Happy New Year!!!

On the last day of the year, it is always worthwhile to reflect on the year that has past, but also to look forward to what the future has to hold.

2010 was a great year for sports and entertainment and I really doubt 2011 will let us down. There will be lots of amazing events, people and controversies to write about.

As I did last year, I'm going to put some resolutions down on paper, so I have to follow through on them...

- finish writing that book
- develop my "bucket list"
- record my first podcast
- grow my Movember mustache to look like Rollie Fingers
- get to 1000 followers on twitter (currently at 250)
- learn to play cricket

And while I'm here, might as well go out on a limb and make some sports predictions for 2011;

- NHL: LA Kings win the Stanley Cup
- NFL: Baltimore Ravens vs. Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl, won by Baltimore.
- MLB: Boston Red Sox win the World Series
- NBA: Dallas Mavericks win the World Championship
- GOLF: Tiger Woods wins 2 majors
- and the worst prediction of all...the NBA and the NFL both have work stoppages.

I hope everyone had a great 2010 and wish everyone the best in 2011 and beyond.

Thanks for reading and following on twitter (@MMMMBLT)

Tournament Time

Around the holidays, many people spend the time with family and friends celebrating. In Canada, family and friends spend time around the fireplace and TV set watching the World Junior Hockey Tournament. The annual tournament starts on boxing day, and has become a tradition just like lining up at 8am for deals at Urban Behaviour. With the World Juniors getting underway yesterday, it got me thinking about the best tournaments out there. Here is my list. Comment below on what you think are the best tournaments...

5. World Junior Hockey Tournament
The World Junior tournament is played annually in different host cities. It has been dominated by Team Canada for the past decade or so. Winning 5 titles in a row twice. Although in recent years Team USA has challenged for the title, because of the dominance of Canada, this tournament comes in at #5. The other reason this particular tourney falls short of the title, is the fact that it is most popular only when it is hosted in a Canadian city or a Canadian border city like Minnesota or Buffalo. The arenas are full and a great atmosphere, but when it moves to Russia or Sweden the crowds are sparse, but the hockey is still great.

4. World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic (WBC) has one thing very correct - play there tournament every three years. The WBC also has it right that they get the best players in the world to participate in their games. Since the tournament happens during the baseball off-season, players aren't inclined to decline the invitation to play for their country. The other positive this tournament has going for it, is that the favourite hasn't won yet. The USA, who you think would be the dominating force in this tourney, but they aren't. The Dominican Republic, Cuba, Venezuela, South Korea and the two time defending champions - Japan, have all medaled ahead of the USA.

3. Hong Kong Rugby Sevens
I'm not that well versed on this particular tournament, but I know that it has a reputation in the sporting community as one of the best played tournaments, along with some of the best action in the stands. Here is some information on the Hong Kong Sevens from wikipedia;
The Hong Kong Rugby Sevens is traditionally one of if not the biggest event on the Hong Kong sporting calendar. As such, there is a tremendous party atmosphere, with particular emphasis on the South Stand, where hordes of rugby fans dress up and dance for most of the duration. Activities that typically ensue as the weekend progresses include the throwing of empty beer jugs around the South Stand, Mexican waves, and streakers running across the pitch. Since 2007 the South Stand has been made officially accessible to over-18s only, due to its hyper and somewhat provocative atmosphere, although this rule is not strictly policed.

Bill McLaren, in his autobiography Talking of Rugby writes at length about his Hong Kong Sevens experiences:

"I remember a big South Sea islander saying that, in his view, the Hong Kong sevens were really the Olympic games of Rugby Union. Certainly, the Hong Kong event encapsulates all the really good things that the game has to offer–splendid organisation, wonderful sporting spirit, universal camaraderie, admirable field behaviour, the most enjoyable crowd participation, the chance for emergent rugby nations to lock horns with the mighty men of New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Wales, Scotland and the Barbarians. There is, too, scintillating running and handling which is what the game is supposed to be all about."

2. NCAA March Madness
The Cinderella teams, Gus Johnson, betting and Duke University are all things that make the Men's NCAA College basketball tournament so enjoyable. Every year in March 64 teams start with a chance to be crowned National Champions. Each weekend, games are played in a single elimination style tournament that eventually culminates in a great weekend of college hoops now known as the "final four". Besides the lose and your out style of the tournament, non-basketball fans get involved due to the betting that goes on during the tournament and of course everyone's hatred of Duke, which fuels fans from the other 63 schools involved. This makes for a fun time, for those in North America. Since March Madness is only really popular in North America, it holds it back from climbing higher in the rankings.

1. FIFA World Cup
As everyone saw this summer the World Cup has become the single largest sporting spectacle. With the popularity of soccer, the tournament is the culmination of national pride and the most popular sport. Even if your country is not represented (like Canada) you can still cheer for players that you follow in domestic leagues or the countries of your grandparents. The beautiful game has a great stage every four years. The players, coaches and FIFA all take great strides to make certain that the tournament runs smoothly. What helps make the FIFA World Cup so fascinating is that all the games are so competitive. Unlike some of the other tournaments where there are elite teams and some that are just happy to be there, the World Cup qualification tournament eliminates the bottom feeders to ensure a high quality product. The only downfall of the World Cup is that it happens only every 4 years, like the WBC they should make this tournament every 3 years since fans just can't get enough.

The Roots - A Christmas Song

Enjoy...

Top 5 of 2010

It creeped up on us, the end of the year. That means the influx of end of year lists. It seems this year there aren't as many "top ten" lists or "best of" lists. Maybe the end of the decade last year took the wind out of every one's sails. I will however not overlook 2010, and therefore present to you...the top 5 sporting events of 2010.

5. SF Giants win the World Series
Everyone went into the season thinking that the AL was hugely superior to the NL and that the AL East was the be all and end all of baseball. During the season that all got flipped on its head. Although the Yankees, Rays and Red Sox were all strong and even the Jays surprised it was two west division teams that met in the World Series. The Giants and Rangers clashed and again, even though most experts had the Rangers as the stronger team, it was the Giants and there outstanding pitching staff and make-shift line-up that ended up with the hardware. Everyone is already talking up the Phillies and Brewers for next year, but if history repeats itself we should be looking elsewhere.

4. Tiger Woods not winning a golf tournament
This might have nothing to do with sport. After the now infamous Thanksgiving day 2009 incident that took Tiger Woods from golfing legend and family man to philandering weekend hacker we had to find a new number 1 golfer in the world. For the first time since graduating from Stanford, Tiger Woods did not win a golf tournament and he was only in contention a handful of times. Without hoisting a trophy in 2010 Woods fell from the position of number one golfer in the world. No one doubts that Woods still has the talents to win many more championships, but now the bigger question is if he can break the majors record. Many advertisers hope that he returns to pre-2009 form.

3. Spain wins the World Cup (World Cup in general)
The whole month of World Cup soccer action was great. The excitement of waking up every morning knowing that the best players in the world, playing the beautiful game were going to put on a show. Spain has produced some of the best players in the world over the last 10 years. Four years ago, many assumed that the generation of Spanish talent that could have won a World Cup had passed, but led by Fernando Torres, David Villa and David Silva they conquered all comers. Other great moments included the scoring prowess of the Netherlands, Diego Maradonna's insane rants, the improbable run by Ghana and the one thing everyone expected - England's failure. Now FIFA makes us wait another four years till 2014 in Brazil...see you in Rio!

2. Miami Heat/LA Lakers
These two NBA stories aren't the same, but one came about primarily because of the other one. First, in June, the LA Lakers won their second straight NBA title over the Boston Celtics. Led by one of the best ever, Kobe Bryant and a very strong supporting cast in Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. Threatening to become three time champs, the Lakers sat back in summer and watched the drama unfold. The summer of 2010 marked the biggest free agent class to ever hit the market. Three of the top 15 players in the NBA - LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh all became free agents, as did Amar'e Stoudamire, Joe Johnson and Carlos Boozer. Nobody had any idea where these players would end up. It turns out James, Wade and Bosh had been talking and they all ended up with the Miami Heat. Although, the three of them thought this was probably the best idea ever, fans didn't and the backlash commenced. The new super power team the Heat put together had a rough start to the season, but have picked up their game and will definitely be around this June, probably against the Lakers.

1. Canada wins Hockey Gold (Olympics)
The Olympics came to Canada for the first time since 1988 and it was finally time for Canada to win a gold medal on home soil. It was supposed to happen on the first night, but we had to wait until the second night and Alexandre Bilodeau in the moguls. It started off well and continued all the way until the final day of competition when Canada men's hockey team defeated the United States to win the gold medal. The game was in question when Canada blew a late lead and the US forced the game into overtime, but then Sidney Crosby came to the rescue with the golden gold. The closing ceremony was an ode to everything Canada and a great topper to a Canadian games.

The Lou Marsh Award

A day late and a dollar short on the Lou Marsh award, which was handed out on Monday to Cincinnati Reds first baseman and native of Brampton, Ontario, Joey Votto. Votto faced some stiff competition to take home the award, and some say he won it over some other very deserving candidates.

Votto was definitely not a run away winner for the Lou Marsh award and he wasn’t a run away for the National League MVP either. Votto had a great season for the Reds. He was in the running for the Triple Crown all season and took the Reds to within games of the playoffs. The Baseball Writers of America are currently in give the MVP award to anyone but Albert Pujols mode. Realistically, Joey Votto should have been in the conversation for the NL MVP award, but probably shouldn’t have won the award and without the NL MVP he would never have won the Lou Marsh Award.

Since Joey Votto, in my opinion wasn’t the proper choice for the Lou Marsh award, there are many other deserving candidate that should've been given recognition this year. The athlete who should have won was Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks. He took the Hawks to the Stanley Cup championship and won it for the city of Chicago for the first time since 19XX. He also lead team Canada to the gold medal in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, If Sidney Crosby had not scored the golden goal in overtime of the gold medal game, it would've been Toews, who would've received all the recognition for being the top forward at the Olympics. For someone who accomplished so much at a young age this would have been the icing on the cake to a great year.

Another athlete that the Canadian press could have considered was George St. Pierre. St. Pierre dominated the UFC this year and on the mixed martial arts scene and is considered one of the three best fighters pound for pound. He is the primary reason that the UFC is sanctioned now in Ontario and he better be on the card in Toronto on April 30. He dominated all his fights this year and was the star of the UFC Ultimate Fighter TV show. It would be tough to give him the award because he doesn’t fight that often and this will always make it difficult to win the award if you are not involved in one of the mainstream sports.

Another group of athletes that had a very small sample of competition but had great contribution were the Canadian Olympians from the Vancouver winter Olympics. In an Olympic year it always seems Olympians have a good chance of winning the Lou Marsh award. These athletes had all eyes on them for two straight weeks. The difference this year was the Olympians that made the biggest splash did not win multiple medals. Whether it was Alexandre Bilodeau or Joanie Rochette, there were some great stories but no one that could knock off Joey Votto.

In the end Votto is a great story for the Lou Marsh award. He overcame physical and mental challenges to rise to the top of his sport and was recognized, not only in the baseball world, but also by his country.

Monday Musings

Random thoughts on a Monday to recap some weird stories that happened the last couple of days...

1. Linus Omark - the Edmonton Oilers forward was part of a shootout victory over the weekend against the Tampa Bay Lighting. This would have been nothing more than a small footnote in the long season but Omark was a little too fancy for the Lighting players during his shootout attempt and goal. Omark built up lots of speed before picking up the puck at centre ice and then proceeded to do a spin with the puck between the red and blue line, took the puck directly at the net and then scored. He added a little flash, didn't show anybody (the goalie) up and then got attacked by Lighting players in the post game comments. The Tampa players need to check themselves because Omark will score more goals just like this.

2. On Sunday, a NY Jets coach was standing on the sidelines during the game when a Miami Dolphins player chasing a punt ran into the team bench area in an attempt to get down the field. Instead of moving out of the way, the coach stuck out his knee and tripped the player. The coach injured the Dolphins player. Today, the coach apologized for his action, but the debate rages about what should happen to him. Should he be fired, suspended or hung from the gallows? Bigger question is why is he on the sideline? He is the strength and conditioning coach. The man doesn't need to be on the field during games. Stick non-essential team personnel in their own luxury suite and this never occurs. So therefore, his punishment should be watching the rest of the games this season and every season going forward from the press box.

3. The Metrodome which houses the NFL Vikings collapsed on Sunday. Thankfully no one was in the building when it happened as the game had already been postponed because of the heavy snowfall in the Minnesota area. Instead of keeping the game in Minnesota (where they would have had to dig out the University of Minnesota stadium) the NFL has moved the game to Monday night in Detroit. Since the game is in Detroit and features the NY Giants and Minnesota Vikings, the NFL gave away tickets for free. This leads to the interesting question of how many people will show up for a free event. It also gives the league a great indication of how popular they are. The latest is that they have given away all the tickets to the game for tonight, which is a very impressive turnaround. The power of the league, social media and the Sunday night NBC game to get the word out to fans on the short notice has been unparalleled. This game will look like the Bills in Toronto series where fans will be fans of the NFL instead of just the home team.

4. The LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling who has had many problems over the years, both on the court, trying to put a good product there for the fans and off the court in his business dealings, has got into some more hot water over the weekend. Sterling who sits courtside for every game was heard heckling his own player, Baron Davis over the weekend. Sterling was questioning Davis's heart, telling him that he is out of shape, and questioning why he was in the game. I love that Sterling cares so much about his team that he goes to all the games and understands the game of basketball enough to see Baron Davis is out of shape and playing poorly over the first 25 games of the season. As much fun as it is to heckle and jeer players, if you are the owner, you have access to the players other fans and can tell them your are unimpressed with their actions. He didn't need to do it during a game.

5. After the ending of the Cowboys and Eagles, which the Cowboys lost 30-27, the players met at mid-field to shake hands, say good-game to each other and maybe even make some dinner plans. One player did something a little different. Cowboys running back Tashard Choice approached Eagles quarterback Michael Vick to get Vick's autograph. Vick signed Choice's glove, apparently for his 3 year old nephew. This got alot of attention because people questioned the appropriateness of the action. Most people were offended by the action, just that he should have done it off the field. I agree. Players are too friendly on and off the field compared to the "good ol' days" and this only confirms everyone's worst images that players are getting softer. The Cowboys play the Redskins next week, so we will have to wait and see if Choice asks Donovan McNabb for an autograph.

Bowled Over

The NCAA and all of its sponsors released the list of 35 bowl games that feature 70 out of the 116 teams, and because no one has time to watch all 35 games here is a cheat sheet on the 5 games you must watch this bowl season...

5. Sheraton Hawaii Bowl - No. 24 Hawaii vs. Tulsa
8 p.m. ET, Dec. 24

Because there is never anything else on Christmas eve anyway so why not pretend you are in Hawaii and you get to watch football! The Warriors always play an exciting brand of football and this year is no different. They lead the country in passing yards with 387.8 yards per game. With coaches wearing lei's look for this game to be wild.


4. New Era Pinstripe Bowl - Kansas State vs. Syracuse
3:20 p.m. ET, Dec. 30

This bowl gets the nod because of the great turnaround of the Syracuse football team. Just a few years ago the Orange were the laughing stock of the division one football. Now they are back and bowl eligible. Kansas State has also gone under a huge turnaround in the last few years, playing exciting football and turning themselves into a power. Also, this bowl will probably have the best swag of any for the players and sideline staff, thanks New Era.


3. Chick-fil-A Bowl - No. 20 South Carolina vs. No. 23 Florida State
7:30 p.m. ET, Dec. 31

This bowl game makes my list for a couple of reasons. One, some friends are alums of the USC and therefore I cheer on the Gamecocks every chance I get. Also, because of their good season, I've seen alot of freshman running back sensation Marcus Lattimore and he should be fun to watch in a bowl game. My other friend is an FSU fan so it is a grudge match with the added bonus that he and probably most of the Seminoles fans despise Steve Spurrier so it should be great on a bunch of different levels. Also, I might learn how to pronounce Chick-fil-a properly.


2. Hyundai Sun Bowl - Notre Dame vs. Miami
2 p.m. ET, Dec. 31

This isn't the heated rivalry it was in the mid-90's when both teams were always top 10 in the country, but it should still be a good game featuring two big programs. Notre Dame finished the year on quite a run beating Utah, Army and Southern California. The 'Canes on the other hand, lost two straight to close out the year and got their coach fired. Everyone from Luke to Donald Trump has weighed in on who should be the next coach.


1. Tostitos BCS National Championship Game - No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 1 Auburn
8:30 p.m. ET, Jan. 10

The grand daddy of them all? Not quite but it does feature two teams that have been the most consistent throughout the college season. Not only that, but it features probably the two best players in the nation - Heisman and tabloid favourite, Auburn's Cam Newton and likely Heisman runner up LaMichael James. The other thing to look for in this game will be the uniforms. The battle between Under Armour and Nike could get out of control. The Ducks are the guinea pigs for Nike and this is the biggest stage for Auburn and UA, so what is created for the field could be funky. Also, with the game on January 10, you don't have to be worried about being hung over for the New Year's bowl bonanza.


So enjoy as many games as you can over the holiday season.

It Pays to be the Bad Guy

2010 has become the year of the bad guy and I'm not talking about Mel Gibson or Charlie Sheen. This year, unlike any other has been filled with stories of redemption in sport. Numerous players in 2010 have risen from the ashes to super stardom.

Since we are in the middle of the NFL season, the most glaring example is Michael Vick. Just 6 months ago, Vick was appearing on Pros vs. Joes to work on his football skills and showcase his talents. With only one year left on his contract and the starting QB situation in Philadelphia already handed to Kevin Kolb, it looked like another year of restitution for Vick. Then Kolb was hurt early in the season, Vick stepped in and won games, didn't make any mistakes (fumbles or interceptions) and was dedicated to the game of football like he had never been (watching game tape in preparation for the next opponent). This led to him winning the starting QB job and winning games for the Philadelphia Eagles. The whole time this is happening, Vick is also doing his community service and giving speeches for the Humane Society against dog fighting.

Vick's name has been on the lips of the sports media recently as a possible MVP candidate as the Eagles have rallied around their new starter. It seems his comeback is complete and although his past will be brought up every time he plays, fans are starting to appreciate his talents on the field again.

Another player who fought with demons recently, did win the MVP award. Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers was the MVP of the American League this year. For a number of years Hamilton had lots of potential but was caught up with drug and alcohol problems. Even as recently as the 2009 season, he relapsed and was caught on camera drinking with some young ladies at a bar after swearing off booze. Although Hamilton might not have affected or reached as many people with his problem as Vick did, he didn't exactly set a good example for young fans and now that he is an MVP, he is either the best case scenario for rehab or just another screwed up athlete who gets away with with abusing his body, but somehow still succeeds.

If drinking and street drugs weren't enough, what about steroids? The number of players in professional and amateur sports that have been caught using performance enhancing drugs is now too long to list. Many of them never get caught, but those that do sit out their suspension, but still collect their millions of dollars in salary. Although most players will recover from these indiscretions, Barry Bonds did not. He was run out of baseball, and although he is the all-time home run king he will likely never be enshrined into the hall of fame in Cooperstown because he embodied the steroid era and someone has to take the fall (Mark McGwire is joining him in this). Although most of the baseball world holds a grudge against him, Bonds was welcomed back with open arms by the San Francisco Giants fans this summer and fall. When the Giants made the fall classic this year they brought out Bonds to thunderous applause, but in any other stadium he would have been booed.

Another baseball player that made a come back this summer after being banned for life for his actions was Pete Rose. Rose famously bet on baseball and was banned for life. Major League Baseball gave him a one day exception so he could participate in an on-field ceremony this summer commemorating the anniversary of his record breaking base hit. Rose was bad, but compared to some of the issues that today's players have brought into the media, it doesn't seem so wrong. Rose has apologized for his behaviour and continues to try to mend his public image.

Other players doing wrong pop-up on an almost daily basis. The website profootballtalk.com has a ticker on their page that counts "days since last arrest" for NFL players. Whether it is a DUI charge, domestic battery or an assault charge for punching a taxi driver (Patrick Kane), it seems like professional athletes cannot stay out of trouble. Troubled or clean, fans still adore them.

The Heat Fizzle

So the Heat dynasty has officially come to an end and it only took 15 games. After a summer of hype about the big three of LeBron, Wade and Bosh, a potential run at the season win record of 72 and how the NBA should just hand them the Larry O'Brien trophy in October has been shattered.

An opening day loss to the Celtics wasn't a huge surprise, but losses to the Jazz, Hornets, Grizzlies and now the Pacers are a bit surprising. The team has been hit with injury which could be somewhat to blame. The Heat have lost 3pt shooting specialist Mike Miller for the first half of the season and now Udonis Haslem for the whole year has surely been difficult on team chemistry. Chris Bosh has been a huge disappointment, not rebounding or scoring with any consistency. Wade and LeBron haven't been able to share the floor and when your two best players can't be on the floor at the same time, that it is a problem.

So how do the Heat become hot again. There are a couple rumours already flying around south beach. The first is fire Erik Spolstra. The Heat coach is under the watchful eye of the former jedi master coach Pat Riley and Lakers coach Phil Jackson even said today that Bosh and LeBron will talk to Riley about taking over the team. Riley would bring some cache to the bench and hopefully the most out of players that would rather "chill" than work on off days.

The other idea is that it is already time to trade Chris Bosh. Was he really worth the $110 million? Of course not, any Raptors fan could tell you that, but the thought was he could compliment Wade and James. Since Bosh isn't a typical big man who rebounds and plays in the paint, he really doesn't add anything for this Heat team who need the presence in the middle. The Heat are missing depth. At the moment they are 3 deep when they need to be 8-9 deep as a team. One way to help that would be to trade Bosh and get 3 pieces that better compliment Wade and James.

Could the Heat actually do either move suggested above. They could probably get away away with firing Spolstra and have Riley replace him. Everyone has predicted this since Riley had his hand in convincing James and Bosh to sign in Miami. As for trading Bosh, it won't happen yet. The move would stink of desperation, plus the Miami Heat team store still has tons of Bosh jerseys in stock (seriously, if you had the choice of Bosh, Wade or LeBron, whose jersey you buying?).

The Heat have a bit of an easier schedule in the next week to hopefully get some wins and momentum under their belt before the biggest game of the year, no not versus the Lakers, but a road game in Cleveland. Welcome back...

Down Goes Favre!

On Sunday afternoon the Green Bay Packers put the nail in the coffin of another team (dropping the Vikings to 3-7) and coach (Wade Phillips and now Brad Childress). The bigger question is if they were able to put an end to the career of a player - Brett Favre.

Favre threw one interception on Sunday to bring his season total to 17 and looked pretty awful in the process. Favre was booed by the hometown Vikings fans (would probably have been cheered for his efforts in Wisconsin) and Rodney Harrison of NBC thought that coach Childress should have pulled Favre for Tavaris Jackson. Childress didn't have the guts to do it, so that ended his tenure as Vikings coach on Monday morning.

Favre said after the game that he will need to "re-evaluate" his football future. Many people have taken this to mean that he might call it quits mid-season. If this happens it would only be a mild shock to the NFL and Vikings since Favre has been such an attention seeking media whore the last three seasons.

Everyone knows that Favre will retire either after week 12 with an "injury" or after the season, so the biggest question won't be if he goes into the Hall of Fame or not, but it will be if Green Bay Packers fans can forgive the gunslinger that gave the team 16 mighty seasons. The answer will be yes - eventually. No cheese head can forget the Super Bowl trophy, consecutive game streak, passing records, and the list goes on...

Favre sullied his reputation by leaving Green Bay in a huff for the NY Jets. Then, it got worse when he went to play for the rival Vikings. With all his indecision and flip flopping, Packers fans resented their former franchise player. That resentment was partially due to the fact that he was still good. Now that his career is winding down on a sour note, Packers fans don't have to resent him anymore, we can just remember the good times when number 4 was behind center.

By the time Favre puts on the mustard colored jacket on the Canton stage, my guess is that the crowd will be filled with Packers fans cheering him on.

Got Beef? Popstars

After watching the American Music Awards last night it dawned on me that I really loathe popstars. During last nights telecast it became quite evident that those in charge of entertaining us musically are lacking in musically ability. Katy Perry, Justin Beiber, and Usher all struggled on stage. Between lip syncing, missing words in their own songs and then being out of breath half way through the songs, the performances were a flop. In the case of Usher, he was dancing around and apparently that was more important to his performance than singing, so he twirled and slid around the stage while the track blared over the speaker system.

So, if popstars can't sing, at least they look good doing it.

Parity vs. Dynasty

Half way through the NFL season and there are still no clear cut favorites to win the Super Bowl. Five teams are listed as the favorites to win the Super Bowl and no team has been able to establish itself as the front runner. This isn't the first time the NFL has had this happen during the last decade, so it begs the question, do we really need dynasties, or as fans do we prefer the parity?

In the NFL during the '70's, '80's and '90's there were dominant teams. These dominant teams held the power and when the dynasties collided great games ensued. For example As fans, we can always argue about which teams were the best out of the 3 1990's Cowboy teams that won Super Bowls, but it is also fun to compare them to the Steelers teams in the '70's.

The last decade has provided some great individual champions in the NFL, but no real dynasties have been formed. This makes each season interesting because you never know where the champion is going to come from. Going into this season some prognosticators felt that the Dallas Cowboys could contend for the crown. They had the individual talent to win games, but as the first 8 games have shown, apparently the individual talent didn't translate into team victories.

Football hasn't been the only sport where parity has reigned supreme. Major League Baseball has also had 9 different champions in the past 11 seasons. Although we seem to get a new champion each season, we do talk about the same teams making the playoffs every season. If it isn't the Yankees and Red Sox, it is the Braves and Cardinals who get a shot at the trophy every October.

As a fan, I think I prefer the dynasty case. Whether it is my team or not, it is good to know who is going to be good and we can use them as a measuring stick. Also familiarity allows even the casual fan to be invested come the championship season. The dynasty team doesn't have to win every season, but if they are there it makes all the more fun.

It's Over Ladies and Gentleman, It's Over...

Well the major league baseball season is done, we have crowned a new champion, the President has called the team and the ticker tape has fallen. Now what? The off season can be cruel to fans, no games to follow, no daily news on the team, what is a guy supposed to do?

Well there was an argument on the local sports talk radio the other day that baseball does the off season the best. By that they meant they were able to keep the fans involved in the league, even if there was no games by creating news. The examples of naming the managers of the year, Cy Young award winners, Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Players after the season then the start of free agency in December and once the holidays are done, you wake up and its March and the season starts again. Not a bad argument.

For more of an argument, let's look at the other sports. The NHL has a glitzy award show to present its awards, then free agency and the owners meetings seem to get alot of attention every year for how they might decide to change the game. Nothing ever really changes, but the Canadian sports channels take the opportunity for an 8 man panel show.

The NBA had one of its best off seasons ever because of the intrigue of free agency and where 3 of the top 15 players in the league would play the following season. This years free agency created 3 years of hype, but next summer the same won't be true because the players aren't as high profile. The NBA draft is always a good show in particular because it is only two rounds and that means basketball fans know most of the players being taken, unlike the other major sports which extend over multiple days.

Then we come to the new national pastime, the NFL. In my mind this is the league that has made its league a 12 month phenomenon. There isn't an off season anymore if you are a football fan. The NFL has created events around all of its activities that make it as popular as it is. Once the Super Bowl is played in February, there is the Pro Bowl the week after. Then the draftniks start making appearances to promote the April draft weekend. This year, the NFL moved its first round to Friday night in prime time, then continued the draft for the next two days. The whole draft is televised on its own network. After the draft, there is rookie camps, optional training activities (OTA) for players (which aren't really optional), then training camp starts in August and 3 weeks later the season starts again.

Which league can't you live without for 12 months and which league does it best in keeping you interested all year?

NBA Preview

With the start of the NBA season, there are many storylines, players and teams to look out for.

A quick link to the Oye Times website and you will see my thoughts on the upcoming NBA Season.

The preview has been broken up into 3 parts. Part one can be found here and part two here. Part three will go up tomorrow so check back.

Enjoy...

Manny being Manny, eh?

It didn't take long for the Toronto Blue Jays new manager to attract players. In his welcome to the team press conference, new Blue Jays manager John Farrell was asked about the chances, and if he would welcome, the addition of Manny Ramirez. Farrell was on board with adding the former all-star slugger who he coached while with the Red Sox.

Although Farrell got to see the best of Ramirez during his Red Sox days (thanks to performance enhancing drugs?) he might not have followed his career all that closely since he left for the left coast. Ramirez struggled in his year and a half in Los Angeles due to injury and then was traded at the deadline last year back to the American League where he could be the DH and not worry about his defense. He didn't fair any better in the windy city and the White Sox actually dropped out of the playoff race once Manny arrived. So would adding the wild Manny Ramirez into the line-up help Toronto?

It wouldn't be terrible. You wouldn't take at-bats away from Adam Lind or Travis Snider as they could play in the field while Manny is the designated hitter. His outgoing personality would certainly draw fans to the ball park. He would also offer some protection for 2010 home run champ Jose Bautista.

The Blue Jays would only have to offer Manny a one year contract and if he succeeds in Toronto, they could use the "money ball" theory and trade him to a contender in August for draft picks or minor league stars. If he struggles, it is a one year experiment and gives all media types something to write and twitter about.

Would you like to see Manny Ramirez at the Rogers Centre player for the Jays come April?

The Shot (No One) Heard 'Round the World

Coming into the 2010 baseball season, there were a handful of teams that looked like legitimate contenders to be in the World Series. It was no coincidence that a few of those teams also had the highest payrolls.

The Yankees, Red Sox and Rays from the American League, along with the long shot Seattle Mariners who made some bold off season moves. Well, the Mariners never got out of the gate and since only two of the three AL East teams could move on to the post-season it seemed likely the Yankees, who made it to the ALCS would represent the AL in the World Series. It turns out the Texas Rangers, who made the mid-season move to acquire pitching ace Cliff Lee when it looked like they had a shot at making the playoffs, are going to represent the AL this year.

In the National League, there was only one thought from the outset – Philadelphia Phillies. They replaced the aforementioned Cliff Lee with Roy Halladay, kept there power in place with Jayson Werth, Ryan Howard and Clint Utley and although they started the season slow, kept winning games while the rest of the division faded. Then to ensure their dominance, they acquired Roy Oswalt to solidify their pitching staff. Many said that no team has ever rolled out a top three starting pitching staff in the playoffs like the Phillies. Unfortunately for the Phils, the Giants didn’t listen. From clinching a playoff spot on the last day of the season, to some great pitching from their ace Tim Lincecum the Giants, San Francisco will represent the senior circuit and try to win their first World Series since moving to the Bay Area.

So the World Series that everyone wanted to see (Yankees vs. Phillies) didn’t happen and we get the series that no one thought we would get (Rangers vs. Giants) and that most people think might be one of the lowest rated in history.

This World Series reminds me of two World Series that when you think back at, you try to remember who exactly played in that series, who won, and who was the MVP. First was the 1997 series between the Florida Marlins and the Cleveland Indians. This one could be remembered as the first championship for the Marlins and the Indians at the time were trying to win there first title since 1948. Still the amount of anonymity in that series is off the charts. The other series was a Los Angeles based series that the rest of America tuned out. It was the 2002 series between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the SF Giants. You may remember this one as the “rally monkey” series, but after that the memories are very fuzzy.

Ten years from now, I think we’ll think of this series the same way. It is the Rangers trying to win their first title, similar to the Marlins and the Giants trying to win their first title since 1954 similar to the Indians. We can just thank our lucky stars that there are no rally monkeys this time, just Barry Bonds.

SuperContest - Week 7

If you want to see how the pros really do this, you can follow the Hilton SuperContest on Twitter at @HiltonContest - they give you updates on how the best are doing and they are way better than me.

If you still are trying to make money off of my picks, good luck, but here we go for Week 7. At least I got the Buffalo Bills pick right last week.

Browns +14 over Saints - New Browns QB Colt McCoy looked frisky last week and has played in big games. Could this be another draft steal? The Saints finally showed life last week in crushing the Bucs, but they aren't the same offense that won the Super Bowl. The Browns keep it close.

49ers -3 over Panthers - The 49ers have been very inconsistent but are coming off a big win. The Panthers are one of the worst teams in the NFL and are going back to QB Matt Moore. The Niners should win this game handily, look for big games from Frank Gore and Michael Crabtree.

Bears -3 over Redskins - Another game of two teams that have won games they had no business winning and when that starts happening you have to watch out. Those teams can get on a run and if everything is going right, they gain confidence, which leads to a Super Bowl run. The Bears at home will get this win, but look out Jay Cutler for Brian Orakpo coming off the edge.

Steelers -3 over Dolphins - The Dolphins are coming off a huge road win last week and the Steelers are most pundits "best team at the moment". With the return of Big Ben the Steelers are now a threat on offence to go along with their lock down defence. Dolphins don't have enough weapons to hang.

Ravens -14 over Bills - Ohhhh the poor Bills. The Ravens lost an overtime game last week vs. the Patriots that they should have won and will take out there frustration on the lowly Bills. The Bills can't stop the run, so Ray Rice should have plenty of yards by the end of the day. The Bills can't stop the pass or rush the passer, so Joe Flacco should have lots of time in the pocket to find open receivers. The Bills will continue their push for 0-16

Are you hurt or injured?

Recently there has been a spike in the amount of injuries in all the major professional sports. If you include other forms of professional sporting activities like the Olympics, X-Games and the WNBA, the number of injuries to players is starting to get out of hand.

In some sports like hockey and football you expect injuries. They are physical sports at their core and fans shouldn’t be surprised if a player separates a shoulder or breaks an ankle. When you are having these same injuries in basketball and baseball though, you have to stop and think what is going on. It is not just the minor breaks and sprains anymore though. All sports are dealing with the biggest problem, concussions.

The professional sports leagues have tried to curb the injuries, by introducing rules to protect players (ie no head shots in football, no touch icing in hockey) or mandatory equipment (ie helmets in hockey), but none of these measures seem to be working. Every night in the highlight reels, we as fans get goals, dunks, last second buzzer beaters and injuries. Whether it is something as innocent as Mark Texiera of the Yankees running down the first base line and popping his hamstring, or the more serious like DeSean Jackson of the Philadelphia Eagles getting hit by Dunta Robinson of the Atlanta Falcons which resulted in both players getting concussions.

The leagues are trying to react, but the games are happening still and players are being carted off every night…what can the leagues do? Here are my top 3 suggestions to limit injuries.

1 – make the playing surface bigger: Every sport could use this. By making the playing area bigger you are spreading out the players more, therefore making it more unlikely that you could land a shot like Dunta Robinson because he would have had to chase Jackson down. They wouldn’t have been in the same square meter.

2 – less players on the field: If you don’t want to make the playing surface bigger (taking seats out costs owner $$) than lessen the number of players on the field. Again, this limits the people that can be in the same area and collide violently.

3 – remove equipment: In the “good ‘ol days” hockey goalies played without masks, football helmets were made of leather, baseball players never wore batting helmets. Maybe we don’t hear about some of the serious injuries that happened in those times, but if we made the players feel less like Superman and more like Superman after getting doused with kryptonite, maybe they wouldn’t be so reckless with their bodies.

Watching sports is at its best when we get to see the best players play. This isn’t happening right now because of some serious injuries. The leagues need to find a solution to some of these problems quickly.

Do you have solutions…leave your comments below.

Wayne Rooney, Wayne Rooney, he goes...where?

Another player has taken control of his future and decided that he no longer wants to play with the team that currently employs him. Wayne Rooney of Manchester United has been in a little spat with manager Alex Ferguson since the World Cup finished and this week it came out that Rooney has no intention of signing a new contract with United when his current deal ends after this season.

If you thought LeBron James was a big name free agent, you haven't seen anything yet. Rooney is a prolific goal scorer, footballer of the year and will command the highest transfer fee ever if he moves clubs. Rooney will have every team in Europe vying for his attention, but realistically there are only a handful of clubs that could really aspire to acquire him. If he decides he wants to stay in England the list gets smaller. Unlike LeBron who kept the whole league guessing, Rooney will not get a one hour special on BBC to announce where he will be signing, he will get a week's worth of coverage.

The question that remains to be seen is whether United makes the decision to transfer him, when they know he won't sign back with them. It is the same decision that a few NBA teams had to make - namely the Cleveland Cavaliers with LeBron and the Toronto Raptors with Chris Bosh. Both teams elected to keep their superstars and got nothing in return when they left. The Denver Nuggets are going through the same question this season with Carmelo Anthony, he has said he has no intentions of staying in Denver after the season, so do they try to win this year with him or get something for him?

It is a tough call for management, you have to take the feelings of fans into account, as well as that of the players and of course the financial implications. Although these are tough situations for clubs, there are worse contract situations. The ones where a player holds out similar to those in the NFL this season like Darrelle Revis of the NY Jets or Vincent Jackson of the San Diego Chargers. These are players who have signed long term contracts but don't want to play under the terms any longer because they feel (and lots of time they are correct) that they are worth more money than they are being paid and with careers so short the players feel they need to cash in.

So what does Manchester United do? They have to find a way to settle with him. He has been the face of United and it would be in their best interest to mediate the situation and put him back in a Red Devils jersey next year. If they can't...the hottest ticket will be when Rooney returns to Old Trafford wearing a Manchester City jersey, ouch.

SuperContest - Week 6

This is not going very well...I've already lost count of my record, and it is just very lucky that I actually didn't put up the $1500 to be in this contest.

As many of the sports talk people have mentioned the last couple of weeks the underdogs are taking over. They are something like 16 games over .500 for the season which hurts everyone's pocket.

Well, with all that said, let's see if I can make a move up the imaginary standings. One quick aside - if you didn't see my tweet the other week, I was very impressed with myself on two betting ventures. The first was the over/under baseball contest from Vegas Watch. In this contest you picked 10 teams, and based on the Vegas line, would they go over or under their season win total. Out of the 260 people who entered the contest, I finished 17th and nailed the tie breaker exactly - what will be David Wright's slugging percentage. I guessed that in April! This was a huge improvement over last season when I finished 260th...no joke. The other success was my fantasy baseball league with 15 random strangers who follow the @montreal_expos on twitter. It was a very competitive league and I ended up on top led by strong pitching (Halladay and Jiminez) and some good power up the middle (Tulowitzki and Josh Hamilton). Giving myself a pat on the back.

Now on to the picks...
Chargers -8 over Rams: This is when the Chargers normally heat up. Plus they caved and brought Marcus McNeil back and Vincent Jackson is on his way back as well. All adds up well for the San Diego Super Chargers.

Falcons +3 over Eagles: The Eagles are smoke and mirrors right now. We don't know who will be at QB (Kolb or Vick) and they just traded for a running back who as 12 carries on the season (Jerome Harrison). The Falcons are for real and will separate themselves from the rest of the NFC with this win on the road.

Seahawks +7 over Bears: Even though the Bears are 4-1 they have been so lucky. Last week with only 36 yards passing and 4 interceptions, they managed to win by 17 points! This can't continue and even though the Seahawks are bad, they should be able to keep this one close with their stout defence.

Steelers -14 over Browns: Both teams start QB's for the first time this season, the Steelers bring back Ben Roethlisberger after his suspension and the Browns start rookie Colt McCoy after both Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace are ruled out with ankle injuries. The Steelers defence will be too much for the rookie and the infusion of Big Ben into the Steelers offence, this one should be over after the first half.

Raiders +7 over 49ers: The 49ers were supposed to win the division and their owner still believes it is possible. The Raiders were supposed to be epic bad, but have been frisky in all their games and won against the Chargers last weekend relying on defence and special teams. The 49ers haven't shown anything to be favored by this many points, so the Raiders is the pick.

Here is one more just pick for fun...

Bye -3 over Buffalo Bills: The Bills just can't win no matter who they are playing. Unfortunately for them, the #1 pick in the NFL draft isn't clear cut (reminds me of when the Raptors got the first overall pick and chose Bargnani) and they need so much help, but also probably don't want to spend the money. Bad situation all around.

Go Yankees?

It may be blasphemous to say "Go Yankees" around these parts, but for the next month, the Yankees are pretty much the team I will be rooting for during the MLB playoffs.

Why the Yankees you ask when there are so many better options. Well, let me break it down for you.

1 - the National League is not for me. So that obviously rules out both the Phillies and the Giants. Although, I do have a soft spot for Roy Halladay, because of his connections to Toronto, but that is as far as my "brotherly love" goes. The Phillies have been free spenders on the free agent market and have mortgaged their future for the present. If they can bring another championship to Philadelphia, I guess why not. I just won't be cheering for them.

The NL West is probably the division I follow the least in baseball. Besides playing late games and therefore never really being able to watch them on TV and missing their highlights constantly, the teams are blah. The Giants and Dodgers would still be better served playing in New York. The Giants don't have much going for them besides Tim Lincecum and Pablo Sandoval so why would I cheer form. Besides that fact, they have little to no chance of beating the Phillies, so why would I waste my time cheering for four games.

2 - The Rangers and Rays are both the up and comers of the American League and while it might be fun to cheer for them for awhile, as a fan I will just get frustrated watching their young players try and make it through the post-season.

Also, the Rays "fans" bug me. They averaged a little over 20,000 fans per game which ranked 22nd out of 30th in the Majors. Now, they are pulling back tarps to uncover seats in the highest parts of the stadium to accommodate the new support. If they didn't start the games at 5pm, they might not average 10,000 fans as all the seniors in Tampa need to head home early for the news.

The Rangers have tried to be the Yankees for as long as I remember. Overpaying for over the hill and mediocre talent and then they are shocked when they finish last in the AL West. This year they finally made a trade that made sense when they acquired Cliff Lee and hit the jackpot when they poached Josh Hamilton from the Rays, but even there recent all-stars like Michael Young have fallen on hard times. It will be nice if they win a playoff series so they can say they have done it, but other than that, the Rangers aren't a team I will cheer for.

3 - So that leaves the Yankees. It makes sense because they are in the AL East and if the World Series champs come from the division of the Jays, at least I can say we beat the best head to head this year and it gives me hope for the future.

Also, the Yankees have tradition like no other franchise. When you have won 27 World Championships, you might not need another one in the trophy case, but why not build up the resume a little further.

This season, the Yankees have had added motivation of losing key members of the organization. The most prominent being owner George "the boss" Steinbrenner and long time voice of Yankee stadium announcer Bob Sheppard. Although most of the current players don't have any connections to Steinbrenner or Sheppard they know how much it means to the fans and the rest of the organization to see the two of them off as winners.

So there it is, I'm going to join Spike Lee, Jay-Z and Billy Crystal and don the Yankees cap for the next month...

The Most Unimpressive Record Ever

Yesterday in the National Football League wasn't a good one for the gambling set. Many underdogs won, there is parity all around and with so many injuries you can't tell which team is going to be good from week to week.

For the first time in 40 years the NFL doesn't have a team that is 4-0. What does this mean - well, for starters, the 1972 Dolphins get to celebrate again. As the only undefeated team in NFL history, the players from the 1972 Dolphins celebrate annually with a bottle of champagne when the last undefeated team falls and there is no longer a threat to their record.

There have been many close calls for the Dolphins alum recently, most notably the Patriots from 2007 who went 18-0, but lost in the Super Bowl to the NY Giants. Another close call, was the 2009 Indianapolis Colts who were 14-0, had clinched a playoff berth, and decided to rest starters, so they ended up losing their last two games. In fact, the 2009 season marked the first time in history where two teams started 13-0 (Colts and Saints).

For all the close calls, especially recently, does it matter if a team really goes undefeated for a season as long as they win the championship? Apparently not for both the Colts or Saints, who put winning the Super Bowl ahead of the perfect season. If this is true, then does this record of being the only undefeated team in NFL history really matter anymore? Should the 1972 Dolphins be indulged year after year with news stories when the last of the undefeated teams lose, like the KC Chiefs did on Sunday?

With the longer season, more injuries and obviously more parity, the undefeated season is a thing of the past in the NFL. As a fan we can no longer expect that this will happen again and although, this was once an impressive record to hold, it is no longer something to hold up as a be all and all of football superiority.

In other sports, an undefeated season is still something to be proud of. Whether it is men's or women's college basketball a approx record of 40-0 is needed to win the championship. In NCAA men's college football a record of 13-0 would get you the BCS National title and with all of the rivalries and expectations placed on teams of "boys", small errors happen regularly that can cost teams a game each Saturday.

Obviously, the baseball, hockey and basketball seasons are too long for an undefeated season. One record that might be approached this year in though, is the best record ever for a basketball team. The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls had 72 wins and only 10 losses. The new "big three" in Miami of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh will do their best to get 73 wins. If they don't though, it won't be considered a big deal, unless they don't win the championship.

Winning the last game matters, not winning them all.

Week 3 - SuperContest

So, here we go again. Week 3 of the NFL season. You might think you've learned something so far, but the Bucs and Chiefs are both 2-0 and it is highly likely one of them will be 3-0 after Sunday.

What have I learned...football players are fragile. The bigger players, faster players are leading to more violent collisions, therefore more injuries. This is especially true of the "glory" players - QB, RB and WR, but it is also because an injury to a offensive lineman doesn't seem as important even though it can be devastating to consistency.

So with all the injuries you gotta becareful with your picks. After two weeks I have a record of 4-5-1. Bill Simmons let us know that he is 3-6-1. I'm I super star! Here are this weeks picks...

Patriots -14.5 (vs. Buffalo) - Ryan Fitzpatrick is worse than Trent Edwards if that is possible.
Falcons +3.5 (vs. New Orleans) - Falcons look like an offensive juggernaut and good defense. Saints don't look put together yet...
Redskins -3.5 (vs. St. Louis) - Looks like Dan Snyder spent money wisely on the new QB and coach.
Ravens -10.5 (vs. Cleveland) - Ravens might only score 11 points and that would be enough to cover.
Packers -3 (vs. Chicago) - Bears have been good this season but Cutler won't have the same amount of time in the pocket. Go Pack Go!


I promise some actual new content next week...

SuperContest - Week 2

Well week one wasn't kind to me. I went 2-5 and have to thank Chan Gailey for that extra win as he took a safety in the last minute of play to give the Dolphins a five point win.

So here we go...

Packers -14 (vs. the Bills) - Gonna go against the Bills every week I think
Steelers -5.5 (vs. the Titans)- Titans used up too much offence last week.
Panthers -3.5 (vs. the Bucs) - Matt Moore bounces back.
Patriots -3 (vs. the Jets) - Rex Ryan is regretting Hard Knocks about now...
Texans -3 (vs. the Redskins) - Thinking that Foster can tear it up again.

Hopefully, this week goes better than last, it can't go much worse.

NFL Week 1 - SuperContest

If you are an avid reader and follower of ESPN sports writer Bill Simmons you would have heard him this week talk about the "SuperContest". This is a gambling contest that him and fellow ESPN writer Chad Millman will take part in this year. The contest costs $1500 to enter and you pick try to pick the winners of 5 NFL games against the spread each week.

Now you might be thinking this sounds pretty easy, but apparently those that enter are all the "sharps" (professional betters with connections) who make a living at this. Simmons and Millman have basically conceded in week 1 that they aren't winning the contest and just want to be respectable. I am going to aim to do the same thing. Although, I am making this easier on myself by not plopping down the $1500, I'll pick 5 games each week vs. the spread using the Bodog lines on Saturday morning. I'll keep the tally going and see how I fair against Simmons and Millman and the rest of the "sharps".

For week 1, here we go. Current record 0-0 (tied for first!)

Miami Dolphins -3 (vs. the Bills)
Indianapolis Colts -2.5 (vs. the Texans)
Green Bay Packers -3 (vs. the Eagles)
Carolina Panthers +7 (vs. the Giants)
Cleveland Browns +3 (vs. the Bucs)

Wish me luck and if I prove that I am good at this, someone can stake me the $1500 for next season.

Who are your locks of the week?

5 Big Things

With all the major sporting events this year the start of the National Football League and all the off season moves have been a little overshadowed. With the season just under a week away, there is still time to get all caught up on the five biggest story lines going into the season that I am looking forward to.

1. Fantasy Football
Fantasy football has taken over the NFL. With over 29 million people playing fantasy football and spending almost nine hours a week online checking their teams, adjusting rosters, picking up and dropping players and proposing trades. Many fans do not even have favourite teams anymore, they have their favourite player as long as he is on their roster. NFL players now get cheered for their performance based on how many fantasy points they have accumulated. Even the NFL players are now involved in fantasy football. Last season, their was a youtube video of some Washington Redskins teammates sitting around and drafting their teams. This season, Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew will publish a fantasy football column every week at Sports Illustrated.com. His first order of business was to draft a team and of course, made some big trades to be able to draft himself. At least now he can only blame himself for losing, unlike the rest of us.

2. QB Moves - McNabb, Kolb, Jason Campbell, Matt Leinart
The quarterback position is so important in the National Football League. You can look back at the franchises that won Super Bowl’s and almost all of them had a super star under center. Whether it was the Steelers and Cowboys in the 70’s with Terry Bradshaw and Roger Staubach, the 80’s 49ers with Joe Montana or Cowboys with Troy Aikman, and most recently the Colts with Peyton Manning or the Patriots with Tom Brady. So, when big name quarterbacks moved around this off season, it opened the door for a couple of new teams to challenge for the Lombardi trophy. The biggest name to move was former Philadelphia Eagle Donovan McNabb, who is now a Washington Redskin. This is not only news because it gives the Redskins a experienced quarterback, but it was also a trade within their division. Taking over for McNabb in Philadelphia is Kevin Kolb. The fourth year quarterback has only started in 2 games in his previous years, so although those two games last season where good, it will interesting to see if he can keep it up for 16 games and take the Eagles back to the playoffs. Since McNabb moved to Washington, their starter – Jason Campbell needed to find a new home. He has packed his bags and moved to Oakland. The Raiders have been in need of a serviceable quarterback for the past 20 years, so hopefully Campbell can give them something to cheer about. One franchise (unfortunately, not the Minnesota Vikings), the Arizona Cardinals had their quarterback retire. Kurt Warner decided to hang up the cleats and has been replaced by Matt Leinart. The “pretty boy” from USC in his fifth season will finally get the ball to himself. Every year, he has gone into training camp as the starter, only to lose the job. This season, without much competition behind him, he should be able to blossom. Although, these were the big moves, some other teams did get new pivots. The Browns acquired Jake Delhomme from the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers then replaced Delhomme with young Matt Moore.

3. Labour Issues - 18 game schedule, concussions, salary cap, draft age (rookie salary cap)
Although, this is not exactly an issue for this season, it will begin to dominate the headlines. The NFL and NFL players association need to agree on a new labour agreement before next season, so there is a next season. Some of the big questions that need to be agreed upon are a salary cap and especially a rookie salary cap. The veterans are unhappy each year when first round draft picks become the highest paid players in the league without playing a snap. There are also health concerns, such as what an expanded 18 game schedule (instead of the current 16) would do to a players body and how they would be compensated for those extra games. Also, head injuries have become more common and a bigger concern for players. In the light of some recent deaths of ex-NFL players, and the on-going study of their brains has shown that playing football causes long-term damage. The NFL and its players need to address how to help the current players from doing damage to themselves and how to assist the retired players if they have sustained long-term damage. Unfortunately, this will be a topic many casual fans (those playing fantasy football) won’t care too deeply about until it affects them next September.

4. NFC East - could all the teams go 8-8 or better?
In the NFL getting to the playoffs is the goal and usually 9 wins will get you there. Once you are in the playoffs anything can happen. For the best division in football, nine wins will probably not do the trick this season. The Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins all have the talent to make the playoffs and contend for the Super Bowl. Every conference game will be an event this season. Whether it is the Eagles welcoming back McNabb, the Cowboys going into the New Meadowlands for the first time or the Cowboys trying to go to the Super Bowl in their own stadium, it should be the game of the week every time they hook up.

5. How will the players act this year? (arrests, twitter)
As we have seen, not all the news is on the field this year. Between the potential labour stoppage and fantasy football, just as much is happening off the field as on. The other topics to be on the look out for are how players are getting into trouble. Whether it is DUI, drug possession or assault, NFL players seem to be getting themselves in hot water constantly. Popular football blog site profootballtalk.com even has a “days since last arrest” counter on their website. Since commissioner Roger Goodell has been notoriously tough on offenders, suspending players for almost every incident, it is especially important for players to keep their noses clean. One player who actively searches out fines is Chad OchoCinco of the Cincinnati Bengals. OchoCinco was recently fined $25 000 for tweeting during a pre-season game. Many NFL players use the popular social networking site Twitter to communicate with fans, but the last thing coaches and fans need is a player so distracted with what to tweet next that they cannot concentrate while on the field.

NFL Preview and Predictions - NFC East

A series of reviews, predictions and ramblings on what to expect in the upcoming NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE season. As always, don't hold me to these.

NFC East
This is BY FAR the toughest division in the NFL at the moment, my prediction could be right or it could go totally the other direction. No idea.

Dallas Cowboys
America's team is hoping to make owner Jerry Jones's dream come true - host a Super Bowl in his own stadium. They definitely have the talent to go all the way, but as always, will they be able to pull it together in the playoffs. QB Tony Romo will be the key to the offense as always and since he is not dating Jessica Simpson the curse might have warn off. As in years past, he is surrounded by offensive talent at wide receiver. Miles Austin returns after his breakout year and is joined by Roy Williams, Jason Witten, Patrick Crayton and rookie Dez Bryant. In the backfield a trio of running backs will get the ball (not good for fantasy), Felix Jones, Marion Barber and Tashard Choice. The defense is good but not spectacular. Led by DeMarcus Ware who will put pressure on qb's all day and he will be supported by some great talent at linebackers James Hardie and Keith Brooking. This team has the talent, but can they make it out of the tough division.


Washington Redskins
A new era has dawned in Washington. A new QB, a new coach and lots of new running backs have led to optimism, but can everyone come together fast enough to win this year. The new coach is former Broncos boss Mike Shanahan, the new QB is former Eagle Donovan McNabb, and they have added Larry Johnson and Willie Parker in the backfield with Clinton Portis. All of them are aging, but together they might be one good running back. McNabb never really had great talent at wide receiver until last season, so the mix of young and old receivers shouldn't bother McNabb. Santana Moss leads the receiver group, and this season will get help from youngster Devin Thomas and off course tight end Chris Cooley will be a great escape valve for McNabb. The defense features some head cases, but that isn't always a bad thing when your job is to run over people. Defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth seems to be over his training camp conditioning and headaches, DeAngelo Hall is a shut down corner and Brian Orakpo is starting to come into his own off the end. The Redskins have put together the roster, it is now a question of working together and executing - all that with a very tough schedule.

New York Football Giants
Two years removed from a Super Bowl title and the New York Football Giants have a great shot to make it an all Manning Super Bowl. QB Eli Manning leads the Giants into battle and he has proven to be a great leader for his team. Behind him is the too headed monster of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs. Although they will share lots of workload, Bradshaw should be the primary back by the end of the season. The ball in the air will be picked out by wide receiver Hakeem Nicks and Steve Smith. The wide receiver group is deep as evidenced by the forced retirement to David Tyree. The defense is quick and should be able to put lots of pressure on the quarterback, which will make the secondary look good. Anytime you can put a front four on the field of Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Pierre-Paul Thomas and Mathias Kiwanuka the opposing quarterback will be on his back.


Philadelphia Eagles
A new era in Philadelphia, the Donovan McNabb era is over and his inability to win in the playoffs are packed away. He is replaced by Kevin Kolb and his 3 career starts. Everyone seems to think that Kolb will be just fine, but with the pressure that comes with playing in Philly it will be interesting to see if he can make it through the season. Longtime standout Brian Westbrook is gone replaced by second year man LeSean McCoy and ex-Bronco Mike Bell. The wide receiver group is led by DeSean Jackson and tight end Brent Celek. The defense has always been good and this group will be no exception. The secondary stands-out with Asante Samuel and Ellis Hobbs. If at first these Eagles don't succeed, look out for flying objects from the stands!

NFL Preview and Predictions - AFC East

A series of reviews, predictions and ramblings on what to expect in the upcoming NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE season. As always, don't hold me to these.

AFC East

NY Jets
Head Coach Rex Ryan and the Jets have talked a big game all off-season and now they get to prove it. The Jets will have a target on their back all season even though last year they finished 8-8, but did go to the AFC Championship game. They return most of those pieces including quarterback Mark Sanchez who going into his third year will have a better idea of what it takes to win. Behind him will be running back Shonne Greene and LaDanian Tomlinson. Tomlinson joins the Jets after a Hall of Fame career with the Chargers. Tomlinson wasn't effective last season with the Chargers, but being the highly competitive person that he is, he won't want to remembered like that. The defense is going to be attacking as it was last year. If corner back Darrel Revis can settle his contract the defense will be better, but even without him they will be pretty good. Led by linebacker Bart Scott and ends Jason Taylor and Vernon Gholston the Jets will cause problems for offenses. Although they might not win the Super Bowl, no one will be surprised if they are in Dallas in February.


Miami Dolphins
Flying under the radar in the AFC is the Miami Dolphins. Underrated at almost every position they are an after thought in a very tough division. Quarterback Chad Henne has been given the reigns. He still has the two headed monster in the backfield at his disposal - Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. Both backs have had problems in the past - Brown with injuries and Williams with his off the field concerns. Neither is looked at as an elite back, but both are capable of 1000 yard seasons. To give Henne more targets the Dolphins acquired temperamental wide receiver Brandon Marshall from the Broncos. Henne has to be accurate but can easily be a productive QB in this system. The defense has gone through a little makeover as well. All-Pro end Jason Taylor has moved on again, but he won't be missed too much with Karlos Dansby joining and Yeremiah Bell at safety. The Dolphins will make the jump and look for them to be a wild card team this season.


New England Patriots
These aren't your dad's Patriots. These also aren't the same Patriots that won Super Bowls earlier in the decade. Although Tom Brady is still here, he has been working with less and less talent around him every season. This year, he has been working without two of his standout offensive lineman. Logan Mankins and Nick Kaczur have both missed significant time. Mankins in a contract dispute (which has just been resolved) and Kaczur with a back injury and is not expected back for a long time. That doesn't bode well for keeping Brady upright or giving space to the aging Fred Taylor at running back. The Patriots have gone on the cheap for wide receivers as well. The defense is led by Jared Mayo and patchwork defensive backfield after they let Asante Samuel walk in free agency. Coach Bill Belichek has been labeled a genius, but this team will give him a real test. Don't believe the Patriots hype.


Buffalo Bills
The rebuilding process in underway in Buffalo - and I'm not talking about rebuilding after the fires in Cheektowaga. Quarterback Trent Edwards starts the season as the number one QB, but will be looking over his shoulder all season to see if new coach Chan Gailey will pull him for Ryan Fitzpatrick or Brian Brohm or Levi Brown. Not a good situation. The running back position looked deep at the start of training camp, but injuries to Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch have left rookie CJ Spiller as the lone tailback. Spiller looked exciting in the two pre-season games so far. The wide receiver group is thin with talent. Lee Evans returns as the number one wide receiver, but after that, there isn't much to write home about. The defense will be the strong point of the team, especially the defensive backs. Jarius Byrd, Donte Whitner and Terrence McGee are just as good as any backfield in the league. The Bills are in deep trouble this season. They play in a good division and don't have the talent to challenge the contenders this season or maybe even next.

NFL Preview and Predictions - NFC North

A series of reviews, predictions and ramblings on what to expect in the upcoming NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE season. As always, don't hold me to these.

NFC North

Green Bay Packers
The Packers could not overcome the ghost of Brett Favre last season, losing both games to the Vikings. If the Packers want to win the division and the conference, beating Favre would go along way. At quarterback, Favre's replacement Aaron Rodgers has developed extremely well. Last season was great statistically and this season there shouldn't be any drop off considering the weapons at his disposal. Veteran wide receivers Donald Driver and Greg Jennings are big play threats and sure handed which makes Rodgers job somewhat easier. The tight end position which has always featured a stand-out in Green Bay gets the heir apparent in Jeremichael Finley. Finley should be featured prominently in the red zone and this could be his break-out year. The one problem on the offense is the o-line. Rodgers was sacked 50 times last season and if they can't figure out how to slow the opposing pass rush, Rodgers might not be the starter for all 16 games. The defense is coming off a great season as well that featured defensive player of the year, Charles Woodson. The defense created turnovers and points and this years unit should be no different. The age of the secondary (Woodson and Bigby) is a concern, but shouldn't threaten to derail this season.

Minnesota Vikings
We can finally write this preview because we finally know that Brett Favre will play again. The old warrior returns to the purple and gold to the promised land. Favre took a beating last year, especially in the NFC Championship gave vs. the Saints. Look for more teams to use that game plan to pressure the pivot. If Favre is hurting, he can always just hand the ball off to the best running back in the game in Adrian Peterson. Peterson can tear through defenses, eat up the clock and take the pressure off Favre. If he solves his fumble-itis, and stays injury free, just give him the 2000 yards and 10-15 touchdowns. The defense still has some injury concerns going into the season including middle linebacker EJ Henderson, but it won't be defense that wins this team a Super Bowl.

Detroit Lions
There is always a couple of teams that come out of the group of mediocre to poor teams and surprises and I believe it might be the Lions this season. They have finally landed a draft pick that produced (QB Matt Stafford) and this year's picks look solid as well. With the QB position solidified, the Lions have begun to develop the talent around him. Running back Kevin Smith is joined by draft pick from Cal Jahvid Best. Best is a big play threat and Lions fans will be reminded of the times when Barry Sanders would break off 80 yard runs. Wide receiver Calvin Johnson is joined by free agent Nate Burleson and tight end Tony Scheffler. These weapons will give Stafford the confidence to get the ball downfield. The defense has only been slowly building and with coach Jim Schwartz being defensive minded, it will be a shock to no one when the Lions produce a stingy defense similar to what the Titans had when Schwartz was there.

Chicago Bears
Last season the Bears made a big splash acquiring Jay Cutler, but that ended with a belly flop because Cutler liked passing to the guys in opposing jerseys better. This season will not only be a referendum on Cutler but also on the coaching staff led by Lovie Smith. If Lovie can lead than the Bears have a chance at .500 if not, they could find themselves with a long road to regain a foot hold in the conference. For the Bears to have a chance, running back Matt Forte needs to regain his 2008 form. In case he doesn't, the Bears have brought in Chester Taylor as an expensive every down, but hopefully just third down back. Cutler still doesn't have have targets on the outside, but will need to get Devin Hester the ball as often as possible and hope for the big play. The defense is ageing and will hope that Brian Urlacher can bounce back from injury. The secondary will face the biggest challenge going up against the three top quarterbacks within the division. It will be a long season at Soldier

NFL Preview and Predictions - AFC North

A series of reviews, predictions and ramblings on what to expect in the upcoming NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE season. As always, don't hold me to these.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens
Many peoples favourite to be contender to be playing in the Super Bowl, but they will have to get through one of the toughest divisions. The Ravens made lots of bold moves in the off-season, one of the biggest being Anquan Boldin from the Arizona Cardinals and the other is Donte Stallworth. Quarterback Joe Flacco adds these two targets to the consistent Derrick Mason. This gives Flacco the options he never had before which will only make him and the Ravens better. Flacco still has the option to check down to his running back, Ray Rice. One of the best all around running backs in the league with the ability to catch passes out of the backfield, but also break free for the home run style run. The new look offense will be a relief to the defense who have been carrying the flag for the Ravens for the past decade. The Ravens defense is ferocious led by Ray Lewis, Terrel Suggs and Ed Reed. You can't overlook the defensive line that can put four guys on the field who are 350lbs or more. The Ravens will be an AFC to be reckoned with this season and a real Super Bowl contender.

Cincinnati Bengals
One of my favourite teams because the cheerleaders are named the "Ben-Gals". The Bengals made headlines and will continue to make headlines because they have two of the biggest news makers in the NFL in Chad OchoCinco and Terrell Owens. The acquisition of Owens will delay the growth of players like Andre Caldwell and rookie Jordan Shipley from Texas. Quarterback Carson Palmer will have to find a way to spread the ball around and also include running back Cedric Benson. Benson had a very productive year in 2009 and will look to repeat his year. The defense has a great secondary with Leon Hall and Jonathan Jospeh, plus the ageless Roy Williams at safety. If the rest of the team can keep themselves out of jail, these Bengals just might challenge the division - a division they went unbeaten in last year.

Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are going the wrong way. There star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is suspended for the first 4-6 games of the season and they shipped out Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes because of his off-field actions. Without Big Ben for the first month and a half of the season they will need a major contribution for veteran Byron Leftwhich or young inexperienced Dennis Dixon. Coach Mike Tomlin hasn't made it clear which QB will fill the void. Last year Fast Willie Parker lost his 5th gear and the clear number 1 running back this season will be Rashard Mendenhall. Whoever is still at QB will have the reliable Hines Ward to throw to (just don't expect him healthy for every game) and the improving Mike Wallace. The defense is counting on the return of Troy Polamalu and more kick ass seasons from LaMarr Woodley, James Harrsion and Ryan Clark. The Steelers will be fun to follow all season because you will never be certain what team will take the field. In this division they better come prepared every week though.

Cleveland Browns
Oh the Brownies! With their iconic Orange uniforms, I just want them to be good. A Browns game on TV always looks so good. Unfortunately, this season I think the uniforms will be much better than the team. The Browns are the proud new owners of Jake Delhomme's rubber arm. Delhomme lands in Cleveland with lots to prove after imploding in Carolina. The Browns have gotten rid of Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson so the team is Delhomme's to run with. If he does falter, they still have Seneca Wallace and rookie Colt McCoy to fall back on. Running back James Harrison will carry the bulk of the work load, although it will be interesting to see how Peyton Hillis (formerly of the Denver Broncos) is after missing time with injury. Josh Cribbs is the Browns loan threat at wide receiver and he is actually more dangerous on special teams. The Browns risk throwing him off his game like the Bears did with Devin Hester a few years ago, and then they would be left without a wide receiver or a special teams player. The defense isn't that exciting, but the player to look for his rookie Joe Haden, the rookie corner from Florida. The Browns will struggle in 2010+, I just hope that the Cleveland fans can take it.