Under normal circumstances I would just be bored with writing the same old, but last night was a night of firsts in the SHL. MJ hammered Kevin 10-3 in the opening game of the night. Kevin has fallen far from his playoff run of last year. Then in game 2 we had our first sudden death OT game. Billy and I played and Billy quickly jumped to a 3-0 lead much like the last time we played. Then I closed the gap to 3-2 at halftime. Then he jumped out again 5-2, and I closed the gap to 5-3 with 2 minutes left. At the 2 second mark I scored my 4th. Then on the faceoff I shot it in, it went off the live boards at the JFA and I smacked it in with less than a full second on the clock. THEN we faced off and I shot it in, Kevin called time and then Billy scored not hearing Kevin. After some deliberation and reconstructing how it would be impossible to do all that in one second we went to our first OT game. Billy then quickly proceeded to score an own goal giving me a miracle win. Then Matt and Austin followed up with the second OT game of the night 10-9. As I was standing there Matt scored game over, but Billy the OFFICIAL ref did not see it so game on. Then Matt eventually scored and chalked up a W in front of your Nick. I then played Austin and in a back and forth game I won 9-7. Matt then beat down older brother Kevin 4-2. As you know, MJ has been unbeaten now for 21 weeks, including playoffs. I was the closest to beating him in game one of the RCF last year. Billy was determined to win one. In a game that was as tight as I have ever witnessed Billy was able to hang on 4-3 and defeat MJ for the first time at the JFA. IT’S ABOUT F’N TIME! Well done Billy, glad to see MJ is mortal. I was reffing and even said “Do you believe in miracles? YES!” as the clock ticked down. On a side note, MJ swore he was going to lay off the ball busting of Austin, but almost like he has selective Touretts he could not help himself. The SHL is FUN, a weekly event that I look forward to.

Blah Blah Blah. MJ won 2 more games. This is getting old. We did have the 7th man on 7th street though. It was a gas out in the basement. Kevin was in a cold sweat, removed his shirt. A little bit of techno and we may have gone full rave. Austin quit durng MJ’s game.

The more things change the more they stay the same. Sure we switched to the European style players, sure there are twice as many fans in the crowd, and sure the new sound system has put the SHL amongst the elite rod hockey leagues but one thing remains unchanged. MJ cannot and has not been beat. Game 1 of the finals last year was the closest, and I choked. Last night we saw Billy and MJ face off to open the session with MJ rolling 5-0. I then proceeded to be the first guy to reach the SHL kill screen and win 10-6 over Austin. Matt then beat Kevin 6-3 in a game where referree MJ was verbally abused the whole game. By the players and the crowd. This is a ploy to not have to ref each game. All of his hockey accumin is funneled into gameplay. Then we saw MJ beat Matt 9-5, Austin beat Billy 6-3 and I handed Kevin another loss 6-1, with 4 of those coming in the 2nd half of the second half. Session 3 has been declared “THE 7th MAN ON 7th STREET”. This means all players are encouraged to eat their gassiest foods and fill the basement with the nastiest of the nasty smells. MJ, you will never walk alone.

The second season of the SHL faced off last night at the Jamie Farr Arena in East Maumee, OH. The night had a ton of festivities including the SHL1 Championship Banner raising as defending champion MJ Hill declares, “just photo copy it for the next time, it’s staying with Gagne West”. The SHL had a few minor changes from SHL 1. 2 is played with 2, 6 minute halves and with the all left handed International teams. It is USA Vs Canada! In week 1 we saw a rematch of the SHL1 finals as MJ and yours truly battled to a 6-4 MJ win. Austin got out of the box fast and hot, like 98 degrees hot. Backstreet boys, NKOTB, boy bands in general, I don’t get the way the youth of today dress. Yes I am old and crotchety. Anyhow, Austin beat Kevin 4-1. In the final game of the week Billy put one on Matt 5-1. In week 2 Mj piles on Kevin 9-0 and yells from the peanut gallery to say “no mas” fall on deaf ears. Then in game 2 Billy jumps out to a 5 goal lead on me and I slowly chisle the lead to one goal before running out of time and dropping my second game of the night 8-7. In the final game of the evening Austin drills Matt 6-1. So the brothers Dandino are all 0-2 while Austin, Billy and MJ all go 2-0. Notable week 3-4 games are MJ vs Billy and Billy Vs Austin. My God when did Billy become the flavor of the week? It must be the Datsyuk Winter Classic sweater!

Yesterday was a big day for QB’s in the news. Michael Vick was cleared to play in the league, sometime in mid October and Brett Favre decided that he could no longer persue the comeback. Vick has shown remorse for his crimes, which were not as severe as Donte Stallworth’s, yet he was punished far more harshly. I guess Vick should thank Donte for giving the NFL a benchmark for criminal activity. A man kills another man, and gets 30 days in jail. Yet Vick gets made out to be the devil for indirectly being involved with dog fighting and spends substantial time behind bars. But that is all in the past now, and Vick will be a better person and player because of it. I guess Roger Goodell should be applauded for making the process of reinstatement look effortless. So where does Vick fit in? I would love him in Pittsburgh being the new slash, punt returner, etc. I know this will never happen. I would guess that he may end up in a few places. They are Denver, Oakland, Washington or New England. Denver because by the time Vick is cleared to be on field the fans in Denver will be ready to run Kyle Orton out of town, although he will have a sweet Rocky Mountain beard going. Oakland because they will take a chance on anything, and Russell is not the answer nor is Garcia. Washington because they need a QB who can win games on his own, and JC just isnt that good. And finally, the great cheaters because the Pats take all comers and turn them into vital pieces in the puzzle. Bilichick will find a way to make Vick a star, even if it is 10-15 plays a game. We shall see.

In an effort to not be outdone on ESPN Brett Favre announces that he will not be coming back. This was as useless an announcement as when Terelle Pryor held a press conference to say he has not decided on a school. I hate you TP. Anyhow, Favre could have just rode into the sunset and people would have gotten the picture but in the world of 24/7 sports news there had to be a story. I would guess that if Brett gets the itch he is not done. I bet he will be back.

The playoffs finally came and went last night, 7/28/09. All rounds were to be a best 2/3 until someone won the coveted Rodney Cup. Plus, as an added Bonus Paul Ruiz (owner and operator of TableHockeyHeaven.com) stopped by to watch a bit of the action. In the first round MJ and Billy faced off and MJ won the first game 9-4 despite going down early in the game. In the second game MJ had a sizeable lead most of the game and advanced to the finals winning 9-5. In the other Semi Chris and Kevin faced off. In game one Kevin had a HUGE comeback (a recurring theme) and pushed the game to 8-8 before scoring on himself to give Chris a 9-8 win. In game 2 Chris handled Kevin winning 9-5 to advance. The finals saw the #1 seed MJ and the #2 seed Chris go head to head. In game one Chris proved that MJ was human and was up 8-5 late. Then MJ turned on the magic and leveled the game at 8’s. After a few chances by both sides MJ scored the winner and broke Chris’ spirit 9-8. Game 2 was MJ all game winning 9-4 and capturing the first Rodney Cup and completing the perfect season going 14-0 altogether. Congrats MJ, remember the new season faces off 8/20 at the JFA.

I will start off by saying this review will be very biased. I have seen Green Day several times, and if I only had one dollar to spend on a concert it would go straight to Billie Joe Armstrong and his kid’s college fund. My wife and I just celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary and this was our “night out” to commerate the date. We did contemplate flying out west to see the show as Franz Ferdinand was the opener out west and they are right on Green Days heels for our favorite music. Alas, in these tough economic times we thought it better to stay close to home so we got The Bravery as the opener. The lead singer was as skinny as I have ever seen a grown man be. To quote Vince Noir he was definitely wearing “drain pipes” on stage. Funny as they always say how bigger guys should not wear horizontal stripes as it makes them look wider. I think the same should be said for ultra skinny guys as it makes them resemble a barber pole at the right angle. Anyhow, they came out and played 5-6 songs, and even threw in a Green Day song from the Kerplunk! days. The crowd was mostly ho-hum, but not bad. Not my type of music, but not bad. Then out with the drunk bunny, he was kinda funny and when Billy Jean was playing over the speakers he did a little MJ tribute. Then out came Green Day to a huge ovation. My wife is a high school teacher, one of those who do not let you skate by, and you had better be aware as she may call on you at any moment. This is what it is like to sit in Billie Joe’s classroom as well. He will call out individual members in the crowd to “stand the fuck up”, kinda funny actually. Beforew the show really even got going Billie Joe climbed down off the stage and walked into our section, just two rows in from. Damn you crappy cell phone camera! Going into the show I was expecting 21st Century Breakdown front to back but that was not the case. Instead of trying to do a set list for you, I will just run down what I actually remember lol. From the EARLY stuff like 1039 and Kerplunk they played nothing, which was a bit of a bummer since Going to Pasalaqua is still one of their best IMHO. Dookie they played Longview, Basket Case, and my wifes favorite She. From Insomniac they played Brain Stew into Jaded, and from Nimrod they played Good Riddance, Hitchin a Ride and King For a Day. The King for a Day song is such a good, light hearted funny tune. They all wore crazy hats and shades and this went into an interesting version of Shout that was followed by all guys laying on the stage and paying a Stars on 45 style montage to Motown. The sax player was in full Michael Jackson Thriller gear, complete with surgical mask. He even did a little Kid N Play Gettin’ Funky heel kick with the guitar player. Bravo Billie. From the Warning cd they played Minority and Macys Day Parade. I have a soft spot for the Warning cd as it was a bridge work, where in retrospect you can clearly see the seeds planted for American Idiot and 21st CB cd’s. Mixed into this Billie Joe stands on a small platform and starts to play Crazy Train by Ozzy for like 15 seconds, stops and gets cheers. Then he goes into a Dio song I can’t name with the same response. Finally they go into KISS and Detroit Rock City for about 20 seconds to a HUGE applause. I am sure it’s because of the song title and not for the KISS tribute, KISS is HORRIBLE. Anyhow, from American Idiot they played American Idiot, Are We the Waiting (complete with sweet disco ball above the pit), Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Holiday, Jesus of Suburbia and St. Jimmy. During the Jesus of Suburbia song he pulls a kid onstage to play guitar while he sings and the kid is very good. From 21st Century Breakdown they play 21st Century Breakdown, Know Your Enemy, Before the Lobotomy, East Jesus Nowhere, Static Age, Mass Hysteria and 21 Guns.

Overall this show is a 10/10. NO ONE in music puts the effort into their performance like Green Day does. They engage the crowd, they bring people up on stage, they high five people in the crowd, they yell at security for rough housing kids, they are the most bad ass band on Earth, end of. Here is the thing you are missing if you are not a fan, the impact of the words. I have said this over and over but underneath the high paced music are some of the deepest and most poignant words to be heard. Billie Joe is a wordsmith. If you read the words as you go along with the music and actually absorb what is being said it will hit you like a sack of hammers. Green Day are as relevant today as they were when Dookie hit big. The band is as tight as a band can be musically. Having been a group since high school the boys can think in tandem. They have fun with you as they play. Imagine going to see a friend play in a small club and how that friend would interact with a club full of friends and family, that is a Green Day show. The music and the words are so angry, but the delivery and approach to the fans who paid to get in and see them is filled with mutual love. It is not fake either. You would think a band as big as them would get an attitude about things, like the Killers or Oasis, but not Green Day. They know exactly why they are stars and they give back. I could not love a band more than I do them. GO AND SEE THEM!!!

Session 4 went down last night at the JFA and there was HIGH DRAMA! Going into the final 3 weeks the stage was set for Austin to be playoff bound. In short, win out and you are in, win 2 out of 3 and you are in. Sadly Austin was defeated twice making him 2-7 heading into the final matchup with Matt Dandino. Matt Dandino needed to win 2 out of 3 to have a playoff chance. After losing the grudge match to older, wiser, sweeter brother Chris, Matt then faced off with middle brother Kevin. In an EPIC game that saw Matt score with his goalie for the first goalie goal in SHL history, he outlasted Kevin 9-8. This set up a game that would determine who plays Billy for the play in playoff game. Austin hung in there, but Matt prevailed and set up a first to five playoff style game with Billy. Both were 3-7. Matt jumped out to an early 3-0 lead and then Billy’s playoff beard gave him power. He “Stormed” back scoring 5 unanswered and ending Matt’s cinderella run into the post season. So now we have our playoff picture. In a best 2 out of 3 Semi-Final we have MJ (1) Vs Billy (4) and Chris (2) Vs Kevin (3). This should be good, faceoff in Wednesday 7/15 at the JFA.

Session 3 was played last evening at the JFA (which is currently under construction), and it was more of the same. In the ultimate psyche out MJ Hill shows up with a Rudy’s cup in his hand, even though he knows that Rudy’s Hot Dogs are on thye SHL banned substances list. They usually come with a side of chemical Ali. MJ States that it is JUST a malt, but we all have our doubts since MJ usually releases silent killers during the game. Last night when my wife came downstairs to the arena district her first comment was “who pooped their pants down here?”. Kevin brought the new SHL pucks, and it was later discovered that he was paid a hefty amount by the league dentist to make sure certain things happened to the pearly whites. The heavy pucks are banned until they can be brought down to below 5 oz. They are currently 11 oz. As for the games, the Gagne West buzzsaw rolls on giving up just 3 goals all night and adding 6 points to his unbeaten tally. DVS grabbed 6 points but nipping at his heels is OMG Zombies just 3 points behind. The final playoff spot will be up for grabs till the very end. The next 3 weeks should be exciting. Gagne West is the only team that has clinched a playoff spot, but DVS needs just one win to join him, and OMG Zombies needs 2 wins to lock his spot up. The final spot is anyones guesst.

I noticed something in Session 2, the hand shakes across the table take a bit longer to make, the shit talking prior, during and after games is becoming more fun, and MJ is banned from the league if he is eating Rudy’s that day. Nicknamed “Chemical Ali” for the games that night, MJ was using his secret 7th man to induce a feeling of nausia with all around him. Now, of the 9 games played on Thursday the Maple Leafs were 6-3 vs the Blackhawks. Kevin is trying to get us some aluminum pucks made, and I will finish the new nets by next weeks games. Also, I am going to find us a table so people with bad backs can get relief. The SHL saw its firs 9-0 score as Gagne West defeats OMG Zombies. The best game of the night was the game with Kevin and Matt. Back and forth, and shit talking, it was fun to referree that one. After 5 games, one thing is clear: MJ is a force in the quest for Rodney. I think I have the book on him, but not the patience to execute the plan properly. We shall see when the playoffs roll around. Below are the standings:

The stage has been set as half of the state of PA goes down to Miami, Fl to witness Super Bowl 44. This game will be one for the ages. Defying all of the record books Coach Tomlin has guided the Steelers to another Super Bowl appearance, while Philadelphia looks to stop being the bridesmaid and is ready to be the bride. This game will be back and forth, physical hits and games within games as the battles in the trenches ensue. The key to a Philadelphia win is effectively running the ball to help open up the passing lanes for McNabb. The key for the Steelers to win will be creating turnovers and not leaving points on the field when the get inside the red zone. The last time these two teams met Ben Roethlisberger was destroyed by the Eagles D. This will be corrected on this day. Ben will have a short option on every passing play and the pocket will be moving on the longer routes. I expect this to be a very low scoring game, 17-13, 14-10, something like that. A game that if you just looked at the score you would miss the excitement that a low scoring game like this can bring. A true heavyweight fight. I would not be surprised if both teams have to go to the backup QB for a few plays while Ben and Donovan gather their senses after a big hit. I cant lie, I am a Steeler fan then, now, and forever. For this reason I pick the Steelers to win, but I also think the Eagles will have an equal chance to win. So I flipped a coin 11 times with Steelers being heads, and the Eagles being tails. The results were Eagles 6 - Steelers 5. EAGLES WIN SUPER BOWL 44.

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP - NEW ENGLAND AT PITTSBURGH

This game will be significant on many levels. Will the Pats be able to show up now that Tom Brady is back and resume their strangle hold on the AFC or will Ben finally be accepted as one of the elite and get a chance to play for Super Bowl #3? I believe this game will signify a changing of the guard in the AFC. The Steelers play old style D, something that has been off and on for championship teams as of late. I would expect New England to come out guns blazing and jump out early, while the Steelers hang around and take the Pats best shot. Then after the Steelers D forces a turnover late Ben will put the Steelers up. The man is money when you need him to be. Then as the Pats try for one last shot the Steelers D does it again and puts them into the Super Bowl. STEELERS DEFEAT PATRIOTS.

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP - MINNESOTA AT PHILADELPHIA

The Twin City is hyped up, and all of Wisconsin is pissed off. Favre has led the Vikings to the brink of the biggest game on Earth and Philly is waiting. I struggled with who should win this one, and my best guess would be Philly. Andy Reid is an amazing coach and game planner. He is the best coach in the NFL IMHO. I would expect Philly to be too physical for the Minnesota running game to get going, and they will force Favre to make mistakes. It will be a fun one to watch, even if there are not a ton of points. Look for the Viks to get the ball late with a chance to tie or take the lead and then Favre tries to force one in. Game over. EAGLES DEFEAT VIKINGS.

SUPER BOWL MATCHUP

STEELERS VS EAGLES

Today we will examine the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs. This is the best round in all the playoffs in my opinion. You get the 4 best teams, or at least you get a mix of hot teams, and high seeds who are well rested. This usually gives us surprises and tough, physical match ups.

AFC DIVISIONAL

The first game will be the Patriots at Chargers. San Diego has enough to beat the Pats, and they probably should, but they will not. Norv Turner is not a winner. Had the Chargers been patient with Schottenheimer, they would have already won a Super Bowl. I figure San Diego to play catch up and this will make the mistakes happen in abundance. Patriots to will by 2 scores. PATRIOTS DEFEAT CHARGERS.

The second game has the Titans visiting the Steelers, on a cold winters night. The Steelers D will be too much for the Titans, who will struggle to run and pass. I don’t think the Steelers are going to run away with this one either. I imagine a 13-10 type of game where the Steelers D creates a score off of a turnover. STEELERS DEFEAT TITANS

NFC DIVISIONAL

In game one of the NFC Divisional playoffs the Bears visit Philly. This is a no brainer for me. I can’t wait to watch Jay Cutler come unglued in this one. I look for the Eagles to explode on both sides of the ball and give the Bears fits on every play. Philly will win this one by 2 TD’s. PHILADELPHIA DEFEATS CHICAGO.

In game two, the Ginats visit the Twin City for a inside clash. I think this will be a good, fun game. Lots of scoring, lots of action, an offensive showcase. In the end, I think Minnesota will find a way to win this and head off to Philly. MINNESOTA DEFEATS NEW YOUR GIANTS.

Now we have our Conference Championship games set. Tomorrow we will look into:

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP - NEW ENGLAND AT PITTSBURGH

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP - MINNESOTA AT PHILADELPHIA

Spike TV, along with Michael Irvin’s Playmaker production company have a show on Spike that is trying to find the next Dallas Cowboy player. The winner of this reality show will get a contract with the Boys in 2009. Many have come and go, but my personal favorite is Andrew Hawkins. Andrew is a Western PA native, and played at the University of Toledo. He then signed with Montreal in the CFL but jumped at the opportunity to make it in the NFL. Last year, another Toledo graduate named Lance Moore lit up the league with New Orleans. This can only help Hawkins, as Moore is considered undersized as well. Hawkins is only 5′8″ but has speed to spare. The winner of this show will most likely be a special teams player, and this could be the right thing for him. Even if he does not win the show, he has been consistant and impressive enough to get a look somewhere. Maybe in Pittsburgh????? The Steelers could use another return guy with speed now that Nate Washington has departed. Best of luck Andrew, Toledo is pulling for you.

Despite what my half human, half titanium cousin says I will power on with my 2009 NFL Playoff predictions, albeit under his protests. Yesterday we set up the Wild Card round with Houston at New England, Tennessee at Indianapolis, NY Giants at San Francisco and Chicago at New Orleans.

In game one I think that the experience of New England will just be too much for the Texans. They will hang in there until half time, then the flood gates will open. Texans fans, I almost did not put you in the playoffs. You don’t deserve it. You used to have a very good team and you lost them, so if it takes a million years for you to win it all I will be happy. NEW ENGLAND ADVANCES.

In game two the Titans visit Indy. After battling two times in the regular season these division foes know each other well. I think Tennessee is just too dynamic for Indy and will overwhelm them on both sides of the ball. Not a blowout, but a man handling will occur. TENNESSEE ADVANCES.

In game three the NY Giants visit the Niners and this game should be exciting. The Niners will be using the underdog role as motivation. No one will give them a chance. I look for the Niners to control most of the game and at the end Eli earns his money. A long drive that ends in a field goal will put the Giants through. NEW YORK GIANTS ADVANCE.

In game four of the Wild Card round the Bears visit New Orleans. This should be a shoot out and also fun to watch. I predict very little defense in this one, and the first offense to flinch will lose the game. In the end it is Chicago’s ability to control the clock that will give them the edge. Bears win a close one and move on. CHICAGO ADVANCES.

All of this sets up a very intriguing divisional round of playoffs. We will discuss the match ups below tomorrow.

New England at San Diego

Tennessee at Pittsburgh

Chicago at Philadelphia

New York Giants at Minnesota

Already having gone through the AFC/NFC Division winners, today we are going to examine the possible Wild Card round for NFL Playoffs. These pics may contradict some of my earlier statements, but much like this those were just speculations as to who has a chance at the post season. Here is what I see as the Wild Card rounds in both the AFC and NFC:

The AFC Wildcard will feature 2 games; The AFC East Champs, and #4 seed will be the Patriots. They will host the #6 seed Houston Texans. HOUSTON AT NEW ENGLAND. The Second Wild Card game will be the #3 seeded, and AFC South champs Indianapolis hosting #5 division rival Tennessee. TENNESSEE AT INDIANAPOLIS. Awaiting the winners of those games will be the #1 seed Steelers and #2 seed Chargers. We will look at those tomorrow.

The NFC Wildcard will feature 2 games; #4 and NFC West champs SF 49ers will host the #5 wild card team NY Giants. NEW YORK AT SAN FRANCISCO. The Second Wild Card game will be the #3 NFC South champ New Orleans host the #6 seed Chicago. CHICAGO AT NEW ORLEANS. Awaiting those winners will be the #1 seed Philadelphia and #2 seed Minnesota. We will look at those tomorrow

Let’s start with the AFC South. This to me is the toughest division in football. The Colts no longer dominate, the Jaguars are coached well enough to win it every year, the Titans find a way to get it done and the Texans are a team that would win most other divisions in football. The AFC South reminds me of the AFC Central years when Tennessee and Jax were mixed in there. I would say that I believe the Colts will edge out the Titans for the division this year, but only because Peyton Manning is on the field game in and game out. I believe the Titans have a QB storm brewing. The Colts will go 11-5 and win the South. The Titans will hang in there, but lose the Division by a game going 10-6 for reasons I just stated. Finishing third will be the Houston Texans at 9-7 and I think they may be a playoff team, I also believe that of the 3 teams not named Colts the Texans have the best chance to surprise and go 12-4, but probably not. Bringing up the rear will be the Jags going a respectable 8-8 but missing the playoffs by a hair.

In the NFC South I believe the Saint offense will finally be enough. They are just too dynamic and have been on the short end of some close games, those tables will turn in 09. I look for the Saints to go 10-6 and win the South. Finishing next will be the Panthers. Always solid, and one helluva run game when they use it, the Panthers will be good not great. I think they have the wrong coach, he proved that last year in the playoffs. Also going 10-6 but losing a tibreaker to the Saints should be enough to get them in the playoffs. Third place to the Falcons. Matt Ryan is due his slump, but his running game is so good I am not sure he will have one. I think that the Falcons will flirt with winning the division most of the season but will crumble down the stretch. 8-8 for the dirty birds. The Bucs are going to be horrible. They are rebuilding and have axed Chucky for a new coach. They will take a while to find out who they are as a team, and a 5-11 season is on the horizon.

Last night the Subterranear Hockey League faced off for the first tim at Jamie Farr Arena in Maumee. The league has 6 original teams, although not all team owners took this to heart while naming their teams (cough Billy cough), I guess that means that guy will be the front part of the mullett. There were 2 things that happened organically that I am happy did become part of the game. 1) a handshake across the table after the game, even if Kevin has thrusted a rod through your chest cavity and 2) I don’t know who suggested this but we will change the on ice matchup each week (each week 2 sets of games) Let’s recap:

Week One & Week 2 (Red Wings Vs Penguins)

Week one opened up with total domination as MJ Hill beat Matt Dandino 9-1. Earlier in the day I made a mini Octopus to toss on the ice when Matt scored with the Wings. I had no idea it would be 7 goals deep in the game. Regardless the league was underway. Game 2 saw Kevin Dandino defeat Austin Wills 9-5. The Final game was a Victory for Chris Dandino over Bill Stuart 9-3 after Billy jumped out to a quick lead.

Week two opened with Matt Dandino and Bill Stuart playing tight for a while until Bill pulled away and got the win 9-4. In the second game of the night Chris and Kevin Dandino got down and Chris was the victor 9-3. The final game of the night saw MJ Hill beat Austin Wills 9-3, and was unhappy his goalie gave up 3 goals.

It was an extremely fun night for everyone. We all laughed our asses off, although I never want to hear about DVDA again. NO ONE wins in that scenario, not even the people who joke about it later. It’s a tangled mess and…….. DAMNIT! See how you get sucked right in to the debate? The Pens and the Wings both went 3-3 on the night. The average victory was 9-3. There is a smll learning curve with the game, but hand speed and reaction seem to rule. Also, using your center.  I personally cannot wait until next weeks games. It was way too fun, thanks to all the guys in the league for the good time.

STANDINGS

1) MJ HILL 2-0 (6 POINTS)

2) CHRIS DANDINO 2-0 (6 POINTS)

3) KEVIN DANDINO 1-1 (3 POINTS)

4) BILL STUART 1-1 (3 POINTS)

5) MATT DANDINO 0-2 (0 POINTS)

6) AUSTIN WILLS 0-2 (0 POINTS)

AFC West

The AFC WEST was an absolute mess last year. The Broncos melted down and cost Mike Shanahan his job, the Chargers went on a roll to win the division at 8-8, and the Raiders and Chiefs were sub par per usual. This year I expect it to be much of the same, sort of. The Chargers can, should, and most likely will win this division. The Chargers opted not to match the Falcons offer for Michael Turner prior to the 08 season and they should have. Sproles is not an every down back, LT is over the hill, and they did not draft a RB until round 4. The offense still moves on though with Phillip Rivers. I expect the Chargers to go 12-4 but would not be shocked if they went 9-7. Finishing second will be Oakland, but it will be a hollow finish. They have to answer the question at QB. Look for Jeff Garcia to be the starter by week 5. The Raiders will FINALLY finish at .500 going 8-8. Third place will be the Broncos going 6-10. They took a step backwards losing Cutler to the Bears, and if Brandon Marshall leaves they could finish in the basement of the weakest division in the NFL. Oh how the mighty have fallen. Bringing up the rear will be the Chiefs. I think they have an outside chance to win this division if some breaks go their way. It is more likely however that they will not get those breaks and finish at the bottom. Next year though, if Cassell works outside the BB System. They will be 6-10.

NFC WEST

The NFC West is once again a free for all. The Cardinals sputtered down the stretch, but somehow made it to the Super Bowl and had a chance to win it (had they not played the BEST franchise in the NFL). This year will be a different story. I expect the 49ers to come back and win it for Coach Mike. They have made great strides in the running game, and the D will only get better. I say they go 10-6 and shock the world. Finishing second will be the Cardinals at 9-7. They will continue to be an offensive threat, but they will make too many mistakes to win the division. Finishing third will be the Seahawks, they are just too old and unimaginative to win consistantly in the NFL. I also think that Seneca Wallace will be the starter by mid season. They will be 5-11. Bringing up the rear will be the Rams. They are just not that good. Bulger is average, the weapons are not lethal and they have no D to speak of. I would be shocked if the Rams top 5 wins, they will be 4-12.

If you live in the Northeast bow down as your savior has returned. The rest of the league, be prepared to test his reconstructed agility. Tom Brady is back. That’s me leading the boos from Pittsburgh. Let’s take a peek at the AFC & NFC East predictions.

AFC EAST

After a year turned upside down, the East looks to settle back into a more normal pecking order. If we start at the top of the division then it looks like the Patriots will be back. With Tom Brady back in the mix, even at 75% the Pats will win this division by 2 games. Yes they are older everywhere, and are filled with other teams throwaways, but they have a winning system that is proven. I would expect them to be 11-5 and East champs. Coming in 2nd place will be the Dolphins. People are still saying that Pat White will be a great addition in the Wildcat for the Dolphins, I’m here to tell you that as an offense the Wildcat is dead. It takes no time at all to sort out this offense for a D Coordinator, and it really only worked a couple times last season. Why are people saying it’s the new wave, the evolution of the game? It is not, it is dead already. Still, the Dolphins will be as good as their QB play and I expect them to be 9-7/10-6 and MAYBE be a wild card team, albeit minus the wild cat. I believe the Jets will finish third. Probably going 6-10 and leaving Gang Green with hope for the following season. Buddys kid issued a challenge to NE and MIA, and that is good for the hype but on the field the Jets will be pedestrian. Bringing up the rear will be the Bills. The T.O. meltdown clock is set to 5 minutes to midnight. Tick Tock T.O. I think the Bills are going 6-10 if they are lucky, too many holes everywhere will prevent them from being contenders.

NFC EAST

Once again one of the toughest divisions in pro football, the NFC East will once again be a tough one to win in 09. At the top, I have to put Philadelphia. With a very solid draft, a good system and players that could start in most places the Eagles will win the East. It will not be easy though. I predict it will be a tie with Eagles edging out the Giants on a tiebreaker. Record 11-5. The Giants will be right there for all of the same reasons. I put the Giants in 2nd, and a wild card team because they are lacking in WR’s, and the Eagles are more potent. The G Men will also go 11-5. Third place in the division will be the Cowboys who will be .500 and Jason Garrett will be handed the keys to the Cowboys future. 8-8 or 7-9. The Redskins (or Warriors as I refer to them as) will bring up the rear. They are not horrible, but the division is too top heavy for them to be a legit threat to win it. 6-10 for Washington. I would say if they were in any other NFC Division they could challenge for it, just not here.

Today I try and put hockey out of my mind, but it is tough. It’s so hot outside and the ice is soothing to the cerebrum. Oh well, time to think NFL. As I look at the two north’s, the Old Black & Blue (NFC North) and the old Central Division (AFC North) I see alot of the same, depending on what happens with player movements.

AFC NORTH: I think that it will once again be the Steelers division to lose. They have lost a couple of free agents in Nate Washington and Bryant McFadden, but Nate was a 3rd receiver and William Gay is ready to move into the starting 11 on D. I would expect the Steelers to incorporate a healthy Rashard Mendenhall and get the running game back to where the Steelers need it to be. The defense needs no introduction. If they can avoid a major injury, they should win the division once again with no major opposition. The Steelers will be 13-3 this year. I also expect the Browns to be a 2nd half of the season team. They will take a bit of time to get used to the Mangini way, and work out the kinks, and decide on a QB, and get the line working as a unit, etc. This will take some time, but the Browns will be on the right track this year and I expect them to go 8-8 and finish 2nd in the division and maybe flirt with the wild card. Finishing third in the division will be the Ravens. Key losses on D and it isn’t getting any younger, will hinder the Ravens this year. They will lose a little bit on offense as well as I bet Joe Flacco will have a sophomore slump. I know this gets used alot, but teams figure out how to handle a QB and it typically takes him a while to re-figure things out. Ravens will be 7-9 or 6-10. The Bengals will be the Bengals. Their offense should be back and clicking with a refocused Chad Johnson and a healthy Carson Palmer, but there are just too many gaping holes for them to compete. I bet the Bengals will go 6-10 or 5-11 if they are lucky.

NFC NORTH: This division is always up for grabs, and this year will be no different. I will assume Favre will be in Minnesota, because he will, and this will make the already competitive Vikings that much better. I think the Vikes will go 11-5. Even if there is no Favre I think they can win the division. My choice for second place is the Bears. I think having a QB that can stretch the field will help the potent running game and take some of the heat off of the Chicago D. I think the Bears are a playoff team, and possibly a division champion. I put the Bears at 10-6. Following up in third place will be the Packers. Rodgers is for real, but there is just not enough to support him. Also, the 2 Norths match up this year and the Pack have to play the Steelers and Browns (right when things start to click in Cleveland) on the road. They are not equipped like Minnesota and Chicago to compete with the AFC North, and I think the Pack will struggle to be .500. Lets call it 8-8/7-9. Bringing up the rear will be Detroit. The Lions will get some wins this year, just not many. I expect them to get 4 wins and go 4-12. All is not lost though, as by the mid season point Stafford should get the nod. He will show flashes of brilliance, and the Lions will be a tough team to beat in 3 years if they continue to draft wisely.

Hockey and basketball have finally concluded their season, and baseball is in full swing as I write this. But most sports fans look forward to the Fall version of America’s Pastime; NFL Football. The NFL is in a golden era right now, with Super Bowl after Super Bowl providing Alcoa Moments. For those under 35 Alcoa used to have a spot that was called Fantastic Finishes and would air at the 2 minute warning during NFL Games on TV. It used to have a very catchy theme song that ended with “Alcoa can’t wait”. During this spot they would show some of the game’s most dramatic finishes to a game. Now that we are all up to speed, let’s proceed. Over the next few days we will look ahead to the upcoming season, break down divisional positioning and schedules, and try to pick an early winner. Stay tuned. Tuesday 6/16/09 we will look at the AFC/NFC North. Wednesday 6/17 we will peek at the AFC/NFC East. Thursday we will check out the AFC/NFC West. Friday we will conclude with the AFC/NFL South, NFL playoff pictures and who will be sitting pretty for the Super Bowl.

First of all, I would like to send a warm thanks to Brett Favre for giving me inspiration once again. Without him my brothers and sisters, I would be smacked against the proverbial brick wall with writers block this morning. Sure there are some pretty heavy thoughts currently taking up residence between my ears right now, but none of them suitable for this venue. Even though they are preventing me from thinking as clearly as I should they will never see the keyboard to screen here. Regardless, in the last few days Brett Favre has been recovering from arthroscopic surgery that he had to repair the damage in his throwing shoulder. This surgery was said to not have been necessary to Brett living a normal life or doing normal activity. When contacted about this, Bretts agent Bus Cook said he was unaware of Bretts intentions on what to do after it heals. In a vacuum, this surgery would make Brett right as rain for the July training camps in the NFL. Being a late 30 something who used to play sports, and had surgeries to fix issues, I know that the healing process takes a bit longer to happen. When I was 20 injuries healed as quickly as maple syrup running down a tree in July. In my late 30’s they heal like molasses running down a tree in the deepest Ohio winter. Brett is not under contract right now, so as far as I know the league rules do not apply to him. If he chooses to speed up the healing with a substance that an active player cannot use then that would be entirely fair and up to him as long as it vanishes prior to his eventual return. For all of you selfish people who don’t want Brett to tarnish YOUR memories of him stand up. For all of you selfish people who want Brett to return so YOU can see some big time, unseen before in the league drama unfold stand up. For all of you who are reading this and are indifferent to the situation, then why are you wasting your time with my nonsense? I’ll quote Father Scharff from my sophomore year at SJ “GET OUT!”. Now, for those of us remaining upright……. Sit down if you would rather cut the grass than run around on it a year or two more in the NFL, sit down if you would rather get the sideways glances because the trash is building up than talking trash as you throw TD number 4 against your former team, Sit down if you would rather barbeque for neighbors who appreciate the fact that you live next door and make their property value go up, or drive to the stadium and see all of the #4 jerseys in the parking lot barbequing prior to you being the Sunday hero again. OK, now that we have all answered honestly and are still standing let’s please give Brett Favre a standing ovation and a warm welcome back into the league that he helped build for the last 17+ years. Quit when you want Brett, not when people tell you.

I’m a huge movie fan, and sports seem to dominate my life at times, so for me the genre can be the perfect marriage. Some movies do a better job at capturing the drama of a live event than others. It can also go horribly wrong, as sports movies tend to take the easy way out and use the sport as a crutch while sacrificing the story. There are a few great ones out there that we will look at below:

Best Baseball Movie:

Probably the genre that has produced some of the best sports movies, baseball is a tough call. For me, I have to say Major League. This movie had well known actors, a good story line with loads of comedy, and a dramatic payoff at the end. Plus, I will forever associate this movie to some great times I had in Rossford, OH back in the day. It spawned a couple sequels but none could even come close to the original. Some honorable mentions were Tiger Town with Roy Scheider, and Eight Men Out about Shoeless Joe and the fixing scandal. Don’t mention Kevin Costner’s baseball movies, I hate them all.

Best Basketball Movie:

Hoosiers, hands down. Probably the best sports movie ever created it has it all. There are rarely several layers in a sports movie but this one has them. The rebirth of the coach, the alcoholic who finds a reason to live again, and the ultimate underdog story all come together in perfect harmony. I have seen this over and over again. When I need a good movie to remind me that the struggle is worth it, I go to Hoosiers. And I don’t even like basketball. My second choice, The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh. For me it’s an unintentional comedy, those short short shorts are a RIOT!

Best Hockey Movie:

This one is tough for me but I am going with Slap Shot. This movie is iconic, and without it 3 brothers Hanson would not have been able to have a career just being themselves. It reminds me of the Toledo Sports Arena and the Goal Diggers from my childhood. Although the movie seems dated in places, it is the small things. The clothes, the language, the cars, etc but the movie remains solid. It also spawned 2 follow ups, that I have never seen but have ordered on ebay. I got both brand new and sealed for 7 dollars and free shipping. They can’t be that bad right? My runner up is Miracle. The USA defeat of the USSR at Lake Placid is a moment no one who was born in the 70’s will ever forget, and the movie does a solid job at capturing the drama of perhaps the most thrilling single game in the history of sport.

Best Football Movie:

There have not been a ton of football movies, so I refuse to name a default movie just to make the list. So imagine that there is a player in the twilight of his career, facing the rest of his life without achieving the ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl. He is going to retire having fallen just short of the dream the year before, but decides to stay. Then he is relegated to a backup role, and situational player. His team lumbers through the season not looking like a playoff team let alone a championship team. Then he and his team get hot, and go on a roll, winning several in a row to make it to the big game. It just so happens the Super Bowl is in his home town of Detroit, MI. He plays in the game, his team wins, he announces his retirement and rides off into the sunset with his title in hand.  Super Bowl XL is my favorite football movie, although Leatherheads was more believeable and less sappy.

In an effort to counter the physical play of Penguins forward Ogie Oglethorp, er Evangi Malkin Red Wings coach Mike Babcock announces that Pavel Datsyuk will dress and be ready for limited action tonight in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals. According to all reports Pavel will probably not be playing the Center position, but rather at winger to alleviate some of the pressure on him in his return. This will probably mean a bit less time for Darren Helm or Justin Abdelkader, but this should be looked at as addition by subtraction. Another sniper on the ice and fresher legs for all involved should add a twist to the already interesting saga that has been the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The game will air tonight from Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh on the Vs Network.

When it looked like the Red Wings were going to wrap up the Western Conference Finals (or what we were calling the Norris Division Championship) against the Chicago Blackhawks I had a chat with my brother Kevin. We decided that we were going to the Joe for our first Stanley Cup Final game. When I asked him my youngest brother Matt was standing there next to Kevin and quickly asked if he could come as well. YES! I told him, I knew he had to work and this was why I did not ask him. I should have known he would bunk off for the game. So there it was, the 3 of us on the verge of the Finals, the Sons of Vengence. I secured tickets for game 2, Sunday night May 31st. The day rolled around and they showed up at the house at 5pm so we could head up early. The ride up was a blast, we all had good talks and reconnected as brothers. This was special for me. My brother Kevin and his wife nearly lost their lives in a terrible car accident not too long ago, and only by the grace of God was this trip on the menu. We parked and within 15 minutes were in the Joe walking around and feeling the electricity. We were standing less than 2 feet from Gordie Howe and he still looks amazing. I thought to myself that Cameron had it right in Ferris Buellers Day Off. We shared a pizza from Little Ceasers. It was 18 bucks, but it was an amazing pizza. Aparently they save their best for 600 Civic Center Dr. We took some pictures and looked at the sea of people shuffling in and out of our section. It is truly a study of human nature waiting to happen. The game started and the Pens came out buzzing in the first period grabbing a 1-0 lead. The second period the Wings came out and instantly looked a different team. This was at our end of the ice. The Wings grabbed 2 goals and took a 2-1 lead into the 3rd period. Never seeming to get it going, the Pens looked as if they were skating on sand at times. The Wings were flying. Live NHL is second to nothing, it is fast, athletic and exciting every second. A guy behind makes the comment on how shitty Sidney Crosby’s beard looks and we laugh, because we all have kick ass playoff beards that have been going for weeks now. We looked like U-pers during bow season. The Wings grab a 3-1 lead and the cap comes off the Joe and my hand is sore from high fiving. Kevin has some big hands and it is like slapping a wall, but the pain is drowned by elation. The game starts to wrap up and us three are are arm in arm singing “Born and raised in Sooouuutttthhh Detroooooooooit” and “Oooooh we’re half way there, ooooooh Pens don’t have a prayer”. Brilliant. As we drove home I realized that this was not only our first time doing something like this together or one of the best times I had doing anything. I realized that what we just bought were not tickets to a game, but memories that will resonate for the rest of our lives. This makes me refocus on what I do for a living, no longer a ticket broker but a memory broker. LET’S GO WINGS! VIVA LA SONS OF VENGENCE!

LET'S GO WINGS!!!

I am sure to get people who tell me not to get my panties in a bunch over this topic, but sorry I can’t help it. I am disgusted yearly when the NFL schedules come out and I see the name Washington Redskins on the board. Redskins, unlike Indians or Braves or Chiefs do not pay homage to the original dwellers of this great nation, they spit in their collective faces. I am shocked that in this day and age things have not been done to make the DC team change their name. Sure the Cleveland Indians have a borderline logo that is a tad bit racist, but it is not in the name, and logos come and go. The Redskins are always defending the choice of the name, giving various excuses why the name is not racist but I buy none of them. I have a solution. The Redskins have an old logo that is very similar to the Florida State Seminole spear. I suggest that the Redskins change their name to the Washington Warriors, adopt the new logo and sell a gazillion dollars of new merchandise to help soften the blow of having their name revoked. This way they can stillpay homage to the Native Americans and maintain the integrity of the team and league. If they do not like that one, they can always change their name to the Eastsiders and have the new mascot in acid washed denim, mullet flowing and a smoke hanging classily from their lip. Or how about using other nice words like chink, spic or nigger? There is no place in the world for words like these to be used, and especially not by a worldwide recognized team. The Washington Bullets changed their name to the Wizards because of the association to guns and violence, so why not the Redskins? Is Daniel Snyder hoping that the Indian race will be dead and gone soon and therefore not an issue any more? I am hoping that in the upcoming NFL expansion/relocation Toledo gets an expansion team. We can call them the Toledo Towel Heads. No harm in that right?

Evil superstore Wal Mart have decided not to sell the new Green Day CD 21st Century Breakdown. When asked to censor the content Green Day said no. Front man Billy Joe Armstrong points out that they have never censored anything before, and will not start now just to sell at Wal Mart. It is the policy of the Super Chain to not display items that have a parental advisory warning on them. Once again we go back to the argument of what is worse? What is worse; strong language or actual guns? What is worse; mind bullets or actual bullets? What is worse; mentioning Teamsters in a song or not allowing workers to unionize so they can get a fair wage? What is worse; selling a CD for 9.99 or paying a Chinese laborer 9.99 a year to make clothes for you? What is worse; exercising the American Dream and speaking your mind without censorship or killing the American Dream by running small businesses into the ground when you overtake their town? I think these answers are very simple. 21st Century Breakdown, although a departure from the typical Green Day style of music is still very much punk. I am a huge fan of words, and this Billy Joe is definitely a wordsmith. This CD challenges the authorities that lead us along like dogs on a lead, it asks questions of what we will settle for to have a life of comfort, and it holds a mirror up to your face. Last time I checked no one got their head blown off when putting on headphones to listen to a CD. If you shop at Wal Mart then the only religion you know is Wal-Martism. What I mean by that is you have a company, who’s sole purpose is to sell you things, making decisions for you. They are telling you that you cannot have the option of buying this CD because you cannot think for yourself. They are telling you that they know what is best for you. They are telling you that it’s ok to save money at the expense of the third world. As long as you do not peer behind the green curtain, you should be able to sleep easy at night. So long as you buy your sleeping pills at the Wal Mart discount pharmacy. It is this type of corporate greed that has dropped us in the shit we are in. We are a mom and pop country, and the last time I checked mom and pop make the rules.

As all sports fans know, Kobe Bryant was on trial for rape. Despite what you may think of Kobe and his innocence or guilt, you have to admit the circumstances surrounding the outcome were as shady as an Oak Tree at Neverland Ranch. So Spike Lee, doing his civic duty has created a reality show surrounding Kobe the family man and his trials and tribulations while playing a game. The LA Lakers star almost appears to not have been faded by what transpired in the Denver courtroom. As a matter of fact it is time to get back to the business of, well, Doin Work. Well done Spike. Due to the popularity of the show Spike Lee plans to do a follow up to the show. There are 3 possible titles in the works, let’s investigate. Many consider the first one to be “too soon”, but you can decide. It’s called “Michael Vick: Walking Dogs”. This show surrounds Vick’s quest to get back into the league. He joins forces with the most masculine femme on Earth, Cesar Milan. Watch Mike and Cesar teach average Americans with bad tempers that it is not OK to smack your dog with a newspaper, rub his nose in the waste on the carpet, or feed them gun powder for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and in their Miloko. This one should be good. The second possibility is called “Plaxico Burress: Target Practice” Follow Plax as he is embedded in the NYPD strapped only with a gat and a hidden camera. Think Al Roker’s D.E.A. This similarity to the Roker produced show is what may end up keeping this show off the tube. Rumor has it that Roker and Lee don’t get along, a fued that started because Roker has shows on the Spike network. Lee has had a court battle over the use of the name Spike TV since he did not want to be associated with the network by name. Spike Lee, really bro? Spike Jonze is far more relevant than you are these days, and for that matter Sam “Spike” Witwicki from Transformers is the only Spike for me. Get a stool, drag it across the floor, climb up and take a look in the mirror and ask yourself “Is it the shoes?” And the final installment that I am positive will never happen, “OJ Simpson: Making Sushi”. Follow OJ as he works a mobile Sushi bar in SoCal. He is going to use the Sushi front to eavesdrop on the conversations of those sitting down to eat. The ultimate goal is to find the REAL killer, and have justice served. Maybe this is better suited for HBO than ESPN, seeing that The Disney Corp does not like to exploit the people who they employ. Just ask Britney, Miley or the Jonas Brothers bayyyyyybayyyyyyyy.

I guess I will never grow up because I still love video games. I remember to this day delivering newspapers so I could buy Atari 2600 Carts. I had 5 milk crates full. All that money wasted on the state of the art games at the time, which are unplayable for the most part today. Today is in fact, a different story alltogether. Pro sports and technology have merged on and off the field, and the results are amazing. As you watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the NBA Playoffs, Baseball or the NFL ask yourself the question; “where did the inspiration for the presentation come from?” I watch alot of sports, and find myself watching things on ESPN Classic from time to time. There is nothing more frustrating than watching a football game and there is NOTHING on the screen. Not even the time. Man did the baby boomers settle for so little, and they are supposed to be the brilliant ones in this country. HA! When modern video games came into being in the mid 80’s with the NES the pro sport counterpart started to embrace and evolve. Gradually the technology used in video games started to spill over onto the television as we watch our beloved games. The real life sports are about to catch up even further. I will cite a Japanese baseball game that I used to love on the Sega Saturn. It was called Greatest Nine Baseball and focused on the J League. This game came out almost 15 years ago, and still the real sports have yet to catch up with its ingenuity. What this game allowed you to do was pick from any set of announcing pairs. It had 5 choices of announcing teams, and you could enter any game with any of the announcers calling the game. It was so great to hear a Japanese voice screaming in unintelligible Japanese and ending the sentence with JUMPING CATCH! So why have our real life sports not caught up? Why can’t I turn on the Steelers game and listen to Tunch and Hillgrove instead of having to listen to the team of Aikman and Buck (JOE BUCK, I HATE YOU TO NO END). I mean I can through Sirius Radio, but the technology is there to stream it over the airwaves and come through your TV Speakers. Everyone has the tech in place with the SAP function, so why not use it for this reason as well? The announcers are not as big as the game (Bob Costas, Joe Buck, John Madden, etc) and should not be crammed down the collective sports fan throats. We should have a choice. Especially those of us who have to get the Sunday Ticket because we live in the area of Browns/Lions supremecy. We are paying, give us more. Well, more than we are getting as they do seem to offer new bells and whistles each season as the price climbs. I have read and heard that this tech may be used in the NFL first, but may not come for 3-5 years. Why the wait? If you have it in place don’t be a tease. So as you sit on the couch on Sunday, and watch the beautiful technology that was ushered in by the video game merged with your football, don’t bitch at your kid about playing those same games. They are a legit part of society and sports may not be the same without them.

I have already stated my case for a Michael Vick reinstatement into the NFL, but what I read today just solidifies my arguement. First of all, who among us is in a moral position to judge? OK, let’s move on. Like I said Michael Vick SERVED his time without issue. He had a crack team of lawyers, but he took it like a man and paid the price. Donte Stallworth of the Cleveland Browns may not travel that same path. In Florida there is a law that helps better define the rules of drunk driving. It states that if a drunk driver is sitting at a red light for example, and someone hits him and they die, how can the drunk driver be held responsible for the death? Such is the case with Donte. When he hit the man who eventually died, the man was jaywalking, therefore relieving Stallworth of the manslaughter charge since the deceased were at fault. If this defense sticks then Stallworth can be looking at a release for time served. AND may see the playing field this year. So ask yourself the question, based upon the laws, how does a guy who ends up killing a person get back in straight away while Vick must prove himself to be a good boy? I think the tie that binds these two together is the lack of good judgement. Vick knew the kind of guys he was associating himself with, and for this he has paid. Stallworth should NEVER be out partying until 7AM, THEN driving drunk. So Donte, are you saying that the current economic climate is such that you cant afford a driver or a cab? TERRIBLE judgement by both. The difference is that one will have to beg and one will get the red carpet when coming back to the league. In my opinion, I think what Stallworth did should land him in for life, but I am not the law. Someone lost a husband, father and friend due to Donte’s poor judgement. Due to Vick’s poor judgement, someone left with fat pockets on a Friday night because their dog ate more gunpowder during training. You think the conditions at Vick’s dog ring were bad, search Yahoo and watch the US Marine throw a dog over a bridge just for a laugh. The first law should be hypocracy. No wonder the statue of justice is blindfolded.

On a final note, I saw a Kobe Bryant commercial on TV last night. Didn’t he go to court for raping someone?

Michael Vick was released from prison yesterday, and left to serve the final 2 months of his sentence on house arrest. The NFL has hired Tony Dungey to be a liason between themselves and Vick to determine if he has rehabilitated enough to be reinstated for the league. I am sure when Vick was convicted and sentenced, he thought that hios world was coming to an end. No more endorsements, no more employment, and he was being lynched in the court of public opinion. Vick may have some bright days ahead of him. While in jail he had some time for personal reflection, and I’m sure he had a real hard think about what is important in life and who he can and cannot surround himself with. Also, while the likes of the other leagues have a revolving door for it’s criminal element, the NFL does it right. (Manny, Spreewell, Artest, McSorely, etc) The NFL is an image league, and if you damage that you must pay. So let’s look at a couple of key issues. Unlike Pete Rose, who actually bet on baseball games, and hurt the game he played for so long, Vick’s issue happened outside of the realm of the game. In an email to me Wayne Pacelle (President of the Humane Society of U.S.) stated that “I want to give him the chance to be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem. If he is serious — and we’ll soon find out — then Vick can help HSUS reach young men in urban communities and tell his story about dogfighting being a dead end.” This is very important to Vick being reinstated, as the HSUS getting behind him will help his credibility to no end. Also, when Tony Dungey speaks up for you then the league listens. He is far and away one of the most respected men around the game. What timing for Vick as well? He may not get a roster spot straight away as a QB but someone will take a shot, just to put him in a Wildcat spread O. I think this is here to stay regardless of how frequently it is used, look at the number of Pat White types around the league today, and then look in 2 seasons. The game is evolving like it always does. Michael Vick deserves another chance, IF he has proven that he shows remorse, and is willing to use his position to further a cause to correct a problem (dog fighting) that seems to be more widespread than anyone really knows. All those out there that say no way, remember that YOU were not there and do not really know what happened, and forgive and forget. Our world survives because of second chances, we all make mistakes. If you do not make mistakes can you carry me across the river today? I really need to get to Perrysburg quickly.

Tuesday night the NBA had its annual lottery to determine who has the #1 overall pick in the upcoming draft. The NBA awards each team out of the playoffs a number of entries in the lottery based on their record (worst to best) from the previous season. So the worst record gets 11 entries (out of 66) and so on until all entries are used. The team with the most entries is guaranteed the best odds, but rarely the top pick. It is a game of chance. The LA Clippers were the team with the third best chance having 9 entries in the pool. There has been no official statement on who they will pick, but off the record and opinion seem to point to Oklahoma super Soph Blake Griffin. Or as I like to call him Glen or William Coleman, some twins I used to get into trouble with the Summer of 1985 back in my old stomping grounds and he looks EXACTLY like. Blake has proven to be the complete package in college, but scouts think it will be 3-5 years before he becomes a force in the NBA. Scouts also once thought Christian Laetner was going to be an immediate impact player but we all know how average a pro he turned out to be. The NBA Draft airs June 25th, at Madison Square Garden and will be broadcast on ESPN.

Yes, the Pirates keep getting involved in firsts, except this time it is a first for the whole of Major League Baseball history (last week it was a 2009 season first record). In the game last night in our nations capital the Pirates and Nationals both started a pitcher named Ross. The Bucs started Ross Ohlendorf and the Nats started pitcher Ross Detwiler. Sure it’s not the most glamorous of records, but it still puts the Pirates stamp next to another footnote in history. The game ended in a 12-7 Pirates victory, and helps them stay afloat in what many consider baseball’s toughest division (NL Central). Behind a 4-4, 3 RBI game Pirates SS Jack Wilson led the way to the raising of the Jolly Roger, even while the home team was booed throughout. Well done, and BEAT ‘EM BUCS!

Like the older brother who leaves to go to college yet still dominates dinner time discussion at the family table without actually being there, Brett Favre grabs headlines at every move. He said he retired, again. He has made statements to support this yet his actions show a different agenda. Brett Favre in a move that left the smallest of openings for himself to return consulted a physician about the tendon in his shoulder. He was informed the injury is really not that bad, and also that if he did have surgery he would be out 8 weeks at most. So if Brett has the surgery June 1st he would be back by August and ready by the start of the 09 season. I have not heard one report that thinks he will stay retired. In a weekend where the Red Wings and Blackhawks played an epic game 1 Western Conference Finals, and the NBA Playoffs are in full swing, Brett still found his way into the top of the headlines just by consulting a doctor. I have some strong feelings on his return, and wish him well in recovery after his forthcoming surgery. A blind man could see this one coming.

So I stayed up late last night to download the new Green Day at Midnight. Luckily when the clock struck 12 my laptop did not turn back into an Etch-A-Sketch and I was able to download the deluxe album. The deluxe has 2 bonus tracks on it. I threw on the headphones, and tried to doze off with the new music. No luck, it was 2AM before I forced myself to fall out for the night. Yes, I love this CD. Long time fans of Green Day will be surprised at how different a sound this is for the trio, but at its heart it still beats Green. Besides, this type of thing is typical of almost all Green Day CD’s, just in smaller doses. While the airwaves are being pounded with music that is overly self indulgent, Green Day have delivered to us some questions to answer. Mainly what the fuck have we done to ourselves, why have we put our guard down and let the wrong people steer the ship into the abyss, and what are we going to (or are even able to) do about it for the sake of tomorrow? The album is filled with catchy tunes and is delivered in rock opera format. What I mean by this is that there are 18 original tracks, but there are often songs within songs (think Panic Song from Insomniac). GD have a keen ability to stack songs, one building on the momentum of the previous, and keeping the early tracks still relevant when you reach the last track. So when you find one song that you cant get out of your head, resist the temptation of buying the single and download the whole thing. It is album rock at it’s finest. If you crave old style Green Day, meaning 3-4 minute high energy songs, you will have a few tracks to keep you satisfied until you wrap your head around the newer sound. This album is a 5/5. I’m glad it’s good, now I can put my copy of Franz Ferdinand “Tonight” on the shelf for a minute while I listen to 21st Century Breakdown ad nauseum. Green Day will be touring this fall, and of course Benchwarmers will have the best seats just for you. One final note. Keep your fingers crossed that if this does become a real rock opera, Zach Effron will not be cast to play the lead. I’ve had it with that BS.

Last season Major League Baseball implemented a new rule, one that was long overdue and much needed. That rule involves the use of video replay to determine if a home run is legit or not. Baseball has been around forever, and video replay has been around all my life (I’m 37). They finally decided to get with the modern times and put it into play. During the Pirates/Cardinals game at PNC Park in Pittsburgh last evening it proved a good move. In the first inning of the game last evening Adam LaRoche hit a shot to right field that was called a homer on the field by 2 umpires. The shot was in question and went to crew chief Randy Marsh (no, not Stan’s dad from South Park) for review. It was then determined that the ball struck the railing above the 21 foot wall in right field, which is IN PLAY. LaRoche was then givin the verdict of a ground rule double. The umpires went right to the call, and it took just a couple of minutes to determine. Well done MLB, now PLEASE use this same technology to determine wether or not SS/2B are actually touching the base when they turn double plays (see my gripe about this here).

Ex-Pistons coach Chuck Daly passed away on Saturday 5/9 and left a world of basketball fans saddened. I for one am not a basketball fan, but I was sad to hear of the passing. The Nasty Boys that Coach Daly took to the NBA Finals and won in 1989 and 1990 felt Chuck was more than a coach, he was an icon. As he stood on the sidelines with those Pistons teams with larger than life characters on it, he demanded the best of everyone. Dennis Rodman said on Howard Stern this week that Chuck was more like a father to him than a coach. Rodman also cited how Chuck would let the guys be who they were, as long as they did their job at the highest level possible. Coach Daly also coached the original Dream Team to a Gold Medal in the 1992 Olympic games in Barcelona. Widely considered the best ambassador the game of basketball has ever seen, Chuck Daly was 78 when he passed away in Jupiter, FL. Based on everything I have ever heard or read about him, he was everything you could ask for in a coach/mentor. He demanded respect, was compassionate to his players, and was the best at what he did when he did it. Not only did the basketball community lose a great coach, but the world lost a great person. RIP coach.

So Brett Favre says he is staying retired. BS! Inside sources in Minnesota have said that Brett had his x-rays sent to the Vikings medical staff for evaluation. Basically they are trying to see if Brett can be effective without surgery. Maybe he needs to see Manny’s doctor to square him up. If the past is any indicator then Brett will say nothing until late June/early July when he has had enough of being a regular guy. Who can fault him? Being a regular guy sucks, and if someone is willing to toss you the ball then you play. It is unlike the scenario in Pittsburgh a few years back when Jim Kelly was retired for a full season when rumors went around that he was going to comeback and be a hometown hero. That same rumor happened with Marino when he called it quits. The difference is that they were fully away from the game. Brett is just in the offseason. If he does not come back this year I would say the odds are pretty good he is done, but not 100%. My guess will be that if he is cleared he will become the nightmare of Cheeseheads worldwide as he gears up in the hated purple uni’s. Stay tuned to this blog for the latest Favre rumors and news. I want him to come back for reasons I stated in my previous entry. GO GET EM BRETT!!!!!!

Clutch Cargo’s is an old church converted into a club/concert venue, its capacity is limited but it’s intimate and you are about 150 feet or so from the stage when standing at the back.  The balcony wraps around the inside of the venue looking down on the stage and crowd, I was standing at the back and still had a clear view of the stage.  There were two bars, all beers were $5 which wasn’t too bad for a concert, considering your there for the music!  Staff were courteous and even let me go outside to hand tickets for my friends who decided to arrive late.

Franz Ferdinand rocked (I know it’s chliche’ ; but it’s true!)  lead singer Alex Kapranos vocals were just as if you were listening to one of their C.D’s a great selection of songs from their first two album’s along with  some great new tracks from their latest one “Tonight”.  My favourites on the night were “Bite Hard”, “Ulssyes”,  “No you girls”, “What she came for”, “This Boy”,  along with the ever popular “Do you want to” and  “Take me out”.  These blokes are what Brit Rock is all about, their energy on stage (especially the bouncing Kapranos!) was awesome and they really engaged with the crowd, a fantastic live act.

I will definitely watch these guys again live…they’re the business.

(Reported by Benchwarmers Tickets reporter Neil Allmark)

Prior to the Mets/Pirates game on Saturday 5/9/09, Howard Stern show producer Gary “Baba Booey” Dell’Abate threw out the first pitch, sort of. Gary had been hyping up this appearance for weeks, going as far as to get advice from a sports psychologist, and spending countless hours practicing his big moment. Baba Booey who is a huge Mets fan, emphasized how important this was to him since all of Stern nation was ready to tune in to the pre game event. He took the mound and opted not to do a full wind up, despite being told that it may help him relax and get lost in the moment by comedian Artie Lange. It looked as if the invisible man stopped his arm from moving forward as he flung the ball about 7 feet to the third base side of the catcher. The umpire had to grab the ball to keep it from rolling to the backstop. I’m confused for 2 reasons; 1 is that Baba Booey did not grow up in the Nintendo Generation, and baseball was king in his youth. I’m sure he played baseball all summer long as a kid, even if it was not on an official team. and 2) Gary is often referred to as a chimp, and I thought all Simian’s had it in their DNA to fling poo, and should have been a good building block for the event. Either way, it was a complete disaster for Gary and he has been getting hammered on the air all day. See the video below:

BABA BOOEY AND HIS FIRST PITCH

Green Day is about to release their latest musical adventure 21st Century Breakdown (their 8th) this upcoming week. I am a huge fan of the trio, and at each new release I think I have outgrown and moved on from them, yet I find myself listening to every word like a mental patient. From the list of song titles they will be attacking the religious right that has been able to put a strangle hold on American progress in the last 8 years. Gone are the days of W and his stripping of civil liberties and privacy and in are the warm and fuzzy feelings of togetherness and hope with Obama. So that leaves nothing else to attack except the fundi’s. Sure they could attack the economy, but then it would be hypocritical to attack the lint in pockets when they are charging for their music. I have heard nothing from the new venture except the Enemy track that is getting play on Sirius (I heard it on Howard Stern). The melody reminds me of something from Nimrod, which is the best Green Day CD  IMO. I did not like American Idiot the first time I heard it, but by the 500th time it ranks right up there with the most relevant and poignant collection of songs I have ever heard. I have always enjoyed Billy Joe’s use of words, as I am a huge lyric fan. I guess this is why I have zero time for the likes of Britney or Aerosmith. There’s just no depth there. The boys plan on following up their release with a tour that will hit all major cities. I would say it is definitely worth the money to go. I have seen them 7 times and each time I enjoy the show. There are certain elements that seem canned, but the music is good and BJ is the ultimate showman. Once the CD comes out I’ll give it a listen or two (or 500) and then report more. I have moved on musically since American Idiot, but I feel that I am going to be drawn back in despite the fact I feel like an old man who is trying to remain relevant by listening to what the kids like.

If you believe what people say, Manny in particular, then you know that he is the innocent victim in this latest MLB drug suspension. According to Manny, his Miami based doctor prescribed this banned substance to him for a legitimate medical problem. No one likes being accused of something they did not do. Like that time I hit Robert Ward in the head with a C battery for chasing me around the yard singing the Butterball Turkey song in 1979, or the time I was accused of putting meatloaf behind the entertainment center because I did not want to eat it back in 1984, or the time I had to explain why Jeff Assenmacher and I ordered 50 Marcos Pizzas and had them sent to Matt Smiths office during Senior Project in 1990. Problem is I did all of those things despite my protests to the contrary. IF Manny is innocent, then he needs to do the following for himself; file a lawsuit against the doctor. If he sees a doctor then the doctor surely knows exactly what are and what are not banned substances. Yet the doctor gave it to him anyway. He then took the substance, because he trusted the doctor. This mistake is going to cost Manny 8 million dollars, and someone needs to be held responsible. So, file a lawsuit for lost wages based upon neglect of the doctor. Do this and I will maybe believe you are an innocent victim, if not then just shut up and take your punishment like the roid head that we already know you are.

Here I thought the best drama on TV came from the Mitchell’s on Eastenders, little did I know that old #4 had a knife in his pocket the whole time. I know a few Packers fans, and I have a ton of respect for them. I liken them to my fellow Steelers fans, true to the bitter end. So I tried to imagine seeing Big Ben in a Ravens uniform (sorry Brown’s fans you are more pitied than hated), and it would take more than a glass of Miloko with knives to sharpen me up after that blow. So let me say for the record that if Brett does sign with the Vikings you have my sympathy. It would not just be Brett going to play for the most hated enemy, but he would be packing up and taking all of his Packer memories with him. He would go from being a man who could be the elected God of Green Bay to being banned from the state of Wisconsin altogether. How could any self respecting Packer fan ever forgive him? I’m still pissed off at Rod Woodson for picking the Cardinals in XLIII and will not go to his Hall of Fame induction because of this. But the Packers misery could spell the biggest bit of drama the NFL has ever seen. Plaxico shooting himself, Vick’s Dog-Gate, and Ray Lewis being in the wrong place at the wrong time (lol) would be a battle royal of jobbers in comparison to Brett’s main event. Two times this season a regular season game may come as close to a Super Bowl audience as the NFL will ever get. Could you imagine if the playoffs were on the line for these two teams when they meet? Or if they BOTH made the playoffs and Brett had to stroll into Lambeau in January? My God! Packers fans, I feel your pain but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I want to see come to pass. I believe in Karma, and I am sure now that Ben will be taking snaps somewhere else one day, but I will cross that bridge when I come to it. For now I will enjoy what is to follow.

The BRAND NEW Flight of the Conchords CD should be released this fall. Currently, new songs are available on the iTunes Store, but no official CD yet. If the past is any indicator the new CD will come out this fall, just before the Season 2 DVD and Season 3 starts on HBO. If you need any more info you can check out their page on MySpace here, and get your tickets to see them live here. It is money well spent.

The new tell all book by SI writer Selena Roberts (A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez) came out this week and it is stirring the already muddled pot of rumors and insinuations. The book dives into the life of Alex Rodriguez, including his steroid use and personality flaws. I was listening to Mad Dog Radio yesterday on Sirius Satellite Radio, and they were discussing the process of writing these unauthorized bios. They made a good point that you really need two corraborating stories in order to take a point to print. 1) the story itself, and 2) some other source to back up the point of view. This book is filled with one sided views, much like this blog. With that being said, it still does very little to make Alex seem like someone you would sit at Starbucks with and talk about the state of the world. The court of public opinion seems to have decided it’s verdict, even before this book hit the shelves. It calls A-Rod out for using steroids in high school, talks about how he is always seeking approval from team mates and coaches, and points out that he is very robotic in the way in which he talks through you, not to you. If you believe in John Connor then you may believe he actually is a robot, and although he is often referred to as one of the most attractive people on Earth he is no Summer Glau. No wonder Madonna found it so easy to drag him off to Temple, he is programmed to please. I bet A-Rod was sent back through time by a Red Sox fan to destroy the Yankees from within. At the end of the day it is fascinating to read about a guy who seemingly has it all, yet is disliked by almost everyone, even staunch Yankee supporters. Let’s see if it affects his on field performance when he returns from injury this season.

The elected officials are once again beating the war drums, and this time they smell blood. Is it Al-Queda? Perhaps it is Korea or Afganisthan, maybe they are finally fed up with Canada and their excess snow in the winter months. No, all wrong. It is the BCS (Bowl Championship Series). This isn’t the first time in recent memory they have dipped their collective toes into the sporting pool, remember steroids in baseball. I guess all of the world’s problems have been solved. Normally I would flip out on such a thing being tinkered with by the gub-mint, but this time I agree. The BCS is not a very fair way to determine a champion, as almost always there is a team or two that are outside looking in. Also, what about Boise State or Utah in the past? Do they not deserve at least a shot? Congress is saying that if the current system stays in place, then you can not call the BCS Championship a title game since there is no playoff system. Universities say that it would hurt the student-athletes. I love when the top dogs in the NCAA get all Ivy League on all of us. Let’s face it, they are athlete-students first and foremost. If the sport the play (the single sport that supports 90% of all other programs at the Universities) ceased to make money, it would cease to be. Who cares if the Peach Bowl, the Chik-Fil-A Bowl or the Motor City Bowl ceased to exist? I suggest that you have a 10 team tournament. Here is how it would work: There would be 6 AUTOMATIC BIDS FOR WINNING YOUR CONFERENCE that would cover the ACC, Big 12, Big 10, Big East, Pac 10 and SEC. The final 4 bids would come from Conference USA, Mid American, Mountain West and WAC winners. I know this freezes out the Indies and the Sun Belt but those guys should be forced to merge or join up with other conferences. Yes Notre Dame, stop being so F’N greedy and get with the new way. As a reward for being the #1 & #2 ranked teams at season end you would get a first round bye. Then #10 would play #3, #9 would play #4, #8 would play #5, and #7 would play #6. After this first round the #1 would get the current lowest seed and #2 would get the next lowest. Standard tourney set up. Just see the NFL structure if you are confused. These games could be played at bowl sites or at home stadiums of the teams involved. Then we would have a HUGE emphasis on conference play, and everyone is invited to the dance. There could also be some qualifiers put in play in case a team wins the MAC at 5-7, then an at large could be chosen based on the current ranking system. Anyway you slice it BCS committee, you ALWAYS lose when you battle Uncle Sam and his blue hair henchmen. Kiss your archaic way of doing business bye bye, but PLEASE don not insult us by saying that it is for the best interest of the students.

These are dangerous times we live in, nothing sacred is safe. With this latest media sensationalized hyped up to scare you into submission pandemic, touching is now off limits. After all, you never know who may carry the swine flu. It’s scary outside your front door, and if you believe Fox News you know full well that the average American is far too stupid to exercise good judgement when faced with a hacking cough and 110 degree fever. You know who you are. On deaths doorstep with the reaper peeking through the blinds, yet you still muster up the strength to go to a concert or sporting event. Well shame on you average American, shame on you. You are putting the rest of us at risk of this new black plague. So now what? We have all been there before, a walk off home run, a last second field goal, an encore of your favorite song by that one band you can’t do without. Keep this in mind however, when one of those things happen do not belly bump, do not high five, do not fist bump. I am looking out for you all. I have invented a new way to celebrate at events. First off, you clap and scream. Then you look at the person next to you and politely nod, then rub your belly (signifying your appreciation for the moment), then wink to show you are in the know about what you are doing. This will take the nation by storm. The world is lost however, since the French will never surrender the double cheek kiss when greeting one another. PHILISTINES! If you decide that this is all too much, then please do not leave the house. Watch Fox News and email me cdandino@bex.net when the next big scary thing breaks. I heard a rumor that Al-Queda is going to hijack a plane filled with Anthrax, with men who are infected with the swine flu (even terrorists can use irony since Muslims don’t eat pork) and they are going to fly it into our water supply, then use a Korean made vaporizer to make the most deadly strain airborn. STAY INDOORS, unless you are like me and do not want to live in a world that uses fear as a weapon, even on it’s own citizens.

Much like the rest of American boys who grew up in the 70’s & 80’s, I played baseball. From a very early age, I was coached on how to play the game properly with an emphasis on rules and fundementals. This is my point of contention with how MLB is being handled in this era. Sure baseball has bigger fish to fry with the whole steroid thing, but that issue is not directly related to the rules of the game. That is more of an issue involving staying healthy over a season that seems to go on forever. My problem is with the execution of the rules during a game. In specific I want to refer to the Pirates Vs Reds game at PNC Park last night (5/1/09) and a play that occurred in the bottom of the 8th inning. The Reds 2nd baseman flips a ball that Delwynn Young chopped to him, and SS Alex Gonzales gets the ball to turn a 4-6-3 DP. However, when Gonzales gets the ball he does not even come close to touching 2nd base before throwing the ball to 1st for the DP. This is not an isolated incident, I have seen this same thing play out hundreds of times the last few seasons. If I remember correctly you MUST touch the base to get the force out, otherwise it is NOT AN OUT. It is AGAINST THE RULES. For God sake, the word BASE is in the name of the sport to illustrate just how important it is. If we are going to work on a theory that there is some imaginary force field around the base then we need to eliminate the bases alltogether and have holograms on the field. In this instance however, the hologram would have been missed as well. Why do the umpires not enforce this rule? The following is from the Official MLB Rule Book : “This is known as a “force out at 2nd” situation. If this is the case,  the second baseman only has to tag the base before the runner arrives, rather than tag the runner.” OK, so if you do not tag the base with mitt or foot, NO OUT. Mr. Selig, you are the WORST commissioner the league has ever seen. You do nothing to better the delivery of the game. You are just another example of a fat cat getting by on the past performances of your product. No wonder tons of kids could care less these days. The worst part about the whole thing is the Pirates announcers did not even mention it even though they showed the replay several times. I guess it is just expected. This would NEVER happen in the J-League, the last spot on Earth where the rules of the game are revered. See the VIDEO of the play here

I was trying to figure out what to blog about this fine Friday and I have my topic, my all time favorite Steeler (sorry Mr Lambert). While watching TMZ last night they had Hines Ward leaving the airport. My wife made the comment that he looked like he was 25 lbs heavier than last season. I then reminded her that Hines is still not able to work out since having his shoulder repaired in early February. He is on a fast track to recovery as we speak. Knowing the true professional that Hines is I have no doubt he will be back in ‘09 and ready to break the “Hines Ward Rule” the NFL implemented after crybaby Keith Rivers had his jaw broken at Paul Brown Stadium last season. I am bummed out that there is a new rule in place, taking the game one step closer to a yellow flag on each hip with no contact allowed. Back when Dick Butkus played, they would have gone shirtless and played on gravel, but this is not the fate of the current NFL athlete. Granted, the investment in each player is much more now than back then, but it still chaps my ass. Hines signed a contract for 5.8 million, and the average for a player in 1960 was 17,500. That would make Hines Ward higher paid than the whole 52 man roster of the Steelers that year. I get why they are being an over protective mommy with the players, once again I don’t like it. NFL players know exactly what they are facing when they suit up. I would rather see them adjust the amount of guaranteed money and leave the game itself alone. This way if a guy gets his career cut short he will still have a nestegg to fall back on, and the fans will not have to see a game filled with yield signs. I would bet more guys get hurt having to pull back the throttle than did by playing the game hard and fast. I bet if you ask Rivers he was trying to destroy Parker on the play. Go get em Hines, jaws were made to be broken.

The Steelers were in the position of envy in this years draft, picking last. As you all know that means another Super Bowl Title for the Black and Gold. There are a few positions that need addressing, but none of them immediate. Unlike any other team in the NFL the Steelers have a keen ability to pick guys up who are impact players in later rounds (LaMarr Woodley), or off of practice squads (James Harrison). However, nothing is a glamorous as the first pick in the draft. The Steelers have 2 effective, yet aging defensive ends, which is where Ziggy is slotted to be a player. He is currently behind LDE Aaron Smith and RDE Brett Keisel on the depth chart. Given a couple of years to grow into the system, learn the speed of the game and the scheme of madness the Steelers use, Ziggy could be a great DE in the NFL. At 6′4″, 295 LBS Zig should be a very athletic option on 3rd down, or when the Steelers are stacking the line in an obvious run situation. For DE I don’t care to see how fast their 40 time is. I am concerned with 3 factors; 1) the # of bench presses they do (Zig put up 34, the 4th highest amount) 2) what level of competition he played against (Big 12, the closest NCAA conference that most resembles the NFL) and 3) durability (he started 32 of 48 games at Mizzou). All of these factors I belive make Zig the perfect fit in Pittsburgh. Can you imagine sitting at Heinz Field and chanting “ZIGGY, ZIGGY, ZIGGY” after he dumps Flacco for a huge sack? I can, and I hope I get to scream those words this year as the Steelers look to grab a 7th Super Bowl ring in ‘09.

We Americans are obsessed with how we look. Just take a look at the staggering numbers of dollars that are spent at health clubs, dietary supplements and surgeries (even in this down economy) to see my point. With that being said I am here to present the other side of the story. This is written for my blogs biggest fan Pittsburgh Steeler ILB Larry Foote. I have been all shapes and sizes since I quit playing ball a number of years ago. Even when I was a svelt 155 lbs in 1998, I had love handles albeit much smaller than my current middle age form. I have grown over the years to embrace this shape I’m in. I have had 2 knee surgeries that have kept me off of my feet for weeks on end, and the knee arthritis in my family did not skip over me. Thanks granny & pa, although I would have preferred the white Lincoln Mark IV instead. The other day I was carrying in a grocery bag(s) and trying to open the front door at the same time. Instead of putting the bags down I simply rested them on my love handles and was able to multi task no problem. Thank you couch! I also was in the loo trying to see if the spot on my lower back was still there, and instead of disrobing completely I simply pulled my shirt forward. I draped it over my “ledges” (not lumps Fergie, take that) and spun around for a nice view of the spot. Yep, still there. So with all this being said I guess my point is to work with what you have. Sure the body is a temple, but not all temples are the Taj Mahol, some are backwoods sheds waiting for nature to reclaim them.

Say it aint so Larry. How could it be possible that you want out? Never mind, I know already. Two words for you all; Lawrence Timmons. The Steelers first round draft pick in 2007 (1st round #15 selection) has FINALLY proven he is ready to be a full time backer in the curtain. Funny that the Steelers also nabbed LaMarr Woodley that same draft in the 2nd round (#46 selection). They have a keen ability to spot guys who others have passed by. As far as Foote goes, I am sure he sees the writing on the wall in regards to his playing time. He saw his time reduced this past year, and the likelihood of him remaining a starter is up for debate. He is from the Metro Detroit area, and wants to return home to finish out his career. I understand these things and will hold no grudge, unless he hurts Big Ben when they meet in week 5 at Ford Field. Him wanting to depart is a bit different than when O’Donnell left after Super Bowl XXX, or Yancy Thigpen shortly thereafter. Those were moves of greed, Larry’s would be a move of self preservation. So Larry, if you read this (I heard through the grapevine he loves my blogs and is anxious to read my blog on the benefits of love handles) best of luck. You may return home, but 15 years from now you will be remembered as a Steeler. Just like Greg Lloyd, Kendrell Bell and Kevin Greene before you.

I only know a handful of people who are not feeling the crunch of the economy right now. For that matter, I also only know a few auto workers and they are all still employed. This whole thing with the failing economy, or the concept of the economy in general seems to be something created in the minds of man. Regardless, as a whole we should all be spending more responsibly. I have nothing against a man who delivers Marco’s pizza for a living, work is work. But that same guy doesn’t need to live in a 500K house. If he did buy one, shame on him and the banks for allowing it to happen. So that brings me to my point about responsibly spending. Gas is a bit more reasonable and this summer will be the return of the road trip. Will you be sharing the road with a Thompson-esque red face? Maybe, but I would bet you will be on the road nonetheless. We are just in post stadium boom era, and there are some gems worth seeing. The first one comes to mind is PNC park in Pittsburgh. Great seats can be had for far less than the likes of the new Yankee Stadium, and the city of Pittsburgh has some great family fun stuff to check out. Let’s say you are going to do a weekend roadie with family or friends and are going to visit the 3 Rivers city. You could drive there from anywhere in Ohio, Michigan, Eastern PA, Kentucky, West Virginia or Maryland in less than 8 hours or so. Once you get there you could find a cheaper hotel out in Robinson (by the PITT Airport) and have a ton of choices for shopping and eats. You would be just 25 minutes from downtown and lots of free things to do. You could visit the Strip District, which is a large outdoor open air market and gathering place. It is a nice slice of life in Western PA, and you could easily kill a whole day without spending a lot of cash. You could also check out the South Shore and visit Station Square. There are indoor shops, and lots of outdoor fun for kids and adults alike. There is sometimes live music, and the view is amazing right on the river. If you do make your way over to the north shore for the game you may be distracted by the kayak rental right outside the stadium. An amazing retreat on a nice summer day. As for PNC, it is as beautiful stadium as I have ever seen, with the city skyline visible over the right field wall and a sight to behold. Last summer I took my nephew, and after we took cover due to a HUGE thunder storm, we got to take in some nice baseball with the Bucs and Rays. It was so surreal as the evening rolled in, and the sun put it’s last bit of energy into creating the most incredible rainbow that went over the downtown buildings. My favorite memory of last summer. The rainbow was free. Going on a weekend or a vacation is about 50% the event itself, and 50% the memories you know you will be bringing back with you. Special moments can happen anywhere, not just in Hawaii.

I will start off by saying that I do in fact like the Conchords, they are just my 3rd favorite novelty band. If I am ranking them in order, I have to go 1) Tenacious D , 2) The Mighty Boosh , 3) Flight of the Conchords. I put the D at the top because how can you have a list and not include the mad talented Jack Black at the top of the list? They are the modern day trailblazers for the genre. I guess the Smothers Brothers started it all off, and I am sure I am leaving out other names, but for me it starts with JB and the D. I love musical comedy, and if you have musical talent and a funny concept you may be sitting on a legion of fans and a stack of cash before you know it. All 3 musical novelty groups listed are very entertaining, and very talented. As for the Conchords show, I was extremely pleased with how good the show was, how tight the music was and how engaging the guys are. There were funny comments throughout the night but my favorite was the following; Brett: “This (Fox Theatre) is the most beautiful place we have ever played”  Jemaine: “Yes, and after driving around Detroit earlier I see that you spent all of your money on this place” . The guys came out in Robot suits and I was excited because Robots is my favorite FoC song, but they went into “Too Many Dicks on the Dance Floor”. They then went into accoustic songs and played mostly things from the new season, but peppered in some classics. They did play “Alfie the Racist Dragon” which made me happy. I could only imagine what the workers at the Fox who may not have known the FoC thought about the show. I saw some puzzled looks for sure. They answered questions that were shouted from the crowd improptu and when someone screamed out “who like to rock the party?” they quickly went into a nice version of We Like to Rock the Party. Off the cuff, but I am sure that gets shouted out at most shows they do and were well prepared to do it. Overall the show made me like them more, especially Jemaine. In the show he seems like such a pathetic excuse for a man, and I realize it is just acting, a fact they pointed out when someone yelled “Where’s Murray?”, but live Jemaine is the front man. Would I see them again? Absolutely. I would also recommend ANYONE spend the money and go see them, it was a great night out with the wife. Which brings me to my point about the FoC. Thy are Tenacios D toned down enough to attract the female demo. It was 60/40 Women to Men in the crowd. They are geared towards women, but still funny enough for guys to enjoy them thoroughly. Go see them!!!!!

So Mr. Dumars, why exactly was Iverson a better fit for the team than Chauncy Billups? And while you are at it, why was Darko a better draft pick than Carmello Anthony? Never mind, it is time to start golfing as your Pistons were quickly a first round afterthought for the Cavalaiers and LeBron. I don’t watch full NBA games, I only know what I see on ESPN News, but that is enough to know that the Cavs have a fast track to the NBA Finals. In the East especially. The Cavs are heads and shoulders above anyone that may threaten their representing in the Finals. Without KG the Celtics have a small chance, but the Bulls are giving them all they can handle right now. I would be shocked in the Finals did not showcase the Lakers/Nuggets Vs the Cavaliers for the trophy. The NBA brass must be salivating at the possibility of seeing the ratings after a back and forth Game 1 Final. This is all on paper of course, they play the games for a reason, but even Jose Feliciano can see the writing on the wall.

My wife and I are fans of musical comedies like Tenacious D, Mighty Boosh and the Conchords so when we saw they were coming to Detroit we had to be there. First of all, I-75 is a WRECK so if you are going to Detroit from south of Monroe, MI be prepared to be frustrated. As for the Fox Theatre, what a beutiful venue that is. Built as a movie house and restored by the Illich group, it is a diamond in the rough. And take a wrong turn trying to find the place and you will find a new definition for the word rough. Eugene Mirman (Conchords, delocated, etc) opened up. I am not a huge fan of his style of comedy, and his mic was set for music volume so it sounded like he was putting an explanation point after every word. Still, not half bad. Then Brett and Jemain came out to a deafening roar. They were great. They definitely have a stage presence and are very competant musicians. They played for about 2 hours and were very engaging the whole time. My only complaint is that they did not play enough from season 1 of the show, and I thought season 2 was not as good as 1. Regardless, it was a fun night out with my poor wife who got home at midnight, then had to get up at 4:30 AM today to drive to Columbus for work. Oooooh, and the fight we had while trying to find 75 South was epic, but that is a tale not to be shared. Suffice it to say that there is some great comedy there after all sides have cooled down. We are both evil underneath.

I am sure I will change my tune after the draft comes and goes, but I feel that Vick would fit in Detroit. Here’s why: 1) he is a proven commodity, the man can still play and his once raw athletic abilities are more than likely now matched with a level of humbleness and maturity that wasn’t there previously 2)Matthew Stafford is not worthy of the #1 overall, as a matter of fact no QB this year is 3)he will be on the cheap once he gets reinstated 4)We all LOVE a great comeback story and finally 5)he was punished way too severly. I love animals just like the next guy, I’ve been a vegetarian for a long time now, but he was treated as an example, and no one deserves that. Kind of like the first kid in a family of many gets treated the hardest.  listnuDetroiLin FC, do not draft Matthew Stafford, appeal to Mr. Goodell and get Vick in camp because he still has at least 5 more years in him.

The Detroit Lions potential first draft pick isn’t the only thing making headlines in the Motor City these days. The Lions have revealed a new “fierce” logo. Will it make the difference? Let’s look at how a logo change affected other teams around the league. The Denver Broncos changed their logo for the 1997 season, moving away from the Orange Crush Bronco-D to the current uniforms. Their record in 1996 was 13-3, and in 1997 they went 12-4 and won a Super Bowl. The Cincinnati Bengals changed their logo from the block text “Bengals” to the current Bengal Stripes in 1981. We will use that date as the helmet made a jump in design that year, and although the uniform has been tweaked a few times since, this is the date of the dramatic change. In 1980 the Bengals finished 6-10, in 1981 they went 12-4 and nearly missed winning a Super Bowl if it were not for Joe Montana and the 49ers. The Patriots had their change in 1996, moving away from the hiking Pat on white, to the robotic looking Pat on Silver. Their record in 1995 was 6-10 and in 1996 they went 11-5, and lost the Super Bowl to the Packers. The Atlanta Falcons made their change in 2003. Sure they switched from a red helmet to a black helmet in 1990, but the logo changed for the first time in team history in 2003. They went black on black, with an “in flight” Falcon. The record in 2002 9-6-1, and followed that up with a 5-11 2003. Finally, the Tennessee Titans changed names and logos. In 1998 they were the Oilers fresh off the move from Houston, and went 8-8. In 1999, they were the Titans and went 13-3 and lost the Super Bowl to the Rams. I am sure these facts did not pass the brass in Detroit without notice. I am not suggesting a logo change alone will fix the problem, but much like anything new it rejuvenates and inspires. For the sake of Detroit, let’s hope the Lions can restore the roar at Ford Field.

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The NFC North is the most wide open of all divisions in football. The Vikings were a soft touch in the playoffs last year, and still have no answer at QB, the Packers were searching for a post-Favre identity, the Bears are a hot and cold team that mostly stays cold, and the Lions are well….the Lions. So let us start with them:

4) Detroit Lions (2008 Record 0-16) 2009 Draft Position #1 & #20: The Lions can feel confident in the fact that there is nowhere to go but up. After becoming the first team in the league to finish winless, the Lions will have alot of work to do to get the pride back. Scouts seem impressed with Matthew Stafford, even though Lions fans have started hate sites for this guy. I would think that the Lions could get inspiration from the Falcons, who went from a very damaging loss of the star QB to a team who was in the playoffs, and looked pretty good doing it. Last year they drafted a QB and OL so I hope the Lions do the same. I expect them to select Matthew Stafford QB Georgia with the first pick, and Michael Oher OT Mississippi with the #20 pick.

3) Green Bay Packers (2008 Record 6-10) 2009 Draft Position #9: For me this one is a simple pick, Malcolm Jenkins CB Ohio State. When you get a CB with this type of ability made available to you you take him. These guys don’t come around as often as LB, DE or QB. I would expect the pack to grab this explosive athlete and start relying more on the defense and special teams to win games.

2) Chicago Bears (2008 Record 9-7) 2009 Draft Position #18: This is a tough one to pick. They are in a position where all of the top QB’s will be gone, and taking Josh Freeman QB from Kansas State could be a stretch in the first round. I would give Kyle Orton one more year with a recveiver he can build some trust with. I believe that guy will be Hakeem Nicks WR North Carolina. If Orton does not work out there will be the same quality QB’s coming out in next years draft. Also, Jay Cutler is available for trade……

1) Minnesota Vikings (2008 Record 10-6) 2009 Draft Position #22: The Vikings find themselves in the same boat as the Bears. They are a team that still has questions at QB, but by the time their pick comes up in the first round, all of the first round worthy picks at the position will be gone. So, with that being said I can see them taking the fallen Andre Smith OT Alabama. He was once considered a top 5 pick, but his stock has fallen as he has proven in his workouts to be out of shape and not ready to start in the league straight away. The Vikings can add a potentially top lineman to their roster who can have the freedom to get into top game condition while he rotates in and out of an already solid line.

The NFC West is a division that should be much more competitive this year. The Seahawks were oft injured, the Rams were too old, the niners were too young and the Cardinals took advantage. The Rams have vowed to get younger, let’s see:

4) St. Louis Rams (2008 Record 2-14) 2009 Draft Position #2: This one is easy, the Rams need to replace the departed Orlando Pace. This pick will be Jason Smith OT Baylor.

3) Seattle Seahawks (2008 Record 4-12) 2009 Draft Position #4: After QB Matt Hasselbeck battled injury last season, keeping him healthy is priority #1. I would be shocked if Seattle went anywhere except Eugene Monroe OT Virginia.

2) San Francisco 49ers (2008 Record 7-9) 2009 Draft Position #10: This is another easy one for me to say. The 49ers are serching for that franchise QB, and Mark Sanchez QB USC will be the perfect fit. Already a well known name in the state, he will if nothing else, sell a TON of jerseys. The Niners are a team I can see getting back to playoff contention sooner than later.

1) Arizona Cardinals (2008 Record 9-7) 2009 Draft Position #31: With the likely departure of Anquain Bolden, and a running game that works by platoon these are 2 areas that need attention. The Cards filled a need at CB by picking up free agent Bryant McFadden from the Steelers. I would guess that a logical pick for the cards would be LeSean McCoy RB Pittsburgh.

Ahhh, the disfunctional family we know as the NFC East. With lots of money, power, and bad decision making being the norm, owners in this division know how to entertain. Only problem, owners are not meant to be household names. On with the teams:

4) Washington Redskins (2008 Record 8-8) 2009 Draft Position #13: Firstly, a plea to Daniel Snyder. PLEASE change the name of your team to one that will honor the Native Americans, no more Redskins, bring out the Washington Warriors. OK, now onto the pick. The Skins need help at the DE position now that Jason Taylor has come and gone. When are you guys going to trust the judgement of Bill Parcells???? They will draft Aaron Maybin DE Penn State.

3) Dallas Cowboys (2008 Record 9-7) 2009 Draft Position #NO PICK. Yes, the Cowboys are helping the Lions reload just like the Vikings helped them with the Herschel Walker deal. Lions fans are saluting you as we speak Mr Jones.

2) Philadelphia Eagles (2008 Record 9-6-1) 2009 Draft Position #21 & #28: The Eagles will strengthen their running game with the 21st pick taking Donald Brown RB UCONN, and with the 28th selection they will take Eben Britton OT Arizona to help Donovan McNabb get proper time in the pocket.

1) New York Giants (2008 Record 12-4) 2009 Draft Position #29: The Giants need a move away from Plaxico ASAP and to help them get over this will be Kenny Britt WR Rutgers. He is big, strong, and fast so he will be able to make similar catches to what Plax did, but without the attitude and poor judgement.

The NFC South was a fun division to watch last year. It had great stories with the play of it’s teams and players. This is a shoot out division that loves to score points. Will one of the teams stand firm and field a solid defense? Let’s see:

4) New Orleans Saints (2008 Record 8-8) 2009 Draft Position #14: The Saints, much like the rest of the division could use some new blood on Defense. I would expect the Saints to draft Rey Mauluga LB USC.

3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2008 Record 9-7) 2009 Draft Position #19: The Bucs used to be a team that was known for a staunch D, but those days have slowly slipped away. In a pass happy division I would want a solid secondary. I would expect the Bucs to draft Vontae Davis CB Illinois.

2) Atlanta Falcons (2008 Record 11-5) 2009 Draft Position #24: The Falcons are a team that has moved on from the dead weight and looked great last season. I would give Matt Ryan as many weapons as allowed by rules. With that being said I would add dual threat Brandon Pettigrew TE Oklahoma State.

1) Carolina Panthers (2008 Record 12-4) 2009 Draft Position #NO PICK: The Panthers pick is being used by the Eagles. The Panthers are pretty solid as is, we’ll see if they can build on last year’s success.

With the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals in a perpetual rebuilding phase, the North has become yearly dogfight between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. Those who know always say that you should build your team to win your division, since that is the sure way to make the playoffs. I will keep that in mind as I try to figure out who each team needs to take a step forward. Let’s start at the bottom and work upwards:

4) Cleveland Browns (2008 Record 4-12) 2009 Draft Position #5: This is a tough one, because they were right on the brink 2 years ago, and have since tumbled back to Earth. Last time I checked, you can’t select heart in the NFL Draft. I would draft a QB if this were the type of class that compared to the Manning/Rivers/Roethlisberger class, but sadly this class more resembles the Alex Smith class. Let’s be honest here, Brady Quinn just isn’t the real deal. It’s always a safe bet to draft a lineman, for any team, you simply cannot have enough on either side of the ball. So with that being said I would take Brian Orakpo DE TEXAS to help bolster a defense that has been lacking the “fear factor” needed to put pressure on opposing offenses. These types of players can usually contribute immediately and the Browns need now.

3) Cincinnati Bengals (2008 Record 4-11-1) 2009 Draft Position #6: Another redheaded step child of the AFC North, the Bengals were also right on the cusp a few years ago. Unlike the Browns who threw in the towel, the Bengals have given good efforts in their losses and may be just a few tweaks here or there from being a playoff contender. That all starts with putting some heat on the 2 stars of your division (Flacco & Big Ben). I have been watching all of the coverage on the D lineman, and a guy who has turned some heads is B.J. Raji NT BC. He is a class guy who would provide immediate help.

2) Baltimore Ravens (2008 Record 11-5) 2009 Draft Position #26: The Ravens find themselves in a position where they really need help in two areas 1) get Flacco a receiver who he can grow with and 2) find a CB to compete in a division that is fast becoming a pass first division. I think the D can work itself out, but Flacco needs another target now. Especially if Jeremy Maclin WR MIZZOU is still out there. There are some exceptional choices in this years draft at the WR spot but I feel Maclin would be able to stand up to the physical play in the North the best. After all, you must be hard as nails to go across the middle in the North.

1) Pittsburgh Steelers (2008 Record 12-4) 2009 Draft Position #32: The Steelers find themselves in a position to not have to draft to fill an immediate need. However, #3 WR Nate Washington left for Tennessee, and CB Bryant McFadden went to Arizona so we will start there. The WR spot will probably be filled in by last year’s pick Limas Sweed. I know people say that he drops too many balls, but all guys do when they are new to the league. Holmes was no star his first year, neither was Hines or Nate. So that makes the need for a DB more pressing. William Gay will likely be decent at CB, he is young and had proper time to learn the scheme in order to ready himself for a starting job. I would say that Ryan Clark is nearly 30 and on the last legs of his contract. That points the draft pick to Sean Smith S UTAH. He is a big, physical guy at just over 6′3″ and 220LBS and would have a bit of time to learn from the master Dick LeBeau.

The AFC West is another division that seems to be there for the taking. The Chargers fought back to make the playoffs last year while the Broncos faded away and cost Mike Shanahan a job. Bringing up the rear were the Chiefs and Raiders. While the Raiders seem to be a ship with no captain, the Chiefs landed both Matt Cassell and Mike Vrabel from the Patriots and look to throw their hat in the ring for 09

4) Kansas City Chiefs (2008 Record 2-14) 2009 Draft Position #3: I’m not sure where to start with the Chiefs. There still should be a stud O lineman available at #3, but the Chiefs lacked game changing ability on Offense last year being pretty enemic. If it were me, I would draft Michael Crabtree WR Texas Tech and open up the offense. He would be a great pairing with Bowe, and Crabtree could start returning punts and kickoffs right away. I bet the Chiefs will be this years most improved team from 2008.

3) Oakland Raiders (2008 Record 5-11) 2009 Draft Position #7: Al Davis makes quirky picks, I believe to show the rest of the league he knows something no one else does. With that being said there is a guy who has all of the elements in a WR that Al loves; Speed, Size, and Strength. With that being said I think the Raiders will take Darrius Heyward-Bey WR Maryland. Oakland may trade down to get this done, but I think this guy is a better fit in Oakland than any of the other WR on the first round board.

2) Denver Broncos (2008 Record 8-8) 2009 Draft Position #12: Where will Jay Cutler be in 09? I would bet he gets traded pre draft for another QB and perhaps a draft pick. But let’s assume he is staying, and look at the RB problem last year in Denver. I think that Knowshon Moreno RB Georgia will still be on the board at 12 and will be hard for the Broncos to pass on.

1) San Diego Chargers (2008 Record 8-8) 2009 Draft Position #16: Lt is staying in SD. I think it was a mistake to keep him around. He cannot stay healthy and Sproles in no way can be an every down back. So for me it is a very easy choice Beanie Wells RB Ohio State.

The AFC East was wildly competitive last season, and I would expect nothing less this year. The Dolphins proved that you can make some small tweaks that have a huge effect on your team. The Pats expect to be back with Tom Brady healthy, and the Jets say bye to the short lived Favre-Era. TO with the Bills should be interesting:

4) Buffalo Bills (2008 Record 7-9) 2009 Draft Position #11: The Bills added depth and play making to their WR corps by snagging T.O. Their immediate need is to bolster the pass rush and this can be greatly improved by getting a good outside linebacker. I would have the Bills draft Brian Cushing OLB USC.

3) New York Jets (2008 Record 9-7) 2009 Draft Position #17: The Jets are in DESPERATE need at QB. Although I feel like it is too high for him to be picked, Josh Freeman QB Kansas State may be a necessary choice.

2) New England Patriots (2008 Record 11-5) 2009 Draft Position #23: The Pats are going to need someone to fill the shoes of departed linebacker Mike Vrabel, so I would expect them to go after another Buckeye James Laurinaitis LB Ohio State.

1) Miami Dolphins (2008 Record 11-5) 2009 Draft Position #25: I would expect to see the Dolphins draft Percy Harvin WR Florida. With the addition of this dynamic player the Dolphins are showing that they are serious about their success over the next several season. With Harvin, Ginn Jr, and Greg Camarillo all on the field expect the Dolphins to put up some points this year.

The AFC South is the most competitive division in the NFL in my opinion. With the Colts & Titans leading the way, the Texans proved they are right there as well. The Jaguars are better than their 2008 record, so we shall see if they can bounce back.

4) Jacksonville Jaguars (2008 Record 5-11) 2009 Draft Position #8: The Jaguars were right there 2 years ago, and had some injury issues in 2008. They are still right there in my opinion. I believe Coach Del Rio will right the ship and bring the Jags back to playoff form. I think the Jags will select Everette Brown DE Florida State to help bolster the D Line.

3) Houston Texans (2008 Record 8-8) 2009 Draft Position #15: The Texans were right there, so they should hate Sage Rosenfels. If Schaub had been healthy all year, they would have snagged a wild card slot for sure. The Offense is set, they need to concentrate on D. I think they will select Aaron Curry LB Wake Forest.

2) Indianapolis Colts (2008 Record 12-4) 2009 Draft Position #27: The Colts need to bolster their pass rush. I would expect them to select Peria Jerry DT Mississippi.

1) Tennessee Titans (2008 Record 13-3) 2009 Draft Position #30: The Titans took care of their receiver situation by signing ex Steeler Nate Washington, so they can focus their efforts on the secondary. I would expect the titans to take a D Back, probably Alphonso Smith CB Wake Forest.

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Although WWE ex wrestler Test is still to undergo an autopsy to determine the official cause of death, it has been reported that he was found next to a combination of steroids and pain killers on the floor. Sad, this is exactly what I thought it was going to be. RIP Test.

This week is the beginning of a month that no sports fan can resist. That’s right, the NCAA Tournament is back for another installment. With the #1 seeds being handed out on Sunday, the brackets have taken full shape and should be an exciting road to the Final Four in Detroit April 4th & 6th.

In the East Regional it looks likely to be a Pit/Duke regional final. Although, I would not be surprised if UCLA gets hot and makes a run at the region championship. This takes place in Boston, at the TD Banknorth Garden on March 26th & 27th.

In the Midwest Regional it looks like Louisville and Kansas in the final there. Again, I would not be surprised if Michigan State or Wake get hot and take the region. This regional takes place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on March 28th & 29th.

In the West Regional it looks to be a showdown between U Conn and Memphis. A team that I can see breaking up this meeting is Missouri. They play in a tough conference and this could be the preparation they need to make a run at the top seeds in the West. This takes place in Glendale, AZ on March 26th & 28th.

In the South Regional I can’t imagine anyone overtaking North Carolina. Although with Syracuse and Oklahoma waiting in the bracket anything is possible. I personally chose NC to win it all, but it was down to them and Oklahoma for me. This regional takes place at Fed Ex Forum in Memphis, TN on March 27th & 29th.

Stay tuned to this blog for tournament updates.

Wow, another ex wrestler found dead. Andrew Martin, who went by the alias Test was found dead in Tampa, FL  on Friday night. He was only 33 years old. It seems that wrestlers are by far the most unstable ex athletes on Earth after they retire. This is a scene we have seen far too many times. The wrestling business model itself is broken, chewing up and spitting out guys like Test all of the time. There has been no official report as to how exactly it happened, but I have my theories. I am often torn when something like this happens because once they leave the WWE they are no longer Vince McMahon’s responsibility……in theory. However, any man who has made millions upon millions on the sweat of these guys hard work should have some compassion for the mental state of the people that have put him in that mansion in Greenwich. Any wrestling fan knows that the in ring persona becomes all that these people know, and the person they were before becomes the alias. Could you imagine calling Brutus Beefcake by his real name Ed Leslie? Neither can he, he’s Brutus. Just like in the case of Test, Andrew Martin was probably gone a long time before the tragedy late Friday night. I know he has been away from the WWE for some time now, but Vince is in the best position to set up a program for these guys to utilize once they are out of the business, it’s the right thing to do. As a fan of the biz, it makes me feel dirty sometimes to feed the beast. There is a cycle here, guy trains, vince hires, fans watch, fans spend, money feeds the company, and so it starts again. I just think there is room on this wheel to add another spoke.

With the 2009 NFL Draft just on the horizon, all fans of America’s REAL Pastime look ahead to the future. I remember when the NFL was just a Fall to Winter league, now it is year round. I have not stopped watching the NFL Network for even a day. Their coverage of the combine, pro days and draft analysis is just the meal to feed the NFL junkie in all of us. Over the next several days I will take a look at the first round of the draft by division. I will start with the AFC North and the NFC North, then I will move to the AFC West and NFC West, AFC East and NFC East, and finish up with the AFC South and NFC South. Then when it’s all over I will see how well my crystal ball has worked.

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