Countdown to Kickoff

As we head into the first weekend of real NFL football, an interesting study is on Pre Game Rituals:

Quarterback Tim Hasselbeck said he had a Boston College teammate who wore headphones and once shook uncontrollably, tears on his cheeks. When he got up to use the restroom, he left his headphones behind. Another player was too curious to let the opportunity pass.

“He was like, man, I want to know what the heck he’s listening to, that he’s so excited for this game,” Hasselbeck said. “My buddy goes over and puts them on. ‘He’s listening to John Denver, “Rocky Mountain High.” This guy’s crazy.’ It all depends on the guy and what really gets him going.”

The Steelers surprised no one (or shouldn't have anyway) considering they were home and defending World Champs. Sure Big Ben was out but Charlie Batch shows how over rated these Dolphins are.

100 Things To Expect This Season

#25: Few people will be able to name the only quarterback who has thrown for more than 4,000 yards in each of the last three seasons. (Yeah, I had to look it up too: the Chiefs' Trent Green).

The games play out this week thusly:

ATLANTA(+6) AT CAROLINA - Two potential playoff teams, one the Super Bowl favourite of many. But the spread is deceptively large showing that the Falcons are perceived as over-rated. Week One is usually full of surprises but this one should see the stronger prevail. Pick: Carolina.

NEW ORLEANS AT CLEVELAND(-3) - the inverse of matchups like Pittsburgh-Miami, this game showcases Reggie Bush's debut but little else. Pick: New Orleans

SEATTLE AT DETROIT(+6) - I'd love to see the Seahawks sputter early and never recover so bitter do I remain about their unlikely Super Bowl appearance that gave the Steelers one for the thumb. Pick: Detroit.

PHILADELPHIA(-5.5) AT HOUSTON: The debut of Houston's misguided #1 draft pick and of the new head coach will not be easy for either. As everyone knows, the Iggles are Sports Amnesia's Super Bowl favourites and this should be no setback. Pick: Philadelphia.

CINCINNATI AT KANSAS CITY(-2.5): Can Bengals QB Carson Palmer fully rid of jitters and worries so soon after his post-season ending ugly injury? Does the ex-Jet head coach get a win in his first go as KC's head coach? Homefield advantage prevails. Pick: Kansas City.

BUFFALO(+9.5) AT NEW ENGLAND: A first game look at the Patriots primed for another postseason run. No chance for Buffalo. Pick: New England.

DENVER AT ST. LOUIS(+4): Another snooze of the overmatched. Pick: Denver.

BALTIMORE AT TAMPA BAY(-3): Sports Amnesia have the Ravens winning their division over the Steelers but the Bucs are a team with great potential playing at home. Pick: Tampa Bay.

N.Y. JETS AT TENNESSEE(-2.5): Let the nightmares begin. Will another of Bill Belichek's protogés succeed? The Titans don't even know who will play the full game as QB. Pick: Jets.

SAN FRANCISCO AT ARIZONA(-7.5): Make no mistake, the countdown to a season-ending injury to Cards QB and religious nutter Kurt Warner begins with a USC hero waiting in the wings. Pick: San Francisco.

CHICAGO AT GREEN BAY(+3.5): It's hard to get worked about what typically is a massive Midwest battle in the black and blue division this early in the season. We're happy to see Brett Favre give it another go but the Bears defence might be too much, even at home for the Pack but the scoring won't be high enough to cover the spread. Pick: Packers.

DALLAS(+2.5) AT JACKSONVILLE: Alot of crazy people think this is Parcell's season to shine. Sports Amnesia thinks this is his last hurrah. Pick: Jacksonville.

INDIANAPOLIS AT N.Y. GIANTS(+3.5): Clever, those schedule makers matching the brothers Manning against one another in the first game of the season. There's still miles of distance between these two though and the Giants are still stinging from the humiliating playoff loss last season to Carolina. Pick: Indianapolis.

MINNESOTA(+5)AT WASHINGTON: Two MNF games in one night is two too many given the opponents. The Redskins have sucked in the preseason and whether this is a reflection of worst things to come or not, the Vikings are not going to indicate one way or the other how this season pans out for Joe Gibbs and the only question is whether the spread is high enough. Pick: Minnesota.

SAN DIEGO(-3) AT OAKLAND: Mr Rivers finally gets his turn to prove the Giants were daft for trading him for Manning Junior. The Raiders are simply the best team in the Bay Area which is like being the best bite of a salmonella-laden meal. Pick: San Diego.

*****

NCAA Football
#1 v #2


Colt McCoy gets his chance in the spotlight as the #2 Longhorns take on top-ranked Ohio State in one of this weekend's key clashes.

It is the second No. 1 vs. No. 2 pairing in the last three collegiate calendar weeks — dating to last year's Rose Bowl — and the second top-ranked team Texas has faced in its last three games. Last season, the Longhorns won this matchup at Ohio State 25-22 and the question is, which is stronger, the Buckeye motivation of revenge or Texas' motivation to push back to their rightful Number One ranking?

This is all you're going to need to know:

It's never a good week when the Austin police find you passed out in the back of a car with a gun on your lap, then Taser you prior to making their arrest. But this week was a particularly bad one for it to happen to Tarrel Brown, a stud freshman corner who was supposed to draw the 'Horns' paramount defensive duty: marking Buckeyes burner Ted Ginn Jr. Brown is now suspended, and smaller backups Brandon Foster and Ryan Palmer are being thrust into one hell of an assignment. Did I mention neither of them has ever started a college game

Pick: Ohio State 23 Texas 17.



But the "real" top QB of collegiate football, Brady Quinn, has a challenge of his own as Notre Dame face Penn State in another step towards the National Championship struggle.

Pick: Notre Dame 31 Penn State 23

Baseball

Taiwanese Night at Shea saw baseball's best Mets lose to a Taiwanese pitcher who earned his first MLB victory.

Nonetheless, this guy thinks the Mets have only the fourth best rotation of the potential NL playoff teams.

Meanwhile, the team with the second best record in baseball continued to confuse when the Tigers lost to the Twins 9-5 to narrow their lead to 4 in the AL Central.

The Twins erased leads of 2-0 and 4-2, then broke the game open with a four-run rally with two outs in the sixth inning. The Twins had allowed their previous 11 opposing starting pitchers to post a 1.60 ERA, but they scored five runs off Ledezma this time and punished the Tigers bullpen. With Justin Morneau going wild, the Twins' 3-4-5-6 hitters combined to go 9-for-16 with four walks. He reached 118 RBI, most by a Twin since Kirby Puckett's 121 in 1988. By the end of the season, Morneau could have the second-highest total in team history behind Harmon Killebrew's 140 in 1969.

Meanwhile, A.J. Pierzynski hit a two-run, walkoff home run to give the Chicago White Sox a 7-6 victory over Cleveland.

And of the White Sox, from Aug. 8 to Sept. 7, Mark Buehrle, Freddy Garcia, Jon Garland, Javier Vazquez and Jose Contreras have made 30 starts. They threw 191 1/3 innings, won 13 and lost 11 with a 4.28 ERA. From Aug. 6 to Sept. 7 in their championship year, also a 30-game stretch, the White Sox's rotation -- swap out Orlando Hernandez for Vazquez and give Brandon McCarthy a start -- was 14-12 with a 3.17 ERA. The starters threw 207 1/3 innings.