NFL: Week Four Storylines

5.) Buffalo Bills v Cincinnati Bengals- The Buffalo Bills are in sole possession of first place in the AFC East. Don’t believe it? Yeah, me neither. The Bills are 3-0, and Ryan Fitzpatrick is making himself look like the best quarterback to come through Buffalo since Jim Kelly (Sorry, Doug Flutie). If the Bills play as well in this week as they have all season, it will be a blowout. However, the Bengals defense is no pushover, and Andy Dalton is starting to look like a solid NFL quarterback. If the Bills win in Cincy, they will go 4-0 for the first time since 2008. 

4.) Pittsburgh Steelers v Houston Texans- At the start of the season, many people were predicting that this be the year that the Houston Texans make the leap from good team to playoff team. So far the Texans are 2-1 after losing a shootout to the New Orleans Saints last Sunday. This week, the Texans face another test in the Steelers. It is said if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best, and last year the Steelers were the best in the AFC. If the Texans can knock a potential playoff team down a peg and beat Pittsburgh, it will send a message throughout the league that this year is the year for the Texans. 

3.) New England Patriots v Oakland Raiders- Last week gave us a four interception performance from Tom Brady and a 200+ rushing day for Darren McFadden. This week, the Patriots look to bounce back from a devastating loss to the Bills as the Raiders are riding high after beating the New York Jets and their “unstoppable” defense. Its never a good sign when a team flies across the country after a bad loss, so the Raiders are in prime position to capitalize and send a statement throughout the league that the silver and black is back. 

2.) Detroit Lions v Dallas Cowboys- The Lions are 3-0 for the first time in my lifetime. The Cowboys are coming off a tight win against Washington on Monday Night Football. Detroit has been the comeback kids of this young season, but their wins have come against Minnesota, Tampa Bay, and Kansas City. The Cowboys represent the best team that Detroit has seen in the first four weeks, and a win in Dallas would be huge for the young Detroit team. 

1.) New York Jets v Baltimore Ravens- Rex Ryan makes his triumphant return to Baltimore, the place he was passed over for head coach three years ago. The Ravens went with John Harbaugh, and since then they’ve been in the playoffs every year. This season the Ravens and Jets have both had games where they look like Super Bowl contenders, and also games where they look like they won’t even sniff the playoffs. The Ravens demolished the Steelers in week one, only to lose a game to the below-average Tennessee Titans in week two. The Jets started off 2-0 before being run into the ground by the Raiders last week. Forecasts for Sunday night show 40 degrees and rain, and you know what that means; alot of defense, and alot of running the ball. Winner of this game will take a huge step forward towards the playoffs, while the loser will be left at .500 entering week five. 

MLB: 2011 Playoff Predictions

AL- Division Series

Yankees over Tigers (5 games)

Rangers over Rays (4 games)

AL- Championship Series

Yankees over Rangers (6 games)

NL- Division Series

Phillies over Cardinals (3 games)

Brewers over Diamondbacks (4 games)

NL- Championship Series

Brewers over Phillies (7 games)

MLB World Series 

Yankees over Brewers (6 games)

NFL: Week Three Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers (3-0)- The defending Super Bowl champs did it again last week against the Bears. The defense looked much better than in weeks past, but evidence shows that a Pee-Wee football team could get pressure on Jay Cutler with his offensive line. The game was dominated by the Packers, but a phantom holding call on a Johnny Knox punt return touchdown hindered the Bears comeback attempt. Green Bay gets another easy opponent in the Denver Broncos before visiting Atlanta in week five. 

Last Week- #1

2. New England Patriots (2-1)- How happy were fans everywhere thats not Boston after Tom Brady threw four interceptions to the Bills? Buffalo showed that the Patriots can be beat if you apply pressure to the quarterback and attack the weak secondary of New England. They only remain number two on the list because the Jets lost a pathetic game to the Raiders, who the Patriots visit this week. 

Last Week- #2

3. Baltimore Ravens (2-1)- The way the Ravens have played this year is the perfect symbol for this NFL season. Every week shows a different type of team. The Ravens dominated the injury riddled St. Louis Rams last week, its yet to be seen if the Ravens and Joe Flacco are actually this good, or if they are just capable of destroying bad teams. They face a key AFC battle with the New York Jets this Sunday night, with the winner moving to 3-1 and the loser having their playoff hopes hurt. 

Last Week- #6

4. New Orleans Saints (2-1)- The Saints have a message for the NFL: don’t bet against Drew Brees, ever. Brees won a shootout with Matt Schaub and the Texans in New Orleans last Sunday to move on to 2-1 on the year. The defense proved yet again that they are a work in progress, but just like the Patriots and Packers, the Saints will win games if it rests on the shoulders of the quarterback. 

Last Week- #5

5. New York Jets (2-1)- Can you tell me the last time a team ran for 200+ yards against a defense that Rex Ryan worked on? You have to go all the way back to the 1995 Cardinals, where Ryan was an assistant coach under his father Buddy. Darren McFadden torched the Jets defense on the ground, and Antonio Cromartie did his best to hand the game over to the Raiders with four defensive penalties and a fumble on a kick return which set up the Raiders go-ahead touchdown. Lost in the headlines was Mark Sanchez, who threw for a career best 369 yards, even with a broken nose that occured on a non-call hands to the face by Jarvis Moss. The Jets go to Baltimore this Sunday night in a game that will have playoff ramifications already. 

Last Week- #3

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1)- Are the Steelers good? I’m not sold on them yet. Pittsburgh needed a last second field goal to defeat the awful Indianapolis Colts in Indy. The win was important, however, as it kept them tied for first place in the AFC North with the Ravens and Cleveland Browns. 

Last Week- #7

7. Detroit Lions (3-0)- Detroit are this years comeback kids. Entering halftime down 20-0, the Lions and Matt Stafford came all the way back to defeat the Minnesota Vikings 26-23 in overtime. I’m not sure if they won because their that good or because the Vikings refused to hand the ball off to Adrian Peterson with a 20-point lead, but if Stafford stays healthy and continues to throw touchdowns to Calvin Johnson, the Lions will keep moving up in the rankings. 

Last Week- #10

8. Philadelphia Eagles (1-2)- How about that “Dream Team”? The Eagles showed again that they didn’t improve enough on the offensive line to become a dominant team. Mike Vick got hurt again, this time with a “bruised hand”. How much longer can the Eagles turn to Mike Kafka and remain in the top 10? Not long. 

Last Week- #4

9. Buffalo Bills (3-0)- The Bills played their Super Bowl on Sunday, defeating the Patriots on a last second field goal after being down 21-0. If the Bills can maintain solid play on offense, then they will make the playoffs, i guarantee it. However, the defense will lose them games, even if they did pick Brady off four times. 

Last Week- Not Ranked 

10. Chicago Bears (1-2)- I had to choose between the Bears and the Atlanta Falcons for the #10 spot in this weeks rankings. I went with the Bears only because Matt Ryan is having an awful season so far. The Bears will live and die with Jay Cutler, but if he doesn’t get more time in the pocket then they will lose, alot, this year. 

Last Week- #8

Honorable Mentions- Atlanta Falcons (1-2, lost to Tampa Bay 16-13), San Diego Chargers (2-1, beat Kansas City 20-17), Houston Texans (1-2, lost to New Orleans 40-33)

NFL: Week 3 Picks

Matchups	Jarboe	Sloth	Matera
49ers vs Bengals (-3)	49ers	49ers	49ers
Patriots (-7.5) vs Buffalo	N.E.	N.E.	N.E.
Texans vs Saints (-4)	Texans	Saints	Saints
Giants vs Eagles (-9)	Giants	Eagles	Giants
Dolphins vs Browns (-2)	Browns	Dolphins	Browns
Broncos vs Titans (-7)	Titans	Broncos	Broncos
Lions (-3) vs Vikings	Lions	Vikings	Lions
Jaguars vs Panthers (-3.5)	Panthers	Panthers	Jaguars
Chiefs vs Chargers (-14.5)	Chiefs	Chiefs	Chargers
Jets (-3) vs Raiders	Raiders	Jets	Raiders
Ravens (-5) vs Rams	Ravens	Ravens	Ravens
Falcons vs Buccaneers (-1.5)	Falcons	Falcons	Falcons
Packers (-4) vs Bears	Packers	Packers	Packers
Cardinals (-3.5) vs Seahawks	Seahawks	Cardinals	Cardinals
Steelers (-10.5) vs Colts	Steelers	Steelers	Steelers
Redskins vs Cowboys (-4)	Redskins	Cowboys	Cowboys
Last Week	9-5-2	8-6-2	8-6-2
Season	18-12-2	17-13-2	17-13-2

September Switch: Why Football has Overtaken Baseball as the Sport to Watch

September has historically been a popular month on both the sports and seasonal calendar. This is the time where kids go back to school, the weather begins to cool off, and sports kicks into high gear. The month of September represents the time of year where the Major League Baseball pennant races start to heat up and football (both Professional and Collegiate) starts its season. However, this September has shown an odd change. Recently, when September rolls around the attention of fans around the country completely switch from baseball to football. The change does not seem logical, in that the MLB season is heating up and speeding into the playoffs, while the NFL is only just starting its five-month long season. However, the change is abundantly clear, the only question is...why?

A simple reason for why this shift in attention has occurred is that fans of poor baseball teams are looking forward to the clean slate that is the start of the NFL season. This may very well be true for some fan bases, I’m sure Mets fans have been looking forward to watching the Jets or Giants since May. However, this shift has been evident in fans for baseball teams that are actually good this season too. Last night, the Yankees celebrated yet another American League East title, but I (a diehard Yankee fan) was too busy setting my Fantasy Football lineup to celebrate the accomplishment. In Detroit, the Tigers are experiencing a magical run behind Justin Verlander, yet its the Lions stealing the headlines every week. It does not matter if your team is in first or last place, as soon as September rolls around fans are flocking from the baseball diamond to the gridiron. 

Another, more in-depth reason for why this is happening is the culture of the two sports compared with the culture of today’s America. Football is the flashy, explosive culture; everything Football represents is the same as that of an action movie. The big hits, the violence, the possibility that at any moment anyone on the field could be knocked out cold. Football is popular for the same reason why Hollywood continues to employ Sylvester Stallone; American’s love the violent, explosive culture of things. 

Baseball, on the other hand, is “your father’s sport” or “the nerdy sport”. Baseball purists call it the more tactical, strategic sport, but the bottom line is that people think that baseball is too boring, both to talk about and to watch. Fans would rather sit around the water-cooler and discuss that 50-yard bomb Tom Brady threw on Monday night than things like VORP, WAR, OPS, and BsR. Have no idea what any of those things are? Exactly. Its easier and more engaging to sit around and discuss football then it is the complicated advanced stats of baseball, and fans like that. Baseball also does itself no favors with its lengthy, 162-game schedule. 

The baseball season starts (usually) on the first day of April, and runs all the way to mid-to-late October. A season that long and grueling is not attractive to fans in today’s America, a country where the attention span of the average person is similar to that of an intelligent squirrel. Football offers fans a way to dissect and discuss games for an entire week before moving on to the next one. In baseball, you have a morning to talk about the previous game before the team goes out again the next night. The baseball schedule does have its benefits for fans, there is nothing better than finishing a weekday of work or school and knowing that you can watch a baseball game that night, but in football Sundays (and sometimes Saturdays) are catered around the sport. Its not easy to watch every single baseball game of your team for an entire season, but missing a football Sunday is as close to a sin as anything else in sports. Football grasps the attention of fans because it has two days a week centered around the games. There are no doubleheaders, no 10 o’clock west coast games, its just an entire day dedicated to the sport. 

Baseball may be the sport to watch during the summer, but it is undeniable to say that come September and October that it is more popular than football. There is something about the falling leaves and the windbreaker jackets that just scream football for fans across the country. Baseball will always be the nations pastime, but football is the nations present. 

NFL: Week 3 Storylines

5.) Detroit Lions v Minnesota Vikings: For the second straight week, a game in which the Lions are playing is among the most interesting storylines. For the first time since 2007, Detroit starts out a season 2-0. This week, the Lions face their first divisional opponent in the Minnesota Vikings, led by the corpse of Donovon McNabb. The Lions are attempting to go 3-0 for the first time in 21(!) years, and it will come only if they can stop Adrian Peterson and the Vikings running game. A 3-0 start and a win in a divisional game will be huge for the Lions as they attempt to get back to the playoffs for the first time in this century (1999 was the last time the Lions got to the postseason). 

4.) New York Giants v Philadelphia Eagles: This game will be much more intriguing if Michael Vick starts at quarterback for the Eagles. However, due to a concussion suffered on Sunday nights in Atlanta, Vick’s status for this Sunday is currently listed as “unknown”. If Vick does not play, that will be huge for the Giants as they attempt to go 2-1 and 1-1 in the division. Last time the hated rivals faced off, Matt Dodge made the fatal mistake of punting to DeSean Jackson, who took the kick and returned it for a game winning touchdown at the end of the fourth quarter. Although this game is currently listed as the #4 most intriguing matchup of week three, if Michael Vick does play then this is another must-watch. 

3.) Buffalo v New England: The Buffalo Bills have been among the most unexpected 2-0 teams of the 2011 season. First, they demolished the Kansas City Chiefs in Kansas City. Then, they battled back in the second half to defeat the resurgent Oakland Raiders, 38-35, the game winning touchdown being thrown from Ryan Fitzpatrick to David Nelson within the final minute. Its still uncertain if Buffalo is a “good” team, but nonetheless a competitive performance against the high-flying Patriots would change alot of perceptions about the Bills. New England and Tom Brady look like the record setting team of 2007, but the defense can be scored upon, so look for big days from Fitzpatrick and the NFL’s leading rusher Fred Jackson. 

2.) Washington Redskins v Dallas Cowboys: This matchup used to be among the most talked about in sports. However, in recent years the Redskins and Cowboys have been mediocre at best. Now, the Redskins are 2-0 and at the top of the NFC East. The Cowboys are 1-1 and looking to ride the momentum following an overtime victory in San Francisco. If Tony Romo can stay healthy throughout the game, then this could be one of the best games of the young season. 

1.) Green Bay Packers v Chicago Bears: This matchup will always be among the most intriguing, even if both teams stink. Fortunately, both of these teams are among the best in the NFC this year. The defending champion Packers are 2-0 so far this season, while the Bears are 1-1 after falling to the Saints. However, the Bears do pose a true test for the Packers. If Jay Cutler can be given enough time in the pocket to disect the Green Bay secondary, then the Packers may be headed for their first loss since losing to the Patriots in week 15 of last season. 

NFL: Week Two Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers- Survived a scare by the man, the myth, the legend Cam Newton. Aaron Rodgers started off slow, but that offense appears to be unstoppable. The defense is shaky, and will suffer due to the season ending neck injury of Nick Collins (safety). Will remain in the top spot until they lose.

2. New England Patriots- Another week, another 400+ yards passing for golden boy Tom Brady. Brady utilized the greatest two headed tight end monster in recent years, throwing three touchdowns between Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. Like the Packers, the Patriots defense is getting shaky. If teams can throw on the Patriots, then they have a chance to beat them in a shootout. 

3. New York Jets- The Jets may have been able to move up five spots in this weeks rankings, but there is without a doubt a huge drop off between #2 and #3. New York’s defense completely demolished the passing game of the Jacksonville Jaguars, forcing four interceptions from Luke McCown. However, if the Jets want to make the leap to the next level and join the Patriots and Packers in the upper echelon, then the offense needs to improve in all phases. Mark Sanchez threw two poor interceptions in the first half, but looked good overall other than that. The real problem lies with the offensive line. Wayne Hunter (RT) looks like he is going to get Sanchez killed this season. If the offensive line gels and give Sanchez time in the pocket while opening up the running game for Shonn Greene, the unit will improve as a whole. However, losing All-Pro center Nick Mangold for the foreseeable future to a high ankle sprain is going to hurt, alot. 

4. Philadelphia Eagles- Sunday nights game against the Atlanta Falcons was the Eagles game to lose, and thats exactly what they did. There should not have been much hope once Tyler Palko entered the contest at quarterback, but it isn’t a stretch to say that the Eagles win that game if Mike Vick stayed healthy. However, now Philadelphia must deal with a concussed Vick as they enter an important early season divisional game against the New York Giants. 

5. New Orleans Saints- New Orleans bounced back after a tough loss to the Packers in week one by defeating the Chicago Bears 30-13 at home. Prior to an 80-yard touchdown pass to Devery Henderson, Drew Brees and the Saints offense looked anemic. The defense was shaky too, but due to a solid performance and losses by other teams, the Saints stand pat at the number five spot this week. 

6. Baltimore Ravens- It can be said about every team in the NFL these days, but teams play just as well as their quarterback. Week one the Ravens demolished the Steelers and Joe Flacco looked like Joe Montana. This past week, Flacco and the Ravens lost an awful game to the resurgent Tennessee Titans. Flacco went 15-32 with one touchdown and two interceptions in the loss, only racking up 197 yards passing. The Ravens need to find out if they are the team that beat the Steelers in all phases week one, or the squad that played like a Division-II college team against the Titans. 

7. Pittsburgh Steelers- The Steelers actually stand pat at the number seven spot this week, despite shutting down the Seattle Seahawks 24-0 at home. This is due to the fact that I still think the Ravens are better than the Steelers, and because the Seahawks are the worst team in football. However, the Steelers played exactly how good teams should play against bad ones. 

8. Chicago Bears- Chicago drops two spots this week after losing to the Saints for the first time in the last three meetings between the two teams. I hope Jay Cutler has good health insurance, because that Bears offensive line looks to be among the worst in the league this year. Matt Forte continued his strong play this week, but it will take better performances on offense and defense for the Bears to leapfrog the Packers in the NFC North. 

9. Atlanta Falcons- I don’t give much credit to the Flacons for beating the Eagles Sunday night at home. Matt Ryan’s numbers are deceiving, if it weren’t for Tony Gonzalez continuing to defy logic and Mike Vick getting hurt, the Falcons would have lost that game. Better play from Ryan at the quarterback position could allow the Falcons to outlast the Saints in the NFC South, but the jury is still out as to if this Atlanta team is as good as the one that went 14-2 last year. 

10. Detroit Lions- No, that is not a typo. The Lions of Detroit are for real, and this is 2011 not 1995. Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson are showing exactly why the Lions used top 5 picks to select both of them in past drafts. If Stafford can remain healthy (talk about beating a dead horse by saying that), then the Lions could be in contention for a playoff spot. The Lions have a slight test this week against the Vikings, but its safe to say that football in Detroit might be back for the long term. 

Honorable Mentions: San Diego Chargers (lost to New England 35-21), Houston Texans(defeated the Dolphins 23-13), Buffalo Bills (defeated the Raiders 38-35)

NCAAB: Greed and Expansion Outweighs History in Today's College Sports

For as long as anyone can remember, college sports has been the place where historic rivalries flourish and hatred runs deep between teams in the major Division-I conferences. In basketball this has been especially prevalent. While Duke v North Carolina will always be the end-all, be-all of college basketball rivalries, the Big East Conference has always been the benchmark for success throughout the sport. The Big East, created in 1979, has been the place where great programs like Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Georgetown, Villanova, and Syracuse have loved to hate each other. Come tournament time, the Big East has always put out among the highest amount of teams into the NCAA College Basketball Tournament. However, the landscape for college sports and the Big East has taken a dramatic change in the last few days. 

Early Sunday morning, Syracuse and Pittsburgh both finalized deals to join the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) within the next 27 months. ‘Cuse and Pitt represent two of the most popular programs from the Big East since its inception, but that is not where the story ends. Recent news says that the ACC is also looking to add (potentially) Connecticut and Rutgers to form a 16-team “super conference”. Connecticut, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and Rutgers represent 14 Big East titles in the last 31 years. Some of the most polarizing players, like Ray Allen and Carmelo Anthony, came from these programs. This process of realignment is leaving other Big East teams like Louisville and Georgetown left in the wind. It is said also that West Virginia is likely to join the Southeastern Conference (SEC) after all is said and done. 

Last year, millions watched as the Connecticut Huskies put together the most exciting title run in history, winning five games in five days to capture the Big East Championship while on their way to a National Championship victory over Butler. The Big East seemed to be more popular then ever before, and now a few months later the conference is on life support. The future is uncertain for the conference, with talks of combining with the Big-12 if they lose Texas and Oklahoma (among others) to the Pac-12. With all of this realignment cluttering news outlets everywhere, the question is simply, why?

Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim has been coaching in the Big East since 1976, Jim Calhoun with Connecticut and the Big East for a quarter of a century. These coaches have helped create the winning identity that the Big East carries today, so why would they want to leave a conference they helped build?

The simple answer, and the reason behind all of this, is money. Money is the same reason why Texas and Oklahoma are intrigued by the possibility of bolting from the Big-12 and play in the Pac-12. The football, basketball, etc. teams of these programs stand to make boatloads of money for their respected universities. 


While history and rivalries have their perks, major D-I college programs would much rather maximize their monetary value than compete in conferences that don’t bring in as much money as another could. The thought of Calhoun and the Huskies matching up against Coach K and the Duke Blue Devils every year is enough incentive for UConn to make the move. The ratings, the money, thats all that matters in today’s sport. 

Gone are the days of a universities pride in their conference, pride in the rivalries they’ve established. We may never see another captivating championship run like UConn in the 2010-2011 Big East Tournament. The history will always be factored in by programs when considering realignment, but when it all comes down to it, all college athletics see now are the dollar signs. Just ask TCU, do you think they wanted to join the Big East because of its rich football history? Wonder how they feel about all of that now. 

Sloth v Jarboe v Matera: Picking the NFL Games for Week 2

Here we go, its week 2 of the NFL season and so far my friends the Sloth, Matera, and I are in a dead-heat for the title. A refresh on the rules; every week the three of us will make our picks for the week in the NFL, playing with the spread. Winner at the end of the year gets a prize, something that is still to be determined. Without further ado, here are our week 2 NFL picks.

          Teams                                              Kevin                          Sloth                         Matera

• Bears v Saints (-6.5)                        Bears                           Bears                          Saints
• Chiefs v Lions (-9)                          Lions                           Chiefs                         Chiefs
• Jaguars v Jets (-9)                            Jets                              Jets                              Jets
• Raiders v Bills (-3)                          Bills                             Raiders                       Bills
• Cardinals v Redskins (-3.5)             Redskins                     Cardinals                     Redskins
• Ravens (-6) v Tennessee                 Tennessee                    Ravens                       Ravens
• Seahawks v Steelers (-14)               Steelers                        Seahawks                   Seahawks
• Packers (-10.5) v Panthers               Packers                        Packers                      Packers
• Buccaneers v Vikings (-3)               Bucs                            Bucs                           Bucs
• Browns (-2) v Colts                         Browns                        Browns                      Browns
• Cowboys (-3) v 49ers                      Cowboys                     Cowboys                   Cowboys
• Texans (-3) v Dolphins                    Dolphins                      Dolphins                    Texans
• Bengals v Broncos (-3.5)                 Broncos                       Broncos                     Broncos
• Chargers v Patriots (-7)                    Chargers                      Patriots                       Patriots
• Eagles (-2.5) v Falcons                    Eagles                          Eagles                        Eagles
• Rams v Giants (-6.5)                        Giants                          Giants                        Rams

Season: Kevin (7-9) Sloth (7-9) Matera (7-9)

NFL: Week 2 Storylines

5.) Detroit v Kansas City- This is the battle of the perceived underrated and the overrated. Kansas City lost handily to the Bills last weekend, 41-7. The two headed monster of Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles was nowhere to be found, while Matt Cassel only averaged 3.31 yards per attempt passing. Critics have been quick to write the Chiefs off after making the playoffs last season, but a win against the rejuvinated Lions could quickly get them back on track. While the score of last weeks Tampa Bay-Detroit game looked close, 27-20, the Lions won that game easily, even while not playing well. A 4th-and-2 late in the game touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson showed the rest of the league that the Lions are not messing around this season. The winner of this game should be discussed among potential playoff teams for the rest of the season. 

4.) Buffalo v Oakland- Wait, did I just read that right? A week two Bills-Raiders game is actually interesting? What year is this? The Raiders have a chance to start 2-0 for the first time since 2002, the last time they reached the Super Bowl, also known as the last year Al Davis was actually alive. Buffalo might have been the most impressive team from last week, and a 2-0 start against a solid Oakland defense could be a convincing message to the rest of the league that the Bills are making a return to relevance. 

3.) San Diego v New England- These two teams have been among the elite in the AFC for the past decade, and this early season game already has huge playoff implications. San Diego has always been a strong team, but they have never been able to take it to that next level, usually because the Patriots have always been standing in the way. Tom Brady and the Patriots offense looked unstoppable again last week against Miami, a game where Brady threw for 500+ yards, including a 99-yard touchdown pass to Wes Welker. If the Chargers can get pressure on Brady and rattle him early, they have a chance to start off 2-0 and beat New England for only the second time in the last 11 meetings. 

2.) Chicago v New Orleans- For all the success Drew Brees has had since joining the Saints in 2006, he has always had trouble against the Chicago Bears. People still remember when Brees and the Saints lost at Soldier Field in the snow during the NFC Championship Game of 2006, and since then the Saints have lost to the Bears three times. Critics everywhere believed that the Bears would be among this years underachievers, after an improbable 13-3 season that ended with a NFC Championship lost to the hated Packers. However, Brian Urlacher and the Bears looked phenomenal against the Falcons last week. Urlacher is dealing with the loss of his mother this week, but expects to play on Sunday. Emotions will be running high in Chicago, and a loss for the Saints would put them at 0-2 right out of the game. 

1.) Eagles v Falcons- Michael Vick makes his triumphant(?) return to Atlanta, his first time returning to the ATL as a starter for an NFL team. The Falcons lost horribly to the Bears last week, and this game is a must win for Matt Ryan and Atlanta. This game has primetime written all over it, and look for Vick to have a highlight reel performance against the team that drafted him in 2001. 

Pay for Play: Should College Athletes be Compensated for Playing Sports?

Walk onto any major Division One college campus, and you’ll see it everywhere. T-shirts and jerseys for every sport the university has to offer. the University of Michigan has football jersey’s with the number 16 on them. Southern California students still walk around with jerseys with numbers once worn by Trojan greats Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart. Last spring, you couldn’t go anywhere on the University of Connecticut campus without seeing #15 basketball jerseys, fans showcasing their love for former captain Kemba Walker. Even while these star athletes are still in school, their colleges are making money of off their student-athletes brand. These athletes don’t see a dime. 

The ESPN documentary on Michigan’s early ‘90s basketball team the Fab Five showed how Jalen Rose and Chris Webber walked the campus and the town of Ann Arbor and saw their jerseys being sold for $70+ in store windows. Webber had to pay for food with spare change, Rose drove a beaten down car around campus. The university, however, was not strapped for cash. Those players brought in more currency to the athletic program than ever before. 

The topic is talked about ad nauseum. Should college athletes be payed for their performance on the athletic field. Some say that they already are being payed (no, not like the lucky guys at The U); they arrive onto expensive college campuses on full rides, not spending a dime on their education. Other students at USC or Michigan spend tens of thousands of dollars per semester to go to college. Most athletes don’t drop a dime. 

But what must it feel like to walk around your own campus and see your jersey being sold to students and parents, and the athletes not seeing a dime in return. We, the fans and students, have no idea what its like. But seeing Webber stare into a store window and talk about not being able to afford Taco Bell is a lingering image. It raises so many questions, and a debate that may never be settled. But, is it fair?

No, the short answer is that it probably is not fair for University’s to sell merchandise off the brand of their students. College reps argue that the athletes names are not on the back of the jerseys, so they are not selling a specific player, but just the team. However, would Duke University just up and sell (exclusively) number 4 jerseys at their local Co-Op, or is it because J.J. Reddick was one of the greatest Blue Devils to ever pass through the program. 

I don’t contend that student athletes be given contracts upon joining an athletic program. The whole process is messy and sometimes immoral, not to mention its the most annoying thing about professional sports. Do we want to have a freshman point guard holding out for a contract before the college season starts? No. However, a simple resolution can be found. One idea is that student athletes be given a sort of allowance during the athletic season. Picture this: a college athlete comes onto campus, and is given a set amount of money for expenses (food, clothes, books, what have you). This takes away (hopefully) any messy controversy's with agents or boosters having illegal dealings with students. No more probations, no more lost scholarships or vacated seasons. College sports would be a better place without turning on the news and seeing stories about the University of Miami having to suspend players, or Terrelle Pryor being suspended IN THE NFL for his dealings at a tattoo parlor while at Ohio State. 

People may not like the idea. They may say that college athletes are spoiled enough as is. But, when it all comes down to it, do we really want to read about more stories of vacated championships (how do you think the current USC players feel about Reggie Bush), or another “death sentence” like the one SMU received when they lost an entire season of football. Don’t give these 18/19-year-old kids millions of dollars while at school, but something simply must be done. 

NFL: Week One Power Rankings

1.) Green Bay Packers: The defending Super Bowl champions came out of the gate on fire in week one. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers went 27-35 for 312 yards and 3 touchdowns (all coming in the first half) in the Packers narrow victory over the New Orleans Saints. 

2.) New England Patriots: Is anybody really that surprised that quarterback Tom Brady threw for 500+ yards this week against the Dolphins? The Patriots look to have another vaunted offensive attack, and the emergence of Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis as the starting running back is a scary thought for the rest of the NFL. However, only time will tell as to if the Patriots’ secondary is that bad or Chad Henne is actually becoming a decent quarterback (416 yards against New England on Monday night). 

3.) Philadelphia Eagles: Mike Vick a (14-32, 187 yds, 2 tds) and the “Dream Team” Eagles started off the season on a good note. We all know the Philly secondary is lethal, but Eagles fans have to be worried about an offensive line that can’t give Vick any time in the pocket. On a scary note, LeSean McCoy rushed for 122 yards and a score in the Eagles backfield, him combined with Vick and speedy receiver DeSean Jackson will have the Eagles offense lighting up scoreboards all season. 

4.) Baltimore Ravens: Baltimore was favored against Pittsburgh last week, but was anyone really expecting there to be any scoring in this game, like, at all? Quarterback Joe Flacco torched the Steelers’ secondary for 224 yards and 3 touchdowns, but the Ravens most important part of the team is their defense. A defense that allowed only 7 points against the former AFC champions while notching up 7 turnovers, including 3 interceptions of Big Ben Roethlisberger. 

5.) New Orleans Saints: How great was it watching Drew Brees (32-49, 419 yds, 3 tds) and Aaron Rodgers air it out on Thursday to open up the NFL season? The Saints defense looked poor, but it should be noted that the Packers passing attack is the best in the game right now. Rookie Mark Ingram may have gotten stuffed at the line for the game-tying touchdown, but he looked overall decent in his NFL debut. 

6.) Chicago Bears: ‘Da Bears were supposed to be this season’s let down team after winning the NFC North and going 13-3 last season. Brian Urlacher was supposed to be too old, and Jay Cutler too soft. None of that showed on Sunday as the Bears massacred the Atlanta Falcons 30-12 at Soldier Field in Chicago. If the Bears are going to make another push for the NFC crown, they started off on a good foot. Especially Cutler, who went 22-32 for 312 yards and 2 touchdowns. 

7.) Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers will bounce back after a road loss to the Ravens, i think. Conventional wisdom says that the Pittsburgh defense will buckle down in upcoming games, but there has to be a sense of concern around the team after James Harrison and that defense were torched by a usually vanilla Baltimore offensive attack. 

8.) New York Jets: The cardiac kids did it again this week against the Cowboys. With all eyes on them Sunday night, the Jets pulled off an amazing victory after trailing 24-14 in the fourth quarter. Rex may have won the “Ryan Bowl”, but there is no happiness coming from the defense this week after giving up 390 total yards to the Cowboys, the fifth-highest total in 33 games under Ryan. 

9.) San Diego Chargers: A September victory for the Chargers! That has to be a first, at least in the Norv Turner era. San Diego battled back to defeat the Vikings on Sunday, 24-17. The San Diego defense held Donovon McNabb and the Vikings to only 39 yards passing, but only time will tell as to if the Chargers are finally ready to take the next step in the AFC. 

10.) Houston Texans (Tie with Atlanta): The Texans looked like a great team on Sunday, but until they show that their defense can stop a team not quarterbacked by Kerry Collins (he who was writing country songs 15 days ago), they won’t jump up on this list. 

10.) Atlanta Falcons (Tie with Houston): I still fully expect the Falcons to make the playoffs this year, but Sunday’s game against Chicago was just plain ugly. If Matt Ryan wants to win as many games as he did last year, he’ll have to much more careful with the football. 

Just Missed the Cut: Buffalo Bills (41-7 vs. Kansas City), Detroit Lions (27-20 vs. Tampa Bay), Washington Redskins (28-14 vs. New York Giants)