The Downfall of Boston

Kendrick Perkins scores last night against the
Toronto Raptors.
(Photo by Layne Bryant/Getty Images)

Did anyone see this coming? The Boston Celtics have taken a dramatic dive from their comfy perch atop the Eastern Conference. Seen as the best team in the East before the All-Star Break, the Celtics have not been the Celtics we are used to seeing as of late, losing ground to the Chicago Bulls in the conference. One reason, perhaps, could be the trade of star center Kendrick Perkins to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Since the trade on February 24 that brought in Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic to Boston, the Celtics have gone 8-5. Sure, it isn't the worst record, but it isn't exactly Celtic-like. It feels like something is missing in Boston now that Perkins is gone.

The team and the fans waited so long for Perkins to come back. When he did finally enter his first game of the season, the fans gave him a standing ovation and a warm welcome. He was playing well and Boston was complete again, but not for long.

It seemed like such an inopportune time to trade a player like that. Shaquille O'Neal and Jermaine O'Neal were hurt (and still are). They later traded away Semih Erden, another vital big man, to the Cleveland Cavaliers along with Luke Harangody. Now the Celts will be relying on Krstic and newly-signed Troy Murphy to carry the load in the post for the rest of the season with both O'Neals on the mend. Personally, I'd rather have Perkins. I think this void in the front court gives the Bulls the upper hand in the East which could spell "trouble" for the Celtics heading into the playoffs.

p.s. For more from me, follow me on Twitter @Bradley_W_Parks.

Episode 3

p.s. Congratulations to the Cavs for their win over the Clips. Maybe this episode was a good omen for them.

p.p.s. For more from me, follow me on Twitter @Bradley_W_Parks.

Episode 2

This week's topic: the Super Bowl...obviously.

p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter @Bradley_W_Parks.

Episode 1

The first episode! Topics: NBA All-Stars, NFL Pro Bowl, and Albert Pujols.

Music Pick of the Week: "It's Okay" by Cee Lo Green

I'm looking for show guests! If you have an opinion and want to be on my show, contact me!

p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter @Bradley_W_Parks.

Photo

NFL Playoffs, Conference Championships

Big Ben is seeking his third ring.
(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl? CAN'T WAIT!


Bart Scott has been the butt of all NFL jokes this week even by his own team. His dramatic monologue in his post-game interview after defeating the Patriots left me scratching my head. The win was a big one, yes, but I'm not sure the second round of the playoffs is the best time for a defiant post-game rant. There are still two games to go until the Jets can officially silence the "haters," in my opinion. I think the saying goes: "If you haven't done it then you never did it." The Jets haven't won anything yet.

All jokes aside, there is still a part of me that still does not have confidence in the New York Jets to make it to the Super Bowl. I think I may still be in awe at the fact that the Patriots are no longer in the playoffs. But the Steelers are a team that I think want to take it to the Jets after being shocked by New York on Monday Night Football a few weeks ago. They lost on essentially one play: a 97-yard kick return by Brad Smith to start the game. Of course, there is no telling how the rest of the game would have played out had Smith not returned that kick, but with the Steelers dominating three major offensive statistics (total yards, first downs, and yards per rush) it is acceptable to say that they probably would have won that game.

If Rex Ryan were the Steelers' head coach, this one would be "personal." The Steelers are playing not only for a trip to the Super Bowl, but for revenge. No matter how straight-laced their demeanor, there is a tiny part of every Steeler that wants to avenge that previous loss. I think they will be able to get it done today. Pittsburgh has the best defense in the league, in my opinion, and they have an offense that will be able to score to keep ahead of the Jets for the whole game. We'll be seeing the Steelers in Dallas.

Steelers 31 - Jets 21

Rodgers should be doing this a lot today.
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Cheese Soup(er Bowl)


With one of my Super Bowl picks (the Colts) being knocked out in the very first round, I am down to one. That one is and has been my pick for champion for all of this season. The Green Bay Packers have given me quite a few scares this year with quarterback Aaron Rodgers going down twice with concussions and losing key defenders early in the season including linebacker Nick Barnett.

However, these cheesers have made it to the NFC Championship game to face off against their long-time rival in the Chicago Bears. I think this will be the most compelling of the two games played today due to both teams playing their best football. The Steelers have been better, the Jets have been better, but the Packers and the Bears have not played nearly as well as they are playing right now. Jay Cutler was probably one of the biggest questions coming into this season. Would we see the Cutler of old throwing touchdowns and making big plays or would we see the Cutler of last season throwing countless interceptions? This season and especially as of late we have seen the former. The Packers offense with Rodgers is awesome to watch. Both defenses are stellar with the two top contenders for Defensive Player of the Year in Clay Matthews (GB) and Julius Peppers (CHI). And, of course, there is the electrifying Chicago return man in Devin Hester. All of the weapons will be out for this one.

I try not to be a jinx, but there is no quarterback nor player playing as well as Aaron Rodgers right now, in my opinion. He is firing on all cylinders right now. I think he is the difference in this game. Cutler is playing well, both defenses are amazing, both running games get the job done, but Aaron Rodgers will be the difference. If he plays like he has throughout the playoffs, the Packers are golden. If he struggles, so will the rest of the team. I have confidence that Rodgers will lead Green Bay to the promise land.

Packers 34 - Bears 28


p.s. My playoff record sits at 5-3.

p.p.s. Since nobody cares about the Pro Bowl, I will try to have some NBA coverage next week.

p.p.p.s. Be sure to keep up with my fashion blog Fashion In the Paint.


p.p.p.p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter @Bradley_W_Parks.

NFL Playoffs, Day Four

Julius Peppers needs to manhandle the Seahawks line to
win this week. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Bears claw into NFC Championship game


The Seattle Seahawks aren't exactly a feel-good story because quite honestly I don't think there were many people excited when they saw a 7-9 team hosting a playoff game. The Saints were the feel-good story last year and they were riding that into the playoffs this year. Most probably wrote off the Seahawks coming into last week and not many were rooting for them. It was a feel-good story in the Saints against a team nobody thought deserved to make the playoffs. However, the Seahawks showed up to play and didn't get knocked flat as many expected them to. They knocked off the defending Super Bowl champions and now they are one win away from hosting the NFC Championship.

This week the underdog Seahawks head to Chicago to take on Jay Cutler and the Bears. Like last week, I have a lot of trouble making the "easy" pick in Chicago. I said in one of last week's posts that "some little part of me says that Seattle will sneak up and surprise everybody by winning this game," and yet I stuck to my guns with the Saints. This week I could pick the Seahawks, they could win, and I could look like I know a bit what I'm talking about. Or if they lose I look like I got caught up in the hype like a lot of other people who are picking Seattle this week.

It seems as if I am in a bit of a pickle. However, I feel confident going with the Bears in this one. Julius Peppers is no doubt one of the best defenders in the game; he is a game-changer. Putting him in with Brian Urlacher and the rest of that Bears defense adds fuel to the fire. Their defense is hard-nosed and I feel they will have their way with the Seahawks as long as they get to Matt Hasselbeck. All Cutler has to do in this game is lead the offense to a couple scores and then manage the game the rest of the way. It seems clear to me that Cutler is going to want to make some big plays in this one to throw it in the face of his "haters," but that is exactly what will get him into trouble. He needs to let the plays come naturally and not try to force a big play. If he does that, the Bears are golden.

Bears 30 - Seahawks 17


*Game is on FOX at 1 PM EST

We'll be seeing a lot of this today from Tom Brady.
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Pats take out the trash


Did you know that the Jets and Patriots are actually going to play football this week? That's right. They are playing football today. This football game has been lost amongst the trash talk thrown into the pot by various Jets and Patriots players. As much as I love a good rivalry, this is just ridiculous. Rivals don't like each other, that's a given. But what real rivals do is respect the other side and let their play do the talking. The Steelers and Ravens always crank out a good game like yesterday's because they allow the battle to speak for itself. It got chippy on the field with some pushing and jawing, especially between Hines Ward and Ed Reed. They played a great game yesterday and the Steelers came out on top because they were the better team.

I want to see that happen today with the Pats and Jets. I want to see two great football teams play great football. This shows the difference, however, in the two rivalries. The Steelers and Ravens hash it out on the field; they push and they shove and they jaw. The Pats and Jets talk trash from afar, afraid to settle it on the field.

With all of the verbal pollution clouding up the air around the game, I don't see this being a very interesting contest. I see the Jets getting bowled over in this game because they don't live up to their attitude. They talk smack and carry around the Hard Knocks reputation, but all in all the Jets have not had the best season. They have skated by with a low margin of victory (around four points per game) and just don't play up to the hype. Did I mention that the Patriots also have this guy named Tom Brady? He's an alright quarterback. I see him having his way today with the Jets' defense much like he did in their last matchup in which the Patriots won 45-3. With all of the "excitement" leading up to this one, we'll be watching a dud blowout today.

Patriots 52 - Jets 14


*Game is on CBS at 4:30 PM EST


p.s. Yes, I said 52 points.

p.p.s. With two wins yesterday, my playoff record sits at 4-2.

p.p.p.s. Today I'll be working on my new fashion blog. My first post will be up by Tuesday. fashioninthepaint.wordpress.com

p.p.p.p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter @Bradley_W_Parks.

NFL Playoffs, Day Three

Big Ben Roethlisberger continues to own the Ravens.
(Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images)

STEEL the better team


Much like I said they would, the Ravens controlled last Sunday's game against Kansas City by playing strong defense as they do and also scoring on the offensive end. The defense forced five turnovers with three interceptions and two fumble recoveries. The Ravens simply did what they needed to do on offense with a couple of touchdown passes from Joe Flacco and a 25-yard capper of a run by Willis McGahee late in the fourth quarter to finish the game. Billy Cundiff also added three field goals in the effort.

It wasn't exactly a Patriots-esque domination, but rather just a simple domination. The Ravens didn't go off for seven touchdowns and look seemingly unstoppable every time they got their hands on the ball, but they did score and score efficiently to go along with that great defense.

However, this week poses an entirely different challenge for the Ravens. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger currently holds a six-game winning streak over the Ravens dating back to November 5, 2007. (The Steelers have lost all contests with Baltimore with Charlie Batch and Dennis Dixon at the helm since that date.) So it seems as if Big Ben is the difference in these rivalry games, at least as of late. The Ravens always have their hands full when Roethlisberger is on the field. Even though Roethlisberger is banged up, he said in an interview earlier this week that he isn't making any excuses. Pittsburgh also still has that famous defense playing on full tilt this year allowing only 62.8 yards per game on the ground (1st in the league). Plus, when Troy Polamalu is in the game, the Steelers defensive strength grows exponentially (he is listed as probable for today's game). With all of this taken into account, I think the Steelers are just too much for the Ravens to handle. The defense is going to force Flacco to throw and Pittsburgh controls the ball on offense extremely well. I think through tough defense and bruising offense the Pittsburgh Steelers will slowly but surely finish Baltimore today.

Steelers 21 - Ravens 10


*Game is on CBS at 4:30 PM EST

Aaron Rodgers will help the Packers run past the Falcons.
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The table is being TURNERed


How great have the Packers looked in the past three weeks? Aaron Rodgers has led the team to three wins over three of the NFC's best teams in the Giants and Bears to get into the playoffs and then the Eagles to move on to the next round. Now Rodgers faces the number one seed in the NFC, the Atlanta Falcons.

In their last matchup both teams were neck-and-neck for the length of the game, but the Falcons pulled out a win with a Matt Bryant field goal with nine seconds remaining on the clock. Rodgers was relied on to do it all as he led the Packers in passing and rushing with a touchdown in each. However, now the Pack have a new-found running attack as shown last week against the Eagles. Rookie out of Buffalo James Starks piled on 123 yards on the ground to help the Packers to a 21-16 victory over the Eagles.

If the Packers defense can keep down arguably the most explosive player in the league in Michael Vick, all signs point to them being able to keep the Falcons' offense under wraps today. But let us not forget the great season the Falcons have had. Perhaps the quietest number one seed in NFL history, the Falcons have flown under the radar to gather their 13 wins. Quarterback Matt Ryan has thrown for 3705 yards and 28 touchdowns, Michael Turner 1371 yards with 12 touchdowns, and wide-receiver Roddy White has 1389 yards receiving and ten touchdowns. The Falcons are the best team that nobody has heard of, whereas, the Packers were on a lot of people's radars (including mine) to win the Super Bowl this year. But the Packers had to claw into the playoffs after missing Aaron Rodgers for a couple games after his second concussion of the season. Now with Rodgers back in the lineup and a revamped rushing attack, I think Green Bay has the winning formula to get where a lot of people saw them going at the beginning of the season. So despite the Falcons' terrific season and top ranking, I see the Packers turning the tables on them to move on to the NFC Championship game.

Packers 27 - Falcons 21


*Game is on FOX at 8 PM EST


p.s. My playoff record sits at 2-2.

p.p.s. For the fashionistas reading, I am starting another blog (a fashion blog!) for Ohio University's Thread Magazine. My first post will be up in the coming week.

p.p.p.s. Big win for my Phoenix Suns last night. Let's keep it up, gentlemen.

p.p.p.p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter @Bradley_W_Parks.

NFL Playoffs, Day Two

Ray Lewis and the Ravens D will show up big.
(AP Photo/Rob Carr)

Chiefs big winners? "Nevermore," quoth the Ravens


The Kansas City Chiefs have been one of the big surprises of the season. After finishing last season at 4-12, the Chiefs were not the most threatening team coming into this season. They definitely weren't thought to be a team that could take down the Chargers and Broncos in a difficult AFC West. However, despite the low expectations, the Chiefs managed to finish with a record of 10-6, enough to earn them a division title and a home game in the playoffs. Led by a quarterback-receiver tandem of Matt Cassel and Dwayne Bowe and a two-headed monster in the backfield of quick scat-back Jamaal Charles and bruiser Thomas Jones, the Chiefs and head coach Todd Haley have crafted an extremely dangerous team.

The Baltimore Ravens, on the other hand, have not been surprising, but rather they have been exactly what we expect the Ravens to be. This season they posted a terrific 12-4 record to finish even with the Steelers, but lost the division by a one-game tie-breaker. However, Baltimore is still a high-caliber team with that famous defense and consistent offense. They are not flashy in how they win, they just win. They don't allow a lot of points on defense and score enough to win on offense. Simple enough. They don't blow teams out, but you can tell when the Ravens are dominating a game. They do everything necessary to win.

In today's game, we will be seeing the NFL's best rushing offense in the Chiefs (1st in rushing yards) against one of the NFL's best rushing defenses in the Ravens (5th in rushing yards allowed). All signs are pointing to this game being a grinder, one that will be low-scoring with both teams fighting tooth-and-nail to get to the endzone. It will be an interesting one to watch, but ultimately I think the Ravens will play that classic Ravens football to squeak out a win. They won't blow the Chiefs out of the water by dropping 40+ points on them unless they have to. I see the Ravens getting a nice seven- or ten-point lead and playing running the clock and playing for field position.

Ravens 20 - Chiefs 14

Aaron Rodgers is running into the next round.
(AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Packers win, RODGERs that


The Green Bay Packers, as I reminded everyone yesterday, have been my Super Bowl champs from day one of the NFL season. I think that this team has everything it takes to be a Super Bowl team. Aaron Rodgers will be in the same class with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning as soon as he gets that ring. Donald Driver is a fighter and Greg Jennings is electric at the receiver position. The Packers' defense is a force to be reckoned with. Clay Matthews could be the best linebacker in the league and Charles Woodson is an ageless wonder. All they have missed this year is a solid running attack with Ryan Grant out for most of the season. Overall, though, this team is the most rock solid team all the way through in the NFC.

Michael Vick is an incredible story. There is no doubt in my mind that he will be Comeback Player of the Year in the NFL this season. But with a banged up Vick, where does that leave the Eagles? It leaves them searching for options. Backup quarterback Kevin Kolb can definitely play, but he changes the entire Eagles team. Vick's identity as a dual threat keeps defenses on edge, so that Philadelphia can do basically whatever they want on offense and they will be able to succeed nine out of ten times. However, with Kolb in the game, the mobility threat is taken away, so that allows defenses to stick with a gameplan. Vick cannot be contained by a gameplan because he is a game-changer, but when he is injured he begins to lose that identity. He cannot take as many risks with his legs and his tackle-breaking ability to avoid getting hurt worse.

I think that is what makes the difference in today's game. Vick will play, no doubt, but he has been knocked around quite a bit in the past few weeks. In the game against the Vikings he was clearly hurting in the final quarter of that game. A solid week of rest in Week 17 could have been what he needed to be back up to speed this week. However, I still think that with the Packers being so solid and Vick's health being slightly in question, the safest bet is to take Green Bay. Their defense is great and Rodgers is absolutely incredible. As long as Rodgers puts the ball where it needs to be, I think the Packers will win this one and send the Eagles home early.

Packers 31 - Eagles 21


p.s. Props to the Seahawks and the Jets yesterday for starting me off with an 0-2 playoff record. Terrific.

p.p.s. Sorry for no NBA post yesterday. I had more homework than I thought.

p.p.p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter @Bradley_W_Parks.

NFL Playoffs, Day One

SEEhawk you in the next round, Saints

The Saints will have to deal
with a hostile environment.
(Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

I really don't think anyone will be surprised by me, or anyone else for that matter, picking the Saints to win this game. The defending champs did not have the year everybody thought they would, but still finished with an 11-5 record. Quarterback Drew Brees had another incredible season for New Orleans piling up 4620 yards and 33 touchdowns. The running game was where the Saints really had to scrounge this season with Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas both getting injured early in the season. They relied heavily on rookie back out of Tiffin University, Chris Ivory, who actually managed to accumulate 716 yards and five touchdowns on the ground on just 137 attempts.

The Seahawks, on the other hand, have stumbled into the playoffs by default. I would say that they didn't win the most, but rather lost the least out of teams in the NFC West. However, despite their 7-9 record, the Seattle Seahawks are the NFC West champions and are now hosting the Saints in first week of the playoffs. Quarterback questions have plagued Seattle this season, mostly as of late, as they have had to switch between Matt Hasselbeck and Charlie Whitehurst. Whitehurst was the man to bring home the divisional banner last week against the Rams on NBC's Sunday Night Football with Hasselbeck out due to injuries. However, this week the Seahawks have decided to go with the slightly ailing Hasselbeck over Whitehurst to take on the Saints.

Dan Patrick said on his radio show this week that Seattle will either win this in a close game or get blown out and I must agree with him. Some little part of me says maybe Seattle will sneak up and surprise everybody by winning this game, but I am still going to choose the Saints. The Seahawks showed some small sparks this season and they are playing with the "12th Man" at Qwest Field, but I just don't think that is enough to take down such a dangerous Saints team. As much as I want to go with the demon on my shoulder saying "pick the Seahawks" I cannot give in to that temptation. The Saints are just too good and the Seahawks are just too bad. I'll stick with the defending champions in this one.

Saints 42 - Seahawks 17


*Game at 4:30 P.M. EST on NBC


Peyton still the MANning

Colts fans don't want to see interceptions.
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

The Colts haven't exactly been the Colts of old this season. After 12 games it seemed that Indianapolis may have been missing out on the playoffs for the 2010-2011 season with a record of 6-6. But with the help of four straight wins by them and three straight losses by Jacksonville, the Colts wound up with yet another AFC South title. Quarterback Peyton Manning had back-to-back four-interception games during the 6-6 stretch, but was able to turn it around by only throwing two in the final four games of the season. The Colts' defense has been what we have come to expect them to be, in the middle of the pack in passing defense (13th in passing yards allowed) and very poor at stopping the run (25th in rushing yards allowed). The Colts have next to no rushing game as they are 29th in the league in rushing yards per game. Basically, the Colts live and die by how Peyton Manning plays as he has averaged 2.3 interceptions in their losses compared to just 0.3 in their wins.

On the other sideline, the Jets have not exactly lived up to their expectations put on them by the media but also by themselves. I discussed how their record is deceiving this season in my Week Fourteen post. I mentioned at the end that they needed to be careful in the final stretch of the season in which they had a big win against the Steelers, but almost missed out on the playoffs with losses to Miami and Chicago. The truth is, the Jets aren't the Jets that everyone wants them to be. Quarterback Mark Sanchez has not played well, only throwing for 3291 yards and 17 touchdowns with 13 interceptions and is still nursing a shoulder injury. The Jets have snuck by this season with a strong two-headed rushing attack in Shonn Greene and LaDanian Tomlinson and also their stellar defense (6th in passing yards allowed, 3rd in rushing yards allowed).

In this game, it is somewhat difficult to choose a winner. Both teams have been streaky this season. In the final five games, the Colts finished 4-1 while the Jets finished 2-3. In the middle of the season it looked as if the Jets were locked into the playoffs and the Colts were on the outside looking in. However, now with those final five-game records it seems that the tables have turned. The Colts are the ones riding the hot streak while the Jets are beginning to dip. I think that as long as Peyton Manning plays like Peyton Manning today, the Colts win this one. I do not think, however, that the Jets will go away quietly. This will be a close game, but in the end it is too difficult to go against Manning.

Colts 24 - Jets 20


*Game at 8:00 P.M. EST on NBC


p.s. Last week my record was 12-4 which left my regular season record at 130-86 (.602 winning percentage). Not bad. But much like in the NFL, my record is now 0-0. A new season begins today.

p.p.s. Tomorrow I will preview the Ravens-Chiefs and Packers-Eagles games.

p.p.p.s. I will remind you of my Super Bowl prediction from my first ever B+ Sports post. I still believe we will be seeing the Packers defeat the Colts on February 6.

p.p.p.p.s. I am going to try to write another post later today on my Phoenix Suns and their struggles and how to fix them.

p.p.p.p.p.s. Tomorrow I will be at the Ohio v. Miami basketball game, so I will try to write another post for that game along with my second round of playoff coverage tomorrow.

p.p.p.p.p.p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter @Bradley_W_Parks.

Week Seventeen

Owning Up

The unrest inside the Bengals locker room is being thrown into the public eye. Obviously, any team would be upset to have the 4-11 record that Cincinnati has. On their current two-game winning streak the Bengals have exposed where the real problem is on that team: play-calling.

I think it is safe to say that head coach Marvin Lewis will be out at the conclusion of this season. After hearing from countless Bengal fans, most also want offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski to be fired as well. Over the years and years of watching Bengals games, I have noticed a few things about the Bengals offense. The Bengals are at their best when they are pounding the ball with running back Cedric Benson and airing it out deep. During the Bratkowski years, some play-calls are just mind-boggling to me. In long-down situations, the Bengals will get a call of a draw play or a screen pass which is clearly not their game. It is essentially a waste of a down, leading to a lot of punts and sometimes desperation throws leading to interceptions. What Cincinnati needs to do is discover their identity and stick with it. They need to stop trying to make Bernard Scott into LeSean McCoy. That isn't what the team is all about. The Bengals have a traditional offense: an immobile quarterback, bruising running back, and sure-handed receivers. They cannot be turned into an offense like the Philadelphia Eagles. They need to run more like the Atlanta Falcons.

The play-calling is not the only problem. The defense has suffered quite a few injuries in the backfield including Roy Williams, Chris Crocker, Adam Jones, and more. They have gotten burned at the safety position all year. I think, however, with a high draft pick and some new faces on the sideline, the Bengals can return to playoff form.

Predictions


RT @Bradley_W_Parks: B+ Sports Picks: Pats, Jets, Ravens, Chiefs, 49ers, Lions, Jags, Bengals, Texans, Colts, Packers, Bucs, Eagles, Saints


Between last week's picks and the week before, my record was 18-11, pushing my season record to 118-82. Here is what I have for this week's games:


Falcons, Steelers, Lions, Chiefs, Patriots, Saints, Jets, Ravens, Chargers, Packers, Colts, Eagles, 49ers, Giants, Texans, Rams


p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter @Bradley_W_Parks.

Week Fifteen

Owning Up

Warming up is all the action Donovan McNabb
will see for the remainder of this season.
(Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)

I have never been able to understand why Donovan McNabb catches so much grief from coaches. McNabb was a terrific quarterback in Philadelphia under head coach Andy Reid all while battling many injuries and Terrell Owens, arguably his only elite receiver in his career. Other than the time with Owens, it is hard to say that McNabb has ever had solid receiving. DeSean Jackson is just this year becoming an elite receiver for the Eagles, but that doesn't help McNabb when he is in Washington with a clearly past-his-prime Santana Moss, Anthony Armstrong, and Brandon Banks.

However, McNabb has always put up steady numbers by throwing for well over 3000 yards in seasons when he has played 14 or more games. He also has 230 touchdowns in his 12 seasons compared to 115 interceptions, giving him an exact 2:1 touchdown to interception ratio. It isn't the best, but a lot of teams would take two touchdowns for every interception thrown.

Perhaps I am wrong, but I feel that Donovan McNabb gets a bad rap. Most of us remember when he was pulled by Reid in Philadelphia for the young Kevin Kolb (literally at halftime of a game that was very much in reach; also, symbolically through the trade to Washington in which Kolb gained the Eagles job). Also, earlier this year when entering into the two-minute drill against the Lions, Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan pulled McNabb in favor of one of the NFL's biggest busts Rex Grossman. On Grossman's first play, he was sacked, fumbled, and had the ball returned for a touchdown, ending the 'Skins' chance at a win.

So why now is Shanahan making McNabb his third-string quarterback for the remainder of the season? I am almost all out of answers. Donovan McNabb has always been one of the leagues classiest players and consistently performs well on the field, but somehow he ends up in a bad situation like he is in now. After signing a 5-year extension with the Redskins, Shanahan cannot promise McNabb a spot on the team next year. Therefore, it seems Donovan McNabb will have to either start shopping for a new team or start writing his retirement speech.

Predictions


Last week my wins were down, but I still had one of my better weeks this season. Crazy how those things work out, am I right? I finished last week with a 10-5 record which puts my record for the season at 100-71. Here is what I have lined up this week:

Browns, Cowboys, Texans, Colts, Chiefs, Bills, Eagles, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Saints, Falcons, Raiders, Steelers, Patriots, Bears


p.s. I am very happy with the trade made by my Phoenix Suns. I will miss having Jason Richardson, but I am happy with a solid post presence in Marcin Gortat and the wily veteran Vince Carter in the back-court.

p.p.s. My Ohio Bobcats had a rough day yesterday. Our football team got demolished by Troy in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. Meanwhile, our basketball team suffered a crushing four overtime loss to St. Bonaventure. Rough day for Bobcats all over.

p.p.p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter @Bradley_W_Parks.

Top NBA Point Guards

I have heard this debate countless times since the NBA season began and the question is an intriguing one to think about: Who is the best point guard in the NBA? With so many talented point guards in this league, many find it hard to decide who is the best. I have come up with my top NBA point guards as food for thought and perhaps more fuel for debate.

5) Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets

Chris Paul drives the lane against Miami on Monday night.
Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright NBAE 2010
(Photo by Victor Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

Chris Paul has had one of the most well-rounded games at the point guard position since he has entered the league. He was drafted in 2005 out of Wake Forest and has started every game he has played in since coming into the NBA. What makes Chris Paul a great point guard is his leadership. The Hornets were a below-average team when Paul came in and right away he had to take charge of the team. In his rookie season, Paul averaged 16.1 points along with 7.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game. His achievements won him the Rookie of the Year award for the 2005-2006 season. Since his rookie year, Paul has not let up as he has become a much better shooter, increasing his field goal percentage by about six percentage points over his five seasons in the league. In this Paul's sixth year, he has managed to get the entire team performing at a high level this season as they are now in seventh place in the Western Conference at 14-10. This year, Chris Paul is among the top ten point guards in scoring, top five in assists, and leads in steals. Paul's all-around solid play on offense scoring points and dropping dimes along with his defensive prowess garnering pilfers makes him an easy pick for a top five NBA point guard.

4) Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

Russell Westbrook fires a pass over Minnesota's
Sebastian Telfair. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)

This only being his third year in the league, many people would find it difficult to list Russell Westbrook above Chris Paul and Rajon Rondo in a top point guards competition. However, I think that the 2010-2011 season will be the season that locks this guy in as a prime-time performer in the NBA. The thing that really sets him apart from other point guards in the league is his athleticism. Westbrook is a player that is a game-changer. He is a dynamic scorer that can also rack up assists and steals. Another advantage Westbrook has over other point guards is his rebounding ability. This year he leads the league in rebounds among point guards and in his short two-year career Westbrook has averaged nearly five rebounds to go along with 16 points, a couple of steals, and about seven assists. His rebounding ability and incredible elevation is something that puts him above Paul in my book. In the few years since the Seattle Sonics underwent a move and a name change, the Thunder have become one of the teams to beat in the West as this year they are fifth in the conference at 17-8. Westbrook along with Kevin Durant have got the Thunder looking thunderous indeed and Russ's play at point guard is a huge factor in their success over the past few years and that is why he makes my top five.

3) Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls

Derrick Rose drives on Pacers' guard TJ Ford.
Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE
(Photo by Ray Amati/NBAE via Getty Images)

Derrick Rose may be ranked at number three right now, but he is a player on the rise on a team on the rise. Right now, not even the sky is limiting Rose as he is already an elite player in this league in only his third year. His stats don't jump too far away from Westbrook's, but watching Rose play you can tell what a terrific leader this guy is. Rose has the leadership of Paul and the skill set of Westbrook (just a little more skilled, in my opinion). Another thing that Rose has on Westbrook is the fact that he doesn't have Kevin Durant on his team. No offense to the Bulls, but they don't have a player that comes close to the talent of Durant. Rose is clearly the leader of his team, whereas Durant is the clear leader of the Thunder, not Westbrook. Rose has greatly improved his three-point percentage (up nearly 16 percentage points from last year) and has led his team to a 15-8 record so far this season, third in the Eastern Conference. Rose also leads all point guards in scoring at 24.7 points per game to go along with 8.3 assists per game. Derrick Rose is an obvious MVP candidate early in the season and the Bulls are looking to make a big impact in the playoffs this season as well, putting Rose in my top three.

2) Deron Williams, Utah Jazz

Deron Williams goes up and around the Warriors'
Dan Gadzuric. Mandatory Copyright Notice:
Copyright 2010 NBAE
(Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)

This is where the job of ranking the top point guards gets tough (not that it was easy before). A top five gives me a little leeway and allow some room for interpretation, but when as we enter into the top two there is little room for error. The next two point guards are as close to being tied as can possibly be, but just for the sake of argument I have to go with a hard ranking system. Deron Williams is one of the most talented players in this league. The way he runs the Utah Jazz down the floor is amazing to watch. Williams is consistently one of the best shooters in the league with a career field goal percentage of almost 47 percent. "D-Will" has averaged a double-double for the past three years of his career and is a few assists away from having that this year as well. His scoring average is up by more than four points this season and is third among point guards. Williams' free throw percentage is up by 16 points since his rookie year as he is now shooting 86 percent this season. In all of the major stat categories (points, assists, and rebounds) Williams has improved each year. Now with the additions of center Al Jefferson and forward Gordon Hayward the Jazz are looking to make a playoff run as they are 18-8 and sitting in fourth in the West. The point guard play and leadership of Deron Williams may be the biggest reason why the Jazz are playing so well. He's easily in the top two point guards in the NBA.

1) Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns

Steve Nash fires a pass against the Blazers' Andre Miller.
(AP Photo/Matt York)

There are only a few things that put Steve Nash apart from Deron Williams. Both are terrific scorers, insane passers, and all-around incredible point guards. However, Nash is one of the best shooters the NBA has ever seen and, in my opinion, the best passer in NBA history. When playing the popular video game NBA 2K11 by 2K Sports, the analysts talk about Nash's history playing soccer and that when he was allowed to use his hands to make passes in basketball it was just unfair. I think the one thing that makes Nash different as a passer (other than his soccer skills) is the fact that Nash isn't afraid to turn the ball over. He takes big risks taking passes and a lot of the time it pays off. He makes the passes that other point guards are afraid to make. Nash is currently in second place in the league for assists averaging ten a game. He's having one of his best scoring seasons of his career at 36 years old. Age is another thing that sets Nash apart from other point guards in the league. Among my top five, Nash is at least ten years older than the other four. Nash is sixth in scoring and second in assists among point guards at 36! I think that is the main reason why I chose Nash over all other point guards is because he is an elite point guard with a below-average team and he is a decade or more older than the competition. Steve Nash should easily be a first-ballot hall-of-famer. All he's missing is a ring. With how he is playing, I don't think age will limit his chances at getting one. Though it was tough, I think Steve Nash is very deserving of the title of best point guard in the NBA.

There you have it. Among all of the talented young point guards in the NBA, the old warrior Steve Nash is the one that emerges as the best on my list. This NBA season has been one to remember so far and the best part is: we're just getting started.

p.s. Good luck to my Ohio Bobcats today on the basketball court and on Saturday on the football field.

p.p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter @Bradley_W_Parks.

Week Fourteen

Owning Up

A Patriots fan holds up a sign at Monday night's game.
(AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Where are those New York Jets we saw earlier in the season? Yes, they are 9-3, but last week they were trounced by division rivals the New England Patriots. Still, Jets head coach Rex Ryan remained positive when he said that even though the Pats beat them so badly in Foxboro, they beat the Pats badly at home too so all is well.

But 45-3? The Jets beat the Patriots 28-14 when they played at home. That's a narrow escape compared to how badly the Pats bludgeoned the Jets on Monday night. Could it be as well in New York as Coach Ryan says it is?

In the past seven games, the Jets have not won by more than six points excluding the game in Cincinnati which they won 26-10. All of their wins in that span have come over sub-.500 teams, with both the Lions and Browns taking them to overtime. Also, in that span they were shut out by the Packers 9-0 and, as mentioned, clobbered by New England.

Even though they have come out of this seven-game stretch with a 5-2 record, the Jets seem to be in a bit of a slide if you look at it. Mark Sanchez and company look to get back on track this week against divisional foes the Miami Dolphins. The Jets are not in extremely hot water here as they do still sit at 9-3, as I mentioned. However, if they would like to live up to their Super Bowl expectations then they'd best be careful as we enter the final stretch.

Predictions


Last week marked my best week of predictions to date as I finished with a 12-3 record. That puts my season record at 90-66. Here are my teams for this week:

Browns, Packers, Steelers, Buccaneers, Falcons, Jaguars, Saints, Seahawks, Patriots, Jets, Broncos, Chargers, Eagles, Ravens, Giants


p.s. Be on the lookout for my top five NBA point guards this week!

p.p.s. In case I forget, good luck to my Ohio Bobcats in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl on Saturday against Troy.

p.p.p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter @Bradley_W_Parks.

Week Thirteen

Owning Up

Chargers S Eric Weddle scores off a Manning interception.
(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Where have the Indianapolis Colts gone? That is a question that seems to be resonating throughout the NFL right now. The Colts are sitting at 6-5, tied for the AFC South lead with Jacksonville. Usually, the Indianapolis is able to run away with the division. For quite a few years Peyton Manning and the boys have been a lock to win. People counted on it.

However, now the Colts are, as mentioned, tied for the lead at 6-5 with the Jags, followed close behind by both the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans at 5-6. For what reasons we don't quite know yet.

It is never easy to blame it on the great Peyton Manning and it still is, but their loss last week to the Chargers was not his best. Manning threw four interceptions with two being returned for touchdowns. The Colts defense only allowed one offensive touchdown, but the Chargers still managed to drop 36 to the Colts' 14. Therefore, although it is never easy to blame Manning, it is easy to say that without those four picks and two touchdowns the Colts would have had a much better shot at winning.

Moving forward, Indy simply needs to play like the Indy we know. It will be difficult with all of the injuries on offense including but not limited to Joseph Addai and Dallas Clark. However, as many have said before, Peyton Manning can make any offense look like an all-star team. Manning needs to cool down and continue playing at the high level he has played at his whole career.

Predictions

Last week went fairly well for me. I'm beginning to think I'm not too bad at making picks. Watch, this week I'll end up losing a large amount of games. Consider me jinxed. Last week I went 8-5 which leaves my season record at 78-63. I will try to improve on that this week with these picks:

Saints, Bears, Packers, Jaguars, Chiefs, Browns, Vikings, Giants, Chargers, Colts, Rams, Seahawks, Falcons, Steelers, Jets

p.s. I had a great time broadcasting the game last night. It's good to be back. Look forward to more high school basketball on ross.localsportsradio.com.

p.p.s. Shout out to my Phoenix Suns on winning a couple of games this weekend.

p.p.p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter @Bradley_W_Parks.

We'll all be witnesses

Tomorrow is the day Cleveland Cavaliers fans have been waiting for since Decision 2010: The day LeBron James returns to Cleveland to face his former team and his hometown that seemingly hates him. After watching the Dan Patrick Show this morning I find myself agreeing with Dan Patrick about what this game means.

Patrick along with special guests Jason Whitlock (FOX Sports) and Michael Wilbon (great American citizen and co-host of Pardon The Interruption) brought up the point that people are forgetting that there is a basketball game to be played tomorrow night. What fans or people simply interested in the LeBron James saga are waiting for is the initial reaction of the Cleveland fans. When the name "LeBron James" is read over the loud speaker, what will the fans do? I think most can agree that cheering is out of the question. Will they boo? How loud? Will they remain silent? In Miami's first game against Boston, every time James got the ball boos rained down upon him...against Boston!

We can only sit and wait to see what Cleveland fans will do tomorrow night before the game, but do not forget about the game itself. The Cavaliers are not exactly the cream of the crop, but the Heat are going through a rough patch right now and have not played well, or at least not as well as everyone expected. Wilbon predicts that the Cavs will win this one and I must agree with him. I am a firm believer in poetic justice. For example, when Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips incited a brawl by tapping St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina's shinguards and Molina followed up in his next at-bat with a home run. Therefore, on the grounds that poetic justice is always served I am picking the Cavs to win tomorrow. This should be a fun one.

p.s. The game can be seen live on TNT at 8 P.M. EST.

p.p.s. That game will be followed by my Phoenix Suns at the Golden State Warriors at 10:30 P.M. EST. I am actually much more excited for this game than the Cavs/Heat game.

p.p.p.s. Tune as Tyler Bridge and I call the "Battle of the Rams" as Ross takes on Badin in the opening weekend for high school boys basketball. All of the action can be caught on ross.localsportsradio.com at 7:30 P.M. EST.

p.p.p.p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter @Bradley_W_Parks.

Week Twelve

Owning Up

Head coach Marvin Lewis may be in hot water.
(Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

I feel there is a lot of owning up to do, not for me but for my hometown team, the Cincinnati Bengals. What went wrong? Last year was a terrific year for the Bengals as they went undefeated in the AFC North and made it to the playoffs. This year they did not lose too many players other than troubled field goal kicker Shayne Graham (which in all reality was probably for the best). Cincinnati was able to pick up multiple weapons on offense in Terrell Owens, Jordan Shipley, and Jermaine Gresham. Seemingly, the Bengals should have done even better this year with a more high-powered offense to go with that stellar defense of last season. However, as most of us know, that is not how it has turned out.

Cincinnati now sits at 2-9 and the only real positives are the success of TO and the seemingly high draft pick the Bengals will have next April. Now the question for Cincinnati becomes: What do they fix? I think the biggest problems are the men behind the play-calling on offense: Head coach Marvin Lewis and offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has dealt with his fair share of bad luck this season with all of the trouble at the safety position (i.e. injury/age of Roy Williams and injuries Gibril Wilson, Chris Crocker, and Chinedum Ndukwe. Also, injuries to corners Adam Jones and Brandon Gee have not helped.

The trouble is more on the offensive side of the ball. The Bengals' play-calling has been absolutely horrendous this season. The offense has been attempting far too many runs in long-yardage situations. We all know of Carson Palmer's struggles at quarterback. His numbers are not terrible, but he will make just a few throws every game that put the team in a position to lose and leave Cincinnati fans shaking their heads. His play this year has some people thinking that it may be time for a change for the men in stripes, on the sideline and on the field.

Predictions


Those darn Cowboys are starting to play well with Wade Phillips out. I may have to start picking them...or not. Last week was a good one for me despite forgetting completely to pick the Monday Night Game. My record for Week Eleven was 10-4 which leaves my season record at 70-58. I do believe I will go with the same strategy as last week to see if I can build a sizable streak. Here are my winners for this week:

Packers, Steelers, Browns, Giants, Redskins, Texans, Raiders, Chiefs, Eagles, Rams, Ravens, Colts, 49ers


p.s. Be sure to listen in this Saturday as I get back on the mic for Ross High School basketball as the Rams take on the other Rams from Badin. I would tell you who I am announcing alongside, but I do not know yet. I will keep you posted. Catch all of the action on ross.localsportsradio.com.

p.p.s. My Ohio Bobcats lost the MAC East this weekend. 'Tis a sad day in Athens when we give up the conference title to Miami.

p.p.p.s. How do you like my new design? I am still working on it.

p.p.p.p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter. twitter.com/bradley_w_parks

Someone should light a fire under the Heat

Heat players look on from the bench in their 93-77 loss to the Pacers
(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

The Miami Heat were supposed to run the table. They were supposed to be unbeatable this year after Pat Riley went out and snagged LeBron James and Chris Bosh this offseason to play alongside Dwayne Wade. However, things have not gone as swimmingly as a lot of people figured they would for the "New Big Three."

The Heat lost their opening game against, in my opinion, the real "Big Three" of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics. An 88-80 defeat at the hands of Eastern Conference powerhouse Boston was not what was expected of high-powered Miami. Now the Heat sit at 8-6 and play the Orlando Magic tonight and could perhaps be facing yet another loss.

Coming into tonight's matchup, the Heat are on a two-game losing streak after being slammed by the Pacers on Monday, a game in which Wade only had three points. Although Bosh has finally gotten his game going averaging 24.5 points and 10.25 rebounds in the last four games, Wade has fallen off the radar only averaging 10.3 points in the past three games he has played in. (Wade sat out the loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.) That's more than 11 points lower than his season average of 21.4.

Now fingers are being pointed at head coach Erik Spoelstra. Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson said in a phone interview that he thinks Wade, James, and Bosh should get Riley to coach. In theory, it is a good idea. However, I think that it may be a more complicated issue than Spoelstra being a run-of-the-mill coach.

The Miami Heat have a problem with their depth and a lack of extraordinary talent outside the New Big Three. This was plain for me to see at the beginning of the year. Yes, three superstars are intimidating, but if you look at the rest of the team, there is nothing to say that Miami is a big threat. Center Zydrunas Ilgauskas has had a very decent career in Cleveland, but coming into this year with the Heat he is 35 years old. Unlike 38-year-old Shaquille O'Neal of the Celtics, Ilgauskas has never had stellar athleticism. As a young buck a player can be a little slow and still have a sizable impact much like Ilgauskas did in his early days in Cleveland. But now slow becomes slower and a slow 35-year-old center cannot do much to stop quick young centers and forwards like Orlando's Dwight Howard and New York's Amar'e Stoudemire. The reason I make the comparison to Shaq is because he once had that quick step that Ilgauskas never had. Quick can become slow and still be effective (for example, Shaq), but slow becomes slower and becomes ineffective (for example, Ilgauskas).

Still, Big Z is not the only problem with the Heat bench. Pat Riley brought in Mike Miller who has yet to play this season as he is nursing an injury. Miller looks to return Christmas day to face the Lakers. Also, point guard Mario Chalmers has not produced this season with his lack of minutes. Chalmers is averaging just around seven minutes per game while a high ankle sprain suffered this summer still nags him.

With the lack of depth of the Miami Heat it is difficult to see much success in their future even with the incredible talent of the New Big Three. Carlos Arroyo and James Jones provide only small sparks to the Heat's flame and Ilgauskas and Juwan Howard are not exactly in their primes. Miami picked up veteran Eric Dampier with Udonis Haslem out for the season after having foot surgery. Things are not on the up for the self-proclaimed powerhouse of the NBA.

As the Heat head into Orlando tonight to face the Southeast Division-leading Magic and Dwight Howard, they may be in for a long night despite the court-wiping Miami performed in the duo's last matchup in which the Heat won by 26. In this game, as I mentioned earlier, the Heat have lost two straight and are not playing stellar basketball. They look to turn it around tonight, but if they do lose and lose badly, the Heat's flame may just die out.

p.s. I am picking the Magic to win tonight.

p.p.s. My Phoenix Suns play the Bulls tonight. Go Suns.

p.p.p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter. twitter.com/bradley_w_parks

Week Eleven

Owning Up


The Lions and Bills had one of the best games of the day, including some late-game drama. It probably would have been a lot more dramatic had Detroit quarterback Shaun Hill not tossed the ball out of the back of the endzone instead of to a receiver, but we can't win them all. The Bills, on the other hand, can't lose them all now as they picked up their first win of the season. Cheers.

Apparently a victory over the Cardinals does not hold as much weight as I thought it did as the Vikings were trounced by Jay Cutler's Bears. Hats off.

Somehow the Dolphins got it done. I cannot explain it. With their quarterback woes, beating Tennessee was not an easy task, but they won easily. Applause.

The Texans are all of the sudden falling apart and the Jags have surged to become the surprise of the AFC South rather than Houston. Snaps.

The Broncos cannot decide whether they would like to prove me right or wrong. I claim them as my dark horse and they get blown out by Oakland. I take back my claim and they smash the Chiefs. Wish-wash.

Who really expected the Cowboys to win? Really? High five.

The Patriots and Steelers was really a tossup. Both teams are having incredible years and this game showed exactly why it was such a difficult game to pick. The Pats had the advantage though as it looks like, at least for now, Tom Brady is still a few notches above Ben Roethlisberger.

Predictions


Last week was rough. My picks are on a roller coaster right now. After a 9-4 week, I followed that up with a 6-7 stinker of a week. That puts my season record at 60-54. Although I am still above .500, it could be much better. This week due to me being home from school on break and my wanting to focus on picks rather than reasoning, I'm just going to give my teams and we'll see how it goes. Here are my teams:

Bengals, Lions, Redskins, Chiefs, Packers, Jets, Steelers, Ravens, Browns, Falcons, Saints, 49ers, Patriots, Eagles


p.s. Keep those ears open as the dynamic duo of Colby Bowman and I will be back announcing high school basketball this season. Keep those computers locked on ross.localsportsradio.com for all of the exciting action. I am excited to get back to doing play-by-play.

p.p.s. Get well soon, Steve Nash.

p.p.p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter. twitter.com/bradley_w_parks

Week Ten

Owning Up


Those tricky, tricky Browns have everybody stumped. Their big win over the Patriots proved me very wrong. I suppose we should be looking out for the Browns.


Well would you look at that. The Chargers have won a couple games in a row and are now back in the hunt at 4-5. Big ups to the Bolts for showing me up.


Along with the tricky, tricky Browns there are the tricky, tricky Raiders to look out for as they upset a solid Chiefs team last week.


The Colts v. Eagles game was close as expected, however, Michael Vick continued his Hollywood story by toppling Peyton Manning.


Predictions


Week Nine marked a good one for me as my picks led me to a 9-4 record for the week, bringing my season record to 54-47. Here is what I have this week:


Lions over Bills This is the battle of the two unluckiest teams in the NFL this season. The Bills have fought every game to lose only by a few in most. The Lions have done the same, with solid play at quarterback from both Matthew Stafford (when he has played) and backup Shaun Hill. One of these teams will catch a break. However, if there is a game to end up in a tie this year, it will be this one. 24-21


Vikings over Bears Last week's victory over the Cardinals should have done enough to energize Brett Favre and the Vikings. Although, the Vikes did not play particularly well they still managed to come back and win showing determination and fight. I like that win to boost their confidence this week. 28-21


Jets over Browns As well as the Browns have played under rookie quarterback Colt McCoy I still cannot bring myself to pick them, especially against a great team such as the Jets. New York's run defense should be able to slow down Peyton Hillis a bit, or at least enough to force McCoy to throw more. 24-14


Colts over Bengals As much as it pains me to continue picking against my hometown team, the Bengals have not proven that they can beat a team like the Colts. They have shown their comeback ability last week against the Steelers and also in Week One against the Patriots. However, they did not win either of those games. Manning and the Colts will not be as easy for the Bengals to contain long enough to come back again. Cardiac Cats fall. 28-17


Titans over Dolphins Even though the Titans have a game-time decision coming at quarterback with Vince Young still a little banged up, I do not believe Chad Pennington has what it takes to lead the Dolphins to a victory. The Dolphins have the weapons in Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, and Brandon Marshall, but they do not have a good leader at the quarterback position. Young and backup Kerry Collins are able to lead a team. Oh and did I mention the Titans picked up a guy named Randy Moss? That may help. 21-10


Buccaneers over Panthers I stand by my claim that the Panthers are the worst team in the NFL. The Bills, as I mentioned, play hard every game and are a group of winners that just cannot win. The Panthers are far worse than Buffalo and have all sorts of problems. Perhaps they should turn to third-string rookie Tony Pike at quarterback. Pike played well at Cincinnati and was in the Heisman race before he got injured. If Matt Moore and Jimmy Clausen have not been able to do it, why not give Pike a shot? Carolina really has nothing to lose. 31-7


Texans over Jaguars This will be a tight game. The Texans began the year as if they would live up to the great expectations, however, have not as of late. The Jaguars, on the other hand, have not really had many expectations to live up to, so in a sense they have exceeded expectations. With the Jags playing well and the Texans not so much, this is a tough pick. But I have confidence it Matt Schaub's ability to get a W today. 28-21


Chiefs over Broncos Perhaps my biggest screwup of the season, the Broncos are no longer a dark horse in the NFL. They are not playing well at all and do not have much to look forward to as they sit at 2-6. Unless they run the table, this dark horse will stay in the stable for the rest of the year. 14-6


Giants over Cowboys I just love that the Cowboys continue to prove me right week in and week out. It is truly sad that a team with their potential has crashed and burned this season, but you cannot say I did not warn you. Dallas was far overrated coming into this season and has proven it every single game. This one shall be no different as the Giants have seemingly returned to their Super Bowl-winning form. 35-10


Seahawks over Cardinals Another screwup of mine, Seattle is no longer fun to pick in games. They sit at 4-4, the Cardinals at 3-5. The NFC West is shaping up to be exactly what it has been in the past: boring and exciting all at the same time. The Rams and Seahawks sit atop the division at 4-4, followed by the Cardinals, and in the basement is San Francisco who surprisingly is not out of it at 2-6. With dismal records and intense competition all at the same time, the NFC West is just being the NFC West. 17-14


49ers over Rams Two compelling games right in a row. How lucky am I? I like Troy Smith at quarterback as I always have. He is getting his shot and it is his job not to screw it up. Sports Illustrated's Peter King thinks that Smith will hold onto the job for the rest of the year at least if he plays well this week. I am right along with my fellow Bobcat, King, in that thinking. 24-20


Steelers over Patriots This could be the game of the year. Both the Steelers and Patriots sit at 6-2 and are playing completely lights out. It has shown how much Troy Polamalu means to the Steelers as he has provided a huge spark to that defense. New England has played well all around too. The one factor that caused me to swing toward the Steelers for this one was the Browns. The Steelers managed to defeat Cleveland, whereas the Patriots were trounced by them. It was the deciding factor for me. 35-28


Eagles over Redskins As I said earlier, Michael Vick is continuing his Hollywood story. This week should be no exception as he goes against the former Eagles quarterback Donavon McNabb. It should be a close one, but I like Vick in this battle. McNabb will either have a confidence boost or kill after being benched for Rex Grossman by coach Mike Shanahan in their previous game against the Lions. We'll see how that plays out on Monday night. 27-21


BONUS COVERAGE: Kanye West


This does not pertain to sports, but I have felt some extremely strong feelings about Kanye West's recent spouting-off about the media. West was angry at Matt Lauer and the Today Show for what West said was them trying to "force" his answers. I was curious as to what he meant, so I watched the interview online. All Lauer really did was ask West tough questions and he had no way to respond to them. It was a great journalistic triumph for Lauer to be able to give Kanye a question that he would have a lot of trouble answering.


In the aftermath of the interview, West went on Twitter and rattled off a whole lot of things in an attempt to defend his inability to answer tough questions. Here is what he said in multiple tweets:


"I went up there to express how I was empathetic to Bush because I labeled him a racist and years later I got labeled as a racist....


While I was trying to give the interview they started playing the "MTV" under me with audio!!!!!!!


I don't mess with Matt Lauer or the Today Show ... and that's a very nice way for me to put it!


HE TRIED TO FORCE MY ANSWERS. IT WAS VERY BRUTAL AND I CAME THERE WITH ONLY POSITIVE INTENT."


West went on to describe how he is "tortured," "forced," and "misunderstood." That is not exactly it, Kanye West. We understand you perfectly.


Kanye West has taken his blunder and is attempting to blame it on everyone else. Why would it be his fault? West described later on Twitter about how he is a creator and said, "I just want to create." Nobody is trying to stop him from doing that. However, as his job is to create music, it is our (the media's) job to tell stories. Kanye needs to realize that as he is only trying to do his job, that is the same thing we are trying to do. Matt Lauer was doing his job by asking questions, however, West is trying to make up for his inability to answer coherently by saying that Lauer is in the wrong for "forcing" his answers.


Also, West was angry that the producers at the Today Show played the footage from the MTV Video Music Awards when West had taken the microphone away from Taylor Swift during her acceptance speech. What he does not realize is that this is a regular practice. Somebody should explain to Kanye West that b-roll is used every single day in the media. It is video that pertains to what is being said that keeps the viewer from becoming bored with the same picture. West took it as the producers trying to make him look bad and addressed it on camera.


If only Kanye knew that he too is a member of the media before he took so many shots at us. He, along with other musical artists, is an editorialist and storyteller. He puts his views on things into his music and also tells stories through song for the public to see. If we break it down as such, Kanye West was taking shots at himself by taking shots at the media. He truly is troubled.


p.s. I am a huge fan of Kanye West's music, but he should not be trying to tear down the journalism field because he was made to look like a fool.


p.p.s. I am sorry for not providing a pick for the Thursday game. I probably will not be providing those picks any time soon. It throws off my schedule.


p.p.p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter. twitter.com/bradley_w_parks