Weekend Fight Breakdowns: UFC 103 and Mayweather-Marquez

Let's get the big boy of the weekend out of the way now...

Floyd Mayweather Jr. (-350) vs. Juan Manuel Marquez (+275)

The flamboyant welterweight champion, Mayweather, is back, and his return gift is the #2 pound-for-pound fighter in the world in Marquez. Obviously, Golden Boy Promotions has gone all out trying to hype this match up, but the buzz surrounding the bout has been somewhat subdued outside of the boxing community. Rumors that event organizers have been struggling to sell tickets have been swirling and there is an expected to be a drop inPPV numbers as a result of the UFC's event the same night. Mayweather (39-0) returns to ring action after 2 years of inactivity, and Marquez (50-4-1) is coming off a 9th round stoppage of Juan Diaz in his last bout.

Breakdown: "Pretty Boy" Floyd is undefeated for a reason. His hand speed, counter punching ability to slip and evade punches is a wonder to watch in the ring. However, this fighting style has earned him the label of "boring" on occasion. Floyd makes no bones about it, he says it all the time in interviews; he is a boxer, plain and simple. You're not going to see him go into the ring and brawl just for the fans' enjoyment. He is there to win and collect his check, that's it.Mayweather does have some good knockout power, but it is more likely that you will see him stick and move for 90% of a fight before he lands the big punch.

Marquez is a counter puncher as well, but he has been known to get sucked into a brawl from time to time. In the Juan Diaz fight, he threw more punches in a 9 rounder than he had ever thrown in a fight before. Sure, he is one of the few men to ever put pound-for-pound king MannyPacquiao in danger, and arguably won the second meeting, but Marquez tends to be a slow starter. He tends to give away rounds early before making adjustments to his game in the later rounds. The problem is, againstMayweather , he's not going to be able to counter effectively, and the adjustment to that won't be of much help either. That's Floyd's game, and he's got the reach and speed advantage to keep it that way. If Marquez attempts to brawl his way inside on Floyd, he's going to get planted like RickyHatton did.

Do I think he's going to do that? No, Nacho Beristain is too good of a trainer to allow Marquez to do that. However, I am concerned that if he does start slow in the opening rounds against Floyd, it is going to be complete domination from the "Pretty Boy".

Pick: Marquez has never fought at welterweight before and he was already going to be at a speed disadvantage to Mayweather before the weight gain. I'm a bit nervous making my pick considering there are rumors out Floyd's camp that he is getting beat on in sparring and all of the distractions caused by his trainer, Roger Mayweather's assault charges. Problem is, Beristain has publicly claimed, as recently as last week, that Marquez's speed isn't where it needs to be. If that's true, it's going to be a long night for the Mexican superstar and a lopsided decision for Floyd's 40th win. Floyd Mayweather Jr. by unanimous decision

Undercard Bout: Chris John def. Rocky Juarez by KO before the 10th



UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort

Main Card Bouts


Rich Franklin (-140) vs. Vitor Belfort (+110)

Never say Dana White doesn't listen to the fans. As a result of the fans displeasure at a Rich Franklin vs. Dan Henderson rematch, the UFC scrapped the match and re-signed former champion Vitor Belfort to replace Henderson. Rich Franklin has been one of the most consistent fighters in UFC history, only losing to the upper echelon of fighters in all of MMA. In his career, Franklin has only been defeated by current middleweight champ Anderson Silva(x2), current light-heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, and number 1 middleweight contender and former PRIDE champion, Dan Henderson. Belfort, on the other hand, has had one of the more erratic careers in MMA history. Nicknamed "The Phenom, Belfort has absolutely obliterated fighters like Matt Lindland and Wanderlei Silva, but has also had serious letdowns against Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz and Alistair Overeem(x2). The major question surrounding this fight is if we will see the "old" Vitor Belfort back in the octagon.

Breakdown: Anyone who saw Belfort's last 2 fights in Affliction can attest to the brutal power and hand speed "The Phenom" possesses. His boxing is absolutely top notch, and he is a BJJ black belt if he is taken down. Franklin is slouch on the feet, but he does have the propencity to being being tagged with a big shot. Against a visibly gassed Wanderlei Silva in his last fight, Franklin was rocked by several shots that wouldn't exactly be considered technical. If Franklin can establish range and keep Vitor at bay with jabs and leg kicks, he's got a great chance. However, if Belfort can use his superior hand speed and technique on the inside, it could be lights out for "Ace".

Pick: Trepidation is the word of choice on this one. Franklin is not going to be faster or more technical than Belfort, which will be his downfall in this one. Belfort is not going to stand in the pocket and wing bombs like Wanderlei; his boxing is too evolved for that. Expect it to take a few minutes for Belfort to get his timing and distancing right before landing some quick, powerful shots and stating up the "Old Vitor is Back!" rants across the MMA world. Vitor Belfort by TKO - Round 2


Junior Dos Santos (-140) vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (+110)

Breakdown: The prized pupil of "Minotauro" Nogueria, Dos Santos, takes on the former PRIDE Open Weight Grand Prix champion in a fight that will likely define the future of Cro Cop. Since entering the UFC, Cro Cop has been a massive disappointment, failing to live up to his legendary striker status. Much like Belfort, this fight may hinge on which Cro Cop shows up. The ability to throw a murderous head kick is always a possibly, but we haven't seen since his PRIDE days. The deadliest aspect of his hands we've seen recently was his fingers, which helped him eye poke his way to victory against Mustapha Al-Turk. As a stark contrast, Dos Santos has been a wrecking machine since debuting in the UFC last year. The "Mortal Kombat" uppercut he landed on Fabricio Werdum knocked him out of consciousness, a title shot and the UFC completely. Add to that his training with the Nogueria brothers and we could be looking at a future heavyweight champion.

Pick: Cro Cop's futility since entering the octagon makes it almost impossible to pick him in this fight. It will interesting to see what happens if Dos Santos eats of Mirko's kicks to the legs or head, but he has to throw and land one first. "Cigano" should be the faster and hungrier fighter coming in which should mean a short night for Croatian kickboxer. Junior Dos Santos by TKO - Round 1


Martin Kampmann (-500) vs. Paul Daley (+300)

Breakdown: A late replacement for the injured Mike Swick, Daley faces a huge obstacle in his UFC debut in Kampmann. The Brit, Daley, has great striking skills but has an almost non-existent ground game as evidenced by the Jake Shields fight. Kampmann enters this fight with a well rounded skill set knowing he is very close to getting a title shot against Georges St. Pierre. As good as Daley is on the feet, Kampmann has some serious striking that can tide him over until he ultimately gets this fight to the floor.

Pick: Nothing groundbreaking here. Kampmann: good takedowns and submission skills. Daley: exact opposite of Kampmann. There is a short exchange on the feet before a takedown is scored, Kampmann advances position to mount, Daley rolls and is finished shortly after by a choke. Martin Kampmann by submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1

Other Main Card Bouts

Josh Koscheck vs. Frank Trigg - Josh Koscheck by KO - Round 1
Tyson Griffin vs. Hermes Franca - Tyson Griffin by split decision

Undercard Bouts

Cole Miller vs. Efrain Escudero - Cole Miller by submission (triangle choke) - Round 2
Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Igor Pokrajc - Vladimir Matyushenko by unanimous decision
Nik Lentz vs. Rafaello Oliveira - Rafaello Oliveira by TKO - Round 3
Ricky Story vs. Brian Foster - Brian Foster by unanimous decision
Jim Miller vs. Steve Lopez - Jim Miller by unanimous decision
Drew McFedries vs. Tomasz Drwal - Drew McFedries by KO - Round 1
Eliot Marshall vs Jason Brilz - Jason Brilz by unanimous decision
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Rob Emerson - Rafael dos Anjos by submission - Round 3

UFN 19 Recap: Undercard fights ruin my night

(Melvin learned the hard way that "rope-a-dope" only works when your opponent can't pull you to the ground and choke you out)

My Picks Results: 7-3 (4-0 main card)

Where I was right

- Thank you, Melvin Guillard, for doing exactly what I knew you would and making me look like a genius. He was doing much better than I figured he would by establishing good striking distance, avoid extended clinch work, and backing out of Diaz's guard after flooring him in the first. But, he got cocky and that's when everything fell into place for me. After taking a couple of shots from Diaz that not one person believed hurt Guillard, he feigned by falling back into the cage before shooting in for a takedown. Problem was his distancing was terrible, and by the time Melvin reached Diaz he had a guillotine choke waiting to greet him. I had a feeling his overconfidence in his hands would get him submitted, it just took a bit longer than expected.

- I'm not real sure what fight Chris Lee was watching ringside, but it clearly wasn't the same Maynard-Huerta fight I was watching. There's a pretty good chance that Mr. Lee was within earshot of the UFC commentary team because they spent the majority of the 3 rounds completely overlooking the quality strikes Maynard was landing to pump up the flashy strikes that the Huerta whiffed on most of the time. Other than a Huerta flurry that Goldberg and Kenny Florian harped on for a good 2 minutes in the first round, he had no real offense on Maynard. It was very difficult to listen to those two sing the praises of a fighter when just about every strike he threw was slipped and countered. Come on Kenny, you're a fighter, you should be able to tell when strikes are landing flush and when a fighter is damaged. A clear cut 30-27 decision for Maynard turned in a nail biting split decision for Maynard. When two other judges score the bout 30-27 for Maynard, there's a good chance Chris Lee was so hypnotized by Huerta's Forrest Griffin style haircut, he had to score the fight for him.

- Carlos Condit is a warrior, and performed as such against Jake Ellenberger. Rocked and almost finished early in the first, Condit survived and persevered en route to a split decision win. There is a reason Condit was a champion in the WEC. He is a tough kid with a ton of heart and skill to back him up. That said, Ellenberger surprised the hell out of me. He has some serious power in his hands and knows his way around on the ground. If he had a full training camp to prepare for this fight, the outcome may have been much different. It was clear that the extended grappling in the second round took its toll on Ellenberger, and allowed Condit to take over in the waning minutes of the fight. I can't wait to see both of these fighters back in action. Carlos Condit vs. Mike Swick needs to be booked for the New Year's Eve show, NOW!


Where I was wrong

- Nate Quarry won, like I said he would. Awesome, but if I've never felt physically ill watching a fight before tonight. Tim Credeur completely outclassed Quarry on the feet in the first, even dropping "Rock", before gassing out in the second and showing nothing in the third. It was like watching a fight from opening round of the "Ultimate Fighter" at 1/4 speed. The sloppy action in the cage was only intensified by Goldberg's insufferable clamoring that this was a slam dunk for the "Fight of the Night" bonus check. Carlos Condit and Jake Ellenberger would like to speak to you about that. This fight probably did more to help the career of Tim Credeur than Nate Quarry, which a sad statement to make about the winner of a fight.

- A couple cases of playing down to your opponent were on display in Oklahoma City last night with Steve Cantwell and Brock Larson. Cantwell, who was considered a top prospect even after losing a tough fight to top light-heavyweight contender Luis Cane, struggled in his trilogy fight with Brian Stann. I haven't gotten a chance to see the fight yet but from all indications, the fight could have gone either way. Several play-by-plays at the event claim that Stann spent the majority of time back peddling and avoiding prolonged engagements but did enough to earn a decision. I can't really make an educated statement about the fight until I see it, but as much as Cantwell has improved since his first loss to Stann, he really had no business letting this fight go to the judges. Same goes for Larson, who apparently was involved in a hug-fest that earned the ire of the fans in attendance. For a man who has only lost to Carlos Condit and Jon Fitch in his career, I would have liked to have thought that Larson was a lock against a man with only 10 professional fights. I thought wrong.

- Plain and simple, I don't like C.B. Dollaway. He should be 1-3 in the UFC, but is 2-2 courtesy of a phantom tap against Mike Massenzio. He's been one of Dana White's more hyped prospects ever since TUF 7, but has shown little to back that hype up. Plus, Jay Silva has some brutal knockout power and was making his debut in the UFC. Fighters like that are always dangerous, but C.B. must have done enough to win the unanimous decision. From the sounds of things though, Silva may put on a Tim Credeur performance and showed more than Dollaway in his loss.

If the Raiders aren't already trying to be on "Hard Knocks", they probably should be

( Ladies and gentleman, the newest member of Vinny Chase's entourage. Lane Kiffin's face is absolutely priceless)

Yeah, I know I'm a couple weeks removed from the "Hard Knocks" season finale, but my lack of HBO until 3 days ago is probably mostly responsible for me being out of the loop. Needless to say, the current season forced me to block off 5 consecutive hours to properly view the Cincinnati Bengals training camp documentary in all it's glory. Besides the pure enjoyment of the quality of the show and the crippling depression that followed the last episode knowing there wouldn't be another until sometime next year, I was left thinking a couple things; 1) it is a distinct possibility that HBO has better sports programming than ESPN and 2) "Hard Knocks" and the Oakland Raiders are a match made in heaven.

I'm not going to lie, I got a small case of the chills just from the thought of Al Davis' team being followed around by cameras 24/7. (another great HBO sports show you probably should be watching) If ever there was a team that needs to have their dysfunction, depth chart battles and obligatory training camp fights (both players and coaches apparently), it's the Raiders. Imagine for a moment the prospect of seeing JaMarcus Russell try to get under 300 pounds before game action. How about the chance to see the beginning of the inevitable epic fail that will be their first round pick that season. Better yet, who's going to be the player that intentionally sandbags it to earn his release, only to resurrect his career somewhere else? Maybe we can see security catch John Madden trying to erase any record of his involvement with the Raiders. Or, what I would exclusively tune in for every week, listen to Al Davis incoherently ramble about the neighborhood kids ruining his lawn before being told he's at the practice field.

I'll clear some space on the shelf for the Emmy now.

At the end of the day, conflict, especially non-scripted conflict, is almost guaranteed television gold. The one thing that was missing from the Bengals' season of "Hard Knocks" was the presence of any real conflict between the players. Even between players fighting for roster space, it was a complete love fest. The closest we got was Roy Williams busting Chad Ochocinco's chops for dropping a few passes in practice. *Yawn*, let's see some hands being thrown! We know (*Jim Rome voice* allegedly) there's at least one person on the Raiders good for that, right coach Cable?

Chad Ochocinco has a death wish

( The greens of Paul Brown Stadium were never the same after the Bengals replaced Carl Spackler with Chad Ochocinco)

Chad, I know things are bad in Cincinnati and you're probably taking last week's loss to Denver pretty hard, but please, DON'T JUMP!

In a conference call Wednesday, Carson Palmer's favorite house guest said that he intends to perform the famed Lambeau Leap if he scores this Sunday. Funny thing is, that's not even the most ridiculous thing he said during the call. He also claimed that he will be embraced by Packer fans when he enters their ranks.

Um, OK? Because Packers fans have such a long history of welcoming opposing players into the stands to celebrate.

Now Chad, before you start telling Al Harris or Charles Woodson to "kiss the baby", you want to remember last time you were going to light up the Packers' secondary. You know, your list that you had in your locker a few years ago. Don't remember? Maybe I'm thinking of the wrong guy. Maybe it was Chad Johnson who had that list. Maybe it was someone else you got absolutely stonewalled by the Packers after that claim. If your Bengals couldn't get it into the endzone against Denver, it might be a challenge to do so against a team that just ripped Jay Culter 4 times. Carson Palmer doesn't look like the same player and there really isn't anyone else in your wide receiver corps that should cause Green Bay distress so you're probably looking at blanket double coverage all game.

Sorry Chad, as much as I'd love the points for my struggling fantasy team, you might take a few more "Hard Knocks" in this game. And if you do score, don't be surprised if the Packers endzone crowd sends you right back out with a resounding "child please".

UFC Fight Night 19 - Breakdown and Picks

Main Card Bouts
(Fight odds according to Bodog Sportsbook)

Nate Diaz (-230) vs. Melvin Guillard (+190)

A main event in name and placement only, Diaz/Guillard is the ultimate match up of underachieving lightweights. Guillard is coming in on a 3 fight win streak, despite the fact that he is widely believed to have been gifted a decision against Glesion Tibau in his last fight. Diaz on the other hand is riding a 2 fight losing streak and is danger of being shown the door by the UFC brass. I get the overwhelming feeling that the UFC was banking on alot more hype behind this one just based on each fighter's history as a brash, smack talking hot-heads. If that is what they were hoping for, they must be horribly disappointed. The reception for this match up has been lukewarm at best and the hype associated with the bout is mostly questions about how it got top billing over top lightweight contender, Gray Maynard, and fan favorite, Roger Huerta. I hate to admit it, but I'm with the crowd on this one. There is very little interest in this fight because there is nothing really at stake for either fighter. Diaz may be cut if he loses, but it is unlikely because he is a former "Ultimate Fighter" season winner and the UFC is pretty faithful to those fighters. As for Guillard, a win is a win, but it does very little for his title hopes because Diaz is nowhere near being considered top competition at this moment.

Breakdown: The UFC indulged Diaz's request to put him against someone who will stand and trade with him, but don't expect the kind of fireworks that Diaz wants. Melvin hits hard for a lightweight, maybe the hardest in the UFC's lightweight division. Diaz has good hands as well, but much like his older brother Nick Diaz, he is a volume puncher and tends to use his length to frustrate opponents without ever really hurting them. The problem for each of these fighters is an aspect of the ground game. Guillard has a powerful takedown game for when he gets in trouble, but has close to non-existent submission defense. The opposite is true for Diaz; he is a brown belt in BJJ under Cesar Gracie, but gets taken down at will and a fighter with heavy top control and good sub defense can negate anything Diaz will throw at him. Taking these factors into account, the question becomes can Guillard put Diaz out before it hits the mat or will Diaz be able to weather an early storm and trap Melvin in a sub before the lights go out?

Pick: This is pretty straight forward in my mind. Guillard is a home run hitter but he is also extremely reckless when things don't go his way immediately. Diaz is the perfect fighter to take Guillard out of his game quickly and force him to make a fatal error. Nate jabs alot to get Melvin upset, Guillard shoots in very awkwardly, leaves his neck exposed for Diaz to slip his arm in for the quick choke forcing the tap shortly after. Nate Diaz by submission (guillotine choke) - Round 1


Gray Maynard (-365) vs. Roger Huerta (+285)

Breakdown: As a warning to fighters who plan to bail on their UFC contract to pursue outside interests; don't, because the UFC will punish you in the worst way possible. Such is the fate of "El Matador" Roger Huerta against Gray Maynard. Shunning the company that wanted to make him their poster boy for expansion into Mexico, Huerta receives the non-enviable gift of the undefeated contender Maynard as his UFC swan song. Make no bones about it, the UFC knew exactly what they were doing when they put this fight together. Huerta has a serious problem with staying on his feet when his opponent has no intention in engaging in a brawl like he wants. Case and point, the Clay Guida and Kenny Florian fights. So who better to give their soon to be ex-employee than the one of the most powerful wrestlers in the division. Nice right? When Maynard gets you down to the floor, you stay there until either he or the referee wants you to stand back up. If Huerta can't find his range or land anything early, he gets extremely frustrated and starts chasing and winging wild strikes, both of which will make it even easier for Maynard to take him down.

Pick: Don't expect too much from this fight. This is a match up that is more or less a fight to showcase Maynard against a big name fighter, regardless of status in the division. The UFC doesn't want to Huerta to simply go out with an "L", they want him to be embarassed in the process. Dana White should get his wish and Maynard could be looking at the next shot at the lightweight title after this is over. Gray Maynard by (lopsided) unanimous decision


Carlos Condit (-500) vs. Jake Ellenberger (+300)

Breakdown: The former WEC welterweight champion, Condit, gets a second chance to show that he wasn't just a big fish in a small pond in this fight. "The Natural Born Killer" lost a very close decision to possible #1 contender Martin Kampmann in his last bout, an instant Fight of the Year candidate. It's no accident that Condit is a top 10 welterweight; he's is extremely talented in all aspects of the game and has the killer instinct of a champion. If there is one flaw in his game it is that he is susceptable to being taken down. The problem is, if you don't have good submission defense or top control, he can sweep and end up in dominant position to look for a finish. I'll be the first to admit I know very little about Ellenberger, but a quick glance at his Fight Finder shows that he can struggle against higher level competition like Jay Hieron and UFC greenhorn, Rick Story. The oddsmakers must notice the same thing, which would explain why he is a 3-1 dog in the fight.

Pick: Condit needs this win badly if he wants to stay anywhere near title contention in a stacked welterweight division. I'd expect him to fight as such and deliver a performance that would make Woody Harrelson and Oliver Stone a fan of the "Natural Born Killer". Carlos Condit by TKO - Round 2


Nate Quarry (-260) vs. Tim Credeur (+200)

Breakdown: The requisite match up of "Ultimate Fighter" veterans for a UFN card brings an interesting match up of middleweights. It's been a (pardon the pun) rocky road for Nate "Rock" Quarry since being knocked stiff in his title fight against Rich Franklin. He won one of the more bizzare fights in recent memory against Kalib Starnes at UFC 83 before being added to Demian Maia's submission reel at UFC 91. Injuries have plagued Quarry recently and really prevented him for getting any momentum to regain contender status. Since his stint on the "Ultimate Fighter" season 7, Tim Credeur has shown a surprisingly well rounded game. His problem seems to be that he has what could be informally called the "Jorge Gurgel complex". The symptoms of this complex are generally a refusal to utilize the skills associated with a BJJ black belt in favor of a stand up brawl and can result in Fight of the Night bonuses and walking papers from the UFC. Credeur has to decide if he wants a lump sum payment for a great fight and a possible loss, or the financial security of a contract by doing what he needs to do to win. On the feet, Quarry probably wins; on the ground, Credeur probably wins. It really depends on which path Credeur decides to take.

Pick: Quarry claims he was injured in his fight with Maia, which probably had nothing to do with him getting choked out in 90 seconds, but could explain his up and down performances of late. When he is healthy, "Rock" can deliver some devastating power, no matter how awful his form may be. If Credeur decides to engage in a stand up fight, I'd favor Nate based on him being a more experienced striker. Unfortunately for Credeur, he's probably going to do just that and Quarry is going to punish him en route to a early finish. Nate Quarry by TKO - Round 1


Undercard Bouts

Steve Cantwell vs. Brian Stann - Steve Cantwell by submission (armbar) - Round 1
Mike Pyle vs. Chris Wilson - Mike Pyle by split decision
Brock Larson vs. Mike Pierce - Brock Larson by submission (guillotine choke) - Round 2
C.B. Dollaway vs. Jay Silva - Jay Silva by KO - Round 1
Sam Stout vs. Phillipe Nover - Sam Stout by split decision
(edit: as per Dana White's Twitter, Nover had a seizure in locker room and will not fight tonight. That sucks, this was probably going to be Fight of the Night.)
Jeremy Stephens vs. Justin Bucholz - Jeremy Stephens by TKO - Round 3
Ryan Jensen vs. Steve Steinbeiss - Ryan Jensen by unanimous decision

Knee-jerk Reactions: A Full Slate of Football

A monster week of both pro and college football has led me to the following conclusions...

1) I've got some explaining to do for last week's thoughts: This week's roundup is a little late just based on the fact that I've been far too busy eating crow for my previous proclamations. OK, so USC didn't dominate Ohio State, but don't you think the Buckeyes and their fans would take a absolute drubbing as opposed to the way they actually lost? And with Lane Kiffin backing up his talk, if it were possible, both teams deserved a loss for how that game played out. If Tennessee is anything less than a 4 touchdown dog heading into The Swamp this weekend, I'll be shocked and appalled. (edit: BetUS.com has the Vols as a +29.5 underdog. Good work, boys) One more thing; Mark May, you trying to claim that Jimmy Clausen had anything to do with Notre Dame's loss to Michigan is embarrassing and should be investigated as slander. We get it Mark, you hate Notre Dame and love the warm feeling you get from Pete Carroll's underoos, but that comment makes as much sense as a ESPN analyst who starred at Pittsburgh relentlessly singing the praises of USC. Send this team to Texas or Florida where a team knows how to close a game out so we can hear the excuses flow like the inevitable river of tears that would precede them.

2) Did the Bills seriously let Tom Brady run the 2 minute drill?: Thank you to the Buffalo Bills for making my loss in fantasy football this week even more brutal by handing Tom Brady extra points. I've got no problem with taking an absolute beating in a weekly match up, especially when the draft was out of my control. (Autopick drafts = fail, takes every bit of fun out of it) But to force me to monitor how many tackles Eric Weddle records because Brady tacks on about 17 fantasy points in 2 minutes and give me false hope is downright unforgivable. Was there any doubt that when they got their early Christmas present from Leodis McKelvin that the Pats were taking that ball into the endzone? I don't care if Brady is throwing with his left arm, he's getting that team the lead no matter what. Props to the Bills for shutting the Pats down for the most part, but I'm having trouble figuring out which loss was more brutal to watch, the Bills or the Buckeyes. A game like that is just the kind of spark the T.O. bomb needs to start it's irreversible ticking.

3) "Roughing the passer" penalties have got to go: Let me get this straight, Brian Urlacher lowering his shoulder into Aaron Rodgers with the ball 10 yards down field - OK, Vince Wilfork performing a textbook perfect form tackle just as the ball is leaving Trent Edwards' hand - instant flag. Message to the NFL's contracted officials: football is a contact sport. The quarterback is a football player and is therefore subject to contact. Granted, you can't blatantly bury the QB well after the play, but when it comes to bang-bang plays in backfield, swallow the whistle please. If the QB is not allowed to be touched at any point during a play (as the rule more or less stands right now) then here is my suggestion; make QB runs a penalty. It's not as ridiculous an idea as it may sound. If the NFL is hellbent on protecting their precious QB's, then having the QB make a dash for the first down and actively seeking contact should be a flag. It's only fair; if the quarterback can't be hit in the backfield, they can't leave the backfield. At this rate, we're only one Tom Brady-esque injury away from seeing red jerseys under center in live game action.

4) Denver and Cincinnati both deserve a loss for their performances: It takes alot to disturb me, but when I read some of the comments that Broncos fans were posting following their 12-7 win on Sunday I felt physically ill. How can you possibly celebrate a game like the one they played? Kyle Orton threw one of the worst passes of the weekend, into triple coverage, and karma paid him back for being thrown away by the Bears by sending Brandon Stokley to run the tipped pass into the endzone. Sure it was a miraculous play, but that game was embarrassingly bad for both teams. The Broncos and Bengals are still awful on both sides of the ball and there seems to be little standing between these teams and the bottom of their respective divisions. Celebrate if you must Denver fans, but that was a hollow victory if I ever saw one.

5) It's going to be very tough to stop the Steelers from repeating: Does any team in football do low scoring, defensive football better than the Pittsburgh Steelers? The Titans aren't exactly dynamic on offense, but the Steelers are the epitome of "bend not break" defense. They will give up yards to you (sometimes) but if you want to get into the endzone, you're in for a fight. And on offense, Big Ben is as clutch as any player in the league when it's crunch time. Realistically, Roethlisberger led his team on a game winning drive twice against Tennessee but a Hines Ward fumble kept them from ending it in regulation. The Steelers are not flashy in any sense of the word, but you'd be hard pressed to find a team that is more efficient. Note to all struggling franchises in any sport: you want to turn things around, start following Pittsburgh's model.

6) Again, Penn State will play for the National Title: I might repeat this one every week of the season until someone can prove to me otherwise. After watching Florida beat on Troy and Texas dismantle Wyoming, my prediction is only reinforced in my mind. If for some odd reason either of these teams were to lose a game before the end of the season, that's it, they're out of the picture. You can't play teams like Troy and Charleston Southern (Florida) and Louisiana-Monroe and Wyoming (Texas) and have any leeway to lose even a single game. At least when Penn State schedules a cupcake, like Syracuse last weekend, they find one in a major conference. Plus they get Ohio State at home; if the Buckeyes can't close at home, good luck doing it at Beaver Stadium during a "white out".

7) Dan Hawkins will be out of a job in less than a month: Colorado is bad. Painfully bad. The kind of bad that comes from redshirting the presumed starting QB in favor of the coach's son. Hawkins' Buffaloes are dead last in the Big 12 North and the conference overall and their doesn't appear to be any relief on the horizon. Sure, they get Wyoming next week but as we saw in Colorado's opener, they are capable of losing to a team they should be able to handle. Then come the good times; at West Virginia, at Texas, and home for Kansas. Well, there's 0-3. With the accusations of nepotism swirling around him and an possible 0-6 record, Hawkins might want to start updating his resume and looking for a new house. I hear there might be some property opening in South Bend pretty soon.

A belated farewell to Novak Djokovic: my new favorite tennis player

Largely lost in the hype surrounding Roger Federer's imperial march towards another Grand Slam title, Rafael Nadal's return to major action, and line judge abuse was the wild ride of Serbian superstar Novak Djokovic. The world's number 4 ranked player had a little bit of image rehab to perform entering the U.S. Open after some comments about American Andy Roddick which were less than endearing to the fans. So what did Djokovic do? He decided that he was going to make this year's tournament his penance.

In the defining moment of the tournament, after finishing up his match with Radek Stepanek, Djokovic launched into a perfect impersonation of former tennis pro/ESPN analyst/bane of tennis officials worldwide John McEnroe. What followed went a long way to repairing his image with the U.S. fans. The young Serb called out McEnroe to leave his cushy perch above the court and play a little rally with him. Sure, the old man beat the young gun in a couple points (it's not like McEnroe has completely stopped playing the game), but Djokovic made sure that everyone would remember his name for future tournaments

An encore you say? Why not. Against the Nike sponsored juggernaut Roger Federer? I'm in.

From the beginning, it just seemed like a matter of time before Federer disposed of Novak, but he made it entertaining until the very end. During a rally at the net (which he was clearly not going to sneak a shot by Federer) he simply relented, turned around with his racket between his legs and presented the world's number 1 with new target. Even when Federer pulled a winner between his legs from the same place that Djokovic gave him as a target, he took it in stride with a big smile on his face and "what can I do?" demenor. He lost in straight sets, but gained a new found respect from myself, and the fans in New York.

He's never going to be a household name in all likelyhood, but his performance at the U.S. Open these past few weeks should earn Djokovic a whole new stable of fans. It's always refreshing to see a player who plays to not only win, but to have fun while they're doing it.

A player who plays for more than just the win? You cannot be serious.

Missing Person's Report

We need your help! The following athletes have gone missing recently and are in danger of never being heard from again. Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of any of these players should contact me immediately!


Roy Halladay

Was Last Seen: On J.P. Ricciardi's trade block

It was only about 2 months ago that Roy Halladay was the hottest commodity at the trade deadline and was being touted as the best pitcher in baseball. Since the time of the unbelievably foolish move to dangle Halladay and then not move him, the 'Doc's "best pitcher in baseball" moniker has taken a bit of a hit. Halladay went 2-4 in August with an ERA over 4.50. Anyone who says that having the prospect of competing for a World Series put in front of you only to be thrown back into the mediocre end of the pool doesn't mess with a player's head needs only to look at Doc for proof. Safe bet to say that Ricciardi is regretting not moving his ace now that his value has taken a serious hit.


Jake Delhomme

Was Last Seen: Leading the Panthers to the Super Bowl/losing said game

Is "nose dive" too strong a term for the descent that has befallen Carolina's shot caller? The disappearance of the Panther's QB has been made more well known after his atrocious showings in his last 2 games (1 TD, 9 INT's) but to be honest, this is nothing terribly new about his performance. Outside of his Super Bowl season, Delhomme's stats are nothing eye catching, unless you have an affinity for mediocrity. Steve Smith can only make so many plays to bail him out. Eventually (like now) teams will figure it out and the bench becomes a frightening reality for a player who was almost a Super Bowl champion.


The entire St. Louis Rams team

Was Last Seen: On a highlight reel involving the Patriots

Train wreck, plain and simple. Since the time of the "greatest show on turf" years it's been a struggle for the Rams to maintain visual contact with .500, let alone a return trip to the Super Bowl. Marc Bulger has completely lost whatever game he had and Steven Jackson just cannot make anything happen for this team. Poor Steve Spagnuolo. Guess you never know what you had until it's gone.


Charlie Weis

Was Last Seen: Taking first place in the "Who Wants to be the Next Bob Stoops?" competition

Remember when Coach Weis was the brilliant mind behind the wonder child of the NFL, Tom Brady? I'll give you some time think about it, because it took me awhile too. What's the rule of thumb when your team is leading late in the game (let's say 2:30 minutes for arguments sake)? Correct answer: run the ball to burn the clock/make the other team use their timeouts. Charlie Weis answer: Throw the deep on 2nd and 3rd down and run a grand total of about 20 seconds off the clock. That's what we call a "hero or goat" scenario. Which one do you think he came out as against Michigan? (please, no jokes about what other barnyard animals he may or may not resemble) Jimmy Clausen is not Tom Brady, and the play calling late in the game should be devised as such.


Carson Palmer

Was Last Seen: Leaving his knee/career in the arms of Kimo Von Oelhoffen

He's the only one on this list I kind of feel bad for. Palmer single handedly made the Bengals a playoff team (let that soak in for a minute), only to go down with a knee injury in the first series of their first game. That's got to hurt, in more ways than one. Now, the former USC standout has struggled to not only make an appearance on the field for any significant stretch of time, but perform at the high level he once did. Even against the absolutely brutal (in a bad way) Denver defense in Week 1, Palmer failed to record a touchdown and tossed 2 picks. Maybe he should have let Ochocinco stay with him over the summer. There would be no trouble finding him that mouth in tow.


Ohio State's ability to win big games

Was Last Seen: In the vicinity of a notorious robbery

And 2nd place in the "Who wants to be the Next Bob Stoops" competition goes to......Jim Tressel and his Buckeyes! For those who may not get the running joke, Stoops' Oklahoma squads are notorious (true or not) for being next to non-existent in big games. Ohio State really wants that crown, and have been playing as such in recent years. Title game against Florida - blowout loss. Title game against LSU the next season - beating. Early season game against USC last season - blowout loss. Early season game against USC this season - straight up choke job. Say what you will about how the Buckeyes played against the Trojans, they gave that game away in spectacular fashion. The 1992 Houston Oilers think that they choked. You've got USC's true freshman QB backed up inside his own 20, on third down and long, AT HOME and you let them drive down the field for over 6 minutes to win the game? Call a spade a spade, and a choke a choke.