Coming To America

I rarely watch soccer, or international football. I watch it for a month at a time, every four years for the World Cup. I could probably name 15 players, worldwide, total. I live in a city with the MLS champion Houston Dynamo, and couldn't name anyone who plays for them.

I know who David Beckham is, though. He had a movie named after him, Bend It Like Beckham. He has been the most well-known athlete in the world for the past several years. He is married to the former Victoria Adams, also known as Posh Spice of the Spice Girls. Until a few months ago, he was the captain of the England national team. He also starred for Manchester United and Real Madrid. He is now coming to America.

Yesterday, Beckham signed a five-year contract with Major League Soccer for $250 million, including endorsements. Not bad for a guy on the downside of his career. That is double the salary of Alex Rodriguez. And, he gets to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy, putting he and his wife close to Hollywood.

MLS expects moves like this to put professional soccer in the mainstream of sports in the United States. Right now, Mexican league games on Spanish-language television get better ratings than MLS.

We'll see what happens.

And I thought MLS stood for Multiple Listing Service..

As C-USA Turns

My mind was blown tonight, as I read that Rice coach Todd Graham accepted an offer to become head coach at conference rival Tulsa, where he was formerly defensive coordinator. Coach Graham took Rice to its first bowl in 45 years, and raised $7 million for improvements to the stadium and football program. This is a weird move, as the two schools are in the same conference, and Tulsa shares some of the same characteristics as Rice: private school, small enrollment and alumni base, decaying stadium, and competing with other programs and teams in its own city.

Unless the money is outrageous at TU, this is a strange move, and a lateral move. It would be like leaving Texas Tech for the job at Missouri. He has ties in both Texas and Oklahoma, having coached at high schools in both states, and having played at East Central University in Ada.

Any coach that can take Rice to a bowl game ought to be able to hold out for a job in a BCS conference. I hope TU came forward with a vault full of money on this one.

Rice has a $4 billion dollar endowment. They could use just a small portion of that to very easily become the Stanford of the Southwest if they so chose: a top-flight academic university with a top-flight athletic program. Athletics can do so much for a university, in the way of exposure, fund-raising, and enrollment applications.

This doesn't look good for the Feisty Nightbirds. However, they have an opportunity to hire the Major. Major Applewhite is a candidate for the head coaching job, after serving as the Owls' offensive coordinator this year. If this happens, ABC/ESPN needs to pick up a Rice game so Brent Musburger can call the game, and fans around America can once again play part of the Brent Musburger drinking game.

UUOTD

It's not really a uniform, but a "special occasion" blazer.

Tennessee men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl wears this orange blazer for games with rivals Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Yes, it shows some personality. However, he sticks out like a sore thumb on the bench. He looks like a moving bottle of orange juice on the sideline with this thing on.

They love it in Knoxville.

Ugly Uniform of the Day

It's been a few days since there has been a UUOTD. My apologies. I have a new job which takes me out of town during the week, working long hours, for a ton more money. However, I haven't forgotten about the blog.

Today's ugly uniform is not worn by the Patriots, nor by the Jets. It is a version of the new NFL officials' uniform, worn by the official in the background. It's hard to find pictures of the refs, so this is the best I could find at this time.


The NFL redesigned the officials' uniform this year. Overall, they're not bad. However, these black pants they wore during Sunday's AFC playoff game are hideous. They look almost like black parachute pants from the 80's. I understand the need to stay warm in cold-weather locations such as Foxboro. That is fine. I don't want them to freeze any more than they have to. But, they could at least wear white pants, as they did in the snow games earlier in the season in Denver.

Note to NFL: Keep the refs warm, but the white pants go better with zebra stripes than black pants.

Did you know..

...in the 9 years of the BCS, nine different schools have won the BCS National Championship?

1998-Tennessee
1999-Florida State
2000-Oklahoma
2001-Miami
2002-Ohio State
2003-LSU
2004-USC
2005-Texas
2006-Florida

It's Great To Be A Florida Gator

I'm not a Gator, but I know greatness when I see it. Props to the Florida Gators, for their hide-tanning of The Ohio State University. I sure didn't see this happening.

The Gators, at the moment, are national champions in both football and men's basketball. Florida has a good thing going.

I couldn't resist...

American Idol brings down America's Team...

Sorry, I love Tony Romo. But, this was too good to pass up.

Sick

I'm speechless. I'm sick. The Cowboys stole defeat from the jaws of victory tonight in Seattle.

I feel horrible for Tony Romo. I like him. I hate it that he dropped the snap on the field goal attempt. He almost made lemonade out of the lemon, but was stopped short of a first down on the run.

I want to throw up.

The sun will come up tomorrow, however.

NFL Picks-Wild Card Weekend

Last Week: 11-5 Regular Season: 155-102

This weekend is the first round of the NFL playoffs. 32 teams have been cut down to 12. Before last season, I would have called this playoff round a waste of time, as the better teams have byes in this round of the playoffs. However, Pittsburgh blew that conventional wisdom to shreds, advancing from the sixth playoff seed in the AFC to win the Super Bowl. This year, Pittsburgh is sitting at home, but 12 teams retain hopes of spending the first week of February in sunny South Florida.

Saturday
AFC: Kansas City at Indianapolis: The Colts tripped over the roadkill known as the Houston Texans in Week 16, and slipped into the #3 seed in the AFC, placing them in a wild card game. They also get a bad matchup for their sorry run defense, as the Chiefs come in with stud workhorse RB Larry Johnson. The Colts come up big in this one, though, as the offense gets off to a quick start, and the Chiefs have to play from behind. Pick: Indy
NFC: Dallas at Seattle: The Cowboys are sliding downhill fast. Last week, they lost to the awful Detroit Lions. Dallas has lost three of the last four games, and were fortunate to win in Atlanta. Seattle hasn’t done much better, losing three in a row before closing out the season with a win against Tampa Bay. This game should be a scoring-fest, as the Seattle secondary is banged up, and the Dallas secondary has been bad in recent weeks. It doesn’t look good for the Cowboys. The one time this season I picked them to lose, Tony Romo brought them back against Carolina. I’m picking against them. I think Seattle is better than them at this point. Pick: Seattle
Sunday
AFC: New York Jets at New England: The Jets are this year’s surprise story, as first-year coach Eric Mangini has led them to a 10-6 record and a trip to the playoffs, where he faces his mentor, Bill Belichick. Belichick has three Super Bowl rings. The Pats show the Jets what a playoff team looks like. Pick: New England
NFC: New York Giants at Philadelphia: The Giants are the best of the 8-8 teams in the NFC, and get to head down the New Jersey Turnpike to meet the Eagles. The Eagles won bragging rights to the Molly Pitcher Service Area on the Turnpike in their last meeting, and now are playing for the right to talk smack for the northbound Joyce Kilmer Service Area. More importantly, the Eagles would like to make a trip to the Big Easy for the second round of the playoffs, against the Saints. That should happen with little problem. Philly is playing better than anyone in the NFC right now. Pick: Eagles

This Is Orange

This is one of the more off-the-wall entrances in college football.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys now enter the stadium behind a rodeo chute, opened by cowboys. They wait behind the chute, like cattle at a rodeo, or an auction. They then go onto the field in all of their orange glory.

By the way, this is a more true color of orange than what UT wears. In this shot, they are wearing orange jerseys and orange pants.

To each, their own.

Cool Uniform of the Day

I've been slipping on the uniforms the last couple of days.

Those who know me may think I've been drinking or doing drugs. I've been doing neither.

I am a fan of the University of Oklahoma. Conversely, I hate the University of Texas. I have also been getting a reputation as someone who dogs on all things orange. That is not the case.

Often, you respect the most that which you despise. Such is my view of the UT athletic program. UT is the biggest and baddest school out there, or so it seems. I can't stand them, but they have the second or third largest enrollment in the nation, and arguably the most wealthy donor base in the country. The school sits right in the middle of the most fertile recruiting ground in the nation, and can pretty much pick and choose who they want to recruit in almost any sport. There is no reason why that school shouldn't compete for national championships every year, in every sport. The same applies to The Ohio State University, only I can cheer for them. :-)

Back to uniforms. The University of Texas has one of the coolest looking road uniforms around. It is simple, classic, and blurts out, "We're Texas! Don't mess with us!". The longhorn logo on the helmet, and "Texas" on the front of the jersey is all they need. The white jersey goes well with the helmet and the pants.

Pictured above is wunderkind Vince Young, as he was creating his Rose Bowl legend for the Longhorns. He is pure greatness. The Longhorns really missed him this season. The Titans are really glad to have him.

A Classic

Last night's game between OU and Boise State was a pure classic.

My Sooners, in all honesty, should have gotten their butts kicked. It is a testimony to them that they made the comeback after being down 28-10 in the 3rd quarter and playing like dog poop. But, these guys have overcome a lot this year, and made the plays necessary to tie and then take the lead.

Hats off to Boise State, though. They throw what looked like a game-losing interception to go down seven. They then go down the field, convert a 4th and 18 with a hook and ladder for a touchdown, and tie the game to force overtime. In overtime, they used a halfback pass and a Statue of Liberty play to win the game, 43-42. Their coaching staff pulled out all the stops, and everything worked.

It's a shame someone had to lose this game.

There are greater implications, though. Boise State more than proved that they belong in the BCS. In a perfect world, this would be to college football what the Jets-Colts Super Bowl III was for the pros: a statement screaming for change, in this case, a playoff. I doubt if we see a playoff, but Boise showed us how great a playoff would be.

I don't ever like for Oklahoma to lose. I would much rather they win. However, I take no shame in losing this game. It was a game for the ages, and ought to have an even greater impact.

I just wish Boise would have beaten someone else. :-)

Which is Uglier?

There is now an ongoing debate. Which is uglier? The Virginia Tech uniform?

Or, the Clemson uniform?

Happy New Year

It's New Year's Day, and there is a ton of football on TV.

On ESPN, Oklahoma and Alabama are playing. This matchup is made for New Year's Day.

Only thing is: it's a basketball game. At those schools, though both basketball programs are good, this game is under the radar.

Boomer Sooner!

UUOTD-New Year's Day

I've had a nomination for UUOTD. They nominated Virginia Tech's football uniform. The person has told me that purple and orange don't go together. VT wears maroon, but I can see where their maroon can look purple. The Hokies' uniforms don't look too bad, as long as they leave the orange out. But, when they start putting too much orange on, they start looking bad. The worst was the Nike test jersey, with one orange shoulder. VT and Florida both did that, but it went over like a lead balloon.

However, the suggestion reminded me of something in the same conference. Clemson mixes and matches their orange, white, and purple. They look fine in orange or white. They start looking scary in the purple. Above is the worst combination of them all, with the purple jersey and orange pants. My friend is right: Purple and orange do not go together. Please, Clemson, keep the purple put away.

Would Danny Ford let his team wear purple?

BCS Picks and Ratings

Finally, we are to the bowls that really matter, the Bowl Championship Series. Actually, the only one that matters is the BCS National Championship game, now rotated among the sites of the four BCS bowls. These bowls offer the highest pay, the biggest amount of prestige, and mucho television exposure. These are the biggies.

Rose Bowl presented by Citi at Pasadena, California: USC vs. Michigan. Both teams had a chance at the national championship game, but now find themselves here. USC lost two late conference games at Oregon State and UCLA. Michigan rolled through the Big Ten until losing their season-ending game at Ohio State. Michigan is a better team. Pick: Michigan.
The countdown is on, as ESPN has been counting down to this game for three days. To watch ESPN, you would think this is the biggest game out there. This is the only BCS game remaining on ABC, as the rest of the BCS has moved over to Fox. As someone who grew up in Big 8 country, this game was always filler, and meant time to eat and to get ready for the Really Big Game later that evening in the Orange Bowl. I always thought this game was overrated. I finally “got it”, when I first visited California five years ago, and saw the stadium and setting. Later, my Sooners were invited there to play Washington State, and became the first Big XII team to win that bowl. As an event, this is a really big deal. The game is often overrated. This bowl, as the Grandaddy of them all, wouldn’t complain about leaving the BCS, and really would be ok if there were only 21 Division 1 schools: those from the Big Ten and Pac 10. They were kicked dragging and screaming into the BCS. There is a level of arrogance that comes from being the oldest bowl game. Rating: 5
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at Glendale, Arizona: Oklahoma vs. Boise State. The Sooners overcame player suspensions, injuries, questionable officiating, and a loss to its archrival to win their last eight games and the Big XII championship. Boise State is 12-0, and is the first non-BCS school to qualify for a BCS bowl under the new rules of qualification. This will not be a cake walk, and Boise will be competitive. However, OU wins the game. Pick: Oklahoma
This bowl grew with the Phoenix area. Originally created as a bowl for Arizona State and the old WAC, this bowl really splashed onto the scene in 1986, when it secured Sunkist as a title sponsor and snared Penn State and Miami for a matchup of #1 vs. #2. It has taken the Cotton Bowl’s place as one of the four major bowls. Until this year, it was played in Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe. It moves this year to the new University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. It will also host the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 8. The only thing this bowl lacks is tradition relative to its sister BCS bowls. That is only because the bowl was created in 1971. Rating: 4.8
Allstate Sugar Bowl at New Orleans: LSU vs. Notre Dame. Notre Dame has lost eight bowl games in a row. According to Rece Davis on ESPN, 87 Division 1 programs have won bowl games since Notre Dame. Notre Dame has a name, but do they have game? LSU is as good as anyone in the country, but were victims of the SEC schedule maker, being sent on the road to Auburn, Florida, Tennessee, and Arkansas. The Oakland Raiders would have a hard time with that schedule. They lost to Auburn and Florida, but won the rest of their games. This game might not be close, as LSU has too much speed for Notre Dame. Pick: LSU
The Sugar Bowl returns to New Orleans, after a one-year stay in Atlanta due to damage from Hurricane Katrina. This bowl has everything: good matchups, fun city, nice stadium, big payout, good TV contract. The Sugar Bowl has had legendary coaches and national championship games. Rating: 5
Fedex Orange Bowl at Miami: Louisville vs. Wake Forest. Just a few years ago, this matchup would not have been on TV, and would not sell out either stadium. Now, these teams are playing each other in a major bowl game. Louisville is a penalty away from the national championship game, as a missed field goal by Rutgers was waved off due to a penalty, and Rutgers subsequently won the game. Wake Forest has had a Cinderella season, winning the ACC championship. Louisville is really strong, and should have their way with the Demon Deacons. This has the potential to be a dud game. Pick: Louisville
The Orange Bowl may have suffered the most with the evolution of the BCS, as they had national championship games more often under the old system. Big 8 schools Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Colorado won national championships here, as have Miami and Florida State. This has always been a prime bowl in a prime location. The bowl secured its major status by moving up the road to Dolphin Stadium ten years ago, and leaving the decrepit Orange Bowl stadium. Rating: 5
Tostitos BCS National Championship Game at Glendale, Arizona: Ohio State vs. Florida: Ohio State likes the desert, as they won their last national championship here in 2002, and have won two other Fiesta Bowls since. The Gators have not been here since being pounded by Nebraska, 63-14, in the 1995 national championship game. Today’s players were little boys then. The Gators deserve to be here, but Ohio State is a better team. Pick: Ohio State
This is the national championship game. Enough said. Rating: 5

Bowl Picks, Part 4 (and Bowl Ratings)

As promised, the last round of non-BCS bowl picks, along with corresponding bowl ratings.

These bowls are the appetizers for the more prestigious BCS bowls. These bowls feature conference runners-up as well as teams with recognizable names. New Year’s Day is not what it once was, but it’s still a good day to hang out in front of the tube and watch TV.

Outback Bowl at Tampa: Penn State vs. Tennessee. Penn State had a decent year, but more importantly, has a lot of fans and a coach that coached when Jesus turned water into wine. Tennessee was having a good year, before losing late games to Arkansas and LSU. Tennessee, on paper, should win big. Pick: Phat Phil’s Big Orange
This is a relatively young bowl, having begun in the 80’s. It pays well, is in a great location, and is played in the Pirate Ship, the Bucs’ state-of-the-art NFL stadium. They have the 3rd pick from both the Big Ten and the SEC, giving them quality teams and large traveling fan bases. This is not the best bowl out there, but is far from the worst. Rating: 3.4
AT&T Cotton Bowl at Dallas: Nebraska vs. Auburn. Nebraska comes into this game as champions of the Big XII North. This is better than winning District 8-5A, but is not anywhere close to winning something like the NFC East, or even the Big XII proper. Still, Nebraska will show up. Auburn was picked by many to win the national championship, but got their fannies kicked in a couple of home games by Arkansas and Georgia. If War Eagle shows up to play, they win. There's not a whole lot of excitement for this one, as $95 tickets are selling for as little as $12. Pick: Auburn
This game is a shell, or even a caricature, of its former self. This bowl has a great history, and is one of the original New Year’s Day bowl games. It is now the laughing stock of the Big XII. The breakup of the Southwest Conference accelerated its decline, but the bowl made a devastating choice by staying in the decaying Cotton Bowl stadium in Fair Park. The bowl had a chance to join the original Bowl Coalition, but would have had to move to Texas Stadium. The poohbahs in Dallas nixed that idea. Now, it is a second-banana bowl. It still pays well, and gets the second choice from the Big XII, against an SEC team. It also suffers from an outrageously early starting time, at 10:30 AM local time (formerly 10 AM), mandated by the SEC’s contract with the Capital One Bowl. The SEC has a no-compete clause in their contract with the Capital One Bowl, keeping any other conference team from playing opposite that bowl. The Cotton Bowl is forced to play at breakfast to have a better chance at a decent matchup. Between the stadium, the neighborhood, the unpredictable weather, and the starting time, this bowl has become a joke among fans in the Big XII. Still, the bowl pays well, and has oodles of tradition. They need to get on the phone with Jerry and get into the new Cowboys stadium when it opens. Rating: 3.6
Gator Bowl at Jacksonville: West Virginia vs. Georgia Tech. West Virginia was a contender for the BCS for most of the season, but suffered an inexplicable loss to South Florida late in the season. Georgia Tech won their division in the ACC, but lost an ugly ACC championship game. Now, senior QB Reggie Ball is academically ineligible for the bowl game. West Virginia is celebrating the retention of coach Rich Rodriguez, who is one of the 6,000 coaches to turn down the Alabama job. Pick: West Virginia
This bowl has been around for a long time, and has had many great games. It is played in a quality NFL stadium, and gets a good matchup between the ACC and the Big East. They will get to choose a Big XII team two of the next three years, as well. The bowl is on CBS this year, after a long run on NBC. There are worse places than Jacksonville. Overall, this is a pretty good bowl. Rating: 3.8
Capital One Bowl at Orlando: Arkansas vs. Wisconsin. Great matchup between two high-powered teams. Wisconsin would be in the BCS, but Ohio State and Michigan are there, and BCS rules only allow two teams from the same conference. Wisconsin’s only loss is to Michigan. Arkansas won 10 games in a row, before losing to LSU and Florida at the end of the year. Darren McFadden is the real deal at running back. Wisconsin won this bowl last year, and they win it again. Pick: Wiscy
This bowl has been known as the Tangerine and Florida Citrus Bowls, before losing their sponsorship from the Florida citrus growers. Now, it bears the name of a credit card company/bank. That’s just about the only drawback to this bowl. The stadium is starting to fall apart, but Orlando is a great place to visit. They get the second pick from the Big Ten and the SEC, so they are guaranteed two good teams and two large traveling fan bases. Rating: 4

Bowl Picks, Part 3 (and Bowl Ratings)

This is my last installment of picks and ratings for non-New Year’s Day bowls. Later, there will be picks & ratings for the New Year’s Day bowls, and for the BCS bowls.

Meineke Car Care Bowl at Charlotte: Boston College vs. Navy. Boston College had their chances to win their division of the ACC, but didn’t come through. After the season, coach Tom O’Brien took the N.C. State job. Navy now has the best program of the service academies. BC has the nation’s longest bowl winning streak at six, but that will come to an end here. Pick: Navy
This game is played in a state-of-the-art stadium, and from what I know, Charlotte is a nice city. I’ve only been to the airport there. You can’t go see Elvis there, but the NASCAR garages aren’t too far away. Weather can be an issue, as this bowl has also been played in sub-freezing temperatures. It’s a newer bowl, and Meineke is a half-step up from Continental Tires, the original sponsor. It’s not as bad to go to the Car Care Bowl as it was to go to the Weed Eater Bowl, but almost. Rating: 1.6
Alamo Bowl at San Antonio: Texas vs. Iowa. Texas went from a possible trip to the Fiesta Bowl to Fiesta Texas, a San Antonio theme park. The Horns are making their first appearance in this bowl. QB Colt McCoy has been cleared to play in this game. His injury helped lead to the Horns’ end-of-year slide. Iowa went 2-6 in the Big Ten, but 6-6 overall. The Hawkeyes travel well, so the Alamo Bowl jumped all over them. Pick: Texas
San Antonio is a great place to go, with plenty to see and do, and most of it in the downtown area. The Alamodome is not fancy, but is functional, especially for a college bowl game. If you can’t get sent to a BCS bowl, or one near an ocean, this is a very good place to end up. They like their matchup of a middle-rung Big XII team (local conference) and a middle-rung Big Ten team (travels well). Rating: 3
Chick-fil-A Bowl at Atlanta: Georgia vs. Virginia Tech. The Bulldogs endured quarterback problems for most of the season, but scored big wins over rivals Auburn and Georgia Tech to close the season. The Hokies closed the season as well as anyone in the ACC, especially as they thumped conference champion Wake Forest in Winston-Salem. The Hokies win as they always have-playing defense and special teams. This is a virtual home game for Georgia, but the Dawgs lost the Sugar Bowl there last year. Pick: VT
This bowl, formerly known as the Peach Bowl, has been a very good bowl since it moved into the Georgia Dome in the 90’s. They always get a good SEC-ACC matchup, and Atlanta is a very good location for fans in both conferences. This game is usually pretty good on the field, as well. Rating: 3.2
MPC Computers Bowl at Boise: Miami vs. Nevada. The Canes finished 6-6, fired coach Larry Coker, and struck out on a nationwide search for a replacement before hiring defensive coordinator Randy Shannon as the new coach. So, it’ll be pretty unstable in that locker room, as coach Coker coaches his last game and his replacement is right there in the room. Miami is closer to a good chunk of South America than it is to Boise. This will be the biggest game in the history of Nevada football. The 8-4 Wolf Pack ambush the Canes. Pick: Nevada
This bowl is traditionally the laughing stock of the bowls. Boise can be a cold, snowy place in December, and the game is played on the blue turf at Boise State’s stadium. But, the game continues to survive, as the people in Boise treat their out-of-town visitors well. This is also a chance for some players from warmer climates to see snow for the first time. Rating: 1.6
International Bowl at Toronto: Western Michigan vs. Cincinnati. Western Michigan went 1-10 two years ago, but now the Broncos are 8-4. Cincinnati welcomes new coach Brian Kelly, who won the MAC this year at Central Michigan, before taking the Cincinnati job. The Bearcats have spent the last month learning a new offensive and defensive system. The Bearcats have an upset victory over Rutgers this year. Pick: Cincy
This is a brand new bowl game, played indoors at Rogers Centre in Toronto. The game’s location in Canada adds some novelty. Problem is, it’s in January. It’s cold in Toronto in January, so it becomes another Detroit. Toronto is a little nicer than Detroit, but it’s still cold. The MAC and Big East need bowls, so this one will probably last in some form or fashion. Rating: 1.4
GMAC Bowl at Mobile: Ohio vs. Southern Miss. Ohio makes their first bowl appearance in 38 years, as Frank Solich has rebuilt the Bobcats’ program in two years. Southern Miss appears in yet another bowl, this one close to their home in Hattiesburg. Pick: Southern Miss
This bowl has developed a niche, and has obtained some stability. There are worse places than Mobile, and the stadium has received a bit of a facelift. I’d rather go to a bowl sponsored by GMAC than by Ford Credit. This bowl doesn’t pretend to be the Rose Bowl, but has been good for the teams that have gone there. It remains to be seen how the January date will affect the bowl. Rating: 1.8

UUOTD-Friday

Did you know the Tennessee Titans have a basketball team?

Just kidding. It's the Utah Jazz. I couldn't remember if these guys still had these jerseys, then I saw them last night on Sportscenter. The Jazz wore these powder blue things last night in San Antonio.

Powder blue went out in the 1980's, and were mainly limited to baseball uniforms. In the NBA, the New Jersey Nets briefly wore powder blue. The Tennessee Titans experiment with it in the NFL.

This is a bad look. The Jazz need to stick with the purple. Save the powder blue for retro baseball jerseys.

NFL Picks-Week 17

It’s the final week of the season in the National Football League. Going into the weekend, only two games have no playoff implications, and one of those involves a team that has clinched a division, but cannot move up or down. Pete Rozelle would be proud.

This is such a good week, the NFL is allowing doubleheaders to be shown on both CBS and Fox. If you live in a city not hosting a game Sunday afternoon, you get four games this Sunday afternoon. If you live in a place like Houston, Dallas, or New Orleans, you still get three. It should be a great weekend of football.

The NFC presents an interesting situation. There are five teams tied for the 6th playoff position: NY Giants, Green Bay, St. Louis, Atlanta, and Carolina. None of these teams play one another this week. All of these teams have records of 7-8. At best, a team will qualify for the NFC playoffs at 8-8. If all five teams lose, there will be a team in the playoffs with a losing record of 7-9. I’m cheering for that to happen. It would be a riot.

16 big ones, coming up…

Last Week: 7-9 Season: 144-97

Detroit at Dallas: The Lions are horrible. They have won two games all year, and are in line for a top two draft pick. The Cowboys came up flat once again last week, getting spanked by the Eagles. Terrell Owens spent the day before the game hanging out at the Iggles’ hotel, then complained after the game about not being thrown the ball early enough. He makes plays, but has had his share of drops, as well. Tony Romo, in two months, has gone from carrying a clipboard on the sideline to dating country diva Carrie Underwood, she of similar rags-to-riches fame. I like the Cowboys, but they need to get their heads right with ball. Dallas wins this week, and hopes like crazy for the Falcons to help them. Pick: Dallas
New York Giants at Washington: Here’s a team coming apart at the seams. The Giants are Team Turmoil, but still control their own destiny for the playoffs. The Redskins are still competing every week, and would like nothing better than to send the Giants home for the off-season. I like Washington here. Pick: Redskins
Carolina at New Orleans: The Panthers need a win to retain hope for that sixth playoff spot. The Saints are locked into the 2nd spot and a first round bye. Jake Delhomme is back for the Panthers. The Saints aren’t going to lay down, by any means, but the Panthers take care of business on this trip. Pick: Carolina
Cleveland at Houston: The one game this week between two teams totally knocked out of the playoffs. Cleveland is down to their third quarterback, as Ken Dorsey will be starting for the Browns. He hasn’t started in three years, when he played in San Francisco. The Texans are coming off a big, big win over Indianapolis. The Texans close out the season with a win, and fall down several notches in the draft as a result. Pick: Houston
Jacksonville at Kansas City: Call this one the Help Bowl, because both teams have a slight chance to make the playoffs, but need help. This is in Kansas City in December, and the Jags are a questionable road team. Pick: Chiefs
New England at Tennessee: The Patriots are playing well heading into the playoffs. I wouldn’t want to go to Foxboro next week. The Titans have caught lightning in a bottle, as they have won seven games in a row with Vince Young at quarterback. Tennessee needs a lot of things to happen to make the playoffs, but they do their part. Pick: Titans
Oakland at New York Jets: The Jets need a win to make the playoffs. They get a gift with a home game against the woeful Raiders. The Raiders are playing for the top pick in the draft. The Jets are one of the good stories of the year. The Jets cruise in this one. Pick: J-E-T-S
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati: The Bengals lost a heartbreaker last week in Denver on a botched snap on an extra point with less than 30 seconds left in the game. The Steelers came up flat in a big game and were drilled by the Ravens. The Bengals need this one to have a chance to make the playoffs. The Steelers are spoilers, and nothing else. Cincy comes up big at home. Pick: Bengals
Seattle at Tampa Bay: The other game with no impact on the playoffs, but Seattle has already clinched the NFC West, in spite of a three-game losing streak. The Bucs are a shell of their former selves. The Seahawks get enough back this week to end the season on a winning note. Pick: Seattle
St. Louis at Minnesota: Don’t look now, but the Rams have a chance to make the playoffs. They need a win and some help, but they have a chance. The Vikings had a chance to be in this gaggle of teams, as well, but have been too mediocre for even the NFC. Rams take care of business. Pick: St. Louis
Atlanta at Philadelphia: The Eagles were given up for dead, but, four Jeff Garcia wins later, they have a chance to win the NFC East, and the #3 seed in the playoffs. The Falcons can make the playoffs with a win and some help, and can also help the Cowboys with a win. Yeah, right. Garcia, Brian Westbrook, and a bunch of guys do it one more week, big. Pick: Philly
Buffalo at Baltimore: The Bills lost a heartbreaker last week, knocking themselves out of playoff contention. The Ravens find themselves in second place in the AFC, and can clinch a bye in the first round of the playoffs with a win. Steve McNair has resurrected his career in Baltimore. The Ravens are tough to beat. Pick: Baltimore
Miami at Indianapolis: How many times does Nick Saban have to say he’s not going to take the Alabama job? The Dolphins are having injury and performance problems at quarterback, and are starting Mister Cleo Lemon at QB this week. The Colts lost one they should have won last week in Houston. They now need a win and some help to get a bye in the first round of the playoffs. The Colts win here, but don’t get the help they want. Pick: Indy
Arizona at San Diego: A coronation for the Chargers. Arizona lost QB Matt Leinart last week to injury, so Kurt Warner returns as QB for the Cardinals. It doesn’t matter, as the Chargers give the ball 40 times to LaDainian Tomlinson, and earn home field advantage throughout the playoffs. At this point, the Chargers are the team to beat for the world championship.
San Francisco at Denver: The 49ers have been respectable this season, winning six games. The Broncos have won two in a row with new QB Jay Cutler, and find themselves in the same position they would have been in if they hadn’t changed QBs. The Broncos need this one to sew up the 5th seed in the AFC, and should get it. Pick: Denver
Green Bay at Chicago: Call this one the Might Bowl. Green Bay might have a chance to make the playoffs, depending on results earlier in the day. This might be Brett Favre’s last game, depending on what he decides later regarding retirement. The Bears might bring an A game with nothing to play for except pride and an ancient rivalry. The Pack has more to play for here. Pick: Green Bay