Darrelle Revis' return to the Jets instantly makes Rex Ryan look smarter and Mark Sanchez appear better. The Jets wouldn't have made the playoffs without the NFL's best cover corner. I'll give Revis props for actually enjoying the big stage of New York......unlike LeBron James.

You know you’re an NFL junkie when you wake up the day after Labor Day and one of the first things that pops into your head is….”It’s week 1 week!” We are officially in football season, and I couldn’t be happier. I’m like a kid at Toy-R-Us, Rex Ryan around donuts and “snacks”, and the sluts from The Bachelor Pad around men all wrapped into one. The opening week of college football provided the appetizer for what’s on tap this week. For me, I have two fantasy football drafts, the Thursday night kickoff, a great Saturday of college action, and the main course of NFL games on Sunday. I may not be seen or heard from until next Monday. So, with the NFL season upon us, here are 16 things I’m looking forward to as the march to SuperBowl XLV begins.

Side Note: Why 16? You didn’t really think I could do an NFL preview without mentioning the greatest quarterback of all time, did you? In case you forgot, #16 never threw an interception in his 4 SuperBowl victories.

1. Darrelle Revis & the Jets: Revis Island has not surprisingly returned to the J-E-T-S(you didn’t really think he would forfeit game checks, did you?) Revis instantly makes the Jets a better team, and Rex Ryan a better coach. I still have my doubts about Mark Sanchez, though. I was high on Sanchez coming out of USC, but HBO’s Hard Knocks has shown he has a little bit of that Matt Leinart-USC diva in him. The episode when quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh was telling him he needs to be a better leader and handle criticism better was one of the highlights of the season. How did The Sanchize react? By playing around with his backpack and not looking his coach in the eye. Too much, too soon for New York’s favorite quarterback? Time will tell, but his leadership is something to keep an eye on. Also, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is looking to become a head coach. To do that he wants his offense to be more explosive this year. Can Sanchez expand from what he did last year? I have my doubts. It’s why I still think the “Hollywood” Jets, again, finish 9-7–even with the best cornerback since Deion Sanders.

2. Lord Favre: Raise your hand if you are hoping the Saints beat up his Lordship Thursday night like they did in the NFC Championship Game? That’s what I thought. This comeback could be as bad as an aging Ric Flair return to the ring. Favre was phenomenal last year, but with Sidney Rice sidelined, and the offensive line appearing more vulnerable than last year, can he repeat that type of play? I don’t see it. I still think he’ll make every start, but this team could struggle early. I think the Vikings will make the playoffs, but it will be as a wild card. I could also see Favre quitting by Halloween if the Vikes start slow and he knows a SuperBowl trip is out of the question. Would it shock you if he told everyone just how much his ankle is killing him and he can’t continue playing? You know a teary eyed press conference is possible.

Your 2010 NFL MVP ladies and gentleman. Mike Nolan will forever be viewed as a football ass-hat for passing on this kid. Nice call, Mike.

3. Aaron Rodgers: The main reason why the Vikings will be fighting for a wild card berth come December. My pick for NFL MVP has the look of someone who is going to dominate the league. Rodgers threw only 7 picks last year despite playing behind an aging offensive line that’s one of the worst in football. Remember that number, Bears fans, when you make excuses for why Gay Butler throws 20 plus picks again. In my predictions piece, I picked the Packers to get to the SuperBowl. I wouldn’t have if they had just about any other quarterback, but that’s how good I think this guy is. Rodgers is on the Brady-Manning-Brees level, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he vaults to the top of that list this season.

4. Ben Roethlisberger: The former Steroidlers captain will be back in time to save his team’s season. Mention the words Dennis Dixon and Pittsburgh fans immediately become ill. Big Ben and his little Ben have hopefully learned something from this ordeal. He is still a creep and a sexual deviant. Make no mistake about that. However, if they can avoid a 1-3 start, they will be your AFC North division champs. If they can’t, Big Ben and little Ben will be scrutinized all over again.

5. Terrell Owens & Chad Ochocinco: T.O. has and will always be a team cancer. If the Bungals were getting 2001 T.O., I’d believe this team could make the playoffs. However, despite a good defense, the thought of the reality TV C-list leading this team over Pittsburgh and Baltimore is funnier than their shows combined.

6. Dennis Dixon: That sound you hear is me laughing and Pittsburgh fans vomiting in their terrible towels.

7. Ryan Matthews: The fantasy “experts” are all over this kid and for good reason. He is a really good back, and will have a solid season. Plus, I drafted him in fantasy this year. That’s either the kiss of death or my fantasy luck really is turning around.

8. Mike Martz & Gay Butler: You didn’t think I’d leave out the locals, did you? This is a marriage made in football hell. Martz likes his quarterbacks to be robots, and Butler is anything but. Butler likes to throw the ball on the run(bootlegs, moving pocket, etc.) but Martz hardly uses those plays. This fake love fest will be over quickly. Martz was highly critical of #6 for a reason last year(he played bad and Martz didn’t like how he handled himself). And don’t forget that #6 didn’t want Martz before he was hired. This pre-arranged marriage will be a disaster. Oh, and did I mention that offensive line and porous secondary? Nevermind, let’s move on.

9. Derek Anderson: Remember when the Cardinals went to the SuperBowl? Enjoy that memory because it’s not happening again anytime soon. How many times do you think Larry Fitzgerald has called Kurt Warner this summer begging him to come back? I’m putting the over/under at 68.

10. Peyton Manning: From a horrendous quarterback to perhaps the best. Manning’s Colts are again a shoe-in for the Playoffs. Add the fact that he’s in a contract year, and he will again perform at his typical peak level.

11. Drew Brees: Another player who will likely see massive amounts of cash coming his way in the near future. Brees will, again, put up great number even if the Saints have a harder time in 2010. Now if we can only do something about his hair.

12. Mike Shanahan & the Redskins: Shanahan has been over the top in his treatment of Albert Haynesworth(just cut him or trade him already), but he will make the Redskins better. Donovan McNabb will show Eagles fans just how good he is if his ankle holds up. The Redskins are a team to watch despite not having much at the wide receiver position. This is another team that is one more draft away from serious contention.

13. Barry Sanders 2.0: How can Chris Johnson possibly top his insane 2009? I doubt he rushes for 2,000 yards again, but the number 1 pick in fantasy football will again electrify. My only beef with CJ2K is that he needs to stop thinking he can beat Usain Bolt in any kind of race. It might only be close if Bolt was wearing the old Charles Barkley Nike’s or any Reebok shoe.

14. The race for the # 1 pick in the 2011 NFL draft: This will be a heated race between the Bills(front runners), Jags(sleeper), and the Browns(Mangini is still the coach). Jake Locker and Andrew Luck are vying for to be the first pick, but there’s a good chance they have said to themselves “F***, I don’t want to go to Buffalo.” The Bills are going to be a miserable team to watch this year. Jake Locker will be rooting hard for the Bills this year.

15. Pete Carroll: We now know why the king of USC took the Seahawks gig. The shit storm that came down on that program was similar to the feds raiding Sam “Ace” Rothstein and Nicky Santoro’s Tangiers casino. Carroll inherits a team that isn’t very talented, and, no doubt, had less top level players than his 2005 Trojans. He has a lot of work to do.

No NFL preview is complete without mentioning the greatest quarterback in NFL history.

16. Alex Smith: The 49ers have a deep and talented team, but it all comes back to Smith. He finally was given the same offensive coordinator in back to back years. That may not seem like much, but 5 O.C.’s in 5 years would be tough on any player. He doesn’t have to be Joe Montana or Steve Young with this 49ers squad. All he has to do is build on his play from last year, continue to show strong leadership qualities, and not over think every play like he has in the past. Smith has a good line in front of him that is full of 1st & 2nd round picks. He’s also fortunate to have Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, and Michael Crabtree handling the ball. That’s a good group. The time is now for Smith to show that he has it or he doesn’t. There is no in-between.

The end of summer is always a depressing time(especially when you live in Chicago), but the start of fall brings the start of the greatest sport in the world. Lord Favre’s beating 2.0 is finally here. Once he gets up limping like someone shot his leg off it will definitely feel like football season. And not a moment too soon.

Take a look at him everybody. The man who destroyed the possible Bears dynasty. Take a bow Mike.

I’ll start around that ‘87 season when Michael McCaskey tried to become the Bears version of Eddie DeBartolo(you know, without the success, vision, and desire to win). George Halas hired Mike Ditka in 1982 to be his head coach going forward and Jerry Vanisi as his general manager a year later. Halas put the piece in place to the team he founded. Those two men not only helped build the ‘85 Bears(perhaps the greatest NFL team), they had a team that had the best 5 year record of any team in history from ‘84 to ‘88. That slimy rat Michael McCaskey couldn’t handle the fact that he had nothing to do with the building of the team he was placed in charge of. It ate at him. He wanted to have his own legacy. So he fired Vanisi in January of ‘87 and took control of football operations. I mean anytime you can fire the man who built the only SuperBowl champion your team has had, you have to do it right? It slowly unraveled from there with McCaskey trading away Wilbur Marshall and Willie Gault, drafting Brad Muster, Fred Washington, Ron Cox, Peter Tom Willis(never draft a quarterback with two first names), Stan Thomas, Alonzo Spellman(and his 37 personalities), and Troy Auzenne. I think I’m nauseous.

Once McCaskey fired Ditka in ‘92, it really went downhill. The Dave Wannstedt- led Bears were a running joke of the 90’s. They did make the playoffs in ‘94 and, actually, won a game. That was quickly forgotten when they were destroyed by San Francisco 44-15 a week later. It took the Rick Mirer trade, and back to back 4-12 seasons in ‘97 and ‘98 for the Bears to finally fire the constantly perplexed Wannstedt.

That firing wasn’t the low point of the Michael McCaskey error. The Bears announced the hiring of Dave McGinnis(who desperately wanted the job) without signing him to a contract first. Smart move, huh? The disaster ended with the Bears deciding to hire a coach who didn’t have a pulse(Dick Jauron). Michael’s days running the Bears were over and Virginia threw Ted Phillips into the driver’s seat. You know what it’s been like with the 3 stooges running the show the past 7 years.

This leads us to the future. No, the Bears aren’t selling the team. We aren’t that lucky. Virginia has shown she is still breathing(barely), and has decided that George McCaskey(the team’s senior director of ticket operations) will take over as team president. Only the woebegone Bears. Are they really going to hire the director of ticket operations as the new team president? I don’t want to believe it. It’s almost as sad as when I found out that Rocky was doing more steroids and HGH than Drago was in Rocky IV. This is why they ranked as low as they did on Silver’s list.

Are you holding out hope they will sell the team? Good luck. The slimy rat recently said “We intend for our family to own the Bears for as long as you care to think about…woof woof woof.” Ok, I added the woof woof woof, but if you are a long time Bears fan, then you get the reference. That quote is like putting every Bears fan in the ring with Manny Pacquiao and letting him unleash combos on their face for 3 rounds.

I almost forgot to mention that they also raised 75% of their seats at the smallest stadium in the league. Riddle me this, how does the team in the NFL’s 2nd largest market have the smallest stadium in the NFL? Ooh ooh I know, I know. It’s because they HAD to keep the columns of the old Soldier Field. Give me a f***ing break. As my buddy Scott pointed out the other day, “There’s a place 40 feet away called the Museum of Science and Industry for that!” God forbid they had the foresight to build a retractable roof that could hold SuperBowls, the Big Ten Championship Game, a NCAA Final Four, porn expos, or anything else that would generate income.

I haven’t even mentioned that they play on the worst surface in the NFL. But hey, they had to play that Simeon vs Mt. Carmel game there. I’m passed nauseous and am, officially, sick to my stomach.

Bears fans deserve an owner like Eddie DeBartolo. I'd love for the best owner in sports to get his hands on the untapped potential that is the Chicago Bears.

Speaking of throwing up, have you read the Forbes piece on the Bears? It’s another great read and it further shows just how inept this team is run. The Baltimore Ravens are worth more than the 9th ranked Bears in terms of overall value. They are worth $1.07 billion dollars, but can reportedly be worth $800 million more. Do you know how hard you have to try to not be in the top 3 in franchise value when you have the setup the Bears do? They aren’t sharing the Chicago market with another team like the Jets and Giants do in New York. They refuse to market themselves the way the Cowboys do to generate more revenue. Basically, they are content to stay right where they are. They don’t want to challenge themselves to push the envelope, and they couldn’t care less about challenging the Cowboys & Patriots for most recognizable and successful team (on and off the field) in the NFL. Why? Because they have comatose ownership who is stuck in a retro way of thinking. Look on the bright side, the senior director of ticket operations is about to add to the McCaskey legacy of mediocrity. It won’t ever happen, but what if Eddie DeBartolo wanted to get back in the NFL and made Virginia’s corpse a Godfather offer for her team? With another horrendous season staring Bears fans in the face, why not dream of the possibility of an owner who actually gives a shit about winning?

You don’t know who I am, nor do you probably care. That’s fine, because I like to keep a low profile. How’s the company going? Judging by the ratings, not that well. I know the reasons for this, and that’s why I am writing you this letter. I know how you can save that dog and pony show you are running. When I watch TNA, I feel like I took the Hot Tub Time Machine back to 1996. As much as I would like to go back to ‘96 for a few weeks, I shouldn’t be getting those feelings about your show. I would love to know why you have that rat, Vince Russo, slithering around your company? I’d love to know who thought it was a good idea to bring the kings of man boobs Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair in? I’d also kill to find out why, and how, Eric Bischoff is there too? If this were 1996, you would be killing in the ratings. Unfortunately, it’s not 1996. It’s 2010 and the modern wrestling fan knows what he or she wants as a viewer. We know what works and what will get over. We have more desire to have root canal work without novocain than see Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, or Mick Foley crash the party for one last pop.

You need to have a vision and foresight, Dixie. You need to rid yourself of Russo, Hogan and Bischoff as if they were covered in the herpes from Paris Hilton’s crotch. Why you would want to pay Hogan and Flair to be irrelevant is beyond me, but that’s another story. Vince Russo is the most overrated “creative mind” the wrestling business has ever seen. He came to prominence during the WWE’s resurgence when Shawn Michaels was leading DX, The Undertaker was at the peak of his powers, and Stone Cold Steve Austin was becoming the most popular wrestler ever. Anyone with a pulse could have succeeded in that era. The vision and foresight you should have now, Dixie, is to bring in the man who has the ability to save that failing company of yours, and finally give the WWE some competition. That man is Kevin Sullivan.

Terry Funk said, in his book, that the first person he would hire if he was starting a wrestling promotion would be Kevin Sullivan. I think the Hall of Famer knows a thing or two about the business, wouldn’t you say? The man you brought in, Ric Flair, once said the two greatest minds in the wrestling business were/are Eddie Graham and Kevin Sullivan. Mike Graham said Sullivan took his father’s ideas, ran with it, and took it to another level. How do you not want Sullivan running your company? You have Russo starting storylines and cutting them off before they develop. People aren’t stupid, Dixie. That’s why you need Sullivan, like Hogan needs a bra. Sullivan is the greatest mind in the business today. Stephanie McMahon wanted him to be the lead writer for Smackdown, yet you don’t want to hire him. Why is this?

Sullivan was the first to come up with the idea to do video vignettes for the wrestlers. He did the first video set to music as MTV was breaking through. Vince McMahon took the idea and turned it into some of the best television the WWE has ever done.

When Jim Cornette was running Smokey Mountain Wrestling, he asked Kevin to oversee their angles and storylines. Are you sensing a familiar theme here, Dixie? Some of the best minds in the business have all praised Sullivan’s knowledge, and his ability to create and develop storylines. There isn’t continuity in the angles with Russo running the show. Why is Russo still employed, again? Please, I’m dying to know.

Back when Sullivan was in WCW, he brought in the Lucha Libres before anyone else did. They got over with the fans, and it allowed Sullivan to turn them into cruiser weights. It, effectively, added another layer of talent to an already loaded WCW roster. Sullivan also made cruiser weight champ, Eddie Guerrero, the U.S. champ which started a trend of lighter-quicker wrestlers taking on the big boys of the company. Having Guerrero become the U.S. champ allowed for a cruiser weight tournament, which culminated in a best 4 out of 7 between Dean Malenko and Chris Benoit(or as I like to call it, some of the best matches WCW ever did). That added another dimension that has continued to this day, with the like of Rey Mysterio being the WWE world champion.

Eric Bischoff stated in his book that he can’t take any credit for the Bill Goldberg character. Guess who came up with one of the most popular gimmicks ever? That’s right, Kevin Sullivan.  Bischoff had Goldberg lose to the biggest douche who ever put on tights, Steve McMichael, just to try and get “Mongo” over. How did that work out? Sullivan took Goldberg off television after that, brought him back known only as “Goldberg”, and he went on the greatest winning streak the business has ever seen.

Speaking of that no talent hack(Bischoff), he’s the same guy who fired Stone Cold Steve Austin in ‘95 from WCW because he said he would never be anything more than a mid card wrestler. These are the clowns that are running your promotion down the toilet.

Turning Hulk Hogan heel and coming up with the "Hollywood" Hogan gimmick was all Kevin Sullivan's idea. When will TNA wake up and hire Sullivan? They will be another failed promotion if they don't.

Perhaps Sullivan’s greatest idea was having Hulk Hogan(when he wasn’t a saggy boobed has been) turn heel in the most shocking moment the business has seen. Sullivan had Hogan stay at his house before the Bash at the Beach in ‘96 to further convince him that this was the move to save his career. Hogan was failing in WCW because–wait for it Dixie…..people were sick of seeing the same old shit. Hogan was against the move, but Sullivan talked him into it, and it not only saved Hogan’s career, but it added another level to his his Hall of Fame credentials. The nWo(or it’s commonly called the greatest angle-faction in the history of wrestling) wasn’t Hogan’s, Russo’s, or Bischoff’s idea. It was Sullivan’s all the way.

I genuinely think,Dixie, that TNA can succeed and push the WWE. People are always looking for fresh and new stuff to watch. To get there, you need a vision and foresight. NFL teams build through the draft with young talent, not aging big name veterans. The same theory applies to wrestling. You need young talent who can perform, and a mind to bring the best out of them. You will never get there with those ass clowns running the show. Wake up and smell the opportunity Dixie. The best mind in the wrestling business is a free agent waiting to save your promotion from it’s inevitable failure into oblivion.

Sincerely,

Louie Ruffolo, aka, someone you should listen to when it comes to the wrestling business.

AFC Predictions

AFC East

You think Tom Brady will have a big season in his contract year? So do I. Brady and the Patriots will are in for a big season.

1. New England Patriots 12-4: They’re baaaaaack. Tom Brady and Randy Moss are in contract years, the defense, despite Ty Warren being injured, has a lot of youth and speed, and I still think Bill Belichick is at the top of his game.

2. Miami Dolphins 10-6: Thankfully, the emergence of Chad Henne means we won’t be subjected to that garbage known as the wildcat.

3. New York Jets 9-7: The Rex Ryan hype machine has a few chinks in their Under Armour. Calvin Pace is out with a broken foot, Mark Sanchez has been inconsistent, and Darrelle Revis might just be crazy and dumb enough to sit out this season. The Hollywood Jets have 9-7 written all over Rex Ryan’s massive gut.

4. Buffalo Bills 2-14: The early front runner for the number 1 pick in the 2011 draft aka the Jake Locker sweepstakes. CJ Spiller will provide excitement, but this is a horrendous group of nobody’s. They are like the dais for the David Hasselhoff roast.

AFC North

1. Pittsburgh Steroidlers 11-5: If this team can manage a 2-2 record with the rapist serving his suspension, they will win this division.

2. Baltimore Ravens 10-6

3. Cincinnati Bungals 8-8: How many headcases does it take to ensure Carson Palmer goes postal on on a teammate? I feel for you Carson, I really do.

4. Cleveland Browns 5-11: The Eric Mangini watch will start before Halloween. And when can we stop calling Mike Holmgren a football savant? I mean who signs Jake Delhomme after his career has spiraled down faster than Mel Gibson’s? The guy’s career was over after the 5 interception game vs Carolina in the playoffs two years ago.

AFC South

1. Indianapolis Colts 11-5: Somehow this team won’t win 12 games again, but they still have # 18. ‘Nuff said.

2. Tennessee Titans 10-6

3. Houston Texans 8-8: This team is forever stuck in NFL hell.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars 6-10: The Jags would love to reside in NFL hell. They are stuck in the abyss with no way out. The league needs to get this team out of that shithole city and into a legit market.

AFC West

1. San Diego Chargers 10-6: I really wanted to pick the Chiefs or Raiders here because of the Norv Turner factor. I’ve never thought he was a quality head coach. When you add in Marcus McNeill and Vincent Jackson holdouts, you know this team isn’t winning 13 games again. They will hold this division title for one more year.

2. Oakland Raiders 9-7: My buddy Andy probably has a Raiders boner now that JaMarcus Russell is gone. If Jason Campbell can get, and stay healthy, this team could challenge for a wild card spot.

3. Kansas City Chiefs 6-10: This team wins for having the fattest coordinators in the league. Scott Pioli can try and recapture his Patriots magic, but like all the rest, he doesn’t have Tom Brady. I do love Eric Berry(you’ll see why later).

4. Denver Broncos 5-11: Have you seen Tim Teblows try and complete a short pass in the flat? Oh, my Christ, is he a disaster. Kyle Orton will prove again that he’s good enough to get you beat when it matters most. Only Josh McDaniels would have the balls to think he can win with either guy. McDaniels is another Belichick disciple who can’t coach for shit.

AFC Playoff Seeds

1. Patriots 12-4

2. Colts 11-5

3. Pittsburgh Steroidlers 11-5: You might be wondering why I am referring to the Steelers as the Steroidlers. Well, it all goes back to the Steroidlers 4 SuperBowl teams of the 70’s. They were collectively on more shit than the entire 80’s WWF roster. If WrestleMania was around in ‘78, the Steelers could have made up the entire card.

4. San Diego Chargers 10-6

5. Miami Dolphins 10-6

6. Tennessee Titans 10-6

Wild Card Games(home team in caps)

STEROIDLERS over Titans

Dolphins over CHARGERS

AFC Divisional Playoffs

PATRIOTS over Dolphins

Steroidlers over COLTS

AFC Championship Game

PATRIOTS over Steroidlers…..Again.

AFC Award Winners

Offensive Player Of The Year: Tom Brady- QB Patriots

Defensive Player Of The Year: Demeco Ryans-LB Texans

Comeback Player Of The Year: Troy Polamalu-SS Steroidlers

Offensive Rookie Of The Year: Ryan Matthews-RB Chargers

Defensive Rookie Of The Year: Eric Berry-S Chiefs: This award might be locked up before Thanksgiving.

Greedy Piece Of Garbage Of The Year: Tie. Darrelle Revis, Marcus McNeill, & Vincent Jackson.

NFC Predictions

NFC East

1. Dallas Cowboys 11-5: Picking this team makes me feel dirtier than Paris Hilton’s crotch, but there is too much talent on this team to ignore.

2. New York Giants 9-7: The bad news? They will just miss the playoffs. The good news? The gash on Eli Manning’s forehead drastically improves his looks.

3. Washington Redskins 8-8: If Mike Shanahan can turn around Rex Grossman’s career, he is officially the new Bill Walsh. Donovan McNabb’s ankle will be something to watch all season. That injury can linger almost as long as Mike Murphy’s miserable tenure at The Score sports radio 670.

4. Philadelphia Eagles 7-9: Watching Andy Reid’s waistline grow as the season goes along will be as entertaining as seeing Eagles fans go back and forth on how much they love/hate Kevin Kolb.

NFC North

1. Green Bay Packers 12-4: If the offensive line struggles again, they can always pluck one the 27,000+  three hundred pound fat asses that go to Lambeau every home game.

2. Minnesota Vikings 10-6: By week 6 Lord Favre will wish he was on his tractor with the rest of those hillbilly’s in Mississippi.

3. Chicago Bears 6-10: They barely hold off the Lions. Where to begin with this team? Quick, what’s worse– the o-line or the secondary? Prepare for a long fall Bears fans. Like I’ve told you, hope for the worst so we no longer have to look at Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo.

4. Detroit Lions 5-11: They are on the come. Matthew Stafford will show this year why he was drafted ahead of The Sanchize.

NFC South

1. Atlanta Falcons 11-5: The Falcons take a step up this year. I am worried that we’ve seen the best of Michael Turner.

2. New Orleans Saints 10-6: I expect a SuperBowl hangover from this team. Their fans may not have sobered up from the SuperBowl yet.

3. Carolina Panthers 7-9

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-12: You can have Josh Freeman by the way.

NFC West

1. San Francisco 49ers 10-6: This is a physical-tough minded football team. Make no mistake though, they have blue chip talent at several key positions. Can Alex Smith take the next step?

2. Arizona Cardinals 8-8: Paging Kurt Warner…..Anyone…..Anyone…..Bueller…..Bueller?

3. Seattle Seahawks 7-9: Pete Carroll will find out that his college ra-ra bullshit once again doesn’t cut it at the pro level.

4. St. Louis Rams 3-13: At least they have Sam Bradford.

NFC Playoff Seeds

1. Green Bay Packers 12-4

Aaron Rodgers is my pick for NFL MVP. If the Packers o-line and defense hold up, this team will play for the SuperBowl in February.

2. Dallas Cowboys 11-5

3. Atlanta Falcons 11-5

4. San Francisco 49ers 10-6

5. Minnesota Vikings 10-6

6. New Orleans Saints 10-6

Wild Card Games

FALCONS over Saints

49ERS over Vikings

NFC Divisional Playoffs

PACKERS over 49ers

COWBOYS over Falcons

NFC Championship Game

PACKERS over Cowboys

NFC Award Winners

Offensive Player Of The Year: Aaron Rodgers-QB Packers

Defensive Player Of The Year: Patrick Willis-LB 49ers

49ers MLB Patrick Willis is the heavy favorite for Defensive Player of the Year. He has been a monster so far this preseason.

Comeback Player Of The Year: Gay Butler-QB Bears: Don’t say I have never had faith in the Bears quarterback. He may get sacked 248 times this year, but he’ll put up good numbers in Martz’s system.

Offensive Rookie Of  The Year: Jahvid Best-RB Lions

Defensive Rookie Of The Year: Ndamukong Suh-DT Lions: This kid is a beast. Wait until you see him destroy Olin Kreutz in week 1.

SuperBowl XLV

Patriots over Packers

SuperBowl XLV Champions: New England Patriots

See, now you know how I made it through all of those boring history classes(I still think it was a history class) in high school. A lot of things have changed since the fall of ‘97…..wrestling isn’t nearly as cool and cutting edge, the Bulls aren’t trying to 3 peat, and the rap game is as lame as the Randy Couture-James Toney disaster was. However, some aspects from that fall still to this day hold up…..Matt Y, Brad W, and yours truly still hold the record for most school days skipped in a senior year, the Cubs are still a joke, the Bears still can’t get it together, the girl I went to homecoming with is still cool as shit, Brett Favre is still kicking people’s asses, my intramural basketball team from the fall of ‘97 is still the best intramural squad in WWS history, and I still act like a kid at Toys-R-Us every Sunday during football season. You know what? Maybe things haven’t changed all that much.

Here then are the top 10 players at each position, as seen by me. There is one thing, if you read this and win your league, you better send me 10% of your winnings. Once again, I’m looking at you.

Quarterbacks

Aaron Rodgers has been lights out so far this preseason. He's my number 1 ranked fantasy QB. Plus, he's not a whiny bitch like the diva he replaced.

1. Aaron Rodgers-Packers: Favre who? The drama-less Packers couldn’t be happier that they aren’t dealing with Queen Favre’s bullshit anymore. Rodgers has thrown for 4,000 yards in each of the past 2 seasons, and likely,a 3rd this year. He would be the first quarterback I’d take this year.

2. Drew Brees-Saints

3. Peyton Manning-Colts: This just in, this guy is pretty good.

4. Tom Brady-Patriots: I’m expecting big things from the Pats this year. Brady won’t approach 50 TD’s like in ‘07, but he’s motivated in his contract year. Lookout.

5. Tony Romo-Cowboys

6. Matt Schaub-Texans: 20 bucks this team goes 8-8 or 9-7? It’s like clockwork with the Kubiak’s.

7. Matt Ryan-Falcons: If this team can find a compliment receiver opposite Roddy White, they could be scary.

8. Philip Rivers-Chargers: Yes, he’s still a complete penis.

9. Joe Flacco-Ravens

10. Chad Henne-Dolphins: I like the Dolphins this year. Having Brandon Marshall on the outside doesn’t hurt, either.

Potential starters: Alex Smith-49ers, Donovan McNabb-Redskins, Kevin Kolb-Eagles, Vince Young-Titans, Mark Sanchez-Jets. Of course, there is Gay Butler. I think he will put up big numbers in Mike Martz’s system, but the interception numbers will be high as well.

Running Backs

Even if Barry Sander 2.0 doesn't approach last seasons ridiculous numbers, he's still my number 1 running back. "Every coaches dream" is a diva, but he's the most explosive player in the league.

1. Barry Sanders 2.0 aka Chris Johnson: Is there a doubt? If you have the number 1 pick and don’t take him, quit your league immediately.

2. Adrian Peterson: Expect a dip in production with a weaker offensive line, and no Sidney Rice for the first half of the season. He’s still the 2nd best option for running backs.

3. Ray Rice-Ravens: He’s in for a monster year.

4. Maurice Jones-Drew-Jaguars: Pocket Hercules would be higher if he wasn’t playing with the bums that surround him.

5. Frank Gore-49ers: The 49ers offense will surprise this year, and the inconvenient truth will play a big part.

6. Michael Turner-Falcons

7. Knowshon Moreno-Broncos: This may be a little high, but I’m banking on Timmy Teblows not playing quarterback for Denver.

Side Note: Why did the Broncos draft Tebow again? He’s at least 3 years away from being ready to compete at the NFL level, he throws like Betty White, and doesn’t have top quarterback potential. At best, he is a marginal-average quarterback. So basically, if he maxes out his ability he becomes…..wait for it…..wait for it…..Kyle Orton. Take a bow, Josh McDaniels. You made stupid draft day trades to acquire a rag arm who will never be as good as the guy you already have. Nice work.

8. Chris Wells-Cardinals: Did you see Matty “beer bongs” Leinart this preseason? Even if Derek Anderson is the starter, the Cards will have to be a heavy running team.

9. Ryan Grant-Packers

10. Rashard Mendenhall-Steroidlers: The Steroidlers will be a high volume running team while Raprethisberger is suspended for being a creepy, slimy, white trash and disgusting rapist. No means, no Ben.

Guys worth starting: DeAngelo Williams, LeSean McCoy-Eagles, Shonn Greene-Jets, Michael Bush-Raiders, Jahvid Best-Lions, Arian Foster-Texans, and Ryan Matthews-Chargers. Matthews will be over drafted, but don’t let him slip past you if he’s there at the end of the 2nd round.

Wide Receivers

1. Andre Johnson: There isn’t a receiver close to him when it comes to fantasy projections.

2. Miles Austin-Cowboys: Austin becomes a true star this year.

3. Randy Moss: See the above comments about Tom Brady

4. Roddy White-Falcons: in a points per reception league, White will dominate.

5. Larry Fitzgerald-Cardinals: Arguably the best receiver in the game, Fitz will suffer the most from Brenda Warner’s husband’s retirement.

6. Brandon Marshall-Dolphins

7. Calvin Johnson-Lions

8. Reggie Wayne-Colts: This might seem low for Wayne, but with Anthony Gonzalez back and Pierre Garcon emerging, Wayne’s numbers will dip.

9. Steve Smith-Giants

10. Michael Crabtree-49ers: This kid missed all of OTA’s last year, training camp, all 4 preseason games, the first 5 games of the ‘09 season, and never missed a beat. He finished with 48 catches, 625 yards, 2 TD’s, and looked the part of true number 1 threat.

Diva Receivers I wouldn’t draft: Terrell Owens-Bungals, Chad Ochocinco-Bungals, Vincent Jackson-Chargers(is he dumb enough to sit out any longer? Get to camp you douche lord), T.J. Who’s your mama-Seahawks, Braylon Edwards-Jets.

Receivers who you need to lookout for: Greg Jennings-Packers, Donald Driver-Packers, Hakeem Nicks-Giants, Mike Wallce-Steelers, Johnny Knox-Bears, Devin Aromashodu-Bears, Pierre Garcon-Colts, Desean Jacksno-Eagles, Jeremy Maclin-Eagles, Kenny Britt-Titans, and Louis Murphy-Raiders.

Receiver who is more likely to end up a missing persons list than the endzone: Darrius Heyward-Bad–Raiders.

Tight Ends

1. Vernon Davis-49ers: Don’t expect 13 TD’s and 965 receiving yards again, but Davis is Alex Smith’s favorite redzone target.

2. Jermichael Finley-Packers: This kid is the truth. Don’t be afraid to take him early.

3. Dallas Clark-Colts

4. Visanthe Shiancoe-Vikings: Favre will lean on Shiancoe with Sidney Rice sidelined.

5. Antonio Gates: Yes, Philip Rivers is still a penis.

6. Jason Whitten-Cowboys: Tony Romo’s sleeping buddy should see more single coverage with Miles Austin’s emergence.

7. Owen Daniels-Texans

8. Zach Miller-Raiders: That sound you hear is Miller doing the Carlton dance knowing he doesn’t have JaMarcus Russell throwing him the ball anymore.

9. Brent Celek-Eagles

10. Tony Gonzalez-Falcons: Still getting done even as his Viagra years are upon him.

Kickers

You didn’t really think I was going to list kickers, did you? Pick one and hope he doesn’t bend you over the table at a crucial point in the season.

Defense

1. Steelers: I expect a monster year from this unit

This image has been the highlight of my NFL preseason. Patrick Willis leads a young and aggressive 49ers defense that checks in at number 2 on my fantasy rankings.

2. 49ers: Patrick Willis leads a fast and emerging group.

3. Jets: Will Darrelle Revis show up?

4. Saints: Can they duplicate their incredible turnover numbers from last year?

5. Ravens

6. Giants

7. Vikings: I have serious questions about their secondary, but that front 4 is still the best in the NFL.

8. Cowboys

9. Patriots: A lot of youth and speed, but can they overcome Ty Warren’s season ending injury?

10. Chargers

There you have it kids. If my fantasy baseball season has proved anything, it’s showed that anyone can compete at fantasy sports. Good luck to you all, and don’t think I won’t want my 10% cut if you win your league.

No, Eric Bischoff was the man who led this incredible turnaround. It sure as hell wasn’t Ted Turner, who turned out to be The Brooklyn Brawler of sports entertainment. Bischoff gets a lot of credit for WCW’s rise to power, but it was Sullivan who was, not only, a talented in-ring performer, but also, the best booker-writer that company had. Sure, Bischoff was given free reign to spend Turner’s millions to bring in Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, but guess who ’s idea it was to form the nWo? The guy who should be hired by TNA yesterday….Kevin Sullivan. Hogan complained about a lack of support he was receiving from fans. Even after his well publicized move to WCW, Hogan’s star was never the same as it was in ‘87. It was Sullivan who advised Hogan to turn heel. With Hall and Nash signed, the seeds were planted to form, quite possibly, the most popular faction the wrestling business had ever seen…..

I know what you’re saying after watching that video– the nWo was pretty f***ing cool. That was all Sullivan’s idea. The guy knows the business inside and out. It’s why, if TNA wants to compete with the WWE and not be the ugly cousin, they need to hire Sullivan as it’s top writer. I’m not on an island recognizing The Taskmaster’s knowledge of the business. Stephanie McMahon wanted to hire him to be Smackdown’s top writer a few years ago. Sullivan declined at the time because of travel concerns.

What TNA should stop doing is wasting time with past- their- prime has-beens like Mick Foley, Ric Flair, Raven, Hulk Hogan and, actually, have a vision on how to compete with the top dog. There is some quality talent on that roster. AJ Stlyes, Abyss, Douglas Williams, Kurt Angle and Jeff Hardy are all high caliber performers. There isn’t a lack of talent like the WWE had in ‘94-’95. Or, as I like to call, “the I’m only watching because I have my whole life” era.

There isn't a better booker-writer in the wrestling business than Kevin Sullivan. If TNA ever wants to compete with the WWE, they need to hire Sullivan now.

Remember Bill Goldberg? If you don’t, he was the big roided up meathead who burst onto the WCW scene and quickly became their biggest asset. You know who came up with the Goldberg gimmick? You guessed it, Kevin Sullivan. Some may think TNA is in good hands with Vince Russo, Bischoff, Hogan and TNA President, Dixie Carter. My retort? That group is leading a company into wrestling hell. Why not try something new?

My guess is Carter, Russo, Hogan and Bischoff want nothing to do with Sullivan. God forbid they would want someone with a thought and a creative vision. Russo(also known as Vic Venom) has already proven he is an overrated hack who Vince McMahon made famous. Russo was in charge of WWE Monday Night Raw in ‘96 when they hit an all-time ratings low of 1.8. Russo was thought to be some sort of visionary, but all he did was ride the coattails of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels and DX, and The Undertaker to gain stardom. Jesus, a monkey could have succeeded with those stars all at the peak of their powers. TNA can challenge WWE if it had the right man writing the storylines every week. As a WWE fan, I want TNA to succeed and to push WWE to the cutting edge style that led to the demise of WCW. There’s one guy that can make this happen. Dixie Carter needs to stop trying to recreate something that worked 14 years ago. Nobody wants to see bad sequels, and they definitely won’t buy into another Bischoff-Russo horror show. Hey Dixie, if Sullivan is good enough for Stephanie McMahon and the WWE, he’s damn sure qualified to book and write for your run of the mill promotion.

You would have thought Lou Piniella led the Cubs to back-to-back world series titles they way he was sent off by the Wrigley Field stupid.

Cubs fans never cease to amaze me. Whether it’s still packing Wrigley everyday, still throwing visiting teams home run balls back onto the field, cheering Mark DeRosa upon his return as if he was Ryne Sandberg, or how the drunk fools in the bleachers still think it’s cool to act like a fool—those are just a few, I could go all day on the new age Cub fan. Seeing Lou Piniella cry before his last game was sad, as was his emotional post-game press conference. For a second, I felt bad for him. I know his mother is sick, so I wanted to understand his decision to walkaway now. Then I thought about it. This is the same guy who openly quit on the Rays when things weren’t going well. This is the same guy who only came to the Cubs knowing they were going to spend a ridiculous amount of money($300 million on horrendous contracts before the ‘07 season), threw a premeditated tantrum two days after the Zambrano-Barrett divas match, pulled Zambrano in game 1 vs Arizona in ‘07 while wanting to save him for game 4 or 5, inserted Kosuke Fukudome in the 2-hole in the Dodgers series in ‘08, emotionally quit after game 3 of that series, mentally quit 6 weeks into the ‘09 season, continued to ask….”what do you want me to do?”, berated a reporter asking him a question….”what the hell kind of baseball do you play?!, and came back this season to ensure he collected that extra $4 million dollars. I’m sure he needed the money, considering he’s been collecting baseball checks for 46 years.

Why everyone is hailing this guy like he won 2 world series titles for the Cubs is tougher for me to grasp than why Lovie Smith still runs his stale pathetic defense. His tenure in Chicago was one thing, a failure. I’ve heard enough of “the first Cubs manager to lead the Cubs to back-to-back division titles” garbage. Lou was brought here to win the world series. That’s it. The money was spent, and it was on him to deliver a championship while he collected that $3-$4 million each year. It didn’t happen. What happened to Piniella was what happens to all managers that take the job at Clark and Addison…they get Cubbed. It happened to Don Baylor and Dusty Baker before him, and I’m sure it will happen to the next sap who takes the gig(think twice Joe Girardi). If Cubs fans wanted to show their appreciation for Lou, they should have walked out of Wrigley prior to his farewell and said f*ck it because that’s what he’s doing. If the Cubs were in the hunt or in 1st place right now, do you think he’d be going to help his ailing mother? No chance. He openly quit on his team, the idiot fans who cheered him, and an organization that paid him handsomely.

The only thing dumber was the Cubs insistence that he stick around the last three months. It was obvious, early on this season, that Lou had thrown in the towel that Rocky should have thrown in during the Apollo Creed- Ivan Drago fight. And, you thought an ownership switch would change the culture of that horse shit franchise. Shame on you–and shame on Piniella for coming back this year when he knew he was finished. However you remember Lou, just know he quit on his team, and his tenure was nothing more than a typical Cubs failure.

Speaking of failures, I’ve been doing this blog for ten months and have yet to rip into White Sox douche lord-announcer Hawk Harrelson. Hawk has finally lost his mind. Look, I don’t hate the White Sox. I treat them like that annoying cousin that you have to deal with every once in a while. They’re there and you deal with them on holidays. It’s a shame Harrelson has made me unable to enjoy a White Sox game. That’s what it has come to. The mute button is nearly worn out on my remote anytime I have them on. Why do I watch? Because I love listening to Steve Stone talk baseball. What I don’t love is that dumb hillbilly, blaming umps, calling other teams hits “duck snorts”, saying the Twins got some “gift home runs” or “cheap runs”, and bitching about balls and strikes from 6 innings ago. I know Jerry Reinsdorf is loyal, but Jesus, he has to know how bad his play by play announcer is. I’m willing to bet anything that Stone was hired with the hope of easing Hawk away from the homer juice. You know, just call a game, engage in good baseball conversation with the game’s best analyst, and put the focus where it should be….the game. It worked for a while, but those evil umpires brought the penis back out of the worst announcer in baseball.

I’d love to ask this ass-clown when he thinks the umps conspire to screw the Sox? Do they hold secret meetings in hotels and plot out a strategy to make sure the Sox lose? It’s asinine, and a good portion of White Sox fans love this fool. I don’t get it. There isn’t another announcer in the league who is as obnoxious as he is. His true self came out over the weekend when Stone wasn’t in the booth. The constant bitching hasn’t sat well with Stone, and it shouldn’t. You know what the best part of a Sox game is? The dead air when the Sox are losing. For those several seconds at a time when you hope that Hawk passed out, walked out of the booth, or was abruptly fired for being the babbling asshole he is. I don’t mind if the Sox make the playoffs because I know I’ll be able to watch a quality team without having to listen to old Carl Yastrzemski stories. If you only knew what I would give to have Reinsdorf fire the dumb hick by saying “he gone.” If you like Hawk Harrelson, there is a 98% chance I would never have a beer or hangout with you. He is a baseball imbecyl and the biggest blemish on the White Sox organization. Now, if only the Cubs could get rid of their biggest blemish(Jim Hendry), we might just be onto something.

Jerry Angelo should smile. Unless the Bears go 4-12, he's likely to return as GM. Only the Bears.

When I wrote before training camp started, that I want the Bears to shit the bed this season, it was for one reason. I don’t want the Bears to be bad and make me suffer through another 16 game disaster like ‘09. The thinking was, having this team bumble their way to a 6-10 season would guarantee the departures of team President Ted Phillips, general manager Jerry Angelo, and the coach, without a pulse, Lovie Smith. Much to my chagrin, apparently a playoff -less campaign still might not get rid of the Bears hierarchy. I swear these 3 are like a bad STD, or an annoying stage 5 clinger….they just won’t go away. With a possible lockout looming over the NFL in 2011, the Bears don’t want to have to pay off the 3 no- minds, and pay for their replacements. They want no part of paying for two GM’s and two coaches without 60,000 meatballs packing Soldier at least 8 times next fall. To an extent I get their point, but then I realized this is the Bears. Countless other teams will be firing coaches come January, and I’m pretty confident they know about the lockout too. I mean why wouldn’t a regime who has overseen three straight non playoff seasons be in jeopardy of losing their jobs? Mediocrity reigns at Halas Hall, and Bears fans are simply along for the ride.

The Bears should already have their replacements in mind. You know they had to compile a list before that charade of a press conference after last season. You remember the one. It’s when they started out saying there need to be changes– but  quickly turned into the ”we believe in continuity” nonsense. That press conference stands alone as the biggest crock of shit I’ve ever seen the Bears put on. Yes, it tops the time they botched the Dave McGinnis hire. Name me another franchise in the NFL that would bring back a coach and GM after three straight non playoff seasons? Take your time and think about it…… Now comes word that it isn’t playoffs or bust for the retard regime. There’s one reason this garbage continues to happen, the McCaskey family.

Can someone wake Virginia up and tell her the most die hard fans in the NFL deserve better than those fools she has running her team? Signed, every breathing Bears fan.

Yes, that old bag of bones Virginia is still the main voice in Lake Forest. That’s pretty amazing when you consider she hasn’t shown much of a pulse since the NFC Championship game after the ‘06 season. When you look at the bad teams in the NFL over the past decade(Lions, Raiders, Rams, Bengals Cardinals and Browns to name a few) they all have one thing in common, bad ownership. Yes, the Bears had the nice two year spurt in ‘05 & ‘06, but I’d rank the Bears ownership in the bottom third of the league, slightly ahead of the teams listed above. That’s pathetic when you realize the Bears are the NFL’s charter franchise. George Halas is rolling over in his grave right now. I’ve told my buddy Andy(a die hard Raiders fan) that until Al Davis, aka Tales From The Crypt, passes on, the Raiders will continue to be a running joke. Now, if you’ve seen Al Davis in the past 3-4 years you’d say he’s been dead. That’s just a rumor. He is still breathing…..I think. This is unfortunately where the Bears are. Someone needs to poison her oatmeal. It’s as if the entire organization died in 1987, and we’ve been stuck with this misery ever since.

Important Bears Fact: I said died in 1987 because that’s when the Bears, should have been dynasty, fell apart. George Halas hired Mike Ditka and Jerry Vanisi to lead his team into the future. Check out the Bears ‘82, ‘83, and ‘84 drafts sometime. All of that work went up in flames when Michael McCaskey(we’ll get to him in a second) fired Vanisi in January of ‘87 and later Ditka after the ‘92 season.

Michael McCaskey ran the team into the ground(see the aforementioned Dave McGinnis botched hiring), and Ted Phillips has maintained his position even though he was hired only to get the new stadium deal done. The spaceship was completed in 2003– someone tell Virginia that please?! I don’t know which McCaskey clone is next in line, but this crap needs to change. Whether it’s Brian McCaskey or Brian Bozworth, mediocrity will continue to be as big a part of the Bears culture as the orange and blue team colors.

Side Note: While shelling out the big free agent dollars to Julius Peppers and Chester Taylor was nice, they didn’t want to give backup quarterback Todd Collins a $150,000 bonus earlier this week. (Why would they want to bring in a veteran backup when they possess one of the worst offensive lines in the league?) The McCaskey’s fretting over $150,000 is like a group of guys bitching about a $150 bar bill. Stupid? Yes. Unexpected? Hell no. By the way, this coming from a franchise worth close to 1.1 billion dollars.

I’ll stand by what I said and hope the Bears have a miserable 2010 season. Lockout or not, things cannot stay status quo. It was bad enough that they brought this trio of football stupidity back this season, but to do it again? Part of me would love to see how that would go over with the locals after a 6-10 train wreck. The Bears reside in the NFL’s 2nd largest market, yet we have to hear about not wanting to eat money on a coach who doesn’t have his team practice tackling and a GM who doesn’t like 1st & 2nd round picks? Can you see Jerry Jones keeping any coach after 3 non playoff seasons? Coaches get fired after specific playoff losses, yet we are subjected to “continuity.” Continuity is great if you are the Steelers. So, while you’re busy rooting your ass off & living and dying with this team this fall, just know the McCaskey’s will be counting your PSL money and not giving a rat’s ass whether or not their team makes the playoffs. This is why Bears fans shouldn’t be disappointed if the team sucks this year. It will put pressure on those money collectors in Lake Forest to show they actually care about hoisting a Lombardi trophy again. Until then, it’s more of the same from the sorry ass Bears. Who needs SuperBowls when the Bears have their fans right where they want them, and they know it.

Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets are headed towards a divorce. If the Bulls are serious about being a title contender, they need to try and pry Melo from Denver.

The summer of 2010 didn’t live up to what the Bulls or their fans had dreamed of. Sure the team got better, but it’s similar to going out drinking with the guys, looking to hookup with a beautiful woman(a 10 if you will) only to go home disappointed. Of course you dream big before the night begins, but the odds are you won’t do any better than a 7 depending on how drunk you get said woman. If you’re like some of my friends, a 7 is considered a home run, but alas I digress. That’s how the Bulls summer went. They scored a 7 with the additions of Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, and C.J. Watson. Good? Yes, but not the 10 fans had hoped for. However, a breaking development has happened that can change the Bulls off-season grade, put them on par with the Miami Heat, and put them in position to win the franchise’s 7th NBA championship.

Superstar small forward ,Carmelo Anthony, reportedly wants out of Denver. He has yet to sign the teams 3 year $65 million extension, and won’t unless it’s a sign and trade that gets him out of Denver. The team’s front office has gone through major changes this summer with the departures of executives Mark Warkentien and Rex Chapman. Point guard Chauncey Billups, is 34 and has begun to show his age late in the last two post seasons. Finally, Nuggets owner, Stan Kroenke is on record saying he will not go through what Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert just went through with that 6′8” piece of garbage this summer. It’s not often that franchise players get traded in the NBA, but Carmelo sees that the Nuggets window has closed and wants to move onto a contending team, like his team USA crew just did in Miami. Melo will have options, but if he wants to compete for a title, he needs to think about the Chicago Bulls.

This story hasn’t been out for 24 hours, yet all of the media morons already have Carmelo going to the Knicks. I know he’s from the area, and his wife La La Vasquez is from Brooklyn, so the immediate reaction is Carmelo will end up in New York. I wish the media would wake up and realize that guys don’t want any part of the Knicks or James Dolan. Maybe Melo is different and wants to go to the city where the streets will make you feel brand knew and the lights will inspire you, but he wouldn’t win. This is the team who’s owner who nearly brought back Isiah Thomas for Christ’s sake. If you’ve been reading me for the past several months ,you know I love giving it to the Knicks. They were laughed at in free agency this summer despite signing Amare Stoudemire. You know why they got Amare? Because they were the only team that didn’t include minutes clauses in his contract because of his surgically repaired knee. His knee is as sound as the Jersey Shore relationship of Sammi and Ronnie. That is the only reason he went there. NBA players don’t like the media attention in NYC and this is on top of the fact that the team still sucks. Last I checked, Amare didn’t bring Steve Nash with him, so do you think Tony Douglas gets Carmelo excited? It shouldn’t. Neither should the fact that Mr. $100 Million is going to put up David Lee numbers on a team that will again miss the playoffs. Melo and Amare together is not a title team, and it wouldn’t beat the Heat, Celtics, Magic, or Bulls in a series. Knicks fans and the New York media(yes, I’m looking at you Ian O’Connor and Alan Hahn. They are as objective as boxing judges…It’s disturbing) want the team to trade for Tony Parker…that sounds great until you realize the Spurs took one look at that piss poor squad and said,um….no thank you, we’re good.

Carmelo Anthony would instantly make the Bulls title contenders. If he wants to beat his boys in Miami, the Bulls give him the best opportunity.

So, who has the the combination of players and picks to snag Melo from Denver? You guessed it, DA Bulls. The Bulls could offer Luol Deng, Taj Gibson, James Johnson, and 1st round picks. Unlike the Knicks, the Bulls actually have their draft picks the next couple of years. And, thanks to Michael Jordan, they have a future 1st from the Tyrus Thomas trade. John Paxson recently said he thought for a short time during free agency that the Bulls had a shot at LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. The fact they went after both guys, despite already having Derrick Rose on the roster, shows they are serious about getting back to title contention. I would hate to throw Joakim Noah in a Melo trade, but I would do it if I had to.

As solid as the Bulls summer moves were, they still need one more guy to get them over the top. I compare them now to the ‘94 Bulls. They have their one unquestioned star(Derrick Rose now, Scottie Pippen in ‘94), a deep and talented roster, a good coach and a team that will fight every night. The ‘94 Bulls were screwed out of a trip to the conference finals thanks to Hue Hollins, but it’s unlikely they would have beaten the Olajuwon Rockets in the finals. This team is much improved, but it’s still not better than Miami, Boston, or Orlando in the east. Enter Carmelo…..

If the Bulls can add Carmelo to this team? Lookout. When you analyze the league, you see that what happened this summer is a mirage. What happened with LeBron is extremely rare. When you have to go back to the summer of ‘96(Shaq leaving Orlando for L.A.) to find the last superstar to leave his team, you know it’s a rarity. Going forward, who would the Bulls get to put them over the hump? Kevin Durant just signed a 5 year extension in OKC, Chris Paul and Deron Williams could both be traded, but I think the Bulls are pretty well set at the point. They won’t be bad enough to get lucky in the lottery again. How do they get over the hump? They get on the phone with Stan Kroenke and strike before Donnie Walsh and the Knicks try to. If Melo is serious about competing for championships, how can he not look at the Bulls? He isn’t a ball dominant player, which means he’d fit perfectly with Derrick Rose. Give me a lineup of Rose, Brewer, Melo, Boozer, and Noah and I’ll go “to war” vs Miami as Rose said last week. The Bulls may have settled on a 7 in free agency, but they are getting another opportunity to score big. Think of it as an after party in Vegas where the 10’s will all be hanging out. The 10 is Carmelo Anthony, and he’s officially available. A 7 is nice, but why not dream big? Why does he have to go to the concrete jungle? The night and off-season are still young. Make the call Pax.

Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen formed the greatest duo in sports history. Scottie is about to take his place next to MJ in the basketball Hall of Fame.

It’s been a big Hall of Fame week for yours truly. First, my favorite football player of all time Jerry Rice got inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and this Friday one of my basketball heroes enters basketballs hallowed halls. Scottie Pippen to this day is one of my favorite athletes not just because of his talent, but his work ethic and desire to get the most out of his potential. The former team manager at Central Arkansas is often overlooked because he played the “2nd banana” role to Michael Jordan. That is often looked at as a negative when it should be viewed as a tremendous compliment. Scottie knew his role, and became the greatest sidekick in NBA history. Michael Jordan remains the game’s greatest player, but even “His Airness” needed Scottie’s help to win NBA titles. In my book Pippen is the greatest on ball defender the NBA has ever seen. He could guard 4 positions, direct an offense, and was a phenomenal teammate. He also perfected the block on defense, initiate the fast break, and finish at the other end with a dunk or driving layup. He was a key member of the ‘92 & ‘96 Dream Teams, was named to the NBA All Defensive team 8 times, was named to the all NBA team 3 times, was the MVP of the ‘94 NBA All Star game, and was the 2nd best player on 6 NBA championship squads. That’s a pretty decent resume huh? As Scottie would say….”most definitely.” In his honor, I wanted to take a look at Pip through the years with some classic videos and pictures that sum up one of the greatest basketball players the NBA has ever seen. Enjoy.

It started when the Bulls traded Olden Polynice(Yes, that really happened) for the draft rights to Pippen. Between that trade and Kevin Durant and the Sonics leaving town, all Seattle basketball fans just started drinking……heavily.

The best part of that video is the slow, dopey, bad, white guy playing in those pre-draft scrimmages. Who was he and who would ever draft him? He was Aaron Gray before Aaron Gray. Scottie was a work in progress when he got to Chicago. He developed as the young Bulls grew together as a team. Pippen improved by leaps and bounds by 1990, when he made his first all-star game. He averaged 16.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg, and was 3rd in the NBA in steals with 211. Pippen dealt with all of the migrane headache talk  from game 7 in the conference finals that season, but ended that talk with this performance in game 5 of the ‘91 NBA Finals…….

I love watching the game 5 clincher again. The Bulls first title means the most to me because of the struggles they went through as a team. Plus, I still enjoy seeing those fake ass Lakers fans cheering for the Bulls down the stretch of that game. Only Faker fans would do that. Yes, Michael Jordan has 30 points, 10 assists, and 5 steals in the game 5 clincher, but Pippen was equally brilliant. His line on the night? 32 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, and equaled MJ’s 5 steals as well. And with that, the Bulls dynasty was off and running. They were back for more the following June when Pippen led a furious 4th quarter rally while Jordan rested. The 14-2 run to start the 4th got the Bulls back in the game, and it was time to celebrate championship ring # 2……

If you were a Bulls fan and were old enough to remember game 6 of the ‘92 finals, I’m willing to bet anything you remember where you were when you watched it.

Pippen was a member of the greatest team ever assembled. The '92 Dream Team helped basketball become the global sport it is today.

When Jordan talked with Phil Jackson after the ‘92 Olympics, he told Phil that Scottie was “the best player on that team.” That was a pretty big compliment coming from the game’s best player. Fresh off that gold medal, Pippen and Jordan quickly transitioned to the grind of the NBA season. The ‘92-’93 season was challenging on the Bulls. Two long title runs took their toll, but Jordan and Pippen turned it up a notch for the post season. They swept the Hawks and Cavs easily before struggling with the Knicks in the eastern conference finals. After losing the first two games, the Bulls stormed back to win 4 straight. This was the series where Pip became an all world player. He was outstanding in the game win with 29 points. He hit a clutch runner in the closing moments of game 4 to help even the series. In game 5 he helped the Bulls break the Knicks 27 game home winning streak with a superb all around game including the famous trio of blocks on Charles Smith. Ironically, Smith’s career was never the same after that. I give all credit to Scottie’s blocks. Add another item to his hall of fame credentials……he ended Charles Smith’s career as a semi relevant player. The Bulls made it back to the finals and faced Charles Barkley’s Phoenix Suns. It was over in 6 and the Bulls became the first NBA team to 3-peat in 27 years……

The ‘93-’94 season was the defining season in Pippen’s career. With Michael Jordan on his “baseball sabbatical” wink wink, Pippen was forced to become “the man” on the Bulls. He responded with these numbers: 22 ppg, 8.7 rpg, and 5.6 apg on a team that won 55 games. They were robbed of a return trip to the conference finals by one of the worst referees in NBA history(Hue Hollins….God I hate even typing his name), but it didn’t diminish Pip’s season. Sure there was the 1.8 seconds in game 3 vs NY, but Pippen had an MVP season. That’s what is remembered, or at least should be.

Pippen's '94 All Star MVP performance was almost as memorable as the red shoes he sported. He finished the game with 29 points and 11 rebounds. He also made commentator Magic Johnson piss himself with joy throughout the game.

Pippen's dunk over Patrick Ewing in the last game at old Chicago Stadium might be the best dunk in Bulls history. Yes, I'm still pissed that the Bulls were robbed in game 5 of that '94 2nd round series.

Once MJ returned in the spring of ‘95, the Bulls were again ready to compete for titles. Jerry Krause nearly traded Pippen for Shawn Kemp the summer before. Do you think MJ would have come back if Scottie wasn’t there in March of ‘95? No chance. The Sonics backed out of the trade at the last minute because of fan backlash…..Thankfully. Krause’s next big move came after the Bulls lost to Orlando in the ‘95 2nd round. Jordan was back, but the Bulls needed that last piece to become title contenders again. Krause traded Will Perdue for Dennis Rodman(Yes, that was a straight up deal), and the dynasty was back. Before the Bulls finished off the Sonics in the ‘96 finals, they first had to extract revenge on the Magic. Orlando knocked off the Bulls in 6 when Jordan wasn’t quite back to “his old self” as Scottie put it. That series in ‘96 was the revenge series for the Bulls, and game 3 was a game Orlando had to have down 2-0. So much for that…..

I love how Pip said the Bulls didn’t have a “real cushiony” lead. Jordan and Pippen real also really talented at making up words. The championships got tougher as the Bulls grew older, but as always Jordan and Pippen delivered. The ‘97 playoff run was not pretty as the Bulls struggled through the first three rounds. After the game 2 win vs Miami in the ECF, Pippen and Jordan took the podium together. They sat there and made fun of how bad they were playing.

Scottie: “We already came up with names for each other in the locker room.”

MJ: “He’s doo-doo and I’m shit.”

The struggles didn’t last much longer. The Utah Jazz gave the Bulls a good series in the finals, and played well. However, the Bulls prevailed in 6 and won one for the thumb…..

The last dance proved to be the Bulls most difficult. Jordan was showing his age, Pippen had a bad back going into game 6 vs Utah, and Bill Wennington looked 67 with all of his hair loss. Jordan led the way with 45 points in the game 6 clincher in what should have been his farewell moment. Even with that, the Bulls needed Scottie’s gutsy effort to finish off the Jazz for the 2nd year in a row. The dynasty may have ended, but the Bulls proved to be a team for the ages. I still believe the ‘92 Bulls are the greatest NBA team of all time and they indeed that because they had Scottie Pippen on the team. He may always be in Jordan’s shadow, but he is one of the very best players the NBA has ever seen. His unique skills and talent made him a prototype. We haven’t seen anyone like him since, and we likely won’t again. Thanks for the memories Scottie, Bulls fans will always appreciate you.

Scottie and Michael chillin in the locker room after the 87-86 win over the Jazz in game 6 of the '98 finals. The Bulls 6th NBA championship was the toughest that team faced. Luckily, they had the greatest duo in sports history leading the way.