Things ....We Learned......From the Week-end

2010......"Twenty Ten"......"Two thousand & ten"........"K2-ten"......"two-oh, one-oh"......everyone has their own way.....to say it.    But .....the new year is indeed here.



The Atlanta Falcons....went 9-7 this year....doesn't seem like much....but for the first time in their 44 year history.......the birds had back to back....winning seasons.

What's wrong .....with the Atlanta Hawks?   Losers or 3 in a row.......

The NY Giants........must have thought they were playing in the era of a 14 game schedule....they took the last two games off.

And what happened to.......the Denver Broncos?   6-0 start.....to missing the play-offs.


Nobody is laughing.....at the Dallas Cowboys and the San Diego Chargers...right about now.


Is .....the college bowl season......over.....yet?


Man........it's cold outside.........but........it is .......January....


We're smarter......are you?

Things ....We Learned......From the Week-end

According to the  scientific calendar......

Winter officially got here at 12:01.....this morning.....this 21st day of December.

However........there's people .......from Virginia to Massachusetts........that would swear....winter came a few days earlier.   As in that blizzard which hit Friday and Saturday.

If not for the 4,000 automobile accidents in Virginia alone......the thousands of stranded airline passengers all along the northeast corridor......

The snow ........was breathtakingly beautiful.......in New York City's,  Central Park.  (pictured)

Things........we learned:

The University of Georgia  mens' basketball team may not be as bad as advertised.  The upset Illinois ,  70-67.

The "Lady Dogs"......of that same school........may be even better than advertised.  They are undefeated.......at  11--0.

The Atlanta Falcons......have ....."heart".   They go into a cold and windy .....Meadow lands,  NJ.........and beat the NY Jets.

The New Orleans Saints......came crashing back down to earth.   Told you!

Why don't..........the Minnesota Vikings......look anything like the world beaters they were....just a month ago?

Are the Cincinnati Bengals........cursed?   First the tragedy of Chris Henry earlier in the week.....then yesterday......the lose a heart-breaker to San Diego .....27-24......on the last play of the game.

The best game .......I saw?    Definitely ........the Pittsburgh - Green Bay  shoot out.   The Steelers had 503 yards.......passing.    Wow!

The college  bowl season.......is in full swing.......wake me on Jan 1st.......when the real games start.

So.........I do.........indeed......feel smarter..........You?

Things From the Week-end.......

It has been......(with all due respect for the man himself.....Brook Benton)


Raining for seemingly days.....in this small, southern, college town.   And foggy too.  The drought of 2008....is a distant memory.  I saw frogs......hopping along the highways.

Anyway......from the week-end:

The Atlanta Hawks.......have won 4 in a row.

The Atlanta Falcons.....have lost 6 of their last 8.

The best thing......I saw?   The Philadelphia- New York game......45-38!

The worst?    The Army-Navy game......3-0....at the half.

Congratulations........Mark Ingram......Heisman Trophy winner.......

Kudos........to the University of Kansas.......for hiring Turner Gill  (a black coach) to lead its football team.

Happy Trails.......Tiger Woods......taking an indefinite leave of absence......

Have the jokes........stopped........yet?

Hope you & yours.......had a great week-end.

Things ....We Learned......From the Week-end

 Breaking News....

TV's "As The World Turns" gets axe after 54 years

That show......is older than me!

But......on with......what we learned:


Yes........it is a day late.....

But....Tuesday is good.   For it gives us an extra day to reflect......upon the week-end that was.

And.....what a week-end!    SEC football,  the NFL, the NBA,  Tiger Woods.......

Did we say,  "Tiger Woods"?   Sorry......this post....from here on out....will be ......."Tiger  free". 


Today......we're smarter......because we learned:

The Atlanta Falcons....laid an egg.....lost at home....and got embarrassed by Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles,  34-7......in a game that was not even that close.    Now the Birds can look forward to hosting the 12-0 New Orleans Saints......Can you say,  56-3.....Saints?   It will be ugly.


It really felt .........real good.....to see Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators.....humbled by Alabama.   Final score was 32-13........and that was not even close to the real beat down the "Tide" gave Florida.

Defending Super Bowl Champion....Pittsburgh ........has lost 4 in a row.   What's up?

New England .......lost again .....in Miami.    What gives?

Are the.....12-0 Colts.......on a collision course.......with the 12-0 Saints?

Georgia Tech and Clemson......played a very entertaining game in the ACC Championship.   And ESPN did a great job of not showing the thousands of upper deck empty seats.

How many ........shopping days?

Welcome back.........Mr. Iverson.......you scored 11 points last night....and the Sixers' still lost by 10.

So.......are you any smarter?    We tried.

 

Things......From the Week-end.....Learned & Lived

It is a ......Monday.

Are you smarter? We are.

Things.....we learned:

This new movie, "The Blind Side"........just may be a real good thing. Tell us if you've seen it.

Anything.....is possible.......in the NFL.

Georgia......losing to Kentucky.....is tough to swallow.

The Atlanta Falcons....can not....win a road game.


Things......we lived:

Another rainy week-end........in this small, southern, college town.....depressing.

Another gut wrenching loss.......by both our .....Atlanta Falcons and our beloved Bulldogs.

Working on Sunday.....I had forgotten how bad......it is.

Thanksgiving plans........worth the wait....looking so forward to a week in Cary, NC.


We will be on the road.......in Cary....in North Carolina ...for all of this coming week.

Hope all of you will have a great Thanksgiving......

Things......We learned from the Week-end

Today......it was 77 degrees in this small southern college town. Rather warm......on a November day.....even in the deep south.

Could this be the start of........dare we say........."global warning"?

Just asking.......

Here's what the week-end gave us.......and some things we learned:


Happy Trails........A. I.

AFP

Iverson leaves Memphis by mutual consent - Washington Post

MIAMI (Reuters) - Ten-times NBA All-Star guard Allen Iverson has left the Memphis Grizzlies just a few months after joining them as a free agent.....

This is one ....expensive ...bird :

NFL fines Titans owner Bud Adams $250K for obscene gesture

The NFL has fined Titans owner Bud Adams $250,000 for making an obscene gesture at Buffalo fans while celebrating Tennessee's victory over...

We are not surprised:

Rodman detained, released after hotel bill flap in Germany

Former basketball star Dennis Rodman was temporarily detained in Germany for allegedly skipping out on a $5,100 hotel bill for a post-game...

And ....she's ....barely 20:

First LPGA victory gives Wie a big shot of confidence

By Steve DiMeglio, USA TODAY

Michelle Wie will arrive at this week's LPGA Tour Championship at the Houstonian Golf and Country Club today as the tour's newly minted...

Monday short shorts:

The Atlanta Falcons.....are just an average......8-8 team.

The Atlanta Hawks.......went into the Boston Garden....and soundly beat the Celtics.

Georgia......showed signs of life against Auburn.

Stanford........put up half a hundred....plus 5 ...in their 55-21 beat down of USC.

Georgia Tech.......may just be the best 1 loss team....in the nation.

Air conditioners......on.......in November?.....

It just........ain't right.

Things From the Week-end.......

I don't know.....I can't say....

But I do know this......

This particular Monday, I don't feel so smart. Then again....I don't feel especially dumb.

We had our share of Rihanna (with the 60 minutes piece)......Note to both Chris & Rihanna: "You two are boring us.....at this point......It happened......it was ugly.......now, let all of us just move on. He beat you up........you stayed with him.....he beat you again.......you stayed.... by the grace of God, you came to your senses......and turned him in.

We can only hope........you have moved on. We have.

And ......in our wonderful world of sports.......

It was....just one of those ......"blah" week-ends. A little bit of this.....a little bit of that. Some college football mixed in with some NFL......with a sprinkle of the NBA. So ......here goes:

Lawrence Taylor arrested in crash

MIAMI, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Retired professional football great Lawrence Taylor was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident in the Miami area, police said.

Surprise, surprise, surprise!!!!!

Even a thug.....deserves ....a second chance:

Blount reinstated by Oregon

EUGENE, Ore., Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount, suspended for punching a Boise State player, has been reinstated and is eligible to play in the No. 16 Ducks' next game.

Yep....this is that same guy.....You remember......the one that cold-cocked that Boise State player......in the first game of the season.....on national TV.

Michael Vick....1 carry......2 yards.

NFL: Dallas 20, Philadelphia 16

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Tony Romo hit Miles Austin with a 49-yard fourth-quarter touchdown pass Sunday and the Dallas Cowboys beat Philadelphia 20-16.

So much for the Michael Vick experiment in Philly. It's like the Eagles have a 400 horsepower Hemi........and they are driving in the fast lane.......doing about 40 mph.....to conserve fuel.

Note to Philly........"punch it".....put the pedal to the medal.........use it ....or lose it. Let's see .......what Vick........can be.


Home.......Sweet Home....

NFL: Atlanta 31, Washington 17

ATLANTA, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Atlanta scored in the first quarter on a Matt Ryan pass and 62-yard interception run by Tye Hill Sunday and went on to beat the Washington Redskins 31-17.

These birds have only lost 1 home game.....under this new regime of head coach Mike Smith....11-1......we should re-word it.....and say, "Dome, sweet dome".



A.I. ?????? A.I.??????

Iverson reported out for personal matter

MEMPHIS, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Memphis Grizzlies guard Allen Iverson has left the team to handle a personal matter, The Commercial Appeal reported Saturday.

The Detroit experiment failed. (We told you.....here...first). Now this. Iverson ......was.....at one time......a great basketball player....who was under 6 feet tall.....but could score with the best of them. But.........we all get old. And at age, 36.....well .....let's just say, A.I., you're not 21 ......anymore.


So there......didn't learn a whole lot........just another Saturday and Sunday.

And now........we have another week to deal with .

Have fun!

Things......We learned from the Week-end

We are so much smarter.....

This Monday.....'cuz we learned a thing or two over these last couple of days....Some of it was painful.....some of it was fun......and some of it was down right disgusting.

So...... with apologies to my man, Clint Eastwood......lets go the old, "Good, Bad....& Ugly" route.


The Good?

How about these stories:

Tech beats Virginia......on the road.....where they hadn't had a win in the last 17 years. That triple option offense....is a beautiful thing to watch....when it's clicking. And these Yellow Jackets....are sure clicking.

			1		2		3		4		Total
	(11) Georgia Tech	3	10	7	14	34	Final
	Virginia	3	3	0	3	9

Box Score - Recap

Overtime payoff: Clemson stuns Miami

So tired of hearing the University of Miami..... saying, the "U" is back.

Kudos........to Clemson......for going down to south beach.......and upsetting .....the "U"



The Bad?

How bad are......the bad teams.....in the NFL? Scores from Sundays games:

Green Bay 31
Cleveland 3
Final Cleveland is now, 1-6!


San Diego 37
Kansas City 7
Final K C is also, 1-6!


And then there are these ultra-bad teams:

Indianapolis 42
St. Louis 6

Final


New England 35
Tampa Bay 7
Final Both of these woeful teams are 0-7........win-less.....and getting worse.



And now......the Ugly:

In a game that started out so promising for the birds.......It got ugly......in a hurry:

Atlanta Falcons 21 - Dallas Cowboys 37 - Add to iGoogle
	Oct 25 1 2 3 4 T Falcons 7 0 7 7 21 Cowboys 0 17 7 13 37 « Next game: @ New Orleans Saints, Nov 2 8:30pm ET

But ....at least we have company.....and it could be worse.....we could be fans of 6eVoices' Carolina Panthers.....

Buffalo Bills 20 - Carolina Panthers 9 - Add to iGoogle
	Oct 25 1 2 3 4 T Bills 7 0 0 13 20 « Panthers 0 2 0 7 9 Next game: @ Arizona Cardinals, Nov 1 4:15pm ET

So there.....I feel smarter.......You?

These birds.......are Flying high

The most impressive thing I saw this past week-end?

Atlanta 45, San Francisco 10....

Atlanta Falcons blast 49ers, win 45-10 in dominating fashion

And it was not even that close. The 49ners play with the intensity and swagger of their head coach, Mike Singletary. They try to intimidate you ...hit you in the mouth. On Sunday.....their opponent...hit back....harder.


I have never seen a Falcon team....quite like this. Yes, San Fran, came out swinging...and indeed ...went upside the Falcons heads.

But Atlanta was like, "Is that all you've got?"....and promptly put up 35 1st half points (a franchise record).

It's only been 4 games.....and Atlanta has never had back to back winning seasons in there NFL history....but.......

Here we are.....in October.....3 wins, 1 loss....

These birds are flying high.....

I'm on their wings.....you?

Thoughts.....on a Friday.....

TGIF?

Well........it is Friday......and here's what's up.


Georgia, Georgia Tech, and the Atlanta Falcons.........are all road "underdogs"


We say .......all will win........straight up.


Georgia is at Tennessee.......Tech is at FSU......and the Falcons are at San Francisco.....


In this small .....southern.....college town.......Fall is in the air. Feels good...no humidity.......comfortable......Almost.......agreeable......


Things.......I think.........I think:


So........Obama .......wins the Nobel Peace Prize.......Republicans, please get over it.....now!!!!


The MLB play-offs........have been very entertaining.


I still have not seen one episode of the new "Curb your Enthusiasm" on HBO.


My daughter insists on me getting "texting" added to my phone......I can't disagree.


I have a new "corner office" at work......my first addition was to ...add a desk calender.


800 miles...........I drove.......just this past week.


What the hell.......happened to .......September?


Thoughts........on a Friday.......


Have a great week-end.

Hump Day News & Views

Mission accomplished.....a solo act...366 days.......366 posts.......

And ..........a toast.......to me....

Our goal for 5 on Five since January 1st of this year, was to post at least one article each day. There were droughts........and there were days with multiple postings. But in the end we got our 366 posts. I use the word "we" rather loosely .....as this writer authored all of the 366 post for 2008. No promises or goals for 2009, if we feel a blog........we'll post it. If not, we won't.


New Year's Eve, 2008..........

Today ..........or tonight, we bid farewell to the year 2008. What a year it was. An African-American president elected.......the meltdown of the economy.....In sports, the Super Bowl to the Beijing Olympics........2008 was awesome. Check out MS NBC 's

The Year in News Pictures

Odds are.......A home team is bound to win.......

For maybe the first time ever..........at least the first time I can remember.....all four road teams are favored in this weekend's wild card play-offs in the NFL. Here's the Vegas odds:

NFL Lines Wild Card Playoffs - NFL Football Line Wild Card Weekend Playoff Games - NFL Game Lines 1/3 - 1/4, 2009

Date & Time	Favorite	Line	Underdog	Total
1/3 4:30 ET	Atlanta	-2	At Arizona	51
1/3 8:00 ET	Indianapolis	-1	At San Diego	51
1/4 1:00 ET	Baltimore	-3	At Miami	37.5
1/4 4:30 ET	Philadelphia	-3	At Minnesota	41.5

I see Arizona and Minnesota playing over their heads in front of frenzied home crowds to defeat the Falcons and the Eagles straight up. Then again........

Another day.......another coach fired?

DENVER (AP)—Over the past few years, Mike Shanahan, the vice president of football operations, didn’t do Mike Shanahan, the coach, any favors.

In the end, both got fired.

The Denver Broncos parted ways with Shanahan on Tuesday following a late-season fizzle that knocked the team out of the postseason for a third straight season.

Read full article at :

Broncos fire coach Shanahan

And now, some breaking news about our friend, Charles Barkley........

From the Associated Press & Yahoo Sports:

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP)—Charles Barkley was arrested on suspicion of drinking and driving early Wednesday.

An officer with a law enforcement task force that targets drunken driving saw the former NBA star run a stop sign around 1:30 a.m., said Gilbert police Lt. Eric Shuhandler.

Barkley declined to submit to a breath test but was given a blood test. The results weren’t immediately available.

After Barkley was processed, he was cited and released. He left in a cab, Shuhandler said.

Shuhandler said there was nothing remarkable about the 45-year-old Barkley’s arrest and that it is customary to release people after they’ve been arrested on suspicion of DUI.

“There was nothing unusual about how he was taken into custody,” Shuhandler said. “He was treated exactly like we treat anybody else.”

Barkley was arrested in Scottsdale’s Old Town area, one of the trendiest spots in the Phoenix metro area.

A television commentator for NBA games, the former Auburn player was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame last month.

He played 16 NBA seasons for the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets, and played on the 1992 and 1996 Olympic teams. Barkley was an 11-time NBA All-Star and league MVP in 1993.

Selected one the NBA’s 50 greatest players in 1996, he was inducted into the 2006 Basketball Hall of Fame.

Reminder guys/gals..........tonight is New Year's eve.....don't drink and drive....live to enjoy 2009.....

Have a great night!

Things ....From the Week-end....Learned & More

Playoffs????? Playoffs??????

With all due respect to Tom Landry (right) and America's Team .......the Dallas Cowboys....neither will be around for the 2008-09 NFL play-offs.

The NFL concluded its regular season in style Sunday.........The Atlanta Falcons are in.....the Dallas Cowboys are not. The Miami Dolphins are in.......the New England Patriots are not.

AFC division winners are San Diego (8-8 , with their win over Denver), Tennessee, Pittsburgh, and Miami. Wild cards are Indianapolis and Baltimore.

NFC division winners are the N Y Giants, Arizona, Minnesota, and Carolina with wild cards Atlanta and Philadelphia.

A 44-6 beat down.....

That loud noise you heard late Sunday afternoon was the moans and groans coming out of every Dallas Cowboy fan from coast to coast. This thing got down right ugly......and it was so much fun to watch.

Now can we be .....done with Brett Favre?

Favre.......once again showed his true colors when it matter the most. The N Y Jets sold their souls to the devil and Favre........unceremoniously dump quarterback Chad Pennington........only to have Favre.......under perform.......and get beaten out of a play-off spot by none other than Chad and the Miami Dolphins........I loved it.

Black Monday in the NFL.....

Three coaches fired.......... NFL axe falls on Lions, Jets, Browns coaches

Rod Marinelli (He of the 0-16 Detroit Lions), Romeo Crennel (Cleveland) and Eric Mangini (N Y Jets) ............all fired yesterday. The NFL is brutal.......win .......win.....or find another job.


One good thing..........a black head coach ( Crennel) was among the ones fired..........and nobody is upset. This is great......Why?


It means that in the NFL, coaches are hired and fired on their abilities to coach..........period....not by the color of their skins..........and that....is a good thing.

Things We Learned From the Weekend..........

Let's not buy play-off tickets.....just yet.....

Oh what might have been. The Atlanta Falcons trailed the Denver Broncos 24-20 with less than 2 minutes left........On third-and-18 from the Denver 45 - yard line, receiver Roddy White got open .....if for just a split second.....and was there for Matt Ryan's heave....

The pass went just off his finger-tips.......and instead of a Falcon lead of 27-24 with just 1:16 left.....The Birds were left.....and the Broncos had won.

Strange game..........a very subdued crowd. And even though it was a sell-out........there were an awful lot of empty seats.

Meaning the ATL has not really gotten as behind this team as much as the talking heads have advertised.

Maybe this team is not quite ready for "prime time"........much less the play-offs.....

Let the ATL take a deep breath........take a good look..........within this team.....

Something is missing........All those empty seats........all that silence........I think the average fans know........These Birds are not there yet..........


Another uninspiring win...

Speaking of not being there yet..........The former "pre-season #1"...........Georgia Bulldogs won a game Saturday........17-13 over an Auburn team which has been less that stellar this year.

And the "Dawgs" had to once again hold on for dear life to win the game......Same old Georgia......stupid penalties........red zone problems for the offense.......special team mishaps.....defensive lapses.....


At 9-2, one might wonder, why is there such a negative attitude surrounding the program?

Well........Maybe it's because the 2 losses were, 41-30 and 49-10.........against the 2 SEC leaders in Alabama and Florida.

And the games were not even close........2 losses..........2 blow-outs..........too bad..........

The Bulldog Nation is famous for making excuses for their beloved "Dawgs".......Too many injuries........bad officiating.......difficult schedule.......

Maybe.......just maybe...........these Bulldogs are just not as good as advertised...........These Dogs have yet to put 4 quarters of dominant football together on any Saturday they have played.

And pressed ..........on the highest level ........against other big time schools.......these Dogs have not bothered to show up and compete. See Alabama and Florida..........


Speaking of Florida........

The Gators spanked Steve Spurrier and the South Carolina Gamecocks, 56-6............"fiddy"......as in a fifty point win.......Spurrier's worst lost.....as a player or coach.....ever.

Vegas was not kind..........

Friday Picks saw us go 2-3........2-1 in the college games ........and 0-2 in the NFL..........It makes one want to just quit........

But ........there is always next week.

Hump Day News & Views

Is it Wednesday already?

The it must be "Hump Day"...........


The week-end brought some decent college football, some outstanding pro football........mixed in with a little NBA.....and we are all just a little envious of our man Chris Rock (right) with his new entourage ....



So........let's dive right in.......






Remembering the Veterans........

Tuesday........on the 11th hour........of the 11th day.......of the 11th month.....We all paused to give the men and women who have served in our country's armed services a moment of silence....and in that moment of silenced ........we thanked them all..........over 42 million have fought for America........With almost 600,000 giving their lives.......for the ultimate sacrifice.

My father fought in the Korean War (United States Navy).......and was on a ship off the coast of Cuba during the Bay of Pigs incident .......Several of my friends fought in Viet Nam...... We thank them and all the other great veterans.

And even though it's a day late..........if you know a veteran.....call him....or her....and tell them how much they are appreciated.


So, I was wrong about Matt Ryan.......

I am man enough to admit it........Earlier this year.......I predicted the Atlanta Falcons would be lucky to get three or four wins this season with rookie Matt Ryan as starting quarterback .....I even went so far as to say he would not even last the season behind the team's porous offensive line.

Now........at 6-3, the Falcons are tied with Tampa Bay for 2nd place in the NFL east....and .....are suddenly looking pretty darn good after beating New Orleans Sunday.

Matt Ryan does not look like a rookie........These Falcons don't look like the dysfunctional franchise they were.....only one year ago. These Falcons........under Defensive Coordinator, Brian Van Gorder, actually play defense.........as in stopping people and making big plays.

These Falcons just look and feel different. They play smart.....and hard.... Just when the City of Atlanta was ready to give up on pro football.......these birds have made them proud.....

Now .....if Arthur Blank would just get off the side lines and back into the owners suite.......all would be right .......in the ATL.


Another bird soars..........

Must be something in the ATL air..........the other "bird" in the city, the Atlanta Hawks, are flat out playing some basketball. If you would have told me........before the season.......by game 6....there would only be 2 undefeated teams.....and one of which would be the Hawks........I'd have probably fallen down laughing.

But ...........it's true........the Hawks and the L A Lakers are a perfect 6-0. Last night , the Hawks went on the road.......again......into Chicago..........and beat the bulls....

Tonight they travel to Boston........that Boston.....the defending world champs.....Should be quite a game.......considering Atlanta took them to seven games in the first round of last year's play-offs.

Stay tuned.....


Who you got? Tennessee or Detroit?

The Tennessee Titans are 9-0 and is the only undefeated team in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions are 0-9 and is the only winless team in the league.

And yes.......the two teams will meet in three weeks (Thanksgiving Day)

In the history of the NFL, only two teams have finished the regular season undefeated.......Miami in 1972 (they went on to finish 17-0 and win the Super Bowl).....and New England last year (16-0 in the regular season, before losing in the Super Bowl).

On the other side.....only 1 team has finished a full NFL season winless. That was back in 1976 when the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers were 0-14.

My money is on the Lions.........you see what's happening to General Motors.......


Have a great "Hump Day".....

Things ....From the Week-end....Learned & More

Waxed......in Jax....

As in totally destroyed....as in "taken to the wood shed"......as in getting bitch slapped by your biggest SEC rival......on national TV......as in getting "paid back".....as in .....all of the above.

The University of Georgia got a beat down, (49-10) in Jacksonville, Saturday....at the hands of their long time rival, Florida.

Florida was better coached, faster, and the better team on this day. The Gators took a 14-3 lead into half-time....then steam rolled the Bulldogs in the third quarter.....to give Mark Richt his worst lost in his head coaching career.

Suspect play calling....stupid penalties......you name it .....it happened.

And....one question we have for a Mr. Knowshon Moreno...."Why do you always take yourself out of the game...after 2 or 3 carries? You are a good running back....but what gives? Seems you are always out of breath...after making a few runs....Do you have asthma ?"


Undefeated?......

I know.....it's only 2 games.....but the Atlanta Hawks are 2-0. And 1 of those wins game on the road.

Go Hawks.


A shutout in Oakland.......

Were you as surprised as we were about that Atlanta Falcon performance at Oakland?

24-0 was the final score.....and it was not even that close. Consider this: The Raiders gained just 79 yards the whole game. 1st downs? Atlanta had 30....Oakland 3.....and their first 1st down did not come until the 3rd quarter.

This is a bad Oakland team.....but to get beaten like this....at home.....this is unheard of ....


A. I. coming back east......


Allen Iverson has been traded to the Detroit Pistons ......The Denver Nuggets have given up on their 2 year experiment and shipped Iverson to Detroit in exchange for Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess .

Iverson never really fit in with the Nuggets.....and this could be a good move for the Pistons, who are looking to challenge the Boston Celtics again in the east.





Happy Trails Phillip Fulmer....

The Tennessee coach announced today....he will not return. (Of course his lawyers worked out the $6 million buy-out of his contract).

Fulmer played, assisted, and coached at the school for over half his life.

But if you don't win......





Tuesday.....November 4th.....

I don't have to say a thing..........

The NFL....at It's Best

A truly amazing Sunday.....

This is why we love the NFL.

The Atlanta Falcons beating the Chicago Bears, 22-20.....on a field goal (Jason Elam pictured).....with no time left.

The Arizona Cardinals beating the Dallas Cowboys, 30-24....in overtime.....by a blocked punt.

The Houston Texans beating the Miami Dolphins on the last play of the game, 29-28.

The Saint Louis Rams beating the Washington Redskins.......kicking a field goal with no time left, 19-17.

The Minnesota Vikings beating the Detroit Lions, 12-10.....with a field goal....with 9 seconds left in the game.

The Philadelphia Eagles........rallying....with 23 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to beat the San Francisco 49ners, 40-26.

Such is a Sunday in the NFL........Somebody once said, "On any given Sunday".......These are the best of the best. The talent pool is so even. It's who....makes plays..........who is mentally tougher.

NFL........we thank you.......

What a wonderful weekend of football at it's highest level.

Here is how an Arizona newspaper saw it:

Things...We Learned From the Weekend

Th0se Chicago teams...........

Weren't that good after all. In the first round of the MLB play-offs, the Cubs were swept away by the L A Dodgers in 3 straight..........and the White Sox were beaten by the Tampa Bay Rays, 3 games to 1.

This was supposed to be the year. The Cubs boasted the best record in the National League. The Sox forced a 1 game play-off on the final day of the regular season.......won that against Minnesota.....only to get routed by the "worst to first" Rays. The Cubs (Lou Piniella is pictured with this "We 're losing again" look) were even more pathetic......The 3 games against the Dodgers? Not even close! It seemed over night, the Cubs forgot how to hit, throw, and catch a baseball.

That "thud" we heard that even made a reading on the Rickter Scale.......was the millions of fans jumping off that Cub bandwagon.

1908 was the last year the "Cubbies" won a World Series......I'm no math major..........but that's 100 years!............Dare we say? Maybe next year?


A Lambeau Leap....and NFL........stuff........

For the second straight visit to Green Bays' storied Lambeau Field, the Atlanta Falcons beat up on the Packers. Who can forget the last time Atlanta went into the land of "Cheese-heads" during the 2003 wild card play-off game..........Led by Michael Vick, the Falcons trounced Green Bay, 27-7.

This time .......led by their rookie quarterback, Matt Ryan (pictured)..........the "birds" again took care of the ball........the......."Pack".......and the game.......to come away with a 27-24 victory.....It was the first road win of the year. At 3-2..............Atlanta trails Carolina (4-1) for second place in the NFL south division.

Speaking of Carolina, are they that good? Or , are the Kansas City Chiefs....that bad? A week after upsetting the division leading Denver Broncos......the Chiefs go into Charlotte , and get mauled, 34-0. Head coach Herman Edwards will not last the season.

Same goes for Detroit Lion coach, Rod Marinelli. Marinelli is 10-26 and 0-4 this year as head of the woeful Lions. They have been beaten in 4 consecutive weeks by scores of, 34-21, 48-25, 31-13, and 34-7.......Ouch!

Defending Super Bowl champion, N Y Giants are showing no signs of a letdown. The "G-men" destroyed the over-rated Seattle Sea Hawks, 44-6. It's only week 5.....but there are just 2 undefeated teams, the Giants (4-0) and the Tennessee Titans (5-0).


This Detroit team....can take a bow.....


For the 3rd time in 6 years, the WNBA's Detroit Shock has won the championship. The Shock swept the San Antonio Silver Stars 3 games to none in the best of five series. Coached by former "bad boy", Bill Laimbeer (who won 2 NBA titles with the Pistons) the Shock entered the season as one of the best teams in the league............but lost thier top post player, Cheryl Ford to a season ending knee injury in July. They sputtered briefly.......but came together in the play-offs........and the rest is history.

Detroit Shock.....we salute you!





Vanderbilt........5-0?



Yes ..........it's true. In our only loss in the Friday Picks.......Vandy beat Auburn, 14-13 to go 5-0 for the first time .....since........(we really had to research this).......1943. Known as the lone academic school in the SEC, the Commodores have long been a joke on the football field. Well now......the joke's on us. Revenge of the nerds?

Lawyer ........Needs a Lawyer

From the Atlanta Journal Constitution.......

• Report: Milloy speeding home from strip club
  • See arrest report

Will these guys ever learn? This time it is Lawyer Milloy, a safety with the Atlanta Falcons. Seems Lawyer did some TLC seeking at a strip club after the "Birds" returned home from their beat down at the hands of the Tampa Bay Bucs on Sunday.

Not only did he get stopped for speeding......there is also that DUI charge that seems to attack pro athletes in the wee hours of the morning.

Milloy should know better.....he is an NFL veteran .......a team leader.

For the "umpteen thousand" time.......nothing ever.....ever good happens.....when a pro athlete is out between 12 midnight........and 5 a.m.

Things We Learned From the Weekend

Southern Cal.......is good, really good. The men of Troy destroyed Ohio State, 35-3 to strengthen it's hold on the number 1 spot in college football's two major polls.


South Carolina........is not "USC".......The local Columbia papers still refer to this school as USC. You are not. You are the university of South Carolina..........that's it. You have lost this year to Vanderbilt. Saturday, you lost for the 45th time against Georgia versus 16 wins in the series history. "USC" is Southern Cal.........South Carolina is .....just South Carolina.



3-2..........No, this is not a baseball score. This was the final score of an SEC football game between Auburn and Mississippi State. But , I heard the game itself....was very exciting.....(yawn).


Speaking of baseball........they are still playing the summer classic. The Atlanta Braves took 2 of 3 from the first place N Y Mets over the weekend........Carlos Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs pitched a no-hitter.......and the Milwaukee Brewers fired their manager, Ned Yost.


The Atlanta Falcons.......are.....well.......the Atlanta Falcons, again. After a historic first win last week for rookie QB Matt Ryan, the birds laid an egg against Tampa, losing 24-9. That running game? which garnered 300 yards against Detroit? Yesterday they gained 105. And Ryan threw 2 picks. Well........the Kansas City Chiefs come to town next week. And that can't be all bad for the Falcons.

Random Thoughts.......From an Interesting Weekend

5 on Five went 3-2 in our Friday picks......against the spread.


The Atlanta Falcons looked like a contending football team.....But before we get excited, was it that the Detroit Lions are just terrible?


Knowshon Moreno (pictured).......is a special talent. Did you see him actually hurdle that defender form Central Michigan?


Serena Williams won the US Open........and is now ranked #1 in the world ........again.....Imagine if these ladies (the Williams sisters) ever took tennis seriously.

I think the University of Georgia now fully understands the meaning of "style" points.

Don't look now, but the Tampa Bay Rays maybe in for a monumental choke job. Their lead in the AL east is down to a game and a half over Boston.

What has happened to the Chicago Cubs? Losers of 7 out of their last 10....and limping into the post season.

Tom Brady.....lost for the season? Say it ain't so.....

The Chicago Bears sure put a hurtin' on those Peyton Manning led Colts........Go Lovie Smith!

Are you as happy as we are? The NFL is back!

Just some random thoughts.......from an interesting weekend.