Pro Football - 1 Week Too Late Season Preview

Goooooooooood Afternoon Sports Fans,

I would like to begin this post with an apology. I am one week too late putting together my official season preview and therefore have 16 games under my belt to complete additional analysis and predictions. I would like to continue by retracting my apology because I'm currently in the process of healing from multiple concussions and have been instructed to minimize my time in front of a computer screen. With that said, the world is clearly thirsty for my insight and I'm like a tall glass of Coke to quench your desires. Not the crappy Coke that they released in the 80's though, I'm the real deal Coca-Cola.

Before continuing, I'd also like to mention that due to my concussion recovery I will likely look at the keyboard while typing instead of the monitor (or keep my eyes closed) so I apologize for any typos, grammatical errors, or references to the over-sexualization of Miley Cyrus. Why? Because thinking about Miley makes my head hurt.

OK, now let's get down to business. In order to be fair about my predictions, I'm going to give you my original forecasts for the season along with a few revisions that I've made now that Week 1 is in my back pocket. To be fair, my brother and I had a thorough discussion on the phone about a week and a half ago to discussion the [then] upcoming season so he can verify these were my actual thoughts. Don't believe me? You can call him to verify: 1-800-NAKED-MILEY. If he's not home, please leave a voicemail after the twerk.

Per usual, we're going to break this down by division and then get to my Super Bowl Fifty prediction (I typed out 50 because using one Roman numeral is weird and some may get confused by Super Bowl L).

AFC North

Original Prediction - 4 Team Coin Flip (If forced to pick, I'd take Pittsburgh)
Revised Prediction - 3 Team Coin Flip (If forced to pick, I'd take Cincinnati)

For my money, the AFC North is once again the most competitive division in the NFL. When the season started, I could make an argument for any of the 4 teams to ultimately win the division with either a 9 or 10 win record. Each team has strengths (Baltimore and Cleveland have outstanding defenses, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati potent offenses) and each team has weaknesses (Baltimore has no wide receivers, Johnny Football spends too much time partying with Miley, half the Pittsburgh defense left town, and Andy Dalton can't decide if he's good or not). It really was a toss up for me and I expected that the second place team in the division would be neck and neck with the third place team from the AFC West for the last Wild Card spot (more on that later). After watching Week 1, I'm going to go ahead and say that the Browns suck more than Miley in a ... err ... I don't think the Browns can score enough points to win games. Still a toss up among the other three, but the Bengals looked really solid against a weak Raiders team in Oakland.

AFC East

Original Prediction - New England Patriots
Revised Prediction - New England Patriots

Even though the Patriots' balls are more deflated than Miley's ex-boyfriend's, somehow Tom got out of jail free and was able to make the Week 1 roster. And that, by itself, was enough to give the Patriots the division. Even though my brother disagrees, I think the off season issues of Brady and crew will help motivate the team rather than distract them. Anyone else remember the 2007 campaign after Spygate? The Patriots scored more during those 17 weeks than Miley did in 17 months. At this point, I can't expect the Patriots to have a bad season unless #12's leg breaks again and that's just not the type of thing you can predict. The Belichek/Brady combination is just too potent to stop during the regular season and I see another 12-4 regular season in their future. On top of that, I still think the AFC Least is the worst division in football because at least 2 teams are incredibly underwhelming. After watching Week 1, I'm not ready to jump on the Buffalo bandwagon quite yet. Even if the Bills can pull off the win against the Pats this weekend, I'm just not sure that a team used to losing can sustain dominance for an entire season. BUT, it might be enough to get them into the Wild Card ...

AFC South

Original Prediction - Indianapolis Colts
Revised Prediction - Indianapolis Colts

First, let me start off by saying I love Marcus Mariota. And no, I'm not one of the millions of people in America who are just figuring out who this kid is after a ridiculous first half performance against the Bucs in Week 1. Go ahead and read my College Football posts from last year ... I've been loving on Mariota the same way that Miley loves on ... well, everything. I am incredibly excited by the performance I saw last week (Marcus, not Miley) and am hopeful that he continues to grow into the future Hall of Famer I believe he can be. With that said, I just don't think the Titans have nearly enough talent around him to keep the blowouts coming. This division belongs to the Colts and their superstar offense. Provided the team can stay relatively healthy, I don't see anyone else in the division even having a chance. And yes, I still believe that after the Colts lost an ugly game in Buffalo last week. I'll take the Colts, a 13-3 record, and wishes for Hannah Montana to return from the depths of Miley's trashy heart.

AFC West

Original Prediction - Denver Broncos
Revised Prediction - Kansas City Chiefs

For my money, top to bottom the AFC West is the best division in the AFC (if not all of football). Even though the Raiders are cute in their little silver and black costumes (no wait, that was Miley), the other three teams in the division are among the best in the NFL. Last year the Chiefs came out of nowhere to show that they are a serious franchise again and they have only added to their depth by signing Jeremy Maclin and addressing the one glaring weakness they had in 2014. The Chargers have been one of the NFL's most consistent teams over the last 10 years and you just know that Phillip Rivers is going to have them on the cusp of the playoffs once again this season. The only problem their is they can't seem to get over the hump (not a problem Miley has) to become a serious championship contender year in and year out. And then you have the Broncos led by ole faithful, Peyton Manning. I'm not going to lie, Week 1 concerned me a little as ole Peyton was looking a little too much like an old Peyton. I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt for now and credit the poor offensive performance to a new Coordinator, but I think a couple of early season losses from "working out the kinks" will ultimately cost the Broncos the division come December.

AFC Playoffs

Seed - Original Prediction - Revised Prediction

1 Seed - Indianapolis Colts - Indianapolis Colts
2 Seed - New England Patriots - New England Patriots
3 Seed - Denver Broncos - Kansas City Chiefs
4 Seed - Pittsburgh Steelers - Cincinnati Bengals
5 Seed - Kansas City Chiefs - Denver Broncos
6 Seed - San Diego Chargers - Buffalo Bills

Yep, that's right, I'm going to buy in enough to Buffalo to allow them to sneak into the playoffs with a 6 seed. I'm still a little worried about Tyrod Taylor at QB because he wasn't a dominant winner in college (like the similarly sized Russell Wilson) but if he can just game-manage I think Buffalo's defense can lead them to a pretty solid record. Looking at the 6 teams above, I don't think Buffalo will have enough juice to win on the road in Kansas City during the Wild Card round of the playoffs and similarly I think the experience of Peyton Manning can get him past the Bengals where Cincinnati always tends to flop in the playoffs. That would leave Peyton and company heading to Indy for a very intriguing match up with Manning's former employer. Could it be that Peyton's last game as a pro is in Indy after all? If he retires after this year I think this statement will be true because I see the Colts winning the battle of the Ponies while the Patriots handle their business in BBQ country. That should setup a rematch of last year's AFC Championship game and this time the Luck will be on the other horse shoe (see what I did there?). Colts go Super Bowling this coming February.

*Editor's Note - Insert Miley Comment Here*

NFC North

Original Prediction - Detroit Lions
Revised Prediction - Detroit Lions

There must be something about cold weather that makes a division competitive, because I think the NFC North is just as tight as Miley's the AFC North. In all seriousness, I do believe the chilly conditions up North make a difference because anything can happen on a given day. The variances in field conditions and expected precipitation can really swing the strategy a coach will use and give a definitive advantage to the team that can best adapt. We've seen a couple of occasions in just the last 10 years where the Packers lost at home to the Giants in freezing temperatures because the Giants adjusted to the conditions better. With that said, there's enough talent in this division to go around and I could sensibly make an argument for any of the 4 teams in this group. Ultimately, I ruled out the Vikings because I just don't think Teddy Bridgewater can cut it in the NFL (Week 1 helps to support this theory), the Packers lost their top receiving threat which will have more impact on Aaron Rodgers' productivity than most realize, and Jay Cutler is, well, let's just say if he had Miley's passion things could be a little different. The Lions are a complete team, and oh by the way, they play inside. Take out the unpredictability of the winter and they have a significant advantage over their division rivals.

NFC East

Original Prediction - 2 Team Coin Flip (If forced to pick, I'd take Dallas)
Revised Prediction - 2 Team Coin Flip (If forced to pick, I'd take Philly)

I'm a Giants fan. There, I said it. I'm not proud, I'm not happy, I'm not excited, and my Fantasy Football team name for the last three years has been "Fire Tom Coughlin." If you watched the Week 1 game against Dallas on Sunday night, you should fully understand how I'm feeling. The Giants truly grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory and choked worse than Miley on her first date with her new girlfriend. However, it did reaffirm my belief that the Giants are going to have another sub-par, 7 win, just barely miss the playoffs but not so bad that Tom Coughlin gets canned, crappy draft pick both in pick number and talent, season. And if you didn't know it already, the Deadskins don't really even deserve a spot in the NFL and might want to consider moving the franchise to Canada where they might stand a chance against the Toronto Argonauts. Now even though the bottom half of the NFC East is pathetic, the top half is stacked with talent and the greatest coach since sliced bread (Chip Kelly). Both the Cowboys and Eagles could prove to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders this season and the only reason I flipped by pick is because of the injury to Dez Bryant last week. I think the Cowboys will still win 10 games but not having Dez could cost them somewhere during the season.

NFC South

Original Prediction - New Orleans Saints
Revised Prediction - Atlanta Falcons

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz. Yip yip yip yip. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

NFC West

Original Prediction - Arizona Cardinals
Revised Prediction - Arizona Cardinals

Some might call me crazier than Miley on this one, but I think the Seahawks' years of dominance and Super Bowl runs are over. And yes, I PROMISE that I made this prediction before their sloppy loss against the Rams this past Sunday. Unfortunately for the birds, they are starting to experience some dysfunction in their organization and history has shown that the Super Bowl loser tends to struggle the following year. Between the botched call to end last year's big game, the hold out of Kam Chancellor, and the strengthening of both the Rams and Cardinals, I just don't see Seattle making it into the post-season. And how bout them Rams? I'll admit, I have my questions about Nick Foles and how successful he can be outside of Chip Kelly. However, once Todd Gurley gets healthy they have enough speed on offense to keep up with their very under-rated defense and make some noise in the league. I think it's enough to cause trouble out West but not quite enough to get the 9 or 10 wins they'll need to make the playoffs. Unfortunately the 49ers were decimated on defense this off-season and the addition of Torrey Smith isn't enough to fix a really struggling passing game. With Carson Palmer returning to health and the Cardinals bringing one of the best receiving corps and defenses into the season, I expect them to be legitimate contenders in the NFL this season.

NFC Playoffs

Seed - Original Prediction - Revised Prediction

1 Seed - Detroit Lions - Detroit Lions
2 Seed - Dallas Cowboys - Arizona Cardinals
3 Seed - Arizona Cardinals - Philadelphia Eagles
4 Seed - New Orleans Saints - Atlanta Falcons
5 Seed - Green Bay Packers - Dallas Cowboys
6 Seed - Philadelphia Eagles - Green Bay Packers

Doesn't the Eagles vs. the Packers in Philly just sound like a playoff match made in heaven? I don't know why, but when you close your eyes and picture what post-season football is all about, this game just feels right. And I think it could be an instant classic if it actually happens the way I predict it will. This game is in Philly though and the Philly fans have been craving a dominant team for quite some time. Watch for the Cheesesteaks to pull out a win in the Wild Card round along with the Cowboys who will dismantle an over-matched Falcons team. In the divisional round, the Cowboys will travel to Detroit for another potential showdown of high powered offenses. This time I think Tony Romo finally shakes off the post-season blues and advances to the NFC Championship game where the Eagles will be waiting for him after taking down the Cardinals in the Big Toaster. I love the Cardinals, but I wouldn't bet against Chip Kelly here. That gives us an all-NFC East conference title game and I'm taking the home team on the second biggest Sunday of the season ... and that's the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles are either going to be dynamite this season or fall unbelievably flat on their faces, and I think their performance in Atlanta last week could be the only signs of mediocrity we see from this team all year. If Sam Bradford stays healthy, this team is going to take the NFC by storm.

Super Bowl 50

Original Prediction - Indianapolis Colts over the Philadelphia Eagles
Revised Prediction - Indianapolis Colts over the Philadelphia Eagles

I say it every year ... once you get to the Super Bowl talent will win out over coaching. I don't expect this year to be any different in my philosophy and I believe that the Colts are top to bottom the most talented team in the NFL. Even though I love me some Chip Kelly, the Eagles are going to win this year on scheme more than raw talent and I just think it's time for Andrew Luck to take over as the face of the National Football League. This game shouldn't be lopsided by any means but I would give Indy the edge in what would be a very fast paced, high scoring game. Wouldn't it be fitting if Miley was the performer of the halftime show? I agree ... nope.

So, there you have it! Another season (minus one week) of football to be played and countless fantasy football points to be won. We'll see how everything plays out but I know that I'm excited to see what happens! In the NFL, not with Miley ...

- Fishy

College Football - 2015 Season Preview

Good Afternoon Sports Fans!

Can you feel it? Well, can you? We are LESS THAN 24 HOURS AWAY from the start of the 2015 College Football season! Tomorrow night the first two teams will lace up their cleats, strap on their helmets, and take the field to show that they are the most dominant squad in all of the NCAA. And this year, it just so happens that my North Carolina Tar Heels are one of those two teams leading the country into our favorite 4 months of the year.

Still not excited?! Here, try this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utCoYeAxzzU

No really, watch that video. Stop reading, click the link above, and GET HYPE!

Ok, you good now? The blood is flowing? The juice is running through your veins? No, not in the Alex Rodriguez juice kinda way, in the "Heck yeah, 24 hours until kickoff" kinda way!

Alright, now that we're all pumped up, let's get in to this season. Usually I would sit down and spend two hours telling you what you need to know about every major conference, big time program, and who is going to make the College Football Playoffs. Unfortunately, I can't do that this year. And there's two main reasons for it:

1. Somehow, I feel like I don't really know that much about any given team going into the 2015 season. Perhaps I've been spending too much time focusing on my 4 NFL fantasy football drafts or maybe there's just not been a lot of talk on ESPN speculating who will be the best team in the country.

2. I do know enough to know that there is a LOT of balance in College Football last year. When we started last season there were a number of big name players in big name programs expected to have big time season. We don't have that this year ... in fact I would be hard pressed to name 10 total football players in the entire country outside of UNC.

What does this all mean? It means that this year could prove to be one of the most exciting in the history of college football. There is one clear favorite to win it all (we'll talk about that in a moment) but outside of that anything can happen. There are no locks for the playoffs, there are no clear conference winners that are just better than everyone else they're playing, and sadly there's no indication that Tim Tebow is returning to the Florida Gators for his fifth season. So, instead of the usual speculation on what will happen in each conference, I'm just going to hit some high points on what to look out for this season. And maybe at the end of this post, if you ask nicely, I'll toss out a prediction and see if I get lucky. Oh, who are we kidding, it's been a very long time since I got lucky ... Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanyway ...

- This year, Urban Meyer is going to REALLY earn his paycheck. The Ohio State Buckeyes are the first ever undisputed pre-season #1 in the AP poll and the clear front runners to win it all and repeat as National Champions. In fact, most analysts believe the Buckeyes only have 2 games on their entire regular season schedule that could even possibly be a challenge. So, why would I say Urban Meyer is going to earn his paycheck? You'd think that any slick-haired coach off the street could win the title with this team. Here's the issue ... there IS such a problem as having too much of a good thing. And Ohio State's good thing comes at the most critical position in the game, Quarterback. Usually a team would love to have just one solid QB they can rely on, but OSU has 3 ... count them THREE ... of them. Last year the Bucks started the season with Braxton Miller under center and many predicted he would be the Heisman Trophy winner. However, an unfortunate early season injury knocked Miller out for the year and this season he decided to come back as a back/receiver. That's right, a Heisman Trophy favorite quarterback is now moving to a new position because there's so much talent on the team. So, after Miller gets knocked out, JT Barrett takes over the team. All he does is lead the Buckeyes to the Big Ten Championship Game while also becoming a Heisman favorite and almost winning the trophy. BUT, then he gets hurt right before the Big 10 title clash and they go to third stringer Cardale Jones. How did Jones do? He won them the National Championship and projected as a first round draft pick if he left school! All in 3 games! So now, you have three big time QB's returning to Columbus and all of them want to be future NFL stars. So, Urban Meyer, how do you keep everyone happy? THIS is his conundrum. Nobody will doubt that OSU is more talented than almost any team they'll play this season, but can they keep the peace in the locker room and stay focused on the prize? If OSU can repeat this season as Champs, I will consider this to be Urban Meyer's greatest coaching achievement and put him in the discussion for greatest college coach of all time. But, will they even pass Week 1 ...

- Take a look at the Week 1 lineup. Usually the first couple of games during the season are "garbage" games where big programs play cupcakes (slang for easy teams to beat, not a delicious icing-covered dessert) just to get in the groove of things. But, with the playoffs here and the BCS finally good and dead, all of a sudden the quality of non-conference opponent actually matters for something. And I think this weekend it could count for a whole heck of a lot. I'm looking at the top 15 teams in the pre-season rankings and I think there are 5 very intriguing games to watch this Labor Day Weekend ...

Louisville @ #6 Auburn

#15 Arizona State @ Texas A&M (led by Kyle Allen, product of Scottsdale, AZ high school, and my alma mater, Desert Mountain ... Go Wolves!)

Texas @ #11 Notre Dame

#20 Wisconsin @ #3 Alabama (Played in Jerry's House ... Arlington, TX)

#1 Ohio State @ Virginia Tech

Keep an eye on these ball games. My prediction is that AT LEAST 2 of these top 15 teams are going down this weekend before the season even really gets rolling. And, if I'm a betting man, I like Texas A&M, Texas, and Wisconsin to all win. Suck on that Bama. Don't forget, Virginia Tech beat Ohio State early last year and Ohio State has four Wide Receivers out this week with injuries or suspension, not to mention their top defensive player who might be the eventual #1 pick in the NFL Draft ...

- I am predicting that for the first time in forever, a non-major school will contend for the National Championship. And by that I mean either a non-power conference school or TCU will make the 4 team playoff at the end of the year. Technically TCU is now part of the Big 12 and considered a power conference school, but for my money they are still lil ole Texas Christian whom nobody respects. Maybe the chip on their shoulder from getting left out of the playoffs last year will finally work in their favor. But watch out for another team off the radar right now ... I have no clue which one but watch out anyway! Last year all 4 playoff teams started the season in the Top 5 of the pre-season AP poll. This year I think the trend changes. I'm banking on at least 2 teams coming from OUTSIDE of the current AP Top 10. Suck on that Bama.

- My Tar Heels will keep the bell in Chapel Hill where it belongs when we beat Dook later this season. No further explanation needed. Suck on that Bama. Yeah, just because.

- Call me biased ("Hey Fishy, you're biased) but I think this year could mark the return to the national scene for the Miami Hurricanes. Miami has not truly been in the championship hunt since they were screwed over ... err, lost ... the 2002 title game to Ohio State, but I think Al Golden may finally be figuring this team out. He has an excellent young QB in Brad Kaaya and seems to be doing a much better job of recruiting top talent away from the Gators and Noles in recent years. Miami may not be ranked right now, but don't be surprised if they finish the year somewhere between 10 and 15 in the AP poll including a trip to the "Big 6 Bowl Games" as the ACC Champions.

- If Steve Sarkisian can stay sober and keep his football team focused, USC is back. Watch out.

Alright, so those are my big picture thoughts on what to expect for this upcoming college football season. Obviously, a lot can and will happen between now and the second week of January. I'm guessing we're going to see a ton of upsets this year, some remarkable stories we wouldn't have expected, and another season full of memories, moments, and highlights. To conclude, I might as well make a guess at who our playoff teams and National Champion will be. I'm not confident in this at all, but here goes nothing:

Playoffs

#1 Ohio State Buckeyes (yes, I believe in Urban Meyer) vs. #4 Boise State Broncos (because, why not?)

#2 USC Trojans vs. #3 Oklahoma Sooners (I pick them every year, why stop now?)

National Championship

#1 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. #2 USC Trojans

Winner: USC Trojans

There's only one thing I know for sure ... football season starts tomorrow and I can't wait. Let the games begin!!!

- Fishy

2015 ESPY Awards - Arthur Ashe's Memory Deserves Better

Good Afternoon Loyal Follower! (Yes, I intentionally made that singular)

Before beginning my post, I feel as though this is only appropriate:

DISCLAIMER - The below post might be offensive if:

1. Pieces are taken out of context.
2. Not read in it's entirety.
3. Is misunderstood or the intention questioned.
4. You don't like pizza.

When I started this blog a couple of years ago, the intent behind it was to provide myself a forum to discuss my thoughts on anything sports related, and possibly engage some conversation along the way. Through my blogging journey, I have learned to take a bit of a humorous/satirical approach to my writing because it's a lot of fun and my brother seems to enjoy it. However, what I have to say below is going to lean a bit more to the original intent of my blog. I'm going to minimize the jokes (though I might toss one or two in) and really focus on how I'm feeling about the topic. As I emphasized above, if you're going to read this post, please read it to the very end so you have a full understanding of where I'm coming from.

Without further delay ...

Last night was the 2015 ESPY Awards ... the night where ESPN holds an awards show to recognize everything sports related from the last year. Think Oscars but fewer performances and more buff people who can run really fast. Unfortunately I was not home to watch it live, so I've been watching my DVR recording this afternoon to see what I missed. I'm only about two hours into the show and already I've spent at least 45 minutes with tears in my eyes. No, that's not a joke, it's legit. For those who have never seen the show, the human interest stories about athletes and their lives are as much the focus as accomplishments on the field of play. And that's what I'm here today to discuss ... the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.

Each year for the last 22 years, ESPN has selected one individual who has somehow demonstrated unbelievable courage in their lives with some type of tie-in to sports. Past winners have included active athletes (last year Michael Sam won the award for his bravery in coming out as gay while actively competing for an NFL roster sport), sports personalities (in 2013, sports reporter Robin Roberts received the award for her very public battle with cancer), and public figures (in 2009 the award went to Nelson Mandela who used soccer as a way to bring peace and understanding to his home country of South Africa). The award has been given to some of the most notable and inspiring faces of the sports world over the last 22 years including Pat Summit, Billie Jean King, Dean Smith, Jim Valvano, and Muhammed Ali. Last night the annual award was presented to Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce Jenner. And I, for one, couldn't have been more disappointed in this choice of recipient. That's why I'm writing this post.

Let me be very clear in my stance here ... I don't trust Caitlyn Jenner. My disapproval in who won this award has nothing to do with my feelings about the transgender community, the meaning behind why this award was given to Caitlyn, or my hopes for tolerance and understanding in the Unites State and greater community. My feelings are based on the premise that Bruce/Caitlyn is an attention whore (please excuse my language) who puts his/her own stardom before anything else.

Back in the 70's, Bruce Jenner became a sporting icon in the Unites States when he won Olympic gold in the decathlon in Montreal. As the winner of this event, he became the official Greatest Athlete in the World and a face for the American people. He was known around the country as a hero and a representative of our athletic achievements in the world of sports. And then, he disappeared from the world of sports. That's not to say that he wasn't present in media, but truthfully it had very little to do with noble causes or athletic achievements. Jenner may have competed before I was born, but then again so did Ali, Mays, and Jabbar. The difference is those three individuals stayed close to their sport AND found ways to make the world a better place. I never even heard of Bruce Jenner until much later in life. That's my first reason for believing Caitlyn did not deserve this award ... she has had nothing to do with sports in the last 40 years and her contributions to the sporting community have been negligible.

My second, and more pressing reason, for being against this honor comes down to 5 words ... Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Over the last 10 years, Bruce Jenner has been a part of (and in many ways encouraged) the upbringing of one of the most dangerous families in American culture. This show, and the success that the daughters have had from it, highlight some of the most disturbing issues that we're experiencing in our society. In a time where women are doing AMAZING things across the globe (heck, we're a year away from potentially electing our first female President) the Kardashian sisters have become famous for nothing more than their appearances, clothes, and outlandish lifestyle. They have placed vanity above character and Bruce helped to support the mockery that these ladies have become. Ladies who are "role models" for millions of young girls around the country. And that's where the problem comes from ... all of a sudden, Bruce is no longer the most famous person in his family. His slut-tastic daughters have become media icons and the former Olympic champion was just becoming a footnote. So what did he do? He brought the spotlight back to himself. Over the last six months, she has once again become the shining star of the family, shining brighter than her ridiculous children. It's all about Caitlyn.

Please understand, I'm not going to sit here and claim that Bruce didn't believe he was a woman all along and only changed genders to be famous. While I am skeptical of Jenner's intentions, I will not deny that this could very well have been a lifelong battle that finally culminated in her becoming herself. However, don't you find the timing of all this a bit ... curious? Why did Bruce wait until his late 60's, when his family was incredibly famous beyond his wildest imagination, before making this decision or telling ANYONE how he felt? Why couldn't this have been done in his 30's? 40's? 50's? According to the story told during the ESPY's telecast, Caitlyn didn't want to bring any pain to her family and thus decided to wait before changing her life. She isolated herself over the last couple of years while transforming into the person we see today. I'm sorry Bruce, I'm sorry Caitlyn, I'm sorry Jenner ... I just don't buy it. Your entire life has been about fame and fortune, and I don't trust you. From the bottom of my heart, I hope I'm wrong. But since I feel the way I do, I truly wish this award had been given to someone that epitomizes courage in every facet of their life. I can think of several individuals that were recognized in just the first 2 hours of the show who would have been more deserving of this most prestigious honor: Lauren Hill, Stuart Scott, or even the person who presented the award, Abby Wambach.

Here is why it's important that you read this entire post ... it is very important that you know that I am completely in support of any individual who identifies with a gender different than what they were born with. I believe each person is born as a special and unique human being and we are not always dealt the hand we believe we deserve. If you feel you were meant to be someone different than who you are, then by all means, explore that side of you and live life as who you want to be. It doesn't matter to me if you are white, black, straight, gay, male, female, or transgender. What counts to me is who you are as a person, what you bring to the world and those around you, and how you treat other people. You be you and I'll be me.

If there is anything positive that comes out of Caitlyn Jenner receiving this award, it's the hope that there are individuals out there who will truly benefit from the spirit of the message behind the award. Abuse and mistreatment of the transgender community is a legitimate issue and if even one teenager keeps the will to live because they are inspired by Caitlyn, it will have been worth it. While I may question the individual and the motives behind the recipient, there is potentially something much bigger happening here, and that is a beautiful thing. For that reason, and that reason alone, I applaud the choice of Caitlyn Jenner as the Arthur Ashe award winner. I hope she fully understands the responsibility that has been placed on her shoulders with this honor and will use the power to make a positive change in this world, not just another reality show. Now's your chance Caitlyn ... prove me wrong.

- Fishy

Sports in General - The Week in Review

Good Afternoon Sports Fans!

It's been almost 9 months since I lasted posted anything sports related to this blog so I figured it was about time to get back at it. Back in November I discovered I was pregnant and my physician advised me of the complications to pregnancy from blogging, thus leading me to abandon my followers for awhile. OK, just kidding, blogging cannot impact your pregnancy and will have no effect on your future children. I've just been busy/lazy. And oh yeah, I'm not pregnant because I'm a guy.

Now that you've gotten over not hearing from me in three trimesters, let's get to the good stuff ...

Win it for Wambach!?!

Congratulations to the USWNT (Unites States Women's National Team for those of you not "in the know") for winning the FIFA Women's World Cup on Sunday evening! The US women pulled off an incredible, if not shocking, 5-2 victory over defending champion Japan in the final game of the tournament. The highlight of the game was the US' 4 goals before the end of the 16th minute including this beauty by MVP (or whatever soccer people call it) Carli Lloyd: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN596P7xqJw

Throughout the tournament, the rallying cry for the American women was "Win it for Wambach" as though she was a three legged pony with a bad case of malaria that had to be carried onto the field using a lawnmower because the stadium misplaced the parade float. Seriously, I did not get it for most of the tournament. Abby has scored more goals than any American soccer player in international history (yes, that includes the boys) and has a trophy case of accomplishments at home to brag about. Yes, I understand that this is likely her last WWC (Women's World Cup ... follow me people) but she's hardly had a lackluster career. Adding this last trophy would have been nice, not mandatory to give her legend-type status in the realm of Mia (Tar Heel) Hamm. However, during the Championship Game, it finally clicked for me. Wambach, realizing that she is not the spring chicken she used to be, graciously gave up her starting role on the team to allow for younger, more talented players, to bring home the trophy. She didn't whine, she didn't make a scene, she didn't call TMZ to release the video of Alex Morgan peeing in a urinal after a couple too many drinks ... she's did what was best for the team. And for once, an athlete put winning ahead of ego ... and now I get it. The team wanted to win this for Wambach because she's the ultimate teammate and deserved it. Abby could have demanded a starting role and has earned the right to request that position, but instead she played the game with her head and realized that she had more value starting the game on the bench.

In return for this unusual display of humility in sports? Star of the game Carli Lloyd had an amazing moment when Wambach was subbed in and, in front of the world, presented her with the prestigious Captain's Band to finish out the tournament. I cried almost as much as I did when King Triton finally let Ariel have permanent legs. Way to go Abby, and Carli, and the USWNT, and pizza. What? I like pizza.

PS: Of the 23 members of the USWNT, 6 of them played their collegiate years at UNC. No other school has more than 2 representatives. Suck on that Dook. Go America, Go Heels!

Ouchy

Dear athletes of the world ... STOP BEING STUPID. Love, Matthew.

Two big name sports stars this week suffered major off-the-field injuries by doing things that, well, they just knew better than to do.

The first one is still kind of shady ... Jason Pierre-Paul (defensive lineman for my NY Giants) managed to blow up his hand playing with fireworks on the 4th of July. The actual extent of the injury has yet to be released, but it's bad enough that the Giants decided to rescind his $60 million contract offer. Let me repeat that ... he gave up a $60,000,000 (that's a lot of bleeping zeros!) contract to play with fireworks on Independence Day! Doesn't he have like a 3 year old niece or something that could have handled the fireworks? Her hands are a lot less valuable than his.

The second one ... not shady, not as stupid, but still kinda dumb. The #1 golfer in the world (by stats, not by Tigertude) Rory McIlroy ruptured a tendon in his ankle this week playing soccer with some buddies. While I understand that professional athletes enjoy other sports and hobbies (playing with fireworks is NOT a hobby JPP, sorry), this injury came less than 2 weeks away from the British Open at St. Andrews. For those that don't follow golf, The Open Championship ... that's what the funny looking people on the other side of the pond call it ... is one of the most prestigious tournaments of the year and this month it's being played on the original golf course of the world. Like, first one. Ever. None before it.

Couldn't Rory, who btw is the defending champion of the tournament, have kicked around the black and white globe later this year when it's cold out and he's wearing long underwear by his $2 million fire place?

*Editor's Note: Here is a glossary of terms for this last section:

Tigertude - The Tiger Woods awesomeness factor by which all other golfers will be measured against.
JPP - Jason Pierre-Paul (seriously, you couldn't figure that one out on your own?)
The Pond - The Atlantic Ocean
BTW - Stands for "by the way". You're welcome Dad. PS: Happy Birthday.

What a Jerk

Earlier this week, Washington Nationals slugger Bryce Harper decided he didn't feel like participating in the Home Run Derby during next week's All Star Game festivities. Dude's just going to sit this one out. But, that's cool, I mean why would you participate in one of the most popular sporting exhibitions in the country to please millions of fans who drool over strong baseball players hitting small balls a really long way? It's not like they pay your salary or anything and allow you to lead the National League in home runs at the All Star Break. Oh wait ... THEY DO! If you haven't seen the signs already (just watch some of his previous interviews), Bryce Harper is well on his way to winning the "Barry Bonds Most Hated Player in Baseball Lifetime Achievement Award." Way to go Bryce.

On another ASG (All Star Game ... gees, pay attention) note, Alex Rodriguez did NOT make the roster for the American League this year. Despite putting up incredible numbers after missing the last year plus of baseball for doing the juice, the guy is 41 years old (ancient for a baseball player) and one of the best players in the league in recent memory. And what was the reason for his missing the team? It's not that he used to cheat. It's not that people don't like it. It's not that he hasn't washed his jock strap in 12 years for good luck. It's because the American League team manager wanted another infielder instead of a player who can hit. You ever watch the ASG? How many times does the no-name guy at the end of the bench who can't hit but catches nicely actually get on the field? Here's a hint ... I have the same number of appearances as that guy. Do you know that player's name this year? Exactly.

In Other News

Free Agency opened up in the NBA this week and there were a LOT of big names on the move and in the news. In the first 24 hours of free agency, NBA owners spent a combined $1.4 billion on new NBA contracts. The next day, they woke up and realized that still, nobody cares about the NBA.

Until next time ...

- Fishy

College Football - The System is Still Broken

Hello loyal readers! Almost 3 months ago I gave all of you my rundown on the upcoming college football season. I was excited and energized by the crumbling of the BCS and the arrival of a playoff system. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, college football found new life and all would be well in the world!

Now, here we are, only 3 days before the final Saturday of the regular season ... and the damn thing is still broken. How in the world could a group of independent, sometimes insignificant, men and women possibly make this many mistakes? It would be like fumbling the snap on the first play of the Super Bowl to force a safety and go down 2-0. Oh wait ...

So here's the deal, I'm pissed. Why am I pissed you ask? Thanks for asking. I'm pissed because this whole 4 team playoff seems like a no-brainer and yet it's getting mucked up as bad as the BCS. For those of you living under a rock, the Playoff Committee has been releasing their rankings each of the last several weeks to project where teams will stand at the end of the season. As of this week, here are their top 4 (who would make the playoff bracket):

1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Florida State
4. Mississippi State

Now on the surface, I guess you could argue that this isn't horrible. All of these teams have had decent seasons in and big time schedules. However, the committee is clearly omitting one big piece of the puzzle when making their rankings ... WHO WINS THE STINKING GAMES!!! If you didn't know, 3 of the 4 teams above have one loss (the only undefeated being Florida State) yet there's another undefeated team in the country and they are ranked 24th! Yes, that's right, with a 2 in front of it! How can this possibly be? The committee is making a statement that goes as follows:

"If you aren't from a Power 5 Conference, you are not eligible to play for the National Championship."

What makes this statement completely ridiculous/unfair/stupid is that the whole point of this committee and playoff system was to give the little guy a chance in the fight! You can't have David vs. Goliath if every game is Goliath vs. Goliath. So, what would be different if I ran the world? I'm glad you'd like to know ...

#1 - Florida State. They are the defending National Champion from a Power 5 Conference and they are undefeated. Enough said. But I'll keep talking anyway. One of the biggest criticisms against FSU this season is that they haven't looked great and they're only winning close games. The difference between them and the other teams? They ARE winning the close games. No slip ups, no 4th quarters crushing fumbles ... they just win.

#2 - Oregon. Honestly, it's a coin flip between the Ducks and the Tide. You can make an argument here for either team and you really wouldn't be wrong. I'm picking Oregon because their uniforms are pretty. Yeah, I said it, whatcha gonna do about it?

#3 - Alabama. See #2.

#4 - Marshall. Yes, I'm aware half of you don't know who Marshall is except for the movie where they all die in a plane crash. Well guess what ... they still have a football team, Randy Moss went there a bunch of years ago, and they are the only other undefeated team in the country. Just like FSU, they've won all the games they've played and you can't ask them to do any more than that. I'm giving them a slight penalty for not being in a Power 5 Conference (that's why they are at 4 and not 2) BUT at least I'm giving them a shot in the fight.

This weekend there are going to be several big games that will undoubtedly shake up what the final playoff picture looks like. While we don't know yet what will happen, I can tell you what I want to happen and what I think will happen ...

My dream scenario:

Alabama loses to Auburn in the Iron Bowl, thus knocking them to #4 at best. Mississippi State loses to Mississippi in the Egg Bowl (what the hell is an Egg Bowl?) knocking them completely out of the running. Alabama goes on to lose to Missouri in the SEC Championship Game giving them 3 losses and ensuring that there is no SEC team of significance. Final rankings for the playoffs:

1. Not an SEC Team
2. Not an SEC Team
3. Not an SEC Team
4. Not an SEC Team

The SEC is shut out and the world rejoices! Don't care who fills the top 4, as long as it's not the SEC. For what it's worth, Florida State, Oregon, TCU, and Ohio State would make for a very entertaining January.

Here's how I think it will play out:

Alabama wins the Iron Bowl. Auburn isn't very good. I said it to start the season, and I'm sticking with it. Mississippi beats Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. Ole Miss is at home, so I'm taking them. Florida beats Florida State and the luck of the Seminoles finally runs out. In the biggest upset of the weekend, TCU loses at Texas in a stunner. Yes, I know I'm creating craziness here, but stick with it because it's not that far-fetched. Final rankings for the playoffs:

1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Ohio State
4. Baylor

There you have it. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

- Fishy

Pro Football - 2014 Season Preview

Can you feel it? Can you feel that warm fuzzy feeling, the beautiful smell in the air, the twinkling lights, the merriment, the cheer?! No, I'm not talking about Christmas. Well, in a way I am, because tomorrow is kinda like my Christmas. It's the first Sunday of the NFL Season!!! Even though we already watched the Packers get waxed at the hands of the Seahawks on Thursday night, Sunday is the REAL start to the season.

 

So, it's time to put on our pads, lace up our cleats, and get ready for 17+ weeks of action, emotion, mayhem, and the greatest sport known to man that doesn't rhyme with hurling! Here is my official predictions for the 2014-15 NFL Season ...

AFC East - Believe me when I say, this division is bad. And I mean "The Buffalo Bills just signed a retired quarterback to take over for the first round draft pick from last year" kind of bad. If I had to take a guess, and that's what I do, 3 of the 4 teams in this division will have a losing record. In fact, I'll even go so far to say that the division winner will have more wins than all of the other 3 teams in the division COMBINED! Division Winner - New England Patriots

AFC North - The AFC North is like that annoying family member that you know is going to do 1 good thing all year but you have no idea where and when it will take place. This is a group of mediocre teams who are all good enough to stay in football games but weak enough to potentially lose to a team in the AFC East on a freaky Sunday afternoon. While I think there are 3 squads here that could potentially put together a run (sorry Browns) I'm expecting a clear winner at the end of the season. Division Winner - Cincinnati Bengals

AFC West - There's a lot of talent in this group of 4 teams that not-too-long-ago was the laughing stock of the AFC. However, bring in a healthy Peyton Manning and rejuvenated Andy Reid and all of a sudden this is actually the class of the conference. Despite the suspensions, the Broncos are easily the face of the AFC right now and deserve to keep that podium as long as Peyton's neck isn't removed from the rest of his body. What might surprise you is that I have BOTH of the conference Wild Card births coming from this division. Division Winner - Denver Broncos; Wild Cards - Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers

AFC South - One horse race, no pun intended. Ok, I lie, pun COMPLETELY intended. The only way this division becomes competitive is if the Texans bench Ryan Fitzpatrick and give a much deserved chance to the best backup quarterback in the NFL, Ryan Mallett. Division Winner - Indianapolis Colts

AFC Playoffs - Based on the predictions above, I'm going with the following seedings:

1 - Broncos

2 - Patriots
3 - Colts
4 - Bengals
5 - Chargers
6 - Chiefs

How do I see it playing out? In the Wild Card round I think the Colts take out the Chiefs and the Chargers upset the Bengals. In the Divisional round the Broncos will have a hard fought win over their division rival Chargers and the Colts will upset the Patriots in Foxboro. That will setup yet another Peyton-versus-his-former-team game in the AFC Championship with the Broncos heading back to the Super Bowl for the second straight year.

NFC East - As a lifelong fan of the NY Giants, I really want to brag about our division this season. I want to tell you all of the reasons why we're the dominant force in the NFL and we're going to steamroll the competition this year. Unfortunately, my Mom taught me that the worst thing I can do in life is lie. Stupid life lessons. In reality, the NFC East is kind of like the NFC Least in the NFL. The Deadskins are run by a quarterback who will be lucky to stay out of the hospital, the Cowboys have the most under-rated pass tosser in the league but only one legitimate WR to throw it to, and the Giants are the worst team in the history of football to go 5-0 in the pre-season. In fact, I would bet money that the Giants win more pre-season games this year than regular season. On second thought, my G-men will likely win 8 games again ... just enough to miss the playoffs and still get the crappiest draft pick possible. Division Winner - Philadelphia Eagles

NFC North - Now HERE is a division with some talented football players. I'm going to pretend I didn't see the Packers lay an egg on Thursday night (well, maybe partially pretend) and give credit to the Vikings simply for having the best Running Back in the world right now. As much as I absolutely hate his guts, I think Jay Cutler will lead the Bears to their best season in years and Matthew Stafford has more weapons in Detroit than President "W" thought Iraq had about 10 years ago. Watch out for my boy Eric Ebron (Go Heels!) to climb up the depth chart and make a real impact this season alongside Megatron and the Golden One. Division Winner - Chicago Bears; Wild Card - Detroit Lions

NFC West - If I thought the North was talented, that would have to make the West exceptional. Remember a couple of years ago when the winner of the NFC West had a losing record? That seems like generations away right now. Top to bottom, this is easily the best division in all of football and I think 3 of the 4 teams in this group could win any other division this season if they were in them. Ironically, the worst team in the NFL lives in the basement here and could easily find themselves 0-16 come January. This is easily the toughest division to pick and the only thing I'm confident in is that 2 teams from the West will make the playoffs. I'm making this pick with my pre-Thursday night mindset to remain fair for my loyal reading audience. Division Winner - San Francisco 49ers; Wild Card - Arizona Cardinals (Yup, no Seahawks)

NFC South - This division race could potentially be interesting if the Falcons are willing to invest in a fleet of Hummers to replace their offense line and protect Matt Ryan. Between Julio, Roddy, and Harry, Matty Ice has a plethora (you like that SAT word don't you?) of receivers to choose from. He should throw for a lot of yards as long as he stays off his back and doesn't get hurt. He better do that too because his running game will be a joke. Outside of Atlanta, the Bucs would struggle in the SEC and Cam Newton is the most overrated big-shot in the league. Which leaves me one team to win the division by default. Division Winner - New Orleans Saints

NFC Playoffs - This is a tougher puzzle than the AFC, but I see the breakdown as follows:

1 - 49ers

2 - Saints
3 - Bears
4 - Eagles
5 - Lions
6 - Cardinals

So who's going to the Super Bowl? Again, I'm playing this out as if I never saw the Seahawks blow up the Pack earlier in the week. In the Wild Card, I like Jay Cutler to finally crumble (as he does and will be traded because of) to the incredible Cardinals defense (beware the Honey Badger) with the Lions overpowering my coach-crush Chip Kelly and his Eagles. That would leave me a rematch between the Niners and Cardinals with the Saints hosting the Lions. I think San Fran will be just a little too powerful for the Cardinals once their offense comes together and I there's something special about this year's Lions team. However, the run for Detroit will end in the Bay when "Kaep" takes the Niners to the Super Bowl after a high scoring NFC Championship game.

Super Bowl - If this thing actually ends up being Denver versus San Fran like I projected above, it could be one of the greatest games ever played. You would have Peyton Manning, likely in his final season with a HUGE chip on his shoulder, taking on a Niners team that is aggressive and hungry to avenge two straight heart breaking playoff losses. When you get to the big game, I truly believe talent wins out, which means my Super Bowl Champion is the San Francisco 49ers. Barely. By a point. Maybe a half a point.

League MVP - It doesn't matter how bad his team is, Adrian Peterson is going to have the best statistical year of any running back in the history of the NFL. Look for him to break the single season rush record by at least 100 yards and prove that he truly is the top guy in the game. There's a couple of guys who can stay in the conversation early (expect Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Matthew Stafford to get consideration) but ultimately none of them will touch "All Day."

Comeback Player of the Year - Tim Tebow. As if anyone else was even an option.

Let's get this thing started ...

- Fishy

College Football - 2014 Season Preview

Congratulations Sports Fans! After a 5 and a half month hiatus,  I'm back on my blog and sharing my insights. You're welcome.

It's time once again for my annual College Football preview. Yeah, I know I'm cheating just a little bit because technically the season started a few days ago. But let's be realistic ... until opening Saturday it's not REALLY football season. The last few nights have been more like the potato skins appetizer to our upcoming prime rib entree. And for dessert? Well that comes in about 5 months when we FINALLY get a playoff system in Division 1 of College Football (yes, I said Division 1 ... real fans don't use the letter FBS).

So, this is what you've all been waiting for ... my top 10 predictions for the upcoming College Football season. Whether you think these previews are right on, a little off, or totally loopy, there's no doubt they are all ... brilliant.

10. Big 12 Preview: There's a reason I'm starting this list with the Big 12 ... you save the best for last and this conference is NOT the best. Easily the weakest of the power conferences, I see the Big 12 with only one serious threat to compete for a national championship: the Oklahoma Sooners. Even though the Bell-dozer is being moved to tight end in 2014, I still think Oklahoma is the class of the conference and has an outside shot to make the Final Four. Keep an eye on Texas though as I think they will start rebuilding this season under Charlie Strong after a couple of weak final years with Mack Brown. And yes, I know that people are loving them some Baylor and Kansas State but I'm not one of them. Bryce Petty can score 300 points a game if he likes but it doesn't matter as long as they keep giving up 301.

9. Big 10 Preview: There must be something with the word "Big" this year ... I think the College Football definition of "Big" should be changed to "Crappy." Now, I'll admit, if you asked me a month ago how I felt about this conference I would have had a slightly different story. I had Ohio State cruising into the playoffs before Braxton Miller managed to blow up his arm again. Now that he's gone, I think the door is open for several sub-par teams to make a run at the roses and a trip to Pasadena later this year. It will likely still be Ohio State coming out alive, but this is definitely not the big scary conference that Maryland and Rutgers thought they were going in to. When I found out Maryland was leaving the ACC I was convinced they would go 0-12 this season. Now that we're about to kick off the games, I bet they can go at least 3-9! Of course one of those is James Madison this afternoon ...

8. ACC Preview: I really, really, really, really, really, really, really wish I could say my beloved ACC would be an elite group of football squads this season. If I did, I'd be lying. Coming in to Week 1, we (yes I can say we) have only 3 teams in the Top 25 and probably just a couple more who will be competitive in non-conference settings. I mean come on, Wake Forest lost their season opener on Thursday to Louisiana-Monroe! The bright side is that we return the defending National Champion and Heisman favorite. The bad part is they won't even win the conference title thanks to my North Carolina Tar Heels. Ok ... even I don't believe that. BUT, if Larry Fedora gets smart and benches Marqise Williams in favor of any other QB on the team, don't be surprised if this bold prediction becomes a bold reality. Miami is the only team in our division that I see standing in the way but they're starting a true freshman QB which could be a tough hurdle to overcome.

7. While starting his new career as an analyst on the SEC Network, Tim Tebow is going to come across a little known rule while studying for the upcoming season. According to the Official College Football Rule Book, rule UF-15 reads: "Any former Heisman Trophy winning quarterback who is not given at least 5 years to prove himself in the NFL will be entitled to 1 additional year of eligibility at the University of his choice. There will be no waiting period necessary and the player can be activated immediately." Given this information, Tebow will call up his buddy and former coach Urban Meyer at Ohio State. Knowing he has no other talented signal caller on his team, Meyer will  immediately bring Tebow in to Columbus where he will lead the Buckeyes to an undefeated season, National Championship, and 2nd Heisman Trophy. The state of Ohio will instantly forget that Archie Griffin, Lebron James, or sweater vests ever existed.

6. SEC Preview: I'm going to be the first one to say it ... the SEC as a whole is not going to be very good this year. While they will somehow sneak a team who doesn't deserve it into the Final Four, the SEC will NOT win the National Championship this year. About a month ago I thought it was a coin flip between LSU and Bama to come out of the SEC West with 2 losses and a conference title. After watching TAMU beat up on the Gamecocks this week though, there could be a few more ponies in this race than I originally thought. As far as the East ... they are terrible. And no, I don't mean "down year" terrible ... I mean 2 week old meatloaf that's starting to grow that green stuff kind of terrible. Sure, the Bulldawgs are the favorites to take the division but don't be stunned if all of a sudden the Gators aren't as terrible as they've been the last couple of seasons. Oh, and how's this for a prediction: Auburn will finish the season OUTSIDE the Top 25. Boom, mind blown.

5. PAC Whatever Preview: First, an explanation. When the PAC-10 decided to expand a couple of years ago, my brother and I agreed that the number in the conference name no longer mattered. So, that's why they are officially the PAC Whatever. With that said, the conference from out west actually looks really strong this year. Call it my West Coast bias, but I think there's a couple of teams in this group that could embarrass some of the other power conferences if they just took a big crane and moved their schools east of the Mississippi. The head of the class though is the Oregon Ducks led by QB Marcus Mariota. More on them in just a bit. Between the Ducks, UCLA, USC, ASU, U of A, and Stanford, this group could provide a lot of very fun football games to watch in 2014 (and 2015?).

4. The country will quickly forget about the recent antics of a certain USC defensive player (seriously, jumping off a balcony to save a kid in the pool is the story you're gonna go with as a lie?) when they hear the tale of Richie Baskets, a little known freshman out of the University of Southern Utah - Cape King (better known as USUCK). Baskets, a 4'5" 385 pound place kicker has a huge heart but a bit of a mischievous side. Earlier this week while walking his pet weasel, Coach K, Richie walked by what appeared to be an abandoned mansion. While attempting to catch his breath after the long 37 foot walk, Baskets watched in horror as Coach K broke off his leash and daintily skipped into the home formerly owned by JJ Redick. In an act of true heroism, Richie summoned all of his strength to leap over the tennis ball standing between him and the house so that he could pursue his furry little sidekick. While the number of witnesses were minimal, on-lookers state that when Richie made his away into the home he was immediately love struck at the sight of a gorgeous woman. Nobody knows for sure what happened inside the mansion, but we do know that Richie has not been seen since entering the home while Coach K was discovered drinking Avian in a ski lodge outside Salt Lake City. Rumor has it that the beautiful woman was Manti Teo''s ex-girlfriend.

3. Heisman Trophy Preview: I will be stunned if the Heisman Trophy winner this season is NOT a quarterback, and likely one from a championship contending school. Coming in to 2014 many have the defending champion Jameis Winston as the favorite but recent history has suggested that repeating as Heisman winner is a nearly impossible task. Winston can play just as well this year as he did in 2013, and I think he will, but it won't be enough in the voters' minds to give him the award for a second time. My Heisman winner is the guy who I thought was going to win it last year, Marcus Mariota from the University of Oregon. Besides being a dynamite athlete, Mariota is a true field general and knows how to get the most out of the other 10 guys he's playing with. Oregon doesn't have a history of recruiting top players like some other schools (come on, would you want to live in Oregon) yet they always have guys like Mariota who are stars under the radar. I'll take Winston as my runner up with Bryce Petty (Baylor) coming in 3rd.

2. Playoff Preview: This is the first year of the College Football Playoffs so I think there is a lot of mystery in how the "Committee" will make their picks for the 4 most deserving teams to compete for the championship. This could be a year where quite a few different schools have a legitimate claim that they're one of the top 4 in the country. While I think there is a clear #1 and #2 (see more below) the rest of the water gets to be a little murky. With that said, it's my job to tell you what's going to happen so that's exactly what I'll do! I believe the Final Four this year will be the Oregon Ducks, Florida State Seminoles, Oklahoma Sooners, and whatever comes out of the SEC. I refuse to actually pick a team from the SEC though because I don't believe any of those teams will be worthy of this spot. They are going to end up stealing the position from a squad that actually deserves it, likely an undefeated team from outside the power conferences. Which team will get "screwed" only time will tell.

1. National Championship Preview: I'm going to start this off by saying anything can happen in College Football. One injury can completely change the landscape of the entire country and you never know where the surprises will come from. With that said, I'm making my prediction under the assumption that injuries will be relatively equal across all teams and the most talented units will actually prevail. So ... drum roll please ... this year's National Championship in Dallas will feature the Oregon Ducks defeating the Florida State Seminoles by a score of 34-28. I believe both of these schools will have unbelievable years but the Ducks get the edge in Jerry's House because they will be better battle tested heading in to January. There's very little resistance for FSU on their march to perfection and that's going to bite them when they play a team who had to navigate through some of the best talent in the country. Oregon may not go undefeated, but these PAC Whatever Champions will be your first ever winner of the College Football Playoffs.

Oh, as a little bonus ... remember how the Dookies had that amazing story-book season last year? Well enough of that crap ... 2014 will see the Blue Devils return to the ACC basement where they belong as the Victory Bell makes its way back to its true home in Chapel Hill. Have a great season and most importantly, Go Heels!

- Fishy