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Wondering who will make the NFL playoffs in January? Wonder no more. Here you go, seventeen weeks in advance:
AFC East
This is a division of have's and have-not's. The Jets and Bills are the have-not's. They will be awful this year. Mike Mularkey quit Buffalo for a reason, and it wasn't to spend more time with the family. The Jets somehow thought that Herm Edwards was the reason they weren't winning. Turns out they have no talent. Eric Mangini may become a good NFL coach, but this year he makes mistakes, and a coach cannot do that without talent.
That leaves the Patriots and Dolphins. I keep reading the comments of "experts" who promise that even without Adam Vinatieri, and even with Deion Branch's hold-out, and a linebacking corps that is less than stellar, the Pats will continue to reload and win bunches of games. I see that Tom Brady is still the QB, and Bill Belilchek is still the coach. But this year, the Patriots get demoted to wild-card status. The Dolphins ended last season on a roll - they were finally "getting" coach Saban. They brought in Daunte Culpepper during the offseason, and he's not gonna know what to do with a stud RB like Ronnie Brown. Plus, he's gonna love Chris Chambers more than he ever did Randy Moss. This adds up to mucho success in Miami.
AFC East Division winner: Miami Dolphins
AFC North
This is a tough division to predict. The Steelers are the obvious choice to win the division since they are defending Super Bowl champs. But wait - they didn't even win their division last year. That honor went to the Bengals, who are racking up police arrests faster than Samuel L. Jackson puts out new movies. Then there are the Ravens, who are excited out of their minds to finally have a dependable QB in Steve McNair. He's dependable as long as you need somehow to hold the clipboard on the sideline and show up in the hot tub on Monday morning. As for being dependable to actually get off the injury report and play in the games, well, that's another story.
So we have a division where the QB's have issues: Roethlisburger is coming off a motorcycle accident and subsequent concussion. Palmer is coming off an ACL injury, from which it usually takes a couple of years to recover. McNair is a surgeon's worse nightmare. And Charlie Frye is a second year QB, but has given us no evidence that he is the next coming of Roethlisburger or Brady.
My head says go with the Bengals to repeat, since they were playing so well with Palmer last year, and he looked great in the preseason. But my gut says the Steelers are primed to win the division back.
AFC North division winner: Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC South
This division is all Indianapolis. Once again, and this pains me to say it, we have a division of have's and have-not's. And the Titans are not in the latter group. The Colts will still dominate, the Jags will still be pretty good, as in above average, while the Titans and Texans still have some rebuilding left before they compete for this division again.
The good news for me is that the Titans are gaining in popularity because of Vince Young. Before this summer, the only time I would see anyone wearing Titans paraphenalia around Waco is when I would look in the mirror. Now I am starting to see #10 jerseys pop up here and there. Cool.
AFC South division winners: Indianapolis Colts
AFC West
We can eliminate the Raiders immediately. Art Shell hasn't coached in 14 years, and the Raiders added Aaron Brooks at QB. That smells like a disaster.
I have a bad feeling about the Chiefs. Dick Vermeil and OC Al Saunders are gone, Herm Edwards is in. I think Edwards is a good coach, but I don't see the offense playing at quite the same level, even with Larry Johnson in his prime. They still have a mediocre passing game, and Tony Gonzalez is now on the downside of his career. Also, I don't see the defense improving. So the Chiefs are probably looking at a .500 kind of season.
That leaves the Broncos and Chargers. I'm gonna go with the Broncos for one reason: Philip Rivers. Maybe Rivers will be just as good as DrewBrees, and lead them back to the playoffs. But I don't think so. I think the Chargers take their lumps with Rivers this year, and look to 2007 to get back into the playoffs.
I have my concerns about the Broncos too. They drafted Jay Cutler as their future QB when their window of opportunity with Jake Plummer is as wide open as it can get. I think Broncos fans should wonder why the team traded up for Cutler when they could have gotten an impact player on defense.
AFC West division winners: Denver Broncos
NFC East
This is a tough one. Any one of the four East teams could win this division. In theory, I really like the Redskins offense. They have Al Saunders at OC. They brought in Antwaan Randle-El, Brandon Lloyd, and T.J. Duckett to go along with Clinton Portis. But Portis is already injured, and Mark Brunell is approaching 90 years old. Why haven't they turned the keys to the offense over to former first round pick Jason Campbell? It worked for the Bengals. Maybe Joe Gibbs knows what he is doing, but I have my doubts. I think the Redskins fall back below .500 this year.
Everyone around here thinks that T.O. blows up the Cowboys this year. Actually, everyone is holding their breath around here - everyone else thinks T.O. blows up and the 'boys with him. I think that happens next year. This year, the Cowboys are playoff bound. In fact, with the improved defense, I think it happens this year. But keep a close eye on the Giants - they will make this division very close, and the winner will probably not be decided until week 17. Also, the Eagles should bounce back from last year's disaster. They just won't bounce back into first place.
NFC East division winner: Dallas Cowboys
NFC North
Can anyone explain to my why it is that when I eat cocktail peanuts, I get an urge for chocolate? This has nothing to do with the Bears winning an otherwise laughable division. I was just wondering.
NFC North division winner: Chicago Bears (now watch - the Vikings will somehow pull out this division and prove me wrong)
NFC South
I really do not like following the herd. But I am going to jump on the Carolina Panthers bandwagon. They should repeat as division winners - they have all of that talent on the offensive and defensive lines. Jake Delhomme has already been to 2 NFC championship games and won one of them. DeShaun Foster is a monster when he's healthy, and DeAngelo Williams (Memphis!) is as good a back-up as they could have drafted.
The Falcons will go as far as Michael Vick takes them. But will Vick ever ascend from athlete-quarterback to Quarterback-athlete? I do not know. If he does, they will be a force this year. The Falcons defense could be good enough to win the division in a Chicago Bears like fashion. If the Falcons defense reaches Panthers-Bears heights, then watch out for Atlanta.
The Saints? They are moving in the right direction, and Reggie Bush is going to be a #1 fantasy player in a couple of years, mark my words. And let's not forget the Bucs, who just won the Super Bowl several years ago. Tampa will again be about average. I have no faith in Chris Simms. Good thing Jon Gruden does.
NFC South division winners: Carolina Panthers
NFC West
I want to badly to predict the Arizona Cardinals are taking the next step. So here goes: the Arizona Cardinals take the next step. That's right, ladies and gentlemen. I'm predicting the Cardinals reach .500 this year!
The 49ers will be just as bad this year. That team needs more than 1 or 2 good drafts to get out of the cellar. They have Vernon Davis. Now if only they could build a winning team around a tight end...
The Rams made a smart move by hiring Scott Linehan, who somehow plucked former coach Jim Haslett to lead the defense. So you can say that I like the direction that the Rams are moving. Is it enough to win the division? Maybe. If the Seahawks fall prey to the Madden curse and the Super Bowl curse, then yes. If the Seahawks come back strong, then no. I think the Seahawks overcome the Super Bowl curse and repeat as division winners. But I only have as much faith as I do lack of faith in the rest of the division. In other words, they win the division, but do not get very far in the playoffs.
NFC West division winners: Seattle Seahawks
So here are my playoff picks:
AFC East: Miami Dolphins
AFC North: Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC South: Indianapolis Colts
AFC West: Denver Broncos
Wild Cards: New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals
AFC Champion: Miami Dolphins (Yes, I realize no home team has ever reached the Super Bowl. And this year's game is in Miami. 40 years is long enough, the streak is broken.)
NFC East: Dallas Cowboys
NFC North: Chicago Bears
NFC South: Carolina Panthers
NFC West: Seattle Seahawks
Wild Cards: Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants
NFC Champion: Carolina Panthers
Super Bowl Champion: Carolina Panthers
Officials: Marine's disappearance staged.
By Kirk Mitchell
Denver Post Staff Writer
The buddy of a Marine whose dramatic story compelled more than 300 people to search for the missing Marine on steep, treacherous terrain has been arrested for allegedly making up the whole story. READ MORE.......
Men Jailed For Stealing Garbage Released Unexpectedly: Release Follows Worldwide Reaction To Steamboat Springs Sentence.
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. -- Two Rainbow Family members who were sentenced to six months in jail for plucking discarded fruit and vegetables from the trash were abruptly released Wednesday evening after prosecutors said their vigorous prosecution was based on faulty information at the time of the arrest. READ MORE.......
Vet Tech Accused Of Replacing Animals' Morphine With Saline: Amy Kanzler Faces Narcotics Theft Charges
A vet tech was arrested Tuesday, accused of stealing narcotics from several veterinarian clinics by taking the morphine that was to be used on hurt animals and replacing it with a saline solution, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said.
Amy Kanzler, 26, was first placed under investigation in May when an employee at the Willowbrook Animal Hospital alerted authorities to three missing bottles of morphine from the clinic's drug inventory.
According to court documents, detectives believe that Kanzler stole morphine by withdrawing some of the drug from sealed vials via a syringe. She then allegedly replaced the stolen liquid with a saline solution to disguise the theft. This diluted morphine was allegedly administered to animals in surgery by clinic staff, resulting in unnecessary pain and risk to numerous animals under their care, the sheriff's office said.
Click here to find out more!
In other instances, detectives believe that Kanzler stole entire vials of morphine from inventory.
Kanzler worked at the Willowbrook Animal Hospital in May 2006 before taking a job at the Arvada Animal Hospital where she worked until July. Detectives suspect that Kanzler stole narcotics from both facilities during her employment.
"After less than two weeks employment in April 2006, Willowbrook Animal Hospital fired Amy Kanzler for stealing controlled drugs. We immediately reported the incident to the DEA and to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and are cooperating with the current investigation. No Willowbrook patients were harmed by Ms. Kanzler's actions," said Jed Rogers, Chief Medical Officer of Firehouse Animal Health Centers, which used to be Willowbrook Animal Hospital.
Anyone with additional information concerning Kanzler is asked to call 303-271-5612.
Kanzler was released after posting a $10,000 bond. She faces the charges of possession of a controlled substance, fraud and deceit and aggravated cruelty to animals. [TheDenverChannel]
Feds: Bush Campaign Used Pollster's Fake Data.
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- The owner of DataUSA Inc., a company that conducted political polls for the campaigns of President George W. Bush, Sen. Joe Lieberman and other candidates, pleaded guilty to fraud for making up survey and poll results.
Survey: Trust Political Polls?
Tracy Costin pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Costin, 46, faces a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when she is sentenced Nov. 30.
As part of her plea agreement, Costin agreed to repay $82,732 to the unidentified clients for 11 jobs between June 2002 and May 2004. DataUSA is now known as Viewpoint USA.
According to a federal indictment, Costin told employees to alter poll data, and managers at the company told employees to "talk to cats and dogs" when instructing them to fabricate the surveys.
FBI Special Agent Jeff Rovelli said 50 percent of information compiled by DataUSA and transmitted to Bush's campaign was falsified, the Connecticut Post reported Thursday.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Chang said on several occasions when the company was running up against a deadline to complete a job, results were falsified. Sometimes, the respondent's gender or political affiliation were changed to meet a quota, other times all survey answers were fabricated. [The Associated Press.]
Human Heads Tossed On Dance Floor In Mexico!!
MEXICO CITY -- In a horrifying show of brutality, gunmen barged into a bar in central Mexico early Wednesday and tossed five human heads on the dance floor, after covering patrons with their weapons, officials said.
Heavily armed men fired their guns in the air as they entered the bar in Uruapan in the central state of Michoacan, said Magdalena Guzman, spokeswoman for the state prosecutor's office.
The gunmen ordered patrons to the ground before tossing the heads.
Guzman said investigators believe the beheadings were linked to organized crime, possibly drug smugglers. No arrests had been made.
Police were still trying to identify the victims, she said.
The attackers left a note written on a piece of cardboard reading: "The family doesn't kill for money. It doesn't kill women. It doesn't kill innocent people, only those who deserve to die."
Guzman said the state prosecutor and governor had requested the federal government beef up organized crime investigators in the Pacific coast state. Officials also urged the public to come forward with any information.
The grisly killings were the latest in a nation plagued by growing drug-related violence.
Arrests of major drug cartel leaders have sparked an increasingly brutal and ruthless drug war in Mexico as gangs battle for control of lucrative routes.
So far this year, at least six human heads of police and rival drug smugglers have been found in the Pacific resort of Acapulco. One washed up on a popular beach in the tourist zone, and the rest have been dumped in front of government offices.
In the past few months, heads have also been found in other states plagued by drug violence, including the border states of Baja California and Nuevo Leon. [The Associated Press.]
Zoo Atlanta's Giant Panda Gives Birth.
ATLANTA -- More success for giant Pandas.
Zoo officials in Atlanta say their female panda Lun Lun gave birth Wednesday afternoon after 35 hours of labor.
It's Zoo Atlanta's first panda birth and only the fifth at a U.S. zoo in the last six years.
The tiny cub weighs only about 4 ounces -- about the size of a stick of butter -- and is hairless. Panda keepers are waiting to see there'll be a twin. Half of all panda births do involve twins.
The zoo's animal programs vice president is happy to note that Lun Lun seems to be a natural mother, responding normally to the baby, holding it and reacting when it cries.
China's news service reports a giant panda there gave birth to twins Tuesday. They arrived about an hour apart Tuesday and so far are doing well. [The Associated Press.]
Durango bar nailed anew on smoking ban.
By Electa Draper
Denver Post Staff Writer
Smokers light up at Orio's Roadhouse last month after the La Plata district attorney was blocked from enforcing the state smoking ban there. An attorney for the owners said Durango determined they qualified for an exemption.........
Durango - The owners of Orio's Roadhouse, who thought they had won a breather from prosecution under the statewide smoking ban that went into effect July 1, received a ticket Thursday for violating the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act. READ MORE.......
Bush Touts Progress Since 9/11 Attacks...
By NEDRA PICKLER
ATLANTA (AP) - Terrorists today would have a tougher time plotting and carrying out attacks like the ones of Sept. 11 because of security improvements in the past five years, President Bush said Thursday. READ MORE.......
OLDCATMAN SPECULATES....................
Since the GUARD has been assisting at the BORDERS, an interesting statistics has popped up.
Over 2000 of the illegals STOPPED at the border WERE NOT OF HISPANIC ORIGIN.
Digesting THAT for a moment; let's assume that some of illegals that MAKE IT ACROSS are TERRORISTS.
These TERRORISTS are spreading themselves across the country, with the objective of having a ''TERROR DAY" ........"MANY" little attacks occuring on a chosen day.
The damage could be major or minor but the "FEAR OF TERRORISM" would create a MAJOR PHYSIOLOGICAL DISASTER in this country.
Yes, GEORGE, we have had no terrorist strikes HERE since 9/11!
GOOD JOB..........or the calm before the storm???????
HELLO, ANN!
WHAT'S IN YOUR FOOD?
GEORGE BUSH CARTOON
DENTAL NEWS
DO YOU TALK MUCH AT WORK?
''WHERE OH WHERE HAS HER LITTLE DOG GONE?"
YOUR HELP PLEASE: This BLOG has 3 basic SECTIONS.......THE NEWS, ''COOL LINKS" AND THE GALLERY.
SHOULD I PUT A ''COMMENTS'' AT THE END OF EACH SECTION?
PLEASE LET ME KNOW..................
Oldcatman
Denver Broncos Schedule
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