Getting stuff done on the list was a little slow moving this week because I am back at school and that has been very time consuming…and exhausting. I’m hoping once school starts and I get settled into a routine that I can get more stuff done.
Item: ‘Update my resume.’
Done. I got an email saying that the CCBC (Community College of Baltimore County) was looking for adjunct faculty members to teach an evening or Saturday math class, and I thought it’d be something different I should try. I have a great fear of speaking in front of adults, but speaking out of a position of power (as the teacher) might help me get over this fear. Plus if I ever decide to go for my PhD I may be asked to teach a college course or two, so having the experience might be beneficial in the long run. Anyway, the person who sent the email to me basically said I had the job (that was easy) and all I had to do was apply. A little backwards, yes? But part of the application was to submit the usual cover letter and resume, which got a good updating before I submitted them both. Check mark.
Item: ‘Watch ‘Gran Torino’, return movie, and cancel Netflix membership because you’d rather pay for the HBO package.’
I give this movie slightly below thumbs middle. Not really what I was expecting, and Clint Eastwood’s mumbling got kind of annoying after awhile. And if you ever want to learn how to say something racist to an Asian, this is your movie. Sweet lord. I heard every derogatory word and expression one could possibly say to an Asian. Ridiculous. I will give myself the check mark on this one once I cancel the Netflix membership, but I first have to watch ‘The Wire’ which is sitting on my DVD player as we speak.
Item: ‘With Grace’s assistance, make a voicemail recording for our home phone.’
Grace took charge on this one. I came home from work and she made me call our home phone, and low behold, a voice recorded message! I feel almost guilty checking it off my list because I took no initiative in doing it, but the bottom line is it’s done. Now I just have to memorize the damn phone number instead of always having to look it up in my cell phone…
Item: ‘Trim toenails with more regularity.’
Guess who trimmed their toenails today??? Yup, this guy.
Item: ‘Call Lesley more.’
I just randomly did this one. I had a free second while I was eating my peanut butter sandwich at school this past week, and I just called her. She told me about how she went up to the casino last weekend and played the penny slots and won fifty bucks. Besides being jealous of her luck, I was glad I called, because I wouldn’t have found that out until Christmas when I visited. I also can’t believe my sister was at a casino…that made me feel old.
Item: ‘Play the Mega-Millions lottery each time the jackpot is over 100 million because you should take more chances and this is as good a place as any to start.’
333 million dollars is a lot of money. We played. We lost. I get really excited on the day of the drawing because there is that small chance that we might win, and the next morning I’m really letdown. I know I shouldn’t get my hopes up, but I do. 176 million to one chance of winning, by the way. Not good. Anyway, the next drawing is for a measly 12 million, so I won’t be playing this week.
~Mikey D
What if I told you before our fantasy draft you would end up with the following players on your roster as your core group: DeAngelo Williams, Steven Jackson, Steve Slaton, Marion Barber, Kurt Warner, Marques Colston, Dallas Clark, DeSean Jackson, Ben Roethlisberger, Brandon Marshall, and the Tennessee defense?
I think you’d be reasonably happy, yes? There are some question marks, but you could work with a roster like that.
Which is exactly what I did- last year. I rode that roster to a 2-12 record and an overall 5th place finish. Some of that had to do with unlucky breaks in the schedule (okay, that was a huge part of it), but fantasy is a funny game. On paper your squad might look outstanding, but at the end of the year it could have you sitting in 8th place in the standings, despite having all the talent in the world.
Looking back at our draft from Tuesday, I think most everyone has a pretty solid looking team. On paper I’m sure everyone is pretty happy with most of their picks and the way their team looks. But I think each team does have their question marks; the questions that need to be answered to ensure their team's fantasy success.
So instead of analyzing the best and worst picks this year, I’m going to present the three burning questions I feel each team has going into the fantasy season that need addressing. Let’s start with the champ…
Boston Massacre
1) Will San Diego’s offense be top-5 good? Adam needs production from Tomlinson and Rivers as they are the key pieces to his team’s success. With Rivers coming off a 30+ TD year and Tomlinson still racking up 1,000 yards and 10+ TDs, I don’t see why they can’t be an elite offense and an elite fantasy producing duo. Having the Chiefs, Raiders, and Broncos on the schedule for six games is a tremendous bonus.
2) Can LT and Steven Jackson be productive at the same time? Both are elite fantasy backs…when they’re on the field. Both seem to have been hampered by injuries the past couple of years, and staying healthy is a major concern for both. If they can stay healthy together, Adam will get consistent production from his backs.
3) Can Larry Fitzgerald avoid the “Madden Curse”? Hey, the curse has been going strong from quite some time now, so you can dismiss it if you want, but the question is valid. Fitzgerald is the anchor to Adam’s receiving corps and could be a major blow to Adam’s team if he gets hurt.
Kevinvidious
1) Who will emerge as the number 1 fantasy wideout? Dwayne Bowe, T.O., and TJ Houshmanzadeh. All fantastic receivers, but all with their fantasy question marks. Bowe has his work ethic issues and a new regime in Kansas City. T.O. is in Buffalo of all places with a nagging toe injury. Houshmanzadeh had a great year last year reception-wise, but only had 4 TDs. Who will step up?
2) Can David Garrard be a top-10 fantasy QB again? He’s not flashy, but he’s steady. The easy answer is no, but if you look at Jacksonville they improved their WRs with Holt and have a healthy offensive line again. So if the situation is supposedly better than last year…why not again?
3) Can AP stay healthy? He’s a stud RB, but everyone worries about his “violent, upright” running style. Will that style catch up with him? He’s been hampered by injuries in the past, so it is pause for concern.
Cumming From Behind
1) Will a productive running back emerge? The talent is there with McFadden, Addai, Brown, and Jones, but are they legitimate fantasy backs? It’s a wait-and-see game, but I need someone to breakthrough out of that group, and if two of them could it would be an extra bonus.
2) Can my team stay healthy? Brady is coming off an injury. McFadden is coming off an injury. Addai is coming off an injury. Felix Jones is coming off an injury. Schaub was hurt last year. Gates was hurt last year. Brady just got his shoulder smashed in preseason. Jennings just got knocked the fuck out in his last preseason game. Is this team a MASH unit in progress?
3) Will the WRs produce like top picks? I was so WR-heavy in the draft that I need my three receivers (Moss, Jennings, White) to play like top picks. Passing on quality backs early could be my overall downfall, but if the WRs produce, that will mask my lack of a running game.
ipresstoocoolbuttons
1) Is Ray Rice the real deal? In fantasy circles they say he could be a breakout player. In Baltimore they love him. There is talk he could receive 250+ carries, which would be a big difference to the three-headed RB attack Baltimore used last year. If he doesn’t produce though, Grace will be scouring the waiver wire for running backs.
2) Are Ochocinco and Hasselbeck back? With Carson Palmer back and TJ gone to Seattle, Ochocinco could relieve his glory days. Hasselbeck is healthy again and has Carlson emerging as a top-TE target along with Houshmanzadeh, Branch, and Burrleson. The weapons are there, all he has to do is produce. And the same goes for Chad. But will they?
3) Can Johnson and Boldin stay healthy? Megatron and Boldin make for a great 1-2 punch at WR, but as long as they stay on the field. Boldin is more of a concern than Megatron, but Johnson has been hampered a bit this preseason by a nagging thumb injury.
Zoo Tycoons
1) Are McNabb and Roethlisberger reliable enough? Both play in reasonably difficult divisions, and both have strong defenses with capable running games. The chances for 300+ yard games with 3 TDs are less with both of these guys, but they do have some decent receivers to throw to. Can they do it consistently?
2) Will DeAngelo and MJD produce as top-5 backs? There are differing opinions on both. There are questions (time shares, workload concerns) about both, but at the very least they should be decent. If they are top-5, however, watch out…
3) After Andre Johnson…who will step up? Antonio Bryant has been hurt and Tampa seems to be going towards a ground attack. Avery is in St. Louis with a dismal offense. Colston is in a great offense, but the ball gets spread around to everyone. Will there be enough touches for him? Can she get legit production from these guys?
PB’s Gunslingers
1) What’s up with Brandon Marshall? Amber has him as a number three receiver, which is a pretty low risk option. When the guy is on the field, he produces, bottom line. But can he fit into Denver and come back from his suspension ready to play?
2) Will Westbrook be healthy? She’s not relying on him to be a number one back, which is good, but with no preseason action and coming off two surgeries, you have to wonder if Westbrook is just at the point where he’s breaking down. And with McCoy breathing down his neck, this is a very high risk, high reward option.
3) Will Carson Palmer be the Carson Palmer from three years ago? Remember when Cincinnati’s offense was amazing? It seems so long ago. But the cast is healthy again, but without the old weapons of the past (TJ and Rudi). Can Coles and Benson step into their shoes? Will Chris Henry become a threat? Most importantly, can Carson Palmer use the players around him to become an All-Pro QB and a fantasy stud again?
Wicked Weasels
1) Will the RBs get enough touches? There are health concerns for both Ronnie Brown and Marion Barber, but they are also in situations where they have capable running mates beside them (Ricky Williams and Felix Jones). Barber figures to get a lot of goal line carries to keep his value high, but what about Brown? He will be in on wildcat plays, but will that be enough?
2) Who’s the number one receiver going to be? Eddie Royal is the guy (for now) in Denver. Santonio Holmes is behind Ward (still). Vincent Jackson is the one in San Diego (although Gates is the preferred receiving target). Will one of these guys produce as a number one receiver?
3) Will the bench be productive? On paper, Brian has the weakest bench. Justin Gage, Sammy Morris, Jerious Norwood, Eli Manning, Chris Chambers, and Kevin Boss do not scare anyone, so on bye weeks will his team’s production be hampered?
Whiskey Wednesday
1) What to do with all the running backs? So much talent, but you can only start two! Turner is a must-start every week, but Mark has five other options for his second back. Will he trade one for wide receiver or QB help?
2) Is Matt Cassel or Joe Flacco a number one QB? Flacco has more talent, but Cassel is in the better system (they like to throw). I think Flacco will have a better year, but I don’t see either being a legit number one fantasy QB. But could they become one?
3) Will the need for wide receivers be addressed? It looks like Mark is content to see if he can get production out of any of them (unless someone was offered a trade). There are a lot of upside guys like Hixon and Jackson, but will they produce elite WR numbers?
~Mikey D
Note: I wrote this post prior to our Tuesday draft, but held back on posting it for obvious reasons. I’m not making any guarantees here (like a Tigers-Cardinals World Series…who’s with me???), just some semi-baseless predictions.
Prediction: Maurice Jones-Drew will not be a top-4 running back, as he is currently being drafted.
Fantasy experts have Jones-Drew as high as number one in some rankings, and as low as number four in others. Off talent alone and the fact he’s now starting (finally) in Jacksonville, this makes sense to me. I mean, a TD machine on the ground and through the air? Sounds like a fantasy stud! But I can’t help but think back to last year when I overhyped and overvalued Marion Barber. I thought Barber was a top-5 back, playing in a great Dallas offense and finally being the one to shoulder the load- except he wasn’t able to handle the load. Sometimes these backs used to two-back time shares struggle transitioning to the feature role, which MJD showed last year at the end. Go take a look at MJD’s last three games where he started over Fred Taylor and got 20+ touches. Not good. So with Barber’s fantasy collapse fresh in my mind, I predict similar “doom” for MJD.
Prediction: Adrian Peterson will get 2,000 yards rushing.
Not total yards, rushing. It’s his personal goal, and with a decent offensive line and a relatively easy schedule (I mean, he gets the Lions twice, that’s good for at least a 1,000 yards right there), there’s a chance he could get it. But what about Brett Favre you say? He can only help AP. You’d be foolish to think anybody but AP is the centerpiece of that offense, and if Favre can help alleviate the 8-men in the box that AP routinely faces, that’s only going to help. And did you know that the Vikings were 11th in passing TDs last year? Yes, even with QBs that sucked, they still threw the ball in the endzone, and AP still got his. Same thing this year, and with less pressure on him and a mission to reach 2,000, he reaches his goal.
Prediction: Aaron Rodgers will be a top-3 fantasy QB this year.
Wow, way to go out on a limb, right? The dude was fifth last year, so that’s not much of a jump really. But when you start to make a list of the top fantasy QBs, Rodgers name rarely gets placed in the top 3. You have Brees, Brady, Manning, Warner, and then most people put Rodgers (with Rivers being the other candidate). Rodgers last year was spectacular and brings back all of his weapons, has the Brett Favre transition out of the way, has a healthy running game, and a 12-game stretch to open the season that is very fantasy friendly. Simply put, the stars are aligned for a great year. Better than a Manning, Warner, or a Rivers? Why not? Those guys will be hovering around 30 TDs, just like Rodgers was last year.
Prediction: Randy Moss will finish as the top fantasy wideout, and Andre Johnson will be second.
Randy Moss will not lead receivers in receiving yards. He will not lead them in catches. But he will lead them in TDs. If he can get 10+ TDs with Matt Cassell, he can surely get 15+ with Brady back. Maybe his record setting 22 is a little far-fetched to expect, but one thing that Brady and Moss have shown is they are TD machines when put together. Why expect anything different? And I’m giving some love to Andre Johnson. The guy had tons of receiving yards, but only had single digit TDs last year. Now with guys like Steve Slaton, Owen Daniels, and Kevin Walter establishing themselves as offensive threats, defenses have others to worry about others besides just Andre Johnson. And with a gunslinger like Schaub flicking him the ball, I like Andre to continue getting his high receiving yard totals and to reach double-digit TDs, and to finish higher in the fantasy point standings than Larry Fitzgerald and Megatron.
Prediction: Pierre Thomas will be a top-10 back.
Every draft I’ve done since June I’ve wanted this guy on my roster. He’s officially my man-crush for the year. With Thomas, sometimes you have to look at the offensive system instead of the player. For example, if you ask me who’s more talented, Pierre Thomas or Steven Jackson, I’d tell you Jackson 10 times out of 10. But in fantasy, give me Thomas on my team. He’s in an explosive offense where he’s the featured back (let’s be real: Reggie Bush is no threat whatsoever. None.), which means he will have numerous scoring chances. Steven Jackson is on an offense that will rarely be on their opponent’s side of the field, which obviously is not good if he’s on your fantasy team. Thomas proved last year he has a knack for finding the endzone, and with McAllister gone and a great training camp in the books, he’s ready for elite fantasy status.
Prediction: Matt Ryan will be a better fantasy QB than Kurt Warner.
A very specific prediction and it’s all about value. Last year I took Warner as my big sleeper pick and that worked out well for me. But this year I’m not as high on him, as there seem to be more things against him than for him. Yes, he has the amazing receiving corps which will ensure he reaches 20+ TD status. But other than that, I worry. He’s still an older QB who lost his offensive coordinator, has a questionable running game, and has a tendency to throw the occasional pick or two. Is he someone you want to invest a 2nd or 3rd round pick in? For me, I’ll wait to the 6th or 7th round and take a Matt Ryan. The kid threw for more than 20 touchdowns as a rookie. Another year in the system, the emergence of Roddy White and the addition of Tony Gonzalez, and the sky is the limit for this kid. 25+ TDs is not unreasonable, and he could be this year’s Aaron Rodgers (a top-5 fantasy QB when all is said and done).
Prediction: The best rookie RB will be…Donald Brown.
You have Moreno in Denver, Greene in New York, McCoy in Philly, and Wells in Arizona as the other primary impact rookie backs. Moreno is the most talented, but I don’t think he will get enough touches in Josh McDaniels’ “I hate RBs” system. Greene is in a run-heavy offense, but has Thomas Jones and Leon Washington taking carries away. McCoy has been spectacular thus far, but if Westbrook is healthy, he’s not going to see the field as much (and a prediction inside a prediction: Westbrook will play in at least 14 games). Wells could be the starter in Arizona, but I will never trust him just because he is an injury waiting to happen. Then there’s Donald Brown. Great in the preseason thus far and the coaches in Indy have stated that he will split reps with Joseph Addai. With Addai coming off a poor year and being fragile like Wells, there’s a good chance Brown takes over this starting job and never looks back. And again, it’s all about the system. Indy has a great offense, which means Brown will get a lot of opportunities in that red zone, and that’s what I want to see.
Prediction: Marion Barber and Felix Jones will make you go, “Man, I should have drafted those guys when I had the chance”.
In most mock drafts these guys seem to get bypassed a lot and left on the board way too long. This might be an understandable reaction due to the time-share that these two will have, but that’s no reason to let them slide past you in a draft. Marion Barber is back in his “closer” role, meaning he will get the majority of goal line and 4th quarter touches, which should be music to any fantasy owner’s ears as he was extremely productive in that role two years ago (a top fantasy back!). And Felix Jones is a stud. If Barber wasn’t there to vulture TDs, this guy would be a top-10 pick. His moves are absolutely electric. He will have 1,000 yards rushing and at least 5 TDs if he’s healthy, which, if you take him in around the 10th round, would be a tremendous value, yes? And I have a feeling Dallas will try to run the ball more to set up the pass, so look for each guy to get their fair share of carries. The Dallas running game will be good this year.
Prediction: Jay Cutler, Terrell Owens, Ronnie Brown, and Steven Jackson will not live up to their draft ranking.
In my opinion, they’re all overvalued in expert draft rankings. Talented, sure, but not worthy of the place they’re being picked at due to the numerous question marks each possesses. With Brown and Jackson, they are both injury risks and are too up and down for my liking. If you’re drafting a player with one of your top-3 picks you want consistency, which neither provides. T.O. is in Buffalo with an unproven QB- which is scary enough- but this preseason he has been bothered by an injured toe, which is the scariest news to me. Toe injuries seem to plague players all season long, and that’s the last thing I want my stud WR to be dealing with. I know it’s his contract year, but the risk just doesn’t justify the reward to me at this point (plus I think Buffalo will implode this year). And I don’t understand the hype with Cutler. He’s moving to Chicago where the weather is worse, the receiving corps are worse, and the offense is more conservative. What makes you think he’s going to put up better numbers than last year??? Plus he’s an interception machine. Seriously, the guy is an idiot. The way he got himself out of Denver, the fight with Urlacher, and calling out Hester…sheesh, no thanks on that tool bag.
Prediction: DeAngelo Williams is the running back to own in Carolina, and he’ll be productive this year.
Everyone is down on Williams because they don’t think he’ll reach his 20 TD total from last year. Well, duh. And just because Brady probably won’t reach 50 doesn’t mean you still don’t take him with a first or second round pick. Everyone is worried that Williams will lose touches (or his job) to Stewart as well. But don’t be! Williams is the starter, and Stewart has shown he has trouble staying on the field. Even now Stewart is struggling with a hamstring injury while Williams has been looking great. Carolina still has a great offensive line and relies on the run, meaning Williams is still going to get plenty of touches. And much like the Giants have shown, you can have two great (fantasy) running backs. Don’t hate on Williams just because Stewart is there. Prediction: 1350 yards, 12 TDs.
Prediction: Rashad Jennings will become a name you know that you never heard of before.
See my first prediction. A Steve Slaton-esque year, perhaps?
Prediction: Ahman Green is rumored to be close to signing with St. Louis. If that happens, SJax will get hurt in Week 16 and Green will start in his place and run for 5 TDs…against Kevin’s team in the fantasy playoffs (causing him to lose the matchup).
The one prediction I want to come true the most. I only hope I get to see Kevin’s face as it happens. You want to talk about priceless…
~Mikey D
Item: ‘Take Grace shopping because she truly enjoys doing it.’
Okay, Grace and I just had our three year anniversary (Saturday), and she has been wanting to visit an outlet mall on the eastern shore of Maryland right over the Chesapeake Bridge. So for our anniversary I suggested that we make a day out of it and have ourselves a little shopping spree at the outlet mall, which, not surprisingly, was met with a positive reaction. So today (yesterday Grace had to work) we drove down and spent a good four hours shopping. It was nice for me to as I needed a few things as well, and I’m usually too cheap to spend anything on myself, but today I splurged. And I know Grace was happy with the loot she was able to score, and I have to applaud her for showing great restraint in some of the store. She actually put items back that she liked. That is huge for my shopaholic girlfriend. Anyway, very good day that I’m glad Grace enjoyed.
Item: ‘Buy at least one pair of work pants and one pair of jeans that are better fitting than the ones you have now.’
Since we went shopping this was as good of time as any to knock this item off the list. Always the bargain hunter, I got a pair of work pants for $17 (65% off) and a pair of jeans for $20 (Old Navy, always cheap)- and they fit! Mission accomplished. But since I was splurging today, I also ended up with two more pairs of pants…eek. Mission more than accomplished.
Item: ‘Read Kevin’s Carl Sagan book.’
Tonight I begin the book. In leafing through it briefly I noticed that the print is quite small, so this maybe a long read. But I shall do it, for the check mark and because I’m a man of my word. I said I’d read it, now I will. Why did I say I’d read it again?
Item: ‘Resist the temptation to bet on football games this season.’
In the past two weeks I’ve gotten three pieces of mail from betting sites. They are on to me. They know I’m weak. They even sent me a book that provided me a team by team look into the upcoming college football season. They had everything from past stats of how the team has fared against spreads and such to analysis on the season’s schedule. And there a lot of colleges to analyze, but they had everything. To make matters worse, not only are they sending me mail, but I got a call yesterday about a deposit offer to one of the sites. I put in at least $50, and they’ll double my deposit on the spot! Ahhh it’s almost football season. You can smell the gambling in the air…And I will do none of it!
Item: ‘Delete contacts out of cell phone you have long since stopped contacting.’
We all have numbers in our phone of people we have long since stopped communicating with (at least orally) that just take up space. They are people you have to scroll over just to get to the person you really want to call. So to me deleting them would be an easy task because I would be organizing my phone, and I like organization. But it was much harder than I thought, as each contact I considered erasing made me think, “What if I need or want to call this person someday and I don’t have their number?” It was something I paused each time and thought about, before finally pressing the delete button. I figure if I ever want to contact them again there are plenty of social networking sites available on the internet to get a hold of them. So the contact list has been organized.
Item: ‘Play the Mega-Millions lottery each time the jackpot is over 100 million because you should take more chances and this is as good a place as any to start.’
Our tickets have been bought for next Tuesday evenings drawing. Tuesday should be a good day. First I’m going to have the best fantasy draft in the history of mankind, and then I’m going to win $252 million. Definitely going to be a good day.
Item: ‘Purchase two more pictures for the kitchen, and frame them.’
Two pictures purchased online. The first part is done, now I just have to wait for them to arrive and slap some frames around them.
Item: ‘Network Grace’s computer and my computer so we can access each other’s music.’
This was surprisingly easy; I didn’t even need to consult online messageboards or instructions on how to do it. Last summer I had tried to network our computers but failed miserably because Grace was operation on Vista and I was on XP. I know there is a way to do it (at least there’s supposed to be), but try as I might, it just wasn’t working out. With my new computer running Vista, I was able to network our computer within minutes. Now we can share music and pictures with ease. Grace also suggested I network the printer as well, which after downloading the driver onto her computer, was able to do. It’s nice to not have to use just my computer to print things, and it’s nice to not have to trade flash drives to transfer music and pics. Job well done.
Item: ‘Create a list that ranks my favorite bands of all-time.’
I gave myself some parameters and limited the list to only the Top 50 bands. That way the list wouldn’t go on forever, and I’d have more than ample room to include my most favorite groups (I have many, if you didn’t know). Yesterday I worked out a rough outline of the fifty bands that will be on the list and now it’s just a matter of putting them in the right order (the hard part).
~Mikey D
Item: ‘Get lighting mess sorted out’.
We decided on a light fixture for our dining room. It’s a hanging “pendant” light that is over our dining table. We had the installer come yesterday, and they put it up for us and did some electrical work (the switch we wanted to use controlled an electrical socket, and they had to switch some wiring around). Happily, we now have light! And all together, the job and light cost us about $250, which is really good, considering I budgeted about $500 originally. We’ve also decided to leave the kitchen lighting alone right now. It’s got a track lighting system that I hate, but it works and I can stand it for the time being, so I don’t see a pressing need to go and drop more money replacing it right now. That leaves the upstairs bedroom, the closets, and the basement that will require some lighting options before I earn this check mark.
Item: ‘Buy a Red Wings hoodie like the one that you see in ‘Hung’.’
Basically I want a simple red hoodie with a Red Wings logo, preferably with a little used/vintage look. It can’t be bulky or anything, just something light and simple. I have checked EBay each day for the past week and have not come across anything worth purchasing.
Item: ‘Write to Grace more’.
Our three-year anniversary is today, so I was able to write a lovely card for Grace. On my way with this one, although I think getting the check mark will be hard since Grace has to approve it. Something tells me I’m going to have to write a whole hell of a lot to earn it.
Item: ‘Play the Mega-Millions lottery each time the jackpot is over 100 million because you should take more chances and this is as good a place as any to start.’
Well, we played it! And lost. No regrets, though. Nobody won, so we’ll be playing again on Sunday for $252 million. Grace and I decided we’d take the lump sum amount (as Grace says, “Our money is worth more now than in the future.”), pay off our debts (except for our home, for tax purposes), and then take care of our family and friends. We finally agreed that each of our family members would receive one million dollars, and but we were unsure on how much to give friends. I say we only give close friends money, and I say we make it a few hundred thousand. Is it right to give friends the same amount as a family member? I say no, but it could be debatable.
Item: ‘Put WD40 on hinges in master bedroom.’
We bought a new bottle. I feel defeated. I still kept the old bottle, though. I am hoping to someday get it to work again (did you know WD40 has no expiration date…it’s good forever, and I have perfectly good WD40 in that can!). I shall wait for technology to catch up and come up with a way to open a can without it exploding in my face. That day is coming soon, right? Anyway, the new can works great and had a fancy spray nozzle and got those hinges to stop squeaking in seconds. Check mark!
Item: ‘Take more pictures/video of Chloe while she still does cute things.’
I need to work on the video part, but I’ve started on the pictures. I love my baby Chloe. She literally follows me everywhere in the house just to be near me. She even sleeps on my head at night. My baby girl…we have a very strange/unhealthy human-cat relationship.
Item: ‘Figure out how to stop the buzzing sound that comes from your new computer tower.’
The problem is that the tower is vibrating against the stand I have it on. The logical thing to do is just to take it off the stand, but then why did I get the desk with the computer stand attachment? I refuse to let it go to waste or put it to another use. For now I have placed a large dictionary on top of my tower, and the vibrations and buzzing sound have stopped. As for a long term fix, that is yet to come.
Item: ‘Get rid of old computer tower.’
Took it down to Best Buy today and turned it into their recycling people (minus the hard drive, of course). Grace also remembered she had an old laptop in a box in the basement, so we took the hard drive out of that one too and recycled it with mine. Did you know Geek Squad would charge you $19.95 to remove the hard drive for you before you recycled it? That’s just ridiculous! It’s a fucking one minute job. I tell you, NEVER take it to that place. Find someone local to fix your computer and save yourself the money.
Item: ‘Buy a new ink cartridge for your printer because you are going on 4+ months with the message that blinks, “ink extremely low”.’
Since I was at Best Buy, I figured to take care of this one. Ink carton purchased and installed. I even used a 10% coupon to save myself some money. When Grace went to the post office yesterday I tagged along and grabbed a couple change of address packets the post office has available. Did you know those always carry a Best Buy and Lowes coupon? Saving 10% at either of those places is a big deal because you’re usually spending at least 50+ dollars each time you go. Anyway, ink cartridge bought with a lovely 10% discount.
Item: ‘Buy a carbon-monoxide detector and new smoke alarms because the ones you have currently look scary old.’
Grace didn’t think our smoke detectors were that old. I disagree because they were yellowish, which is the sign of an old smoke detector I think. Anyway, I tested them all (which, come to think of it, I should have done when we first moved in) and they were all in working order. I suppose if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But I did want a carbon-monoxide detector for peace of mind. At Home Depot I found a two in one smoke detector and carbon-monoxide detector, which was great because it killed two birds with one stone. So I bought that yesterday and threw it up near our bedroom. Now carbon-monoxide will not kill us…hopefully.
~Mikey D
I know it's only preseason...
But in lastnight's New England/Cincinnati game, who led the team in passing yards, completion percentage, and QB rating? Tom Brady is a great guess, but you'd be wrong...it was actually Brian Hoyer, former Michigan State quarterback, who has joined the dark forces...
Good for him, though. I hope he makes the team and eventually unseats Brady as top dog (a la Brady-Bledsoe). Or at least take over for Brady for a bit and earn himself a 15 million dollar a year contract (why would you pay that much, Kansas City, why?).
And in the Patriot's first game who caught two TD passes? Why Chris Baker, former Michigan State Spartan AND Saline Hornet. Go green...and blue! No, that just sounds dumb.
I know I'm probably nuts for saying this, but all I've heard lately is how absolutely gorgeous Tom Brady's girl (Gisele Bundgen) is, and how she is the hottest woman on the planet right now. Yes, she's hot, but the hottest on the planet? Sorry, not buying it. Give me shit if you want, but it's just not true.
Ehhhhhhhh all-time beautiful?
~Mikey D
These will come a lot less frequently when school starts up for me again, trust me.
Item: ‘Make a back-up CD of my entire music collection so when my computer crashes I am better prepared.’ With my computer having just recently kicked the can, this is fresh on my mind because I lost all of my music. It’s my own fault too, because I could have easily made a back-up CD and saved it all. With my new computer up and running I am trying to recreate the vast library of songs I had saved up previously. It’s a tough task because I had a lot of songs. I am working on getting the basics re-downloaded, like Guster, Copeland, Stars, Umbrellas, Tegan and Sara, Owl City, PlayRadioPlay!, and so on. ***Update*** I have just finished my downloading and have made two discs full of music. This makes me happy. These 300 “essential” songs are the basis for my music collection and will never have to be downloaded again. Well, unless the data discs get destroyed and my computer dies at the same time.
Item: ‘Get rid of old computer tower’. I called a company that is less than 10 miles from my house that specializes in the recycling of old electronics and “absolute destruction of your sensitive data” (They give you a certificate saying as much, too! No Joke.). This seemed like the perfect place for me to go to, as I was worried about my old data being accessed. When I called, however, the receptionist immediately told me I’d be better off going to a place like Best Buy because their company charges a $250 fee for their recycling. What employee of a company tells a potentially interested client to go elsewhere within the first 30 seconds of a phone conversation? I’d be pissed if I was her supervisor. Anyway, I checked out Best Buy, and it’s the way to go. They require you take out the hard drive, so my personal information is with me, and they’ll take the rest, free of charge. So I’ve taken out the hard drive already, and Saturday will be drop off day. I do wonder if Grace will allow me to check it off my list if I still have the hard drive. I’m going to guess yes, as the main goal of the item was to make room in the closet by getting rid of an unused computer tower. But women are unpredictable, so who knows.
Item: ‘Close bank account in Maryland and open a new one with a bank that is not 30 miles away from you’. So I did a location search in hopes that my bank that is 30 miles away might have opened up a new location closer to me (it’s been 2 years since I’ve gone to this bank, mind you) so I could go in and close my account, and low and behold, a new branch opened up a mere 15 miles from me! What luck! So I drove down there only to discover that no such location existed. I drove all around the supposed address of the place and it wasn’t there. I drove back home and checked my Mapquest directions and the bank should have been right where I drove. Sigh…whatever. So I called and the customer service represented said I could send a letter requesting my account be closed, and then they would send me a check for the money left in my account ($3.47- yes!). With the letter mailed out, I can now focus on finding a new bank that is closer, will charge me nothing for transfer fees, and let me keep a $0 minimum balance. This could be tricky…
Item: ‘Organize CD collection by getting rid of CDs that are scratched and basically far past their prime’. 10 inches. I had a 10 inch stack of CDs that were basically scratched and deformed to the point that not only could they no longer play music, they could be barely classified as CDs. I feel bad just tossing them in the trash, though. I have recycling on the brain today, and I feel like there has to be some way to recycle these bad boys. I am going to check the recycling program our county has to find out. Not only did I get rid of my scratched CDs, I actually organized part of my collection by placing about 50 CDs that were loose in the box into their correct cases. Now when you open the box there’s actual order. If I wanted to find a CD, I could. Mission accomplished. Check mark number two. And on another positive note, I also found my old fart machine, which I was able to disgust Grace with as well as intrigue the cats for a good fifteen minutes while making Grace laugh hysterically. Good times.
Item: ‘Put WD40 on hinges in master bedroom’. Grace was right. The can of WD40 does not spray. I was thinking the nozzle might be jammed and just needed a little loosening to get back in working order, but no dice. From experimenting, the nozzle pushes down with ease, which leads me to believe there must be some connection problem on the inside. I’m not giving up hope (yet); there must be a way to save this perfectly good can of WD40. And I hope I figure it out soon, because those hinges are fucking annoying at 4 in the morning when you’re trying to sleep.
~Mikey D
I know these updates will not be the most exciting of reads, but it's part of my completion process. Going through the stuff I did yesterday I feel like I made good headway on the list, despite only earning one check mark.
8/19/09
As soon as Grace came home I rushed to show her my To-Do list that is now hanging proudly on our refrigerator. And of course within seconds she was able to find the item ‘Take Grace shopping because she truly enjoys it.’ Now she is trying to set-up shopping dates for us to go on, which is good because this is one of the items on the list I would have little desire to do on my own.
I also relayed the information about the ‘24’ premiere on January 17th, 2010, therefore giving me my first check mark. Grace also wondered why the day was starting at 4pm, because usually the days start sometime in the morning. I tried to think back to a season that started in the afternoon…there had to be one. I wanted to say season two or three, where there were two sisters, one was Jack’s love interest (who disappeared after the season was over), and the other turned out to be a terrorist. I thought that one started in the afternoon, but I’m not sure. Anyway, one down.
Item:'Look into how much money is in your pension plan because it’s something you should know'. In organizing some paperwork, I came across a paper sent to me last year by the State of Maryland that had some of my retirement information. I was hoping that there would be some web address I could go to that would detail all the money I have put towards retirement and the such thus far (an online account of sorts), but it appears the State of Maryland is a little behind the times on that. I feel like an idiot for not realizing how much money I’ve been putting towards my retirement (it comes out of each paycheck!), but there is a number to call to get your “updated account balance”. Perfect! After calling I found out I have $4,000 stashed away…somewhere. But I still don’t understand how the State of Maryland retirement system even works, so I am amending my item on my To-Do list. Not only do I need to figure out how much I’ve contributed, I need to figure out the system. I’ll ask Grace sometime about it, because she’s good at understanding that sort of stuff.
Item: 'Get rid of old computer tower'. I thought about taking my old computer tower to the local dump to get rid of it but I came across some recycling options for old computers. Dell (the maker of my computer) apparently will recycle your old computer for free and allowed me to print off a shipping label right there on the spot. All I needed to do was throw it in a box and send it away. Now, however, I’m a little hesitant. Just recently my computer died on me…and when I say died I mean I got the blue screen of death (again), couldn’t get into safe mode (after numerous attempts), and tried reinstalling the operating system only to get the blue screen of death again at the “27 minutes left” mark in the installation (I tried 5 times!). After 5 years of service I think my computer was done. But I am worried about sending it to some place with all my information still on there. I suppose its part paranoia with identity theft all the rage lately, but if some computer expert is able to get my computer working again, well, they’d have access to all my documents, contact information, etc. I mean, I don’t have passwords and such on there, but just the thought of someone else reviving my computer and having access to MY stuff just makes me uneasy. So that’s where I am, with a printing label on my desk, waiting to pull the trigger.
Item: 'Put WD40 on hinges in master bedroom'. Grace has informed me the WD40 can we have in the basement workroom has a broken nozzle. I don’t believe her, mainly because I don’t want to go buy another can. One way or another, I will get that can to spray. That’s the stubborn male spirit!
Item: 'Keep up with current events better by reading news websites more frequently'. I spent some time perusing news websites and discovered our current mortgage company, Taylor Bean and Whitaker (TBW), just recently had their license removed by the FHA. Apparently our mortgage company is full of sleaze-balls, and has a laundry list of violations, complaints, and charges against them. While the downside of this whole ordeal is that we’ve essentially lost our lender, the upside is Bank of America will be taking over our loan and the only thing we have to change is who we send our payment to. I’m glad all this is coming out now and not a few months ago when we were trying to secure a loan for our home…
Item: 'Get lighting mess sorted out'. Our lighting mess. We have an older townhome, equipped with many older townhome features (for example, a closet that is yellow, straight from the 70’s, in our basement). One of those older features is that there is no overhead lighting in the living room and dining room. While the living room is fine because we have floor lamps and table lamps and a large window (more than enough light), the dining room is very dark. The previous owners used floor lamps in the dining room, which I think is weird and do not want to do. So we have to go with some sort of overhead lighting. Recessed lighting is the big fad now, and I think it looks great, but the cost is a little high- to the tune of $130 a light. To light the dining room completely we’d need, at minimum, four lights, or over $500. Definitely more than I’d like to spend to light just one room…But since this is our starter home and heavy investments are not necessary, we decided to go with a simple overhead lighting option instead.
So Friday we will have an electrician come and install our yet-to-be purchased overhead lighting. Grace and I spent a good two hours last night at Home Depot and Lowes going over every type of lighting option. And when I say everything, I mean it. Think of a lighting option right now. Yup, we thought of that one. Our end result from our trip was confusion, so we will go again today to decide on something to put up. Nothing really tickled our fancy, but then again we are both picky and indecisive, which was probably the major contributor in us not purchasing anything last night.
And after the dining room we will focus on the kitchen and upstairs bedroom…stupid lighting. I wish I had cat eyes so I could just see in the dark.
~Mikey D
I have come up with a T0-Do list! After reading Mike Gayle's "The To-Do List" (how appropriately named) I am inspired to start and finish one of my own.
When I think of To-Do lists, there two types that come to mind. The first is like the one my mom used to make for me during my summers as a kid. On it would be a list of chores I'd have to complete during a given week. I hated those To-Do lists with a passion. Thankfully Grace has not taken over my mother's role by converting it into a 'Honey-Do' list (although she's probably reading this right now and thinking, "Hey, that's not a bad idea...").
The second is the type that you create yourself. Traditionally when people create their own lists, they are too vague and unrealistic. For example, if someone put "lose weight" on a list, that's too vague. It's almost like an empty New Year's resolution that you know is going to go unfulfilled. Another item on a list might be something like "go skydiving". Is that realistically what you want to accomplish? For some, yes, but for others it's on the list because it's something they want to say they did, but don't really have any true desire to do. Like I would love to say I went skydiving, but in reality I'm scared of heights and would be afraid my parachute wouldn't open, and therefore I know I'd never complete that item on my list.
Anyway, I've come up with a list of things I want to accomplish, and they are all realistic and achievable. Of course, I'm lazy as shit, and I know there's no way I'm going to have the motivation to do all of these things, so I need to hold myself accountable in some way. So in referencing Mike Gayle's book, I shall do the following to hold myself accountable:
1. Post my To-Do list on my refrigerator so I am reminded of it each and every time I open the fridge door.
2. Once I think I have completed a task I can only check it off my list after I have consulted with Grace, who will serve as my judge and jury in ultimately deciding whether a task has been truly completed or not.
3. I will provide constant updates on my blog, which will be less than exciting for you guys to read, but if I'm not accomplishing the items on my list I am giving you a medium in which you are free to ridicule and yell at me for not getting my ass in gear. Or praise me for a job well done if I'm progressing nicely, but who am I kidding.
4. Time frame. I want to complete the list by the New Year. If I do not complete every item by the New Year, I will consider myself a failure and deserve to be told that I am such.
So, my To-Do list for the remainder of the year:
To-Do List
Put WD40 on hinges in master bedroom.
Take more pictures/video of Chloe while she still does cute things.
Figure out how to stop the buzzing sound that comes from your new computer tower.
Get lighting mess sorted out.
Write letters to both grandmas because they’d like to hear from you more.
Email Bill with more regularity.
Figure out the best avenue to pursue a PhD because you will be bored in a year or two with your current position, and Dr. Dennison sounds like a nice title.
Look into tennis club memberships for the spring time because tennis is fun and you miss playing.
Keep up with current events better by reading news websites more frequently.
Buy a Red Wings hoodie like the one that you see in ‘Hung’.
Watch ‘Gran Torino’, return movie, and cancel Netflix membership because you’d rather pay for the HBO package.
Look into how much money is in your pension plan because it’s something you should know.
Go hiking in the mountains before it gets too cold.
When you go to the apple orchard this year, buy apples and actually eat them because apples are not only a healthy snack, but they are kind of delicious.
Create a list that ranks your favorite bands of all-time.
Read Kevin’s Carl Sagan book.
Learn and then apply for IBR with student loans because saving money is good.
Clear the clutter out of the upstairs office closet and downstairs basement closet by getting rid of some of the numerous (and unnecessary) childhood mementos.
Purchase two more pictures for the kitchen, and frame them.
Send Kevin the ‘Science Mystery Theatre 3000’ book that sits on your bookshelf collecting dust.
Get rid of old computer tower.
Buy at least one pair of work pants and one pair of jeans that are better fitting than the ones you have now.
Organize CD collection by getting rid of CDs that are scratched and basically far past their prime.
Make a back-up CD of your entire music collection so when your computer crashes you are better prepared.
Update your resume.
Do at least one Sudoku puzzle from your yellow Sudoku book that you have been working on for the better part of 5 years now (mostly during oil changes in the waiting room).
With Grace’s assistance, make a voicemail recording for our home phone.
Learn how to check voicemail on home phone.
Figure out the number to your home phone and memorize it.
Actually tell people you have a home phone and let them know the number.
Take Grace shopping because she truly enjoys doing it.
Write to Grace more.
Put up pictures that are currently sitting on the floor in the office.
Wash and vacuum your car more often.
Buy small touch lights for the master bedroom closet.
Buy a new ink cartridge for your printer because you are going on 4+ months with the message that blinks, “ink extremely low”.
Trim toenails with more regularity.
Decide on an internet security option once and for all, and go with it.
Network Grace’s computer and your computer so you can access each other’s music.
Buy a carbon-monoxide detector and new smoke alarms because the ones you have currently look scary old.
Try a new restaurant on a Friday night.
Resist the temptation to bet on football games this season.
Clean nalgene water bottle before the start of the school year.
Clean knives from knife block in kitchen.
Call Lesley more.
Call Andy more.
Watch season one of The Wire (although this may require keeping the Netflix membership a little longer).
Update online address book.
Delete contacts out of cell phone you have long since stopped contacting.
Write a short story and share it.
Close bank account in Maryland and open a new one with a bank that is not 30 miles away from you.
Take your man vitamins that Grace bought you awhile back with regularity (like, once a day).
Use your Visa card only at places where American Express cards are not accepted.
Inform mom about what types of diploma frames you’d like for Christmas so she doesn’t choose for you and you end up unhappy.
Get sports newspapers from Kevin that you asked him to save.
Take more pictures, especially of the stuff you do with Grace, because you like memories.
Find a use for the middle drawer of your desk.
Decide on what flowers to plant in your backyard patio garden for next spring/summer.
Learn how to install a ceiling fan by watching your dad.
Play the Mega-Millions lottery each time the jackpot is over 100 million because you should take more chances and this is as good a place as any to start.
Play less video games. Meaning, do not get Madden this year, despite the temptation to once football season starts.
September 21st ‘Big Bang Theory’ and ‘How I Met Your Mother’ return. Do not forget.
Find out when ‘24’ starts up again.
That's my list. All completely achievable. Some items will take multiple weeks in order for me to earn the check mark on, others can be completed in a day. The tasks are varied.
And on that note, I begin my quest.
The new season of '24' starts January 17, 2010 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/24_(season_8) and will be set in New York City with the day starting at 4 p.m. Save the date.
~Mikey D
It has been years since the ingenious co-creators of the underground sensation (and masterpiece) 'Intergalactic Gophers' have produced any new material or made any public appearances. Our investigative researchers, however, have uncovered footage from a classic 'Guster' concert that appears to show the two TV personalities enjoying the concert amidst giant inflated cowboys and college-aged youngsters (and many preteens) who like to hold their hands in the air and make rockstar symbols.
While this footage is from a few years ago, the public reaction to the surfacing of these photos has been strong. The demand for new Intergalactic Gopher material has been renewed amongst some of the shows biggest fans, with many of them camping out in front of the old IGG production studios in Saline, Michigan (only to be escorted off the premises by a husband and wife, who can only be described as "Kevin's parents"). According to Yahoo! Services, supportive emails continue to be sent to the now defunct email account, intergalacticgophers@yahoo.com, only to be returned to their senders, unanswered.
Many fans, although discouraged by the lack of new material and the low-profile the show's stars have taken, continue to support the cult-classic.
"I just refuse to believe the show is over," says Rudolph, a fan of the show, and a red-nosed reindeer. "I mean, for all I know the show was never cancelled, so why stop after just one episode? I still laugh hysterically every time I watch episode one...MAWD...It's funny because it's true."
Speculation is also rampant that there is actual footage that has been shot and edited for a second episode. One source, a former shaky camera girl for the show known as 'Lisa' (made popular by her laugh during the 'Subway' commercial), had this to say about the rumor:
"There is footage for the second episode."
Coinciding with the IGG creators departure from the public limelight was the simultaneous disappearance of the popular comedian, Dave Chappelle. Through various unconfirmed sources, many have stated that there is an ongoing feud between the two parties, with the IGG creators claiming their creative ideas were being stolen by Chappelle. While the Chappelle camp could not be reached for comment because we did not try to contact them, many insignificant people have speculated that the two parties have engaged in an underground legal battle, away from the public eye.
"I heard from my friend who works in a court that a lawsuit was filed against Dave Chappelle," said a guy who hangs around people who work in the legal system. "Something about stealing their idea. I don't know if it's just rumor or what, but that's just what my friend said. And my friend has never lied to me. At least that I know of."
With no public statements or appearances forthcoming, the fans and supporters of the show continue to wait with bated breath for new IGG material from the two revolutionary creators and television geniuses.
"I don't know what 'bated breath' means," said one mentally deficient fan, "but I do plan on holding my breath until the return of the greatest show on earth, Intergalactic Gophers!"
He later died.
~Mikey D
I always like to make my predictions before the season, and with our vacation to the Outer Banks coming up, school starting, and Adam's bachelor party, I want to make sure I get them out there.
Last year before the season I said Steelers-Giants in the Super Bowl, with the Steelers winning it all. Not a bad prediction. I'm looking to get both Super Bowl teams this year...
NFC
NFC East
1. Philadelphia Eagles (1 seed)
2. Dallas Cowboys (5 seed)
3. New York Giants
4. Washington Redskins
Rationale: Love the Eagles this year. Great weapons on offense (Maclin and DeShaun Jackson together? Jesus!), and they have depth at RB with the addition of McCoy. They are better than last year's NFC Championship game team...I'm buying the Cowboys being better with less drama, and while Romo will get the focus, the running game they have with Jones-Barber-Choice is outstanding...The Giants are on the downhill, with a less potent running attack and no receiving threats. They're good, just not great...Until the Redskins get a QB, I'm not buying them. Portis can only shoulder the offensive load for so long, too.
NFC North
1. Green Bay Packers (2 seed)
2. Minnesota Vikings (6 seed)
3. Chicago Bears
4. Detroit Lions
Rationale: Go, Pack, go! Look, this team was hit hard by injuries last year and had a brutal schedule. The offense is great, Grant is healthy and in camp, and the defense is reloaded. I'm thinking close to a 13-3 season they had two years ago...The Vikings are an AP injury away from being a non-contender. If they can sort their QBs out, I'll believe in them more...Everyone loves the addition of Cutler, but nobody points out his high INT total last year and the fact he has less weapons to throw too. And last year the offense wasn't the problem with the Bears, it was the defense...I predict the Lions win at least four games this year. I can't decide if that's me being optimistic.
NFC South
1. New Orleans Saints (3 seed)
2. Atlanta Falcons
3. Carolina Panthers
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Rationale: New Orleans is going to score points, but I think their secondary is going to be better and hold up against teams. When they get ahead, they'll stay ahead this year...Atlanta's schedule was very easy last year, and they had an extremely poor defense. Like, but don't love them...Carolina has a really hard schedule this year, and while I love the running attack, I don't think you can be one-dimensional against the really good teams...Tampa Bay is a mess on both sides of the ball. Top-five pick next year.
NFC West
1. San Francisco 49ers (4 seed)
2. Arizona Cardinals
3. Seattle Seahawks
4. St. Louis Rams
Rationale: I like the 49ers. Of course with Crabtree they will be amazing =). Most of all, I think a commitment to Gore and the leadership of Singletary will make this a dangerous team...I still don't like Arizona's defense and I'm worried about a Super Bowl hangover...Seattle could challenge for the division with TJ Houshmanzadeh and Hasselbeck healthy, but I worry about their defense and lack of a running game (Julius Jones and TJ Duckett...um, no)...I think St. Louis will be better if Steven Jackson can carry the offense. Otherwise, another long year.
AFC
AFC East
1. New England Patriots (1 seed)
2. Miami Dolphins (5 seed)
3. New York Jets
4. Buffalo Bills
Rationale: How can you not pick the Patriots? All their weapons back, with the addition of Fred Taylor and Joey Galloway? It's just not fair...Everybody thinks Miami was a flash in the pan last year, but newsflash, they didn't get worse- they got better this offseason...The Jets lost Favre and Coles, and have two unhappy RBs. While I expect the defense to keep them in games, I don't think their offense is capable of keeping up with opponents...Everyone loves the Bills! You throw an unproven QB, a troubled RB, a loud-mouth receiver together, and a depleted offensive line with a quiet head coach, and you have a recipe for disaster in my opinion. It's great on paper, but it looks like a ticking time bomb to me. Not buying.
AFC North
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (3 seed)
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. Cincinnati Bengals
4. Cleveland Browns
Rationale: I don't need to say anything about the Steelers; they are the cream of the crop in this division...Baltimore should be identical to last year because their team is exactly the same as last year's...With Palmer back and more stability at RB (can I say that with Cedric Benson in the backfield?), the offense should be more improved. Yes they lost TJ, but they brought in Coles. Their defense still sucks, but they should win more games than last year just because of their offense...Cleveland is one of those teams that could surprise and make me look like a fool, but for now I'm betting against them. They are unstable at every position on the field practically. Could they put it all together? Sure. Chances are not good, though...
AFC South
1. Indianapolis Colts (4 seed)
2. Houston Texans (6 seed)
3. Tennessee Titans
4. Jacksonville Jaguars
Rationale: Peyton is healthy at the start of the year and they addressed their need at RB through the draft. The Colts shouldn't miss a beat and I expect them to continue their winning ways...I am excited to watch the Texans this year (did I just say that?). Schaub, Slaton, Johnson, Walter, Owens- their offense is good! They were very competitive last year, so I expect them to take that next step. Of course they have to avoid injuries, as this is a very fragile team...Look, Tennessee's schedule is tough this year and they're not going to surprise anyone. They are going to run it with Johnson and White, and that's their offense. They lost their big run stopper in Haynesworth, so look for a division full of great RBs to take full advantage. And excuse me for not trusting in a Collins-Young QB combo...Jacksonville is one of those teams I could be dead wrong on. I'm nervous that MJD won't be able to take the brunt of the workload at RB (like Marion Barber wasn't able to last year), and Garrard still doesn't have receivers that scare you (Holt is past his prime). The offensive line is better...but what about the defense?
AFC West
1. San Diego Chargers (2 seed)
2. Denver Broncos
3. Kansas City Chiefs
4. Oakland Raiders
Rationale: The Chargers will be good. Their defense is going to be great with Merriman back, and LT is as healthy as he's been in two years. With Gates back healthy as well, and the emergence of Rivers and Vincent Jackson, this team should win this division easily...The Broncos also will be better on defense with Bailey back and healthy (they couldn't be much worse...), and I actually like Orton at QB playing the New England-style offense, and Moreno is the perfect fit at RB for the offense...Kansas City will be competitive, but there are just too many question marks, especially on the defensive end. And why did they trade Tony Gonzalez again? That's going to be a huge loss...Oakland. Bleah. The only thing I like is their running game.
PLAYOFFS
Wild Card
Minnesota at New Orleans (New Orleans 27, Minnesota 14)
Dallas at San Francisco (San Francisco 20, Dallas 17)
Houston at Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh 34, Houston 21)
Miami at Indianapolis (Indianapolis 24, Miami 10)
Divisional
San Francisco at Philadelphia (Philadelphia 23, San Francisco 9)
New Orleans at Green Bay (Green Bay 34, New Orleans 31)
Indianapolis at New England (New England 35, Indianapolis 27)
Pittsburgh at San Diego (San Diego 24, Pittsburgh 23)
Conference Championship
Green Bay at Philadelphia (Philadelphia 27, Green Bay 21)
San Diego at New England (New England 21, San Diego 20)
Super Bowl
Philadelphia Eagles versus New England Patriots
I'm pretty sure I had these two teams in the Super Bowl a couple years ago, and I'm sure this will be a predicted Super Bowl by many- and for good reason. I'll give the obvious nod to the Pats, 41-20 in a Super Bowl blowout.
Champion: New England Patriots
How boring and not fun of a final prediction =).
~Mikey D
