Football picks- Week #6 & more

Last Week - 9 - 5
Overall - 46 - 31

I'm already down one since the Steelers lost on Thursday, a game which I will discuss in my recaps tomorrow.  Sigh.

Atlanta over Oakland - I just don't see the Falcons letting the Raiders beat them at home.  At some point I think Atlanta, and Houston, will get knocked off, but I don't think today is that day.

Cincinnati over Cleveland - This is the gimme game for me this week that could go either way.  My gut picked Cleveland first, but then my brain reminded me of all the wins they keep letting get away.  Cincinnati lost last week.  My brain took over my gut and I went with the Bengals.  Plus, I'd hate to play them next week coming off a loss despite how much it would help the Steelers if the Browns won.

St. Louis over Miami - I seem like I'm down on the Dolphins and I certainly don't have any thoughts or feeling about the team one way or the other.  I just happen to think the Rams will win this week over the Dolphins.  St. Louis is on a streak as the quiet team and just like on Survivor you have to watch those types of players.

Indianapolis over New York - I don't think this game will be easy.  It is a road game for the Colts going into a stadium of losers desperate for a win.  Rex Ryan is crazed, pissed, and chomping at the bit for a win.  It will be interesting to see how Andrew Luck stands up to the pressure.  This could be a game where the Jets just blow them out, but I'm going with the Colts still riding the emotion high.

Philadelphia over Detroit - A no brainer.

Tampa Bay over Kansas City - This is another one that could go either way, despite the Chiefs woes.  Tampa Bay is so up and down and all over the field in both offense and defensive that one never knows what is going through the players' heads.  Home field advantage doesn't matter much here as the Buccaneers can't sell out the stadium and the fans can't watch at home due to blackouts.  The Chiefs are still looking for another win, but the Bucs had a bye week and want to shut up the local sportswriters so I'm taking them this week.

Baltimore over Dallas - Tony Romo is in trouble most weeks.  He won't be out of it this week against the Ravens defense and Ray Lewis.  The Ravens are Super Bowl bound with their coach wanting to play his brother.  You think the Manning brothers have rivalry?  You haven't seen anything until the Harbaugh brothers go against one another for the biggest prize in football.  I saw them cheering for Indiana University at a basketball game where IU's coach Tom Crean is their brother-in-law.  They are a competitive family no doubt.  They will run away with this game.

Arizona over Buffalo - Arizona won't be happy with their loss last week so I expect them to come out gunning.

New England over Seattle - Yes, yes, the Seahawks behind their jumpy, excited coach have pulled out some games legally, but Tom Brady isn't about to loose to a team of this caliber.  The Patriots run away with this one and Pete Carroll goes quietly into the locker room.

San Francisco over the New York Giants -This is a game I hope I get to see as I think it will be a doozy.  Eli has his work cut out for him today as the Giants won't have an easy time against the 49ers.  The 49ers want revenge from last year when the Giants beat them in the playoffs, and I said it with the Ravens game, but the Harbaugh brothers are on a mission and losing isn't in the game book.  The Giants defense isn't solid ranked at 22nd and like the Steelers they are banged up.  Eli will try his best, but the 49ers will win.

Washington over Minnesota - Well, I make these picks on Wednesday so that my bookie can get them in before Thursday's game so I made this emotional pick without really knowing the status of RGIII.  Now that he is "questionable" I'm thinking the Vikings might just run away with the game.  Oops, too late to change that now.

Houston over Green Bay - Sorry, Nancy, but I'm going with the Texans this week again.  While I think the Packers have it in them to come out and play a good game against the undefeated I just don't think they will pull out the win.  At some point the undefeated teams will fall, but the Texans are at home, Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings is out with an injury, and their running game is as bad as the Steelers has been.   Despite the Packers emotional game and loss last week I don't think it will be enough to beat Houston.

Denver over San Diego - This is another one of those games like last week where the Chargers played the Saints.  Two gunning quarterbacks.  Two teams coming off losses.  I'm just going with the more veteran of the two quarterbacks.  Plus, I want Peyton to succeed.

Lance Armstrong - Allegedly ran an elaborate doping scheme that involved a motorcycle agent, blood transfusions, and secret hideaways.  It sounds like something from a movie, and while horrifying, it is impressive as well.  Obviously this US team wanted to win.  The fact that they ran this scheme for years AND won 7 tours is even more impressive to me.  

 

Listen.  Pro sports are raking in so much money and power that these athletes are forced to compete in any way they can.  Personally, I think the organizations and owners have to look at themselves.  They keep upping the sport adding extra games in football and baseball and another mountain climb in cycling.  The more money they can generate and the hell with the athletes, their bodies and lives is very scary.  It doesn't shock me at all to know that athletes have to build up their bodies with substances to even compete at the levels expected.  

 

The agencies take urine and blood samples as a way of testing.  Failing those means you cheat.  Armstrong never failed either.  Period.  That should have been the end of it, but it wasn't.  The USADA and the feds kept on trying to prove he cheated.  Why?  We want winners, but we don't want to believe they are winners.  We the taxpayers paid for the years of effort and investigating that went on.  Meanwhile who was keeping track of the current riders?  More money had to be spent to hire other investigators for the current tour.  I think the whole thing is nuts.  Armstrong's wins were years ago.  He passed the tests that were set in place.  Did he get around that?  Maybe.  But that is on the USADA and they need to be taking a look at their system.  Change the sport.  Armstrong used stuff that wasn't illegal back in the day, same as baseball players and football players.  Now that is illegal.  Why isn't someone worrying about the fact that these athletes feel the need for the use of performance enhancing drugs?  Come on!  It is a cry for help and instead we just keep pressing and pressuring them for more, more, more.

We have a lot of terrible things that happen in sports.  We have rapists, men who beat their wives, killers, and bounty players.  Those are players that are hurting others by their actions.  The sad thing?  They are still playing their sport!  That to me is who the US needs to be taking action against.  You have to have rules.  Put them in place and abide by those regulations.  If you don't, you are gone.  Instead we skirt around and around until these athletes are back paying out money, serving suspensions, and smiling on public service commercials. 

Armstrong passed the tests put into place.  He is being taken down now by hearsay.  Instead of fixing what is wrong in the organization the USADA is causing headaches for other sports.  Jealous of that Super Bowl MVP?  Hate that so and so beat you at bats?  Gonna get that guy that dunked over you?  All you have to do is talk trash and offer up some allegations.  Don't worry about yourself because you will be offered great immunity and everyone will think you a hero for coming forward and outing out cheaters.  What is this?  High school?

The whole thing is awful.  Armstrong was someone to look up to.  A man who beat cancer and went out and won 7 tours.  Shame on him for having to do that by doping.  But look how much money he brought into the sport.  Look at how much recognition he brought into a sport not even known to many outside the world of cycling?  The tour is now on its own TV channel for heaven's sake thanks to Armstrong.  Did the USADA, the media, the officials go after him with a vengeance as long as he was helping the sport?  Well, no, not really beyond some accusations and testing.  Shame on all of them for that.  Shame on all the organizations and owners and media and fans and athletes for letting it get to this.  Shame on all of us.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. - He had to pull out of the run for the Chase Cup because of two concussions in six weeks; the first one not even seen to by a doctor for fear of not being able to race.  Just another example of a faulty organization.  With concussions being a huge topic in football right now wouldn't NASCAR being paying attention?  There is nothing in the rules about a driver seeing a doctor after a crash?  Irresponsible in my opinion and just another point in my above post.  A man has a concussion after a crash so bad that drivers were tweeting concern and no one insists he seek medical attention beyond the ambulance responders at the scene?  Well, no, let him get back on the road.  The hell with the other drivers.  Glad Earnhardt Jr. realized his errors on his own and sought medical attention.  He was pulled from racing due to the extent of his head injuries despite him being one of twelve drivers in the hunt for the cup.  He did the right thing.  For everyone.

Jeff Gordon - He made stupid, and I repeat stupid, comments about how he wouldn't have sought medical attention like Earnhardt Jr. while racing for the cup.  Winning is too important he said.  While he did acknowledge that that mentality was probably what was wrong with racing today, he continued to talk about his competitiveness and how he would have kept on racing no question.  Hey, USADA here is a man who admits to getting behind the wheel of a car after having his brain knocked around by a wall.  I bet he drives his little kids to school too.  Should that be a concern to someone?  Or are you only concerned with athlete who hurt only themselves?  (Yes, I know they are a doping agency, but I'm making a point here) NASCAR is now looking at changing their policies in the wake of Earnhardt Jr. come to mama realization.  Someone ought to let Jeff Gordon know so that he can shut his mouth.

Derek Jeter - Ouch.  Another athlete going down while not getting hit or touched by another.  Jeter went down last night during the Yankees lost to the Tigers while trying to field a hit to center field.  He apparently turned his ankle fracturing it as he went down to the ground.  Hey USADA here is a man who has played hurt all year.  Why?  Because the money was too good? The team needed him? The sport demanded it of him?  Sad to see a legend go out this way.  "Do not carry me," he told manager Joe Girardi after they got him to his feet.  Show no weakness.  

 

Because that is what America expects of athletes.