Pat O's thoughts on Patriots-Saints

From 2001 up until this year, specifically previous the much-talked about and the much-debated Patriots-Colts game a few weeks ago, I always went into pregame predictions with the mindset of "Why would the Pats lose this game?"

It has taken a few years and a 4th-quarter disintegration against Indy to lead me to this point: I don't have the same type of confidence I used to have that my beloved Patriots will win tonight's game.

From 2001 to 2004, this kind of game was one that we as Pats fans could be assured they wouldn't lose. Now? I'm not sure what's going to happen. What happened against the Colts (notice I'm referring to that game as if it was the day a member of my family died) really has taken a hit to my confidence in this team's ability to win big games on the road.

I certainly want the Patriots to win what will be a back-and-forth game (not necessarily a shootout) but there are a few things that prevent me from thinking they will:

1. The inability of the defense to get off the field on third down and allow the opposing team to go on long drives. I'm aware of their defensive stats but we all know this is one of the real issues for this unit. This is a killer when you have Tom Brady, Randy Moss and Wes Welker sitting on the bench.

2. We all know it: Red Zone efficiency. We know the Patriots can and will rack up yardage against this Saints defense but it won't matter one bit if we see Stephen Gostkowski and the field goal unit running onto the field. And not just for 2 1/2 quarters like the (ugh..) Colts game. They need to be finishing off drives and score in the red zone when they get there.

3. This is related to #2 but people keep talking about the Saints secondary being weak and injured. Wasn't the Colts' entire defensive backfield out a few weeks ago? They didn't take advantage of that for 4 quarters and we have no reason to believe they will now.

4. This point resonated more than anything else with me: This team simply hasn't earned the right to be favored. Sure, if they win tonight they'll be right back up there with the Saints and Indy as an elite team. Right now, they are definitely one of the best teams in the league and most likely among the top five or six. However, they haven't proved to us they can win a game like this and make a huge statement.

This is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately kind of league and the Pats haven't come out on top in games like this (I won't delve into the gory details of 2005-present) recently. I'm picking the Saints 28-24 in this game because of the previously mentioned points. I'm hoping I'm wrong (those of you who have read my stuff before know I usually am) and the Pats win this game going away but let's see them go out and win against the undefeated Saints on the road before we can pick them in big games.

Patriots/Saints Preview

It's funny, the build-up to the Colts game was about 100 times the intensity as it's been for this game against the Saints. Perhaps Thanksgiving got in the way. And the Colts game did have more playoff implications (playoff scenarios are the one of the few times we use the word "implications"). But the Saints are by fary the best team in the NFL through 10 weeks.

The Colts are 10-0, and that's nice, but beating up on the AFC South, then taking advantage of Laurence Maroney's point-shaving don't impress me much (bonus points for Shania Twain reference).



The NFL shouldn't have traditional power rankings this season. It's more like a pyramid. And the Saints are at that pointy pinnacle atop the pyramid.

#1: New Orleans
#2-7: Indy, Minnesota, Dallas, Cincy, San Diego, New England
#8-18: Arizona, Green Bay, Denver, Philly, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, NY Giants, Baltimore, Atlanta, Houston, Miami

Why are the Saints so much better than everyone else? Balance on offense. They can run the ball (5th most yards in the NFL), and pass the ball (9th most). They've scored a League high 369 points, or 36.9 a game. That's a touchdown more per game than the 2nd highest scoring team.



Their defense isn't amazing, and that's the advantage the Patriots must press home. No more red zone failures. The Saints are 15th in scoring defense, allowing 20.4 points per game. And that's still good, but the Patriots shouldn't have problems marching downfield, then putting the ball into the end zone.



Did you know the Patriots have the 2nd best scoring defense in the NFL? I didn't until just now. 16.4 points per game. So perhaps it isn't just the Patriots offense that will be tested. The Saints are up against a statistically elite defensive unit.

The key to winning this game will be Brady, Moss, Welker, and unfortunately Maroney. The usual suspects on offense have to be able to score on demand, or at least mount lengthy drives. We saw how exhausted the Pats' defense got in the 4th against Indy. This cannot be repeated. The Pats no longer have the depth to shift defensive linemen and linebackers in and out to keep them fresh.

The Saints are 20th in rushing defense. What compounds this potential chink in the armor is that a 10-0 team is usually in the lead, which means other teams tend not to run the ball. Yet they still allow 115.7 yards per game.

The Patriots need to have a steady rushing attack. It doesn't have to be game-breaking, just sure and steady, 3 yards every time. They can't afford Maroney's token 1 yard losses. This will set-up play-action, wear out the Saints' D-line, and keep Drew Brees on the sidelines. Laurence Maroney CAN do this, but often doesn't. Hopefully BJG Ellis will.

I think the Patriots will come through in this one, and by a surprising margin. Patriots 31, Saints 21.

-The Commodore

And Now DP's Take:


Now that the Captain embarrassed the little integrity of this website, I'm going to chime in. I have been thinking long and hard about this game all week and my original thought was that the Saints were going to lose by 3 to the Pats, but not so fast. The New Orleans Saints will win this game due to an outrageous offense and a secondary and defense that has a knack for turnovers. We can throw Laurence Maroney out the window right now, because the Saints get Sedrick Ellis and Anthony Hargrove back. Their run defense diminished significantly with them out, but now that they are back their run defense is back. Also, the one thing the Saints do have that the Pats don't, is a running game to waste time at the end of the game. Remember last year when I made this picture of Pierre Thomas:

Well turns out I was completely wrong on him. He is averaging 5.6 yards per carry, and Mike Bell has been a great compliment to him as well.

What else is being overlooked is the fact it's at the Dome. The Saints are built for turf, and their wide receivers are all speedy for a reason. The Pats secondary, who tends to get tired, will certainly not be able to keep up with them for an entire game.

Saints: 35-28

RC Car Tooth Pull and Cat Jump

RC Car Tooth Pull and Cat Jump - Watch more Funny Videos

Bill Murray: The Key To Everything LOST

I got a funny email from a friend of ours and I couldn't help, but put it up...

Subject: Billy Murray "Lost" in Translation

"Ok, so I wanted to go further in depth with what we were talking about earlier. So what do we know? The next season of LOST premiers on ground hog day. Perhaps Murray's best movie of all time was named ground hog day. Also the theme of that movie was one mans struggle with time travel and being stuck in a "loop" much like all last season of LOST. Next Murray's last popular movie was titled "Lost in Translation" in which a man travel via plane to Japan (an island) and finds love. This is basically just like the story of Jack and Kate. Now what can we learn from all this? Obviously next season of LOST all of the characters will be replaced by the entire cast of the original Ghostbusters. Boone with be played by Rick Morannis and the secretary lady will be Shannon, Jack will be Peter Venkman, Locke will be Egon, Charlie will be Ray Stantz, Kate will be Dana Barrett, Peck will be Ben, Michael will be Winston, Smoke Monster could be Zuul, ect. There are literally thousands of similarities I could list but I have to get back to work.

-REX

Holliday Over Bay For Red Sox?

"The Boston Red Sox are looking for a left fielder and have been mentioned in the market for free agents Jason Bay and Matt Holliday.

FoxSports.com reports that it would benefit Boston to pursue Holliday rather than Bay because it would land the team an additional draft pick. A rival executive told the website that the Red Sox may not intend to keep Bay even though they are negotiating with him.

Under the current system, a team that in effect exchanges one Type A free agent for another actually nets a sandwich pick between the first and second round -- technically losing a first for signing Holliday and gaining one for offering Bay arbitration and letting him sign elsewhere (ESPN)."

Yes it would be nice for the Sox to pick up some more draft picks, but I just trust Bay a lot more. Bay has proven that he can hit in Boston, hit in the AL, and be solid in the field. It's not that I would mind Holliday there, it is just a trust Bay a lot more, because he has already done it. There is no report from the Sox on these rumors, so it is really just baseball writers giving theories...nothing more.

Defending Bobby Bowden

Up until right now I was up in the air about Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden, now I think they should let Bobby Bowden coach until he wants to retire. Bobby has built this program and is a legend in regards to college football. I don't care if they take away some of his duties like Joe Pa, but FSU just wont be the same without that old man with the silly hat on the sidelines. FSU has had some bad years recently, but he is recruiting in probably the most difficult state in the US. With Florida's recent success, The perks that come with Miami, and even South Florida being relevant recently FSU may be the third or fourth option for a stud recruit. I don't think Bobby Bowden's aura has gone down, and I believe in a couple of years FSU will be relevant again, they just need to ride it out with Bowden. Right now, they have a couple of talented QB's, decent WRs, and some young RBs. Florida State can't be rash when it comes to this decision, and they need to realize what they have had a legend for the game.

Breaking News: Charlie Weis Fired

Good this guy has been nothing but a terrible coach a Notre Dame. The only way he won is with Ty Willingham's players, his arrogance was ridiculous, he proved nothing while being there and is more cut out to be an offensive coordinator in the NFL, then a head coach of any team. The next coach the Irish decide to hire, they need to stick with for at least 5 years. Even though Jimmy Claussen had one foot out the door, this most definitely means he is going pro.

Chunk Sings Prince

Yea, the kid from the Goonies....Hilarious.

Nets Fire Lawrence Frank

"The winless New Jersey Nets fired coach Lawrence Frank on Sunday, several hours before they matched the worst start in NBA history with their 17th straight loss. Assistant Tom Barrise temporarily replaced his friend, but the Nets remained 0-for-the-season with a 106-87 loss to the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. Though Frank's departure has been widely expected while New Jersey lost every game in the season's first 4½ weeks, several of Frank's players claimed they were stunned when their energetic coach showed up at their morning team meeting in Los Angeles not wearing his Nets gear.

"It's tough, because he was the hardest worker on the team," center Brook Lopez said. "He's so passionate about what he does. It was a rough situation, and he did a great job of not using our injuries as an excuse. He came in every night and had us prepared."

The Nets won't choose a permanent replacement for Frank until after they return from their four-game road trip Monday. Their next game is Wednesday at home against Dallas, when the Nets must win to avoid NBA ignominy (CBSSports)."

Not really a lot of say here. You can't go 0-16 and expect to keep your job. I think the Nets and Knicks should become one franchise. What is funny is that if you actually take the best players from both team that would probably still be below .500. Anyways, the entire state of New jersey sucks, so it only makes sense the Nets do too.

Urlacher Thinks Bears Should've Kept Orton

"Back in July, there was a rumored feud between Brian Urlacher and Jay Cutler -- with Urlacher referring to his new teammate as a [wimp] to Bobby Wade -- but at least publicly, Urlacher denied that he said anything of the sort. But in a column written by Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports following a hijinks-filled weekend with No. 54 in Chicago, perhaps there's something to those initial rumors.

While Urlacher doesn't call Cutler's manliness into question, he does think the move to get him was a mistake: "Look, I love Jay, and I understand he's a great player who can take us a long way, and I still have faith in him," Urlacher said. "But I hate the way our identity has changed. We used to establish the run and wear teams down and try not to make mistakes, and we'd rely on our defense to keep us in the game and make big plays to put us in position to win. Kyle Orton might not be the flashiest quarterback, but the guy is a winner, and that formula worked for us. I hate to say it, but that's the truth (ESPN)."

DP and I said it right after the trade that the Bears gave up way too much for Cutler. I will admit that I thought Cutler was a way better QB, but Urlacher could be on to something here. The Bears are just a different team. They used to be a team that would out physical you, and protect the football. Now they have a gun slinging QB that throws a lot of picks, and the defense is just not what it used to be. Saying that, I still think Urlacher is wrong to come out and say this. The Bears made a choice, and Urlacher needs to fall in line and be supportive.

New LOST Promo

It is in spanish, but there are subtitles. Could very well be the best trailer for LOST ever...

Rasheed Wallace Fined $30,000

"Before Sunday's game Rasheed Wallace was fined $30,000 by the NBA for "public criticism of officials" after his postgame comments Friday. Wallace accused Toronto's Hedo Turkoglu of flopping and then said some players receive preferential treatment after Paul Pierce was whistled for a technical for taunting Chris Bosh following a dunk.

"They set rules on us to the point where you’re taunting. When Paul dunked it, and then Paul didn’t say nothing, he just looked at him. Let the Golden Child do that or one of the NBA [Basketball] Without Borders kids do that and it’s all fine and dandy," he said.

When asked who the Golden Child was, Wallace said "Take a guess." And when a reporter mentioned LeBron James, Wallace said, "yeah (Boston.com)."

This is bullshit. Wallace did not direct go after the refs, and even if he did everything he said is 100% true. It is fucking ridiculous that a players popularity determines the fouls that are or aren't called. You add that to the fact that there are reports of more refs being involved in gambling you notice that the NBA has a serious problem on its hands. Something has to be done, because this is completely out of control.

Wallace is going to appeal the fine.

Ward Calls Out Roethlisberger

"In a taped interview that aired on NBC prior to the Pittsburgh Steelers' loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night, Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward called QB Ben Roethlisberger's manhood into question.

Indicating that it was "almost like a 50-50 tossup in the locker room" regarding whether No. 7 should've played a week after suffering a concussion, Ward continued by saying, "I've been out there dinged up. The following week, got right back out there." Ward also noted the importance of the game, and why every player should be on the field if there's even a shred of a possibility they could play: "I don't think guys really worry about the future when they're playing currently in the NFL. Trust me, the players want to go out there because these games you don't get back. You're never going to get this Baltimore-Pittsburgh game back. This is a big game (ESPN)."

This funny because I said that Ward looked pissed off the whole game, which is odd since he is usually smiling nonstop. I have to say I am on Roethlisberger's side on this. He has played through injury before, and after seeing what happens to NFL players after they retire from these concussions I don't blame him for being cautious. Anyways, Ward should know better then to call out his QB to the media...he is better then that.

I Hate Pete Carrol But...

What he did at the end of the USC/UCLA game was nice. Before this play, USC took a knee, but UCLA then called a timeout. In response, this happened:



Pete Carrol was trying to end the game, but UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel didn't want it to end. Personally, I would've simply passed for a 1st down, or maybe ran the ball (UCLA had 2 timeouts remaining). But Neuheisel invited the touchdown pass.

But Pete Carrol's sideline celebration looks like a 12 year old girl at a Jonas Brother concert.

-The Commodore

Mondays Suck: Here Is A Joke

There was this couple that was married for 20 years, and every time they made love the husband always insisted on shutting off the lights. Well, after 20 years the wife felt this was stupid. She figured she would break him of this crazy habit. So one night, while they were in the middle of a romantic session, she turned on the lights.

She looked down and saw her husband was holding a battery operated pleasure devise. She got extremely upset.

"You impotent bastard!!" she screamed at him, "How could you be lying to me for all these years? You better explain yourself!"

The husband looks at her straight in the eyes and says calmly, "I'll explain the toy if you explain the kids."

BC Needs a Rival

This was Rivalry Weekend in college football. In-state and border-state rivals faced off in games that fans look forward to all year. UCLA played USC, North Carolina played NC State, Clemson/South Carolina, Mississippi/Mississippi State, Oklahoma State/Oklahoma, Arizona/Arizona State, Florida State/Florida, Virginia Tech/Virginia, Kansas/Missouri, Utah/BYU, Texas Tech/Baylor, Washington State/Washington, Kentucky/Tennessee, Arkansas/LSU, Georgia/Georgia Tech, Rice/Houston, Texas/Texas A&M, Alabama/Auburn, Nebraska/Colorado, and Pittsburgh/West Virginia.

These rivalries often come with trophies held by the winning team, and cool nicknames like Bedlam, Backyard Brawl, Good Old Fashioned Hate, Border War, Egg Bowl, Iron Bowl, and Holy War.

Who did BC play this weekend?

Maryland.

Boston College doesn't have a local rival. They used to until Holy Cross went down to 1AA. Sure, Virginia Tech is a rival (for BS, but not for Tech). And Notre Dame/BC is a rivalry as well, but much more for BC than Notre Dame.



Last year I suggested BC find a new rival, and some BC putz claimed that Syracuse is their rival. Really? Well in football, BC is 10 times better, as is Syracuse in basketball.

Boston College does have a local rival, they just haven't played yet. It's the only other Division 1A team in New England: The University of Connecticut. Storrs is only 80 miles from Chestnut Hill. That's closer than most of those rivalries mentioned above.

It would be Big East vs. ACC (and ex-Big East), public vs. private, secular vs. Catholic, Hartford vs. Boston, and it could claim the average New England sports fans' attention for at least one weekend of the year.

The game could even be played at Gillette Stadium, so fans of both teams could tailgate (very few BC fans can actually tailgate because the campus has such a parking crunch). Tickets can be split between teams to fill the 68,000 seats at Gillette (UConn's Rentschler Field sits 40,000, BC's Alumni Stadium holds 44,500).

We can call it the Blackstone River Shootout.



Or come up with a better name.

It's worth a shot, and both athletic departments should look into it. UConn played Syracuse this weekend, and while that's a big basketball rivalry, it's just not the same in football. As a college football fan, it'd be cool to have a rivalry game to look forward to all season. Everytime Rivalry Weekend comes round, I feel like as a BC fan, I'm missing out.

-The Commodore

Police Want Tiger Woods' Hospital Report

"The Florida Highway Patrol is seeking a search warrant for hospital records that would document the treatment Tiger Woods received after an auto accident early Saturday morning, TMZ.com has reported, citing unnamed sources. The Florida state police, according to the Web site's report, want to determine if the injuries Woods sustained resembled those from an auto accident or domestic violence. The state police think they can show probable cause of a crime during the events that unfolded Saturday morning, the report said (ESPN)."

Woods seems like a really good guy, so I don't want to make false accusations, but this whole this seems really strange. My guess, since there didn't seem to be alcohol involved was that Tiger and his wife got in a fight, and he sped off frantically, crashed his car. That would explain why he is trying to keep everything private. I think Tiger should just come out and say what happened, because eventually the media is going to find out, and even if they don't they will just keep making up stories. Obviously, we'll keep you posted.

Here is a ESPN's take:

Vince Young is 5-0

Here is "the drive":


I find it interesting he went all Rose Bowl over Matt Lienart again.

92 Celtics, 85 Heat

I only watched the final 6 minutes of the game, but this was a good win. KG had an awesome game hitting 11 of 12 shots, and in the previous game he shot 8-8. Is everyone still worried about KG now? I don't think so. The real spark of the game was Rajon, who yet again had another double double with 13 and 11 assists. The Miami Heat's coach was in awe of Rajon saying this: "Those situations were created by that little guy," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "He was excellent tonight, really. ... I thought he controlled this game as well as anybody and I don't know if his stat line is really as indicative of how much impact he had on this game."

Rasheed Wallace also picked up his 7th technical of the season.

Box Score

Eli Manning Injury Update

Hmmm this sounds like a really pussy injury, but...

"Giants quarterback Eli Manning has developed a stress reaction in his right foot that could eventually lead to further injuries which might sideline him indefinitely. A person familiar with Manning's injury told the Associated Press about the latest problem Sunday. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team has not officially confirmed the problem. Manning has suffered from plantar fasciitis - an injury to the band of connective tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot and inserts into the heel - since hurting the foot against Kansas City on Oct. 4. The stress reaction is not an unexpected development, but the team wants to prevent a stress fracture that could end Manning's year (Sportsline)."

Eli has been horrible of late, and I really think he is a complete fraud. It will be interesting to see if they would really bench him (I doubt it), but at this point it really can't hurt them. Eli is complete inaccurate, and just seems to put the ball up sometimes, which is costing his team. The Giants have been huge disappointments, and I would be surprised if they made the playoffs.

From The Desk Of TomTom

Thanksgiving weekend usually provides some fantastic college basketball, and this year was no exception. Hopefully, you caught some of the action in between heaps of mashed potatoes, turkey and cranberry sauce, not to mention some good football as well. But, in case you missed it all, here’s a recap of the weekend’s best action.

NIT – Season Tip-Off

Madison Square Garden has proved to be a home away from home for the Dukies in recent memory. It seems as though they play at least once there every season. This year’s NIT Tip-Off saw a championship game between top-seeded Duke and #2 seed Connecticut, a rematch of the 1999 NCAA Championship game, and the 2004 Final Four. This was also the most combined wins for any opposing head coaches in NCAA history! Coach Krewzcerewski with 838 (now 839) and Calhoun with 809! Connecticut had won the previous two meetings, but that streak ended on Friday as Duke bested the Huskies, 68-59. This game started fast with both teams pushing the tempo and getting to the rim at will. But, what looked like a promising game turned out to be quite a dud. Duke dominated in just about every category, with both teams shooting below 40% for the game.

For all of Duke’s nay-sayers (this guy included!) they actually look pretty good early on this season. I had thought that without a true PG they might struggle, but they have a lot of “play-makers” and Scheyer seems comfortable in his role of creator on offense. However, I still hate them…and Kyle Singler needs a new fucking hair-do. Is he auditioning for the Monkees??? They will need to shoot better, but that’s never been a problem for Coach K teams. I expect them to be a contender all season and then choke in the tournament as their recent history suggests.


Legends Classic

This pre-season tourney brought us another great early season matchup, and also another National Championship rematch. Michigan State, #2 in the country entering the weekend faced off against Florida for the first time since they met for the 2000 National Championship won by the Spartans and Mateen Cleaves, Morris Peterson and the Flint, MI crew. Friday’s matchup, (not televised! What?!) would not be so kind to the Sparties as they fell to Billy Donovan’s Gator squad.

Michigan State had their chances in this one, but mostly turned in a sloppy effort. The Gators spread out their scoring nicely with 5 in double figures. The Gators got a last-second 3 from Erving Walker from way deep to go ahead with just under 2 minutes left. The Spartans would get two good looks at three to tie but missed both. This was a closely contested contest, but another game filled with some sloppy shooting. Look for both of these teams to be players come March. Michigan State will likely drop a bit after the loss, but did put a spanking on Massachusetts in the consolation game.


76 Classic

The biggest story from this tournament is the suckyness of UCLA. The Bruins look terrible early on this season, very underwhelming athletically and really not bringing any top-tier talent to the court. What happened to Ben Howland’s team? They’ve lost some good young talent to the NBA in recent years but I did not expect them to be this bad in 09-10. Prize recruit Tyler Honeycutt is out with an injury which has probably hurt a bit, but it’s always dicey if you’re counting on a true freshman anyway.

UCLA was waxed by upstart Portland(!) in the quarterfinal game, 74-47. Whoa! Portland admittedly looks good, but I doubt anyone expected that. UCLA then went on to lose a squeaker to Butler 69-67, and then added another loss to Long Beach St 79-68. Not a good weekend for the Bruins.


Old Spice Classic

This Orlando based tournament brought arguably the best games, albeit from some unsuspecting teams. The semi-finals brought Michigan (#15 in the country heading into the weekend) vs Marquette and Alabama vs Florida State. Michigan’s Manny Harris is an early season contender for the Naismith award and is as electrifying a player as you’ll find in college basketball this year. Following a just-missed triple double performance against Creighton, Harris and the Wolverines fell to the Golden Eagles in the semis. Michigan looks like a decent squad, though perhaps a tad overrated at #15. I see them as a team that may bounce in and out of the top 25 this season, but Harris is a player to watch. They lost their next game to Alabama as well.
Marquette looks to have another good squad this year led by Lazar Hayward in the post. Florida State, however, edged them in the championship game, 57-56.
In other weekend news, Purdue looks good this year, having already beaten a good Tennessee team and should move up from their #6 ranking on Monday.
Kentucky also looks good under Calipari and super-frosh John Wall looks to be as-advertised if not better in the early season.

Louisville lost to UNLV in a squeaker and will likely drop some in the rankings, though I expect them to be a premier team in the Big East which should enjoy another monster season as a stacked conference.

#12 Butler (can you say overrated), #19 Clemson, #20 Illinois, #21 Maryland, #22 Minnesota and #25 Oklahoma all suffered losses over the holiday weekend. Expect most if not all of those teams to drop out of the top 25 come Monday.
W2W4 This week!

MON-
Nothing of note.

TUE 12/1 –
Purdue vs. Wake Forest (Big Ten/ACC Challenge)
Maryland vs. Indiana (Big Ten/ACC Challenge)
Michigan State vs. North Carolina (Rematch of last year’s title game!)

WED 12/2 –
Illinois vs. Clemson (Big Ten/ACC Challenge)
Minnesota vs. Miami (Big Ten/ACC Challenge)
Boston College vs. Michigan (Big Ten/ACC Challenge)
Duke vs. Wisconsin (Big Ten/ACC Challenge)
Florida State vs. Ohio State (Big Ten/ACC Challenge)

THU 12/3 –
USC vs. Texas

SAT 12/4 –
Providence College vs. URI (biggest game of the year!)
North Carolina vs. Kentucky (good game, nothing on the match-up mentioned above!)
St. John’s vs. Duke (is St. John’s even still in the Big East? WTF happened to the Red Storm? Long gone are the good ol’ days of Mike Jarvis and Felipe Lopez)
Looking forward to another good week of college basketball.

Stay classy. Go Rams!

EMass Football Playoff Schedule

On Tuesday night, the 8 divisions of Eastern Mass high school football will start their playoffs, determining who will meet in the Super Bowls on Saturday at Gillette Stadium. Here are the match-ups, including the location of the game. All rankings are from Boston.com

Division 1:
7:45pm: #1 Xaverian vs. #2 Brockton - at Weymouth
7:45pm: #6 Billerica vs. #9 Everett - at Lowell

Division 1A:
7:45pm: #5 Gloucester vs. #18 Westford - at Lynn
7:45pm: Needham @ #11 Bridgewater-Raynham

Division 2:
7:45pm: #7 Dracut @ #3 Reading
7:45pm: #4 Natick @ #10 Franklin

Division 2A:
5:15pm: #13 Masconomet vs. Concord-Carlisle - at Lowell
5:15pm: #15 Marshfield vs. Duxbury - at Weymouth

Division 3:
5:15pm: Rockland vs. Marblehead - at Lynn
7:45pm: Bishop Feehan vs. Dighton-Rehobeth - at Taunton

Division 3A:
5:15pm: Austin Prep vs. Lynnfield - at Reading
5:15pm: Cohasset vs. #19 Holliston - at Bridgewater-Raynham

Division 4:
5:15pm: East Boston vs. Bristol-Plymouth - at Taunton
Bye: Whittier

Division 4A:
7:15pm: Marian vs. Northeast - at Arlington
5:15pm: Brighton vs. Tri-County - at Franklin

-The Commodore

Scutaro's Top Two: Dodgers/Red Sox

"In an interview with the Venezuelan newspaper Diaro Panorama, Marco Scutaro said the Red Sox, Dodgers, Mariners and Rangers have expressed an interest in signing him.

"There are two teams that would interest me, which are the Dodgers and Boston, as it would have the opportunity to be in the playoffs,” Scutaro said.

The Red Sox want Scutaro as a shortstop, the Dodgers as a second baseman and the Mariners as a third baseman. Scutaro would prefer to play short or second (Boston.com)."

Though I am a Scutaro fan I just don't see him coming to the Sox if the Jays offer him arbitration, which they are supposed to do. If Toronto offers him arbitration it would mean that any team that signs him has to give the Jays 2 first round picks. Sorry, but a mid-30's SS is just not worth it. I think he would be a great fit, but just not at that price. This leaves the Sox in an interesting position since Gonzalez signed with the Jays, and that would mean Lowrie is the opening day starter as of right now (and the Sox just can't feel good about that).

Bruins 4, Senators 3 (SO)

After falling behind 2-0 to the Senators Saturday night, I was already writing a post in my head. I was going to talk about Lucic's injury deflating the team, and the Bruins' puzzling inability to win at home.

But a 3 goal rally, capped off with exemplary shootout efforts from Tim Thomas and Michael Ryder thankfully forced me to make some rewrites.

The Bruins have gone 5-0-1 in their last 6, earning 11 of the available 12 points. They won Saturday's game despite Ottawa's good fortune (their 2nd goal was due in large part to an injured Patrice Bergeron, turning a 5-on-4 power play into a 5-on-3; and their 3rd goal was a lucky bounce combined with a rusty Tim Thomas). And Friday afternoon, I think they stole a point from that game because Marty Brodeur was on his A-Game. And that guy's A-Game is otherworldly.

The B's sit atop the Northeast Division (although 2nd place Buffalo and 3rd place Ottawa have played fewer games). Their penalty kill unit has improved dramatically since October's struggles, and is now the 2nd best in the NHL at 84.9%. The power play has also been steadily getting better. All 3 of the Bruins' goals came with a man advantage on Saturday.

After a few days off, the B's host the surprisingly solid Lightning Wednesday night before travelling to Montreal on Friday.

-The Commodore

Chick of the Day

The #1 girl on my list is Pamela Anderson. Remember this list is not now it is all time, and since she was the best thing going when I was younger it is impossible not to have her #1, even though I wouldn't touch her with DP's dick now...


For more CLICK HERE

The rest of the list was...

1. Pamela Anderson
2. Elisha Cuthbert
3. Brittany Daniel
4. Halle Berry
5. Carmen Electra
6. Tiffany Amber Thessien
7. Jennifer Love Hewitt
8. jenny McCarthy
9. Susan Somers
10. Britney Spears

Chris Bosh gets served leftovers

Tiger Woods In Critical Condition After Car Accident (UPDATED)

Tiger Woods is in "serious" condition after a car accident this morning near his home near Orlando, Fla., the Orlando Sentinel reports. ESPN

Hope he's ok.

***UPDATE***

Tiger has been released. He seems to be fine, but there are a lot of odd circumstances around his crash. It happened after 2am, but the Police say he was not drunk. We'll keep you posted..

Lucic Out For A Month

BOSTON -- The Bruins had to learn how to play without Milan Lucic for a month from mid-October to Nov. 19 when he suffered a broken finger. Now they'll be without him for another month after Lucic suffered a high-ankle sprain Wednesday night against the Minnesota Wild.

General manager Peter Chiarelli revealed Friday morning that Lucic could miss up to four weeks after suffering the injury to his left ankle. ESPN

I don't really know what this means for the Bruins, but I'm sure it's not good.

Friday...

Celtics vs Raptors

The Boston Celtics look to remain perfect in Atlantic Division play and beat the Toronto Raptors for the nine time in 10 meetings Friday night at the TD Garden.

Earning a third straight division crown is practically considered a foregone conclusion for Boston (11-4) - every other team in the Atlantic is under .500. However, the Celtics have struggled to beat division foes in their last two games, needing overtime to defeat New York 107-105 on Sunday and winning 113-110 over Philadelphia on Wednesday.

Here are the line ups:
PG J. Calderon 12.6 R. Rondo 10.7
SG D. DeRozan 6.1 R. Allen 15.2
SF H. Turkoglu 13.7 P. Pierce 20.1
PF C. Bosh 25.4 K. Garnett 13.6
C A. Bargnani 17.4 K. Perkins 10.6

The Celtics really should be able to beat the Raptors easily, because when I look up and down the roster, I don't get scared. Rondo should be able to blow by Calderon, Ray Allen should polish DeRozan, Pierce should dominate Turkoglu, Bosh and KG will be tough, and Perk should out physical Bargnani easily. So obviously my prediction is the Celtics win big.

Celtics 101-83

Tommy Award: Rondo

26 Broncos, 6 Giants

This will explain everything that happened, here are the faces of ShEli:







also here are a plethora of Brandon Marshall one handed grabs:

Josh McDaniel's Has A Dirty Mouth

I love this man.

Alex Gonzalez Signs With Blue Jays

Free agent shortstop Alex Gonzalez, whose midseason arrival in Boston helped the Red Sox secure a playoff spot, has signed a one-year, $2.75 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, with a $2.5 million team option for 2011. ESPN

I guess this means Marco Scutaro will be the Sox SS for the Red Sox. Scutaro is a good replacement, but unlike BMack, I'm not obsessed with him and am not declaring him a "Red Sox type of guy". He's solid, but I just don't trust a guy who had a career year at 34. I have a feeling A Gon isn't gone, he will be back at some point.

Chick Of The Day

Here's this chick, no one cares about anything today because most people have off:

More videos at MachoVideo.com

Top Thanksgiving Day Rivals

Well for Massachusetts at least...

Boston Latin at Boston English, 10 a.m. – These two teams have been battling since 1887. It is the oldest continuous rivalry in the country. Despite the age of the rivalry, it has been one sided for a while. Boston Latin leads the series 73-36-13 and has won 27 of the last 29 meetings including 12 straight.

Needham at Wellesley, 10 a.m. – Needham and Wellesley first met on Thanksgiving Day in 1882. It is the oldest public school rivalry in the nation. Wellesley leads the series 58-54-9. If Needham wins this year, the Rockets will go to the playoffs.

Malden at Medford, 10 a.m. – Malden and Medford have been battling since 1889. Malden holds a slight lead in the series, 57-54-10 and with a victory will climb to .500 this season.

Beverly at Salem, 10 a.m. – The 111th installation of “The Game” is for bragging rights. Beverly leads the series 53-50-7.

Barnstable at Falmouth, 10 a.m. – This is one of the more hotly contested rivalries around. Barnstable leads the series by a game, 56-55-8.

New Bedford at Durfee, 10:15 a.m. – The rivalry between these two schools started in 1893. It is the oldest Thanksgiving Day rivalry on the South Coast of New England. New Bedford leads the series 68-39-10.

Waltham at Brockton, 10 a.m. – While this isn’t one of the oldest rivalries, it is one of the most intense. The two have met 75 times, with Brockton winning 44 times. The winner of this year’s match will have bragging rights forever because the two won’t renew the rivalry next year.

Framingham at Natick, 10 a.m. – The 105th meeting between the two teams holds a lot of meaning. Framingham needs a win to stay in the Bay State Carey race while Natick is looking to avenge a loss to the Flyers in last year’s edition of the rivalry. Natick leads the series 68-30-5.

Whitman-Hanson at Abington, 10 a.m. – This is the 99th meeting between the teams. Whitman-Hanson holds the edge in the series 56-39-3.

East Boston at South Boston, 9:30 a.m. – East Boston holds a one game lead in this close series 43-42-6.

Have to give a shout out to Needham for having the oldest football rivalry in the nation. Should be a great game this year, since if Needham wins they are in the playoffs, but I won't be attending because it is in Wellesley and that is just too much effort on Thanksgiving...

Bruins @ Wild Preview

The Bruins are looking to complete a perfect road trip tonight as they face the Minnesota Wild (I miss the North Stars). Boston will have to play without Thomas against tonight, but that won't be a problem since Rask is on fire.

Boston is getting healthier by the day with Savard and Lucic back, and they are also getting production from players like Bergeron. having said that they is still a lot of room for improvement. The Bruins have a tough time playing 3 strong full periods, and you have to look to the stars of the team on this fault. They need to keep these guys motivated throughout the game.

This will be a tough game for me to watch as my boy Kobasew will be on the other side. I still don't get that trade, and I have to admit a part of me wants him to score tonight (obviously still wanting the Bruins to win).

The Wild are having a tough year (8-12-2), so this could be another good opportunity for the Bruins to keep their streak going.

Game starts at 8pm on NESN.

Ainge Worried About Garnett

"Danny Ainge has seen the same red flags as everyone else when watching Kevin Garnett – the limp down the floor in New York on Sunday, the prolonged grimace after absorbing a kick to his surgically-repaired knee Friday against Orlando, the general lack of explosiveness in KG’s game. But the Celtics [team stats] personnel chief still believes progress is being made in Garnett’s recovery and return to the floor.

“His surgery has healed, but he’s had discomfort in his shins,’’ said Ainge, who holds weekly meetings with Garnett and team physician Dr. Brian McKeon. “KG wouldn’t be playing right now if he wasn’t confident. And he wouldn’t be playing if he was hurt.’’

The lack of explosiveness in Garnett’s game is apparent to all involved.

“I’ve seen explosiveness there, and also a lack of explosiveness, and we’ll keep evaluating him,’’ said Ainge. “Dr. McKeon watches him, our trainer (Ed Lacerte) watches him, and I think we all know what we’re dealing with.’’

Garnett has been irritated by the scrutiny over his injury, and following Monday’s practice cut an interview with the media short after repeated questions (Boston Herald)."

This is concerning. I don't think Boston fully knows what is wrong with Garnett, and you have to question if he will ever be the player he once was. I think at some point in the season you will see KG go on the shelf, this might not be a bad thing as they will try to save him as much as they can for the playoffs. This will all be made a lot easier once Big Baby return to the court.

College Football Picks

Last week I was 2-2, but Stanford and Arizona just barely fell short of giving me a 4-0 weekend. I'm now 27-26 on the season.

Thursday 8:00 PM - ESPN
#3 Texas Longhorns @ Texas A%M Aggies
There's nothing like a rivalry game to potentially save a 6-5 season, and that's what everyone in College Station, TX is thinking about this Thanksgiving. The Aggies will give the Longhorns a good scrap, but UT is just too professional and disciplined to blow things now.

Prediction:
Texas 38, A&M 17



Friday 2:30 PM - CBS
Iron Bowl
#2 Alabama Crimson Tide @ Auburn Tigers
Winning road games in the SEC is one of the hardest challenges for any college football team. And you know Auburn and their fans will show up for this one. I don't want to think it, but I feel an upset here.

Prediction:
Auburn 17, Alabama 13



Friday 7:00 PM - ESPN
Backyard Brawl
#9 Pitt Panthers @ West Virginia Mountaineers
All the ranked teams seem to be on the road for their rivalry games. Weird. Pittsburgh has a big date with Cincinnati on December 5th, so they might look over a decent WVU squad. Then again, it's hard to look past rivalry games. These schools are only 75 miles apart.

Prediction:
Pitt 28, WVU 21



Friday 10:00 PM - ESPN2
Nevada Wolf Pack @ #6 Boise State Broncos
Believe it or not, the Broncos haven't clinched the WAC, not yet. Nevada is 6-0 in conference, and 8-3 overall. They've won their last 8 games, scoring 30+ in all 8 wins, 50+ in 5 of those games, and 60+ in 4. This game should be quite offensive, but Boise State's defense isn't exactly awful. This game will be fun to watch.

Prediction:
Boise State 49, Nevada 42



Saturday 12:00 PM - ESPN
#18 Clemson Tigers @ South Carolina Gamecocks

Clemson is heading to the ACC title game where they'll face another rival in Georgia Tech. The Tigers started off slow but tore through a mediocre ACC and totally deserve a shot at a BCS berth if they can beat Tech. But I do think they'll stumble in Columbia, losing to the Cocks.

Prediction:
South Carolina 24, Clemson 17



Saturday 12:21 PM - ESPN360
Egg Bowl
#25 Ole Miss Rebels @ Mississippi State Bulldogs
Ole Miss has been topsy turvy this season, starting out as an extremely highly touted team, only to crash and burn, then be resurrected like a Phoenix. They're 4-3 in the SEC which is nothing to sneeze at. Their 3 conference losses came to South Carolina, Alabama, and Auburn. They're coming off a big win over LSU and will finish their regular season strong.

Prediction:
Ole Miss 28, Mississippi State 10



Saturday 12:30 PM
Bedlam
#12 Oklahoma State Cowboys @ Oklahoma Sooners
A disappointing Sooner season can be picked up with a win over their in-state rival. Stillwater and Norman are only 84 miles apart and Sooners fans would love to spoil any BCS hopes Cowboy's fans might be nursing. But I think OSU will finish their season strong and prevail in Norman.

Prediction:
Oklahoma State 31, OU 17



Saturday 3:30 PM
Florida State Seminoles @ #1 Florida Gators
FSU is unranked but is not a team to take lightly. They had a tough schedule in a rebuilding year. If this game were in Tallahassee, I'd go with the Noles. But I unfortunately think that the Gators will pull out a close one. Hopefully I'm wrong.

Prediction:
Florida 27, FSU 23



Saturday 5:00 PM
#21 Utah Utes @ #19 BYU Cougars
Who would have predicted that this game would be the ONLY contest between two ranked opponents this weekend? These two teams hate each other. The Utes are secular and public, the Cougars are Mormon and private. Good old Church vs. State rivalry.

Prediction:
Utah 41, BYU 28



Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

-The Commodore

A Question To Ponder...

Why is it when your wife gets pregnant all her friends rub her belly and say "congratulations".

Yet nobody rubs your pecker and says "Good Job"?

Scutaro The Answer At SS For Sox?

"Shortstop has at times resembled a black hole for the Boston Red Sox, and the team may try to fill that void by landing free agent Marco Scutaro. Michal Silverman of the Boston Herald reports that the Red Sox have expressed preliminary interest in Scutaro, who had a big season for Toronto in 2009. Alex Gonzalez, a late-season addition, is now a free agent and the Red Sox feel they cannot rely upon the injury-plagued Jed Lowrie. Silverman adds that the Red Sox continue to keep in touch with Gonzalez (ESPN)."

I like Scutaro a lot, but he is a type A free agent, which mean the Sox would have to give up draft picks. I don't see them doing that, so I think Gonzalez will be back, which I am fine with. Scutaro does just seem like a Sox kind of guy. He gets on base, is solid defensively, and just seems like he would fit in with players like Youk, Pedroia, ect.

Shanahan Meets With Bills For 7 Hours

"Former Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan met for seven hours Monday night and Tuesday morning in Denver with Buffalo Bills chief operating officer Russ Brandon. Brandon delivered what was said to be a persuasive presentation about why Shanahan should be interested in the Bills. He pitched Shanahan on the merits of the market, the condition of the franchise and what a good match it could be. The two sides did agree on one point: Each would take its time in this process, to be certain it makes the right decision about what's next for each.

"We had an excellent meeting," Shanahan said Wednesday. "I was really impressed with Russ Brandon and everything he had to say. We're going to stay in touch and see what develops (ESPN)."

I think it would be a mistake for Shanahan to take the job with the Bills. They are terrible, and it really isn't a good franchise anymore. For some reason I could really see Shanahan coaches the Redskins. It will be interesting to see how it develops, but at least (for the Bills sake) Shanahan was willing to meet with them, unlike Cowher...

Nobody Touch Me!!!!!!