161st Edition - 8/21/07

• Fantasy: It's all over

My two fantasy football drafts are over. In one league I had the first pick, taking Tomlinson, and therefore winning the entire league. So that's nice.

• Vick: I've been thinking

I cannot walk in Vick's shoes. Apparently he grew up with different values than I did. He didn't find his actions towards dogs he owned awful. If it was cock fighting, society wouldn't have this problem with him. I'm not saying he should walk free, but the reason everyone has a problem with this is their love for dogs. I know people who feel torturing a dog is the same or worse than doing this horrible actions to a human. Please keep in mind Pacman Jones supposedly beat up a stripper. No one seems to be shedding a tear for the stripper.

• Cubs: It was a good run

We are back to being tied for first. After winning the first two games against the Cardinals, getting one canceled, and losing the last of the series ... I feel empty. The Cubs are tied with the Brewers and 3 games ahead of the Cardinals.

• Stuff

Funny, the only reason I felt like blogging today was because I discovered this clip from the Jimmy Kimmel Show. Thanks to Mike D.

141st Edition - 5/2/07

• The Special Guest: Mark Lubbat

Officially, Mark is the biggest Bears fan I know. Season tickets, jerseys, reworking vacations to watch the games, and an undying hatred of Bret Farve ... he's a big fan. So there was no one else that should speak on the Bears' draft besides him. Mark, the floor is yours ...

Chicago Bears 2007 NFL Draft thoughts

Heading into the 2007 Draft, the Bears were fortunate to not have any glaring holes to fill in their roster. The main concerns were adding youth to an aging offensive line, adding linebacker depth or a possible replacement to Lance Briggs, getting a 3^rd RB and adding depth at DB and WR. Jerry Angelo, Greg Gabriel and the rest of the scouting department have a proven track record of uncovering talent and making prudent personnel decisions as shown by the results of previous drafts. Only time will tell how well the current draftees will fare, here is a brief analysis.

#1 – Greg Olsen, TE, Miami (#31 overall)

In many mock drafts, Olsen was projected to go in the mid- to high-teens. The Bears were fortunate that he was available at #31. Olsen should be able to contribute immediately this year as a receiving TE, though he will have to work on his blocking if he wants to play full-time. Olsen is fast (4.5 in the 40), athletic and has great hands. His ability to stretch the field and create mismatches will benefit the offense, especially slot receiver Rashied Davis, who should see more room on his quick crossing patterns and skinny-post routes. Olsen can also be another viable deep threat for Rex Grossman which should help Bernard Berrian get more single coverage. Overall, an excellent pick that should be able to contribute immediately.

#2 – Dan Bazuin, DE, Central Michigan (#62 overall)

The Bears had the #37 overall pick in the Thomas Jones trade with the Jets (Bears traded Thomas Jones and the #63 pick for the Jets #37 pick). At the time, the trade looked rather lopsided in the Jets favor, but if we analyze the trade after the draft, it ended up being quite advantageous for the Bears. We ended up trading this pick to San Diego for an additional 4 draft picks (3 in 2007 and one in 2008). So, the Thomas Jones trade netted us 3 additional picks, and allowed us to move up one slot in the 2^nd round of this year’s draft. In addition, the trade also netted us two back-to-back picks, which can be quite advantageous. That Jerry Angelo can be pretty crafty.

Bazuin has been labeled as a “reach” for the Bears at this point in the draft. Hopefully he will be as much as a reach as Devin Hester was tabbed as last year. Bazuin is a little undersized and his production his senior year was down a little from his junior year, but he was dealing with an injury and the death of his younger brother. Bazuin should be able to get into our DE rotation and possibly allow us to deal one of our 5 DE’s if necessary. It never hurts to have too many good defensive linemen in the cover-2 defense.

#3 – Garrett Wolfe, RB, Northern Illinois (#93 overall)

Very fast RB (4.4 in the 40), though small (5’7”, 186 lbs), Speed, speed and more speed is a common philosophy for the Bears when seeking out players. Wolfe should be able to contribute as a 3^rd RB, and could possibly push for the 2^nd RB slot which would allow Adrian Peterson to play on all our special teams units. Hopefully he will produce like other RB’s that have been “too small” such as Warrick Dunn and Emmit Smith. In reality, Wolfe should be a nice change-of-pace back and a good receiver out of the backfield. Let’s hope Ron Turner can utilize his speed to create mismatches when splitting him out as a receiver. He can also contribute as a returner if we choose to have two deep backs on the kickoff return team.

#4 – Michael Okwo, LB, Stanford (#94 overall)

Okwo played well on a bad team, and according to Greg Gabriel, stood out when you watched the film. Okwo and last year’s 4^th round choice, Jamar Williams (ASU, #120 overall) will provide depth and a possible replacement for Lance Briggs after this season. Williams was on IR for the majority of last year with a chest injury, so more getting another LB does not hurt in this case. We’ll see what Okwo can do at 5’11” and 232 lbs. He should fit our cover-2 defense well though he is not as fast as Lance Briggs. Briggs tends to miss a few tackles in space, so hopefully Okwo or Williams will be a better open-field defender. Either way, Okwo should contribute on special teams at worst, and be a quality replacement at the Will LB sport at best.

#5 – Josh Beekman, G/C, Boston College (#130 overall)

Beekman should add much needed depth to our guard rotation as Reuben Brown may call it a career soon. Beekman can also play center which adds a lot of value to this pick. Boston College has produced some quality lineman in the past so hopefully Beekman will follow that tradition. He’s a big man (6’2”, 313 lbs) and should only get stronger/bigger with Rusty Jones’ workouts.

#6 – Kevin Payne, S, Louisiana-Monroe (#167 overall)

Big hitter that converted to Safety from RB after Chris Harris graduated. Plays well in the box and will backup Archuleta and Harris at Strong Safety. Will contribute on special teams as well.

#7 – Corey Graham, CB, New Hampshire (#168 overall)

He is coming off an injury, but will be ready by the time training camp starts. Went to the same school as former Bear Jerry Azumah. We needed to get some CB’s as both Charles Tillman and Nathan Vasher will be free-agents after this season and it is doubtful that we will be able to keep both of them. You Northwestern fans may recognize him as he had a solid game against NU this past season.

#8 – Trumaine McBride, CB, Ole Miss (#221 overall)

More CB depth. Played in the SEC against solid competition, will have to make the team as a special teams contributor.

#9 – Aaron Brant, T, Iowa State (#241 overall)

As much as it sucks to have players from Iowa State on the Bears, we needed to address our OT depth. Both John Tait and Fred Miller have a lot of mileage on them, though Brant will not be targeted as an immediate replacement. Most likely, Brant will compete with Mark LeVoir (undrafted free-agent from 2006, Notre Dame) for a spot on our practice squad.

Undrafted FA’s:

The Bears made some nice moves (on paper, that is) by adding Florida QB Chris Leak and WR Dave Ball (New Hampshire, Div 1-AA). Ball broke Jerry Rice’s 1-AA record for career touchdown catches. They also added some other stiffs from the undrafted crop, though it should be note that about 20% of the NFL’s rosters are undrafted FA’s. All these guys are a long shot to make the team. Their best chance is to make our practice squad and possibly develop in NFL Europa.

After analyzing the picks, the Bears took the “best player available” with their first and second picks, then were able to address the 3^rd RB, DB depth, LB depth and some offensive line depth. Hopefully we drafted a couple of future Pro-bowl players, but if most of these players can contribute as starters or solid reserves, then we can consider this a quality draft class.

• Stuff ( j is back in the driving seat )

*John Cusack just signed on to star in "Stopping Power," where he will star as a test pilot who sets off on a series of high-speed chases to save his kidnapped daughter from an escaped thief. Prepare to be underwhelmed a year or so from now.

*Visit Shel Silverstein today and feel like a kid. http://www.shelsilverstein.com/html/home.html

*Your guide to season finales... funny, I don't see "Studio 60" anywhere. Click here

*The cow wins.

112th Edition - 3/09/07

112 - The emergency phone number in Europe. Deal with that! 9-1-1. And also, an R& B group from Atlanta that I have never heard of.

• Bulls - They roller, my coaster

One day after the Bulls got pounded by the Miami Heat, they bounced back and crushed the Orlando Magic, 100-76. They outscored the Magic 49-29 in the first half. Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich went 7-9 from 3pt range. I wish someone on the team would say, "yeah, we decided we probably wouldn't win both games on the road, so we didn't really try against the Heat, saving our strength for the Magic." Please someone, anyone.

• Cubs - who will go 10-10 for the Cubbies?

Carlos Zambrano is the #1. Ted Lilly is the #2 because the Cubs pay him as much as they do. Jason Marquis needs a spot cause otherwise there was no point in getting him from the Cardinals. After that ... who knows... Mark Prior, Sean Marshall, Rich Hill, Wade Miller, Juan Mateo, Carlos Marmol, Angel Guzman and Neal Cotts all have a shot. Marshall pitched great for the Cubs last year and Hill finally turned it on. Miller is having a good spring and Prior is Prior. Clearly, the Cubs should go to a seven-man rotation, with Zambrano and Lilly getting normal rest. And yes, I am being very generous with the #4 and #5 starters going .500 for the Cubs.

• Hockey - yes, Hockey

Good old hockey (I've been to one Blackhawks game in my life). This would be on every front page in America if it was football or basketball, but hockey can't get front page press, even if it is bad press. Damn that's violent.

• Quick Hits

*Willis McGahee is now a Baltimore Raven. But to put it in better terms for most of us ... he's the 4th pick in your fantasy league.

*Prediction for the Iowa vs. Purdue game (now at 1:00 central)... Iowa wins, 62 - 57.

*Doug Gottlieb, a college basketball analyst for ESPN thinks Steve Alford (Iowa's coach) is out for next year and Dana Altman from Creighton is in. Alford disagrees.

• Stuff

The movie reviews for this weekend...

"300"

and

"Gray Matters"

The dark side... When a friend (let's call him B. Albertson ... no that's too obvious, how about Bryan A.) says, "You should put this on your blog." There are some things you should consider...

1. Your friend, do you trust him?
2. Is it something you should look at during work hours?
3. Did your friend seem to snicker a lot while saying you should put this on your blog?
4. Could unseemly pop-ups flash on your screen as a result of said Web site?

Thus, a link rating the toe of a camel will not be making an appearance today. Though if someone was so inclined they could figure out the name of the Web site by using this puzzle -- www dot rate my camel toe dot com -- happy hunting.

97th Edition - 2/12/07

• Blatant Self-Promotion

They are here ...

Beep's Scorecard Movie Awards (formally known as "The j Awards")

Register, Vote, and Forward it Along. Plus you can actually win prizes this year.

• The Pro Bowl

It doesn't matter. Really it doesn't. But I really thought the game was going to be played on Sunday. I would have made my bet Sunday morning while watching "SNL." But no, suddenly I am confronted with an image of Devin Hester returning a kickoff in a hideous uniform. It couldn't be a highlight, it had to be the Pro Bowl. And of course that meant the NFC would cover and the under would hit. I could have retired ... bought a new car ... bought my fiancee that ring ... taken her out to dinner on Valentine's Day ... or maybe I would have just had a little more money to gamble next time. Ah, Gamblor (the God of Gambling) you have bested me again. But luckily, I won't give up.

• NBA: I actually watched

Nothing like an NBA tripleheader to make you start realizing the NFL is finally over. Kobe vs. LeBron was good, though King James looks like he is just coasting right now. And the Bulls finished their seven game road trip with a record of 3-4 because they beat the Nashless Suns. One other thing that happens when you watch an NBA tripleheader, you start thinking "It's not about the hat," is one of the funniest lines ever. Thanks, Sir Charles.

• Saturday Night Live

Too much music. Forrest Whitaker broke into song about three times too many. There was some potential with the Man vs. Beast, but Whitaker is an awkward man, a great actor, but an awkward man.

For the season: 7-6

Funny: John C. Reily, Hugh Laurie, Alec Baldwin, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Justin Timberlake, Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore
Not Funny: Dane Cook, Jaime Pressly, Matthew Fox, Annette Bening, Jeremy Piven, Forest Whitaker

96th Edition - 2/9/07

• NFL: The weekend

Here comes the weekend, and that can only mean one thing ... FOOTBALL! Oh wait, it's only the Pro Bowl ... that really doesn't count. Hmmm, not much else to talk about, so let's look back on the Super Bowl one last time.

Now we can look back foundly, and not get irate that the Bears blew a chance to beat a Colts team that will probably get better, and an NFC that will probably get better ... dear god this better not have been our one chance ... anywho, my friend Mark went to Miami to attend Super Bowl XLI. Here's an insanely quick sum up from him about the entire experience...

In case you did not know, the Bears did not win the Superbowl last Sunday. I was there, it was painful. But, overall the weekend was fantastic.
If you are an avid NFL fan, I highly recommend going to the Super Bowl city, even if you are not going to the game. South Beach was a huge party, and was dominated by Bears fans as well. The game was disappointing, but it was incredible to watch live.
The stadium was great, the seats were solid and we had a perfect view of the action even though they were in the upper-deck.
It rained, but it was not cold, so it wasn't that bad (other than my camera getting ruined and my phone malfunctioning for about 24 hours). I hope we can make it next year so I can repeat the trip, I hear it does not rain as much in the desert, and they have a retractable roof in Glendale anyway.

But that's not all, he included pictures ...

Mark and his friend A.J. blending in - I'm not a fan of jersey's but how can you go wrong with Fencik and Payton (the answer is you can't).

The view from their seats. I am amazed at how far jumbo-trons have come at stadiums.

Prince was my third favortie part of the game.
1. Devin Hester returning the opening kickoff.
2. Grossman squeezing in a pass to Muhammad to make it 14-6.

• Stuff

*Anna Nicole Smith is dead. The 8th grader who remembers her as a Guess Jeans model isn't ready to talk about the loss yet.

*I get to watch "The Office," "Scrubs," and "Grey's Anatomy" tonight and am WAY to excited about it.

*If you are going to bet on the Pro Bowl, take the NFC (+4) and the under (64.5)

*I never game Mike D or Billy Z their proper due for beating me with the NFL and NCAA picks this year. Just saying.

*Peter Krause ("Six Feet Under") has signed on as the lead in ABC's drama pilot "Dirty Sexy Money."

94th Edition - 2/06/07

• Blatant Self-Promotion

The new issue of Chicago Clubline is out and you can read my article right here. It's a wrap-up of the films from 2006, the good, the guilty pleasures and the most disappointing. click to read

• Super Bowl: Is there anything else?

USA Today has a Super Bowl Ad meter, and somehow, the ignorant thing decided the Budweiser Crabs was the best commercial. Though I don't agree with that, I do agree with most of the worst rated commercials. Flomax, Godaddy.com, Revlon Colorist and Salesgenie.com were all awful.

I did like the Garmin (GPS navigation) commercial, but it's probably me and 20 comic book nerds that appreciated that one, so it's no woner why grandma, grandpa, mom, dad, aunts and uncles collectively thought, "huh?"

As for the ratings of the game itself, they held steady with a 42 rating and a 63 share, if you don't know what that means by now, you really don't care about TV ratings. Last year, the Steelers vs. Seahawks had a 42.3 rating and 62 share ... But, because there are more TVs in the world, this was the third-most watched show in TV history, behind MASH and the '96 Super Bowl with the Cowboys and Steelers.

And if you have a die-hard Bears fan in your life ... you probably don't want to buy them this ... It's never pretty seeing a grown man or woman cry. click here

• NFL: Something else ... almost

Defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears, Ron Rivera is set to interview with the Dallas Cowboys for the heading coaching job. The system wouldn't change if Rivera left, Lovie Smith enforcing the Cover 2 system for the Bears.

• NBA: Kind of ... but really, it's still about the Super Bowl

Charles Barkley said he won about $700,000 in Las Vegas betting on the Super Bowl and playing blackjack. He's also said that at one time, he lost $2.5 million in a "six-hour period" last year. I am actually getting nauseous.

• Stuff

*Andy Dick gets dragged off the set of the "Jimmy Kimmel Live" show for touching Ivanka Trump too much. click here

*If you are a fan of Nintendo's Wii, you can make Mii's that look just like the characters from "The Office." Don't believe me? This guy already did -- click here

87th Edition - 1/23/07

• Super Bowl Hype: Two Coaches

Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy have become the first story that we are going to hear a lot about for the next two weeks. They are good friends (Monday morning phone calls every week) and the first black head coaches to make it to the Super Bowl. It's a great story and one day, probably years from now, it will be a non-story.

Here's the interesting thing, they REALLY like each other. It seems the other will be almost content when one of them wins the Super Bowl. In an atmosphere of killer instinct, locker room quotes, and constantly feeling you are being disrespected by someone, Smith and Dungy have nothing but respect for the other, and you know what? It won't hurt the game, the players won't try less, and after the game, women everything will think it's so nice that one coach is happy for the other.

• Another coach: He Gone

Bill Parcells is gone. Everyone will talk about how Terrell Owens was the downfall of a legend, but really I never liked the man. Parcells helped crush the would be Bears dynasty in the late 80s. The more important question for me is, does he get to choose his wardrobe when he is in one of the studios? I hope I get to see shorts that come up to his boobs for a long, long time.

• NBA: Slow down

After one game, yes only ONE GAME, ESPN has four stories on the Denver Nuggets new marriage of Carmelo Anthony (back from fighting) and his new teammate Allen Iverson. They beat the Vancover Grizzles. That is all they have done as teammates. Don't we have a Super Bowl that needs more coverage?

• Stuff

OK, I tried to talk about sports as long as I could, but really, all I care about this morning is the Academy Award nominations. Well, let's take a look and seee what they got wrong ...

Best Picture
Babel
Little Miss Sunshine
The Departed - I am clearly pulling for this movie to win
Letter from Iwo Jima - most thought it would be a foreign film nominee
The Queen

Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio, "Blood Diamond" - wrong choice, he was better in "The Departed"
Ryan Gosling, "Half Nelson"
Peter O'Toole, "Venus" - after seeing him on Letterman, I want him to win for the speech
Will Smith, "The Pursuit of Happyness" - wow, suddenly I want Will Smith to win
Forest Whitaker, "The Last King of Scotland" - he'll win

Actress:
Penelope Cruz, "Volver"
Judi Dench, "Notes on a Scandal" - For me, it's either Cruz or Dench
Helen Mirren, "The Queen" - she'll win
Meryl Streep, "The Devil Wears Prada"
Kate Winslet, "Little Children" - didn't see it yet

Supporting Actor:
Alan Arkin, "Little Miss Sunshine"
Jackie Earle Haley, "Little Children"
Djimon Hounsou, "Blood Diamond"
Eddie Murphy, "Dreamgirls" - Now it's a no-brainer.
Mark Wahlberg, "The Departed" - No Jack Nicholson? Starting to get upset!

Supporting Actress:
Adriana Barraza, "Babel"
Cate Blanchett, "Notes on a Scandal"
Abigail Breslin, "Little Miss Sunshine" - glad she finally got noticed
Jennifer Hudson, "Dreamgirls" - winner
Rinko Kikuchi, "Babel"

Directing:
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, "Babel"
Martin Scorsese, "The Departed" - it's the only award I care about now
Clint Eastwood, "Letters From Iwo Jima"
Stephen Frears, "The Queen"
Paul Greengrass, "United 93"

Foreign Language Film:
"After the Wedding," Denmark
"Days of Glory (Indigenes)," Algeria
"The Lives of Others," Germany
"Pan's Labyrinth," Mexico - I am starting to like this film more and more
"Water," Canada

Adapted Screenplay:
Sacha Baron Cohen and Anthony Hines and Peter Baynham and Dan Mazer and Todd Phillips, "Borat Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" -- Adapted because it is based on a TV show? Seemed original to me.
Alfonso Cuaron and Timothy J. Sexton and David Arata and Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, "Children of Men" - I hate that I want Borat to beat this film just because of the potential speech.
William Monahan, "The Departed"
Todd Field and Tom Perrotta, "Little Children"
Patrick Marber, "Notes on a Scandal"

Original Screenplay:
Guillermo Arriaga, "Babel"
Iris Yamashita and Paul Haggis, "Letters From Iwo Jima"
Michael Arndt, "Little Miss Sunshine"
Guillermo del Toro, "Pan's Labyrinth"
Peter Morgan, "The Queen"

Animated Feature Film:
Couldn't they nominate "A Scanner Darkly" just for something different?
"Cars"
"Happy Feet"
"Monster House"

If you want to see the rest of the list - Click here

At some point, I will create my own list of nominations just to put my mind at ease.

86th Edition - 1/22/06

• Bears: Fate? Probably not.

Today is my 86th post on The Daily Score. And in 1986 the Bears won Super XX. Fate? Probably not, but I really don't care today. I get to watch the Bears in the Super Bowl, that is all that matters.

The Chicago Bears beat the America Saints 39 - 14. The defense showed up, allowing the Saints to score a long drive before the first half came to a close, and in the second half giving up a long pass to Reggie Bush. Otherwise, the high-powered Saints offense did nothing. And the Bears offense? No turnovers. That is really all that matters, but on top of that Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson combined for 196 rushing yards as well.

It was 16-14 when the Bears forced Drew Brees into a safety to make it 18 - 14. Most people say when the Bears went up 16 - 0, they "knew" the Bears would win. I didn't feel comfortable until the Bears made it 25 -14.

Now we can have two weeks of listening to "Miami" by Will Smith!.. I guess I shouldn't complain about two weeks of over-hype, after all only two teams are "lucky" enough for that.

• The Other Game: (The much more exciting one)

On Saturday, talking with my fiancee, I asked her who else was playing on Sunday.
She said, "The Colts and the Patriots."
I said, "Who is the quarterback for the Colts?"
"Not Brady?" she said.
"And who's the quarterback for the Patriots?"
"Brady," she said.

I went on a four- to five-minute explanation of how for a sports fan, that was very deep. After all, Manning is the anti-Brady as far as playoffs were concerned ... That was of course, until the Colts beat the Patriots 38-34. This game was incredibly fun to watch. Back and forth the entire second half (which is why I don't consider it the greatest comeback for a championship game, anybody watching didn't feel like the Colts "came back" in the forth quarter from a major deficit). I found myself wishing the Colts would win, because it would be a more exciting match up for the Bears, but wanting the Patriots to win the game.

After the game was over, my fiancee said, "Oh wait, Manning's the one we saw home videos of playing football when he was a kid ... I like him, I'm glad he won."

• The Picks (revisited)

NFL Season Standingsj : 26-25-4
Mike D: 28-25-2

NFL Playoffs
j: (1-1) 4-6 -- but I also took the over in both games, and the Bears winning the first quarter.
Mike D: (1-1) 6-4

NFL Overall
j: 29-30-4
Mike D: 33-28-2

So it all comes down to who win the Super Bowl. I say this because everyone knows the Super Bowl is worth five picks, which is funny because that's EXACTLY how many I need to win the Overall record. That is fate.

• Stuff

*I've watched 2/3rds of SNL and can't officially decide if it's a funny one or not. Stay tuned.

*Quick Movie Reviews:
"The Last King of Scotland" - a great film. And an amazing job by SUPPORTING ACTOR Forrest Whitaker. I have no clue why he is considered the lead. He's in a third of the film. Whereas the LEAD ACTOR James McAvoy is in every single scene, and he does a great job. I hate the business of the awards. Bigger name does not mean lead actor.

"The Painted Veil" - a great film. Reminded me a little of "The English Patient," but more importantly it had an amazing score, Ed Norton and Naomi Watts are top notch, and the love story/tension felt real.

Here is a competition to decide the 40 Greatest Internet Superstars. Clips included. Click here

85th Edition - 1/19/07

• NFL: The Final Four

Colts vs. Patriots

Indianapolis Colts - Everyone forgets that this team won 13 regular season games in a row last year, and started the season 9-0 this year. That's a pretty good run. Keep in mind, they were 9-0 inspite of their defense. Now, the defense has performed well two weeks in a row and no one is truly believing in this team. Plus, EVERYONE on the Colts thinks the only reason the defense was bad was because Bob Sanders was out. So why don't I feel good about the Colts? because they are playing the ...

New England Patriots - Tom Brady had an awful overall game last week against the Chargers, and he won. It's the first time he's had a bad playoff game. Odds are, he won't have another. Plus, the Patriots have a better road record this year (7-1), than home (5-3), so playing at Indy shouldn't be a big problem. I think the game will be close because neither team is amazing, they both have flaws, especially on defense. In all likelihood it will come down to a late 4th quarter FG ... Imagine the scenario ...

Adam Vinateri lines up for a 47- yard FG, enough to make any team nervous, but then again it's Vinateri, and he hasn't missed at home all season. The snap ... what's this!?! He's walking away from the hold?! The Patriots gang tackle the holder. Game over, Patriots win 21-20 ... And now Vinateri is ripping off his jersey! Dear god it's a Patriots shirt underneath! This must have been Belichek's plan all along. Brilliant.

Bears vs. Saints

New Orleans Saints - Only four teams have a city name and team name that ends in a "s" (can you name the other three?) and I don't like any of them to win this weekend. Drew Brees is due to throw an interception. Deuce McAllister doesn't have back-to-back monster games any more. Reggie Bush can count the number of games he has played in really cold weather just using his thumbs. "America's Team" will perform just like America, overconfident and when things don't work they will just do it more.

Chicago Bears - The early forecast of below 30 degrees and snow has to point against the domed team. It just has to. I know the Bears don't practice outside in the cold, but sports is a head game. And cold weather teams are convinced they play better when a domed team comes to town. Rex Grossman threw a perfect pass to Bernard Berrian last week. He can muster up one of those again. Turnovers will be key, and the Bears already did that last week against the Seahawks, it's out of their system. Cedric Benson will run like Brittney Spears to a camera (fast, hard, and with little regard to the people around).

The end of the game will come down to a nail-biting drive by the Saints, who are down 17-20. Everything looks good for them. Each 7-yard gain, kills me a little bit more each time. Then, Peanut Tillman -- a man that makes me WAY too nervous -- will intercept the ball and run it back for the back-breaking touchdown. 28-17, Bears.

This, of course, will set up the rematch everyone is dying to see -- Bears vs. Patriots. It's Super Bowl XX all over again.

• The Picks

If it wasn't obvious by my comments above ...
Patriots +3 over the Colts
Bears -3 over the Saints

NFL Season Standings
j : 25-24-4
Mike D: 27-24-2

NFL Playoffs
j: 3-5
Mike D: 5-3

NFL Overall
j: 28-29-4
Mike D: 32-27-2

Look for Mike D's comments later in the day.

• Michael Vick is probably stupid

I will not officially go on record as saying Michael Vick is stupid for bringing a water bottle that is probably used for smoking up with him on his Air Tran flight. And I won't talk about what a moron he is for NOT wanting to throw it out and that making airline security suspicious. I do like that a man worth more than $100 million is flying Air Tran. That's good stuff.

• More NFL

Three good artclies today:
Jason Whitlock - NFL Real Talk
David Fleming - 30-second column
and look for Bill Simmons later today - The Sports Guy

• Stuff

*"The Office" was amazing last night, and the "Scrubs" musical was pretty good. The theme for both seemed to be "guy love." Whether is was J.D. and Turk or Dwight and Michael, men loving men, in a hetrosexual way, was the message. A hunch on "The Office" -- both new people, Andy and Karen, will be gone shortly.

*Since there is nothing new worth seeing in the theater, I will be catching my final two important movies of 2006. "The Last King of Scotland" and "The Painted Veil." I've decided "The Good German" isn't necessary to see. After this I will be able to create my top ten of 2006. Did you just get goosebumps?

*News on Fountains of Wayne's new album - click here

*Age-O-Matic. Now you can see what you will look like 50 years from now. If you do this, I hope you will send the link our direction. click here

82nd Edition - 1/16/07

• Bears: Sigh of relief

Bears 27, Seahawks 24
The Bears decided to win on Sunday, mainly because the Seahawks didn't want to. The Seahawks had many opportunities to get into FG range late in the 4th quarter and in OT as well, but they could never get the job done. So finally, Rex Grossman hit Rashied Davis for a big gain and then it was up to Robbie Gould's foot. He connected on his record-tying 49-yard FG.

I was thinking the Seahawks would win when the Bears were sitting on a 4-point lead for most of the 2nd half. Perhaps that is because I am a Bears/Cubs fan and I expect the worst. Or maybe it has more to do with me, but it just didn't look like the Bears would win. It was their defense that was letting them down for most of the day, but luckily it came up big when it needed to.

Grossman had his amazing moments (both good and bad) all in the same game, which is rare to see.

I'm excited that the Bears are one game away. Even if they have to beat "America's Team."

• NFL: The rest of them

The Saints beat the Eagles 27-24 in the only game I didn't watch this weekend. I had a friend in town and didn't call my fiancee to attempt to set up the tivo to record the game. Turns out, I missed a great game. Looks like the Bears will have their hands full. I have no idea how they stop the Saints offense.

As for this "America's Team" label they have been given ... how? How was this determined? I never remember a poll being taken about which team you like now compared to who you cheered for last year. I under New Orleans has been through a lot, but does that mean football fans have given up on their team to root for New Orleans? I doubt it. I think it's "nice" that the Saints are winning, and I always like it when a team turns around losing ways, but "America's Team" has been given that label by the media because it makes for a good story. We have no idea if America truly loves the Saints, or has just been told that they do.

The Colts beat the Ravens 15-6. Peyton Manning has been awful in the playoffs. It doesn't seem to matter.

The Patriots beat the Chargers 24-21. Tom Brady had an awful game, except when it counted. The end of the first half, and second half he played perfectly. That gave the Patriots all the points they needed to beat LDT and then dance like Shawne Merriman after the game, which unfortunately became more of a story than the game.

• The Picks (revisited)

NFL Season Standings
j : 25-24-4
Mike D: 27-24-2

NFL Playoffs
j: 3-5
Mike D: 5-3

NFL Overall
j: 28-29-4
Mike D: 32-27-2

So at this point, I can't win the overall standing. But then again, I can't remember any NFL team bragging about winning the regular season and losing the playoffs. And there is still a slight chance that I could win the playoffs. So, I'm clinging to that for now.

• NBA: annoyed

I hate that the NBA player contracts are guaranteed. It just doesn't make sense, because they Chris Webber can make an insane amount of money, not be good, and then quit trying until his team gets sick of him, get bought out of his contract, and then join the Pistons for a feel-good reunion (he played his college ball in Michigan).

• Stuff

**Jake Gyllenhaal worked his ass off on Saturday Night Live. Plus they brought back laser cats. So it was a win, win. With Gyllenhaal doing the best opening monologue since Steve Martin tried to kill Alec Baldwin.

Here's the season to date: 6-4
Funny: John C. Reily, Hugh Laurie, Alec Baldwin, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Justin Timberlake, Jake Gyllenhaal

Not Funny: Dane Cook, Jaime Pressly, Matthew Fox, Annette Bening

**Golden Globes
Yawn. That is how I would describe the show. It was great seeing Sacha Baron Cohen give a speech as himself (winning for "Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical" for "Borat"), but overall the speeches weren't that good. And the presenters had to deal with a crowd that was never sitting down. Every time they came back from commercial, people were moving around and talking ... and wouldn't that have been more enjoyable to watch?

Good Speeches:
Alec Baldin
Hugh Laurie
Sacha Baron Cohen
Meryl Streep
Jennifer Hudson

"The Departed" didn't win enough.

There were plenty of awkward moments though ...
Warren Beatty not practicing his speech enough.
America Ferrera of ABC's "Ugly Betty" waiting to be interviewed by the sideline reporter.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's cruches.
Helen Miren's speeches.
Eddie Murphy barely being excited, suddenly I realized I need to stop feeling sorry for Eddie Murphy and his string of sell-outs.

81st Edition - 1/12/07

• Blatant Self-Promotion

I interviewed Golden Globe-nominated Jennifer Hudson from "Dreamgirls" and the hometown of Chicago.
click here to read

• Bears!

Finally, all the Rex Grossman talk will stop ... for a couple hours on Sunday when the Bears are actually on Soldier Field versus the Seattle Seahawks. Then, no matter what the result of the game, the Grossman talk will pick right back up again. And who am I kidding, the Grossman talk will be in full swing during the game as well.

Whether he has a good, horrible, amazing, awful, OK game -- it will be talked about to death.

It's the Bears defense that needs to show up and play. That's all that needs to happen. I believe Lovie Smith wants to win a Super Bowl. I believe he will do whatever he has to in order for Rex Grossman not to lose the game this Sunday. Run every single play, pull Grossman after the second pick, only play special teams and defense ... it doesn't matter, just win.

Perhaps the nation doesn't realize that the Bears haven't won a playoff game or HOME playoff game in a long time. That is the only thing that needs to be accomplished on Sunday no matter what Rex Grossman's ego needs.

Last playoff game the Bears won:
Jan. 1, 1995 - Wild Card Round - Chicago 35, Minnesota 18
(Thanks, Mark)

• NFL playoffs AND PICKS: One week makes all the difference

Last week, some of the games were close, but mainly from below-average play. There wasn't any great story lines, all that changes this week...

Also, last week I was 1-3. Which meant Mike D was 3-1 because he used the logic of George Costanza (he did the opposite of me). I didn't complain, though he wouldn't have made though picks without seeing mine, so he did cheat. Just wanted to be clear on that.

NFL Season Standings:
j : (25-24-4)
Mike D: (27-24-2)

NFL Playoffs:
j: 1-3
Mike D: 3-1

NFL Overall:
j: 26-27-4
Mike D: 30-25-2

Saturday - 3:30
Colts at Ravens
Peyton Manning has a chance to prove he can out think the best defense in the league. I don't think he can (because of the rest of his team).
j's pick: Ravens -3.5

Saturday - 7:00
Eagles at Saints
I just want lots of scoring ... and the Saints to win. But the Eagles are giving Philadelphia sports fans hope, and that always amuses me.
j's pick: Eagles +5

Sunday - 12:00
Seahawks at Bears
The Bears are going to win, the Bears are going to win, the Bears are going to win.
j's pick: Bears -8.5

Sunday - 3:30
Patriots at Chargers
Coach vs coach and QB vs QB -- You have to take the Patriots.
j's pick: Patriots +5

As always, look for Mike D's picks in the comments section.

• Beckham: Am I supposed to care?

An aging soccer star, David Beckham, is coming to Los Angeles. He isn't good enough to play on the elite European teams. There will be talk about how soccer is once again invading the United States, but really my only thought through this whole thing is this ... How is the world does the Galaxy have $250 million to pay him? There is no way the franchise is worth that much, so where is the money coming from? It does not make any sense.

• Stuff

*Quick movie review:
"Letters of Iwo Jima"
Clint Eastwood improves on every aspect of "Flags of our Fathers" when he made this version, focusing on the Japanese perspective of the battle of Iwo Jima. But that doesn't make it an instant classic. It's good, not great. There was an odd feeling that Eastwood was just playing to the crowd, attempting to show only Japanese soldiers who didn't want to fight or loved the United States. But the acting was fantastic and the story was interesting.
Grade: B

*Cracked did an article of the five biggest mismatches in movie fight history. Funny stuff. Click here to read

*Steve Martin is going to write a memoir, titled Born Standing Up

*Rotten Tomatoes has released their Golden Tomatoes Awards: The two best -- Casino Royale and The Queen. click here to read

80th Edition - 1/11/07

• Special Guest: Mike Triplett

Mike Triplett is the lead writer of the New Orleans Saints for the New Orleans Times-Picayune. But that's not all, he was a frequent guest on my couch when I lived in Los Angeles, a die-hard Cubs fan, a Hawkeye alum, and the only man to beat me head-to-head in the dvd board game "Scene It."

Confidence, Schmanfidence

Before I start talking NFL playoffs, can someone let me know if the college football season is over. I’d just like to make sure. I had completely forgotten that there was another game left on Monday night until I started flipping channels after How I Met Your Mother.

Maybe I’m just all out of whack because I spent the last week covering the New Orleans Saints during a first-round bye. It’s the first time that’s happened in 40 years, so everyone down here is a little discombobulated right now.

But that’s the new NFL, love it or hate it. Anyone can randomly spring up and have a great season. Just for fun, try to name the last 10 Super Bowl winners and losers, then come back to read the rest of this after you give up and google it. We are seriously about five or six years away from the year when all 32 teams finish 8-8.

That’s great if you’re a fan of, say, the Bears or the Saints, and you like to go into every year thinking anything can happen. It’s not so great, though, for predicting what will happen this week. The problem with trying to pick a Super Bowl winner is that every team is flawed. Everyone is beatable.

Here’s another fun test. Think of a game that you’re absolutely confident about this weekend. … Now I’ll bet you that you feel that way because you’re certain that the losing team will lose. My dad was convinced the Bears were in big trouble because of their own problems until he watched the NFC games over the weekend. Now he’s considerably more confident.

How can I possibly pick a Super Bowl favorite out of this bunch? Is it really Baltimore or San Diego, the Bears, Saints or Eagles? … These teams might be a lot more convincing if they didn’t have a combined playoff record of 0-1 last year.

So do I like a more pedigreed team like New England, Indy or Seattle? Not really.

I can’t wait to watch these games, though. I won’t be surprised by any result in any game from here on out.

I do know a lot more about the Saints than most teams, though. And I do kinda sorta like their chances against Philly, since the Saints’ biggest weakness this year has been giving up the deep ball, something the Eagles don’t really have in their arsenal right now.

But all I can say with absolute confidence is that the Saints have a 33 percent chance of reaching the Super Bowl, a 33 percent chance of losing in the NFC championship and a 33 percent chance of losing Saturday night.

Hopefully the daily score’s next guest blogger will be some sort of an expert who can shed some light on all of this.

77th Edition - 1/8/07

• NFL: New York, ouch babe

Colts 23, Chiefs 8
Kansas City didn't have a first down in the first half. The Colts defense played better than Peyton Manning.
next week: Colts at Ravens

Seahawks 21, Cowboys 20
The last seconds were insanely good for Bledsoe fans. Tony Romo fumbled the snap of a 19-yard FG attempt, then tried to run it in only to be tackled from behind at the one yard line.
next week: Seahawks at Bears

Patriots 37, Jets 16
The announcers were trying to say it was a close game with the Patriots leading 16-30, until Pennington threw an interception, returned for a touchdown ... It wasn't that close before the pick.
next week: Patriots at Chargers

Eagles 23, Giants 20
The Ealges got outscored 10-3 in the 4th quarter, but those 3 came from a game-ending 38-yard FG by David Akers. Tiki Barber is retiring, and ever since he announced that, the Giants are 2-9.
next week: Eagles at Saints

• MLB: The Medium Unit going back to Arizona

The Yankees actually got rid of a player to create some financial space. Randy Johnson is 43-years-old and the Diamondbacks are giving him $26 million over two years. Then again, any pitcher going from AL to NL improves, but this guy is a shell of the man who made John Kruk weak in the knees during the '93 All-Star Game.

• College Football: What do you mean there's a game on tonight?

Just awful timing. I will watch, but my attention has drifted.

THE Ohio State Buckeyes vs Florida Gators. The winner gets to win. It has been 50 days since Ohio State has played. But I'm sure with all that extra time, the players have honored all their classes. Hats off to the NCAA, making sure education is always the top priority.

• Stuff

*Quick Film Reviews
Children of Men: A-, just a great Sci-Fi (bleak glimpse into the future) with some amazing suspense/action scenes.
The Queen: B, it was nice, I just don't see what all the fuss is about.

*Chevy Chase (used to be a comedian) wrote an op-ed about Gerald Ford dying. click here to read

76th Edition - 1/05/07

Sick as a dog. So the post will be short today. Damn, I feel awful. Could be because of a cat bite, the flu, a shot, another shot, an insanely bad cold or medication I am on. One thing is for sure ... If I didn't have a fiancee that is in med school I would either be much, much sicker OR totally healthy.

• If coaches can change, and you can change, we can all change!

In a job where you get fired 88% of the time (made up stat, but has to be close), what is wrong with taking an offer you would rather have?

Bill Cowher (Steelers) - quit
Art Shell (Raiders) - fired
Jim Mora (Falcons) - fired
Dennis Green (Cardinals) - fired
Nick Saban (Dolphins) - quit/then hired at Alabama

• The Picks (Mike D. vs. j)

NFL Season Standings:
j NFL: (25-24-4)
Mike D: (27-24-2)

The wild card picks:
j
Chiefs +7 over Colts
Seahawks -2.5 over Cowboys
Jets +8.5 over Patriots
Giants +7 over Eagles
(yup, I'm taking 3 road underdogs)

look for Mike D's picks later in the day.

75th Edition - 1/4/07

Yawn. Stretch. Yawn. Nap. Repeat.
I've been gone for a while. I admit I got a little bit lazy with my extended vacation. I promise it will never happen again. Except for future vacations, bachelor parties, weddings, honeymoons and again the most important, laziness.

But at least we didn't miss anything besides one of the greatest college football games ever (Bosie St. vs. Oklahoma), more Mike Tyson arrests, the Iowa Hawkeyes making it look easy against Texas and then blowing it, Bob Knight breaking the wins record, Gerald Ford dying, James Brown (the guy who sang in "Rocky 4") dying, Saddam Hussein getting hung, and probably about 125 other stories that were important while I was gone. But thankfully, nothing important.

• The Picks: revisited

Final standing for the 2006 College Football Season --
j : 4-6 for the bowls, not 10-0 like I was hoping, which would have won me $2500. Instead, I lost $10.
billy z: 8-2 for the bowls. Just insane, the only games he missed were the ones we had in common.

j NCAA: (27-22-1)
billy z NCAA: (35-14-2)

You have no idea how insane a record of 35-14-2 is. Billy should actually be doing this for a full-time job. I can't express this enough, so I will stop.

The funny (awful) thing ... I made more money than billy did this season. How? Because I bet on the games. He didn't. If he would have bet just $10 a game, he would have won almost $200. And that's not the way to bet, you have to change it up with the money-line, parlays and teasers. 2006 should have been the year billy retired. I hope this streak continues next year, so at least I can make money off him.

Mike d and I aren't done with the NFL, as both of us will be attempting to go undefeated in the playoffs. J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS!

• Nick Saban: Is he really that important?

This whole honesty thing comes up every time a coach does this. Nick Saban has now left the Miami Dolphins and become the new Alabama coach and also got tons of cash to go along with it. Many sports writers are calling him out, saying he is not honest. Who cares?

Fans - Dolphin fans are upset. They should be, they thought they had a coach for a long time. But he left because another position was more attractive to him.

Media - It gives them an angle to talk about that is more jucy. Otherwise, it's just reporting how much he will make, what he NFL record was, and why he will fit/not fit at Alabama

But here's the thing we always forget--Sports is a passion for the public, it is a job (first and foremost) for Nick Saban. And in the real world, almost anyone you know will take a job that gives more guarenteed money in an environment they are happier with. Case closed.

• Stuff

*If you are curious when your TV shows return from the break, click here. A helpful list is provided. And hopefully, you didn't missed "Friday Night Lights" last night.

*Blender has given us 25 reasons to love 2007. #18 Kaiser Cheifs is nice to see, but for some reason I can't find The Arcade Fire. Click here to read

*A new music Web site with great live, in-stuido performances ... The odd thing, the studio is located in Rock Island, Ill. I am from the Quad-Cities and it is insanely surprising to hear that a quality music studio is there. Check it out.
www.daytrotter.com

69th Edition - 12/18/06

• NFL - the fog is just a haze

The playoff picture was murky before this weekend. Now we can see, kind of.
In the NFC ...
The Bears have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Saints have won their division.
The Cowboys are in.
These teams have a chance -
Seahawks, Eagles (8-6)
Giants, Falcons (7-7)
I'm not going to mention the 6-8 teams that have a mathmatical chance.
In the AFC ...
Chargers clinched division.
Colts clinched division.
Ravens in the playoffs.
These teams have a chance -
Patriots (10-4)
Bengals (8-5) -- playing the Colts tonight.
Broncos, Jaguars, Jets (8-6)
Then there are four teams at (7-7)

Sunday's Best ...
QB
Rex Grossman: 339 yards, 2TD (W)
Chad Pennington: 339 yards, 1TD, 1INT (W)
Eli Manning: 282 yards, 2INT (L)
I assume the above list will change after Palmer vs. Manning tonight.
RB
LaDainian Tomlinson: 199 yards, 2TD (W)
Frank Gore: 144 yards (W)
Willie Parker: 132 yards, 1TD (W)
WR
Laveranues Coles: 144 yards, 1TD (W)
Desmond Clark: 125 yards, 2TD (W)
Plaxico Burress: 120 yards (L)

• NBA: FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

Look for David Stern to slap some heavy fines and suspensions on the Nuggest and Knicks for the brawl on Saturday night. Go to ESPN.com to watch the brawl. It should still be the headline on their NBA page.
The latest talk is that Isiah Thomas may have ordered the fight to start since he was annoyed Marcus Camby and Carmelo Anthony were still in the game for the Nuggets when the game was out of hand. Thomas actually tells Anthony not to drive to the basket again right before the fight takes place.
Anthony can be seen giving a cheap shot to a Knick and then immediately retreating.
I would hate to see any of my Bulls get into a fight over a game. Then again, that game is their life. So if it had to happen, I would at least hope they would stand and fight. Seeing what Anthony is made of has to be disappointing to Nugget fans.

• Bears: Tank Johnson ... I hate talking about this.

And since I hate talking about Tank Johnson's legal troubles, and his bodyguard who was just shot and killed, I'm letting ESPN do it - click here to read

• Hawkeyes: I wish I could say the mighty have fallen

The Iowa Hawkeyes lost to the Drake Bulldogs by 16 points. This hasn't happened for 28 years. A record 7,268 people saw it happen. If you are looking for further coverage on the Iowa Hawkeyes for the remainder of the year, it will be sparse. I assume I only have one friend left (Brian Hunt) who will be following the Hawkeyes. Perhaps I can have him give everyone monthly updates. Ohbytheway, Drake's head coach, former Iowa coach Dr. Tom Davis. Iowa is 5-6 and hasn't been this bad for 32 years. The pretty good have fallen (not the mighty).

• The Picks (revisited)

j NCAA: (23-16-1)
billy z NCAA: (27-12-2)
j NFL: 3-0 (24-23-3)
mike d NFL: 3-0 (25-23-2)

Well, if you stuck we mike d and me, you are back to earning very little money. Congratulations. You deserve it.

• Stuff

We have a winner!
Justin Timberlake was fan-freaking-tastic on SNL. The highlights ... Homelessvile, The Barry Gibb Talk Show (w/Jimmy Fallon), Hip Hop Kidz, the opening monologue (Chimpmunks Song) and of course, the soon to be classic, Dick in a Box (click to watch).
So far, Justin Timberlake and Alec Baldwin have been the only "must see" Saturday Night Live's.
Here's the season to date: 5-4
Funny: John C. Reily, Hugh Laurie, Alec Baldwin, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Justin Timberlake
Not Funny: Dane Cook, Jaime Pressly, Matthew Fox, Annette Bening

I don't know how, but "Lost" and Weird Al just seem to fit - Click here to watch

Time magazine - I don't like your "Person of the Year" - in fact, I hate him. Click here to read

68th Edition - 12/15/06

• Blatant Self-Promotion

*Click here to read my interview with Paul Feig. He is the director of "Unaccompanied Minors," the creator of "Freaks and Geeks," and has directed multiple episodes of "The Office."

*Click here to read my interview with Will Smith. I shouldn't have to explain who this man is, but he's the one who brought us such classic songs as "Nightmare on my Street," "My Buddy," and "Parent's Just Don't Understand." -- We didn't talk about any of those songs.

• NFL: Game of the Week

Eagles vs. Giants. The Eagles were left for dead a couple weeks ago when they lost Donavan McNabb for the season ... that hasn't happened yet. If they lose to the Giants, everyone can say, "I told you so." Because they will be dead. Both teams are 7-6 and one game behind the Cowboys.

*And don't forget -- there is football on Saturday night (Cowboys v. Falcons)

• NFL: Game of the Weak

Combined, the Packers and Lions are 7-19. But this game still matters ... to me. I have Roy Williams, Donald Driver, Ahman Green and Kevin Jones on my fantasy roster. Yes, I know Kevin Jones is out for the year.

• Bears: Bear down, Chicago Bears (not the song, more of a disappointment)

Tank Johnson, the Bears defensive tackle, was charged Thursday with not having a gun owner identification card after six firearms were found at his Gurnee (close to Six Flags) home. His neighbors had been complaining about Johnson and friends shooting guns in the backyard and also having six pit bulls in a cage. The police had been investigating Johnson for the past six weeks. Knowing the NFL, he will not miss any time this year for the incident.

• The Picks

j NCAA: (23-16-1)
billy z NCAA: (27-12-2)
j NFL: (21-23-3)
mike d NFL: (22-23-2)

The Bowl games are close to starting. Billy z and I will be picking them (but probably not all of them -- just enough to allow me a comeback.)

Until then, you're stuck with mike d and me dominating the NFL (of recent).

Mike d picked the 49ers over the Seahawks last night, I don't know the spread off hand, but it doesn't matter because the 49ers won outright. So he is sitting at 1-0 already. Look for mike d's two other picks later today in the comments.

j NFL:
Eagles +5 over Giants
Rams +2 over Raiders
Buccaneers and Bears over 34 total points

• Stuff

Oh, a soap box, give me a second to get up on this ... I can't stand that Meryl Streep was nominated for Lead Actress instead of Supporting Actress. It just doesn't make sense. I sat through "The Devil Wears Prada" (it was fine, for what it was) and at no point did I think I was on Streep's journey. It was clearly Anne Hathaway's journey. The film was about her, and her life, about her job and about the people in her life. One of those people became Streep.
This all started (for me) when Anthony Hopkins won Best Actor for Silence of the Lambs. With less than 16 minutes on screen, Hopkins was given the "Lead Actor" nomination. It's ridiculous. He was a supporting character (and should have won for that). It doesn't matter if his role was cool, crucial, or the best male role, he wasn't the lead. All of this is determined by the studios that make the films. It shouldn't be. It should be up to a nomination committee. And I formally announce my candidacy for this position. Vote for j.

Quick Movie Review:
"The Pursuit of Happyness"
Totally worth seeing. Both Will Smith and his son Jaden give great performances. The movie's goal is to actually put you through the hell that Chris Gardener went through in real life. It does.
B+

Here's some Christmas movie trivia to get you through the weekend. Not that easy. Click here - I expect John and Kenzie to post their scores in the comments section. I will also.

If you like year-end lists, here is a list of those lists. This shall waste the rest of my morning. Click here

Dan Marino loses it on the HBO's "Inside the NFL" - Click here to watch the video

"Heroes" has comic books. Click here to read

And finally, whether you watch "30 Rock" or not, you would be stupid not to take advantage of sending your friends a message from Alec Baldwin. It's personalized, and it's fantastic. Click here for the link

67th Edition - 12/14/06

Not much going on today.

• NBA: a litte boring

Dwayne Wade had his wisdom teeth pulled out. Allen Iverson hasn't been traded yet, but Bill Simmons has written a great article about the situation. Click here to read

• MLB: about time

Daisuke Matsuzaka finally signed with the Red Sox. They spent $103 million ($51 to talk to him, then a six-year $52 million deal).

• NFL: a fixture

Lamar Hunt, the Kansas City Chiefs owner who coined the phrase "Super Bowl" is dead at the age of 74. My heart goes out to my friend Brian Hunt, who recently changed his name from Brian Schneckloth (marriage reasons). Losing a Hunt this early in his name change must be hard for him.

Also, former Iowa Hawkeye Wayne Drehs has written about former Iowa Hawkeye Chad Greenway, an early draft pick for the Minnesota Vikings who has spent his season on the IR list. Click here to read

• Stuff

Coming tomorrow: An interview with Paul Feig (creator of "Freaks and Geeks")

Coming soon (maybe tomorrow): An interview with Will Smith

Golden Globe nominations are out today - here's the complete list

My quick thoughts on the Golden Globes ...
*"Babel" is now overrated. But then again, what did you think the foreign press would vote for?
*The race for "Best Comedy/Musical" is a tougher competition.
*Beyonce Knowles and Meryl Strepp are not the leads of their movies, they are just the biggest names.
*Mark Wahlberg getting nominated for "The Departed" is a waste of a vote. He was great, but his role was small and Jack Nicholson being nominated in the same category proves how pointless it is.
*I am so sick of people calling "Desperate Housewives" a comedy.
*Tony Shalhoub (love him from "Wings") better not win again for "Best Actor - Comedy."

I haven't even begun to think about all the mistakes that were made from people not on the list of nominations. More on that later.

66th Edition - 12/13/06

• The Weekly Bull (11-10) (8-2 at home)

This week the Bulls went 3-1, losing only to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but I think the real reason they lost was simply to begin the courting of Kevin Garnett. It's the wounded puppy dog theory, they tried to show Garnett that they couldn't win without him. Hopefully, he hasn't paid attention to the rest of the dominating performances lately.

Some numbers:

3pt percentages:
Kirk Hinrich: 43% (19th in the League)
Andre Nocioni: 42%
Chris Duhon: 39%
Ben Godron: 34%

FG percentage:
Loul Deng: 56% (9th in the League)
Andre Nocioni: 48%
Kirk Hinrich: 46%

Predictions for the coming week: Wed. Seattle (W), Fri. Milwaukee (L), Sat. at Atlanta (W), Tues. Lakers (W)

• NFL: The rookies

There are four rookies to truly pay attention to ... who should win the "Rookie of the Year?" ... who will?

Matt Leinart:
3-6 (as a starter); 56% completion; 2,171 yards, 10 TD, 10 INT; Passer Rating - 73.9

Reggie Bush:
405 yards rushing; 3.2 yards per carry; 79 receptions; 687 yards receiving; 6 TD; 1 punt return TD; 1 interception thrown

Vince Young:
6-4 (as a starter); 52% completion; 1704 yards, 10TD, 11 INT; Passer Rating - 65.7; 458 yards rushing; 5 rushing TD

Devin Hester:
36 Punt returns - 14.4 avg. (leads NFL) - 3TD; 10 Kickoff returns - 35.1 avg - 2TD; 1 missed FG returned 108 yards (ties NFL record); 6TD returned is a single season record; 5 tackles

So - right now, who gets the nod?

• Stuff

If you want to help PBS, drink their coffee. In a partnership with Green Mountain Coffee, PBS will market the PBS Blend on shoppbs.org. The hope is, the coffee can be another income source for people wanting to help fund PBS.

Prince is playing the Super Bowl Halftime show.

64th Edition - 12/11/06

• The NFL

LaDainian Tomlinson is the MVP. Drew Brees is the only other name allowed in the conversation. Tomlinson scored three more times to make it 29 (a record) for the season. Brees threw for five TDs against the Cowboys and is somewhat on pace to break Dan Marino's single season passing yardage mark.

I'll be talking about the playoff picture on Tuesday.

The Best
QB
Chris Weinke: 423 yards, 1TD, 3INT (L)
Drew Brees: 384 yards, 5TD (W)
Peyton Manning: 313, 1INT (L)
RB
Willie Parker: 223 yards, 1TD (W)
Ladell Betts: 171 yards (L)
Maurice Jones-Drew: 166 yards, 2TD (W)
WR
Donald Driver: 160 yards, 1TD (W)
Terry Glenn: 150 yards (L)
Drew Carter: 144 yards, 1TD (W)

• The Picks (revisited)

Wow. It's obvious if billy doesn't participate mike d and I do great. And if I don't bother picking college games, I can't lose. Yes, these two things are obvious.

j NCAA: (23-16-1)
billy z NCAA: (27-12-2)
j NFL: 3-0 (21-23-3)
mike d NFL: 2-1 (22-23-2)

• WSOPC

The Team: Happy Fun Ball
The Captain: j
The Teammates: John and Kenzie
The Purpose: To prove pointless knowledge has a point
The Stage: World Series of Pop Culture on VH-1
The Beginning: February 2, 2007
The Where: Chicago Try-outs

j strengths: Movies, Hollywood crap, Saturday Night Live
j weakness: Remembering names, caving under pressure

john strengths: Music, lyrics, videos, band names, songs, 80s movies
john weakness: Quick to accept defeat

kenzie strengths: TV, sanity
kenzie weakness: huge crush on the team captain could blind her to the true purpose of the competition.

That's it. That's the team.