Where Has Parity Gone In Sports??

As the NBA opens the book on the 2009-2010 season one thing is certain: the great teams are going to absolutely dominant while the bad teams might have historic loss totals. This trend extends beyond the NBA and into the NFL and MLB as well.

The Lakers are the team to beat for now. They have the potential for a 60-win team with stars like Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Ron Artest.

The San Antonio Spurs have reloaded with the additions of Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess to go along with the big three.

Superstar Carmello Anthony and his Denver Nuggets will be a contender after last year’s Conference Finals appearance.

Maybe Chris Paul pulls a miracle with the New Orleans Hornets or this is the year Greg Oden and the Blazers put it all together.

The Eastern conference will be decided by the Celtics, Cavs, and Magic. All three will get 50-60 wins.

Shaq, Vince Carter, and Rasheed Wallace will all be counted on to play second or third fiddle (or fifth in Wallace’s case) to young guns and veteran all-stars. All three teams are head and shoulders above the rest of the conference.

The rest of the NBA seems to have a worse shot than Darko from deep.

The Memphis Grizzles, Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Charlotte Bobcats, Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, and Oklahoma City Thunder all enter the new season with virtually no shot of winning anything more than a high draft pick (bad news Knicks fans considering you don’t have one).

Ok, maybe one of the above teams surprise and sneak into the play-offs. The reward will be a juggernaut one seed that wipes 82 games out of your memory in the span of one week. If you are counting at home, 10 teams go into the season with slim to none chances, a third of the entire league!

The same can be said about the NFL. The bottom feeders are historically bad. The Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams, Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions, and Carolina Panthers all stink. They stink like a soggy sock after you step in a puddle.

That’s nine of 30 teams that are incredibly awful. Vegas is currently in shambles because they can’t set a line high enough on these terrible teams. I used to be afraid of any line that was higher than two touchdowns. Now it is a lock every freaking week. And the good teams are covering with ease! Week 7 was considered by many Vegas experts as the worst in terms of lost money EVER.

Baseball is usually about the have’s and have not’s. Oh, the Yankees are in the World Series? Big surprise. With the exception of the Tampa Bay Rays last year, the MLB is as predictable as a FOX news anchor’s reaction to Obama’s new plan on marijuana. The list of small market teams with little to no chance is staggering.

So what happened? Why did we arrive at this point? Well like most other occurrences in 2009, blame the economy.

The sports landscape has shaded the country and its financial state. Teams like the Yankees, Lakers, and Patriots have enough money to weather the storm. They can still take risks without worrying about losing all their assets and fan support.

C.C. Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, and A.J Burnett for more than some entire team’s pay-rolls? Sure we have our own T.V. station.

But most teams don’t have this luxury. The Cincinnati Reds need a shortstop, left fielder, and a catcher. The GM Walt Jocketty was told that they might be cutting payroll for next season. They will be the guy at Wal-Mart sticking his head half way down the bargain bin looking for that hidden steal of a washed up cheap veteran.

The Yankees will buy that Ed Hardy $100 T-shirt because they saw a commercial that made the shirt look stylish.

Over half of professional sports teams can’t take any risks. They have to think conservative because a couple of wrong moves mean your team could land in L.A., Las Vegas, Canada or even England.

The Memphis Grizzles cut their entire scouting department this summer in order to save a few bucks. The Cleveland Indians within the past year and a half had both pitchers set to start Game One of the World Series (Sabathia and Cliff Lee). But due to financial constraints and free agency, they had to sell them for 60 cents on the dollar.

NFL teams are dealing with potential blackouts that prohibit the hometown fans from even viewing the product. The 5-2 Cincinnati Bengals need Chad OchoCinco and a grocery store to bail them out and buy a few thousand tickets at the 11^th hour for two separate home games. Not even winning is always the cure.

This years NBA season will be extremely predictable. The cream of the crop will dominate all season, and a team like the Kings will struggle to reach 10 wins in front of half empty arenas.

The NFL is facing a scenario where a few teams could end up either win-less or with a one in the victory column. This is coming after the Lions already had to suffer the all-time embarrassment of having to endure a win-less campaign last year.

MLB is featuring the defending champs versus the all-time franchise. Teams like the Kansas City Royals, San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Florida Marlins, and Cleveland Indians enter each year knowing everything has to go right for them to have a chance at the postseason.

Something isn’t right. Let’s hope this is nothing but a phase, much like the economic downturn.

In 2009, the rich get richer and the poor go broke. The middle class has vanished. Fan emotions run off the feeling of hope with a “ya never know” mentality. It has become next to impossible to have any.

Without hope in sports—fans get apathetic—they mock the team that they have invested so much time and money into.

The Redskins were once a proud and historic franchise. Now they have billboards pleading the owner to step down. They aren't even allowed to bring signs to games anymore. This can be compared to the filthy rich CEO that blows his money on unnecessary material things that ultimately makes him look like a selfish jerk.

Here’s to hoping that the term “apathetic” doesn’t become a household word in the sports world. Until then, enjoy the Nets and T’Wolves barn-burner Wednesday night, or the Rams vs. Lions Sunday showdown.

Bengals make it Look Easy against Bears

Lots of different scenarios were predicted for this game, a 45-10 Bengals romp was not one of them.

Up 21-0 in the first 17 minutes the Bengals never looked back. It was a complete beat down.

The Bengals scored 31 points in the first half, their most in the first half since scoring 31 on Sept. 23, 1990, vs. New England.

After a disappointing home loss to the Houston Texans, the Cincinnati Bengals came out and took the Chicago Bears to the woodshed. They beat them senseless and threw away the escape key. The Bengals surpassed last seasons win total in the process.

When it was all said and done, Cedric Benson had a career day with 189 yards and a TD. He showed the Bears what they were missing with multiple plays of tackle breaking, ankle turning runs. He showed his old team the speed and agility they thought they had when he was drafted fourth overall in 2005.

"He wanted to get back at us," Bears safety Danieal Manning said. "We expected that, and would expect nothing less."

Benson was so inspired that he got a little too excited.

"There were a few times where I may have gotten a little too hyped up, a little too antsy," he said. "A couple of drives, I found myself having to calm myself down and gather my emotions to stay poised. Once I got past that, we were good to go. Keep it rolling."

"Everybody knew. What a wonderful day and a wonderful thing, to go out there and strut your stuff."

He simply looked faster than the Bears D, after his first 31 carries he possessed a nine yard per carry average with only a long of 26. He consistently was getting first downs on seemingly every play. The Bengals finished the game with 30 first downs to the Bears 15.

The Bengals were superb in all facets of the game. QB Carson Palmer torched the Bears secondary for five touchdowns and 233 yards while completing 20 of 24 throws. Every ball was on the target and Palmer was only a victim of two drops on the day and no turnovers. Huge improvements over last week’s drop fest and tight end nightmare.

The O-line had zero penalties and Pamler wasn’t even sneezed on by Bear defenders. The 6’9 Dennis Roland out of Georgia has shown Andre Smith that he will not be just handed a starting position when he is healthy.

WR Chad OchoCinco recorded his second 100 yard receiving game in as many weeks for the first time since Sept. 2007. He hauled in 10 receptions for 118 yards and two TDs. He was wide open in single coverage for most of the game; OchoCinco was making CB Charles Tillman “kiss the baby” all game long.

The Bengals line was dominant on both sides of the ball. After losing the league leader in sacks last week Antwan Odom’s replacements filled in nicely. DE Frostee Rucker had a sack and three QB hits and DE Michael Johnson was in QB Jay Cutler face on numerous occasions.

CB Leon Hall had two INT’s with substantial return yards to boot both times. SS Chris Crocker had a pick as well. Linebackers Dhani Jones and Keith Rivers shut down TE Greg Olson (24 yards) and did not miss any tackles.

Even the special teams had zero penalties. All the long snaps were accurate and punter Kevin Huber only recorded one official punt. Now that is the best way to neutralize the Bear’s stud punt return-man Devin Hester

In a statement game for both teams, the Bengals physically pounded the Bears. The Bengals could do anything they pleased. Carson Palmer looked light years better than Jay Cutler and his three INTs.

The Bengals confidence has returned, making the bye week a lot more enjoyable. Resilient 5-2 sounds a whole lot better than reeling 4-3. With Baltimore and a trip to Pittsburgh on the slate after the bye, nothing has been determined yet. But I think it is safe to say this years Bengals are play-off material.

Week Seven Is Heaven For NFL

Teams are beginning to make some moves, either up or down. I think we all know who is dregs of the ’09 NFL season (Rams, Bucs, Browns, Chiefs, Titans) but that’s about it. Last week the Giants looked flawless, now they have big issues.

The Vikings can only have so many miracle wins right? Has the Texans finally broken through into the collective NFL fans consciousness? Have the Chargers thrown in the towel already? Will the Saints keep up this record pace? Can the Cowboys save Wade Phillips job? On to the picks

San Francisco at Houston- The Texans introduced themselves to the 2009 NFL season with the convincing win at Cincinnati. The 49ers are coming off the bitter taste of two straight losses followed by a bye. The game might come down to the RB with the bigger day. Steve Slaton and Frank Gore are both vocal points of their respective offenses.

But when you match-up the receivers…give me WR Andre Johnson. A top three receiver in the league has been killing DB’s and safeties all year with 572 yards and four TDs. The 49ers counter with the NFL debut of Mr. Mike Crabtree. Hmmmm Texans 24-16

Green Bay at Cleveland- The Packers just had two bye weeks in a row after a week off and Detroit. The Browns have been struck by the flu bug this week, with up to 12 players catching it. Unfortunately QB Derek Anderson is just fine. Packers 28-10

San Diego at Kansas City- Times are tough for the Chiefs when they are sitting 0-3 at Arrowhead. The Chargers are playing on short rest with a couple of players lacking in the effort department. It’s not rocket science to figure out that L.T. and Shawne Merriman are free agents at the end of the year and both see the writing on the wall. Chiefs 23-21

Indianapolis at St. Louis- Short trip for Manning and Co. where half the stadium could will be filled with Colts fans. So the Colts are coming off a bye, in a semi-home game, against a winless Rams team with Kyle Boller? Colts 32-14

Minnesota at Pittsburgh- The Steelers are favored but the Vikes have the undefeated record. The Steelers are officially a passing team now, but the D can still stop the run. Adrian Peterson will be contained and this is the week Favre gets exposed Steelers 24-22

New England vs. Tampa Bay- This game is in the old England not the new one so the Bucs lose a home game and the Pats get rid of a road game. But wouldn’t the fans root against the Patriots? Patriot is a bad word over there. The Buccaneers pull off the upset of the year Bucs 21-20

New York (A) at Oakland- Jets coach Rex Ryan said he is simplifying the playbook for rookie QB Mark Sanchez. This game will also be played in the California sun, his old stomping grounds. The Jets D is still a force and WR Braylon Edwards is getting more comfortable in the offense. Jets 17-7

Buffalo at Carolina- Who cares about this one? Well I wouldn’t completely disregard the Panthers just yet. They are 2-3 and filled with veterans that have plenty of experience winning. As for the Bills and their 1-0 QB Ryan “crazy legs” Fitzpatrick? No hope at all. Panthers 24-17

Chicago at Cincinnati- The Benson bowl. RB Cedric Benson seeks revenge on his old team that he says, “black-balled him”, as does DT Tank Johnson. The Bears O-line is crumpling. Orlando Pace killed his team with that fourth down penalty in the fourth quarter last week.

Benson now claims that he's not looking for revenge and won't try to send a message.
Right…. based on how Benson has been playing when he isn't pissed off, I’m interested to see what he'll do with even more motivation. And give me Palmer over Cutler everyday of the week Bengals 27-23

Falcons at Dallas- The Cowboys are fresh off their bye and QB Tony Romo is in dire need of a huge game. The Falcons are coming off an emotional win against the Bears. In a high scoring affair, it will be the Cowboys D that makes the biggest play. Too bad Jerry Jones didn’t jump at the Bengals offer of WR Chris Henry and a No. 2 pick for TE Martellus Bennett. Would have helped both teams out big time. Cowboys 33-30

New Orleans at Miami- Great spot for a let down for QB Drew Brees and the Saints. Coming off a huge win against the Giants, the Saints are riding high. The Dolphins are coming off a bye, which allows them to throw some new wrinkles into the wildcat offense. Call me crazy, but this Chad Henne guy aint so bad. Call me insane, but I like the Fins in this one Dolphins 24-23

Arizona at New York (N)- Let history show that QB Kurt Warner is not a good QB in the wind. He never played well with the Giants because half the games were played at a extremely windy stadium. The cold weather will also be a factor for the sunny-side Cardinals. Not to mention the pissed-off factor of the Giants getting trounced last week Giants 27-19

Philadelphia at Washington- I am so sick of hearing about the job status of Jim Zorn. Dan Synder will wait till the end of the year to fire him, so can we all just stop talking about it? The worst thing to happen for the Skins is that the Eagles were just embarrassed by the Raiders. No way it happens twice in a row Eagles 25-13

Bengals Michael Johnson: New Most Important Johnson

Just when it looked like the Cincinnati Bengals had a constant pass rush for the first time in years, DE Antwan Odom and his eight sacks promptly lands on the IR. Odom tore his Achilles against the Houston Texans on Sunday and is now lost for the season.

To add insult to injury, DT Domata Peko went down with a knee injury as well. His status for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears is in the air. With the pair, the Bengals are third in the league with 16 sacks through six games.

Enter Michael Johnson. The rookie from Georgia Tech was considered a top 10 prospect going into his final year of college. A physical specimen that would translate well to the NFL. The knock on him was his effort. He took plays off scouts said.

He dropped all the way to the third round in the ’09 draft. He impressed early on in training camp with his 6’7 and 260 pound frame. But like most first year players, the learning curve was steep.

After the first six games of the season Johnson has collected 11 tackles. He has slowly received more playing time as he learns the consistent effort needed to be successful in the NFL. With the way Odom was playing, it was hard for him to even get on the field at all. Now he will be playing a much bigger role for this team.

Johnson has the physical tools to be a disruptive force on opposing QBs. Long arms and quick feet allow him to get penetration in the backfield. He has a pass deflection in each of the past three games. He will block a kick sooner or later in his career.

“Every week he gets quite a few snaps,” said Bengals coach Marvin Lewis of Johnson. “I think Michael played his best football that he played this season yesterday (Sunday.) Hopefully that continues as a trend. He’ll have an opportunity to do more and more.”

While the injury to Odom is a real bummer for Bengal fans, the door is now open for Johnson. If he can put fourth maximum effort for on every snap his physical talents will do the rest.

If the Bengals want to keep the top spot in the division, they must get big contributions from Johnson. If not, then the secondary will have to continue to defend receivers for six to seven seconds. Just like the last 10 plus years.

NFL Week 6: Dust is Starting to Settle

This week’s slate features the undefeated Giants going to the undefeated Saints. Both teams are rolling and both QBs are playing at a Pro-Bowl level.

Speaking of which, I think Week Six is the time to start labeling players possible pro bowlers. The season is 30 percent finished and certain players are consistently putting together big games in a row now.

This is also the time to start labeling players busts for single-handedly killing fantasy teams across the country (LT, Matt Forte, and DeAngelo Williams.) On to the picks:

Kansas City at Washington - The Redskins have yet to play a team with a win this year and yet sit at 2-3. The Chiefs are fresh off a heart-breaking loss to the Cowboys and officially have an awful running back. Larry Johnson is averaging less than three yards a carry. That's not going to get it done against DT Albert Haynesworth. Redskins 20-16

Houston at Cincinnati - The cardiac cats have brought hope to the 'Nati. Carson Palmer is looking more and more like the Palmer of ’05 and potential pro bowler Cedric Benson has resurrected his career. The Bengal corners, Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall, have been outstanding in pass coverage. This is a possible let down spot for them, but the talent level is too wide Bengals 26-17

Cleveland at Pittsburgh - The Pitt D is hurting after the loss of DE Aaron Smith. They were allowing the Lions to move the ball at will before QB Daunte Culpepper self-destructed in the fourth quarter. The Browns can’t move the ball on anybody, so even an overrated ’09 Steelers D will look like the ’08 version. Steelers 27-6

St. Louis at Jacksonville - Not a good game to watch by any stretch of the imagination. The Rams have been blown out in every game this year and have 13 straight losses going back to last season. Make it 14. Jags 27-13

Detroit at Green Bay - The Packers had two weeks to fume over the Vikings loss. The Lions are not horrible, but they’re not beating the Pack at Lambeau. The Packers are still struggling with the new 3-4 defense, but this will be the week A.J Hawk and company figure it out. Packers 30-17

New York at New Orleans - This Game-of-the-Week features two of the top QBs in the NFC. Drew Brees has had two weeks to study the Giants, and Eli Manning has a foot problem that will likely bother him for the rest of the year. This one comes down to which D can get the crucial fourth quarter stop. I’m taking the better rested team Saints 24-21

Baltimore at Minnesota - Intriguing matchup that will be extremely physical. Ray Lewis will be eager to redeem himself after last week’s costly penalty. If the Ravens can get to Brett Favre then the gunslinger version appears. The Vikings have yet to play a D the caliber of the Ravens and it will be interesting to see how the Vikes offense handles it. Baltimore 21-18

Philadelphia at Oakland - The Eagles offense looks like top-five material. They can put points on the board with the best of them. Against Oakland? Blowout city Eagles 35-10

Arizona at Seattle - With Matt Hasselbeck, the Seahawks are a legit NFC West contenders. Hasselbeck is extremely accurate and provides quality veteran leadership. Arizona is hit or miss on a week-to-week basis. With one of the only home-field advantages left in the NFL, I’m going with the home team. Seahawks 27-23

Buffalo at New York - The Jets are not for real after all. But then again, nobody ever thought the Bills were. Reminder: never fire your offense coordinator right before the season starts. Jets 26-12

Tennessee at New England - The Titans are cooked. Stick a fork in them, they might as well throw in QB Vince Young. Or is he so bad that the Titans have absolutely no confidence in the former first-round pick? The Pats are coming off a tough loss at Denver, and they never lose two in a row. Patriots 27-19

Chicago at Atlanta - Coming off the butt whipping of the 49ers, the Falcons' confidence is riding high. QB Matt Ryan throws a beautiful deep ball and plays more like a 10-year vet than a second-year guy. The Bears had a bye last week and will be fresh. RB Matt Forte has yet to really have a break out game… until now. Bears 23-19

Denver at San Diego - A Broncos win puts them in the driver seat in the AFC West. A loss opens the door for the Chargers. Broncos QB Kyle Orton is overdue for a clunker and Chargers QB Phillip Rivers is due for a gutsy, grind out type of win. Rivers has to be aware of the Denver secondary duo of Brian Dawkins and Champ Bailey. There may even be an LT sighting. Chargers 21-17

Cincinnati Bengals: The Cardiac Cats Raise City’s Collective Blood Pressure

What a five game stretch for the 2009 Bengals.

Every game has been decided in the final 60 seconds and the feeling of excruciating defeat and astonishing victory has been felt weekly. These Bengals don’t do anything easily, but 4-1 is 4-1. 3-0 on the road and 3-0 in the division are numbers that can’t be ignored.

Quick recap: crushing loss to Denver on a fluke tip after the Bengals drove the length of the field to go ahead with 20 or so seconds remaining, QB Aaron Rodgers runs out of time on a possible game tying drive in Green Bay.

Two game winning last second TD’s from QB Carson Palmer to WR Andre Caldwell over divisional powers Pittsburgh and Baltimore sandwiched between a should have been game winning last second drive at Cleveland that was forced to OT due to the errand snap on the extra point. The game was later won by another solid Palmer led drive in OT.

Callers to Cincinnati sports radio have been complaining of high blood pressure all week. The Cardiac Cats are doing wonders for doctors in the region. Each week the offense shows flashes of brilliance in the first quarter, before going into hibernation until halfway through the fourth quarter.

This team reminds me of the kid that is real smart but doesn’t do his homework till right before it needs to be turned in. He scribbles down the answers frantically and gets it in just in the nick of time and he some how receives full credit.

One of the big reasons for such tension was released yesterday in Brad St. Louis. After two bad snaps against Baltimore and six over the first four games, the Bengals released the veteran long snapper/tight end on Tuesday and signed Clark Harris.

Kicker Shayne Graham has looked extremely tentative in his kicking and as a result has had two field goals blocked against the Browns’ Shaun Rodgers. A competent long snapper should solve that problem.

The offensive line looked to be a huge issue going into the season because of the horrid play of last year. But the unit has unexpectedly gelled together nicely. The line has protected Palmer well and has opened holes up the middle for RB Cedric Benson.

Speaking of Benson, he leads the NFL in rushing with 487 yards. He is on pace for a team-record 1,558 rushing yards which would shatter the Bengals team record. The scary thing is that the Bengals have yet to use unknown explosive rookie RB Bernard Scott much.

The rookie from Abilene Christian has only 10 carries on the year for 45 yards but has shown signs of his raw speed. He scored 60 TD’s his last two years in college after letting off the field incidents derail his chances of getting a division one scholarship.
But this guy has talent and considering Benson leads the NFL in carries, Scott will be getting more touches as the grueling 16 game schedule rolls on. He will be a good waiver wire fantasy pick-up in the coming weeks.

Back to the O-line, once LT Andre “the giant” Smith is able to get on the field the depth will only increase. He has been sidelined all year with a broken foot. Reports out of Cincinnati suggest that his foot is almost 100 percent healed and he actually is in decent shape. Considering the Alabama product didn’t even allow a sack in his final year in the SEC, his future is promising.

In the secondary the line-backing core is black hole deep. Dhani Jones provides the veteran leadership, Keith Rivers leads the team in tackles with 29, and rookie Rey Maualuga provides the devastating blows. On top of the stellar starters, back-up Brandon Johnson has provided solid support in the run game and Rashard Jeanty, whom has been battling injuries all season, is a asset in the passing defense.

The secondary features two of the top young corners in the league in former first round picks Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall. The duo held wide receivers Greg Jennings, Braylon Edwards, and Derrick Mason catch-less and limited Hines Ward and Brandon Marshall under 40 yards. That is some impressive coverage on each teams top target.

Add it all up and at 4-1, the Bengals can still improve in multiple areas. Nobody’s ready to crown them AFC North champs yet, because these are the Bengals, but it seems as if the clouds have cleared up over Paul Brown Stadium. Three home games in a row and a bye means they wont be on the road again till a Nov. 15 tilt at Pittsburgh.

For the first time since 2005, the sky is the limit. It’s no coincidence that Carson Palmer is at his healthiest since ‘05, and the veteran leader seems determined to resurrect this franchise.

All the talking heads on radio, and T.V. forgot about the guy, instead praising the likes of Tony Romo and Joe Flacco over Palmer. Well folks, now is the time to jump back on his bandwagon. Now is the time to watch a 29-year-old pro bowler in his prime.

Sit back and enjoy the show Bengal fans, even if it means you have to keep your heart doctor on speed dial.

Outspoken Washington Wizard Gilbert Arenas Fined for His...Lack of Words?

I think you know what SI's sign of apocalypse will be this week.

Washington Wizards PG Gilbert Arenas was fined $25,000 for NOT speaking to the media. The team was fined the same amount. The self coined “Hibachi” is feeling cold.

This guy never used to shut up! Countless press conference and interview rants and raves. The commercials, nicknames, video games and blog posts are all a thing of the past for Agent Zero.

In the Washington, D.C. area, "Gilbertology" was the name given to his unorthodox behavior on and off the court, first coined by former Wizards head coach Eddie Jordan. After being criticized for shooting too much as a point guard, Arenas would play games nearly without shooting at all, and then score at will the next game.

On road trips, he often avoided team outings on the town in favor of sitting in his room and ordering products from infomercials, such as a colon cleanser. He has admitted to enjoying sleeping on the couch rather than on his bed, and that he once ate 12 cheeseburgers while on a road trip with the Wizards in Canada.

He was one of the first athletes’ to jump on the blog train. NBA.com called him the first “blog superstar.”

Media day this season signaled his intention to keep quiet, declaring, "I'm not the entertainer anymore."

Arenas is returning after playing a total of 15 games the past two seasons following three operations on his left knee. Wouldn’t you think he has been chomping at the bits to remind everybody about Gilbert?

"I don't feel like speaking anymore. I just want to go out there and play," he said during media day.

“When I was entertaining, all you guys focused on was my words. Now I'd rather you just focus on my basketball."

A changed man?

Arenas is pulling a complete 180 degree turn...but why? He thrived on his cockiness. He was a free spirit that kept the Wizards loose. Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler fed off the incredibly high energy level he brought to every game. A serious Arenas is a serious problem for the Wiz.

The closest sports comparison to Arenas is Chad OchoCinco of the Cincinnati Bengals. Both players are in the top 10 at their position. Both had flamboyant personalities that fueled them into the spot light constantly, for better or worse. Each one was the face of their franchise and for their respective leagues as well.

In 2008 Chad had a boycott on the Cincinnati media, didn’t talk for almost a year (unless he was on ESPN complaining about his contract.)

The results were spectacularly awful. He had the worst season of his career and the Bengals were 4-11-1. This year Chad is yapping again and everything is back to normal. He has returned to Pro Bowl form and the Bengals already have last seasons win total after five games (4-1).

I’m not saying the two players are wired the same way. But sometimes athletes need to be talking. The desire to challenge the opponent is installed in a player at a young age. It’s a mentality they will carry for as far as the sport will take them.

There is little doubt that Arenas will continue to talk plenty of trash on the court. But is the guy going to completely shut down directly after? Seeing a quiet version of Arenas just doesn’t seem right.

We’ll see how long this lasts but don’t be surprised if the Wizards struggle early on as they adjust to a rusty Arenas and his newly found off the court persona.

NFL Week Five Picks Vs Spread: I'll Win You Money

Not a very good slate of games this week. Lots of terrible teams playing early season contenders. I count only three games that feature two teams above .500. How does that happen? The result is some ridiculously high spreads that smart bettors can take advantage of.

Bengals +8.5 @ Ravens- Cincinnati is still not getting much respect from the wise guys in Vegas. QB Carson Palmer continues to show flashes of brilliance, but has yet to put together a full game. If Ravens LT Jared Gaither (neck) can't play—the entire O-line shuffles around.

With the confidence of the Bengals rising by the day, expect another nail bitter for the 2009 cardiac kids that will come down to who has the ball last. Oh and beware; WR Chad OchoCinco has a special Ricky Bobby Talladega Nights TD dance to display…assuming he reaches pay dirt.

Vikings @ Rams +10- QB Brett Favre is due for a let down right? After last week’s sweet revenge, a let down is in store. He is spending all week watching and thinking about his stellar performance last week. Now I’m not saying the Rams are going to win outright…but for once this season they will put up a fight.

Raiders +15.5 @ NY Giants- This is waaay too big of a spread for an NFL game. Factor in the questionable status of QB Eli Manning and the chance that David Carr could start is enough for me to side with Oakland and QB Ja “off the mark” Russell.

Buccaneers +15 @ Eagles- Donovan McNabb is going be a bit rusty and slow after being out the past three weeks with broken ribs. And surprisingly enough, Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman looked like a serviceable NFL QB last week against the ‘Skins. The Eagles can win by two TD’s and the Bucs will still cover. Good enough for me.

Cowboys -8.5 @ Chiefs- Cowboy fans are losing patience with Tony Romo. Doesn’t he know it’s only October? He isn’t supposed to start playing this bad till the holiday shopping season is in full swing? The remedy for Romo is a terrible Chiefs team that has lost their once intimidating home field advantage. Should have stayed a backup Matt Cassel.

Steelers -10.5 @ Lions- QB Matthew Stafford is questionable, but the chance of the Lions winning is not. The Steelers usually steam roll over the crappy teams and Detroit fits the bill quite nicely. The emergence of RB Rashard Mendenhall is frightening to the rest of the AFC just as the “fast” had been removed from Willie Parker’s name.

Browns @ Bills -6 – If it’s brown flush it down. After watching WR Braylon Edwards drop and punch his way out of town, other Browns player’s must be hatching schemes to kick Grady Sizemore’s brother or slap Shaq’s agent. Or just go for the gold and attack King James himself.

Redskins+3.5 @ Panthers- Tough one to pick. Both teams are underachievers that have left little hope for their respective fan bases in 2009. QB Jason Campbell is got to be living in a hotel at this point—ready to get his pink slip at any time—while Carolina’s QB Jake Delhomme isn’t going anywhere. Give me the points with the desperate QB with two wins over the win less comfortable QB.

Falcons @ 49ers -2.5- 49ers QB Shaun Hill is a legit NFL “game manger.” He is careful with the ball and seems to have a good grasp of the offense. With a solid running game (minus Frank Gore this week) and a punishing D, San Fran is legit.

Atlanta’s QB Matt Ryan has already made a name for himself, but he looked lost at times against the Pats. Plus the D isn’t of the same caliber of the ’08 team. Plenty of question marks surround this team.

Texans+5.5 @ Cardinals- The loser of this game is toast and the winner can toast to salvaging their season. Still waiting on the monster fantasy game for RB Steve Slaton.

Jaguars+1 @ Seahawks- This game should be picked with a flip of the coin. The Jags suddenly look decent two weeks in a row after laying two eggs. The Seahawks play well at home…but are starting QB Seneca Wallace. A wide range of results are plausible, none of which I would be too surprised about. Stay away from this one.

Patriots -3 @ Broncos- The Cinderella story ends this week in Denver. QB Kyle Orton can only be competent four games a year. After that you’re playing with house money. Too bad he already used up his four good games. Advantage goes to the veterans QB Tom Brady and Bill Belichick over the young Orton and Josh McDaniels.

Colts -3.5 @ Titans- Does Vegas know something about this game? Are they unaware of how money QB Peyton Manning is in regular season night games? Have they watched Titans QB Kerry Collins force errant throws to his mediocre at best receivers? This game is almost too easy…which makes me wonder what secret info Vegas knows. Screw it I’m still talking the Colts.

Jets -2 @ Dolphins- After a minor setback last week, the Jets will be ready to take out their anger on the ultra mediocre Dolphins. This is QB Mark Sanchez’s first prime time game and the will be ready. WR Edwards is expected to play—not sure if this is a great idea—look for him to be used as more of a decoy.

Riddle me this batman…who decided that the Dolphins should host two of the first five MNF contests? People don’t care about the Wildcat that much.

NFL Week Four Picks: Sweet and Sour

After three weeks of football, the only certainty is the lousiness of certain teams. The Rams, Browns, Bucs, and Chiefs are all junk. All the other teams have plenty of questions to be answered. Here’s hoping this week is as exciting as last week.

Oakland at Houston- Will Steve Slaton ever score a TD? If there was ever a week to pick one up…this is it. TEXANS 21-13

New York at Kansas City- ArrowHead used to be a sizeable advantage for the Chiefs. Now it’s a mere inconvenience. Sooner or later the Giants will be tested, but not this week. GIANTS 27-17

Seattle at Indianapolis- Peyton Manning is cruising along just fine without Marvin Harrison and Anthony Gonzalez. Seattle’s addition of T.J. Houshmandzadeh (14 rec. 145 yards) hasn’t panned out for the Seahawks so far. Missing the Bengals yet Housh? COLTS 31-20

Tennessee at Jacksonville- Considering the pathetic attendance at Jacksonville, we’ll call this a neutral site game. I’ll give the edge to the more than desperate team with the much better coach. TITANS 20-17

Tampa Bay at Washington- Josh Freeman has a 38 rating in Madden ’10. That has Albert Haynesworth salivating. REDSKINS 20-9

Baltimore at New England- What a measuring stick game for the Ravens. Is Flacco unflappable? Can this somewhat shaky (so far) D clamp down and punish Tom Brady? All the talking heads think so, which means they are probably wrong. PATRIOTS 24-20

Cincinnati at Cleveland- Derek Anderson has had some success in the past against the Bengals, but this D is much different than even two years ago. Plus Carson Palmer is due to show the world that his elbow and ankle are juuust fine. BENGALS 31-20

Detroit at Chicago- Congrats Lions, the winless monkey is off your back. You can pass that monkey over to Jay Cutler if you beat the Bears. Don’t get a head of yourselves Lions, baby steps. BEARS 21-13

Buffalo at Miami- I’ll take the somewhat new QB (Trent Edwards) over the BRAND new one (Chad Henne.) The eminent T.O. blow-up will be put on the back burner for this week. BILLS 23-10

New York at New Orleans- The battle of 3-0 teams will come down to the ability of Mark Sanchez to match Drew Brees TD for TD. When will Sanchez have to make a win or lose type of play? Uhhh not gonna happen this week rookie. SAINTS 28-20

St. Louis at San Francisco- Even without Frank Gore the 49ers will pick up a divisional victory. The Rams should look at Jeff Garcia ASAP. 49ERS 17-14

Dallas at Denver- This is the game where the winner is a media darling and the loser is banished to the scrap heap. Tony Romo better not throw in Champ Bailey’s direction because Roy Williams won’t be helping him on any errant throws. A Bailey pick-six is the difference. BRONCOS 24-17

San Diego at Pittsburgh- Few thought the Steelers could lose two in a row, but three? Not against a banged up Chargers squad that never wins in Pittsburgh (zero for the last 13.) STEELERS 20-13

Green Bay at Minnesota- Ryan Longwell makes his triumph return to play against his old team the Packers. Oh wait; somebody else is doing the same thing? It comes down to the QBs and since Brett Favre has circled this game a thousand times on his calendar, I’ll give him and the dome field advantage the game. VIKINGS 31-27

MLB Payroll Versus Performance: Yankees Walk a Straight Line

Recently, I came across a very interesting graph showing the overall increase or decrease of a baseball team's wins compared to money the team spent.

Each team's ranking as far as team payroll is contrasted with the overall record up to this point in the 2009 regular season.

The New York Yankees spent the most and have the most wins, so they have a straight line.

The only other team that's walking a straight line between salary and wins is the Cincinnati Reds.

The New York Mets have the steepest line in the wrong direction. The team with the second highest payroll places 25th in total wins with 67.

The Chicago Cubs have the second biggest drop-off.

The Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins and Oakland A's have all overachieved in the American League considering their payrolls.

In the National League, the St. Louis Cardinals, Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres have win totals that exceed their payroll.

You can check out the graph here.