NFL Wildcard Weekend Picks

I'm getting back in the picks game!!!

Cincinnati (+4.5) at Houston

I don't like the way Houston finished up the year.  Losing 3 out of 4 to close it out, albeit against all playoff teams, doesn't sit well with me.  Cincinnati on the other hand already essentially played a playoff game this year.  Week 16 in Pittsburgh was pretty much a loser goes home game and they won.  Also, if you look at Cincinnati's 6 losses, other than Week 1, they don't get blown out.  Take away that 31 point loss away and their average losing margin in their other 5 losses is only 6 points per loss.  I think this is a field goal game in either direction.

The Pick: Cincinnati


Minnesota (+8) at Green Bay

Like Cincinnati, Minnesota has already played in playoff games this year.  I hate when teams play in Week 17 and then again the next week in the playoffs.  I don't think Minnesota is intimidated by Green Bay.  Other than the win last week, the lost at Green Bay in early December by single digits.  And check this out:

Green Bay is that big purple slice!  I know the Packers, Lions and Bears are going to have the biggest pieces of the pie here but Green Bay can not stop Adrian Peterson.  20% of his total rushing yards is a pretty big chunk.  Another reason I like Minnesota to cover is because Minnesota is 5th in the NFL in sacks and Aaron Rodgers gets sacked more than any QB in the NFL.  Green Bay should win but Minnesota isn't a great matchup for them.

The Pick: Minnesota

Indianapolis at Baltimore (-7)

I would not place money on this game.  I hate when teams rest their starters in Week 17 which is what Baltimore did last week but for this game I'm going with my gut.  Despite 11 wins on the season, the Colts don't look like a playoff team to me.  Baltimore is in the playoffs every year, they are seasoned and they are home.  I think they win this game by double digits.  I won't be putting money on that though because I'm also a believer in story book endings in sports.  The Andrew Luck and Chuck Pagano running story lines through the season have scared me off.

The Pick: Baltimore

Seattle (-3) at Washington

I'm aware that Seattle is a different team away from home and that the Redskins have gone on a borderline magical run to win the NFC East.  But even with all that, I think Seattle is the superior team and with RGIII banged up, I'm taking the road favorite.

The Pick: Seattle

A Few Hundred Words on the 2012 New York Jets

I'm prepared to talk about the Jets 2012 season now.

I've mentioned in the past that in all my years of being a Jets fan, this might have been my least favorite.  At least during the 1-15 debacle I was a freshmen in college with my whole life ahead of me.  My distaste for this season doesn't come from Mark Sanchez regressing terribly, a 6-10 record, putting up less than 20 points a game, having the best defensive player in the league injured for the year or still not having a legitimate pass rusher.  It was because of the media.  Record wise, the Jets had done the same or worse than 2012 on three other occasions already.  It's fine.  It happens.  The one thing that got under my skin all year was that the Jets were a "circus."  Granted, they did sign up for extra media attention when Woody wanted to bring in Tim Tebow but I think the public and media perception of how much Tim Tebow SHOULD have been used overshadowed how much the Jets planned on using him.  Prior to the season people were predicting that Tebow was here to eventually unseat Sanchez but the Jets never said that.  They emphasized that Sanchez was the starter and Tebow was the back up and there would be a package of plays for Tebow that would be sprinkled in.  Rex also said that Tebow can be used lightly or up to 20 plays a game depending on the situation.  Everyone seemed to run with that "20" number.  I'm sure you can point to Rex starting Greg McElroy over Tebow in Week 16 as mishandling the Tim Tebow situation but if you look at it objectively, you could not start Tebow in Week 16.  It was abundantly clear by that point that Tebow was not coming back next year.  Personally I don't think you could have risked Tebow having any chance for success in a meaningless game.  That would have caused an even bigger uproar.  But at no point in the season did I think the Jets lied about Tebow's role.  I think it was blown out of proportion because he was Tim Tebow.  If they never made that trade and Drew Stanton was sitting as the #2 then Sanchez would have been benched weeks before he was.  The Jets had a package for Tim Tebow and they know he can't run a pro style offense.

I understand Rex has kind of made his bed with all the negative press the Jets get but other than his off base statement about how this could be the best team he's ever coached, Rex was very tame this year.  He was still media friendly but without any bold predictions and rarely talking playoffs or looking ahead.  I do believe that Rex Ryan will be a head coach again and he will have learned from his mistakes here and be successful (Spoiler Alert! I don't think he's back next year.)

Touching on what actually happened on the field this year, I want to blurb about a few players:

-Shonn Greene: Another yawn of a 1000 yard season.  I'm ready to move on from him.  I like Bilal Powell better (although I don't think he's a workhorse either) and I'm a believer in not spending a lot of money on RBs.  The Jets don't have a lot of flexibility with the cap so I'd task my new GM with finding a cheap alternative to pair with Powell.

-Braylon Edwards: Despite having zero success since he left the Jets, I always said that the Jets picked wrong when they kept Santonio Holmes over Edwards.  I view Santonio Holmes as a glorified slot receiver masquerading as a #1.  When healthy I like what Edwards brings to the table.  Sure he drops a few too many but he also makes some tough catches as well.  I'd take this opportunity to bring him back on the cheap.  They still need help at WR but going in to next season with Holmes, Edwards and Jeremy Kerley as their Top 3, for some reason I wouldn't hate that based on their cap restraints.

-Mike DeVito: He's an unrestricted free agent now and I'm going to miss him if he goes.  I was surprised to learn he made 2.5 million this year and he earned every penny.  He is the blue collar guy that the Jets defense needs.  Not flashy but he is really solid against the run.

-Quinton Coples: It was tough to see Chandler Jones have 6 sacks halfway through the season and going from confused by Seattle's pick to wishing Bruce Irvin lasted just one more spot.  But although the Jets still desperately need a guy who can get to the QB on his own, I'm currently okay with Coples.  He showed me flashes this year and surprisingly led the team in sacks this year (only 5.5 but still).  I'm not getting too excited because apparently he has a history of lacking motivation but so far so good.

-Kyle Wilson:  It confuses me why he is getting such a pass.  I know the Jets some how ended up the year with solid numbers against the pass but I can't honestly say I think Wilson played well.  He's not developing at all and I don't care what defensive back metrics you can throw at me, just watching him week in and week out, he seems to get toasted once or twice a game.  I'm holding him to a higher regard than I should because of his draft status and maybe that's not fair anymore but if Antonio Cromartie or Darelle Revis leave one day, I don't think he's the answer as a starter.

So far in to the new year, the Jets let go of Mike Tannenbaum which was definitely the right now and they gave Rex a reprieve right now.  I am on record as saying that I would like their to be a way for Rex to coach the team next year but if the GM goes, the coach has to go too.  It's not fair to the new GM to not allow him to bring in his own coach.  What I believe is happening is that Woody will hire a GM and Rex will be interviewing with him to keep his job.  And personally I don't think Rex Ryan will be back.  And if he is back, I won't be able to shake the notion that we hired the wrong guy as GM and he was only hired because of his willingness to let this situation happen.  It's a tricky situation as a Jets fan.

The beauty of the NFL is that it's not impossible to change a team from a 6-10 record to 10-6 record in one year.  So hopefully the Jets hire a good ringmaster to bring the big top down on all this circus garbage.

See?  Circus analogies are annoying.

My New Years Resolution/Quest

I was looking at my resolutions last year and realized I needed to make a change in how I make a resolution.  

Quick update on last year's resolutions:

-I ate better until the NCAA Tournament started and then went downhill

-I never ran the 5K but I did get use out of my Nike+ Sportsband.  Not nearly enough though.

-My basement was finished and I did paint it myself, as well as fixed a dryer and hung a few light fixtures.  Still need to be better though.

-Still going to bed on average around 12:30am and waking up at 6:30am.

-My fingernails and cuticles remain gross (I blame the Jets)

-I did not come close to averaging one movie a week.  In fact, this year I only went to the movies twice all year.  Gross.

-I may not have listened to one new album (to me) a week but I probably did my best with this thanks to Spotify.  I did listen to a lot of new stuff.

So after looking back at that and being disappointed, I'm going to go with one resolution this year.  It's a resolution that I'm hoping has a trickle down effect on what some of my other resolutions SHOULD be: I'm going to go out for 100 runs in 2013.  

Here's how I'm hoping the trickle down effect goes:

-Back when I used to go to the gym somewhat frequently it did have an impact on what I ate or drank the rest of the day.  I'd go to the gym and then feel like having a few beers or some leftover pizza defeats the purpose of why I just went to the gym.  It was a good dissuasion.  I know it's just math and it works but counting calories made me miserable.

-I'd really like to do a mud run (e.g., Tough Mudder, Warrior Dash).  If I'm running more frequently I might be more comfortable signing up for one when the time comes.

-On the occasions I did run last year, I always made it a point to do it to an album I've never heard before.  Out for a run was the first time I listened to the Alabama Shakes album in it's entirety and it was the quickest 2.5 miles ever.  If I'm listening to something I'm familiar with then it becomes background music but when I'm  concentrating on hearing something new, I'm not concentrating on how much I'm laboring.

Top 10 Albums of 2012

 

Bob's Top 10 Albums of 2012

I can't believe I almost let this year draw to a close without popping out a "Best of" list. It was a rather limited year for concerts and movies for me, but thanks in part to a network of friends that purchases (never pirates) and shares music, I feel like I was relatively entrenched in music this year. This list represents my favorites.

10. Glen Hansard - Rhythm and Repose: This album has a special significance to me because I got it shortly after the death of our dear friend's son Hayden. This collection of songs about hope, despair and love became the soundtrack to a very difficult period of the year. Favorite Track - This Gift

9. Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania: I can't tell if I'm making this pick for nostalgia sake or if I legitimately consider this one of the years best albums. I'm sticking with it for the sole reason that it pumped me up for yard work this summer. Favorite Track - Violet Rays

8. The Shins - Port of Morrow: I thought I was off these guys. I saw a very mediocre show of theirs and then became a little disenchanted with James Mercer's snarky pretentious nature. But this CD proved that I just can't quit em. Favorite Track - 40 Mark Strasse

7. Ben Folds Five - The Sound of the Life of the Mind: Always a favorite of mine, BFF hadn't released a new album in 13 years and I had kind of written the group off as done. Not so fast. This album has a little bit of everything, from uptempo anthems to beautiful, heartfelt ballads.
Favorite Track - Hold That Thought

6. The Mountain Goats - Transcendental Youth: Of all the albums on this list, this one was the most recent addition so it hasn't had the favor, or disfavor, of being listened to quite as much. That being said, I love the energy of this CD and lyrically its fantastic. It probably took a spot away from The Japandroids, so you be the judge if I got it right. Favorite Track - Lakeside View Apartments Suite

5. Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls: Maybe I am missing it, but I don't see this album ending up on many lists for best of the year, and I can't figure out why. Finally their live cult status has hit the masses and I think they capture it perfectly. Favorite Track - Rise to the Sun

4. Jack White - Blunderbuss: I have been wanting to jump on the Jack White bandwagon for some time, and despite having a few Raconteurs tracks, I never really went for it until this year. It paid off, as this album is one of the most unique and brilliant of the year.
Favorite Track (Maybe of the year) - Hypocritical Kiss

3. Of Monsters and Men - My Head is an Animal: Another album that I haven't seen on many lists is this one, an extension of the EP they had released a year earlier. This album is overflowing with sing along melodies and concert anthems. I cannot wait to see how they follow this up.
Favorite Track - From Finner

2. Grizzly Bear - Shields: This is an incredible album, rich with unique sounds and complex musicstry. At points this sounds like it could be a side project of the Beta Band, My Morning Jacket & The National. Probably not for everyone, but its definitely for me. Favorite Track - Yet Again

1. Passion Pit - Gossamer: Much like beer, if you come out in the summer and I enjoy you, there is a solid chance I'll be talking about you for a while. This album dropped right at the peak of my summer and became a staple for trips to Rhode Island, The Jersey Shore & Long Island. It is a feel good CD start to finish, but not to the extent that it can't be taken seriously. Its fun, and better than that, it's great. Favorite Track - Constant Conversations

Honorable Mentions: Milo Greene/Milo Greene, Japandroids/Celebration Rock, John Mayer/Born & Raised, Marillion/Sounds That Can't be Made

Loving the R.A. Dickey Trade!

It's weird to think that in back to back years the Mets are going to lose an NL Batting champion and the NL Cy Young award winners in back to back years coming off the years they won them.  As a lifelong Mets fan the Jose Reyes divorce was tough for me but as much as I loved R.A. Dickey's time as a Met, I am over-the-moon about this trade.

Even if Travis d'Arnaud and  Noah Syndergaard flame out and never see the majors, I will forever stand behind this trade 100%.  If you are bringing R.A. Dickey back to the Mets this year, you are essentially returning the same 74 win team from a year ago. The Mets need to retool.  If they are able to land a guy who might be able to catch for the Mets for the next decade and be one of the cornerstones of the franchise you pull the trigger without question.

I hate to boil down a human being's worth like this but R.A. Dickey was found money for the Mets.  He learned the knuckle ball on his own, the Mets didn't spend any resources developing him and they weren't paying him anything.  They took him off the scrap heap and gave him a chance.  To be able to turn him into (according to Baseball America) the Blue Jays' first and third best prospects is a coup (Baseball America also ranks Toronto #5 in their Organizational Talent Ratings).

I give Sandy Alderson a ton of credit for pulling the trigger on the trade.  R.A. Dickey was asking below market value for him and the easier thing to do would have been to hold on to him.  He was a P.R. and ticket selling asset to a team that needs both.

Thoughts on my First Trip to the Barclays Center

On Saturday I made my first trip to the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn for the Brooklyn Hoops Winter Festival triple header.

I heard some negative things about the exterior but I actually had no problem with it.  I thought the whole promenade area outside the main entrance was very well done.  The 360 degree screen is a very nice touch.  I can see why people might be put off by the "rust" color of the exterior but I don't mind it.  It's a nice change from the concrete looking boxes that everyone else seems to play in.  I'm willing to see how it ages before I bash it's outside aesthetic.

Even though I'm now in my mid-30's and have been to hundreds of sporting events, I still feel the anticipation of walking through the gate and seeing the playing surface in person .  My favorite thing about the Barclays really plays off that.  Normally when you enter a venue, you start on the concourse and have to find your gate number, walk through the narrow hall and into the arena.  Here, you get your ticket checked and straight ahead you are already looking at the scoreboard and you can walk right up and overlook the court.  It's something that I've never seen at a sports venue before and something I greatly appreciated.

I didn't like everything about it though.  Other than the overlook of the floor, the rest of the building doesn't really have a lot of personality.  It was just nice and new but nothing special.  A lot of good food options though.

Even though I am in my mid-30's and should have reached the point where I just buy tickets where I want to sit, I'm still a "buy the cheap seats and move down" guy.  Next time I go to the Barclays Center I will most definitely just buying my tickets in one of the lower two sections.  The level 200 is just too steep of an angle for me personally to enjoy a basketball game.  Probably my least favorite view of an indoor sporting event I've ever had.  Luckily for me, I was able to move down to mid-court about 10 rows off the floor for the middle game of the triple-header and were able to give the usher a few bucks to sit us in the lower section for the third game.  But I don't want to take the chance of not being able to move down next time I'm there.  For viewing a game, I'll take the Garden over the Barclays every time.

UFC on FOX 5: Diaz vs. Henderson Predictions

With all the injuries befalling the UFC these days I'm pumped that this card seems to be making in to December 8th intact.  The Henderson/Diaz main event should be a great showcase for the UFC on network TV


Mike Swick vs. Matt Brown (+130)

After a two and a half year absence Mike Swick finally came back to the UFC in spectacular fashion with the Knockout of the Night over DaMarques Johnson.  It was great to see because Swick had been battling so many injuries but I had him down in the first round against Johnson who is no longer even in the UFC.  I'm not putting too much stock in to that because after 30 months there is probably a lot of ring rust to shake off but I'm counting this as Swick's real return to the UFC.  Matt Brown has 8 wins in the UFC and out of those 8 opponents only one is still in the UFC (Stephen Thompson).  As unimpressed as I am with his resume, Matt Brown is a much more game fighter than Johnson was.  I'll be rooting for Mike Swick but I think he needs a few more live rounds to get his octagon legs back.  I'm picking Matt Brown to outwork him enough to get the decision.

BJ Penn vs. Rory MacDonald (-300)

As frustrating as BJ Penn was in the last few fights, it's going to be nice to see him back again.  Unfortunately, I think he made a terrible decision asking for this fight against MacDonald.  I don't care what roster of sparring partners he put together and I don't care if you can actually see abs on BJ Penn for the first time ever as a welterweight.  Whatever shape Penn gets himself in to, it's not going make him as quick or as big as MacDonald is.  And with over a years worth of ring rust on Penn I can see this not getting out of the first round.

Mauricio Rua (+160) vs. Alexander Gustafsson

I'm a Gustafsson fan.  When this fight was announced I was already to pick him to win this fight.  He is an up and comer and he has all the measurables you could want in a fighter.  Although he has main evented a card before, this is by far the biggest stage he's ever been on.  Shogun is only 31 but he has a lot of miles on his tires.  I see this fight going the distance and I know Shogun does tend to gas some but he's more equipped for three rounds of what I believe will be primarily a stand up fight.  I think it'll be close fight with Rua eeking out the decision.

Benson Henderson (-140) vs. Nate Diaz

Henderson was my favorite WEC fighter and is arguably my favorite UFC fighter so I'm probably picking this more with my heart than my head.  Nate Diaz is really coming in to his own.  What he did in his last two fights is really impressive.  I did not see him beating Donald Cerrone yet he landed close to 300 significant strikes and landed over 80% of his punches on the way to the win.  Then he goes out and submits a guy in Jim Miller who had never tapped before.  That being said, I do like Henderson in this fight.  In my eyes he can't be finished with strikes especially from Diaz.  He landed hundred of punches on Cerrone and it went to decision.  We've seem Henderson in some pretty deep water in submissions yet somehow always get out of them.  Diaz is, in my opinion, the best submission artist he'll fight to date but until I see someone put him to sleep or get him to tap I don't think I can bet on that to happen.  The Diaz brothers have cardio for days but Henderson's average fight time is now over 3 rounds (15:11).  I like Henderson to defend his belt as Nate Diaz goes into the championship rounds for the first time.