POWIP Piece of Work In Progress

15Jan/115

NFL Playoffs: Divisional round prognostication

Are you ready for some football?!?

Well here we are again.  It's the second round of the NFL playoffs, and your humble scribe is here to set his divisional round picks in stone, for the historical record, and to use in the sure-to-come derision later...

It's a good thing that I'm not a gambler, since my picks this season have left much to be desired.  Last week I was 50-50, and, well, at least that would have been a break-even wager.  Enoch fared much better, going 3 for 4; and in my humble opinion, his prescient pick of the Seattle victory should count for a trifecta or some other kind of bonus.  So without any more palaver, I'll get right to it.

Saturday's games:

4:30 pm eastern, Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburg Stellers broadcast on CBS:  Being divisional rivals, every meeting between these teams is like a heavyweight championship; that is, the magnitude of the hits rival the energies generated at the CERN facility and their frequency so great that they dwarf the number of "likes", "totallys", and "you knows" that punctuate a true valley girl's recounting of the previous night's adventure at a club.  Last week's performance in Kansas City indicated to me that the Ravens had finally figured out how to deal with their vulnerability to a saftey blitz; a tactic that had caused them much heartbreak in the second half of the season and indeed cost them the game against Pittsburg in December.  I'm going with the Ravens, in a very tight game.

8:00 pm eastern, Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons broadcast on Fox:  As I predicted last week, the Pack's defense really rose to the occasion, effectively shutting down Vick and the Eagles.  That same "D" will take most of the chill out of "Matty Ice".  In fact, indoors in the dome, on turf, I think that we'll be treated to a positively awesome display of Roger's passing skills; especially on the back of their new found running game.  I'm going with the Pack, by a much greater margin than any would have expected versus the team with the best record in the NFC.

Sunday's contests:

1:00 pm eastern, Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears broadcast on Fox:  I know, I know...I was wrong about Seahawks losing last week.  But this week the Bears defense will seem like a force of nature to the annoying Pete Carroll and Matt Hasselbeck; indeed, I am truly concerned for QB Hasselbeck's physical health at the hands of Chicago's defensive lineman.  Erlacher will shut down their dink-n-dunk short passing game, and a combination of the line pressure and Chicago's excellent DBs will shut down the vertical stretch.  And Seattle's running game?  As they say in Brooklyn, Fuhgeddabowditt ...  I'm looking for the Bears to win big, with a signifigant percentage of the points scored coming from their defense.

I mean, you knew that the NFC championship was going to boil down to round 3 of the Bears-Packers divisional rivalry, didn't you?

4:30 pm eastern, New York Jets at New England Patriots, broadcast on CBS:  This may have been my hardest pick to make.  The Patriots are very good, well coached and led by Brady as always.  But, they're chock full of young talent, with few veterans.  The Jets, on the other hand, have a good balance of veterans and talented young players.  Also, their coach, Rex Ryan, is no piker, and is terribly motivated to give the press other questions to ask him than about his personal life.  LT is looking back in championship form, and there is no Junior Seau, or Mike Vrabel on the Pats "D" to stuff him.  Much like in Saturday's AFC division game, I'm going with the underdog in a close game; that is, I'm calling it for the Jets by a nose...

Now, as before, in the interest of full disclosure, I have an interest in these matches given that I'm a Ravens season ticket holder; and the fact that should both the Jets and Ravens win this weekend then I will suddenly be in possession of some very valuable tickets to the AFC championship game in Baltimore.  That said, I've tried to go about my analysis with classical disinterest, going on the merits alone.  But, given my track record this season?  Well, who knows...

What are your thoughts kind reader?  Who do you like?  And more importantly, who do you think will actually win ?

Let me know somethin', playah! and enjoy the games :)

Rocketman

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7Jan/118

Are You Ready For Some Football?

It's Wild-Card Weekend in the NFL, and I know that I am!  There will be some good games this weekend, a couple that are too close to call.  Let's go to the schedule

Saturday, 4:30 pm Eastern on NBC
New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks:  Based on these team's performances this year, this game shouldn't even be close; the Saints should B-B-B-Blowout! the Seahawks (Sorry K.T.).  Of course, there is the Any Given Sunday effect.  Too bad for Seattle that it's Saturday...    Pick: Saints

Saturday, 8:00 pm Eastern on NBC
New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts:  This might be the closest game of this weekend.  Rex Ryan may be one of a few other coaches than Bill Belichick who can put together a scheme on defense to beat the Colts.  But, he has some, er, distractions off the field stemming from his personal life.  Indy finished the season strong, but have a great deal of injuries to key players on both offense and defense; but heretofore #18 has been able to find a way to win.  This game will turn on whether the Jets offense can put any points on the board, and keep the Colts linemen from killing Mark Sanchez, because you know the Colts are going to score.     Pick: Colts

Sunday, 1 pm Eastern on CBS
Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs:  This game is very much like the one between the Jets and Colts.  The Chiefs have a pretty darn good offense, and unless Baltimore can keep them off the field they will probably eventually wear down the Raven's defense--the affliction that plagued them towards the end of the regular season.  Both teams should have their full complement on the sidelines.  The Chiefs offensive success centers around their running game; they are nearly last in passing.  But, unfortunately for them, the Ravens are 5th in the NFL against the run and the Chiefs are 14th, so while a very close matchup, the Ravens should be able to run all over Kansas City and stop their run; but if not, well, then there'll be no joy in Balmer on Sunday night.     Pick: Ravens

Sunday, 4:30 pm Eastern on Fox
Green Bay Packers at Philadelphia Eagles:  This game will be much closer than either team's fans will be comfortable with.  As far as the Igglez go, well, there's Mike Vick, the Philly D,  and their always creative coach Andy Reid.  But no one in the city of Brutha-ly love should casually dismiss the Packers.  For a team that the conventional wisdom has always hailed because of their offense, Green Bay has sustained themselves through a season where their feature back, among others, has been injured by quietly playing very solid defense.  Look for the Pack's defense to do a heckuva job containing the Mercurial Vick and force him to win the game with his arm--as well as rack up a surprising number of running yards on a stout Philly defense that will be concerned more with Aaron Roger's phenomenal passing accuracy and quick release.    Pick: Packers.

Well, there are my picks kind reader.  And admittedly, my regular season sooth-saying left much to be desired.  Oh, and full disclosure; I have season tickets to the Ravens, despite the fact that I live adjacent to New York City on Long Island, but truthfully can say that didn't color my assessment.

Tell me your thoughts on the match-ups and what the final results will be, and enjoy the games!  :)

Rocketman

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13Oct/103

Favre v. Childress

Listening to Denver sports radio yesterday afternoon on my commute, an interesting point was made with regard to Brett Favre. 

No, not that issue.

During the game the other night, the Vikings’ first play was a trick play that ended with Favre, their future Hall of Fame quarterback, heading down field and catching a pass from Randy Moss, their future Hall of Fame wide receiver playing his first game for the Vikings.  The problem was, they broke a very basic rule, that a quarterback who starts off under center cannot go down field.  The coaches would have known this, meaning this is something Favre must have thrown into the game plan without talking to the coaches.

Is there a power play of sorts happening up in the tundra?  Before this season (and that issue), I'd have expected Favre to win such a battle.  Not now.

Adam Wells

Living life at 84 mph and 7000 feet. All I ask is that you don't block traffic, act like a professional, and don't act all surprised when your actions have consequences. Oh, and don't complain about the refs; trust me, they don't care if your team wins or not.

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15Oct/098

A Rush to judgement on hearsay alone?

The participation of radio entertainer Rush Limbaugh in a partnership interested in buying a stake in the NFL St. Louis Rams has caused a media firestorm this past week.  As part of that, Rush has been called out for his past statements, characterized by some as racist.  Of course there is his past criticism of Eagles QB Donovan McNabb as an overrated media darling who the media wished to succeed based on race, an opinion that I happen to disagree with, a characterization which got him summarily fired from his ESPN prime-time commentary gig.  But what should concern even the most disinterested parties are the oft repeated, but as yet still unsourced, alleged Limbaugh quotes involving James Earl Ray, the institution of slavery, and today’s newest talking points involving his membership at an exclusive Florida country club.

These fabricated quotes were introduced into the zeitgeist by talking heads, of course, at MSNBC and CNN, putting Rush in the unenviable position of having to prove a negative.  And sensing an opening, professional race-hustler Al Sharpton, armed with extorted corporate cash from his National Action Network, quickly joined the battle.  Now, following Dave Checketts’ letter removing Limbaugh as a member of the proposed ownership group, the Reverend Al is declaring Victory! over his long-time nemesis.  But were the racialist assertions of a grievance pimp, and the ensuing posturing pandering palaver of other owners as well as the NFL commissioner himself, the prime force in this action?

Or, could it have something to do with billionaire George Soros reported involvement or desire to be involved in the Rams ownership group.  It is unclear whether the shadowy Soros has been involved all along, or has recently expressed interest.  But, while much more low key than Rush, Soros is no less controversial or polarizing a figure.  So while many of the usual suspects on the “proggy side of the street” may be celebrating the put down of their long time foe, their resort to both an essentially ideological disqualification as well as the nuclear option of invoking racism may well mean that their Patron, Mr. Soros, may have to be scotched as well lest the obvious double standard soil the entire brand.

The bottom line on all of this is that if the league is going to rely on alleged statements to disqualify a person from owning an NFL franchise, they ought to at least make sure that those egregious remarks were actually made!  And they need to use independent investigators, because as with the Breitbart/Acorn sting, this episode has gone a step further in exposing the inherent bias of the legacy media as well as their willingness to propagate naked hearsay in order to advance the desired narrative.  As Toby Harnden put it:

The irony is, of course, that the people reporting this as fact are the same types who are always denouncing bloggers and the internet as forces of evil intent on destroying proper journalism – proper journalism being the kind that involves checking facts. In the case of Rush Limbaugh, however, it seems to be enough that the intention (i.e. to show the talk radio host is a racist) is considered pure.

[emphasis-ed.]

Especially vile is CNN’s Sanchez’s repeating of the unfounded rumor after receiving a free ride from the press for his own sin of running over a pedestrian while driving drunk, and then leaving the scene of the accident.  But all that aside, it’s OK to dislike Rush the entertainer for the things he actually says, after all, I'm sure he provides so much material on his daily 3 hour show that there’s no need for his ideological opponents, bent on once more making the political-personal, to make anything up; in their zeal to attach to him the most toxic, and lately the most recklessly applied, label there is in America…

UPDATE: The long walkback has begun.  HuffPo removed the phony quotations after only 3 years and 3 months; I'm glad their editors were so thorough.  And that twit Sanchez has twittered, "our bad", as a backhanded apology for the whole affair.  It doesn't matter anyway, their work is done; Limbaugh's chance at part ownership of an NFL franchise has been thwarted...

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Rocketman

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3Sep/0917

Interesting times and anticipation of great promise

We are living in an import time in our country.  There are reputations to be made for some, while ruin will be suffered by others.  Many have worked their whole lives to get a chance at making the crucial difference that separates victor and vanquished…

The fortunes of many are at stake.  And, as always, the voices of loyal followers, some arguing with great righteousness the merits of their heroes, while instead others are satisfied merely by the diminution of their opponents…

And while millions are involved, hanging on the result of every episode as if it were a life and death struggle, in actuality only the elites themselves benefit.  But, many rank and file people will sacrifice their time and money, convinced that by showing up, and making their voices heard, they too can have an influence on the all important process; albeit small and fleeting….

But it is a noble pursuit that can alternately provide the greatest of elation and fulfillment and just as easily deliver the most crushing depressions; accompanied by the usual vows of vengeful retribution.  At times more partisan than any religious fervor, uniquely American, and the subject of almost continuous media coverage it begs only one overarching question waiting on the lips of millions;

Are you ready for some Football?

Ok, the official season starts next week, and I’m curious how everyone feels about “their” team.  Please, dispense with pie-in-the-sky dreams of Super Bowl Cinderella stories for the Detroit Lions, or whatever. Let’s be intellectually honest, as we always are here at POWIP; but let’s devote this thread to some good ol’ head knocking, football talking, fun!  Talk about teams, players, announcers, stadiums, the aerodynamics of the ball way the ball bounces; it’s all open season-so to speak…

Rocketman

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