Week Four NFL Picks

PANTHERS over Falcons

• The pesky Falcons keep it close, but not close enough.

Browns over BENGALS

• Romeo Crennel's Browns make five national TV appearances for a reason, right?

JAGUARS over Texans

• Houston has no answer for the one-two punch of Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor.

Broncos over CHIEFS

• I never thought I'd live to see the day when the Royals were no longer the worst team in Kansas City.

49ers over SAINTS

• I feel like a kid on Christmas morning, I'm so excited. J.T. O'Sullivan has been a magnificent surprise, we have playmakers on defense, and Mike Martz has reinvigorated our offense. Gooooooooooo Niners!!!!!!!!!!

JETS over Cardinals

• Okay, you got me. I'm picking the Jets primarily because I want Arizona to lose.

Packers over BUCS

• Aaron Rodgers leads the Packers to victory in the Battle of the Bays.

TITANS over Vikings

• A thrilling affair that will be decided by a clutch Rob Bironas kick.

Chargers over RAIDERS

• The Raiders have a chance at staying competitive in this game, but they have no shot of winning amidst the distracting Lane Kiffin saga against a much stronger team.

Bills over RAMS

• Sad but true: Scott Linehan better have his bags ready on Monady morning.

COWBOYS over Redskins

• Closer than the experts think, due to the magnitude and energy of this rivalry. But Dallas will surely find a way to win.

Eagles over BEARS

• Tough road game for the Westbrook-less Eagles. McNabb, however, rises to the occasion in his hometown. Philly gets a big win.

STEELERS over Ravens

• An entertaining Monday nighter. These two teams always put on a good show when they play, and this contest will be no different. I'll take Big Ben and Pittsburgh in a squeaker.

Random Observations on the Wonderful World of Sports

In the words of the great San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist Scott Ostler, here are my deep thoughts, cheap shots, and bon mots:

---Yikes. Not exactly a great showing from Matt Cassel and the Patriots. Something tells me that Randy Moss does not have quite the same rapport with Cassel that he has with Tom Brady. Just a hunch.

---You have to give Joey Porter some credit. He always talks the talk, but this time he also walked the walk.

---Can you hear that noise? It's the sound of New York Giants fans everywhere letting out a collective, "Phew!".

---Meanwhile, the Lane Kiffin drama continues in Oakland. Wake up, Al Davis. You can't field a winning team when you constantly hire and fire coaches at a lightning fast rate. The problem with the Raiders the last five years hasn't been Bill Callahan, Norv Turner, Art Shell, or Lane Kiffin; the problem has been Al Davis.

---And down the stretch they come! Major League Baseball enters its final week in the regular season, and there are still plenty of unanswered questions. Will the Mets hold on to a playoff spot? Who will win the NL West? Can Milwaukee sneak into the postseason party?

---Whether you are a Yankee hater or a Yankee lover, nobody can deny the fact that Yankee Stadium is one of the most historic and spectacular venues in all of sports. The House That Ruth Built has been the site of many famous moments, such as 26 World Series, Lou Gehrig's "luckiest man alive" speech, and that incredible 2001 World Series.

---I was lucky enough to have been in attendance during this year's unforgettable Home Run Derby, featuring the astonishing performance of Josh Hamilton. I feel enormously privileged to have been in Yankee Stadium during its final year.

---What a spectacularly exciting Ryder Cup win by the Americans. Congratulations to Paul Azinger and Team USA for winning in impressive fashion against the Europeans, and special thanks to Boo Weekley and Anthony Kim for firing up the raucous crowd at Valhalla.

---Remember that column I wrote a couple of weeks ago praising Rick Neuheisel and the Bruins? Well, you can pretty much forget about what I said.

---I like Lou Holtz, but he must have been inebriated when he predicted ten wins for his Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

---Maybe he meant ten touchdowns.

---Another knee surgery for Gilbert Arenas means another major hurdle for Eddie Jordan's Wizards.

---The annual rumors surrounding Stephon Marbury in New York have arrived once again. Deep down, Mike D'Anotoni probably wants to see Steph get traded.

---If the government can bail out Wall Street, can they bail out the Rams and the Chiefs? Just a thought.

Week Three Picks

Can the Jaguars finally find a way to beat the Colts? Will Joey Porter's words come back to haunt him yet again? Who will win Pennsylvania bragging rights? All of these questions will be answered this weekend. Here's how I see it all going down (home team in caps):

FALCONS over Chiefs. This one's a stinker. Atlanta, however, is less of a disaster.
BILLS over Raiders. The Bills go to 3-0, and rumors surrounding Lane Kiffin grow louder.
BEARS over Bucs. Da Bears get the win. The Griese-Garcia QB controversy rolls on.
Panthers over VIKINGS. The return of Steve Smith helps Carolina keep the Vikes winless.
PATRIOTS over Dolphins. Joey Porter, just stop talking. Cassel gets win #2 of his career.
GIANTS over Bengals. Blowout of the week. The Bengals might as well stay home.
TITANS over Texans. Kerry Collins moves one step closer to being the permanent starter.
REDSKINS over Cardinals. A trap game for Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, and Arizona.
SEAHAWKS over Rams. Tick tock, tick tock. Scott Linehan's time is running out.
Saints over BRONCOS. Call me crazy, but I smell an upset in the Mile High City.
EAGLES over Steelers. Thriller of the week. Philly wins this Pennsylvania showdown.
COLTS over Jaguars. Too early to panic, but Jacksonville is in big trouble.
Browns over RAVENS. A must win for Cleveland. A loss would crush their playoff hopes.
Cowboys over PACKERS. A back-and-forth affair that goes into overtime. Dallas prevails
CHARGERS over Jets. This one could get ugly. Don't you wish you were retired, Brett?
NINERS over Lions. Gooooooooooooooooo Niners!!!!!!!!!!

Random Observations on the Wonderful World of Sports

In the words of the great San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist Scott Ostler, here are my deep thoughts, cheap shots, and bon mots:

---Two words describe last night's Monday Night Football showdown between the Eagles and Cowboys: Instant Classic.

---With the Giants, Eagles, and Cowboys, the NFC East is loaded.

---You think Jim Zorn is regretting taking that Redskins job right about now?

---Awesome, thrilling win for my 49ers over the weekend. An overtime win at Seattle will hopefully provide us with a big jolt of momentum. Gooooooooooooo Niners!!!

---I feel for all of the Chargers faithful. Nothing is more painful for a sports fan than being hosed by a horrendous call in the final seconds of a critical game. However, you have to give Mike Shanahan, Jay Cutler, Eddie Royal, and the Broncos a ton of credit for scoring a touchdown and a two-point conversion in the game's final seconds.

---And despite the unfortunate call, Ed Hochuli remains one of the very best officials in the game.

---There are plenty of rumors regarding the possible firing of Oakland Raiders coach Lane Kiffin. Is Al Davis ever satisfied?

---It's a magnificent time of year for baseball fans. The pennant races are in full swing, and already the Mets look extremely vulnerable. Might another September collapse be in the cards?

---I can't tell you how much I hope the Dodgers miss the postseason, but it looks like they will make it, thanks in large part to terrible play by the D'Backs.

---Still, I remain optimistic that Manny and company will fall on their faces.

---Congratulations, Carlos Zambrano. Big Z's no-hitter against the Astros in Milwaukee was mighty impressive.

---However, it wasn't entirely fair to have Houston play a home game in Milwaukee, with a park full of diehard Cubs fans.

---Speaking of Milwaukee, their firing of manager Ned Yost was a ridiculous decision sparked by a great deal of panic. As I have said before, I do not think the Brewers will make the playoffs.

---Does this sound familiar? USC looks like the best team in college football, and Ohio State once again fails to get off the bus in a big game.

---Maybe Jim Tressel should mix his style up and ditch the classic vest and tie look. Maybe that would bring better results.

---Other than a dominant showing from USC, it was an awful week for the Pac-10.

---Especially for Rick Neuheisel's Bruins.

---The Ryder Cup begins this weekend. Can the Americans finally be competitive? Without Tiger, it won't be easy.

---And finally, a few thoughts on Michael Phelps' hosting duties on "Saturday Night Live". While I do not think the legendary Olympian was as bad as many believe, I do think Phelps would be smart to stick with swimming. Hey, comedy isn't for everybody.

Week Two Picks

Week one was a week of unpredictability, a week that resulted in the end of Tom Brady's season and a police search for Vince Young. There were a lot of upsets, such as the Panthers shocking the Chargers in San Diego and the Bears crushing the Colts in Indy. What's in store for week two? It is anybody's guess, but here are my predictions, as I look to bounce back from only seven correct picks last week (home teams are capitalized):



Packers over LIONS. Aaron Rodgers continues to make Packers fans forget about Favre.

CHIEFS over Raiders. Kansas City is bad, but the Raiders are jaw-droppingly awful.

Giants over RAMS. Marc Bulger, meet the Giants D. You'll be seeing a lot of them.

Colts over VIKINGS. Huge game for both teams. I like the Colts in a thriller.

BENGALS over Titans. The media storm over Vince Young has Tennessee disoriented.

Saints over REDSKINS. The Redskins are favored? Huh?? The Saints win big.

PANTHERS over Bears. Interesting game, with Carolina proving that they are for real.

JAGUARS over Bills. The pesky and talented Bills keep it close, but not close enough.

49ers over SEAHAWKS. Let's go Niners!!! Let's go Niners!!! Let's go Niners!!! Go SF!!!

BUCS over Falcons. This game will be tighter than expected, but Tampa gets the W.

JETS over Patriots. The Jets cannot afford to squander this opportunity.

CARDINALS over Dolphins. Let's look on the bright side. Miami won't go 0-16 again.

BRONCOS over Chargers. A fantastic AFC West showdown. The Bolts drop to 0-2.

Steelers over BROWNS. Big Ben and the Steelers deal a big blow to the Browns.

Ravens over TEXANS. Joe Flacco could be in for a strong rookie season.

Eagles over COWBOYS. Oh, baby, what a game. McNabb says, "Terrell who?"

Random Observations on the Wonderful World of Sports

In the words of the great San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist Scott Ostler, here are my deep thoughts, cheap shots, and bon mots:

---Goodbye Tom Brady, Hello Matt Cassel. Brady's season-ending injury has Patriots fans in a major state of panic. Rather than having one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time taking the snaps, New England is now stuck with a guy who has not started a game since high school. I think Belichick's grumpy persona just got a little more curmudgeonly.

---However, contrary to popular belief, Cassel will not be a total bust, and New England has more than enough talent to make the playoffs.

---Speaking of injuries, Shawne Merriman is done for the year. This injury coupled with Sunday's stunning loss at the final second to Jake Delhomme and the Panthers has San Diego looking for answers.

---Sources say that there is concern regarding Vince Young's emotional state. I have a sneaky feeling that this story is way overblown.

---Yeah, Brett Favre looked good in his Jets debut. But, for my money, Aaron Rodgers looked even better in his Packers debut.

---The Giants, Eagles, and Cowboys all look dominant. This is the strongest the NFC East has ever been.

---C'mon 49ers. We can do better than that! Let's beat the Seahawks!!! Go Niners!!! Now back to my unbiased journalistic integrity.

---Look out Tampa. The Red Sox are closing the door in the AL East. Still, I stand by my earlier prediction: The Rays will hang on to win the division. Tonight's critical, come-from-behind win over Boston should provide the Rays with a jolt of momentum.

---The Angels may suffer come October from not having played a meaningful game in months. Once the playoffs begin, K-Rod's fastball could lose some zip, Vlad's bat could lose some pop, and Chone Figgins could lose some of his Usain Bolt-like speed. Is this likely to occur? Absolutely not. But it is a possibility.

---584 fans attended a Florida Marlins game last week. This is an astonishing new low for the Fish. Why don't Florida baseball fans support their exciting young teams? One of the great mysteries of our time.

---You heard it here first. East Carolina will take college football by storm and will play and win in a BCS bowl this year.

---I really, really hope the Ohio State-USC game is close. But I would not be the slightest bit surprised if Mark Sanchez and the Trojans steamroll the Buckeyes.

---Horrible, horrible call at the end of that BYU-Washington game. If that was excessive celebration, then every tackle is unnecessary roughness.

---Oh, Monta Ellis. Why, oh, why would you pull a Jeff Kent and lie about your injury?

---Roger Federer is your 2008 US Open Champion. They should just cancel the US Open and hand the trophy to Federer every year. I believe Rafael Nadal is the best player in the game right now, but nobody can beat Federer in Flushing Meadow.

---A strong field was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame this past weekend. Dick Vitale, Patrick Ewing, Cathy Rush, Hakeem Olajuwon, Adrian Dantley, William Davidson, Pat Riley. It doesn't get any better than that.

---Great Charles Barkley interview on Dan Patrick's radio show today. Barkley, despite all his flaws, is such a smart, entertaining, and funny person. He is by far my favorite sports commentator in the business. Keep up the great work, Chuck.

Week One Picks and College Locks.

Football, Football, Football.

This is one of the most exciting times of the year. The NFL is back. Tom Coughlin's defending champion New York Giants kicked off the season in dominant fashion last night, showing no sign of missing Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan, cruising to a 16-7 win against the visiting Washington Redskins. This Sunday, the remaining thirty teams will be in action. Here are my picks (home teams are capitalized):

49ERS over Cardinals. Goooooooooooooooooo Niners!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BILLS over Seahawks. Yes, Dick Jauron is on the hot seat. But Buffalo prevails.
DOLPHINS over Jets. Sweet Revenge for Mr. Pennington. Brett who?
Lions over FALCONS. Jon Kitna is in for another strong year. Matt Ryan.....not so much.
Bengals over RAVENS. Palmer to Johns.....ur, Ocho Cinco. A potent duo.
PATRIOTS over Chiefs. A hurt Tom Brady is much better than a healthy Brody Croyle.
SAINTS over Bucs. Good game, but Jon Gruden will still have that scowl afterwards.
EAGLES over Rams. McNabb will show why, when healthy, he is an elite QB.
STEELERS over Texans. Some think Houston is on the rise. Not so fast.
Jaguars over TITANS. Fantastic game. Tennessee, say hello to Maurice Jones-Drew.
BROWNS over Cowboys. Upset alert! Call me crazy, but I'm a believer in the Browns.
CHARGERS over Panthers. Yes, Merriman is a question mark, but let's not forget LT.
COLTS over Bears. No Jeff Saturday, but Peyton, Freeney, and Indy will find a way.
Vikings over PACKERS. The NFC North is Minnesota's division to lose.
Broncos over RAIDERS. Tricky game to call. In a toss-up, I'll go with Mike Shanahan.

And my three college football locks of the week:

EAST CAROLINA over West Virginia
FLORIDA over Miami
OHIO STATE over Ohio University

Pay Attention, Pete Carroll. Rick Neuheisel has arrived.

Last week there was an advertisement for UCLA football that featured newly minted head coach Rick Neuheisel pointing his finger with a stern look on his face that essentially translates into, "I mean business." Below the picture of Neuheisel were nine words that threatened to awake sleeping giant and UCLA rival USC: "The Football Monopoly in Los Angeles is Officially Over."

The universal response to this risky move by the Bruins was an overwhelming, Have they lost their minds?!?! Why would UCLA want to further motivate Pete Carroll and the Trojans? Southern Cal is one of the most spectacular dynasties in the history of college football, and with their dominant performance in Charlottsville against Virginia this past weekend, they showed absolutely zero signs of slowing down anytime soon. USC has been so good that they basically serve as Los Angeles' pro team. Yet UCLA, a football program that is considered the ugly stepsister of Tinseltown, still found it appropriate to call out their rivals. Crazy, right?

Not so fast. Believe it or not, this was actually a brilliant move by UCLA. Are they close to surpassing USC? No way, Jose. SC remains the premier program in all of college football. But UCLA has been reinvigorated by the arrival of Rick Neuheisel, and Neuheisel wants to make sure his players know that he's there to win. If this means angering USC, so be it. Karl Dorrell was a decent coach, but he was severely lacking in one regard: he never seemed to be able to energize and motivate his team. Neuheisel, a UCLA alum and former coach at Colorado and Washington, is quite the opposite. By stating that the football monopoly in Los Angeles is officially over, even if it really is not, Neuheisel sent a jolt of fire and energy to his team. And, judging by last night's thrilling overtime victory against eighteenth-ranked Tennessee, a game in which third-string QB Kevin Craft followed a hideous first half with a magnificent second, his players have responded to his message.

Should Pete Carroll be worried right now? No. His focus, as it is every year, is to lead the Trojans to a national championship. But Carroll should be aware of the fact that Rick Neuheisel has come to town, and that he means business.

Random Observations on the Wonderful World of Sports

In the words of the great San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist Scott Ostler, here are my deep thoughts, cheap shots, and bon mots:

---College Football is underway, and the first weekend of action was revealing for many teams. If the first week is any indication, Rich Rodriguez is in for a rough year at Michigan. Alabama, USC, Georgia, LSU, and Florida all look to be unstoppable. East Carolina could be this year's Cinderella. And Cal's Jahvid Best deserves to be in the Heisman discussion along with the likes of Tebow, Daniel, Wells, and Moreno.

---But remember---it's only the first week.

---CC Sabathia got robbed! Milwaukee's ace pitched a one hitter yesterday at Pittsburgh in what should have been ruled a no hitter. The lone hit by Andy LaRoche clearly should have been ruled an error on Sabathia.

---The Yankees are no longer on life support. They are officially dead. Not exactly what Brian Cashman, Joe Girardi, and company had in mind for the final year at Yankee Stadium. It is time for the Bronx Bombers to start thinking about next year.

---And how about that Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod must be spending way too much time daydreaming about Madonna, because he is worthless in the clutch.

---Why is it a such a sure thing that Brandon Webb will win the NL Cy Young? Tim Lincecum should be in the running.

---As a big Warrior fan, I'm discouraged by the Monta Ellis injury. I think I speak for all Warriors fans when I wish Monta a speedy recovery.

---Olympic gold medalists Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh lost yesterday to fellow Americans Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs, ending a remarkable winning streak of 112 matches, a streak that dates back more than a year. Wow, so they really are human.

---I don't know who the most popular person in the world is, but it sure as hell is not Jay Mariotti.

---Mariotti is an excellent writer, but it is easy to see why so many of his colleagues strongly dislike him. He always seems to come across as pompous and rude, and he left the Chicago Sun-Times in classless fashion.

---Goodbye Chad Johnson. Hello Chad Ocho Cinco. Ick. What in the world is Chad thinking? I actually like the Bengals pro-bowl wide receiver, but this is taking it a little too far. Everyone knows that Chad is a prankster, so I hope that this name change is all a joke. I mean, he can't be serious, can he?

---Poor Matt Leinart. I wonder what it feels like when you come out of USC thinking you're a star, only to consistently lose the starting job to an aging Kurt Warner.

---What are the chances of a sequel to Wimbledon at the US Open? It would be wildly entertaining and good for tennis if Nadal and Federer and Venus and Serena meet in the men's and women's final in Queens. If one of these four looks vulnerable, it's Federer. Yes, he keeps winning, but every opponent he faces nowadays seems to put up a good fight.

---Manu Ginobli is hurt, and the Spurs are not happy. They are upset that Ginobli injured himself in the Olympics instead of the NBA. Relax, San Antonio. With Duncan, Parker, Oberto, and Bowen, you remain one of the top teams in the West.

---The Patriots have inked two-time pro bowl cornerback Deltha O'Neal. Is this a sign of panic after the Pats' winless preseason?