Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Blake Griffin's Best?

Was it his posterizing of then-Knicks big man Timothy Mosgov or his recent facial of OKC's Kendrick Perkins? Although I'm a Knick fan, it's definitely the first one. Thoughts?

Sunday, January 22, 2012

NFL Conference Championship Predictions

Well, it was fun, my friends. I split last Sunday's picks, which means I'm guarenteed to finish worse than last year's 8-3 record. I know, what a damn shame. I'm not quitting, though, and I'm determined to nail my final three picks to go a respectable 7-4. Leggo!

(Home team in CAPS)

PATRIOTS over Ravens

And so they meet again. After last year's drubbing of #1 seed New England, Baltimore tries to repeat that task after a mediocre but successful performace against depleted Houston. QB Joe Flacco looked bad enough that he was publicly critized by defensive teammate Ed Reed, which had to do loads for the young man's confidence. Flacco should play better though against the Pats' putrid secondary, and the truth is the Ray Rice-led running game & Ray Lewis-powered defense are the staples they will rely on to lead the Ravens to victory. Although Baltimore's D played admirably against TJ Yates, the QB they will be playing later on is a just a tad bit more dangerous.

Tom Brady derailed the Tim Tebow train in vicious fashion, throwing for six TD's despite hardly throwing in the second half. With potential MVP's Aaron Rodgers & Drew Brees watching from home, it's Brady's showcase to show he is THE elite QB in the league as he chases his fourth ring. The weapons at his disposal have been well-documented, mainly TEs Rob Gronkowski & Aaron Hernandez, who will cause match-up nightmares for Baltimore (and frankly, any defense). I can't see Brady being this close to another Super Bowl & throwing a dud. He should be in top form & when he is, he's one of the few QB's who can will his team to a win regardless of his defense. Not only do I like NE here, I'd take the points (a touchdown) if I was betting against the spread.

Giants over 49ERS

Yes, I picked against my team last week, but as I noted, if I was going to be wrong, I was also going to be the happiest man in the world. And that I am. The road to Indy doesn't get any easier for NY, however, as San Fran has been merking teams recently. They surprised me last week as they were able to match the high octane New Orleans offense point for point, even pulling out a late 4th quarter comeback. Much has been said about the transformation of Alex Smith, and he deserves all the positive press. After being labeled a bust since he was drafted, it's hard to hate on a redemption story like his. But if he thinks he's facing the soft NO defense today, he is sadly mistaken.

The Giants pass rush has one goal, and that is to draw blood. After making Matt Ryan look completely clueless in round one, they made Aaron Rodgers look uncomfortable enough to appear human. Now, Alex Smith has definitely improved but he is no Aaron Rodgers. I expect the G-Men to harrass the SF QB and force some uncharacteristic turnovers. On offense, NY has been clicking, led by WR Hakeem Nicks. He has been a man-beast, averaging 140 yards a game in the playoffs thus far. As great as people perceive SF's defense to be, Brees lit them up last week & they only rank 16th against the pass this year. I'm rolling with the hotter (and more balanced) team to set up a rematch of the 2008 Super Bowl. Eli vs. Brady part II, how can you hate that?

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Friday, January 20, 2012

Zebra Bite

Zebra don't play. Zebra bite a bitch!

You down w/ JPP?!

I don't wanna talk too much about the Giants as I still have a 'NFL Conference Championship Predictions' blog to write this weekend. Ok FINE, I totally picked the Packers to win last Sunday. WHATEVER. Anyway, here is my apology to my G-Men bredrin. A remake of the classic Naughty By Nature jam 'OPP' turned into a tribute to All-Pro defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. Surely I am forgiven after this :D

The Bark Side

Who knew dogs barking could sound so beautiful

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Monday, January 16, 2012

GIANTS HAPPY DANCE

You already know the deal. Giants raped the Packers last night to advance to the NFC Championship game on Sunday vs. the Niners. As exciting as the game was, the real magic happened shortly after the game was over. I was watching the game w/ my friends in what ended up being a double celebration (for my bday as well) when I became so overwhelmed w/ joy that I wanted to display my emotions... in dance form.

Friday, January 13, 2012

NFL Divisional Weekend Predictions

Well, that didn't go so well. After lighting it up last year & going 3-1 in wild card weekend, I only managed to split this year's four games. If I would've followed the simple plan of picking home teams, I would've been tasting sweet victory. Oh well.

Horrible picks aside, this weekend should be tremendous for football fans, as the four most interesting teams that played all advanced. This creates some sizzling match-ups for divisional weekend and darn it, I can't wait!

(Home team in CAPS)

Saints over 49ERS

The 49ers have to be the most over-looked team in the playoffs. Sure, I didn't help with my prediction above, but whatever. SF has a punishing defense, steady running game, brash yet confident coach. They have all the tools of a championship team. They're not exactly loaded on offense but they're just productive enough on that side of the ball to give their defense a chance to close out the game. I've heard people say that eventually, despite all the record-setting offenses we've seen this season, defense has to (and will) win these playoff games. And part of me believes that. Just not this time.

All bets are off when you're playing Drew Brees. The dude is simply playing out of his mind right now. As dominant as the SF D has been, the Saints have so many weapons on offense, it's almost impossible to stop them all. Will Brees have as easy a time w/ SF as he did with Detroit? Of course not. But if NO happens to get up by a touchdown or two, I have to feel confident that Alex Smith can close the gap to pick them. Simply, I do not.

PATRIOTS over Broncos

What a season for Denver. Everyone is going ham over Tebow & the boys after their stunning OT win over defending AFC champs Pittsburgh. Even if you have no horse in this race, you just have to root for a dude like Tebow, who has been critized rather unfairly despite being a respectable field general for most of the year. The leadership & magic(?) he brings are factors that go beyond stats. Will the feel-good story continue?

Not so fast, buddy. If anyone recalls, these teams matched up earlier this year & NE punished Denver, most notably their defense. While Brady may not be Brees-hot, he certainly protected his throne, passing for over 5,000 yards, second all-time right behind the NO QB. NE has a huge flaw on defense, particularly their secondary, and that's not a good sign with the way Tebow and D. Thomas were able to exploit the Steelers. But I have to believe that experience wins out here. NE has been down this road before, Denver is without the crutch of their home field & God knows what Bellicek has planned for Tebow. NE by two TDs.

RAVENS over Texans

This is my easiest pick of the weekend. Houston looked good against Cincy, who looked competitive to start but over-matched by the end. Andre Johnson appeared to be healthy & Arian Foster did what Arian Foster does. The defense came up w/ a monster pick-six and TJ Yates did nothing to wipe all of that clean. For the Texans to win, they will have to repeat that same formula, only multiply that by a million. These aren't the Bengals they're playing this week, my friend.

Baltimore, a group of grizzled veterans, should be refreshed after their week off. Everyone knows about the playmakers they have on defense, and I expect them to keep the pressure on Hosuton's rookie QB. But it's when the Ravens have the ball on offense where this game will be won. Houston has proven to be a solid crew on defense but a dual-threat like Ray Rice is the perfect remedy to solve that problem. An all-purpose yard king, Rice is just as dangerous catching balls out of the backfield than toting the rock after a hand-off. I smell a 150-yard combined performance from him to lead Baltimore to the win.

PACKERS over Giants

Ahhh, this pains me. No team has looked better in the past three weeks (with maybe New Orleans in the discussion) than the Giants. They've crushed the Jets, Cowboys & Falcons in order, bringing them to this rematch with defending champs Green Bay. The pass rush reached their pinnicle last week, holding Atlanta's potent offense scoreless. Hakeem Nicks showed what happens when defenses put too much focus on Victor Cruz. Brandon Jacobs looked like... well... not Brandon Jacobs, running for almost 100 yards. The G-Men are clicking on all cyclinders.

And then there's the offensive juggernaut known as the Packers. Yeah, they had the best record in the NFL. Yeah, they probably have the MVP in Aaron Rodgers. Yeah, his favorite weapon, Greg Jennings, is back from injury. It's not likely that the Giants will do to GB what they did to Atlanta. Like NE, the only thing keeping GB from being an unstoppable force is their pourous defense. They often bend but don't break, but New York has the pieces on offense to keep the pressure on, and that's exactly what I expect them to do. But that pressure can only sustained for so long. As much as it pains me to say it, I like GB here by a FG. And if I'm wrong, I will be the happiest man alive.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Shit Spanish Girls Say

Although this 'Shit _____ Girls Say' thing is getting a lil out of hand, this one was amausing

Skillz 'Rap Up 2011'

Another year, another Skillz 'Rap Up'

'Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus'

This blog was created mainly for fun purposes. Sure, I may post something involving music that gets a few people riled up but I usually keep it light on here. In other words, you won't see much about politics or religion. In this case, however, I will make an exception. Once you check out this spoken word piece, whether you agree or not with the content, you will understand why I did.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

NFL Wild Card Weekend Predictions (Part 2)

Ok, so the quest for perfection may have ended prematurely. Damn you, Bengals! However, I still have the opportunity to match my 3-1 record from last year's wild card weekend. The problem is that today's games present so many unknowns, it will not be easy to go 2 for 2. No complaining though. This is the life I chose. So without any further ado, here are my picks:

(Home team in CAPS)

GIANTS over Falcons

This weekend's true toss-up. The Falcons are loaded on offense this year. Last year's core of Matt Ryan, Roddy White, Michael Turner & future Hall-of-Famer Tony Gonzalez got an extra weapon in lethal rookie WR Julio Jones. Throw in the fact that the Giants have a weak secondary & you have a recipe for disaster. Atlanta has looked good going into the playoffs before, however, most notably last year when they locked up the #1 seed in the NFC, only to get raped in their first game by eventual champs Green Bay. Now they have to play outdoors against a peaking Giants team? Color me skeptical.

Kind of hard to be unbiased here, as I am a huge Giants fan so I get the chance to watch all their games. I've seen the highs & lows play out that eventually equaled a slightly above average season overall. However, NY, already featuring a potent passing attack with a near 5,000 yard passer (Eli Manning) & the best WR duo yardage-wise this year (Hakeem Nicks & sudden superstar Victor Cruz), has gotten their pass rush together on defense at the right time. The three-headed monster of Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora & All-Pro Jason Pierre-Paul will help cover up the holes in the secondary, slowing up Atlanta's offense just enough to grab a close victory.

Pittsburgh over DENVER

Wtf do we make of Denver? The Kyle Orton-led team that started the season slowly morphed into the Tim Tebow-led powerhouse that made them front-runners in the AFC West, only to see them drop their last three games & limp into the playoffs. Even with all that said, Denver is in a good position to pull off an 'upset' here. Not only is this game in Denver where the altitude presents a real disadvantage for visitors, but Pittsburgh is littered with injuries ranging from RB Rashard Mendenhall to safety Ryan Clark. Even their rock, Big Ben, has been slowed down recently with a hobbled leg. The Steelers are far from full-strength & Tebow loves Jesus. Hallelujah!

I still like Pitt here, and that is a testament to their veteran leadership & experience. The Steelers have been down this road before. If there's any team that can overcome adversity in the post-season, it's Pittsburgh. Tebow has looked flat-out amatuerish recently, including a dreadful performance against Buffalo where he threw four picks, two of which were returned for TD's. Denver's strength in the running game can be combatted by Pitt's stunning-as-always run defense. For me to pick Denver here, I would have to expect Tebow to play flawlessly. God forgive me but I don't see it.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

NFL Wild Card Weekend Predictions (Part 1)

The guru is back to bless you bastards w/ some more football wisdom! If you recall, last year when I started my blog, I predicted the outcome of the NFL playoffs and boy did I do it successfully! We start w/ wild card weekend, typically the hardest week to predict because the teams involved all have glaring weaknesses. I'll start w/ the games that begin shortly & I'll be back tomorrow to recap the rest.

Last year, I went 3-1 in these games. I'm aiming for nothing less than perfection.

(Home team in CAPS)

Bengals over TEXANS

You have to admire the Texans. Notoriously known for choking season after season despite having a talented roster, they took full advantage of the Colts' Peyton-less collapse by winning their division convincingly. However, they're entering the playoffs exactly the way you do NOT want to be in there. They are already minus their starting QB (Matt Schaub), back-up QB (Matt Leinart) & best defensive player (Mario Williams). Their 3rd-string QB, rookie TJ Yates, has filled in admirably but he's dinged up, too. And since I mentioned the pathetic Colts before, now is a good time to add that one of the two Colts wins came in week 16 against Houston. Yikes.

Cincy, on the other hand, overachieved like a mah'fucka. Nobody expected much from them after losing lockdown corner Jonathan Joseph (to Houston, of all places) & handing over the offense to rookie QB Andy Dalton. However, Dalton lived up to his 'Red Rifle' nickname by forming great chemistry w/ fellow rookie AJ Green. The Bengals also benefitted from playing in the AFC North that featured fellow playoff juggernauts Pittsburgh & Baltimore. While they lost all four games against those teams, the war scars will pay off this weekend against a struggling Houston team.

NEW ORLEANS over Detroit

Well, this should be fun. While Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers & Tom Brady have stolen the headlines QB-wise, Matthew Stafford quietly put together a 5,000 yard season. As surprising as it is, the more important thing is that Stafford, who had been limited in his previous two seasons due to injuries, played the entire season. Having Stafford at the helm takes full advantage of Calvin Johnson's skill set as he established himself as the most dangerous WR in the league. Detroit should have no problem putting up points on New Orleans' sub-par pass defense.

The problem is, can Detroit stop New Orleans aerial assault? The answer, simply, is no. Nobody has had any luck w/ that, especially recently as Brees established an NFL record for passing yards in a season. The weapons at the Saints' disposal are ridiculous. Jimmy Graham, Marques Colston, Darren Sproles & Lance Moore present mismatches all over the field. Eventually, the Saints are going to have to win a game that isn't a shoot-out. This week won't be that week.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Disney's 'The Triangle Bush'

Saw this on E's 'The Soup' where they ranked the top clips of the year & couldn't stop laughing. Somehow this did not get the #1 spot. Sexual AND illuminati symbolism, all wrapped up delightfully in one disney clip!