"The Monday Nightmare"

Millions of Americans were watching the Green Bay Packers @ Seattle Seahawks Monday Night Football game this week. We saw one of the highest scoring offenses in recent history let their defending MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers get sacked an unbelievable 8 times. Eight sacks in one half? That's pushing it even in Madden....There was very little scoring, and the game was a tight defensive battle forcing punt after punt after punt. Before the game though, I couldn't even name a single player on the Seahawks defense. Not a single one. And it's not like I don't watch every week. I play fantasy football, watch every game I can every Thursday, Sunday, and Monday. But Pete Carroll's defense looked amazing Monday night. They put pressure on Rodgers rushing 3 or 4, which helped to shut down the Packers prolific passing game. I personally have Jordy Nelson on my fantasy roster (who had almost 1500 yards and 15 TD's last season), and he was held to just 2 catches for 19 yards. Greg Jennings almost scored, but his foot went out of bounds at the one yard line. It was a game of inches, and a game of strategy. It seemed like neither offense would get going, so we knew it would come down to each team's last possession.

With the Packers up with less than a minute on the clock, the Seahawks rookie QB Russell Wilson chucked up a hail mary jump ball to the left corner of the end zone. In live motion, I really couldn't tell who caught the ball, but it was sure that somebody had in fact caught it. After a quick replay, it seemed fairly clear that the Packers M.D. Jennings came down with possession, even though Seahawks receiver Golden Tate managed to stick in arm in to try to get a hold of the ball. But then one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen in all of football happened: the two closest refs came to the play, looked down, at each other, and then made completely different calls. The two replacement refs had not conferred on what the result of the play was, and one called for a timeout (which would indicate a touchback for the intercepting team) while the other signaled touchdown. After review of the play (I don't know why the reviewed it, when they didn't have to review the Pats/Ravens final scoring play the night before...), the head referee decided that it was in fact a touchdown, and the "12th man" went wild.

The buzz surrounding this incorrect call is huge. Not only had Golden Tate gotten away with a totally blatant offensive pass interference, which should've nullified the "catch," but the ruling before and after replay was totally wrong. The NFL rules state that in the case of a simulataneous reception by two players on opposing teams, the offense wins control. That would mean it was a catch. However, the rules also state that it is NOT a simultaneous catch if one player has possession and then another player gains joint control. That means that in reality, it was NOT a touchdown catch.

The fact that the league came out Tuesday morning after the game and said the result was correct and that the game was final further proves the flawed dictatorship that Roger Goodell is running. As fans, we should not put up with this kind of product. We love football, and everyone -other than Seattle fans- agree that the call should've been reversed and the Packers should have been given the win that they earned.

In my opinion, as unique as it is, I think the teams should refuse to play. They should refuse to go to their away games and tell the Commissioner that they will not let another game be wrongly decided by these high school, lingerie league refs. This is their livelihood, this is their love. It's like buying a Mercedes and having a Kia engine under the hood.

Money & Power: The Story of the NFL

Many of us have NFL Redzone, so we see key plays in every game during football Sunday. Yesterday though, I saw more pass interference calls than I have ever seen before. Not only do the offensive players get every advantage in the book, but now the league and the refs are giving the receivers every call on the field. The league wants ratings and huge TV contracts, and apparently defensive games are "boring" for many of the pink-hat types. Real NFL fans love hard-hitting, tough defensive battles. The NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell however, like money and power. So my theory is that the league condones favoring the offense to allow more scoring, so that the games will attract more leisure fans to increase ratings and revenue. Many true fans dislike high-scoring games, because if they wanted to see a 44-41 score with 800 yards of offense, they would just watch college football. The game is being tainted by money, and Roger Goodell is football's Scarface.

I had a huge problem with the NFL last night, specifcally at the end of the Patriots/Ravens game last night. While there were absurd calls and bad no-calls throughout the game, nothing can compare with the lack of an official review on the final play of the game. Commentator Al Michaels noted that, "If a kick is between the uprights, it is reviewable. If it is above the uprights, it is not reviewable." So you're telling me that the referrees could not review that field goal by Baltimore's rookie kicker Justin Tucker? With the game on the line, and both teams fate waiting in balance, the replacement refs quickly jogged off the field. When I initially saw the kick, I honestly was unsure if the kick was good or not. I understand that the ball was above the uprights and may have been good, but there was no way to tell 100% either way. Everyone knows that 'all scoring plays can be reviewed.' Why was this different? Not only was this a scoring play, but it was the most important scoring play of the game. The refs should have, no doubt, reviewed the kick. If they reviewed it and came back with the same conclusion, then I could accept the call and the loss. But the fact that they did not even think about reviewing the call, even with Pats coach Bill Belichick running after them, is unbelievable. If I was Patriots owner Robert Kraft, I would send a formal letter to Roger Goodell and tell him that the New England Patriots will no longer be taking the field with the replacement referees in use. The NFL has almost a $10 billion revenue, and they can't spare a few million to pay the true, professional referees? If the Pats held out, and other NFL teams followed suit, the league would have no choice but to strike a deal with the real refs and the game would be back to normal. The only way to defeat the evil empire that is Goodell and the NFL is to fight fire with fire.

How many complaints from teams and fans will it take for the league to get their head out of that place where the sun don't shine?

Pawn Stars meme

Okay, there is a meme for almost everything now. Bad luck Brian, Scumbag Steve, all of the rage comics.. I could list them all but it would take forever. Head on over to the IMDB to check the rest out. No, not the Internet Movie Database that we are accustomed to, but the Internet Meme Database.

For those who haven't somehow seen this show, Pawn Stars is basically a reality show about the daily dealings made in the pawn shop in Las Vegas. Their claim to fame is basically getting the weirdest and most valuable things around, with the tag line being, "You never know what's going to walk through that door." Well, I may not know whats going to walk through that door everyday, but I can be sure the experience of the seller and the haggle is the same EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. This is where the meme became hilarious to me.

Basically, someone brings in a crazy/weird/old/valuable item. Rick (shop owner) has no idea what the value of it is, so he brings in his buddy who's an expert in the field. The expert spits out some number and then the seller says that's the amount that he wants to sell it for. Rick says no, and then goes absurdly low on the offer. Get it? I mean, the guy has to make money somehow.

First of all, how does Rick have a "friend" or a "buddy" in all of these crazy fields? Oh you brought us a mummy? Sure, let me bring my buddy in who's an expert in Egyptian mummies. Oh, you have the ark of the covenant? Hold on, let me call my friend who's an expert in arks of the covenant. Seriously though, he really does have an expert in every field just waiting on his phone call so they can get their 2 minute spot on the History channel.

 

 

point proven?

The other hilarious part of this meme is how they poke fun at how awful Rick's offers to the sellers can be. When the seller tells Rick how much he wants, Rick will almost always say no and immediately offer almost nothing back. The guy could have something that's worth $10,000 and Rick's offer will be around $2,000. The internet absolutely ate this up. Oh you have something that's priceless? The best I can do is $500 cash right now.



Either way, I still watch the show. I find it hilarious to watch people argue the value of random things. Also, watching Chumlee be a complete idiot fascinates me.

The iPhone 5: Worth the Hype?

The iPhone has consistently been an industry leader in the smartphone market. As technology is minimized and usage optimized, the iPhone 5 will be the best of its product line to date. But is the 5 actually as amazing as all the hype makes it seem? My simple answer: No. While the 5 does have excellent features and specs, it's nothing compared to the amount of hype that it's gotten since the last iPhone came out (the 4S). The iPhone 5 has a bigger screen, increasing size from a 3.5'' display to a 4'' display. That's a big improvement in my mind. However, you'll have to decide what size phone is for you when choosing between the Droid RAZR (and Maxx), the Samsung Galaxy S3, the Nokia Lumia 920, and other phones that are out or are coming out soon. Another big improvement that I've found is the removal of a glass backing. Too many times I saw people drop their iPhone 4 and 4S's resulting in that spider-web shatter pattern on the front and/or back. The processor is also much improved, as the 5 comes with an A6 dual-core chip rated at 1.05 GHz. The new processor is said to be about twice as fast as that of the 4S (statistically only about 25% faster), which will show tangibles affects when using Verizon's 4G LTE.

The 5 also comes with savvy new features like Passbook and an all-new Maps app, just to name two major additions (stock with iOS6, which is available to other iDevices as well). While I've seen some complaints about the Apple Maps app in comparison to Google Maps, we'll have to wait until the phone is actually in user's hands before making that allegation. And while I don't personally like the idea of having the contents of my wallet saved in my phone (for security reasons), Passbook and Google Wallet are both nifty apps that can save time and create a simpler way to go about our fast-paced lives.

Some low points for me are the cameras of the 5 and the battery life. The cameras are still on par with current industry standards, but are no real improvement from the iPhone 4S. One of the biggest demands from all smartphone users is power. Especially moving to 4G LTE, users will have quicker download speeds and will be able to surf the web and apps at faster speeds. This means using more juice. The iPhone 5 has only a 1,440 mAh battery. That's on the low end even for 3G phones. While the 5 does have efficient processing and will still last over 10 hours with such a battery, it's really no comparison to other smartphones and will almost definitely not be enough power to last throughout a day of full usage and no recharging. Another downside to this is that the battery is embedded, so you can't even have a backup battery to replace yours when it dies. While you can buy a tool and have a battery, the iPhone 5's battery is not meant to be removed, so this is not a very viable option.

While I didn't go through each spec of the iPhone 5, you have a general idea of it's performance and capabilities. The 5 looks like a great new smartphone, keeping pace with other leaders in the category. However, I don't see the delivery of innovation that Apple has hyped up for the past year. Millions of people worldwide have been licking their chops to hear the announcement of the new iPhone, and I think they will be disappointed. Not that the iPhone 5 isn't great quality, but for the amount of suspense and publicity Apple gives its products (specifically the iPhone/iPad lines), I think they've failed to provide consumers with the next best thing. Usually, the leading smartphone is only really king for a few months, if not less. This iPhone isn't even king at it's release, so why bother getting it? Buy a different smartphone, or wait till the holiday season for other, better products to be released. Sorry Apple, I'm not impressed.

The Big E: The best place you've never been

No, The Big E isn't a Zoo and these aren't the animals that you will see here. There are Kangaroo, but you won't see them hopping around. This sign shows you the different types of BURGERS you can get at one of the many places to stop for food. I had never heard of getting a kangaroo burger... is it even legal  to eat those in the US? I couldn't pass up this opportunity to try something I had never had before, so I went with the cajun alligator burger. The chef asked me if I wanted cheese on it and without hesitation I said yes. But wait, is alligator something you put cheese on? I'm not really sure, but I tried it. It was amazing, and did actually taste a little like chicken, but with some kind of spicy kick to it.


Speaking of out of the ordinary things, we came across a hut that was labeled:
HERCULES: WORLD'S ONLY LIVING UNICORN COW

Seems legit. I mean, it's only $1 to go in and if its a hoax, they offer $5,000 back to you. Sounds like a deal to me, no way would they want to be forking over $5,000 to multiple people. It says right on the sign that he is 2,500 pounds. Now that's a big boy right there.





Even though the description of Hercules is right there on the tent, I still wasn't 100% sure what I was going to be seeing. Is it a cow that has a horn just duct-taped to his head? Either way, I was surprised when I walked in to find this guy staring at me:

HOLY COW! Pun completely intended there. I mean that horn was a good 1-2 feet long and actually real. I also thought it was kind of funny how his spots on his side almost spell out "LOL," as if this cow was made to be a joke. He didn't really move the whole time, just started at us as if he was saying, "I know I look ridiculous, so go ahead and take a picture and leave please."




Maybe it was the two 20 ounce beers I had previous to this, but I found the unicorn cow to be one of the best things I had ever seen. There was a sign for the world's smallest horse (48 pounds), but I didn't want to spend an entire dollar to see a small pony, and something that obviously couldn't live up to the unicow. However, they also had a free petting zoo in one of the areas where we discovered this weird guy:

It's almost as if a camel and a steer mated and this was what was created. The hump is too awkwardly placed on its back to be a camel, yet has horns. Then I saw that it was from India and it all made sense (I guess). I don't question India too much.

But if you have never been to this place, you really need to get out there. You can get some really awesome beer (20 ounces for $6.75 on almost any kind there), some awesome food, and see some really cool stands there. We found this really cool shower display (cool? shower? display?) that actually blew us away.

For a mere $4,950 (usually $10,000) you can have this ridiculously awesome shower/hot tub/steam room/ bad ass thing. The water rains down on you if you want to shower and lights up. The bottom is actually a hot tun that you can turn on whenever you want and control the temperature on the digital display. You can also somehow turn this into a steam room, though we didn't get to see that done. My favorite part of this thing was the doors. When you opened and shut them, they made a futuristic door sound, kind of like what you would expect on a space ship. Awesome.







I'll definitely be coming back to this place... hopefully with $5,000 cash so I can go home with one of those showers that literally do everything.

All-star Wheel of Fortune player

Okay, so I'm a huge Wheel of Fortune fan. I watch it almost every night and I usually crush the puzzles. I find it hilarious when people make mistakes on this show, especially when the word is literally right in front of their face. This lady took dropping the ball to the next level. Not only did she fumble the ball, but then she pulled a Buckner by letting the ball go through her legs while simultaneously trying to call a time out with no more time outs remaining.

After she buys the two I's, she seems to have this wrapped up... yet continues!This lady happens to defy all odds and land on the evasive $10,000 space and proceeds to nail it with the letter G. Now any normal player would solve it here, but this lady has the need for greed. When Pat asks her what she wants to do and she replies with spin, you can hear the gasps of the audience. Never a good sign when you can also hear her mutter, "I don't know." She nearly escapes defeat by just evading the bankrupt space and landing on the 900.

Two letters to go and one word already complete. She's got it in the bag.. only an idiot could mess this one up...

K?!  K?!
The look on Pat's face after says everything that needs to be said.

This is news to me.. who knew that it was actually spelled "Ekclsuive Nightclub." I learn something
new every day. Today, I learned that this woman is an idiot. They need to put me on this show asap.

Lethal Weapon 5: Best movie you've never seen

Okay, there is only 1 full version of this film online in English, and they disabled the embedding option, so above is the trailer and here is the link to the full movie (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjhV1DavSRM). Lethal Weapon 5 was a movie made within the TV series "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia." Though just over only 6 minutes long, this film is pure gold. It's filled with action, romance, character switching, black-face, awesome 80's-esque music, and even the use of slow-motion during the chase scene. Also, how can you not like a film that stars Danny Devito as the bad guy? Takes me back to when he played The Penguin in Batman.

Batman Returns - 1992

Dennis Reynolds: Raj / Rex *
Mac: Rex / Raj *
Charlie Kelly: captain, torturer, blonde casino assistant
Danny Devito: Indian casino owner
Dee Reynolds: taking out the trash

* denotes character switch halfway through film


The police station and Indian casino are shot in the same location (Paddy's Pub), but just with a different sign hanging over the front entrance. Genius.. saving money by not having to really build two different sets. Just hang a different sign and call it a day.

But what really makes this movie are the line deliveries from the characters. In the first scene, Charlie Kelly, the police captain, tells Dennis (Raj) that it was his wife that died. The sincerity in that line could kill me, he absolutely nailed it. The finger point, coupled with the killer line of "the person who just died was YOUR wife" is genius. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Next is where we get a complete dosage of Danny Devito. We can see how vicious he is as the Indian Casino owner when Rex and Raj confront him about the tainted tap water. Yet, we can see how gentle of a lover he is, as he lights candles and sets the mood for his Academy Award winning love scene to follow. Easily one of the best love scenes in a movie, ever.

The following scene is probably the most important of the entire film. We see Rex hung up by his arms being tortured, but he is not being played by Mac anymore. This is where Denis and Mac switch characters. Along with this switch, you will see that Rex has developed some sort of Australian accent, and Raj is now black. That is some twist that M. Night Shyamalan couldn't even come up with!

Danny Devito's amazing hood slide

 Upon finding where Raj was being held, Rex breaks in to save him and Devito makes a run for it. The chase seen takes them onto a roof, where someone has strangely enough, parked a car. However, it does make for the perfect, slow-motion hood slide for both of them.
In the end, Rex and Raj have Devito cornered and are able to douse him in his own tainted tap water, shocking him to death.



One of my favorite aspects of this movie are how underrated the catch-phrases are. Mac drops two pure gold lines during this film, the first being when he is asked if he has any last words. He responds with, "go suck an egg." Now, no one as ever told me to go suck an egg, but if they were to, I would feel completely defeated. What do you say back to that? Nothing.. you have no response.
His other food-based catch phrase was at the very end after Devito has been shocked, he cracks, "That's one fried turkey!" Maybe it was how he said it, or maybe it's because Devito is fat.. but either way, the line was perfect.

Sadly, this movie was never in theaters. Even worse, it didn't even have the chance to go straight to DVD. Given the chance, I would have been one of those people who lined up to see the midnight release of this thing. However, it never made it out of the 6 minute slot it was given in "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia." It just kills it on so many different levels. The intentionally funny and unintentionally funny combination works incredibly well. All I can say is that there better be a Lethal Weapon 6. I want more character changes, more black face, more Devito, and more slow-motion!

The Melting Pot: Best place you've never been

So I recently went out for my 1 year anniversary dinner to a place called "The Melting Pot." I had never been, but my girlfriend assured me that I would love it. Basically its a fondue-based restaurant, consisting of cheese fondue, chocolate fondue, and then a main course which you cook yourself at your table. After my experience here, I have nothing but an amazing review to give. If you've never gone, you are seriously missing out, and here is why:

We arrived at the restaurant at around 6:30 for our 6:45 reservation, just enough time to grab a beer at the bar before dinner. Though it seemed like a relatively small place, it is set up perfectly. You are led to your table through some sort of maze in the back, and when you sit down, it's almost like you have an entire room to yourself. You cannot see anyone else or their table, pretty sweet if you ask me. When we found our table, we were greeted with this

I had asked for a rose to be placed on the table, but was actually surprised by how nice it looked in the vase with whatever else they put in with it. The booth was a small, U shaped booth so you didn't have to awkwardly stare at your date the entire night. You could have separation, or you could sit right next to your date comfortably. If you look on the right of the photo, it shows how much of the other tables you can see down the hallway, almost nothing at all. Only downside of the maze set up was trying to leave.. we were wandering around until someone was able to direct us to the exit.

What we decided to do was their signature four course custom meal. This lets you choose a cheese fondue to start, followed by a personal salad. Then the main course is shared and consists of some sort of meat or seafood, and the desert is your choice of a chocolate fondue. Here is what we went with, and all of it was amazing.

Cheese fondue: Boston lager cheddar cheese fondue
Salad: Wisconsin wedge salad / California salad
Main dish: Angus sirloin, bbq pork, shrimp, chicken, and teriyaki sirloin
Desert: Chocolate s'mores fondue

Starting with the cheese, the waitress actually makes this fondue in front of you. She dumped a bunch of boston lager in the bowl, followed by cheddar cheese and some sort of garlic, bacon, and onion mixture which she heated until the cheese was smooth. They gave us 3 different kinds of bread, chopped granny smith apples, and a few different vegetables to dip with the cheese fondue. I could have made a meal out of just the cheese and bread combination, as it was completely delicious. As for the apple and cheese, it was surprisingly good. I would have never thought to dip cut up apples in this cheese mixture. Before we could even make a dent in this fondue, the waitress had already come back with our salads.

I ordered the Wisconsin wedge salad, which was served with tomatoes, bacon, Gorgonzola cheese, and topped with a parmesan peppercorn dressing. Already feeling like I ate too much of the cheese fondue, the salad was a nice light course to get us ready for the main course. However, it was surprisingly a good size, not one of those "personal" portions that could serve a 4 year old.

After we finished our salads, they brought out the main course. I wasn't aware before, but you get to cook the meal yourself. You can see the 5 different meats, and each of them can be dropped into the hot broth for 2 minutes until they are cooked. Don't worry, you don't have to have a stop-watch out for every piece, as you can't really over-cook these. You also get to choose which kind of broth you want to cook in, we went with some kind of Caribbean broth that they called "Mojo." It kind of took me back to Jamaica.

 They also gave us some potatoes, broccoli, and mushrooms to cook in the broth. You could just throw these in the pot all at once, and scoop them out after about 4-5 minutes of cooking and they were ready to eat. Now probably one of the best part of this course was the sauces, the 6 containers in the back. Each sauce was paired with either a piece of meat or a vegetable, and they really kicked the meal up a notch.

So after playing around with the food and vegetables for a little bit, I finally managed to get some pieces cooked and on my plate with the sauces. Curry sauce, sweet and sour sauce, teriyaki sauce, a blue cheese dip, horseradish-cocktail sauce, and what they called their "green goddess" sauce. I don't know what was in the green goddess sauce, but it took the vegetables to another level. The curry sauce didn't do much for me, but the horseradish-cocktail sauce with the shrimp was amazing. Spicy kick to an old-time favorite. And of course the sweet and sour sauce was banging with the pork and chicken. I felt like a little kid the way I was trying out these sauces. I was trying all of the different combinations, ooh-ing and ahh-ing when I got a combination that tasted good. My girlfriend was pretty embarrassed, but how could I care when the food was tasting this good!?

Fire!

No, we didn't screw up our dinner and set the place on fire. This was the waitress making our s'mores chocolate fondue. She dumped a little Bacardi 151 on top and lit it on fire for a bit of a show.

 Instead of just getting a plain, boring chocolate fondue, we decided to go with their "S'mores chocolate fondue," which was amazing. With the base of chocolate, they added a bunch of marshmallow and then swirled in some graham cracker bits and proceeded to melt it all down to gooey awesomeness. I expected to have a few things to dip with this fondue, strawberries, bananas, etc. Nothing crazy.. but I was completely wrong.

Here is the platter for the s'mores chocolate fondue. It had strawberries, bananas, marshmallows (two covered in oreo bits, and two covered in graham cracker bits), rice crispy treats, pound cake, brownies, and a slice of cheese cake. Woah, I think I just got diabetes from naming all of those. The strawberries and bananas were awesome as expected. The cheesecake and pound cake bites were phenomenal. My personal favorite was the rice crispy treats. Although I'm pretty sure each one of those I ate will give me a few cavities, it was so sweet and so good. By the time we were done with the chocolate fondue, it was 8:30 and we couldn't even move. We had been at this restaurant eating for TWO AND A HALF HOURS. Now that may seem like a long time, but we never really had to wait, and it was entertaining the entire time.

Of course I had to drink.. so I did what they call their "beer flight." With every course, I got a different 6 ounce beer to go with it. With the cheese, I had a Boston Lager. I was given a Sierra Nevada pale ale with my salad which went really well. With the main course, I was given a Stone IPA, which I had always wanted to try.. and it was awesome. Very well paired with the meat. With the chocolate fondue, they sent out a Rogue chocolate stout, which was also very tasty. How could you not like chocolate dipped food washed down with a chocolate stout? Easy match. After I had finished all my beer, I still wanted something else. Feeling fancy enough at this place, I ordered a Snickers martini. It had Stoli vanilla vodka, Kahlua, Baileys, Disaronno, and Godiva chocolate liquor. It tasted like someone melted a snickers bar, then proceeded to spike it and give it a kick. It was a tasty, boozy way to end the meal.

 

Snickers martini

Now just when we thought we were all done with out meal, a lady came by with a camera and said she was going to take our picture. I know that sports arenas do this, then charge you an obscene amount for a cheap, awful photo. However, this was a complementary service, she made sure the picture was nice, and was back within 5 minutes to give us a framed picture. I was incredibly surprised.

This wasn't the end of our surprises though. Prior to going, we had signed up for their fan club online, which entitled us to a free box of chocolate covered strawberries. They gave us 3 HUGE chocolate covered strawberries: white chocolate, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate. They were to die for. My only complaint was that I couldn't have 1,000 of them.






Overall, this was probably one of my favorite places I have ever been to eat. The food is great, the drinks are great, and the atmosphere is actually quite fun. Keeping me entertained in a restaurant for two and a half hours is a task in itself, let alone making me want to come back.  We also got to take the flower and vase with us. My girlfriend thought she was being sneaky by just grabbing the rose before we left, but then the waiter told us to just take the vase too. A win-win. Although the place is a little pricey and I would be living under a bridge if I ate here regularly (also would weigh 300 pounds), but this is a perfect place for a special occasion. The service was amazing, which is hard to find these days. If you haven't been here yet, I more than highly recommend it.

Biggest NFL week one surprises

With the opening week of the NFL coming to a close last night, it's safe to say that we saw some real surprises already. I mean, David Akers kicking a 63 yard field goal that bounced off the cross bar and over? You don't see those kinds of breaks until at least week 7! There were some pleasant and not so pleasant surprises this week:

 Michael Vick looked like he was the one in a dog fight this week with the Browns. He single-handedly made the Browns in this week look like a team of All-Stars. He threw 29-56 for 317 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. 4 interceptions? And I thought the Eagles were supposed to be the dream team this year? Andy Reed might have just pulled a Rex Ryan with that kind of pre-season prediction. If the Eagles had played almost any team besides the Browns in week one, odds are these 4 interceptions cost them the game, easily. Instead, they escaped with a 17-16 win to start 1-0.

RGIII had one of the most impressive starts this week, and perhaps one of the best first starts by a rookie quarterback ever. He ran well, he threw well, and he dominated the Saints. 19/26 throwing for 320 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions. He also had 10 rushes for 42 yards. I can't remember the last time the Redskins scored so evenly and often; 10 points every quarter. Not only did RGIII look impressive, he looked incredibly comfortable. I expect nothing but big things from him and the skins this year.

With almost no visible offense this pre-season, the Jet's offense came into week one and blew everyone away. Tebow even added to it by recovering an on-side kick! They finally discovered his real position. However, Mark was able to go 19-26 for 266 yards and 3 touchdowns. He really hit his marks, making some miraculous throws into good coverage. Overall, a big surprise in my opinion after what the world saw in the pre-season.

Wes Welker disappointed fantasy owners everywhere. Only being targeted 5 times, he had 3 catches for a miniscule 14 yards. Now Welker is entirely to blame, the Patriots ran a lot of 3 tight end formations, and it's hard to pass up throwing to an open Gronkowski or Hernandez. I'm sure he will bounce back and get some more targets, as the opponents will shift the focus of coverage to the best tight end duo in the league.

Year after year, you can expect the Ravens to bring some hard-hitting and well-executed defense. But when was the last time they were known for their explosive offense? They put up a week one high of 44 points against the Bengals, who should have had a much better defensive effort. 308 yards through the air and 122 on the ground provided a very balanced attack. They also tacked on a defensive touchdown in the form of an Ed Reed interception return touchdown, just so people didn't forget their defense.

Another example of a great quarterback with a horrendous start. Though he did throw for 355 yards and a touchdown, his day was clouded by the 3 interceptions he threw very early in the game. He finished with a quarterback rating of 69.4. To put that in perspective, RGIII finished with a quarterback rating of 139.9 (more than double Stafford's). Against the lowly Rams's defense, I expected much more out of Stafford than what he gave.

While watching the Jaguars vs. Vikings game, I was ready to put them in this discussion after they recorded a surprise opening-week victory. However, the Jaguars are still the Jaguars, and found a way to let it slip right out of their hands late in the 4th quarter. With the luck of the Jaguars on the Viking's side, Blaire Walsh (rookie kicker) drained a 55 yard field goal to tie the game and send it to overtime. Against any other team, that kick goes wide right. But, that's the Jaguars for you in a nutshell.



Week one was an eventful day on the couch for me. With some great match-ups set for week two, I'm looking forward to even more surprises and another awesome week of football.

It's that time

Patriots time. Enough said.

Why I worry about how intelligent some people are

"Tell me a man's name that starts with the letter K."

 (Kyle, Kevin, Karl, Keith, Kenny, Kurt, or Kareem would all be valid answers here.)

"..Kentucky Fried Chicken."

EXCUSE ME? A man named Kentucky Fried Chicken?! I've heard a lot of crazy names in my time, but never have I heard of someone being named after a fast food joint. Since this was the first ridiculous answer to start this video, I knew this one would be an absolute gem. I'll pull out a few of my favorites and break down the level of stupidity involved with each answer, with a 1 being slightly stupid, and a 10 being a big what the hell were you thinking?

Q: Name a place on your body that a doctor might look in with a little flashlight.

A: "Butt", and a second answer of "butt" as well.

Okay, I guess butt can be an acceptable answer.. if you're getting regular colonoscopies or cavity searches. What kind of doctor are these two women visiting that they get their ass searched more than say their eyes, ears, nose, and mouth? Maybe it's that doctor on Scrubs that makes you drop your pants for every diagnosis. Either way, this is a pretty idiotic answer. Idiot level: 3

Q: Name a term that means "wife"

A: Bitch

This guy has some serious balls. I mean, sure rappers interchange the word bitch for a lot of things in their songs, but in regular conversation, this is clearly not acceptable. I believe he's sleeping on the couch tonight. Idiot level: 7

Q: Name a part of a telephone

A: The bottom part

Oh man.. she nailed it! How could you forget about the bottom part of the telephone! I hear that's what Apple is currently working on with the iPhone 5, the new and improved "bottom part."

Idiot level: 9

Q: Name an animal with 3 letters in it's name

A: Frog

-________________- Because he took so long and thought about this one, I really have no comment. Idiot level: 11

Q: Name something normally worn only by children

A: Clothes

Wow, I wasn't aware that only children wore clothes. What have I been wearing then? Idiot level: 8

Q: Name something you squeeze

A: Peanut butter

Hey, I can't really knock her on this one. Some people have some freaky fetishes, so maybe she gets large jars of peanut butter, sticks her hands in, and just squeezes the life out of it. But then again, who really wants to squeeze peanut butter? Give me a PB&J instead. Idiot level: 4

Q: Name something you might buy that could turn out to be phony

A: A horse

Don't you just hate when this happens? You go to the barn, think you've bought a perfectly good horse, and BOOM! It turns out its a fake... nothing but a donkey or a mule. I mean really, what constitutes a "phony" horse? Idiot level: 9

Q: Name a yellow fruit

A: An orange

Bravo, you have just given the most obviously wrong answer. If she had said apple, she could have argued that maybe she saw a yellow apple before, or even pear.. maybe she saw a yellow pear once. But trying to argue that an orange is yellow.. that just is impossible. Idiot level: off the charts

Q: Name an animal whose eggs you would probably never eat for breakfast

A: Hamster

Well considering that hamsters are mammals and don't lay eggs, he's technically right: you would probably never eat hamster eggs for breakfast. However, since they don't lay eggs, this makes him a moron. Idiot level: 8

Q: Name something you wouldn't want police to find in the trunk of your car

A: Pickles

Dead body? no problem. Weapons? Nah, those are cool. Drugs? Go ahead and take em. But pickles? I WOULD NEVER BE CAUGHT DEAD WITH THOSE IN MY TRUNK! I hear pickles are the first thing police are looking for now during traffic stops. So what is this guy doing with these pickles that he really doesn't want the police to know about? Idiot level: 10

These were just a few of my personal favorite idiotic answers. All of them completely reassure me that I am, in fact, normal and slightly intelligent. Then again, I feel like a cat would feel more intelligent after watching these answers.

Look at Apple hijacking students to work on the iPhone 5

Are we reverting back to the stereotypical Nike sweatshop factories? Perhaps Apple is leading the charge on this one. News has leaked out that thousands of Chinese students have had their semesters suspended so they can work at a Foxconn plant producing the iPhone 5.

After the plant couldn't find enough workers to produce the new phone, the took to Huai'an in the Jiangsu Province of China. Students here were removed from their schooling, driven to the factory, and paid minimal wages to produce the product. Working 6 days a week at up to 12 hours per day, they are making a whopping $244 per month. That breaks down to making just about $0.85 an hour. A student posting under the anonymous name of MengniuIQ84 stated that authorities had ordered the students to work, but without the consent of the factory or parents.

This is absurd, and I thought waiters making $2.45 an hour was crazy. I would love to hear what Steve Jobs would have said about this news.


Source: www.Shanghaidaily.com

Is Rob Ryan really Raiden from Mortal Kombat?

I don't know what made me think of this, but once I looked up both pictures, I'm almost positive that Rob Ryan used to be Mortal Kombat's Raiden. The picture of Raiden is from 1995, and now we see Rob Ryan 17 years later. With the 17 years comes the added weight, the facial hair, and the wrinkles. While the gray hair cannot really get much more gray, it's there nonetheless. Even the facial expressions are strikingly similar here. The more I look, the more I believe it.

My verdict: I'm completely sold on this. Rob Ryan definitely was Raiden. Case closed. If the Cowboys get some bad breaks from this point on, I expect some lightning to spark from his eyes. Who knows, maybe that's just what the refs need to get the calls right.. a little fear from Raiden.

Rajon Rondo: NBA All-Star and.. fashion intern?

Coming off a disappointed series against the Miami Heat in the most recent playoffs, many expected the "new" Big 3 of Rondo, Garnett, and Pierce to be working like crazy this off-season to exact revenge the following year. With the Celtics adding and dropping multiple players, I personally expected to see these 3 mentoring the newcomers in their winning ways. What I DIDN'T expect was to see Rajon Rondo taking a fashion internship in New York City with GQ Magazine. If you could have placed a bet on this at the end of the season, the odds would probably have been something like 1,000,000 : 1.

I do realize that there are two main parts to an NBA game: looking good on the court, and looking even better for the post-game interview. Some pros can kill the post-game look, where as some just make me laugh. Maybe Rondo is trying to gain some inside information on the upcoming fashions so he can out-do Dwayne Wade and Lebron James's ridiculous looking glasses. Here's hoping that Rondo kills it on the floor, and changes the post-game look forever.

Airpane! officially funniest movie ever. About time!

"I am serious, and don't call me Shirley." Thank god! This has been one of my all-time favorite movies across all genres of films. How can you not like this movie? Leslie Nielson (RIP) is pure gold in this flick. Almost everyone in the movie makes you laugh at one point, even Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Just the fact that Kareem is in this movie, playing a co-pilot pretending not to be Kareem, is awesome. I would always fight for the integrity of this movie, and now I actually have some evidence behind it!

A panel was assembled to watch all of the films that would be considered as "funniest ever." This panel then recorded how many laughs from the audience were generated, and proceeded to calculate the LPM, or Laughs Per Minute. Airplane recorded a LPM of 3. 3 laughs a minute over the entire movie? Pure comic genius if you ask me!



They proceeded to rank the top 10 movies, they are as follows:
1. Airplane - 3 LPM
2. The Hangover - 2.4 LPM
3. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad ! - 2.3 LPM
4. Superbad - 1.9 LPM
5. Borat - 1.7 LPM
6. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - 1.6 LPM
7. American Pie - 1.5 LPM
8. Bridesmaids - 1.4 LPM
9. Shaun of the Dead - 1.3 LPM
10. Life of Brian - 1.2 LPM

I've got to be honest, I'm surprised that the entire Naked Gun series isn't on this list. Leslie Nielson can simply do no wrong. If you haven't seen Airplane, you seriously need to get your head out from under that rock and watch this.

Joey, you ever been in a cockpit before? You ever seen a grown man naked?

Aaron Rodgers is rocking a 'stache now?

Okay, I really admire people who can rock amazing facial hair.. whether it be a full beard, handlebar mustache, or even a serious pair of mutton chops. But the one thing I cannot respect is the "chico-stache" we see Aaron Rodgers rocking in this ESPN interview. He goes from the rugged, scruffy look that many wear to this? He looks more like an Aaron Ramirez rather than an Aaron Rodgers. On a scale of 1-10, I give this look a respectable -5. Please bring back the scruff or just nix the 'stache completely!

New Wave of Smartphones

Every year as we approach the holiday season, handset makers and carriers want to cash in on big spending. September is a good time to start, as the kids are heading back to school or off to college. Verizon recently released the Samsung Galaxy SIII, which set the bar high for many upcoming phones. Since Google purchased Motorola Mobility, the two have coordinated to make a few enticing Android phones. I won't do a complete overview of each phone, but the summary should be enough to decide whether the phone is for you or not.

Motorola recently launched three RAZR models: the M, HD, and HD MAXX.

1. RAZR M: the cheaper of the three phones (listed at $99, a steal compared to most smartphones), but you get what you pay for. The M has lesser specs than the other two models, but for that price, a lot of people will be willing to skimp on some hardware to save the money. the M has a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB of RAM, but only 8GB of storage. However, you can always buy a micro-SD card for relatively cheap money, so that's not too bad. The M has a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED display, with 960x540 resolution. While the resolution is not great, it's still decent with such a large screen. The 8MP camera is up to any other phone's standard, but the secondary VGA camera is obviously a downgrade in quality. The M has 1080p video recording, which seems to be the norm nowadays, but is still very good of course. It is not listed as having LTE, but we should assume that it will, as not having Verizon's 4G LTE is wasting time and money. It's got a solid battery size at 2000 mAh, but you'll find that it won't last through the day if fully charged in the morning. It's also a slim 8.3mm, but one would think it would be even thinner with the lacking of top-quality internals and a smaller battery than the other RAZR models.
2. RAZR HD: it has the same processor and RAM as the M, but a much better display wielding a 4.7 inch Super AMOLED HD with 1,280x720 resolution. It also has an 8MP camera, but a better secondary at 1.3MP compared to the M's VGA. It does come with CDMA/LTE and global capability, although that has a fee for the startup. It weighs 20g more than the M, but has a 2,530 mAh battery, which, combined with the larger screen size, makes total sense. A surprise about the HD though, is that it is only .1mm thicker than the M...seems like a valuable tradeoff to me.
3. RAZR HD MAXX: it is basically the same phone as the HD, but, similar to the difference between the Droid RAZR and the Droid RAZR MAXX, the HD MAXX has a much heftier battery. Same as the RAZR MAXX, the HD MAXX utilizes a 3,300 mAh, for longer usage. While the bigger battery can be helpful so the user doesn't have to recharge as often, it also makes the phone .9mm thicker than the standard HD and 11g heavier. That may not seem like alot, but .9mm is a sizeable amount when comparing to around 9mm total.

Of these Google/Moto phones, I would say the HD MAXX is the best value. Personally though, I would opt for the HD, as it has everything I need and has the slim body and weight I want.

Nokia has also released a solid phone, although I personally prefer both Android and iOS over Windows Phone.

The Lumia 920: it is one of the initial WP8 phones, but Nokia has fallen off the map quite a bit lately, so we'll have to wait for a review to see how good it really is. It comes with a 4.5 inch HD+ display, a dual core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor, and an 8MP rear-facing camera that can record 1080p video. The screen comes with a WXGA 1,280x768 resolotuion, which is very good in comparison to other current smartphones. The battery is a somewhat low 2,000 mAh, but there will be some excellent portable power sources coming to market relatively soon. So until then, keep a charger with you.

There is also rumor of a 5-inch HTC handset TBA soon, which we will evaluate upon it's official press release.

Until then, it looks like you should go with the trusted Galaxy SIII, the RAZR HD, or wait for another phone to come out soon (iPhone 5 perhaps?).


source: Engadget.com

Chad Johnson has officially lost it

We all know Chad Johnson (Ochocinco) for his crazy antics and his huge social network presence, especially on Twitter. However, after his breakup with Evelyn Lozada, this is something that I never could have imagined him doing. Johnson headbutted Lozada in the car after she confronted him about a receipt for condoms. Shortly after, their 41 days of marriage was no more after Lozada filed for divorce.

I don't know what could have been going through Johnson's head that made him think, "Oh, a tattoo on my leg of her with her name underneath it would SURELY win her back." Well Johnson gave Lozada a headache in the car, and now it seems he will just be giving himself his own headache when the media jump on this one. Just stick to tweeting next time.

NFL Predictions

Okay, everyone, it's prediction time. All over television and the radio you see and hear analysts predicting each NFL teams record before the season starts. Then, at the end of the year, they go back and see how correct, or incorrect, they were. Below, I'm gonna do the same.

We'll go by division:

AFC East:

1. NE Patriots - The Pats have a relatively easy schedule, only facing good teams in Baltimore, Denver, Houston, and San Francisco. I think the Pats will finish the season at 12-4. I would say 13-3, but they usually find a way to lose to a division opponent (@Buffalo, @NYJ, even @Miami). The offense didn't seem to click in the preseason, but with a much better defense than last year, the Pats should be able to win at least 12.
2. Buffalo Bills - I think the Bills have a real chance this season to do something special. They had a solid defense last season (specifically in the first 8 games), and have added great pass rushers in Mario Williams and Mark Anderson. If RB Fred Jackson can have another stellar season, and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick can avoid throwing as many interceptions as TD's, the Bills could go a cool 10-6. However, I think they will go 9-7.
3. NY Jets - With all of the offseason drama, and the addition of unskilled QB Tim Tebow, I think the lowly Jets will continue their trend of talking big, and producing low. They will go 8-8 this season, if they're lucky. Maybe Tebow can pray for them when he's on the sidelines, or in between punts. Mark Sanchez is one of the worst QB's in the game, and it doesn't look like Tebow has helped his confidence any.
4. Miami Dolphins - Hard Knocks for the Dolphins doesn't actually start until this weekend. That's why they take the field and realize that being on TV doesn't mean you'll be good. They have a rookie QB in Ryan Tannehill, backed up by decent but not great Matt Moore. They don't have a great defense, and they'll have to rely heavily on fumble/injury prone RB Reggie Bush. Especially after losing Brandon Marshall, they have no threats at WR. I'll give them a break and say 6-10 this year, but that's if they get lucky. More like 5-11.

AFC West:

1. Denver Broncos - Not only did they add future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, but they got rid of special teamer Tim Tebow. I know, they won the division last year with Tebow, but that was just because the rest of the teams in the West were jokes. Not that they aren't this year, but they've had some more time to prepare and not be so horrible. I think the Broncos go 10-6 in their first year under the leadership of Peyton, but will probably lose in the first round of the playoffs.
2. Oakland Raiders - If RB Darren McFadden can stay healthy, and QB Carson Palmer can light up the air with WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, I think the Raiders can go a healthy 9-7. However, I think they'll end up at 8-8, because it is unlikely that injuries won't plague them (plus they don't have a great defense to make up for it).
3. KC Chiefs - It's looking like another long year for the Chiefs, unless the addition of RB Peyton Hillis can create the best tandem in football alongside the speedy Jamaal Charles. Although I'm a Matt Cassel fan, his only real options are Dwayne Bowe and Steve Breaston. While their running game should be fantastic, opposing defenses can stuff 8 in the box and force the Chiefs to play through the air...which is not their strong suit. I have them going 6-10.
4. San Diego Chargers - Well, I think the Chargers are also in for a tough year. I'll pick them to go 7-9, because they could have a very solid offense if it runs on all gears. They have a decent defense, but the team doesn't seem to click well and coach Norv Turner has been having some rough years lately. However, I wish them all the best in honor of NFL great Junior Seau.

AFC North:

1. Baltimore Ravens - If QB Joe Flacco can complement the running game of Ray Rice, the Ravens could go a solid 12-4 this year. While they do play in a very tough division (except the Browns...), they have a perennially great defense and a very solid offense. Look for big plays from Torrey Smith and quality production from Anquan Boldin, if he can stay healthy.
2. Cincinnatti Bengals - With the addition of the Law Firm BenJarvus Green-Ellis, the Bengals should have a prolific offense complemented by an underrated defense. The D will create turnovers and play the pass well, while stuffing the inside with linebackers Ray Maualuga and Manny Lawson. I think a safe pick is for them to go 10-6, but I'll 11-5 because I love an underdog.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers - I think the Steelers will play much better defense this year, but injuries will still be a problem for them. Big Ben tries so hard to continue plays, but he often takes huge hits in the process. I also don't think their running game is very good, although people would argue that Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman are a pretty good tandem. I don't see them having the power running game they used to have, which will cause them to resort to the air. While Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown will put up great numbers, the offense will sputter and rely on the D to support them. Steel City goes 10-6 this season.
4. Cleveland Browns - Even with the maturity of 28-year old rookie Brandon Weeden and rookie RB Trent Richardson, the Browns have no good receivers and an okay defense. While Romeo Crennel is a great defensive mind, there is only so much he can do with the talent he has. I expect the Browns to go 5-11 at best. I'll go 4-12 in a tough AFC North though.

AFC South:

1. Houston Texans - The Texans keep on getting better. Last season, they made the playoffs even while QB Matt Schaub, WR Andre Johnson, and RB Arian Foster missed a combined 18 regular season games. That's impressive. While they did lose star defensive end Mario Williams to the Bills, J.J. Watt had a great rookie campaign and you can expect an even better sophomore year. If the offense stays healthy, a foresee the Texans going 11-5, easily winning their division.
2. Tennesse Titans - Second year QB Jake Locker looked better this preseason. But that's just preseason. The Titans will have to hope that Chris Johnson has a comeback year, and they're praying he runs for over 2,000 yards again. I doubt that, but it's possible. WR Kenny Britt is only suspended for the first game of the season, which I'm predicting they lose to the Patriots anyway. They also added Kendall Wright through the draft, so Locker will still have a good receiver to look to while Britt is out (or double-covered). TE Jared Cook has some speed, and can go unnoticed to defenses after they cover up CJ and the two receivers. WR Nate Washington had a good season in 2011, racking up over a thousand yards, quietly. Still, I see the Titans going 8-8. If only they had Jeff Fisher....
3. Jacksonville Jaguars - Blaine Gabbert looked more comfortable in the pocket this preseason, but that will be tested in Week 1 going against Vikings DE Jared Allen. While the Jags do have solid receivers in Mike Thomas and Laurent Robinson- plus outstanding rookie Justin Blackmon- they are a running team, and will have to rely on Maurice Jones-Drew and Rashad Jennings to carry the offense. I don't think Gabbert is a star QB, but he is average. With Jennings starting over preseason holdout MJD in Week 1, look for MJD to split carries 70-30 with the young RB. I predict the Jags to go 5-11, mostly from the running of MJD.
4. Indianapolis Colts - Although I believe Andrew Luck could be a future Hall of Famer, I don't see the Colts improving much since last season. Reggie Wayne and Austion Collie are solid wideouts, and Luck played with rookie TE Coby Fleener at Stanford, so they have chemistry already. However, I don't see Donald Brown as a true premier back, and I personally wouldn't give him the ball more than 10-15 touches a game. I predict them doubling their win total, which still leaves them at 4-12.

NFC East:

1. New York Giants - The defending Super Bowl champs are still a great team. I don't think Ahmad Bradshaw can carry the load on his own however, so the Giants will have to steer away from the run game and more toward the passing game. Eli Manning has great receivers to throw to there. Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz are two of the best in the game, so they'll have no problem converting 3rd and longs or scoring in the redzone. Their defense will be solid again, with a monstrous defensive line and solid back-end play. However, they have an extremely difficult schedule, and I predict them going...you guessed it...9-7. I could see them going 8-8, but I think they'll find a spot in the playoffs again, so above .500 is where they'll be.
2. Philadelphia Eagles - Although they lost cornerback Asante Samuel, their defense is still very good. And I know it's a lot to assume, but assuming that Mike Vick can stay healthy, the Eagles should go a cool 10-6. LeSean McCoy will be one of the best RB's in the league, and Jeremy Maclin plus Jason Avant are great supporters of the speed demon DeSean Jackson. Look for Jackson to have a comeback season, something like Chris Johnson in TEN will look to have. Final prediction, 10-6.
3. Dallas Cowboys - Initially looking at the Cowboys schedule, I could easily see them finishing 6-10 or 7-9. However, I think DeMarco Murray and Dez Bryant will keep them afloat. I have no faith in Tony Romo to play well in the clutch, and we've already seen how owner Jerry Jones mouth can write checks that the team just can't cash (as in calling out the Giants...). I'll predict them at 8-8. They're lucky they play the Redskins twice and the Browns once....
4. Washington Redskins -  Although I think RGIII is a great player and an even better person, I just don't see the Skins having an offense to put up enough points to win games. Especially in the NFC East, they'll need to support their decent defense by scoring at 20+ a game. Roy Helu seems to be solid out of the backfield, but they won't have a great run game and the only option at WR are Pierre Garcon and Santana Moss. Sorry Washington, Skins goin' 4-12 this season.

NFC West:

1. San Francisco 49ers - The 9ers went 13-3 last season, and that's exactly where I see them again this year. They have a solid QB in Alex Smith, who did a lot to prove himself last year, especially in the playoffs. They have one of the league's best defenses (if not the best), and a great running game with Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter. They also added receivers Randy Moss and Mario Manningham, both who have great potential and have shown it before. Watch out for the 49ers in the playoffs, I expect them to get to the NFC Championship game.
2. St. Louis Rams - The Rams have gotten better...but that still isn't enough to have a winning record this year. I see them going 6-10. Yes, Steven Jackson is a great runningback, and Sam Bradford is good when he's not injured. But they don't have good receivers and their defense is mediocre at best. How many years has it been since the Greatest Show on Turf? Too many.
3. Seattle Seahawks - Another "just okay" Pete Carroll team. Although they look much better than last year, RB Marshawn Lynch is out at least the first week with back spasms, which have caused him to miss games in the past. Robert Turbin is a solid rookie backup, but I don't see Russell Wilson having a breakout year. I'm predicting 7-9 in a weak division.
4. Arizona Cardinals - They have a below-average D, and a nonexistent QB. They paid Kevin Kolb millions to be the starter there, and John Skelton is actually starting. Beanie Wells is a solid RB, but with no good quarterbacking, I don't see a running game able to get going. At best 4-12, but I'll go 3-13 for good measure (unless they change up the starter mid-season).

NFC North:

1. Green Bay Packers - The Packers are once again going to be a great team, with a great chance at getting to the NFC Championship. However, they're in a tough division, so they'll get some losses there. I have them going 12-4, but they could do better depending upon the output of newly acquired RB Cedric Benson.
2. Detroit Lions - The Lions have a very tough defense, hunkered down with huge DT's. They were one of the better D's last season in getting turnovers, and I think the trend continues. Also, they added WR's to complement Calvin Johnson, and have a solid running game. If they can keep Matt Stafford healthy, look for another huge offensive season. I'm predicting them to go 11-5.
3. Chicago Bears - The Bears got Jay Cutler's favorite target, WR Brandon Marshall this offseason. While I personally think Cutler is awful, he definitely has the arm to throw the ball up in Marshall's area and Marshall has the speed, size, and hands to come down with it. With the addition of Michael Bush to Matt Forte, the Bears running game should be excellent once again. If the defense can play well, as they usually do, Da Bears should go 10-6.
4. Minnesota Vikings - Although Adrian Peterson is back, and Percy Harvin had a good year in 2011, I don't trust Christian Ponder at QB. I foresee the Vikings going 5-11, and that's mostly because of defensive pressure caused by Jared Allen and big runs by AP.

NFC South:

1. Atlanta Falcons - With the addition of CB Asante Samuel, the Falcons defense is very good. They should be able to stop opposing offenses, and put up points quickly. Michael Turner is a great runner, and Matt Ryan has a slew of targets at WR. Expect big numbers from Roddy White, Julio Jones, and Tony Gonzalez. Falcons to go 11-5 this year.
2. New Orleans Saints - Although the offseason was like a bad soap opera for the Saints, I expect them to use it as motivation, and to play harder for coach Sean Payton while he's suspended. I'm sure defensive captain Jonathan Vilma will give all the motivation and help to the D that he can, but Drew Brees will still throw for over 4,000 yards and around 40 TD's. Saints to go 10-6.
3. Carolina Panthers - I don't think any defense can slow down the still very young Cam Newton. He'll run for over 10 TD's, and have a better TD-INT ratio throwing. I don't know if he'll have the same production with passing yards, but he'll be more efficient. The defense is very solid, especially after drafting LB Luke Kuechly. With one of the best (if not the best) runningback tandems in the league, the Panthers will go 10-6.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - While Josh Freeman should play better, and they have a very good set of RB's, I don't think the Bucs will play the defense they did under Jon Gruden. I predict the Bucs go 6-10.

AFC Playoff Picture:

1. NE Patriots
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. Houston Texans
4. Denver Broncos
5. Cincinnatti Bengals
6. Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC Championship Game: Ravens @ Patriots

NFC Playoff Picture:

1. GB Packers
2. SF 49ers
3. PHI Eagles
4. Atlanta Falcons
5. Detroit Lions
6. New York Giants

NFC Championship Game: 49ers @ Packers

Super Bowl: Packers v. Patriots

WInner: Packers

I'm a Pats fan, but I just don't see Brady beating Rodgers in a QB duel. Sorry Patriot Nation, get with the times.