NFL's Most Annoying Fans - AFC North

This is the fifth in a running feature at ECB. We'll be rating NFL Fanbases by annoyingness and picking a winner for each division. After that, we'll select wild card teams, and have ourselves a little playoff. If you have suggestions for upcoming divisions or wildcard selections, send them to eastcoastbiasblog@gmail.com. So far we have given you the AFC West, the NFC West, the AFC South, and the NFC South. Who will join the Raiders, Cardinals, Jaguars, and Panthers fans as the most annoying fans in their division? This week we present the NFC South.

Note, I have to handle this week's selection to give a degree of neutrality to the proceedings. Brien is a Steelers fan, J-Red is a Ravens fan, and they'd undoubtedly pick the other if they had the ability to do this week's poll. I have a feeling the runner-up this week may well be a wildcard selection.

Cincinnati Bengals

Quick Reaction:
Yeah, I had to find the safe-for-work picture. The fact that this alone happens in the stands at Paul Brown Stadium by somewhat attractive girls (and trust me, I've seen the not-safe-for-work version - they're real, and they're spectacular) gives them the nod for having decent fans. Hey, when the product on the field sucks year after year after year, you have to entertain yourself somehow. Good for Bengals fans to have something to cheer about this year.


Pittsburgh Steelers


Quick Reaction:
Steelers fans are annoying as fuck. They're EVERYWHERE. Seriously, I would venture to guess that every city in this country has a Steelers bar somewhere for Pittsburgh fans to congregate on Sundays. But, that's the counter - Steelers fans know their football, they're about as far from bandwagon fans as you can find, and they live and die by the Steelers. You get the feeling that it almost means more to Steelers fans than any other fanbase when their team wins the Super Bowl. That doesn't excuse them from being obnoxious, from thinking that the Terrible Towels are some unique invention by Myron Cope, and from in general being guilty of not shutting the hell up. I nominate the Steelers for a wildcard selection. But they're not going to win this division.


Baltimore Ravens


Quick Reaction:
I will carve out one subset from this group - the members of the Baltimore Marching Ravens who were formerly members of the Baltimore Marching Colts and who were the subject of the ESPN documentary The Band That Wouldn't Die. Aside from that, Ravens fans are obnoxious in so many ways, I can barely get into it in my limited time here. I'll save most of it for the playoffs. But camouflage pants, the Essex/Dundalk/Glen Burnie accent, refusing to let the fact that the Indianapolis Colts took the Baltimore Colts' statistics die, the fact that they have blind hatred for Redskins fans even though Redskins fans couldn't give half a good goddamn about Ravens fans or their team, the fact that they treat their one Super Bowl victory/appearance in 13 seasons of existence as if they have the tradition of the Pittsburgh Steelers - yeah... Ravens fans... you win. Just look at the guys in the picture above - like the Village People in purple. And unfortunately that's not all that unusual at all in the 500-level on Russell Street on an NFL Sunday.


Cleveland Browns


Quick Reaction:
Grown men who chew dog bones and dress up like dogs. This is pretty annoying. However, they've suffered through more indignity than just about any other fanbase. Getting their hearts torn out by John Elway and Ernest Byner in the 80s, losing their franchise in the 90s, and getting a "franchise" back in the 2000's that is an NFL organization only in the loosest sense of the word. Add this to the fact that Cleveland has been torn to shreds by the economy, the fact that Browns fans sit through some of the shittiest weather of any NFL team, and the fact that you don't hear Cleveland in any of the same breath as NFL teams who are in danger of blackouts and you know what Browns fans - keep dressing up - do whatever you need to do.


THE BIG WINNER:
In the closest competition we've had so far, the nod goes to the Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers could very well be a wildcard selection when we get down to the end. However, on the gestalt, Steelers fans at least can both talk the talk and walk the walk. They may well be obnoxious, but they have more reason to be obnoxious than Ravens fans. And on the scale of fan IQ, the average Steelers fan is going to score well ahead of the average Ravens fan.

NFL Picks - Week 9

We have a new sponsor for the weekly picks post, Sportsbetting.com. They offer great odds and prop bets for all your online sports betting needs.

A big bye week around the NFL leads to havoc for fantasy football owners and less games to choose from on the Board. Vegas continues to make life difficult with some very big spreads.

Brien (21-18-1)

An 0-5 week, ouch. Good thing I built up such a big lead on everyone else. I'm also glad I didn't actually bet those picks at my online sportsbook, although I do plan to do some sports betting online with these picks.

Baltimore (-3) over CINCINNATI - I'm really still not a believer in the Bengals. And last week the Ravens showed that when they're on, they're very tough to beat.

Detroit (+10) over SEATTLE - The Seahawks aren't good enough to give 10 points to anyone.

INDIANAPOLIS (-9) over Houston - The Colts are the quietest 7-0 team I've ever seen.

NY GIANTS (-4.5) over San Diego - This is close to a must-win for the Giants after dropping 3 straight.

PHILADELPHIA (-3) over Dallas - The Eagles look really good.


Jason (19-21-0)

I hope I can get some positive traction since Brien seems to refuse to run away with this.

PHILADELPHIA (-3) over Dallas - There is just too much dissension in Dallas for a tough road trip.

NY GIANTS (-4.5) over San Diego - The Chargers are simply mediocre.

Pittsburgh (-3) over Denver - I think the Ravens planted a lot of seeds of doubt in Denver last week.

NEW ENGLAND (-10.5) over Miami - Brady is catching fire.

Baltimore (-3) over CINCINNATI - Their backs are still against the wall. A season sweep by the Bengals ends the Ravens playoff hopes.

Jeremy (16-24-0)

Hoping Brien pays as much attention to his fantasy team this week as he did his picks last week... Let me try to snap my losing streak by going with all home teams.

CINCINNATI (+3) over Baltimore - A HUGE game for the NFC North. Ravens looked terrific last week, but Carson Palmer is no Kyle Orton.

INDIANAPOLIS (-9) over Houston - Look for the Colts to get out ahead early and for Schaub to have to throw the ball.

CHICAGO (-3) over Arizona - The Bears have fattened up some on some easy opponents, but Kurt Warner v. 2009 is beginning to look dangerously like Kurt Warner v. 2006.

SEATTLE (-10) over Detroit - Detroit has to travel west and this is a team that handed St. Louis a win last week. I'll give up the heavy dose of points.

SAN FRANCISCO (-4.5) over Tennessee - Kind of surprised this line is this low. I guess Vegas just doesn't trust Alex Smith yet. Can't really blame them.

Magic 8 Ball (14-26-0)
CINCINNATI (+3) over Baltimore - "Signs point to yes." (Bengals will beat the spread)

Houston (+9) over INDIANAPOLIS - "Don't count on it." (Colts won't beat the spread)
Arizona (+3) over CHICAGO - "No." (Bears won't beat the spread)
Detroit (+10) over SEATTLE - "My answer is no." (Seahawks won't beat the spread)
SAN FRANCISCO (-4.5) over Tennessee - "My sources say yes." (49ers will beat the spread)

Russell (19-20-1)
It's not often you can go 1-4 and still gain ground. Here's hoping we all do better this week.

Green Bay (-9.5) over TAMPA BAY - The Bucs are almost as bad as they were when they wore the orange unis.

SEATTLE (-10) over Detroit - If the Lions can lose to the Rams, they can definitely lose in Seattle by 10.

SAN FRAN (-4.5) over Tenn - One week is not enough to make me think the Titans are decent again.

ATLANTA (-10) over Washington - Picking against the Skins has been pretty consistently a good idea this year.

Houston (+9) over INDIANAPOLIS - The Colts have a minimal home field advantage in their new stadium and the loss of Sanders is huge. Also, the Texans are quietly a decent team.


Recap
Brien: PHI, NYG, IND, DET, BAL
Jason: PHI, NYG, PIT, NE, BAL
Jeremy: CHI, CIN, IND, SEA, SF

Russell: GB, ATL, SF, SEA, HOU

Again, a big thanks to Sportsbetting.com for sponsoring our bad gambling advice. If you plan to test our picks, we would appreciate you using the best sportsbook online.

College Football Picks - Week 10

I feel the need to take this opportunity to gripe about this week's schedule. The Thursday night games are N Illinois vs directional Michigan, Temple and Miami OH, and VT at ECU. Did MLB bribe ESPN to show crappy games during Game 7 of the World Series because MLB needs the extra ad revenue since savvy sports watchers would have been flipping between games? Then, we get Boise AGAIN on Friday. If the Broncos don't make the BCS, it won't be because of a lack of exposure. I count at least 4 nationally televised games already, and I'd bet we'll all see their game vs Nevada too. And Saturday's lineup features a whopping 2 games between top 25 teams...

Virginia Tech (-13) over ECU - The Hokies will bounce back from last week's debacle.

ALABAMA (-7.5) over Lsu - It won't take many points to cover when LSU's inept offense struggles against one of the nation's best D's. Remember the Florida at LSU game, 13-3?

PENN ST (-4) over THE Osu - The Buckeyes have been overrated all year, and PSU has the talent to expose them.

NC ST (-6.5) over Maryland - The Terps have covered in 2 straight road losses. Even though State lost to Duke, I still think they're better and will beat MD by more than 4.

Oklahoma (-5.5) over NEBRASKA - Rivalry or not, the relevant stat is 8. That's the number of turnovers Nebraska had against Iowa State's stifling defense in Lincoln. What's going to happen when OU rolls into town?

Oregon (-6.5) over STANFORD - The Cardinal are a decent team, but as long as Oregon stays focused, they win this easily.

Florida State (+8.5) over CLEMSON - The Noles have enough offense to keep this close.

Last week: 4-5
Season: 32-33

NFL's Most Annoying Fans - NFC South

This is the third in a running feature at ECB. We'll be rating NFL Fanbases by annoyingness and picking a winner for each division. After that, we'll select wild card teams, and have ourselves a little playoff. If you have suggestions for upcoming divisions or wildcard selections, send them to eastcoastbiasblog@gmail.com. This is thehe latest in our review of the worst fans of each division. So far we have given you the AFC West, the NFC West, and the AFC South. Who will join the Raiders, Cardinals, and Jaguars fans as the most annoying fans in their division? This week we present the NFC South.

New Orleans Saints



Quick Reaction:
Next time you watch a Saints game on TV, look at those folks in the upper deck at the Superdome? They're probably spending almost all of their discretionary income on Saints tickets given how depressed the New Orleans economy has been since Katrina. Still, to these people, season tickets to the Saints = love for their city. These folks are probably among the NFL's best fans.


Tampa Bay Buccaneers


Quick Reaction:
My friends who have visited games in Tampa tell me that the Buccaneers easily must have one of the highest quotas of hot female fans of any team in the NFL. I couldn't find a picture through Google Images to do justice. But I have on good authority that the article of clothing of choice of many female Buccaneers fan is a halter top jersey. I also have on good authority that most Bucs fans don't come into Raymond James until at least midway through the first quarter. Factors agaisnt most annoying fans, factors for least annoying fans. A toss-up.


Carolina Panthers



Quick Reaction:
Unlike Bucs fans, the redneck quotient of Carolina Panthers fans is one of the highest in the NFL. These fans have run like rats from a sinking ship from their team since recent failure after a trip to the Super Bowl just five years ago. North Carolina is a NASCAR state and a college basketball state. About the only college football team that is very well supported by fans native to the state is NC State. The Panthers are largely ignored now.


Atlanta Falcons


Quick Reaction:
Falcons fans have not truly been tested since the Vick incident, as the team was fortunate enough to stumble upon Matt Ryan. Atlanta fans continue to make the Georgia Dome one of the loudest venues for NFL football and continue to support their team, even buying new jerseys every two years because that's about the schedule the Falcons have seemed to adopt for rolling out new duds. I wish I could fault them for their love of Jerry Glanville and having Hammer on the sidelines back in the 1991 playoffs, but I think the statute of limitations has tolled on that one.


The Big Winner
Carolina Panthers - proving, like Jacksonville, that Paul Tagliabue picked the totally wrong markets to expand into back in the 1990s. Not even two of their cheerleaders being busted for having hot lesbian sex in a bathroom can save the Panthers fans from the dubious honor of being the most annoying fans in the AFC South.

NFL Picks - Week 8

Before we get to our normal picks post, we'd like to give a huge MAZEL TOV (well, at least that comes from Jeremy, the resident member of the Tribe), to Brien, whose wife gave birth to son #2 on Wednesday, October 28. We do note with sadness that Brien did not follow our advice and name his second son "Comcast" or "Curley" which would have been the natural progression for him. Brien... seven boys more and you have your own baseball team. And to our readers... please click on our advertising links on the side, as Brien really needs some diaper money now.

On to the picks!!!


Brien (21-13-1)
Excused absence this week.
Update 7:25AM Sunday: I'll get my quick picks in, just so no one questions my victory later for skipping a week. Without too much analysis, I'm just going to take the tried and true strategy of picking with Denver (6-0 ATS) and against St. Louis (2-5), Miami (2-4), Carolina (1-5), and Tennessee (1-5)

Denver (+3) over BALTIMORE
DETROIT (-4) over St. Louis
NY JETS (-3) over Miami
ARIZONA (-10) over Carolina
Jacksonville (+3) over TENNESSEE


Jason (17-18-0)

Wait, Lisa was pregnant? She sure didn't look pregnant last football sea.....oh.

Miami (+3.5) over NY JETS - I thought Miami was going to come back strong after being the forgotten team early. Being unable to hold back the Saints does not make me wrong.

ARIZONA (-10) over Carolina - With a mid-game QB change.

Oakland (+16.5) over SAN DIEGO - Phillip Rivers. 16.5 points.

NEW ORLEANS (-10) Atlanta - I think Atlanta will hang in for the first half before it slips away.

INDIANAPOLIS (-12) San Francisco - There's a reason Alex Smith has never stayed the starter long.


Jeremy (14-21-0)
At this point a blind man online playing Texas Hold Em with the volume turned off would have better luck than I have had picking games this year.

Denver (+3.5) over BALTIMORE - They're unbeaten and getting points. I can't pick against Denver in this scenario, even on the road.

Minnesota (+3) over GREEN BAY - The WTF line of the week. The fans at Lambeau really, really want this win. Unfortunately the Packer's O-line isn't good enough to give Aaron Rodgers enough time to make it happen.

ARIZONA (-10) over Carolina - You think Vegas is pissed off about losing money? If Vegas hadn't been bleeding money this season, this line would be about -7 or -8. Even so, I'm taking the Cardinals at home. And time for one of our reader researchers - Panthers have two points at halftime in two games already this year. When was the last time a team had scored two points at halftime twice in a season?

New York Giants (pk) over PHILADELPHIA - I was not impressed with the way Philly played on Monday night in DC at all. A short week to prepare for a good Giants team and the possibility of no Westbrook makes me less impressed.

CHICAGO (-13) over Cleveland - If any team in the league has given up worse than the 'Skins, it's the Cleveland Browns.

And your bonus pick.... Bye (pk) over WASHINGTON - There's nothing more I can say.


Magic 8 Ball (11-24-0)

BALTIMORE (+3.5) over Denver - "Yes." (Ravens will beat the spread)
GREEN BAY (-3) over Minnesota - "Signs point to yes." (Packers will beat the spread)
Carolina (+10) over ARIZONA - "Don't count on it." (Cardinals won't beat the spread)
PHILADELPHIA (pk) over New York Giants - "Yes." (Eagles will beat the spread)
Cleveland (+13) over CHICAGO - "No." (Bears won't beat the spread)


Russell (18-16-1)
I clearly need to keep better track of things. Maybe I should start looking at Facebook so I know when my friends are having children. Or maybe this is what happens when you're trying to finish your dissertation. Goodbye, friends and social life.

NY Giants (pk) over PHILADELPHIA - The last weeks of Iggle football have been a loss to the Raiders, and a victory over the hapless Skins in which Philly did not run a single play in the red zone, and went 3-and-out twice on Skins turnovers deep in Washington territory. Plus Westbrook has a concussion. Meanwhile, the Giants pounded Oakland, and lost to the defending NFC Champs (even if they are the Cards).

Minnesota (+3) over GREEN BAY - Favre is giving points at Lambeau?? Green Bay has looked better since the bye week, but their opponents were Detroit and Cleveland. Let's keep things in perspective.

Jax (+3) over TENNESSEE - Has anyone looked worse than the Titans this year? Starting Vince isn't going to help.

ARIZONA (-10) over Carolina - With Jake averaging 3+ turnovers per game, you have to like Arizona at home.

NEW ORLEANS (-10) over Atlanta - The Saints in the Superdome are a lot better than the Saints on the road.


Recap
Brien: DEN, DET, ARI, NYJ, JAX
Jason: ARI, IND, MIA, NO, OAK
Jeremy: ARI, CHI, DEN, MIN, NYG
Russell: ARI, NYG, JAX, MIN, NO

College Football Picks - Week 9

Last week, I guess I was just hoping for excitement and picked a bunch of underdogs to keep things close or give us some upsets. Instead, I got a 1-6 week for my trouble. So I'm back to .500, and refocusing for better results. Too bad the slate of games this week is pretty poor again...

West Virginia (-3) over SOUTH FLORIDA - USF is still overrated from their victory over FSU. FSU just isn't very good on a consistent basis, and we saw that Cincinnati was fully capable of beating USF soundly in Florida. I don't see why WVU can't do the same.

UCONN (-7.5) over Rutgers - I'm sticking with the "Rutgers is terrible" line whenever they play decent teams.

Cincinnati (-14.5) over SYRACUSE - Paulus and a new coach have not made the Orange an overnight powerhouse, even in the Big East. I still have the Bearcats in the BCS.

Georgia Tech (-11.5) over VANDERBILT - The Commodores went to OT with Army. The Jackets should roll with no problem.

Georgia (+15) over FLORIDA - The Gators have not been impressive enough lately to merit this large a spread at the Cocktail Party.

NAVY (-6.5) over Temple - I know Temple is better than they have been, but Navy beat an ACC team last week. The Owls aren't that good.

Michigan (-7) over ILLINOIS - The Illini barely squeaked past Indiana, but they're still no good.

Texas (-9) over OKLA ST - The Cowboys just aren't the same without Bryant, their best player. Texas will be focused, knowing this is their last tough game until the Big 12 championship... Wait, who's winning the Big 12 North? Last tough game until the National Championship.

OREGON (+3.5) over Usc - In a huge game in the Pac-10, with implications for the national title picture, I like the Ducks in Autzen to confuse and rattle Barkley. USC's "big" victories this year have been over teams that aren't as good as they looked or were ranked (Ohio St, Cal, ND). The Ducks have figured things out since starting slow.

Last week: 1-6
Season: 28-28

Redskins Head Coach Zorn Is Demoralized and Must Be Fired

I don't think Jim Zorn reacted the way Vinny Cerrato, Danny Snyder and the Redskins had hoped. The team said all the right things after Zorn was named the "head coach for this year, maybe longer", but his demeanor reveals that his reprieve is not appreciated.

In tonight's game against Philadelphia, Zorn spent most of the game looking defeated. He moped a bit. Major game-changing events like penalties assessed against the wrong team and turnovers did not seem to faze him. Perhaps he was staying medium, but realistically Zorn has checked out.

The Washington Post said it best. If the Skins turn it around, people will give credit to the new playcaller. If the Skins continue to fail, they'll blame Zorn and not the offensive line. There is no scenario in which the Redskins can improve as the season progresses and Zorn can take some credit in it. He's a lame duck, and Portis and crew know it.

They've lost Portis, as evidenced by his body language tonight. They'll lose the rest soon.

And Jon Gruden should be corrected on air for these two comments:

"Randle-El is one of the more sure-handed punt returners in the league."

"There's no question Fred Davis is an outstanding pass receiver."

Redskins' Coach Zorn, GM Cerrato Go All In to Save Their Jobs

There is almost never anything positive to say about the Redskins' management the past decade, but this week Danny Snyder toadie Vinny Cerrato actually did something right. By giving head coach Jim Zorn the season-long vote of confidence, Cerrato and Snyder sent a clear message to the players to stop looking over their shoulders. They also sent the message that NO job is safe after the season.

Every player, from Jason Campbell to Clinton Portis, is on the chopping block now. Since Cerrato has linked himself to Zorn, they are likely both gone after this season absent a startling show of motivation and strategy. New GM and new head coach means no job is safe. Just look at the Cleveland Jets when Mangini took over, or the Dallas Jets when Parcells took over. Big name guys like to bring in people they trust.

Will the Redskins win more than 6 games this season? Almost certainly not. Still, Cerrato's move is the best talent evaluation tool he had remaining. Every player must play his best the rest of the way. With some breaks, maybe Cerrato keeps his job. That's all a Redskins hater like me can hope to see.

Paul Tagliabue was Wrong About Jacksonville

One of the greatest pleasures in life is saying “I told you so,” even if it’s 16 years later and the target is retired.  So here goes: Paul Tagliabue, you were wrong about Jacksonville, and I told you so.

In 1993, when the NFL decided to expand from 28 to 30 teams, five finalists were selected: Charlotte, St. Louis, Baltimore, Memphis, and Jacksonville.  Everyone assumed that the two winners would be Charlotte and either St. Louis or Baltimore, but Paul Tagliabue’s love for the “Sun Belt” led the NFL to award the second team to Jacksonville amid widespread criticism.

How’s that decision looking now, Paul?  The Jaguars haven’t sold out any of their 3 home games this year.  In fact, they haven’t cracked the 50,000 mark in attendance for a stadium that seats 76,877.  The Jaguars also can’t find anyone to buy the naming rights to the stadium after their deal with Alltel expired.

As for the other 3 finalists, they all have teams now (except Memphis, but the Titans in Nashville get lots of support from Memphis).  The Rams, Ravens, and Titans all have passionate fans who pack the stadium week after week while Jacksonville seems less and less interested in having a team each year.

If Tagliabue had picked St. Louis, the Rams might never have moved from LA.  If he had picked Baltimore, the Browns might have stayed in Cleveland, and the 32nd team would have gone to LA.  So basically, Tagliabue’s decision led to the NFL having a team in Jacksonville instead of Los Angeles.  Great job, hall of famer.

NFL Picks - Week 7

A tough week for most of us last week - some very unexpected results on the field. About the only pick we all got right was the Chiefs getting points against the Redskins. Vegas probably lost a lot of money on that one. On to the picks...

Odds from Doc's Sports

Brien (18-12-0)
4-1 again. This is when the statisticians bring up regression to the mean, and with good reason.

San Diego (-4.5) over KANSAS CITY - I realize the Chargers have underachieved a bit this year, but their losses are DEN, @PIT, and BAL. Plus, the Chiefs are putrid.

CINCINNATI (-1.5) over Chicago - The Bengals are probably a bit overrated, but I like them to bounce back here.

San Francisco (+3) over HOUSTON - I just have a feeling the 49ers are better than Vegas has realized so far.

New Orleans (-6) over MIAMI - The Saints pasted the Giants last week. I think they can handle the Dolphins.

Atlanta (+4) over DALLAS - The Cowboys are coming off a bye, but it really feels like they are losing momentum this year while the Falcons are gaining it.


Jason (15-15-0)

Doing my part to prove that nobody gets rich betting on the NFL, unless they're convincing others that they know a trick to betting on the NFL.

TAMPA BAY (+14.5) over New England - The trip to London should throw both teams off, which I'm hopeful keeps the score down.

MIAMI (+6) over New Orleans - I think Miami is actually finding a stride and New Orleans might face a road letdown after last week's big win.

PITTSBURGH (-4) over Minnesota - The Ravens hurt Minnesota's defense, and this is Minny's first outdoor game of the year.

WASHINGTON (+7) over Philadelphia - This is a WTF line, and I'm jumping on it.

San Diego (-4.5) over KANSAS CITY - Arrowhead is a tough place to play, but unless San Diego is giving up, this is a place to make a stand.

Jeremy (11-19-0)
Holy crap - I go shooting off about my 4-1 week and follow it up with 1-4. Now I need to go above .500 pretty much every remaining week just to finish at respectability. This is not good. I blame Vinny Cerrato. To switch it up, I'm going to pick all road teams this week:

San Diego (-4.5) over KANSAS CITY - Arrowhead is not kind to divisional opponents but I watched an entire Kansas City Chiefs game on Sunday. They are dreadful.

Minnesota (+4) over PITTSBURGH - And Heinz field isn't kind to any opponents, but a wet track on Sunday could surely favor Brett Favre and his receiving corps, although the Steelers' secondary is much more stout than the Ravens'.

Atlanta (+4) over DALLAS - Atlanta looked pretty good against Chicago. Granted, a short week to prepare, but the Cowboys are pretty damn dysfunctional right now.

Indianapolis (-13) over ST. LOUIS - St. Louis looked better with Bulger under center, but Indianapolis has way, way, way too many weapons to keep this one close.

Philadelphia (-7) over WASHINGTON - So much that I could say about this game and why I suspect it will be a truly epic fail by the Redskins. Suffice it to say, I'd take the Eagles at way more than seven playing in Lincoln Financial Field @ Landover.


Magic 8 Ball (9-21-0)
It may be time to retire the Magic 8 Ball this season. 9-21 is really, really, really hard to accomplish, actually.

KANSAS CITY (+4) over San Diego - "Yes." (Chiefs will beat the spread)
Minnesota (+4) over PITTSBURGH - "Don't count on it." (Steelers won't beat the spread)
Atlanta (+4) over DALLAS - "My answer is no." (Cowboys won't beat the spread)
Indianapolis (-13) over ST. LOUIS - "My answer is no." (Rams won't beat the spread)
WASHINGTON (+7) over Philadelphia - "Signs point to yes." (Redskins will beat the spread)


Russell (14-16-0)
I'd just like to point out that if Sanchez only throws 4 INTs last week, I had a winning week. And by the way, "PLAYOFFS? PLAYOFFS?" in response to Richard Seymour. Thanks, Jim Mora.

Indy (-13) over STL - The Rams are bad. Don't be fooled by last week, the Jags are bad too.

Green Bay (-9) over CLEVELAND - The Browns are still the Browns.

San Francisco (+3) over HOUSTON - After the embarrassment two weeks ago, with players showboating in ridiculous situations, how do you think that bye week went for the 49ers? Would you want Mike Singletary in your face for 2 full weeks about the same terrible performance? Didn't think so. Plus Gore should be back.

New England (-14.5) over TAMPA BAY - Last week's 59-0 slaughter was probably against a better team than the Bucs.

Philadelphia (-7) over WASHINGTON - First, the Skins are awful. Second, if you like Zorn, you're not going to be inspired to make him look bad by playing better for the new play-caller. Did we mention the Skins' play-caller was calling BINGO 2 weeks ago? This is the NFL...

Recap
Brien: SD, CIN, SF, NO, ATL
Jason: MIA, PIT, SD, TB, WAS
Jeremy: ATL, IND, MIN, PHI, SD
Russell: IND, GB, SF, NE, PHI

For NFL handicapping advice from people who actually know what they're talking about, check out Doc's Sports.

College Football Picks - Week 8

Kind of a quiet week in college football, but those are the ones that sneak up on you and ruin your season. So the good teams need to stay focused against lesser opposition.

VIRGINIA (+5) over Georgia Tech - Tech is 0-8 since 1990 at Charlottesville, and UVA will play hard. They still control their own destiny in the ACC. UVA also won at Atlanta vs the option last year, so you can't expect the GT offense to confuse them too much.

UConn (+7.5) over WEST VIRGINIA - When one of your teammates is stabbed to death, and the team decides to play, you can expect their very best effort. The Huskies weren't bad to start with.

MICHIGAN (+4) over Penn State - When was the last time PSU won in Ann Arbor? I think it's been a while, and this Michigan is fully capable of upholding that tradition.

KANSAS (+8) over Oklahoma - I expect a flat performance from the Sooners. They have 3 losses at this point in the season for the first time in ages, and Bradford's done for the year. What do they have left to play for?

Arkansas (+6.5) over OLE MISS - First, Ole Miss hasn't looked good all year, and Arkansas is pumped up after beating Florida for 59 minutes. In addition, there's the Houston Nutt issue, and then the fight song has to be distracting this week. Apparently "the South will rise again" is part of Ole Miss' fight song. I don't have a problem with most things Southern, but that seems to me to be a little much, especially in Mississippi of all places.

MICHIGAN STATE (-1.5) over Iowa - The dream finally ends for the Hawkeyes, though they still may win the Big 11.

BYU (+2.5) over Tcu - Let's all remember that BYU was good enough to beat Oklahoma when Bradford was healthy entering the game. TCU's strength is defense, and BYU has already dealt with OU's, which is pretty good too. BYU wins in the 4th as the altitude saps the Frogs.

That's right, it's a 'dogs weekend. Not the Dawgs, they have a bye.

Last week: 5-2
Season: 27-22

Maryland's Vasquez Named Most Entertaining in Hoops

At least Maryland again tops one list...

See the list, and 2 through 16, here.