UCLA announced the hiring of Chip Kelly as the school’s new head football coach this morning. Kelly got a five year, $23.3 million dollar deal with a $9 million dollar reciprocal buyout. The hiring was expected. Kelly was interested in the job and met with the UCLA administration last weekend. Kelly also met with officials from Florida last weekend, but the Gators decided to move on yesterday, focusing instead on…
College Football: Top 5 Game Picks for Week 13
It is rivalry weekend in college football. You know what that means? The Iron Bowl, The Game, the Apple Cup. You get my drift. These are all long time rivalry games with major implications. Here are my picks for the top five games today. 1. #9 Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Wolverines: The Buckeyes need to win out in order to have any shot at getting into the college football…
NFL: Thanksgiving Day Picks
Matt Stafford and the Lions face a must win against the Vikings today. Thanksgiving day football is a tradition unlike any other in sports. Nothing beats family, food and football. Here are my Thanksgiving day picks. 11/23 12:30 ET Minnesota -3 At Detroit 44.5: This is a big game for both teams. Detroit traditionally plays well at home on Thanksgiving and this year should be no different. The Lions don’t…
Vallee’s View: Pats Keep Rolling, Crush Raiders
By Michael Vallee It’s amazing how fast perceptions can change over the course of an NFL season. Through four weeks the Patriots record was an unimpressive 2-2 and the only thing preventing them from being 1-3 was a dropped late-game interception by the Houston Texans. New England had the worst defense in the NFL and looming on their schedule was a potentially brutal two-game road swing against the Denver Broncos…
NFL: Dime Package for Week 11
Some thoughts on the week that was in the NFL. 1. Firing coordinators in-season is a way of life in the NFL. I feel bad for Mike McCoy of the Broncos and Ken Norton Jr. of the Raiders but the reality is, there were experienced alternatives already on staff. 2. The Chiefs loss to the Giants just reinforces the notion that I am a fool. I was foolish enough to think…
College Football: Dime Package for Week 12
Some thoughts on the week that was in college football. 1. I can live with Alabama, Miami, Oklahoma and Clemson for now but I have a feeling that will change drastically in the next three weeks. I still think Wisconsin is getting screwed. 2. I like Ohio State but even if they win out, I don’t think they should get into the college football playoff. They’ve lost two games including…
Patriots Pulse Recap: Patriots 33 Raiders 8
Game Rewind: The Patriots dominated the Raiders from start to finish en route to 33-8 win in Mexico City. The Patriots scored on their opening drive and never looked back. Here are five thoughts on the Patriots dominant performance. 1. Strong Start: The Patriots took it to the Raiders from the opening kick off. Oakland picked up a first down on their first possession but did nothing again until the…
Patriots Pulse Preview: New England Patriots (7-2) at Oakland Raiders (4-5)
The Patriots will battle the Raiders in Mexico City in a game that has playoff implications for both teams. The Patriots need to win in order to keep pace with the Steelers in the race for the number one seed in the AFC. For the Raiders, they need to win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Here are five keys for the Patriots in this game. 1. Handle the Altitude:…
Fantasy Football: DFS Picks for Week 11
By: Jared Leonard This week we’re attacking the main Sunday slate and again we want to do it with some studs, balance, and value. Quarterbacks: Some great options at QB this week from high price to mid range choices. Tom Brady, Patriots- Always a great option and facing a bad Oakland secondary. Alex Smith, Chiefs- Facing a Giants team that looks like they don’t want to play football anymore. KC…
NFL: Week 11 Picks
Andy Reid and the Chiefs have an opportunity to get back on track today. Week 10 was meh for me but I like some of the match ups this week and I’m feeling lucky. I have a good handle on some of these games and I am ready to advise you on what teams to pick. Here goes! 11/19 1:00 ET Detroit -3 At Chicago 41: The Bears can’t score…