Championship Weekend!

It’s championship weekend folks. We are at that sad time of year where, there are only 3 football games left in the season 😦 Well…four if you count the Pro-Bowl..but who counts the Pro Bowl? So here is my analysis of the upcoming games, but I have fully accepted at this point that I have lackluster success when it comes to picking winners.

AFC Championship: Jets vs. Colts 3pm CBS

I think this is going to be the lackluster matchup of the weekend. Throw out the fact that the Jets ‘ruined’ the Colts perfect season a few weeks ago. Indianapolis ruined their OWN season by pulling starters and making a calculated decision that they think, at the time, made the most sense to get their team to the Super Bowl. We will see if that all pays off this Sunday. (It will be interesting, if the Colts DO win the Super Bowl to hear the chatter about whether that decision was worth it) Let’s not get ahead of ourselves though, the Colts have to get past the on-fire Jets to do it. I think that they will. While there is a lot to like about the Jets team: a rookie QB, solid defense and a loud-mouth coach, I think their lucky streak runs out here. Peyton Manning is ridiculously experienced, as are other players on the team, and its hard to believe it’s Jim Caldwell’s first year as head coach. I’ve never seen Peyton Manning choke. Not once in his entire career. I don’t think the first time will be tomorrow. The Colts’ junior varsity squad lost to the Jets in Week 16. organization…after Manning was pulled out. So it’s been a great season, Jets. Sanchez, you have firmly cemented yourself as the future of that and gained some experience. You’ll be a force to reckon withe next year, and I would have taken you guys over the Ravens, but the Colts are too good. No one has beaten their starters for an entire year…and it won’t start now.

Blossoming into a fine QB right in front of our eyes

NFC Championship: Vikings vs. Saints 6:40pm Fox

THIS.IS.IT. The match-up we’ve ALL been waiting for. The match-up we’ve all been hoping for. Thank God the NFC playoffs have gone ‘as planned,’ and we have this epic showdown. It’s gonna be a GOOD ONE folks. You’ve got the Vikings, who have blossomed into the powerhouse we always knew they could be when they got the QB situation figured out (Sorry, Tavaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels) It was worth the wait. At 40 years old, Brett Favre has been amazing, throwing for 33 touchdowns and over 3,000 yards. (and I HATE to admit it) Adrian Peterson is completely awesome and the defense is playing solid. The Vikings have proven to be a difficult team to beat all season.

Striking resemblance to Benedict Arnold...no?

If anyone can do it…it’s the New Orleans Saints. I like the Saints. I really do. I WANT them to win. There are so many interesting aspects of this story. Drew Brees has really blossomed since he went to the Saints. After a successful career at Purdue, leading the team to a Rose Bowl, it seemed like Brees might be exactly like a countless number of other quarterbacks that thrive in college but not in the NFL (Tim Tebow will soon be added to the list) Since going to New Orleans, Brees has made an astonishing impact and has become the franchise quarterback that he always knew he could be. Reggie Bush is playing IMPECCABLY. Seriously, it looks like he’s back at USC rolling through the PAC-10 conference with such ease.

So I would say, undoubtedly that the Quarterback/Runningback combos on these respective teams are as even as you can get. So what’s going to make the difference? Two Words: Jeremy Shockey. Shockey plays rough and tough and has an incredible amount of charisma. He is, without doubt, one of the ten best tight ends in the NFL and he WANTS it. He is a game changer.

back when he was clean-cut

Percy Harvin for the Vikings is awesome too, but with this mysterious injury and his lack of practice this week, look fo rhim to be less effective in the game…if he even plays it all.

I want the Saints to win, I’m not sure they will but I WANT them to. It’s a great story, it’s a team with a lot of great players and it’s a city that is still reeling from the effect of Hurricane Katrina. Let’s not mention that I don’t want to hear the media hype about Favre returning to the Super Bowl. I hate Brett Favre. He is the epitome of jags. Just because you’re talented, doesn’t mean you get to do whatever you want. I think it’s lame that Favre needs the feel to prove himself to ANYONE, especially his old organization–but I think he’s done that. I don’t think anyone will say that Favre is too old to play… If I remember correctly, I think it was just ‘We’re sick of doing this see-saw will he come back or not sooner rather than later and just want to know’ So, we all know Brett Favre won’t quit us, but dammit  can we please quit Brett Favre? I’m sick of his story, I don’t care that he ‘s still got it.’ To quote my friends on Twitter “Rather than see Favre’s ‘pants on the ground’, I’d rather see his ass on the ground tomorrow.” I hope it happens.

What are your thought? Do you think the Jets can take out the colts? Who do you think is going to win this dog fight in the NFC on Sunday? What are your thoughts on Brett Favre?

Talk to me people 🙂

–Sam

Sports Digest 1.16.10

Lots of awesome sporting events this weekend! Here is a preview! 🙂

NFL

So,  my NFL picks last week weren’t in much better shape than my BCS bowl picks but I  DID get my upset special correct. So here is a quick breakdown of who I ‘THINK’ will take it this week, although I’m fully aware that, because I pick these teams, they have a bigger probability of LOSING 🙂

• Jets vs. Chargers-I’m going with the Chargers on this one. After their usual tepid start, the team is on FIRE and are winners of 11 straight. While I’m not a full believer in Phillip Rivers (he’s a jag too), I think the Chargers are a perrenial powerhouse. I am a HUGE fan of LT, not just because of his athletic ability, but also how he carries himself as a person. As for the Jets, it’s clear that the defense is carrying this team, but props to Mark Sanchez who turned in a solid effort last week against the Bengals (Everyone else finally on the ‘Palmer sucks’ bandwagon?’) I just don’t see him being able to stop the Chargers. I don’t think the Chargers are going to win the Superbowl–> they’ll run into Indy next week, but they won’t go out to the Jets either. But it’s been a fantastic end to a shaky rookie season by Sanchez where he notched his all important first playoff win.
• Ravens vs. Colts– For many of the same reasons above, I pick the Colts. Ravens on a hot streak but it will end when they run into a team that is just all around better. Then I can breathe a sigh of relief because, as a Steelers fan, I hate the Ravens and I want nothing more than to see them lose. Especially when their motto is ‘Purple Power’…gag me.
• Cardinals vs. Saints — This is my *Upset special* for the week folks. The Saints are awesome…and I WANT them to win, but they’ve been playing like dirt the last three weeks, with all of their starters IN. I’m not exactly sure what has been going on with them, but it’s almost like only one team needed to beat them and now every team can. The Cardinals have an AWFUL defense (yea they made that LAST play last week, but no one talked about how Aaron Rodgers had the nastiest face mask call I’ve seen in ten years and no one called it) but they also have Kurt Warner, and I think we all know not to ever count Kurt Warner out. Also, with some more legitimate rumors that this is Warner’s last season, I think the motivational factor for the Cards is at an all time high. So I’d hate to see it happen but I think it will, since the Saints are in this unbelievable funk.
• Cowboys vs. Minnesota — after careful consideration, I’m NOT jumping on the Cowboys bandwagon. Ok, they beat up the Eagles three times this year, a team their familiar with. Romo seems to have broken his December/January streak, but we’re talking about Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson here. Brett Favre, as much as I hate to admit it, is still freaking awesome. He threw for 33 touchdowns this year and over 3,000 yards, add in Adrian Peterson and his PHENOMENAL year and you have the two best offensive weapons in the game…on one team. (Chris Johnson and Brees/Manning are all excellent, but they are on three different teams) No matter what anyone says, Romo and Barber are NOT the duo to take out the Vikings. I know there’s been some drama with Favre and Childress (seriously tho, after awhile, doesn’t everyone notice that the common equation in ALL of these tifts over the past couple years is Favre) but expect that to fall by the way-side. Vikings will win this one, but I expect the Cowboys to put up a decent fight

College Basketball

No. 5 ‘Cuse vs N0.9 WVU –today at noon. I think Syracuse will handle this one well. In my opinion, WVU ALWAYS seems to have a higher ranking than they deserve. They don’t seem able to put together a solid 40 minutes of basketball and always end up in the middle of the pack in the BIG EAST, (which makes them better than most of the teams in the US) So I’m saying ‘cuse take its.

Side Note: HOW DID KANSAS FALL ONLY FALL FROM NO.1 TO NO.3 AFTER LOSING TO NO. 15 TENNESSEE?! We got ourselves a ‘USC/BCS’ situation here…and I don’t like it.

What do YOU think about the NFL playoffs? What CBB do you like? Tune in tomorrow for my Australian Open preview (just in time!)

-Sam