Why am I the Raging Miser? Let's see - I have 2 business-related masters degrees and left my job because it was an abomination. So while I am receiving an unemployment check for $404/week, I have to listen to Marcus Camby bitch about how he needs a clothing stipend in addition to his salary of $8.5 million. I am exasperated and thank Comptetive Streak Consulting for allowing me a platform. Am I qualified to write a weekly rant.....I have spent the last 20 years preparing this in my head. I have recently appeared on an ESPN show (Stump the Schwab) and there is not a sports-related topic of which I don't have an opinion. So here it is....the good, the bad and most importantly the weekly predictions. All responses should be sent to theragingmiser@gmail.com
The stockdoc has asked me to give an occasional update on my life from time to time. So what have I learned in the last two months…..
- Never cut in front of your date to go to the bathroom (even if she is in a conversation for 10 minutes right in front of an open door)…..
- Any headhunter who tells you "It doesn't matter if you do analytic work, you just need to have the analyst title on your resume" should be fired. And so I did…..
- Always wear a cup when you are playing goalie…..
- Hearing that you are perpetually overqualified was initially exasperating, now it is simply entertaining…..
Still unemployed, still poor, but a hell of a lot happier. Until the New Year – this is the Miser….
If anyone has any comments/opinions/questions about the rants, I can be reached at theragingmiser@gmail.com
Back to the current year
Sorry about the delay, this just took a LONG time to compile…..
College Football Bowls – from the best bets to the worst….
28) Michigan – 12 over Nebraska
27) PSU – 7.5 over FSU
26) Auburn – 10.5 over Wisconsin
25) ASU – 11.5 over Rutgers
24) Cal – 6.5 over BYU
23) Clemson – 7.5 over Colorado
22) Minnesota – 3 over Virginia
21) TCU – 3.5 over Iowa State
20) Kansas – 3 over Houston
19) USC – 7 over Texas
18) NW + 3.5 over UCLA
17) South Carolina – 4 over Missouri
16) GT – 8.5 over Utah
15) TT – 3 over Alabama
14) Navy – 2.5 over CSU
13) Southern Miss – 17 over Arkansas State
12) NC State – 6 over South Florida
11) Memphis – 5.5 over Akron
10) Oklahoma +3 over Oregon
9) Miami – 3.5 over LSU
8) Nevada – 2 over UCF
7) VT – 8 over Louisville
6) Iowa +3 over Florida
5) Boise State -1 over BC
4) Toledo – 2.5 over UTEP
3) OSU – 4 over ND
2) Tulsa +7 over Fresno State
1) WVU +8 over Georgia
10 Best Sports Moments of 2005
1) The football games being played between 3:30 and 7 on 10/15 – I have never been happier to own a TV remote than from 6:00 – 7:30 on that cold Saturday afternoon. On ABC, Michigan overcame a 22 point 4th quarter from Penn State to claim a controversial 27-25 victory on the last play of the game. This ruined Joepa’s bid for an undefeated season and saved the inevitable BCS arguments for next year. On CBS, LSU would stage a 4th quarter comeback to defeat Florida 21-17 and stay within striking distance of Alabama atop the SEC West. On the alternate ABC station, running back Steve Slaton ran for 5 touchdowns as West Virginia overcame a 17 point 3rd quarter deficit to win a stunning 46-44 triple overtime victory over Louisville. This victory would propel the Mountaineers to a 10-1 record and a BCS birth. And in the game of the decade (Yes, better than the Miami/OSU Fiesta Bowl in 2002), NBC showed the two-time defending champions USC holding off a game Notre Dame team 34-31. After Brady Quinn’s 5 yard run with 2 minutes left gave the Fighting Irish a 31-28 lead, Matt Leinart’s 4th and 9 audible turned into a 61 yard pass to Dwayne Jarrett. With moments to go, Leinart scrambled right and fumbled the ball just outside of the end zone. Though the Irish fans jubilantly rushed the field, there was still time for one last play. Though coach Pete Carroll signaled for a spike, Leinart took the snap and with a bit of a push from RB Reggie Bush, was propelled into the end zone. The fans were stunned, as Leinart took another step toward college immortality and USC would eventually be given the opportunity for the 1st three-peat ever in college football
2) NCAA Tournament – Final 8 games….Though there had been some good games and a few upsets (Bucknell/Kansas, Vermont/Syracuse), this March Madness was not particularly memorable until the regional finals. The initial game had West Virginia open up a 20 point lead fueled by 67% three point shooting. However, Taquan Dean would lead a brilliant 2nd half comeback by Louisville to tie the game at 75 at the end of regulation. West Virginia would cool off in overtime and the Cardinal would escape with a 93-85 victory. The 2nd game was even more improbable. Outplayed by a game Arizona team in front of a partisan Chicago crowd, #1 ranked Illinois trailed Arizona 75-60 with four minutes to play. However, Luther Head and Deron Williams led a furious comeback culminating with a Williams 3 pointer to tie the game at 80 with 30 seconds left. There would be no more scoring in regulation and led by two more Williams 3-pointers, the Fighting Illini would hold on for a 90-89 overtime win.
Sunday would start with North Carolina holding of an undermanned Wisconsin team. Despite the enormous talent disparity, the game Badgers would keep the contest close but would eventually lose 88-82. The final game would pit Kentucky vs. Michigan State. Like the prior games, this would come down to the wire as Kentucky would overcome a late 8 point deficit. Patrick Sparks, the much maligned shooting guard would take a shot that would bounce four times on the rim before dropping. After a five minute discussion, the shot was ruled a three and overtime would follow. Michigan State would eventually pull out a 94-88 double overtime win. These games would overshadow the Final Four and set a standard that will be tough for future tournaments to match.
3) Diego Corralles vs. Jose Luis Castillo –This war of attrition has been called by many boxing scribes as the best fight ever. Though it received minimal fanfare outside of the mainstream boxing community, this battle would reach epic proportions culminating with a 10th round reminiscent of Hagler/Hearns and Gatti/Ward. After being knocked down twice by left hooks from Castillo, Corrales would rock Castillo with a desperate right and would continuously land bombs until the referee stopped the fight. In a down era, this would immediately put boxing back in the headlines, albeit temporarily.
4) Andre Agassi vs. James Blake, US Open Quarterfinal – The oldest man in the draw versus the classy youngster who missed last year’s open due to paralysis and the death of his father. After a surprisingly easy victory over 2nd ranked Rafael Nadal, Blake continued his brilliant play by taking the first 2 sets with relative ease. However, the wily veteran would use his experience to even up the match. With the two fan favorites hitting winner after winner, the appreciative Flushing Meadows crowd was watching an all-time classic. Finally, at about 1:30 AM, Agassi would claim the 5th set tiebreak 8-6 for a heart-stopping victory.
5) NL Divisional Series – Game 4, Houston vs. Atlanta – Needing a victory to stay alive, Atlanta would hold a 6-1 lead in the 8th inning but a grand slam from Lance Berkman and a 9th inning solo shot by Brad Ausmus would tie the score. Nine scoreless innings would follow highlighted by a 3 inning relief appearance by Roger Clemens. Clemens would notch the victory and clinch the series when Chris Burke hit a walk-off homerun in the bottom of the 18th.
6) Tiger Woods’ “miracle chip” on the 16th hole in the Masters – In the midst of a battle with Chris Dimarco, Tiger hit a chip shot from the fringe about 25 feet from the hole which began to roll. And roll. And roll. The ball would stop an inch from the hole. But after a 2 second delay, the ball would tumble into the hole and bedlam would ensue from both the fans at Augusta and Woods himself. Tiger would eventually beat DiMarco in a playoff and claim his 4th Masters and 12th Grand Slam.
7) Liverpool vs. A.C. Milan, Champions League final – Teams do not come back from 3 goal deficits in soccer. Certainly, not a Liverpool squad deemed unworthy of making the final and certainly not against an AC Milan team known for its tight defense. But even after conceding a 3-0 half time lead, Captain Steven Gerrard led the Reds to 3 stunning goals in a 10 minute span. Overtime and penalty shots would follow. When goalie Jerzy Dudek stopped Andriy Shevchenko in the shootout, the “Miracle at Istanbul” was complete.
8) Giacomo winning the Kentucky Derby – As favorites Afleet Alex and Bellamy Road would falter, 50-1 shot Giacomo would come from behind to win by a half length over Closing Argument, himself a 71-1 long shot. This victory was the 2nd biggest upset in the 131 year history of the race. Incredibly, Giacomo had only won 1 race prior to the “Run for the Roses”
9) Rose Bowl – Michigan v Texas, January 1st – Texas was not supposed to be in Pasadena, having controversially leapfrogged California in the final BCS standings due in part to public pleas from beleaguered coach Mack Brown. The game was a classic, with Steve Breaston setting a Rose Bowl record with 315 all purpose yards. However, the headlines would be appropriately given to Vince Young, who ran for 180 yards and 4 touchdowns, and Dusty Magnum, who kicked a 37 yard field goal as time expired giving the Longhorns a wild 38-37 victory.
10) After years of doping allegations and six successive Tour De France victories, a tired Lance Armstrong was supposed to have his toughest competition in his “swan song” to cycling. However, with Sheryl Crow and his kids rooting him on, Lance would cruise to an easy victory, cementing his legacy as not only a cancer survivor but as the premier cyclist of his generation.
The 10 worst events/people in sports this year:
1) Rafael Palmeiro, Barry Bonds, Mark Mcguire – Absolutely pathetic…..
2) Terrell Owens – Great Super Bowl, now get the hell off of my television…..
3) Bob Goodenow, Gary Bettman – Thanks for permanently ruining the NHL….
4) Ron Artest – You ruin the Pacers championship dreams, demand a trade & then rescind the demand….I hope Larry Bird ships you to Toronto.....
5) Kenny Rogers assaulting a cameraman – The suspension should have been worse…..
6) Corrales /Castillo II – Castillo weighing in 4 pounds overweight made the sequel a sham….
7) World Cup qualifying riots in Mali & Turkey – Turkey is currently suspended from trying to qualify for the 2010 WC due because of what happened in the finale against Switzerland…..
8) Tim Montgomery is suspended and his 100 meter record is removed from the record books though he never tested positive for any drug…..
9) Larry Brown’s infatuation with the Knicks/Cav’s during the playoffs last year – Detroit seems to have recovered nicely. I hope Larry and Isiah have fun wallowing in the sandbox……
10) Manny Ramirez – to quote Foreigner “Say you will, say you won't, Make up your mind tonight!!!”…..
Athlete of the Year
1. Roger Federer – 11 titles, including 2 majors and compiled an 80-4 record – any questions…..
2. Tiger Woods - 6 titles, including 2 majors and top 4 finishes in the other 2, over $ 10 million in earnings…..
3. Lance Armstrong – 7 successive Tour de France victories…..
Breakthrough Athlete of the Year
1. Rafael Nadal – 11 wins, including a French Open Championship…..
2. Michelle Wie – Ace the LPGA first, then go for the mens tour…..
3. Jermaine Taylor – 2 wins (though controversial) over middleweight legend Bernard Hopkins…..
Comeback Sportsman of the Year
1. Kim Clisters – From not playing the last 6 months of 2004 to being the WTA Player of the year in 2005…..
2. Grant Hill – It’s great to see him playing at such a high level again…..
3. Joe Paterno – Has anyone signed the petition on firejoepa.com in the last three months…..
Most Disappointing Athlete
1. The Young Running Backs – Kevin Jones, Julius Jones, Willis Mcgahee – What happened…..
2. Carlos Beltran – Almost makes the Johnny Damon signing look like a bargain…..
3. Alex Smith – I know he is a rookie, but the #1 pick and $50 million for 0 Tds and 10 interceptions…..
Just Retire Already
1. Evander Holyfield – You have been practically inept since the 2nd Tyson fight and speak like you are punch drunk. You are the best cruiserweight of all time, a 3 time heavyweight champion and a certain HOFer – please call it a day…..
2. Billy Packer – If you are this bitter about current college basketball, why are you still commentating?
3. Fisher Deberry – A1980’s coach with 1950’s views living in the 21st century…..
All Rae Carruth Team
1. Uggie Urbina – Sitting in jail for many counts of attempted murder….
2. Jamal Lewis – Pled guilty to using a cell phone to broker a drug deal, and then ruined 2 of my fantasy football teams….
3. Michael Irvin – I know Mike, the crack pipe was your brother’s…..
Baseball Player of the Year
1. Albert Pujols – With Bonds out, the most feared player in the NL…..
2. Derek Lee – Was on Triple Crown pace with no help in the lineup until September…..
3. David Ortiz – The best clutch hitter in baseball but why can’t he play first. Could he really be that much worse than Millar?????
Boxer of the Year
1. Ricky Hatton – Makes HOFer Kostya Tsuzu retire on his stool and then beats Carlos Maussa in an attempt to unify the 140 pound championships…..
2. Winky Wright – Demolishes Felix Trinidad in the performance of the year and then beats Sam Soliman in an entertaining 10 round decision…..
3. Zab Judah – Takes the 147 crown by knocking out Cory Spinks in his hometown of St. Louis…..
College Basketball Player of the Year
1. Danny Granger, New Mexico – The do-everything All-American that singlehandedly carried the Lobos into the NCAA Tournament…..
2. Andrew Bogut, Utah – When was the last time the 2 best players in the country came from the WAC?
3. Deron Williams, Illinois – The best player on the best team in the country…..
College Football Player of the Year
1. Reggie Bush, USC – Most exciting college player since….. Barry Sanders?
2. Vince Young, Texas – Great Rose Bowl, even better regular season…..
3. Matt Leinhart, USC – Dangerously close to a 2nd Heisman…..
Golfer of the Year
1. Tiger Woods –Will be the All-Time majors leader by the age of 35…..
2. Michael Campbell – Won the US Open and the World Matchplay Championship…..
3. Vijay Singh – Earned over $8 million and won 7 times…..
Pro Football Player of the Year
1. Tom Brady, NE – Won a 3rd Super Bowl in Feb. and led a decimated squad to a division title in 05-06
2. Peyton Manning – Has stats like Marino, will the playoff results continue to be similar…..
3. Shaun Alexander – Great but selfish last year, simply great this year…..
Soccer Player of the Year
1. Ronaldinho, Barcelona – The best player of this generation?
2. Frank Lampard, Chelsea - Led the Blues to an easy EPL Championship…..
3. Thierry Henry, Arsenal – Scored 25 goals in an injury plagued season…..
Men’s Tennis Player of the Year
1. Roger Federer – won 22 straight finals until losing the 2005 Masters Cup Final…..
2. Rafael Nadal – Will break the Spanish trend by winning a non-clay Grand Slam next year…..
3. Lleyton Hewitt – Still enormously talented, still an as*hole…..
Woman’s Tennis Player of the Year
1. Kim Clisters – Congrats on finally getting a slam…..
2. Lindsay Davenport - 2 Grand Slam Finals and the #1 ranking…..
3. Mary Pierce – I thought she retired, I was wrong…..
That’s it for now – if you have some opinions, send them to theragingmiser@gmail.com
Have a happy holiday season and a big goodbye to BK, who is moving back to Fubbalo.
Goodbye and Good Luck.
The Raging Miser
Send any comments to theragingmiser@gmail.com
So Gary Barnett is out at Colorado, I wonder if Rick Neuheisel will be considered for the position…..Did anyone watch the conference championships – me either…..Since when does the Heisman Trophy only invite three candidates to New York City – even if Brady Quinn and Michael Robinson have no chance to win the trophy, they deserve the right to attend the ceremony…..How unmotivated is Oregon going to be against Oklahoma in the Holiday Bowl…..Congrats to Ron Prince being hired at Kansas State – but good luck trying to follow Bill Snyder…..If the officials in the Michigan – PSU game had not given Lloyd Carr an extra 2 seconds for still incomprehensible reasons, there would be the now annual 3 undefeated team uproar. This would leave Penn State/USC as the 2 most deserving teams with Texas on the wayside…..
The 5 most fun games to watch of the bowl season:
- Rose - USC vs. Texas
The game of the century – for this year anyway…..
- Sun - UCLA vs. Northwestern
The only question is which team will score 50 first…..
- Cotton – Texas Tech vs. Alabama
Great offense versus great defense…..
- Capital One – Wisconsin vs. Auburn
Barry Alvarez’s last game vs. an underrated Auburn team…..
- Fiesta - Notre Dame vs. Ohio State
Are the Oregon players going to watch this game – I doubt it…..
The 5 worst games to watch of the bowl season:
- Fort Worth – Kansas vs. Houston
With Danny Manning and Wilt Chamberlin versus Elvin Hayes and Akeem Olajuwon, this should be a great matchup – Oh this is a football game, never mind…..
- New Orleans – South. Miss. vs. Ark St.
Does anyone know anything about these 2 teams – I didn’t think so…..
- Music City – Virginia vs. Minnesota
Two underachievers playing in a 3rd tier bowl, though Mahoney is an absolute stud…..
- Emerald – Georgia Tech vs. Utah
How does GT beat Miami and Auburn and go 6-5…..
- Champs Sports – Clemson vs. Colorado
One team has been outscored 130-19 in the last 3 games while the other team has beaten ranked teams in their last 2 games – great matchup…..
My 5 Player Heisman Ballot:
- Reggie Bush, RB USC Who is drooling over him more – SF or the Jets…..
- Vince Young, QB Texas In most of the last 15 years, he would have been the winner…..
- Matt Leinart, QB USC Great player – but NOT the best college quarterback ever…..
- Brady Quinn, QB ND Welcome to the leader of the 2006 Heisman race…..
- Michael Robinson, QB PSU Best leader for the toughest team in the country…..
I would watch the World Baseball Classic – as long as it doesn’t run against March Madness…..Manny Ramirez and 2 prospects for Miguel Tejada would make the Red Sox happy, allow Baltimore to get rid of their unhappy star, and most importantly devastate the Yankees…..Edgar Renteria to Atlanta – a risk but John Schuerholz is the best GM in baseball and who am I to question his thinking…..Do Toronto and the NY Mets seem like the only real participants in the free agent sweepstakes…..How has nobody signed Johnny Damon for 7yrs/84 million? I mean he is the greatest leadoff man of all time…. Anna Benson – nobody cares…..Why is Alfonso Soriano always on the trading block – he is a late 20’s 2nd baseman with 30/30 potential….
Can everyone stop making fun of me about the Pittsburgh selection – how was I to know that Roethlisberger would get hurt in the following day…..With Eric Moulds suspended, does Buffalo even have another receiver besides Lee Evans…..Every AFC playoff team would be the overwhelming favorite to go to the Super Bowl as the NFC representative….Aaron Brooks has stated that he will quit if the Saints move again, don’t let the door hit you on the ass on the way out….Chris Chambers is quickly surpassing Marvin Harrison as the most underrated receiver of this decade…..Can CBS please stop televising all NY Jets games for the rest of the year…..
Picks for the week
Pro Football
CAROLINA – 5 over Tampa Bay best bet
Kansas City + 3 over DALLAS
Oakland – 3 over NY JETS
New England – 4 over BUFFALO
PITTSBURGH – 5.5 over Chicago
Send any comments to theragingmiser@gmail.com
Matt Millen – there has to be a receiver in the top 5 you can take in next year’s draft…..Who had the worse loss – NY, Houston or Washington…..Jay Feely must be miserable but no team committing 11 false start penalties should win anything…..What exactly can Tom Brady do without 2 starting receivers and a starting running back…..Nick Saban, I guess your team actually wants to play out the season…..If Doogie Howser can come back from the dead, why not Brad Johnson…..Ron Dayne, you owed the Giants that much…..Nice putt, Chad Johnson, now beat a real team…..Why do I see Ryan Fitzpatrick chucking bombs to Fitzgerald and Bolden in Arizona next year…...2005 Bears vs. 1985 Bears – is this a joke…..Michael Irvin is arrested for drugs – did he find the leftover stash from Rush Limbaugh…..Last week Norv Turner, this week Marty Schottenheimer beating the Redskins – can Steve Spurrier be far behind…..My Pittsburgh Super Bowl pick is not looking too impressive…..Marvin Harrison shows emotion – story at 11…..
Poor Oregon – it’s a long fall from the BCS to the Holiday Bowl…..LSU is lucky they are playing Georgia and not Auburn in the SEC Championship…..Who was more clutch this weekend; Iowa State or South Florida….Now we are going to be subjected to Colorado-Texas Vol. II – wonderful…..How thrilled is ABC to televise this travesty…..After many road trips to Ohio University, I concur with Frank Solich that there is nothing else to do there but drink…..Every gambler should have known Fresno State was going to have nothing left for this weekend…..Ralph Friedgen - please recruit a quarterback …..By Saturday Night, Rutgers will have a better record than Florida State – Hell has officially frozen over…..
I guess the New York Mets really want the headlines on the back page of the New York Post….. I am deeply relieved that Carlos Delgado will stand for God Bless America, otherwise they shouldn’t have signed him…..I know that Toronto gave J.P. Riccardi some money to spend - but $47 million for B.J. Ryan is a travesty…..Does Esteban Loaiza really close the gap between Oakland and Anaheim – absolutely not …..Johnny Damon wants 7 years/$84 million – so do I…..The Beckett/Clemens comparisons are insane but it is a great pickup for Lucchino or whomever is running the ship in Boston…..My 5 favorite candidates on this year’s hall of fame ballot – Gary DiSarcina, Alex Fernandez, Ozzie Guillen, Walt Weiss, and the greatest minor league player ever, Gregg Jeffries. I just wonder how Rafael Santana missed out…..
For as much crap as Pete Babcock from the Raptors receives, drafting Charlie Villanueva at 7 and trading Rafer Alston for Mike James were 2 solid steps in the right direction…..So Stephon Marbury wants to be a 2 guard. Along with Quentin Richardson and Jamal Crawford – that’s a combined $170 million for an average shooting percentage this year of 42%, which of course excludes retired shooting guard Allan Houston who is collecting over $18 million this year. Simply put – oy vey…..Is it a big surprise that Ruben Patterson went to the University of Cincinnati…..Is this the same Ricky Davis who once purposely missed a layup so he could grab a rebound to try and get a triple double…..Why did Phil Jackson come back again…..Is the Atlantic Division ever going to get better….Did you ever think the day would come where the Clippers and Warriors were 1-2 in their division….
Trading Joe Thornton proves that Boston has given up on their season less than 1/3rd of the way through…...Fred Funk – nice skirt, better performance…..After 15 rounds – the Rangers/Capitals shootout ended on one of the amazing goals you will ever see…..Good show by Ricky Hatton – now it’s time to fight Miguel Cotto or even better Pretty Boy Floyd Mayweather…..Welcome back Martina Hingis, you have been missed…..
Predictions
Bernard Hopkins over Jermaine Taylor – Unanimous Decision
| College Football | Pro Football |
| NAVY -5.5 over Army | Jacksonville – 3 over CLEVELAND |
| HAWAII – 3.5 over San Diego State | NEW ENGLAND -10 over NY Jets
best bet |
| GEORGIA +1.5 over LSU | NY GIANTS – 3 over Dallas |
| VIRGINIA TECH – 13.5 over FSU | CAROLINA – 3 over Atlanta |
West Virginia – 9 over SOUTH FLORIDA
best bet | KC +1 over Denver |
Goodbye and thank you - George Best…..On to better things - Roy Keane, Steve Mariucci, Ken Hatfield…..Get Better Soon - Marc Bulger, Byron Leftwich, Brian Brohm…..
Till we meet again….
Send any comments to theragingmiser@gmail.com
In the Thanksgiving spirit, here is a list of things sports-related for which I have been thankful for this year – well, some of them anyway…..
- The 1st 10 minutes of the first Dick Vitale college basketball broadcast each year. Then, I wish he would return to his permanent office at Cameron Indoor Stadium….
- Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith and Around the Horn, to remind me of the superior quality of Pardon the Interruption…..
- Tony Kornheiser, how is a guy who doesn’t seem to even follow sports so damn comical on that show…..
- For ESPN News, because otherwise I would be forced to watch Sportscenter, otherwise known as amateur comedy hour…..
- To Mike & Mike in the morning for reminding me that not everyone on sports-radio is completely condescending…..
- Bowl Week, the World Cup, and most importantly the 1st 4 days of the NCAA Tournament…...
- Televised poker, since there is nothing else on TV between 2-6 AM…..
- Hockey, because what else would the Outdoor Life Network televise besides for the Tour De France…..
- The best in sports: The Killer Bees, JoePa, College Gameday, The Greek soccer team in Euro’05, Reggie Bush, Chris Demarco, Texas–Michigan, Duke-Maryland, Lance Armstrong (No, I did not root for the Italian guy), Castillo-Corrales I, Utah football, KG & AI, Dwayne & Lebron, the draft summaries by Bill Simmons, watching Bucknell, Vermont, & WVU in the NCAA Tournament, & John McCain for his work in baseball and boxing …..
- The worst in sports: Victor Conte, Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmeiro, Gary Bettman & Bob Goodenow, Bud Selig & Donald Fehr, the entire heavyweight division, Larry & Isiah, Eddy Curry, Phil Mushnick & Skip Bayless (Have either of you ever written anything positive?), TO & Drew, any pro football pre-game show, Castillo-Corrales II…..
- Lou Holtz, because it gives me hope that maybe Jim Harrick or Dave Bliss will someday end up on College Basketball Gameday…..dare to dream…..
- NASCAR, Golf, and Bowling for making sure that I spend a lot of time away from the television…..
- For Tecmo Super Bowl and NHL 94 still being the greatest sports video games ever made…..
- For Scrubs and Arrested Development being the 2 best shows of the last 5 years – never mind…..
- That I don’t actually put money on pro football, except for fantasy of course…..
- To my family and friends for keeping me sane…..
Onto the fun stuff…..Chad Johnson – great game, stupid guarantee…..When Mike McMahon made that run against the Giants – did anyone else instantly think of Randall Cunningham…..My next job should be the QB of the Jets or the Steelers…..Great win by the Bears but they are not winning more than 1 playoff game with that offense…..KC & Texas, that must have brought awesome Sunday night ratings to ESPN…..Thank you to Pittsburgh & Carolina for making my Super Bowl picks look solid…..
You can still buy your firejoepa apparel on-line…..The BCS looks like it will work this year, so everyone lay off until UCLA beats USC next weekend – yeah right…..I guess Reggie Bush really wants the Heisman because 500 yards against a Top 25 Fresno State team will get him there….. Miami, the swagger only has meaning when you beat Georgia Tech…..I think Auburn is the 3rd best team in the country – just like last year minus about $11 million in bowl revenue…..
Gonzaga – Michigan State is a Final Four style game being played in November…..A halftime score of Duke 43 – Seton Hall 13 is not conducive to Louis Orr keeping his job…..How is Kentucky going to score this season…..Bucknell did it again….It’s rare that a team loses three all-conference players and looks better than they did at any point last season, but nicely done Billy Donavan…..I meant to put Ronnie Brewer, not Ronald Steele on my All-American team last week, my deepest apologies to all Razorback fans…..
Predictions:
| College Football | Pro Football |
LOUISVILLE – 35.5 over Syracuse
best bet | San Francisco +8 over TENNESSEE |
| FLORIDA – 5 over Florida State | San Diego – 3 over WASHINGTON |
| Boise State – 6 over LOUISIANA TECH | New Orleans pk over NYJ
best bet |
| KANSAS +2.5 over Iowa State | HOUSTON +3 over St. Louis |
| TEXAS A&M + 26.5 over Texas | Denver +1.5 over DALLAS |
Get better soon, Jiri Fischer and Donovan McNabb….. Goodbye and job well done to Bill Snyder….
Till next week…..
Send any comments to theragingmiser@gmail.com
New format, same betting results...
Why is so much fun to hate the New York Knicks? Well, they follow the most incompetent GM in the league (Scott Layden) with a man who single-handedly ruined the Raptors, the CBA, and kept the Pacers in mediocrity (Isiah Thomas). Let’s rank some of his major moves in the last few years:
5) Traded their only center (Nazi Mohammad) for an overpaid role player (Malik Rose)…..
4) Traded their only rebounder (Kurt Thomas) for a 3 point shooter who benefited from playing with the best starting 5 in the NBA last year (Quentin Richardson)…..
3) Q will now share time with a $55 million chucker with minimal defensive abilities (Jamal Crawford)…..
2) The acquisitions of Vin Baker, Jerome Williams, Eddie Robinson, Maurice Taylor…..
1) The signing of free agent extraordinaire Jerome James for $29 million with the career stats of 4.9 PPG and 3.5 RPG. After less than 5 games as a Knick, James has already earned a permanent DNP…..
Have fun for the next 3 years, Larry Brown.
The 5 most entertaining personalities to read online:
Honorable Mention: Tom Dienhart, Foxsports.com – Tom’s 25
5) Gregg Doyel, CBSSportsline.com - College Basketball Dribbles and Mail
4) Doug Fischer, Maxboxing.com – Massive Monday Mailbag
3) Charley Rosen, FoxSports.com – All pro basketball articles
2) Peter King, CNNSI.com – Monday Morning/Tuesday Morning Quarterback
1) Bill Simmons, ESPN.com – like there is anyone close
College Basketball Preview
Where the dreams will die in March…..
| Sweet 16 | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Runner-Up | Champion |
| Arizona | Louisville | Gonzaga | Duke | Texas |
| Connecticut | Memphis | Villanova | | |
| George Washington | Nevada | | | |
| Maryland | UCLA | | | |
| Kentucky | | | | |
| Michigan State | | | | |
| Ohio State | | | | |
| Oklahoma | | | | |
All-Americans
| 1st Team | 2nd Team | 3rd Team |
| G Daniel Horton, Texas | Gerry McNamara, Syracuse | Chris Hernandez, Stanford |
| G JJ Redick, Duke | Dee Brown, Illinois | Ronald Steele, Alabama |
| F Craig Smith, BC | Taquan Dean, Louisville | Pops Mensah-Bonsu, George Washington |
| F Adam Smith, Gonzaga | Paul Davis, Michigan State | Rodney Carney, Memphis |
| C Nick Fazekas, Nevada | Sheldon Williams, Duke | Eric Williams, Wake Forest |
Player of the Year – Daniel Horton, Texas
Coach of the Year – Ben Howland, UCLA
Football Picks
| College | Pro |
| UMD +2.5 over Boston College | Carolina – 3 over CHICAGO
best bet |
| Fresno State + 23.5 over USC | NEW ENGLAND – 9 over New Orleans |
OREGON -13.5 over Oregon State
best bet |
DENVER – 13.5 over NY Jets |
| IOWA – 4.5 over Minnesota | Pittsburgh – 3.5 over BALTIMORE |
| Penn State – 7.5 over MSU | Miami +2.5 over CLEVELAND |
Goodbye to Bill Snyder, Eddie Guerrero, Bob Tisch and Steve Courson…..
Happy Thanksgiving……
Send any comments to theragingmiser@gmail.com
I’m with you Donovan,
Did anyone else smile just a little bit after Brian Westbrook signed a contract well over his true value…..Drew Rosenhaus, is it true that all publicity is good publicity….Dick Vermeil, gutsy play…. Ty Law is still trying to catch LT….The 4th quarter goal line stand saved the Charger’s season…..I love the Giants but the Panthers are the best team in the NFC…..Tom Benson or Bill Bidwell – does it really matter……Who has had a worse past 2 years – Chad Pennington or Kris Jenkins…..T.O. is waived by the Eagles and picked up by the Texans, Packers or even better the 49er’s - dare to dream…..Did Joe Theismann actually just say that Philly is no worse than last year, just the divisional teams are better? Joe, do you actually listen to yourself…..I just assumed Michael Bennett was injured…..Charlie Batch actually won a game, Jeff George your time is coming soon….Andy Reid, why was Westbrook out of the game on 4th and 4 with 2 minutes to go…..My condolences to Trent Green and Leonard Little…..Who has taught the tackling techniques to the Tennessee Titans (Say that 5 times)…..Where are the fireworks for Curtis Martin’s 100th touchdown…..In memory, Happy 29th B-Day and thank you – Pat Tillman…..
Midseason picks:
MVP – LaDamian Tomlinson …..Honorable Mention - Edgerrin James, Carson Palmer, Dwight Freeney, Tiki Barber, Steve Smith
Coach of the Year – John Fox…..Honorable Mention – Tony Dungy, Tom Coughlin, Marvin Lewis
Coach most likely to be Fired – Mike Martz…..Others that should be packing – Brian Billick, Dom Capers, Mike Sherman
Rookie of the Year – Ronnie Brown…..Honorable Mention – Cadillac Williams, Odell Thurman, Heath Miller, Chris Henry
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NFC Playoff Teams | AFC Playoff Teams |
| Divisional Winners | Wild Card | Divisional Winners | Wild Card |
| NY Giants | Philadelphia | New England | Cincinnati |
| Chicago | Atlanta | Pittsburgh | San Diego |
| Seattle | | Denver | |
| Carolina | | Indianapolis | |
Championship Games - Carolina over NY Giants, Pittsburgh over Indianapolis
Super Bowl XL – Carolina over Pittsburgh
Thanks for making me look like I have a clue, Marcus Vick…..I guess a 45 point 3rd quarter deficit is a bit much even for UCLA to overcome…..How much does the BCS want a Notre Dame – Penn State matchup ….The laughter over Bill Callahan’s coaching is heard loudest in Athens, Ohio…..I guess the BCS dream of Rutgers is gone – Let’s go South Florida….The top 4 Heisman choices of Bush, Young, Leinhart and Quinn are not changing and I have nothing to say about them for now so this part of the rant will be written every other week for the remainder of the season…..Why do Miami alumni consistently refer to their school as the U…..If Strom Thurmond can be a Senator at age 100, JoePa may not be a done for a long time…..Can anyone figure out NC State…..
Mo, AI and the Gang, why leave the best 3 point shooter in the East open down 3 with in the last few seconds…..I knew I should have traded for TJ Ford in my fantasy league…..Why is watching the Knicks suffer so much damn fun…..Don’t worry Larry, the Pistons may be able to survive without you…..Did anyone know Dennis Rodman was playing in the Finnish League? Did anyone know there was a Finnish League.....He has been a good sport but it may be time for Minnesota to seriously consider trading Kevin Garnett…..
Jeff Lacy is currently the most fun active fighter to watch – now please go fight Calzaghe, Tarver or Johnson…..Would anyone pay for a Byrd – Ruiz championship fight – I didn’t think so …..Shane Mosley vs. Fernando Vargas would have been a great fight in 2001, not in 2006…..Is Naseed Hamed really coming back – as what, a heavyweight…..Maxboxing.com is by far the best boxing website on the net….Rocky VI, jeez Sly why not just go all out and make Rambo IV – gulp…..Nice to see the Marquez brothers still exist…..Can Douglass/Owens take the place of Klitschko/Rahman…..
Great header by Darren Fletcher to lead Manchester United over Chelsea, breaking the Blues 40 game undefeated streak in the EPL….How is a marathon decided by less that a tenth of a second…..And the Tour Championship winner is Bart Bryant – who…..Congratulations to JK for finishing the NYC Marathon – better you than me…..When did Jaromir Jagr decide to start caring again….. If Dan Shaughnessy’s column in last Sunday’s Boston Globe actually brought about Sir Theo’s resignation, that is simply hilarious…..San Diego offering a 2 year $10 million deal to Trevor Hoffman is an embarrassment…..Bartolo Colon should have lost the Cy Young to either Mariano Rivera or Johan Santana…..
A few responses from last week…
Jeff from NYC - “First off, you are an idiot. Second, the DDT from Jake the Snake Roberts is the best finisher ever in wrestling. True???” Umm, okay. If Exree Hipp can graduate from Maryland…never mind. The coolest finishing move I have ever seen is the “Canadian Destroyer” (a forward flip piledriver) by Petey Williams from TNA wrestling (Yes, his name is Petey). Unless Ric Flair is involved, the WWE is unwatchable in comparison to TNA.
Jeff from Virginia - “Good rant last week, you gave no props to the Big Ten which I know you hate, but how could you pick Wisc over Penn St?” Stupid pick, I thought Calhoun would run through them but at least I got Virginia Tech and Rutgers right….. on the other hand, maybe I should put the 900 number on hold. Thanks WVU. As for the other part, every year the Big Ten receives more mainstream press than any other conference and consistently doesn’t live up to the hype. Since the inception of the BCS in 1998, they have produced 1 champion (OSU – 2002) and one at-large BCS team (Michigan - 1999). To be fair, the conference has produced some exceptional games this year (PSU/Michigan. Minnesota/Wisconsin, Minnesota/Michigan, Northwestern/Iowa).
Goodbye to Jay Reso, Priest Holmes, Vitali Klitschko and the 2 Carolina Panther cheerleaders (but what a way to go…..)
Picks are back next week – I need a break and a beer in no particular order….
TRM
Send any comments to theragingmiser@gmail.com
Interesting week…...
How exactly are the Dodgers supposed to maintain stability when they are firing their GM every two years….. I don’t see too many teams lining up to acquire Rafael Palmeiro in free agency…..If Mike Schmidt becomes the manager of Tampa Bay, I will know more people on Tampa’s coaching staff than their current roster…..Did anyone really think Ozzie Guillen would retire…..If Bobby Valentine really thinks his Chiba Lotte Marines can beat the White Sox, I would watch as long as Tim McCarver is not commentating….. Who leaked the huge secret that Manny Ramirez wants a trade – Larry Lucchino or Scooter Libby….. Poor Theo, 1.5 million just isn’t enough…..ARod playing illegal poker does not exactly give him the street cred of AI……
Frank Beamer must have been disgusted watching Oklahoma State’s 2nd half collapse…..UCLA comes back from a double digit deficit in the 4th quarter – what else is new….. The last time Rutgers was bowl eligible, no player on their current roster was alive…..Tennessee is the most disappointing team in college football this year…..I don’t care if Charlie Weis is signed through 2015, he will be in the NFL by the end of the decade…..When was the last time that an Oklahoma-Nebraska game was irrelevant within the Big XII Conference…..Has any conference been more overrated over the past decade than the Big Ten…..What happened to Ty Willingham’s $40 million extension after an 8-0 start in 2000…..Maybe Fisher Deberry could get away with his recent antics when Air Force was annually 9-3, not 3-6……
Thank you for everything, Wellington Mara…..Impressive performances by Philly, Washington and Minnesota…..The Redskins are lucky that the Giants did not score 50…..Tiki Barber and Warrick Dunn are 2 of the 5 best running backs in the NFL this year….I guess Denver has gotten over last weeks 4th quarter collapse…..Can we all jump off of the Philly bandwagon now…..Steve Smith has been the best receiver in the NFL this season…..I guess JJ Arrington is not the steal of the draft…..Solid tackling, Pacman…..Can any member of the Rams organization remain healthy…..I can’t watch any pre-game shows, they are all brutally dull….. Get healthy soon, Dwayne Causwell and Daunte Culpepper….
Quick NBA Preview
Eastern Conference Playoff Teams – Indiana*, NJ*, Miami*, Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Washington, Orlando…..
Western Conference Playoff Teams - San Antonio*, Phoenix*, Denver*, Dallas, Seattle, Houston, Utah, Golden State…..
Conference Finals – Indiana over Miami, San Antonio over Houston…..
NBA Finals – Indiana over San Antonio…..
3 Biggest Surprises – Orlando, Golden State, Atlanta
3 Biggest Disappointments – Sacramento, Los Angeles (either team), the entire Atlantic Division…..
MVP – Jermaine O’Neal…..also consider Tim Duncan, Tracy McGrady, Lebron James….. Long Shot – Vince Carter
Rookie of the Year – Deron Williams…..also consider Chris Paul, Rashad McCants, Hakim Warrick…..Long Shot – Sarunas Jasikeviicius
Most Improved Player – Al Jefferson…..also consider Josh Smith, Jarvis Hayes, Raja Bell…..Long Shot – Mike James
Coach of the Year – George Karl…..also consider Jerry Sloan, Rick Carlisle, Brian Hill…..Long Shot – Mike Montgomery
Picks of the week:
College Football (7-7-1)- year, (1-4) - week
RUTGERS -3 South Florida The Cinderella season continues for the Scarlet Knights….. Rutgers 24 – SFU 13
Wisconsin + 10.5 PENN STATE The best player in the Big Ten leads Barry Alvarez to the top of the conference….. Wisconsin 20 – PSU 16
VTECH -6.5 Miami Kyle Wright or Marcus Vick in Blacksburg??? I thought so….. V Tech 23 – Miami 10
WVU -14 UConn I would rather watch these teams play basketball….. WVU 34 – UConn 13
Iowa -2.5 NORTHWESTERN It’s time for the Hawkeye’s annual late season surge….. Iowa 31 – Northwestern 23
The most deserving Heisman 5
1. Reggie Bush (USC) – The national all-purpose yards leader should pad his stats against Stanford…..
2. Vince Young (Texas) – 500 total yards and leading a 2nd half comeback on the road is not going to hurt his candidacy…..
3. Matt Leinart (USC) – His only chance to repeat will be based upon games against Cal and UCLA……
4. Brady Quinn (ND) – If he turns down a potential top 3 selection in the 2006 draft, here is your preseason frontrunner for next year…..
5. Brian Calhoun (Wisconsin) – He has single-handedly carried the Badgers into Happy Valley atop the Big Ten…..
Pro Football: (6-9) – year, (1-4) - week
San Diego -6 NY JETS Philip Rivers gets a closer look at the team he may play for in 2006….. SD 26 - NY 12
Carolina -1.5 TAMPA Chris Simms and an injured Cadillac will not move the ball against the Carolina D..... Carolina 16 – TB 14
NEW ENGLAND +3 Indianapolis Road Monday Night favorites NEVER cover….. NE 26 - Indy 23
Seattle -4 ARIZONA The quietest 5-2 team in the NFL roll over the Boldin-less Cards….. Seattle 27 - Arizona 16
Best of luck to Russ Granik, Casey Martin and Pavel Bure…..
Until next week…..
Send any comments to theragingmiser@gmail.com
And this is the way we roll…..
Leo Mazzone – welcome home…..so how much are the Mets, Angels & Red Sox going to offer Paul Konerko…..Is it wrong as a sports fan that my favorite player in MLB is involved in this series and yet I have no interest….. I don’t like Tim McCarver but good call on Bagwell being crafty in not getting out of the way of the HBP in inning 7 of Game 1….. Worst comparison I have heard so far – Bobby Jenks to Mariano Rivera, btw has Harold Miner reached Michael Jordan status yet (OK – Houston just tied game 2 off of BJ in the bottom of the 9th of Game 2 – maybe he is not quite there)…..If Scott Podsednik and Geoff Blum are hitting game-winning homeruns, the Astros could have Nolan Ryan, Mike Scott and J.R. Richard warming up and it won’t matter…..Who in the hell is Bud Selig to negate home field advantage….. “In the time that this game has taken, you can fly from Baltimore to Iceland” - thank you Tim McCarver…..Great Game 3, I wish it didn’t end at 2:20 AM…..Hey Phil Garner, are you going to kick my dog while he is down as well…..I guess Houston may have missed Carlos Beltran’s offense just a little bit in the WS – then again, Beltran didn’t exactly earn his salary this year…..Congratulations White Sox, I am glad that its over……
Brad Smith – that is a sickening performance …..Pink visiting locker rooms at Iowa – straight up bush league….. I hope nobody took my advice on Penn State having a hangover…SEC – just because the games are close does not mean they are well played…..DJ Shockley & Kellen Clemons – if you are done then so are your school’s BCS dreams….. I guess Brady Quinn must have really wanted to make my top 5 Heisman list…..Did anyone really think Texas Tech was a top 10 team…..Randy Walker is the most under-rated coach in the country…..Don’t worry Syracuse, Duke, Illinois, & Oklahoma (I would not be celebrating a 2ot home victory over Baylor) fans - college hoops is a month away…...Gary Barnett is getting a contract extension – I wonder if Rick Neuheisel finds this as funny as I do…..
I guess Cinci isn’t there yet…..Great drive Eli – now win one on the road…..Dallas, that was just a sickening way to lose a game …..SD – How can you be one of the 3 best teams in the league and have a losing record…..Who looked happier – Michael Strahan, Paul Edinger or Josh Brown….. To the people vandalizing Tommy Maddox’s house and harassing his kids, grow up and get a life…..I didn’t think Washington would score 50 points in a month, let alone in a weekend…..Its kind of sad to see San Francisco with the 5th nest football team in California, or 7th if you include the 2 high school teams ranked in the top 25 in the USA Today…..Nice to see a Viking crying out of elation instead of disappointment….No, you couldn’t pay me to watch Michael Irvin interview Keyshawn Johnson…..
Marcus Camby wants a clothing stipend – well if $10 million won’t feed Spreewell’s family then I can certainly see how Camby’s salary of $8.5 million would be just as problematic…… Carmelo Anthony wants a max contract – I am not sure either…..Can the NBA go 1 week without an occurrence to further sully its reputation…..Grant Hill, get healthy soon…..So Sam Cassell and Cuttino Mobley are going to mentor Shaun Livingston, I am sure that will change the winning atmosphere in Clipperland…..
Hey Freddy Adu – maybe turning down Seria A was not the best idea…..Michelle Wie –welcome to the big leagues…..Rafael Nadal has 11 titles this year and absolutely no chance at number 1….. I want to see Colorado’s reaction to Todd Bertuzzi upon his return….. Does anyone pay extra for the insider information at ESPN, Sporting News, CBS Sportsline….just makes me like CNNSI.com even more…Arsenal, that penalty kick was hysterical….. Tiger didn’t make the cut at Disney – does this mean the rest of the tournament isn’t televised…..How does a team with Mario Lemieux, John Le Clair, Marc Recchi and rookie sensation Sidney Crosby be winless after 9 games…..And yes, there is now an opera about Nancy Kerrigan and Tanya Harding – the world is truly a cesspool…..Sheryl Swoopes, best of luck…..
The best response to last week’s rant….Mike from Maryland’s response to my brilliant pick of the Ravens “Baltimore?!?! Never predict Baltimore to do well in anything other than use of crack, use of heroin, and venereal disease.”
Picks of the week:
College Football (6-3-1)- year, (2-2-1) - week
Boston College +13.5 VTECH BC had their one blowout loss this season , this one will be much closer…..
Virginia Tech 27 – BC 17
OREGON STATE – 7.5 Arizona Arizona would have lost by 50 if Clemons doesn’t get hurt up 21-0 in the 1st……
Beavers 37 – Arizona 13
Utah State + 34.5 ALABAMA With their injuries on offense, the Tide are not scoring 35 points on anyone…..
Roll Tide 28 – Utah State 6
Missouri -4 KANSAS Mizzou plays for the Big XII North while Mangino remains a lame duck…..
Tigers 26 – Rock Chalk 16
GEORGIA TECH -3 Clemson Has firetommybowden.com been registered yet…..
GT 24 – Clemson 20
The most deserving Heisman 5
1. Reggie Bush (USC) – Just watch the punt return against Washington on loop, most fun college player to watch since…..I’ve got nothing
2. Vince Young (Texas) –Vince, Reggie, Vince, Reggie – ok you make the call…..
3. Matt Leinart (USC) – Dwayne Jarrett made you look really good this past weekend…..
4. Brady Quinn – If your team is in the BCS, we will see you at the Heisman ceremony……
5. Elvis Dumervil (Louisville) – Next week this position will go to Maurice Drew, D’Angelo Williams or Laurence Mahoney, but one last hurrah to the best defensive player in the country this year…..
Pro Football: (5-5) – year, (1-4) - week
After my brilliant picks last week – have fun with these…..
CINCI. -7.5 Green Bay The Bengals recover from a humbling loss against a depleted Packers team…..
Cincinnati 27 – GB 13
SD -4.5 Kansas City The Chargers season either starts or ends this week – as my SB pick, I assume the former……
San Diego 31 – KC 23
Philadelphia +3 DENVER Philly’s offense will have to catch up to their defense at some point…..
Philadelphia 24 – Denver 19
Arizona +7.5 DALLAS Julius Jones’ durability has put a potentially solid season for the Cowboys into peril…..
Dallas 16 – Arizona 10
PITTSBURGH -8.5 Baltimore Hard to believe that the Ravens were a pre-season Super Bowl Contender…..
Pittsburgh 26 - Baltimore 7
That’s enough for this week – I am gone like Brad Lidge’s aura….. Send any comments to theragingmiser@gmail.com
And like the prodigal son I have returned….
Between the 4th quarters of PSU/Michigan & USC/ND, the best hour of college football that I can remember…..Hey ND fans, I assume the crying over the loss of Urban Meyer is over…..I am formally applying for the special team coaching positions at Minnesota & Michigan State…..Did anyone really think Florida State was national championship caliber, thank you Marques Hagans….. Pete Carrill, why do I think you have seen the fake spike call before (Ah… the Dan Marino days – good, good times)…. Why exactly do people prefer the NFL to this…..For the love of God please take Lou Holtz off of my television…..Louisville is now 0-2 in the Big Least, are you kidding me…..
Tedy Bruschi, please take the season off and bring Tommy Maddox with you…..Can the Saints be any less lucky…..Has Marvin Harrison ever been interviewed on camera …..Can I have LT on my fantasy team – just once…..Tom Coughlin, why was Brandon Jacobs running the ball on the road with 2 minutes remaining…..Bueller, Bueller, I mean Lavar Arrington….. Bill Romanowski, please stop crying – I am not buying your damn book….Hey Onterrio, congrats on winning the Rae Carruth man of the year award…..
RIP Jason Collier….Eddy Curry, are you paying attention…..Amare, nice of you to get the surgery less than a week after signing the $70 million contract…..Since Toronto lost to the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv, can we just have them change leagues…..who deserves less of my attention, Peter Vescey or Stephen A Smith…..Goodbye Allen Houston, I can’t wait to see where Isiah spends your money…..
Has any player in recent memory brought as much universal dislike as AJ Pierzynski…..Albert Pujols, meet Dave Henderson - ok maybe not so much….If the Cubs and Rangers play in the 2006 World Series, I never want to hear another word about curses …..Is anyone going to score more than 4 runs in the World Series…..Can I PLEASE stop hearing about the genius of Tony LaRussa…..St. Louis fans are pure class…..Houston is just damn resilient ….. Where exactly was this Jose Contreras when he was a Yankee…..Clemens, Pettitte & Oswalt – 6 out of 7 games, Good Luck Chisox…..
Good bye and good luck, Brett Hull…..Get better soon, Ken Hamlin…..Congrats James Blake…..Good try, Israeli World Cup soccer team…..
Picks of the week:
Baseball (1-1)
Bagwell, Biggio or Frank Thomas – gee who do I think deserves this more…..and with this staff it will become a reality…..
Houston in 6 powered by a Gibsonesque walk-off homer from Mr. Bagwell (Come on, you know you want to see it happen)…..
College Football (4-1)
Rutgers +3 vs. CONNECTICUT Rutgers to the Insight / Meineke Car Care Bowl - who knew…..
Rutgers 27 – UConn 23
ILLINOIS +16.5 vs. Penn State
The Michigan hangover will be harsh – luckily they play the Illini.
PSU 23 – Illinois 10
Tennessee +3 vs. ALABAMA
The defenses will rule this hate-fest & Prothro’s absence is too much…..
Tenn. 16 – Roll Tide 14
Vanderbilt + 8 vs. SC
I know this is a scary pick, but don’t we all want to see Vandy go to a bowl….. Vandy 23 – Spurriers 21
Oregon -9 vs. ARIZONA
Just a bad year for the Stoops Brothers….. Oregon 35 – Arizona 13
The most deserving Heisman 5
1. Vince Young (Texas) – I would pay to watch him play Marcus Vick in the Rose Bowl, unfortunately one of these teams won’t be there…..
2. Reggie Bush (USC) – The best player in the best game I have ever seen…..
3. Matt Leinart (USC) – Take a breather and pad your stats against the Huskies…..
4. Elvis Dumervil (Louisville) – He has 15 sacks and 7 forced fumbles through double coverage in 6 games…..
5. Cody Hodges (Texas Tech) - This weekend’s game at Texas will prove his legitimacy – one way or another…...
Pro Football: (4-1)
Indy - 15 vs. HOUSTON
Which is higher? Houston’s total points or the amount of sacks by Dwight Freeney…..
Indy. 31 – Houston 3
CINCINNATI – 1 vs. Pittsburgh
With Ward and Roethlisberger hurt, this is the Bengals time…..
Cinci. 27 – Pittsburgh 16
N.Y. GIANTS – 1.5 vs. Denver
Does anyone really trust Jake Plummer in a big road game? Me either…..
NY Giants 27 – Denver 23
Baltimore +1 vs. CHICAGO
Kyle Orton versus an angry Ravens Defense, good luck with that…..
Baltimore 13 – Chicago 10
S.F. +12 vs. WASHINGTON
The Redskins will not participate in any game this season in double digits……
Washington 16 – S.F. 10
Send any comments to theragingmiser@gmail.com Until next week, I am finished like House of Pain……
The one-liners of the miser….
Hey, Brian Billick, are you missing the good old days of Randall Cunningham, Robert Smith, Randy Moss and Cris Carter.....Have the New York Giants ever had a more entertaining offense…..Why do I get the feeling that San Diego has never regretted the Michael Vick/ LT trade…..As much as I love Maryland graduates, Mike Tice just doesn’t seem to get it.....After losing by 49 to a winless team without their Pro Bowl running back or wide receiver, the built-in excuse for the Saints is over.....
Would there have been anything better than Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens pitching games 1 & 2 of the WS at Yankee Stadium…..There is now a 27 yr old GM in MLB, when exactly did I get old…..Does anyone really think that Sam Perlozzo is going to be the answer in Baltimore…. Classy move by Mike Sciosia and his team not to dwell on that awful 3rd strike call – playoff instant replay, anyone…..Joe Torre, please come back…..
USC/Notre Dame, Penn State/Michigan, LSU/Florida, Ohio State/Michigan State, WVU/ Louisville – tomorrow is the best day of college football this year…..V Tech is the 2nd best team in the country but has the most difficult road to Pasadena…..Has the Big 10 ever lived up to expectations…..Maurice Drew is the best running back in college football…...Has there ever been a better catch than Tyrone Prothro against South Carolina (sorry Charlie Rogers)….
RIP Levander Johnson…..Chris Byrd vs. Davarryl Williamson – watch this fight and you will no longer wonder why boxing has such a small fanbase …..Jose Luis Castillo is a warrior but showing up 3.5 pounds over the weight limit is blatant cheating…..Is there any appealing fight left this year besides Hopkins/Taylor II (No, Klitschko/Rahman is not very interesting)…..
AI wearing Ralph Lauren, I can see it now…..John Paxson, you are a class act…..30 million for Jerome James, somewhere Jim McIlvaine, Jon Koncak, and Chris Dudley are nodding their approval…..Poor, Poor, Poor Chris Bosh …..Why are Duke players such mediocre professionals (Grant Hill excluded)
Hockey is back and better than ever, but does anyone care about a potential Nashville/Florida Stanley Cup…..When is poker getting its own channel…..How do 5 Argentinean tennis players get caught for doping within such a short duration…..Is the World Cup really going to include a country called Togo….Tommy FREAKING Moe……
Picks of the week:
Baseball
Houston in 6
California in 6
College Football
USC 38 – ND 21
Brady Quinn, meet the real Heisman candidates
Louisville 41 – WVU 23
The winner is the overwhelming favorite to go to the BCS
LSU 17 - Florida 13
Urban Meyer, you are not playing at UNLV anymore
Ohio State 20 – Michigan State 17
Has there been a Ted Ginn sighting?
Michigan 23 – Penn State 16
Sorry JoePa, firelloydcarr.com takes a 1 week hiatus
Pro Football
Seattle 37 – Houston 13
David Carr – request a trade please
Cincinnati 27 – Tennessee 17
Carson Palmer continues his MVP roll
Baltimore 20 – Cleveland 7
Will anyone watch this game?
NY Giants 31 – Dallas 24
Who figured this would be the game of the week?
Buffalo 20 – NY Jets 10
Vinny is just keeping the seat warm for Jacobs, Young, Leinart ???
If you want to argue – bring it on. Send any comments to theragingmiser@gmail.com Until then, I am gone like Manny Ramirez.
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