Week 15 Picks

by | Dec 11, 2008 | NFL Picks

Actually getting picks posted before the first game of the week for once–what a concept.

Lots of diffrences between Andy and I this week–could go a long way towards determining who wins for the season…

 
ZoneBlitz

(Rank)
Andy
(Picks)

Tony
(Picks)

Andy
(AtS)
Tony
(AtS)
Thursday, December 11th, 2008
New Orleans @ Chicago
NO (2)
Chi
NO
NO (+3)
NO (+3)
 
 
Sunday, December 14th, 2008

Detroit @ Indianapolis
Ind (16)
Ind
Ind
Ind (-17)
Ind (-17)
 
 
Denver @ Carolina
Car (13)
Car
Car
Den (+7.5)
Car (-7.5)
 
 
Tampa Bay @ Atlanta
Atl (6)
TB
Atl
TB (+3)
Atl (-3)
 
 
Pittsburgh @ Baltimore
Bal (1)
Bal
Pit
Bal (-2)
Pit (+2)
 
 
Tennessee @ Houston
Ten (12)
Ten
Ten
Ten (-3)
Ten (-3)
 
 
Washington @ Cincinnati
Was (11)
Was
Was
Was (-7)
Was (-7)
 
 
Seattle @ St. Louis
Sea (7)
Sea
Sea
StL (+3)
Sea (-3)
 
 
Green Bay @ Jacksonville
Jax (4)
Jax
Jax
Jax (+2.5)
Jax (+2.5)
 
 
San Diego @ Kansas City
SD (10)
SD
SD
KC (+5.5)
SD (-5.5)
 
 
San Francisco @ Miami
Mia (9)
Mia
Mia
SF (+6.5)
Mia (-6.5)
 
 
Buffalo @ NY Jets
NYJ (8)
NYJ
NYJ
NYJ (-7.5)
NYJ (-7.5)
 
 
Minnesota @ Arizona
Az (3)
Az
Az
Az (-3)
Az (-3)
     
New England @ Oakland
NE (15)
NE
NE
NE (-7)
NE (-7)
     
NY Giants @ Dallas   NYG (5)
NYG
Dal
NYG (+3)
Dal (-3)
Monday, December 15th
Cleveland @ Philadelphia
Phi (14)
Phi
Phi
Cle (+14)
Phi (-14)
     

Catching Up on Picks

by | Dec 10, 2008 | NFL Picks

We’re a couple weeks behind on picks–as usual, they’ve been made each week, just not posted.  In part because I misplaced my AtS picks from Thanksgiving morning–but they have been found, and standings have been updated.

Head to Head Rank’em Picks – I have taken a 2 game lead for the season.  It was up to 4 games after a 7-1 performance in Week 12–only Andy’s 3-5 kept us from cashing in that week.  I followed it up with a 4-4 week (vs. Andy’s 6-2), and we both finished 6-2 last week.  Knock on wood (or whatever this desk is made out of), we’re sitting quite nicely for the season overall right now too.  Current Standings: Andy 68-35, Tony 70-33.

Straight Up – I’ve closed the gap significantly, helped most by a 13-3 performance last week.  It’s just too bad that 2 of my 3 incorrect picks were games I picked in the Rank’em game.  Current Standings: Andy 123-70-1, Tony 121-72-1.

Against the Spread – After pulling to a tie, I took a 1-game lead after Week 12–and promptly choked in Week 13 with a 6-10 mark.  Fortunately, Andy hasn’t pulled away.  Current Standings: Andy 93-83-2, Tony 91-85-2.

Week 15 picks will hopefully be up before game time tomorrow (for once).  Week 13 and 14 are after the jump…

(more…)

NFL Drug Policy is a Fraud Too

by | Dec 10, 2008 | Business of Football, NFL News

In addition to the policy on levying fines for every offense from using the ball as a prop to committing a 15-yard facemask penalty that wasn’t called a penalty being a crock, and the suspension appeals process being a crock (albeit a crock that the players allowed themselves to be thrown into), it appears now that the drug policy in general might be a crock too.

Case in point: Jacksonville Jaguars WR Matt Jones.

Jones, a first round pick in 2005, was arrested this past off-season when a police officer saw him cutting lines of cocaine with a credit card in a parked car.  Jones plead not guilty to the charges, but later agreed to enter a drug treatment program to reduce or drop the charges against him.

The resuling suspension for Jones?  Three games, which was upheld by the wonderful appeals process this week.

So, according to the NFL, use a diuretic that is laced with a banned substance that is not on the label–reportedly to cut some weight to make sure you’re a) allowed to practice, and b) not fined–you get a four game suspension.  Get caught with a hardcore recreational drug, and enter drug rehab as a result–three games.

Thanksgiving Halftime Shows Pathetic

by | Nov 27, 2008 | NFL ... something, NFL Random Thoughts

Watching the Lions-Titans debacle earlier today, I thought it strange that the halftime show featured Jesse McCartney–an act that seemed better suited for teenage girls than the typical NFL fan base (one member of my family asked “Is he related to Paul McCartney?” To which I had to admit, I didn’t know, since I had barely heard of Jesse McCartney–but I assumed not, since presumably a child of Paul’s would have more sense and musical talent than needed to join a boy band).

At the time, I figured it was just another thing that the Lions organization managed to screw up.

Then, during the afternoon game, The Jonas Brothers were featured in the halftime show at Texas Stadium–complete with a throng of screaming teenage girls surrounding the stage.

This has left me wondering, who in the hell is in charge of setting halftime shows up?  In recent years, Super Bowl halftime acts have featured U2, The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty–and this year Bruce Springsteen.  These are huge acts that make more sense with the demographic of NFL fans.

Heck, even before those acts, when they didn’t make as much sense (ie, the MTV years), you had Janet Jackson flashing the world, and NSYNC at least had Britney skanking around the stage, and Aerosmith playing with them.

But Jesse McCartney and the Jonas Brothers?  Who is the NFL expecting to tune in to watch that?  And who will be the halftime show at tonight’s Eagles/Cardinals matchup–maybe New Kids on the Block?  Miley Cyrus?  The cast of High School the Musical?

Hall of Fame Semifinalists

by | Nov 26, 2008 | Hall of Fame, NFL News

The 2009 Hall of Fame Semifinalists list was announced Wednesday, about a month after the list of eligibles was announced.  Four players in their first year of eligibility made the cut — DT John Randle, DB Rod Woodson, TE Shannon Sharpe, and DE Bruce Smith.

The other candidates are WR Cris Carter, RB Roger Craig, RB Terrell Davis, C Dermontti Dawson, DE Richard Dent, DE Chris Doleman, LB Kevin Greene, OL Russ Grimm, P Ray Guy, DE Charles Haley, CB Lester Hayes, DT Cortez Kennedy, G Bob Kuechenberg, G Randall McDaniel, owner Art Modell, WR Andre Reed, QB Ken Stabler, commissioner Paul Tagliabue, ST Steve Tasker, LB Derrick Thomas, and owner Ralph Wilson.

A further round of voting will cut the list to 15, which will be announced in January (so far, all 15 of ZoneBlitz.com’s picks as finalists are still in play).  From those 15 (plus senior candidates Bob Hayes and Claude Humphrey), inductees will be picked (and announced) the Saturday before the Super Bowl.