not be allowed to post a status about a sports team unless you can pass this simple test:
a. Are you a woman? (if yes, continue... if no, you pass)
b. Can you name 5 players on the team (3 if basketball)? (if no, continue... if yes, you pass)
c. Can you somehow get me tickets to this team's next game because someone in your family has connections? (if yes, you pass and by all means write whatever the hell you want. if no, you cannot write a sports status...)
5. Skype. Ok, to quote McLovin, “I like the idea of it more than I actually like it.” It’s a cool idea, but every f***in time, someone’s microphone cuts out, or the camera gets fuzzy, or someone sees their boyfriend cheating in a distant country… sigh.
6. Brad Lidge sucking. Last year = 41/41. This year = 11 blown saves. Not exactly what we’re looking for there, Bradley…
7. Payroll screwing up. Yeah, so like… I’ve worked for like, over 3 weeks now… and, yeah, I kinda don’t have a paycheck yet. What’s that? Oh. I’m not gonna get one for another two whole weeks?? … Um. Yeahh. That’s kinda a little bit.. not right.
8. Pearl Jam fans bitching that the new album isn’t good. Really, we’re gonna compare every album to Ten…? That’s like comparing every Michael Jackson album to Thriller. Or every basketball player to Michael Jordan. The fact is it’s them embracing what they are now and not trying to be what they were in 1991.
9. The awkward morning altercation. (Scene starts) Oh god there he/she is, ok, look the other way first, glance at something lets see how bout my watch, sh*t im not wearing a watch but I’ll look there anyway, ok check my cell in case someone texted me on the way to 10am class, ok now sneak a quick look to see if he/she’s looking at me, k now quickly look further to the same direction… sh*t didn’t get enough a long enough look to process a vibe. I’m gonna look again. Oh crap he/she was looking right at me, instincts tell me to look away… But that makes it seem more awkward!! Nooo… And now he/she’s past me. Great. …. Well, that went well. (End scene)
10. The lack of air conditioning at the Newman Desk. Jesus, I didn’t know we were in a greenhouse up here. It makes me miss my thundering air conditioning in my room that can be heard from Gardens B.
11. My ipod freezing. Ugh
12. Not having a cell phone charger. Double ugh.
13. 3OH!3. It was cool at first, but I’m officially sick.
14. “Birthday Sex”. Same as #13, except it was never cool.
15. Miley Cyrus. Same as #14, except everyone in the world agrees with me.
16. Rob Manning skyping people that aren’t abroad. AKA people who live in the building next to us.
17. Being tagged in a picture of BBQ snake ribs. Um, thanks...
18. The 16 oz beer bottles of Bud Light. Jeez why am I so tipsy, I only had 8 beers, I should be fine. Oh. Riiight.... Well good thing I ate something all day... Oh. Riiight...
19. Jimmy Fallon on Late Night. It just hit me how bad he is. Can they please just make it, Late Night with The Roots?
20. People still making the Kanye West interruption jokes. Jeez, like it wasn't even that funny the day after but now? I dunno I just think......... oh look!
"Excuse me. I'm real happy for your blog. And I'ma let you finish Romo. But Christina has one of the best blogs of all time. One of the best blogs of all time!"
.... um... but.. I ... um .... (cries, storms away from computer...)
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Phone Screening, Backspacers, and Football
So maybe you want to hear more about my life. Well, you’ve come to the right place. Unless you didn’t want to hear about my life, but then I’d have to ask, why would you visit my blog? Either way, I’ll let you in on what’s up, since demand from the close-to-but-not-quite-double-digits number of people who read my blog has been moderately high recently. And by “high”, I mean the casual “dude, you still write in your blog?”
Well, I suppose a few notable things have happened since I’ve last done an “update” post…
I guess the biggest/most significant thing going on in my life right now is the fact that I have landed an internship. I intern Mondays and Wednesdays at a sports talk radio station located in Baltimore, MD called 105.7 the Fan. So far it’s been really cool, I get to see firsthand how a radio station functions, and during the mid-afternoon program I get to screen the phone calls, which basically means I answer the phone lines and ask people their name, location, and what they want to talk about. Then I write it down on a computer (99.9% of the time I’m writing “[insert male hood name here]”, “Baltimore” or suburban area, and “Ravens game”) and put them on hold until the host gets to take their call.
The weekend was pretty fun. I really only had one thing to do all weekend, which was laundry. Yet somehow, I successfully managed to not get it done all weekend. I know. I’m that good. It’s actually not as bad as it seems, because I didn’t do it Friday because… well no one ever does anything on Fridays…am I right? Especially if you only have ONE thing to do. You have all weekend to do it, why cram? Saturday I didn’t have time to do it, because this past Saturday was Craig’s Fest, which I won’t explain what it is if you don’t know (sorry... not really), but just know that it is an all day event of some sort of activity that prevents you from the capability to perform certain necessity-driven tasks. Yep, you guessed it. It’s an all day middle england jousting tournament. Anyway, Sunday I watched football all day, sooo when exactly did I have time for laundry? Huh? You tell me…
Moving on, as you may have heard, one of my friends Matt, who I am lucky to have known from both high school and college, received most horrible news last week as his father passed away this past Wednesday. I would appreciate it if you would keep him and his family in your thoughts/prayers.
Shifting gears, the NFL season is well upon us. And after two games, my Denver Broncos are 2-0. This is very hard to explain, given the drama which the offseason brought. However, our defense has shown vast improvements since last year with the addition of Brian Dawkins, Andre Goodman, and Ronald Fields, along with veterans Elvis Dumervil, D.J. Williams, and Champ Bailey to go with the play of rookie Robert Ayers. We have only played the Browns and Bengals so far, but we have held them to a combined 13 points, so unless Indianapolis shuts out Miami tonight, we will have given up the least amount of points after two weeks.
The offense has looked a lot better in week two than in week one. Rookie Knowshon Moreno and free agent acquisition Correll Buckhalter both ran for 70+ yards on Sunday and Kyle Orton threw for 263 yards on Sunday with (wait for it) no interceptions so far on the season.
Other teams that looked good in week 2 include the Ravens, Jets, 49ers, Falcons, and Saints, all of whom have looked impressive thusfar in the young season (all also 2-0).
In other sports, the Phillies’ magic number is: 6. Six more wins or Marlins/Braves losses and the Phillies will be in the playoffs looking to defend their World Championship. Needless to say, I cannot wait for October.
By the way, I have tickets to the Phillies game against the Astros on Wednesday September 30, (possibly a night when they could clinch…) and am still up in the air about going. Let me know if you would be down on going (only if I can stand you), or if you and a friend or 2 people you know would be interested in going and I will sell them to you for the read-my-blog discount of $25 bucks each (4th row, second level, right field).
From sports to music, September has been solid. Two new CDs came out in the past 7 days… Muse’s fifth album, “The Resistance” came out on the 15th, from what I have heard it is really good (I have not yet picked it up, though I have listened to the whole thing through once). Also, Pearl Jam’s ninth studio album, “Backspacer” came out on Itunes and at Target on the 20th. You could pre-order it on their website (obviously this is the route I went) and I received it on Friday. However, the post office here updates packages at the end of the day, not when I checked at noon… and is closed all weekend, so I did not receive until this morning. Having listened to it a couple times, I am really impressed, and it has lived up to my expectations, despite them being ridiculously high since I’ve been looking forward to this album for basically all of this year. Now to see them in Philly during the last week of October……… They have rapidly become one of my top 3 favorite bands, which if you know me is a tremendous feat.
Finally, only a month until my sister’s wedding! I am really excited for them and can’t imagine how excited they must be.
That’s all for now my pretties. I’m gonna go eat a tasty peanut butter and ranch sandwich. Long story…
Well, I suppose a few notable things have happened since I’ve last done an “update” post…
I guess the biggest/most significant thing going on in my life right now is the fact that I have landed an internship. I intern Mondays and Wednesdays at a sports talk radio station located in Baltimore, MD called 105.7 the Fan. So far it’s been really cool, I get to see firsthand how a radio station functions, and during the mid-afternoon program I get to screen the phone calls, which basically means I answer the phone lines and ask people their name, location, and what they want to talk about. Then I write it down on a computer (99.9% of the time I’m writing “[insert male hood name here]”, “Baltimore” or suburban area, and “Ravens game”) and put them on hold until the host gets to take their call.
The weekend was pretty fun. I really only had one thing to do all weekend, which was laundry. Yet somehow, I successfully managed to not get it done all weekend. I know. I’m that good. It’s actually not as bad as it seems, because I didn’t do it Friday because… well no one ever does anything on Fridays…am I right? Especially if you only have ONE thing to do. You have all weekend to do it, why cram? Saturday I didn’t have time to do it, because this past Saturday was Craig’s Fest, which I won’t explain what it is if you don’t know (sorry... not really), but just know that it is an all day event of some sort of activity that prevents you from the capability to perform certain necessity-driven tasks. Yep, you guessed it. It’s an all day middle england jousting tournament. Anyway, Sunday I watched football all day, sooo when exactly did I have time for laundry? Huh? You tell me…
Moving on, as you may have heard, one of my friends Matt, who I am lucky to have known from both high school and college, received most horrible news last week as his father passed away this past Wednesday. I would appreciate it if you would keep him and his family in your thoughts/prayers.
Shifting gears, the NFL season is well upon us. And after two games, my Denver Broncos are 2-0. This is very hard to explain, given the drama which the offseason brought. However, our defense has shown vast improvements since last year with the addition of Brian Dawkins, Andre Goodman, and Ronald Fields, along with veterans Elvis Dumervil, D.J. Williams, and Champ Bailey to go with the play of rookie Robert Ayers. We have only played the Browns and Bengals so far, but we have held them to a combined 13 points, so unless Indianapolis shuts out Miami tonight, we will have given up the least amount of points after two weeks.
The offense has looked a lot better in week two than in week one. Rookie Knowshon Moreno and free agent acquisition Correll Buckhalter both ran for 70+ yards on Sunday and Kyle Orton threw for 263 yards on Sunday with (wait for it) no interceptions so far on the season.
Other teams that looked good in week 2 include the Ravens, Jets, 49ers, Falcons, and Saints, all of whom have looked impressive thusfar in the young season (all also 2-0).
In other sports, the Phillies’ magic number is: 6. Six more wins or Marlins/Braves losses and the Phillies will be in the playoffs looking to defend their World Championship. Needless to say, I cannot wait for October.
By the way, I have tickets to the Phillies game against the Astros on Wednesday September 30, (possibly a night when they could clinch…) and am still up in the air about going. Let me know if you would be down on going (only if I can stand you), or if you and a friend or 2 people you know would be interested in going and I will sell them to you for the read-my-blog discount of $25 bucks each (4th row, second level, right field).
From sports to music, September has been solid. Two new CDs came out in the past 7 days… Muse’s fifth album, “The Resistance” came out on the 15th, from what I have heard it is really good (I have not yet picked it up, though I have listened to the whole thing through once). Also, Pearl Jam’s ninth studio album, “Backspacer” came out on Itunes and at Target on the 20th. You could pre-order it on their website (obviously this is the route I went) and I received it on Friday. However, the post office here updates packages at the end of the day, not when I checked at noon… and is closed all weekend, so I did not receive until this morning. Having listened to it a couple times, I am really impressed, and it has lived up to my expectations, despite them being ridiculously high since I’ve been looking forward to this album for basically all of this year. Now to see them in Philly during the last week of October……… They have rapidly become one of my top 3 favorite bands, which if you know me is a tremendous feat.
Finally, only a month until my sister’s wedding! I am really excited for them and can’t imagine how excited they must be.
That’s all for now my pretties. I’m gonna go eat a tasty peanut butter and ranch sandwich. Long story…
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Man of the Hour
For Fral and his family,
And the sky breaks at dawn; shedding light upon this town
"Tidal waves don't beg forgiveness
Crashed and on their way
Father he enjoyed collisions; others walked away
A snowflake falls in may.
And the doors are open now
as the bells are ringing out
Cause the man of the hour is taking his final bow
Goodbye for now.
Nature has its own religion; gospel from the land
Father ruled by long division, young men they pretend
Old men comprehend.
And the sky breaks at dawn; shedding light upon this town
They'll all come around
Cause the man of the hour is taking his final bow
Goodbye for now.
And the road
The old man paved
The broken seams along the way
The rusted signs, left just for me
He was guiding me, love, his own way
Now the man of the hour is taking his final bow
As the curtain comes down
I feel that this is just
Goodbye for now."
Hang in there
Saturday, September 5, 2009
NFL Preview part 4
NFC
East
New York Giants (11-5)
Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)
Dallas Cowboys (10-6)
Washington Redskins (7-9)
North
Green Bay Packers (11-5)
Minnesota Vikings (9-7)
Chicago Bears (9-7)
Detroit Lions (5-11)
South
Atlanta Falcons (11-5)
New Orleans Saints (10-6)
Carolina Panthers (10-6)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12)
West
Arizona Cardinals (10-6)
Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
San Francisco 49ers (6-10)
St. Louis Rams (4-12)
AFC
East
New England Patriots (13-3)
Miami Dolphins (9-7)
New York Jets (8-8)
Buffalo Bills (7-9)
North
Baltimore Ravens (10-6)
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)
Cleveland Browns (5-11)
South
Tennessee Titans (9-7)
Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7)
Indianapolis Colts (9-7)
Houston Texans (8-8)
West
San Diego Chargers (11-5)
Denver Broncos (7-9)
Kansas City Chiefs (6-10)
Oakland Raiders (5-11)
AFC Playoffs
1 Patriots
2 Chargers
3 Ravens
4 Titans
5 Steelers
6 Dolphins
Wildcard
Ravens 23, Dolphins 10.
Steelers 24, Titans 20.
Divisional
Patriots 27, Steelers 21.
Chargers 20, Ravens 16.
Championship
Patriots 21, Chargers 7.
NFC Playoffs
1 Falcons
2 Giants
3 Packers
4 Cardinals
5 Eagles
6 Saints
Wildcard
Saints 31, Packers 20.
Eagles 30, Cardinals 27.
Divisional
Falcons 23, Saints 21.
Eagles 24, Giants 17.
Championship
Falcons 28, Eagles 20.
Super Bowl
Patriots 20, Falcons 17.
East
New York Giants (11-5)
Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)
Dallas Cowboys (10-6)
Washington Redskins (7-9)
North
Green Bay Packers (11-5)
Minnesota Vikings (9-7)
Chicago Bears (9-7)
Detroit Lions (5-11)
South
Atlanta Falcons (11-5)
New Orleans Saints (10-6)
Carolina Panthers (10-6)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12)
West
Arizona Cardinals (10-6)
Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
San Francisco 49ers (6-10)
St. Louis Rams (4-12)
AFC
East
New England Patriots (13-3)
Miami Dolphins (9-7)
New York Jets (8-8)
Buffalo Bills (7-9)
North
Baltimore Ravens (10-6)
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)
Cleveland Browns (5-11)
South
Tennessee Titans (9-7)
Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7)
Indianapolis Colts (9-7)
Houston Texans (8-8)
West
San Diego Chargers (11-5)
Denver Broncos (7-9)
Kansas City Chiefs (6-10)
Oakland Raiders (5-11)
AFC Playoffs
1 Patriots
2 Chargers
3 Ravens
4 Titans
5 Steelers
6 Dolphins
Wildcard
Ravens 23, Dolphins 10.
Steelers 24, Titans 20.
Divisional
Patriots 27, Steelers 21.
Chargers 20, Ravens 16.
Championship
Patriots 21, Chargers 7.
NFC Playoffs
1 Falcons
2 Giants
3 Packers
4 Cardinals
5 Eagles
6 Saints
Wildcard
Saints 31, Packers 20.
Eagles 30, Cardinals 27.
Divisional
Falcons 23, Saints 21.
Eagles 24, Giants 17.
Championship
Falcons 28, Eagles 20.
Super Bowl
Patriots 20, Falcons 17.
Friday, September 4, 2009
NFL Preview part 3
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
Outlook: Not many people expected the Cardinals to make it to the Super Bowl with their record against teams not in the division. Despite their loss in the game, they look to continue their momentum into the new season.
Player to Watch: Larry Fitzgerald. The man on the Madden game. Well, one of two men on the cover. So maybe he only has half of the curse on him… I bet I already know what it is too: the Cards defense.
Prediction: 10-6
San Francisco 49ers
Outlook: I’m ready to board the bandwagon at the drop of a hat. Or Mike Singletary’s pants. Whichever drops first.
Player to Watch: Frank Gore. Gore will be the focal point of the offense for the Niners, which is an inconvenient truth.
Prediction: 6-10
Seattle Seahwaks
Outlook: They had a season to forget last year, but with a healthy Matt Hasselbeck all season, the addition of T.J. Whose-your-mama (Houshmandzadeh), and a fairly easy schedule, they should rebound in ’09.
Player to Watch: Julius Jones. Jones had a disappointing season last year as a free agent from Dallas, but after being benched in the tail end of last year, he has been named the workhorse back this year by new head coach Jim Mora Jr.
Prediction: 9-7
St. Louis Rams
Outlook: 1999 = the greatest show on turf. 2009 = the greatest thing is the turf.
Player to Watch: Will Witherspoon. Well, I mean, if you have to watch the Rams anyway, I figured I’d tell you one of their underrated, very good defensive players. Of course, watching the Rams at all is not recommended if avoidable.
Prediction: 4-12
AFC West
Denver Broncos
Outlook: Raise your hand if new coach Josh McDaniels hasn’t driven you out of Denver… While McDaniels brings an extensive offensive knowledge and capability coming from under Bill Belichick, the pressure is clearly on the 33 year old head coach to maintain the offensive success of last year, and transition the defense into respectable.
Player to Watch: Eddie Royal. Highlights the select bunch of players that I am both confident in and excited to see perform in ’09. If troubled receiver Brandon Marshall does not remain with the team, expect him to see a lot of targets.
Prediction: 7-9
Bonus Predictions: Marshall stays the whole year. Kyle Orton struggles in the beginning of the year, almost gets benched, but shines in the latter half. Eddie Royal leads the league in yards per reception. The defense has games where they shine, but is still 13th or worse in the AFC.
Kansas City Chiefs
Outlook: They shelled out the bucks to land up-and-coming, but still relatively unproven QB Matt Cassell, and with new head coach Todd Haley and a young defense, it’s a hard season to predict for the Chiefs.
Player to Watch: Larry Johnson. I’ve always had tremendous respect for LJ, as well as Priest Holmes and LT as I’ve seen them run laps around the Broncos defense. However, LJ has a lot to prove this year, since he’s been worked to the max and had a down year last year. Look for him to turn a few heads in ’09.
Prediction: 6-10
Oakland Raiders
Outlook: Darren McFadden is perhaps the lone bright spot on offense (though JaMarcus Russell continues to improve) but the defense is clearly the unit that will be opposing teams will worry about most.
Player to Watch: Nnamdi Asomugha. As much as I hate the Raiders, ND is a beast and the best shutdown corner in the league, taking the title from Champ Bailey last season.
Prediction: 6-10
San Diego Chargers
Outlook: They came back after everyone left them for dead to win the division at 8-8 last year, even though expectations were set high in the offseason. This year those expectations are just as high, and this could be the year that they are finally reached.
Player to Watch: Antonio Cromartie. The young star had a down year last year, but he still has a tremendous amount of talent and can easily just as good as he was in '07, perhaps better.
Prediction: 11-5
Next up: Playoff Teams and Predictions
Arizona Cardinals
Outlook: Not many people expected the Cardinals to make it to the Super Bowl with their record against teams not in the division. Despite their loss in the game, they look to continue their momentum into the new season.
Player to Watch: Larry Fitzgerald. The man on the Madden game. Well, one of two men on the cover. So maybe he only has half of the curse on him… I bet I already know what it is too: the Cards defense.
Prediction: 10-6
San Francisco 49ers
Outlook: I’m ready to board the bandwagon at the drop of a hat. Or Mike Singletary’s pants. Whichever drops first.
Player to Watch: Frank Gore. Gore will be the focal point of the offense for the Niners, which is an inconvenient truth.
Prediction: 6-10
Seattle Seahwaks
Outlook: They had a season to forget last year, but with a healthy Matt Hasselbeck all season, the addition of T.J. Whose-your-mama (Houshmandzadeh), and a fairly easy schedule, they should rebound in ’09.
Player to Watch: Julius Jones. Jones had a disappointing season last year as a free agent from Dallas, but after being benched in the tail end of last year, he has been named the workhorse back this year by new head coach Jim Mora Jr.
Prediction: 9-7
St. Louis Rams
Outlook: 1999 = the greatest show on turf. 2009 = the greatest thing is the turf.
Player to Watch: Will Witherspoon. Well, I mean, if you have to watch the Rams anyway, I figured I’d tell you one of their underrated, very good defensive players. Of course, watching the Rams at all is not recommended if avoidable.
Prediction: 4-12
AFC West
Denver Broncos
Outlook: Raise your hand if new coach Josh McDaniels hasn’t driven you out of Denver… While McDaniels brings an extensive offensive knowledge and capability coming from under Bill Belichick, the pressure is clearly on the 33 year old head coach to maintain the offensive success of last year, and transition the defense into respectable.
Player to Watch: Eddie Royal. Highlights the select bunch of players that I am both confident in and excited to see perform in ’09. If troubled receiver Brandon Marshall does not remain with the team, expect him to see a lot of targets.
Prediction: 7-9
Bonus Predictions: Marshall stays the whole year. Kyle Orton struggles in the beginning of the year, almost gets benched, but shines in the latter half. Eddie Royal leads the league in yards per reception. The defense has games where they shine, but is still 13th or worse in the AFC.
Kansas City Chiefs
Outlook: They shelled out the bucks to land up-and-coming, but still relatively unproven QB Matt Cassell, and with new head coach Todd Haley and a young defense, it’s a hard season to predict for the Chiefs.
Player to Watch: Larry Johnson. I’ve always had tremendous respect for LJ, as well as Priest Holmes and LT as I’ve seen them run laps around the Broncos defense. However, LJ has a lot to prove this year, since he’s been worked to the max and had a down year last year. Look for him to turn a few heads in ’09.
Prediction: 6-10
Oakland Raiders
Outlook: Darren McFadden is perhaps the lone bright spot on offense (though JaMarcus Russell continues to improve) but the defense is clearly the unit that will be opposing teams will worry about most.
Player to Watch: Nnamdi Asomugha. As much as I hate the Raiders, ND is a beast and the best shutdown corner in the league, taking the title from Champ Bailey last season.
Prediction: 6-10
San Diego Chargers
Outlook: They came back after everyone left them for dead to win the division at 8-8 last year, even though expectations were set high in the offseason. This year those expectations are just as high, and this could be the year that they are finally reached.
Player to Watch: Antonio Cromartie. The young star had a down year last year, but he still has a tremendous amount of talent and can easily just as good as he was in '07, perhaps better.
Prediction: 11-5
Next up: Playoff Teams and Predictions
NFL Preview part 2
AFC NORTH
Baltimore Ravens
Outlook: The defense loses some key members from ’08, but it still remains one of the top units in the league. Joe Flacco, no longer a rookie, will likely be asked to win games this year instead of to not lose them… That is, provided he ever escapes from Mother’s…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMOsy0j0plA
Outlook: The defense loses some key members from ’08, but it still remains one of the top units in the league. Joe Flacco, no longer a rookie, will likely be asked to win games this year instead of to not lose them… That is, provided he ever escapes from Mother’s…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMOsy0j0plA
Player to Watch: Ray Lewis. How could it not be? Living in Baltimore, you learn quickly that it’s important to know where Ray is both on and off the field at all times.
Prediction: 10-6
Cincinnati Bengals
Outlook: Carson Palmer is back and the defense has improved, but will it be enough to reach that oh-so-elusive winning record?
Player to Watch: The man who did this…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAd4tY6IVhg&feature=related
Prediction: 7-9
Cleveland Browns
Outlook: What’s that old adage? “If you have two quarterbacks you really have none” or something? Well, I’m pretty sure it applies here. Also, they go from one Belichick protégé to another… because they always seem to work out well in their first head coaching gigs.
Player to Watch: Braylon Edwards. Had a horrible ’08 with more drops than Vida in a fantasy baseball league. Look for the talented receiver to bounce back in ’09.
Prediction: 5-11
Pittsburgh Steelers
Outlook: The defending champs didn’t have many holes to fill in the offseason, but apparently Ben Roethlisberger did. http://www.theledger.com/article/20090721/NEWS/907215037/1002
Player to Watch: Rashard Mendenhall. Last year, the man talks trash about the Ravens in a text, and then the next week has his season ended by an injury from the Ravens. Let’s see who he texts about this year.
Prediction: 10-6
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons
Outlook: Rookie of the year Matt Ryan got a new target in Tony Gonzalez over the offseason. Gonzalez, an already solid receiving corps, and a juggernaut of a running game should provide Ryan with a cavalcade of weapons and keep the offense one of the best in the league.
Player to Watch: “Michael Turner. Plain and simple.” (‘Player to watch’ expert analysis courtesy of Brian Donohue)
Prediction: 11-5
Carolina Panthers
Outlook: Their successful season came to a screeching halt against the Arizona Cardinals in the playoffs. If Steve Smith can avoid trouble, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathon Stewart be the one-two punch they were last year, the game will be easier for Jake Delhomme, and that could translate into a playoff run.
Player to Watch: Jake Delhome. Will we get the QB who led his team to the #2 seed in the NFC and a 12-4 record, or the one who had 5 interceptions in the playoffs?
Prediction: 10-6
New Orleans Saints
Outlook: The offense is a given, but the team needs its D to step up to be able to make a serious run. My guess is that it doesn’t and their season ends pretty soon after the new year.
Player to Watch: Drew Brees. Missed Dan Marino’s single season passing record by 16 yards last year, and honestly there’s really no reason why he won’t be able to take another shot at it again this year.
Prediction: 10-6
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Outlook: Somehow managed to land a pretty rough schedule, despite finishing third in the division last year. But with that and all the questions in too many significant areas, that would be a tremendous accomplishment this year.
Player to Watch: Antonio Bryant. Comes off of a big season last year, so it’ll be interesting to see what the veteran receiver can do this year with Byron Leftwich at the helm.
Prediction: 4-12
AFC SOUTH
Houston Texans
Outlook: Everybody’s sleeper team for quite some time now (basically every year of their existence). Could this be the year? Well, it would help if they could get 16 games from their starting QB which the franchise hasn’t had since the days of David Carr.
Player to Watch: Steve Slaton. People are expecting big things from the 2nd year starter. The Texans’ playoff chances could depend on them.
Prediction: 8-8
Indianapolis Colts
Outlook: We get something we haven’t gotten in awhile from Indy: big change. It comes in a new head coach and a new offensive coordinator, as well as the departure of Marvin Harrison. In good news, they still have Peyton Manning on their team.
Player to Watch: He didn’t make the team, but you should still always keep tabs on him… he does have a ring, you know…http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=6094
Prediction: 9-7
Jacksonville Jaguars
Outlook: Jack Del Rio has to be on the hot seat. Look at that, the previous sentence had 10 words with 4 letters or less. That’s far more interesting then the Jaguars.
Player to Watch: Maurice Jones-Drew. Nothing’s better than an MJD on a Sunday. Well, m
aybe an MGD.Prediction: 9-7
Tennessee Titans
Outlook: It’ll be a tough year for the Titans following the passing of Steve McNair, but it’s possible that the emotions could fuel them to a successful run.
Outlook: It’ll be a tough year for the Titans following the passing of Steve McNair, but it’s possible that the emotions could fuel them to a successful run.
Player to Watch: Vince Young. If you get tired of watching Young (and it’ll probably only take you 25 minutes) you can watch the other QB, which is a 40 year old journeyman… So, have fun with that.
Prediction: 9-7
NEXT UP: NFC WEST, AFC WEST
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
NFL Preview part 1
The NFL season is almost upon us, peasants, and thus it’s now time for Adam’s preview (so I can refer you back to this later when it turns out 94% true…)
NFC EAST
Dallas Cowboys
Outlook: Tony Romo enters his 4th season as the Cowboys starting QB and he is now without Terrell Owens (for better or worse). He is now clearly what the offense goes through. Not the punts however, as they must attempt to go through the ridiculously large scoreboard above the playing field.
Player to Watch: Roy Williams. He is now not only the sole player on his team with this name, but he now must fill the void of disgruntled wide receiver so that the Cowboys fall short of the Super Bowl. Talk about big shoes to fill…
Prediction: 10-6
New York Giants
Outlook: The defense is still one of the best units in the league, primarily against the pass. Plus they get Osi Umenyiora back who they lost last year to injuries. The Giants hope that he can fill the GAP that was lingering over in their defense from last year. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixSLTeZYS4b-3s_XttuUGNd2tZNFgHzckJwqcz6nkUTaK79P4GkFXtN4XpGA03qXYKSqkGK4P09-Z4l6rDzOMnVaSNtE9fRwMbEAeK7AzND6SYp7XRWwatqIQqoQsR6szOM7mc-ucDUTVh/s320/Michael+Strahan.jpg
Player to Watch: David Tyree. He made the catch of the year two seasons ago. This year he hopes to do something he didn’t do all of last year: catch a pass.
Prediction: 11-5
Philadelphia Eagles
Outlook: Drafting wide receiver Jeremy Maclin was a smart move in the offseason. Letting Brian Dawkins go and signing Michael Vick? Probably not as smart.
Player to Watch: Kevin Kolb. We know Donovan McNabb is not going to be healthy the whole season, so the interesting to watch here is if Kolb will be pissed that he may be passed on the depth chart by someone as inaccurate as Vick.
Prediction: 11-5
Washington Redskins
Outlook: They did what they usually do in the offseason: shell out the big bucks. This time they gave them to a big guy, Albert Haynesworth. I suppose they want to make sure he can stomp out their division foes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5nlEA8BUTQ
Player to Watch: London Fletcher. No reason to really watch London Fletcher this year, I just wanted to segue into this quote… "I couldn't find London on a map if they didn't have the names of the countries. I swear to God. I don't know what nothing is. I know Italy looks like a boot. I learned that. I know London Fletcher. We did a football camp together. So I know him. That's the closest thing I know to London. He's black, so I'm sure he's not from London. I'm sure that's a coincidental name." -Channing Crowder
Prediction: 7-9
AFC EAST
Buffalo Bills
Outlook: Get yo popcorn ready, Bills fans! T.O. only has one year to tear your already mediocre team apart! This should be good!
Player to Watch: Trent Edwards. So, who has to be the most nervous player in the NFL? I’m going with Edwards, as he now has to succeed Romo, McNabb, and Jeff Garcia as quarterbacks who have had to deal with the drama that is caused from #81.
Prediction: 7-9
Miami Dolphins
Outlook: The team that made the Wildcat famous is now looking to repeat as division champs. It won’t be easy as now they have a much harder schedule and face some tough defenses. Defenses that may force Chad Pennington to throw the ball further than 15 yards. Can he do it!?!
Player to Watch: Devone Bess. Bess caught 35 passes in his last 6 games and he is now a starter alongside Ten Ginn Jr. He could be the number one and catching passes from Brady Quinn. But no.
Prediction: 9-7
New England Patriots
Outlook: Tom Brady’s back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Player to Watch: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Prediction: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (13-3)
New York Jets
Outlook: They made numerous splashes in the offseason, including drafting heartthrob Mark Sanchez and importing defensive members of the Baltimore Ravens. Also, Rex Ryan comes over from Baltimore to take over as head coach, or to jump over people like Channing Crowder on the way to fights…
Player to Watch: Thomas Jones. Jones led the AFC in rushing last year. (Take a moment for that to sink in…)
Prediction: 8-8
NFC North
Chicago Bears
Outlook: They picked up the most glaring need on their roster in the offseason by trading the house for moody Jay Cutler. Cutler is the most talented QB the Bears have had since … um… looking… still looking… … check back later… I’ll find someone…
Player to Watch: Adrian Peterson. If you’re in a fantasy league with idiots, look for this guy to get drafted.
Prediction: 9-7
Detroit Lions
Outlook: They haven’t won a game since December. December 07.
Player to Watch: Daunte Culpepper. All Culpepper has to do to be considered successful is to not do this.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGs1VuT6FEw&feature=related
Prediction: 5-11
Green Bay Packers
Outlook: The Pack looks to make the transition to the 3-4 defense, which suits its speedy yet tough linebackers well, and with the offense looking strong in preseason, it could be a many a chilly winter trips to Lambeau for opposing teams.
Player to Watch: Ryan Grant. Watch to see how he will respond after a slow start to 2008.
Prediction: 11-5
Minnesota Vikings
Outlook: As you may have heard, they upgraded their QB position as well by bringing in Brett Favre.
Player to Watch: Bernard Berrian. I’d be shocked if he wasn’t the happiest man alive when the Favre story broke, and every 1589412 time after. And by the happiest man alive I mean the only happy person. Oh wait... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCZZUPLl5zI&feature=related
Prediction: 9-7
Next up: AFC North, NFC South, AFC South
NFC EAST
Dallas Cowboys
Outlook: Tony Romo enters his 4th season as the Cowboys starting QB and he is now without Terrell Owens (for better or worse). He is now clearly what the offense goes through. Not the punts however, as they must attempt to go through the ridiculously large scoreboard above the playing field.
Player to Watch: Roy Williams. He is now not only the sole player on his team with this name, but he now must fill the void of disgruntled wide receiver so that the Cowboys fall short of the Super Bowl. Talk about big shoes to fill…
Prediction: 10-6
New York Giants
Outlook: The defense is still one of the best units in the league, primarily against the pass. Plus they get Osi Umenyiora back who they lost last year to injuries. The Giants hope that he can fill the GAP that was lingering over in their defense from last year. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixSLTeZYS4b-3s_XttuUGNd2tZNFgHzckJwqcz6nkUTaK79P4GkFXtN4XpGA03qXYKSqkGK4P09-Z4l6rDzOMnVaSNtE9fRwMbEAeK7AzND6SYp7XRWwatqIQqoQsR6szOM7mc-ucDUTVh/s320/Michael+Strahan.jpg
Player to Watch: David Tyree. He made the catch of the year two seasons ago. This year he hopes to do something he didn’t do all of last year: catch a pass.
Prediction: 11-5
Philadelphia Eagles
Outlook: Drafting wide receiver Jeremy Maclin was a smart move in the offseason. Letting Brian Dawkins go and signing Michael Vick? Probably not as smart.
Player to Watch: Kevin Kolb. We know Donovan McNabb is not going to be healthy the whole season, so the interesting to watch here is if Kolb will be pissed that he may be passed on the depth chart by someone as inaccurate as Vick.
Prediction: 11-5
Washington Redskins
Outlook: They did what they usually do in the offseason: shell out the big bucks. This time they gave them to a big guy, Albert Haynesworth. I suppose they want to make sure he can stomp out their division foes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5nlEA8BUTQ
Player to Watch: London Fletcher. No reason to really watch London Fletcher this year, I just wanted to segue into this quote… "I couldn't find London on a map if they didn't have the names of the countries. I swear to God. I don't know what nothing is. I know Italy looks like a boot. I learned that. I know London Fletcher. We did a football camp together. So I know him. That's the closest thing I know to London. He's black, so I'm sure he's not from London. I'm sure that's a coincidental name." -Channing Crowder
Prediction: 7-9
AFC EAST
Buffalo Bills
Outlook: Get yo popcorn ready, Bills fans! T.O. only has one year to tear your already mediocre team apart! This should be good!
Player to Watch: Trent Edwards. So, who has to be the most nervous player in the NFL? I’m going with Edwards, as he now has to succeed Romo, McNabb, and Jeff Garcia as quarterbacks who have had to deal with the drama that is caused from #81.
Prediction: 7-9
Miami Dolphins
Outlook: The team that made the Wildcat famous is now looking to repeat as division champs. It won’t be easy as now they have a much harder schedule and face some tough defenses. Defenses that may force Chad Pennington to throw the ball further than 15 yards. Can he do it!?!
Player to Watch: Devone Bess. Bess caught 35 passes in his last 6 games and he is now a starter alongside Ten Ginn Jr. He could be the number one and catching passes from Brady Quinn. But no.
Prediction: 9-7
New England Patriots
Outlook: Tom Brady’s back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Player to Watch: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Prediction: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (13-3)
New York Jets
Outlook: They made numerous splashes in the offseason, including drafting heartthrob Mark Sanchez and importing defensive members of the Baltimore Ravens. Also, Rex Ryan comes over from Baltimore to take over as head coach, or to jump over people like Channing Crowder on the way to fights…
Player to Watch: Thomas Jones. Jones led the AFC in rushing last year. (Take a moment for that to sink in…)
Prediction: 8-8
NFC North
Chicago Bears
Outlook: They picked up the most glaring need on their roster in the offseason by trading the house for moody Jay Cutler. Cutler is the most talented QB the Bears have had since … um… looking… still looking… … check back later… I’ll find someone…
Player to Watch: Adrian Peterson. If you’re in a fantasy league with idiots, look for this guy to get drafted.
Prediction: 9-7
Detroit Lions
Outlook: They haven’t won a game since December. December 07.
Player to Watch: Daunte Culpepper. All Culpepper has to do to be considered successful is to not do this.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGs1VuT6FEw&feature=related
Prediction: 5-11
Green Bay Packers
Outlook: The Pack looks to make the transition to the 3-4 defense, which suits its speedy yet tough linebackers well, and with the offense looking strong in preseason, it could be a many a chilly winter trips to Lambeau for opposing teams.
Player to Watch: Ryan Grant. Watch to see how he will respond after a slow start to 2008.
Prediction: 11-5
Minnesota Vikings
Outlook: As you may have heard, they upgraded their QB position as well by bringing in Brett Favre.
Player to Watch: Bernard Berrian. I’d be shocked if he wasn’t the happiest man alive when the Favre story broke, and every 1589412 time after. And by the happiest man alive I mean the only happy person. Oh wait... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCZZUPLl5zI&feature=related
Prediction: 9-7
Next up: AFC North, NFC South, AFC South
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