Six & Four Contenders

I don't know the exact number, but I can't imagine that there has ever been a time in the NFL where nearly 25% of the league has the same record and their still alive in the playoff race. Eight teams are 6-4, this is who the are and what the are:

Miami Do we need any further validation that Bill Parcells can turn a franchise around? The 2007 Miami Dolphins finished the regular season with one victory. The '08 version of the Dolphins are headed into week 12 and they have 600% more wins than they did just a year ago. Thanks to the late offseason addition of former Jet quarterback turned Jet castoff, Chad Pennington, the Dolphins are 6-4 and staring down the barrel of the New England Patriots. Despite their struggles against Oakland last weekend, the Dolphins have beaten the Pats in Foxboro, the Broncos in Denver, and sit 2-1 in their conference with (3) conference games remaining. Former first round draft pick, Ronnie Brown, is finally healthy and paired with Ricky Williams the duo has rushed for over 1,000 yards in their first ten games. 3rd year receiver Greg Camarillo and the darling of Columbus, Ohio, Ted Ginn, have combined for 87 receptions and 1,046 yards. Their defense led by NFL sacks leader (13.5) and resident big mouth, Joey Porter, allow just 313 ypg. That same defense allows the tenth fewest points per game in the league at 19.7, the same defense that dumped future Hall of Famer, Jason Taylor in the offseason. With a win against New England, the Dolphins would be sitting in line for a shot at the Wild Card.

Indianapolis "Just when I thought I was out, you pull me back in" When they were 1-2, they then proceeded to win two straight games and pull back to 3-2. The Colts would follow up their two wins with two more losses and again we would put the Colts on the brink. Peyton and Co. then ripped off three straight wins against New England, Pittsburgh, and Houston to improve to 6-4. To say they've been a roller coaster would be an understatement. However, if we've learned anything from Tony Dungy and Archie's son, they aren't out until their out. Their next four games are against four teams with losing records, including back-2-back games against Cincinnati and Detroit, who have a combined 1 victory. With Jacksonville and Tennessee in weeks 16 & 17, the Colts could still finish off 10-6 which would most likely be good enough for a playoff birth. So much for the Colts being over and out.

Baltimore I thought I knew something about the Ravens, then their top ranked rushing defense gave up 207 points to the Giants last Sunday. The rookie quarterback, Joe Flacco added two more interceptions to his total (9) and was sacked for the 18th time this season. On the other hand, since their three game slide in early October, this was their first slip up. The Ravens 3-1 record in their division keeps them alive in the playoff hunt. A divisional game in week 14 against the Steelers in Baltimore will most likely determine who wins the AFC North. Despite Flacco's recent play, his rookie season has got off to a great start. He's completed at least twelve passes in every start and hasn't thrown for less than 129 yards in any game. For a team who has struggled as bad offensively over the past several years as the Ravens have, Joe Flacco has been a welcomed addition. At 6-4, winning the division might be the only way the Ravens get in. Games against Philadelphia, Washington, Dallas, Jacksonville remaining don't give Ravens fans much promise.

Denver Question: How does a team that allows 143 yards rushing per game and boasts the 29th best defense in the entire league, have a 2-game lead in their division? Answer: Welcome to the AFC West. The Broncos got off to a great start winning four of their first five games. Then they got beat down by three probable playoff teams before eeking out wins in Cleveland and Atlanta. What do I think of the Broncos? No team, you got it, NO TEAM, with a defense this bad will win much more than a trip to the postseason, thats where it ends. Two things win Super Bowls, a solid defense and a quality running game. Their defense speaks for itself and their rushing attack has only had one hundred yard game this season. Fortunately for the Broncos, they have three divisional games remaining and two of them are at Mile High. Congrats, Norv Turner is coaching one of the most talented teams in the NFL (San Diego) and their in your division, and of course they were going to fall off a bit.


New England Perhaps I should tell you to go back to week 2 of the NFL season when I told you that the Patriots wouldn't trip up as bad as people thought. However, what I and the rest of you didn't see coming was Matt Cassel turning into a $40 million dollar free agent. The Patriots are without an injured all world quarterback, multiple talented running backs, a pro bowl safety and linebacker, and still their a game back in the division. They played about as bad a half of football a team can play last week and were down 24-6 before taking the Jets to overtime. They lost current Eagle cornerback, Asante Samuel to free agency and replaced him with ummmmmmm yea, exactly. Is it so crazy to think, that a year after storming through the NFL regular season with a 16-0 record, the Patriots are trying to prove that they can take everything away and still get to the dance? Returning to the backup quarterback, Matt Cassel, the guy has thrown only 7 interceptions in what should be considered as his rookie year. He is the only NFL quarterback in the history, let me repeat, in the HISTORY, of the NFL that has thrown for over 400 yards and ran for over 60 in one game. Not Steve Young, Mike Vick, or Randall Cunningham, only Matt Cassel. One concern, and I'll mention it because it will come into play, Cassel can't connect on the deep ball consistently. Other than that, this team will play their biggest game of the season this next week in Miami. A win in Miami coupled with the Jets eventual loss in Tennessee will put the Patriots back atop the AFC East.

Washington Their four game winning streak at the end of September seems a long ways away. They've dropped three of their last five games and if not for their wins against Cleveland and Detroit, they'd be hovering under .500. With the play of teams like Tampa Bay and Carolina it looks as if our previous forgone conclusion that three NFC East teams will go back to the playoffs may not be accurate, for Washington this is alarming. The Skins have an impact running back who needs to get healthy, his 1063 yards on the season is good for second among the NFL running backs. When healthy, Portis is one of the games best backs and has the ability to carry the this team toward the playoffs. First year head coach, Jim Zorn, has acclimated the young quarterback, Jason Campbell, to the West Coast offense. The 'Skins have 3 of their 6 remaining games against sub .500 opponents, but their real test will be in week 16 against Philadelphia, a must win.

Dallas A 3-0 start, all the talent in the world, and yet they sit at 6-4. Their pro bowl quarterback sat for a month with a broken finger, the entire secondary was decimated, and their rookie phenom Felix Jones had a partially torn hamstring. How did the Cowboys respond? By trading future draft picks for another malcontent receiver. Not a shocker however, this is the type of thing they do in Big D. When the Cowboys won in Washington this past weekend a couple of things were proven. For starters, they are going to become a running team whether they like it or not. The broken finger of Romo makes him limited, it's obvious, but that may be a better thing than we thought. Passes over the middle, draws, dump off passes into the flat, and yes the occasional haul over the middle for fifteen to twenty. Until he's 100%, this is what you get from Tony Romo. Secondly, Marion Barber is the key to this offense and I'm glad Jason Garett gets it now. The Cowboy running back is the most powerful rusher this side of Brandon Jacobs in the NFL. He finds the end zone, the first down, and the open space in the defense. The Cowboys got him out toward the sideline in the first half, tired the defense and then fed them often up the middle. Defenses fear Romo's mobility and therefore cannot throw eight players, with ears pinned back, in the box. There final four games of the season are against the Steelers, Giants, Ravens, and Eagles, no slouches, if your getting in, your going to have to earn it.

Finally,

Atlanta Matt Ryan and Michal Turner, they are the corner pieces to this puzzle and the Falcons go as far as they go. They don't have an easy game left on their schedule till they get the Rams at home in the final week. Games @ San Diego, @ New Orleans, and @ Minnesota won't be easy for the Falcons and if their looking to get in the playoffs, they'll have to win at least one of those games. This is the readers digest version of Atlanta, they are very good at home 4-1, they've commanded games, they've won games down the stretch, and they've lost close games. This team can pretty much handle everything, and one would hope after living through everything this franchise has been over in recent history. The Falcons will go as far as Turner, Norwood, and the Falcon defense take them.

BAM! Keep It Real Friday 11/21

DP is The MVP

Hall of Famer, Cal Ripken Jr. and Phillies slugger, Ryan Howard, have some company. Before Tuesday, only The Ironman and Howard had followed up their rookie of the year honors with an MVP trophy the very next season. Today, Red Sox second baseman, Dustin Pedroia, became the third player in baseball history to achieve these honors.

I could tip my cap to Pedroia for playing in 157 games of a 162 game season, the most of any Red Sox in 2008. I could wax poetic about how very few second basemen in baseball history had the type of season Pedroia did. I could even go through every at bat Pedroia had while he was hitting clean up in the week following the departure of Manny Ramirez, possibly the only player under 5-9 to ever hit in the four spot. But you already know that. In my mind there are three(3) specific reasons, why in fact Dustin Pedroia is the newest Red Sox to win the American Leagues Most Valuable Player:

For years I've seen impact players like Anaheim Angel, Chone Figgins and current Arizona Diamondback, David Eckstein go overlooked. Sure, we give them their due when they drive in a run or steal a bag but these guys never put up the power numbers to award them an MVP trophy. We marvel at how small in stature they are while their play is much larger. In 2008, Dustin Pedroia became one of those guys who put the numbers up to capture that trophy. Pedroia weighs in at close to 180 pounds, and at times his swing looks as if it will pull his smaller frame right out of his cleats, but when he smashes homers (17) over Fenway Park's legendary Green Monster, no athlete is bigger. When Pedroia steals bases (20) to put him in position to score on a soft single to the outfield, can you argue his value? When Pedroia is not only willing but relishes batting anywhere from the top spot in the order to the bottom, can you argue his value? Pedroia is the type of player who can do anything, hit a homer in the clutch, steal a base, lay down a bunt, and his defense . . . I think the 2008 Gold Glove at second base speaks for itself. Like Figgins and Eckstein, Pedroia does the little things and finally a guy who does more than club dingers gets recognized.

After Pedroia and newcomer Jason Bay, name the Boston Red Sox player who is guaranteed he'll be at his position in 2009? Varitek may or may not be back with the Red Sox, Coco has already been sent packing, Mike Lowells career in Boston depends on the decisions of Mark Texiera which in turn will determine the position of Kevin Youkilis, (also an MVP candidate) Lowrie and Ellsbury need to start hitting to ensure their positions long term and J.D. Drew will most likely play no more than 82-100 games. Bay is going to be in a contract year, and Pedroia is the most dominant second baseman in the majors. Do you still want to talk value? As far as most valuable, the guy who hit a season average of .326 would be a good pick. During the major leagues most important months, June, July, and August, Pedroia hit an amazing .360 including August where the second baseman finished the month batting .374, any questions? In June the Red Sox play serious time with the absence of David Ortiz from the lineup, in July they went through another miserable stretch with Manny Ramirez, and in August they had new player Jason Bay getting acclimated to the lineup, Mike Lowell on the DL, and Jason Varitek in the midst of a woeful season long slump. It was Pedroia who carried the lineup, either getting on base or slapping in runs, Pedroia was THE solid, reliable bat, in the Red Sox order. No hitter on any team had more influence on the day-to-day success of their lineup as Pedroia did throughout the heart of the season.

Go ahead, call me a homer and say I have a short memory, but I can't recall a second baseman who is more sure handed than Dustin Pedroia. Among AL second baseman who are noteworthy to me, Pedroia is tops. His six errors in 157 games played are better than that of one time MVP candidate and Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler, who in 26 fewer games had 3x as many errors (18). Better than AL Rookie of the Year candidate and fellow second baseman, Alexei Ramirez who in 26 fewer games had nearly twice as many as errors as Pedroia. It's time we recognize these type of stats when we talk MVP seasons. Home runs and RBI's put runs on the board, but dives in the hole take runs right off that same board. His fielding is more than recognizable. Pedroia's raw intelligence as a baseball player coupled with the fact that his bat is bigger than you think and his glove is a huge asset to the Red Sox made him more valuable than nearly any player in baseball this season.

In just two complete seasons in the major leagues, Dustin Pedroia can now open a trophy case that includes (1) 2007 Rookie of The Year, (1) 2008 Gold Glove, (1) 2007World Series Ring, and (1) 2008 American League Most Valuable Player. Ladies and Gentlemen, it doesn't get much better than that. Next stop: Cooperstown?!?

Keep It Real Viernes

Lets get right to it.

Boston College has the nations premier Catholic college football program, and it's time you admit it. Since the departure of Brady Quinn, (not a Weis recruit) Notre Dame has looked as bad as one can look. Eight wins in twenty-one games for the post-Quinn Fighting Irish, rumors of Coach Weis' job being in jeopardy swirling throughout South Bend, and supposed sensational sophomore quarterback Jimmy Clausen, has thrown 13 interceptions on the season, things are THAT bad. The Irish are an astounding 1-15 in their last 16 games against winning teams. Their record of 27-19 during the Weis regime is awful, considering his first two seasons, with Ty Willingham recruits, the Irish were 19-6. After Notre Dame was handed their six straight loss against the Eagles, a 17-0 shutout at Chestnut Hill, it has never been more evident that bad times loom over the Golden Dome. With Boston College spending time in the top 5 as recently as 2007 and their recent dominance over Notre Dame, I'm confident in saying the nations premier Catholic college football program resides in Newton, Massachusetts. KEEP IT REAL!

The Lakers are straight up, FILTHY. Following their most recent 7-point win at Western Conference powerhouse, New Orleans, the Lakers improved to 7-0 and remain the NBA's only undefeated team. With Lamar Odom, Jordan Farmar, and Trevor Ariza, the Lakers boast the NBA's deepest bench. Luke Walton who averaged nearly 24 minutes a game in 2007 can barely make his way off the pine with a deeper healthier version of L.A. The most telling stat might be that of one Kobe Bryant, arguably the NBA's most dominant player, is on pace to average his fewest amount of minutes per game since his second year in the league and ppg is down on his career average, yet the Lakers still haven't lost. The addition of a healthy, 7 foot tall, 21 year-old center, Andrew Bynum, has given the Lakers the ability to move Pau Gasol to his natural position, where he's averaging 15 points and 10 boards a game. Lakers 2.0 have 8 of their 12 players averaging 20+ minutes per game and 5 players averaging 10 points or more per game. Their defensive efforts have yet to allow a 100 point game, including holding the Hornets and Rockets, two teams they'll surely see in the postseason, to under 90. In their second outing of the season, a 38-point win over the Clippers, Bryant led all Laker scoring with only 16 points. These Lakers are sharing the rock, playing defense, and taking prisoners. If you wanted a Lakers v. Celtics re-match, your on your way to it. KEEP IT REAL!

Buyer, beware of Matt Cassel. I like the fact that Matt Cassel threw the ball 51 times last night. I'm even impressed that he completed 30 passes for 400 yards, but I'm not ready to put him in Canton just yet. Call this your friday morning education; when a team is down 24-6 before halftime and has a list of injured running backs, you've got limited options. What I'm trying to say is, YOU'VE GOT NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO THROW THE BALL! Cassel made some excellent throws, his confidence has never been higher, and I applaud the young quarterback for that. BUT, if your an NFL team looking for a quarterback in 2009 Matt Cassel might not be as much of a lock as you think. Belicheat is a Hall of Fame coach, he's punched his ticket after reaching four Super Bowls and winning three, the Patriot offense is littered with veterans like Matt Light, Randy Moss, and Wes Welker, and their running backs gain quality yards, all these things factor into a team being able to come back down 24-6. When Randy Moss positions himself correctly on the sideline and hauls in a great catch, that isn't just Matt Cassel. When the tackles force pass rushers outside and the wideouts stretch the field resulting in a 15 yard run toward a first down, that isn't just Cassel. When the head coach constructs an offense built around what the quarterback can do, that to isn't just Cassel. So, I'm putting it out there . . .do not give this young quarterback $40 MILLION dollars. (unless he wins the Super Bowl, because then you pay the man.) KEEP IT REAL

See you next week, the only site that KEEPS IT REAL!

End of an era . . .

It's hard to argue with the recent success of Joe Dumars and the Detroit Pistons. Since the 2002-2003 season, the Pistons have reached at least the conference finals every year. Only the San Antonio Spurs have enjoyed that type of success reaching four conference finals over that same stretch.

How should we look at those Detroit Pistons? While the Spurs have gone to less conference finals, in the more competitive Western Conference, they've managed to take home three championship trophies. The Pistons on the other hand, are just 2-4 in six straight conference finals, and have managed to turn just one of their championship appearances into a title. Has this been a franchise of sheer dominance or circumstance?

To dissect the run of the Detroit Pistons the first thing one must look at is coaching. The NBA is a league comprised of the worlds most talented athletes, but without an effective coach, that is all they are.

SEE: Kevin Garnett & his playoff woes pre-Doc Rivers defense.

When it comes to the Pistons, they've had three different coaches lead them to the conference finals throughout this current six year run. Rick Carlisle, Larry Brown, and Flip Saunders were all able to take Detroit four wins from the finals. Now we can exclude the performance of Carlisle for several reasons; He never had the benefit of coaching a talent as unique as Rasheed Wallce, he also coached an offensively challenged team led by Ben Wallace, and finally the core of Prince, Rip, and Billups had just been formed that same season. The sweep by the veteran Nets, which dispatched them from the playoffs that season, should have been expected and was. Carlisle replacement, Larry Brown, was by far the most efficient Piston coach during these years. In Browns first season with the Pistons, embattled forward, Rasheed Wallace, was dealt to Detroit with 22 games remaining in the season. Just what the doctor ordered for this young team. The remainder of the '03-'04 season was led by the veteran Wallace and guard Chauncey Billups. Brown was able to guide the newly formed Pistons straight to the NBA Finals where they defeated the L.A. Lakers 4-1 and thus ended the Shaq & Kobe dynasty. The Pistons arrived at their banner ceremony wearing championship belts, not rings, belts. The NBA's baddest team would follow up their championship season by taking the San Antonio Spurs to seven games before losing in the finals. They didn't know it then but that'd be their last appearance in the NBA Finals as currently constructed. The departure of the hall of fame coach, Larry Brown, would open room for former Timberwolves coach, Flip Saunders. The thing we learned most from coach Saunders is, when the inmates run the asylum, it's good for no one. Over the next three seasons we watched the Pistons march toward the Eastern Conference finals each season, losing each time and twice to eventual NBA champions. Ben Wallace's defense had left for Chicago after the 2005 season, Larry Brown was coaching or what we thought was coaching the New York Knicks, and Rasheed was back to being well, Rasheed. The most success this Piston team had was under the coach who reigned them in best, Brown was that coach.

The next thing I'm pointing to is a more blatant mistake of Detroit. The second selection in the 2003 NBA draft. Coming off their first of six trips to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons had the second overall pick in that summers draft. A draft headlined by the likes of Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade. James of course was consensus top pick among everyone in the entire world. But who would be the number two pick? Now I know what your about to say, they hadn't yet acquired Rasheed Wallace, BUT THAT DOESN'T MATTER!!!!!!!! I should tell you that they passed on Anthony, Bosh, and Wade to select Serbian, Darko Milicic. Yea, we didn't know Milicic would be TERRIBLE and we didn't know that Bosh, Wade, and Anthony would all go on to win gold medals in the Olympics. What did we know? We know that Dwayne Wade had been a standout at Marquette and taken his team all the way to the final four, the first time that school had reached that far in the tournament in over twenty years. We know that Chris Bosh played the same position as Darko yet we also knew he was the ACC freshman of the year, former high school player of the year, ACC all-defensive team, and second team all ACC, IN JUST ONE SEASON AT GEORGIA TECH. As for Carmelo, well he was coming off one of the greatest performances by any freshman in college basketball HISTORY! Carmelo had averaged 22 points and ten rebounds a game en route toward a Syracuse national championship that season. He was named NCAA Freshman of the Year, NCAA Tournament MVP, and selected to the second team All-American that same season. But Joe Dumars drafted the unproven, untested, and virtually UNKNOWN Darko Milicic. Any one of those three players could have changed the future of this franchise, it was this selection that Dumars missed on and could have altered everything.

Finally, the EAST just got better around Detroit. It was only a matter of time before the Western Conference dominance got a little less intimidating. Fortunately for Detroit, the last 8 seasons hadn't looked as good for the Eastern Conference, now they do. When the Cavaliers selected Lebron James, the writing should have been on the wall. That fatal draft sent Wade to the Heat, an Eastern Conference team, Bosh to the Raptors, an Eastern Conference team, and of course Bron Bron to the Cavs, an Eastern Conference team. A year later phenom Dwight Howard would be taken by the Orlando Magic with their first overall pick, yet again, an Eastern Conference team. After the departure of Larry Brown, newly appointed head coach, Flip Saunders would take Detroit to the conference finals. They first met a Miami team led by star guard Dwayne Wade and center, Shaquille O'Neal. The Pistons season would end at the hands of a guy they passed on just a couple years prior. The Heat acquired the veteran O'Neal, and off they went. The following season the Pistons would be met by James and the Cavs in the conference finals. James had developed into exactly what people claimed he would while the Pistons stood pat with their aging guard play and limited inside presence. Finally, what some could call the straw that broke the camels back, the Celtics went out and traded for all-world forward, Kevin Garnett. The Celtics went on to make quick work of Detroit in 2007 and finally it was more than evident. The Celtics had traded for Garnett, the James crew in Cleveland was more than a threat, and the Miami Heat were planning to reload through the draft. The Raptors traded for Jermaine O'Neal to pair with their other young big man, Chris Bosh and the Magic were getting better every season led by center Dwight Howard. The Eastern Conference no longer had two teams that could compete, they had a plethora of teams that could.

So here is the Pistons dynasty: 6 Conference Finals, 2 NBA Finals, and 1 Championship Trophy. Guard, Chauncey Billups, has been sent to Denver in exchange for the expiring contract of Allen Iverson. After six straight seasons of championship play while the rest of the conference was on the mat, the Pistons are finally reloading. Who knows what will replace a core that once produced 50-70 win seasons as if they were easy to accomplish. Then again these are the Pistons and they do have one of the most elite scorers of all time in Iverson, paired with Rasheed Wallace in a coming contract year, and the Rip/Prince show is still intact.

Final Verdict

It's unanimous, the Alabama Crimson Tide are national champions. Wait, they aren't? No, they aren't. The Tide has just successfully defended their top ranking this past week, something the Longhorns, Trojans, and Sooners all weren't capable off throughout this season. So after Nick Saban has led his team to a 10-0 start with road wins in Death Valley, between the Hedges at Athens, and in the Bayou against the Tigers, he's yet to capture anything. No postseason birth, no BCS bowl game, and certainly no championship trophy. Just a 10-0 record with their destiny entirely in their hands.

Now maybe I'm the only one who finds a problem with this, but after then Senator Obama and now President Elect Obama states on Monday Night Football that the thing he'd most like to see improved in sports is the way we determine a college football national championship, I'm guessing I'm not the only one. In fact, after last Tuesday night, I'm positive I'm not the only one.

Short list of whose out:

Boise State 9-0 Play somebody. Maybe it isn't your fault that teams won't schedule the dangerous Broncos of the blue field, but blow outs at New Mexico State and Utah State don't do much for me.

Detroit Lions 0-36 Sure, it'd be funny to see an NFL team get taken to the wire against a major top flight collegiate program, but it wouldn't be good for anyone. Especially the Lions.

Ohio State 8-2 It'd probably be different if you played USC again, but they'd probably be ranked #1 if they got another crack at Oregon State. I still don't know how the Big 10 has two top ten ranked teams.

Missouri 8-2 I find it very wrong that they will play for the Big 12 Championship, I'm guessing the Red Raiders, Sooners, or Longhorns will eventually have a problem with it as well.

Ball State 9-0 Your not convincing anyone with Miami of Ohio, Central Michigan, and Western Michigan rounding out your schedule. 12-0 and a first class ticket to the CarQuest Bowl.

The Team I'm Dying To Let In: To My Make Believe Tournament

Florida State 7-2 You wouldn't want to witness Bowden v. Paterno in Round 1? FSU has easily been the most consistent of the ACC Atlantic Division teams at 7-2 and if not for a late win by Georgia Tech in week 8, their 8-1 and ranked among the top 15 in the country. Florida State is my personal message to Urban Meyer, don't sleep on the 'Noles.

Whose In:

8. Utah Utes 10-0 I'm accepting offers for this final slot in the tournament. The Utes get in on record alone, they've got ten wins including the recent comeback victory against the Horned Frogs of Texas Christian. They've beaten Oregon State, won at Michigan, and will play BYU in their season finale. Sorry, I can't even include that win against Michigan, even the Irish handled them. Utah is the lone team from the Mountain West getting any respect from me, and if they lose to BYU, none of them are in. JUST SO WE CAN BE CLEAR.

7. Penn State Nittany Lions 9-1 The world just isn't fair. Destined to be left out of the national championship game, despite an undefeated record, that is until the Iowa Hawkeyes decided to set the BCS back on it's axis. The Nittany Lions beat their conference rivals on the road, (Ohio State in Columbus) handled the same Oregon State team that knocked off the Trojans, and of course beat the Badger out of Wisconsin in Madison. The downfall is, they don't play a conference championship game, oh and their conference is soft. However, a mobile quarterback with a strong arm in tournament play spells danger for slower defenses.

6. Oklahoma Sooners 9-1 They had their shot to take this thing by the proverbial balls. A one and done shot at the Texas Longhorns on a neutral site, the Cotton Bowl, and they blew it. Big Game Bob Stoops did what Big Game Bob Stoops does, choke. Lucky for him, this is America and if they take care of business against Texas Tech in week 11, they'll play themselves right back into national title contention. A playoff would tell us how good the Sooners really are.

5. Texas Longhorns 9-1 Trust me, I get that your still alive and I get that the BCS loves you, but I need you to show me more. I want to see Tech v. Missouri more than I want to see Texas v. Missouri in the Big 12 championship, primarily because they beat you and you shouldn't have let that happen just because it was on the road. 'Bama took care of foes LSU and Georgia on the road, and that's what makes me believe in them more. (disclaimer: I secretly need them to win out along with Tech to emphasize the need for a tournament like this.)

4. Southern California Trojans 8-1 This defense allows just six points per game and since their shocking upset loss to Oregon State, they've outscored six opponents 231-23. A hiccup in Oregon puts them out of reach in the current format but in a 8-team playoff, SC would really be tested. This defense putting pressure on the likes of Colt McCoy, Graham Harrell, and John Parker Wilson, anyone else think they aren't qualified enough? About that 27-21 loss to Oregon State; the points the Beavers scored in that game account for nearly half of the point total the Trojan defense has allowed ALL SEASON LONG. Look out Notre Dame, look out.

3. Florida Gators 8-1 Their one loss makes them the best of the one loss teams in Division 1A college football. The Gators led by Tim Tebow are the class of the SEC, they beat LSU when the Tigers were ranked as high as #4, 51-21. Two weeks later they arrived in Athens, Georgia before quickly dispatching the Bulldogs, 49-10. Their loss comes on a missed extra point against 'Ole Miss back in week 4. However, out of the woods they aren't. Florida has remaining games against South Carolina, which has always proved to be difficult for Meyer and the Gators, and of course Bobby Bowden and the Seminoles, followed by Alabama for the SEC title. If we had a playoff, this team would be in, since we don't there is a very good chance they could be out all together.

2. Alabama Crimson Tide 10-0 I'm not ranking them #1, and I'll tell you why in a second. The Crimson Tide have possibly the three biggest road wins in big time college football, in Death Valley to open the season against a Clemson team that had more hype than any ACC speed program, at Georgia when the 'Dawgs were ranked 3 in the country, finally the most recent victory in the Bayou against an LSU team with a hundred thousand screaming fans after Nick Saban's head. Any questions? This team is on a crash course with Florida to determine who is playing for the crystal football. A game for the ages.

1. Texas Tech Red Raiders 10-0 If a playoff started today I'd make this team the top seed for one simple reason. THEY BEAT THE NUMBER 1 TEAM IN THE COUNTRY ALREADY. That isn't to say that 'Bama wouldn't have taken it to Texas but they didn't get a chance and when the Red Raiders did, they won. Harrell and Co. followed it up with a convincing victory over a one loss top ten ranked team in Oklahoma State. Bottom line is, if Tech wins out they deserve a title shot, this isn't Boise State or Utah who plays in lesser conferences, the Red Raiders play in the Big 12.

Who doesn't want to see an 8-team playoff or some form of it? I've outlined who would make up a tremendous postseason in college football and it's difficult to argue with. Three teams from the Big 12, two from the SEC, Trojans, Nittany Lions, and your darling story in Utah. Again, I can't stress how exciting this would be.

Keep It Real Friday: Pres. 44

Some NBA Love.

Every year we discuss THAT team. The team that everyone thinks will be the NBA's darlings, the team that will run all the way to the title and be the underdog story the entire way. The truth is, that team doesn't exist, and rarely do they ever exist. Since the 1989-1990 season, won by the Detroit Pistons, only seven different cities have had championship parades. 19 NBA Finals since 1990, and only seven different winners? So when it comes to the young Atlanta Hawks, led by Joe Johnson throwing down 28 a night and the veteran Mike Bibby averaging 13 points and 4 assist per game, the regular season will be kind to them; not the postseason. When we talk about the upstart Trailblazers and their often injured center; no chance, not yet. The Pistons are in the midst of both hacking up cap space and guaranteeing they won't go further than the Eastern Conference Finals, hats off. The Rockets have a big 1 and 1/2, McGrady is silly puddy in the playoffs, Artest is one middle finger to a rabid fan away from being suspended, and Yao is as soft as two-ply toilet paper. Finally, for you Jazz fans out there, it's nice to see you've replaced the Suns and Mavs as best teams to never win more than a scratch ticket. Bottom line, only five teams in the NBA have a shot at winning the championship:

Disclaimer: (We now have to stop calling it the world championship because as Spurs coach, and 4-time NBA champ Gregg Popovich, said "at no point in the postseason do we play Italy" well put Pop, well put.)

Boston Celtics i.e. the defending champs. They don't show the championship hangover that most teams do the year after. Pierce came back to Boston lighter, Leon Powe and Tony Allen have looked better, and Kevin Garnett could get amped for a Saturday morning rec league, nevermind the actual NBA regular season.

Cleveland Cavaliers Bron, Bron is back in 2009, and believe it or not, he looks better. Maybe it has something to do with the new gold medal wrapped around his neck, but I'm guessing he's playing for that monster, and when I say monster, I mean MONSTER contract he'll get when he moves to Brooklyn in 2010.

San Antonio Spurs Older, slower, and more injured than they've ever been, the Spurs still went deep in 2008. Popovich is a future hall of fame coach, Duncan is still tops in the NBA among big men, and with Tony Parker becoming the scorer that he has, the Spurs are still a contender, every year, no matter what.

Los Angeles Lakers Bynum is healthy, Odom is coming off the pine, and as expected the Lakers look as good as we thought they would. I remember when the Lakers were offering Kobe to the Bulls in exchange for Ben Gordon and Luol Deng, I'm guessing Deng, Gordon, and Bynum wouldn't have been as formidable, just a guess though.

New Orleans Hornets This team is pretty damn good. Their well coached, level headed, and have the best point guard in the league, hands down. Chandler is their resident 20/10 guy, you know about Chris Paul, and David West is their banger who scores 20 a night. They have sharp shooters in Peja and Posey. While the Lakers and Spurs have won multiple, the Cavs have Lebron, and the Celts are coming off their first in a while, New Orleans may be the most viable city to join those other 7 cities to host parades in June. (and not that parade where co-eds flash you for beaded necklaces) KEEP IT REAL!!?!?!?!!?

Why everyday should be Saturday!

LSU v. Alabama A friend of mine, whose a rabid Tide fan (not the laundry detergent) quoted "If Saban is outside in Baton Rogue, don't worry about Obama's life, worry about his." Clearly football fans of the SEC aren't playing with a full deck, but the University of Alabama is. They've received a gift wrapped shot at the national title. They control their own destiny from here on out, win out and your in. Several things are possible here, Nick Saban becomes one of very few coaches to win a National Title at two different schools, the Crimson Tide cement themselves back into prominence among college football programs, and of course LSU fans dive off a cliff. Truth is, if not for Nick Saban, we aren't talking about Les Miles being a National Championship coach, if not for Nick Saban, LSU fans aren't cheering about much more than a calm hurricane season. Saban brought that program into national prominence, and now he's returning 'Bama to that same stage. KEEP IT REAL LSU!! Nick Saban is back in your lives, not in a good way.

A little baseball hot stove:

On people being interested in Jake Peavy, I'm interested in Beyonce, it doesn't mean I have a shot. The Braves (who couldn't afford Texiera), the Cubs, who are again grasping at straws, and of course every American League team offering way to little to get the Padres to bite. You know who really should be interested in Peavy? THE PADRES! Their season ticket holders pay excellent money I'm sure, and their offseason hype will be based around the three average big leaguers they get in return for their ace. The Dodger fan base look toward Manny, Red Sox toward the shortstop du jour, the Yankee fans toward their new digs, Phillies toward banner raising, and San Diego to a bunch of hyped up youngings. Sounds fun right? WRONG! Keep It Real!

So your Frank McCourt, and your about to make Manny Ramirez the second highest paid player in the game of baseball. I'm glad, because I for one, didn't want to see him in a Yankee uniform. The terms of the deal are something like this; Manny gets something close to $25 million per and an option for a third year, the Dodgers fans get to see one of the greatest sluggers for a couple seasons after watching their seat prices get jacked up, Frank McCourt's team becomes the Yankees West Coast, and in exchange for all that, The Devil gets the soul of Scott Boras. On the flip side, the entire world forgets that Cole Hamels arm just got done winning the Phillies a World Series, kind of like how the Red Sox rode the arm of ace, Josh Beckett to the Series in '07. When will baseball owners realize that an offensive arsenal gets you in the post season, AN ACE WINS YOU A RING! I say politely, KEEP IT REAL FRANK, paying C.C. would have been the wiser choice.

As for Red Sox hot stove: Insert a player, team, and import from a foreign land, then say the Red Sox are one of the six teams interested. In Theo I Trust.

A sad story: My main man Ryan Leaf has just left his job at West Texas A & M as quarterbacks coach. Amongst allegations that Leaf had approached a player on the team about possibly getting him pills to heal a lingering injury from his football days. I'm really not being a wise ass on this one but . . . . he's Ryan Leaf, I mean shouldn't West Texas A & M have seen this one coming? Sure people change, yes they might mature, and of course he isn't on Pacman level but he does have a bit of a checkered past. I do wish Leaf the best in his future, I'm just not sure that West Texas A & M did a whole lot of homework bringing Leaf on board. To think, Peyton is headed to the hall and Leaf is headed to the unemployment line, of life. A real life tale of two.

Remember kids, ALWAYS KEEP IT REAL!

That Is How You Fix A Mess!

One year ago entering week 10, the Atlanta Falcons were a dismal 2-6. Their franchise player and starting quarterback, Michael Vick, was headed to prison. Their first year head coach, Bobby Petrino, was contemplating a return to college football after just months in the NFL. All the while owner, Arthur Blank, was most likely getting zero hours of sleep and wondering what the hell had happened to his franchise that had finished just 7-9 the season before. The Falcons would finish 2007 with a 4-12 record, losing 6 of their final 7 games. If all that wasn't enough for Blank and the Falcons, the start of the off season wouldn't go any better. The ever ruthless, Bill Parcells, would use the Falcons and their desperate owner as leverage for his move to South Florida. The Tuna hooked Blank into a meeting and floated it out that he would accept a position with the Falcons; only to cancel at the last minute and jet to Miami to become the Executive Vice President of football operations with the Dolphins. The franchise that once showed more promise than any other in the NFL was now left for dead.

It's a year later, the day before America selects their 44th president, and those very same Atlanta Falcons, with their very same owner at the helm, are 5-3. They've beaten Green Bay at Lambeau, thrashed Oakland in the Coliseum, and beat the Chicago Bears in one of the seasons most memorable finishes. Back from the dead they are, faster than Martha Stewart after her 5-month stint in federal prison.

How has a team, just a year removed from their lowest point in franchise history, made this giant leap?

1. January 2008, Falcons bring on Patriots director of college scouting, Thomas Dimitroff, to become their new general manager. If your looking to evaluate talent and not repeat mistakes of the past, you can't get much better than Dimitroff. The five year Director of College Scouting for the New England Patriots has scouted and evaluated during two separate Super Bowl seasons and of course last years 16-0 undefeated regular season. He'd evaluated such stars as Patriot Pro Bowl linemen, Logan Mankins and Dan Koppen. Defensive Pro Bowlers, Vince Wilfork and current Eagle Asante Samuel were also drafted during Dimitroffs tenure. For a Falcon franchise that has drafted such stars like the incarcerated Michael Vick and current Raider problem child, DeAngelo Hall, Dimitroff should bring a breath of fresh air to the with his selections from the draft day war room. You don't do better than a guy who has learned under future Hall of Fame coach, Bill Belichick and three time NFL executive of the year, Patriot vice president of player personnel, Scott Pioli.

2. Days after the Falcons introduce Dimitroff, in comes new head coach, Mike Smith. The former defensive coordinator of the Jacksonville Jaguars had been working with the likes of Jack Del Rio for the past 4 seasons, over which time the Jaguars compiled the sixth most wins of any team in the league. Smith has been called a no nonsense type of guy, and to be a part of the coaching staff that masterminded the 2000 Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl squad, you need to be. Smith has consistently lead top 10 NFL defenses throughout the regular season, including coaching up all-world linebacker, Ray Lewis, Patriot linebacker, Adalius Thomas, and hall of fame defensive back, Rod Woodson. He and general manager Thomas Dimitroff have brought on reputable offensive coordinator, Mike Mularkey and former Georgia Bulldog defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder. After suffering under the likes of Bobby Petrino, notorious for his inability to communicate with the pro players, Mike Smith is the right guy to get to these players and teach them to finish out football games, just watch how the Falcons played in the fourth quarter in each of their three losses this season. Furthermore, it wasn't a surprise that just over a month after the Falcons brought on the new head coach, embattled defensive back DeAngelo Hall, was sent packing, dealt to the Raiders for a second round pick in last Aprils draft. A clear sign that Dimitroff and Smith won't be putting up with players not on board.

3. Early March: Find a weapon, a game changing weapon, in the form of 4th year rusher, Michael Turner The Burner acted as backup to All Pro running back, Ladanian Tomlinson for 4 seasons in San Diego. He played in all 16 games twice and at least 13 in the four seasons, proving his stability in the position. In 2006, Michael Turner rushed for over 500 yards on just 80 attempts averaging upwards of 6 yards a carry. Turners' signing with the Falcons stated a couple things to the people watching the organization; The Warrick Dunn era in Atlanta was finished, the twelve year NFL veteran was turning 33 and his numbers were beginning to decline in each of the last three seasons; Secondly, the Falcons are determined to rush the football, Turner would be paired with Jerious Norwood, the third year running back from Mississippi State, this attack gives Atlanta a fast and powerful backfield. Finally, signing Michael Turner gave draft analysts everywhere something else to chew on, their 3rd pick overall wouldn't be spent on Darren McFadden. The Falcons were either going defense, or prepared to select a quarterback as high as number three, eliminating out all possibilities of a Michael Vick return to the Dirty Dirty. The result: Turner has hit the century mark in 4 of Atlanta's 5 wins, he's closing in on 1,000 yards and were only at the half way point in the season. Looks like they found that game changing weapon.

4. The 2008 NFL Draft, build a franchise quarterback.. With the third selection in the 2008 NFL draft, the Atlanta Falcons select Matt Ryan, quarterback, Boston College. Ryan is the polar opposite to Michael Vick. He's a pocket passer, willing to hang in and take the hit after hit without being rattled, interceptions don't phase him from play to play, in short, he's got gigantic moxy under center. After years of watching Vick revert to his legs to get yardage, the Falcons have a new plan, utilize their entire playbook. Big game receivers, Roddy White and Michael Jenkins give Ryan targets, targets that are more than happy to have a quarterback that will deliver them the ball first rather than take off out of the pocket. The genius doesn't come from drafting Ryan at third and making him one of the highest paid rookies of all time, it comes from putting the people around him to make him worth it. A strong rushing attack takes pressure off of Ryan, allows him to both manage the flow of the game and learn the NFL game at the same time. Drafting USC tackle, Sam Baker, with their other first round pick shows a commitment to Ryan by protecting him. Between head coach Mike Smith and the entire staffs play calling, to fit both Ryan's strengths and the strengths of the people around him, that is why his name is floated out as a potential pro bowl quarterback in his first season. More importantly however, the Falcons have made Bill Musgrave their quarterbacks coach. Musgrave has worked with quarterbacks Mark Brunell while at Jacksonville, Matt Schaub, former ACC Player of the Year, while Offensive Coordinator at the University of Virginia, and Steve Beuerlein, when Beuerlein was a Pro Bowl quarterback in 1999. He was also a former NFL quarterback himself, backing up the likes of Steve Young, Joe Montana, and John Elway for coaches like Mike Holmgren and Mike Shanahan. The Falcons haven't thrown Ryan into the fire without a hose, they've given him everything one can possibly give a rookie quarterback on a 4-12 team the season before he arrived, and boy has he thrived. In his last three starts, Ryan has averaged 266 yards a game, thrown 5 td's and only two interceptions. The man has gone into Lambeau field and beaten the Packers, he's beaten the Bears with zero seconds on the clock, any doubters?

The 2008 Atlanta Falcons have become the darlings of the NFL, maybe Arthur Blank made a deal with the devil that we have yet to find out about, but a year after one of the most dissappointing blows to any franchise, the Atlanta Falcons are storming back, and I couldn't be more happy for them.