It is the story of a great “qb” named Brady
About whom, so many are jealous.
He has won 4 Supes
also come close in others.
This year will be tough
but he is so great.
One day you jealous folks will grow up
and say and know Brady is great!
Last year the drives were so effortless
rarely a tough 3rd down
When has he failed
with any real time left?
Grow up accept his greatness!
The Brady Bunch Lyrics – Theme Song Lyrics
As you might expect I am predicting that the New England Patriots will win a 12th AFC East title in the last 15 seasons.
They will struggle at times, I predict with a degree of certainty they will lose at least two within the division, and to the Colts in Indianapolis in a game that will be hyped beyond reasonable taste.
The Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins will contend while the New York Jets will improve quite a bit.
In the end, it will be New England.
Let’s guess and it is a true guess:
New England (11-5)
Buffalo (9-7)
Miami (8-8)
New York Jets (7-9)
It is always tough for me to go along with the crowd, but count me in concerning the Philadelphia Eagles.
They are impressive and will go (11-5) and win the NFC East.
The Dallas Cowboys, who won the division last year before eventually losing an excruciating game to the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round, will decline and go, say (9-7).
Next will be the New York Giants at (8-8). Eli Manning won 2 Super Bowls that few expected but I say do not expect another 4 years apart.
The Giants twice won Super Bowls 4 years apart with excellent regular season teams in 1986 and 1990 and again with Eli Manning quarterbacking mediocre regular season, but Super Bowl champions in 2007 and 2011.
Once the Washington Redskins won three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks and an excellent coach named Joe Gibbs. Now they are less than average, say (6-10).
As baseball’s not all that important regular season heads into Labor Day, almost all the mystery is gone as to the playoff teams, with one notable exception and that is the AL West and second AL wild card team.
Barring the truly unexpected, the NL playoff teams will be division winners, the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets and LA Dodgers with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs meeting in the so called “play in” game.
There is some mystery in the AL aside from the KC Royals winning their division and likely being the top seed. Both the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees, battling for the AL East title, (another division race victimized by the fact the non winner has the safety net of the wild card), should be in the playoffs.
Only involving the AL West and the second wild card is there real mystery. Suddenly the Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins and perhaps the Angels of Anaheim are in a race where only two of them will be in the playoffs. Houston leads Texas by two games in the AL West while Texas has a slight lead over Minnesota for the second wild card spot.
I truly “missed the boat” last week in not picking Montana University to at least cover the spread, if not upset North Dakota State. Who knew they were playing?
Far worse who knew that the still “powerful” Brent Musburger got to call a game involving his home state team, (Montana) and was “rewarded” with an upset win vs North Dakota State!!!
“Too late (and though I should) NOT turning back now.” In that spirit, these predictions.
Tonight 4 plus point(s) underdog Michigan to upset Utah in Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan debut.
On Saturday night, Notre Dame to get a 7 point win vs Texas. Notre Dame is favored by 10 points.
This week in the Disney Saturday night game, Alabama also to win, but not cover as 12 point favorites. Let’s say (27-17).
On 1/1/2015 Wisconsin won in an upset and Ohio State upset Alabama. Ohio State did what they had to in winning both playoff games, but I will always say either TCU or Baylor (TCU if I had to pick one) and not Ohio State, deserved the shot as the 4th playoff team.
This year Ohio State has to go (12-0) for “over bettors” to win. They may do that, likely are the best team, but will not repeat as champions. The late college football expert, Beano Cook taught me that philosophy and was rarely, if ever wrong in that regard.
Anyway, mark it down and I will own up to it, no matter what the result!
I know there is still much baseball to be played, but last night’s St. Louis Cardinals’ comeback win vs the Washington Nationals makes me ready to say the Cards, with an awesome (86-46) record and a six game lead in both the division and for the NL “one seed” will reach that goal.
Additionally, it is time to say once again and likely once and for all, that this will go down as an extremely disappointing year for the Washington Nationals, who are six and a half games behind the New York Mets for the NL East lead and a playoff spot.
A far more productive Washington Nationals’ team and season ended at the hands of a Cardinals’ rally in the decisive 5th game of the NLDS in 2012. I feel the Cardinals have all but ended this very disappointing Nationals’ season with the win last night. The Cards have won four straight games vs the Nationals (the ESPN game summary from last night’s game erroneously indicated 10 straight wins).
It is unfair and ridiculous, that no matter how many games the Cards win, all it gives them is being one of eight teams in the divisional round of the ‘offs.
Additionally, due to the result of a glorified exhibition game, the once regal All star Game, “St. Loo” would not have home field advantage should they circumvent the dangerous, likely “Pirates/Cubs and Dodgers/Mets winners waters,” to advance to that point.
Here are some notes on the anticipated “play in” game on Wednesday October 7th, likely in Pittsburgh between the home team, Pirates and Chicago Cubs.
If the pirates host the game, it will be the third straight year they have done so. They beat the Cincinnati Reds in the 2013 game and lost to the eventual world champion S.F. Giants in last year’s game.
At the moment the Pirates World Series drought is 36 years. If, even likely, but far from definitely, when the Cubs are eliminated this season their title drought will be three times as long as 36, an incredible 108 years.
That is not a million and certainly not a billion but it is a long time. Speaking of “million” and “billion,” WFAN radio hosts Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts each used those numbers numerous times in reference to results that at most happened, 10 times in recent games.
Unlike Mike Francesa, who often says “the quarterback,” (heaven forbid for 2 million dollars/yr, he should learn the names), Benigno and Roberts know some facts, but the million/billion thing is rank amateur, save the fact each of them receives a hefty salary.
I did not pick either the New York Mets nor the Houston Astros to win their divisions, though I came close to doing so. Each has a nice, albeit far from insurmountable lead, as time has marched to the precipice of September.
That is one reason I am picking the long shot Cleveland Browns to have a (9-7) record which somehow will enable them to win a three way tiebreaker and claim the AFC North crown.
Both the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals will also finish at (9-7).
The Pittsburgh Steelers will drop back and finish (7-9).
It would be so great if the Browns or Indians, for that matter and not LeBron James and the Cavaliers end the 51 year Cleveland sports championship drought, not saying either will (safe to say neither will) but I do think an improved Browns’ team will win a weak AFC North Division this season.
The New York Liberty now have a two and a half game lead in the WNBA East and a 2 game, loss column lead for the best record in the league.
The team will be making their first playoff appearance since 2012
They are coached by former NBA “bad boy,” but terrific player on two Detroit Pistons’ title teams, Bill Laimbeer.
He also coached the then Detroit Shock to three WNBA crowns. (That team is now in Tulsa and will move again next season to Dallas-Fort Worth).
Tina Charles and Epiphanny Prince have led the Liberty, who sport a (16-4) record since starting the season with a (4-4) mark. 5 of the six remaining regular season games for the Liberty are at home and I think they will get the top mark in the East and probably, far from definitely in the WNBA.
The Liberty scored an impressive win over the still WNBA favorite, Minnesota Lynx this past Friday, but still have a game at Minnesota. The Lynx also have all but one of their remaining regular season games at home. They have a good shot at still getting the top mark. It may come down to a tiebreaker.
Certainly the road will not be easy for the Liberty as they bid for their first WNBA crown. However, to this point, they are the big story in the WNBA, 20 to 1 shots at the start of the season and with a (20-8), best record in the WNBA.
Hopefully I have made it clear that it is as close to an absolute “sports disgrace,” (nothing is absolute and sports has limited, but valid importance) that Pete Rose is not in baseball’s Hall of Fame. At some point, I will address the issue in some detail, with personal insights and experiences involving Pete.
One for today and having reviewed my “notes,” it makes me both laugh and cry as time’s passage and life’s reality often does.
It is early in the 1976 baseball season, say early May and my team, at the time, the L.A. Dodgers are hot and ahead of the defending world champion Cincinnati Reds in the NL West “one quarter/no wild card” standings.
I call Pete at the New York Hotel at which he is staying. He is “dozing” and would have had every “courtesy right” to end our conversation immediately, perhaps without apology. He did not, despite my 20 year old arrogance regarding the rival Dodgers.
I said to Pete’s “dozing” answer as to what he was doing that “are you sure you are not tuning in for scores involving the Dodgers at Cubs afternoon tilt that day?
Pete politely answered “it was too early in the season for that.” Of course the Reds had beaten out a very good Dodgers’ team by 20 games the year before and would beat out another very good L.A. team by about 10 games in 1976.
In a polite conversation with a somewhat “pumped up” rival team, 20 year old Dodgers’ fan, Pete Rose had the proper perspective. Need I say the “proper perspective” is get Pete into the Hall of Fame where he belongs. Even more perspective, it is far from the most important thing, but I truly hope he does get the honor.
Andy B Sports 