new england at ny giants
analysis : there is nothing standing in the way of the patriots from going 16-0, nothing except for a tom coughlin-coached team. in other words, nothing is standing in the way of the patriots from going 16-0.
the pick : new england
buffalo at philadelphia
analysis : it looks like the eagles finally have momentum as a football team. unfortunately, there aren't any more games left in the season. andy reid should plan better for this scenario next season.
the pick : philadelphia
cincinnati at miami
analysis : the bengals are slowly becoming the arizona cardinals of the afc; they have a lot of players who put up great fantasy numbers, but they aren't anything more than a mediocre team.
the pick : cincinnati
carolina at tampa bay
analysis : did vinny testeverde really need to announce his retirement? did he do that so the other teams wouldn't call and tempt him to play next season? i really can't see any other team calling vinny to see if he's available. well, i take that back. i could see the atlanta falcons doing that.
the pick : tampa bay
new orleans at chicago
analysis : the saints need to win this game to keep their playoff hopes alive, which means that they well play poorly. the saints are simply not a good team, as their 7-8 record suggests. they have fallen short in every 'must-win' situation this year. there is no other reason to think that they will do otherwise against the bears.
the pick : chicago
jacksonville at houston
analysis : the jaguars are peaking at the right time, which means that they have a good chance to win their first round playoff game, only to get crushed by the colts or most likely, the patriots.
the pick : jacksonville
seattle at atlanta
analysis : for the falcons, this season couldn't end soon enough. they had a gutless coach who was replaced with a catatonic coach. they had their franchise player sent to prison who was replaced with a person who arguably plays the piano better than he plays quarterback. this is not right.
the pick : seattle
detroit at green bay
analysis : the packers must be glad that the bears didn't make the playoffs this year, as two of their three losses have come to them. the packers should put away the spiritless lions, who now have many players struggling with clinical depression after their second half slide.
the pick : green bay
san francisco at cleveland
analysis : it's interesting that the browns are currently the sixth seed in the playoff picture, but it doesn't matter if they win or lose in order to clinch a playoff berth. the only way they can clinch is is the titans lose. it's debatable that it's more important for the nfl that the 49ers win so that the patriots won't have as good of a first round pick in the 2008 draft.
the pick : cleveland
minnesota at denver
analysis : disregarding the possibility that games will end with ties, the vikings need to win this game and the redskins to lose in order for them to make the playoffs. fortunately, they are playing against a terrible broncos defense. if adrian peterson doesn't get somewhere around 35-40 carries, i will be shocked [except in the highly improbable case that this game is a blowout]. if brad childress deviates from this game plan, he will have learned a lesson the hard way, which is never trust tavaris jackson to win a football game.
the pick : minnesota
dallas at washington
analysis : as mentioned previously, if the redskins win, then they're in the playoffs. they will rely on todd collins at quarterback again this week, who has helped them win three straight games [including the game in which he replaced an injured jason campbell]. i'm not even sure how this has happened. at any rate, they get to play a banged-up cowboys team that has nothing to gain.
the pick : washington
pittsburgh at baltimore
analysis : the ravens are planning to start 2006 heisman winner troy smith. [remember him? no? give it a second. yes, that's right, he's the one that crapped the bed against the florida gators in last year's bcs championship game.] i'm not sure if this is going to end well for them.
the pick : pittsburgh
san diego at oakland
analysis : philip rivers has no place talking trash to anyone at any time. it would be as if brad johnson started jawing with opposing players. rivers has shown that he's a serviceable quarterback [at best], and he's not the reason the chargers win. they win because of ladainian tomlinson and a resurgent defense that is possibly/most likely fueled by performance enhancing drugs. that, and norv turner has finally figured out how to use a headset.
the pick : san diego
st louis at arizona
analysis : the cardinals have a strong tradition of disappointing fans, which means that they will play poorly in both their home finale and their chance to finish 8-8. [since 1985, the cardinals have only had one winning season at 9-7, and only one other season at 8-8. the rest of those years have ended in a losing season. yikes.]
the pick : st louis
kansas city at ny jets
analysis : i'm not even sure that either team want to play this game. i think time would be better spent if both teams just held a three hour self-esteem session at the hotel for the players.
the pick : ny jets
tennessee at indianapolis
analysis : the colts will not play their starters any longer than a few series, which is all the more curious as to why marvin harrison will start this game. the titans will treat this contest like a playoff game since their playoff hopes are dependent on its outcome.
the pick : tennessee
27 December 2007
14 December 2007
movie forecast: i am legend
editor's note: for a detailed explanation of a movie forecast, click here
from what i have seen and heard, i am legend is a movie about a man [will smith] who has to deal with being the last man on earth. i'm not sure how much dialogue this premise can provide, but i don't think that will be a problem. i would watch this movie even if it were just will smith walking around muttering one-liners to himself the entire time. even though will smith is the last man on earth, it looks like he encounters some strange beings who want to kill him. i don't know what they are or why they are so angry, but my guess is that they are aliens, and everyone knows that aliens are like that. [i think at this point will smith will sign up to do any movie that involves aliens. he knows where the money is.]
i do think that this movie will be like any other will smith action movie, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. will smith is one of the few actors who is able to blend action and comedy seamlessly and successfully. he appeals to a wide range of audiences, which is part of the reason that his movies generally do well at the box office. he basically is the black equivalent to adam sandler. at any rate, if i am legend doesn't deviate too far from the formula of his other movies, i can't see how any will smith fan doesn't enjoy this movie. and on top of that, will smith sports a buzzed haircut for first time in lieu of his typical fade.
prognosis : 8/10
from what i have seen and heard, i am legend is a movie about a man [will smith] who has to deal with being the last man on earth. i'm not sure how much dialogue this premise can provide, but i don't think that will be a problem. i would watch this movie even if it were just will smith walking around muttering one-liners to himself the entire time. even though will smith is the last man on earth, it looks like he encounters some strange beings who want to kill him. i don't know what they are or why they are so angry, but my guess is that they are aliens, and everyone knows that aliens are like that. [i think at this point will smith will sign up to do any movie that involves aliens. he knows where the money is.]i do think that this movie will be like any other will smith action movie, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. will smith is one of the few actors who is able to blend action and comedy seamlessly and successfully. he appeals to a wide range of audiences, which is part of the reason that his movies generally do well at the box office. he basically is the black equivalent to adam sandler. at any rate, if i am legend doesn't deviate too far from the formula of his other movies, i can't see how any will smith fan doesn't enjoy this movie. and on top of that, will smith sports a buzzed haircut for first time in lieu of his typical fade.
prognosis : 8/10
13 December 2007
nfl weekly predictions: week fifteen [15]
denver at houston
analysis : it looks like the broncos' offense is finally playing like everyone expected them to play like before the season started. still, it is too little, too late. the texans' fans, on the other hand, are still wondering what it's like to have for a running back sometime during the franchise's existence.
the pick : denver
cincinnati at san francisco
analysis : somehow the 49ers were able to hold adrian peterson to 3 yards rushing on 14 rushes. still they lost by 20 points to a team led by tavaris jackson. i don't know whether this is encouraging or discouraging for the 49ers. and in other news, rudi johnson apparently does have a pulse.
the pick : cincinnati
jacksonville at pittsburgh
analysis : as expected, the media made too much of anthony smith's 'guarantee,' which really wasn't even a guarantee if listened closely. after last week's beating, the good news for the steelers is that return tohines heinz field, where they are 7-0 this season.
the pick : pittsburgh
atlanta at tampa bay
analysis : while i can't say that i'm surprised that bobby petrino left the falcons, it is surprising is that he left the falcons with three games left in the season. unsurprisingly, his former players and many members of the media have not been kind to petrino. he has been much maligned and criticized by them, and he deserves every single bit of it. i view his move not only as dishonorable, but it shows that he lacks loyalty and has absolutely NO integrity. he is a quitter in the truest form.
the pick : tampa bay
seattle at carolina
analysis : seeing how the seahawks' fanbase have missed seeing a grown man who weighs 225 pounds crumple into a ball like a piece of paper, they are rejoicing to see shaun alexander back in uniform.
the pick : seattle
green bay at st louis
analysis : brett favre has maintained that he hasn't retired because he loves the game and that he has felt that the packers have a talent and have a chance to win a championship. but i think that the real reason that he hasn chosen not to retire is to pad his consecutive games started streak. he sees that peyton manning has started every game for his entire career, and shows no signs of slowing down. i believe that if manning every does miss a game, brett favre will announce his retirement almost immediately.
the pick : green bay
baltimore at miami
analysis : if playing the patriots was the ravens' super bowl, then terms of preserving nfl history, this game against the dolphins should be their conference championship. i'm sure they don't want to be the team that lost against what potentially is the first 0-16 team ever. hopefully this game leads to bart scott body-slamming [or pile-driving] a referee.
the pick : baltimore
ny jets at new england
analysis : i'm in the group who believes that the final score will be somewhere along the lines of 88-6. what would make this game even better would be eric mangini pleading for mercy sometime in the third quarter and bill belichick responding with, 'sorry, all out of mercy,' just like nicolas cage did in the blockbuster movie ghost rider.
the pick : new england
arizona at new orleans
analysis : withkate kurt warner playing so well [i use that term loosely], i wonder if the cardinals will keep him with matt leinart coming back next year. whoever may start, their offense depends on the health of larry fitzgerald and anquan boldin.
the pick : arizona
buffalo at cleveland
analysis : who knew that bills at browns would be this week's game that has the biggest playoff implications. everyone who says that the afc is strong need to look at this matchup and rethink that position. i expect derek anderson and the browns' offense to have a good game against the bills' defense. the game hinges on whether or not the browns' defense can stop trent edwards and the passing game. [if they don't, then they don't deserve to be in the playoffs. ever.]
the pick : cleveland
tennessee at kansas city
analysis : the key factor whether or not the titans win a game is not vince young, but rather their defense [and most notably the health of albert haynesworth]. the play of their defense is crucial in keeping the score low because the titans are not a team that will blow anyone out; they simply don't have the kind of offense that can put up that many points. fortunately for them, they will be playing the chiefs, who don't even have an offense that can blow out a candle.
the pick : tennessee
indianapolis at oakland
analysis : the injuries that the colts have suffered this year may be a blessing in disguise. it has allowed some of their inexperienced players to gain valuable playing time and in turn improve the team's overall depth. since they are also always mentally prepared, i can't see the colts struggling too much against the raiders.
the pick : indianapolis
detroit at san diego
analysis : this is a game that the lions desperately need to win to keep their playoff hopes alive. they have lost five straight since they were 6-2, and it looks like it their schedule will remain tough for the rest of the season. on the other hand, the chargers seem to have put things together [whatever that means] and all but clinched a playoff spot. with that being said, i still say that the chargers are not that good as their record may suggest.
the pick : detroit
philadelphia at dallas
analysis : the cowboys will continue to steamroll through the nfc by exploiting the eagles' secondary. the eagles do not have enough talent and depth on defense to contend at a high level for four quarters. this game may be close until halftime, but i expect the cowboys to pull away sometime in the third quarter.
the pick : dallas
washington at ny giants
analysis : what looked like a promising season for the redskins has collapsed because of bad breaks/decisions [eg joe gibbs' double timeout versus the bills, failed fourth and goal versus the giants], injuries [eg jason campbell], and tragedy [the death of sean taylor]. in the end it was too much for this team to handle. despite the annual eli manning second half slump and the annual quitting on the coach, the giants will clinch a playoff spot.
the pick : ny giants
chicago at minnesota
analysis : for once and for all, america will get to see battle of the real adrian peterson [minnesota] versus the fake adrian peterson [chicago]. i hope that if the real adrian peterson comes out with some kind of championship belt, and if he loses he has to give up that belt to the fake adrian peterson and lift up his hand like it were some changing of the guard.
the pick : minnesota
analysis : it looks like the broncos' offense is finally playing like everyone expected them to play like before the season started. still, it is too little, too late. the texans' fans, on the other hand, are still wondering what it's like to have for a running back sometime during the franchise's existence.
the pick : denver
cincinnati at san francisco
analysis : somehow the 49ers were able to hold adrian peterson to 3 yards rushing on 14 rushes. still they lost by 20 points to a team led by tavaris jackson. i don't know whether this is encouraging or discouraging for the 49ers. and in other news, rudi johnson apparently does have a pulse.
the pick : cincinnati
jacksonville at pittsburgh
analysis : as expected, the media made too much of anthony smith's 'guarantee,' which really wasn't even a guarantee if listened closely. after last week's beating, the good news for the steelers is that return to
the pick : pittsburgh
atlanta at tampa bay
analysis : while i can't say that i'm surprised that bobby petrino left the falcons, it is surprising is that he left the falcons with three games left in the season. unsurprisingly, his former players and many members of the media have not been kind to petrino. he has been much maligned and criticized by them, and he deserves every single bit of it. i view his move not only as dishonorable, but it shows that he lacks loyalty and has absolutely NO integrity. he is a quitter in the truest form.
the pick : tampa bay
seattle at carolina
analysis : seeing how the seahawks' fanbase have missed seeing a grown man who weighs 225 pounds crumple into a ball like a piece of paper, they are rejoicing to see shaun alexander back in uniform.
the pick : seattle
green bay at st louis
analysis : brett favre has maintained that he hasn't retired because he loves the game and that he has felt that the packers have a talent and have a chance to win a championship. but i think that the real reason that he hasn chosen not to retire is to pad his consecutive games started streak. he sees that peyton manning has started every game for his entire career, and shows no signs of slowing down. i believe that if manning every does miss a game, brett favre will announce his retirement almost immediately.
the pick : green bay
baltimore at miami
analysis : if playing the patriots was the ravens' super bowl, then terms of preserving nfl history, this game against the dolphins should be their conference championship. i'm sure they don't want to be the team that lost against what potentially is the first 0-16 team ever. hopefully this game leads to bart scott body-slamming [or pile-driving] a referee.
the pick : baltimore
ny jets at new england
analysis : i'm in the group who believes that the final score will be somewhere along the lines of 88-6. what would make this game even better would be eric mangini pleading for mercy sometime in the third quarter and bill belichick responding with, 'sorry, all out of mercy,' just like nicolas cage did in the blockbuster movie ghost rider.
the pick : new england
arizona at new orleans
analysis : with
the pick : arizona
buffalo at cleveland
analysis : who knew that bills at browns would be this week's game that has the biggest playoff implications. everyone who says that the afc is strong need to look at this matchup and rethink that position. i expect derek anderson and the browns' offense to have a good game against the bills' defense. the game hinges on whether or not the browns' defense can stop trent edwards and the passing game. [if they don't, then they don't deserve to be in the playoffs. ever.]
the pick : cleveland
tennessee at kansas city
analysis : the key factor whether or not the titans win a game is not vince young, but rather their defense [and most notably the health of albert haynesworth]. the play of their defense is crucial in keeping the score low because the titans are not a team that will blow anyone out; they simply don't have the kind of offense that can put up that many points. fortunately for them, they will be playing the chiefs, who don't even have an offense that can blow out a candle.
the pick : tennessee
indianapolis at oakland
analysis : the injuries that the colts have suffered this year may be a blessing in disguise. it has allowed some of their inexperienced players to gain valuable playing time and in turn improve the team's overall depth. since they are also always mentally prepared, i can't see the colts struggling too much against the raiders.
the pick : indianapolis
detroit at san diego
analysis : this is a game that the lions desperately need to win to keep their playoff hopes alive. they have lost five straight since they were 6-2, and it looks like it their schedule will remain tough for the rest of the season. on the other hand, the chargers seem to have put things together [whatever that means] and all but clinched a playoff spot. with that being said, i still say that the chargers are not that good as their record may suggest.
the pick : detroit
philadelphia at dallas
analysis : the cowboys will continue to steamroll through the nfc by exploiting the eagles' secondary. the eagles do not have enough talent and depth on defense to contend at a high level for four quarters. this game may be close until halftime, but i expect the cowboys to pull away sometime in the third quarter.
the pick : dallas
washington at ny giants
analysis : what looked like a promising season for the redskins has collapsed because of bad breaks/decisions [eg joe gibbs' double timeout versus the bills, failed fourth and goal versus the giants], injuries [eg jason campbell], and tragedy [the death of sean taylor]. in the end it was too much for this team to handle. despite the annual eli manning second half slump and the annual quitting on the coach, the giants will clinch a playoff spot.
the pick : ny giants
chicago at minnesota
analysis : for once and for all, america will get to see battle of the real adrian peterson [minnesota] versus the fake adrian peterson [chicago]. i hope that if the real adrian peterson comes out with some kind of championship belt, and if he loses he has to give up that belt to the fake adrian peterson and lift up his hand like it were some changing of the guard.
the pick : minnesota
06 December 2007
nfl weekly predictions: week fourteen [14]
chicago at washington
analysis : it seems as though the odds are stacked against the redskins for this game. they are tired both physically and emotionally after traveling to and from miami for sean taylor's funeral. to compound matters, the schedule has not been forgiving as they face they bears on a short week. with that in mind, i do think the redskins are the better team overall.
the pick : washington
carolina at jacksonville
analysis : in the battle of the 1995 expansion franchises, the jaguars will show the panthers it's better to have a starting quarterback that isn't vinny testeverde. david garrard did not begin the 2007 preseason as the starter, but has been a reliable option at quarterback. the jaguars are a team that knows its identity, while the panthers seem so disorganized, they start a 44 year old man at quarterback [i can't stress this enough]. since the season is already lost for the panthers, i wonder why they are starting testeverde over david carr or some other young quarterback. they aren't planning on bringing him back to compete for the starting job next year, or are they?
the pick : jacksonville
ny giants at philadelphia
the analysis : for the giants, we can always expect two things to happen to them in the second half: the team quits on head coach tom coughlin, and eli manning plays poorly. and yet, the giants have made the playoffs despite such adversity.1 the eagles plan on starting donovan mcnabb, which could [and most likely] get ugly for him.
the pick : ny giants
st louis at cincinnati
analysis : even though the rams have started to regain some of their offensive production, they still don't have a very good team. the bengals seem to have their defensive struggles behind them, but that isn't to say that are any good on defense. it just means that they aren't historically bad.
the pick : cincinnati
tampa bay at houston
analysis : the buccaneers are playing well enough to make the nfc playoffs, but that really isn't saying much. their defense is much improved, and luke mccown didn't look that bad at quarterback. that being said, they need jeff garcia to play as soon as possible. as for earnest graham, who knew that he would be able to run the ball this well. i guess that's what happens when the fear of getting demoted to the practice squad is your main motivator.
the pick : tampa bay
miami at buffalo
analysis : the dolphins might have missed their best chance to win a game this season last week. now, they have to go to buffalo to try to win their first game, where the weather will be the bigger obstacle than their actual opponents. if the dolphins do happen to win, i wonder if the players will give head coach cam cameron a gatorade shower [both for his first victory and as a huge sigh of relief]. i hope this happens, although i think this could give him walking pneumonia.
the pick : buffalo
oakland at green bay
analysis : i'm still not convinced that the packers are that good of a team. if they played in the afc, i'm not sure if they would have a better record than the jaguars [read: the jaguars are better than the packers]. they may have some trouble with the raiders, although the weather and the overall whiteness of the crowd will give the packers more than enough to win.
the pick : green bay
dallas at detroit
analysis : the lions have lost 4 in a row after being at 6-2. unfortunately for them, the losing doesn't stop here. the most intriguing storyline will be if the kitna-newman feud will live up to any of its hype.
the pick : dallas
san diego at tennessee
analysis : the chargers may be playing well at the moment, but the titans are a team that has what it takes to defeat them [namely good linebackers who can contain tomlinson and a ball control offense]. vince young has been able to break the 100 yards barrier in passing the last few games, which can only mean good things for the titans, but bad things for purists who prefer the game to played without the option of the forward pass.
the pick : tennessee
minnesota at san francisco
analysis : adrian peterson will take advantage of the 49ers' defense like boise state took advantage of oklahoma's over-pursuit in last year's fiesta bowl. game over.
the pick : minnesota
arizona at seattle
analysis : with a win, the seahawks all but clinch a playoff berth. with a loss, the cardinals confirm that it is indeed sunday.
the pick : seattle
cleveland at ny jets
analysis : the browns are playing at a high level, although there are no signs that any part of it is due to coaching. they shouldn't have a difficult time with the jets, who do not have enough talent on defense to stop the browns [i never thought i would be saying that ever in my lifetime].
the pick : cleveland
pittsburgh at new england
analysis : after two weeks of looking beatable, the patriots have the steelers right where they want them. the steelers look overconfident heading into this game, which is never a good sign. the patriots may have trouble with the steelers in the past, but they will have no problem against them this week.
the pick : new england
kansas city at denver
analysis : i am shocked that travis henry won his appeal and will not be suspended. apparently his positive drug test was the result of secondhand marijuana smoke, and not the actual use of it. all of which is great news for the broncos, but my main question is how concentrated was the marijuana fumes around him that he tested positive for a drug test? i mean, was he trapped in the equivalent of a marijuana sauna? i really need to know the circumstances around this.
the pick : denver
indianapolis at baltimore
analysis : i must commend the ravens for playing with as much heart and emotion as they did last week against the patriots, but at the same time i wonder where that passion was the rest of the season. hopefully the ravens take something positive from that game instead of dwelling on the negative as they have been doing this past week.
the pick : indianapolis
new orleans at atlanta
analysis : i'm sure this was the marquee matchup that espn was expecting when they paid approximately $1.1 billion for this year's monday night games. even if this is a competitive game, not very many people will care.
the pick : new orleans
1 not diversity
analysis : it seems as though the odds are stacked against the redskins for this game. they are tired both physically and emotionally after traveling to and from miami for sean taylor's funeral. to compound matters, the schedule has not been forgiving as they face they bears on a short week. with that in mind, i do think the redskins are the better team overall.
the pick : washington
carolina at jacksonville
analysis : in the battle of the 1995 expansion franchises, the jaguars will show the panthers it's better to have a starting quarterback that isn't vinny testeverde. david garrard did not begin the 2007 preseason as the starter, but has been a reliable option at quarterback. the jaguars are a team that knows its identity, while the panthers seem so disorganized, they start a 44 year old man at quarterback [i can't stress this enough]. since the season is already lost for the panthers, i wonder why they are starting testeverde over david carr or some other young quarterback. they aren't planning on bringing him back to compete for the starting job next year, or are they?
the pick : jacksonville
ny giants at philadelphia
the analysis : for the giants, we can always expect two things to happen to them in the second half: the team quits on head coach tom coughlin, and eli manning plays poorly. and yet, the giants have made the playoffs despite such adversity.1 the eagles plan on starting donovan mcnabb, which could [and most likely] get ugly for him.
the pick : ny giants
st louis at cincinnati
analysis : even though the rams have started to regain some of their offensive production, they still don't have a very good team. the bengals seem to have their defensive struggles behind them, but that isn't to say that are any good on defense. it just means that they aren't historically bad.
the pick : cincinnati
tampa bay at houston
analysis : the buccaneers are playing well enough to make the nfc playoffs, but that really isn't saying much. their defense is much improved, and luke mccown didn't look that bad at quarterback. that being said, they need jeff garcia to play as soon as possible. as for earnest graham, who knew that he would be able to run the ball this well. i guess that's what happens when the fear of getting demoted to the practice squad is your main motivator.
the pick : tampa bay
miami at buffalo
analysis : the dolphins might have missed their best chance to win a game this season last week. now, they have to go to buffalo to try to win their first game, where the weather will be the bigger obstacle than their actual opponents. if the dolphins do happen to win, i wonder if the players will give head coach cam cameron a gatorade shower [both for his first victory and as a huge sigh of relief]. i hope this happens, although i think this could give him walking pneumonia.
the pick : buffalo
oakland at green bay
analysis : i'm still not convinced that the packers are that good of a team. if they played in the afc, i'm not sure if they would have a better record than the jaguars [read: the jaguars are better than the packers]. they may have some trouble with the raiders, although the weather and the overall whiteness of the crowd will give the packers more than enough to win.
the pick : green bay
dallas at detroit
analysis : the lions have lost 4 in a row after being at 6-2. unfortunately for them, the losing doesn't stop here. the most intriguing storyline will be if the kitna-newman feud will live up to any of its hype.
the pick : dallas
san diego at tennessee
analysis : the chargers may be playing well at the moment, but the titans are a team that has what it takes to defeat them [namely good linebackers who can contain tomlinson and a ball control offense]. vince young has been able to break the 100 yards barrier in passing the last few games, which can only mean good things for the titans, but bad things for purists who prefer the game to played without the option of the forward pass.
the pick : tennessee
minnesota at san francisco
analysis : adrian peterson will take advantage of the 49ers' defense like boise state took advantage of oklahoma's over-pursuit in last year's fiesta bowl. game over.
the pick : minnesota
arizona at seattle
analysis : with a win, the seahawks all but clinch a playoff berth. with a loss, the cardinals confirm that it is indeed sunday.
the pick : seattle
cleveland at ny jets
analysis : the browns are playing at a high level, although there are no signs that any part of it is due to coaching. they shouldn't have a difficult time with the jets, who do not have enough talent on defense to stop the browns [i never thought i would be saying that ever in my lifetime].
the pick : cleveland
pittsburgh at new england
analysis : after two weeks of looking beatable, the patriots have the steelers right where they want them. the steelers look overconfident heading into this game, which is never a good sign. the patriots may have trouble with the steelers in the past, but they will have no problem against them this week.
the pick : new england
kansas city at denver
analysis : i am shocked that travis henry won his appeal and will not be suspended. apparently his positive drug test was the result of secondhand marijuana smoke, and not the actual use of it. all of which is great news for the broncos, but my main question is how concentrated was the marijuana fumes around him that he tested positive for a drug test? i mean, was he trapped in the equivalent of a marijuana sauna? i really need to know the circumstances around this.
the pick : denver
indianapolis at baltimore
analysis : i must commend the ravens for playing with as much heart and emotion as they did last week against the patriots, but at the same time i wonder where that passion was the rest of the season. hopefully the ravens take something positive from that game instead of dwelling on the negative as they have been doing this past week.
the pick : indianapolis
new orleans at atlanta
analysis : i'm sure this was the marquee matchup that espn was expecting when they paid approximately $1.1 billion for this year's monday night games. even if this is a competitive game, not very many people will care.
the pick : new orleans
1 not diversity
05 December 2007
separated at birth?
it came as little shock to the public when it was confirmed by michael rosenbaum, richard jefferson and lord voldemort that they were indeed separated at birth. apparently, they have kept this hidden ever since the discovery their relationship to each other sometime in middle school, when a person close to each one of them tipped them of their bond. the source [he who must not be named] also told them that they were destined1 to do things that would change the world. while michael rosenbaum and lord voldemort had an idea early in life of what those things were [acting and evil wizardry, respectively], richard jefferson confessed that he didn't know what his fate would be until later in life. fortunately for richard, that changed when he finally realized he was going to be in the nba as the third best player on a slightly above-average team in a weak eastern conference. but when asked at what moment that he knew his destiny, richard replied, 'my windmill dunk. after i was able to do my first windmill, i knew it would alter basketball history.'
despite his affinity for his brothers, michael rosenbaum kept his relationship a secret so casting directors wouldn't reject him for roles. michael recalled, 'there was no way i could get parts in movies like poolhall junkies or sorority boys if people knew that my brother was an immoral wizard who had an obsession with killing a little boy. but after establishing the role of lex luthor, i knew that it would be okay for people to know all about us.'
in a rare interview, lord voldemort provided some insight into both of his brothers' character. when asked about michael, lord voldemort said, 'he always tried to be like me when we were growing up, especially in high school. i guess that explains why he plays such an awful person in lex luthor on the wb [currently the cw]. but as i have reminded him, playing a bad guy and being a bad guy are two different things.' speaking of malice, lord voldemort claims that his brother richard is worse than he and michael combined. the dark lord said, 'if you think i'm bad, richard makes me look like jean valjean. if you don't believe me, check the tape .' while lord voldemort has been accused of doing evil things, it seems as though that he isn't lying when it comes to richard jefferson's malapropisms, which has been authenticated by his current teammates. when confronted about these rumors, jefferson was unable to provide any answers.
1 not destination
27 November 2007
top 10 worst sports events of my life
for some people, sports elicits a gauntlet of emotions ranging from [to be simplistic] good to bad. this list as been compiled to rank the worst sports events of my life. with the exception of number 4, this list includes only games that i watched live on tv or in person.1 not all of these events are from a single game; some of them take place over a the course of a few days or in a best-of series. [i have excluded the time when magic johnson announced that has the hiv virus. to reduce that to a sporting event would diminish how significant it was on a social level; the news transcended sports and raised awareness of hiv and aids at a time when it was much needed.]10. michael chang loses to patrick rafter in 1997 us open semifinals
reason : for some reason or another, i have always been a fan of michael chang. entering the 1997 us open, he was ranked number 2 in the world second only to pete sampras. after sampras was eliminated in the quarterfinals that year, michael chang only needed to win the us open to take over the number 1 ranking. i thought that he would win, but he ran into a buzz saw in patrick rafter who beat him rather handily in straight sets [6-3, 6-3, 6-4]. chang never got close to being number 1 ever again, and probably tells this story to his family and friends all the time.
9. the bills lose to the giants in super bowl xxv [1991]
reason : for the record, the bills were the better team this year; they just weren't the better team in this particular game.2 i suppose the the reason why i wanted the bills to win so much [and the giants to lose] is directly related to number 5. i still remember thinking that norwood would miss the kick, which of course he did. that was an instance where it felt terrible to be right.
8. byu loses to utah in 2005's holy war
reason : i attended this game, which made this much worse. byu hadn't beat its rival utah in 4 meetings, and this seemed like the year to break that streak. the cougars fell behind early, only to come back and tie the game by the end of regulation. of course they lose in overtime, making the ute fans too happy. another reason why this was disheartening was the way byu kept making the same mistakes: being unable to contain a scrambling quarterback who was making first start, giving up big plays on third downs [including a touchdown on 3rd and 26], etc. although the best part of this game was eavesdropping on a bitter byu fan complain to his children the entire game.
7. the phillies lose game 6 of 1993 world series
reason : when i saw mitch williams come into the game for the save, i knew the phillies were going to lose. ten minutes later, teammates are trying to crawl up joe carter's butt as i questioned why mitch williams was even in the game [and perhaps more importantly why anyone would want to crawl up joe carter's butt].
6. unlv loses to duke in 1991 final four semifinals
reason : unlv was 34-0 entering this game, and i thought that no one would beat them that year. in came coach k and christian laettner to shatter that belief. when the blue devils beat the runnin' rebels by two points, it was more than a narrow defeat for me. it was one of earliest feelings of dejection that one feels when their team loses a close game when the stakes are high.
5. the 49ers lose to the giants in 1991 nfc championship game
reason : this is the year where the 49ers played giants in one of the most anticipated regular season games ever. both teams were 10-1 and had only lost the previous week before their match-up. the 49ers prevailed in that monday night game winning 7-3. the two teams met again in the playoffs, this time with the giants winning on a last second matt bahr field goal. the giants didn't even score a touchdown, as they won 15-13 on five field goals. furthermore, roger craig fumbled the ball deep in 49er territory to set up the game-winning field goal for the giants. this was also the game where the giants injured joe montana, causing him to miss all but one game for the next two seasons. needless to say, the 1991 giants are the spawn of the devil.
4. kobe bryant forces the lakers to trade shaquille o'neal in summer of 2004
reason : if the news that jerry buss was the main proponent to trading shaq didn't surface, this event would be much higher. until the beginning of this year, i was bitter towards kobe for his role in the trade of shaq. i thought that kobe forced the lakers' hand into trading shaq; the lakers' management thought that he would have left the lakers via free agency if shaq was still on the team [and rightly so]. but it seems as though kobe has been telling the truth when he said that he never gave the lakers an ultimatum and that it was jerry buss who spearheaded the action to trade shaq and consequently end the lakers' mini-dynasty.
3. eric lindros gets concussed in game 7 of 2000 nhl eastern conference finals
reason : the flyers were leading the devils 3-2 when eric lindros returned from post-concussion syndrome in game 6. the devils won that game to force a game 7, in which scott stevens delivered a borderline cheap and possibly deliberate elbow to lindros' head, causing another concussion. at that very moment of that hit, i distinctly remember thinking that lindros may never play again3 and that he may be
2. the lakers lose to the pistons in 2004 nba finals
reason : i have never been as mad at a team's play than i was with the lakers' in the 2004 finals. they played with no heart or conviction, and it was obvious that shaq and kobe didn't want to play as a team. the lakers had the two best players in the series, yet it was the pistons who showed everyone how to win a championship. the lakers should have won with the talent they had, but they deserved to lose with the way they played. what makes this loss even worse is my belief that if they had won this series shaq would have never been traded the following off-season.
1. the cubs lose to the marlins in game 7 of 2003 nlcs/ the red sox lose to the yankees game 7 of 2003 alcs
reason : when the lakers lost to pistons, i have never been as angry; when the cubs and red sox lost to the marlins and yankees, respectively, i have never been as sad. the strange thing about these losses is the fact that i am not a fan of either of these teams. yet when the cubs lost one day and the red sox the next, i remember being so disappointed that i had no desire to watch any sports at all for quite a while. the best reason that i can give as to why this had such a big of an effect is my desire to see two underdog teams who hadn't won a title in a long, long time play each other in the world series. [remember this is before the red sox won two titles, acquired a bevy of bandwagon fans, and basically turned into the yankees.] what made it worse was the way they lost after leading in the deciding game [the cubs were also 5 outs away in game 6 while the red sox likewise were 5 outs away in game 7]. to this day i can only wonder what if.
1 if events from video games were included, a 17th inning game-winning chipper jones home run off kaz ishii would probably make this list.
2 this was the first game where the winning team's coach got a gatorade shower.
3 he did play again, but he was neither as good or as comfortable on the ice.
21 November 2007
movie forecast: hitman
editor's note: for a detailed explanation of a movie forecast, click here
another movie based on a video game, another bad idea. i was actually wondering to myself if there were any video game that i would like to see be made into movie, and i couldn't think of a single one. as for the movie hitman, i am less inclined to see the purpose of making a film based around a video game character who can be best described as a goon. for example, in the video game, the main character, agent 47, hardly speaks and in the case of a storyline, well, there really wasn't one. agent 47 was basically a mercenary who really didn't need a reason to strangle someone with piano wire.
so why did they someone decide to make a movie based on a video game whose protagonist is a flat character who virtually has no motive to why he assassinates people except that he is told to do so? and why would a movie studio release a movie that is rated r on thanksgiving weekend? and why doesn't he have hair? doesn't he know that he has a barcode on the back of his head? seriously, he should consider covering that thing. so many questions, to which the answers may not have any logic behind them. at any rate, the movie itself may provide some good action sequences, but nowadays, action sequences and cgi only goes so far. hitman will lack the substance to make this movie any different than other movies in its genre. which in a way is unfortunate, since seeing timothy olyphant in possible sequels in the years to come with a completely shaved head will never stop being funny.
prognosis : 5/10
another movie based on a video game, another bad idea. i was actually wondering to myself if there were any video game that i would like to see be made into movie, and i couldn't think of a single one. as for the movie hitman, i am less inclined to see the purpose of making a film based around a video game character who can be best described as a goon. for example, in the video game, the main character, agent 47, hardly speaks and in the case of a storyline, well, there really wasn't one. agent 47 was basically a mercenary who really didn't need a reason to strangle someone with piano wire.so why did they someone decide to make a movie based on a video game whose protagonist is a flat character who virtually has no motive to why he assassinates people except that he is told to do so? and why would a movie studio release a movie that is rated r on thanksgiving weekend? and why doesn't he have hair? doesn't he know that he has a barcode on the back of his head? seriously, he should consider covering that thing. so many questions, to which the answers may not have any logic behind them. at any rate, the movie itself may provide some good action sequences, but nowadays, action sequences and cgi only goes so far. hitman will lack the substance to make this movie any different than other movies in its genre. which in a way is unfortunate, since seeing timothy olyphant in possible sequels in the years to come with a completely shaved head will never stop being funny.
prognosis : 5/10
20 November 2007
nfl weekly predictions: week twelve [12]
green bay at detroit
analysis : with all of the accolades and records that brett favre possesses, few people realize that he's been able to do so with various members of the media living in the his butt. perhaps he plays better with them in there, which would explain his play this season. and unfortunately for lions, i think ron jaworski just made his way in.
the pick : green bay
ny jets at dallas
analysis : there's nothing worse than getting beat down on the road on a national holiday on national tv. so if the jets' players and coaches are crying on the sidelines, we'll know why.
the pick : dallas
indianapolis at altanta
analysis : i have no idea why byron leftwich started last week's game when the falcons won two games in a row with joey harrington. i will just continue to assume that bobby petrino is doing everything in his power to force arthur blank to buy him out of his contract.
the pick : indianapolis
tennessee at cincinnati
analysis : i'll be surprised if marvin lewis isn't fired before start of next season. the bengals are wasting a great offense by not having anything that resembles a defense. don't they realize that they can't keep an offense like this together for any extended period of time? and what happened to rudi johnson this season? has he finally become depressed by the fact his first name is spelled with 'i' to the point that he is unable to rush the ball? these are questions that need to be addressed in the offseason.
the pick : tennessee
houston at cleveland
analysis : the browns are getting are the breaks that a team needs to make the playoffs, as evidenced by last week's win over the ravens. [i still can't believe that brian billick didn't make more of a stink after the referees seemingly had extra help from either replay booth officials or the jumbotron to decide if the field goal was good or not. doessn't he seem like the type who would?] even with their good offense, the browns will have difficult time against a young and talented texans defense.
the pick : cleveland
oakland at kansas city
analysis : the chiefs have been an absolute surprise this year. early in the season, i actually thought that they were the worst team in the league. now, i think that they are capable of making the playoffs. the raiders are also not as bad as people think they are, and they'll give the chiefs a challenge.
the pick : kansas city
seattle at st louis
analysis : the injury to shaun alexander has helped the seahawks in many ways. for instance, they don't have to worry about feeding alexander's ego by giving him twenty carries, which allows them to throw the ball as much as they want, much to mike holmgren and matt hasselbeck's delight. they also have a running back in maurice morris who doesn't mind the occasional contact with players from the opposing team.
the pick : seattle
washington at tampa bay
analysis : the redskins have lost a few games where they were in control for most of the game, which could be a sign of their inexperience affecting them late in the fourth quarter. the buccaneers are a team that has flown under the radar all season, so people [and perhaps the redskins] may be surprised as to how well they can play.
the pick : tampa bay
new orleans at carolina
analysis : the saints and panthers are both inconsistent teams, but at least the saints don't have a quarterback situation where vinny testeverde and david carr are the front-runners. how the panthers have kept steve smith from complaining to the media so far may be this season's biggest mystery.
the pick : new orleans
buffalo at jacksonville
analysis : in david garrard, the jaguars have a quarterback who doesn't turn the ball over and gets enough key first downs to help his team win. there isn't much else that jack del rio can ask, except for maybe a pastrami sandwich.
the pick : jacksonville
minnesota at ny giants
analysis : the vikings have the worst collection of quarterbacks in the league. the only reason that tavaris jackson plays is because he was a second round pick and the vikings wanted to see if he could play [he cannot]. brooks bollinger could very well be the single biggest reason why curtis martin retired. kelly holcombe has been described as being a great to have as a backup, but not great to have as a starter. so yeah, the fact that adrian peterson rushed for 296 yards with virtually no help from the vikings' passing game is actually equivalent to 750 yards rushing under normal circumstances.
the pick : ny giants
san francisco at arizona
analysis : at this point in the season, the best thing that the 49ers have going for them is a high draft pick in next year's draft. except that they already traded that pick to patriots, which means that rich just gets richer.
the pick : arizona
baltimore at san diego
analysis : the ravens looked like they found something that resembles an offense with kyle boller[!] at the helm. this week, they play another struggling team that has come well short of preseason expectations. as bad as the ravens have been playing, the chargers have been worse.
the pick : baltimore
denver at chicago
analysis : the broncos finally look like the team that everyone thought they would be. jay cutler is thriving from play-action plays that have been set up by an excellent running attack. the bears have been average so far this season, which is in line with the jinx associated with the super bowl loser.
the pick : denver
philadelphia at new england
analysis : i am certain that donovan mcnabb suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta. this season he has an ankle injury, which gives the eagles the option to play either aj feeley or second round pick kevin kolb. in the end, it doesn't matter if it's the t-1000 at quarterback, because the eagles have no chance of winning this game.
the pick : new england
miami at pittsburgh
analysis : as opposed to the eagles, the dolphins do have a chance to win this week, albeit a small one. if they can get turnovers and points from their defense [which they can] and help from their special teams, they can give the steelers a competative game. also, if the game is close in the fourth quarter, the steelers may pay tight since they don't want to be the first team to lose to the dolphins this season.
the pick : pittsburgh
analysis : with all of the accolades and records that brett favre possesses, few people realize that he's been able to do so with various members of the media living in the his butt. perhaps he plays better with them in there, which would explain his play this season. and unfortunately for lions, i think ron jaworski just made his way in.
the pick : green bay
ny jets at dallas
analysis : there's nothing worse than getting beat down on the road on a national holiday on national tv. so if the jets' players and coaches are crying on the sidelines, we'll know why.
the pick : dallas
indianapolis at altanta
analysis : i have no idea why byron leftwich started last week's game when the falcons won two games in a row with joey harrington. i will just continue to assume that bobby petrino is doing everything in his power to force arthur blank to buy him out of his contract.
the pick : indianapolis
tennessee at cincinnati
analysis : i'll be surprised if marvin lewis isn't fired before start of next season. the bengals are wasting a great offense by not having anything that resembles a defense. don't they realize that they can't keep an offense like this together for any extended period of time? and what happened to rudi johnson this season? has he finally become depressed by the fact his first name is spelled with 'i' to the point that he is unable to rush the ball? these are questions that need to be addressed in the offseason.
the pick : tennessee
houston at cleveland
analysis : the browns are getting are the breaks that a team needs to make the playoffs, as evidenced by last week's win over the ravens. [i still can't believe that brian billick didn't make more of a stink after the referees seemingly had extra help from either replay booth officials or the jumbotron to decide if the field goal was good or not. doessn't he seem like the type who would?] even with their good offense, the browns will have difficult time against a young and talented texans defense.
the pick : cleveland
oakland at kansas city
analysis : the chiefs have been an absolute surprise this year. early in the season, i actually thought that they were the worst team in the league. now, i think that they are capable of making the playoffs. the raiders are also not as bad as people think they are, and they'll give the chiefs a challenge.
the pick : kansas city
seattle at st louis
analysis : the injury to shaun alexander has helped the seahawks in many ways. for instance, they don't have to worry about feeding alexander's ego by giving him twenty carries, which allows them to throw the ball as much as they want, much to mike holmgren and matt hasselbeck's delight. they also have a running back in maurice morris who doesn't mind the occasional contact with players from the opposing team.
the pick : seattle
washington at tampa bay
analysis : the redskins have lost a few games where they were in control for most of the game, which could be a sign of their inexperience affecting them late in the fourth quarter. the buccaneers are a team that has flown under the radar all season, so people [and perhaps the redskins] may be surprised as to how well they can play.
the pick : tampa bay
new orleans at carolina
analysis : the saints and panthers are both inconsistent teams, but at least the saints don't have a quarterback situation where vinny testeverde and david carr are the front-runners. how the panthers have kept steve smith from complaining to the media so far may be this season's biggest mystery.
the pick : new orleans
buffalo at jacksonville
analysis : in david garrard, the jaguars have a quarterback who doesn't turn the ball over and gets enough key first downs to help his team win. there isn't much else that jack del rio can ask, except for maybe a pastrami sandwich.
the pick : jacksonville
minnesota at ny giants
analysis : the vikings have the worst collection of quarterbacks in the league. the only reason that tavaris jackson plays is because he was a second round pick and the vikings wanted to see if he could play [he cannot]. brooks bollinger could very well be the single biggest reason why curtis martin retired. kelly holcombe has been described as being a great to have as a backup, but not great to have as a starter. so yeah, the fact that adrian peterson rushed for 296 yards with virtually no help from the vikings' passing game is actually equivalent to 750 yards rushing under normal circumstances.
the pick : ny giants
san francisco at arizona
analysis : at this point in the season, the best thing that the 49ers have going for them is a high draft pick in next year's draft. except that they already traded that pick to patriots, which means that rich just gets richer.
the pick : arizona
baltimore at san diego
analysis : the ravens looked like they found something that resembles an offense with kyle boller[!] at the helm. this week, they play another struggling team that has come well short of preseason expectations. as bad as the ravens have been playing, the chargers have been worse.
the pick : baltimore
denver at chicago
analysis : the broncos finally look like the team that everyone thought they would be. jay cutler is thriving from play-action plays that have been set up by an excellent running attack. the bears have been average so far this season, which is in line with the jinx associated with the super bowl loser.
the pick : denver
philadelphia at new england
analysis : i am certain that donovan mcnabb suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta. this season he has an ankle injury, which gives the eagles the option to play either aj feeley or second round pick kevin kolb. in the end, it doesn't matter if it's the t-1000 at quarterback, because the eagles have no chance of winning this game.
the pick : new england
miami at pittsburgh
analysis : as opposed to the eagles, the dolphins do have a chance to win this week, albeit a small one. if they can get turnovers and points from their defense [which they can] and help from their special teams, they can give the steelers a competative game. also, if the game is close in the fourth quarter, the steelers may pay tight since they don't want to be the first team to lose to the dolphins this season.
the pick : pittsburgh
13 November 2007
separated at birth?
in october of 2007, paul byrd was accused of using human growth hormone [hgh], a substance banned by major league baseball as a performance enhancing drug. while he did not deny the use of hgh, he claimed that it was prescribed treat a tumor on his pituitary gland. he further elaborated that it was under medical supervision, and that baseball knew that he was taking it. or so he says publicly. in actuality, few know the true reason as to why paul byrd ordered hgh. he was doing it for his secret twin, actor peter dinklage [or miles finch from the movie elf]. peter feared that he would be shunned by his 'little people' peers if they knew that he was taking human growth hormone in attempt to land more conventional leading roles. he didn't want to be to linked to any orders of hgh, so paul nobly offered to obtain some for him. so next time when a person tries to tell you paul byrd is a cheater, remember that he was just taking the fall for someone else.
12 November 2007
college fooball in review: week eleven [11]
illinois at [#1] ohio state
illinois : for the fighting illini, the juice is loose [hopefully, this doesn't end in a double murder]. the fighting illini played loose while the buckeyes played tight, which was more apparent as the game went into later stages of the game. as a result, it was a big win for the fighting illini and a bigger loss for the buckeyes. hopefully ron zook can recover from the concussion he suffered when he was inadvertently hit in the head with the gatorade cooler in an attempt to shower him with the non-carbonated sports drink.
ohio state : america can breathe another sigh of relief now that an inferior buckeyes team has been defeated. most people outside of ohio could see that they were not the best team in the country, and that the only reason that they were ranked number one is because they were undefeated in a bcs conference. at any rate, the game was decided when they couldn't stop the run on a drive that last over 8 minutes that included with 13 straight running plays.
[#4] kansas at oklahoma state
kansas : although the jayhawks have a quality offense, it is disconcerting that their defense allowed so many points to a cowboys team. their defense let the cowboys come within five points after having a huge lead, which could be a sign that they can be mentally weak. with this win, the jayhawks keep their hopes alive to make the bcs championship game.
oklahoma state : just because their coach is forty, it doesn't mean that their defensive players like old men. although in their defense, they played a team in the jayhawks that has a good offense. in the end, it wasn't enough to beat that jayhawks.
[#18] auburn at [#10] georgia
auburn : the tigers looked poised to take control of this game, then inexplicably forgot how to stop the run. against the bulldogs, their defense broke down and allowed more points than they had in their previous five games combined. it also didn't help that quarterback brandon cox threw four interceptions, although the tigers should come to expect that type of play from him.
georgia : since the bulldogs wanted to keep it a secret that they were going to wear black jerseys, they warmed up in their red jerseys and switched to the black ones right before the game. unfortunately, no one had told their kicker, as he struggled to change from his red jersey to his black one on the sideline. as for the game, when it looked like momentum was on the side of the tigers, freshman running back knowshon moreno took the game into his own hands and wore down the tigers' defense. in other news, uga vi is still as temperamental as ever.
arkansas at [#24] tennessee
arkansas : besides john parker wilson, has their been another quarterback who has made worse decisions than casey dick [yes, that is his real name]? it became so bad to the point that houston nutt benched dick, and replaced him with nathan emert, a sophomore with little experience, in one of the toughest places to play in college football. [read: houston nutt is not a smart coach.]
tennessee : it's surprising to see that the volunteers were successful in containing the run against the razorbacks, namely darren mcfadden. although mcfadden did rush for over 100 yards, the volunteers' sure tackling kept mcfadden from breaking tackles or gaining any yards after contact.
air force at notre dame
air force : the cadets simply stuck to their game plan and the fighting irish had no answer. they outplayed, overpowered and outcoached their opponent the entire game. with that being said, i still wonder how they can compete when they field a team with players who are all the same size.
notre dame : the fighting irish lost yet another game in south bend to run their 2007 home record to 0-6. they didn't seem too prepared against air force, as the cadets ran the option about 90% of the time, to which the fighting irish were ill-prepared to defend. for that, the coaches are to blame. the only way for this season to be any more embarrassing would be a loss to duke at home next week.
illinois : for the fighting illini, the juice is loose [hopefully, this doesn't end in a double murder]. the fighting illini played loose while the buckeyes played tight, which was more apparent as the game went into later stages of the game. as a result, it was a big win for the fighting illini and a bigger loss for the buckeyes. hopefully ron zook can recover from the concussion he suffered when he was inadvertently hit in the head with the gatorade cooler in an attempt to shower him with the non-carbonated sports drink.
ohio state : america can breathe another sigh of relief now that an inferior buckeyes team has been defeated. most people outside of ohio could see that they were not the best team in the country, and that the only reason that they were ranked number one is because they were undefeated in a bcs conference. at any rate, the game was decided when they couldn't stop the run on a drive that last over 8 minutes that included with 13 straight running plays.
[#4] kansas at oklahoma state
kansas : although the jayhawks have a quality offense, it is disconcerting that their defense allowed so many points to a cowboys team. their defense let the cowboys come within five points after having a huge lead, which could be a sign that they can be mentally weak. with this win, the jayhawks keep their hopes alive to make the bcs championship game.
oklahoma state : just because their coach is forty, it doesn't mean that their defensive players like old men. although in their defense, they played a team in the jayhawks that has a good offense. in the end, it wasn't enough to beat that jayhawks.
[#18] auburn at [#10] georgia
auburn : the tigers looked poised to take control of this game, then inexplicably forgot how to stop the run. against the bulldogs, their defense broke down and allowed more points than they had in their previous five games combined. it also didn't help that quarterback brandon cox threw four interceptions, although the tigers should come to expect that type of play from him.
georgia : since the bulldogs wanted to keep it a secret that they were going to wear black jerseys, they warmed up in their red jerseys and switched to the black ones right before the game. unfortunately, no one had told their kicker, as he struggled to change from his red jersey to his black one on the sideline. as for the game, when it looked like momentum was on the side of the tigers, freshman running back knowshon moreno took the game into his own hands and wore down the tigers' defense. in other news, uga vi is still as temperamental as ever.
arkansas at [#24] tennessee
arkansas : besides john parker wilson, has their been another quarterback who has made worse decisions than casey dick [yes, that is his real name]? it became so bad to the point that houston nutt benched dick, and replaced him with nathan emert, a sophomore with little experience, in one of the toughest places to play in college football. [read: houston nutt is not a smart coach.]
tennessee : it's surprising to see that the volunteers were successful in containing the run against the razorbacks, namely darren mcfadden. although mcfadden did rush for over 100 yards, the volunteers' sure tackling kept mcfadden from breaking tackles or gaining any yards after contact.
air force at notre dame
air force : the cadets simply stuck to their game plan and the fighting irish had no answer. they outplayed, overpowered and outcoached their opponent the entire game. with that being said, i still wonder how they can compete when they field a team with players who are all the same size.
notre dame : the fighting irish lost yet another game in south bend to run their 2007 home record to 0-6. they didn't seem too prepared against air force, as the cadets ran the option about 90% of the time, to which the fighting irish were ill-prepared to defend. for that, the coaches are to blame. the only way for this season to be any more embarrassing would be a loss to duke at home next week.
09 November 2007
movie forecast: fred claus
editor's note: for a detailed explanation of a movie forecast, click here
other than the masochistic impulse to commit career suicide, i have no idea why either vince vaughn or paul giamatti would ever agree to make fred claus. the only other reasons that i can think of why they would want to this movie are money, contractual obligations, and money. even with that being said, i don't know why would paul giamatti want to make such a silly movie after his latest string of films which gave him well-deserved recognition as one of today's greatest american actors. and i don't know why vince vaughn would resort to making such a formulaic children's comedy after the latest movies that he's done [on second thought, maybe i do]. it simply makes no sense. actors usually make these kind of movies so that they have more artistic freedom with later films, so it doesn't make any sense whatsoever that these two established actors would agree to do this.
as for the actual movie itself, fred claus is simply a poor man's surviving christmas or a homeless man's the santa clause. the plot involves santa claus [paul giamatti] and how he has to deal with his slacker brother, fred claus [vince vaughn]. someone please tell me how this is supposed to be funny. i'm sure none of it will be enjoyable for any type of audience, including children. it's basically a quick money grab just in time for the holiday season. hopefully, people will come to the realization that watching this would be a waste of time before deciding to give reason [ie money] for movie studios to make this sort of film.
prognosis : 2/10
other than the masochistic impulse to commit career suicide, i have no idea why either vince vaughn or paul giamatti would ever agree to make fred claus. the only other reasons that i can think of why they would want to this movie are money, contractual obligations, and money. even with that being said, i don't know why would paul giamatti want to make such a silly movie after his latest string of films which gave him well-deserved recognition as one of today's greatest american actors. and i don't know why vince vaughn would resort to making such a formulaic children's comedy after the latest movies that he's done [on second thought, maybe i do]. it simply makes no sense. actors usually make these kind of movies so that they have more artistic freedom with later films, so it doesn't make any sense whatsoever that these two established actors would agree to do this.as for the actual movie itself, fred claus is simply a poor man's surviving christmas or a homeless man's the santa clause. the plot involves santa claus [paul giamatti] and how he has to deal with his slacker brother, fred claus [vince vaughn]. someone please tell me how this is supposed to be funny. i'm sure none of it will be enjoyable for any type of audience, including children. it's basically a quick money grab just in time for the holiday season. hopefully, people will come to the realization that watching this would be a waste of time before deciding to give reason [ie money] for movie studios to make this sort of film.
prognosis : 2/10
08 November 2007
nfl predictions: week ten [10]
minnesota at green bay
analysis : while adrian peterson is a terrific running back, let's keep things in perspective. he has only played 8 games, and while he has been impressive, he's not the best running back in the league [not yet at least]. with that being said, green bay will do a good job in containing peterson, mostly because to the play of their linebackers.
the pick : green bay
jacksonville at tennessee
analysis : the winner of this game will have no more than 17 points. both offenses will play poorly, but that is in large part due to the play of both of the defenses. i'm still curious if there are any other people who realize that vince young has been laying an egg on the field this year. he might not even reach 1,500 yards passing, which would only need about an average of 100 yards per game.
the pick : tennessee
denver at kansas city
analysis : the broncos have won a total of 3 games this season by a combined score of 9 points [and all have been on last second field goals]. the chiefs, on the other hand, have beat quality opponents, so they shouldn't have much of a problem with the broncos.
the pick : kansas city
buffalo at miami
analysis : although miami is winless at 0-8, it doesn't mean that they aren't capable of winning a game. the bills don't have much of a defense, and the dolphins do have some speed that would cause problems for their secondary. and after the dolphins win this game, the 1976 buccaneers will only have to wait for a rams' victory in order to pop open a bottle of champagne to celebrate the fact that are still the only football team with a winless season.
the pick : miami
st louis at new orleans
analysis : now that the saints have got their groove back, there is no foreseeable reason to see them losing to the rams. even though stephen jackson is supposedly healthy and starting for the rams, they are still in total disarray. it's time for them to start scouting the best players in the college game.
the pick : new orleans
cleveland at pittsburgh
analysis : the steelers will show no mercy against the browns. jamal lewis will struggle to get any thing more than 3 yards a carry. the steelers blitzing defense will confuse derek anderson and rattle what poise he has shown this season.
the pick : pittsburgh
philadelphia at washington
analysis : the eagles are in a tailspin that they won't be able to be able to recover. donovan mcnabb has played poorly, but it is clear that he is nowhere near 100% healthy. jason campbell should have his way against an eagles' secondary that is missing a few starters.
the pick : washington
atlanta at carolina
analysis : if sage rosenfels set back football 15 years, then panthers' starting quarterback matt moore will set football back to the era when the forward pass had not yet been implemented. the falcons also play football as though it were 1960, but that is partly because the team has quit on their coach. petrino is partly to blame for this, and i'm sure he has already been looking at where he wants to buy some beachfront property with all his buyout money.
the pick : atlanta
cincinnati at baltimore
analysis : with the bengals' defense playing as if they were wet toilet paper in the way they provide little to no resistance, the bengals' offense is forced to pass on almost every play to stay in the game. and while the bengals have good offensive players, it's difficult to run an offense when it becomes one-dimensional. granted, to say that the ravens' offense has even one dimension would be generous, the ravens' defense, as usual, will play well enough to win the game for them.
the pick : baltimore
dallas at ny giants
analysis : even though the giants lost to the cowboys in their first meeting, it was due to the play of their defense. in fact, the offense played quite well enough to win the game. the giants will be able to exploit the cowboys' biggest weakness, which is their pass defense [read: roy williams]. the cowboys will also play well, but it won't be enough to overcome the problems that they will have against the giants' defensive line.
the pick : ny giants
detroit at arizona
analysis : the lions are a team that a second collapse would seem likely, considering that they are an inexperienced team that has had a relatively easy schedule so far. the rest of the teams that they play in the second half are collectively much better, and they may fall victim to external pressure if they struggle for a playoff spot.
the pick : arizona
chicago at oakland
analysis : it's time for people to realize that the bears' defense are not what we thought they were. they have become quite average, which is the result of losing key players on their defensive line. without the ability to apply [some] pressure using only their front four, their cover 2 scheme is less ineffective, especially since their need to blitz their linebackers to get to quarterback will leave holes in the zone.
the pick : oakland
indianapolis at san diego
analysis : these two teams are on opposite ends of the spectrum as far as coaching goes. the colts in tony dungy have a major advantage over the chargers in norv turner. i fully expect dungy to undress turner throughout the game, and consequently, i expect norv turner to be buck naked by the middle of the third quarter. fortunately for the colts, this will translate well onto the field. but unfortunately for them, they will have to play with a nude man in their peripheral vision.
the pick : indianapolis
san francisco at seattle
analysis : even though shaun alexander is out for this game, i don't think the seahawks will miss his usual 15 carries and 40 yards that he brings with him, nor will they miss the way he crumples to ground whenever a live body approaches him. the 49ers should have frank gore back in the starting lineup, which will be the deciding advantage against the underachieving seahawks.
the pick : san francisco
analysis : while adrian peterson is a terrific running back, let's keep things in perspective. he has only played 8 games, and while he has been impressive, he's not the best running back in the league [not yet at least]. with that being said, green bay will do a good job in containing peterson, mostly because to the play of their linebackers.
the pick : green bay
jacksonville at tennessee
analysis : the winner of this game will have no more than 17 points. both offenses will play poorly, but that is in large part due to the play of both of the defenses. i'm still curious if there are any other people who realize that vince young has been laying an egg on the field this year. he might not even reach 1,500 yards passing, which would only need about an average of 100 yards per game.
the pick : tennessee
denver at kansas city
analysis : the broncos have won a total of 3 games this season by a combined score of 9 points [and all have been on last second field goals]. the chiefs, on the other hand, have beat quality opponents, so they shouldn't have much of a problem with the broncos.
the pick : kansas city
buffalo at miami
analysis : although miami is winless at 0-8, it doesn't mean that they aren't capable of winning a game. the bills don't have much of a defense, and the dolphins do have some speed that would cause problems for their secondary. and after the dolphins win this game, the 1976 buccaneers will only have to wait for a rams' victory in order to pop open a bottle of champagne to celebrate the fact that are still the only football team with a winless season.
the pick : miami
st louis at new orleans
analysis : now that the saints have got their groove back, there is no foreseeable reason to see them losing to the rams. even though stephen jackson is supposedly healthy and starting for the rams, they are still in total disarray. it's time for them to start scouting the best players in the college game.
the pick : new orleans
cleveland at pittsburgh
analysis : the steelers will show no mercy against the browns. jamal lewis will struggle to get any thing more than 3 yards a carry. the steelers blitzing defense will confuse derek anderson and rattle what poise he has shown this season.
the pick : pittsburgh
philadelphia at washington
analysis : the eagles are in a tailspin that they won't be able to be able to recover. donovan mcnabb has played poorly, but it is clear that he is nowhere near 100% healthy. jason campbell should have his way against an eagles' secondary that is missing a few starters.
the pick : washington
atlanta at carolina
analysis : if sage rosenfels set back football 15 years, then panthers' starting quarterback matt moore will set football back to the era when the forward pass had not yet been implemented. the falcons also play football as though it were 1960, but that is partly because the team has quit on their coach. petrino is partly to blame for this, and i'm sure he has already been looking at where he wants to buy some beachfront property with all his buyout money.
the pick : atlanta
cincinnati at baltimore
analysis : with the bengals' defense playing as if they were wet toilet paper in the way they provide little to no resistance, the bengals' offense is forced to pass on almost every play to stay in the game. and while the bengals have good offensive players, it's difficult to run an offense when it becomes one-dimensional. granted, to say that the ravens' offense has even one dimension would be generous, the ravens' defense, as usual, will play well enough to win the game for them.
the pick : baltimore
dallas at ny giants
analysis : even though the giants lost to the cowboys in their first meeting, it was due to the play of their defense. in fact, the offense played quite well enough to win the game. the giants will be able to exploit the cowboys' biggest weakness, which is their pass defense [read: roy williams]. the cowboys will also play well, but it won't be enough to overcome the problems that they will have against the giants' defensive line.
the pick : ny giants
detroit at arizona
analysis : the lions are a team that a second collapse would seem likely, considering that they are an inexperienced team that has had a relatively easy schedule so far. the rest of the teams that they play in the second half are collectively much better, and they may fall victim to external pressure if they struggle for a playoff spot.
the pick : arizona
chicago at oakland
analysis : it's time for people to realize that the bears' defense are not what we thought they were. they have become quite average, which is the result of losing key players on their defensive line. without the ability to apply [some] pressure using only their front four, their cover 2 scheme is less ineffective, especially since their need to blitz their linebackers to get to quarterback will leave holes in the zone.
the pick : oakland
indianapolis at san diego
analysis : these two teams are on opposite ends of the spectrum as far as coaching goes. the colts in tony dungy have a major advantage over the chargers in norv turner. i fully expect dungy to undress turner throughout the game, and consequently, i expect norv turner to be buck naked by the middle of the third quarter. fortunately for the colts, this will translate well onto the field. but unfortunately for them, they will have to play with a nude man in their peripheral vision.
the pick : indianapolis
san francisco at seattle
analysis : even though shaun alexander is out for this game, i don't think the seahawks will miss his usual 15 carries and 40 yards that he brings with him, nor will they miss the way he crumples to ground whenever a live body approaches him. the 49ers should have frank gore back in the starting lineup, which will be the deciding advantage against the underachieving seahawks.
the pick : san francisco
06 November 2007
separated at birth?
upon discovering that they were separated at birth, both rapper nelly and wide receiver steve smith exclaimed some nonsensical noises such as 'whoop!' and 'zoot!' after the intial excitement, they were seen partying in various cities around the south, although it has caused some confusion as to which posse they should bring when they travel together. being the pranksters that they are, sometimes they pretend to be one another, which would explain some tracks on nelly's previous album, sweatsuit.
05 November 2007
college football in review: week ten [10]
navy at notre dame
navy : i've been trying to decide whether if navy were lucky or if they are simply better than notre dame. in the end, it really doesn't matter, as the midshipmen finally beat the fighting irish after 43 years. [by the way, i think it's more that they are better.]
notre dame : this may be the most embarassing loss for a team since the washington generals beat the harlem globetrotters. i'm still wondering why notre dame, after tying the game late in the 4th quarter, didn't decide to attempt a 41 yard field goal. with decisions like that, the fighting irish deserved to lose.
florida state at [#2] boston college
florida state : the seminoles did america a favor by defeating the screaming eagles and thus preventing them from going to the bcs championship. they won by playing well on both sides on the ball, mostly due to drew weatherford leading the offense and their defense getting timely stops and turnovers.
boston college : i doubt that many people believed that the screaming eagles were going to finish at number 2 in the bcs standings, so their loss this week didn't come as a surprise. matt ryan played poorly, but i suppose that everyone is entitled to an off-day. although i do hope that this does curtail any matt ryan for heisman campaigns and/or anyone in the media calling him 'matty heisman.'
[#3] lsu at [#17] alabama
lsu : the tigers seem to be the best team in the country, and they have the best player in college football [glen dorsey]. so it's a surprise to me that they always play in close games. i suppose that playing in close games doesn't mean that they aren't the best team, but it does say that they have plenty of flaws. against alabama, they were one 4th-and-4 away from losing. fortunately for the tigers, they converted the fourth down and won the game thanks in large part to a john parker wilson fumble.
alabama : i'm a certain that nick saban went home and punched holes in the wall right after this game. alabama had every chance to win this game, and played tight as the game got closer to its end. when it mattered, the lsu defense did not let the crimson tide move the ball down the field.
[#4] arizona state at [#5] oregon
arizona state : even though the sun devils came into the game the higher in the rankings, the ducks were always considered the better team. and it showed as the sun devils comparative inexperience to oregon showed. the good news is that they still only have one loss and their hopes to make the bcs championship game are still alive [barely].
oregon : the ducks called a brilliant game offensively. after scoring two touchdowns on swing passes, they throw a touchdown where they faked a swing pass only to throw to a receiver downfield. now that's what it means to get deep into a playbook. oregon is clearly the most consistent team in a strong pac-10 conference.
nebraska at [#8] kansas
nebraska : i think it's a safe bet that all of the returning players and coaches will be looking forward to next year's game against the jayhawks. not only will they want to avenge the loss on the field, but they also might be throwing molotov cocktails through the kansas players' hotel bedroom windows.
kansas : all i can say is that this was beatdown city. i don't know bill callahan slept with mark mangino's wife or what, but the jayhawks pulled a 'patriots' and just wanted to undress the cornhuskers.
navy : i've been trying to decide whether if navy were lucky or if they are simply better than notre dame. in the end, it really doesn't matter, as the midshipmen finally beat the fighting irish after 43 years. [by the way, i think it's more that they are better.]
notre dame : this may be the most embarassing loss for a team since the washington generals beat the harlem globetrotters. i'm still wondering why notre dame, after tying the game late in the 4th quarter, didn't decide to attempt a 41 yard field goal. with decisions like that, the fighting irish deserved to lose.
florida state at [#2] boston college
florida state : the seminoles did america a favor by defeating the screaming eagles and thus preventing them from going to the bcs championship. they won by playing well on both sides on the ball, mostly due to drew weatherford leading the offense and their defense getting timely stops and turnovers.
boston college : i doubt that many people believed that the screaming eagles were going to finish at number 2 in the bcs standings, so their loss this week didn't come as a surprise. matt ryan played poorly, but i suppose that everyone is entitled to an off-day. although i do hope that this does curtail any matt ryan for heisman campaigns and/or anyone in the media calling him 'matty heisman.'
[#3] lsu at [#17] alabama
lsu : the tigers seem to be the best team in the country, and they have the best player in college football [glen dorsey]. so it's a surprise to me that they always play in close games. i suppose that playing in close games doesn't mean that they aren't the best team, but it does say that they have plenty of flaws. against alabama, they were one 4th-and-4 away from losing. fortunately for the tigers, they converted the fourth down and won the game thanks in large part to a john parker wilson fumble.
alabama : i'm a certain that nick saban went home and punched holes in the wall right after this game. alabama had every chance to win this game, and played tight as the game got closer to its end. when it mattered, the lsu defense did not let the crimson tide move the ball down the field.
[#4] arizona state at [#5] oregon
arizona state : even though the sun devils came into the game the higher in the rankings, the ducks were always considered the better team. and it showed as the sun devils comparative inexperience to oregon showed. the good news is that they still only have one loss and their hopes to make the bcs championship game are still alive [barely].
oregon : the ducks called a brilliant game offensively. after scoring two touchdowns on swing passes, they throw a touchdown where they faked a swing pass only to throw to a receiver downfield. now that's what it means to get deep into a playbook. oregon is clearly the most consistent team in a strong pac-10 conference.
nebraska at [#8] kansas
nebraska : i think it's a safe bet that all of the returning players and coaches will be looking forward to next year's game against the jayhawks. not only will they want to avenge the loss on the field, but they also might be throwing molotov cocktails through the kansas players' hotel bedroom windows.
kansas : all i can say is that this was beatdown city. i don't know bill callahan slept with mark mangino's wife or what, but the jayhawks pulled a 'patriots' and just wanted to undress the cornhuskers.
02 November 2007
movie forecast: american gangster
editor's note: for a detailed explanation of a movie forecast, click here
when i learned that denzel washington and russell crowe were making another movie together, i wondered why anyone would want to see a sequel to virtuosity, because that movie was downright bad. and i'm pretty sure that ridley scott even directed it as well. anyway, denzel washington plays the same character he always plays [surprise, surprise], a hard-nosed person with strong values [in other words, he plays denzel washington]. in this movie though, he is a ghetto kingpin who wears ugly suits. russell crowe is supposedly the cop who is going to bring the whole operation down. that in itself may be the greatest leap that any viewer will have to make. seriously, i don't think it's very plausible that russell crowe has any allegiance to the law.
at any rate, i question if american gangster [doesn't its name sound like a working title that never changed and just stuck?] will be able to break new ground in a genre that has been beat to a bloody pulp far too many times. in the end, i think it will be a good movie, just not a classic one.
prognosis: 7/10
when i learned that denzel washington and russell crowe were making another movie together, i wondered why anyone would want to see a sequel to virtuosity, because that movie was downright bad. and i'm pretty sure that ridley scott even directed it as well. anyway, denzel washington plays the same character he always plays [surprise, surprise], a hard-nosed person with strong values [in other words, he plays denzel washington]. in this movie though, he is a ghetto kingpin who wears ugly suits. russell crowe is supposedly the cop who is going to bring the whole operation down. that in itself may be the greatest leap that any viewer will have to make. seriously, i don't think it's very plausible that russell crowe has any allegiance to the law.
at any rate, i question if american gangster [doesn't its name sound like a working title that never changed and just stuck?] will be able to break new ground in a genre that has been beat to a bloody pulp far too many times. in the end, i think it will be a good movie, just not a classic one.
prognosis: 7/10
01 November 2007
nfl predictions: week nine [9]
denver at detroit
analysis : basically the broncos have been living life on the edge and their only wins have been pulled out of their collective butt. the lions aren't much better, but their offense will exploit the broncos' shoddy run defense and injured secondary.
the pick : detroit
san francisco at atlanta
analysis : after being berated by bobby petrino all season long, then being benched, only to be back in the starting lineup due to his replacement's injury, joey harrington's morale would have to be similar to that of a hobo who just lost his shopping cart full of rusty nails. in any event, petrino has no idea what to do what this falcons team this year.
the pick : san francisco
cincinnati at buffalo
analysis : for some reason, chad johnson has gone from beloved prankster to perceived clubhouse cancer within a week's time. too bad he can't blamed for their porous defense, which is supposedly marvin lewis' strength as a coach. the bills are a competitive team who play tough at home when the weather becomes intolerable for visiting teams.
the pick : buffalo
carolina at tennessee
analysis : does any team hide their quarterback as well as the titans? vince young had less than 50 yards passing last week and they still won. hopefully soon people will realize the titans win games not because of vince young, but because of their defense. on the other side, the panthers remain of the most inconsistent and underachieving teams in the league.
the pick : tennessee
green bay at kansas city
analysis : the packers will continue to play as one of the elite teams in the nfc [which really isn't saying much], but it's not because brett favre is playing safer or taking less risks. the packers are winning because of their young and talented defense. the chiefs are surprising not the worst team in the nfl [that would be the dolphins], and herm edwards is doing well with what little he has.
the pick : the packers
san diego at minnesota
analysis : the chargers have found their groove from last season and look to finally seize control of the afc west. they will be more than what the vikings can handle on both sides on the ball.
the pick : san diego
jacksonville at new orleans
analysis : when quinn gray is your starting quarterback, this is not a good sign. the saints' offense will have a difficult time against the jaguars' defense, but the jaguars' offense will have a tougher time against the saints' mediocre defense.
the pick : new orleans
washington at ny jets
analysis : eric mangini makes the inevitable move of making kellen clemens the starter. too bad he doesn't have the same caliber of replacements on defense. the redskins are a quality team who will be looking to put a hurting on the jets after last week's beatdown.
the pick : washington
arizona at tampa bay
analysis : the buccaneers have no running game, but the cardinals don't really have much of a defense. fortunately for the cardinals, they have many weapons on offense that should give the buccaneers defense plenty of matchup problems.
the pick : arizona
seattle at cleveland
analysis : are the browns for real? i can't even tell if derek anderson is a legitimate quarterback or a flash in the pan. whatever the case, he won't be the browns' starter next year because brady quinn's contract is next the depth chart. seattle is looking more like annual nfc west winner who will only have 8 wins. it also doesn't help that the seahawks have a running back in shaun alexander who doesn't want to receive any contact from other players.
the pick : cleveland
new england at indianapolis
analysis : this is definitely the game of regular season no matter what happens the rest of the way. the patriots have been simply destroying people like it were rookie difficulty on madden. the colts have been doing their business as the only other undefeated team in the league. i imagine they will give the patriots a tough time, which means that they will only beat the colts by 21 points.
the pick : new england
houston at oakland
analysis : daunte culpepper or josh mccown will be starting for the raiders, which really won't make that much of a difference either way. sage rosenfels will be starting for the texans, which actually might set football back 15 years.
the pick : oakland
dallas at philadelphia
analysis : the cowboys will continue to assert themselves as the best team in the nfc, which isn't saying much since they got destroyed by the afc's best team only a few weeks ago. the eagles may give the cowboys a competitive game, but they just don't have enough to contend with them.
the pick : dallas
baltimore at pittsburgh
analysis : is there anything scarier in life than ray lewis having a personal vendetta against you? i suppose there is, but not much. the steelers remain the afc's third best team, but the gap between them and colts is far wider than the one between them and the afc's fourth best team.
the pick : pittsburgh
analysis : basically the broncos have been living life on the edge and their only wins have been pulled out of their collective butt. the lions aren't much better, but their offense will exploit the broncos' shoddy run defense and injured secondary.
the pick : detroit
san francisco at atlanta
analysis : after being berated by bobby petrino all season long, then being benched, only to be back in the starting lineup due to his replacement's injury, joey harrington's morale would have to be similar to that of a hobo who just lost his shopping cart full of rusty nails. in any event, petrino has no idea what to do what this falcons team this year.
the pick : san francisco
cincinnati at buffalo
analysis : for some reason, chad johnson has gone from beloved prankster to perceived clubhouse cancer within a week's time. too bad he can't blamed for their porous defense, which is supposedly marvin lewis' strength as a coach. the bills are a competitive team who play tough at home when the weather becomes intolerable for visiting teams.
the pick : buffalo
carolina at tennessee
analysis : does any team hide their quarterback as well as the titans? vince young had less than 50 yards passing last week and they still won. hopefully soon people will realize the titans win games not because of vince young, but because of their defense. on the other side, the panthers remain of the most inconsistent and underachieving teams in the league.
the pick : tennessee
green bay at kansas city
analysis : the packers will continue to play as one of the elite teams in the nfc [which really isn't saying much], but it's not because brett favre is playing safer or taking less risks. the packers are winning because of their young and talented defense. the chiefs are surprising not the worst team in the nfl [that would be the dolphins], and herm edwards is doing well with what little he has.
the pick : the packers
san diego at minnesota
analysis : the chargers have found their groove from last season and look to finally seize control of the afc west. they will be more than what the vikings can handle on both sides on the ball.
the pick : san diego
jacksonville at new orleans
analysis : when quinn gray is your starting quarterback, this is not a good sign. the saints' offense will have a difficult time against the jaguars' defense, but the jaguars' offense will have a tougher time against the saints' mediocre defense.
the pick : new orleans
washington at ny jets
analysis : eric mangini makes the inevitable move of making kellen clemens the starter. too bad he doesn't have the same caliber of replacements on defense. the redskins are a quality team who will be looking to put a hurting on the jets after last week's beatdown.
the pick : washington
arizona at tampa bay
analysis : the buccaneers have no running game, but the cardinals don't really have much of a defense. fortunately for the cardinals, they have many weapons on offense that should give the buccaneers defense plenty of matchup problems.
the pick : arizona
seattle at cleveland
analysis : are the browns for real? i can't even tell if derek anderson is a legitimate quarterback or a flash in the pan. whatever the case, he won't be the browns' starter next year because brady quinn's contract is next the depth chart. seattle is looking more like annual nfc west winner who will only have 8 wins. it also doesn't help that the seahawks have a running back in shaun alexander who doesn't want to receive any contact from other players.
the pick : cleveland
new england at indianapolis
analysis : this is definitely the game of regular season no matter what happens the rest of the way. the patriots have been simply destroying people like it were rookie difficulty on madden. the colts have been doing their business as the only other undefeated team in the league. i imagine they will give the patriots a tough time, which means that they will only beat the colts by 21 points.
the pick : new england
houston at oakland
analysis : daunte culpepper or josh mccown will be starting for the raiders, which really won't make that much of a difference either way. sage rosenfels will be starting for the texans, which actually might set football back 15 years.
the pick : oakland
dallas at philadelphia
analysis : the cowboys will continue to assert themselves as the best team in the nfc, which isn't saying much since they got destroyed by the afc's best team only a few weeks ago. the eagles may give the cowboys a competitive game, but they just don't have enough to contend with them.
the pick : dallas
baltimore at pittsburgh
analysis : is there anything scarier in life than ray lewis having a personal vendetta against you? i suppose there is, but not much. the steelers remain the afc's third best team, but the gap between them and colts is far wider than the one between them and the afc's fourth best team.
the pick : pittsburgh
12 October 2007
movie forecast: we own the night
editor's note: for a detailed explanation of a movie forecast, click here
when face/off came out over a decade ago, i was excited to see the dynamic interactions between nicolas cage and john travolta. as for mark wahlberg and joaquin phoenix, not so much. judging from the trailers, we own the night seems like a movie that attempts to capture the gritty, street-tough look and feel. but what i get the most from the trailer is the visual of the guy who wears a burlap sack over his head. i'm guessing the purpose of the burlap sack is to disguise his identity, but aren't there better ways to conceal one's face that are better than that?
anyway, the commercials for this movie include the names of 'wahlberg. phoenix. mendes. and duvall.' i suppose they are trying to emphasize its star power, but when i saw the names i thought, wait a minute, mendes? it's a nice try trying to sneak in eva mendes with those other names, but i don't think many people are going to see a movie because it has eva mendes in it. i guess they thought that if she was sandwiched between bigger names then they could get away with it.
apparently this movie is about two brothers who are on opposite sides of the law, and for some reason the they join forces to take down the bad guys. it's not entirely original, but if done well, it can be entertaining. the action scenes look like they use real objects [as opposed to cgi], which is always a plus. areas where it could hurt the movie would be a cookie-cutter plot line, which i wouldn't be surprised if it was.
prognosis: 7/10
when face/off came out over a decade ago, i was excited to see the dynamic interactions between nicolas cage and john travolta. as for mark wahlberg and joaquin phoenix, not so much. judging from the trailers, we own the night seems like a movie that attempts to capture the gritty, street-tough look and feel. but what i get the most from the trailer is the visual of the guy who wears a burlap sack over his head. i'm guessing the purpose of the burlap sack is to disguise his identity, but aren't there better ways to conceal one's face that are better than that?
anyway, the commercials for this movie include the names of 'wahlberg. phoenix. mendes. and duvall.' i suppose they are trying to emphasize its star power, but when i saw the names i thought, wait a minute, mendes? it's a nice try trying to sneak in eva mendes with those other names, but i don't think many people are going to see a movie because it has eva mendes in it. i guess they thought that if she was sandwiched between bigger names then they could get away with it.
apparently this movie is about two brothers who are on opposite sides of the law, and for some reason the they join forces to take down the bad guys. it's not entirely original, but if done well, it can be entertaining. the action scenes look like they use real objects [as opposed to cgi], which is always a plus. areas where it could hurt the movie would be a cookie-cutter plot line, which i wouldn't be surprised if it was.
prognosis: 7/10
05 October 2007
movie forecast: the heartbreak kid
editor's note: for a detailed explanation of a movie forecast, click here
ben stiller makes two kinds of comedies: good ones and bad ones. unfortunately, it looks like the heartbreak kid falls into the latter category. it seems like that's been the story with his latest movies, which should be a sign that people may be tiring of his act. i'm not saying that he won't make any more good comedies, just that his recent movies have been more or less the same [read: unoriginal, uninspired, formulaic, etc].
as far the heartbreak kid goes, the premise is supposedly about ben stiller realizing that his newlywed wife is not the person he expected her to be. apparently she is so neurotic that it results in ben stiller being trapped in some latin country [i want to say it's mexico, and if that's the case, i fear for his digestive system]. i'm sure the makers of this movie thought that hilarity would ensue, but i'm afraid that it won't [at least, not enough times to make it worthwhile].
prognosis : 6/10
ben stiller makes two kinds of comedies: good ones and bad ones. unfortunately, it looks like the heartbreak kid falls into the latter category. it seems like that's been the story with his latest movies, which should be a sign that people may be tiring of his act. i'm not saying that he won't make any more good comedies, just that his recent movies have been more or less the same [read: unoriginal, uninspired, formulaic, etc].as far the heartbreak kid goes, the premise is supposedly about ben stiller realizing that his newlywed wife is not the person he expected her to be. apparently she is so neurotic that it results in ben stiller being trapped in some latin country [i want to say it's mexico, and if that's the case, i fear for his digestive system]. i'm sure the makers of this movie thought that hilarity would ensue, but i'm afraid that it won't [at least, not enough times to make it worthwhile].
prognosis : 6/10
28 September 2007
movie forecast: the kingdom
editor's note: for a detailed explanation of a movie forecast, click here
i remember seeing trailers in the theatres for the kingdom at least six months ago. and only now is it being released, which probably means that the movie was having problems in the post-production stage. most likely, the ending wasn't testing well and the producers and movie studios were having issues, so they probably decided that it needed to be reshot and consequently its release delayed.
whatever the case, the kingdom is now being hailed as a strong possibility to receive an oscar nominee for best picture, among other awards. as far i can tell, i can't disagree with that claim, but i do find it dubious that a picture can go from problematic to oscar worthy with a few reshoots, if that is the case [and i believe it is].
the kingdom does feature a fairly strong cast, which includes jamie foxx, jennifer garner and the underrated chris cooper [i know he's won an oscar, but he's still underrated]. i don't know how jamie foxx went from his earlier work to an oscar, but it happened somehow. if they were some kind of hgh for actors, the mpaa needs to test him for this. [by the way, i'm glad he doesn't think he's ray charles anymore.] jennifer garner, who at first i thought was strangely miscast, is probably the right choice to play her character. she looks tough enough to play an fbi agent, but she's also pretty enough to look extremely vulnerable in an iraqi setting [which is probably what the director was seeking]. then there is chris cooper, who has become one of the today's finest american actors. if you have doubts about this claim, watch him in any of his movies.
what can prevent this movie from being great is it being too political [i know a movie set in iraq is going to be political, but there is such a thing as overkill]. also, it worries me that the director, peter berg, is rather inexperienced with being at the helm of a movie. but then again, there have been some people with little experience who won oscars for best director in one of their first turns. at any rate, the kingdom seems like one of those films where it looks to make a statement with its subject matter, but instead it will be the work of its cast that will shine the brightest.
prognosis: 8/10
i remember seeing trailers in the theatres for the kingdom at least six months ago. and only now is it being released, which probably means that the movie was having problems in the post-production stage. most likely, the ending wasn't testing well and the producers and movie studios were having issues, so they probably decided that it needed to be reshot and consequently its release delayed.whatever the case, the kingdom is now being hailed as a strong possibility to receive an oscar nominee for best picture, among other awards. as far i can tell, i can't disagree with that claim, but i do find it dubious that a picture can go from problematic to oscar worthy with a few reshoots, if that is the case [and i believe it is].
the kingdom does feature a fairly strong cast, which includes jamie foxx, jennifer garner and the underrated chris cooper [i know he's won an oscar, but he's still underrated]. i don't know how jamie foxx went from his earlier work to an oscar, but it happened somehow. if they were some kind of hgh for actors, the mpaa needs to test him for this. [by the way, i'm glad he doesn't think he's ray charles anymore.] jennifer garner, who at first i thought was strangely miscast, is probably the right choice to play her character. she looks tough enough to play an fbi agent, but she's also pretty enough to look extremely vulnerable in an iraqi setting [which is probably what the director was seeking]. then there is chris cooper, who has become one of the today's finest american actors. if you have doubts about this claim, watch him in any of his movies.
what can prevent this movie from being great is it being too political [i know a movie set in iraq is going to be political, but there is such a thing as overkill]. also, it worries me that the director, peter berg, is rather inexperienced with being at the helm of a movie. but then again, there have been some people with little experience who won oscars for best director in one of their first turns. at any rate, the kingdom seems like one of those films where it looks to make a statement with its subject matter, but instead it will be the work of its cast that will shine the brightest.
prognosis: 8/10
25 September 2007
a 'hero' did rise
many tents were pitched last night in anticipation for the midnight release of halo 3. in fact, many gaming stores held a release party to welcome the third edition of microsoft's most successful franchise. while i did not attend any of these 'release parties,' [you know who you are], i did pick it up sometime tuesday afternoon. one of the funnier things related to halo 3 is the option for people to buy a version that includes a replica helmet that will house the halo 3 [or any other] video game case. seriously, is that necessary? some people are just dumb. with that being said, i still haven't played the game. so until i have actually played halo 3, i will continue to wonder what could bungie could do to improve the game from halo 2. aside from master chief being able to wield three guns at a time with the help of a third arm, the only things i can think that would have improved would be as follows: better graphics, new maps, and new weapons. and basically that's it. there may be other new wrinkles, but they won't be essential [read: things that people can do without]. halo 3's release also generated enough buzz that people who don't know anything related to video games were asking me about it. at first it surprised me that these people mentioned it, but then again, one person called it 'hero 3.'
