My Picks for Week 1

The NFL season is upon us and the seasons starts this Thursday. Each week I will be posting my picks for who I think will win each match up. So if you disagreements please feel free to express them.

Pittsburgh Steelers over Tennessee Titans
Atlanta Falcons over Miami Dolphins
Cincinnati Bengals over Denver Broncos
Minnesota Vikings over Cleveland Browns
Indianapolis Colts over Jacksonville Jaguars
New Orleans Saints over Detroit Lions
Dallas Cowboys over Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Philadelphia Eagles over Carolina Panthers
Baltimore Ravens over Kansas City Chiefs
Houston Texans over New York Jets
New York Giants over Washington Redskins
Arizona Cardinals over San Fransisco
Seattle Seahawks over St. Louis Rams
Green Bay Packers over Chicago Bears
New England Patriots over Buffalo Bills
San Diego Chargers over Oakland Raiders

So those are my picks for week 1. Check back to each week for my picks.

Shawne Merriman Update

Shawne Merriman says he was trying to help Tila Tequila get transportation so she could leave his house. There was a disturbance call late Saturday night and police showed up to Merriman's house. She filed a citizens arrest but no charges were filed. It should be known that Tila was intoxicated and authorities did not find any injuries on her. It was also reported that Tila is not his girlfriend, they are just acquaintances. So you have to wonder if Merriman is actually innocent and was just trying to help her? If so then a lot of people owe him an apology for assuming the worst about him. I admit that when I first heard about it that I jumped to conclusions. Hopefully he is innocent because the Chargers need his presence on the field. He is the heart of their defense and makes them go. Keep checking back for further updates on this situation.

Compete with me on ESPN

If you're interested in some friendly competition in Fantasy Sports. I am doing almost every Fantasy Sport on ESPN.com All my groups are called Hollywoods World of Sport. They are all public groups and anyone is free to join. So go to ESPN.com and join now

One Race Left Until the Chase Begins

This Saturday is the final race before the Chase for the Cup begins. Saturday's race will be at Richmond in one of the funnest night races of the year. It's the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond. The point standings are very tight right now.


1 Tony Stewart 3694 ---
2 Jeff Gordon 3457 -237
3 Jimmie Johnson 3404 -290
4 Denny Hamlin 3296 -398
5 Carl Edwards 3162 -532
6 Kasey Kahne 3153 -541
7 Kurt Busch 3152 -542
8 Juan Montoya 3145 -549
9 Ryan Newman 3138 -556
10 Mark Martin 3126 -568
11 Greg Biffle 3125 -569
12 Matt Kenseth 3077 -617
*** Chase for the Sprint Cup Cutoff ***
13 Brian Vickers 3057 -637
14 Kyle Busch 3040 -654
15 David Reutimann 2945 -749
16 Clint Bowyer 2909 -785

Now I personally hate the concept of the top 12 drivers competing for the championship because the other 31 teams have no reason to really show up for the race except maybe to win a race make some extra money. A lot can happen in 10 races. Someone in the top 20 could make a huge comeback an contend. The other thing I hate about chase, is that the points are reset and everyone starts over. That's totally unfair to the guy who as been in 1st place the whole year. I honestly think the Chase has hurt the sport, not helped it. If you think about it, if a fans driver isn't in the Chase then their is no reason for them to watch. I think they need to go back to the old ways of doing it. I'll be curious to see how everything plays out in the end this year. I hope Tony Stewart maintains his lead and wins the whole thing. That would be great considering he has held the lead all year. Stay tuned to see if "Smoke" can smoke them all.

Shawne Merriman Arrested

This morning San Diego Chargers Linebacker Shawne Merriman was arrested for allegedly choking and restraining his girlfriend Tila Tequila. Yes the same Tila Tequila from "A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila." Apparently she was trying to leave their home and that's when the incident occurred. He is being charged with battery and false imprisonment. This is not the first time Merriman has been in trouble. In 2006, he was suspended for four games for testing positive for steroids.

Well if he is found guilty he will probably not play this season. Don't believe me? Look at commissioner Roger Goodell's track record of who he has suspended.

Rodney Harrison, Adam "Pacman" Jones, Chris Henry, Terry "Tank" Johnson and Michael Vick. He also made the New England Patriots forfeit their first round 2008 draft pick because New England videotaped the defensive signals of the New York Jets.

The Chargers are one of the heavy favorites to win it all this year because they are finally healthy. But with Merriman being the anchor of their defense, you have to wonder if he is gone how good the defense will be. I know one player doesn't make the team but one great player can effect a lot of things. Yes, I think as a player he is great but he has made some stupid choices like this one. Stay tuned for another episode of NFL Player gone stupid. This one should be interesting.

Danica Patrick to NASCAR

Well the inevitable has finally happened. Female superstar race drive Danica Patrick be driving in NASCAR next year. Sources say she will race in the Camping World Truck and Nationwide series. Tony Stewart even made a guarantee that she will be in NASCAR next year leading a lot of people that she will be on his team. Stewart who owns half of Stewart-Haas racing and is a very good friend of Patrick's. Danica stated she would not give up racing Indy car racing but once she realizes how much money she could make in NASCAR she won't drive Indy cars.

So what does this do for NASCAR? Well there have been female drivers before but none of them have been able to compete on the level that Danica can. Once she gives up Indy cars she will probably in the Sprint Cup Series. She has a huge chance to make a lot of history that's never been seen in NASCAR. She has already a superstar. Look all the things she has done.

-She has been in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
-She has been in two GoDaddy.com commercials
-She has been in Jay-Z's music video "Show Me What You Got,"
-She has been a guest on Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night With Conan O'Brien

Her racing credentials are pretty impressive as well. For example in her five starts at the Indy 500 she has had four top ten finishes. Shes finished 12th or better since she started Indy Cars in 2005. And by the way she is the first woman to win an Indy Car race. Mark my words this is going to be a great thing for NASCAR. It's going to bring a whole new fan base to the sport and will probably re-energize the sport. Will 2010 be the year that NASCAR changes forever? I think it will be but it's a good change so stay tuned.

Sam Bradford Injured and More

If you're the Oklahoma Sooners you did not envision your first game of the season going the way it did tonight Former Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford was injured in the 2nd quarter with a shoulder sprain in his throwing arm. To top it off they lost 20th ranked Brigham Young 14-13. The Sooners were ranked 3 and will probably drop dramatically. Any chance of Bradford of winning the Heisman again may have been wiped away by this injury. Most people are out for 2-4 weeks with this sort of injury. The extent of his injury is not known yet but hopefully it's not too bad for all the Sooner fans out there. I personally hope Bradford comes back soon because Bradford is my favorite college football player and has actually got me interested in college football.

Other tidbits from college football today include the Florida Gator steamrolling over Charleston Southern. The final score was 62-3. Alabama defeated Virginia Tech in a really good game. U of M, and MSU both had stellar games. It was great to see the Grady brothers (Kevin and Kelvin from East Grand Rapids) get a little bit of playing time in the game. Other then BYU defeated Oklahoma there were no upsets this weekend.

Games to look forward to next week
No. 4 USC at No. 6 Ohio State
No. 23 Notre Dame at Michigan
Central Michigan at Michigan State

I know I will be watching, will you be?

Hulk Hogan Please Shut Up

I never thought I would be writing this or thinking this but the other day I was listening to the Bubba The Love Sponge show and guess who was on? None other then Hulk Hogan, Brian Knobbs and Kurt Angle. Hulk Hogan keeps saying that TNA is missing the one piece that get them over the hill and he is referring to himself. He took it to another level telling Angle he would like to work a program with him. Angle fed Hogans ego by saying he could make it happen. Hogan does this every single year trying leverage something so WWE will take him back. Newsflash Terry, Vince doesn't want you back because you cause to much political drama in the back like you did with Shawn Michaels in 2005. No one wants to work with you anymore because you won't put anyone over. You always have to win and ever since you been doing reality TV no one really cares about you.

You're the Immortal Hulk Hogan, you have nothing left to prove. You are a legend and probably the greatest sports entertainer of all time. So here is what I say, if you are going to sign a contract with TNA then do it and shut up. Quit talking about how you want to do this and do that. You have a lot of your fans down by being all talk and no action. Would I be happy if Hogan returned to wrestling? Yes. Would I be upset if he didn't? No, because he is past him prime and is way over the hill. He will go down as one of the greatest of all time. People that don't even like wrestling know who Hulk Hogan is.

You always ask the question Whatcha Gonna Do? Well thats my question to you now. Whatcha Gonna Do? Whatcha Gonna Do when all of your Hulkamaniacs turn their backs on you?

Notable NFL Roster Cuts

Today was the final day for NFL teams to cut their roster sizes down to the league minimum. Here are some of the more notable names that were cut and without a team right now.

Kansas City Chiefs cut Zach Thomas
New York Giants cut David Tyree
New Orleans Saints cut Joey Harrington
Oakland Raiders cut Jeff Garcia
Buffalo Bills cut Dominic Rhodes
San Fransisco 49ers cut Damon Huard
Tampa Bay Buccaneers cut Matt Bryant
Atlanta Falcons cut Robert Ferguson
Washington Redskins cut D.J. Hackett

Here is a thought. The Detroit Lions should sign all of these guys and they might have a chance of winning a game or two this year. I know I shouldn't rib on the Lions but it is so hard not to. Weather these guys are past their prime or just having bad years the fact of the matter is this list features some pretty good talent who if given a chance might get back to their old ways of being a good football player. Keep in eye out for these guys to see any teams sign them.

Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuinness Sign with WWE

Remember the 80's when WWE raided all the territory's for their talent. Well it's happening again and this time it's Ring of Honor taking the damage. WWE has agreed in principle with Ring of Honor's two top stars, Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuinness. Both of these men have held the ROH World Title and are both very well known around the world for those who follow the independent wrestling scene. Here is what WWE is getting.

Bryan Danielson
Billed height: 5 ft 9 in
Billed weight: 185 lb

Trained by: Rudy Boy Gonzalez, Shawn Michaels William Regal Tracy Smothers Bobby Eaton, Masato Tanaka,and Grant McKee

Debut: October 4, 1999

He has held many titles throughout the country in various promotions and has also held titles in Japan and Canada.


Nigel McGuinness
Billed height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Billed weight: 220 lb (100 kg)

Trained by Robbie Brookside, Chic Cullen, Les Thatcher, and Dave Taylor.

Debut September 1999

He also has held various titles around the country in different promotions. I personally think both men will do well in WWE because of how talented they. I think Nigel will get pushed more because of his size but Danielson will be really great. He was trained by Shawn Michaels and anyone that has ever been trained by him have turned to be pretty good. So the questions now are what are there characters going to be like, what shows will they be on, and how big is WWE going to let them be? Stay tuned to find out.

Blount Suspended for the Year

After a thrilling game between Boise State and Oregon which saw Boise State winning 19-8, Oregon Running back LeGarrette Blount punched Boise State defensive end Byron Hout in the mouth after Hout provoked him by saying something to him after the game. According to experts Blount was a top ranked running back but many people don't think he is worth drafting. This was Blount's senior season and now has to wait eight months to see if any NFL team will draft him. Last year he had 17 touchdowns and over 1,000 yards. What a waste of talent and waste of a college career all due to one stupid mistake. I will be watching closely in the spring if he gets drafted or not. At this point, I doubt it. Stay tuned for more on this crazy story.

John Morrison vs. Rey Mysterio: Match of the Year?

Tonight I saw one of the best matches on TV that I've seen all year. It was so good that it should be nominee for match of the year. It was face paced, high octane and full of nonstop action. Due to Rey Mysterio being suspended for thirty days he was forced to drop the Intercontinental Title to John Morrison. The match went about twenty minutes and was rock solid. There have not been a lot of great matches in WWE this year but this is right up there with matches that have been great this year. Other matches that should be up for the match of the year include:

Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship (Triple H, Edge (c), The Undertaker, The Big Show, Jeff Hardy, and Vladimir Kozlov)

The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels

Ladder match for the World Heavyweight Championship- Edge(c) vs. Jeff Hardy

Extreme Rules Match for the ECW Championship- Christian (c) vs. Tommy Dreamer

TLC match for the World Heavyweight Championship- Jeff Hardy(c) vs. CM Punk

D-Generation X vs. Legacy

So in nine months there has only been seven good matches that I have seen personally. Maybe there are some others out there and if so please name them. Now back to John Morrison. This win makes him a three time Intercontinental Champion along with being a former ECW Champion and five time tag team champion. Morrison's career is starting to rise and he is getting to be a bigger star every time he goes out there. He reminds me a lot of Jeff Hardy and Shawn Michaels. Put those two styles together and he has the potential to reach status of greatness and be a legend. It will now be Intercontinental Champion John Morrison vs. Dolph Ziggler at Break Point for the championship. What a great match that should be. Finally some new younger talent are finally getting the recognition they deserve. Congrats to the Friday Night Delight John Morrison by becoming the new Intercontinental Champion

Wrestlers Who Have Changed Persona's

I recently had a conversation with someone about certain wrestlers who have changed persona's in wrestling to make their career better or because they had to change for a different company. It's interesting because this person brought up the fact that these wrestlers are not that legendary because they had to change their persona's multiple times. However I disagree with one point. Look how many personalities Mick Foley had. He was Cactus Jack, Dude Love and Mankind. All three personalities were successful in some way. So here is the list of wrestlers with more then one character in their career.

-Isaac Yankem, DDS became Fake Diesel then became Kane
-Tugboat who became Typhoon then became the infamous Shockmaster.
-Dustin Rhodes who became Goldust
-Papa Shango who became Kama, Kama Mustafa, The Godfather and The Goodfather
-Jamal from 3 Minute Warning became Umaga
-Headshrinker Fatu became the Sultan then became Rikishi
-Mike Rotunda became IRS
-"Sugar" Shane Helms became Hurricane Helms and Gregory Helms
-Ron Simmons became Faarooq
-Justin Hawk Bradshaw became Bradshaw then John Bradshaw Layfield
-Scotty Flamingo became Johnny Polo then became Raven
-El Gigante became Giant Gonzales
-Adam Bomb became Wrath then used his real name Bryan Clark
-Oz who became Vinnie Vegas then became Diesel and now uses his real name Kevin Nash
-Diamond Studd who became Razor Ramon and now uses his real name Scott Hall
-1-2-3 Kid who became X-Pac and also used the name Syxx
-Al Snow was Leif Cassidy for awhile
-Mabel who became Viscera then Big Daddy V
-Johnny B. Badd who then used his real name Marc Mero
- Big Bubba Rogers became Big Boss Man then became Guardian Angel and then Big Bubba Rogers again and then eventually Ray Traylor.
-Jacques Rougeau who became the Mountie
-Bob "Spark Plug" Holly who became Hardcore Holly
-And last The Blue Blazer that was in WWE in the late 80's returned as his real name Owen Hart

So as you can see this is not even most of the personality changes in pro wrestling. This is just a small list I came up with. It's kind of crazy how some of them most people didn't know about until the internet got big and people started doing their research on these guys. For example when the Godfather was at his peak I never knew he use to be Papa Shango until I looked it up. I am sure there are many more wrestlers who have changed persona's but these ones are the ones I came up with off the top of my head. If you have anymore please leave a comment.

Michael Vick Eligible in Week 3

Love him or hate him Michael Vick is officially back in the NFL. Commissioner Roger Goodell fully reinstated Vick yesterday with Vick being eligible to play in week three. Vick played in the Eagles preseason finale last night against the New York Jets.

Passing stats
7/11, 26 yards, 1 int

Rushing stats
7 carries, 35 yards, 1 touchdown

Vick is still a great scrambling Quarterback and really hasn't shown any real signs of rust after being away for nearly two years. A lot of people still don't like Vick due to his personal choices but you cannot deny the fact that he is a great athlete who did do a lot of great things in Atlanta when he was there. It will be interesting to see how Vick and McNabb get along when things go bad or times get tough. What will Andy Reid do if McNabb performs bad like he sometimes does. The Eagle have made the NFC Championship game five times in the last ten years and went there four years in a row. So with Vick there now can the Eagles get over the hump and win the Super Bowl finally? Only time will tell if Vick can lead the Eagles to the promise land.

The Red Sox Two Costly Mistakes

Within the last month the Boston Red Sox released pitchers John Smoltz and Brad Penny. Both Smoltz and Penny were not performing up to Red Sox standards but really what Red Sox pitcher has lately. Smoltz went on to sign with the St. Louis Cardinals and has done very well for himself in the few starts he had. Then you had Brad Penny who signed with the San Fransisco Giants and made his start with them this past week. He had a stellar performance which shocked Giants management. So is there something about the National League that makes it easier to pitch in? If so I am not quite sure what it is. Obviously in the N.L. there is no DH which makes it a little bit easier but how much easier could it be?

Another thing that I noticed is how great Pedro Martinez has been pitching. Why didn't the Red Sox try to bring him back? All I know is the Phillies, and Cardinals are going to be World Series contenders. The Giants have a chance to make the Wild Card and then you have the Red Sox who are struggling to stay in the Wild Card lead. The Rangers are only three games back and the Red Sox are not showing any signs of dominance. I believe that letting Smoltz and Penny go will come back to haunt them this year. If they make the playoffs they'll wish they had them. Can the Red Sox hang on the Wild Card lead and be a force in the playoffs? In three weeks or so we will find out so stay tuned.

Bruce Bowen Retires

Yesterday after thirteen years in the NBA Bruce Bowen has retired. Bowen is well known for being a pesky defender and getting into people heads with how aggressive he was on defense. He is most notable with his time with the San Antonio Spurs where he won three NBA Championships. He was nominated for the First and Second Defensive Teams in the NBA from 2001-2008. He was also second in voting for Defensive Player of the Year from 2005-2007. San Antonio was not Bowen's only destination. Other teams he played for include:

-Miami Heat (1997, 2000–2001)
-Boston Celtics (1997–1999)
-Philadelphia 76ers (1999–2000)
-Milwaukee Bucks (2009)

He also played in a league in France and the CBA for the following teams:

-Le Havre (1993–1994)
-Evreux (1994–1995)
-Rockford Lightning (1995–1996, 1997)
-Besançon (1996–1997)

Bowen was toughest small forward in the game that I have seen in quite sometime. There a lot of athletic small forwards in the game but he was the toughest to get by and the toughest to try and score on. He was very controversial in the way he played the game which led to a few altercations. He had a $10,000 fine for kicking Ray Allen in the back during a game in 2006. He also had some issues in the 2007 NBA Playoffs with the Phoenix Suns when his knee hit Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash's groin which sent Nash to the floor. Bowen has has share of critics but he also had people that respected the way he played because it was different and in your face. Bowen had a good career and I am sure guys he defended are happy to see him leave. I personally will miss Bowen's in your face style of play. It brought something different to the game and something the game sorely needed. Will the ever be another defender like Bruce Bowen? I sure hope so.

A first in the WWE

Just when you think you have seen it all in the WWE they always do something new. For the first time ever at WWE's Breaking Point there will be a Tag Team Submissions Count Anywhere match between Degeneration X and Legacy. This should be interesting because no one in this match is really known for their submission skills. However here is what I think will happen. Triple H will use the crossface like he has done in the past. Shawn Michaels will use the sharpshooter and his modified figure four. I have no idea what Cody Rhodes will try to use as a submission finisher. It is clearly obvious that Ted Dibiase will use his fathers finisher the Million Dollar Dream. I am predicting that DX will win and it will end by Triple and Shawn Michaels putting both members of Legacy in the figure four, which was made famous by their hero Ric Flair. Breaking Point is WWE's newest Pay-Per-View concept where all the main events are submission matches. Other matches announced so far include:

-World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk vs. Undertaker (Submission Match)
-WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. John Cena ("I Quit" Match)
-Mark Henry & Montel Vontavious Porter vs. Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & Big Show

I think CM Punk and Undertaker have the potential of having a great match, and making Punk into even a bigger star. Orton vs. Cena is getting old but I am really curious to see how the match ends because there are no rules except you have to say I Quit. The Unified Tag Team Title match looks intriguing but I think WWE is getting desperate and just putting two guys together as opponents. They have either split all the tag teams or they are not giving legitimate tag teams a chance. The only legit tag teams in the WWE right now are Legacy, DX, Hart Dynasty, and Cryme Tyme. They should have never split up Primo and Carlito because they were good together. Potential tag teams that could contend with Big Show and Chris Jericho would be Vladimir Kozloff and Ezekiel Jackson or the team of John Morrison and Matt Hardy.

WWE Breaking Point is September 13th and only three matches have been announced. I will be curious to see what other matches there will be. Stay tuned this next week to see what matches will be added.

Lesnar vs. Carwin at UFC 106, UFC 107 Stacked

It was announced a few weeks ago that Shane Carwin will take on Brock Lesnar for the UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 106 in November. Now lets look at this from a realistic point of view. Carwin has had more fights then Lesnar but Carwin has only beaten one credible opponent by the name Gabriel Gonzaga who in my opinion was overrated to begin with anyways. Lesnar has had five fights and has beaten Heath Herring, Randy Couture and Frank Mir. He beat three credible opponents and has beat them convincingly. Carwin will present a challange for Lesnar due to his size. He is
6 ft 3 in and, 259.5 lb. In the end, Lesnar will win probably by knockout in the second round and go on to face Nogueira sometime in 2010. That would be my guess considering how dominating Nog was against Randy Couture at UFC 102.

The Lesnar fight is not the only fight thats going to be great at UFC 106. It will be the return fight of one Tito Ortiz who will take on UFC Legend Mark Coleman. Ortiz has not fought in awhile but I hear he is in really good shape. Also Kenny Florian will take on Clay Guida in what could be a really intense fight. Both fighters are crazy strikers but Florian has the advantage when it comes to submission. You can bet Florian will angry in there considering he lost a chance to become champion against BJ Penn at UFC 101.

UFC 106 could be the best overall fight card of the year but I doubt it. UFC 107 already has a stacked card in December and here what that card looks like.

Quinton Jackson vs. Rashad Evans
Frank Mir vs. Cheick Kongo
Thiago Alves vs. Paulo Thiago

If those aren't some great match ups I don't know what is. The last half of the year looks like a great for the UFC. As Bruce Buffer would say "It's time!" It's time for some great fights in the UFC

Aaron Boone Returns from Open Heart Surgery

As someone who knows what it's like have open heart surgery and go through recovery I was really excited to see Aaron Boone return to baseball yesterday by playing for the Houston Astro's. In March he announced that he was having open heart surgery to replace a bicuspid aortic valve. He has had the condition since he was a kid but tests showed it had gotten worst. A lot of people including Boone himself didn't think he would play baseball again.

Aaron Boone comes from a great baseball family. His dad Bob Boone played as well as his brother Bret Boone. His grandfather Ray Boone played as well. Most people know Aaron Boone for his heroics in the 2003 ALCS when he hit a game winning home run against the Boston Red Sox in the 11th inning thus winning the game and series for the New York Yankees. It is ranked as one of the greatest home runs of all time.

Although Boone went 0-3 yesterday he had a great diving stop at 1st place which he was applauded for by the fans and his teammates. It takes a lot of guts to get back out there and play after something so major like that. Aaron Boone would be a great spokesperson for kids that have heart disease. He is sending a positive message to people not to let limitations stop you from your dreams. My hats off to Aaron Boone for a remarkable recovery and comeback. I hope to see more of him next year.

Curt Schilling Running for Senate?

As reported by ESPN yesterday, Curt Schilling is considering the possibility of running for senator for the state of Massachusetts. He would be running to fill the seat that was once held by Ted Kennedy. Curt is a registered independent and a supporter of the republican party. I would really like to see Schilling run just to see what he would be like a political figure. Schilling is a future Hall of Famer and one of the all time great post-season pitchers.

If Curt Schilling runs for senate he'll no doubt in my mind win because of his name. Most of the time when a big name runs for a political office they usually win. For example, Arnold, and Jesse Ventura. They both were considered long shots in some peoples eyes but they ultimately won their election races. Curt Schilling is a hero in Massachusetts because helped the Boston Red Sox win two World Series titles in 2004 and 2007. He's loved by a lot of people and Red Sox Nation could be the decided factor that gets him into office.