Week 13 Power Rankings....

1. New Orleans Saints (11-0) (lw #1)
2. Indianapolis Colts (11-0) (lw #2)
3. Minnesota Vikings (10-1) (lw #3)
4. San Diego Chargers (8-3) (lw #5)
5. Dallas Cowboys (8-3) (lw #7)
6. Cincinnati Bengals (8-3) (lw #8)
7. New England Patriots (7-4) (lw #4)
8. Philadelphia Eagles (7-4) (lw #10)
9. Arizona Cardinals (7-4) (lw #6)
10. Green Bay Packers (7-4) (lw #10)
11. Denver Broncos (7-4) (lw #15)
12. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-5) (lw #9)
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5) (lw #11)
14. Baltimore Ravens (6-5) (lw #17)
15. New York Giants (6-5) (lw #13)
16. Atlanta Falcons (6-5) (lw #18)
17. Tennessee Titans (5-6) (lw #20)
18. San Francisco 49ers (5-6) (lw #19)
19. Miami Dolphins (5-6) (lw #14)
20. Houston Texans (5-6) (lw #16)
21. New York Jets (5-6) (lw #22)
22. Buffalo Bills (4-7) (lw #26)
23. Carolina Panthers (4-7) (lw #21)
24. Chicago Bears (4-7) (lw #23)
25. Seattle Seahawks (4-7) (lw #24)
26. Washington Redskins (3-8) (lw #26)
27. Kansas City Chiefs (3-8) (lw #270
28. Oakland Raiders (3-8) (lw #28)
29. Detroit Lions (2-9) (lw #29)
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-10) (lw #30)
31. St. Louis Rams (1-10) (lw #31)
32. Cleveland Browns (1-10) (lw #32)

NFL Pick ems Week 12....

Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions
Oakland Raiders @ Dallas Cowboys
New York Giants @ Denver Broncos
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Atlanta Falcons
Miami Dolphins @ Buffalo Bills
Cleveland Browns @ Cincinnati Bengals
Seattle Seahawks @ St. Louis Rams
Carolina Panthers @ New York Jets
Washington Redskins @ Philadelphia Eagles
Indianapolis Colts @ Houston Texans
Kansas City Chiefs @ San Diego Chargers
Jacksonville Jaguars @ San Francisco 49ers
Arizona Cardinals @ Tennessee Titans
Chicago Bears @ Minnesota Vikings
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens
New England Patriots @ New Orleans Saints

NFL Power Rankings Week 12...

1. New Orleans Saints (10-0) (lw #1)
2. Indianapolis Colts (10-0) (lw #2)
3. Minnesota Vikings (9-1) (lw #3)
4. New England Patriots (7-3) (lw #5)
5. San Diego Chargers (7-3) (lw #7)
6. Arizona Cardinals (7-3) (lw #8)
7. Dallas Cowboys (7-3) (lw #9)
8. Cincinnati Bengals (7-3) (lw #4)
9. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4) (lw #13)
10. Philadelphia Eagles (6-4) (lw #14)
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4) (lw #6)
12. Green Bay Packers (6-4) (lw #15)
13. New York Giants (6-4) (lw #16)
14. Miami Dolphins (5-5) (lw #18)
15. Denver Broncos (6-4) (lw #10)
16. Houston Texans (5-5) (lw #11)
17. Baltimore Ravens (5-5) (lw #12)
18. Atlanta Falcons (5-5) (lw #17)
19. San Francisco 49ers (4-6) (lw #19)
20. Tennessee Titans (4-6) (lw #23)
21. Carolina Panthers (4-6) (lw #20)
22. New York Jets (4-6) (lw #21)
23. Chicago Bears (4-6) (lw #22)
24. Seattle Seahawks (3-7) (lw #24)
25. Washington Redskins (3-7) (lw #25)
26. Buffalo Bills (3-7) (lw #26)
27. Kansas City Chiefs (3-7) (lw #27)
28. Oakland Raiders (3-7) (lw #28)
29. Detroit Lions (2-8) (lw #31)
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-9) (lw #29)
31. St. Louis Rams (1-9) (lw #30)
32. Cleveland Browns (1-9) (lw #32)

Week 11 NFL Pick ems...

Well I rebounded from my abysmal week to finish at 11-4. This is the first time I have had double digits with the correct picks in six weeks. I am 50 games above .500 and am only six correct picks away from reaching 100 on the year. With last weeks record it brings my overall record to 94-54.

Miami Dolphins @ Carolina Panthers
Washington Redskins @ Dallas Cowboys
Cleveland Browns @ Detroit Lions
San Francisco 49ers @ Green Bay Packers
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Kansas City Chiefs
Seattle Seahawks @ Minnesota Vikings
Atlanta Falcons @ New York Giants
New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Buffalo Bills @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Indianapolis Colts @ Baltimore Ravens
Arizona Cardinals @ St. Louis Rams
San Diego Chargers @ Denver Broncos
Cincinnati Bengals @ Oakland Raiders
New York Jets @ New England Patriots
Philadelphia Eagles @ Chicago Bears
Tennessee Titans @ Houston Texans

NFL Week 11 Power Rankings...

1. New Orleans Saints (9-0) (lw #1)
2. Indianapolis Colts (9-0) (lw #2)
3. Minnesota Vikings (8-1) (lw #3)
4. Cincinnati Bengals (7-2) (lw #5)
5. New England Patriots (6-3) (lw #4)
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) (lw #6
7. San Diego Chargers (6-3) (lw #9)
8. Arizona Cardinals (6-3) (lw #10)
9. Dallas Cowboys (6-3) (lw #7)
10. Denver Broncos (6-3) (lw #8)
11. Houston Texans (5-4) (lw #13)
12. Baltimore Ravens (5-4) (lw #14)
13. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4) (lw #16)
14. Philadelphia Eagles (5-4) (lw #12)
15. Green Bay Packers (5-4) (lw #17)
16. New York Giants (5-4) (lw #15)
17. Atlanta Falcons (5-4) (lw #11)
18. Miami Dolphins (4-5) (lw #19)
19. San Francisco 49ers (4-5) (lw #21)
20. Carolina Panthers (4-5) (lw #23)
21. New York Jets (4-5) (lw #20)
22. Chicago Bears (4-5) (lw #18)
23. Tennessee Titans (3-6) (lw #25)
24. Seattle Seahawks (3-6) (lw # 22)
25. Washington Redskins (3-6) (lw #27)
26. Buffalo Bills (3-6) (lw #24)
27. Kansas City Chiefs (2-7) (lw #29)
28. Oakland Raiders (2-7) (lw # 26)
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-8) (lw #28)
30. St. Louis Rams (1-8) (lw #30)
31. Detroit Lions (1-8) (lw #32)
32. Cleveland Browns (1-8) (lw #31)

Week 10 NFL Pick ems...

Last week was terrible I went 7-6 but who would have guessed that the Cowboys would beat the Eagles in Philly, or that the Buccaneers would realize that they play in the NFL. Here are the week's picks... I picked the 49ers on the air(The Odd Couple on Fox Sports Radio 1230 WCWA) on Thursday so don't think that I'm cheating...


Chicago Bears @ San Francisco 49ers
Buffalo Bills @ Tennessee Titans
New Orleans Saints @ St. Louis Rams
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Miami Dolphins
Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings
Jacksonville Jaguars @ New York Jets
Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Denver Broncos @ Washington Redskins
Atlanta Falcons @ Carolina Panthers
Kansas City Chiefs @ Oakland Raiders
Dallas Cowboys @ Green Bay Packers
Seattle Seahawks @ Arizona Cardinals
Philadelphia Eagles @ San Diego Chargers
New England Patriots @ Indianapolis Colts
Baltimore Ravens @ Cleveland Browns

NFL Power Rankings Week 10...

1. New Orleans Saints (8-0) (lw #1)
2. Indianapolis Colts (8-0) (lw #2)
3. Minnesota Vikings (7-1) (lw #3)
4. New England Patriots (6-2) (lw #5)
5. Cincinnati Bengals (6-2) (lw #6)
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) (lw #7)
7. Dallas Cowboys (6-2) (lw #9)
8. Denver Broncos (6-2) (lw #4)
9. San Diego Chargers (5-3) (lw #13)
10. Arizona Cardinals (5-3) (lw #14)
11. Atlanta Falcons (5-3) (lw #15)
12. Philadelphia Eagles (5-3) (lw #8)
13. Houston Texans (5-4) (lw #10)
14. Baltimore Ravens (4-4) (lw #12)
15. New York Giants (5-4) (lw #11)
16. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-4) (lw #22)
17. Green Bay Packers (4-4) (lw #16)
18. Chicago Bears (4-4) (lw #17)
19. Miami Dolphins (3-5) (lw #18)
20. New York Jets (4-4) (lw #20)
21. San Francisco 49ers (3-5) (lw #19)
22. Seattle Seahawks (3-5) (lw #24)
23. Carolina Panthers (3-5) (lw #21)
24. Buffalo Bills (3-5) (lw #23)
25. Tennessee Titans (2-6) (lw #28)
26. Oakland Raiders (2-6) (lw #25)
27. Washington Redskins (2-6) (lw #27)
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-7) (lw #32)
29. Kansas City Chiefs (1-7) (lw #26)
30. St. Louis Rams (1-7) (lw #29)
31. Cleveland Browns (1-7) (lw #30)
32. Detroit Lions (1-7) (lw #31)

Replay overturns game winning shot, Bulls lose 90-89...

The Chicago Bulls(4-3) had an all around productive night and they even had the win for about five minutes but after further review the official determined the last second shot was not released before the buzzer sounded and the Denver Nuggets(6-2) took away a victory from the Bulls 90-89.

Carmelo Anthony put up 20 points for the Nuggets and he traded baskets at the end of the game with Derrick Rose, who lead all scorers with 22 points, but it was Chauncey Billups who scored the last point for Denver hitting the first of his two free throws before purposefully missing the second. Chicago would get the rebound and call a timeout to set up their last play.

Brad Miller took the ball off of the inbounds pass and chucked up a shot as time expired and it was good just not in time though. The Bulls received great effort from everyone else;Luol Deng finished with 21 points six rebounds and five assists, Joakim Noah had a monster game with 12 points and 21 rebounds, John Salmons contributed 11 points five rebounds and five assists, and rookie Taj Gibson chipped in 10 points and six rebounds.

The loss drops the Bulls into a tie for first place with the Cavs but right now the Bulls own the tie breaker with a victory over Cleveland last week. I'm pretty impressed with what I have seen from this team they don't really have a lot of fire power on a consistent basis but all the players know their role and have the ability to pop off 20+ points on any given night. This team should have staying power barring any injuries but I doubt they have enough to honestly compete against the Bostons or Orlandos in the East.

GO BULLS!

Penguins continue to struggle losing 3-0 to Boston...

Without two of their best players, Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar, the Pittsburgh Penguins(12-6-0) continue to struggle being shut out for the second consecutive game 3-0 by the Boston Bruins(8-7-2). Sidney Crosby was shut out for the fifth consecutive game and after starting 7-0 on the road the Pens have dropped three straight.

This game started off slow for both teams but then the Bruins scored first on a weird fluky goal that was reviewed by the official after being ruled no goal but was overturned giving Matt Hunwik his fourth goal of the season and a 1-0 lead for Boston. The Bruins would increase their lead in the third period with two more goals to give them the 3-0 victory. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 26 of 28 shots but he did give up another fluke of a goal which has become common place for him during his short career. The Penguins are really missing Malkin and Gonchar but the Gonchar injury I think is bigger because he is their top defender, their point man on the power play, and the experience that he brings to the ice can't be replaced. I expected a let down of sorts after their hot start but I never imagined them to be this bad losing four of their last five games. They are still in first place in the Atlantic division and one would think that when healthy this team will be back in the mix and winning games.

GO PENGUINS!

Steelers shut down Broncos 28-10....

Coming off a bye week in a hostile environment and being short handed didn't stop the Pittsburgh Steelers(6-2) from another dominating performance on Monday Night Football as they easily handled the Denver Broncos(6-2) 28-10.

The Broncos got the ball first and drove the field but they only came away with three points for an early 3-0 lead. The Steelers couldn't really find a flow on offense and had to punt the ball away. both teams traded empty drives until they got into the second quarter where the Steel curtain showed up once again.

The Denver Broncos got the ball to start the second quarter and they picked up a first down but after that the Steelers used pressure to force Kyle Orton to throw an errant pass that was picked off by Ryan Clark's replacement Tyrone Carter and was returned 48 yards for a touchdown and the only touchdown of the entire first half. The Steelers only ran 18 offensive plays in the half.

To start the second half Pittsburgh looked poised to extend their lead after driving down the field to the Denver 33 yard line but then the Broncos defense took control. On first and ten Ben Roethlisberger dropped back to pass and was sacked and fumbled the ball which was returned 54 yards for a touchdown by Robert Ayers for a 10-7 lead.

But the Steelers would respond like champions do and drive right back down the field for a score. The Steelers offense would hit pay dirt with big plays including an 18 yards completion to Mike Wallace, a 24 yard scamper by Rashard Mendenhall(22 carries for 155 yards), a 35 yard completion to Santonio Holmes(6 catches for 93 yards), and the drive was capped off with a three yard touchdown catch over the middle by the always reliable Hines Ward. The Pittsburgh defense would stop the Broncos once again and the offense looked poised to once again extend their lead but Big Ben threw an interception that was to the Pittsburgh 21 yard line. The defense would hold once again stopping Denver after they picked up one first down.

In the fourth quarter the Steelers would grab a strangle hold on the game scoring 14 points and putting the game away. Troy Polamalu intercepted Orton setting the Steelers up with excellent field position and the offense would pounce all over the opportunity. On the third play after the turnover Roethlisberger(21 of 29 for 233 yards and 3 touchdowns) scrambled and found Wallace(4 catches for 69 yards and 1TD) open in the end zone for a 25 yard scoring strike and a 21-10 lead. The Steelers would tack on an insurance score when Big Ben found Ward(7 receptions for 44 yards and 2TD) once again for a three yard touchdown and a 28-10 lead. Carter would intercept Orton for the second time in the game sealing the victory for the Steelers.

The offense is clicking right now and the defense is dominate once again but they will really need to continue that with Cincinnati rolling into town this weekend. The Steelers are coming off of a short week after leaving the high altitude of Denver so that will be something to watch but Coach Tomlin will have his guys prepared.

GO STEELERS!

Week 9 NFL Pick ems...

Washington Redskins @ Atlanta Falcons
Arizona Cardinals @ Chicago Bears
Baltimore Ravens @ Cincinnati Bengals
Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts
Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots
Green Bay Packers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Kansas City Chiefs @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Detroit Lions @ Seattle Seahawks
Carolina Panthers @ New Orleans Saints
San Diego Chargers @ New York Giants
Tennessee Titans @ San Francisco 49ers
Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Denver Broncos

NFL Power Rankings Week 9...

1. New Orleans Saints (7-0) (lw #1)
2. Indianapolis Colts (7-0) (lw #2)
3. Minnesota Vikings (7-1) (lw #4)
4. Denver Broncos (6-1) (lw #3)
5. New England Patriots (5-2) (lw #5)
6. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) (lw #6)
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) (lw #7)
8. Philadelphia Eagles (5-2) (lw #10)
9. Dallas Cowboys (5-2) (lw #12)
10. Houston Texans (5-3) (lw #15)
11. New York Giants (5-3) (lw #9)
12. Baltimore Ravens (4-3) (lw #17)
13. San Diego Chargers (4-3) (lw #14)
14. Arizona Cardinals (4-3) (lw #8)
15. Atlanta Falcons (4-3) (lw #13)
16. Green Bay Packers (4-3) (lw #11)
17. Chicago Bears (4-3) (lw #19)
18. Miami Dolphins (3-4) (lw #22)
19. San Francisco 49ers (3-4) (lw #18)
20. New York Jets (4-4) (lw #16)
21. Carolina Panthers (3-4) (lw #24)
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4) (lw #20)
23. Buffalo Bills (3-5) (lw #21)
24. Seattle Seahawks (2-5) (lw #23)
25. Oakland Raiders (2-6) (lw #25)
26. Kansas City Chiefs (1-6) (lw #26)
27. Washington Redskins (2-5) (lw #28)
28. Tennessee Titans (1-6) (lw #31)
29. St. Louis Rams (1-7) (lw #32)
30. Cleveland Browns (1-7) (lw #29)
31. Detroit Lions (1-6) (lw #27)
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-7) (lw #30)

Short handed Pistons hand Magic first loss of the season....

Off season free agent pick up Ben Gordon lead the short handed Detroit Pistons(2-2) to a 85-80 victory over the defending Eastern Conference champions the Orlando Magic(3-1). Gordon scored 23 points, while filling in for the injured Rip Hamilton and the Pistons were without Teyshaun Prince for the first time in six years, and fellow back court mates Will Bynum and Rodney Stuckey combined for an additional 40 points(20 a piece) as the Pistons out quicked the Magic. Dwight Howard was pretty much nonexistent scoring 8 points and grabbing 5 rebounds before fouling out after only 17 minutes of action. Vince Carter and J.J. Reddick scored 15 and 14 points respectively but the team got little help from the rest of the team. Pistons free agent Charlie Villanueva finished with 12 points and 8 rebounds. Prince was held out of the game for the first time in 496 games due to a back injury that is expected to keep him out for at least a few more games.

Saints remain undefeated with a 35-27 win over the Falcons....

Drew Brees tossed two touchdowns and the running game on got track as the New Orleans Saints out scored the Atlanta Falcons 35-27 to remain unbeaten on the season.

The Falcons got on the board when Michael Turner(20 carries for 151 yards and 1TD) got the hand off and took the ball in from 13-yards out and a 7-0 score. But Pierre Thomas was not going to be out shined on his home field so he ripped off a 22-yard touchdown of his own to tie the game at 7. The Falcons defense would annihilate Drew Brees causing him to fumble the ball and the defense scooped it up and took it into the end zone for a 14-7 lead.

In the second quarter it was all New Orleans as Drew Brees(25 of 33 for 308 yards and 2 touchdowns and 1 int) would connect with Marques Colston(6 catches 85 yards and 1 TD) for an 18-yard touchdown on a beautiful throw in the back of the end zone where Colston had to go up and get it to even the score at 14. Then there was a Reggie Bush sighting as he ran into the end zone from one yard out for a 21-14 lead. The Saints defense would get in on the scoring too when Jabari Greer picked off Matt Ryan and returned it 48-yards for a touchdown and just like that the Saints scored 21 unanswered points for a 28-14 lead heading into the half.

In the third quarter Ryan(19 of 42 for 289 yards 1 TD and 3 ints) would hit pay dirt with a nice throw and even better catch by Roddy White for a 68-yard touchdown. On the play White made an over the shoulder catch that was reminiscent of Willie Mays. The Falcons made the score 28-21. White finished the game with 4 catches for 108 yards and the touchdown.

In the fourth quarter the Falcons would only be able to muster up two field goals that sandwiched a 1-yard Pierre Thomas(14 carries for 91 yards 1 rushing touchdown and one receiving touchdown) touchdown run giving the Saints a 35-27 victory.


The Saints are looking to be the real deal this year with a much improved defense and a running game to back up Drew Brees. The sky is the limit for this team and only they can stop themselves. I hoping for a Black and Gold Super Bowl baby! Go Steelers!

Phillies hold off Yankees for 8-6 win....

The Philadelphia Phillies still have some fight left in them as they were able to hold off the New York Yankees for an 8-6 victory forcing the series back to the big apple for game 6. The Yankees struck first when ARoid Alex Rodriguez doubled in the top of the first bringing home Johnny Damon. But Chase Utley quickly evened the score hitting a three run homer to put the Phils up 3-1. The Phils would score three more runs in the bottom of the third to extend their lead to 6-1. The Yanks would score a run in the fifth inning to inch closer but in the seventh inning Utley would hit his second homer of the game and that was followed up by Raul Ibanez hitting his own solo homer to make the score 8-2. In the eighth the Yanks would mount an attempt at a come back with ARoid continuing his clutch performance hitting a two run double that brought in Damon and Mark Teixeira. Then Robinson Cano hit a sac-fly that scored ARoid making the score 8-5. In the ninth Derek Jeter grounded into a double play but Jorge Posada was able to score making the score 8-6. Ryan Madson would eventually strike out Teixeira to complete the save opportunity and extend the series for at least one more game.

I think the Phils are done because I don't see them winning twice in New York but you never know. The Yanks have Andy Pettite pitching on three days rest which isn't a good situation for him at his age and if it makes it to a seventh game then Sabathia would be pitching his third game of the series which also isn't very good for them since he hasn't had time to properly rest his arm. I like how Charlie Manuel has handled his pitching staff in that he's not trying to make them do to much unlike Joe Girardi who may be over using his staff but at the same you do need to put your best players out there. I think the Yankees will win it seven games.

Yankees lead the World Series 3-2

NFL Power Rankings....

1. New Orleans Saints (6-0) (lw #1)
2. Indianapolis Colts (6-0) (lw #4)
3. Denver Broncos (6-0) (lw #3)
4. Minnesota Vikings (6-1) (lw #2)
5. New England Patriots (5-2) (lw #7)
6. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) (lw #8)
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) (lw #9)
8. Arizona Cardinals (4-2) (lw #10)
9. New York Giants (5-2) (lw #6)
10. Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) (lw #12)
11. Green Bay Packers (4-2) (lw #14)
12. Dallas Cowboys (4-2) (lw #15)
13. Atlanta Falcons (4-2) (lw #5)
14. San Diego Chargers (3-3) (lw #17)
15. Houston Texans (4-3) (lw #20)
16. New York Jets (4-3) (lw #21)
17. Baltimore Ravens (3-3) (lw #16)
18. San Francisco 49ers (3-3) (lw #13)
19.Chicago Bears (3-3) (lw #11)
20. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3) (lw #19)
21. Buffalo Bills (3-4) (lw #24)
22. Miami Dolphins (2-4) (lw #18)
23. Seattle Seahawks ( 2-4) (lw #23)
24. Carolina Panthers (2-4) (lw #22)
25. Oakland Raiders (2-5) (lw #25)
26. Kansas City Chiefs (1-6) (lw #26)
27. Detroit Lions (1-5) (lw #28)
28. Washington Redskins (2-5) (lw #29)
29. Cleveland Browns (1-6) (lw #27)
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-7) (lw #30)
31. Tennessee Titans (0-6) (lw #31)
32. St. Louis Rams (0-6) (lw #32)

NFL Pick ems Week 8...

Houston Texans @ Buffalo Bills
Cleveland Browns @ Chicago Bears
Seattle Seahawks @ Dallas Cowboys
St. Louis Rams @ Detroit Lions
San Francisco 49ers @ Indianapolis Colts
Miami Dolphins @ New York Jets
New York Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles
Denver Broncos @ Baltimore Ravens
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans
Oakland Raiders @ San Diego Chargers
Carolina Panthers @ Arizona Cardinals
Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers
Atlanta Falcons @ New Orleans Saints

Wings end 3-game slide with a 5-4 victory over Vancouver....

Pavel Datsyuk finally showed up for the Detroit Red Wings(4-4-2) scoring two goals in a wild third period that saw the Wings come from behind to pick up their first road victory of the season with a 5-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks(6-6-0).

The Canucks jumped out to a quick 2-0 start off of goals by Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler. Tomas Holmstrom would put the Wings on the board with a goal in the first period to make the score 2-1.

The Wings would be shut out by Roberto Luongo(37 saves) in the second period but they found away around him in the third period. Niklas Cronwell would tie things up for the Wings with a goal less than four minutes into the final period making it 2-2. The Canucks would pick up a power play goal to regain the lead when Mathieu Schneider put the puck past Jimmy Howard, who replaced Chris Osgood after only four shots. Then Pavel Datsyuk scored his first goal of the season that evened things up once again at 3-3. Datsyuk would score again about three minutes later to put the Wings ahead for the first time at 4-3. Sedin would score his second goal of the game to tie things back up. The Wings would go on the power play with 5:03 remaining and they would make the Canucks pay for it. Jason Williams would be the final player to score in the crazy third period that featured 6 goals including his game winner to make the score 5-4 Detroit.

Celtics spoil Shaq and Cavs home debut....

The Boston Celtics ruined what was supposed to be a big night for the city of Cleveland and their Cavaliers with the debut of Shaquille O'Neal as the Cavs lost their season and home opener 95-89. The Celtics Big 3 out shined the reigning MVP Lebron James and his new sidekick combining for 52 points and 23 rebounds compared to 48 points and 14 rebounds. Boston's new addition of Rasheed Wallace also paid dividends scoring 12 points off the bench with the Celtics bench out scoring Cleveland's 26-10. Paul Pierce finished with a team high 23 points and 11 rebounds, Ray Allen ended up with 16 points and Kevin Garnett contributed a double-double with 13 points and 10 boards in his first game since hurting his knee in March. James lead all scorers 38 points to go along with 8 assists and 4 rebounds. The Big Lazy aka Shaq had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Cavs fans shouldn't be too worried because there are a lot of new faces that are trying to get used to each other so it may take a few weeks for them to get acclimated to each other. This team may start out slow but they will pick it up and they will win the Central and be a top-3 seed in the Eastern Conference, probably behind the C's and Magic.

Steelers hand Vikings first loss of the season 27-17...

The Pittsburgh Steelers(5-2) defense got tired of the offense showing them up and answering questions about playing terribly in the fourth quarter so they went out and won the game for the team scoring two defensive touchdowns to hand the Minnesota Vikings(6-1) their first loss of the season 27-17.

Everyone expected a defensive battle between these two titans and that's what they got as both teams were unable to effectively move the ball throughout the first quarter but the Steelers won the game of field position and they would capitalize on it. After poor punts by Minnesota the Steelers opened up shop at the Vikings 39 yard line Pittsburgh was able to put the first points on the board off of a 39-yard Jeff Reed field goal.

The Vikings would respond though with a 13 play drive that covered 76 yards and chewed up almost five and a half minutes. Adrian Peterson(18 carries 69 yards) would cap off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. The Steelers would waste little time answering Minnesota's touchdown with one of their own. Ben Roethlisberger, who had his worst game statistically this season going 14 of 26 for 174 yards, found rookie Mike Wallace(3 catches 72 yards, 2 carries 19 yards) open down field for a 40-yard scoring strike just before halftime to give the Steelers a 10-7 lead.

In the third quarter both teams would exchange field goals that would make the score 13-10 heading into the fourth quarter. The vikings would have first and goal from the one yard line but the Steel Curtain held tough and shut down AP on first down. They would then force two straight incompletions forcing them to kick a field goal. In the fourth quarter Pittsburgh's defense would prove to be great once again.

The Vikings had what they thought was going to be a soul crushing drive when they covered 89 yards on 15 plays and they used up seven and a half minutes but they ultimately came up empty handed. Brett Kiesel got pressure on Favre on third and goal and forced a fumble that was recovered by Lamar Woodley 77-yards for a huge 14 points swing and a 20-10 Steelers lead. On the ensuing kickoff Pittsburgh got burnt for the second consecutive week by giving up a kickoff return for a touchdown but this one was by rookie Percy Harvin and it covered 88-yards and the Vikings narrowed the gap 20-17. The Vikings would try to mount a comeback with a quick drive that featured big plays by Sidney Rice(11 catches for 136 yards) and AP(4 receptions 60 yards) but the biggest play would once again be made by the Steelers defense. On third down the Steelers defense put pressure on Favre (34/51 for 334 yards 0 TDs, 1 int. and 1 fumble) on a screen pass and forced him to throw an errant pass intended for Chester Taylor but Keyaron Fox stepped in front of it and returned the interception 82-yards for the game sealing touchdown. The defense would sack Favre to end the game and picking up their fourth straight win 27-17.

The offense was lacking in the game but it didn't matter because they defense was playing possessed. Rashard Mendenhall had a decent day carrying the ball 10 times for 69 yards but he fumbled for the second consecutive game. With the way he carries the ball it's no wonder he has coughed the ball up more. They have a bye week this week so hopefully he gets that corrected with a ferocious Denver defense waiting for them in the mile high city.

GO STEELERS!

Yankees buy their trip to the World Series....

The Los Angeles Angels jumped out to an early 1-0 lead but the New York Yankees did not panic and came right back to win 5-2 and they advance to their first World Series in six seasons. Bobby Abreu brought home the first run of the game for Angels off of a single in the third inning possibly putting doubt in the minds of the Yankees that they would face more postseason struggles. But New York did not flinch as they responded in the fourth with a three run inning. Johnny Damon hit a single that brought home Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher then ARoid Alex Rodriguez was walked which brought home Derek Jeter for a 3-1 lead. Vladamir Guerrero would narrow the margin by hitting a single that brought home Chone Figgins to make the score 3-2. A pair of errors by the Angels and a sacrifice fly ball by Mark Teixeira resulted in the Yanks getting two more runs and then Mariano Rivera closed out the Angels with the final score being 5-2. Andy Petite got the win which was a record breaker from him as he passed John Smoltz on the all-time career postseason win list with 16. C.C. Sabathia was named the ALCS MVP going 2-0 striking out 12 batters and only giving up nine hits in 16 innings of work. The Yankees host the defending World Series Champions the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday in Game 1 of the World Series.
Yankees win best of 7 series 4-2

Irish end losing streak with a 20-16 victory over B.C.....

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish ended their six game losing streak to the Boston College Eagles with a 20-16 victory that nearly came down to the wire.

The Irish would get on the board first with a Nick Tausch 37-yard field goal. The Eagles would respond, sort of, with a sack that resulted in a safety.

In the second quarter the Irish would pick up another field goal for a 6-2 lead. Boston College would take their first lead of the game when Dave Shinskie connected with Rich Gunnell for a seven yard touchdown pass a 9-6 lead. Just before the half Jimmy Clausen found Golden Tate for an 11-yard touchdown pass and a 13-9 halftime lead.

In the second half Boston College would score the only touchdown of the third quarter and they would take the lead on a two yard touchdown run by Montel Harris. In the fourth quarter Clausen would find Tate once again for a 36-yard touchdown pass and a 20-16 lead. The Irish defense would pick off Shinskie three times including twice in the fourth quarter. Kyle McCarthy had two interceptions including one in the final quarter with 4:23 to go but Notre Dame was unable to put the game away after going three and out. Brian Smith would finally preserve the victory for the Irish when he picked off Shinskie for the third and final time with 1:28 left in the game.

Clausen finished the game with 246 yards and two touchdowns and Tate set a career high with 11 catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Notre Dame won their first game against Boston College since the 2000 season. The Irish play Washington State next week in San Antonio in a prime time game.

GO IRISH!

BCS Top-25 roundup....

#1 Florida out lasted the Mississippi State Bulldogs on the road 29-19. Tim Tebow had a pedestrian day for the top ranked Gators throwing 12 of 22 for 127 yards and two interceptions but he rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. The Gators snapped a four game losing streak on the road against MSU.

#2 Alabama blocked the game winning field goal to hold off the Tennesee Volunteers 12-10. The Crimson Tide's 350 pound nose tackle Terrence Cody destroyed the middle of the Vols field goal unit and blocked the kick preserving their perfect season for another week.

#3 Texas destroyed the Missouri Tigers 41-7. Colt McCoy rebounded from an abysmal couple of weeks by throwing for 269 yards and 3 touchdowns. Jordan Shipley caught 7 passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns.

#4 Boise State easily handled the Hawaii Warriors 54-9. Kellen Moore threw for 223 yards and 5 touchdowns. #5 Cincinnati routed Louisville 41-10 without their star quarterback Tony Pike. Sophomore Zach Collaros threw more touchdowns than incomplete passes three to two. The Bearcats are off to their best since 1954.

#6 Iowa pulled off a last second victory over Michigan State 15-13. Ricky Stanzi threw a touchdown pass Marvin McNutt as time expired to keep the Hawkeyes undefeated only moments after the Spartans scored a go ahead touchdown.

#7 USC avenged last seasons loss to the Oregon State Beavers with a 42-36 victory. True freshman Matt Barkley threw for 202 yards two touchdowns and two interceptions and senior running back Allen Bradford rushed for his first 100-yard game of the season finishing with 147 yards and two TDs.

#8 TCU routed # 16 BYU 38-7 in Utah. Andy Dalton threw for 241 yards and three touchdowns to keep the Horned Frogs BCS hopes alive. #9 LSU decimated Auburn 31-10. Jordan Jefferson tossed for 242 yards and two touchdowns for Tigers.

#10 Miami was upset by the Clemson Tigers 4-37 in overtime. Jacory Harris threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns but he also tossed three interceptions. The Hurricanes took the lead off of a Harris 69-yard touchdown pass but the Tigers responded by tying the game on a 30 yard field goal with five seconds remaining. In the overtime the Canes settled for a field goal but Clemson was able to put the ball into the end zone when quarterback Kyle Parker connected with Jacoby Ford from 26-yards out.

#11 Oregon easily handled Washington 43-19. #12 Georgia Tech routed Virginia 34-9. #13 Penn State dominated in the second half en route o a 35-10 victory the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor, Michigan. #15 Oklahoma State used little effort to knock off the Baylor Bears 34-7. #17 Houston continued their Cinderella season by beating Southern Methodist 38-15.

#18 Utah needed overtime to knock off Air Force 23-16. The Falcons scored the last six points on two field goals to force the overtime but the Utes would score a touchdown in the extra period to knock off the Air Force academy. #19 Ohio State overwhelmed the Minnesota Gophers 38-7. Terrelle Pryor combined for 343 yards and three touchdowns for the Buckeyes. #20 Pittsburgh knocked off the former upstart South Florida Bulls 41-14.

#22 Arizona fought off UCLA for a 27-13 victory despite turning the ball over 5 three times. The Wildcats defense dominated the game though holding the Bruins to 211 yards of total offense, 2 field goals, and the their only touchdown given up came off of a fumble returned for six points.

#23 West Virginia held off an emotional Connecticut team 28-24. The Huskies played for the first time since their teammate Jasper Howard was stabbed to death earlier this week. Noel Devine ran for 177 yards and the game winning touchdown with only a couple of minutes remaining in the game.

#24 South Carolina got all they could handle from Vanderbilt winning 14-10. Stephen Garcia tossed two touchdowns for the Gamecocks including a 43-yarder that turned out to be the game winner less than three minutes after starting the fourth quarter.

#25 Kansas got shellacked at home by the unranked Oklahoma Sooners who were without their star quarterback and tight end 35-13. Landry Jones, who was filling in for Sam Bradford, threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns and the Sooners defense picked off Todd Reesing three times as Oklahoma was able to bounce back after losing the Red River shootout.

Penguins finally lose 4-1 to New Jersey....

The New Jersey Devils(6-3-0) ended the Pittsburgh Penguins(9-2-0) seven game win streak with an all around offensive effort and Martin Brodeur was able to keep the powerful Pens offense in check in a 4-1 win.

The Devils jumped out to a 1-0 lead off of Mark Faser's first career goal 9:50 into the first period, Marc-Andre Fleury appeared to have stopped the shot but he accidentally batted it in for the goal. In the second period the Devils would get a power play opportunity and they would capitalize on it when Niclas Bergfors put the puck past Fleury for a 2-0 lead. Early in third period New Jersey would out distance themselves even more when Travis Zajac would rebound a missed Zach Parise shot into an open net and before the Pens realized it they were down 3-0.

Alex Goligoski would break the shut out for the Pens midway through the third period but that was the only bit of offense the Penguins were able to muster in a lackluster effort. Parise would score later in the third to make the final score 4-1. The Devils held Evgeni Malkin in check holding him to zero points on zero shots. The Penguins lost for the first time all season with Marc-Andre Fleury in net. Fleury turned aside 22 of 26 shots. The Penguins w are home for their next game against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.

GO PENGUINS!

NFL Week 7 Pick ems...

Last week I went 9-5 which seems to be the best I can do so far this season but it brought my overall record to 58-36. This week there are some tough matchups and they could go either way. The Texans-49ers matchup is intriguing because this would be the game the Texans should lose with their trend of winning every other game but they are at home. The 49ers are coming off of a bye with Michael Crabtree in the starting lineup and they still have the bitter taste of getting their butts handed to them by Atlanta a couple of weeks ago. That is just one of the conundrums that I am facing this week but I guess I need to press on anyways here are my predictions for this week....

San Francisco 49ers @ Houston Texans
Green Bay Packers @ Cleveland Browns
San Diego Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs
Indianapolis Colts @ St. Louis Rams
Minnesota Vikings @ Pittsburgh Steelers
New England Patriots @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
New York Jets @ Oakland Raiders
Buffalo Bills @ Carolina Panthers
Chicago Bears @ Cincinnati Bengals
Atlanta Falcons @ Dallas Cowboys
New Orleans Saints @ Miami Dolphins
Arizona Cardinals @ New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Redskins

Yankees rally but come up short, Angels win 7-6....

The Los Angeles Angels took an early 4-0 lead, then blew it, then gained it back and were facing bases loaded in the ninth but they ultimately made the key play to hold off the New York Yankees 7-6 and they live to fight another day.

In the first inning Torii Hunter hit a two run single, Vladamir Guerrero doubled in Hunter for a 3-0 lead and then Kendry Morales hit a single that brought home Vlad and before the Yankees knew it they were down 4-0 after the first inning.

The Yankees would rally in the seventh inning though and it all started with Mark Teixeira. Teixeira double to center field driving home Melky Cabrera, Jorge Posada, and Derek Jeter bringing the Yanks within one at 4-3. But New York was not done there as Hideki Matsui hit a single that brought home Teixeira and then Robinson Cano tripled to center bringing in ARoid Alex Rodriguez and Matsui giving the Yankees a 6-4 lead.

The Angels would not be denied though scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take a 7-6 lead. In the ninth inning the Yankees would have the bases loaded with Nick Swisher at bat, he worked himself into a full count, but closer Brian Fuentes got Swisher to pop out to shallow center field and just like that the Angels are back in the ALCS. Game 6 is Saturday night back in New York.
Yankees lead best of 7 series 3-2

Week 6 NFL Power rankings....

1. New Orleans Saints (5-0) (lw #5)- The Saints absolutely dominated the Giants and their defense did something that hasn't been done yet this year, make Eli Manning look pedestrian
2. Minnesota Vikings (6-0) (lw #3)- Their continue to win but it appears teams are finding ways to lose to them now instead of the Vikes finding ways to win
3. Denver Broncos (6-0) (lw #4)- In the biggest game of their season coming off a bye week they proved this team will be around come January
4. Indianapolis Colts (5-0) (lw #1)- I don't like dropping a team just because they didn't play but the other teams body of work is more impressive right now
5. Atlanta Falcons (4-1) (lw #7)- The Falcons won a tough gritty game which is good because they can't always win with finesse
6. New York Giants (5-1) (lw #2)- It's not Eli's fault that Drew Brees torched the Giants defense but he did only throw for less than 200 yards
7. New England Patriots (4-2) (lw #9)- I'm not ready to officially declare Tom Brady back but he appears to be getting closer
8. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) (lw #6)- They were bound to slip up but at home and to the Texans? Come on Cincy you should be better than that
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) (lw #11)- The Steelers have quietly found themselves back a top the division and they have done it a new way, by passing which may be the new brand of Steeler football with Big Ben under center
10. Arizona Cardinals (3-2) (lw #17)- They proved they are still the big boys on the block in the NFC West, at least for the time being
11. Chicago Bears (3-2) (lw #10)- The offense looked confused and out of sync most of the night coming off a bye week but that shouldn't last very long
12. Philadelphia Eagles (3-2) (lw #8)- Sure they picked up Will Witherspoon but he wouldn't have helped against Oakland since the Eagles threw 46 times against the league's worst run defense
13. San Francisco 49ers (3-2) (lw #14)- In a desperate plea for more offensive explosions Crabtree is now their starter despite holding out until two weeks ago
14. Green Bay Packers (3-2) (lw #16)- Shutting out this years Lions team is impressive but they still haven't solved their offensive line woes
15. Dallas Cowboys (3-2) (lw #19)- Miles Austin played his way into a role opposite Williams and a bye week should have helped this team figure who their play makers are
16. Baltimore Ravens (3-3) (lw #13)- After three straight wins this team was the Super Bowl favorite, since then they have prevented themselves from winning by making HUGE mistakes at critical times
17. San Diego Chargers (2-3) (lw # 15)- This team should be better but the front office has held it back
18. Miami Dolphins (2-3) (lw #18)- Henne had another week to pick up the nuances of the offense this team could become extremely dangerous
19. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3) (lw #21)- MJD got his wish after complaining about a lack of a running game and he showed them why they should run more with 33 carries for 133 yards and 3 TDS
20. Houston Texans (3-3) (lw #22)- They continue their stretch of winning every other game but they might be able to put consecutive wins together with a home contest against the 49ers
21. New York Jets (3-3) (lw #12)- The defense is no longer dominating and teams now have tape on Sanchez which has proven to hurt him so far, they hope he can start figuring out defenses now
22. Carolina Panthers (2-3) (lw #23)- A soft rushing defense pay dividends for their offense and they get another favorable match up this week against Buffalo
23. Seattle Seahawks (2-4) (lw #20)- I figured with Hasselbeck healthy they were unbeatable at home, boy was I wrong!
24. Buffalo Bills (2-4) (lw #28)- The Bills won with defense despite a still anemic offense and Trent Edwards suffered his second concussion in as many years
25. Oakland Raiders (2-4) (lw #30)- After getting embarrassed last week they showed they still hace some pride, who would have thought?
26. Kansas City Chiefs (1-5) (lw #31)- Finally got a win after playing good enough to win two weeks ago so maybe they have confidence now which what teams need sometimes to win
27. Cleveland Browns (1-5) (lw #25)- First Rolling Stones magazine and now mother nature has joined in the Browns bashing
28. Detroit Lions (1-5) (lw #24)- The bye week could not have come at a better time, they need to heal and lick their wounds
29. Washington Redskins (2-4) (lw #26)- If it wasn't for their two wins this would be the worst team in the NFL hands down
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-6) (lw #29)- They were close but not close enough maybe the cheap shot will wake these guys up
31. Tennessee Titans (0-6) (lw#27)- You know it's bad when Jeff Fisher makes fun of himself by wearing a Peyton Manning jersey to a charity event
32. St. Louis Rams (0-6) (lw#32)- The Rams get more competitive every week but they still don't have enough to win

Phils return to the World Series for second consecutive year....

The Philadelphia Phillies will make a return trip to the World Series to defend their championship title after knocking off the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-4. The Phils used a flurry of home runs to bat away the Dodgers and became the first team since the New York Yankees did it in 2000-2001. Jayson Werth kicked things off in the first inning hitting a three run homer giving Philadelphia a 3-1 lead. In the second Pedro Feliz hit a solo shot to further their lead 4-2. After the Phils scored two runs the old fashion way Shane Victorino hit a two run home run in the sixth to put the Phils up 8-3 and Werth hit his second homer of the game in the same inning and gave them a 9-3 lead. The Dodgers would get another run but Philadelphia canceled it out with a run of their own. Ryan Howard was named the MVP of the National League Championship Series after going five of 15 hitting two home runs, knocking in eight runs and scoring a run in each game. The Phillies now wait for the winner of the ALCS and the World Series is slated to begin Wednesday October 28th.
Phillies win best of 7 series 4-1

Angels win, Phils take stranglehold on series....

The New York Yankees looked like they were going to coast to a 3-0 series lead in the ALCS but then the wheels fell off and the Los Angeles Angels seized the opportunity winning their first game 5-4 in 11 innings. The Yankees got home runs from Derek Jeter in the first, ARoid Alex Rodriguez in the fourth, and Johnny Damon in the fifth to jump out to a 3-0 lead but then the Angels started their comeback. Howie Kendrick hit a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth and then Vladamir Guerrero hit a two run shot in the sixth to tie things up. Maicer Izturis hit a sac-fly in the seventh to give LA the lead at 4-3. Jorge Posada hit a homer to tie things up in the eighth at 4. In the 11th inning Jeff Mathis doubled to center field knocking in Kendrick for the game winning run. Game 4 is tonight in Los Angeles.
Yankees lead best of 7 series 2-1

The Philadelphia Phillies took a stranglehold on the NLCS with a 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ryan Howard started things off for the defending champs hitting a two run homer in the first inning. The Dodgers battled right back though by scoring two runs in the fourth and then adding a Jack Kemp homer in the fifth and Manny Ramirez scored a run in the sixth to put the Dodgers up 4-2. But like the champs that they are the Phils did not panic and they responded in a big way. In the sixth inning Chase Utley knocked in Shane Victorino to bring them closer. In the bottom of the ninth Jimmy Rollins hit double to center field that brought in the game tying and winning runs and the Phillies grabbed a 3-1 series. Game 5 is tomorrow in Philadelphia.
Phillies lead best of 7 series 3-1

Steelers dominate Browns 27-14....

The Pittsburgh Steelers(4-2) picked up their first divisional win of the season by dominating the Cleveland Browns(1-5) 27-14 at Heinz Field.

The first quarter was pretty uneventful for both teams due to drop passes and miscues. The Browns continued to struggle with Derek Anderson at quarterback although some of the struggles are with wide receivers dropping easy wide open passes. Josh Cribbs played a lot of the game out of the wildcat formation but his only miscue came when he forced a pass that was intercepted by the returning Troy Polamalu.

In the second quarter the Steelers got rolling with a 7-play 85-yard drive that was capped off when Ben Roethlisberger found Heath Miller open near the sideline of the end zone and like he so often does Ben put the ball only where Miller(5 catches 80 yards) could catch it and the Steelers had a 7-0 lead. With the touchdown catch Heath moved into second place all-time in Steelers history for touchdowns by a tight end passing Eric Green with 25 TDs for his career. The Steelers defense would continue to dominate and they got the ball back for the offense who capitalized on the opportunities that they were given. Big Ben threaded the ball between to defenders and found an open Hines Ward(8 receptions 154 yards) who scampered 52-yards into the end zone to give the Steelers a 14-0 lead.

The Browns would respond instantly mostly because the Steelers would make the ultimate mistake, they kicked the ball to Josh Cribbs. Cribbs returned the kickoff 98-yards out racing everyone on the field and scoring to bring the Browns within a score at 14-7. The Steelers would march down the field into field goal range but then something strange happened, the officials blew a call(who would've thought that?). The Steelers went for it on a fourth and inch from the Cleveland 14-yard line and Ben snuck the ball and picked up the first down, the controversy was whether he really picked up the first down. When the officials measured to see if Pittsburgh got the first or not it appear the Steelers were a few inches short but the officials gave it to them anyways. Then a few plays later Ben found an open Ward in the the corner of the end zone for a touchdown but upon further review it was determined that the ball came out at the last possible second(more on this in a moment). The Steelers would have to settle for a field goal and go into the half up 17-7.

In the third quarter the Browns came out on fire and DA found Mohamed Massaquoi(5 catches for 85 yards) for a huge 41-yard gain setting the Browns up in scoring territory. DA would complete a 1-yard pass to fullback Lawrence Vickers for the touchdown and inching Cleveland closer 17-14.

Steelers would respond like Champions do with a 6-play 79-yard drive to take a 24-14 lead. Rashard Mendenhall(16 carries for 62 yards) ran the ball in from 2 yards out to pick up his fourth touchdown in three games. The rest of the game was ugly and marred by turnovers. On third down the Browns got pressure on Big Ben and forced him to throw an errant pass that was intercepted. On the Browns ensuing drive Lawrence Timmons sacked DA and forced a fumble that was recovered by James Harrison. But on the Steelers drive Willie Parker coughed up the ball and gave it right back to the Browns. Luckily for Pittsburgh Timmons got in on Anderson again forcing another sack fumble. But the Steelers were feeling pretty gracious themselves and Mendenhall handed the ball right back to them fumbling after picking up a nice gain. The Steelers would eventually get the ball back and kick a field goal to make the final score 27-14. Ben Roethlisberger had his second career 400 yard passing game completing 23 of 35 passes for 417 yards and 2TDs.

Now on to the Ward incomplete touchdown catch, the letter of the rule was interpreted correctly and they make the right call. BUT how many times does a guy have to roll on the ground with possession of the ball before it is considered a catch. Ward caught the ball inbounds fell to the ground with possession, rolled once still had possession, rolled twice out of bounds still possessing the ball and on his final roll out of bounds the ball slipped out and touched the ground and the officials initially ruled it a catch before ultimately over turning the call. It was ridiculous he had possession when he hit the ground in bounds and he had possession when he was out of bounds so how was it not a catch. The NFL needs to change the rule because they are ruining a lot of good football games and taking away the integrity of the game.

With the Steelers win, Ravens loss at Minnesota and the Bungals losing at home to the Texans the Steelers are now tied with Cincy although the Bungals do hold the advantage right now since they won the only head-to-head matchup right now.

GO STEELERS!

Playoff weekend in review....

On Friday the New York Yankees grabbed a hold of the American League Championship Series from the Los Angeles Angels by winning Game 1 with a score of 4-1. The usual choker in October C.C. Sabathia pitched a strong game going eight innings giving up the lone run and striking out seven. Then on Saturday in Game 2 the Yankees got all they could handle from the Angels winning 4-3 in 13 innings. ARoid Alex Rodriguez continued his clutch play hitting home run on an 0-2 pitch in the bottom of the 11th inning to tie the game once again for the Yankees and Melky Cabrera knocked in Jerry Hairston Jr. for the game winning run in the bottom of the 13th inning. Game 3 is this afternoon in Los Angeles.
Yankees lead best of 7 series 2-0

On Friday the Los Angeles Dodgers evened the National League Championship Series by defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1. Ryan Howard hit a homer in the fourth inning but that would be all they would muster in the game. The usually reliable Chase Utley committed an error in the eighth inning that resulted in the game tying score and then Ryan Madson walked in the game winning run. On Sunday night though the Phils would get their revenge in a big way by absolutely embarrassing the Dodgers 11-0. Cliff Lee pitched a beauty of a game going eight innings striking out 10 batters and only giving up three hits. Ryan Howard hit a triple in the first inning that knocked in Shane Victorino and Chase Utley which would ultimately prove to be the winning runs. Game 4 is tonight in Philadelphia.
Phillies lead best of 7 series 2-1

Week 6 Pick ems...

I called the Browns upset of the Bills but I did miss the Bengals beating the Ravens so what does that tell you? Anyway I'm 49-27 on the season so far in picking games which isn't too bad but if you're placing any money on these predictions you might want to get them elsewhere because who knows how I'll pick from week to week since I like to hold grudges against teams for pretty much any reason. So here we go....

Houston Texans @ Cincinnati Bengals
Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers
St. Louis Rams @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Baltimore Ravens @ Minnesota Vikings
New York Giants @ New Orleans Saints
Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Kansas City Chiefs @ Washington Redskins
Philadelphia Eagles @ Oakland Raiders
Arizona Cardinals @ Seattle Seahawks
Tennessee Titans @ New England Patriots
Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets
Chicago Bears @ Atlanta Falcons
Denver Broncos @ San Diego Chargers

#8 Cincinnati survives scare from #21 South Florida 34-17

The eighth ranked Cincinnati Bearcats(6-0) survived losing their star quarterback to knock off the upstart #21 South Florida Bulls(5-1) 34-17.

The Bearcats took an early 3-0 but the Bulls responded and took the lead off of a 28-yard B.J. Daniels touchdown pass to Jessie Hester making the score 7-3.

In the second quarter Tony Pike got the Bearcat offense rolling throwing for 2 touchdowns both to Armon Binns(2 and 8 yards respectively) and Cincinnati had a 17-7 lead. Just before the half the Bulls would hit a field goal just as time expired to make the score 17-10.

Tony Pike would injure his left wrist and not return to the game but the Cincinnati offense did not miss a beat with back up Zach Collaros in the game. Three plays after Pike went down Collaros took a QB keeper, squeezed between the middle of the defense, and took off 75-yards for a touchdown and a 24-10 lead. B.J. Daniels would score from 1-yard out for the Bulls to bring them closer at 24-17 but that's as close as it would get.

In the fourth quarter Collaros would lead the Bearcats on another scoring drive that was capped off once again by him as he ran the ball into the end zone from 2-yards out. Cincinnati would kick a field goal to round out the scoring making the final score 34-17.

Phillies topple Dodgers in Game 1 of NLCS....

In Game 1 of the National League Championship series the Philadelphia Phillies bested the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-6 in L.A.

The Phillies used their power bats on the road and Brad Lidge appears to be a competent closer again as he picked up his third straight save. Carlos Ruiz hit a three run homer in the fifth that sparked the Phils to a 3-1 lead and later in the same inning Ryan Howard doubled knocking in two more runs for a 5-1 lead. The Dodgers tried rallying late but ultimately came up short losing to a score of 8-6. Game 2 is this afternoon at 4 in L.A.
Phillies lead best of 7 series 1-0

#5Boise State squeezes past Tulsa 28-21....

The #5 Boise State Broncos(6-0) continue their push for a bid in the BCS National title by remaining undefeated after barely knocking off the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes(4-2) 28-21.

The Broncos quickly fell behind Tulsa when wildcat quarterback A.J. Whitmore connected on a big play of 53-yards with Damaris Johnson for a 7-0 lead. Boise State would respond though when Kellen Moore tossed an 8-yard touchdown pass Tommy Gallarda and the Broncos were successful on the 2-point conversion making the score 8-7. Just before the end of the first quarter Tulsa would have another opportunity to take the lead. The usual QB for the Hurricanes G.J. Kinne found Trae Johnson in the end zone from 15-yards out for a 14-8 lead.

Once again Moore and the Broncos responded when found Austin Pettis open in the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown and BSU would go on top for good 15-14. Before the end of the half the Broncos extended their lead on a field goal by Kyle Brotzman making the score 18-14. in the second half the Borncos would continue to jump all over Tulsa when Moore tossed his last touchdown of the night to an open Gallarda for a 2-yard score and a 25-14 lead. Brotzman would hit another field goal to make the score 28-14.

The Golden Hurricanes were not done though as they traveled 91-yards on two plays both of which were passing plays from Kinne to Slick Shelley and the last one covered 55-yards and brought Tulsa within a touchdown at 28-21. On their next possession the Broncos defense forced their fourth three and out to preserve the win.

Pens squeak past Canes 3-2 in shootout....

The Pittsburgh Penguins(6-1-0) continued their hot play as of late winning a rematch of last years Eastern Conference Finals knocking off the Carolina Hurricanes(2-3-1) 3-2 in a shootout.

Michael Rupp and the Penguins set the tone early and jumped out to a 1-0 lead when Malkin(6) and Rupp(1) forced a 2-on-1 and Rupp was able to get the puck past Cam Ward for his first goal of the season. In the second period Malkin(3) continued the Pens domination taking the puck and scoring an impressive goal off of a Pascal Dupuis(1) pass giving the Pens a 2-0 lead early into the second period.

Both teams battled back and forth until the Pens finally gave up some ground and when they did the Hurricanes jumped all over them. Ray Whitney single handedly took control of the game in the third period scoring two goals, the first was only 4 minutes and 25 seconds into the period and the game tying goal came five and half minutes later, tying the game and forcing overtime.

In the extra period Malkin had a great chance at winning the game early on but he was stoned by the always reliable Ward and the game would eventually make it to a shootout. In the shootout Sidney Crosby would break the tie when he was able to put the puck past Ward. But Carolina would respond on their next try when Jussi Jokinen squirted the puck underneath Marc-Andre Fleury. Both teams were unsuccessful on their next three attempts until Chris Kunitz was able to solve the puzzle that is Cam Ward. Fleury shut down Eric Staal on the Canes final attempt to win his sixth game of the season and to remain unbeaten on the season. Fleury stopped 27 of 29 shots faced.

The Penguins have set a new franchise mark by winning their first five games on the road, their previous high was 4 straight twice in franchise history with the most recent time being two seasons ago. Crosby was held scoreless for the second consecutive game and for the fourth time in the last five games. This game was the last of a four game road trip and now the Pens will be home for the next week and a half. Up next the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

GO PENGUINS!

Week 5 NFL Power rankings....

1. Indianapolis Colts (5-0) (lw #1)- I didn't think it was possible but Peyton keeps getting better and has taken over the mantle of best QB in the NFL from Mr. Brady
2. New York Giants (5-0) (lw #2)- The Giants have coasted so far playing inferior opponents we will see how good they are after a trip to New Orleans
3. Minnesota Vikings (5-0) (lw #4)- Tough few weeks coming for the Vikings with a home against Baltimore than road games at Pittsburgh and Green Bay
4. Denver Broncos (5-0) (lw #10)- I'm not quite sold on these guys yet but hey they are winning close games which is the mark of a champion
5. New Orleans Saints (4-0) (lw #3)- We will see how good this team is after their next three games
6. Cincinnati Bengals (4-1) (lw #12)- Palmer is making plays when it is needed most and the last time this team started 4-1 was in 2005 when they made the playoffs
7. Atlanta Falcons (4-1) (lw #11)- The bye week did wonders for the offense as they dismantled a tough 49ers team but the have a tough stretch coming up
8. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) (lw #9)- With a healthy McNabb this team can be unstoppable
9. New England Patriots (3-2) (lw #7)- Bad news for winless Tennessee, the Pats don't lose two in a row
10. Chicago Bears (3-1) (lw #13)- The Bears need to get Matt Forte going if they want to keep up with the Vikings and the rest of the NFC for that matter
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) (lw #14)- A two game winning streak, a ressurging running game and the return of Troy Polamalu bodes well for the defending champions
12. New York Jets (3-2) (lw #5)- The once vaunted defense has been getting burned and Mark Sanchez is resembling a rookie quarterback but for the time being the Bills and Raiders should aleviate some of their pain
13. Baltimore Ravens (3-2) (lw #8)- Consecutive tough losses may hurt this teams confidence especially since Flacco hasn't looked as strong recently
14. San Francisco 49ers (3-2) (lw #6)- After their devastating home loss this team needs a bye week, maybe they can Michael Crabtree on the field in a week or two because they need more offensive weapons
15. San Diego Chargers (2-2) (lw #15)- Huge MNF game this week against the divisional leaders the Denver Broncos, the Chargers can ill afford to drop 3 full games behind them
16. Green Bay Packers (2-2) (lw #18)- Hopefully they solved their offensive line problems with their week off or this team isn't going to go anywhere
17. Arizona Cardinals (2-2) (lw #19)- The offense clicked early on but then they got complacent and struggled late which they can't do against at Seattle this week
18. Miami Dolphins (2-3) (lw #21)- Henne is looking to be the quarterback this team needs to compliment the running attack
19. Dallas Cowboys (3-2) (lw # 20)- Miles Austin may have earned himself a starting spot in the offense with his record breaking 250 yard receiving performance since he out gained Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton's season totals in one game
20. Seattle Seahawks (2-3) (lw #24)- This team is fueled by Hasselbeck and they showed it by destroying the Jaguars: up next a home game with the Cards
21. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3) (lw #16)- St. Louis rolls into to town on Sunday but who knows what will happen with this team
22. Houston Texans (2-3) (lw #17)- Texans rallied late but came up short the way their recent trend has gone they should win but they won't, they play at Cincinnati
23. Carolina Panthers (1-3) (lw #27)- Finally got off the schneide but they didn't look impressive while doing it
24. Detroit Lions (1-4) (lw #22)- These are not the Lions of yesteryear and they are close to winning some games, they may trip some teams up come December
25. Cleveland Browns (1-4) (lw #29)- Finally won a game but they did not deserve to win with Anderson and his receivers combining for a disgusting 2 of 17 for 24 yards
26. Washington Redskins (2-3) (lw #25)- Three losses are to teams that were previously defeated....the count down begins to Jim Zorn's firing
27. Tennessee Titans (0-5) (lw #26)- The Titans have a lot of problems and quarterback just became another one, Collins looks bad and Young didn't impress in the 4th quarter
28. Buffalo Bills (1-4) (lw #23)- Rumors of T.O. being traded does not bode well for the fans of Buffalo, not that he's done much to begin with
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-5) (lw #28)- Different quarterback same results
30. Oakland Raiders (1-4) (lw #30)- Their head coach is probably going to be suspended, what else is their to say
31. Kansas City Chiefs (0-5) (lw #31)- Taking the Cowboys to overtime is a good thing for the Chiefs they just need to learn how to win now
32. St. Louis Rams (0-5) (lw #32)- There appears to be no end in sight to this abysmal team