WEEK 5: WHAT STINKS?

Okay, I need to talk about something very important. No, it does not have anything to do with the Randy Moss, I assure you! This.....this has to do with something much, much deeper. I have been in close proximity to four separate people who had a pungent odor emanating from their persons, in as many days this week. I know that does not necessarily sound like anything groundbreaking, smelly people exist everywhere. But that's just the thing!

Look, I ride public transportation every single day, so it stands to reason that I'm gonna be subjected to certain "aromas" during each travel experience. This is a fact every commuter comes to terms with at some point. As a commuter you build up a certain smell tolerance. Combine this with aging, which slowly dulls all of the human senses (except the sixth, seventh and eighth senses) and really most every day public transportation emanations should really barely be noticed.

So what I am asking is, why am I all of sudden noticing these odors more than usual? Is my sense of smell heightening, with age? Has my nose got some sort of Benjamin Button thing going on? Haha, Benjamin Button nose, get it? Is my sense of smell aging backwards? Or, OR, are there just more pungent body odors out there? Is this something we, as a society, need to address? Is it the economy? Are people conserving water? Soap? Some food for thought.

And here's who will cover the spread this week: Broncos, Jaguars, Chiefs, Lions, Falcons, Bengals, Bears, Packers, Texans, Saints, Chargers, Titans, 49ers, Vikings.

And now your cheese:

GOOD SPORTS? MORE LIKE GOOD GRIEF!

Well this is right on the money! Have these people not seen, MLB Steroid Scandal: The Movie?

Thanks to J-Rebs for the pic!

And for someone your kids can look up to, I give you Shirtless Gutenburg!

Okay, so we missed a week of picks. Sometime things come up, like laziness and procrastination and delicious roast beef sandwiches!




On with the show!

BRONCOS @ TITANS- It seems like the Titans are only as good as Vince Young. Which is not super, really, since VY has not ever really been consistent. Not sure what to make of the Broncos, but I am almost never sold on them, so.....Titans 23-13

RAVENS @ STEELERS- The Ravens added Anquan Boldin and TJ Whosyourmamma, to bolster an offense to supplement an already stellar defense. The defense is still stellarish, but the "O" has not lived up to anything close to the hype and I can't say it will get any easier for them this week at the Ketchup Packet. This one will be defensive slugfest of the highest order. That's right, the HIGHEST order! Ravens 7-6

BENGALS @ BROWNS- I expected biggish things from the Bengals this season, and after week one that looked like lofty expectations. The Bengals rebounded by edging out the Ravens and then beating the Panthers. What's standing between them and 3-1? Seneca Wallace. Seneca Wallace? That's what the Browns came into this season with? Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace? Really? Probably safe to say the Dawg Pound was not banking on a playoff trip this year. Bengals 27-17

LIONS @ PACKERS- The Pack will be looking to rebound from the Monday night loss, and while the Lions are full of sass, I feel the Pack should be okay in week four. Packers 28-16

PANTHERS @ SAINTS- I'm pretty sure I am not the only one waiting for the Saints to just, as the kids say, "go off". Thus far the Saints first three games have been decided by a total, yes TOTAL, of 11 points. Of course part of having sucess in the NFL is winning close games, but still, it would be nice if the Saints would show a bit of dominance at some point. This could be the week! Saints 31-14

49ERS @ FALCONS- The Niners were one of the darlings in almost everyone's, preseason predictions, but thus far they have been, well, not good. Normally, I'd say not to panic, since they are in the NFC West, but the Seahawks are proving to be a bit of a fly in the ointment. That and the fact I picked the Dirty Birds to be playing in the final game of the year, spells trouble and, more than likely, 0-4 for the Niners. Falcons 28-13

SEAHAWKS @ RAMS- Both these squads raised eyebrows, or so I am told (I didn't actually see any eyebrows raise, it's more of an expression I guess) last week, with a couple of surprising wins. How sold am I on the 'Hawks? Not very. The Rams are up and coming and Slingin' Sammy Bradford is settling in nicely. Something tells me I should pick the 'Hawks, but I'm not gonna. Rams 23-17

JETS @ BILLS- The Hahvahd boy, Ryan Fitzpatrick can sling a pigskin wicked hahd! But unfortunately for him the Jets "D" is a smidge better than the Pats, so it could be a long afternoon in Orchard Park for the Billsies. Jets 24-9

COLTS @ JAGUARS- I can't really think of any logical reason the Colts would lose this game. Colts 31-14

TEXANS @ RAIDERS- I can't really think of any logical reason the Texans would lose this game. Texans 27-13

CARDINALS @ CHARGERS- The Chargers are off to their typical slow start, which makes it a perfect time for the Cards to pull off the upset. It is very possible to upset the Bolts (see Chiefs, Kansas City and Seahawks, Seattle) at this juncture. But, I would see the odds are better, that the Chargers will prevail. Chargers 27-20

REDSKINS @ EAGLES- McNabb Bowl I! D-Nabb's first game in Philly not wearing the green and white, should be worth watching. But if I know one thing, it's that Philadelphia fans are always willing to greet their former players with nothing but adoration, respect and kindness. I mean if there is a kinder and gentler fan base in sports than in Philly, I dare you to find it! Eagles 28-17

BEARS @ GIANTS- This is an intriguing matchup, for sure. I don't know what to make of either team. Are the Bears good? Are the Giants bad? I think the answer to both questions is, maybe. I've never thought much of Jay Cutler, but combine a Mike Martz offense with a bruising defense and all of sudden you've got a team that just might be darned good. Darned, I say! I'm still not sold on Jay-C, but with that defense, he doesn't need to be Joe Montana to keep Da Bears in games. On the other side, that supposed stud defense of the G-men has been torched for 67 points in the last two games. Doesn't look good for the Giants. Bears 31-21

PATRIOTS @ DOLPHINS- The Pats defense is not what it once was, to say the least, but can Chad Henne and comapany take advantage of said lamer defense? Well, Mark Sanchez did. Ryan Fitzpatrick did. So why not Chad Henne? Dolphins 24-23

Well there you have your week four picks! And now for your cheese.....

SETTLE DOWN!

Welcome to a new segment here at "Bitterness", that we'll simply call " Settle Down!" It'll be pretty much self-explanatory, but I'll explanate, er explain, it to you anyway. Ya see, every single day, the media, among others, crank up the Hype-a-Tron 5000 and hand us a ton of, what is, for the most part, unwarranted hyperbolic nonsense. And due to their hyperbolictivity, they need to be asked to settle down. Maybe it'll become clearer once we get started? Well, let's hope so. And away we go!

• To everyone touting the Bucs and Josh Freeman and their 2-0 start, settle down! Look, I like Josh Freeman, he seems like a nice enough fella, and the Bucs could surprise some people, but let's focus people! They beat the Browns and the Panthers, not exactly powerhouses. Now I will give you, they have already exceeded mine, and everyone else's, expectations, but let's just settle down, before we "buy in".
• For those who were quick to think Arian Foster was the next Barry Foster, settle down! Now, I now after AF's week two performance, a lot of people did in fact settle down, but they are still very high on him. Look, he could very well, dominate for years to come, but it weren't too long ago the Texans had another young RB taking charge, and how did that turn out, hmmm?
• If you're sold on Mark Sanchez as turning "it" all around, settle down! It was one game, and I know everyone still overrates the Pats, but the New England secondary is a siv. So, it's tough to say whether Sanchez is ready to step up or the Pats secondary is just that pathetic, but why don't we just settle down and wait and see.
• For those that are stunned by Brett Favre's shaky start, settle down! I'm not saying whether or not the Vikes will turn things around, but it was only a matter of time before things caught up with the aged gunslinger. Is it just me, or does Bret Favre lead the league in wincing?
• Anyone thinking the Browns are underachieving, settle down! I know they finished last season strong, but how many times have we seen that scenario before? You know, a bad team finishing a season strong, because they're playing with reckless abandon and, well, quite frankly over their heads, going into the next season with some sort of hype following right along beside them. So, anyone who thought the Brownies were ready to be contenders, needs to settle down!

Well, that concludes the first edition of "Settle Down!" Look for us, and possibly Brownie (pictured above) to tell even more people to settle down, next week!

WEEK TWO: BENCH ROMO

CHIEVES @ BROWNS- Here's a game that could really go either way. The Chieves upset the Bolts on Monday night, and the Browns lost to the Buccaneers, the team I picked to be in the running for the worst record this season. Now, let it be said that I am not sold on KC, but I am sold on the awfulicity of Jake Delhomme. That young KC defense showed some things on MNF, or so I am told (it finished a bit past my bedtime) and they could cause some problems for Jakey D. Chieves 16-13

BILLS @ PACKERS- Well, the Bills could have lost by more in week one I suppose, but that may be more telling of the Dolphins mediocrity, than the Bills goodness. No one is giving the Bills a chance and Lambeau, and with good reason. Packers 28-10

RAVENS @ BENGALS- Based on week one performances this should be a no-brainer, right? Probably, but since when have I done things by the book? The Jets didn't try and work that battered Ravens secondary, but the Bengals could, what with that high-priced receiving corps. But seriously, everything points to a Ravens win. Bengals 21-17

STEELERS @ TITANS- Sure the Steel crew surprised me by beating the Falcons to start the season, but I expect big things from the Titans this year. Should be a tight one, but I think VY and the Titans can pull it out. Titans 24-14

EAGLES @ LIONS- What can I say, Lions fans? You got jobbed. But look at it this way, it's not like the Lions were playoff bound anyway. So, it's only gonna help your drafting position, right? Silver lining, Detroit. Silver lining. Gotta say, I don't feel like the Lions will jump into the win column this week, either. Eagles 27-17

BEARS @ COWBOYS- Bears did put up some big offensive numbers in the opener, but how does a Mike Martz offense not score from the goal line, given four tries? I am not high on Jay-Cut as you may well know. I wasn't going anywhere with that, just wanted to reiterate, is all. Cowboys should, SHOULD, look better this week, but who knows? Cowboys 35-27

BUCCANEERS @ PANTHERS- I'm thinking DeAngelo Williams and "The Daily Show" will be looking to run amok (that's right, amok!) after being outright stymied by the G-Men last week! Plus the Bucs are not good. They got lucky against the Brownies. Now, it is possible the Bucs could be dancing with lady luck in week two as well, but I don't think so. Panthers 27-13

CARDINALS @ FALCONS- Neither squad was overly impressive in week one. I mean the Cards drew the Rams, and let's be honest, even with a promising young QB, it takes a high level of suckitude to lose to the Rammers. Now, I picked the Falcons to be the NFC Champs, which seems like a dumbish pick, sure, but I stand by it. Unless they start 0-2! Really, if they can't beat Derek Anderson (Max Hall, anyone?) than I am really gonna have to rethink some things. Falcons 38-21

DOLPHINS @ VIKINGS- Hey, here's a game I could not care less about. Is age finally, really, catching up with the Gunslinger? He did not look like he was having fun or about to lead the league in smiles, in New Orleans last Thursday. Both teams, are a bit overrated, but me thinks the Vikings are just flat out better. If the Dolphins hold Adrian Petersen to 14 all-purpose yards, then I may drink that dolphin-safe tuna juice. But not yet! Vikings 27-19

RAMS @ RAIDERS- The Los Angeles Bowl? Nothing like a battle between the last two franchises to play in La-la-land. Add in the fact, that both squads have been putrid for several years. Here's a weird thing to think about, though- These teams have been to a combined 3 Super Bowls in the last 11 years! Yes in the last eleven years the Rams have been to as many Super Bowls as the Steelers and the Colts! Both teams have been to more than the Cowboys or the Chargers or the Packers! Anyway, for some reason the Raiders annointed Jason Campbell their savior, and people thought they were some sort of playoff contender? I didn't buy it, and I looked spot on, with that not buying of it, in week one. But, are they bad enough to lose to the Rams? Maybe. I think the Rams will shoot themselves in the foot, though. Raiders 17-14

SEAHAWKS @ BRONCOS- Anyone who said they saw Seattle's week one lambasting of the Niners, and cannot back it up, is probably lying. Unless their name rhymes with "sweet barrel". This is another game I don't want to watch, primarily because I just don't care. Broncos 21-20

TEXANS @ REDSKINS- The Texans took a big step towards convincing me they are contenders with that win over the Colts, but it's a long season, and Arian Foster, prob-a-bly won't rush for two hundred yards every week, but he may be good. Skins are not as good as the Colts. Texans 28-17

JAGUARS @ CHARGERS- I was so close to picking the Chieves in week one, but thought, despite their penchant for starting slow, the Chargers would handle them. WRONG! I look for a big day from MJD and a Jags upset! Jaguars 21-20

PATRIOTS @ JETS- Patriots probably aren't quite as good as they looked last week, while the Jets may not be quite as bad as they looked last week. In what'll arguably be the most talked about game of week two (yes, more hyped than Chieves-Browns!) it should be a slugfest. All signs point to a Pats win, so the they'll probably lose, but I'm sticking to my gut! Patriots 21-17

GIANTS @ COLTS- Ah, Manning Bowl II. If the Giants can run the ball like the Texans and control the clock, they could very will pick up a "W" here. Here's the thing though, Peyton Manning just does not start 0-2. Last time he did that? His rookie year. Of course that is a relative stat. They may not have good competition in the first two weeks in any of those seasons, right? I suppose I could look it up, but I won't. Colts 27-23

SAINTS @ NINERS- There is really no good reason to pick the Niners in this one. But something in my gut sees an upset, gosh darnit! Pardon my French. Some weird stuff will happen in the Bay Area on Monday night! Niners 14-10

WEEK ONE: TO KITNA, WITH LOVE

PANTHERS @ GIANTS- This year's G-men "D" is supposed to be legit, and the Panthers have an inexperienced QB in Matty Tyler Moore. Normally that could spell disaster, BUT the G-Men are a bit banged up in the middle of the line and the Panthers have some darned good runners in "The Daily Show" Johnathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams. So while DeAngelo and "The Daily Show" could both possibly hit the century mark on the ground, it'll be the Giants who will grind out the win, in what I expect to be the quickest game of the week. Giants 20-10

DOLPHINS @ BILLS- It makes me sad that the NFL no longer makes the 'Phins travel up into the northeast during the winter months. But, that aside, I think the 'Phins are highly overrated. On the other hands they may have enough to get by the Bills. Despite a big day from C.J. Spiller, the Phins will prevail. Dolphins 21-17

FALCONS @ STEELERS- Matty Ice is ready to take control and dominate! At least I think so. The Falcons are my NFC favorite, so of course I think they can handle the Ben-less Steelers. Falcons 23-17

LIONS @ BEARS- I really don't know what to make of the Bears, to be quite honest. They could hang with the Pack and the Vikes all year or be a complete nonentity, I dunno? But, while the Lions are gonna take a big step forward this year, I think they won't quite be ready to upset Da Bears in the opener. Bears 31-20

BENGALS @ PATRIOTS- This seems to have become the trendy week one upset pick. I thought I was original thinking the Bengals, what with T.O and Ochocinco and all, would eat up the very "green" Pats secondary, but it appears everyone else is sniffin' that as well. So much so, that it makes me almost wanna go against my original pick! Nah. Bengals 31-27

BROWNS @ BUCCANEERS- The Bucs are the only team that will be blacked out in their area. Hard to imagine why? That was sarcasm folks. Why would anyone want to pay big bucks to watch this Tampa Bay squad? Unless they're wearing those delicious creamsicle unis, than they really aren't worth watching. Browns 24-10

BRONCOS @ JAGUARS- The Jaguars sold out! Yep, that's news! They didn't sign anyone making them a contender or anything, they just draw the Broncos and Florida star Tim Tebow in week one. Broncos rode last year's fast start to all sorts of, what amounted to unnwaranted, praise and hype. The overhypedness of Josh McD's squad has led many to believe this will be a cake walk for them in the opener. Well it won't be easy-peasy, but the Broncos will prevail. Broncos 24-21

COLTS @ TEXANS- Is it just me or does it seem like the Texans have been a trendy playoff pick for like the last decade? Well many think this is the year. Me? I'll believe it when I see it. Beating Indy in week one, could go along way towards convincing me. But that's another, "believe it when I see it" scenario. Colts 31-24

RAIDERS @ TITANS- The Raiders get Jason Campbell and all of the sudden, they're a playoff contender? What? Let's not get too carried away here folks. Sure, pretty much anything resembling competency at quarterback is an upgrade over JaMarcus Russell, but they are still the Raiders and no one on that Oakland squad has proven jack squat! Look for Chris Johnson to run wild and hold of the silver and black attack! Titans 24-16

PACKERS @ EAGLES- I love me some Packers and Aaron Rodgers, but I was high on them (them, glue fumes, whichever) at the beginning of last year too, and they would go on to disappoint me. Supposedly they've learned from last year and they are darned good on both side of the ball. Dom Capers should throw everything, including the kitchen sink, at Kevin Kolb. Packers 27-17

49ERS @ SEAHAWKS- Saying the Niners will win the NFC West is really not saying much. Winning the NFC West will be like being the skinniest kid at fat camp. That being said, Mike Singletary is tough and so are the Niners. The Seahawks? Not so much. No one is expecting much from the Seahawks which is the perfect way for a team to go into a season. They play bad? It's expected. Nothing to lose, right? But, on a serious note, Seahawks fans, Pete Carroll is not a good NFL coach. Niners 17-0

CARDINALS @ RAMS- Cardinals are ushering in the Derek Anderson era? While we all await the emergence of Max Hall, D-Andy is the man in 'Zona. Luckily he draws the lowly Rams in week one. On the other side though, Sam Bradford hasn't looked terrible. "Greatest Show on Turf", they ain't, but the Rammers could maybe do some things here and there. A definite upset possibility, but I'm sticking with the Cards. Cardinals 37-31

COWBOYS @ REDSKINS- Donovan McNabb's last two games were against the Cowboys. Both losses. I'll have to check the stats, but if he loses Sunday he may become the first QB in NFL (no AFL, CFL or USFL stats, please folks)history to lose three consecutive games, all to the same team? The Skins are much improved, but I still feel the Cowboys are the beasts of the NFC East. Cowboys 27-21

RAVENS @ JETS- Is there anyone outside of the Jetsdom, that likes Rex Ryan? Be honest. The Jets have a good defense, but are they a Super Bowl caliber team? I submit that they are not. The Ravens on the other hand? Absotively! Derrick Mason, Anquan Boldin and now T.J. Houshmanzadeh. Well, Darelle Revis is good, but I'm pretty sure he can only cover one of those guys at a time. Ravens 24-16

CHARGERS @ CHIEFS- The Chargers have become known for their slow starts, but ya gotta think they can handle "Sand" Cassel and the Chieves to start the season, right? I was very briefly tempted to pick the upset here, but common sense, as it rarely does for me, prevailed. Chargers 27-13


And of course, here is your cheese:

GAME ONE: KITNA-LESS

Alright, so as my 5th grade basketball camp coach said, "Procrastination is the chief thief of time." Yeah, kind of waited til the last minute with the old week one picks, so I'm gonna give you the pick for tonight's game and you can can look for the rest of the week's picks early tomorrow, to help get you through your Friday at work!

VIKINGS @ SAINTS: This may be the toughest call of week one, for me anyway. A rematch of last year's NFC Championship game, could very well be a preview of this year's championship game? On the one hand the Vikings turned the ball over five times in their postseason meeting last year, but the Saints still needed overtime to beat them. On the other hand Bret Favre is old and Drew Brees is well, not so much. Gregg Williams should keep Favre on the move and on the turf throughout the night, but will that be enough? They battered Favre around in that NFC title game last year and still almost came up empty. I think the Saints are the better team and will have the home crowd to help them, but the adrenaline and expectations may get the best of them in the opener, that's why I'm making my first bold, and possibly stupid, upset (although 5.5 point underdogs, not a super upset special) pick of the season! Vikings 27-23

ARE YOU PREPARED FOR SOME FOOTBALL?!

Yeah, the legal department informs me that we can't use, "Are you ready for some football?!" without express written consent of MNF. Apparently our implied oral consent will not hold up in a court of law? Not even a kangaroo court! Anyway, I'm sure my five loyal readers are wondering where their "Bitterness" has been over the past few months. Well, we were contemplating retiring from blogging. Hanging up the old laptop to spend more time with my family. But, after much consternation, hemming and hawing, I've decided I've still got some good blog posts left in me, by gum! Okay, now that, that's taken care of, onto the NFL preview!

I am gonna level with you all, I have not kept up much with what's been happening in the NFL off-season, so take these predictions, which are normally spot on, with a grains of salt. In fact, why don't you put those grains around the rim of a glass, pour a margarita in there, and celebrate the waning of summertime! Huzzah!

NFC EAST
The NFC East looks like it will once again be an angry cockfight! It seems the 'Skins have made some big upgrades, mostly in the coaching department, but they are after all, the Redskins, so unlike the esteemed Mr. Ross Tucker, I just can't pick them to win the division. Don't get me wrong, Donovan McNabb is still pretty good, but even if- and it is a sizable "IF"- he does stay healthy, I just don't see him leading this team to the promised land, and sorry 'Skins fans, but Gus Frerotte is not walking through that door! Well, actually, I wouldn't rule that out. Anyway, I still think this is the Cowboy's division to win. Yeah, I said it! What?! I'm never confident in the Iggles, and they are even more of a question mark this year with Kevin "Corn on the" Kolb at the helm of the offense. Meanwhile, the Giants should hang with the 'Boys until the bitter end, or week 15, whichever comes first.

Predicted standings:
Cowboys 11-5
Giants 10-6
Redskins 8-8
Eagles 8-8

NFC NORTH
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say the NFC Norris division will come down to the Packers and the Vikings. Sure, the Bears will somehow be in the mix throughout, but let's face it, Jay Cutler is, well, Jay Cutler. Not to knock Jay Cutler or anything. Okay, I guess I am absolutely knocking Jay Cutler. It's not that Jay-C isn't a good QB, he's just not great. I just don't feel he can keep his head on a swivel, when it counts, that's all! Part of it, is the media made him out to be more than what he was, when he signed with Da Bears last year, and that irks me! Wow, wasn't planning on such a big Jay Cutler tangent there. Moving on! A lot of people are high on the Pack this year, and with good reason, sure. But it seems that the Packers underachieve way to often for my liking. Sure I still think they'll edge out the aging gunslinger and the Vikes for the division crown, but not sure if they're ready to move into the echelon of the elite just yet. And of course, the Lions still have reservations at the hot new restaurant, The NFC North Basement, but could be the feistiest they've been in, well, a long time.

Predicted Standings
Packers 10-6
Vikings 9-7
Bears 7-9
Lions 5-11

NFC SOUTH
Well, if you are any sort of fan of the NFL, you probably already know, no team has ever won back-to-back NFC South titles. And you probably already know that for the past seven years, the team finishing last in the NFC South the previous year, has made the playoffs. Well, that all ends this year! Boom! I know, does not sound like a very bold prediction, but the Falcons are pretty good and Matty Ice has another year of experience under his belt, so the Dirty Birds could overtake the Saints. They won't, but they could. As for the Bucs making the playoffs? HAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, that is rich! Now stranger things have happened, but this one is out there, for sure! HAHAHAHAHA! Bucs making the playoffs! I've got a better chance of signing on as their 3rd string QB, than they have of making the playoffs! BUCS IN THE PLAYOFFS?! AHAHAHHAHAHA! Oh, okay, sorry, gotta bit carried away there. So yeah, Saints will fend off the Falcons and capture another NFC South title.

Predicted Standings:
Saints 12-4
Falcons 11-5
Panthers 5-11
Buccaneers 2-14

NFC WEST
Alex Smith, Sam Bradford, Derek Anderson, Matt Hasselback. These are your NFC West quarterbacks. The NFC West has got to be the worst division in football. That being sad, it has been worse, but not by much. To me, this is the Niners division to take. Each of the four teams in the division have major question marks, though. Is Alex Smith actually ready to be consistent and lead? Will Matt Hasselback stay healthy? Can Pete Carrol actually have success in the NFL? Derek Anderson? Really? And well the Rams are just a big question mark in general right now.

Predicted Standings:
49ers 9-7
Cardinals 7-9
Seahawks 4-12
Rams 3-13

AFC EAST
The Jets have the Hardknocks curse looming large, the Patriots have a lack of pass rush and a young secondary, the Dolphins have a somewhat inexperienced QB, and the Bills, well, it's gonna be a long season for the Bills. The Jets also have to be wondering what they'll get from Mark Sanchez in his second season. Will teams respect his arm enough to not gang up on the run? I'm not convinced they will, but they should still have a heck of a good defense. Then, there's the Patriots. Every year it seems, they are on the way out, but could this be the year, where they drop another peg and Belichik gets a piece of humble pie? Well, they were terrible in the third, and supposedly most important, preseason game against the Rams. THE RAMS! Now it was JUST a preseason game, but the way Belichik reacted you'd think they just lost a playoff game or something. But who knows, maybe that was just a Belichik ploy?

Predicted standings:
Jets 10-6
Patriots 10-6
Dolphins 9-7
Bills 3-12

AFC NORTH
The North seems like it's Baltimore's to lose. However their defense is not quite as potent as it once was. Don't get me wrong, it's still a darn good defense, just not as good as everyone seems to think. But they should be able to pull out a division title, and a good playoff run. The Bengals are leading the league in players who have had their own VH-1 reality show. Can the big personalities of T.O. and Ochocinco coexist in perfect harmony? If they can do that and Carson Palmer can return close to form, the Bengals should have a pretty darned decent chance at keeping pace with the Ravens. The Steelers are the wild card in all this. It'll all depend on what they can accomplish in the four weeks without Big Ben. The Browns could prove feisty as well, as they did finish last season on a high note. But they're still not quite "there" yet, I think.

Predicted standings
Ravens 12-4
Bengals 10-6
Steelers 8-8
Browns 6-10

AFC SOUTH
Seemed like last year a lot of people thought the Colts would be on some sort of downswing. All they did, was start 14-0 and head to another Super Bowl. Some downswing. While they have some O-line questions, the AFC South is still their's to lose. The Titans should be tough, but it'll all really depend on what VY does, if they want to actually compete for the AFC South crown. A lot of people are high on the Texans, but I think a lot of those people may just be high. The Texans have been a trendy pick for what seems like the last decade, so forgive me if I'm not entirely sold on the Kubiak Kids. And the Jaguars are just a mess. MJD is money in the bank, but they have more question marks than the Riddler, littering the rest of their roster.

Predicted standings:
Colts 13-3
Titans 10-6
Texans 9-7
Jaguars 4-12

AFC WEST
The Chargers are still the class of the west, but supposedly the rest of the division is on the rise. But the Chargers should not worry too much about that as all the team's are still a ways off. For some reason the Raiders are suddenly the trendy pick? I personally don't get it and will believe it when I see it. It is really a big testament to how putrid JaMarcus Russel was at QB, that Jason Campbell makes their offense 20 times better. I mean, it is only Jason Campbell folks, let's simmer down a bit. The Chieves brought in Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel (sound familiar), but I wouldn't expect the Chieves to be the Pats circa 2001, just yet. Not until Matt Cassel can really show something anyway. The Broncos played over their heads last year, but could pull off a few upsets here and there. Me thinks Josh McD's suad peaked with last year's fast start, but they have Tim Tebow, which should be interesting, at least?

Predicted Standings
Chargers 12-4
Broncos 8-8
Raiders 7-9
Chieves 6-10

Alright, so there are your predicted division standings, here are your Wild Card teams: Bengals, Patriots, Falcons, Giants

AFC Champion- Ravens. I did not want to pick them, but figure it'll either be them or Indy, and I just don't see Indy returning, not sure why? I also considered the Bengals, but they need to win a playoff game under Marvin Lewis, before I can really believe in them.

NFC Champion- Falcons. I am just really high on the Falcons. A lot of people are saying the Packers, which is primarily why I did not pick them. That and the fact they still need to prove themselves a bit more to me. I think the NFC playoffs could be wide open. Heck, I wouldn't even be completely stunned to see the Niners in Dallas! Sorry for ruining your season by picking you Falcons, but that's how the cookie crumbles?

Super Bowl Champions- Ravens

MVP- Was gonna go with the boring choice and flip a coin between Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, but what the heck fun is that? So, I'm going with (drum roll please)......Ray Rice. Not a complete dark horse, but I wouldn't see him as a favorite, maybe?

AFC Offensive Player of the Year- Peyton Manning, IND
NFC Offensive Player of the Year- Eli Manning, NYG. JUST KIDDING! HAHA! Aaron Rodgers, GB

AFC Defensive Player of the Year- Darelle Revis, NYJ
NFC Defensive Player of the Year- Marcus Spears, DAL

AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year- CJ Spiller, BUF
NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year- Mike Williams, TB (Orange represent?)

AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year- I really have no clue.
NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year- That Suh fella?

Well that conclude the "Bitterness" NFL preview. Enjoy the season! Huzzah!

KUMQUATS?!

With the MLB trade deadline having come and gone, it's time for "Bitterness" to look at the most traded player in the history of major league baseball. That's right, the ever popular "player to me named later" (PTBNL). Yes the PTBNL has been around, more or less, since the dawn of trading in baseball.

The PTBNL is basically used to postpone the final conditions of an MLB trade. But really the whole thing is just one of many bizarre rules and or regulations that surround the game of baseball.

Now they say the PTBNL allows the team receiving him more time to evaluate their team needs as well the talent level of the potential players they could receive as the PTBNL. But regardless, how discouraging does it have to be, to be a PTBNL? Basically the PTBNL is so insignificant that both teams are already happy with the trade, without him being added for another six months. I mean can you imagine such a thing in the time of the barter system? "I'll give you 6 potatoes for 4 kumquats and a foodstuff to be named later." You'd be liable to lose a hand!

But if just being a PTBNL is not discouraging or weird enough for you, I give you Harry Chiti. In 1962 Chiti was traded to the Mets from the Indians for a PTBNL. In the end that PTBNL was also Chiti. So, Chiti was actually traded, for himself!

But Chiti, was technically on both sides of the PTBNL deal. The PTBNL is usually a minor leaguer, who may or may not already know about his insignificance. But how about the other end of the deal? How important does one feel when they're basically traded, for no one. Well, in Chiti's day that may have seemed like a big "diss", as the kids say? These days, not so much, because it usually means a move to a team with a better chance of winning and it's mostly about the almighty "buck"!

So, it seems that the most discouraging position here is to be the PTBNL. Not many PTBNL's end up amounting to much, but there are a few who go on, to do some things. David Ortiz, Scott Podsednik and Coco Crisp are a few notable PTBNLs that have made nice careers. While they may not be significant before or after they become a PTBNL, they can, at the very least, be colorful and wise.

"I'm the player to be named later."- Crash Davis, Bull Durham

The seemingly immortal Jamie Moyer recently broke Robin Roberts' record for career home runs given up. Now while having given up more home runs than any other pitcher in basbeball seems fairly dubious, it is also a testament to Moyer's longevity. Longevity, of course does not equal greatness, but to a point, it does equal above averageness. Moyer has never been "great", but there is a certain something to be said for someone who remains serviceable for over two decades. But enough argle bargle! We here at "Bitterness" thought it be fun to go inside the many dingers given up by Jamie Moyer. First, a big thanks to Baseball-Reference, and away we go!

• His first home run given up was to Juan Samuel, the current interim-manager for the Orioles.
  
• He's given up home runs to six current Hall of Famers
  
• He's given up homers to Glenn, Eric, Chili and Chris Davis. Juan, Alex, Wiki, Alex and Adrian Gonzalez. Joneses, Tracy, Ron, Andruw and Chipper. Molinas, Bengie and Jose, but not Yadier.
• He's given up homers to Tony Pena and his son Tony, Jr. which no other pitcher can say.
• He's given up long flies to several Royals, Jeff King and Prince Fielder.
• He also gave up a homer to Prince Fielder's dad Cecil
• Home run #103 was given up to Greg Vaughn. #104? That was given up to Mo Vaughn
• He's been taken deep by a Huskey, a Hardy and a Braun
• Manny Ramirez has the most homers off of Moyer
  
• Brooks, Boggs, Bay and even an Overbay have taken Moyer out of the park
• He's given up long balls to Raines and Snow
• He's been taken deep in the first inning more than any other inning
  
• Kevin Bass, Tim Salmon, Benji Gil, a Marlin and a Devil Ray have all gone deep off of Moyer
• Bill Madlock and Dave Justice have taken him over the wall
• He's given homers to someone from every continent except for Antarctica
  
• Gates, Wells and Stairs also homered off of him
• He's given up bombs to Brewers, Rangers, Mariners, Fielders, a Hunter and a Sander
• Red Sox, White Sox and one Schu have taken him deep
• He's been taken deep by Phillies, a Phil and a Phillips
  
• Blue Jays, Cardinals and Orioles have hit long balls off of him
  
• He's been taken deep by a Wade, a Trot and a Pat
• A Herr and a Man-ny have homered off him
  
• And he's given up dingers to a Hill and a Dale, but no Valle

WTF?!

With the Major League Baseball at it's All-Star break, it's of course time for the "47th Annual Bitterness is a Fish You Can Catch All-W.T.F. Teams". For those of you who missed the announcing of the previous 46 years of "Bitterness is a Fish You Can Catch All-WTF Teams" and don't know what W.T.F. is, it stands for "What The Fiddlesticks?!" You see these are teams comprised of players that have produced stats in the first half of the season that are, let us just say, not in tune, with their expected production. Now we don't divvy up the teams by leagues. Oh, no-no, we divide them by whether their stats are above or below expectations. So, without further ado, on with the show:

TEXAS OUT-OF-RANGERS
C-John Buck, Blue Jays- Like many of the Blue Jays, Big Buck Hunter has been htting a bit above his paygrade.

1B-Troy Glaus, Braves- The oft-injured Glaus, has been more like a semi-Glaus the past couple seasons, but even a healthy Glaus and his aging bones are out hitting expectations.

2B-Kelly Johnson, Diamondbacks- Now sure, I did have Rage KJ as a preseason fantasy sleeper, seeing as how he all but disappeared off of everyone's radar last season, but he has done way more than even I could have ever imagined.

3B-Casey McGeehee, Brewers- A solid start to his career last season, but me thinks he be hittin' a bit over his head.

SS-Alex Gonzalez, Blue Jays- Sea Bass, yes Sea Bass (thanks to Baseball-Refernce for that nickname tidbit), has bopped 17 dingers thus far, a total that he has only topped twice in his 11 previous major league seasons.

OF-Jose Bautista, Blue Jays- He's already beaten his career high tater total (try saying that five times fast!) at the break! In fact he's already beaten that career tater total by 8!

OF-Chris Young, Diamondbacks- Now sure, he's had plenty of hype, and the dingers are for real, but his average is up above where it belongs. Regression is on the way!

OF-Nick Swisher, Yankees- Much like C.Y., Swisher's home runs are no lie, with that right field porch in Yankee Stadium being like 50 feet from home plate. But also like C.Y., the average is due for a regression.
BENCH
3B-Scott Rolen, Reds- Much like Troy Glaus, Rolen has been oft-injured and is raking like he's 27 again, which makes ya take a bit of a double take when you see the numbers.

IF-Ty Wigginton, Orioles- Wiggy was gettin jiggy early on, and yes he's cooled, but not enough to not make the 2010 overachiever squad.

OF-Alfonso Soriano, Cubs- He's been on a steady decline the past few years and a major drain on the Cubbies' financially. Now, while he's no longer a 40-40 candidate, he could get back to the 30 homer mark, and that's something of a surprise.

OF-Cory Hart, Brewers- He hasn't been wearing his sunglasses at night, and that seems to have made all the difference. Dude's got 65 steaks at the break, which is impressive for a guy who has never managed more than 91 in a season, in his short career. Either he's finally putting it altogether or he's just having a ridiculously lucky first half.
IF-Juan Uribe, Giants- It's possible that if Charlie Manuel wanted a good utility guy for the All-Star team, he could have chosen Uribe over Omar Infante. Seeing as how Uribe has been far better than the worse All-Star ever picked, that was not his team's sole representative.

PITCHERS
R.A. Dickey, Mets- Nothing really pointed to this breakout in Flushing.

Barry Zito, Giants- Were the stories of his demise, greatly exaggerated?

Carlos Silva, Cubs- Silva was just about literally the worst regular starting pitcher in the league last year, so even a mediocre start to this year would have landed him on this team.

Carl Pavano, Twins- Pavano's actually pitching like everyone thought he would after that '04 campaign. Who woulda thunk it?
Jon Rauch, Twins- A lot of people went into "panic mode" when Joe Nathan went down in Spring Training, but Rauch has more than stepped up.

Matt Capps, Nationals- No one, okay not a lot of people, saw Cappie being a solid closer for the Nats and that's good enough for "Bitterness"!

MYLANTA BRAVES
C-Matt Wieters, Baltimore Orioles- A bit harsh, since he barely has a full season under his belt, sure. He has been decent, but he was spit out of the Hype-a-tron 3000, and while that's not his fault, it'll still land him on the 2010 underachievers.

1B-Mark Tiexeira, Yankees- Another slow start for Tex, but unlike past years, he really hasn't turned it on yet.

2B-Aaron Hill, Blue Jays- A former All-Star, who actually finished 12th in AL MVP voting last year, hitting below the Mendoza Line? Welcome to the team!

3B-Aramis Ramirez, Cubs- Aramis was terrible, then got injured, came back and started hitting somewhat. So he may be back on track, but the first half numbers are still bad, so he makes the squad.

SS-Yunel Escobar, Braves- Not a superstar by any means, but he's been solid in his short MLB career, and this year has been abysmalistic for YEscobar.

OF-Adam Lind, Blue Jays- After a breakout campaign last season, Lind has been struggling mightily, even going several weeks between multi-hit games.

OF-Shane Victorino, Phillies- The Flyin' Hawaiian has seen a lot more of hits fly outta the park, but his BA and OBP, are way down. But the dude can rock a white suit!

OF-Jason Bay, Mets- I'm thinking that maybe, just maybe, the Metropolitans were looking for a bit more than 6 dingers at the break from the Bayniac. And before anyone blames the power outage on his playing in the vast expanses of Citi Field, just know he has almost 30 more homers on the road in his career. Even whilst playing with the Red Sox last year, he hit 15 HRs at Fenway, while socking 21 on the road!

BENCH
OF-Melky Cabrera, Braves- Now no one was expecting an All-Star season out of the "Melk Man", but .259, 3 HRs and 24 RBIs?

IF-Chone Figgins, Mariners- Not surprising to me, but until recently, the much ballyhooed off-season signing by the Ms, had been a major disappointment.

3B-Chase Headley, Padres- A solid finish to last season, had Chase as a sleeper going into 2010, but after a hot start, Headley has been merely mediocre.

1B-Carlos Pena, Rays- No one was expecting Carlos to compete for any batting titles, but .203 is bad, even for him. Couple that with a .415 slugging percentage, and he ends up here.

2B-Akinori Iwamura, Pirates- Iwamura looked like a sneaky good signing by the Buccos, but he has been awful, and lost his starting gig to rookie Neil Walker.

PITCHERS
Ricky Nolasco, Marlins- Going into last year Ricky was one of the up and coming pitchers in the majors. So what did he do? Pitched so badly, he was sent to Triple-A. He then returned and pitched to expectations in the second half, leaving him ready to make the emerge as an ace this year, right? Wrong. Once again Nolasco has struggled in the first half, although not as mightily as in '09, but mightily enough to earn a spot on this squad.

Dan Haren, Diamondbacks- Usually, Danny boy saves his struggles for the second half, but I guess he decided to get ahead this year.

Wandy Rodriguez, Astros- "Magic" Wandy, has been anything but, this year. He took a big leap forward last year, but must not have said, "Mother may I?" as he has fallen way back this season.

Javier Vazquez, Yankees- While it comes as no surprise to this blogger, Javy's return to the A.L., has been a bit shaky. Oh, and if you think it's because of his home park, think again. His E.R.A. is actually higher on the road.

Carlos Zambrano, Cubs- Unless you live under a rock that does not get MLB Network, you don't need this one explained.

Trevor Hoffman, Brewers- We all knew age was catching up with the all-time saves leader, but it appears to have not only caught up with him, but also tossed him around a bit and stole his ability to get guys out.

Joba Chamberlain, Yankees- The supposed heir apparent to Mariano Rivera's throne in New York, is carrying an E.R.A. up over 5.00 at the break. Yikes!

Well there are your "47th Annual Bitterness is a Fish you Can Catch All-W.T.F. Teams"! Hope you enjoyed and keep on, keep on truckin'!

HAPPY JACKIE ROBINSON DAY!

Ooops! Wrong Jackie Robinson! That is the long time Syracuse, NY news anchor. This is the Jackie Robinson we're celebrating today:

FANTASY FOOFARAW

Welcome to the first "Fantasy Foofaraw" of the season. But what is the "Fantasy Foofaraw" you may ask? Why the "Fantasy Foofaraw" is our weeklyish guide to fantasy baseball. Fair warning though, we hold know liability for ruining any fantasy baseball teams. We will however take complete credit when we help your team(s) achieve fantasy glory.

Why you shouldn't pay for closers- Jon Rauch. If you drafted, like many, before Joe Nathan went down (although somehow Nathan still managed to get drafted, after his injury, in several leagues, anyway) chances are Jon Rauch was not a player taken, even in deep, deep leagues. Which is hard to imagine, considering his adorable profile pic:

So you could just pick him up for virtual pennies and now he's 5 for 5 in save chances.

Of course it doesn't hurt to spend a little, rather than taking the dregs of the closer pool. (See Francisco, Frank)

If you drafted David Ortiz and expected him to start off 2010 with a bang, then well you are dumb. Yeah, I said it! The worst thing Ortiz could do was turn it on in the 2nd half last year, giving fantasy owners false hope for this season. He's on the downturn of his career. He's big and old, can't turn on inside pitches and can't hit lefties.

Now that being said, there's nothing wrong with having Ortiz on a deep mixed or AL-only league roster. But you do NOT have to start him. Unlike Terry Francona, you don't have to see him every day and there's a good chance he won't even know you benched him. Ya gotta think Francona is just hoping for an injury, so he won't feel bad about not playing Papi. Personally, I don't think that late season charge is on its way this year. AL-only and deep mixed league people, eye this situation and keep Mike Lowell and Jeremy Hermida on your radars.

Don't push the panic button on these fellas just yet:

HUNTER PENCE- Now sure, his team is abysmal, BUT he should still put up some good fantasy numbers. In fact I had him as one of the most underrated fantasy players in all the land when the season started. So don't look for him to Cory Hart you (Cory Hart: v. to show great potential and talent, leading to high expectations that are quickly dashed, ruining one's fantasy season), despite his hairdo:



YOVANNI GALLARDO- I don't generally get in the habit of sticking up for dudes named Yovanni, but I have high hopes for Gallardo, which is why he is the ace of several of my teams. So don't worry, fantasy goodness is on the way!

GRAB 'EM IF YOU CAN!

BARRY ZITO- He's not gonna be Cy Young Barry Zito, nor will he pitch this well the whole season. He has only faced the Astros and the Pirates for crying out loud! But he'll be a solid SP4 or 5 on any fantasy squad.

COLBY LEWIS- He dominated in Japan. JAPAN FOLKS! Worked for Cecil Fielder and Max "Hammer" Dubois, enough said!

No? Not enough said, you say? Okay, how 'bout this- he just struckout 10 Indians in 5.1 innings and that ain't bad.

SETH SMITH- Sure he's platooning, but if you are in a daily transaction league and have the time and effort to know when he's playing and can plug him into your lineup, you could be ridin' a gravy train with biscuit wheels!

STREAM WEAVER
In "Stream Weaver" we'll give you some good streaming options for the upcoming weekend. Enjoy!

TOM GORZELANNY, CHC (4/16) vs. Houston- Is Tom Gorzelanny the answer to all your pitching woes? Certainly not! Is he the answer to some? In the long run, no. But he's pitching against the Astros this week, and the 'Stros have fewer HRs and RBIs than Albert Pujols.

MIKE LEAKE, CIN (4/16) @ Pittsburgh- Sure Leake is not established, making this a bit more of a gamble. But he did do a good job of keeping the ball away from the Cubs' bats. Of course that was partly because he walked 7 Cubbies in 6.2 IP. And he skipped the minors altogether, so yes he is a bit of a wild card, but he has big upside, especially against the Buccos!

JAMIE GARCIA, STL (4/16) vs. New York- Garcia is another young gun with very little track record. The Mets are struggling and Oliver Perez is his opponent, so I like the chance for the "W".

JEREMY BONDERMAN, DET (4/16) @ Seattle- Bonderman looked sharp in his first start and will head into a great pitcher park against what has thus far been a punchless Mariners offense. The only downside to this, he's up against King Felix, so the "W" is by no means a "lock".

Not a ton of viable streaming options for Saturday and not a lot of probables shown for Sunday, so there!

That concludes our first "Fantasy Foofaraw" of the season, hope you enjoyed, and if not, well, it doesn't really matter.

BURNING QUESTIONS, BOLDISH PREDICTIONS AND OPENING NIGHT THOUGHTS

The wait is over! Baseball is back and so is "Bitterness", with our burning questions and boldish predictions for the 2010 MLB season.

BURNING QUESTIONS

• Is there anyone in the Cubs organization that should not be on the hot seat?
• Can the "Pitcher Whisperer" Dave Duncan work his magic on Brad Penny?
• Is anyone else not jumping on the Mariners bandwagon? Yes they have King Felix and Cliff Lee, but who's at the back end of that rotation?
• And how is Carlos Silva in a Major League rotation?
• What would ever, ever, ever possess Jayson Werth to shave off that gorgeous beard? Really the only thing I did not love about Jayson Werth was his weird beatnik soul patch thingamabob.
• Where have you gone Rocky Biddle?
• Why have I not been calling Tommy Hanson "Jump Street" sooner than now?
• Can Brian Bannister be the next Mark Gubicza?
• Do the Astros understand the term "scouting"?
• Will anyone suffer more injuries than the Mets?
  
• What's the over under on number of days Nick Johnson spends on the DL?
• Can Jason Heyward actually hit the moon with a batted ball?
• Will the Giants be able to scrape together enough runs to take the NL West?
• Will anyone try to top Kyle Blanks' afro?
• What is Billy Beane doing?
• Has anyone asked Jamie Moyer how he used to pitch Babe Ruth?
• Why would you build a new baseball field in Minnesota without at least a retractable roof?
• Can everyone just cool it with all the "run prevention" talk when talking about the Red Sox?

BOLDISH PREDICTIONS

• Jay Bruce will hit 40+ home runs.
• Roy Halladay will not win 20 games, nor will he win the Cy Young award.
• Tim Lincecum will not win the Cy Young award.
• Joe Mauer will hit less than 25 homers.
• Adrian Gonzalez will not still be a Padre after the trade deadline.
• Javier Vazquez will spend time on the DL after incurring the wrath of CC when taking his last piece of pregame deep dish pizza.
• The Mariners will not make the playoffs.
• Tim McCarver will still be an old coot spittin' out all sortsa assinine.
• Nick Johnson will get injured.
• Curtis Granderson will hit less than 30 home runs.
• Evan Longoria will drive in at least 125 runs.
• Chan Ho Park will not last the whole season as a Yankee.
• Zank Grienke will still be outstanding.
• The Mets brass will try and hire Jack Klugman, TV's Quincy, MD to try and keep them healthy, but only after negotiations with Alan Alda break down. They will then realize that Mr. Klugman is no longer among the living. Dr. Quinn, stay by your phone.
• Sean Rodriguez will be the American League Rookie of the Year.
• Travis Snider will have a breakout year.
  
• The A's, Pirates, Astros, Nationals and Royals will all have losing records.
• The Orioles will win 80 games and finsh 4th in the AL East.
• The Reds and Dodgers won't make the playoffs.
• Milton Bradley will be ejected from 2 games this year.
• Bobby Cox will be ejected from 4.
  
• No more than 3 pitchers will win 20 or more games.
• No fewer than 7 eating establishments in the greater D.C. area will have a Strasburger. And they will all feature extra cheese!

And now for some of your more "traditional" predictions:
AL East- Red Sox, Yankees, Rays, Orioles, Blue Jays
Al Central- White Sox, Twins, Tigers, Indians, Royals
Al West- Angels,Ranger, Mariners, Athletics

NL East- Phillies, Braves, Marlins, Mets, Nationals
NL Central- Cardinals, Cubs, Brewers, Reds, Astros, Pirates
NL West- Rockies, Giants, Dodgers, Diamonbacks, Padres

Wildcards- Yankees and Braves

ALCS- Red Sox over Yankees
NLCS- Phillies over Rockies

World Series- Red Sox over Phillies

AL MVP- Alex Rodriguez
NL MVP- Ryan Braun

AL Cy Young- Jake Peavy
NL Cy Young- Josh Johnson

AL ROY- Sean Rodriguez
NL ROY- Jason Heyward (how could ya not?)

OPENING NIGHT THOUGHTS

• Neil Diamond performing "Sweet Caroline" live in the middle of the 8th inning with a sweet "Keep the Dodgers in Brooklyn" jacket was as good as it gets!
• Pretty nice having Pedro throw out the first pitch. I did not hear any "Who's Your Daddy?" chants.
  
• Nice ovation for Mike Lowell.
• The game itself was pretty exciting.
  
• I predicted the Red Sox would win 8-6. Pretty close.
• Yankees bullpen had a pretty shaky start. I'm just saying, Joe Girardi, Chan Ho Park may not be your best bet in any sort of clutch situation?
• Why would ESPN blackout the game in Boston and New York? It was the only game on! Sunday Night Baseball is never blacked out. NEVER! Imagine my dismay when I went to watch the game this morning to see if I could spot myself in the crowd, only to find I had 3 hours of ESPN News on the DVR. Blast!
  
• I did find $5 on the sidewalk on the way home. Jack....pot!
  
• And of course this:

Go baseball, enjoy the season!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

THE "BITTERNESS" RETURN IS NEAR!