Calling the Shot

This is one of the coolest things ever. Listen to Mariners' broadcaster Mike Blowers call a player's first career home run in the pregame show. Amazing.

NFL 3 Up, 3 Down

Some pretty obvious ones for this week:

3 Up

1. The Jets, again- Can Mark "Sex on a Stick" Sanchez do any wrong? Lets see if that D can contain the Saints offense.

2. The Ravens, again- Flacco and Co look like the best team in football. And thank God that Ray Rice finally got his first career touchdown. Let the boy get the ball more in the Red Zone.

3. The Bengals- Wins over the Packers and the Steelers. Can either of those be flukes when the other exists?

Bonus- The Lions- They won their first game in their last 20 tries. It had to come some time. And that means...

3 Down

1. THE REDSKINS!!!!!!

2. The Steelers- I know it is early, but 1-2?

3. Tampa Bay- They only had 80 total yards against the G-men. Byron is benched, and now the world gets to see Josh Johnson come in and beat THE REDSKINS!!!!

NCAA 3 Up, 3 Down

Here are you risers and fallers:

3 UP

1. Boise State- Another win means that they are in the top 5. Could they be smelling a BCS championship bid?

2. Alabama- They may be the best team in the country. They shut down Ryan Mallet and the Razorbacks

3. Syracuse- True, it was only Maine, but the Orange are at .500 for the first time since 2006.

Bonus- The Big East- Rutgers beats Maryland, Cinncy beats Fresno St., and USF goes into Tallahassee and beats Florida State. A great weekend for the Big East. Which conference doesn't deserve an autobid?


3 Down

1. Top 10 teams- Penn State, Ole Miss and Cal all gave a great argument for why preseason polls should not exist. 3 collective eggs there. Speaking of laying an egg...

2. The U- Miami was actually favored heading into Blacksburg. So much for that. Let's hope now that everyone doesn't over-react to VaTech beating an overrated team and rocket them back up to #6 or so... wait, that happened already.

3. Tim Tebow's head- That looked like a painful play. A completely clean hit, mind you. Tebow needs to blame his teammate's knee if he does not deliver in the Bayou on October 10th.

Olie

My second favorite hockey player ever, Olaf Kolzig, retired today. Olaf will always be loved here in Washington for everything he did for the community and the Capitals. Lets hope the Caps don't wait too long to bring him in to the organization again and retire his jersey. Thank you, Olie the Goalie!

More NFL Musings

Some more thoughts on this weekend-

- I know McNabb is injured, but Andy Reid just proved my argument as to why he is the worst coach in the NFL. He let Kevin Kolb pass 51 times in his first career start. Bryan Westbrook and LeSean McCoy are good running backs. Use them.

- Injured ribs must hurt a lot. Just ask McNabb and Matt Hasselbeck.

- What the hell happened to the Patriots? Maybe Tom isn't 100% yet.

- Drew Brees = MVP. Is there a chance he could already be considered a Hall of Famer?

- Kurt Warner did exactly what he needs to do to bring the Cards back to the playoffs: Complete 93% of his passes. Don't turn it over and let the amazing receivers do the work.

- Chad Ochocinco's Bengal Bounce > The Lambeau Leap

- Really... 9 points against the Rams? GAH!

NFL 3 Up, 3 Down

Monday Night football just ended, so here are the Week 2 Ups and Downs

3 UP

1. The Ravens- Another huge win, this time traveling across the country to beat the Chargers. How awesome was that last hit by Ray Lewis? Just wish they would give Ray Rice the ball more in the Red Zone.

2. Unexpected Undefeated- The 49ers, Jets, Ravens, Broncos, Saints and Falcons all started out 2-0. Could these teams stay near the top all season?

3. Anyone with "Manning" in their name- Peyton Manning just beat the Miami Dolphins on MNF. he ran 13 plays in the entire second half. The man is magic. Add Eli Manning finding a new favorite target in Mario Manning...ham, and you have a good weekend for the extended family.


3 DOWN

1. The New Cowboys Stadium- A dominant rushing attack, but a loss is still a loss. They did not defend that huge new house.

2. Tennessee Titans- Allowing 34 points to the Houston Texans, almost all through the air. What is going on?

3. Redskins Red Zone- I blame Jim Zorn entirely on this one. Malcolm Kelly is 6'4. Fred Davis is 6'4. Chris Cooley is 6'3. Devin Thomas is 6'2. Throw at least one fade pass, and that game would have been over at halftime.

NCAA 3 Up, 3 Down

Another exciting weekend in college football. Here are your ups and downs

3 UP:

1. Syracuse University- Greg Paulus throws for over 300 yards and the Orange get Coach Marrone his first win.

2. Washington Huskies- A huge upset of USC. Locker looks like the real deal.

3. Jacory Harris- The one man wrecking crew that is bringing the U back to prominence in the ACC.



3 DOWN

1. USC- National Championship hopes turn into a rebuilding year with a loss in Seattle.

2. Injured Stars- USF stud QB Matt Grothe goes down with a torn ACL. Notre Dame's unguardable wide out Michael Floyd goes down with a broken collar bone. Floyd has a few more years left. Lets hope Grothe can get a medical redshirt.

3. The Entire State of Utah- The Utes have their nation-leading winning streak snapped. BYU gets destroyed by FSU. Even Utah State lost to Texas A&M. There's no joy in Mormon-ville.

Cuse Win

This one pretty much says it all. Thanks Bud-

Syracuse football team gives fans reason to believe

By Bud Poliquin

September 20, 2009, 1:30AM

Well, do you believe now? Do you believe things have changed around here? Do you believe that this new sheriff in town, this Orange son named Doug Marrone, has breathed life into what had been a carcass lying on the side of the college football road?

There had been that promising effort on Opening Day against Minnesota, even if it had produced a loss. Then, there was that commendable show the following week on the road at Penn State, albeit one that resulted in another defeat. And then ... there was Saturday night. There was Saturday’s magnificent night in the Carrier Dome.

It might be a tad early, sure, to suggest that Syracuse has arrived at anything other than 1-2 in this, the maiden coaching season of Marrone, the old offensive lineman who left the NFL in December to resurrect his beloved program.

But, importantly, the Orange has won. And it has done so in the most exhilarating of fashions, upsetting the favored Northwestern Wildcats 37-34 on Ryan Lichtenstein’s 41-yard field goal at the final horn before 40,251 crazies, almost none of whom dared to prematurely leave the building as had become the sad custom in these parts.

Yes, folks, it’s true. Having lost 40 of its previous 50 games stretching back to Paul Pasqualoni’s final stand on the SU sideline at the Champs Sports Bowl, Syracuse has won. It beat the Wildcats in front of all those roarers. Beat them in a wild affair that looked like something out of the WAC. Beat them to thus give this town a reason to gaze at the rest of the autumn without quivering.

Beat them. Yeah, really.

“We talked to the players quite a bit about the mentality of going out there and making plays,” said Marrone, “and kind of getting this monkey off our back of, ‘Hey, here we go. Something (bad) might happen.’ To go out there and go down, and then come back ... it’s tremendous.”

The Orange did that, you know. It jumped out to a stunning 17-0 lead after some 14 minutes and then went dormant on defense falling behind by scores of 21-17, 28-27 and 34-27. And yet it kept playing, kept clawing, kept doing enough to stick around and stick around and stick around. Until Lichtenstein, the freshman and former walk-on, swung his right leg to set the joint on fire.

Now, given time, place and circumstance, you would err if you underestimated the grandeur of the evening. You would err greatly.

At the end of the first quarter, the SU men’s lacrosse team was honored for having won the 2009 NCAA title, and its championship banner (the school’s 10th) was unveiled. At halftime, Dick MacPherson, the dapper patriarch surrounded by a fleet of his former athletes, was saluted for having been elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. And, of course — and most importantly — there was the crafting of Marrone’s first triumph on the Orange bridge.

The latter didn’t come easily, of course. But then, who in the house would have expected that? And who really would have wanted it that way? Where would have been the theater? The memories? The stories to tell those neighbors who’d foolishly stayed home?

Turns out, there were many authors. Delone Carter ran long and hard all night, finishing with 84 yards on 18 carries. Mike Williams caught every pass tossed his way but one, completing his duties with 11 receptions for 209 yards and two scores. Arthur Jones pounded on that Northwestern wall throughout the evening. The offensive line, heretofore much maligned (and for a reason), made a stand against those beefy Wildcats. The defenders sacked the wondrous Mike Kafka, the Northwestern quarterback who completed, gulp, 35 of 42 passes for 390 yards, on five occasions.

And then, obviously, there was Greg Paulus, the kid out of Manlius who was fairly marvelous. There was Paulus, who completed 24 of his 35 tosses — some of them near magically ... like after bumping into a teammate in the backfield, righting himself and, while getting chased, finding an open receiver down field — for 346 yards and two touchdowns. There was Paulus being a star.

“I think the people who doubted Greg never met Greg,” Marrone said of the young man who was a Duke basketball player once upon a time. “It’s amazing to me. I think we take it for granted because he was such a tremendous high school player and a tremendous basketball player.

“Here’s a player who’s only been playing football for seven or eight weeks now ... and to go out in a Division I football game against a team that returned eight out of 11 starters and won nine games last year, and throw for over 300 yards is really tremendous.”

Greg’s take? Late Saturday night after he and his teammates had done the alma mater thing with the school band and then dove into the student section for hugs and hand slaps, he all but dug his toe into the ground and muttered, “Ah, shucks.”

“We won, so that’s how I judge myself,” he said. “I know that’s how quarterbacks are judged. I’ll go back to the film. I know I made a bunch of mistakes. I’ll correct that just like I’ve been correcting them each week and I’ll keep getting better, hopefully.

“It was fun. I know I tell you guys that every week. I’m having a blast. It’s good to be able to finish the deal and to close it out. Now, we’ve got to keep building, use this as momentum and not get complacent. We’ve got to get back, watch the film tomorrow. We’ll be running and lifting to get better. We’ve got to keep moving forward.”

The believers, and the line is growing, will follow.

NFL 3 Up 3 Down

3 Up

1. Joe Flacco- The Ravens and passing attack aren't terms you would put together. Yet Joe Cool led his team to a win over KC by throwing the ball 49 times, a career high, and getting over 300 yards.

2. Fantasy Studs- Drew Brees and Adrian Peterson... need I say more?

3. JaMarcus Russell- He definitely showed me something in his teams Monday night loss. A big TD late on a 4th and 15. He may be nipping that bust bug before it can bite him.

3 Down

1. Carolina Panthers QBs- At one point, NFL Redzone showed the QB stats for that game. It hurt my eyes. Too many turnovers, and no one could establish an offense. And they let Jeff Garcia sign with the Eagles to be a 3rd string QB... Speaking of...

2. Philadelphia Eagles- McNabb got hurt, sure. He will probably miss a week, then play the rest of the season in pain. But he will still be effective. Bringing in Garcia, a backup that does not accept the fact that he is a backup, will just start more controversy. This is why Andy Reid will forever be my pick for worst coach/GM.

3. BILLS SPECIAL TEAMS- Take a knee, Leodis! Take a knee!

3 Up, 3 Down

Trying a new thing on here for the football season. After every weekend of football, I will give 3 people/teams/trends on the rise, and 3 on the decline for both the NFL and NCAA. Here it goes:

NCAA- 3 UP

1. Matt Barkley- USC's freshman QB went into the Horseshoe and took down Ohio State. That truly impressive for a QB of any age, much less a true frosh.

2. Tate Forcier- Another great performance by a true freshman. This kid had his coming out party at the expense of Notre Dame.

3. UCLA- USC may now be alone in the Pac 10. UCLA went all the way to Rocky Top and took down the Vols. It wasn't a pretty game, but that doesn't matter. All that matters is the W.

3 Down

1. The ACC- UVA got destroyed by TCU. Even their mascot "Cav Man" got in on the failure. Add that to Maryland needing a comeback and OT to beat the Dukes of JMU, a 1-AA school, and something smells rotten in the mid-Atlantic.

2. Ohio State- They just can't seem to win the big one anymore. When you think about it, the only big ones they will are over Michigan, and over Miami when the Canes' star running back tears his ACL and an official makes a terrible call.

3. First half Heisman candidate struggles- Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy both struggled in the first half of their respective games. However, they went straight up in the second, and are still on pace to meet again in NYC, if not the BCS Championship game.

NFL Preview: AFC and NFC West

Honestly, I don't know how much to say about the West divisions. In the AFC, I think the Chargers are the only team worth talking about, though the Broncos did get a miracle win today at Cincinnati. In the NFC, the Rams will be historically bad, the Seahawks could regain dominance, and the 49ers beat the Cards in Arizona. Its a toss up. But it should be fun to watch.

FHF

A big win for the Steelers last night in OT over the Titans, and another win for their coach today. Mike Tomlin takes the FHF award this week. Congrats.

NFL Preview: AFC SOUTH

Peyton doesn't have Marvin anymore, and fat Albert is in DC. Who can take the South?

1. Indianapolis Colts (13-3): Losing Tony Dungy would be a huge loss for any team that didn't have Peyton Manning. As it is, Peyton is the true head coach of that team. They keep cruising and land the #2 seed in the AFC Playoffs.

2. Tennessee Titans (12-4): They play tonight against the defending champs, so we will get to see how they work without Albert. I think Nate Washington will have a big year as Kerry Collins' only true game-breaking target. Teams will play hard against the other Smash and Dash, but Johnson and White will find a way to get their yards. Its the Wild Card for Fisher and his men.

3. Houston Texans (10-6): This all depends on Matt Schaub. If he is healthy, the Texans have a breakout year. If not, then they will end up hovering under 8-8. Even if they do have a great year, they suffer from playing in the same division as the Titans and Colts, and will miss out on the playoffs. Still, big strides for a young franchise.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-10): Tory Holt is a great addition, and Mo-Jo-Drew is a fantasy stud. But Gerrard and the boys don't have the killer defense that they once did, and with Houston o the rise, The Jags will take a few lumps in their division. It really doesn't matter though, because no one will be watching the games anyway...

NFL Preview: NFC SOUTH

Drew Brees and the Saints look to rise from last place and take the division, as has been the case for all the last place teams the past few years. Will it work?

1. New Orleans Saints (11-5): The passing attack is too good, and the team finally learned not to rely on Reggie Bush to take them to the promised land. Look for another huge year from Brees, especially since Shockey and Colston are completely healthy. Also, their defense should actually be able to stop some teams this season. They keep the trend going and take the South.

2. Atlanta Falcons (9-7): I won't call it a sophomore slump for Matty Ice and his boys. The edition of Tony Gonzalez will help a whole lot in the passing game, but the team doesn't have a whole lot of gimme wins on the schedule. I think 9-7 is a safe bet, and they would be outside of Washington and Minnesota for those wild card spots.

3. Carolina Panthers (7-9): No one is going to be surprised by smash and dash this year. Everyone knows what the Panthers running game can do when healthy, and Johnathan Stewart has an Achilles injury that should nag at him all season. I don't have the faith in Delhomme to get the job done by himself anymore, so the Cardiac Cats go under .500 and start glancing at Bill Cowher.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-11 or 6-10): Tampa is in a rebuilding year. They got rid of their head coach, their QB and half their defense, drafted a young signal caller who won't be ready till at least Week 15 and are still trying to ride the Cadillac (Williams) to the promised land. It looks like a lean year for the Bucs.

NFL Preview: AFC NORTH

The defending champs and the hard-hitting Ravens will dominate again. The only question is, who will finish in first?

1. Pittsburgh Steelers (14-2): The champs open the season tomorrow night against the Titans. They will win and cruise most of the season through their schedule, splitting with the Ravens and losing to the Chargers, even though SD will have to travel to Pittsburgh. This will get them the #1 seed, a bye and a nice shot at a repeat.

2. Baltimore Ravens (12-4): The Ravens suffer from one problem- they play in the same division as the Steelers. Other than that, they are golden. I think their defense will continue to dominate despite losing Rex Ryan and Bart Scott. Jameel McClain can fill his void, and Haloti Ngata will be a household name by December. Breakout years for Flacco and Rice too.

3. Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals (4-12): Honestly, I couldn't find 4 wins for both of these team, and wanted to put 3-13 for both. But that futility is only reserved for special occasions (like the Rams and Chiefs). Either way, there will be no joy in Ohio.

NFL Preview: NFC NORTH

The NFC North has Favre again, Jay Cutler, Rogers making his claim and those fun-loving Lions. How will it end up?

1. Green Bay Packers (12-4): Aaron Rogers is the real deal. This may be the season he tries to win an MVP award. At the very least, he will be good enough that the Pack can start forgetting about old whats-his-name on the Vikings. The only question is the Defense, but I think it will be much improved over last years.

2. Minnesota Vikings (10-6): A wild-card awaits the Vikings and the new captain of their longboats, Mr. Favre. I think his arm should last long enough, mainly because all he has to do is throw screens and hand the ball off to his amazing running backs, Chester Taylor and the explosive Adrian Peterson. The Williams Wall up front will help them take down other opponents, and a split with the Pack will take them to the playoffs. This all assumes, however, that Favre doesn't swashbuckle his way to a late season collapse.

3. Chicago Bears (7-9): Jay Cutler has a rocket arm, but he doesn't have anyone to throw too. Their offensive line is only average at best, so he won't have that much time and Matt Forte won't have huge holes to run through. The defense is also getting older, and Tommie Harris is still injured. I think that it will take a few more pieces to get the Bears into true contenders.

4. Detroit Lions (4-12): They are the Lions. They won't win a division game. But they can beat the Rams, Seahawks, Bengals and Browns. and four wins is a lot more than zero, right?

NFL Preview: AFC EAST

Part 2 is the AFC East. Brady's back, Sanchez has taken Manhattan, TO's in Buffalo and the Dolphins will try to hold defend Land Shark. Who will come out on top?

1. New England Patriots (11-5): This is all on Tom Brady. He has the same weapons as a team that just two season ago went 16-0. His arm is fine, his legs look good and he wants to replant himself as the league's best QB. I predict the Pats ride the super-powered offense to the AFC East title, sweeping the Bills and Jets along the way.

2. Miami Dolphins (7-9): I really wanted to give the Dolphins more wins than this, but their schedule just looks too difficult. While I still think they could be a pleasant surprise like last year, I don't see year two of the Pennington Regime going as well as year one did. Don't be surprised if that other Chad, Mr. Henne, is getting starts in late November.

3. New York Jets (7-9): A rule of thumb is usually to bet against rookie QBs. Last year Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco both made the playoffs. They were, however, surrounded by excellent teams. The Jets are a good team, but suspensions and a lack of game-breaking WRs will cause them to come up just short. Still, 7-9 for a rookie QB and rookie Coach is not bad at all. Watch out AFC in 2010.

4. Buffalo Bills (6-10): TO is great. The receivers are great. Trent Edwards is really good. The defense is even better than average. But then there is a suspended Marshawn Lynch and a non-existent offensive line. The schedule isn't as bad as it could be, but there are only a few gimme wins (Tampa, KC and Cleveland). Looks like another long year in the frozen north.

NFL Preview: NFC EAST

Part 1 of the preview covers the NFC East, home of my team, the Washington Redskins. Not as much talent in this division as there has been in years past. Here is how I see things playing out:

1. New York Giants (11-5): The G-Men had to deal with losing their best players last year, with Osi Umenyora getting injured and Plaxico Burress shooting himself. Look for them to rebound this year and take the NFC East crown.

2. Washington Redskins (10-6): I know, I am crazy and being overly optimistic. But look at the schedule. The Rams, Lions, Chiefs, Bucs, Raiders and Broncos- all teams that are either down or rebuilding and playing the Skins. That is 6 wins. If they split with their division foes, as it tends to happen, that is 9 wins. Add in one victory over either New Orleans, Carolina, Atlanta or San Diego and you get 10, which should be good enough for a Wild Card.

3. Philadelphia Eagles (8-8): I love McNabb, but their schedule looks pretty vicious this year. Couple that with their preseason injuries, Vick distractions and almost inevitable poor play calling by my worst coach/GM in the league Andy Reid, and you got a super-talented .500 team.

4. Dallas Cowboys (8-8): Like him or not, Terrel Owens is one of the greatest receivers of all time. Losing him may help your off-field chemistry, but it does nothing to help you on the field. The Boys will struggle offensively, relying too much on Marion Barber and Jason Witten to save them. If one of them goes down, that 8-8 can turn into 6-10 real fast.

Another Lull

So there was another nice 2 week lull, wasn't there. Sorry, I have been busy/out of town/ recovering from Syracuse losing in OT after having a lead. Very shortly, I will have my NFL preview, as well as my opinions on NCAA football's opening weekend and season.