SportsTalk24/7: 2010

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Friday, September 24, 2010

Formula 1
Week 15 - Singapore Grand Prix

The only open wheel night race in the world will be occurring this weekend in Singapore. With thousands of flood lights lighting up the 5km circuit; it's compared to the streets of Monaco. I expect Red Bull to dominate this race.
I'm so happy I got the new F1 2010 game =)

Here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-gbQSNZgxA

Nascar Week 2 of the Chase

Track: Dover Raceway - 1 mile long
Hopefully all the drama from New Hampshire will carry over to this race and to the rest of the chase. Atlanta and Richmond were one of the boring races this year. I'm going to expect Roush Racing and Jimmie Johnson to dominate the race. Hopefully Clint Bowyer can bounce back from his failed inspection and 150 point deduction.

Here are my fantasy picks.
Group A: Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch
Group B: Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, Jeff Burton
Group C: AJ Allmendinger, Paul Menard

Friday, September 17, 2010

Week 2 NFL Predictions


Week 2 Results Alvin: 9-7 Frank: 8-8 Brett: 10-6 My Picks	Frank Lin's Picks	Brett Li's Picks
Sunday
Pittsburgh at Tennessee 19 - 11	Titans	Titans
Baltimore at Cincinnati 10 - 15	Ravens	Ravens
Philadelphia at Detroit 35 - 32	Eagles	Eagles
Arizona at Atlanta 7 - 41	Cardinals	Falcons
Miami at Minnesota 14 - 10	Vikings	Vikings
Kansas City at Cleveland 16 - 14	Browns	Chiefs
Tampa Bay at Carolina 20 - 7	Panthers	Panthers
Buffalo at Green Bay 7 - 34	Packers	Packers
Chicago at Dallas 27 - 20	Cowboys	Cowboys
Seattle at Denver 14 - 31	Broncos	Seahawks
Jacksonville at San Diego 13 - 38	Chargers	Chargers
New England at NY Jets 14 - 28	Patriots	Jets
Houston at Washington 30 - 27	Texans	Texans
NY Giants at Indianapolis 14 - 38	Colts	Colts
St. Louis at Oakland 14 - 16	Raiders	Raiders

Monday
New Orleans at San Francisco 25 - 22	Saints	Saints

Thursday, September 16, 2010

CAL FOOTBALL PREDICTIONS

Sorry for the late post, should have done this a lot earlier. Cal has a lot of talent but very unproven. Keenan Allen looks like the next DeSean Jackson. Shane Vereen looks Arrington, Best and Lynch. Defense looks great with Defense Coach Pendergrast. When Kevin Riley falls, CAL will fall. Bryan Anger will be the next Shane Lechler. CAL is off to a promising start but we haven't hit the pac-10 schedule.

Last Year: predicted: 8-4. actual: 7-5

Opponent	Preseason	Game Time	Predicted	Actual
	Prediction	Prediction	Score	Score
UC Davis	W	W	42 – 10	52 – 3
Colorado	W	W	31 – 21	52 – 7
at Nevada	W	W	36 – 30	21 – 52
at Arizona	L	L	13 – 20	9 – 10
UCLA	W	W	28 - 17	35 - 7
at USC	L	L	27 - 33	14 - 48
Arizona State	W	W	27 - 21
at Oregon State	L
at Wash. State	W
Oregon	L
Stanford	L
Washington	W

Record:	7-5 (4-5)

Monday, September 13, 2010

NASCAR PLAYOFFS (CHASE FOR THE CUP)

This season's chase will be most open since the playoff chase started in 2003.
The drivers represented in this year's chase:
#11 Denny Hamlin
#48 Jimmie Johnson
#29 Kevin Harvick
#18 Kyle Busch
#2 Kurt Busch
#34 Tony Stewart
#16 Greg Bifle
#24 Jeff Gordon
#99 Carl Edwards
#31 Jeff Burton
#17 Mat Kenseth
and #33 Clint Bowyer

won 21 of 26 "regular season" cup races as oppose to 17 of 26 in 2009 season and 22 of 26 in 2008 season.

Busch, Hamlin and Johnson are a threat to win every race in the chase because of their aggressive driving styles. Tony Stewart is the hottest driver leading into the chase, scoring the most points in last 10 and 15 races. Carl Edwards is also hot with back to back top 10 finishes in a newly rejuvenated Rousch Camp.
My favorite driver Jeff Gordon doesn't look like he has what it takes to win a race. If he keeps on averaging a top 10, survive Talladega and Martinsville in which he both excels at, and others falter, he may have a legit shot of winning the championship without winning a race.

It's nice to see all 3 RCR cars in the chase. Last year at this point of schedule, they were 15th (Bowyer), 18 (Burton) and 22nd (Harvick). Every car in the chase as a fellow teammate alongside except Kurt Busch. Once again he'll be the long ranger and probably not receiving any help from Mr. I'll-wreck-anybody Brad Keselowski.

As for the chase of the rest, I feel only 9 cars are in that chase for $1 million bonus.
#39 Ryan Newman
#1 Jamie McMurray -31 pts
#5 Mark Martin - 57
#42 Juan Montoya - 62
#9 Kasey Kahne - 116
#88 Dale Earnhardt Jr - 140
#56 Martin Truex Jr - 164
#20 Joey Logano - 172
#43 A.J. Allmendinger - 178
I will pick Juan Montoya to win this because his car has been a top 10 car every week, just too much bad luck whether its crashes or pit strategy.

I'll be looking forward to hard racing, lots of wrecks and cautions and not boring green flag snoozer races similar to Richmond and Atlanta. Talladega will be INSANE and may determine final standings of chase. As for the championship, I love Gordon but like I said earlier, he can't race as well as the young guns. No one can go against 4-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson. Maybe in 3 years, people can give him as much respect as Michael Schumacher (7-time winner).

P.S. Looking forward to Danica back into the Nationwide car.

September Baseball

Can we say go Giants? Lincecum and the pitching staff minus Zito got their mojo back. Bats are somewhat alive. Padres are slumping, Rockies are soaring but Giants are holding ground.

AL is pretty much playing for the seeding in playoffs
With max 20 games remaining, Tampa Bay Rays have a 7.5 game lead over Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox. Texas, Minnesota and New York Yankees are leading their divisions.

NL is a toss up. West is a virtual tie with Colorado lurking 1.5 games behind. St. Louis 6 games behind Cincinnati and Atlanta only 1 behind Philadelphia.

Here's the wild-card standings. Courtesy of yahoo.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/standings?year=season_2010&type=wild+card

If Giants can make the playoffs, they have the pitching to reach the World Series. =P

Friday, September 10, 2010

Week 1 Predictions and Results

Thursday
Minnesota at New Orleans   9 - 14

Sunday
Denver at Jacksonville   17 - 24
Oakland at Tennessee   13 - 38
Detroit at Chicago   14 - 19
Cincinnati at New England   24 - 38
Cleveland at Tampa Bay   14 - 17
Atlanta at Pittsburgh   9 - 15
Miami at Buffalo   15 - 10
Carolina at New York Giants   18 - 31
Indianapolis at Houston   24 - 34
Green Bay at Philadelphia   27 - 20
Arizona at St. Louis   17 - 13
San Francisco at Seattle   6 - 31
Dallas at Washington 7 - 13

Monday
Baltimore at New York Jets 10 - 9
San Diego at Kansas City 14 - 21

Predict winners in BOLD
BLUE = correct
RED = incorrect
Overall Record: 10 - 6

Top Fantasy Performers (Max Fantasy Scoring)
QB - Peyton Manning, IND, 433 yds passing 3 TD's, 29+ pts
RB - Arian Foster, Hou, 231 yds rushing 3 TD's, 7 yds receiving - 41.8 pts
RB - Matt Forte, CHI 50 yds rushing, 151 yds receiving, 2 TD's, 1 fumble - 30.1 pts
WR - Hakeem Nicks, NYG, 75 yds receiving 3 TD's - 25.5 pts
WR - Chad Ochocinco, CIN, 159 yds receiving 1 TD - 21.9 pts
WR - Miles Austin, DAL, 146 yds receiving 1 TD - 20.6 pts
TE - Mercedes Lewis, JAC, 31 yds receiving 2 TD's - 15.1 pts
K - John Kasay, CAR, 1 PAT, 3 FGs - 13 pts
DEF - Seattle Seahawks, 6 pts against, 2 sacks, 2 int's, 1 TD - 19 pts

Total: 206 pts

AFC Predictions

West Winner: San Diego Chargers

Kansas City Chiefs only have Jamaal Charles. No Defense. No Passing Threat. No Problem for AFC West and NFC West teams. If Eddie Royal can reciprocate his numbers from 2008, Broncos may have a chance at wildcard but who is the true #1 QB? Kyle Orton or Tim Tebow? Oakland Raiders have lots of talent with McFadden and Heyward-Bey but can Jason Campbell handle the West Coast style offense and management of Al Davis. Chargers will have an easy time winning the division. Philip Rivers will continue throwing to Antonio Gates. Malcolm Floyd will be any defense’s nightmare. Don’t know much about Ryan Matthews but if he’s ranked #7 in fantasy, I suppose he’s great.

South Winner: Indianapolis Colts

Does anybody go to Jacksonville Jaguars game? I can’t name anybody except Maurice Jones-Drew on that team. Tennessee Titans’ Chris Johnson will run crazy. Their defense will be strong but can stop the AFC powerhouse’s. They are a wildcard threat. Houston Texans, another wildcard threat, will maintain their air show with the emergence of TE Owen Daniels and WR Jacoby Jones. Steve Slaton won’t be fumbling the ball anymore with Arian Foster carrying the load. Matt Schaub also has the best WR in the league: Andre Johnson. Downfall: They have the toughest schedule in the NFL. Colts will win with Peyton Manning and wizardly QB magic. Enough said.

North Winner: Baltimore Ravens

If Pittsburgh Steelers don’t start out 1-3 in the 4 games with Roethlisberger out, they may be a wild card threat. Browns will be in the cellar of the AFC. How will the T.O./Ocho Cinco show go in Cincinnati? They made the playoffs last year so they are legit contenders for the wildcard again this year. If Carson Palmer can manage to distribute the ball evenly to both hot-headed greedy WR’s, they will excel. Ravens had a wonderful offseason. With the acquisition of Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmanzadah, Ravens finally have a passing game that compliments Ray Rice and tough Ravens defense. Baltimore is a threat to win the Enchilada (Super Bowl).

East Winner: New England Patriots

This is a tough league. All the teams can be .500 or above and still not make the playoffs. Buffalo Bills have a talented C.J. Spiller in the backfield but will Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch overtake him quickly? With no more T.O. drama, Buffalo will have to rely on the running game and defense to try to reach the playoffs. Miami Dolphins somehow beats New England, that’s why I’m keeping them in the running for playoffs. If they can repeat those performances against New York Jets and other AFC powerhouses, they will succeed. Brandon Marshall will help Chad Henne and compliment Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown in their offense. New York Jets will be a playoff team if Sanchez has a decent season. Why? Defense wins championships. Patriots will win the East because they have a healthy Tom Brady and Wes Welker. Hopefully Randy Moss doesn’t throw a hissy-fit. Patriots had a defensive overhaul this post season, that’s the only question for this team.

Wildcard teams: New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

2010 NFC Playoff Predictions

Considering the 2010 NFL season will be starting tomorrow at 5:30pm with the high octane-powered New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings, I figure I should throw in my NFC playoffs picks before Favre throws his last pass for an interception.

NFC Picks
West Conference Winner - San Francisco 49ers

NFC West may be the weakest division in the NFL however they have the pleasure of playing the AFC West this year. St. Louis Rams will be the same as last year. No defense. No clue how Bradford will operate in his first season. With the return of healthy Matt Hasselback, addition of coach Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks may be a sleeper. Arizona Cardinals stock took a nose dive with the departures of Boldin and Warner. 49ers will have Michael Crabtree for the entire season. Wholesale changes to the Offensive Line may finally allow Alex Smith to throw and Gore to run free. Can Alex Smith continue his connection with Vernon Davis? By far 49ers have one of the best defenses in the NFL led by LB Patrick Willis. Huge upgrade in special teams with addition of Ted Ginn. Maybe 49ers best returner since Deion Sanders in the 90's.

South Conference Winner - New Orleans Saints

Easy pick. Saints have the #1 offense in the NFL. Doesn't matter if Saints give up more than 20 points as long as they score 40 or more. Can Brees break Marino's record of 5000+ yards passing? Panthers have a talented back field with Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams but will they keep on running the ball with a rookie QB when they are down during a game? Falcons may be a wildcard threat with their strong defense; still need 2-3 defenders to cover the dangerous Roddy White. Buccaneers and their stadium just suck.

North Conference Winner - Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers, beginning his 3rd season as starter, will be more confident than ever. Question is will the offense turn into an air show and will their defense hold up against the A-Peterson and the Vikings. I don't see Bears doing much. Jay Cutler loves to throw but TD:INT ratio is 50:50. Lions will be led by rookie or relatively young RB Javid Best., QB Matthew Stafford and healthy WR Calvin Johnson. They are talented but the rest of team isn't. Minnesota Viking's Adrian Peterson will run wild; Favre will continue to play until he's John McCain's age but will it be the same with Sidney Rice gone till at least Week 8 and Percy Harvin's health scare during pre-season training?

East Conference Winner - Dallas Cowboys

Definitely the hardest division in the NFC; can they compete with the AFC East . Barring a December collapse, Cowboys should win the East with talented rookie Dez Bryant. Will Dallas also become an air show with Witten, Austin, Roy Williams and Bryant? Will Marion Barber and Felix Jones splitting carries affect chemistry of the team? A lot of fire power for Cowboys. If it was 2006, Redskins would be the team beat with QB Donovan McNabb, RB's Clinton Portis and Larry Johnson, and WR's Joey Galloway and Santana Moss. Too bad its 2010. With that talent, they may be a sleeper. New York Giants will be playing at the New Meadowlands. Will they have the same home field advantage as previous years? Eli Manning's hit to the chin left him a mess; will he hesitate when he sees another defender's helmet at his face mask? Can Kevin Kolb lead the post-Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook Philadelphia to the playoffs? A lot of mixed reviews by experts. DeSean Jackson will continue to excel at the WR position and will make some spectacular plays.

Wildcard Teams: Minnesota Vikings, Washington Redskins

Prediction for tomorrow
Saints: 30 Vikings: 24

Tomorrow: AFC Predictions

SportsTalk24/7