Who Needs Ski Masks...When You Have Permanent Marker

I've seen some interesting...yea, interesting is a good word...to say the least. But what I saw on CNN.com today probably ranks somewhere in the top tier of ideocracy. God gives some people certain talents and tools and unfortunately some are given less or completely lack talents and tools. Read the short article and look at the pictures. They truly say a 1,000 words. Brains. Some have and some don't. They two clowns definitely don't and got what they had coming.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/29/iowa.marker.disguise/index.html

Watch out...there might be idiots like these two guys in your neighborhood. I'm sure you can out smart them without trying.

Week 8 NFL Preview

The three of the four games of the week turned into games worth watching and for the most part came down to the wire. The Vikings vs the Steelers was probably the highlight matchup of the week. The Vikings entered undefeated, but left with a loss. The two teams played close and it looked like anyone's game going into the fourth quarter. The Steelers' defense, however was able to put the pressure on Brett Favre and the Vikings when it counted most and took the game over in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. This loss will be motivation for the Vikings moving forward and they will not need much with the Packers coming up. The Cowboys were able to show that when all phases of the game are clicking for them; they are a dangerous team. WR Miles Austin continued to play well and the defense with former Falcon, Keith Brooking, were all over the place. The Falcons got it close, but just couldn't close the gap enough. Those who thought the Giants' defensive woes were only against the Saints were proven wrong this week. Kurt Warner tore through the defense and made them look average at best for a second week. The Giants' offense looks to not be as good as advertised after playing mostly weak opponents to start the year. The Eagles took advantage of a poor and confused Redskins team. They got big plays, but lacked consistency. Washington needs some serious help and it might not come anytime soon. There questions that need to addressed in several areas. Maybe it should start at the top with ownership.

The Buccaneers and Rams continued to lose while the Browns, Chiefs, and Raiders continue to struggle.

All and all, I went 10-3 last week and brings my total to 77-26 after seven weeks.

Now for Week 8:

Games of the Week:

Giants at Eagles: This battle is huge for division bragging rights and for a share of first place at least. The Eagles have suffered a couple bad losses while the Giants started strong, but now look average after playing two very good opponents. These two have been the top teams in the division for the last decade. The Eagles have speed all over the place on offense and should be able to take advantage of a weak Giants' secondary. Whomever puts more pressure on the other team's QB will be in better shape. Pick: Eagles

Broncos at Ravens: The Broncos are on fire to start the year and their defense has been a big reason for that. But one must not forget that the Ravens' defense is still very good and has Ray Lewis and Ed Reed roaming around. Both quarterbacks need to play well for their team to win. QB Kyle Orton has been good enough for the Broncos while QB Joe Flacco has opened up his playcalling ability and stretched the field. If the Broncos can keep the score low, they should stay undefeated. Pick: Ravens

Vikings at Packers: Its Brett Favre vs the Packers, Part II. In the first meeting, Brett Favre handled the pressure and let the rest of the team take care of business. QB Aaron Rodgers was pressured multiple times and his offensive line has struggled this year keeping him protected. This matchup will be bigger since its in Green Bay and the Vikings are slowly starting to run away with the division. Brett Favre is still playing better than a 40 year old and should bring his A game again for a big game. Pick: Vikings

Monday Night: Falcons at Saints: The Saints are continuing to march along. They play especially well at home in the Superdome. We have seen the Saints play in all types of games and should be able to lead the game or come back if necessary. The Falcons are looking to show that they aren't just a good team, but a top team. It clearly looks like these two are the best in their division and the Falcons need a win to avoid losing the division before Thanksgiving. Pick: Saints

Rest of the pack:

Texans at Bills: The Texans seem to be closer each year to being a breakout team and possibly making the playoffs. With a win over the lowly Bills, they can have their best start. The Bills seem to show up one week and take a few weeks off. Without a starting quarterback, the offense has slowed down even more. Pick: Texans

Browns at Bears: The Bears looked really bad last week, but they will be able to right their past performance when they host the offensively-challenged Browns. If the Browns get over 100 yards offense, its a good day for them. Pick: Bears

Seahawks at Cowboys: The Seahawks' injuries will definitely hurt them this week against what looks like a Cowboys team that is coming into an offensive groove. Pick: Cowboys

Rams at Lions: The Rams are struggling to win while the Lions barely have a win themselves. I think this is the week that the Rams join the rest of the league and win a game. Not too sure if its really an upset. UPSET Pick: Rams

49ers at Colts: The 49ers are looking to prove themselves to the rest of the NFL and this is a great way to do so. A road game against an undefeated team. The Colts, however, seem to be clicking once again and Peyton Manning is still at the top of his game. Pick: Colts

Dolphins at Jets: These two had a classic back and forth battle last time they met. I expect a similar encounter with two young quarterbacks and the capability of challenging the Patriots in the division. The home team won last time and I think the Jets even the score. It won't be as easy as the Raiders though. Pick: Jets

Jaguars at Titans: The Titans are one of three teams without a win and they have an angry Jaguars team coming to town. Both have struggled and played below expectations so far. I think this as best a chance as any for the Titans to win. Pick: Titans

Raiders at Chargers: The Chargers had the Chiefs and now they get the Raiders. They should be able to bury another bad team and keep up with the Broncos. Pick: Chargers

Panthers at Cardinals: The Panthers have struggled while the Cardinals look really good at times and average at times. Kurt Warner is playing better at quarterback then Jake Delhomme and that might be the difference. Whomever has a better game, their team will probably win. Pick: Cardinals

Some big matchups again highlighted by Brett Favre's return to Green Bay. The Rams and Titans have a great chance to win while the Colts, Saints, and Broncos can leave Week 8 still without a loss.

HATE: A strong four letter word; LOVE: A stronger four letter word

As a recent alumnus of Rutgers University, I find myself returning from time to time as well as keeping up with the weekly goings on around campus. Today, the Westboro Baptist Church from Kansas decided they needed to come to New Jersey and Rutgers University in particular to preach against the sins they supposedly saw. To meet them were hundreds of students with a message. The message was of unity and peace and love.

Here is the link to the article: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/10/hundreds_at_rutgers_take_part.html

This goes to show that LOVE WILL ALWAYS CONQUER HATE. Those who think they have all the answers, truly don't.

It feels great to be an everlasting member of the Rutgers Community!

World Series Preview

Well, the wait is finally over! The two best teams in baseball this year are set to embark on what should be a great series. They were 1 and 2 this year in home runs and have some of the best offensive numbers. They feature two aces: CC Sabathia for the Yankees and Cliff Lee for the Phillies. They feature MVPs in Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Howard. With all that in mind, time for a prediction and breakdown of the two teams and what to expect in this series.

Who gets the edge:
Starting Pitching: The Yankees feature big money free agents CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett. Also Yankee mainstay, Andy Pettite. They have used these three in as a three man rotation and so far so good. The Phillies feature Cliff Lee at the top; a big trade decline pick up. Rounding out the rotation is last year's NLCS and World Series MVP, Cole Hamels, veteran ace, Pedro Martinez, and Joe Blanton. Pedro doesn't have the same dominant stuff he used to have and Hamels has been shaky at times this year. Burnett doesn't always give you strong stuff either. Lee has been tough to hit off of as has Sabathia. They meet in Game 1 and could set the pace for the rotations and the rest of the games. They cancel each other out, but it looks a little better behind Sabathia if they can stay healthy and pitch deep. EDGE: Yankees

Relief Pitching: The Yankees' bullpen has been lights out in the second half while the Phillies' staff has been suitable and kept the Phillies in games or won them games. However, they have blown saves and made mistakes. The ultimate comparison comes down to the closers. The Yankees have Mariano Rivera while the Phillies have Brad Lidge (or Ryan Madson). Rivera continues to dominate while Lidge has struggled mightily this year after a career year and postseason a year ago. He has been shaky and blown a fair share of games. If the Yankees get a lead and hand the ball to Rivera, it will most likely be over. Can't say the same thing if Lidge gets the ball with a lead. EDGE: Yankees

First Baseman: The Yankees have Mark Texiera while the Phillies have Ryan Howard. They are possibly two of the best at their position or in all of baseball. Howard was the NLCS MVP and Texiera has a great chance to win the AL MVP award this year. Howard has been lights out at the plate and could present a lot of problems to the Yankees' pitching. Texiera's defense has been great, but his bat has not been too hot. They both need to play big for their respective teams to have a better chance of winning the championship. They are very close, but Howard's postseason numbers give him the slight edge. EDGE: Phillies

Second Baseman: The Yankees have Robinson Cano while the Phillies have Chase Utley. Utley had another awesome year and have been producing enough at the plate and setting up Howard. Cano has been good as well, but sometimes his defense allows hits to get by him. Utley is one of those guys that you want to build around and he does it all. EDGE: Phillies

Third Baseman: The Yankees have Alex Rodriguez while the Phillies have Pedro Feliz. Nothing against Feliz, but he is not A-Rod. Rodriguez started the year injured and came on strong. He has silenced his postseason demons and has been one of the big reasons while the Yankees are back in the fall classic. Feliz is a good player on occasion but cannot do what A-Rod can. EDGE: Yankees

Short Stop: The Yankees have Derek Jeter while the Phillies have Jimmy Rollins. This is another close matchup at a position. Jeter has played outstanding again this year and broke many hallowed Yankees' records. Rollins sets the pace for the Phillies' offense and has been showing his defensive skills the last couple years. Jeter in the postseason almost go together like peanut butter and jelly. Plus he always comes up with timely hits and gets a slight edge for that reason. EDGE: Yankees

Left Field: The Yankees have Johnny Damon while the Phillies have Jason Werth. Werth has a strong arm. Werth has more power, but Damon is no slouch. Damon has the speed on the bases. They are fairly close at the end. EDGE: Phillies

Center Field: The Yankees have Melky Cabrera while the Phillies have Shane Victorino. Cabrera has come on strong this year and has vastly improved. Victorino has a great arm and is gritty at the plate. He has certain intangibles. EDGE: Phillies

Right Field: The Yankees have Nick Swisher while the Phillies have Raul Ibanez. Ibanez has been a big addition this year for the Phillies. He had a career year and has continued to play strong in the postseason. Swisher also had a very good regular season, but has struggled in the postseason. Both are fairly even on defense in the field. Ibanez's power is just a little better than Swisher's. EDGE: Phillies

Catcher: The Yankees have Jorge Posada/Jose Molina while the Phillies have Carlos Ruiz. Posada will play when Sabathia/Pettite pitch while Molina will play when Burnett starts. Ruiz in underrated and has timely hits. Posada has more power and hits better than Molina. Posada will come off the bench for part of the series and when Molina bats it puts the Yankees at a slight disadvantage. Posada is also getting older. It pretty close. EDGE: Phillies

Now that I have dissected each position, its time for the pick for the championship. The Phillies have played great all year and throughout the postseason, but the Yankees have played and looked slightly better. It not be a sweep, but I don't see this going the full seven. It should be a great series with some premier pitching and big hitting. In the end, though the Yankees will have their 27th championship. PICK: YANKEES IN SIX

Week 8 NFL Power Rankings

Another week of action and 4 teams undefeated went to 3 teams as the Vikings fell to the defending champs. The Colts and the Saints remain the best two teams while the Broncos are still in the debate with no losses. The Patriots and Steelers have slowly entered the conversion and look very good. While the Giants continue to struggle on defense and slipped again this week. The bad continue to play really bad and the three winless teams round out the bottom of the rankings.

2009 Power Rankings (going into Week 8):

1.(1) Colts (6-0): They continue to roll. The 49ers are next. Undefeated might not happen, but 12 wins looks very likely again.
2.(4) Saints (6-0): This is what the Saints needed to do: come from behind. Now this team can do it all.
3.(4) Broncos (6-0): An off week is nice, but the Ravens will be a stiff test to continue the season.
4.(3) Vikings (6-1): They kept it close, but the Steelers' forced turnovers that decided the game. Better to lose now than later.
5.(6) Patriots (5-2): Two weeks. Two blowouts. They now get a bye. How nice.
6.(5) Giants (5-2): They looked like a Superbowl team after 5 weeks. Now after two weeks, they look very average and poor on defense.
7.(9) Steelers (5-2): The champs showed how good they are and have rebounded nicely after their 1-2 start. Repeat once again looks very possible.
8.(8) Bengals (5-2): Cedric Benson got his revenge and then some. This team is turning heads each week.
9.(7) Falcons (4-2): Two losses to two very likely playoff teams. They are still good and will be around when it counts.
10.(12) Eagles (4-2): They didn't look especially great on offense again, but when you play the Redskins you don't need to do too much.
11.(17) Cowboys (4-2): Now this looks like a playoff team. Romo to Austin might be a new household tandem by season's end.
12.(16) Cardinals (4-2): This team again is tough to figure out, but they are showing they can beat good teams on the road.
13.(10) Packers (4-2): They were able to showcase their passing game and right some of their protection problems against a bad Browns team.
14.(13) Ravens (3-3): This team is better than 3-3 and will be fired up for the 6-0 Broncos.
15.(18) Jets (4-3): They were so ahead in the second half that Mark Sanchez had time to eat a hot dog. Let's see which Jets' team shows up next week.
16.(11) Bears (3-3): They started strong, but were dominated by the Bengals in the fashion that they used to dominate teams: running over opponents.
17.(15) Chargers (3-3): They righted some of their errors by taking advantage of a weak Chiefs' team.
18.(19) Texans (4-3): They almost let the 49ers come back, but they have their best start with a win next week.
19.(21) Dolphins (2-4): They played the Saints very well for the first half, but gave the game away with costly turnovers and drops in the second half.
20.(14) 49ers (3-3): Alex Smith to Vernon Davis could get this team back on track fast. The Colts are a stiff test next week though.
21.(20) Jaguars (3-3): They get the 0-6 Titans. They best be on upset alert.
22.(24) Bills (3-4): They aren't playing great; just taking advantages of mistakes by their opponents.
23.(22) Seahawks (2-4): Injuries are continuing to hurt this team.
24.(23) Panthers (2-4): They are supposed to beat the bad teams. If they can't do that, then they are in trouble.
25.(26) Redskins (2-5): All the changes in the world aren't going to fix this team this year.
26.(25) Raiders (2-5): Just when you think they can't get worse; they go and prove you wrong. Maybe a QB change couldn't hurt.
27.(27) Lions (1-5): The Lions come off a bye with a game against the Rams. The stinkerbowl might give them a second win.
28.(28) Chiefs (1-6): The rebuilding and improving continues. They need to play better defense to at least give their offense a chance.
29.(29) Browns (1-6): This offense may go down as one of the worse. They can't even get over 100 yards passing.
30.(30) Titans (0-6): They have the Jaguars off a bye. They can get in the win column if they wrangle the running game and let theirs flourishing.
31.(31) Buccaneers (0-7): They went to London and continued to get blown out. A bye guarantees they don't lose.
32.(32) Rams (0-7): They have a very good shot to win against the Lions.

The season is nearing the half way point and teams will begin to separate into contenders and pretenders very soon.

Week 9 College Football Preview

Another good week of action behind us and the calendar nears November and each game becomes that much more important for the top teams looking to stay alive in the BCS title game chase.

Recap of last week: UTEP and Florida State were able to win close games in primetime against Tulsa and North Carolina, respectively. While Rutgers didn't have too much trouble with Army on Friday night. Ohio State looked very good rebounding against Minnesota and stay alive in the Big Ten race. While Pittsburgh continued to keep the pressure on Cincinnati in the Big East as they manhandled South Florida, a good team in the Big East. Oklahoma played very well against Kansas after their tough loss to Texas and look to still be a competitive team. Arizona did not play very sharp football, but did enough to beat UCLA. Michigan State looked to be seconds away from upsetting Iowa and ending their perfect season. However, Iowa showed their clutch ability and engineered a perfect last drive to win the game with seconds to go. Florida did not play especially great again this past week, but did enough to get past Mississippi State. USC kept their drive for the Pac-10 and national titles alive with a good win against Oregon State, the team that upset them last year. Lastly, Boise State proved to be a dangerous team as they took advantage of Hawaii's turnovers and blew them out.

In terms of my top 5 matchups picks, I went 5-0 this past week and after eight weeks I'm 30-10 on the year. Alabama and Tennessee went down to the wire and as expected it was a defensive struggle. Alabama had a great field goal stance to stay unbeaten and Tennessee should get a lot of credit for playing them close as they did against Florida earlier this year. Maybe the Kiffins are changing Tennessee after all and it won't be long before they start winning these close games. In the Boston College-Notre Dame rivalry game, Jimmy Clausen and the offense were able to rebound after that tough loss against USC and could run the table with a weak schedule ahead. Penn State was able to finally break through at the Big House as this one was a total blowout. Michigan looked to maybe be back early on, but Penn State showed they were the superior team and it sets up a big battle with Ohio State in next weekend. Similarly, Texas had little trouble with Missouri and looked very impressive in the same week that both Florida and Alabama struggled in getting wins. And speaking of blowouts, in what was supposedly a big game between two mid-majors turned into a statement game for TCU. They were able to stay undefeated and gave BYU their second, both coming in blowout fashion. TCU might be able to jump Boise State for the non-BCS conference bid if they keep playing this well.

Now turning to this week's slate of games that might be worth watching/feature a team or teams with something on the line:

Tuesday night:
East Carolina at Memphis: Most likely another ho-hum Tuesday matchup. Something for a die-hard football fan.

Thursday night:
North Carolina at No. 13 Virginia Tech: This one is a statement game opportunity for North Carolina and one of those trap games for a team like Virginia Tech. This game can tip the scales of the ACC.

Sunday night:
Marshall at UCF: No NFL Sunday Night. Here is the solution. You feel bored during the World Series or prefer football this game is for you. Not much else to say about average at best teams.

Indiana at No. 4 Iowa: Iowa needs to stay focus if they want to play for a national title. Any slip up, all they get a possible Rose Bowl bid and Big Ten title. Not too bad. But they should not have too much trouble with Indiana after their scare last week.

Kansas at Texas Tech: Both aren't playing for too much, but it could turn out to be a big offensive game in the Big 12. They both have talent, yet have struggled in some of their games.

UNLV at No. 6 TCU: The next team in TCU's way of a perfect season is UNLV. They look to be a complete team and should not have too much trouble staying undefeated, but shouldn't take a team like UNLV too lightly.

Kansas State at Oklahoma: Kansas State has improved this year while Oklahoma is in the middle of a down year for them and should be able to take care of business this week from earlier stumbles.

Now for my top 5 matchups of Week 9:

5) No. 22 South Carolina at Tennessee: Tennessee has been playing up to their opponents in the SEC for the most part this year. They pushed both Florida and Alabama to the limit and could won either one especially against Alabama. South Carolina has also played very well and upset a 4th ranked Mississippi earlier this year. This could be a close one and Tennessee has a great opportunity to finally knock off a ranked SEC team. I like both teams' defenses; a staple of SEC football. Pick: Tennessee

4) No. 21 West Virginia at South Florida: This is another important Big East game as both teams are in the hunt and are trailing both Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. A loss for either would be devastating. South Florida has struggled in the second half in the last few years when they have had success. West Virginia doesn't have the same dangerous offense, but Noel Devine can catch and run the ball and return it if necessary. The Mountaineer speed might be the big factor. However, I do like the passing game that has emerged at South Florida. Pick: West Virginia

3) Georgia vs. No. 1 Florida: Another tough SEC game for Florida. They have struggled at times the last few weeks and Georgia is no easy challenge. Georgia has not played especially well at times and lost a couple close games due to turnovers. Tim Tebow and the offense are due for a breakout game and this might be the one. Pick: Florida

2) No. 3 Texas at No. 14 Oklahoma State: Texas' road to the national title turns to "the other Oklahoma team." Oklahoma State has been without WR Dez Bryant and his absence hurts their offense. They are a good team, but QB Colt McCoy and WR Jordan Shipley are in a groove and this offense should put up more than enough points. Hopefully its a good game, but it could turn into a Texas rout. Pick: Texas

1) No. 5 USC at No. 10 Oregon: This game is truly for the Pac-10 title. The winner will be in firm control of their destiny in that regard. Oregon has bounced back after that bad loss to Boise State and is blowing teams out. USC has also been playing strong since their stumble against Washington. USC always comes to play in the big games and this is one of those games. Oregon will play strong and keep this one down to the wire. Pick: USC

Let's see how this weekend's action will unfold and if the top teams will continue to stay on course.

College Football Power Rankings- going into Week 9

Both Florida and Alabama remained undefeated, but didn't look very impressive. Texas, though, looked very good against Missouri. Boise State, Iowa, Cincinnati, and TCU all also remain unbeaten as we get close to November. Miami (FL) was the only casualty of the top ten this week.

Here are the rankings for the week of October 26th:

Top 25 Power Rankings
1) Florida (7-0) (vs Georgia)
2) Texas (7-0)(at Oklahoma State)
3) Alabama (8-0)(IDLE)
4) USC (6-1)(at Oregon)
5) Boise State (7-0)(vs San Jose State)
6) Cincinnati (7-0)(at Syracuse)
7) Iowa (8-0)(vs Indiana)
8) LSU (6-1)(vs Tulane)
9) TCU (7-0)(vs UNLV)
10) Georgia Tech (7-1)(at Vanderbilt)
11) Oregon (6-1)(vs USC)
12) Penn State (7-1)(at Northwestern)
14) Oklahoma State (6-1)(vs Texas)
14) Virginia Tech (5-2)(vs North Carolina)
15) Pittsburgh (7-1)(IDLE)
16) Houston (6-1)(vs Southern Miss)
17) Miami (FL) (5-2)(at Wake Forest)
18) Ohio State (6-2)(vs New Mexico State)
19) Utah (6-1)(vs Wyoming)
20) West Virginia (6-1)(at South Florida)
21) South Carolina (6-2)(at Tennessee)
22) Arizona (5-2)(IDLE)
23) Oklahoma (4-3)(vs Kansas State)
24) Mississippi (5-2)(at Auburn)
25) Notre Dame (5-2)(vs Washington State)

Outside 5
1) Brigham Young (6-2)(IDLE)
2) Wisconsin (5-2)(vs Purdue)
3) Central Michigan (7-1)(at Boston College)
4) California (5-2)(at Arizona State)
5) Kansas (5-2)(at Texas Tech)

Texas faces a tough test going to Oklahoma State and USC has a big game ahead as they travel up to Oregon. Each team has a lot at stake and are probably the two biggest games of the week full of good games.

State of the State: New Jersey and the Governor's Election

My blogs are usually intended to be as impartial as possible as well as geared towards almost anyone. However, for this post, I am focusing on the current proceedings in my state, New Jersey. Anyone who follows politics or the news in general should be aware of the fact that there are only two states that have races for governor on November 3rd. New Jersey, along with Virginia, have much of the spotlight of the nation on them. In 2006 and 2008, we saw the Democratic Party make major strides in Washington DC. They won back Congress in the first election and the White House in the second one. Many, including, myself who follow politics are using these two elections in New Jersey and Virginia as a yard stick for the midterm elections of 2010. Personally, I feel that if the Democrats retain both statehouses; it is not going to create too much momentum going into 2010. On the flip side, if New Jersey and/or Virginia elect a Republican governor I doubt it will cause an overwhelming change in the direction of the country. It will however give the Republican Party something to work off of against the Democrats' policies.

That is all good and well, but sometimes in politics and campaigns, things start to get foggy. People might start with a clear outlook but the mud starts to get slung around and often many get disconnected with politics and the race at hand. Or they might start to question why they should vote for one candidate or another based on an ad or an interview. In a perfect world, ads would be more like informational ads, but the current state of politics doesn't allow for such...civil behavior. The only way to run a campaign is to spend lots of money on (in my opinion what are mostly pointless ads at times) and essentially campaign against your opponent instead of for yourself. Its not I'm (insert name) and I'm running for (insert position) and this is what I have done and what I could do. Its I'm (insert name) and I'm running for (insert position) and my opponent did this (usually something that should be viewed negatively) and will not do this. And then ask the viewer, "do you really want this man running your (nation, state, county, city, etc). This attitude is not something new, its just a lot worst when media and publicity is everywhere and there is no way to escape it.

That is where I hope to come in and what I hope to get most people who fall into all those "traps" that are set from when a candidate begins running for office until election day. As mentioned, this post is intended for all those in New Jersey and who should be going out to vote on November 3rd. My goal is to lay out what each candidate has done and what they plan to do. I will try to even clear the names and focus on the issues. Often times you might be surprised when you see issues and views that match yours but usually see the person and turn off the channel before you see what is being shown.

Here are the what the candidates bring to the table:

Governor Jon Corzine:
Dealing with the national economic emergency: As the governor said in the State of the State, the economy is priority 1, priority 2 and priority 3. The Corzine administration will continue to work tirelessly to address the immediate hardships caused by the crisis, ensure that all New Jerseyans are treated fairly, and see to it that the state is poised to prosper once the recovery takes hold.

Creating jobs and putting New Jersey on a sound fiscal footing: Recovering from the current crisis is just the beginning. Governor Corzine will keep looking for ways to stimulate job creation even as he continues to stabilize the state’s long-term financial practices.

Providing affordable healthcare for all: Even as the Obama administration makes progress on a national healthcare plan, Governor Corzine is ensuring that all New Jersey resident have access to appropriate and affordable healthcare.

Keeping education a top priority: New Jersey schools – from preschools up to universities – are second to none. The Corzine administration will continue to make sure progressive education programs are funded and our children have the chance they deserve.

Protecting the middle class: Too often in a fiscal crunch decisions get made that place undue burdens on the middle class. Governor Corzine has vowed to defend the middle class and find innovative, progressive ways to generate the revenues needed to fund essential programs and balance the budget.

Be a partner, not an obstacle: Governor Corzine’s partnership with President Obama, his cabinet, Democrats in the US Congress and here in New Jersey is well-known. As the country moves in a new, more progressive, direction that attempts to undo to the damage of the Bush years, it’s critical that New Jersey has a leader who is in sync with that vision and will not let New Jersey get left behind.

Tough times call for experienced, tested leadership. New Jersey needs a governor with the expertise to address the complicated challenges posed by the global economic meltdown.

From the outset, Governor Corzine made it clear that dealing with the economy – easing the pain of working families while building a foundation for future prosperity and growth – is far and away his administration’s top concern for 2009.

Because Governor Corzine took steps to get the state’s fiscal house in order during his first three years in office, New Jersey was better positioned to weather the storms of this global economic tsunami. As the first state in the nation to pass an economic recovery and stimulus plan, New Jersey is ahead of the curve in mitigating the effects of the recession.

Jon Corzine is the first governor in almost six decades to decrease state spending. But he has managed to reduce the size of the budget without instituting a broad-based income tax increase and without hurting the people hit hardest by the recession. He has stayed true to his core values by increasing funds for education and children’s health care; providing property-tax relief to seniors, so that elderly New Jerseyans are able to stay in the homes where they raised their kids; and bolstering programs that serve the most vulnerable among us.

Governor Corzine is creating jobs – particularly in the fields of transportation, school construction, and energy – while simultaneously investing in the state’s future infrastructure needs. He accelerated $2.8 billion in transportation projects, generating an estimated 26,000 jobs directly (and 45,000 jobs indirectly), as well as fostering urban economic development via new initiatives like the Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit and the Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit.

Governor Corzine also recognizes the interconnectedness of where we live, where we work, and where our kids go to school. That’s why he has continued to put local issues first. His administration has provided more direct property tax relief in four years than any other in New Jersey’s history – nearly $7 billion paid directly back to homeowners.

He has also consistently lowered the statewide increase in school tax levy during his time in office, and created the Live-Where-You-Work program to provide low-interest mortgages to homebuyers in towns where they are employed.

All of this adds up to a comprehensive plan that aims to keep New Jersey's middle class going strong during this global recession, and beyond.

Governor Corzine came to Trenton in 2006 to put New Jersey’s fiscal house in order; alleviate our citizens’ property tax burden; broaden access to quality, affordable health care; and strengthen our state’s education system.

Though there is still much work to be done, over the last four years, we have accomplished a great deal, even as we’ve had to confront the longest, deepest economic crisis since the Great Depression.

Because of Jon Corzine’s strong leadership, New Jersey is already gaining thousands of new private sector jobs; our median family income leads the nation; and, our public school students rank at the top of the country in reading and math.

Governor Corzine reshaped and resized state government. He eliminated and consolidated departments, sold state cars, tore up gas cards and closed office buildings. He reduced the state workforce by 7,000 employees and achieved additional savings by increasing the retirement age from 55 to 62, capping pensions, and asking state workers to contribute for the first time toward the cost of their health care. This year, he even negotiated a 7.5 percent wage cut for public employees.

Because Jon Corzine made the right choices, he is the only New Jersey governor in over six decades to reduce the size of state government. The budget that he signed into law on June 29th is $1.8 billion smaller than the first budget he signed in 2006.

Even as he made government leaner and more efficient, Governor Corzine launched a first-in-the-nation Economic Assistance and Recovery Plan; instituted a new school funding formula; expedited billions of dollars in new school construction; made meaningful and lasting reforms to ease our state’s property tax burden; enrolled 80,000 more children in the state’s health insurance program; and, took a child welfare system that was once rated among the worst in the country, and made it one of the best.

Governor Corzine expanded property tax relief for seniors, enacted ethics, fiscal and government reforms, created a comprehensive anti-crime plan, and established cutting-edge strategies to protect our environment and generate clean energy.

Especially in times like these, it is essential that our leaders hold firm to our core values and show the courage to do the right thing.

Jon Corzine has been, and will continue to be, guided by the same values that he has championed since his tenure as your U.S. Senator. He believes in the constant pursuit of the common good – in our responsibility to nurture our children, honor our seniors, and protect those among us who are most vulnerable. He fights every day to advance and protect these priorities.


Chris Christie:
•He believes we can and we must lower taxes. Lower taxes will invite back businesses, jobs, employees, residents and students. More people paying taxes means more revenue.
◦Reduce the personal income tax. This year alone, Jon Corzine raised income taxes by $900 million.
◦Reduce corporate business taxes. Jon Corzine raised taxes on businesses by $270 million this year.
◦Restore property tax relief for everyone.
◦Eliminate the “double-taxation’ on New Jersey S-Corporations.
◦Eliminate special interest labor union giveaways that increase taxes. End the use of project labor agreements on public construction projects which ultimately raise costs and taxes.
◦2/3 majority vote to impose new tax or to increase existing tax.

•He believes we can and we must control spending and enforce accountability.
◦Use the line-item veto.
◦Elect independent state auditor.
◦Eliminate 2/3 political patronage jobs.
◦Eliminate pensions and benefits for part-time workers.
◦Immediate freeze on proposed new agency rules and regulations.
◦Sunset provisions for all new programs after 4 years.
◦Transparency – put everything online with searchable databases.

•He believes we can and we must fight for priority programs like education and our urban communities, without fail.
◦CityTrak. Enforce accountability to demand results. Measurable goals will save money, ensure efficiency and encourage innovation. ◦First Houses Program. ◦Exempt new residents from income tax.
◦Retaining New Jersey’s urban minority students by expanding New Jersey Education Opportunity Fund.

•He believes bringing sustainable, quality jobs to New Jersey’s the key to our future.
◦Create the New Jersey Partnership for Action to promote economic growth and job creation. Just look at PA….what we need is an executive who makes this their number one priority.
◦Garden State Growth Zones. Combing existing economic zones to create a super zone to attract new private investment and jobs.
◦Putting New Jersey Back to Work. Focus on worker retraining for unemployed New Jerseyans and connecting with them with businesses looking for a specific skill set.
◦Provide grants for public four year institutions and community colleges for renewable energy related curriculum and training.
◦Renew NJ and the Choose New Jersey Energy Campaign. Consolidate all renewable energy manufacturing efforts and have New Jersey undergo a brand makeover to market and sell New Jersey’s resources to energy producers, innovators and developers.
◦Incentivize energy manufacturing with tax credits. 100% of the corporate business taxes or the insurance premium tax for any wind turbine and manufacturing facility that locates in New Jersey.
◦New Jersey will create higher-paying clean energy production jobs in the next four years. Commit to a 5/1 ratio of higher-paying, clean energy production jobs to lower paying, efficiency jobs. While New Jersey has one of the strongest renewable portfolio standards in the country, according to the US Energy Information Administration, the state actually ranks 43rd when it comes to generating renewable energy.


Chris Daggett:
Make New Jersey Competitive
In a world of increasing competition, New Jersey is simply not competitive. We were not competitive before the national economy crashed, and we are not doing what we need to do to make New Jersey competitive in the new economy that will emerge one, two or three years from now, when this Great Recession finally ends.
We not only have to worry about losing jobs to China and India, but to New York and North Carolina. We must make the investments needed to create high-paying jobs, cut the high cost of living in New Jersey and doing business here, and reform a regulatory climate that makes relocation firms rank New Jersey near the bottom as a place to start or expand a business.
This isn’t just about jobs — it’s about people.
We keep losing middle-income families to Pennsylvania because our property taxes are too high, retirees to Florida and Wyoming because of high income and estate taxes, and young people because they cannot find jobs or afford homes. We need to cut the size and cost of government at all levels, dig our state government out of a deep financial hole created by both political parties, and make our tax structure competitive with other states.
It’s not going to be easy, but as New Jerseyans, we all have a stake in our mutual success.

Rein in Property Taxes and the State Budget
There is no magic here. We have spent and borrowed our way into a deep hole, partly due to the national financial crisis, but in even greater measure due to failed state and local budgetary policies of several administrations and both political parties. Our governor and legislators seem to have forgotten that the state was in terrible financial straits before this national financial meltdown.
Between federal, state and local taxes, New Jerseyans probably bear the most punishing tax burden in the nation, especially when you factor in the high cost of living. As difficult as it is to fill a $5 billion budget gap for the budget that begins this July, it will be that much more difficult the following year for the next governor. What happens when the $2 billion in federal stimulus money is gone? What happens when Governor Corzine’s “temporary” surcharge on the income tax goes on and on? What happens when the “one year only” elimination or reduction of property tax rebates ends? And where will we be when the savings from the givebacks demanded from state workers all disappear?
We need permanent solutions to fix a state government that is perpetually too broke to make the investments needed to make New Jersey competitive. Our state is about $38 billion in debt and we will eventually have to come up with more than $80 billion to fund the long-term health benefit and pension obligations for teachers, local government employees and state workers. Combined, that comes out to about $15,000 in debt for every man, woman and child in New Jersey – rich or poor, employed or unemployed, retired on a fixed income or just beginning preschool.
But the state budget isn’t even the biggest problem. Every year, local officials demand that our state budget put more and more money into funding state aid to schools and towns, property tax rebates, and senior citizen property tax freezes just to hold down the annual rate of increase in local property tax bills.
Property taxes, not state taxes – local spending, not state spending – are the biggest problems. These are self-inflicted wounds, and we need a governor willing to start talking seriously about reducing the real cost drivers of ever-rising salary, health care benefit and pension costs and the price we all pay to fund 566 municipalities and more than 600 school districts in the name of home rule.

Invest in New Jersey’s Future
The problem with being broke is that it prevents the state from making the investments needed to create high-income jobs in New Jersey.
We rank first in the nation in per-pupil spending on K-12 education, but near the bottom in supporting our universities and colleges and in building research centers to retain and attract the cutting-edge companies that create the high-paying jobs that must be the cornerstone of New Jersey’s economy.
We need to make New Jersey first in the new green economy, and we can start by making our state the center of the offshore wind industry that will soon spring up along the Atlantic Seaboard from Maine to North Carolina.
Because we are the most densely populated state in the nation, we must expand our mass transit capacity and fix our crumbling highways and bridges. We need to give our pharmaceutical and biomedical companies what they need not only to survive but to thrive.
We need to market our natural attractions, beginning with the priceless New Jersey Shore, and that means putting money into tourism promotion – not taking it away.

Provide a Healthy Environment
More than ever before, a strong environment and strong economy goes hand in hand. Protecting our state’s environment and slowing the release of chemicals that increase global warming – which we first warned about and started to address through an executive order issued when I was the Commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection 20 years ago – is important to every human being who eats and breathes in New Jersey. The state that creates the research capacity to provide innovative solutions to our environmental and energy needs will be the home of the next Silicon Valley. That state should be New Jersey.
We need to control development in the Highlands and the Pinelands to protect our water supply, and we must live up to the promises made to those whose land value has been significantly reduced as a result. The State Plan makes sense and should be finalized and implemented. It also makes sense to re-think the mandates of COAH that have pushed thousands of units of “builder’s remedy” housing into suburbs without achieving the Supreme Court’s original goals, and we must start building affordable housing in our mass transit served cities and towns where jobs are located.

Find Practical Solutions for the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH)
We have a practical and moral obligation to make available affordable housing for our citizens of limited and modest means. Yet neither Republicans nor Democrats have been able to resolve the issue, and through their inaction, they have forced the New Jersey Supreme Court to issue directives to municipalities. Too often, the party in power has pressed its own agenda without properly engaging the other party, the various constituencies and the general public. The result has been court case after court case and little progress in building affordable homes.
We need to convene an affordable housing task force, led by the governor and including legislative representatives, housing advocates, builders and any other appropriate interest groups, over a specified timeframe to work through the various issues to reach an agreement. It will take months of meetings and a great deal of hard work and compromise, but it is the only way to get the job done. When the work is completed, legislation can be written to formalize the agreement.
Without the governor’s active participation, the problem will not be resolved. The issue is too important and its history too fraught with emotion and hard feelings. It will take calm, measured and forceful leadership, not the polarization of the recent past between the political parties. As with the state budget and the economy, the more nonpartisan the governor, the greater the likelihood of success.

Improve the Quality of Education
Education is critical to the future prosperity of New Jersey. For more than 35 years, in response to numerous New Jersey Supreme Court cases, we have spent billions of dollars on improving urban education, with very little to show for it. Despite spending more than $20,000 per student, high school graduation rates remain abysmally low in Newark, Camden and numerous other urban school districts. Even worse, in some cases as many as 90 percent of the graduates need remedial help in basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics before being able to attend or succeed in college.
This is not just a financial and educational issue, it is a moral issue. Whatever works best for each student should be utilized – public, private, religious, charter, vocational or home-based schools. We must set rigorous standards, improve teaching, and cultivate greater parental involvement, and we must coordinate with social service agencies. We cannot accept excuses, we cannot fail, and we cannot just continue to throw more money at the problem.

Implement Regulatory Reform
We have no choice but to address the burdensome and complex regulatory structure of New Jersey, which is related directly to many of the other problems facing our state. Few, if any, people in or out of government understand the many and often byzantine rules of the various departments of state government. Many hours and much money are wasted with consultants and lawyers trying to understand, or arguing over interpretations of, regulations.
We need to convene widely representative task forces in virtually every department of state government, but especially environmental protection, education, transportation, community affairs, and health and senior services, with the goal of addressing overlapping, conflicting, redundant and contradictory regulations. There should be no intent to roll back or dilute existing requirements, but simply to make them easier to understand and follow. It is a project that will take two to four years, and it will not get much attention, nor have any media appeal, but if we don’t address it, we will never improve the efficiency, effectiveness or costs of government.
We face many other important issues – the state’s declining infrastructure ; the lack of affordable health insurance and the soaring costs of health care; the protection of the environment and slowing the release of chemicals that increase global warming – the list is long. But the times of greatest turmoil are often the times of greatest opportunity. We must seize the moment to rethink the services provided by government and to make the necessary changes to improve its effectiveness and efficiency. Most important, we must make government live within the means of its taxpayers.


With all that said, I hope if you were not sure about these three candidates; you have a better idea. You can't take everything mentioned by all three to be guarantees, but at least they are credible information for the most part as opposed to all the ads you have been blasted with. Its most important that you go out and vote. If you favor the way the state is going, then it is smart to reelect Jon Corzine. If you disagree with the way the stae is going, then it would be wise to vote for either Chris Christie or Chris Daggett. Most important, though, at least for the majority of the state are the issues of health care, education, and jobs. Taxes obviously on many voters minds, but a little fact that you might not realize is voting for or against Corzine won't make a big difference. So vote based on the issues that truly differ among candidates. The state and nation have made progress and in my opinion, bringing back Jon Corzine will do the best to continue the progress. BUT ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE, JUST VOTE!

Week 7 NFL Preview

Three of my four games of the week turned out to be close battles while the one I was most looking forward to turned into a blowout. The Giants and the Saints were billed as possibly the two best teams in the NFC and when the day ended only the Saints looked to be a top team. The Giants had benefited from a very favorable schedule to start the year while the Saints have showed they are dangerous on both sides of the ball and might finally have a balanced offense. As I expected, the Saints' offense against the Giants' defense was the ultimate factor. The Giants' defense certainly doesn't look as strong as many originally thought. The Vikings definitely looked like one of the best teams for the first three quarters against the Ravens. They had a fourth quarter letdown and if it were not for a missed field goal they would have lost the game. Finishing strong will be something the Vikings will look to work on going this week. The Bears had a chance to tie the game and possibly win against the Falcons, but a couple miscues at the end cost them big time. The Falcons continue to show that last year was not a fluke. The Broncos continued to show that they are for real this year as they fought off the last surge by the Chargers to remain unbeaten. This division could be a two team race between the two or the Broncos can continue to spread the gap between them.

The Redskins were able to give the gift a win to another team as the Chiefs finally got in the win column. The Eagles had a big letdown against the Raiders. The Buccaneers, Rams, and Titans continue to lose.

All and all, I went 10-4 last week and brings my total to 67-23 after six weeks.

Now for Week 7:

Games of the Week:

Vikings at Steelers: The Vikings have come out of the gate strong and look to be a top team not only in NFC but the whole NFL. The Steelers are the defending champions and after their rough start, they are back on track and under the radar. Brett Favre has continued to play well so far and rookie WR Percy Harvin has made an impact early on. The Steelers will look to show that they are still worthy of being repeat champions and both the passing and rushing games have picked up since the first few weeks. Pick: Steelers

Falcons at Cowboys: The Falcons have been playing very well early on while the Cowboys are up and down on a week to week basis. The Cowboys have the talent to be better than they have showed while the Falcons' offense has many weapons themselves. Pick: Falcons

Sunday Night: Cardinals at Giants: The Giants stumbled against the Saints last week and look to get back on track against the Cardinals. Its a battle between the last two NFC representatives in the Super Bowl. Both Eli Manning and Kurt Warner will need to have big games for their respective teams to win. The Giants looked exposed on defense last week. They will right those errors. Pick: Giants

Monday Night: Eagles at Redskins: The Eagles looked very bad last week, but the Redskins are in complete disarray. This is a perfect game for the Eagles to get back on track and get any wrinkles out of their offense. The Redskins will continue to show that they are definitely not an elite team and will continue to give victories away. This is the first time all year that they will face a team with a win. Wow. Pick: Eagles

Rest of the pack:

Packers at Browns: The Packers will probably have little trouble scoring a lot of points on the Browns while the Browns will struggle to score a few points. Pick: Packers

Chargers at Chiefs: The Chiefs tasted victory last week, but the Chargers will be a stiff test. QB Phillip Rivers will look to throw a lot and should be able to get the Chargers back in the chase in the AFC West. Pick: Chargers

Colts at Rams: The Rams are still winless and will mostly be that way unless a miracle happens against the Colts. Pick: Colts

Patriots at Buccaneers: The Patriots will head to London and pick up where they left off against the Titans when they face the Buccaneers. Pick: Patriots

49ers at Texans: These two teams are in the middle of the pack in the NFL with the ability to join the top team conversation if they can stay consistent. The Texans offense is a little too explosive and should be the difference if they are on their game. Pick: Texans

Bills at Panthers: The Bills have struggled on offense and the Panthers have not looked good on either side of the ball. You have to figure that QB Jake Delhomme will get in a rhythm at some point. Pick: Panthers

Jets at Raiders: The Jets have looked good at times and have looked bad at times. The Raiders are generally bad, but have gotten lucky twice this year. This is a good game for QB Mark Sanchez and the Jets to right their ship before it starts to sink. Pick: Jets

Bears at Bengals: These two teams have both played above expectations especially the Bengals. The big surprise for them is the play of HB Cedric Benson. He was cut from the Bears and it will be a big game for him as he faces his former team. Pick: Bengals

Saints at Dolphins: The Saints have weathered different challenges each week and this week they will go up against the Wildcat. It should keep the Saints' defense on it toes and might be able to neutralize the Saints' offense. QB Drew Brees is still too good and the Saints should clear another hurdle and stay unbeaten. Pick: Saints

The season is getting closer to the halfway point and playoff teams will start to emerge. There are four unbeatens left; how many will remain with three of them playing this week?

The Party You Might Not Have Heard Of

Up until last week, I didn't know too much about the Working Families Party. As someone from the state of New Jersey, I should not feel too much at fault for not knowing about the Party. It is a party, however, in nearby New York City as well as the state as a whole. The thing that separates the Working Families Party from another third party is they incorporate fusion voting and often endorse a mainstream candidate. They decide to focus primarily on the issues unlike the Democratic and Republican Parties at certain times. Voters often get turned off by those two parties and want to vote Independent, but fusion voting and the Working Families Party give voters that third option and they don't feel like they are wasting their vote.

Things you might want to know:

The Working Families Party (WFP) is New York’s liveliest and most progressive political party. Formed by a grassroots coalition of community organizations, neighborhood activists, and labor unions, they came together to build a society that works for everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected. They fight to hold politicians accountable on the issues working- and middle-class families care about, like good jobs, fair taxes, good schools, reliable public transportation, affordable housing, and universal healthcare.

Why vote Working Families?
Voting Working Families means voting your values. It means taking a stand and sending a message about the world you want to see. One with an economy that works for everyone, where politicians put working people before CEOs, and where basic rights like access to healthcare or time off to take care of a sick family member are upheld. Unlike other political parties, their work doesn’t end on election day. They're always fighting - in Albany and in towns and cities across New York - for a working families-friendly agenda, and Working Families votes help push politicians to support progressive legislation.

What’s “fusion” voting?:
The Working Families Party is a third party with a twist, fusion voting. Fusion voting allows one party (like the WFP) to “cross endorse” the same candidate as another party. The votes from each party are tallied separately, but then combined for that candidate’s total. It gives voters a way to “vote their values” by voting for the party of their choice without spoiling an election. And it lets third parties like the WFP demonstrate support for the issues they’re fighting for. When votes on the WFP’s ballot line help a candidate they’ve endorsed win, they can hold that politician accountable to working people. Big business has plenty of money and power. Fusion helps them even the score. Once common everywhere, fusion is now only legal in New York and a handful of other states.

Does the Working Families Party ever run its own candidates?:
Most of the time, the Working Families Party cross endorses Democrats or (occasionally) Republicans who promise to fight for issues that matter to working people. But they do run their own candidates, if they think they can win. Letitia James was elected to the New York City Council, Luci McKnight was elected to County Legislature in Albany, and Wayne Hall was elected mayor of Hempstead, Long Island, all solely on the WFP line. If they think that there’s little difference between the two major party candidates, running their own candidate can send a powerful message to both the Democrats and the Republicans that working people can’t be taken for granted.

Are there WFPs in other states?:
Given the unexpected success of the New York WFP, there’s a lot of interest in forming WFP’s in other states. In 2002, their sister party in Connecticut was founded, and WFPs are being built right now in Oregon, South Carolina, and Delaware too. Expanding the WFP to other states requires one of two things: either good fusion laws already on the books or a plan to establish fusion voting in the next few years.

How many votes does the WFP get?:
Their vote total goes up each year. In their first election in 1998, they received just over 50,000 votes on our line in the gubernatorial election, or 1% of the vote. Since then, they’ve more than tripled their share of the vote, drawing 160,000 votes statewide and becoming the top vote-getting third party in New York City.

Can a third party really ever make a difference?:
Lots of voters aren’t satisfied with the narrow choices offered by the major parties. But in most states, voters have two lousy options to choose from: the “lesser of two evils,” or the “wasted vote” on a third party. New York is different. Because of fusion, their ballot line means something very real for politicians here. The Working Families ballot line is both the “carrot” and the “stick” that the WFP uses to hold politicians accountable. When politicians support and fight for our issues, they get the reward of an extra ballot line and the additional votes the WFP brings. When they side with corporations and big money donors, they face the “stick” option — they can run our own candidate on our line, or support the opposing party’s pick. Over our first 10 years, building real power has meant lots of victories for progressive ideas.

Well, I hope I have opened a few people's eyes to something that have slowly emerged in state like New York to something powerful. Often times, the two major parties don't appeal to middle of the road and that is when fusion voting comes in. Elections are about the issues to those who matter the most and that is where attention needs to be addressed. This gives people that third option that can win an election.

Week 8 College Football Preview

Last week we saw some big wins and tough losses for the top 25 teams as the season nears the latter part of year.

Recap of last week: Boise State was able to hold off Tulsa to stay undefeated. Louisina-Monroe did enough in the first half against Arkansas State on Tuesday night to win as well. Pittsburgh on Friday night looked like a top 25 team as they held on to beat Rutgers in a Big East showdown. Iowa continues to stay on course for an undefeated season and a Big Ten title. TCU also stayed undefeated as they had little trouble with Colorado State. In the Pac-10, Arizona had to rally to beat Stanford while California used their "Best" effort to manhandle UCLA. While in the SEC, Auburn came out flat against Kentucky and lost again while Florida barely survived a tough challenge from Arkansas. And Kansas suffered its first loss in a Big 12 battle against Colorado.

In terms of my top 5 matchups picks, I went 4-1 this past week and after seven weeks I'm 25-10 on the year. Cincinnati looked very good against South Florida as they dominated what was supposed to be a good team. QB Tony Pike went down, but the Bearcats were able to maintain control of the game without him. Cincinnati not only is in firm control of winning the Big East, but they have an outside chance to sneak into the BCS championship game if they can continue to win the rest of their games. Georgia Tech took a big step forward upending Virginia Tech in a key ACC game. The Yellow Jackets controlled most of the game and held on in the 4th quarter. Virginia Tech has lost two big games, first to Alabama and now to Georgia Tech. Could be a long road back for them while Georgia Tech is sitting in a good place. Alabama played a tough game and won fairly impressively over South Carolina in a crucial game for both teams. The Gamecocks were looking to make a statement while the Crimson Tide still have national title aspirations.

The USC-Notre Dame definitely felt like the battle four years ago at South Bend. At times it looked like USC was in complete control, but QB Jimmy Clausen showed his poise and brought them back to within a few points. He engineered a possible game-winning drive, but it fell short as time expired as the Fighting Irish was in the red zone. Notre Dame definitely pushed back more than they have had in recent years. The Red River Shootout turned out to be a great game despite the fact that Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford went down in the first half. The two defenses played excellent and both Texas and Oklahoma had rare opportunities to make plays. Texas had the most to lose in this game and QB Colt McCoy and the Longhorns were good enough to edge the Sooners. Definitely another classic in this rivalry. Oklahoma at 3-3 is a rare sight for sure.

Now turning to this week's slate of games that might be worth watching/feature a team or teams with something on the line:

Wednesday night:
Tulsa at UTEP: Another midweek game that shouldn't draw too many viewers, but features two teams that are capable of putting up 30+ points.

Thursday night:
Florida State at North Carolina: Florida State is having a rough season as is the head coach and a win against an ACC team in North Carolina would sure make things a little better. North Carolina has played very well on defense this year and they can definitely bring enough pressure to give their offense enough time to put points on the board to win.

Friday night:
Rutgers at Army: Another Friday night game for Rutgers. They didn't fare so well last week against Pittsburgh, but Army gives them a more favorable matchup and they should get back on track against a below average team. Army is capable of keeping this within ten points.

Minnesota at No. 19 Ohio State: Ohio State stumbled against Purdue and faces an up and coming Big Ten team in Minnesota. Minnesota can make a major statement as they continue to improve this year. QB Tyrelle Pryor needs to step up for the Buckeyes.

South Florida at No. 20 Pittsburgh: Another big game in the Big East. South Florida faces a tough road test and looks to show they finish a season strong after a couple years in a row of bad endings. Pittsburgh is a second half letdown against NC State from being undefeated and neck and neck with Cincinnati for the top team in the Big East.

Oklahoma at No. 25 Kansas: Oklahoma faces a must win game for the first in a long time as they are 3-3 and are going to be without QB Sam Bradford again and this time he isn't coming back. Kansas suffered their first loss last week and now must turn around against the Sooners.

UCLA at No. 22 Arizona: Arizona has been a surprise team in the Pac-10 and UCLA could be thinking upset this week.

No. 6 Iowa at Michigan State: Iowa continues to win, but they must be prepared each week as a conference opponent can trip them up and Michigan State is good enough to do just that.

No. 1 Florida at Mississippi State: Florida has escaped two weeks in a row with close wins and this one could easily be a similar situation. Florida's offense needs to show it can "kick it up a notch."

Oregon State at No. 7 USC: Oregon State knocked off the Trojans last year and cost them a shot at the national title. USC is at home this year and will look to get some payback.

No. 4 Boise State at Hawaii: Boise State should be able to get through this week undefeated, but they need to be on guard and not only win, but win big.

Now for my top 5 matchups of Week 8:

5) Tennessee at No. 2 Alabama: Tennessee played Florida better than expected and Monty Kiffin's defense can keep this game close and give them a good shot to win. Alabama will continue to ride HB Mark Ingram and show the country that they just might be the best team. Alabama's defense gets the edge over Tennessee's defense. Pick: Alabama

4) Boston College at Notre Dame: This is an important game for each team especially the Fighting Irish. This a rivalry game that Boston College has been won more recently by the Golden Eagles. QB Jimmy Clausen continues to show he is a top QB and should be the difference. He will be able to move the ball and give Notre Dame a nice bounce back win. Pick: Notre Dame

3) No. 13 Penn State at Michigan: Penn State has struggled over the last decade or so against Michigan at home. It was that home game four years ago that cost Penn State a chance to play for the national title. The Nitany Lions have looked pretty strong since that lost to Iowa while Michigan has looked less than advantage after their strong start. Joe Paterno has his team ready to get up that road hump. Pick: Penn State

2) No. 3 Texas at Missouri: Texas' road to the national title game will not get any easier this week as they have to go to Missouri. Missouri is very capable of going score for score with the Longhorns. I think Texas has a few more playmakers and they have the better QB in Colt McCoy. Pick: Texas

1) No. 8 TCU at No. 16 BYU: Not the typical top game of the week, but in college football there are more good teams out of the big conferences. TCU is still undefeated and this will be a big test and if victorious it will enhance their resume. BYU has also looked very good this year minus the beatdown Florida State gave them in September. TCU can play well on the road and I feel that they are looking to make a statement. Pick: TCU

I'm looking forward to another big week as the pressure mounts for the top teams as the BCS chase reaches the dangerous stretch.

Week 7 NFL Power Rankings

Another week of action and 4 teams still remain flawless. It is that point in the season when

The Colts remain in the top spot while the Saints and Vikings continue to make statements each week. The Broncos continue their strong start. The Giants took a bit of a drop after their first loss. The Patriots got themselves right in a big way as they routed the Titans 59-0. The Chiefs got a win and move up a little and the Raiders and Bills were able to break through for a second win.

2009 Power Rankings (going into Week 7):
1.(1) Colts (5-0): They had a bye, but they have started strong once again.
2.(4) Saints (5-0): The Saints showed how good they are by dissecting the Giants' supposed vaunted defense. This team is dangerous from the opening drive.
3.(3) Vikings (6-0): They needed a missed field goal to hold on for another win, but they continue to get it done and look very good on all phases.
4.(5) Broncos (6-0): They enter their bye undefeated and 3 and half games up in the division. Not many would have predicted that.
5.(2) Giants (5-1): They looked a little exposed in the secondary, but this team is still very good and will need to be sharper against the better teams in the NFL.
6.(10) Patriots (4-2): Some were wondering if Tom Brady and the Patriots were still a top team. They removed all that doubt with a big smackdown on the Titans.
7.(7) Falcons (4-1): They showed they can handle the pressure late in the game and Tony Gonzalez continues to prove to be a very wise investment.
8.(6) Bengals (4-2): They were rolling on a high then they got tripped up and thrown on a lot by Matt Schaub and the Texans. Still some room for improvement after a pretty good start.
9.(14) Steelers (4-2): Looks like the defending champs are almost completely back and they have Troy Polamulu back as well. Let's see if they can stay consistent.
10.(12) Packers (3-2): The Packers' offense and Aaron Rodgers got themselves back on track and in a big way with a shutout over the Lions.
11.(13) Bears (3-2): They showed that they are a very good team. Just a couple little mistakes kept them from victory.
12.(8) Eagles (3-2): They had high hopes after the return of Donovan McNabb and the offense was clicking, but they laid a dud against the Raiders.
13.(11) Ravens (3-3): They started out really strong and despite a great comeback, now sit at .500.
14.(15) 49ers (3-2): They had an off week to get Michael Crabtree ready for his debut. Let's see what type of team comes out of the bye after a big blowout loss.
15.(16) Chargers (2-3): They are off to another ho-hum start. Let's see if they get up for a divisional game this week.
16.(17) Cardinals (3-2): They are starting to look more like the team of a year ago.
17.(20) Cowboys (3-2): They have played well and have played not so well. A big game to make a statement this week against the Falcons.
18.(9) Jets (3-3): They looked strong to start the year and Mark Sanchez looked poised. A lot has changed in the last 3 weeks.
19.(22) Texans (3-3): They are tough to figure out in terms of how good they might be. They have to stay consistent and keep winning to turn the corner.
20.(21) Jaguars (3-3): They have not looked sharp recently and needed a big game by Maurice Jones-Drew to avoid the upset.
21.(19) Dolphins (2-3): The Wildcat could their way to get back on track and have a tough test against the Saints this week.
22.(20) Seahawks (2-4): They looked to be righting the ship, but they looked very bad in a key divisional game.
23.(23) Panthers (2-3): They continued to win, but they did against another bad team.
24.(26) Bills (2-4): They didn't look much better this week, but the Jets sure helped them out by playing as bad as them.
25.(29) Raiders (2-4): They could only muster 13 points, but that was enough when the Eagles only put up 9.
26.(24) Redskins (2-4): They continue to be in downward spiral and changes were made this week. Coach Jim Zorn is still safe, but things look really bad.
27.(25) Lions (1-5): They looked really bad after showing improvement early in the season.
28.(29) Chiefs (1-5): They finally broke through. Much thanks goes to the struggling Redskins, but they are improving.
29.(28) Browns (1-5): Another game. Another loss. More of the same for the Browns. Caught a few bad calls that didn't help.
30.(27) Titans (0-6): This is starting to get really bad. 0-6 going into a bye is not where any expected them to be.
31.(30) Buccaneers (0-6): They are slowly showing some signs of an offense, but the defense still is suffering.
32.(32) Rams (0-6): They came extremely close, but couldn't close the door and fell in OT.

We are approaching the half way point and the top teams will start to show themselves a little more clearly.

College Football Power Rankings- going into Week 8

This past weekend featured a few matchups with ranked teams facing off. Texas was able to outlast Oklahoma in a defensive struggle. Notre Dame came up short against USC despite a last second chance to win it. Cincinnati won a crucial Big East battle with South Florida, but loss QB Tony Pike for at least a week it seems. Alabama looked very good against South Carolina while Florida barely survived against Arkansas. And Boise State and TCU remain unbeaten with a chance to break into a BCS game.

Here are the rankings for the week of October 19th:

Top 25 Power Rankings
1) Florida (6-0) (at Mississippi State)
2) Texas (6-0)(at Missouri)
3) Alabama (7-0)(vs Tennessee)
4) USC (5-1)(vs Oregon State)
5) Boise State (6-0)(at Hawaii)
6) Cincinnati (6-0)(vs Louisville)
7) Iowa (7-0)(at Michigan State)
8) Miami (FL) (5-1)(vs Clemson)
9) LSU (5-1)(vs Auburn)
10) TCU (6-0)(at BYU)
11) Georgia Tech (6-1)(at Virginia)
12) Oregon (5-1)(at Washington)
13) Penn State (6-1)(at Michigan)
14) Virginia Tech (5-2)(IDLE)
15) Oklahoma State (5-1)(at Baylor)
16) Brigham Young (6-1)(vs TCU)
17) Ohio State (5-2)(vs Minnesota)
18) Houston (5-1)(vs SMU)
19) Utah (5-1)(vs Air Force)
20) Pittsburgh (6-1)(vs South Florida)
21) West Virginia (5-1)(vs Connecticut)
22) Texas Tech (5-2)(vs Texas A&M)
23) Kansas (5-1)(vs Oklahoma)
24) South Carolina (5-2)(vs Vanderbilt)
25) Oklahoma (3-3)(at Kansas)

Outside 5
1) Nebraska (4-2)(vs Iowa State)
2) Mississippi (4-2)(vs Arkansas)
3) South Florida (5-1)(at Pittsburgh)
4) Wisconsin (5-2)(IDLE)
5) Boston College (5-2)(at Notre Dame)

Another weekend of action awaits and the race for the BCS Title game will continue to tighten as any loss at this point could be fatal.

What Vietnam Can Teach Us Now In Afghanistan

Over the last month or so, the ongoing war in Afghanistan has begun to draw a lot headlines. The main focus has been on what needs to be done in a war that has been going on for over 7 years. Things were quiet in the media while the Iraq War was stealing the main headlines and focus. But things in Afghanistan have been digressing and there is much concern amongst many. Polls show a majority of Americans want an end to this war while there was generals on the field asking President Obama for more men. It is like walking on egg shells as stopping the war would upset many as would continuing the fighting and sending more troops into harms way. As this war lingers on, it has been compared to the Vietnam War that lasted for much of the 1960s and 1970s. It was the nation's first media war and each night the war was brought into America's living rooms. This war in Afghanistan is certainly doing that on a much larger scale with the Internet and 24 hour news media networks. As many who go to the Washington DC each year and visit the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial, they are reminded of all that was lost in a war that was more of a morale win or draw than anything. Understandably, many who witnessed that or are aware of that are afraid of the Afghanistan War becoming a repeat of the results of Vietnam.

However, there are two things worth mentioning. Even when two things look similar, they are also sure to be differences. And knowing what happened over 30 years ago can serve as guide for us today. With that said, I came across an article that I feel offers excellent incite into this matter. Lewis Sorley is a retired Army lieutenant colonel and the author of "A Better War: The Unexamined Victories and Final Tragedy of America's Last Years in Vietnam." To me, the best and most qualified individuals when it comes to analyzing a war and possible strategy are current or retired military men and women as well as someone who has spent much time studying the area. In this case, Mr. Sorley has studied the waning years of the Vietnam War and his incite could be valuable when considering how to possibly handle what could be the waning years of the Afghanistan War. Below is the link to the article as well the pasted article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/opinion/18sorley.html?ref=todayspaper


As President Obama and his advisers contemplate a new course for Afghanistan, many commentators are suggesting analogies with earlier conflicts, particularly the war in Vietnam. Such comparisons can be useful, but only if the characterizations of earlier wars are accurate and lessons are appropriately applied.

Vietnam is particularly tricky. While avoiding the missteps made there is of course a priority, few seem aware of the many successful changes in strategy undertaken in the later years of the conflict. The credit for those accomplishments goes in large part to three men: Ellsworth Bunker, who became the American ambassador to South Vietnam in 1967; William Colby, the C.I.A. officer in charge of rural “pacification” efforts; and Gen. Creighton Abrams, who became the top American commander there in 1968.

A closer look at key aspects of how these men rethought their war may prove instructive to those considering our options in Afghanistan today. Among their principles were these:

1)Fight one war: Abrams, Bunker and Colby agreed that the war would be fought — and won or lost — in the villages. They decided to put equal priority on all key aspects of the war — thus the improvement of South Vietnam’s armed forces and the elimination of covert Vietcong bases and refuges in rural areas were given the same emphasis as large combat operations.

In Afghanistan, it is vital that American and NATO troops get out of their protected bases to work alongside Afghan forces and build trust with civilians. In some ways this may be trickier than in Vietnam, as our troops will have to navigate the tribal and ethnic rivalries that have long divided Afghan society.

2)Rethink combat operations: The early strategy in Vietnam was to use large units in “search and destroy” sweeps — often on ground of the enemy’s choosing in the deep jungle. Abrams decided instead to try “clear and hold” operations, in which small patrols were sent to villages to protect the populace. These troops were followed by South Vietnamese security forces — which Abrams made sure would get better training and equipment and were integrated into the regular army — to provide the “hold.”

In Afghanistan, combat does little good unless allied or Afghan forces remain behind to keep the Taliban from simply moving back in.

3)Restrain the use of force: Early on, Abrams said, “My problem is colored blue.” By that he meant that friendly forces (usually portrayed in blue on battle maps, as contrasted to the enemy shown in red) were causing undue “collateral damage” to the South Vietnamese people and their property. He reined in the use of heavy firepower like artillery and tactical airstrikes.

Allied forces in Afghanistan may have to accept increased risks to themselves as the price of protecting the population. There have been some grumblings that they are hampered by the rules of engagement, and perhaps in platoon-level operations that it true. But Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top American commander in Afghanistan, is right that Western forces have to cut down on civilian deaths caused by air power and reckless use of force.

4)Create an effective central government: As Nguyen Van Thieu, who became South Vietnam’s president in 1967, gained experience and influence, senior Americans came to regard him as the “No. 1 pacification officer.” He traveled extensively, promoting and evaluating local programs. And by 1972 his “Land to the Tiller” initiative had achieved genuine land reform, distributing two and a half million acres of land to nearly 400,000 farmers.

President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan has no signature triumph like Land to the Tiller, nor has he made many efforts to reach out to average Afghans. Perhaps Washington should make some of its support to his government contingent on anticorruption efforts and delivering real services to his people.

5)Support local governments: In Vietnam, rural hamlets were able to elect their own officials, who were sent to training sessions in the port city of Vung Tau. President Thieu spoke to every class, emphasizing that they had to be “little presidents” and make good use of the resources that the central government would provide for economic growth, health care and schools.

Given the diversified population of Afghanistan there has been too much emphasis on central government — if the Karzai government lags in giving money and supplies to local and tribal leaders, the United States should consider doling out more aid directly to them.

6)Gather intelligence: “The intelligence is the most important part of this whole damn thing,” Abrams told a visiting officer. “And if that’s good, we can handle anything.” The best way to root out the enemy’s secret bases in Vietnam was to get good information from villagers and “ralliers,” former Vietcong rebels who had switched sides.

In Afghanistan, a continuing security presence in contested areas will be key to getting Afghans and former insurgents to aid the war effort. As long as they fear Taliban reprisal, locals will stay silent.

7)Build the economy: Vietnam depended on rice, and widespread fighting and enemy gains in early years took many acres of land out of cultivation. Pacification efforts put some of that land back into production and re-opened local markets, while the introduction of genetically engineered “miracle rice” greatly increased yields. In Afghanistan, finding viable alternative crops for farmers now growing opium poppies would seem to be a first order of business.

8)Improve security: Protection of the people (not body counts, as in the earlier period) became the measure of progress in Vietnam. The appropriate metrics to watch in Afghanistan are probably economic growth, the percentage of children attending school and health data, along with freedom of movement within and between population centers.

9)Control the borders: In South Vietnam, allied forces were never able to seal off borders with Cambodia, Laos or North Vietnam. The self-imposed prohibitions against going outside South Vietnam with ground forces allowed the enemy to use border areas for training, supply routes and sanctuary.

Similarly, the Taliban uses the Pakistan border as its own barrier, and American drone attacks can do only so much. Either Washington must find a way to get the Pakistanis to step up the fight against the terrorists, or consider operations across the border.

10)Maintain political support at home: All that was accomplished on the battlefield in the latter years of Vietnam was lost when Congress, having tired of the whole endeavor, drastically cut support for South Vietnam. Neither Lyndon Johnson nor Richard Nixon was able to rally public and press support for the war.

President Obama has said that Afghanistan is a war of necessity. If so, he must put his political capital behind it. As he and his advisers plan the new course for the war, he must also come up with a new approach for selling it to Congress and the American people.


All that has been mentioned is critical insight as President Obama and his advisers and the generals in Afghanistan decide the best course of action. They would be wise to look at the ten points listed as guidance.

Learn from...America?

Many times it seems that we must compare America to other countries as a measuring stick. The latest occurrence has to do with the ongoing health care debate. The one country that seems to come up a lot is our neighbor to the north, Canada. A few countries in Europe have also been mentioned. Information has been out for and against the way that other countries seem to handle their health care. However, often times what goes unnoticed or more unmentioned is there are states in America that just might have system in tact that could be adapted to the national scene. One such state is Hawaii.

For 35 years now, Hawaii has required all employers to provide relatively generous health care benefits to any employee who works 20 hours a week or more. If health care legislation passes in Congress, the country as a whole may barely catch up to that. Barely that in mind, the President and federal government can learn a lot from what a state like Hawaii has been able to achieve. It might be an overused phrase sometimes, but a little bit truly does go a long way. With that said, the most important lesson to be learned, then, is even small steps taken to change the system can have lasting effects on health. In addition, once benefits are entrenched; taking them away becomes extremely difficult. Essentially, if a law is put in stone it is hard for it to be rebuked easily.

Worth mentioning in this debate is the cost aspect. I don't doubt that almost everyone would probably like to see the proper changes made, but the largest bracket of dissenters are against adding more money to the already large national debt. Hawaii is known to have expensive items and ranks near the top with food/drink products or gas, but when it comes to health insurance premiums they are nearly tied with North Dakota for the lowest in the country. Medicare costs per beneficiary are the nation's lowest. The United States as a whole doesn't rank in the top 10 in life expectancy, but Hawaii has the highest life expectancy in the whole country and their health care might be a reason. A perfect example would be the fact that they have the nation's highest rate of breast cancer, but also the lowest death rate from it.

One might then ask how efficient they are or how they got that efficient. A big reason might the fact that roughly 90% of the population is given relatively generous benefits, patients then stay healthy and health providers save money and have money and motivation to innovate.

During the summer, when the debate when truly waging; the Massachusetts example of state health care was brought up. Many who oppose the health care initiative in Congress point to the fact that Massachusetts is having to deal with the costs of health care three years after they launched the health care initiative in the state. But as Hawaii shows, overhauling health insurance before changing the way care is provided could work in the long run. The more people that are given access to care; hospital and insurance executives in Hawaii say they have been able to address and innovate efficiencies. For example, top medical provides are using electronic medical records, which is something not seen throughout the rest of the United States. Furthermore, the Hawaii Medical Service Association recently offered the nation's only statewide system where anyone for a certain fee can talk via phone or email to the doctors of their choosing. No such communication barriers, which have been brought up in the debate at the national level.

Now to turn to the national level and what it could mean to states like Hawaii. Hawaii has it fairly good. Things aren't great, but if measures are taken that are too strong; they could have negative affects on Hawaii. It must be taken into consideration how each state runs their own individual health care programs. Take ideas from them; if they are good; and apply them to the national stage. Something this complex is difficult to access at times, but instead of always making this a U.S. v other countries; why not look around our states. Just because it isn't always in the spotlight being an island and all; doesn't mean it isn't just as important as any of the other 49 states. As NBC likes to, the more you learn the more you know. I implore others to look more into Hawaii as well as other states. It will give you a much better perspective.

Week 6 NFL Preview

The five featured games for the most part lived up to what I thought they could be. The Bengals and Ravens played a tough AFC North style game that came down to the wire. The Bengals proved with another win against a top team that they just might for real this year and may be close to the form they had in 2005 when they won the division. The Ravens have now lost two games and have an undefeated Minnesota on tap. The Falcons rebounded quite nicely after a loss in New England before their bye while the 49ers looked lost and confused. This was a big step back for an improving team. Talking about games coming down to the wire, the Broncos needed a late 4th quarter drive led by QB Kyle Orton to tie the game then they were able to get a big win in OT over the Patriots. This was definitely an important win for the Broncos as they continue to prove doubters wrong about how good they might be. Being 5-0 and having victories over a good Patriots team and a better than expected Bengals team definitely have to show for something. On Sunday night, the Colts looked like a 5-0 team while the Titans looked like an 0-5. While on Monday night, it was another great game as the Jets and Dolphins turned the 4th quarter into a game of back and forth scoring with the Dolphins getting the last score to win the game. The Dolphins found holes in the Jets' defense and exploited them with the Wildcat.

Not all the games were good as some of those. The Browns and Bills might have had the worst game of the year while the Raiders, Rams, and Jaguars looked like they were barely playing a regular season game. While the Redskins again provided a win for a winless team and have another winless team ahead this week.

All and all, I went 9-5 last week and brings my total to 57-19 after five weeks.

Now for Week 6:

Games of the Week:
Ravens at Vikings: The Ravens have been struggling a bit and after starting 3-0 have loss 2 straight. It isn't panic mode yet, but they definitely don't want to let another game fall in the loss column especially with Pittsburgh and Cincinnati both playing well. The Vikings are 5-0 and Brett Favre has looked very good thus far and is on fire while HB Adrian Peterson keeps going at a steady pace on the ground. This game will feature Favre on one side of the ball and MLB Ray Lewis of the Ravens on the other side of the ball. You usually don't get that type of instant hall of famer matchup. The Vikings seem to be streaking right now and the game will come down to how well the Ravens' defense slow down the Vikings' offense. Tough to think of the Ravens dropping three straight. Pick: Vikings

Giants at Saints: This is premiere matchup of the week. It features the 5-0 Giants at the 4-0 Saints. Both teams have looked like the best team in the NFL thus far. This game ultimately will come down to the winner of the matchup of the Saints' offense vs the Giants' defense. The Saints have been winning games with all facets of their team, but will need the offense to pick up the pace to keep the Giants' on their toes. The Giants have not had to play in a shootout game as they have been going through a series of easy opponents and that could allow for a slow start if the Saints get going. This game could turn into a back and forth battle between two of the better QBs in the NFL. The Saints look like the more complete team thus far. Pick: Saints

Sunday Night: Bears at Falcons: The Bears have been playing very well after their opening game loss while the Falcons are coming off a big win over a good 49ers team that followed a big loss. This is matchup of pretty close teams, two good QBs who have a lot of years ahead of them, and two of the best HBs. This one could come down which QB/HB have better games. Also TE Tony Gonzalez will be big for the Falcons and could be the big x-factor as it looks like know one on the Bears can match up with him. Pick: Falcons

Monday Night: Broncos at Chargers: These two teams don't really like each other. Last year, their two games were two of the most talked about games as the first one had a questionable call that gave the Broncos a win and the second one featured the Chargers grabbing the AFC West from the Broncos and eliminating them from playoff contention. QB Kyle Orton has been better than expected as had the Broncos as a whole. WR Brandon Marshall has put behind him the offseason drama and is starting to pick up his play. The Chargers are facing an almost must win game as they don't want to fall 3 games behind the Broncos and lose a tie breaker down the road. This one could get heated and will be another test for the Broncos, but expect QB Phillip Rivers and the Chargers to bring everything. Pick: Broncos

Rest of the pack:

Texans at Bengals: The Bengals have been surging thus far and stand at 4-1, which is better than most expected to be at this point. They have taken control of the AFC North and now enter a game as a favorite with added pressure. The Texans haven't lived up to the expectations of being a better team this year, but this could be a game that they make a statement because when they are on; they can hang with a lot of team offensively. The Bengals have been winning close games and this one could turn into a battle in the 4th quarter. Pick: Bengals

Lions at Packers: Green Bay's offensive line hasn't been giving QB Aaron Rodgers much time this year and he has been pressured and sacked more than he would like at this point. The Lions continue to play hard and played the defending champions about as close as a team as good as Detroit would be expected to. It looks like that will be the case again this week as the Packers will look to get back in the win column. The Vikings and Bears have had strong starts and give the Packers that much more incentive to get a win. Pick: Packers

Browns at Steelers: Every team deserves to win a game. The Browns got it last week and probably owe the equally futile Bills a thank you note for coughing up the game late and allowing the Browns to get the game winning field goal. The Steelers look to have established a quality running game under HB Rashard Mendenhall. They should be able to continue the success they had against San Diego and Detroit in recent weeks. Pick: Steelers

Panthers at Buccaneers: The Panthers got a win last week, but still are not a very good team. They will have the benefit of playing another bad team that is worse off than them in the Buccaneers this week. The Bucs are still struggling on both sides, but can still win this game if they make enough big plays. Pick: Panthers

Chiefs at Redskins: The Redskins are Santa Claus for winless teams this year. They almost gave games away to the Rams and the Buccaneers and surrendered the first wins for the Lions and the Panthers. Will the Chiefs end up like the former two or the latter two? The Chiefs came extremely close to beating the Cowboys and it took overtime for the Cowboys to beat them. They are still not a very good team, but have the ability to capitalize on the mistakes on the field and the chaos off the field that Redskins seem to be immersed in. UPSET Pick: Chiefs

Rams at Jaguars: Both of these teams looked horrible last week. The Rams barely put points on the board in trash time and were not very efficient for most of the game. Plus, WR Donnie Avery celebrating a touchdown when you are down by multiple scores doesn't help. The Jaguars looked to be a wildcard team again this year after rebounding from the initial start, but they turned in a goose egg last week against the Seahawks. HB Maurice Jones-Drew was clearly embarrassed by the effort and for that reason he and his teammates will come out angry and make an example of out of the Rams. Pick: Jaguars

Cardinals at Seahawks: The Cardinals seem to be finding their groove in the passing game and will need to do so again this week against the Seahawks. It looks like QB Matt Hasselbeck is healthy enough and capable enough still to put a lot of points on the board and should be able to score on the Cardinals' defense that is surrendering over 20 points a game. This could turn into a bit of shootout with two very good QBs. The Cardinals almost gave a game away last week and might find themselves in a similar situation this week. Seattle is usually pretty tough at home. Pick: Seahawks

Eagles at Raiders: The Giants got the luxury of facing the Raiders last week, now the Eagles get their turn at one of the league's punching bags. QB Donovan McNabb and WR Jeremy Maclin looked like a strong duo last week and don't be surprised it they do a number on bad Raiders' defense. The offense will probably be lucky to put a touchdown on the board the way they have been playing. Picks: Eagles

Titans at Patriots: The Titans are 0-5 and look to be headed to 0-6. Injuries are starting to pile up and their defense is having trouble stopping anybody. Plus they have the worst pass defense. Did I mention they are facing the Patriots and QB Tom Brady? He might not be in his past MVP form, but he is still a top QB and will be able to right a lot of his and the offense's errors this week. The Titans are in free fall and its a bit sad after their great year last year. Pick: Patriots

Bills at Jets: The Jets looked like a Super Bowl team after 3 weeks, but after the last two they barely look like a playoff team. The rookie QB has struggled at times and the defense has lost a bit of unstoppable force appeal it had. They are still a good defense and Mark Sanchez is still a quality starter and both will look good again this week against a poor Bills team. Last week, the Bills easily could have won that field goal shootout with the Browns, but they need to look for something else on offense because the no huddle has only gotten than losses faster. Pick: Jets

Another slate of big games headlined by the Giants and Saints. Will some of bad teams step it up this week? We shall see.