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Posts Tagged ‘San Diego Chargers’

Favorite 10 Other Teams

Posted by mceezy on January 22, 2010

It’s no secret who my teams are. I’m pretty much a homer when it comes to sports. If you’re wondering who my team is in any given sport, just find the team located in Northern California and you’ve got it. Oakland A’s, Golden State Warriors, Oakland Raiders, Sacramento Kings, San Francisco 49ers, and if you have to find a hockey team, the San Jose Sharks. Every once in a while, though, there’s an out of market team that captures my attention. Often times it’s because of a player I like. Other times it’s because I’m a habitual underdog supporter, and there’s actually a team out there worse than mine. Here’s who they are, how they fared, why I liked them, and who I liked on the team….

#10 – 2000 Cincinnati Bengals

Season Outcome: 4-12, 5th in AFC Central

Who I Liked: Corey Dillon, Peter Warrick, Takeo Spikes

Why I Liked Them: This team sort of tricked me. I had flirted with Bengals fandom for a few seasons, mainly on the strength of receivers, Carl Pickens and Darnay Scott. 2000, however, was the year I finally traveled down striped road and jump on the Bengal bandwagon, if there is such a thing. The problem was, Pickens and Scott were gone, and Akili Smith had assumed full time QB duties. What was left was 1,400 rushing yards for Corey Dillon, and Peter Warrick leading the receiving core with an underwhelming 52 catches and 4 TDs. I almost bought a Peter Warrick jersey one day at the San Francisco City Center early that season. Good thing I didn’t, that’d be the second worst jersey in my closet right now.

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Doin Divisional Lines

Posted by chappy81 on January 14, 2010

Ouch, the playoffs started rough, but I can’t say that I wasn’t aware that my picks seem to go downhill once the regular season ends. I wish I could say it was because the teams were so even, but with the exception of one game they were all blowouts. I actually missed most of the Arizona and Green Bay game because I assumed it WAS going to be another blowout when Arizona was up by 20 in the 3rd…  Anyways, my 1-3 record last week will have to improve if I want any of you to take my picks seriously this playoffs. This week I’m trying out a new strategy, and picking the teams I don’t want to win. I guess if I don’t win my picks, I’ll find some solace in jinxing the teams I want to lose. As always the home teams are in bold.

Arizona (+7) Over New Orleans

Do I want Arizona to win? No. Were they playing better than the Saints down the stretch? Yup.  I’m not sure why, but I like to root against Arizona, and for some reason the more I do root against them, the more they win! Last week they added another amazing chapter to their recent playoff history, but I guess that didn’t convince odds makers. It did convince me! The Saints defense struggled at the end of the year, and most likely will struggle again against a now very balanced Cardinals attack. With Beanie emerging as a solid back, the Saints will have to worry about more than just Warner and Fitz. I would say the same for the Saints, but their offense looked less dynamic than the Packers at the end of the year only producing 44 points over their last three games compared to averaging 36 through the first 13 weeks. I really like the Cards 10 straight wins against the spread, so I’m picking them with confidence! I kind of want to see a battle of the grey hairs in the NFC Championship game!

Baltimore (+7) Over Indianapolis

Since last week I was wrong about nearly everything, I figured I may as well go against who I want to win this week. I really don’t want to pick Flacco over Manning, which sounds retarded rolling off the tongue. You ever notice Flacco’s off hand when he throws? It looks like he’s got a disability or something. Anyways, in the end, I’m not really sure I agree with this line. Seven points is pretty high, especially when their first meeting in Week 11 was a 17-15 Colts win where the Baltimore D picked Peyton off twice. It was a sloppy Colts win, but it wasn’t anywhere near a blowout. The Ravens looked dominant against a mojoless Patriots team last week. It’s nice to see that you don’t really need a QB to win a game, you just need the other QB to NOT show up. I doubt the Colts will forget their mojo, and will hopefully win in a close one. I still think it’s lame that the Colts didn’t go for the perfect season, but I’m not Caldwell, so it wasn’t my decision.

Minnesota (-3) Over Dallas

I know, Dallas is the hottest team in the league, and not to many people are picking Minnesota since they kind of limped across the finish line. Tony Romo is playing better than I ever thought he could, the Boys rushing attack looks great, and their defense is shutting down everybody. All of this still isn’t going to stop me from picking the Vikes! The Vikings are 8-0 at home this year, and I doubt that Favre sort of came out of retirement to lose to pretty boy Romo at home nonetheless. There’s something about the Metrodome that helps them win. They play like nobody’s business when they are there, so I see this one playing out exactly the opposite of the way people are predicting. I’d say that this is the most fair line of the bunch. I hope I don’t find out the hard way this weekend when the game is on that the Cowboys are that good…

San Diego (-7) Over New York Jets

I was hoping that when I saw the LT glide music video, it would give me just one extra reason to root for the Jets, but finding out it was filmed two years ago ended that hope. As much as I don’t want SD to win this game, I have a feeling this one will be a blowout. There’s only one Revis, and three really good receivers and a decent fourth that Rivers can throw to (Jackson, Floyd, Gates, and sometimes Nanee). The Bengals only had one receiver, Ochocinco, so passing game was containable. In this pass happy era, it’s not the running game that wins games for you, especially in the non-treacherous weather of San Diego. Just look at the top two seeds in the AFC this year! Phillip Rivers, much to my dismay, is a great quarterback. No matter how much I sports hate this guy, he keeps playing well and winning. The Chargers are as healthy as they’ve been all year and are getting back Eric Weddle in the secondary. I can’t picture Sanchez putting in two good playoff performances in a row. Especially since this time around he will have to make more plays if their offense is going to be successful. They won’t be able to grind it out on the ground like they did against Cincy. I see Sanchez making some mistakes against a much better defense.

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Techno Rap Super Bowl Shuffle?

Posted by chappy81 on January 13, 2010

Wow, I never saw LT as a rapper, or singer. I guess this was filmed back in 2007, but wasn’t released until yesterday! Pretty funny stuff! I guess Nike wanted to get this video out before LT is no longer a Charger…

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Doin Lines Week 16

Posted by chappy81 on December 24, 2009

Last week left much to be desired from my picks. Going (2-3-1) is like watching the Raiders or 49ers play, they look good for a few plays, but by the end we usually met with disappointment because of our overpaid 1st round quarterbacks. I’m still happy that I’ve stayed over .500 on the year, because I’ve never kept track for a full season, and am now starting to know why I never really win or lose much on betting on sports. I’m (42-40-2) on the year, so hopefully I can finish out this season strong! As always the home teams are in bold.

San Diego (-3) Over Tennessee

Could Santa bring me two presents this year? A Lakers loss coupled with a Chargers loss would make my sporting Christmas! Probably not. I think the Titans are a solid squad, but the Chargers don’t do a whole lot of charitable work this time of year. They are an amazing 17-0 in December with Rivers at the helm. Man, that was tough to write, since there might not be another guy in the league I sports-hate more. I guess I’m still completely shocked that Norv hasn’t blown a late game decision. When will it come!?! I doubt it will this week, since they would like to give themselves a Merry Christmas by earning that first round bye as the #2 seed. I hope I’m wrong and Chris Johnson puts up 270 rushing yards to get him to 2,000 on the year, and helps Vince go to 8-1 as a starter on the season. Either way this should be a fun game to watch, and hopefully Santa will bring the Bolts a lump of coal!

Green Bay (-14) Over Seattle

Last week was a fluke at least I think it was. The Pack lost a tough road game to the Steelers in a game that Big Ben set career game records that I don’t see him beating anytime soon. I think after being thoroughly outplayed the Packers D will step it up this weekend against a Seahawks team that has regressed, even with very low expectations going into the season. I know that they are waiting to get out there and re-establish everything that was going right before their meeting with Pittsburgh. Why do the Seahawks keep giving the ball to a uninspiring Julies Jones over a budding star in the wings in Justin Forsett is beyond me. I guess Jim Mora Jr. is as clueless as we all thought he was. If Green Bay can’t roll up the score on this terrible Seattle team at home, then they don’t deserve to make the playoffs.

Cincinnati (-13.5) Over Kansas City

I guess I was wrong last week. Cincy wasn’t overly emotional to hang with SD. I think I make the outside factors out to be more than they really were. Thinking back to the worst times in my life, I guess it didn’t really affect my work all that much. Maybe I might not have wanted to be there, but I still did what I needed to do just like the Bengals performance. I think KC officially gave up on this year about week 12. They decided to start just letting teams score at will. Three of their last four opponents have hit the 40+ point mark, and the only game that was remotely close was against the lowly Bills where they still lost by 6 at home. I can proudly say that the Raiders aren’t the worst team in the division for once! I was happy to see the NFL didn’t fine any of the players that paid tribute to the fallen Chris Henry. If they had, the NFL would get three lumps of coal in their stocking from Chad himself! Read the rest of this entry »

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Doin Lines Week 15

Posted by chappy81 on December 17, 2009

Last week wasn’t phenomenal, but it was a winning week nonetheless. I went 4-3, which keeps me above .500 overall (40-37-1).  I have to say, this past weekend was probably the least football I’ve watched in awhile. It’s weird how earlier in the season everybody was saying there is no parody in the league. Sure looks like it has evened out a bit since then! As always the home teams are in bold.

New Orleans (-7) Over Dallas

I haven’t picked the Saints for a couple of weeks, so I guess I’m due. I’ve been weary since they went on their non spread covering ways for a few weeks, but last week I think they collected themselves and are ready to dominate again. They can pretty much sew up home field advantage through the playoffs with a win over Dallas. Plus, every home game they’ve played they have won by more than 10 points, which makes this a safe pick in my mind. Dallas on the other hand is dealing with waaay too much pressure, since they never win in December, and this game won’t make anyone feel better about the Cowboys’ chances. I hope they miss the playoffs. I’d love to see it at the expense of Romo as well whether he is engaged or not, it’s just fun to see him struggle! One of my favorite sports hate guys!

Green Bay (+2) Over Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is just like many defending champs, kinda bad on the title defense. I’m sure they’ll be back as contenders next year, but for now those terrible towels will only get used to wipe tears away after piling up five straight losses. If they can’t beat the Raiders or Browns, I don’t see how they could beat a good Packers squad. It should be an air it out game, Rodgers has been playing much better than Big Ben lately, so you have to take the Pack even on the road. These are the two top rushing defenses (Steelers are #1), so Grant and Mendenhall probably won’t get going. Without the Steelers main man Troy in there, I like Rodgers chances much more, that is, if they can keep him upright. It seems like they’ve made some adjustments to keep him from being sacked as much. They’ve moved the pocket, rolled him out, and are throwing more quick outs. Big Ben will have to deal with Charles Woodson, the consensus for defensive player of the year, and one of my favorite former Raiders. Maybe I’m a little bias in this one as Rodgers is starting for my fantasy team for the first round of the playoffs, but oh well.

Tennessee (-3) Over Miami

No way in hell he could beat Usain!

This should be a pretty good game. Henne is doing much better than I ever expected. Miami has been doing pretty good since their best player, Ronnie Brown, was knocked out for the season. If they want to have any hopes of making the playoffs, they need to win this game. The Titans winning streak was broken against the Colts last week, but I see them bouncing back, and getting back on track. Some had them as one of the best teams in the league going into the Colts game, and losing to the best shouldn’t make you jump off their bandwagon. I think Vince and Chris Johnson should be enough to beat the Fins. I do like Rickey Williams comeback story this year, but I think these past few weeks are going to take a toll on how he finishes the season, because he is old for a running back.

Usain Bolt Over Chris Johnson over and over again

For some reason there’s tons of people wanting to race Chris Johnson or see if he’s faster than so and so. It started with Rajon Rondo requesting a one on one race, and moved to Joey Porter saying his teammate Ted Ginn Jr. could beat him in a running race. Then having Ted Ginn Jr. be a no show for the race! What’s up with that!?! I wouldn’t mind having this happen pregame this weekend, it wouldn’t take too long. I’m not sure what the infatuation is with racing CJ is. CJ thought talked some trash saying that Rondo was just trying to get his name on Sportscenter, but he did say that he would race Usain Bolt, which I find pretty ridiculous! Usain will make him look slow! Read the rest of this entry »

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Doin Lines Week 14

Posted by chappy81 on December 11, 2009

You may as well put her out there since Ulacher's replacements haven't stepped up.

I was pretty pumped on Saturday, as I hit both the predictions I made for the Civil War and SEC Championship game. I didn’t do quite as well when it came to Sunday, but I still went 5-3 on the week bringing the season record to 36-34-1. It’s nice to see I’m not losing money as fast as Tiger is with all these mini settlements or the big one with his wife. One thought on the game I didn’t actually see tonight. How bad is this Steelers team that lost back to back games to the Raiders then the Browns? I’ll let you answer that one, but it’s not a playoff contender that’s for sure. As always the home teams are in bold.

Denver (+7) Over Indianapolis

Indy easily handled one of the hottest team in the league taking the Titans down in blowout fashion, but in the end the Colts love to play in close games. I think this week will be close as Denver seems to have regained some of their early season form and won their last two games. With Orton looking healthy again their offense is back on track, and can keep up with the Colts on the scoreboard. I’m not predicting that the undefeated streak is going to end here, especially the way the breaks are going for them. I know that the Broncos sure have a lot more at stake with this game, and I could see them possibly winning outright.

Cincinnati (+7) Over Minnesota

I guess this is bold picking two teams in a row to upset two of the top three teams in the league, but last week was the Vikings first real test since they played Green Bay six weeks ago. Minnesota showed that they aren’t unstoppable when they play a GOOD team, and Cincy is a GOOD team this year. I also think Cincy will come out a little more pumped than normal as they play the game with a chance to clinch their division. Aside from the game fell asleep on against Oakland they have been great this year. I’m sure they picked up a few pointers from Arizona last week, so maybe we will see Favre turn into Farva!  This should be one of the best games of the week!

Green Bay (-3) Over Chicago

Uh oh, last week I picked all road teams, and now I’ve already picked three! I really like this line though! It might be the easiest pick of the week! I think I like Charles Woodson more than the Monday Night Crew. He’s always been a favorite former Raider of mine. I still can’t figure out why teams would throw to his side of the field. If only we still had him and Asomugha, nobody would throw on us… Anyways, Green Bay is rolling right now, and the Packers have finally been keeping Rodgers upright. He’s currently tied for third in the NFL in passing TD’s and I don’t see any reason for him not to continue putting up big happy fantasy owner numbers against a suspect Bears D. I know this is a rivalry and all, but one team just isn’t that good, and the Bears fall off was worse than Tara Reid’s fall from fame.

The Media (-1,250 articles) on Tiger Woods OVER

I have to admit that I am surprised I ended up doing two posts on Tiger’s troubles, but since it’s all we hear about I had to add to the 30,000 articles already out there. Anyways, I’m taking the over 1,250 articles coming out this weekend that are Tiger related. This is slowly turning into a bigger fiasco than Michael Jackson’s death! Hopefully A&E doesn’t make a show about it like they did with the Jackson 5.

Houston (-6) Over Seattle

Yeah, I know the Texans have sucked lately, and the Seahawks have been playing decent, but just looking at Seattle’s 1-5 road record and haveonly score 16.7 points per road contest. Those numbers alone make me a believer in the Texans. Matt Schaub should be able to put up a solid fantasy day with a TD connection or two with Andre against a banged up 25th ranked passing defense. The Seahawks DON’T have a good offense, especially their supposed big play-maker TJ Houshmanzadeh who is averaging a stellar 3 catches for 7.9 yards per game with no touchdowns. One thing I do like about Seattle is that they are giving a chunk of carries to Forsett as he gets his shot to be the next big thing out of Cal. Funny note from Yahoo on Forsett about Jim Mora’s awesome job as coach!

Dec 7 Forsett scored a touchdown but got only eight touches Sunday as the Seahawks stubbornly stuck with the less dynamic Julius Jones.

Recommendation: Jones got 25 touches and did little with them, totaling 64 yards. Forsett totaled 34 yards, almost all of it coming on a 25-yard reception. It seems obvious to everyone but coach Jim Mora that Forsett should see more action. Perhaps that will happen, but don’t count on it until there’s official word. Forsett’s “tweaked” quadriceps was not a factor.

Tennessee (-13) Over St. Louis

The Titans hit a speed bump last week on their march to an improbable playoff berth. I doubt they can do it, but you never know. I see them winning convincingly after a tough game against Indy. Going home is always a boost, but playing the Rams might be even more of a boost. The biggest hype for the Lambs is Todd Mcshay and Mel Kiper Jr. arguing over whether they should pick Jimmy Claussen at the top of next year’s draft. I’m already sick of their big boards and projections, we don’t even know if the Rams will have the honor to pick that high! They might even improve their pick by pulling out a win in Tennessee! Ok, just kidding, I think if that happened, the Nets will make the NBA playoffs! Which by the way you can get a good discount on this site by buying them now!

Oakland (+1) Over Washington

Yes, I finally get my chance to gush on Gradkowski, and yes, I’m going to go right ahead and jinx him right now by picking the Raiders to win at home. Sure he throws some ugly looking passes, but didn’t Jeff Garcia do that his whole career!?! Bruce has given us a true leader in the huddle. I haven’t been this proud/excited with anything Raiders related in quite some time, and now that the offense looks like it actually has some confidence with the play-makers after FINALLY getting them some touches! Louis Murphy has been a fan favorite since they drafted him, and it’s good to see him being able to showcase his skills by having a QB that can get the ball to him. Washington does everything they can to lose each week, and that was on full showcase against the Saints. They are about as healthy as Al Davis, so I wouldn’t expect much of a showing on the road. If their spirits weren’t broken last week, then maybe Zorn isn’t that bad. Maybe they’ll come out fired up, but more than likely after that rough loss they might just pack it in for the rest of their games this season.

San Diego (+3) Over Dallas

This match up features the hottest team in the league versus the luckiest. Is it just me or do teams like to give games away when they play the Cowboys. I hate that their game is always televised, and I hate even more I have to watch some dumbass move by the other team that gives Dallas a win. It’s getting ridiculous. I keep thinking that it can’t happen again right!?! Well, I’m sure it could, but the Chargers look as focused as they’ve ever been. I think even Norv Turner has made me think that he can actually coach a little. I guess those Turner theories only work in the playoffs. I see Romo making one too many mistakes this week against an improving San Diego defense. We all know that Dallas likes to crumble in December, so lets just hope it’s fun to watch!

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Doin Lines Week 13

Posted by chappy81 on December 3, 2009

Well, I took a week off, but I’m back! I’m actually pretty surprised that I have done my picks for all but one week. Anyways in week 11, I went 4-3 which brought me back to .500 (31-31-1) on the year. As I was scanning through the upcoming games I realized that I liked a lot of road teams to win, so this week is my road LOCKS of the week! The lovely lady pictured above is a former Redskins cheerleader turned wife to a Redskin named Chris Cooley. Yes, the guy who let his dong flop out for everyone to see on his blog (that’s his wife, Christy). As usual the home teams are in bold, or in this case listed 2nd…

Denver (-4.5) Over Kansas City

I actually think KC can hang in there with the Broncos, but that all depends on which Denver team shows up. Is it going to be the physical one that pushed teams around on the line of scrimmage for seven wins or will it be the team that got pushed around in four losses? I think having the extra few days off, and annihilating the Giants, should give them at least a little more confidence going into this showdown. If KC has any shot, it will be because of Jamaal Charles is running the ball effectively. The Broncos should win this game convincingly, if they truly are a contender.

Tennessee (+6.5) Over Indianapolis

This game features two teams that have lived to win in the 4th quarter. Vince and Peyton have been the definition of clutch these past six weeks. Only one team can win this week though, and you can bet it will be close. It’s ridiculous that the spread is this high even if the Colts are at home. The Colts haven’t beat the spread in three straight weeks, and this week doesn’t seem much different to me. The Titans are possibly the hottest team in the league, and the college option play with Vince and Johnson seems to have every analyst drooling worse than Peter Griffen’s co-worker at the toy factory. They have been playing some inspired and fun to watch football, so we’ll see how it plays out! I think this Titans squad has more talent to end the Colts winning streak than the Texans did.

Philadelphia (-5.5) Over Atlanta

I’m not sold on the Eagles, and usually don’t bet on them because they are so up and down. This week however, they are playing against a very banged up Atlanta team missing their glue on offense. Having Turner and Ryan sidelined makes this all that much easier to pick Philly. It will be interesting to see how the crowd reacts to Vick, but honestly, I don’t really care if they boo or cheer. If he was actually doing something in the offense, I could see a reason to make a big deal about it, but he’s not, so get over it MEDIA! It will just be a side note to the game. Desean Jackson will be out, but thankfully for the Eagles, they have plenty of other weapons to use in his absence.

New Orleans (-9.5) Over Washington

Zorn knows the end is near, looks like he's even tearing up!

The Miller Lite Can’t Make This Line High Enough Award, goes to, every opponent that the Skins play from here on out. As we proclaimed yesterday on Doin Work, Drew Brees is the front runner for MVP this season. Hardly a shock to many, but we had to debate it anyways! I don’t really foresee any possible way for the Redskins to keep this one close. The Saints are looking to clinch the NFC South with this victory, so it should give them enough incentive to NOT overlook this game even on a short week! After making Brady look like an average QB, just think what they will do to Campbell and this ugly offense.

St. Louis (+9) Over Chicago

Yes, I finally found a game I can take the points for the lambs. Actually, I’m not overly confident on this one, but since I have to stick with the road team theme, it’s very possible for them to cover. The Rams are a terrible team that might not win again for the rest of the year, but the Bears aren’t much better lately as they’ve completely abandoned the run, and have a defense that is a former shell of the dominant unit that it used to be. The loss of Lance Briggs won’t be helping them much. They’ve been giving up tons of points. The Rams have one bright spot, and that is Steven Jackson. He’s currently ranked 2nd in the league in rushing yards, despite the team playing from behind in most cases. It’s going to be tough for Chicago to compete if they don’t start giving Forte the ball some more! I know he hasn’t done much this year, but giving him only eight carries last week is ridiculous!

San Diego (-11.5) Over Cleveland

Rivers was in our MVP talks, mainly because the Chargers could be the hottest team in the league, but alas, he was denied from the top 5. This San Diego team is one that nobody wants to face right now, especially a team as bad as the Browns! LT is finally playing well, maybe it’s because of his kid he just had. He didn’t want his newborn to think that he was the reason for his decline into running back irrelevance. He’s been scoring like he used to lately as opposing teams forget to protect against the run in this pass happy offense. Their D has been stepping it up too, causing turnovers, and getting pressure on QB’s. They look like their normal December selves. It’s only a question now of when will Norv mess this up!

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NFL MVP… Brees or Manning? (…or Favre, or Johnson, or Peterson?)

Posted by mceezy on December 1, 2009

1. Drew Brees, QB – New Orleans Saints

It’s impossible to pick anyone else for MVP at the moment. He leads this Saints team with his rallying warcrys before the game that even gives fires me up! He is also the main reason the Saints have the #1 offense in the league, and it looks like that should continue. If they end up undefeated and the Colts do too, we could easily have another Co-MVP year…

2. Peyton Manning, QB – Indianapolis Colts

He’s a tough luck number two in this race. I’d say it’s mainly due to the fact that he’s had a few rough games lately, and has been a little more mistake prone than we’re used to for his standards! He’d probably drop down the list if they actually lost any of those games, but they’re still undefeated! There’s nobody you’d rather have in the 4th quarter right now than Manning. He’s led 5 straight 4th quarter comebacks, and that alone puts him close to or at the top of most peoples MVP lists!

3. Brett Favre, QB – Minnesota Vikings

You won’t find any of us at Doin Work clamoring over Favre like the guys on TV, but you can’t deny what he’s done this year. He’s got the second best QB rating behind Brees, the second most TD passes, also behind Brees, and the second highest completion rate, behind Manning. Add to that, he’s only thrown 3 interceptions all year. That’s a good game for Jay Cutler!

4. Chris Johnson, RB – Tennessee Titans

With each week that Tennessee further turns around there 0-6 start to the season, Johnson’s place in this discussion elevates.  He leads the NFL in rushing by over 270 yards, and his six consecutive 125+ yard performances puts him in Earl Campbell / Eric Dickerson territory. If Tennessee makes the playoffs, he makes it a four man race. If they lose their next two games, he drops out of the discussion completely.

5. Adrian Peterson, RB – Minnesota Vikings

It’s amazing that Favre’s play has made us overlook what a great season All Day is having. Maybe it’s just becuase the media has made it Favre’s team, but I’m betting if Peterson wasn’t around, Favre wouldn’t be #3 on our list today. Since he has to be accounted for, it’s no wonder Favre is having the type of season he is having! AP already is over the 1,000 yard mark, has 12 TD’s, and at 4.7 yards per carry. If he was on a worse team, he’d have better numbers than that! Really scary!

Honorable Mention: Philip Rivers, QB, San Diego and Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jacksonville

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NFL Power Rankings Week 13

Posted by chappy81 on November 30, 2009

Since I was unable to make my gambling picks for the weekend being away for Turkey Day, I’ll have to settle with putting out my Power Rankings through Week 12. Without having the advantage of seeing how the big MNF matchup plays out I’ll just assume that the Saints win. Since everybody might be in the mood to slim down, after all that turkey I’m only doing the top 16 teams. No need to write about all the other teams that would just rather have an autograph from the guys lining up across from them.

#1 Indianapolis Colts (11-0)

It’s tough to not pick the Saints, but I think the resilience of this Colts team puts them over the top. They’ve now won five straight trailing going into the 4th quarter. If you aren’t convinced by that, they have won an amazing  19 in a row, and is the most behind the Patriots 21 straight.

#2 New Orleans Saints (10-0)

Drew Brees blah blah blah, he’s amazing blah blah blah. We’ve all heard it. The impressive part of this team is that they are the 5th ranked rushing team, and it’s not all because teams are playing the pass, it’s because they are actually very good at running the football. People always say how the Vikings are so balanced, this team is just as balanced as them!

#3 Minnesota Vikings (10-1)

Unfortunately I was completely wrong about Favre signing with the Vikings. I guess the season isn’t over yet, so there’s still hope he could suck it up still, but I’m not holding my breathe. The Silver Fox, as Jared Allen calls Favre, looks to keep it rolling all the way to a first round bye.

#4 New England Patriots (7-3)

Yes, Brady is as flaming as ever, but damn it I respect him… He’s got a better rhythm with his receivers than Bostonian sports fans have with being completely annoying. Their young defense has been a lot better recently, and they will need them to keep up the good play when it matters. Should be a good one Monday Night, and they will be tested every play with the Saints!

#5 San Diego Chargers (8-3)

Who would’ve thought the Chargers would be this good? Not me, and not most of their fans until recently. I thought they were the best in the AFC West, but not the kind of team that could win six straight. Somehow Norv has this team rolling, and they still don’t run that often, but it doesn’t seem to matter with Rivers throwing the ball 40 times a game. They might be the hottest team in the league.

#6 Cincinnati Bengals (8-3)

They didn’t dominate Cleveland like I thought they would, but at least they won which is better than they could say for playing against Oakland. The Cardiac Cats have proven they can come from behind, they can win ugly, and they play surprisingly good defense. They look to be a lock for the division title with the Steelers loss.

#7 Dallas Cowboys (8-3)

I don’t know why, but I just don’t think they as good worthy of their record. Of course there’s always a little extra drama with them, and Romo feels about as reliable as betting on or against the Raiders each week. I hope Dallas stumbles along the way, it always makes it more fun when they go into panic mode!

#8 Arizona Cardinals(7-4)

I can’t say I’ve been a big supporter or had any confidence in them against the spread this year, but they DO pull out wins, and look as explosive as ever with another new gadget in Beanie Wells. Even though they lost to the Titans they are still the division leaders, and should wrap up the west sooner than later. As long as they get old man Warner back in there, and Leinart doesn’t have to face Vince Young anymore, they will be fine.

#9 Philadelphia Eagles (7-4)

Mcnabb has won two close ones in a row! Maybe we can put to rest those talks of him being the worst closer in Philly and slide him to the #2 slot behind Lidge. They’ve had tons of injuries, but I think they’ll be able to pull through when everybody gets healthy. Let’s just hope for their sake that DeSean isn’t out for long after his concussion he suffered today.

#10 Green Bay Packers (7-4)

Rodgers IS having an amazing season. If it weren’t for him, their defense would probably outscore their offense! If they didn’t have to play Minnesota twice, they could probably be 9-2. Even missing key guys in their D they destroyed Detroit on Thanksgiving. They finally look like what everyone expected when the season opened, a playoff team.

#11 Denver Broncos (7-4)

They had a nice bounce back game against the Giants, but once again they will have to prove themselves after those four straight bad weeks. If they can somehow beat Indy in week 14, I’ll buy them as “for real” again. At the moment I don’t see them winning a wild card spot.

#12 Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5)

They’ve been up and down as all title defenders usually are. I think Polamalu was a bigger loss than Big Ben. I’ve always been a big Dixon fan, so I was glad to see him get a chance to showcase his abilities in the NFL. Baltimore barely beat them tonight, and with a third string QB starting and Troy out this should have been much more lopsided, so even though the Ravens won the Steelers are still the better team.

#13 Baltimore Ravens (6-5)

I don’t really think the Ravens D is all that great anymore. Thankfully they have Ray Rice to help Flacco put up some points, which haven’t been as plentiful as they once were. It was a big win for them tonight, but I don’t see that translating into a wild card berth…

#14 Atlanta Falcons (6-5)

With Matt Ryan hurt, I’m not sure this team is really going to go anywhere. Even if they get back Turner, I still don’t see them turning it around. It’s been a disappointing season for them, and I don’t expect to see them in the playoffs.

#15 Tennessee Titans (5-6)

I actually think the Titans are better than the two above teams, but since they are under .500 it’s hard for me to justify putting them at 13. Vince has made me a believer, and also may have cemented himself with Mario Williams as the best players from that 2006 draft.

#16 Miami Dolphins (5-6)

They haven’t missed a beat since losing Ronnie Brown, and I for one thought they would. The Wildcat has been as effective as ever with Rickey looking like the dominant back we remember from his prime! I like this team, because they show up every week whether they have a good chance to win or not.

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Doin Lines Week 11

Posted by chappy81 on November 19, 2009

Can I get a Kool Aid Guy, OH YEAH! I went 5-2 last week, which brings me back close to .500 at 27-28-1 on the season! I have to thank blogmate MCeezy for helping my week start right, and jinxing the 49ers to cover by betting on the Bears! I guess now that I’m not working I have a little bit more time to make my picks more informed! Anyways, let’s hope it’s another good week, and as always the home teams are in bold.

Carolina (-3) Over Miami

Did Carolina finally decide to start playing this year? Last weeks’ surprising scoring output wasn’t just within their normal means of running the ball keeping it out of Jake’s turnover prone hands. They actually threw the ball for a good portion of the game, and Delhomme actually came out of it without throwing a pick! They beat an up and down Atlanta team that lost Turner part way through, but it was impressive to me nonetheless. It shows me that Atlanta isn’t all that good, and maybe Ryan is a little overrated. Ryan has been on a downward spiral for the past few weeks and has shown that there is definitely room for improvement. The loss of Ronnie Brown is the biggest factor in this game. He’s their best offensive player. Without him on the field how will they run the wildcat? With Pat White and Rickey Williams all game? I don’t see that having the same type of success as having Brown man the show. Since the Dolphins can throw the ball about as well as the Big Tuna, they should be one dimensional enough for the Panthers to stop.

Jacksonville (-8.5) Over Buffalo

What the hell is going on here? The Jags and Panthers in two straight picks! They both earned cheerleader pictures earlier this season! I guess we’re finally seeing a little of that parody thing they always talk about within the NFL. Mike Sims-Walker actually looks like a decent receiver, and Torry Holt is always dependable for a few grabs during the game. Garrard has managed just enough through the air lately to open up those holes for Mojo to run through, and he is doing just THAT! He’s scoring nearly twice a week, and should have last week but just missed in the fantasy kneel down heard round the world! Buffalo doesn’t seem to present any problems to stopping him, so he should have a big day. Buffalo still hasn’t named a coach since firing Jaron, but I don’t think that will make much of a difference unless the new coach or interim coach can put a completely new offensive playbook in before Sunday. Their conservative style has made them even worse than I imagined they’d be! Maybe they should just let TO coach, you know he’d be all over those refs all game even if he didn’t know what he was talking about. This already sounds better than the TO show!

Indianapolis (-1) Over Baltimore

I wonder if this was supposed to be the documentary on how he killed a man!

I haven’t really seen Baltimore look all that impressive in the games I’ve watched them play in. Even against the lowly Browns, they didn’t look great, which is opposite of how teams are supposed to look against them! Indy was dominated for most of the game against the Pats, and thanks to a lucky/risky move by Belichick they squeaked out with the win, and the Pats still covered for me! A solid win win situation! Indy hasn’t blown teams out very often this year, but I think they can win this game, and it will be by more than one point. Peyton should be extra pumped up for this one, as it looks like this could be their best opponent left on the schedule. Peyton has owned the Ravens going 6-2 against them, and with the announcement of Baltimore losing Suggs is surely going to hurt this Ravens defense squad. Ray can say what he wants about Peyton, but in the end he won’t be able to stop him. The undefeated season is looking more and more within reach for them!

Minnesota (-10.5) Over Seattle

Beanie Wells made an impact last week, and showed that Seattle can’t stop the run even against a team that doesn’t run. That might be pretty convenient for one Mr. Adrian Peterson. He seems to do very well against teams that don’t wrap up backs. Seattle at home can compete, but on the road I see them laying down early especially when Hasselbeck has to fear the Jared Allen and his mullet! With two of Seattle’s CB’s probably out, there is no way to convince me that this will be anything other than a blowout. Who knows, maybe even Tarvaris will be able to show off a few things that he’s learned from Brett at the end of this game!

New Orleans (-11.5) Over Tampa Bay

I think last week’s speed bump of St. Louis was a little too close for the Saints comfort level. This week should be different, after that reality check that showed them that any team can show up on a given week and could possibly take them down. So they better be ware that even the Bucs can win a game. I think Colston will bounce back nicely this weekend since he only had two receptions for 17 yards against a horrible Rams secondary, and it was his second straight bad game. He’s too good to be kept down for long. Brees hasn’t looked super sharp lately, so this feels like as good a week as any to break out as well! This might be a snorefest unless you like seeing the Saints put up points. It might be fun to watch them run up the score, but probably only if you happen to some fantasy players going in the game.

Denver (+3) Over San Diego

I guess this pick all depends on whether Orton starts or not, but I’m going out on a limb and assume he will play. I know Denver has been falling apart faster than a leper in warm water, but I think they’ll pull out a few extra tricks in this heated divisional game. Even if they don’t there’s no reason not to take the points for this home team. This game could go a long way to deciding the West, so I don’t see any problems with both teams being fired up. Even though the Broncos have lost three straight weeks and seem to be in meltdown mode, they have to break out of the funk sooner than later. If they lose this game it will be by a small amount so take the points. I hope they win, NOT because I like them in any way, shape, or form, but I just want to see Rivers cry a little. That would make my weekend!

Tennessee (+4.5) Over Houston

Tennessee is starting to roll now that they have Vince back in the mix. I’ve always been a believer that Kerry Collins was a retard since his days as a Raider. He couldn’t even get the ball to Randy f**ing Moss, so that just shows you how bad he is. The move to Vince, seems to have stabilized the offense. I don’t see them running away with it, but they look like they’ve righted the ship! I always believe in Fisher, he’s been one of my favorite coaches of all time! I don’t know what Houston’s deal is, I actually had them as a playoff team this pre-season, and at times they’ve looked like a playoff team, but at other times they’ve looked like Tennesee did at the beginning of the year, TERRIBLE! Just take the points when you aren’t sure!

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California Dreamin: Big Day for the Sports World

Posted by mceezy on October 19, 2009

MLB PLAYOFFS


In just over an hour, the ALCS will resume from Anaheim as the Angels attempt to make their arrival to the series.  The Yankees have a 2-0 lead thanks to some timely hitting, and some inept defense from the opposition at the most inopportune time.  Postseason legend Andy Pettitte takes the hill tonight to face off against Jered Weaver.  This is obviously a must win for the Angels.  There’s now way they could come back from being down 3-0 with the Yankees having home field advantage.  Although Weaver is having a great season, New York’s offense can only be held down for so long, so the Angels will have to outscore them and probably even need a 4+ run advantage going into the ninth so the meltdown machine, Brian Fuentes, can preserve a victory and get them back in the series.  Since this is doubtful, it’s likely the Yankees will unofficially put the Angels away, and the bandwagon fans of Orange County will quickly go back to forgetting the Angels even exist.

On the National League side, the other Southern California team will resume play in Philadelphia, where the Phillies hold a 2-1 lead after last night’s blowout.  While tonight’s game isn’t quite as urgent as for their SoCal counterparts, to go down 3-1 would be a huge hole to have to dig out of.  If there was ever a game the Dodgers should be able to take, it would be Game 4 against the capable but unsure Joe Blanton.  Blanton is usually solid, but we all know he’s prone to give up the longball.  Look for the Dodgers to even the series behind some long bombs from Manny and company.

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL


When the 2009 schedule was released, no one would’ve been surprised to look at this game and guess that it would be a 5-0 team versus a 2-2 team.  The thing is, most would’ve expected the Chargers to be undefeated and leading the division.  Instead, while they’ve been underachieving, the Broncos have excelled to a 5-0 start, the first time they’ve done so since the 1998 season, where they rattled off 13 straight wins to start the year en route to a Super Bowl victory.  Tonight will be a battle of quarterbacks, as the overrated Philip Rivers has just 9 more passing yards than Kyle Orton, whom you wouldn’t necessarily say was underrated, but he’s better than the blind quadrapalegic the Chicago media made him out to be.  It’s hard to say how he’ll fare tonight in a hostile environment under the bright lights of MNF, but one thing is for certain.  Tonight is the night we’ll find out if the Broncos are for real, and we’ll also see if the Chargers run under it’s current nucleus has run its course.

NHL HOCKEY


Let’s be honest here, Doin Work isn’t exactly the foremost authority on the hockey world, but a big game is going down at 7pm Eastern time at Madison Square Garden.  The 7-1 Rangers, who are tied with Pittsburgh for the best record in the league, will host the San Jose Sharks.  San Jose has struggled to a 4-3-1 record, but they’re coming off a season in which they had the best record in all of hockey.  If they want to still be considered a contender, tonight’s game will be a huge proving ground for them.  Sharks’ forward Dany Heatley scored 10 points in his first four games with the team, but is scoreless in the three games since.  He’ll need to get back on track if the Sharks are going to stand a chance.  I can’t predict what will happen, or even really care for that matter, but keep the Versus Channel in your rotation tonight when MNF and MLB are both at commercial.

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RFP of the Day: Adrian Murrell

Posted by mceezy on September 23, 2009

I’ve always had a tendency to rally behind a mediocre out of market team that I could root for from rock bottom all the way to the top.  I believe it started with the Chargers in the early 90s.  Then, they made the Super Bowl in 1994, and although I grew up a 49ers fan, I would’ve been just as happy had Natrone Means and the Bolts pulled it off.  They didn’t, but they had reached the point of contention, so it was time to find a new terrible team.  Enter the New York Jets.  For every poor NFL team I rally behind, there’s usually a Running Back at the center of it.  For this mid-90s Jets squad, it was Adrian Murrell. 

Murrell was drafted by the Jets in the 5th round of the 1993 draft.  He started primarily as a kick returner, before becoming the primary back.  His best season came in 1996, when my inexplicable Jets fandom was at its peak.  Murrell rushed for 1,249 yards on 301 carries with 6 TDs. Unfortunately, the Jets went 1-15 with a roster loaded with guys like rookie Keyshawn Johnson, Frank Reich, Neil O’Donnell, Wayne Chrebet, Webster Slaughter, and Jeff Graham.  Murrell went on to have two more 1,000+ yard seasons – 1997 and 1998, the latter as a member of the Arizona Cardinals – before starting his descent. He was out of football following the 2000 season, but then made a brief comeback attempt with the Cowboys in 2003.  Murrell finished his career with 5,199 rushing yards and 23 TDs in 122 career games.

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Labor Day Weekend Sports Notes

Posted by chappy81 on September 8, 2009

I just wanted to throw my two cents on the fun stuff that happened over this past Labor Day Weekend.

Shawne Merriman doing his Lights Out Dance all over Tila Tequila after giving her the Undertaker choke slam!Shawne Merriman Lights out Well, that’s not exactly how TMZ reported it, and I guess he’s saying he was innocent. Which could be believable seeing how she was drunk, and he was ordering water towards the end of the night. I don’t really buy that he wasn’t drinking even if he was ordering water at the end of the night, because I do the same thing when I’m too drunk. If there was any question to why the AFC West is arguably the worst division in the league, all you have to do is look at the summer of fun it produced. You have a head coach hitting his other coach causing a broken jaw. There are Broncos star players (Cutler and Marshall) whining about every conceivable thing, and then taking it back then ripping on fans, and not practicing. Now we have Shawne Merriman beating down Tila Tequila. Keeping it classy down there in San Diego!

The Deutche Bank Classic. I caught the end of this battle, and it wasn’t even Tiger related which always instantly turns a tournament into only watch able for true golf fans. That actually makes me more interested than when Tiger is in the running. Anyways Steve Stricker ended up with dramatic come from behind win with a birdie on 18 to seal the deal.steve stricker trophy Although I was hoping that there would be a playoff, I would have rooted for him once the playoff began, so it was good to see him win and take the top spot on the FedEx points leader board. I think this third victory of the season firmly plants him behind Tiger in the PGA Player of the year race, who I’d previously given to Y.E. Yang. If he can somehow pull out a victory next weekend in the BMW, voters would definitely have to consider giving it to him over Tiger. Especially since winning the FedEx playoffs is almost as good as a major, since the field is so strong! So far, I’m really happy with the way these playoffs have been going the past couple years. It makes golf relevant after the last major. It’s a great way to keep the top players going to events.

Shocker of the Weekend, Matthew Stafford will be the starting quarterback for the Lions, and be throwing the ball exclusively to Megatron when the season starts. This is about as shocking as Joaquin Phoenix selling out one of his rap concerts.

Tennis US Open. Melanie Oudin’s improbable run is still going as the 17 year old has advanced to the quarter finals. It’s a cool story, but I’m not really that into it…Isner With Isner getting defeated by Verdasco, it’s the first time there isn’t an American in the quarter finals on the men’s side for eight decades. It’s a shame that men’s US tennis hasn’t been good in nearly a decade. Roddick has tried, but he is more Stiffler from American Pie than Aggasi, Sampras, or even Jim Courier. It looks as though Federer should be winning another grand slam title. Hopefully Nadal can meet him along the way for one of their epic matches. Has anyone else noticed how much more relevant Nadal has made Federer? It’s really his first and only rival since he started dominating, and it feels like he’s made Rodger a bigger icon than he was before the two were consistently squaring off. I guess it’s hard to have a rival when you beat everyone, but Nadal’s emergence only makes Rodger’s legacy greater!

I’ll skip the College Football, because it’s been documented by Mceezy already!

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