Roomofzen Podcast #1

We've been dreaming of doing podcasts for a long time. Babcock and I stumbled upon some technical information this week, and figured we'd go ahead and try to pump one out in about 2 hours. Well, as it turns out, it was two hours before we could even figure out how to record. We finished recording at about 10:45 last night. It is now 7:13 AM, and I can finally publish this post with some confidence that the file we created will actually play.

Is it good? Not really. But, we had a blast. I definitely say "real fast" 3 times in the first 20 seconds. We say that Dan Orlovsky stepped out of bounds last week when it was really 3 weeks ago. I also utter the phrase "Leon Powe has the ability to score at will." But, those things aside, it's not bad. We discuss the Celtics opener on Tuesday, the prospects of the Cavaliers this season, week 9 in the NFL, and Mike Singletary as the 49ers new coach. Babcock loves Singletary in that role, and how could you not after reading this story about his motivational techniques at halftime last week. All in all, it's 69 full minutes of fun. Please enjoy.....

Boomp3.com


If the player shits out on you, here is the link to listen to it in a different window. It works a lot better.


We've got a long way to go if we ever want to approach the level of the BS Report or the Basketball Jones (TBJ in my mind is the sickest podcast out there). But, we've been successfully improving the site all along. Next week: look for us to get more of the staff involved, we will work on a musical intro, we will do some more scripting so we don't ramble as much, and we will answer our podcast e-mail question sent in from Matt in Seattle (sorry Matt, we were rambling, and then suddenly we were well over an hour. We'll get you next week).

Hack a Shaq

Sorry I'm so late getting this up. I haven't had a chance to get to the computer all day. But, this was hands down the highlight of last night.




If you're confused, read this .

Wiz-Ards Opener

Ten thoughts from the Wizards home opener:

1) We lost to the Nets last night and despite having Vince Carter (who is still nasty by the way), the Nets should have been an easy win. But then again, the Wizards usually start off slow, so I will give them the benefit of the doubt here. The real test will be Saturday night against the Pistons, a team that will kill the Wizards unless they bring their "A-Game."

2) We paid Arenas way too much money. I hate to say that, but it's true. How can you reward a guy whose constantly injured with a 100 million dollar contract and then expect the franchise to thrive in the long-term? Maybe you pay Lebron or Kobe that kind of money, but this is Gilbert Arenas we're talking about here: unless he's healthy and passing the ball, he has very little potential to lead this team to a championship. I love the guy to death, but he is a supporting player at best on a team with rebounding and inside, post-play. Sorry, Gil. The Wizards don't have that.

3) We have to rely on youngsters because of Gilbert's injury, but they are still an unproven quantity. Blatche is good at times, but he still gets in trouble off the court; he also has problems putting fourth constant effort each night. Nick Young shows flashes of greatness, but like Blatche, he's very off and on during the 82-game grind. Maybe this year they will turn a page, but Andray is on season 4 and Nick has to start playing well immediately. Will that happen this year? I hope so.

4) Etan Thomas is back, but his poetry still sucks. Nothing new here.

5) Eddy Jordan will still make this team good, despite what everyone says about Arenas and the youngsters. Why? He is one of the best coaches in the NBA and he's also one of the classiest. So to say that the Heat will finish above the Wizards this year JUST BECAUSE they have D-Wade back, is frankly insulting. The Wiz-ARDS made the playoffs three years in a row despite having the worst possible injury situation you could imagine. Gilbert got injured, Caron got injured, and Antawn was constantly beaten-up. Yet the Wizards always played hard and pulled through thick and thin. You have Jordan to thank for that and I have no doubt he'll do it again. The Miami Heat, however, have no proven quantity at head coach, nor do they have a guarantee that Stoudemire will stay healthy or play consistent basketball. Even if Wade is dominant this year, there is no guarantee Udonis Haslem and Stoudemire will have what it takes to make this team good again. The Wizards, however, have a track record of three veterans constantly leading their team to the playoffs.

6) Caron Butler needs to have a career year and I expect him to do so...Tough Juice just needs to stay out of dance clubs at 3 AM before playoff games...

7) The Western Conference will be nasty this year, but the East has improved as evident by the Celts, the 76ers, the Raptors, Magic, and Wiz. Why do you think TNT is putting more Eastern Conference games on primetime this year?

8) As I mentioned above, Eddy Jordan is one of the classiest coaches in the NBA. His temperment is first class, he never uses foul language, he never unduly criticizes people or refs, and he never complains about his team's injuries or uses them as an excuse for his performance as a coach.

9) DC may get the trifecta this year -- good hockey, football, and basketball. This hasn't happend in my lifetime. But unlike Boston, I doubt they will win a championship and spoil every fan in this area for years to come.

10) Javale McGee is going to be nasty some day. He is 7 feet tall, runs the court well, passes, and has a 10-15 foot jumper. Not bad for a rookie.

Working For the Weekend

OutKast - Atliens

Opening Day....

Opening day is finally upon us, and I couldn't be happier (I'm sweating like a farm animal). I had recurring nightmares all off-season that I arrived to the Garden on opening night only to find that Paul Pierce had let himself go to the point that he looked like Fat Albert in a green headband. Luckily the Truth looks great, and I have high hopes for the 08-09 season. Like me, I'm sure that Kevin Garnett has not been sleeping well. Maybe he hasn't been sleeping at all. But, much like game 7 against the Hawks (after what Garnett described as a completely sleepless night), I expect that the energy release that takes place within the Garden tonight will be felt by all that are present. For those of us who find spirituality from the roundball, this is one of the best nights of the year. Christmas, Thanksgiving, nothing else compares. It's going to be sick.

I'm not going to talk at all about the Big Three. Nobody in the media seems to be either. In fact, the only thing I have heard from NBA experts is the question of how the Celtics will be able to replace James Posey. I'd like to address this question now:




The tangibles, they’re easy. Eddie House is a great outside shooter. Tony Allen can lock down opposing scorers. Leon Powe gets tough buckets. To be honest, I’m not concerned at all about Posey’s absence from a production standpoint. The intangibles that Posey brought, however, are not so easy to replace. His pre-game man hugs, his championship experience, his hard-nose mentality; this guy knew, down to the smallest detail, exactly what it would take to win a championship. He indoctrinated his teammates with the championship mentality, and he picked up the slack whenever they started to waver. Always dialed-in, he epitomized the term “energy off the bench.” The guy was intense, and he was the ultimate team player. With so many new faces and no championship experience, could the Celtics have won last year without James Posey’s contributions? I don’t think so.

James Posey has left his imprint on this team. They've now been to the top of the mountain (as they say), and I expect that we will see much of Posey's influence on the play of this year's bench. I love the skills and the moxie of these guys. Leon Powe is the ultimate lunch-pail player. He won me over in the spring of ’07, at the height of tankapalooza. Hustling on defense, diving for loose balls, pulling down rebounds right and left, Powe was the constant bright spot in games that were borderline unwatchable. His motor never seems to run out and, as Rod Benson said, he gets buckets. Eddie House is a sparkplug off the bench, and he has the ability to completely change a game with his outside shooting. Glen Davis stood out the most last season against some of the league’s most hard-nosed and physical teams (especially Detroit). I couldn’t be happier that Tony Allen is back. He was really coming on strong before his knee injury, and I think that we need to just consider last year a throw-away season for him. The guy is a great one-on-one defender with the ability to penetrate and get to the rim on offense. Like Davis, I think consistent minutes are the key for Allen. I expect big things from these four. They not only have the ability to replace James Posey, but after spending a year under his watchful eye they now have the right mindset.


I am, however, extremely concerned about the absence of PJ Brown. This void will not be felt during the regular season, but it could be a huge problem once the playoffs start. The more I look back on last season’s championship run, the more I appreciate Brown's impact. Perk would go to the bench, and somehow the Celtics would manage to hold things together on defense. Brown was a master of body positioning on the defensive end, and he made things very difficult on opposing offenses because of his ability to widen his body and not give up any ground in the paint. In game 5 of the Finals, when Perk was out and Powe started at Center, the Lakers got to the rim with ease. It wasn't until Brown entered the game that the Celtics were able to defend the paint. It would be nice if Patrick O’Bryant can grow into this role, but I’m not hopeful. He looked somewhat promising early in the pre-season, but seemed to decline. Babcock and I agreed that he looked completely lost in the final pre-season game against the Knicks. The nice part here is that Brown is not playing for anybody, and would could conceivably see the Celtics try to bring him in at the end of the season again. I'm telling you right now that I'm all over that plan. Something will get down, whether or not it is Brown who comes on board remains to be seen. But, Danny Ainge will not let this team head into post-season play without bringing in another big man.

I'm getting a little bit ahead of myself. What's important right now is that this is the best team in the NBA. Kendrick Perkins has blown me away in the pre-season. He looks much more trim, and he has been moving around on the offensive end with an almost swan like grace. Last Sunday, the Nets had no choice but to unleash the hack-a-perk defense to stop his dominance (note: hopefully this doesn't become a trend, I don't think he made both of his free throws on any of the trips). Hopefully, this visible progress will also help Perk to play more minutes because he won't log early fouls against opponents that choose to go right at him. With Perkins and Rondo another year better, I don't think this starting 5 can be stopped. The Roomofzen will be at the Garden tonight taking in the ring ceremony, the banner raising, Kevin Garnett's live sacrifice of a baby cow, and the first game of what will undoubtedly be an outstanding NBA season. The East is back!

A Breath Of Fresh Air

Mike Singletary...A step in the right direction for the 49ers. Just keep watching.

Hockey Hits

In case you guys missed it a few days ago...



And yes, these hits should continue to be legal as long as Ovechkin's career doesn't get cut short by one of them...

The one year retrospective

Here is a collection of our work over the past year for those of you who may have jumped on board late in the game. These are in no particular chronological order (except that our first post is the first one), and it is more or less a random selection. I believe that all of our posts are of a high quality, so I'd like you to think of this more as a random sample than as a "greatest hits" compilation.

The past year has meant a lot to us, and we hope that what we do has reached at least some of you out there. As Babcock said, the best is still to come. We will most definitely be podcasting within the next month, and with the NBA season right around the corner we know that things are really picking up again for 2008. So, please take a stroll down the Roomofzen's first year.....


Our first ever post, written one year ago today. I still feel this way about Manny, and I will always be a fan of his.

Season Preview of the Boston Celtics........Dancers.

In a summer when the entire national media seemed convinced that Kobe and the Lakers were headed for split. The roomofzen knew better. Note: the reason we mention Tracy McGrady so much here is that there was a lot of talk of a Kobe-TMac swap at the time. This trade most likely would not have landed the Lakers in the playoffs, nevermind the Finals.


NBA All-Star Weekend: One of the best in recent memory.


Our NBA Finals interview with Kurt from Forum Blue and Gold (a sick Lakers Blog that you can find here)


We actually had an interview with a real metal band. Genghis Tron was kind enough to sit down and chat with us (after we saw them play 6 times this year).

Hagerstown, MD: The American Dream

Ted connects the dots in the divorce between Brett Favre and the Packers.

Babcock finally finds himself in Cancun for Spring Break......and misses Newburyport before he can even unpack.


Gilby reviews a Danzig concert.


Red Sox World Series parade, shot with a disposable camera and probably of a higher quality than you got with your digital.

One of many Oracle speaks.

God, why can't this '07 Giants team stop shooting themselves in the foot?


Babcock and I chat before the week 17 matchup between the Patriots and Giants.

The Giants are going to the Super Bowl!

The Giants are World Champs!

A year later, this video still gets me choked up (yes, I do realize that's pathetic):




Ted sees Megadeth.

Baroness blew our minds in February (note that in this one we didn't know how to put in links...so young and foolish)..............and then they did it again in March . They're back in Boston on November 23rd. The Roomofzen will be there.


Baroness playing Rays on Pinion live in Germany......sick:





Going to an early season Celtics game turns into an adventure for two Roomofzen bloggers. We got kicked out of the Four's on this night, which would be a low point for any Celtics fan (and made me the shame of my family for about a month).


The Celtics and Cavs are going to game 5, and Chris Paul is nasty.

The Celtics made things much harder than they needed to be throughout the entire postseason. Very frustrating.

The Celtics are up 2-0, and Phil Jackson won't stop whining.

The Celtics are the NBA Champions!

Cake, Pie, and George Carlin.



I found the Beijing Olympics to be surprisingly entertaining and uplifting. As this post demonstrates, I wasn't expecting much.

All the dirt on the sordid affair between Roger Clemens and Mindy McCready.

Babcock weighs in on a forgotton aspect of the 2007 Patriots, their punter.

We've never faltered from our belief that the Mavericks trade for Jason Kidd was the worst trade in the history of sports.


This is one of my favorites of all time, Ted's post on a big playoff victory for the Wizards over the Cavs. My favorite quote: "Centuries from now the Muses will ask, “how did the Wizards fight their way out of the third circle when their best player fell silent in the first quarter?”

One last Baroness video, so sick:

Happy Birthday

Its hard to believe that a year has already passed since our inaugural post. Certainly a lot has changed over the past 12 months but at its heart, our little website here is very much the same. We have added a few whistles and bells: A fancy custom logo, a full line of merchandise, a host of widgets and links to other entertaining and enriching websites, but the essence of what we're trying to do here remains the same. What is that goal? That overarching purpose that guides us? In many ways, its beauty is its simplicity:

To be the website you choose to seek enlightenment, whatever that may be.

A lofty goal indeed, but we're not talking about religious salvation here. We're talking about capturing your attention for a few minutes at a time, maybe throwing something at you that you never saw coming. We celebrate the little things that bring joy and excitement into our lives, that make us laugh and make us cry, and by posting on here we can share these things with all of you. At first glance, a blog that does not have a "specific" purpose shouldn't work right? We don't buy that at all. I believe, and I'll take the liberty of speaking for my colleagues here, that life is too short to limit ones consumption of information on sports, music, film, society, etc... to highly specialized sources of information. We embrace the randomness that other sites avoid at all costs. The diversity of subjects covered on Roomofzen doesn't limit our ability to thrive, and more than anything, we believe that it is this diversity that gives us our strength and gives you, the readers, a better internet experience. We know that there are lots of great sites on the Internet you could be visiting, but you are here now, and for that we thank you. We're all in this together, and that's alright.

Looking forward I can tell you that we plan to continue growing in the future. As our technological abilities increase we will continue to develop new mediums for getting good information and entertainment to you. We don't pretend to be innovators, but we do intend to offer a quality product unlike any other that you might find out there on the internet. Its a jungle out there (I always wanted to say that in some sort of organized forum, and to be honest it was better than I expected). Your feedback and involvement has been instrumental in the development and growth of this site, so we continue to encourage your participation. As always you can email us directly at oracle@roomofzen.com, or simply respond with your thoughts to the posts. But you already know this. Surely, our readers our no fools.

Stay tuned for for more from our other authors on our 1 Year Celebration along with the continuing coverage of the world as we see it. And most of all, from all of us here at Roomofzen, Thank you.

Winslow-Browns Controversy

We know that Kellen Winslow has a "public speaking problem" going all the way back to college:



Apparently playing for the U is like joining the military and fighting a war. Instead of avoiding roadside bombs or insurgents, you're avoiding linebackers and safeties! (And if you don't like my analogy, I really don't give a "hell"! My readers don't freaking care about you! It's a war out there on the blogosphere! And you write this down: I'm pissed!) Fast forward a few years, and now Winslow is complaining about his GM, the same guy who writes his paycheck each week:

"There's obviously a problem [with staph], and we have to fix it," said Winslow. "Just look at the history around here. It's unfortunate, because it happens time and time again...A big reason I'm upset right now has to do with [the staph infection]...I heard from Romeo Crenell, and I heard from my position coach [Alfredo Roberts] when I was in the Clinic. I heard from my teammates. But I never heard from the main man - Phil Savage - and that really disappoints me. Sometimes I don't even feel a part of this team."

Where do you even start with comments like these?

1) Winslow may have a point about the Staph infections, but he should keep it within the team or just keep his mouth shut. How hard is it to have a private meeting with Savage or Crennell? I see no good reason, aside from just pure emotion, to call out his team like this. What good comes of it? The media pays further attention to the Brown's staph infection problem? The Browns decide to trade an injury-prone tight end who has an enormous contract? Winslow has very little upside with comments like these.

2) Staph infections are awful, and I've actually seen someone almost pass away because of one, but they're usually very hard to deal with around the locker-room. And since the Browns pay their players so much money, Winslow should give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they're doing everything they can to combat the problem. Player's health, if common sense holds here, is paramount to a team's success in the NFL. So don't you think the Browns are trying their hardest to fix the problem?

3) Winslow should keep the big picture in mind. He was treated very well by the Browns after his motorcycle accident and they could have very easily cut his ass after the broken leg. Winslow also seems to forget that him riding the motorcycle was a breach of contract and that by almost killing himself, the Browns were well within their rights to dump him on the corner. Maybe if Winslow's dad wasn't so famous, they would have done that?

4) Some advice to Kellen: Don't complain about the GM because it looks weak and he's the guy whose determining whether or not you stay on the Browns. If you want a trade, ask for it, but don't go public and cause discontent. It's bad for the team and morale. And it's incredibly selfish.

5) The Browns were right to punish him because he's undermining the team leadership. What are they supposed to do? Let this one fly? If I was the owner, I would be royally pissed to hear our star player complain like this and call out the entire franchise. Who the hell does he think he is?

6) The Brown's GM explained why they suspended Winslow here (and I think this a very good set of reasons):

"After all of us had been through since 2005, the comments really called into question the integrity of our medical staff and the organization as a whole," Savage said. "To compromise that trust after the Browns had stood by Kellen through the motorcycle episode and knowing without question we had done everything in our power to combat this staph infection problem, it just showed a lack of professional restraint. The Browns are bigger than one person, bigger than Randy Lerner, bigger than Romeo Crennell, bigger than me and bigger than any player on this team. We couldn't and won't allow one person to tear down the organization, so we had to do something."

Bottom-line: don't call out your GM because you look like a pansy. And don't call out your employer because you look like an asshole and your teammates will suffer.

Brady

From footballguys.com:

"QB Tom Brady (NE) had further procedures conducted on his left knee after developing an infection around the wound. Brady said that his California doctors went in to clean and test the wound because of the infection. The Patriots were reportedly angry with the events taken place because they wanted Brady's surgery done under the direction of doctors of their choosing in Boston (note that Patriots officials later refuted this claim). Brady chose a doctor preferred by his family and he is well behind pace to return to New England. If the infection is not brought under control, the patellar tendon graft used to replace Brady's anterior cruciate ligament could become compromised. If that happens, he will have to undergo another surgery on the ACL."

Ouch. Bad news for Patriots fans.

Foil in the Oven: Week 8 picks

Sam Gash is a badass.

I was 9-5 last week , which was a nice way to bounce back from my Week 6 debacle...............


Dallas over Tampa Bay: The Cowboys were so confident because of their talent and star power that they were lacking urgency heading into the season. Last week’s loss to St. Louis will serve as the smelling salts they needed to wake up and get focused. If they are able to navigate through this tough stretch with reasonable success, they could still be a major factor in the postseason.




Washington over Detroit: The league’s leading rusher heads to Detroit to take on the 31st ranked rush defense. This is the lock of the week.




Buffalo over Miami: I was hesitant to buy into the whole “Buffalo is for real” thing when the season started. I knew that they had the potential to be a good team, but I had to wait and see. There were too many question marks. Trent Edwards showed promise last year, but I didn’t know how he’d hold up as a full-time starter. It has always been obvious that Lee Evans was incredibly gifted, but I had spent too many seasons watching him be inconsistent. Well, things all seem to be falling into place for the Bills in 2008. Edwards looks extremely steady, and Evans has been torching the opposition. Notice was served last Sunday with their win over the Chargers. The Bills are legit.





St. Louis over New England: I really think the Rams are turning around. It’s not just because they beat Dallas. It’s that they steamrolled Dallas one week after beating Washington. Two consecutive wins against top tier teams gets my attention. Steven Jackson seems to have found his comfort zone, and up-and-coming speedster Donnie Avery (my newest fantasy acquisition) paired with Tory Holt gives them the ability to stretch the field. The Rams have built a lot of positive momentum. Meanwhile, the Patriots are dropping like flies.





San Diego over New Orleans: The loss of Reggie Bush makes this game, and the Saints in general, much less exciting. Apparently we’re trying to impress the British with these annual London games and there haven’t been many players more exciting and explosive this season than Bush. He's certainly been more exciting than the Chargers' running back.





New York Jets over Kansas City: This game sucks so much that I can't even think about it long enough to write coherently. There's the obvious Herm Edwards connection, but I'm quite sure that nobody gives a shit. We've seen Larry Johnson stand up and talk about improving himself as a person and a football player. To be honest, I hope he can sort out his personal life, but I don't expect him to improve as a running back. He was overworked early in his career, and players rarely make big improvements at this stage of their development. So, I don't really want to talk about that. Instead, I will offer up the fact that I've always felt he got screwed out of the Heisman Trophy in 2002. There. That's my thought on this game. Larry Johnson should have won the Heisman Trophy in 2002. Do with it what you will.







Philadelphia over Atlanta: The Eagles are coming off of a bye week, which has been a pretty reliable predictor of success in 2008. Matt Ryan has been great, but this is his first time facing Jim Johnson's defense.





Carolina over Arizona: The Cardinals have not looked good on the East coast.





Baltimore over Oakland: The Ravens currently have the best run defense in the NFL, which means that the pressure to win this game will be squarely on the large shoulders of number 2. I like him a lot, and I think he’s going to be a star someday. But, he’s not going to win this game. I like the Ravens at home.





Houston over Cincinnati: Looks like Carson Palmer will miss another week, not that it really matters.





Jacksonville over Cleveland: Derek Anderson’s QB rating thus far is an appalling 49.2%. As a Giants fan in my mid-20’s, I’ve witnessed some pretty pathetic quarterbacking. I suffered through the likes of Dave Brown, Kent Graham, and Danny Kanell. You can say what you will about Kerry Collins, Kurt Warner, and the early Eli Manning years. They were all bright beacons of hope to Giants fans that had suffered through what I like to call “the dark age”. The point here, which I clearly strayed from, is that I’m pretty sure Dave Brown, Kent Graham, and Danny Kanell never had seasons when their completion percentages were below 50%. Dave Brown did, however, wear a jersey that said “Dave Brown” on the back when he played for the Cardinals. He also shares a birthday with my mother. Anyways, this means that Browns fans have watched their quarterback play at a lower level than Dave Brown, Kent Graham, and Danny Kanell ever did. That must be horrible.

When does Brady Quinn see the field? I understand that Browns don't want to look foolish for giving Derek Anderson a big extension. But, by giving him the extension, don't they already look foolish for trading away a first round pick to draft Brady Quinn? Quinn was drafted for this job. Anderson was great during the first part of the year. But, he declined steadily during the second half of the season. He certainly didn't do enough to warrant the three year deal the Browns gave him. You can't just throw money at a guy. Remember Tommy Maddox? The 2002 comeback player of the year? He wanted a big new contract after his memorable season. The Steelers, a far more competent organization than the Browns, didn't give it to him. They needed to make sure this wasn't just a flash in the pan. As it turns out, he was painfully average after that. He lost his starting job to Charlie Batch! The Browns should have let Anderson walk. Plain and simple.







New York Giants over Pittsburgh: This is when things start to get real for the Giants, and it should be a great game. The Giants currently have the NFL’s second best offensive attack and are number 1 in rushing. The Steelers are the NFL’s top rated defense, with the Giants coming in at number 4. This is one of those games that is won in the trenches, and that's an area where the Giants have a clear advantage. The Steelers are weak on the offensive line, and I expect Ben Roethlisberger to feel a lot of pressure. I’m getting chills all over right now just picturing Brandon Jacobs steamrolling Troy Polamalu.





San Francisco over Seattle: The Niners are just too good to lose to the Seahawks at home. Seattle fans, this is rock bottom.





Tennessee over Indianapolis: I could be totally off base here. A couple of weeks ago I picked Baltimore to knock off the Colts, and I could not have been more wrong (the game was a blowout). But, all I can think of is that Tennessee will run all over Indy with Chris Johnson and LenDale White. These two looked unstoppable last week, and this Indy run defense is virtually non-existent. On top of that, Joseph Addai is out, which does not bold well against the fearsome front seven of the Titans. The Colts could certainly win. I just don't see how.






College Pick of the Week:


Michigan over Michigan State and LSU over Georgia:

Home field advantage pays huge dividends for the Wolverines and Tigers this weekend.

Compete Against the Oracle in Fantasy Basketball

I'd like to invite all of our readers to compete in the first annual Roomofzen Fantasy Basketball League. This will be a Yahoo! Head-To-Head league. The winner will receive a package with many choice items from the roomofzen store that will include a customized roomofzen championship t-shirt. This is the best time of year, so why not get right into the action.

To sign up:

1) Go to Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball .

2) Create a profile.

3) Click on "Join a League".

4) Enter our league information:

The League ID# is 118796 .

The Password is oracle34 .

The live draft will be held Monday, October 27th, at 7:15 PM. If you can't make the draft, you can pre-rank your players.

We look forward to what should be an outstanding fantasy basketball season.

Also, there is no question that our readership is at its peak during the NBA season. We are just as anxious as you for things to get going. Look for our NBA preview coming on Monday.

Hump Day

Tuesday Night Extravanganza

Friends, there is so much I wish to share with you tonight.

First, another wild weekend in the NFL much to the chagrin of the Guru. With my second consecutive 2 for 5 week of picks (although, having the Patriots cover the spread by 31 points is really alright with me, in fact I may have to pick against them in the future to continue my plan of reverse psychologizing them into a playoff spot) my grasp on plus .500 against the spread hangs tightly at 16-14 on the year.

As someone who associates with what one might consider "Wagering Gentlemen" I know firsthand that this season has proven difficult to say the least. (Sidenote: I have yet to meet a chick who has put money on a football game, although I find that extremely hot for some reason). But there is always fun in speculation and fun is what we are all about here at roomofzen.

In no particular order of importance:

1) The Patriots looked very good last night. The defense was playing with a swagger that I have not seen for quite sometime. Honestly, I expected the Broncos to put up a lot of points against the Pats secondary (which stepped up big time), and I thought that the New England offense would continue to struggle. Wrong on both counts. It didn't hurt that the Broncos defense was horrific at everything except sacking the quarterback. When the Pats D Line gets fired up there isn't a better more imposing defensive front in football. When they don't bring the intensity, they have been more or less average. I heard some interviews on WEEI today that confirmed a conscious effort on the part of the defense to play with what Richard Seymour called "A Sense of Purpose". Moving forward the Pats are going to have to adjust to competing without veteran safety and all around badass Rodney Harrison, who appears to be done for the season, and possibly for good. I'm going on record right now in the third paragraph of the Tuesday Night Extravaganza as saying that Harrison is deserving of a spot in the Hall Of Fame, for what its worth.

I suck at Photography, that's the Celtics I swear.

2) Over the weekend I had the opportunity to check out the Boston Celtics Open Practice at the Tsongas arena in Lowell. I had been to the Tsongas arena twice in my life. Once during a high school basketball tournament and the other time was to see a Korn concert. It was at this concert that I first sighted a man that became known simply as "The guy who wears the Undertaker costume and moshes" amongst my friends. For a good three years we saw this guy, who had a striking resemblance to the wrestler but was obviously not him, at every River Rave, Ozzfest, and rock concert we went too. Anyway, I hoped to see him there, instead I was graced with the presence of an uninspired Darius Miles. Let this be known: Darius Miles is a poor substitute for a guy who looks like the undertaker and wears the undertaker costume to concerts throughout Massachusetts. (Not surprisingly, Miles was released the next day). The team ran through some drills in front of a couple of thousand fans, did some defensive footwork, and then Doc gets on the microphone and thanks everyone for coming. That was about it. In all the practice lasted roughly 45 minutes.


In a striking show of solidarity, fans refused to leave the arena despite the pleas of ushers and venue staff who obviously had something to do Saturday afternoon repeatedly yelling at everyone to leave. I had hoped that by some stroke of luck the whole thing would consist of a game of knockout at one end of the court and a dunk contest at the other. Hey, dare to dream. I found the experience interesting, and it really drove home the fact that the defending world Champs would be taking the floor a week from tonight. Roomofzen will have several representatives at the game. I'm fucking pumped. Also, Perk looked lean and mean...lookout Eastern Conference bigmen.



3) It has been a while since we have received any reader questions for our sporadic "The Oracle Speaks", and this is a call for submissions. We're not begging here, but we all enjoy hearing from you. (This is my token "Its all about the Fans!" post of the month, but hey, it is.)







4) We have several new items in the Roomofzen store. As a reminder (for those of you who cannot read) we will be making a donation shortly to the American Cancer Society with proceeds from our merchandise sales. While our stuff isnt as popular as, say, the Vern Troyer sex tape, it is more family friendly and less likely to turn chicks off.







5) I was thinking about how unfortunate it is that Tony Kornheiser is a cohost of Monday night football. I really think that they miscast him for this role. Kornheiser doesn't have the humor or the football knowledge to occupy the third chair with the very talented and competent team of Tirico and Jaworski. I'm not calling for Dennis Miller or John Clayton to be the third guy (Miller clearly didn't work since comparisons between a good defensive play and some obscure piece of historical political trivia are essentially wasted on the audience (and generally NOT funny), and Clayton's insider knowledge would probably delve too deep to hold the interest of casual fans who make up a sizable portion of the target audience). Is this Tony's fault? Not really. There doesn't seem to be an established role for him. Should he tell a joke? Should he admit to knowing something about the game? Nobody seems to know, especially Kornheiser. This has led to the excruciating "explain the obvious at all costs" technique that is becoming his staple. This works for Madden, but Madden also really knows the game of football. I love Kornheiser on PTI, and most people would agree that he does an excellent job there, but MNF is clearly not his scene. SO....

It is time to move on. And seeing as how I have got my soapbox I am going to recommend comedian Artie Lange to be the new third wheel for Monday Night Football. Anyone who listens to Howard Stern knows Lange. Some may even recall some of his fine films "Dirty Work" and "Beer League". Sure he is a recovering Heroin addict and admitted gambler but I think he could shine in this role. He has a good knowledge of sports in general and would actually be funny. That's my vote. I'm sure that network executives are at this moment totally involved in not giving a fuck what I think.





Finally, Roomofzen is coming closer and closer to obtaining Podcast technology. Once the stars have aligned we will be taking our little blog here to the next level. Just imagine listening to LaRocque and I going over our weekly picks while riding the T next to a hot coed. She will be thinking, "man I bet that guy is listening to something really badass". She will be right. Also, she will find you irresistible. Tell her you know all about the Babcock Report and Foil in the Oven. Chicks totally go for that stuff. Those chicks pictured above are avid readers, otherwise I definitely wouldn't post a picture of them on this site.








Rock and Roll.

Hendrix

"Red House" Live...should help Sox fans cope with the end of the season...

Embrace the Weekend.......

We've got a great lineup of college and pro football, the Red Sox playing to keep their season alive tonight, and the whole time we will all be anxiously waiting for the association to tip off in 10 days. I love this time of year.

Here are my week 7 picks

Here is Babcock's Take 5

Here are some sick Michael Jordan highlights:

Take 5: The Guru Returns

What a wild week in the NFL. If any one needed proof that it is ridiculously difficult to bet and win consistently on NFL games last week was the perfect example. As a fan, I have to agree with LaRocque: the parity of the National Football league is miles beyond any other professional sport and this makes things interesting every week. As for beating the spread, if it was easy it wouldn't be fun right? After a sorry 2/5 last week I remain above .500 at 14-11 on the year. SO here goes...

Buffalo PK vs San Diego

This may contradict the age old saying "bet with your head, not with your heart". The Chargers donned their baby-blue jerseys and dismembered the Patriots on Sunday Night, so at first I found myself liking the Chargers in this one. But, there is that west coast to east coast thing going on here. AND, most importantly I hate San Diego's players, so rooting for them in any way shape or form nauseates me. I haven't been able to track down any statistics on whether or not west to east travel effects the hotness of a teams dancers, or if anomalies such as "Cheerleaders traveling from west to east are 76% more likely to apply too much makeup", or even worse "wear turtlenecks 84% of the time". This is information that the Guru must have.

Denver +3 @ New England

A little reverse Psychology here maybe? This is what its come to. New England is straight up frustrating to watch. Rivers had a field day with the secondary and I'm expecting much of the same with Cutler slinging the pill in Foxboro this weekend. Either way I win here.

Indianapolis -1.5 @ Green Bay

Indy finally had its breakout game against a very solid Baltimore team. Rodgers is banged up and I don't think that the Packers have a running game to take advantage of the Indy defense. That's saying something. When will analogies between loose women and the middle of Idianapolis' run defense become a permanent fixture in the American lexicon? Not soon enough if you ask me. How many times will I use the word "analogies" in a single post? Looks like 3.

New York Jets -3 @ Oakland

Farve must be due for another 5 TD game, I'm thinking they cover 3 points no problem.

***Upset Of The Week***

Cleveland +7 @ Washington

The Browns will be riding a wave of momentum while the Redskins look to bounce back. I don't necessarily think the Browns win this but it should be a close game. Take the points.

Now for the real money makers...I hit 13/15 College Teasers last week which isn't too bad at all. As always spreads are adjusted for the tease...

1) Virginia Tech + 12 @ BC

2) Wisconsin +13 @ Iowa

3) Northwestern +5 vs Purdue

4) Oklahoma -11 vs Kansas

5) Mississippi St + 16.5 @ Tennessee

6) Alabama -3.5 vs Ole Miss

7) Vanderbilt + 23.5 @ Georgia

8) Washington St +51 vs USC

9) Michigan St +12.5 vs Ohio St.

10) Texas +4.5 vs Missouri

11) UNC +4.5 @ Virginia

12) Arkansas + 17 @ Kentucky

13) LSU +6.5 @ South Carolina

14) Arkansas St +12 @ ULa Lafayette

15) Troy -0.5 vs Florida International U

Booyah.

The Caps

I won't pretend to be a huge NHL or Caps fan, but 6-8 years ago, I certainly was. Back then the Caps were nasty, just like they are right now.

A very fond set of memories has me thinking of Ollie Kolzig and the Caps from 1998 to 2002. I didn't watch a lot of games back then, but I did attend a few and I did read about them in the Post each morning.

In fact, I remember their 1998 season which had them losing the Stanley Cup to the Wings after dispatching the Bruins, Sabres, and Senators in the playoffs. Unless you talked to Adam Oates, it was a very good time to be a Caps fan or player during this "era."

Fast forward to last night's game against the Penguins who are the reigning Eastern Conference champs. From 1999-2000, the Penguins killed us in the playoffs. And ever since then, including the lock-out, the Penguins have had our number, winning 8 of the past 11 games.

Last night looked like another Capital Capitulation to Sid the Kid and his evil Russian prodigy Malkin. Instead of trying to score and keep his team in the game, Ovie tried his hardest to decapitate Malkin, which of course is awesome, but won't win you any games. My favorite moment was when Ovie tried to hip-check Malkin into the Penguin's bench which subsequently led to the Mellon arena booing Ovechkin for the rest of the evening. I guess maybe Ovechkin thought that without Donald "the Veteran Enforcer" Brashear, he had take up the slack.

But instead of giving up, down three to nothing on the road, the Capitals came back and won, proving how much depth and offensive firepower this team has right now. The team found scoring from another Russian (Semin), an ailing youngster (Nylander), Fleischman and Gordon. And they beat the reigning champs without production from the best player in the NHL right now.

Beating the Penguins early-on bodes well for a Capitals team which will almost certainly face them in the playoffs. And when we have Ovie / Backstrom / Nylander / and Green scoring again, Kozlov back from injury, and Brashear ready to fight again, the league better look-out. Last year's Caps, which rallied 7 games to make the playoffs, may be consistently good this year and ready to make an assault on the playoffs.

That would kick a lot of ass.

Foil in the Oven: Week 7 Picks

I was 6-8 last week, compiling a losing weekend record for the first time. Unlike Ocho Cinco, I will not offer any excuses. And, as embarrassing as it is to fall below .500, I couldn't be happier with what is currently happening in the league.

There are many who are opposed to parity, preferring instead to watch a handful of dominant teams. I prefer what we currently have, because it means that you have to watch every game. You can't take any outcomes for granted. Even more importantly, it means that we can look forward to lots of meaningful end of season games as the playoff picture shakes itself out. Finally, we have been seeing incredibly exciting games. If NFL games were one minute shorter, I would have been right about 4 more of my picks. Sure, I'd love to have those wins, but I can't help being excited.

Over the past two years, we've been able to predict at least one of the Super Bowl teams without difficulty. That's not the case now. I have no idea who will win this week, never mind February. I have never been less confident in my picks, and that's the way it should be...........


Buffalo over San Diego: There is huge potential for the Chargers to win big in this one. I just want to get that out there. Either Buffalo is going to win a tight game or San Diego is going to roll, and I feel like both are equally likely. But, I'm basing my pick on two trends that have been pretty reliable so far this season. The first trend is that teams playing on opposite coasts have not looked good. In fact, I don't believe that a west coast team has won on the east coast yet this season. The second trend is that teams coming off a bye week have looked rejuvenated and extra-prepared.



SIDENOTE: I will remember last week's Sunday night game as the night the Charger Girls put themselves on the map. Dallas and Oakland obviously have great traditions, and recently my understanding has been that the Redskins cheerleaders were the league's best. However, the Charger girls really made a statement against New England. I'm not somebody who usually notices or spends time discussing the cheerleaders, but how could you not notice them last week? There were times when the camera was focused on a clear cleavage shot for 15 seconds straight (possibly because the game was a sleeper). I can't say enough in support of this production decision. I checked with Babcock before writing this to make sure I wasn't the only one and he said he definitely noticed too.



Chicago over Minnesota: The Vikings are not good. I've been saying it all season, and I don't think anybody can argue with me after last week. They had the Lions at home, and were it not for Dan Orlovsky accidentally taking a safety that game would have gone into OT. Their other two wins were the result of seemingly flukey defensive and special teams plays (although the win over Carolina was more legit than the win over New Orleans). In a way, they're sort of like a poor man's Chicago Bears.



Pittsburgh over Cincinnati: Thank god the Falcons/Bears game ended up being great last week because I nearly choked on my own vomit watching the Bengals and Jets (and the Jets throwback uniforms weren't helping). The downgrade from Carson Palmer to Ryan Fitzpatrick has rendered the Bengals unwatchable. On the flip side, the Steelers just had a week off to do some healing.




Tennessee over Kansas City: I don't think this Tennessee undefeated run is going to last much longer. In fact, earlier this week I was going to take Kansas City. They have been a tough out at home. But, the combination of the bad karma that is due to them after refusing to free Tony Gonzalez and the fact that they will be without Larry Johnson this weekend was enough to change my mind.



Dallas over St. Louis: It will take a lot more injuries and distractions than this to make Dallas as bad as the Rams.






Miami over Baltimore: The Dolphins are dangerous and I can't figure out why John Harbaugh would want to rile them up. I like the fish at home.



Giants over 49ers: I said two weeks ago that I was uncomfortable with the Giants being at the top of the power rankings. As upset as I was with Sunday night's loss, I feel much better about the rest of the season. The Giants weren't good enough for the kind of expectations that were being laid out for them by the media. That doesn't mean I don't think they're good enough to win the Super Bowl. They are. But, they're not just going to cruise through the regular season like the dominant Patriots and Colts teams of the past few seasons. There just aren't any teams like that out there this year. They will however, cruise past the Niners at the Meadowlands this weekend.



New Orleans over Carolina: I've been a little too high on both of these teams so far. I expect this to be high scoring, and I give the Saints the edge in a shootout.



Houston over Detroit: Kill me.



Raiders over Jets: I have a feeling that Favre throws at least two INTs here. I'm going with the opposite coast trend again.



Indy over Green Bay: Close one here. I really like this Packers team, but I can't get that ass-whooping the Colts put on the Ravens out of my head.



Washington over Cleveland: That Browns game on Monday night reminded me of the Bills Monday night home game against Dallas last season (except that obviously Dallas came back to beat the Bills). They were at home on prime time, which has not been the norm for the past few years. The fans were outstanding. There was just a feel throughout the entire game that this was going to be Cleveland's night. For that reason, I need to see how they do this weekend before I can know whether or not they have really turned things around.



Tampa Bay over Seattle: With Matt Hasselbeck out and this game being played in Tampa, there is absolutely no way the Seahawks win this game. It's a lock.



Denver over New England: I can't take the Patriots. How could I after last week?




College Pick of the Week:

Missouri (+6) over Texas: This is really more wishful thinking than anything. A win for the Tigers would totally shake up the college football world. And, it could definitely happen. The burnt orange played great last week, but that secondary is still very concerning. We know that Mizzou is lethal through the air. Texas is coming off a big win that for many associated with the program already makes this season a successful one. Missouri is coming off a frustrating loss and is looking to prove that they are still one of the nation's best teams. Put these factors together, and you've got the recipe for an upset in Austin.

Required purchase

Ladies and Gentlemen,

If you haven't already heard about it, I urge you to check out the Beerbelly product for your drinking and NFL needs. The product is described by the following caption:

"The Beerbelly comes with the sling, and the bladder. The sling is designed to fit up users up to 6'8" and up to a 40" waist. Made of neoprene, the sling insulates and feels like skin to the touch under your clothes. The bladder holds up to 80oz. of your beverage of choice and fits in a custom shaped pouch in the sling . When worn under your clothes you just look like a dude with a beerbelly. You can use the Beerbelly to hold either cold or hot beverages. The bladder has a wide mouth opening for adding ice for Margaritas, and to simplify cleaning.The Deluxe Kit comes with everything you need... The Beerbelly, The Pleasure Extender and Specially Formulated Beerbelly One Step No Rinse Cleanser."

I strongly endorse this product for obvious reasons. If you need to sneak in beer to football games and you're way too cheap to spend 7 dollars a beer, then this product is for you. If you need to drink during a long Friday meeting and get your weekend started early, then this product is for you.

You can purchase it here along with the Winerack for women and significant others.

Awesome.

Did you see the Dow?

For those of you who read the Wall Street Journal, you will enjoy their article on sports and the economy found here. My favorite part of the article is the following quote:

"We're not just competing for people's entertainment dollars anymore," said Brett Yormark, chief executive of the National Basketball Association's New Jersey Nets. "We're going up against milk and orange juice."

Now maybe this soundbite is an exaggeration, but I think it has some merit considering how the Dow hit 8,000 last week and nearly wiped out 2 trillion dollars in stockholder value. Here is what I would add to the WSJ article:

1) I've noticed that Redskins fans have taken out loans against the value of their homes to pay for season tickets. Now, with housing prices in decline and foreclosure rates on the rise, fans might struggle not only to make payments on their homes, but also to pay off additional expenditures linked to the declining value of their homes. But then again foreclosure rates are pretty low around the DC area and both Vegas and LA, two of the hardest hit areas in terms of foreclosures, do not have football teams. So maybe this downturn won't hit the NFL or Redskins in the short-term, assuming the markets and values of homes stabilize. But then again, it's going to be harder to obtain credit in the future so how will fans finance these purchases? Maybe it will get easier to get season tickets in the future...

2) Corporations now own a majority of Redskins season tickets. And I think it's safe to assume that they also own the majority of season tickets in other major cities. So with the credit crisis hitting Wall Street and soon to hit Main Street, how are business going to justify season tickets when their firms are laying people off or cutting back on marketing costs? I know the cost of tickets isn't a lot of money in the grand scheme of things, but it still seems like a bad thing to have around if you're laying off workers, at least symbolically. But then again, is the incremental amount of happiness clients get from attending sports events worth the investment for companies trying to win deals or contracts?

3) Entertainment usually thrives during economic downturns. Why? People need a distraction to make them feel good while their jobs or money are going down the toilet. It's same reason why Hollywood thrived during the Great Depression.

4) I've thought this for a long time, but you can't deny how expensive it is to attend professional sporting events. Frankly I don't understand how regular families of four, probably making close to the average household income of 40-50k per year, can afford to pay Dan Snyder $400 for tickets, $100 for food, and $50 for parking. And honestly, considering how badly Snyder has managed our team, who in their right mind would pay that much money to see the stinking Redskins?

5) The state of California's economy will almost certainly preclude the NFL from moving there in the next few years. That's not say it won't happen, but I think that the recent spate of foreclosures and rising unemployment will probably make the investment difficult to justify for a potential owner. For example, how will they pay for the new stadium when no one is lending on Wall Street? Or, how will they sell tickets when the price of everyone's home is underwater?

6) I'm worried about the NHL, despite their recent comments suggesting that the league is not in trouble due to the economic crisis. Aside from individual franchise ticket and advertising sales, the league does not have a major TV contract which bolsters the weaker teams in the league. And many leagues, like the NBA and NFL, rely on these types of contracts to keep less profitable teams like the Bills in business. So will the NHL be able to keep it's weaker teams afloat and continue paying lucrative contracts to their budding stars? I hope so. I plan on enjoying the Caps this year...

Adam Jones Suspended

I wrote about the Pacman Jones acquisition last spring, saying that there was no way this Cowboys team could make it through a season without imploding. But, I never thought it would happen this quickly. I should be bitter and upset today about the Giants first loss (and I am, don't get me wrong), but it's hard to be upset when the Cowboys are doing so much to help out. Sure, the last 24 hours have been rough. But, in the long run, isn't the combination of Tony Romo being out for a month, Adam Jones being suspended for at least 4 games, and Terrell Owens right on the brink of being a full-fledged distraction enough to counteract last night's loss? I almost feel like we came out ahead this weekend.

One last time...we have to....:

'Skins

- Everyone saw it coming, but not against the Rams who a. suck b. have a new coach c. were playing on the road. How many people lost money betting on the 'Skins this week?

- No one in the media is talking about Al Saunders as a reason why the Rams won yesterday. The Ram's offensive coordinator coached the Redskins for two years and obviously knows the Redskins as a team and organization (for example, he chose the players and learned about their strengths and weaknesses). And according to the Washington Post, Zorn has not changed the Redskins running game, so Saunders probably knew how to prepare the Rams for this particular team better than others. I'm just speculating here, but Saunders had to have been a factor this week.

- Either way, it's unexcusable to lose to the Rams, although the 'Skins always have a tendency to play down to the level of their oponents. Witness our losses to Oakland last year, Arizona the past three years, and the Texans in 2005. And then look at our wins over Dallas and Philly this season. Maybe the Redskins should hire an extra motivator / coach for the next two weeks when we play Cleveland and Detroit...

- Boswell, the WP, and others blame this loss on turnovers and how it was inevitable that after going five games without one, the Redskins would eventually have them and suffer as a result. This is true, but good teams still find a way to win and we almost did find a way to win, but since our punter can't even tie his shoes, we still lost the game. My sense is that Brooks is on the way out in Washington right now.

- Good news: we still have the Browns and Lions coming up...and then a bye. I think those teams have three wins between them. Bad news: the Browns just beat the best team in football, although Winslow may still be injured, and our stellar back-up running back is injured. Let's hope the Skins sign Alexander very quickly here.

- Every offensive lineman dreams about catching a pass or deflection and running it into the end-zone for a score. I actually did this in high school and I can safely say it was one of the best moments of my life, bar none. Our team ended up winning the game because of my score. But in the NFL, the stakes are obviously a lot higher. So what in the hell was Pete Kendall thinking when he tried to run the pass deflection he caught? It's not like he's ever had coaching on how to hold the ball while running. In fact, since he plays offensive line, he should recognize the limits of his athletic prowess and just fall to the skinking ground. Right? Am I onto something here?

- I can live with 4-2, but at least lose to the Browns or Lions and not the Rams.

This Is No Joke

Ronnie James Dio "Holy Diver". Holy Badass.

The Roomofzen Tries to Live Up to Its Name

I'm going to try to make it through this calmly (but considering that Babcock is a Patriots fan and Ted is a Redskins fan, you're eventually going to get a rant even if it doesn't come from me).


Tony Kornheiser is ten times more annoying than usual when your team is losing. Given what a crazy football weekend this was (my picks were horrible, but if NFL games were 59 minutes instead of 60, I would have done fine), what happened tonight was not a surprise. I stated last week that I have never been more confident in the Giants than I am right now. I still feel that way. The Browns needed this game badly, they had two weeks to prepare, and their stadium was rocking on a Monday night. And yet, despite that, the Giants could have won this game. If Old Man Willie McGinest hadn't prevented Eli Manning from stepping into his pass to Amani Toomer in the fourth quarter (the pass wasn't thrown hard enough, was intercepted, and returned for a TD by Eric Wright) I think they would have.

Because of what happened with the Patriots last season, we are all currently conditioned to expect the league's top teams to cruise through the regular season. But, there won't be any teams like the '07 Patriots in 2008. And, in the grand scheme of things, this was a best-case-scenario loss. They weren't overpowered, they just played like shit (3 INTs from Eli and Aaron Ross missing tackles, slipping, and cramping). I don't envision them playing that poorly again. On top of that, they are still in first place in the NFC and Tony Romo is out for a month............ok.......maybe now I can sleep.


One last thing I just have to throw out because of my bitterness.......There is no history between the Browns and Giants! That team they were talking about is the Ravens now! That team Bill Beichick coached to a Monday night win is the Ravens now! There is history between the Giants and the Ravens! And, since we play the Ravens this season, that might have been a better matchup since those two franchises that used to have epic battles also met in the Super Bowl in 2001! This wasn't the first Monday night win for the Browns since 1994; it was the first Monday night win for the Browns in their history. So, Browns fans, congratulations on the first prime time win for your shitty expansion franchise.*







*I'm sorry. I couldn't help it. Kornheiser drove me to it. I'll feel bad tomorrow.

Take 5: Enter The Guru

After another solid week of beating the spread in the NFL my record stands at 12-8 on the season...but this is no time to rest on my accolades. My buddies have taken to calling me 'the Guru' because I can now often be found in a zen-like state flipping through printouts of the latest lines at the Winner's Circle in Salisbury, MA enjoying a gingerale and watching 3 college football games simultaneously. Watching 8 straight hours of college football while enjoying chicken fingers and the company of my close friends and Keno addicts alike has become an important piece of my journey to sports enlightenment. Alas, such is the life of a Guru.

First the NFL:

***Upset Of The Week***

Baltimore + 5.5 @ Indy
I'm with LaRocque on this one...I thought Indy was due last week but it took some of the worst Quarterbacking in the history of the NFL for them to cover. Baltimore's defense is NASTY and I'm officially jumping on the "Joe Flacco is a decent Quarterback" bandwagon. Booyah.

Carolina + 2 @ Tampa Bay
I don't know why I sweat the Panthers so much. Is it because Steve Smith, Johnathan Stewart, and Muhsin Mohammed all start on my fantasy team? Yes, yes it is.

Miami + 3 @ Houston
No one wants to play Miami right now, they're riding the biggest wave of momentum the franchise has seen since the 1980s. Williams and Brown will be too much for the Texans to handle. Sage Rosenfels. Ridiculous.

Green Bay +2 @ Seattle.
Yes the lines have been changing all over the place and perhaps suggest that something is afoot with this matchup... but I am going with my gut here. My gut says "Seattle SUCKS man", with a Midwestern accent.

NY Giants -8 @ Cleveland
The Giants are the best team in football right now. There, I said it. Honesty is one of the guiding principles of the Guru.



Take a second to notice the picture of Greg Lloyd which we proudly display on our site, then watch these:





Bad Ass.

Now the Guru's College Teasers...

Rather than do the combo's for you I'm going to give you the top 15 college teases and you can mix and match as you wish...spreads listed include the 9 point tease...

1)Northwestern + 10.5 vs Michigan St.

2)Texas +15 @ Oklahoma

3)Kentucky + 11.5 vs South Carolina

4)W. Michigan +10 @ Buffalo

5)Oklahoma St. +23 @ Missouri

6)Georgia -3 vs Tennessee

7)Arizona St. + 37 @ USC

8)Arkansas + 27 @ Auburn

9)Northern Illinois -2 vs Miami (OH)

10)Nebraska + 29 @ Texas Tech

11)Colorado +23 @ Kansas

12)Wisconsin +15 vs Penn. St.

13)LSU + 15 @ Florida

14)Hawaii +1.5 vs Louisianna Tech

15)Notre Dame + 17 @ UNC

Rock and Roll.

I can't wait to see this movie.

Foil in the Oven: Week 6 Picks

The Michael Beasley watch is officially on. If you read this blog over the summer, you know that I thought the Bulls were crazy to pass on Beasley, and I also thought that all the knocks on him were totally overblown as a result of the media's Derrick Rose lovefest. Beasley looked solid last night, accumulating 21 and 7 in 28 minutes of action. The guy is going to be a superstar in this league for a long time. If not for the threat of Greg Oden, I'd already be proclaiming him rookie of the year. We'll be tracking Beasley's progress all season long just to show how powerful the sports media has become. They can convince you to make decisions that go against all logic. I just don't understand how you could see Michael Beasley and Derrick Rose play in college and not think Beasley the better NBA prospect.

Quick Celtics thoughts: Patrick O'Bryant looked great on Wednesday night, and I feel good about having him come off the bench for the nights when Perk picks up 2 fouls in the first two minutes. People have been talking about Bill Walker (and his dunks were sick) but O'Bryant was the most significant performer in my mind. I'm also really happy that we still have Tony Allen. I can't stress enough how valuable I think he is to the Cs as a shutdown defender and a penetrator.

Yes, preseason basketball is exciting, and it reminds me what a great stretch of the year we are entering. But I won't talk any more about it now. A lot of dreams will be crushed this week in the NFL, as we take our next step into weeding out the pretenders.

I was 8-6 last week. Not a great showing, although I was looking pretty money after the one o'clock games. The late ones did me in. Let's shoot for better........



Baltimore over Indy: The Colts officially suck. I've given them the benefit of the doubt over the past few weeks. I chalked their poor performances up to the injuries to Peyton Manning and Jeff Saturday. It made sense. I figured things would fall in to place eventually. They had to. These are the Colts. The Colts, Chargers, and Patriots are always good. Well, obviously this year is different. I have serious doubts about Indy after seeing that fluke win last week. Eventually, their offense may start clicking, but I doubt that it will happen against the Ravens. Look for McClain and McGahee to have big days against this soft Indy run defense.


Minnesota over Detroit: It's very clear now that none of us were giving the Lions enough disrespect in the offseason. It's time that we start giving them the lack of respect that they deserve. They are one of the league's most irrelevant teams, and they are hands down the worst team in the league's second worst division.


New Orleans over Oakland: Al Davis' press conference after Lane Kiffin's firing was so hard to watch. I know this man's place in NFL history, and I hate that my only memory of him will be as a senile old relic who refused to acknowledge that the game had passed him by. Lane Kiffin didn't con anybody. There was nothing in his past to indicate that he was ready to be a head coach in the NFL. In fact, I think he did great considering the circumstances. There was no coach that could have made the '07 Raiders successful. Furthermore, I'm a firm believer that it is ALWAYS a bad move in the NFL to change coaches mid-season. The Raiders are building around a young group of players with tons of potential. What they need more than anything else is stability this season while they gain experience. This move will most likely hurt them. And, what has been accomplished? The BEST case scenario is that Cable keeps Kiffin's systems in place and doesn't make any changes. I have no problem with the firing of Kiffin, but it should have come after the season.


Jets over Cincinnati: You know how I feel about the Bengals.


Chicago over Atlanta: I've been impressed with Matt Ryan, and obviously Michael Turner was a great acquisition. Last week was a huge win at Green Bay. Atlanta is headed in the right direction. But, the Bears are playing too well.


Carolina over Tampa Bay: These NFC South games are always tough to call. But, I don't think there's any question that the Panthers are the class of the division.


Washington over St. Louis: What's scary is that Washington has already finished their road division schedule. Things will only get easier for them.


Miami over Houston: Hey, why not. Good for Miami. They've made headlines for discovering that Ronnie Brown is a more effective quarterback than Chad Pennington (not all that surprising), but their defense has really been the key to the last two impressive wins. I think they'll make it tough on the Texans this weekend.


Denver over Jacksonville: The Broncos are a lock at home.


Philadelphia over San Francisco: I hate to do this, but make note that I am picking against the Niners for the first time in week 6. Hopefully our many readers who watched the Patriots last week have a better understanding now of why I thought there was so much potential in this San Francisco team. I still think they have a shot to win the NFC West. However, I can't put my faith in JT O'Sullivan against the pressure of Jim Johnson's defense.


Green Bay over Seattle: There is something very strange happening with this game. The line is different everywhere. ESPN has the Packers favored by 4. Sportsbook.com has the Seahawks by 1.5. Depending on where you look, it varies from the Seahawks giving 2 to Green Bay giving 6. So, if you're planning on wagering this weekend (and by no means am I encouraging you to do so), you should explore your options. I understand the confusion, but I'm surprised that the handicappers are not presenting a more unified front. I understand the argument for Seattle. They need this game after getting blown out last weekend, and they are tough at home. But, I still believe in this Packers team. My initial reaction was to take the Pack, so I'm sticking with it.

.............on second thought, you may want to stay away from that one. Too many unknowns. And, if the handicappers can't agree on it, what makes you think that you know what's going to happen?


Dallas over Arizona: If Anquan Boldin was playing, I'd be screaming upset in Arizona. However, without him, the 'Boys are too strong.

......Now, on to more important business. Can't you just feel the Cowboys starting to crumble? TO has downplayed whatever drama was happening last week, but we know better. Where there's smoke, there's fire. That's the way it is with TO. Adam Jones is already in trouble again, despite having men on a constant rotation who are being paid to keep him out of trouble. Wade Phillips and Jerry Jones feel that no action is warranted on the part of the team. As a Giants fan, this could not be going better. I'm not trying to make too much of this, but it's just that we've seen the way these things usually play out in Big D....





San Diego over New England: This is a tough one to pick. The Patriots have dominated recent matchups, but this isn't that same Patriots team. But, the Chargers are banged up. Chris Chambers is out. Antonio Gates is banged up. LaDainian "you don't do another man's dance" Tomlinson (why don't people call him that instead of LT?) is banged up. Merriman is out. So, I think things are pretty even. Basically for me, it comes down to the fact that the Chargers need this game more. A few months ago, I was already circling this on the calendar as one of the best night games of the season. Now, I'm just glad the NLCS will be on so I can watch that instead.



Giants over Cleveland: I've stated several times that I did not want the Giants to draft Eli Manning (and they didn't, but you know what I mean). I wanted them to take Sean Taylor. But, as soon as the trade was made to get Eli, I was on board. What choice did I have? I have stuck by him all along, and I couldn't be happier to finally see him playing with such consistency. I'm not ready to go overboard and start proclaiming him the superior Manning brother, but I think it's safe to say that he's arrived. He has had great starts to seasons before (In week 5 of 2006, he was an ESPN early season MVP candidate after a white hot start. Four weeks later, ESPN said that the trade the Giants made may have been the worst in NFL history), but there has always been the fear of inconsistency. I don't have that fear anymore. I have more confidence in this team than I have had in a long time. I'm not talking perfect season or even perfect division record. Hell, they may even lose this game. But, in the past I would worry about a loss causing the team to totally spiral out of control. That's not the case anymore.





College Pick Of The Week:

Texas (+6) over Oklahoma: I've always preferred the name "Red River Shootout" to "Red River Rivalry". Shootout sounds much more badass, and it is much more appropriate for this game, which features two of the nation's most prolific quarterbacks. I think Colt McCoy is the better of the two, and I think that the Longhorns shake up college football even more this weekend. I've been a supporter of the BCS all along, because I think it has given us the right champion in just about every year. But, if things continue as they did last season and this season, changes are going to have to be made. There's too many good teams for us to continue putting our faith in the current system.