Surprise! I'm Gone!

This blog has been incredibly slow lately. That's because the only guy that writes on it was working on some pretty big projects. I will layout a new blog in the next two weeks, but for the sake of confirmation, allow me to inform you that I have indeed left CBS after 10 wonderful years. I will be joining my great friend Adam Wexler as we kick ass in the morning down the dial. You can still follow me on twitter as I make the transition. Follow MJ4Sports@twitter.com. Will talk to you VERY SOON! You will probably STILL have leftover turkey in your refrigerator. Peace!

NBA Season Predictions

Eastern Conference



Atlantic Division



Matt: Boston



Rich: Boston



Central Division



Matt: Cleveland



Rich: Cleveland



Southeast Division



Matt: Orlando



Rich: Orlando



Eastern Conference Finals



Matt: Boston over Washington



Rich: Cleveland over Orlando



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Western Conference



Southwest Division



Matt: San Antonio



Rich: Spurs



Northwest Division



Matt: Utah



Rich: Blazers



Pacific Division



Matt: Lakers



Rich: Lakers



Western Conference Finals



Matt: Spurs over Lakers



Rich: Spurs over Blazers



NBA Finals



Matt: Spurs over Celtics



Rich: Spurs over Cavs



Rockets Win Total



Matt: 45 (#7 seed out west)



Rich: 44 (lottery)

Texans Win, Aggies Shocker, Drayton is Cheap, The NBA Season Arrives...

The Texans survived a furious 2nd half rally from backup QB Alex Smith and moved to 4-3 on the season with a 24-21 win over San Francisco. The Texans were dominating the ball game until RB Steve Slaton lost his 4th fumble of the season (he leads the NFL in this dubious category). The team was well on their way to going up 28-7 but instead, the 49ers drove the length of the field and pulled withing 7 points. Frank Bush's vanilla pass defense scheme was puzzling and allowed Alex Smith to get very comfortable in the pocket.

On the positive side of the ledger, the Texans passing game continues to annihilate NFL defenses. Owen Daniels had his 1st 100 yard receiving game of the season and scored his 5th TD of the season. Slaton's fumbling issues aside, I don't think the Texans lack of a running game can keep them from being a very productive offense. Now Houston heads to Buffalo for a very winnable game against the 3-4 Buffalo Bills. A Texans victory would set the team up for a meaningful 2nd half and a huge road showdown with the Indianapolis Colts.
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According to multiple sources: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bb/6685437.html
and http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2009/10/cleveland_indians_select_manny.html

Drayton McClane did not hire the guy HE wanted for the job, because he is cheap. A 2 year contract....REALLY? You are going to offer your manager a 2 year contract? Now Manny Acta will be the Cleveland Indians skipper and Astros fans are reminded many of the franchises' successes have little to do with the Mr. Magoo running the team.
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How many people saw this coming? http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/boxscore?gid=200910240086&page=drives

An absolutely shocking 52-30 win for Mike Sherman's Texas Aggies over Texas Tech. Cyrus Gray ran for 4 TD's for A&M as the Aggies amassed over 300 yards on the ground.
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Rockets basketball begins Tuesday night as the Rockets visit their vanquished playoff foe, the Portland Trailblazers. I will keep my thoughts here brief. I still think the Rockets make the playoffs in the Western Conference. I think Tracy McGrady will be traded for significant assets by the trade deadline.

As for the NBA at large, the Western Conference is largely a 2 team battle between the Lakers and the Spurs.

Predicted Western Conference Finish:

1. Lakers
2. Spurs
3. Mavericks
4. Jazz
5. Nuggets
6. Blazers
7. Rockets
8. Hornets

Out east, I think the Washington Wizards are a team to watch. With Gilbert Arenas healthy and the recently acquired Mike Miller and Randy Foye providing some scoring depth, the Wizards can play with anyone.

Predicted Eastern Conference Finish:

1. Boston
2. Orlando
3. Cleveland
4. Washington
5. Atlanta
6. Chicago
7. Toronto
8. Philadelphia

Weekend Football Picks

College

Florida State -3 Boston College

Miami +7.5 OU

Michigan/Michigan State over 56

SMU +28 TCU

UH -14 UTEP

NFL

NYG -9 @ Kansas City

Tennessee -1.5 @ Jacksonville

Oakland +9.5 @ Houston

Chicago/Detroit over 38

Cincinnati -4 @ Cleveland

Last Week: 2-8

Season: 15-19-1

Cowboys Fans Christen Stadium...I am Immature

Here are a couple quick links for you on a Wednesday afternoon.



Two Dallas Cowboys fans could not wait to get a room and were clearly bored with the football game. Kind of NSFW...by the way how ironic is the jersey on this Cowboys fan.


http://deadspin.com/5370499/couple-christens-dallas-cowboys-stadiums-new-bathroom-stalls



Finally, the West Coast Conference is trying to promote women's basketball. See if you can have some fun with this name generator. Hint:There is no name filter. http://usffandraft.com/

Cougars Win, Texans...I don't give a crap, Cougars Win!

My Houston Cougar heart beats proudly this weekend. I was one of the record crowd on hand at Robertson Stadium as Case Keenum and an inspired Cougar defense took down Texas Tech 29-28. Texas Tech's defense kept UH at bay most of the night, but Keenum was not to be denied. He scored on a QB draw with 47 seconds remaining as the Cougars won their second consecutive game against a Big 12 South opponent. Houston is now 3-0 and is likely to be favored in their remaining contests. If Keenum keeps this up (400+ yards and a game winning, 16play 95 yard TD drive) Andre Ware might have some company in the trophy case at the UH Athletic Alumni Center.

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Here's the Latest USA Today Coaches' Poll.

1.Florida (58) 4-0 (The Gators were throttling Kentucky 31-0 when Tim Tebow got "concussed".)

2.Texas (1)4-0 (Longhorns defense is suffocating: UTEP had less than 75 yards total offense.)

3.Alabama 4-0 (For my money, the Crimson Tide is the best team in the country, though they lost LB Don'ta Hightower for the season.)

4. LSU 4-0 (The Tigers are complete frauds. They will be exposed over the next few weeks @Georgia, Florida, and Auburn.)

5.Boise State 4-0 (The Bronxos receive a rather remarkable one week leap in the poll clearly reflecting Oregon's beatdown of California.)

6.Virginia Tech 3-1 (The Hokies lost to Alabama, but rebounded with wins over Nebraska and Miami. I don't think their offense is good enough for them to stay this high.)

7.Southern California 3-1 (Clear issues at QB will likely pin at least one more loss on the Trojans, perhaps as early as this week against California.)

8.Oklahoma 2-1 (It appears that Sam Bradford will be ready to start against Miami, though it might be more prudent to wait until the start of Big 12 play.)

9.Ohio State 3-1 (The Buckeyes are working on an 8 quarter shut out streak.)

10. TCU 3-0 (With road games remaining @Air Force and @BYU, the Horn Frogs will be challenged to remain unbeaten.)

11.Cincinnati 4-0 (The Bearkats sport one of the more balanced teams in the country. They won't be challenged until October 15th when they visit South Florida.)

12. Oklahoma State 3-1 (Can someone please tell me why they are voting the Cowboys ahead of a UH team that dominated them in Stillwater?)

13.Penn State 3-1 (As much as it pains me to say it, the Nittany Lions should not be ranked. Wins over Syracuse, Akron, and Temple do not counteract a piss poor, performance at home against Iowa.)

14.Georgia 3-1 (Another team that should not be ahead of UH, but they are likely to move higher when they beat LSU next week.)

15.Houston 3-0 (Case Keenum for Heisman.)

16.Kansas 4-0 (The Jayhawks survived Southern Mississippi.)

17. Iowa 4-0 (Kirk Ferentz defense is legit.)

18. Mississippi 2-1 (Why exactly are the Rebels ranked? A win over Memphis? SE Louisiana?)

19. California 3-1 (After a puzzling blowout loss to Oregon, the Bears look to regroup against Southern California.)

20.Michigan 4-0 (Michigan is a one dimensional football team whose defense is likely to cause at least 2 losses.)

21. (tie) Miami (Fla.) 2-1 (The Canes would be thrilled to get out of their 1st 4 games at 2-2.)

21. (tie)Brigham Young 3-1 (The Cougars are still the favorites in the balanced Mountain West Conference.)

23.Missouri 4-0 (The Tigers have a week off to prepare for a Thursday night clash with Nebraska.)

24.Nebraska 3-1 (Ditto Missouri.)

25. Oregon 3-1 (I am still stunned at the ass kicking the Ducks put on the Cal Bears.)

Weekend Football Picks

College Games

UH/Texas Tech over 73
I just can't envision a scenario where the Cougars and Red Raiders are not going up and down the field on each other. This total could be 80 by game time, so get it early.

Louisiana-Lafayette +28 Nebraska
I've had lots of luck with the Rajun Cajuns as they have covered as heavy dogs two straight weeks against Kansas State and LSU. If their team is not too worn down, and they are not too overwhelmed by their 1st trip to Lincoln, they have enough defense to force a few turnovers and keep this one close.

Illinois +14 Ohio State
For whatever reason, Ron Zook's teams always play well against the Buckeyes. Illinois is not playing to the level of their talent. Juice Williams has beaten OSU twice and should keep this one close.

Army +10 Iowa State
I think Army wins this game outright. Iowa State is nothing special, and the Cadets have moved the ball at will the 1st few weeks. They just need to keep from fumbling, which has been an issue.

Cincinatti/Fresno State over 61
This game lands well in the 70's as Fresno State's defense is terrible and they will be throwing the ball often to try and come back against the Bearkats.

NFL Games
Green Bay -6.5 St.Louis
I've said it once, and I will say it again: The Rams have a legitimate shot of going 0-16. The Packers will be plenty pissed after blowing a game to the Bengals at Lambeau.

Miami +6.5 San Diego
The Dolphins shouldn't need 45 minutes of possession against a Chargers team who has injuries all over the ball club.

Indianapolis/Arizona over 47.5
Last team with the ball wins.

Tennessee +3 NY Jets
This is the Titans with their back against the wall. I just can't envision them starting the season 0-3.

Detroit +6.5 Washington
I think the Lions long losing streak comes to an end against a Redskins team that managed only 3 field goals against the lowly St. Louis Rams.

Last Week 5-4-1
Season: 13-11-1