Poker, Football, and everything sports

I know its been a while since I posted and its a combination of being busy at work and personal life in addition to having a new site where I do most of my blogging. You can check that site out here.

http://www.mtrmedia.com/fromthefelttothegridiron/

Basically the only thing I won't be posting on that site is any good tournament runs I make. Mini ftops is coming up I have my eye on about 5-7 events right now I'm registered for 3. $22 PLO/8 Monday, $30 6 handed Turbo shootout Tuesday, and $30 7 game mix Thursday. Will post on twitter @tayke2 if I start going deep in any of them. Thanks guys!

I recently spent a night listening to hip hop artists from the early 90's till now, and after sampling many artists, I have come to the conclusion that the greatest rapper of all time is.....Jay Z.

Your reaction to that can vary amongst many degrees. That is the beauty of the debate. No one is wrong or rite its all about how the music hits you. But the best I heard was Jay Z.

One need listen to December 4th off the Black album to realize. In that he raps about how awesome his birth and childhood was. Essentially he was always a bad ass and had the game on lock from a kids age on. Thats swagger.

Not to mention the creation of the Linkin Park Mash up that was my favorite collaboration in music of the 2000's. Numb Encore is still one of my favoirte songs ever.

So yeah, Jay Z> BIG, Kanye, Eminiem, Lupe, 2Pac, Common, Talib. Just sayin.

When I woke up this morning and opened up espn.com, I was praying, for Jay Cutler's sake, that the top headline would say: "MRI revelas torn ligament on Cutler's knee". But it didn't. In fact, short of "MRI reveals no damage", it said the worst possible thing. "Cutler has MCL sprain". The difference in the two is fans saying "We're sorry Jay, no one could have played on a torn MCL" to "Are you kidding me!! I sprain!! Come on you pussy!"

Now I have never sprained a ligament in my knee before. I've sprained my ankle a bunch of times, but never my knee. I'm also not a football player though, and when you look across the playoff bracket at Ben Roethlisberger, who has played this season alone with a broken nose, broken foot, and hurt leg in EVERY game, you have to wonder if Cutler couldn't have played.

But then I thought about it, and I realized that many people are missing the point. Cutler is a good quarterback, but lets be real. With the exception of maybe Mark Sanchez, no one in the league can go as seamlessly from having a 4 TD 0 INT game to a 1 TD 4 INT game as Cutler. And lets look at the score from yesterday. With Cutler in there at the half, the Bears were down 14-0. So they had to ask themselves: does Cutler at 50% give us a better chance then Todd Collins at 100%. Well that answer was clearly yes as Collins looked more nervous out there then the boom goes the dynamite kid. But then they asked if he gives them a better chance then 3rd string QB Caleb Hanie, and two touchdowns later, that answer was clearly no.

So now the Bears and Cutler will have to answer to the critics and fans jawing at them for the next 9 months. I was thinking about it today, and I think that the Bears would benefit greatly from having a mobile quarterback out there. Let me explain why.

When you think about it, the bears offense, at least at skill positions, mirrors anotehr NFC team that has had much success in recent years: The Philidelphia eagles. Think about it:

Devin Hester:Desean Jackson- Clearly Jackson is a much more polished wide out, but the two still represent the blinding speed and big play capability.

Johnny Knox:Jeremy Maclin- Two very similar players who both make huge plays in the same way.

Earl Bennett:Jason Avant- Bennett is bigger, and Avant is faster, but both are a solid slot option.

Greg Olsen:Brent Celek- Olsen is bigger and faster then Celek.

The reason the Eagles have much success is they have a QB that can get out of the pocket and let his receivers make plays on the scramble drill, where as Cutler very often can't do that. If they can get a faster guy out there, I think it would suit them much better.

Point of all this is, while Cutler might have pussied out, somehow, someway, Hanie gave them a better chance to win. Period. End of story.



Lastly, I saw this live yesterday and almost died laughing. Enjoy.

Today we take a look at the fourth and final matchup. These two teams split their regular season meetings, though that is hard to believe given that the Patriots win was a 45-3 thumping in New England on Monday Night Football about a month and a half ago. Lets take a look at the matchup.

Thoughts on the matchup: Two teams that are very familiar with each other. The key to the matchup will be the quickness of the New England offense vs. the strength and brute force of the Jets defense. I think that the Pats benefit greatly from having three or four good options as opposed to one or two great options at wide receiver. All of their weapons will minimize the impact of stud corners Darelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie.

How the Patriots can win: Well the answer to this is quite simple: just study the game tape of your 45-3 win lol. But Belichick is much smarter then that and knows that all the Jets staff is doing is looking at that tape, so he will need a new strategy. Ultimately, the Pats will have to use their speed to their benefit on offense, while on defense they will need to pressure an already shaken Mark Sanchez.

How the Jets can win: As is the case in virtually every game, the key is the play of your quarterback. But I think its magnified in this case, because if Sanchez plays the same way that he did against the Colts, the Pats are going to destroy him. He needs to figure out his accuracy quick, as he will be trying to fix that and deal with pressure at the same time. For a second year player to have to prepare for a game against Belichick for a third time in a year almost seems like cruel and unusual punishment.

My Prediction: It sounds weird to say, but the Jets probably had a better chance to beat the Pats if Randy Moss was still on the team. Honestly, I don't see how the Jets come out on top here. Only if Sanchez channels his inner Peyton Manning for four quarters do they have a shot. I have the Pats here 34-17.

So with that pick, my final 4 is set. I have New England hosting Baltimore and Atlanta hosting Chicago. Thanks for reading.

We got through the really tough games to predict. Today I will start looking at the two sunday games, which on paper are the easier ones to pick, but in the playoffs anything is possible. Today, we have Seattle and Chicago.

Thoughts on the matchup: I'm still in shock that this isn't my Saints in Chicago, but the way they played they didn't deserve to win. Many people probably forget that these two teams met IN Chicago in October and Seattle came out with a 23-20 victory. Can Seattle pull the same magic out? Lets take a closer look.

How the Seahawks can Win: The main thing that the Hawks have going for them is that all of the pressure in the world is on Chicago, as it was last week with the Saints. The Hawks can come out free as a bird, no pun intended, and attack this Bears team. However, this Chicago team is much more solid now then they were on their first meeting, and despite winning in Chicago, Seattle is a totally different team on the road, in a bad way.

How the Bears can win: This defense should be light years ahead of the defense that the Hawks played last week(they shall not be named). The key I think is to get Hasselbeck rattled and put him on the ground early. Against the Saints, he was able to get into a groove and hit receiver after receiver without much opposition. And if they can get a score early, that crowd will start rocking the place.

My Prediction: I think the magical seahawks run has to end here, on the road against a far superior team. I think the Bears come out hungry and motivated and know that for all intensive purposes this a golden opportunity to cruise to the NFC championship to play a team that will be beat up after the Falcons and Packers play. I like Chicago here 27-14.

Tune in tomorrow where I will break down the final matchup of the week: New York at New England. Thanks for reading.

This is yet another matchup that I have gone back and forth on since Green Bay won. On one side, you have the top seeded Falcons who have already beaten Green Bay earlier in the year, and are likely breathing easy now that my Saints are out (seriously they lost to the Seahawks!!). With Green Bay, you have a talented squad who was one of the favorites to start the year and is trying to get back to form. Lets take a look at it.

Thoughts on the matchup: To no ones surprise, this matchup came down to just a field goal when these two teams met earlier in the year. I imagine that this game will be very similar. Atlanta is going to be tough in the Georgia dome, but Aaron Rodgers will not be phased by this crowd.

How the Falcons can win: Last time they played, Matt Ryan was just absurd, going 24-28 against this terrific defense. The offensive line will have to keep Clay Matthews off of his back, and probably the biggest matchup will be stud wideout Roddy White against all pro corner Charles Woodson.

How the Packers can win: It took the whole season, but the Packers finally got their running game going last week. They will need to do more of that this week against the Falcons. The Packers will have to try to make the Falcons one dimensional and try to shut down Michael Turner.

My Prediction: Another case where I'm honestly flipping a coin, but I'm giving Atlanta the nod here. If the Packers were fully healthy(had Ryan Grant and Jermichael Finley), I would give Green Bay the nod. But given its in Atlanta, I like the falcons here, even though I'm pulling for the Packers since I have money on them in Vegas. Atlanta wins here 24-20.

Thanks for reading.

It seems like every year these guys meet in the playoffs, and you know it will be a hard fought classic. Throw records out the window with these two. This game will likely come down to a couple big fourth quarter plays by either squad. Let's look at the matchup.

Thoughts on the matchup: These two teams split their season series but its important to note that Baltimore's win was when big ben was still suspended. Also, the ravens were one super human effort by troy polamulu from sweeping and having this game in their house. Of course home field matters, but when it comes to these two teams, neither one cares where its played.

How the ravens can win: The key will be if the Ravens can make Big Ben pay for his risky plays. Its no secret that he likes to make plays and often times forces things. The Ravens will also have to take away the big play capability of Mike Wallace. On offense, they will have to hit a couple big passes to keep Polamalu in the secondary and off the defensive line.

How Pittsburgh can win: They will have to use the home field to their advantage, and try to grind out their possessions to control t.o.p and wear down the ravens d. On defense, they have to get pressure on flacco and shut down the speedy ray rice.

My prediction: Honestly, flip a coin between these two. The steelers tend to own this matchup in the playoffs but im going to give the ravens who are playing for their safety Ed Reed the edge. I think it will be another instant classic with the ravens winning 20-17.

Thanks for reading.

Auburn vs Oregon. For an offensive fan, this is a dream matchup. For a defensive fan, it will be an eye sore. The game has been looked at from every angle for about 2 months now, which is just ridiculous. One of the things I hate most about the BCS, and yes its a very long list, is the fact that all these teams have weeks off of live play. Guaranteed that despite the high powered offenses, both teams will struggle to shake off the rust at first. But lets take a look at the matchup.

How Auburn can Win: The only tape that Auburn can really learn from is Oregon's game against Cal. Somehow, Oregon was held to just 15 points by that bad team. So Auburn will be studying all aspects of that video to try to come up with a way to stop this offense. The easy answer would be to assign a spy or two to keep an eye on the running back and quarterback. I think the way to go is to try to make Oregon beat you through the air, and try to limit their ground attack.

How Oregon can Win: It goes without saying that whichever defense can play better will win this game. Luckily for the Ducks, there is more footage out there of how to shut down Newton and Auburn's offense then the other way around. We will find out just how good Casey Matthews is, as I'm guessing he will be used as a spy on Cam Newton. I want to say that Oregon will be the fastest team on both sides that Auburn has seen this year, but it is really tough to say definitively.

My Prediction: This is honestly a toss up for me. Clearly the key will be the defenses, and I will be extremely interested to see what the teams decide to do with the coin toss. If I won the toss, I would be inclined to kick first for a couple reason. I think both teams will struggle just a bit to shake off the rust in the beginning, and in a game where defensive stops will be hard to come by, the possibility of a team having the last possession of the first half and the first possession of the second half could be huge. Ultimately, my Pac-10 bias/SEC hatred is kicking in, and I'm going with the Ducks in what could be the best national championship since the 2006 Rose Bowl. I got the Ducks winning this one 38-34.

Tune in later this week for my thoughts on the NFL wild card games, and my thoughts on the next matchups. Here's hoping I do better then 2-2 this week.

We end with the matchup that I am most intrigued by. I honestly feel like this game could literally go any way. It could be a close game, or both teams could win in a blow out. Lets take a closer look.

Thoughts on the matchup: Two teams that rely on their high power offenses, though I much prefer the Packers D over the Eagles D. Also, Rodgers has playoff experience under his belt, and is hungry to get his first playoff win. Vick has done great this year, but 90% of his big games were against sub par defenses. Also, throw out the opening week win by the Packers. Both teams were completely different back then.

How the Packers can Win: The key will be their ability to contain Michael Vick. I think the Packers are about as well suited to do that as anyone. They have a ton of fast linebackers, and it wouldn't surprise me to see them use Clay Matthews as a QB spy on several plays. Also, Charles Woodson is about as good a CB as you can have match up against the lightning quick DeSean Jackson.

How the Eagles can Win: The Eagles have always and will always love to do one thing on defense: blitz. So the question is can they confuse the veteran Rodgers on their blitz packages. If they show him something that he hasn't seen before they have a shot. If he is able to identify the pressure, he will toast them all day. Also, the Eagles will have to use their speed on offense, but as I said, this D is about as well equipped to shut them down as anyone.

My Prediction: I like the Packers here. They have two impressive wins over the Giants and Bears to close out the year, while Philly has that ugly loss against Minnesota still hanging over their heads. While it will be in Philly, the cold weather will provide no advantage against the Packers, where it would against most teams. I think the Packers win this one in a similar score as their first win 31-24.

So there we have it. My wildcard winners are the Saints, the Packers, the Ravens, and the Colts. Meaning if this holds true the next week's matchups will be:

Green Bay at Atlanta
New Orleans at Chicago
Baltimore at New England
Indianapolis at Pittsburgh

Thanks for reading, and good luck to all of your respective teams. I will be pulling for my Saints to go back to back. Who Dat!

Today I will start looking at the Sunday games. This one could be very interesting. Two teams that have distinct strengths that both will be looking to exploit. Lets look at the matchup.

Thoughts on the matchup: This game will really come down to the Kansas City running game vs the Baltimore defense. If the Ravens can consistently stuff Jamaal Charles with 4-6 in the box, then they will be able to defend the pass well, and likely try to double team Dwayne Bowe.

How the Chiefs can win: In case you couldn't figure it out, Jamaal Charles is the key. He is averaging 6 yards a carry, and when they can use the play action, Bowe can be very dangerous. The problem for the Chiefs this year is when they have lost, its usually been very bad, so the Ravens will have a ton of juicy footage to look at.

How the Ravens can win: This isn't quite as clear cut as the Saints Seahawks, but essentially the Ravens just have to take care of business. The Kansas City defense gives up points in bunches, and this Baltimore offense has weapons wherever you look. And by now, Joe Flacco is a playoff tested quarterback. If they can score early and get the crowd out of the game, it could be a long day for Kansas City fans.

My Prediction: I think the Ravens will go for the jugular early. If they are able to jump out to a quick lead, it will take away KC's biggest weapon, as they will be forced to pass. Kansas City in the playoffs is a hugeeeeee home field advantage, but I just think that Baltimore is on a different level then the Chiefs. Baltimore wins 27-14.

Tomorrow I will take a look at the last and I think most interesting/exciting matchup, Green Bay vs Philadelphia.

Yesterday I took a look at the Saints and the Seahawks and today I am going to take a look at the Colts and the Jets.

Thoughts on the Matchup: This is a rematch of the AFC Championship last year, where the Colts knocked off the Jets. However, these are two very different teams. The Colts are battered and bruised and are barely putting an offense out there. The Jets have revamped their offense, and have given Mark Sanchez, who has a year more under his belt, some more weapons.

How the Colts can win: The easy answer here is that they will live and die with Peyton Manning, which is pretty much true. But I think the key here is the defense. Its just not fair that year in and year out the Colts have the two pro bowl starting defensive ends in Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. If they can stuff the run and get a ton of pressure on Sanchez, he will certainly struggle.

How the Jets can win: The key matchup here is the Jets veteran tough defense vs the Colts patchwork very young and inexperienced offense. And Darelle Revis will be locking up Reggie Wayne, the only wide receiver left from the starting lineup in the beginning of the year.

My Prediction: Until yesterday, I was going with the Jets here. But then Rex Ryan had to go and put his foot in his mouth (pun intended) and talked about how it was personal with Peyton. You don't need to give this guy any more motivation. Couple that with the dome crowd and the tough D-line, and I'm going with the Colts here. Colts win 21-17.

Tomorrow I will be looking at the Chiefs and the Ravens.

Hey guys. Sorry for the lack of updates, but with it being nfl playoffs, its time for me to get back on the blogging wagon. I will be posting previews to every playoff game this year with predictions for every one of them. Lets hope I get some right. Today we will be starting off with the New Orleans Saints visiting the Seattle Seahawks. Lets take a look at it.

Thoughts on the matchup: Anyone who has hung out with me knows two things about me: I am a huge saints fan, and I think the NFC West is the biggest joke in sports right now. Seriosuly, a 7-9 team not only getting into the playoffs?!? Thats just terrible. However, I think the NFL has the best playoffs of any sport, so I will chalk this one up to a once in a lifetime phenomena. When you look at the matchup, the Saints have the Seahawks outclassed in every aspect. It will take something special for the Seahawks to pull out the upset.

How the Saints can win: Its pretty simple. Just act like the champions you are. The only team that will beat the Saints on Saturday is themselves. They will have to go out and score a bunch in the first quarter to try to take the crowd out of the game. This is an experienced team, and I don't see that being an issue.

How the Seahawks can Win: There is absolutely no denying that the Hawks have the biggest home field advantage when it comes to crown noise. Those fans are crazy. Having said that, they will still need a number of small mircales to pull out a win here. Having Hasselbeck will help out, but they will need to control the ball and keep it out of the hands of Drew Brees and their offense.

My Prediction: No surprise here. I have the Saints cruising in this one. Shouldn't be a tough win. I'm thinking 31-14 Saints.

Tune in tomorrow when I will break down one of the other three matchups. Thanks for reading.