Week 4 predictions.

Well, now that the real NFL officials are back calling the games, maybe I'll get a few more right this week. It's hard to pick when you don't know what the ref situation is going to do to cost some team a game. Without any further ado, here comes the exciting Week 4 NFL picks (minus the Ravens-Browns game, which got it's own time).


San Francisco vs. New York Jets. The 49ers took a surprising loss last week to the Minnesota Vikings and the Jets had a hard fought overtime victory over the Dolphins. This game should be a hard hitting defensive battle as both teams have very solid, hard-hitting defenses. The 49ers may have a little more offense than the Jets and a little better defense. Alex Smith will make the difference in this game simply because he is more unlikely to make a costly mistake than Mark Sanchez is. That will be the difference in this one the 49ers and Smith will capitalize on a late turnover to win this game 13-10.

Seattle vs. St. Louis. The Seahawks Monday night "victory" will be forever remembered as the moment that got the referee lockout over. The Seahawks do have a fast defense and frankly better than I thought they would be, I thought they were overhyped, but after the first half sack attack they put on Aaron Rodgers, I will give them credit. the Seahawk offense however, is not very potent. No one fears Russell Wilson as a passer yet, so teams can jam the box to contain Marshawn Lynch. St. Louis is playing better ball defensively then they did last year, but the offense is not consistent. The Seahawk defense should put pressure on Sam Bradford and force him into some errors. I look for the Seahawks to win this game 23-10.

Carolina vs. Atlanta. This game has potential to be the blowout of the week. Carolina is struggling on defense and I believe that Cam is struggling the sophomore slump, because defenses have figured out how to contain him. Cam Newton gets his game going by making some nice runs, but if you contain him in the pocket and get pressure in front of him, he is not as dangerous as he can be. Matt Ryan right now is elevating his game to a new level. He is starting to put himself into elite status and I've said it already, he will be the MVP of the league this year. Ryan will shred the Panther defense with his whole arsenal of weapons of Julio Jones, Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez. This game will be another crushing loss for the Panthers as the Falcons win 31-10.

Minnesota vs. Detroit. This is a surprising game, because the Vikings are a surprising 2-1 and did something the Packers and Lions couldn't do and that was beat the 49ers. The Lions quarterback situation is a tough one, personally, I think they should sit Stafford for this game and rest him through next week's bye; but I feel that Stafford will want to be on the field. This is a big game for both teams. The Vikings could open up a big lead on the Lions in the division and the Lions need this to stay close in the division hunt. I have a feeling that Minnesota will come into this one flat after their big upset win last week. The Vikings will have success throwing the ball behind the surprising Christian Ponder and the Lions secondary is porous right now. This will make for a shootout. I look for Stafford to throw on them and lead his team back in the win column. Lions win 38-34.

San Diego vs. Kansas City. San Diego showed that they were not as good as their 2-0 record led them to believe, since the Falcons stomped them on their own field. Kansas City had a comeback victory over the Saints, led by Jamaal Charles going crazy for 233 yards rushing. The Chargers defense is a little better than the Saints, but they are not as good as thier top 5 ranking right now after what the Falcons did to them. This won't be a typical shootout between these division rivals and be more a defensive battle.  I look for the Chiefs to pull this one out in the end with a late field goal 17-14.

Tennessee vs. Houston. Tennessee quarterback Jake Locker looked like an All-Pro quarterback last week against a very bad Lions secondary. Houston went into Denver and lit up the Broncos, showing how for real the Texans really are. Matt Schaub showed some toughness after taking a few late hits, one that was so bad he lost his helmet and part of his ear with it, but he finished the game. Tennessee's defense couldn't stop the Lions offense and they will not stop the Texans either. The Titans Chris Johnson will continue to struggle against the league's best defense and Locker wont have the holes to throw into that he did last week. J.J Watt for the Texans is going to get some serious pressure on Locker and start earning votes for Defensive Player of the year. The Texans roll behind Foster and Schaub as they beatdown the Titans 38-10.

New England vs. Buffalo. The Bills are currently ahead of the Patriots in their division. The Patriots are below .500 for the first time since 2003! The Pats have lost 2 in a row, which doesn't happen often. The Bills are unsure who their starting running back will be after they lost rushing leader C.J. Spiller. The question wil be if whether or not Fred Jackson will be ready to go after a week 1 knee injury. Either way, it doesn't really matter because I do not see the Patriots losing three in a row.  Tom Brady will want to overcome an awful perfomance that he had in Buffalo last season and will lead the Patriots to victory in this one 31-17.

Cincinnati vs. Jacksonville. The Jaguars got their first win last week against the Colts. This has the making for a huge day for MJD. The Bengals run defense has struggled so far this season, so expect Jacksonville to run the ball a lot. It is the strength of their offense. Andy Dalton is off to a great start and should find a lot of success throwing the ball on the Jaguars defense. He's spreading the ball around to all of his targets, which is opening up A.J. Green later in the game, because teams aren't able to keep the safety help completely on Green. Cincinnati is going to have to make the most of their posessions, because Jacksonville will shorten the game with the running game, but in the end the Dalton gang have too much offense for the Jaguars. The Bengals move to 3-1 with a 28-17 win over the Jags.

Oakland vs. Denver. The old rivals battle again. The Broncos have not been as impressive as people believed they would be. Peyton Manning has struggled the last two games, but he should have some relief against the Raiders who have injury issues in the back end of their defense. Expect Manning to put up some monster numbers this week against the Raiders defense, which averages 265 yards passing against per game. Manning will hit Demaryious Thomas for some big plays and the Broncos defense will control the Raiders offense and Carson Palmer. Broncos get back to .500 with a 31-10 victory.

Miami vs. Arizona. The Cardinals are off to their first 3-0 start since 1974 and they are about to go to 4-0. They are winning games with a punishing defense that will lay the lumber to their opponents. Kevin Kolb will get the start again this week and should have a big game against a porous Dolphins secondary. He and Larry Fitzgerald are must starts for fantasy owners, as they should put up some impressive numbers. The Dolphins are just a team that is struggling for any kind of idenity. They have a good running game, but they want to be a passing offense. Unfortunately for rookie QB Ryan Tannehill, he just doesn't have the weapons in the passing game and he won't get any help from the Cardinals defense. Cardinals go to 4-0 with a big 38-3 win over Miami.

Washington vs. Tampa Bay. This will be an interseting battle between two teams that are still trying to learn how to win together. The potential for RG3 to have a big game is high, since the Bucs don't have the passing defense to contain the Redskins prolific offense. RG3 has been very impressive in his rookie year and has made the Redskins a tough to play against. The Redskins defense is also struggling right now, which could make for a good day for Josh Freeman of the Bucs. Freeman has been struggling with turnovers after his rokie season, but this game could be a chance for him to show his worth once again. I like the Bucs at home to pull this one out in another high scoring game 34-31.

New Orleans vs. Green Bay. The Saints are in trouble and may be in the spot of kissing their season goodbye. The Packers are coming off their controversial loss on Monday and they are like a volcano ready to explode. The Saints defense hasn't been able to stop anyone and they won't on Sunday. This should be a field day for the Packers offense. Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood will be all over Lambeau Field on Sunday as the Packers offense will be impressive. It will also be a tough day for Drew Brees as the Packer defense will blow past the offensive line and be pressuring Brees all day. The Packers win this one easily 33-13.

NYG vs Philadelphia. The G-men have been look like Super Bowl champions the past two games and they will continue to show their dominance in the NFC East. The Eagles are licking their wounds after getting their wings clipped by the Cardinals last week. The Eagles have to fix their turnover problem, because now they are playing teams that they can't afford to turn the ball over against, like the Gaints. The pass rushers for the Giants will not make it an easy day for Michael Vick as he will continue to be hit and it will make you wonder how much longer before he is going to be injured. The Giants are playing well in spite of having injuries to key members of the offense and Eli Manning is continuing to show that he truly is an elite quarterback. The Giants will beat up Philly and force them to make more turnovers and the Giants will win this one 27-10.

Chicago vs. Dallas. The Monday night game will be a battle of two of the best defenses in the league. This game will be a test for the Bears and their quarterback Jay Cutler. Cutler is going to have to keep his cool because he is going to get hit a lot in this one. DeMarcus Ware for the Cowboys should get in the backfield at will against the poor offensive line for the Bears. I have a feeling that they will even knock Cutler out of the game. The Cowboys have got to find more stability on offense, however, they will struggle trying to run on the Bears, but Tony Romo should be able to make some plays through the air. It will be a hard-hitting game that will be close because the Bears defense will keep them in the game, but the Cowboys will pull it out 16-7.

Well, here's week 4's predictions, hoping that I will do better than last week, but I still am over .500 for the year with my picks and hope to improve on that mark this week. Enjoy readers and make your picks wisely.

Ravens vs. Browns tonight

The Bi-yearly matchup between the old Cleveland Browns and the new Cleveland Browns has their first meeting of the season tonight on Thursday night football. These games are usually competitive because of the rivalary that is there between these two teams. The Ravens are clearly the better team then the Browns right now; the Browns are obviously rebuilding their franchise with a big youth movement. Comparing the teams quickly, Joe Flacco will outperform Brandon Weeden in this game and Ray Rice will outperform Trent Richardson and that will be the difference in this game. The Ravens defense is not as good as it once was but it will be enough to stop the Browns. The Browns defense is improving, but it still has some holes in it. I will go with the Ravens in this game in a closer game than people would think. The Ravens win 27-13.

I Thanks You for Finally Getting This Referee Lockout Almost Over With!

As it appears, the NFL referee lockout will soon be over!! I want to thank whoever finally got this ball rolling and made the necessary work to get the agreement in principle with the league and the NFLRA. The rumor is that the refs may be ready to be on the field this weekend, which will be glorious!! In all reality, this will be the last week that we have to deal with the scab refs and we will get the real refs back next week. It's not a moment too soon.

Now, all you fans out there, remember these past three weeks, cause I don't want to hear any bitching when the real refs come back. Yes, they will make mistakes, but they didn't mess up as bad as this garbage that we have witnessed the past three weeks. fans in the stadiums should give the officials a standing ovation when they return to the field and be grateful these hard-working men are back.

This being said, I know I've been upset with the replacement referees, but they were trying their best to do a job that they were not trained for or properly qualified for. They might not have been so bad, if they had the constant training that the real officials go through. I have more anger towards the league and the commishioner, who in their arrongance thought they could throw anyone out there and not miss a beat. It missed a lot of beats.

The two good things that happened from this ordeal is that we finally got a female official for an NFL game, that was long overdue and needs to happen again soon, and we all should have a greater appriciation for these officials, who may not be perfect, but they are better than the alternative.

Fantasy Week 4 Beasts and Busts

That time of the week is here again, here I go trying to give you all some top performers and guys you should park. This is especially important now that the bye weeks are upon us.

Quarterback Beasts.

1. Matt Ryan. He's been a staple on my list all season and he has not disappointed. Ask any fantasy owner who grabbed him and I know a lot of you got him in the mid to late rounds. He's been a steal for a lot of people and this week he gets to go against the Panthers defense that gives up close to 250 yards passing per game so far. Good matchup for the Matty Ice Express as he will put up 300+ yards and 3 TD's.

2. Aaron Rodgers. This is the first time I've put the struggling Rodgers on this list, but he's got two things going for him. First, he's still bitter about the defeat on Monday night and second he's playing the Saints defense. The Saints have been putrid on defense giving up over 260 yards through the air on a per game average. Rodgers is too good to struggle this long and he will hit the Saints for 275+ and 3 TD's.

3. Kevin Kolb. Yes, this may come as a surprise, but he looked good against the Eagles on Sunday and gets rewarded with a matchup against the Dolphins. The Dolphins secondary is getting torched for over 300 yards per game. Kolb is finding Fitzgerald and his other receivers and will have a good game against the Dolphins. He'll pass for almost 300 yards and throw 3 TD's.

Honorable Mention Beast Quarterbacks. Joe Flacco. Christian Ponder. Andy Dalton.

Quarterback Busts.

1. Jay Cutler.  Cutler is struggling right now and if he thought J'Marcus Webb had trouble blocking Clay Matthews, wait til DeMarcus Ware gets done with him. The Cowboys currently have the 2nd ranked pass defense. Cutler will get beat up and make mistakes as he throws for 200 yards, but will get sacked 8 times and have 3 turnovers.

2. Jake Locker. Locker had a great week last week against the Lions, but he gets to go against the Texans defense this week. The 4th ranked pass defense will make life miserable for the young quarterback as Locker will throw for 150 yards and be sacked 6 times and will account for 2 turnovers.

3. Michael Vick. Vick has struggled all season and now he gets the Giants defense who have always been able to pressure Vick. Vick is taking a beating and will continue to get hit this week. Look for Vick to throw for under 200 yards and be sacked 4 times and will have 2 turnovers.

Honorable Mention Quarterback Busts. Brandon Weeden. Ryan Tannehill. Mark Sanchez.

Running Back Beasts.

1. Cedric Benson. Benson is going against the worst ranked rush defense in the league and frankly the only thing that will stop him is if the Packers decide not to run the ball. I look for Benson to have his first big game of the season and will plow over the Saints for 150 and two scores.

2. MJD. That's right the little guy came back to life last week and has a favorable matchup against the Bengals run defense this week. MJD should pop them for at least 125 and 1 score.

3. Arian Foster. Foster will love this matchup against the Titans defense. Foster will get some touches in the ground game and register over 100 yards and a score. I believe he would have a bigger game, but I have a feeling the Texans want to throw the ball as well as give Ben Tate some touches. If those things don't happen then Foster may very well be the top running back this week.

Running Back Busts.

1. Chris Johnson. If you haven't cut him by now, you should do so because he is a shell of his former self and may be on the trading block, because the Titans don't want to carry that huge salary. Johnson will have no luck against the Texans and may only get about 30 yards for you this week.

2. Shonne Green. The Jets have lost faith in the running back and has a bad matchup this week against the 49ers to boot. Look for Green to get you no more than 50 total yards, and if you own him, you should start looking for a replacement on the waiver wire.

3. DeMarco Murray. Murray is a good sit for you this week. He will struggle against the Bears defense and the Cowboys will go to a heavy passing attack on the Bears than try and pound the rock with Murray, who will get no more than 50 yards this week.

Wide Receiver Beasts.

1. Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald should have a monster week this week against the Dolphins who will not be able to matchup with him. I look for Fitz to put up a 125+ yards and 2 TD's.

2. Julio Jones. Matt Ryan's new favorite target will continue to find success this week against a mismatched Panther secondary. Jones is quickly becoming an elite receiver, although he won't get monster games with catches, but he gets touchdowns and big plays with the catches he gets. Jones will hit the century mark in yards and score a TD.

3. James Jones. The Packers offense is going to bust out of it's slump against the Saints and I believe that Rodgers will find Jones deep and make some big plays. He won't get a lot of catches but he will be close to 100 yards and hit a score on a deep pass play.

Wide Receiver Busts.

1. Brandon Marshall. The Bears are struggling on offense and will have a rough time with the Cowboys. Their secondary is much improved and Marshall will have trouble getting open and Cutler will have a hard time getting the ball out. If you got Marshall, sit him this week as he will fall under 40 yards and no scores.

2. Kenny Britt. Britt is still getting used to playing again and he's going against the Texans which will be a tough game for the whole team. Britt will get around 50 yards but no scores or big plays and is a wise sit this week.

3. Dwayne Bowe. The Chiefs will have a battle with the Chargers defense and I believe that Bowe will be limited this week. The Chiefs will try to run on the Chargers first and then go to the air which will limit Bowe's targets. Look for Bowe to get you between 50-70 yards this week.

Tight End Beasts.

1. Tony Gonzalez. Gonzalez is having an amazing start of the season for the Falcons. He is totally benefitting from having Jones and White commanding the focus of the defensive coverage. Gonzalez will post 75 yards and a score this week.

2. Vernon Davis. Davis is going to be even more wide open against the Jets now that Revis is out for the season. The jets are going to have to focus more on the receivers leaving Davis the opportunity to tear up the middle of the defense. Davis will get about 70 yards and a score this week.

3. Martellius Bennett. Bennett is quickly becoming Eli's favorite red zone target and is fianlly showing a glimpse of all his potential. Bennett is a mismatch because of his size and speed and will find holes against the Eagles. He'll continue his scoring streak as he gets a TD and about 60 yards receiving.

Tight End Busts.

1. Ben Watson. Cleveland gets Baltimore tomorrow night. Rookie quarterback and his first time against the ravens is not usually a good thing  and Weeden will struggle as Watson is as well. Watson will get you under 20 yards this week and should be benched.

2. Jason Witten. Witten is still off to a slow start and will not be a prime target against the Bears defense. The Bears cover 2 will keep Witten in check and Romo will have to go outside the numbers against the Bears. Witten will get around 30 yards this week.

3. Marcedes Lewis. Lewis is not the same payer he once was. Gabbert doesn't have a good rapport with him and Lewis's numbers continue to slide. This week will be no different as Lewis will struggle to get 40 yards receiving.

Kicker Beasts.

1. Jason Hanson. The old man is still booting the field goals and that's what the Lions seemed forced to do these days. Hanson is a strong pick this week as he should get you double digits this week.

2. Lawrence Tynes. Tynes quietly leads the NFL in scoring for kickers. He will continue to be a strong fantasy option because the Giants will put themselves in position to score. Tynes should get you double digits this week.

3. Stephen Gostkowski. The Patriots have lost 2 in a row, that's a bad sign for Buffalo. Gostkowski will get the opportunity to kick and should get you around 9 points this week.

Kicker Busts.

1. Dan Carpenter. The Dolphins will struggle all day against the Cardinals defense. If  you have Carpenter sit him, because he is going to get you a big zero as the Dolphins get shut out this week.

2. Rian Lindell. The Bills kicker has only attempted 1 FG this year, that shows some of their offensive struggles. The Bills will get TD's this week with New England, so Lindell will get you 2 to 3 points.

3. Nick Folk. The Jets are going to have troubles moving the ball against the 49ers, who are going to be very focused after their surprising defeat last week. Folk will get you roughly 4 points as the Jets will probably manage a touchdown and a field goal against the 49ers.

Defense Beasts.

1. Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are going to go after Jay Cutler and the Bears all day. The Bears will be lucky to amass 200 yards of offense all game and the Cowboys will have 8 sacks and force a total of 4 turnovers.

2. Houston Texans. The Texans will continue to show their defensive dominance this week against the Titans. The Titans found a passing game last week, but the Lions secondary is brutally awful right now; the Texans secondary is not. Teh Texans will pressure Locker all day and shut down CJ2K. The Texans defense will hold the Titans to around 200 yards get 6 sacks and force 4  turnovers.

3. Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals defense is for real. They are hard-hitting and aggressive. They will beat up on rookie Ryan Tannehill. The Dolphins will get about 225 yards and Tannehill will take 6 sacks and the Cardinals will force 3 turnovers as they post a shutout.

Honorable Mention Defense Beasts. Baltimore. San Francisco. Seattle.

Defensive Busts.

1. Carolina Panthers. The Panthers defense is going to get shredded by Atlanta. Look for the Falcons to put up over 450 yards of offense as they score 38 points this week and have no turnovers and only give up one sack to the Panthers.

2. New Orleans Saints. The Saints defense is awful right now. They have no aggression and seem to have no spirit. The Packers are mad as Hell after the Fail Mary play on Monday night. The Packers will put over 400 yards on the Saints and score 35 points with no turnovers, but they will give up 3 sacks.

3. Miami Dolphins. The Cardinals offense is clicking and the Dolphins defense is bad. That's never a good thing as these two teams get ready to face each other. Look for the Cardinals to get about 375 yards of offense as they score 31 and have no turnovers and give up 2 sacks to the Miami defense.

Honorable Mention Defense Busts. Cleveland. Detroit. Minnesota. Tampa Bay.

Well, that's my predics for week 4. I put a few extra quarterbacks and defenses in the mix, because it was hard to pick the 3 for each category, cause there are some mismatches going both ways this week. Hope you all enjoy the read and hope it will be of some help to all of you out there.

The Packers Game Last Night

WELL I WAS PISSED YESTERDAY ABOUT THE REPLACEMENT REFEREES, NOW I AM BEYOND PISSED OFF! GODDELL AND THE OWNERS GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER LIKE NOW, THAT TRAVESTY LAST NIGHT SHOULD BE ALL THE PROOF THAT YOU NEED THAT THIS SITUATION IS A HORRIBLE DISGRACE TO THE LEAGUE THAT THE FANS LOVE!! END THIS LOCKOUT NOW!! BEFORE YOU REALLY START LOSING FANS, THAT'S TWO TEAMS THIS WEEK THAT HAD TO DROP THEIR PANTS AND GRAB THEIR ANKLES AND GET ROYALLY FUCKED WITHOUT ANY SORT OF LUBRICATION!! THE PATRIOTS AND PACKERS HAVE LEGITIMATE COMPLAINTS AND IF I WERE PART OF THOSE TEAMS I WOULD BE RUNNING MY MOUTH AND HAVE A CHECKBOOK IN HAND, CAUSE THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO GRIPE AND I WOULDN'T GIVE A FLYING FUCK ABOUT THE FINE THAT WOULD COME MY WAY!! THESE LOSSES MAY KEEP THESE TEAMS OUT OF THE PLAYOFFS; THEY ARE NOW IN SERIOUS HOLES IN THEIR DIVISIONS BECAUSE THEY GOT A LOSS IN THEIR RECORD THAT THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE!

I WOULD HATE TO SEE IF THIS WAS THE SUPER BOWL AND THAT HORRENDOUS CALL WAS MADE AND COST A TEAM THE CHAMPIONSHIP. ONE COULD ARGUE THAT THE PACKERS SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN IN THAT SPOT AND THEY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN IF THE REFS DID THEIR JOB CORRECTLY. FIRST, GOLDEN TATE GOT AWAY WITH THE MOST BLANTANT OFFENSIVE PASS INTERFERENCE PENALTY IN THE HISTORY OF THE LEAGUE! HE OBVIOUSLY PUSHED THE PACKER DEFENDER OUT OF THE WAY!! I COULD BE PISS FUCKING DRUNK AND PASSED OUT AND STILL HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE THAT CALL. THE INTERFERENCE CALL WOULD HAVE TRUMPED THE WHOLE TRAVESTY OF THE BOGUS SIMULTANEOUS POSESSION MISCALL!! THIS IS A FUCKING JOKE AND YOU GODDELL AND THE OWNERS ARE LOOKING LIKE COMPLETE ASSCLOWNS!!!

I SWEAR THAT I WILL NEVER, EVER COMPLAIN ABOUT A BAD CALL EVER AGAIN, IF YOU BRING BACK THE REAL REFEREES BACK AND BRING THEM BACK NOW!! PAY THEM, GIVE THEM MORE MONEY AFTER THESE MISCARRIAGES OF JUSTICE THEY DESERVE AN EVEN BIGGER RAISE!! THEY MAY NOT BE PERFECT, BUT THEY NEVER FUCKED UP AS BAD AS THESE DISGRACES TO STRIPED SHIRTS ARE!! I, LIKE MANY FANS ARE PISSED OFF AND CANT BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE PRODUCT THAT YOU ARE MAKING US WATCH AND PAY MONEY TO SEE!! THE FANS IN THE STADIUMS SHOULD BE ASKING FOR MONEY BACK, BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT GETTING THE PRODUCT THEY WERE PROMISED!! IT'S FRAUDULANT AND UTTERLY FUCKING SHAMEFUL!! IF PETE CARROLL HAD ANY CLASS, HE WOULD HAVE AT LEAST BEEN A MAN AND STOOD UP FOR WHAT WAS RIGHT AND NOT CELEBRATED THIS WIN AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE PACKERS BEAT THEM, BUT PETE CARROLL HAS NO BACKBONE; AFTER ALL HE RAN AWAY FROM USC WHEN ALL THE PUNISHMENTS WERE ABOUT TO BE HANDED OUT FOR HIS RULE VIOLATIONS!! COULDN'T EXPECT A CHEATER TO BE DISSATISFIED WITH A WIN THAT HE DIDN'T EARN IN THE END!!

AS I'VE SAID AD NAUSEAUM, BRING THE REFS BACK AND RESTORE THE INTEGRITY OF THE GAME AND THE SHIELD THAT YOU SWORE THAT YOU WOULD DO MR. GODDELL!! IF YOU DON'T YOU ARE THE BIGGEST JOKE AND A HYPOCRITE OF A COMMISHIONER AND SHOULD BE TERMINATED FOR YOUR ARROGANCE AND RUINING THE GAME YOU SWORE TO PROTECT!!

Shortest Blog that I'll Ever Write about the NFL Scab Refs!! This post is Rated R for profanity!!

OK NFL, THIS IS NOW BEYOND RIDICULOUS!! GET THE FUCKING DEAL DONE SO US FANS, YOU KNOW THE PEOPLE THAT ALLOW YOU TO MAKE THE MONEY YOU DO, CAN ENJOY OUR FOOTBALL!! TEAMS ARE NOW LOSING GAMES CAUSE OF THIS UNNECESSARY HORSESHIT!! ROGER GODDELL STEP IN OR YOU WILL MAKE GARY BETTMAN LOOK LIKE A GREAT COMMISHIONER COMPARED TO YOU!! YOU THE LEAGUE OWNERS ARE MAKING JACKASSES OUT OF YOURSELF!! PAY THE MEN AND I MEAN PAY THEM RIGHT FUCKING NOW AND GET RID OF THESE SCAB REFS!!

Week 3 matchups and predictions

Here we go, been a busy week so I gotta try and kick this one out before the kickoffs tomorrow afternoon.

Jacksonville vs Indianapolis. Not too much to say about this one, it appears that Andrew Luck is ready to take flight against an underachieving Jacksonville defense. The offense is even worse for the Jaguars, Blaine Gabbert is looking like a total bust and lacks the confidence to lead the team. Contrastly, Andrew Luck has confidence and is leading his team. Luck will spread the ball around, but he knows to get the ball to Reggie Wayne. Look for the Colts to be balanced and try to run the ball with Donald Brown to really get the offense clicking. When it's all said and done, the Colts will match their win total from last season in week 3 this year as the Colts win a laugher 27-7.

Buffalo vs. Cleveland. Ah, the battle for Lake Erie happens this week. The Bills have the league's best rushing game almost averaging 200 yards a game on the ground. That's right C.J. Spiller is currently the leading rusher in the league and he has a good matchup this week, because the Browns have been giving up 115 yards a game on the ground. Look for the Bills to continue to run Spiller to set up the passing game, which is adequate, but if the Browns go 8 or 9 in the box, it will definitely open up Fitzpatrick's passing game. The Bills defense is even worse than the Browns against the run giving up 134 yards a game. Trent Richardson for the Browns could be set to have a big game and make a case for ROY. The passing game for the Browns will struggle, but if richardson runs well it will provide some favorable matchups for Weeden. In the end, the Bills will have too much for the Browns and pull this game out 23-17.

NYJ vs Miami. Miami is coming off a win against Oakland and they realized that they need to let the flow of the offense go through Reggie Bush, who quietly turned into a bellcow running back. This is a good matchup for Bush, because the jets are having difficulty stopping the run averaging 134 yards given up, however, they did hold down Pittsburgh, so maybe they are improving.  Mark Sanchez should have a big game against a poor pass defense for the Dolphins. The Jets will go to the air early and often and have success, especially rookie wide receiver Stephen Hill. Ryan Tannehill will struggle in this one as he has to go against a good Jets pass defense. The Jets will fly away with this one 31-10.

Kansas City vs. New Orleans. How important is coaching? Ask the New orleans Saints who are clearly sputtering right now without their leadership. They got ran all over by Carolina and the Giants just made the panthers look like a pee-wee unit. The Chiefs have got to be loving this matchup. The Chiefs want to run the ball and the Saints have the league's worst rush defense. Jamaal Charles and Peyton Hillis should get a lot of carries and have success against the Saints defense. The problem with the Chiefs is they cant stop anyone from scoring either. So, this game should be a shootout, but I'm going to go with the upset here today. The Chiefs will run the ball and keep Brees on the sidelines and put the Saints into a 0-3 hole with a 27-17 victory.

Cincinati vs Washington. The Washington Redskins have the #1 offense in the NFL. The Bengals defense has been a large disappointment so far, they let the Browns drop over 30 on them, that says all you need to know. RG3 is making plays and has become the face of the team, however, he doesn't play defense, which is currently looking like a MASH unit with all the injuries. Andy Dalton will go over the top a lot against the defense that lost the pass rush of Brian Orakpo for the season. A.J. Green will finally put up the numbers that will make his fantasy owners salivate. This game will be the high scoring shootout of the week, but I will go with the Cincy boys to get the win 41-38.

Detroit vs Tennessee. Jim Schwartz returns to Tennessee. The Titans have one of the worst defenses to start the season and the Lions are coming off a loss against the 49ers defense. If you got Lions players on your fantasy teams, start them. Look for the Stafford-Johnson connection to finally take off like it did last season and the Lions will finally be able to see what Mikel Leshoure can do in a regular season game. The Titans offense has not been impressive with Jake Locker. Chris Johnson looks like he is running in molasses as he has a highly disappointing 21 yards in two games. The Lions prevail in this one 34-13.

San Francisco vs. Minnesota. The 49ers look like the king of the mountain right now in the NFL. They have a highly efficient offense that doesn't make mistakes and has almost perfect balance. The Vikings have been surprisingly good. Christian Ponder doesn't seem to be having a sophomore slump and Adrian Peterson is looking as dominant as ever. However, they get to play the top ranked defense. Peterson does have one thing going for him; he is a power runner and that is one thing that seems to give the 49ers issues. The Vikings may try to pound AP to tire out the defense and then go to the air later. This game will be closer than people think because the Vikings defense will keep them in the game, however the 49ers will not beat themselves and they will be patient and score late in the game to win this one 17-13.

St. Louis vs Chicago. This just in, Clay Matthews is still sacking Jay Cutler.  Michael Bush will get the start in this one as Matt Forte will sit this one out. The Rams got new head coach Jeff Fisher his first win with the team last week. The Rams will try to put pressure on Jay Cutler, which is always a good strategy. The Bears have offensive line issues and one has to wonder how Jay Cutler's tantrum will affect the team after last Thursday's embarrassing game. The Bears need to get back to basics and run the ball. They are not built to be the pass happy offense that the team seems to feel that it is. They cant protect their quarterback, so they need to run the ball more to keep the defense honest, or Chris Long is going to just go for Cutler every play. The Rams are a better team and are capable of beating the Bears, however, they won't. The Rams don't have the defense to consistently stop teams for an entire game and the Bears will get back to their winning ways with a 24-20 victory.

Tampa Bay vs. Dallas. Whatever you do, don't take a knee against the Bucs. The Bucs have improved a lot, but they have serious problems stopping the passing game. Look for Tono Romo to spread them out and throw on them all day long. The Bucs offense doesn't have the offensive firepower to keep up with Dallas. Dallas should do whatever they want offensively and they have more than enough defense to shut down the Bucs offense. Cowbows win 34-13.

Atlanta vs. San Diego. This one has all the makings of the game of the week, if you like offenses that is. Matt Ryan and Phillip Rivers will go to the air all day long. Neither team will look for much from their running games and will go depend on their quarterbacks to try and get their team to 3-0. Ryan is looking as solid as he ever has and Rivers seems to be bouncing back from a mistake-prone season last year. The Chargers have one of the best defenses so far, but they have played Oakland and Tennessee, two teams that are struggling offensively. They will get a true test this week with Ryan, White, Jones and Gonzalez. The Falcons defense made Peyton Manning look like a rookie on Monday night, so this game will come down to which defense can force the other into a late mistake. I look for the Falcons to make Rivers throw a late INT and pull out this game 38-35.

Philadelphia vs Arizona. Yes, the Arizona Cardinals are 2-0 after a shocking upset at New England. The Eagles have turned the ball over more than any team in the league, yet they are 2-0. The Cardinals defense will try and force more Vick turnovers, while Kevin Kolb tries to beat the team that traded him away. Of course, the Eagles defense does a good job of creating turnovers and I look for them to get picks on Kolb. Kolb will get happy feet under the relentless pass rush of the Cole-Babin monster and will force balls to Larry Fitzgerald, who is off to a slow start this season and eventually lead to their downfall in this game. The Eagles will be 3-0 after defeating the Cardinals 27-17.

Pittsburgh vs. Oakland. Normally I don't like taking an East Coast team travelling out west, but the Steelers are playing the Raiders after all. The Raiders have not been very good this year. The Raiders have got no production from Darren McFadden as their running game is averaging a whopping 34 yards a game. Yes, Carson Palmer is putting up passing numbers, but for some reason they cant score any points (only 27 in two games). The Steelers still have a top defense even without Polamalu and Harrison and the offense is showing signs of life. They still need to find a running game to take some pressure off of Big Ben, who will take hits and one day he wont get back up quickly from a shot and that could be a problem for the Steelers. The Steelers have owned Carson Palmer since he was a Bengal and that won't change on Sunday. I would say the Steelers will win easily, but for wahtever reason, the Steelers always seem to play at their opponent's level. They will let Oakland hang around when they should blow them out of the stadium. Final score 17-7.

Houston vs  Denver. Peyton Manning against the #1 defense what more could a football fan want. The Texans are the most complete team in the league, great defense and a well-balanced offense are what makes this team tough to beat. Denver plays well at home, they always do, but even the thin mile-high air wont be enough to help them in this game. Foster will run on the Bronco defense which is not very stout currently and Matt Schaub will distribute the ball to his playmakers. Somewhere in the back of the Texan's minds is the desire to beat Peyton Manning; Manning owned the Texans as a Colt and Houston is going to want to put a hurt on him. The best way to defeat Peyton is to put pressure in his face. The defense of the Texans will hols back Peyton and Foster will put the texans over the top and 3-0 as they win 24-10.

New England vs. Baltimore. The Sunday night main event is a rematch of last year's AFC Championship game that New England narrowingly survived. Tom Brady has never played well against the Ravens. Yet, he is almost unbeatable after a defeat. I would normally go for the Ravens against the Pats, but with that horrible loss in the back of Brady's head, I look for him to have a better than normal game then he normally has against the Ravens. I look for Brady to unleash his new weapon Brandon Llyod in this one to stretch the Ravens out and try and pound the ball with Ridley. The Ravens offense is better than it used to be and Ray Rice should find success against the Pats. However, in a total gut feeling I feel that Brady will beat Flacco. Pats win 27-24.

Green Bay vs. Seattle. The Packers are finding new ways to win, while their offense is still trying to find the rhythm it had last year. Aaron Rodgers doesn't look like his MVP self so far and is out of sync with his receivers. That will still be an issue as Greg Jennings may miss his second game. The Seahawks are always tough at home and they humiliated the Cowboys last week. The Seahawks have to establish Marshawn Lynch to help their rookie quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson has to find a way to get Sidney Rice involved, but the Packers secondary will be looking for him. Wilson is mobile and will not be sitting in the pocket like Jay Cutler was for Clay Matthews to sack him repeatedly. He is going to have to make some plays with his feet and hope that the Packers will be aggressive and lose their containment responsibilities. The Packers will find their offense in this one and put the lights out early in Seattle. Packers win 34-10.

Well, after my shitacular week last week, I hope to get back on track with the predictions. I'll admit I got caught in some of the upsets and believing some teams were better than they really were. Still Finished 9-7 which is still above .500, so I'm content with that, but keep striving to have a perfect week. Enjoy the predictions and let me know how crazy you think some of these outcomes are. 

Giants vs. Panthers

Don't know if I'll be able to get the whole week in before the kickoff, so I decided to throw up this game's prediction just to make sure I got it in in time. So, here goes an anaylsis of tonight's game.

Giants vs. Panthers.

New York is coming into this game with some injuries, Hakeem Nicks and Ahmad Bradshaw won't be playing which will affect the Giants offense. That's an issue, but this game is going to one factor and that is if those dominant 4 pass rushers of the Giants will be able to control and contain Cam Newton.  The big pass rushers are going to have to get to Newton and hit him often if the Giants have a chance in this one. If they let Newton run, then the Giants are in trouble. No matter what they have to keep Cam in the pocket, if they let him run on them, then it will open up the Panther offense and Newton will make plays down the field to Steve Smith. Eli Manning coming off a 500 plus yard performance is going to have to utilize the passing game to move the Giants offense. Victor Cruz is going to have to play a huge role without Nicks in the lineup. Rookie Rueben Randle and Ramses Barden are going to have to find a way to step up and make some plays for the Giants offense. Also, look for tight end Martellius Bennett to have a large game tonight. The Panthers are going to have run the ball against a tough Giants defense to keep pressure off Cam. With Jonathon Stewart still banged up, DeAngelo Williams is going to have to find a way to tire out the Giants defense. This will be a tough game, because of the injuries to the Giants, but I look for the Giants to pull this one out in the end 24-21.

Will have the rest of the week up by Saturday night. Enjoy the game tonight.

Week 3 fantasy beasts and busts.

Well one week ends and already have to start planning the following week's fantasy guys. You got to get a jump on everyone, especially with a big Thursday night game going on. Those of you who have been on here, know the format I'll give you 3 beasts and 3 busts for each position. I'll have to say that I'm batting about .600 so far. I've gotten some hits, but I've missed a few as well. Without further ado, here comes week 3's beasts and busts.

Quarterback Beasts.

1. Eli Manning. Coming off his 510 yard performance against the Bucs, Eli and the boys will head to Carolina. The Panthers defense hasn't slowed anyone down and that is not going to be the case on Thursday night. Eli will go bombs away to Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz and post up a massive 350 + yard performance and go for 3 more touchdowns.

2. Matt Ryan. Ryan has been on fire to start the season and that will continue against the Chargers on Sunday. Ryan will distribute the ball to whoever is open and will hit a big play or two to blow the game open. Look for Ryan to get around 275+ yards and 3 TD's.

3. Matthew Stafford. It's time for Stafford to go off. The Titans are just the team for that to happen against. The Titans are reeling right now and Stafford needs to take advantage of this and just throw the ball to his weapons especially one Calvin Johnson. I look for Stafford to break out of his slump and go for over 300 yards and 2 touchdowns on Sunday.

Quarterback Busts.

1. Christian Ponder. Going against the 49ers. Nuff said. Ponder will put up about 150 yards, get sacked 5 times and turn the ball over 3 times against this defense.

2. Tom Brady. Yes, I'm putting Tom Brady on the bust list for a week. Brady has historically struggled against the Ravens defense. He is also historically very good coming off a loss, but this is going to be a time when he may not lose, but will still underperform his usual self. I look for him to get about 200 yards and a score, however, he'll take 5 sacks and have 2 turnovers (1 INT, 1 fumble).

3. Peyton Manning. Yes, I'm going against Manning as well. If the depleted Falcon secondary could pick him off at will, what's the Texans going to do. Look for Manning to get about 250 yards passing, because he will have to throw to play catch up, but he will throw 2 INT's and will fumble once while only putting one score on the board through the air.

Running Back Beasts.

1. Steven Jackson. Jackson has been off to a slow start so far this season, however, this will be a break out game for him this season. The Bengals have had problems stopping the run in both games this season and they don't look like they will be able to improve that. Jackson will have a big game and get about 150 total yards and add 2 scores.

2. C.J. Spiller. You got to ride the hot guy right now. Spiller is the league leader in rushing at this point. It's a tough matchup against a very solid Browns defense, but Spiller should still find some success here. He's going to give Fred Jackson a long time to recover from his injury, but this will be a dynamic duo when he comes back. I look for about 125 total yards and 2 scores.

3. BenJarvis Green-Ellis. Green-Ellis is doing a very good job now that he is the legitimate #1 guy at the running back spot and he has a favorable matchup this week. The Redskins suffered big injuries in their defense and this is going to affect their ability to stop the run. Look for ellis to get you over 100 yards and a TD this week.

Running Back Busts.

1. Darren McFadden. Run DMC hasn't been as great as he was last season, but that could be some of the emphasis shifting to passing game. McFadden also gets the tough matchup with the Steelers. I see the Steelers defense keeping the Raiders in check all day and shutting McFadden down. Look for 50 total yards and 0 scores for McFadden.

2. Stevan Ridley. Ridley has been a nice find for the Patriots in being a solid every down back who is producing. Sadly, this week he gets to go against the Ravens defense, which is always a bad matchup for anyone. Look for Ridley to get about 60 total yards and no scores this week.

3. Chris Johnson. This is a toss up for me between Johnson or AP going against the 49ers. I just don't have any faith in Johnson, even against a Lions team that can struggle stopping the run. Johnson just doesn't seem to have a burst or enough blocking for him to get going. I look for Johnson to get about 75 total yards, he'll gain more yards receiving then rushing and be held out of the end zone.

Wide Receiver Beasts.

1. Calvin Johnson. I have a feeling that Calvin is going to demand the ball this week. He won't do that publicly, but in the confines of the locker room. He wants to take the game over and it is time for him and stafford to regain their chemistry. they may be double and triple teaming Johnson, but Stafford has to throw it up and I feel he will go there this week. Calvin gets going this week with 150 receiving yards and 2 scores.

2. Reggie Wayne. This seems like a weird pick considering he has the rookie quarterback, but they are starting to work together very well and have a favorable matchup against the Jaguars. The Jaguars give up a lot of points to quarterbacks and wide receivers, and Wayne has high value especially in a PPR league. Look for wayne to get about 125 yards and a score.

3. A.J. Green. The Bengals receiver has been relatively quiet so far this season, but that should change on Sunday. The Redskins are reeling right now after getting shredded by the Rams receivers and without the prescence of Brian Orakpo the pass rush on Dalton will be limited, look for Green to finally gain over 100 yards and post a score.

Wide Receiver Busts.

1. Marques Colston. The Saints offense has been putting up numbers, but Colston has been quiet. It could be a lingering preseason injury or just Brees looking at different targets. Whatever it is Colston has been off this year and will continue to struggle this week. Brandon Flowers should keep him under wraps again this week. Colston will get 4 catches for about 30 yards.

2. Percy Harvin. Harvin has become a big target for Christian Ponder and this placement on the bust list is more of a matchup situation then anything Harvin is doing. The 49ers defense will keep him quiet and Ponder will be running for his life against the front of the 49ers. Harvin will get you about 40 yards this week.

3. Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald is struggling with the quarterback situation in Arizona. You won't hear him complain, because somehow the team is 2-0. This is a tough matchup this week against the Eagles and Fitzgerald will have a rough game and troubles getting open. Fitzgerald will get no more than 50 yards this week.

Tight End Beasts.

1. Tony Gonzalez. The ageless wonder will continue to be a top target for Matt Ryan, especially if teams try to cover up both White and Jones with safety help. Gonzo should find a lot of holes in the middle of the field and post up some good numbers. I say he'll get about 80 yards and a score.

2. Jimmy Graham. Graham has turned into the Saints primary offensive weapon. He is an offensive mismatch for almost every defense with his size and speed. He will have opportunities against the Chiefs to put up some good numbers. I expect him to get 75 yards and a score on Sunday.

3. Rob Gronkowski. Gronk would normlly be #1 in this list, but a tough game with the Ravens is ahead of the Patriots. Gronkowski should get even more targets with Aaron Hernandez being injured, but the Ravens should keep him under some sort of control, but he will still put up 70 yards and a touchdown.

Tight End Busts.

1. Marcedes Lewis. It's a shame for Lewis who is a good player to be trapped with the Blaine Gabbert experiment. Gabbert doesn't appear to have the makings of a quality NFL quarterback and his offensive targets are going to struggle as long as he is at the helm. Look for Lewis to be stymied once again and produce you about 30 yards for your team.

2. Brent Celek. Celek is going to have a rough outing this week, because the Cardinals athletic defense should be able to cover him and will pressure Vick enough to hurry some throws. Celek is an underutilized target in the Eagles offense, but on occasion he has a big game, but for some reason Vick doesn't use him as a consistent target. I expect Celek to produce about 40 yards for the Eagles offense.

3. Greg Olsen. Olsen seems to be the forgotten target in the Carolina offense. Olsen was a big target for Newton last year, but is off to a slow start and playing the Giants defense isn't going to help matters for Olsen as he might have to stay in and be an extra blocker to protect his quarterback. He will still get about 45-50 yards but will be held out of the end zone.

Kicker Beasts.

1. Nick Folk. The Jets and Dolphins always battle each hard and usually comes down to field goals. Look for Folk to have a big day and get you double digits in your fantasy league.

2. Dan Carpenter. Same as above.

3. Jason Hanson. The Lions should have opportunity to put some points on the board this week against the Titans, because of that I look for Hanson to post about 8-10 points for your fantasy team.

Kicker Busts.

1. Josh Scobee. He's already missed an extra point this year and the Jaguars offense is floundering. Wouldn't be shocking if Scobee gets between 1-3 points this week.

2. Blair Walsh. Walsh has a good leg and may be a very good kicker one day, but not on Sunday. The Vikings have the tough task of going against the 49ers. Look for Walsh to get between 1-3 points for your fantast squad this week.

3. Sea Bass. Oakland's offense is just not clicking at all gears right now and the Steelers defense will keep them down all day. Janikowski's leg allows Oakland of being in field goal range from almost everywhere past mid field. However, he won't get many opportunities on Sunday. Look for Janikowski to get you between 3-6 points this week.

Defense Beasts.

1. San Francisco. The best defense in the league will continue to exercise their dominance against an offense that is playing better than it really is. The 49ers will stop AP all day and they begin to crush Christian Ponder. Look for the 49ers to give up only 3 points while holding the Vikings under 200 yards of offense and registering 5 sacks and 3 turnovers.

2. Pittsburgh. The Steelers defense will have a good day shutting down the Raiders offense. The Steelers have always owned Carson Palmer and Sunday will be no different for the balck and yellow defense. Look for the Steelers to keep the Raiders under 10 points and about 225 yards of offense, while sacking Palmer 6 times and forcing 2 turnovers.

3. Houston. The Texans will be considering this game as their chance to show Peyton Manning that the Texans would have even passed his mighty Colts. The Texans will hurry Manning and force him into mistakes. The Broncos will get some yards, but they will be held to about 13 points and Manning will take 5 sacks and the Broncos will have 2 turnovers on Sunday.

Defense Busts.

1. Seattle. Yes, the Seahawks are at home and they had a monster game against Dallas last week, but that's nothing new for the Cowboys, just when you think Dallas is rolling they come out and lay a stinker. This week they have the Packers and to be truthful the Packers offense has been struggling and I believe they are going to explode in this game. The Seahawks are going to give up over 500 yards and at least 31 points in this one.

2. Jacksonville. The Jaguars do have a solid defense, but they are going to get tired of carrying the load and this is going to be the game that shows why Andrew Luck was the number 1 pick in the draft. The Colts offense is going to come out firing and they will pick the Jaguars apart as they rack up over 400 yards of offense and score at least 28 points.

3. Tennessee. This game should be the return to form of the Lions offense. The Titans have problems matching up with the Lions on all levels and will have a dreadful performance on Sunday. The Lions will gain over 400 yards of offense and will score at least 28 on the Titans defense in this one.

Well, here's week 3 all ready for y'all. I got caught in some surprises last week, but I still stand by my predictions. This week should be pretty solid, so check it out before setting your lineup.

Thank You Mitt Romney!!

This is voice of appriciation to one Republican nominee for the office of President of the United States. Thank you reminding us that 47% percent of people in this country need some sort of public assistence in order to survive. Thank you for reminding us that while you had the luxury of growing up in a well-to-do household, that the majority of will never know what that's like; like you will never know what it is like to suffer. We are thankful for you and your ability to embarrass people, who unlike you have had to work hard to put bread on the table. When is the last time you ever had to decide whether to be late on a bill or put food on your family's table, Mr. Romney?  I'm certain that Mr. Obama has not had to make those choices either, but at least he doesn't fly off the cuff with assinine remarks like you did.

The question is Mr. Romney, what are you willing to do to help these 47% who you claim they are victims and just content at living on the system. While I am certain there are some people who would actually fall into that statement, but you make yourself look idiotic by claiming that they all feel that way. Some people do work Mr. Romney and still receive assistance, because of people like you and your corporate friends who have cut jobs as much as possible and raised prices on everything, for no other reason other than the fact that you can. All of your work at Bain Capital was to make money for your investors, not create jobs as you like to claim. The claim that you created 100,000 jobs is so erronous that it is almost laughable. Almost 90,000 of those jobs come from one palce Staples. Yes, you invested in the company, yes it had success, but you shouldn't get the credit for the company's biggest boom years, when you were no longer an active member of Bain Capital. When you left Bain, Staples had 43,000 jobs across the nation, now it is at 90,000 that's a boom of almost 50,000 more jobs in the years since you left the company. If you can argue that you are the reason for those jobs, then one can just as easily argue that the company has done better since your involvement was gone.

Are you willing to stand against corporate America and find ways to create jobs in this country? Are you going to stand in direct opposition of outsourcing? Are you going to cut taxes on small businesses to give them a fighting chance? Are you going to implement a flat tax on income, so that the well-to-do pay their fair share, or are you going to continue to grant and find them more loopholes? These are questions that need answered. These are problems that need fixed. Give us some actual political solutions to the problems facing this nation and it's economy, not veiled promises that we know are never going to happen. Tell us what you really stand for, or as I fear you already have. By attacking a group of citizens who are trying to survive and support their families the best way they can through this hard time, you showed your true colors as someone who doesn't care about the half of this nation that are struggling (and it's probably more than that, some people who could get aid would never go becasue they'd rather suffer than face that stigma) and more concerned with people like yourself who don't need a helping hand.

Once again, I say thank you for opening your mouth and finally letting your true self come out. This will be your kiss of death, because it's basic mathematics, you aren't going to win pissing off 47% of the people that you claim want to be considered victims. Well, if they are victims it's because of people like you and your friends, who look down on people who actually work and place all your value on money. Well, all your money and all your supporters couldn't save you from one thing, your own arrogance. Congratulations, you have become a footnote in history.

Mr. Godell and NFL owners bring back the real referees!!!

Ok, I was going to write this after last week's games, but I thought better giving the replacement refs another week to try and improve. Well, that didn't happen. It is now time to back down and give the locked out referees the money they want and deserve. The NFL is a 9 BILLION DOLLAR industry and you look childish and typical businessmen. You guys are refusing to pay these officials a few extra pennies to each dollar you make. Pathetic.

Well, the one thing that the real refs had going for them and that is the replacement refs screwing up. Sure enough, they are screwing up. Let's see what happened this weekend. The first big problem was the replacement referee Brian Stropolo had to be removed from officiating the Saints-Panthers game, since they found out hours before kickoff that he was a lifelong Saints fan. Yeah, I'm sure he'd be an impartial official in that game. Not to mention that Eagles running back LeShon McCoy claimed that a replacement official told him that he needed him to have a big day for his fantasy football team. That's going to lead to impartialness. This is a horrible disgrace to the foolish idea that you could take referees from Division III college football and throw them into the fast-paced NFL and expect there to be no dropoff is completely ridiculous. The only good thing that this replacement ref idea has brought was that it finally put a woman on the field as an NFL official, something that was long overdue.

Now, I'm not going to even talk about the missed calls. The replacement refs blunders have been well documented. What I am going to get into is the hypocrisy of the league and the team owners. How many rule changes have been made in attempt to make the game safer, yet, they have no problem throwing in a bunch of zebras who are hugely unqualified for the job. That is going to help with player safety. A bunch of guys who are trying to figure out how to do the job on the fly and you can see the uncertainity in their decision making process. The whistles are later, especially on fumbles and loose balls which allows for more dangerous hits that could injury players. One of the biggest miscalls was the hit on the head to 49ers quarterback Alex Smith as he was sliding feet first and took a hard shot to the head that even cut his nose open. How this was missed is beyond me. Once the quarterback starts his feet first slide; he is giving up and is considered down, the long time officials would have been looking for any kind of hit to the quarterback, but these guys don't have the experience. Imagine if Smith would have gotten a concusison, the injury that the NFL fears the most from all the lawsuits that have come up.

I've seen false starts missed, holding penalties, illegal blocks misses, touchdowns not being given and this is supposed to help the game. I don't even want to talk about the fact that these officials have no idea what a pass interference call is supposed to be. Last night, was absolutely ridiculous that Denver coach John Fox had to use a coach's challenge to get a pass interference call overturned because the referees didn't have a clue that once the ball is tipped the defender can hit the receiver. Shameful.

Like most businesses, the NFL's success relies on one thing and that is putting asses in seats. The NFL is not a nine billion dollar a year industry because it has no consumers. Well, it's time for the customers to start really getting angry, because this is not the game we love as fans. It's turning the sport into a mockery of itself. It is time to stop the posturing and give the real refs the money they deserve. Get over it, those few pennines you owners lose is not going to bankrupt you or force you to raise prices on anything, but if you keep sticking to your guns, you are going to lose fans. We see the game that you owners are playing and your bluff is not working out with the game and the people who love it. Remember, the fans make the NFL money, if we don't watch or go to the games, then the owners will lose money. Maybe that's what the NFL needs for it's wakeup call. last year, the players were locked out. This year the referees were locked out. Maybe next season, we the fans lock the NFL out of our lives for a year. This experiment has failed and the NFL is the brunt of all jokes right now, that is not good for business. It is not out of the realm of possibility for the NFL to lose fans, because it will happen, if this nonsense continues.

Mr. Godell, do the right thing and step in and get these sides to an agreement. Otherwise, you are going to be looked at in a very negative way. You are at a crossroads, after your suspensions for the saints players got overturned, you are in a position that could hurt your legacy as Commish. This is a PR nightmare for you, get the deal done. Especially, after that disasterously long Monday night game because of the delays in calls and replays. You need to get the real refs back on the field. I know that it is an impossibility for that to happen by Thursday or even Sunday; but it can happen by next  Thursday. I am at the point of boycotting games, and this is coming from someone who lives for the games, but I will hold to my principles because it is not the game I love. I would also plan on starting a petition from fellow fans to boycott watching the game we love, until you fix this problem. The game still drives it's revenue from us the fans, and if we go away, we all lose. Listen to the critics, but more importantly listen to the players and the coaches who are dealing with this situation and are demanding a change. It's time for the old refs to be paid and back on the field where they belong. Are the old refs perfect, no, but they are God-like in comparison to what we are enduring right now as fans.

Random ramblings of a future that may happen soon.

Here we are in 2012, the end of the world hasn't happened yet, although one can still dream, maybe that could be the one thing that could save us from ourselves. What has happened to our culture? What has happened to just basic human goodness? We have become a nation of individuals and not a nation of citizens working together to help each other for a common and greater good. Commercialism has taken over and we have become a nation that wants whatever new gadget that comes out as soon as it comes out even if it is not a necessity. Now, I am not against new technology and if you have the means to purchase said items then more power to you, but what is the cost of selling our souls for posessions. The theory of capitialism has run its course, because it has become the ruling power. The "ruling elite" has taken over not only the consumer's wallet, but the true power in this country, they now dictate policy. If anyone thinks that the average politician isn't bought off by members of the business class, then you have alrady drank the kool-aid and you are as good as dead. Laws are put in place to help business suceed and not the citizen. Now, helping business suceed can be a good thing if the people who control the businesses would give back, but their primary concern is gaining as much for themselves as possible. We are witnessing what continuous outsourcing has done to this country; we truly are losing middle America. The average person can't live a comfortable life. More and more people are clinging to public welfare systems just to survive and all the while it truly seems that no one gives a shit about it.

For many years I believed that Darwin was right in that only the strong will survive, however, it has gotten to a point where even the strong can't make it. More and more college graduates are finding themselves out of the work force and denied the opportunities that they worked and paid into the system for. We are looking at the collapse of the American Dream. Anymore, it's not about hard work and your natural and learned abilities putting you on the track for success; it ultimately comes down to who you know. You have to network yourself and make the perception of yourself be better than the actual. The promises of our youth have turned into out and out lies. There are millions of people out there who are dying and desperate for work being forced to feel that they aren't good enough, even if they are overqualified for a job. It's an absolute crime that people go out and fill hundreds of applications or send out resumes and find nothing. You used to be able to make lateral career moves to give yourself a chance to be better, now people are so thankful to have a job that they do whatever they can to hold onto it, instead of trying to reach upward. There is no more risk-taking, because the risks are truly risks now, not calculated ones. Trying to better yourself could now lead you unemployed for months and forced to sell off everything you own just to survive.

And all the while the rich sit back and laugh, because they know they are safe. Even if they do fail, they know that they have a government that will spend taxpayer's money to bail them out. The burden for rich people's failures once again falls on the working class. Some would argue that saving those companies is a good move for economic stability and while that can be true; we also the reality of that bailout the companies had to streamline their books and the first and quickest way to do that is to cut jobs. Both Chrysler and GM shut down dealerships in order to make the bailout plausible, ultimately, the heads of these companies got a second chacne at the expense of so many. There is no common decency anymore. We have sold ourselves completely to the idea of green pices of paper being the most valuable thing in the world and most will do whatever to get their hands on it.

Is money a need? That can be argued theoretically, but it serves a purpose for people to purchase things they truly need. You will indirectly die from having no money, because you cant get food to keep yourself alive without it. How many of you would kill someone for a million dollars? A hundred thousand? Yet, the majority of people will go on their daily lives not thinking there is anything wrong with so few having so much, and so many having so little. The old saying is quite true, the majority of men live their lives full of quiet desperation.

However, the desperate are growing in number each day and the problem that most overlook is that the majority of the desperate are also armed. That's right, be afraid because there are more and more people out there with nothing to lose and have themselves a weapon. "Tempt not a desperate man", wrote Shakespeare centuries ago. Think of that the next time you see someone walking on the street, who may have have just lost his job and can't find any. Think of that and wonder why he/she may rob you. The crime can serve two purposes for the desperate, first, it may supply them with enough to get by for a few days, and second, if they get caught that can be a victory as well, because prison is sometimes a better reality for these desperate, wanting people. Now, imagine if this group of people somehow found a leader, someone who could rile them up and get them to band together to go on and start a revolution. Marx writes that the suppression of a group from another "ruling" group if gone on to long will lead to to revolution. The question then becomes, who do they go after, the politicos or the CEOs. The sad part about revolution is that there will always be innocents, people stuck in the middle that will pay the ultimate sacrifice. We have become an nation of hatred. We'd rather hate, then communicate. People have different opinions; most people have lost the ability to respect another's opinion. Why is there so much dissention between are politicians these days? Both sides have always disagreed and have always wanted to be the controlling party, that's not new, but there used to be a spirit of ultimately working together and finding a solution for the greater good. Now, there only seems to be what serves the greater good of the party, not the people, voters, and most importantly fellow citizens. We all share this great country. It's time to share great ideas with each other and work with a spirit of cooperation first and not competitiveness. This country became great because it was every citizen working together to help the greater good of the country. We helped each other up when we fell. I fear that we have become brainfed into a nation of walking by or stepping on those that have fallen. Just remember the next person you step on, may shoot you in the ass as you go by.

Week 2 predictions

Time to get my week 2 picks ready to go. These Thursday games really put a strain on things, but here we go.

Green Bay vs. Chicago. In a battle of oldest of NFL rivals, the Packers and Bears will battle against each other in a very ferocious manner. Expect plenty of hard hits and maybe even some cheap shots along the way. The big concern will be whether or not Greg Jennings will be ready to go for the Packers, if he isn't then James Jones is going to have to step up in a big way. This one will come down to the running game. The Bears need to do it to keep their offense clicking and keep Aaron Rodgers on the sideline. The Packers are still trying to find anything from their running game and won't get any help from the Bears defense. I'm going to go on a big limb here, but I'm calling for the Bears to pull this one out. They will play good ball control offense and Brandon Marshall will be too much of a mismatch for the Packers secondary. In a hard fought battle, I predict the Bears will pull this one out 20-17.

Cleveland vs. Cincinnati. The Battle of Ohio once again. The Browns have a borderline great defense, but unless the defense can score points, they will continue to lose games. The Bengals failed in their first big test against the Ravens getting throttled by the Ravens offense of all things. The Bengals have a more balanced team right now and will make Brandon Weeden make mistakes and will win this one rather easily 24-10.

Oakland vs. Miami. This will not be the exciting battle of these two teams used to have in the '70's. Both franchises are in desperate rebuilding mold and the fans have had to wait for a long time. The Raiders right now have a better team than the Dolphins. The explosive Darren McFadden will find success against the Dolphins and open up Carson Palmer's deep passing game. However, I feel that Palmer will make mistakes throwing the ball and keep the Raiders from winning this game. The Dolphins will use Reggie Bush to keep the offense moving and to keep Ryan Tannehill calm. The Dolphins will end up kicking a bunch of field goals and win this one 15-7.

Houston vs. Jacksonville. The Texans will start their race to the division crown on Sunday. The Texans started slow against Miami, but turned it on late in the first half. The Jaguars do have a solid defense and a punishing ground game led by MJD, however, the Texans have to many weapons for Jacksonville to compete with. Jacksonville will keep the game closer than expected, but Houston wins 24-13 with a strong performance from Arian Foster.

Kansas City vs. Buffalo. The Chiefs and Bills both started the season on the losing end. The Chiefs put up some surprising offense against the Falcons, but in the end couldn't keep up with the firepower of the Falcons. The Bills got lit up by the Jets and lost running back Fred Jackson for a month. This has the potential to be the best game of the week. Both teams will have home run hitters in the running game with Jamaal Charles and C.J. Spiller. So, this game will come down to the quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick and Matt Cassel. This game is a toss up and whoever makes the biggest mistake in the end. I'm going to pick Buffalo 24-21 in a very exciting game.

Baltimore vs. Philadelphia.  Michael Vick has to bounce back from a vicious game in the Dawg Pound. This is not going to be easy against the ravenous defense that Baltimore packs. Joe Flacco has come out strong and wants to make this a high-powered offense, if he consistently does play well, then the Ravens are going to be very difficult to beat all season long. The threat of Ray Rice always keep opposing defenses play with 8 in the box, which allows Flacco the opportunity to hit a big play over the top. I see the Ravens defense kicking in overdrive and forcing Vick into more mistakes. The Ravens are going to come out on top in this one 31-13, leaving Eagle fans wondering if their should be a 6th rookie quarterback starting.

Tampa Bay vs. New York Giants. The Giants are upset with themselves for what they feel was lettting the home opener slip away from them. Truth is the Giants are usually slow starters, it's the end of the season is when they become tough to beat. Tampa Bay defeated Carolina much to a lot of people's surprise, but not mine after all I picked the Bucs (look back at last week and you will see it). However, this one will be a little too much even for the much improved Bucs. Eli Manning will get the ball to his dynamic duo of Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz and the defense will make things rough on Josh Freeman and rookie running back Doug Martin. The Giants win convincingly 27-7.

New Orleans vs Carolina. Poor Carolina, first they get beat on opening day against Tampa Bay, now they get the Saints, who will be angry and humiliated from their opening day loss. Drew Brees will not let his team fall to 0-2, he knows that the team has to keep close to Atlanta and falling 0-2 would cripple some playoff hopes in a loaded NFC. Brees will utilize all of his weapons against a Panther defense that isn't good enough to stop this offense. The Saints defense will punish Cam Newton every chance they get and Newton will continue to struggle. The Saints will pound Carolina 31-10.

Arizona vs. New England. The question for Arizona is who will play quarterback this week. Skelton is trying to play, but right now it looks like Kevin Kolb will be the quarterback. It doesn't matter if they could bring Kurt Warner back, the Cardinals are overmatched in this one. Brady will utilize his many weapons especially Gronk and Hernandez and the improved running game of Stevan Ridley will continue to be effective for the Patriots as they win 38-10.

Minnesota vs. Indianapolis. This is going to be an interesting game. I must admit I am marvelled at how well Adrian Peterson looked last week and I expect a big week again from him. Andrew Luck is going to be a very good quarterback; he will unfortunately have to learn a lot on the job and his mistakes will be greater than successes as a rookie. I believe the Vikings will be content to ground out the game with AP and play good defense. The Vikings will win this one and be a very shocking 2-0 to start this season. Vikings 24-13.

Washington vs. St. Louis. The two teams involved in the epic RG3 trade will meet early. RG3 looked extremely impressive (much to my surprise) against the Saints in leading the Redskins to a shocking upset. The Rams almost pulled off a shocking upset over the Lions. The Rams defense was improved at making turnovers, but they still never really did stop the Lions offense; they just forced some interceptions on coverage changes. RG3 beware; the Rams defense fooled Matt Stafford, they may fool you as well. The Rams offense looked putrid for the most part and the Redskins have a good defense. Look for the Redskins to get the 2-0 start for their rookie QB; Redskins win 24-16.

Dallas vs. Seattle. Ok, this game may be my pick for blowout of the week. The hyped up Seahawks got a quick taste of reality against the Cardinals last week. The Cowboys and more importantly Tony Romo are on a mission to get a Super Bowl back to Dallas. One will see about that down the line, however, this one belongs to Dallas even in the fan crazy Quest Field. The Seahawks don't have the offense to keep up with the Cowboys and they sure don't have the defense to stop them either. Cowboys drop 48 on the Seahawks as they win 48-10.

New York Jets vs. Pittsburgh. Who's got the number 1 scoring offense, that's right it's the Jets. The team ridiculed for not being able to score in preseason opened up a big ol' can of whoop ass offense on the Bills. However, as they travel to Heinz field to play a reeling Steelers, this game has all the makings of a Jets collapse. Pittsburgh always plays well after a loss and they will have to keep pace with the division race. In a surprising upset, I look for the Steelers to pull out a close defensive battle 13-10.

Tennessee vs San Diego. Jake Locker is going to attempt to play injured in this one and that is all you need to know. san Diego will come after him and force him into some errant throws and get some turnovers for the offense. Philip Rivers knows he has to carry this offense on his throwing arm and while he may not have the weapons he once had, he still has a nice array of weapons and he will use them all to score many times on the Titans defense. Chris Johnson will have a good game for the Titans, but he will not be able to overcome the mistakes of his quarterback. Chargers win 27-17.

Detroit vs. San Francisco. Gentlemen, I want a good clean handshake with no extra mustard on it. Then go to your respective sidelines and play some football. In the rematch of the great game last year that was marred by the handshake incident, the Lions and Niners are playing each other for serious playoff positioning. Detroit needs this game more than San Francisco. The Bears and Vikings may both be 2-0 after this weekend, Detroit is going to have to go all out to win this one. San Francisco knows their strength is their defense and they will play heads up against the Lions offense. They believe they are better then the Lions and will play heads up with little scheming. Stafford is going to have to shred the defense and not make any mistakes, if they have a chance. The 49ers will pound Detroit with Frank Gore and then open up the passing game. Vernon Davis causes matchup problems for Dteroit and they will have to find a way to cover him. Even with this game being huge for Detroit, I still go with the 49ers in a close game. 49ers win 23-17.

Denver vs. Atlanta. Monday night's matchup is going to be a full blown coming out party for the Matt Ryan Express. Ryan will be going against Peyton Manning and will lead the Falcons to a victory. Ryan's new favorite Julio Jones is going to be the difference maker as Jones will continue his hot start to the season. Manning makes the Broncos better, but it is hard to win in the Georgia Dome and the Falcons have a lot that they are playing for. They want to make that run into elite team status and they have the talent to be there, they just lack the consistency. Anyway, this year's MVP Matty Ice will beat 4-time MVP Peyton Manning as the Falcons win 31-23.

Well, here's week 2's picks, hopefully I can do a little better than last week. Although, I was 10-5, I am not happy with that performance and hope this week is far better. Thanks to all of you who view my work, it is greatly appriciated.

Week 2 Fantasy Beasts and Busts.

Ok, now that we've gotten through the first week of the season and got to see what teams are really up to and who's coming up to the next level, time to make some more accurate predictions. I wasn't as good as I thought I'd be on the beasts last week, but I was pretty solid on the busts. Once again for those of you with the benefit of internet connectivity my top 3 beasts and busts for each position.

Quarterback Beasts.

1. Matt Ryan. Ryan had an amazing game to open the season and he will continue to hold serve on amazing games. I believe that Ryan will be the league MVP this year (yes, that may be a stretch to some, but I believe that he will dominate). He'll be at home and wanting to outshine Peyton Manning; look for Ryan to post 300 and 2 more touchdowns.

2. Drew Brees. After getting outshined by rookie RG3 last week, look for Drew Brees to bounce back against the Panthers. Brees will torch the Panthers defense for 300 and 2 scores.

3. Peyton Manning. Arguably, the greatest regular season quarterback is back. Denver will be tested in the Georgia Dome and it should be a high scoring game. Look for Manning to go for 275 and 2 TD's.

Quarterback Busts.

1. Michael Vick. After a dreadful performance in the dog pound, Vick gets released from that nightmare into a ravenous defense. If the Browns could force Vick into 3 INT's, then don't be surprised if that happens again against the Ravens. Vick will be running for his life and will make mistakes. Look for Vick to be sacked at least 3 times, throw 2 picks and lose 1 fumble. Sit him if you can.

2. Kevin Kolb. Well, Kolb got the starting job back for now, because of John Skelton's injury. Kolb has looked gunshy and he will be confused by the looks the Patriots will throw at him. Kolb will put up some yards, because they will have to throw to try and catch up, but he will make mistakes. Look for Kolb to get sacked 4 times and throw 2 picks and about 250 yards.

3. Blaine Gabbert. Yes, I know Gabbert looked surprisingly good last week, but he's taken a step up in defenses. The Texans defense will pressure him and he will look like the scared rabbit he was last season. Look for Gabbert to throw for about 150 and no scores, while getting sacked 5 times and throwing up 3 picks.

Running Back Beasts.

1.Adrian Peterson. I didn't want to make a prediction on him last week, but I must say it was nothing short of amazing the way he was able to come back from major knee surgery so fast and look like the AP of old. He will be rewarded with a suspect Colts defense. Look for AP to pop for about 150 and 3 scores this week, as the Vikings will run the ball down the Colts throat.

2. C.J. Spiller. Spiller will get the chance to start for the injured Fred Jackson. Spiller lit up the Jets defense when he stepped in for Jackson, like he did at the end of last season when Jackson went down. Spiller will get the carries against the Chiefs to try and settle down quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Look for 100 yards rushing and 1 score for Spiller.

3. Jonathon Dwyer. Be very quiet here comes my sleeper pick. This is a big limb to reach for, but I'm going there. Dwyer appears to be the most solid back in the Steelers arsenal right now and he should get more touches this week. I look for Dwyer to have a big impact getting about 80 yards and 2 scores for the Black and Yellow.

Running Back Busts.

1. Kevin Smith. Smith would have better luck being a mallrat this week against the 49er defense. By the end of the game you might even hear him say he's not even supposed to be the starting running back. Look for the niners to shut him down to the tune of 20 yards rushing and about 20 receiving and no scores.

2. Shady McCoy. Tough day for Shady this week against the Ravens. The Ravens will do their best to take him out of the offense and will succeed. Shady will have about 75 total yards and no trips to the end zone.

3. Michael Turner. Look for another slow day from the former burner as Jacquizz Rodgers steals carries away from him. Turner will pop about 50 total yards, but he will punch a short yardage score in this week.

Wide Receiver Beasts.

1. Julio Jones. Julio is turning into Matt Ryan's big play guy and he benefits so much from having Roddy White on the other side of him. Jones is going to have another big game against the Broncos. Look for about 150 and 2 scores for Julio.

2. Brandon Marshall. Marshall is a big time threat for Jay Cutler and will be once again this week. Cutler will target him many times against a Packer secondary that has problems with big receivers. Marshall will post up 125 yards and a score this Thursday night.

3. Demaryious Thomas. No one is going to benefit more from having #18 throwing him the ball. Thomas is a home run hitter, who can also play the role of a possession receiver. In the Monday night shoot out look for Thomas to put up 100 receiveing yards and a score for the Broncos.

Wide Receiver Busts.

1. Wes Welker. Wes is off to a slow start and is got to get himself back in tight with the family. Brady is loving his tight ends right now and is pushing the ball thier way, evcentually Welker will be the playmaker he has been, he just has to serve his sentence in the doghouse. Look for Welker to only amass 50 yards and no scores.

2. Steve Smith. The Panthers are hurting right now, only problem is they are going to have an angry bunch of Saints come marching in. Cam is not going to have time to throw the ball downfield and the Saints will take Smith away. Look for Little Steven to get about 50 yards and no touchdowns.

3. Any Cleveland Browns receiver. They are all going to have a long season, with Branden "I wish I was Joss" Weeden. Look for all Browns receivers to barely get over 100 yards receiving combined.

Tight End Beasts.

1. Rob Gronkowski. No surprise here, Gronk is the legitimate #1 tight end in the league and will continue to get a lot of targets especially in the red zone. He'll be in the 100 yard range and get you 1 score.

2. Jimmy Graham. Again, no surprise, but Graham will always be a top target at this position. Graham will get a lot of touches this week, as the Saints try and rebound from a loss. Graham will get you 80 yards and a score.

3. Jermichael Finley. Finley is always a favorite target of Aaron Rodgers and Finley always seem to have good games against the Bears. This is a favorable matchup this week. Look for 75 yards and 1 score.

Tight End Busts.

1. Ben Watson. I had high hopes for Watson, a good tight end that gets underutilized and will continue to be with Weeden throwing inaccurate passes. Look for Watson to get you < 20 yards this weke.

2. Jermaine Gresham. This is a bad matchup for Gresham. The Browns have a very good defense, which is a shame for the dreadful offense the Browns have. Gresham is normally a solid option for the tight end slot, but not this week. Gresham will get about 40 yards and zero trips to thee end zone.

3. Heath Miller. Miller is underutilized in the Steeler offense and will continue to be so. They will keep Miller in for protection to help the offensive line instead of using him as a weapon. Miller will be too busy blocking to put up enough numbers to make him a viable starter this week (maybe all season). Miller will get around 50 yards and no scores.

Kicker Beasts.

1. David Akers. After Akers hit his NFL record tying 63 yard field goal last week, he shows once again why he is one of the most reliable kickers in the league. He will get you points this week, I look for 3 FG's and an extra point in a hard fought game this week.

2. Dan Carpenter. The Dolphins should have success moving the ball in between the 20's against the Raiders, setting up a nice game for Carpenter. I expect him to get 4 FG's this week. Yes, I realize that this makes him better than Akers, but after Akers's accomplishment last week, I' choosing to put him at #1. Showing a little respect.

3. Robbie Gould. The Bears offense will find success moving the ball against the Packers defense, but they should run into some trouble punching it in. Look for Gould to have 2 FG's and 2 PAT's, making him a solid option this week.

Kicker Busts.

1. Alex Henery. The Eagles have a tough matchup this week with the Ravens and I don't see them scoring a lot of points in this one. Give him a FG and a PAT, but that's about all.

2.Connor Barth. The Bucs will have a tough road with an angry Giant team, that feels like they gave away a game last Wednesday night. The Bucs will have a tough time moving the ball all day, but will at least get one FG out of Barth.

3. Sea Bass. Janikowski will have problems, especially if the Raiders can't fix their long snapper issues before Sunday. Nevertheless, they would have had a tough day against the Dolphins defense. Look for an extra point but not much more from Sea Bass on Sunday.

Defense Beasts.
1. Houston Texans. The Texans defense looked strong against the Dolphins and will continue to do so against the Jaguars. Blaine Gabbert will have a tough day as he will get sacked 5 times and will give the Texans 3 of the 4 total turnovers that the defense will force against the Jaguars.

2. New York Giants. The Giants are angry that they blew the season opener and they will unleash the pass rush on Josh Freeman. The Giants will force 2 turnovers and get 5 sacks.

3. Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens will come in trying to shut down Michael Vick. Vick may help them out if he plays like he did against the Browns. I look for the Ravens to come after Vick, they are confident they can stop him outside the pocket so they will try and beat him up. Look for the Ravens to force 3 turnovers and sack Vick 3 times as well.

Defense Busts.

1.Seattle Seahawks. This defense got a lot of hype preseason, but as I stated in my review I believe it is unwarranted. This defense, even at home, is going to get embarrassed by a suddenly explosive Cowboy offense. Look for the defense to give up 400 yards and over 30 points scored against them. The only reason to play this defense is if you have faith in Leon Washington returning a big kick, but that's a risk I won't take.

2. Carolina Panthers. Again this defense is not to the level that head coach Ron Rivera would like; add to that an upset saints team looking to stay with the Falcons in the NFC South and this is going to be a long day for the Panthers. Saints will drop over 400 yards of offense and score over 30 on the Panthers.

3.Arizona Cardinals. This could be a bad day for the Cardinals defense, one that is a very solid group, but playing against the Brady Bunch and with a backup quarterback running your offense, will lead to a bad day even for the best group. I envision the Pats running up 400 yards of offense and scoring at least 28 points, while committing no turnovers.

Well, since we have a Thursday game every week, it's going to be fun rushing these out every week. But, I enjoy it and I hope that it helps some of you out there in cyber land. Good luck in your games. I was 3-1 in my leagues, just to give you all a frame of reference.

Commercialism vs. Artistic or Write from the Heart not the Wallet

Alright, it's time to write about something that I am very passionate about and that is the arts. By the arts, I mean all things artistic, wheter that be literature, film, theatre, music, photography, dance, Hell even a beautifully designed building is art. The thing I hate is how it appears that art is now looked upon as how much money something can make. At the end of the last millenium, we experienced one of the great explosions of great art. Music, film, books, theatre was all booming with great works that told amazing stories and were uncompromising with the integrity of the work. Most of these people that were creating these works didn't even care about the financial side of things, although they did make out well financially. I just shudder to think about how we might've missed out on some great works because some multimedia executive would ask the question, "how can we market this". Can you imagine in 2012, Quinten Tarentino going to film studios to get the backing for "Pulp Fiction"? He'd be laughed at, because the studios would try to ruin the art, to try and make it more "commercially acceptible". Let's face it, it's an amazing film, but it's not the most marketable film in the world, but the fact of the matter is Miramax Studios knew they had a great work and were willing to let the artist be the artist and let this project come out.

Another one that would be quite funny in today's world. Can you imagine a record company now, trying to release Nevermind by Nirvana? They wouldn't touch it now. They wouldn't know how to package it and maybe the record label would've missed out on the song that sparked a musical revolution in "Smells Like Teen Spirit". The song and video for it weren't released to get fame and fortune, in fact the it's anti that in it's production, but it just struck a nerve with disillusioned/disinfranchised youth. We were sick of what was being forced down our throat at the time and this was something different to what was rammed down our throats and a generation grabbed on and we never let go. The problem with the music is that after the great artists came out and found a following; every record company wanted to find success in the same way, so we got a watering down of greatness and a saturation of the market with inferior artists, whom appeared to be riding a wave of other's success towards a paycheck (anyone remember Candlebox).

This leads me to one of the greatest travesties of this millenium. You have some writers out there just making a paycheck off a trend or just flat out stealing from other people's work and trying to pass it off as something new. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, yes that is one thing I am going to talk about. Seriously, is nothing sacred in this country. You take one of our greatest Presidents and leaders of this country and go out and sully his name, by creating this fictious piece of bullshit just so you can make some money. Disgraceful. I haven't read it or seen the movie and ain't going to give these people any of my money, here's a spoiler for you, they try and pass off John Wilkes Booth as a vampire. Now, some history teachers are going to have to waste their time telling kids that that Abraham Lincoln is a fictional character and have to dumb down education even further. Oh yeah, let's make money off this vampire/zombie trend that's out there in TV and movies and books now. Joss Wheedon should get paid some serious bank for the Twilight books and movies. All you kids out there who love the Twilight movies, go watch some old episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and you'll see what I'm talking about. The Twilight/Vampire Diaries/True Blood make Buffy look like Shakepeare compared to this copycat storytelling. . Again, this is all about people making money and not trying to make anything artistic.

So, how do artist's get their work out to the public and avoid the potential backlash of just being in it for the money? First off, I'm not one of those assholes out there that believe an artist should be broke and living on the street in order to prove how great they are. They provide a service and should be monetarily rewarded for it. More so then the corporate executive who just put a package on it and gave the artist the vehicle to release the work. I believe, that if you are just putting something out to the public with the sole knowledge that you are going to make money and don't really care about the work than that is the definition of a sellout to me. People need to stop being naive about the art world, why shouldn't they get paid for their occupation. Also, as adults we have to make decisions in life and we all have to sell a part of our integrity in order to survive. The heart of the matter is finding out how much of the selling out that you can be comfortable with to move forward in life. No one does it on their own, and in the process of making deals with people, you have to lose a part of things you believe in, but that does not mean sacrificing everything you believe in to get something out there.

I've been trying for many years to get a film project out. I came to a crossroad about my choices and carefully examined what I need to do. I have a project that is near and dear to my heart and soul. I know that this is not a film that is going to make hundreds of millions of dollars and I am quite alright with that, but I also know it tells a great story and would probably speak to a lot of people who would have the privilage to see it. On the other hand, I have another project that I love equally, but is not so personal, but I love it just the same because it is a creation from my sometimes twisted mind. I know that out of the two, the latter has a better chance for financial success. In my dreams, I wanted my first picture to be the arty one, but as we grow older sometimes you have to change your plan. So, when the moment came, after a very chance and random meeting of a producer, I put the one that had the chance for success in her hands. Yes, this goes against a lot of my goals, but sometimes you got to get your feet in the door to get noticed and then gain the ability to do the projects you really want. Then again, this isn't commercial crap either, it's going to be an R-rated film, which in this day might as well be as bad as the X label in the '70's. I also, think that when you write a story about sex and the societal implications of it, that it is not totally mainstream and will offend some people, so maybe I am still making an artistic statement. I have a dichotomy as a writer, I can see the big picture (and potential mass appeal), which strains away from the desire to tell individual stories, but sometimes those ideas coincide and you are happy with the work you make.

I write, because it is the only thing in this world that I can do well. I can create stories and develop characters. This is a different out let for me. It's something I can do to get different thoughts out there and give me some piece of satisfaction of putting something out there for the one or two people who may read this. I do this as an extension of my personality. I still believe in the power of the written word. I still believe that the writer is the most important part of the creative process when it comes to film and theatre, without the written word there is no story to act or direct. You have to do it because it's in your blood though. To write going through the motions or just trying to make money is a disgrace to all of the great artists who cam before. You spit on Shakespeare's, Milton's, Hawthorne's, Hemingway's, Fitzgerald's, Salinger's, Vonnegut's and many more great writers who have passed on graves. I will not be one of those. I will stay true to telling great stories and pushing boundaries. I don't care about being politically correct or not trying to be offensive to people. Great art push the limits and dares to offend. At times, it screams to be offensive, but it should tkae place in the rooted framework of the story. Being offensive just to be offensive can be counterproductive to the goal of telling a good story, it has to be rooted somewhere in the heart of the story to really make an impact.

Anyway, I may have gotten off the subject with this one a little bit, but that's me. I'm not the most linear of people, but I get it to a point of climax eventually. There comes a point where your expectations meet your reality and in that moment you have to give it everything and not hold anything back, because that opportunity comes around once, and if you blow it, you may never get that second chance to prove yourself to the world. To all the artists, who may read this, remember stay true to what's in your heart and fuck the people who tell you, you can't do it.