The Dwarf's Musings

The Dwarf's Return

2007-04-30T16:44:00.000-05:00

Hey all!

Well, it's been since February 28 since I've written anything on this blog, but with the NFL Draft going down this weekend, I couldn't pass up this opportunity to resurrect the Blog. As a matter a fact, so much has happened since my last post, including the Canadiens not making the playoffs, Chelsea inching closer to a Champions League title, Tiger losing a very tight Masters and some absolutely wonderful music being released, but today I will focus on the NFL Draft, which was very interesting, to say the least.

The big story of the first day was, without a doubt, Brady Quinn, QB from Notre Dame, being passed up by Cleveland and then Miami, and sliding down the board before being swept up by the Browns with the 22nd pick, which they got from Dallas. There are two interesting side stories that were born from this: Cleveland went on to have a great first day, at least on paper, and Miami passing up on the possible heir to Marino.

When the Browns went on the clock with the 3rd pick in the draft, experts everywhere were divided. Joe Thomas, the best tackle on the board, was a possibility, as were the hometown boy Quinn and mercurial running back Adrian Peterson. All three made sense, as the Browns have a terrible O-Line, no really good running back to speak of (they signed Jamal Lewis in the off-season, but he is on his last legs), and nothing too exciting at QB either. In the end, they made what I believe is the right pick, getting Thomas, the guy who will protect their QB's blind side and open up holes for whoever is their running back for the next 15 years. But when Quinn started to slide down the board, Phil Savage, the Browns GM, started to work the phones and eventually cut a deal with Dallas to get their pick at #22 and scoop up Quinn. So, in a matter of a couple of hours, the Browns got their QB of the future and his "bodyguard". Not bad. In the second round, they also managed to pick up CB Eric Wright from Nevada, who has character issues, but great speed and pure cover skills. That's a pretty good first day.

Meanwhile, Dolphin nation is enraged at the moment, still in disbelief at their team passing up on the opportunity to pick Quinn. Instead, the Dolphins used the 9th pick in the draft on WR Ted Ginn Jr. from Ohio State. Then, in the second round, they tabbed John Beck from BYU to be their QB of the future. Now, I must say, when I heard the pick of Ginn Jr., I was mad too. But I've read a lot since, and my opinion has evolved. Essentially, the Dolphins were going to pick a WR and a QB with their first 2 picks, and the question that remained was which would come first. Obviously, they felt that the second-tier quarterbacks were better than the second-tier receivers. Ted Ginn Jr. has speed to burn, and while his route running needs a lot of work, he spent the last season running past the best CB's in the division with relative ease. He will definitely help stretch the field for an offense that desperately needs a deep threat. He can also contribute as a punt and kick returner for the Dolphins. As for Beck, the book on him is that he might not be NFL-ready yet, but he has all the tools. He is very accurate and his mechanics are natural and sound. He needs more coaching than Quinn, but his upside might be higher at this point.

As for Brady Quinn, the big question is how could he possibly slide all the way to #22. Well, Aaron Rodgers went through the same thing 2 years ago, before being picked up by Green Bay. And when you look at it, the question marks with both are similar: both have quirky mechanics., neither has a great arm or is particularly accurate, and both had their troubles when the pressure was on. In my opinion, Quinn will be as good as his surroundings. Some QB's, like John Elway, Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, Tom Brady or Joe Montana, just to name a few, can make everyone around them better just by being there. Experts are convinced that JaMarcus Russell, the first overall pick, is that kind of Quarterback. But, personally, I don't think that Quinn is. In the end, Quinn will be just as good as Joe Thomas, Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow become. If his receivers can stay healthy, if the Browns can fix the offensive line and find a running game, then Quinn will have a nice career. Otherwise, he'll be just another Tim Couch.

Random Thoughts From Around The Draft:

I liked the Bills draft. Experts can't seem to see it, but I think Marv Levy is doing a wonderful job, slowly putting the pieces together to make another great run in a couple of years. J.P. Losman is slowly settling into the QB's job. Lee Evans has developed into a very nice #1 receiver. Now, Levy added the third piece of the offensive puzzle with RB Marshawn Lynch from Cal, who has size, speed and hands. If you really think about it, Losman has a little bit of Jim Kelly in him, Evans a little bit of Andre Reed and Lynch could turn out to be as versatile as Thurman Thomas. Then, Levy picked up Trent Edwards, another tough-as-nails QB in the third round (a great value pick), just in case Losman doesn't pan out. Meanwhile, he also found the guy who will lead his defense for the next decade in LB Paul Posluszny from Penn State. This kid was born to play in Rich Stadium. There's hope Bills fans... and not only that, there is something to really like about this team.
Another controversial pick was the Eagles' second round choice (their first pick in the draft), QB Kevin Kolb of Houston. Now, I won't pretend I know anything about this kid, but even though some experts thought it was too early to pick him, I'll take Andy Reid's judgement over Mel Kiper's any day. Now, the big controversy came from Philly picking a QB so early. Steve Young couldn't believe it, saying this meant the Eagles didn't think McNabb could come back healthy from his injury. Sean Salisbury echoed those comments, as did Kiper. But words of wisdom finally came from Michael Smith's (check him out, the best writer at espn.com in my opinion) mouth: "Kolb could be Matt Schaub", he said. Yes. The Eagles aren't worried about McNabb this year, otherwise they would be in the Trent Green lottery, or at least trying to get a starting caliber quarterback on the roster. No, Kolb is a project. The Eagles are looking 3-4 years down the road: what if McNabb keeps getting injured? What if his knees are shot by 2009? Then they'll have a quality guy in the system, someone capable of picking up the slack when #5 goes down for good. And if, by chance, McNabb manages to stay healthy and plays at a high level for the next 6-7 years, then the Eagles will have the option of trading Kolb for a couple of second round picks, like the Falcons did with Schaub this year.
I like Randy Moss to New England. I would've preferred Moss to Green Bay, but him going to the Patriots should be exciting. I don't know if it will work out though: Moss is one lazy dude. But if it does, watch out!
Speaking of the Packers, how boring have they become? No trade for Moss. No big-time receiver of runner picked in the first round. I mean, Justin Harrell? A defensive tackle? What??? This is sad. Brett Favre must be cringing right now.
My favorite pick of the draft? Aside from Paul Posluszny to Buffalo, I really like Michael Bush to the Raiders in the 4th round. This kid was Heisman potential before he broke his leg. He will come back healthy, and by mid-season, he will he at the forefront of the Raiders' three-headed running back monster of Bush, Dominic Rhodes and Lamont Jordan. The Raiders are still a year away, but still, they won't be fun to play against this year.
The worst draft? Houston. David Carr never had a shot with the Texans because they've had the worst offensive line ever since they entered the league. Now, they go out and get Matt Schaub, but don't draft anyone to protect him. Yeah, I'm sure he'll be great at running the offense while being sacked 57 times like Carr was. Oh, and Ahman Green will relish running into non-existing holes. Great job Texans... that's a D-minus for you.

Well, that's enough for now, but it's good to be back. I'll see you next time!

Dwarf out.

Thoughts on the NHL trade deadline...

2007-02-28T18:04:00.000-05:00

Well, as opposed to last year when I spent the whole day working on my computer with the TSN.ca Trade Tracker always visible in bottom right corner of my screen, this year I was out on the road all day, and so I arrived at home last night without a single clue about what had gone down.

Like in 2006, there were some pretty big trades that were made in the days and weeks leading up to the deadline. We already knew since Sunday that Craig Rivet was going to finish the year in a Sharks uniform. Peter Forsberg was already a Predator. We already knew Keith Tkachuk would be helping the Trashers reach the playoffs for the first time in their history. Brad Stuart had been a Flame for a while when Tuesday started, and Marc-Andre Bergeron had been with the Islanders for almost a week.

But Deadline Day did not disappoint when it comes to big trades. We saw Bill Guerin leave the Blues to join Craig Rivet in San Jose. The Penguins added some much needed grit and toughness with Gary Roberts from Calgary and Georges Laraque from Phoenix. Meanwhile, Toronto was adding Yanic Perreault, Detroit picked up Todd Bertuzzi and Dallas added Mattias Norstrom, the long time defenseman and captain of the L.A. Kings. F Jason Ward of the Kings took the direction of Tampa while D David Hale left New Jersey to become a depth defenseman for Darryl Sutter in Calgary. The Bruins lost faith in second-year center Brad Boyes (69 points as a rookie) and sent him to the Blues for defenseman Dennis Wideman. There were more trades, notably Martin Biron ending up in Philadelphia and Dainius Zubrus winding up in Buffalo.

But there is no doubt that the shocker of the day was Ryan Smyth leaving the team he cheered for as a youngster and the one he has embodied for the last 12 years, the Edmonton Oilers, for the shores of Long Island. Smyth was traded for 2 prospects and a draft pick. Now, as disappointed and frustrated as I felt last night, I understand that this is a business and that's how things work in the NHL. Smyth was asking for a 5-year/$5.5 million deal, and Kevin Lowe was not willing to go higher than 5-year/5.2 millions per year. Most Oiler fans will be mad at Lowe for not meeting Smyth's price, as I was yesterday, but there is also something a bit disgusting in seeing the heart and soul of a team, a guy who has been called "Captain Canada", decide he will not re-sign with the team he has played all his career for, and all that for $250,000 dollars. The reality is, both sides were thinking from a business standpoint... whatever that says about our favorite sport. I think more players should look at how Martin Brodeur has handled his own contract negotiations in his career. He is a great example of how these greedy bastards should conduct themselves. But anyway, it's done.

The fallout of this deal, however, is horrible, and on 2 fronts. First, losing Smyth means the Oilers will almost assuredly not make the playoffs (losing yesterday to Phoenix 3-0 won't help either). But it also means that by adding Smyth, as well as Bergeron last week and Richard Zednick too, the Islanders have just become a major player in the Eastern Conference Playoff picture. With the Islanders getting much better, Atlanta adding Tkachuck, Toronto adding Perreault, you might wonder where that leaves our beloved Canadiens. I still have hope they will make it into the postseason, but it will be very hard.

Dwarf out.

The State of the Montreal Canadiens Address

2007-02-22T18:09:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone!

So, here we are, Thursday, February 22, just about 2 hours before the Canadiens take the ice against the very dangerous Nashville Predators and their new acquisition: Peter Forsberg. As I am writing this, the Canadiens are sitting in 7th in the Eastern Conference, with 68 points and 20 games left, 1 point in front of the Carolina Hurricanes. But both these teams are in serious danger, because Toronto and the NY Islanders both have 66 points (only 2 back of Montreal) and 2 games in hand. So, with 20 games, what can we say about the Habs?

Well, the biggest word, as always, is 'Playoffs'. Will they make it to the postseason or won't they? We all know that if they make it, anything can happen. The Oilers proved that last year, taking the Carolina Hurricanes down to the wire.

The first thing I'm looking at here is the loss of Cristobal Huet. I've said it many times, I do not think Huet is among the best goaltenders in the league. I think he is prone to too many bad streaks, and he gives up too many soft goals to be mentioned alongside Brodeur, Kipprusoff, Luongo and Co. But losing him until the playoffs will no doubt hurt Montreal. I have not seen enough of Jaroslav Halak to pass judgement on him, but I doubt he can save this team. As for Aebischer, well, he's proven time and time again that when the pressure comes up, he usually cools down. I do not think that losing Huet is the proverbial 'final nail in the coffin' for Montreal, but there is no denying that it hurts their chances.

The second impactful factor, in my opinion, is the schedule. The Canadiens still have to face Boston 4times, Toronto and the NY Rangers 3 times, and the Islanders twice. This means that in 12 of their last 20 games, Montreal will be playing teams chasing them for a playoff spot. In other words, if they can get their act together, they control their own destiny. Literally. If they can come up with more wins than losses in these 12 games, then their chances of making the postseason are excellent. Go under .500 against these teams, and they'll likely be watching the playoffs on TV.

The big wild-card, of course, is the trade deadline. When I look at the Canadiens, I do not see the stellar goaltending I saw from Mikko Kipprusoff in 2004 for the Flames or the desperate abandon which the Oiler players played with game in and game out last year. What I see is a seven-or-eight-seeded team that will likely bow out after 1 or 2 rounds of postseason play. I think it would be ludicrous of Bob Gainey to mortgage the bright future of this team to salvage a season that is not destined to amount to anything substantial anyway. Luckily, the rumors we are hearing right now do not include any of the really good prospects. One rumor has Adrien Aucoin coming to Montreal, which i think would be a mistake. Think about it, he still has 2 years left on his over-inflated 4 million/year contract. Bad choice if it happens, but I don't think it will anyway.

Another rumor that popped out of Montreal today had Saku Koivu and Andrei Markov (who will be an unrestricted free agent and will test the market) for Pierre-marc Bouchard and Benoit Pouliot. Another had Marian Gaborik heading the Canadiens'way. I'll tell you, the guys in Montreal really do invent the craziest rumors in the world. That's just nonsense. Clear-cut idiotic. Whoever started that rumor obviously had no way to validate it (probably because he doesn't speak english).

One rumor that did get some traction is Sheldon Souray heading to San Jose. This does make sense, as the Sharks would probably be on Souray's radar as a free agent anyway, as he wants to move to California to be closer to his daughter. The rumor says that should the Sharks be able to come to an agreement with Souray on a new contract, then they would send D Matt Carle to Montreal. Some of you may not know who Matt Carle is, but he is an excellent defenseman. He is also very young. This year, as a second year player, he has amassed 26 points, while being a very respectable +4. He is a big kid who's got a good shot from the point and, at 205 lbs., he's much more physical than Souray. Plus, he's only 22, so he's got all the upside in the world. Last year, he really opened some eyes with his savvy performance in the playoffs. Personally, I don't understand why the Sharks would ever part ways with him, but then again, they are shooting for the Cup, and it'sscary to think what Souray could do on a power play where Joe Thornton is feeding him the puck.

Montreal is also rumored to be in the running for Bill Guerin and Bryan Smolinski, and of the two, I think Smolinski is a possiblity, but Guerin will be going to either Detroit of to the Rangers.

Whatever happens from now until Tuesday, I like the Habs' chances of playing hockey past April 7th. Common sense would say that a team that has gone 9-14-1 in 2007 and 3-7-1 in their last 11 doesn't have much chance of making it. But I believe that somehow, someway, they will get out of their funk and muster enough points to just get in. And I believe they can achieve this with the team they have now. I do. And so, I write it now, the Canadiens will get into the 2007 Postseason Tournament.

Still, if I was Bob Gainey, and I too was looking at losing Sheldon Souray, Andrei Markov and Craig Rivet as unrestricted free agents, I would trade both Rivet and Souray for young players that could help me next year, and I would try to re-sign Markov. I would also make Kovalev and Koivu available on the market. I would basically put my destiny in the hands of the team's youth and start building for next year. This has been too many years in a row of barely making the playoffs (or not making them) and not having a real shot at taking it all the way. Sometimes, the only way to truly go foward is to first take a step back. I believe this is the time to do it. But that's just me.

Check back this weekend for further analysis on the trade rumors around the league as we get near the deadline.

Dwarf out.

CD Reviews

2007-02-19T17:33:00.000-05:00

Hey all...

It's been a really long while, and I'm sorry for not posting more often. Now, let's see... since my last post, the Colts were crowned NFL Champions, Tiger won his first tournament, Chelsea has played alright and are still within a reasonable distance from a 3rd English Premiership title in a row, the Montreal Canadiens have fallen from grace and are now on the outside looking in in regards to the playoffs, and finally, a couple of really good rock records have started the year in a pretty good way.

Check back with me on Thursday for my 'State of the Montreal Canadiens Address'. Tomorrow, Chelsea faces off against Porto in the Champions League, so next week I will discuss Chelsea's chances in both the Premiership and the Champions League in 2007. Also, the 27th at 4pm (next Tuesday) marks the NHL Trade Deadline. I will have a full outlook on the rumors (good and bad) that surround what should be now known as 'Canada Day 2'. But first, let's take a quick look at 2 very, very good music albums that came out in the last couple of weeks.

The Shins - Wincing the night away
With their first 2 releases, 'The Shins' established themselves as one of the best indie-rock outfits with excellent, albeit somewhat unsual, melodies and lyrics. Just as important, if not more, was the inclusion of 2 of their songs, 'New Slang' and 'Caring is Creepy', on the award-winning Soundtrack to the movie 'Garden State'. As was the case with 'Death Cab for Cutie' and 'The Decemberists' latest releases, most indie-rock pundits were a little worried, thinking 'The Shins' might "sellout". But, as is usual with bands of a certain integrity, it is not the case at all here.

Instead of "selling out", the band expands on its sound. Where 'Oh, Inverted World' and 'Chutes Too Narrow' sounded like they were pulled straight out of the sixties, 'Wincing the Night Away' features a wider palette of sounds, some still pulled out of the sixties, others from the eighties and some even sounding somewhat current. This is perhaps due to a lusher production. Indeed, while the band's 2 previous efforts were minimaly produced, a lot more effects are introduced here: the sound is a lot more textured. Also, the songwriting is better and a lot more constant. While there is nothing as good and catchy as 'New Slang' here, 'Sleeping Lessons', 'Phantom Limb' (the first single), 'Turn on Me', 'Black Wave', 'Spilt Needles' and 'A Comet Appears' are all excellent compositions. These 6 cuts constitute the meat of the album, and it makes for a very solid core. 'Black Wave', in particular, is a haunting and beautiful ballad. On 'A Comet Appears', the band sounds as direct and naked as they ever have. That being said, 'Turn on Me' just might be the best track here, with its Echo & The Bunnymen-like guitars and extremely addictive harmonies.

All in all, this is a very solid outing by one of the bands rock music has to offer today. While I have yet to hear them put out a great album, they continuously write great songs. And if this album has a bit of filler, it also features six awesome songs, all listed above. As far as I'm concerned, that's quite good.

Rating: 8/10

Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City
Bloc Party is, in my opinion, one of the best bands to come out of London in the last few years. Their first record, 'Silent Alarm', was an excellent mix of furious beats, crunchy guitars, punk-infused lyrics and The Cure-ish or U2-ish ballads. On 'A Weekend in the City', Bloc Party deliver the logical next step in their musical journey, and it works to near perfection.

After a intro lasting a little more than a minute, 'Song for Clay (Disappear Here)' starts the album off with a bang. The song is fast-paced, giving it an immediacy few bands are capable of getting to. In a way, it reminds us a little bit of 'Banquet' (the lead-off single of 'Silent Alarm'), but the melody is stronger here, as is the lyrical content. 'Hunting for Witches' starts with an interesting collage of voices that set the tone for the song, just before the amazing and very original main riff kicks in. The whole song is centered on this guitar riff, which is worth many, many, many listens. With pounding beats and Kele Okereke's soothing voice supporting the guitars, the song is a pure pleasure.

Then, the band turns the volume down a notch, but they keep the intensity level high. On 'Waiting for the 7.18', Okereke's voice is at its best, and the guitars sound as rich and as Cure-ish as ever, painting a beautiful sonic landscape that is beaten and battered by Matt Tong's ferocious drumming. On 'The Prayer', a song that deals with the coldness and emptiness than exists on club dance floors, Tong introduces a very unusual drumming pattern that fuels the verses, while keyboards and beautiful melodies dominate the chorus. 'I Still Remember' sounds like a cross between U2 (circa 'War') and a 'Kiss me, Kiss me, Kiss me, Kiss me'-era The Cure. The guitars are all U2, but the song is joyous and infected with poppy hooks. It's very simply a very fun song. Then, the London group follows with one of the bst songs I have heard in years. 'Sunday' is again driven by an inventive and original drum pattern, but here Okereke's voice is as soothing and relaxing as ever. Somehow, it floats over beautiful melody delivered by Russell Lissack's gentle guitar. And through this, the song builds towards a huge climax that features multiple guitar and vocal overdubs and, of course, Tong's great drumming. Love songs can sometimes be very cheesy, but when Okereke sings "You see giant proclaimations are all very well/But our love is louder than words", you somehow believe him.

While these 6 songs are the best of the bunch, 'On', 'Kreuzberg' and the album-closing 'SRXT' are all very good. It is a shame that 'Bloc Party' are not better known outside of the UK, but this might be their breakthrough album in the US. Even this early in the year, I know this one will be in my Top Ten 2007 in December. Pick it up. It's well worth it.

Rating: 9/10

See you Thursday!

Dwarf out.

A look ahead to the Conference Championship Games

2007-01-15T17:55:00.000-05:00

Today, we'll take a look at next week's AFC and NFC Championship games. But first, let's take a look back at last week's games.

Indianapolis 15 - Baltimore 6

For some reason, I was pretty confident Indianapolis would win this game. it was the only one I was truly sure of. I thought Peyton Manning and the Colts rushing attack could drive the ball on the Baltimore defense. In the end, I wasn't completely right, nor was I completely wrong. While the Colts failed to score a touchdown, Manning was continuously able to convert on third downs. I thought he played an extremely gritty game, and while his stats weren't very good, he was clutch when he needed to be. And with the game on the line in the 4th quarter, the Colts shoved Dominic Rhodes down the Ravens' throat, and there was nothing Ray Lewis and company could do about it. On another note, Steve McNair should be ashamed: in the playoffs, the time when he needed to be good, the reason why his new team signed him, he failed to generate any offense whatsoever. Worse yet, he followed Manning's 2 interceptions with 2 interceptions of his own, on the very next drive. Very un-clutch, and very unlike a veteran quarterback of his stature.

New England 24 - San Diego 21

I should've seen this one coming. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady just don't lose in the playoffs. But as much as it is a rule to not bet against them, it is an even bigger rule never to bet Marty Schottenheimer's teams in the playoffs. The Chargers multiplied mistakes in this game. Fumbles, dropped balls, stupid penalties: they were out of control. Not only that, Marty's play calling was out of control too: the man who has become known as ultra-conservative seemed more interested in shedding those labels than winning the game. He gave the ball to LT, their MVP as well as the league's, only 23 times, even though Tomlinson was averaging over 5 yards per carry. The Patriots seemed to not know what to do when he had the ball. Yet, Marty put the ball in Rivers' hands, and the youngster couldn't pull out the victory. Furthermore, he called a challenge on a play where there was no doubt the call on the field was the right one. He decided to go for it on 4th-and-11 instead of kicking a 46-yard field goal. In a word, he was awful. On the Pats' side, like Manning, Brady had a shaky game. But when it came down to crunch time, like at the end of the first half and in the 4th quarter, he made plays. I thought Belichick made a great call on the 2-point conversion. The Pats have been there, and in this game, it showed. They let the Chargers beat themselves and made enough plays to prevail.

New Orleans 27 - Philadelphia 24

What a game! That was a great one, surely the best one this weekend. On one side, you had the Saints relying on their workshorse, Deuce McAllister. On the other, Westbrook was hitting big runs, and Garcia was killing the Saints with the deep ball. I thought one of the turning points of the game was Shawn Andrews, the all-pro guard of the Eagles, injuring his neck. His replacement, Scott Young, wound up making a couple of key mistakes. The other turning point? Andy Reid making an atrocious call to punt on 4th down with less than 2 minutes left. Even if the Eagles didn't make it, they would've at worse probably surrendered a field goal and at least gotten the ball back 6 points down. Bad call. Otherwise, I salute the Eagles for a strong effort. Their defense, I thought (and I know Huy will strongly disagree) showed a lot of heart at the end of the game. They tried hard. But they were tired. And McAllister was on fire. But again, great game.

Chicago 27 - Seattle 24

Unlike the other NFC matchup, this one was a sloppy affair. Botched punts, broken coverages, fumbles, interceptions. The Seahawks shot themselves in the foot on more than one occasion. The vaunted Bears defense looked awfully human, surrendering big drives to an offense led by Shaun Alexander and Hasselbeck, neither of whom was at 100%. Rex Grossman threw some beautiful passes, really beautiful. But he also made plays that made you wonder if he belongs in the NFL. In the end, it was one of his beautiful passes, to Rasheed Davis in overtime, that won the game for the Bears. Like the Patriots, the Seahawks watched their opponent hand them the game on a plate. Unlike the Pats, they just couldn't grab a hold of it.

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP: NEW ENGLAND AT INDIANAPOLIS

The rules say Brady beats Manning. The rules say Belichick beats Dungy. The rules say Manning will choke and Brady will pull it off. I migh be making a mistake, but I'm gonna go against the rules. I think the Colts will run the ball down the Patriots' throats. Watch Joseph Addai on the stretch play. Watch Dominic Rhodes pound it inside. The Colts will put 150 yards rushing on that defense. Manning will throw 1 or 2 picks, but he will pick up huge 3rd downs, like he did against the Ravens. And he will hit Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrisson for a big one each. On the other side, the Colts will stack up 8 men in the box, like they've been doing. The Patriots will respond by throwing a lot. They'll put up some points, but it's gonna cost them a couple of turnovers. And when Brady is on the sideline, with 4 minutes left, waiting to get his offense back on the field, he will watch Addai and Rhodes eat up the clock and score the field goal that puts Indy on top by 10 points with just over a minute left. (Indy 30 - NE 20).

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP: NEW ORLEANS AT CHICAGO

First of all, Grossman will probably serve us with another couple of beautiful deep passes. The Eagle showed the Saints' secondary can be exploited. But unlike Garcia, he will throw a couple of picks as well. And in a game where the Saints will march up and down the field on the Bears' defense, that will prove to be the difference. McAllister will pound it. Bush will bounce it outside. Brees will exploit the weak safeties and throw it over the top. The Saints offense is much better than the Seahawks', and that will translate into a flurry of points. (NO 31 - CHI 17).

Make no mistake, whoever wins the AFC Championship game will win the Super Bowl. Now, let's see what my bros think.

See ya!

Dwarf out.

Wild finishes for 2 wild-card games...

2007-01-08T21:18:00.000-05:00

Tonight I'll take a look back at the 4 wild-card games from the past weekend, and then we'll peek ahead to next week's divisional playoff games.

A Look Back

Indianapolis 23 - Kansas City 8: Contrary to what the 3 interceptions might say, I don't think Manning had a bad game. He meticulously dismantled the KC defense, and when he and Marvin Harrison didn't miscommunicate (in which case the ball wound up in Ty Law's hands), the Indy offense put points on the board. Still, if towards the end of the 3rd quarter the Chiefs still weren't completely out of it, it's because Manning threw those interceptions. In the end, it didn't really matter because the KC offense took 41 minutes to get a first down. Thumbs down to Herm Edwards for not doing what he could to win the game: putting Damon Huard in should've been done at the beginning of the 3rd quarter.
Seattle 21 - Dallas 20: How Dallas figured running the ball was the right strategy against a defense that featured a safety and dime back as starting quarterbacks is unbelievable. I would've put Romo in the shotgun and let him air it out against the depleted Seattle secondary. But I hate the Cowboys and the Fat Tuna, so it's all good. Kudos to the Seahawks for hanging in there and showing the character of a championship team. Oh, and as much as I hate the Cowboys and was happy to see them lose, even I felt bad for Tony Romo. That's just sad... poor guy.
New England 37 - NY Jets 16: This game was much closer than the score indicates. The Jets moved the ball well against New England. Pennington had a good game and hung in there for the most part. Towards the end of the game, though, the Jets inexperience showed a bit and that's when the Pats' veterans showed they've been there before. Also, that's when Lawrence Maroney finally got going.
Philadelphia 23 - NY Giants 20: Boy can heart make all the difference. In the 4th quarter, Eli Manning showed heart in the face of the blitz-heavy Eagles defense, and he overcame a 2nd and 30 to throw the tying touchdown. But then, Brian Westbrook showed even more heart, running through the Giants defense despite suffering from severe leg cramps at the time. Great performance by a great player.

A Look Ahead

Indianapolis at Baltimore: Peyton Manning will not throw 3 interceptions again this week. That being said, I don't see the Indy offense putting up too many points either. So the question is this: can Steve McNair and the Baltimore offense (which has been pretty inept this year) put up more points than the Colts. Short answer: no. Indianapolis 24 - Baltimore 16. (Veillotron's pick: Baltimore. Sweet LP's pick: Indianapolis).
Seattle at Chicago: Seattle put up a valiant effort last week. They might get a corner back this week, which would help tons. I believe Chicago will not repeat Dallas' mistake and they will attack the Seattle secondary. The only problem is Rex Grossman is so inaccurate, he will still throw 3 interceptions. Still, the Bears defense will hold. Chicago 20 - Seattle 13. (Veillotron's Pick: Seattle. Sweet LP's pick: Chicago)
New England at San Diego: Tom Brady is the best quarterback in the league right now. Plus, he always saves his best for the big games. But as good as he will be next Sunday, he will not be able to keep up with Tomlinson and his gang of SuperChargers. Rivers will make a couple of big plays, but LT will run for 150 yards while catching 1 TD pass and running in 2 more. San Diego 34 - New England 31. (Veillotron's pick: New England. Sweet LP's pick: New England)
Philadelphia at New Orleans: It's great to see the Saints there. The Eagles will have trouble stopping the Saints' offense. Lito Sheppard is out, and Brees will go up top often and connect a few times. But this is a different Eagles team than the one the Saints faced earlier in the season. They are showing a lot of heart, and with Brian Westbrook taking on a bigger role, they have learned to finish games. This will be a wild one, and it will go down to the wire. Philadelphia 38 - New Orleans 35. (Veillotron's pick: New Orleans. Sweet LP's pick: New Orleans).

I would like to point out, before I go, that I was 4 out of 4 in my predictions last week. The scores were a bit off, but still impressive. Let's see if my brothers beat me this week.

Dwarf out.

The long-awaited return...

2007-01-05T11:24:00.000-05:00

Hey all!

It's great to be back on the blog. Now, things might change a little bit in 2007. After talking to some of my faithful readers, I decided that I will keep the blogs shorter this year, but write more often. So stay on the lookout...

Now, before I get into my predictions for this weekend's NFL Wild Card games, I would like to give a special shoutout toVeillotron, who perhaps had the biggest night in the history of our pool yesterday: his team scored 28 points! Yes, you read that right: the second-to-last team in the pool got 28 points in 1 night. Cujo got a shutout, Ovechkin had 3 points, Marleau had 4, Ryan Smyth also had 4, and he had 6 other players with 2 points. That, my friends, is an amazing night.

Now, onto my NFL Picks:

Kansas City at Indianapolis: The last time these 2 teams met, not a single punt was attempted. This could be the same type of game. 2 things are for sure: Larry Johnson will run wild on the Indy defense and Peyton Manning will torch the very average KC secondary. In the end, it's going to come down to who gets the ball last and who can score the quickest. That's the Colts. Indianapolis 41 - Kansas City 34

Dallas at Seattle: Here are 2 teams that are literally backing into the playoffs. Neither of those teams has any momentum right now. The Seattle secondary is hurting badly, and that will be exposed by Tony Romo. Still, Romo is going to make mistakes. And with the Dallas defense having huge issues these days, 1 or 2 mistakes could make the difference. Seattle 24 - Dallas 17

NY Jets at New England: The Patriots suffered a real blow when they lost S Rodney Harrison for this game and possibly more. The Patriots will try to impose their running game, but the Jets will be ready for it. This game is gonna come down to the play of the QB's. In the end, I don't see either Brady or Pennington playing a great game, but when the game is tight, I have learned that you don't bet against Brady. New England 16 - NY Jets 10

NY Giants at Philadelphia: The Giants finally played a good game last week against Washington, but it was, after all, just the Redskins. Look for D-Coord. Jim Johnson of the Eagles to crowd the line of scrimmage to stop Tiki Barber and try to confuse Eli Manning. That means that there will be single coverage on the outside for most of the game, so the Giants will get a few big plays. But Manning will freeze, he will get sacked, and he will most likely throw 1 or 2 costly Interceptions. Offensively, the Eagles will run the ball well and support Jeff Garcia who will shine. Philadelphia 34 - Dallas 24

See you next week for analysis of the games!

Dwarf out.

The Dwarf's NFL Musings - Week 14 Edition

2006-12-13T09:57:00.000-05:00

Hey...

Before we kick things off, just a little note. Our thoughts, here at The Dwarf's Musings, are with Lamar Hunt, owner of the Kansas City Chiefs, and his family. Hunt is currently battling cancer, and the 74 year-old has been under severe sedation for the past week. Carl Peterson, the Chiefs' president, says everyone is "praying for a miracle". Hunt has been one of the best owners in the NFL for many years, and his loss would be a huge one for the league as well as his friends and families. So, Mr. Hunt, our thoughts are with you.

Now, you had to be in front of your television set on Sunday night, because Drew Brees put on a quarterbacking clinic. As good as his numbers were (26 of 38, 384 yds, 5 TD's, 0 INT), his performance looked even better than that. In his weekly 'Monday Morning Quarterback' feature on cnn.sportsillustrated.com, Peter King wrote this week that he thought Ladainian Tomlinson could score 40 TD's this year, the way Brees is playing, he would still give the MVP to Brees. I agree. What Brees has done is almost single-handedly turn around a franchise that was going nowhere. Sure, they changed the coaching staff, they added Reggie Bush and Marques Colston through the draft and somewhat revamped their defense, but this is Brees' ship. He is the captain and he is the one guiding it. When he signed with New Orleans, Brees instantly made this team and this offense better, and he gave them instant respectability. Sure, no one could foresee what was to come (although one of our faithful readers, Veillotron, did predict a very good year for the Saints), but we all knew the Saints were finally on the right track. In any case, wth the receiving corps that he has, and his unchallenged command of the offense, on top of his amazing statistics ( 318 of 479 for 4033 yds(1st in the league), 25 TD's (1st in the league), and only 10 INT's for a rating of 101.2 (1st in the league)), Drew Brees is my MVP through 14 weeks.

Last week, we mentioned how close Ladainian Tomlinson was to breaking Shaun Alexander's one year old record for touchdowns in a season, standing at 26 through 12 games. Well, little did we know, he would go on to not only tie but break the record in his thirteenth game, with a 3-TD performance against the falling Broncos. With 3 games to go, Tomlinson has now totaled 29 TDs this season, which is ridiculous. If he scores only 1 TD/game for the next 3 games, which would be well below his current average, he will finish with 32 TDs, or 2 TDs/game. Consider this: 3 years ago, the record for TDs in a season was 24 (Emmitt Smith), while the record for TD passes in a year was 48 (Dan Marino), so twice as many. This year, Tomlinson has 4 TDs more than Drew Brees the NFL leader, has TD passes. Again, Tomlinson's numbers are just crazy. Congratulations to him and his offensive line!

Random Thoughts from around the league:

While Brees and Tomlinson are fighting for the league's offensive MVP, Jason Taylor is making huge strides in catching up to Julius Peppers and Champ Bailey as the defensive MVP. It now looks like Urlacher and Taylor will probably fight it out to the least game. Bailey is still playing great football as the only true shutdown corner in the league, but the Broncos 'D' has fallen off, and so has Bailey's status as MVP candidate. Peppers' play has fallen off. What it will come down to, though, is whether voters are willing to nominate a guy playing on a team that didn't make the playoffs. If they are unwilling to do so, Urlacher will get the title. But make no mistake, the most dominating defensive player in the league, right now, is Jason Taylor. On Sunday, against the 9-3 Patriots, he lined up wherever he wanted, and he wreaked havoc all afternoon. The Belichick-led Pats had their whole scheme designed around Taylor, how to keep him away from the ball, but he helped the Dolphins shutout one of the league's best teams. Truly a great performance by #99.
I don't know if you saw Michael Irvin's interview of Terrell Owens this week, but Owens is an idiot. I mean, we all knew he was selfish and had no idea what a team was. But he is really dumb. As in "not the brightest bulb in the tree". That being said, what was really disgusting was how Irvin defended Owens in the following segment. When he first came onboard the ESPN NFL Countdown team, Irvin brought something different to the table, an exuberance that had been perhaps lacking. But now, things are just getting a little out of hand. He needs to go. I hope ESPN does not bring him back next year.
Jeff Garcia sure looks like the same guy who was leading the 49ers to the playoffs a few years back, doesn't he? The guy is running around, keeping plays alive, throwing short, throwing deep. You know what stands out: in 3 1/2 games, he hasn't thrown an interception. I really like the Eagles' chances of making the playoffs, and I'll tell you why: Jeff Garcia is a winner. The guy won in the CFL and he has won in the NFL. No matter how bad the defense gets, watch Garcia claw, scratch his team to victories. I believe it will continue this weekend with a win in New York. And next week, Philly will battle Dallas for the division crown. Those next 2 games will be dandies.
Vince Young has really impressed me recently. Now, let's give credit where credit is due, and Travis Henry deserves a large part of it, just like Jerome Bettis, Deuce Staley and Willie Parker deserved a lot of credit for making Ben Roethlisberger look so good. But Young has one thing very few QBs have: the undying will to win. The guy just chooses the best moment to make his best play. His overtime run in Sunday's game was a good one, but Mike Vick has probably had around 50 better runs in his career. The thing is, how many of those were in overtime? I think Young will never develop into a great 'statistics' quarterback, but right now, he reminds me of John Elway.
Huge weekend coming up in the NFC: the (8-5) Cowboys will play the (7-6) Falcons, and the (7-6) Eagles travel to NY to play the (7-6) Giants. With the Eagles and Giants both having better records in their division than the Cowboys, a Dallas loss would mean that the winner of the Philly-NY game would be wind up first in the NFC East. A Falcons' loss would seriously hamper their chances of getting in, with their last 2 games coming against the Panthers and Eagles, two teams fighting for a wild card shot as well. The other game I will be watching in the NFC: Detroit at Green Bay. Brett Favre needs 7 TD passes to tie Marino's career record. With the last 2 games coming against Minnesota and Chicago, Favre is going to need 3 this week if he wants to make it happen this year.
In the AFC, Cincinnati (8-5) at Indy(10-3) will be a dandy on Monday night. The Bengals can really put themselves in a great position in the wild card race with a win. On the other hand, Indy does not want to lose, because that might mean losing their bye week to start the playoffs. Denver (7-6) at Arizona (4-9) could be a good game. The Cardinals have really played well the last 2 weeks, and this game will feature, if nothing else, Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler, two guys from the class of '06. Denver absolutely needs this game to stay alive in the playoff hunt. Finally, check out the Bills vs. Dolphins game. Ok, both teams are only 6-7, and this game has no playoff implication. But Buffalo and Miami have been a combined 9-3 in the last 6 weeks, and both teams are fighting hard and playing well. It could be an excellent game in cold Buffalo.

I will be back on Friday for my NHL Thoughts of the week!

Dwarf out.

NFL and NHL thoughts; 10 best CD's of 2006

2006-12-05T22:17:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm sick. I went to Montreal for the weekend and got sick. Maybe I should stay in Florida a little bit more...

That being said, this will be my only blog of the week. I've got a big week in front of me, and being sick means going to bed early, so not a lot of time to blog around.

So, without further ado, let's get to my NFL and NHL thoughts...

Random thoughts from around the NFL:

Veillotron pointed to this in a comment recently: Ladainian Tomlinson is on the verge of shattering Shaun Alexander's single season touchdown record. Alexander's record is 28 and LT is up to 26 now, with 4 games to go. Last week, he became the fastest player in the history of the NFL to reach 100 td's for his career. But what's amazing about LT is what a pleasure it is to watch him play the game. Just like Thurman Thomas, LT is much more than just a runner: he is the best receiver out of the backfield in the NFL today, and like the future Bills hall of famer, he is a tremedous blocker on blitz pickups. When he runs, he reminds you of Barry Sanders more than any other RB we've seen since #20 retired. He jukes, he stops and starts in a flash, he makes people miss... he is a running highlight reel. And on top of it, he is as consistent and durable as any back since Emmitt Smith. And that is why he will break the all-time rushing record when all is said and done. Still, with all he has done this year, he isn't my MVP.
No, that would be Drew Brees. The Saints are now looking at a minimum of one home game in the playoffs. While they are the feel-good story of the year, the Saints are also much more than that: in a very weak NFC, they are a possible Super Bowl contender. The Cowboys are on a roll, but Tony Romo still has a lot to prove, especially once he gets in the postseason. The Seahawks are going to be part of the mix, but you have to wonder just how good they are after getting most of their wins against a very, very weak division (think the Detroit Red Wings last year). And then you have the Bears, who have a QB who seems intent on throwing around 2-3 picks/game. Make no mistake folks, the Saints could do some damage in the playoffs.
Speaking of the weak NFC, the playoff picture looks like this: Chicago (10-2) are Champions of the NFC North and have the inside track at home field advantage. Then, the Cowboys, Saints and Seahawks, all 8-4, all have at least 2 games lead in their own division and will probably wrap those up very soon. Then, 7 teams are battling for the 2 wild card spots: the Eagles, Giants, Panthers and Falcons are all 6-6, and the Vikings, Rams and 49ers are standing at 5-7. At this point, it's not out of the question that an 8-8 team could make the playoffs. The Giants and Rams are slumping badly, and their prospects don't look too good right now. The Falcons are the most inconsistent of the bunch, and I don't see them making it either. That leaves the 49ers, Eagles, Panthers and Vikings. The Vikings are also in a slump, and I don't think the 49ers will be able to make it. That leaves the Eagles and Panthers joining New Orleans, Dallas, Chicago and Seattle in the Playoffs.
In the AFC, while the playoff race involves much better teams, it seems like the same story. The South looks like it belongs to the Colts (10-2), and the West is the Chargers' (10-2) to lose. New England and Baltimore hold 2 games leads in the East and North divisions, respectively. The Wild Card race will go down between the Jets, Jaguars, Bengals, Broncos and Chiefs. The Broncos and Jaguars have a pretty tough schedule down the stretch, and they meet in the final game of the season. I don't think either of these teams will make it. The Jets, on the other hand, have a pretty light schedule and I think they will get in. It leaves the Bengals and Chiefs, so I would give the upper hand to the Bengals. The biggest game will be on Dec. 17, when the Broncos and Bengals meet. That could decide the last playoff spot.

Random thoughts from around the NHL:

As we move toards Christmas, trade talks are heating up. Of course, the woldest rumors seem to be coming out of Montreal, where the hockey community there seems to have no connection whatsoever to the rest of the league. Last week, Ron Fournier came up with the rumour that Sheldon Souray and Sergei Samsonov would go to Detroit and in return the Canadiens would get Chris Chelios and Pavel Datsyuk. There is as much truth to this rumour as there was to the one that would bring Lecavalier for David Aebischer and a first-rounder. Yesterday, Michel Villeneuve reported on 110% that Souray would be heading to Vancouver for Markus Naslund. Even if that rumour makes a bit more sense than the previous ones, Montreal needs a center and Naslund does not fill that need. If indeed Souray is dealt by the Canadiens, it will be for a top center. My guess is Gainey will stand pat until the trade deadline, and then he will try to get a "rental" centerman at a reduced price. I think Souray will quarterback the Montreal power play all the way to the playoffs, and he will sign elsewhere after the season.
Ken Hitchcock has really turned the Blue Jackets around. Unfortunately for them, it will be too little too late in a strong western conference.
Don Cherry is the most entertaining hockey personality around, but he needs to stop talking about fighting on every saturday night. It's getting a bit old.
After an awful start, Cujo and the Coyotes seem to have settled down. They are now sitting at 5 games under .500. While the playoffs are definitely out of reach, they could climb back towards respectability. Getting young stud defenseman Keith Ballard will help a lot. That being said, look for the underachieving Ladislav Nagy to be dealt before the trade deadline passes.
The Senators have clawed their way back into the playoff pictures. With Ray Emery plying very well and Martin Gerber looking like he is on his way back, things are looking up for Ottawa.
Things are still pretty tight in the hockey pool. There is still more than half the season to go, and only 60 points separate first place Sweet LP from last place me, of course. While Veillotron and I are further behind, it seems like The Dick and Huy could jump to second place with only 1 huge night. Remember, at this point last year, The Dick was in first place, yet he finished at the bottom of the rankings. My Good Pick of the Week? I am giving it to Veillotron for his pick of Vesa Toskala, the last goalie he chose. Toskala has a very, very good 33 points, and in only 15 appearances! As the season progresses, he will probably get more and more of a workload in preparation for the playoffs. Right now, this pick looks as good as Mat's pick of Khari Lethonen, a previous GPOTW. My bad pick of the week? I will give it to Huy for his pick of Janne Niinima, who currently sits dead last in the pool standings with 1 tiny point. Consider this: the second worst player in the pool (Mark Bell), has 7 points. That is indeed a truly terrible pick.

I know I haven't written about music in a while, but here are my ten best (my ten favorite) releases of the year:

10. Brand New - The Devil and God are raging inside me: These emo-punkrockers come up with an album full of great riffs and hooks and filled with good lyrics. They leave the screamo tendencies to their contemporaries and focus on strong melodies instead. Great work.

9. Loreena McKennitt - An ancient muse: The celtic/eastern influenced new wave artist comes back on the music scene with an album that is sometimes uneven, but still features some of her best melodies ever. Nice to hear her work again.

8. Regina Spektor - Begin to hope: The Tori Amos sound-alike ditches her piano and voice format to incorporate more instruments. Driven by the presence of musicians from The Strokes, the record is refreshing and features some of the sweetest hooks of the year. 'Better' and 'Fidelity' are real standouts.

7. Snow Patrol - Eyes open: The album that brought you single-of-the-year candidate 'Chasing Cars'. Better yet, it's not even one of the best tracks here. The duet with Martha Wainwright is a gem. Very strong follow-up to the smash hit 'Final Straw'.

6. Ani DiFranco - Reprieve: The Buffalo singer-songwriter offers up her most consistent album yet. She isn't as angry anymore, and the melodies strongly benefit from that. Furthermore, she incorporates Jazz influences in her music, which is most welcomed.

5. Damien Rice - 9: Rice's second album is not as good as his first, but it still beats most of what's out there today. This time around, Rice puts some real rock songs in, and the result is mostly very good. We might be a bit disappointed by this release, and it is a bit of a sophomore slump, but it is a great record nonetheless.

4. Jeff Martin - Exile and the Kingdom: This is pretty far off The Tea Party's best work, but songs like 'The world is calling', 'Lament', 'Daystar' and 'The Kingdom' alone make this one of the year's best records. We can only hope the best is yet to come for The Tea Party's former frontman's solo career, but this was a good start.

3. Muse - Black holes and revelations: Muse build on the best of their previous albums for this record. Their melodies are as strong as ever, and they blend electronics, hard rock and acoustic ballads seemlessly here. Very, very strong effort that is constent from the first minute to the last.

2. Joshua Radin - We were here: On his debut album, this indie-folk musician offers up a beautiful, quiet and all-around very enjoyable record. The melodies are carefully crafted and they lyrics are beautiful and stay with you. Radin got his break this year on Zach Braff's "The Last Kiss" soundtrack, and his career skyrocketed on Itunes. He finally got signed and his record is now available in stores. A great story, and a better album.

1. Placebo - Meds: Their best work since 'Without you I'm nothing', which gave us the hits 'Pure morning' and 'Every you every me'. This record is excellent from start to finish, with not one disapointing song. The slower numbers are mesmerizing ('Pierrot the clown', 'Follow the cops back home') and the rockers truly hook you ('Post blue', 'Meds', 'Drag', 'Because I want you'). But the real standout, and one of my favorite songs of the year, is 'Space Monkey', a song Trent Reznor will spend his whole life wishing he had written. 'Meds' is an excellent record, and my favorite release of the year.

Honorable mentions: Neko Case - Fox confessor brings the flood; Badly Drawn Boy - Born in the U.K.; AFI - Decemberundground.

See you in the comments section!

Dwarf out

Tuesday NFL Musings - Week 12 Edition

2006-11-28T14:36:00.000-05:00

Hey all!

After a long layoff, The Dwarf's Tuesday NFL Musings are back! And boy is there a lot to talk about... But before we get to my random thoughts, let's take a closer look at some of our readers' favorite teams, the Bills (Veillotron), the Broncos (Sweet LP), the Dolphins (me), the Eagles (Huy) and the Patriots (The Dick), and see how they have been doing recently.

Buffalo Bills (5-6): The Bills are currently sitting in last place in the suddenly much stronger AFC East, tied with Miami. Still, after a horrible 2-5 start in which they got outscored 153 to 100, the Bills have won 3 out of their last 4, with their only loss coming to the hands of the Indianapolis Colts. Even more impressive, the Colts only won by 1 point, 17-16. In the last 2 games, J.P. Losman has finally showed signs of coming into his own, directing his offense to game-winning drives in the dying seconds of both games. Their defense is playing well and they have the best special teams in the league, so things are definitely looking up for them. But with games against San Diego and Baltimore left, running the tables and having a shot at the playoffs is out of the question. That being said, a 7-9 or 8-8 record, major improvements over last year, are definite possibilities.

Denver Broncos (7-4): Just 2 weeks ago, the Broncos were 7-2 and on top of the world. They had the best defense in the league and seemed destined to win their division. Then, they fell, first to the Chargers and then to Kansas City, both very important division games. When they met the Chargers, both teams were 7-2 and fighting for the division lead. The Broncos lost. Then, at 7-3, they met the 6-4 Chiefs, looking to stay ahead of them in the wild-card race. They lost again. Jake Plummer has been benched and now Jay Cutler, the rookie with the big arm, will start against the Seahawks on Sunday Night Football. If he can revive the offense, Denver will be fine. Otherwise, with the Bengals, the Jets, the Jaguars and the Chiefs all in the playoff race, getting in to the post-season will be tough.

Miami Dolphins (5-6): The Dolphins are sitting 3rd in their division. The playoffs are not in the team's future, but this is a franchise that is going up in a big way right now. Joey Harrington is not exactly playing like a man possessed, but he has been providing the Dolphins with steady and reliable play at the Quarterback position. On the other side of the ball, Jason Taylor has got to be the defensive MVP for the month of November. In 4 games, all Miami wins, he made 2 sacks (9 for the season) and had 2 interceptions, which he returned for touchdowns. He has also been constantly batting down passes at the line of scrimmage. Plus, he has an amazing 7 forced fumbles this year. The defense as a whole has been playing very well, but it is the mergence of the offense that has made the biggest difference.

Philadelphia Eagles (5-6): The Eagles are going the opposite way of the Dolphins, whichwould be down. After a promising 4-1 start that saw the offense hit on all cylinders and Donovan McNabb get mentioned as MVP candidate, Philly has dropped 5 of their last 6. Still, this should not be so surprising, even though I, for one, did not see it coming. When you look at their first 5 games, the Eagles allowed 24 or more points 3 times. But, in each of those games, they scored 30 points or more. So, when their offense started to struggle to get over the 30 point mark (which, in recent years, no offense aside from Indy has been able to consistently do), they started losing games. Simply, their defense has been pretty bad all year long. They haven't been able to stop the run at all, and lately they have been dropping interceptions as well. With McNabb gone, Philly's playoff hopes have taken a big hit, but in a weak NFC, anything is possible. On the bright side, Jeff Garcia has played really well since replacing McNabb.

New England Patriots (8-3): The Patriots are having another very good season. Still, this year's team seems to strangely resemble last year's team: a very good team that is missing a little something. Their defense, while adquate, is still very thin, and just got thinner with the loss of Junior Seau at linebacker, who was second on the team with 69 tackles. Tom Brady might be the best QB in the league, but his receiving corps is mediocre at best. What helps their offense tremendously is the play of rookie RB Laurence Mahoney. When they get to the playoffs, that strong running game will come in handy. That being said, the road to the Super Bowl will go through Indy again this year, and the Patriots haven't beaten Peyton Manning in 2 years.

Random Thoughts from around the league:

Good to see the New Orleans Saints still on top of their division at 7-4. Drew Brees is my pick for MVP this year. He has turned this franchise around and he is making 6th and 7th picks at wide receiver look like Jerry Rice. Consider these statistics: 275 of 413 (66.6%), 3463 yards, 19 TDs and 10 INTs. If you project that on 16 games, it makes 400 of 601 for 5037 yards, 28 TDs and 15 INTs. Wow! Only Dan Marino has broken the 5,000 yard mark in a single season. Sure, Philip Rivers looks really good in San Diego, but Drew Brees is playing like the best QB in the league right now.
This past weekend, Brees, the classic drop back quarterback, faced off against Mike Vick, the most "lethal" weapon in the league. Listen, I will never argue that Vick is not a very dangerous runner. That being said, he is an awful, as in really very bad, quarterback. Statistics of 9 of 23 fro 84 yards should never be accepted from any passer in this league. The fact is, even with very limited pressure because of the best rushing attack in the league, Vick is still unable to see the field well. He is now in his sixth year in the league and he still can't read coverages. To top that off, his accuracy is mediocre at best, as he regularly overthrows or underthrows his receivers. The real loser in all this: Falcons back-up QB Matt Schaub. Schaub is a very promising young QB. Numerous teams inquired about trade possibilities this summer and all were turned away because of Vick's injury history. If I was coaching the Falcons, I would take a cue from Bill Parcells and Mike Shanahan and I would put Schaub in there pronto.
Speaking of Parcells and the Cowboys, I have been a longtime supporter of Drew Bledsoe, but it seems like yanking him in favor of Tony Romo might've saved the Cowboys' season. It is hard to accept that any guy with a name like Tony Romo can have this much success, but the kid is really looking good.
The Giants are in a big mess right now and almost sound like the 2005 Eagles with all the in-fighting that's going on.
Could the real Jacksonville Jaguars please stand up?
Looks like Byron Leftwich could become a Raider next year. That would be good news for both player and team, but that offensive line needs help.
In the Sunday game between the Jets and Texans, both teams rushed for 52 yards combined, but still managed to put 37 combined points on the board.

See at you the end of the week!

Dwarf out

The Blog lives on...

2006-11-16T13:09:00.000-05:00

Finally, after 2 weeks of absence and rumors of the apparent death of the Blog, The Dwarf's Musings are back. A lot has happened in the world of sports in the last 2 weeks, but discussing it all would be too long. We'll keep the football talk for next week as part of my NFL Musings, which will appear a day early on Monday. Also next week, I will post a couple of CD reviews, something I haven't done in a long while. But for now, here are my Thursday NHL Thoughts for this week...

THURSDAY NHL THOUGHTS - 11/16/06 EDITION

There is an excellent article on espn.com by Toronto journalist Damien Cox on the current uproar against the setup of the schedule. You can read it on the NHL page of Espn.go.com. Check it out, it's worth it.

In the article, Cox discusses how the lack of current controversy in the league is opening the door to pity little debates like the one on the schedule. Reading that, I thought it would be a great idea for me to share with you my thoughts on the current state of the league.

Let's start with the on-ice product. Like any good hockey fan, I love it. The game flows a lot more, there is less clutch-and-grab and the excitement is just that much more palpable. I mean, 2 nights ago, the Devils lost a 2-0 lead in 1 min 30 sec. in the 3rd period of their game against the Rangers. A couple of years back, that was inimaginable. You have to love that. Still, the effect on the game of some rules are still being debated. Patrick Roy was quoted as saying that the rule preventing the goaltenders from playing the puck outside the trapezoid behind their net was facilitating the dump-and-chase tactic, thus perhaps motivating players not to try to enter the zone carrying the puck and making it easier on less talented players.

Roy might have a point. Then again, one of the reasons the trap worked so well for teams like New Jersey and Minnesota was that their goalies were so good at handling the puck. They could sit at their blue line and wait for the opposition because they knew that if the fowards dumped it in, Brodeur or Fernandez would have no problem getting there and handling the puck. Goalies can still stop the puck behind the net, but they don't have the same freedom they once did, so defensemen now have to back up a bit more and maybe the blue line to the opposition. So, in fact, it is now much easier to carry the puck in. Likewise, if the player chooses to dump it in, the defenseman has to go get it, and when he does, he knows he's gonna get hit hard. Defensemen getting pummeled into the glass by hard-charging fowards? You have to love that. The Dwarf's verdict: good rule.

Some believe that removing the red line for 2-zone passes has actually led to a greater number of lazy players not coming back and waiting at the opposition's blue line. I can imagine that for a coach, this is a nightmare. I can also imagine that for a defenseman, having a foward behind you is the worst feeling ever. But as fans, are we just always waiting for that long, Hail-Mary pass sending a guy in alone on the goalie? Plus, if the player is too lazy and doesn't come back, then you can have a 5-4 or 4-3 situation in the opposition's zone, which is good. And finally, if that long lead pass is intercepted, then you can have a turnover which leads to a scoring chance. The Dwarf's verdict: good rule.

Some will argue against the tag-up offside rule (where no offisde is called if a player exits the offensive after a puck was shot in) and the delay of game penalty for shooting the puck over the glass in the defensive zone, but I think that when you look at the overall spectacle the game offers now, it all amounts to nothing more than petty bickering.

Are there things that could be better? Sure. Diving is becoming a real problem now and the league needs to start taking the necessary measures to stop it. Also, some players have developed the habit of turning towards the boards before being checked, effectively attracting a boarding call. You will never change the fact that some players will use the rules to their advantage, but the league could do more to prevent these types of actions. But overall, the game is as good as it has been in years; and we, the fans, are the main beneficiaries of that. And, as Carlito would say: "That's cool".

Random thoughts fom around the league

The Canadiens are looking really good right now. In the absence of Chris Higgins, Guillaume Latendresse has been elevated to the first line and he's responded well. Still, I don't really understand the whole frenzy around this kid. He's gonna be good someday, but he's no Malkin. And if the fans in Montreal don't let up with all the talk, in 3 years from now, when he scores 25-30 goals/year, they'll burn him at the stakes for not being a 50 goal scorer. So it needs to stop. On another note, it's good to see Huet has regained some of his previous form and that Souray has learned the art of the slap shot again.
The Detroit Red Wings have as much character, if not more, than any other team in the league. Just when everybody was writing them off, they alter their game plan and suddnly no one seem to be able to beat them. Hasek is playing great again and Zetterberg is starting to fill the net. The question remains, though, as to whether they can avoid folding in the playoffs again.
While the Rangers, like the Red Wings, have gotten into a groove, Pittsburgh is quickly falling from grace. As of my last post, they were 7-3-0. Today, they stand at 8-6-2, having gone 1-3-2 in their last 6 games. The kids are scoring, but it seems getting outshot badly in every game has finally caught up to them. I still feel they will battle for a playoff spot, but they are just a pretender for now, not a contender.
Is there a more surprising team than Washington right now (8-5-5). It seems no one on that team except Ovechkin can score in the shootout, as evidenced by their 0-4 shootout record, but they have bought into a team concept, even though the team could be called the Washington Ovechkins. Still, they are letting their star player carrying the offense, and the rest of the team concentrates of playing good defense, being physical, and protecting their goalie. If they make the playoffs, it will be quite an achievement. Consider this: a team with far more talent, featuring the likes of Sergei Fedorov, David Vyborny, Rick Nash, Anson Carter and Adam Foote, the Columbus Blue Jackets just fired their coach.
Will someone please kill all the rumors of Martin St.Louis and Vinny Lecavalier going to Montreal, or anywhere else for that matter? It's not going to happen.
With Christmas approaching, big contracts are starting to be more easy to fit under the cap. Look for some more or less big trades to happen within the next month. Forsberg probably won't be a Flyer by the time the trade deadline arrives. Also look for the Oilers to add a #2 or #3 defenseman to quarterback the power play. Names going around are Brad Stuart (possible), Dan Boyle (not going to happen), Paul Mara of the Bruins (possible), Chris Phillips in Ottawa (not happening) and Lubomir Visnovsky of the Kings. If anything does happen, I think Visnovsky is the likeliest candidate.
Look for Glen Murray to be moved out of Boston. It won't happen soon, but towards the trade deadline, he will be very good bait. He is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

Well, I have fallen even deeper in the standings of the pool. Very simply, my players stink right now. Between Martin Gerber in nets, Wade Redden and Marc-Andre Bergeron on defense and Doug Weight, Patrick Elias and Joffrey Lupul on offense, my team boasts an all-star lineup of busts. I thus proclaim this group the all-star bad pick team of the week. By contrast, our pool leader, Sweet LP, can put an all-star cast of Great picks of the week on the ice by sending out Slava Kozlov at center flanked by Marian Hossa and Jaromir Jagr, with Bryan McCabe and Zdeno Chara on defense and Martin Brodeur in net. Pretty good... Pretty good... No wonder he's 61 points ahead of me. Meanwhile, The Dick, Huy and Veillotron are fighting to stay alive, and they're still in the game. Huy is still a contender despite losing Marian Gaborik and Todd Bertuzzi for extended periods of time. And while Evgeni Malkin has turned out to be a pretty good pick (although a high one), I have to tease him a bit for picking Jordan Staal, who came a hair away from playing 10 games and the rest of the season in Junior. And finally, a little tip of the hat to Veillotron for picking the coolest player in the league, Ovechkin. Coolness goes a long way when you're doomed to lose.

See you Monday!

Dwarf out

Thursday NHL Thoughts - 11/02/06 Edition

2006-11-02T11:15:00.000-05:00

Hey all!

Before I get on with my thoughts on the NHL, I would like to make a shout-out to Chelsea FC, for a great, come-from-behind tie against Barca in their Champions League match on Tuesday. Frank Lampard scored the goal of the year to tie it at one in the second half, but Chelsea needed a last minute goal by Didier Drogba (who is having a career year) to walk out of Barcelona with the tie. Right now, there is a huge probability that Chelsea will make it to the final 16 and Barca won't. And that would be too sweeeeeeeeet!

Now, onto my NHL thoughts of the week. As I was surfing the sports sites (www.espn.com, www.cnn.sportsillustrated.com, www.thehockeynews.com) I focused on those weekly "power rankings" that they all have. So, I thought I would give you my own Power Rankings, for the top 10 teams in the league, anyway. As you'll see, the balance of power lies in the West..

Buffalo Sabres (10-0-1): We are now in November and the Sabres still haven't lost in regulation. That's pretty amazing. What is even more amazing is how they are filling up the opposition's net: Buffalo has scored a whopping 53 goals this year, for a juicy average of 4.81 goals/game. Meanwhile, Ryan Miller is establishing himself as one of the best goalies in the league, and Martin Biron is more than solid as a backup. Stars so far: Maxim Afinogenov, Chris Drury, Ryan Miller, Jaroslav Spacek.
Dallas Stars (10-2-0): Right now, everything is going well for the Stars. Mike Modano is playing like he's 24, Eric Lindros is dominating again, Brendan Morrow is playing great and Marty Turco is just solid in net. Even Mike Ribeiro is looking pretty good. You do have to fear a little bit for Dallas, because names like Lindros and Modano don't go hand in hand with words like durability. Still, for now, this is without a doubt the best team in the West. Stars so far: Mike Modano, Marty Turco, Eric Lindros, Philippe Boucher, Brendan Morrow.
Minnesota Wild (9-2-0): For the first few games of the year, Pavol Demitra and Marian Gaborik just lit up opposing teams. But then, Gaborik got hurt. Still, while Minnesota has been pretty much a 1-man team on offense with Brian Rolston carrying the load, they have really cut down on opposing teams' chances. The result is a league-low 1.9 goals allowed per game. As long as Manny Fernandez keeps playing like this, the Wild will be hard to beat. Stars so far: Manny Fernandez, Brian Rolston, Petteri Nummelin, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Pavol Demitra.
Anaheim Ducks (9-0-4): Many feel like the Ducks should be higher than this. They haven't lost in regulation yet, some will say. That's true, but the Ducks have also lost 4 times in overtime and the shootout. The Ducks are only 5-4 in games decided by 2 goals or less. In comparison, the Wild are 7-1. So, if I'm the Ducks coach, I do worry that my team is not doing too well in close games. Still, this team is a powerhouse and might have the best talent in the West. Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermeyer are as dominating as they were expected to be, although Pronger has room to get better. Stars so far: Scott Niedermeyer, J-S Giguere, Chris Pronger, Corey Perry, Andy McDonald.
San Jose Sharks (9-4-0): Of the top 5 teams in my rankings, the Sharks have probably had the toughest schedule so far. They have responded by coming out of the gates on fire, going 6-1-0 in their first 7 games. Vesa Toskala has played really well, and the starting job seems to be his. On offense, Jonathan Cheechoo has not filled up the net as expected and Joe Thornton has only 2 goals, but that line is still playing really well. Patrick Marleau is also having a great year. Rookie Matt Carle, like Dion Phaneuf last year, is going to make a run at the Calder this year. He is playing as well as almost any defenseman in the league. Stars so far: Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Vesa Toskala, Matt Carle, Milan Michalek.
Atlanta Trashers (8-3-3): What a difference a goaltender makes. Last year, the Trashers couldn't buy a win at this time of the year. Of course, their star goalie, Kari Lethonen, was out. This year, with him in net, they stand as the second best team in the East. Lethonen is getting the headlines right now, but the Trashers are also winning with offense: Ilya Kovalchuk, Marian Hossa and Slava Kozlov have a combined 49 points in 14 games. Meanwhile, the Trashers have scored 49 goals as a team, good for 3.5 per game. Getting Vitali Vishnevski was a good move, as he has really solidified a defense that needed it. Stars so far: Kari Lethonen, Marian Hossa, Ilya Kovalchuk, Scott Mellanby, Slava Kozlov.
Nashville Predators (8-3-1): The Predators are really starting to look like last year's team again. After a slow start, Tomas Vokoun is showing why he is considered one of the best goalies in the league. The defense, lead by Kimmo Timonen, Marek Zidlicki and Shea Webber, has been solid in front of Vokoun. The offense has been good, but not spectacular. Paul Karyia leads the team in points, but Steve Sullivan is playing better. Martin Erat, J.P. Dumont, Jason Arnott and David Legwand are all having solid years too. Stars so far: Tomas Vokoun, Steve Sullivan, Kimmo Timonen, Paul Karyia, Jason Arnott.
Pittsburgh Penguins (7-3-0): After a disastrous 2005-06 season in which the only bright spot was Sidney Crosby, the Penguins are enjoying a revival of sorts this year. Marc-Andre Fleury has been excellent in net, finally living up to his potential. Evgeni Malkin has been even better than expected, scoring 7 goals in 6 games so far. Ryan Whitney is quickly becoming one of the better d-men in the league. Jordan Staal has made the team after scoring 3 shorthanded goals already. But make no mistake: this is Crosby's team. And boy does he look the part of the leader. Stars so far: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury, Ryan Whitney, Sergei Gonchar.
Montreal Canadiens (6-2-3): The biggest defeat the Canadiens have suffered has been a 4-12 loss to the no. 1-ranked Sabres. Otherwise, almost all of the other games have been pretty close, and the Canadiens have fared well. They need to learn how to win shootouts, though. It looks like David Aebischer will be the de-facto starter for the team, as he is playing great and Cristobal Huet, well, he isn't. One area on concern for the team is the defense. Here is a list of the +/- of the top 6 defesemen: -2, +2, E, -4, -2, +4. That needs to be better. Stars so far: Chris Higgins, Saku Koivu, David Aebischer, Andrei Markov, Sheldon Souray.
Detroit Red wings (7-4-1): Betrayed by a lack of offense, Detroit started the year 3-4-1. Since then, though, they have tightened up defensively, and they have gone 4-0-0 in the last 4 games. The Red Wings have been playing more of a defensive style lately, trying to capitalize on the opposition's mistakes instead of trying to create scoring chances, and it has worked well. They have also been getting pretty goog goaltending from Hasek and Osgood. Stars so far: Nicklas Lidstrom, Mathieu Schneider, Dominik Hasek, Pavel Datsyuk, Danny Markov.

Random Thoughts from around the NHL:

Have you seen Dave Nonis' comments? For those who don't know, Nonis is the Vancouver Canucks' GM. He came out this week and said the free agency was a joke, as was salary arbitration. His reasoning? It is now harder to keep your team together and build a dynasty. Well, Nonis is an idiot. That's the idea of a salary cap and younger free agency. Give an opportunity to the losers to catch up more quickly to the winners. Was he hibernating during the lockout or something? Again, idiot.
Could we please stop creating rumors about Vinny Lecavalier or Martin St. Louis coming to Montreal? I mean, Lecavalier is not moving. As for St. Louis, it is possible that Tampa will decide to move him, but do you all really want another overpriced french-canadian in Montreal? Remember what happened to the last one, a certain Mr. Theodore.
Word is going around that Edmonton is looking for a defenseman to be their power-play quarterback. Brad Stuart could be available in Boston, they say. Me, I don't think Kevin Lowe will make any move until after Christmas.

Well, after a short stint in 5th and 4th places in the Pool this week, I am back in the basement. It's very close though, and all positions from 3rd to 6th are subject to be interchanged every night. It's a lot of fun...

This week, my best pick is a combo. I look at Sweet LP's first 2 picks, and I see Jaromir Jagr at 20 points and Marian Hossa at 18 points, for a total of 38. How much are we, the others, getting out of our first 2 picks? Huy and myself are at 32, Veillotron is at 24, Nick the Dick is at 22 and Mat, which is unbelievable since he is sitting comfortably in 1st place, is at a lowly 20. Kudos to you, Sweet LP, for being the only one of us to hit it big with your first 2 picks.

My worst pick, this week, is a tie between 2 goaltenders. After getting Tomas Vokoun as his first goaler, Veillotron took Curtis Jospeh as his 2nd one. I remember applauding this choice, saying Joseph would be in nets for about 70-75 games and thus would get about 5-6 shutouts and about 30-35 wins, making him a very good pick. Well, turns out we were both very wrong. Joseph has so far been in nets 9 games this year, and he has given Veillotron a lowly 4 points. Veillotron did bounce back, though, with a good pick in Vesa Toskala. Now, when we did the draft, my strategy was to load up on fowards and defensemen, and take the best of the rest when it came to goalies. Well, I did really well with Dwayne Roloson and Ryan Miller as my 2nd and 3rd goalies (both have over 15 points so far) , but my first selection was Martin Gerber in Ottawa. Gerber has given me the same amount of points Cujo has given Veillotron, but what might make this pick worse is that Gerber is so bad, they're not even playing him. That's a really bad pick.

See you next week people!

Dwarf out.

Thursday NHL Thoughts - 10/26/06 Edition

2006-10-26T12:47:00.000-05:00

Hey all...

I went online to check out the results of our hockey pool this morning, only to find out, not surprisingly, that I am still dead last in the standings. What is surprising to me is that my players are not doing that bad. Most teams have played about 1/10 of their season so far, and I am sitting at 145 points. If my players continue scoring at the same pace, I will finish the year with 1450 points, which would've easily won last year's pool. Meanwhile, if you look at Mat's team, his players have scored 186 points in 173 games, a rate of 1.07 points/game. Considering we all have 5 defensemen on the roster, that is pretty amazing.

Now, I know that as the season goes on, injuries will happen, and some players' performance will fall off a little. Mat will not win the pool with 1860 points, that much is sure. But I think that what we are seeing this year is simply a much better draft than we had last year. I believe all of our picks are quite better than last year's. Except, of course, for The Dick, who, even if he wins the whole thing, can never get any credit whatsoever for his successes.

Now, let's get to my best and worst "value picks" at this juncture of the season. I really, really like the Nylander pick on The Dick's team. As The Dick's 12th foward, Nylander has 13 points in 9 games. But, again, The Dick cannot get any credit, so he can shove Nylander 'where the sun don't shine'. Instead, you have to look at Mat's pick of Chris Drury. Drury, as of this writing, has 14 points in 9 games, which is excellent. Now, factor in this: Drury was Mat's 14th foward, and only 5 players were picked after him. That's what we call an excellent value pick.

As for my worst pick, I was really tempted by 2 really awful picks and, unable to decide, I settled on calling it a tie. The 2 picks? First, there's Guillaume Latendresse, whom Sweet LP thought might explode and score 30 goals in his first season. Well, he currently has no points at all, so let's just hope he saves face and gets 20 points. Not much better was getting Doug Weight as my 9th foward. Weight currently has 2 points and is sitting comfortably in my "red" and is kicking back.

Random Thoughts from around the NHL:

Bobby Clarke quit his job as the Flyers' GM this last Sunday and, subsequently, Ken Hitchcock got axed as the coach. Whether he quit or not, Clarke's days as a Flyer were numbered. He botched a series of transactions the last 2 years and that has seriously hurt the team. Granted, winning the Peter Forsberg lottery was a good move, but breaking the bank for Derian Hatcher and Mike Rathje was not very bright. Also, his trade of Michael Handzus for Kyle Calder does not look so good right now either. With Primeau now retired and Handzus in Chicago, Philadelphia is now very thin at center, an area that was once a strength. Meanwhile, the big contracts given to Rathje and Hatcher prevented Clarke from keeping Kim Johnsson in the fold. With Eric Desjardins retired as well, the defense is now full of holes. But the reality remains that the Flyers are a team loaded with talent. From Forsberg to Simon Gagne, not to mention Joni Pitkanen, Jeff Carter, Mike Richards and Mike Knuble, this team has enough tools to somehow fix the problem. Don't get me wrong, they're not good enough to win the Cup and making the playoffs will be tough, but they are much better than their ranking indicates.
The Sabres just keep on winning. On Monday night, they easily handled the Canadiens. People are talking about how the Sabres are the best example of a team built for the "New NHL". I think this is somewhat true. Yes, they are a teambuilt around speed. They have 2 very good goaltenders, just like the Ducks and Sharks, and a deep defense corps. But I think what sets the Sabres apart this year is their hussle. They play hard. They don't take shifts off. The Canadiens are also a team built on speed, but they looked slow Monday night because they just didn't skate as hard. In the "New NHL", just like in the old one, you win with heart. And the Sabres are the team that has the most heart in the league.
Speaking of Montreal, Bob Gainey's job is not the easiest the evaluate in the last couple of years. Actually, it seems like it's been very hot and cold. I mean, first, he starts by giving a ton of money to Jose Theodore. Meanwhile, he trades his backup goaltender, Mathieu Garon, to the Kings in exchange of a more experienced but less promising backup, Cristobal Huet (if you remember, at the time, Garon was challenging Theodore for the starting spot, so Gainey shipped him to ease his #1 goalie's mind). Fast foward to the trading deadline; Cristobal Huet is playing like one of the best goaltenders in the league, and Theo is hurt. So Gainey takes his huge salary and dumps it on the Avalanche, and in return gets the new backup to Huet, David Aebischer. Then, this summer, Gainey gave over 3 million/year to Huet. And now, Huet can't seem to be able to stop a beach ball, and Aebischer seems to have the inside track on the starting spot. Bad move, good move, bad move, good move. A little uneven if you ask me, and it doesn't stop there. This summer, Gainey made 2 moves on the same day. First, he signed Sergei Samsonov as a free agent. Then, he traded for Mike Johnson of the Coyotes. So, while Johnson has really lived up to expectations (and maybe even exceeded them), scoring 3 goals and 6 points in 8 games to go along with a nice +3 rating, Samsonov has been a true disapointment, failing to add anything to the Canadiens second line. Samsonov will play on the fourth line tonight agains the Bruins. Indeed, very uneven preformance by Gainey.
A little word on the San Jose Sharks: they're awesome! So far, they are 7-3. Evgeni Nabokov is 2-3, but both his wins were shutouts. Vesa Toskala, on the other hand, is 5-0. What's amazing is that San Jose is playing this well and getting all these wins while their first line is dormant. Joe Thornton has only 10 points in 10 games, which is much below his usual production, and he has yet to score a goal. Jonathan Cheechoo has only 5 goals, and 3 of them came in 1 game. Mark Bell has missed 3 games, and he only totals 4 points right now. But the Sharks are deep. Patrick Marleau has picked up some of the slack. Miran Michalek is playing really well. Steve Bernier is banging bodies and putting scores up on the board. And Matt Carle, a rookie, anchors a very good defense. Make no mistake, the Sharks just might be the best team in the West.

See you tomorrow for my NFL picks.

Dwarf out.

Tuesday NFL Musings - Week 7 Edition

2006-10-24T12:55:00.000-05:00

Week 7 was another crazy week in the NFL. As was the case in week 6, we were treated to a few back-and-forth, down-to-the-wire, last-possession-wins type games. There was Michael Vick throwing 4 touchdowns against the Steelers in a 41-38 overtime win that wa capped by 46-year old Morten Andersen kicking a game-winning field goal. Meanwhile, with 6 seconds left in the game, Chiefs kicker Lawrence Tynes was nailing a 53-yard field goal to win a crucial division game against the Chargers. At about the same time, in Tampa, Matt Bryant made over 60,000 Bucs fans jump out of their seats by putting the ball throught the uprights from 62 yards out, once again as time expired.

Along with those nailbiting endings, Week 7 in the NFL saw some big-time playoff hopefuls fall from grace in some big upsets. First Jacksonville saw David Carr slowly pick apart their defense and eventually lost 27-7 to the lowly Texans. The NFC reigning champion Seahawks were at home on Sunday night, but they got killed by the Vikings and lost QB Matt Hasselbeck for 3 weeks in the process.

One game that might've flown under the radar, though, is the Cardinals' loss to the Raiders, in Arizona. Two years ago, in pre-season, with Dennis Green at the helm and Kurt Warner at QB, the Cardinals had become the "chic" pick of the year. So-called experts had them sitting in second in the NFC West, and some even had them winning their division. Of course, that never happened, and the Cards finished at a disappointing 5-11.

But after a 2006 draft that landed promising Quarterback Matt Leinart of USC and the off-season acquisition of star RB Edgerrin James, the Cardinals once again became the 'talk of the town'.

The fact is, we in the media and in the public love big names. The public loves big names because they don't care enough to know the support players. The media loves big names because they mean people will tune in to see the big name players or read about them the next morning. But a GM cannot be falling in love with big names all the time. A GM has to build from the ground up. And it is well known in football circles that you don't win football games with star receivers or a star running back: you win in the NFL by having good, solid, offensive and defensive lines. That is the foundation of a football team. If you look around the league, with the exception of the New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers, the 10 best offenses in the league have offensive lines that are good to very good. On the flip side, look at the 5 worst offenses in the league: Cleveland, Oakland, Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Baltimore. Baltimore's line is average at best. The other 4 have had depth issues for the longest time. As a result, when they have suffered injuries, and they all have, they haven't been able to find adequate replacements. Furthermore, all 4 lines had starting lineups that were shaky at best even before the season started.

Dennis Green fell in love with big names. Let's face it: Green has always been a big name guy. He drafted Randy Moss and Daunte Culpepper with the Vikings. He had guys like Jeff George and Randall Cunningham quarterbacking his team before Culpepper arrived. But in Minnesota, he already had a very good offensive line. LG Randall McDaniel, the anchor of the line, was already there. All Green had to do was add a little piece here and there every year and everything would be fine.

In Arizona, Dennis Green came to a team that needed to be destroyed and rebuilt from the ground up. Green did that, but he forgot to build the foundation. He went out and drafted Matt Leinart, J.J. Arrington and Larry Fitzgerald and has signed high-profile free agents Kurt Warner and Edgerrin James. And all those acquisitions are commandable. The only problem is to this day, neither Warner nor Leinart have had sufficient time to find their star receivers down the field. In the meantime, Arrington was a bust as a rookie behind the woeful line and James can't find any holes and is running at under 3.0 yards/carry. Without a strong foundation, Green's offense is falling to pieces right now. Every once in a while, they will have a great drive, but they can't sustain it for a whole game, and certainly not for a whole season. People can talk all they want about the "Arizona Curse", but forgetting to draft linemen has nothing to do with a curse. It is very simply bad management. And for that, Green will lose his job at the end of the season.

Random thoughts from Week 7:

The Philadelphia Eagles dropped another close one on Sunday. This team could be 7-0 if it hadn't been for 3 heartbreaking, last-minute losses. I still feel like the Eagles will make the Playoffs, but they need to start winning some of those close ones. Otherwise, even if they get in, they won't go far.
Michael Vick throws 4 touchdowns and everyone starts writing about how he has finally arrived as a passer. Well, watch the same people who are singing his praises right now look like idiots next week when he throws three INT's. Vick is a great runner. But as a passer, he is like a nude dancer: he might look very good, but he will always be no more than a tease.
New England just keeps winning. And Tom Brady is starting to look comforable now. They'll be a player come January, that's for sure.
Has anyone noticed David Carr is the highest rated passer in the league. Yes, David Carr. And yes, he does still play for the Houston Texans. Pretty amazing, huh?

I didn't have time to get my picks in this weekend, so my record still stands at 48-24. I'll make sure I'll get them in this week.

See you Thursday for my NHL Thoughts.

Dwarf out.

Thursday NHL Thoughts - 10/19/06

2006-10-19T12:38:00.000-05:00

If you were to open the sports section of your newspaper this morning and go to the NHL standings, you would see that while Buffalo and Atlanta have dominated the conference, the Stanley Cup champions from2 years ago, the Tampa Bay Lightning are sitting in 13th place, with only 2 wins in 6 games. Right now, the talk around the league is that John Tortorella's ways might've run their course and that the players might not be responding to him anymore. His job could be in jeopardy, some might say. With 3 superstars like Vinny Lecavalier, Brad Richards and Martin St. Louis, with a supporting cast that includes Vaclav Prospal, Ruslan Fedotenko and defenseman Dan Boyle as well as newly acquired Marc Denis in net, Tortorella has the elements to win. So if these elements are just not responding to the coach anymore, you have to fire the coach, right?

Personally, I think this is a bunch of crap. The players are not responding to the coach anymore? Well, youngster Ryan Craig, with 5 points in 6 games, seems to be responding. So does Fedotenko, who has 4 points. Nikita Alexeev also has 4 and is +4, so he's getting his points at 5-on-5. Defensemen Luke Richardson, Corey Sarich, Doug Janik, Paul Ranger and Nolan Pratt are all even or better on a team that has scored a measly 11 goals so far. So what;s wronf with the Lightning? Very simply, the stars have to start living up to their billing. Lecavalier, St. Louis and Richards have to start producing. Dan Boyle needs to become dangerous again on the power play. Marc Denis needs to start playing like a #1 goaltender. These players are the core of the team. GM jay Feaster gave up Fredrik Modin and his 30 goals/year to get Denis, so he needs to start living up to his billing. As for the 19.5 M/year gang (St. Louis, Lecavalier and Richards), letting the media blame your coach for your pathetic performance is just lame.

As a team, the Lightning are playing pretty good defense, allowing 2.5 goals/game and only 21.5 shots/game. If Denis can improve on his .888 save percentage, that would be a good start. Then, you need your top guys to get a dismal power play (8.6% efficiency) to get the power play going.

I can udnerstand a coach needs to go when his whole team has tuned him out. In the case of Tortorella, his team is playing hard for him, except for a few players. I believe that the Lightning will start winning games sooner than later, and when it is all said and done, they will be in the playoffs. But sometimes, it would be nice to see players being held accountable for their lack of effort. If Tortorella gets canned, it won't be his fault or the GM's fault; instead, it will lie on the shoulders of 3 or 4 lazy superstars.

My early thoughts on the 6 Canadian Teams:

Calgary Flames (2-3-1): In the 2006 playoffs, Calgary's lack of scoring punch was finally exposed. So, in the offseason, Darryl Sutter went out and traded for Alex Tanguay. Tanguay is a good player, but his point totals have been inflated for years while playing with Milan Hejduk, Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg. He now plays with Jarome Iginla, but it is clear that they need a true #1 center. Sutter will have to start working the phones sooner than later. He has many good defensemen, and with the best goalie in the NHL, he can afford to give up one or two. In a division as strong as the Northwest, they can't stay in this funk for 2 long.
Edmonton Oilers (4-2): Losing Chris Pronger doesn't seem to have affected the team's defense as much as anticipated. The Oilers are sitting at 6th in the league in goals against/game. Dwayne Roloson is playing great for them. Petr Sykora, signed as a free agent, is playing exceptionally well with Ales Hemsky. Ryan Smyth is also producing. If they have one concern, it's that Shawn Horcoff and Jarret Stoll have failed to score 1 goal so far. But the whole team has shown a lot of heart and things are truly looking good.
Montreal Canadiens (3-1-2): The Canadiens, led by Saku Koivu and Alex Kovalev, are playing very good hockey right now. Their first line of Koivu, Higgins and Ryder is dominating the opposition. They are playing good team defense as well. The one issue they have right now is that Kovalev seems to be alone sometimes. Sergei Samsonov, aside from noe nice goal scored Saturday night, has been invisible. Tomas Plekanec, for his part, looks a lot more like Jan Bulis than Mike Ribeiro right now. But if the Canadiens can learn to win some shootouts, they will be more than ok.
Ottawa Senators (2-3): Let's see... Martin Gerber is playing like he did at the start of the playoffs and not like in the regular season, which is really bad news. Spezza, Alfredsson and Heatley have 9 points combined in 5 games. That's bad news too. They are giving up almost 3 goals/game. More bad news. The good news? They are too talented to be this bad. They will get a lot better.
Toronto Maple Leafs (3-2-2): Well, they are playing much better than pundits predicted. Like the Canadiens, they have already lost 2 games in the shootout. They are scoring a lot, but have given up the same amount of goals as they have scored. Common sense they won't keep it up, but you never know...
Vancouver Canucks (3-3-1): As the only potent offensive threat on this team, the trio of Markus Naslund and the Sedin Twins is doing well (comined 22 points in 7 games). After that, there's a huge dropoff. Roberto Luongo has played well for them, but not exceptionally well. And since they lost Anson Carter, Eddie Jovanovski, Todd Bertuzzi and Alex Auld to get him and then sign him, he needs to be exceptional. Their season will ride on his shoulders, there's no doubt about that.

And finally, we get to the pool. Sweet LP has has a great week, and he is now sitting on top of the standings. Nick The Dick, who has been a real dick about the choices that were made for him while he was doing God-knows-what with Champagne bottles in Paris, is sitting in second. Mat and Veillotron, who is used to smelling the rotten basement of the standings, are not too far behind. Huy has seen choices like Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal backfire so far (those were just bad, bad picks... somewhat reminiscent of The Dick picking Brett Hull last year). As for yours truly, well, I can bitch all I want about the teams, but I'm sitting dead last, surrounded by the incredible futility of my top picks. But the season is young, and I will be back...

Dwarf out.

NFL Tuesday Musings - Week 6 Edition

2006-10-17T17:40:00.000-05:00

We are 6 weeks into the NFL season now, and one of the most interesting stories so far, in my opinion, has been the developement of young quarterbacks. Look around the league, and you will see youngsters Vince Young, Matt Leinart, Philip Rivers, Andrew Walter, J.P. Losman and Bruce Gadkowski starting for their team. And surprisingly, most of them are faring pretty well so far.

The oldest of this young group, Rivers, is having a really good season in San Diego. Everytime Marty Schottenheimer has put the ball in his hands (which isn't often enough according to most experts), Rivers has responded tremendously. GM AJ Smith made a bold move when he let Drew Brees go to New Orleans, handing the reins of his playoff-hopeful team to his young QB, who had never to that point started a game. But after sitting on the bench for 2 years, Rivers now has the Chargers at 4-1.

Matt Leinart, for his part, has looked like an 8-year veteran in his first 2 games at the helm of the Cardinals offence. In both contests, he has managed to build a comfortable lead heading into the 4th quarter, only to see his team crumble down and fall behind. But he has also managed to lead his team from behind twice in the last 2 minutes, mounting drives that ended with Neil Rackers missing the tying (against KC) and winning (against Chicago) field goals. As a rookie, Leinart has displayed great presence in the pocket, an unusual feel for the rush and a superb ability at reading defenses. What makes this even more impressive is that he is playing for a team without a running game or an offensive line. Still, he is poised enough that he constantly buys enough time to get the ball out to his receivers. Mark my words: this kid will be a star for a long time in this league.

With Vince Young, it's all about potential. In that sense, he is a lot like Mike Vick was when he came out of college. Both QB's are blessed with superior athletic skills, but both are plagued with the same problem: trouble reading defenses. The book on Vick has always been to mix converages, confuse him, and to try to contain him. If you can limit his yards rushing, you won't have any problems stopping him. It is still to early to say if Young will eventually learn to read defenses (like Donovan McNabb has) or if, like Vick, he will always be a great weapon but never a develop into a great quarterback. But so far, he has yet to achieve the same level of success as Leinart, who was picked seven spots later in the draft. To his credit, Young did play reasonably well in leading his Titans to their first win of the season over the Washington Redskins.

As for the others, well, Bruce Gadkowski, like Leinart, has displayed a lot of poise. He has managed the game very well and he led his team to the winning touchdown in the last seconds of the game against Cincinnati last Sunday. J.P. Losman has been up and down, but he has played way better than he did last season. And finally, there's Andrew Walter, Oakland's QB of the future, who has been as pitiful as the rest of his team. In any case, the way these kids play is something I will continue to monitor all season long.

Random Thoughts about Week 6

The New Orleans Saints are for real. Their victory against the Eagles was well deserved. They are truly impressive on offense, with Drew Brees continuing to prove he is for real. Plus, Sean Payton continues to find ways to get the ball to both Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush. More surprisingly, they are proving to be very stingy on defense. Kudos to Veillotron for predicting they would climb out of the league's basement. I'm sure he's very proud and right now he must be wishing Dave Krieg would come back out of retirement and replace Brees. But that wouldn't be very good...
Joey Harrington played a very good 4th quarter for Miami on Sunday. Unfortunately, it was too little too late. Still, he looks nothing like the failure he was in Detroit.
A second loss in a row for the Ravens after their offense once again proved inept under Steve Mcnair. Funny thing though, after he came off the bench in the middle of the first quarter, Kyle Boller led his offense to 3 touchdown drives. Still, probably not realizing his offense might've just needed a QB who doesn't look 60 years old on the field, Brian Billick fird offensive coord. Jim Fassel today.
What a game in St. Louis on Sunday. First, with 1:54 left in the game, Torry Holt makes a circus catch then runs off for 67 yards and a touchdown to put the Rams in front 28 to 27. But Matt Hasselbeck, not to be undone, took the field and Josh Brown nailed a 54-yard field goal with 4 seconds left on the clock for the 30-28 win. Gutsy win. The Seahwaks are fighting hard without Shaun Alexander, and they will be a force when he comes back. By the way, Brown had field goals of 49, 49 and 54 yards in the 4th quarter. That's what we call an MVP performance for a kicker.
Ok, it was against the Raiders, but the Denver defense held another team without a touchdown. In 5 games, that defense has yielded only 1 TD to the opposition. Boy do I like that defense.
I went 8-5 with my picks this week, bringing my season total to 48-24. But do note that I did pick Tampa to upset the mighty Bengals. I also did call that Matt Leinart would have a good game versus the Bears and that the Cards would come close. Yes, you can call me Nostradwarfus.

Check back thursday for my NHL Thoughts.

Dwarf out.

Week 6 NFL Picks

2006-10-13T09:52:00.000-05:00

Before I get to my picks, a little word on the Oilers. 3 games into the season, the Oilers are now 2-1. That's nothing remarkable, except for tthe fact that so far, they have played the Flames twice and the Sharks once, both teams favored to sit atop the Western Conference at the end of the season. The Oilers have now scored 10 goals while allowing only 7, not too shabby for a team picked to finish 12th in the West by The Hockey News. But, regardless of all that, last night was special. The Sharks came into Edmonton with a 3-0 record last night and seeking revenge for their ousting in last year's playoffs. And for 40 minutes, everything looked great for the Sharks. Nabokov was playing great, Cheechoo had a natural hat trick and San Jose was leading by 2 heading into the 3rd period. But, coming right out of the gate, the 'Cardiac Kids' got to work. Ryan Smyth scored 3 goals in the span of 2 minutes and 1 second, breaking the old Gretzky mark of 2:18. The defense settled down, Roloson made a couple of huge saves, and Hemsky iced it in the 15th minute, taking the puck while coming out of the box and beating Nabokov.

Now, listen to me people. Wherever you live, if you're reading this, please, please, call your cable or satellite company and order NHL Center Ice. Then go on www.Edmontonoilers.com and print out the Oilers' schedule. Study it carefully, and then sit down and watch every Oilers' game this season. It's gonna be wild...

Week 6 NFL Picks:

NY Giants vs. Atlanta: The Giants put up a great defensive effort last week vs. Washington. But John Abraham will start this week, meaning he and Patrick Kerney will terrorize Eli Manning all afternoon. The Giants will try to run, but Grady Jackson will be waiting. On the other side of the ball, Michael Vick has his usual day: 10 of 22, 95 yards, 1 int, 100 yds rushing, 1 TD. Atlanta.

Houston vs. Dallas: Dallas will look to rebound and stay in the hunt with Philly. Against a weak Houston defense, look for Bledsoe to have a big day. Dallas.

Buffalo vs. Detroit: The Bills got killed last week by Chicago. Their defense will rebound against a bad Detroit offense. And Losman will have a career day against a defense so incompetent that looks like it's coached by the White House staff. Buffalo.

Seattle vs. St. Louis: Shaun Alexander was rumored to maybe play in this game, but he won't dress. The Rams are 4-1, but this is a real test. Hasselbeck will continue to struggle, but the Seahawks defense wins this one. Seattle.

Philadelphia vs. New Orleans: Game of the week. Brees is a smart guy, and he won't get rattled by the Philly blitz schemes. It will come down to big plays: Brees and Bush vs. McNabb. And it's hard to bet against Mcnabb these days. Philly in a nail-biter. Philadelphia.

Cincinnati vs. Tampa Bay: Bruce Gradkowski looked like a seasoned veteran last week. The Bucs are 0-4, but they have some fight left in them. The Bengals will overlook them, and Gradkowski picks up his first win. Tampa Bay.

Tennessee vs. Washington: Let's see... Clinton Portis will run for 150 yards. Brunell will look like he's 26 again. Vince Young will look like, well, a rookie QB. Washington.

Carolina at Baltimore: Steve Mcnair is not playing too well. Julius Peppers is the best defensive player in the NFL right now. Steve Smith's hamstring is still bothering him, and the Ravens "D" is amongst the best in the league. This game will see less than 20 points total, and Carolina wins by a field goal. Carolina.

Miami at NY Jets: Didn't Joey Harrington look a lot better than Culpepper last week. I always thought Harringtn was a good QB who never got a fair chance on a terrible team when in Detroit. On Sunday, he prves he belongs in the NFL when getting a late 4th quarter TD that wins the game. Miami.

Kansas City at Pittsburgh: 2 teams that want to establish the run and win with good defense. This time, Willie Parker runs wild, Roethlisberger benefits and throws his first 2 TDs of the year, one to TE Heath Miller. Pittsburgh.

San Diego at San Francisco: After a week of celebration (SF beat the Raiders last week), things go back to normal in the Bay Area after the 49ers get clobbered by SD. San Diego.

Oakland at Denver: The league's worst offense plays against the league's best defense in the most hostile environment in the league. That one is easy. Denver.

Chicago at Arizona: I like Matt Leinart. He will be a star. Not in 2 years though, but in 2 weeks. On Monday night, we will show the country his calm and his poise, and just what a pretty ball he throws. Unfortunately, his defense won't do enough to help him, but the game will be a lot closer than people think. Chicago.

Season record: 40-19

Dwarf out.

Thursday NHL Thoughts - 10/12/06 Edition

2006-10-12T11:45:00.000-05:00

Hey all!

Ready to talk hockey? First, I would like to start off with a few words on the "OTAN" pool. After a week of dwelling in the standings' basement, I have finally started my comeback with a big night yesterday. It's only a matter of time until my players stop sucking. By the way, can someone explain to me why Ilya Kovalchuk has 2 points in 4 games? Still, on the subject of the Pool, I would like to give a big hand to Sweet LP and especially Mat, who after 1 week, are kicking the rest of the Pool's butt. On the other hand, I will give a big thumb's down to Nick The Dick formissing the draft and then having the audacity to lead the Pool for 4 days. Luckily, things have gone back to normal and the Dick seems headed for the basement once more. Pick of the year so far? It could've been Michael Nylander, who came off the board pretty late and now has 5 points in 3 games, but The Dick was absent on draft night and so did not technically "pick" Nylander. So, instead, we wind up with a tie between Mat's Kari Lethonen ( last goaltender taken, 2 shutouts in his first week) and Sweet LP's Martin Havlat (2 games, 6 points, LP's 9th foward). Now, why would I have given the "best pick" tag to Nylander, who doesn't nearly have as many points as the other 2? Because Lethonen and Havlat, as we all know, will get injured at some point, and thus their production will go down. Nylander, playing between jagr and Shanahan, could keep this up all year. Nice "non-pick", The Dick.

On another note, the Canadiens won again last night, giving them a total of 5 points out of a possible 6 in their 3-game season-opening road trip. That's pretty good. In fact, it's very good. But the Canadiens need all the points they need now. As a "small" team, they are bound to get tired, as they do every year, and will probably lose ground as the season goes on. So, yeah, they do need the fast start. One more thing: Aebischer is starting to make Gainey look like an idiot for giving Huet that much money in the off-season.

We are one week into the season, and already there is talk that offense is down in the NHL. Why is it? Well, for one thing, teams have gotten a lot better on the penalty kill. Last year, teams scored on 17.64% of their power plays. This year, as of last night, the league average was down to 15.74%, almost a full 2% below the standards set last year. That being said, the season is still very, very young. Some power plays perhaps haven't really clicked yet. Pittsburgh and Dallas, for instance, still haven't scored with the man advantage. Buffalo, which had the best PP at home last year, are clicking at a rate of 5.0%, and the Senators, with guys like Jason Spezza, Wade Redden, Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson on the ice, are a measley 5.3%. So things will get better for these teams, and they will get worse for others. In the meantime, the only thing that matters is the show, not the amount of goals. While I am sure there have been boring games this year, the 2 Edmonton-Calgary games I have seen, as well as the Montreal-Buffalo and Montreal-Toronto games, have all featured a very tight, very back-and-forth, very exciting brand of hockey. And no fan can complain about that.

Next week, I will talk about the eventual transfer of Hockey Night in Canada from CBC to CTV, as well as my thoughts on all 6 of the Canadian teams' seasons so far.

See you tomorrow for my Week 6 NFL Weekend Picks.

Dwarf out.

Tuesday NFL Musings - Week 5 Edition

2006-10-10T08:02:00.000-05:00

Back on May 23 of this year, we discussed in this very space the return to form of the Philadelphia Eagles, a team that went to 4 straight NFC Championships before imploding last year. Well, 5 weeks into the season, the Eagles are sitting atop their division, 2 games in front of everyone else. In my opinion, 2 things are contributing to the Eagles resurgence: a re-energized defense and Donovan McNabb.

The Philly defense has shown a tendency to give up a big play here and there, but they have looked absolutely dominating since the start of the year. Consider this: while they are sitting in the bottom half of the league in yards and points allowed, the Eagles are tied for sixth in interceptions with 6 and lead the league in sacks with 23, 5 more than second-place Chicago. 21 of these quarterback takedowns belong to defensive linemen, which is quite a feat in itself. But you really find out about the the quality and depth of the line when you see that 6 different linemen share that total, and that the leader is a backup (Trent Cole) who mostly plays third downs only. Philadelphia also leads the league in forced fumbles with 13, 5 of which they have recovered. So, while they have given up big plays, they have created a truckload of them too. And with the return of Pro Bowl Cornerback Lito Sheppard (2 int's in Sunday's win vs. the Cowboys) from injury, things look to get even better for this defense. With Sheppard back with Brian Dawkins, Michael Lewis and Sheldon Brown in the secondary, def. coordinator Jimmy Johnson unleashed a myriad of blitzes upon a confused Dallas offensive line this Sunday. Look for that to continue all season long.

On offense, it has been the Donovan McNabb show. McNabb has played like a man possessed all season long. Early on, he was developping something special with newly acquired Donte' Stallworth. But Stallworth hasn't played in 3 games. Still, McNabb just keeps going. He is finding receivers all over the field, no matter their names: Brian Westbrook, L.J. Smith, Stallworth, Reggie Brown and Greg Lewis all have over 10 receptions this year, and some guy named Hank Baskett caught an 87-yeard touchdown from McNabb on Sunday. Furthermore, McNabb is playing so well that the Eagles offense is actually rushing the ball to a tune of 114 yds/game, good for 11th in the league.

Indeed, like Sheppard said after the Dallas game on Sunday: "5 is alive".

Random Thoughts from Week 5

The Bears look very strong. Very very strong. But all the talk about how no one cna touch them in the NFC is ridiculous. The Panthers, if Steve Smith can get healthy are capable of doing it. And Rex Grossman has yet to face a defense like the that of the Eagles' or Panthers'. And remember that when they took on the Seahwaks 2 weeks ago, MVP RB Shaun Alexander was not in the lineup.
At this point, I really don't know what team is more pathetic: the Oakland Raiders or Detroit Lions. I mean, yes, the Lions are actually trying to give themselves a chance to win every Sunday and they have come close a couple of times, but that's the thing: they're trying. In the off-season, Al Davis hired Art Shell to be his coach and Tom Walsh to be his offensive coordinator, both of whom had not coached in years. Then he signed Aaron Brooks to be his quarterback. And then he passed on Matt Leinart. Davis knew what he was doing: he wants the #1 pick in the 2007 draft, and he's gonna get it. So, with that in mind, I now proclaim the Lions the 'most pathetic team' in the NFL.
Speaking of Matt Leinart, he certainly looked good in his first start. Too bad Neil Rackers couldn't hit his first meaningful kick in 2 years.
Kudos to the Saints for yet another win. Yes, it was against the hapless Buccaneers with some guy called Gradkowski at quarterback. But you know what, Gradkowski looked much better than Chris Simms in there. He played with poise, and threw a good ball all afternoon. But in the end, when it mattered most, the Saints showed they had superior talent. Indeed, Reggie Bush scored his first TD in the NFL on a punt return with less than 4 minutes to go. I'l tell you that much: no one plays faster than Reggie Bush in the NFL.
Pittsburgh still has a chance to get back in the playoff hunt.
Miami doesn't.
Denver has the best defense in the league. Not Chicago. Not Baltimore. Denver.

Oh by the way, I finished 12-2 in my picks this week, by far my best outing this year. That brings my season record to 40-19. Not bad, not bad at all, I say.

Dwarf out.

Random thoughts and Week 5 NFL Picks

2006-10-08T15:09:00.000-05:00

Hey all...

Well, the curtain was lifted on a new season of NHL hockey this past Wednesday. So far, it's been a bit of a wild ride. The Stanley Cup champions Carolina Hurricanes have opened the season with 3 straight losses. The Nashville Predators, favored to win their division ahead of the Red Wings, have also yet to lose a game. Ottawa, after wnning on opening night, have lost 2 straight and their starting goaltender is already drawing the ire of the fans. Meanwhile, the Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild have scored 12 and 9 goals in 2 games, respectively. And in Montreal, after 2 games, David Aebischer looks a lot better than Cristobal Huet in nets. What can we learn from this? Well, most teams have played only 2 or 3 games, and the season is a long one. There will be lots of trades, and when it's all said and done, things will look a lot more normal than they do now.

In regards to the Canadiens, I have said all summer long that putting Sergei Samsonov with Alex Kovalev and a small center (originally thought to be Mike Ribeiro, who's been replaced by Tomas Plekanec) was a mistake. So far, that has hel true. That line is not doing anything. Samsonov looks invisible out there. Kovalev, I believe, works best with a lot of space, and right now, no one on that line is able to give it to him. Meanwhile, Saku Koivu looks like Wayne Gretzky out there, feeding his 2 big wingers, Mychael Ryder and Chris Higgins, some beautiful passes and putting the puck in the back of the net every time the opposition forgets about him. I think that it is only a matter of time for Carbonneau to send Kovalev backonto the top line and put Mychael Ryder with Plekanec and Samsonov. Montreal is a talented team, but they don't have enough talent up and down the roster to have a one-line team. They need both lines to produce and right now they're not getting that.

The Buffalo Sabres are looking really good right now. You get the feeling that had they not had so many injuries last year in the playoffs, they would've definitely beaten the Hurricanes in the Conference Finals. Ryan Miller is the real deal, Martin Biron is the best backup in the league, the defense is strong, and boy oh boy are they fast. They don't have a Jagr or a Kovalchuk on the team, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a team with better depth at foward. Too bad their new uniforms are so butt-ugly.

I will have more NHL thoughts on thursday, but now here are my weekend NFL picks:

Buffalo at Chicago: 2 very good defenses faceoff. It will be a close game, but in the end, a better quarterback and better running game means Chicago will win. Chicago

St. Louis at Green bay: Favre got rattled pretty good by Philly last week, but I expect him to bounce back. Still, the Packers look terrible this year on defense, and I believe Torry Holt and company will have a field day. St. Louis.

Tennessee at Indianapolis: Peyton Manning vs. Vince Young. Enough said. Indy in a landslide. Indianapolis.

Detroit at Minnesota: Minnesota has some big holes on defense and a sputtering offense. Still, this is Detroit they're playing. And they're at home. Minnesota.

Miami at New England: There is talk Joey Harrington could start. While I think he might be better than Daunte Culpepper, New England is too good and Miami too bad right now. New England.

Washington at NY Giants: The Giants are coming off a bye. But they've been horrible on defense this year. Against a Redskins offense that has finally hit its stride, that can't be good. Washington.

Cleveland at Carolina: Super Bowl contender against team that almost lost to the Raiders. Enough said. This is a massacre. Carolina.

Tampa Bay at New Orleans: Drew Brees against Bruce Gardowski or whatever his name is. Deuce McCallister and Reggie Bush against a banged-up Cadillac Williams. A surprising Saints defense against a disappointing TB Defense. This one will be close, cuz Jon Gruden will have shis team ready to play, but the Saints have their sights set on the Playoffs. New Orleans.

Kansas City at Arizona: Matt Leinart starts for the Cards. That means maybe one more interception, but 3 less fumbles than Kurt Warner. Cards win a close one. Arizona.

Oakland at San Francisco: Oakland is so bad Alex Smith will look like Steve Young, Antonio Bryant will look like Jerry Rice and Frank Gore will look like Ricky Watters. For one week, the 49ers will look like the team that won the Super Bowl in '94. San Francisco.

NY Jets at Jacksonville: The Jaguars defense got cut up pretty good by the Redskins last week. I expect them to return to form, which can't be good for Chad Pennington and his gang of green goblins. Still, the Jets are a resilient bunch. This one is close, but give it to the jags. Jacksonville.

Dallas at Philadelphia: Game of the week. T.O. returns to Philly. Teams fighting for the division lead. Great storylines all over. The Eagles are gonna throw everything and everyone at Drew Bledsoe and force him to make mistakes. And Mcnabb will methodically find holes in the Dallas defense and lead his team to over 30 points. Philadelphia.

Pittsburgh at San Diego: The Steelers will try to establish a ground game to help a struggling Roethlisberger. It won't work. San Diego.

Baltimore at Denver: How good is the Broncos defense? It's better than the Ravens'. In a game where only 1 touchdown will be scored, it belongs to the Broncos. Denver.

Season record: 28-17

Dwarf Out.

Tuesday NFL Musings - Week 4 Edition

2006-10-03T09:34:00.000-05:00

Hey all,

I didn't get to watch too much football this weekend, so this will be short and sweet.

Random observations from Week 4

Donovan McNabb looks awesome this year. He is playing like a man on a mission right now. Last night, he was sharp and displayed a really nice touch. Plus, he ran around a lot, avoiding sacks and he was a nightmare for the Green Bay defense all night long. With Owens gone, he's back to his old self, distributing the ball around. It's good to see him play like that.
Daunte Culpepper is having a lot of problems at the helm of the Dolphins offense. He looks very slow and immobile, not unlike Drew Bledsoe. Another week like that, and they'll be calling for Joey Harrington in Miami.
Buffalo is now 2-2 and sitting in 2nd place in the division. The defense is playing like a unit possessed. J.P. Losman looks like Ben Roethlisberger did 2 years ago. He is managing the game, getting important first downs, and he seems to understand that Willis McGahee and the defense will win games for him if he doesn't lose them by turning the ball over. That was a big win against a pretty good Vikings team.
The St. Louis offense finally exploded. Then again, it was against a Lions team that looks worse every week. Good thing that city has the Red Wings. What a sad bunch these Lions.
The Saints are looking like they are for real. They'll be fighting for a playoff spot till the last weekend of the season. They took a very good Panthers team (with Steve Smith in the lineup) down to the wire.
For the first time this year, the Patriots looked like a Championship caliber team. I still don't think they have what it takes to win it all this year, but it's good to see them dismantle a team like they did. The NFL is just not the sameleague if the Pats aren't kicking some butts. Laurence Maroney looks like the real deal right now. And Corey Dillon's career is over.

I did better with my picks this week, going 10-5. That brings my season record to 28-17.

I'll see you all for the pool tomorrow night.

Dwarf out

NHL Eastern Conference Preview + quick NFL picks

2006-09-28T10:39:00.000-05:00

Hey all...

Well, Hockey is back starting next week. I don'tknow about you, but I'm pretty freakin' excited. 2005-2006 turned out to be the best hockey year in a long long time. The scoring was up, the play was much more exciting and the game just simply looked better. We had great playoffs, headlined by the Oilers magical run. This year, some teams, like the Boston Bruins reloaded in a big way. The Canadiens made some subtle changes that could pay big dividends. The San Jose Sharks added Mark Bell of Chicago to an already potent offense. The Canucks changed their coach (Alain Vigneault is in for Marc Crawford), their goalie (Roberto Luongo replaces Dan Cloutier) and their whole philosophy, really. The Oilers traded their unhappy MVP, Chris Pronger, to the Ducks (who have ditched the "Mighty" from their name), for young sniper Joffrey Lupul, and then lost 2 more starters on their blue line.. And so a team that took the Stanley Cup winners to 7 games by playing great defense will now look to win games by outscoring the opposition. Dominik Hasek is back in Detroit (what are they thinking?) while Brendan Shanahan left "HockeyTown" for "The Big Apple", Evgeni Malkin has arrived in Pittsburgh and the Lightning may have found a goaltender. These are just a few of the biggest storylines we'll be looking at this year.

Now, before we get to our preview of the Eastern Conference, let me announce that I will be adding another segment to this blog next week. Indeed, joining "The Dwarf's Tuesday NFL Musings" and "Friday NFL Picks" will be my new NHL column, "Between the Pipes". It will be available every thursday. In it I will discuss what's going on around the league. I will tackle 3 topics per week, along with my "5 things I liked about last week" and my "5 things I disliked about last week" segments. And, of course, there will be a dedicated section for our Hockey Pool.

Speaking fo the Pool, the draft will take place next Wednesday, October 4 (opening night in the NHL), at 8:30pm (Montreal time). The participants look to be Veillotron, Nick the Dick, Sweet LP, Huy, The Dwarf and our good friend Mat Robillard. The draft will be done online, and the address for the chat room will be sent to you in the coming days. If you can't be there, please have a draft list sent to me via email by Wednesday at 8pm. Now, onto the predictions...

NHL 2006-2007 PREDICTIONS

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Ottawa Senators: Even after losing Zdeno Chara, they are still the class of the conference. Martin Gerber, who comes over from Carolina, might've struggled mightily in the playoffs last year, but he had a great regular season and is an improvement over Dominik Hasek. Their offense shouldn't miss Havlat too much, and Tom Preissing and Joe Corvo will help lessen the blow of Chara's departure.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning: Marc Denis is the new goalie in town, and he should do very well. Denis is a workhorse, and he always had good seasons for a bad Columbus team. The loss of Modin hurts, but if Lecavalier and St. Louis improve on last year, the Bolts offense will be more than fine. Losing Pavel Kubina will hurt the defense, but overall, the acquisition of Denis will count for more.

3. New York Rangers: The Rangers look really good right now. King Henrik Lundqvist is already a star in net. Jagr is back to his MVP form, and the addition of Brendan Shanahan will only help an already potent Power Play. Ex-Hurricane Matt Cullen comes in to center the 2nd line and D Aaron Ward solidifies a defense that includes a returning Darius Kasparaitis and futur star Michal Rozsival.

4. New Jersey Devils: The Devils could wind up anywhere depending on what happens with Alex Mogilny. If the league accepts to put Mogilny's salary aside because he can't play, then the Devils will be able to resign 48-goal man Brian Gionta and defenseman Paul Martin. Otherwise, a big trade might be in the works because the Devils are too close to the cap. If Gionta resigns and the team stays as it is, they will be very strong. Brodeur is still an elite goaltender, the defense is strong even if it still lacks the departed Niedermeyer, and the offense is exlosive, led by a returning Patrick Elias, Gionta and Scott Gomez.

5. Montreal Canadiens: I really like this edition of the Canadiens. i think Guy Carbonneau will be a great coach. The goaltending duo of Christobal Huet and David Aebischer will be a very good one. The defense is ok at the 6 starting spots, but it lacks depth. On offense, this team is deep. Saku Koivu and Alex Kovalev will again lead the charge, but this is the year Micheal Ryder and Mike Ribeiro have to explode. Sergei Samsonov was a nice addition (he should contribute for about 25 goals). Getting Mike Johnson might've been their best move though. If their top guys stay healthy, look out.

6. Carolina Hurricanes: Look for the Stanley Cup Champions to fall a little. Aaron Ward is gone, and Frantisek Kaberle is out for 1/2 season. There are still questions regarding Cam Ward's ability to carry the load in nets all year as well. Still, they will have an explosive offense again, led by Eric Staal and the returning Erik Cole.

7. Buffalo Sabres: The Sabres won't sneak up on anyone this year, but they are still good enough to end up in the playoffs. Their star is Ryan Miller, so look for him to have a great year. Tim Connolly comes back after missing a huge chunk of last year, although he might miss the start of the year. Still the Sabres do it by committee on offense, and it works. Jay McKee is a significant loss on the back-end, but he will be adequately replaced by ex-Oilers Jaroslav Spacek.

8. Atlanta Trashers: This is the year they finally make it to the playoffs. Look for Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa to once again fill the back of opposition's nets. Kari Lethonen will have to stay healthy, but if he can, he will reveal himself as one of the league's best.

9. Boston Bruins: The Bruins have one again retooled. This time, though, they are starting to look good. Their defense is now lead by Zdeno Chara and ex-Shark Brad Stuart, as well as ex-Coyote Paul Mara. Their offense is now the domain of budding stars Patrick Bergeron and Brad Boyes. Joining them are 1st round pick Phil Kessel, ex-Trasher and 97-point man Marc Savard, as well as Marco Sturm. Glen Murray is another big name you can add to the mix. The problem for the Bruins is in net, where Toivonen has yet to prove he can carry the team. Boston will be in the hunt until the end, but they'll miss out by 1 or 2 points.

10. Philadelphia Flyers: The Flyers are in a bad place right now. Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Kyle Calder, R.J. Umberger and Simon Gagne will take over this team in a year or two and make it theirs. But they are not ready for that just yet. Peter Forsberg is the centerpiece of the offense, but he misses too many games. The defense is a mess, with Derian Hatcher, Mike Rathje and Denis Gauthier all too slow for the new NHL. Robert Esche is a good enough goalie not to lose games, but he won't win any for you either. Niitymaki will miss the first 2 months with an injury.

11. Toronto Maple Leafs: The Leafs have started to jettison some of the old guard, but they don't seem to be getting any better. Adding Pavel Kubina to the defense was a good move, and I think that Andrew Raycroft should regain his rookie form. Still, the offense is a mess. There isn't enough talent, and the talent they have is too old. Matt Stajan, Alex Steen and Kyle Wellwood will become good players in this league, but they aren't ready to lead this team.

12. Pittsburgh Penguins: Sidney Crosby will improve on his 106-point rookie season and will challenge for the Art Ross trophy. Evgeni Malkin, who will miss the start of the season, will probably wind up with about 60-70 points as a rookie. Yes, he is ready for the NHL. Getting Mark Recchi back after lending him to Carolina was a good move. He provides good leadership. Look for Sergei Gonchar to play like he did in the 2nd half of last season and reclaim his spot as the league's best offensive defenseman. M-A Fleury will continue to get better. This is a young team on the rise, and they will get better as the season goes on.\

13. Washington Capitals: If there ever was a one-man team, this is it. Alexander Ovechkin is this team. Ovechkin won the Calder as the league's best rookie, but if there was a trophy for the most explosive player, he would've won that too. The Caps are a very young team, one lacking talent as well, but look for themto rally around their star and improve on last year. In nets, Olaf Kolzig not only provides a safety blanket to a team that needs one, but he is also very loyal and a true professional.

14. Florida Panthers: As you will read in my next column, I think that the blockbuster trade that sent Roberto Luongo to Vancouver will backfire for both teams. The Panthers thought they could sign Ed Jovanovski on top of getting Todd Bertuzzi in the trade, but they lost him to Phoenix. Big Bert should improve on his totals for the last 2 seasons, and he joins an already pretty good offense that includes Olli Jokinen, Nathan Horton and Stephen Weiss. But after Jay Bouwmeester, there isn't much too like on the blue line. And the goaltending is a mess, with a too old Eddie Belfour challenging Alex Auld.

15. New York islanders: They have the stupidest owner in hockey. Usually, something like that trickles down an organization, and it does here. There is somet talent on the team: Miro Satan, Mike Sillinger, Mike York and Jason Blake are all pretty good fowards, and Rick DiPietro, no matter how stupid the contract the team gave to him is, is a pretty good goalie. But Alexei Yashin is the ultimate cancer. On top of that, their defense is a bit of a mess. Oh, and did I say their owner is just plain dumb?

I'll see you tomorrow for my NFL Picks.

Dwarf out

NFL PICKS - WEEK 4

Arizona vs. Atlanta

Minnesota vs. Buffalo

Dallas vs. Tennessee

San Francisco vs. Kansas City

Indianapolis vs. NY Jets

New Orleans vs. Carolina

Baltimore vs. San Diego

Miami vs. Houston

Detroit vs. St. Louis

New England vs. Cincinnati

Cleveland vs. Oakland

Jacksonville vs. Washington

Seattle vs. Chicago

Green bay vs. Philadelphia

Tuesday NFL Musings - Week 3 Edition

2006-09-26T08:22:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone...

Well, that was a nice weekend of football we just had. I went 9-5 in my picks for the weekend, bringing my season record to 18-12. It's not a great record, but it's nothing to be ashamed of either.

For those who watched, last night they were able to witness something special in New Orleans. The Saints met with the Atlanta in the first game at the Superdome since Katrina the ravaged the stadium and the town about a year ago. So when Steve Gleason slashed through Atlanta's line and blocked a punt 90 seconds into the game, you knew you might be in for something good; and when Curtis Deloath fell on it in the endzone for the first touchdown of the game, you knew on which side faith was.

For the balance of the game, New Orleans completely dominated the Falcons. They held the best ruhsing offense in the league to 117 yards. Although he rushed for 57 yards, Mike Vick was held to 12 completions in 31 attempts for a pedestrian 137 yards and no touchdowns. On the other side of the ball, Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush, who are truly starting to look like the most lethal backfield in the league, combined for 134 yards rushing. Meanwhile, Brees looked awesome all game, not making any mistake whatsoever (that guy is the complete opposite of the Saints' previous QB, Aaron Brooks). When all was said and done, the Saints stood victorious, 23-3. More importantly, they now stand on top of their division, alone at 3-0. And at this point in time, where the Saints end up in the standings at the end of the season is meaningless. What is important is that they are giving the city of New Orleans something they haven't had in a long, long time: something to cheer about.

Random observations from week 3:

Congratulations to Brett Favre, who is now only 18 touchdown passes away from tying Dan Marino's all-time record. It took Favre only 1 more game than it did Marino to reach #400. And I have to say, Brett looked like a young kid again out there on the field on Sunday. I will say this: that one game was enough for me to say the guy made the right decision in coming back. I mean, don't look just yet, but Favre has thrown for 850 yards, 6 Touchdowns and 3 interceptions since the start of the year, all good for a 87.3 QB rating. Pretty good for a 36 year-old.
The Jacksonville Jaguars need to let Byron Leftwich loose a bit. Against the Colts, they kept running, never letting him get into a comfort zone. Leftwich has never lived up to his billing, but no one has allowed him to.
Kudos to Mark Brunell for his league record 22 straight completions. But I still think the Redskins suck.
David Carr is the top rated QB in the league. That, in itself, is amazing. What's even more amazing is he's doing it on a team that looks like it might not win a single game this year. He needs help, and that defense better start doing something soon.
Last week's comeback by the Giants against the Eagles was a bit of a fluke, i wrote here a week ago. Well, they tried it again this week, but with no success. 2 things the Giants need to do if they want to make the playoffs: Eli Manning needs to learn that a game has 60 minutes, not 30; and that defense needs to start putting pressure on oppoising QB's. The Giants have collected, as a team, a measely 2 sacks in 3 games. That is unacceptable.
The Eagles offense looks pretty good right now doesn't it? Even with Donte Stallworth out, McNabb lit up the 49ers defense for 38 points. Terrell who?
Carolina is such a different team with Steve Smith in the lineup. That guy is more valuable to his team than just about any other player out there.
Carson Palmer is Da Bomb! In a game in which he was harrassed by the Pittsburgh defense, and in which he found himself on his butt after just about every pass attempt, he still threw for 4 touchdowns. Keep in mind, Chad Johnson caught only 2 passes in the game. That Cincy offense has a lot of weapons, and they're all good.
I am starting to like what Denver is doing this year. They are playing great defense. I mean, great, great defense. It took the opposition 11 quarters to finally put up a TD against them, and that includes offenses with guys like Torry Holt, Steven jackson, Larry Johnson and Tom Brady. They balance that out with a terricfic ground game. And now, Jake Plummer is starting to find out how good Javon Walker is. Watch out!
Finally, I like Kurt Warner. He is the prototypical nice guy. He throws a really pretty ball too. But boy does he make stupid mistakes sometimes. Case in point: with under a minute left in the game against St. Louis, the Cards are at the Rams' 14 yard line. Losing by 2, Arizona is looking at running one or two more plays and getting Mr. Automatic, Neil Rackers, on the field to kick the winning field goal. So Warner goes under center and proceeds to fumble the snap. The Rams recover and win the game. Today, Dennis Green announced that Matt Leinart would be starting the next game.

***********************************

It's time that time of year again... what time, you say? Time for hockey pools baby. Get youselves ready, because I am going to whip your collective butts this year. Oh yeah, you can write that down.

Till next time,

Dwarf out

Week 3 NFL Picks

2006-09-21T19:36:00.000-05:00

Hey...

Well, this has been one wheck of a week for me. So, I'm ready for the weekend to arrive. Big time. But before I go on to my weekly NFL picks, let me say that the US will ride Tiger Woods all the way to their victory at the Ryder Cup this weekend. Normally, I would've predicted a US loss, but Sergio Garcia opened his big mouth and said Woods was a bad Ryder Cup player and he wished to play against him 2-3 times. Well, someone should've reminded Garcia that Woods has never lost after being badmouthed or challenged by an opponent.

Also, I have already started to look at what the NHL season will look like. I will stay away from making any predictions until my pool is picked though... I wouldn't want to give you guys pointers on who to pick. But I will say this: The Edmonton Oilers will get scored on a lot, but they will score buckets of goals as well. Looks like a promising season.

Now, onto my NFL Picks:

NY Jets at Buffalo: Chad Pennington has looked great this season. But he has no running game, and the Bills defense has looked even better. There won't be too many points getting scored in that one. I pick Buffalo.
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh: Cincy's defense is banged up. Roethlisberger won't get shutout again. But Carson Palmer and the Bengals will score more points. I pick Cincinnati.
Jacksonville at Indianapolis: The Jaguars made a statement on Monday night. And they always battle the Colts tough. But they always lose by 3 points. No different here. I pick the Colts.
Tennessee at Miami: Miami has had a rough start to this season. But the Titans just might be the cure. Look for Culpepper to get it together. Ronnie Brown will also run for over 100 yds as the Dolphins kill the Titans. I pick Miami.
Washington at Houston: 2 teams that are struggling. But the Texans were expected to struggle. The Redskins are in disarray. Rookie DE Mario Williams gets his 1st sack. I pick Houston.
Chicago at Minnesota: The Vikings are 2-0 but struggled against a bad Redskins team in week 1 and needed Carolina to shoot themselves in the foot to win in week 2. I pick Chicago.
Carolina at Tampa Bay: 2 teams going in the wrong direction. But Carolina should've won last week, while Tampa got killed. I pick Carolina (My bet: Carolina at -3)
Green Bay at Detroit: Favre will have an ok game (2 td's, 1 int). He won't make the big mistake, and his defense will hold on against a bad Detroit offense. I pick Green Bay.
Baltimore at Cleveland: As long as they are healthy, it's hard to pick against the Ravens. Especially when they play against the very bad Browns. This will be a blowout. I pick Baltimore (My bet: Baltimore at -7).
St. Louis at Arizona: The Rams are playing good defense, but bad offense. The Cards will put a lot of points on the board, and as weird as it sounds, the Rams won't be able to keep up. I pick Arizona.
NY Giants at Seattle: Deion Branch sees his first action as a Seahawk. Matt Hasselbeck loves him. Eli Manning again waits until the 4th quarter to wake up. This time it's too late. I pick Seattle.
Philadelphia at San Francisco: The 49ers are getting better, but they're not in the Eagles league yet. Jevon Kearse might be out, but this is still a great D-line. Sorry, Alex Smith. I pick Philadelphia (My bet: Philly at -6 ½)
Denver at New England: A rematch from last year's playoff. Bigger yet, both teams need to win to stay on top of their divisions. Plummer gets better in this game, but Brady is the best. I pick New England.
Atlanta at New Orleans: The Saints come back to the Superdome. The fans will go crazy. The Saints will be charged up. They will fight, they will claw, they will hang on for dear life. But it won't be enough. The Falcons will win by 3 in what will be the best game of the weekend. I pick Atlanta.

Season record: 9-7

By the way, Veillotron wrote a great, must-read comment on the last post. Check it out!

See you Monday!

Dwarf out

The Dwarf's Tuesday NFL Musings - Week 2 Edition

2006-09-19T10:15:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone!

Well, I went a very humbling 9-7 this weekend in my predictions. That, while still over .500 (which is the threshold of acceptability), is not very good. Still, I won 35$ with betting (Won 50$ with Baltimore and San Diego, lost 15$ on Philly), which brings my total earnings to $80 in 2 weeks. So at least I am doing well in that department.

One thing that looked worse than my predictions in week 2 was offense. Yes, offense, as in they're not scoring many points. Tampa's offense, lead by Cadillac Williams, Chris Simms and Joey Galloway, has scored all of 3 points in 2 games. The Raiders offense, which includes Randy Moss, has scored 6 points in 2 games. Pittsburgh got shutout last night. Daunte Culpepper, who was supposed to revive the Miami offense, has been sacked 10 times in 2 games. The vaunted Denver offense with its dominating running game, has scored a whopping 19 points in 2 games.

But while we look at that thinking that offense is down, what I found out is that this is not true at all. Yes, it is true that offensive numbers were way down in week 1 compared to last year. In fact, 553 points were scored in week 1 this year, as opposed to 615 in 2005. That's a big drop. But when you look at week 2, 589 points were scored this year, compared to 565 last year. So, after 2 weeks, the difference is negligeable.

The truth is, we are always looking for storylines. A few years ago, the Patriots started 0-2, and all the talk was about how they had fallen from grace; they went on to win the Super Bowl. Last year, after 2 weeks, the Chiefs were sitting alone in first place in the AFC West, and they wound up not making the playoffs. This year, it's offense that's down. It's the Giants, who might've won the division by beating the Eagles this weekend. It's Jay Cutler, who will be replacing Jake Plummer in 1 or 2 weeks. It's Tony Romo, who will quarterback Dallas to the playoffs. Maybe some of those stories will come true. But don't bet on it.

Random Observations from Week 2

Daunte Culpepper looked even more uncomfortable this week than he did last week for the Dolphins. Ron Jaworski said on NFL Primetime he thought Culpepper looked like someone who didn't trust the system, like he's hlding on to the ball because he doesn't trust his receivers will be at the right place at the right time. I think Jaworski is exactly right.
While I am not too happy the Dolphins lost, I told you that I liked that Bills team. Their defense is just really good. Donte Whitner, the Safety Marv Levy "overreached" for in the draft (according to so-called experts) is looking like a seasoned veteran back there. And there's J.P. Losman who, while not playing great, is really managing the game well and is giving his team a chance to win.
I think John Fox's call of a reverse punt return when leading in the 4th quarter and with Minnesota punting from deep in their own endzone is a stupid call. Still, I think Chris Gamble, who missed on his lateral, is even more stupid. Memo to Gamble: when you see the guy you're supposed to throw it to is surrounded by 3 purple jerseys, don't throw it. That was way dumb.
Washington just doesn't look very good right now. They need Clinton Portis back really fast. And they need a quarterback who doesn't look 100 years old.
Jacksonville's receivers are big guys, big targets. Still, I am amazed at how Byron Leftwitch keeps putting the ball in such tight spaces. I said it last week and I am saying it again: this guy throws the tightest spiral in the tightest spots. No one does it like him in the league.
We can talk about declining offenses all we want, great quarterbacks will be great quarterbacks. Check out these lines: Peyton Manning 400 yds; Donovan McNabb 350 yds, 2 tds, 0 int; Eli Manning 371 yds, 3 tds, 1 int; Brett Favre 340 yds, 3tds, 1 int. That's pretty good.
The Eagles really blew it against the Giants. They were leading by 17 points in the 4th quarter, at home, agaisnt a division foe, and they lost. But to me, that just looked like one of those freak times when the ball starts rolling, and you can't do anything to stop it. Keanu Reeves refers to it as "quicksand" in The Replacements. When the Giants started to get going on offense, suddenly the Eagles couldn't muster any offense of their own. Brian Westbrook fumbled, McNabb missed open receivers... everything went wrong. They kept sending their defense back on the field to get beat up some more, and they eventually lost the game. Oh yeah, and DE Trent Cole took a roughing the passer penalty with 8 seconds to go, giving the Giants kicker a 35-yard field goal to make to tie the game. That was dumb.
Finally, there's New England, who aren't playing that well. Brady is clearly missing Deion Branch. But you know what? They're 2-0. And I bet that when the regular season is all done, the Pats are right there in the playoffs as one of the favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. I hate the Patriots, but Tom Brady is just that good.

I'll be back on thursday with some talk about the upcoming hockey season. Then, I'll check back in on friday for my weekly picks.

Dwarf out.

Observations from Week 1 and predictions for Week 2 in the NFL

2006-09-15T09:38:00.000-05:00

Hey all...

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while, but it's been a crazy week. Hopefully, I can finish my 2006 NFL Preview this weekend and post my predictions for the last 3 divisions between now and Sunday. As for my Tuesday NFL Musings, its first official installement will come next week. For now, here is the unofficial first Tuesday NFL Musings, followed by my predicitons for the weekend.

Random observations from week 1

Is it me or are the annoucers and analysts just getting dumber every year? During the Bears-Packers game, the analyst (forgot who) said that Desmond Clark (TE for the Bears) is one of the best pass-catching TE's in the league, as proven by his stats. He followed that up by saying that Clark is due for a breakout season. What??? First, if he's one of the best, he's probably broken out already. Second, 51 catches (his best season in 2001) is hardly material for being called one of the best. In the Atlanta-Carolina game, the analyst talked about stick tackles (a tackle where the ballcarrier doesn't fall foward). So, as he was saying this, it was 3rd down and 6 for the Panthers. Delhomme threw it low to Keyshawn Johnson, who had to kneel down to catch it. The Falcons defender only had to touch him, which he did. The analysts' comment? "Now, that's stick tackle right there!". As my brother was telling me the other day, I don't know if it's because we're getting older and understand more, but the commentators seemed to have so much more insight when we were younger. Oh how I long for those days...
A quick follow-up on the Bryant McFadden comment of last week. We saw it all this week. Defensive players jumping around and acting like they just won the lottery for basically nothing. Move over Tom Cruise, there are others who want attention as well.
The Ravens sure looked good didn't they? McNair was sharp, the running game was good, and the defense, well, simply dominant. And you know what, I think that when healthy, the Ravens are one of the best teams in the NFL. I just think that come week 12, McNair probably will be sitting on the sidlines with an injury. I saw Ed Reed get up limping after making a tackle (he was ok though). I think if Ray Lewis will get hurt, as he has the last 2 years. I just don't see this team staying healthy. But if they do, watch out.
As for the Bucs, don't put too much in that game. Yeah, they looked terrible. But that O-line will get better. Simms will find a way to not get all his passes batted at the line of scrimmage. Cadillac will get in his groove. And that defense is a proud one, so they will bounce back.
Eli vs Peyton was a great game. I mean, it was worth the 3 hours just to see Plaxico Burress make those 2 incredibly athletic catches. And I don't really like Peyton, but good lord is he good. He faced huge pressure from the Giants front 4 all night, and he kept delivering those clutch passes. One thing though, if the Giants' DBs could hold on to balls, Manning might've been intercepted 3 times.
Some people are already calling for Jake Plummer's head in Denver. But people are dumb, and people have no memory. Remember 2005? The Broncos got clobbered by Miami in week 1, only to bounce back and win 13 of the next 15 games. And Plummer, after throwing 2 ints and 1 fumble in that game, was pretty good the rest of the year. The lesson here? Week 1 means as much as the pre-season, which is nothing.
Experts are split on Byron Leftwitch. One thing they all agree on, though, is that he is one tough guy. They should all agree that the guy can fit the ball into some really tight spots too. A couple of passes he completed last Sunday, only Brett Favre would've dared throw them. And he probably would've gotten picked off. Letfwitch made it look easy.
1 last thing: The Bills will be better than people think. I have them at 8-8 in my NFL preview, and I feel pretty good about that prediction. Their defense was pretty good against the Patriots, although it faltered late in the game, when the Pats ran the ball down their throats during the last 6 minutes of the game. The offense also performed well enough. In the end, they took the Pats down to the wire and could've easily won the game. I don't see them winning in Miami, but games against the Jets (twice), Green Bay, Houston, Tennessee, Detroit and Minnesota all seem very winnable. I like this team, and you'll hear me say it all year.

Week 2 Predictions (games I ambetting on are in bold)

Cincinnati at Cleveland: Cleveland didn't look bad against the Saints, but they will against the Bengals. I pick Cincy.
Tampa Bay at Atlanta: The Bucs defense is fast, real fast. And they were humiliated last week. They will hunt and kill Mike Vick this week. I pick the Bucs.
Buffalo at Miami: Miami knows they have to win this to stay with the Pats. I like Buffalo, but without Takeo Spikes, it will be hard. I pick Miami.
Detroit at Chicago: Detroit's defense will hold the Chicago offense to under 20 points. The only problem is their offense probably won't score more than 10. I pick Chicago.
New Orleans at Green Bay: Reggie Bush will have a good game. So will Drew Brees. But Brett Favre will throw for 4 touchdowns. I pick Green Bay.
Houston at Indianapolis: I like the Texans. I like Gary Kubiak. I like David Carr. He's tough. But Houston looks like a roadkill after this game. I pick Indianapolis.
Oakland at Baltimore: I think the Ravens posting a second shutout this season and the Raiders getting shutout for the second time this season is a real possibility. I pick Baltimore . (My bet: Baltimore at -13)
NY Giants at Philadelphia: Battle for the NFC East begins here. NY is good. But McNabb is looking awesome. Brian Westbrook is healthy. The Eagles "D" looks awesome. I pick Philly. (My bet: Eagles at -3)
Carolina at Minnesota: Minnesota won against Washington but didn't impress me. Carolina is in trouble without Steve Smith and Dan Morgan. I think Smith winds up playing and Carolina wins. I pick Carolina.
Arizona at Seattle: This will be a shootout. Seattle will run wild. Arizona will air it out. In the end, Seattle gets the ball last and wins by a field goal. I pick Seattle.
St. Louis at San Francisco: Alex Smith looked good in his debut. I think he continues to look good here. Steven Jackson looks better. San Fran gets a chance to win it late, but don't. I pick the Rams.
Kansas City at Denver: Trent Green is hurt, but the Chiefs survive that. What they don't survive is a now porous O-Line, and the fact that they never win at Mile High. I pick Denver.
Tennessee at San Diego: The Chargers are loaded and coming off a shutout win. Kerry Collins looked liek he wanted to retire last week. Vince Young will be a worse QB than Mike Vick. I pick San Diego. (My bet: San Diego at -12)
Washington at Dallas. Bledsoe looked bad last week. But he practiced with Owens all week long. He will get pressured, but like McNabb did 2 years ago, when he does he will just throw it to T.O. #81 gets a big game. I pick the Cowboys.
Pittsburgh at Jacksonville. Roethlisberger comes back. He throws 2 td passes, while Willie Parker runs for one. Jacksonville's offense never gets on track. I pick Pittsburgh.

See you guys next week!

Dwarf out.

Pit 28 - Mia 17... and AFC South preview

2006-09-07T22:51:00.000-05:00

Hey all...

Just finished watching the Pittsburgh-Miami game... here are a few impressions from what I saw:

- Pittsburgh looked good on offense even without Roethlisberger. They pounded the ball down Miami's throats, and it paid dividends in the second half when the Dolphins couldn't stop Willie Parker at all. They used the run to setup the pass very well. Best example of that? The 87-yeard touchdown by Heath Miller. Batch faked to Parker and both safeties bit. Miller ran past Zach Thomas (who looked old and slow tonight), caught the ball and neve looked back. This is an offense that might actually become explosive when Big Ben comes back.

- Daunte Culpepper looked an awfully lot more like the 2005 Culpepper than the 2004 one. He was tentative for a lot of the game and his passes weren't that sharp. And towards the end of the second half he imploded. First, he panicked on a corner blitz and lofted a big air ball towards the sideline that was intercepted by Polamalu. Then, on his very next pass, he never read Joey Porter dropping back and threw the ball right in his hands. Porter took it back down the field to score the TD that put Miami away. Then, on his next pass, he overthrew Chris Chambers. And right after that he took a bad 8-yard sack when he should've thrown it away.

- Miami played the whole game without a running game. If they want Culpepper to get back on his feet next game, they'll need to help him with at least a semblance of a running game. Ronnie Brown needs to start living up to his #2 draft choice billing fast, or Miami's playoffs hopes will go down the drain fast.

- In defense of the Dolphins misfirings on offense, the Steelers "D" just looks good. Dick LeBeau is really a genius at disguising coverages and had Culpepper on his heels on night long. But please (and I'm talking to you Bryant McFadden), stop jumping around like you just won the Super Bowl after making a tackle or a big hit. It's your job dumbass. I don't see you crying when you miss a tackle, so why would I have to watch you gloat when you do make one? Just get up and hope you can do it again on the next play.

Now, onto our preview of the AFC South...

AFC SOUTH

1. Indianapolis Colts (12-4)

Head Coach: Tony Dungy (5th year)
2005 Record: (13-3)
Key Acquisitions: PK Adam Vinatieri
Key Departures: RB Edgerrin James, PK Mike Vanderjagt, LB David Thornton, DT Larry Tripplett, WR-KR Troy Walters

Overview:
The Colts needed 14 games to experience their first loss in 2005. But after a splendid regular season that saw them post a 13-3 record, they once again fell short of expectations in the playoffs, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round. PK Mike Vanderjagt, who was made the scapegoat in the defeat after he missed a 46-yard field goal as time expired, is gone. So are star running back Edgerrin James and linebacker David Thornton. Vanderjagt, an excellent kicker who was prone to mistakes under pressure, as well as putting the proverbial foot in his mouth, has been replaced by maybe the best clutch kicker in history, Adam Vinatieri. James will be replaced by Dominic Rhodes, who once rushed for over 1,000 yards when James was hurt in 2001, and promising rookie Joseph Addai. With their 3 star receivers and Peyton Manning at the helm, you can bet the offense will not miss a beat without James. So the Colts are hoping that the golden foot of Vinatieri can help them win a game or two more in January to take them to the Super Bowl.

For all the talk about him not having won the big game yet, Peyton Manning is still the most prolific passer of his generation. He is a modern day Dan Marino, so to speak. Manning can make every throw on the field, and he is the ultimate general in the huddle. Offensive coordinator Tom Moore gives him all the latitude he needs to make adjustments at the line, and he is the best quarterback at directing a no-huddle offense since Jim Kelly did it with Buffalo’s K-Gun offense in the early and mid-90’s. Manning also takes very few bad decisions, so he doesn’t throw a lot of interceptions.

For the first time in years, Manning will not have “The Edge” lining up behind him. In his place will be Dominic Rhodes, most of the time anyway. Rhodes does not pick up the blitz as well as James, nor is he as a receiver, but he is the same type of “slasher” runner as James. He also knows the offense very well. Addai can do everything. He is a big back who like to take one cut and then go. He has good speed, and he can either run over defenders or juke them out. As a rookie, he is not yet adept at picking up the blitz, but he will learn fast. Count on him possibly starting by year’s end.

Wide receiver is the position that makes this offense so hard to defend against. It all starts with All-Pro Marvin Harrison. Harrison is not big, but he can make every catch in the book, and his hands are like glue. On the other side is Reggie Wayne, who exploded last year. Wayne decided to pass up the opportunity to test free agency in order to come back to the Colts. Look for him to have another big year. Brandon Stokley mans the slot. Stokley is the smallest of the three receiver, but he might be the fastest. He is also fearless over the middle, and he is especially clutch on third downs. Terrance Wilkins, who will double as the punt and kick returner, comes in on 4-receiver sets. Dallas Clark, who took over the tight end position when Marcus Pollard left last year, has great hands and knows how to get open. He gives Manning yet another security blanket.

The reason the Colts were so dominant last year is that the defense finally caught up to the offense. Tony Dungy finally got the ingredients he needed to make his cover-2 scheme work, and boy did it ever. The defensive line has become one of the best in the league. Dwight Freeney, who looks like a small pinball out there, collected 11.0 sacks last year. More importantly, because he is almost always double-teamed, he allowed Robert Mathis, who plays opposite him, to collect 11.5 sacks of his own. Look for the pair to total over 20 sacks again this year. Inside, the Colts have 3 starting-caliber tackles. Monte Reagor (5.5 sacks) is very quick and can get around blockers. Raheem Brock moves from defensive end, and look for him to create havoc on pass plays. Corey Simon, who came from the Eagles last year, also figures to see a lot of playing time. The one knock against this unit is that they can be bullied by bigger, power-running offensive lines. But Indy’s offense scores so many points that opposing teams are usually forced to pass more than they want.

At linebacker, the loss of David Thornton will no doubt hurt a lot. He will be replaced by Gilbert Gardner, who observers say should do an adequate job. Still, Thornton was a rising star. On the weakside, smallish Cato June returns. June is really fast and makes plays sideline to sideline. He isn’t very good when he has to take on blocks, but he usually has a lot of space on the weakside. The middle linebacker is Gary Brackett, who, like, June, is very small but very fast. This is a linebacker group that is built to defend the pass, and they are very good at that. But like the defensive line, they can struggle against running teams.

The secondary is not star-studded, but it is deep. The Colts feature 3 cornerbacks that fit the system very well. Jason David and Nick Harper, the starters, are not your typical cover corners, but they are very physical and are excellent in zone coverages. Converted safety Marlin Jackson is the nickel back. Bob Sanders is a future star at free safety. He made his mark last year with his bone crushing hits. He had 92 tackles but only 1 interception. He will have to do better in that department this year. Mike Doss, who is also very physical, is the strong safety. As a group, the five of them only had 9 interceptions last year, and with teams passing so much against them, they have to improve on that number this year.

The Colts play in a fairly weak division, so the crown is theirs. You can also expect them to gain home field advantage throughout the playoffs. But while the regular season is where Indianapolis has shined in recent years, they have to take the next step in the playoffs this year. With a team that has that much talent, it is only a question of time until it happens. It says here that 2006 will be the year it all comes together for the Colts.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7)

Head Coach: Jack Del Rio (4th year)
2005 Record: (12-4)
Key Acquisitions: OT Stockar McDougle
Key Departures: LB Akin Ayodele, OT Ephraim Salaam, S Deke Cooper

Overview:
In 2005, the Jaguars went 8-1 against teams playing under .500 en route to 12-4 record and a wild-card berth. But in the playoffs, they got destroyed by the Patriots. Indeed, the Jaguars probably were not as good as their record indicated. They have one of the best 5 defenses in the league, but their offense is mediocre at best. But in a division that is this weak, expect the Jaguars to get the second place by default.

The centerpiece of the offense is Quarterback Byron Leftwich. Leftwich has a big arm and he is tough as nails, but he is pretty immobile and tends to hold on to the ball too long. Still, last year he threw for 15 TD’s despite missing the last 5 games of the season and he finished with a 89.3 rating. But in the playoffs, the Patriots constantly dropped 7 guys in coverage and Leftwich struggled to get rid of the ball. His backup, Steven Garrard, will never be more than a backup, but he is a good one and he knows the offense. If Leftwih goes down again, he should be able to fill in adequately.

The biggest problem Leftwich will have this year is finding targets. WR Jimmy Smith, who was the Jaguars’ best receiver by a mile and doubled as Leftwich’s security blanket, retired unexpectedly in the offseason. That leaves Ernest Wilford and 2005 first-round draft pick Matt Jones as the starters. Jones has a ton of potential and is a huge target, but as a converted quarterback, he is still very green and perhaps not ready to take on a starring role just yet. Wilford lacks speed and is not great at getting separation, but he is a big target and has developed a nice chemistry with Leftwich. Former first-rounder Reggie Williams is the #3 receiver. At tight end, Jacksonville plans to feature their top pick in this year’s draft, Marcedes Lewis. Lewis has tons of potential, but he missed most of the preseason with an injury, and there are doubts as to how ready he is. Still, with the lack of weapons in the receiving corps, expect Leftwich to try him early.

The most pivotal player on offense will be RB Fred Taylor. If Taylor can have a big season, the offense will ride on his back and be fine. Otherwise, the Jaguars could be in trouble. The knock on Taylor has always been his durability, but he is such a talented runner. He is a big guy, so he can run over people, but he also has great moves, can turn on a dime and has a great burst of speed. He will be playing behind an offensive line that is steady. But if he misses any time, like last year, the Jags offense could be in big trouble. The best back behind him, Greg Jones, is lost for the season.

The Jacksonville defense is another story. While they lack big-name stars, they are one of the best units around. Like most great defenses, it starts in the middle. DT’s John Henderson and Marcus Stroud are huge bodies. Stroud, the better of the two and a perennial Pro Bowl player, is also adept at rushing the quarterback. DE Reggie Hayward (8.5 sacks) is their main threat as a pass rusher. Hayward is also very stout vs. the run. Opposite him is Paul Spicer, who chipped in with 7.5 sacks of his own in 2005. The two are better pass rushers than their numbers indicate, but because the Jags don’t play with a lot of runaway leads, teams don’t pass as much against the Jacksonville defense. Veterans Marcellus Wiley and Rob Meier provide solid depth at both positions.

Mike Peterson anchors the linebackers. Peterson does not take on blocks that well, but playing behind mammoth DT’s Henderson and Stroud, it matters little. Peterson is an excellent athlete and he seems to always be around the ball. He is also very effective in pass coverage, which means he stays in on passing downs as well. Daryl Smith, who recorded 80 tackles and 4.0 sacks last year, is more than adequate on the strong side. He can run with almost any back or tight end in the league. On the weak side, Pat Thomas has made great strides in the pre-season and is looking to push Nick Greisen for playing time.

Rashean Mathis made a name for himself last year at cornerback by picking off 5 passes and becoming one of the better cover men in the league. While he will bite on double moves, Mathis is a tall corner who will win jump balls and he is fast enough to stay in a receiver’s hip pocket. Opposite Mathis, the Jaguars return Brian Williams. After missing almost all of last season, Donovin Darius returns at strong safety. Darius is a solid tackler and is a monster against the run. He will be flanked by Deon Grant at free safety. Grant takes too many chances so he can be a liability at times, but he has great hands and makes a lot of plays.

In the end, this is a Jaguars team that will be severely hampered by its lack of offensive fire power. They should still win more games than they will lose, but with a tougher schedule this year, they will fall short of a playoff berth.

3. Tennessee Titans (6-10)

Head Coach: Jeff Fischer (13th year)
2005 Record: (4-12)
Key Acquisitions: QB Kerry Collins, WR David Givens, S Chris Hope, LB David Thornton
Key Departures: C Justin Hartwig, QB Steve McNair, S Tank Williams,

Overview:
After another miserable season in 2005 in which they were still trapped in salary cap hell, the Titans seem ready to come back from the league’s basement. Tennessee will be looking to build on an off-season that saw them bring in WR David Givens from the Patriots and S Chris Hope of Pittsburgh, as well as standout LB David Thornton of Indianapolis, all through free agency. The Titans also picked up Texas quarterback Vince Young in the first round and RB LenDale White from USC in the second round.

Still, the Titans suffered one loss that could come close to canceling out all those additions: QB Steve McNair, after a long battle with management, was traded away to the Baltimore Ravens. McNair was getting up in age, but he was the leader of the offense. At first, it looked like Billy Volek would finally get his chance to start. But he seemed disinterested in training camp and was unimpressive in the pre-season. So 2 weeks before the start of the season, Tennessee brought in Kerry Collins. At this point, it looks like he will be the starter. Collins has a big arm and he is very experienced and should pick up the system quite easily, but he lacks mobility and just came off a subpar season with the Raiders. Collins is evidently a stopgap solution, with Vince Young waiting in the wings. Most scouts are divided on Young’s potential. But while they might disagree on whether he will become a good player in this league, they all agree that, barring an injury, he should see almost no action this year.

The strength and depth of this offense is at running back. In Chris Brown, Travis Henry and LenDale White, the Titans possess 3 backs capable of starting on many teams in this league. Brown, who has durability concerns, had a great training camp and pre-season and will begin the season as the starter. Brown needs to learn to run with his shoulders lower, or he will continue to get hurt. That being said, he is a good one-cut type runner with good vision and enough speed to get to the outside. Henry is like a tiny little bulldozer. He runs with a lot of power and always keeps his legs going. He does have a tendency to put the ball on the ground. White, the prized rookie, shared the backfield with Reggie Bush for most of his career at USC. The Titans will probably use him on short-yardage situations at first, but if Brown or Henry falters, look for him to get more playing time. White has surprising speed, and like Jerome Bettis, he has very quick feet for a man his size. Rookie Ahmard Hall is the fullback.

Things do not look as rosy at wide receiver. Givens will be one of the starters. Givens has good hands and is a big enough target, but he has yet to play a full season in his career. And so far, his best season is 2005 where he caught 59 passes and 2 touchdowns, hardly #1 receiver-like numbers (and that was with Tom Brady throwing to him). The other starter is Drew Bennett. Bennett is tall and lanky, but he lacks breakaway speed. He is mostly a possession receiver and is better suited as a #3 receiver. There is hardly any depth behind them. Fortunately for Collins, he will have TE Ben Troupe to throw to when things break down. Troupe is a good receiver and always seems to find the soft spot in zones. Erron Kinney backs him up.

While the Titans’ offense got most of the attention during the off-season, it is the defense that will determine how good they can be this year. If the unit plays up to its potential, Tennessee’s record could be better than the one we predict here. When all starters all healthy, the defensive line is among the best in the league. DE Kyle Vanden Bosch had a career year in 2005, posting 12.5 sacks and being stout against the run. DT Albert Haynesworth is a dominating force inside, but he doesn’t stay healthy enough and takes too many plays off. But when he is on his game, he is one of the best. The Titans also picked up DT Robaire Smith from the Texans after the last cuts of the pre-season, and he will enter a rotation that will also include starter Randy Starks and rookie Jesse Mahelona. Travis Laboy (6.5 sacks) is the other starter at defensive end.

The linebacking corps was really upgraded with the addition of ex-Colt David Thornton. Thornton can make plays all over the field and he takes over the strong side. Keith Bulluck, another player with a high motor and a great leader, is the starter on the weak side. Peter Sirmon is adequate in the middle.

The secondary has some big names, but also a big question mark in second-year CB Pacman Jones. Jones a terrific training camp and pre-season before he got himself into trouble with the law again. Last year, Jones played well at times, but he suffered too many lapses. The Titans are hoping he will cut down on mistakes this season, but don’t look for that to happen. The other starter is Andre Woolfolk. Woolfolk is unspectacular but very steady. He doesn’t make enough plays to be considered among the best at his position, but he rarely gets beaten. The safety position gets a huge upgrade with the addition of FS Chris Hope from Pittsburgh. Hope is a hard hitter and makes plays all over the field. Now that he is out of the shadow of Troy Polamalu, he should get his due. Lining up at strong safety will be Lamont Thompson, who is a force against the run. Depth is a concern.

It is evident that the Titans are still reeling from their years in salary cap hell. Some positions still need to be overhauled and depth is a concern down the whole roster. Still, this is a team that is on the rise again, and they seem to be on the right track. Just don’t expect them to make their leap back to respectability this year.

4. Houston Texans (5-11)

Head Coach: Gary Kubiak (1st year)
2005 Record: (3-13)
Key Acquisitions: C Mike Flanagan, WR Eric Moulds, TE Jeb Putzier, DE N.D. Kalu, OT Ephraim Salaam, RB Ron Dayne, DE Anthony Weaver
Key Departures: WR Corey Bradford, WR Jabar Gaffney, S Marcus Coleman, DT Robaire Smith

Overview:
The biggest news coming out of the Houston Texans camp this off-season was the fact that they passed up Reggie Bush in the draft in order to select DE Mario Williams (more on Williams later). That might’ve been a bogus move by former General Manager Charlie Casserly, but more significantly, the Texans will be starting the season with a whole new regime in place. Gary Kubiak, who used to coach Denver’s offense, is in as head coach. Kubiak is a brilliant offensive mind, and he should help the team get out of the funk they have been in ever since entering the league.

One of the first moved Kubiak made was to have the team resign QB David Carr to a long-term extension. Carr has a boatload of potential, but has never really blossomed. But he should benefit tremendously from Kubiak’s presence. Carr can move really well and has a strong arm, so he will fit well in the new west-coast style offense Houston will use. Carr spent the whole off-season working on his mechanics and he looked better in pre-season than he has in years. What should help him more than anything is an improved offensive line. Kubiak brought in former Packers head coach Mike Sherman to coach the O-line. The Texans will integrate the same kind of cut blocking techniques that have made the Denver offensive line so successful. LT Ephraim Salaam, while no standout, is an improvement over former starter Seth Wand, who was released. He will alternate with rookie Charles Spencer as the man charged with protecting Carr’s blindside. C Mike Flanagan comes in from Green Bay, and he will anchor the line and make the calls at the line of scrimmage. He brings in a lot of veteran leadership. Chester Pitts and Fred Weary are adequate at guard, and former Dolphins center Seth McKinney is ready to step in case of an injury. Zach Wiegert, who really improved last year as the season went on, is the starting right tackle. While this is far from a great unit, expect Carr to take less than the 62 sacks he suffered last year.

Carr will also benefit from a vastly improved receiving corps. Eric Moulds comes in from Buffalo to be the #2 receiver opposite Andre Johnson. Moulds does not have the breakaway ability he once had, but he still has very good hands and is an excellent possession receiver. Look for him to become a security blanket for Carr. Johnson should also benefit from Moulds’ presence. Johnson was double-teamed on every play last year, but that shouldn’t be the case anymore. Johnson is a legitimate game breaker. He has great hands, awesome vertical jumping ability and is very fast. Look for him to explode the same way he did in 2004. Kevin Walter, who came in from Cincinnati, will see action as the #3 receiver. TE Jeb Putzier, who Kubiak brought with him from Denver, is a huge upgrade in the passing game over Mark Bruener, who is much more of a blocking tight end. Also, rookie Owen Daniels has looked great in training camp and the Texans are excited at the possibilities in using two-TE sets.

The big question mark on offense is at running back. Starter Domanick Davis was lost for the season with a knee injury. The Texans brought in Ron Dayne from Denver to challenge rookie Wali Lundy and incumbent Vernand Morency for playing time. Somehow, Reggie Bush looks like he would’ve been a good fit there. Still, Kubiak, aling with Mike Shanahan, was a master of turning no-names into star running backs. It will be tougher with a subpar offensive line, but we think Houston will be ok. They’ll have trouble running on tough defenses, but should do ok against the weaker ones.

DE Anthony Weaver, who comes over from Baltimore, will start on one end. But all eyes will be opposite him. Rookie Mario Williams, whom the Texans chose over Reggie Bush with the first pick in the draft, will need a monster season to justify the pick. Physically, Williams reminds scouts of Panthers standout Julius Peppers. He is extremely fast for a player his size, and he has the long arms scouts love. But he was known for taking too many plays off in college. He also got many of sacks in spurts and against weaker teams. The Texans will do everything to make him successful. They will move him everywhere on the line and have him the QB from different angles. Jason Babin, a former first rounder himself, and N.D. Kalu provide good depth.

At linebacker, Miami castoff Morlon Greenwood is the best of the trio. The Texans will start promising rookie Demeco Ryans in the middle. Ryans has all the tools, but some think he might not be ready to start yet. Shantee Orr is the other starter. This is an area of concern for the team.

The star of the defensive backfield is CB Dunta Robinson. Robinson is an excellent CB who has wonderful pure cover skills. He takes away one side of the field. He can also come up with a big play, and is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. Opposite him is Lewis Sanders. Sanders is nowhere as fast nor as good as Robinson and he will get picked on a lot this year. Phillip Buchanon, who gets burned way too much, is the nickel back. Buchanon loves to go for the big play, and he gets his share, but he is a liability far too often. Glenn Earl and C.C. Brown are adequate at best at safety.

The arrival of Gary Kubiak no doubt brings a breath a fresh air to a team that badly needed it. His coaching and intricate schemes will probably turn the offense into a potent one, but there are way too many questions marks on defense. The Texans are still a year or two away from being contenders.

.........................................

Check back here on Monday... I will finish the last 3 divisions over the weekend. Then, on Tuesday, I will give my playoff and Super Bowl predictions, as well as my overall impressions of the first weekend of Football of the year. And for the following weeks, I will post my review of each week every Tuesday in a segment I will call my NFL Tuesday Musings...

Enjoy Sunday everyone... we've been waiting for it long enough!

Dwarf out

NFC North

2006-08-30T00:06:00.000-05:00

1. Chicago Bears (12-4)

Head Coach: Lovie Smith (3rd year)
2005 Record: (11-5)
Key Acquisitions: QB Brian Griese, CB Ricky Manning Jr.
Key Departures: CB Jerry Azumah, PK Doug Brien

Overview:
The Bears are returning with their division champs team almost intact. In fact, they are returning all 22 starters. And Chicago should be able to feast on what promises to be a weak NFC North.

For the Bears, it all starts with defense. The unit ranked first in the NFL last year, and looks to be even deeper this year. Like all great defenses in the league, the Chicago is very strong all along the defensive line. It starts at defensive end with Adewale Ogunleye. Ogunleye missed 4 games with injuries last year, but still racked up 10.0 sacks. He is the prototypical DE: very fast, strong, with long arms. At the opposite side, veteran Alex Brown starts. Brown does not get as many sacks as Ogunleye, but he is stouter against the run. Inside, Tommie Harris has matured very nicely as the ‘under’ tackle. Harris isn’t overly big, but he is very quick and he can get to the quarterback in a hurry. Alfonso Boone, who is 6’4” and 320 lbs, will line-up beside Harris. Boone will play the NT position. His role consists in occupying blockers, allowing Harris and the linebackers to make plays. Last year, he performed quite well, but durability is a concern. To keep him fresh, look for the Bears to rotate him with rookie Dusty Dvoracek.

While the defensive line is solid and deep, linebacker is the true position of strength on this defense. The big name, of course, is Brian Urlacher. When healthy, he is a player that has no real flaw. Urlacher was healthy for a full season last year, and he finished with 122 tackles and 6 sacks. He has great range and covers a lot of the field. He is quite adept at rushing the QB on the blitz, and he is fast enough to go around blocks and strong enough to run through them. Simply, he is a nightmare for opposing coaches. Urlacher is joined on the weak side by another superior player, Lance Briggs. Briggs does not get the recognition Urlacher does, but he makes just as many big plays on the field, and he might be a surer tackler as well. Hunter Hillenmeyer joins them on the strong side.

The Bears’ defense features quality starters at every position, but its greatest strength might be its depth. Nowhere is this more true than in the secondary. At one corner we find Nathan Vasher, who is coming off a Pro Bowl year in which he snagged 8 interceptions. Vasher is big enough (5’10” 180lbs.) to hang with the bigger receivers in the league and he has great recovery speed too. His counterpart on the left side is Charles Tillman. Tillman had his problems in coverage last year, but he has apparently made some changes in his technique that have worked well so far. The nickel corner is new addition Rickey Manning Jr., who comes over from Carolina. Manning is a tough corner who likes to play bump-and-run a lot and get into wide receivers’ faces. He will help solidify an already very good defensive backfield. Mike Brown, who missed the last 4 games of the year in 2005, is back at free safety. Brown is injury-prone, but when healthy ranks amongst the best safeties in the league, and he is a tremendous leader for this defense. Chris Harris, who started at strong safety as a rookie last year, is back alongside Brown. That being said, people around the club are raving about Danieal Manning, the Bears’ first of 2 second round picks this year. He seems poised to overtake Harris for the starting job, even though that will probably not happen until after a few weeks into the regular season.

On offense, the Bears figure to have problems scoring once again. Running behind a pretty good offensive line, Thomas Jones had a career year in 2005. Before training camp began, though, 2005 first round pick Cedric Benson was anointed as the starter. (Now, allow us to make it clear that we are not fond of Benson in this corner. We’ve always seen Benson as a bit of a problem child, and with Jones already on board, we thought Chicago had wasted their pick when they chose Benson at #4.) But Benson hasn’t managed to stay healthy throughout training camp, and a week ago, he left the sidelines midway through a game and didn’t return. His attitude is quickly becoming a problem, and so Jones is back as the starter. But whoever starts for this team will get many carries and will have a very productive year.

The problem for the Bears lies in the passing game. Starting quarterback Rex Grossman has yet to play a full season in this league, so he is a constant injury risk. Moreover, Grossman has looked rather ordinary in camp, if not mediocre. Brian Griese, who was brought in as a free agent from Tampa, has looked much better. Grossman will have to get his act together quickly or we will see Griese starting before long.

At wide receiver, Muhsin Muhammad was the prized addition last year, and he responded with a good campaign, considering he had Kyle Orton throwing to him most of the year. Muhammad is a huge body with great hands who still enough speed to create separation, even though he is starting to slow down a little. Opposite him, Bernard Berrian figures to be the starter. Berrian, like Muhammad, is a big guy. He should benefit from Muhammad getting double-covered a lot. The main backup is possession receiver mark Bradley. The Bears are set at tight end with Desmond Clark, an unspectacular receiver but excellent blocker.

Look for the Bears to have a season very similar to the last one. While their offense will be better and a bit more explosive with either Grossman or Griese running it instead of Kyle Orton, Chicago will still win games by playing great defense. And in a division that looks very weak, look for the Bears to perhaps run the tables in the North and challenge for home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

2. Green Bay Packers (8-8)

Head Coach: Mike McCarthy (1st year)
2005 Record: (4-12)
Key Acquisitions: S Marquand Manuel, NT Ryan Pickett, LB Ben Taylor, CB Charles Woodson
Key Departures: WR Antonio Chatman, LB Na’il Diggs, C Mike Flanagan, DT Grady Jackson, K Ryan Longwell, WR Javon Walker

Overview:
The big headline grabber in Packer-Land this spring was whether or not Brett Favre would come back for another year. And, as we now know, the All-Pro quarterback will be back at the helm of the Green Bay offense. Lost in the shuffle of the Favre news was the fact that the Packers have a new head coach, Mike McCarthy. McCarthy did his apprenticeship under Andy Reid as a quarterback coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, but he is best known for his work as the offensive coordinator for the Saints. Last year, he coached the 49ers offense. While McCarthy is from the West Coast Offense school of thought, he preaches a style that includes far more deep passes and more of a power running game. His offense is a bit of a mix between the pass-oriented Eagles offense and the deep-six Raiders offense. On the defensive side of the ball, Jim Bates, the man who led the Packer defense to 7th in the NFL, left the team this off-season. Still, his philosophy and attacking style will remain, much to the delight of the players, most of whom thrived under Bates.

Brett Favre’s return is great news for the Green Bay offense. While Favre is getting older and does not have the escaping ability he once possessed, nor the invincibility he was once known for, he is still one of the best pure passers this league has to offer. Favre has a cannon for an arm, and he can still thread the needle like very few quarterbacks can. Plus, he is the ultimate leader, the perfect guy to march an offense down the field. What Favre needs to do this year is to put less on his shoulders and not try to force plays as often as he did last year. He needs to start letting his receivers and backs make more plays on their own. In that regard, having a healthy Ahman Green, along with Najeh Davenport, back in his backfield should help a lot. Last year, both got hurt, and the bulk of the running duties were given to Samkon Gado, who made great strides as the year went on. Look for the Packers to rotate all three this year. That should help keep them fresh and healthy, as well as keep defenses off balance. Veteran William Henderson will be back once more as the ever reliable fullack. Green Bay is also set at wide receiver, where Donald Driver (86 rec, 1221 yds, 5tds) is back as Favre favorite target. The split end position is Robert Ferguson’s to lose, but he is receiving major competition from rookie 3rd rounder Greg Jennings. At 5’11” and 196 lbs, Jennings is not a huge target, but he has speed to burn. In camp, he has also showcased very good hands and has shown absolutely no fear going over the middle. He could be starting at some point this year. TE Bubba Franks, a longtime safety valve for Favre, is back for a 7th year. Donald Lee and David Martin also figure to get playing time.

The one issue the Packers have on offense is on the offensive line. The starting tackles, Chad Clifton on the left and Mark Tauscher on the right, are both very experienced and reliable, but depth is a concern. C Mike Flanagan defected via free agency, but Scott Wells should prove to be an adequate replacement. The big problem is at guard, where rookies Jason Splitz and Tony Moll figure as the starters. Green Bay is looking to implement the same type of cut blocking schemes the Broncos use, and the thinking is that using younger, more agile players will help the transition. The 3 youngsters that form the interior line will determine much of the faith of the Packer offense this year. If they can protect Favre, then the offense should thrive. If not, it could spell another miserable year for the veteran quarterback.

On defense, there is a lot of hope after last year’s improved performance. Aaron Kampman (6.5 sacks) and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (8.0 sacks) anchor the defensive line. Ryan Pickett, who comes over from St. Louis, and the oversized Colin Cole will be the tackles. This is a line that can get to the quarterback by itself, and the huge Cole should help keep blockers off the linebackers, who form the strength of this defense.

It all starts in the middle with Nick Barnett (139 tackles). Barnett has a lot of speed and he really has a knack for finding the football. He also has great range, which means he doesn’t come off on passing downs. He will be joined on the strong side by Ben Taylor, who recorded 110 tackles last year and is a solid, if unspectacular player. On the weakside, Green Bay will start prize rookie A.J. Hawk. Hawk is often compared to longtime Detroit Lion Chris Spielman, in that he has a motor that never stops. He is also being compared to Brian Urlacher, because he possesses so much speed and he can track down the ball carrier all over the field. In training camp, Hawk has been a little slow to get a complete grasp of the defense, though. Still, he has amazing instincts, so while you can expect him to blow a few assignments this season, he will make a lot of big plays for this defense.

The other big addition on defense is CB Charles Woodson. Woodson has a history of getting injured, but when he is healthy, he can be one of the premier cornerbacks in the league. He has lost a step with age, but he can still take away one side of the field. The other starter will again be Al Harris. Often penalized Ahmad Carroll will move to the nickel spot. The strong safety spot will be manned by Marquand Manuel who comes over from Seattle. Manuel is very good in run support, but he is a liability in coverage. Nick Collins will start at free safety.

The special teams will no doubt be affected by the loss by reliable PK Ryan Longwell. Second-year man Dave Rayner will replace him. Rookie Jon Ryan has been tabbed as the punter. There are also issues at the punt return position, where no starter has been named as of this writing.

All in all, the Packers will experience some growing pains this year. But there is enough veteran leadership on this squad that they will be able to take advantage of a weak division. If they can stay healthy, they should surprise some people.

3. Detroit Lions (6-10)

Head Coach: Rod Marinelli (1st year)
2005 Record: (5-11)
Key Acquisitions: WR Corey Bradford, TE Dan Campbell, QB Jon Kitna, QB Josh McCown, DE Tyoka Jackson, S Idrees Bashir, CB Jamar Fletcher, OT Rex Tucker
Key Departures: CB R.W. McQuarters, CB Andre’ Goodman, LB Wali Rainer, QB Jeff Garcia, QB Joey Harrington, OT Kyle Kosier

Overview:
For several years now, the Lions franchise has been a losing one. Under Steve Mariucci, Detroit underachieved year after year. And at the end of last year, there was no sense of accountability on the team, and players left and right were accusing the coaches and their own teammates for the lack of success. Enter Rod Marinelli. Marinelli has long been a key ingredient in helping Monte Kiffin build the vaunted Buccaneers defense of the last few years. He is a no-nonsense guy, one who is very hard but also fair on his players. Getting him into the fold was undoubtedly a great move by President and GM Matt Millen.

Marinelli’s first move was to bring in Mike Martz to run the offense. While Martz had his troubles a head coach of the Rams, he is an offensive genius. He will help spark the offense, and he will use every trick in the book to get big plays out of his squad. The Lions then cut ties with first-round bust Joey Harrington and brought in Jon Kitna and Josh McCown to replace him at quarterback. Kitna will be the starter entering the season. Kitna is known in league circles as a true warrior. Kitna does not have a great arm or great mobility, but he truly makes the most of his ability. He also proved to be a very good tutor for Carson Palmer in Cincinnati, and he will do the same here for the young McCown.

At running back, Kevin Jones has great potential. Jones is a big back who runs with a lot of power, but he has uncanny moves for a man his size and he also has speed to burn. He showed up in camp at a very lean 220 lbs, and Martz plans to use him in the same way he used Marshall Faulk in St. Louis. If Jones can stop underachieving, he could enjoy a breakthrough season. Shawn Bryson is a good receiver out of the backfield and he figures in as the 3rd down back. Veteran Cory Schlesinger is the fullback.

The receiving corps is a great example of the old saying ‘what a difference a year makes’. Last year, everyone was talking about the potential of the Detroit offense with 3 former 1st rounders at the wide receiver position. This year, Roy Williams has one of the two starting positions secured, but Charles Rogers and Mike Williams have fallen out of favor with the new coaching staff. Mike Williams has been having trouble with his routes, and Rogers is on the verge of being released. As of this writing, Corey Bradford, a speedster who never developed to his full potential, figures to hold the other starting spot. The diminutive Eddie Drummond will probably man the slot position. Martz likes his potential as a Az-Hakim type of receiver. Glenn Martinez is slotted as the 4th receiver. At tight end, ex-colt Marcus Pollard is back as the pass-catching specialist. He should see a lot of action on 3rd downs. The starter is Dan Campbell, who comes over from Dallas. Campbell is an average receiver at best, but he is a very good blocker, and he should help the Lions improve their running game.

On defense, Detroit strength is its front seven. It all starts at defensive tackle where Shaun Rogers, perhaps the Lions’ best player, should flourish under new coordinator Donnie Henderson’s aggressive style. Replacing the departed Dan Wilkinson beside Rodgers will be second-year man Shaun Cody, who has enjoyed a strong camp. The starting defensive ends, James Hall and Cory Redding, are nothing to write home about, but they are solid against the run. The best pass rusher of the group might be backup Kalimba Edwards, who resigned with the Lions to get an opportunity to play for Marinelli. There is a possibility he could flourish when coming in on passing downs.

At linebacker, the Lions will field what could be the fastest unit in the league. But it might also be the most fragile unit in the league. MLB Boss Bailey is super fast and is a sure tackler. He lacks great instincts, but makes up for it with pure athleticism. Still, he has only played 11 games in the last 2 years. SLB Paris Lenon is unspectacular, but he rarely misses an assignment. The weak side will be manned by rookie Ernie Sims, who has a history of concussions. Still, Sims is being groomed to play the same role Derrick Brooks plays in Tampa. Like Bailey, he has speed to burn, but he is a much bigger hitter. If he can stay healthy, look for him to make a big impact this year. With such durability concerns, depth might be a problem.

The secondary is nothing to write home about, but it is solid enough. CB Dre’ Bly (6 ints) is the star of the unit. While he isn’t big, he is fast enough and has good enough instincts to match up one-on-one with just about any receiver in this league. Fernando Bryant, who has durability issues of his own, is the other starter. If they can both stay healthy, veteran newcomer Jamar Fletcher is a good nickel back. But if he has to start, the Lions will be in trouble. At safety, Detroit has a pair of big-hitting defenders in Kenoy Kennedy and Daniel Bullocks, who should take over from Terrence Holt at free safety. Kennedy is a force against the run, but he lacks range. Bullocks could become a really good player, but he needs to take less chances and not always look for the big hit.

The special teams are solid with All-pro Jason Hanson handling the kicking duties and with Nick Harris as the punter. Eddie Drummond is electrifying as a return man and is a threat to score every time he touches the ball.

All in all, the Lions should be much improved from last year, even if their record won’t show it. What fans will see, though, is a much better attitude on the field, and a lot more fight and less quit in their players. The Lions are a work in progress, but they are on the right track, finally.

4. Minnesota Vikings (5-11)

Head Coach: Brad Childress (1st year)
2005 Record: (9-7)
Key Acquisitions: OG Steve Hutchinson, LB Ben Leber, K Ryan Longwell, QB Mike McMahon, RB Tony Richardson, RB Chester Taylor, S Tank Williams
Key Departures: WR Nate Burleson, RB Michael Bennett, S Corey Chavous, LB Sam Cowart, QB Daunte Culpepper, DE Lance Johnstone, WR Koren Robinson, CB Brian Williams

Overview:
2005 was an odd year for the Vikings. The season began with Minnesota having their sights set on the Super Bowl. Randy Moss, a huge distraction, was gone, and this was finally Culpepper’s team. The problem is that with his offensive coordinator, Scott Linehan, and his favorite receiver both gone, Culpepper struggled mightily, until he broke his leg and was lost for the season. But the big storyline of 2005 for the Vikings was the “Party Boat” incident. Several players were charged and the whole team was really covered with shame. Even though Brad Johnson came in and rallied the team to a respectable 9-7 record, there was still a sour taste left in people’s mouth.

Owner Ziggy Wilf, seeking respectability, fired head coach Mike Tice and replaced him with Eagles offensive coordinator Brad Childress. Then, the team traded away Culpepper and essentially handed the reins of the offense to 37 year old Brad Johnson. Still, controversy remains in Minnesota. Koren Robinson, who was handed a fat contract to be the team’s #1 receiver, got in trouble with the law and was recently released. Childress might become a good coach, but he has his work cut out for him with a team that lacks discipline and, frankly, is much less talented than recent editions.

Johnson is a veteran quarterback, one who makes very few mistakes. But Johnson is limited physically. He does not have great arm strength or great mobility. He is a very good leader, though, and is well respected by all his teammates. He is the type of quarterback that does not lose games, but he does not win them either. Mike McMahon, who played for Childress last year in Philadelphia, is the backup. If Johnson gets injured or falters, the Vikes will be in trouble. Keep an eye on second round draft choice Tavaris Jackson. He will simply hold the clipboard this year, but he has all the tools to eventually succeed. Under the tutelage of Childress, he should develop nicely and could start as soon as next year.

At running back, Minnesota brought in Chester Taylor, a 3rd down back with the Ravens, to be their starter. Taylor is a good receiver out of the backfield, but he does not create the matchup problems Brian Westbrook did in Philly for Childress. Taylor has good speed and good cutback abilities, but he has never carried an offense on his back, so the jury is still out on whether he can be an every down back. With Ciatrick Fason and Mewelde Moore as the backups, depth is a huge concern.

The offensive line got a huge boost with the signing of all-pro guard Steve Hutchinson. Hutchinson might be the best guard in football. He can do everything: he is a punishing run blocker, he has the speed and athleticism to pull to either side, and he is flawless in pass blocking. With former 1st rounder Bryant McKinnie at tackle, the Vikings now possess one of the best left sides in the league. Matt Birk, a leader and a very intelligent player, is back at center. Artis Hicks is a capable right guard, and he is backed up by former starter but aging Chris Liwienski. Right tackle is more of a concern. Converted guard Marcus Johnson is powerful, but his technique needs improvement.

When Minnesota signed Steve Hutchinson as a restricted free agent, they included a clause in their offer that said Hutchinson would need to be the highest paid lineman on the team. With Seattle having all-pro Walter Jones on their payroll, that effectively raised Hutchinson’s price tag by 2 millions if he were to re-sign with the Seahawks. That clause created a lot of animosity between the two teams, so Seattle turned around and pulled the same trick on the Vikings to pry away their #1 receiver, Nate Burleson. Losing Burleson is a huge blow to the Vikings offense, because with Robinson now released, they do not have a #1 receiver. Second year man Troy Williamson now becomes Johnson’s main target. Williamson is extremely fast, but he is still very raw. He is not a polished route runner, and his hands are not great either. Last year, he had only 24 receptions. Travis Taylor becomes the other starter. Taylor is a former first round pick who never really panned out. He is better suited to play a reserve role. Aging Marcus Robinson has clearly lost a step and is now a possession receiver. Jermaine Wiggins is back as the starting tight end, and he caught 69 passes last year. Yet, all of Wiggins’ catches totaled only 568 yards, and he only caught 1 touchdown.

The defense is a big question mark. There is some talent there, but it has yet to prove it can gel into a cohesive unit. DT Kevin Williams is already a star, and he can create havoc from the interior. He is very good at penetrating the line, as his 26 career sacks prove. Pat Williams will line up inside with him, but at 33, he is nothing more than a run stopper. DE Erasmus James will start at right end. As a rookie, he collected 4.0 sacks, but he has the potential for much more. If he fulfills that potential will go a long way in determining the fate of this defense. Kenechi Udeze is the other starter.

At linebacker, Minnesota has a lot of bodies, but they need to find the right combination. Rookie Chad Greenway was expected to make a big impact, but he is lost for the season. Ex-Raider Napoleon Harris will start in the middle. Harris has enjoyed a very good camp, but he never performed up to his first round billing. He is a good tackler, but he lacks range and does not take on blocker so well. E.J. Henderson, a former starter in the middle, moves to the weak side to replace Greenway. Ben Leber was given $4,000,000 to be the strong side linebacker, and he is a good one. Dontarrius Thomas can play both outside linebacker positions, and he could even challenge Henderson.

The strength of this defense lies with its starting cornerbacks. Fred Smooth is a very good cover corner, although he did struggle at times last year. Antoine Winfield can stay with any receiver, but he drops way too many interceptions. An while the starters are good, depth is a concern. At free safety, Dwight Smith should do a fine job in the new cover 2 defense the Vikings are trying to implement. Smith played in that defense when he was in Tampa. Darren Sharper is the starter at strong safety, but he is getting up in age and is nowhere near the player he once was, although he did pick off nine passes last year.

If Minnesota can somehow manufacture a pass rush, the defense should be fine. But there are just too many questions on offense. Yes, they will have a very good offensive line. And yes, Brad Childress has done terrific things with past Eagles offenses that lacked talent at the running back and wide receiver positions. But back then, he had quarterback named Donovan McNabb. It will be hard to bring out the same type of results with Brad Johnson at the helm.

AFC North

2006-08-23T01:39:00.000-05:00

1. Cincinnati Bengals (11-5)

Head Coach: Marvin Lewis (4th year)
2005 Record: (11-5)
Key Acquisitions: DT Sam Adams, S Dexter Jackson, QB Anthony Wright.
Key Departures: QB Jon Kitna, TE Matt Schobel

Overview:
In 2005, the Bengals saw their dreams of going deep into the postseason get shattered in the beginning of their wild-card matchup with Pittsburgh, when Carson Palmer blew out his knee. The whole team would eventually falter in the second half and let the Steelers run away with the victory. In 2006, Cincinnati looks to rebound with a team that very much resembles the one they fielded last year. On offense, Carson Palmer returns to lead the NFL’s second most potent offense. As of this writing, Palmer still hasn’t participated in a pre-season game, but reports out of training camp say that he is looking great, and he has come out and said that he plans to see his first action on Monday, August 28 against the Packers. If he is healthy, Palmer is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. He is big and strong, and quite mobile for such a big man. He also has a Marino-like feeling for the rush, and he slides very well inside the pocket. Palmer throws the prettiest deep ball in the league, and he can make every throw in the book. Physically, he is as gifted as any QB out there. If he can’t start the season, which is unlikely at this point, new acquisition Anthony Wright will hold the fort until Palmer is ready.

But while Palmer is the unquestioned leader of this offense, he has many weapons at his disposal. It starts at wide receiver, with perhaps the most entertaining player in the league in Chad Johnson. Johnson has a big mouth, but he has the big-play capability to back it up. In the last 2 years, he has become one of the top 5 receivers in the game. On the opposite side of the field, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who also had a spectacular season last year, is the perfect compliment to Johnson. Together they form what might be the best pair of receivers in the league. The main backup is Chris Henry, a big target with speed to burn, but he has had troubles with the law, so a suspension is likely. After that, depth is a concern. At running back, Rudi Johnson is back with his bruising style. Since coming on in relief of Corey Dillon 3 years ago, Johnson has carried the ball more than back in the league but one. Very rarely does he have a bad game. The change of pace back, Chris Perry, got injured this pre-season. The Bengals would love to get him the ball more, but he is expected to miss the start of the season, so the diminutive Kenny Watson becomes the de-facto #2. But when talking about the Cincinnati offense, we have to mention the offensive line, one of the best in the business. OLT Levi Jones has developed into one of the best pass protectors in the league, and he also has a nasty streak. On the other side, Willie Anderson is the consummate professional. He is getting old, but his technique is still great and he is the leader of the line. LG Eric Steinbach is starting to get recognition as one of the best guards in the NFL, and RG Robbie Williams and C Rich Brahman are more than solid starters. Furthermore, this group has great depth, and they have been playing together for 3 straight years now, and the results are evident.

On defense, the acquisition of DT Sam Adams will help tremendously against the run, the weak spot of this defense. Adams can get lazy at times and at his age, he cannot stay on the field for a full game, but he is huge. He creates big problems for offensive with his size, and his presence will help the linebackers do their job. Next to Adams will line-up John Thornton, who had a fine season last year with 58 tackles, 2 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. At DE, Justin Smith returns after registering 92 tackles and leading the team in sacks (6). Smith is not spectacular, but he does everything right. Bryan Robinson, a former DT who missed 6 games last year, will start opposite Smith.

Earlier in the off-season, Cincinnati learned that they would have to do without MLB Odell Thurman for the first 4 games of the year because of a suspension. Thurman was spectacular as a rookie last year, leading the team with 148 tackles. But Marvin Lewis seems to be disappointed in the youngster, so it remains to be seen whether Thurman regains his starting spot when he comes back. WLB Brian Simmons, one of the most complete linebackers in the league, will move in the middle. Landon Johnson, who has played in the middle before, moves into Simmons’ weakside spot. David Pollack, the prized first-rounder from last year, returns on the strong side. After a difficult rookie campaign, he has looked great in training camp and seems poised to have a big season.
But perhaps the best area of the Bengals defense is the secondary. Cornerbacks Tory James and Deltha O’Neal are big-time gamblers, but they do get a lot of interceptions. Keiwan Ratliff provides good depth and rookie Jonathan Joseph has reportedly looked good in camp so far. At safety, Dexter Jackson comes over from Tampa, and he knows the defense really well, so he should fit in nicely alongside SS Madieu Williams, a budding superstar.

In a way, the Bengals are exactly where the Colts were 2-3 years ago. They have a nearly unstoppable offense, but the defense is a work in progress. And while the “D” should be a bit better this year, it remains to be seen whether Carson Palmer can dissect defenses as well as he did last year. Still, when it comes to pure talent, the Bengals are the class of this division, and that should be enough to translate into a division title.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)

Head Coach: Bill Cowher (14th year)
2005 Record: (11-5)
Key Acquisitions: S Ryan Clark.
Key Departures: S Chris Hope, RB Jerome Bettis, WR Antwaan Randle El, DE Kimo Von Oelhoffen.

Overview:
The Super Bowl XL Champions return with their championship winning team almost intact. Sure, they suffered a few losses, but not one of these players is irreplaceable. QB Ben Roethlisberger comes back to lead an offense that should be better and a little more open now that the youngster is in his 3rd year. In 2005, as the season went on, offensive coordinator Ken Wisenhunt gave more and more leeway to Roethlisberger, especially at the start of games, and ‘Big Ben’ was more than up to the task. The 6’5”, 241 lbs. quarterback is 27-4 in his career, and he is looking to build on that. Most experts agree that he is ready to become a good “fantasy” quarterback as well. Look for the Steelers to expand their offense back to what it was about 3 years ago with Tommy Maddox at the helm: a power running offense that can surprise you with empty backfields and 2-minute drills at any time in the game.

For all his prowess, Roethlisberger probably would’ve never enjoyed half the success he’s had if it hadn’t been for the incredible offensive line playing in front of him. Now that Steve Hutchinson has left Seattle and that former Chief Willie Roaf has retired, the Steelers boasts the best left side in the league. LG Alan Faneca is a fixture on the Pro Bowl squad every year, and LT Marvel Smith is as steady as they come. Both are just as efficient in run blocking as they are in pass blocking. Jeff Hartings had another great year at center. A natural guard, he can pull better than most centers in the league and he is very athletic. He is also very good at recognizing blitzes and making adjustments, and he is a great help to his young quarterback. On the right side, Kendall Simmons is, when healthy, as good a right guard as there is in this league. Last year, he went injury-free and had a great season. RT Max Starks is big and strong (6’8”, 340 lbs.) but he lacks the finish of his counterparts. This is a line that has played together for a long time, and they are perhaps the best group in the league.

At running back, ‘Fast’ Willie Parker is looking for a big season. Reports out of training camp have him being a more patient and a more complete back than last year, when he went over 1,200 yards. Parker has great speed and sees the cutback lane very well, but if he can learn to let his blocks develop in front of him, he can be a great back for a long time. Backing him up, and at the same time taking Bettis’ old spot will be Duce Staley. If healthy, and if he hasn’t lost too much of a step, Staley can definitely fill Bettis’ shoes on the field. But if he isn’t up to the task, look for Parker to see action in short-yardage situations. Vernon Hayes is the 3rd down back.

At wide receiver, Hines Ward returns as the vocal leader of the offense. Ward is a pleasure to watch on the field. He catches every ball he touches, and he is fearless over the middle. He is very reminiscent of former Viking Cris Carter in this way. But he is also the best blocking receiver in the league. He is actually a better blocker than most tight ends, and he helped spurn many long gains last year. Starting opposite him will be Cedric Wilson, who really came on strong towards the end of last season. Wilson also had a strong playoff. Rookie Santonio Holmes comes in as the slot receiver. A smaller receiver in the mold of Santana Moss, figures to see plenty of action. The Steelers plan to use his speed a lot against nickel corners. Like Randle El before him, Holmes will create a lot of matchup problems. Tight end Heath Miller rounds out the skill position players. Miller doesn’t have the great stats, but he is a gamer. He makes a lot of clutch catches, and Roethlisberger likes to look for him in the red zone too.

On defense, the Steelers are led by blitz genie Dick Lebeau. The most important position in the ‘Blitzburgh’ defense is linebacker, and the team returns its 4 starters from last year. OLB Joey Porter gets the sacks, and he gets the press clippings with his loud mouth, but he is a real leader on this defense. And what you won’t read in his stats is that a lot of his sacks were very timely, and when the defense needed a big play, he would come up with it. ILB James Farrior is a tackling machine who should’ve been defensive MVP in the league 2 years ago. Last year, his play tailed off a bit at the start of the season, but he got better as the season wore on and he was a monster in the playoffs. Clark Haggans (9 sacks) and Larry Foote (101 tackles) are the other starters. There is very good depth here, which is not surprising at all.

On the defensive line, the loss of DE Kimo Von Oelfhoffen will hurt the depth, but Brett Kiesel is more than ready to step in his place. As a backup last year, Keisel totaled 3 sacks. At the other end, Aaron Smith returns after another stellar year. Smith is the ultimate 3-4 defensive end. He can rush the passer, but he is especially adept at holding off blockers and letting the linebackers do their work. Casey Hampton returns as the NT. When healthy, he is as important to this defense as any other player on the field. He is so big, and so quick for such a big man, that he commands a double team all the time.

The defensive backfield has now become a strength on this team. SS Troy Polamalu is the superstar of the group. He makes the big hits and the spectacular plays. He is one of the best 3 or 4 safeties in the league, and he covers more ground than any other player out there. He will miss having FS Chris Hope at his side, but Ryan Clark should be an adequate replacement. At cornerback, Pittsburgh has very good starters and even better depth. Ike Taylor and Deshea Townsend are the starters, but Bryant McFadden and Ricardo Coclough could both be starters on some teams in the league. This is a very deep group.

The Steelers will be fielding a team that should be just as good as last year’s championship team. Still, that does not spell repeat for them. They play in a tough division and they will face a very hard schedule. This is a proud team, full of leadership, with loads of talent and great coaches, and that should be enough to get them into the playoffs, but not to the Super Bowl, not for a second time.

3. Baltimore Ravens (7-9)

Head Coach: Brian Billick (7th year)
2005 Record: (6-10)
Key Acquisitions: RB Mike Anderson, QB Steve McNair, DE Trevor Pryce.
Key Departures: S Will Demps, RB Chester Taylor, QB Anthony Wright

Overview:
The 2006 Baltimore Ravens are one of those teams full of question marks. They are one of those teams that always seem to be ready to make a move back in the league’s elite, but always come short of expectations.

This year, they’ve added QB Steve McNair of the Titans. McNair will be an improvement over incumbent Kyle Boller, no doubt. Still McNair is getting old and his body is battered. He is always a risk to get injured too, and he is not the passer he was earlier in his career. That being said, he will make far less mistakes than Boller made, and he will provide leadership to an offense that desperately needs it.

McNair will be reunited with his old favorite target with the Titans, Derrick Mason. Mason is on the wrong side of 30, but he is still a very good possession receiver. Second year man Mark Clayton figures to start opposite him, but Clayton has been hampered by injuries during training camp. Clayton’s main attribute is his speed and his ability to work the slot, so if he isn’t 100%, he can’t be very effective. There isn’t much depth here, so the 3 and 4 receiver packages aren’t very strong. Still, the Ravens have a very good tight end in Todd Heap. McNair likes to use the tight end a lot in the passing game, so Heap could see his numbers skyrocket.

At running back, Jamal Lewis figures to be the starter again. But Lewis is getting old, and he is looking slow. He will face tough competition all year long from ex-Bronco Mike Anderson, but Billick might put him at fullback, a position he played from time to time in Denver. The wildcard here is Musa Smith, a young back who has been buried behind the elder Smith and the departed Chester Taylor. Musa Smith is younger and is a much better pass receiver than the other 2 backs. Many think that he will be starting by season’s end.

The defense is still full of big names, but it is getting older. Ray Lewis is only a shadow of the player he once was. He still has all the heart, and he is still a very vocal leader, but he doesn’t swarm to the ball like he once did, and he was never great at taking on blockers. Adelius Thomas is quite good on the strong side, but Bart Scott is average at best on the weakside. The loss of Ed Hartwell really hurt them last year, and the team has not replaced him yet.

If there is to be one saving grace for the linebackers, it is the drafting of DT Haloti Ngata. Ngata is a big man, and he can really disrupt blocking schemes. He apparently has looked very good in camp so far, and he has had a pretty good pre-season. Still, the jury is out on Ngata, who got a reputation in college of being somewhat of a slacker and taking many plays off. But if he keeps himself in check and plays hard, he will be a great addition to the team. Kelly Gregg will be the other starter. At DE, Terrell Suggs is the big-time player. With no one to apply pressure across from him last year, Suggs finished with only 8 sacks (down from 11 in 2004). But this year, Baltimore added former Bronco Trevor Pryce. Pryce is getting old, and hasn’t had double digit sacks in 6 years, but he can still rush the passer. 2nd year man Dan Cody, who missed almost all of last year with an injury, will provide depth and come in on passing downs when Pryce moves inside.

In the secondary, the star is Ed Reed. Along with Troy Polamalu of Pittsburgh and Brian Dawkins of Philadelphia, Reed might be the best safety in the league. Reed is a huge hitter, but he also has a lot of range and has a real knack for getting interceptions. He did miss 6 games last year, but he is back at full strength now. Whatever anybody says, this is his defense now, not Ray Lewis’. The untested Gerome Sapp will replace the departed Will Demps at the other safety spot, and that’s a big drop-off. Yet, if the Ravens can get more pressure on the quarterback than last year, the difference won’t be too noticeable. At cornerback, Chris McAlister is still mentioned amongst the best corners in the game, but his play fell off last year (only 1 INT). Opposing QB’s did not throw his way as much, but he gambles too much and can be beaten deep. At the other corner, the aging Samari Rolle is the starter. Like McAlister, Rolle had an unspectacular year, grabbing only 1 INT. Rolle is not the shutdown corner he once was in his best years with the Titans, but his technique is still very good and he plays a more conservative style that fits him well. Depth is a concern.

The main problem the Ravens will face this year is facing, once again, the Steelers and the Bengals twice each. Carson Palmer has now made it a habit of destroying the Baltimore defense, and Pittsburgh is always a tough opponent. With these matchups, and trips to Tampa and Denver, as well as games against Carolina and San Diego, this will be a tough season for Baltimore. So, while we think their team will be much improved from last year, their record won’t be much different.

4. Cleveland Browns (5-11)

Head Coach: Romeo Crennel (2nd year)
2005 Record: (6-10)
Key Acquisitions: C LeCharles Bentley, WR Joe Jurevicius, LB Willie McGinnest, OT Kevin Shaffer, DT Ted Washington.
Key Departures: WR Antonio Bryant, DT Jason Fisk, DE Kenard Lang, TE Aaron Shea, OT L.J. Shelton

Overview:
The Browns are a team that is under construction. Romeo Crennel is a man that is well-respected by his peers, and the consensus is that he knows what he is doing, and that he and GM Phil Savage are building a team that will eventually win in this league. But that time is still at least a season away, and this promises to be another tough year for Browns fans.

2nd year pro Charlie Frye is the quarterback. Frye is a cool customer that will be a very good QB in this league for a long time. He plays well under pressure, puts a lot of zipon his passes and throws a very good deep ball. He also moves quite well, but he is still very inexperienced and can’t read defenses that well yet. He will have to grow up fast for this offense to be any good. The main problem at the quarterback position, though, is not the starter, but the fact that there is no quality backup. Ex-49er Ken Dorsey is the best of the bunch. But when he was in San Francisco, Dorsey was awful at best. And reports out of training camp have him not looking too good. So Frye will need to be stay healthy as well, otherwise it could get really ugly.

Compounding the problem is the fact that the rushing offense is nothing to write home about either. Last year, the team finished 25th in the league in that category. During the off-season, the Browns brought in Ruben Droughns from Denver. Droughns is a former fullback who loves to hammer it between the tackles. He also has good vision and is a good cut back runner. Things will be a lot different for him with a much more porous offensive line in Cleveland, but his running style should help him be at least a little bit successful.

Now, if Kellen Winslow Jr. and Braylon Edwards can stay healthy this year, the passing game might threaten a little bit. Winslow has played 2 games in 2 years, but he seems ready to come back. He might not be the player he could’ve been before his injuries, but reports out of training camp have him being a force in the middle of the field and running well enough. Edwards is another story. While he is ahead of schedule, he shouldn’t expected back to the field until October. Before he got injured last year, Edwards was really coming into his own. There is no doubt that he will know the offense a lot better this year, and he has been practicing long balls a lot with Frye in the off-season, so there should be some chemistry there. Expect him to make a big impact when he comes back. Starting opposite Edwards will be Dennis Northcutt. Joe Jurevicius, who comes over from Seattle, will start in Edwards spot until he comes back. Jurevicius has never lived up to expectations, but he is very sure handed and works the underneath areas very well. Look for him to become a comfort blanket for the young Frye, especially when he moves to the slot after Edwards comes back.

Aside from the health of the receiving corps, the biggest wild card in how this offense will perform is the offensive line. C LeCharles Bentley was given millions to be the lede of the squad and anchor it for years to come, but he blew out his knee in the offseason. His backup, Bob Hallen, retired. Next in line was Alonzo Ephraim, but he was suspended for the first 4 games of the year. So the starter figures to be ex-Patriot Ross Tucker. Useless to say, depth is a concern. Also, the rest of the line doesn’t look too good either. LT Kevin Shaffer, who comes over from Atlanta, is more of a run blocker. All the other projected starters have huge medical histories, and depth is a real concern at each spot. If everyone stays healthy, the line should be able to build a rapport and there is enough talent for them to be an adequate group. But the slightest little injury could make everything fall apart.

On defense, the situation seems to be similar as on offense. For instance, the starters on the defensive line are all seasoned performers who can do a good job. NT Ted Washington is perfect for a 3-4 defense. He will be spelled on passing downs, but he will be a force against the run. DE Orpheus Roye is a converted def. tackle who should provide good support against the run. Alvin McKinley is the other end, and he chipped in with 5.0 sacks last season. But behind them, there isn’t much help. Again, one injury could prove disastrous.

At linebacker, things are looking a lot better. Willie McGinnest comes in and will man the strong side. He will also provide a ton of leadership and will be a great role model for the 2 rookies. First round pick Kamerion Wimbley is expected to take over the weaskside position. Wimbley is long and lean, and he is very fast, making him the classic edge rusher. He should flourish under Crennel. D’Qwell Jackson, a second rounder, is already penciled in at the RILB position. Jackson is very active, and he has been making plays all over the field in training camp. He will be joined by holdover Andra Davis, who led the team with 149 tackles last year. Depth is less of a concern here with Matt Stewart and Clifton Smith both capable of being starters.

The secondary is still a work in progress. At cornerback, Daylon McCutcheon is one of the starters, but he is hurt right now. He does hope to be ready for the opener though. At the other corner, 2005 starter Gary Baxter is back from last year’s injury (which cost him 10 games), but he might be looking at the nickel job. It is being said that Leigh Bodden, who replaced Baxter last year, is looking like the best corner in camp for the Browns right now. With a healthy McCutcheon and Bodden looking better everyday, cornerback is a strong position for the team. There is also depth at safety, although there is far less talent. Brian Russell is in at free safety. Russell had one big year with Minnesota (2003 – 9 INT’s), but he is mostly a liability in coverage and lacks range. At strong safety, Sean Jones figures to be the starter, with Brodney Pool backing him up. Both are former second round draft choices and big hitters.

Again, this figures to be another hard year for Browns fans. The team has assembled some good starters, but depth is a concern at almost every position. If Cleveland wants to improve on last year’s record, they will have to provide much more of a pass rush, protect the QB better and have a semblance of a running game. And given the shape of the offensive line, the last 2 are not likely to happen. We do feel like the defense will be much improved, but that will not be enough.

NFC East

2006-08-18T00:03:00.000-05:00

Hey!

Before I get on with my preview of the NFC East, just a little word on Golf. This weekend is the PGA Championship. Part of the rules of the tournament is that for the first 2 days, the winners of the previous 3 Majors (Masters, US Open and British Open) play together. And so that means that for the first time ever, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson played together today at the start of this very tournament. Indeed, never before had they won 2 of the first 3 Majors in the same year. Today, they both came in with identical scores of -3 (the leader is at -6). They will play again together on Friday, and who knows, they might be paired again on Saturday or Sunday. For the golf fan, and even for the non-fan, this is a sight to see. So if you have a couple of minutes this weekend, do tune in and watch it, if just for 5 minutes. It's worth it, trust me.

Now, onto my NFC East preview:

NFC EAST

1. Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)

Head Coach: Andy Reid (8th year)
2005 Record: (6-10)
Key Acquisitions: DE Darren Howard, QB Jeff Garcia, WR Jabar Gaffney, TE Matt Schobel.
Key Departures: LB Keith Adams, WR Terrell Owens

Overview:
2005 was a nightmare for the Eagles. After 4 straight presences at the NFC Championship, which were capped off with a loss in Super Bowl XXXIX, Philadelphia fell from grace in the biggest way. This whole mess of a season started in training camp, with Terrell Owens holding out for more money and taking shots at his quarterback, Donovan McNabb. The divisions in the team started then. What ensued was a rash of injuries on the defensive line which crippled the defense (the team finished 23rd in the league, their worst performance since def. coord. Jim Johnson’s first year), T.O.’s antics getting wilder as the season went on, eventually leading to him being suspended, and Donovan McNabb missing the last 7 games of the season with a sports hernia.

Every Eagles fan in the land hopes that 2006 will not be a repeat of the previous year, and fortunately for them, there is hope. With the departure of Owens, this is once again McNabb’s team. The star quarterback has been the unquestioned leader of this team for years now, and after last year’s debacle, the Eagles brass is quite happy to see him command his troops once again. While his accuracy is still not where it needs to be for this offense to truly flourish like the great 49ers offenses from the 80’s and 90’s, it is hard to find quarterbacks in this league who distribute the ball better than number 5. And even though he doesn’t run as much as he once did, McNabb is still one of the best scramblers in the league.

While McNabb gets all the press, the most important piece in the offense is RB Brian Westbrook. Westbrook’s speed and receiving skills create nightmares for opposing defensive coordinators. If he can stay healthy (he suffered an injury in the first pre-season game, but he should be ok for the start of the regular season), he will once again be the oil that makes the engine run for this offense. Still, Westbrook is far from being great between the tackles, and his backup, Reno Mahe is the same type of back. So short yardage situations figure to be a problem again, unless Correll Buckhalter can stay healthy for the first time in years.

The receiving corps, while it lost its superstar in the offseason, figures to be more than adequate. Tight end L.J. Smith had a breakout season last year, and plans are for him to be featured even more in the passing game. He will be backed up by ex-Bengal Matt Schobel, who has very underrated hands. The Eagles plan to use both a lot this year, especially in 2-tight end sets. At wide receiver, Reggie Brown will step into T.O.’s shoes. While Brown is no Owens, he made great strides as a rookie last year, and he has looked very good in training camp. If he and McNabb can find some chemistry, he will be more than adequate. And with a great offensive line, the Philly offense looks poised for a good season.

On the defensive side of the ball, things are looking up in the biggest way. Because Jimmy Johnson likes to blitz so much, pressure from the defensive line is essential so that the corners are not left to dry. This year, the defensive line, even with DE Jerome McDougle looking to miss significant time after being shot in the off-season, looks stacked. The arrival of DE Darren Howard from New Orleans will help the pass rush immensely. He and Javon Kearse look to form a dangerous pair. At DT, veteran Sam Rayburn and second-year man Mike Patterson will probably start, but rookie Brodrick Bunkley, Darwin Walker and Ed Jasper will all see significant time. Johnson likes to rotate his linemen, and he will have ample opportunities to do so here.

As it has become the norm in the past years, Philly is more than set in the defensive backfield. Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard, back from injury, will man the corners. Superstar Safety Brian Dawkins will again lead the defense, and hard-hitting SS Michael Lewis will team up with him once more. Depth is solid here as well, with Roderick Hood, Donald Stickland and J.R. Reed all looking to contribute. If there is one weakness on the defense, it is at linebacker. Jeremiah Trotter is a warrior, but there isn’t much here beside him.

In 2006, the Eagles will play with a chip on their shoulders. They do not have the best talent in the conference, and they play in what might be the toughest division in the league. But in what will be a tough year, I believe the Eagles will show resiliency and come out on top of their division. This team has great intangibles and it will show.

2. Dallas Cowboys (10-6)

Head Coach: Bill Parcells (4th year)
2005 Record: (9-7)
Key Acquisitions: WR Terrell Owens, OT Jason Fabini, PK Mike Vanderjagt
Key Departures: OG Larry Allen, DT La’Roi Glover, WR Keyshawn Johnson, OT Torrin Tucker

Overview:
Dallas is back to being a big focus in this league. The days of Jimmy Johnson, Irvin, Smith and Aikman are gone. Welcome to the days of Terrell Owens and Bill Parcells! Parcells is the ultimate disciplinarian, and Owens is the ultimate problem child. Cameras will be over Dallas all season long, spanning those sidelines to witness the first T.O. outburst.

But while the Parcells-Owens storyline grab all the headlines, we seem to forget that the Cowboys will be fielding a pretty good team this year. The 2005 edition of the team failed short of expectations, but this year Dallas looks a bit more ready. The offensive line, while still a bit of a question mark, looks solid enough. Ex-Jet Jason Fabini will provide solid depth behind starters Rob Pettiti and the aging Flozell Adams. The loss of LG Larry Allen will hurt, but Kyle Kozier should an adequate if unspectacular replacement. Right guard will be manned by the ever reliable Marco Riviera, and C Al Johnson is a consummate pro. The biggest problem for this offensive line is that they are protecting a quarterback who is a sitting duck back there. There is no question that Drew Bledsoe still has one of the strongest arms in the league, and he also throws a pretty touch pass. He can make every throw in the book, and while he still manages a few bonehead plays every year, he has matured a lot with age, and doesn’t take as many chances as he used to. But he is the most immobile QB in the league, and for an offense that struggles with play-action because of the spotty play of the running game, that is not good.

Speaking of the running game, RB Julius Jones is back as the featured back. Jones is tough back who loves to run between the tackles. He fits Parcells’ style to perfection. Marion Barber, the third-down back, will back him up. It is reported he might see more action this year, helping Jones stay fresh. What should help these two mightily this year is the addition of Terrell Owens. For all his faults, Owens might be the best receiver in the league. He can take over any game, at any time. And with Terry Glenn at his side, he gives the Cowboys to big-time deep threats. Opposing defenses will be forced to back their safeties up, and that will help the running game a lot. With tight end Jason Witten, who made the Pro Bowl last year, rounding out the starting unit, look for Dallas to score a lot of points this year.

On defense, Parcells has done a great job building his unit through the draft. Last year, he added DE Marcus Spears and OLB DeMarcus Ware in the first round, and both had very good seasons. Ware is truly a star in the making. Look for him to get double digit sacks this year. This year, he added OLB Bobby Carpenter to the mix. With Ware and Carpenter, as well as Al Singleton, Kevin Burnett and Akin Ayodele, the linebacking corps is not only very good, it is very, very deep. The defensive line is also set with Jason Ferguson at NT and Chris Canty, Jay Ratliff and Jason Hatcher all vying for playing time opposite Spears.

The defensive backfield is good, but not spectacular. Hard-hitting SS Roy Williams is the star of the group. He’s like a fifth linebacker out there, and he also plays with better positioning and takes better angles than he did early in his career. FS Keith Davis is back too. He is not a flashy player, and he can get beat deep, but he’s the best the team has right now. New addition Marcus Coleman figures to be a backup at best, and if he has to start, the Cowboys could be in trouble. At corner, Terrence Newman and Anthony Henry will start. Henry is a solid but unspectacular corner. Newman is all flash, but he takes too many chances. Veteran Aaron Glenn is back as the nickel corner.

The special teams have always been a big focus of Parcells, and they are good, but not great. The big addition here is PK Mike Vanderjagt. Vanderjagt has a big mouth, and he will go down in history as the guy who blew the 2005 season for the Colts (he missed a 46-yarder at the end of the Steelers game), but he is much better than any kicker Parcells has had in 3 years with the Cowboys.

In a very tough NFC East division, wins will be hard to come. And Bill Parcells, as much as we hate him in this corner, is a great coach, and he will probably be able to coax enough close victories for this team to compete for a playoff spot.

3. New York Giants (9-7)

Head Coach: Tom Coughlin (3rd year)
2005 Record: (11-5)
Key Acquisitions: LB LaVar Arrington, S Will Demps, CB Sam Madison, CB R.W. McQuarters, LB Brandon Short
Key Departures: S Brent Alexander, CB Will Allen, DT Kendrick Clancy, S Shaun Williams

Overview:
When Tom Coughlin took over the job of Head Coach of the NY Giants back in 2004, he inherited a team of aging veterans who wanted to know nothing of his disciplinarian ways. After all, the man Coughlin succeeded, Jim Fassel, had more of a laid back approach which fit the team’s any veterans better. But slowly and methodically, Coughlin rebuilt the team and won over the remaining malcontents. In 2006, this will indeed be Tom Coughlin’s team.

That being said, they key to getting to the playoffs will be QB Eli Manning’s consistency. After a rough rookie year, Manning showed flashes of brilliance last year, especially in rallying his team from behind. The younger brother the league’s best passer is one cool customer, and he doesn’t buckle under the pressure. Manning also has one strong arm and throws a very good deep ball. But he still has a tendency to lock in on a receiver, and his 52.8% completion rate was too low, and he did throw 17 interceptions. Yet, reports out of training camp say that his mechanics, especially his footwork, have gotten much better. If he can make the type of leap forward he made last year, he should have a great season. But that is a big if. One thing that will help Manning is continuality on the offensive line. Once a weak link in this offense, the line got a lot better last year. It was much deeper, and so it resisted much better in the face of late season injuries. Once again, Kareem McKenzie will man the left tackle spot and protect Manning’s blind side.

The receiving corps is strong. Everything starts with Jeremy Shockey, who enjoyed a very good season last year. While his blocking still leaves a lot to be desired, Shockey is a big body who has deceiving speed and is a matchup nightmare for coaches. The star receiver role, once property of Amani Toomer, is now Plaxico Burress’. The tall, lanky receiver developed great chemistry with the young QB last year, and he should have another big year. The aging Toomer has become a very good short-to-mid range target, but he doesn’t provide the big threat capability he once did. Second-round draft pick Sinorice Moss (younger brother of Santana Moss, and a steal at where he was picked), will be the 3rd receiver. Speedster Tim Carter also figures to see playing time.
Still, even with all those big names, the offense still lives and breathes with RB Tiki Barber. Once said to be too short and too small to carry an offense, Barber has become one of the best running backs in the league. Surprisingly tough, he can run inside, has the speed to take it outside, and is always a threat to take it all the way. Like Edgerrin James, Barber is also adept at picking up the blitz and is a very good receiver. If he stays healthy, he and is offense will both enjoy big years.

On defense, everything starts of the DE position, where Michael Strahan (11.5 sacks) and Osi Umenyiora (14.5 sacks) form the best tandem in the league. The defensive tackle position is not as strong and will suffer from the loss of Kendrick Clancy, a tough run stopper. Still, there is adequate depth all along the line, and this is far from being an area of weakness.

The linebacker position is also very strong. Antonio Pierce is back as the starting middle linebacker. He covers a lot of ground, but he does not take on blockers very well, and he needs help from his DT’s. The weakside position is Brandon Short’s to lose, but he will face tough competition from Carlos Emmons. Last year, Emmons played on the strong side, but he will be replaced by newcomer LaVar Arrington. Arrington has lost a step due to injuries, but he has a big chip on his shoulders. In training camp, he has been virtually unstoppable. He is a big guy, and can really run over people. If he stays healthy, look for him to have a big year. If he doesn’t, Emmons will be back playing in his position. Again here, very good depth.

The defensive backfield is more of a question mark. CB Sam Madison takes over the departed Will Allen’s spot. Madison does not have the speed or the hands he once had, and he struggled a lot under Nick Saban. The Giants hope a change of scenery will prove beneficial. The other corner will be manned by second year man and first year starter Corey Webster. R.W. McQuarters provides excellent depth and is the consummate nickel back. At safety, ex-Raven Will Demps will start alongside SS Gibril Wilson. Coughlin brought in a lot of bodies this year, and so there is again pretty good depth here.

The special teams are set with Jay Feely at kicker, the aging Jeff Feagles at punter (19th year), and Chad Morton as the main return man. Look for Sinorice Moss to also be featured as a return man.

All in all, this is a solid Giants team. But in the NFC East, because the division is so strong, it will all come down to 1 or 2 very close games. In the end, I believe that the uncertainty in the defensive backfield and the growing pains of Eli Manning will prevent the Giants from finishing in front of the Cowboys or Eagles. Still, it will be very close and will come down to probably the last game of the season.

4. Washington Redskins (7-9)

Head Coach: Joe Gibbs (3rd year)
2005 Record: (10-6)
Key Acquisitions: S Adam Archuleta, DE Andre Carter, WR Brandon Lloyd, WR Antwaan Randle El
Key Departures: LB LaVar Arrington, S Matt Bowen, CB Walt Harris, S Omar Stoutmire

Overview:
After a year of keeping his wallet in his pocket, owner Dan Snyder could not resist the temptation two years in a row and started to write big checks again, overspending for free agents Brandon Lloyd, Antwaan Randle El and Adam Archuleta. Still, none of these players is bad, and they could prove to be good, very costly, but good additions nonetheless. But unfortunately for the Redskins, the pre-season started on a rough note for them. They lost Clinton Portis to a shoulder injury. While he will come back, it is said that he will miss the first few games. Also, star cornerback Shawn Springs went under the knife this week and will miss the first 2-3 weeks of the season.

With the first 2 games of the season being against Minnesota and Dallas, the loss of Springs could prove costly. The Redskins have a very good starting four in the defensive backfield, with CB Carlos Rogers and safeties Adam Archuleta and Sean Taylor joining Springs. But because they blitz so much, the skins ask their corners to cover receivers one-on-one most of the time. While they do have good depth, none of the backups can match Shawn Springs’ skill set. That being said, keep an eye on second-year man Sean Taylor. He showed great things last year, and he is poised for a huge year. He has been a monster in training camp, and so far, he looks like the second coming of Ronnie Lott.

At the linebacker position, Washington is set. Warrick Holdman, Marcus Washington and Lemar Marshall figure to start, with Washington being the star of the group. Holdman had a rough year in 2005, missing 7 games, but he will look to rebound. Again, there is strong depth here. But it is on the defensive line that the Redskins dominate the most. Great defenses are built from the line out, and it is certainly true for this defense, which has finished in the top 2 in the league the last 2 years. DT Cornelius Griffin anchors the middle of the line, and Joe Salave’a joins him. There is good depth behind them, as both Cedric Killings and Ryan Boschetti can play. At defensive end, Andre Carter, who comes over from the 49ers, will claim Renaldo Wynn’s LDE spot. Carter has all the tools to be great, and while he has enjoyed good seasons in San Francisco, he never fully achieved his potential. Def. Coord. Gregg Williams will try to turn him loose. Opposite him, Phillip Daniels will start. Renaldo Wynn, a consummate pro who can play anywhere on the line, will rotate with both and see playing time as a tackle on 3rd downs.

On the offensive side of the ball, the loss of RB Clinton Portis will hurt a lot. Portis is a slasher type runner who is as good as it gets in this league. And even though he initially had trouble in Joe Gibbs’ offense, he eventually caught on and enjoyed a great season last year (1,516 yds, 11 TDs). Since there isn’t great depth behind him, with Ladell Betts as his main backup, this figures to be a problematic issue if he can’t come back soon. Last year, Portis carried the offense and enabled QB Mark Brunell to work the play-action fake and buy more time for the receivers to get open.

Speaking of the receivers, Santana Moss enjoyed a career year for the redskins last year, evoking shades of Gary Clark’s best years. Like Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers, Moss is a smallish receiver who’s greatest attribute is his speed. But boy can he run! And in new offensive coordinator Al Saunders’ offense, speed is a must. Remember, Saunders coached the Rams-like KC Chiefs offense in the last few years, and he is trying to implement a similar scheme here. Last year’s other starting receiver, David Patten, will have to fight off Brandon Lloyd, a bust with the 49ers, and Antwaan Randle El for his spot. The Redskins would probably love for Lloyd to seize his chance and capture the role, and use Randle El in the same way Mike Martz used to utilize Az-Hakim with the Rams. Still, bet on Randle El being the starter opposite Santana Moss when the season starts, giving the Redskins the smallest pair of wide receivers in the league. James Trash provides great depth as well. But the guy who will benefit the most from Saunders’ arrival with the team will be TE Chris Cooley. Saunders loves to use the tight end a lot, especially against zone defenses, and Cooley, who had a nice season last year with 71 catches, will probably be featured a lot.

At quarterback, Mark Brunell returns in what will probably be his last season as the starter. Jason Campbell is the QB of the future, and will probably be anointed as the starter as soon as next season, but he is clearly not ready yet, and he will hold the clipboard again this year. Brunell, after struggling mightily 2 years ago, came back strong last year and had a good season. If the offensive line can protect him well again this year, he should be okay, but he clearly is on his last legs. Todd Collins, who came over from the Chiefs and played under Saunders, is the backup.

Like the Giants, the Redskins are caught in a bad spot in this ridiculously strong NFC East. And with the early season losses of key players like Portis and Springs, it will be tough for them to challenge for the division crown. Also, I see Brunell as the worst of the 4 starting quarterbacks, and the most likely to get injured. So, it what will be a game of numbers, I see the ‘Skins as being the ones who will lose the most games in the division, and so they will wind up at the bottom of the pack.

We're back...

2006-08-14T17:11:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone!

We're baaaack! But first, allow me to apologize for the lack of activity on this blog for the past few weeks. But with last week's vacations (boy did those feel good) and the ever time consuming activity that is my relationship with the soon-to-be-met-by-most-of-you Kerry, there hasn't been much time to be online.

That being said, much has happened since the last post. For those of you looking for the rest of my NFL preview, do not worry: my NFC east and north and AFC west and south divisions are all one team away from being complete. So look for that in the coming days.

On the pitch, it looks like a promising season in the English Premiership. Chelsea, the favorites to win again this year, will face tough competition from bitter rivals Arsenal. This weekend, Arsenal won 2-1 on a Peter Crouch marker with 10 minutes left in a pre-season friendly. It looks like these 2 teams will fight until the very end. Also, Manchester United figures to be in the mix as well. All this comes as a bit of a surprise with the acquisitions Chelsea made during the summer. One would figure that after bringing in Shevchenko and Ballack, the Blues would dominate the league. But lately, things haven't being going so well for Jose Mourinho's team. Hernan Crespo and Asier Del Horno have both left the Champions in the last few weeks. Also, William Gallas has fallen out of favor after missing part of training camp to extend his vacation. There are also rumblings that Claude Makelele is worried about his role with the arrival of Ballack. And what seemed to be a done deal, the transfer of left back Ashley Cole, has now hit a wall, with the Blues and the Gunners millions apart. Add to this the knee injury to Joe Cole, and what you have is a Chelsea club that is not as strong as it seems it was going to be. I still feel that they will take the Premiership crown for a third year in a row, but it won't be easy this time around.

A couple of weeks back, some were fortunate enough to witness the maturation of one of sports' biggest names: Tiger Woods. At the 2006 British Open, Woods mysitified everyone when he tucked away the weapon that sets him apart from the rest of the field, his driver, and won the tournament decidedly by playing safe, mistake-free golf. I only saw the highlights, but seeing him get on the green with 2 iron shots on par-5's was quite amazing. Woods is still the best golfer in the world, there is no doubt about that. And while guys like Mickelson, Els, Goosen and Singh work hard to achieve distances that match Woods', he just keeps refining his game and evolving into not only the most talented player on the course, but also the most intelligent one. Look for more of these masterful performances this year...

Finally, the world of music has dropped a couple of gems on us in the last month or so. First, there's Ani DiFranco's newest offering, Reprieve. DiFranco still has so much to say, as she has during her whole career. Her lyrics have always been at the forefront of her music, and it is no different here. But her approach is a little bit more subdued than her earlier work. This is a more mature DiFranco. She is still very opiniated and political, and she lashes out at the Bush administration and at the mainstream media and their "network yes men". She talks about 9/11 and terrorism, New Orleans and, of course, Patriarchy and feminism. This girl can still rock, as shown on songs like Decree and Half-Assed, but most of her work here is quieter, calmer. She doesn't seem as angry as she once was, and the music benefits from it. We hear a bit of jazz on this record, especially on the first 4 songs. This is definitely one of her best records to date, and that is saying a lot considering the extensive catalog that came before this release.

A few weeks before, one of the best bands North America knows too little about, Muse, released Balck Holes And Revelations. Oh this release, their lead-singer still sounds like Thom Yorke, but the music has taken leaps. Muse uses sometimes U2-ish guitars, Queen-like theatrical grandeur, rapid-fire drumming and orchestral and electronica elements to create their very own blend of hard rock and it works to perfection. Check out the songs Starlight, Map of the Problematique, Satellite and City of Delusion. Those are all excellent tracks. As far as I am concerned, this is a definite album of the year candidate.

Well, that's it for now people. But check back later this week, as I will post my NFC East preview. After that will come my AFC West preview...

See ya soon,

Dwarf out

AFC East

2006-07-21T17:36:00.000-05:00

Hey all...

I know I'm late... I'm very late. But, without further ado, here it is, my AFC East preview.
(By the way, this might be a little long... but I'd appreciate some feedback from you guys. Thanks!)

1. Miami Dolphins (11-5)

Head Coach: Nick Saban (2nd year)
2005 Record: (9-7)
Key Acquisitions: QB Daunte Culpepper, QB Joey Harrington, WR Kelly Campbell, CB Will Allen, OT L.J. Shelton, CB Andre Goodman, RB Fred Beasley, FS Deke Cooper.
Key Departures: QB Gus Frerotte, RB Ricky Williams (suspension), CB Reggie Howard, CB Sam Madison, S Tebucky Jones, LB Junior Seau

Overview:
On the eve of training camp, the Dolphins look like perhaps the most improved team in the NFL. Last year, Nick Saban took an aging team, infused it with a little bit of youth, brought in a new philosophy, brought back Ricky Williams and led the team to a surprising 9-7 record.

This off-season, Saban continued the re-tooling. He brought in Dom Capers from Houston to help with the defense (Capers’ official title is that of Assistant Head Coach). He replaced the departing Scott Linehan with ex-Bills head coach and Steelers off. Coordinator Mike Mularkey. But most of all, after starting and finishing the year with Gus Frerotte as signal-caller, Saban decided to address the position by bringing in Daunte Culpepper to be his starting quarterback and Joey Harrington to back him up.

The word out of Miami right now is that Culpepper could be healthy enough to participate in maybe 1 pre-season game and definitely start the opener. It is being reported that the ex-Viking is looking really good right now, completing every throw on the field and showing good leadership skills a maturity on the field. Also, he is apparently getting along very well with Joey Harrington, who is also said to be looking really good. Harrington, who was rumored to be a bit lazy when in Detroit, has looked really sharp in practices and has been watching a lot of film. Whoever starts the opener, the Dolphins have clearly taken what was a weakness and turned it into a position of strength for the upcoming season.

While Culpepper will clearly be the man in charge of this offense, RB Ronnie Brown will be the heart of it. With Ricky Williams playing in the CFL this year because of his suspension, Brown will now have to carry the full load. Last year, after a bit of a slow start, Brown finished the season really strong. He proved that he could definitely play at a very high level in the NFL, and he showed an extremely rare set of skills. For a big man, he is extremely fluid and fast, and he might have one of the best pair of hands of any running back in the league. Now, all he has to do is translate that ability into consistency. He will be greatly helped by the acquisition of FB Fred Beasley from the 49ers. Travis Minor and Sammy Morris will give him a breather from time to time.

On defense, the Dolphins should be pretty good. While they are still led by veteran warriors Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas and Kevin Carter, this defense is getting younger, faster and whole lot nastier. LB Channing Crowder and CB Travis Daniels both made great strides last year and became big contributors by season’s end. This year, Nick Saban again went to players he scouted when he was a coach at LSU, and he picked up FS/CB Jason Allen from Tennessee. With the additions of Will Allen from the Giants, Deke Cooper from the Jaguars and the drafting of Jason Allen, it means the Dolphins will have 4 new starters in the secondary compared to last year’s opener. With Dom Capers now helping out designing schemes and trying to find new ways to get to the quarterback, this defense should be much improved.

In the end, 2006 will come down to one thing for the Dolphins: Quaterbacks. If either Culpepper or Harrington can perform adequately, this team should be quite formidable and vastly improved. If not, it will turn out to be once again their Achilles’ heel, as it has been since Dan Marino retired. Well, it says here that Culpepper will get back to his old form and lead the Dolphins atop the AFC East.

2. New England Patriots (9-7)

Head Coach: Bill Belichick (7th year)
2005 Record: (10-6)
Key Acquisitions: PK Martin Grammatica, S Tebucky Jones, CB Eric Warfield
Key Departures: LB Willie McGinnest, CB Tyrone Pool, PK Adam Vinatieri, OT Tom Ashworth, WR David Givens

Overview:
For the Patriots, everything starts with Tom Brady. The superstar quarterback is the heart and soul of the team. He is the unquestioned leader of the team. And last year he had his best season yet. Brady threw for 26 TD’s and 4110 yds to go along with a stellar 71% completion rate. This year, despite the loss of WR David Givens, one of Brady’s favorite targets, the offense should be even more potent. New England drafted RB Laurence Maroney out of Minnesota in the first round to replace the aging Corey Dillon and then got a steal when they landed WR Chad Jackson of Florida in the second. Jackson is a big target who, if he can fine-tune his route running a little bit, could become a big factor in this offense early on. The Patriots have mostly a small, quick and agile receiving corps, and he will be a great complement to them with his ability to get jump balls and his knack for the acrobatic catch. As for Maroney, he is fast… really fast. He is the typical “Denver” back: a slasher-type runner with great vision and breakaway speed. He will be a great addition to the Pats, who can still use Dillon in goal-line situations. Where New England might have fallen off a little bit is on the offensive line, a unit that struggled last year and that just lost another starter, veteran OT Tom Ashworth. This unit will have to gel quickly and come together a lot better than last year or Maroney could have trouble finding holes. The truth that there is no real talent on this squad, and so the whole will indeed have to be more than the sum of the parts for this offense to have success.

On defense, the loss of Willie McGinnest will definitely hurt from a leadership standpoint. But let’s not forget that McGinnest also had a real knack for making big plays at crucial times. The Patriots will miss that a lot. Aside from that, there are still real questions in the secondary, and you have to wonder for how long Belichick will be able to keep doing it with smoke and mirrors. Yes, they will get S Rodney Harrison back, which should help offset the leadership loss of McGinnest, but Harrison is getting up in age, and coming back from a serious knee injury, you have to wonder how effective he will be. Being that this is a defense that finished 26th in the league last year, it’s probably scary for Pats fans to think it might get worse than that. This defense still features excellent players like DT’s Richard Seymour and Vince Wolfork and LB’s Teddy Bruschi and Roosevelt Colvin. But there is a lack of depth at every position. When everyone is healthy, NE boasts one of the best defenses in the league. But this is the NFL, when everyone being healthy at the same time is a dream.

Perhaps the biggest loss of the off-season for the Patriots was PK Adam Vinatieri. Vinatieri was never a league-leader type of kicker, but he always nailed that kick at the last second, whether it was the game-tying kick or the game-winning kick. And when you look at this year’s edition of the Patriots, you will see that that some of those late-game heroics will be missing. No McGinnest to recover a fumble with 12 seconds left. No Vinatieri to win the game in OT. No Ty Law to come up with the big interception. A lot of those memories were created by players who no longer wear the Pats uniform. Brady still does, and so the Pats will be players again this year, but unfortunately for them, they will fall short of the post-season.

3. Buffalo Bills (8-8)

Head Coach: Dick Jauron (1st year)
2005 Record: (5-11)
Key Acquisitions: S Matt Bowen, QB Crag Nall, WR Peerless Price, RB Anthony Thomas, DT Larry Tripplett
Key Departures: DT Sam Adams, TE Mark Campbell, S Lawyer Milloy, C Trey Teague, OT Mike Williams

Overview:
2006 will mark the return of Marv Levy to the franchise he helped reach the Super Bowl 4 years in a row at the beginning of the 90’s. This time, Levy returns as General Manager instead of head coach, and it is a return that seems to be more than welcomed by the people of Western New York. As far as I am concerned, I believe this is a great move by owner Ralph Wilson. Levy is a great football mind who has won everywhere he has been. His Buffalo teams of the 90’s were built around character players like Jim Kelly, Andre Reed, Bruce Smith, Darryl Talley and Mark Kelso, all players who played bigger than their talent because they had great heart. And this time around, Levy seems to have taken a similar approach, getting rid of older, less hungry veterans like Lawyer Milloy, Sam Adams and Eric Moulds. To replace them, he brought in role players with a chip on their shoulders, guys who he is banking on to play bigger than their potential.

On defense, S Matt Bowen lacks range, but he can put a licking on receivers from time to time and is solid against the run. Larry Tripplett was a backup who saw spot duty in Indianapolis, but that was on a line that featured Dwight Freeney, Corey Simon and Robert Mathis. He is quick and more agile than strong, and he should fit in well next to rookie John McCargo, who is probably going to wind up as the other starter. Many insiders said Levy reached for McCargo in the first round, but none of them doubt the potential of the young man, nor do they doubt his dedication to the game. At linebacker, the Bills will be more than happy to welcome back Takeo Spikes, after seeing him miss most of last year. Even at almost 30, Spikes is still one of the most active and productive linebackers in the league. On the strong side, Jeff Posey has quietly developed into one of the better linebackers in the league, and in the middle London Fletcher has a motor that never stops. The defensive backfield, though, should once again be the strong point of this defense. Anchored by ballhawk cornerbacks Terrence McGee and Nate Clements, this secondary is strong at every position. The addition of Bowen will help bring some muscle to it, and will also ease the development of future star Donte Whitner. Whitner can play both strong and free safety, and is a killer tackler. He has great range and good speed. He will probably get some time behind Bowen. The free safety spot is manned by aging veteran Troy Vincent. But Vincent is the leader of this defense. He is the one who calls the plays on the field. At 35, he is still a top player.

While the defense will probably be the beating heart of Levy’s Bills, the offense is what will determine if the Bills can contend or if they are doomed to mediocrity. More specifically, the biggest factor will be the play of quarterbacks Kelly Holcomb and J.P. Losman. Holcomb is the savvy veteran who will never impress you with his arm strength but who doesn’t make that back breaking mistake. Losman is still young and somewhat immature, and that is reflected in his play. If he is to ever start for the Bills, this has to be the year he comes of age. Luckily for both, they have RB Willis McGahee to hand off to. McGahee is a hot head who is way too full of himself, but he is still a really good, really tough running back. This year, Buffalo will also have Anthony Thomas (Dallas) to back him up. Remember the Bills didn’t have a real backup after having traded Travis Henry to Tennessee last year. At wide receiver, the Bills most potent threat is 3rd year man Lee Evans. Evans has had 2 pretty good first seasons with the team, and with Moulds gone, he now takes over the role of #1 receiver. Roscoe Parrish showed some good things in his rookie year, and he will be counted on to be the deep threat. Josh Reed has great hands, but lacks speed, and is best suited for playing in the slot. Levy brought back Peerless Price, who left a few years back for his big pay day, hoping that he can recapture the magic of his last years with the Bills.

In my mind, the Bills do not have the talent to compete for the playoffs or the division title. But they will be better than they were last year. I am not such a big fan of Dick Jauron, but I trust Levy and I think that both will bring the Bills back from the dead. Clearly, they have ways to go, but this year will be a nice stepping stone for them, just like last year was for Nick Saban.

4. New York Jets (4-12)

Head Coach: Eric Mangini (1st year)
2005 Record: (4-12)
Key Acquisitions: CB Andre Dyson, QB Patrick Ramsey, C Trey Teague, DE Kimo Von Oelhoffen
Key Departures: DE John Abraham, OT Jason Fabini, CB Ty Law, C Kevin Mawae, DT James Reed

Overview:
For the Jets, 2006 will seemingly be another rebuilding year. Last year, they were an aging team who failed to accomplish anything. So, during the off-season, head coach Herman Edwards got his wish when the Jets gave up their rights to him in exchange from a couple of draft picks from the Chiefs. In his seat is now Eric Mangini, 35, who served one year under Bill Belichick as defensive coordinator of the NE Patriots. Mangini is young man who is very well regarded among league circles, but there are many out there who doubt he is ready to become the head man. Well, whether he is or not, he will have his work cut out for him in his first year.

The Jets are an offensively challenged football team. Their workhorse for years, RB Curtis Martin has finally started to show signs of being on the decline. Last year was the first time he was injured for a prolonged period of time, and there are doubts as to whether he can fully recover from these injuries. If he can’t, it could prove very problematic for the Jets, who do not have a true #2 back behind him. Derrick Blaylock currently sits second on the depth chart. The situation at quarterback is just as problematic. The incumbent is Chad Pennington, who has had 2 surgeries on his throwing elbow in the last 2 years. When you consider that he never had a really strong arm to begin with, and that he is better suited for a west-coast type of passing game, his chances of having any success this year are quite slim. Patrick Ramsey was brought in from Washington to challenge for the starting job, but while he is tough as nails, he needs to learn to release the ball a lot quicker and not take so many sacks. Behind an o-line that just lost two starters and will now feature 2 rookies (2 very highly-touted rookies, but 2 rookies nonetheless), that could be a recipe for disaster. The Jets are much better equipped at wide receiver, where Justin McCareins and Laveranues Coles form a pretty good tandem, but they need to find someone to stretch the field.

On defense, the Jets are coming off a year where they finished in the top half of the league in defense. But they just lost DE John Abraham and his 10.5 sacks, as well as top backup James Reed (also on the d-line) and CB Ty Law and his league-leading 10 interceptions. There is no doubt that Mangini’s presence will help offset some of those losses, but these are big time players that will not take the field for them this year. Mangini will probably experiment with 3-4 and 4-3 fronts and will find ways to get to the quarterback even without Abraham. But these are not necessarily his type of players, and things could get hard for the young coach at times.

There is no way, in my mind, that the Jets can have any type of sustained success this year. This will be a year full of growing pains for the New York fans. But if Mangini is as good as advertised, it could be worth it in the long run.

Samsonov signs with Montreal

2006-07-13T16:25:00.000-05:00

So…

Just to piss off Nick The Dick a little bit, I will discuss Hockey yet one more time. But this time around, we have real news to report: yesterday, after having sent Richard Zednik packing for Washington and acquired Mike Johnson from Phoenix, Bob Gainey inked Sergei Samsonov to a 2-year contract worth a total of $7,000,000.

While I really like Sergei Samsonov, I think that the other 2 moves are much more significant for the Canadiens. In a way, Samsonov is being brought in with the hopes that he can replace the production that Zednik once gave this team. Last year, Zednik went through a very long lethargy and then got lazy on top of it and quickly fell into Gainey’s doghouse. So Gainey and Carbonneau are probably hoping that Samsonov can pick up that slack. The only problem that I see is that the Russian might be a little too much of the same for Montreal. Samsonov is clearly not a physical player, and if he is to play on a line with either Koivu or Ribeiro and Kovalev, he might find that there isn’t much spac out there for 3 “not too big” guys.

I saw him play a lot towards the end of the season, when he got traded to Edmonton, and Samsonov was clearly more at ease when he was playing on a line with Raffi Torres and Jarret Stoll. Torres is a physical guy, and he created a lot of space on the ice for the diminutive forward to play with. But in the playoffs, Craig McTavish tried to play him with Stoll and Ales Hemsky, and then replacing Hemsky by Radek Dvorak, and while he had a few good moments, Samsonov was pretty invisible out there. I think it will be important for him to play on a line with either Higgins or Ryder, otherwise it might not take too much time for the fans to jeer him a little. Still, he is a good player, and he will help the power play a lot, so it is a good pickup.

Getting rid of Zednik was a must. He had to go, having become almost a cancer in the dressing room. Plus, knowing Samsonov was coming into the fold, his salary needed to be dumped. But personally, I think the best move of the day was acquiring Mike Johnson from Phoenix, for essentially nothing (a 4th round pick). At 6’2”, 200 lbs, Johnson is a pretty big guy. He is not the most offensively gifted player around, but he can still contribute offensively, as show his 54 points last year and 63 in 2002-2003. And while he normally mans the right wing, he is versatile enough to also play center (as he did when he played for Toronto and in parts of last year with Phoenix). What I like about him, also, is that he is very responsible defensively as well. He can kill penalties. He can be trusted in his own zone. Johnson is not a spectacular player, nor will he score 30 goals for the Canadiens. But what he will do is show up every night (unlike Samsonov, Ribeiro, Kovalev, Markov and others), he will hit, he will kill penalties, he will play whatever position Carbonneau wants him to play and he will contribute 15-20 goals on the year. And the fact is, the Canadiens do not have enough players like him, and that is why I like this pickup so much.

By the way, starting next Monday, I will begin my 2006 NFL Season Preview. This will be the place to come to know what your team will look like and how it will do. I will do this over 3 weeks, covering 2 divisions/week. On Monday, I will start with the AFC East.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Dwarf out

Ricky Williams and the CFL

2006-07-11T16:06:00.000-05:00

Ok, before I begin, I would like to open a little parenthesis. Some of my most faithful readers have showed great frustration over the fact that I didn't cover the World Cup finale. To them I say this: I'm sorry but I didn't really care for that game, and I wasn't about to write on something I don't care about. Oh, and I didn't see the game either. And I'm pissed Italy won, so it's all for the best anyway.

I will get to Ricky Williams and the CFL in a moment, but first, since I was on the subject of the World Cup, I would like to congratulate Huy Nguyen, a.k.a Padahuy, a.k.a Veillotron's Protege, on winning the WC pool. Actually, he didn't just win it, he killed us all. Congrats, old friend! And may your ass be fully lubrified when you insert that bloody trophy in it!

Now, for those who have been living under a rock for the last few months, Ricky Williams, after being suspended from the NFL for a year, signed a contract to play with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL this year. After missing training camp, Williams had a rough pre-season, carrying only 15 times for 53 yards (no TD, 1 fumble). He did, however, have a very good opening game, in which he rushed for 96 yards on 18 carries (5.3 yds/carry), and while he didn't score, he did come up with a 39-yarder at a crucial point in the game. Williams would later go on to score his first CFL touhdown in the 3rd game of the season in a loss against the B.C. Lions. But to this date, the Argos are 1-3, and Williams has shown only modest numbers (53 carries, 214 yds, 1 TD), good only for fifth in the league in rushing.

Seeing Williams struggle a little bit in the CFL got me to think about how the league might not be as bad as we sometimes perceive it. When you think about it, there are a few CFL greats that had very productive NFL careers (think Warren Moon, Jeff Garcia and, of course, Doug Flutie). And NFL players who tought they could come in and dominate have fallen flat on their faces (Lawrence Phillips, Onterrio Smith, Andre Ware, only to name a few). On the other hand, Robert Edwards rushed for over 1,000 yds for the Patriots before he blew out his knee. When he tried to come back, he made the Miami roster before eventually getting cut. Yet, his style has translated really well to the CFL and now he starts for the Montreal Alouettes. The jury is still out on Ricky Williams, but so far, the ex-NFL rushing leader has certainly not exceeded any expectation.

The fact is, there is no doubt that the best football talent in the world can be found in the NFL. No one can deny that. And anybody who thinks the CFL is not a second-rate league is lying to themselves. But where the CFL deserves a lot of credit that it perhaps doesn't get enough of is in the fact that it gives an environment for other great players to show what they can do, an environment that the NFL does not necessarily provide. The bigger field, fewer downs and larger endzones all give smaller, quicker players more of a chance. In the NFL, size has become so important. Generally speaking, bigger receivers are better because they can get to the jump balls, because they give a bigger target to the quaterback. Everything is so tight and happens so fast in the NFL, bigger backs usually have more success because they can break more tackles. And because offensive players have gotten bigger, so have defensive players as well. But in the CFL, smaller, quicker players have the room they need to operate, to create freely. When no one in the NFL wanted to give Flutie another chance because he was too small, the CFL gave offered him an environment where his size would be offset by his ability to run and take advantage of the open field.

As for Ricky Williams, whatever happens to him this year will matter little as far as next season. Williams will be back in the NFL, and he will be good. But what his first few games this year have proven is that in the CFL, while the level of play might be a bit lower, even an ex-NFL rushing leader in the prime of his career can come in and struggle. It is simply a different game.

Dwarf out

How to be a horrible GM in the NHL...

2006-07-07T13:24:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, in the crazy world of the National Hockey League, General Managers make odd decisions that leave us wondering what was going through their heads. For instance, when Mike O'Connell, then the Bruins GM, traded away Joe Thornton to the Sharks, we couldn't do anything but be shocked at the fact that he had just traded his franchise player for an average foward and a pretty good defenseman.

At other times, some GM's really manage to blow the minds of every hockey fan in the world by pulling a series of moves that make no sense whatsoever. Case in point: Dave Nonis of the Vancouver Canucks.

Dave Nonis came in last year and inherited a pretty good team. When Brian Burke left the Canucks, they had a spectacular offense, a decent defense and adequate goaltending. In his first year at the helm, Nonis allowed #3 and #4 defensemen Brent Sopel and Marek Malik to sign with other teams, and did not replace them. He did, however, bring in Anson Carter, who wound up being a great success playing with the Sedin twins. But in the end, with Ed Jovanovski getting hurt (and the defense having no depth whatsoever), and with Dan Cloutier missing almost all of the year, the Canucks missed the postseason for the first time in years.

So, this year, Nonis decided the team needed an overhaul. Now, there's nothing wrong with that, but when you do make changes, you try to make your team better, not worse. Anyway, his first move was to can Mark Crawford, one of the best coaches in the league. It seems that Nonis was intent on trading away Todd Bertuzzi, and I agree that 'Big Bert' needed to be moved, just like Dany Heatley needed to be moved a year earlier. On top of not being very effective last year, Bertuzzi was eating up over 5 millions of the salary cap, and the Canucks needed some room in order to be able to re-sign Jovanovski. But instead of trying to get a younger and cheaper version of Bertuzzi, or using his biggest trade bait to shore up the defense, he traded him for Roberto Luongo, a goaltender who has never won a playoff game and that would eventually wind up costing 2 more millions than Bertuzzi would have. Also, we can't forget that in the trade, Nonis included #6 defenseman Bryan Allen, and #2 goalie Alex Auld. That trade essentially left the Canucks with a 7 million/year #1 goalie and a 2.8 million/year #2 goalie.

Of course, in the aftermath of that trade, the Canucks, even more cash-strapped than they were, had no chance of re-signing 'Jovo'. And on July 1st, he signed with the Pheonix Coyotes. Being in a position where he had to get a defenseman on his roster to "replace" #55, Nonis went out and overpaid for Willie Mitchell. In order to fix his new 10 million/year problem in nets, he traded away Dan Cloutier to the Kings for a pair of draft picks. Still, the Canucks were in a tough position in regards to the cap, as they have a lot of money tied up in Luongo, Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrisson, and they still have to ink the Sedin twins. So, this week again, Nonis came out and said they wouldn't attempt to re-sign Anson Carter, his one good acquisition since he inherited Burke's position. Furthermore, the Canucks might have to trade away Morrisson if they intend to fill out the roster with NHL-level players.

So, to recap, when Dave Nonis came into the Vancouver Canucks general manager's job, he had a team that boasted Markus Naslund, Brendan Morrisson, Todd Bertuzzi and the Sedin twins on attack, a defense that was lead by Ed Jovanovski and Matthias Ohlund and the solid goaltending duo of Dan Cloutier and Alex Auld. Just a little bit over a year later, the Canucks now have a potentially great goaltender and a pretty good defenseman in Willie Mitchell, but the price they have paid for it is the departure Todd Bertuzzi, 4 of their top 6 defensemen, the possible exit of Brendan Morrisson. When the Sedin twins eventually are re-signed, the Canucks will have over 34 millions in paid salaries, with 4 defensive and 5 offensive slots to fill on the roster. Luongo didn't want to stay in Florida because he had had enough of their porous defense and lack of offense. He just might find out this year that Vancouver will be experiencing some of the same problems.

Indeed, what Nonis has accomplished is giving every hockey fan out there a lesson in how to be a horrible GM in the NHL.

Enjoy the weekend everyone!

Dwarf out.

Chris Pronger to Anaheim...

2006-07-03T14:38:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone!

Sorry I haven't been around more in the last few days, but I was in Montreal and I've been so freakin' busy... You'll see a lot more of me around here in the next few days as well as the next few weeks.

First off, if you don't know yet, Chris Pronger has just been traded to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Jeoffrey Lupul and a bunch of draft picks. While the Oilers didn't get full value in return for their star defenceman, Lupul is young, and he is very good. He could really blossom in Edmonton, and will fit right in with guys like Ryan Smyth, Shawn Horcoff, Ales Hemsky and Jarret Stoll. I expect Kevin Lowe will now try really hard to re-sign Jaroslav Spacek, and since pretty much all free-agent defencemen have been signed, I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to get one through a trade. In the meantime, he did manage to re-sign Fernando Pisani and Dwayne Roloson, and both were priorities.

After seeing the Oilers fall to the 'Canes in 7 games, on Saturday I had to witness England fall in penalties to Portugal. I'll tell you that much: it was a heartbreaker. Frank Lampard, perhaps the best european player in the tournament, once again could not convert glorious chances into goals. England could've really used his touch throughout the tournament, but he never quite found it. John Terry also missed the net on an excellent chance in the second half. But in the end, England's lack of a quality goaltender is what gave them in. When Robinson needed to shine, he disapeared and let in 3 goals on penalties, while on Portugal's side, their golaie seemed to be almost on every ball. When you consider that Beckham was out with a foot injury, that Michael Owen had been missing for a couple of games and that Wayne Rooney was out on a red card, England's chances were quite slim entering that shootout (or whatever they call it). 2006 is a year every English fan will look back on wondering what could've been. This was a good team, but they couldn't come through in the clutch.

Saturday was not all bad, though, as France did defeat the Brazilian squad. And since we, at The Dwarf's Musings, hate Brazil, that was pretty sweet. France will now face off against Portugal, and with Thierry Henry, arguably the best striker in the world, and Zidane on fire, they have now become really dangerous. I think France will dominate Portugal and head over to the finals. In the other match, Germany will face off against Italy. And while Italy did clobber Ukraine on Friday, they have hardly faced a worthy opponent since the start of the tournament. I think that with Klose and Ballack playing really well, and with the home crowd on their side, Germany will take the victory and face France in the finals.

That's it for now, dudes and dudettes... I'll se you later in the week.

Dwarf out

My views on the upcoming offseason for the Canadiens...

2006-06-21T23:30:00.000-05:00

Hey all!

It's been a slow week on the blog so far. But if a post on the Canadiens can't spark interest again, I don't knoe what can.

So, we've hear it all so far. There's rumours going around that Lecavalier could be coming to Montreal for Aebischer. People are talking about the Canadiens making a run at a #1 defensemen, and the names of Chara, Redden, Jovanovski and Lidstrom have been mentioned. it is also said that the Canadiens are looking at bringing in Jason Arnott and Tie Domi, and that Bob Gainey might have an eye on getting Todd Bertuzzi.

Well, first, let's put to rest some of these rumours. As sad as it may be, Lecavalier will not be in a Montreal uniform next year. I don't think Jay Feaster will trade. In my mind, Feaster would prefer to get less than market value for Martin St.Louis can getting a fair exchange for Lecavalier. Lets' face it: Lecavalier is exteremly popular in Tampa. This year, we saw Mike O'Connell get sacked for trading Joe Thornton, and I do not think that Feaster would dare take the same road. That being said, the reports of Feaster and Gainey talking are apparently true. If something ever gets done between those 2 teams, we might indeed see Aebischer move to Tampa, perhaps with Mike Ribeiro or Michael Ryder following, in exchange for a Ruslan Fedotenko or Frederik Modin. But Lecavalier will stay put.

As for getting a big-time defenseman, again, I don't think that will happen through free agency. It looks like Ottawa will be able to retain Redden. Chara might be on his way out, but he would prefer to play in the NY area. Lidstrom will stay in Detroit. As for Jovanovski, there are 2 possible scenarios: either the Canucks trade Bertuzzi and sign Jovo, or he's deading to the Panthers.

Which brings us to Big Bert... is there a chance he might end up in Montreal? Maybe. But it is a very small chance. First, the Canadiens biggest bait right now is Aebischer (taking for granted Gainey will resign Huet). But the Canucks already have Dan Cloutier and Alex Auld, who played really well this year. After that, the Canadiens could offer Ribeiro, but the 'Nucks are set at center. So that leaves Michael Ryder. They could package him with Sheldon Souray, and there's been talks about such a trade happening. But will someone offer more? My bet is yes.

So we are left with Jason Arnott. I think there is an 80% chance of him winding up in Montreal as a free agent. He knows Carbonneau and Gainey very well, and more importantly, they know him very well. He could become that dangerous 2nd center the Canadiens so desperately need. His arrival would probably mean that Ribeiro will be shopped around the league. My guess is, he will be shipped somewhere in the western conference for a 3rd or 4th defenseman. I also think Huet will stay, and I don't believe Aebischer will be leaving. The Canadiens would do well to enter the season with both, making goaltending a position of strenght on the roster.

Bob Gainey likes to build from within, and so I don't see Montreal being that active in free agency. I think he will make a run at Georges Laraque, and he might get him. He'll likely bring Arnott in the fold. And with Sundstrom, Ribeiro, Bulis and Zednik likely heading elsewhere, it will make room for a couple of young guys to come up. If he can get a solid, physical (if unspectacular) defenseman and keep his goaltending duo, he will turn the Canadiens into serious contenders.

*******

People are talking in the land of Led Zeppelin fans, as well as in the land of Tea Party fans. Rumours of a collaboration between famed Led Zep guitarist Jimmy Page and Tea Party mastermind Jeff Martin started a few months ago when, after releasing his first solo record, martin made allusions to the partnership in interviews. What's the link, you will ask?

First, Martin and Page are acquaintances from long ago. Back in 1995, when Jimmy Page and Robert Plant (for those who don't know, he was the singer for Led Zeppelin) played in the Montreal Forum, a young band by the name of The Tea Party opened for them. After the show, Page met Martin and the two became friends. And it doesn't stop here. The drummer on Jeff Martin's solo record, Michael Lee, was also behind the drums when Page and Plant recorded 'Walking into Clarksdale' and played with them throughout the world tour.

So the story goes that after spending a week in Ireland working with Jeff Martin, Lee told him about secret sessions he and Page had, where they recorded 16 songs. They tried to get Robert Plant back in the fold, but Plant already had his 'Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation' project going on. So Lee asked Page about getting Martin in to write lyrics and perform vocals, and apparently Page loved the idea.

So, right now, rumours are swirling around that Jimmy Page and Jeff Martin have actually spent some time in the studio together (none of this is confirmed) and that the new stuff sounds very middle-eastern-ish. One thing I've learned though, is that rumours in the music business are a lot less likely to happen than in sports. So, I'm not taking anything for granted. But Jimmy Page and Jeff Martin are two of the greatest artists rock n' roll has ever blessed with. And if such a partnership ever happens, we might be treated to one of the great rock albums of all time. In my mind, such a project would likely bring Page back into the limelight, and could become Martin's crowning achievement. As a big music fan, all I kind do for now is cross my fingers and hope this doesn't fall between the cracks, as so many projects are doomed to.

Dwarf out.

Oilers lose, England ties...

2006-06-20T16:23:00.000-05:00

Early in the first period of Game 7, Mark Recchi was flying all around the ice before he met Raffi Torres near the boards in the neutral zone. The two collided, and for possibly the first time in the series, Torres got the worst of it. When that happened, the whole Carolina team got energized by it, and Edmonton seemed deflated. In the last game of a long season, the Oilers lost the edge in the one part of play they had dominated the opposition all playoffs long: the physical side of things. Throughout the first 2 periods, Caolina took the body, and Edmonton never seemed to be able to respond. And when they did get their heads back in the game, it was too little too late.

On saturday night, I wrote that if the Oilers wanted to win game 7, they would have to come back with another strong effort on the power play, one similar to the one they got in game 6. Instead, they got a repeat of games 2, 3 and 4. When they got a 5 on 3 for what looked like it was going to be 1 minute 55 seconds, they couldn't get any opportunities nor any pucks on the net, and when it looked like Carolina was going to clear the puck, Ryan Smyth took a hooking call. In the end, the power play failed to produce the one goal Edmonton ended up needing at the end of the game.

Still, I'm proud of my Oilers. Often in these playoffs did I lose faith in their ability to come back and win, but they proved me wrong time and time again. Fernando Pisani revealed himself as perhaps the next Todd Marchant, a gritty defensive foward who can score big goals when you need them the most. Chris Pronger outplayed every defenseman in these playoffs and once again looked like one of the top 3 or 4 defensemen in the league. Shawn Horcoff revealed himself as a true #1 center, sound defensively and very capable offensively, a poor man's Brad Richards if you will. Raffi Torres went a long way in these playoffs in showing he can be a really good power foward, very effective even when he doesn't score. The Oilers showed a lot of depth defensively, alternating between Marc-Andre Bergeron, Matt Greene and Dick Tanrstrom all playoffs long, as well as offensively, with Todd Harvey, Georges Laraque, Toby Peterson and Brad Winchester all seeing ice time and each contributing with 1 goal. But more importantly, the Oilers proved to have an excellent coaching staff, able to adapt and devise whatever strategy needed to beat the opposition. I don't expect the Oilers to dominate the league next year and fight for the top spot in the conference, but the future does indeed look bright.

As for England, well, today was yet another disappointing performance. Still, this was their best game to date. They played a very good first half, I thought, controlling the field for most of it. I thought Joe Cole was once again the best player on England's side today. Unfortunately, the level of play took a tumble in the second half. Both of Sweden's goals were directly linked to breakdowns in the defense. And there is no excuse, not with 4 minutes left to play, for such a breakdown in your own zone. One thing is for sure: if England is going to go far in this tournament, they need to start playing 90 minutes, not 45 minutes like today, and certainly not 10 minutes like they did against T &T. Yet, all of this talk seems somewhat useless chatter when considering the fact that their best goal scorer, Michael Owen, seems like he will be out with a twisted knee. We won't jump to conclusions before we get the results from the scans tomorrow, but it doesn't look good. Being that Rooney is not quite in game shape yet, and that Owen is out, England's attack, their strongest suit, seems in jeopardy. Others will have to start to pick up the slack, namely Frank Lampard and David Beckham. Beckham was invisible today, and Lampard again missed on golden chances. Lampard needs to take a cue from Gerrard and start hitting the net. As for Beckham, well, he just needs to make himself a player again, and prove why he is the captain of the squad. Yet, through all this, there is still a lot of hope. They will face off against a weaker Ecuador club on Saturday, and if they win it, anything can happen.

Check back with me later this week (most probably Thursday night), as I'll discuss the Montreal Canadiens' upcoming offseason and rumors of the formation of a new Led Zeppelin, lead by Jimmy Page himself and my personal favorite, Jeff Martin, ex-lead singer and guitarist of The Tea Party.

Dwarf Out

There will be a Game 7...

2006-06-17T23:17:00.000-05:00

Well, well, well...

Facing elimination in Game 5 in Raleigh, the Oilers gave a great effort and won in overtime. Tonight, they completely dominated the Hurricanes and won 4-0 in a game that could've easily finished 6-0 or 7-0 if it hadn't been for a couple of great saves by Cam Ward (one, in particular, came on a 3rd period 3-on-1 by the Oilers where he pulled out a wonderful glove save to stop a perfect tic-tac-toe play). The Oilers played one of their best defensive games since the start of the playoffs. Whenever the 'Canes had the puck in Edmonton's zone, they were getting checked hard and the Oilers constantly blocked shots (Pronger looked like he had goalie pads on tonight with the amount of shots he blocked).

But more importantly, the Oilers continued to punish the Hurricanes at every opporutnity, and it started to really pay off. For one, Carolina started to get frustrated and took dumb penalties because of it. Bret Hedican, for instance, took 3 minor penalties for roughing in the game. For another, the Hurricanes are really starting to look exhausted out there. Rod Brind'Amour was invisible tonight, as were all the other 'Canes stars (except the returning Erik Cole). The defense for Carolina, which was stiffling at the beginning of the series, has really started to show some cracks. And finally, even more importantly, the power play for the Oilers has come back in a big way. Early in the game, with Carolina pressuring the points, Hemsky, Samsonov and Ryan Smyth started to work down low. The result was Carolina bringing back their fowards lower in the slot, opening up the pointsand the higher slot, where Pisani got the first PP goal of the night. And for the rest of the night, the Oilers kept the 'Canes guessing whenever they were with a man advantage, and they were able to get 2 more goals because of it.

Now, we could be tempted to think that after the last 2 performances from both teams, the Oilers look like a sure bet to win game 7. But history tells us that next game is far from won for Edmonton. Only 5 teams have come back from a 3-1 deficit in the Stanley Cup finals to force a game 7. The last one to win was the Toronto Maple Leafs back in 1942. The next four would go on to lose game 7. In the same vein, home teams have won 11 of 13 game 7's in the Finals. But if history is on Carolina's side, the present is definitely on Edmonton's. The way I see it, the Oilers will win if their power play continues to perform the way it did tonight. They will still be physical, and I know they will protect Markaanen like they did tonight. Those are givens. But the game will hinge on whether they can score with the man advantage. Carolina will not get blanked 2 games in a row, and their power play has killed the Oilers in Raleigh. But if Edmonton can get a couple of power play goals themselves, they will come out of there with a win. So, who wins? Well, given my record lately for predictions (see my predicting the Oilers would be out in 5, or England exploding against T & T, or Tiger winning the US Open), I will refrain from making one here. But my heart is with the Oilers.

Now, it's been a little while since I've talked music, so here are a couple of reviews for your viewing pleasure.

Lacuna Coil - Karmacode

This is the fourth release from this goth-metal/hard rock band from Italy. And boy is it a good one (Sweet LP, take notice, this is right up your alley). Lacuna Coil are often compared to highly successful Evanescence, but they differ in the fact that where Evanescence's music seems arranged in a way that definitely pleases radio DJ's, Karmacode is unapologetic in its heavyness and prog-rock leanings. The album begins in a big way with a trio of songs that fuse in and out of each other seamlessly. The opener, "Fragile", is a very heavy song that has a strong middle-eastern vibe to it. The song is also highlighted by a very catchy chorus. The next 2 songs aren't quite as strong, but "Our Truth" does feature a nice guitar riff. "Within Me", "In Visible Light" and "Without Fear" are the only slower, more ballad-y numbers here, and "Within Me" is the one that works best. "Without Fear" seems to borrow heavily from the new-wave movement, with understated vocals and spacy guitars. "You create" is a little interlude that features a strong middle-eastern, and like on the opener, it works perfectly. "Closer" has a really nice groove to it, and uou almost get the feeling that with a deeper bassline, it could be a danceable song. But the true gem of this record is the cover of Depeche Mode's "Enjoy The Silence". Cristina Scabbia's voice works perfectly here, and the whole band turns up the volume in a big way during the chorus, making the song somewhat epic, and a true sing-along cut.

All in all, this is a more than solid effort. It blends all the doomy-gloomy moods of goth-metal along with the ecclecticism of middle-eastern melodies against a new wave backdrop. And for the better part of the record, it works marvelously. The album has definitve highlights, but there is very little filler here as well. And that makes this a very enjoyable listen from start to finish.

9/10

AFI - Decemberunderground

As far as punk-rock/emo albums go, this is as good as it gets. Like Thursday, another band in the same vein, AFI has managed to step away from the overcrowded genre and get a voice of their own. And on Decemberunderground, that voice finally reaches maturity.

Aside from the second cut, "Kill Caustic", which is perhaps too heavy for its own good, the album has no real weak moment. The record opens with the string-infused "Prelude 12/21", a short number that almost makes you want to dance. The first single, "Miss Murder", is in the same vein as "Girl"s Not Grey", the band's biggest hit to date. It features a very groovy bassline and an extremely catchy, head-bopping chorus. "The Interview" is a slower number that recalls Blink-182's last album, with its echo-y vocals and dreamy guitars, as does "37mm". "Affliction" starts out with a fury and features fast, swirling guitars and a very upbeat tempo. The song is followed by a beautiful, instrumental interlude that just might be the most beautiful stuff on here. Another very strong number is "The Missing Frame", which has once again one the most infectuous choruses around. "Kiss And Control", "The Killing Lights" and the album closer, "Endlessly She Said", are also very good tunes.

But the real highlights here are "Summer Shudder" and "Love Like Winter". The former starts out with a great, off-beat guitar riff. AFI really know how to come up with catchy choruses, and they do it better than ever here. The latter is, in my opinion, the best song the band has ever written. While the repetitive bassline helps keep a punk vibe, the song seems to borrow heavily from the 80's arena-rock movement and winds up being as much fun, if not more, than anything Def Leppard or The Scorpions ever did.

8/10

A shout out and more...

2006-06-16T00:46:00.000-05:00

Hey kids!

It's a shame I haven't mentioned it before on this blog, but I would like to send a special shout out to one of my peeps, the Sweetness himself, Sweet LP. Congrats to you, dear peep, for having little boys strong enough to swim through the dangerous waters that are a woman in ovulation... for a second time! Cheers to you!

Now, onto real life-altering events. Today, England won 2-0 against Trinidad & Tobago. Imagine what they could've done if only one of them had showed up...... ok, that joke was really lame. Fact is, England played like crap. Kudos, though, to Nick Da Dick for having both scorers today in his pool. Anyway, the Englishmen need to get their act together quickly. More specifically, Owen and Lampard really need to get their act together. It was good to see Rooney back, andthe guy can really play, but it won't make a difference if the other stars don't start capitalizing on their chances. Right now, England seems to be playing down to their competition, and we can only hope they will play up to it when needed. And by the way, I know he scored today, but Crouch missed about 3 or 4 golden chances to score. The guy sucks...

On another note, the US Open began today, and my prediction looks like crap right now. Tiger shot a +6 today. But if anyone can come back from that, he can. So all hope is not lost for NBC, who is sure dreaming of the cheezy typical american moment I described in my last post. I want to give some props to a good ol' Canadian, our friend Mike Weir, for a good performance today. Keep it up kid!

And by the way, I would like to tell Babe, my only peep with breasts (I have breasts, but I'm no peep of mine), that I ain't shoving any golf balls or tees up my butt. I once had a camera in there, and that day I learned that my asshole would forever be a one-way street. So... Talk to the hand! (Oh no he didn't...naah haah).

Dwarf out

The US Open begins tomorrow...

2006-06-14T22:06:00.000-05:00

Hey all!

Well, today we saw Germany inch past Poland in injury time. Tomorrow, we shall England explode against Trinidad & Tobago, as they will win 3-0. I predict 1 goal by Michael Owen, 1 by Beckham and 1 by Joe Cole. And Lampard, while not scoring, will be dangerous all game long.

Now, onto some Golf. The second Major of the year is upon us, and this one is very special as it marks the return to competition of Tiger Woods after a lenghty absence. This will be his first tournament since the death of his father. It will be very interesting to see how Tiger manages to deal with all these emotions for the next 4 days. Personally, I think he will be fine. He has taken a lot of time off to grieve, and I think he will show up with his game face on. Fact is, as much as his father's crucial health problems seemed to mess with Tiger at the Masters, he still managed to play a fantastic tournament, aside from the fact he had a few problems with his putting. I think Tiger will once again contend and be in the final 2 foursomes on Sunday.

But will he win? That's a much tougher question. Mickelson has become a true money player in the last couple of years, and you have to think that he will be there too come the final few holes. Vijay Singh played a great tournament last week, and he seems to be on his game. Retief Goosen, as much as I despise him, is always there too. I believe he's won a couple of US Opens in his career. That's the thing about golf... it's not like F1 or even the World Cup, where only a few chosen ones will for sure contend. We could see another rookie or unheralded player come up big on the first 2 days and be a contender throughout. Fred Couples is having a good year, and if he can find his putting, he can contend as well.

But in the end, and there's nothing fancy in this prediction, I think it will come down to the Big 3 when it comes to Majors: Woods, Goosen and Mickelson. The course will play longer than it's ever played, which favors Woods. Then again, they say that the rough will be as deep as it gets, which would favor Goosen and Mickelson. But Woods, before his hiatus, was as precise as he has been in years. And longer rough just might favor him (even if spends more time in it than his peers), as he is without a doubt the strongest player on the field, which might make him the likeliest to get out of tough positions unharmed. And so, in typical American fashion, I predict Tiger will come out the winner and crumble in tears thinking of his father when he sinks his last putt.

Dwarf out.

Why England will win the World Cup 2006

2006-06-13T20:55:00.000-05:00

Hey all!

Like promised, no more bitching and whining on the Oilers. Instead, today I turn my attention to the World Cup 2006, and the team I predict will win, England.

Why will England win? First, they have the coolest team. I mean, we can go down the list: Lampard? cool. John Terry? cool. Joe Cole? real cool. Wayne Rooney? cool even when injured. Beckham? the guy has his picture next to the word cool in the Britannica Encyclopedia. Michael Owen? the coolest "futbol" dude on earth. But England will not only win because they are cool. No, as a matter a fact, they will also win because they have one of the most powerful offenses in the whole tournament.

Case in point: Saturday's 1-0 win over Paraguay. With Rooney missing and Owen still not in game shape, England was still able to overcome an average game by most of its players and come up with a win. David Beckham has played really well recently and he finally looks like the team's captain. Joe Cole is a rising star, and I predict he will be one of England's MVP's by the end of the tournament. Frank Lampard is one the best players in the world right now, yet he just might be still a bit underrated... yeah, he's that good! John Terry has also quietly become one of the best defenders in the world, not only playing reliably in his own territory, but also being a threat to score. He leads what is an underrated defensive group. And once Rooney gets back and Owen hits his peak (and mark my words, both will happen), England will feature the best tandem of strikers in the tournament. Oh, and if those reasons aren't enough, think that England's offense also features the likes of Steven Gerrard and Peter Crouch, both players capable of making the difference in a game.

Sure, England doesn't have the best goaltending in the world, but I also believe they don't need it. In the end, there are a lot of teams that can aspire to capture the top spot in the world, but Germany, the Czech Republic, France, Italy and the US and all the others will fall short. The final will come down between Brazil, the grand favorites, and England. And when it's all said and done, the collective power of Lampard, Rooney, Gerrard, Owen, Beckham and Cole will prove too much for the individualistic prowess of Ronaldhino and Ronaldo.

Dwarf out.

Oilers lose game 4... and now will lose series in 5

2006-06-12T22:15:00.000-05:00

Well...

With the series on the line, all the "powerful" Oilers offense could muster is 1 goal. Way to find a way win guys!

As far as I'm concerned, this series is over. On wednesday night, game 5 will be played, and I will be in front of my TV watching... the DVD's of the first season of Rescue Me. The fact is, the Oilers will not win 3 games in a row. They won't even bring this series back to Edmonton. They can't. Not with their offense as sloppy as it is right now. So, here it is: Congratulations to Carolina on their upcoming Stanley Cup win and to Rod Brind'OverratedSucker on his Conn Smythe trophy. But let's never forget: in their first series, they had to poke out Saku Koivu's eye to win. Against Buffalo, they needed the Sabres to lose 4 defensemen in the series to win. And against Edmonton, they had to wait for Roloson, the backbone of the team, to be out of the series to take control of it. So you know what, I take back those congratulations. This is a Stanley Cup they will have won but never merited.

I'm done talking about hockey here until the Free Agency period begins. Next post will deal with England's world cup chances.

See you later kids.

Dwarf out

The story of Rod Brind'Amour...

2006-06-08T22:14:00.000-05:00

I think I've made pretty clear in my last few posts the I am no fan of Rod Brind'Amour. Actually, I hate his guts. And if he died tomorrow, I would pop open a bottle of champagne (not because I truly want him to die, but because I wouldn't have to see his ugly rat face during otherwise enjoyable hockey telecasts). That being said, I never took the time to understand why he is so damn ugly. But today, ladies and gentlemen, I give you "The Story of Rod Brind'Amour", as told by one of the great storytellers of our time, Huy "Veillotron's Biatch" Nguyen. Enjoy!

"The tragic story of Rod Brind'amour began some 37 years ago. An honest woman was working as a lab technician. One night, a freak accident happened. She had been working a long shift, experimenting with drugs on a lab rat. Very tired, she injected the experimental drugs on herself instead of the rat, wihtout realizing it. Nine months later, a legend was born: Rod Brind'Amour. Half-man, half-rat, he would become the greatest coatail-rider in the history of the NHL.

As a kid, Rod seemed to be fixated on certain cartoon characters, namely Mickey Mouse, Mighty Mouse and itchy (from the simpson). His mother never quite understood where this came from. Later on, as Rod became a full-blown teenager, things got even more weird. One day, as she came home from a long day's work, Rod's mother caught him masturbating while reading a magazine on pest control. It was a special rodent edition.

Things would eventually turn out for the better for Rod. He would go on the marry his high-school sweetheart, a wonderful girl who used to work kids' parties during the summer while dressed up as Minnie Mouse. The couple would go on to have many children, all of whom would experience severe malnutrition issues due to a heavy diet of grilled cheese sandwiches, nachos and excessif mozarella on their pizza.

In the end, Rob would enjoy a terrific hockey career as his half-man, half-rat face would scare opposing players away, allowing him to make a career out of scoring garbage goals and winning faceoffs against centers too scared to get close to him.

The End."

I'll tell you, guys, this is a touching story. Still I hate Rod Brind'Amour. And he will one day burn in Half-Man/Half-Rat Hell.

Dwarf out.

Oilers crumble in 10,000 little pieces

2006-06-07T21:42:00.000-05:00

Remember game 4 of the Ducks series? I said Edmonton played horribly in that game. Well, they played worse tonight. All the players talked the talk after Roloson got injured, saying they would play hard for any other goalie. Well, they lied. They looked like Canada's National Women's Hockey team tonight. Couldn't get shots on goal. Couldn't protect their own net. They couldn't do a goddamn thing. I can't wait for the headlines tomorrow saying how good Brind'Amotherfucker is.

The only thing redeeming about this game is Laraque running Andrew Ladd face first into the boards wth 3 minutes left. Laraque got 5 minutes, but who cares? It's just too bad the fucker who took Roly out of the series didn't break his neck.

At this point, with no more starting goalie, I see the Oilers winning one of 2 games at home and lose in 5. I just hope that when they go down, they go down killing 3-4 guys from Carolina. But after tonight, I don't give a fuck anymore. I am one pissed off Dwarf.

Dwarf out.

Hurricanes take game 1

2006-06-05T23:12:00.000-05:00

I'll try to keep it short tonight, because, well, I'm exhausted. About the game: what a motherf****g good game. Of course, it didn't end the way I would've liked, but if this series continues to be played the same way, this will be the best Stanley Cup Finals in years.

With the Oilers leading 3-0 towards the end of the second period, I thought the game was pretty much in the bag. But I was wrong... way wrong. Still, don't believe the headlines. Doug Weight played once again heroically, yet Rod Brind'Ashit will get all the headlines again. The fact is, both of his goals were fluke goals, goals that even I could've scored: you know, the "Marian Gaborik-tap-in" type goals. But I digress. The real story of the game was not Doug Weight, nor was it Brind'Acrap. The real story of the game was Cam Ward. The kid made at least 3 extraordinary saves in the third, and clearly stole this game for his club. At the other end of the ice, Dwayne Roloson looked every bit like the backup goalie he has been throughout his career. Worse yet, he might be injured. With about 6 minutes left in the game, he had to leave and was replaced by Ty Conklin. Now, maybe fans in Edmonton will want to crucify him for the mistake behind the net, the one with 30 seconds left that cost the Oilers the game, but I don't. I feel really bad for the guy. He hasn't played in over a month, and bam!, he gets thrown in the Stanley Cup Finals, just like that, in game tied 4-4, with 6 minutes left. That's just not fair.

That being said, if Roloson is to be out, he now has the same opportunity that was given to Roloson upon being traded to the Oilers: the opportunity to define his career in a very little amount of games. Here's to hoping he makes a great impression!

See ya Wednesday kids...

Dwarf out

Hurricanes to face off against the Oilers for the Cup

2006-06-02T21:24:00.000-05:00

Those who saw the game know it. Those who didn't wish they had. Last night, we were treated to another great game of hockey. Unfortunately, hockey is not wrestling, it's not fixed, so Buffalo came out on the losing end of things (now, wrestling being fixed, why does John Cena keep winning? He sucks!). I do not like Carolina, so now the Oilers HAVE to win the Cup. Buffalo had enough "cool factor" to them so that a Buffalo win against the Oilers wouldn't have been that bad. Still, it was a great game, and if there is a silver lining to Carolina winning, it's that they did it on the strenght of a great game by Doug Weight, one of my favorite players of all time.

Now, before I get to my predictions about the Cup Finals, here is a list of things I hate about the Hurricanes: Rod Brind'Amour, Them being named after a disaster of nature that strikes FLORIDA every year not North Carolina, them getting away with slashing Koivu's eye in the first round, Mike Commodore's playoff beard (playoff beards are cool, looking like a bear isn't), their fans being there for them only when they reach the Cup Finals, their coach (Laviolette sounds gay, end of discussion... not that there's anything wrong with that), and Rod Brind'Amour again.

As for my prediction, well, Edmonton will win it all, in 7 games. I believe that the long layoff will probably hurt the Oilers a bit at the start, but once they get back in their building, with the best fans in the league, they will find their game back in a big way. But it will be hard. As much as I don't like them, the Hurricanes have a good team. They are very strong and very deep offensively, so they will get goals by Roloson. Pronger and Jason Smith will eliminate the Staal line, and Steve Staios and Jaro Spacek should be able to contain the Brind'Amour/Stillman line. But the Hurricanes constantly roll 4 pretty good lines, so they will be able to get their chances, and they work hard around the net, so they'll get their goals. The line of Weight/Whitney/Recchi could explode against Marc-Andre Bergeron and Matt Greene. But if the Oilers can find a way to match up against them in another way, let's say with the line of Peca, then they could be able to contain them. But it will be a great challenge for McTavish, as Carolina has the deepest offense that the Oilers have faced in the postseason (Detroit, San Jose and Anaheim all relied mostly on 2 lines for goal scoring).

But the Oilers have been the most opportunistic team of the postseason. They have constantly capitalized on their chances. Opposing goalies, hot coming in, have gone cold in a big way in all 3 series. Why? Because the Oilers have fought harder than anyone else around the net. Smyth, Torres, Moreau, Pisani, Peca, Horcoff and Samsonov have been battling for loose pucks around opposing nets all playoffs long. Cam Ward is a rookie, and Ryan Smyth will give him headaches all series long. Oh, and also, no one has been able to stop Pronger's slap shot from the point, and Ward won't be able either. Carolina's defense, while big, is a bit soft, and they'll be no match for the Oilers' gritty attack. Edmonton's offense has gotten timely goals all throughout the playoffs, and that trend will continue.

In the end, I see Carolina winning the first 2 games at home, and then the Oilers winning 4 or the last 5. If Edmonton can manage to win of the first 2 (or even both), this series will be over in 5 or 6 games. Mark my words: Carolina will not win 1 game in Edmonton. Oddly enough, the Oilers, who had a below-.500 winning record at home during the regular season, will turn out to be the team that will have played the best on home ice during the playoffs. And when it's all sai and done, Pronger will be called a 'winner', Jason Smith will be recognized as a real 'leader', Ryan Smyth will be the only player aside fromScott Niedermeyer to have won a Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold medal and a World Championship, and... oh yeah, Dwayne Roloson will be looking for the biggest payday of his life.

Golf is on tap for me tomorrow... but not much else during the weekend. So I'll be writing again tomorrow or Sunday. I don't know what about yet, but it doesn't really matter, cuz it's all about the Comments. Power to my peeps!

Dwarf Out

Oilers going to the Cup Finals

2006-05-31T21:47:00.000-05:00

Hey all!

Well, the proverbial shit has hit the fan: the Edomonton Oilers are going to the Stanley Cup Finals! I'll tell you this much: as an Oiler fan, it's been a wild ride full of surprises. The biggest one, of course, has been Dwayne Roloson. Aside from a few bad periods in the middle of the Ducks series, the guy has been unbelievably steady. Always square to the puck, always in the right position. I mean, he hasn't made as many spectacular saves as Cujo did in the the '97 Dallas series alone, but he has been the backbone of this bend-but-don't-break team, so he deserves all the credit he can get.

Still, as good as he's been, I have a weird feeling that if the Oilers do manage to win the Cup, Chris Pronger, not Dwayne Roloson, will win the Conn Smythe trophy. And if you ask me, that's who I would give it as well. As good as Nik Lidstrom and Scott Niedermeyer were during the regular season (either one of those two will without a doubt win the Norris trophy), both were badly outplayed by Pronger in their respective series againt Edmonton. Indeed, the big man has reclaimed his throne as th best defenseman in the league, and he has done everything for the Oilers. Look at it this way: all throughout the playoffs, big time players like Shanahan, Datsyuk, Cheechoo, Thornton and Teemu Selanne all disappeared in their series against the Oilers. Pronger's been a physical force all through the playoffs (he and Jason Smith have made Craig Mctavish look like a genius for putting them together). He's been playing intelligently all along, never taking himself out of a play. And he's been the driving force behind the Edmonton power play. He is truly, in my humble opinion, the MVP of this Oilers team.

In the Eastern Conference, the Carolina-Buffalo final has been THE epic series of these playoffs. It's been great game after great game, and Game 7 promises to be even better. What's been surprising to me is that Buffalo has really taken it Carolina, but Cam Ward, when in net, has really stood tall. I would've thought that Ryan Miller would've been the busier goalie, but it hasn't turned out that way. Picking the winner of Game 7 is going to be real tough. Momentum has meant nothing in this series. Carolina has homefield advantage for the last game, but they might still be reeling from what was a dubious overtime call on Doug Weight. As far as predictions go, this one is a real tossup. And the coin says tails, so Buffalo will win, setting the stage for Mike Peca and Dwayne Roloson facing off against their old team, and Mike Grier getting reacquainted with his old Oiler friends.

By the way, this weekend I met with a guy named Ben in Montreal. Ben plays in a band called Black Waters. They are a young band, still unsigned, but a very good one to say the least. They are playing the O Patro Vys (365 Mont-Royal E.) on June 16th, and they'll be playing in Montreal again on August 12 (and I'll be there). I've been listening to their CD over and over again since Saturday (the day I met with Ben to purchase the album), and it's some of the best stuff I've heard in a long, long time. The songs "Found", "Clear", "Absinthe", "Timebreaker", "Kamera" and "Winterland" are all excellent tunes. But the real gem of the record is "Gone". I just can't get enough of that one. The album is, in my opinion, a work of art from start to finish. There is no real filler here, just good song after good song. This band has the chance to become something special, and I really hope that someone signs them at some point. Check them out at http://www.myspace.com/blackwaters .

Next post will come on Friday night, when I post my preview of the Stanley Cup Finals... Until then, just remember that if you can't figure out if the glass is half-full or half-empty, just get a smaller glass.

Dwarf Out

Ducks win 6-3 against the Oilers

2006-05-25T22:18:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, when writing about the Oilers game 3 win, I mentioned that they came up with the victory in a game they should've lost, and that they looked like a team that didn't have their legs. Well tonight, the Oilers had absolutely no legs, and if it wasn't for another subpar performance by the Ducks goaltender (Giguere was in net tonight, not Bryzgalov), they would've never even been in the game.

The first period was as huge a dominance as I have ever seen, and I am not hyperboling here. The shots, at the end of the period, were 25-3 Anaheim. The score was 3-0, but without a couple of amazing saves by Roloson, it could've easily been 4-0 or 5-0.

The second period washard fought by both teams, and Edmonton did show a lot of heart. But Giguere couldn't come up with any big saves, and for a moment there, it looked like the Oilers might again get by on heart, great goaltending and opportunistic offense. But no, not this time. This time, Roloson, while still excellent, did look human. This time, the Oilers just couldn't muster up enough effort. This time, they suffered defensive breakdown after defensive breakdown. The truth is, while the Oilers still lead 3-1, they have only truly been the best team in one of those games. They need to wake up quickly, get their legs again, or they might wake up next Tuesday with the series tied 3-3.

Some will say I am too quick to jump at conclusions and that the series could also end Saturday night. Well, I hope so. But the reality is the Oilers have been badly, and I emphasize badly, outplayed in the last 2 games. In the last 4 periods, Roloson has given up 9 goals. And he cannot steal every game for the Oil. They Ducks have figured out how to get to him and how to put pucks in the net. At some point in this series, Edmonton are going to have to protect him better than that, and they are going to have to start playing like they did at the end of the Sharks series. Bryzgalov was adequate at best during this series, and tonight Giguere's play was shoddy. If the Oilers can get 30 shots on him, they could score 5 or 6 goals. But the Oilers have played a lot and very hard in these playoffs, and are now reeling from the flu. Here's to hoping they find the energy to win one more game!

By the way, I'm off to Montreal for the weekend, and it looks like a pretty packed one indeed. I'll be back with my next post on Tuesday night. Until then, remember to work hard, but play harder!

See ya kids!

The Dwarf

Little Video...

2006-05-24T18:32:00.000-05:00

Hey, you have to check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meLpuF9UMvk&search=edmonton%20oilers%20anthem

Now, if anyone feels that these are not the best hockey fans in the world, please enlighten me...

The craziest 3rd period ever?

2006-05-24T17:57:00.000-05:00

Last night, the Oilers won a game they should've probably lost. Talks about a part of the teambeing struck by the flu are making rounds in the Edmonton press. Well, they sure looked like a team that didn't have their legs last night...

The Ducks really took it to the Oilers in the first period. They dominated in the shots department, and they dominated physically. But Roloson was steady, as he's been throughout the playoffs, and he even pulled a couple of spectacular saves on one-timers. And, at the end of a brutal first period (something like 40 minutes of penalties combined for the two teams, as well as 2 fights), Edmonton led 1-0, on a goal by a guy I didn't even know was on the roster, Toby Peterson.

The second period, unlike the first, was uneventful. There were a couple of chances on both sides, but nothing too dangerous. What was amzing was that, even though they looked slow and couldn't really keep up with the Ducks, the Oilers kept fighting like mad for loose pucks and throwing themselves in front of almost every shot. I think Neil Smith, the analyst for OLN and ex-Rangers GM, summed up really well this playoff run of the Oilers when he said: "The Oilers look like they'd rather die than lose". Good stuff...

The 3rd period was absolutely crazy! Still leading 1-0, the Oilers started to apply a bit more forecheck. The result was Mike Peca pressuring the point, getting the puck and flying all alone on Bryzgalov. And in the same way he did against the Sharks in Game 6, he roofed it in the top-right corner. Beautiful goal. Not even a minute later, the Oilers came in 2-on-2, but Samsonov waited till the last second and made a beautiful drop pass to Staios will cutting across the slot. Bryzgalov followed Samsonov and Staios shot it into an open net. And then, another minute later, after the Ducks had taken 2 bad penalties, Pronger made a wicked slapshot to score on a 2-man power play. At that point, it was 4-0 and I was dancing in my appartment!

But I never saw it coming. 'It' being the Ducks comeback. After the Oilers scored 3 goals in 2:21 min., the Ducks responded with 3 goals of their own in 4 minutes. Just like that, they had a bunch of momentum and were back only 1 goal behind. Worst, for the first time in the series, Roloson looked vulnerable. In the end, the teams exchanged 2 more goals, and it stayed really close until the very end, when Roloson made a toe save on Justin Penner when Penner had a wide open cage.

When I went to bed last night, I was so happy to be 26 years old, and not 50 or 60. Because had I been that old, I would've surely suffered a heart attack. I don't know that this was the crazy 3rd period of all time, or even of the year, but it was really filled with excitement and drama. To all those who missed it, well... 'I pity the fool!'

L8er

The Dwarf

A look foward to the 06 NFL Season

2006-05-23T18:04:00.000-05:00

It's 6:30pm right now, Tuesday night. The Oilers are about to take on the Ducks in game 3 of the Conference Finals. The talk of the town right now is the flu bug that has hit the Oiler locker room. I'm a bit nervous at this point, but confident in my boys nonetheless. Check back tomorrow for my thoughts on the game. Now, onto some NFL thoughts...

Last year, we saw one of the better teams in the NFL for the last few years literally fall from grace. A team that was hurt by injuries and torn apart by turmoil, the Philadelphia Eagles took an unexpected tumble down the NFC East, going from first to worst in only one year. Obviously, the big storyline of the year was Terrell Owens, but not to be forgotten were the locker-room fight involving Hugh Douglass, the story about Donovan McNabb allegedly “losing” the team, and of course the several injuries (McNabb, Brian Westbrook among others) that erased all hope that the team had of saving its season.

As we look forward to the 2006 NFL season, one of the biggest questions will be whether the Eagles can reclaim their throne as the kings of the NFC. My first thought on the subject was that there was no doubt that the Eagles would be back as a Super Bowl contender next year. But when you look at the NFC East, one of the reasons for the Eagles’ dominance of it during the last few years (leading up to last year) was how weak all the other teams were. In 2004, the Eagles finished 6-0 in the division. In 2005, they didn’t win a game. While a lot of that is due to the Eagles’ own problems, the other teams in the division also got a whole lot better. So, with that in mind, can Philly really return to its old dominant self?

Well, I don’t know if they can go back to being as dominant, but I still feel they will be back as one of the best teams in the NFC. Last year, while all the headlines were focused on the McNabb-T.O. drama, the underlying story was the departure of DT Corey Simon and all the injuries that their defensive line suffered. The Eagles have long had a defensive line by committee approach, with a regular rotation to keep everyone fresh. But last year, the d-line, one of the smallest in the league, was constantly outmatched by the opposition because of their lack of bodies. That, in turn, led to a secondary that got burned more than it had been in years. This year, Philly added standout DE Darren Howard through free agency and well-regarded DT Brodrick Bunkley through the draft. These two should fit right in on a line that already includes DE Javon Kearse and 2nd year DT Mike Patterson. And for so unlike last year, the Eagles can look forward to their season with a lot of depth on the defensive line.

In my mind, that is where everything happens. The defensive line play of the Eagles will decide how well the team will perform. I don’t think there is any doubt that Donovan McNabb is the leader of this team. Under the guidance of McNabb, the offense won’t miss T.O. too much. Brian Westbrook (the real MVP of this offense) will continue to create mismatch problems for defenses, and he will get his scores. Somehow, the receiving corps will be fine. No one will catch 90 balls, but McNabb will spread the ball around enough to keep defenses honest. But in the end, it is the defense that will dictate this season for the birds. If the defense can go back to its dominating ways, with its corners shutting down the opposition’s receivers, with Brian Dawkins playing head-hunter in the middle of the field, with Jeremiah Trotter patrolling the line of scrimmage, the team will be more than fine. But in order to do that, the defensive line must start to get some pressure on the passer, to get upfield on running plays, to create havoc once more. Without that, the defense is forced to blitz too much, and that’s when they get burned.

Howard, Kearse, Patterson, Bunkley, Rayburn… Remember these names. The Philadelphia Eagles’ season will hinge on them. The NFC East is not a division that is ripe for the picking anymore. And in what promises to be tough division battles all year long, the Eagles will need to be able to win the battles in the trenches.

Snoop Dogg - Rhythm & Gangsta: The Masterpiece

2006-05-22T15:03:00.000-05:00

Well, I promised Veillotron his review of the Snoop Dogg album, and as ridiculous as this seems to me, here it is. But before I get on with it, let me state for the record that I tried to listen to the album as objectively as I could, even though it's well known that I am no fan of rap music.

Snoop Dogg - Rhythm & Gangsta: The Masterpiece

When I first saw the name of this album, I wasn't too impressed. "The Masterpiece"? Ok, we know that rappers, like pop and rock stars (and actors for that matter) tend to believe their own hype. But even The Beatles never had the audacity of naming one of their albums "The Masterpiece". But that being said, while "masterpiece" might be pushing it, the simple fact that I was able to listen to it from start to finish without cringing too much speaks volume about Snoop Dogg's work here.

Like any rap album that hopes to have any "street cred", this one is filled with sexual and "gangsta" references and non-stop dropping of the standards of rap vocabulary, more precisely the usual "shit", "ho", "bitch", "ass" and the unforgettable "nigga". But lame lyrical content aside (is it even called lyrics in the rap world?), there are some pretty good collaborations to be found here and some excellent beats too. 'Bang out', although it doesn't feature much Snoop Dogg, gives a rather weak beginning to the album a foundation to stand on. 'Promise I' shows some originality, showcasing a nice R&B groove that borders on jazz. The collaboration with 50 Cent, 'Oh no', possesses the characteristic that most good rap songs have: a great sample. 'Signs', a song that features Justin Timberlake, almost sounds like a Bran Van 3000 song with Snoop making an appearance. It has a pretty nice disco vibe. The album closer, 'No thang on me', is one of the strongest cuts here, and like 'Promise I', has a style that clearly shows some jazz influences.

But for all its strong moments, this album also features some ridiculous, pointless cuts. 'Drop it like it's hot' has to be one of the most annoying songs ever, no matter how popular it is. 'Step your game up' and 'Can you control your hoe' sound like their words were lifted right out of an Eminem album, but the music lacks the urgency of Eminem's. All in all, Snoop has managed to come up with a few good cuts here, but he has failed to support with quality "filler" material. Still, the record has enough to stand on its own.

3/10 (my taste); 7/10 (if I take an objective look at it)

By the way, as an add-on, let me here intrduce my good friend Huy with a contribution of his own for this review of Snoop Dogg's album:

"Snoop D. O. G. last joint was bangin yo......that shit be bringing down the crunk back to tha south side homies.......word. All my nizzles will be hearin that shit"

Alright... I feel like I just had an out-of-body experience. I never thought I would one day review a Snoop album. What wouldn't I do for my peeps? My ever loyal peeps... Anywhoo, check back tomorrow for my thoughts on Game 3 of the Oilers-Ducks series, as well as what I think we can expect from one of the biggest questions marks in the upcoming NFL season: the Philadelphia Eagles. Will the the departure of Terrell Owens hurt their offense, or will they be able to bounce back? I say they'll bounce back in the biggest way... See you Tuesday.

Need to get a few things off my chest

2006-05-21T23:57:00.000-05:00

Hey all...

First off, Veillotron, I looked up Snoop Dogg's recent output, and there isn't much to review here. Apparently his last couple of releases are just tapes of outtakes where you have a million collaborations, but not much Snoop... But if your wish is to have my input in regards to those releases, I'll gladly oblige. Keep me posted.

Now, tonight the Oilers won again and are now leading the Series 2-0. Better yet, they are winning convincingly. Yeah, the Ducks are getting their chances, but Roloson is standing tall, the defense is constantly clearing the front of the net, and the fowards keep scoring timely goals. And so the Oil is making me look like a dork for predicting the Ducks would win in six. But boy are they making a believer out of me. Throughout these playoffs, I've been hoping for the best and preparing for the worse. Well, at this point, if the worse ever comes, I think I won't be ready for it. This team really looks like one set on going the distance. And I can honestly say that I am now 100% on the bandwagon. I'm a believer baby!

That being said, I need to let something off my chest. It's about this whole Da Vinci Code thing going on right now. We've all read the "Breaking the Da Vinci Code" books or seen the "Beyond The Da Vinci Code" shows on History Channel. So we know that the book (or the movie for that matter) are works of fiction, and that no real fact in the story can actually be proven. So then what is all the controversy about and where is it coming from? Well, I'll tell you where it comes from: from an increasingly nervous Catholic Church.

The Da Vinci Code, the book itself, is written a like a good suspense movie, and so it's a very entertaining read. So it's no wonder it was such a success. But it's based in what I have come to see as one of the great conspiracy theories of our time. Really, when you look at it, none of the facts stated in the book can be proved, nor can they be totally disproved. So we're looking at theories that don't have enough to stand on to become facts, nor can they be swept with the back of a hand. And isn't that what a conspiracy theory really all about? I mean, maybe Flight 93 was gunned down by the army, or maybe it was crashed intentionally by the passengers on board. Maybe there was a second shooter in the JFK assassination, or maybe Oswald acted alone. And maybe Aliens do exist, as the X-Files suggested for more than 5 years. But the fact is, there was never any such outrage at any movie that dealt with those subjects. Yet, every time a movie dealing with Christianity comes out, it's the same thing all over again (see Stigmata, Dogma, The Passion of the Christ). But this time it's bigger than ever, because of the popularity of the book.

The fact is, these are tough times for religion. Religion's presence has forever been linked with explaining the unexplainable. Pagans used to justify climate changes by linking them to the ever changing moods of a God or Goddess. Everything in life had a corresponding God or Goddess. And because we couldn't explain much, it all made sense. Then monotheist religions came around. God, Jahve and Allah were seen as the Creators of the world, and its forever ruling King. But as the world has evolved, these beliefs have come to be put in question. The theory of evolution came around, as did countless other discoveries and scientific advancements. What we know today has made religion in general a much more useless entity. But instead of taking a backseat, religions have struck back in the biggest way. And so, along with the rise of science and technology in the last 50 years has come the rise of Fundamentalism.

In America, we see Christian Fundamentalists blame the attacks of 9/11 on Americans, saying it was God laying down his wrath upon the country for being too tolerant of gay people. We see the President saying he would like to see the concept of "Intelligent Design" (God created the world, the whole Adam & Eve thing) thaught alongside evolution, because both "could be true", even though there is no debate here. We see constant discrimination against gays emaning from the Catholic Church. The Church still says that no woman can be priest, nor should they be able to decide when to have a child or not. And then, you have your Bin Ladens and your Talibans. The reality is that while the world keeps evolving, religion doesn't. And thus the need for Fundamentalists. But while these Fundamentalists are being heard loud and clear, the fact is less and less people are agreeing with the beliefs that they hold, perhaps because it doesn't fit the intellectual mindset of today's societies.

Let's face it: 50 or 60 years ago, towns were empty on Sunday morning, as churches filled up. Nowadays, it's rare to see a church half-full in the same hours. The Catholic Church has lost a large portion of its following, and so it is understandable for it to feel threatened by a book such as The Da Vinci Code. But why is the Church following the lead of Fundamentalists? Or if not following their lead, at the very least condoning their speach, by claiming the book and the movie are discriminating against their religion? Why is the Church being so radical?

Discrimination is what the Holocaust was. Discrimination is what slavery was. Discrimination is what racism is all about. Discrimination is a woman being paid less than a man would for the same job. Discrimination is gays being refused to right to marry (in a town hall, mind you, not a church) because of some other people's spiritual beliefs. Discrimination is being pointed at and being laughed, still today, because of occult spiritual beliefs, such as withcraft and wicca. And as hard as I'm trying to find it, I still can't point my finger to how The Da Vinci Code does this to Christianity. This book offers an alternate way of looking at the historical "facts". Sure, it paints Opus Dei as a bunch of lunatic extermists. But the monk who commits murder is also an albino, and you don't see the albino community plastered all over the newspapers. Sure, it paints the Catholic authority as hiding some sort of huge secret, but isn't this the same church who pretended for hundreds of years that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute? I mean, really, where does it say that Christians are terrible people, that they shouldn't have the same rights everyone else has? And where does it say that Jesus Christ was a fraud? The fact is, it doesn't.

The Catholic Church has become more and more weary of people putting the scriptures in doubt, and given the fact that they're losing followers to atheism or other religions every year, I can understand that. But to lash out against people who disagree with their teachings or beliefs is not the way to go. Didn't Jesus preach that everyone, people of all faiths, rich or poor, were children of God? Didn't he preach tolerance? The Catholic Church should've taken a calmer, more rational position. It should've proclaimed it didn't support the book or the movie, not attack it. By doing so, it has portrayed itself as a intelorant and hypocrit organization. But it's not the first time, and certainly not the last. And the one thing we can learn from this is that while Jesus, married or not, was a great man, one who spread a word greater than himself, the men who have followed in his footsteps have once again failed to live up to him. And when we see all the hatred that is spread in the name of religion, all the wars that have been fought because of it, it's a real shame to see that the very men who are the embodiement of religion probably even can't look at theirselves in the mirror with a straight face. THAT is a real shame. And while the Christians all around keep babbling about how horrific the way they are being treated is, all I see is a bunch of people who are so narrow-minded they can't even realize how intolerant and self-centered they are. If being like that is the gateway to Heaven, I'm more than ready to welcome Hell.

Conference finals and stuff...

2006-05-19T16:59:00.000-05:00

Hey Dudes and Dudettes from all around the globe... (yeah, I wish)

Well, the Oilers are now in the Western Conference Finals. I thought that towards the end of the series, especially games 5 and 6, the Sharks just ran out of gas. Now I don't know if that's a tribute to the Oilers, who simply outworked them, or if it's just the Sharks just lacked the same resolve. I guess it must be a little bit of both. But to anyone out there who hasn't much of the Oil in this year's playoffs, I have to tell you that you're missing out on something great. It's not that the Oilers are making eye-opening passes, or beautiful tic-tac-toe goals, but the intensity and the heart they are showing on each and every shift is truly something to behold. Rarely have I seen a team, a whole team, put their bodies on the line like the Oilers are doing. And I hate to say it, because I'm not sure I believe, but this looks like a team of destiny.

But, in the end, I believe the Ducks are cut from the same fabric. They work hard on every shift, and just might be a bit more talented than the Oilers are. Their only question mark is in net, where Bryzgalov has been hot and cold all year. Right now, he's red-hot, burning-hot, and the question is will he falter somewhere in the series like Toskala did for the Sharks. Well, I don't think he will. And so I predict the Ducks will win in 6.

In the other conference, the Sabres will meet the Hurricanes. It's been said everywhere that both teams are mirror images of each other. I think that's true in the type of game they play, which is a sound defence, stretch-pass and speed down the wing up-and-down type of hockey. Another similarity is that they both have rookie netminders. But aside from that, when you look at the list of fowards, Carolina has some big name talent in there (namely Staal, Brind'Amour, Weight, Recchi, Whitney, Stillman) but Buffalo, a bit like Edmonton, has few names that are recognizable, yet it features some real scrappy guys with a knack to put the puck in the net at the right time. And unlike in the western finals, I think the team that will prevail here is the scrappy, hard-working team. I think Buffalo's fowards will prove to be too much to handle for young Cam Ward while, at the other end, Ryan Miller will stand tall. Buffalo in 7.

Now, on to other stuff... Some guy named Veillotron would like me to review Snoop Dogg's new album. Well, I pretty much think that would be a waste of everyone's time, as I don't know much about rap. Not only that, I don't necessarily like the genre. But you know what? Power to the people! And so, in my next edition of "The Dwarf's Musings", I will review Snoop Dogg's new album. Mr. Veillotron (weird guy that Veillotron), check back on Sunday for the review! Also on Sunday, I'll discuss a band I've been listening to a lot on the last few months, Stars. See you then!

CD reviews

2006-05-16T22:22:00.000-05:00

Hey all!

Just finished a great night of TV. Scrubs was awesome, as usual, and a double dose was very welcomed. Yup, it was the season finale, so we got a full hour! It is, without a doubt, the best show on TV right now. I just can't believe that NBC will put it only in their winter lineup again next year. So now I have to wait till January 07 for the next new Scrubs... the only good thing about it is there never any reruns. But I digress... Law & Order: SVU was pretty good. They didn't save their best show for the finale, but it was good nonetheless. "Above par" is how I would put it.

Now, I said you (whoever is reading this, if you're out there) would get some CD reviews, so here they are...

Pearl Jam - Self Titled

Without a doubt, this is their best release since Vitalogy, if not better than that one. It starts off with a vengeance, which is very refreshing. In their last few releases, the band seemed to have taken a more progressive, somewhat expiremental approach. But for the first half on this record, that's all out the window. We're talking full-on 70's infused rock n' roll here. Rockin' riffs, guitar solos, and Eddie Vedder yelling out his lyrics like only he can. Indeed, he is singing with a purpose here. His lyrics are politically challenging, if not confrontational, but in a more universal way than what Green Day or Neil Young have managed to come up with. Check out these lines form the song 'Marker in the sand': those undecided... Needn't faith to be free/And those misguided, there was a plan for them to be/ Now you got both sides claiming to be killing in God's name/But God is nowhere to be found, Conveniently. This is some good stuff.

The second half of the album is a bit more mellow, and takes us back to albums like 'Yield' and 'Binaural'. But still, the songs have an urgency that we haven't heard from Pearl Jam in a long time. There are rumors that this might be the band's last album, and they are truly playing like a band with nothing to lose, trying to leave one last mark on rock music before they leave the scene. This is a record that is filled with highlights. 'Life Wasted', the lead-off track, begins the album in force. The first single, 'World Wide Suicide', is one of the best rockers I've heard this year. 'Marker in the sand' has a melody that will hook you and you'll find yourself humming those notes before you know it. 'Army reserve' is a mid-tempo rocker featuring almost The Cure-ish guitars and Vedder at his best, both lyrically and vocally. 'Inside Job', the album closer, is an epic 7 minute journey that builds like a crescendo and, in the end, leaves you wanting for more. 'Severed hand', 'Big wave', 'Come back' (that one reminds me of 'Black', one the band's biggest hits ever) and 'Unemployable are also very solid songs.

8.5/10

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium

When I heard the Chili Peppers were coming out with a double album, I was ecstatic. Now that I've listened to the record a few times, I wish they had put back about half these songs in a desk somewhere and released a single album. A lot of these cuts sound like a variation of one another. Make no mistake, the Chili Peppers are one the best rock bands out there today. They mix funk and beautifully crafted melodies better than anyone else out there. And like on 'Californication' and 'By the way', John Frusciante guitar work is at his best once more. He is truly the star of this band, even though he doesn't get half the attention Flea gets. But unlike their 2 previous releases, this album seems stretched out for too long. By the time it ends, you've had enough. Anthony Keidis' vocals haven't lost a step, but he seems to be stuck in the same place. His lyrics still sound like juvenile poetry at best, and he doesn't seem to be gaining any range either.

Still, there are some very solid cuts in there. 'Dani California' is clearly a single, and a good one at that. It hooks you and doesn't let go and features a great guitar solo at the end. 'Snow (Hey Oh)' has such a beautiful melody you want to put it on repeat and listen to it time and time again. 'Charlie' starts off as a simple, funky number and grows into this wonderful, beautiful sonic attack led by Flea and Frusciante. And Keidis' vocal harmonies act a sort of a glue that holds the whole song together. 'Stadium Arcadium' is a slower number that stands as one of the band's best, as does 'Wet sand'. On the second disc, 'Desecration smile' is clearly a standout number. Frusciante's acoustic work is amazing, as is his electric guitar work. And he provides great depth to the song with his backing vocals. 'Tell me baby' has some addictive hooks. 'Hard to concentrate' is another beautiful cut in the vein of 'Dosed' (By the way) and 'Californication'. 'She looks to me' is a pretty good mid-tempo rock song that is made so much better because of Frusciante's presence alone. 'If' is a very slow number featuring Flea's great bass work, and it's a good one. 'Especially in Michigan', 'C'mon girl', 'She looks to me', 'Make you feel better' and 'Animal bar' are also worth checking out.

In the end, this is an album that lacks the kind of "make-you-fall-out-of-your-seat-this-is-so-amazing" songs like 'Under the bridge', 'This velvet glove' or 'Minor thing'. But again, the Chili Peppers are clearly in the prime of their career, continuously coming up with great songs. It just makes me wish they would've been a little less adventurous and made this a very solid, excellent 1-disc album.

7/10

Tool - 10,000 Days

Tool are known as the premier metal band, mixing the genre with alt-rock and progressive rock better than anyone else can. And with '10,000 Days', they prove they are still on top of all 3 worlds.

But just as the 5 years between 'Aenima' and 'Lateralus' provided growth and maturation for the band, making 'Lateralus' a more melodic, polished record, this last 5-year hiatus seems to have had little effect on the band's sound. Make no mistake, this is a Tool album, and so it is a great one, but one that seems to rehash the same ideas and sounds we have heard before. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. The songs still flow seamlessly from one to another, making this a true record, and not just a collection of songs, like most bands have gotten us all used to. Danny Carey is still the best rock drummer out there, supported more than adequately on guitar by Adam Jones, he is the driving force behind this record. Maynard James Keenan, one of the best singers out there, is more subdued this time around. His lyrics are more direct and personal that they have ever been. And while anger still is a part of his repertoire (on 'Vicarious': The Universe is hostile/So Impersonal/Devour to survive/So it is, so its always been), his lyrics have grown to be a lot more personal and introspective (on 'Wings for Marie, Pt. 1': Vacant, Broken/Fell at the hands of this moment so I couldn't see/It was you who prayed for me so/What have I done/To be the son of an angel?/What have I done/To be worthy?).

It is amazing again to hear how Tool can continue to shift from slower, more subdued moments to absolutely bombastic and hard-rocking ones in the blink of an eye, seamlessly. And not just from song to song, but within the confines of one song as well. They've been doing it for years, but it never ceases to amaze. 'Wings for Marie, pt. 1' is a perfect example of that. So is 'Ring in two'. But where Tool is at its best here and where the whole band truly shines is on the heavier numbers. 'Vicarious' is the first single, and it is probably the best song of the lot. 'The Pot' is also excellent. But Tool's best attribute is not in being able to craft songs, but in crafting a true record, a body of work that truly stands as one, from start to finish, like so few bands are able to do. And in this light, this record is a smahing success from a band we've come to expect no less of.

8.5/10

Jeff Martin - Exile and the Kingdom

When Jeff Martin left The Tea Party, I wasn't too concerned. I had always thought of The Tea Party as "The Jeff Martin Band", being that Martin was the main creative force behind the band's work and that the music always put his guitar and vocal work front and center. And while I still I think I wasn't completely wrong, I have found that I wasn't completely right either. Clearly, the material on this record is still very strong. This album is full of beautifully crafted songs, as one would expect from Jeff Martin. But while Michael Lee's (Page and Plant) drum work is solid, it is nowhere near as spectacular as Jeff Burrows' used to be. And even though Stuart Chatwood's bass work was always understated, it was clearly superior to Martin's, who plays all stringed instruments here, including bass. But the one thing that The Tea Party's last few records had (Triptych, The Interzone Mantras and 7 Circles) and that is truly lacking is the superior quality of the production. And that is particularly confusing since Martin produced all his previous band's records. But while this album does have its weaknesses, it is still an above average output compared to what the music world is giving us year in and year out.

The lead-off track, 'The World is calling', is a typical Tea Party song, reminiscent of numbers such as 'Walking Wounded'(Tangents) and 'Luxuria' (7 Circles). The time signatures are unusual, to say the least, and this is truly where Michael Lee shines the most. Also, the string arrangements are marvellous, and this is also where Martin does his best work behind the console. 'Butterfly' is the first song that takes us to where the heart of the album lies, in folk-rock land. While it is far from being one of the best cuts here, it does feature a nice guitar line and some fine lyrical work. 'Where do we go from here' again veers back into later Tea Party work. Originally set to appear on '7 Circles', it has a bit of a pop rock feel to it (a la 'Heaven Coming Down'). And towards the end, as the song builds, martin's vocals truly shine.

'Daystar' is one of the real highlights here. This song takes us back 10 years in The Tea Party's catalog, featuring a mix of Tabla, sitar, sarod and acoustic guitar we haven't heard in years. The melodies are absolutely beautiful, and the lyrics, while simple and understated, are quite touching (this song was written for Martin 1-year old son). 'Lament' takes us to another country, namely Ireland. This song has irish folk written all over it, and again, Martin's guitar melodies are at their best here. 'Angeldust', a song that deals with the breakup of the band, takes us back to Led Zeppelin's 'Bron-y-aur', off of Physical Graffiti.

'Black Snake Blues', a delta-blues number in the vein of Robert Johnson, is not for everyone, but fans of the genre will find this is a good one. The album also features a collaboration with Jenny Laws on the song 'Stay inside of me', and it works relatively well. And in a bit of a departure for the former Tea Party frontman, the album closer is called 'Good Times Song' and is a hillbilly styled hoe-down featuring Ritesh Das (who plays Tabla all throughout the record) on table. Yes, he plays on a table. And while it is somewhat weird and unexpected, it does have a nice, happy feel to it and a nice hook to top it off. But clearly, the standout track is the epic 'The Kingdom'. Written with his new home (the Irish countryside) and his old friends in mind, this song is as beautiful as they come. Oddly enough, it is perhaps the only overproduced track on the album. While the string arrangements are beautiful and most welcomed, the choir seems to be a bit of a stretch. Yet, the song features such a nice, gentle melody and some of Martin's most touching and moving vocals.

So, while this album does not stand shoulder to shoulder with The Tea Party's best work, it does deserve to be mentioned in the same breath. One has to wonder what would have become of these songs with Jeff Martin's former bandmates standing behind him, or if the same attention to detail had been put in the production process. But this collection of songs still manages to stand well on its own, and provides great hope as to what the next record will bring.

8/10

Come back thursday, as I will review what I hope will be Edmonton's 4th win in their series versus the Sharks.

My first post...

2006-05-15T02:48:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone!

Well, here I am writing my first post in what I hope will become a regular thing as I take my first steps into the world of bloggers. Indeed, it was only a matter of time before I got that bored and in need of attention...

Now, I must say, last Friday I was treated to the best meal I've had in a long, long time. Actually, "was treated" is a wrong choice of words, because I did participate (ever so slightly) in the preparing of this wonderful dinner. I was at my good friend Jean-Francois', in Sunny Isles, and his girlfriend, the ever charming Marie-Eve, was at the helm in the kitchen. The menu included cheese souffles (my goodness were those tasty!) as the appetizer. I can't tell you what the name of the entree was, but it was basically lamb and onions covered with sliced potatoes. And although J-F complained that there wasn't enough salt, I thought it was excellent. And for dessert, Marie-Eve had prepared grapes that had been marinating in Port for 2 days (or something like that). Now THAT was amazing!! In the end, we wound up going upstairs to a friend's appartment where we smoked a couple of La Aurora cigars which were wisely accompanied by a Hennessy XO cognac. All in all, given that Oilers won 6-3 that night, it was truly a great evening!

On another note, I was once again very much entertained by another intriguing weekend of Hockey. The Oilers have now won 3 games in a row to take 3-2 series lead back to Edmonton for game 6. So far, their series with the Sharks has been, without the shadow of a doubt, the most physical, emotional and hard-fought series the Stanley Cup Playoffs have had to offer. Game 6, on wednesday night, promises to be another thriller.

Now, you all know I'm a big Oiler fan, so I won't bore you with how happy I am with their performance so far. Instead, let me turn to what I think are the biggest news to have come out of hockey this weekend:

1. The NJ Devils are out in 5. I knew that Carolina was going to be good. I had actually predicted that they would beat Montreal pretty easily, probably in 5. But when I saw the Devils sweep the Rangers, I truly thought that the Carolina-New Jersey series would be a long one, probably going in 6 or 7 games, with Martin Brodeur coming out once more as a hero... Boy was I ever wrong. Instead, aside from 1 game where the Canes barely showed up, all they did was bitchslap the Devils into next season. They dominated from start to finish, and the Devils never came close to looking like a playoff team. Still, I believe that Carolina's quest for the Cup will end in Buffalo, who also easily disposed of Ottawa. Which brings us to point #2...

2. Ottawa out in 5. Even though I wanted Ottawa to win, I thought Buffalo had a better playoff team. But not because I thought Ray Emery couldn't do the job. The problem with Ottawa has been the same for years: they are not built as a playoff team. In every team that goes to the Cup finals you have true leaders that come through in crunch time: Brad Richards or Dave Andreychuk with Tampa, Jarome Iginla with Calgary, Brodeur with New Jersey, Yzerman in Detroit, Sakic in Colorado, etc... The fact is, Ottawa was built around a second-year center who had yet to experience the playoff atmosphere (Spezza), a sharp-shooter who disappeared during the Olympics (Heatley) and a captain who has never been able to rally his troops during tough times (Alfredsson). They had more grit this year, but grit means nothing if it doesn't spread to the rest of your team. And that starts at the top; it starts with your leaders. And once again, Alfredsson dissapeared during the playoffs. I think it speaks volumes that night in and night out, their best player was often Martin Havlat. I think that this summer, Ottawa's priority has to be to acquire a true leader. They have to go get someone who will rally the troops when they fall behind, someone who will sacrifice his body to block a big shot, or pay the price in front of the net for a big goal and then tell his teammates to follow his lead. Andreychuk did it with Tampa in 2004, as did Iginla in the same year. Koivu was the guy doing it in Montreal in their first round comeback against Boston in 2004. And if you're looking for a reason why Edmonton has had so much success in this year's playoffs, look no further than guys like Ryan Smyth, Jason Smith, Fernando Pisani, Ethan Moreau, Chris Pronger, Shawn Horcoff and Raffi Torres. These guys, and everyone else on the team, are constantly putting their bodies in harm's way to help the team. But again, it all starts with their leaders, Ryan Smyth and Jason Smith. That's what the Senators need.

Check back later this week, as I'll review a couple of the best music releases in the last couple of months... there's been some good ones!

Later,

The Dwarf