The weekend is here so we start with a group of football and basketball picks for you to use or mock later....
College Football
New Mexico Bowl: Wyoming d. Temple
Idaho Potato Bowl: Ohio d. Utah St.
New Orleans Bowl: LA-Lafayette d. San Diego St.
College Basketball
BYU d. (6) Baylor
Notre Dame d. (17) Indiana
(19) Illinois d. UNLV
(13) Florida d. (22) Texas A&M
Indiana St. d. (25) Vanderbilt
Kansas St. d. (23) Alabama
Nine picks to see how close I can be today, sports thoughts tonight.....
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Friday, December 16, 2011
Friday Night Thoughts
Getting late on this Friday, here's what is happening.....
- The sad story of Bears WR Sam Hurd gets worse for Hurd as he was put on waivers by Chicago Friday. It's his own fault if all this drug talk is true but still not good for a player that was probably just hanging on anyway.
- The one-game suspension of Steelers LB James Harrison was upheld by the league. Harrison will sit out Monday night's game at San Francisco. Maybe he will learn at some point that he has to play by the NFL's rules, even though they aren't good rules.
- A bad week for Kobe Bryant continued when his wife filed for divorce. I would have thought she would have done that after his cheating in Colorado a few years back but she held on for this long. What worse thing could he have done?
- In baseball news, the Rockies signed former Twin Michael Cuddyer. A great signing of a player who can play almost anywhere on the diamond. Also helps that he can hit some and in that ballpark, he will definitely do that.
- Barry Bonds got his sentence Friday from the BALCO case, being sentenced to two years probation and 30 days house arrest. Doesn't seem like a huge punishment for perjury but at least it is something. Bonds may have slipped through the cracks with MLB and not the court system.
- Also in the courts, the two former Penn State officials charged with perjury can stand trial. It was nice to finally see Mike McQueary come out of the woodwork to make a statement about what he saw. Might have helped the kid out if he would have done something right away instead of calling his father up first.
That will do it for tonight, prediction Saturday comes in the morning....
- The sad story of Bears WR Sam Hurd gets worse for Hurd as he was put on waivers by Chicago Friday. It's his own fault if all this drug talk is true but still not good for a player that was probably just hanging on anyway.
- The one-game suspension of Steelers LB James Harrison was upheld by the league. Harrison will sit out Monday night's game at San Francisco. Maybe he will learn at some point that he has to play by the NFL's rules, even though they aren't good rules.
- A bad week for Kobe Bryant continued when his wife filed for divorce. I would have thought she would have done that after his cheating in Colorado a few years back but she held on for this long. What worse thing could he have done?
- In baseball news, the Rockies signed former Twin Michael Cuddyer. A great signing of a player who can play almost anywhere on the diamond. Also helps that he can hit some and in that ballpark, he will definitely do that.
- Barry Bonds got his sentence Friday from the BALCO case, being sentenced to two years probation and 30 days house arrest. Doesn't seem like a huge punishment for perjury but at least it is something. Bonds may have slipped through the cracks with MLB and not the court system.
- Also in the courts, the two former Penn State officials charged with perjury can stand trial. It was nice to finally see Mike McQueary come out of the woodwork to make a statement about what he saw. Might have helped the kid out if he would have done something right away instead of calling his father up first.
That will do it for tonight, prediction Saturday comes in the morning....
It's Friday....
We have made it to Friday, a look at what's up....
- The Falcons got a solid hold on a playoff spot in the NFL with a dominating 41-14 win over the Jaguars Thursday night. One player that was invisible most of the season but has come alive in recent weeks is Roddy White. White had 10 catches and two touchdowns in the win as Atlanta improved to 9-5. I think that win clinched Atlanta's ticket to the playoffs. The Bears and Lions aren't going to catch them now.
- The Penn State story continues today as former athletic director Tim Curley and former vice president Gary Schultz are in court to fight perjury charges. A sad state of affairs in Happy Valley. Let's just hope it all gets figured out sooner than later.
- There are reports this morning that the Blue Jays made a bid of over $40 million on Yu Darvish and that was probably enough to win the bidding for the Japanese star pitcher. That would be a tall task for any AL East team to face Darvish and the 6'5" pitcher wouldn't even have to move to the United States.
- An interesting storyline is developing in Indianapolis with the Colts and Peyton Manning. Indy is assured of the No. 1 pick in the 2012 Draft and there is no doubt they will take Stanford QB Andrew Luck. Where does that leave Manning though? Does he stay and mentor the new kid? Does he ask for a trade to clear the path for Luck? I'm thinking Manning wants nothing to do with having a possible star on the roster with him and will ask out.
- It's a light morning so let's discuss four high school students being suspended for doing Tim Tebow's famous pose at school. If the kids are trying to be like Tebow, let them. It could be a lot worse.
- Last, I would like to talk about the new NFL TV deals a bit...I think we are heading towards Thursday Night games each week of the season for one and wouldn't be surprised if a weekly Saturday game is added. Saturday games showed up a lot on schedules in recent years in the final weeks of the season when college football was done. Why not do it again? Also, I like the switches possible to make the best games to another network if blocked by another great game. More viewers is more money for the NFL. Finally, all three Thanksgiving games on where people can watch them. The NFL can now control the whole holiday, a win-win for everyone.
That's the story for now, trivia later and more sports thoughts tonight....
- The Falcons got a solid hold on a playoff spot in the NFL with a dominating 41-14 win over the Jaguars Thursday night. One player that was invisible most of the season but has come alive in recent weeks is Roddy White. White had 10 catches and two touchdowns in the win as Atlanta improved to 9-5. I think that win clinched Atlanta's ticket to the playoffs. The Bears and Lions aren't going to catch them now.
- The Penn State story continues today as former athletic director Tim Curley and former vice president Gary Schultz are in court to fight perjury charges. A sad state of affairs in Happy Valley. Let's just hope it all gets figured out sooner than later.
- There are reports this morning that the Blue Jays made a bid of over $40 million on Yu Darvish and that was probably enough to win the bidding for the Japanese star pitcher. That would be a tall task for any AL East team to face Darvish and the 6'5" pitcher wouldn't even have to move to the United States.
- An interesting storyline is developing in Indianapolis with the Colts and Peyton Manning. Indy is assured of the No. 1 pick in the 2012 Draft and there is no doubt they will take Stanford QB Andrew Luck. Where does that leave Manning though? Does he stay and mentor the new kid? Does he ask for a trade to clear the path for Luck? I'm thinking Manning wants nothing to do with having a possible star on the roster with him and will ask out.
- It's a light morning so let's discuss four high school students being suspended for doing Tim Tebow's famous pose at school. If the kids are trying to be like Tebow, let them. It could be a lot worse.
- Last, I would like to talk about the new NFL TV deals a bit...I think we are heading towards Thursday Night games each week of the season for one and wouldn't be surprised if a weekly Saturday game is added. Saturday games showed up a lot on schedules in recent years in the final weeks of the season when college football was done. Why not do it again? Also, I like the switches possible to make the best games to another network if blocked by another great game. More viewers is more money for the NFL. Finally, all three Thanksgiving games on where people can watch them. The NFL can now control the whole holiday, a win-win for everyone.
That's the story for now, trivia later and more sports thoughts tonight....
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Thursday night ramblings
A busy Thursday in the world of sports, here's a look...
- I start tonight with the stupidity of Bears WR Sam Hurd. Hurd was arrested and remains in jail tonight after he allegedly attempted to buy over half a million dollars in cocaine and marijuana from a supplier in North Texas. Words can't even start to explain how dumb you would have to be to do that, if Hurd did. Any pro athlete who would pull something like that needs an one-way ticket out of the league.
- I move on now to the world of IndyCar where the accident that killed Dan Wheldon to end last season was a "perfect storm". Wheldon hit his head on a pole that held the fencing up around the track. A very sad story and a great example of why race car driving is always a dangerous thing to do.
- A concussion has once again ended a season early for a NHL player as Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger will sit out the rest of the season with post-concussion symptoms. Hockey is a violent sport in its nature and big-time hits are a part of the game but when a lot of your major names are sitting on the bench, it hurts the game. I've talked about Sidney Crosby in the past, don't know what to fix but something has to.
- A commentary on Los Angeles pro basketball and things that may be happening. Rumors are swirling now that Kobe Bryant is upset over recent events with the Lakers and may want out. The Clippers have got a lot better with Chris Paul but are still not a dominant team with just two stars. Will the battles at the Staples Center be better? Yes but I don't think Kobe has anything to worry about.
- With the recent warmer weather in the country, thoughts head toward baseball and that spring training is only 2 months away. It appears one team is trying real hard to get their fans back on board. The Cubs put in a claim on Yu Darvish and reports state they are about to go hard after Prince Fielder. If both happen, I don't see any reason why the North Siders don't win the NL Central.
- Last a reminder that college bowl season starts this Saturday with three games. I will have predictions the day of each game for you if you want to use them for your bowl pool in your office or wherever you are playing at.
That's it for tonight, more in the morning.....
- I start tonight with the stupidity of Bears WR Sam Hurd. Hurd was arrested and remains in jail tonight after he allegedly attempted to buy over half a million dollars in cocaine and marijuana from a supplier in North Texas. Words can't even start to explain how dumb you would have to be to do that, if Hurd did. Any pro athlete who would pull something like that needs an one-way ticket out of the league.
- I move on now to the world of IndyCar where the accident that killed Dan Wheldon to end last season was a "perfect storm". Wheldon hit his head on a pole that held the fencing up around the track. A very sad story and a great example of why race car driving is always a dangerous thing to do.
- A concussion has once again ended a season early for a NHL player as Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger will sit out the rest of the season with post-concussion symptoms. Hockey is a violent sport in its nature and big-time hits are a part of the game but when a lot of your major names are sitting on the bench, it hurts the game. I've talked about Sidney Crosby in the past, don't know what to fix but something has to.
- A commentary on Los Angeles pro basketball and things that may be happening. Rumors are swirling now that Kobe Bryant is upset over recent events with the Lakers and may want out. The Clippers have got a lot better with Chris Paul but are still not a dominant team with just two stars. Will the battles at the Staples Center be better? Yes but I don't think Kobe has anything to worry about.
- With the recent warmer weather in the country, thoughts head toward baseball and that spring training is only 2 months away. It appears one team is trying real hard to get their fans back on board. The Cubs put in a claim on Yu Darvish and reports state they are about to go hard after Prince Fielder. If both happen, I don't see any reason why the North Siders don't win the NL Central.
- Last a reminder that college bowl season starts this Saturday with three games. I will have predictions the day of each game for you if you want to use them for your bowl pool in your office or wherever you are playing at.
That's it for tonight, more in the morning.....
Trivia Answer: Thursday, Dec. 15
The answer is......the Milwaukee Bucks, who defeated the Lakers 120-104 on Jan. 9, 1972. The Lakers would go on to win the NBA Title in winning a then-record 69 games.
Sports analysis coming tonight....
Sports analysis coming tonight....
Trivia: Thursday, Dec. 15
Today's question is this.....what team broke the Los Angeles Lakers' 33-game winning streak in 1972?
Answer later....
Answer later....
Thursday morning thoughts
It's early and it's time for a look at what's going on or about to go on....
- This new amnesty clause in the NBA deal is still odd to me. Last night, the Cavaliers used it to waive Baron Davis, who is still owed $27 million but the move gives Cleveland some salary cap relief. Maybe someone puts in a winning bid on a guy who is going to be out 8-10 weeks. Just something different to get used to.
- An interesting development in Indianapolis as Peyton Manning has begun throwing a football again according to coach Jim Caldwell. I honestly don't see the point in doing that this late in the season but it is surely part of his rehab from neck surgery. Could his pride of not being on a team that doesn't win a game be coming into play and he wants to play maybe in the final game of the season to get a win?
- The posting process for Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish ended Wednesday and we still don't know what team won the bidding. I would expect that it will take at least $90 million to sign Darvish in the combination of posting fees and a contract. My guess is the either the Rangers or Cubs won the bidding.
- Big NFL games this weekend and one tonight but Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger is in a walking boot after his injury in last Thursday's win over the Browns. This game is huge for the Steelers on Monday night in San Francisco to try to hold on to hope of winning the AFC North and avoiding a likely first-round matchup in Denver with the Broncos. The way that injury looked, I'm shocked he has any chance of playing.
- In tonight's action, it's Jacksonville at Atlanta. The Falcons are clinging to a playoff spot and with the recent troubles of the Bears, it is logical to think that two wins out of three for Atlanta gets them in. The Jaguars played well last week especially Maurice Jones-Drew, who scored four times. However, I have to pick the Falcons at home with a 27-10 win.
- Last but not least, we are going to talk weather.....it's the middle of December and we haven't seen a single game played any sort of snow this season in the NFL. Blame global warming or whatever but there is just something magical at this time of year about a game in the snow. Doesn't help your fantasy team any but just a beautiful sight.
That's all for now, trivia later and more thoughts later on tonight.....
- This new amnesty clause in the NBA deal is still odd to me. Last night, the Cavaliers used it to waive Baron Davis, who is still owed $27 million but the move gives Cleveland some salary cap relief. Maybe someone puts in a winning bid on a guy who is going to be out 8-10 weeks. Just something different to get used to.
- An interesting development in Indianapolis as Peyton Manning has begun throwing a football again according to coach Jim Caldwell. I honestly don't see the point in doing that this late in the season but it is surely part of his rehab from neck surgery. Could his pride of not being on a team that doesn't win a game be coming into play and he wants to play maybe in the final game of the season to get a win?
- The posting process for Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish ended Wednesday and we still don't know what team won the bidding. I would expect that it will take at least $90 million to sign Darvish in the combination of posting fees and a contract. My guess is the either the Rangers or Cubs won the bidding.
- Big NFL games this weekend and one tonight but Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger is in a walking boot after his injury in last Thursday's win over the Browns. This game is huge for the Steelers on Monday night in San Francisco to try to hold on to hope of winning the AFC North and avoiding a likely first-round matchup in Denver with the Broncos. The way that injury looked, I'm shocked he has any chance of playing.
- In tonight's action, it's Jacksonville at Atlanta. The Falcons are clinging to a playoff spot and with the recent troubles of the Bears, it is logical to think that two wins out of three for Atlanta gets them in. The Jaguars played well last week especially Maurice Jones-Drew, who scored four times. However, I have to pick the Falcons at home with a 27-10 win.
- Last but not least, we are going to talk weather.....it's the middle of December and we haven't seen a single game played any sort of snow this season in the NFL. Blame global warming or whatever but there is just something magical at this time of year about a game in the snow. Doesn't help your fantasy team any but just a beautiful sight.
That's all for now, trivia later and more thoughts later on tonight.....
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