Wild Card weekend

Lots going on this weekend. As I mentioned in the post prior, Pac 10 hoops will be a treat for the next two months. There's a great list of games tonight in the NBA including Allen Iverson's slumping Denver Nuggets visiting Mamba (one assist shy of a triple double last night) and the Lakers, Phoenix vs shockingly mediocre Miami (Shaq or not), and Dallas putting their 12-game winning streak up against the Spurs (I like San Antonio). Over across the pond, Liverpool host Arsenal in the third round of the FA Cup (yo!). I want that one in a bad way. But the big focus wil obviously be on the NFL, what with the uh, how you say, "playoffs" kicking off tomorrow.

But first! Less than a year later, Art Shell is back to where he started. The firing surprises no one, surely, but the big question now becomes "Who wants this most undesirable of head coaching positions?" Me? I'm a big fan of defensive coordinator Rob Ryan who was able to breathe life and a silver lining into an otherwise black, miserable season. The players know him, trust him, believe in him, and -- perhaps most importantly -- he's fresh head coaching blood. He's got pedigree, although I never thought much of Buddy Ryan as a head coach. But if Rob Ryan can motivate the offense the way he was able to get the defense to produce, this team is on the way up. Of course, after 2-14, there's nowhere to go but up. Also, he still has to deal with Al Davis and has the task of shipping off undesirables like Randy Moss and Jerry Porter before the attitude of the Raiders can be enlightened and their spirits raised. It behooves Oakland to make a hire before the draft. Their needs on offense are so many that drafting Brady freaking Quinn with the number one overall pick would be the equivalent of the little Dutch boy putting his finger in the dyke, then getting shot in the head. Trade down, pick up another high pick in the process, build with several pieces rather than gambling on a quarterback who never won a single big game in his college career.

Okay, now on to the games.

Kansas City (+6.5) at Indianapolis - There's a lot to be said of homefield advantage and certainly the Colts can speak to that. Indy is undefeated at home, this season. Additionally, if this year is any indication, the Colts always seem to play to the level of their competition. They get up for the games against tough teams. Now, that said, they're coming up against a Chiefs team that has the perfect recipe for knocking off Indy at home. It's called, "Larry Johnson pillages one of the worst run defenses ever." If KC can get an early score and keep Peyton Manning off the field (this requires limiting turnovers to a minimum), then we're looking at our Wild Card Weekend upset. There always seems to be at least one and the last two seasons, road teams are 6-2 on Wild Card Weekend. They probably won't have as much luck this go around, but the Chiefs are my horse to knock off a favorite. Before throwing out a final score, one gripe: Peyton Manning finishing third in MVP balloting. No, sir, I don't get it. Not that it matters at all, anyway, but are we suggesting that Manning winning another crappy AFC South division in spite of his defense or more praise-worthy than the resurrection performed by Steve McNair in
Baltimore? I don't think so. Chiefs 36 Colts 27

Dallas at Seattle (-3) - Neither team look terribly impressive at the moment. Each finished the season losing three of four. More red flags are raised on Dallas' side, however, as they've been giving up points by the truckload. They can't stop the run, they can't stop the pass, and playing from behind is decidedly NOT a strength of Tony Romo. Speaking of which, the "golden boy" seems to have been reading too many of his press clippings. Playing at home hasn't exactly meant as much to Seattle as it did last season, but it matters tomorrow. Also looks like Shaun Alexander is back on track. Seahawks needs to be weary of the pass, though. They're thin at CB and that could spell trouble, lining up against Mouth Owens. Seahawks commit less turnovers and Hasselbeck has more poise than his counterpart. That's the difference. Seahawks 28 Cowboys 22

New York Jets (+8.5) at New England - Holy cow, if you can get to Vegas, lay some money on the Jets. This line is waaaaaay too generous. The teams split during the regular season, but the edge goes to the Pats because they have Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, and are feeling pretty good about themselves coming into the playoffs. The loss of Rodney Harrison could be crucial, but their primary concern should be putting up points on offense. The Jets might be the story of the year -- a far bigger surprise than the Saints. They're in the playoffs on sheer guts and intestinal fortitude and the defense has been nails all season. Expect a war in the trenches with the experience and opportunism of the homefield Patriots winning out. Patriots 20 Jets 17

New York Giants (+6.5) at Philadelphia - Much like their two regular season games, this should be a good one. It's easy to pick Philly based on how much fun they've been having on this hot streak. They're playing their best football at the right time of the season, Jeff Garcia's got them inspired, they look loose and they're making big plays. But the Giants still have a lot of talent on their club and maybe... just maybe... the role of "left for dead" could suit them well. It'll come down to whether or not Eli Manning can make plays while trailing, because Philly rarely trails. So you say it's on Eli's shoulders? Eagles 26 Giants 21

The best conference in college hoops

This one's dedicated to the Pac 10. Dynamite matchups tomorrow. Undefeated, top-ranked UCLA visits now once-beaten Oregon and Arizona, owners of a 12-game winning streak, visit dangerous Washington State (the team who has come the closest this season to beating UCLA).

Wazzu has been a major surprise this year. Tony Bennett's got things rolling up in Pullman and getting a split in Los Angeles, last weekend, is proof that their win over Gonzaga wasn't a fluke.

The Trojans pipped Oregon last night. USC is but a narrow Wazzu defeat from being unbeaten in the conference. They're no easy W, this season. Imagine what's going to happen with the men of Troy when O.J. Mayo rolls into town next season.

And then there's Washington. Recognized nationally as a top 25 team (and deservedly so), the Huskies are off to a howling 0-3 start in conference play. Can't help but smile at their game last night. *Cough* All hail Chase Budinger *Cough*

Stanford and Cal both look good enough to get some post-season play, but they're probably looking at the NIT. The Pac 10 has depth, but these two schools won't find room in the NCAA. I'll say now, though, that Stanford is on to something special with the Lopez twins, Brook and Robin. Having those two bigs on the court together makes them a very difficult proposition as Arizona found out last Saturday.

The race for the conference title is on and it looks like there are three teams in the mix. Oregon has as good a shot as any of knocking off UCLA tomorrow. The Pit in Eugene is one of the toughest places to play in the entire country. Their chances would be boosted, though, is the seemingly-always-injured Malik Hairston were available.

What's the only thing stopping Arizona from taking the whole thing? Consistent defense. That, and I believe we're pretty dependant on the return of Kirk Walter if we're going to be able to battle with UCLA on the interior. Doing my best to secure a ticket to that game when the Cats come to LA. In the meantime, Washington State got us last year. Can't afford to look ahead.

The only easy game on the schedule: Arizona State. Sorry, Herb Sendek. You've got a serious project on your hands.

So there are plenty of storylines for the next two months...
- Three-headed race for the title
- Can Washington recover?
- (perhaps the best one) Can Washington State and USC keep this up all the way to Selection Sunday?

As of today, you have to figure that six teams would see their names in brackets come that fateful Sunday in March. Not bad for a conference that's only been netting 3-4 the last several years. Ah, if only ESPN covered the Pac 10 and not Fox Sports. Then I wouldn't even have to post this.