End of the Week: 10/23/11- 10/29/11

3END OF THE WEEK:

No monologue this week. We've got a lot to get to. The following are my picks of the best people, places and things of the past seven day:

Internet Meme of the Week: "We're A Culture, Not A Costume"


















About a week ago, an Ohio University student association called the "Students Teaching Against Racism" released their poster campaign to help people make better choices on their costumes for Halloween, specifically costumes that might be offensive to an entire race or culture. It's titled "We're a Culture, Not a Costume," and it became a Tumblr page. It has been highly praised, even getting over 17,000 notes on the Tumblr page. However, because this is the Internet, some people realized the great possibility of photo shopping it, and thus, we have parody posters for the campaign, using Na'vis, vampires, and people who look Amish, among others. You can see some of the best courtesy of Uproxx. My favorite is the one you see above.

Video of the Week: "Halloween Light Show 2011- Party Rock Anthem"
Because Halloween is days away, I figure that this would be the most appropriate pick for this week. Plus, it's certainly not terrible.



Game of the Week: 2011 World Series Game 6
Texas Rangers [9]
St. Louis Cardinals [10] (11 Innings)

What a game this was, a World Series instant classic that will remain in high memory along with other memorable game sixes like the ones in 1967, 1986 and 1991. The Texas Rangers came within a strike away from winning the World Series (once in the 9th with a 7-5 lead and again in the 10th with a 9-7 lead after Josh Hamilton's home run), and both times they failed to finish. And then, of course, there was David Freese, the St. Louis native who first tied the game at the bottom of the 9th with a two RBI triple and then ended up winning the game for the Cardinals in the eleventh with a solo home run. An incredible victory, one that was basically the epitome of St. Louis' entire season (fighting to the last day for the Wild Card spot, fighting to the last game in the NLDS, and now fighting to the last strike to get a game seven), and one that will live in infamy among Rangers fans for years to come. And the best part about that win for St. Louis? It helped them take the series to a seventh game, which they ended up winning 6-2 last night, officially putting this magnificent series to a close.

There's always that one sports game that the fans who witnessed it, whether at the stadium or on TV, will never forget seeing. For the twenty two million people who watched this game, it was just that.

Stories of the Week:
-The Actual Story of the Week: Turkey Experiences 7.2 Magnitude Earthquake, At Least 430 Dead
- The Tiger Woods Saga of '09 Memorial Story of the Week: 8 Foot Tall Lego Man Washes Up on Florida Beach
It's a three year old's wish come true!

This Week in Occupy Wall Street: This week in Brian William'se latest slow jam topic, we finally saw something that everyone has been waiting for until now: police in riot gear clearing protests at night! With tear gases and everything! The scene took place in Occupy Oakland, located in front of City Hall, where police Wednesday fired five rounds of tear gas in a span of three hours in order to try to evacuate all remaining supporters of the Occupy Wall Street movement, with Police Chief Howard Gordon issuing the order. Overall, 170 people were evacuated while around 97 got arrested and dozens were injured (including Scott Olson, an Iraq war veteran who received a critical skull fracture) during the course of that day. The protesters at Occupy Oakland are still committed to the movement, though, and have since returned and replanted their tents in the premises. Not only that, but Oakland mayor Jean Quan has actually gone ahead and said that he would allow the protests to continue in front of city hall.

Oakland isn't the only Occupy movements that have seen their fair share of police involvement. In Occupy Atlanta, for instance, 50 protesters were arrested on the same day as the violence in Oakland while at the place where it all began, 30 members of the FDNY took all of the power away by removing all of the generators and fuel containers, citing that they were believed to be fire hazards. In Chicago, Occupy leaders are pondering whether to protest in Grant Park once more, even after city officials have blatantly stated they could not, while elsewhere in places like Denver some Occupy supporters are experiencing their first protesters under both sub-zero temperatures and snow. Also, Michael Moore visits Occupy San Francisco as Stephen Colbert complains about how the protests has out-stayed their welcome and some guy decides to profit off it by creating an OWS inspired "I'm Getting Arrested" app, for all your arrest announcing needs.

Because of the protesters' continued stubborness, I shall have more on the latest next week. In the meantime, here's a funny video from Jest about the different OWS headlines from different news sites, and how they're all created:



Person of the Week: Oakland Police Chief Howard Gordon
It's hard to believe that through the first forty days of the Occupy protests, that not a single amount of tear gas was used to eliminate protesters. But it happened on Wednesday, and for that we thank Gordon for giving the orders for police to complete the Occupy Oakland evacuations at all cost. After all, the protests have been interesting and all, but all this nonviolence and relative peace has been pretty boring.

And that's the way it was! Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15






If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

2011 NFL Predictions- Week 8, featuring the RETURN OF THE POWER RANKINGS!

I've decided to spice this week's column up a bit. Because we're approaching the NFL's midseason point, the part of the season where everyone just loves to examine the quality of every single team's play, and because it's been a full year since I did this, I bring to you the exciting return of The mj15 Blog's NFL POWER RANKINGS! From worst to first, it's the Internet's 352,343rd different opinion on the current state of pro football's balance of power (with picks right after, of course!). We begin with the bottom of the pack, so as to save the best for last.

THE WINLESS

32. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (0-7)
Heading into Sunday night, I actually thought it was going to be a challenge to decide which of the league's three current winless teams was the worst as each have made some pretty damn good cases. But then Indianapolis managed to allow 62 points to the Saints (the largest point total for the team since the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 1999 Playoffs), and that made my decision a helluva lot easier.

31. MIAMI (0-6)
Any team that allows an opponent who signals their plays from a mile way and has a quarterback that looks like he's throwing out of bounds every other down to come back from a 15 point deficit in the final five minutes of regulation to win in overtime deserves the terrible record that they have. In other words, I think Reggie Bush is right. Also, if you're the Dolphins front office, why don't you just end Tony Sparano's misery and fire him already? It's not like even he has hope of staying.

30. ST. LOUIS RAMS (0-6)
Congratulations, St. Louis. You manage to be the tallest midget in the room of winless teams.

A year ago, the Rams came within a win of making it to the postseason. Nearly ten months later, and they can't even get their offense to score 10 points (their current ppg average stands at 9.3)! Not only that, but their schedule has been pitifully brutal, while their defense is just non-existent at this point (with the lowest amount of points they've given up this season stands at 17) and franchise QB Sam Bradford (though that might possibly change if the Rams land that coveted #1 draft spot) is now injured and out for at least a game. The team does have a few winnable games in the next few weeks, so maybe they will come out of rock bottom soon. Otherwise, they better hope that the Cardinals World Series honeymoon lasts throughout the winter for their fans to not give a crap.

NOT WINLESS, BUT STILL GOD-AWFUL

29. ARIZONA (1-5)
If some people are saying that Peyton Manning deserves an MVP award for what the Colts have done in their absence, then Kurt Warner deserves a MacArthur Genius Grant. This season was supposed to be the year that Kevin Kolb was going to fill that void and turn the team around into a great offense again. And while Kolb has helped the offense improve statistic wise (from 31st last season to 13th today), that doesn't exclude the fact that he has had more turnovers this season (7) than touchdowns (5). Then again, it's kind of harsh to put sole blame on the Cardinals struggles on Kolb. Their offensive line is one of the ten worst in the league, their defense is classic Arizona in their delinquency, and they have given up at least three games they should have won.

Also, first with Donovan McNabb, and now Kevin Kolb. Andy Reid may be terrible at clock management, but at least he knows when to give up his quarterbacks. Speaking of teams that have/had Donovan McNabb...

28. MINNESOTA (1-5)
The one good thing going for them is the fact that they have #28 behind center as their running back. Otherwise, this is going to be one long, miserable winter for Vikings fans and one very interesting learning experience for rookie Christian Ponder.

27. JACKSONVILLE (2-5)
It's a testament towards how bad the Jaguars have been this season, specifically on the offensive side of the football, that Joe Flacco would turn the ball over two times and go 6/16 for 8 yards at the midway point of the third quarter against them last week, yet still manage to outperform Blaine Gabbert in yards. It's going to take a '99 Ravens-esque performance by their defense (the one bright side to their Monday night win) throughout the rest of the season for the Jaguars to at least be respectable.

26. SEATTLE (2-4)
When your team is missing Tavaris Jackson and Marshawn Lynch (only 3 points last week against Cleveland without the two), then it's not one that you pin your hopes on succeeding.

JESUS H. CHRIST!

25. Denver (2-4)
Try to exclude those final ten or so minutes from Sunday's win if you could, and you will agree with me that the Broncos are still a mediocre football team. Also, watching Woody Paige enabling the Tebow-mania on the national stage on "Around the Horn" has upgraded my hatred for him (and anyone who is a part of this Tebow splurging and meme creating, really) to DEFCON-9. I hope that Ndamukong Suh actually does make the medical staff "get the cart" on Tebow this week, just so I don't have to hear the media self-create Brett Favre 2.0 (Pious edition!) any more.

A POOR EXCUSE OF A .500 TEAM

24. CLEVELAND (3-3)
The have three wins, two of which have come against the league's remaining winless teams (at Indy in week 2, vs. Miami in week 3), while one came in one of the worst competitive games you will see all year against Seattle. Their defense has been really solid at this point (#4 in yards allowed, #1 in passing), but when the best quarterback that you faced is arguably Andy Dalton, their performance should be taken with a grain of salt. Outside of their defense, the offense is mediocre and they have around fifteen percent of their roster injured, which shouldn't bode well for them as they head on the road to San Francisco and Houston for the next two weeks.

THE LIST GETS BETTER, EVER MORE SLOWLY...

23. CAROLINA (2-5)
One electrifying rookie quarterback, one mediocre defense. That's really all you need to know about this Carolina Panthers season.

22. TENNESSEE (3-3)
21. WASHINGTON (3-3)
20. KANSAS CITY (3-3)
Three .500 teams that are all pretty much equally as good as the other, so I'm just going to judge it like Janet Jackson, by looking at what they've done lately. Tennessee has had two embarrassing losses in a row while Chris Johnson keeps ruining every other running back's chances of getting another $30 million contract in the process, so they're the worst of the group at this point. Washington has also lost two in a row and while it's doubtful that they will get back into the top of the NFC East standings with Buffalo & San Francisco in the rear view mirror, I still think that they could beat the Titans head-to-head. And then there's the Chiefs, who have been going the complete opposite direction of the other two teams. Since starting out the season 0-3, the defending AFC West champions have bounced back with three wins a row. A lot of this can be pointed to their rejuvenated offense, highlighted by Dwayne Bowe's three 100 yard performances in 4 games and Jackie Battle doing great in the absence of Jamaal Charles..or a lot of it could be pointed just to the fact that they played the Vikings, the Colts and a Kyle Boller led Raiders. Either way, a win streak is a win streak, and that's precisely why I have them as the better of the three.

19. PHILADELPHIA (2-4)
Ironically, none of these three teams mentioned above are better (at least in my mind) than the under .500 team located at Will Smith's hometown. Sure, they're off to a disappointing start. And sure, their defense has been putrid and has made ruined the work done by their top ten ranked offense. But if there's any team that's off to a bad start but could bounce back with a great second half, it has to be this team...right? Who knows, maybe their win two weeks ago against the Redskins was the thing they needed to get back to the right track.

UNDECIDED ON HOW I FEEL ABOUT THEM

18. TAMPA BAY (4-3)
It isn't a good sign for a promising team like the Bucs to be allowing over 390 yards a game on defense. Nor is it a good sign that their two best running backs (LaGarrette Blount and Earnest Graham) are both injured, that Josh Freeman has dipped in his level of play compared to last season (this season, for instance, he has four more interceptions than during all of last season), or even that they had to win all of their four victories in close fashion. That being said, they have done very well in the always important divisional matchups (2-0, baby!), so they do like a team that will be fighting for a spot in the playoffs from now until week 17. They have three interesting games on their schedule following the bye week (at NO, vs. HOU, at GB). If they can get at least two out of three, then consider me an official part of the Tampa bandwagon.

17. CINCINNATI (4-2)
While their defense has been impressive thus far, their offense has played very average and the wins they have had (outside of their week 5 Buffalo win) have not convinced me that this is a team that go play anyone, anywhere, and win. Their mid-November showdowns against divisional rivals Pittsburgh and Baltimore will prove to be the true determination.

One thing, however, is for sure: Mike Brown is a lucky bastard with how the Carson Palmer situation has turned out. Two potential first round picks for an aging, B-level at best, quarterback? That's more fortunate than the box office numbers for "The Help"!

MIDDLE OF THE ROAD

16. DALLAS (3-3)
You have to like the performance of a team that, even in their losses, still held at least one lead at some point (and, in the case of their losses to the Jets and the Lions, huge leads screwed up by Tony Romo's costly interceptions). Their offense (#4 overall, #6 in points) and their Rob Ryan defense (#7 overall, #1 in rushing defense) are both currently one of the ten best in the league statistically, and rookie DeMarco Murray (who rushed for 253 yards last week against the Rams, the most yards any running back has had in a game this season) just might be that new weapon to make the offense even better. Then again, this is the Cowboys, and you just never know what to expect out of them week-by-week.

15. OAKLAND (4-2)
Not a great start to the Carson Palmer era, to say the least (8 for 21, 3 INT). However, the Raiders do have a bye week, and if they can get the rust out of Palmer's system while also continuing their effective running game (nearly 160 yards on average), their offense (and an easy schedule going forward) should be good enough to make this team a clear cut challenger to the Chargers for the wide open AFC West crown.

THE REBOUNDERS

14. ATLANTA (4-3)
I own two fantasy football teams. One is 7-0 and the other is 1-6. Guess which of these teams do I have Matt Ryan in?

Trick question! I own Matt Ryan on both of these teams. The only difference is that on the 7-0 team I have the common sense to start Tom Brady instead.

13. NEW YORK JETS (4-3)
For five weeks, this team was a shell of their former self. Their defense looked old and unable to stop anybody, Mark Sanchez was typical Mark Sanchez (and not the good kind), and their running game has never looked worse since Nick Mangold got injured. Now, two weeks later...well, they're still the same team I suppose, only this time Plaxico Burress decided to be a good receiver again and catch multiple touchdowns on the same week as the majority of his fantasy owners dropped him (Not cool, Plax!). So why do I have them ranked so high? Respect, I suppose. A team that has made it to two straight AFC Championship gets quite a bit of leeway, in my opinion, especially after starting the first seven games over .500 despite their bad play on both sides of the football.

ALMOST THERE...

12. HOUSTON (4-3)
For the first time in franchise history, the Houston Texans are in first place of the AFC South this late into the season. And this time, I think that the NFL's perennial "darkhorse" four years running, the one team that everyone hypes as having the personnel to surprise everyone and make the playoffs (before reality ultimately hit around week 4 or so), will actually get it done and make their first playoff appearance in franchise history. Thanks to Peyton Manning's neck injury, the Texans are in a wide open division with only the Titans being their one major competitor for the crown, and we all just saw this team crush Tennessee 41-7 a week ago. Not only that, but their schedule remains for the taking. From this week's game against the Jaguars to their game against the Falcons in early December, I could easily see them go undefeated, padding their current 1/2 game lead simultaneously. Will this lead to them going deep into the playoffs? Currently, I don't think so, but if you're a Texas fan, than you're probably more concerned about seeing them actually play some postseason football at this point.

10(tie). CHICAGO (4-3)
I've been fairly skeptical of my home team as of late, so I'm going to spend this portion of the column dedicated to nothing but compliments. First of all, I really do admire the fact that they started out this season with a pretty tough slate of games (tougher than their first seven games of last season) and have still managed to pull themselves up to an over .500 record. At running back, Matt Forte has been playing out of his mind (yay, contract year!), leading the league in all-purpose yards and producing roughly 45% of the Bears offensive gains. While Aaron Rodgers is definitely the season's MVP at this point, he at least deserves a spot in the discussion.

Jay Cutler, despite being stuck with the league's worst offensive line, has done the best with what he currently has and is off to his best start in his career as a Bear. I've also appreciated how Mike Martz has been able to make adjustments to his offense, much like he did around this same time last year, such as shortening the number of drops has to throw the ball and limiting the number of shifts before a play is made. Plus, their defense has played quite well for seven out of their last eighth quarters, with veterans like Brian Urlacher and Julius Peppers leading the way in efficiency. Oh, and then there's Devin Hester, now officially the greatest return man ever, but that's really nothing new from the man.

The Bears also entered their week seven bye week 4-3 and ended up going to the NFC Championship game soon after. This could very well be because of my hometown bias, but this team does have a pretty good chance of churning another playoff spot out of their current near-.500 start. After all, it's not their offensive line has a chance to not improve at all.

10 (tie). DETROIT (5-2)
I have really been enjoying the reaction from Lions fans these past two weeks. Two straight losses in a row, and one injury to Jahvid Best, and it's panic time in the Motor City (like the fact that three out of their five wins this season coming on second half comebacks weren't reason enough to believe that maybe they weren't exactly this unstoppable force that nobody could stop)! If there's any Lions fan reading this, I assure you: as long as Stafford stays healthy, Calvin Johnson keeps switching to his Megatron superpowers, and their defense keep playing as well as they have been thus far, your team will stay in contention throughout the season. Besides the schedule looks pretty favorable towards them, with games against the Broncos, and the Panthers in the next three weeks. Their Thanksgiving game at Green Bay should continue to be a must-watch.

9. SAN DIEGO (4-2)
The Chargers usually play their best football under Norv Turner in the second half of the season (and especially in November). The difference between past seasons and this one is that this San Diego team actually has a decent record heading into this late season stretch.

EMPIRE STATE OF MIND

8. BUFFALO (4-2)
One of my favorite teams to watch this season, the Bills are off to their best starts of the 21st Century thanks in large part to Ryan Fitzpatrick, Fred Jackson and a defense that, while not great, can make the key plays when it counts (like in their victories against the Patriots and the Eagles). They're also one of the league's best home teams, always managing to get a win in Ralph Wilson Stadium (usually courtesy of the second half comeback). If they can manage to tweak that defense to stop more points from happening, then there's no doubt that they will prove to be quite the adversary for the Patriots throughout the season.

7. NEW YORK GIANTS (4-2)
The team that creeped up to first place in the NFC East, thanks in large part to one of the best starts to a season for Eli Manning in his career (278 yards per game, currently 6th best), leading his offense towards the league's 9th best points average at 25.7. And you know what? This team has the potential of being much better than they currently are as some of their key injuries players like Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and Brandon Jacobs recovering by the day. After this week's game against the Dolphins, a game that I have no doubt that they will win, they're going to have an absolutely brutal six week schedule (at NE, at SF, vs. PHI, at NO, vs. GB, at DAL). If they can get out of this stretch still remain in contention for the division and for the playoffs in general, then you know this is a team that could be really dangerous going forward.

TRADITIONAL NFL FOOTBALL AT ITS BEST
6. BALTIMORE (4-2)
Sure they were terrible last week, and sure Joe Flacco is still a quarterback that you can never really trust to produce, but so what? This franchise has always had their fair share of problems in the QB position, yet they always manage to churn out their fair share of playoff appearances thanks to a great defense and rushing attack. This year is no different, with the defense ranked #1 in the league and Ray Rice still putting out good numbers. Also, their next schedule over the next few weeks include teams like the Cardinals, the Seahawks, the Bengals, and the Browns; winnable games that will keep them in the fight for the competitive AFC North crown.

5. SAN FRANCISCO (5-1)
Call it the Jim Harbaugh Effect, I suppose. Since he was hired by the 49ers front office to be their head coach, Harbaugh's attitude and skills as both a manager and a leader have turned this football team around to one of the perennial favorites to win the NFC. Frank Gore continues to put up great numbers, while their defense has become one of the best in the league in forcing turnovers and Alex Smith, so long ridiculed for being a bust, is off to one of his best starts in his career with a 95 passer rating and a 8:2 TD to INT ratio. The 49ers also have another terrific thing going, one that any other team can't claim to have done in the last decade: they have become an exception to the Mike Greenberg theory. Thanks to huge wins at Cincinnati, at Philadelphia and more recently at Detroit, they have become the first West Coast team to win three or more 1 p.m./ET games on the road since the San Francisco 49ers of 1996. That is a really good thing to see from a team by the Pacific Ocean that wants to be able to compete will all the other teams east of them for a spot in Indianapolis this February.

THE ELITE

4. PITTSBURGH (5-2)
They have won three in a row since that disappointing 2-2 start, and both the rust and list of injuries that plagued them in the beginning of the year have slowly deteriorated to the point that the defending AFC championship are now back in the hunt for the Lamar Hunt trophy once more. And as someone who picked them to get back to the Super Bowl, this makes me feel pretty good.

3. NEW ORLEANS (5-2)
I don't care if they faced the Colts last week. 62-7 is 62-7, and this team is good enough to do so. Also, if there's anyone who can possibly seriously compete with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers for the NFC title, it would have to be Drew Saints and the Saints, who went neck and neck against them in week 1. Drew Brees is once again on fire, currently leading the league in passing yards and helping to make his offense the 2nd best in yards per game (467.1), while the runninb back trio of Pierre Thomas, Darren Sproles, and Mark Ingram has really been the modern NFL equivalent of Earth, Wind and Fire. Did I mention that they also beat a team 62-7 last week?

2. NEW ENGLAND (5-1)
#1 offense, #32 defense. Luckily for them, that #1 offense includes Tom Brady, and if he can continue his amazing play throughout the season, then there's no reason to doubt that this team will remain among the AFC's best.

THE UNDEFEATED ELITE

1. GREEN BAY (7-0)
Is anyone really surprised by this selection? Not only are they the only undefeated team in the league, but they're offense is out of this world. And then, of course, there's Aaron Rodgers, playing as good as you will ever see a quarterback play in a level that can only be compared to other extraordinary seasons like '04 Peyton Manning and '07 Tom Brady, highlighted by his astounding 71.4% completion percentage and a 125.7 passer rating. They're playing on the top of their game, they have the same core of players that won the title last season, they healthy, and they just look nothing short of unstoppable at the moment. In other words, the Packers are the 1%. The rest are just protesting outside of Zuchotti Park.

Feel free to share your thoughts on the power rankings, while maybe also providing your own, in the comments. Otherwise, let's get down to the moment you've been waiting for: the picks. Because of the amount of space I've wasted for the rankings, here is just the picks without the reasons why:

Arizona Cardinals vs. Baltimore Ravens (-12.5): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Baltimore
mj50's pick: Arizona

Minnesota Vikings vs. Carolina Panthers (-3): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Carolina
mj50's pick: Carolina

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Houston Texans (-9.5): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Houston
mj50's pick: Houston

Miami Dolphins vs. New York Giants (-9.5): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: New York
mj50's pick: New York

New Orleans Saints (-13.5) vs. St. Louis Rams: Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: New Orleans (LOCK)
mj50's pick: New Orleans

Indianapolis Colts vs. Tennessee Titans (-8.5): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Tennessee
mj50's pick: Tennessee

Washington Redskins vs. Buffalo Bills (-5) (at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada): Sunday-3:05 p.m.
mj15's pick: Buffalo
mj50's pick: Washington

Detroit Lions (-2.5) vs. Denver Broncos: Sunday- 3:05 p.m.
mj15's pick: Detroit
mj50's pick: Denver

New England Patriots (-2.5) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Sunday- 3:15 p.m.
mj15's pick: Pittsburgh
mj50's pick: Pittsburgh

Cleveland Browns vs. San Francisco 49ers (-2): Sunday- 3:15 p.m.
mj15's pick: San Francisco
mj50's pick: San Francisco

Cincinnati Bengals (-2) vs. Seattle Seahawks: Sunday- 3:15 p.m.
mj15's pick: Cincinnati
mj50's pick: Seattle

Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles (-3): Sunday- 7:30 p.m.
mj15's pick: Philadelphia ("Not So Sure")
mj50's pick: Philadelphia

San Diego Chargers (-3.5) vs. Kansas City Chiefs: Monday- 7:35 p.m.
mj15's pick: Kansas City (My UPSET pick)
mj50's pick: Kansas City


mj15 last week: 9-4
mj50 last week: 8-5
mj15 overall: 69-34
mj50 overall: 65-37


Be sure to spot by next Friday for more my week 9 picks. Until then, enjoy the games!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

BREAKING NEWS: Tonight's World Series Game Was Awesome

David Freese: World Series Hero


Game seven is tomorrow night. Considering that the last two World Series game sevens to occur in the second year of a Gregorian calendar decade (2001 and 1991) were both classics, and the fact that this series has been nothing short of spectacular (everything from a Pujols' 3 HR game to Texas being a strike away from winning the championship TWICE), expect both anything and everything.

Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15




If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

The World Series, Ron Washington Reactions and Dish Network-

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

The following were on my mind between Monday, October 24th and Thursday, October 27th:

- Just when you thought this World Series couldn't get any more entertaining, you had Tony La Russa's botched managing in game five. Miscommunication among the pitching, unneccessary hit-and-runs, seventy different pitchers; in other words, typical Tony La Russa. Now I really hope that the Cardinals win to take this to a game seven, not only to watch an actual game seven for the first time since 2002, but also because I will be very intrigued to see what more memorable moments happen in this series.

- Ron Washington's reactions to everything is a national treasure.

- I love how Newscorp. is running ads telling Direct TV subscribers to switch to cable and satellite providers like Dish Network once their contract is up, when just a year ago Newscorp. was telling subscribers to do the exact opposite.

- Interesting how the Canadian dollar currently is worth more than the U.S. dollar, yet citizens north of the border still have to pay more for a book.

- I wouldn't be so quick to call this man crazy. Anyone notice that this donkey and Sarah Jessica Parker are never at the same place at the same time? (http://www.newzimbabwe.com/news-6349-Hooker+turns+into+donkey,+court+hears/news.aspx)

- Hmm, the AV Club gave "Happy Endings" two straight A episodes, eh? Well, I guess I know what I'm going to catch up on now!

More random thoughts to come this Monday (hopefully, with a much longer list of things to talk about than tonight's post).. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an episode of "Parks and Recreations" to watch. Good day.
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady, Tim Tebow Love, and the World Series

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

The following were on my mind between Thursday, October 20th and Monday, October 24th:

- The debate of who is better, Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, is a debate that will probably continue for many more years to come. However, after the Colts' 62-7 loss and their current 0-7 start, you have to figure that Manning at least gets the edge when it comes to being the most valuable to their team. When Tom Brady was injured for a full season in 2008, even though it made the Patriots significantly worse they were still an 11-win team with Matt Cassel as the starting QB, showing that Bill Belichick was the most important aspect of the team all along. Now, with Manning out for the rest of 2011, there's no way to guess as to how low they can get!

- I never understood why certain people hate certain sports so much that they hope for a massive decline in its popularity until it seizes to exist, like preferring baseball over football and then loving the fact that World Series numbers are declining annually (though, in the case of last night, it was the exact opposite). Since when were different sports treated like TV shows in that you like one, hate another, and hope that the other one gets cancelled as soon as possible? I, personally, don't care for NASCAR racing, but you don't see me jumping around in glee when I hear news that their race attendance are dropping every year.

- Speaking of the World Series, four games in and this has been one of the three or four most riveting series that I can recall watching in the past ten years (the others would have to be the Marlins and the Yankees in 2003 and the White Sox and the Astros in 2005, no homer). Two very good offenses, superb bullpens, and some great moments including the Rangers 9th inning comeback to win game 2, Albert Pujols' 3 HR game in game 3 to add another defining moment into his already illustrious resume, and Derrick Holland's shut-out.

- If you think the media's love of Tim Tebow following a fourth quarter comeback against a winless Dolphins team after 53 minutes of mediocrity was too much, imagine the love that he will get if he ever becomes great!

- Ever since Hank Williams Jr. left Monday Night Football, all my rowdy friends have just been wandering around aimlessly, with absolutely nowhere to go. It's a bit pathetic actually.

- Was Jeo Buck actually serious when he apologized to the viewing audience for having to heat him and McCarver call the World Series for the last 14 years, or if he was just joking?

- I wonder how the person who wrote the "Saturday Night Live" "Schweddy Balls" sketch feels knowing that their comedy bit has now been transformed into an actual Ben and Jerry's ice cream flavor.


More random thoughts to come this Thursday! Until then, have a wonderful time with...whatever it is that's currently keep you preoccupied.
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

End of the Week: 10/16/11- 10/22/11

END OF THE WEEK:

Another week, another batch full of memories (good and bad). As always, here the newest installment of "End of the Week" to put everything in perspective. Enjoy!

TV Premiere of the Week: "The Walking Dead"
The zombie apocalypse drama series returned to the airwaves this past Sunday, and it returned with a bang. The ratings for the basic cable show was enormous, with 7.3 million people tuning in for the initial airing of the season premiere, and 11 million total for the night if you could the repeats. In addition, it drew a 4.8 household rating, and a 3.8 18-49 rating. To put those numbers in perspective, only NFL football drew a higher 18-49 rating that night, while their closest cable competitor was game six of the NLCS, and that only drew a 1.9 rating. With those numbers, the episode also became the most watched basic cable drama in history, beating out an episode of "The Dead Zone" that aired in June 2002. While the quality of the series is up for debate (personally, I feel that it's a satisfying show, but one that will never be great unless they can improve their characters), one thing is for sure: America still loves their zombies, and judging from the numbers it looks like they will continue to for a long time.

Stories of the Week:
- The Actual Story of the Week: Muammar Gaddafi Killed by Libyan Rebels in his Hometown
And so marks the end of one of the most ruthless dictators of the last forty years, gunned down by the people he used to rule with an iron fist in a manner that I'm sure must have occured to many of his enemies. The Libyan revolution, for the lack of a better word, is complete. Now, it's up to the Libyans themselves to decided what their fate will be; whether they will become a full-fledged democracy, or whether they will turn into another Iran, or worse.
- The Tiger Woods Saga of '09 Memorial Story of the Week: Dozens of Exotic Animals Killed After Being Let Free from an Ohio Reserve
Lions and tigers and bears, goodbye!

This Week in Occupy Wall Street: This week in Zuchotti Park's longest-running sleepover ever, we saw the protests that many didn't believe would last a week complete a full month! That's quite a lot of days for something that still doesn't have a "leader" to take charge of the other demonstrators. In addition, the movement (which has received support from all walks of life, young and old, union workers and college students, people that FOX News would identify as "hippies" and those who aren't) has continued to spread. Across the nation, "Occupy" has spread into places like Peoria, IL, Colunbia, SC, Albany, NY and Corpus Christi, TX, while internationally, protesters in Canada, Spain, Puerto Rico and Germany (among others) have thrown their hats into the cause with demonstrations of their own. Among the protesters, not all of the protesters remained nonviolent. Last Saturday in Rome, for example, what began as a peaceful protest turned into the epitome of anarchy when hooded militants known as the "black bloc" entered the protests and began smashing windows and destroying cars and buildings with bombs. This led to mass chaos in the city streets, leaving 70 people injured (40 of whom were police officers).

In other "Occupy" news, Anthony Bologna, the NPYD policeman infamous for using pepper spray on two female protesters late September was punished by getting docked ten vacation days, or the equivalent amount in pay while Zuchotti Park's nearest residents held a meeting to complain about all the unsanitary actions of some of the protesters. Celebrities and public figures such as Alec Baldwin, Meghan McCain, Pete Seeger and Arlo Guthrie stopped by while President Obama continued to extend his support of the protesters, even comparing the OWS protesters to the Tea Party (in a good way), mentioning how both sides are tired at how the government isn't looking out for their best interest. Arrests also remained the common theme throughout the week, as it has been since the very beginning of "Occupy." Among those arrested included 175 protesters in Occupy Chicago for trying to demonstrate in Grant Park, at least 19 in Occupy DC, dozens in Cleveland, and an estimate of over 100 taken in Melbourne, Australia. Oh, and there were rumors swirling about the possibility of director Christopher Nolan shooting scenes for "The Dark Knight Rises" at Occupy Wall Street, hopefully as the place where Anne Hathaway's Catwoman gets mauled twenty minutes into the film before she completely ruins it.

In over 30 days, the "Occupy" protests have turned from a demonstration of just 2,000 in New York's Zuchotti Park to a worldwide movement supported by millions, including the White House, and over $300,000 raised, and while it doesn't have any single cause the main themes (inequality among the country's 1% and 99%, corporate greed, etc.) have become the top conversation in American society. But with interest among the media fading and factors such as the impending winter and potential government intervention looming, how long will it last? Critics say that it will come to an end once the drugs and booze stop being passed around, while the website states that what has transpired is only "just the beginning." Whatever happens, though, at least we're assured of it continuing for yet another week, meaning that this segment of "End of the Week" remains:

(TO BE CONTINUED)

Video of the Week: "Video of Gaddafi After Death" (NSFW)
A few months ago, this man was living in a palace as his country's top leader. Now, he's lying dead on the street carried by Libyan rebels, treated like a recently killed elk. This, without a doubt, is one of the most surreal images of the year.



Argument of the Week: Mitt Romney & Rick Perry Getting Confrontational on Tuesday's GOP Debate
Makes you wonder why these two won't just do it already.



Person of the Week: U.S. President Barack Obama
It was quite the week for the nation's 44th President, to say the least. First, there was the news of Libyan rebels finally finding and then killing Muammar Gaddafi, officially ending the cause that he helped to make possible (all while spending significantly less than the other two Middle East conflicts the U.S. is currently involved in and without the loss of a single American life in the process, by the way). Then, yesterday, he announced in a press conference that he would officially put the Iraq war, a war that seen the loss of 4,400 U.S. troops and has cost the country over $700 billion, to an end by ordering the removal of all remaining non-combat troops from the country by the end of the year, officially leaving the Iraqi citizens to decide for themselves what to do with their fragile stability of a government. Foreign policy wise, this was an iconic week for the President's legacy, one that is already defined by the death of Osama Bin Laden back in may. With Gaddafi's death, it gives him some vindication for the actions that he took last winter while his announcement in regards to Iraq war finally puts an end to a conflict that many Americans have since agreed was pointless.


And that's the way it was! Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

2011 NFL Predictions: Week 7

Last week, we saw the 49ers and Lions involved in a game that was entertaining both on and (especially) off the field, the Eagles rebound to their first win in five weeks, Tom Brady doing what you would expect Tom Brady to do and help the Patriots win on a game-winning drive, Tampa Bay claiming first place all to themselves and teams like the Giants and the Steelers scratching by their games with a victory, among others. In other words, it was another great week of pro football. This week? Well, let's just say that the expectations of another fine week isn't there (at least for me). Five of the six teams in a bye have 4 wins or more (Buffalo, Cincinnati, San Francisco, New England and the Giants) while the one that isn't (Philadelphia) is still an entertaining team to watch. Meanwhile, among the games that will be played, we have a 1-4 team taking on a 0-5 team, absolutely zero matchups between two over .500 teams, at least five games that are expected to be in a blowout, and only one to decide first place in a division (HOU vs. TEN). In short, on paper, it's not what I will call the best product the league is giving us. However, with the Bears and the Bucs battling in an intriguing matchup at London, the Chargers and the Jets squaring off after each coach took terrific shots at the other this past week, and the 5-1 Lions trying to rebound at home over a recovering Falcons team, I wouldn't be so shocked if these weeks slate of games surprise us all with some exciting, down to the minute finishes.

In the meantime, why don't you keep yourself busy with my predictions for this week's games. FWIW, we're six weeks in and neither mj50 and myself have yet to go under .500 at this point (last week, for instance, I went 8-5 while mj50 went a little better, going 10-3). In addition, this is the best start either one of us has ever had in the three year history of this picks column (60-30 for myself, 57-33 for mj50). Will both of our string of lucks continue, or will this finally be the week that the NFL gods inevitably shame us will a terrible record, as is usually the case with us after a large string of prosperity? Only one way to find out...

Let's begin (Note: all games are based on the Central time zone):

Washington Redskins vs. Carolina Panthers (-2.5): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Carolina
Don't really trust John Beck to win this game in what will be his first regular season start since 2007. Also, it doesn't really speak well of a team's chances to me when Vegas has a 1-5 team beating them despite the fact that they're a major contender for the NFC East crown.
mj50's pick: Carolina

Denver Broncos vs. Miami Dolphins (EVEN): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Denver
As if the Dolphins 1-12 record in their last 13 home games isn't a good reason enough for you to pick against them, consider this: for some reason, the Dolphins decided to make this the same game that they honor the 2008 Florida Gators BCS Championship winning football team, of which Broncos QB Tim Tebow was a part of. I don't know about you, but I don't feel like taking my chances on a team that will have more fans coming into their home game wearing Gator jerseys and cheering for the opposing team's QB, especially if that team is starting Matt Moore at QB.
mj50's pick: Miami

Atlanta Falcons vs. Detroit Lions (-3.5): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Detroit
Detroit is coming off a close loss trying to prove that their slip-up last week is not going to be a recurring theme for the rest of the year. In addition, I would much rather go with the 5-1 team that has the Matthew Stafford to Calvin Johnson combination anytime instead of the team with the 27th ranked passing defense who has beaten only one over .500 team this season (and that win should come with an asterisk since they probably would have lost that won too had Michael Vick not gotten injured in the middle of it).

In the meantime, here's video of the Harbaugh-Schwartz scuffle. I'd figure it's more interesting than the game that you're about to see me write about:



mj50's pick: Detroit

Seattle Seahawks vs. Cleveland Browns (-3): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Seattle
Seattle is coming off a bye week, so they will head into the game well-rested and without the same kind of negative effect that West Coast teams normally have playing in a 1 p.m./ET game. Plus, the Seahawks offense has slowly gotten better by the week (a shutout in week 2 to a surprising 36 points two weeks ago), something that I cannot say about Cleveland. Both teams are matched up pretty evenly, though, so expect this victory to come in a close contest.
mj50's pick: Cleveland

San Diego Chargers (-2) vs. New York Jets: Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: New York
The Jets may have issues both at stopping the run and with the quarterback position, and San Diego is great both defensively and offensively, but I think they will still win because...well...hmm. Well, I'm not really sure why. Just have a gut feeling about this, I suppose. Moving on...
mj50's pick: New York

Chicago Bears (-1) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at Wembley Stadium in London, England): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Tampa Bay
This just feels like one of those games where two exhausted and jet lagged teams desperate to get into their bye weeks are going to play an ugly, ruff and tumble football game that will be close to very end. Because Josh Freeman has nine game winning drives and eight fourth quarterbacks in his short NFL resume already, I would much rather rely on him to churn out a victory for his team than I would with Jay Cutler.

(Ed. note: It should be pointed out that the Bears have won the majority of the time this season whenever mj15 has picked against them. Mere coincidence, or some Simmons-esque reverse jinx that mj15 is trying to make possible? In the words of Dean Pelton: "I'll never tell.")
mj50's pick: Chicago

Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans (-3): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Houston
No Andre Johnson + No Mario Williams + Tennessee well rested coming off a bye week = no problem for the Texans.
mj50's pick: Tennessee

HALFTIME! This week, we have a stand up clip courtesy of the one, the only David Cross, better known as the "David" in the hilarious "Mr. Show with Bob and David" and the man who played Tobias Funke on the classic sitcom "Arrested Development." In this particular bit, he's talking about kids, and not in the way Larry the Cable Guy would like. David, the floor is all yours...



Pittsburgh Steelers (-4) vs. Arizona Cardinals: Sunday- 3:05 p.m.
mj15's pick: Pittsburgh
It's a rematch of Super Bowl XLIII, still my favorite Super Bowl of all time and one that I will continue to state is better than the one that preceded it, yet one that will be significantly less entertaining to watch. Pittsburgh is slowly but surely getting back into top form, winning four out of their last five games while slowly recovering from their large amount of injuries (they still have Casey Hampton and Jerome Harrison injured, but at least Rashad Mendenhall, Hines Ward, and Mike Wallace are back and able to play) while Arizona still remains that middle-of-the-road team you can never trust to win against a good opponent. Also, I see no reason as to why Kevin Kolb will have a great game against the the only team allowing less than 160 yards passing as of this moment. That's like counting on Rick Perry to out-wit Mitt Romney in a Republican presidential debate (Bam! Political Humor!).

On a random note, someone should really get into Roger Goodell's hatred of the Steelers. First, he gives James Harrison every fine that he can think of, and now this? Asinine!
mj50's pick: Arizona

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Oakland Raiders (-4): Sunday- 3:05 p.m.
mj15's pick: Kansas City
Newly-arrived Oakland Raider Carson Palmer is reportedly not going to play in this game, so I guess this means that Kyle Boller will likely be starting. The last time a team won a game with Kyle Boller throwing the ball over 30 times came in October of 2007. In short, I do not trust the rest of this talented Raiders team to overcome this big obstacle under center. In addition, Kansas City usually saves it's best against their divisional opponents (see: week 3 versus San Diego), and I'd like to think that the bye week gave them a good amount of time to prepare to their arch enemy 1,800 miles West of them.
mj50's pick: Oakland

St. Louis Rams vs. Dallas Cowboys (-13): Sunday- 3:15 p.m.
mj15's pick: Dallas
St. Louis: the worst team in the league not looking to draft Andrew Luck as they already have a franchise QB in Sam Bradford, who is having the epitome of a sophmore slump this season. In fact, it hasn't been just Bradford that's been bad, but the entire team. Their offense has average a dead last 9.8 points per game while their defense have allowed over 400 yards per game on the other side of the football. This week, they're on the road, against a potent Dallas offense and a defense that is in the top ten in both sacks and turnovers. Will they finally get that win they've been so longing for? To borrow a popular saying around the Internet: No. Just, no.
mj50's pick: Dallas

Green Bay Packers (-9.5) vs. Minnesota Vikings: Sunday- 3:15 p.m.
mj15's pick: Green Bay
Hmm, should I go with the NFL's great, lone undefeated team, or do I go with that terrible team that has a rookie quarterback (Christian Ponder) making his first career start? (Thinking) Yeah, this one's not even close. Expect to see the Packers head into their bye a perfect 7-0 in blowout fashion.

Also, R.I.P. to Donovan McNabb's up and down 13-year career. I hope that man saved a lot of money from all those Campbell's soup commercials he made, because there is no way another team is going to want to have him on the roster after this season.
mj50's pick: Green Bay

Indianapolis Colts vs. New Orleans Saints: Sunday- 7:30 p.m.
mj15's pick: New Orleans
Another Super Bowl rematch (XLIV) that will probably be dull to watch, with the Saints controlling this matchup from beginning to end at home. And yet, it will probably still pull in at least 25% better ratings than the World Series, because the NFL is the current king of American entertainment.
mj50's pick: New Orleans

Baltimore Ravens (-8) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Monday- 7:35 p.m.
mj15's pick: Baltimore
If only Jacksonville's offense (#32) played as well as their defense (#8), then maybe I would take them seriously to defeat the Ravens. Alas!
mj50's pick: Jacksonville

RECAP
The Undertaker at "WrestleMania" Lock of the Week: Dallas over St. Louis
The Japan over U.S. at the 2011 Women's World Cup Final Upset of the Week: Kansas City over Oakland
The "Star Wars" vs. "The Empire Strikes Back" "I'm Not Sure" Pick: Tampa Bay over Chicago

Next week, I've got a special treat planned for next week's column besides the usual picks, so be sure to stop by. Until then, enjoy the games, everyone!

Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

"The Walking Dead," Carson Palmer and a Wonderful Dual Between Mitt Romney & Rick Perry

"The Walking Dead" shattered cable records with it's season two premiere. I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure that these zombies had something to do with it.

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

It's amazing how some of the little things just come together full circle in life, usually by chance. Last weekend, I was listening to one of my city's local rock stations, the kind of rock station where it's all about the music, as demonstrated by their D.J.s' 24 hour long monotone voices and barely any catchy slogan for their station (a.k.a. the best rock stations), and on came a song that I really enjoyed. It was this modern blues-rock song about love that was both catchy and wonderful to listen to, yet I didn't know either the band that played it nor the name of the song. As a result, I never thought about it for the rest of the day. Then, once night came and I spent time surfing the Web for some interesting thing to read and/or watch, a rather unusual thought came to my mind about searching music by "The Black Keys," a band that I have heard of multiple times being good yet never actually had the chance to listen to. So, I searched for their music on YouTube, and lo and behold, what was the first song that came up? "Next Girl" (the one that I included on Monday's "Random Thoughts") a.k.a. the one that I heard earlier in the morning. The circle of life!

(Also, feel free to mock me for finally discovering the Black Keys in the comments section. I wouldn't mind. In fact, I deserve it for waiting years before finally getting a chance to both listen and immensely enjoy their music.)

Now, with that out of the way, time go get down to business. The following were on my mind between Monday, October 17th and Thursday, October 20th:

- Sunday's season premiere of "The Walking Dead" (of which I finally got around to viewing last night) encapsulates both everything that I enjoy about the show and everything that I hate about it. The first twenty minutes after the terrible exposition opening was fantastic in its intensity. Even though there weren't more than three zombie killings, the combination of the suspenseful score and the way it was shot made up for it in fabulous fashion. The other seventy minutes, where it was mostly dedicated to the characters talking and finding Sofia, was bad. The writing for this show continued to be in bad form ("Yo, JC! You takin' requests?"), the plot holes continue to re-surface (one episode they had to drench themselves in zombie flesh, but now they can just hide under cars without any disguises?) and the majority of the characters continue to be uninteresting and insufferable to the point that I just do not care if they make it out of these apocalypse alive and well (although I did enjoy the reveal of Daryl, Redneck Ninja). Plus, you just know that Carl will get saved from that bullet somehow. No way they're getting rid of a child this early in the series, not with another still being looked for.

I will keep DVRing this show for the rest of the season (live viewing at 8 p.m./CT is reserved for football and/or "Boardwalk Empire") as there is still some potential in it to become a truly great show that justifies their massive ratings (and to see how it changes once the Frank Darabont episodes wrap up before the end of the year). But from the looks of Sunday's episode, this show is going to take quite a bit of time to get there.

- Trading away a first round pick and a conditional second round pick for a quarterback that hasn't been good in at least 3 yrs. and spent the past few months mostly tailgating at USC games and contemplating retirement? Great job, Oakland!

- Isn't it fun to re-watch a good serialized TV show and see these small moments occur that you know in hindsight will play a big factor to the future. Personally, I feel like Nostradamus every time this happens.

- Funny how Republicans loved to call the fighting in Libya Obama's war, yet basically thanked everybody but him the moment Muammar Gaddafi was killed.

- Everytime I read the comments section on either AOL, Yahoo!, CNN and YouTube, I just wanna cry for humanity everywhere. On the bright side, their moderators must get a pretty hefty salary compared to other websites!

- The greatest trade void ever: (http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7127181/jerome-harrison-tumor-which-voided-detroit-lions-philadelphia-eagles-trade-source-says)

- Rick Perry vs. Mitt Romney at the Republican presidential debates is more entertaining than any reality show fight that I've ever seen! Also, I can't help but feel that Romney touching Perry on the shoulder will be the most maverick thing Romney will ever do for the rest of his life.


More random thoughts to come on Monday! Until then, have a pleasant evening.
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15






If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

The NFL: Week 6, The 53 Percent, and a "Community" Instant Classic

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

The following were on my mind between Thursday, October 13th and Monday, October 27th:

- Oh, "Community"! Just when I think you can't get any more awesomer, you manage to pull of an episode as fantastic as Thursday's "Remedial Chaos Theory," an episode that was not only hilarious but was so well-crafted by the writers that it showed just how much impact each person has without their presence in the study group in an organic and understandable way (while also blowing your mind in "Fringe" level proportions). The fact that you are on the bubble when it comes to a fourth season renewal while "Two and a Half Men" gets at least 15 million viewers weekly just makes me wanna cry for our country's taste in quality.

- If you're leading in a really close professional football game (<3 pts.) with less than two minutes to play & your number of timeouts at less than two, and your opponents' offense happens to be mere yards away from scoring a touchdown, wouldn't the best thing to do would be to let them score? After all, if your team's defense is able to stop the runner or receiver with the ball from scoring, all you're allowing is for opponent to basically run down the clock and attempt a potential game winning field goal from a distance that most college and pro kickers these days find make-able, right? Seems to me that allowing the TD would be the best option at that point.

- Without a doubt, the biggest bonehead play that I saw occur during yesterday's NFL games came late in the Indianapolis-Cincinnati game when Colts WR Pierre Garcon gave away the football to Bengals' Carlos Dunlap, who ended up scoring the touchdown that put the game away. Not only was there plenty of time on the clock for Garcon (2:30) to keep the ball in his possession, but he was surrounded by Bengals players and his team also had the two minute warning to work with. I guess that's just another testament to how desperate this team is to win that their second best wide receiver would think that a catch with less than two and a half minutes to play counts as a time to make the play even bigger.

- Peter King should just admit to his Sports Illustrated that he wants to switch roles from their top NFL writer to a Red Sox beat reporter. Lord knows that he has more enjoyment talking about it in his MMQB columns than his actual football stuff.

- I know that I'm pretty late when it comes to this controversy, but since I've kind of forgotten to talk about it in the last few RTs, I figure that I might as well get it out of the way right now: the issue regarding Jeff Pearlman's "Walter Payton" book. Quite frankly, I'm on the Pearlman side of this, and think that the majority of people who complained about the issue behaved in an overreactive and melodramatic manner (most of whom probably never even read the book to begin with). For starters, as Pearlman himself mentioned (including this response to his critics via Deadspin), the book is mostly dedicated to nothing but praises and goodwill in regards to Sweetness from the words of a big fan of Sweetness. He also interviewed nearly 700 people to write this book, so it seems to be very thorough and very accurate, and I do not believe what others have said about him that he was doing this for the money, but as a tribute to a man that he was a big fan of (and still is). Finally, as great as a football player, family man, and humanitarian was, Chicago sports fans like myself simply cannot treat him as Saint Walter, a man that was so great that he cannot be criticized or viewed in a negative light whatsoever. The man had his imperfections and his demons, so to criticize someone for publishing them all would give only part of the real story of his whole life, like writing a detailed biography about Thomas Jefferson and not discussing Sally Hemming or writing about the true story of Columbus' voyage to the Americas without talking about the harm his crew had to the local Native Americans (F.Y.I. Not saying that these three are all necessarily equal, just trying to make a point of the significance of how not including the bad parts of Payton's life is a bad thing).

Besides, many Chicago sports fan knew about his indiscretions and infidelities anyway, so why should some guy publishing a book with those things on paper be such a bad thing?

- Watching the Jim Harbaugh-Jim Schwartz scuffle, followed by Sean Payton getting injured on the sidelines and then having to coach the rest of the game made me realize something: watching coaches get involved during the game outside of calling the plays makes watching football inherently better.

- If you are working three jobs, in a bad situation financially, but don't think that Wall Street is to blame at all...should you, even for a little bit? (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/conservatives-launch-we-are-the-53-percent-to-criticize-99-percenters/2011/10/10/gIQA70omaL_blog.html)

More random thoughts to come on Thursday. In the meantime, here's some music from the Black Keys to get you in the mood for the rest of your workweek:



Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

End of the Week: 10/09/11- 10/15/11

END OF THE WEEK:

It's Saturday, and anyone who's read this blog before knows what time it is: time to reveal my picks for some of the week's best and most memorable people and moments. From the continuation of the Occupy Wall Street movement to one's movement rather interesting ending to Sunday's Chicago Marathon, here is what I chose for this, week 41 of the 2011 calendar:

Video of the Week: "Mountain Biker Gets Taken Out by BUCK"
I would not be surprised to find out that he was eating Stride gum at the time.



This Week in Occupy Wall Street: In the past seven days of America's favorite new protest movement, we saw protests expanded to areas such as Phoenix, Long Beach, and Roanoke. The protests have gotten so big in New York that it actually had to move some people from their central location in Zuccotti Park to Washington Square Park, located by the New York University campus. Speaking of Zuccotti Park, there were plans by the city of potentially evacuating all of the protesters from the area until it got postponed, meaning that protests and "We are the 99%!" chant are expected to continue for at least a few more days. In regards to marches, we saw thousands head into the Upper East Side to the apartment buildings of five of the richest men living in the city (including that of Newscorp. CEO Rupert Murdoch and JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon) and later on in Times Square to create a chaotic scene of protesters and those waiting in line to see "The Book of Mormon" (the NY Daily News reports that 74 arrests were made as a result).

Celebrities, politicians, and public figures also made their presence known among the protests across the country. In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg stopped by on Wednesday, but mostly to say that the place was being evacuated on Friday (which it wasn't), while conservative filmmaker James O'Keefe asked people questions while dressing as a Wall Street banker and rappers Kanye West and Talib Kweli showed up on Columbus Day as nothing more than a simple showing of solidarity. However, none of those were as electrifying as the time actor Danny Glover stopped by in Occupy Los Angeles headquarters Sunday to share his support of the movement and those protesting on that day, including the United Teachers Association:



As the number of voices in support of the protests grew, so did the number of voices against it. On "The O'Reilly Factor," the controversial host made his anger of the protests loud and clear, making note of the drug trafficking and unsanitary conditions present in the areas of protesting (even going as far as calling them "crackheads."), while the folks over at "Fox and Friends" gave people a little "flavor" of just what kind of people were out at Zuccotti Park protesting. But perhaps the biggest showing of protest came earlier this week with the beginning of the "We are the 53%" Tumblr. The brainchild of RedState.org Erick Erickson, this website is supposed to represent the 53% percent of people who pay federal income tax. Basically, they just post messages, like this famous one, saying how you shouldn't blame Wall Street for your troubles, and that you only have yourselves to blame for not being poor.

This sh*t is nearly a month in folks, and doesn't look like it's going to end for the time being. And you know what that means...

(TO BE CONTINUED)
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Stories of the Week:
-The Actual Story of the Week: Underwear Bomber Abdulmutallab Pleads Guilty, Ending Trial
During the trial, he ended up calling the bomb he used his "blessed weapon." Yes, because the weapon that only harmed the other weapon in your pants should really be considered "blessed."
- The Tiger Woods Saga of '09 Memorial Story of the Week: Man Inspired by "Drive" Throws Hot Dog at Tiger Woods
Kind of interesting how the works that he goes from "I have to do something courageous and epic" to "I have to throw a hot dog in front of Tiger." That is definitely how mine would have went.

History Making Athlete of the Week: Texas Rangers Outfield Nelson Cruz
for becoming the first ever player in MLB history to hit a walk-off grand slam in the postseason (specifically against the Tiger in the bottom of the 11th inning to help his team win 7-3 in game 2 of the ALCS). In this series, Cruz has been batting .357 with five home runs (including another extra innning home run in game 4) and eleven RBIs. Cruz has also been very good defensively, most notably for the time he threw down Miguel Cabrera at the bottom of the 8th inning during game 4 that prevented the potential game winning run from scoring. Considering his performance this season and his performance last postseason (.317, 6 HR, 11 RBIs), I think he has made a pretty good case as the next great postseason legend.

(UPDATE 10/16: Another Cruz ALCS milestone- He became the first person in postseason history to hit six home runs in one series, thanks to a two run home run that he had in the bottom of the seventh to put an official dagger on the Tigers' postseason chances. Cardinals and Brewers fans, I would recommend that you get to worrying about your team's pitchers facing him next week.)

Person of the Week: Amber Miller
for doing something this week that others would only be insane enough to do: running the Chicago Marathon while nine months pregnant and then delivering it immediately after. Yes, you read that correctly! For 6 hours and 25 minutes Sunday morning, with permission from her doctor, the 27 year old resident of Westchester, IL, ran and walked the prestigious Marathon despite expecting the baby to be born any minute and despite the fact that she was actually experiencing contraction during race! After she completed the marathon, Miller and her husband (who ran alongside her) got a bite to eat and then proceeded to a nearby hospital and later that night gave birth to her second child, a nearly 8 lb. baby girl named June. Mrs. Miller, I don't know whether to applaud you for taking this risk or criticize you. Either way, the fact that you experienced what must have been a hell of a day of pain to run with the baby in your belly and then deliver it, I can assure you that your parenthood will be a piece of cake compared to what you did.

And that's the way it was! Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

2011 NFL Predictions: Week 6

Earlier this week, NBA commissioner David Stern announced that the NBA lockout will cause the league to miss it's first two weeks of the season, with more missed games most likely soon to be announced later. The reaction to this compared to, say, had the NFL lockout announced miss games has been quite interesting, and a reason to why football is truly America's Game. Had the NFL announced missed regular season game as a result of their lockout, the entire country would have reacted with anger. With the NBA lockout, it seems that only die-hard NBA fans reacted with fierce anger while the rest of America was just too busy caring about pro and college football to care.

Now that I have that observation out of the way, let's get right down to the picks. Last week was another good week for myself, as I finished it with a 10-3 record (mj50 finished 8-8). That's two straight double-digit wins week. Will my recent luck continue? That will be determined in the next two to three days. But first, here are my week 6 picks to give you an idea on how I think it's going to play out. As always, game times are based on the Central time zone.

Let's begin:

San Francisco 49ers vs. Detroit Lions (-4): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Detroit
Who would thought a month and a half ago that we would be talking about a matchup between the 49ers and the Lions as the Game of the Week, as if it was 1993 all over again? But, with Detroit entering the game undefeated and the 49ers entering it 4-1, that appears to be just the case. The defense of the 49ers, along with QB Alex Smith, who is playing one of his most efficient stretches of football ever (104.1 passer rating, only 1 INT in 126 attempts), have been impressive. However, I just can't go against Detroit, not after how their performance Monday Night, and not with Matthew Stafford being injury free and willing to throw to Calvin Johnson deep multiple times a game. But, then again, I've picked against the 49ers three times already this season, and twice they've proven me wrong, so what do I know?
mj50's pick: Detroit

Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons (-4): Sunday-12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Atlanta
Because Cam Newton will gain another great game offensively, and we all know what the Panthers record is when that happens.
mj50's pick: Atlanta

Indianapolis Colts vs. Cincinnati Bengals (-7): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Cincinnati
Cincinnati leads the league in defense with the fewest yards allowed. That is by far the most surprising thing to me about these first five weeks of the season; more than the Lions undefeated record, more than the Eagles and the Jets both at 1-4, more than Alex Smith playing like the quarterback he was supposed to be when he was drafted as the #1 pick in the 2005 draft.
mj50's pick: Indianapolis

St. Louis Rams vs. Green Bay Packers (-14): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Green Bay
Last week, the Packers found themselves down 14 points and without their two starting offensive tackles, and they still ended up winning! Unless Stephen Jackson has rush for 30 or more times a game and have a performance similar to the one that Adrian Peterson had last week against the Cardinals, I absolutely do not see the Rams ending Green Bay's undefeated season.
mj50's pick: Green Bay

Buffalo Bills vs. New York Giants (-3): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Buffalo
Screw it, I'm hopping onto the Buffalo bandwagon. The Giants defense has given up, on average, over 100 yards per game in the last three games, and expect them to have problems once again facing the NFL's 3rd leading rusher, Fred Jackson. New York is also experiencing some notable injury problems to players like Justin Tuck and Brandon Jacobs while Buffalo's defense (who lead the league in interceptions) is good enough to give Eli Manning trouble.
mj50's pick: New York

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (-12): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Pittsburgh
Consider last week's Tennessee beatdown to be Pittsburgh "See, We've Still Got It" game. Coming off a close loss to Houston and injuries galore, and yet they still managed to beat Tennessee by three touchdowns. Now, they're staying at home, this time playing the NFL's 32nd ranked offense. Expect the Steelers to get their first win streak of the season this weekend.
mj50's pick: Pittsburgh

Philadelphia Eagles (-2) vs. Washington Redskins: Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Washington
The key to the takedown of Philly's prematurely self-proclaimed "Dream Team" has been, without a down, their defense (their offense has averaged 25 points per game and is ranked in the top ten in all major team categories, including first in rushing). For starters, defensive coordinator Juan Castillo, who was never qualified to get the position in the first place after spending years as a mediocre offensive line coach, never really utilized what he had properly. For example, his two best corners (Nnamdi Asomugha and Asante Samuel) are great man-to-man coverage players, but for reasons only known to the team they've decided to put him in zone coverage. In addition, his Wide Nine defense, hasn't worked as he never really had the right personnel to make it work efficiently. This lack of players to make it work has allowed the opposing offenses to abuse it by running ball on it quite effectively (the Eagles are currently allowing 5 yards per carry rushing, ranked 30th in the league).

It is for this very defense (which, if they lose, I think will get replaced during their bye week with Reid firing Castillo) that I think Philadelphia will lose yet again. The duo of Ryan Torrain and Tim Hightower have been doing quite well rushing wise, running for over 120 yards per game. Consider how Philadelphia has allowed big games to running backs like Michael Turner, Frank Gore, and Fred Jackson this season, I doubt that they will stop this rushing game. On the other side of the ball, the Redskins defense have had two weeks to prepare for Michael Vick and that Eagles offense. Expect them to be motivated to get revenge on the team that gained 59 points in their last meeting at FedEx Field.

Last week, I said that the Eagles would find their groove back, and I was wrong. This week, I have them struggling some more. Selfishly, I hope I get it right this time.
mj50's pick: Washington

HALFTIME! This week's comedy clips comes to you directly from deadpan delivery extraordinaire Stephen Wright during his 2009 performance on Letterman. Take it away, Stephen!



Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens (-8): Sunday- 3:05 p.m.
mj15's pick: Baltimore
Great defense at home over good offense on the road every time. Simple as that.
mj50's pick: Baltimore

Cleveland Browns vs. Oakland Raiders (-6.5): Sunday- 3:05 p.m.
mj15's pick: Oakland
What can I say? Over 27 points per game, 2nd in the league in rushing, and a relatively easy schedule for the next eight weeks (vs. Cleveland, vs. Kansas City, vs. Denver, at Minnesota, vs. Chicago, at Miami). The Oakland Raiders are back, baby!
mj50's pick: Cleveland

Dallas Cowboys vs. New England Patriots (-6.5): Sunday- 3:15 p.m.
mj15's pick: New England
Cowboys defensive end Kenyon Coleman stated earlier this week that his defense, led by defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, was going to throw "pretty much the kitchen sink, to put it lightly." The last time a team did such a thing during their game against New England was the Cleveland Browns last season, also led by Rob Ryan, and they ended up winning 34-14 (one of the Patriots' three losses that year). While this does make it pretty tempting to pick the Cowboys, I'm still going with the Patriots. Tom Brady hasn't lost a regular season game in Foxboro since 2006, and Tony Romo still remains that wild card that you're always afraid to trust in big games (see: week 1 vs. the Jets and week 4 vs. Detroit). Look for New England to improve to 5-1 (that is, unless you see them eating fried chicken and drinking beer during the game, at which point you must SWITCH IMMEDIATELY).
mj50's pick: New England

New Orleans Saints (-5) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Sunday- 3:15 p.m.
mj15's pick: New Orleans
There are just three offenses that I simply can not pick against these days unless there's a really good case otherwise. One of those offenses belongs to New Orleans (the other two belong to Green Bay and New England). As San Francisco showed last week in their 48-3 victory, Tampa's defense isn't that hard to pick apart.
mj50's pick: Tampa Bay

Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears (-2.5): Sunday- 7:30 p.m.
mj15's pick: Minnesota
...but not because of all of the inconvenient penalties and poor play they had last week (though it is nervous as a fan of the team to have a player in Kellen Davis that has as much catches this season as false start penalties). The Bears defense is ranked 28th in rushing defense. This stat is not good leading up to a game where they're facing a running back in Adrian Peterson coming off a 122 yard, 3 TD game and who, career wise, has averaged for 112 yards and over 1 TD against Chicago career-wise (that is, if Leslie Frazier is smart enough to go that route and not the route he had through weeks 1-4). Also, in any matchup against NFL sack leader Jared Allen and one of the NFL's worst offensive line, I'm going to have to go with Allen every single time.
mj50's pick: Chicago (Note: mj50 is 5-0 this season in picking Bears games. Just saying.)

Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets (-7): Monday- 7:35 p.m.
mj15's pick: New York
The Jets are 1-4, and it seems that none of what they're doing (both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball) seems to be working. That said, they're at home, and they're facing a winless Dolphins team with Matt Moore as their starting quarterback. In other words, they should be fine.
mj50's pick: New York

RECAP
The Undertaker at "WrestleMania" Lock of the Week: Green Bay over St. Louis
The Y.E. Yang over Tiger Woods at the '09 PGA Championship Upset of the Week: Minnesota over Chicago
The "Breaking Bad" vs. "The Wire" "I'm Not Sure" Pick: Atlanta over Carolina

Be sure to stop by next week for my week 6 results and for my week 7 picks. Until then, have a wonderful weekend watching some glorious football.
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.