Friday, October 28, 2011

Confessions of a new baseball fan...maybe

I'm not a baseball fan and probably never will be. But after last night's thriller, I just might be willing to give baseball an extra inning. There are many reasons why I never got hooked to "America's past time." The game is slow and methodical, and the MLB season is almost as long as the NHL, NFL, and NBA seasons combined ( 162 v. 180 games ). But my biggest reason is that the game is just not very fun to watch. I grew up in Houston and because my family couldn't afford cable TV, there were only a few channels to watch. And in summer afternoons, the choices were soaps, PBS teaching me how to paint/cook, Springer, or Astros baseball games. Astros would always be my last choice. Why? Because the game just wasn't very accessible to a Chinese 10 year old. ERA, RBI, BB, Slug%, WHIP, HUH? It was stuff that the dictionary wouldn't even tell me its meaning (no internet back then). There was just no excitement in watching baseball and if there's no excitement watching, there was probably no excitement playing.

Fast forward to last night. After getting mocked by a friend recently for never watching a full baseball game in my life, I set out yesterday to give baseball one more at bat and cross something off my bucket list. Needless to say, I got to witness one of the greatest sports game of all-time. And as I sat there with my heart pounding til the last out (or rather HR), I started to notice the little things that made this particular game great. Take away all the drama on the field, the players, fans, etc, and you see that FOX's sports broadcast production is amazing. The announcers rarely speak and when they do, it's one-liners: Strike three! Single to the right! Foul ball! The camera work and timing is impeccable. Whenever there's downtime, the camera cuts to managers' eyes, pitchers' fearless faces, batters' determined stances, and fans holding their breath. It's like watching a western showdown, and at any second, shots will be fired. Only thing missing is a tumbleweed between the mound and home plate. And last night, shots were fired, and sports fans got to witness something truly great. Thanks baseball.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Giving Respect Where It's Due

The Fall Classic is finally upon us! After another long 162-game season and the winding down of great playoff games, Game 1 of the World Series kicks off tonight (8:05 Est on FOX) with the St. Louis Cardinals hosting the Texas Rangers in a best-of-7 series. Both teams have performed beyond expectations this year, but haven't been getting the glory and respect that's due to them. So in light of that, I'm going to give respect where it's due.


Texas Rangers

As a Dallas native, you better believe that I'm stoked to see my hometown team in the championship. Since their improbable World Series run last year, many people doubted the Texas Rangers would win back-to-back AL pennants. Cliff Lee, the Rangers' "ace" last year bolted from Arlington to his beloved Philadelphia Phillies because he knew that the Rangers' pitching staff wasn't going to bring him back to the WS every year. Lance Berkman, NL's Comeback Player of the Year, called the Rangers an "average" team without Cliff Lee so he decided to sign with the St. Louis Cardinals even though the Rangers pursued him in the offseason. (He later admitted he was wrong about those comments. Good for him). Many media reporters and analysts tabbed the Rangers to win the West, but not much after that. Just like any other year in baseball, the talk of the town for the majority of the year in the American League belonged to the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Shoot, even after the Red Sox's end-of-the-year collapse, team chemistry/character allegations, and management debacle, the Boston Red Sox are STILL getting more media coverage on a daily basis than the Texas Rangers. I'm honestly tired of reading about players drinking in the dugout or eating fried chicken.


But enough of that. The Texas Rangers set a franchise record in wins this year (96) and more importantly, in season attendance (~3 million). In a town that is highly dominated by the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks, the Texas Rangers are finally asserting themselves as perennial contenders for years to come to the DFW faithfuls. Ranger fans have only the top executives and management to thank for their recent success. GM Jon Daniels has done a wonderful job laying the foundation for talent and piecing together a great ball club with a promising future. He was the one who took a chance on Josh Hamilton and Alexi Ogando, orchestrated trades for young developing players like Nelson Cruz, Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz and somehow managed to keep Michael Young this offseason. Not to mention the handful of acquisitions this year to bolster the bullpen (Adams, Gonzalez, Uehara) and bring in more power (Beltre and Napoli). Throw in revitalizing attitudes and personalities like owner, Nolan Ryan, and manager, Ron Washington, the organization is in very good hands. They have made baseball relevant in the metroplex and for that, I give my respect where it is due.


St. Louis Cardinals

Now let's be honest. I don't follow the St. Louis Cardinals. Like any other sports fan, I can list their big name players and tip my cap to their winning ways over the past decade, but that's about it. In the offseason, I'll go out on a limb and say that no one (besides maybe the St. Louis faithfuls) had the Cardinals winning the National League pennant. The media barely tabbed them to make the playoffs. To make matters worse, Albert Pujols (the face of their franchise and pretty much the city) was in the midst of a contract dispute. Couple that with losing their All-Star pitcher Adam Wainwright to Tommy John surgery and yeah...being left out of the playoffs seemed reasonable. Fast forward to the end of season. The Cardinals make one of the most unpredictable playoff runs (with the help of one of the most unpredictable collapses). One word came to mind on the final day of the season. Resilient. Man, these guys were resilient in finishing the season strong given all offseason adversity. They never stopped believing and never stopped playing. Any fan can respect that. However, I think my thoughts stopped there. The Cardinals were up against the favored Philadelphia Phillies, predicted by many to win the pennant. I think everyone and their moms thought the Phillies would waltz their way into the NLCS. Well...let's bring back the word. Resilient. With confidence in the bullpen and timely hitting, the Cardinals fought off the beloved Phillies in five games with the clincher against arguably the best pitcher in the game in his own stadium. Pretty sweet, huh? The NLCS was no different. Cardinals were the underdogs once again and took it to the Milwaukee Brewers outscoring them 19-7 in the final two games. I'd say that's pretty resilient. I would definitely give mad respect to their manager, Tony La Russa, who kept this ball club together throughout the year. One of great managers of his time, his passion for the game seems limitless. He has great feel for the game and has utilized his talents throughout the playoffs (namely his bullpen).


But with every championship run, there is always an unsung hero. This team is no different. David Freese has got to be one of the great stories in this year's playoffs. After battling a hand injury in his first full year at 3B, Freese has gone from a nobody to a household name for anyone remotely following this postseason. Not to mention that he's the Cardinal's second lowest paid player ($416,000). He has gone on to win the NLCS MVP where he hit .545 with 3 HRs 9 RBIs in 6 games. Last person to do that? Lou Gehrig (thank you SportsCenter). That's pretty good company. And against a Rangers team stacked with left-handed throwers, he's sure to add to his stats since he hits .060 better against lefties on the season. However, it might take him a few at-bats since he hasn't seen any of the Rangers pitchers except Mike Adams where he is 0-2 with 2 strikeouts. But I'll be rooting for you, David Freese. I just hope you don't drive in any winning runs.


Prediction: The only prediction a sports fan wants to see...a good series. Forget the Yankees, Red Sox, and Phillies. I hope this series brings out the greatness of "America's Pastime" from two great mid-market teams. Oh..and I'm hoping for the Rangers in 5 (winning on home turf would be sweet).

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Carson Palmer trades one asylum for another...



Wow, if you are a Bengals fan (that's a big if), you cannot help but smile about this move. I know some Bengal fans and they really hate their owner Mike Brown, but you have to give him and their GM some props for performing this type of alchemy. One first round pick is honestly more than enough for a 31 year old quarterback who's semi-retired and only a shadow of his former self, but also getting a second conditional first round pick!? Ripping off the Raiders should be outlawed. This isn't the first time a team has taken advantage of the black and silver. It really does seem like Al Davis is still running this team from the grave.

If anyone else is looking for 31 year quarterbacks who were former number one picks, the Giants have David Carr. Just saying...

Monday, October 17, 2011

Best/Worst Weekend Oct. 14-17

Best
Dallas takes the top spot despite the Cowboys losing a close one in Foxborough, but to be fair, no one wins a regular season game there against the Patriots for at least the last 3 or so years. The Texas Rangers have made it back to the “ship” for the second year in a row after never being there before. This is no small accomplishment, especially coming from the league with the two highest payrolls and after losing Cliff Lee to free agency. Also, let's not forget that the Dallas Stars had a nice W this weekend.
St. Louis comes in at number 2 despite getting a butt-whipping by the Green Bay Packers, where they only scored 3 points the entire game. But when your team makes the World Series, a city seems to forget how their football team or hockey team (lost as well) is performing. This might be Albert Pujol’s last year in St. Louis, but I think Card fans will be ok if he delivers one more ring.
Tampa Bay had the only real upset over the weekend, unless you count the Bills and Lions as dominant teams in the league, which they clearly aren’t after this past week. The Bucs have proven they belong and have just made a statement that they will be competing with New Orleans and Atlanta for this division.
Worst
Detroit had by far the worst weekend as they were eliminated by Texas in humiliating fashion. They gave up a 9-run inning which basically killed their chance of keep the series alive after the 3rd inning. Not only did the Lions get beat at home and for the first time this season, their coach got in a bumping match with the winning coach after he got rubbed the wrong way.
Minnesota continues to start McNabb and continues to lose… even with the best running back in the league and one of the most explosive slot receivers in the league, the Viqueens are unable to score. Just imagine if Tom Brady had these weapons…
Washington DC finishes our top three for worst weekend. Even another win by the Caps can’t make up the smell of having Sexy Rexy (his looks are only sexy compared to how ugly his game is) as your quarterback. Rex had 4 INTs and has finally reminded the Redskins that this is indeed the same awful QB that somehow ended up in the Super Bowl against the Colts. “They are who we thought they were,” yet somehow Rex got to start 5 games this year… I know, it confuses me as well.
Our Weekend
Caleb- It was basically a draw. Packers won 6-0! and I should win both fantasy football matchups, while the Longhorns suffered another loss and Liverpool tied Manchester United. On most days, I would be very happy with a tie, but watching how the game went I was sorely disappointed that Liverpool wasn’t able to walk away with 3 points.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Fantasy Friday

Due to a recent resurgence in this blog, it's a shame to see none of the posts dedicated to the greatest fantasy sports of all-time: NFL football. A year ago, I would of said the NBA but seeing as how we'll most likely have a renegade players league for the years to come -- let's just say basketball is done (for now).

Since the fantasy football season is almost at its midway point, this section of the blog will be dedicated to the sick pick-ups/starts this week based on my limited knowledge of the sport.

Must pickups:
Tim Tebow - Last year, he recorded 6 rushing TDs on 7 games played. Out of the 7 games, he only started 3 of them. In his 3 starts, he averaged 20+ fantasy points per game (fppg). Last week, he beat Tom Brady in fantasy points while only playing half the game.

Earnest Graham - Blount is out for a couple of weeks and in a PPR league, Graham's been a good flex in a timeshare. Without Blount, you can get a couple of 20+ fantasy days from him against a bad against the run NO defense and a CHI defense that let Jahvid Best run for a career high/only 100+ yard rushing game of his career.

Darrius Heyward-Bey - When teams put their best corner on Oakland's rookie receiver, Denarius Moore, it gives you an idea of how bad DHB is. Look, I know he's already tied his career season high of 1 TD catch already. And if you're playing the law of averages, this guy is bound for about 2 fppg the rest of the year to match last year's. Regardless, this guy's got some chemistry with Campbell. (Don't worry Painter, you and Garcon's bromance is still #1.)

Jackie Battle - Why does love always feel like a battlefield, battlefield, battlefield.... Who doesn't love this guy? U of H in the house! This guy is a stud. Big, up-the-gut runner, winner of 2011 Peyton Hillis award? If you're not a believer, just watch the clip below. Even his QB loves him.

Bold prediction of the week: Garcon goes for <1 point this week.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

If Eli is so terrible, who would you rather have?


While I was watching this past weekend's Seahawks-Giants game at my friend's apartment, one of the guys there said "Eli is a below-average quarterback". At the time, the Giants were getting pistol-whipped by Charlie Whitehurst and Doug Baldwin, so I didn't say anything, but it got me thinking. If Eli is below-average, which current starting quarterback in the league would I rather have? When the Giants were down 4 late in the 4th quarter, there was no question in my mind that Eli could win the game on a last minute drive (granted, we were playing the Seahawks). We got all the way down to the Seahawks' 6 yard line and it was a fluke slip and interception off the hand of Cruz that ended it. It was an unfortunate play in a game that was riddled with errors from both teams. However, I knew that if we got the ball back and were only down one score, Eli could lead a final drive. I understand that Eli is paid like an elite quarterback and expectations are high, but I think he's more than an average quarterback. He's performed very well in the playoffs and when the game is on the line. If I had to list out current 2011 starting quarterbacks and where I would rank them in comparison to Manning, it would go like this:

1) Tom Brady - Still the gold standard.
2) Aaron Rodgers - Will probably overtake Brady, but still pretty early in his career.
3) Drew Brees - An excellent QB and leader on and off the field.
4) Ben Roethlisberger - Only other person on this list to win multiple SBs, probably a terrible human being, but knows how to win games.
5) Eli - I'm saying I would take Eli over anyone else below.
6) Philip Rivers - If you ask me if I would rather have Rivers, Merriman, and Kaeding (essentially what the Giants gave up to get Eli) or Eli, I would take Manning. Rivers has not taken the Chargers anywhere, even with the number of star players he's had on his team throughout his career. I know he's good statistically, but has he ever won a big game??
7) Michael Vick - Was amazing before going to prison, had a great 1st half last year, but has yet do prove himself in the playoffs.
8) Tony Romo - He's great when the games don't matter. However, it's becoming a pattern for him to find ways to lose games that go beyond coincidence.
9 - 11) Stafford, Newton, Freeman - Could these guys be really good some day? Maybe, but they haven't done enough to say that they more than just one year wonders.
12) Matt Schaub - Decent fantasy quarterback, but I do not feel comfortable with him in a big game situation.
13) Ryan Fitzpatrick - Showing great ability this year and excellent decision making, would love to see the Harvard man play a complete season.
14 - 18) Matt Ryan, Jay Cutler, Joe Flacco, Mark Sanchez, Kevin Kolb - These guys have shown flashes, but there's also been plenty of regression this year. Everyone outside of Kolb plays on a good team with an excellent defense (You can argue the Bears aren't an excellent defense anymore, but whatever). I think someone like Flacco or Sanchez epitomizes "average quarterback"
19 - 24) Rex Grossman, Jason Campbell, Matt Cassel, Alex Smith, Tavaris Jackson, Matt Moore (Chad Henne, same thing) - I think we've seen enough from these guys to know that they aren't going to be stars in the NFL. If Eli was below average, you put him with this group of quarterbacks. I think that's a little harsh.
25 - 26) Donovan McNabb, Matt Hasselbeck - Placeholders on their respective teams, were very capable quarterbacks at one point of their careers.
27 - 32) Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, Andy Dalton, Blaine Gabbert, Tim Tebow, Curtis Painter - It's probably too early to tell if any of these guys could be amazing, so will withhold judgment for now.

If Eli were "below average", would I really want Schaub or Culter over him? I don't think any Giants fan would. Okay, maybe you could want one of the young guns like Stafford or Newton or even Vick, but you don't have evidence to say they will continue to improve, stay healthy, and play well in the playoffs. No question Vick is a more talented athlete than Manning, but what has he done? Why do I want a guy who plays well in the regular season, but doesn't show up for the playoffs?

I can agree that Eli is not an "elite" quarterback, but there are 3, maybe 4 in the entire NFL. Not even team gets one. I just can't agree that you would rather take some of the guys who are currently starting in the NFL over Eli. Eli has played very well in a tough market, with plenty of criticism, and has risen above it. I just wish people would recognize that.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Best/Worst Weekend Oct. 7-9

Best Weekend

Dallas had a great weekend with two solid wins in baseball if you include last night in an emotional extra inning game. The Texas Rangers are looking more confident in every game since losing game one of the openning series verse the Rays. On top of the success on the diamond Dallas Cowboy fans enjoyed their bye watching both the Giants and Eagles self destruct. Can't argue with this one Dallas had the best sport weekend.
Boston comes in at a close second with a solid win over their rival NY Jets. Jets now have fallen below .500 and should be pretty quiet for some time. Also Boston got to enjoy an entire weekend without the Yankees who didn't make it out of the first round of the playoffs.

Oklahoma is only third becuase their fan base is divided between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State which both had huge wins to remain undefeated. Any time the Sooners get a win verse the Longhorns means its a great weekend.

Worst Weekend

Longhorn Nation (Texas)/Houston both lost but is very different ways. Texans clearly had an oppurtunity to win yet in Texans' fashion they choked at the end of the game. On the other hand the Longhorns were striaght up embarrassed.... it was painful to watch and as a Texas alumni I just wanted the game to be over by halftime. Clearly the young Horns have much to learn and hopefully they build on this lost instead of mentally falling apart.

Philidelphia sports success seems to have ended right after it had started. Just a few months ago we were talking about Dream Team and the best pitching staff ever in MLB playoff history. Now the Philles are done after losing a thrilling game 5 where we saw one of the greatest pitching duels, and the Eagles are 1-4.

New York Giants and Jets lose and the Yankees are playing golf, nothing else to say here.

Mixed Weekend

Detriot/Wisconsin both of this fan bases have 5-0 NFL teams yet both seem to be losing momentum in the MLB playoffs.

Our Weekend

Caleb- Awful... even a solid win by the Packers couldn't make up for the butt kicking my Longhorns suffered, and on top of that lost both of my fantasy football match ups...


Phil- Mixed - Yankees and Phillies got eliminated so I feel like I won the MLB World Series, Giants played like trash on Sunday. Both my fantasy teams are rolling thanks to Pierre Garcon and Jimmy "Graham Reaper".

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Listen Up, Bud Selig


Dear Bud Selig,

Baseball has been dying a slow, painful death for a while now, and my fear is that if I continue witnessing this crime in silence any longer, I might be charged as an accessory. I know you are probably still cleaning up the mess you made from pissing yourself in pure elation at the events on the last day of the regular season, but let's face the facts. As much as it would make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, you can't rely on the Boston Red Sox and the Atlanta Braves absolutely forgetting how to play baseball in the month of September year in and year out. So, this, Bud, is for you.



1. Don't compete with the NFL.

Just don't. You might think you are just as good a commissioner as Roger Goodell, but you'd be frighteningly wrong. Mr. Goodell is so out of your league that there's a better chance that he knows my name than yours. As things stand now, the baseball postseason is in October, right smack in the middle of the NFL season. The sad thing is, even playoff baseball can't overcome regular season football. So before you utter anything related to "bu-bu-but it's America's favorite pastime," heed my advice and save me the effort of having to slap you back to reality. Instead of starting the baseball season in April, start it in March, when people are still talking about the Super Bowl and just starting to agonize over how they'll survive the NFL offseason. Then, move the MLB postseason from October to August, before the start of the aforementioned NFL season. Yes, I know Reggie Jackson will forever be known as Mr. October, but I haven't been able to reach him for comment on this as he's been trying to engineer a trade for his fantasy football team. No, he hasn't been watching baseball either.

2. 162 games? Seriously?

Imagine if the MLB had just been created, and there was a committee to determine the number of games there should be in the regular season. If I was a member of this committee, and someone yelled out something to the likes of "how about 162 games," everyone would laugh it off as some kind of joke. You want people to go to games thinking that every game matters, and while once in a blue moon, as it did this year, the 162nd game happens to be relevant, baseball would be much better served with a shorter season. Think about it this way -- a shorter season equates to less opportunities for fans to lose interest.

Assuming you accept my suggestion from my 1st bullet point and start the regular season in March, shortening the season to 100 games over 4.5 months (instead of 162 games over 6) would provide people with quality sports year round. Then you can also consider adding two more wild card teams to the postseason and extend the postseason a couple of weeks. Six months of regular season games and 1 month of postseason games makes absolutely no sense. Give the people what they want!

3. Join the rest of us in the 21st century.

What makes someone a good businessman is their ability to adapt with the changing culture. On the contrary, however, baseball is like the crazy hippie still rocking to Simon & Garfunkel on his snazzy 8-track. Now, of course I don't expect you to go completely overboard with video challenge opportunities for every close play at first base, but you should start with something as simple as Youtube. Have you heard of this, Bud? Believe it or not, most kids are probably spending as much, if not more, time on Youtube than they are watching television. And for baseball to really survive, you gotta get the next generation excited for the game.

The NFL and the NBA have keyed in on this already. You can search Youtube for specific game highlights, player highlights, big hits, etc. You know what happens when you search for MLB highlights? You get crappy handheld cellphone footage 100 yards from the action with nothing but the video title and description to let you know what's going on. It's ridiculous. Even David Stern is laughing at you.

Well, Commish, that about wraps things up here. I have been and will always be a baseball fan, but believe me, it's been more than a struggle the past decade to get people excited for any aspect of the MLB season. Please get your people together and fix this league because believe it or not, change isn't always a bad thing.

Sincerely,

A Houston Sports Fan

PS I just watched "Catching Hell" on ESPN, and I feel awful for Steve Bartman all over again. Can you do something, anything, to try to remedy his situation? Better late than never. Thanks.

Messing with Texas

This past Saturday, my friend Khoi and I spent the evening at Stout, the local Texas Longhorn bar in NYC, watching Texas completely dominate Iowa State. As we cheered, chanted, and sang, one thing was different than usual. Our fight song didn’t end with the classic “Make them eat sh*t”. Instead, "OU Sucks" chants rang throughout the bar. It was clear OU weekend was just around the corner. I have never been part of a more heated and exciting rivalry since I stopped rooting for the Yankees in 1998. In the past decade, we haven’t seen more consistent programs than Texas and Oklahoma, and with both teams undefeated so far this year, the stakes could not be higher.

But the story has changed from 3 years ago, the last time they entered this legendary weekend with perfect records. Back then, both teams had high profile QBs in Bradford and McCoy with battle-tested defenses. This year, Oklahoma brings an almost identical team to the 2008 version with big names like Landry Jones, Ryan B, and a number one ranking entering the season. Their secondary has a self proclaimed nickname (Sharks) that was broadcasted to the sports world during an ESPN segment. On the other hand, my beloved Longhorns entered the season unranked in some polls and has needed to prove themselves week after week. Looking at the Texas roster, you would get the same reaction reporters got when asking the Oklahoma team how they felt about players like David Ash.  “Who’s that”? Many names like McCoy, Shipley, and Acho might sound familiar. The only problem is that their first names aren’t Colt, Jordan, and Sam.

There is a lot of pressure weighing on Oklahoma to continue winning, but that is no different this week than any other. They need to be perfect to make it to the national championship game and they know that. One might think there is nothing to lose for Texas, but I disagree. If Texas fails to win, the critics will be back. They will lose the credibility they earned from the first 4 wins and could end up losing confidence and nose diving with a tough game against Oklahoma State the following week.

Personally, I am dying to see Case McCoy complete passes to Jaxon Shipley and hopefully replicate the success of their older brothers, who earned 3 wins in 4 years against Oklahoma from 2006-2009. I have become sentimental to the point where I felt a little frustrated when Ash seemed to get more chances to perform than McCoy in the Iowa State game. But in the end, I don’t care how the Longhorns go about scoring or which QB gets the most snaps. I just want a win.

This new group of young Longhorns has much to prove and will need to do it without the help of their older brothers, literally. 
Hook’em Horns!

P.S. It’s 11:30 AM and OU STILL SUCKS!

Monday, October 3, 2011

The Best and The Worst Weekend

The Worst:

Dallas fans take the top spot this weekend for having the worst weekend in sports. Not only did the Cowboys once again prove to be the biggest heartbreaker in the league, but Texas A&M, which has a large fan base in Dallas, blew a large lead for the second week in a row. Even though the Texas Rangers did end up tying the series, their Game 1 embarrassment of being blown out by a rookie pitcher in his second career start was unacceptable. At least most of these fans got to enjoy the Longhorn victory.

Philadelphia came in at a strong number 2. The only good news was that Vick wasn't receiving a MRI today. They lost to a team led by Alex Smith... do I really need to say more? I know I don't but I will because clearly this is no dream team and Lebron and Company should feel disrespected for being compared to the Eagles. On top of blowing a large lead, the city of Philadelphia had to see their Phillies lose a game at home to the Cards, which means they will need to win in St. Louis to advance.

Florida rounds out my weekend's worst with the Miami Dolphins staying defeated for the season while the Florida Gators were destroyed Saturday night. The only prize they got after the game was an injured QB.

The Best:

Wisconsin fans take the top spot this week with standout performances in 3 different leagues. The Brewers have proved to be this year's darling of the MLB playoffs with the most personality and a small payroll from a small market team. They are the only team to take a commanding 2-0 lead in this year's MLB playoffs and seem to be getting better every game. The University of Wisconsin gave a warm welcome to Nebraska in the Big 10 by dominating them in every way, while the Packers continue to do what they do with an easy win over Denver (where's Tebow?) with Rodgers throwing 4 TDs and rushing for 2 more.

Detroit had a roller coaster weekend that ended much better than it started. The Tigers lost in Game 1 in a blowout, while the Lions started their game down 27-3. But that's when everything turned around. The Tigers stole Game 2 in the Bronx and the Lions stormed back to win a game that may haunt Romo for the rest of the season. Oh yeah, did I mention that one of the interceptions returned for a TD was by the one and only Bobby Carpenter, a one-time Cowboy who never got much love in Dallas.

Boston bounced back from one of the worst weeks in Boston sports history to having a nice weekend. Yes the Red Sox season is over, but it had to feel good to see the Patriots defense finally show up and seal a win over a team that just ran over their rival NY Jets. Speaking of the Jets, Boston fans also got to revel in the Jets getting embarrassed on Sunday night football and the Yankees losing in the rain.

Our Weekend:

Caleb - Perfect, with wins by the Packers, Longhorns, and Liverpool. Enough said.
Phil - A dirty win by the G-Men over the Cards, coupled with the Cowgirls and Iggles blowing 4th quarter leads, and the Tottenham Hotspur winning the North London Derby over the hated Gooners was a dream weekend for me.