This Week's Picks

Turnovers kill a football team, and they killed my week seven upset picks. Two inexcusable fumbles kept San Diego from knocking off New England, and I can't even think about color-blind Brett Favre and Minnesota.

Anyway, enough about the past. With renewed confidence I bravely accept this week's upset challenge!

• Detroit over Washington: Matt Stafford is back, which is great news for the Lions and their all-world receiver Calvin Johnson. I like everything this team is doing, and I look for a nice second half in Detroit. That run starts today with a win over the Redskins.
• Arizona over Tampa Bay: I love the Bucs Raheem Morris. In fact, he might be may favorite NFL coach. Having said that, his team isn't this good. On the flip side, the Cardinals aren't this bad. Yes, the QB situation is messy, but the Cards have plenty of talent. Maybe you can't win a title with a weak signal caller, but you sure can win a home game vs. an over-rated opponent.

No Regrets

Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is standing by his reaction to this summer's LeBron James situation:

"I don't regret it. I think that's the feeling that I had and most of Cleveland had. ...I can't back off on that."

In case you forgot, Gilbert sent a fiery letter to fans that labeled LeBron as "cowardly" and "disloyal." While I still disapprove of his tactics, I have to give Gilbert credit for sticking to his guns. He could have easily put a revisionist spin on his actions.

It will be interesting to see how fans support what should be a rotten team in 2010-2011. And going forward, what will free agents think about working for such an emotional owner?

Even More Favre?

Just when you thought there couldn't possibly be more Favre coverage, the guy hurts his ankle and dramatically limps off the stage after a press conference. America is on pins and needles! So now it's his age, his elbow, his texting habits, his wife, his bad ankle, and of course, his consecutive game streak. Why doesn't ESPN start a 24-hour Favre network and get it over with?

Week 7 Upsets

Not a bad effort in week six. I nailed Miami over Green Bay and just missed Denver over the New York Jets. This week's slate of games is difficult to say the least. As usual, I have no fear!

• San Diego over New England: There is no rational reason for going this way, except that the Chargers can't possibly be this crappy. Sooner or later they have to start their annual run. However, no Malcolm Floyd and a 50/50 Antonio Gates start will be challenging. Look for San Diego to run the ball for a change and man up on defense. I'll take the Bolts at home.
• Minnesota over Green Bay: As much as I hate to say it, the Vikings are coming together. America's favorite drama king (Brett Favre) is banged up, but not like the entire Packers roster. I see Moss and Peterson racking up big numbers and leading Minnesota to a road win. The playoffs are definitely back in the picture.

Calling It A Career?

According to ESPN.com, Pittsburgh Steeler James Harrison is considering retirement after being fined $75,000 for what the NFL calls an illegal hit. Here's what his agent had to say:

"This is a very serious issue. James is very concerned about how to play football. If James is going to be fined $75,000 for making a legal tackle, then how do you go play football? It's quite frustrating to James, to Coach Tomlin, to me, to everybody."

It was nice of Harrison's agent to speak for Coach Tomlin. In any case, this was predictable based on the intense reaction to the fines and tough talk surrounding Sunday's various helmet-to-helmet hits (although I'm still not sure that the hit on De Sean Jackson was illegal). Other players may threaten the same sort of response in the coming days and weeks.

The good news is cooler heads will prevail. First, what the hell else are these guys going to do for a living? Second and more importantly, this situation is fixable. NFL defenders changed their approach to hitting quarterbacks, so I'm sure it can be done regarding "defenseless players." After all, these are some of the best athletes on planet Earth.

Parity

John Clayton from ESPN recently noted that 56 percent of NFL games this year have been decided by eight points or less. According to the "professor" that is the highest percentage in league history (granted, it's only week six). If parity is the commissioner's goal, he's well on the way. Personally, I love the balance. The league is much more interesting when the title contenders aren't obvious every season.

For the record, my Super Bowl prediction was Baltimore over New Orleans. The Saints have me a little concerned, but I'm confident they'll get things figured out as the season moves along. As for the Ravens, a good team is about to get better. Ed Reed is set to return anytime. Bad news for the rest of the AFC.

Big Talk From MJ

Recently Michael Jordan told ESPN that he could score 100 points in today's NBA. Pretending for a minute that he's right, which he isn't, who cares? Unless he borrowed Doc Emmit Brown's DeLorean, it's a pointless discussion.

I can't stand the "what if" sports debates. How many homers would Babe Ruth hit today? How many sacks would Deacon Jones rack up today? How many rebounds would Bill Russell pull down today? It's a huge waste of time.

And speaking of time, there's nothing worse than an aging athlete crying and complaining about the current state of his sport and bragging about how much better things were "in the good old days." Jordan's comments remind me of Jim Brown in the 1980s. In case you forgot, Brown was so angry about how certain running backs played that he attempted a comeback at age 48. Take a guess how well that worked out.

I don't mean to be a heartless bastard. I'm sure it's very difficult for superstar athletes to get old and become irrelevant. But trust me guys, patting yourself on the back every chance you get doesn't help. Take the high road and keep your mouth shut.

Another Round Of Upsets

Close but no cigar last week. What was I thinking picking the Bills? Anyway, that was yesterday (with apologies to Foreigner). Here are this week's upset specials:

Miami over Green Bay: It's a home game for the Pack, but I still like Chad Henne and company. The Packers are a MASH unit, and the Dolphins are coming off a bye. Look for Miami to run the ball effectively and force a few turnovers (whether Rodgers plays or not).

Denver over New York: It's just going too well for the Jets. Sooner or later they have to hit a speed bump, and I'm calling it this week. I see an implosion by Sanchez and another big game for Kyle Orton. Speaking of the former Bears QB, did you know that Orton is on pace to throw for more than 5,000 yards? Just when you think you've seen it all!

Da Bears

If you're a Bears fan, you have to be excited about what's happening in your division. The Packers are falling apart physically. The Vikings are a weekly soap opera spiralling out of control. The Lions are improving, but the Stafford injury set them back another year. If the Bears can keep Cutler upright, this could easily turn out to be a 10+ win season. How many fans would have predicted that on August 1st?

I've Had Enough

Call me a bad American, but I'm sick and tired of Brett Favre. I'm tired of his "good old boy" routine. I'm tired of how ESPN treats him like royalty. I'm tired of the excuses when he plays poorly. I'm tired of the word "gunslinger." And before long, I'm sure I'll be tired of hearing about his texting habits. Retire already!

Hotter Than Donut Grease

In case you're scoring at home, I was 2-0 with my upset picks last week. Plenty of room on the bandwagon! Here's a three-pack for this week's action...

• Buffalo over Jacksonville: Yes, I know, the Jags just knocked off the Colts. And yes, the Bills have looked terrible so far. But, Jacksonville is loaded with flaws, and the Marshawn Lynch trade means more carries for C. J. Spiller in Buffalo. Trust me, that's a good thing. Besides, the Bills have to beat somebody, right?
• Oakland over San Diego: I may be picking with my heart here, but the Raiders are a missed chip-shot field goal away from being 2-2. Gradkowski has injected life into the passing game, and the running attack is solid. The Chargers road woes continue this week.
• San Francisco over Philly: The 49ers just aren't this bad. Kevin Kolb might be this bad. Look for San Fran's defense to smother the Vick-less Eagles. Hopefully Mike Singletary keeps his pants on.

Moss On The Move

So Randy Moss is going Back to the Future and returning to the Vikings. This may be the move that saves Minnesota's season. I'll bet Brett Favre hasn't been this happy since he got a new pair of Wranglers for Christmas.

On the flip side, why would the Patriots make this deal? I understand that Moss was a pain in the backside, but New England has a shot to win it all this year. Even if Brandon Tate is as good as he's looked so far, the Pats will live to regret this one.

First Round Fodder

Admit it. You're dying to read my round one playoff predictions! Here goes nothing...

Phillies over Reds: This one is as easy as it gets. The Phillies are better in almost every way (with the possible exception of the bullpen). However, let's give the Reds credit. They overachieved all year, which is a credit to their manager (painful for me to admit), their pitching coach, and of course Joey Votto, who will likely win the MVP award.

Braves over Giants: Tough call here, but I still don't completely believe in the Giants offense. This should be a very competitive, very dramatic series led by two great managers and a handful of exciting young players. I can't wait to watch Heyward on the big stage.

Yankees over Twins: Without Justin Morneau, I just don't see the Twins having enough firepower (I hope I'm wrong). Look for the champs to easily move on to the next round. Did I mention that I hope I'm wrong?

Rangers over Rays: I love the Rangers in round one. Cliff Lee, plus a solid bullpen, plus a balanced offense equals bad news for Joe Maddon and company. In fact, I give the Rangers a great shot at knocking off New York in round two.

I know Fox executives would keel over, but I'm rooting for a Rangers vs. Braves World Series. Round two predictions coming soon!