5 for Sunday

Week #11 and all we know about the NFL is that 75% of the teams flat-out stink. Home teams in CAPS.

TENNESSEE (-7) over Washington
In all honesty, how could anyone put money on the Redskins right now? The team is a train wreck, still hasn't won a game on their own this year, is coming off a game in which they gave up 59 points at home, and now has to deal with an offense that boasts Chris Johnson and Randy Moss. Maybe Albert Haynesworth won't take a mid-play nap in his Nashville homecoming like he did against the Eagles, but I still don't think it will matter. Titans by double digits.

Baltimore (-10) over CAROLINA
This one is a layup. Brian St. Pierre starts at quarterback for the Panthers, who are in utter disrepair and are down to their 4th running back as well. The Ravens are coming off 10 days of rest and should throw the kitchen sink at Carolina's offense. On a side note, as easy a target as the Panthers are to bet against these days, you have to feel for Steve Smith as he gets ball after ball thrown at his feet or airmailed over his head.

Oakland (+7.5) over PITTSBURGH
I'm continuing to ride the Raiders, and with good reason. They get after the quarterback, and Pittsburgh's offensive line looked like a set of turnstiles last week against New England. If the Raiders have watched their share of film, they should be able to use the short passing game against the Steelers' over-aggressive safeties and linebackers to create mismatches with their playmakers like Darren McFadden, Michael Bush, and the out-of-nowhere Jacoby Ford. If tight end Zach Miller suits up, the Steelers will have even more to deal with. You have to like the Raiders' chances of at least keeping this a one-score game and maybe even winning outright.

Buffalo (+5.5) over CINCINNATI
The Bills stink but are getting better. The Bengals stink but are possibly getting worse. Losers of six in a row, the Bungles have won only one game this year by more than 5 points, and that was against the Panthers. At the very least, you have to respect Buffalo's ability to keep games close (last four games decided by a total of 11 points), which is much easier said than done when your team is going nowhere. The Bengals play just well enough to lose every week - why should anyone expect them to win this game by a touchdown?

SAN DIEGO (-9.5) over Denver (Monday Night)
Now that Daylight Savings Time has ended, you are now free to lay the lumber with the Chargers. Despite lacking a healthy and/or effective running back all season and possibly being without Antonio Gates for a second straight game, Philip Rivers continues to make stars out of whoever is on the receiving end of his throws. Kyle Orton and co. aren't likely to light things up in San Diego the way they did against Kansas City, a defense who had been playing above its head for most of the season.

Last Week: 3-2-0
Season: 25-23-2

Cinq Pour Samedi

We're closing in on Rivalry Week (or some semblance of what used to be Rivalry Week), and this Saturday's matchups provide a decent mix of games that have meaning for the present and inspire some nice looks to the past. Home teams in CAPS.

Stanford (-6.5) over CALIFORNIA
Call this a bit of an overreaction to Cal's tempering of Oregon last week, especially considering that this line opened at 8.5 and enough Cal money has come in to bring it down two points. I just think Stanford is flat-out better and when you can lay less than a touchdown with a 9-1 team against a 5-5 team, you take that chance. Andrew Luck is going to have to do much of the work for the Cardinal, as Cal allows only 67 rushing yards per game at home. And I'd be remiss not to link to The Play, especially on its 28-year anniversary.

Ohio State (-3) over IOWA
Iowa is coming off two straight clunkers and Ohio State is on a tear. Is either one of these teams all that good? I'm not sure, considering how many Penn State mistakes were needed by Ohio State to put last week's game to bed. A win here likely puts the Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl, and while I don't necessarily want to see it, I just don't think they come up lame against a team whose best football this year is quite possibly behind it.

NORTHWESTERN (+7.5) over Illinois (@ Wrigley Field)
By now you've heard that this tilt will take place at the Friendly Confines, and that the one end zone encroaches so closely upon Wrigley's right field wall that it has been deemed unsafe to run offensive plays or field goal attempts in its direction (here's a look). All offensive possessions will be run in the direction of the end zone on the third base line, no matter the quarter or the possessing team. Some people call it an abomination but I find it pretty interesting. What really disappoints me is that they didn't orient the gridiron from the first base line toward left field as they did at Wrigley in the old days, but the seating configuration doesn't allow for it. As far as the game goes, this is a battle of Big Ten teams that have made a living sneaking up on people this year, with Northwestern breaking through against Iowa last week to show for it. The Wildcats are without QB Dan Persa, but I still think they have enough as a team to at least be close here. I find it funny that Illinois fans are chirping mightily about this game even though they lost to sad-sack Minnesota last week.

CINCINNATI (-13.5) over Rutgers
This is for no other reason than I haven't picked a Rutgers game yet this year, and I really don't like their bogus fandom and program that wants to be treated like it matters but plays a JV schedule. I must be out of my mind laying two touchdowns with a 3-6 Cincy team, but Rutgers does have a big injury list so what the heck.

Army (+8.5) over NOTRE DAME (@ Yankee Stadium)
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Yankee Stadium." It would have been nice to have Bob Sheppard doing the PA for this game, but I like to think he'll be at the mic on high with Mel Allen and Phil Rizzuto. I kind of wish I could have experienced the era during which the Army-Notre Dame matchup was the biggest game of the year, but at least we have the new Yankee Stadium all decked out for football, complete with the diagonal lines in the end zones to simulate a Notre Dame home field. Both teams are playing to seal their bowl bids, but Army has a lot more to gain in this game than Notre Dame does. A win for the Black Knights would be a watershed moment on a big stage, and since their only double-digit loss this year was to a legit 8-4 Air Force team, I'll give them a puncher's chance here. Notre Dame is still likely to win, but 8.5 is a bit too many to cover. Longtime blog follower Tony is attending this game, so if you're reading this, don't forget to send me a picture from your seat.

Last Week: 2-3-0
Season: 30-22-3

NFL Injury Report

Mark Simoneau, Chiefs.  Presummed Dead for 3 years, resurfaced to be placed on Injured Reserved.  Out.

Chad Henne, Dolphins.  Frayed wires in knee, Doubtful. (No one will get this joke)

Chad Pennington, Dolphins.  Missing Shoulder, Career Over....Again.

Brett Farve, Vikings.  Shoulder, ankle, knee, blue balls.  Will play anyways but demanded to be listed on injury report.

Fred Taylor, Patriots.  Missing cartiledge in knee yet bothered by toes.  We question what this means.  Expect more white NFL running back.

Reggie Bush, Saints.  Questionable depends on if Karma really is a bitch.

Osi Umenyiora, Giants.  Probable knee. Questionable whether or not he finds female to defecate on.

Darrelle Rivas, Jets. Playing with a fat contract. Will play if he feels like it.

Donovan McNabb, Redskins.  Probable.  undisclosed Air Guitar injury

5 for Saturday

4-1 Last Week puts me back over .500. 28-26-1 on the season. 

Fresno State (+30.5) @ Boise State ESPN 8PM Friday

Yes this game has almost no chance to be interesting because Fresno State is having a down year, but I'm up for some Boise hate on a Friday night.  Boise State has to come out firing and will have the pressure on to score a point a minute to impress the voters.  If Fresno is in it at half I like my chances for them to hold on against the number.

Wisconsin (-5) @ Michigan ESPN Noon Saturday

You have two options here, lay the points and bet Wisconsin or take Michigan against the moneyline.  Michigan could win this game because they can light up any defense in the country, especially one that won't stack the box.  It's at home on a fast track where Wisconsin hasn't won since 1994.  They even surrendered a 19-0 lead as the #9 team in the country losing to an eventual 3-9 Michigan team the last time they played in Michigan Stadium.  The smart money still seems to be on Wisconsin here.  At the begining of the year you would have said they were at least the 2nd best team in the conference if not the best.  You are saying the same thing now.  It seems likely that Wisconsin will be able to pound the ball down Michigan's throat and execute cutbacks and play actions at will.  If there is hope for Michigan it is because for the first time under Rich Rod they will have virtually no pressure on them and can turn it loose. That and well a killer offense that is capable of scoring 30 points against the Badgers.

Ohio State (-3) @ Iowa 3:30 ABC

Last year's game was epic, even after Ricky Stanzi went down.  Iowa has the chance to play spoiler here and salvage what to Hawkeye fans (read delusional) has been a disapointing season.  I don't see it happening though.  A Ricky Stanzi pick six lets Iowa down one more time.

Virginia Tech (-2.5) @ Miami ESPN 3:30

Pam Ward is calling this game so mute your TV or be prepared do your best Vincent van Gogh impression.  As stated previously, in the land of the ACC roulette you always bet on Va Tech.  Even though they will still win the division whether they win or lose here, the play in Va Tech

Nebraska  @ Texas A&M (+3) 8 PM ABC/Gameplan

I'm not sure where to go here.  Texas A&M has been playing really well since changing QBs.  Nebraska is solid as a rock if not playing Texas.  Coin flip, ok A&M it is.  It's safe to say I wouldn't be picking this game unless I had too.

Contract Negotiations Between McNabb and Synder

NAGAYT has obtained the transcript of the conversation between Donovan McNabb and Daniel Snyder regarding his McNabb's contract extension with the Washington Redskins

McNabb:  You wanted to see me Mr.Snyder? 

Snyder: Yes, please sit down.

McNabb: Please do not fire me.  I promise I will lay off the fast food and go to the gym more often. 

Snyder: Fire you?  No way that's absurd.  I was hoping you would consider extending your contract with us.

McNabb:  Are you serious? I don't like practical jokes.

Snyder:  I'm super serial.

McNabb:  I'll sign.

Snyder: Don"t you want to hear the terms?

McNabb: O yes of course

Snyder: $78 million

McNabb: Done

Snyder: Don't you want to know the length of the deal?

McNabb: It doesn't matter, I assume its a lifetime deal and I will be doing everything from making shirts to tearing tickets eventually. Right?

Snyder: Hahaha, no.  It's five years and all you have to do is play football.

McNabb: You can't be serious.

Snyder: Wait there are incentives too. You can earn up to $88 million!

McNabb: Hahahaha. Where can I sign?

Snyder: Don't you want to read the fine print or call your agent?

McNabb: No, I'm not going to let you change your mind.

Snyder: Great that was the easiest negotiation since Albert Haynesworth!

Singular Sensations

Winning a championship is the ultimate achievement, no matter what level of what sport you're talking about. In professional and big-time college sports, players and coaches are exorbitantly compensated in the hopes that their ability and expertise can lead to the smorgasbord of confetti, trophy presentations from the commissioner, Queen songs being played on loop, and of course, the ring. If you get there, you're a king, a hero, a winner for all eternity. If you don't, well....not so much. What's interesting is that you can name a good deal of high-profile players and coaches who have gotten a ton of mileage out of one championship. If not for that championship, pretty much all of these guys would likely have a much different legacy.

1. Brett Favre - I hate to do it, but this list has to begin here. Brett Favre conquered some already-existing postseason demons when he led the Packers to victory in Super Bowl XXXI in January of 1997. Since then, he's been known as a World Champion. It was great for him, but not great for the rest of us, since the media uses that Super Bowl as an excuse to give him a pass for all the huge losses over which he has presided in the 13 years since. Just the following year, his 11.5-point favorite Packers were upended by Denver in Super Bowl XXXVII. "Brett" would go on to be, if not responsible for, then at least part of, the following moments:
-Green Bay's first ever playoff loss at Lambeau Field on a frigid Saturday night to a young Michael Vick and the Falcons in the 2002 Wild Card round
-A six-INT playoff loss to the Rams
-The worst interception ever thrown (in overtime, mind you) in the 2003 Divisional Playoffs in Philly, aka the "4th-and-26" game
-His last pass as a Green Bay Packer, which sent the Giants to Super Bowl XLII
-A 1-4 finish that cost the 2008 Jets a playoff spot
-The interception at the end of regulation in last year's NFC Championship Game

I rest my case.

2. Bill Cowher - He gets a ton of notoriety for his scowl, his facial expressions, and his impressively long 14-year tenure as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since he won Super Bowl XL (with the gigantic help from the zebras), the legend of Cowher has morphed way out of control. Of course, he can do no wrong from the comfort of the CBS studios, so his name comes up immediately with every NFL coaching vacancy. Conventional wisdom says he'd be the answer to a floundering franchise's problems. I say he lost four AFC Championship games at home in 11 seasons, and came within a Jim Harbaugh Hail Mary (skip to the 7:30 mark of the video) of losing five. In at least two of those games, he clearly had the better team ('94 vs. San Diego and '01 vs. an upstart New England team that had to bring Drew Bledsoe off the bench to finish the game). Let me be clear - I'm not saying Bill Cowher isn't and wasn't a very good coach, I'm just saying the common perception of him would be totally different if not for Super Bowl XL.

3. Joe Namath - Was he a magnificent thrower of the football? Yes. Did he change the landscape of the NFL forever when he guaranteed the biggest upset in football history to that point when the Jets beat the Colts in Super Bowl III? Yes. Did he win another playoff game after that Super Bowl? No. Did he throw 47 more interceptions than touchdowns in his career? Yes. And finally, did he want to kiss Suzy Kolber? Yes.

4. Mike Ditka - Let me first say that Ditka had arguably the best combination of a playing career and coaching career in NFL history. But similar to Favre, Mike Ditka won a title fairly early in his coaching career and seemingly got a pass for everything after that. Not only do many people give Buddy Ryan an equal amount of credit for the dominance of the 1985 Bears, but Ditka had a 2-5 playoff record in his subsequent years with Chicago, followed by a brutal 15-33 record in three seasons with the Saints where he doubled down on a 9 and got a 2 with Ricky Williams in the 1999 Draft. You wonder how even the Superfans would feel about him if it weren't for 1985.

5. Bobby Cox - He would probably be higher on the list if he managed in a more intense sports city, but I have a feeling Atlanta would still have all the love for Bobby Cox even if his Braves didn't capture the 1995 World Series. The 14 straight division titles are maybe the safest record of its kind, but only one championship in that span is rather underwhelming, especially when you consider how good some of those Braves teams were. A few of those losses you could live with - the 1991 Series vs. Minnesota was as good a matchup as you could find, and they ran into a buzzsaw against the Yankees in 1999. But if you're a Braves fan you really have to shake your head at the 1992 loss to Toronto, the 1996 loss to the Yankees, the 1997 and 1998 NLCS losses to Florida and San Diego, and the 2003 NLDS loss to the Cubs.

6. Peyton Manning - I was reluctant to put Manning on this list because he's still active, but you can't deny how many question marks would still surround him if not for the Super Bowl XLI win four years back. While he's possibly my favorite athlete out of anyone that doesn't play for a team I root for, Manning has a lot of postseason woes to his name. Granted, two losses were the direct fault of Mike Vanderjagt, but that doesn't erase the 41-0 Wild Card rout by the 2002 Jets, the consecutive drubbings in Foxboro the two years after that, the 2007 Divisional Round home loss to a Billy Volek-led Chargers team, and the pick-six to Tracy Porter in last year's Super Bowl. How much of any of that was his fault is debatable, but fortunately in this case the one Super Bowl rightfully puts to bed any doubt of Peyton Manning.

7. Lou Piniella - Sweet Lou was a clutch contributor to back-to-back World Series champions with the 1977 and 1978 Yankees. After becoming one of George Steinbrenner's many managerial victims in the 1980s, Piniella guided the 1990 Reds to a wire-to-wire first place finish and a sweep of Oakland in the World Series. After moving on to Seattle, Piniella's teams boasted one of the top lineups in baseball for nearly a decade but never made it past the ALCS, including the 116-win team in 2001 that got bounced by the Yankees in 5 games. By the end of Sweet Lou's run, which consisted of three woeful years in Tampa and two Division Series exits with the Cubs, his legacy was built just as much upon epic ejections as it was on being a good baseball man.

8. Steve Young - Given the task of replacing Joe Montana, Steve Young was in an almost impossible spot. What made it even worse was that Montana remained on the 49ers for two seasons while Young held the starting spot. Whenever he threw a pick or a bad incompletion, 49ers fans would begin the calls for Joe. Even after Montana was sent to Kansas City, it didn't get any better for Young, especially in the wake of consecutive NFC Championship losses to Dallas. When January of 1995 rolled around and Young finally got the 49ers past the Cowboys and delivered a record 6 TD passes against San Diego in Super Bowl XXIX, there was no more vindicated man in America. Winning that championship of his own allowed people to remember Steve Young as an MVP-type player and not merely the guy who came in for Joe Montana.

9. Eli Manning - This was a toss-up between Eli, A-Rod, and Albert Pujols, but there's too big a faction of people who will never give A-Rod a break and Albert Pujols doesn't really have doubters, so Eli Manning gets this spot due to the sheer size of his stage and his brother's shadow. During the Giants' 2007 regular season, Manning had a few terrible games that caused people to ask whether or not he was adopted. So to do what he did in winning three straight road playoff games and punctuate it with a victory over an 18-0 team in one of the three best Super Bowls ever played is nothing short of remarkable. And while he may never fully escape the identity of "Peyton's little brother," the venom from New York fans and media is likely gone forever.

10. Rick Pitino - This list has been limited to pro football and baseball partially because they are my two areas of expertise, but also because college sports create a different dynamic due to coaches constantly losing their top players to graduation and the pros. Rick Pitino has been all over the map, spending 6 seasons coaching the Knicks and Celtics in between taking three different NCAA programs to a total of five Final Fours. Ever since he was the Providence wonderboy in 1987, Pitino has been one of the most consistent winners at the college level, culminating in his 1996 National Championship with Kentucky. But there were some monumental losses with Kentucky along the way, followed by four horrendous seasons as Celtics coach that are most remembered for this tirade. It's easily conceivable that if 1996 didn't happen, Pitino would be labeled as a guy with a ton of talent at his disposal and relatively little to show for it. The debate should go deeper than that, but I promised myself I'd keep the Pitino section short enough that it could be read in 15 seconds.

In conclusion, I'll admit the list was put together rather hastily and off the top of my head, so if there are any people I omitted or included wrongfully, the floor is yours.

5 for Sunday

What's this...I can breathe! Last week pushed me over .500 for the first time all year. The broken clock is now 8-2 in the past two weeks. Home teams in CAPS.

Tennessee (-1) over MIAMI
The Dolphins are holding the donut at home thus far this year (0-3) and are now turning to Chad Pennington to take the reins from Chad Henne. The Titans had trouble after losing Kenny Britt to injury so they went out and replaced him with...Randy Moss. Not a bad move for a team now in a dogfight with the Colts for its division. In what amounts to a pick-em game, give me the team that appears to be the better one.

NY Jets (-3) over CLEVELAND
Everyone is on the Browns right now and with good reason after they shellacked New England last week. However, this Jets defense was designed to stop runners like Peyton Hillis as well as put a ton of pressure on the still-honeymooning Colt McCoy. As a rule I'm very leery of laying an even 3 with a road team, but if anyone saw the Jets play Detroit last week it was clear they were giving the Lions every break in the first 3 quarters to try to put them away but the Jet defense kept holding its ground. On the other side of the ball, Santonio Holmes is close to being fully ingrained in the offense and is playing like a Super Bowl MVP again. After Rex Ryan put on a wig and dressed up like his twin brother Rob (the Browns' defensive coordinator) this week, I can't not take the Jets.

INDIANAPOLIS (-7) over Cincinnati
When the NFL is running short on bet-worthy teams, go with as close to a sure thing as possible. The Colts' injury report is about as long as a college thesis, but Peyton Manning continues to elevate the game of his motley crew around him. The Colts are giving up just 13 points a game at home this year, and if they can cover T.O. (which the Steelers forgot to do last week) they'll keep the Bengals point total in the teens.

St. Louis (+6) over SAN FRANCISCO
So let me get this straight - a 4-4 team is a six-point dog to a 2-6 team that hasn't gotten out of its own way all season? Thank you sir, may I have another? In what figures to be a close, ugly, 17-14 type of affair, I will gladly take 6 points. I wonder how many people will even notice that this game features a Heisman-winning quarterback matchup with Sam Bradford and Troy Smith. The 49ers (along with the Vikings) should send Christmas cards to Arlington, TX and thank Dallas for keeping them out of the "biggest disappointment of 2010" conversation.

New England (-4.5) over PITTSBURGH
I was originally going to stay away from this and follow my new "just pick against Carolina" rule, but I have a good feeling about the Patriots' chances at Heinz Field this Sunday night. The Steelers had a chance to blow the Bengals out last Monday night but let them hang around and needed a 4-down stop inside their own 10 in the final minute to hold on. The extra 1.5 in this line is a big-time overreaction to the egg that the Patriots laid last week in Cleveland, especially considering the Steelers just put left tackle Max Starks on IR and have two other offensive linemen plus James Harrison questionable.

Last Week: 4-1-0
Season: 22-21-2

NFL Injury Report

This is inspired by everydayshouldbesaturday.com 

Brett Farve,Vikings: Glassed over ankles, tendonitis in throwing arm, slightly separated shoulder, cut jaw, blue balls : Questionable

Percy Harvin, Vikings: Migraine. Questionable.

Tom Zbikowski, Ravens: Suffered a gash over right eye in sparring match preparing for his Friday night fight.  Vision is blurred. Probable

Shawn Merriman, Bills:  Missing ACL, MCL, HGH.  Out indefinitely OR until new shipment comes in

Jake Delhomme, Seneca Wallace, Browns:  Murdered by the City of Cleveland.  Buried under statue of Colt McCoy.  Out.

Everyone, Dallas Cowboys: Shattered Super Bowl dreams, fear of tackling.  Questionable.

Everyone, Dallas Cowboys: Wade Phillips fired.  Upgraded to Probable. 

Charles Woodson, Packers: Turf Toe, Probable.

Tom Brady, Patriots: Foot Sprain, Douchebag haircut.  Questionable.

Donovan McNabb, Redskins: Conditioning.  Probable until the game is on the line.

Kevin Kolb, Eagles:  Andy Reid. Doubtful.

Cinq Pour Samedi

This week isn't nearly as appealing on paper as last week was, but let's hope my record continues to be quite attractive. I'm going with all favorites this week in an odd turn that I'm not crazy about, but who knows. Home teams in CAPS.

Utah (-5.5) over NOTRE DAME
There's not much I can say about this, really. Notre Dame is in shambles right now amidst tragedy and successive embarrassing losses to Navy and Tulsa. In case anyone hasn't heard yet, there was a piece in the ND student newspaper a few weeks ago calling for students to rush the field if Utah wins this game, thus giving the current group of students the honor of having witnessed the most Irish losses in a 4-year period among any class to come through the school. The Utes kissed their BCS hopes goodbye last week but should still be playing on New Year's Day if they can continue to take care of business.

OHIO STATE (-18) over Penn State
Ok, let's see how the former walk-on QB Matt McGloin does for Penn State with no variables working in his favor. He's on the road against a team that is giving up only 11 points a game at home and won't stop playing in the 3rd quarter the way Northwestern did. If Ohio State refrains from the type of mistakes that cost them the Wisconsin game and lets Terrelle Pryor and their offense play with a lead early on, I don't think Penn State will have an answer.

FLORIDA (-6.5) over South Carolina
I'm not sure where the South Carolina team that beat Alabama went, but the one I saw last week against Arkansas looked slow and out of position on defense. Florida would love to make them look just as bad in this latest Spurrier homecoming, and if the same Florida offense that beat Georgia and gave LSU all it could handle shows up, they may end up running circles around the Gamecocks' defenders. I'll take the Gators minus less than a TD at home.

Oregon (-19.5) over CALIFORNIA
This is a slight cop-out, but like Kevin said, Oregon gives you no reason to go against them. That offense just keeps coming at you and coming at you until the next thing you know there's a half a hundred points on the board. If someone picks Oregon off along the way, it's not going to be Cal.

Oklahoma State (-5.5) over TEXAS
I originally liked Texas plus the points in this game all week, but I'm having an 11th-hour change of heart. The Longhorns have lost 5 of 6 and look worse every week. Initially this game said to me "ok, let's see how good a coach Mack Brown really is now that his players are dealing with something other than prosperity." However, the other side of it got me thinking about how Mike Gundy has got to have his Cowboys smelling blood with a chance to get into the Top 10 and BCS conversation while beating Texas (for the first time in ages) along the way. I can't get the image out of my mind of Oklahoma State receivers streaking up the sidelines with the ball and running straight at Bevo. I'll take the bright orange over the burnt orange.

Last Week: 4-1-0
Season: 28-19-3

Chris Wheeler's Elite 8

I present to you Chris Wheeler's Elite 8 Rankings awkwardly presented by Steven Colbert.  Dr. Shapiro remains #1 for a record setting 128th week.

1. Dr. Shapiro
He's the best.  You wouldn't know unless I told you.  My hair is fake haha. Looks real though doesn't it.  Well now you know who I have to thank.

2. Roy Halladay 
Halladay like me has trouble sleeping.  People think he's such a tireless worker during spring training because he starts working out in the wee hours of the morning.  Take one guess to who peers over him until he wakes up? That's right me.  Roy and I have breakfast every morning because we are the only two people who are up.  You should see how fast Roy can eat an omelet.

3. Clearwater, FL
I love this place and can't wait to go back in February.  Bill's Crabshack sounds pretty good right now.

4. Dockers Stain Defender
I love Khaki pants and these are my favorite.  With the amount of Jello I eat these come in handy.  If I spill on my pants no problem I'm covered.

5. Vitality Clinic
Another reason I can't wait to get back down to Florida.  Talk about a place the revitalized my happy zone.  My wife JILL has never been happier.

6. McFadden's at the Ballpark
This is my favorite place to party before and after Phillies games.  I don't drink the firewater there but I love the Pepsi.  I will have 3 or 4 before games, free refills!  $3 buys you all the drinks you can handle after the games.

7. Pokey Reese
What a fun ball player to watch.  He was two time gold glove winner and was just a solid baseball player.  Ok honestly,  I love his name.  Pokey Resse, it doesn't get much better than that.

8. Ryan Madson
Can you imagine a better guy in the 8th spot.  Did you think this wasn't going to have Wheeler humor?