Just came across this...
Apparently Boozer has one, too:
So when does Nocioni get to get all liquored up and drive that thing?
Friday, October 29, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Bears: Where do we go from here?
Seriously. I have no idea. I'm hesitant to call yesterday's debacle the worst NFL game of all time, although other people certainly have. I still think the worst NFL game ever was last year's Bills-Browns game in Buffalo.
At least both defenses played well, right? The Bears have now lost three in a row and dropped into a tie with the Packers for first in the NFC North. The good news, if there is any, is that Cutler is still healthy, as is Forte, and that the NFC looks realllllly bad this year. I'm just puzzled though. How do you go about rooting for this team?
Apparently, the crowd at Soldier Field was thinking the same thing yesterday, as the boo-birds were out in full force.
By the way, my dark-horse Kansas City Chiefs are now 4-2 and lead the AFC West. But they're going to have to watch out for a challenge from... wait for it... OAKLAND? OAKLAND???
Yesterday's partial list of top performers:
Kenny Britt
Darren McFadden
DeAngelo Hall
Ryan Fitzpatrick
... and Drew Brees joined Cutler in throwing four INTs.
Let's just pretend last week didn't happen, okay?
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Big Ten Power Rankings (Midseason)
Don't get too excited, this is just the quickie edition, but with all the Big Ten teams having played at least six games I thought I'd throw out some quick PRs just to see what everybody thinks - if I have time later, a longer and more detailed version with bowl projections, season expectations, etcetera will follow. I swear.
Please do let me know if you agree/disagree. And sorry about the lack of pictures/video, I'll get in and edit this later tonight.
1. Michigan State Spartans (7-0, 3-0)
Rankings: No. 7 BCS, No. 8 Coaches/AP, leading Big Ten
Starting out your conference season by beating Wisconsin, then stomping rival Michigan on the road and easily handing an Illinois team that gave Ohio State fits is pretty damn convincing in my book.
Next up: @ Northwestern. I believe Admiral Ackbar may have something to say about this game for the Spartans...
2. Wisconsin (6-1, 2-1)
Rankings: No. 13 BCS, No. 10 Coaches, No. 11 AP, T-4th in Big Ten (with tiebreaker over OSU)
Huge win at home over an undeserving national number one in Ohio State last week. Wisconsin struggled early in the season, but their sole loss is on the road at Michigan State, and that's not going to hurt them much in the long run.
Next up: @ Iowa. If Wisconsin can survive, the rest of their schedule shakes out favorably.
3. Iowa (5-1, 2-0)
Rankings: No. 15 BCS, No. 12 Coaches, No. 13 AP, T-2nd in Big Ten (with Purdue)
The only time I've gotten to watch Iowa for an entire game this year was their loss at Arizona, but this seems like your classic Kirk Ferentz team with extra talent on the defensive line. Ricky Stanzi is the ultimate patriot - I'll have more on this later, courtesy of our correspondent, Capt. Alec Kinczewski, serving our nation abroad in the armed forces (that's right, Peter King! You see what I did there? You're not the only one who can name-drop Army guys!).
Next up: Wisconsin. 3:30, ABC. Should be a snoozefest, but a well-played one, and the winner has Capital One Bowl pole position.
4. Ohio State (6-1, 2-1)
Rankings: No. 10 BCS/AP, No. 11 Coaches, T-4th in Big Ten
The conference's bell cow, Ohio State did their part to allow Big Ten haters in the room (I'm looking at you, Schlereth) with the upset loss at Wisconsin. The Buckeyes looked great against Indiana the week before, but then who doesn't? The Sweater Men have three absolute must-wins coming up if they want to get back in the thick of the Big Ten race.
Next up: Purdue
5. Purdue (4-2, 2-0)
Rankings: T-2nd in Big Ten
Let's give them credit now. Beating Northwestern on the road erased a lot of the early season stench of losing to Toledo at home. They have an incredibly tough slate coming up in the second half, so I expect this is as high as the Boilers will get, despite quality play from QB Rob Henry.
Next up: @ Ohio State
T-6. Northwestern (5-1, 1-1), Michigan (5-2, 1-2)
Northwestern commits too many penalties, while Michigan plays no defense. These are talented football teams with painfully obvious flaws, which is why I have them tied. NU has an absolutely HUGE home game this week against MSU, while Shoelace and Co. have a bye. I see both as bowl-caliber teams that need to get it together a little bit.
8. Illinois (3-3, 1-2)
Hey, they're better than I expected. Great road win against a bad Penn State team, followed by an acceptable road beating at East Lansing.
Next up: Indiana. Winner gets to pretend they have a shot at a bowl!
9. Penn State (3-3, 0-2)
Everybody knew this team would have some issues, but Evan Royster stinking was not one of the expected problems, and neither was a defense that traditionally would NEVER give up 33 points to Illinois at home.
Next up: @Minnesota. They need this win to be playing for bowl eligibility against Indiana at FexEx field down the road. Otherwise that might just be a 3/4 empty venue, which would look awful for the conference. I think you know what Jim Delaney is telling the refs for this game.
10. Indiana (4-2, 0-2)
Best receivers in the conference, and one of the best quarterbacks too - I put Ben Chappell in the front rank with Robinson, Pryor, and Persa. But that Homecoming 'win' over Arkansas State (which by the way gives IU a 2-0 record in the Sun Belt) was not impressive. On paper, this looks like a team that could get bowl eligible. In reality, having watched them almost every week, I'm not so sure.
Next up: @Illinois. Should I go to this game? Debating.
11. Minnesota (1-6, 0-3)
Tim Brewster is finally gone, following Mike Locksley and Ed Orgeron (and Ron Zook?) as living proof that great recruiters aren't always great coaches. (*cough* MIKE DAVIS) They play three of the conference's top four in their second half slate. They lost to South Dakota State. BUT - maybe an interim coach and having absolutely nothing to lose will energize this team. I've seen crazier things happen, and Adam Weber is a proud veteran leader at QB.
Next up: Penn State. Win, and your season isn't a total loss.
Please do let me know if you agree/disagree. And sorry about the lack of pictures/video, I'll get in and edit this later tonight.
1. Michigan State Spartans (7-0, 3-0)
Rankings: No. 7 BCS, No. 8 Coaches/AP, leading Big Ten
Starting out your conference season by beating Wisconsin, then stomping rival Michigan on the road and easily handing an Illinois team that gave Ohio State fits is pretty damn convincing in my book.
Next up: @ Northwestern. I believe Admiral Ackbar may have something to say about this game for the Spartans...
2. Wisconsin (6-1, 2-1)
Rankings: No. 13 BCS, No. 10 Coaches, No. 11 AP, T-4th in Big Ten (with tiebreaker over OSU)
Huge win at home over an undeserving national number one in Ohio State last week. Wisconsin struggled early in the season, but their sole loss is on the road at Michigan State, and that's not going to hurt them much in the long run.
Next up: @ Iowa. If Wisconsin can survive, the rest of their schedule shakes out favorably.
3. Iowa (5-1, 2-0)
Rankings: No. 15 BCS, No. 12 Coaches, No. 13 AP, T-2nd in Big Ten (with Purdue)
The only time I've gotten to watch Iowa for an entire game this year was their loss at Arizona, but this seems like your classic Kirk Ferentz team with extra talent on the defensive line. Ricky Stanzi is the ultimate patriot - I'll have more on this later, courtesy of our correspondent, Capt. Alec Kinczewski, serving our nation abroad in the armed forces (that's right, Peter King! You see what I did there? You're not the only one who can name-drop Army guys!).
Next up: Wisconsin. 3:30, ABC. Should be a snoozefest, but a well-played one, and the winner has Capital One Bowl pole position.
4. Ohio State (6-1, 2-1)
Rankings: No. 10 BCS/AP, No. 11 Coaches, T-4th in Big Ten
The conference's bell cow, Ohio State did their part to allow Big Ten haters in the room (I'm looking at you, Schlereth) with the upset loss at Wisconsin. The Buckeyes looked great against Indiana the week before, but then who doesn't? The Sweater Men have three absolute must-wins coming up if they want to get back in the thick of the Big Ten race.
Next up: Purdue
5. Purdue (4-2, 2-0)
Rankings: T-2nd in Big Ten
Let's give them credit now. Beating Northwestern on the road erased a lot of the early season stench of losing to Toledo at home. They have an incredibly tough slate coming up in the second half, so I expect this is as high as the Boilers will get, despite quality play from QB Rob Henry.
Next up: @ Ohio State
T-6. Northwestern (5-1, 1-1), Michigan (5-2, 1-2)
Northwestern commits too many penalties, while Michigan plays no defense. These are talented football teams with painfully obvious flaws, which is why I have them tied. NU has an absolutely HUGE home game this week against MSU, while Shoelace and Co. have a bye. I see both as bowl-caliber teams that need to get it together a little bit.
8. Illinois (3-3, 1-2)
Hey, they're better than I expected. Great road win against a bad Penn State team, followed by an acceptable road beating at East Lansing.
Next up: Indiana. Winner gets to pretend they have a shot at a bowl!
9. Penn State (3-3, 0-2)
Everybody knew this team would have some issues, but Evan Royster stinking was not one of the expected problems, and neither was a defense that traditionally would NEVER give up 33 points to Illinois at home.
Next up: @Minnesota. They need this win to be playing for bowl eligibility against Indiana at FexEx field down the road. Otherwise that might just be a 3/4 empty venue, which would look awful for the conference. I think you know what Jim Delaney is telling the refs for this game.
10. Indiana (4-2, 0-2)
Best receivers in the conference, and one of the best quarterbacks too - I put Ben Chappell in the front rank with Robinson, Pryor, and Persa. But that Homecoming 'win' over Arkansas State (which by the way gives IU a 2-0 record in the Sun Belt) was not impressive. On paper, this looks like a team that could get bowl eligible. In reality, having watched them almost every week, I'm not so sure.
Next up: @Illinois. Should I go to this game? Debating.
11. Minnesota (1-6, 0-3)
Tim Brewster is finally gone, following Mike Locksley and Ed Orgeron (and Ron Zook?) as living proof that great recruiters aren't always great coaches. (*cough* MIKE DAVIS) They play three of the conference's top four in their second half slate. They lost to South Dakota State. BUT - maybe an interim coach and having absolutely nothing to lose will energize this team. I've seen crazier things happen, and Adam Weber is a proud veteran leader at QB.
Next up: Penn State. Win, and your season isn't a total loss.
Monday, October 11, 2010
The NFL standings based on Pete Prisco's Overall GPA
I was going through Pete Prisco's week 5 grades and noticed how crazy they were. So, I wanted to create a list of how the teams should be ranked based on the grades he has given them for their performances. And by ranked, I mean their standings in the NFL. This is an oddity. However, since the Jets/Vikings game is not decided, I will not include them. I will also not include those on bye weeks this week (I'm only looking at his week 5 GPAs). Okay, here we go:
1. Chiefs - GPA 3.10 - Actual Record 3-1
2. Falcons - 2.86 - 4-1
3. Texans - 2.74 - 3-2
4. Redskins - 2.74 - 3-2
5. Titans - 2.68 - 3-2
6. Ravens - 2.54 -4-1
7. Giants - 2.54 - 3-2
9. Bucs - 2.50 - 3-1
9. Colts - 2.48 - 3-2
10. Lions - 2.42 - 1-4
11. Rams - 2.40 - 2-3
12. Eagles - 2.40 - 3-2
13. Bears - 2.34 - 4-1 (Tied Best in NFC)
14. Chargers - 2.20 - 2-3
15. Jags - 2.14 - 3-2
16. Browns - 2.08 - 1-4
17. Broncos - 2.06 - 2-3
18. Cowboys - 1.93 - 1-3
19. Bengals - 1.88 - 2-3
20. Packers - 1.86 - 3-2
21. Saints - 1.82 - 3-2
22. Raiders - 1.80 - 2-3
23. 49ers - 1.80 - 0-5
24. Cardinals 1.66 - 3-2
25. Panthers - 1.22 -0-5
26. Bills - 1.00 - 0-5
Okay, I have a few questions:
1) How are the 1-4 Lions a top 10 team in GPA?
2) How are the Cardinals the third worst team, yet they have a winning record?
3) How are the Rams better than the Bears?
4) If this is based on expectations, shouldn't the Bears be near the top as they have the best Record in the NFL and have beaten two Superbowl Favorites?
I guess I'm just confused...
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Radio shows
I apologize for not posting in quite some time, however since my last post we have done two more radio shows.
Show 4
Show 5
If nothing else listen to them to laugh at our awful predictions. Since that dallas game my crystal ball has been in the shop.
I am very open to topics if you guys think I should cover something on the show let me know and I can address it.
Show 4
Show 5
If nothing else listen to them to laugh at our awful predictions. Since that dallas game my crystal ball has been in the shop.
I am very open to topics if you guys think I should cover something on the show let me know and I can address it.
Friday, October 8, 2010
ROAD TRIP!!
Indiana are 22.5 point underdogs to tOSU Buckeyes tomorrow. See you there, Armchair Superstars!
One quick thought: I've always found Ohio State's marching band to be one of the most overrated in the country - they spend so much time on "Script OHIO" that they don't both learning how to play real music, and it really shows. Keep an ear out for some high-school level stand tunes tomorrow.
Hopefully will be somewhere in C-Bus or Indy in time to catch Northwestern-Purdue, let me know if you have any bar recommendations!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Very Special Birthday
Ladies and gentlemen, I wanted to take this chance to wish a happy 90th birthday to my Grandma Jean Fodor. She just got out of a successful surgery and will be partying it up with my parents tonight. By the way, she is a Bears and Illinois fan - (we'll agree to disagree on the second one.)
Ninety is one hell of an achievement, as I'm sure you'll agree, and so in Armchair Superstar Style, here are the sports-related highlights of October 7th throughout Grandma's long and storied career:
1916: Okay, so this is four years beforehand, but today was the day Georgia Tech beat Cumberland University 222-0 in college football. Tech's coach? John Heisman. Yeah, you may have heard of him.
1920: Along with Grandma, famous Manchester United player Jack "The Gunner" Rowley was born.
1931: Lowell "Cotton" Fitzimmons born in Hannibal, Missouri. Grandma is, meanwhile, growing up just a stone's throw away in Iowa. Fitzimmons goes on to a career as an NBA basketball coach for at least six different teams, including the Suns just before the Bulls got to them in the '93 championships.
Some other notables born on October seventh? Desmond Tutu, Oliver North, John Mellencamp, Yo-Yo Ma, Tony Braxton, Priest Holmes, Charles Woodson (last year's Defensive Player of the Year!), and Evan Longoria of the Tampa Bay Rays.
At SportsIllustrated, Steve Rushin makes the argument that October 7, 1975 was part of the most important three weeks in SPORTS HISTORY! It was the day the Reds swept the Pirates to get into the World Series -- by the way, this is a great article if you're a history nerd like me.
Finally, and most importantly to all us Bears fans, October 7, 1984, as Grandma was admiring her very first and most adorable grandchild, we saw Sweetness do this:
Happy 9oth, Grandma! Hope it's a great one.
Ninety is one hell of an achievement, as I'm sure you'll agree, and so in Armchair Superstar Style, here are the sports-related highlights of October 7th throughout Grandma's long and storied career:
1916: Okay, so this is four years beforehand, but today was the day Georgia Tech beat Cumberland University 222-0 in college football. Tech's coach? John Heisman. Yeah, you may have heard of him.
1920: Along with Grandma, famous Manchester United player Jack "The Gunner" Rowley was born.
1931: Lowell "Cotton" Fitzimmons born in Hannibal, Missouri. Grandma is, meanwhile, growing up just a stone's throw away in Iowa. Fitzimmons goes on to a career as an NBA basketball coach for at least six different teams, including the Suns just before the Bulls got to them in the '93 championships.
Some other notables born on October seventh? Desmond Tutu, Oliver North, John Mellencamp, Yo-Yo Ma, Tony Braxton, Priest Holmes, Charles Woodson (last year's Defensive Player of the Year!), and Evan Longoria of the Tampa Bay Rays.
At SportsIllustrated, Steve Rushin makes the argument that October 7, 1975 was part of the most important three weeks in SPORTS HISTORY! It was the day the Reds swept the Pirates to get into the World Series -- by the way, this is a great article if you're a history nerd like me.
Finally, and most importantly to all us Bears fans, October 7, 1984, as Grandma was admiring her very first and most adorable grandchild, we saw Sweetness do this:
Happy 9oth, Grandma! Hope it's a great one.
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