What We Learned from the 2011 NFL Season

256 regular season games and 10 post-season games have boiled down to the New England Patriots facing off against the New York Football Giants in Indianapolis. But before taking a look forward to that game, we should take a look at the 266 games that have already been played, and see what we have learned from them.

Here are 5 takeaways from the NFL season:

1. Tight Ends are the hottest position in the NFL:

I have tweeted it before, but reject basketball players take note, teams across the NFL will be looking for big, strong, tall, and athletic guys who can catch footballs. Before this season, a tight end had never amassed 1,300 yards receiving in a single season. This year, two players did it: Rob Gronkowski (1,327) and Jimmy Graham (1,310). These two players were also two of the five players to score more than 10 receiving touchdowns, and Gronkowski led the league with 17 grabs in the end zone. 14 of the top 50 receivers in the NFL this season were tight ends. The list of accolades goes on for players such as: Aaron Hernandez, Vernon Davis, Jason Witten, Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez, Dustin Keller, Brent Celek, and Jermichael Finley.

The fact of the matter is this, tight ends cause match-up problems for defenses especially in the red zone and on third down, the most crucial areas of the game to convert in order to find success. Just get used to talking about your team’s tight end and selecting a tight end a few rounds earlier in your fantasy draft.

2. 5,000 is the new 2,000:

Remember when there was a huge countdown during the 1997 season to the moment when Barry Sanders hit the 2,000 rushing yard mark for the season? He was only the third player to ever hit that mark, joining O.J. Simpson (1973) and Eric Dickerson (1984). The year after that, Terrell Davis would hit the 2,000 yard mark and since Sanders became the third player to hit the 2,000 yard mark, the number of players to hit that plateau has doubled to 6. The 2,000 yard mark used to be hallowed ground, and still is, but 4 players doing it in a 12 year period of time, makes it a little less so. This season, however has made another plateau the new mark that will begin to be hit with some level of consistency: The 5,000 passing yard mark.

Before the 2008 season, only one player, Dan Marino, had ever thrown for 5,000 yards in a single season. Then Drew Brees hit that mark in the 2008 season. Three years later, this season, three different players hit the mark: Drew Brees (again), Tom Brady, and Matthew Stafford. Eli Manning missed the mark by a mere 67 yards. It comes as no shock that 8 of the top 10 single season passing totals have come since the year 2000, and that 7 of 10 have come after 2006. This is a milestone that will begin to be hit with some amount of regularity as the game has shifted so drastically to passing.

3. Defense may win championships, but offense gets you to the playoffs:

The old adage is that defense wins championships. To win a championship, however, you must first get to the playoffs. Of the 12 teams that made the playoffs this season, 11 ranked in the top 10 of either passing or rushing offense. On the other side, only 6 of the teams had a defense that ranked in the top 10 of either passing or rushing defense. 9 of the top 12 teams in the league in terms of points scored made the playoffs, but only 5 of the top 12 teams in points allowed made the playoffs. Its just that simple, offense gets you to the playoffs.

4. The next record to fall will the be the single season sack record:

This is seemingly common sense based off of the first three points that were made. Teams are dropping back to throw the ball at a steadily increasing rate, 11 teams this season dropped back to pass the ball more than 575 times, an increase of 3 from the previous season. This means more chances of teams to record sacks, 14 teams recorded more than 40 sacks this past season (as compared to only 9 last year). Jared Allen recorded 22 sacks this season, just .5 short of the mark set by Michael Strahan (on a gift sack of Brett Favre, who called the play for Strahan and just slid down on his side of the line, but I am not bitter as a huge Vikings and Jared Allen fan).

Similar to the trend of more athletic and terrifyingly intense tight ends, there is a growing emphasis and success of athletic and intense big men flying off of the edges for football teams. Guys like Jason Pierre-Paul, DeMarcus Ware, Brian Orakpo, Elvis Dumervil, Mario Williams, and Terrell Suggs are called upon to disrupt quarterbacks with pressure with increasing regularity and worry about the run later. There is a huge stock of big men with motors that just keep running on passing downs and that means that Strahan’s mark will fall within 3 seasons.

5. The Wildcat, Option, and other gimmicky looks are here to stay:

Gimmick offensive sets and looks are here to stay in the NFL. Teams may not build around option style offenses (see Tebow), but teams will continually look for ways to keep defenses off balance and this is one of the best ways to do that. Hybrid quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends will continue to find spots on NFL rosters. The days of a simple two receiver, one tight end, one half-back, one fullback look for a majority of the game are over. You may not like it, but embrace Aaron Hernandez lining up alone in the backfield or Percy Harvin taking snaps at quarterback, because they now have an established foothold in the NFL.

NFL Championship Weekend Handicapper

Baltimore at New England (-7)

Offense:  Who would you rather follow into battle?  The guy who looks and throws like Bert?  Or George Washington?  I mean seriously, I know Tom Brady hasn’t brought his Patriots to post-season glory recently, but he has won 3 Super Bowls.  He puts up numbers that Joe Flacco couldn’t even put up at Delaware against defenses that Tim Tebow could shred with his arm.  Brady makes throws that Flacco can’t make in video games.  And this isn’t mentioning the fact that (unlike the last time the Ravens ousted the Pats from the playoffs) Brady has two of the best safety valves in Gronkowski and Hernandez and the best underneath receiver in Welker.

Defense:  No one is debating who is better here.  The clear answer is the Ravens.  That being said, however, the debate that rages now:  Is the Ravens defense more overrated as the third ranked defense or is the Patriots defense more underrated as the 31^st ranked defense, is a good one.  The Patriots are playing better and coming together now more so than any point in the year.  We have seen them start to get some consistent pressure on the quarterback and look better in coverage.  The Ravens are clearly the better defense, but with the exception of some key interceptions on terrible decisions by the rookie T.J. Yates, they did not look nearly as vaunted as they have been (and were when they last made an appearance in and won the Super Bowl).

So the Ravens will win because:  T-Sizzle decides to show himself and actually hit Tom Brady and he knocks him out of the game.  Seriously though, the Ravens HAVE to get to Tom Brady while finding a way to neutralize the underneath routes to Gronkowski, Hernandez, and Welker while also shutting down any semblance of a running game like the one that the Texans established against them last week.

So the Patriots will win because:  Tom Brady and Bill Belichick continue to play with an apparent chip on their shoulders because they haven’t performed in the playoffs recently.  Tom Brady, arguably, has more and better weapons this year than he ever has and it is time for him to once again lead his team through the rest of the NFL.  Also the Patriots did arguably the smartest thing I have seen them do in a long time in terms of game planning.  Look for the same formation of Hernandez in the backfield that yielded some good runs last week, but this time Hernandez will be used to chip Suggs off the edge and catch some short passes that could turn into some big gains, and if the Ravens cheat, they can always run the ball out of that formation still.

Pick:  Patriots.

New York (N) (I put the “N” to really shove it in the faces of Jets fans that they aren’t playing this week) at San Francisco (-2.5)

Offense:  Well up until last week, everyone in the football world thought that in San Francisco they spelled offense “G-O-R-E.”  Now they have “The Catch 2.0” or whatever you want to call it, and they are ready to crown their new dynasty.  Lets not get ahead of ourselves.  Eli Manning is playing better than ANY quarterback in the 4^th quarter right now.  His receivers trust him and he seems to have the leadership qualities that have made Peyton so successful (about time).  Kevin Gilbride is the biggest problem for this offense, seriously when will he learn that Brandon Jacobs plays like he weighs 100 lbs.

Defense:  The 49ers defense is the strength of this team.  Their line, linebacking corps, and secondary are all strong.  They will need to come into the game and hit the Giants in the mouth early and often, and keep that pace through out the game.  The Giants’ d-line and secondary are scary for two very different reasons.  Their d-line is absurdly good and deep.  Their secondary could be the biggest underachieving unit in the NFL, they have 4 first-round picks and 2 second-round picks and yet they ranked 29^th in passing defense.

So the Giants will win because:  The defensive line gets to, and rattles Alex Smith.  Eli Manning should have a good game.  That being said, the 49ers defense is stout enough that the Giants defense will need to make some stops.  They need to keep Frank Gore bottled up to the extent that forces Alex Smith to do some work on 3^rd down.  They are very capable of doing this, but they need to execute their game plan on both sides of the ball (and have a decent one on the offensive side of the ball).

So the 49ers will win because:  Jim Harbaugh has had and will continue to have one of the greatest coaching seasons in recent Big 4 (NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA) sports history.  Seriously, this guy could will LeBron James to win a championship in the 4^th quarter if he got the shot.  If this team can avoid panic and stick to the game plan that allowed them to be successful all year, including against the Giants (although a much less hot Giants team), then they could find themselves in the Super Bowl.

Pick:  Giants (and to win).

NFL Divisional Round Handicapper

New Orleans at San Francisco (+3.5)

Why the Saints will win:

Does anyone really believe that Jim Harbaugh has, in one year, transformed Alex Smith into a NFC Championship game QB from the terrible first pick bust that he had been for so many years?  No.  Does anyone believe that the 49ers defense is as good as the numbers say they are after they played six games in the mid-major of NFL divisions?  No.  A team can only impose its physical will on another team if it can catch them; the Saints’ offense runs circles around everyone they play.

Why the 49ers will win:

Everyone has seen the numbers about Drew Brees’ reduced effectiveness away from home.  If you haven’t, he is 9-0 at home, but 5-3 on the road.  In the regular season he threw 29 TDs at home, but only 17 away.  But what is the one thing that everyone needs to know?  Saints can make all teams from the mid-major NFC West look like the Butler of the NFL.  Its like terrible teams are the Saints’ kryptonite.

Pick:  Saints.

Denver at New England (-13.5)

Why the Broncos will win:

Here we go again.  The Demigod formerly known as Tim Tebow, plus some defensive miscues, play calling ineptitude, and key players on defense missing from the other team.

Why the Patriots will win:

The good-haired god that has been leading the potent Patriots offense behind its terrific tight-ends, Tom Brady.  He is so dreamy he makes me want to use alliteration in telling his triumphs; he is like a mythological being.  This victory would probably not go among his best as it is against a team that is one win above .500, lets be real about the Broncos.

Pick:  Broncos (but Pats win).

Houston at Baltimore (-7.5)

Why the Ravens will win:

Ray Rice, Terrell Suggs, Ray Lewis, Naloti Ngata, Anquan Boldin, Ed Reed, Vonta Leach, Torrey Smith, Ed Dickson, Bryant McKinnie, Ben Grubbs, Matt Birk, Marshal Yanda, Michael Oher, Terrence Cody, Cory Redding, Jameel McClain, Jarret Johnson, Lardarius Webb, Bernard Pollard, Cary Williams.

Why the Texans will win:

Joe Flacco.

Pick:  Texans (but Ravens win).

New York (N) at Green Bay (-7.5)

Why the Giants will win:

We have seen it time and time again:  teams take a week off and then they have a first-round bye, and then they can’t knock the rust off fast enough.  We have seen the Giants do this before, get on a hot streak and look unstoppable.  The Giants love the fact that the NFL Playoffs are run like March Madness and not like the BCS, I am just in the mood for March Madness today.

Why the Packers will win:

On a truly serious and somber note, the death of Michael Philbin, son of Packers’ offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, is just the kind of thing that can give these players an emotional edge and allow them to realize a bigger reason to play for.  It is cane be just the thing to knock off the rust from a hiatus before the game begins.  My thoughts and prayers are with the Philbin family and the extremely close Packer community.

Pick:  Giants (but Packers win).

NFL Wild Card Round Handicapper

Bengals at Texans (-3)

Why the Bengals will win:

Home field advantage is vital in the playoffs and Reliant Stadium will be filled with Bengals fans because the only football professional football team that exists in the minds of Texas residents Romo-ed right out of the playoffs.  Seriously, the Texans have been the better team in Texas for the past two seasons and yet it is the pathetic Cowboys that get all the coverage, they haven’t done ANYTHING in the past 15 years but be the most overrated team in sports.

Why the Texans will win:

You could try and analyze this with some sort of depth, such as the Texans have an excellent running game to fall back on, or Andy Dalton has been ill and will not have a full week to prepare.  Or you could just realize that they are playing the Bengals…in the playoffs.

Pick:  Texans.

Detroit at New Orleans (-10.5)

Why the Lions will win:

Last year the Saints were ousted from the playoffs by the crotch-grabbing Marshawn Lynch and his rag tag group of Seahawks teammates.  This Lions team has Calvin Johnson who takes beast-mode to a whole new level.

Why the Saints will win:

Is that even a question?  The Saints can drop points faster than the Lions dropped games when they went 0-16 just a few seasons ago.  Drew Brees has as many weapons at receiver as the Lions have failed draft picks at receiver.

Pick:  Lions (but the Saints still win).

Atlanta at New York (N) (-3)

Why the Falcons will win:

The Falcons don’t need to play good defense, they just need to be adequate because Kevin Gilbride can’t run a good offense for the Giants, he isn’t even adequate.  Seriously, let Eli Manning be more like big brother and basically call his own offense because Gilbride is a moron.

Why the Giants will win:

The Giants have been here before and have veterans throughout the roster who know how to win in January.  Also, the gladiators that they have up front might actually start just killing people, because that is the next step for them.  I think that they should all agree to wear the terrifying facemask/visor combination that Chris Canty (the scrub of the bunch) wears.

Pick:  Falcons (and to win).

Pittsburgh at Denver (+8.5)

Why the Steelers will win:

The former Demigod known as Tim Tebow.

Why the Broncos will win:

The Demigod formerly known as Tim Tebow.

Pick:  Steelers.

Changes Required in College Athletics: Pay for Play and Don’t Be Fine With Title IX.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I write to you today an extremely happy man.  Not because I have turned over a new leaf in 2012 (I am still the same sports curmudgeon that I have always been), and not because Christmas yielded me many gifts.  I am happy because this past week’s The New York Magazine gave everyone the most comprehensive and strongest argument for the payment of the young men playing football and basketball in college.

Look it up.

If you read anything this week, anything at all; read Let’s Start Paying College Athletes in the January 1, 2012 edition of The New York Times Magazine by Joe Nocera.  It’s great.

Nocera puts in bold print through out the short 4 page article the numbers that everyone should be made aware of.

The fact that the 15 colleges that have the highest paid football coaches, the same colleges that “can’t afford” to pay athletes a small amount are paying their football coaches a combined $53.4 million.

The fact that Rick Pitino was paid $5 million as the head coach of the Boston Celtics, and this year he will make $7.5 million as the head coach of the Louisville Cardinals (oh, and Doc Rivers is making $5.5 million as the head coach of the Celtics this year, so its not market inflation).

The fact that the University of Texas awarded its football players a very wonderful $3.1 million in scholarships, but also showered head coach Mack Brown with a ridiculous $5.1 million of salary.

The fact that television revenues for the entire, six-month NBA season total $930 million, and revenue for the entire, 3-week NCAA March Madness tournament total $770 million.

It is time to recognize that men’s college basketball and football are big business and that the veil of amateurism needs to shed.  Nocera made an argument that lays out steps that not only allows, but encourages young men to be actual student-athletes, not just athletes.

The strongest part of Nocera’s concept aside from the 6-year scholarship that must be offered to all athletes, is the notion that you only pay the athletes of the men’s basketball and football teams.

This brings me to a notion that Nocera does not entertain, but one that I believe should be addressed.  I believe it is time to either heavily amend or do away with Title IX.

Title IX is the rule in the NCAA that requires that schools have varsity athletic participation “substantially proportionate” to the undergraduate enrollment.  That is:  if a school is 50% men and 50% women, then its varsity athletes should be 50% men and 50% women.

Now, before you write me off as a misogynistic blowhard, please hear me out.  This rule was implemented with the purpose of giving women equal footing in the world of higher education by giving them equal chances at financial assistance that would allow many people otherwise unable to afford college, a chance to afford it.

Alright so here goes my argument.  First, there is no doubt, as can be seen in the continually increasing cost of tuition at colleges and universities, that the cost of offering higher education to all students (regardless of if they are a varsity athlete or not) is extremely high and going up.  Now that being said, a lot of schools choose to fund athletic programs.  Very few of these programs actually make money for the university and unquestionably two of the sports that have the best chance to make money are men’s basketball and men’s football.

The 2010-2011 season saw the Texas A&M women’s basketball team, the #7 team IN THE COUNTRY, operate at a loss of $2.8 million dollars.  $2.8 million dollars in the red.  Revenues from the Texas A&M football program that year? $41.9 million. $41.9 million.  So the women’s basketball is taking $2.8 million away from the University that could be going to students who otherwise could not afford a higher education.  Is that what Title IX was intended to do?

If schools can make money and thus have more money available for scholarships to men and women alike, then they should do it.  Colleges and universities are supposed to be places of higher education, NOT sports leagues.  Are sports a wonderful part of the atmosphere of colleges and universities? Yes.  They are also wonderful, however, at the intramural level (and much less expensive to operate).

How many more scholarships were offered and how much lower is the tuition at the University of Texas because of the $93.9 million dollars in football revenue in the 2010 season alone?  We may never know; it would take the school doing away with their football program.

There is another reason that Title IX has run its course and is no longer in touch with the times.  The number of women receiving undergraduate and post-graduate degrees is greater than men in the United States of America.  Title IX is no longer necessary to allow for the equal opportunity of women, instead the money that is made by men’s sports is needed to invest in strengthening the academic endeavors of young men and the number young men who strive for academic achievement, and not on money hemorrhaging ventures of women’s sports that are required by an out-of-date law.

Everyone should go and read Joe Nocera’s article Let’s Start Playing College Athletes in the most recent edition of The New York Times Magazine.  I hope that you will be able to read it with an open mind.  I also hope, but I know that it will be very difficult, that you consider my idea that Title IX has run its course as an effective law that has a positive impact on those affected.  There is no doubt that college sports will continue, and there is also no doubt that there must be changes to how they continue.

NFL Week 16 Handicapper

Houston at Indianapolis (+6.5)

This looked like a great last season match-up, one that might have even helped decide the AFC South.  Instead this is a late season ego boost for T.J. Yates after he finally looked human for the Texans.  Seriously, the same guys who once earned Super Bowl rings for the Colts, can now only help their team by earning them the first pick in the draft. DON’T BLOW IT.

Pick:  Colts.

Denver at Buffalo (+3)

Tim Tebow finally came crashing to Earth against Tom Brady’s Patriots.  So what better place for the “Mile High Messiah” to come back than the most God-forsaken place on Earth (especially when it comes to football)—Buffalo.

Pick:  Denver.

Arizona at Cincinnati (-4.5)

The Bengals are fighting for their playoff lives.  A.J. Green looked healthy again and while they didn’t look great, they got an important win last week.  The Cardinals are fighting to decide which QB with a QBR below 40 should be their starter; the man who was the best backup last year, Kevin Kolb, or the man the who broke all sort of records at Fordham, John Skelton; not the best options ever.

Pick:  Bengals.

Jacksonville at Tennessee (-7.5)

What’s the best thing about this season for these two teams?  That the NFL adjusted the day of games and that they stink bad enough that they won’t have to practice on Sunday so they can spend Christmas with their families.

Pick:  Titans.

Oakland at Kansas City (-2.5)

The Chiefs pulled off what no other team could this year—they beat the Packers.  And the Raiders pulled off what everyone thought they were capable of this season and that was blowing a huge lead by making mistakes that pee-wee teams don’t make as regularly as the Raiders do.

Pick:  Raiders (and to win).

Miami at New England (-7.5)

Aaron Hernandez finally broke out of the shadow of Rob Gronkowski last week as he was the prime target for Brady in their nationally televised beat down of the Broncos.  Hernandez has announced that by getting out from Gronkowski’s shadow, he has stopped the spread of the A-Hole Disease that has infected Gronkowski.

Pick:  Patriots.

New York (N) at New York (A) (-3)

Whats that?  Tom Coughlin is on the hot seat and Rex Ryan is running his mouth faster than he has ever actually run in his entire life?  That’s never happened before.  Oh wait, I am so sick of idiot New York coaches, idiot New York fans, and idiot New York players.  New York should be given a multi-year ban for being jerks.

Pick:  Giants (and to win).

St. Louis at Pittsburgh (-10)

To say that Sam Bradford has regressed and looks really bad this year is like saying Ben Roethlisberger has bad style…just doesn’t quite cover it.

Pick:  St. Louis.

Minnesota at Washington (-6.5)

This would be a good football game…if the Giants and Jets weren’t playing, if the Bears and Packers weren’t playing, if any of the other teams in the NFL weren’t playing, and if Nevada and Southern Miss weren’t playing in the Hawaii Bowl.

Pick:  Vikings.

Tampa Bay at Carolina (-7.5)

The Eagles and Chargers are most often cited as the most disappointing teams in the NFL so far this season.  The Buccaneers are right up there, however.  They have really let down the old folks who have been stuck in homes in the Tampa area by their children because they don’t want to take care of them.

Pick:  Panthers.

Cleveland at Baltimore (-11)

The “Colt McCoy Rule” will take affect this week.  Teams will now have independent physicians at each game to make sure that required concussion precautions are actually being taken.  How embarrassing is it to have a rule named after you because you got absolutely lit up by the Mack truck named James Harrison and your subsequent play led people to believe you had to be concussed because no one in their right mind plays that poorly.  People forget though that he plays for the Browns, and actually they ALL play that badly ALL the time.

Pick:  Ravens.

San Diego at Detroit (-2)

The Chargers finally looked like they have life once again and are still in the hunt for a division title.  Is it just me or should the Broncos, Raiders, Cowboys, and Giants be labeled as some of the most inept teams in the NFL because they haven’t been able to eliminate the Chargers and Eagles from the playoff picture after the heinous seasons that they have had?

Pick:  Chargers (and to win).

Philadelphia at Dallas (Pick)

The Eagles scare Jerry Jones.  You know what should scare Jerry Jones?  Certainties.  Death (knocking on his door), taxes (he pays a lot of them), and the fact that the Cowboys are now a terribly mediocre team led by a terribly mediocre QB, a terribly mediocre coach, and a flat out terrible defense.

Pick:  Cowboys.

San Francisco at Seattle (+1.5)

The 49ers came out in front of a national television audience and punched the always-tough Steelers in the mouth.  The only bad thing for the 49ers is that Ben Roethlisberger looked about as good as Caleb Hanie did against the Seahawks last week…and only one of them is injured.

Pick:  49ers.

Chicago at Green Bay (-11.5)

The Bears are going to start Josh McCown instead of the Ryan Leaf-looking Caleb Hanie.  Good thing the Bears didn’t pickup Donovan McNabb or David Garrard, because they would be so much worse than Caleb Hanie because he knows the system.  Apparently the system is to completely tank their playoff hopes this season and make the Bears fans plead for the return of previously vilified Jay Cutler next season to help them back to wherever it is he can take them.

Pick:  Packers.

Atlanta at New Orleans (-7)

Drew Brees will more than likely break the single season yardage record held by Dan Marino in either this game or the next.  Julio Jones will more than likely break the hearts of Falcons fans in these playoffs or the next…if he is healthy enough to play in them.  So much for all of those draft picks they gave up.

Pick:  Saints.

NFL Week 15 Handicapper

Jacksonville at Atlanta (12.5)

The Falcons looked poised to return to the playoffs yet again with Matt Ryan running the show.  The Jaguars looked poised for a move to Los Angeles because there is no such thing as a Jacksonville fan to watch the show, however pathetic, being put on by Blaine Gabbert.

Pick:  Falcons.

Dallas at Tampa Bay (+9)

The Cowboys players were excited for their trip to Tampa Bay, because they want to remain as warm as possible on their way down the chute in yet another December collapse.  The funny thing is, with the holidays America’s team collapses, but America’s economy gets a boost.

Pick:  Bucs.

Miami at Buffalo (Pick)

Surprising that after Monday Night Football featured Seattle and St. Louis last week that they didn’t pick up another game between division rivals that is completely unimportant and bound to be more boring than winter in upstate New York.

Pick:  Bills (to win)

Seattle at Chicago (-3.5)

It was the hand of God that forced Marion Barber out-of-bounds and caused him to fumble the ball last week against the Broncos, right?  Wrong, it was the fact that he played for the Dallas Cowboys and caught the disease known as “Tonius Decemberomo” or for short, “Tony Romo’s Disease.”

Pick:  Bears.

Tennessee at Indianapolis (+6.5)

Chris Johnson has looked like an all-pro yet again the last few weeks.  The closest thing that the Colts have to an all-pro is Jim Irsay’s Twitter game.

Pick:  Colts.

Green Bay at Kansas City (+11)

The biggest blow that Green Bay has suffered all year was Greg Jennings spraining his knee last week.  The biggest blow that the Chiefs suffered was starting the year with the roster that they had.

Pick:  Packers.

Cincinnati at St. Louis (+7)

Andy Dalton and the Bengals at one point found themselves holding the top seed in the AFC, but now they need to stop a slide and push their way into the playoffs.  Luckily for them, they play the Rams who are essentially an emergency brake in the cars of all other NFL teams.

Pick:  Bengals.

New Orleans at Minnesota (+7.5)

The Saints are arguably the biggest threat to beating the Packers.  The Vikings, meanwhile, are the biggest threat to beating the Jaguars to Los Angeles.  The Vikings could join the Lakers as professional teams to flee Minnesota for the glamour of LA, they might also finally win some titles if they make that move like the Lakers have.

Pick:  Saints.

Washington at New York (N) (-6.5)

Remember when the Redskins opened the year with a victory over the G-Men and we thought that the race was on in the NFC East?  Too bad Rex Grossman is like a time bomb and when he goes off he explodes crap in all directions.

Pick:  Giants.

Carolina at Houston (-6)

The Texans have already clinched the first division title in the franchise’s history, and did so in spite of injuries.  The Panthers have remained in obscurity and have done so in spite of being able to legally pay Cam Newton and his teammates.

Pick:  Panthers.

Detroit at Oakland (+3)

Both of these teams are trying to fight their way out of recent struggles and make their mark on playoff football.  No one has been talking about this game, however, because the last time that a game between these two has had playoff implications was before Al Davis knew what football was.

Pick:  Lions.

New England at Denver (+7.5)

Huh, didn’t know this game was being played this week.  No one is talking about it at all.  Has anyone else seen the ads for the Christian dating website?  I think that they should have Tim Tebow do an ad during the game saying, “Are you sick of pretty boys, and guys with babies out of wedlock?  Stop thinking about looks first and think about God’s role in your relationships.”  They should also make sure their ad comes immediately after Tom Brady’s Ugg boot commercial.

Pick:  Patriots.

New York (A) at Philadelphia (-3)

Teams that have Philadelphia on the schedule still are now being said to have “tough” schedules.  What will it take for people to give up on the hype and “potential” that this Eagles’ team has?  This team is terrible.  The players haven’t come together, the coaching staff is a joke, and people would rather watch a crappier version of Mike Vick play in Denver.

Pick:  Jets (and to win).

Cleveland at Arizona (-6.5)

Colt McCoy was in the news because the hit that he suffered at the hands of James Harrison earned Harrison a suspension and so it was played over and over and over again.  Good thing McCoy will have no recollection of seeing it at all because of the concussion that he wasn’t tested for.  Good job cracking down on those NFL.

Pick:  Cardinals.

Baltimore at San Diego (+2.5)

The Chargers are sliding hard at the end of the year and it looks like they will fall short of the playoffs because of Tim Tebow’s comebacks.  Norv Turner won’t end up being fired because of his own stupidity, but rather someone else’s genius.  Funny how that goes.

Pick:  Ravens.

Pittsburgh at San Francisco (-3)

Well this is weird, a good game between two classic, storied franchises featured on Monday night.  I have become so accustomed to not even thinking of watching football on Monday that I now have to reconsider my whole life it feels like.

Pick:  Steelers (and to win).

NFL Week 14 Handicapper

Cleveland at Pittsburgh (-14)

 How do you find your way to complete irrelevance?  Just ask any team in the Cleveland area.  They have Peyton Hillis, who donned the cover of Madden 12, has only 321 yards this year, 3 more than Isaac Redman (the Steelers backup).  Colt McCoy played for a better team wearing orange in college than he is on right now.  And the best team that their leading receiver has ever played for was his college basketball team…that’s right, a completely different sport.

Pick:  Browns.

Houston at Cincinnati (-3)

 Anyone else shocked to hear that Marvin Lewis is the 3^rd longest tenured coach with one team in the NFL right now behind Andy Reid and Bill Belichick.  That’s like listing 3 Nobel Laureates, two of whom are straight genius and the other one stole his work from someone else and passed it off as his own.  In Lewis’ case though, he probably would have had one of his many criminal players steal the work for him.

Pick:  Bengals.

Minnesota at Detroit (-10)

 The Vikings got Tebow-ed—BOOM.  Really though, they shouldn’t be worried about that; instead, they should be worried that they really got Ponder-ed when he threw that late interception and put the Broncos in position to win.  It’s weird, Ponder-ing looks a lot like Favre-ing, and he isn’t even with the team anymore.

Pick:  Vikings (and to win).

New Orleans at Tennessee (+3.5)

 Drew Brees is on pace for his second 5,000 yard passing season, an unprecedented feat in the world of quarterbacks.  Matt Hasselbeck is on pace for his third straight season of starting at least 14 games, which is unprecedented for a completely bald old guy.

Pick:  Saints.

Philadelphia at Miami (-3)

 This matchup is actually pretty interesting as Philadelphia is bound to lose all of their “talent” to the Miami Dolphins in the offseason just like teams in other sports are losing their “talents” to South Beach.

Pick:  Eagles (and to win).

Kansas City at New York (A) (-10.5)

 The Chiefs haven’t scored more than 10 points in the last five games they have played.  In related news, Rex Ryan hasn’t had fewer than 10 chins in the last five years.

Pick:  Chiefs.

New England at Washington (+8)

 The Patriots are rolling to the playoffs on the arm of Tom Brady, the legs of BenJarvus “The Law Firm” Green-Ellis, and the hands of Wes Welker.  The Redskins are hurdling to the all too well known bottom of the division on the arm of Rex Grossman and John Beck, the legs of Roy Helu, and the hands of Fred Davis.  Well, when you put it that way, 4 wins might actually be the top for these guys.

Pick:  Patriots.

Atlanta at Carolina (+3)

 Julio Jones hasn’t quite been the player that the Falcons had wanted him to be when they drafted him, but a lot of it has been due to injuries.  Cam Newton hasn’t quite had the impact on the Panthers’ record that they had wanted when they drafted him, but a lot of it has been due to crappy teammates.

Pick:  Falcons

Tampa Bay at Jacksonville (+3)

In the battle for Florida, all of the retirement communities will be buzzing with excitement.  In other news, Viagra has sent free samples to people in Florida trying to undermine their rival Cialis.  Let’s face it; no one really cares about this game at all.

Pick:  Bucs.

Indianapolis at Baltimore (-16.5)

 Archie Manning started his attempt to protect his sons’ starting position in Indy as the Colts are looking at the top pick in the upcoming NFL draft and should take Andrew Luck.  You thought that those over-protective parents stopped when little league was over…FALSE.

Pick:  Ravens.

Chicago at Denver (-3)

 Tebow-ing would appear to be the complete opposite of Cutler-ing.  One tries harder than anyone else in the NLF, demands the best of his teammates, wins games by whatever means necessary, and endears fans across the country to him.  The other, well the other is Jay Cutler who is the epitome of…well, he’s Jay Cutler.

Pick:  Broncos.

San Francisco at Arizona (+3.5)

 San Francisco has clinched the NFC West already, which for them means a return to prominence and dominance.  For the Cardinals it means yet another year in irrelevance and the stark realization for their three fans that these games just don’t matter.

Pick:  49ers.

Oakland at Green Bay (-12)

 Carson Palmer has looked to be the best solution that any team has found in the multitude of QB injuries that have plagued the NFL so far this year.  And that is with weapons at receiver that would remain on the bench behind the receivers that Aaron Rodgers benefits from.

Pick:  Packers.

Buffalo at San Diego (-7)

 The only thing that could stop these two teams from hurdling to the bottom on losing streaks that would make the Lions cringe is playing each other.  Seriously, these two teams are crashing even worse then you thought a team coached by Norv Turner and the Bills would, which is bad.

Pick:  Bills.

New York (N) at Dallas (-4.5)

 This game will go a long way towards deciding which of these teams makes the playoffs.  So this game is both important and in December.  At least we know that Tony Romo won’t show up and will play about as well as the Eagles have all season long.

Pick:  Giants (and to win).

St. Louis and Seattle (-10)

 I think its clear to everyone that this game was slotted for Monday Night Football because the NFL was hoping that these two teams would once again be in a battle to win the division with a losing record.  As it turns out though, these two teams are just in a battle for absolutely nothing.  Seriously, these are the games that make you wonder how athletes stay excited about playing this crap game.

Pick:  Seahawks.

Why the NBA Is No Longer a League of Basketball Players

The nuclear winter is over before it began; there will be an NBA season beginning on Christmas Day.  Now, you might be expecting me, as a fan of everything encompassed in sport, to be rejoicing loudly over the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and the prospect of an NBA season.  This, however, is not my reaction.

As I have previously stated my displeasure with many of the rules and regulations that have been implemented (or have failed to be implemented) in Major League Baseball (MLB), I will so too point to some clear areas where the NBA needs to improve so that it can hold someone’s interest in the regular season.  Ready for the rants of a lover of “old-school”?

The first thing that the NBA has to do to keep the regular season intriguing is make it smaller—don’t reduce the number of games, reduce the number of teams.  How drastic a change?  Eight teams. Not a couple.  Eight.  Basketball is different from every other major sport in one extremely important regard; smaller teams and the nature of the game allow for star players, or even a single star player, to have a greater impact on a team’s success.  The top 10 quarterbacks in career passing yards have won a combined 5 Super Bowls, and one of them, Drew Bledsoe, didn’t play for his team when they won, instead he watched from the bench.  Excluding Babe Ruth, the other 9 of the top 10 baseball players in career homeruns have won a combined 6 World Series titles.  Wayne Gretzky, unquestionably the best hockey player of all time, did win 4 Stanley Cups, but played for 21 years.  And the other top 9 players in terms of goals scored won a combined 17 (including 5 by Mark Messier who won many of his with Gretzky).  The average career of the top 10 players in career NHL goals in the , is over 20 years; much longer than the average career length of the top NBA scorers.  How many NBA Championships have the top 10 scorers in NBA history won? 28.

The best hitter in MLB has eight teammates that bat in between his plate appearances.  The best pitcher can, at best, record half of the outs required to complete a game.  The best forwards in hockey are on the ice for about one third of the game.  The best football players play either offense or defense, not both.  The best basketball players, however, play about 40 minutes, or five sixths of the game—a much higher percentage than stars in other sports.

So how does contraction help the NBA?  By having more teams, there is a greater demand for players.  By expanding the number of players required to fill NBA rosters, there is a lower threshold of talent necessary to be on a roster.  This means that the star players, who already have more impact on games than other sports, are playing against teams that are devoid of comparable talent.

This is obvious at the center position.  Sports economists have quite accurately, described the problem as “a short supply of tall people.” (pun intended).  The number of people with supreme athletic ability, strength, endurance, and 7 feet of height is incredibly small.  By contracting the number of teams it forces star players to play against teams that, even though they may lack a single “star,” have a higher level of talent on their roster.  So goodbye Raptors, Bucks, Bobcats, Wizards, Timberwolves, Jazz, Warriors, and Grizzlies—it was fun while it lasted.

What else would help with the problem of star players playing a bloated role in the NBA?  A hard salary cap.  There is too much wiggle room for teams to find ways around the pathetic soft cap that now determines the level of team payrolls in the NBA.  Force teams to adequately supplement the top talent on their rosters with role-players they can afford.  Prevent clusters of talent finding their way to one team like we now find in Los Angeles, Miami, New York (soon to be more I am sure), Boston, and to lesser extents Chicago, Orlando, and San Antonio.

On a side note you will notice that I have left the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder off of that list.  That is because I believe that Mark Cuban has done an extremely good job at supplementing Dirk Nowitzki with a combination of savvy veterans and energetic youth.    The Thunder, have two huge pieces in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook (who is still on his rookie contract), and they have built around them with complementary pieces such as:  Thabo Sefolosha, Kendrick Perkins, Serge Ibaka, James Harden, and Nazr Mohammed.

By instituting a hard cap, it forces teams to build…well, teams.  The success of well-built teams is falling to gaggles of friends (Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul, LeBron and D-Wade, e.g.) who make deals with each other off of the court, completely undermining the NBA.

Alright, so those two changes are, unfortunately for you, less old school than the ones that I am now going to argue for.

First, no more 10-foot basket, I am envisioning at least 12-feet.  The fact that guys can dunk with the same effort that they put into defense (which, if you didn’t understand, is effectively zero), is stupid.  Want me to get even crazier?

This change I endorse with less fervor than the others, but make dunks worth 1 point.  If people are fans of the game simply because these guys can throw down, go watch the Harlem Globetrotters or a pick-up game at the local YMCA.  This is basketball, not a show.

Speaking of basketball, if I remember correctly, it is a team sport.  The current 24-second shot clock that is utilized in the NBA does not allow for enough ball movement.  They should either go back to a 35-second clock, or do away with it all together.  Lets see some passes, not isolations over-and-over again.  Teamwork should be important in team sports, but basketball has done all it can to eliminate it from the equation completely.

Now you are probably thinking that I am a points-Grinch and that I want to see winning teams score 60 points.  Now that is just not true; I have another change that increases the importance of teamwork, but also increases scoring.

The dimensions of the court should be altered so that it is both longer and wider.  By making the court bigger and spreading the players out, defense becomes simultaneously harder and more important.  Increased movement away from the ball, because there is more space to maneuver in, allows for more intricate and a higher rate of passes.  On both ends of the ball, a bigger court means an increased premium on teamwork.

The size of players, both height and muscular build, have increased over the years, but the hoop-height and court size have not reflected these changes.

Really, all of the changes that I want to see instituted on the court (as opposed to the salary cap in the front office), are ones that increase the importance of the ability to shoot, pass, and play fundamental team defense; you know, basketball skills.  A bunch of athletic guys shouldn’t be enough anymore, it is making basketball a lower form of sport relative to the others.

The sport of basketball, as evidenced by the trouble in solidifying a new CBA, is facing some amount of trouble.  The watered down play that is now a mere spectacle is the underlying problem.  Lets face it, people don’t care about basketball as much as they used to, or even could.  Demand the changes of these so called “basketball players.”  Weed out the frauds.

NFL Week 13 Handicapper

Philadelphia at Seattle (+3)

Has there ever been another team to look as bad as the Eagles have after the amount of hype that surrounded the beginning of their season?  It’s like Philadelphia has become the Cleveland of Pennsylvania.  The only way that the Eagle’s playoff hope would be alive is if they were playing in the NFC of last year when everyone was the Cleveland of their respective states.

Pick:  Eagles

Tennessee at Buffalo (-1.5)

 Everyone has to be doing it now.  Making the connection that Stevie Johnson is the LeBron James of football.  They both did the mock Plaxico Burress shooting himself in the leg routine after scoring touchdowns this past week (LeBron in a flag football game), and neither one can score in the fourth quarter to help their teams win.

Pick:  Bills

Kansas City at Chicago (-7)

 These are just two of the teams to get hit hard by the quarterback injuries that seem to be running rampant through the league.  You can tell that teams are getting desperate when they are fighting over Kyle Orton; including the Bears who are fighting to have Orton back for a second go around.  But you can’t blame the Chiefs.  I mean seriously did you see Tyler Palko trying to throw the football?  He looked like a blind guy…with a terrible arm.

Pick:  Bears

Oakland at Miami (-3)

 Could the Raiders really be in the driver seat of the AFC West?  Who says it’s a passing league when you can win your division and have your best player be your kicker?  Seriously, Sebastian Janikowski is the best player on that roster.

Pick:  Raiders (and to win)

Denver at Minnesota (-1.5)

 Can you really call it another great 4^th quarter comeback for Tim Tebow if it comes against the Vikings who give them up more often than Tebow prays?  It would be more impressive if the Broncos could play this entire game while leading.

Pick:  Broncos (and to win)

Indianapolis at New England (-20)

 I know the Colts’ problem.  They have Dan Orlovsky starting at quarterback.  The last time Orlovsky started in the NFL?  When he was on the Lions team that went 0-16.  Usually this would be the flex game that NBC chooses to air on Sunday Night Football. Instead they chose to stay further away from this game than girls do when they see Curtis Painter without a helmet on.

Pick:  Colts

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (-6.5)

 Has there been a better rookie combination than Andy Dalton and AJ Green?  Seriously they are tearing it up like a couple of college kids getting benefits from boosters still.  Didn’t anyone tell them school is over, they are in the real world now, and they need to earn their own money?

Pick:  Bengals

Carolina at Tampa Bay (-3)

 LaGarrette Blount has quickly become one of the best running backs in the league.  I think he is a better running back than Cam Newton, even.  The difference?  At least Blount helps his team win games with the numbers he puts up.

Pick:  Bucs

New York (A) at Washington (+3)

 Sione Pouha, the defensive tackle for the Jets, showed that the Jets are in the denial stage of their crappiness.  After he pretended to shoot himself in the leg, Stevie Johnson put his arms out and “flew” around the endzone like a jet—he then fell to the turf.  Pouha said that this celebration, based on the events of 9/11, was insensitive especially since his team is from New York. Two points:

1. I think he did it as a dig to the “Jets” falling to earth and realizing that they are not as good as their bloated coach has made their bloated egos to believe.
2. The Bills ACTUALLY play their home games in New York.  The Jets play in NEW JERSEY, Pouha, NOT New York.

Pick:  Jets

Atlanta at Houston (+2.5)

 The Houston Texans had it made.  This was their year.  Peyton Manning had to sit, the Colts were vulnerable, they could win the AFC South.  Now they have to start TJ Yates at quarterback.  The good news for them the list of starting quarterbacks in the AFC South this week looks like a list of Bears-level talent at quarterback over the last 10 years:  Yates, Dan Orlovsky, Blaine Gabbard, and an ancient Matt Hasselbeck (who will probably see Jake Locker take some snaps from him).

Pick:  Atlanta

Baltimore at Cleveland (+6.5)

 This is just the type of game that the Ravens would lose the week after beating the 49ers, owners of the second best record in the NFL.  Joe Flacco and company are more inconsistent than the play of those who have donned the cover of “Madden” games…you finally know what I am talking about Cleveland since you had a player good enough for the cover for the first time ever.

Pick:  Browns

Green Bay at New York (N) (+6.5)

 The Giants are no strangers to beating teams with unblemished records.  They are also no strangers to looking like crap at key moments like this one, which would go a long way to keeping their playoff hope alive.  But at least they have those cool gladiator-looking facemasks for some of their defensive linemen.

Pick:  Packers

Dallas at Arizona (+4.5)

 How awesome is it that Arizona Cardinals fans (they are like the Yeti, you hear of sightings, but you are pretty sure they don’t exist) have tasted playoff success more recently than Cowboys fans (they are like Yankees fans, they sold their sold to the Devil to be front-runners with everyone else)?  Truly awesome.

Pick:  Cowboys

St. Louis at San Francisco (-13)

 The 49ers have the second best record in the NFL, but they play in the NFC West.  They are like the Harlem Globetrotters just going around to different towns schooling teams that are worse than most high school and college teams in their respective states.

Pick:  49ers

Detroit at New Orleans (-9)

 Its really nice to see that two cities that have suffered as mightily as New Orleans and Detroit have to contending teams like the Saints and Lions.  Its similarly depressing that they are trailing a team from a town that is, well—a town.  They could fit the entire population in Cowboys stadium and they have a good team that all 100 people can enjoy.

Pick:  Lions (and to win)

San Diego at Jacksonville (+3)

 The Chargers are officially in free fall mode.  They have actually been in that mode for that past 7 seasons, but they played in such a terrible division before that it was masked as being a contender.  The Jaguars finally fired their crappy coach, their division has been so good in the past that his work was “doing the best with the talent he had,” but now it has been exposed as just plain terrible.

Pick:  Chargers