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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Burke Needs To Act To Save Season
As injuries continue to mount, President and General Manager Brian Burke needs to act if he is to save this season. Last night, besides dropping a 4-1 decision to the Nashville Predators, the Leafs may have lost Matthew Lombardi and Mike Kommisarek. Kommisarek has played his best hockey since becoming a Leaf and with Cody Franson and Marlie possibilities the Leafs may be able to weather the storm. But it's upfront where the Leafs have some major issues to deal with.
We know that Mikhail Grabovski will be out for 2 weeks. We don't know what the deal is with Clarke MacArthur and it appears that Matthew Lombardi suffered a shoulder injury last night. And how about Colby Armstrong who has been out since early October with an ankle injury. Before the latest injuries the Leafs were depending pretty much on Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul. Now, they are all that's left and it is apparent that it will not be good enough. Especially if this team wants to make the playoffs. And while injuries are mounting, the Leafs need to make a move to solidify their goaltending. Ben Scrivens played again last night and seems to have a habit of allowing a soft goal a game and it is apparent that they have no confidence in Jonas Gustavsson.
Burke has said that he has received inquiries about Cody Franson. He may need to package Franson along with a Nazem Kadri to get some forward help and a goalie. The Marlies should have a defenseman to bring up. If healthy enough possibly Keith Aulie or Matt Lashoff. Joe Colborne is just now coming back from injury and it's quite possible we will see him up with the big team shortly. In fact, getting a solid goalie may be the bigger priority than worrying about getting a scoring forward.
Burke may also need to begin re-thinking the philosophy of this club. The style of this team's play lends to defensemen pinching into the offensive zone. The problem is that with weak goaltending this style is a recipe for disaster. Last night Luke Schenn, not known for his offensive abilities, pinched in the offensive zone which created a 2 on 1 situation that led to a Nashville goal. In the recent losses, this situation has presented itself on numerous occasions and has led to opponent goals.
While it is probably unlikely that Burke would make an in season coaching change, the heat needs to be put on Ron Wilson. Without a capable goaltender, the Leafs are in no position to allow defenseman to pinch in particularly players like Schenn and Mike Kommisarek. It's necessary for the Leafs to be more disciplined. It is well documented that Leaf special teams have been terrible under Wilson. The power play has been clicking as of late but penalty killing is still a problem. A change in style needs to happen quickly. Along with that a veteran goaltender needs to be acquired before Burke's self-imposed trade deadline in early December. If no action is taken, the Leafs may once again be on the outside looking in for the playoffs and Leaf Nation will be demanding for heads to roll. It's your move Burkie!!
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Week 11 NFL Picks coming later.
Leafs Comeback, But Lose In A Shootout
In a game that for two periods looked like the Toronto Maple Leafs would go scoreless, the Blue & White came up with a goal from an unlikely source, Mike Kommisarek and a second goal from a familiar source, Phil Kessel to tie the game at two only to lose in a shootout to the Phoenix Coyotes 3-2. The first period was not a good one for young goaltender Ben Scrivens as both Coyote goals were weak. The ACC crowd derisively cheered when Scrivens made a save. But in the third period and in the overtime the young goalie from Cornell had the fans on their feet applauding as he made a number of brilliant saves to keep his team in the game and helping them earn a point in the standings.
Phil Kessel was an offensive threat all night and showed why Brian Burke made the move to acquire him. But the Leafs are not going to be able to survive with scoring only from the Kessel line and things could get worse as Mikhail Grabovski and Clarke MacArthur both left the game with injuries. Hopefully, we will find out today the severity and for how long these two may be out of action. The good news is that Tim Connolly should be back on Thursday which should help if Grabovski and/or MacArthur are out for Thursday's game against Nashville. But it certainly doesn't help for a team struggling for offense if two-thirds of their second line is out for an extended period of time.
Mike Kommisarek has been criticized plenty since coming to the Leafs but last night may have been his best game since coming to Toronto. It's not just the fact that he scored a goal but has more to do with his physical play which seemed to spark the team. Luke Schenn also had his best game of the season as he logged around 20 minutes of ice time and was out there in critical situations. A back to form for Schenn will certainly help the Leafs.
Last night's game really showed how important James Reimer is to this team. Reimer, as a good goalie can do, can cover up for mistakes that occur as evidenced by the two on one goal for Phoenix that gave them an early one goal lead. You can see why the Leafs feel strongly about Scrivens' ability but you also can see rookie mistakes or jitters particularly at home. That is why the Leafs need to start games stronger. To be honest, the Leafs have really not had a solid 60 minute performance for weeks. It is going to be needed night in and night out if they are to survive Reimer's absence particularly if Brian Burke does not acquire a veteran backup. It appears that the team has lost confidence in Jonas Gustavsson. It's already being reported that Scrivens will probably be in net against the Predators which would mean that Gustavsson won't play until the weekend when the Leafs have back-to-back games against the Capitals and Hurricanes.
I'm finding it hard to believe that Burke & Company won't make a move before his self-imposed holiday deadline. The Leafs are entering a critical part of their early schedule with 5 games in 8 nights with 4 of those games on the road. They really can't afford a rough patch if they want to build on their strong start. Thursday night will be a tough game against the defensive-minded Predators and their goalie Pekka Rinne. The next 8 days could be very telling in where this Leaf team will be come April and I'm sure Brian Burke knows that.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering when Ryan Miller will be a Detroit Red Wing, here's what else is on my mind this morning:
* The Maple Leafs face-off against the Phoenix Coyotes tonight at the Air Canada Center and they will have their hands full. The Coyotes have been playing very well and have received excellent goaltending from Mike Smith. The Leafs wish they could receive good goaltending. While Ben Scrivens saved the game against St.Louis, he let in a weak goal against Ottawa on Saturday which ended up being the game winner. I can't see the Leafs surviving the rest of November if they don't acquire a veteran goalie. With the uncertainty around James Reimer, there is no way they can make the playoffs with the current pair of Scrivens and Jonas Gustavsson. Scrivens needs to play more in the AHL and Gustavsson make be along the lines of another Swedish goaltender: Mikael Tellqvist.
* I really don't care what Pat Shurmur and certain Cleveland media have to say, not trying a pass with 1st and goal from the 8 yard line with just over 3 minutes left was a "playing not to lose" strategy. Wouldn't it really be a boost to the offense and particularly to Colt McCoy if he was able to throw a TD which proved to be the winner??? With the bounty of tight ends this team has, why didn't they line-up tight fake a hand off and throw a pass to Ben Watson?? Watson has been a tremendous acquistion by the Browns and has been rock solid. One of Colt McCoy's strengths coming out of college was that he was a heady intelligent quarterback who knew how to win. If no one is open, you throw the ball away, something I'm sure McCoy did at Texas.
* Watched the Browns Red Zone last night and couldn't agree more with a caller who said that Doug Dieken should run for political office because he is the master of spin. Dieken was a tremendous offensive lineman in the 70's and early 80's and has been the Browns radio color commentator since 1984. Dieken hardly ever criticizes the Browns and last night was defending Shurmur's decision to not try a pass down near the goal line. His point was that the Browns were trying to take time off the clock to leave less time for the Rams to try to score. But the problem with that is all the Rams would have needed to win the game would have been a field goal. There is no guarantee that the Browns defense would have held the Rams out of field goal range. A touchdown by the Browns would have made the score 19-13 and the Rams would have needed to score a touchdown. Sorry Doug, but I don't buy it.
* I agree with Tony Grossi 100%, if you can't score a touchdown in the red zone you seriously have to question the quarterback. As I've stated before, I want to see Colt McCoy succeed but I'm not sure that he's the guy to lead this team to the playoffs let alone the Super Bowl.
* I'm really having a hard time understanding how the Penn State AD and their VP for Business Services are still on the school's payroll and the fact that Penn State is paying their legal bills. The Board of Trustees fired Joe Paterno and the University President but leave these two guys on the payroll??? Aren't they the two guys that explicitly heard from Mike McQueary what was going on in the shower in 2002?? Aren't they both being charged with perjury??? For the record, Paterno was not charged with perjury.
* Mike Francesa and many others are beating the drum that Paterno had total control over what went on at Penn State. He controlled everything. Next thing we are going to hear is that Paterno was responsible for the JFK assassination, Watergate, 9/11 and Hurricane Irene.
* Watching the Bob Costas interview with Jerry Sandusky just confirms for me that he is a sick individual.
* The Buffalo Bills bandwagon got a whole lot lighter after their 44-7 blowout loss at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys. As Bills coach Chad Gailey said they are pretenders. While Ryan Fitzpatrick is a nice story, he is not a franchise quarterback. The defense was lit up big time and the turnovers which they lived off of early in the season have not been created. Unfortunately, the Bills will win enough games to be out of the top 15 for the 2012 NFL Draft.
* Sunday night I heard Mike Schoop and the Bulldog and they were going on and on about what a bust C.J. Spiller is. While he very well may be a bust, was that really the reason why the Bills got buried in Dallas?? The Spiller pick reminds me of when they drafted Willis McGahee instead of getting help where they needed it. In both instances, they had established running backs in Fred Jackson (Spiller) and Travis Henry (McGahee). By the way, I heard the interview that these two geniuses had with Stevie Johnson and it is apparent that Schoop has a man crush on Johnson.
* The furor over Milan Lucic's hit on Ryan Miller made for great radio. There has been plenty of criticism of the Sabres and all of it is right on the money. I have watched a lot of hockey on all levels: youth, high school, college and pro and it is an unwritten rule that if your goalie gets hit you go after the guy who did it. If I was a Sabres fan I would be totally disgusted particularly when you hear Paul "Two-Ton" Hamilton say that there was no one on the Sabres who would want to fight Lucic for fear that they would get whipped. Are you kidding me??? As Mike Milbury said last night, its not how many you win, its how many you are in particularly as it relates to standing up for a teammate.
* Mr. Tough-Guy Paul Gaustad is a total puke. He was on the ice when the Lucic hit occurred and did nothing. Two-Ton Hamilton was spewing that he was being held up by Zdeno Chara but replays show that he was near Nathan Horton. Whether it was Horton or Chara, why didn't this tough guy start something with either one of them. Then he has the audacity to say that it was embarassing that they did nothing. Lindy Ruff's line that "Paul was on the ice" was a classic. Of course last night against a smaller Montreal Canadiens team, Gaustad was throwing his weight around taking 3 penalties while he was at it. It was also interesting that toward the end of the overtime period he was jawing with Tomas Plekanec who is considerably smaller than the big bad tough guy Gaustad.
Lindy Ruff and Darcy Reiger's whining to the league illustrates what the Sabres are: a bunch of cry babies who don't have the ability to man up against the Bruins and Flyers of the world. The league was absolutely right in not suspending Lucic. Miller was out near the top of the circle when he was hit. Lucic was given a penalty and that's all that was deserved. Being a Leaf fan, I understand about my starting goaltender being knocked out with a concussion. What Ruff and Reiger should be concerned about is their team's total lack of guts.
And finally, I heard the interview with Howard Simon and Two-Ton Hamilton on Sunday morning. Two-Ton was gagging and clearing his throat. It was borderline disgusting and hilarious at the same time. I wonder how many Sam Adams Two-Ton consumed before he left Boston??
Snatching Defeat From The Jaws Of Victory
Once again the Cleveland Browns figured out a way to lose a football game. A botched snap resulted in a missed field goal with just over 2 minutes left in the game gave the St.Louis Rams a 13-12 win over the Browns. What's really got me pissed off is that the Browns had it first and goal and refused to even attempt a pass in the end zone to score a touchdown. Contrast that with the New Orleans-Atlanta game. The Falcons trailed 23-20 with 16 seconds left in the game and had it first and goal from the 6 yard line. Matt Ryan made two passing attempts into the end zone, one that should have been caught by Roddy White and the other was just thrown away. It still left plenty of time on the clock for a Falcon field goal that sent the game into overtime.
Terry Pluto raised a great point in his article in the Cleveland Plain-Dealer: if Pat Shurmur doesn't have the confidence in Colt McCoy to try to score a touchdown then maybe McCoy isn't the guy to lead the Browns to the promise land. I've stated here before that I believe that Pat Shurmur is in over his head. In my opinion, he played not to lose as opposed to playing to win. Maybe it's the fact that his team is struggling and he wanted to play it safe. But the fact remains that the Browns lost again and it marks the third time in the last two home games that they have had a field goal attempt blocked. It didn't cost them against Seattle but it did yesterday. Which leads me to the decision to let Brad Seely go as Special Teams Coordinator. Special teams was a strong point for the Browns under Seely. Not so much anymore.
I can't see the Browns winning another game this season. Next week they have the Jaguars with Maurice Jones-Drew and I don't see a win in the cards. It's looking like season ticket holders believe the same thing as there were plenty of empty seats throughout the stadium yesterday. Maybe that's what needs to happen. In fact, wouldn't it be something if there are more Steeler fans in the stadium when they come in to play the Browns. It's really sad as a proud fan base must endure such garbage. The best we can hope for is that the Browns lose every game finishing 3-13 and the Falcons lose as many games as possible giving the Browns two decent draft picks. Same old story for us Browns fans: wait until next year.
Marlins Aggressive, Where Is Mr. Cashman???
The Florida Marlins are moving into a new stadium next year and are pushing hard to make a big splash. It is reported that the Marlins have made offers to Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle. They are currently courting Albert Pujols. My question is: where is Brian Cashman??? While the Yankees certainly would not be in on Reyes or Pujols, they certainly should be interested in Buehrle. But all we hear are platitudes about how he and Joe Girardi aren't comfortable with how the starting rotation presently looks.
In an interview, Cashman talked about possibly having to do what he did last year taking a flyer on low end free agents. While that worked out this year in the regular season do you really want to roll the dice again? Last year, Cashman sat by and waited because he wanted Cliff Lee and we know how that turned out. This year the Marlins are on the move with courting free agents. The Phillies have signed Jonathan Papelbon. In the meantime, we know nothing about what the Yankees are going to do other than hearing all kinds of happy talk from Cashman and Company. Maybe the Yankees are just waiting to see what the offers are for various free agent pitchers. Or maybe Cashman plans on doing what he did last year: bargain hunt and hope it works out. Interesting strategy for a team with the most financial resources that considers a successful season only if they win the World Series
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.
Scrivens, Kessel Lead Leafs in 3-2 Shootout Win
With a goaltending controversy brewing, rookie Ben Scrivens was given the assignment Thursday night against the St. Louis Blues and the rookie took full advantage of the chance as he stopped 37 shots plus everything in the shoot out as the Maple Leafs flew home with a 3-2 win. Scrivens was outstanding in the second and third periods as the Leafs were out shot better than 3-1. He looked shaky early in the first period but settled down and was the main reason why the Leafs were able to snap their two game losing streak.
Phil Kessel scored his 12th goal of the season on the power play and with 2 minutes remaining in the third period it looked like the game winner. But the Leafs were hanging on for dear life and the Blues finally got one by Scrivens to tie the game up with 1:58 left. After a scoreless overtime period, Kessel notched the only goal in the shootout which gave the Leafs the victory after Scrivens stopped all 3 Blues shooters.
The Leafs seemed to falter late in the third period as they had a difficult time getting out of their own zone. In games on the road when they have been ahead they have been able to clamp down in the third period and not give up many scoring chances. But last night the Blues were relentless and the Leafs mounted little if any offensive push of their own.
It would seem based upon Coach Ron Wilson's decision to play Scrivens that management has lost some confidence in Jonas Gustavsson and that is certainly understandable. I would be shocked if Scrivens was not back in net tomorrow against the Ottawa Senators. From now until the end of November the Leafs have nine games to play with 5 being on the road. If James Reimer is not back by then, the Leafs will have to evaluate where they are at with their goaltenders and if they need to bring in a veteran.
James Reimer's agent has indicated that Reimer's status is improving and the Leaf netminder should be back on the ice soon. How soon is soon is anyone's guess. But the Leafs cannot afford shoddy goaltending over the next 9 games or they may be finding themselves giving away the good start that they have had up to this point. Offensively, the Leafs seemed to be back in a rut with the Kessel line being the main contributors. They have only scored 3 goals in their last 3 games and you are not going to win many with that kind of offense. The Grabovski line is getting chances but not scoring. At times I think there is a little too much passing with this trio. I also think that Clarke MacArthur's overall play has slipped since the Columbus game. He seems to be rather lazy on his defensive responsibilities. It would be nice if the third line could contribute and maybe with David Steckel at center it may create opportunities for Matt Frattin and Matthew Lombardi.
The Leaf penalty killing unit was 4 for 5 in holding off the Blues power play unit and hopefully this can continue. The power play was responsible for both of the Leafs two goals and John-Michael Liles seems to have settled in as the power play quarterback. On both goals the Leafs went to the net and they need to do more of that.
There is reason for optimism with this team when you consider that they have been without their number one goalie since October 22 and are 5-4 since then and they have been without their number one center for all but several games. While their play of late has given me cause for concern, they are holding their own considering that it appears that their goaltending will be in the hands of an undrafted rookie from Cornell. The pressure will be on such players as Phil Kessel, Dion Phaneuf, Mikhail Grabovski and John-Michael Liles to hold this thing together until Reimer gets back. This is a young team and if they can whether this adversity it will bode well for the future particularly if this team gets into the playoffs.
The puck drops sometime after 7pm on Saturday at the ACC as it is the Hall of Fame game when ex-Leafs Doug Gilmour, Eddie Belfour and Joe Nieuwendyck will be honored for their entry into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
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Later today, Week 10 NFL picks. Been red hot as of late, 11-4 the last 5 weeks.
Goaltending A Problem As Leafs Fall 5-1
For the second game in a row the Toronto Maple Leafs received less than stellar goaltending as they lost 5-1 to the Florida Panthers. With uncertainty surrounding James Reimer's possible return, it's hard to believe that the Leafs can withstand going a month or more with Jonas Gustavsson and Ben Scrivens. 3 of the 5 goals last night had a distinct odor to them and certainly deflated a Leaf team that is having problems scoring.
The Leafs had plenty of scoring chances but Jose Theodore was solid for the Panthers. Unfortunately, the Leafs did not receive the same performance. The frustrating thing for Leaf fans is that none of us know how long James Reimer will be out but Leaf management obviously knows and they must also know that if he is out for any time beyond this month, the Leafs are in serious trouble.
Absent signing a free agent such as Marty Turco or making a trade, the only thing that the Leafs can do is tighten up defensively. I've noticed over the past couple of games that there seems to be a lot of cheating on the part of Leaf forwards. They also seem to be a little less aggressive in the other team's zone as far as driving to the net.
I have been very supportive of Brian Burke. I think he is doing everything he can to bring a winning team to Toronto. But, not having an adequate back-up goalie could end up costing this team making the playoffs particularly if Reimer is out going into December. Burke is quick to act when he realizes that things are not working out as evidenced by his trading of Kris Versteeg and Francois Beauchemin. Hopefully he has something up his sleeve otherwise Leaf Nation will quickly change their October euphoria to a December calling for Wilson's head and possibly Burke's next.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While hoping that the sun comes out so I can finish getting rid of leaves, here's what's on my mind this morning:
* It was really sad to hear of the passing of Smokin' Joe Frazier. Frazier was a huge part of the last great era of heavyweight boxing. I can remember March 8, 1971 like it was yesterday. It was billed as the Fight of the Century as the heavyweight champion Joe Frazier was going to take on Muhammad Ali at Madison Square Garden. Ali was stripped of the title in 1968 for refusing to go to fight in Vietnam. Frazier won the title in 1970 by defeating Jimmy Ellis at MSG with a fourth rouund knockout. This was going to be a battle and it certainly lived up to the expectations. I remember listening to Stan Barron on WBEN Radio as he read round-by-round accounts of the fight that came over the Associated Press teletype machine. Earlier that day, I had made a number of small wagers with my 9th grade classmates. They were all pulling for Ali but for me it was Smokin' Joe. Needless to say, when Ali was knocked down by Frazier with a thunderous left in the 15th Round it was clear that he was going to retain his title. Ali's jaw was broken and I'll never forget the picture of Frazier's face in Sports Illustrated badly swollen from the many punches delivered by Ali. They would fight two more times. The second time was at MSG and Ali won in a 12 round non-title fight decision. The third time was The Thrilla In Manilla and Ali was the champ. I had the opportunity to watch that fight at the Niagara Falls Convention Center via closed circuit television. Everything you read about the fight is true: it was a war. The best fight I have ever seen. In the end, Smokin' Joe's manager Eddie Futch stopped the fight in the 14th Round as Frazier's one eye was almost swollen shut. Ali has said that he was contemplating not coming out for that round. As I left the Convention Center I had a tear in my eye as these guys both gave it there all and in the end Smokin' Joe couldn't pull it off. R.I.P Smokin' Joe Frazier. You will always be remembered as one of the greatest fighters of all-time.
* The Maple Leafs are back in action tonight as they take on the Florida Panthers. The Leafs are coming off their worst game of the season as they were dominated by the Boston Bruins 7-0 for their first loss at home. The Leafs have made it a point not to lose two in a row this season so it will be interesting to see how they perform tonight. Penalty killing is still killing them and it is an area that they must improve on if they are to make the playoffs this year. It looks like Tim Connolly will be out 10-14 days with an upper body injury. Looks like Connolly hasn't shaken the injury bug that plagued him in Buffalo.
* Jonas Gustavsson will probably be in the net tonight for the Leafs as we still don't know what the status is of James Reimer. It is really frustrating that the Leaf organization has been so secretive about Reimer's injury. While they deny it is a concussion it sure seems like it is and there is no idea as to when Reimer will be back. I'm not sure how long the Leafs can go without Reimer before it starts to effect their wins and losses.
* Had the opportunity to Watch Browns Coach Pat Shurmur's press conference yesterday. Shurmur is about as accommodating as Eric Mangini yet he seems to get a pass from the Cleveland media. Several times he said that Colt McCoy is improving each game. My question would be: how and where is he improving?? He certainly is showing that he can take a pounding. I'm sorry but I don't have much confidence in Shurmur. While its definitely too early to call for his dismissal, I think that it is time to start calling into question where Mike Holmgren is leading this team.
* Isn't it interesting that perennial AFC powers, the Patriots and the Steelers, both lost games in the final minute at home. For the Patriots they have now lost two in a row and face the New York Jets on the road. The Steelers have now lost twice to the Ravens and find themselves heading to Cincinnati to face a Bengals team that is ahead of them in the standings. Many so-called experts had the Patriots or the Steelers representing the AFC in the Super Bowl. While it still could happen, they both have limited room for error.
* This afternoon Joe Paterno will hold his weekly press conference and it has the makings of being one that he has never experienced in the 40 years that he has been head coach at Penn State. The allegations of sexual abuse of young boys by former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky is disgusting. Many in the media are calling for Paterno to step down. Not knowing everything that happened here makes it difficult for me to have an opinion on that. But what I do have an opinion on and what is being totally missed by many is that this is just another example, albeit a disgusting and vile one, of how college football dominates major colleges to the point that administrators will do anything to make sure that no one tips over the cash cow apple cart. Major college football programs bring in millions and millions of dollars to their schools. While the actual vile acts had nothing to do with the football program directly, the cover-up certainly does.
* Buffalo sports fans never cease to amaze me. Of course the Bills bandwagon is a little lighter today after the 27-11 loss to the Jets. I wonder what the feeling is about their $9 million a year quarterback. Ryan Fitzpatrick is a nice story but let's be real folks, he's not taking the Bills to the Super Bowl. Then we venture off to Pegulaville. The natives are getting what they want in seeing their goalie saviour Jonas Enroth play and win. It's funny listening to die-hard Sabre fans calling for Miller to be traded to bring in another big time goal scorer. Funny but whatever happened to Ville Leino??? Wasn't he suppose to be a 70 point top line center???
* The college basketball season opened last night and the U.B. Bulls open their season Friday at home. I wonder if the sports geniuses at WGR 550 are aware of this. Probably not. There are more important thiings to talk about like whether or not Marie's Blue Cheese is better than Rooties.
* And finally, has anyone seen C.J.Spiller???
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