Sports Bytes - November 30, 2010

Week 12 NFL Predictions

San Francisco over Arizona (27-6) Win: That's six straight losses for the Cardinals . . .

My picks for Week 12 were 13-3, raising my overall total to 105-71 . . .

NY Post columnist Phil Mushnick pointed out something sarcastically funny yesterday:

• Holiday wishes indeed! CAN'T make this stuff up, continued: Saints DE Will Smith was arrested for assaulting his wife, Racquel, outside a nightclub, early Saturday morning. Three days earlier, within Fox's Saints-Cowboys telecast, Smith, his wife and their two daughters were the Saints' designated holiday family. Mrs. Smith wished all a warm, happy Thanksgiving.

There was a very good article in yesterday's NY Daily News about former Carolina RB Eric Shelton, who is suing the NFL for reportedly being denied full medical benefits for his spinal injury . . .

Any member of the Hall of Fame committee who votes in favor of Rafael Palmeiro's induction should lose his voting privileges. Just review Palmeiro's testimony before Congress if you've forgotten why he should only be welcome in Cooperstown as a paying visitor . . .

I enjoyed Bills WR Steve Johnson's Twitter rant against God following his drop of a guaranteed, game-winning TD on Sunday. It was refreshing to see a candid, heartfelt response from a pro athlete, as opposed to the corporate, distilled comments we usually receive. In case you missed them, here is what Johnson tweeted," "I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!! AND THIS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO..." . . .

Am I the only person who could care less about the Miami Heat's troubles? . . .

I get the impression there is more to this disagreement between the Yankees and Derek Jeter than just money. Today ESPNNewYork.com columnist Wally Matthews reports that a source close to the negotiations says that the Yanks want Jeter to "drink the reality potion." There appears to be venom behind those words, something not easily explained away as a negotiating tactic . . .

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes - November 29, 2010

Week 12 NFL Predictions

• New England over Detroit (45-24) Win: Detroit deserves credit for staying in this game as long as they did, but their storybook win ended convincingly in the fourth quarter as the Pats rattled off 21 unanswered points to pull away . . .
• New Orleans over Dallas (30-27) Win: What's with wide receivers today not securing the football as they streak across the open field? Roy Williams gaffe ruins an impressive Cowboys' comeback . . . I almost felt sorry for the Cowboys--well, no, not really . . .
• NY Jets over Cincinnati (26-10) Win: The Jets weren't impressive, but Brad Smith was. Smith returned a kickoff 89 yards for a TD and then added a 53-yard TD run . . .
• Atlanta over Green Bay (20-17) Win: Atlanta is not as good a team on the road as they are at home, but if they keep winning at the Georgia Dome it may not make a difference. Matt Bryant's 47 yard field goal gave the Falcons their NFC-leading ninth win of the season. There's still more than a month left in the season, but it's not too early to begin thinking about home-field advantage throughout the payoffs . . .
• Pittsburgh over Buffalo (19-16) Win: Pittsburgh dodged a 44 Magnum-sized bullet thanks to Bills WR Stevie Johnson, who dropped what would have been a game-winning 40 yard TD pass in overtime. Following the miscue the Steelers drove to the Bills 22 yard line where Sean Suisham ended the shockingly close battle with a 41 yard field goal . . . Ben Roethlisberger apparently suffered a sprained foot in the game . . .
• Cleveland over Carolina (24-23) Win: Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. The Browns blew a 21-7 halftime lead and seemed assured of another heart-breaking loss when Panthers' kicker John Kasay blew a 42 yard field goal with time expiring to send Carolina to its 10th loss of the season . . .
• NY Giants over Jacksonville (24-20) Win: Giants outscore Jaguars 18-3 in the second half to salvage their season. Two fourth-quarter TDs by Eli Manning and a suddenly resurgent defense in the second-half lift NY . . .
• Minnesota over Washington (17-13) Loss: Brett Favre did not throw a TD pass and Adrian Peterson left the game in the 2nd quarter with a right ankle injury; yet, the Redskins still found a way to lose this one . . .
• Houston over Tennessee (20-0) Win: Embarrassing performance by the Titans, who were held to 162 total yards while turning the ball over three times and being penalized 10 times. Things got worse for Tennessee in the fourth quarter when DB Cortland Finnegan--antagonist par excellence--was ejected after getting into a fistfight with Texans WR Andre Johnson. The two tore each others helmets off before Johnson began punching the prone Finnegan in the head. Johnson was also ejected . . .
• Miami over Oakland (33-17) Loss: Chad Henne embarrasses the Raiders, throwing for over 300 yards and two TDs . . . Oakland is becoming one of those "which team will show-up this week" clubs . . .
• Kansas City over Seattle (42-24) Win: Matt Cassell bombs the Pop Warner-level Seattle Seahawks defense for four TDs . . .
• Chicago over Philadelphia (31-26) Win: Jay Cutler shreds the Eagles defense for four TDs . . . Philadelphia OT Jason Peters had an interesting take on the game: "As bad as we played, we lost by five and they know we're a better team." Uh, okay, Jason . . .
  
• St. Louis over Denver (36-33) Loss: I will not pick Denver for the rest of the season regardless of who they are playing. They are pathetic . . .
• Baltimore over Tampa Bay (17-10) Win: Another media darling bites the dust in a big game. Tampa Bay has still yet to defeat a team with a winning record . . .
• San Diego over Indianapolis (36-14) Win: Despite owning a mediocre 6-5 record, the Chargers are probably the best team in football right now. Last night they intercepted Peyton Manning four times and returned two of his INTs for TDs. Philip Rivers may have had only an average game (185 yards, O TDs) but FB Mike Tolbert rose to the occasion by rushing for 103 yards and a TD . . .

Prior to tonight's unwatchable San Francisco-Arizona matchup, my Week 12 picks are 12-3 . . .

Andre Johnson landed a good right uppercut in his brawl with Cortland Finnegan. Bob Arum and/or Oscar de la Hoya may want to speak with him about moonlighting as a boxer . . .

NY Giants DE Justin Tuck best summarized the Giants' defensive effort in the first half when he told reporters it was "pretty much crap" . . .

I guess now that Michael Vick had a less-than-Herculean performance against the Bears he is no longer the flavor of the month for NFL "experts" . . .

Here's one that can be filed under "Useless Stats." Yesterday after only the third play from scrimmage, CBS informed viewers that the Giants tallied over 10 yards in two of their first three plays . . .

I thought Eli was the only Manning who had INTs returned for TDs . . .

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes - November 24, 2010

Week 12 NFL Predictions

• New England over Detroit
• New Orleans over Dallas
• NY Jets over Cincinnati
• Atlanta over Green Bay
• Pittsburgh over Buffalo
• Cleveland over Carolina
• NY Giants over Jacksonville
• Washington over Minnesota
• Houston over Tennessee
• Oakland over Miami
• Kansas City over Seattle
• Chicago over Philadelphia
• Denver over St. Louis
• Baltimore over Tampa Bay
• San Diego over Indianapolis
• San Francisco over Arizona

The Yankees have reportedly told Derek Jeter to test the market if he is unhappy with their contract offer. Co-owner Hal Steinbrenner made it clear he is finished overpaying players. "As much as we want to keep everybody, we've already made these guys very, very rich, and I don't feel we owe anybody anything monetarily. Some of these players are wealthier than their bosses." Could we be seeing the beginnings of fiscal responsibility in the Bronx . . .

Boston Red Sox C Victor Martinez has reportedly agreed to a multi-year deal with the Detroit Tigers. According to the newspaper El Nacional, the power-hitting switch-hitter is expected to sign a four-year contract worth $50 million. That's not a bad one-two punch: Victor Martinez and Miguel Cabrera . . .

Adrian Beltre and Victor Martinez were the only two Red Sox players to rank in the top-10 for hitting last season. With Martinez leaving and Beltre seemingly also on his way out, Boston's lineup will take a big hit if the organization cannot land a big bat like Jayson Werth . . .

Congrats to Josh Hamilton on his well-deserved selection as AL Most Valuable Player. Hamilton led the majors in batting and slugging percentage, and finished with 32 HRs and 100 RBIs despite missing nearly all of September with broken ribs. His production was a major reason the Texas Rangers won the AL West and reached the World Series for the first time in the organization's history. Hamilton received 22 first place votes and finished with 358 points, while second-place finisher Miguel Cabrera received five first-place votes and 262 total points . . .

Terry Collins is an odd choice for NY Mets manager. He insists that he has evolved since his last managerial position 11 years ago, and maybe he has. But all I see is a guy with a fiery temper who has clashed with players before and who failed in his two previous MLB managerial opportunities . . .

It's been almost 24 hours since a NY Giants player has been injured. Isn't that some sort of record? . . .

Happy Thanksgiving. Sports Bytes will return on Monday, Nov 29

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes - November 23, 2010

Week 11 NFL Results

San Diego over Denver (35-14) Win: Denver had lost four of its last five. Philip Rivers is having an MVP-caliber season. How else was this game going to play out? . . .

With the Chargers win last night my week 11 predictions finished at 13-3, raising my record for the year to 92-68 . . .

The Giants deserve to be lambasted for committing five turnovers Sunday night, but let's remember one point that the media has overlooked while focusing on NY's inability to protect the football: If Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul does not jump offside on the Eagles 3rd-and-5 play from the 46 yard line with under 5:00 left to play, there is a good chance NY wins the game regardless of their previous turnovers. Vick's incomplete pass on the Pierre-Paul play would have brought a 4th-and-5 and probably forced Eagles coach Andy Reid to punt and rely on his defense. Might the Eagles have gotten the ball back and won the game anyway? Possibly. But that doesn't minimize the impact of Pierre-Paul's miscue . . .

When it rains, it pours. Add WR Hakeem Nicks to the list of walking wounded that dominate the Giants' roster. According to ESPNNewYork.com, Nicks will miss at least three weeks after undergoing something known as a fasciotomy to correct "compartment syndrome, [a] swelling in the lower leg which compresses nerves and blood vessels" . . .

Last season Ray Childress led the Minnesota Vikings to the NFC Championship Game. Just 10 months later he finds himself jobless after being fired by Vikings owner Zygi Wilf. Childress isn't the fuzziest of men to be around, but then again if I had Brett Favre's ego thrust upon me I wouldn't be a ray of sunshine either . . .

Vince Young, who at least as of this writing is still a Tennessee Titans QB, is done for the season after being placed on the IR for a torn tendon in his right thumb. You don't need to be Nostradamus to know that the next time Young throws a football it will probably be for a different NFL club . . .

What is the NFL thinking? Exactly how does Raiders DE Richard Seymour drop QB Ben Roethlisberger with a right hand, but only receive a $25K fine and no suspension. He probably would have received a bigger fine for celebrating in the end zone . . .

Who will take a bigger beating on Thursday: your Thanksgiving turkey or the Cincinnati Bengals who play the Jets in the Meadowlands? . . .

Congratulations to Cincinnati Reds 1B Joey Votto , the well-deserved winner of the 2010 NL Most Valuable Player award. Votto received 31 of a possible 32 first-place votes to win in a landslide. Albert Pujols finished second. The selection was a no-brainer. Although Pujols finished with more HRs and RBIs than Votto, it's difficult to imagine the Reds winning the NL Central and compiling 91 wins without Votto's exceptional numbers.

The AL MVP will be announced today. My selection is Texas Rangers CF Josh Hamilton . . .

Has Paul Williams awakened yet from his devastating knockout at the hands of Sergio Martinez on Saturday? . . .

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.

Sports Bytes - November 22, 2010

"The Wizard of Oz" is one of those classic movies that is shown during the Christmas season, along with "A Christmas Carol," "It's a Wonderful Life," etc . . . As a kid I always wondered would it would be like to visit the Land of Oz. I think Paul Williams discovered what it was like on Saturday night when he was knocked out by Sergio Martinez . . .

Derek Jeter's agent (Casey Close) says he is baffled by the hardball the Yankees are playing in their negotiations with his client. What's baffling? Jeter is 36 and is coming off the worst-season of his career, having batted just .270--44 points below his lifetime average of .314. Then again, maybe Close has a point. Since when are the Yankees the poster boys for fiscal restraint . . .

NFL Week 11 Predictions and Results

• Chicago over Miami (16-0) Win: A third-string QB and a hobbled offensive line is a recipe for disaster . . .
• Buffalo over Cincinnati (49-31) Loss: It's time to fire Marvin Lewis and hit the Redo button with the Cincinnati Bengals. How do you blow a 31-14 halftime lead at home to an opponent that entered the game 1-8? You know things are bad when Terrell Owens admits, "We are terrible. And I don't blame the fans for booing us" . . .
• Dallas over Detroit (35-19) Win: When you have the dismal season the Cowboys' have had, it never hurts to play a home game against a club that has lost 26 consecutive road games. In three days the Boys will face the Saints. We'll see then how much of a difference Jason Garrett has made . . .
• Washington over Tennessee (19-16 OT) Loss: The only thing injured more often than Vince Young's body is his ego--and that's quite an accomplishment. Yesterday, Young added a torn tendon in his right thumb to his never-ending list of injuries. Yet his latest malady was not the highlight of his day. Disgusted that he was benched following his torn thumb, Young threw his shoulder pads into the stands after the game and then verbally sparred with head coach Jeff Fischer in the locker room. While Fischer addressed the team about the difficult overtime loss, Young reportedly dressed and stormed out of the team meeting yelling at the Titans' head coach that he wasn't quitting on the team, but was quitting on Fischer. So long, Vince . . .
• Kansas City over Arizona (31-13) Win: What is there to say except that the Arizona Cardinals are a bad football team. They have now lost five games in a row with no respite in sight. Yesterday they ran more plays, gained more yardage, and had a greater time of possession than the Chiefs yet, they were still crushed. That's what happens when you drop passes ad nauseum and commit 11 penalties . . .
• Green Bay over Minnesota (31-3) Win: It's clear the only passes Brett Favre should be throwing are those in his Wrangler commercials. Yesterday he tossed his 17th INT as the Vikings were humiliated by the Green Bay Packers. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, on the other hand, threw four TDs, while the Packers defense limited the Vikes to only three points. In the past three games the Packers have surrendered a total of just 10 points . . .
• NY Jets over Houston (30-27) Win: As Frank Sinatra once said,
  

They call you lady luck
But there is room for doubt
At times you have a very un-lady-like way
Of running out

Where will the Jets be when lady luck runs out?
• Pittsburgh over Oakland (35-3) Win: The highlight of the game for the Raiders was when DE Richard Seymour decked Ben Roethlisberger with an open hand in the second quarter. QB Bruce Gradkowski was held to just 98 yards passing, while the Raiders offense was held to only 182 yards. Conversely, Ben Roethlisberger threw for three TDs and 275 yards, while the Steelers offense compiled 431 total yards. That's what you call an old-fashioned butt-kicking . . .
• Baltimore over Carolina (37-13) Win: It's the Panthers, need I say more? Nevertheless, Baltimore does deserve credit for finding a new way to embarrass the Panthers. In yesterday's game Ray Lewis and Ed Reed returned consecutive INTs for TDs . . .
• Jacksonville over Cleveland (24-20) Win: Jacksonville is enigma. They're not very good; yet they are 6-4. They turned the ball over six times yesterday; yet they still managed to score 24 points and win the game. I don't understand them either . . .
• Atlanta over St. Louis (34-17) Win: Falcons QB Matt Ryan didn't need the Georgia Dome and its supportive crowd this week. Ryan sliced the Rams, throwing for 253 yards and two TDs to lead Atlanta to an NFC best 8-2 record . . .
• New Orleans over Seattle (34-19) Win: Another expected rout. Drew Brees throws four TDs against a Seahawks defense that had already surrendered over 30 points in three of its first nine games . . .
• Tampa Bay over San Francisco (21-0) Win: Tampa Bay could have given San Francisco four more quarters of football and it's doubtful that Mike Singletary's crew would have erased that donut from the scoreboard. The Niners turned the ball over twice, converted only 11 first downs, and were held to only 189 total yards. It may be time for Singletary to look for a QB not named Smith . . .
• New England over Indianapolis (31-28) Win: What started as a laugher ended as a nail-biter. Trailing 31-14 with only ten minutes left to play in regulation, Peyton Manning quickly led the Colts on two TD drives to cut the Pats lead to only three. Luckily for New England DB James Sanders intercepted Manning on the Colts final drive to salvage the victory . . .
• Philadelphia over NY Giants (27-17) Loss: Giants give away another victory. This team makes too many mistakes to be considered a legitimate playoff contender . . .

Prior to tonight's San Diego-Denver matchup, my Week 11 predictions are 12-3 . . .

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Need a PR Specialist? Perhaps my 13 years of PR experience can satisfy those needs. I have publicized world champions such as Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, and mega-events like Lewis-Tyson and De la Hoya-Vargas. Contact Donald Tremblay (The Rain Maker) at 718-664-3405 or at dtremblay@earthlink.net. For more info about me visit my LinkedIn Profile.