Just wanted to point this out

She'll be doing the sideline reporting from Ross-Ade Stadium this Saturday at noon for the Penn State/Purdue game. Just sayin'.

Come on, everyone loves Erin Andrews!

Lidge wins NL Comeback Player of the Year

Awards for the Phillies organization have started to come in. Brad Lidge was named the National League's Comeback Player of the Year for 2008. Lidge, the Phillies closer this season, was a perfect 41-for-41 in save opportunities. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, no Phillies closer with more than 20 opportunities has ever been perfect since the save became an official statistic in 1969. Until now, that is. Besides the 41 saves, Lidge posted a 1.95 ERA and had 92 Ks in 69.1 IPs with a WHIP of 1.23. Lidge had an inconsistent 2007 season with the Houston Astros, converting only 19 of 27 save opportunities and being demoted from the closer role.


This may not be the last of the awards for members of the Philadelphia organization. Votes have been cast for all of the prestigious MLB awards, like MVP and Cy Young, but results won't be made public until the season is over. First baseman Ryan Howard is a NL MVP candidate and Lidge will garner some consideration for the NL Cy Young. Plus, Charlie Manuel could win NL Manager of the Year.

SI's Mandel praises PSU

Zombie Nation has a great overview of the recent media attention and praise Penn State has earned after the crazy weekend in college football and the Nittany Lions victory over Illinois. One of the quotes that caught my eye was from Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel, who is usually stern with his criticism of PSU. Mandel praised Penn State twice in the same column. First he talked about the team in general and the game against Illinois:

3. That Penn State is the class of the Big Ten.

I realize many of you feel this is akin to being dubbed the prettiest girl in Pittsburgh, but last we checked, at least one of this conference's teams will be playing in Pasadena, if not Miami -- and the Nittany Lions look more and more like they could be that team. I had been leaning toward Wisconsin, but the Badgers' offense leaves a lot to be desired. While Michigan's fourth-quarter surge ultimately did in Bucky, the seeds were sown when it failed to convert any of the Wolverines' five first-half turnovers into a touchdown.

In its first game against a ranked opponent (Illinois), Penn State showed exactly what the skeptics were waiting to see: An explosive spread offense with a plethora of weapons and a defense that wasn't exactly immune to big plays but produced enough turnovers (three) and key stops that the Illini couldn't close the gap. The Nittany Lions are the league's most complete team right now.

The second time he praised the fans and the look of Beaver Stadium on Saturday:

5. That anything other than the "White Out" is not worth it.

If I was a Circuit City employee trying to woo a customer into buying a $2,000 HD plasma TV, the first thing I would show him is Saturday night's broadcast of the Penn State-Illinois game. Even seeing it for a third time, it was impossible not to be awed by the visual grandeur of Penn State's "White Out," which manages to turn a 110,000-seat stadium one enormous flashbulb. It's powerful, it's organized (right down to the block "S" in one corner) and, quite frankly, it's awesome.

Two words of advice to all the other schools trying to mimic it: Just stop. Seriously.

Some pretty strong words from a man that is usually indifferent towards the Nittany Lions and, in some cases, has nothing but bad things to say about them. It's great to be noticed but I hope the team doesn't get carried away. From what some of the players are saying, they appear to have their head on straight and are focusing on one game at a time...with their sights set on Miami, of course.

Linebacker (surprised?) chooses Penn State

Glenn Carson, from Southern Regional High School in New Jersey, has verbally committed to play for Penn State. The 6-3, 225 LB had 19 scholarship offers and made official visits to Boston College, Notre Dame, and Penn State. He was in attendance for the Illinois "White House" game. Carson is the first LB for Penn State's 2009 recruiting class.

"I was kind of sure about two or three weeks ago, but I wanted to see Boston College to make sure that Penn State was the right choice. Overall I just felt that Penn State was the better school for me and if I could be in the best place."

"It's just been going through my mind for a long time now, doing the pros and cons for a while. The visit was the deciding factor, everything went as good as I thought it would.''

You just made the best decision of your life. If you want to be a stud LB in college and be prepared for the pros, where else would you go? We'll see you in Happy Valley next fall!

D-Will is recognized

Derrick Williams has been named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week. From BigTen.org:

SPECIAL TEAMS:
Derrick Williams, Penn State
SR, KR/WR, Greenbelt, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt
Williams became the first player in the Joe Paterno era to score a rushing, receiving and kickoff return touchdown in the same game to lead Penn State to a victory over nationally-ranked Illinois. The senior wideout caught a 21-yard scoring toss to tie the game at 14-14 and added a five-yard touchdown run to give PSU a 21-14 advantage. After the visitors cut the deficit to 24-17 at the end of the third quarter, Williams returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards for another score to put the game away. He totaled 133 yards on his three kickoff returns and added 33 rushing yards and 75 receiving yards for a career-high 241 all-purpose yards, the most by a Nittany Lion since 2002. Williams now has two kickoff return touchdowns this season to equal a school record set by Chuck Peters in 1940 and equaled by Curt Warner in 1980. Williams picks up his first career weekly accolade and the first for a PSU special teams player since 2006.
LAST PSU SPECIAL TEAMS POW: P Jeremy Kapinos on Oct. 23, 2006

Congratulations Derrick!

Speaking of a football "hat trick", a former Nittany Lion completed a similar feat in 2004. During the season opner versus Akron at Beaver Stadium, QB Zack Mills scored a rushing and receiving TD as well as throwing a score. The game recap can be found here.

Penn State Rankings Roundup

In their prime time matchup with Big Ten foe Illinois, Penn State proved that they belong in the National Title hunt. The 38-24 victory in the Big Ten opener came during a wild weekend of college football, started by Oregon State's upset of former #1 USC last Thursday. More upsets followed on Saturday, when previously unbeaten teams Georgia, Florida, and Wisconsin lost. This allowed a strong Penn State team to jump way up in the polls. Check it out...

Associated Press - 6 (Last Week: 12)
USA Today/Coaches - 6 (12)
Harris Interactive - 6 (N/A)
ESPN Fan Poll - 6 (10)
ESPN Power Rankings - 6 (10)
Sporting News Legends - 6 (9)
Sporting News - 6 (10)
CBSSports.com 120 - 7 (16)
CollegeFootballPoll.com - 4 (7)
Heisman Pundit - 4 (7)
College Football News - 6 (9)
Blogpoll - N/A (9)
BCS Fan Poll - N/A (12)
Sports Fountainhead - N/A (9)

Average Rank: ~6
Average Rank (Last Week): ~10

I'll update this as the rankings are posted. They should be all out by Wednesday. Below is the Sporting News Legends Poll. It is taken every Monday in Sporting News Today. They picture a few legends each week and display their top 5. Here is the poll and the top 5 from 5 of the legends for this week.

Click to enlarge.

GO STATE! BEAT PURDUE! ... AND I'LL BE THERE :-)

Thoughts on Penn State VS Illinois, Updated Throughout the Game

Post 1 - So each team has now had the ball twice and the score stands 14-7 Illinois. After a sluggish and weak 1st drive, Penn State woke up on the 2nd and handed it to the Illini D. Unfortunately the PSU defense didn't get the message. The defense has looked abysmal, allowing Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn to handle them. The rush defense has been poor. Josh Hull, as great as his story is, does not belong as the starting MLB at 'Linebacker U'. Please try Chris Colasanti. Tom Bradley needs to wake this defense up or it will be a loooong night.

Elsewhere, Alabama is CRUSHING Georgia, 24-0 in the 2nd quarter. Ouch.

Post 2 - After the booth overturned a fumble call, Penn State kept the ball on their 3rd possession and drove down the field. It was capped by a B-E-A-UTIFUL zone read pass from Daryll Clark to Derrick Williams. Clark faked a hand off to Williams who ran a wheel right down the right sideline and caught the ball right at the goalline. Fantastic. Tied 14-14 at the end of the 1st quarter. Looks like a good game. The PSU defense needs to make a stand. LET'S GO STATE!

Alabama now leads Georgia 31-0. THAT'S a beatdown! Back with more later...

Post 3 - Penn State just lucked out for the 2nd time this game (1st being the overturned fumble) when it looked as though Illinois was going to get the ball back on a punt return. The ball appeared to hit Nittany Lion Knowledge Timmons on the punt that Derrick Williams waved off. Luckily it actually hit the Illini defender first. Phew! Illegal touching, PSU ball. And Penn State drove down the field again! Clark saved the drive after a snap went over his head but he recovered and got it back to the LOS. A few plays later, from the Illinois 5, PSU ran an end around to Williams for the TD. 21-14 PSU with 9 mins. to go in the half. The defense played well the last time they were on the field (with some help from Illini penalties). KEEP IT UP!!! Picture below from There Is No Name On My Jersey.


And INT Anthony Scirrotto!!! Penn State is in business again! WE ARE...

Post 4 - Penn State did nothing after the turnover. Kevin Kelly faked a FG and did a pooch punt to the 6. The PSU defense stopped Illinois and the offense then drove down to the Illinois 31. A 3rd and 8 screen got the team to the 31 but Royster left the game with an arm injury. So with the scatback Stephfon Green in PSU decides to go for it. With the success of the zone reads, Clark's scrambling, and the screens, what do you think they call? Yep, a dive to the smaller back. Green gets stuffed, turnover on downs with 1 minute left in the half. They were in Kelly's range and had a much better arsenal of plays than a dive with your small back. That could be the difference in the game. I can't question the coaches on anything except that play call. What were Galen Hall and Jay Paterno thinking? Unacceptable.

Post 5 - Halftime. With 1 minute left in the half Illinois tried to muster some offense, something they hadn't done all quarter. Didn't work. On 3rd and long Maurice Evans made his presence felt. The junior, returning after a 3-game suspension, sacked Illinois QB Isaiah "Juice" Williams. The Illini punted and PSU ran out the clock. 21-14 at the half.

The Penn State 'D' stepped it up after the first 2 series. They are still weak up the middle, mostly because of Hull. I hate the big cushion the DBs always give but that's a PSU staple. Ain't gonna change. The offense has looked great for the most part. I hate the 4th down play call. That still stings. Time for halftime adjustments. Hopefully the coaches have an ace up their sleeves. Time to run up the score boys!!!

Post 6 - Illinois started with the ball in the 2nd half. The defense was stiff once again and shut down Illinois at their 48. On 4th and 1 The Fighting Zookers went for it...and didn't get it!!! Penn State took over on downs and drove down to the 5. Unfortunately they stalled and settled for a 25 yard FG. 24-14 PSU. Illinois mounted a nice drive after the FG and got down inside the PSU 25. Fortunately the defense, which was being handcuffed by different option formations, clamped down and stopped them when needed. Then the Illini kicker missed the FG! Still 24-14 Penn State. Let's shove the ball down their throats and go up by 17! Penn State has had trouble finishing their drives ever since they tied the game. Buckle up your chin straps boys, time to make a statement!

Post 7 - Penn State is not taking advantage of their opportunities. Stephfon Green fumbles and Illinois starts in PSU territory. Luckily the 'D' stepped up again and forced them into a 3rd and long, which they didn't get. Their kicker did nail the FG this time, a 43-yarder. 24-17 at the end of the 3rd. Penn State has controlled this game since the 2nd quarter. The scoreboard doesn't show it and they are still at risk of losing. They need to hold on to the ball and put up another 7 points. And then another. And another. :-)

Post 8 - Well there's one of them!!! The 4th quarter starts with a bang as Derrick Williams continues to have a stellar game. Williams returned the opening kick 94-yards for his 3rd TD of the night. Penn State leads 31-17. Come on Lions, 2 more! 2 more!

In Athens, GA, after a minor comeback the Bulldogs were within 14 of the Crimson Tide. However Alabama has added 10 more points and the score stands at 41-17. Comeback dashed. On another Georgia/Alabama note, come 2011 two NFL teams will be lucky enough to draft Julio Jones (Alabama) or A.J. Green (Georgia). RIDICULOUS talents they are. Wow.

Post 9 - Speaking of young stud WRs... how about Illinois' Arrelious Benn. The Illini sophomore burns the Penn State defense on broken coverage (thanks Mark Rubin) and scores his 2nd TD of the game. Illinois cuts the Penn State lead to 7, 31-24. Not to be outdone, the Nittany Lion offense storms back and eats up some clock. In a few plays Penn State is threatening again when Clark finds TE Andrew Quarless in the end zone wide open. TD PSU!!! The Lions are back up by 2 TDs with under 9 minutes to go. Clamp down defense! Score again offense! 38-24 PSU.

Post 10 - And Illinois responded by... fumbling! Emerging sophomore LB Navorro Bowman made a textbook play on the option, chased Illinois RB Dufrene to the sideline, and stripped the ball on his tackle. Textbook. Unfortunately PSU did nothing with it and Kelly proceeded to pooch the ball. Illinois ball with 5 mins. to go.

I found it funny when the game was cut to 24-17 that the sideline reporter for ABC said that Illinois felt they were outplaying Penn State. What game were they watching? The PSU offense has scored when needed and the defense has stopped them when needed. Illinois playing better? Um, no. Oh and Alabama ended up beating Georgia 41-30. Kirk Herbstreit said that he will rank Penn State #6 this week. 6!!!

The End - Illinois turned the ball over on downs and PSU ran out the clock for their 5th win of the year. A few things by the broadcasters over the final 5 mins. of the game:

• Kirk Herbstreit reiterated that this [Penn State] is his favorite student section in the country.
• He also will rank them 6th in this weeks AP Poll.
• Herbstreit says not only will PSU contend for the Big Ten championship, they are "serious National Title contenders".
• Brent Musburgur says that "coming in he thought Penn Stat was a really good team" but after tonight he thinks they are "a great team".
• Penn State won this game by 14 on the scoreboard, in reality they were much better than that. They ran out the clock at the end and were conservative on offense after they went up 38-24. They should have covered the spread.

Well that's it from Happy Valley and that's all from me. Derrick Williams was the star of the game but Honorable Mention must go to Daryll Clark. Great performances by both of them. 'Night all.

Final - PENN STATE 38, ILLINOIS 24

Philadelphia Phillies: 2008 NL East Champs!!!

from Beerleaguer

THEY DID IT!!! And not without drama. Jamie Moyer pitched 6 solid innings, giving up 1 run on 6 hits. The score was 4-2 heading into the top of the 9th when Brad Lidge, 40 for 40 in save opportunities, took the mound. After a strikeout things got interesting. The next 4 batters reached base, the lead was cut to 4-3, the bases were loaded, and Ryan Zimmerman was at the plate. Zimmerman was 2 for 4 going into the at-bat. No worries. Lidge got Zimmerman to ground into an inning-ending, Division Championship double play (with the help of an amazing play by Jimmy Rollins). TWO STRAIGHT, BABY! Now let's try to win a playoff game this year...

from The 700 Level

Tom Mihalek, AP

Upset Week?

Oklahoma, Georgia, LSU, Penn State, and South Florida take note: the underdogs are here to play. After Oregon State's win over former #1 USC on Thursday, everyone was debating who would be the new #1 come Sunday evening. Well, it won't be Florida. The Gators lost, in The Swamp, to unranked Ole Miss, 31-30, thanks to a blocked PAT and Tim Tebow later getting stuffed on 4th and 1. Besides Florida, #17 Clemson continued their disappointing season with a loss to a weak Maryland team. And that was just the early games.

Teams in trouble that started at 3:30pm are #16 Wake Forest, currently down 17 to Navy, #23 East Carolina, down 11 to Houston, and #25 Fresno State, down 3 to UCLA. And we know either the #3 (Georgia) or #8 (Alabama) team will fall tonight. Let's at least hope that Penn State isn't putting the game tonight in the win column quite yet. It happens every year but great teams think they can show up and get the W. In college football anything can happen.

UPDATE: Well another Top 10 team drops. #9 Wisconsin lost to unranked Michigan, 27-25, after leading 19-0 in the 3rd quarter. Way to go Badgers.

Let's Go State! Beat Illinois!

Phillies "Magic Number" Down to 1

Unfortunately, I'm a superstitious person. I hate it. Thinking something you do or say will effect the outcome of something is ludicrous. And yet, I can't shake it from my head. A prime example is last years NCAA Women's Volleyball National Championship. Anyway, the Phillies have been on a roll recently. They have won 11 of their last 14 and now sit with a comfortable 2 game cushion on the Mets in the NL East with 2 games to play. There have been plenty of instances since September started that I wanted to write about the Phillies. I just couldn't get myself to do it. The mere mention of something good could ruin their season. At least my mind lead me to believe so. And now, with 2 games to go, I don't think saying that they are this close to winning the NL East for the 2nd consecutive season isn't blasphemous. Or so I convinced my head for the 3 minutes it took to write this.

This afternoon the ageless Jamie Moyer (15-7, 3.78) faces John Lannan (9-14, 3.86) at The Bank in Philadelphia. The Mets actually face the Marlins at Shea 3 hours earlier so Philly may know if they are Champs or not. A Mets loss will do it. However, the Phillies can undoubtedly clinch with a win and secure the NL East and a date with the Dodgers (if the Mets take the Wild Card) or the Brewers (if they win the Wild Card) in the 2008 NLDS. Moyer has been the one constant in the Phillies starting rotation. Today's the day.

LET'S GO PHILLIES!!!

The People Have Spoken

ESPN polls always drive me nuts because people don't actually think too much about their response. Many of the 15,000-25,000 people just choose their favorite answer and go with it. Or they let the media choose for them. However it still feels good to see this!

In no way does this mean it will happen but it is encouraging to know that people know how strong PSU is! Prove it tonight boys!!! Hat tip to Nittany White Out.

Where are the white tailbacks?

Racism is a touchy subject so I try to steer clear of that particular argument not only on this blog but in everyday life. ESPN Page 2 columnist Jemele Hill wrote a nice article about a question that has risen recently on a tangential subject: the white running back. Sam McGuffie's (RB, Michigan) burst onto the scene at Michigan this year has people pondering this question. I liked Hill's article because it presented facts, concise research, references, and left the shady and manipulative side of the race debates off the page. I don't always like Hill's articles ( like this one or this one) but this is a good read. I urge you to check it out. Oh and this one too... hey, I like when people share my view point!

Gregg Doyel strikes again

A few weeks back I posted a rebuttal on an article written by the outlandish Gregg Doyel at CBS Sports. He's at it again. This time he is ripping on college football legends Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden. Take a look.

Like last time, the article is filled with the standard crap that the media pulls out against these two without any sources. He takes things out of context, like Paterno's injuries and the way he studies film. He uses them against him saying he doesn't really do any coaching and barely shows up for practice.

Gregg Doyel you're a joke. I'll remind you again: bloggers and readers web-wide think so too. How does this guy still have a job?

Wilson mentioned in ESPN article

During The Great State Debate, an article was written on Manheim Central's football team. My high school, Wilson (West Lawn, PA) was mentioned in the article:

Among the things stacked on the ottoman before his easy chair was a copy of the Lancaster paper's sports section from the previous Saturday. The lead story was about Central's narrow loss to a powerful Wilson team, up near Reading.

Wilson is 4-0 and beat Manheim Central in week 2 of the season. Just wanted to throw that out there.

2009 NFL Mock Draft, Version 1.0

Alright, here it is, my first stab at a mock draft. The 2009 NFL draft is more than 7 months away but it is never too early to look ahead. Four weeks of the college season and three of the NFL season are finished. Players are proving their worth and teams are proving if they belong. The draft order was based on current team records. In case of a tie I went to point differential (points for minus points against). The draft order and player stock will change A LOT from now until the end of April. But it is always fun to look at the college talent and project what holes the NFL teams need filled. Here we go...

Pick	Team	Player, Position, College
1	St. Louis	Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss
2	Detroit	Andre Smith, OT, Alabama
3	Kansas City	Matt Stafford, QB, Georgia
4	Cleveland	Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State
5	Cincinnati	Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech
6	Houston	Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
7	NY Jets	James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State
8	Indianapolis	Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
9	Oakland	Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
10	Jacksonville	Duke Robinson, OG, Oklahoma
11	Seattle	William Moore, FS, Missouri
12	New Orleans	Rey Maualuga, LB, USC
13	Miami	Mike Mickens, CB, Cincinnati
14	Minnesota	Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas
15	Chicago	Cullen Harper, QB, Clemson
16	San Diego	Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida
17	New England	Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest
18	Philadelphia (from Carolina)	Taylor Mays, FS, USC
19	Washington	Herman Johnson, OG, LSU
20	San Francisco	Brian Robiskie, WR, Ohio State
21	Tampa Bay	Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State
22	Pittsburgh	Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU
23	Green Bay	Darius Butler, CB, Connecticut
24	Atlanta	Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest
25	Arizona	James Davis, RB, Clemson
26	Philadelphia	Alex Mack, OC/OG, California
27	Baltimore	Brian Cushing, LB, USC
28	Buffalo	Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois
29	Denver	Dannell Ellerbe, LB, Georgia
30	Dallas	Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland
31	NY Giants	Marcus Freeman, LB, Ohio State
32	Tennessee	Terrance Taylor, DT, Michigan

So there you have it. There were a few teams that were hard to predict, starting at the top. The one player omitted from this mock is Tim Tebow. He may have all the athletic talent in the world. But, mark my words, just as Vince Young and Reggie Bush have failed to live up to hype and college accolades, Tebow will too. He is an amazing talent but definitely not worthy of a 1st round pick as of now. It has been proven many times that QBs must act like a QB first, not a RB. Tebow will get picked apart in the NFL. Tebow is most likely a 2nd-4th round pick. I'll be updating this mock about once a month until the winter, then it'll be every other week. Enjoy!

Despite old age, Paterno quips with the best

Paterno: Let's talk about the football game.
Reporter: Your leg's more interesting.
Paterno: It's more interesting than some of the things I read too.

Bah-zing! How did that feel reporter? Oh man, talk about a shot! I would love to see the video on that one.

Penn State Rankings Roundup

Penn State plowed through an overmatched Temple team, 45-3, on their way to finishing nonconference play undefeated for the second straight season and the third time in the last four years. Now the real schedule begins. Penn State will host Illinois (Saturday, 8pm) before travelling to Purdue (w00t, I get to watch them play!) then to Wisconsin, returning home for Michigan, and then heading back on the road to Ohio State. That is a brutal 5 week stretch. We'll know a hell of a lot about this team on October 25th. Can they start 9-0? Time will tell.

Now for the polls. Where do the many polls rank Penn State? Check it out...

Associated Press - 12 (Last Week: 16)
USA Today/Coaches - 12 (15)
ESPN Fan Poll - 10 (14)
ESPN Power Rankings - 10 (12)
Sporting News Legends - 9 (10)
Sporting News - 10 (14)
CBSSports.com 120 - 16 (18)
CollegeFootballPoll.com - 7 (8)
Heisman Pundit - 7 (9)
College Football News - 9 (9)
Blogpoll - 9 (9)
BCS Fan Poll - 12 (17)
Sports Fountainhead - 9 (8)

Average Rank: ~10
Average Rank (Last Week): ~12

The fan poll, which you can be a part of, will be finalized sometime tomorrow and I'll update the post accordingly. The Blogpoll, operated by MGoBlog, combines the rankings of 75 college football bloggers and will be updated Wednesday.

Our new poll will hopefully be up on Wednesday as well.

Dolphins on the front page?!?!

Worst home loss EVER during the Bill Belichick era. Oh, and the Dolphins were the last team to defeat New England in the regular season. That was a 21-0 beatdown on December 10th, 2006 in Miami. It feels so good!!!

On a related note, man I wish I would have played Ronnie Brown in fantasy. 17 carries, 113 yards, 4 TDs, 1 pass, 1 completion, 19 yards, 1 TD. DAMN!

Coincidental advertising or subtle message?

As pointed out by meech.one at The Fightins', the New York Times has an interesting sponsor for their article pages. Check it out:


Hahahahahahaha!!! Now Choke is evidently a film to be released on 9/26.

Choke is an upcoming black comedy film directed by Clark Gregg and adapted by Gregg from the 2001 novel Choke by Chuck Palahniuk. The film stars Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston. Production took place in New Jersey in 2007. It premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and was purchased by Fox Searchlight Pictures for distribution. The film is scheduled to be released on September 26, 2008.

-- Wikipedia

This awesome advertisement doesn't fit any club better. After losing their 2nd straight and 3rd of 4, the Mets sit at just 1/2 game ahead of the Phillies. Let's remind everyone again about last year: the Mets blew a 7 game lead with 17 to play. While them coughing up the division crown this year wouldn't be as ridiculous as lat year, it still would constitute a choke job at the end of the season. Oddly enough, the Phillies and Mets play the exact same teams - at the exact same venues - during the final series of the regular season as they did last year. Oh, and those series begin on September 26th. Coincidence?

Rising or Falling: NFL Teams After Week 2

Past Flash Judgments

Week 1

We are 1/8th of the way through the 2008 NFL season. Here are my quick opinions and flash judgments after week 2.

Buffalo - Well they pulled one out against the team I chose to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. The Bills are looking like the team to beat in the AFC East. Their stock continues to rise as they prove they are one of the AFC's best.

Jacksonville - It's still early to hit the panic button but the Jaguars have all sorts of problems on offense. David Garrard has been inaccurate and careless and the patchwork line can;t open up holes for Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. Is Tennessee the best team in the AFC South? Indianapolis and Jacksonville have proved to be more than vulnerable after 2 weeks. The Jaguars stock is falling but I still think they are a playoff team.

Carolina - They were able to pull one out too. The Briggs hit on Delhomme became a rallying point. Is there any question that the Jonathan Stewart/DeAngelo Williams duo can be lethal? Wow. Once their ground game gets going its hard to stop. Carolina is looking like the team to beat in the NFC South.

Chicago - They played well against a good team for a second straight week. Is Kyle Orton really the answer at QB? He is playing that way. If the Bears establish the running game, Orton avoids Grossman-like mistakes, and the defense plays like it did the first 2 weeks, Chicago could sneak into the playoffs. I still think it is a 3-team race in the NFC North. Sorry Detroit.

Washington - What a way to rebound. Here's yet another come from behind win. The Redskins took care of the Saints with a pounding running game. Clinton Portis gained 96 yards on the ground and scored 2 TDs. The Redskins looked much better this week and showed that they can be a playoff team. There stock is up a bit and they should contend for a wild card spot.

New Orleans - The Saints were working with a patchwork defense as 3 starters and 3 reserves missed the game against the Redskins. Some of those players should be back this week. They didn't look like the team I had contending for the NFC Championship. Their stock is down a bit this week and they will be in for a fight for the NFC South. They are still a playoff team.

Tennessee - I am starting to think I underestimated them for sure. I knew they had a stout defense but I didn't like their offense. I still don't love it but they have done too much for me to ignore them. Their lack of a top-notch receiver is balanced by a great running game with LenDale White and Chris Johnson. Kerry Collins is probably going to be the QB all year so, as long as he avoids the mistakes that plagued him at time in New York and Oakland, Tennesse could take the AFC South. Their stock is still on the rise.

Cincinnati - I can't say I am surprised. Their defense is still terrible and apparently Carson Palmer has been vastly overrated. He is having an awful year. When you have Chad Ochocinco, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and Chris Henry at your disposal you shouldn't have a problem scoring points. Marvin Lewis is done for. Their stock remains the same. I predicted them to be terrible.

Indianapolis - That was close. Way too close for a team with that much talent. I knwo Marvin Harrison isn't the same and the offensive line has numerous injuries, but come on! The defense looked sloppy last week and this game would have been over if the Vikings had any sort of passing attack. The Colts need to get healthy but that may not happen for another 2-4 weeks. The Colts stock is still falling, even after the win. However, I see them fixing it and making the playoffs.

Minnesota - An NFC contender? Not right now. They were the chic pick to supplant the Packers and they have played terribly. Blowing a 15 point lead to Indianapolis with that defense and running game? Wow. The Vikings are looking like the 3rd best team in the NFC North. Stock still falling.

NY Giants - The Rams are everyone's punching bag this season. The Giants stomped St. Louis on their way to a 2-0 mark, the opposite of last season. I still don't think they have the talent to beat Dallas and Philadelphia but they have a shot at a wild card. Stock unchanged.

St. Louis - Ugly, ugly, ugly. The Rams look much worse than I thought they would. Their once potent offense hasn't even run a play inside the opponent's 20 after 8 quarters. Terrible. They are the worst team in the NFL right now. Stock way down.

Oakland - They rebounded nicely from the shellacking they too from Denver. Unfortunately it was against a bad team. The win may have saved Lane Kiffin for another week but Oakland is no more than a 6-win team. He'll be gone within the next month. Stock up a little, still not a playoff team.

Kansas City - The Chiefs have o-line and injury problems much like Indianapolis. The ground game can't get going. Kansas City is bad but not nearly as bad as St. Louis. They kept it close against the Patriots but looked much worse against the Raiders. Stock unchanged.

Green Bay - Aaron Rodgers, the real deal. I was always on the packers side in the Favre saga because I believe Rodgers could be a capable and serviceable QB. And I hate Brett Favre. But Rodgers has more than lived up to expectations. He has the Packers back where Favre had them. Green Bay looks like the team to beat in the NFC North again and could play for the NFC Championship. Stock still climbing.

Detroit - Highs and lows abound. They didn't give up for the 2nd straight week, fighting off large deficits 2 weeks in a row. However they couldn't maintain a lead and then got blown out. Detroit has offensive talent but the defense isn't close to being able to hold anyone below 24 points. Their stock takes another hit as they move to the cellar of the NFC North.

Atlanta - The Falcons looked pretty decent against Detroit but they ran in to a much better Tampa Bay team. After a wonderful debut by Matt Ryan and Michael Turner, the Falcons offense did little against a stout Tampa Bay defense. They weren't expected to win so their stock doesn't change. They are a 5 or 6 win team.

Tampa Bay - Brian griese lead the team to victory. He remains the starter. The Buccaneers will have their up and down games, much like they do seasons. The Bucs are pretty good but I still think they are the 3rd best team in the NFC South. Stock unchanged.

San Francisco - Nice win. They were down 14-0 early but fought back. The game was pretty ugly. The 49ers surrendered 8 sacks and yet still managed 33 poinst and the win. The line is pretty bad but they made a few holes for Frank Gore. If Seattle were healthy the 49ers would have lost. This team isn't that good. Stock unchanged, not a playoff team.

Seattle - The injuries continue to hurt the Seahawks. The defensive implosion didn't help either. They are better than San Francisco, despite not proving it this weel. The Seahawks demise may be this year and not next, like I predicted. The team has too many injuries. Stock way down. Fringe playoff team (only ebcause the rest of the NFC West is bad).

Denver - What a game! Mike Shanahan has balls of steel. Jay Cutler and the passing game look like the real deal. Eddie Royal has been one of the most impressive rookies after 2 weeks. The running game always works for them. Now the defense needs to tighten up a bit. A pleasant surprise after 2 weeks. Stock still rising. Are they the best in the (AFC) West? Right now they are.

San Diego - Another tough loss. They probably should have won based on the bad call but they still failed to stop the Denver offense from scoring the TD and the 2-point conversion. The team has talent but they need to get some players helathy. Where is the running game? Why can't the defense stop anyone? Not good for a team expected to challenge for a Super Bowl title. Stock down, still a playoff team.

Arizona - Best in the (NFC) West? Right now, definitely. They had an uninspiring win against San Francisco but the passing atack was on fire versus Miami. Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are probably the best WR duo in the league. The defense is performing much better this year. There are still a few question marks but this could be their year. Stock on the rise.

Miami - Many things have changed yet the same putrid results remain. The close game versus the Jets is a distant memory now. Especially since the Jets appear vastly overrated by the media (as I have been saying). Miami's two greatest weaknesses were exposed against the Cardinals: their secondary and WRs. The Dolphins have a much better team this year but they haven't shown it. This is a 5-6 win team. Stock down.

New England - Many wrote off the Patriots when Brady went down. Others didn't. They saw the stout d-line, which was even stronger on Sunday. The Patriots aren't the menacing offensive juggernaut any more. But they never were until last year. They are back to winning games like they did in 2001, 2003, and 2004: strong defense and mistake-free QB play. The Patriots are very much alive in the AFC. Stock up a bit.

NY Jets - People prematurely crowned their ass and now look foolish. The offseason acquisitions did little to squash the Patriots dominance of the last 5 seasons. The Jets are still a playoff-type team but it is wild card or bust. Stock down.

Pittsburgh - It wasn;t pretty but a win is a win. The conditions didn't help. Pittsburgh maintained their dominance over the Browns with strong defense and just enough offense. The Steelers remain the team to beat in the AFC North. The test at Philadelphia will be a good one. Super Bowl preview? Stock unchanged.

Cleveland - Well everyone knew the schedule would be difficult. Here they are at 0-2. How do they respond? For this team to challenge for a playoff spot they have to fix the offense. Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow have done little. With such high expectations to begin the season, the same ol' Browns could appear. Will Crennel be gone? Or will Brady Quinn get a chance? Stock down.

Dallas - Another esciting game! The offensive ioutput was unbelieveable by halftime. 30-24!?!? Crazy. The Cowboys have one of the best offenses in the league and proved they can stop a division rival and NFC Championship contender. Now if they do the same to the Packers, then watch out! This Dallas team is bound for super things. Stock unchanged.

Philadelphia - And admirable showing in a hostile stadium. The offensive firepower was on full display. Unfortunately the defenses looked lost. The Eagles secondary was overmatched and looked confused and outplayed all night. Sean Cosniding and Brian Dawkins played awful. However the Cowboys will probably be Philadelphia's toughest game all year. And the next time they paly they'll meet in Philly. The NFC East - and top NFC seed - could come down to the week 17 matchup (December 28th). SWEET! Stock unchanged.

So there are my flash judgments for week 2. Agree? Disaagree? Let me know!

Free the ballots!

Ever wanted to know how the college football coaches voted? How about the Harris Interactive people? Well you can't; those polls are confidential until the end of the season. However, there is a site dedicated to the AP Poll, allowing users to view every voters ballot and vote who is bad and who is good. Starting next week the site will post their own impressions.

They also started a petition. They want the Coaches and Harris Intercative polls to be made public every week. Why should they be able to hide behind their bias and crazy voting methods? They AP voters don't. If you'd like to see the Coaches and Harris votes every week, sign this petition today! FREE THE BALLOTS!!!

The Future, Not the Present

Henne is confident and calm, and every turn he gets on the field confirms publicly that the Miami brass believes privately: That he is this franchise's future quarterback.

- Armando Salguero, Miami Herald

The future isn't now. Miami was blown out by Arizona yesterday but rookie QB Chad Henne made his regular season debut during the final drive of the 4th quarter. His precision, arm strength, and decision making on that drive has many Dolphins fans clamoring for him to start sooner rather than later. Henne was 7 of 12 for 67 yards. Head Coach Tony Sparano has already declared the other Chad, Chad Pennington, the starter when Miami visits New England on Sunday. The following week is a bye. Will the Chad Henne era begin during week 5? It all depends on how Pennington performs next week.

Madden 09 1-season Simulation Results

I am simulating the current NFL season using Madden 09 as a simulation engine, as I did for the 2008-2009 NCAA Football season (1-season results, 10-simulation average results). ESPN Video Games does this on a weekly basis for marquee college games and every NFL game. I am taking it a step farther and doing this all at one time, at an attempt to predict what will happen this season.

I have waited until after week 1 to get the latest Madden 09 roster update, released today. Here are the guidelines so you can understand how this data was obtained:

• Rosters - I used the latest roster update available from EA (released on 9/12/2008). This includes a few ratings bumps and players transferred to IR, most notably Tom Brady. I only tweaked a few parts of the rosters. I added a few free agents to their respective teams that EA overlooked (i.e. Eddie Kennison to the Rams, Chris Simms to the Titans). This should have little - if any - impact on the results but it is a more realistic interpretation of the current rosters. NO PLAYERS ATTRIBUTES WERE CHANGED.
• Injuries - Since this is a simulation (as in there are no games played by a human), I turned off the sim. injuries when starting the franchise. Therefore no one gets injured as the season plays out. I am leaving the preexisting injuries on so, like I said, no Tom Brady for New England.
• Simulation Start - Each sim. will begin in week 1. The franchise is saved after the preseason so that any players signed by the teams remains constant throughout each simulation. Teams did sign some available free agents though their impact is minor, if any.

OK so there are my guidelines. This post shows only a 1-season simulation. The 10-sim conglomerate will be coming in the next few days. So what does Madden 09 believe will happen during this NFL season? Take a look...

Team	Conference	Division	Wins	Losses
Baltimore Ravens	AFC	North	8	8
Cincinnati Bengals	AFC	North	3	13
Cleveland Browns	AFC	North	5	11
Pittsburgh Steelers	AFC	North	11	5
Houston Texans	AFC	South	9	7
Indianapolis Colts	AFC	South	12	4
Jacksonville Jaguars	AFC	South	12	4
Tennessee Titans	AFC	South	7	9
Buffalo Bills	AFC	East	9	7
Miami Dolphins	AFC	East	4	12
New England Patriots	AFC	East	6	10
New York Jets	AFC	East	8	8
Denver Broncos	AFC	West	4	12
Kansas City Chiefs	AFC	West	9	7
Oakland Raiders	AFC	West	6	10
San Diego Chargers	AFC	West	10	6
Chicago Bears	NFC	North	8	8
Detroit Lions	NFC	North	6	10
Green Bay Packers	NFC	North	6	10
Minnesota Vikings	NFC	North	9	7
Atlanta Falcons	NFC	South	6	9
Carolina Panthers	NFC	South	10	6
New Orleans Saints	NFC	South	6	9
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	NFC	South	12	4
Dallas Cowboys	NFC	East	7	9
New York Giants	NFC	East	5	11
Philadelphia Eagles	NFC	East	13	3
Washington Redskins	NFC	East	9	7
Arizona Cardinals	NFC	West	7	9
San Francisco 49ers	NFC	West	11	5
Seattle Seahawks	NFC	West	7	9
St. Louis Rams	NFC	West	10	6

Not too ridiculous. The 49ers winning the West is probably the only thing you can definitely say won't happen. Dallas looked like a team that is much better than 7-9. Denver is better than 4-12, too. The Falcons and Saints tied a game that's why the are both 6-9, they were actually 6-9-1. OK so who made it to Super Bowl XLIII?

We have the first instance of a team playing a Super Bowl in front of a home crowd. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made it to the 43rd Super Bowl, played at Raymond James Stadium, their very own stadium. The Jacksonville Jaguars made it an all-Florida matchup. And the home team emerged victorious. The Buccaneers dismissed the Jaguars in a tight game, 35-27. Jeff Garcia was named MVP.

So there is a quick 1-season simulation. I'll have much more following the completion of 10-simulations. Stay tuned!