The Mastery of Lee and Burnett, and Pigskin Prognostications

Prior to the start of the 2009 World Series, sports fans across the nation were talking about the offensive prowess of the Yankees and Phillies. After all, this was supposed to be a slugfest. New York has A-Rod, Teixiera, Jeter, and Matsui. Philadelphia has Howard, Rollins, Utley, and Ibanez. Fans sitting in the outfield bleachers were advised to bring their gloves to the ballpark, for there were bound to be several baseballs launched into the stands. There was no doubt about it: The Yankees and Phillies were going to put on a home run derby.

Two games later, our assumptions and predictions have turned out to be woefully misguided. Games 1 and 2 were tremendously compelling pitching duels, a far cry from the rounds of batting practice that we had all anticipated. In Game 1, Cliff Lee outdueled CC Sabathia, dominating the powerful Yankees lineup in stunning fashion, leading the Phillies to a 6-1 victory. Last night, A.J. Burnett and Pedro Martinez put on a show. Pedro was great, but the frequently inconsistent Burnett was better, delivering seven stellar innings in a 3-1 Yankees win. The pitching has shined the brightest in the 2009 World Series, and both offenses have been stymied. As the series shifts scenery to Philadelphia for games three through five, I expect these offenses to pick up the pace. But I'm excited to see what kind of show will be put on by Cole Hamels and Andy Pettite in Game 3. They certainly have tough acts to follow.

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Week 8 in the National Football League brings forth several juicy storylines, most notably Brett Favre's return to Lambeau Field, where he will hopefully be greeted with a shower of boos. Here are my Week 8 picks (home team in caps):

RAVENS over Broncos. Denver is absolutely as good as their undefeated record. But they're not going undefeated. Joe Flacco, Ray Lewis, and the Ravens are in desperate need of a W, and they will get it.

Texans over BILLS. After a bumpy start to the season, Gary Kubiak's Texans are starting to gain some steam. The Bills, meanwhile, lost to the Browns 6-3 in their last home game. Enough said.

BEARS over Browns. Okay, Jay Cutler, it's time to step up. After an embarrassing loss to Cincinnati last week, Chicago needs a big win over the hapless Browns.

COWBOYS over Seahawks. Dallas, reinvigorated after a surprising Week 7 win over the Falcons, will roll over the thoroughly mediocre Seahawks.

LIONS over Rams. Hide the children! This is going to be one ugly football game.

49ers over COLTS. Yes, this is a completely biased pick. I'm hoping Alex Smith and Michael Crabtree can rejuvenate the San Francisco offense. Go Niners!

JETS over Dolphins. The ridiculously silly hot dog controversy will go away after Mark Sanchez leads his team to victory.

Giants over EAGLES. The G-Men can't possibly lose three straight, can they?

CHARGERS over Raiders. How do you think Richard Seymour is feeling about that Oakland Raiders playoff prediction?

TITANS over Jaguars. Tennessee will get their first win of the year against the forgettable Jags.

CARDINALS over Panthers. As a Niners fan, I'm pulling for Carolina. But let's get real.

PACKERS over Vikings. Obviously, this is the game of the week, thanks to a certain Number 4. Here's hoping that Nick Barnett and A.J. Hawk combine for a thousand sacks against Favre.

Falcons over SAINTS. Upset alert. The New Orleans offense, led by Drew Brees, has been unstoppable. But I get the sense that Matt Ryan and the Falcons will redeem themselves after a sloppy performance at Dallas last week and hand the Saints their first loss.