Are Cubs Better With Carlos Pena?

The Chicago Cubs may have missed out on signing Adam Dunn, so they signed another left-handed power bat to play first-base, Carlos Pena. Pena struck out 33% of the time last season, but he did struggle with plantar fasciitis. Was last season’s .196 average due to injury or diminished skills? Are the Cubs a better team with Carlos Pena?

It was no secret that the Chicago Cubs wanted to sign Adam Dunn this off-season. He has murdered them at Wrigley Field as an opponent since he came up with the Cincinnati Reds. He bats left-handed, has excellent power, near the top of the league in on-base percentage, but also near the top in strikeouts. They would have played Dunn at first-base, which has been vacant since they traded Derrek Lee at the trading deadline. Since they missed out on Dunn, they needed to sign another power left-handed first-baseman and they chose former Tampa Bay Ray, Carlos Pena. Pena has many qualities that Dunn possesses, but they differ in two major ways. Pena’s batting average and on-base percentage are very poor, but he does bring gold-glove defense to the position.

Pena and the Cubs agreed on a one-year deal worth $10 million dollars. It makes sense for Chicago to take a risk on Pena, since this is more of a tryout. If Pena turns things around and produces, he could get a longer deal after the season.

Pena, 33, will be reunited with hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, who was the hitting coach with the Texas Rangers when Pena came up in that organization. His best season was in 2007 when he hit 46 homers, batted .282 and drove in 121 runs. He fell off a bit, but he has been selected to an All-Star game back in 2009.

The Tampa Bay Rays will miss Pena’s power, but due to their payroll issues, they were forced to let him walk. They are also let Joaquin Benoit, Carl Crawford, and Rafael Soriano go un-signed. The team is also rumored to be trading shortstop, Jason Bartlett for cheaper talent. The Rays loss could be the Cubs gain, but time will tell.

Where will Pena hit in the order? He will probably bat 4th or 5th, depending on where new manager, Mike Quade, moves Aramis Ramirez in the order. The Cubs need to protect Ramirez in the order, something they have tried to do for awhile. Milton Bradley was supposed to do that, but that was a disaster. The Cubs batting order should look a little different next season, since they are attempting to move Kosuke Fukudome. Tyler Colvin had a breakout rookie campaign and he played his way into the starting lineup, making Fukudome expendable.

The Cubs are a more balanced team with Pena in the line-up, but fans have to know that he’s a second-half player. If he starts the season off slow, don’t worry, he usually turns it up after the All-Star break. Once the weather starts to warm up at Wrigley, he could be a very fun player to watch. The Cubs have no pressure this season, they aren’t expected to be a playoff team. The pressure of the Rays being a contender could have gotten to Pena, so a year on the Cubs could turn back the clock…and let’s hope so

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Re-Do – 2007 NBA Draft

You can’t really judge any professional sports draft until after three years. I have done “NBA Draft Re-Do” posts since the 2005 Draft and they are always eye-opening. When you start to weed out the busts and players that never achieve their potential due to injury, sometimes you’re left with mixed bag. This year was not different, luckily I didn’t have to add Josh McRoberts as a potential NBA Lottery pick, that would have been ugly. Does Greg Oden even make the cut? Here is my 2007 NBA Draft Lottery, if the draft were held today.

After taking out guys like Brendan Wright, Acie Law, Spencer Hawes, and Yi Jianlian from the draft, after pick #6, it starts to get ugly, you have been warned. Continue reading →

35 Snarky Reasons To Watch Every Bowl Game

There are 35 college football bowl games this season and to be honest, not all of them are worth watching. I do my best, or worst, to try and convince everyone to tune into every bowl game this season. I use cheerleader quality, famous alumni, Justin Bieber lookalikes, and Hawaiian shirts to coax you. Also, I added a picture of the USC song girls, just because you know you will miss them this bowl season.

New Mexico Bowl: December 18th: BYU vs. UTEP – This game is hard to promote. Jenn Brown is the sideline reporter and it could be funny to hear her try to attempt to pronounce BYU’s Kalama Kaluhiokalani.

uDrove Humanitarian Bowl: December 18th: Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State – NIU’s head coach left to coach Minnesota and Fresno State was destroyed the last time they played on the blue turf. I suggest drinking until the blue turf starts to look like a lake and you think you’re watching a water polo match.

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: December 18th: Ohio vs. Troy – Justin Bieber plays wide receiver for Troy.

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl: December 21st: Southern Mississippi vs. Louisville – Man Law #345 – If a bowl game is sponsored by meat, you must watch.

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl: December 22nd: Utah vs. Boise State – You may see a few Utah fans head explode just from being in Las Vegas.

S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: December 23rd: Navy vs. San Diego State – Drink every time Craig James says something that makes you want to punch him…you’ll be blacked-out by halftime.

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: December 24th: Hawaii vs. Tulsa – Although nothing will beat the year Notre Dame played in this bowl and Charle Weis sported an Hawaiian shirt, it’s always funny to see head coaches look like extras from an episode of Magnum P.I.

Little Caesars Bowl: December 26th: Florida International vs. Toledo – The legendary broadcast team of Dave Lamont, JC Pearson & Quint Kessenich will announce this game, enough said.

AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl: December 27th: Air Force vs. Georgia Tech – The triple-option versus the triple option…quarterbacks might just want to sit this game out.

Champs Sports Bowl: December 28th: West Virginia vs. NC State – The over/under on the amount of WCW’s NwO Wolfpac t-shirts in crowd will be at 30.5…and those will just be from West Virginia wrestling fans.

Insight Bowl: December 28th: Missouri vs. Iowa – Okay, nothing to watch here, the country is still laughing that a team that lost to Minnesota made a bowl game.

Military Bowl Presented By Northrop Grumman: December 29th: East Carolina vs. Maryland – Ralph Friedgen will eat any ECU player that crosses his sideline.

Texas Bowl: December 29th: Illinois vs. Baylor – Baylor fans have a short trip and their fans should outnumber Illinois fans, should feel like a home game for Ron Zook.

Valero Alamo Bowl: December 29th: Oklahoma State vs. Arizona – I would just DV-R this game and watch Mike Gundy’s “I’m A Man, I’m 40” rant on YouTube for 3 hours…could be more entertaining.

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: December 30th: Army vs. SMU – June Jones takes his SMU team to play Army in the Armed Forces Bowl. What is Jones biggest regret? Leaving Hawaii or arguing with Jeff George?

New Era Pinstripe Bowl: December 30th: Kansas St vs. Syracuse – The announcers will spend more time talking about the Yankees signing Derek Jeter than the actual game.

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: December 30th: North Carolina vs. Tennessee – Butch Davis versus Derek Dooley: A chess match! Okay, maybe it will be more like checkers.

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl: December 30th: Nebraska vs. Washington The nation finally realizes that Jake Locker is over-rated while Mel Kiper stands on the sideline with a boner for him.

Meineke Car Care Bowl: December 31st: South Florida vs. Clemson – Florida area & Southern belle cheerleaders…ESPN should just have a split-screen with the game and the sideline.

Hyundai Sun Bowl: December 31st: Notre Dame vs. Miami – I can’t wait for all the awesome highlights from Warren Sapp, Raghib Ismail, Tony Rice, Rick Mirer, Bernie Kosar, and Michael Irvin. This game should have an 80’s night promotion.

AutoZone Liberty: December 31st: Georgia vs. UCF – The eBay bidding for A.J. Green’s jersey has no reserve and you can start your bidding now.

Chick-fil-A Bowl: December 31st: South Carolina vs. Florida State – Jimbo Fisher should wear a Bobby Bowden mask on the sideline so Steve Spurrier will call bonehead plays and lose.

TicketCity Bowl: January 1st: Northwestern vs. Texas Tech – Can we renamed this the “Hangover Bowl”? Northwestern’s QB, Dan Persa, is out and the only shot the Wildcats have of beating the Red Raiders if an SAT test is the actual 4th quarter.

Outback Bowl: January 1st: Florida vs. Penn State – Joe Paterno may actually think he’s playing the game in the Outback. The Gators should use a kangaroo as their mascot to really throw him off.

Capital One Bowl: January 1st: Alabama vs. Michigan State – The best two teams that aren’t in a BCS bowl game. But we all know what usually happens when an SEC team plays against the Big Ten. Richardson and Ingram will score more times than co-eds on New Year’s Eve.

Gator Bowl: January 1st: Mississippi State vs. Michigan – Remember when pundits were giving Denard Robinson the Heisman trophy after three games? He may need another amazing game to save Rich Rodriguez’s job. If Michigan is down at the half, RichRod could be watching from a sports bar.

Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO: January 1st: Wisconsin vs. TCU – Wisconsin’s rushing attack versus TCU’s stingy defense. TCU will be Little Mac and Wisconsin is King Hippo. The key here is to hit him in the stomach when Bret Bielema opens his mouth.

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: January 1st: Connecticut vs. Oklahoma – There’s really only one reason to watch this game, hoping that UConn grad Molly Qerim attends the game and Fox shows her in the stands.

Discover Orange: January 3rd: Stanford vs. Virginia Tech – The last time Virginia Tech had this big of a game, they were beaten by Boise State. Andrew Luck is better than anyone on BSU, sorry Va Tech may have trouble in this one.

Allstate Sugar Bowl: January 4th: Ohio State vs. Arkansas – Ohio State vs. Michigan rivalry will be storyline in this game. Ryan Mallett played his freshman year against the Buckeyes, completing one pass for eight yards. Call me crazy, but he will have better numbers in this game.

GoDaddy.com Bowl: January 6th: Middle Tennessee vs. Miami (Ohio) – Tune in the game, watch for the commercials.

AT&T Cotton Bowl: January 7th: LSU vs. Texas A&M – Barrett Bailey, Patrick Peterson, Jordan Jefferson, David Detz, Jarred Joseph, Terrence Toliver, and Lazarius Levingston. LSU’s team is sponsored by alliteration. Sounds like characters in a Dr. Seuss book.

BBVA Compass Bowl: January 8th: Pittsburgh vs. Kentucky – Dave Wannstedt was fired and Kentucky’s head coach is named Joker. He may try the “pencil trick” to the new Pitt coach.

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: January 9th: Nevada vs. Boston College – Kyle Brontzman will not be attendance.

Tostitos BCS National Championship Game: January 10th: Oregon vs. Auburn – Cecil Newton has big money riding on this game, courtesy of the Auburn University football boosters. Also, at this point, Oregon could wear jerseys that resemble the World League’s Orlando Thunder.

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A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Suck It Lebron, Cleveland Awarded Lingerie Football Team

Lebron may have taken his talents to South Beach, but the Lingerie Football League awarded an expansion team to Cleveland. They were also looking at Columbus, but Cleveland beat them out. I am sad that they didn’t pick Columbus, since I would be a season-ticket holder, but a drive up to Cleveland may need to happen. I did some research on this league and found out some facts that people need to know…also I posted some pictures of some of the players. This could be my most-read post once this is all said and done. Oh, and yes, the Cleveland Crush will be playing at Quicken Loans Arena. Continue reading →

White Sox Land Adam Dunn

After many experts predicted that Adam Dunn would pick a National League team, he surprised many and picked the American League’s Chicago White Sox. Dunn has made it clear that he doesn’t want to be used as a designated hitter. The White Sox must have made a promise to the slugger that he will be used at first-base and maybe occasionally in the outfield. How does this impact the rest of the Majors and the team on the Northside?

Dunn and the White Sox have agreed on a 4-year/$56 million dollar deal. Chicago is in need of a designated hitter, even if they promised Dunn that he wouldn’t play there, they could be playing a waiting game. Dunn is 31 years old and scouts have said that he would be best used at DH at this point in his career. Even though his defensive skills have dropped off, his bat has not shown signs of slowing down. He has hit at least 38 home runs the last 8 seasons and is an on-base percentage machine. He may strike out over 170 times a season, but he drives in runs and draws around 100 walks a season. His impact on a team is proven and will make the White Sox a better team. He will protect Carlos Quentin, Alex Rios, and Paul Konerko, if they re-sign him.

The White Sox finished 88-74 last season and the addition of Dunn will add some wins to that total. The Minnesota Twins are the cream of the division and this will close the gap between the teams. The Tigers, Royals, and Indians are all teams in transition and I see the AL Central as a two-team race in 2011.

The initial rumors of teams that Dunn would consider had the Chicago Cubs on top of that list. The amount of the contract may have blow the Cubs out of the water or the years of the deal. The Cubs need to wait a few years for a few bad contracts to come off the books before they add a contract like Dunn signed. They are in the market for a left-handed first baseman with power, Dunn would have fit their need. To make matters worse for the Cubs, Dunn has slaughtered them at Wrigley Field and has done very well there. They will see Dunn a few times over the next years during the cross-town rivalry games.

Dunn will do well at U.S. Cellular Field and will give American League pitchers fits, eventually. He has spent his entire career in the National League. There could be a learning curve for Dunn, since he is strikeout prone, it could take him the first half of the season to learn how to hit certain pitchers. The White Sox made a smart move, GM Kenny Williams has been known to take a gamble, but this is close to a sure thing.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

It’s Time For Cleveland Fans To Move On

I missed the game when it was on tonight because of a medical problem, but I found a feed online and watched Cavs/Heat game in its entirety. I knew it was bad when the Cavs starting lineup consisted of Joey Graham and Anthony Parker, guys who should be a #9 and #10 guy on a contender. The game could have been worse if Lebron didn’t sit out the entire 4th quarter. All Cavs fans should have tried to attend the game, because I hope everyone who watched this game got it out of their system, because it is now time to move on.

Lebron James came back to Cleveland and was showered with boos and expletives. He deserved every decibel of noise the fans gave him. I’m not even a Cavs fan, but I can relate to a passionate fanbase that yearns for a championship, I’m a Chicago Cubs and Indiana Pacers fan. If Reggie Miller left to go to the Knicks during his prime, I would have been in the crowd the next time he played in Indianapolis and given him everything I could dish out. Saying that, after the initial visit, even by halftime, the boos should start to go away. The wound is very fresh in Cleveland, but look at your lineup, you have holes from 1-12. The team isn’t good and they are actually over-achieving right now. A record of 7-11 was not expected by any experts at the start of the season, some actually predicted that a record of 20-52 could be their season record. I’m sure the Cavs will make moves to improve their team and it will look quite different by the end of the season. Anderson Varejao looks like a player that many teams would like and Cleveland can get depth in return.

The Heat have looked mediocre at times this year and no one can be sold that they are a championship team this year. Any team with size dominates them in the paint and grabs a ton of second-chance points. Roy Hibbert looked like Patrick Ewing against the Heat last week. Two or three years down the road, the Heat will be a beast of a team and veterans will want to go there to win a ring and play for the league minimum. I know that’s the last thing Cavs fans want to hear, but we know this is true. This has been a trend for years, just look at how loaded from top to bottom the contending teams are. Contending teams are magnets for veterans looking for jewelry.

Cleveland fans has been battered, chewed up, and spat upon by Lebron and his entourage. I hope tonight was the start of your therapy sessions. It’s time to move on and think about the future. You will most likely end up in the Lottery in the upcoming draft (it’s not a bad thing, you need to reload). Harrison Barnes, Jared Sullinger, and many other guys could be there when you pick. This year’s draft looks like it could be a pretty good class. Who knows maybe Ohio’s own Jared Sullinger will be your next savior.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Josh McRoberts: My New Man Crush?

If you have read anything on this site over the last few years, you know my stance on Josh McRoberts. I hate Duke, he made a horrible decision by going pro when he did, and he had a failed relationship with “The Hills” actress, Lauren Conrad. When he landed on the Indiana Pacers a few years ago, I wasn’t exactly thrilled. He was a throw-in when Indiana traded Jerryd Bayless to Portland for Brandon Rush on draft night. Not many people expected that the Pacers would keep him around, but he has kept a spot on the roster since and even earning a few starts, due to injury, last season. He has made the most of his opportunities. Has he changed our mind?

The only player that has received more negative publicity on this site than McRoberts has been Adam Morrison, so what I’m about to tell you might surprise you. I am a fan of Josh McRoberts. I “liked” his page on Facebook to prove it. You have to like a guy who knows his role. He isn’t going to light it up and take 20 shots a game, his job is to eat up minutes and grab rebounds. He only takes 3-4 shots a game and most of those are put backs on rebounds. It’s something that other Pacers players should relish, because a player like Dahntay Jones, another Duke player on Indiana, has done so far this year too. Jones signed a 3-year deal before last season to become the Pacers defensive stopper, but he ended up trying to become Ron Artest and jacked up ugly shot after ugly shot. It was so bad that the Pacers tried to package D. Jones with Solomon Jones in a 2 for 1 trade, for anybody, so they could keep their 2nd-round pick, Magnum Rolle. They didn’t receive any offers, so they had to keep the Jones boys and cut Rolle loose, who is now doing well in the NBDL.

Going back to McRoberts, he should be a fan favorite. He is from nearby Carmel, Indiana and he’s white as a camera flash. Larry Bird may have went a different route in the draft this year and tried to take the best available players instead of playing it sage. Paul George, Lance Stephenson, and Magnum Rolle were all acquired on draft night. George plays the same position as Danny Granger, but his upside was the highest of any player left on the board. Stephenson was once known as “The Lebron of NYC,” as the best prep player in the city, but bonehead decisions and lack of motivation dropped him into the 2nd round. McRoberts is a player that Bird imagined that he would go out and acquire. A “gritty” and “scrappy” role player that he can plug in and do their job.

No one expects McRoberts to do anything on this team, no pressure at all. Hibbert trimmed down and he’s a beast inside this season, Granger is the leader and will lead this team in points, and Darren Collison is a slasher and can do whatever is left. The Pacers don’t look that attractive on paper, but on the court, they are pulling off some improbable wins.

Within the last week, the Pacers smoked the Heat, pushed the Thunder to overtime, easily beat the Lakers on the road, and dominated the Kings at Sacramento. If you told me that the Pacers would be 9-7 after 16 games, I would have asked you to pee in a cup. This team could easily be 10-6 or 11-5, if a few balls bounced the other way. The production on this team is essentially the same team as last season, minus Troy Murphy and adding Collison and James Posey. Why is this team winning games? You have a few players on contract years (T.J. Ford, Mike Dunleavy) and Jim O’Brien came into this season fighting for his job. Players are accepting their roles and Ford seems to be happy and not sulking on the bench as the 3rd PG option. He has been very productive as the backup PG and looks to be mentoring Collison.

Are the Pacers a playoff team? In an Eastern Conference that looks very top-heavy, absolutely! I project that the 7th and 8th seeds in the East will be 4 or 5 games under .500. If they complete this Western Conference road trip undefeated or with a lone loss, they are setting themselves up for a pretty nice December and January. You can’t win a season this early, but you can definitely lose a season this early. If Indiana headed into January with a horrible record, O’Brien would be a sitting duck and the Pacers would start looking for trade partners to move their expiring contracts for assets. It is setting up to be an interesting season in Indianapolis, if they can make the playoffs without Reggie Miller, maybe the fans can finally move on and accept this team. If I can accept Josh McRoberts, there’s hope for peace in the Middle East.

I leave you with an alley-oop by McRoberts that happened last night against Sacramento, click here to check it out.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

2010 NFL Week 2 – Fantasy Football Sit/Start

I’m a man that can admit my faults. I completely whiffed on Arian Foster last week, but he was left on the bench on a lot of fantasy leagues last week. I did make good recommendations to start Matt Forte and to bench Ryan Mathews, Donovan McNabb, and DeSean Jackson. Here are my weekly Sit/Start column for Week 2 of the 2010 NFL Season.

I want to explain what I mean by “sit” and “start.” Of course you are going to start some of the guys i say to bench this week, because you probably used high draft picks or a lot of money in an auction for them. I am just not completely sold that they will have good weeks. If you have a guy that you are on the fence about, maybe this will help you pick between the players. Continue reading →

Zambrano To Retire In 2012? C’mon!

Carlos Zambrano, the token hot-head on the Chicago Cubs, came out yesterday and said that he will retire after the 2012 season. He is signed up until then and says that he has missed out on a lot being a Major League baseball player. Really? I’m pretty sure that the $91 million dollar extension can buy back some of that time. Is Zambrano bluffing or is he for real?

Zambrano was expected to anchor the Cubs rotation this season, but somehow ended up falling out of favor with management. He spent a portion of the season coming out of the bullpen, which lead to an “indefinite leave” from the team around the All-Star break after an altercation with Derrek Lee in the dugout. He went through counseling and since returning to the starting rotation, he has registered an ERA below 2.00 and a 6-0 record. He still has a fired up demeanor, but has been able to keep it in check and has been a better teammate.

Is this a pitcher who has came to terms with his problem or a player that is pitching with no pressure? He admitted to a reporter that he no longer wants to play and that’s the reasoning behind his retirement after his contract ends. He has a career record of 114-74 in nine years for the Chicago Cubs. His career started out very rocky by going 5-10 in his first two seasons, but hasn’t had a season that he hasn’t had more wins than losses since. Zambrano’s major fault is that he walks too many batters and his WHIP is always in between 1.30 and 1.50, which is well below average for an MLB pitcher. Statistically, he has had a comparable season in 2010, since his strikeout-to-walk ratio is 2:1, which is his average. He has just been very inconsistent and his numbers would be very bad if not for his recent resurgence.

The Chicago Cubs are looking to rebuild this team with a new manager in 2010. GM Jim Hendry is on the hot seat and will be looking to make moves in the off-season. Zambrano will be his #1 priority to move and his stock is on the rise with his recent play. The Cubs will have to take a discount in their return for the former All-Star, since he is owed $36 million over the final two years of his contract. The most the Cubs could get for him, at this point, would be mid-level prospects. A lot of teams will be scared off of him, since his past anger and hostility could come back. It will be interesting to see what the Cubs can get back in return and how much of his remaining salary they will have to eat.

Do I think Zambrano will retire after the 2012 season at the age of 33? I think he is currently having a hard time professionally and personally and his judgment is a bit skewed. He has never been a free agent and who knows how well he will pitch over the next two seasons. A lot factors in his decision and this isn’t the first time he has mentioned a possible early retirement. If he starts loving the game again, I can see Zambrano signing another contract, but I don’t see him being a Jamie Moyer pitcher and staying in the game near or over the age of 40.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

2010 NCAA Football – Week 3 Betting Picks

I went 9-3 last week against the spread and I’m feeling pretty good about Week 3. There are a lot of dud games out there, but there are some with good value that you should look at. It’s looking like a week where a lot of favorites may not cover. Which teams did I pick? Check out this my NCAA football picks against the spread for Week 3 of the 2010 season.

Northern Illinois (+8) at Illinois (-8) – My pick is Illinois

Neither of these teams look very good so far this year, but I will take a tested Illini team over Northern Illinois. Illinois did get beat in their first game against Missouri, but came back with a strong effort against Southern Illinois. Northern Illinois lost for a weak Iowa State team in Week 1 and came back to win a close game against North Dakota, a team they should have smoked.

Iowa State (+4) at Kansas State (-4) – My pick is Kansas State

The game is listed as a “neutral site,” but it is being played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, it’s basically a home game for Kansas State. KSU already has a home win over UCLA, though a bit ugly, they still pulled it out. Iowa State’s victory came against Northern Illinois and followed that by getting smoked by Iowa. Bill Snyder is back going KSU, the team will improve as the season goes on.

Arkansas (+2.5) at Georgia (-2.5) – My pick is Arkansas

Arkansas has yet to be tested this year…and they will get their test on Saturday at Georgia. Ryan Mallett will need a big game to keep his stock high, I believe he does that over the Bulldogs.

Hawaii (+11) at Colorado (-11) – My pick is Hawaii

Hawaii is coming off a weak win over Army and Colorado limps into this contest by losing to Cal 52-7. Hawaii held their own against USC for most of the game and proved that they can compete on the mainland. The Rainbow Warriors are 2-0 against the spread so far this season and will win against it again this week.

Nebraska (-3.5) at Washington (+3.5) – My pick is Nebraska

This will be a very far away game for Nebraska to play, but I’m sure Cornhusker fans will still make it there. Sportsbook.com has Nebraska projected 10 point favorites, so this line seems quite low, so expect this to get higher as the week progresses. Nebraska looked good against small programs so far this year and Washington comes in 1-1 with a win against Syracuse and a loss at BYU. Nebraska will cover, but if line gets close to 6, stay away, it will still be a contest.

Toledo (+4.5) at Western Michigan (-4.5) – My pick is Western Michigan

Western Michgan beat Toledo last season 58-26 with a balanced offensive attack. Both teams come into this contest with 1-1 records, both losing to a major program. Toledo’s offense hasn’t looked good this season and their defense is even worse. Western Michigan has used their passing attack this season and is only averaging 100 yards on the ground. WMU will win this game and cover easily.

Notre Dame (13.5) at Michigan State (-3.5) – My pick is Notre Dame

Notre Dame was an injury to Dayne Crist away from beating Michigan last week. If Crist didn’t miss a substantial portion of that game, the Irish could be sitting at 2-0. Michigan State hasn’t played any elite talent yet and Notre Dame has already played two other Big Ten teams this season. The Spartans are weak against the pass and that is what Notre Dame has excelled at this season. The Irish will win against the spread AND win the game in East Lansing.

Boise State (-24) at Wyoming (+24) – My pick is Wyoming

Let me start by saying that Wyoming has very little hope in winning this game. Boise State will come into this game with something to prove, but Wyoming’s defense is stout and will cause them problems. I rode Wyoming all season last year and they did very well against the spread, you can get good value with them. BSU will win, but not by 24 points.

Iowa (-2) at Arizona (+2) – My pick is Iowa

This line has a possibility of moving towards Arizona, since the game is at home and Iowa has trouble on the road at times. Both teams have played very well this season, but Iowa has played better competition. The Big Ten is stronger than the Pac-10 this season and I’ll go with Iowa to cover and win outright.

Utah (-23.5) at New Mexico (+23.5) – My pick is Utah

New Mexico has been outscore 124-17 in their first two games. Utah has a win against, then top-25 ranked Pitt. Utah will win this game…BIG.

Texas (-3) at Texas Tech (+3) – My pick is Texas

The Longhorns and Red Raiders are more equal this year than ever. Texas lost a lot of talent in the draft and the Red Raiders are playing more balanced football, since Mike Leach is no longer there. Tech hasn’t played much talent this season and UT has played an improved Rice & Wyoming teams. Even though the game is in Lubbock, the Longhorns will come out winners and cover the spread. (Michael Crabtree isn’t walking through that door)

Middle Tennessee State (-6) at Memphis (+6) – My pick is MTSU

MTSU went 10-3 last season and even beat Souther Miss in a bowl game. Memphis has been a weak football school and only won two games last year. MTSU has looked strong early this season with a close loss against Minnesota and a routing of Austin Peay. Memphis has been routed by Mississippi State and East Carolina so far and should get routed again, this time by MTSU of the Sun Belt Conference.

These picks are for entertainment purposes.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

It’s Time To Cut Ties With Bob Sanders

Bob Sanders made his first start since rupturing his left biceps tendon last season. He hasn’t played much for Indianapolis the last two seasons due to injury. He suffered another injury yesterday, this time it’s his elbow. The Colts have drafted well at defensive back the last few years and it could be time to cut their losses and trade or cut their defensive superstar.

I have been a broken record over the last 12 months and my stance has not changed. Sanders has only eight regular season starts over the last two season. Since he signed his 5-year/ $37.5 million deal with $20 million guaranteed in 2007, he has missed 27 of a possible 36 games, including playoffs. It would be an unpopular decision with other Colts fans if they did decide on letting Sanders go at some point. He was the main reason they won the Super Bowl a few seasons ago. The Colts have been pretty loyal to their stars over the years. They even gave former star, Edgerrin James, a Super Bowl ring, even though he left for Arizona the previous off-season.

The extent of Sanders’ injury is unknown, but both sides are being quiet about it, which is a red flag. The injury did not occur to the same left arm that kept him out last season. The play that Sanders suffered the injury wasn’t gruesome. You wouldn’t have even guessed that his elbow was what ended up being injured. Indianapolis should be able to fill the position. The Colts doesn’t have that much depth at safety with Melvin Bullitt filling in for Sanders over the last few seasons. Antoine Bethea is starting on the other side, but they also have young corners Jacob Lacey, Deshea Townsend, and Justin Tryon able to fill in, if needed.

The Colts run defense suffered with Sanders going out in the 1st quarter. Arian Foster went off for over 200 yards with a couple scores in victory. Indianapolis will have to focus on that and use their pass rush less. Mathis and Freeney go upfield too much and must stay back and play the run.

I hope Sanders can come back soon and play at a high level, but if he can’t stay on the field, the Colts will have to do something. I will keep my ears pressed against the wall and hopes I hear good news concerning his injury.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

An Attempt To Embrace My New Hometown

I moved to Columbus, Ohio from Fort Wayne, Indiana nearly four years, so I guess this isn’t a “new” place for me anymore. I’m considering changes to the site, small ones actually, you may not even notice. I just wanted to explain why this change may happen and what you may see on the site in the near future. For my friends back in Indiana, don’t worry, I still love Larry Bird and can’t watch the end of “Hoosiers” or “Rudy” without crying.

I started this site over 2 1/2 years ago as a platform to keep my writing skills fresh and dive into a new genre. I have always been a huge sports fan and combine that with my snarky and cynical attitude, I guess starting a sports blog was right up my alley. My past writing experience was just in college in Journalism and English classes and I spent nearly seven years as a music journalist. “America’s White Boy” didn’t turn into a site that focused strictly on sports content, I add a lot of music posts on here. I know both worlds of sports and music, so why not give them both to my readers. 2 1/2 years ago, I didn’t know where I would be from year to year, I was still trying to settle down in a city where I felt comfortable. I believe that I have found that place here in Columbus…at least for the foreseeable future.

The change to the site will be that I am going to be adding much more local Ohio content and national music acts to the site. The change won’t be extreme and it isn’t a transition that will eventually make this into a site like Waiting For Next Year or Cleveland Frowns. I am a fan of the Columbus Blue Jackets and I follow Ohio State sports, so expect a lot of that to be added. Don’t worry about me, I still love the Chicago Cubs, Indiana Pacers, and Indianapolis Colts, you can’t take those loves away from me. Since I know a lot about the teams I am a fan of, and clearly have passionate things to say about them, that content will still be here.

I have researched my traffic numbers and my site does have better numbers in the Midwest and East Coast than any other part of the country. I should take this time and say something mean about the West Coast, like the Lakers are soft or that USC cheats, but I’ll let your imagination do that.

Well, today is the start of the NFL season, so expect a possible Cleveland Browns or Cincinnati Bengals post at some point today. If I post anything positive about Jake Delhomme, please call my mother, because there is no way I would ever do that unless these Ohio savages kidnap and torture me.

I heart my new hometown.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.