Congressman Steve King Grills NFL Commish over Rush Limbaugh [J. Mark English]

Rush Limbaugh Bids on the St. Louis Rams [J. Mark English]

LBelieve it or not, but long time football fan, as well as conservative talk show host, Rush Limbaugh, may be the next owner of the St. Louis Rams.

Here is more from Breitbart.com with Jim Salter of the Associated Press:

The lowly Rams have someone who loves them.

Conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh said Tuesday he is teaming up with St. Louis Blues owner Dave Checketts in a bid to buy the Rams, owners of the NFL's longest losing streak at 14 and just 5-31 since 2007.

In a statement, Limbaugh declined to discuss details, citing a confidentiality agreement with Goldman Sachs, the investment firm hired by the family of former Rams owner Georgia Frontiere to review assets of her estate, including the NFL team.

Limbaugh also declined to discuss other partners that might be involved in the bid, but said he and Checketts would operate the team.

"Dave Checketts and I have made a bid to buy the Rams and we are continuing the process," Limbaugh said.

Forbes magazine has estimated the Rams franchise has a value of $929 million.

Frontiere's children, Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez, inherited 60 percent of the Rams when their mother died in January 2008. Billionaire Stan Kroenke of Columbia, Mo., owns the remaining 40 percent. It wasn't clear if the Limbaugh/Checketts bid was for 100 percent of the Rams or just the share owned by Rosenbloom and Rodriguez.

"Our strategic review of our ownership of the Rams continues," Rosenbloom said in a statement released late Monday. "We will make an announcement upon the completion of the process."

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello declined comment. Calls seeking comment from Checketts were not returned.

Limbaugh is a native of Cape Girardeau, Mo., about 100 miles south of St. Louis. He's so popular among conservatives—fans of his show call themselves "dittoheads"—that he has been called by some the voice of the Republican Party.

Limbaugh, who lives and works in Palm Beach, Fla., once worked for the Kansas City Royals and is an avid sports fan.

In 2003, Limbaugh worked briefly on ESPN's NFL pregame show, but resigned after saying Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was overrated because the media wanted to see a black quarterback succeed.

Checketts, 53, and his Sports Capital Partners and Towerbrook Capital Partners purchased the Blues in 2006 from Bill and Nancy Laurie. The Blues have been gradually rebuilt under his leadership and made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2004.

Checketts first approached Rosenbloom in early 2009 about possibly buying the Rams. Eric Gelfand, a spokesman for Checketts, said in June that Checketts had put together a group consisting of local and outside investors.

Dementia Risks Connected with NFL [J. Mark English]

Alan Schwarz of the New York Times reports on the recent studies connecting Dimentia to many former NFL players:

A study commissioned by the National Football League reports that Alzheimer’s disease or similar memory-related diseases appear to have been diagnosed in the league’s former players vastly more often than in the national population — including a rate of 19 times the normal rate for men ages 30 through 49.

The N.F.L. has long denied the existence of reliable data about cognitive decline among its players. These numbers would become the league’s first public affirmation of any connection, though the league pointed to limitations of this study.

The findings could ring loud at the youth and college levels, which often take cues from the N.F.L. on safety policies and whose players emulate the pros. Hundreds of on-field concussions are sustained at every level each week, with many going undiagnosed and untreated.

A detailed summary of the N.F.L. study, which was conducted by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research, was distributed to league officials this month.

The study has not been peer-reviewed, but the findings fall into step with several recent independent studies regarding N.F.L. players and the effects of their occupational head injuries.

“This is a game-changer — the whole debate, the ball’s now in the N.F.L.’s court,” said Dr. Julian Bailes, the chairman of the department of neurosurgery at the West Virginia University School of Medicine, and a former team physician for the Pittsburgh Steelers whose research found similar links four years ago. “They always say, ‘We’re going to do our own studies.’ And now they have.”

Sean Morey, an Arizona Cardinals player who has been vocal in supporting research in this area, said: “This is about more than us — it’s about the high school kid in 2011 who might not die on the field because he ignored the risks of concussions.”

An N.F.L. spokesman, Greg Aiello, said in an e-mail message that the study did not formally diagnose dementia, that it was subject to shortcomings of telephone surveys and that “there are thousands of retired players who do not have memory problems.”

“Memory disorders affect many people who never played football or other sports,” Mr. Aiello said. “We are trying to understand it as it relates to our retired players.”

As scrutiny of brain injuries in football players has escalated the past three years, with prominent professionals reporting cognitive problems and academic studies supporting a link more generally, the N.F.L. and its medical committee on concussions have steadfastly denied the existence of reliable data on the issue. The league pledged to pursue its own studies, including the one at the University of Michigan.

Dr. Ira Casson, a co-chairman of the concussions committee who has been the league’s primary voice denying any evidence connecting N.F.L. football and dementia, said: “What I take from this report is there’s a need for further studies to see whether or not this finding is going to pan out, if it’s really there or not. I can see that the respondents believe they have been diagnosed. But the next step is to determine whether that is so.”

The N.F.L. is conducting its own rigorous study of 120 retired players, with results expected within a few years. All neurological examinations are being conducted by Dr. Casson....

Week 3 Predictions [David Stefanini]

After a sub-par performance last week I'll try to do better this time:

@NYJ -1 Tennessee: Sanchez is the real deal, so are the Jets. Maybe Vince Young will make an appearance to try to salvage the Titans season.

@Houston -4 Jacksonville: I like Houston in this game. After a beat down by the Jets in week 1, the Texans had a great performance last week against the Titans. Look for their winning ways to continue.

@Philadelphia -7.5 Kansas City: Since McNabb is not playing, I can't see the Eagles beating anybody by more than 7 points. Plus, the real story here is Vick's return.

@Baltimore -13.5 Cleveland: If the Ravens were favored by 30, I would still pick them.

NYG -6.5 @Tampa Bay: 9 Giants are injured with at least 5 (at the time of this post) being inactive. Too much for the G-Men to overcome and cover 6.5 points.

Washington -6.5 @Detroit: Look for the Lions to pick up their first victory since 2007. Why do I say this, cause if they don't win they probably never will.

Green Bay -6.5 @St. Louis: The Packers should win, but I have a funny feeling about the Rams putting up a fight.

@Minnesota -7 San Fransisco: This is a big reality check for the 49ers. Hill has been good as their QB, but the Vikings are one of the elite teams. Look for the Vikings to cover.

@New England -4.5 Atlanta: At this point the Falcons should not be 4.5 underdogs to anybody.

Chicago -2.5 @Seattle: The Bears are turning things around whereas the Seahawks are struggling with injures, the Bears should cover.

New Orleans -6 @Buffalo: I'm not as high on the Saints as everyone else is. If they Saints win this game by 6, I'll become a believer, I'm just not there yet.

@San Diego -6 Miami: The Chargers are such a puzzling team. They have the best players at so many positions, why can't they put together a long 6/7 game winning steak? Maybe it starts now.

Pittsburgh -3.5 @Cinncinnati: I have a feeling the Bengals will win this outright. If not, maybe they lose by a field goal.

Denver -2 @Oakland: Who is the QB for the Raiders?.... Need I say more?

@Arizona -2.5 Indianapolis: Maybe the website I look at is malfunctioning, but HOW ARE THE COLTS UNDERDOGS? Take the Colts in the easiest game of the week.

@Dallas -8.5 Carolina: Too many points for the Cowboys, take the Panthers.

NFL: Power Rankings [David Stefanini]

Here are how I see the NFL teams through the first two weeks of the regular season:

1. Baltimore Ravens: I can't believe how good the offense has been so far. Imagine this offense on the team 5 years ago.

2. Indianapolis Colts: With Peyton Manning looking like, well, Peyton Manning the Colts look poised for another deep run into the playoffs.

3. New York Giants: With Mario Manningham and Steve Smith catching everything thrown their way, can someone point out any weakness on this team?

4. Minnesota Vikings: Adrian Peterson is amazing, we all knew that. The defense is very good, we all knew that. Brett Farve has yet to throw an INT and has a passer rating over 110, that we did not know.

5. New Orleans Saints: I understand they have not played a good team yet, but right now their offense looks unstoppable, how can't they be in the top 5?

6. New York Jets: Mark Sanchez looks great, the running game is clicking, and the defense is making every offense nervous. This team looks very good.

7. Atlanta Falcons: When they acquired Tony Gonzalez many people felt this was going to be a team who won a lot of games this season, it looks like those predictions were correct.

8. Dallas Cowboys: They're still a great team who lost to Super Bowl contender by 2 points. Let's not start panicking yet.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers: What happened to defense and running the ball? They can't run the ball at all and need to find some sort of ground game if their going to repeat as champs.

10. Green Bay Packers: They lost a game they should have won, chalk it up to the one-two 'huh' games every team is allowed each year, for their sake I hope there are not many more of those.

GO NY GO NY GO! [David Stefanini]

What a day it was yesterday for football fans in New York. First the Jets pull off a great victory over their rivals, the New England Patriots; then the Giants go into what can only be described as the best stadium in the world and beat the Cowboys! Where do I start?

It has to be the New York Jets, because living in New York you would think they just won the Super Bowl. All I heard on the train today and at my office was how the Jets backed up the talk and put a beat down on the Pats. Everyone just assumed the Pats would beat the Jets, myself included, and we would all be talking about how Sanchez is just a rookie and the team has no chance. But Sanchez looks incredible. Nothing bothers him in the game, everything is so fluid from him, and he makes the right decisions at the right times. The kid looks like a solid Pro Bowler and we're two weeks into his career. Also, we can not overlook Leon Washington who does simply everything for the New York Jets. Whether he is returning kicks, running hard, or breaking tackles are the catch the man does everything. Hats off to the Jets who look like a team to be reckon with this season!

Now onto the New York Giants who looked equally as impressive yesterday against the Cowboys. The Giants could not run the ball, but that did not matter. They were able to pick apart the Dallas defense threw the air, by essentially throwing the ball to Mario Manningham and Steve Smith, and ignoring everyone else. Well the game plan worked and the Giants got a big victory early in the season. Go Big Blue!

Week 2 Predictions [David Stefanini]

I understand some of the games have already started, but due to a technical error this post was supposed to be up by 11am. So without further a due, here are my picks for Week 2.

@ Kansas City - 2.5 Oakland: Matt Cassel is making his first start in a Chiefs uniform. Along with the fact that I'm not a believer in JaMarcus Russel, I'd take the Chiefs to win this by at least a field goal.

@Tennesse - 7 Houston: I know most people love the Titans, and Houston did look horrible in Week 1, but I have a funny feeling about this game. I don't think the Texans will win the game, but in today's NFL 7 points is a lot, and I don't think the Titans are good enough to cover.

New England -3.5 @ NYJ: This game is going to be a blow out. The Pats didn't look sharp last week which means Bill Belichick was in their ears all week screaming. The Jets looked very good in week one but Mark Sanchez is going to see 50 different defenses this week. Furthermore, for some reason the Jets decided to talk trash to the Pats, which will lead to a beat down of epic proportions. The Pats should win this game by 14+.

@ Green Bay - 8 Cincinnati: Everyone please listen to me, Green Bay is Super Bowl bound this year. Aaron Rodgers is on an elite level and this team is going to go very deep in the playoffs. On the flip side, what has happened to Carson Palmer? He was once considered a top 3 QB, and now he looks very average, even sometimes below average. That means Green Bay is going to beat down the Bengals.

Minnesota -10 @ Detroit: Minnesota is a very complete team whereas the Lions would probably lose to half of the Top 25 teams in college football. Plain and simple, always pick against the Lions.

New Orleans - 3 @ Philadelphia: Again, this one is easy, No McNabb no win.

@ Atlanta -6 Carolina: Don't count Jake Delhomme out just yet. He is experienced and been through the ups and the downs before. Matt Ryan is amazing and will continue to grow, but Carolina is still very talented and Delhomme has something to prove today.

@ Washington -9.5 St. Louis: Washington is not a great team, but STL is horrible. Again always pick against those kind of teams.

@ Jacksonville - 3 Arizona: This is a very tricky game. The Cardinals and Jags both need wins this week so both teams will be playing their hearts out. I think Arizona has too many weapons for the Jags to contend with, and will be able to pull out a win.

@ San Francisco -1 Seattle: I don't know why the Seahawks are not the favorites in this game. They looked great in week 1 and should continue their winning ways against the 49ers.

@ Buffalo - 4 Tampa Bay: The Bills are home this week which should give them a little extra energy. Tampa may have a difficult time dealing with the no huddle offense, so T.O should have a field day against the Bucs CB's.

@ Denver - 3 Cleveland: Denver is not going to be as bad as everyone says they will this season; Cleveland will be. Denver should be able to cover this spread with ease.

@ San Diego - 1 Baltimore: Without LT Baltimore is going to drop back in coverage and make Rivers beat them. Rivers is capable of doing it, but Baltimore looked to sharp and quick in week 1 for me to pick against them.

Pittsburgh - 3 @ Chicago: This may surprise some people but I'd go with Chicago in this game. Cutler had a horrible week so he should bounce back relatively nicely this week. He should carry this team to a victory this weekend.

@ Dallas - 3 NYG: For me this is always the toughest game to pick. Dallas looked good and we all know the Giants may be the most well rounded team in the league, outside of WR's. This game can go either way, but I will give the edge to the Cowboys because of the injuries the Giants have in their secondary. That should allow Romo enough space to pick them apart and keep the Giants on their heels all game.

Indianapolis -3 @ Miami: This spread should be a lot higher. No way the Dolphins come out and beat the Colts.

Brees the Best? Are You Nuts! [David Stefanini]

I was just involved in a conversation where three people were trying to convince me that Drew Brees is the best quarterback in the league. I did learn something from this conversation, my friends are clinically insane! How can someone say Drew Brees is the best? But David he threw for over 5,000 yards last season, he threw for 6 TD's last week alone. All wonderful things however here are somethings that everyone overlooks.

Let's look at his season last year. He had a defense that would put him on the field every other minute giving him endless chances to complete passes. He attempted 635 passes last year! that is an average of 8 yards per attempt. He threw for 37 TD's with 17 INT's which is a ratio of 2:1. Now let's look at Brady's and Manning's numbers next to Brees to see how they stack up:

Brady (2007): 4806 yards, 8.3 per attempt, 50 TD's, 8 INT's, 117 RTG, Super Bowl appearance.
Manning (2008): 4002, 7.2, 27, 12, 95, Playoffs.
Brees (2008): 5069, 8.0, 34, 17, 96, NOTHING!

Brees threw for more yards but had less wins, and more INT's than those 2 quarterbacks. Brady and Manning both have rings where Brees has not even played in a Super Bowl. Furthermore, has any looked at who the Saints played last year? Brady or Manning would have gone for over 6,000 yards with that schedule.

Is he a top 5 QB absolutely, I see him as the 3rd best in the league and someone who I would love on my team. He has a great arm, he is very accurate and he throws for a ton of yards and TD's.

My point is obviously this, Brees is not the best in the game. He is great and he is a top 3 QB but to put him in front of Manning or Brady is not only wrong it's foolish.

Video: Pepsi "Refreshes" the NFL and MLB [J. Mark English]

Rasmussen Poll Report: Michael Vick [Scott Rasmussen]

The famed political pollster took the temperature of football fans as to how they feel about the possible return of Michael Vick:

The National Football League on Monday partially reinstated Michael Vick after his 18-month prison term for running a dogfighting ring, but Americans are closely divided over whether it’s a good idea for the league to let the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback play again.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 35% favor allowing Vick to return to the NFL, while 39% oppose the move. Seventeen percent (17%) say they’ve never heard of the disgraced quarterback, and 10% are not sure what the league should do.

The survey was taken prior to the NFL’s announcement of Vick’s conditional reinstatement and his unsuccessful efforts thus far this week to find a team that is interested in him.

Men by a 45% to 40% margin say Vick should be allowed to play again. Women by 11 points – 37% to 26% - disagree. But women are also nearly three times as likely not to have heard of Vick.

Adults under the age of 40 are more likely to support his return to professional football than those who are older. Eighty-two percent (82%) of blacks think the NFL should let Vick, who is African-American, play again, but the plurality of whites (46%) disagrees.

Under the conditional reinstatement, Vick can participate in practices and the final two games of pre-season, but he cannot play in regular season games until at least mid-October. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said he will consider Vick’s full reinstatement at that time.

Vick isn’t the only former quarterback in the news. Former Green Bay Packers star Brett Favre is considering coming out of retirement. The Minnesota Vikings were initially interested in him, and 35% of adults in Minnesota said the Vikings would be a better team than last year with Favre at the helm.

In a survey last September, 54% of adults said they were at least somewhat likely to watch professional football on TV on a fall weekend. Thirty-eight percent (38%) said they were very likely to do so.

Fifty-two percent (52%) of men said they were very likely to watch televised pro football on a fall weekend, compared to 26% of women. Women were nearly three times as likely not to watch it at all.

Matt Cassel Signs 6 Yr Deal [David Stefanini]

Matt Cassel and the Kansas City Chiefs have agreed on a 6 year extension worth 63 million dollars. My initial reaction to this is, are you kidding me? Yes Cassel had a good season with the Patriots last season, but it's the Patriots. This year, he is with the Chiefs, who don't exactly have the same talent level in terms of players or coaches.

The main concern I have about Cassel going forward is how good will he be outside of Belichick's system. We all know he is a genius and the way he manages a game is brilliant. I feel Cassel accelerated last season mainly for this reason and the compliments of WR's around him. The Chiefs don't have Randy Moss or Wes Welker, or anyone close to their talent level.

Do I think Cassel will be a complete bust, no, but I don't think he is going to be a star. He will be an average quarterback who can lead a team to some victories but will need a lot of talent around him to take the team very far.

Pigskin Pick'em Playoffs - Final Results [EdMcGon]

And the winner of the Pigskin Pick'em Playoffs is (drumroll please):

Bill Barker - 9
Audio Dave - 8
Robert A. George - 8
EdMcGon - 6
David Stefanini - 6
J. Mark English - 2

Congrats Bill! Sometimes, playing the "homer" works!

Pigskin Pick'em Playoffs - The Super Bowl [EdMcGon]

I was going to do a long post, completely overanalyzing the Super Bowl. Fortunately, the New York Giants have saved me the trouble by shooting off their mouths. For example (the following quotes are from the New York Post's website):

As he pulled his car up to the Giants Stadium tunnel to unload his bags, [Plaxico] Burress was asked...a direct question: Are you ready to make history? "You better believe it," the towering Giants receiver said.

And then, as he entered the stadium and turned left toward the Giants locker room, Burress was asked for his prediction. Burress never hesitated, flatly stating "23-17."
He didn't identify the winning team. He didn't have to.

Or even better:

Next came Michael Strahan...The same question: Are you ready to make history? "Yes sir," said Strahan, who for 15 years has chased the dream of winning the Super Bowl.

"History will be ours."

How about a quote from Giants chairman Steve Tisch, when asked to predict a winner? (quote from Northjersey.com)

"I'm not going to give you the score...We'll have more points than they do. That's my score."

All analysis of this game is moot. The Patriots will win, and it might even get ugly.

Pigskin Pick'em Playoffs - Championship Results [EdMcGon]

Audio Dave pulled the "two-fer" last weekend to tie Barker for first place going into the Super Bowl. In addition, Robert George pulled a "two-fer" to move into second place, one game back. The playoff results:

Bill Barker - 8
Audio Dave - 8
Robert A. George - 7
EdMcGon - 6
David Stefanini - 6
J. Mark English - 2

Stay tuned for Super Bowl picks next week!

Pigskin Pick'em Playoffs - Divisional Results/Championship Preview [EdMcGon]

Time to give Bill Barker some kudos (try to keep your breakfast down people): Barker aced last weekend's games. On the other hand, Mark English swung for the fences and struck out. Here are the playoff results so far:

Bill Barker - 7
Audio Dave - 6
EdMcGon - 5
David Stefanini - 5
Robert A. George - 5
J. Mark English - 1

With only three games left, it looks like a Barker vs. Audio Dave horse race, with the rest of us as the "Fred" (as in Thompson) in the race.

Here are my picks for this weekend's games (with other pertinent info):

San Diego Chargers at New England Patriots (Sunday at 3:00 p.m. EST, game temperature estimated at 22°F): The paradigm of recent times versus possible all-time perfection?

The Chargers represent the "paradigm of recent times", where a team follows up an outstanding season where they failed in the playoffs with a good season where they win the Super Bowl. Last year, the 12-4 Colts won the Super Bowl after going 14-2 the previous season and losing in the playoffs to the 11-5 Steelers, who had gone 15-1 the previous season. Ironically, the 15-1 Steelers lost in the AFC Championship to the Patriots, who were the last team to win consecutive Super Bowls.

The Chargers went 14-2 last year, losing to the Patriots in the Divisional Round. Is this year's 11-5 Charger team good enough to keep the paradigm going, or will they fall to the Patriots' pursuit of perfection?

There is one important difference between the Chargers this year and last year: Norv Turner. That alone may be enough to keep the Chargers from going any further in the playoffs.

While the Chargers surprised a lot of people, me included, by beating the Colts last weekend, that game was clearly a case of the hungrier team winning. The Colts did not have the "fire in the belly" after winning the Super Bowl last year.

As for the Patriots, they have busted paradigms before by being the last team to win consecutive Super Bowls. They busted the 30+ year-old "perfect season" paradigm this year. Another paradigm goes down this weekend.

New York Giants at Green Bay Packers (Sunday at 6:30 p.m. EST, game temperature estimated at 10°F): The best road team this year (outside of New England) versus the ultimate home field advantage (aka "The Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field"). But the fact the Giants are 7-1 on the road while the Packers are 7-1 at home is more of an interesting statistic than a deciding factor in this game.

Both teams are almost statistically identical on defense. Offense is where this game will be decided, and the Packers rate the edge there. While the Giants are better running the ball, the Packers are better at passing. In a game that figures to come down to the end, who would you rather have at quarterback with two minutes on the clock? As much as I rag on Favre, he is the clear choice. Manning may keep the Giants in the game, but Favre will win it.


(Hat tip to Foxsports.com for game info)

(For the rules, see this post.)

Pigskin Pick'em Playoffs - Wild Card Results/Divisional Preview [EdMcGon]

Sorry for the delay, but here are the results from last weekend's NFL playoff picks:

EdMcGon - 3
Bill Barker - 3
Audio Dave - 3
David Stefanini - 3
Robert A. George - 2
J. Mark English - 1

For this week's picks, remember to get them in before 4:30 pm EST on Saturday. Here are my picks:

Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers: I certainly under-rated the Hawks last week, but I cannot see them beating the Pack on the frozen tundra.
Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots: The Jags may give the Pats a hard time, but expect the Pats to pull it out in the end. The Pats just seem to have an extra gear they turn on whenever they need it.
San Diego Chargers at Indianapolis Colts: This one has upset potential, but I can't pick the inconsistent Chargers over the fairly consistent Colts.
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys: The Giants have the momentum, plus they play better on the road. The Cowboys stumbled at the end of the season, losing two of their last three games. But the Boys are still the better team.

(For the rules, see this post.)

Pigskin Pick'em Playoffs - Wild Card Round [EdMcGon]

As I mentioned in my previous post, it is time for the Pigskin Pick'em Playoffs!

My picks for this weekend's games (with the game time shown):

Redskins at Seahawks, Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET: The Skins have the "mo", plus they are a better overall team.
Jaguars at Steelers, Saturday, 8 p.m. ET: The Jags have already beaten the Steelers in Pittsburgh once this season. This will make twice.
Giants at Buccaneers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET: Both teams lost their last game of the season, but the Giants at least have to feel good about their performance. Add in the fact they get a road game to start the playoffs, and the Giants seem like a good pick to advance.
Titans at Chargers, Sunday, 4:30 p.m. ET: The Chargers remind me of the recent Super Bowl winners who have charged out of the Wild Card round to win it all. They have all the talent to win it and they have the momentum going into the playoffs (a six game winning streak). If only Norv Turner wasn't their head coach. Still, they should have no trouble with the Titans, even though they only managed to squeak out an overtime win against the Titans on December 9th.


Pigskin Pick'em Playoff rules:
1. The top six pickers from the regular season (EdMcGon, David Stefanini, Robert A. George, Bill Barker, J. Mark English, and Audio Dave) are all in the playoffs. Like in the real playoffs, everyone starts from 0. Anyone else is welcome to pick the games, but only the top six from the regular season will be counted towards the final score.
2. Pick the straight-up winners of all this weeks NFL playoff games. Picks will be accepted in the comments section of the following websites: Politics and Pigskins, Ragged Thots, and American Legends. All picks must be posted by the kickoff of the first NFL playoff game each week (otherwise known as "The Barker Rule").
3. The person who has the most playoff picks correct by the end of the Super Bowl gets...bragging rights! (you knew that was coming, didn't you?)

Pigskin Pick'em - NFL Week 17 Results [EdMcGon]

We have two winners this week! Yours truly (of course) and David Stefanini:

EdMcGon - 12
David Stefanini - 12
Bill Barker - 11
Robert A. George - 9
Audio Dave - 8

As for the YTD standings, no great shocks here:

EdMcGon(4.5) - 152
David Stefanini(2.5) - 145
Robert A. George(2) - 143
Bill Barker(1) - 123
J. Mark English(1) - 114
Audio Dave(2.5) - 84
FunkyPundit(0.5) - 76
BL(2) - 74
SoloD(1) - 53
Dave O'Leary - 21
Rigel - 17
Jay - 9
Snave - 8
Mike - 8
Moose - 2

With only 11 playoff games left, and an overwhelming 7 game lead, I have decided to call the Pigskin Pick'em season officially over. However, I have decided to begin the Pigskin Playoffs! Here are the new rules:

1. The top six pickers from the regular season (EdMcGon, David Stefanini, Robert A. George, Bill Barker, J. Mark English, and Audio Dave) are all in the playoffs. Like in the real playoffs, everyone starts from 0. Anyone else is welcome to pick the games, but only the top six from the regular season will be counted towards the final score.
2. Pick the straight-up winners of all this weeks NFL playoff games. Picks will be accepted in the comments section of the following websites: Politics and Pigskins, Ragged Thots, and American Legends. All picks must be posted by the kickoff of the first NFL playoff game each week (otherwise known as "The Barker Rule").
3. The person who has the most playoff picks correct by the end of the Super Bowl gets...bragging rights! (you knew that was coming, didn't you?)

Good luck, and let the new season begin!

Pigskin Pick'em - NFL Week 17 Picks [EdMcGon]

SATURDAY GAME ALERT! PLEASE HAVE ALL PICKS IN BY 8:15 PM EST ON SATURDAY!

It may be the last week of the regular season, but we will be continuing the Pigskin Pick'em through the playoffs and the Super Bowl, to give all you losers...er, I mean to give all you fine people a chance to catch up to my overwhelming YTD totals. Of course, you could still take the weekly "bragging rights" prize.

My picks (otherwise known as the correct picks):

New England Patriots at New York Giants: At least the NFL made the right decision to simulcast this NFL Network game on both CBS and NBC. However, don't expect to see great football here. The Pats will get to 16-0, the Giants will rest their starters early, and the second half should be a yawn-fest.
Seattle Seahawks at Atlanta Falcons: Speaking of "yawn-fests"...
New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears: Don't let the records fool you. The Bears are the better team here.
San Francisco 49ers at Cleveland Browns: The Browns need the win and a lot of help to make it to the playoffs.
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers: This one could go either way. The Packers decided their own playoff fate last week, so this game is meaningless to them. The Lions, with a win here, could at least make it to .500 on the year. If history is any indicator, expect the Lions to choke here.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans: The Texans win this one for pride.
Cincinnati Bengals at Miami Dolphins: A meaningless game for two teams that disappointed their fans all year.
Buffalo Bills at Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles have been playing with a lot of pride the last few weeks. The irony in this game is both of these teams may have new quarterbacks next year. This may also be Andy Reid's last game, since rumors about his retirement have been swirling for months. It is a shame that Reid's retirement might get lost in the hype over the Pats-Giants, although Reid has NOT made it official. But if it is his last game, let me say for the record, I'll miss you Andy. You were one of the great coaches of this era. (Of course, if it isn't your last game Andy, then you need to get off your duff and fix this team!)
Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Meaningless game for the Bucs. But the Panthers are good enough to beat the Bucs IF the Bucs dog it, or if the Panthers play their best game.
St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals: Did anyone get the score from that Paraguay-Ukraine soccer match? This game is about as interesting.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens: Remember how close the Ravens came to beating the Pats? I can just see the Ravens playing spoilers here.
Minnesota Vikings at Denver Broncos: The Vikes need the win, while the Broncos mail it in. (rhyme intended)
Kansas City Chiefs at New York Jets: In the "Herm Edwards Bowl", I will go with his new team over his old team.
San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders: The "Norv Turner Bowl". I would love to see the Raiders win this one, but even the Chargers second string should give the Raiders some fits.
Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins: Don't think for a second that the Redskins wouldn't love to make it to the playoffs on the backs of the Cowboys.
Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts: The Titans win, they're in. Add to that the fact the Colts will be resting their starters early, and the Titans should take it.

Pigskin Pick'em - NFL Week 16 Results [EdMcGon]

It took him all year, but Bill Barker finally won a week legitimately. He even got his picks in on time. Congrats Bill!

Bill Barker - 13
EdMcGon - 12
Robert A. George - 10
Jay - 9
Audio Dave - 8
David Stefanini - 7
J. Mark English - 7

Now, to my favorite part: The YTD standings, where I increased my lead over Stefanini and George, proving my uncanny prognostication abilities. Fortunately, you guys still have the playoffs to catch up with me. And the Patriots might lose to the Giants this week too...

EdMcGon(4) - 140
Robert A. George(2) - 134
David Stefanini(2) - 133
J. Mark English(1) - 114
Bill Barker(1) - 112
Audio Dave(2.5) - 76
FunkyPundit(0.5) - 76
BL(2) - 74
SoloD(1) - 53
Dave O'Leary - 21
Rigel - 17
Jay - 9
Snave - 8
Mike - 8
Moose - 2