NFL Week 7 Preview

New England Patriots @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers(Playing in London)
Spread: Patriots, -14.5
o/u: 45
Last week, the only thing that stopped the Patriots was pulling Tom Brady with a big lead in the 3rd quarter. This week the only thing that might stop them is jet lag.
Pick: Patriots 41 - Buccaneers 6

Saturday Morning News - 10/24/09

NY Giant Shaun O'Hara and New Orleans Saint Jonathan Vilma have each been fined for actions in the Giants-Saints game on Sunday. O'Hara is fined $5,000 for an illegal clip, and Vilma got $10,000 for a helmet-to-helmet hit. [NJ.com]

The NBA refs have officially approved a deal that will have them back for the start of the NBA season. [All Headline News]

Golfer Trevor Immelman has undergone surgery to fix a wrist injury that forced him to miss most of the PGA tour last season. [Sky Sports]

College Football Week 8 - Important Matchups

6 Iowa @ Michigan State
Favorite: Even
If you look only at their records, this would appear to be an easy win for Iowa. Iowa is looking for its first 8-0 start in team history, and all they have to do is beat 4-3 Michigan State. What makes this game tilt slightly in Iowa's favor is the turnover battle. Michigan State may have the best passing offense in the Big Ten, but Iowa already has 15 INTs. With MSU typically losing the turnover battle, and at -4 for the season, Iowa should come away with their 12th straight victory.
Pick: Iowa 24 - Michigan State 17

8 TCU @ 16 BYU
Favorite: TCU, -2.5
This is the only ranked-vs-ranked matchup of the weekend, and one that should have a great deal of attention payed to it(even though it isn't on national tv). This will also be TCU's first big game of the season, against a team they beat last season. But this is a different year. TCU may have one of the best Ds in the nation, but they'll be playing one of the best offenses, and a team that already beat then-No 3 Oklahoma in Week 1. BYU just looks like the better team here.
Pick: BYU 38 - TCU 27

13 Penn State @ Michigan
Favorite: Penn State, -4.5
The numbers you need to know for this game, and I'm sure they'll be brought up a lot before and during this game, are 1996 and 107-20. The first is the last time Penn State won at Michigan. The second is the combined scores of Penn States last three wins since losing to Iowa, including last weeks shutout of Minnesota. But Michigan isn't going down without a fight. They're coming their own 63-6 win over Delaware State, and have outscored opponents 213-97 in their five wins. The problem comes in big games; Michigan hasn't really shown up in them. In their two games against ranked teams, they barely beat Notre Dame and lost to Iowa. Against in-state, in-conference rival Michigan State, they lost in OT, 26-20. Except for their second straight loss to Iowa, Penn State has yet to really be tested this year. Michigan may put up a fight, but Penn state still comes away with the win.
Pick: Penn State 38 - Michigan 35

USF @ 20 Pitt
Favorite: Pitt, -6.5
After starting the season 5-0 and being ranked for consecutive weeks, USF lost to undefeated Cincinnati last week and was dropped. Pitt lost to a bad NC State team in Week 4 and hasn't beaten anyone of note this season and is ranked 20th. You better belive USF wants their ranking back, and they have the defense to do it. A win here would also make them bowl eligible for the fifth straight year. Looking at these teams overall, I see an overrated Pitt and an underrated USF, and a USF win would prove me right.
Pick: USF 31 - Pitt 17

Friday Morning News - 10/23/09

Oakland Raiders head coach Tom Cable will not face charges in the alleged assault of assistant Randy Hanson. [SFGate]

The LA Angels have extended the ALCS to a sixth game by beating the Yankees, 7-6. [Bloomberg]

Florida State finally has an in-conference win, coming from behind to beat UNC 30-27. [Orlando Sentinel]

Kentucky's John Wall and Mississippi State's Renardo Sidney are being investigated by the SEC to determine their college eligibility. Sidney is being investigated based on a job his fether once held, and Wall played in AAU for a man who was a certified agent until 2008. [Commercial Appeal]

Thursday Morning News - 10/22/09

The Philadelphia Phillies clinched the NL pennant, winning the NLCS 4-1. Ryan Howard was named NLCS MVP. [ABC 12 ]

St Louis Cardinal Albert Pujols uderwent arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips and bone spurs in his right elbow. He is expected to be fully healthy for next season. [STLToday.com]

Twelve players on the Cleveland Browns have come down with the flu, including seven starters. The team is expected to receive roster exemptions to replace the sick players. [Baltimore Sun]

The SEC officiating crew for the Georgia-LSU and Florida-Arkansas games has been suspended after the conference found the crew made incorrect calls in both games. [Atlanta Journal Constitution]

Pittsburgh Penguin Sergei Gonchar is expected to miss 4-6 weeks after breaking his wrist against the St Louis Blues. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Wednesday Morning News - 10/21/09

The NBA and the referees union have reached a deal that will have them back on the court for the start of regular season play. [All Headline News]

A game-day staff worker for the San Diego Chargers died after falling from the press box before the Chargers-Broncos game Monday Night. [LA Times]

Joey Galloway and TE Michael Matthews were both cut by the New England Patriots on Tuesday. [FOX Sports]

The NY Yankees beat the LA Angels 11-1, and can clinch a World Series berth with a win tomorrow. The Philadelphia Phillies can clinch with a win tonight.

NFL Week 6 Wrap-up

Six weeks in, and some teams are turning things around, for good and bad:

Turning Good:
The Denver Broncos
After tying the Chargers at 8-8 but losing their division last season, the Broncos were an afterthought in the AFC West. They have a rookie head coach, and a starting QB who played ok but not great in the past. But starting with a fluke win in Week 1, the Broncos are undefeated and are quickly running away with the West. They even beat up on the much-talked about Chargers last night, winning 34-23, and dropping the Chargers to 2-3, and beat the presumed NFL Champion Patriots last week. With a revatalized D and an offense thats actually been getting along, the Broncos can wrap up their division pretty quickly if they can keep this up.

Pittsburgh Steelers
With a 1-2 start and no running game to speak of, the Steelers looked in trouble. But with RB Willie Parker's injury came the emergence of Rashard Mendenhall, and the return of the run in Steel Town. Now they've won three straight and are tied atop the AFC North with the Bengals. Mendenhall has allowed Ben Roethlisberger to do what he does best: make big plays when he has to and simply manage the game the rest of the time. If the running game as it stands can stay healthy, thats a recipe for another division title.

Tuesday Morning News - 10/20/09

Carolina Panther Dante West has been suspended without pay for one game after an illegal hit on Tampa Bay punt returner Clifton Smith on Sunday. [ESPN]

Baltimore Raven Samari Rolle is not expected to play this season, while suffering from a chronic neck problem he had surgery on recently. [HometownAnnapolis.com]

Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Jeff Reed was cited for public intoxication and disorderly conduct outside a bar near Heinz Field after the Steelers win on Sunday. [Washington Post]

The LA Angels and Philadelphia Phillies each won 5-4 last night. The Angels trail 2-1 in their series, and the Phillies lead 3-1.

MNF Preview - Week 6

Denver Broncos @ San Diego Chargers
Spread: San Diego, -3.5
o/u: 44
The facade is starting to crack on the San Diego Charges. People are starting to see them as the overrated team they have been for years. And yet they are still a 3 point favorite against the undefeated Broncos, who have one of the leagues best defenses. Sure, its MNF, and maybe the Chargers will pick it up for this one. But for the Broncos, who really want to position themselves as the team to beat in the AFC West, this game is just as important. The outcome of this game could have repercussions throughout this division for the rest of the season.
Pick: Broncos 24 - Chargers 13

NFL Sunday Recap - Week 6

In Week 6, some guys set records, and others kept doing what they've always done:

Record Breakers:
Tom Brady
Brady finally woke up this week and put it all together in the snow. He passed for 380 yards and tied a career-high with 6 TD passes. In the 59-0 carnage that was their game against the Titans, Brady had 5 scoring passes in the second quarter, a single-quarter record for the post-merger NFL. The 59 points and 619 yards of total offense are also Patriots frnachise records.


Donald Driver
With 7 receptions for 107 yards, Driver had a pretty good day on the field. But it was his first catch of the day that was the most important. The 596th catch of his career broke a tie with Sterling Sharpe for Green Bay Packers franchise career receptions record. Driver finished the game with 602 career catches.

Monday Morning News - 10/19/09

The Philadelphia Phillies beat the LA Dodgers, 11-0, to take a 2-1 lead in the NLCS. Cliff Lee became the first pitcher in playoff history to allow no runs and no walks while striking out at least 10 batters. [Newsday]

Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford did not re-injure his throwing shoulder, but aggravated his previous injury. [Sporting News]

The Boston Bruins traded winger Chuck Kobasew to Minnesota for minor leaugue RW Craig Weller, the rights to Harvard freshman Alex Fallstrom, and a 2011 2nd round draft pick. [Yahoo Sports]

MY 25 - Week 7

There is probably nothing in sports I disagree with more than the BCS and college football poll system. With that in mind, each week I'll be naming my own Top 25. The only hard and fast rule of MY 25: overall records come first.

1. Alabama
2. Texas

3. Boise St
4. Florida
5. Cincinnati
6. Iowa
7. TCU
8. Miami(FL)
9. Oregon
10. Oklahoma State
11. Penn State
12. BYU
13. USC
14. USF
15. West Virginia
16. Houston
17. Pitt
18. Kansas
19. LSU
20. Utah
21. Central Michigan
22. Idaho

23. Georgia Tech
24. Virginia Tech
25. Texas Tech

Performance of the Week: Montel Harris

Much like Freddy Barnes last week, Harris put the team on his shoulders and carried Boston College to a win. Against NC State this week, Harris carried the ball 27 times for 264 yards, a near 10 yards-per-carry average. He also set a school record with 5 TDs. After taking a 24-13 lead at halftime, Harris scored all three of BC's 3rd quarter TDs, and earning the team a 52-20 win. He accounted for more yards by himself than any other player on either team.

The Sunday News - 10/18/09

UCONN CB Jasper Howard has died after being stabbed on campus, hours after the team beat Louisville. [Rivals.com]

Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford re-injured his throwing shoulder early in the 16-13 loss to Texas yeesterday. [Sporting News]

The Ohio State was upset by unranked Purdue, who now improves to 2-5. [Cleveland.com]

Jimmy Johnson won the Banking 500, taking a 90 point lead over Mark Martin for the Sprint Cup. [United Press International]