Standings
Ryan: 94-87-6
Kevin: 89-92-6
Sonny: 89-92-6
Rich: 88-93-6

Ryan: Jags +6.5 over Bears. This pick isn’t a backing of the Jags as much as it’s a bet against the Bears, who have lost three of their last four and looked pretty awful doing so. Will either team be able to get much going with temperatures in the low 20s? Look for an ugly display of football and a low-scoring game.
Rich: Bears -6.5 over Jags.
Sonny: Jags +6.5 over Bears.
K: Bears -6.5 over Jags.

Ry: Vikings -9.5 over Lions. I had toyed with picking the Lions to keep it close until a judge ruled in favor of the Williams behemoths. Now that they’re going be suiting up, the Lions have little hope. Vikes roll and Detroit’s quest for the perfect season continues.
Ri: Vikings -9.5 over Lions.
S: Vikings -9.5 over Lions.
K: Vikings -9.5 over Lions.

Ry: Texans +6 over Packers. Time is running out for the Packers this year, but this isn’t the best team for them to be facing. After getting dismantled on the ground by Carolina, Steve Slaton rolls into the Frozen Tundra. The Texans have quietly covered their last three spreads, while the Pack have lost four of five.
Ri: Packers -6 over Texans.
S: Packers -6 over Texans.
K: Texans +6 over Packers. Read the rest of this entry »

There are a few reasons I’d like to thank Plaxico Burress for turning the gun on himself and putting a slug in his leg.  First and foremost, this incident has shed light on just how uncapable of being a functional person in society Plaxico is.  Lets paint the scene here and look at just how mind blowing this incident is.  Plax goes to the club, gun stashed away (which wasn’t registered), in a state where it’s illegal to carry firearms.  Not only was the gun loaded at this point, the bullet was already in the chamber and the safety wasn’t on.  What the hell else did he think was going to happen?  Might as well pull the pin on a grenade and stash it in your back pocket while you’re at it.  Better yet, lets carry around some butcher knives in our pockets without any sheaths or means of covering them.  All of these scenarios will probably have favorable outcomes.  Okay, no they won’t.

Now lets talk about the legal aspect.  If he Plaxico gets pinned with carrying a firearm illegally (which if he didn’t would be the second best lawyer performance next to Ray Lewis getting off clean) he will face a minimum mandatory sentence of 3 and a half years in federal pound me in the ass prison.  But that’s not all, right?  There’s no way Plax was rollin to the club alone.   Sure enough, linebacker Antonio Pierce was there with him and Pierce is being investigated for potentially moving the gun.  Tampering with the weapon of a crime is a misdemeanor within the state but if Pierce happened to take that gun to, say, New Jersey, then he’s looking at a federal crime as well.

Finally, the best part about this whole situation.  The hype.  This incident has people talking; media, players, people who think Plaxico is a moron.  Violence with athletes is becoming a more and more prevalent issue.  Hell, last week Giants wide receiver Steve Smith was robbed at gun point.  Should athletes be carrying weapons?  That’s not for me to say.  It’s easy for me to sit here and bark out opinions on what guys should and shouldn’t be doing with their lives at night because I’m not in those shoes.  But is it really that hard to put yourself in a position where you aren’t going to run into the homies at 3 am and gunshots might be exchanged?  I don’t think so.

Standings
Ryan 82-83-6
Kevin 81-84-6
Rich: 80-85-6
Sonny: 80-85-6

Ryan: Titans -11 over Lions. Want to lose your appetite? Watch the Lions play. Unfortunately, Tennessee lost last week, so this game doesn’t match the unbeaten vs the beaten…but it’ll still be one of the biggest beatdowns of 2008. Look for Haynesworth to eat three Lions players before he even gets to his turkey.
Kevin: Titans -11 over Lions.
Rich: Lions +11 over Titans.
Sonny: Titans -11 over Lions.

Ry: Wade Phillips’ Breasts -12.5 over Mike Holmgren’s Breasts: A matchup between two fat coaches that would rather be stuffing their face. The Cowboys always make it rain on Thanksgiving, and this game will be no exception. With Tony Romo, Dallas has quickly gotten their swagger back.
K: Cowboys -12.5 over Seahawks.
Ri: Cowboys -12.5 over Seahawks.
S: Cowboys -12.5 over Seahawks.

Ry: Eagles -3 over Cardinals. Why are the Eagles favored here? Because I think they’re catching the Cardinals in a tough spot, flying east after a physical game with the Giants. I just think Donovan McNabb has something to prove here. If he flops again, he may never start another game in Philadelphia.
K: Cardinals +3 over Eagles.
Ri: Cardinals +3 over Eagles.
S: Eagles -3 over Cardinals. Read the rest of this entry »

Standings:
Ryan: 73-78-5
Kevin: 73-78-5
Rich: 72-79-5
Sonny: 72-79-5

Kevin: Texans +3 over Browns. This Texans team put up a pretty good fight against the Colts last week.  They seem to be a competent QB short of being a competitive team.  I still think they manage to handle the Browns in this game.
Ryan: Browns -3 over Texans.
Rich: Browns -3 over Texans.
Sonny: Texans +3 over Browns.

K: Bills -3 over Kansas City. Kansas City is a real up and down team, I’m going to go with the Bills here.  They haven’t played well lately, and it’s about time for them to right the ship if they want to have their playoff hopes kept alive.
Ry: Chiefs +3 over Bills.
Ri: Bills -3 over Chiefs.
S: Chiefs +3 over Bills.

K: Jets +5.5 over Titans. Favre keeps this one close, and who knows, maybe the Jets pull out a win.
Ry: Jets +5.5 over Titans
Ri: Titans -5.5 over Jets.
S: Jets +5.5 over Titans.

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I’ve long been aware of the fact that professional athletes get to play by a different set of rules than the rest of us. Whether it’s their high powered attorneys, ridiculous sponsorship deals or simply their deep pockets, athletes can usually get away with shit that we wouldn’t dare dream of. This latest rant concerns Pac Man Jones (who else) and the gutless wonder that is Roger Goodell.

We’ve written a number of things about Goodell running the NFL with an iron fest, whether it’s barring alchohol from the locker rooms or simply making any form of contact a 15 yard penalty. He’s quick and willing to fine anybody that plays the game hard, but doesn’t have the guts to really take a stand with the bad eggs of the NFL. 

Of course, I’m talking about Pac-Man Jones, who, after being suspended for the entire 2007 season, was reinstated a few months back…only to get suspended again…and reinstated again. I’ve heard of the three strike rule, but Pac Man is pushing the Silver Sombrero for all the bullshit he’s been involved with at West Virginia and since getting drafted in the NFL.

Stop giving these idiots 3rd, 4th and 5th chances. Does anybody have any faith in Pac Man Jones to suddenly pull his head out of his ass? Would the average joe still be showing up to work after picking up three DUI’s like Jared Allen? Or how about if killing people with their car like Leonard Little did (albeit under the Tagliabue era)? Stop being a wrist slapper, Goodell. Start punishing the habitual line-steppers of the NFL.

Standings
Ryan: 70-66-5
Sonny: 67-69-5
Kevin: 66-70-5
Rich: 66-70-5

Ryan: Chiefs +5 over Saints. Sure, the Chiefs have one measly win in 2008. But they’ve played some pretty good football the last three weeks. Tyler Thigpen has strung together some nice performances in KC’s spread offense, and I look for that to continue against the awful Saints defense. Oh, and they get LJ back too.
Kevin: Saints -5 over Chiefs.
Sonny: Chiefs +5 over Saints.
Rich: Chiefs +5 over Aints.

Ry: Dolphins -10 over Raiders. Double digit underdogs have been money all season in the NFL. Not Oakland though, they’re awful.
K: Dolphins -10 over Raiders.
S: Dolphins -10 over Raiders.
Ri: Dolphins -10 over Failures.

Ry: Ravens +7 over Giants. This one pits two of the best defenses in the NFL. In a game like that, I’m inclined to take the points when they’re given to me. The Giants could be due for a letdown after games against Pittsburgh, Dallas and Philadelphia. I’m not endorsing a Ravens win here, but it could definitely happen if Joe Flacco keeps playing well.
K: Giants -7 over Ravens.
S: Ravens +7 over Giants.
Ri: Giants -7 over Ravens

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