Friday, December 10, 2004

NFL "EXPERT" PICKS

CHRISTMAS IDEAS

DISCUSSION QUESTION:

ANALYZING THE ANNOUNCERS

 

Happy Friday everyone! Is it just me or as the holidays approach, do want to be at work less and less? Weekends are a beautiful thing!

As promised, today I will be posting some of your thoughts on the Twins announcers. Thank you to all of you who took the time to respond to the questions. We got some great responses and many of them will be posted here today! So, let's get to it, starting with the question itself.

"Mike's" e-mail and questions:

Since XM radio is going to broadcast MLB games this year, I was curious about other team's announcing crew. If you have time, could you address a few of the topics  below regarding the Twins announcers?

voice
knowledge of the game
insights
keeping track of the game situation
sense of humor
knowledge of sabremetrics
objectivity
ability to criticize home team
frequency of cliches?
homerism
attitude towards umps (is he highly critical?)

Thanks...I appreciate both your website and any info you can give me,

 I guess what Mike, and now I, would like to know is a couple of things. First, please tell us who your team is. Second, since XM radio will likely broadcast the radio broadcasts of the game, who are your team's radio announcers? Third, just to add a little bit to this, who are your television play-by-play and color analysts? And finally, please tell us how they are at announcing using the above criteria or measures? Mike was specifically asking about the Twins, but let's get thoughts on as many teams as we can!

With those questions as the background, let's hear what you had to say about the Twins announcers. Unfortunately, I didn't get any response regarding announcers from other teams, but that is ok too. Also, with the big news that the Twins re-signed Brad Radke and offered arbitration to Corey Koskie earlier this week, I will also post some of your thoughts on those and other Twins topics.

From Josh Bucholz- Director of Baseball Operations & Communications for Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks

Thought I would add my $0.02. Twins are still on the air here in Fargo-Moorhead so you know the crews. Due to my job, I have limited access to the sound on the TV broadcasts (it's muted in the press box when the Twins are on). However, in the spring and fall I get a lot of opportunities to watch on TV. I personally think Dick Bremer and Bert Blyleven are highly knowledgeable and highly entertaining. They are not overbearing, and Bert's sense of humor is legendary (farting on Carl Pohlad, etc.). On the radio side of thing, it gets a little touchy for me. Herb is Herb, he should have hung it up years ago but you don't tell someone like Herb to hang it up.he deserves to go out on his own terms. I agree with you that Gordon is "easily excitable" and I would rate him no better than average in knowledge. Gladden is a pitiful color commentator, whether its talking over Gordon's home run calls, blatant "homerism" or criticizing of the umpires. He is much like Joe Sensor on the Vikings broadcasts. very very very hard to listen to. This Twins fan says thank goodness for TV.

From Kenneth Brandt -

Herb should retire. I love Herb, he's been great forever, but he's just losing it. He seems to have a hard time keeping up with the action.

Gordon, I think, has regressed. I used to like Gordon, but the last two seasons have been much less tolerable. I don't know about the getting things wrong -- I can't verify that he gets plays wrong. But, the excitability over routine plays has increased dramatically.

Danny G. is my fav, no doubt. Sometimes he says things that are downright stupid. Sometimes he says things that are very insightful. I think that when he's carrying the company's water pail, he doesn't do all that well. But, when he actually says what he thinks -- he's a gem. He is entertaining, no doubt!

I'm jazzed about the Radke signing. No doubt, this was priority number 1. If you are going to spend money, there's no better place to spend it than on proven, reliable, durable starting pitchers.

From Aaron Kalina -

First of all, let me say that I am absolutely stoked about the Radke signing. That was without a doubt the most important resigning we've had to make since the turn of the century. But, I'm a little curious what Koskie could have found lacking in the Twins last 2 year $8.5 million offer. Is he thinking about signing elsewhere? Does he think arbitration will net him more? Personally, I thought that was a very generous offer for a guy who's missed significant amounts of time in recent years and has seen his play dip noticeably. The important thing though is that he's back to a short term deal. We need to save those extra dollars everywhere possible though in order to retain Johan 5+ years. I'm not a big fan of real long contracts, but he is one I'd be willing to gamble on with a 6 or 7 year deal. Young pitcher that good, maybe he's a guy that comes around once in a generation.

On to the radio broadcasts, I am a huge fan of the team in the booth right now. Like you, Gladden is my favorite, but growing up with John Gordon and Herb Carneal, it's tough for me to dislike anything they're doing up there. I think Gordon is a distinguishable voice of the Twins, which is important. His over excitement at times doesn't really bother me, because it just doesn't match me. Obviously, homerism is appreciated more that it is reviled. Gordon does a good job of keeping track of the game for the listener, probably better than Carneal, which is understandable since he's been around 50+ years. Gladden is the baseball knowledge of the group and his insights are usually pretty good. The sense of humor is probably lacking a little at times, but the excitement and love of the game is evident. There isn't a great deal of criticism towards the home team, but after winning 3 straight division titles, there isn't a lot to complain about right now, so I'd say it's about where it should be. The objectivity is obviously skewed some by the homerism, but again, it's a home team broadcast. Finally, the treatment of umpires is fairly mild, but like all fans of the game, a presence at times. Generally speaking, this is a very enjoyable group though, definitely a cut above Dick and Bert.

From Sam Bergman -

From a dedicated Twins fan who grew up listening to the legendary Harry Kalas call Phillies' games, here's my two cents on the Twins' radio and TV announcing teams. Overall, I love the TV team, and hate the radio team to the extent that when I bumped into John Gordon a few years back in a social situation, I couldn't bring myself to say anything beyond "Oh, hi," and had to leave the room before I did something violent. I've honestly never heard such incompetence on major league airwaves, and it's all the more infuriating since I would prefer to enjoy the games I can't get to on the radio. Honestly, the St. Paul Saints have better radio announcers than the Twins. Ugh. Okay, I'm ranting. Let's get to the specifics.

HERB CARNEAL

voice: Although Herbie's projection and clarity certainly aren't what they once were, I think the nostalgia factor should count for something, and Herb's overall sound is still plenty good.

knowledge of the game: On a cosmic level, encompassing his entire broadcasting career, Carneal is up there with the best. On a more recent level, I don't know that he's really following MLB teams other than Minnesota too closely anymore, and it shows through his frequent mispronunciations and other on-air knowledge gaps.

insights: Again, Herbie isn't what he once was. These days, just keeping track of the on-field action seems to exhaust him, and when he's not describing the play, he generally doesn't say much at all. Not that his partners give him a word in edgewise, anyway.

game situation: I've rarely heard Carneal make a stupid mistake, although he is a bit slow to identify opposing defensive players these days. Overall, Herb has always had a slowish delivery, which I like, partly because it reminds me of Harry Kalas, and partly because it gives him time to choose his words carefully.

sense of humor: He's not a joker, but who from his era ever was? He just does the play-by-play. Would that more of today's SportsCenter wanna-bes would try it.

knowledge of sabermetrics: I doubt he's interested. I also don't think it would improve the broadcast if he were. Live play-by-play really isn't the place for an in-depth discussion of win shares and linear weights.

objectivity: He roots, but not much by today's standards.

ability to criticize: I've never heard him make apologies for a player, but I've never heard him directly criticize one, either.

cliches: Nonexistent.

Homerism: See objectivity.

umps: Calls him as he sees 'em, but I've rarely heard him get exercised about bad calls.

JOHN GORDON

voice: Like a drunk moose trying to imitate Harry Caray.

knowledge of the game: If he had just arrived in the U.S. after a lifetime in India or Siberia, I'd say he was doing fairly well grasping the rudiments of baseball. For a man who actually spends most of the year, every year, watching baseball games, his level of understanding is so low as to make me question his overall intelligence.

insights: Gordo seems to be full of insights concerning his favorite restaurants, the excellence of Cambria countertops, and his analyst's obsession with Harleys. About baseball, he has absolutely nothing to say, and when he does say it, it makes no sense.

game situation: Never gives the score. Frequently only bothers to describe pitches that are put into play. Rarely gets through a game without badly botching the defensive alignment of the opposing team, and frequently has to talk his way through a play several times before he can actually figure out what happened.

sense of humor: Gordo certainly laughs a lot. At what, I've no idea.

knowledge of sabermetrics: "Saber-what-now? That one of your new Harleys, Danny? HAAAA-HA-HA oh my goodness, yes, oh, and there's strike three to, ehhh, well, whoever."

objectivity: It's hard to tell. He seems to favor the Twins in most controversial situations, but since he rarely knows the names of the opposing players, he may just be playing to his strengths.

ability to criticize the home team: Yeah, he'll do it. But usually in nonsensical situations, and never when the situation calls for it.

cliches: Constant, unending, stupid, and infantile. His screeching, slurred version of "touch 'em all" gets uttered not only for every home run, but in absolutely every commercial he narrates.

homerism: Oh, God. Yes.

umps: I don't think he knows they exist. If he did, he wouldn't regularly call "strike three", and then have to follow it up three seconds later with "oh, nope, he lost him."

DAN GLADDEN

voice: classic jock, with more than a hint of redneck (not in an entirely bad way); during play-by-play, adopts a weird, nervous monotone that makes it very hard to tell what's happening unless you're listening quite closely

knowledge of the game: More than adequate. However, his ability to give voice to that knowledge is questionable.

insights: Occasionally quite insightful. Usually generic, repetitive, and not terribly relevant to the game.

game situation: He seems to be more aware of what's going on than anyone else in the booth. Again, though, during the innings in which he is allowed to do play-by-play, his mouth frequently can't keep up with the action on the field, and he trips up badly.

sense of humor: Laughs plenty, but usually at inside jokes referencing road trip events that only he and Gordon are aware of.

knowledge of sabermetrics: openly disdainful of them, for the most part

objectivity: doesn't even try

ability to criticize home team: Gladden's strongest area. When a Twins player screws up, he calls it immediately. And he'll often go into detail in describing why the mistake was made, and whether it was one of those things that just happens occasionally, or whether it should never be seen on a major league field.

cliches: nope.

homerism: yup

attitude towards umps: Like most retired hitters, he believes that wide strike zones are from the devil, and frequently gets exercised if he thinks an ump is giving a pitcher too much of the plate.

DICK BREMER

voice: homey, gentle, great vocal range, more than a hint of native Minnesotan, and a terrific cracking yell for home runs and great leaping grabs.

knowledge of the game: I'd put him up against any other TV announcer in the business.

insights: frequent and usually worth hearing

game situation: He always knows what's going on, and must keep a very detailed scorecard, because his early-inning recall is outstanding.

sense of humor: He's definitely the straight man in this booth, but he's a damn good one. Great chemistry with his partner, and knows exactly how to set him up for easy laughs when the game is slow.

knowledge of sabermetrics: I've heard him mention OPS, and he's talked a fair amount about the Moneyball phenomenon. But overall, he doesn't go much beyond traditional stats.

objectivity: He's been known to tilt towards the home team. You'd never mistake him for Red Barber, but in controversial situations, he's always fair.

ability to criticize the home team: Bremer's weakest point. Almost never criticizes without offering excuses for the player in question. Understandable, but still a mark against him.

cliches: Aside from "GOOONE, a home run!", he mainly stays away from them. He's certainly not auditioning for SportsCenter.

homerism: yeah, a fair amount of that

umps: More than fair.

BERT BLYLEVEN

voice: He should have been on a vaudeville stage. His softly growling delivery makes me giggle before he's even said anything funny.

knowledge of the game: Expert, and knows how to express it. His expertise is undermined a bit by his preference for pitchers over batters.

insights: Split about 50/50 between generic air-filler, and genuinely interesting baseball material.

game situation: Occasionally gets distracted, but may do it on purpose.

sense of humor: Oh, God, is Bert ever funny. I've honestly never heard a funnier sports commentator, and that includes Richie Ashburn, Keith Olbermann, and Craig Kilborn in his SportsCenter prime. From the constant birthday reminders to the frequent in-game digressions to the arguments with Dick over the "circle machine" (telestrator), watching a game with Bert in the booth is almost always hilarious.

knowledge of sabermetrics: Like most players, doesn't have a lot of use for them.

objectivity: Ummmmm, no. Hates hitters, loves pitchers, loves the Twins, hates the White Sox, Yankees, and anyone else who represents a threat to Minnesota dominance.

ability to criticize home team: Sometimes yes, sometimes no. He's never harsh, and he will make apologies, especially for pitchers.

cliches: only the ones he's invented. (Circle Me, Bert, primarily.)

homerism: near-constant, but in the exciting, dignified Russ Hodges way, not in that horrid, creepy Chip Caray way

umps: If the strike zone isn't a mile wide, the guy's a crook.

From Scott Ostman -

As for Twins announcers, here are my thoughts:

Herb - Absolutely love the man. Great baseball voice and hearing it, even if just for a few innings during home games, brings me back to my childhood. Too bad there are times when he sounds a little like a sober Harry Carey and stumbles over his words a bit.

John G. - The almost melodic sound of his sing-songy voice about makes me want to drive into a telephone pole. "Alright, Dazzle...heeere's the windup and the pitch...ohhhhh...he got a hold of that one...way back, wayyyy back, wayyyyyyy back...touch 'em all, Nick Punto..." Sometimes the Chinese Water Torture would be more palatable.

Gladden - At first I didn't like him. Now I do. He has really grown on me and actually provides some decent insight into things.

Dick & Bert - Even though Bert sometimes gets a little too silly, I really like the chemistry between these two. They have really become synonymous with Twins baseball and I actually enjoy their broadcasts.

Anyone want to comment on the crack TV broadcasting team of the White Sox? They make John Gordon sound like Jack Buck
 

Seth's Thoughts

You know, I don't really know what I can add to the above. The quality of an announcer is so subjective and different people see and hear things differently. But I certainly have my opinions on the Twins TV and radio announcers, and I will share them.

But first, I feel the need to explain what I think an announcer's job is. I do not believe that announcers are there for us. By "us", I mean the more advanced baseball fans (so to speak), the fans who like to look for more and look deeper than the surface for information. Their job is to speak to the average baseball fan, the average Twins fan. That is the majority of the people that watch the game. You and I will continue to watch the Twins regardless of the announcers. But their job is to provide basic game coverage and not speak above the regular fan. So, I chose many times to watch ball games without the volume, and if I do listen to the broadcast, it is frequently for entertainment purposes, not to actually learn anything informative.

So, let me express my opinions on the five Twins announcers as I see/hear them:

Dick Bremer - TV Play-by-Play Man

Voice - Great voice for play-by-play. He also does play-by-play for the Gophers basketball team and he is very good.

Knowledge of the game - I fully believe that he knows more than he lets on in his telecast. He does a lot to set up Bert Blyleven for actually explaining situations. Clearly he knows enough to ask him the right questions.

Insights - He is a good speaker and occasionally has a rant or emotional 'speech' and he can be great.

Game Situations - Bremer does a great job of calling the game, setting up the situations, etc.

Sense of Humor - Bremer is funny. But he makes it work usually.

Knowledge of Sabrmetrics - I don't think I have ever heard him discuss any advanced statistical metrics.

Objectivity - I think that his play-by-play is extremely fair.

Ability to Criticize - Bremer is generally a very positive person, especially for the TWins. If there is a situation, even if it is obvious that there was a mistake made, he will ask Blyleven what should have happened. So, he will acknowledge the mistake, but more in a learning situation than a bashing way.

Cliches - Bremer is pretty predictable as to what he will say and how he will react. But he does use a lot of cliches.

Homerism - It's his job. He is a Twins announcer, not an announcer for MLB. At times he is animated in his excitement for the Twins. But I don't think it ever gets offensive. Also, he does his best to put the team and its players in a positive light. I mean, throughout the summer, he kept saying that if the Twins were going to win the AL Central again, it was going to be because of the likes of Mientkiewicz, Guzman, Koskie and Jones. Those of us close to the Twins knew different. It was going to be because of Johan Santana, Lew Ford, Justin Morneau and the young players as well. He kept speaking the company line during the first half about Morneau's defense and how Mientkiewicz should be at first base. Once Mientkieiwicz was gone, Bremer's story changed. This is normal. The same type of thing happened throughout the year with Luis Rivas. No matter how bad he was, Bremer would back him. Again, I don't have a problem with that. You want the fans to think positively, and the fact is, most people that listen just believe what they are spoon-fed. That's why I don't listen to the games sometimes, and if I do, I know to take everything with a grain of salt.  

Umps - He's very fair about it, doesn't bash umps much, if at all.

 

Bert Blyleven - TV Color Analyst

Voice - His voice works for TV. Sure, he doesn't always use the correct word when "Good" or "Well" are involved, but I don't think he is there to be an example of proper English usage.

Knowledge of the game - He played and has been around the game for a long time. Some may criticize, but I don't think you can ever question the game-knowledge of someone with Blyleven's resume.

Insights - Again, I think it is more for the average fan, but Blyleven does a great job of explaining situations in the game. Sure, many of the thoughts are more old-school, the way I was brought up in the game, but that is fine with me.

Game Situations - Loves when guys advance baserunners and do the little things.

Sense of Humor - He definitely thinks he is more funny than he actually is. But he and Bremer do make a good team and work well together and sometimes they say things that are actually funny.

Knowledge of Sabrmetrics - He doesn't use such statistics and I think if you asked him about them, he wouldn't really even care about them.

Objectivity - He talks big about not liking hitters, or other teams, but I think you can tell he is being sarcastic.

Ability to criticize - it is a rarity, but if he needs to point something out for the fans to learn from, he will. But he will preface it by saying that all players make errors and make mistakes.

Cliches - constantly is using them. That is one incredibly annoying thing!

Homerism - Again, he is a Twins fan, and he should be. It doesn't bother me that he cheers for the Twins, while remaining professional about it.

Umps - Generally speaking, he is very fair to the umps. I like when it is clear that a pitch that is called a strike despite being inches outside, he will say it "hit the outer half of the plate."

 

Herb Carneal - Radio Play-by-Play for Home Games (Hall of Famer)

Voice - He does have the perfect old-style voice for baseball games on radio. Doesn't get too excited about anything. However, it is clearly more shaky now.

Knowledge of the game - He has seen a lot. He has so much history in the game and provides many thoughts on it.

Insights - not much, except when he tells stories of the old days. They can be interesting.

Game Situations - I think Carneal is great in this category. You always know what the count is, who is up, everything about the play. He frequently updates the score. He is very good. That said, he makes a lot of mistakes in names and other basic things.

Sense of Humor - Very little.

Knowledge of Sabrmetrics - None.

Objectivity - Again, he's old-school, so he is very objective.

Ability to Criticize - he only does a few innings a game, but he doesn't generally speak too negatively.

Cliches - he really doesn't use a lot of them.

Homerism - Obviously you get more information on the Twins and their players, but that's how it should be.

Umps - Rarely critical.

 

John Gordon - Radio Play-by-Play for Road Games

Voice - Incredibly annoying voice. He overemphasizes the wrong syllables and words frequently. It is very hard to listen to him!

Knowledge of the game - I do think he probably knows a lot, but it really doesn't come across in his broadcast.

Insights - He will sit there and tell stories most of the time. Generally, they have very little to do with the game, or even the right players. He asks the others some really dumb questions.

Game Situations - Because of his stories, it is very difficult to know what is actually going on with the game. He may say that so-and-so is batting, tell a story, and next thing you know, it's a full-count. Terrible! Also, he will frequently say something like, "And Hunter DRIIIVVES the Ball... (as if it could leave the park)... just past the outstretched arm of the shortstop!"

 Sense of Humor - Thinks he is funny. He's not.

Knowledge of Sabrmetrics - None.

Objectivity - None.

Ability to Criticize - Doesn't.

Cliches - He does have a few, but he's not good.

Homerism - Definitely a homer.

Umps - Not too critical.

 

Dan Gladden - Color Analyst, some Play-by-Play too

Voice - He has become better over the past couple of seasons. Still doesn't quite sound completely comfortable, particularly in play-by-play.

Knowledge of the game - Again, he's played and been around the overally game for a long time. He knows what is going on.

Insights - This is where Gladden is at his best. Normally, you get just your standard baseball stories, Gladden will tell better, more appropriate stories.

Game Situation - He does a very good job of explaining what is going on as well as what is happening in the minds of the players.

Sense of Humor - Has really worked on his fake laugh when Gordon says something not even remotely funny.

Knowledge of Sabrmetrics - Doesn't use them, and I'm sure he doesn't care about them either.

Objectivity - I like Gladden because he can be objective. He will tell you what went wrong for either team.

Ability to Criticize - Definitely can be critical, but I know I appreciate that. I may not always agree with his suggestions of what should have been done, but I appreciate that he mentions these things.

Cliches - He uses some "little" cliches, but not excessively.

Homerism - Of course he is a homer. He's a Twins fan and should be, but not annoyingly so.

Umps - He will let you know about the umps. He will tell stories about the ones he has had run-ins with. He also provides information on strike zones of umps and how long or short their leash tends to be.

To summarize, I think that four of the Twins five announcers can be listened to. The lone exception is John Gordon! The others do a good job of explaining things for the average fan. No, they won't give us more 'advanced' fans as much as we might be looking for, but that is ok. Their job is to entertain and to keep more and more people watching or listening to the games. The Bremer/Blyleven combination works. Herb Carneal is in the Hall of Fame, so he was very good. That said, he should retire, soon!

Thanks again for all of you who took the time to respond to this week's question. If you would like to express your thoughts on the topic still, please e-mail me!

NFL "EXPERT" PICKS

It's Week 14, just four more weeks to go. As you can see, I'm way out of contention to win this thing, but there is a huge log jam at the top of the league.

The Vikings play host to the Seattle Seahawks in what should be an entertaining game. The Seahawks have a potentially potent offense, something the Vikings are good at bringing out of other teams. Shaun Alexander is top-level at RB. Matt Hasselbeck, when healthy, can be very good. Darrel Jackson is a talented WR whose only problem is the dropsies. Jerry Rice had a huge game on Monday night. And, with Antoine Winfield injured and out for the next three weeks, the Vikings defense is quite susceptible. Hopefully the Vikings offense can match what the Seahawks offense will. So, who do I pick in a high scoring game, see below:

	Seth Stohs	Melissa Olson	Ben Jacobs	Aaron Gleeman	John Bonnes	Ryan Maus
	SethSpeaks.net	SethSpeaks.net	Hardball Times	Aaron's BB Blog	Twins Geek	Twins Chatter
Oakland @ Atlanta	Falcons	Falcons	Falcons	Falcons	Falcons	Falcons
Seattle @ Minnesota	Vikings	Vikings	Vikings	Vikings	Vikings	Vikings
Cincinnati @ New England	Patriots	Patriots	Patriots	Patriots	Patriots	Patriots
Chicago @ Jacksonville	Jaguars	Bears	Jaguars	Jaguars	Jaguars	Jaguars
NY Giants @ Baltimore	Ravens	Ravens	Ravens	Ravens	Ravens	Ravens
Indianapolis @ Houston	Colts	Colts	Colts	Colts	Texans	Colts
Cleveland @ Buffalo	Bills	Bills	Bills	Bills	Bills	Bills
New Orleans @ Dallas	Cowboys	Cowboys	Cowboys	Cowboys	Cowboys	Saints
Detroit @ Green Bay	Packers	Packers	Packers	Packers	Packers	Packers
NY Jets @ Pittsburgh	Steelers	Steelers	Steelers	Steelers	Steelers	Steelers
Miami @ Denver	Broncos	Broncos	Broncos	Broncos	Broncos	Broncos
San Francisco @ Arizona	Cardinals	Cardinals	49ers	Cardinals	Cardinals	49ers
Tampa Bay @ San Diego	Chargers	Chargers	Chargers	Chargers	Chargers	Chargers
St. Louis @ Carolina	Panthers	Panthers	Panthers	Panthers	Panthers	Panthers
Philadelphia @ Washington	Eagles	Eagles	Eagles	Eagles	Eagles	Eagles
Kansas City @ Tennessee	Titans	Chiefs	Chiefs	Titans	Titans	Chiefs
	Michael Labuda	David Bergner	David Bloom	Vic Quick	Mike Brasel	Jeremy Kovash
	ChiSox Daily	Baseball Savant	Ya Gotta Believe	KDUH-Sports	FFB Guru	Wolf Lake Mgr
Oakland @ Atlanta	Falcons	Falcons	Falcons	Falcons	Falcons	Falcons
Seattle @ Minnesota	Vikings	Vikings	Vikings	Vikings	Vikings	Seahawks
Cincinnati @ New England	Patriots	Patriots	Patriots	Patriots	Patriots	Patriots
Chicago @ Jacksonville	Bears	Jaguars	Jaguars	Jaguars	Jaguars	Jaguars
NY Giants @ Baltimore	Ravens	Ravens	Ravens	Ravens	Ravens	Ravens
Indianapolis @ Houston	Colts	Colts	Colts	Colts	Colts	Colts
Cleveland @ Buffalo	Bills	Bills	Bills	Bills	Bills	Bills
New Orleans @ Dallas	Cowboys	Cowboys	Cowboys	Cowboys	Cowboys	Cowboys
Detroit @ Green Bay	Packers	Packers	Packers	Packers	Packers	Packers
NY Jets @ Pittsburgh	Steelers	Steelers	Steelers	Steelers	Steelers	Steelers
Miami @ Denver	Broncos	Broncos	Broncos	Broncos	Broncos	Broncos
San Francisco @ Arizona	Cardinals	Cardinals	Cardinals	Cardinals	Cardinals	49ers
Tampa Bay @ San Diego	Chargers	Chargers	Buccs	Chargers	Chargers	Chargers
St. Louis @ Carolina	Panthers	Panthers	Panthers	Panthers	Panthers	Rams
Philadelphia @ Washington	Eagles	Eagles	Eagles	Eagles	Eagles	Eagles
Kansas City @ Tennessee	Titans	Chiefs	Titans	Titans	Chiefs	Chiefs

 

CHRISTMAS IDEAS

If you're looking for a great way to organize your family's Christmas Wish Lists, be sure to go to this site, designed by a good friend of mine.

And as I mentioned yesterday, I got my copy of 2004 Hardball Times Baseball Annual over the weekend! It is far more impressive than I ever would have thought. Great articles, get writing, and very interesting and comprehensive statistics. It is well worth picking up for yourself or as a Christmas gift for family and friends who are baseball fans! By it here.

 

And on that note, I am going to call it a day! If you have any thoughts, opinions or questions on any topic, please feel free to e-mail me. Have a great Friday!

 

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