The Hockey Handsome Hour

Once again, a special thanks to Hank from The Railroad Tie and Hoosier Hoops Report (and a longtime Washington Capitals fans and unabashed lover of hockey) for joining forces with me last night to do an off-topic BS podcast, the Hockey Handsome Hour.

We talked about what makes hockey awesome, each series in this year's first round, the dominance of the Blackhawks, the Caps-Rangers series that it so close to our hearts and, of course, we made some laughable Finals picks.

It's all crammed into a 90 minute podcast of excellence. So if you've got some time to kill and would love to hear some of your favorite familiar voices talk hockey, here you go.

Listen to internet radio with Boiled Sports on BlogTalkRadio

Off-Topic BS: Stanley Cup Playoffs

Lucky Cup.

I don't do this to you very often, but there are like, I don't know, two or three readers of BS who enjoy hockey. And while I use the BS twitter feed to share my observations on NFL Sundays in the fall, for example, I've spared you all from seeing my hockey-related tweets because they are, uh, a bit on the biased side. (I'm basically a drunk guy in Madison Square Garden swearing at things.) But if you're so inclined, you can find J unplugged at @J_Boilermaker on Twitter. I do a lot of Rangers hockey tweeting.

Also, whether you like hockey or not, try telling me this isn't an awesome commercial:



Last year, I made my Stanley Cup Playoff picks exclusively on Twitter and was told when I picked the LA Kings to go far that I was being silly. Then they won the Stanley Cup. So there. More upsets? Glad you (didn't) ask.

Western Conference

(1) Chicago Blackhawks vs (8) Minnesota Wild -- The 8-seed out west will not advance this year. The Blackhawks were insanely good this year, losing only seven games in regulation over the 48-game shortened season. This will be over early. Blackhawks in 5.

(2) Anaheim Ducks vs (7) Detroit Red Wings -- The Wings haven't missed the playoffs since 1990 but came close this year; however, they've gotten things together and the Ducks seem to have cooled. Upset alert. Red Wings in 7.

(3) Vancouver Canucks vs (6) San Jose Sharks -- Two perennial playoff chokers meet; who survives? I'm going to go upset, mainly because Canucks fans are fooling themselves if they think Cory Schneider is going to lead them to the promised land. Sharks in 7.

(4) St. Louis Blues vs (5) Los Angeles Kings -- The Blues seem overmatched here to me. The defending champ Kings have too much talent and won the Cup from the aforementioned 8-seed last year, so being on the road won't scare them at all. Kings in 6.

Eastern Conference

(1) Pittsburgh Penguins vs (8) New York Islanders -- The Isles reward for making it back to the playoffs is to face the high-scoring Pens in the first round. I think the Isles will actually give them some trouble, but not enough to pull the upset. However, this is a rare occurrence where I'll be somewhat pulling for the other hockey team that claims New York. Penguins in 6.

(2) Montreal Canadiens vs (7) Ottawa Senators -- I think everyone will be picking Montreal here and I don't think you'd be crazy to do so, obviously. But their goalie Carey Price has been rocky lately, plus the Sens are playing some of their best hockey right now and got a star defenseman back (Erik Karlsson) who had 70% of his Achilles severed in February. Uh, what? Seriously, hockey players are tough. Senators in 7.

(3) Washington Capitals vs (6) New York Rangers -- The Rangers have been my team since I was a wee lad, mainly because they were my father's team. He began bringing to me to the pot-hazed Garden in the early '80s, thus my combative nature at sporting events (I had a broken leg at the 2001 Rose Bowl and Tim probably remembers me wanting to beat a Washington fan with my crutches). Anyway, the Caps are Hank of Railroad Tie fame's team and this is the fourth meeting in five years for these teams. I still like the Rangers even though the Caps have been hot. Rangers in 7.

(4) Boston Bruins vs (5) Toronto Maple Leafs -- The Leafs haven't been in the playoffs in a long time and sort of coasted to the finish line this year. While there are no easy outs in the Cup playoffs, the Leafs might have been the one team others weren't overly worried about facing. While Boston doesn't score many goals, I think they're a better team with better coaching and toughness. Bruins in 6.

Thank you for your indulgence.

Football Jambalaya -- Undeserving Edition

Okay, so last week I picked the wrong upset -- I should have taken Arizona and not San Diego. But seriously, did you know anyone who honestly thought the Cardinals were going to win outright? I definitely had a weird feeling going in because we had all written that game off to the Panthers but I never completely loved the Panthers offense. And I saw them have a lead on the Giants and fail to close the G-men out. So I should have known better. I will say this -- when it got to 20-7, I truly knew it was over. One thing I never thought the Panthers could do was come back from a big hole when they'd need to be airing it out. I like Jake Delhomme a lot but he's just not that kind of quarterback. And he proved it. Of course, who expected them to be behind by that much?

As for San Diego, what can I say? I'm just an idiot. I really thought Ben Roethlisberger would play poorly after such a serious whack to the head in his previous game. But he almost played better, didn't he? And the Steelers defense is impressive. And San Diego, in the end, was a .500 team that was only .500 at the end of the season because they got hot. So I shoulda known. Again.

And as for the Giants, I don't even want to talk about it. It hurt enough to lose to the Eagles, but to then realize that all that stood between them and another Super Bowl appearance was a home game against the 6-seed Iggles and a home game against the 9-7, 4-seed Cardinals, well, that sucks. And interestingly, all four teams left are teams the Giants beat this season. How's that for an extra kick in the beans

Whatever, let's get on with it.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Arizona Cardinals -- Okay, it's not that they're "undeserving." They did what they needed to do to get here. But seriously, the Cardinals and the Eagles? Two 9-win teams? Whatever, they're here and that's all that matters to them and their fans. And it's all that should matter. So who wins? Well, I think both games this weekend are harder than usual to pick. Normally there's a clear favorite at this time of year, but without knowing the lines, I couldn't tell you who should be favored.

Both are obviously playing well. The Cardinals have looked more than lucky so far, too, having run up points on both their opponents -- both of whom were thought to have pretty good defenses, too. On the other hand, the Eagles honestly should have lost to Minnesota. If Westbrook doesn't break that one 71-yard screen or if Minnesota has a professional quarterback, I think that games goes the other way. And then they looked just as lifeless as the Giants until they suddenly were able to move the ball in the second half. And Samuel's pick certainly got them going in the right direction in both games. So I guess what I'm saying is the Eagles have won with some fortuitous bounces and opponents who weren't playing up to their capabilities, while the Cardinals have won because they've been clicking.

However, I just cannot imagine the Eagles letting Larry Fitzgerald dominate like Carolina did, although I know the Eagles are a blitzing team so maybe covering Fitz isn't a strength. And speaking of blitzing, I don't have a good feeling about Kurt Warner handling pressure. However, a friend of mine pointed out Warner's stats against the blitz, and they're amazing. My only thought on that is that having either Fitzgerald or Boldin as your hot route means you have two monsters able to reel in your panic-induced lasers as a blitz bears down on old Kurt.

What does all this mean? Well, I can see the Eagles winning just because as unimpressive as they've been to me, they just keep finding a way. And I can see Arizona winning because, well, they've been convincing. And they're even better at home. If they get a quick start again, it could be trouble for the Iggles.

Oh, a couple other thoughts on the Eagles... do you realize McNabb is only 32? Five NFC title games and he's just 32. And the a-hole fans in Philly were ready to run him out of there a month or so ago. Same with Andy Reid. I know the guy mismanages the clock sometimes, but this guy is a consistently good coach. And even though I know they haven't won a Super Bowl, we all know that once you're in the playoffs it's kind of a crapshoot. Getting there time after time is very impressive. And yes, it's difficult for me to compliment/defend a Philly sports team.

This truly could go either way and so I'm just going to go with the team that I think it playing better right now.

Cardinals 27, Eagles 20

Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers -- One team I keep getting right is the Ravens. I, like everyone, knew they'd dismantle Noodlearm Pennington and the Dolphins in round one and I also felt confident they could beat the Kerry Collins-led Titans in round two. However, let's all cool it on anointing Joe Flacco the next fricking Joe Montana. He was 9/23 against the Fins and while he was slightly better against Tennessee, the Ravens barely let him throw the ball in the first half (I think he was 3 of 8 at halftime). That can only be done for so long. And yes, I know the Ravens defense has won them those two games, but if Tennessee doesn't turn the ball over so much last weekend, it's a different story. Maybe Flacco wins the game with his arm, but we'll never know because Alge Crumpler and Lendale White fell down and went boom.

And as for the Steelers, well, as I admitted above, they're better than I thought. I was never impressed during the year with them, seeing them lose some critical games and then only winning others (i.e., Dallas) when the other team made a critical error. And the other thing that worries me a bit if I'm a Pitts fan is that they've already beaten the Ravens twice this year. Beating a team three times is very unusual, but I do think that stat is a little overrated. Because it's a long season and they no longer need to beat the Ravens three times -- they need to beat them once. At home.

Are the defenses even? They're close, I'll tell you that. I'd still give the edge to the Ravens and that is significant because as good as Roethlisberger played last week, the Chargers are no where near the Ravens defensively. Could I see Big Ben getting blasted by Lewis or Suggs and giving way to Byron Leftwich? I sure could. And could I see Ed Reed picking apart the Steelers passing game? Yes, again.

But if the Steelers can get some points on the board, I'm just not yet convinced the Ravens can match them. Flacco does have a great arm and I admit plays very well for a rookie. But we haven't seen him win the game for his team yet. If he were playing the Chargers, I'd give it more thought. But against that Steelers D, I just don't know.

Again, I can truly see either team winning and, again, I don't think that's usually the case in the title games. Usually there's a clear favorite. But I guess (hope) that just means we'll have some good games this weekend.

Steelers 16, Ravens 13

Last Week: 1-3

Overall: 3-5

Football Jambalaya -- Rematch Edition

If I must give you a reason for that pic leading things off, I'll just say that the Chargers still being in the playoffs make me want to put up a beachy picture. But I know none of you care why a pic like that is here, so we'll just move along.

As my oh-so-clever title implies -- and as you've heard 8 billion times this week -- all games this weekend are rematches. Who cares? It doesn't matter. But since I'm feeling cranky, let me complain about something for a minute.

Why do we make our "picks"? Why does every writer, legit or otherwise, do this? Why do we do preseason picks? That's the most idiotic thing ever. Nobody has any clue how things are going to turn out, especially not in unpredictable sports like college football or pro football. Or even baseball. People were picking the Mariners to make the playoffs last year. Good gracious!

And worse than making these stupid picks, do you know what I hate the most? When a supposed expert, like, oh, say, Mike Golic, is asked how the Colts, for example, will do that upcoming weekend in the playoffs, and he starts his answer with something like, "Well, I picked them at the beginning of the season to go to the Super Bowl so I have to stick with that."

Um, no. No you do not. Things have changed since then. Circumstances have changed. You've got months worth of additional information at your disposal now to sift through and analyze. This is like This is like predicting in 1987 that cell phones are going to be a passing fad and then, in 2009, saying, "Well, I said that in 1987 and so I have to stick with my statement." Frigging idiots. You're actually paid to give a semi-informed opinion and that's what you say? I swear, of all the things on talk radio and ESPN that piss me off, that's really high up there. You're not bound to any earlier predictions. If you pick the Eagles to make the Super Bowl in August and then you're asked to pick their game this weekend and you honestly think they're going to lose, you say that. You know why? Because there aren't any rules! You can say whatever you want! And guys who say whatever they want and are brutally honest are usually celebrated for being that way! Charles Barkley just got arrested recently for driving drunk and saying he was trying to go get a blow job. But people love Charles! Enough so that he'll still be gainfully employed! If you or I did that, would that work out so well? Probably not. (Be fun to try, though.)

Anyway, that's enough of "What Grinds My Gears," by Peter Griffin.

Arizona Cardinals @ Carolina Panthers -- I'd be shocked to find anyone picking the Cardinals who wasn't doing it just to be a contrarian. Like when Mike Ditka picked the Giants to win the Super Bowl over the Patriots. I'm convinced he was forced to do that by ESPN, just so someone would say something different. He didn't even look happy saying it. The man has a canteloupe for a brain. Come on.

Anyway, my point is there's absolutely no reason to like the Cards here. They're not a good team. They cannot really run the ball. Though, yes, they sort of did last weekend. You know why? Becuase they had a lead, folks. Kudos for being logical and running the ball with a lead at home in the playoffs. They also have the corpse of Kurt Warner who has been putting up good numbers all year, but again, want to know why? Because he has two beasts in Boldin and Fitzgerald. Those guys are incredible athletes, even better than I think most of us realize. Did you see that Boldin catch between the two DBs last week? Would an average receiver get that? Or would it be another INT for ole Kurt Wobblyballs? And want more evidence? Did you see the way Kurt led Boldin into a fricking freight train against the Jets with his team down three scores in the final minute earlier this season? I'm sure those guys loving going up to catch passes for Kurt.

As for Carolina, nothing spectacular about them jumps out but they're really good at everything. The Giants were able to run the ball on them in Week 16 but if that's a weakness, Arizona can't capitalize on it. Plus the Cards are ninnys when they're away from the warmth of Arizona. Sure, it won't be frigid in Carolina, but it won't be Pacific Time, either, which is the only time zone the Cards win in.

All that said, with absolutely everyone already giving this game to the Panthers, it's beginning to feel like one of those games where the Cards could do something, if for no other reason than they know nobody expects them to go any further. And I'd love it, because it would mean the Giants (if they advance) would play the Cardinals instead of the Panthers. Still, as much as I think the Panthers have the potential to look past this game, I just cannot imagine the 9-7 Arizona Cardinals, led by Kurt Warner, playing in the NFC title game.

Panthers 27, Cardinals 21

Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Giants -- If ever there's a game that's all about execution, it's this one. Neither team has anything up its sleeve. The Eagles are going to throw 1500 screens to Westbrook in the flat. The Giants are going to try to establish the run and keep pounding. The Eagles D is going to blitz the hell out of Eli. The Giants D is going to pass rush Donovan in the hopes of forcing him into mistakes.

These teams know each other and they know what they do. And they really can't do much else at this point. Nobody's implementing a new game plan. It'll be a question of who executes well. And I'll tell you, two weeks ago, the Eagles were a long shot to make the playoffs and now everyone loves them. I heard them compared to last year's Giants. Okay, maybe. But I was not impressed with them in Minnesota and I'll tell you why.

The Eagles scored one offensive touchdown and it was on that 70-something yard screen to Westbrook. So McNabb dumped it off, Westbrook shimmied his way down, and suddenly everyone loves the Iggles. But that's the only thing they did on offense all day? They kicked four FGs, had that TD and had an INT returned for a TD. And yes, Asante Samuel is a good DB, but he's also the DB that the other Patriots called out for not hitting David Tyree in the Super Bowl last year on the helmet catch. And Tavaris Jackson, frankly, is just terrible. If he was even decent, the Vikes would have won and Philly would be back home, deciding whether to fire Reid and cut Donovan. (Both mistakes, by the way, but won't it be interesting if McNabb ends up in someplace like Minnesota next year? They'll be in the NFC Championship Game without question.)

Anyway, combine all that with the fact that the Giants are rested and Coughlin and Spagnulo have had a chance (when not interviewing for the fricking Broncos job) to prepare the team. Again, I'm not saying there's going to be anything special -- but I believe in these guys when it comes to execution. The Giants were the most methodical team for the first three months of the season. I think they'll get back to that and will be very focused this weekend. I think some of the focus dwindled when it became clear the division was effectively theirs by the end of October.

I think the running game will be huge and will help neutralize the Philly blitzes and I think Eli will make a play or two when he has to. Yes, the lack of Burress can hurt, but if the running game is working, it's more than enough (with that Giants defense) to beat this Eagles team.

Giants 27, Eagles 14

San Diego Chargers @ Pittsburgh Steelers -- This is the hardest game for me to pick, actually. I think the Chargers are the hottest, steamrolling team right now... but Tomlinson is out. And for all those people out there who now are in love with Darren Sproles...get a grip. The guy is good and quick, yes. But he's listed at 5'6". Do you remember Dave Meggett? I do, because he was a Giant for a while. And he was just like this. Exciting, fast, small, versatile. But in the end, he wasn't an every down back and when you think about someone like Brandon Jacobs crashing through the line and then think about Sproles... well, Sproles works against a non-punishing defense that he can scoot around. It may be hard to hit him, but if the Steelers do place a good hit on him, I think you'll see him be somewhat less effective.

Also, LT, sack up, man. I'm tired of seeing you torpedo your team's chances in the playoffs by always being too hurt to play. But you stand there looking like a mean little guy on the sidelines, in full pads and everything. Eat some Campbells chunky soup, tuck in your skirt and let's go. Your groin will heal. It's not like you play in the preseason anyway. And I bet they can start 4-8 with or without your help.

As for the Steelers, I've never been sold on them as much as it seems the media is. I think they're good, yes, and their defense is awesome. But Ben Roethlisberger has never impressed me. The guy throws some horrid picks and yes, he won a Super Bowl, but he had perhaps the worst performance ever by a QB that won. So there's that. And when they flash that graphic about all his fourth-quarter comebacks? Well, when your defense is that good and you still have a lot of fourth quarter comebacks, what does that mean? That you're behind a lot!

Also, Roethlisberger has a concussion, though I just read that he's off the injury report completely. As though he's 100% healthy. After being taken off the field on a stretcher two weeks ago because his melon was cracked so hard he couldn't stand up. Chew on that for a minute. Do you see why this is so hard for me? I don't fully believe in either team. But I think for kicks, and because I don't really care, I'll go for the upset.

Chargers 24, Steelers 23

Baltimore Ravens @ Tennessee Titans -- I have never liked Baltimore. Maybe it's because they beat the Giants in Super Bowl XXX. Maybe it's because of Ray Lewis' ridiculous dance. Maybe it's currently because of how the media makes Joe Flacco out to be freaking Joe Montana, despite things like him going 9-23 for 135 against, ahem, the Dolphins. But I just have never liked them.

All that said, I think it might not matter at all what Flacco does, provided he doesn't throw three picks. I think the Ravens defense is ready to win games all by themselves. I see a team that really believes they're amazing, even though the got blown out a few times this year, which is weird. That would seem to give me reasons to pick the #1-seed Titans. But the Titans looked awful the last week of the season -- and I know they had nothing to play for, but still. They haven't played a meaningful game in a long time and, in the end, do you trust Kerry Collins?

The Titans have beaten teams by rushing the ball effectively with Chris Johnson and LenDale White. And when teams tried to stack up to stop the run because they didn't think Collins could beat them, he did just that. But none of those defenses was the Ravens. Well, they did play one another, but the Titans eeked out a 13-10 squeaker. Something tells me they'd trade that win for one right now.

I think Ed Reed and the rest of that Ravens D will pulverize the Titans and if Tennessee gets behind, they'll need to throw the ball more. Ruh-roh.

Ravens 21, Titans 16

Enjoy it, boys and girls.

Last week's record: 2-2

Friday Football Jambalaya

As you've no doubt heard by now, Peyton Manning is the 2008 NFL MVP. And that's a good thing, because Manning is a very good QB and at least now we don't have to constantly hear about how Brett Favre is the only three-time winner of the award.

It's the first playoff weekend for the NFL and for hard-core NFL fans this is a mixed emotions weekend. Sure, it's great to have playoff games on both days, but it sucks to know that there's no regular 1 PM and 4 PM games anymore and that we're just 11 games away from the 2008 season being gone.

Before I get into this weekend's games, let's take a quick look at some guys whose 2008 season already is over.

Hey, TO! "Get your popcorn ready!" Indeed, you insufferable jackass. Get some popcorn and sit your overrated, loser ass on the couch and watch the playoffs. And the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl that the clueless media decided was the Cowboys for the taking at the start of the year, despite the fact that this is the same team that melted down at home against the Giants last year in the playoffs and is led by a bunch of losers who have never won anything. Yes, I'm looking at you, TO, Romo and fatboy Wade Phillips. Why people believed these guys would do anything but disappoint is beyond me. And yet they still had the change to eek in at 10-6 by simply beating Philly, and they didn't just lose... they lost in epic fashion. If I were a Cowboys fan, I'd be miserable for the entire offseason after seeing things end like that. And to recap -- their December consisted of gut-wrenching/embarrassing losses to Pittsburgh, Baltimore (at home) and Philly, and a squeaked out win over a depleted Giants team. Nice finish, you losers.

(Okay, I'm done with them now.)

Oh, but I have plenty of venom left for this idiot. I'm certainly no Jets fan, but I have a buddies who are and I truly feel bad for them. Chad Pennington brought the Fins into Giants Stadium and ended the Jets season. That could not have been more poetic, nor more painful for Jetties fans. And to see Brett throw three backbreaking picks -- I mean, has anything been more predictable? I still don't get all these Favre apologists. He lost the NFC title game last year with a horrible pick against the Giants and he led the league in picks again this year, culminating with that horrendous showing against the Dolphins. I'm so sick of hearing about his "enthusiasm." He sucks, and he has sucked for several years. Yes, he's thrown more TDs than anyone ever. He's also thrown more picks than anyone. Ever. Doesn't that take some luster off of it? Do you know who has the most wins in NBA coaching history? Lenny Wilkins. Doesn't seem right, does it? Do you know why? Because he also has the most losses ever. You hang around long enough, you'll get some records simply by attrition. And now we get to deal with Brett Favre holding another organization hostage until next August when he decides he'll grace us all with another year of interceptions and near-misses. Great. Just be glad it's not your favorite team.

Okay, I'm done serving haterade and will now talk about the games briefly.

Atlanta Falcons @ Arizona Cardinals -- The Falcons are favored by 1.5 points, on the road, with a rookie quarterback. Wow. And the conventional wisdom out there is that home-field is worth about 3 points, so does this mean the Falcons are 4.5 points better than the Cards? No, it doesn't. Point spreads aren't about that, you fools. Point spreads have one, solitary goal -- to get an equal amount of betting on both sides. They have nothing to do with who is a better team and especially not how much better that team is.

I keep seeing people pick the Cardinals in this game and I can't figure out why. Because they'll be at home? Okay, sure, they're good at home, but mainly against the putrid division they play in. And Kurt Warner, mentioned as a possible MVP just a few weeks ago, seems to have turned back into the grizzled old dude that he really is. I like him, but I think his 2008 magic dust ran out about a month ago. The Cardinals look weak and the Falcons are better than people think. I saw them in person this year and Matt Ryan is pretty incredible. The guy sees plays develop better than I think most rookies do and Roddy White is an animal. I think the Falcons win this game without a lot of trouble.

Falcons 24, Cardinals 14

Indianapolis Colts @ San Diego Chargers -- Another road favorite, Indy has won 9 straight and Peyton is playing like a true veteran leader. The Chargers are definitely hot, having gone from 4-8 to 8-8 to make the playoffs and their 52 point performance against Denver has an Indy fan buddy of mine worried. But I don't think the worry is necessary. The Chargers thumped a Broncos team that mailed it in the last month and the Chargers were simply amped to win the division after truly being left for dead. I know they played the Colts well last January and beat them, but I just can't imagine that happening again. Tomlinson tweaked his groin and I think that's going to be a big deal. If he's 100% and Rivers isn't hobbling around like last year, then maybe the Chargers pull it off. And it being in San Diego is definitely nice for them. ("Take a hike." "You know what? I'm gonna do that. This weather is SWEET.")

I know the Chargers are playing well and they've had the Colts' number lately, but they still have Norv Turner, too.

Colts 31, Chargers, 27

Baltimore Ravens @ Miami Dolphins -- As awesome as it is that Chad Pennington took the Dolphins to the playoffs by beating the Jets after being cast off by the Jets like a used kicking tee, he's still the guy I used to make fun of as "Old Noodlearm" when I wanted to wrankle Jets fans. And as much as it's awesome that the Pats missed the playoffs, it kind of was screwy and I honestly think the Pats could have made some noise, while I think the Dolphins really have zero shot of going anywhere. I mean, think about it -- can you even fathom the Fins making the Super Bowl? And here they are a division champ, hosting a game. I mean, good for them... don't get me wrong, I think it's great for them and their fans (and for Jason Taylor, that jackhole who wound up in Washington on another loser team -- ha!). But I just really think they have no chance. Of course, nobody ever thinks Old Noodlearm has a chance and he seems to thrive on that. The Ravens are also a road favorite here -- the road team is the favorite in all four games this weekend, which has to be some kind of a record. And once again, I am going with the road team, which means I'll almost certainly get most of these picks wrong.

Ravens 21, Dolphins 13

Philadelphia Eagles @ Minnesota Vikings -- This is one of those early playoff games where deep inside you just know neither team has a shot at the Super Bowl. Somebody's going to win and move on to within two wins of getting there, but I think that's where the fun will end. The Eagles, while a balances team, are just way too inconsistent. And the Vikings, well, they're starting Tavaris Jackson at quarterback. You allow that Adrian Peterson is going to get his 150 yards and you hope to shut down everything else, which is possible. Or you stack against Peterson and make Jackson beat you with his arm.

He will not.

Eagles 31, Vikings 17

Feel free to come back Monday to point and laugh.

NHL Conference Semi-Finals Breakdown

In case you haven't noticed -- and judging by the ratings numbers, you haven't -- the NHL has put together some exciting series and is threatening to climb out of the basement of sports relevancy.

Seriously, though, the first round had some outstanding series and some hockey markets that haven't had much to cheer about in a while got to have some fun.

The Washington Capitals pushed their series to seven games before losing to Philly; the Boston Bruins fought back (like Washington) from a 3-1 deficit to force a Game 7 that they, too, came up short in, losing to top-seeded Montreal. And in the West, the San Jose Sharks outlasted the Calgary Flames in a really terrific seven-game first rounder that unfortunately a lot of the continent didn't see much of because of all the late starts.

So now we move to the second round, still best-of-seven, and just eight victories from reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. Let's get into it.

Western Conference

(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (6) Colorado Avalanche -- Fans are all a-twitter over this one, because these teams have met before and there was incredible bad blood back in the mid-to-late-90s. In fact, these two are responsible for two of the most incredible, hate-filled brawls I've seen in modern hockey. But those hoping for goalie fights will probably be disappointed. While a lot of guys who remember those battles are still around, playoff hockey is a bit different and there aren't many cheap-shot artists left on these teams. Detroit got a scare in Round 1 against Nashville but seems to have steadied things. The Avs are only going to be stopped by two things: health (or lack thereof) and Jose Theodore's steadiness in net. If those two things go Colorado's way, I think the Avs will upset the Wings. Are the Red Wings hungry enough? Was their stumble against Nashville indicitive of a paper tiger? Or were they just looking on to this series? It's hard to say and they've stumbled early before. Logic tells me the Wings are just too good and will move on, but I also think the Avs have talent and a few guys (like, Sakic, Foote and Forsberg) who are back to make one more run. I'll call for the upset. Avalanche in 7.

(2) San Jose Sharks vs. (5) Dallas Stars -- I am hoping the Stars make the Finals and face my Rangers so that I can drive on up to Dallas and see some Finals games close to my new home. Not sure how likely this is to happen, though. The Sharks were a lot of people's picks to make the Finals out of the West after a strong season and an all-around, complete-looking team. But they were pushed to the limit by Calgary in Round 1 and looked like they were able to be intimidated. I think they moved on simply because they had home ice and were the more talented team and, in this case, talent won out. The Stars, meanwhile, came in completely unheralded after a very good season and drew the defending champion Ducks in the first round. I don't know many people who thought the Stars would win, but they did so pretty convincingly. They're not a flashy team and of the four left out West will likely continue to be the most overlooked team. Can this work in their favor? Could the Sharks be tired after a seven-game battle and multiple trips up to Alberta? I think they could be. And since I'm getting everything wrong early on, I'll go with the Stars in 6.

Eastern Conference

(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (6) Philadelphia Flyers -- It's a good thing for the NHL that there isn't an easy series to pick. It shows how even their league is and how many good teams have made the playoffs. The Canadiens had the Bruins down 3-1 and seemed to not know how to close out a series. Plus they have a rookie goaltender who finally looked beatable in Games 5 and 6 against Boston. The Flyers, though, while having a lot of scoring power also have a questionable goalie, Martin Biron, who just won his first playoff series ever. Can he make it two in a row? Can the Flyers go from the bottom of the league last year (literally the worst record) to the conference finals the following year? I don't think it's far-fetched at all, but I'm going to say no. Montreal has too much talent and is playing too well. They got a scare in Round 1 but they dominated most of the games they won and that simply means they're good and couldn't quite close the deal. While that can be disasterous in the playoffs, I think having Round 1 behind them will allow them to simply play their game and I think the Flyers are into bonus time now. They never could have reasonably expected to turn things around this fast. Canadiens in 6.

(2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) New York Rangers -- The Pens are the darlings of the league, with Sidney Crosby, Evgeny Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury in net. They dispatched the Ottawa Senators in four straight in the first round and that's all well and good, but the Senators looked like a team with no heart or pride whatsoever. The Pens had their way with them and the goals seemed to come easily. None of this will be the case with the Rangers. New York has heart, leadership, timely scoring, good defense and a better goalie. The Rangers went 5-3 against Pittsburgh during the regular season, which means very little but at least proves they can play with the high-offense Penguins. I think everyone is quickly forgetting the Pens are still a young team and they might need another year of playoff downfall to solidify their resolve. The Rangers dealt with a humiliating sweep two years ago, then a near-upset in the conference semis last year, which has built nicely to them now believing they are meant to go further. I think they are, too. And not just because I'll be at Game 4 at Madison Square Garden. Rangers in 6.

The Boringest Pro Sport Playoff Preview

Yee-haw, baby! The NBA Playoffs feel goooooooooood!!

There are many of us out there who bash the NBA for a variety of reasons. But one of the worst things about the current NBA is the way their playoffs aren’t interesting at all except for a couple of series each year.

I admit I’m not a big NBA fan, but I used to watch a fair amount. And as I kid, I remember always watching NBC’s Sunday afternoon game while I dunked mercilessly on my over-the-door hoop with the squishy ball (remember those?).

But the NBA’s regular season is a plodding, boring mess, where most of the players are going through the motions, the coaches barely do any coaching, and there are only a handful of games each year that are actually good enough to stop what you’re doing to watch. The playoffs are an even bigger joke, with the NBA recently jumping from best-of-5 first round series to best-of-7, virtually assuring that there won’t be many first-round upsets anymore.

Last year’s first rounder of the Warriors over the Mavs is of course an exception to this, but Golden State clearly had Dallas’ number last year. Look at some of this year’s… is there any chance – I mean, any at all – that the Hawks could win four our of seven against the Celtics? Put KG and Allen out there with me, boilerdowd and Timmy and I think we’d win in five.

But anyway, enough of my bitching. This year, in the West at least, there are some chances for some really good playoff series. The East will counterbalance that with some dreadful crap. And just for fun – and since I did so poorly with my NHL picks – I’m going to toss out my picks for the first round of the NBA playoffs. Please feel free to agree or disagree in the comments.

Western Conference

(1) LA Lakers vs (8) Denver Nuggets – Okay, so after saying what I said about the NBA, here’s another example where the 8-seed actually isn’t so bad. But that’s more because the NBA has such an amazingly talented Western Conference. The Nuggs had to win 50 games just to make the playoffs! The 9th place Warriors would be the 4-seed in the East. Anyway, the Nuggs have a shot against LA, especially if Carmelo stays sober and AI doesn’t get stoned. Still, the Lakers are too good not to pull this off, I think. (Though I’d love to see Kobe lose in humiliating fashion.) Lakers in 6.

(2) New Orleans Hornets vs (7) Dallas Mavericks – The Mavs traded for Jason Kidd and then almost fell out of the playoffs, which would have made the Nets fans he jumped ship on very happy. But now the Mavs are in against the impressive and not-talked-about-much Hornets. Will this be the Mavericks who gagged memorably in the first round last year or the Mavs who went to the Finals in ’06 before gagging horribly and losing to the Heat? I’ll say the Mavs surprise people and show some heart. Mavericks in 7.

(3) San Antonio Spurs vs (6) Phoenix Suns – Throw out the seeding on this one. No, seriously, not like in a cliché. The Spurs were one game back for the best record in the West; the Suns were two games back. These are good teams and they have a history, having met in perhaps the second-most memorable series last year, when Nash got bloodied by a dirty Bruce Bowen hit and then the Suns had a couple players suspended for leaving the bench as a result. I believe the Suns will be resolved here, but the Spurs are just so damn good. I don’t know how to pick this one, so I’ll go with the edge in experience and titles. Spurs in 7.

(4) Utah Jazz vs (5) Houston Rockets – Thanks to the idiocy of the NBA, the Jazz clinched the 4 seed but will not have home-court advantage because the non-division-winning Rockets have a one-game better record. This might end up mattering, too, because not only are the Rockets good at home (31-10) but the Jazz are terrible (for a 54-28 team) on the road (17-24). The Rockets are really good and the absence of Yao won’t hurt them until the second round. Rockets in 6.

Eastern Conference

(1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Atlanta Hawks – It’s rare for anyone to ever predict a sweep, but this series will probably set the record for it. No, Atlanta, nobody believes you can win….even a game. It won’t matter what’s on their bulletin board. I'd say Celtics in 3 if it were possible. Or "When Atlanta Gets Off The Bus." Celtics in 4.

(2) Detroit Pistons vs. (7) Philadelphis 76ers – Another walkover. The Pistons are really freaking good and the Sixers…aren’t. 40-42 makes the playoffs in the East and that’s just sad. The Sixers are on their way up, which is good for them and their fans, and it’s always nice to make the playoffs when you didn’t think you were going to be good enough to do so, but the good feelings end here. The Pistons romp. Pistons in 4.

(3) Orlando Magic vs. (6) Toronto Raptors – Not only does 40-42 get the Sixers into the playoffs, a .500 record nabs the Raptors the six-seed. And a chance get flattened by the Magic. I don’t know much about the Magic besides Dwight Howard, they’re coached by Stan Van Gundy who makes teams into winners, and they won 52 games in the East. Does this make them good or just “good enough” because they had the rest of the East to pound on? I don’t know, but I think they’ll make quick work of the middling Raptors. Magic in 5.

(4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Washington Wizards – Goodness, how exciting. Two marginal teams with a superstar each (if you count Gilbert Arenas as a superstar) going at it in the first round. This is the only East series that could go to either team, but it’s also a series that is really uninteresting unless you are from Cleveland, Washington or really like LeBron. After seeing LeBron personally beat the Pistons last year, I’m not betting against him until he faces stiff competition. Cavs in 6.

NHL Playoffs; Yes, You Heard Me

Yeah, I know. Most of you don’t like hockey. But I do. And since this site is 1/3 mine, I’ll do what I please.

So today, because I do this every year but usually just in my head or on my personal blog, I’m giving a quick preview of the NHL playoffs. Yeah, yeah, I know… pick your joke here:

A) “The NHL what now?”
B) “I didn’t realize there was still an NHL.”
C) “I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out!”
D) “zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz….”

All done now? Good.

The NHL playoffs are similar to the NBA playoffs in that the top eight in each conference make it and the seedings go 1 versus 8, 2 versus 7 and so on. Only the NHL doesn’t suck like the NBA because of many reasons, such as re-seeding after each round, the early-round matchups actually being good, exciting play, and no sub-.500 teams making the playoffs like the Eastern Conference of the NBA.

Anyway, here we go.

Western Conference

(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (8) Nashville Predators – The Wings find ways to choke badly as the top seed every few years and while Nashville is spunky, it won’t happen here. Detroit is healthy, has excellent scorers, top-notch defense and world-class goaltending. They’re just too much for the Preds. Red Wings in 5.

(2) San Jose Sharks vs. (7) Calgary Flames – Should be a very good series. Two Western teams that both have high expectations this year. However, I think the Sharks are just too good and too potent an offense with Thornton, Cheechoo and Marleau for the Flames to beat four out of seven times. Jarome Iginla is good, and I won money a few years ago by betting on the 7-seeded Flames to reach the Finals and they did, but I just think San Jose is too good. Sharks in 7.

(3) Minnesota Wild vs. (6) Colorado Avalanche – The Wild had a nice season and won their first division title ever. The Avalanche, however, have a very proven core group of playoff guys and the duo of Sakic and Forsberg should be plenty to move them to at least the second round. Avalanche in 6.

(4) Anaheim Ducks vs. (5) Dallas Stars – The Ducks are the defending champs and the Stars, with goalie Marty Turco, are perennial playoff disappointments. Despite winning a Cup in ’99, the Stars always seem tight (especially Turco) in the playoffs and the Ducks have the pedigree and the players. Ducks in 6.

Eastern Conference

(1) Montreal Canadiens vs (8) Boston Bruins – About the only complete gimme on the board (maybe Detroit-Nashville, too). The Canadiens have had a great season and, though I don’t think they’re as dominant as a #1 seed should be, they should have absolutely no trouble at all stomping the Bruins. They owned the B’s this season and it should be a quick exit for Boston. Good for them for getting back to the playoffs, though. Canadiens in 5, eh.

(2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (7) Ottawa Senators – These two met in the 4-5 matchup last season and the Sens took out the Pens with surprising ease. This year, more is expected of the Pens while Ottawa struggled down the stretch, going 14-21-4 after a 29-10-4 start. Probably the hardest series for me to handicap because the Pens still are young and inexperienced but the Senators and their coach sound like they’re losing it, accusing the Pens of tanking to make sure these two met in the playoffs, etc. Still, I think I’ll go with experience. Senators in 7.

(3) Washington Capitals vs. (6) Philadelphia Flyers – The Caps were on the outside looking in until the last weekend of the season and because they play in a terrible division – and in the NHL, like the NFL, the division winners automatically get the top 3 seeds) – they were able to leap from out of the playoffs to #3. They get the resurgent Flyers, who had the worst record in the league last year and rebounded to be pretty competitive this season. Offense isn’t a problem for Philly, but quick defense and any semblance of goaltending is. The Caps aren’t very good, except for 65-goal-scorer Alex Ovechikin, but I still think they’ll prevail. Caps in 7.

(4) NJ Devils vs. (5) NY Rangers – Yes, I still have season tickets to the Rangers, including full playoffs. And yes, I’ll be there if they get a little further along… but their first-round matchup is with the hated Devils. Goaltending is strong on both sides, there will be plenty of defense and hitting, but the Rangers simply have more offense (and went 7-1 against NJ this season) and so, even without my bias, it would seem the Rangers have to win. But they’ll make it interesting to give me a heart attack. Rangers in 7.

Do You Realize What Eli Could Do On Sunday?

I'm not sure you understand what could happen on Sunday if Eli Manning and the Giants win one more game and move on to the Super Bowl. I know, I'm as surprised as you are that Eli's one win from the Super Bowl, especially considering the way this season began. But here we are. And if the Giants win Sunday, the following happens:

-Eli Manning has taken a team the Super Bowl. (Read that again.)

-Eli and the Giants will have won three straight road playoff games.

-Eli and the Giants will have knocked off the top two seeds in the NFC.

-Eli and the Giants will have won a playoff game at Green Bay, where it's supposedly so mythical and Brett Favre is such a legend, that the ghost of Vince Lombardi decided to change television programming to disrupt Eli.

-Eli will have beaten Saint Favre, the patron saint of ill-advised, forced passes that turn into interceptions.

-Eli will have taken his team to a Super Bowl four years sooner than his brother Peyton did.

So, seriously, would you have believed any of those things were possible at the start of the season? Let alone all of them being possible at once with one more victory?

This all probably means the Giants will flop spectacularly. But if we're going to take cosmic forces out of it, I think the Giants have a really good chance.

The Giants are playing well right now. Not "on fire" as a lot of media types would have you believe... just "well." They aren't doing anything brilliantly -- rather, they're just doing a lot of things well and they're not making mistakes and giving the game away. Eli isn't throwing picks. They aren't fumbling. They aren't missing opportunities to score when they should score. Nobody's playing out of their minds, though, and that's a good thing because it means getting here hasn't been a fluke. The Giants are just solid enough and with a talented enough defense to sneak past one more team.

The Packers, by the way, are not as good as everyone seems to want to believe. I know it's a fun storybook season for Favre and seeing him go back to the Super Bowl would be neat-o. But, remember, then we'd be subjected to endless stories about aw-shucks Brett Favre and how he's such a "gamer" and how he's so down-home and how he's from Mississippi and how he's able to eat lightning and crap thunder. Please. Spare me.

He's a great QB who belongs in the Hall of Fame. BUT -- Brett Favre has thrown a lot of terrible picks in his career and made many bad decisions. Sure he has the all-time lead in passing yards and TDs but this is as much a product of his impressive (and some might say, detrimentally stubborn) longevity as anything else. He's a QB who passes a lot and who has played every game since 1992. 60,000 passing yards happens that way. So does more than 200 picks.

But I don't mean to rail on Brett Favre. Brett Favre is indeed awesome. I, like many, just get tired of the not-so-concealed mancrushes that every sportswriter and broadcaster has on him. But if Brett went back to the Super Bowl against golden boy Tom Brady, I admit that would be pretty nifty, and a whole hell of a lot better than Rex Grossman being led to slaughter against the Colts last year, for example. I admit, even a cynic like me would enjoy the Brady-Favre matchup.

That said, I don't want it to happen because I like the Giants. They're my team. And these kinds of opportunities don't come along often. And it would be so great to see Eli continue to shut people up by giving them nothing to criticize. And if you want a good Super Bowl, you really should be rooting for the Giants. They threw everything they had at the Patriots and lost 38-35. And Eli had a devastating interception in the second half in that game. What if he plays mistake-free against them? Can we at least agree that it's possible that the Giants can play the Pats tough? Good.

And since we're all about transitive properties around here (huh?), remember what happened to Green Bay when they played Dallas? They got smoked. And how did Dallas fair against the Pats? They got super-smoked. And who has beaten Dallas and played the Pats tough? The Giants.

I forget the original point here. But I know that all year I've felt the Packers were overrated. They played a marginal schedule and lost three games -- once they were trounced by the Cowboys and twice they were beaten up by the Bears. Sure, they beat the Giants in Week 2, but those first two games don't count because the Giants defense still thought it was training camp, I think.

Point is, I feel good about this game. The cold doesn't worry me. Lambeau doesn't bother me. I think the Giants defense will get after Favre and if he starts making dumb decisions, the Giants defense will make him pay far more than Seattle's. And speaking of Seattle, did anyone notice that they were up 14-0 on the Pack last weekend? If they Giants get a 14-0 lead, Green Bay will be in a world of trouble.

I know you don't care, but here's what I think:

Giants 24, Packers 21

-----------------------------------------------

There's another game this weekend and it's in the AFC. I know I was talking about the Giants-Pack game at length and I kept making comments that made it sound like the Patriots have a bye into the Super Bowl. And the reason it seemed like I felt that way is because I do feel that way. Sure, I gave the Chargers no chance against the Colts but, really, is it so hard to fathom the Colts losing a home playoff game with ticky-tack mistakes (like Peyton's picks and Marvin's fumble)? If you take out last season, the Colts lose in the playoffs a lot. And just two years ago, they lose the divisional weekend to the Steelers at home. So a team can gameplan for them and beat them and, to their credit, that's what the Chargers did. It certainly didn't hurt SD that in their two wins over Indy this year, Peyton had eight interceptions. Hey, it's football, it happens.

But the Patriots at home are not the Colts at home. At least not this season. The Patriots are fully healthy and have been for most of the season. They've taken everybody's best shots and fended them off. Most people -- myself included -- thought that the Jags last weekend might have been one of the few teams that could have been good enough to a) catch the Pats napping and b) actually hang with them for four quarters. We were all wrong. As good as the Jags are -- and losing to them by 11 in Foxboro isn't bad -- they clearly weren't enough. And I said it last week -- I thought all along that the Colts would be the team with the best chance to beat the Pats and more because of their lack of fear of the Pats than any sort of talent advantage. But now they're off the board, too. Seriously, does anyone look like they could even give the Pats a game? I know I argued in favor of the Giants but the last game of the regular season in Giants Stadium is one thing... the Super Bowl is another.

And the Chargers? Well, they hate the Pats. New England has de-pantsed the Chargers twice in the last calendar year. Once in the playoffs last year and once to kick off this season. LaDanian Tomlinson famously got all pissy at the Pats last year for "disrespecting" the Chargers a-hole, steroid-abusing, preening prick, Shawne Merriman, by doing his "sack dance" after knocking off the Chargers last year. I don't have any love for the Patriots but that was hellishly funny -- both them mocking that stupid dance and the reaction by the Chargers. LT accused the Pats of having no class and he lumped their head coach in with that. Which is really, just, so funny. And I hope when the Pats are done thumping the Bolts that they all put on dark visor helmets and watch a Vizio TV to be creative in mocking LT. Because he deserves it.


Has any game had so many reasons to root against both teams? I mean, the Chargers have always been likable in my memory. Dan Fouts back in the '80s, Flipper Anderson catching passes, warm weather, cool unis, etc. What's not to like? Then in the '90s they had a mini-resurgence, reaching the Super Bowl in 1994 with Stan the man Humphries at quarterback and Natrone Means rushing. It was a likable team and always has been. Now they've got the aforementioned jackass Merriman, the frat boy-level obnoxious Rivers and LT, who I used to kind of like but now I realize is a whiner. When things don't go his way he yells at teammates and coaches and, as I said, got pissed at the Pats last year.

Then of course there are the Patriots. I don't dislike Tom Brady, actually. And as I've said before, it's cool to witness history. And the way that offense churns through games is simply amazing to watch, whether you like them or not. But as I've said before, if they go 19-0, we will all have to hear about it... forevah!

So yes, I'm pulling hard for the Chargers. Not just because it would be cool to see Rivers against Eli in the Super Bowl (the guys traded for each other on draft day) but because it would screw up everything that ESPN is practically already having an orgasm over -- Brady versus Favre.

Alas, there's no way any sentient human being can truly think the Pats aren't going to win and win big. Rivers might not even play and LT has been marginally effective and was hurt for a lot of the Indy game last week. So unless Rivers unleashes a particularly effective Laserface (thanks to KSK for that frickin' hilarious reference, towards the bottom of this post) or LT brings a weapon in like Billy Blanks in Friday Night Lights, I think we're looking at the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

If the Chargers win, I will take a dare from our readers and do whatever they can come up with, within reason, and it will be worth it because the Pats and their fans will be down for the count. And that would be wonderful.

But the pick from me is as follows:

Patriots 33, Chahjuhs 6

More Awesome Cowboy Reaction

First of all, I loved -- loved loved loved -- that this jackass came down to the sideline in the final minutes of the game to clap like a special ed student alongside his head coach. No pressure there, boys. Just the millionaire owner among you who pays all of your salaries and expects a Super Bowl, like, now. And then the game ends on the McQuarters interception and the whole team vacates the sidelines to respectfully congratulate the Giants and there's Jones standing there stone-faced and, to be sure, pissed.

I especially liked the report that Jerry Jones provided his players not only with the tickets to give their friends and families for this game, but he also provided them with two tickets each to next weekend's NFC title game. Nicely done, Jerry. (Of course, to be fair, this is probably typical. Fans have to buy tickets in advance for playoff games that might not be played -- in all sports -- and then get refunded for them. Still, it's kinda funny.)

I also love the arrogance that was out there leading into this game.... and to read the cockiness is just, well, wonderful.

I went to Deadspin to see some of the Cowboy blogs this morning and it's just more awesomeness.

This one feels the Cowboys "gave" the game to the Giants in every way possible. I'm not sure about that, but whatever you guys want to believe. "This offseason is going to be more unbearable than last year." Yeah, for your fat coach, too.

But I think my favorite knee-jerk reaction from idiot Cowboys fans came from the Cowboy Roundup. The article is a dead link now, but according to D-spin, the quote was as follows:

"Dallas couldn't get it done with seconds left on the clock. Perhaps Romo isn't the guy for the Cowboys ... It may be time to get Brady Quinn in here."

I don't know how to express how much I love this. I want to kiss this guy. Maybe even on the mouth. He's just so perfect to demonstrate knee-jerk idiocy of a city that has nothing else to live for besides their overrated football team.

Yes. Please please please... Dallas, start convincing yourselves that Brady Quinn is the answer and Tony Romo should be cast aside after one full season starting in the NFL. Indeed. Brady freaking Quinn! How stupendously wonderful would it be to see Brady Quinn stumbling around in the Cowboys backfield as they open their new stadium 3-13 and Jerry Jones fires three coaches in one season?

October Is Different, Part II

Today it's on to the league where the big boys play. The American League.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim versus Boston Red Sox of Massachusetts

This is a hard series to call, mainly because both teams are good but also have had some terrible times this season. Yes, the Angels are healthy and that's a good thing for them. But they played in the AL West, which wasn't exactly an intimidating division this year. The Angels could have fallen out of bed and won that division this year... and that's basically what they did.

Bartolo Colon was useless (and isn't even on the ALDS roster), Garrett Anderson was hurt a lot and is clearly aging and the Angels bullpen is far more mortal these days than ever before. If they'd gotten the Yankees, you know they would have moved on because they simply own the Yanks, but the Red Sox are different story. The Sox manhandled the Angels a few years ago in the first round of the playoffs and that carries some weight, I think. The Sox aren't afraid of the Angels. They know they can beat them and they and their fans don't obsess over the Halos. It's a lot easier to focus on simply winning baseball games when that's the case.

The Sox have a potent offense, Manny is (supposedly) back, Ortiz is still Ortiz, and except for a couple minor blips, Jonathan Papelbon has continued to be a lights-out closer. I don't think the Angels will be able to touch him late in games.

"Dice-K" Fatsuzaka doesn't impress me for the Sox, but Beckett is a money playoff pitcher, as is Schilling. Are there two starters out there that are more confident, "money" guys in the playoffs? I don't think so, and these two guys are on the same team. Yikes.

I think home field might play a big role in this one. If it goes five games, it means that the Angels will have flown back and forth across the country three times in about a week. Plus they'd be playing Game 5 in Boston. Not many teams are comfortable as a visitor in Fenway. I dislike the Red Sox with a passionate fury and I really, really want to pick the Angels. But I just don't think I can do it. The Sox are the better team and have dealt with more challenges this year that will help them when it comes to steeling themselves in the playoffs.

Sox in four.

Cleveland Indians versus New York Yankees

These two have played each other in the playoffs a couple of times since the mid-90s. In 1997, the Tribe knocked off the Yanks in the ALDS, interruping what might have been a run of five consecutive World Series for the Yankees -- they won in '96, '98, '99, and '00 and looked as strong as ever in '97. I remember being shocked when the Tribe pulled it out in front of their raucous fans at the Jake. Then in 1998 the Yankees went 114-48 in the regular season and began steamrolling their way through the playoffs when, oops, they suddenly were down 2-1 in the ALCS against Cleveland and they had two more games in Cleveland ahead of them. They pulled out Game 4 behind El Duque (who was only 64 years old at the time) and didn't look back. But it was one of those "what could have been" series for the Yankees and many fans, myself included, remember how close they were to going down 3-1 in their most dominant season.

Cleveland is a city that loves its baseball and is starving for a champion. The Indians have now won the Central Division seven times since 1995. They were in the World Series in '95 and '97. They're so close and this current team is young and talented and may have several more shots at this.

The Yankees are also starving for a championship, but only because people are obnoxiously spoiled in the Bronx. The Yankees have won 26 World Series, just had their string of nine straight division titles broken, and have been to the playoffs thirteen consecutive years. Thirteen! The last time they missed the playoffs (not counting 1994 when there were no playoffs), Jim Colletto was Purdue's coach, Bill Clinton was in his second year in the White House, I was a senior in high school, practically nobody had email, there weren't any blogs, OJ hadn't killed anyone yet and Joe Morgan was only in his fourth year being an ignorant jackass on ESPN baseball telecasts. This is truly an amazing run the Yankees have been on, and save your bonehead comments about how it's all about their salary. Take a look at the payrolls of teams like the Mets, Dodgers, Red Sox, Orioles and many others in recent years and notice how they don't make the playoffs year after year after year. What bothers me, though, is the fact that winning the World Series would simply allow the players relief. They'd be relieved, not overjoyed. And that sucks.

Anyway, as for this series, the Yankees went 6-0 against the Tribe this year and most publications are saying to ignore that. Well, I'm not sure I would. The Yankees have always played well at the Jake and certainly aren't intimidated going in there. Could it be in the Indians heads that they can't beat the big bad Yankees? I think it could be. There is truth, however, to the fact that the Yanks haven't seen Sabathia this year (or since 2004) and Fausto Carmona has only pitched against them once. Those two guys are damn good and could win three games by themselves. The Yankees, on the other hand, have Wang going in Game 1, who I would have complete confidence in, and then Andy Pettitte in Game 2, who I wish I had complete confidence in. Yeah, he's pitched a lot of big postseason games for the Yankees, but he's also gotten his doors blown off (Game 6 of the 2001 World Series, for example) in big spots. So we'll see.

As you can tell, I really don't want to make a pick here. I honestly think this Yanks team is nothing like the one that got bounced by Detroit last year. They're focused, they're playing well, and there are no distractions. However, it was a young team with good pitching that shut them down last year and when this season started and I was asked how they would do, I predicted they'd win 95+ games again and then get beat in the postseason by better pitching than you face on average when you're pummelling the Devil Rays and Orioles in July.

So what do I think? I think the Yankees will probably lose to the Indians. Yes, there, I said it. But I refuse to believe myself. So my pick is...

Yankees in four.

October is Different

I feel like I bring this up every year when I talk about postseason baseball but no matter where I look, I'm not able to find it. A number of years ago, MLB launched an ad campaign for the playoffs where they had several calm, mild-mannered people at what appeared to be a kid's birthday party or something, and they were wearing shirts that said "September," "August," etc. Then suddenly a guy comes in screaming, all intense, and jumping around getting loud and wild. His shirt is bright red and says "October," and then the tag line comes up and it says, "October is different." I think it might have been my favorite MLB-related ad campaign. Certainly a lot better that senile Tommy Lasorda telling weirdo people to go to the couch to watch the playoffs or Dane Cook enunciating at us that "There's only one October."

Anyway, before we get too ramped up into our Boilers matchup this coming weekend against the Buckeyes of Ohio State, I wanted to do some MLB playoff prognosticating since this is, after all, a sports site and I'm the resident seamhead. Oh, sure, the other two guys like baseball just fine but boilerdowd complains about how long the games are more than my wife and Tim is too busy antiquing to write about his beloved Indians. (Oh, by the way, Tim is a lifelong Indians fan and I'm a lifelong Yanks fan.)

Today I'll talk about the two National League series that we have on tap and tomorrow I'll ramble about the AL.

Chicago Cubs versus Arizona Diamondbacks

The Cubs started the season terribly and Lou Pinella looked like he was going to melt down in the season's first month. Apparently, this fired up his troops. Or maybe the NL Central was just that awful (again). When the Milwaukee Brewers completely melted down in the second half of the season (and make no mistake, if their season happened in New York, it'd be just as big a deal as the Mets collapse), the Cubs were there waiting, happy to take the division off their hands. As bad as the Central is, it's produced the past three NL representatives to the World Series (Cards in '04 and '06, Astros in '05). Could this be four straight? It's actually not so far-fetched.

The Diamondbacks, by all accounts, are freaks of nature. They've been outscored on the season by twenty runs and that almost always means you're in for a sub-.500 season. (To give you examples, the Cubs outscored their opposition by 62 runs, the Rockies outscored opponents by 102 runs and the Red Sox outscored opponents by 210 runs.) Yet their pitching kept them in it and they won an awful lot of close games. Call it heart, grit, stick-to-itive-ness or whatever, but understand that they're not nearly as good as their 90 wins suggests.

The Cubs have the dominant #1 starter in Carlos Zambrano and they have a potent offense led by Alfonso Soriano. They also have Wrigley Field, which is absolutely zany in October. As much as I don't think the Cubs are all that good, I really think they'll handle the Diamondbacks in the NLDS.

Cubs in four.

Colorado Rockies versus Philadelphia Phillies

Well, you all know how the Rockies stormed into the playoffs and how the Phillies occupied first place for two days after April (and one of those was yesterday). These two teams are both red-hot and I do mean red-hot. The Rockies have gone 14-1 in their last 15 and the Phillies have gone 13-4 in their last 17. Both teams were pretty much left for dead in mid-September and found a way to plow their way into the playoffs by simply willing their way to play good baseball. It didn't seem to matter who was getting in their pathes -- they were going to run them over. And that's pretty cool.

The Phillies probably have a slightly better team, although that's a tough call. While the Rockies have some slugs you've never heard of for good reason, they also have some fantastic up-and-coming players that you should have heard of, such as Troy Tulowitzki, Matt Holliday and Brad Hawpe. The Phils are stocked with mashers like Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell and Jimmy Rollins. One thing is for sure -- this series will not lack for offense, especially with two of the games at Coors Field in Denver.

I'll admit I'm biased in this one. I don't like Philadelphia, although that's got more to do with their fans than the team. But they've been knocking on the NL East door for a few years now so I'm not as excited about them getting this opportunity as I am for the Rockies. The Rox have been putting up marginal baseball for more than a decade since the only other time they ever slipped into the playoffs (in '95). I was so happy to see the fans in Denver have some good baseball to watch and they seemed to appreciative. Plus the Rockies are just fun to watch.

So regardless of what logic says, I think the Rockies will win this series and then be, improbably, just four wins away from the World Series. And if there's baseball in Denver in late October, it damn well could snow. That alone is worth rooting for.

Rockies in five.

Yes We Do Hockey Here, Too

Okay, so no, we really don't usually write about hockey. But that's only because I'm the only one in the Boiled Sports house (note: we don't really all live in a house together) who loves hockey. Tim and Boilerdowd love it slightly less than me, which is to say that they don't love it at all. Or even like it.

But that doesn't matter. I have a been a New York Rangers ticketholder for most of my life, going back to the early '80s when my dad would take me to games and have to cover my eyes as we walked Eighth Avenue lest I see a hooker flash her goods (yes, the pre-Giuliani days were ugly). Madison Square Garden was no picnic, either, with the clear smell of weed throughout and with the "blue seats" as they were known up in the upper level well-storied in fan-fights that notoriously wound up with someone being pissed on (yes, it was an awful place). But I got to see the Rangers win the Stanley Cup in 1994 and then I went to college and the Rangers went into a downward spiral. They went to the Conference Finals in 1997 but then didn't make it to the playoffs again until last season. At which point they were obliterated in a 4-game sweep at the hands of the hated NJ Devils.

So last night, when the Rangers completed a first-round sweep of the Atlanta Thrashers, it was a hell of a lot of fun for me. I went to Games 3 and 4 the last two nights and took some videos along the way. You may or may not like them, but I'm putting them up here for your entertainment. As anyone who's ever been a crazed sporting event knows, it's hard to describe the loudness to someone and I've learned from taking video clips at Purdue games and other events that the true atmosphere doesn't really come through but it's fun to share nonetheless. So here we go.

This first video is from Tuesday night. The Rangers were up 2-0 in the series, having won twice in Atlanta, and the game had just started. The crowd was pumped and then just 32 seconds into the game, the Rangers got on the board. This was the crowd reaction after the goal, which, naturally, I don't have on tape.



The Rangers went on to win 7-0, an incredible blowout, especially for the playoffs.

Then on Wednesday night, we were there for the party-atmosphere that the Garden was. As nervous as I am for Rangers playoff games, I was enjoying this since they so clearly had things in hand. There is a guy who sings the anthem at most Rangers games who is SO beloved and the place went nuts when he was introduced. This is the last few lines of the anthem to give you an idea of the crowd and how it was to be there.



Game 4 was a better game, with Atlanta taking the lead twice and the Rangers tying it twice. Then, a couple of minutes into the third period, the Rangers thought they had scored but there was no goal signaled. At the next stoppage, the play was reviewed for a long time. During that time, Jaromir Jagr, the Rangers captain, slowly skated over to where the puck was lying on the ice and guided it to center ice, where he left it on the center face-off dot. The implication of this was that he felt it was going to be ruled a goal -- when a goal is scored, the ensuing face-off is at center ice. Within seconds, a Thrashers player skated over and roughly slapped the puck away and down the ice. It was funny stuff. And then the announcement was made that it was indeed a goal, the goal that would ultimately decide the series.



Late in the third period, the Thrashers pulled their goalie out in order to have the extra attacker on the ice and almost immediately, the Rangers got control of the puck and sent in an easy goal into the empty net to seal the victory.... and we got to cheer and chant again:



This next one is the last 30 seconds of the game. You can hear the "goodbye" chant as well as people beginning the "We want the Cup!" chant, which is kind of stupid in the first round no matter how well the team has played.



Last season, when the Rangers started to actually be a good team again, a tradition was born where the players would all gather at center ice after a victory and salute the fans. This is somewhat more common in Europe but very rarely seen in North America. The fans absolutely love the acknowledgement (as any fan of any sport could understand) and wait for the salute after all home victories now. One of the bittersweet moments of last year's playoffs was that after the Rangers were swept, they still waited on the ice and saluted the fans one more time and the roar was deafening. This year, we've already gotten to see a couple of victory salutes on home ice and now we move on to the next round. Anyway, here's the last clip, of the Rangers cheering their fans:



That's all for today's video essay on the New York Rangers.

Showing Our Ass On NFL Picks

Okay, so I admit, I just wanted a reason to post this picture of Antonio Bryant's ass which for some reason just cracks me up. Probably for the same reason that farts still make me laugh. And that reason is I am male and proportionately mature.

Anyway, since there's no football this weekend for the first time since, like, last July, it's a good time to check in on our playoff picking.

As you may or may not recall, both Tim and I picked the Saints and Patriots to be in the Super Bowl this week. One of the reasons I picked the Saints is that back in August I was in Vegas and bet on the Saints to go to the Super Bowl at 35-1 odds. I was feeling pretty smart until their secondary forgot their were supposed to tackle guys. However, I still think if that game was in the Superdome the Saints win. Sometimes home field does make a huge difference, especially when you're playing against a team with runners who cut a lot and it's snowing and freezing.

Anyway, so Tim and I both went 0-2 to bring our playoff picks records to 5-5. Boilerdowd, on the other hand, went 1-1 in title games to move to 7-3 for the playoffs. As such, it looks like it'd be hard for him to lose our Boiled Sports battle here and he will officially win a night with... his own wife. Sure, it would have made for some drama if me or Tim had won it, so it's probably good that it turned out this way.

We'll be back later in the week with our official Super Bowl picks (probably). And maybe some other stuff. We'll see.

Colts 38 Patriots 34

Ding Dong, the witch is dead!





I know, I know, the Colts haven't won a Super Bowl yet, but all of the whispers that have followed Peyton Manning & Tony Dungy alike have been silenced. They really needed to play the Patriots to stop people (like me) from doubting that they were even capable of winning the "big game" let alone beating teams from the Boston area during the month of January.

Here's the thing- I find Manning, Dungy, Wayne, Addai, Irsay and many others in the Colts organization likable. It's nice, for me at least, to see "the good guy" win. Conversely, I find Belicheck unlikable...even moreso, I find Mark Hurley and Chris Bois & most other chowdah heads detestable...So it couldn't have happened to a better group of guys.


For those of you who didn't catch this- the Colts had Jim Harbaugh out at midfield for the coin toss...Right away, I was pretty angry. Real great, I thought, Harbaugh, the patron saint of the almost-win in the AFC championship is representing the Colts. That mentality reminds me of another team that I root passionately for. Unlike the Boilers, I don't think the Colts will have the Lombardi trophy on their helmet going through the horseshoe. (ref. the Rose through the "P" during Purdue's Rose Bowl appearance of 2001).

In fact, the whole game reminded me of a Purdue bowl game...with the exception of the fact that the team that I was rooting for actually won the contest.

In other news, another "good guy", Drew Brees was battered, beaten and made to look pretty lousy by the over-rated Bears defense. I really believe that the Saints offensive line played as poorly as any offensive line at that level that I have seen in a while; let alone a Championship-caliber team...Much of the credit should go to the Bears defense, but come on now. I'm pretty excited for Brees & company's future. Oh yeah, and Bush is pretty OK, if you're into that sort of thing.

Here We Go....AGAIN

Hey, did you know that these two clowns have played each other a number of times before? Did you also know that Tom Brady is a mythical figure who had god-like powers, especially in the playoffs? Did you also know that Peyton Manning's career sucks solely because his team has never been able to play a big playoff game without their own hands around their necks? Did you know they played earlier this season and Peyton won -- in Foxboro?!! I know! But did you also know that maybe Bill Belichick, who's even more godlike than Tom Terrific -- sheet, he's like a hoodie-wearing god of thunder and lightning -- could have, maybe, possibly, been sandbagging? You know, like he figured, "Hey, we might see these guys again if everything works out and I'm willing to sandbag a nationally televised home game and risk home-field advantage just so I can have the upper hand on this Manning character and de-pants him in his home stadium in January. You know, if we happen to meet."

Yeah, get ready for more stories you've already heard and more interviews about stories that even real fans of these teams are sick of. Frankly, I'd rather hear stories about Adam Vinatieri going against the team he won all those Super Bowls for.

The other game of the week will also feature lazy storylines, as the New Orleans Saints football team success continues to cause hosues to rebuild themselves and poor people living in shelters to not feel as hungry or alone. It's really amazing what football can do. And as much as I want to (and will) be rooting for N.O. next weekend, I hate their own Tom Benson, a fat, ignorant man who wanted to never come back to the Big Easy and wanted to permanently relocate to San Antonio. Or Los Angeles. Or Lafayette, Indiana. Anywhere but New Orleans. Classy.

And on the other side of the ball from them, we'll get to hear more about Rex Grossman and what a liability he is, despite the fact that he could have been a lot worse than he was on Sunday.

Speaking of liabilities, let's look at our records...

Tim: 2-2 (5-3 overall)

boilerdowd: 2-2 (6-2 overall)

J Money: 2-2 (5-3 overall)

Remember, the winner gets a night with boilerdowd's wife. We really should have opened this up to readers, too.