Mailbag - January Edition
First off, happy new year to everybody. Next, I did receive a question on Israel. Instead of responding to it in this mailbag, I'm preparing a column on it, so I apologize for another non-sports related article later this week. Finally, it's playoff time, get excited. I was at the Grill on Sunday for dinner with my uncle. For those not in L.A., the Grill is an upscale steakhouse in Beverly Hills where the average age is usually about 70. I walked in and sat down with my uncle, and you know who was finishing up next to us? Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, and Jimmy Johnson. And they were not sober. Coach almost fell down when getting out of the booth, prompting me to make some unintelligible noise wondering if he was ok. They all seemed nice and were cracking jokes with one another. I asked our waitress about them after they left and she said they're regulars. They always get a little rambunctious and crack jokes with her. They spend a lot and tip well. All in all, I like them even more now. I was annoyed, because I wanted to ask them why they weren't in the cold in Philly for the game, but then I realized that Philly was the away team. I had just watched the game, but I froze and couldn't remember who they beat. And the fact that the game was in boring Minnesota would have made the line even better. Oh well. But back to the guys, I guess that's what makes a good studio crew. A group of guys who like being with one another, having some drinks, eating some steak, and making fun of one another. Ok, on to your questions.
Q: I hate you AND your NFL picks! Go G MEN!!!!! (Allyson from New York, NY)
A: To my credit, I do have the Giants beating the Eagles this weekend when I could definitely have gone the other way just to anger my NY readers. But I can't make a straight faced argument for the Eagles this weekend. They don't run the ball and I think that the three-headed monster in the backfield for the Giants will wear the undersized Eagles defense down. As far as the Panthers go, they'll have a walk-through this weekend against the Cardinals (even though the Cardinals kept it close earlier in the season in this game) and they'll come through against your G-Men featuring that mediocre QB.
Q: You realize that you screwed up your matchups in your playoff preview don't you? Even if your dumb Miami pick had come through, San Diego would have played Tennessee, not Pittsburgh. (Multiple readers)
A: Yes I realized I screwed that up when I was watching the Miami/Baltimore game. And yes to Diana from Baltimore, I had no business taking Miami against Baltimore, and yes, I did completely ignore the matchup from earlier in the season. Honestly, what was I thinking? I did like the matchup, but I ignored one key factor. I was taking Chad Pennington and a receiving corps with only one guy I'd ever heard of, and he's probably a third receiver on any other team, against Baltimore's defense. Of course Baltimore's defense would score. Now, everybody is jumping on the Baltimore bandwagon. I know this is hypocritical after picking Miami, but how impressive was beating Miami? I think I just bought into the gimmick that was the Dolphins, but now Baltimore is facing a top tiered running attack and one of the best defenses in the NFL. The two teams faced each other earlier this year in Baltimore and Tennessee won on a last minute drive, courtesy of a horrible roughing the passer call to keep the drive alive deep in Tennessee territory. Baltimore's defense is firing, especially with Ed Reed, the most impressive guy in the playoffs, but their offense is horrible. They can't move the ball. The Ravens are this week's Colts. Everybody is talking about what they do great and ignoring their glaring weakness. Tennessee is good enough to expose them, and now gets to play the Underdog Card on top of everything else because hardly anyone is talking about them. Tennessee will win this one. Sorry Baltimore.
Q: Are the Lakers now the best team in the NBA? (Drew from Los Angeles, CA)
A: This may be a waffling answer, but they're the best team right now. However, we haven't seen the Celtics backed into a corner yet. The Christmas game was a must win for the Lakers they way they approached it. Phil kept the starters in like it was a playoff game and the Celtics took the game as a regular season matchup, a big one, but still, they weren't in playoff mode. That being said, the Lakers, when healthy have the deepest bench in the NBA, one that can expose the Celtics' lack of depth now that Posey and Brown are gone (we'll see who they add before the deadline). Plus, with Bynum healthy, the Lakers can throw all kinds of matchups at you making it tough to gameplan for them. Add to that the Kobe factor and yes, you have the best team in the league playing in L.A. To Cleveland fans, I'm not buying yet. Until LeBron shows me that he can consistently hit a jumper, they won't win it all. I don't understand why teams don't just sag off on him. The Spurs showed the league in the Finals a couple of years back how to stop LeBron and other teams will follow suit when it matters most.
Q: The Holiday Bowl was great on TV, how was it in person? (Bobby from Los Angeles, CA)
A: The whole experience was amazing. I had never been to a bowl game and the atmosphere was unparalleled. I started the extravaganza off by meeting my friend Gavin after his media meeting. He does media relations for Oklahoma State so his media meeting consisted of Coach Mike Gundy and the ESPN crew. Pretty amazing. More amazing, I got to wait outside the door and see Coach Gundy followed by Palmer, James, Fowler, and Erin Andrews come out. I even got to schmooze with Fowler for a minute. Then, my friend and I went to the elevator to head out, and who did I hold the door for? Yup, Erin Andrews. I even talked with her the whole ride down. Then, my friend's grandfather took us out to a really nice restaurant called Peohe's and then a few of us went out to the Gaslamp district to a bar that OSU fans had taken over. Game day was great too. Our friend, Pete, and I got to the game early to tailgate, and we took advantage of our bbq neighbors. I have to say, the OSU fans were way nicer than the Oregon crews. Oregon fans would block your car to yell at you. Oklahoma State fans offered up hot dogs.
I sat in the Oklahoma State players' families section, two rows in front of Zac Robinson's family. They couldn't have looked more like the QB's family if they tried. His father had under armour warm up pants and a a tucked in shirt, plus the OSU visor. His mother had a Beat Oregon pin and then a pin with her son's picture on it. Amazing. I have to say, the OSU fans were great. All of the cheers, and the energy, knowing when to cheer. It was an enjoyable experience. Unfortunately the Ducks pulled through, but it was a great game. I think I got one of the best text messages of my life at 1 AM that night though. My friend Andrew sent me a message (he went to Oregon), saying that he got kicked out of the game with four minutes left for tossing a churro. I'm not even sure where to go with that. I'll end the Holiday Bowl story there.
Q: Oklahoma has been scoring like 60 points a game for the last half of the season. Can Florida stop them? (Dan from Los Angeles, CA)
A: Not only can Florida stop them, but I don't think this game is close. When I went to the Holiday Bowl and walked through the Oklahoma State hotel, I saw a few players. When I asked my friend what position some of the players walking past us played, I was expecting some DB position, but a couple were linebackers. Undersized doesn't do these guys justice. They're athletic, yes, but I'm not seeing too much on the defensive side of the ball in the Big XII. As my friend Pete said when he saw the Ok. State players, none of them looked like guys you'd NEVER want to mess with like Ray Maualuga, or half of the Florida defense. Look how the Big XII teams have performed in the bowl season against other conferences. Not too many 50 point performances against half decent defenses. Witness Texas Tech against Mississippi. I just don't see Oklahoma keeping up with what Florida brings to the table, even if Percy Harvin isn't 100%. The SEC teams do something that other conferences don't. They have their huge athletes on the defensive side of the ball. Their giant ends and linebackers run sub-5 40's. Florida is no different. They're in the top 20 in every major defensive area and they have a great offense on top of that. I just don't think that Oklahoma will keep up with Florida.
Note: I got a couple calls about the Texas/Ohio State game. No, I didn't catch it. The only way that game would have mattered was if Texas had blown out the Buckeyes because then a close Oklahoma win could have meant a split national title. So last night, a couple of my friends took me out to dinner for a belated birthday celebration. I didn't think I was missing much by skipping the sixth place game or whatever the Fiesta Bowl was. College football needs a playoff, but it's not going to happen.
Q: Who's the best college basketball team? (Andy from Santa Monica, CA)
A: North Carolina. They lost at home to BC but now they can avoid the pressure of all of that undefeated season talk. They have the most NBA talent and they play an up and down style that few teams can keep up with. Pitt is a great team and they rebound better than maybe anyone in the country on the offensive side of the ball, but I just don't see how they stop UNC's backcourt.
Q: Do you think that Mangini deserved to get fired from the Jets? (D.J. from the Valley)
A: No, the ManGenius didn't deserve to be fired. It was the classic situation of a star being more important than a coach. There was no way that Mangini could have overcome Favre's mistakes. He was in a no win situation because if the Jets had won, it would have been Favre's victory. When the Jets lost, it was Mangini that was cut loose. You could see Mangini's lips on the sideline saying, "what are we doing?" when Favre threw his second to last interception. That was Mangini's problem. He had no control over the situation. I'll admit that his decision making in the Seahawks game was abominable. Going for that fourth down on his own 25 with 3 minutes to go was ridiculous. But he didin't deserve to be fired. There's no doubt that Mangini will catch on somewhere else. So will Shanahan for that matter.
Alright, that'll do it for me today. Enjoy the football this week.
Final Note: In case it wasn't clear, here are my picks for this weekend: All favorites. I know that's never a winning proposition, but Vegas is getting 50/50 in every game so it's not backing anyone. I don't see any of the favorites losing this weekend. As far as spreads go, my best bet is Pittsburgh.
Q: I hate you AND your NFL picks! Go G MEN!!!!! (Allyson from New York, NY)
A: To my credit, I do have the Giants beating the Eagles this weekend when I could definitely have gone the other way just to anger my NY readers. But I can't make a straight faced argument for the Eagles this weekend. They don't run the ball and I think that the three-headed monster in the backfield for the Giants will wear the undersized Eagles defense down. As far as the Panthers go, they'll have a walk-through this weekend against the Cardinals (even though the Cardinals kept it close earlier in the season in this game) and they'll come through against your G-Men featuring that mediocre QB.
Q: You realize that you screwed up your matchups in your playoff preview don't you? Even if your dumb Miami pick had come through, San Diego would have played Tennessee, not Pittsburgh. (Multiple readers)
A: Yes I realized I screwed that up when I was watching the Miami/Baltimore game. And yes to Diana from Baltimore, I had no business taking Miami against Baltimore, and yes, I did completely ignore the matchup from earlier in the season. Honestly, what was I thinking? I did like the matchup, but I ignored one key factor. I was taking Chad Pennington and a receiving corps with only one guy I'd ever heard of, and he's probably a third receiver on any other team, against Baltimore's defense. Of course Baltimore's defense would score. Now, everybody is jumping on the Baltimore bandwagon. I know this is hypocritical after picking Miami, but how impressive was beating Miami? I think I just bought into the gimmick that was the Dolphins, but now Baltimore is facing a top tiered running attack and one of the best defenses in the NFL. The two teams faced each other earlier this year in Baltimore and Tennessee won on a last minute drive, courtesy of a horrible roughing the passer call to keep the drive alive deep in Tennessee territory. Baltimore's defense is firing, especially with Ed Reed, the most impressive guy in the playoffs, but their offense is horrible. They can't move the ball. The Ravens are this week's Colts. Everybody is talking about what they do great and ignoring their glaring weakness. Tennessee is good enough to expose them, and now gets to play the Underdog Card on top of everything else because hardly anyone is talking about them. Tennessee will win this one. Sorry Baltimore.
Q: Are the Lakers now the best team in the NBA? (Drew from Los Angeles, CA)
A: This may be a waffling answer, but they're the best team right now. However, we haven't seen the Celtics backed into a corner yet. The Christmas game was a must win for the Lakers they way they approached it. Phil kept the starters in like it was a playoff game and the Celtics took the game as a regular season matchup, a big one, but still, they weren't in playoff mode. That being said, the Lakers, when healthy have the deepest bench in the NBA, one that can expose the Celtics' lack of depth now that Posey and Brown are gone (we'll see who they add before the deadline). Plus, with Bynum healthy, the Lakers can throw all kinds of matchups at you making it tough to gameplan for them. Add to that the Kobe factor and yes, you have the best team in the league playing in L.A. To Cleveland fans, I'm not buying yet. Until LeBron shows me that he can consistently hit a jumper, they won't win it all. I don't understand why teams don't just sag off on him. The Spurs showed the league in the Finals a couple of years back how to stop LeBron and other teams will follow suit when it matters most.
Q: The Holiday Bowl was great on TV, how was it in person? (Bobby from Los Angeles, CA)
A: The whole experience was amazing. I had never been to a bowl game and the atmosphere was unparalleled. I started the extravaganza off by meeting my friend Gavin after his media meeting. He does media relations for Oklahoma State so his media meeting consisted of Coach Mike Gundy and the ESPN crew. Pretty amazing. More amazing, I got to wait outside the door and see Coach Gundy followed by Palmer, James, Fowler, and Erin Andrews come out. I even got to schmooze with Fowler for a minute. Then, my friend and I went to the elevator to head out, and who did I hold the door for? Yup, Erin Andrews. I even talked with her the whole ride down. Then, my friend's grandfather took us out to a really nice restaurant called Peohe's and then a few of us went out to the Gaslamp district to a bar that OSU fans had taken over. Game day was great too. Our friend, Pete, and I got to the game early to tailgate, and we took advantage of our bbq neighbors. I have to say, the OSU fans were way nicer than the Oregon crews. Oregon fans would block your car to yell at you. Oklahoma State fans offered up hot dogs.
I sat in the Oklahoma State players' families section, two rows in front of Zac Robinson's family. They couldn't have looked more like the QB's family if they tried. His father had under armour warm up pants and a a tucked in shirt, plus the OSU visor. His mother had a Beat Oregon pin and then a pin with her son's picture on it. Amazing. I have to say, the OSU fans were great. All of the cheers, and the energy, knowing when to cheer. It was an enjoyable experience. Unfortunately the Ducks pulled through, but it was a great game. I think I got one of the best text messages of my life at 1 AM that night though. My friend Andrew sent me a message (he went to Oregon), saying that he got kicked out of the game with four minutes left for tossing a churro. I'm not even sure where to go with that. I'll end the Holiday Bowl story there.
Q: Oklahoma has been scoring like 60 points a game for the last half of the season. Can Florida stop them? (Dan from Los Angeles, CA)
A: Not only can Florida stop them, but I don't think this game is close. When I went to the Holiday Bowl and walked through the Oklahoma State hotel, I saw a few players. When I asked my friend what position some of the players walking past us played, I was expecting some DB position, but a couple were linebackers. Undersized doesn't do these guys justice. They're athletic, yes, but I'm not seeing too much on the defensive side of the ball in the Big XII. As my friend Pete said when he saw the Ok. State players, none of them looked like guys you'd NEVER want to mess with like Ray Maualuga, or half of the Florida defense. Look how the Big XII teams have performed in the bowl season against other conferences. Not too many 50 point performances against half decent defenses. Witness Texas Tech against Mississippi. I just don't see Oklahoma keeping up with what Florida brings to the table, even if Percy Harvin isn't 100%. The SEC teams do something that other conferences don't. They have their huge athletes on the defensive side of the ball. Their giant ends and linebackers run sub-5 40's. Florida is no different. They're in the top 20 in every major defensive area and they have a great offense on top of that. I just don't think that Oklahoma will keep up with Florida.
Note: I got a couple calls about the Texas/Ohio State game. No, I didn't catch it. The only way that game would have mattered was if Texas had blown out the Buckeyes because then a close Oklahoma win could have meant a split national title. So last night, a couple of my friends took me out to dinner for a belated birthday celebration. I didn't think I was missing much by skipping the sixth place game or whatever the Fiesta Bowl was. College football needs a playoff, but it's not going to happen.
Q: Who's the best college basketball team? (Andy from Santa Monica, CA)
A: North Carolina. They lost at home to BC but now they can avoid the pressure of all of that undefeated season talk. They have the most NBA talent and they play an up and down style that few teams can keep up with. Pitt is a great team and they rebound better than maybe anyone in the country on the offensive side of the ball, but I just don't see how they stop UNC's backcourt.
Q: Do you think that Mangini deserved to get fired from the Jets? (D.J. from the Valley)
A: No, the ManGenius didn't deserve to be fired. It was the classic situation of a star being more important than a coach. There was no way that Mangini could have overcome Favre's mistakes. He was in a no win situation because if the Jets had won, it would have been Favre's victory. When the Jets lost, it was Mangini that was cut loose. You could see Mangini's lips on the sideline saying, "what are we doing?" when Favre threw his second to last interception. That was Mangini's problem. He had no control over the situation. I'll admit that his decision making in the Seahawks game was abominable. Going for that fourth down on his own 25 with 3 minutes to go was ridiculous. But he didin't deserve to be fired. There's no doubt that Mangini will catch on somewhere else. So will Shanahan for that matter.
Alright, that'll do it for me today. Enjoy the football this week.
Final Note: In case it wasn't clear, here are my picks for this weekend: All favorites. I know that's never a winning proposition, but Vegas is getting 50/50 in every game so it's not backing anyone. I don't see any of the favorites losing this weekend. As far as spreads go, my best bet is Pittsburgh.
Comments