Hey everyone this is my first blog of many for this site.  I am pumped up for the coming football season, and I have decided to spice it up the only way I know how and that’s by putting some cash on the games.  Off course gambling is illegal and I would never break the law, so this cash is “hypothetical”.  Everyweek I am going to post my picks with the Vegas lines and some explanations.  I also am going to give live updates on my fantasy league. 

Bears: 1-1 vs. Broncos: 0-2; Story: Denver will probably rise 1,000 more feet for this hyped matchup.  Unfortunately, its a preseason game but none-the-less, its the new Broncos lead by a rookie and current shakey coach Josh McDaniels against the newly revived Jay “we have a quarterback” Cutler.  The Bears fans are already thinking Super Bowl while the Broncos are taking one game at a time, which is a good thing.  Their defense was horrid last year but with the new coordinator Mike Nolan (last year’s 49ers coach), they might patch things up.  Their offense, well, its going to be tested with the random challenges this year, but the good thing is that Kyle Orton has a great winning percentage and has a great attitude.  Orton has been looked alot closer in the sporting world compared to his years in Chicago, particularly, he was a part of the biggest NFL trade of the year back in April when the Bears traded him and 3 picks for Jay Cutler, the previous Denver quarterback who, controversial at times, was praised as the next revival of Elway.  Now the Bears have made their own revival of Cutler as the next great Bears quarterback in over sixty years.  Yes, I didn’t count Jim Mcmahon and Eric Kramer, the last Bears QB to throw past 3,500 yards (which Jay thrumped last year with 4,526 yards), but exceeding to the point, stats won’t mean squat to Bears fans as long as Jay can actually get into the playoffs this year.  Tonight, its the basics, and revenge on both sides.  Jay against the Broncos, Kyle against the Bears.  It’s not like these guys can forget their past, but face it.  They’re probably thinking of the game like a good game of backyard football; no pads, no penalties, just throwing the ball around as they score in front of their adversaries.  Jay though has more of the heat since he initiated the drama and the Denver faithful have made burning jersey videos, and while the game is Denver, the fans will probably boo everytime he throws a deep one.  Maybe cry too if he completes them as they compare to their Quarterback’s historic bad accuracy.  But time will tell with these proven warriors facing old friends and new enemies; if only it was the Super Bowl.

Bears–Offense: B; Defense: C+; Special Teams: A-; Intangibles: Advantage

Broncos–Offense:C+; Defense:C-;Special Teams: B-; Intangibles: Disadvantage

Prediction: I would say the score after Orton and Cutler are out will be 21-17 Bears and the Broncos bounce back to finally get their first preseason win.  It’s only preseason guys!!! 

Aug. 26, 2008, Major League Baseball announces a system of instant replay for boundary calls.One year later video replay is accepted in the MLB.  The NFL was one of the first sports to adopt such a system that most fans think goes against the tradition and integrity of the game.  I can recall plenty of times when there has been a call made that was clearly wrong and cost a team a game or maybe a championship.  Some calls were clearly wrong when you saw them first live and then the instant replay shows that the official is not doing his job and looks like he is a complete idiot.  I honestly can’t imagine being an official realizing I made a horrible call as it replays on the Jumbo-tron in front of thousands of loyal screaming fans.  Then feeling in your gut after they realize you just may have ruined some team’s chances at a championship or some gamblers chances for keeping his legs.  Do the names Rich Garcia or Phil Luckett ring a bell???  I guarantee some fans are familiar with theses names (kind of like every Cubs fan is familiar with the name Steve Bartman) these are the names of officials that made wrong calls that have determined the outcome of the games. Heads or tails? The coin flip easiest call in sports…right?  Thanksgiving day 1999 national television game Steelers vs. Lions (sidebar; I hope they win a game this year) referee Phil Luckett lived an official’s worst nightmare. The game went into overtime, Steelers captain Jerome Bettis called “tails,” but Luckett heard “heads.” The Lions win the toss then go on to win the game.   1996 ALCS bottom of the eighth Yankees trail Orioles 4-3 Derek Jeter’s fly ball to right field was caught by 12 year old Jeffery Maier before O’s right fielder Tony Tarasco could make a play.  Rich Garcia was the umpire who failed to call fan interference and ruled it a home run, which was the game tying home run. The Yankees then win the game 5-4 on Bernie Williams’ homer in the 11^th inning. The most controversial call in Olympic basketball history, the 1972 Olympic basketball match between USA and the Soviet Union.  The officials put time back onto the clock twice in the final three seconds after time expired, allowing the Soviet Union to score the winning basket at the end of regulation and give the US Men’s basketball team its first loss in history for the gold medal with a 50-49 victory. My favorite play of all time, Michael Jordan pushes Bryon Russell aside on the final shot in Game 6 of the 1998 Finals, which put the Bulls ahead of the Jazz in route to their sixth NBA championship.  I still have the freeze frame in my room. 

NFL uses instant replay for: Scoring plays, pass complete/incomplete/intercepted, runner/receiver out of bounds, other plays involving placement of the football, whether a legal number of players is on the field at the time of the snap, quarterback pass or fumble, illegal forward pass, forward or backward pass, runner ruled not down by contact, forward progress in regard to a first down, recovery of a loose ball in or out of bounds, touching of a forward pass, either by an ineligible receiver or a defensive player, touching of a kick.

MLB uses instant replay only for: home runs foul or fair, to decide if the ball actually left the playing field, fan/ Spectator interference.

NBA uses instant replay for: Buzzer beaters, to determine wheather players should be ejected from contests involving brawlsan or flagrant fouls, to determine whether a scored field goal is worth two or three points, to determine the amount of free throws awarded for a missed field goal.

Considered out of contention, the Minnesota Twins still have a lot of hope with them.  The obvious void to fill is the rotation, even though Kevin Slowly is out for the season and Francisco Liriano has the stuff but not the consistency, the team would benefit better to add a proven ace to set the tone for the upcoming 2010 season.  Being in the playoffs four of the last eight years, the reason of their successful years were coaching, defense, offense and pitching, every little thing they did right.  Some say the reason they’ve lost the mojo is because of Johan’s departure, which is a valid argument since the Twins have missed that “scary pitcher vibe.”  Here are some names that you would hope you wouldn’t bat in a life or death situation: Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax, Nolan Ryan; you get the idea.  However you can make the playoffs and get into the championship without a scary pitcher, case in point the 2007 Rockies.   But the secret for the Twins to win the World Series isn’t necessarily about their consistency, or their defense, or their management, in fact Justin Morneau, the proven AL MVP, isn’t the biggest impact.            Joe Mauer.  That’s their answer…I’ll give you a second to wind up your hand and slap me in the head.  But you know the answer is blissful as a sunny day.  Joe Mauer is the formula to the Twins revival to the promise land.  Here’s the scary thing, he already has two batting championships for average, and now he’s having his best season with a .372 average and 25 HRs.  Although he’s not even in the top 5 for hits, that’s his advantage with less at bats as a catcher.  But I say this.  Minnesota, you would have to make a sacrifice and move him to DH.  Yes, make him a Paul Molitor.  And yes, move Jason Kubal in the outfield or teach him how to be a catcher, Mauer legs are very crucial to the organization.  Catchers break down very easily, only Pudge Rodriguez and Jorge Posada have been very consistent after their peek years, but Joe Mauer is more special than them.  Time will tell if Gardenhire will make this transition, but man, just imagine Mauer concentrating on one aspect of the game,  he’ll probably touch .400 and become a likely hero for the Minnesota Twins Championship run. 

“Man looks in the abyss, there’s nothing staring back at him.  At that moment, man finds his character.  And that is what keeps him out of the abyss.”       -Oliver Stone

Yes, I watched ‘Wall Street’ yesterday; I wish I came up with that myself.  The quote is from the character Lou Mannheim played by Hal Holbrook.  He’s an old stock broker, but plausible mentor of the young Bud Fox, played by Charlie Sheen.  He said the particular quote right before Bud Fox got arrested for insider trading.  Sorry for the spoiler but I had to include that for the ultimate impact of the quote and how there are some things that can make us better within the face of adversity.   This quote I think should have a deep meaning by the likes of NFL Players Michael Vick, Plaxico Burress and Braylon Edwards with their troubles this past year.  I hope they have found their character because their conflicts are as dark as the abyss.  It is in their own private struggle will they conquer themselves over their faults and I wish them nothing but the best.  Every human is capable of forgiveness whether it is objective or personal, everyone should be seen by the same face.  But this quote also applies to the ones that are developing their own character.  Sometimes we all show signs of anger, fear, ignorance, immaturity, but as long as you remember who you are and who you want to be, you won’t fall into the abyss.  Right now Brandon Marshall is in the abyss.  Brandon’s recent acts of childish behavior and selfish attitude will forever deem him in his football career.  The Denver Broncos recently suspended him for the preseason.  If Brandon doesn’t want to participate for the upcoming season, then the team should and indeed they will, suspend him for the season.  Will there be a trade? Not at the particular moment.  The Broncos want a lot for him, similar to the Jay Cutler deal and I don’t think teams right now don’t have much to bargain after the draft and late in the Preseason.  In baseball, blockbuster deals are the highs of the summer, but along with the weather, trades in football are cold.  Brandon should get comfortable with his spot because I don’t think he deserves it.  For example, Marshall punted a ball away from a ball boy, whose job is simply to grab the ball after a reception from a receiver.  I say it again, the player literally couldn’t give a ball to a ball boy, instead showing his frustration, kicked the ball away.  The ball boy didn’t deserve the boot, Marshall did.  Out of the kid acts Brandon Marshall surprisingly reminds me of Bud Fox too, referring back to “Wall Street.”  He wants more money to play; his own exposure, his bling, his eye for superstardom is what Bud Fox saw in Gordon Geiko, the infamous character Michael Douglas played in the movie “Wall Street.”  In the movie, instead of following Lou Mannheim’s wisdom, Bud Fox was lured in to greed and illegal acts with Gordon Geiko.  Brandon Marshall’s faults isn’t serious as Bud Fox’s but that lust for wanting more will be his struggle.  Marshall’s talents are easy to block out his ambitions, but buyer beware, the man clearly thinks of himself over his coach, his teammates, his organization and his city.  The only team that I can see getting him in the offseason would be a team without much to lose, like the St. Louis Rams or the Cleveland Browns, historically inconsistent teams this past decade.  If by miracle a trade is done then I’m sure it’ll be a surprise, like the Michael Vick signing.  And different cities usually mean different results as we are about to find out with Jay Cutler, but even Jay has admitted to be the same guy with the same attitude.  Brandon Marshall now can’t hide his ego and will pay the cost.  The team that will take the risk would have to give him a good torch out of the darkness.