CanadianChris

My picks: 1:00 Games ATL @ CAR - Both teams can run, but only the Panthers can actually stop the run, too. CLE @ CIN - No Carson Palmer might actually be an improvement, but I doubt it. I still think the Browns are the better team. HOU @ JAC - This should be a beatdown. Garrard will have a field day against the Texans secondary. DEN @ KC - Another rout. With two rookies starting at corner, Cutler could throw for 400 yards. SF @ NO - This will be close, but I don't trust the Niners on the road. ARI @ NYJ - Cardinals should have won last week in Washington, and this Jets team isn't as good as the Redskins. Throw in a short week and a cross-country flight for New York and I have Arizona winning handily. GB @ TB - With two evenly-matched teams, I always go for the home team. This won't be decided by more than a TD either way. MIN @ TEN - Probably close and low-scoring, but I think the Titans are just better. 4:00 Games SD @ OAK - The Chargers seem to have their confidence back, and the Raiders are just a mess. BUF @ STL - I think the Bills have turned the corner as far as winning games they're supposed to goes. WAS @ DAL - Redskins are improving, but the Cowboys are just way too good. Night game PHI @ CHI - I don't know how anyone can pick against any NFC East team right now. MNF BAL @ PIT - Upset of the week. Pittsburgh is in really rough shape offensively, and the Ravens D should be able to hold them to single digits and win an ugly one.

Small subplots to otherwise unimportant games this afternoon: - The Angels try to win 100 games for the first time in franchise history against the Rangers. - Mike Mussina goes for the first 20-win season of his career against the Red Sox in game 1 of their doubleheader. - Randy Johnson goes for career win no. 295 against the Rockies. - James Shields will attempt to set a new Rays franchise record for wins with his 15th this afternoon against the Tigers.

I was so excited to have gone 5-1 in the differing matchups, I didn't even notice that I got every other game but one wrong. :hangs head in shame:

No, they're still doing HNIC, they just decided to ditch the theme (??) and hold a contest among fans to write a new one (???). Another theme I liked that wasn't mentioned here was the .

I don't remember. They bought the rights to it from the original composer when CBC decided not to renew because of cost, though. That's the CBC for you. It's going to be bizarre hearing it on TSN for some random midweek game.

Hockey Night in Canada. NBA on NBC is close, though.

I can't believe only three people had Paul Newman. We are lame. Updated standings - September 27, 2008 (changes in red) 405 - Marvinisalunatic 110 - Toshiaki Koala 85 - Beast, Darthtiki 65 - Vern Gagne 45 - Czech, Taiga 40 - NYU 30 - v.2 20 - CanadianGuitarist, Cuban Linx, hardcoreicon, KOAB, Sideburnious, treble, Vitamin X, vivalaultra

Yes! I nearly sweep my differing picks and have a chance to get back to .500 next week. I would have cried if it had gone to tiebreak...who could have predicted over 70 points in that game?

I'm a research analyst for Statistics Canada, working on a national physical measures survey.

Prince Fielder has to be the closest I've ever seen to a real-life Pedro Cerrano. "I cannot hit curveball. Straightball I hit it very much. Curveball, bats are afraid."

I thought his tights were gimmicked. May have just been one of those urban legends I heard once.

I stopped playing when I realized I'm absolutely sick of playing online. I'd play live, but there's nowhere decent nearby.

Slightly.

The Mets just tied it on an unbelievable play at the plate. Fukudome had Church dead by ten feet, but Church ran away from the tag and beat the catcher back to the plate. I don't know how more runners don't get called for running out of the baseline on plays like that. I mean, Church was on the grass.

I wonder how hard it's going to have to rain for the umpires to call the game at Shea.

Yeah, that's a strange omission. I'd also put in Luis Gonzalez's Series-winning single off Rivera in 2001.

Mark Reynolds of the Diamondbacks just became the first-ever 200 strikeout guy in major league history.

Just once, I'd like to get a White Sox game that was carried by the other team's broadcaster on Extra Innings. Seems like it's always Harrelson.

Looks like Sabathia is starting on short rest for the Brewers again tonight. I guess they must trying to pitch him on Sunday as well, otherwise I'd have to wonder why Dale Sveum thinks he needs his best pitcher to beat the freakin' Pirates.

As probably the biggest Broncos fan on the board, I'll say that they're good enough to contend for the division title (especially given the 2-game headstart, which they're incredibly fortunate to have), but not good enough to make any serious noise in the playoffs. As good as the offence has been, the defence really hasn't gotten any better than it was last year -- San Diego and New Orleans, both with very good offences, tore off huge chunks of yardage, especially as the games wore on. I will say that Jay Cutler, although he's still a bit prone to making mistakes at crucial points, seems to have taken a quantum leap forward from last year. He's finally showing the skills we were promised when he was drafted. Now, the AFC seems a lot more wide open this year than in previous years, so they might become a legit Super Bowl contender as the season goes on, but that would be a (pleasant) surprise.

OK, thanks. Bad memory, I guess.

THURSDAY USC FRIDAY Louisville SATURDAY Duke Miami Iowa Purdue Florida State Fresno State Oklahoma South Florida Georgia Penn State Nebraska Washington Tiebreak #1: How many total points will be scored in the Alabama/Georgia game? 59 Tiebreak #2: How many passing yards will Oklahoma's Sam Bradford have against TCU? 228

Three actually. HarleyQuinn, SFAJack and yourself. I knew two couldn't have been right, but I was too lazy to go and look a second time.

MLB should have told us about this league switch earlier...