Boeheim Must Go Now!!!
Normally on Monday I would be commenting on the Browns or with the Leafs playing last night going over their contest in Anaheim. However, yesterday Syracuse University announced that they have fired long-time assistant basketball coach, Bernie Fine. The announcement of Fine's dismissal came after a nine hour search by state and federal authorities of Fine's home on Friday and a damaging recording of a phone conversation with Bobby Davis and Fine's wife where Mrs. Fine acknowledges that her husband has a problem. By the way, the Fines reside across the street from the Boeheim residence. Because of the Fine firing, I will comment on the Browns and Leafs tomorrow as a part of "Tuesday's Thoughts".
Since the news of Fine's firing, many have come out and said that this situation was different than the one at Penn State and that Jim Boeheim should not be in danger of losing his job. The Boeheim defenders will tell you that no one came to Boeheim and told him that Fine committed any acts against children. They will say that Boeheim was just being a good friend remaining loyal to his long-time assistant. But there are similarities with the Penn State scandal that resulted in Joe Paterno's firing and as a result Jim Boeheim should be fired. If he isn't there is an incredible double standard.
First, in the entire Penn State story the premise was that Joe Paterno knew everything that went on at the university. As a result, he had to have known what happened in 1998 even though Scott Paterno, Joe's son, has said that his father was not aware of the 1998 incident. Jim Boeheim's status on the Syracuse campus is similar to that of JoePa's. Boeheim, by his own admission, knew that there were internal investigations by the University going back to 2002. Yet, it was determined that the word of a long-time Boeheim assistant carried more weight than a ball boy.
Second, the 1998 Penn State incident was turned over to State College police and based upon their investigation the district attorney's office did not indict Jerry Sandusky. There were some in the media who believed that Penn State, and Paterno in particular, applied pressure to make sure there was not an indictment. Last week, the Onondaga County District Attorney called into question the 2002 investigation conducted by the Syracuse Police Department pertaining to the sex abuse allegations against Fine. The district attorney's office has had to subpoena 2002 police department records and the state and federal authorities are now involved. Did the University, and Boeheim in particular, apply pressure on the Syracuse Police Department??
Thirdly, in the Penn State scandal Paterno was slammed for his supposed indifference to the victims. Many made the point over and over that he didn't even know the name of the kid involved in the 2002 incident that McQueary told him about. When the Fine story first became public, Jim Boeheim not only stood by his friend he also slammed the two victims. He said they were trying to get money in a settlement and called them both liars. Boeheim knew their names but couldn't give a damn less about their feelings. Where was the concern for the victims???
Joe Paterno was fired as a result of the Penn State Board of Trustees not being able to withstand the incredible media heat they were feeling. They agreed with those that said that Paterno should have done more than just report what McQueary told him. What's interesting is that Paterno testified in the grand jury that McQueary told him that something was going on in the shower between Sandusky and a young boy. Under oath, Paterno stated that McQueary never told him that Sandusky was raping the boy. Paterno's testimony was deemed as credible and he was not charged with perjury as was Curley and Schultz. Yet, he was still fired because he should have done more.
Jim Boeheim is to get a pass according to many in the media. He was just being loyal to a friend. Really. He hired Bernie Fine. He has worked with him since the mid-70's. They live across the street from each other. It is apparent that the allegations agaiinst Fine were known by many in the Syracuse community. Are you telling me that Boeheim didn't know anything?? Boeheim probably spent as much time with Bernie Fine as Laurie Fine has spent with her husband. She knew her husband had a problem. You mean to tell me that Boeheim didn't know his long-time trusted assistant didn't have a problem???
The media pounced on the Penn State story with both feet. There was an immediate call for Paterno's dismissal. Not hearing that now about Boeheim. Of course, there are more Syracuse alums from the Newhouse School of Broadcasting in the media than there are from Penn State. Boeheim has been the basketball coach during many of these alums years at SU. He was an imposing figure at a school where basketball is king. It must be awfully hard to believe that this happening to their beloved basketball program. But the fact remains that if you were calling for Paterno's head, then you must be looking for Boeheim to be fired. To do otherwise would be a double standard. If Jim Boeheim was smart he would resign now. He probably won't. I'm sure he thinks he will ride this out.
Week 12 NFL Picks
Well, the Lions proved to be a turkey for me on Thanksgiving so I hope to come back today with four picks:
* Carolina (-3 1/2) over Indianapolis - The Colts have the second worst offense and defense in the AFC. Carolina has Cam Newton and he should be able to generate some offense. While this may be a chance for the Colts to win a game, the Panthers have too much offense. Carolina 24 Indianapolis 13.
* Cleveland (+7 1/2) over Cincinnati - Both teams' defenses have played very well and both teams have young quarterbacks. The Browns may have Montario Hardesty and Peyton Hillis available for today's game. The Bengals may be due for a letdown after their last two games against Pittsburgh and Baltimore. This game will be closer than one would think. Cincinnati 20 Cleveland 15.
* Chicago (+3 1/2) over Oakland - The Bears have an opportunity to solidify their wild card chances with a win today. With or without Jay Cutler, the Raiders were going to be a tough opponent. Oakland has their share of injuries too. This game will turn into a defensive struggle. Look for the Bears to pull this one out. Chicago 17 Oakland 14.
* New England (-3 1/2) over Philadelphia - The Patriots can vault themselves in the AFC and potentially get home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Eagles will be without one of their star defensive backs and really have nothing to play for in this game. New England 38 Philadelphia 31.
Take Your Pick: The Lions Are Turkeys & Pretenders
It was supposed to be a statement game. For once the traditional Thanksgiving game in Detroit was going to be a good one. Well, the game was good if you were a Green Bay Packer fan and the statement that was made was that the Detroit Lions are NFC pretenders and are as done as the turkey dinner we had yesterday. In the last three weeks, the Lions have played two divisional opponents where they had a chance to assert themselves in the NFC North and in the conference and both times they failed miserably. Losing is one thing but costly mistakes particularly from your young quarterback and the overall dirty classless play is enough to tell me that the Lions are done.
Matthew Stafford's interceptions led to two Packer touchdowns and turned what was a defensive struggle in the first half to a Green Bay blowout in the final two quarters. This against the second worst pass defense in the National Football League. With the whole nation watching it is obvious that Stafford has a lot to learn.
Meanwhile, the Lions continued to play to their image of being the dirtiest team in the league led by Ndamukong Suh. Suh's blatant stomping on the body of a fallen Green Bay offensive lineman is a disgrace. What's a bigger disgrace is his post game comments defending himself. Suh's inability to own up to his misbehavior is disturbing. It's a lack of accountability for one's actions and who I hold responsible for this is none other than Head Coach Jim Schwartz. As I have often said, a team takes on the personality of its coach. Schwartz is a high strung punk as evidenced by his actions after his team lost to the San Francisco 49ers. If you recall he took exception to Niner Coach Jim Harbaugh's slap on the back and charged after him. The guy is a whiner and it doesn't surprise me that Suh and the rest of the Lions play the game as if they are punks. It's one thing to play a physical, tough game. It's another to play dirty and classless and that's what the Lions are: dirty and classless.
What started out like a good story about a bad team finally turning it around has turned into a story about a head coach who acts like the leader of a street gang and will not be happy until someone seriously gets hurt. In the end, here's hoping that this band of hooligans don't make the playoffs and Mr. Suh finds himself sitting on the sidelines for awhile due to a suspension.
Happy Thanksgiving: A Week 12 NFL Pick
Happy Thanksgiving!!! Along with turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie, football is a Thanksgiving tradition. The traditional Thanksgiving game in Detroit has been a yawn since Barry Sanders retired but this year will be different as the 10-0 Green Bay Packers take on the 7-3 Detroit Lions. Of the three games today this is the one I am making a selection on and here we go:
* Detroit (+6) over Green Bay: This is a big game for the Lions as they are tied with Chicago at 7-3 and have Atlanta, the Giants and Dallas breathing down their necks at 6-4. It's a given that unless there is a monumental collapse, the Packers are going to win the NFC North so in order for the Lions to make the playoffs they will need to go as a wild card and that's why this game is big for them. While Green Bay's offense has been lighting it up (3rd best in the NFC), their defense is second to last in the NFC. Moreover, their pass defense is the worst in the NFC and the only pass defense worse than theirs in the whole league is New England's.
The Lions meanwhile have the second best defense in the NFC and their pass defense is ranked 1st in the conference. Offensively, the Lions are ranked 6th in the NFC and their passing attack is 5th in the conference. This is going to be a great test for both teams as the Packers have been relying on their offense to win games and this will be the best defense they have faced this year. On the flip side, Matthew Stafford should be able to exploit the vulnerable Packer pass defense. In what should be a high scoring affair: Green Bay 38 Detroit 35.
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The other Thanksgiving games should be good ones particularly the night game between San Francisco and Baltimore. We should learn a lot about the 49ers after that game. I will have the rest of my Week 12 Picks Saturday morning. I'm 17-6 over the last seven weeks and 21-14 overall.
Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!
Week 11 NFL Picks
Week 10 saw a 2-1 record once again bringing my season record up to 19-13 or 59% winning record. But in the last 6 weeks my record is 15-5 or 75% winning picks. In another card that I'm finding difficult, here are my Week 11 picks:
* Detroit (-7) over Carolina: The Lions were beat up last week in Chicago and find themselves tied with the Bears at 6-3. Atlanta and Dallas are 5-4 so a wild card berth is not a done deal for the Lions who have to face the Packers twice. Carolina has lost two in a row and are 0-3 on the road. Look for the Lions to shut down Cam Newton and for their offense to bounce back from last week's debacle in the Windy City. Detroit 24 Carolina 10.
* Green Bay (-14) over Tampa Bay: I hate to lay this many points but the Packers have been dominant at home. Their margins of victory at Lambeau Field have been 8 (vs Saints), 26 (vs Broncos), 21 (vs STL) and 38 (vs Vikings). The Green Bay and Tampa Bay defenses are at the bottom of the NFC however the Packer offense is much more prolific than that of the Bucs. The Pack are 4-1 ATS as a home favorite while Tampa Bay is 1-2 ATS as a road dog. I don't see that trend changing. Green Bay 35 Tampa Bay 13.
* San Francisco (-9 1/2) over Arizona: The Niners are red hot having won 7 in a row. They have the number 3 defense in the NFC and are 4-1 at home this year. ATS San Francisco is 4-0-1 as home favorite. Arizona is 1-4 on the road but 2-1 as a road underdog. The Cards have won 2 in a row knocking off the Rams and upsetting the Eagles. I don't see John Skelton being able to throw for over 300 yards as he did last week against Philadelphia. The Arizona offense will struggle against the Niner defense while the Cardinal defense (third from the bottom in the NFC) will have a problem with the running tandem of Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter. San Francisco 27 Arizona 14
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Week 10 NFL Picks
Last week I went 2-1 upping my record to 17-12. Over the last five weeks my record is 11-4 and hopefully I can continue on this hot streak. With a difficult schedule of games, here are my picks for Week 10:
* Buffalo (+5 1/2) over Dallas: The Bills are 6-2 ATS and 2-0 as a road underdog while Dallas is 3-4-1 ATS and is 1-3 as a home favorite. The Cowboys defense is particularly tough against the pass but not so much against the run so look for Fred Jackson to have a good day. The Bills are very opportunistic on defense and should force Tony Romo into some mistakes. This game will be close and while the Cowboys may win they won't cover. Dallas 27 Buffalo 23.
* Pittsburgh (-3) over Cincinnati: The Bengals are on a roll as they have won five games in a row and are 7-1 ATS. The Steelers are coming off a tough loss to the Ravens and find themselves a half game behind Baltimore and the Bengals. A Steeler loss would be a major blow to Pittsburgh's chances to make the playoffs as they would fall to 6-4 and the Bengals would go to 7-2. Pittsburgh defense should give Cincy's rookie quarterback Andy Dalton a tough time as the Steelers rebound. Pittsburgh 24 Cincinnati 14.
* Houston (-3) over Tampa Bay: The Texans are playing great football right now and are a legitimate contender in the AFC. They rank 3rd in offense and 1st in defense in the AFC and are 6-3 ATS. Tampa Bay seems to be faltering as they are second to last in defense in the NFC. Josh Freeman has taken a step back this year and the Bucs are averaging only 96.1 yards rushing this year. The Texans are an explosive team with plenty of weapons. Houston 31 Tampa Bay 17.
NFL Week 8 Picks
Last week was a very good one as I was 3-0 and raised my season record to 13-10. Been on a hot streak as over the last 3 weeks my record has been 7-2. So hopefully I can keep it going in Week 8.
* Houston (-9 1/2) over Jacksonville - The Texans are on a roll as they blew out the Titans last week. The Jaguars are coming off a big win at home on Monday night against Baltimore. The Texans are second in the AFC on offense while Jacksonville is dead last. The Texans are 2-1 as a home favorite while Jacksonville is 1-2 as a road dog. Look for the Texans to blow them out as Jaguars have a big let down. Houston 38 Jacksonville 17.
* Baltimore (-13) over Arizona - Baltimore comes home reeling after losing in a terrible performance against Jacksonville. Arizona has been awful this year and Kevin Kolb is in for a long day. The Ravens are 3-0 as a home favorite while Arizona is 1-2 on the road ATS. The Ravens cover easy. Baltimore 30 Arizona 10.
* Detroit 24 Denver 14 - The Lions are coming off a two game losing streak at home while Denver is riding high on Tim Tebow's miraculous comeback against the Dolphins. The Lions are not the Dolphins and the Lion defense is ranked second in the NFC. Look for them to give Tebow all he can handle and then some. The Lions need to right the ship if they want to keep an upper hand in the NFC playoff chase. This is a game they have to win. Detroit 27 Denver 10.
The Big East Is On Its Death Bed
Back in 1979, the Big East was established as a basketball conference. It soon became a force to be reckoned as evidenced by Georgetown's appearance in 1982 and winning the championship in 1984. In 1985, this relatively new conference had 3 teams (Georgetown, Villanova and St.John's) in the Final Four which resulted in an all Big East Final that saw Villanova upset favorite Georgetown.
The Big East has been one of the dominant basketball conferences in the country but it is currently struggling to survive and for that college basketball fans will suffer. Particularly those in the Eastern part of the country. Soon the Georgetown-Syracuse rivalry will be gone. Pittsburgh-Connecticut, St.John's-Syracuse, Villanova-Pittsburgh and the Big East Tournament in Madison Square Garden will soon be a memory. And to me its a damn crying shame!!!
Football runs the show and the Big East's decision to add football to its conference was an attempt to give the Big East more notoriety and also more revenue. Miami was brought along and the conference had instant credibility. But that began to slip away when Boston College, Virginia Tech and Miami bolted to the ACC in 2004 and 2005. And that was the beginning of the end for Big East football.
The end is right around the corner with Pittsburgh, Syracuse and West Virginia leaving and TCU leaving before they ever played a conference game. What is left are second rate football schools and a basketball conference that may take a greater hit if Notre Dame decides to pull up stakes and go to the ACC or Big 12.
The fate of the Big East is a result of the revenue starved football programs that are looking for more cash by developing super conferences with the television networks, specifically ESPN and FOX, supplying the long green. If you think I'm joking please read the article below.
http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/7149965/espn-middle-college-realignment
ESPN started this debacle by aiding and abetting the University of Texas to create its own Longhorn Network which resulted in Texas A&M bolting from the Big 12. Thanks to ESPN and FOX, college sports as we know it will be destroyed. No more traditional rivalry games. Conferences that were based on geography will be destroyed thus making it harder for fans to attend road games. But what do they care. More money for the schools and more money for the networks. What a damn disgrace. Shame on the NCAA!!! Shame on ESPN!!!
Week 7 NFL Picks
Had another bounce back week going 2-1, getting back to .500 at 10-10. Interestingly enough, last week favorites were 9-5, with home favorites being 8-4. This is a big week as I try to go over .500.
New York Jets (+2) over San Diego: Despite their record, the Chargers have not really played all that well, particularly Philip Rivers. He will be facing a Jets team that needs a win badly and have those two corners: Darrell Revis and Aaron Cromartie. The Chargers usually travel poorly when they come back East. I don't see that changing on Sunday. NY Jets 21 San Diego 17.
Dallas Cowboys (-12) over St.Louis: The Rams are 0-5 ATS and go into Dallas with Sam Bradford's status in question due to a bum ankle. With Bradford or not, the Rams will be facing one of the top defenses in the NFL. Tony Romo and Company should be able to put up some points in a game that they must have. Dallas in a rout. Cowboys 35 Rams 10.
Pittsburgh (-3.5) over Arizona: The Steelers struggled last week against Jacksonville holding on to a 17-13 win. Look for Big Ben to roll this week against a Cardinal defense that leaves a lot to be desired. Pittsburgh 27 Arizona 17.
NFL Picks: Week 6
Last week I bounced back going 2-1 and bringing my season record to 8-9. As I mentioned in Tuesday's Thoughts, I am officially done with the Atlanta Falcons. How can you play so well in the first half and then not show up in the second half at home against the Super Bowl Champs. By the way, the same team that eliminated you at home last year in the playoffs. Despicable. Well, it's time to get over the Mendoza line, here are my picks for Week 6:
* Green Bay (-15) over St.Louis - The Packers have been awfully tough at Lambeau Field and the young and hurting St.Louis Rams should be in for a long day. The Rams are 0-4 ATS all as an underdog while the Packers are 4-1 ATS all as a favorite and are 2-0 as a home favorite. Despite the large point spread, the Packers will get the job done. Green Bay 34 St.Louis 10.
* Pittsburgh (-12) over Jacksonville - The young Jaguars are going to Pittsburgh and it won't be pretty. Jacksonville is 0-4-1 ATS and 0-2 as a road underdog. The Steelers are 2-3 ATS but they are 2-0 as a home favorite. The Steelers will focus on Maurice Jones-Drew and force rookie Blaine Gabbert to beat them. Good luck with that. Pittsburgh 28 Jacksonville 13.
* Dallas (+7) over New England - This game should be a shootout and the Cowboys are getting Miles Austin back and Dez Bryant is fully healthy. Both teams are weak defensively against the pass which should lead to plenty of scoring. New England is coming off a big divisional game against the Jets and the Cowboys are coming off a bye. The Cowboys might not win outright but they will keep it close. New England 35 Dallas 31.
Tomorrow a look at the Maple Leafs game against the Calgary Flames.
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