COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICKS: WEEK 7*

I didn't have any picks last week as I was on vacation. But two weeks ago, I went 4-6-1, which drops my yearly record against the spread to 10-9-2. It's time for me to rebound. As usual, I'll be using the spreads found at VegasInsider.com

Thursday - 7:30 PM - ESPN
South Florida Bulls @ #25 West Virginia Moutnaineers
WVU are the closest thing to a legit team in the Big East. South Florida lost to Syracuse, and struggled to put up points. I'm taking WVU -10.



All other games are on Saturday...

12:00 PM - ESPN3
Pitt Panthers @ Syracuse Orange
This is a pick game, and I'm picking Pitt. Syracuse may be 4-1, but two of those wins came against Maine and Colgate. Pitt has disappointed so far, but it's still Syracuse.



12:00 PM - ESPN2
Maryland Terrapins @ Clemson Tigers
Clemson is favored by over two touchdowns. Granted, they're at home. They're also 2-3, and 0-2 in ACC play. The spread's too juicy, I'm taking Maryland, +15.



12:00 PM - BigTen Network
Illinois Fighting Illini @ #13 Michigan State Spartans
The undefeated Spartans host a 3-2 team, and somehow the spread is only 7 points. MSU -7.



3:30 PM
California Golden Bears @ USC Trojans
OK, so USC isn't good unless they pay their players. But guess what, Cal isn't good either. I'm taking the men of Troy -2.5



3:30 PM - ABC
Texas Longhorns @ #5 Nebraska Cornhuskers
Under Mack Brown, Texas has never lost 3 straight. While I think they'll accomplish this feat on Saturday, they won't do it by many points. Nebraska is good, but won't score enough to cover the spread. They'll thoroughly dominate the game, but won't cover the 9.5. Longhorns +9.5



7:00 PM
Baylor Bears @ Colorado Buffaloes
A pair of half-decent Big XII teams. But I'll sat Baylor is 55% decent, and I'm taking BU -1.

JOHN HENRY, ARE YOU BREAKING UP WITH US?

The owners of the Boston Red Sox are expanding their sporting conglomerate to Old England, purchasing soccer team Liverpool FC. The acquisition itself will cost New England Sports Ventures (NESV) about 300 million Pounds, or $476 million.

That's actually a fairly low price for a world famous soccer club like Liverpool. In January, Forbes Magazine valued Liverpool at just around $1 billion. So why the discount?

Because, as they say in England, Liverpool is in the shit. Both competitively, and financially.

They're currently 18th in the 20 team English Premier League. And in case you don't know, the 18th, 19th, and 20th placed teams in the Premier League are demoted to the minors at the end of each season. It's called relegation.

But it's early in the season, and Liverpool should avoid that fate. At the same time, they'll likely fail to qualify for the European Champions League (a competition between the top club teams in Europe, which also pays out huge cash prizes for qualification, advancement, and winning. The top 4 English teams qualify).

And that brings us to Liverpool's financial woes. The club is 280 million Pounds ($445 million) in debt. That's why they were so cheap to buy. And as part of the purchase, NESV has claimed that they'll repay that debt. So in essence, NESV is paying $476 million to buy the team, then another $445 million to get it out of debt. That's a $921 million total price tag.

You could pay Adrian Beltre $15 million a year, for 61 years, with that money.

I'm not John Henry's financial advisor. I don't care if he makes money or loses money on this deal. I'm a soccer fan, but Arsenal FC is my team, and I'm fairly indifferent to the fate of Liverpool.

But I am a Red Sox fan.

And as a fan, it irks me that our ownership is taking on such a massive undertaking. They want to return Liverpool FC to competetive prominence (18 English titles in their history, but 0 since 1990). They also want to return it to solvency. It's an involved and difficult project that will take time, effort, ingenuity, and resources.

It sounds eerily similar to something like buying a Boston based baseball club in 2002. An historic franchise that hasn't won in awhile, plays in an antiquated facility, and struggles to make money. Is that the Red Sox in 2002, or Liverpool in 2010?

But the competition is much stronger and much higher in number for Liverpool. The Red Sox only had to contend with one New York Yankees. In England, there are several teams with that level of resources and clout. Manchester United, my Arsenal, Tottenham. Not to mention clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City, which are owned by sketchy international billionaires that pour huge sums of cash into their teams.

And it doesn't stop there. Liverpool has to compete with teams from Spain, Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, and so on. These teams are constantly bidding against each other for talent (players are rarely free agents, their contracts are typically bought and sold by teams, for huge amounts of money), not just playing each other on the field.

These teams also compete for fans (and ultimately, money) across the globe. Liverpool has an international following, but not nearly on the scale as Manchester United's, or Real Madrid's.

As a Sox fan, I don't like this situation one bit. The Sox need to be rebuilt, after finishing 3rd. Fenway Park has improved over the past decade, but it's still a 100 year old relic. The Yankees are improving, both competitively, and financially. And the Sox are remaining stagnant. Could you imagine the Yankees front office publicly (or privately), discussing a "Bridge Season?"

How does the purchase of a financially struggling soccer team help the Sox? Is there any synergy? NESN can't broadcast Liverpool games, because like the NFL, the Premier League negotiates TV contracts as a whole. Maybe Liverpool can come to Fenway every summer and play a game. But how much extra cash can that generate? Englishmen hate baseball. And Americans hate soccer.

I didn't mind NESV's acquirement of 50% of a NASCAR team a few years ago. The team had recent success, but just needed an influx of capital. The team's other owners still ran the racing and the business, and it didn't seem like NESV needed to pay much attention to what was going on.

At the same time, it's not as if Roush-Fenway has been a spectacular success. And it's certainly helped the racing team more than the baseball team.

It's disturbing that while the zeal for improving the Red Sox has gradually petered out, it's coincided with this notion of resurrecting Liverpool. There's a new flame in John Henry's life. He has a new challenge. And he'll dive into the dealings of Liverpool FC, and probably hire the right people to turn it around, invest resources properly, and maybe Liverpool will return to the elite echelon of the soccer world.

But it will come at the expense of the Red Sox. Henry and NESV won't let the Sox get worse. But they won't do everything possible to improve them, not like they did back in 2003 or 2004. We'll have more bridges than Madison County around here.

Hopefully I'm wrong. But every time the Sox pinch a penny instead of retain/acquire talent, we can guess that Liverpool FC needs to buy a new midfielder.



Red Sox Nation, John Henry has found someone else. He's not interested in us anymore. It's not us, it's him. Remember, he's from Quincy, Illinois, not Quincy, Massachusetts. And to any Liverpool fans reading this, he's not from Merseyside either, so enjoy his attention and affection while it lasts.

MORE OF THE SAME FROM BRUINS

The weekend the Bruins had in Prague could have been used to sum up the entire 2009-10 season. And that's what worries me. They played uninspired, flat hockey. Then they were sparked, played hard, fought for loose pucks, made smart decisions, and outworked their opponent.

This routine repeated itself over and over last season. The B's would play three great games, then look lackadaisical for a pair of games, then reinvigorated for two more games, then listless for three, et cetera.

It even happens during the game itself. The Bruins consistently play their worst hockey when up by 3 goals. That's absurd. They get careless, they don't fight, they just try to cruise by until the clock hits 0:00. That doesn't work in hockey. And you'd think after what happened against Philadlephia last year, the Bruins wouldn't be so complacent when up 2-0 on Phoenix with 15 minutes of hockey left to play.

I'm also going to relentlessly criticize Tuukka Rask. Why? Because those legions of Tuukka Time Tards gave Timmy "I won the Vezina for Boston" Thomas far too much of the blame for the Bruins' struggles, and gave Rask far too much of the credit for the Bruins' success.

Furthermore, I don't like Rask. I don't like how small he is, I hate his collapsing style, and I hate his face.

Rask was awful in Saturday's game. The Bruins played better in front of Thomas on Sunday, so Timmy was never put in the same unfortunate situations that Rask faced on Saturday. Then again, Rask put himself out of position far too often.

The power play unit was dreadful. When the Bruins had the man advantage, the Coyotes had better offensive opportunities. That problem needs to be immediately addressed. I like Hunwick out there. I don't like Blake Wheeler out there.

On the bright side, Nathan Horton looks phenomenal. And Seguin's poise and comfort during his breakaway goal was impressive.

So while at first I was satisfied with how the Bruins turned things around in their second game out there, I'm going to refrain from commending them for doing so. At least until they've put together a nice long streak of good efforts. I'm not expecting 82 games of playoff-level intensity. But lack-of-effort games like Saturday's should be rare and occasional. At the moment, it comprises half the season.

I'll have a very thorough (although late) season preview for the Bruins before their next game. Which is Saturday night in New Jersey.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

PATRIOTS BRANCH OUT

The Patriots sent a 4th round pick to Seattle for the services of Deion Branch. And everyone who bought a discount Branch jersey from the Pro Shop feels great about it. Although, he'll likely have to wear a different number, as Welker currently owns his old digits.

The critics/haters/morons-who-think-they're-smart out there will deride this deal. "You replace Moss with Branch, just to move up 30 picks in the draft?"

Yes. Because how many problems has Branch created in his career? Branch and the Patriots didn't part on great terms after '05, but there wasn't much animosity. And unlike Moss, there's no wake of destruction left behind him.

Branch is no Randy Moss. He's 7 inches shorter, has never had a 1,000 yard season (had 998 in '05), has never averaged over 15 yards per catch, and only has 20 career TDs.

Branch has only caught 13 passes for Seattle this season, for 139 yards. He'll contribute as a 3rd or 4th option in certain plays. He'll catch a few passes, but won't disrupt defenses the way Randy Moss did.

Nor will he disrupt the locker room. You can pretty much guarantee that. And while Randy hadn't yet disrupted the Patriots locker room, I challenge even the most anti-Moss-trade people out there to attempt to guarantee that for Randy Moss.

Source:
ESPN

MORE THOUGHTS ON MOSS

Child Abduction is Not Funny
Tags: SOUTH
PARKmore...

RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE!!!

After Week 1 of the season, Randy Moss asked the Patriots for a trade. He got his wish. Why? Why now and not in Week 1? Why did the Patriots grant him this, but not a similar request made by Logan Mankins?

Why trade him now and not in Week 1?

The Patriots know that Wes Welker is healthy. They know that Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski will contribute on offense. But what I think is that a guy like Randy Moss might ask for a trade, then a week later ask not to be traded. You don't just trade Moss on a whim. You wait, see if he feels the same tomorrow. There's also a possibility that the situation in the locker room had started to deteriorate. Do you think his teammates were big Randy Moss fans after his post-win tirade in Week 1?

There's already a story about Moss arguing with QB Coach Tom O'Brien during halftime of Monday's game. That seems like a small thing, but is more serious stuff unbelievable? Is it hard to believe that his teammates would get into arguments about Randy Moss, some supporting him, some annoyed by him? Is it hard to believe that the Patriots wanted to end the division before it became a problem? This is all theorizing, but is it an unrealistic theory?

But it would be stupid for Moss to pull any crap in a contract year.

Very true. Although, as great as Moss is, he has a history of pulling stupid crap.



But that's ancient history. So let's try some recent stupid crap-pulling...



But why grant Moss's wish and not Mankins?

Logan Mankins isn't anywhere near the team. He's perhaps not as much of a divisive force as Moss is.

Couldn't the Pats have waited until Moss became a bigger problem?

Perhaps. But the deadline is October 19th.

I don't like this trade. I don't like that it happened. I'm actually upset, and a bit worried that without the defense paying Moss so much attention, guys like Welker and Hernandez might suffer. But I also don't know what's going on day-to-day inside Gillette Stadium's locker rooms.

And guess what, neither do you.

RANDY MOSS TO VIKINGS

DO NOT PANIC! Everybody in this town needs to calm themselves. Randy Moss was traded to the Vikings for a 3rd round pick. That sounds awful. And a complete surprise. Why?

That's the big question: why? And without knowing the why, it's impossible to properly assess this deal. I'll concede that on the surface, it's unnecessary, and it makes the team worse. And I have no idea why the Patriots have done it. That's precisely why I won't criticize or praise them for doing it.

"In Bill We Trust."

It's not just trust in Belichick and the Pats. It's a simple fact: The Patriots know more about what's going on with the Patriots than I do. The Patriots know when a player wants to be traded. They know when a player demands to be traded. They know when a player, who has a history of quitting on plays, demands to be traded.

Let's also not deify Moss. He was and is a great receiver. He's the best deep ball receiver in the NFL today and possibly ever, due to his long stride, height, and strength. Even when not targeted, he absorbed attention from the defense, clearing up the underneath stuff for guys like Welker and Tate.

But he was not an inside receiver, or an underneath receiver. He couldn't block. He hardly ever accumulated yards after the catch. I'm not trying to be the Red Sox here, and demean a departing player. But I haven't been much of a Randy Moss fan lately, and found him to be two dimensional at best.

The Patriots know what they're doing. They wouldn't just dump a talent like Moss on a whim. The trade might be good or bad, but until we know the reasoning behind it, we cannot truly know or opine with any merit.

What I do know is that on October 31st, the Vikings come to Gillette Stadium. That should be more than a little interesting.

WHAT WE LEARNED IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL*

Many things became a bit clearer on Saturday. One thing that's clear is that there'll be no clear choice for the National Title Game. Here are the lessons...

1. MIAMI SHOULD ROLL THROUGH THE ACC

NC State was a contender, but they were slightly exposed by Virginia Tech. Florida State also shouldn't be overlooked. But nobody can beat Miami on paper. On the field, however, Jacory Harris can make some ridiculously token throws, and awful decisions. He'll probably cost the Canes a game this season. But so long as it's not next week against FSU, the U will be fine.

2. TCU WILL GET SCREWED

Stop whining for Boise State, who get the lion's share of the attention for being the non-BCS underdog. TCU could be the team that gets screwed, partially because they play a more simplistic brand of football compared to Boise, and partially because they were ranked 6th in the preseason poll. TCU crushed Baylor, who've otherwise looked decent. They'll also play #25 Air Force and #10 Utah. If they win those games and run the table, they'll deserve a title shot as much as Boise, if not more.

3. THE BIG EAST STILL SUCKS

The SEC has 6 teams in the AP Top 25. The BigTen has 5. The Big XII 4, The Pac-10 and Mountain West each have 3, the WAC and ACC have 2. The Big East have none. West Virginia increased their vote totals and would be 26th, but they were idle. The Big East as a whole went 5-1 on Saturday, all against dreadful competition. Rutgers lost 17-14 at home to Tulane.

4. TEXAS IS SCREWED

The Big XII South remains in doubt, as the Sooners still have to travel to Columbia, College Station, Waco, and Stillwater. But Texas hasn't just lost twice, they've lost their most important conference game, and unlike Oklahoma, they have to play Nebraska.

5. ALABAMA IS CLEARLY THE #1 TEAM IN THE NATION

Tell that to 2 AP voters, and 1 Coaches' Poll voter. The Tide returned most of their offense this year, but only 1 defensive starter came back. Would they be able to play good defense in the SEC? We know now that the answer is "yes." Bama already has two huge conference wins under their belt, which is huge. They'll have to keep it up next week @ South Carolina and future meetings with LSU and Auburn. They also have some nice easy games mixed in there. Go Bama! Roll Tide!

6. OREGON IS PROBABLY THE #2 TEAM IN THE NATION

This is why there should be no preseason poll. In fact, there probably shouldn't be a poll until October. Ohio State is ranked #2 in both polls. Oregon is ranked #3. OSU has a quality win over Miami. Oregon has a quality win over Stanford. OSU barely beat Illinois on the road. Oregon has played two road games and won both fairly easily. I'll take Oregon over Ohio State. At the very least, they're on the same level.

7. IOWA HAS A BETTER SHOT TO WIN THE BIG TEN THAN YOU THINK

What do Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Ohio State all have in common? They all have to play in Iowa City. Iowa just throttled Penn State out there, and as the weather gets cold and windy, it becomes a very very tough place to play. The Big Ten will be a mess all year, and Iowa could very well emerge on top.

8. NOVEMBER 26TH IS 52 DAYS AWAY

Nevada destroyed UNLV 44-26, improving to 5-0. They're 5th in the country with 303.8 rushing yards per game. They're 4th with 44.6 points per game. And they're a decent 40th, allowing only 20.0 points per game. They host Boise State on November 26th, in Reno, NV.

IS IT 2001?

Interceptions, blocked kicks, blocked punts, and tons of returns for touchdowns. Was Troy Brown playing? This was just a very strange football game. Strange, but enjoyably so. When was the last time the Patriots defense and special teams made so many big plays?

It was nice that the defense made Chad Henne look like Chad Henne. I don't think I'm alone when I say that I was worried the D would make him look like Marino, just like they made Ryan Fitzpatrick look like Jim Kelly. At the same time, we shouldn't glorify the Patriots defense and special teams as being playmakers all on their own. The Dolphins contributed with their awful protection on special teams, and Chad Henne's very poor decision making.

But I'll take a divisional road win. And it was as close to a "must win" as you can get in Week 4. The Pats couldn't afford a second divisional loss. And if they hadn't won this road game, doubt may have festered in the Pats' locker room for two weeks.

What's kind of nice is that the Patriots didn't need Tom Brady, Randy Moss, or Wes Welker to have ridiculous games. BJG Ellis was arguably the best performer on the offense, with 76 yards in 16 carries (4.8 per carry), and a touchdown. Danny Woodhead had an eerily Kevin Faulk kind of performance with only 36 rushing yards, 11 receiving yards, but obviously much more than that. Because each of those yards were big. And that one reception he had was for a touchdown.



The offense didn't do much. They didn't have to. It really was all about the defense and special teams making big plays. But they made them by doing their job, and capitalizing on mistakes. That was very 2001-like. Ninkovich's interceptions came because he did his job in coverage, the ball found him, and he caught it. It's not complicated.

I didn't like Vince Wilfork being used as a defensive end. It gave the Dolphins license to run to the other side. And Wilfork was too distant from the point of attack to have any effect. I understand that the Pats are short of DEs. But that shortage shouldn't cause them to also be short of DTs. Wilfork in the middle at least forces the opposing running game further to the right or left. If Wilfork is on the end, half the field is open for a rushing attack.

Let's not get too high from this win. But it is nice, isn't it?

Pats have next weekend off, then host Baltimore on the 17th.

Oh yeah, Tom Brady's 100th (regular season) win as a starter. Fastest QB to 100 wins. Ever.



Photo Credits:
AP Photo