Sunday, October 24, 2010

It takes four quarters, guys

Well, the Rams let another win get away, and this was the most inexcusable loss so far. For a team that has shown signs of improvement from the recent dismal past, today was a significant step backward. The Rams, after jumping out to a 17-6 halftime lead, gained less than 100 yards and didn't even get close enough to even try a field goal that would have won the game. Instead, they let their defense try to hold the lead for two full quarters, which they couldn't do. In addition, they dropped at least three sure-fire interceptions and missed recovering a Josh Freeman fumble.

I don't blame the defense; they played as hard as they could, considering they were on the field for 20 minutes in the second half. Blame a boring offensive scheme that doesn't have a plan B if Steven Jackson can't gain 10 yards in three downs. Sam Bradford was wasted today with dink and dunk three-yards passes. The kid has a great arm; let him throw the ball downfield, especially when teams are loading up the line to stop Jackson.

The real shame of this game is that the Rams were the better team and should have won the game going away. The puzzling thing is figuring out why the Rams coaching staff couldn't figure out how to make it back to the Tampa 30 yard line just one more time today. I guess it's a sign of progress that the Rams have raised expectations, but now it's time for them to start meeting them.

NFL Week Seven

It's time for our second edition of "Can You Pick Better Than a Kindergartener?" where I match NFL picks against my five-year-old daughter, Chloe. She is up one on me, having picked the Rams to upset San Diego last week. I think I'm gonna take her this week, though; she picked Buffalo to beat the Ravens. If she's right, I'm not even going to pick any more; I'll just play her picks every week.

Cincinnati at Atlanta
Sandman: Falcons; Chloe: Bengals

Washington at Chicago
Sandman: 'Skins; Chloe: Bears

Philadelphia at Tennessee
Sandman: Titans; Chloe: Eagles

Jacksonville at Kansas City
Sandman: Chiefs; Chloe: Jaguars

Pittsburgh at Miami
Sandman: Steelers; Chloe: Dolphins

Cleveland at New Orleans
Sandman: Saints; Chloe: Browns She may be the only one in America who got this right!

St. Louis at Tampa Bay
Sandman: Bucs; Chloe: Rams

San Francisco at Carolina
Sandman: Panthers; Chloe: Panthers

Buffalo at Baltimore
Sandman: Ravens; Chloe: Bills

Arizona at Seattle
Sandman: Cardinals; Chloe: Cardinals

New England at San Diego
Sandman: Chargers; Chloe: Chargers

Oakland at Denver
Sandman: Broncos; Chloe: Broncos

Minnesota at Green Bay
Sandman: Packers; Chloe: Vikings

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
Sandman: Cowboys; Chloe: Giants

This week:
Sandman: 9-5; Chloe: 3-11

Last week:
Sandman: 8-6; Chloe: 9-5

Totals:
Sandman: 17-11; Chloe: 12-16

Sunday, October 17, 2010

NFL Week Six: Can You Pick Better Than a Kindergartener?

Frustrated at my lack of picking success this season, I've challenged by five-year-old daughter Chloe, a kindergarten student, to pick teams this week to see if a complete lack of awareness of football altogether is actually an advantage in picking NFL winners.

Seattle at Chicago
Sandman: Bears; Chloe: Bears

Baltimore at New England
Sandman: Ravens; Chloe: Ravens

Detroit at NY Giants
Sandman: Giants; Chloe: Giants

Atlanta at Philadelphia
Sandman: Falcons; Chloe: Eagles

Cleveland at Pittsburgh
Sandman: Steelers; Chloe: Browns (because brown is my favorite color)

Miami at Green Bay
Sandman: Dolphins; Chloe: Dolphins (what the heck is a Packer, anyway?)

San Diego at St. Louis
Sandman: Chargers; Chloe: Rams

New Orleans at Tampa Bay
Sandman: Saints; Chloe: Bucs

Kansas City at Houston
Sandman: Chiefs; Chloe: Texans

Oakland at San Francisco
Sandman: Raiders; Chloe: 49ers

NY Jets at Denver
Sandman: Jets; Chloe: Jets

Dallas at Minnesota
Sandman: Vikings; Chloe: Vikings

Indianapolis at Washington
Sandman: Colts; Chloe: Colts (I don't like red skin; it's itchy!)

Tennessee at Jacksonville
Sandman: Titans; Chloe: Jaguars

(Sandman: 7-6; Chloe: 9-4)

Saturday, October 09, 2010

NFL Week Five picks

Jacksonville over Buffalo*
Tampa Bay over Cincinnati*
Atlanta over Cleveland*
St. Louis over Detroit*
Indianapolis* over Kansas City
Green Bay over Washington*
Carolina* over Chicago
Baltimore* over Denver
Houston* over NY Giants
New Orleans over Arizona*
San Diego over Oakland*
Dallas* over Tennessee
San Francisco* over Philadelphia
NY Jets* over Minnesota

(* = home team)

Pray for Gwynn, then ban spit tobacco.

First, this:
Tony Gwynn Diagnosed with Cancer

The time has come for major league baseball to once and for all ban all forms of spit tobacco, from snuff pouches to long-cut chew, from the game. Spit tobacco causes mouth cancer and kills athletes. It has no place in our national pastime. The evidence is clear, and action is demanded. Don't wait for Congress to pass legislation. The league and the players union should step up together and make this happen. Ban spit tobacco now.