NFL Week 5 Predictions

It’s a tough weekend for the NFL. Al Davis passed away yesterday at the age of 82 and there will be a moment of silence in his honor across the day’s action. It’s sad to see he went out on a low note given how bad the Raiders have been in recent years and how absolutely crazy he was over these last couple of seasons. But he was still one of the most important figures in American football history, the very reason the AFL existed (followed by the subsequent merger), and in his prime the Oakland/LA Raiders were one of the premier teams in all of football. RIP Al Davis. I picked Houston to win but hopefully the Raiders “just win” today and slowly work towards being a force to be reckoned with.

I had a 10-6 record last week, leaving me 44-20 on the season.

Eagles over Bills
Saints over Panthers
Texans over Raiders
Colts over Chiefs
Bengals over Jaguars
Vikings over Cardinals
Giants crush Seahawks
Steelers over Titans
Bucs over 49ers
Patriots over Jets
Chargers over Broncos
Packers over Falcons
Lions over Bears

RIP Paul the Octopus

For those who foolishly went against Paul the Octopus during his incredible 8/8 prediction run during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, you’ll never get the chance to redeem yourself. It was confirmed this morning that Paul the Octopus has died.



Death’s inescapable tentacles have curled themselves around Paul the octopus, the cephalopod sage who won worldwide fame over the summer by correctly predicting the results of a host of World Cup matches.

Paul the ‘psychic’ octopus predicted the winners of all Germany’s World Cup clashes, and then the victors in the final, by selecting one of two boxes, each loaded with a mussel food treat and marked on the outside with one of the teams.

Stefan Porwoll, the manager of the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre in Germany that the tentacled psychic called home, said Paul appeared to have died peacefully of natural causes during the night.

“We are consoled by the knowledge that he enjoyed a good life here and that the care provided for him by our dedicated displays team could not have been bettered,” Porwoll said.

Staff at the centre said his death was not entirely unexpected, since common octopuses generally live only a couple of years. “His success made him almost a bigger story than the World Cup itself,” Porwoll said. “We may decide to give Paul his own small burial plot within our grounds and erect a modest permanent shrine.”

 

I am deeply saddened and shocked by his death. On four different occasions (including the World Cup Final) I went against Paul’s prediction and paid the price for it. If more people had just believed that this creature was clearly psychic they’d have blindly just followed what he said and earned some cool cash at the gambling centers.

While there may be a shrine built for Paul he will almost certainly go great with some sauce to make a fantastic seafood mix.

You will be missed, Paul the Octopus. Once can only wonder if he predicted the time of his own death.

2010 Winter Games Has a Tragic Start

Today the beginning of the Vancouver Winter Olympics was dealt a heavy and saddening blow when Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili was killed in a horrific training accident on the Whistler, BC track. He skidded off track heading for the finish line and collided with a pole, and later died at the hospital at the age of 21.

Nodar Kumaritashvili lost control of his sled during training, went over the track wall and struck an unpadded steel pole near the finish line at Whistler Sliding Center. Doctors were unable to revive the 21-year-old luger, who died at a hospital, the International Olympic Committee said.

“We are deeply struck by this tragedy and join the IOC in extending our condolences to the family, friends and teammates of this athlete, who came to Vancouver to follow his Olympic dream,” said John Furlong, chief executive of the Vancouver organizing committee.

Rescue workers were at Kumaritashvili’s side within seconds. Chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation started less than one minute after the crash, and he was quickly airlifted to a trauma center in Whistler.

Kumaritashvili struck the inside wall of the track on the final turn. His body immediately went airborne and cleared the ice-coated concrete wall along the left side of the sliding surface. His sled remained in the track, and it appeared his helmet visor skidded down the ice.

Men’s luge competition is to begin Saturday. It’s unclear if the schedule will change.

I’m no luge expert but you can tell it’s a dangerous sport. You’re on your back racing at an insanely fast pace around a track. The slightest miscalculation could be disastrous so even if there was padding on the steel pole it may not have mattered just due to the sheer force and rate at which he flew off his sled.

With that in mind, RIP Nodar Kumaritashvili and condolences to his family and friends. On a day when you are practicing to represent your country in an international event your life ends in a gruesome and tragic way. He left this world too soon at just 21 years of age. He will be remembered during tonight’s opening ceremonies.

Georgia could pull out of the games as a result of this accident.

As far as whether or not the luge events should continue, I will refrain from any remarks as to the safety of the track. I’m not that knowledgeable and I have no reason to add my opinion on that particular topic.

VIDEO OF THE DAY: Remembering Arturo “Thunder” Gatti

I’m sure by now many of you have heard about the stunning and tragic death of boxing great, Arturo “Thunder” Gatti. Brazilian police are treating this as a murder with his 23 year old wife already detained.

This is by no means a platform to talk about the horrendous crime and apparent events leading up to it. Instead, it’s to remember a boxer that left his heart out there every time he was in the ring.

A record of 40-9 with 31 KOs, Gatti was the IBF super featherweight champion in the 1990s before vacating the title to move up to lightweight. His final stint as world champion was as WBC super lightweight titleholder, until a vicious beating at the hands of Floyd Mayweather Jr. started the downfall of a warrior.

Despite all of that, Gatti was one of the greatest and gutsiest fighters ever to grace the presence of a boxing ring. His trilogy with Micky Ward symbolized and epitomized everything about Arturo the fighter. He fought with one hand for much of the 3rd bout with Ward, but he never gave up, he never quit, and prevailed over Ward for the 2nd time in a row.

It was a tragedy in itself that he took so much punishment during the latter stages of his career to guys like Carlos Baldomir and Alfonso Gomez Jr., both whom have always had little punching power. He had to retire to prevent further damage because the wear and tear on his face was showing. His skills were eroded even though his heart and effort was still there.

I will certainly miss Arturo Gatti. And I’m sure the entire boxing community and fans alike will as well.

The video of the day is a compilation of just some of his greatest moments.

VIDEO OF THE DAY: One of Steve McNair’s Final Game-Winning Touchdowns

I’m sure you’ve heard by now the tragic events concerning the murder of Steve McNair, former Titans and Ravens QB as well as 2003 Co-NFL MVP. He was a phenomenal athlete who never gave up on the field and left 100% of his effort out there every week. You could easily make a case for him to be a hall-of-fame candidate.Only the 3rd QB to throw for 30,000 yards and rush for 3,500. A three-time Pro Bowler, an All-Pro selection in 2003, a Super Bowl runner-up, and the winner of the Walter Payton Award in 1994.

He may not have the greatest numbers in the world, but he had the heart and guts of a champion. Despite the recent discoveries about his personal life as police are investigating this homicide, I’ll always remember McNair as one of the toughest QB’s to ever grace the football field, and a fantastic player. May he (as well as the woman also found dead) rest in peace.

Today’s video fo the day features one of his final game-winning TD throws. It’s raw footage so you’ll have to deal with that. During the 2006 season, the Baltimore Ravens clashed with the San Diego Chargers in a crucial early-season battle. With the Ravens down 13-9 and driving, McNair willed his way down the field and set up Todd Heap for the dramatic winning touchdown pass.

It’s only fitting his final game-winning touchdown pass was at LP Field against the team that jumpstarted his great career, the Tennessee Titans.

RIP Steve McNair

1973-2009

BREAKING NEWS: Michael Jackson Dead at 50

Unbelievable.

The King of Pop suffered a cardiac arrest at his home and was rushed to the hospital, where TMZ has confirmed him dead.

This comes on the same day that Farrah Fawcett succumbed to cancer at the age of 62.

I know this is a sports blog, but this is a big bombshell and Michael Jackson was a fantastic singer and dancer. Ignore his final years and skin color change, the man could sing.

Wow….what more can I say? We’ve had umpteen hoaxes and false reports that he died, and now it’s actually happened.

RIP Michael Jackson

1958-2009