Random Thoughts

I always liked Jerome Bettis....he was a hard-nosed runner....but after Saturday’s broadcast of the Notre Dame-Michigan game, I like him even more....now retired, Bettis was the pre-game guest with NBC’s Jimmy Rogers.....Bettis, who is a native of Detroit, stated how he HATES Michigan.....and he did emphasize the word HATES....Bettis loves his city of Detroit, but for some reason he despises the Wolverines – and that is okay because it reminds me of how I feel about Ohio State....

I love the Youngstown, Warren, Niles area where I live.....I’m proud as heck of this area.....however, I HATE Ohio State.....

But for some reason, it really bothers people that I hate the Buckeyes.....I always have to explain why I root for Michigan and how I became a Michigan fan.....but after Saturday’s Note Dame-Michigan game, I figured that Bettis had to deal with the same crap while he was growing up in Detroit....oh well...

Before continuing on with my sports thoughts, I just want to comment on the situation in the Middle East after Pope Benedict XVI made a comment about Islam last week.....the Pope apologized if he offended any Muslims and that was not his intent.....

But why are some Muslims so touchy whenever anything is said, that is remotely controversial, about their religion?.....the Catholic religion is always the punch line of jokes and is always criticized throughout the world.....but you don’t see Catholics being offended and wanting to "shed the blood of the infidels".....

I have nothing against Islam nor Muslims....but this is getting old with them burning effigies of the Pope and make threats against him.....

Look for Ohio State to beat Penn State by at least 24 points....Tressel always avenges his defeats.....he did it to Texas, now it is Joe Paterno’s turn....

The 4 best NFL games this week are Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, Jacksonville at Indianapolis, Chicago at Minnesota, and the Giants at Seattle.....

Shaun Alexander is due for a big game.....

It could get ugly in Cleveland on Sunday if the Browns do not open up their offense.....and I’m not talking about the score.....I could see some very disgruntled fans showing their emotions.....

Watch the 49ers this week against Philadelphia.....

Can you believe that Morten Andersen is back in the NFL?.....you mean there are no other quality kickers?....

It’s nice to see Peter Gammons back on-air at ESPN....

When is Youngstown middleweight boxer Kelly Pavlik going to get a shot at the title?...."The Ghost" is 27-0 and highly ranked....

The United States will win the Ryder Cup this year.....

NFL Thoughts - Week 2

Here are some thoughts on this weekend’s NFL games....

Will you please tell me why Cleveland offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon takes Kellen Winslow out on certain third down packages and replaces him with Joshua Cribbs?.....

Carthon may be one of the worst offensive coordinators in the league, and if Romeo Crennell does not wake up, he may find himself out a job real quick.....

Randy Moss is the most over-rated player in the NFL....this guy is living off his stats from five years ago.....

Duante Culpepper reminds me of a 40 year-old Vinny Testaverde.....

What is wrong with Tampa Bay?....

The Giants come-from-behind victory yesterday solidifies my belief that they will win the NFC....a mentally weaker team would have chucked it....but the Giants are the true embodiment of the New York City attitude....

Tiki Barber is like win, he gets better with age...

I like how Titans head coach Jeff Fisher is giving rookie quarterback Vince Young more and more playing time each game.....

It’s nice to see the Saints 2-0....

The Dallas-Washington game last night was one of the worst games to watch with all the penalties committed by each team....the Cowboys won, but they were not impressive at all....Parcells has a lot more work to do with this team....

Contenders - Ravens, Chargers, Vikings, Giants, Bears

Pretenders - Dolphins, Redskins, Eagles

The jury is still out on the Panthers because of Steve Smith nursing his hamstrings....

The Baker’s Dozen
1. Bears (2-0) - we knew they have the defense, but now it looks like they have the offense too....
2. Chargers (2-0) - SD is on a bye this coming week, then they get Pittsburgh on Monday Night....
3. Steelers (1-0) - will the Steelers be a tad rusty after such a long layoff?....
4. Bengals (2-0) - this team is hitting on all cylinders....next up - Pittsburgh....
4a. Colts (2-0) - running game improved in week 2
5. N.Y. Giants (1-1) - the G-men showed a lot of heart....
6. Vikings (2-0) - the Vikes scummed out two close wins....now they get – Da Bears up in da dome....
7. Jaguars (1-0) - impressive comeback win last week....but they lost their defensive stud Haynesworth for the year....
8. Seahawks (2-0) - they should have this division wrapped up by Election Day....
9. Patriots (2-0) - the Pats allowed the Jets to get back into the game.....two ugly wins so far....
10. Falcons (2-0) - the A.T.L. is sitting pretty with a 2-0 mark in the division....a win next Monday over the Saints and they are 3-0 in the NFC South...
11. Saints (2-0) - sure they beat the Browns and Packers....but this team would have lost those games last year....
12. Bills (1-1) - they would be 2-0 if not for that freak safety last week against New England....
13. 49ers (1-1) - the Niners are no longer the worst team in the league.....

The Carp (Bottom Feeders)
30. Browns (0-2) - I see no progress since last year....
31. Raiders (0-2) - I think they already chucked the season....
32. Texans (0-2) - he might not have made that much difference, but at least they would have had Reggie Bush