It was a wild week in the NFL. Let's sort through the rubble...

1. Bears (1) - Another week, another dominant victory for Da Bears.
2. Colts (2) - The Colts may have actually benefitted from losing Edge and going to more of a split carry backfield.
3. Broncos (3) - It's certainly not Jake Plummer's fault the Broncos lost to the Colts.
4. Chargers (5) - Phillip Rivers has been able to step in and lead the offense just as well as Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger did in their first years.
5. Patriots (6) - Speaking of Tom Brady, he and his Pats are ready to host the Colts (again) in what could be the game of the season.
6. Giants (7) - It looks like the only team capable of keeping the Bears from going to the Super Bowl is the Giants.
7. Bengals (4) - Note to the Bengals: you must protect that house!
8. Jaguars (11) - Could the Jaguars be better off with Gerrard in the line-up? I still don't think so, but I've been driving the Leftwich bandwagon ever since his days at Marshall, so maybe someone else should decide.
9. Cowboys (12) - That QB switch sure smelled like desparation, but you can't argue with the results (so far).
10. Eagles (8) - Like the Bengals, the Iggs appear to be having problems at home. Might be all the booing. Or perhaps my causality is reversed.
11. Panthers (9) - Defense took the third quarter off.
12. Seahawks (10) - Not bad for a team missing the League MVP and their starting QB.
13. Ravens (17) - Made the Cinderella Story of the season look absolutely mediocre.
14. Falcons (18) - Is Michael Vick really making the Leap? The beginning of Steve Young's career was very similar to the beginning of Vick's...
15. Chiefs (16) - I continue to be really impressed by the way Damon Huard has stepped in in place of Trent Green.
16. Vikings (14) - You can't crap the bed at home like that - you got paying customers to worry about.
17. Steelers (13) - Ben Roethlisberger has thrown two more TD passes to Raiders players than Aaron Brooks has.
18. Saints (15) - Emotion can only carry you so far - have the Saints hit that wall?
19. Rams (19) - Host the Chiefs this week in the Battle for Missouri Bragging Rights.
20. Buccaneers (20) - After two magical weeks, the Bucs came crashing back down to Earth - hard.
21. Redskins (22) - It's now or never for the Skins as they play host to the greatest rivalry in professional sports.
22. Jets (21) - Just when you thought they might make a backdoor playoff run, they go and lose in Cleveland.
23. Browns (24) - The Browns showed why they were a trendy darkhorse pick, but the rest of the season shows they still have a season or two to go before they can contend.
24. Dolphins (23) - Even a week off can't stop the Dolphins' descent.
25. Packers (27) - Ok, so their 3 wins haven't exactly come against the cream of the crop, but this season is proving to be quite a bit less miserable than the last one.
26. Titans (29) - Vince Young appears to be ready to contribute already.
27. Bills (25) - Host the Packers, who have become the sharks of the bottom of the barrel.
28. 49ers (26) - The Bears got the roll-over version of the 49ers.
29. Raiders (31) - Screw Steve Smith; the Raiders are 1-0 since the return of Jerry Porter to the line-up.
30. Texans (28) - Now Texans fans can hate the front office for skipping Vince Young as much as they hate them for skipping Reggie Bush.
31. Cardinals (30) - The Matt Leinart Era hasn't exactly got off to a glowing start, but you can't pin that on him.
32. Lions (32) - The Matt Millen Era has been a total disaster, and you can completely pin that on him.

On Saturday, I got the chance to watch most of the college games I listed last week, and here are my observations...

(Thursday) Virginia Tech 24, Clemson 7 - Whoa! Don't write off the Beamer's squad just yet, apparently. Now that the Tigers trail BC by a game and since the Eagles have the tie-braker in hand due to their OT win vs. Clemson earlier this season, this loss just about spells the death blow to Clemson's season. Their only real hope is that they can beat Maryland, then Maryland can turn around and beat BC, setting up a three-way tie atop the division. As for VaTech, they still trail Georgia Tech by a game and the tie-braker, and the only ACC opponents the Yellow Jackets have remaining are NC State (who suck this year), Duke (who suck always), and UNC (ditto), so it looks like too little too late for the Hokies to take the division, but they still have only two losses, so a decent bowl game could still be in their future.

Oklahoma 26, Missouri 10 - I didn't catch this one, as it wasn't on in my area, but Oklahoma seems to have made a statement. That statement being that they and Texas are still the class of the conference, better by far than anything the North division has to throw at them. Unfortunately for the Sooners, they've already lost to Texas, and the Longhorns look like they are going to put together an undefeated Big 12 season, so the opportunity for them to win seems to be behind them, barring a miracle (half of which almost happened in Texas' near-loss to Texas Tech). As for Missouri, the loss was dissapointing, but they are still tied for the lead in the Bog 12 North with Nebraska, a tie which will be broken this week when the two of them meet.

Notre Dame 38, Navy 14 - 43 wins in a row for Notre Dame. I think it's high time they took this game off the schedule.

Penn State 12, Purdue 0 - I napped on and off during this game, but I didn't miss anything.

Florida 21, Georgia 14 - the World's Largest Cocktail Party went to the Gators in a game as entertaining as that match-up usually is (especially in the post-Spurrier era). Florida kept their National Title hopes alive, and they seemingly have the SEC East locked up.

Georgia Tech 30, Miami (FL) 23 - A huge win for Georgia Tech, who, as mentioned above, now have the ACC Coastal division in hand, even with Virginia Tech's win over Clemson. For Miami, this is another in a string of dissapointing seasons, and Larry Coker's fate is just about sealed.

Maryland 27, Florida State 24 - This win was really big for the Maryland football program, which looked to be falling off the face of the Earth after back-to-back 10 win seasons not too long ago. The Terps are tied atop the leaderboard with BC; both schools have one conference loss apiece. But things don't get any easier - the last 4 dates on their schedule are against Clemson, Miami, Boston College and Wake Forest. As for the Noles - they are now 2-4 in conference (read that again...) and 4-4 overall. The boosters think Bobby Bowden has lost it and he needs to step down for the good of the program, but I remember this exact same discussion taking place about an iconic figure in Western Pennsylvania a few short seasons ago.

Tennessee 31, South Carolina 24 - Tennessee got the win, but you didn't think Steve Spurrier was going to let Phil Fullmer off the hook easily, did you?

UPSET OF THE WEEK: Oregon State 33, Southern California 31 - wow, I did not see this coming. Well, actually, I kinda did...USC hadn't been playing dominant ball and I figured sooner or later it would catch up with them, but I thought it would come against Oregon, California, or Notre Dame - not the against Beavers.

RUNNER UP UPSET OF THE WEEK: Oklahoma State 41, Nebraska 29 - Just more proof that the Big 12 North still sucks. Hey Big Red, you still feeling that firing of Frank Solich?

Obviously, this season has been going badly for the Redskins. It vexed me to no end, because the hopes were high going into this season that the Skins had made all the right azquisitions and were poised to build on a teriffic finish to their last campaign. But the fact of the matter is, out expectations for this team were way too high for this season.

In 2004, Coach Gibbs came back running the offense he used to run in his first term - an offense that was about 11 years past its time. That first year, it worked miserably. No one had any idea what they were doing, and they couldn't score any points; it was embarassing, frankly, whenever they took the field. The second year, partly because of its novelty, partly because of good personnel acquisitions (read: Santana Moss), and partly because the rest of the offense now knew what they were doing, the unit ran decently well and allowed the defense to take the Skins into the playoffs.

But that offense was maxed out - the Skins were only 11th in the League in offense that year, and they ran that scheme about as well as you can run it. And when they got into the playoffs, the really good defensive teams that don't get thrown by novelty just ate the offensive unit for lunch in the playoffs. For two forgetable games (even though one was a win!), the Skins offense looked like 2004 again. A change had to be made.

So, keep in mind that I completely support the hiring of Al Saunders, even though I am about to blame it for this season being such a mess, because in order for the Redskins to go deep into the postseason, they needed to be running a modern offense - and the Al Saunders offense is the best one there is.

But the system takes time. And working in Brandon Lloyd, Antwaan Randle El, and a completely new offense takes time. Lots of time. Like, maybe a whole season. Just like in 2004.

And then next year, next year, when the system is in place and people know their assignments, that's when we'll see the payoff.

We were right - all the pieces were in place. And they still are. But you can't just have the pieces to the puzzle and call it done. You have to put it together. Right now, they're putting the pieces of this offense together. Expecting that process to take a few minicamps and 4 preseason games was foolhardy.

So, Skins fans, be patient. This year isn't our year. We should be focused on next season, and making sure everyone stays around so they can run it right. And, no, throwing Jason Campbell to the wolves right now is not the right idea. The last thing an offense needs at this point is to be led by a kid with no NFL starts. Let's let the rest of the players get their acts together before we try throwing in another combustible element into the mix.

There is no magic pill. This offense isn't just going to get better by changing one element. It has to get better slowly, as the players adjust to their new, well, everything.

And if the defense is going to show it's weaknesses, well, this is the season for it. Expose needy areas so the team can address them. For instance, it's obvious now that we need another really good CB really badly. Would you rather learn that fact now, as the offense is struggling with its issues, or next season, when the offense is in playoff form?

So, what I'm saying is, we need write this season off - chalk it up as one big, long learning experience that in the end will benefit the team more than we know; understand this was the year when the learning curve was traveled, so that 2007 could the year of ascension. And forget about winnning the division or even going to the playoffs. Just watch for improvement. And the improvement will be there, by the end of the season. Remember in 2004, when the Skins upset the Vikings the last week of the season and Randy Moss stormed off the field he was so upset? Well, Saturday on week 17 we're hosting the Giants, and I'll say right now the Giants had better hope they don't need that game like Minnesota thought they needed the game in '04.

College Ball week 9 starts this evening, and so with that in mind, I bring you the primer.

Tonight, 7:30 - Clemson vs. Virginia Tech - I believe this is interdivisional, but both of these two teams are right now in airtight races for their respective division's crown and a spot in the ACC Title Game, so it is dreadfully important nonetheless. And with one loss and ranked 10th, Clemson still has (a very, very outside) shot at a National Title, but they absolutely can not afford a second loss if they want to keep that alive. Great match-up.

Saturday

12:00 - Oklahoma vs. Missouri - In recent years, this wouldn't be much of a game, but Missouri still has but a single defeat and Oklahoma isn't quite as strong as they have been in the past, although they are still good enough to be favorites here. Like Clemson/VaTech, this is interdivisional, so a loss isn't crucial to either team, but it'll give us a great idea of where exactly these two programs stand.

Notre Dame vs. Navy - Notre Dame has won this match 42 years in a row, and this is probably not the season for Navy to end that streak, but they are a good team so an upset is possible.

Penn State vs. Purdue - Both of these two programs have seen better seasons, but this is a classic Big 10 match-up between two of the more storied programs who are each somewhat decent this season, so it's worth the viewing.

3:30 - Georgia vs. Florida - ah, the World's Largest Outdoor Cockatil Party. Whenever two of Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee get together, it is going to be a very important game, and it is usually a very competitive, and highly enterteining one as well. Florida is currently the better of the two teams, and they have developed a knack for beating Georgia in this game, but never count out any team when two of the three SEC East powerhouses are involved in the same contest.

Miami (FL) vs. Georgia Tech - Larry Coker is as lame s a duck can be without having his firing be officially announced yet. But the Hurricanes can still make something out of the season - their ACC record is 2-1. Georgia Tech has been playing outstanding football lately, and they would like nothing better than to take advatage of an unusual simultaneous down year by the Canes and the Hokies and grab the division, but they need to win this game in order to do that.

7:00 - Florida State vs. Maryland - Amazingly enough, this game means more to the Terrapins, who are still 2-1 in conference, than it does for the Noles, who have lost 3 - 3! - ACC contests already this year. The Terps haven't looked like worldbeaters by any stretch, but they have played some nice games and still have contests against BC and Clemson upcoming, so a divisional title is still a possibility. They can't lose against a weakened FSU team and expect to go anywhere, though.

7:45 - Tennessee vs. South Carolina - South Carolina, of course, faces a talent gap when going up against any of the SEC powerhouses, but they have Steve Spurrier, so you always have to watch out. Tennessee absolutely, positively, can not afford a loss here.

On the NBA Draft...

A couple years ago, the NBA decided to follow the NFL's lead and impose an age restriction on young players wanting to enter the NBA Draft. Specifically, they decided to require that a player be at least one full year out of high school - essentially forcing them to go to college for at least one season. The idea has been attacked as racist, unAmerican, and from every other concievable angle. But the fact of the matter is this - it is a good idea, and the people who argue that the kids are being treated unfairly need to reexamine how much this is protecting the kids who would be mislead by agents who have their own agenda.

Think about the life of a star basketball player on his high school team. Everyone is kissing his ass 24/7. He's banging any chick he waves his erection at, and he's being told by everyone how great he is. All he needs is some jackass local agent breathing in his ear, telling him how he's a sure-fire first round pick, trying to score a big deal on his contract, and he'll be perfectly willing to throw away his NCAA eligibility and his opportunity to prove to NBA teams that he can preform at a higher level.

The last year high school seniors were allowed to enter the draft, many of them were taken in the second round, which in the NBA means you're probably not making the team. Others weren't drafted at all. Not even close to the guaranteed millions that they thought they were in store for, these players now face years in the NBADL, or playing in Europe, or giving up on basketball altogether. And worse, they don't even have the option of going to college and improving their draft stock.

A big arguement against the NBA age minimum is that no one makes a stink about it when baseball players get drafted out of high school and never go to college (Cal Ripken is one example among thousands). But baseball players can be drafted without losing their college eligibility. If a player doesn't like the round he was drafted in, he can go to college and try to improve his standing. Not so with a basketball player, who must first sign with an agent and then declare himself eligible for the draft, thus ending his NCAA eligibility.

Of course, there is also the level of play. The NBA and college ball have both seen a decrease in the overall skill level of their players, because the best players are skipping college ball altogether and that hurts their development. College ball is very important to all players, regardless of skill level, because that is usually the first time for these kids that they are not, by far, the best players on the court. It makes them less selfish, and eases the transition to the NBA. LeBron James is probably the only player who hasn't noticeably been adversly affected by skipping out on college. Note that Kevin Garnett is considered the best NBA player to not have a championship ring, and the most common criticism leveled at KG is that he doesn't make his teammates better, and that Kobe Bryant was so unhappy sharing the spotlight that he forced the Lakers to trade Shaq and he is currently on a team where he can put up enough shots to score 80odd points, but can't win a title.

But in the end, it's the players we have to be concerned about, and the current arrangement gives the players the best protection, no matter how counter-intuitive that may seem.

I'll get to the NFL Rankings in a second, but first I wanted to share this beautiful article I found on ESPN.com today. Basically it says that the World Series received a record low rating on Saturday. It was so shitty, in fact, that baseball and Fox have decided to start the World Series on Tuesday Nights beginning next season. Reread that last sentence, only this time keep in mind that it actually says that Fox decided the World Series needed to start on Tuesday, and Bud Selig said, "Yessir, Mr. Murdoch, I am your bitch!"

I wish that Paul Tagliabue would challenge baseball to have the World Series start on Monday Night, so game 1 could go up head to head against Monday Night Football. He could even promise that they would pick the worst possible match-up out of the schedule for that week (think Arizona vs. Oakland). Baseball would never do it, though, because they know that even a regular season match-up featuring two teams with one win total would beat the pants off the World Series. But still, it would be funny to see Goodell make Selig back down from that challenge.

Anyway, enough of that, onto the rankings!

1. Bears (1) - Still the one, that makes me shout, still the one I dream about, we're still having fun, and you're still the one.
2. Colts (2) - Moved closer by finally putting together another dominant performance.
3. Broncos (3) - The best defense no one is talking about, and maybe the best defense, period.
4. Bengals (6) - It's been quite a roller coaster for the Bengals already - can they emotionally keep up with this bumpy of a ride?
5. Chargers (4) - Playing in Kansas City is tough, and the Chargers showed true grit coming back from a huge defecit, but still, you want to be winning when your divisional opponent has Damon Huard in in place of their starting QB.
6. Patriots (11) - No wide receivers? No problem!
7. Giants (12) - The team least talked about in the NFC East during the offseason, New York currently finds itself where it ended up last season - in first place.
8. Eagles (8) - You can't figure on the other team nailing a 62 yarder as time expires, but you can't find yourself on the wrong end of a decision against a 1-4 team, no matter the venue or the circumstances, if you're trying to be a Super Bowl Championship caliber team.
9. Panthers (10) - Sure, great teams don't look for moral victories, but Carolina's performance - losing by but a figgie in the home stadium of a likely playoff team and possible Super Bowl participant - showed a lot.
10. Seahawks (5) - Suddenly it appears as though the Super Bowl Losers' Curse might be alive and kicking, after all.
11. Jaguars (7) - Ummmm, what the hell was that?
12. Cowboys (9) - And the Cowboys become the second team this season to start the Quarterback Carousel (Miami was the first - Kansas City and Oakland are playing their back-ups due to injury).
13. Steelers (13) - Ok, we're still not sure what kind of a team Atlanta has, so we'll give the Steelers a break on that one.
14. Vikings (17) - Ok, everybody who looked at the schedule before the season and said, "when Minnesota comes to town, Seattle's home winning streak is over" raise your hands. Put your fucking hands down, you liars!
15. Saints (14) - Keep your eyes glued to the television when the Ravens go to New Orleans - methinks that one of these two teams is going to be exposed.
16. Chiefs (19) - I was worried about how their offense would look with Herminator at the helm; it's been up and down, but considering Damon Huard has been under center, you have to be impressed with an outburst like Sunday's.
17. Ravens (15) - Let's see how the new offense looks in the new Toughest Venue To Win At In All Of Sports.
18. Falcons (18) - The most difficult team to figure out in the NFL, or the easiest - I'm not sure which, yet.
19. Rams (16) - I still maintain the Rams are living on borrowed time and that will be proven when they travel to San Diego this week.
20. Buccaneers (20) - The Buccaneers would like to announce that their season isn't quite over yet (but they are still 2-4).
21. Jets (22) - Everyone who had wagered on the Jets being among the top 2 teams to start the Quarterback Carousel, hang your heads in shame.
22. Redskins (21) - Dan Snyder is paying those WRs a lot of money for Mark Brunell to be ignoring them like that.
23. Dolphins (23) - I didn't think the Dolphins would be great, but I didn't think they would be a trainwreck, either.
24. Browns (24) - And who started the offseason rumor that this team was going to be respectable this season?
25. Bills (25) - Proved that the week one almost win was definately a fluke.
26. 49ers (27) - Boy, I sure hope the 49ers cooked up something real good over the bye week, because they're headed to Chicago.
27. Packers (29) - It's nothing to write home about yet, but that Packer defense is going to be quite adaquate in the coming seasons.
28. Texans (31) - Not quite sure where they came up with that, but the real important question is, "do they have anymore?"
29. Titans (28) - Host the Texans in the Stinkbomb of the Week.
30. Cardinals (26) - Losing to Oakland earns the Cards a trip to 30.
31. Raiders (32) - In celebration of their glorious victory, I'll let them out of the dungeon for a week.
32. Lions (30) - Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the Detroit Lions into the race for Brady Quinn!

The World Series kicked off this weekend, with the Cardinals taking game one on Saturday and the Tigers winning game two on Sunday. While it is refreshing to see two teams not from New York in the Series, I find myself apathetic. That's not necessarily a bad thing. I've watched plenty of Super Bowls feeling apathy (Tampa Bay vs. Oakland is the most egregious recent example), but I still watch them, because I follow professional football every week and I want to see how the story ends. But that isn't the case with baseball, where my team - the Orioles - is usually out of it by late July and I find myself wanting to watch or think about anything OTHER THAN baseball. The system is so fucked that by the time the World Series rolls around, I'm not only apathetic, I'm disinterested.

Speaking of which, tragically, baseball just came to a new labor agreement. No salary cap, of course; just an extension of the worthless "luxury tax" system which has been so effective in curtailing the spending of big market clubs that George Steinbrenner only rolled out a team with a $200 million + payroll this season, about 14 times the payroll of the Florida Marlins (and by the way, I find it just as obscene that the Marlins owner is allowed to spend what he spends as I find Steinbrenner's spending). Bud Selig preposterously claimed that baseball had, and I'm quoting here - "more parity than any other sport." Selig is one of the few people that, if I met him in the street, I would punch him in the face. Seriously, what a worthless piece of shit he is.

Anyway, Tigers in 6.

The last couple Saturdays have been really busy for me, so I haven't had the opportunity to sit down and watch some college ball for some time, although I have kept an interested eye on the scoreboard, so I still have a pretty good idea of what is going on.

The SEC is canabalizing itself once again - since it is the best conference in all the land that paradoxically makes it damn near impossible for it to produce a national champion because of how difficult it is for these teams to be facing each other week in and week out. It's one more reason college ball absolutely needs a damn playoff and until it gets one, there is no sense in talking seriously about any "National Champion". As far as I am concerned, the best team in the country is whoever comes out of that conference.

Anyway, the games I'm looking forward to on Saturday include:

12:00 - Texas vs. Nebraska - True, these are two overrated and overhyped schools in the country's most overrated and overhyped conference, but it is an important game in the context of that conference, as these two teams are the best (or least horrible) teams in their respective divisions and this could be a preview of the Big 12 Title Game. Also, there ain't shit else on at noon on Saturday (this week's slate of games is, unfortunately, very week), so I'll be watching.

3:00 - South Carolina vs. Vanderbilt - Ok, so Vanderbilt's win over Georgia was probably the fluke by which all other flukes should be judged, but just in case I got this one on my list.

3:30 - Boston College vs. Florida State - Like the SEC, the ACC has purged itself of all potential National Championship contenders (although unlike the SEC, the ACC really had no schools worthy of such consideration), making the conference a wide open one. BC beat Clemson, and Clemson beat FSU, so this is a must win game for the Seminoles to get the three powerhouses back to all square. If the Eagles win, they can seemingly coast to the title game.

Iowa vs. Michigan - The Wolverines should win easily, but Iowa is a good team so an upset is possible.

Alabama vs. Tennessee - As far as interdivisional rivalries in the SEC go, this is probaly tops, because the two schools are not far apart at all. So even though they only play each other every other year, there is bad blood here. It's always entertaining when they get together, and Saturday should be no exception; my game of the week.

5:45 - Rutgers vs. Pittsburgh - The little team that could keeps right on chuggin', but this may be their hardest date yet. Pitt was undefeated until a couple weeks ago, and if the Scarlet Knights are still undefeated after this week, they just might deserve that top 20 ranking.

7:45 - Georgia Tech vs. Clemson - I think this match-up is interdivisional, but the ACC's divisional structure is so whacked that I'm not sure. Either way, both teams are fighting for a spot in the ACC title game, and neither can afford losses. Like Texas/Nebraska, this is a potential Conference Title Game preview.

NFL Power Rankings: Week 7

1. Bears (1) - So far ahead of everyone right now that even had they lost they'd still be number 1.
2. Colts (2) - Washington comes into Indy this week as the third consecutive opponent the Colts should dominate; will they finally make a statement?
3. Broncos (4) - Those calls for Jay Cutler are awful quiet right now.
4. Chargers (6) - All of his fantasy owners should be excited that Tomlinson is up to his old tricks.
5. Seahawks (5) - Josh Brown's leg is quite a good weapon to have up your sleeve.
6. Bengals (3) - Even I'm having a hard time believing in Cincinnati right now.
7. Jaguars (7) - This week the Jags have Houston, next week they travel to Philly; could the Jags be caught looking ahead?
8. Eagles (8) - Ya, they lost, but the SuperDome might be the toughest place to play a road game this season.
9. Cowboys (10) - Everybody who thinks that the problems in Dallas for TO are over raise your hands; ya, me neither.
10. Panthers (12) - I think the question of who is the best WR in the NFL has been answered for a while.
11. Patriots (9) - A win over Buffalo this week should seal the division; not just because they'll be 2 games up with a 4-0 division record - I'm not sure anyone else in the division is going to win 5 games.
12. Giants (11) - In a division where every game is critical, this week's Monday Nighter in Dallas looms like a colossus on the schedule of both teams.
13. Steelers (16) - The Super Bowl Champions finally make their first appearance.
14. Saints (20) - It's time for even the hardest headed of us to admit it; the Saints are a good team.
15. Ravens (15) - Brian Billick has fired OC Jim Fassel - ya, because things were going so well offensively before he showed up.
16. Rams (18) - The Rams won't be any better than "decent" until they find a way to win games like that one (as the Saints did).
17. Vikings (17) - At 3-2 and coming off their bye week, this upcoming trip to Seattle will say a lot about whether the Vikings are capable of making a postseason run.
18. Falcons (14) - They got roughed up pretty badly...
19. Chiefs (13) - ...but not nearly as badly as that.
20. Buccaneers (21) - Well, it took a while, but that was a hell of a way to get your first win; things don't get much easier, though.
21. Redskins (19) - The Bengals and Bills also lost to previously winless teams, but at least they had the decency not to do so in front of their own fans.
22. Jets (23) - 3-3 doesn't exactly make them world beaters, but the Jets are exceeding expectations at this point.
23. Dolphins (22) - Do you think the Rams might be interested in trading Frerotte for a 1st rounder? Or are the Dolphins planning on using that first rounder on Brady Quinn?
24. Browns (24) - I hope the Browns used their bye week wisely; the Broncos are coming to town.
25. Bills (26) - Get a second opportunity to make that statement they blew in week 1.
26. Cardinals (27) - Leinart looked good again, but you have to find a way to win that game.
27. 49ers (25) - Interesting team; they can win against opponents who are close to their level, but when they play good teams they don't bother showing up.
28. Titans (30) - The Vince Young/Matt Leinart battle has already begun. And both are off to solid starts.
29. Packers (29) - The Pack can take solace in the fact that their upcoming trip to Miami is only the runner-up for Stinkbomb of the Week (behind Arizona at Oakland).
30. Lions (31) - With this week's game against the Jets, the Lions have the opportunity to put together a little winning streak heading into their bye.
31. Texans (28) - They should call themselves "the doctors", because this is who teams play when they need to get well.
32. Raiders (32) - At what point should Charles Goodell intervene and start running the Raiders himself?

Hockey season is under way, and I wanted to get a few words down on what is quickly becoming my second-favorite sport.

As many of you know, the NHL hit rock bottom in what was supposed to be the season of 04-05 when the owners and the players union failed to come to terms on a CBA and the season was ultimately canceled. However, sometimes you need to hit rock bottom before you can begin the slow crawl back up, and I think that that is exactly what we saw here in this instance. The NHL needed a salary cap, the owners knew it, and they would not start play again without one. The players resisted, but in fact the outcome will prove to benefit all in the end. If you look at what the cap has done for the NFL, it is clear to any thinking person (read: anybody except apparently David Stern, Bud Selig, and the swarms of sports columnists who are constantly sucking up to big market teams and going on about how sports leagues "need" franchises in New York, Boston, LA, etc., to be successful), that the correct way to run a league, if you want to capture a nationwide audience, is to create an environment where any team can win. People will go and see a winner; that is why baseball is so popular in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Houston, St. Louis, Chicago, and virtually nowhere else. Those are the markets where the teams are capable, playing under the current economic format, to compete. In the same vein, the NHL was hugely popular in Detroit, where the team won a regular basis, and pretty much no where else. That WILL change with the salary cap. The Red Wings will retain their huge fan base, just as the Cowboys, Redskins, and other huge market, historically successful NFL franchises retained their fanbases in the cap-era, while the other teams will become popular because the fans will know that their team is either a contender right away, or is in the process of becoming one. Will the NHL ever be as popular as the NFL? Certainly not in our lifetime, but the NHL could reestablish itself as the 4th major sport and might even pass basketball (which is a horrible sport to watch). Add in the rule changes, which make the game more exciting and better to watch, and the advent of HDTV, which does more for watching hockey than any other sport, and the future of the NHL looks bright.

Anyway, as for this season, my main concern, being a Capitals fan, is the continued development of Alexander Ovechkin, who is already one of the League's elite players, and the slow development of a set of complimentary pieces around him. League-wide, I understand that the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim are chief among the Cup favorites this season, although that means almost nothing in the NHL.

Anyway, that's what I got this morning. Tomorrow I'll have the new NFL power rankings.

NFL Week 6 Power Rankings:

Ya, this blog has turned into just NFL Power Rankings, but the cable guy is coming tomorrow to install my internet so soon I'll be able to post more regularly. Anyway, here's how the NFL looks to me right now:

1. Bears (1) - How can anyone argue?
2. Colts (2) - They appear to be pulling the same routine that USC was doing last season, and we all know how that turned out for the Trojans.
3. Bengals (3) - Took the week off and now they get to play Tampa Bay; I'm not sure which is tougher.
4. Broncos (6) - That week 1 loss to St. Louis seems a long way away now.
5. Seahawks (4) - I hope they got their shit together in the bye week after the stinker in Chicago.
6. Chargers (5) - There is no truth to the rumor that Schottenheimer tried killing the clock up 17-13 in the third quarter...is there?
7. Jaguars (7) - The defense has to be feeling a lot better after that performance.
8 Eagles (8) - They have to feel good after that win.
9. Patriots (11) - 3-0 in their division, but all three games were closer than they should have been; on the other hand, thier win over Cincy was a blowout, so go figure.
10. Cowboys (9) - I'm not going to say anything about T.O. here. Oh, dammit...
11. Giants (15) - Looks like the bye week did wonders for their defense.
12. Panthers (14) - 3-0 since the return of Steve Smith.
13. Chiefs (16) - Huard is doing a good job keeping Trent Green's seat warm.
14. Falcons (17) - Can a one-dimensional offense succeed in today's NFL? We'll soon find out.
15. Ravens (12) - Ya, the game was closer than the final score indicated and ya, Denver is a tough place to play, especially in prime time in the snow, but when your QB has as many interceptions (3) as your team has points (three), something needs to be reevaluated.
16. Steelers (10) - I'm starting to think Jerome Bettis may have meant a lot more to this football team than we thought.
17. Vikings (18) - Not sure what they were doing losing 17-3 to the Lions after 3 quarters, but they sure rectified that situation.
18. Rams (20) - Low for a 4-1 team, maybe, but I'm still looking for a win that really proves something.
19. Redskins (13) - 3 weeks ago the buzz in DC was "Mark Brunell is too old to get it gone"; now, it's "Mark Brunell is too old to get it done consistently."
20. Saints (19) - See the Rams.
21. Buccaneers (21) - This team is in deep shit.
22. Dolphins (23) - The Dante Culpepper/Joey Harrington Era is making Miami fans pine for Gus Frerotte.
23. Jets (22) - What is it about 41-0 this season?
24. Browns (25) - A boring team to match their boring name and boring uniforms.
25. 49ers (27) - Well, at least they're the best team in the Bay Area.
26. Bills (24) - That one is gonna sting a little.
27. Cardinals (26) - Is Matt Leinart the real deal, or was that just the Chiefs defense being the Chiefs defense?
28. Texans (30) - A week off is a good week for the Texans.
29. Packers (28) - The trip icy tundra of Lambeau Field has become an easy date on the opposing team's schedule.
30. Titans (31) - Played the Colts tough, but so did the Jets two weeks ago and we all saw what happened to them.
31. Lions (29) - I don't know what is more amazing, that the Lions managed to turn a 17-3 4th quarter lead into a 26-17 defeat, or that the Lions actually HAD a 17-3 lead.
32. Raiders (32) - 0-16 is looking less like a possibility and more like a probability.

NFL Week 5 Power Rankings

Slight change in the formula this week, but I do mean slight...

1. Bears (3) - Can you honestly name a team that looks better right now?
2. Colts (2) - Good teams find a way to win close games, but that shouldn't have been a close game.
3. Bengals (1) - Goodness, that was ugly...
4. Seahawks (4) - ...but not as ugly as that.
5. Chargers (5) - Marty showed Sunday why he has such a hell of a time winning in the postseason.
6. Broncos (7) - All rested up for the big Monday Night match-up with suddenly impressive Baltimore.
7. Jaguars (6) - The offense answered a lot of questions, but what happened to the defense?
8. Eagles (10) - I don't know what Andy Reid said at halftime, but he'll want to bottle that speech up.
9. Cowboys (9) - Which was the more brutal stomping, the one Dallas center Gourde endured at the hands (well, feet) of Tennessee linebacker Haynesworth, or the one Gourde's teammates put on the Titans?
10. Steelers (8) - We'll see if the Steelers fixed their problems over the bye week - with a game at San Diego looming, they better have.
11. Patriots (11) - Talk about a bounceback - where exactly was that offense against Denver?
12. Ravens (14) - If they win at Denver we officially have to take them seriously.
13. Redskins (19) - If the return of Shawn Springs can do for the defense what the return of Clinton Portis has done for the offense, this might be the Super Bowl Contender everyone in Washington was talking about.
14. Panthers (15) - Does any receiver mean as much to his team as Steve Smith?
15. Giants (12) - With the schedule they're playing, the Giants could probably use a couple more bye weeks.
16. Chiefs (18) - Well, at least Damon Huard can score against the San Francisco's of the world.
17. Falcons (16) - 17 seems low, but the Falcons are a lot closer to the Redskins at 13 than they are to the Vikings at 18.
18. Vikings (13) - Are injuries to Steve Smith and Clinton Portis the reason the Vikes are 2-2 as opposed to 0-4?
19. Saints (20) - Ironically, their loss to Carolina may have been a better indicator that the Saints could be for real than their wins at Cleveland and Green Bay, and the emotionally driven victory over Atlanta.
20. Rams (22) - The Rams looked like the Greatest Show on Turf again for a day, but the Lions can have that effect on teams.
21. Buccaneers (20) - If the Bucs are gonna turn things around, they have to start this week at New Orleans, because after that things get REALLY difficult.
22. Jets (23) - Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
23. Dolphins (17) - We expected the Jets and the Bills to be down here, but how have the Dolphins fallen so far?
24. Bills (25) - They get a second shot at making that major statement they let slip through their fingers in week 1 when they go to Chicago this week.
25. Browns (27) - Well, the Raiders are fairly godawful, but a win on the road is a win on the road.
26. Cardinals (24) - Denny Green called the Cardinals offense "ludicrous" - it was ludicrous to expect anything else after the Cardinals ignored the albatross that is their offensive line in the offseason.
27. 49ers (25) - It's quite an accomplishment to get shut-out by the Chiefs.
28. Packers (28) - The Packers next Monday Night game is week 12 at Seattle - apparently the League wants to embarass Brett Favre into retirement.
29. Lions (29) - I'm not quite sure what happened to the team that held the Seahawks to 9 points, but they haven't shown up since.
30. Texans (32) - With the very real possibility that the Titans or Raiders will go 0-16, the Texans may have cost themselves the number 1 pick; of course, they would have just fucked it up anyway.
31. Titans (31) - Let the Vince Young Era begin!
32. Raiders (32) - Let the Brady Quinn Era begin!