The Seasons Have Changed

The season, my favorite season, is here. It's not spring, summer, winter or even fall. It's football.

The massive amounts of time spent delving into stats for fantasy football will pile up in a corner near the perused football mags and mock draft sheets. How much does 400 hours weigh? The midsection will grow as outside weekend activities turn to indoor viewings and screaming at people through the picture tube. Everywhere I turn smells like fresh cut grass and even though hot, I can sense the change in the air is transitioning.


I watched the NFL opener last night. Disappointing at best. The Giants looked ok. The defense was on pace with what should be a good year and Turk looked mean and aggressive, exactly what you want in a Defensive Lineman. Eli did his best two step into the end zone and only had eyes for Burress who had over 125 yards and 10 catches. Looked like if you stopped Burress you could win the game but the Redskins new coach looked startled and nervous. During the last four minutes of the game, and down by 9, he ran three run plays up the middle. I'm no NFL coach but how about a hurry up and some sideline passes? It was ugly to watch, took way to long to call and run a play and for Jason Campbell to be the second coming of Doug Williams? I hope Doug is upset at that comparison made by several analysts this summer.


I look forward to the Steelers/Texans match up this weekend, as I follow both teams but my alliances remain true as a Steeler fan. As for the forecasted success of the Patriots, Colts and Jags: the jury is still out.


Have some nachos, pizza and a brew this weekend and celebrate the changing of the seasons, from baseball to football.

2008 NFL AFC North Predicitions

Before we star the 2008 season and get the show on the road, I thought it important to call my shot now. No, I am not predicting the Super Bowl winner. I have developed a mathematical formula that helps me calculate projected winners and losers and running by statistical data, it runs about 92% effective. In saying that, I will disclose the categories which factor in but not how they are valued and figured. Those categories are Points For, Points Against Total Offense, Total Defense and Number of TDs scored. I take a three year sample to provide historic data and then analyze significant changes to lineups, coaching and make the predictions with a hybrid analytical/mathematical formula. So for the results (by the way, lowest score wins):

1. Pittsburgh Steelers (3.4 pts)

With an air attack from Big Ben to Ward, Holmes and Limas Sweed, TDs will flow. If Mendenhall can learn to hang on to the ball in traffic, he can be the next thunder to Wille Parker's lightning.

2. Cleveland Browns (14.7 pts)

The AFC North has begun an "Air Up There" attitude and Cleveland is no exception. Anderson launches the football and someone seems to always come down with it. With a 58% improvement from 06 to 07, I look for more of the same. Probably a Wild Card birth here.

3. Baltimore Ravens (21.7 pts)

Defense is going to have to be the staple for this team once again. A solid running game will keep scores close and look for a big year from the kicking game. Not a lot of TDs for McGahee but lots of touches. Keep an eye on Ed Reed and Ray Lewis. If the injury bug shows up, this team could fall fast.

4. Cincinatti Bengals (28.33)

Carson hates Chad. Chad hates Carson. Not to mention the fact that the offense, which is the ONLY thing going for this team is banged up like a bunch of freshman after pledge week. The defense is a swinging gate, welcoming all to pass through. Over under on the wins for Cinci? Look for 6.

We will see how this all pans out this year and I might do an analysis for an NFC division. Say NFC North later this week.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Move Out!

Since 1998 something has been askew in the National League and more exactly the NL Central.

When the Brewers moved into the NL Central, the scaled alignment of all things fair took a violent shift to just left of What-The-Hellsville.


The addition of the Brewers brought the total number of teams in the NL Central to six. Yet somehow the American League West has four teams. Hmmm.... Not quite balanced there Mr. Selig.


So today, I decided to try to solve the problem. It's too much to ask to realign the NL/AL team arrangements again so I went looking for a different solution. The answer is Pittsburgh.


The Pirates are an eastern team. I wanted to see visual evidence of alignment so I made a crude map to show how the current alignment looks.







As you can see by the map, the Pirates are a natural fit to the East. The NL East can support the six team race just as easily, if not more so, than the NL Central. The Central is made up of small market teams. Because of the location and success of other sports, Pittsburgh is not exactly small potatoes.


Mr. Selig, I beg of you, please move the Pirates.

The Retirement of a Role Model

My son is an avid baseball fan. He has, in his brief 3 1/2 years on earth seen more Houston Astros baseball in person than I saw in my first 28 years. He never knew the Astrodome in all its glory and missed out on the rainbow uniforms of old but there is one thing I am glad he didn't miss out on: Craig Biggio.

From the time he could speak, he would shake his fist and chant "B-G-O". If we went to a game, he wanted to take his lucky bracelet and chant "B-G-O." If he saw the Astros on TV, he would chant "B-G-O."

This last year has been a trying one for him, as Craig Biggio retired last year. Replacing a role model like that is hard. Biggio's involvement with Sunshine Kids and numerous charities as well as his family values and work ethic just can't be filled overnight. We have looked. Hunter Pence, while young, plays hard and honest much like Biggio. And then the obvious is Lance Berkman because Big Puma is just fun to say. But neither quite live up to Biggio.

Sunday we went to the retirement ceremony of Biggio's #7, (right next to Bagwell's #5 in Minute Maid Park).

He got to chant one last time "B-G-O." He was excited, as was I, but I was a little sad for my little sports fan. His role model and favorite player said goodbye for the final time. Biggio's oldest son shared something that added even more to the atmosphere. He said ," Of all the numbers that have been retired, there have only been two #7s. Mickey Mantle and now my dad."

It was a time I will remember forever and hope he does too.