Let's call it a comeback.

Whoa, baby! The Canucks looked like they were going to let the Blues get revenge for last year's playoffs for the third time this year, falling back 0-3 34:30. But, slowly but surely, the Blue & Green came back and came back and came back, and walked off the St. Louis ice with an amazing 4-3 (non-shootout) comeback win against the sad Central Division squad. This was a game that finally showed the Canucks ability to hang tough when they drop way back. I know it was just against the Blues, but that kind of comeback ability against any team is exciting. The game featured Vannie goals from Daniel Sedin (10th), Samuelsson (a shortie for his 12th), Henrik Sedin (the heart stopping game tying goal with 1:56 left for his 19th), and the power play winner from newbie and Moers, Germany native Christian Ehrhoff (his 9th, with an assist from Kyle Wellwood). After giving up three goals early on, Bobby Lu came together and held things close enough to allow his boys to do some work. Even if we would have lost in OT, at least we would have worked hard for a point again. But walking off with two is even better.

The big news from this game for me was Christmas Eve Eve baby Mikael Samuelsson getting the short handed goal at 5:46 of the 3rd period. Talk about putting an exclamation point on his "F You" to the Swedish Olympic team officials. It is his second goal in as many games, pushing his point streak to three games since the Swedish team was announced. This guy has been kind of hit or miss this year indeed, his last goal before the Phoenix and STL games was on November 28th, but overall I think we have to be happy with picking Mikey up. I mean, for a new player on the team to be ranked as the third best goal scorer on the squad, is pretty positive. Speaking of players that I support getting some love in this game. Kyle "Dub Dub" Wellwood got the primary helper on the game winning power play goal by Christian Ehrhoff in OT tonight. By the way, mad love to Brad Boyes for the high sticking double minor that set up the 4-on-3 Vancouver win. Back to Kyle; how much is our small center proving my point that he'd be solid if he gets solid time? Really! Tell me! I've been hoping for him to get our there and prove all the haters wrong (much like he proved Andrew wrong by being solid last year). Now, Welly has 4 points in his last 5 games, and finished December with 5 points total. He was also a +3 over the aforementioned 5 game hot streak. The ice time is still modest for the amount of put out he's giving us, not to mention his 75% faceoff winning percentage ("The Welly Foot Blocker"). Big up yourself, Welly, I've always been on your side.

Man, four straight goals after falling back 0-3. I am pumped up.

My Mighty Orca are now 24-16-1 at the half way point of the season (can you believe it?), sitting tied for second place in the division with 22-12-5 Calgary (shouldn't we be ahead of them due to having more wins, ESPN?). Colorado still leads the division at +3 of the BC/CAL duo, with Minnie trailing at 43 points and Edmonton sinking more than you realized at 36 points. Losers. Overall, the top 8 currently closes out with this: #6 Calgary (49 pts), #7 Vancouver (49 pts), and #8 LA (49 points and fading fast all of the sudden). Dallas is sitting just out -2 in 9th place, and 5th place is just +2, beatable, Nashville. Just to prove Brandon right about how awesome my team is, we have the third highest goal differential in the West at +27 (Chicago and San Jose are the only squads ahead). Buffalo, meanwhile, is 4th best in the East at +17. Toronto, my dear friend Andrew, is -28. Next up for the Canuckies is a battle against the aforementioned #9 squad from Dallas...in Dallas. I wonder if it will be snowing. The Stars are 17-11-11 this year and are kind of rolling right now. At 3-1 over their last 4 games, they are proud to boast a recent win against Chicago 5-4, and just beat up on the Ducks today with a hat trick from Loui "Lou-I" Eriksson (13 goals, 23 assists on the year). So far the Canucks are 1-1 against the Stars, and they are tied 5-5 against each other in goals here in 09/10. When they won, it was a lame shootout victory, and when they lost it was rookie Cory Schneider in net for the 'Nucks. Does that spell lock if Luongo is in goal on Saturday? Not really, but I'll pretend that it does.

Finally, I am upset to announce that a different kind of comeback also happened right now. The USA blew a 2 goal third period lead against Canada in the World Junior Championships, and lost in the shootout. We'll meet them against as the tournament moves on to get revenge. See you at Silky's.

Another Day, Another 5 Games

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: 12/31/09 9am, Fort Worth, TX, USA
Air Force (7-5) vs Houston (10-3), Houston by 5

Similar to Miami, ESPN tried to get the Cougars into the NC race. What a joke. Everyone knew that their offense was going to be pretty good, in terms of passing and scoring, but what people so easily forget about is that defense (or defence, if you prefer) is still played by these teams. The Falcons of the Academy have played some good football. I'm starting to become a believer in the MWC. And though it'll take more that just one good run in with the Mormons to sway me completely, recruiting is up in this conference and so is the level of play. I used to be something of a WAC apologist, but perhaps the tide is turning.

The pick: Air Force-Like there was even a remote chance of me picking Houston here.

The line: Happy to be taking 5 points.


Brut Sun Bowl: 12/31/09 11am, El Paso, TX, USA
Stanford (8-4) vs Oklahoma (7-5), Okla by 10

One year ago I said that Oklahoma would lose six games. Ladies and gentlemen, now is the chance! This is a Sooner team that played in the National Championship Game last year (How did that go? I didn't watch it.) and now limped its way through a soft Big 12 to the Sun Bowl. The Cardinal must exorcise its demons (will e be on the sidelines for this one?) and stay focused while playing possibly without starting QB Luck. Normally I like to see the Heisman trophy runner-up do work in their game to put pressure on the winner. In this case, I want Gerhart to make a mockery of all things Oklahoma (besides one thing, which is a true trump card).

The pick: Stanford-This is my all or nothing game. All the chips would be in one hat if I 1)had chips and 2) had a hat I felt like putting chips into.

The line: Way too tempting not to take.


Texas Bowl: 12/31/09 12:30pm, Houston, TX, USA
Missouri (8-4) vs Navy (9-4), Mizzou by 6.5

I know what you're thinking: that quarterback from Navy is a stud. He is going to lead the Midshipmen to a big win here and set up not only an amazing football run, but also a candidacy for president. The buck stops here! I'm tired of this Navy team beating up on all our beloveds. They barely beat Wake, put a sour taste in our mouths when they came in to South Bend, and to top it off, the team they beat worst this year was Rice. Sons and daughters, we need to stand up. We will not take any more of this military aggression! I don't care how many QB/Presisdents you have, your snobby 13 game regular season schedule does not frighten me. Now let's just hope that it doesn't frighten an inconsistent Tigers team. Hey, at least it's not this inconsistent Tigers team.

The pick: Missouri-Come on, friends, to the barracades again!

The line: Six and a half darts is too much!


Insight Bowl: 12/31/09 2:30pm, Tempe, AZ, USA
Minnesota (6-6) vs Iowa State (6-6), Minn by 2

The Cyclones are no good. Remember that. The only significant win they've mustered all year is one we've seen in the past, a razor thin victory over Nebraska. I'm not going to say I'm not all for that. I am. It's just when you play a weak schedule and barely beat teams, then get shown up by others, I'm not going to say you're anything worth while. I feel the opposite for Minnesota. This is a team that played a pretty decent schedule and put up a great out of conference resume (they'd of been perfect out of conference were it not for some late magic by an inspired early season California team). Then, in conference, things did not come so easy. Is this going to be one of those seasons where everyone makes fun of how weak the Big 10 (11?) is and then they go out and do work in the Bowl games? A Golden Gopher win here would sure keep things going that direction after that Wisconsin performance. Ah, who'm I kidding, the Big 10 never wins the Rose Bowl.

The pick: Minnesota-There's no Lawrence Maroney/Marian Barber III combo, but there is hope.

The line: I'll take them to cover, considering I don't think anyone I've picked has thus far.


Chick-fil-A Bowl: 12/31/09 4:30pm, Atlanta, GA, USA
Virginia Tech (9-3) vs Tennessee (7-5), Tech by 5.5

Here's how this game goes. Uninspired, way better Tech team comes out and makes a huge play, they get big heads, tough Volunteer team grinds them down for a solid, upset victory. But, I cannot call it that way, folks. Maybe it's just because this post is running long, or maybe it's because I am not a fan of Kiffins. This Tennessee team, one I've been fond of in the past, has me on the fence and worried this year. I feel like either way I go, they go the other. I had them pegged for an early season upset of Florida and got burned. I thought they'd walk over Alabama, nope. I thought they'd crumble after a down year, not necessarily. Truly dangerous team, I wouldn't like to be facing them.

The pick: Virginia Tech-Is this the first time I've gone with a coach that preaches some other wierd type of ball play? Maybe, thought my boy at work, Jimmy, is a former Hokie lineman, so I have to show some respect.

The line: Points, way too many of them to go around.

The Holiday Season Continues....

Roady's Humanitarian Bowl: 12/30/09 1:30pm, Boise, ID, USA
Bowling Green (7-5) vs Idaho (7-5), Idaho by 1

It's a tale of two teams in this one, only when is it not? Idaho backed into this bowl, losing its last three games of the regular season. Bowling Green, on the other hand, won its last four to lock up a bid. The Vandals are the hot pick and might be the best shot for the WAC getting a bowl win this season. They have a three pronged rushing attack and I'm sure someone in the state has called them the cardiac Vandals due to the close games they've been in. The Falcons of Bowling Green love to air it out. Their only bad loss was to Boise State, whose field is going to be used today. Idaho also played Boise. Margins of loss: Idaho 38, Bowling Green 35.

The pick: Bowling Green-This is a team I love to pick in bowls, but hasn't come through for me yet. At least that's how I remember it. This team was a favorite coming in (even a minus one as of yesterday), but so many people are betting against them that they are now a one point underdog.

The line: One point is better than none, or minus one.


Pacific Life Holiday Bowl: 12/30/09 5pm, San Diego, CA, USA
Arizona (8-4) vs Nebraska (9-4), Nebraska by 2.5

I like when two states battle it out in a separate state. It feels like if two countries met in Poland to settle the score, for old times sake. I mean, when is that last time these two teams met? And it's not as if Arizona has been great in the past, but they have been steadily improving. The Cornhuskers have gone from powerhouse to crappy, to now somewhat decent. I know everyone wants to talk about the DT from Nebraska, but I'll refer you to the site master for info on him. Then again, Nebraska does have a very good defense and this could possibly stymie the Arizona offense. The Wildcat defense is your typical bend but don't break, which sets up a potentially frightening dicotemy for them; as Blade would say....

The pick: Arizona-I feel like they are good for 21 points and I don't think Nebraska can match that. Though, we should remember these Holiday Bowls can get pretty exciting at times.

The line: I'm kind of surprised Nebraska is favored by as much as they are. I'll use that acclaim to my benefit and take the points.

Finally....

a game I can actually care about and another Triggs actually might.

EagleBank Bowl: 12/29/09 1:30pm, Washington, D.C>, USA
UCLA (6-6) vs Temple (9-3), UCLA by 4.5

It's really good to see UCLA back in a bowl game. While our teams were struggling, the Bruins were fighting pretty hard for every point they got or gave up. Their recruiting classes have been pretty legit so you know they have potential. What has been so crazy is how they've not been able to get their hands on a quarterback who doesn't just totally suck. The Clowns' strength has definitely been their defense, which bodes well considering that side of the ball has historically shown up to play in UCLA bowl games. I think I mean the second part of the last sentence literally, especially in regards to analysis. On top of being my second favorite NCAA team with the nickname Owls, Temple is an interesting team. They rattled off all nine of their wins in succession before faltering in their final regular season game, which decided the winner of the MAC East, against Ohio. Now, I thought Ohio was decent, but they really looked bad against Marshall. Then again, this Temple team had a big win at Navy.

The pick: UCLA-Not too sure about this pick, but for the first time in the young bowl season, I'll be thoroughly surprised if Temple runs away with it. And yes, I do know UCLA is sub par.

The line: I do not think, unless it is an absolute field day for the Prince/Price offense runner, that UCLA wins a laugher, so I'm taking the points. But if the Bruins jump out of the gates quickly, it might be hard for Temple's rushing attack, which is legit, to get 'em back in it.


Champs Sports Bowl: 12/29/09 5pm, Orlando, FL, USA
Miami (FL) (9-3) vs Wisconsin (9-3), The U by 3.5

This battle of identical conference and overall record holders is one with lots of intrigue. ESPN tried to get the Hurricanes into the NC picture, even after a solid defeat at the hands of some team playing Beamerball against them. Though their losses are to legit teams, Miami failed to show that they were a cut above the rest, constantly playing down to their opponents, yet finding some way to win last minute. Just ask J about that. Or click that link, it might be quicker. I love how this type of team is called opportunistic. I wish that wasn't a word so that I could make fun of people for using it. The Badgers missed out on another potential NC season, am I wrong in saying that? Maybe, though they did lose three close games to pretty good teams. See, these guys are stacking up well, right? Wisconsin has a great player in sophomore RB John Clay, whose parents get points for completing a heck of a funny name. I don't know, it's just funny to me. Miami has those patented players all over the place, who probably lack discipline, though I do hear good things about the new coaching staff. Was that racist?

The pick: Miami-This game just seems way too tailormade for the 'Canes. Play it in Florida, coming off two chill, easy W's, and the celebs have been out to give it that warm, vowel embracing feeling.

The line: Miami to cover. Let's see if QB Jacory Harris can avoid getting sacked this game, though that seems inlikely. He averages about 8 yards lost per sack. Throw it away Clausen!


In case anyone is interested, there's a pretty cool Dodgers of the Decade post bonanza going on over at MikeSciosciastragicillness. Anybody can vote, so it kind of feels good when you support your guy. Some of the positions will be locks, but it's fun to hear what he, and other people, have to say about things. That's the whole fun of blogging, right? You might even catch fellow VinScullyisGod poster Mr. Falcon dropping some knowledge.

Just One Lonesome Game Today

Got a lot to do so I'm going to keep it basic and post on the one Bowl game today. What do I have to do? Get set up for the New Year's party, set up the free Christmas Tree I came into, play Left 4 Dead 2, nap, and eat some honeybaked ham, of course. If I have time later, I'll post on some of the upcoming games that are just sitting there looming on the horizon. So what treat are we blessed with today?

Independece Bowl: 12/28/09 5pm, Shreveport, LA, USA
Texas A&M (6-6) vs Georgia (7-5), Geo by 6.5

College Football is just torture this year, am I wrong? I only ever cheer for the Aggies when I'm looking for the improbable knock off against Texas. I only ever cheer for the Bulldogs when, well, I cannot think of a time. Why do I even like sports any more? Oh yeah, Servite won state, the Dodgers did hit four back to back homeruns to tie the game in the ninth with me in attendance, and there are nights like last night. Though I was positive that the shot was not going to go in, had I done some research, I might not have been so pessimistic. The play Brian and I were talking about was how House and Allen crashed on BD with the lead still at three. This left not only Rasual Butler open behind the line (who tied it), but also Eric Gordon, our best three point shooter. You'll have your shot for retribution January 25th in Boston, Triggs. I'm sure there's no better way to bring a child into the world than with a sweet Celtic win against the rival 'pers. As for tonight's game, I'm sure we'd all like to forget it even happenned.

The pick: Texas A&M-I presuppose that whomever I pick will come out flat and it'll be a blowout in the other direction. That being said, I kind of want to pick Georgia to cover, further distancing myself from having anything to do with this matchup.

The line: I'll take the points, ensuring a Georgia blowout.

Boxing Day Battle.

Tonight the Canucks will conclude their season long 8 game home stand against the bottom feeding Edmonton Oilers, and after a mostly successful run on home ice, tonight's match is hugely important. As the Vannies get ready to try and take their third straight win over the Oil, I want to put out there just how huge this game is. In fact, I think it's the most important game of the home stand, and I'll tell you why.

In the first seven games of the 8 game stretch, the Canucks have gone 5-2, losing to two pretty bad teams, as usual. After beating Atlanta, Minnie, and LA over the first three matches, the Orca dropped a 2-3 game to the hated (and last place Ducks). They followed that up by beating the amazing Caps, losing to the crappy Blues, and then clipping the red hot Preds. Again and again this year, the Canucks have shown how they play up against great teams and play down against the worst of the league. Taking a glance backward, we see losses to not only St. Louis (17-14-5) and Anaheim (15-15-7), but also to teams like Carolina (9-22-6). Meanwhile, we're busting teams like the aforementioned Preds (22-12-3), Caps (23-8-6), and LA (22-12-3). As we get ready to go against an Edmonton team sitting at 15-18-4, the focus to close out this home stand with a win against a last place team has to be there. We're 8-4 in the division, going against the Oilers, who are 4-6-1 against the same teams. That's a pretty good measure to compare the two teams. However, as you have seen, we completely break down against bottom feeding teams. Continuing that trend against the Oilers on a Boxing Day Hockey Night In Canada special would make BC a tough place to live for the Canucks players and coaches. I guess they'd be happy to get out of town for a while.

We can definitely do this, and I mean, we definitely should do this. The only team with more home wins in the entire NHL is some squad from a small midwest town in Illinois. The last time we met with the hockey team from Canada's Texas, we won 7-3, going 4 for 5 on the power play. The Oilers will have Khabibbulin and his dirty play still on the bench due to a sore back (poor baby!), which may give us the edge as either Jeff Deslauriers or Devan Dubnyk will start between the pipes. But, if you want to know early on how the game is going to go, I'll share a thought. The only category where the Canucks are worse than the Oilers is with (wait for it) penalty minutes. The Vannies have 551 PMs this year, compared to the Oil's 512, and in games where we are going nowhere fast, we are walking a steady line to the box as if they were serving Tim Horton's doughnuts in there. The key to keeping our chances alive in this game against awful Edmonton, is to keep ourselves out of the penalty box. That is, unless we're going for beating the hell out of Dustin Penner.

Our beloved coach AV will go with the following lines against the O's tonight:

1. DS-H. Bomb-My main man, Burrows

2. Ma$e-Kes-Samuelsson

3. Tanner Glass-Dub Dub-Stevie Bernier

4. Darcy-Ryp-Hansen

With the D of:

1. Mitchell and Salo

2. SOB and Ehrhoff

3. Aaron Rome and Bieksa.

Obviously, Bobby Lu will be in the net. After looking at the lineups, a couple of things pop out. One, Mikael Samuelsson is going to have to get better with his consistency if he wants to maintain that second line right wing slot over Steve Bernier. November 28th was the last time Sammy scored, oddly enough against the Edmonton Oilers in the 7-3 rout. Meanwhile, Bernier has 3 goals and 5 points since the last goal from #26. Time to pull the ol' switcheroo? Kyle Wellwood is getting another shot at the 3rd line center position, after finally getting a point against Nashville on 12/22. Like I said, give him a legit shot, and he'll come around (he's really only playing thanks to the injury to the shot blocking genius Ryan Johnson, but oh well). Finally, you may notice Aaron Rome (0, 1, -4 in 12 games) getting the call over Mattie Schneider with the X-Man on the third D set. Schneider has been gone for "personal reasons" for a couple of games now, and the Canucks still aren't saying what that means (despite reports that he is contemplating if he will continue his NHL career, for some reason). I think we can move on the same without him.

So, what will it be Canucks? Are we going to roll over and lay another egg to a nothing team after getting a big win? Or, are we going to shut all the critics up and actually beat a team that we should beat? A win would put us back in the #8 spot. Does that do anything for you?

By the way, I'm calling a LSF sweep today (Buffalo over OTT, Toronto over MTL, Chicago over NSH, and definitely the Canucks over EDM). Let's do it. I'll go with the Bieksa pile driver on Ben Eager to get me pumped up.

Bowl Game Hogswatch, er, Christmas Edition

I have to say that the games this weekend really are not putting me in the Christmas spirit. One thing that does? Hogfather, of course! If I ever have any children, I daresay that I will force them to watch the film version every Hogswatchnight, I mean Christmas Eve. Hopefully I can avoid these football games this weekend and plan out the rest of my vacation all proper like.

Little Caesar's Bowl: 12/26/09 10am, Detroit, MI, USA
Ohio (9-4) vs Marshall (6-6), Ohio by 4

Ok, two teams that play in conferences that get no love, I should like this game, right? I used to really like Marshall. I don't know if it was the close defeats at their hands against Rice or the fact that Matthew McConaughey played their coach in that one movie, but my opinion has changed. Plus, I was never a big fan of the Thundering Herd mascot. Only one team in football should have an adjective in their title. I like the resume Ohio has put together. You have to respect a team that made its conference title game. Plus, the Bobcats (weird for an Ohio team, am I wrong?) have a shot to win ten games, a mark I always like to see "small" schools reach.

The pick: Ohio-all the way. Though I'm not all about this game because it feels like I only have something to lose: If Ohio wins, it's expected. If not, everyone continues to talk about how the MAC sucks, which it only might.

The line: Close, but I'll pick to cover. I'd love to see a Bobcat blowout.


Meineke Car Care Bowl: 12/26/09 1:30pm, Charlotte, NC, USA
Pittsburgh (9-3) vs North Carolina (8-4), Pitt by 2

I thought for a moment that Meineke had dropped the "Car Care" from the bowl title when I first looked up this game, but after some deeper research found that not to be the case. One of my favorite bowl game titles will not make up, however, for the teams on the field. I don't like the Panthers and feel like North Carolina having a football team is not something Hotch would not approve of. Plus, the Tarheels suck. And because this game is taking place in North Carolina, they are the hot pick. They have been good against quality opponents this season, and Pitt did struggle toward the end of the year. Then again, the two late season losses I refer to were close and to good teams.

The pick: Pittsburgh-I cannot bring myself to take NC, it just feels dishonest. Then again, I'm thinking a close game here.

The line: Tough call, but I'm going to take Pitt to cover. I kind of feel like taking the points is hedging here, calling for a one point Pitt win. I guess I hope that the Tarheels are fully disinterested what with their last game loss to the rival Wolfpack and basketball season having started.


Emerald Bowl: 12/26/09 5pm, San Francisco, CA, USA
USC (8-4) vs Boston College (8-4), USC by 7

Are you starting to see why I don't care about these games? As I previously stated, the Trojans' miserable (by their standards) season was overshadowed by the struggles of our teams. And I don't think having watched this happen live on tv, that I could ever root for the Golden Eagles.

The pick: Boston College-Because I have to write something.

The line: Taking the points, even though I've just sealed a USC blowout with all this talk.


Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl: 12/27/09 5:30pm, Nashville, TN, USA
Kentucky (7-5) vs Clemson (8-5), Clemson by 7.5

Oh man, why isn't this post over with yet. Then again, it might be tough sledding for me all the way until January 7th. At least they haven't moved the NC until my birthday yet. When was the last time I was even remotely interested in it? Well, I'm getting ahead of myself here. As one can infer from the line, the Tigers are big favorites. They were highly touted this season (as usual) and had some success, finishing first in the ACC Atlantic (OK, the ACC stands for Atlantic Coast Conference and the two divisions that make it up are named Atlantic and Coastal. That is funny to me. Or at least highly unoriginal.) Division. Everyone liked to talk about the SEC being top heavy, so one could look at this Wildcats team, which went 3-5 in conference play, as one that might not belong. Then again, the SEC had ten of its twelve teams reach the seven win plateau.

The pick: Clemson-That's right! You can tell I'm upset with these games after this pick, right? I just couldn't bring myself to come up with an explanation picking a team that once had this guy at QB.

The line: What did we learn from the Fresno State and Nevada games? Never take a heavy favorite's spread. Points, please. Gosh, I hope the Kentucky "WildCobb" offense can get something done and keep this game close.

Football Season Ends

So I didn't get off to the greatest start. One and two is, plain and simple, Dufresne level picking (we actually had the same winners). I must iterate that I was distracted. Picking bowl game winners at the college level was silly when the only one I was truly mindful of was being played in Carson on Saturday night. (Who the heck picks Fesno State to cover ten and a half?) So how'd I do on the State Championship game? Well, the pick, Servite, panned out. Though the line my good friend and fellow '00 alum Patrick Kinmartin set, which I took to cover, was seven. That didn't work out so well thanks to Mr. Cummings from Rocklin and a stagnant Friar offense in the second half.

So let's regroup and get serious. Three pretty exciting games, and they should only be getting better. I'm finally getting enjoyment out of college football and am ready to distance myself from you, Dufresne!

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl: 12/22/09 5pm, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Oregon State (8-4) vs Brigham Young University (10-2), OSU by 2.5

The knock on the 10-2 Cougars is that the only decent teams they played beat them. They lost to TCU and Florida State. Then again, they are coming off a huge, grudge match win against instate rival Utah. Oregon State went from a potential Rose Bowl birth to one of the more inconsequential PAC-10 bowls. The Beavers have some big wins and close losses in the best conference around.

The pick: BYU-I hate taking Mormons here, or anywhere for that sake, but Oregon State is way too trendy. Plus, they've seemed to play down to their opponents, and them Mormons are always looking for someone willing to let them in.

The line: I'll take the points.


San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: 12/23/09 5pm, San Diego, CA, USA
California (8-4) vs Utah (9-3), Cal by 3

Our second straight PAC-10/MWC matchup. I really thought that the Golden Bears had the goods to make a run at the National Championship. They started the season strong before back to back drubbings by Oregon and USC. Nevertheless, they showed signs of life amid much inconsistency. Utah, probably the best team in the nation last year, had a tough time of it in a top heavy Mountain West. TCU beat them bad, and BYU, as mentioned, took care of business for second place in the last week of the season. The Utes also lost to Oregon, only not as bad as Cal. Do you see where this is going?

The pick: Utah-I feel this game is going to be pure, offensive madness. I even thought about heading down there for it. We'll see.

The line: I'll take the points, should I be so confident.


Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl: 12/24/09 5pm, Honolulu, Hawai'i, USA
Nevada (8-4) vs Southern Methodist University(7-5), Nevada by 12.5

First off, this line is ridiculous. Second, the Wolfpack are for real. This is a team that started the season 0-3, with losses to our Golden Domers, Colorado State, and Missouri. Then they straight up handled business in their conference, which, yeah, was weak. They ended the season with a tough loss to America's sweatheart, Boise State, 44-33. SMU is a feel good story what with June Jones leading his Mustangs to a Bowl game in his second season as coach. And what Bowl game does it happen to be? The Hawai'i Bowl, where he used to coach the Warriors.

The pick: Nevada-Take that, Dufresne! SMU struggled in a down C-USA (basically because Rice was rebuilding) and Nevada made a living winning eight straight against teams just like this.

The line: I cannot believe I took Fresno to cover. That was so silly of me. I've learned my lesson, I'll take the points on this one.

Third Annual Complete College Footbal Bowl Game Breakdown

A bit of a down year, no? Rice goes from 10 wins a season ago to two this year, Wake Forrest cannot remember how to play defense, and Notre Dame, well, I haven't heard too much about them. Anyway, all of this made the fact that USC sucked not nearly as enjoyable. Why do I like college football again?

But let's not let that all get us down. Remember the good times? Golden Tate (RIP) put on a show just about every week, none better than when he leaped into the Michigan State Band after coming down with an impressive over the shoulder catch. We're all sure that J is sad to see Riley Skinner go, though he has to be thankful for the seasons and success he was a part of down in Winston-Salem. The Pac-10 had a lot of exciting games, most of which I seemed to miss. Tim Tebow nor Colt McCoy won the Heisman. Notre Dame did not hire Bob Stoops. The BC$ worked perfectly. Er, well, let's get to these bowl games and then wash our hands clean of the season, shall we?

New Mexico Bowl: 12/19 1:30pm, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Wyoming (6-6) vs Fresno State (8-4), FSU by 10.5

These teams have taken quite different routes to get where they ended. The Cowboys seemed to hang on to abysmal offense and cross-your-fingers defense to earn the last of the Moutain West bids. They played few challenging teams, were soundly beaten a number of times, are getting little production out of Roy Williams. Shame it cost them a first round pick. So, all around, except for turnover differential, where they shine, Wyoming seems to be outmatched with, well, most anyone. Fresno State played a tough schedule in an ever increasingly good WAC conference with only one game in which they did not perform up to par. The thing you forget about is that Fresno State is a notorious underachiever. This is one of the best on paper matchups. But they don't play this game on paper, they play it in New Mexico. Because sometimes that's what eight wins'll get you.

My Pick: Fresno State-It is well-known that Servite alum Kevin Goessling (you might now not always be remembered) heads the kicking duties for the Bulldogs. How can you pick against Servite this year?

Line: Fresno covers

St. Petersburg Bowl: 12/19 5pm, St. Petersburg, FL, USA.
Rutgers (8-4) vs UCF (8-4), Rutgers by 2.5

Definitely one of the better matchups and a game I think will be quite exciting. The Scarlett Knights of Rutgers have the street cred, though are headed by a lumberjack coach. Plus, can I pick them and expect to get any love from my younger brother? Well, with the UCF team coming out of Conference USA this year, I might not have to. UCF played everyone in conference tough, only stalling against Texas and Miami (kudos for the scheduling). They even outmanned Houston for a big W. Gosh, is this Rice incognito?

My pick: UCF-trendy, to be sure, but it would be a great win for their program. And in a season like this, what do I have against at team like this that I have for a joke of a team like Rutgers?

Line: I will take the points where I can get them, though I would prefer more in a game like this.

R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: 12/20 5:30pm, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Middle Tennessee State (9-3) vs Southern Mississipi (7-5), Southern Miss by 3.5

This game has, in its few years existence, been where the Sun Belt winner goes to play its bowl game. I'm happy to announce that this year the Sun Belt received another bid. A small victory for the "small" schools! MTSU is a good team and has been so consistenlty for a while. They along with Troy seem to battle every year for the Sun Belt title. The Blue Raiders lost to Troy early in the season and that proved to be the difference in the final standings. They are on a roll, winning their last six, and should give a splotchy Golden Eagles team a steady dose of their running attack. Do not discount Southern Miss and their ability to stay in games. Or do discount it, I'm not going to hate you for it. This battle of schools that like to give you a general reference point as to their location and feel the need to qualify their mascot with a color might be a pleasant alternative to whatever meaningless game that other football collective throws at us Sunday night.

My Pick: Middle Tennessee State University-Definitely going with my heart here, but it surely won't be a huge upset should it occur. The people milling about in the center of Tennessee would love this early Christmas present.

Line: I'll take the points and look for a bit more liberal sports betting site when I come back at you guys next time.

The Angels stove warming up.

I figured I might as well post a quick shout out to my Halos. There have been plenty of baseball moves going on lately, and the Angels name has been out there. First off, we lost John Lackey (this, of course, happened after we lost Chone Figgins to the M's). Then, we signed Hideki Matsui (seen left wearing a Jeff DaVannon jersey). So, let's break down the offseason so far.

Quickly with Chone Figgins. We all knew that Figgy had to go. Despite having a career year last year (keeping in mind his horrible post season), there was no way that the Angels were going to keep Figgy on board. I'm okay with the decision, although most bandwagoners aren't. Figgins was fine, don't get me wrong, but eventually a team has to move forward, and the time has come. We've been waiting for Brandon Wood to be that guy, and in 2010 he'll finally be put to the test. Keep your fingers crossed that he doesn't end up like Dallas McPherson. Of course, losing Figgy to the Mariners (especially when they get Cliff Lee) wasn't great. The word from the franchise is that Aybar will lead off, with Wood starting at third (and Izzy waiting in the wings if anyone let's up). I wish Figgins the best of luck in 2010 and beyond, but I'm not really upset about his obvious departure.

Sad news about Jose Arredondo, as he has be let go by the Angels. Word on the street is that he has to get season ending Tommy John surgery even before Spring Training, and that led to the Angels deciding to let him walk from the team. 'Dondo was always this guy who we had high hopes for, especially after his huge 2008, but things went south in '09 and beyond. The saddest part was that 'Dondo just got stabbed in the DR. It's rough to see a guy go downhill so fast.

Something that no one has been talking about in Angels Nation is that the Angels also allowed Matt "The Immortal" Brown to walk away to free agency. Matt Brown, always touted as better than Brandon Wood on this blog, would have been a perfect backup plan if Woody sucks, but the Angels passed on that. Farewell Brown. I guess we could always nab you back like we did with JR.

Alright, let's get to the Lackey issue. I can't remember a player who I supported so much when he was with the team, who I completely started to hate after he left the squad. Usually I just miss players who take off, but I am so disgusted by the Lackey deal I can't stand it. We're talking about a guy who threw at the head of Teixiera and mouthed "you should have stayed here." Now, he's off to play for one of our mortal enemies. A team that we finally beat in the playoffs last year. Then, in his press conference in Bean Town, he has the balls to say, "I always wanted to be with the Red Sox. This is a dream come true." Screw you Lackey. You're a traitor, you always will be, and you will never be forgiven for your decision. And no, I'm not dumb. I know that baseball is a business and all about the money, but I don't care. This Big Texan turned his back on us, and we will always remember (it's like the Angels' 9/11). With our rotation looking like: Weaver, Saunders, Santana, Kazmir, and a Pitcher to be named later, I still like our chances. While we could replace Benadict Arnold with homegrowns like Matt Palmer, Sean O'Sullivan, and Trevor Bell, I think I'm pulling for the latest rumor of Ben Sheets off the free agent market. Of course, even newer rumors linking us to Derek Lowe and Javier Vasquez from Atlanta, but I'm still pulling for Sheets. Adios Lackey, you bitch.

Almost simultaneously with the Red Sox/Lackey presser, the Angels introduced their new free agent acquisition, Hideki "Hits With His Eyes Closed" Matsui. G-dzilla was brought over to the Angels to take over for departing Vlad Guerrero (who, despite leaving, isn't going to get ink on this post because it was too obvious...to the Rangers?) as our DH. The Yomiuri Giants slugger was the World Series MVP last season, hitting over .600, and after the success of Bobby Abreu, I'm thinking positive thoughts about this latest one year deal. Reagins has been playing it smart, getting small deals on aging sluggers, and it paid off last year, so hopefully this year as well. This fool is a .292/140/597 career hitter (AVG/HR/RBI), but had his worse season in his career in 2009, despite his solid World Series performance. With Mats, our outfield would be JR, Hunter, and Abreu with our newbie at DH, according to the Angels website (I know GMJ wants out, but he's still here, right?). Here's the deal with my feelings on G-dzilla. I've always maintained that every baseball fan has the right to hate one player on their team. However, I've noticed that when it comes to the Canucks, Notre Dame, and others (my favorite teams), I support every player on my teams because they are officially a true Canuck, Fighting Irish, etc. I've decided that I'm going to do that with baseball. Undying support for anyone on the Angels, no matter what. That is the true way to be a fan, and I was being stupid before. You're lucky, Napoli. Welcome aboard, Matsui.

A quick message for Tony Reagins: Just resign Darren Oliver. He's an oldie but goodie. Although, it will be interesting having Scot Shields back in '10 (remember him?).

It will be exciting to see where the Angels go from here as we approach Spring Training and the new season. I'll just go on record now to say that the Angels will win the AL West, and that just because the M's got Lee, Figgins, and Bradley, they will not push hard for the division title. Remember I said that.

The state of the 17-14-0 Canucks.

Big ups to Brandon for breaking the Davises/Do 3,000,003 day post strike!

After the Canucks bested the Atlanta Thrashers at home last night (thank you NHL On The Fly for the highlights on my DVR this morning) with a nice 4-2 win, I decided it was time to explore where this Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde team are at after 31 games (and with 51 to go). Coach Alain Vigneault has gone out into the media saying that he never knows which Blue & Green team is going to show up on the ice, and the fans have become well aware of that fact as we work toward the midway point of the season. Last night, it was Daniel Sedin showing the rest of the squad that he's still the goal scoring boss that we missed while he was on the DL, scoring a gigantic hat trick (the third of his career). Roberto Luongo was straight up solid between the pipes, with the only two goals coming on rebounds (one he had absolutely no chance of getting). One amazing steal with the glove, a couple of sweet fights (Glass and Ryp), and a tip in goal by Ma$e rounded out a beautiful victory over this Eastern squad.

Orca Nation has become frustrated with the ups and downs this season. For example, on our last roadie, we beat New Jersey and Philly by a combined score of 8-2 before losing to the NHL worst Carolia and a Nashville squad by a combined score of 9-5. The first two teams hold a record of 35-21-1, the last two teams are sitting at 25-29-7. Fans around the Nation were disappointed with the way the trip ended, and a bunch of people started jumping of the bandwagon, bailing after a couple of little bumps. We were able to come home and get things back the way we needed with last night's win, with one Canuck blog going with the headline "We finally have a pulse," but the question I want to answer is: What should we expect from this team as the season goes forward? My answer? Playoffs.

Now it's time to prove all the doubters wrong. As I type, the Canucks are #9 in the West, tied with Columbus, and just 1 point back of playoff basement dwellers, Dallas. Hopefully that means it won't be too hard to make my point. People seem to be low on the Vannies this year, and it is really because of their away record sitting at 6-10-0. However, at the Garage my boys are 11-4-0! The only Western Conference team with a better home record this season are the (blech) Chicago Blackhawks (ranked #2 in the West). We're dominating in the Pacific Northwest, and we don't seem to be letting up, if recent results indicate anything. Meanwhile, the Vannies have a goal differential of +16. Are you ready for the list of top 8 teams that have a worse goal differential? #4 Los Angeles, #5 Colorado, #6 Nashville, #7 Phoenix, and #8 Dallas. We're top 3 material! In terms of players, Henrik Sedin (picking up the slack for his recently returning brother) is #2 in the Western Conference when it comes to points (just -4 of Joe Thorton). Something you don't know is that newbie Canuck (and recently traded for on my NHL2K10 Wii game) Christian Ehrhoff leads the Western Conference in +/- with his +16 rating this year.

Of course, there are a couple of things that make me think twice. The Canucks are ranked #1 in the West for team penalty minutes. This has been a problem I've been talking about all season long. When you are ranked #26 out of 30 teams in killing penalties (which the Canucks are), you really can't afford to be the most penalized team in your entire Conference. Are you kidding me? Show some freaking discipline.

So, you take the good that I talked about, and mix it in with the bad, and what do you think? Here's what I think. The Canucks have been an up and down team all season. The reasons are that the offense is solid, which keeps us in a lot of games, but the special teams have been lacking, which when combined with a ton of penalties, takes us out of a lot of games. In the end, the reason I think we're going to start playing better (meaning, more consistently) pretty soon is because I think we have yet to see the best that Roberto Luongo has to offer here in '09/'10. Our masked captain has a 2.42 GAA this season in his first 24 games. Over every season since he has been with Vancouver (starting in 2006, if you can believe it), he has had a lower GAA. Last year he was 2.34, 2.38 in 2007/2008, and 2.28 in his first season in Vancouver. Even his save percentage is worse this year (.915 vs. .920 last year). He is going to turn things around and bring more consistency to this squad in the games to come. He'll average out to his usual top goalie in the West kind of stuff, and that'll carry this team to a hefty playoff spot. With my thoughts that Colorado will still come crashing down eventually, I'm going with the 'Nucks finishing at least 5th in the West this year. Mark it down.

So, Canucks fans, stay faithful as we march forward. While we'll continue to have ups and downs here in the season, we are overall on a path forward and to the playoffs. Have confidence, have faith, and enjoy the puck.

It is a Bad TIme to be a Dodgers Fan

I hate to break the streak with a miserable post like this, but then again, what is the name of the site? The Dodgers are ruining themselves and I'm not just talking about the McCourt fiasco that I've payed next to no attention to (at least the specifics). What I have been noticing is that it has already affected the Dodgers and will continue to for years to come. As Tommy mentioned, the Dodgers "lost" Randy Wolf today. I've always really liked the guy, but an even better reason we should have kept him was that he was good. Not the best, Kershaw is clearly better, cheaper and locked up longer. Billingsley is probably better, too, though Torre worked wonders on that kid's confidence last year (see also Orlando Hudson) so we'll have to see next year.

The fucking [sic] debacle here is the fact that the Dodgers had chances. The Dodgers could have offered Wolf arbitration, landed him for 8 million (super cheap for a quality pitcher) or received draft picks (first round and supplemental) if he signed elsewhere. Even now it is reported that Wolf would have re-signed, had we had the drive, for 2 years/14-16M. But clearly this McCourt thing is affected every penny spent. What is also just as bad is that we didn't tender Hudson (first round and supplemental if he signed elsewhere). In fact, the Dodgers had a chance to tender four Tpye B free agents and they offered arbitration to none. That's a potential 4 second round and 4 supplemental picks. Putting all this together that is 10 total first two round draft picks lost. And no one will remember because we're going to be good next year, and probably the year after.

Just please sign Matt Kemp to a multi-year deal, or put me out of my misery......