Jenn Sterger (photo courtesy of Al Pereira)

According to reports, while Favre was the Jets quarterback and Sterger was a sideline reporter for the team, Favre began to leave flirtatious voicemail messages on Sterger’s phone. This escalated when he started to send naughty pictures of his “crotchal” region. If you are a fan of the Anchorman movie, then you understand the reference. Clearly Sterger must have been fooled, it was probably an optical illusion caused by the pattern in the pleats of his pants. Again, another Anchorman reference, sorry I couldn’t help myself. Sterger claims to have saved all of the photos on her blackberry in order to have a laugh about it with her friends…ouch! You generally do not want girls to laugh at the sight of your penis.

Now as the news headlines have been dominated by whether or not Brett Favre is going to return, they should give this a blip on the radar because of how funny it is. It may not be funny to his family however and I do apologize if I am adding gasoline to fire but I could not resist. Undoubtedly, these rumors are going to affect his personal life and it will interesting to see if they have any effect on decision to play this season. If he returns, he will be facing all types of hecklers every time the Vikings are on the road. I bet Brett Favre is now regretting being the attention whore that he is because now he is going to get all the attention he can digest if these reports turn out to be true. Heck, he is going to get a plethora of attention even if it is not true.

I know Brett Favre is old and probably does not understand technology well as evidenced by his terrible Samsung commercials but why the ‘eff’ would you send photos of something like that to someone, especially if you had not sealed the deal, if you know what I mean. Does he not realize there is something called the internet, where celebrity photos become food for the public eye? If true, Brett Favre is probably the dumbest man in the NFL. The only excuse I have for him, is that he was probably strung out on Vicodin, had a good workout on his Bowflex and felt a little courageous. Brett, I know you do not want the public to dictate whether or not you should continue playing, but I think this is the best time for you to just hang ‘em up and stay out of the spotlight for a long long time.

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1. Breaking News: NFL

Shaquille O’Neal is now a Boston Celtic. I can not think of anything more pathetic. Shaq is clearly on the downside of his career and has been the last 3-4 years and I’m sure his ego is eating him alive that Kobe Bryant has more rings than him. As a result, he keeps chasing after other superstar players, going from team to team to chase that coveted fifth championship ring. At the veteran’s minimum, it is a good value pick up for the Boston Celtics. Despite how mediocre he is right now, Shaq does bolster the Celtics’ inside presence and will allow Boston to strongly contend for the Eastern Conference Championship again this upcoming season. He will provide a big body inside that can alter shots in the paint which is something they will need against a Miami Heat team that I suspect will make their living in the paint. We will see how this experiment works out as the season progresses.

NFL

The Brett Favre Saga part three or four or whatever number it happens to be is in full effect. I used to love Brett Favre as he was one of my favorite quarterbacks ever but this crap that he seems to pull annually was getting tired after he left Green Bay and the media gives it a ridiculous amount of attention. I’ll end the speculation right now. He is coming back, it is a foregone conclusion. He pulls this nonsense every year so he can avoid training camp without overtly saying “I don’t want to practice in the summer.” He would much rather stick to his own workout regimen which is to pop Vicodin, workout on his Bowflex machine, do Wrangler commercials and play pickup football with his family members in Mississippi. Well we all know he is coming back but I strongly doubt he will able to repeat the type of season he had last year which happened to be statistically the best season he has ever had. Yes, he is an iron man and will not miss a start but at his age it is inevitable that he will wear down at season’s end going into the playoffs and throw that costly interception at the end of the game that ultimately ends his team’s championship hopes. Well good luck Brett, you will get your 500 touchdown passes, 70,000 passing yards and you will add to your everlasting interceptions record, but you will not win a championship. Do us all a favor, do not comeback after the end of this season!

MLB

First off, I would like to congratulate Alex Rodriguez for hitting his 600th home run yesterday even though he used steroids for three years. Despite the steroids use, hitting 600 home runs is a rare feat, as only seven players have accomplished it. Well now that I have gotten that out of the way, the AL East race is heating up at the right time. The New York Yankees have stood alone by themselves at the top of the AL for quite some time this season and that all changed when the Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays were each able take two out of three games against the Bronx Bombers in consecutive series. With Tampa losing last night and New York winning, they both are tied at the top of the standings. Enter the Boston Red Sox, who sit 6.5 games back behind the Rays and Yanks. They enter a pivotal four game series on Friday in the Bronx and if Boston has any chance of making the playoffs they better perform well. The Yanks will have Javier Vazquez lined up against Clay Buchholz. Vazquez is getting into form at the right time as the Yankees prepare to enter the playoffs and Buchholz who has been Boston’s best starter all season. The Yankees have their work cut out for them against Buchholz as he enters the game with a 2.59 ERA. If Vazquez wants to keep the Yankee faithful on his side after his disastrous start to the season he better show his mettle against Boston because if he has a bad start tonight he will be showered with boos.

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1. Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are the reigning AFC Champions and again should be one of the favorites to earn the AFC’s spot in the Super Bowl. Led by four time league MVP Peyton Manning, the Colts have been one of the most consistently excellent teams in the league for the last eight years and have been a legitimate Super Bowl contender in each of the last five years culminating in two appearances and one championship. The Super Bowl last year was decided on two plays. Of course, the onside kick recovery by New Orleans and the pick-six by Tracey Porter which sealed the game. However, in that game, New Orleans had no problem stymieing a normally stout Colts pass rush because of the foot injury sustained by Dwight Freeney. In an effort to bolster their pass rush, with their first round pick, the Colts drafted DE/OLB Jerry Hughes from TCU. Hughes fits the Colts’ old status quo of selecting speedy but undersized defensive players. Hughes was an elite pass rusher in college and will see time this season as a situational pass rusher for the Colts. If the Colts can improve their poor running game and restore some balance to their offense they just might be the first AFC team to return to the Super Bowl after a loss the previous year since the Buffalo Bills in 1993.

2. New York Jets

My second biggest contender for the AFC title happens to be the runner up in last year’s AFC Championship game, the New York Jets. The Jets, by far, had the best offseason of any team in the NFL. After fielding the league’s best defense last year, they somehow upgraded a very talented defensive unit by trading for former Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie and also using their first round draft pick on cornerback Kyle Wilson from Boise State. In addition to their secondary upgrades, they signed former Dolphins and Redskins DE/OLB Jason Taylor to improve their pass rush. On the offensive side of the ball, they signed former Chargers running back, LaDanian Tomlinson to bolster their running back depth behind rising star Shonn Greene. They also traded a fifth round draft pick for former Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes who will be serving a four game suspension to start the season. With these upgrades alone, the Jets look legit on paper. However, I think the Jets will only go as far as QB Mark Sanchez’s arm will take them. With the new toys on offense, it should make his job that much easier. I expect the defense to be as strong if not stronger than last year’s unit and if Sanchez matures this team will challenge the Colts for AFC supremacy.

3. Cincinnati Bengals

My third contender was very tough to choose. It was between two AFC North teams but with the recent signing of wide receiver Terrell Owens, the Cincinnati Bengals get the nod. After winning their division last year, the Bengals made their first playoff appearance since 2005 when Carson Palmer suffered a catastrophic knee injury. Since then, the Bengals’ franchise quarterback has sustained a litany of minor injuries and by his standards had a sub par year last year. In an effort to boost their passing attack, the Bengals selected talented tight end Jermaine Gresham from Oklahoma with their first round draft pick. With the signing of Terrell Owens, Carson Palmer should have enough weapons to have a stellar year and one that we are used to seeing from him. This team is not built on offense alone as they have one of the best cornerback tandems in the league with Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall. They also boast a young and talented linebacker corps as well. With DE Antwan Odom returning from injury, that should only improve their pass rush as well. When Terrell Owens is motivated he can be one of the best playmakers in the league and with a great quarterback throwing to him and another pro bowl wide receiver opposite of him, he should have plenty of motivation. If the improved running game from last year shows it was not a fluke, the Bengals will be a very tough team to beat.

4. Baltimore Ravens

The other AFC North team I was alluding to is not the Pittsburgh Steelers but I am sure you already knew that. The Baltimore Ravens who crushed the New England Patriots last year in the playoffs return a very strong team lead by one of the best running backs in the league in Ray Rice as well as strong-armed signal caller Joe Flacco. The Ravens rode Ray Rice all the way to the playoffs while Flacco was more of a game manager than playmaker. I can not fault Flacco too much as he really did not have many weapons in the passing game. Well that changed this offseason as the Ravens traded for wide receiver Anquan Boldin. While Boldin is a not a blazer, he’s one of the most sure-handed wide receivers in the league and should definitely improve a mediocre passing attack. On the defensive side of the ball, the Ravens seemed to lose a step last year and with Ed Reed out for the first six weeks this season, the defense will have a tough time regrouping. In order to help bolster the defense, the Ravens drafted a couple of defenders with their first two picks. They selected DE/OLB Sergio Kindle from Texas and NT Terrance Cody from Alabama. If Cody can drop some pounds and pass his conditioning test, the Ravens could have the biggest defensive line in the league when you consider DE Haloti Ngata is 345 lbs. With their offseason moves, the Ravens are in good position to challenge Cincinnati for the AFC North crown.

5. New England Patriots

My last contender is a team that should never be considered down and out. That team is the New England Patriots. Led by star quarterback Tom Brady, along with the Colts, the Patriots have been one of the most consistently great franchises in the league over the last seven years. The loss of WR Wes Welker last year right before the playoffs proved to be costly as Wes Welker is one of the key cogs in the Pats offense. Going into this year, I have to admit that I am little bit skeptical about New England. Tom Brady had a typical Brady year but considering the year before he broke all types of records I expected a bit more. I guess you can blame it on the knee injury but he insisted it did not hamper his play. The Pats have been undergoing a youth movement on defense as many of their aging veterans have been traded or released. With their first round draft pick, the Pats selected CB Devin McCourty from Rutgers. McCourty is a physical corner with solid coverage skills and is ideal for the Pats’ man coverage schemes. If the defense can come together and Tom Brady can continue to improve from his injury, they can be that dangerous team nobody talks about. I still contend that they will have a tough time being to repeat as AFC East champs as the Jets have done far more to improve their roster than the Patriots have.

Well there you have it, those are my five contenders for the AFC title going into the 2010-2011 season. Stay tuned for more updates from the Sportsdabbler.
Real Sports. Real Talk.

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1. Sportsdabbler’s Early NFL Predictions: NFC Edition
2. Breaking News: NFL
3. NFL Recap: Week 4

Now is this ‘hating’ or is this simply the greats dropping knowledge? I think the truth lies somewhere in between. Jordan and Johnson both have valid points. In their era, the competitive nature of athletes in the NBA was extremely high. In today’s game, not so much. It seems that marketing and money is what drives the players today. So to call the move by Lebron James, who is undoubtedly the game’s most marketable player, cowardly because he could not achieve a championship on his own holds quite a bit weight. Factor in that this quote is attributed to the greatest basketball player of all time, somebody I am sure that Lebron idolized as a kid.

However, I think there are two sides to a story. Did Jordan ever have a good relationship with any of his peers off the court? Short answer, No! Do Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh have a good relationship off the court? They certainly do. So is it unfair to criticize a guy who wants to play with his friends on the same team, especially when they make one of the most talented trios in NBA history? I think it is, to an extent. Lebron has had an extensive amount of time to show his mettle in the NBA. He is a great individual player, but Lebron has shown that he alone is the undisputed leader of his team, that he can not deliver an NBA title. Just look at the past two seasons. His former team had the number one seed in the Eastern or ‘Leastern’ conference as I like to call it, the past two seasons and they have been thoroughly embarrassed in the playoffs each time. The Cavs even failed to reach seven games in either series: one against an Orlando Magic team that got embarrassed by the Lakers; and two, against an aging Boston Celtics team that proved they still had game.

All of that is moot now because with Lebron joining the Heat it almost guarantees that he will win at least one title before his contract is up. The drawback is that is his proposed legacy of being one of the great leaders of all time is pretty much defunct because he will never be ‘the man’ on that team. When you have two future hall of famers on your team, how can you really show your individual worth? In fact, it will be an absolute joke if any of the players on that team win an MVP award while playing together because not a single one of them can claim that they are the reason they are winning because they each will be carrying an equal load. Well Lebron, you have to live with your decision, whether it was the right one or the wrong one, one thing you have assured is that you will probably never ever be considered the greatest player of all time.

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1. Sportsdabbler’s Early NFL Predictions: AFC Edition
2. NFL Recap: Week 4

With NBA free agency under full swing, fans and analysts alike are starting to formulate ideas of how teams are taking shape going into next season. Of course the headline that caught the most eyes was Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh each signing with the Miami Heat. This move could conceivably shape the NBA Finals outlook for the next 4-5 years.When you have the second, third and sixth best players on the planet on one roster, its not much of a stretch to say that.

In case if you were wondering, I still have Kobe Bryant listed as the best player on the planet for now, but sometime next year I expect LeBron to lay claim to the undisputed best player on the planet. With that said, playing alongside Wade and Bosh will undoubtedly take some of Lebron’s individual shine away from him.

Of course this is where I hit you with the whammy, I do not think the Miami Heat will win the NBA Championship for the 2010-2011 season.

First off, the additions of Lebron James and Chris Bosh and the re-signing of Dwayne Wade looks more like a collection of great individual talent rather than team talent. I know that may sound short-sighted, let me explain. Each one of those players were the cornerstones of their respective franchises. Lebron won two MVP awards and has a Finals appearance under his belt, Wade has an NBA Finals MVP trophy and Bosh was an immensely talented player on a poor team. In essence they were each “The Man.” Now that Lebron and Bosh are added, the question begs: Who is the man now? It’s unreasonable to think that at some point in the season that egos will not clash. In Cleveland, the offense ran through Lebron and in Miami and Toronto the same situation applies for Wade and Bosh. Who will it run through now? I’m sure there are plenty of interesting answers to that but it remains to be seen how the offense will run. I am also aware of that these three guys have experience playing together internationally but that is not nearly the same as the NBA where money and image precede winning.

Secondly, let us take a look at the rest of the roster, they sorely lack the depth of a championship squad.

The Heat were smart in acquiring Zydrunas Ilgauskas. He was a solid player in Cleveland for a long time, but we are talking about a guy who has missed 42 games over the last three years and has seen his scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage decline each year in that span. At 35 years old, he’s clearly looking at retirement at the end of this season.It also remains to be seen if he can even remain healthy for a full season and based on his age and recent injury history, I would say it is doubtful.

Mike Miller was a solid acquisition because he represents the only legitimate spot-up shooter on the roster not to mention the only viable threat from downtown. He’s a good player and it is unclear whether or not Miami will use him the starting lineup or off the bench.

The rest of the role players, we already have an idea of what they bring to the table. Udonis Haslem is cagy veteran presence but is unspectacular in just about in every facet of his game and Mario Chalmers actually got worse from his rookie year to sophomore campaign. Haslem has a ring but are the other guys really championship caliber role players? It remains to be seen but as of now I say an emphatic “NO!”

A bigger question is how the offense is going to be run. Lebron and Wade have very similar playing styles in the sense that they are both explosive players to the basket but both have mediocre mid-range and perimeter games. However, they both can not clog the paint at the same time. The big advantage for both of those players is their uncanny court vision, so I expect their passing abilities will help alleviate this probleml but it is a concern going into training camp nonetheless. How Bosh will fit into this crowded paint area will be interesting because you’re going to have three exceptional players whose individual strengths lie in the paint. Floor spacing is going to be a big issue especially when you only have one good deep threat.

With the lack of depth, each of the superstars are going to be called on to play big minutes and throughout an 82 game season, fatigue could be a factor that works against them as they enter the playoffs. Playing in the notoriously weak Eastern Conference will be beneficial to this team. The lack of consistently tough competition will probably allow this team to work out its problems on its way to a high playoff seeding.
I expect this team will win a championship in the coming years, I just do not think it will happen this year. There are other teams in the hunt who are just as hungry and although may lack the individual talent have better overall team chemistry. I will address the other contenders in my next blog so stay tuned! Real Sports. Real Talk.

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1. Hot Air

If the drafts picks are a fourth and fifth rounder, I’m all for this trade. Despite being a moron who picks fights with LeBron James’s entourage, Braylon Edwards still has the potential to be a dominating wide receiver in this league provided that he has a good quarterback throwing him the ball. Don’t let the last two disappointing seasons get you down on this guy, when he is happy and motivated he can do big things. Think Randy Moss going from Oakland to the Patriots. He might not have that big of an improvement but watch for this guy to immediately become an impact guy for the Jets. Mark Sanchez now has a legitimate number one target and Jerricho Cotchery can thrive in the number two spot. The Jets realized that they needed a big play guy after getting thrashed by the Saints and I applaud the front office for getting this done.

In other NFL news, Michael Crabtree finally stopped being a punk and signed a 6-year deal with the 49ers. I guess he realized that having millions of dollars now is better than having it next year. I really hate when draft picks pull this type of bullsh*t. I understand you have to look out for your financial situation but at the same time you’re an unproven commodity and you sure as hell aren’t going to give any of that money back if you flop so just sign the contract appropriate for your draft slot and don’t sacrifice team chemistry for the sake of a few dollars. If you’re the player you think you are, you can always holdout later for more money.
The 49ers were already rolling without Crabtree but with the signing, Shaun Hill has a go-to target and if Crabtree is legit (I have a strong feeling that he is not), he can open up the seams for Vernon Davis who is already off to a nice start.

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1. Sportsdabbler’s Early NFL Predictions: AFC Edition

Vikings 30 Packers 23

A Minnesota defensive line led by Jared Allen and his 4.5 sacks was able to get 8 total sacks on Aaron Rodgers and he still went 26-for-37 and 384 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. These weren’t necessarily garbage yards either as Rodgers and the Packers tried to make it interesting at the end but they failed to recover two onside kicks which ultimately sealed their fate. On the other side, Favre had his best game as a Viking to date, completing 24 out of 31 passes for 271 yards and 3 touchdowns. Favre showed that he can still make all the throws and I like the fact that he is picking his spots to be aggressive. He’s fitting nicely into Brad Childress’s version of the west coast offense.

I still think the Packers are a good team but this offseason they’re definitely going to have to focus on shoring up the offensive line depth as well as their defensive secondary. I have confidence that their Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers will make the necessary schematic adjustments. The Vikings, on the other hand, will probably be the Flavor of the Week until they lose. Some analysts seem to think that Minnesota is a Super Bowl contender but it remains to be seen if a 40 year old Favre can sustain this level of play for an entire season and how the Vikings’ swiss cheese secondary holds up against teams with excellent offensive lines and solid passing attacks. I think the Vikings are a playoff team but not a serious Super Bowl contender unless they shore up their defensive backfield sans Antoine Winfield who can still get it done.

Bears 48 Lions 24

The rest of the NFL had a few intriguing match-ups as well as a couple of surprises. Despite the 48-24 loss against Chicago, I have to give a shout out to Matthew Stafford. He had an excellent game against the Bears aggressive defense. He opened the game with a 45-yard strike to Calvin Johnson and engineered a 73-yard touchdown drive and a 1-yard Kevin Smith touchdown run. The game was actually pretty tight going into halftime tied at 21. In the second half, the Bears cranked up the defense and pretty much dominated, Matt Forte had a big game collecting 121 yards rushing on just 12 carries. Stafford sustained a dislocated knee cap in the fourth quarter and hopefully he won’t be out for an extended period of time. Lions’ fans should be happy as the future is bright for Stafford and Johnson provided that Stafford can build upon this effort.

Bengals 23 Browns 20

The Cincinnati Bengals matched up against against the Cleveland Browns in what would seem to be an uninteresting affair but the ‘cardiac’ Bengals have played in close games all year and this one was no different. They even needed overtime to dispatch the horrid Browns for a final score of 23-20. I must say, even though the numbers aren’t showing yet, you really have to be impressed with what Carson Palmer is doing there in Cincy. He continues to will his team to victory each week behind a porous offensive line and no running game. The defense is still young and they are finding their way right now. Make no mistake about it, when healthy, Carson Palmer is a Top 5 quarterback in the league. Not really much to say about the Browns, other than the fact that Braylon Edwards doesn’t need to be beefing with Lebron James’s friends at the club. According to ESPN reports, Edwards punched one of James’s friends outside of club essentially because he’s jealous of James’s status. What an idiot!

Texans 29 Raiders 6

Houston handled Oakland in a 29-6 game. I feel sorry for the Raiders, they can’t consistently draft well, they can’t sign quality free agents, they just can’t win. Jamarcus Russell is well on his way to being a bust and if Darren McFadden doesn’t start to show some consistency, he may be on the same path despite his freakish physical attributes.

Houston cruised to victory by relying on their defense to make plays and Steve Slaton who had a nice 32 yard touchdown run as well as a touchdown reception. I expect Steve Slaton to rebound from his slow start and return to his rookie form.

Colts 34 Seahawks 17

The Indianapolis Colts hosted the struggling Seattle Seahawks and this game pretty much went how I expected it. Peyton Manning is already in midseason form. For those that thought Drew Brees was going to walk away with the MVP after his 6 touchdown week 1 performance, you were severely mistaken. Manning leads the league in passing yards, QB rating, yards per attempt, he’s tied for first in touchdown passes and second in completion percentage. Right now, it seems that the Colts are one of the top 2 teams in the entire NFL. The only problem I can see for the Colts is that they seem to be at their best when they are flying under the radar. With two prime-time games already played, I think its going to be very difficult for them to do so.

Jaguars 37 Titans 17

Jacksonville and Tennessee met up in an AFC South divisional matchup. Divisional games tend to be more competitive than other games, especially in the AFC South because of how good the teams are. However, after winning the division last year, Tennessee is really struggling this year. After this loss, it drops them to 0-4. They’re going to continue to lose if Kerry Collins is throwing 40 times a game. They really need to get LenDale White more involved in the offense. I really believed that the loss of Albert Haynesworth was going to be too much to overcome. He was the anchor of one of the top defenses in the league last year and without him Tennessee is 22nd in the league in total defense and 26th in scoring defense…ouch!

On the other side, David Garrard is rebounding from a relatively bad season last year and Jacksonville seems to be overcoming their early season struggles. Garrard led the charge for Jacksonville by throwing 3 touchdown passes in a 37-17 victory.

Giants 27 Chiefs 16

The New York Giants faced off against the lowly Kansas City Chiefs and what a surprise; the Chiefs lost. It’s still too early to say that they overpaid for Matt Cassell but he’s not exactly setting the world on fire, in the three games that he has started this year, he has a 82.5 QB rating and Kansas City has scored a total of 40 points. Meanwhile, the Giants are as hot as anyone and between them and the Colts, those are the top 2 teams in the NFL right now, but it is still a little too early to call for the ‘Manning Bowl.’ Eli Manning is really progressing as a passer, he’s topped a 100 in QB rating the last 3 games and is doing a good job with his decision making. Although he did sustain a plantar fasciitis (bruised heel) injury, he’s listed as day-to-day and shouldn’t miss his next game which will be a big one against the red hot Saints.

Patriots 27 Ravens 21

Another great game from this weekend involved the New England Patriots hosting the Baltimore Ravens. I must say I have been really impressed with Joe Flacco this season. The Ravens’ offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has really done a good job of increasing the workload for Flacco this season. Flacco already almost has half of his total passing yards from a year ago to go along with a 94.3 QB rating. Its a bummer that the Ravens lost this game 27-21. Mark Clayton dropped a ‘pillow’ on a fourth down play that would have given the Ravens a first and goal with 28 seconds left. The would have been in position to win the game with a touchdown and PAT. Even though I hate to say it, the Patriots keep finding ways to get it done. This team is slowly starting to get it’s running backs more and more involved in the offense and Tom Brady is getting into his groove. Although the defense is not quite there yet, this team is eerily starting to resemble the 2003 Patriots that won it all.

Saints 24 Jets 10

Another battle of unbeaten teams took place this Sunday in the Super Dome where the New Orleans Saints handled the New York Jets 24-10. I knew Mark Sanchez was bound to have a bad game sooner or later, I just did not think it would happen against a generally weak Saints defense. I was wrong, the Saints’ defense stepped it up big time forcing four Jets turnovers, all by Mark Sanchez. I think the Jets will rebound and New Orleans continues to surprise me even with Drew Brees having his second straight mediocre game. Though the running attack is really keeping the Saints in games when Drew Brees isn’t lighting up the scoreboard. I think its a forgone conclusion that they’re the division favorites but I’ll reserve judgment for this team after they face the Giants.

Other scores from this weekend

Dolphins 38 Bills 10

After losing Chad Pennington for the season, the Dolphins respond by trading draft pick to the Chiefs for Tyler Thigpen and anoint Chad Henne as the starter. After a mediocre game last week, Henne looked a lot more at ease. Henne certainly has the physical attributes to be a solid NFL quarterback and I’m sure it only helps that his starting left tackle in college is the same in the NFL. If they keep relying on the running game and playing tough defense, I could see Miami winning 7 games. Meanwhile, the Bills have me shaking my head. They open the season with a tough loss against the Patriots and rebound by beating the Buccaneers only to lose their next two games. Trent Edwards is really struggling and it’s only a matter of time until Terrell Owens has a team-dividing outburst.

Redskins 16 Buccaneers 13

In the “nobody cares bowl”  the Washington Redskins beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16-13. I didn’t think Raheem Morris was going to be a good coach in Tampa before the season started, I feel almost bad that I was right. Its a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’ this guy gets fired. If Morris can fire his offensive coordinator before the season even starts, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Glazers fire him before the season finishes.

Broncos 17 Cowboys 10

Denver continues to shock me, they get rid of the legendary Mike Shanahan and replace him with 33 year old Josh McDaniels, they get rid of their Pro Bowl quarterback in the offseason, change defensive philosophies and what do they do? They become one of the surprise teams in the AFC and lead the NFL in scoring defense allowing a stingy 6.5 points per game. Of course, they continue their little hot streak beating a ridiculously inconsistent Dallas Cowboys team. I still think this team is a pretender but McDaniels has them looking like a contender.

49ers 35 Rams 0

The 49ers continue to take advantage of the crappy teams in their division but you can’t blame them for that. Mike Singletary along with Josh McDaniels are the leading candidates for Coach of the Year thus far. Singletary has the San Francisco playing sound defense along with an efficient offense. Vernon Davis may not be a bust after all, he has caught touchdown passes in his last two games and is already close to eclipsing his receiving yards total from last year.

Steelers 38 Chargers 28

The Steelers win the ‘Disappointment’  bowl. Both of these teams were expected to be top AFC contenders instead they both stand at 2-2 after this weekend’s game. Philip Rivers continues to put up big numbers that don’t matter. If you look at Philip Rivers’s stat line week-to-week you would think that the Chargers are just obliterating people, instead you just see them losing or playing a mediocre team close. The Steelers are happy that their running back of the future has finally broken out. Rashard Mendenhall had a great game with 165 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns, meanwhile Big Ben had huge game, throwing for 333 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Stay tuned for the SportsDabbler’s NFL week 5 predictions as well his Week 6 NCAA football predictions.

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There are a ton of things to talk about with the NCAA football season underway; the list of pretenders and contenders is starting to fill up. The NFL season is off to a surprising start. Fantasy Football is always exciting and I’m your man if you need the 4-1-1. The MLB playoffs are about to start as the regular season winds down and NBA training camp is already underway. Wow, that’s a full plate, but I’ll do my best to stay on top of the game.

First off, let’s talk a little bit about College Football. I know it is a cliche to talk about this but preseason rankings are absolutely worthless. The sheer bias exhibited in these rankings are laughable. The Coaches’ Poll is a joke because they do not watch any other team other than their own and the one they are preparing to play. The AP poll is full of bias; they favor the conference that their state team plays in or their alma maters, whichever serves their respective agendas best. How many top ten teams have already fallen? Let’s see, USC, Cal, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, BYU etc. The rankings should not come out until after week six when there is enough data to really give a unbiased view of the top performers.

The SEC benefits the most from the biases. Don’t get me wrong, it is the best conference in college football top to bottom; however, their advantage is not as large as everyone seems to think it is. For example, let us take a look at Ole Miss who was ranked 8th in the preseason. Why they were ranked that high is beyond me. I know they trampled an overrated Texas Tech team in the Cotton Bowl last year but still, eighth? I know they returned Jevan Snead and Dexter McCluster but let’s be honest here; while those are good players, they are not spectacular on any level. They’re not players that make you say ‘wow, I’m terrified of Ole Miss.’ They continued to move up in the rankings because teams ahead of them lost and that is just how the system works. They peaked at number four and then met a South Carolina team that struggled to beat a middle-tier ACC team in NC State. Do you honestly believe that the fourth ranked team in the country should be dismantled by a slightly better than average team like South Carolina? Here is where the SEC benefits: Even though Ole Miss was extremely overrated, a middle to lower tier SEC team like South Carolina gets applauded for beating such a ‘tough’ team. The media pundits start the talk “look how tough the SEC is, where a team like South Carolina can beat the fourth ranked team in the country, blah, blah, blah.” Now South Carolina is on the cusp of being ranked and will probably be so after they beat an FCS team like South Carolina State this weekend. The next average SEC team will benefit greatly in the rankings after they beat South Carolina and so the perpetual cycle continues.

Other conferences such as the Big East do not benefit from having the same type of parity. The Big East is generally perceived as being a weak conference, usually as the fifth or sixth best BCS conference depending on who you talk to. To me, they can make the case as being the fourth best conference right now, ahead of the Big Ten and ACC. I would take the top four in the Big East against the top four in the Big Ten any day of the week on a neutral field. Just look at the out of conference records for each conference. The reason the average person scoffs at this is because Cincinnati, South Florida, West Virginia and Pittsburgh do not have the same appeal as Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Iowa. These teams are tradition rich and supposedly loaded with talent, but nobody seems to remember that Michigan struggled with Indiana last week, Ohio State almost lost to Navy at home, Iowa looked like a high school football team against FCS’s Northern Iowa and Penn State got manhandled by that very same Iowa team. On the other hand, Cincinnati has one of the most explosive offenses in the country and has beaten a tough Oregon State team as well as an equally tough Fresno State team. South Florida, last week, with a redshirt freshman quarterback making his first start walked into Doak Campbell Stadium and physically annihilated an FSU team that was coming off of a 54-28 massacre of number then-#7  BYU. West Virginia lost a tough road game against a solid Auburn team and Pittsburgh had a defensive breakdown against NC State after leading big. Obviously this is a moot point and until we have a college playoff system these matters will never be accurately settled but it always makes for interesting conversation.

With all that said, my top 5 teams in the country based on what has transpired during the season thus far would be as such:

# 1 Alabama — Unlike most SEC teams,*cough* Gators *cough* Alabama has not been afraid to schedule tough games out of conference over the past few seasons. This season was no different; they had a great performance against a very tough Virginia Tech team as well as a solid win against Arkansas. Their defense is gritty and will have to overcome some tough injuries but with the way they have been recruiting the last three years, that should not be too much of a problem.

# 2 Virginia Tech — This team has had the toughest schedule in the nation thus far, they had an opportunity to beat a very talented Alabama team but in the end, Alabama was a little too strong. They nudged out a victory over a defensively tough Nebraska squad and completely dismantled a young but very talented Miami squad with some good ole fashion Beamer Ball. If quarterback Tyrod Taylor can continue to improve his passing, this Virginia Tech team could have a very high ceiling.

# 3 Texas — They have one of the best quarterbacks in the country and have done well thus far in the season, though they have struggled against some lesser teams. I could easily put them 4th but for now I’ll keep them at #3. If they can get past Oklahoma with a healthy Sam Bradford, that will go a far way in showing that this team is legit. A road match-up against Oklahoma State as well a tough home game against Kansas are things to keep an eye on.

# 4 Florida — The defending National Champions could easily be #3, #2, or even #1  for that matter but I put them at #4 because of Tebow’s injury status. No one knows how he will respond to his mild concussion. I laugh as I typed that because it is a mild concussion; but still, any head injury should be taken seriously by the medical staff. They returned their entire two deep on defense from last year and are still a very aggressive and nasty unit, though the passing game has struggled a bit. Tennessee had no business keeping their game against Florida that close because of how terrible they are. If Tebow and the Gators rebound later this month with a big win against an overrated LSU team, then they will move up in my rankings.

# 5 Cincinnati — The Bearcats shot up in the rankings, however, it was well deserved. They have an explosive offense and one of the best coaches in the entire country in Brian Kelly. If this team can make it past a tough road game against South Florida on October 15th, it has the chance to run the table and make it to the National Championship game. No team has gone undefeated in the Big East since realignment, so that in itself is a tough task. Some people believe that the Big East can not possibly have a team in the big game but they forget that had Louisville not lost to Rutgers in 2006 they would have played in the BCS title game, the same with West Virginia losing late in the season to Pittsburgh in 2007. I know some of you will laugh but this team is for real. If they do happen to lose to South Florida, don’t take it as a knock to Cincy, just realize that South Florida is also a very good team.

Well, I was planning on covering a variety of topics in this one post but I love me some College Football and may have rambled on a little too much. My next post will probably survey the NFL season thus far. Don’t forget, if you have any Fantasy Football questions please email them to RS@sportsdabbler.com and I will do my best to answer all of them. Make sure to include the general scoring rules and format in your league as every league differs in these matters. For example, Yahoo leagues don’t reward points for receptions while AOL leagues usually do. So a guy a like Wes Walker holds considerable value in one league and not in the other. Till next time, I’m out!

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