Top 15 Games of 2015

One last installment for 2015.  And it's the annual look at the top games of the year.  I've got to admit, coming up with the number of games to correspond with the number of the year, especially since I limit it to one per sport/league.  But, thanks to some entries from sports you might not expect, I was able to once again complete the challenge.

In fact, there are much more than 15 games that could've been on this list.  I could've easily selected 15 games from each sport individually.  But here are my top 15 from 2015.  Unlike my memorable moments from the other day, these are ranked in order.  Feel free to disagree.  I'd be surprised if people didn't...

15. Daytona 500-February 22, Daytona, FL: Jeff Gordon won the pole for his final Daytona 500 and led for most of the race.  But he got caught in Daytona's famous "Big One," bringing out the red flag.  That meant we were in for a great finish, and they delivered.  Joey Logano ended up taking the checkered flag in a race that featured 27 lead changes among 12 drivers.

14. Holly Holm vs. Ronda Rousey-November 15, Melbourne, Australia: It took all of three minutes, yet it sent shockwaves through the entire sporting world.  The undefeated Rousey was UFC's biggest draw, as evidence by the record crowd of more than 56,000 and the 1.1 million pay-per-view buys.  Holm did the unthinkable and took the champ to the second round.  Then she did the downright "impossible," knocking Rousey out 59 seconds later.

13. Belmont Stakes-June 6, Elmont, NY: This one makes the list not because of how good the race was, but because of what it meant.  American Pharoah dominated.  It wasn't even close.  It was like Secretariat.  When he turned for the stretch run, nobody was hoping for a Triple Crown.  We all knew.  NBC's Larry Collmus summed up everybody's feelings perfectly: "The 37-year wait is over!  American Pharoah is finally the one!  American Pharoah has won the Triple Crown!"

12. Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 5: Rangers 2, Capitals 1 (OT)-May 8, New York: There were so many great games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs to choose from.  But I went with the one that had me on the edge of my seat the most.  The Rangers came home down 3-1 in the series and Washington led 1-0 late when Chris Kreider tied it with 1:41 left in the 3rd period.  Ranger captain Ryan McDonagh then scored 9:37 into the extra session to keep the Rangers alive in a series they'd eventually win in seven.

11. Rugby World Cup: Japan 34, South Africa 32-September 19, Brighton, England: On the second day of the Rugby World Cup, Japan pulled the biggest upset in the sport's history.  Japan trailed the vaunted two-time champion Springboks 32-29 when Japan declined to take a late penalty kick that would've tied it.  The strategy worked, as the Japanese scored the game-winning try on the last play of the game to secure the 34-32 victory.

10. Women's Final Four: Notre Dame 66, South Carolina 65-April 5, Tampa, FL: When all four of the No. 1 seeds advanced to the Women's Final Four, you knew that it was going to be a good one.  Notre Dame led by four at halftime and was up 64-52 with 7:51 left when South Carolina went on a 13-0 run to go ahead.  But Madison Cable's only basket of the game put the Fighting Irish back in front before All-American Tiffany Mitchell missed a three at the buzzer, sending Notre Dame into its four National Championship Game in five years.

9. IAAF World Championships, Men's 100 Meter Final-August 23, Beijing: Many thought this was Justin Gatlin's best chance to finally beat Usain Bolt.  Gatlin was faster in both the heats and semifinals, while Bolt looked downright pedestrian.  But lest we forget, Usain Bolt is not human.  And he shines brightest on the biggest stage.  Gatlin got out great and held the lead most of the way before Bolt did what he always does.  Win.  At the site of his Olympic three-peat in 2008, he earned the first gold medal of a 2015 World Championships three-peat.

8. NCAA Tournament, 1st Round: Georgia State 57, Baylor 56-March 19, Jacksonville, FL: Games like this one are why we love March Madness.  Baylor was tabbed as a potential Final Four team, but 14th-seeded Georgia State went on a 13-0 run over the final three minutes to pull off the upset.  The game-winning bucket was a three-pointer by R.J. Hunter, which caused Bulldogs coach Ron Hunter, R.J.'s dad, who already had a torn Achilles suffered celebrating the Sun Belt tournament title, to fall off his stool celebrating.

7. Women's World Cup, Quarterfinals: Germany 1, France 1 (Penalty Kicks: 5-4)-June 26, Montreal: Just like the 2014 Men's World Cup, the 2015 Women's World Cup gave us plenty of memorable games (as well as plenty of stinkers, like Germany's 10-0 rout of Ivory Coast).  One of the best, though, was the quarterfinal matchup between No. 1 Germany and No. 3 France.  France drew first blood, but the Germans tied it on a penalty kick in the 84th minute.  Both teams had chances in extra time, but it went to penalty kicks.  After Germany made all five, Nadine Angerer stopped France's final shot to set up a semifinal showdown with those American badasses.

6. Wimbledon Gentlemen's Final: Novak Djokovic vs. Roger Federer-July 12, Wimbledon, England: These two met in the Wimbledon final for the second straight year, and it was just as epic as their 2014 clash.  And once again, Djokovic came out on top.  They split tiebreaks, with Federer winning a 12-10 marathon to take the second set, but Djokovic got a break in the third and one in the fourth to secure a 7-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3 victory.  They met again two months later in the US Open final, and that one was a classic, as well.  It easily could've been on the list instead of Wimbledon.

5. College Football Playoff at the Sugar Bowl: Ohio State 42, Alabama 35-January 1, New Orleans: I think we can all agree that the first year of the College Football Playoff was a rousing success.  And this game showed why.  Fourth-seeded Ohio State only got into the playoff after routing Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game and was given no shot against No. 1 Alabama, the prohibitive favorite for the first true national title, in the Sugar Bowl, which served as one of the semifinals.  Alabama showed why they were favored early, building a 21-6 lead midway through the second quarter.  But Ohio State responded with a 36-7 run to go up 42-28.  The Crimson Tide scored a late touchdown, but it was too late.  The Buckeyes were going to the National Championship Game, where they would dominate Oregon.

4. World Series, Game 5: Royals 7, Mets 2 (12 innings)-November 1, New York: Really, with the 2015 World Series (and the 2015 MLB Postseason in general), you could pick any game as the best.  But I went with the one where the Royals clinched their first championship in 30 years.  It was 2-0 Mets going to the ninth, which is when Royals games get fun.  Matt Harvey convinced Terry Collins to let him come out for the ninth, but he was gone after a walk to Lorenzo Cain and an Eric Hosmer double.  Jeurys Familia came in and got the first out rather routinely.  Hosmer was on third when Salvador Perez hit a grounder to third and, as soon as the throw went to first, he dashed for home.  Lucas Duda's throw went somewhere on Long Island, and suddenly the game was tied.  It stayed 2-2 until the top of the 12th, when Christian Colon, in his first plate appearance in a month, opened the floodgates with the series-winning single.

3. U.S. Open (Golf) Final Round-June 21, Seattle: Now, to be clear, I'm still not a fan of golf.  But since the final round of the U.S. Open is always on Father's Day, and I was at my sister's house, I ended up watching the final round with my brother-in-law, who's a big golf fan.  You knew it would be crazy when four players went into the final round tied for the lead.  Jordan Spieth was up two strokes after 16 holes, but double-bogeyed 17 to fall into a tie with Dustin Johnson.  Spieth birdied 18, but Johnson two-putted, giving Spieth his second Major of the year.

2. Western Conference 1st Round, Game 7: Clippers 111, Spurs 109-May 2, Los Angeles: All those who watched this series wished it hadn't been in the 1st round.  Because neither team deserved to be the loser.  Game 7 was just like the entire series.  Both teams were at their best.  There were 19 ties and 31 lead changes.  With one second left, Chris Paul hit the series-winning shot.  Final score: Clippers 111, Spurs 109.  Series result: Clippers 4, Spurs 3.

1. Super Bowl XLIX: Patriots 28, Seahawks 24-February 1, Glendale, AZ: For the best game of 2015, I think this was a pretty easy call.  The SUPER Bowl doesn't always live up to its name, but this matchup between the defending champion Seahawks and a Patriots team looking for its fourth title of the Bradicheck Era sure did.  How evenly matched were they?  It was 0-0 after one and 14-14 at halftime.  Seattle eventually built a 10-point lead, but the Patriots scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, taking a 28-24 lead with 2:04 left.  As it turns out, that was plenty of time for Russell Wilson.  Jermaine Kearse made the David Tyree he-just-did-what?! catch to set up 1st-and-goal with 1:05 remaining.  After a Marshawn Lynch run got the Seahawks to the 1, the play call heard around the world followed.  For some reason, Seattle tried a pass through the middle, which was intercepted by New England's Malcolm Butler, icing the win for the Patriots and cementing Super Bowl XLIX's place as one of the greatest games in Super Bowl history.

15 Memorable Sports Stories From 2015

Every year in sports is memorable for its own reasons.  2015 was no exception.  The year started with the inaugural College Football Playoff, which proved to be an unparalleled success.  We also finally saw another Triple Crown and almost saw a Grand Slam.  We learned more than we ever thought we would want to know about deflating footballs and found out that who you are and who you're supposed to be aren't necessarily the same thing, even if you're a famous athlete.

My annual Top Games of the Year post will take its traditional place as the final entry before we flip the calendar over, but there are plenty of things beyond the games that I'll remember about 2015.  So, that's what today's post is all about.  Here, in no particular order, are the 15 sports stories of 2015 that I'll remember the most, and not for any specific reasons, either.

Women's World Cup: It had been 16 years since the U.S. last won the Women's World Cup.  That all changed this summer in Canada, and they had the entire nation transfixed.  That dominant performance in the final won't be forgotten for a long time.  They got a ticker-tape parade down the Canyon of Heroes, met the President, and inspired a generation of little girls the way they were inspired by the '99ers.  All because they played like bad asses.

American Pharoah: After years of near-misses, we thought we might never see a horse racing Triple Crown again.  But we did.  And the nation fell in love with the sport all over again as a result.  The Belmont was a sellout, and I know thousands of people who didn't cash in their winning bets.  They wanted to be there.  And they wanted a souvenir.

Serena Williams & Jordan Spieth's Near Misses: Serena was the story of the year.  She came within two wins of the first calendar-year Grand Slam since 1988 while dominating women's tennis at a level we've never before seen.  There was Grand Slam talk about Spieth, too, after he won the Masters and U.S. Open.  It didn't happen for either one, but that didn't make their years any less spectacular.

Nobody's Perfect: Kentucky entered the NCAA Tournament undefeated and lost to Wisconsin in the Final Four.  The Panthers started 14-0, only to see the '72 Dolphins crack the champagne in their second-to-last game of the season.  Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks had a ridiculous undefeated month, but didn't win a championship.  Then the champion Warriors went 24-0 to begin their defense before finally losing to Milwaukee.  The UConn women may still go undefeated, but the quest is always a story in its own right.

Deflategate: For the two weeks before the Super Bowl, we spent more time talking about the air pressure in footballs than anything else.  Even after the Seahawks made one of the stupidest play calls I've ever seen and New England won its fourth championship of the Bradicheck Era, Deflategate was still the only thing anyone wanted to talk about.  It dominated the offseason, Tom Brady was suspended, then he wasn't, then he put together an MVP-like regular season.  We haven't heard the last of it either.

Stephen Curry & the Warriors: Stephen Curry became a superstar in 2015 while leading the Warriors to their first title in 30 years.  Golden State's championship was refreshing for so many reasons.  It was a nice change of pace, and they're fun to watch.  In the Finals, Curry one-upped LeBron. who didn't win that championship he promised Cleveland when he returned.

Mayweather/Pacquiao: Boxing's two biggest names finally got in the same ring.  Of course, it would've been better if this fight had taken place five years ago.  Because the biggest event in boxing history turned out to be a huge dud.  Mayweather won and stayed unbeaten for his career, which he's hinted may end after one more fight.

Usain Bolt Is Usain Bolt: Once again, Usain Bolt rose to the occasion with an otherworldly performance at the World Championships.  He wasn't favored in the 100.  It didn't matter.  Then he added gold medals in the 200 and 4x100 relay, his second straight World Championship triple to go along with his two Olympic triples.  As it turns out, the only thing that can stop the GOAT is a segway.  He got run over by a photographer riding one on his victory lap after the 200.

Jeff Gordon/Kobe Bryant Retirement Tours: Gordon announced his retirement first, and he almost ended his final season with a championship.  The 2015 Sprint Cup season was more about Jeff Gordon than anything else.  Which is only fitting, seeing as how much Gordon has meant to his sport.  Ditto for Kobe Bryant.  Who's on the shortlist of greatest players ever for one of the NBA's marquee franchises.

College Football Playoff: They sure hit a home run with this one, didn't they?  In year one, the CFP proved to be everything people had hoped and then some.  Under the BCS, there's no way Ohio State would've even been considered to play in the National Championship Game.  They didn't just have a chance at the title, they went out and won it.  The No. 4 seed in the four-team bracket, the Buckeyes upset Alabama and Oregon to become college football's first true National Champion.

A Wacky Baseball Season Ends With the Royals Winning the World Series: Where do I start about the 2015 baseball season?  The Cubs.  THE CUBS! emerged as a force to be reckoned with, Bryce Harper was otherworldly, the Astros were in first place for most of the year, and the Blue Jays returned to the playoffs for the first time in more than 20 years.  But in the end, it was Kansas City, one of the most complete teams in the game, that turned back the clock and won an old-school World Series the old-fashioned way.

The Blackhawks Dynasty Rolls On: As that old saying goes, "The more things change, the more they stay the same."  That was certainly the case in the NHL, as the Blackhawks claimed their third Stanley Cup in six years.  That offseason stuff about Patrick Kane threatened to put a damper on Chicago's latest title, but those accusations proved unfounded and the Blackhawks picked up right where they left off to start this season.

Scandals Everywhere: FIFA President Sepp Blatter was reelected once again, only to resign when scrutiny arose regarding the selection of Qatar for the 2022 World Cup.  The bribery charges led to more arrests than I can count, as well as suspensions for Blatter and UEFA President Michel Platini.  Meanwhile, Russia's anti-doping policy was exposed as a complete joke.  It was so nonexistent that the nation's entire track & field team is currently suspended from international competition, and they may have Olympic and World Championship medals going back years taken away because athletes that should've been suspended never were.  The IAAF didn't get off scotch-free, either.  The no-bid awarding of the 2021 World Championships to Eugene, Oregon raised plenty of eyebrows, especially with outgoing President Lamine Diack suspected of financial impropriety.

Beijing Wins 2022 Olympics: In the end, the Olympics no one wanted are headed to a very familiar place.  The candidates dropped out one-by-one (for various reasons) until we were left with just Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan.  And the IOC took the safe, familiar route, heading back to Beijing just 14 years after the 2008 the Summer Olympics, making it the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Games.  Now it's on to the bidding for 2024, which had plenty of its own problems (Boston), but did end up with four good candidates.

Finally, a moment that doesn't make the list because of how memorable it was, but I'll never forget for very personal reasons...

Pan Am Games: There are too many memories that I'll take away from the Pan Am Games to list here.  Rest assured, that Toronto 2015 will always have a very special place in my heart.  The trip was unlike anything I've ever experienced before (and that includes the 2002 Olympics).  It was everything I hoped it would be and more.  For me, nothing else that happened in 2015 will compare to the Pan Am Games in Toronto.

2015 Football Picks, Week 16

Before getting into this week's slate of games, a thought about Sunday Night Football next week, which is always TBA so that they can have a game that matters showcased.  Except this year, there might not be any games that matter.  If the Redskins and Packers win this week, everything in the NFC will be locked in, and you'd have too many teams in the running for that final AFC spot that you really wouldn't be able to play one at a different time than the others.

So, unless the Eagles win on Saturday, the NFL could have quite a dilemma on its hands.  I may have a solution, though.  Bucs-Panthers.  Should Carolina beat Atlanta, they'll be going for the second 16-0 regular season in NFL history.  Sounds to me like a great opportunity to showcase the best team in the league and their historic attempt.  It would also be most of the nation's first real chance to see Jamies Winston, seeing as the Bucs have been terrible for a long time.  Of course, there's still a lot of stuff in play in Week 16, and an Eagles victory over the Redskins all but assures we'll see the Giants on Sunday night two weeks in a row.  (A Cardinals win and a Vikings win means we'll get Green Bay-Minnesota for the NFC North in the first of back-to-back meetings.)

Thursday Night: Oakland (Win)

Redskins (7-7) at Eagles (6-8): Philadelphia-This is probably the most important game of the entire season in the NFC East.  If Washington wins, that's it.  The Redskins clinch the division.  But if the Eagles win, they jump into the driver's seat, and they'll win the division with a win over the Giants in Week 17.  Philadelphia's just 3-7 against NFC teams, but I'm still not sold on Washington on the road.  They finally got a road victory two weeks ago in Chicago, but they don't play any more home games this year, and it'll be very tough to beat two bitter division rivals on the road to end the season.  I think the Eagles win and give themselves the inside track for that playoff loss to Seattle.

Panthers (14-0) at Falcons (7-7): Carolina-First, a word about Mr. Josh Newman.  He's not the innocent victim of Odell Beckham's freak out.  Do you think Beckham would've acted that way if Newman hadn't egged him on?  Because I sure don't.  Keep in mind, this is the same guy who had a fight with Cam Newton during training camp.  OK, now that I've gotten that off my chest, the Panthers definitely face a tough situation here.  They still haven't clinched home field yet, so they'll need to go all out.  But if they do, they'll be 15-0.  Do you resist the temptation to try and go for it next week, or do you do the same thing all good teams do in the last game and sit guys to avoid the risk of injury?  I hope they do go for it next week.  In more ways than one.

Cowboys (4-10) at Bills (6-8): Buffalo-In the season where we celebrated Super Bowl rematches all year long, our final one brings us back to the glory days of both these teams.  It's sure been a long time since Dallas beat Buffalo back-to-back.  After both losing last week, the 2015 versions of the Cowboys and Bills are simply playing out the stretch.  Buffalo at least has a .500 record to play for, and they'll have two home games in which to try and get it (and if the Jets do beat the Patriots, you know Rex would love nothing more than knocking them out of the playoffs).

49ers (4-10) at Lions (5-9): Detroit-Two more teams playing out the stretch, but getting their in vastly different directions.  The Lions haven't been bad since their horrible start and Mrs. Ford's ultimatum.  San Francisco, on the other hand, has been lost all season, and now the 49ers can't even score!  The Lions are a Rodgers-to-Rodgers 70-yard bomb away from making it six out of seven.  As it is, they'll make it five out of seven.

Texans (7-7) at Titans (3-11): Houston-Houston took control of the AFC South last week with that win in Indy, and they can clinch the division with a win and a Colts loss.  There aren't many teams in football that are hotter than the Texans right now, and they've got a favorable remaining schedule (at Tennessee, Jacksonville at home).  But they can't afford to screw up against a Titans team that's staring at the No. 1 pick the year after drafting No. 2.

Browns (3-11) at Chiefs (9-5): Kansas City-The Chiefs are the first team in NFL history to win eight straight immediately after a five-game losing streak.  Yet, amazingly, they haven't clinched a playoff spot yet.  And, even more amazingly, they can still win the AFC West.  With all that still in play, do you really think they're gonna let up at home against lowly Cleveland?  I don't.  A win coupled with Jets or Steelers loss puts the Chiefs in the playoffs.

Colts (6-8) at Dolphins (5-9): Indianapolis-I have no idea who's going to play quarterback for the Colts this week.  But Indy's now in a situation where they must win out and hope the Texans lose.  That's how big those late-season division games can be.  Now they leave the chilly Midwest for sunny Miami for a matchup with an equally disappointing Dolphins team.  The Colts are on a three-game losing streak.  The Dolphins have lost two straight.  Something's gotta give.

Patriots (12-2) at Jets (9-5): New England-You've gotta feel for the Jets.  They've done everything they've needed to do over the past month, yet they've gone from in the playoffs to on the outside looking in.  They need a lot of things to go their way over the final two weeks, and the schedule-makers didn't help their cause, as Bradicheck and Co. come for their annual visit this week.  Stop me if you've heard this one before: New England clinches home field in the AFC playoffs with a win.  Yes, the script's getting old.  I agree.  Unfortunately, I don't think there's much we can do about it.  The Jets are gonna need a miracle to get in.

Bears (5-9) at Buccaneers (6-8): Tampa Bay-Lovie takes on his former team in Tampa.  The Bears would certainly like to forget 2015 after heading into the season with such high hopes, which I think Tampa Bay's got to be encouraged in the first year of the Jamies Winston Era.  If they'd beaten the Rams, they'd be playing to guarantee a .500 record.  As it is, they'll take on Carolina next week needing a win to end the season at 8-8.

Steelers (9-5) at Ravens (4-10): Pittsburgh-Well, it's gonna be a three-point game.  That much we know.  Other than that, I've got nothing.  The Ravens won the first game between these two when they were still winless, and it could be the game that knocks the Steelers out of the playoffs.  That win over Denver last week was THAT important for Pittsburgh.  They can't follow it up with a loss to their bitter rivals.  If they do get swept by Baltimore, they deserve to miss the playoffs.

Jaguars (5-9) at Saints (5-9): New Orleans-Who would've thought that when Jacksonville visited New Orleans in Week 16, they'd have the same record?  Most people had the Saints tagged as a potential playoff team, while not much was expected of the Jaguars.  I've been pleasantly surprised by Jacksonville this season.  I don't see them winning in New Orleans, though.

Packers (10-4) at Cardinals (12-2): Arizona-It's crazy how excited I am to watch this game.  The NFC West champion Cardinals have shown us a lot during their eight-game winning streak, and they'd love to wrap up their first-round bye before the Seahawks come visit next week.  More importantly, this is a statement game for Arizona this close to the start of the playoffs.  Same for the Packers.  Green Bay needs a win to avoid a winner-take-all showdown for the division title.  Like I said, it's gonna be a good game.  That's why FOX made sure they kept it when you know NBC would've loved to have this one on "Sunday Night Football."

Rams (6-8) at Seahawks (9-5): Seattle-St. Louis won when they played Seattle in Week 2.  The Seahawks are a much different team than they were four months ago.  Seattle's won five straight and looks like the two-time defending NFC champions for really the first time all season.  And Russell Wilson's been otherworldly of late.  We haven't seen the Seahawks win on the road in the playoffs yet, though.  That's a matter for a couple weeks from now, but their victory here will lock up Minnesota's playoff spot.

Giants (6-8) at Vikings (9-5): Giants-There's a chance, albeit a very small one, that the Giants can still get into the playoffs as NFC East champions.  Of course, a Redskins win on Saturday night eliminates all those possibilities, so they could be (to use a poker term) drawing dead come Sunday night in Minnesota.  It's a big one for the Vikings, too.  They can set up a winner-take-all showdown for the NFC North with a win and a Packers loss.  The lack of Odell Beckham will make the task that much harder for Giants, but they have always been a team that rises to the occasion.  This season, their version of rising to the occasion has meant losing a close game in the final seconds, but for some reason I think they're going to pull this one out anyway.  Two teams with a lot to play for.  Good choice for Sunday night.

Bengals (11-3) at Broncos (10-4): Denver-Last year when these two met in the final Monday night game of the season, the Bengals needed a win to get into the playoffs, and they delivered.  This time, it's the Broncos that come in needing a win.  Cincinnati's playoff spot is assured, and they'll wrap up a much-needed bye with a win in Denver.  The Broncos, though, can amazingly end up out of the postseason entirely, a suggestion that was completely unthinkable after they beat the Patriots.  A win gives the Broncos the inside track on the other bye, though (keep in mind they play San Diego in Week 17).  Of course, they need to figure out how to not blow a big lead first.  Against the Bengals defense, the opportunities to score will be few and far between, so I don't see that happening.  I still need to know the Bengals can win in primetime, too.  Two primetime games this season.  Two losses.

This Week: 1-0
Last Week: 9-7
Season: 138-87

Four All-Star Games In One Day

The NFL has announced the Pro Bowl "rosters,"  Aren't you excited?  Of course, half the players that were named to the Pro Bowl won't actually be in Hawaii, either because of phantom injuries (or real ones) or, the best reason yet, because their team is in the Super Bowl!  We know the players, but we don't know the teams.  They'll be picked by Hall of Famers Michael Irvin and Jerry Rice a couple days before the game.

I've been over and over about how much I hate what Roger Baddell has done to the Pro Bowl.  The lack of players from the Super Bowl teams really irks me, but that's only the second worst thing about it now!  What's the worst?  The mix-and-match teams.

They got the idea for the All-Star Draft from the NHL, which started the whole choose your own team nonsense for the 2011 All-Star Game.  It was the NHL that first tried the "North America vs. the World" thing to drum up excitement for the 1998 Olympics, which were the first to feature NHL players.  That lasted until 2003, when people got tired of it and they switched back to the more traditional East vs. West.  Then, after not having an All-Star Game in 2010 due to the Olympics (a condition in the Lockout 1.0 CBA that was kept after Lockout 2.0), it returned in 2011 with the new format, which was supposed to be more exciting for everyone.

Except it wasn't.  The draft was cooler than I thought it would be, but the whole concept was flawed from the beginning.  Players going against their teammates isn't anything new in hockey.  But when the Americans take on the Canadians, you at least know who to root for.  With teams being picked arbitrarily, you have no idea who to root for!  Not to mention the fact that naming the team after the captain was also incredibly dumb.  The idea grew tired almost immediately, yet the NHL soldiered on with it for five years, even though that only meant three All-Star Games (Lockout 2.0 and the Olympics knocked out the 2013 and 2014 editions).

So, you can probably imagine how relieved I was that the NHL announced a new format for the 2016 All-Star Game in Nashville.  Unlike the last one, I'm really excited about this format change.  I think it's gonna be awesome.

It's no longer East vs. West or North America vs. the World or Team Whoever vs. Team Somebody Else.  There are now four different All-Star teams, one representing each division.  And instead of a regular 60-minute game, each period is divided into its own 20-minute contest.  The first period is the East.  The second period is the West.  The two winners then meet in the third period to determine which division gets the $1 million prize money.

If that's not cool enough, the whole thing will be 3-on-3.  I was somewhat skeptical of the NHL's new 3-on-3 overtime format at first, but after seeing it in action, it's awesome!  Wide open ice, scoring chances galore, fast-paced, back-and-forth hockey.  Everyone has embraced it.  But overtime lasts just five minutes.  Why not try it for a full 20 minutes?  And the All-Star Game is the perfect place to do it.  The NHL will never replace the traditional 5-on-5 game during the regular season, and no one will ever ask them to.  But this is the All-Star Game we're talking about.

Best of all, this is something fresh and new that still feels like it's a return to something more traditional.  Sure, there'll only be three skaters and a goalie on each side, but you'll know who to root for.  If your favorite team is the Rangers, all of the Rangers will be on the same team (and every team has to be represented, which is my favorite part of the baseball All-Star Game).  You won't have Mats Zuccarello taking shots on Henrik Lundqvist anymore.  You'll also know the other guys on your team.  With fantasy sports and the ability to watch every game, people have become fans of specific players more than specific teams.  But they're still more likely to watch their favorite team play than somebody else.  And who does your favorite team play the most, and thus you're more familiar with?  The teams in their division.  You'll actually be rooting for those guys for a change.

On January 31, there will be two All-Star Games (yet another reason moving the Pro Bowl was incredibly stupid).  I can't wait for one, and can't be bothered to watch the other.  Who knew a little format change could do so much?

Don't Bring Back the Mile

Last week, the NCAA track & field coaches voted to change from the 1500 meters to the mile at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.  When I first heard that this was being proposed, I thought it had absolutely no chance of passing.  Now that it has, I can't help but wonder what they were thinking.  Because the whole idea is really stupid!

This whole mile crusade started a couple years ago when some guy launched the website "Bring Back the Mile."  They claim on the website that the mile is "America's Distance."  Really?  Name one famous American miler.  America's actual distance is the 100 meters (although the Jamaicans have done a good job of usurping that event in recent years).

"Bring Back the Mile" supporters are obviously ecstatic about this news.  Unfortunately, though, they're still fixated on some romanticized notion of what the mile used to be.  The mile hasn't been raced regularly in nearly 30 years!  Not since the U.S. decided in the mid-70s to go along with the rest of the world and race over the metric distances.  The mile has been the 1500 ever since.

Yes, the mile has historical significance, which is why they still mark the start line for the mile on the standard 400-meter track.  But I think the "Bring Back the Mile" community is relying a little to heavily on that historical significance.  When Roger Bannister broke the 4:00 barrier, it was one of the greatest achievement in the history of sports.  That was in 1954!  A lot has happened in the last 61 years (like the change from running on dirt to running on synthetic tracks, for example).

Does 4:00 still resonate with people?  Sure.  But there are those benchmarks in every event.  The 10-second barrier in the 100 meters.  Two meters in the women's high jump.  Two minutes in the women's 800.  The thing about the 4:00 mile, though, is that there's no equivalent time for women.  The best mile time by a woman in 2015 was 4:16.71 by Kenya's Faith Kipyegon.  The all-time world best is 4:12.56, which is the only time the women's mile has been run in under 4:15.  (In fact, only 103 women all-time have even run a sub-4:00 1500!)

Among the responses to all the excitement of so many mile supporters, was exactly that point.  This obsession with the magical 4:00 barometer could backfire.  Badly.  More often than not, championship 1500-meter races, which are run without a pacesetter, are slow and tactical.  So, if you're using 4:00 as your frame of reference, all it could do is prove how slow a race is.  (Case in point: Chad Noelle of Oklahoma State won the 1500 at the 2015 NCAA Championships in 3:54.96, which translates to roughly a 4:10-4:15 mile.)

There also doesn't seem to be much logic behind moving away from the distance that's raced year-round around the world, especially with the number of world-class international runners that compete collegiately for U.S. schools and race at the NCAA Championships.  And the IAAF won't be changing the 1500 to the mile anytime soon.  (It's also worth noting here that the mile has NEVER been run at the Olympics.)

The IAAF only just started accepting mile times as qualifiers for the 1500 meters at the World Championships.  But you can't use a mile time to qualify for the Olympics in the 1500.  So, by changing the 1500 to the mile in the NCAA, you'd be taking away how many opportunities for these athletes to post qualifying times for major international meets?  And for what purpose?

I haven't even touched on the fact yet that the 1500 and the mile are completely different events with completely different tactics.  That, I think, is the biggest point of frustration of some of the athletes who've expressed their opinions on social media.  Many current and former NCAA 1500-meter runners pointed out the difficulty of starting on the turn instead of the straightaway, for example.  (Canadian Sheila Reid, a 2012 Olympian who won an NCAA title at Villanova, was one of the most vocal critics of the decision.)

While the coaches approved this change, it applies only for the NCAA Championships.  Conferences are free to do whatever they want at their respective championship meets.  That makes even less sense!  Some conferences would, undoubtedly, decide to keep the 1500.  Which means that those athletes would run the 1500 all year, then have to move up to the mile just for the NCAA meet!  And, since they run the IAAF championship distances at the U.S. Nationals, they'd be running a 1500 there, as well.  Or, if they're in a conference that opts for the mile, they'd run that all year before moving down for U.S. Nationals, which might then become their only chance to post a 1500 qualifying time.

It's important to note that this was only approved by the coaches.  Now that the coaches have passed it, it'll go the NCAA, which has the final say.  That's usually a slam dunk, but I'm not so sure it will be in this case.  There was anything but unanimous support for this change among the coaches, and now that the athletes have begun to speak out against it, you'd have to think the NCAA will listen to everyone before making a final decision.  I hope they do listen.  And I hope common sense prevails.  Because there's absolutely no reason to replace the 1500 with the mile at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

2015 Football Picks, Week 15

We've reached the point in the season where there are Saturday night games, and, of course, those two Saturday night games are big ones when it comes to the playoff picture.  The Jets can beat the Cowboys and still fall behind the Steelers on tiebreakers (even though they're currently ahead of Pittsburgh), and Philly-Washington next week could determine whether Eagles-Giants will be the Sunday night game in Week 17 or not.

But as long as we don't have ketchup vs. mustard again, we should all be able to handle the Saturday nights fine.  After all, there's been Saturday night games in the playoffs for how long?

Thursday Night: Tampa Bay (Loss)

Jets (8-5) at Cowboys (4-9): Jets-I wouldn't be completely surprised if Dallas managed to get a win here.  The Cowboys have reached the point where they know they're most likely going to be a spoiler and nothing else, even though they technically can still win the NFC East if everybody finishes 7-9.  Problem is, the Jets know they could finish 11-5 and miss the playoffs.  They're gonna do everything in their power to make sure that doesn't happen, starting with extending their winning streak to four.  Which is vital with games against the Patriots and Bills remaining.

Texans (6-7) at Colts (6-7): Indianapolis-For all the attention the NFC East has gotten for it's lack of a .500 team, people are conveniently forgetting it's the same situation in the AFC South.  The 6-7 Colts meet the 6-7 Texans for first place and the inside track at the 4-seed.  Indy got their butts kicked in Jacksonville last week, which was certainly a surprise, and I have no idea who the Colts will have at quarterback in this one.  Which is why this pick comes with some trepidation.  That Houston defense is scary no matter who's at quarterback, but it took the Colts this long to actually lose a division game.  What are the chances they lose two in back-to-back weeks?

Bears (5-8) at Vikings (8-5): Minnesota-There are currently 15 teams still alive in the NFC playoff picture, but that's just because they haven't been mathematically eliminated yet.  The Vikings and Seahawks have a two-game lead for the wild cards.  They're going to be in.  Minnesota will all but clinch with a home win over the Bears.  Then they can wait around and see if any of the other like seven things they need to happen does to make it official.

Titans (3-10) at Patriots (11-2): New England-Wasn't it nice last week when New England was the 3-seed in the AFC?  Then the Broncos and Bengals have to go screw that all up, and the Patriots somehow clinched the division when the Dolphins lost on Monday night.  Now they get to play Tennessee in their final home game of the regular season (the Winter Classic's at Foxboro, so the Pats hit the road for their last two).  If they were a college team, this would be your typical Senior Day game against a cupcake opponent.

Panthers (13-0) at Giants (6-7): Giants-This is the only game that can possibly come between the Panthers and 16-0.  The Giants have been in this role before, and they're always up to the challenge.  Remember, they should've beaten the Patriots in Week 10.  They also beat New England in the Super Bowl that time.  But, actually, the game that's more similar to this one is their regular season game against Denver in 1998.  The defending champion Broncos went into the Meadowlands at 13-0 and lost.  To Kent Graham!  Another No. 10 (who's significantly better than Kent Graham) had a career game on Monday night, and the Giants need this.  No one would be surprised to see the '72 Dolphins popping the champagne on Sunday night.

Bills (6-7) at Redskins (6-7): Washington-Another extremely tough one to call.  Buffalo needs to win out if they have any hope of getting into the playoffs at 9-7 (even that won't be enough).  It's just as important for Washington, which ends at Philadelphia and Dallas.  The Redskins are 6-1 at home and winless on the road.  That could be huge over the final two weeks.  If they don't beat the Bills at home, there's no chance of them winning the NFC East.

Falcons (6-7) at Jaguars (5-8): Jacksonville-Oh, how the Falcons have fallen.  Atlanta has dropped six straight and now goes on the road for the third consecutive week to take on a much-improved Jaguars team.  I get it now.  Gus Bradley has what actually resembles an NFL football team in northern Florida.  And let's keep in mind, they scored 51 points last week!  (On RedZone they said that was a franchise record, but they beat the Dolphins 62-7 in the playoffs in Dan Marino's last game, so that's definitely not right.)  It sometimes took them three games to get to 51 in the past.  One team's going one way.  One team's going the other.

Chiefs (8-5) at Ravens (4-9): Kansas City-Who's the hottest team in football this side of Charlotte?  That would be the Kansas City Chiefs.  Seven in a row with no signs of letting up.  The crazy thing, though, is that they need to keep winning.  Because the Jets and Steelers aren't going to just let Kansas City waltz into the playoffs.  Against Baltimore, they should make it eight and maintain their wild card lead.

Packers (9-4) at Raiders (6-7): Green Bay-Green Bay's streak against Oakland is something ridiculous.  It's been a long time since the Packers lost to the Raiders, which I think may even cover their entire time in LA.  Of course, they met in Super Bowl II, but the most memorable game in this series has to be that Monday nighter after Brett Favre's father died.  Believe it or not, that was 12 years ago almost to the day, and it was the Packers' last trip to the East Bay.  We've already established that the Packers don't lose to the Raiders, and by winning this one, they'll clinch a playoff spot.

Browns (3-10) at Seahawks (8-5): Seattle-The Seahawks are rolling.  And Arizona's got a very difficult remaining schedule, so it's still possible they could win the NFC West.  That would be huge, since this is a very different team at home.  Cleveland, meanwhile, isn't even a good team.  Yes, they won last week, but that was at home against the equally-bad 49ers.  And, I've got news for you Cleveland, Johnny Immature is NOT an NFL quarterback.  However, he'll get to see one this week as Russell Wilson continues this torrid stretch he's on.

Broncos (10-3) at Steelers (8-5): Denver-Without question, this is the game of the week, and NBC probably would've flexed it into Sunday night if CBS hadn't protected it as the national late game.  That loss to the Raiders was really bad for Denver, especially since they've got Pittsburgh and Cincinnati in the next two games.  A Broncos win gives division titles to both them and the Bengals, but the Steelers have new life in the AFC North.  Like Giants-Panthers, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the home team come away with a win here.  I've got a feeling the Broncos will bounce back, though.

Dolphins (5-8) at Chargers (3-10): Miami-Will this be the Chargers' final game in San Diego?  I sure hope not, and I don't think so (it's the Rams that are going back to LA).  But if it is, it'd be nice to see them end an era with a win.  Thanks to the Browns' win last week, San Diego's back in the running for the No. 1 pick.  They move closer to it after the Dolphins win, which I know is probably a crazy pick, seeing as Miami is flying cross-country on a short week after a Monday night game.

Bengals (10-3) at 49ers (4-9): Cincinnati-Things can't just be easy and straightforward for the Bengals, can they?  Andy Dalton breaks his hand in a home loss to the Steelers when Cincinnati had a chance to clinch the division.  Now they turn to A.J. McCarron at least until the end of the regular season.  Fortunately, they've got a two-game lead on Pittsburgh and McCarron's first game is against San Francisco.  That big lead the Bengals built because of their great start could come in really handy, but I'm worried this is last year's Cardinals all over again.  Cincy should get a win here, at least.  Fun fact: Because this one got flexed out of Sunday night, both Bay Area teams are playing at home at the same time, which is odd enough, but they're both playing interconference games on the opposite network (the Raiders are on FOX and the 49ers are on CBS).

Cardinals (11-2) at Eagles (6-7): Arizona-NBC wanted this one on Sunday night, and I'm still convinced it's Philly that's going to win the NFC East.  The Cardinals know they're going to the playoffs, but they also know a victory here is vital.  They want to have the division wrapped up before they play Green Bay and Seattle in their final two games.  Of course, Arizona is also thinking about a first-round bye, as well, which makes that Packer game next week really significant.  The Eagles, meanwhile, will be in a very interesting spot.  They'll know how the rest of the division did, so their fate will still be in their own hands.  Philly's final two matchups against Washington and the Giants will likely determine the NFC East.

Lions (4-9) at Saints (5-8): New Orleans-On the second-to-last Monday night of the season, we get a dud.  That's not the NFL's fault (they didn't know the Lions and Saints were both going to suck), but if ESPN had a choice to flex out their games, I'm sure they would've with this one.  Anyway, New Orleans will pick up win No. 6, which could, amazingly, put them into a three-way tie for second (all of which determines next year's schedule and nothing else).

This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 9-7
Season: 128-81

Blinding America One Thursday Night at a Time

I'm not sure what the NFL's ultimate goal in this "Color Rush" thing they're doing on Thursday nights was, but they've certainly got people talking.  I'll give them that.  Of course, I haven't heard a single person actually come out and say they like this whole monocrome vs. monochrome thing they've developed, but why should that matter?  There's no such thing as bad publicity.  Right?

They've been doing this for several weeks now, with plans to expand it to every Thursday night next season.  (I don't know about you, but I'm sure looking forward to that game where the Raiders are in all black and the Broncos are in all orange.)  Problem is, like the NBA's sleeved Christmas jerseys that looked like pajama tops, there isn't a single person who thinks they look good.  Bud Commissioner Baddell doesn't want to admit he's wrong, so we keep having to endure this week after week.

When they said they were going to do this, I thought to myself, "OK, this could be pretty cool."  Of course, I thought that meant that if the Giants were playing the Redskins, the Giants would wear their blue jerseys and the Redskins would wear their red ones.  The rationale makes sense.  All games are in color, so you don't need the light-dark contrast.  But I had no idea what they actually had in store.  I don't think anyone did.

It all started with the Bills-Jets game a few weeks ago, when Buffalo wore all red and the Jets wore all green (which was actually the most tame of anything we've seen so far).  Then there was the Jaguars in all gold and the Titans in light blue, which was pretty close to their actual uniform.  We weren't subjected to it on Thanksgiving night (probably because the Packers said there was no way in Hell they were going to wear all green).  Instead, we got the all-white Dallas Cowboys against the all-electric blue (I think that's the name of the color) Carolina Panthers.  Now we've got ketchup vs. mustard, as the Bucs play the Rams.

Meanwhile, since the NFL put in a rule change a couple seasons ago saying teams have to wear the same helmets all season (preventing the awesome throwback unis where the Bucs bring back Buccaneer Bruce and the Patriots bring back Pat the Patriot), the helmets don't really match.  (It's kinda like the Pro Bowl.)  Every team that's been involved in this "Color Rush" thing has had their helmet be a different color than their uniform, which kind of defeats the purpose if you ask me.

Fortunately, Bowling Green hasn't had a Thursday night game, during which I'm sure we would've seen an all brown getup.  (Seriously, I have to wonder if these teams are actually conducting focus groups when they decide to change their uniforms.  They can't be.  If they did, somebody would actually tell them how terrible their new uniforms are.  From Jacksonville's two-toned helmets to Seattle's giant numbers to Cleveland's I-don't-know-what, every uniform redesign in recent years has been worse than the last.)

The complaints about the uniforms were immediate.  For starters, no one expected them to be quite so bright!  The NFL is trying to blind America one game at a time!  It reminds me of the Final Four game between Syracuse and Michigan a couple years ago where everyone had to adjust the brightness on their TV screens.  But the more immediate problem with Bills-Jets was that eight percent of the population couldn't tell the teams apart!

But does the NFL do anything about that?  Of course not!  Just like the NBA didn't care that the players hated the sleeved jerseys.  I do give them credit for sticking with the experiment instead of just scrapping it when they got some criticism.  But that criticism hasn't subsided and it doesn't seem like it ever will.  This wasn't a bad idea.  It was just an incredibly flawed execution of it.

Of course, we all know the reason for all of this: Marketing.  The NFL owns the quarter of America that Apple, Nike and ESPN don't.  And this was a chance to suck more money out of the American public.  More apparel to sell!  Because who can call their wardrobe complete without a gold Jacksonville Jaguars jersey?!  (If you actually want one of those, I can't help you.)

That's the exact same reason why the NBA has its special Christmas jerseys every year and why MLB keeps making those special hats for the All-Star Game that get worse each time.  And it works.  People buy this stuff, no matter how ugly it is.  As a result, we're stuck in this unfortunate cycle until common sense (hopefully) eventually prevails.

Was it worth a shot?  Yeah, it was.  Why not try out something different on Thursday nights, which is still a new thing for football fans, and see if it sticks?  Except it didn't.  For the most part, the "Color Rush" has been a disaster.  Let it play out the season, then quietly put it to sleep.  Like the NBA did with the sleeves.

JB Sportswoman of the Year

I was kinda hoping that Sports Illustrated wouldn't announce their Sportsperson of the Year until tomorrow.  Because I wanted to unveil my Sportswoman of the Year before they revealed theirs.  Now it just looks like I'm copying.  Since my choice is the same.  Sports Illustrated got this one absolutely right.  The 2015 Joe Brackets Sportswoman of the Year is Serena Williams.

Sometimes it's so obvious that there's no need to even talk about it.  For example, what did anyone else do in the other 51 weeks in 2008 that could've trumped what Michael Phelps did in Beijing?  Or even last year, when Madison Bumgarner won the World Series all by himself?  Or going all the way back to the first-ever Sportsman of the Year in 1954, who other than Roger Bannister could it have been?

This wasn't one of those years.  There were a handful of worthy candidates.  I actually narrowed it down to five before ultimately deciding on Serena Williams.  Jordan Spieth had a tremendous year, winning the first two golf majors, and Stephen Curry became a superstar while leading the Warriors to the NBA title.

It's was really a three-horse race, though.  American Pharoah had a lot of support online (the horse won the SI fan vote by a wide margin), and rightfully so.  After 37 years, we finally had another Triple Crown winner!  That horse did what some were beginning to believe was the impossible, and won over America in the process.

Speaking of winning over America, how about Carli Lloyd?  The last time the USA won the Women's World Cup, the entire team was named Sportswomen of the Year in 1999.  But if there's a seminal figure of this year's championship run, it's Carli Lloyd.  She'd already scored the game-winner in two Olympic finals, but that hat trick in the first 16 minutes of the World Cup Final, capped by that she-just-did-what?! goal from midfield, put her on a completely different level.  There was no question who the MVP of the World Cup was.  Or who's taken over for the retired Abby Wambach as the U.S. Women's National Team's biggest star.

Carli Lloyd made it close.  I'll admit it.  She's a deserving runner-up for this honor.  But every time I thought about the Sportsperson of the Year for 2015, it all kept coming back to Serena and her season  for the ages.  Or, if it wasn't for the ages, it came pretty damn close.

Over the last few weeks, SI has been running a series on its Sportsman of the Year candidates, and the one about Serena really put her year in perspective.  Just imagine for a second if, like Novak Djokovic, her loss had happened at the French Open instead of the US Open.  Our perception of her year would be completely different.  But since she was upset in the US Open semifinals when she was two wins shy of completing the first calendar-year Grand Slam in nearly 30 years (and winning her fifth consecutive Major), her season is suddenly a disappointment?  That's ludicrous!

Not only is Serena Williams the most dominant figure in her sport, it's not even close.  The points gap between her and No. 2 Simona Halep is larger than the gap between Halep and the lowest-ranked player on tour.  Or, to put it another way, Serena Williams can sit out all of 2016 (which we all know she won't do with two Olympic gold medals to defend), and she'll still be ranked No. 1!

Winning the Grand Slam in tennis is one of the hardest things to do in sports.  You have to win seven matches in the mid-summer heat of Melbourne.  In January.  In either your first or second tournament of the year after taking two months off.  Then you have to grind it out on the slow, red clay of Paris before completely changing gears for Wimbledon three weeks later.  If you manage to win all three of those, it's the lights, the massive stadium, the loudness that is the US Open.  Oh, and all the pressure that comes with it.

Serena had already won four in a row.  Her first "Serena Slam" came in 2002-03, when she was in her prime and beat Venus in all four finals.  But this one was different.  In so many ways.  For starters, she was 22 years old then!  Now she's 34!  Tennis players aren't supposed to get better with age.  During the 2002-03 Serena Slam, she bludgeoned everybody to death.  This time, she won the French Open despite being sick and going to a third set five times in seven matches.  At Wimbledon, she faced match point against a British player and the British crowd in the fourth round, yet somehow pulled it out en route to another Wimbledon title.  That completed her second career "Serena Slam," 12 years after the first, and made her the first player to even go to New York with a chance for the calendar-year Grand Slam since Steffi Graf completed the feat in 1988.

We all know that she didn't win the US Open.  Thanks to Roberta Vinci, she came up two matches short.  That doesn't make her 2015 season any less remarkable: a 53-3 record, including a 26-1 mark in the Slams; five titles, three of them in Majors; made at least the semifinals in nine of 10 tournaments played.  Oh, and did I mention that her three Grand Slam titles brought her to 21 for her career, one shy of Graf for second all-time and three shy of Margaret Court's all-time record?

Without a doubt, Serena Williams is on the shortlist of greatest women's tennis players in history.  And her dominant 2015 was perhaps her best season yet.  What we're seeing from her, at an age when most players consider retirement, is completely remarkable.  But it's more than that.  It's special.  It was a privilege to watch Serena Williams play tennis in 2015.  And she won in such a way that you found yourself rooting for her, which hasn't always been the case throughout her career.

Her quest for the Grand Slam was the story of the year in tennis.  And Serena embraced it.  She didn't shy away it, mainly because she knew that's what everyone else wanted to talk about.  When it didn't happen, she was disappointed, but she handled the loss with the same grace and dignity that she showed after all of those victories.

There's one last thing that makes Serena Williams stand out ahead of Carli Lloyd and American Pharoah.  The Women's World Cup kept us enthralled all summer.  But it was over in a month.  American Pharoah made people care about the Triple Crown again.  But that's done in five weeks.  Serena Williams won from January til August.  She was dominant from the start of the year all through the summer.  We started talking about her possibly winning the Grand Slam after she won Australia, and that conversation didn't stop until that shocking loss in September.  Nine months of brilliance.  That's what made Serena Williams the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year.  And it's why she's my clear choice as the Joe Brackets Sportswoman of the Year.

2015 Football Picks, Week 14

Things are sort of getting back to normal in the NFL.  Divisions and playoff berths are being clinched, while other teams are starting to look towards the draft (or, in the case of the NFC East, both).  But there's also still plenty up for grabs, and somebody has to "win" the NFC East.

So before the calendar flips to January, we've still got some pretty significant December action to worry about.

Thursday Night: Arizona (Win)

Redskins (5-7) at Bears (5-7): Chicago-Am I the only one having trouble with the fact that Washington is currently a division "leader?"  Seriously!  The Redskins aren't good!  They haven't even won a road game all season.  I don't think that changes against a Bears team that will actually have a better record than Washington at day's end, yet has no shot at making the playoffs.

Steelers (7-5) at Bengals (10-2): Cincinnati-For me, this was the toughest game of the entire week to pick.  Cincinnati clinches the division with a win, while Pittsburgh needs it to maintain its place in the wild card race.  This is the type of game that Cincinnati typically struggles with, and we've gotten so used to seeing the Steelers rise to the occasion time and again.  But this Bengals team is different.  Sure, they still haven't won that marquee prime time game, but they still own the No. 1 seed in the AFC.  That Monday night game in Denver will be the big one, but the Bengals will go into that one with the AFC North already locked up.

49ers (4-8) at Browns (2-10): San Francisco-Are there any two more dysfunctional teams in football than the Browns and 49ers?  Cleveland coach Mike Pettine begins his final month at the helm of the Browns stuck with Johnny Immature as his quarterback (which is clearly an ownership decision), while San Francisco has been a mess the entire season.  The Browns move closer to giving new GM Kevin Costner and new coach Denis Leary that No. 1 pick.

Chargers (3-9) at Chiefs (7-5): Kansas City-After running that gauntlet to start the season, Kansas City is suddenly one of the hottest teams in football.  The Chiefs have won six straight and play three of their last four (all of which are winnable) at home.  Throw in next week's trip to Baltimore, and Andy Reid's team could bring a 10-game winning streak into the playoffs.  I feel bad for Philip Rivers with what's happening in San Diego this season.  To make matters worse, three of the Chargers' last four games are all three of their division road games.

Lions (4-8) at Rams (4-8): Detroit-Have the Lions had enough time to recover from the Miracle in Motown?  They really should be on a four-game winning streak right now.  The Rams, meanwhile, are in free fall.  A popular spoiler pick at the start of the season, they started that way.  But their season fell apart with that overtime loss in Minnesota (when they were still in position for a wild card).  Detroit's the team that's been trending upwards, so I'm going with the Lions.

Titans (3-9) at Jets (7-5): Jets-The Tennessee Titans finally won a home game!  It was against Jacksonville, but it still counts.  Now Mariota and Co. head to the Meadowlands for a matchup with a Jets team that's rightfully thinking playoffs.  If there was any doubt that the Jets are likely playoff-bound, that was settled last week when Tom Coughlin basically handed them the game.  Keep in mind, they haven't left home in three weeks.  And that will get them from 5-5 to 8-5.

Bills (6-6) at Eagles (5-7): Philadelphia-Talk about saving your season, Philadelphia beats New England and is suddenly the favorite in the NFC East.  I'm one of those people that thinks the Eagles will win the division.  I don't think they'll win out, but a 3-1 finish and 8-8 record will be enough in what used to be one of the best divisions in football.  A Buffalo win here wouldn't be a complete surprise, but I'm going with the Eagles.

Saints (4-8) at Buccaneers (6-6): Tampa Bay-If we had the 18-game season Mr. Brilliant Commissioner wants, there would be a very realistic chance Tampa Bay could end up in the playoffs.  As it is, the Bucs still have a shot, and they're looking to get above .500 this late in the season for the first time since God knows when.  Changes are in store for New Orleans after the season.  The Saints have already lost to the Bucs once this season, and they'll do it again this week.

Falcons (6-6) at Panthers (12-0): Carolina-Remember back when Atlanta was still good early in the season and everyone was looking forward to this one as a potentially pivotal game in the NFC South?  Well, things are certainly different now that Panthers-Falcons is finally here.  Carolina has already locked up the division and will clinch a bye with a win.  Oh, and there's that whole undefeated thing, too.  After this week, it's at Giants, Falcons again, Tampa Bay.  Can they run their regular season winning streak to 20 and complete the NFL's second 16-0 season?  It definitely looks possible, although I'm sure they'll rest starters once home field is clinched.

Colts (6-6) at Jaguars (4-8): Indianapolis-Jacksonville is favored in this game for some reason.  I'm not exactly sure why.  Because Indianapolis has dominated its division opponents over the last two seasons.  The Colts are 3-0 against the AFC South and 3-6 against the rest of the NFL in 2015.  It's a good thing for them, then, that three of their last four games are in the division.

Seahawks (7-5) at Ravens (4-8): Seattle-Being flexed out of Sunday night means the Seahawks now have to fly cross country and play a 1:00 game.  Of course, if Baltimore was better, that would be more of a problem for the Seahawks.  As it is, the early start time really shouldn't matter.  Seattle played one last week and crushed Minnesota.  Now the Seahawks can jump the Vikings into the 5-seed and visit to the NFC East winner with a victory.  Otherwise, Arizona clinches the division.

Raiders (5-7) at Broncos (10-2): Denver-Peyton's out of the boot and throwing, but Brock Osweiler is still the Man in Denver for the time being.  There are a lot of clinching scenarios for the Broncos this week, all of which involve a win and someone else losing.  With big games against Pittsburgh and Cincinnati coming up in the next two weeks and the No. 1 seed still in play, they can't afford a home loss to the Raiders in Jack Del Rio's return.

Cowboys (4-8) at Packers (8-4): Green Bay-I'm still trying to figure out how that wasn't a catch by Dez Bryant the last time the Cowboys played in Lambeau.  (As are most people.)  Now they return for what's going to be the warmest December home game in Packers history.  Despite having the worst record in the NFC, Dallas, incredibly, is still in the playoff hunt thanks to that win in Washington on Monday night.  The Packers have lost two straight at home and really need to right the ship if they want to play there again in January.  The Miracle In Motown could easily have been the turning point of the season, though.

Patriots (10-2) at Texans (6-6): New England-Everybody take cover!  New England has lost back-to-back games!  The world must be coming to an end!  Armageddon is the only possible explanation for the Patriots doing what every other team in the league (except for the Panthers, obviously, and Arizona) has done this season.  Three in a row is just unfathomable.  Never mind the fact that the Texans beat Cincinnati just a couple weeks ago and had won three out of four before last week's loss in Buffalo.  This isn't a pushover for the Patriots by any stretch of the imagination.  Especially with the Texans-Colts matchup that will likely determine the AFC South on the horizon next week.

Giants (5-7) at Dolphins (5-7): Giants-No matter how many times they try to piss away their own chances, the rest of the NFC East refuses to let the Giants out of it.  They've got a very difficult slate to finish out, which makes a win here imperative.  Especially since they'll know exactly where they stand in the division going into Monday night.  Believe it or not, this will be the Giants' first trip to Miami in nearly 20 years.  The Dolphins' last "home" game against them was the first-ever London game in 2007 and they had to wait this long for the interconference schedule to cycle back around.

This Week: 1-0
Last Week: 8-8
Season: 120-73

December Winners and Losers

Baseball's Winter Meetings have come to an end, and there's still plenty of wheeling and dealing to do before pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training.  But the Winter Meetings is traditionally where the fun always starts, and it was no different this year.  The three biggest names on the starting pitching market have found new homes (and set the price on starting pitching contracts into the stratosphere).

As teams begin to fill holes and the remaining free agents inevitably sign, we'll have a better idea of who's set to make a run in 2016.  So these rankings may be a bit premature.  But we've definitely had some winners and losers emerge from Nashville.

Winners
Cubs: This is an easy one.  They knew they needed starting pitching beyond just Arrieta and Lester.  They made a run at David Price, then, after they didn't get him, landed John Lackey instead.  But Chicago far from stopped there.  They pulled a major coup by signing Ben Zobrist to play second base, reuniting him with Joe Maddon.  And that made Starlin Castro expendable, so they flipped him to the Yankees (who filled their need for a second baseman) for Adam Warren, solidifying their bullpen.  If that wasn't enough, they signed Jason Heyward, too.  Don't be surprised if Theo Epstein isn't done.  Now that they've got Heyward, don't be surprised to see Jorge Soler flipped for even more pitching.  The Cubs are the early favorites for the National League pennant next season.

Red Sox: Boston was going to do something in free agency.  Everyone knew that.  Everyone assumed that they'd be the ones to sign David Price.  Well, everyone was right.  The Red Sox have an ace again.  But Dave Dombrowski didn't stop there.  He's been very busy in his first offseason with Boston.  Incredible coup by swinging that trade for Craig Kimbrel.  And the addition of Chris Young as a backup outfielder makes incredible sense after he had a good year-plus with the Yankees.  They still need to resolve the whole Hanley Ramirez can't play left field situation and find places for Brock Holt and Rusney Castillo to play, but I don't think they're done.  Either way, I doubt they finish last again.

Diamondbacks: Who had Zack Greinke going to Arizona?  Anybody?  Didn't think so.  Then they trade the farm to Atlanta for Shelby Miller, giving them arguably their best 1-2 since they won the World Series with Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling.  Of course, the price was very high.  The Diamondbacks better win now to prove these deals were worth it.  Otherwise, they'll be kicking themselves for blowing the bank on Greinke and, more importantly, trading away their entire future for Shelby Miller, who doesn't quite seem worth it.  I know Paul Goldschmidt's happy, though.  He's no longer the only guy on the team you've heard of.  (Although, I'm not sure how happy he'll remain once he takes the field in those ridiculous new uniforms.)

Mets: After they missed out on Zobrist, the Mets acted swiftly--trading Jon Niese to Pittsburgh for Neil Walker while also signing Asdrubal Cabrera.  I love the Niese-Walker trade.  Starting pitching was something the Mets had in abundance, and Niese was definitely the most expendable.  And, unlike Daniel Murphy (who some of their fans erroneously thought the Mets could re-sign after he turned down their qualifying offer), Walker can actually play second base.  Signing Cabrera, meanwhile, makes Ruben Tejada a backup and Wilmer Flores a utility infielder.  That platoon worked, but neither one is a starter.  And they might still make a run at retaining Yoenis Cespedes.

Tigers: We knew Detroit wouldn't be down for long, and it actually makes all of their trades at the end of last season look much better now.  They struck first, in fact, landing Jordan Zimmermann, the No. 3 starter on the market before the Winter Meetings even began.  (So, in effect, they traded Max Scherzer to Washington for Jordan Zimmermann.)  And, for a team that's always had problems in the bullpen, snagging Justin Wilson away from the Yankees was brilliant.  They've also picked up Mark Lowe and Francisco Rodriguez for that bullpen.  There's also a really good chance that Yoenis Cespedes will come back as a free agent after that three-month stint with the Mets.

Losers
Dodgers: Everyone kind of just assumed that whatever somebody offered Greinke, the Dodgers would offer more and keep him.  Well, not so much.  They didn't want to give him an extra year, so Greinke left.  Going to a division rival of all places!  So instead, they settled for Hisashi Iwakuma as their big free agent starting pitching acquisition.  (Although, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy will both be back next season.)  I'd say they take the plunge and sign Johnny Cueto at some point.  They tried to address the bullpen by trading for Aroldis Chapman, but that fell through, and you'd have to think Kenley Janssen wasn't happy they tried to replace him.  Meanwhile, they still have Jimmy Rollins even though they have no use for him, and they still have four starting outfielders.

Reds: Cincinnati's trying to rebuild.  That's why they tried to trade Aroldis Chapman.  Except Chapman's domestic violence incident got the trade voided and made him virtually unmovable (and likely suspended).  Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce are unmovable, too.  They make too much money.  The only player Cincinnati might actually be able to get something for is Todd Frazier, but do you really trade the best player on the team?

Blue Jays: When they got David Price at the trade deadline last season, it was clear the Blue Jays were going all-in for 2015.  It worked, but it also looked like it would be a one-year thing.  As it turns out, it was.  Toronto made an offer to keep Price, but he spurned them for Boston.  Yes, they kept Marco Estrada and Marcus Stroman will be around all season this year, but the Blue Jays will have to revert to their old outscoring you formula in 2016.

Braves: If it wasn't already clear that the Atlanta Braves have absolutely no interest in being competitive this season, the Shelby Miller trade took care of any remaining doubts.  Julio Teheran is now their No. 1 starter, and the only other players on the team you've even heard of are Freddie Freeman, Nick Markakis, Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn and A.J. Pierzynski.  Oh, and Erick Aybar.  Problem is, I don't exactly know where Swisher plays and they're trying to move Freeman, too.  It's probably unfair to label them as a "loser" since they're not actually trying to do anything.  But it's not like they're doing anything to get better, either.

Orioles: I still don't really know what the deal with Chris Davis is.  They made him a huge offer, then pulled it back, and it looks like they're ready to move on without one of their cornerstone players.  (This is Manny Machado's team, though, make no mistake.)  I don't get the whole thing, though.  They virtually leveraged their entire winter on Davis and sat out everything else as a result.  But now that it looks like they're ready to move on, they've missed out on a lot of guys that could've been worthwhile.

Like I said, we've still got a long way to go before teams have their rosters set for 2016.  But at this point in December, you've really got to like what the Cubs and Red Sox (especially the Cubs) have done so far.

Some Thoughts About Football (Both Pro and College)

We've got a month left in the NFL's regular season, and for those of you that are into college football, it's your favorite time of the year--Bowl season.  Since it's really the only sport where anything interesting is happening right now, we're hearing a lot about football of both varieties.  And the stories range from the sublime to the ridiculous.

• For starters, let's talk about all those bowl games.  There are 40! of them, not including the National Championship Game.  That's 80 teams that get to go to a bowl game.  Except the problem is, there aren't 80 teams that are even .500, which means 5-7 is good enough to get you to a bowl.  Am I the only one who finds that ridiculous?  Do we finally have enough proof that there are too many bowl games?
• I know that there are going to be the people who'll argue that the 5-7 bowl teams aren't a big deal, and they'll probably use the "how come nobody has a problem with sub-.500 teams making the NCAA Tournament?" rationale.  Except the sub-.500 teams that qualify for the various NCAA Tournaments earn their way in by winning a conference title.  They aren't the 11th place team in the ACC getting to go just because you need 11 ACC teams.  You've even got a freakin' conference game in a bowl!  C'mon!
• Former USC coach Steve Sarkisian is suing for wrongful termination.  If you remember, he was fired back in October (via email) while on his way to get treatment for alcoholism.  I have no idea how this lawsuit is gonna go, and I really have no opinion on whether or not Sarkisian should've been fired.  But what I do know is that this once again makes USC AD Pat Haden look like a bumbling idiot.  He didn't do it the right way.  There are a lot of other ways this could've gone down, but with the way it did, a lawsuit seemed inevitable.

Moving on to the NFL, which is obviously where my allegiance lies.

• Keeping with the college theme for a second, it's clear the Bucs made the right choice, at least in the short-term, with the No. 1 pick.  I still think Mariota has more of an upside than Winston, but the Titans are hopeless.  The Bucs, meanwhile, are going to fall just short of the playoffs.
• It sure seems like Peyton Manning's spectacular career is all but over.  The Broncos are 3-0 behind Brock Osweiler, and they've committed to Osweiler as the starter for at least another week.  They're taking this on a week-by-week basis, and the longer Osweiler plays well, the longer Peyton has to get back to 100 percent.  But the longer Osweiler plays well, the longer you think they'll be inclined to stick with him.  Brett Favre's Hall of Fame career ended with him sitting on the bench due to injury during that final year in Minnesota.  The script looks awfully similar for Peyton's potentially final year in Denver.
• If Mike Pettine doesn't resign as Browns coach at the end of the season, I'll be shocked.  Sure, they might fire him, but either way, Pettine wants nothing more to do with that organization.  If it was up to him, Johnny Overrated wouldn't even be on the team, let alone the starting quarterback.  But ownership keeps forcing him on Pettine.  For some reason, the Browns owner has as much of a man crush on Johnny Overrated as Jim Dolan does on Isiah Thomas.  I have no idea why.
• When did the NFC East become the bad division?  I mean, seriously, did you ever expect to see a three-way tie for first?  At 5-7?!  In this division?!  The division with four major-market teams that won five out of six Super Bowls once upon a time!  It used to be that the winner of the NFC East never had less than 10 wins.  Now we might get one that's below .500.  Right now the division "leader" is Washington.
• All four of them find different ways to lose every week, but the scary thing is, if the Giants do manage to emerge as the best of the worst and get into the playoffs, it's very conceivable to see them once again doing their thing and beating the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
• Speaking of the Giants, it seems like the Super Bowl win over the Patriots will be the only thing that saves Tom Coughlin's job.  I've seen a lot of articles about this very topic in recent days, and I agree with the conclusion drawn by the great Daily News columnist Gary Meyers.  Coughlin should be allowed to step down on his own terms at the end of the season.  That's the best way for him to go out.  He led the team to two Super Bowl titles, including the greatest upset in Super Bowl history.  He's earned the right to resign/retire rather than be fired.  If he makes that decision on his own, he'll save the Maras and Tischs from having a very uncomfortable meeting on January 4.  With that being said, though, it's time for the Giants to move on from Coughlin.  They know it, he knows it, and the fans know it.  If that means they have to fire him, so be it.  But don't just do it.  Give him the dignity he deserves.

Lastly, a couple non-football topics that I've had a vested interest in.

• After first announcing that they weren't going to, the Rio Olympic organizers backtracked and decided that they will provide the athletes with free air conditioning in their bedrooms, after all.  The original move was made as a budget cut, but it was an unnecessary one that didn't make them come off well.  This was the only move they could make PR-wise.  Although, ultimately, I'm not sure how big a deal it would've been.  August is the winter in Rio, so the nighttime temperatures are relatively comfortable.  And this really wouldn't have been an issue for the larger, more affluent nations.  Nick Symmonds (of course) said that it was "unacceptable" when he heard the news, but the USOC certainly would've taken care of it for the American athletes.  It's the athletes from smaller nations who would've had to suffer.  Regardless, reversing course and providing air conditioning for all athletes was the right move.  They can make budget cuts elsewhere.
• The Oscar Pistorius appeal has been heard, and the verdict was overturned.  So, you mean, shooting (repeatedly) at a locked door when you know there's a person in there IS murder?  Weird!  My only problems here are that Pistorius has been under house arrest since October, even though there was a possibility he was going to return to jail.  He should've had to stay in jail until the appeal, especially if he was just gonna go back.  And they granted him bail.  Again.  Saying he can stay under house arrest until sentencing.  Seriously?  C'mon!  You want to tell me he's NOT getting special treatment?  Please.

2015 Football Picks, Week 13

Can games in the NFL get any crazier than the last three?  Three primetime games, three walk-off touchdowns.  And each one wackier than the next. 

The most run-of-the-mill finish of the three was on Sunday night, when Denver had a 65-yard run down the sideline to beat the no-longer-undefeated Patriots in overtime.  After Tom Brady drove New England to the tying field goal as time expired in regulation!  Then on Monday night, Bowling Green lined up for the game-winning field goal, only to see the Ravens block it and return it for a touchdown.  That wasn't even a legal play last year!  The most Browns way to lose yet!  As if that wasn't enough, the Lions blow a 20-point lead, commit a stupid penalty on the last play (when the Packers had no chance of actually scoring) to give Aaron Rodgers a free play, then see him throw it 70 yards on the fly to complete the improbable Rodgers to Rodgers game-winning touchdown pass.

Now, I'm assuming we'll see things return to normal, at least somewhat, with 13 games that aren't in primetime coming up.  But maybe the walk-off touchdown is a new thing in the NFL.

Thursday Night: Green Bay (Win)

Texans (6-5) at Bills (5-6): Houston-This game is a huge one for both teams.  After falling to the Patriots and Chiefs, Buffalo's playoff drought will almost certainly be extended by another year if they add another loss to the Texans.  Problem is, Houston's one of the hottest teams in the NFL.  And it's put the Texans into one of the two AFC wild card spots at the moment.  The Bills need this, and I'll never count on Rex Ryan in a must-win game.  But I see the Texans winning.

49ers (3-8) at Bears (5-6): Chicago-Don't look now, but the Chicago Bears are suddenly in the mix for that second NFC wild card.  That win in Green Bay on Thanksgiving night was impressive, and that team is only getting better.  They probably won't make the playoffs, but they're gonna be a team no one wants to play in December.  After they beat San Francisco, they'll go to 6-6.

Bengals (9-2) at Browns (2-9): Cincinnati-How does Bowling Green recover after Monday night?  They've also lost their starting quarterback (and refuse to play Johnny Immature).  Oh, and the first-place Bengals are coming to town for a rivalry game.  Cincinnati knows they can't afford a loss.  Especially now that the Patriots aren't going to run away with home field after all.

Jaguars (4-7) at Titans (2-9): Jacksonville-At least they won't be wearing those ridiculous uniforms they wore a couple weeks ago in their Thursday night game.  I don't know the last time Jacksonville swept the season series with anybody, but it's definitely been a while.  And it's likely gonna happen again.  The Titans are playing for next season.

Cardinals (9-2) at Rams (4-7): Arizona-St. Louis is undefeated in the division, which includes one win over Arizona already.  But that was a long time ago.  These are two different teams than the ones that met in Week 4.  It was right about this time that Arizona's season started to fall apart last year.  As long as Carson Palmer stays on his feet, it won't happen again.  They get to 10 and pad their division lead.

Ravens (4-7) at Dolphins (4-7): Baltimore-Monday night's final play will probably go down as the highlight of the Ravens' season.  They haven't been irrelevant in December in John Harbaugh's tenure, but that's exactly the situation they're in this season.  As for Miami, the coaches have totally lost the team.  They might not win another game this season.

Seahawks (6-5) at Vikings (8-3): Minnesota-For the first time this season, the Seahawks are in playoff position.  Now they go on the road for a tough matchup against a surprising Vikings team that really would've been sitting pretty in the NFC North if not for the Miracle In Motown.  This is usually when Seattle gets going, but this Vikings team is tough to beat.  Especially at home.  Minnesota goes to 9-3.

Jets (6-5) at Giants (5-6): Giants-Every time people start questioning Tom Coughlin's job security, the Giants go on to beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl.  However, barring the inevitable Super Bowl win over New England, a loss in the Met Life Bowl will all but seal Coughlin's fate.  Fortunately for the Giants, Darrelle Revis won't be playing.  This game always has more intensity than the annual preseason clash.  The Giants won't let their season slip away.  Especially at the hands of the Jets.

Falcons (6-5) at Buccaneers (5-6): Tampa Bay-It was that loss to Tampa Bay that really started the Falcons treading downwards.  It also got the Bucs going in the right direction.  Now, Atlanta needs to win the rematch in order to right the ship and actually have a shot at not blowing their playoff berth that once seemed inevitable.  As it is, I don't think that happens.  The Atlanta Falcons that started the season are gone.

Chiefs (6-5) at Raiders (5-6): Kansas City-Suddenly the Chiefs-Raiders rivalry has juice once again.  Andy Reid's team might be the hottest in football outside of Charlotte, and Oakland's December games will matter for the first time in years.  They would sure love to knock off the Chiefs and put a glitch into their rival's playoff hopes, but Kansas City's too good a team, and they're playing too well right now.  Oakland usually gets these home games when it's against an opponent that doesn't make the trip out west very often.  Kansas City goes out there every year, though.  They won't have a problem.

Broncos (9-2) at Chargers (3-8): Denver-Denver went from definitely going on the road in the playoffs to having the tiebreaker over New England in the span of one play.  That win was that important.  Now Brock Osweiler looks to go 3-0 as the starter and make people start wondering if Peyton will get his job back.

Eagles (4-7) at Patriots (10-1): New England-Frat Boy got hurt last week and Tom Brady is "pissed" about it.  Boo hoo.  That team is seriously so obnoxious.  This is the way they act when they actually lose a game?  Please!  With all those injuries, it was just a matter of time.  Seriously, I might end up playing wide receiver for the Patriots next week.  And they could very easily lose again with all of Philly's blitzing.  Will the Eagles be able to score enough points to overcome their defense, though?  My guess is probably not.

Panthers (11-0) at Saints (4-7): Carolina-Who's the only undefeated team in football?  What's that?  It's not the Patriots?  It's the Carolina Panthers?  They go for their 16th straight regular season victory in New Orleans, and will wrap up their third straight NFC South crown if they do (they also clinch if the Bucs beat the Falcons).  New Orleans is a mess, so Panthers fans will be able to start buying playoff tickets first thing Monday morning.

Colts (6-5) at Steelers (6-5): Pittsburgh-There was some talk that NBC might flex this one out of Sunday night, but with the Steelers involved, I didn't think that was likely.  And like all AFC rivalry games this late in the season, it'll have big implications on the playoff hopes of both teams.  The Colts are undefeated with Matt Hasselbeck.  The Steelers will have Ben Roethlisberger, but you have to wonder how effective he'll be after suffering a concussion in last week's loss in Seattle.  Back at home, the Steelers are a different team.  And they get up for Sunday nights.  I like the Steelers here, but this will be a very, very tight game.  Walk-off touchdown?

Cowboys (3-8) at Redskins (5-6): Washington-Raise your hand if you thought there was any chance Washington would be in first place in December.  They're 5-6, but still.  I've never rooted for the Cowboys as badly as I will on Monday night, but we've already seen what they're like without Romo.  Also keep in mind that the Redskins, who are in first place despite being winless on the road, are 5-1 at home.  And it's a rivalry game.  On Monday night.  Against Dallas.  Regardless of what the Giants do, they stay in the top spot in the NFC East.

This Week: 1-0
Last Week: 11-5
Season: 112-65

World Cup Expansion?

You knew when UEFA President (at least I think he's still the UEFA President) Michel Platini first brought it up that FIFA was going to consider expanding the World Cup from its current 32 teams to 40.  And, despite seemingly everyone involved in FIFA being either investigated or arrested for some sort of corruption and/or bribery, the proposal seems to be gaining momentum once again.  All five candidates to take over for disgraced President Sepp Blatter support it, so you'd figure World Cup expansion is inevitable.  It's just a question of when.

On the surface, it makes sense.  There are so many national teams recognized by FIFA that a number of strong ones are left at home each World Cup.  The European Championships used to be a 16-team tournament.  Next year's edition of the Euro will include 24 teams, but the Netherlands won't be one.  The same Dutch team that has finished second and third at the last two World Cups.  Like I said, it's not as if they'd be watering down the product by making sure all of the best teams are there.

We saw the effects of expansion from 16 to 24 during this summer's Women's World Cup.  My argument then was that they needed to expand because 16 teams wasn't enough, but with the competitive state of the women's game, 24 may have been too many.  Regardless, going to 24 teams for the Women's World Cup was the right move.  It gave increased opportunities to federations that otherwise would've had no chance of qualifying, and eventually, they'll be more competitive against the likes of the United States and Japan.

If the men's World Cup expands, you won't have that talent disparity like we saw in the Germany-Thailand game over the summer.  And, just like we'll see on the women's side, the increased number of bids will help grow the game.  Likewise, it'll make qualifying easier for nations that can't get over the hump because they always run into traditional powers (Iceland and Albania will be making their debuts at a major senior-level competition at Euro 2016).

There's also always been an inherent unfairness that Oceania doesn't have an automatic bid into the World Cup.  That's the main reason why Australia left and joined Asia.  The federation's not strong.  I get it.  But New Zealand is penalized time and again because of where in the world it is.  And none of those nations are going to get any better if the only competitions they're able to play in are against each other.  (Personally, I think Oceania and Asia should be combined into one region, but that's a discussion for another day.)

Plenty of critics think the number of bids that go to Europe are disproportionate.  Europe currently gets 13 berths, nearly half the field (in 2018, it'll be 14 since Russia's hosting).  Of course, Europe has the most federations and the strongest teams, so all of those berths are deserved, but I do understand the frustration that the other regions have.  You wouldn't be able to exclude Europe from the expansion, but if you give Europe one, you still have seven extra places in the World Cup to allocate to the other regions.

With the eight extra berths, I'd allocate one to each federation (including Oceania), with Asia and Africa each getting a second.  I'd also eliminate the two cross-confederation playoffs and give an extra bid each to both of the Americas (although, I'll admit, six of the 10 South American teams would also be a bit disproportionate).  So, assuming all current places are preserved, that would make the allotment look like this: Europe-14, Africa-7, Asia-6, South America-6, CONCACAF-5, Oceania-1, Host Nation-1.

Logistically, moving to 40 teams would actually be pretty easy.  Instead of groups of four, you have groups of five.  That's what the Rugby World Cup does already and it works fine.  Sure, it creates a situation where one team in each group is done before the last day, but I'm sure that's something FIFA would be willing to accept.  Likewise, you're probably expanding the length of the tournament by at least a week, probably two, which I'm sure FS1 and all the other broadcast partners would love.  You'd probably need another stadium or two, as well (although I'm not sure how much the taxpayers of the host country would enjoy paying for those stadiums).

Most importantly, more games means more ticket revenue, which is good for everybody.  And we all know how much FIFA loves money.  They could even get wild & crazy and add a knockout game before the round of 16 by having three from each group advance and giving the group winners a bye into the round of 16.

While there are obviously plenty of logical reservations, all of those questions can easily be answered satisfactorily.  And, like it or not, World Cup expansion is inevitable.  The first tournament had 13 teams, and they went from 24 to the current 32 in 1998.  I don't think I'd get any disagreement that the expansion made the tournament better each time, and going to 40 will likely do the same.

Is it necessary?  Maybe, maybe not.  Is it going to happen?  Yes.  Will it have a positive impact on not just the World Cup, but worldwide soccer as a whole?  Most definitely.  And I'm certainly not complaining about the possibility of a World Cup that lasts six weeks instead of a month.