Hey whats up. Im back from my 4 month break from blogging. I still dont feel like blogging but i felt like it needed an update. Ive been back in Utah for about 2 months now. Things are pretty meh right now. Poker has been somewhat disapointing(although im having a good Dec) and i have been pretty lazy when it comes to working out, going to yoga etc etc.
I got an Xbox 360 from all my frequient player points from Poker Stars and ive been playing a ton of Madden 09. Madden is alot like poker, because you play different players online all over the world. It deff requires alot of skill to be a good Madden player, you have to think about what your opponent is going to do, and do something different. Ya always gotta be one step ahead of him. Xbox live is pretty addicting but not too productive, so im going to try to cut back on playin so much starting in 09.
Oh yeah ive been listening to this song pretty much 24/7...The Video is pretty ill too
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVZX-W3vo9I
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Utah Recap
I really havent felt like blogging lately and i apoligize for the lack of updates. Today is The 28th and ive been back in Texas for over a week now. Utah was a total blast but its amaizing the things i accomplish out here in Texas. Its crazy the entire time i was in Utah i didnt feel like playing poker at all, granted i was on vacation and was spending alot of time catching up with all my old friends, but i still had pleanty of opportunities to play poker when i was there and i really just didnt feel like playing.
Ok im going to recap my whole trip to Utah, i flew in on the 6th and had a whole 2 weeks to just relax and enjoy myself. I met this really cool chick at the San Angelo Airport. She was a Physcology Major at LSU and we chatted it up all the way to Houston. I did number close her but the only bad thing is she isnt from San Angelo and was just visiting Grandparents, bad beat i guess=) So my flight was delayed a few hours in H-Town but i finally got in around 1 AM. It was really really wierd going home. Let me remind you that these past 5 months have been the longest time ive spent away from home and when i got back everything just seemed different. The House was different, TV channels different, Bed was different, for the first time in my life i kinda felt like a guest in my own house, which was deffinetely wierd.
I was super excited to see my dog Zues, this will prolly come off as mean but i was alot more excited to see him then my Mom or Sister. I didnt get a chance to stay there long though, My Mom and I immediatly left the next day to go Finches Hollow. Finches is kinda like a family reunion of sorts for my mom and all her old friends from Vernal. The place we were staying at was up in the Mountains of Utah, which were very very beautiful. After living in Texas for 5 months you really learn to appreaciate the sceanry of Utah, it really is a beautiful state. Although pretty this place was out in the middle of nowhere, which means no cell phones, no TV, No laptop. A pretty big change for somebody who spends 99.99% of their time on the computer.
The real reason i went was to see my Dad. Me and my Dad dont have the best relationship in the world. We are like polar oppisites. That doesnt mean i dont love him though and it was really great to see him again. My Dad is a pretty talented musician and he and all of his old friends play in a Band. He is the bass player and they cover alot of old Rock and Roll songs, which i happen to like alot. So every night the band would play and all the people there would Drink, Dance and really enjoy themselves. Even though i suck at dancing i got out there a few times and all in all the vacation was alot of fun. We stayed for about 4 days which was pleanty, and headed back on a Sunday, which left me about 9 days to hang out and catch up with all my old friends.
My first Night back i Went and hung out with my Best Friend Tom. Ive known him pretty much my whole life and it was great to see him again. We went out with my other friend Troy, We went to this local bar and had a few drinks and shot some pool. The highlight of the night was deffinetely me beating Tom in pool. We played 5 games and i won 3 of him after basically spotting him the first game after playing like a total noob. I made an epic 8 ball bank shot to win game 3 and ever after he tied it at 2-2 i came through and won game 5 convincingly. Let me note that we played pool two more times after that and he completely handed me my ass, so i sure as hell didnt go out on top lol. After pool we had a few Weed cookies that my mom made(yeah i know, best mom ever) and went and saw Pinnapple Express. It was funny, like any Seth Cogan Movie but i thought it was way too long and that they tried a little too hard to be funny, still a good movie though.
The Rest of the week was somewhat uneventfull. I hung out With my good friends John and Jon. We chilled at John's house one night and puffed out(smoked weed) and watched Hardknocks, which is a reality show following the Dallas Cowboys during training camp. I was super stoked to watch that. We watched a little gymnastics after that when i heated debate ensued. It had nothing to do with the Gymnaists and their scores lol. Instead we agrued over who was the best looking Gymnast on the US Squad. I obv had the order down pat...
1. Alicia Sacramone
2. Shaun Johnson
3. Nastia Lukien
But both John and Jon disagreed. Both of them thought Nastia was the hottest and my friend John didnt even think Sacramone was hot....WTF!?!!?!?! I couldnt disagree more but i thought it was pretty funny that we enjoyed checking out the 15 year old gymnasts instead of watching them compete.
On Thursday i went out to my Favorite Resurant and one of the Nicest places to dine in Utah. Its Called "Francks" which is french and named after the chief. I had been there a few times so i knew all the good things to order, but you really cant go wrong with anything there, its that good. I figured since i was ballin it up id order a ballin drink to start the night. 18 year old scotch FTW! lol i dont even like scotch but it was the most expensive liquor on the menu and it wasnt bad for 17 dollars a shot. We ordered a seared Pork Appitiezer which was to die for. When it came time to Order i got the Blueberry Meatloaf and my Mom Ordered Francks Friend Chicken. Although it is a French Resturant one thing i really like about it is that the Dishes arnt too Frenchy(lol is that even a word?). All the stuff on the menu is stuff i like but made with really wierd combinations, like cherrys and onions or A Melon flavored soup. Everything was Fantastic and i even got to meet Franck himself, which i was pretty stoked on. All in all it was a great night and im looking forward to going back when i visit Utah again
Friday night was one of my funnest nights of the vacation. I got to see my good friend Zeke who i hadnt seen in about 18 months. Zeke and me are boys and he went to Iraq about 18 months ago. When he came back i was in Texas and we deffinetley had some catching up to do. So he picks me up in his New 2 door coupe 08 Honda Accord. This car was ballin out of control for a Honda. It was cherry red, very sporting looking, had nice ass leather seats,GPS, Voice command everything, you could literally adjust the volume of the car or the AC by talking to it. So me and him go to the Liquor Store and thats where the biggest decision of the night came. Instead of getting the usual Yaeger or Spiced Rum, i figured i needed to splurge a little and i bought a nice bottle of Cogniac.
So all of this lead up to us going to a Party at this Ericas house. Erica is Tom's girl and a pretty good friend of mine. Right before i left i felt like Erica her friend Brooke and me kinda had a little falling out. It pretty much consisted of me being a little baby about a few things that i dont really want to get into. So i was happy that both of them were there so we could put all that stupid stuff behind us and get back to being good friends, which i would Consider Erica one of my friends. So we ended up getting super super Drunk that night. The congiac was the hit of the party and i had about 7 shots to go with my 4 glasses of Covasiea. We went to a bar down the street but everyone was just super drunk. About 3 broken shot glasses and a few Attempted Car jackings later we somehow made it home. MY friend Zeke took me home and we bumped Devin the Dude in his nice sterio system.
I had a little recovering to do the next few days and stayed at home and watched the Olympics on Friday and Saturday. Michael Phelps is the man and he has inspired me to start swimming again. OK on to Monday the last night of my Vacation and deff on of the funnest!!!
I started the day early in the morning going to a Physic Reading. MY mom had met this lady who was a shamin during the Weekend and she agreed to see me and give me a reading and help me find a way to help my hurting back. It was a crazy experience, She knew all about my childhood and my relationship with both my Mom and My Dad. She knew that i was super close to my Mom's Grandparents and somewhat Distant with my Dad's. She gave me a somewhat meditative excercise to do whenever my back is Hurt. She also linked me too an Animal, the Cheetah. She told me to go out and find a bunch of things that resemble a Cheetah. She read me a little passage about Cheetahs and how they relate to us as humans. It wasnt some horiscope BS either, all the stuff she said about Cheetahs being very impulsive and being fast leaners seemed to relate to me as a person. All in all it was a very cool experience and she recorded the whole thing wihich i deffinatly plan on re-listening to.
After that i Met up with Tom and my good friend Harvey. We went and played some more pool. Im going to leave out the details because it wasnt pretty, but it was really good to see Harvey again and i enjoyed it. After pool Harvey left and we went back to Toms Appartment where Erica and Brooke were there cooking us a lavish dinner. The four of us had a nicely cooked Rib-eye steak, Mashed Potatoes, Corn and Bread, topped off with a big old Glass of MELK(lol). It was delish and a really nice gesture by Erica to cook for us.
After the great meal is the beggining of one of the drunkest nights of my life. We started by taking shots of Spiced Rum left over from the Weekend. Brooke is a girly girl so she eneded up taking the last shots of Flavored Vodka and Tom, Erica and I almost killed a whole bottle by Ourselves. After that we decided to go to a local bar called "Lumpys". We meet up with my friends Zeke and Stephan, and this really cute girl named Sarah. We played a few games of pool, Which me and Sarah won, then lost, then won again. And after that it was the end of old Bretter. We had a shot of Tequila when we first got there. Then i orded Kamakszias, then The girls ordered Yaeger shots for us. Before I knew it i was about to pass out and it was almost 1 AM. Now what i forgot to mention during this whole drinking Spree is that i had a flight to catch at 6:45 AM, which i payed for dearly later on.
So my Friend Brooke drove me Tom and Erica Back to the Apartment. I dont really remember what happened after that and what i do remember isnt suitable for the younger audience reading my blog so i will just leave it at that =) So after "hanging out" for about an hour it was 2 am and i needed to be at the Airport in 3 hours!! I was going to call a cab but Brooke insisted on giving me a ride home. I accepted the ride home even though she had no business driving and we made it back to my place. She dropped me off and made it home safely herself. I went up to my room, staggered around and packed all my stuff up. At this point it was only 2 hours before my Mom was going to take me to the Airport so i just rocked the All nighter. I was drunk when my mom woke up lol. She was nice enough to give me a ride and i somehow survived the rest of the morning. That was the end of my Trip to Utah. It was one of the funnest two week stretchs ive had in awhile and a shout out to all my Great friends who made it special!!!! One.
-Brett
Ok im going to recap my whole trip to Utah, i flew in on the 6th and had a whole 2 weeks to just relax and enjoy myself. I met this really cool chick at the San Angelo Airport. She was a Physcology Major at LSU and we chatted it up all the way to Houston. I did number close her but the only bad thing is she isnt from San Angelo and was just visiting Grandparents, bad beat i guess=) So my flight was delayed a few hours in H-Town but i finally got in around 1 AM. It was really really wierd going home. Let me remind you that these past 5 months have been the longest time ive spent away from home and when i got back everything just seemed different. The House was different, TV channels different, Bed was different, for the first time in my life i kinda felt like a guest in my own house, which was deffinetely wierd.
I was super excited to see my dog Zues, this will prolly come off as mean but i was alot more excited to see him then my Mom or Sister. I didnt get a chance to stay there long though, My Mom and I immediatly left the next day to go Finches Hollow. Finches is kinda like a family reunion of sorts for my mom and all her old friends from Vernal. The place we were staying at was up in the Mountains of Utah, which were very very beautiful. After living in Texas for 5 months you really learn to appreaciate the sceanry of Utah, it really is a beautiful state. Although pretty this place was out in the middle of nowhere, which means no cell phones, no TV, No laptop. A pretty big change for somebody who spends 99.99% of their time on the computer.
The real reason i went was to see my Dad. Me and my Dad dont have the best relationship in the world. We are like polar oppisites. That doesnt mean i dont love him though and it was really great to see him again. My Dad is a pretty talented musician and he and all of his old friends play in a Band. He is the bass player and they cover alot of old Rock and Roll songs, which i happen to like alot. So every night the band would play and all the people there would Drink, Dance and really enjoy themselves. Even though i suck at dancing i got out there a few times and all in all the vacation was alot of fun. We stayed for about 4 days which was pleanty, and headed back on a Sunday, which left me about 9 days to hang out and catch up with all my old friends.
My first Night back i Went and hung out with my Best Friend Tom. Ive known him pretty much my whole life and it was great to see him again. We went out with my other friend Troy, We went to this local bar and had a few drinks and shot some pool. The highlight of the night was deffinetely me beating Tom in pool. We played 5 games and i won 3 of him after basically spotting him the first game after playing like a total noob. I made an epic 8 ball bank shot to win game 3 and ever after he tied it at 2-2 i came through and won game 5 convincingly. Let me note that we played pool two more times after that and he completely handed me my ass, so i sure as hell didnt go out on top lol. After pool we had a few Weed cookies that my mom made(yeah i know, best mom ever) and went and saw Pinnapple Express. It was funny, like any Seth Cogan Movie but i thought it was way too long and that they tried a little too hard to be funny, still a good movie though.
The Rest of the week was somewhat uneventfull. I hung out With my good friends John and Jon. We chilled at John's house one night and puffed out(smoked weed) and watched Hardknocks, which is a reality show following the Dallas Cowboys during training camp. I was super stoked to watch that. We watched a little gymnastics after that when i heated debate ensued. It had nothing to do with the Gymnaists and their scores lol. Instead we agrued over who was the best looking Gymnast on the US Squad. I obv had the order down pat...
1. Alicia Sacramone
2. Shaun Johnson
3. Nastia Lukien
But both John and Jon disagreed. Both of them thought Nastia was the hottest and my friend John didnt even think Sacramone was hot....WTF!?!!?!?! I couldnt disagree more but i thought it was pretty funny that we enjoyed checking out the 15 year old gymnasts instead of watching them compete.
On Thursday i went out to my Favorite Resurant and one of the Nicest places to dine in Utah. Its Called "Francks" which is french and named after the chief. I had been there a few times so i knew all the good things to order, but you really cant go wrong with anything there, its that good. I figured since i was ballin it up id order a ballin drink to start the night. 18 year old scotch FTW! lol i dont even like scotch but it was the most expensive liquor on the menu and it wasnt bad for 17 dollars a shot. We ordered a seared Pork Appitiezer which was to die for. When it came time to Order i got the Blueberry Meatloaf and my Mom Ordered Francks Friend Chicken. Although it is a French Resturant one thing i really like about it is that the Dishes arnt too Frenchy(lol is that even a word?). All the stuff on the menu is stuff i like but made with really wierd combinations, like cherrys and onions or A Melon flavored soup. Everything was Fantastic and i even got to meet Franck himself, which i was pretty stoked on. All in all it was a great night and im looking forward to going back when i visit Utah again
Friday night was one of my funnest nights of the vacation. I got to see my good friend Zeke who i hadnt seen in about 18 months. Zeke and me are boys and he went to Iraq about 18 months ago. When he came back i was in Texas and we deffinetley had some catching up to do. So he picks me up in his New 2 door coupe 08 Honda Accord. This car was ballin out of control for a Honda. It was cherry red, very sporting looking, had nice ass leather seats,GPS, Voice command everything, you could literally adjust the volume of the car or the AC by talking to it. So me and him go to the Liquor Store and thats where the biggest decision of the night came. Instead of getting the usual Yaeger or Spiced Rum, i figured i needed to splurge a little and i bought a nice bottle of Cogniac.
So all of this lead up to us going to a Party at this Ericas house. Erica is Tom's girl and a pretty good friend of mine. Right before i left i felt like Erica her friend Brooke and me kinda had a little falling out. It pretty much consisted of me being a little baby about a few things that i dont really want to get into. So i was happy that both of them were there so we could put all that stupid stuff behind us and get back to being good friends, which i would Consider Erica one of my friends. So we ended up getting super super Drunk that night. The congiac was the hit of the party and i had about 7 shots to go with my 4 glasses of Covasiea. We went to a bar down the street but everyone was just super drunk. About 3 broken shot glasses and a few Attempted Car jackings later we somehow made it home. MY friend Zeke took me home and we bumped Devin the Dude in his nice sterio system.
I had a little recovering to do the next few days and stayed at home and watched the Olympics on Friday and Saturday. Michael Phelps is the man and he has inspired me to start swimming again. OK on to Monday the last night of my Vacation and deff on of the funnest!!!
I started the day early in the morning going to a Physic Reading. MY mom had met this lady who was a shamin during the Weekend and she agreed to see me and give me a reading and help me find a way to help my hurting back. It was a crazy experience, She knew all about my childhood and my relationship with both my Mom and My Dad. She knew that i was super close to my Mom's Grandparents and somewhat Distant with my Dad's. She gave me a somewhat meditative excercise to do whenever my back is Hurt. She also linked me too an Animal, the Cheetah. She told me to go out and find a bunch of things that resemble a Cheetah. She read me a little passage about Cheetahs and how they relate to us as humans. It wasnt some horiscope BS either, all the stuff she said about Cheetahs being very impulsive and being fast leaners seemed to relate to me as a person. All in all it was a very cool experience and she recorded the whole thing wihich i deffinatly plan on re-listening to.
After that i Met up with Tom and my good friend Harvey. We went and played some more pool. Im going to leave out the details because it wasnt pretty, but it was really good to see Harvey again and i enjoyed it. After pool Harvey left and we went back to Toms Appartment where Erica and Brooke were there cooking us a lavish dinner. The four of us had a nicely cooked Rib-eye steak, Mashed Potatoes, Corn and Bread, topped off with a big old Glass of MELK(lol). It was delish and a really nice gesture by Erica to cook for us.
After the great meal is the beggining of one of the drunkest nights of my life. We started by taking shots of Spiced Rum left over from the Weekend. Brooke is a girly girl so she eneded up taking the last shots of Flavored Vodka and Tom, Erica and I almost killed a whole bottle by Ourselves. After that we decided to go to a local bar called "Lumpys". We meet up with my friends Zeke and Stephan, and this really cute girl named Sarah. We played a few games of pool, Which me and Sarah won, then lost, then won again. And after that it was the end of old Bretter. We had a shot of Tequila when we first got there. Then i orded Kamakszias, then The girls ordered Yaeger shots for us. Before I knew it i was about to pass out and it was almost 1 AM. Now what i forgot to mention during this whole drinking Spree is that i had a flight to catch at 6:45 AM, which i payed for dearly later on.
So my Friend Brooke drove me Tom and Erica Back to the Apartment. I dont really remember what happened after that and what i do remember isnt suitable for the younger audience reading my blog so i will just leave it at that =) So after "hanging out" for about an hour it was 2 am and i needed to be at the Airport in 3 hours!! I was going to call a cab but Brooke insisted on giving me a ride home. I accepted the ride home even though she had no business driving and we made it back to my place. She dropped me off and made it home safely herself. I went up to my room, staggered around and packed all my stuff up. At this point it was only 2 hours before my Mom was going to take me to the Airport so i just rocked the All nighter. I was drunk when my mom woke up lol. She was nice enough to give me a ride and i somehow survived the rest of the morning. That was the end of my Trip to Utah. It was one of the funnest two week stretchs ive had in awhile and a shout out to all my Great friends who made it special!!!! One.
-Brett
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Back in Utah
Quick blog update. Ive been in Utah for about 10 days now. When i first got here everything seemed so different. I have never been away from home for more then a few weeks, everything from the shower, TV channels, weather seemed different. After a few days though i remembered why i love this state so much. I have only played 1.5k hands of poker this month, which is kinda sad, but i knew going into August that i wasn't going to play that much. I don't feel like blogging right now and pretty tired so I'm going to keep this kinda short. I'm going to make a bbbbbiiiiiiiiiiiigggggggg blog entry about my trip to Utah when i get home.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Brag
Ok i haven't blogged much at all this month. Even right now i don't feel like blogging but i feel likes its kinda mandatory i brag about what a great month i had. Today is only the 29th and I've made around 12.5k this month. Cool thing is i was able to do this in only 30k hands, which leaves me with a sicko win rate of about 6.89 ptbb/100. For all my non-poker blog readers, who obv have no clue what ptbb/100 is, well i played 30,000 hands this month, logged 77 hours and averaged $145/ per hour. Its pretty cool to only work 77 hours this month and make that much money....hey i warned you guys this was going to be a Brag Post =)
Ill post some of my biggest and most Interesting Hands for the month, starting with the Bad Beats and then some winners(ala raptor).
http://www.pokerhand.org/?2838990 - I can honestly say this is the worst beat ive ever taken playing online, given the stack sizes and me being 98% to win on the flop.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?2966561 - This was from a 5/10 shot vs the infamous Tenking
http://www.pokerhand.org/?2955473 - Another Brutal beat at a 5/10 shot. This was button vs Blind too, meh
Ok now for the Winners
http://www.pokerhand.org/?2966569 - I was on cloud 9 after winning this hand. It was one of my first times playing 5/10 this month and it was so sick to get it in KK vs AA, AK, but of course i bink a K on the river =)
http://www.pokerhand.org/?2955560 - This is one of the coolest hands of the month. Such a brutal spot if you follow the action. Guy is a solid Reg at these stakes and hes repping a Set/FD like 90% of the time with that flop line. I would have folded if he didnt check back the Turn, but the River was a great card and the Turn check really threw me off.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?2966587 - I felt like i played this hand perfectly and was a great example of how you have to take certain lines to both maximize your value and protect your stack when your playing at deep tables.
As for outside of poker, not much to write home about. The days seem kinda slow here. Id like to say my grandma is doing better but it almost feels like shes reached a point where, while shes improving, its going to be really hard for her to ever walk again without a walker. I am not negative and i do think she will eventually be able to walk. Its actually one of the Reasons i want to stay here in Texas. I feel like if i leave now, its almost like i didn't finish my Job, i want to leave here knowing she is going to be ok. Whether that is walking or not...i don't know, I'm going to be optimistic and keep showing her love.
I have also started a new Routine a few days ago that i hope i can stick with. I really suck at Routines but I've already seen some great results with this one, so I'm going to stay with it.....
Every Day, i wake up around 11 AM(hey I'm a poker player) and take a shower, eat a small Breakfast and then do my Little workout routine. This Consists of doing 50 push ups, and walking/jogging a mile each day, 5 days a week. I know that isn't some vigorous cardio but 2 years ago i couldn't even do a push up, and why don't you guys try running a mile in 105 degree heat!!! =)
After my run i usually go to Subway and order a Foot long Turkey Breat and Ham. Ive put on a few pounds here and i want to start eating healthy again. After the Meal i usually take another shower(lol) so i can feel completely refreshed. Then i find a Quiet place and Listen to "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle. Its a book on Tape and although Ive listened to it before, i feel like I'm learning so much more the Second time around. I put on my Bose Headphones and just relax, without a worry in the world. So I'm going to listen to an Hour a day until I'm done with "Power of Now". But after that i plan on reading/listening to more books about positive thinking and spiritual Enlightenment.
Were not done!!! Here is the Great part. I am always in a great mood when I'm done reading, so i immediately hop right in and put in my Daily Poker Session. I feel so much more relaxed and in a much better state of mind when I have just got through reading my Spiritual Enlightenment books. I am learning to block out all my negative thoughts and emotions i have towards other players and life in General. It is pretty cool, For instance today i had a guy put a really bad beat on me for a 100 bb pot. Usually i would slam my mouse down and Cuss the guy out and berate his bad play. But today i just smiled and said "NH" to him in the chat box. One of the things Ekhart teaches you is that Anger you have towards others, usually stems from a problem you have with yourself. IF i am Comfortable and Happy with myself then i wont have angry thoughts towards others, instead i will see the good in people. I really am living in the "now" and I'm excited everyday to learn more and hopefully fulfill all the things i want to accomplish in life.
Anyways I'm going back home to Utah from Aug 6th-19th to visit my Family but more importantly see a Spine Specialist who will hopefully be able to fix my back. I haven't blogged about my Back problems and I'm not going to start because that would just end up being a Negative Rant. I'm hoping that This guy will be able to help me, but well see. I'm super Excited to see my DOG, family, friends. Even though i put on a tough guy act, i miss them all a bunch and I'm looking forward to doing all the fun things I'm not able to do down here in Texas. I plan on taking a small break from Poker/Blogging but i will try to throw in a few updates here and there.
-Brett
Ill post some of my biggest and most Interesting Hands for the month, starting with the Bad Beats and then some winners(ala raptor).
http://www.pokerhand.org/?2838990 - I can honestly say this is the worst beat ive ever taken playing online, given the stack sizes and me being 98% to win on the flop.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?2966561 - This was from a 5/10 shot vs the infamous Tenking
http://www.pokerhand.org/?2955473 - Another Brutal beat at a 5/10 shot. This was button vs Blind too, meh
Ok now for the Winners
http://www.pokerhand.org/?2966569 - I was on cloud 9 after winning this hand. It was one of my first times playing 5/10 this month and it was so sick to get it in KK vs AA, AK, but of course i bink a K on the river =)
http://www.pokerhand.org/?2955560 - This is one of the coolest hands of the month. Such a brutal spot if you follow the action. Guy is a solid Reg at these stakes and hes repping a Set/FD like 90% of the time with that flop line. I would have folded if he didnt check back the Turn, but the River was a great card and the Turn check really threw me off.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?2966587 - I felt like i played this hand perfectly and was a great example of how you have to take certain lines to both maximize your value and protect your stack when your playing at deep tables.
As for outside of poker, not much to write home about. The days seem kinda slow here. Id like to say my grandma is doing better but it almost feels like shes reached a point where, while shes improving, its going to be really hard for her to ever walk again without a walker. I am not negative and i do think she will eventually be able to walk. Its actually one of the Reasons i want to stay here in Texas. I feel like if i leave now, its almost like i didn't finish my Job, i want to leave here knowing she is going to be ok. Whether that is walking or not...i don't know, I'm going to be optimistic and keep showing her love.
I have also started a new Routine a few days ago that i hope i can stick with. I really suck at Routines but I've already seen some great results with this one, so I'm going to stay with it.....
Every Day, i wake up around 11 AM(hey I'm a poker player) and take a shower, eat a small Breakfast and then do my Little workout routine. This Consists of doing 50 push ups, and walking/jogging a mile each day, 5 days a week. I know that isn't some vigorous cardio but 2 years ago i couldn't even do a push up, and why don't you guys try running a mile in 105 degree heat!!! =)
After my run i usually go to Subway and order a Foot long Turkey Breat and Ham. Ive put on a few pounds here and i want to start eating healthy again. After the Meal i usually take another shower(lol) so i can feel completely refreshed. Then i find a Quiet place and Listen to "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle. Its a book on Tape and although Ive listened to it before, i feel like I'm learning so much more the Second time around. I put on my Bose Headphones and just relax, without a worry in the world. So I'm going to listen to an Hour a day until I'm done with "Power of Now". But after that i plan on reading/listening to more books about positive thinking and spiritual Enlightenment.
Were not done!!! Here is the Great part. I am always in a great mood when I'm done reading, so i immediately hop right in and put in my Daily Poker Session. I feel so much more relaxed and in a much better state of mind when I have just got through reading my Spiritual Enlightenment books. I am learning to block out all my negative thoughts and emotions i have towards other players and life in General. It is pretty cool, For instance today i had a guy put a really bad beat on me for a 100 bb pot. Usually i would slam my mouse down and Cuss the guy out and berate his bad play. But today i just smiled and said "NH" to him in the chat box. One of the things Ekhart teaches you is that Anger you have towards others, usually stems from a problem you have with yourself. IF i am Comfortable and Happy with myself then i wont have angry thoughts towards others, instead i will see the good in people. I really am living in the "now" and I'm excited everyday to learn more and hopefully fulfill all the things i want to accomplish in life.
Anyways I'm going back home to Utah from Aug 6th-19th to visit my Family but more importantly see a Spine Specialist who will hopefully be able to fix my back. I haven't blogged about my Back problems and I'm not going to start because that would just end up being a Negative Rant. I'm hoping that This guy will be able to help me, but well see. I'm super Excited to see my DOG, family, friends. Even though i put on a tough guy act, i miss them all a bunch and I'm looking forward to doing all the fun things I'm not able to do down here in Texas. I plan on taking a small break from Poker/Blogging but i will try to throw in a few updates here and there.
-Brett
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Mid June Update
I'm going to keep this short and sweet because i don't really feel like blogging. June has gone really good so far, I'm up around 6K in 15 days played. I feel like I'm playing really really good but running somewhat below expectation. At the same time i am also losing motivation to play, the past few days ive kinda forced myself to play and my results while good...could have been better.
I'm going to try to find some other fun things away from poker to keep me busy. Ive been reading like crazy this summer and I'm almost finished with Phil Jackson's "The Last Season." Its a pretty cool book and i love Phil's "zen like" approach and the way he approaches situations in a positive manner. Its also really cool to find out some of the small coaching subtleties that NBA coaches use that i had no idea about.
Anyways I'm going to make a bigger blog entry in a few days, until then take it easy and enjoy life!
I'm going to try to find some other fun things away from poker to keep me busy. Ive been reading like crazy this summer and I'm almost finished with Phil Jackson's "The Last Season." Its a pretty cool book and i love Phil's "zen like" approach and the way he approaches situations in a positive manner. Its also really cool to find out some of the small coaching subtleties that NBA coaches use that i had no idea about.
Anyways I'm going to make a bigger blog entry in a few days, until then take it easy and enjoy life!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Rinse and Repeat
I'm happy to say that the month of June is finally over! IF you follow my blog, then you know that i had a bunch of goals i wanted to accomplish for the month of June. Well i ended up not hitting a single one. Instead of whining and complaining, I'm just going to turn the page on June and look forward to July.
I'm keeping the same set of goals for July. I wont be able to qualify for the WSOP, but if i work hard i think all the other goals will be attainable. If you want to see a list of them, scroll down and check my "Goals for June" post.
Poker was going so bad towards the end of June that i decided to take the last week off and do one "fun"activity each day. Ill recap all of those for ya, since it was a pretty fun week and i have nothing else to blog about.
Monday- I went and played golf at the Local Course down the street. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that they only charge 8 bucks for 18 holes(no cart). Although the Course is No Torrey Pines, its a fun little course that is very forgiving. I only play 9 holes and shoot +8 including my first birdie in years.
Tuesday- Nothing too exciting today. I had no idea what to do for my "activity" so i decided to check out the visitor Center here in San Angelo and see if i can find something fun to do. So i end up going on a hike on this mile long trail called the "Nature Trail." It was fun but nothing too breath taking.
Wednesday- Back to the Links where i decided to play with same course i played on Monday cept i plan on playing 18 today. Well my Front 9 is terrible, i shoot +16 with not a single Birdie or Par. Even though I'm tired i decide to still play the back 9 and i Birdie the first hole. Now with a little pep in my step i end up shooting +6 for the back 9 including going Par, Birdie, Par on the last 3 holes. Only negative on the day was i forgot to put on Sun Screen and my nose and Ears get a little Burned.
Thursday- Decided to have a lazy day and just sit around and watch TV all day. The NBA draft was tonight and as expected, Rose went #1 to Bulls and Beasley went #2 to the Heat. The Rest of the Lottery was somewhat exciting. The Big Shocker to me was Russell Westbrook going #4 to the Sonics. I had seen Westbrook play a few times and i just wasn't too impressed with his game. Brook Lopez slipping all the way to the Nets at #10 was also a big surprise. All in all the Draft was fun to watch and will prolly be my last good sports fix till Football season starts.
Friday- Today I got my check from Ultimate Bet and Decided to do a little shopping. Not the kind your thinking of though. I spent 200 bucks on grocery's and Gas. I'm not used to shopping for myself. Back home my Mom would buy alot of little things like Pop Drinks, Bread and Lunch meat for me. Well my grandparents are on a somewhat limited Budget so i now have to buy these things for myself. I have alot more Respect for all the Money my mom spent on me because these small things can sure add up as i find myself spending 200+ on Vitamin Waters and Red bulls.
Saturday- I didn't do much today, i played a few poker Tournaments for the first time in about a month. Ill save you guys the time and not tell you about the bad beats i took. At night i decided to check out this Bar down the street. Now let me remind you Ive been in Texas about 3 months, and this is this is probably the 3rd time Ive been "Out" so to speak. I spend about 15 minutes there alone and not socializing with anyone. I feel really stupid and discouraged and leave shortly after. Making friends, to me, it alot harder then it looks.(ill elaborate more on this later in my blog)
Sunday- I decide to go check out the Local Drag Boat races that visit San Angelo Annually. It was a pretty cool little event if i might say so. It was a little too "redneck" for my taste but still fun. The Boats were super fast and unbelievably loud. One of the Fastest Boats Raced the Quarter Mile in 8.52 seconds and topped speeds of about 190 MPH. There were a ton of people there. But being the Social Zombie i am i didn't talk to any of them and again left discouraged that even though i got out of the house everyday that week, i didn't meet a single person.
So all in all it was a fun week. But a disappointing one. I really just want to make new friends out here in San Angelo. I want to meet some girls and do some fun things as well. I almost feel an added pressure to considering every time i leave the house my Grandpa asks "Did you meet anybody while you were out there?" And every time i say "No" with a saddened look on my face.
It really sucks moving to a new place and meeting new people. Its one of the hardest things Ive had to do in my life(no exaggerating.) I am a very Quiet and Shy person to begin with, so that doesn't really help my cause. I also think that I must be very intimidating or maybe even Scary looking because i just give off an Angry or Depressed Vibe. Alot of that has to do with being in a bad mood from losing in poker. But i just feel like i must not be very approachable because i never find myself making small talk with anybody when i leave the house. I really am turning into a walking Zombie.
With all of that said i need to stop focusing on all these negative things about and put more emphasis on the positive side of life. Although i plan on returning to Poker fresh next week. I'm still going to try and do something fun each week. And I'm not giving up on meeting new people either. I plan on going out a few times this week and trying my hardest to be social. I hope things will change, and I'm confident they will...
Brett
I'm keeping the same set of goals for July. I wont be able to qualify for the WSOP, but if i work hard i think all the other goals will be attainable. If you want to see a list of them, scroll down and check my "Goals for June" post.
Poker was going so bad towards the end of June that i decided to take the last week off and do one "fun"activity each day. Ill recap all of those for ya, since it was a pretty fun week and i have nothing else to blog about.
Monday- I went and played golf at the Local Course down the street. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that they only charge 8 bucks for 18 holes(no cart). Although the Course is No Torrey Pines, its a fun little course that is very forgiving. I only play 9 holes and shoot +8 including my first birdie in years.
Tuesday- Nothing too exciting today. I had no idea what to do for my "activity" so i decided to check out the visitor Center here in San Angelo and see if i can find something fun to do. So i end up going on a hike on this mile long trail called the "Nature Trail." It was fun but nothing too breath taking.
Wednesday- Back to the Links where i decided to play with same course i played on Monday cept i plan on playing 18 today. Well my Front 9 is terrible, i shoot +16 with not a single Birdie or Par. Even though I'm tired i decide to still play the back 9 and i Birdie the first hole. Now with a little pep in my step i end up shooting +6 for the back 9 including going Par, Birdie, Par on the last 3 holes. Only negative on the day was i forgot to put on Sun Screen and my nose and Ears get a little Burned.
Thursday- Decided to have a lazy day and just sit around and watch TV all day. The NBA draft was tonight and as expected, Rose went #1 to Bulls and Beasley went #2 to the Heat. The Rest of the Lottery was somewhat exciting. The Big Shocker to me was Russell Westbrook going #4 to the Sonics. I had seen Westbrook play a few times and i just wasn't too impressed with his game. Brook Lopez slipping all the way to the Nets at #10 was also a big surprise. All in all the Draft was fun to watch and will prolly be my last good sports fix till Football season starts.
Friday- Today I got my check from Ultimate Bet and Decided to do a little shopping. Not the kind your thinking of though. I spent 200 bucks on grocery's and Gas. I'm not used to shopping for myself. Back home my Mom would buy alot of little things like Pop Drinks, Bread and Lunch meat for me. Well my grandparents are on a somewhat limited Budget so i now have to buy these things for myself. I have alot more Respect for all the Money my mom spent on me because these small things can sure add up as i find myself spending 200+ on Vitamin Waters and Red bulls.
Saturday- I didn't do much today, i played a few poker Tournaments for the first time in about a month. Ill save you guys the time and not tell you about the bad beats i took. At night i decided to check out this Bar down the street. Now let me remind you Ive been in Texas about 3 months, and this is this is probably the 3rd time Ive been "Out" so to speak. I spend about 15 minutes there alone and not socializing with anyone. I feel really stupid and discouraged and leave shortly after. Making friends, to me, it alot harder then it looks.(ill elaborate more on this later in my blog)
Sunday- I decide to go check out the Local Drag Boat races that visit San Angelo Annually. It was a pretty cool little event if i might say so. It was a little too "redneck" for my taste but still fun. The Boats were super fast and unbelievably loud. One of the Fastest Boats Raced the Quarter Mile in 8.52 seconds and topped speeds of about 190 MPH. There were a ton of people there. But being the Social Zombie i am i didn't talk to any of them and again left discouraged that even though i got out of the house everyday that week, i didn't meet a single person.
So all in all it was a fun week. But a disappointing one. I really just want to make new friends out here in San Angelo. I want to meet some girls and do some fun things as well. I almost feel an added pressure to considering every time i leave the house my Grandpa asks "Did you meet anybody while you were out there?" And every time i say "No" with a saddened look on my face.
It really sucks moving to a new place and meeting new people. Its one of the hardest things Ive had to do in my life(no exaggerating.) I am a very Quiet and Shy person to begin with, so that doesn't really help my cause. I also think that I must be very intimidating or maybe even Scary looking because i just give off an Angry or Depressed Vibe. Alot of that has to do with being in a bad mood from losing in poker. But i just feel like i must not be very approachable because i never find myself making small talk with anybody when i leave the house. I really am turning into a walking Zombie.
With all of that said i need to stop focusing on all these negative things about and put more emphasis on the positive side of life. Although i plan on returning to Poker fresh next week. I'm still going to try and do something fun each week. And I'm not giving up on meeting new people either. I plan on going out a few times this week and trying my hardest to be social. I hope things will change, and I'm confident they will...
Brett
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Ware's early 08 NFL predictions
It's almost that time again boys. Training camps are starting, every ones getting the details of their Fantasy Football Draft planned out. Football Season is right around the corner and it couldn't come any sooner. There is nothing worse then the 2 month stretch between the End of the NBA finals and the start of Football Season. Regular Season Baseball is about as boring as a Ron Karkovich fantasy Golf thread.
So here we Go boys, the official Mdot AKa Demarcus Ware Aka Team DimE 2008 NFL Football Predictions...With Record Predictions, Players to Watch, Team Weaknesses, all that good stuff.....
***********WARE'S 08 NFL PREDICTIONS**************
AFC EAST
1. New England Patriots 13-3
The Patriots had a remarkable season last year. Obviously going undefeated throughout the regular season and up until the Superbowl was a great accomplishment. Will there be a hangover after the Superbowl Loss though? The Answer is No. New England is too talented and has one of the Easiest Schedules in the League. Belichick is a Master Motivator and will have the
Pats playing with a chip on their shoulder in 08 just like they did after the whole spy gate debacle.
Team Strengths - DL, WR, OL
Team Weakness - LB, CB
Player to Watch- Jerod Mayo.
Mayo needs to be an impact player as a rookie. The Pats LBers are older then Dirt and they lost arguably their best LB in Roosevelt Colvin.
2. Buffalo Bills 7-9
The Bills have been one of the most over achieving teams in the few years. During Dick Jauron's first two years they have had alot of injuries and inexperienced players at key positions. Even with all the question marks the bills have been in playoff contention the past few years and seem to play with alot of heart. With some key Free Agent signing(Marcus Stroud, Kawika Mitchell) i see the Bills as a team on the rise in 08.
Team Strengths - ST, DL, RB
Team Weakness- WR, CB
Player to Watch- James Hardy
The Bills Desperately need a big possession WR to go along with Lee Evans. I think the 6'6 Hardy will be a great fit and an Early Candidate for OROY.
New York Jets 6-10
The New York Jets are an Interesting Team. They have some Very Talented players and Added alot of missing pieces during the off season. But they still don't have a QB and missing out on Mcfadden leaves them with a pretty weak running game. Even with all the off season additions i think the Jets underachieve again and miss the playoffs.
Team Strengths- OL, CB
Team Weakness- QB, RB
Player to Watch- Darrelle Revis
Revis Started every game as a rookie last year and showed signs of being a future shutdown corner. Revis and Rhodes are going to be perennial Pro Bowls for the next 5-10 years.
Miami Dolphins 3-13
Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano Bring much needed Toughness to a very soft and thinly talented Dolphin Team. The Dolphins(or the Cowboys B team) have holes at every position and are at least 2 or 3 years away from being even remotely competitive. They do have "hope" though. Nobody is better at taking a terrible team and turning them around then Bill Parcells. Look for the Dolphins to Ship Jason Taylor before the Season starts. BP doesnt do Hollywood...
Team Strengths- GM and Scouting Department
Team Weakness- QB, WR, LB
Player to Watch- Ronnie Brown
IF Ronnie Brown can come back from his ACL tear and be somewhat productive then the Dolphins could win as many as 5 games. If they have to rely on Ricky Williams or some Unknown then they could be looking at another Win less season come week 12 or 13.
AFC North
1. Cleveland Browns 10-6
The Surprise team of 07 is back and they are loading up for a playoff push. Derrick Anderson came out of nowhere and provided the Browns with a much needed lift at the QB position. The Pressure is on Romeo though to get to the playoffs. The Browns Were the "off season winners" so to speak, spending lots of money and draft picks to solidify their DL and WR positions. The Secondary must play alot better though in order to win the Division
Team Strengths- WR, OL, ST
Team Weakness- CB, LB
Player to Watch- Joshua Cribbs
Cribbs was Devin Hester Esq last year and should be the best Return man in the game going into 08. He was maybe the Browns MVP last year and led the league with around 30 yards per return.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers 10-6
The Steelers are a very physical team. They run the ball down your throats and play good defense. Its been their trade mark for...well forever. I expect them to have a more dynamic passing game this year to compliment the Running game. Heath Miller will have another big year and The Defense will be really solid as usual.
Team Strengths- QB, RB, LB, TE
Team Weakness- CB, OL
Player to Watch- Rashard Mendenhall
Mendenhall was a steal at #23 and should be a great compliment to Willie Parker. Mendenhall will get you tough yards up the gut and Parker will be more of a home run threat.
Cincinatti Bengals 6-10
The Bengals are trying to Turn the page on there terri-bad 07 campaign and trying to shake the Reputation as the Bad Boys of the NFL. They got rid of a few trouble makers and added some New players to the Mix. But there is too many "ifs" for the Bengals to be competitive. What will Happen with Ocho Cinco? Is Mike Zimmer really the answer to turn around one of the Worst Defenses in the NFL? Even with all the Question marks, the Bengals Still have a chance just because of Carson Palmer but it wont be enough to get them back to the playoffs.
Team Strengths- QB, WR
Team Weakness- LB, CB, S
Player to Watch- Keith Rivers
Rivers is an Athletic OLB that can hopefully cause havoc for the Bengals. Rivers is also know for being a class act off the field, Two things the Bengals Desperately need.
Baltimore Ravens 3-13
The Ravens are in Total rebuilding mode. They have a new Head Coach, New Quarterback and are very thin on the Offensive Line after J. Ogden decided to retire a few weeks ago. They have some Young Talented players on the Defense, but some Aging players as well. Don't Expect much from Baltimore this year but they could be a team on the rise 2 or 3 years from now.
Team Strengths- DL, LB, RB
Team Weakness- QB, WR, OL
Player to Watch- Ray Rice
Rice could be the steal of the Draft and provide a solid 10-15 carries a game behind McGahee. He was a workhorse in College and i expect him to play with a chip on his shoulder all year after being drafted late in the 2nd round.
AFC SOUTH
Jacksonville Jaguars 12-4
This could be the year of the Jags finally win the AFC south and put their stamp on this Division. After losing time and time again to the Colts. The Jags made sure they addressed their few weaknesses by Drafting two Pass Rushers with their first 2 picks in the Draft. They also picked up a few WR's so Gerrard will have a decent passing attack to go along with their Great Running game. This Team is loaded and ready to make a run at the SB.
Team Strengths- QB, RB, DL
Team Weakness- CB, WR
Player to Watch- Mercedes Lewis
After being very Quiet in his First few years with the Jags, Lewis came on late in 07 and should be starting in 08. Expect big things from the Former UCLA Bruin.
Indianapolis Colts 11-5
There is no reason to think that the Colts wont be one of the top 3 or 4 teams in the AFC again this year. This Is Tony Dungy's Last hurrah and the Colts are the same dominate team they have been for the last 5 years. The Big Question Mark for the Colts is if Marvin Harrison will be the same after missing most of the 07 season with a Knee Injury. Even Without Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark will continue to give defensive coordinators Fits and Peyton Manning is...well Peyton Manning.
Team Strengths - QB, TE, RB, WR, S
Team Weakness- LB, K
Player to Watch- Joseph Addai
Addai is a Star in the Making and will be a top 5 pick in Virtually every Fantasy Draft.
Houston Texans 7-9
The Texans are another team on the Rise. With a Very Solid and Young Defense i expect the Texans to Continue to Improve. Even though 7-9 is a drop off from their 8-8 record a year ago the Texans will be alot better with a healthy Andre Johnson. The lack of a running game and playing in a great division will prohibit the Texans from making the Playoffs though.
Team Strengths- DL, WR
Team Weakness- OL, RB
Player to Watch- Amobi Okoye
The Youngster got off to a great start last season but faded down the Stretch. Him and Williams are going to be a hand full for OT's and D coordinators.
Tennessee Titans 6-10
The Titans are a team that seems to over achieve every year. But i think there luck runs out this year. Last year the Titans won alot of games they shouldn't have. I think if anything Young has Regressed since his Rookie year and it doesn't help that the Titans have gotten him Zero Weapons as far as WR Goes. A very strong Defense will keep them in games but i don't see the Titans making the playoffs this year.
Team Strengths- DL, OL
Team Weakness- QB, WR
Player to Watch- Chris Johnson
Will Johnson and his blazing 4.2 speed be a home run threat every time he touches the ball? Or is he just a work out wonder? Only time will tell...
AFC WEST
San Diego Chargers 13-3
The Chargers are one of the Most Talented teams in the League. They are loaded on both sides of the ball and its Superbowl or bust for Norv this year. The Chargers should run away with this division and the Only Question mark coming into the season is how Rivers, LT, and Gates come back from Injuries. But the best DL in the league and an unbelievable LB'ing core will get the Chargers to the playoffs even if the offense somehow struggles.
Team Strengths- DL, LB, CB, RB
Team Weakness- WR, K
Player to Watch- Vincent Jackson
Jackson must be more consistent for the Chargers. He came on strong towards the end of 07 and he really needs to turn the teams only weakness into a strength
Denver Broncos 9-7
The Broncos are a team that is average but will benefit from a weak division. They have a solid QB in Cutler and a up and coming WR in Brandon Marshell. But that's about it as far as the Offense goes. Don't count on Selvin Young and Mike Bell to light it up this year. The Defense is pretty average all around. Expect big things from Elvis Dumervil and Champ Bailey. But they will need a much better pass rush this year if they want to make the playoffs.
Team Strengths- QB, CB
Team Weakness- DL, LB
Player to Watch- Elvis Dumervil
The 5'11 Dumervil should really come into his own in his 3rd season. Seems to always play with a chip on his shoulder and was an absolute steal for the Broncos in the 05 draft.
Oakland Raiders 7-9
The Raiders are going to be an interesting team this year. While making a big splash in the off season and drafting the electrifying Darren Mcfadden you would think the Raiders will be in the Hunt for a playoff berth come December. The raiders have one of the weakest schedules in the league as well. All that being Said Jamarcus Russell is unproven and will have growing pains. The raiders will still win 7 games though because of the super soft AFC West.
Team Strengths- LB, CB, RB
Team Weakness- QB, OL
Player to Watch- Darren McFadden/ Jamarcus Russell
The Success of the Raiders will come down to these two players. Alot of pressure on a bunch of Kids so to speak. Both are top 5 picks and very talented so the raiders expect big things from both.
Kansas City Chiefs 3-13
The Chiefs are another Team that is in complete rebuilding mode. With an unproven Quarterback and and a team that's expected to start 6 rookies i wouldn't expect too much from them in 08. The Chiefs also traded away their best player and arguably the best pass rusher in the game in Jared Allen. The chiefs had a great Draft, Hard to go wrong when you have 13 picks and 6 in the first 3 rounds. Don't Expect much from these rookies right away but watch out come 09 or 2010.
Team Strengths- DL, RB, TE
Team Weakness- QB, WR, CB, LB, K
Player to Watch- The whole 08 Draft
Only time will tell if it was the right move to trade Jared Allen. But Glenn Dorsey should be a monster in the middle and all of the draft picks from 08 have a chance to come in and play immediately.
NFC EAST
Dallas Cowboys 11-5
The Cowboys are the most Talented team in the NFL. No question about that. But Talent can only get you so far. The Cowboys lack Mental toughness and a desire to win. But 13 pro bowlers and adding more play makers should be enough to win the NFC East this year. I expect the Offense to have another great year. Romo to Witten is something your going to be hearing alot this year. Should Be interesting to see how MB3 handles the starting Job at RB, but i have a feeling he will be fine.
The Question Marks are all on Wade Phillips and his Defense. Wade Phillips has a history of doing very will his 1st year with a team and going completely downhill from there. I feel like his Defense underachieved big time last year. Look For Chris Canty to have a breakout year and for Demarcus Ware to have around 15-18 sacks and Win DPOY. The Secondary should be better but who knows how much of an impact Adam Jones Will have. Look out for Mike Jenkins though the rookie outta USF.
Team Strengths- QB, WR, RB, TE, LB, CB
Team Weakness- S, Head Coach
Player to Watch- Anthony Spencer
A rookie last year, Spencer had a hard time getting on the field playing behind pro bowler Greg Ellis. But this year he is expected to start and showed some signs of greatness in limited playing time last year. Look for him and Ware to put up 25+ sacks between them
New York Giants 10-6
Some people will say its a slap in the face to not have the SB champs winning there division. But the Giants played out of their minds last year en route to winning a Superbowl. Give D coordinator Steve Spagnola ALL the credit. He came up with a beautiful game plan for both the Cowboys and Patriots games. Holding both these powerhouses to 17 and 14 points. I expect Eli manning to be average again, but I think the Defense will really miss Strahan for both his play and his leadership.
Team Strengths- DL, OL, WR, TE, RB
Team Weakness- QB, K
Player To Watch- Kenny Phillips
Ive head alot of great things about the Safety from Miami, Expect him to come in and start right away for the G-men.
Washington Redskins 7-9
The Skins, like the rest of the Teams in the NFC, have alot of Talent. But Its going to be hard for First year coach Jim Zorn going from a QB coach to Head Coach. There has to be somewhat of a sharp learning Curve there. The Skins loaded up on WR's in the Draft but i think the Jury is still out on Campbell. He has alot of weapons on offense now but learning a new system will take some time. The Defense is solid, not great but solid. Laron Landry should have a pro bowl type season but i think the Skins are still lacking a dominate pass rusher.
Team Strengths- TE, RB, S
Team Weakness- DL, K, QB
Philadelphia Eagles 6-10
The Eagles Success in 08 will come down to Donovan Mcnabb. I think the Eagles Days as contenders in the NFC are done. Even if Mcnabb does turn the Corner i don't think they have enough Weapons on Offense to compete in a very loaded division. Not getting a game changing WR really turns them into a 6 or 7 win team opposed to 9 or 10 win team with a guy like Chad Johnson or Anquan Boldin. Westbrook is still a top 3 rb and Samuel should help out an already good Secondary. But i just don't think it'll be enough to have a winning record in the NFC East, the toughest division in football.
Team Strengths- RB, DL, CB
Team Weakness- OL, WR, LB
Player to Watch - Trent Cole
A monster last year with 14 sacks. Cole Should have made the Pro Bowl and had to go against some very tough LT's. Expect another great year from Cole.
NFC NORTH
Minnesota Vikings 11-5
The Paper Champs in the NFC so far this year the Vikings are absolutely loaded on the Defensive side of the Ball. One of the Best Defenses last year adds Jared Allen to an already sickening good Defensive Line. The Vikings have the best RB in the league and the Best OL in the league as well. But they also have Tavaris Jackson as their QB, If the Viks had a really good QB i think they could win 14-15 games this year. But Jackson has shown nothing in his first 2 years and i don't expect him to just all of the sudden become an all pro.
Team Strength- RB, DL, OL, LB
Team Weakness- QB, WR, CB
Player to Watch- Sidney Rice
Steve Spurier said he was the best WR he ever coached in college. Rice came on big last year but Im not sure how well he will handle being the #1 option.
Green Bay Packers 11-5
The Aaron Rodgers era Begins and Green Bay and while the Jury is still out on Rodgers the Rest of the Team is very Solid and should get GB back to the playoffs. Rogers should have alot of Help on offense with a really good young WR core. On Defense the Packers have a great pass rush and CB play, along with some really good young linebackers. The Defense should be top notch next year and if Rodgers plays well the packers could win 13-14 games next year.
Team Strengths- OL, DL, CB, WR
Team Weakness- QB, TE
Player to Watch- Ryan Grant
IF Grant plays anything like he did last year then the Packers have found themselves a hell of a running back. But i need to see one more solid season out of him before i get out the anointing oil.
Detroit Lions 6-10
The Lions started out Blazing last year, but limped past the finish line and finished 7-9. I don't expect them to improve upon that mark this year. John Kitna is still there QB and they still have a terrible running game. CJ and Roy should put up some good numbers but they Lions just have too many holes to fill to be competitive in 08. The Defense is terri-bad and i don't see them improving at all this year.
Team Strengths - WR
Team Weakness- The Whole Defense
Player to Watch- Kevin Smith
Ill continue my Draft pick trend for players to watch. The Lions desperately need to catch lightening in a bottle with Smith. He was a gamer in college but dropped in the Draft because of his 40 time.
Chicago Bears 4-12
Alot of people disagree with me here. But i think the Bears are going to be very very bad this year. They have NO QB, NO RB and i literally cant name a WR on their Team. Their OL got abused last year and they will have to rely on Defense and Special Teams again this year. I think Urlacher's play will see a big decline this year. The Secondary could be better if Mike Brown is able to come back, but i just don't see it being enough. Devin Hester should be exciting to watch as always though.
Team Strengths- DL, LB, S, ST
Team Weakness- The whole offense
Player to Watch- Matt Forte
With no Cedric Benson Forte is the guy now and there will be alot of pressure on him to be productive as a rookie.
NFC SOUTH
New Orleans Saints 12-4
The Saints will be the Bounce back team in 08. They have a great QB in Brees, Solid RB's and some good young WR's. Sean Payton is a great coach and will have that offense clicking early on in the season opposed to late like last year. The Saints have a great Defensive Line. Charles Grant needs to be healthy but Will Smith is a Stud and will have another pro bowl type season. They will need alot better play from their Secondary though
Team Strengths- QB, WR, DL
Team Weakness- CB, S
Player to Watch- Johnathan Vilma
The Saints need Vilma to be healthy and play well. If he does a weakness in this team could turn into a strength.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-7
The Bucs will benefit from having a bad division. But i don't think they will wow us by any means. Garcia is Solid and will keep the Bucs in Games. But they are in Desperate need of a big Play maker on offense. Joey Galloway is an ageless wonder but he didn't show up at all in the playoff game vs NY. The Defense should be solid again and Barrett Rudd is one of the better young LBers. Jermaine Phillips is another player to look out for and should have made the pro bowl over Roy Williams.
Team Strengths- LB, QB, S
Team Weakness- WR, RB, DL
Player to watch- Gaines Adams/ Aquib Talib
Adams didn't live up to his top 5 draft status but i hear hes improving. Aquib Talib better show the Bucs they made a smart decision drafting him over local- home grown CB Mike Jenkins who said he really wanted to play for Tampa. Carolina
Panthers 7-9
I think the Panthers are somewhat in a rebuilding mode. They need to give up on Delhomme and start the rebuilding process completely. If not i think Fox's job may be on the line this year. The Panthers had a good Draft and have alot of good young players. But i think lack of a solid RB and QB will prohibit them from making the playoffs this year. Julius Peppers really needs to have a bounce back year otherwise that defense will really Struggle.
Team Strengths- WR, LB
Team Weakness- QB, RB, TE
Player to Watch - Jon Beason
Beason is an absolute "beast" and i expect him to have a great sophomore season to go along with his 140 tackle rookie season.
Atlanta Falcons 2-14
Too many New faces for the Falcons to even be remotely competitive. New head coach, New QB, new D Coordinator. There really arnt that many expectations going into this year for the Falcons. I think they just want to put the Whole Mike Vick thing behind them and move forward with their new franchise QB Matt Ryan. Micheal Turner should help out a little. Roddy White is also turning into a Solid WR. The O-line and D-line need alot of help though, Gotta win the battles up front if you want any kinda chance at winning more then 3 games this year
Team Strengths- RB, LB
Team Weakness- OL, DL, CB, S
Player to Watch- Matt Ryan
Ryan is the Face of the Franchise now and like any other top 5 QB selected, hes going to be expected to come in and produce immediatly.
NFC WEST
Seattle Seahawks 11-5
Another year, another NFC WEST tittle for the Seahawks. Hard to really tell how good the Hawks really are considering they play in a D-2 Division. But Hassellbeck is a very good QB and will carry the Seahawks once again. I don't think Julius Jones will be an upgrade at all over Alexander. The Seahawks do have a great pass rush and i think Kearny will have another monster year. The Seahawks might have the best LB core in the NFL too. Julian Peterson is a top 3 LB IMO.
Team Strengths- QB, LB, DL
Team Weakness- RB, S
Player to Watch- Darrell Tapp
Tapp is another solid pass rusher who should have a field day playing behind guys like Kearny who will be seeing constant double teams.
Arizona Cardinals 8-8
Every year the Cardinals seem to have hopes of making the playoffs. Every year they seem to disappoint. I think The Cards will put together a pretty good Squad this year.They will have a decision to make on who is there starting QB. I honestly think Warner gives them the Best chance at winning if he doesn't turn the ball over(which is obv a big "if"). The Defense must improve this year in order to take the next step. Everybody knows Boldin and Fitzy are dominate so i don't elaborate more on that.
Team Strengths - WR, LB, CB
Team Weakness- QB, DL, OL
Player to watch - Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
Cousin of Chargers Antonio Cromartie the Cardinals Expect big things from their First Round Draft pick. Although i heard he came into camp 15 pounds over weight. DRC has all the skill sets to be a shut down corner though.
St Louis Rams 6-10
The Rams could surprise everyone and actually win this Division. IT all depends on how Bulger Bounces back and how Steven Jackson Plays. Even with those two guys healthy the Rams are so Bad on Defense i cant imagine them breaking .500. I wont even try to grade their Defense because i honestly don't know half the players on their D. They also need Offensive Line Help big time.
Team Strengths- QB, RB, WR
Team Weakness- The Whole Defense
Player to Watch- Chris Long
Gotta go with Long as the player to watch. Only time will tell if they made the right choice picking Long over Dorsey
San Fransisco 49ers 4-12
I live In Utah and went to plenty of Utah Ute games when Alex Smith was the QB. Let me say this, he had no business being the #1 pick in the draft. He was strictly a product of Urban Meyers system and at this point is a complete bust in my minds. The Niners haven't helped smith out though, He really needs a big time WR to go along with Gore who is a great RB. The Defense should be a little better this year with the signing off Justin smith. But they still need Secondary help and an OLB to compliment Willis.
Team Strengths- RB, LB
Team Weakness- QB,WR, CB, S
Player To Watch- Patrick Willis
After an absolute monster Rookie year i expect Willis to Put up similar Numbers and show everyone why he was named DROY last year.
So here we Go boys, the official Mdot AKa Demarcus Ware Aka Team DimE 2008 NFL Football Predictions...With Record Predictions, Players to Watch, Team Weaknesses, all that good stuff.....
***********WARE'S 08 NFL PREDICTIONS**************
AFC EAST
1. New England Patriots 13-3
The Patriots had a remarkable season last year. Obviously going undefeated throughout the regular season and up until the Superbowl was a great accomplishment. Will there be a hangover after the Superbowl Loss though? The Answer is No. New England is too talented and has one of the Easiest Schedules in the League. Belichick is a Master Motivator and will have the
Pats playing with a chip on their shoulder in 08 just like they did after the whole spy gate debacle.
Team Strengths - DL, WR, OL
Team Weakness - LB, CB
Player to Watch- Jerod Mayo.
Mayo needs to be an impact player as a rookie. The Pats LBers are older then Dirt and they lost arguably their best LB in Roosevelt Colvin.
2. Buffalo Bills 7-9
The Bills have been one of the most over achieving teams in the few years. During Dick Jauron's first two years they have had alot of injuries and inexperienced players at key positions. Even with all the question marks the bills have been in playoff contention the past few years and seem to play with alot of heart. With some key Free Agent signing(Marcus Stroud, Kawika Mitchell) i see the Bills as a team on the rise in 08.
Team Strengths - ST, DL, RB
Team Weakness- WR, CB
Player to Watch- James Hardy
The Bills Desperately need a big possession WR to go along with Lee Evans. I think the 6'6 Hardy will be a great fit and an Early Candidate for OROY.
New York Jets 6-10
The New York Jets are an Interesting Team. They have some Very Talented players and Added alot of missing pieces during the off season. But they still don't have a QB and missing out on Mcfadden leaves them with a pretty weak running game. Even with all the off season additions i think the Jets underachieve again and miss the playoffs.
Team Strengths- OL, CB
Team Weakness- QB, RB
Player to Watch- Darrelle Revis
Revis Started every game as a rookie last year and showed signs of being a future shutdown corner. Revis and Rhodes are going to be perennial Pro Bowls for the next 5-10 years.
Miami Dolphins 3-13
Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano Bring much needed Toughness to a very soft and thinly talented Dolphin Team. The Dolphins(or the Cowboys B team) have holes at every position and are at least 2 or 3 years away from being even remotely competitive. They do have "hope" though. Nobody is better at taking a terrible team and turning them around then Bill Parcells. Look for the Dolphins to Ship Jason Taylor before the Season starts. BP doesnt do Hollywood...
Team Strengths- GM and Scouting Department
Team Weakness- QB, WR, LB
Player to Watch- Ronnie Brown
IF Ronnie Brown can come back from his ACL tear and be somewhat productive then the Dolphins could win as many as 5 games. If they have to rely on Ricky Williams or some Unknown then they could be looking at another Win less season come week 12 or 13.
AFC North
1. Cleveland Browns 10-6
The Surprise team of 07 is back and they are loading up for a playoff push. Derrick Anderson came out of nowhere and provided the Browns with a much needed lift at the QB position. The Pressure is on Romeo though to get to the playoffs. The Browns Were the "off season winners" so to speak, spending lots of money and draft picks to solidify their DL and WR positions. The Secondary must play alot better though in order to win the Division
Team Strengths- WR, OL, ST
Team Weakness- CB, LB
Player to Watch- Joshua Cribbs
Cribbs was Devin Hester Esq last year and should be the best Return man in the game going into 08. He was maybe the Browns MVP last year and led the league with around 30 yards per return.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers 10-6
The Steelers are a very physical team. They run the ball down your throats and play good defense. Its been their trade mark for...well forever. I expect them to have a more dynamic passing game this year to compliment the Running game. Heath Miller will have another big year and The Defense will be really solid as usual.
Team Strengths- QB, RB, LB, TE
Team Weakness- CB, OL
Player to Watch- Rashard Mendenhall
Mendenhall was a steal at #23 and should be a great compliment to Willie Parker. Mendenhall will get you tough yards up the gut and Parker will be more of a home run threat.
Cincinatti Bengals 6-10
The Bengals are trying to Turn the page on there terri-bad 07 campaign and trying to shake the Reputation as the Bad Boys of the NFL. They got rid of a few trouble makers and added some New players to the Mix. But there is too many "ifs" for the Bengals to be competitive. What will Happen with Ocho Cinco? Is Mike Zimmer really the answer to turn around one of the Worst Defenses in the NFL? Even with all the Question marks, the Bengals Still have a chance just because of Carson Palmer but it wont be enough to get them back to the playoffs.
Team Strengths- QB, WR
Team Weakness- LB, CB, S
Player to Watch- Keith Rivers
Rivers is an Athletic OLB that can hopefully cause havoc for the Bengals. Rivers is also know for being a class act off the field, Two things the Bengals Desperately need.
Baltimore Ravens 3-13
The Ravens are in Total rebuilding mode. They have a new Head Coach, New Quarterback and are very thin on the Offensive Line after J. Ogden decided to retire a few weeks ago. They have some Young Talented players on the Defense, but some Aging players as well. Don't Expect much from Baltimore this year but they could be a team on the rise 2 or 3 years from now.
Team Strengths- DL, LB, RB
Team Weakness- QB, WR, OL
Player to Watch- Ray Rice
Rice could be the steal of the Draft and provide a solid 10-15 carries a game behind McGahee. He was a workhorse in College and i expect him to play with a chip on his shoulder all year after being drafted late in the 2nd round.
AFC SOUTH
Jacksonville Jaguars 12-4
This could be the year of the Jags finally win the AFC south and put their stamp on this Division. After losing time and time again to the Colts. The Jags made sure they addressed their few weaknesses by Drafting two Pass Rushers with their first 2 picks in the Draft. They also picked up a few WR's so Gerrard will have a decent passing attack to go along with their Great Running game. This Team is loaded and ready to make a run at the SB.
Team Strengths- QB, RB, DL
Team Weakness- CB, WR
Player to Watch- Mercedes Lewis
After being very Quiet in his First few years with the Jags, Lewis came on late in 07 and should be starting in 08. Expect big things from the Former UCLA Bruin.
Indianapolis Colts 11-5
There is no reason to think that the Colts wont be one of the top 3 or 4 teams in the AFC again this year. This Is Tony Dungy's Last hurrah and the Colts are the same dominate team they have been for the last 5 years. The Big Question Mark for the Colts is if Marvin Harrison will be the same after missing most of the 07 season with a Knee Injury. Even Without Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark will continue to give defensive coordinators Fits and Peyton Manning is...well Peyton Manning.
Team Strengths - QB, TE, RB, WR, S
Team Weakness- LB, K
Player to Watch- Joseph Addai
Addai is a Star in the Making and will be a top 5 pick in Virtually every Fantasy Draft.
Houston Texans 7-9
The Texans are another team on the Rise. With a Very Solid and Young Defense i expect the Texans to Continue to Improve. Even though 7-9 is a drop off from their 8-8 record a year ago the Texans will be alot better with a healthy Andre Johnson. The lack of a running game and playing in a great division will prohibit the Texans from making the Playoffs though.
Team Strengths- DL, WR
Team Weakness- OL, RB
Player to Watch- Amobi Okoye
The Youngster got off to a great start last season but faded down the Stretch. Him and Williams are going to be a hand full for OT's and D coordinators.
Tennessee Titans 6-10
The Titans are a team that seems to over achieve every year. But i think there luck runs out this year. Last year the Titans won alot of games they shouldn't have. I think if anything Young has Regressed since his Rookie year and it doesn't help that the Titans have gotten him Zero Weapons as far as WR Goes. A very strong Defense will keep them in games but i don't see the Titans making the playoffs this year.
Team Strengths- DL, OL
Team Weakness- QB, WR
Player to Watch- Chris Johnson
Will Johnson and his blazing 4.2 speed be a home run threat every time he touches the ball? Or is he just a work out wonder? Only time will tell...
AFC WEST
San Diego Chargers 13-3
The Chargers are one of the Most Talented teams in the League. They are loaded on both sides of the ball and its Superbowl or bust for Norv this year. The Chargers should run away with this division and the Only Question mark coming into the season is how Rivers, LT, and Gates come back from Injuries. But the best DL in the league and an unbelievable LB'ing core will get the Chargers to the playoffs even if the offense somehow struggles.
Team Strengths- DL, LB, CB, RB
Team Weakness- WR, K
Player to Watch- Vincent Jackson
Jackson must be more consistent for the Chargers. He came on strong towards the end of 07 and he really needs to turn the teams only weakness into a strength
Denver Broncos 9-7
The Broncos are a team that is average but will benefit from a weak division. They have a solid QB in Cutler and a up and coming WR in Brandon Marshell. But that's about it as far as the Offense goes. Don't count on Selvin Young and Mike Bell to light it up this year. The Defense is pretty average all around. Expect big things from Elvis Dumervil and Champ Bailey. But they will need a much better pass rush this year if they want to make the playoffs.
Team Strengths- QB, CB
Team Weakness- DL, LB
Player to Watch- Elvis Dumervil
The 5'11 Dumervil should really come into his own in his 3rd season. Seems to always play with a chip on his shoulder and was an absolute steal for the Broncos in the 05 draft.
Oakland Raiders 7-9
The Raiders are going to be an interesting team this year. While making a big splash in the off season and drafting the electrifying Darren Mcfadden you would think the Raiders will be in the Hunt for a playoff berth come December. The raiders have one of the weakest schedules in the league as well. All that being Said Jamarcus Russell is unproven and will have growing pains. The raiders will still win 7 games though because of the super soft AFC West.
Team Strengths- LB, CB, RB
Team Weakness- QB, OL
Player to Watch- Darren McFadden/ Jamarcus Russell
The Success of the Raiders will come down to these two players. Alot of pressure on a bunch of Kids so to speak. Both are top 5 picks and very talented so the raiders expect big things from both.
Kansas City Chiefs 3-13
The Chiefs are another Team that is in complete rebuilding mode. With an unproven Quarterback and and a team that's expected to start 6 rookies i wouldn't expect too much from them in 08. The Chiefs also traded away their best player and arguably the best pass rusher in the game in Jared Allen. The chiefs had a great Draft, Hard to go wrong when you have 13 picks and 6 in the first 3 rounds. Don't Expect much from these rookies right away but watch out come 09 or 2010.
Team Strengths- DL, RB, TE
Team Weakness- QB, WR, CB, LB, K
Player to Watch- The whole 08 Draft
Only time will tell if it was the right move to trade Jared Allen. But Glenn Dorsey should be a monster in the middle and all of the draft picks from 08 have a chance to come in and play immediately.
NFC EAST
Dallas Cowboys 11-5
The Cowboys are the most Talented team in the NFL. No question about that. But Talent can only get you so far. The Cowboys lack Mental toughness and a desire to win. But 13 pro bowlers and adding more play makers should be enough to win the NFC East this year. I expect the Offense to have another great year. Romo to Witten is something your going to be hearing alot this year. Should Be interesting to see how MB3 handles the starting Job at RB, but i have a feeling he will be fine.
The Question Marks are all on Wade Phillips and his Defense. Wade Phillips has a history of doing very will his 1st year with a team and going completely downhill from there. I feel like his Defense underachieved big time last year. Look For Chris Canty to have a breakout year and for Demarcus Ware to have around 15-18 sacks and Win DPOY. The Secondary should be better but who knows how much of an impact Adam Jones Will have. Look out for Mike Jenkins though the rookie outta USF.
Team Strengths- QB, WR, RB, TE, LB, CB
Team Weakness- S, Head Coach
Player to Watch- Anthony Spencer
A rookie last year, Spencer had a hard time getting on the field playing behind pro bowler Greg Ellis. But this year he is expected to start and showed some signs of greatness in limited playing time last year. Look for him and Ware to put up 25+ sacks between them
New York Giants 10-6
Some people will say its a slap in the face to not have the SB champs winning there division. But the Giants played out of their minds last year en route to winning a Superbowl. Give D coordinator Steve Spagnola ALL the credit. He came up with a beautiful game plan for both the Cowboys and Patriots games. Holding both these powerhouses to 17 and 14 points. I expect Eli manning to be average again, but I think the Defense will really miss Strahan for both his play and his leadership.
Team Strengths- DL, OL, WR, TE, RB
Team Weakness- QB, K
Player To Watch- Kenny Phillips
Ive head alot of great things about the Safety from Miami, Expect him to come in and start right away for the G-men.
Washington Redskins 7-9
The Skins, like the rest of the Teams in the NFC, have alot of Talent. But Its going to be hard for First year coach Jim Zorn going from a QB coach to Head Coach. There has to be somewhat of a sharp learning Curve there. The Skins loaded up on WR's in the Draft but i think the Jury is still out on Campbell. He has alot of weapons on offense now but learning a new system will take some time. The Defense is solid, not great but solid. Laron Landry should have a pro bowl type season but i think the Skins are still lacking a dominate pass rusher.
Team Strengths- TE, RB, S
Team Weakness- DL, K, QB
Philadelphia Eagles 6-10
The Eagles Success in 08 will come down to Donovan Mcnabb. I think the Eagles Days as contenders in the NFC are done. Even if Mcnabb does turn the Corner i don't think they have enough Weapons on Offense to compete in a very loaded division. Not getting a game changing WR really turns them into a 6 or 7 win team opposed to 9 or 10 win team with a guy like Chad Johnson or Anquan Boldin. Westbrook is still a top 3 rb and Samuel should help out an already good Secondary. But i just don't think it'll be enough to have a winning record in the NFC East, the toughest division in football.
Team Strengths- RB, DL, CB
Team Weakness- OL, WR, LB
Player to Watch - Trent Cole
A monster last year with 14 sacks. Cole Should have made the Pro Bowl and had to go against some very tough LT's. Expect another great year from Cole.
NFC NORTH
Minnesota Vikings 11-5
The Paper Champs in the NFC so far this year the Vikings are absolutely loaded on the Defensive side of the Ball. One of the Best Defenses last year adds Jared Allen to an already sickening good Defensive Line. The Vikings have the best RB in the league and the Best OL in the league as well. But they also have Tavaris Jackson as their QB, If the Viks had a really good QB i think they could win 14-15 games this year. But Jackson has shown nothing in his first 2 years and i don't expect him to just all of the sudden become an all pro.
Team Strength- RB, DL, OL, LB
Team Weakness- QB, WR, CB
Player to Watch- Sidney Rice
Steve Spurier said he was the best WR he ever coached in college. Rice came on big last year but Im not sure how well he will handle being the #1 option.
Green Bay Packers 11-5
The Aaron Rodgers era Begins and Green Bay and while the Jury is still out on Rodgers the Rest of the Team is very Solid and should get GB back to the playoffs. Rogers should have alot of Help on offense with a really good young WR core. On Defense the Packers have a great pass rush and CB play, along with some really good young linebackers. The Defense should be top notch next year and if Rodgers plays well the packers could win 13-14 games next year.
Team Strengths- OL, DL, CB, WR
Team Weakness- QB, TE
Player to Watch- Ryan Grant
IF Grant plays anything like he did last year then the Packers have found themselves a hell of a running back. But i need to see one more solid season out of him before i get out the anointing oil.
Detroit Lions 6-10
The Lions started out Blazing last year, but limped past the finish line and finished 7-9. I don't expect them to improve upon that mark this year. John Kitna is still there QB and they still have a terrible running game. CJ and Roy should put up some good numbers but they Lions just have too many holes to fill to be competitive in 08. The Defense is terri-bad and i don't see them improving at all this year.
Team Strengths - WR
Team Weakness- The Whole Defense
Player to Watch- Kevin Smith
Ill continue my Draft pick trend for players to watch. The Lions desperately need to catch lightening in a bottle with Smith. He was a gamer in college but dropped in the Draft because of his 40 time.
Chicago Bears 4-12
Alot of people disagree with me here. But i think the Bears are going to be very very bad this year. They have NO QB, NO RB and i literally cant name a WR on their Team. Their OL got abused last year and they will have to rely on Defense and Special Teams again this year. I think Urlacher's play will see a big decline this year. The Secondary could be better if Mike Brown is able to come back, but i just don't see it being enough. Devin Hester should be exciting to watch as always though.
Team Strengths- DL, LB, S, ST
Team Weakness- The whole offense
Player to Watch- Matt Forte
With no Cedric Benson Forte is the guy now and there will be alot of pressure on him to be productive as a rookie.
NFC SOUTH
New Orleans Saints 12-4
The Saints will be the Bounce back team in 08. They have a great QB in Brees, Solid RB's and some good young WR's. Sean Payton is a great coach and will have that offense clicking early on in the season opposed to late like last year. The Saints have a great Defensive Line. Charles Grant needs to be healthy but Will Smith is a Stud and will have another pro bowl type season. They will need alot better play from their Secondary though
Team Strengths- QB, WR, DL
Team Weakness- CB, S
Player to Watch- Johnathan Vilma
The Saints need Vilma to be healthy and play well. If he does a weakness in this team could turn into a strength.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-7
The Bucs will benefit from having a bad division. But i don't think they will wow us by any means. Garcia is Solid and will keep the Bucs in Games. But they are in Desperate need of a big Play maker on offense. Joey Galloway is an ageless wonder but he didn't show up at all in the playoff game vs NY. The Defense should be solid again and Barrett Rudd is one of the better young LBers. Jermaine Phillips is another player to look out for and should have made the pro bowl over Roy Williams.
Team Strengths- LB, QB, S
Team Weakness- WR, RB, DL
Player to watch- Gaines Adams/ Aquib Talib
Adams didn't live up to his top 5 draft status but i hear hes improving. Aquib Talib better show the Bucs they made a smart decision drafting him over local- home grown CB Mike Jenkins who said he really wanted to play for Tampa. Carolina
Panthers 7-9
I think the Panthers are somewhat in a rebuilding mode. They need to give up on Delhomme and start the rebuilding process completely. If not i think Fox's job may be on the line this year. The Panthers had a good Draft and have alot of good young players. But i think lack of a solid RB and QB will prohibit them from making the playoffs this year. Julius Peppers really needs to have a bounce back year otherwise that defense will really Struggle.
Team Strengths- WR, LB
Team Weakness- QB, RB, TE
Player to Watch - Jon Beason
Beason is an absolute "beast" and i expect him to have a great sophomore season to go along with his 140 tackle rookie season.
Atlanta Falcons 2-14
Too many New faces for the Falcons to even be remotely competitive. New head coach, New QB, new D Coordinator. There really arnt that many expectations going into this year for the Falcons. I think they just want to put the Whole Mike Vick thing behind them and move forward with their new franchise QB Matt Ryan. Micheal Turner should help out a little. Roddy White is also turning into a Solid WR. The O-line and D-line need alot of help though, Gotta win the battles up front if you want any kinda chance at winning more then 3 games this year
Team Strengths- RB, LB
Team Weakness- OL, DL, CB, S
Player to Watch- Matt Ryan
Ryan is the Face of the Franchise now and like any other top 5 QB selected, hes going to be expected to come in and produce immediatly.
NFC WEST
Seattle Seahawks 11-5
Another year, another NFC WEST tittle for the Seahawks. Hard to really tell how good the Hawks really are considering they play in a D-2 Division. But Hassellbeck is a very good QB and will carry the Seahawks once again. I don't think Julius Jones will be an upgrade at all over Alexander. The Seahawks do have a great pass rush and i think Kearny will have another monster year. The Seahawks might have the best LB core in the NFL too. Julian Peterson is a top 3 LB IMO.
Team Strengths- QB, LB, DL
Team Weakness- RB, S
Player to Watch- Darrell Tapp
Tapp is another solid pass rusher who should have a field day playing behind guys like Kearny who will be seeing constant double teams.
Arizona Cardinals 8-8
Every year the Cardinals seem to have hopes of making the playoffs. Every year they seem to disappoint. I think The Cards will put together a pretty good Squad this year.They will have a decision to make on who is there starting QB. I honestly think Warner gives them the Best chance at winning if he doesn't turn the ball over(which is obv a big "if"). The Defense must improve this year in order to take the next step. Everybody knows Boldin and Fitzy are dominate so i don't elaborate more on that.
Team Strengths - WR, LB, CB
Team Weakness- QB, DL, OL
Player to watch - Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
Cousin of Chargers Antonio Cromartie the Cardinals Expect big things from their First Round Draft pick. Although i heard he came into camp 15 pounds over weight. DRC has all the skill sets to be a shut down corner though.
St Louis Rams 6-10
The Rams could surprise everyone and actually win this Division. IT all depends on how Bulger Bounces back and how Steven Jackson Plays. Even with those two guys healthy the Rams are so Bad on Defense i cant imagine them breaking .500. I wont even try to grade their Defense because i honestly don't know half the players on their D. They also need Offensive Line Help big time.
Team Strengths- QB, RB, WR
Team Weakness- The Whole Defense
Player to Watch- Chris Long
Gotta go with Long as the player to watch. Only time will tell if they made the right choice picking Long over Dorsey
San Fransisco 49ers 4-12
I live In Utah and went to plenty of Utah Ute games when Alex Smith was the QB. Let me say this, he had no business being the #1 pick in the draft. He was strictly a product of Urban Meyers system and at this point is a complete bust in my minds. The Niners haven't helped smith out though, He really needs a big time WR to go along with Gore who is a great RB. The Defense should be a little better this year with the signing off Justin smith. But they still need Secondary help and an OLB to compliment Willis.
Team Strengths- RB, LB
Team Weakness- QB,WR, CB, S
Player To Watch- Patrick Willis
After an absolute monster Rookie year i expect Willis to Put up similar Numbers and show everyone why he was named DROY last year.
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