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Tampa Bay put on a late surge to put the game in overtime, but could not finish off the Falcons. Matt Ryan and Michael Turner guided the Falcons down the field, setting up a game winning 34 yard kick by Jason Elam. Matt Ryan did not perform as he has in the past, posting his 2nd lowest rating of the season at 57.5. The man for the Falcons today was halfback Michael Turner. He rushed for 152 yards, recording 15th rushing TD of the season, breaking Jamal Anderson's team record from 1998. John Abraham had 3 sacks today, one came in overtime on a 3rd down attempt by the Bucs that forced them to punt.
The Bucs will need to improve their discipline, with 11 penalties today for 76. A big penalty occured in the 4th quarter when the Bucs were driving. On a 3rd and 1 situation, a false start penalty brought them back 5 yards, and Matt Bryant could not connect for the long field goal. Antonio Bryant posted another 100 yards game today, hauling in 108 yards with 1 TD.
The Bucs and Falcons are battling for wild card spots, both need the Panthers and Cowboys to lose today.
Lions at Colts: 35-13 Colts
Bucs at Falcons: 24-20 Bucs
Redskins at Bengals: 23-17 Redskins
Chargers at Chiefs: 28-14 Chiefs
Seahawks at Rams: 17-13 Seahawks
49ers at Dolphins: 23-20 Dolphins
Bills at Jets: 30-27 Bills
Titans at Texans: 38-30 Titans
Packers at Jaguars: 30-28 Packers
Vikings at Cardinals: 28-23 Cardinals
Broncos at Panthers: 27-21 Panthers
Steelers at Ravens: 20-14 Ravens
Patriots at Raiders: 28-10 Patriots
Giants at Cowboys: 31-23 Cowboys
Browns at Eagles: 42-20 Eagles
NFC
Teams Who Have Clinched: Giants and Cardinals
Teams That Have Been Eliminated: 49ers, Lions, Rams, Seattle
The Giants clinch a first-round bye with:
1) A win at Dallas OR
1) A win at Dallas OR
2 ) Minnesota loss and Atlanta loss or tie OR
3) Minnesota loss and Carolina win or tie OR
4) Minnesota-Arizona game ends in a tie
The Vikings clinch by defeating the Cardinals and a Bears loss ( which they won on Thursday )
The Buccaneers clinch a playoff spot with:
1) A win over Atlanta and Dallas loss or tie OR
1) A win over Atlanta and Dallas loss or tie OR
2) A win over Atlanta and Philadelphia loss or tie
The Panthers clinch a playoff spot with:
1) A win over Denver and Dallas loss or tie OR
1) A win over Denver and Dallas loss or tie OR
2) A win over Denver or tie and Atlanta loss or tie OR
3) A tie with Denver and Dallas loss and Philadelphia loss or tie OR
4) Atlanta loss and Dallas loss and Washington loss or tie OR
5) Atlanta loss and Dallas loss and Chicago loss or tie OR
6) Atlanta loss and Philadelphia loss and Washington loss or tie and Chicago loss or tie.
AFC
Teams Who Have Clinched: Titans ( 1st Round Bye )
Teams Who Have Been Eliminated: Bengals, Browns, Texans, Jaguars, Chiefs, Raiders
The Broncos clinch with a win or a Chargers loss
The Steelers clinch a 1st Round Bye and the divison with a win
The Colts clinch a playoff spot with:
1) A win over Detroit and New England loss and N.Y. Jets loss or tie OR
1) A win over Detroit and New England loss and N.Y. Jets loss or tie OR
2) A win over Detroit and New England loss and Miami loss or tie OR
3) A win over Detroit and Miami loss and N.Y. Jets loss
The Ravens clinch a playoff spot with:
1) A win over Pittsburgh and New England loss and N.Y. Jets loss or tie OR
1) A win over Pittsburgh and New England loss and N.Y. Jets loss or tie OR
2) A win over Pittsburgh and New England loss and Miami loss or tie OR
3) A win over Pittsburgh and Miami loss and N.Y. Jets loss and Indianapolis loss or tie OR
4) A win over Pittsburgh and Miami loss and N.Y. Jets loss and Indianapolis clinches strength of victory tiebreaker over Miami
A league that has been bringing in more fans each and every year and has begun to receive more national spotlight has cancelled the 2009 season. The AFL has tried to fix their financial woes, but cannot get it done by this season. The AFL hopes to get the league going again in the 2010 season. The releasing of the schedules had been delayed for the 3rd time, along with the start of the free agency period and the dispersal draft, which showed signs of the struggles the AFL was having. The AF2, the minor leagues to the AFL, will play this season since the league operates on its own and has it's own finances.
The AFL would have been entering their 23rd season before the suspension of the league. The league has been growing in popularity, especially since ESPN signed a contract with the AFL in 2006. The league has suffered a huge setback, one that may completely end their league.
After hearing the news on the AFL, I was shocked. I am a season ticket holder for the Philadelphia Soul, the reigning champs of the league. I have really become a fan of the league, especially since it's such a fan friendly environment. I hope the AFL can get back on it's feet for the 2010 season, the league was fun to watch in the offseason of the NFL.
It's near playoff season in the NFL. Some divisions have been decided, some will come down to the wire, and now is the back stretch of the wild card race.
NFC East
With the loss to the Eagles, the Giants had to watch the Pittsburgh-Dallas game, hoping that Dallas will stumble in which the Giants would win the division with a first round bye. The Steelers made a tremendous comeback, down 10 in the 4th quarter, and took the lead on an interception by Deshea Townsend with 1:40 on the remaining in the game.
The Winner: New York Giants
NFC North
The Vikings hold a 1 game lead over Chicago, and have won their last 3 games. The Vikings finish off with a tough schedule against the Cardinals, Falcons and the Giants. The Bears are also up against tough competition in the Saints, Packers and the Texans.
My Pick: Chicago Bears
NFC South
The Bucs and Panthers play an all important game tonight which could settle the South's winner. The Bucs finish off with the Panthers tonight, the Falcons, the Chargers and the Raiders. The Panthers end their season with the Bucs tonight, Broncos, Giants and the Saints. This division could produce the two wild cards, as the Falcons and Saints are all still competing for the wild card spots.
My Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC West
Possibly the worst division in the league, the Cardinals have already clinched the division and theres no other team in the divison who has a chance at the wild card.
The Wild Cards
Carolina Panthers
Atlanta Falcons
Rose Bowl
Penn State vs USC
Orange Bowl
Cincinatti vs Virginia Tech
Fiesta Bowl
Ohio State vs Texas
Sugar Bowl
Alabama vs Utah
National Championship
Florida vs Oklahoma
Leave a comment on which bowl will be the most exciting and the least exciting, also include your picks.
It was the 4th quarter, the Lions held a 13-10 lead until Tarvaris Jackson found Visanthe Shiancoe with an 11 yard TD pass. The Lions held close, only to lose 20-16 and continue the winless season. The Vikings lost starter Gus Frerotte in the first half while trailing, but season opener starter Tarvaris Jackson led them back, throwing for 105 yards and the go ahead TD. Once again, Adrian Peterson rushed for over 100 yards for the 8th straight game but could not reach the endzone. Daunte Culpepper played his best game this year against his former team, throwing for 220 yards and a 70 yard TD pass to Calvin Johnson.
The win today for the Vikes was crucial, since they still maintain a lead in the NFC North. The Vikings swept the season series for the 6th time in the last 7 years, winning 19 of their last 22 head to head matchups.
This game seemed to be the only possible chance of winning for the Lions. They face the Colts next week, followed by the red hot Saints, and ending with divisional rival Green Bay.
Brian Westbrook looked great today for the Eagles, rushing for 131 yards and a TD with 72 receiving yards and another TD. McNabb threw for 191 yards and 1 TD, while L.J Smith had a season high 6 receptions. The Eagles held the Giants to 211 total yards, and stopping the Giants 3 times on 4th down. The Eagles converted 67% of the their 3rd down situations, while the Giants only completed 27% of their 3rd down chances. The Giants only had possession once in the 3rd quarter, as the Eagles totaled 34:54 in time of possession.
The Giants ( 11-2) can still clinch the division today if the Cowboys lose to the Steelers. The Eagles ( 7-5-1) still have a chance at a wild card spot.
The Giants ( 11-2) can still clinch the division today if the Cowboys lose to the Steelers. The Eagles ( 7-5-1) still have a chance at a wild card spot.
The RB of the Week: Adrian Peterson
He goes up against the winless Lions, who have not been able to stop anyone on offense.
The Bum of the the Week: DeAngelo Williams
Don't expect him to be able to run against the Bucs tough defense, in which he only ran for 27 yards in their first meeting.
Sleeper of the Week: Ricky Williams
The Dolphins need a win today to keep their playoff hopes alive. Williams had a TD against the Bills in their first meeting, expect him to do the same today.
Rookie of the Week: Steve Slaton
The Packers have been shaky against the run and Slaton has been able to find holes lately.
Jeff Garcia, Tampa Bay
Leads his Bucs up against division rival Carolina. The winner of this game would take full control of the NFC South and would compete for a first round bye in the playoffs. The Bucs will need Garcia to have a great game, hopefully stretching the field to his favorite receiver, Antonio Bryant.
The Bucs take on the Panthers on Monday Night Football.
The NHL has the smallest total fan base out of the 4 major sports, the smallest revenue from television, and the least sponsorship. So what happened? The NHL has just never recovered since the '04-'05 lockout, which resulted in the cancellation of the 88th season in the NHL. Since then, NHL fans have just not followed as they used to, watching the other professional leagues instead of the NHL. So how can the NHL compete with the other leagues? I have thought out a way the NHL can make a comeback, which involves a lot of changes. This section will be Part 1 of 3 parts.
Step 1: Revamp the Teams
To bring back fans, you may need to hold a draft. Not a rookie draft, a draft consisting of EVERY NHL player. It may be difficult but it would bring fans back to watching the games.
There would be 28 teams. Minnesota Wild , Columbus Blue Jackets and the Atlanta Thrashers would be cut out of the league. There would be 1 new franchise, the Las Vegas Highrollers.
The draft would be 30 rounds. The players who are not drafted, would be placed on the Minor League teams.
The divisons would be kept the same as it is now. The Las Vegas Highrollers would go to the Pacific division, the Dallas Stars would move to the Central division.
Part 2 will be about the schedule next week.
Boston College vs Virgina Tech: BC 31 - VT - 23
Player 2 Watch: RB Montel Harris, Boston College
Florida vs Alabama: Florida 41 - 'Bama - 17
Player 2 Watch: RB Chris Rainey, Florida
Oklahoma vs Missouri: Mizz 38 - Oklahoma 34
Player 2 Watch: WR/KR Jeremy Maclin, Missouri
December is known as the month for giving, well for 3 coaches today, they were given the axe. Toronto Raptors coach Sam Mitchell, Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville, and Carolina Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette all were fired today.
The Raptors are 8-9, but suffered a 39 point loss in Denver. Mitchell was in his fifth season with the Raptors, finishing with a 156-189 record. In the '06-'07 season, he was named Coach of the Year, after leading the Raptors to a 47-35 record and into the playoffs. They also made the playoffs last season, losing in the first round.
Long time Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville won 85 games and 1 SEC championship in 10 seasons, announced his resignation today. The Tigers finished 5-7 this season and was shut out against rival Alabama last week. In 2004, Tuberville led the Tigers to a 13-0 year, but was somehow left out of the championship game in what may be the worst issue the BCS faced.
The most shocking firing was Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette. He won more NHL games than any other American born coach. In 2006, Laviolette guided the 'Canes to their first Stanley Cup victory. He made Eric Staal and Cam Ward household names and star players around the league. 
We all know the BCS has been terrible recently, so I have decided to design a playoff system for the college football season.
16 teams would qualify for the tournament
- There are 6 automatic bids: the winner of the ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-10 and the SEC. These 6 spots are the top 6 spots in the tournament. Whoever is ranked higher in the AP Poll, receive the 1 spot and so on.
- The remaining 10 spots are awarded to the top teams in the AP Poll who are not conference winners.
- A non-major conference team who finishes the season undefeated is able to make the tournament. If 2+ teams finish undefeated from a Non-Major conference, the team who is ranked higher gets an automatic bid. The other remaining teams can get in the same way as the other teams, by being ranked high in the AP Poll.
- Similar to March Madness, it would start as a Sweet 16, Elite 8, Final 4.
- The championship game would be held in alternating stadiums each year, just as the Super Bowl.
If this system was in place this year, it would go like this. ( For demonstational purposes, I will put Florida as winner of SEC, Oklahoma as winner of Big 12, Boston College winner of ACC, USC winner of Pac-10)
1 Florida (SEC) vs 16 Georgia Tech
8 Alabama vs 9 Utah
6 Boston College (ACC) vs 11 Boise State
4 PSU (Big 10) vs 13 TCU
3 USC (Pac-10) vs 14 Ball State
5 Cincinatti (Big East) vs 12 Ohio State
7 Texas vs Texas Tech
2 Oklahoma (Big 12) vs 15 Oklahoma State
Let me know what you think of this system... and tell me what games in this playoff would entertain you.
The USC Trojans are willing to give up timeouts for the UCLA game. The NCAA rules state that when a visiting team wears their home jersey, the penalty is losing 2 timeouts, one every half. The Pac-10 says that USC will only be penalized one timeout at the beginning of the game. You may be thinking that this is pointless to wear your home jersey, but this is a tradition that happened back in 1982 when both teams shared the Los Angelas Coliseum. UCLA is not against this decision by USC, agreeing they will call a timeout after USC is penalized the timeout.
I have no problem with USC wearing their red jerseys. It shouldn't affect USC that much, since UCLA has not been doing good this year. Personally, I like the idea of wearing your main colored jersey and I think that if USC and UCLA both agree on this, then USC should not have a timeout taken from them.
The canidates for " Most Underachieving Team" are the San Diego Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks and the Cleveland Browns.
San Diego Chargers
Have only 4 wins this year after an 11 win year last seaon and a 14 win season in 2006. The Chargers have talent at all positions with Pro Bowl RB LaDanian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates on offense. LT has only 794 rushing yards and 7 total TD's since last season's 1,474 rushing yards and 18 total TD's. The defense is not having a good year as they are ranked 27th in overall defense and 31st in passing yards allowed per game.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Their record before Monday Night Football is 4-7, unlike last year's 11-5 record and 2005's 12-4 record. Their pair of halfbacks, Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor, are not getting the yards the Jags need on the ground. Jones-Drew only has 503 yards and Taylor has 436 yards on the ground. Their offense is ranked 22nd in yards per game, much different then last year's 7th ranked offense. The defense is 14th in total defense, not doing much worse then last year's 12th ranked defense.
Seattle Seahawks
The injury bug has hit the Seahawks this year, but the good teams can manage to overcome these injuries. They are tied for last place in the worst division in the league, the NFC West, with a 2-10 record. Matt Hasselbeck has missed 5 games this year and receiver Deion Branch has played just 4 games this year, yet to have a touchdown when he has played. The Seahawks have had more then 9 wins since 2003, ending the streak this year.
Cleveland Browns
After a 10 win season last year, the Browns were expected to contend in the AFC North. But they hold a 4-8 record, currently in 3rd place, and both Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn are out for season. Don't expect much now for the Browns with Ken Dorsey as their QB. Braylon Edwards leads the league in drops, and has only reached the endzone 3 times so far. They have the 27th ranked offense and 26th defense this year.
The winner of the "Most Underachieving NFL Team" is... the San Diego Chargers. They seem to always have a chance to win the game in the 4th quarter, but are unable to finish the game out. After making the playoffs last year and having as much talent as they do, they were expected to contend for the Super Bowl. This is a truly disappointing year for the Chargers.
