Crazy NFL Playoff Gambling Column Part Deux

Well, if you listened to my advice last week and did the opposite of me, you are a happy person.

Yes I had an awful week, but my Broncos won and at the end of the day isn't that all the really matters..? Ya, guess not.

I am going to quickly give my picks, giving you the opportunity once again to do the opposite and make some real money this weekend.

1. The game that is starting in about 15 minutes excites me for one reason, and that is I absolutely love New Orleans. I put a wager on them weeks ago to win the Super Bowl, and I am feeling incredibly good about this. I understand Jim Harbaugh has his guys playing phenomenal defense and timely offense, but they haven't ran into the offensive juggernaut that is the New Orleans Saints. If this game was being played in a cold, frigid environment, I might think about SF, but unfortunately they play in beautiful California.

I'm taking the Saints -3.5, and I feel good about it.

2. I love my Broncos, I love Tebow, I love the magic that comes with this team. I can't pick them straight up, but I see this game closer than their first meeting.

Denver +14 sounds good to me.

3. This Texans team has been a great story.

Unfortunately, I think they are really going to miss Matt Schaub tomorrow. The Ravens eat rookie QB's for dinner, and I just can't envision a scenario that has T.J. Yates overcoming the nerves of a road playoff game and the tough Ravens D. I think Joe Flacco knows what playoff football is about, and I think he knows that means to get the ball to Ray Rice and get the hell out of his way.

I like the Ravens -7.5.


4. Biggest game of the weekend. Upset special for many as well.

The Giants have proven that they need to be taken seriously. I think Jacobs and Bradshaw will show up big time in this contest, and make a major difference for the Giants. I have a tough time picking the Pack to lose at Lambeau, but I think this game is close just like their first meeting.

Giants +7/5, with GB winning.

Good Luck to everyone this weekend, and most important.. GO Broncos!

-John

Crazy NFL Playoff Gambling Column

I don't know which is more to blame for not posting on this blog for a while. I could use my laziness as an easy and passable excuse, but that's just too obvious. Or I could say I was busy, but that is just a full fledged lie.

Let's just go with laziness. Something that we all seem to have problems with. It is also something we will not be seeing on the field this weekend during the NFL Wild Card playoff round (how about that god awful transition).

I enjoy to do a little gambling from time to time, and while I absolutely do not consider myself an expert, I do like to believe that I have a reasonable idea of what I am doing. Then again when it comes to gambling, no one really knows what they are doing. 

If there is one thing we learn every year from Wild Card Weekend, it is that all 4 favorites rarely cover, let alone win and advance. We always seem to see an upset or two. Last year alone, 3 of the 4 winners were road teams, while the lone home winner, Seattle at +10, was the biggest underdog of all. We also know that how a team finishes the season does matter when it comes to making a playoff run. Teams like the 2007 Giants and 2010 Packers ended their seasons on winning streaks in order to get a playoff birth, and both came away winning the Super Bowl.

Anyways, here are my picks for this weekend, which will inevitably be wrong and cost me money that I do not have.

Saturday 1/7

Bengals +4 @ Texans

I really think the Bengals win this game outright. It took an amazing 2 minute drill by T.J. Yates and co. to beat Cincy during the regular season, and I honestly can't see the Bengals letting that happen again. Expect Arian Foster and Ben Tate to run the ball like crazy, but this Bengals defense is good enough to keep them in check. I can't trust Yates nearly as much as I can Andy Dalton, who has shown to be a very promising young quarterback in this league. Bengals find a way to pull this one out in a close one, and those taking the Moneyline bet are very happy. Bengals 20 Texans 17

Lions +10.5 @ Saints

I think this game is incredibly interesting. The Saints come in as the hottest team in Football, but the Matthew Stafford led Lions are no joke offensively. I see a lot of points scored (even though I love the under of 59.5 points, which is the highest O/U in the history of the Wild Card round) and both Quarterbacks will play well. The Saints will absolutely win this game in my opinion, but I have a hard time seeing this Lions team going down without a fight. Even if this game is out of hand, expect Detroit to throw the rock until the clock reads 0:00. I take the crazy amount of points, but pick the Saints to win straight up. Saints 30 Lions 24

Sunday 1/8

Falcons @ Giants -3

A classic game involving a team coming off a huge win to get into the playoffs. The Giants had to fight and claw to get themselves into this Wild Card round, and I think that gives them a great advantage. The home field factor will be difficult for Matt Ryan and his offense, especially outdoors in the New York (very un-January like) weather. Expect Eli to have another big day throwing the football and the Giants win this one and win it easily. Giants 27 Falcons 17

Steelers -8.5 @ Broncos

This one hurts. I love my Broncos, I love Tim Tebow, I love the home field advantage in Denver, but I just cannot see how this game is won by Denver. The key to this game for Denver is 3rd and shorts. They have to limit the 3rd and 7s,8s,9,s etc. to give #15 a chance to somehow keep this thing close. Big Ben is suffering with a high ankle sprain, making him much easier for Von Miller, Elvis Dumervil and co. to put a hurting on the Miami Ohio grad. At the end of the day though, Pittsburgh has been here before, Ben has played hurt and played well when hurt, and the Denver Broncos are backing into the playoffs after losing their last 3. I think Tebow plays better than most think, but it may come after the game has already been decided. Pittsburgh takes this game and cover the spread, but barely. Steelers 20 Broncos 10

If anything, do the exact opposite of these picks and you will be sure to win some money! Good luck to everyone and enjoy the football!

-John

NFL Playoff Extravaganza

It is playoff time in the NFL, and this means I am ready to give you all my input whether you want to see it or not. Many moons ago, I wrote a Halfway Home post and ranked all 32 teams and gave my playoff seeding predictions. I figure now is as good a time as any to get back on the writing and make my playoffs predictions and crown a Super Bowl Champion. So without further adieu, here it goes.

Winners in Red
Wild Card Weekend

Cincinnati vs. Houston
   Houston has had a great year, but I cannot see them getting by the Bengals in the first round. This game is certainly a one and done game in my eyes anyway. I just don't see Yates (or possibly Jake Delhomme) carrying the Texans to a win.

Detroit vs. New Orleans
   New Orleans won't fall victim to a first round exit like last year. Plain and Simple.

Pittsburgh vs. Denver
   I cant pick a NFL quarterback who has a hard time completing 10 passes in a full game come playoff time. The magical season ends here for the Denver Tebows.

Atlanta vs. New York (Giants)

   Giants played a very tough second half schedule this year, lucky for them Eli Manning came to play this year. Don't be surprised if he leads them very far.

Divisional Playoffs

Cincinnati vs. New England
   Patriots defense has been atrocious this season, but that should not stop them from coming away with a win against the Bengals.

New Orleans vs. San Francisco
   This game is sure to be exciting. Having said that, I am taking Drew Brees.

Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore
   Steelers have suffered too many injuries to play in a third game with their most hated rivals. No running game now that Mendenhall is out, and a shaken up Big Ben, does not make the Steelers very appealing for me.

New York (Giants) vs. Green Bay
   Giants/Packers Round 2. Should be the same outcome. Although I would expect a great game. Once again, I will not be surprised to see Eli lead the Giants to a victory.

Conference Championships

Baltimore vs. New England
   Can't see "Joe Cool" leading the Ravens past the Patriots. Ravens defense might slow down Brady, but they won't stop him. The Patriots offense should do its part to once again get the win.

New Orleans vs. Green Bay
   This is one rematch the Packers play this year that I can see them losing. Which is why I am choosing the Saints over the Packers. Expect a shootout, with Brees coming out on top.

Super Bowl

New England vs. New Orleans
   The good ole phrase, "Defense wins championships" will not apply in this years Super Bowl. Im taking Brady over Brees in a Super Shoot-Out (See what I did there??).

It's been a great season, and I expect nothing less from the playoffs. Enjoy!

--Nick

Halfway Home Rankings and Predictions

Aaron Rodgers Lambeau Leap after a Touchdown

As we near the halfway point of the 2011 NFL season, I have decided this is a good time to give my "We are almost there" rankings and playoff predictions. So without further adieu, here we go.

1. Green Bay Packers (7-0)   I could have started this list at #2 and everyone would have known what I meant by it. The Packers are head over heels better than every other team in the NFL at this point. Aaron Rodgers leads the league in touchdowns (20) and is third in yards (just behind Drew Brees and Cam Newton). The Packers have been playing at such a high level, it will be tough for anyone to derail them by the end of the year.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)   The Steelers were embarrassed in their week one loss to the Ravens, but it is safe to say they bounced back from that game. As the defending AFC Champions, you expect them to be in the playoff hunt all season long.

3. San Francisco 49ers (6-1)   I was hesitant to put the 49ers at #3 on this list, but here you go. The only team they have played that I consider a good team is the Lions. I don't trust Alex Smith for a full season, but hey, I am waiting for them to prove me wrong. I am thinking 2 or 3 more wins will win them this division.

4. Baltimore Ravens (5-2)   The Ravens have been giving many NFL fans whiplash with the way they have been playing. After dubbing them an elite team a few weeks ago, they came out against the Jaguars and looked pitiful. Can Flacco get the Ravens to a Superbowl? I don't know. All I know is that after their come from behind win last week, I will give them a few more chances before dropping them below #4 on my list.

5. New England Patriots (5-2)   One word describes the Patriots: Achilles. To make a long story short, Achilles mother dipped him into the river Styx to make him immortal. She held him from the heel, so that was the only part that did not go into the river. Well, he ended up getting wounded in the heel, and he died. Achilles is the New England Patriots. A good looking and well oiled warrior, with one weakness. Defense. Get a team like the Steelers that can control the ball, and you will kill the mighty warrior.

6. Buffalo Bills (5-2)   

7. New Orleans Saints (5-3)

8. Detroit Lions (6-2)   

   The Bills, Saints, and Lions to me are all in the same boat. I would like to give the Saints a #6 ranking, but after their previous game in St. Louis... No. They were completely outplayed by a team that had 0 wins going into the game. And for that, you drop. As for the Bills and Lions, I see a lot of potential but just need to see if they can keep it together and keep healthy throughout a full season. 

9. New York Giants (5-2)   The Giants have not had a tough schedule to start off their season. But after going 5-2, I have them currently ranked #9. New York has an extremely tough schedule to end their season , including games against the Patriots, 49ers, Eagles, Saints, and Packers. This will really say a lot about who the Giants are as they move forward.

10. Chicago Bears (4-3)   The Bears have had a tough schedule to begin their season. Games against the Packers, Saints, and Lions have all resulted in losses for the Bears. It will be interesting to see if they can turn it around, although their schedule is not in their favor. 

11. Houston Texans (5-3)

12. New York Jets (4-3)

13. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2)

   The Bengals schedule is not in their favor as the season progresses. They still have 2 games against the Ravens and 2 against the Steelers before the end of the year. Good Luck!

14. Atlanta Falcons (4-3)

15. Philadelphia Eagles (3-4)

16. Oakland Raiders (4-3)

17. Kansas City Chiefs (4-3)

18. San Diego Chargers (4-3)

   This is going to be a great division to watch as the season continues. There is not a team that is going to runaway with this division, but it is going to be a doozy all year long. 

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3)

20. Tennessee Titans (4-3)

21. Dallas Cowboys (3-4)

22. Washington Redskins (3-4)

23. Minnesota Vikings (2-6)

24. Carolina Panthers (2-6)   Cam Newton has been amazing! Very exciting to watch. He and Steve Smith are doing wonders for each other in Carolina. This will definitely be an exciting team to follow in a few years.

25. Cleveland Browns (3-4)

26. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6)

27. Seattle Seahawks (2-5)

28. St. Louis Rams (1-6)

29. Denver Broncos (2-5)

30. Arizona Cardinals (1-6)

31. Miami Dolphins (0-7)

32. Indianapolis Colts (0-8)
   I would say the final 10 teams in NFL are not very good at all. With the exception of each of these teams having one or two good players, everything else about them is fairly awful.

Playoff Prediction

AFC Playoffs

Division Winners:

  Steelers

  Patriots

  Texans

  Raiders

Wild Card:

  Ravens

  Bills

NFC Playoffs

Division Winners:

  Packers

  49ers

  Saints

  Eagles

Wild Card:

  Lions

  Giants

I am not yet going to pick my SuperBowl matchup, because honestly I have no idea! This is my playoff picture though and I stick by it. Enjoy the rest of the NFL season, and Good Luck to your favorite teams.

--Nick

Forget Planking. Tebowing is sweeping the plant.

We have all witnessed the internet sensation that is known as planking. Some find it funny, others find it idiotic. People have actually died because they fell while planking believe it or not. Pretty intense stuff. Unfortunately, like all trends, they become old news at some point and pave the way for a newer, more phenomenal fad.

Lucky for all of us, Tebowing is the new internet sensation. A great example of Tebowing is the picture below of Denver Broncos rookie linebacker Von Miller joining the cult like fad.

The concept apparently started with a group of friends watching the Broncos comeback this past Sunday. They noticed as everyone on the Denver sideline was jumping up and down and celebrating the win, Tebow was in a prayer-like position on his knee. The friends decided to take a picture of themselves doing the pose, and it has become an incredible internet phenomenon.

It is a very simple pose to perfect, and because of this it has already been done by people from the age of 2 to the age of 60. It has been captured in operating rooms, by beer pong tables, in a radio station, on a putting green, and even in the Denver Broncos practice facility as shown above.

This blog is very pro-Tebow. I feel that he is not only an unbelievable role model and person, but he is going to be a successful NFL quarterback because he simply will not let himself fail. He is not the most conventional quarterback around, but with an offense designed for his skill set, he can be very difficult to stop for opposing defenses.

Tebow is one of the most popular NFL players, even though he has only played in a few games. People love him, people hate him, but most surely, people love to talk about him. This phase just adds to the flame that is Tim Tebow.

-John

Campaign 2012

Andrew Luck, Quarterback, Standford

In 2012, there will be two major choices that need to be made in the United States. Obviously, the 2012 Presidential Election, and then the most important selection, The NFL Draft, Andrew Luck sweepstakes. This football season so far has been full of signs in the crowd and commentators all shouting the same slogan for their respective teams, "Suck for Luck". Andrew Luck has been signaled by many as one of the most well rounded quarterbacks to enter the NFL Draft but the main question is going to be, Where will he play?

This 2011 NFL season has been interesting to say the least. Through 7 weeks, we have one undefeated and major standout team in the Green Bay Packers. We have some elite teams like the Saints, Patriots, and Ravens. We have teams that we don't know what to make of them, such as the Lions (5-2; 2 losses in consecutive weeks), Cowboys (Romo-Problems), Jets (0-3 on the road), and the Texans (who can just never seem to figure it out in consecutive weeks). Then we have teams like the Rams, Dolphins, and Colts, who are just terrible. These are the teams we will go through for the Andrew Luck sweepstakes.

Rams (0-6; NFC West) Last year finished 7-9, and just missed the playoffs. The 2010 #1 overall pick Sam Bradford has been a fairly decent quarterback in his first year and a half in the league. He has been dubbed the "Franchise Quarterback", so you cannot imagine the Rams holding onto the #1 pick in this draft and selecting Andrew Luck. You don't want to pick someone else at #1 (barring injury to Luck) and let him fall into the lap of the next team. You would assume they would trade the pick away. A team like the Dolphins, Broncos (Tebow-factor could knock them out of the picture), or Chiefs, could all use someone of Lucks caliber.

Dolphins (0-6; AFC East) Last year finished 7-9, this year the only thing they are playing for is Andrew Luck. The Dolphins are in absolute shambles. They were talked about in the offseason as possibly having a top tier defense. After 7 weeks, they have the 21st ranked pass defense, and 20th ranked run defense. Top-tier? No. The Tony Sparano saga is very clearly coming to a close, and the season of Chad Henne came crashing down two weeks ago. Miami seems like it may be a the leader in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes through 7 weeks.

Colts (0-7; AFC South) Last year finished 10-6 and lost in the first round of the playoffs. I said the Dolphins may be the leader in the sweepstakes, but then again, the Colts are awful. This year, the only reason the city Indianapolis is coming up in postseason talks is because it is the site of this years Super Bowl. Obviously, this year's stats for the Colts are out of whack because of the injury to Peyton Manning, but still, the show goes on. The Colts rank 27th in passing yards, and 25th in rushing yards. I should also mention the Colts just lost to the Saints 62-7, this past Sunday night. Luck to the Colts could be a great thing, both for the Colts and for Luck. Who knows how much longer Manning will hold the reigns in Indy. Look at Aaron Rodgers, arguably the best quarterback in the game right now, he sat behind Brett Favre and learned from the legend for years. What better way for Luck to adapt to the NFL by learning from a quarterback that will go down in history as one of the best of all-time.

The rest of this 2011 season should be fairly exciting. Even if there are not too many stellar teams this year, there are plenty of bad ones that should make the race for Andrew Luck exciting all the way down to the finish.

--Nick

Sports. Girls. Anger.

As a person who can get extremely bothered by very little comments or situations, it is very important that I am aware of triggers that affect my personality. I am a person of many pet peeves, but to make matters worse, I let these issues ruin entire days, sometimes even weeks. I probably shouldn't let the fact that someone is wearing two different socks, and knows it, bother me. But guess what... It does! Is it so hard to fold your socks when they get out of the dryer and not just jumble them into your underwear drawer? The answer is No. This pet peeve of mine, is totally besides the point I am trying to make here, but is definitely something I needed to get off my chest.

Today as I was watching the Packers and Vikings duel it out, I was making my usual social media views (Follow me on Twitter @Nick_Papp), when I came across a Facebook status that definitely caught my mild mannered attention. This person, who happens to be a young woman, will not be named, but her status update read as follows:

Now, If I happened to be having a conversation with this girl, my first area of concern would have to be her spelling. You, my friend, are a college student. Hokey? Really? Hockey, is spelled with a "C". Learn to spell before you try to get people's attentions about you watching a sporting event. This really bothered me, but once again, not the point of this story. 

As of 2010, Chicago was lucky enough to bring home another professional championship. Our first major championship since the 2005 White Sox (although I'd rather not talk about it). In 2010, the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, by beating the Philadelphia Flyers. During this championship run, as expected, all of the city jumped on the bandwagon. That is fine, in fact, I encourage cities rooting for their teams during times like that. Now, about a year and a half after hoisting the cup, there are many people... many girls, who think they are the biggest Blackhawks fans/hockey (or Hokey) fans in the world. Today I am going to show you 2 of the reasons why girls hopped on the bandwagon in the first place, and the reasons they are still holding onto it today. 

Jonathan Toews (left) and Patrick Sharp (right) in deep conversation

These two strapping gentlemen, are Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp. And I put all of the blame on them, along with few others, for the reason I have to listen to stupid hockey (or Hokey) arguments from girls who know nothing about sports. I can't tell you how many times I have heard comments such as, "...like all hockey (or Hokey) players are hot", or "...OMG, I have been watching hockey (Hokey) since I was like 5", or "why do the refs break up pushing in other sports?". First, I don't watch sports to see attractive men sweat. Second, No you have not been watching hockey all your life, if you were 5 in 2010, then touche. Third, refs break up fights to keep some class in American sports. As much as I would have loved to see someone deck Lebron James in the face this year, I don't want to ruin the integrity of the games. Hockey (or Hokey) fights are great, but lets keep the flying fists on the ice and off the hardwood or turf.

Stupidity is one of my biggest pet peeves, and unfortunately, thats a major part of all women's sports related arguments. If you don't know whats going on, keep it to yourself, or ask during commercials. Don't interrupt me with stupidity as I am watching a Tom Brady two-minute drill, or bracing for a Derrick Rose breakaway slam.

Lastly, do not think I am attacking women with sports opinions. That's not what I am doing... completely. If you know what you are saying, Fine. Give me your opinions, join the conversations. But, being a person who gets angered by small things, this is something I needed to say, especially knowing that a lot of men feel the same way. My main arguments in this post are obviously a Chicago-based problem, but I am sure other people can relate no matter what city you're in.

--Nick