Top 10 Teams of the 2010s

As the regular readers of this blog know, my final post of the year (or second-to-last if New Year's is on the weekend) is usually a list counting down the best games of the year.  However, with the 2010s coming to an end, I decided to do something a little different this time.  Instead of counting down the best games of 2019, I'm going to encompass the entire decade.  And instead of counting down games, I'm going to count down the best teams.

I'm not talking about the teams that had one magical year during the 2010s.  I'm talking about the teams that had the best 10 years.  I'm talking about the teams that come to mind when you think "Team of the Decade."  Multiple championships, sustained excellence, all the elements that get you defined as a "dynasty."

This list is also being limited to teams in the major North American professional and collegiate sports.  It would be too difficult to narrow it down to just 10 if we were including national teams and European soccer clubs.  Especially since they would dominate the list.  In fact, the U.S. Women's Soccer Team, with two World Cups, an Olympic gold medal, and a World Cup Final appearance, would be right up there at the top.  So would the U.S. Women's Basketball Team, which went undefeated in major international competitions during the 2010s, winning three World Cups and two Olympic gold medals.

So, with that in mind, it's time to end the 2010s by counting down the 10 best teams of the last 10 years...

10. Cleveland Cavailers--1 NBA Championship (2016), 3 NBA Finals appearances (2015, 2017, 2018): They'd probably be higher if they hadn't lost three of their four Finals matchups with the Warriors, getting their butts kicked in the last two.  But still, making it to four straight Finals, regardless of whether you win them or not is an impressive achievement.  And LeBron delivered on his promise when he returned to Cleveland by leading the Cavs to the city's first championship in any sport since 1964.

9. San Francisco Giants--3 World Series Championships (2010, 2012, 2014): Entering the 2010s, the Giants hadn't won the World Series since 1954, when they still played in New York.  They won their first championship since moving to San Francisco in 2010, and ended up winning three in five years to start the decade.  The "Even-Year Giants" were definitely a thing in the early part of the 2010s, as they alternated World Series wins with not even making the playoffs in the odd-numbered years.

8. Chicago Blackhawks--3 Stanley Cup Championships (2010, 2013, 2015): Like the Giants, it had been a long time since the Chicago Blackhawks had won a championship when they finally hoisted the Cup again in 2010.  That was just the start.  Chicago won again in 2013, then captured their third Stanley Cup of the decade two years later.  The Blackhawks and LA Kings actually alternated getting their names on the Stanley Cup from 2012-15, and the Penguins won back-to-back in 2016-17.  But Chicago was the only team with three titles in the decade.

7. Minnesota Lynx--4 WNBA Championships (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017), 2 WNBA Finals appearances (2012, 2016): The WNBA often gets ignored, so it would be easy to overlook Minnesota's dominance throughout the 2010s.  But, in a seven-year period from 2011-17, the Lynx played in six WNBA Finals and won four championships.  The only one they missed was 2014, when they lost to Phoenix in the Western Conference Finals (prompting the WNBA rule change where conferences are now ignored in playoff seeding).  Amazingly, they never won back-to-back, winning the title only in the odd years.  Kinda a reverse San Francisco Giants situation.

6. Notre Dame Women's Basketball--1 NCAA Championship (2018), 5 National Championship Game appearances (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2019), 7 Final Fours: Notre Dame had the unfortunate task of having to face UConn or Baylor seemingly every time they made it to the National Championship Game, which was pretty much every year.  And they played some epic Final Four games, too, including the National Championship Game that they did win on Easter night in 2018 on Arike Ogunbowale's ridiculous three-pointer with 0.1 seconds left.

5. Clemson Football--2 CFP National Championships (2016, 2018), 2 CFP National Championship Game appearances (2015, 2019), 1 CFP appearance (2017): Clemson's 2010s still technically aren't over.  If they beat LSU, they'll be the first team in the playoff era to win three National Championships.  As it is, there's no denying they've been one of the two dominant teams since the playoff was instituted.  After missing the playoff in its first year, they've been in the last five and are in their fourth Championship Game.

4. Alabama Football--4 National Championships (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017), 2 CFP National Championship Game appearances (2016, 2018), 1 CFP appearance (2014): Alabama has four National Championships in the last 10 years--two in the BCS era and two in the CFP era.  This season marked the first time in the CFP's six-year existence that they weren't one of the four teams selected.  There's no question that Clemson and Alabama are head-and-shoulders above the rest over the past decade, but the Crimson Tide are ranked higher because of their two pre-CFP titles and six total Championship Game appearances.

3. UConn Women's Basketball--5 NCAA Championships (2010, 2013-16), 10 Final Fours: UConn was the team of the 90s and team of the 2000s in women's college basketball, so it should come as no surprise that they're also the team of the 10s.  The Huskies went to the Final Four EVERY YEAR of the decade and won five NCAA titles, including four straight with Breana Stewart (2013-16).  They also had an absurd 111-game winning streak that started early in Stewart's sophomore year and wasn't snapped until Mississippi State beat them on an overtime buzzer beater in the 2017 Final Four.

2. New England Patriots--3 Super Bowl Championships (2014, 2016, 2018), 2 Super Bowl appearances (2011, 2017): Bradicheck had a message for all of us who thought they might slow down as they got older.  "We ain't done yet!"  Their streak of division titles extends into the 2000s, and, should they get back to the Super Bowl, they'll be just the second team to make it four years in a row.  As it is, they've played in four of the last five and won three of them, including that epic comeback against the Falcons in Super Bowl LI.  And to think, when they beat the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX, it was their first title in 10 years!  They sure made up for it at the end of the decade.

1. Golden State Warriors--3 NBA Championships (2015, 2017, 2018), 2 NBA Finals appearances (2016, 2019): Steph Curry and Co. didn't begin dominating the NBA until midway through the decade, but they've enjoyed one of the greatest five-year runs of any team in any sport ever.  Since 2015, they've had a permanent ticket booked to the NBA Finals (against LeBron the first four times).  They won three titles in four years from 2015-18 and the one year in that span they didn't win (2016), they set a record by going a ridiculous 73-9 in the regular season.  Golden State then went 16-1 in the 2017 postseason, with the only loss coming in Game 4 of the Finals.  Because of their sheer dominance over the past five years, the Warriors get the nod over the Patriots as the overall "Team of the 2010s."

NFL 100: Week 17

We've reached the final week of the NFL's 100th season, and there's still a lot to be determined.  We know 10 of the 12 playoff teams, but six teams are still alive for the other two.  And the entire NFC playoff picture (except for the 6-seed) won't be decided until the Sunday night game is over!  (It's also crazy to think the Saints could be 13-3 and not have a bye!)

There are 11 games this week that have at least some playoff significance, and two of the other five involve wild card teams who are locked into their seeding.  So, as usual, I'm doing my Week 17 picks with the games that are playoff-relevant first, with the others at the end.

AFC Wild Card: Pittsburgh
Steelers (8-7) at Ravens (13-2): Baltimore-Despite losing to the Jets last week, the Steelers are actually in a pretty good position to take that second AFC wild card.  If everything goes their way, they can even lose to the Ravens and still get in.  Baltimore has already clinched home field advantage and will be sitting several starters, but they still have plenty of motivation.  They have the opportunity to knock rival Pittsburgh out of the playoffs.  The Ravens will do their part, but I think the Steelers will get the results they need elsewhere and still get in.

Titans (8-7) at Texans (10-5): Houston-Things are pretty simple for Tennessee: win and in, lose and likely out (unless things break their way).  For Houston, it's a little more complicated.  The Texans can still move up to the 3-seed, but they may be locked into the 4 by the time the game starts.  So, do they go all out, or rest up and get ready for the Bills?  If they play their starters the whole way, I see them closing the season with a win.  If not, the Titans could very well be joining them in the playoffs.

Colts (7-8) at Jaguars (5-10): Indianapolis-At first, I was confused why this game was put at 4:30 with the Steelers and Titans games.  Indianapolis has been eliminated.  But then I realized it has a huge impact on the playoff picture.  A Colts win and Titans loss gives Indy the tiebreaker for second place in the South.  And the Steelers beat the Colts, so that would give Pittsburgh the final spot.  I see all three things happening and Pittsburgh going from 1-4 to the playoffs.

Raiders (7-8) at Broncos (6-9): Denver-Oakland is still technically alive, but they need it to be a four-way tie at 8-8 and clinch strength of victory over the Steelers (which is possible, seeing as Pittsburgh has Cincinnati on there twice).  However, count out Vic Fangio's Denver Broncos at your own risk.  A 7-9 finish would be a big statement for this team moving forward, especially when you consider how many close losses they had early in the season.  Alas, the Raiders' days as the "Oakland" Raiders will come to an end with a loss that eliminates them completely.

NFC East: Philadelphia
Eagles (8-7) at Giants (4-11): Philadelphia-Heading into their season-ending stretch of four straight division games, the Eagles knew that if they won them all, they'd be the NFC East champions.  And now they head into Week 17 with everything in their own hands.  They beat the Giants, they win the division and host the 49ers-Seahawks loser next week.  After getting a scare from the Giants a few weeks ago, I see the Eagles playing a completely different game this time.  As for the Giants, will they make it an Eli sendoff?  Oh, and for all you NFC East haters out there, an Eagles win makes them 9-7, which will be the sixth-best record in the conference.

Redskins (3-12) at Cowboys (7-8): Dallas-The Cowboys had the chance to make this game not matter at all.  They could've had the NFC East all wrapped up and been sitting starters to get ready for the wild card game.  Instead, they need a win and some help from the Giants in order to avoid this being Jason Garrett's final game as head coach.  They'll do their part, but I don't see them getting that help.  And, frankly, it's the Cowboys' own fault.  They're probably the most talented team in the NFC East, but they spent most of the season playing like they didn't want to make the playoffs.  And they won't.

NFC West: Seattle
49ers (12-3) at Seahawks (11-4): Seattle-Game 256 doesn't just decide the NFC West.  It sets the entire NFC playoff field.  A 49ers win gives San Francisco home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.  A Seattle win gives them the division (and potentially home field) and sends the 49ers east for a wild card game.  So, yeah, they picked a good one to end the season with.  The Seahawks won the first game on a field goal at the end of overtime.  Now they're playing on their turf, which has been historically hostile (although not as much this year).  The Seahawks may have been caught looking ahead to this one, which might explain the egg they laid last week in Arizona.  Of course, that loss to the Cardinals almost certainly cost them the chance at home field, as they'll now likely end up hosting the Vikings next week.

Seeding Implications
Dolphins (4-11) at Patriots (12-3): New England-Well, it was nice while it lasted.  Until last week, there was actually some hope that the Patriots actually might not win the AFC East.  Although, it took them until Week 16 to clinch the division this year, and their league-mandated first-round bye is still up in the air.  At least technically.  A win over the lowly Dolphins takes care of that.  But, the fact that the Patriots' Week 17 game actually matters for something is a small victory.  And, frankly, they need to play their starters regardless.  Because that offense is not good.

Chargers (5-10) at Chiefs (11-4): Kansas City-Kansas City won in New England a few weeks ago.  So the prospect of traveling to Foxboro in the Divisional Playoffs shouldn't faze them at all.  They'd sure like for that game to be at Arrowhead, though.  Of course, it's not completely in the Chiefs' hands, but they still need to win if they want to avoid dropping to the 4-seed.  The Chiefs have the most interesting arc in the AFC.  They can win and still be 3.  They can lose and still be 3.  Or they can move either up or down.  The only thing they can control is beating the Chargers.

Packers (12-3) at Lions (3-11-1): Green Bay-Matt LaFleur is already the most successful rookie coach in Packers history.  First to make the playoffs, first to win 10 games, first to win a division title.  And with a win in Detroit, Green Bay will clinch at least a first-round bye.  Criticize the Packers all you want (and I agree they aren't as good as the Saints or Seahawks), you know going into Lambeau in January is not an easy task.  It's even realistic to think they could have home field, but that's out of their control.  All they can do is take care of their own business in Detroit.

Saints (12-3) at Panthers (5-10): New Orleans-FOX and the other TV networks have constantly been hammering the point that over the last few years, no team without a bye has reached the Super Bowl.  The Saints are certainly capable of breaking that trend.  Of course, New Orleans is in this position because of that loss to the Falcons.  But they can still move up to No. 2 or even No. 1 depending on how the other games go.  And it's a joke that Drew Brees wasn't on the NFL 100 All-Time Team!  Maybe he'll be angry enough to add six touchdown passes to his NFL record and get his team to 13-3.  Then all the Saints will be able to do is sit and wait to find out when their next game is.

The Other Games
Jets (6-9) at Bills (10-5): Buffalo-Who would've figured when the Bills beat the Jets in Week 1 what type of season was in store for Buffalo?  They came thisclose to winning in Foxboro last week, and they'll be a tough out for either Houston or Kansas City next week.  And the fact that the Bills are hosting a meaningless Week 17 game while preparing for the playoffs means so much to the fans in Buffalo!  I doubt the starters will play the whole way, but they'll want to make sure they finish the regular season the way they started it--by beating the Jets.

Browns (6-9) at Bengals (1-14): Cleveland-Congratulations, I guess, to the Bengals on securing the No. 1 pick in next year's draft.  It was definitely time for a change, but I don't think this is the type of season they had in mind when they fired Marvin Lewis.  This wasn't the type of season the Browns had in mind, either.  For all those projections of Cleveland as a potential playoff team, they're certainly going to be disappointed with 7-9.  And they should be.  But, 7-9 will look a lot more respectable when you consider they started 2-6.

Bears (7-8) at Vikings (10-5): Chicago-Last year, Chicago traveled to Minnesota for the season finale with the NFC North already wrapped up and the Vikings clinging to the final wild card.  The Bears dominated and knocked Minnesota out of the playoffs in the process.  This year, things are a little different.  The Vikings' playoff spot is already clinched and their seed won't change regardless of what happens here.  As a result, I'm not sure how invested Minnesota will be in this one.  And, for as up-and-down as the Bears have been this year, a win will give them an 8-8 finish, which is mighty impressive if you think about it.

Cardinals (5-9-1) at Rams (8-7): Rams-For the first time since the 2016 Panthers, the Super Bowl loser won't be returning to the playoffs the following season.  Which is result of both some inconsistent play by the Rams and how good both San Francisco and Seattle turned out to be.  The Cardinals, meanwhile, have shown some encouraging progress, and they've got a chance to end the season with a three-game winning streak.  I think it's more likely, though, that the Rams close out the LA Coliseum Era with a victory.

Falcons (6-9) at Buccaneers (7-8): Atlanta-You've gotta give the Falcons credit.  They were 1-7, which led to everyone assuming Dan Quinn would be fired.  They're 5-2 since (with wins in New Orleans and San Francisco), which saved Quinn's job.  They easily could've quit on their coach, but they didn't, and he'll be back next season as a result.  Let's not take anything away from the job Bruce Arians has done in Tampa Bay, either.  The Bucs will be either 8-8 or 7-9, which I don't think anyone expected.  Watch out for both of these teams next year.  As it is, I see Atlanta finishing this season with a victory.

Last Week: 10-6
Overall: 144-95-1

Recapping 2019

With just a few days remaining in 2019, I figured now's as good a time as any to do a "Year In Review" piece.  There have been a lot of "all decade" lists coming out in various places over the past few weeks, but since the decade technically doesn't end until next year (we had this same problem at the Millennium...there was no year 0!), I'm not going to do that.  Besides, 2019 gave us enough all on its own.

Baseball: It took until Spring Training already started, but Bryce Harper and Manny Machado got their big-money deals with the Phillies and Padres, respectively.  Then, like two days later, the Angels doubled down and made Mike Trout the highest-paid player in baseball while also guaranteeing he'll spend his entire career in their uniform.  Harper's former team, the Nationals, got the last laugh, though.  After years of playoff failures, they went all the way, capturing their first World Series title in seven games over the Astros, who had some off-the-field, shall we say?, "problems" come to light.  Meanwhile, Mariano Rivera, the Greatest Closer of All-Time, headlined the Hall of Fame class after becoming the first player unanimously elected to Cooperstown.

Football: Football year-in-reviews are always weird because the season is almost over at the end of the year, but the year started with the end of the previous season.  Anyway, the tail end of the 2018 season gave us two great conference championship games followed by a dud of a Super Bowl, where the Patriots won their sixth Lombardi Trophy of the Bradicheck Era.  There was one good thing to come out of the NFC Championship Game, though.  The non-call on an obvious pass interference by the Rams made pass interference reviewable, which was long overdue (even if they still don't get it right).  And this season, of course, the NFL has celebrated its centennial.

Hockey: At this time last year, the St. Louis Blues were the worst team in the NHL.  Six months later, they hoisted the Stanley Cup.  The final of the Women's World Championships wasn't USA vs. Canada for the first time, and it was just weird.  Finland won, celebrated on the ice, then controversially had the goal disallowed, only to have the U.S. win the gold in a shootout.

Basketball: After eight years, the NBA changed the rules and LeBron's team was no longer required to be in the Finals.  Instead, it was the Toronto Raptors who represented the Eastern Conference, and they brought the NBA title North of the Border for the first time.  They beat the Warriors, who were in their fifth straight Finals before seeing the team broken up big time in free agency.  There was also a World Cup that the U.S. struggled to put together a team for, and it showed.  They qualified for the Olympics, but that was about the only positive that could be taken away from their performance.  They had the worst showing ever for an NBA-based U.S. team, losing in the quarterfinals and finishing seventh overall.  Spain won its second world title.

College: Clemson and Alabama continued their domination of the College Football Playoff, once again meeting for the National Championship.  Although, that run ended in the 2019 portion of the season, with LSU taking Alabama's place as Kings of the SEC.  Virginia, meanwhile, won its first men's basketball championship, with an overtime victory over Texas Tech.  Baylor was the top women's team all year and cemented that status with a National Championship after a great title game against Notre Dame.  UConn made its 11th straight Women's Final Four, but was only a 2-seed in the tournament because of how weak the American Athletic Conference is.  That was the last straw for UConn, which led to the Huskies' return to the Big East next school year.

Soccer: We saw perhaps the most competitive Women's World Cup ever.  The USA-France quarterfinal game had the feel and intensity of a final.  Entering the tournament, the question was whether or not the U.S. would defend its title.  They did so in dominant fashion, although it wasn't the classiest performance.  The way they ran up the score against an incredibly overmatched Thailand and celebrated like they'd never scored before rubbed a lot of people (myself included) the wrong way, and they didn't act any more professionally the rest of the tournament.  It didn't help that the ringleader, Megan Rapinoe, a woman who could really use a dose of humility, ended up being named tournament MVP.  So, what should've been a great, feel-good moment when they beat the Netherlands for their second consecutive World Cup title ended up being divisive instead.

Rugby: New Zealand's 18-game Rugby World Cup winning streak came to an end when they lost to England in the semifinals.  England was heavily favored in the final a week later against South Africa, but the Springboks proved to be the better team that day and won their third World Cup.  The U.S. went 0-4 in the tournament, but really had no chance after ending up in a group with three heavyweights--England, France and Argentina.  They also had to cancel several games for the first time in tournament history when a typhoon hit Japan.

Tennis: Stop me if you've heard this before--Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal dominated the year in men's tennis.  Djokovic won both the Australian Open and Wimbledon, while Clay Boy added a US Open title to his annual French Open victory.  On the women's side, meanwhile, Naomi Osaka finally got to celebrate a Grand Slam championship the appropriate way with her victory in Australia, which made her No. 1 in the world.  Ashleigh Barty then became No. 1 by winning the French Open, while Simona Halep won Wimbledon.  Bianca Andreescu capped the year by becoming the first Canadian Grand Slam champion with her victory over Serena Williams at the US Open.  Serena, meanwhile, stays stuck on 23 Grand Slam titles.

Golf: Tiger Woods let us all know that he isn't done yet.  In April, he turned back the clock with a vintage performance.  He had golf fans and non-fans alike enthralled as he charged down the back nine on Sunday to earn a comeback win at the Masters.  Tiger wasn't in contention at any of the other Majors, but was the top American performer at the President's Cup.

Track & Field: The World Athletics Championships were held later in the year than ever before in a brand new location--Doha, Qatar.  That turned out to be a mistake, as the stadium was empty on the first few days and the heat was unbearable.  And, as a result of the heat at the women's marathon, the IOC took it upon themselves to move next year's Olympic marathons from Tokyo to Sapporo.  There were plenty of notable performances, though.  Christian Coleman won the 100, Noah Lyles was electric in his 200-meter victory, DeAnna Price and Donavan Brazier became the first American World Champions in their events, and the U.S. set a world record in the debut of the mixed 4x400 relay.  Caster Semenya wasn't in Doha, as she was controversially excluded by the new testosterone rules that were passed in March and later upheld.

Swimming: Caeleb Dressel had a Phelpsian performance at the World Championships, winning eight medals, six of them gold.  Katie Ledecky was expected to have a similarly-dominant showing, but took a shocking silver in the 400 freestyle and was forced to withdraw from her two best events (800 freestyle, 1500 freestyle) due to illness.  There was also plenty of controversy, as China's Sun Yang was allowed to compete despite a pending doping suspension and won two gold medals.  At the first medals ceremony, Great Britain's Duncan Scott refused to stand on the podium with Sun, and at the second, silver medalist Mack Horton of Australia refused to shake his hand.

Olympics: First the good news.  The Winter Games will return to the more traditional Western European location that the IOC wanted in 2026, when Milan and Cortina, Italy will host.  Maybe Russia will actually be competing under their own flag again by then.  Because they simply can't get out of their own way.  Their doping crisis has only gotten worse, and it's all their own doing.  As a result, they've been given a four-year suspension from all international sports, with the pending appeal to be heard in early 2020.  And don't get me started on the 2024 Paris Games, where "breaking" will make its Olympic debut and surfing will be held 10,000 miles away from Paris in Tahiti.

That's just a sampling of what happened in the world of sports in 2019.  There was also Simone Biles' return, retirements (Lindsey Vonn, Andrew Luck), deaths (Tyler Skaggs, Bart Starr), stadiums and arenas opening and closing, and so much more.  In short, 2019 was another great year in sports.  I'm excited to see what 2020 has in store for us.

Memorable Monday Night Moments

The NFL has invested a lot into its centennial season this year, which is completely understandable.  The 100th season is quite a milestone that deserves to be celebrated.  But lost in the mix of the league's centennial was the 50th anniversary of arguably the NFL's biggest property outside the Super Bowl.  I'm, of course, talking about Monday Night Football.

At first it seemed like a crazy thought.  A regular season NFL game in prime time on Monday night every week.  But Roone Arledge's crazy idea has since become a national institution.  It turned Howard Cosell into a household name, former players Frank Gifford and Don Meredith are now associated more with Monday Night Football than anything else, and we had the Michaels and Madden pairing (one of the best broadcast booths in NFL history) at the end of the ABC run.  And let's not forget Hank Williams, Jr., and his song "All My Rowdy Friends," which has been the Monday night anthem ever since it was introduced in 1989.

Over the past 50 years, more than 700 games have been played on Monday nights, first on ABC and, since 2006, on ESPN.  Some of them have been totally forgettable.  Others have provided Monday Night Football with those signature moments that nobody will ever be able to forget.

So, in honor of Monday Night Football's just-concluded 50th season, here are 10 of the most memorable Monday night games in history.  This is by no means a comprehensive list.  There are obviously much more than 10 games that could've made the cut.  Likewise, I'm not ranking these games.  It's absurd to rank one game as the "best" Monday nighter ever.  As a result, I'm sorting these games chronologically.

September 21, 1970 (Browns 31, Jets 21): It wasn't just the first game of the Monday night experiment, it was the first-ever meeting between the Jets and the Browns, now conference rivals in the new AFC in the first season of the post-merger NFL.  This one is memorable for its historical significance, of course, but it also featured a 94-yard kickoff return touchdown to start the second half.

November 18, 1985 (Redskins 23, Giants 21): No one remembers the fact that the Redskins won this game.  In fact, this game is remembered for one reason and one reason only.  In what might've been the most gruesome scene in the series' 50-year history, Lawrence Taylor ended Joe Theismann's career with a crushing sack that broke Theismann's leg in two places...and was replayed over and over again (and even featured in the opening montage of The Blind Side).

December 2, 1985 (Dolphins 38, Bears 24): Two weeks after LT nearly killed Theismann, Monday Night Football enjoyed the highest-rated game in its history.  The legendary '85 Bears came into the Orange Bowl with a 12-0 record.  The Dolphins made sure that their 1972 squad would remain the only undefeated team in NFL history.

November 30, 1987 (Raiders 37, Seahawks 14): Remember how good Bo Jackson was?  Well, he sure didn't disappoint in his Monday Night Football debut.  The game itself wasn't competitive, but Bo put on a show.  His 91-yard touchdown run into the tunnel was a thing of beauty, and you can't convince me it wasn't the inspiration for the scene in Forrest Gump where Forrest does the same thing.  Maybe Bo "just felt like run-ning" too!

December 3, 1990 (49ers 7, Giants 3): San Francisco was the two-time defending champions.  The Giants would go on to win the Super Bowl (also on ABC).  They both entered the game 10-1, having both suffered their first loss the previous week.  It was supposed to be an offensive shootout.  It ended up being a 7-3 defensive struggle.  Six weeks later, they'd meet again in the same stadium for the NFC Championship.

October 17, 1994 (Chiefs 31, Broncos 28): Any list of the most memorable Monday night games in history has to include this one.  Two Hall of Fame quaterbacks (Joe Montana vs. John Elway), a heated division rivalry, and a classic game-winning drive.  Montana led Kansas City 75 yards down the field and threw the winning touchdown pass with eight seconds left.

October 23-24, 2000 (Jets 40, Dolphins 37): When Monday Night Football turned into Tuesday Morning Football.  It's called the "Monday Night Miracle," and for good reason!  The Dolphins led 30-7 before the Jets scored 23 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.  Offensive lineman Jumbo Elliott caught the game-tying touchdown pass with 30 seconds left, and the Jets kicked a field goal in OT to win it.

October 6, 2003 (Colts 38, Buccaneers 35): Another crazy Monday night comeback took place three years later in Tony Dungy's return to Tampa.  The defending champion Bucs led 35-14 with 3:43 left.  As if that was a problem for Peyton Manning!  Indianapolis, incredibly, scored three touchdowns to force overtime, then Mike Vanderjagt, after a "leaping" penalty on his first attempt, kicked the game-winner to cap the insane comeback.

September 25, 2006 (Saints 23, Falcons 3): ESPN's first season featured one of the most significant moments in Monday night history--the Saints' first game back at the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina.  And they dominated!  New Orleans blocked a punt for a touchdown 90 seconds into the game, and the party was on from there.  After a year of devastation, fans in the Big Easy finally had something to cheer about again.

November 19, 2018 (Rams 54, Chiefs 51): Finally, we have last season's Game of the Year.  The Rams and Chiefs were originally supposed to play in Mexico City, but the game got moved to the LA Coliseum.  Too bad for the fans South of the Border.  Because they missed a show!  Jared Goff and Patrick Mahomes trading blows back-and-forth all night long to the tune of 105 combined points!  The first Monday night game in Los Angeles since 1991 was well worth the wait.  It lived up to the hype and then some!  In fact, it might've been the greatest regular season game in NFL history!

NFL 100: Week 16

Week 16 is here!  Which means we're winding down the season, and, just as importantly, no more Thursday games!  Instead, we've got a Saturday tripleheader that the league and NFL Network didn't finalize until midseason.  As a result, there are three pretty good games on tap to begin the Week 16 schedule.

All three of our Saturday appetizers have playoff implications, but the playoff stakes are pretty high on Sunday, too.  In fact, seven of the eight divisions and 11 of the 12 playoff spots could be locked up by week's end.

Texans (9-5) at Buccaneers (7-7): Houston-Can we please start giving the Houston Texans some credit?  They beat New England, they beat Kansas City, and now they're set to win their fourth division title in five years.  Tampa Bay won't make it easy for them, though.  Bruce Arians has put the rest of the league on notice that the Bucs will be a force to be reckoned with next year.  Regardless, Houston should clinch the division one way or the other, either with a win or a Titans loss.  Worst case, they host Tennessee next week, so they've got two shots at it.

Bills (10-4) at Patriots (11-3): New England-Believe it or not, if the Bills win, they'll be in first place.  The idea of somebody else being in first place in the AFC East, especially this late in the season, is really just such a joyous thought.  And their playoff spot is already taken care of, so they're playing with house money in this one.  A Bills win isn't completely out of the question, either.  This is the Patriots we're talking about, though.  You know they'll win, clinch the division, and stay in position for their league-mandated first-round bye.

Rams (8-6) at 49ers (11-3): San Francisco-Prediction: the 49ers-Seahawks game next week will be on "Sunday Night Football."  It'll decide the entire NFC playoff picture.  That is, unless the 49ers find a way to lose again.  It really is remarkable.  San Francisco has gone from the 5-seed to the 1-seed back to the 5 in the last three weeks.  But, again, they need a win here to make next week winner-take-all for the West.  The Rams, meanwhile, are on life support after that uninspired effort in Dallas last week.  They were actually driving me nuts during the Monday night game last week.  While it's true that the Vikings will clinch a playoff berth if they beat the Packers, they'll have it clinched long before then if the 49ers win this one.

Jaguars (5-9) at Falcons (5-9): Atlanta-You've gotta give the Atlanta Falcons credit.  Not only have they refused to give up on the season, they pulled off the massive upset last week that might disrupt the entire NFC playoff picture.  (I've never seen a team win, then not win, then win again on one touchdown and one non-touchdown, both on replay review, both within the last three seconds.)  And the news out of Jacksonville this week that led to Tom Coughlin's firing sure was interesting.  We'll see how the Jaguars respond.  I like the way the Falcons are playing, though.

Ravens (12-2) at Browns (6-8): Baltimore-A win here makes it 11 in a row for the Ravens.  More importantly, it locks up home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs (which they'll clinch if they win either of their remaining games).  Cleveland is still technically alive if there's a whole jumbled mess at 8-8, but we all know the Browns are essentially done.  It'll be official once Baltimore wraps up home field.

Saints (11-3) at Titans (8-6): New Orleans-The Saints are in a very interesting position to say the least.  They could win out, finish 13-3, and still be the 3-seed in the NFC!  And a win here does nothing to change their position unless the Vikings beat the Packers.  The Titans, meanwhile, need this to keep their wild card hopes alive.  Problem is the Saints are a better team, and they need it, too.  Expect a lot of points and a New Orleans victory.

Panthers (5-9) at Colts (6-8): Carolina-After beating Jacksonville in Week 11, the Colts were 6-4 and tied for first.  Since then, they've dropped four straight and fallen out of the playoff race completely.  They haven't exactly looked good during this little three-week run through the NFC South, either.  They got smacked all over the Superdome last week!  For their part, the Panthers have lost six straight.  So, something's gotta give in this one.

Bengals (1-13) at Dolphins (3-11): Cincinnati-It's fitting that this game is in the midst of all those ridiculous bowl games between 7-5 mid-major teams that no one cares about.  Granted, if the Bengals were still winless, there would be a lot of suspense going into this one.  But they took care of that against the Jets three weeks ago.  They can, however, clinch the No. 1 pick with a loss here.  Which means the Dolphins will lose their shot at it, which they simply can't have.  As such, I'm saying Cincinnati wins.

Steelers (8-6) at Jets (5-9): Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh is hanging on to that second wild card in the AFC, but a loss puts them into a straight tie with the Titans heading into Week 17 (and would give Tennessee the strength-of-victory tiebreaker).  So, basically, losing to the Jets would not be good. That would take it out of the Steelers' hands and require a win over the Ravens to make the playoffs (which still might not be enough).  Needless to say, Pittsburgh needs to take care of business.

Giants (3-11) at Redskins (3-11): Giants-Daniel Jones is back under center for the Giants, which I'm OK with.  Since that was the perfect way to send Eli Manning off last week.  Jones' first start was against the Redskins, and now he moves back into the starting lineup in the rematch with Washington.  The loser here actually stands to benefit more.  These two are battling Miami and Detroit for the No. 2 pick, which could be Ohio State defensive end Chase Young.  So, do you play to lose?

Lions (3-10-1) at Broncos (5-9): Denver-Denver needs wins in its final two games to avoid three consecutive 10-loss seasons for the first time since the AFL days.  Not that this season has been a total waste for the Broncos, though.  They even look like they might've found a franchise quarterback in Drew Lock.  However, the Broncos are better than their record, and it looks like Vic Fangio is safe for at least another year.  The same can't be said for Lions coach Matt Patricia, who is likely coaching his last road game for Detroit with his team looking to snap a seven-game losing streak.

Raiders (6-8) at Chargers (5-9): Chargers-Talk about brutal losses!  The Raiders were going to close out their Oakland tenure in style before the Jaguars went in a stole the game with that late touchdown.  Now they hit the road for a pair of division games to end the season.  Believe it or not, they were in prime position for a playoff spot until they got smacked by the Jets to start their current four-game losing streak.  They also haven't beaten the Chargers in SoCal since 2016.  And, if this is Philip Rivers' final home start, he deserves to have it go the same way his 2004 draft-and-trade partner Eli Manning's final home start did.

Cowboys (7-7) at Eagles (7-7): Dallas-Is everybody happy now?  The NFC East winner won't have  a sub-.500 record!  AND...the Cowboys actually looked like they wanted to be a playoff team last week.  Now Dallas is in a position to clinch the division with a week to spare and rest starters next week against Washington.  But they have to beat the Eagles first.  Philly has needed last-second miracles against the two NFC East also-rans in the last two weeks.  They're in the driver's seat if they win, though.  Problem is Dallas is the better team.  And four of the Cowboys' seven wins have come within the division.

Cardinals (4-9-1) at Seahawks (11-3): Seattle-Well, well, well.  Things have sure gotten interesting for the Seattle Seahawks.  The No. 5 seed heading into last week, the No. 1 seed at week's end.  We all know how well the Seahawks play at home, and they might not have to leave Qwest Field again until making a long trip to Miami in February.  They control their own fate and finish the season with two home division games.  It's very likely that the road to the NFC title will go through the Pacific Northwest.

Chiefs (10-4) at Bears (7-7): Kansas City-Other than the Bills, no team benefits from a Buffalo win over New England more than Kansas City.  That, coupled with a win over the Bears, would move the Chiefs into the 2-seed in the AFC.  Of course, I'm jumping ahead of myself a little bit here.  But Kansas City really is in a great position right now.  They followed up their victory over the Patriots with a dominant division win in the snow last week.  Can they do the same on Sunday night in Chicago against a Bears team that has scored a grand total of 10 points in its two previous NBC games this season?

Packers (11-3) at Vikings (10-4): Green Bay-Even if the Vikings win, Green Bay will still control the division heading into the final game.  And the degree of significance for Minnesota really depends on the Saturday night game.  But if the Vikings don't want to play a road game on Wild Card Weekend, they need to beat their rivals.  The Packers are thinking about a bye, though, which is something they'll likely need in the incredibly top-heavy NFC.  Otherwise, there very well could be a rematch of this game in two weeks.

Last Week: 11-5
Overall: 134-89-1

NFL 100 Hall of Fame Class

At the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction in August, they announced that, as a part of the NFL's centennial, there would be a special 20-member class this year.  In addition to the standard five modern-era players who will be voted on the day before the Super Bowl as usual, they're going to induct 10 seniors, three contributors and two coaches.  And today, they announced the 38 finalists for those 15 spots.

When they first announced the expanded class, I unveiled the 10 senior players I would select if I was the one choosing (which I'm not).  Well, the screening committee didn't agree with me.  Of my 10, only two, Roger Craig and Drew Pearson made the cut.  So they're obviously both on my revised list.  But, since I did so bad the first time, I have to try this again.

I like the inclusion of so many players from the early days, who I obviously don't know much about.  You've gotta figure that they'll include at least one or two players from the 1920s or 30s to represent those early days of pro football.  I also like that there's a good number of wide receivers and safeties, two oft-neglected positions in Canton.  So, with all that in mind, here are the eight senior players I've got joining Craig and Pearson in the Hall of Fame's Centennial Class...

Ox Emerson, Guard (1931-37 Lions, 1938 Brooklyn Dodgers): He played eight years and was First Team All-Pro six times.  He was on the 1930s All-Decade Team, is on the Lions' all-time team, and won a championship with Detroit in 1935.  The most ridiculous stat I saw about Emerson, though, is this--the 1936 Lions rushed for 2,885 yards in a 12-game season (that's 240 yards per game!).

LaVern Dilweg, End (1926 Milwaukee Badgers, 1927-34 Packers): Evidently Don Hutson wasn't the first great Packers wide receiver!  In fact, Dilweg is one of only two players on the 1920s All-Decade Team not already in the Hall of Fame.  He was a five-time All-Pro and won three consecutive titles with the Packers (1929-31) while playing football in the morning and practicing law in the afternoon.

Donnie Shell, Safety (1974-87 Steelers): If they're going to put another member of the Steel Curtain in the Hall of Fame, my choice would still be L.C. Greenwood and his gold shoes.  But Donnie Shell deserves to be in Canton, too.  It says a lot that he was a finalist for the 100th Anniversary Team despite not being in the Hall of Fame.  With all the big names and big personalities on that defense, Shell got lost in the shuffle a little bit.  But he had 51 interceptions, went to five straight Pro Bowls and, of course, won four Super Bowl rings.  He also played 14 years at safety!

Mac Speedie, End (1946-52 Browns): Frankly, I didn't realize Mac Speedie wasn't already in the Hall of Fame like Browns teammates Otto Graham, Marion Motley and Dante Lavelli.  Because he should be.  He was probably the best wide receiver in AAFC history.  He led the league in receptions three years in a row and is the AAFC's all-time leader in both catches and receiving yards.  Speedie was named to the 1940s All-Decade Team despite not playing in the NFL until 1950!

Randy Gradishar, Linebacker (1974-83 Broncos): Gradishar finished sixth in Heisman voting as a senior at Ohio State.  That has nothing to do with his NFL career, but it's still cool, considering how rare it is for a defensive player to finish that high.  Anyway, there's a lot of sentiment for Gradishar to be in the Hall of Fame.  He was the best player on Denver's "Orange Crush" defense and is considered the Broncos' best defensive player ever (at least until Von Miller came along).  The 1978 Defensive Player of the Year, Gradishar was a six-time All-Pro.

Cliff Branch, Wide Receiver (1972-85 Raiders): Sadly, if Branch is inducted, he won't be there to give a speech.  He passed away in August.  He wasn't as good as Fred Biletnikoff, but he was just as integral to the Raiders' three Super Bowl championship teams.  His 501 career catches don't seem like a lot today, but his 73 receptions and 1,289 receiving yards in the playoffs were NFL records until Jerry Rice broke them.  If Ken Stabler's a Hall of Famer, so is Cliff Branch.

Ed Sprinkle, Defensive End/Linebacker (1944-55 Bears): George Halas called him "the greatest pass rusher I've ever seen."  That's enough for me.  Sprinkle started off as a two-way player before being converted to a defensive specialist.  He was the first defensive player to gain mainstream notoriety and was on the 1940s All-Decade Team.

Duke Slater, Tackle (1922 Milwaukee Badgers, 1922-25 Rock Island Independents, 1926-31 Cardinals): There weren't many black players in the NFL in the 1920s.  Fritz Pollard and Duke Slater.  That's about it.  But Slater's career deserves to be recognized not just because it's Jackie Robinson-esque.  He's also considered the greatest lineman of his era and was a five-time All-Pro...while dealing with the racist sentiment of the time.

They're also going to induct two coaches, and the list of finalists is stacked.  We've got three familiar names from the 90s (Bill Cowher, Mike Holmgren, Jimmy Johnson), a two-time Super Bowl winner (Tom Flores), coaches that took two teams to Super Bowls (Dick Vermeil, Dan Reeves), a frequent finalist who revolutionized the passing game (Don Coryell) and a two-time NFL champion in the 1950s (Buddy Parker).

It's tough to go with only two from that list, but I'll say Don Coryell and Bill Cowher.  It's time for Coryell to finally get the recognition he deserves.  And Cowher had the unenviable task of replacing Chuck Noll, but kept that Steelers train rolling for 15 years.

Three contributors will complete the Centennial Class.  This field is stacked, too, but I'm gonna go with Paul Tagliabue as my first choice.  Tagliabue is obviously known for his 17 years as commissioner, where he helped turn the NFL into the behemoth it is today.  In a tough call over Art Modell, I'm going with Bud Adams, the original owner of the Oilers/Titans franchise and part of the "Foolish Club" that founded the AFL.  Speaking of founding a league, I can think of no better tribute in the NFL's Centennial than inducting Ralph Hay into the Hall of Fame.  After all, it was his car dealership in Canton where the league was established, and his Canton Bulldogs won the first championship.

That's More Like It

After two painfully slow offseasons where the top names didn't sign until after the New Year, this winter has been anything but.  And it's been quite a pleasant change.  Every day at the Winter Meetings, massive amounts of money were being thrown around, and the big-name free agents didn't have to wait until January for their markets to develop.  Not this year.  All the big business was taken care of before Christmas.

In the first three days of the Winter Meetings, Stephen Strasburg stayed with the Nationals, Gerrit Cole picked the Yankees and Anthony Rendon chose the Angels.  We also had Zack Wheeler and Didi Gregorius go to the Phillies (with the Mets getting Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha to replace Wheeler), Madison Bumgarner sign with Arizona after a decade in San Francisco, and Cole Hamels rejoin the NL East with Atlanta.  Oh, and there was that huge Indians-Rangers trade sending Corey Kluber to Texas, too.

So what made this offseason so different?  Well, I think there are several reasons.  And the extra roster spot next season (meaning there are 30 more Major League jobs available) isn't one of them.

First, Cole, Strasburg and Rendon are all Scott Boras clients.  He knew they were all going to cash in (and thus he would, as well).  And it makes sense that he didn't want to drag things out when he had three massive deals in the works.  Most people figured one of the pitchers would sign before the other.  I thought it would be the other way around, but, in hindsight, Strasburg signing first does make more sense.  Cole was always going to get more, so Strasburg set the market instead of the other way around.

More importantly, the market for both pitchers was the same.  The big market teams that were looking for starting pitching were all going to put in their bids and directly compete against each other for both guys.  Those that didn't get them were going to have to move on, but they needed to know that before their Plan B guys signed elsewhere.  Which meant no one was going to sit around and wait until January.

The same can be said for Rendon.  He had no shortage of suitors.  The Nationals wanted to keep him, but knew they couldn't keep both him and Strasburg (another reason why Washington needed to know about Strasburg...had he left, they could've made a better offer to Rendon).  Now they have plenty of time to go after another third baseman (Josh Donaldson is their primary target).  Same thing for the Dodgers and Rangers, the other teams that were big on Rendon.

That simply wasn't the case in either of the last two offseasons.  Two years ago, everyone knew J.D. Martinez was going to sign with the Red Sox.  In fact, Boston was bidding against themselves.  Which is why he didn't sign until Spring Training.  Same thing last year.  Harper and Machado eventually got their $300 million deals.  But they both had to wait until February to get them.  Partially because teams were reluctant to spend that type of money, but also because the market for both players simply wasn't there.  Teams might've wanted them, but they didn't have the money or vice versa.  As a result, last year's offseason dragged on and on.

Of course, the other issue last year was qualifying offers and the attached draft pick compensation.  That's why Craig Kimbrel and Dallas Keuchel didn't sign until June last season.  Keuchel no longer has the draft pick compensation attached to him, so you'd figure he'll fare better this go-round.  But that didn't deter teams this year.  Well, that and the fact that they think this year's free agent crop is worth giving up a draft pick.

There's also some speculation that teams were preparing for changes to the CBA when it expires in 2021.  The prevailing thought is that the luxury tax structure will be significantly different moving forward.  Most expect the thresholds to rise, which means the Yankees, Nationals, Dodgers, Red Sox and all the other big-market teams will be able to spend more money.  So is two years of paying more in luxury tax worth it for Cole?  Hank & Hal Steinbrenner decided that it is.

Another factor that can't be discounted is you had big-market teams with a sense of desperation willing to spend a boatload of money.  Going an entire decade without a World Series appearance didn't sit well with anyone involved with the Yankees.  They needed an ace pitcher and wanted to make sure they got Cole, whatever the cost (which is exactly what George would've done, but Hank & Hal have been reluctant to do themselves). 

Same thing with the Angels.  Most people (myself included) assumed the Southern California-native Cole would end up in Anaheim.  They had the money to spend, badly needed starting pitching, and don't want to waste the career of the best player in the game.  They missed out on both Cole and Strasburg (who's from San Diego), and they still need pitching.  But the appeal of adding Rendon's bat to their lineup was too much to resist.  Their 2-5 (or 3-6) next season will be Trout-Rendon-Pujols-Ohtani.  That's not too shabby!  Of course, they've got so much money tied up in those four guys, I'm not sure how much they have left for a pitcher.

And we're nowhere close to done, either.  Bumgarner's off the board, but Dallas Keuchel and Hyn-Jin Ryu are still available.  Josh Donaldson will probably be the next position player to sign (he's the best third baseman available now that Rendon is done), and there are plenty of other bats that remain unsigned, too.

All of them will benefit from the fact that Cole, Strasburg and Rendon signed so early.  They were the three superstars who were going to command the big-money contracts.  Now that those big-money contracts have been signed, teams know what they have to spend and how they want to spend it.  So, unlike that whole crop of free agents who went into Spring Training with nothing but uncertainty last year, we can expect most (if not all) of these guys to have new homes long before teams report to Florida and Arizona in mid-February.

I'm not saying this offseason has completely made up for the last two years, when the players understandably grew frustrated with the tepid free agent market.  But it's a start.  The Hot Stove League is once again hot.  And everyone is better off because of it.

NFL 100: Week 15

Would the people who keep saying the NFC East winner doesn't "deserve" a playoff spot or doesn't "deserve" a home game do me a favor and please shut up?!  Just because one division is having an incredibly down year doesn't mean they need to overhaul the entire playoff system!  Besides, it's only fans and the media who are making noise about it.  There hasn't been any momentum from anyone in the league to change the status quo...and there shouldn't be.  You win your division, you're rewarded with a home playoff game.  Plain and simple.

The Eagles or Cowboys won't be the first 9-7/8-8 (or even 7-9) team ever to make the playoffs and won't be the last, and the Seahawks or 49ers won't be the first 11-5/12-4 wild card team to go on the road and face that team.  In fact, both sub-.500 division winners in NFL history (2010 Seahawks, 2014 Panthers) went on to win their wild card game.  As Chris Berman said on NFL Primetime last week, if they can't win that wild card game on the road, they're not winning the Super Bowl anyway. 

And it adds a lot of drama to the last three weeks of the regular season, too.  That San Francisco-Seattle game in Week 17 would mean a lot less if they were both guaranteed playoff home games.  As it is, the loser will be the 5-seed and have to go on the road.  That's a big difference!  (And, frankly, I think that's what the NFL wants.)

Thursday Night: Baltimore (Win)

Patriots (10-3) at Bengals (1-12): New England-"On to Cincinnati!"  That was the Patriots' mantra after they got smacked around by the Chiefs in Week 1 a few years ago, and it just so happens that after two straight losses (the second coming against Kansas City), it's "On to Cincinnati" again.  Of course, it'll require another loss for New England to not get its league-mandated first-round bye, and that just doesn't seem likely.  Not this week at least.

Buccaneers (6-7) at Lions (3-9-1): Tampa Bay-They're not going to make the playoffs this season, but Bruce Arians definitely has the Bucs positioned to be a team to keep an eye on next year.  The Lions, meanwhile, are playing out the string and, potentially, the last few weeks of Matt Patricia's tenure as their coach.  Look for Tampa Bay to get to 7-7 in its final road game of the year.

Bears (7-6) at Packers (10-3): Green Bay-If there's one team that benefited the most from last week's NFC results, it was the Green Bay Packers.  Matt LaFleur became the first Packers coach ever to win 10 games in his first season, AND Green Bay moved into the 2-seed with the Saints' and Seahawks' losses.  So, as long as they keep winning, they get a bye.  While they're at it, they can take some extra satisfaction in knocking their archrivals out of playoff contention.

Texans (8-5) at Titans (8-5): Houston-Arguably the biggest game of the week is this battle for first place in the AFC South.  And they haven't played yet, so they do it all again two weeks from now.  These two games will decide the division.  The Titans are on a roll since Ryan Tannehill took over as their quarterback, while the Texans followed up their win over the Patriots by getting smacked around by Denver.  Houston is the better team, though.  And...the Titans play New Orleans next week.  Which is why I give the edge to the Texans in the division.

Broncos (5-8) at Chiefs (9-4): Kansas City-Kansas City sure seems to be peaking at the right time.  They took care of the division with their win over the Patriots, and that gave them a decent shot at a first-round bye, too.  Of course, they need to keep winning and get some help from New England's opponents for that to happen.  And they need to keep taking care of their own business, starting with a home victory over Denver.

Dolphins (3-10) at Giants (2-11): Miami-Very few people care about this game between two of the worst teams in football.  But...it might be Eli Manning's final game in a Giants uniform, which is enough to make it worth watching.  And he looked like vintage Eli in the first half last week.  Even though they lost, I like what Miami did last week, too.  They might not have scored any touchdowns, but they marched down the field consistently against the Jets.  And the Jets have a better defense than the Giants.  As a result, I'm going with the Dolphins to win here.

Eagles (6-7) at Redskins (3-10): Philadelphia-Last week had potential to be disastrous for the Eagles.  A week after losing to Miami, they were down 17-3 at halftime against the equally terrible Giants.  But they rebounded to win in overtime and keep their fate in their own hands.  They win out, they win the division.  And it's only division games left, too.  The Redskins are about the same caliber of their last two opponents, so the Eagles go into that matchup with Dallas with a 7-7 record.

Seahawks (10-3) at Panthers (5-8): Seattle-Seattle was briefly the No. 2 seed in the NFC, but dropped back to No. 5 after losing to the Rams on Sunday night...yet still control their own fate in the division.  This NFC West race really is crazy!  The Seahawks' last two games are at home, too.  You know they'd prefer it if this was their final trip to the East coast this season.  Although, a win here makes them 7-1 on the road, so they'd probably feel good about it either way.

Jaguars (4-9) at Raiders (6-7): Oakland-Why is the final game ever at the Black Hole against Jacksonville?  The Raiders have such a long, rich history in Oakland, yet their last home game before moving to Las Vegas is against the Jaguars of all teams?!  Why not one of their AFC West rivals?  Anyway, I can see no possible way for the OAKLAND Raiders' final game in Oakland to end other than with a Raiders win.

Browns (6-7) at Cardinals (3-9-1): Cleveland-It's fitting that on the weekend the Heisman Trophy was handed out, the last two Heisman winners face off for the first time in the NFL.  The advantage has got to go 2017 winner Baker Mayfield and the Browns, though.  Cleveland, believe it or not, still has a chance at the playoffs.  It's a stretch to think they'll get there, but the fact that they can get back to .500 after they were 2-6 is impressive enough.

Vikings (9-4) at Chargers (5-8): Minnesota-Believe it or not, the Chargers actually won a blowout last week!  It sure was odd to see them not lose a close game for a change.  Of course, it's too little too late for a team that's essentially out of playoff contention.  This is a big game for the Vikings, though.  They've got the Packers next week, so they need this one if they have any hopes of winning the NFC North.  They've got the Rams breathing down their necks, too, so if they don't want to blow their playoff spot like they did last year, a win here is imperative.

Rams (8-5) at Cowboys (6-7): Rams-Dallas is 4-0 against the NFC East and 2-7 against the rest of the league.  The Cowboys haven't beaten a team with a winning record all season.  Yet, they're in the driver's seat in the NFC East.  They won't be if they don't beat the Rams, though.  And the Rams have done the exact opposite of Dallas.  Unlike the Cowboys, they look like they actually want to make the playoffs.  I see them getting to 9-5 and giving that inside track in the NFC East to the Eagles.

Falcons (4-9) at 49ers (11-2): San Francisco-San Francisco ran that Green Bay-Baltimore-New Orleans gauntlet unscathed and impressed a lot of people in the process.  Many consider the 49ers to be the NFC's best team, if not the entire NFL's.  And the Rams did them a huge favor by giving them a one-game cushion over the Seahawks (which is rendered meaningless if Seattle beats them again in Week 17).  As of right now, though, they're the No. 1 team in the NFC.  That won't change after they beat the Falcons.

Bills (9-4) at Steelers (8-5): Buffalo-For the first time in 12 years, the Bills are playing on Sunday night.  Fun fact--the last time they played in one, I was there.  They played the Patriots at home, and I went with my man Shades.  After New England crushed them, I said, "Watch them go undefeated and lose the Super Bowl."  Of course, the fact that it was the Giants who beat them that made it so much sweeter!  Anyway, after their loss to the Ravens, that adds to the urgency here.  Buffalo cliches with a win, but drops to the 6-seed with a loss (and goes to Foxboro next week).  After the great season they've had, it would be terrible to see the Bills drop out of a playoff spot.

Colts (6-7) at Saints (10-3): New Orleans-In my opinion, the Saints are still the best team in the NFC.  They can't give up 48 points a game, though!  And they've gotta do something about that secondary between now and the playoffs.  Of course, now they need a Packers loss in order to avoid playing on Wild Card Weekend.  They need to take care of their own business, too.  Which means Drew Brees setting more records on Monday Night Football.

This Week: 1-0
Last Week: 9-7
Overall: 124-84-1

Revisionist History Via Reverse Causation

I saw something today that I thought was pretty funny.  It basically blamed the Buffalo Bills for the Kardashians.  We've typically only blamed O.J., but this Facebook meme made a pretty convincing case that it was the entire franchise's fault.  Particularly the 1968 Bills.  They finished 1-12-1 that season.  If they'd won the game that they tied in Miami, they would've finished with same record as the Falcons and O.J. might've ended up in Atlanta instead.  And if O.J. doesn't end up in Buffalo, it doesn't set forth a chain of events ending with the Kardashians being unleashed on America whether we like it or not.

But that also got me thinking about some other scenarios where things might've been different had a certain event not taken place or a different decision had been made.  The Dodgers might still be in Brooklyn had Robert Moses let Walter O'Malley build a new stadium in Brooklyn like he wanted.  If the Blazers had taken Michael Jordan instead of Sam Bowie, it might've been them, not the Bulls, who won six championships in eight years.

It's fun pretending like this, so let's reverse the causation property and see what else might have never happened if one little thing had been different...

Mo Lewis doesn't knock out Drew Bledsoe: Does the legend of Tom Brady ever start if he isn't pressed into duty by Mo Lewis?  Bledsoe doesn't get hurt on that play and doesn't lose his job to Brady.  The Patriots don't become a dynasty and Brady doesn't become Brady.  Thanks, Mo Lewis.  Thanks.

The Colts pick Ryan Leaf instead of Peyton Manning: Unlike the Jordan-Bowie decision, the Colts made the right one in 1998.  But oh how things might've been different had they taken Leaf instead.  Peyton doesn't become a franchise icon an sure-fire Hall of Famer.  The Colts don't enjoy a decade of success, don't get their new stadium built, and might even leave Indianapolis.

PyeongChang hosts the 2014 Winter Olympics: The final vote was 51-47 for Sochi.  If three votes had gone the other way, Russia doesn't host.  They don't try to win as many medals as possible at their home Games, thus they never begin their national doping program.  The scandal never starts, Russian athletes are allowed to compete under their own flag, and the country isn't the pariah it has become.

Lance Armstrong never attempts a comeback: Had he just ridden off into the sunset with his seven Tour de France titles, he never gets the attention of Travis Tygart.  There's no investigation into his drug use, no disqualifications, no banishments.  He's still a seven-time Tour de France champion and hero to cancer survivors everywhere.  Not the poster child for disgraced, fallen stars.

Baseball doesn't go on strike: There were a lot of ripple effects from the 1994-95 baseball strike.  But without the strike, there's no Steroid Era.  There's no Great Home Run Race of 1998, making Barry Bonds jealous and prompting his own steroid use en route to controversially setting the single-season and career home run records.  Instead of becoming a pariah, Bonds has a plaque in Cooperstown.

Aaron Boone doesn't get hurt playing basketball: Boone has spent more time as Yankees manager than he did as a player in pinstripes.  It was the end of the 2003 season.  That's it.  But it was enough to give him a signature Yankee moment (the walk-off home run in Game 7 of the ALCS).  He was all set to come back as the regular third baseman in 2004...until he tore up his knee playing basketball and they got some guy named Rodriguez to replace him.  So, if Boone never plays pickup basketball that offseason, the Yankees never trade for A-Rod.  He gets traded to Boston instead, and who knows whether he starts taking steroids?

Oklahoma City doesn't become the Hornets' temporary home: Hurricane Katrina doesn't devastate the city of New Orleans.  The Hornets aren't displaced from their arena.  Oklahoma City never steps up as their temporary home.  Clay Bennett never sees Oklahoma City as a potential NBA market and the Sonics stay in Seattle where they belong.  (And, yes, I do understand how wrong it is to blame that on a natural disaster.)

LeBron doesn't leave the Cavs (the first time): All was forgiven after he came back and Cleveland, according to NBA rules at the time, made annual appearances in the Finals.  But what if he never left in the first place?  There's no "Decision."  He doesn't "take his talents to South Beach."  The Heat don't build a superteam and go to four straight Finals.  That trend never starts in the NBA and there's actually some parity in that league.

Complaints about Larry Nasser, Jerry Sandusky, etc., are taken seriously at the time: Unfortunately, this happened way too much.  And there was a lot of collateral damage in each situation.  If Penn State doesn't turn a blind eye to Sandusky, dozens of young boys are never subjected to his disgusting behavior, and he doesn't bring Joe Paterno down with him.  If Michigan State and the USOC don't ignore the allegations against Nasser, all those young athletes don't become victims, and USA Gymnastics remains a reputable governing body.  Oh, how so many things would've been different and so many lives would've been changed for the better if these two men had been stopped earlier.

Tiger Woods doesn't get into a car accident: Chances are Tiger's infidelity would've been exposed eventually, but it all came crashing down in spectacular fashion that night he crashed his car.  Tiger's image isn't shattered.  His career doesn't come to a screeching halt.  He stays on track to become the greatest golfer ever.  Although, the fact that in real life, he's bounced back from those lows to get back on top is an even bigger testament to his greatness.

What this little exercise showed is the ripple effects one thing can cause.  Every one of those situations would've played out in a totally different way had one little detail changed.  There are plenty of other examples, too.  And it really is incredible.  You might not necessarily think it at the time.  But the smallest details can sometimes have the biggest impact on an athlete, a team, a city, or even a country.

NFL 100: Week 14

What happened to the NFC East?  Or, I probably should say the NFC Least?  Once upon a time, the division won six Super Bowls in nine years.  It's four huge-market teams that are among the NFL's marquee franchises.  They didn't have a division champion with fewer than 10 wins until the 2011 Giants (who went on to win the Super Bowl).  Now 9-7 is the best we can hope for.  Oh, how far the once-proud division has fallen.  And how do you think San Francisco or Seattle is going to feel when they go 12-4 and have to go on the road to play either Dallas or Philly in the wild card game?  At least there's only one NFC East team to stink up Sunday...

Thursday Night: Dallas (Loss)

Panthers (5-7) at Falcons (3-9): Carolina-Carolina beat Atlanta to it.  They fired Ron Rivera with four weeks left in the season, while it looks like the Falcons are waiting until the end of the year to let Dan Quinn go.  Which makes this one kinda interesting.  You've got a lame duck coach against an interim coach in a meaningless game.  Atlanta is favored and, frankly, a Falcons win wouldn't shock me (they did crush the Panthers in Charlotte, after all).  I'm picking Carolina, though.

Ravens (10-2) at Bills (9-3): Baltimore-Does anyone still have any questions about whether the Bills are legitimately good or not?  They made quite a statement in the highest-rated Thanksgiving game in years, and they can actually clinch a playoff spot this week.  So can the Ravens, who moved up to the AFC's 1-seed with the Patriots' loss.  They've worked so hard to get to that position, it would be a shame for them to give it right back to New England.  With a win, they not only hang on to the top seed, they clinch their playoff spot.

Bengals (1-11) at Browns (5-7): Cleveland-One little win, and suddenly the Bengals have some competition from the Giants for the No. 1 pick.  Although, it was nice to see them look like an actual football team again.  And it was nice to see Andy Dalton back under center, too.  The Browns, believe it or not, are still alive for a playoff berth.  But they need to win out and get some help to have any chance of that happening.

Redskins (3-9) at Packers (9-3): Green Bay-The Seahawks were obviously the biggest winners on Monday night, but Green Bay was a close second.  Now the Packers have a buffer.  They also know that their chances of getting a first-round bye greatly improved now that San Francisco isn't leading the West.  If they win out, it's a real possibility, especially since the 49ers and Saints play each other this week.  Not a bad first year for Matt LaFleur, who's going to get 10 wins and then some.  The 10th will come this week.

Lions (3-8-1) at Vikings (8-4): Minnesota-Even after losing to the Seahawks on Monday night, the Vikings are still in pretty good position to make the playoffs.  They can't lose to the Lions, though.  Because then that position becomes a little precarious heading into their trip to Southern California.  Odd little scheduling quirk I noticed, too.  Three of Minnesota's final four games are their division home games.  So the NFC North isn't out of the question, either.  But again, they can't afford a loss to Detroit.

49ers (10-2) at Saints (10-2): New Orleans-Fresh off Monday night's game that was huge for NFC playoff seeding, we've got another one this week.  The 49ers and Saints are tied for the NFL's best record, which isn't something we see this late in the season very often.  San Francisco has spent the week training in Florida after their loss in Baltimore, something similar to what the Saints did when they played the Rams and Seahawks back-to-back.  New Orleans lost the first and won the second on that West Coast trip.  A win here gives them the tiebreaker over both NFC West teams, all but locking up the No. 1 seed for the NFC South champs.

Dolphins (3-9) at Jets (4-8): Jets-Now they both have a random dominant win against an NFC East team to their credit.  The Dolphins' win the last time these two met actually got them started on this roll where they're 3-2 in their last five games.  The Jets, meanwhile, score 34 points in three consecutive wins...then fail to score a touchdown against winless Cincinnati!  Which Jets team will show up?  The Dolphins, meanwhile, have a chance to do the same thing Buffalo did to start the season...win back-to-back games at MetLife Stadium in consecutive weeks.

Colts (6-6) at Buccaneers (5-7): Tampa Bay-Give Bruce Arians credit.  The Bucs are a lot better than people expected.  They've won three out of four and will have the same record as the NFC East leader with a win over Indy.  The Colts, meanwhile, are going in the other direction and on the verge of letting their season slip away.  They've lost four out of five with a trip to New Orleans coming up next week.  I think they'll enter that matchup with the Saints having lost five out of six.

Broncos (4-8) at Texans (8-4): Houston-Last Sunday night might've been the biggest win in Houston Texans history.  The Patriots have been their Achilles heel for years.  Yet they dominated New England from start to finish and established themselves as legitimate contenders in the AFC.  (And, as Cris Collinsworth said, maybe it's time to give the AFC South a little more credit.)  Anyway, it was great for the Broncos to finally win a close game after all those close losses.  This loss won't be nearly as close.

Chargers (4-8) at Jaguars (4-8): Jacksonville-All eight of the Chargers' losses this season have been by a touchdown or less.  But it really says something that they're thinking about benching Phillip Rivers anyway.  He's been the franchise for a decade and a half!  Anyway, a long trip east to face a Jaguars team that always plays hard is a tough task.  Although, the NFL did do them a bit of a favor by making it a 4:00 kickoff.  Even still, I think Jacksonville (and its new starting quarterback Gardner Minshew) takes it.  By fewer than seven points, obviously.

Titans (7-5) at Raiders (6-6): Oakland-Tennessee is playing like a team that wants to make the playoffs.  The Raiders?  Not so much.  The Titans have won three straight, while the Raiders followed up a pitiful performance against the Jets by getting absolutely embarrassed in Kansas City.  But...they're a different team in the Black Hole, where they haven't been since Week 11.  And, amazingly, they're still very much alive in the playoff hunt.  They've only got two games left in Oakland.  You know they'll want to go out with a bang.

Chiefs (8-4) at Patriots (10-2): Kansas City-This one has been circled on the calendar ever since the schedule came out.  It's their first meeting since the AFC Championship Game, and it's an important one for AFC playoff positioning.  For all the criticism of New England's offense this season, they're still 10-2 and they still haven't lost at home since the Obama administration (at least it seems that way).  The Patriots are 0-2 against the other AFC division leaders, though, and the Chiefs are a very similar team to both the Ravens and Texans.  Call me crazy, but I think Kansas City snaps New England's 20-game home winning streak.  Just like they did in Week 1 of the 2017 season.

Steelers (7-5) at Cardinals (3-8-1): Pittsburgh-I'm a little surprised NFL Network didn't choose Super Bowl XLIII as their classic game this week.  Maybe because the Cardinals aren't very good.  They have a chance to play the spoiler, though.  Because the Steelers tend to struggle every time they play in the Pacific time zone.  Although, with Pittsburgh's tenuous hold on the final AFC playoff spot, you know Mike Tomlin will have his team ready.  Arizona will keep it close, but the Steelers will pull it out and hang on to the 6-seed (regardless of how the Titans-Raiders game goes).

Seahawks (10-2) at Rams (7-5): Seattle-To say this is a huge game for the Rams would be an incredible understatement.  If they have any hope of making the playoffs, they cannot lose this game.  Except they're playing what might be the best team in the NFC.  I know, I've been all about the Saints all season, and now here I am jumping on the Seahawks bandwagon.  They know they'll be in a great position to pounce if the Saints beat the 49ers.  If the 49ers wins that game, though, the Seahawks will be in an interesting position where they can lock up both their own playoff spot and San Francisco's by beating the Rams at the Coliseum (while essentially eliminating LA in the process).

Giants (2-10) at Eagles (5-7): Philadelphia-It's come to this.  The Eagles pissed away a game they should've won against the Dolphins to fall to 5-7, yet can still move into a tie for first place with a win on Monday night.  They only have division games left, so them winning out to win the division isn't a crazy scenario.  The Giants, meanwhile, are ranked 32nd in some NFL power rankings.  But at least Eli gets to make another start.  Hopefully he starts the other game against the Eagles, too.  He deserves to end his Giants career on the field at home.

This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 11-5
Overall: 114-78-1

Time to Finally Right a Big Wrong

The Winter Meetings begin on Sunday.  And, with the number of free agents that have already been in contact with teams about megadeals, maybe this year we'll actually see some action instead of the tepid markets that we saw at the last two Winter Meetings.  But that's all for later in the week.  Because the Winter Meetings always start with the announcement of the Hall of Fame Veterans' Committee vote.

There are 10 candidates to join Derek Jeter in Cooperstown come July.  This year, the era being voted on is "Modern Baseball," which is basically the 1970s and 80s.  Of the nine players on the ballot, I feel stronger about some Hall of Fame candidacies than others, but if we're using Harold Baines as the benchmark, they should all be in.  This is the first Era Committee vote since Baines' controversial election last year, so we'll see how much of an impact that vote has.  Because many of them are in a similar boat as Baines.  Hall of Very Good, but not necessarily Hall of Fame.

One of the 10 candidates shouldn't be on the ballot for a completely different reason.  Because Marvin Miller should've been elected to the Hall of Fame a long time ago, and it's beyond a travesty that he isn't in yet.  Frankly, it's an embarrassment.  Because Marvin Miller meant more to Modern Baseball (which is the name of the freakin' committee!) than anybody!  In fact, I'd argue that he might even be the most significant person in the sport of baseball since Jackie Robinson!

Before Marvin Miller, the players had absolutely no power.  There was no CBA, no free agency, and salaries were a fraction of what they are now.  By the time he retired in 1982, the players had more power than ever, free agency had become the norm, and salaries had increased exponentially. 

Without Marvin Miller, Bryce Harper wouldn't have been able to sign for $330 million last winter, and Gerrit Cole wouldn't be in line for a similar payday this offseason.  The multi-billion-dollar colossus that baseball has become is due in large part to Marvin Miller.  He made a lot of people rich.  Not just players, owners too.

Of course, there were several strikes under Miller's leadership, and the things that he got for the players meant that those things were being taken away from the owners.  That led to a lot of resentment of Miller from front offices and is probably the reason he still doesn't have a plaque hanging in Cooperstown. 

That pettiness needs to stop, though.  Because the man has been dead for seven years and there's no non-player in history who had a bigger impact on the game (except for maybe Judge Landis).  He should've been voted in while he was alive.  If you ask anyone associated with baseball over the last 50 years, they'd all say the same thing.  Marvin Miller should be in the Hall of Fame.  It's time to right that wrong.

As for the players, you know I've always been a big fan of Steve Garvey.  I'm a longtime advocate of his candidacy, and that has only increased now that Jack Morris has finally been voted in (by this same Modern Baseball committee two years ago).  Simply put, Garvey's brilliant career is underappreciated.  He was the best first baseman in the National League throughout the 70s and was a key member of those excellent Dodger teams of that era.  Then he moved south to San Diego and led the Padres to their first-ever pennant in his first season with the team.  Garvey ended up playing 19 years, won four Gold Gloves and holds the NL record for longest consecutive games streak.  There's something to be said about that.

Miller and Garvey are an easy first two votes.  It's the second two where I'm having some trouble.  Because I can see the merits for each of them.  And it's tough to compare, because the standard changed with Baines' election last year.  I can't use that as the benchmark, though.  I can only compare them against each other.  That's the only way to decide on who will get my other two votes.

And if I'm doing that, I think I have to go with Dale Murphy and Dave Parker.  Just like I was a passionate supporter of Jack Morris, Dale Murphy had his passionate faithful throughout his time on the writers' ballot.  He was a two-time MVP, yet may still be one of the most underappreciated great players of the 1980s because he was playing on some terrible Braves teams.  I never considered him in the same class as the players he was up against for Hall of Fame consideration previously.  But the Murphy backers have finally convinced me.  His numbers stack up well against anybody else from the 80s who's already in.  Time for him to join them.

Dave Parker, meanwhile, I only remember seeing late in his career when he was a DH.  So I never got an appreciation for the five-tool player he was in his prime.  Then I cued up the video of the 1979 All*Star Game and was truly amazed by what he did in right field.  He might've been the greatest defensive right fielder of his day...and he could hit for power from the left side!  I just wish I'd been able to see THAT Dave Parker!

I came close to swapping Parker out for one of the three Yankees on the ballot, but I couldn't.  Thurman Munson is like Bernie Williams and Andy Pettittte.  An all-time great Yankee, but not necessarily an all-time great.  And there is a difference.  Same goes for Don Mattingly, who I actually "voted" for in his final year on the regular ballot.  Although, Mattingly was probably the best AL first baseman of the 80s.

Tommy John, meanwhile, is much more than the guy who has a surgery named after him.  He pitched 26 years and had 288 wins...most of which came after he had his eponymous surgery.  How many of those 26 years was he among the game's very best pitchers, though?  He only made the All*Star team four times.  I think a lot of his numbers are really a result of his longevity.  Although, the impact of the surgery and what it's done to extend the careers of so many pitchers can't be overlooked.

While I rate him a tick below the others, Ted Simmons was one vote shy of election the last time this group met, so I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up getting in.  Fun fact: my very first bat was a Ted Simmons model.  And now that Alan Trammell's in, I wouldn't be surprised if his double play partner, Lou Whitaker, garners some newfound support.  Whitaker's numbers don't scream "Hall of Famer," though.  Especially in this group.

Same goes for Dwight Evans.  For years, the Red Sox had that great outfield of Jim Rice in left, Fred Lynn in center and Evans in right.  Rice was the best of the three and is already a Hall of Famer.  Lynn had a phenomenal few years then tapered off into a very good player.  Although, I think his Hall of Fame candidacy needs to be revisited.  After that, you can think about putting in Dwight Evans, the third-best of the three.

So, my "ballot" would be Miller, Garvey, Murphy and Parker.  Parker's unlikely to get in.  Garvey probably is, too.  I just hope beyond hope that the grave injustice of Marvin Miller not being in the Hall of Fame is corrected.  Because it's absurd that he's been passed over so many times.  He shouldn't be passed over again.