One Last Rivalry Weekend

In case you missed it from the week that was…

The 2016 Oscar nominations were announced, and due to the all-white list of actors and actresses in the four major acting categories, the debate of race and talks of a boycott has begun. Yes it’s a bad look, but who is at fault? Do you point fingers at the Academy (whose president is an African American woman, by the way) or the studios that don’t know how to handle their potential Oscar films? If Concussion was more widely accepted by critics and movie goers, then you could make an argument for Will Smith for best actor. The same could be said for Idris Elba and the Netflix film Beasts of No Nation, whose limited theatrical release could have hurt its viewership and chances for nominations. However if Sylvester Stallone is nominated for his reprise of Rocky Balboa, why wasn’t Michael B. Jordan for his role as Adonis Creed? The film Creed itself, as well as the successful and acclaimed Straight Outta Compton, could have been better represented. The debate can go on and on, but in the end people will still tune in to watch famous pampered people dole out accolades to other famous pampered people.

The world of classic rock lost another member with the passing of Glenn Frey, one of the founding members the Eagles. Like them or not, you have to admit the Eagles did nothing but churn out hits, evidenced by Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) being tied with Michael Jackson’s Thriller as the top selling records of all time with 29 million copies. Even The Dude has to respect those numbers.

With 1.9 million votes, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant led all NBA players in the All-Star voting to make his 18^th All-Star game despite averaging 16.0 points a game while shooting a miserable .343 from the field. I can understand the acknowledgement from the fans, but not when it takes a starting spot away from Draymond Green, who leads the league with eight triple doubles and is the heart and soul of a Golden State Warriors team that is currently 40-4. All Kobe has done is handcuffed an already pathetic Lakers team. The fans have spoken, but something is not right here.

In other NBA news, the Cleveland Cavaliers fired head coach David Blatt. My question is what took so long? It will be interesting to see if new head coach LeBron, I mean Tyronn Lue, can steer this team to a championship.

The first blizzard of the season is bearing down on the East Coast, looking to pummel some areas of the mid-Atlantic with up to two feet of show. Fortunately it’s not going to have a significant impact on the games on Sunday. Like Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, everything has aligned for championship weekend. On one side there are the two best teams in the NFC, while in the AFC we will see one last matchup of the greatest quarterback rivalry of all time. As I said last week, you couldn’t have written a better script.

HOME TEAM IN CAPS

New England Patriots (-3) over DENVER BRONCOS

Let’s be realistic about what we’re about to witness in this game. First we will not see a repeat of Week 12, where the Brock Osweiler led Broncos beat the injury plagued Patriots in overtime. The Pats have most of their pieces back, and Denver quarterback Peyton Manning will be starting under center. This will be the 17^th meeting between Pats quarterback Tom Brady and Manning, and the fifth time they’ve squared off in the playoffs. Brady holds the overall edge in the rivalry 11-5, but they’ve split their four postseason games. More importantly, this could potentially be the final game of Peyton Manning’s career. It’s obvious that Manning’s play has declined over the past year. Sure he can still read a defense and audible at the line as good as anyone, but his lame duck passes have lost most of their zip. The question for Denver head coach Gary Kubiak is winning this game more important than Manning's legacy and appeasing the quarterback's long list of supporters? Last week Denver looked less than impressive against the banged up Pittsburgh Steelers, especially Manning and the offense. Denver will once again look towards the strength of their defense to keep the game close. With receiver Julien Edelman back in the lineup the Pats scored 27 points on a good Chiefs defense, so they should be able put up points in this game. Will Manning be able to do the same? New England’s defense is a notch above Pittsburgh, and head coach Bill Belichick should be able to devise a game plan that will limit Manning’s production. If the Pats pull out to an early lead and Manning struggles, it could lead to a tough decision for Kubiak. Brady has a 2-6 record at Mile High, but he will overcome history and move on to his record seventh Super Bowl appearance.

CAROLINA PANTHERS (-3) over Arizona Cardinals

Until last week I was convinced Arizona was the best all-around team in the NFL. They have playmakers on offense and bolster a tough defense. What I witnessed against Green Bay has me thinking otherwise. Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer definitely struggled in his first post-season win, throwing two interceptions in the game. But what baffled me the most was on this Aaron Rodgers Hail Mary touchdown pass that tied the game and sent it to overtime. 

Why does Arizona have seven guys on the line to blitz Rodgers? Seeing as Rodgers completed a similar Hail Mary the play before, why wouldn't most of the defense drop back to try and knock down the pass? What am I missing? Bruce Arians has built a solid resume since taking over the Cardinals head coaching job in 2013, but this is the kind of mistake you can’t make against Carolina. As for the Panthers they came out like gangbusters in the first half against Seattle, scoring 31 unanswered points and looking dominant in all aspects of the game. The concerning part is they didn’t score at all in the second half, eventually holding off Seattle’s comeback. Which Panthers team will decide to show up on Sunday? If it’s the latter, then Carolina will be in trouble. The truth is both of these teams are built in similar fashion and are evenly matched. They can score, have solid quarterback play, are well coached, and their defenses can cause turnovers. Arizona plays well on the road (7-1 during the regular season), and the Panthers are undefeated at home. In the end I have to give the edge to Carolina and quarterback Cam Newton. He has raised his game to a new level and has been making big plays all year, and the league MVP will do it one more time to earn a trip to Santa Clara.

As for Super Bowl 50, I’m picking the New England Patriots to put an exclamation point on their FU season and win their second straight NFL championship. Commissioner Roger Goodell will receive a karma smack in the face when he has to present the Lombardi Trophy to Pats owner Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. It will be a cringe worthy moment, but bittersweet for Patriots fans.          

Breaking Down Football's Best Weekend

A couple of random thoughts before diving into this weekend’s divisional round matchups…

So deaths really do come in threes. First we heard the unfortunate news of Scott Weiland finally succumbing to the addiction demons that plagued him for so many years. Regardless of the band he was playing in, you would not find a more dynamic front man that emerged over the last twenty years. Next it was Lemmy, who was the embodiment of heavy metal and was still making loud records and touring pushing the age of 70. Lastly we lost David Bowie, one of the most influential and transcendent artists of all time. Although their genres and styles were different, they will each be remembered for their individuality and lasting impression on the music world.

While we’re mourning…

RIP Alan Rickman. From Hans Gruber to the Sheriff of Nottingham to Severus Snape, there was not a better antagonist in all of cinema. He was an underappreciated actor that will surely be missed.

Moving on…

Have the fans of the Cincinnati Bengals inherited the most tortured fan base in the NFL trophy? Normally you might think of the poor saps that route for teams like Cleveland and Buffalo, but the manner of how the ‘Bungles’ lost against the Steelers last weekend is inexcusable. It's obvious head coach Marvin Lewis doesn’t have control over his players, and now with an 0-7 playoff record, it’s shocking that he hasn’t been fired yet. Cincinnati’s genius linebacker Vontaze Burfict has been suspended three games for his head hunting stunt against Steelers receiver Antonio Brown, but I’m sure once Burfict appeals his case to commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL his suspension will be reduced. It’s not like he was facing allegations of taking HGH (more on that later) or even worse, had “general awareness” of air being deflated from footballs.

Speaking of Deflategate…

There was a report from ESPN before last week’s Seattle and Minnesota game, where the temperature at kickoff was -6 degrees, that the NFL was concerned about the air pressure in the game balls dropping below the minimum 12.5 PSI due to the severe cold. It sounds to me like the league is acknowledging that the weather conditions and basic science could affect the air pressure in footballs. Of course something like that could never happen in balmy New England during this time of year.

The same Seattle and Minnesota game drew a 22.5 rating and 44 share, which turned out to be the highest rated early Sunday wild-card game since 1995. It averaged 35.5 million viewers and the late afternoon Green Bay and Washington game averaged 38.8 million viewers. Even if you were disgusted by the actions of Vontaze Burfict and are fed up with the league, there’s no denying that the NFL owned the weekend. And they’re going to own this weekend too. In case you haven’t heard, four of the eight starting quarterbacks in the divisional round were number one overall picks (Alex Smith, Carson Palmer, Cam Newton, Peyton Manning) while five of them (Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Russel Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger, Manning) won eight of the last twelve Super Bowls. You couldn't have written a better script.       

HOME TEAM IN CAPS

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (-5) over Kansas City Chiefs

Patriot fans have legitimate reasons to be worried. Their offensive line has been in shambles for most of the season, and the Kansas City pass rush is one of the best in league (fourth during the regular season with 48 sacks). The Chiefs are the hottest team in football, finishing the season on a ten game winning streak before embarrassing the Houston Texans 30-0 last Saturday. The Pats on the other hand lost 4 of their last 6, including some questionable coaching decisions in losses against the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets. All signs right now point towards the Chiefs, and if the Patriots didn’t flake out in Week 17 in Miami and ended up with the first seed, I’d be picking Kansas City to beat Denver. But this is January in Foxboro, where Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is 14-3 at home with an overall 21-8 playoff record. Brady’s go to receiver Julian Edelman is scheduled to play after missing the last seven games with a broken foot. Before Edelman’s injury, the Pats offense was averaging just under 34 points a game. Kansas City’s offense is not known for its passing attack, so if New England jumps out to an early lead, the Chiefs could have a difficult time playing catch up, especially if receiver Jeremy Maclin is limited. Plus I have a tad bit more confidence in Pats head coach Bill Belichick than Chifs head coach Andy Reid. The Pats will advance to their fifth straight AFC Championship.

ARIZONA CARDINALS (-7) over Green Bay Packers

I made the mistake last week of picking against Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers against a Redskins team that reaped the benefits of playing in the poor NFC East. I bought into Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins even though in his career as a starter he’s 0-7 against teams with a winning record. This is where I would normally say that I’m not going to make that mistake again, but the Arizona Cardinals are a whole different animal than Washington. The Cardinals beat this same Green Bay team three weeks ago handily 38-8 and not much has changed since then. Arizona boasts one of the top offenses in the league, and they’re pretty stingy on defense as well. The Packers aren’t going to be able to move the ball at will like they did in the second half last week. Unlike last year Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer is healthy going into this postseason, and this team has all of the tools to make a run towards the Super Bowl. Look for a repeat performance of Week 16 from Arizona.

Seattle Seahawks (+2) over CAROLINA PANTHERS

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is the league’s MVP. There’s no denying that. He lost his best receiver Kelvin Benjamin to injury in the preseason and still led the highest scoring offense in the league. Their defense is pretty stout too, leading the league during the regular season with 39 takeaways and ranking sixth in total defense. Back in Week 6, Carolina scored 13 fourth quarter points on the road to beat the Seahawks 27-23, showing they were to be taken seriously as contenders. That was ages ago. Seattle played a tough game in Minnesota last week, barely surviving thanks to Blair Walsh’s botched chip shot. That’s just how things have been working out for this team recently, and good teams take advantage of second chances. The Seahawks came out of the gate looking vulnerable, starting with a 2-4 record, but like always turned things around midway through the season and are peaking at the perfect time. Over the course of the past month quarterback Russel Wilson surpassed Newton as the best player in the league, and Seattle's defense is healthy and is playing its best football. Newton won his first playoff game last year in his fourth season, beating third-string quarterback Ryan Lindley and the Arizona Cardinals at home before traveling to Seattle and losing to this same Seahawks team. Currently in his fourth season Wilson’s playoff record is now 7-2 after last week. Fatigue may play a factor for Seattle, but they are experienced and know how to win in the postseason. The Seahawks keep their hot streak alive.

Pittsburgh Steelers (+7.5) over DENVER BRONCOS

It's pretty obvious that no one really cares about the report that Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning had HGH delivered to his home. If he used it to speed up his recovery from neck surgery to make it back onto the playing field, so be it. There’s no solid evidence to prove these allegations, so the guy can’t be convicted just yet. Although how it hasn’t morphed into a larger story is perplexing. If this report was about the supermodel wife of a certain quarterback in New England having HGH delivered to her, that quarterback would be raked over the coals and crucified. ESPN, the same network that not only employs Ray Lewis and Chris “Fall Guy” Carter but recently showcased an interview with Adrian Peterson that perceived him as a caring father, would have a field day. The good news for Manning is that he’s expected to start for Denver on Sunday. Is that necessarily good for the Broncos? Manning is notorious for his one and done performances in the playoffs (nine times, including last year at home against Indianapolis) and his subpar overall playoff record (11-13). Plus before Manning was sidelined with an injury in Week 10, he had thrown 17 interceptions compared to nine touchdowns. Luckily Denver has the number one defense in the league. Pittsburgh will be without receiver Antonio Brown and running back DeAngelo Williams, so a beat-up Ben Roethlisberger is going to have a difficult time orchestrating any offense. However I don’t expect Manning to light up the scoreboard either. Pittsburgh will hang, but Denver will win in the end, setting up potentially the final Brady vs. Manning matchup ever in the AFC Championship.

A Wide Open Wild-Card Weekend

Now that the 2015 NFL season is in the books, let me pose this question: has there been a more wonky season in recent memory? Due to injury, fourteen teams required the services of a backup quarterback for a minimal to significant amount of time. Fans were lucky enough to see the skills of Matt Cassel, Kellen Moore, Brandon Weeden, Mark Sanchez, Blaine Gabbert, Case Keenum, Jimmy Clausen, EJ Manuel, Brock Osweiler, Matt Schaub, AJ McCarron, Johnny Manziel, Austin Davis, Landry Jones, Michael Vick, T.J. Yates, Matt Hasselbeck, Charlie Whitehurst, Josh Freeman, Ryan Lindley and Zach Mettenberger (Yikes!). Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson won the rushing title with 1485 yards, the lowest total to win the award since LaDainian Tomlinson's 1474 yards in 2007. As always, some teams surprised, but most disappointed (Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens, the NFC East).

The ripple effect of the injury bug was felt everywhere. Did you win your fantasy league with Blake Bortles as your quarterback? It wouldn't be a total shock. As an example, in one league I began the season with Marshawn Lynch and Carlos Hyde as my starting running backs, and ended up riding a volatile and unpredictable T.J. Yeldon/Spencer Ware/Alfred Morris/Matt Jones/Danny Woodhead/Cameron Artis-Payne cocktail mix during the playoffs. In another league I drafted the same Carlos Hyde along with Le'Veon Bell and Matt Forte as running backs. You can only imagine how well I did in that league. The bottom line is if you wasted a top pick on Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray or Andrew Luck, I can sympathize with your pain.

The playoffs however are a model of consistency, with eight of the twelve qualifying teams making a repeat appearance from last year, but not without some new brewing questions going into the postseason. Can the Patriots stick it to the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell and win back to back Super Bowls? Will there be a quarterback controversy in Denver? Can Marvin Lewis and Cincinnati finally win a playoff game? With three home teams going in as underdogs this weekend, almost anything can happen. All will be revealed over the course of the next month as we make our way towards the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, but for now it’s time to break down a wide open Wild-Card weekend.

HOME TEAM IN CAPS

Kansas City Chiefs (-3) over HOUSTON TEXANS

Are there two playoff teams that have a more similar story? The Texans started out 2-5, including a 27-20 loss to Kansas City in Week 1, and looked like the worst team in the atrocity that is the AFC South. Their defense finally came to life to lift them to the division title. The Chiefs began the season 1-5 before rattling off ten straight wins to come within a Peyton Manning overblown resurrection of winning the AFC West. KC's defense has also stepped up, holding opponents to an average of just under 13 points a game during their winning streak. Both teams can get after the quarterback, ranking fourth (KC) and fifth (Houston) in sacks, so this game has the potential to be a defensive oriented battle of field position. However if my playoff life depended on it, I'm taking Alex Smith over Brian Hoyer at quarterback any day of the week. Remember that Smith did win a playoff game for the 49ers in 2011. Plus I don't trust a Houston team that has seven out of their nine wins against Tampa Bay (6-10), Jacksonville twice (5-11), Tennessee twice (3-13), New Orleans (7-9), and Indianapolis (8-8). Smith could spend much of the game running for his life, being sacked 45 times during the regular season (tied for third). He did manage to rush for 498 yards, so he has the capability to keep plays alive. As long as KC can secure the ball and head coach Andy Reid doesn't have a complete Andy Reid meltdown, the Chiefs will move on.

Pittsburgh Steelers (-3) over CINCINNATI BENGALS

Division rivalries are always intriguing in the postseason. These teams split their regular season meetings, with each team winning on the road. Pittsburgh's 33-20 win in Week 13 was the last time we saw Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton on the field, who was knocked out of the game with a broken thumb on his throwing hand. Dalton has been ruled out for this game, so look for AJ McCarron to make his first playoff start. Cincinnati is better on the defensive side of the ball, and they have some effective offensive weapons in receiver A.J. Green and tight end Tyler Eifert. Then again, so does Pittsburgh. Their passing game is one of the tops in the league with receivers Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant, and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger knows how to win a playoff game (10-5 postseason record). The same can’t be said for Dalton and head coach Marvin Lewis, who are 0-4 together in the postseason (Lewis is 0-6 overall). The Bengals recent history and inexperience at quarterback doesn't bode well for Cincy. Look for Pittsburgh to win a date against Denver.

Seattle Seahawks (-5) over MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Never mind that the temperature during the game is forecasted to hover around zero degrees with a wind chill of -15. These teams bolster two of the top defenses in the league, but you would not have guessed that by their meeting in Week 13, where Seattle cruised to a 38-7 victory. It was the most points Minnesota had given up in a single game all season, thanks in large part to Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson’s three touchdowns (plus one rushing touchdown.). Since their loss to Arizona in Week 10, Wilson has thrown 24 touchdowns and only one interception, and the Seahawks are 6-1 over that span. It’s been defense and the running game that has kept Minnesota in ballgames, but their passing attack is one of the worst in the league. Teddy Bridgewater has been a serviceable quarterback in his second full NFL season, but he’s going to be overmatched in his first playoff game against an experienced Seattle team. If the Seahawks stack the box to contain Adrian Peterson and make Bridgewater try to beat them, prepare for a repeat performance of Week 13 from Seattle.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS (-1) over Green Bay Packers

Has there been a more inconsistent team this season than the Green Bay Packers? There are weeks they look great, then they completely fool you and muster only 13 points and lose at home against the Bears. This is definitely not the Green Bay team that started the season 6-0, finishing 4-6 down the stretch. Picking against Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers makes me think I should have my head examined, but he’s had one of the worst seasons of his career. He barely reached 3,800 yards passing and his quarterback rating for the season was 92.7, both the lowest figures since he became Green Bay’s full time starter in 2008. Running back Eddie Lacy looks like he actually put on weight during the course of the season, and the receiving core has underperformed. The Redskins however seem to be moving in the opposite direction. They were the beneficiaries of a putrid NFC East, going 7-3 down the stretch and finishing the season strong with a four game winning streak. Kirk Cousins has developed into an efficient quarterback that doesn’t make many mistakes, finishing fifth in the league with a quarterback rating of 101.6. A big reason is the emergence of tight end Jordan Reed, who finished the season with 87 receptions and 11 touchdowns. Plus all of the road teams can't win this weekend. Can they? The only home favorite wins its first playoff game since 2005.

So when football is all said and done and if you’re into rich and famous people bowing down and groveling over other rich and famous people, make sure to check out the Golden Globe awards Sunday night. As an extra bonus, we’ll end with some quick Hollywood predictions.

Movies:

Best Motion Picture, Drama – Spotlight

Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical – The Martian

Best Actress, Drama – Cate Blanchett, Carol

Best Actor, Drama – Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant

Best Actress, Comedy or Musical – Jennifer Lawrence, Joy

Best Actor, Comedy or Musical – Matt Damon, The Martian

Best Supporting Actress – Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

Best Supporting Actor – Sylvester Stallone, Creed

Best Director – Alejandro Iñárritu, The Revenant

Television:

Best Series, Drama – Game of Thrones

Best Series, Comedy or Musical – Veep

Best Actress, Drama – Viola Davis, How to Get Away With Murder

Best Actor, Drama – Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Best Actress, Comedy or Musical – Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep

Best Actor, Comedy or Musical – Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent

Best Supporting Actress – Uzo Aduba, Orange is the New Black

Best Supporting Actor – Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline 

An Open Letter to J.J. Abrams

Dear Mr. Abrams,

I would like to extend a debt of gratitude for the holiday gift that you have not only given to me, but to all Star Wars fans. Thank you for making the franchise relevant again with The Force Awakens. I was able to see the film on Christmas Day, and it was worth all of the hyped-up anticipation.

I must also apologize to you as well. To be totally honest, I have not recognized your work until the past few years. I did not watch any of your earlier television work when it was originally on, including Alias and Lost, but I feel a Netflix binge would change that. I liked Mission: Impossible III when that came out, but at the time didn't make the connection that the guy who created Lost directed M:I3. It was the Star Trek reboot that forced me to start paying attention.

Growing up I was a huge Star Wars fan, but for some reason never warmed up to Star Trek. I vaguely remember seeing parts of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, but it didn't resonate with me the way Star Wars did. My older brother was into it, recording on our family VCR episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. I was in junior high and high school while the series was on, and at the time being a Star Trek fan was not considered cool. For that reason I used to continuously make fun of my brother and tell him the show was lame. Although it was many years later and I have matured considerably since The Next Generation's hey day, your 2009 film Star Trek and its 2013 sequel have roped me in as a fan to both the franchise and your work.

As for Star Wars, the original film and The Empire Strikes Back were two movies I watched continuously as a kid, and Return of the Jedi was one of the first movies I saw in the theater. My brother and I had a number of action figures that we kept in our C-3PO action figure carrying cases. In the late nineties I saw all of the reissues in the theater (including Empire twice). My copies of the films went from VHS tapes to DVDs and now to Blu-Ray. I think you get the idea.

But I'm not trying to compare the two franchises here. What you ended up doing for Star Trek is multiplied tenfold with The Force Awakens, and it blows George Lucas's three prequels right out of the water. Don't get me wrong there are some good things with the prequels: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor as a young Obi-Wan Kenobi, and multiple Jedi with numerous light saber battles. However people tend to remember the bad: Jake Lloyd as an annoying young Anakin Skywalker, Hayden Christensen's less than stellar acting, and most notably Jar Jar Binks. Your combination of intriguing new characters mixed with old favorites is exactly what diehard fans have been waiting for. Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Adam Driver, and especially Daisy Ridley are great choices to spearhead the new trilogy, and I'm anxious to see where the next films will take them.

In closing I will reiterate that as a Star Wars fan I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, but I feel lukewarm movie goers will also have fun seeing The Force Awakens. I feel that is the most important point. It's an epic film that blends action, humor, tragedy, and drama, which are a majority of the main qualities people look for in a movie. The bottom line is that you understand what movie fans want to see. From one fanboy to another, thanks again. I wish you staying at the helm for the next two films, but you led them off to a strong start.