Tim's Two Cents-February 8

The Saints Go Marching On.  Who dat say they gonna beat them Saints in the big game?  This year: nobody!  Not even Peyton Manning.  I know I predicted the Colts would win, but I couldn't be happier with the result.  At least my prediction that the Saints would score 31 points was spot on.  Even though my dad's prediction didn't come true, he wasn't that far off on the scoring margin of 14.  He had predicted the Colts would win by 16. 

Congratulations to the Saints and the city of New Orleans.  The Saints played like they wanted it more.  They were the more aggresive team.  I applaud them taking a chance on fourth down in the first half and doing an onside kick to begin the second half. 

On the other side, Peyton Manning started out well in the first half leading the Colts to a 10 nothing lead in the first quarter.  In the second half, it was the Saints, not the Colts, who made the adjustments and took control of the contest, outscoring Indy 25 to 7 after the first quarter.

The overall broadcast by CBS was also very good.  Jim Nantz and Phil Simms were stellar on the call.  They treated the game for what it was, just another game.  That's how it should be done.  I was happy to see that there were very little talk of Archie Manning and there were no snapshots of Kim Kardashian.  In other words, I'm glad this didn't turn into a celebrity event like the Oscars.

Another enjoyable aspect of the game was the officiating crew.  The pace of the game was excellent.  It was flying by very fast.  The officials also let the players play.  Call me crazy, but I think there were no more than 10 penalties called, 8 to be exact.  That's my kind of officiating.  If I were a referee, I wouldn't call penalties unless it is really blatant.

Once again, congratulations to Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees and the Saints.  New Orleans will definitely be partying well past Mardi Gras.

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Tim's Two Cents-February 7

The Countdown to Glory Begins.  The day we've all been waiting for has finally arrived.  We are less than six hours from the big game between the Saints and the Colts. 

The opponents in this matchup make it hard to root against one team over the other.  The opposing quarterbacks are two of the best liked in the game and they are awesome competitors.  Peyton Manning has a knack for leading his team to late game winning drives.  Drew Brees has led what has been the most prolific offense in the NFL this season. 

How can you not also root for the city of New Orleans?  What has happened in that city since Hurricane Katrina is something special.  The Superdome is probably the loudest stadium in the league, but it won't be a factor today. 

As the days leading up to the game have gone by, I find myself conflicted in my heart and my head.  For the Colts to win, Peyton Manning has to be, well, Peyton Manning.  That is he has to be the general on the field leading his troops in battle.  On defense, all signs are pointing to Dwight Freeney giving the ankle a go.  How effective he'll be remains to be seen.  He definitely won't be 100%, that I'm fairly certain of.

For the Saints it's simple, they have to keep Peyton Manning on the sidelines and force some turnovers.  Drew Brees also needs to continue doing what he has done as one of the best quarterbacks in the game today.  The best quarterback is the one he's facing today.

So here we go.  After a week long wait, I'm going with my head and taking the five and a half and the Colts to win their second Vince Lombardi trophy in four years.  Colts 35, Saints 31.  Sorry Who Dat nation. 

For the record, my dad's also picking the Colts to win by 16, but he won't give a final score.  Newflash dad, that's not how this works!

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Tim's Two Cents-January 25

Super Bowl XLIV Matchup Revealed.  For once, my prediction came true!  It will be the Saints and the Colts battling it out on February 7 in Miami.

What can I say about the Colts?  Peyton Manning is unbelievable.  He didn't panic in the first half when the Colts were down 17 to 6 against the Jets.  With under two minutes remaining before halftime, Peyton Manning and the Colts marched down the field in just two plays that ended in an Austin Collie touchdown reception to cut the defecit to four at 17 to 13 before the half. 

From that point on, the Jets had no chance to win in the second half.  Peyton Manning dissected the Jets defense with a surgeon's knife.  The Jets were held scoreless in the second half as the Colts punched their ticket to Miami with a 30 to 17 triumph.

The Vikings and Saints was a good encore that followed.  It was a back and forth matchup like the Packers and Cardinals a couple weeks before.  The Vikings put up a good effort even with five turnovers in a 31 to 28 overtime loss in the Big Easy against Drew Brees and the Saints.  Brett Favre stood resilient even though he was getting knocked around like a human pinata.  The retirement discussion is sure to start up again soon.  My prediction is he'll decide to come back eventually at some point over the summer, probably after training camp.

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Tim's Two Cents-January 17

NFL Playoffs Get Turned Up a Notch.  So much for my predictions for yesterday.  The Saints and Colts both won rather covincingly.  Peyton Manning and Drew Brees each had good performances for their respective teams.

Looking ahead to today's action, we'll see if the Cowboys can punch their ticket to New Orleans and if the Chargers can race to Indy next week.

Tim's Two Cents-January 15

What I'll Be Watching This Weekend.  In an effort to do something different today, here's what I'll be watching this upcoming weekend in sports.

NFL Divisional Playoffs.  Another great weekend of playoff action is almost upon us. 

Will the Cowboys continue their recent hot streak against the Minnesota Vikings?  I certainly hope so if for no other reason than to see Brett Favre lose again.  If that happens, Favre will start crying like the prima donna that he is.  By this time next Monday, I hope Brett Favre is back in Mississippi where he belongs.

Will the Colts take advantage of home field or will rust kick in?  My gut feeling right now is the latter.  History over the last few years has shown that the Colts have had little success as the top team in the postseason.  Peyton Manning, the talented quarterback that he is, has only one Super Bowl victory in his career so far.  He is the face of the Colts.  One could argue that without Peyton Manning, the Colts would not be the good team that they are.  I'll go with the upset and the Ravens because rust will be a big factor for the Colts as usual.

Will the Saints have a party in the Big Easy?  This is a tough one that I think could go either way.  I wouldn't be surprised if the Saints offense breaks out in front the home crowd.  As for their opponent, the Cardinals.  We saw what they're capable of last week against Green Bay.  This one's a coin flip.  I'll go with the upset pick once again and the Cardinals just to mess everything up and make things more interesting.

As for the Chargers and Jets, let's keep it simple and sweet.  The Chargers will continue their late season surge and I think they will host the AFC Championship game next week against the Ravens.  

Australian Open in Melbourne.  You probably wouldn't think of me as a tennis fan at first glance, but I am.  The Australian Open, which starts on Sunday, marks the beginning of the new year in tennis as it is the first grand slam event.  As usual Roger Federer enters the tournament as the number one seed on the men's side.  Barring an unforseen turn of events, it will be another Federer-Nadal final in two weeks time.  If history is any indication, it should be epic if it were to happen.   

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Wikimedia Commons and Steve Collis under CC-BY 2.0 License

Tim's Two Cents-January 5

Should NFL Teams Rest Their Starters in the Final Weeks of the Regular Season?  News spread over the weekend that the NFL would look into the policy of teams resting their starters during the final weeks of the regular season.  Until this weekend, I didn't even know that there was possibly such a policy in the league.  I always thought those decisions were left for the teams to decide for themselves.  This story is noteworthy because of what has taken place the last few weeks with teams such as the Indianapolis Colts and, more recently, the New England Patriots.  I really don't think there's that much Roger Goodell and the NFL can do by looking into this situation.  There's been rumors of extra draft picks to those teams, but I don't see something like that having a significant impact in the long run.  

You may remember that in week 16 Colts head coach Jim Caldwll decided to pull his starters out in the third quarter of what would be a 29 to 15 loss against the New York Jets, thus ending their pursuit of perfection.  It caused a lot of backlash this past week from the fans, as well as the media, who were seemingly disappointed that giving the starters some rest was far more important than trying for the perfect season.  That situation with the Colts is somewhat understandable, given their way of operating in the final weeks of the regular season the last few years when they had everything wrapped up.  I personally would have liked to seen them go for the perfect season, given what their place in history could have been. 

What I don't understand is why in week 17 in a 30 to 7 loss at Buffalo in the snow,  the Colts decided to play their starters just so they could reach certain milestones for the season.  Peyton Manning extended his consecutive start streak to 192 and tight end Dallas Clark got his 100th reception of the season.  It was no surprise that they were pulled after acheiving these milestones.  If I were in charge of the Colts, it would have made more sense to have kept the starters in longer during week 16 so they could acheive those goals as well as going for the perfect season.  It wouldn't surprise me if they fall behind early against their next opponent in two weeks time and start feeling the pressure to reach the Super Bowl as favorites in February.

In a similar, but at the same time different situation for the Patriots, they chose to play their starters in a 34 to 27 defeat against the Houston Texans on Sunday.  Today, Bill Belichick is probably wishing he should have done things differently.  Tom Brady has reportedly been playing with cracked ribs and a broken finger the last few weeks and Wes Welker, arguably New England's biggest play making wide receiver not named Randy Moss, reportedly has a torn PCL and MCL thanks to a knee injury he suffered early in Sunday's game. 

That's the dilemma these teams face when considering whether or not to rest their starters down the stretch heading into the playoffs.  To have the starters go out and attept to reach personal as well as team goals to end the season, or risk injury to star players in what essentially amounts to a meaningless game where everything has already been decided.             

Tim's Two Cents-December 28

1. Colts Run at Perfection Ends.  The Colts are no longer the last undefeated team in the NFL this season.  The Jets ended the dream with a 29 to 15 win over Indianapolis.  Peyton Manning was pulled in the second half  to rest up in favor of Curtis Painter. 

So that means the 1972 Miami Dolphins are still the only team to go undefeated through an entire season, including the playoffs.  Coach Don Shula, Mercury Morris and the other members can now rest easy once again.  Go ahead and pop open a nice bottle of champagne to celebrate.  The record stands at 37 years and counting.  I don't think it will ever be broken.  In the Colts case, they already had everything wrapped in the AFC as far as the best record, a first round bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

2. Urban Meyer to Take Leave of Absence After Sugar Bowl.  In what was a surprising story this weekend, head coach Urban Meyer of the Florida Gators has decided to take an indefinite leave of absence to deal with stress related health issues.  When the story first broke, word was that Meyer was going to resign, but on Sunday he changed his mind, allowing Gator fans to breathe a sigh of relief. 

It is understandable how coaching a powerhouse football program like Florida can be stressful and affect an individual's health.  Earlier this year, Meyer checked himself into a hospital a day after Florida lost to Alabama in the SEC Championship game with dehydration and chest pains.  He also apparently has had an ongoing heart valve problem the last few years.  This is a good move by Meyer and Florida.  It would be a shame to lose one of the greatest coaches in college football in the prime of his career due to health concerns.  I hope Meyer gets better and back on the sideline sometime in the near future.

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Wikimedia Commons and Harrison Diamond under CC-BY-SA 3.0 License   

NFL Roulette-Week 16

Here are my key games for Week 16 in the NFL:

San Diego Chargers (11-3)

Vs.

Tennessee Titans (7-7)

Chargers: They're on a nine game winning streak and are undefeated in the month of December the last few seasons.  They're hot at the right time.  Phillip Rivers is playing some of his best football right now.  This could be the team that ends the Colts run at a perfect season, should they meet in the playoffs.  Will that happen?  Only time will tell.

Titans: Tennessee has made a nice comeback after starting 0-6.  They are one of a handful of 7-7 AFC teams still in the hunt for a Wild Card playoff spot behind the 8-6 Broncos and Ravens.  Vince Young has played surprisingly since being inserted as the starting quarterback a few weeks ago.  He, along with Chris Johnson, have brought this team back in the playoff discussion.  I think it is going to be tough for them to beat the Chargers though, given the way San Diego is playing right now.

Prediction: Chargers 38, Titans 24

New York Jets (7-7)

Vs.

Indianapolis Colts (14-0)

Jets: This is another one of those 7-7 AFC teams.  Right now, Mark Sanchez still needs to do a lot of work to become an elite quarterback in the NFL.  I also don't trust a coach who cries after a loss in the locker room.  Sorry Rex Ryan.  Sure the Jets are in the playoff hunt, but I don't think they'll be there in the end.  As a matter of fact, we can all but eliminate them from the discussion after this game.

Colts: Let's keep it short and sweet.  I think the Colts will win this game, even if their starters don't play the whole game.  You can bet that if it's close in the fourth quarter and the Colts are trailing, 18 will have something to say about it.

Prediction: Colts 35, Jets 17

Baltimore Ravens (8-6)

Vs.

Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7)

Ravens: Baltimore is in the hunt for a wild card spot.  Along with the Broncos, they currently have one of the two AFC Wild Card spots.  They beat the Steelers earlier this year in overtime.  It's safe to say these AFC North rivals do not like each other, which should make for quite an interesting game.

Steelers: The defending Super Bowl have had a surprisingly tough go of it this season.  They have had their share of bad losses against the Chiefs, Raiders and the Browns.  That certainly doesn't help the cause.  They almost had another loss last week against Green Bay, but Ben Roethlisberger saved the day with a game winning touchdown pass to Mike Wallace as time expired.

Prediction: Steelers 24, Ravens 17

Denver Broncos (8-6)

Vs.

Philadelphia Eagles (10-4)

Broncos: After coming out of the gates strong, Denver has really come back down to Earth.  They no longer lead the AFC West and are fighting to stay ahead in the Wild Card.  I think they will make this a game however a possibly come away with the win.  There's a part me that really wants to see that happen because that would put huge implications on the Eagles game next week versus the Cowboys in Dallas.

Eagles: Donovan McNabb and company have a one game lead over the Cowboys in the NFC East coming in.  Some good news for Philly is runnning back Brian Westbrook has been cleared to play after sitting out last week because of a concussion.  The Eagles have historically done well in the final weeks of a season, but I have a funny feeling about this game.

Prediction: My upset pick of the week-Broncos 34, Eagles 17

Dallas Cowboys (9-5)

Vs.

Washington Redskins (4-10)

Cowboys: How about them Cowboys!  Last week, they shocked the NFL world with their 24 to 17 upset over the New Orleans Saints at the Superdome, temporarily ending their December woes in the process.  Now let's see if they can take the momentum from last week and beat a team that, on paper, they should beat.  These are the Cowboys though.  Stranger things have happened.

Redskins: Where do I begin with this organizational mess?  Head coach Jim Zorn will certainly be gone by season's end, especially after what happened Monday night with that horrible trick play call.  What was that?  For the sake of Redskins fans, I hope something like that doesn't happen again.  New GM Bruce Smith certainly looks like he has a long offseason in store for him.

Prediction: Cowboys 31, Redskins 13

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Wikimedia Commons and Conman 33 under CC-SA 3.0 License
Wikimedia Commons and Ytoyoda and Craig O'Neal under CC-SA 2.0 License
Wikimedia Commons and Andy from Pittsburgh Pennsylavania under CC-SA 2.0 License
Wikimedia Commons and Ruffin Bailey under CC-SA 3.0 License

  

NFL Roulette-Week 15

Another week of exciting NFL action gets under way tonight and what better time than now to introduce my newest segment.  NFL Roulette, where I'll be providing my analysis on the key NFL matchups of the week.  With one game on the schedule tonight, let's get started!

Indianapolis Colts (13-0) Vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-6)

Colts: Coming into week 15, the Colts are a team that is currently making history each week.  Along with the Saints their undefeated, making it the first time in NFL history that two teams have started the season 13-0.  They have a future Hall of Fame quarterback in Peyton Manning, who has shown that he shines in the biggest moments and has ice in his veins.  When addressing whether the Colts starters will start and play or rest up  to get ready for the playoffs, head coach Jim Caldwell has said that "healthy starters" will play.  Earlier this week, 29 of the 53 players on the active roster did not participate in practice.  This coming from an organization that has historically chosen to rest a good chunk of it's players throughout the years.  You can bet Peyton Manning will be one of those "healthy starters."

Jaguars: They could be the team that derails the dual pursuit of perfection.  Their in the same division as the Colts.  They've played them tough throughout the years.  I could see them beating Indy tonight, but I don't think that will happen.  Now if the Colts do rest their starters for a good chunk of the game, they have a slight chance.

Prediction: Colts 31, Jaguars 24

5 Most Important Storylines From the Weekend in Sports

Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints (left), and Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts (right), each led their respective teams to another win to remain  undefeated.  Their pursuit of perfection is one of my top 5 storylines from the weekend in sports.

It's Monday, December 14, and I'm going to do something a little different from now on.  Instead of doing a daily sports update, I'm going to give you my top storylines from the day in sports.  I will still continue to do updates for local colleges in the Southern California area, such as those schools in the SCIAC Conference, since there is very little to no coverage of those schools.  You can always keep updated on professional sports by watching Sprtscenter on ESPN throughout each day, so there really is no purpose to recap the scores each day.  So, with that being said, let's get to my top 5 storylines.

1. Colts and Saints win again to stay undefeated.  Make that 13 and 0 and counting.  The Colts and Saints remain perfect following Sunday's NFL action that saw the Saints win late against the Atlanta Falcons 26 to 23 and the Colts victorious over the Denver Broncos 28 to 16.  It's not surprising that they are clearly the 2 best teams in the league right now.  They both are led by very good quarterbacks.  Drew Brees has the highest QB rating and highest completion percentage this year at  112.3 and 69.9% respectively.  On the other side, Peyton Manning is a sure fire future Hall of Famer who this season has had a knack for leading his to late game-winning drives week in and week out.  The most notable came against the Patriots in week 10 where Bill Belichick went for it on 4th down late in the game and we all know what happened.  I don't think the Saints and Colts will go undefeated, but it would be exciting to see two undefeated teams fight it out in the Super Bowl in February.  You can bet that the members of the 1972 Dolphins team would watch that matchup for sure.

2. Cowboys December woes continue.  Cowboy fans are waking up this morning probably wondering when the team's annual December swoon is going to end. So far, the Cowboys are now 0 and 2 in December following a 30 to 27 loss to the San Diego Chargers yesterday.  You know the Dallas media will be asking  head coach Wade Phillips why this continues to happen.  The bottom line is Phillips is an average head coach and the Cowboys don't have any real big playmakers that perform at a high level down the stretch..  In December, they are the polar opposite of their opponent from yesterday.  With yesterday's triumph the Chargers are now 16 and 0 in December over the last few years.  I don't see an end to the Cowboys struggles wih their remaining schedule that includes road games at New Orleans and Washington and a home matchup against the Eagles.  I see them missing the playoffs.

3. The Lakers 11 game winning streak comes to an end.  What a streak it was, but let's be honest, it had to come to an end at some point and it did against the Utah Jazz Saturday 102 to 94.  Not to mention that it was the second game of a back to back part of the schedule.  It was also a streak where most of the wins came at Staples Center in a 6 game homestand that led up to the team's current 5 game road trip.  They were also helped by a schedule where 17 of their first 21 games were on their home court.  We'll see if they can bounce back with a win tomorrow in Chicago.

4. Mark Ingram wins the Heisman Trophy.  Congratulations to the sophomore running back of Alabama.  It was an exciting year of college football that included one of the closest races for the Heisman Trophy I have ever seen.  Each of the 5 finalists-Ingram, last year's winner Tim Tebow of Florida, Toby Gerhart of Stanford, Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska and Colt McCoy of Texas-had a legitimate chance to win the award.  As the season went along, there wasn't a player who separated himself from the others.  What helped Ingram was a big performance in the SEC Championship game against Florida in a 32 to 13 win.

5. The Tiger Woods Soap Opera Continues.  This story just keeps getting bigger and bigger.  It was just a few weeks ago when all that happened was a seemingly simple traffic accident at Tiger's home in Florida.  Ever since, we've heard about Tigers alleged affairs with numerous women while being married to his Swedish supermodel wife and more 911 calls where his mother-in-law was taken to the hospital with stomach pains.  Now some of Tiger's sponsors, including Accenture,  have decided to move on while Tiger deals with his personal issues.

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