Remember This? Statue of Liberty

     This is perhaps one of the most clever football plays that you'll ever see. If you're a true college football fan, you'll remember what Boise State running back Ian Johnson did after the play; he proposed to his girlfriend at the time Chrissy Popadics (She said yes in case you're wondering). Anyways, here's the play: http://youtu.be/y4s8vdzYwFU

Time To Pick 'Em!!!

     Aside from a few upsets and miscalculations, I actually didn't do too bad with the college pick 'em last week. I went 7-4 last week. As for the NFL, let's just say that the replacement refs screwed me out of a couple of games. I went 9-7 due to two bad calls in two different games. Anyways, enough bickering from me. Here's my picks for the week:

College Football:

• No. 5 Georgia over Tennessee
• Washington upsets No. 8 Stanford
• No. 20 Michigan State over No. 14 Ohio State
• No. 12 Texas over Oklahoma State
• No. 9 West Virginia over No. 25 Baylor
• No. 22 Nebraska over Wisconsin
• Utah State over UNLV
• No. 18 Oregon State over Arizona
• UCLA over Colorado
• No. 1 Alabama over Ole Miss

NFL Picks:

• Ravens romp over the Browns
• Falcons over Panthers; Matt Ryan has a field day (He better have a field day to say the least)
• Patriots over Bills
• Lions over Vikings (It'll be close)
• Chiefs over Chargers
• Seahawks over Rams
• 49ers over Jets
• Texans blow out the Titans
• Broncos over Raiders
• Cardinals over Dolphins
• Bengals over Jaguars
• Packers over Saints
• Buccaneers over Redskins
• Giants over Eagles
• Bears over Cowboys

Replacement Referee Gaffes

     Want to know how much attention the issue involving the NFL and its referees has gotten? The botched call on Monday Night Football yesterday involving a supposed touchdown reception by Seahawks receiver Golden Tate in the final seconds made the front page of CNN's website and news sites around the globe. Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson threw up a 24-yard "Hail Mary" as time expired to Tate, who shoved down Green Bay's Sam Shields in the process. Then he wrestled with Packers safety M.D. Jennings for possession. After a lengthy review (The initial ruling was a touchdown), referee Wayne Elliott confirmed the call. But the call had immediate backlash.
     Jennings stated that he had the ball pinned to his chest the entire time and Packers offensive lineman T.J. Lang challenged the NFL to "Fine him any money and use it to pay the referees" on Twitter. As you know, the actual NFL referees are currently on strike due to labor dispute, prompting the NFL to use referees from Division II and Division III football. The final Monday Night Football call also shifted $150 million in Vegas bets. The NFL has stood by the touchdown call, stating that the only missed call on that play was the apparent pass interference by Tate. 
     But that's not the only incident this season that involved the replacement referees. These are some examples of the calls that were botched (Most of them happening in week 3):

• In the Tennessee-Detroit game, one of the referees spotted the ball at the Lions' 44-yard line instead of the Titans' 44-yard line after an unnecessary roughness call against Detroit in overtime. This turned out to be a 27-yard penalty on the Lions instead of a 15-yard penalty and led to Rob Bironas kicking the game-winning field goal.
• On the previous Monday Night Football game between the Denver Broncos and the Atlanta Falcons, Broncos head coach John Fox was told that he couldn't challenge a call of twelve men on the field against Denver. Replays showed that the Broncos did have twelve men on the field at the time, but Fox was right in attempting to challenge the call. This game was an absolute flag-fest, too.
• In Baltimore's last-second 31-30 Sunday Night win over New England, Ravens kicker Justin Tucker's 27-yard field goal was called good when the field goal went over the posts rather than through it or wide left/right. This prompted Bill Belichick to grab one of the referees, trying to find a logical explanation. 
• In the San Francisco-Minnesota game, the officials would call out a penalty against a team without specifying the number of the player that committed the penalty. In the fourth quarter of this game, the 49ers were allowed to withdraw called timeouts, two in a six-play span, so that they could challenge plays. The first play was reversed, which involved a Toby Gerhart fumble given to the Niners after video review.

     For the most part, this has been a black eye for the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell. This has also resulted in only three undefeated teams and two winless teams through week 3. Luckily, the NFL and the referees are close to getting a deal done. And you know what that means! You won't have to see any more of this!

                                          
      NOTE: Just before the stroke of midnight a deal got done. So now you will get good old Mike Carey calling penalties instead of these buffoons. Enjoy!!

"Replacement Ref Furor Grows After Seattle Seahawks' Wild Win over Green Bay Packers" ESPN.com.
      Disney, 25 Sept. 2012. Web. 26 Sept. 2012.

LEON LETT!! NO!! The Second Coming

     About a week ago, the Washington Redskins lost to the St. Louis Rams when Redskins kicker Billy Cundiff missed a last second field goal from 62 yards out. The field goal would've sent the game into overtime in which the Redskins would have a chance to win. But Redskins fans aren't mad at Billy Cundiff. Oh no!!
     http://youtu.be/6O_z7-wI2hU They are livid at Redskins receiver Joshua Morgan for that boneheaded play, which decimated any chance Washington had at going 2-0 this season. But hey, Morgan managed to make it to Sportscenter's number one spot on its Top Ten... Not Top Ten, that is. As a matter of fact, Josh Morgan received death threats from that incident. Who knew?

Another Week, Another Pick 'Em

     Last week, I got slaughtered in my pick 'em. I went 6-4 in the NCAA pick 'em and 10-6 in the NFL pick 'em. Hopefully the Dallas Cowboys will quit playing like a group of enigmas and beat Tampa Bay this week. Anyways, here's my picks for this week:

College Football:

• No. 24 Boise State over BYU
• No. 6 Oklahoma over No. 15 Kansas State
• No. 10 Clemson over No. 4 Florida State
• No. 19 UCLA over Oregon State (The game should be close)
• Wisconsin over UTEP
• No. 5 Georgia over Vanderbilt 
• No. 11 Notre Dame over No. 18 Michigan 
• No. 14 Florida over Kentucky 
• No. 2 LSU over Auburn
• No. 3 Oregon over No. 22 Arizona
• Georgia Tech over Miami (FL)

NFL Picks

• Giants over Panthers. Don't be surprised if this game goes down to the last minute.
• DAAAAA Bears over DAAAAA Rams
• Bills over Browns
• Cowboys over Bucs
• Lions over Titans 
• Colts over Jaguars
• Jets over Dolphins
• Niners over Vikings
• Saints over Chiefs
• Cardinals over Eagles
• Redskins over Bengals (Yes, I'm drinking the RGIII kool-aid. He's for RE-ALL!)
• Falcons over Chargers
• Texans over Broncos
• Steelers over Raiders
• Ravens over Patriots 
• Packers over Seahawks

Watch This: Hail Mary

     I'm sure you remember this play from a year or two ago. You've seen it broken down on numerous occasions on "Sports Science" and how David Garrard's pass would've fallen incomplete had the defender batted it down at a steeper angle. Well on November 14, 2010, this play made Gus Johnson sound like he had an orgasm. Check it out: http://youtu.be/GlvOUG8nuZ4
     Jacksonville won that game 31-24 against the Texans. It forever resonates as not just one of the best NFL plays in history, but one of the best plays in the history of sports. By the way, Mike Thomas was the one who caught the "Hail Mary" pass from David Garrard.

Who's Mike Gundy and What's His Age?

     It takes a man with real machismo to go on a rant the way that Oklahoma State football head coach Mike Gundy did on September 22, 2007. Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman wrote an article Oklahoma State's quarterback at the time Bobby Reid and why he might be demoted to second-string. The Oklahoman sports editor, Mike Sherman, stood by the story. Yet, this didn't sit well with the former Oklahoma State quarterback, who went on one of the most memorable rants in sports history. That's when he went on this awesome rant: http://youtu.be/aoMmbUmKN0E
     Many sports writers across the United States of America harshly criticized Gundy for his remarks. Dennis Dodd from CBS Sportsline accused him of "sexism" and the Association for Women in Sports Media stated that Gundy handled the situation in an "unprofessional manner". But OSU athletic director Mike Holder stood by Gundy's side, stating that "nothing is more important to us than our student-athletes."
     Overall, Mike Gundy's not going to put up with crap from any media outlet or publisher. His remarks weren't intended to be sexist and he even called the editor "garbage". But by golly, what has happened to the respect we had for a thing called the First Amendment? Anyways, I got to give props to Mike Gundy for going on to lead the Cowboys to the Fiesta Bowl in 2011 (In which #3 Oklahoma State beat #4 Stanford 41-38) and bringing Oklahoma State's football program to a top-tier level of competition.

Week 2 NFL/College Football Picks

     So I decided to start doing my picks on my blog since doing them on YouTube took up so much time. I will be doing this from this day forward. Here they are!!

College Football Week 3 picks:

• South Florida over Rutgers
• No. 14 Texas over Ole Miss
• No. 12 Ohio State over California
• No. 13 Virginia Tech over Pittsburgh
• No. 16 TCU over Kansas
• No. 1 Alabama over Arkansas
• No. 19 Louisville over North Carolina
• No. 2 USC over No. 21 Stanford
• No. 10 Michigan State over No. 20 Notre Dame
• Georgia Tech over Virginia

NFL Week 2 Picks:

• I'm calling an upset here. Call me crazy, but I'm picking the Chicago Bears over the Packers.
• Bills over Chiefs
• Bengals over Browns
• Colts over Vikings
• Dolphins over Raiders
• Patriots over Cardinals
• Giants over Buccaneers
• Saints over Panthers
• Ravens over Eagles
• Texans over Jaguars
• Redskins over Rams
• Cowboys over Seahawks
• Steelers over Jets
• Chargers over Titans
• 49ers over Lions
• Falcons over Broncos

Geek Out Stat: O's Magic

     Raise your hand if you had the Baltimore Orioles winning the AL East this year. Now put your hand down because chances are, you're lying.
     The Baltimore Orioles, managed by Buck Showalter, are currently tied for first in the AL East with the New York Yankees and are poised to make their first postseason appearance since 1997. The O's started off 19-9 in their first 28 games, tied for their best mark at this point of the season since 2002 (The 2005 Orioles started off 19-9 as well). Yet, you'd expect the Orioles to collapse and fall into obscurity at this point, right? Although they won four of their last thirteen games before the All-Star break, the Orioles went into the break with a 45-40 record. With that kind of slide, you'd think that this would maybe be where Baltimore begins to fall apart. Right? Wrong. They lost four of their first five games after the All-Star break and many people figured this was their swan song. Then on July 18, Baltimore beat the Minnesota Twins 2-1 thanks to an Adam Jones two-run homer in the first. This win would be the start of a five-game winning streak, which would catapult the O's back into playoff contention. They went 2-5 in the seven games after the five-game win streak. Surely you'd believe that THIS would be where the Orioles waved the white flag, right? Again, you'd be wrong. On July 30, the O's went into Yankee Stadium against division foe New York and wound up taking two of three from the Yankees in the series. After the crucial road series win, Baltimore went 11-5 in the next 16 games, including series wins over division rivals Boston and Tampa Bay. They went on to lose two of three games at Texas, but have been on a roll since August 22. As of right now, the Orioles are 77-60, tied for first in the AL East and are playing a critical home series versus the Yankees. You do believe in magic, yes?
     But how in the world is Baltimore, a team that has had 14 consecutive losing seasons and has had questionable ownership, been able to sustain this kind of competitive play? Believe it or not, you can't really put a finger on it. Baltimore ranks 17th in runs scored with 595 runs, 22nd in batting average (.247) and 23rd in slugging percentage (.311). Statistically, their pitching, more specifically their rotation, hasn't been outstanding in their own right. Baltimore ranks 17th in ERA (4.01), 20th in WHIP (1.31) and 16th in opponent's batting average (.255). But you can give starting pitcher Wei-Yin Chen plenty of credit for keeping the O's at this point. The lefty has a 12-8 record with a 3.79 ERA and a WHIP of 1.23. These stats may not be outstanding, but they're still respectable. But when you take into account his July 29th start against Oakland in which he struck out 12 A's in only 5.2 IP, you can't help but be impressed.
     Baltimore has also benefited greatly from having a shutdown closer in Jim Johnson. He's saved 41 games for the O's and has an ERA of 2.83, a WHIP of 0.98 and has only allowed twelve walks in 59 appearances. Did I mention that he has given up as many home runs as blown saves and only has 36 strikeouts? Darren O' Day and Pedro Strop have also done excellent work as set-up men. They've posted an ERA of 2.14 and 2.29, respectively. Troy Patton has been stellar as well, posting a WHIP of 1.03 a K/9 stat of 8.25.
     However, let's not forget that the emergence of outfielder Adam Jones has contributed immensely to Baltimore's success this season. The ex-Mariner is batting .289 this season while hitting 28 home runs and driving in 71 runs this year. He even stole 13 bases in 2012. Catcher Matt Wieters has also worked wonders for the Orioles, hitting 19 homers and 70 RBIs. Other contributing O's include Chris Davis, who has 24 homers and 67 RBIs and Nick Markakis, who's batting .300 while hitting 13 homers and 54 RBIs.
     Could the Orioles do the unthinkable and dethrone the New York Yankees in the AL East? Nothing's certain at this point, but it'll be a dogfight to the finish. All I can say is that everyone is pulling for Baltimore to pull off some O's magic in the last month of the regular season. Just don't try to write off this Orioles team just yet.

 

Some Things to Watch For This NFL Season

     Tonight, every warm-blooded male's dream comes true. The NFL returns with a division rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants. Yes, it's the most wonderful time of the year. Football season is here, so get your popcorn ready, pop the top on an ice cold beer and get comfortable on your sofa!
     Of course, every NFL season is packed with memorable highlights and storylines and this year will be no exception. Here are a list of things to look forward to and expect this NFL season:

• The NFC South Will Be Competitive Once Again: Last season was a two team race for the NFC South between the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints. There will be more intense division rivalries and more drama from the NFC South this year. The Panthers are picked by many experts to be the 2012 version of the Detroit Lions; a team that could surprise everyone and make the playoffs. The Bucs acquired Vincent Jackson from the San Diego Chargers this offseason and had one of the better drafts in 2012 as well. New Orleans was hit hard by the Bountygate scandal. The Saints lost both linebacker Jonathan Vilma and head coach Sean Payton to season-long suspensions along with losing defensive end Will Smith to a four-game suspension. And what did Atlanta do this offseason? They acquired cornerback and four-time pro bowler Asante Samuel from the Philadelphia Eagles. Overall, the NFC South looks like it could be one the NFL's tougher divisions.
• Baltimore Might Get Linebacker Terrell Suggs Before December: Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs tore his achilles tendon playing basketball this offseason. This injury will leave the 2011 Defensive Player of the Year out for the majority of the season, hurting Baltimore's linebacker core as well. Some medical experts even said that Baltimore's all-time sacks leader could miss the entire 2012 season. But here's some good news for Ravens fans: Terrell Suggs has claimed that he'll return to the Ravens by November 2012. If that happens, the Ravens will bolster their linebackers and will be harder to run the ball against. The Ravens also picked up a physical defensive end in Courtney Upshaw from Alabama in this year's draft, making Baltimore one of the scariest teams to have your quarterback play against (As if it wasn't hard enough to run the ball on Baltimore, let alone have your quarterback in one piece after facing them).
• The Buffalo Bills Could Make The Playoffs: The Buffalo Bills started 5-2 last season before injuries and a tougher schedule brought them back to earth. The Bills, who finished 6-10 in 2011, might take the next step this year. They have one of the easiest schedules in the NFL, playing against teams like St. Louis, Cleveland, Jacksonville, Arizona and Indianapolis. Buffalo also signed linebacker/defensive end Mario Williams to a six-year, $100 million contract (with $50 million guaranteed). The former No. 1 draft pick boosts the Bills' anemic pass rush, which ranked 28th in the league in rushing yards allowed with 139 yards per game. Still, it ultimately depends on how quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick does this year. If Fitzpatrick can do better than his 79.1 passer rating last year by greatly utilizing his group of up-and-coming receivers, then Buffalo will make the playoffs for the first time in thirteen years. Fitzpatrick must also cut back on throwing so many interceptions as well.
• Chicago Has The Potential To Make It To New Orleans In February: Many analysts have penciled the Chicago Bears in as playoff contenders this season when they got wideout Brandon Marshall from the Dolphins. But the Bears might be destined for more than the playoffs in 2012. Before getting hurt last year, Jay Cutler was leading Chicago to what could've been a playoff berth. In ten games last season, Cutler had a passer rating of 85.7 while throwing for thirteen touchdowns and seven picks. But in those ten games, the Vanderbilt alum was sacked 23 times. Then Cutler got hurt (thumb) in week 11 against San Diego. Once he was out for the year, the Bears went on to lose their next five games and miss the playoffs. If Chicago's offensive line can do a good job of protecting their quarterback this season, Chicago fans will be yelling "DAAAAA BEARS!" all the way into early February.
• The Dallas Cowboys May Have Found A Cure For the December Blues: "America's Team" has been known for a few things these past few years. One of them being the annual epic collapse in the last month of the regular season. Some Cowboys fans blamed Tony Romo's poor performance in December while others blamed the defense. But during the offseason, owner/general manager Jerry Jones took the initiative to address one of those two issues. Dallas signed safety Brodney Pool from the New York Jets and cornerback Brandon Carr from the Kansas City Chiefs. They also traded up to the sixth pick in the 2012 NFL draft to pick corner Morris Claiborne from LSU. Now let's not forget that Tony Romo owns a record of 11-21 in games played during December. He might not have the best options to throw to, either. Other than Miles Austin, you have an undisciplined receiver in Dez Bryant and a injury-prone tight end in Jason Witten. But with DeMarcus Ware anchoring the new-look defense for the Cowboys, it'll be up to Romo to break through his December demons and propel the $2 billion team to the postseason.