Welcome Back!

I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday.

A few things I learned this weekend:

1) American Gangster is a pretty sweet movie - even in bootlegged DVD form.
2) Your quarterback can be pretty good all year, but it is always the one game that matters most
3) My sister is pretty freaking creative. More on that later in the week.
4) My fiancee is very generous - even in tough times
5) White Christmas' are nice and all, but man is it great driving to and from holiday get-togethers on dry roads
6) LeBron's kids likely had a decent Christmas

With that said, here's a quick recap of what some others are saying around the net to catch you up to speed...

- CBS, NBC and the Fans: 1. NFL Network: 0 (Signal to Noise)

- A slew of bloggers more important than myself chipped in for a Year-in-Review of sorts. (Yahoo! Sports)

- Philip Rivers apparently forgot that he's not a good quarterback. (NFL FanHouse)

- Maybe the Mario Williams pick wasn't so bad after all. (Jim Rome)

- Another long year for Jerious Norwood on the docket? (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

- Could Derek Anderson be heading to Miami? (PFT via FanIQ)

and finally...

- Thanks for all of those fantasy points down the stretch, Reggie. (The Big Lead)

More to come later.

Pick 'Em: Hatin' On The Home Teams

Wrap it up, Larry
After rocking a 4-for-4 last week, I'm not feeling too good about this week. That pesky law of averages, I tell ya.

One thing that I'm sticking with is my love for road teams. I love it when teams that are just plain shitty get extra points because they're at home. Like New Orleans wasn't going to piss all over San Francisco because they're in San Fran? Please. On to this week's picks... Tread with caution, but if I go 4-0 again, I'll have to rub it in your face for not listening.

New England (-5) over INDIANAPOLIS
I thought a bit about taking Washington last week. I felt it was just time for the Pats to at least not cover. I mean the Browns almost did it, why couldn't Washington? Well, about 45 points later, I'm glad I opted for Green Bay getting some love. Until someone at least comes close to beating the Pats, they're a mainstay here. Of course, that "someone" could be Indy...

Houston +3 over OAKLAND
Both teams have lost three games in a row. Houston's passing offense is 4th in the NFL while Oakland gives up 328 yards per game. Their passing D isn't as good as it was last season, and frankly, I'm just not going to back a team that can't sell out a home game.

Arizona +3.5 over TAMPA BAY
With news that Larry Fitzgerald knocked up a cheerleader, he's going to have to earn some more money within the next year or so. There's no time like the present, Fitzy. Go nuts. On the field this time.

Washington -4 over NEW YORK JETS
The Jets are just one of those teams that I can't take without getting at least a touchdown. They don't even play at home when they're home. New York is full of Giants fans - don't kid yourself. Plus Kellen Clemens will be starting, Laveranues Coles is not. Washington has plenty of scoring to do given last week's disaster. Why not take it out on a guy that used to coach for Belichick?


Good luck this week....

Morning YouTubeness: Turn Back the Suckage Clock

Happy Monday, people. While this video is obviously dated as a certain Texans fan was throwing in his vote for Vince Young on draft day, it is the first time I've seen it and think it's pretty funny...all the way down to the repetitive dry-humping.

It's got to be pretty rough to be David Carr right now. Aside from the multi-millions of dollars, the team that he's on chose a 50-year old Vinny Testeverde over him and they actually won. Chalk him up as just another #1 overall to not translate to the NFL. But while you're chalking, check out this video...

Morning YouTubeness: Owen Daniels Lasts 45 Seconds

Good morning. With a little Plain White T's mixed in, some girl named Anna-Megan (from the Houston Chronicle) gets 45 seconds with Owen Daniels - the tight end for the Houston Texans.

Daniels has become the default go-to guy for the Texans this week with injuries to Andre Johnson, Ahman Green and Jacoby Jones. Who else will they pass to? Ron Dayne? Badgers in the house.

If you make it all 45 seconds, make sure to check out the big, black guy in the background who looks like he's there just to make sure the cameras get turned off if Daniels gets any funny ideas. Enjoy.

Late To The Party

Attempting to get back into the swing of things this week, there's plenty of stuff to report.

MDS over at the NFL FanHouse is reporting that several outlets claim Jeremiah Trotter has signed with the Bucs. Odd that Tampa Bay wanted to sign Trotter given his age and their defensive scheme. Barrett Ruud can't be thrilled, but the veteran leadership is always a plus. Right? Right.

Tiki Barber's still running his mouth. While Eli Manning isn't the current target, the former running back just can't let go of his past. Apparently, in his new book titled Tiki: My Life in the Game and Beyond, Barber goes on to lash current Giant's coach Tom Coughlin saying that said coach "robbed" him of his joy of the game. Heaven forbid that the Giants have tough training camps and practices. (Thanks to Dan Benton for the tip)

I, for one, am about sick of Barber. He retired from the game, and while his current job allows him to speak his mind, I've yet to hear him say something about a team other than the Giants. I always liked his brother better anyways.

Dunta Robinson, of Houston Texans fame, was reportedly robbed at gunpoint. In a scary line of incidents like this against athletes, it's good news that Robinson is alright.

And finally, this pretty sweet commercial for LaDanian Tomlinson. Enjoy.

Morning YouTubeness: The Stars At Night...

Good morning, all. It's almost the holiday weekend, which is the last weekend we have to endure before the NFL season officially starts up.

One team that may actually not be as excited as the rest? The Houston Texans. Fear not, Texans fans. Not only do you have a new quarterback in Matt Schaub, but even after he gets sacked 45 times, you'll still have this stellar intro video to keep the crowd going...

Nothing says Football like "Texans vs. Browns." LIVE!!



Oh, and if that's not enough...here's a video that Texans fans are likely to see very, very often as the season progresses.



Update: Just watched that top video again. Think that bull regrets choosing Houston over Mexico?