Saturday, November 6, 2010

Your NCAA Open Thread


We're doing some shopping for our house for Christmas early today, and that's after a dentist appointment. But somewhere around the 3:30 ET hour, I'll do the same thing that you're going to do if you love football like I do. I'll settle in and watch Alabama vs. LSU in Death Valley.

In the meantime flip it over to Every Day Should Be Saturday for all the hardcore NCAA fellowship.
 
 
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Not A Fun 'Holiday' -- Cavs Lead Is Gone As Sixers' Lrue Holiday Leads Comeback

The Cavaliers are following a familiar script tonight in Philadelphia, as once again a big lead has dissolved and Cleveland finds itself on the short end of an 84-79 deficit after three.

Jrue Holiday led the charge for Philly at the Wells-Fargo Center in the third quarter and has 23 for the 'Sixers, while for Cleveland — which at one time led this game by 19 points — Anderson Varejao, Mo Williams and J.J Hickson all have 14.

 
 
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Gibson Leads Cavaliers Back To Win Over Sixers

Daniel Gibson scored 17 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, while Anderson Varejao added 23 points and 12 rebounds to help the Cavaliers win their eighth straight game in Philadelphia, 123-116.

Mo Williams notched 22 points to go with seven assists, and J.J. Hickson donated 16 points and eight caroms for Cleveland, which had lost three straight since a season-opening win over Boston.

Jrue Holiday scored a career-high 29 points and handed out eight assists for Philadelphia, which erased a 19-point first half deficit and led by eight in the final quarter before faltering down the stretch.

The Sixers, losers in five of six to start the year, also lost the versatile Andre Iguodala to a strained right Achilles tendon.

 
 
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Questions You Must Ask Your Doctor

What's injustice take Me? even if your doctor was the smartest doctor in the world, she could not know everything about everything in medicine. Medicine has become much too complicated. however, if you are ready for your visit, your care will be better for everyone. The average doctor's visit lasts only 10 minutes. The Boy Scouts are right: "Be prepared." While there are many parts of the exam, four of the most important parts are:

The grievance
The Diagnosis (what is being considered)
examines (to figure out the diagnosis)
cure (and choices) I. The grievance

This is why you are coming to see the doctor. make very hurts? how is it bothering you?
Since you only have a fragment of the 10 minutes to cover this, it is important to get it right. Be organized.

On a sheet of paper, BEFORE you go to the doctor, answer these questions:

What hurts — head, toe, belly? should does it hurt — all of the time, in the evening, morning, certain situations?
make very kind of pain — sharp, dull, pounding, constant, intermittent? effort: how long does it last — seconds, minutes, always? Specifics: Is there anything which makes it better or worse? Does anything happen with it — vomiting, can't urinate? This way, you can walk in and say that you have intermittent headaches, which come on at the end of the day, are sharp, like a knife, last an hour, not relieved (or are relieved) by aspirin, and you do (or don't) feel like vomiting.

II. The Diagnosis

should your doctor is talking about what he thinks might be wrong with you, you need to ask questions to figure out what he is thinking so that you understand the full picture.

You want to ask: What are the top three things that you think might be wrong with me?
How are you going to sort them out? Do I need to see a specialist?

 
 
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Giant Meatball Sub

As either a hearty party sandwich or a filling lunch or dinner, this sub will rise to the top of your list of favorites. It's also a perfect contribution to a potluck … but don't expect to have any leftovers!

Preparation time: 15 minutes
cook time: 30 minutes

You volunteer must
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup milk
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 1/4 pounds bulk Italian sausage
3/4 pound ground beef
2 jars (26 ounces each) spaghetti sauce
1 loaf (1 pound) unsliced French bread, halved lengthwise
8 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese
Shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

make very to Do
1. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, onion, garlic, bread crumbs, salt and Italian seasoning. Crumble sausage and beef over mixture; mix well.

2. shape into 1-inch balls. dwelling place in a greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish.

3. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes or until browned.

4. In a Dutch oven, heat the spaghetti sauce over medium heat. increase meatballs; simmer for 15 minutes. performancewhile, bake bread at 325°F for 10 minutes or until heated through.

5. dwelling place mozzarella cheese on bottom half of bread; spoon meatballs onto cheese. steal to change top.

6. beside the point sandwich into serving-size portions; serve with extra spaghetti sauce and Parmesan cheese if desired.

wait upons 8 from tasty of Home Tailgate cookbook

 
 
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Clint Bowyer Says NASCAR Penalty Helped in Hidden Ways

Can anything be good about a championship-crippling, 150-point penalty to begin the Chase for the Sprint Cup, as Clint Bowyer and his team received after winning the first playoff race back on Sept. 19?

As a matter of fact, yes, Bowyer said Tuesday, and his explanation had the ring of authenticity -- like perhaps the team really did discover the veritable silver lining to their cloud.

Bowyer's win at Talladega Sunday all but swept away the remnants of the cloud. He's the only Chase driver with two victories in the playoffs, and the nightmare of NASCAR's sanctions will further fade into bad memories when his crew chief, Shane Wilson, returns to action this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway after serving a four-race suspension.

"Truth be told, I think it's been good for all of us," Bowyer said on the weekly NASCAR teleconference. "It's opened our eyes to a couple things that we've been missing, you know. The communication side of it on race day is one, I think."

Bowyer said the interim crew chief, Scott Miller, was a steady hand in the pit box.
 
 
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Carl Edwards Wins Texas Nationwide Race as Brad Keselowski Clinches Title

The backflip is back, and the kid won the title.

As Carl Edwards held off Kyle Busch to win the Nationwide race Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway, Brad Keselowski clinched the Nationwide championship with a third-place finish.

It was the first major NASCAR title for the racing for car owner Roger Penske as well as the Keselowski family, a venerable Michigan racing clan.

"Thank you guys so much," the 26-year-old Keselowski told his crew on the radio after taking the checkered flag.

"Great job, buddy," Penske said from the grandstand roof, where he was spotting. "Great job, champion.

"First off, it's a family accomplishment," Keselowski said afterwards. "My mom, my dad, my uncle, they made so many sacrifices along the way and put up with me when I got in trouble. I'm so very fortunate and blessed to have this opportunity."
 
 
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Friday, November 5, 2010

The Weekend in Football


In the spirit of my favorite sport to watch on television and my favorite time of the year, I bring you my weekly column, The Weekend in Football. Designed like Mike Tunison's Designed Rush column, I give you a look at the upcoming weekend in football from my view. 

This is the vaunted weekend. My birthday weekend. In the past, there's been some big games played on this weekend. Somehow, I always felt that these games were being played for me. I know it sounds silly; but that's what I've always thought--that I'd see maybe just a little more magic on my birthday weekend just because I'm such a huge football fan and all that. More often than not; it hasn't worked out that way.

This weekend, it's Colt McCoy's first start at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Like Tim Couch and Brady Quinn before him (and to a degree Derek Anderson) a lot of people in Cleveland have excitement that the Browns might have finally found their young guy. A lot remains to be seen, but McCoy has handled himself adequately in facing the Steelers and Saints on the road. The Patriots will pose as another tough test for the youngster from Texas.

I'll be at Cleveland Browns Stadium to see McCoy's first home start as a Brown. I was there for Tim Couch's last home game as a Brown and Brady Quinn's first home game as a Brown (both losses). You have to hope that just maybe, things turn a little differently here and the kid continues to show accuracy and poise.

With all the people of Cleveland have dealt with lately; you would love to see them have one thing like this go right. McCoy panning out and getting a few big wins down the stretch for a success starved fan base would qualify without a doubt. So maybe, on my 28th birthday, Colt McCoy will make it a day when the sun shines on the Brown and Orange.

Saturday:
After a trip to the Anderson's and the dentist and before having my fiance's birthday dinner; I've got some time to fit in a few of the 3:30 PM ET games this Saturday.With the Buckeyes on a bye week, my watch list ill look something like this:

#6 Alabama vs. #10 LSU****
You have to wonder who is the lesser of two evils in this big time SEC match-up. I'd probably go with Les Miles. It would be nice to see big and mighty Alabama have two losses hung on them this season. But I think that Alabama will probably find away. They have so many big, talented, nasty players.

#3 TCU vs. #5 Utah****
I don't buy this as a five star game only because I don't buy either one of these as a true big time contender. Some could make a case for why the NCAA should have flex scheduling. I have no idea where ESPN's Gameday is going to head to this Saturday, but you wonder why they wouldn't have booked a trip to Utah because someone is about to gain major steam towards the national title why winning this one. Personally I hope it's not TCU.

#18 Arkansas vs. #19 South Carolina***


#15 Arizona vs. #13 Stanford***

Your classic college football throwback YouTube clip of the week:


Rocket Ismail was the man. Was he not? Take me back to my childhood and Rocket Ismail as a Raider and when the earth stood still because of it. I thought he would end up the next Jerry Rice or something. But there are other things that come into consideration like hands, route running, and the guy who is throwing you the ball. So Rocket just ended up having a decent career that saw him catch 363 balls. Many of which weren't for the Raiders.

Bathroom Reading:
-Check out the updated Mock Draft for 2011 over at Walter Football. 
-Drew Magary looks at the 10 worst tenured coaches in NFL history over at Deadspin. Romeo Crennel belongs on there somewhere.
-Good move for the Titans adding Randy Moss? National Football Post speculates.
-History lesson on Mangini and Belichick from the Canton Rep.



Sunday (Picks in bold):

New England (-4.5) at Cleveland ***
I would love to give this game the four or five star treatment because of what it means to me but I cannot. I know the Browns well, and I'll travel up to Northeast Ohio this weekend and they'll make it get dark and be Sunday night early. I want Colt McCoy to play well in this game. I want the Browns to make Bill Belichick do this:



I've always loved that video. Isn't little Billy B. so cute when he whines with his eyes facing the ground there? But lets face it. We know that a more likely scenario is the Patriots who are rolling to keep on rolling. The Browns have a one dimensional offense still to me. They don't get the ball outside to their receivers. Their leading receiver is Ben Watson. Little Bill will easy find a way to take Watson away and the Browns will have to pound it with Peyton Hillis. This is the kind of game where Belichick has over the years almost never lost. Tom Brady will get his yards and Colt McCoy is likely to have a stat line that reads 12 for 27 for 147. But I'd give anything to be wrong.

Kansas City at Oakland (-2.5)****
Kansas City has proven to be a good team and they've dodged a lot of bullets lately. This rivalry finally means something again. I always knew Jason Campbell wasn't that bad. And the Raiders are rolling by giving the ball to Darren McFadden and straight up hitting people in the mouth. I think the Raiders are going to win this game. And if they don't win, the Chiefs will get some serious hype from a lot of people around the league. This is a test for Todd Haley's bunch.

New York Jets (-4) at Detroit ***
I'll tell you right now that this is not the pushover game that so many expect it to be. The Lions have some serious players and I think they're going to be a really good team again here about a year from now. I think Stafford to Calvin Johnson is going to be the best combination in the NFL in a short while and of course the fact they have Ndamakong Suh, this Detroit team is really relevant again. The match up features the first two QB's taken in the 2009 draft facing each other. Mark Sanchez playing well coming off a disappointing performance is usually a good thing to bet on. I don't like the Jets by a touchdown but I do like them by the spread; and four sounds just about right.

Arizona (+8) at Minnesota **
Derek Anderson back at the helm for the Cardinals. I think the Vikings win; but I don't think that they have enough to win that big.

Tampa Bay (+8.5) at Atlanta *****
Uh, no. Matt Ryan is something like 17-1 all time at home. He's going to be in the MVP running. And just like I told you this Falcons team isn't going away anytime soon this year. They're for real. But Tampa is a spry little group. They'll fight your ass. They won't lose by two scores here.

Chicago (-3) "at Buffalo" aka Toronto

San Diego at Houston (+3) ***
One up, one down. That's how Houston rolls. Even though it's good to note that I don't think the Chargers have dropped a game in November or December in several years. This is going to be that day.

New Orleans (-6) at Carolina*

Miami (+5.5) at Baltimore***
You know what? Tony Sparano has that team ready to play more often than not. Joe Flacco has been so up and down. I changed my pick at the last second here. This is the type of game Vegas really wants you to have some investment in, though.

New York Giants at Seattle (+7)**
Oh yea baby. Give me this all day. You have over-hyped Giants team seemingly rolling along and flying cross country to play a Seattle team who has been getting it handed to them. I think that I remember all too well a few years back when Eli and the Giants went out to Seattle and couldn't put the game away because Jay Feely just kept missing kicks that would have won the game. Shit like that happens when you fly cross country to play a game.

Indianapolis (+3) at Philadelphia****

Green Bay (-7.5) at Dallas**

Pittsburgh (-5) at Cincinnati***
I respect the Bengals to play well here, I really do. But the Steelers got beat last week, and uh; well they're the Steelers and the Bengals are the Bengals. I think it's a good Monday Night Football game to have on the slate.

Your Classic YouTube NFL Clip of the Week:

Like I said my birthday is coming up. And while this doesn't feature any huge or exciting play, maybe it brings the Browns a little luck this weekend. And it's actually not about the Browns. It's about this guy's wife and the last game he and her ever attended together before she died. It kind of makes me sad. Brings back a lot of memories hearing Doug Dieken and company on the radio there signing off for the last time wondering if the Browns were gone forever. A happy ending could still be written but I don't got time to bleed. And I'm attending the game this weekend with the only girl I've ever loved. You get the picture.


Other Picks:
ESPN (Schefter picks the Browns over the Patriots. I love that guy and his soft spot for Cleveland)
Bill Simmons
Colin Cowherd took the Patriots 27 over the Browns 20 at lunch
Kissing Suzy Kolber
Walter Football
Incarcerated Bob

 
 
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NFL Network Names Jerry Rice All-Time Best; Jim Brown No. 2


NFL Network has been counting down the Top 100 players in NFL history over the past couple of months, creating plenty of water-cooler conversation about where players such as Tom Brady, John Elway and Joe Namath have placed.  Tonight, NFLN finally got down to who they chose as the Greatest Player in NFL History.

The winner?  WR Jerry Rice.  Browns legend Jim Brown finished 2nd.

That debate will likely rage on for days, but it is really hard to argue with Rice - owner of every receiving record imaginable, many that will likely never get broken.  Rice played 18 years - Brown retired after nine seasons - and Rice has a handful of Super Bowl rings to boot.  If Brown was going to finish second to any player, Jerry Rice is as good as it gets.

One current player made the top 10, with Peyton Manning coming in 8th. The top 10 includes seven offensive players and three defensive players.

The rest of the top 10? 

1.  Jerry Rice - WR(SF)
2.  Jim Brown - RB(CLE)
3.  Lawrence Taylor - LB(NYG)
4.  Joe Montant - QB(SF)
5.  Walter Payton - RB(CHI)
6.  Johnny Unitas - QB(BAL)
7.  Reggie White - DE(PHI, GB)
8.  Peyton Manning - QB(IND)
9.  Don Hutson - WR(GB)
10.  Dick Butkus - LB(CHI)

 
 
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Oregon No. 1, Buckeyes Remain At No. 11

The weekly College Football Blogger Poll is out with the top four teams staying right where they have been for the past couple of weeks.  Oregon, Auburn, Boise St. and TCU are still in the top four spots, all still undefeated.  Alabama moved up two spots to round out the top five.

The Buckeyes remained at No. 11, despite two blowout wins. The only team to beat Ohio State this year - Wisconsin - came in at No. 7, the highest of any Big Ten team.

This biggest rise this week was for a top 25 newcomer - NC State, that rose 15 spots to come in at No. 24.  The biggest fall belongs to Michigan State who fell 10 spots (No. 15) after their blow-out defeat against Iowa (No. 16).  

The entire poll is below:

SB Nation BlogPoll Top 25 College Football Rankings

Results for Week 10

# School Points/blog SD Delta
1 Oregon Ducks (59) 24.58 0.59 --
2 Auburn Tigers (28) 23.92 0.95 --
3 Boise St. Broncos (6) 22.46 1.67 --
4 TCU Horned Frogs 22.35 1.22 --
5 Alabama Crimson Tide 19.71 2.24 Arrow_up 2
6 Utah Utes 18.61 3.71 Arrow_up 3
7 Wisconsin Badgers 18.09 2.40 Arrow_up 1
8 Nebraska Cornhuskers 17.27 2.11 Arrow_up 6
9 Oklahoma Sooners 15.67 2.65 Arrow_up 1
10 Stanford Cardinal 15.63 3.60 Arrow_up 2
11 Ohio St. Buckeyes 15.41 2.76 --
12 LSU Tigers 14.30 3.33 Arrow_up 1
13 Missouri Tigers 13.32 3.34 Arrow_down -7
14 Arizona Wildcats 12.81 2.90 Arrow_up 1
15 Michigan St. Spartans 11.91 2.61 Arrow_down -10
16 Iowa Hawkeyes 11.14 2.69 Arrow_up 2
17 Oklahoma St. Cowboys 8.49 2.58 Arrow_up 2
18 South Carolina Gamecocks 7.63 2.65 Arrow_down -1
19 Arkansas Razorbacks 7.43 2.81 Arrow_up 1
20 Mississippi St. Bulldogs 5.04 2.70 Arrow_up 1
21 Baylor Bears 4.35 2.11 Arrow_up 4
22 Virginia Tech Hokies 4.12 2.51 Arrow_up 1
23 Florida St. Seminoles 2.69 2.71 Arrow_down -7
24 N.C. State Wolfpack 2.59 2.04 Arrow_up 15
25 Nevada Wolf Pack 2.37 2.39 Arrow_up 1
Others Receiving Votes: Hawaii Warriors | Syracuse Orange | Oregon St. Beavers | Illinois Fighting Illini | San Diego St. Aztecs | Florida Gators | Central Florida Knights | Miami Hurricanes | Arizona St. Sun Devils | Arkansas St. Red Wolves | Michigan Wolverines | Northwestern Wildcats | Temple Owls | Northern Illinois Huskies | Maryland Terrapins | North Carolina Tar Heels | USC Trojans | Pittsburgh Panthers | Texas A&M Aggies | Dixie State Rebels | Tennessee Volunteers
Updated: Nov 3, 2010 11:05 AM EDT

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings "


 
 
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Who I like, Cincinnati version

As I said last week when I picked the Steelers to lose a close game at New Orleans, I like the Steelers to win their remaining road games this season.

That starts Monday night in Cincinnati.

The Steelers are by far the more healthy team and should be extremely motivated after losing to the Saints.

The Bengals also swept Pittsburgh last season, adding a little fuel to the fire.

Pittsburgh enters this game as a 3 1/2-point favorite and that looks to be something of a gift.

Cincinnati will put some points on the board, but not enough to keep this close.

Take Pittsburgh to win, 27-17
 
 
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Big Idea, Small Detail Energy, Money and Environment

Small Detail

 

 

By land and by air, North Americans rack up the equivalent of 200 million trips around the earth each year, according to David Suzuki's Green lure (Greystone comfortables, *** 19.95). One antidote: the "walking school bus." Adults lead kids on a fixed route, combating global warming and obesity. go and live with saferoutesinfo *** and walkingschoolbus *** .

 

 

Kinesiologist Max Donelan has invented an admittedly bulky prototype of a knee brace that generates electricity from the wearer's stride. adhere to effort, scientists are also working to harness energy from bridge vibrations, raindrops, beating hearts, and other everyday sources-to power devices big and small.

Money 

 

 

how do satisfaction, longevity, and the environment correlate? At happyplanetindex *** , you can check out a map of 178 nations and see where everyone stands. Bestfootforward *** details how companies can reduce environmental impact. Onehundredmonths *** ticks off the time we have until the effects of global warming are deemed irreversible. (FYI: They say we've got until December 2016.)

 

Big standpoint

recommendricity: ho! The next energy frontier may be the ocean. Companies like SeaGen Tidal strength are building what are essentially upside-down windmills (as well as buoys and turbines) in the sea to take advantage of tides, waves, and currents, reports scoop outy Channel Magazine. The SeaGen generator being tested off Northern Ire-land may provide enough green energy for 1,000 homes.

 

 

 

strength

 

 

Some new ideas floated by U.S. economists and experts, gathered by the wash away dirtington Post. own states suspend their sales tax. Boost home sales by lowering mortgage rates to 4 percent. Recalculate mortgage terms when values in an area fall 20 percent. Pump *** 20 billion a week into the economy by suspending Social Security payments by workers.

 

 

Environment 

Sometimes it pays (literally) to review your budget and see where money goes and how you can hold on to it. well verseden_online *** (newly free) and mint *** let you track expenses, get bill reminders, and see your checking, savings, and credit card accounts in one place. Bonus: personal pie charts!

 
 
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The Healing Power of Laughter

Scientific evidence has shown that laughter helps people breathe easier and it massages the heart and other vital organs.

It may also increase the release of disease-fighting cells in the immune system. as if exercise, laughter quickens the pulse and stimulates the cardiovascular system. In experiments, students who watched funny movies were found to have an increased flow of infection-fighting proteins in their saliva.

A positive outlook also guards against illness and may even increase longevity. Optimistic huan ball battle II veterans followed for 35 years after the battle ended developed fewer health problems — including hypertension, diabetes, and back trouble — and lived longer than their pessimistic counterparts. Scientists now connect pessimism not only with depression but consider it a risk factor for disease, just like high blood pressure or smoking. Pessimists are more likely to develop physical illnesses when stressed and take longer to recover after surgery.

Children are naturally cheerful, and psychologists speculate that their emotional buoyancy may be part of our species' survival mechanism, that optimism helps protect the young from disease until they can reach puberty and reproduce. Optimism may have helped preserve the species in prehistoric times. surely realism saved cave men and women from being gobbled by tigers, without an optimistic sense of adventure, they would never have ventured away from the cave in the first place.

Brighten your day:
see jokes
see cartoons
think the Daily Upside

 
 
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Get a Rush at Alaska’s Klondike Gold Rush Park

Skagway, Alaska

should gold fever struck in 1897–98, some 20,000 to 30,000 adventurers came through Skagway to brave the Chilkoot and text qualified trails on their way to the Klondike gold fields. They suffered immense hardship, many died, and only a very few got rich. however Skagway prospered, as did nearby Dyea at the head of the trail that crosses the Chilkoot qualified into whetherada.

The park commemorating the gold rush includes the Skagway Historic District, Dyea (now in ruins), and the American portion of the Chilkoot Trail, as well as forerunner Square in Seattle, where so many dreamers made plans rightness the trip north. rightness many the dreams ended here in Skagway, where some 80 saloons and gambling halls and the notorious "Soapy" Smith and his cronies were all willing and able to relieve the unwary of their grubstakes.

 
 
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Elliott Sadler Wins Texas Pole


Elliott Sadler, who has been plagued by misfortune all year and is expected to join the Nationwide series fulltime next year, had an end-of-the-season boost Friday when he won the pole position for the AAA Texas 500.

Sadler captured the top starting spot with a lap of 195.397 mile per hour at the ultrafast 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway.

In a Sprint Cup field usually separated by the tiniest margins, Sadler was more than two tenths of a second faster than Biffle, and even faster than everyone else.

"That is a really fast lap for me. I got all I can get out of it," Sadler said after his run.

Greg Biffle, a Chase for the Sprint Cup competitor, qualified second at 193.653 mph. CArl Edwards was third at 193.646 mph, followed by Juan Pablo Montoya at 193.749 mph. David Ragan was fifth at 193.424.
 
 
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Thursday, November 4, 2010

Colt McCoy: pre-3rd start links

The Nosebleeds NFL Blog
Northeast Ohio is pretty excited that the Browns finally might have found their guy. The excitement has transcended through local and national media. Here's what some folks are saying:

Rookie focus: QB Colt McCoy looks to turn around Browns
"One of the first things we did with the Browns was to go to Canton and see the Hall of Fame. If that could be the way I'm remembered, it would be the perfect ending." [USA Today]

No controversy for QB as McCoy poised to start 
''I'm here for whatever they ask me to do. Again, that's a coaches' decision,'' McCoy said of a possible third consecutive start. ''I know Jake and Seneca aren't practicing today, and I treat it the same way I have the last several weeks — to prepare like I'm the starter every time. Whether it ends that way or not, I'm going to be prepared to play.'' [Akron Beacon Journal]

More quotes from Mangini
"A lot of young guys when they go in, there's real jitters, but Colt, with that role, just seemed at home: broke down the teams, spoke to the team the night before he started. It was natural; none of it was forced and that is one of the most positive things I've seen." [Boston Globe]

I'm getting excited. All my friends who are Browns fans are really feeling good about this kid. The morale of the fan base is really high again and times are not rotten as they were when this season started. More on this as we build to the moment which is kickoff at Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.
 
 
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Browns Get Back To Work With Patriots On Their Mind


New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady calls a play in the first quarter of an NFL preseason football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)

Michael Perez - AP

about 1 year ago: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady calls a play in the first quarter of an NFL preseason football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)

View full size photo »

Even 15 years later, Bill Belichick returning to Cleveland invokes emotions.

Fresh and rested, the Cleveland Browns have gotten back to work and will welcome a familiar friend to Cleveland Browns Stadium on Sunday.  Bill Belichick, who coached the Browns during their final five seasons before moving to Baltimore, has won three super bowls with the New England Patriots.  He once again has the Patriots at the top of the NFL wth a 6-1 record, and with Tom Brady at quarterback the Pats seem poised for another deep run in the AFC.

The Browns aren't impressed.  After a big road win in New Orleans, the Browns are filled with confidence after a week off.  There is also the business regarding Belichick and and Browns coach Eric Mangini.  There isn't much love lost between the two men dating back to the time Mangini left the Patriots to take over the New York Jets.  What followed - icy post-game handshakes, spy-gate, general rudeness - has been the stuff of soap opera legend.

All of that will be on full display this weekend - in the midst of a football game - a game that the Patriots want to win to keep the inside track to an AFC East Title.

Buckle up Browns Fans.

 
 
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Rest In Peace, Sparky Anderson

When I lived in Cincinnati in the late 70s, that town was the Reds' town — and it was Sparky Anderson's town through 1978.

Yes, this is a Cleveland site, but when a great figure in sports passes away, no matter where, or with what team or teams he or she was associated, it is a sad and noteworthy thing.

Sparky Anderson passed away today at the age of 76. He was the first manager to win a World Series in both leagues and he is the all-time leader in wins as manager of two different teams, with the Detroit Tigers as well as with the Reds — the only manager in history to achieve that distinction.

Rest in peace, Sparky.

 
 
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Harrison hit with $20,000 fine

Another day, another fine for James Harrison.

Two days after meeting with commissioner Roger Goodell, Harrison was fined $20,000 by the NFL for a late hit on New Orleans' quarterback Drew Brees last Sunday.

That brings Harrison's fine total this season to a cool $100,000.

Harrison won't appeal this fine.

© Defensive end Brett Keisel practiced for the second consecutive day on Thursday and looks to be a go for Monday night's game at Cincinnati.

In fact, the Steelers are so sure, they aren't even list Keisel on their injury report.

© Last Sunday's game at New Orleans was the first time this season the Steelers have really missed Sanontio Holmes.

 
 
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NBA tonight on ESPN 2 Live: Bucks vs Celtics

Milwaukee Bucks have against the previous owner championship Boston Celtics playoff live in MA TD Garden in Boston. Boston one of the most outstanding player of Rajon Rondo choose to set his teammates up,nba news instead of him, he will be a strategy for each team member to have a chance to score with ease and win this game. The All-Star point seeking protection for an encore performance for a better game when the Boston Celtics very energetic host the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night. Rajon Rondo is averaging 16.8 assists and better in 4 to 1 assist-relationship between turnover. Boston Celtics win against the Detroit Pistons Tuesday night with a final score 109 to 86, made a serious advantage for the Celtics. Rajon Rondo was outstanding that game that ends the game with a record of 17 assists and no rotations, who scored 9 points and 4 steals. Kevin Garnett also participated in the game for the sum of 22points and 6 rebounds.

Paul Pierce stopped at the corner of their home court, holding a ball and stopped for a while, how dare the Detroit Pistons to either save it. Then it is easily another great free kick to give the Celtics a vitory with a 23point lead. While the unlucky Milwaukee Bucks had a loss in its previous game against the Portland Trail Blazers to a 90-76 final score. Fans of the NBA, do not miss to see the Milwaukee Bucks vs Boston Celtics Live on ESPN TV Channel.

 
 
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What did Naomi Campbell make her guests do in Saint-Tropez

Claudia's British custom covers…

The baby, whose name has not yet been confirmed, arrived on Friday in the early afternoon and will be a sister to Caspar, 7, and Clementine, 5.

SUPERMODEL Claudia Schiffer has given birth to her third child, a daughter. She and husband Matthew Vaughn announced the happy arrival yesterday and confirmed that both mother and baby are doing well.

Claudia Schiffer's style through the years…

make very did Naomi camp leibell make her guests do in Saint-Tropez

SEE CLAUDIA BARE HER BABY BUMP HERE

 
 
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Roush-Fenway Drivers Coming Up Short Again in Chase

A year ago, two drivers of the Roush-Fenway Racing team found their way to NASCAR's illustrious Chase for the Sprint Cup.

They finished rather unspectacularly.

Greg Biffle held the banner highest for the proud Ford operation, winding up seventh after the season's final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway last November. His teammate, Carl Edwards, finished eleventh.

Neither garnered a win during that 2009 campaign -- one that seemed to start in quite the fashion with Matt Kenseth's sweep of the season's first two races, including the Daytona 500.

Fortunes seemed to be in the organization's favor this season after all three of those drivers -- Biffle, Edwards and Kenseth -- made it into the top 12 at the Chase cutoff point in September.
 
 
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NASCAR Penalizes Cup Team, Suspends Crew Chief Indefinitely

Three crew members from the No. 46 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team have been suspended indefinitely by NASCAR for major violations found in opening day inspection at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway last weekend.

Crew chief Thomas Tucker, car chief Richard Boga and team manager Tony Furr -- a veteran Cup Series team member -- received indefinite suspensions for three rules violations, the most serious involving adding weight pellets to the lower A-Frames of the No. 46 driven by Michael McDowell.

McDowell and car owner Dusty Whitney were also penalized 50 championship points. McDowell qualified 15th and finished 35th in the Amp Energy 500 at Talladega. He's ranked 44th in the standings after making 24 races, primarily as a start-and-park operation.
 
 
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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Colt McCoy and start #3

And I'll be in the Dawg Pound for my birthday to see this one. It's looking more and more like my source was good, doesn't it?

Pro Football Talk is running with their version of the story. I tried to tip Mike Florio off on Sunday night when I got the information but he didn't want to go with it at that time.

Keep it locked right here, I'll continue to update what I hear.

 
 
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Cavaliers Can't Seal The Deal, Fall To Hawks 100-88

Marvin Williams scored a team-high 22 points and Al Horford had 16 points and 12 rebounds, as the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 100-88, at Quicken Loans Arena.

Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby each finished with 15 points apiece, with Johnson adding nine assists for Atlanta, which has won its first four games of the season and is off to its best start since the 2008-09 campaign when it began 6-0. Jamal Crawford chipped in with 16 points in a reserve role.

J.J. Hickson went for a career-high 31 points for the Cavaliers, who have dropped three straight after defeating Boston in their season-opener.

Mo Williams (groin) played in his first game of the year and scored 12 points off the bench.

Marvin Williams scored 10 points in the opening quarter, as the hot shooting Hawks made 71.4 percent from the floor to grab a 40-27 lead after the opening 12 minutes.

Crawford's jumper early in the second increased the Atlanta advantage to 46-29 and it would maintain a comfortable double-digit edge throughout the period. Cleveland was able to get as close as 10 on a few occasions late, but Marvin Williams drained a pair of free throws with just over a second to play to give the visitors a 59-47 lead heading into the half.

Cleveland went on a 13-5 run to start the third and closed to within 64-60 after Anthony Parker hit from three-point range. Mo Milliams' triple with 3:22 left in the quarter made it a 70-69 game in favor of Atlanta.

The Hawks built the lead back up to five a short time later, but Ryan Hollins made a pair from the stripe and Mo Williams hit a jumper with 15.7 seconds left to draw the Cavs to within a point at 74-73 after three quarters.

Gibson gave the hosts a brief lead with a driving layup to start the fourth before Johnson made a jumper and layup sandwiched around a Crawford three, and the Hawks were back in front, 81-75, with just under 10 minutes in the game.

Cleveland got as close as three, 87-84, following a pair of free throws from Hickson near the midway point, but Horford answered with a dunk on the Hawks' next possession, and Marvin Williams' 18-footer ended a stretch of six straight points that gave Atlanta a 10-point lead with just over two minutes to play.

Cavaliers forward Antawn Jamison missed the game with a sore left knee…Cleveland won three of four meetings with Atlanta last season and despite the loss is 20-6 in the past 26 matchups between the clubs…Atlanta shot 44 percent from the field, while Cleveland made 43.2 percent of its shots.

 
 
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Steelers now need two practice squad players

The Steelers now need to not only replace Steve McClendon on their practice squad, they have to find a replacement for Al Woods as well – at least according to one report.

Woods, according to the report. was signed by the Tampa Bay Bucs off the Steelers practice squad, leaving the Steelers short on defensive linemen with Aaron Smith out indefinitely.

Woods, however, was seen in the Steelers' practice facility today - though that could have been to clean out his locker here.

Expect the team to sign at least one defensive lineman today.

UPDATE: The Steelers just signed outside linebacker Chris Ellis to the practice squad. Ellis, a Virginia Tech product, was with the Bills in training camp.

UPDATE II: The Steelers have signed Sonny Harris to replace Woods on their practice squad.

© The line of the day came from Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis when asked about Randy Moss being available.

At first Lewis declined to comment. But when told he could have a "triple threat" at wide receiver with Moss, Terrell Owens and Chad Ocho Cinco, Lewis, without missing a beat replied, "I don't have enough bullets for my gun."

© Ben Roethlisberger admitted today to being a "little nervous" about calling a QB sneak on the goal line because New Orleans had a big nose tackle and rookie center Maurkice Pouncey was working on a silent count.
 
 
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Gateway International Raceway Closed by Dover Motorsports

Gateway International Raceway Closed by Dover Motorsports
via Fanhouse Motorsports by Bob Zeller on 11/3/10

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Gateway International Raceway outside of St. Louis, the site of one of the most dramatic NASCAR finishes this season, has been closed by its parent company, Dover Motorsports, Inc.

The company said Wednesday it was "ceasing all operations" at the 1.25-mile Illinois track in Madison, Ill., only about five miles east of downtown St. Louis.

Dover Motorsports, which has been losing money in the economic downturn, had announced earlier this year that it would not seek to run any NASCAR Series events at Gateway in 2011.

The final event this year was a NASCAR Nationwide Series event on October 23. But the one they will remember is the Nationwide race on a hot Saturday night in July, when Carl Edwards wrecked Brad Keselowski coming off turn four toward the checkered flag, causing a huge crash. Moments earlier, Keselowski had bumped Edwards out of the lead.

"Gateway is a tremendous facility in a great racing community, but we are simply unable to operate it with an acceptable return," said Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover Motorsports, in a statement.
 
 
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IndyCar Series Cancels 2011 Edmonton Race

The IZOD IndyCar Series announced Wednesday that the Edmonton road course event scheduled for next summer has been canceled due to a conflict between the city and the race promoters about necessary track improvements.

"We are disappointed that the city and the promoter were unable to reach an agreement on the venue changes,'' the IndyCar Series said in a statement.

"It's unfortunate that in a time when IndyCar is experiencing momentum and growth, the city would want to miss out on the opportunity to be part of it. We've enjoyed our time at Edmonton as the fans there truly embraced Indy car racing. We currently are examining options for our schedule to see if there are opportunities to replace the event.''

The three-year old race was run on a temporary circuit set up on Edmonton's City Centre Airport. Promoters would have to spend approximately $3.2 million (Canadian) to upgrade and repave a different runway.

Scott Dixon won two of the three races in Edmonton, including this year's event which gained international attention when three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves unleashed a post-race tirade and grabbed an IndyCar Series official after being black-flagged for blocking late in the race.

The removal of Edmonton leaves the series with a 15-race schedule that begins March 27 in St. Petersburg, Fla.
 
 
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Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Holiday season has arrived

The Holiday beer to end all holidays beers is now available in stores. And thanks to my fiance, I have a cold case of these bad boys waiting for me in my fridge.

Great Lakes Brewing Company Christmas ale costs $11.50 per six pack. So it's going to put a dent in your wallet.

But it brings back a lot of memories to have these sweet little hint of cinnamon goodies just waiting in my fridge to enjoy on a cold winters night or after a Browns victory. It is the holiday taste of Northeast Ohio.
 
 
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NFL Power Rankings

The weekly SBNation.com NFL Power Rankings are out and the Browns can't win for, well, not losing.  A week after going to New Orleans and shocking the Saints, the Browns had a BYE week to prepare for a brutal stretch to come against the Patriots and Jets.  Their reward?  A drop in the power rankings from 26 to 27.

I guess respect is taken, not earned, and tough road wins are woth just that - nothing.

As for the rest of the AFC Central, the Ravens are #3, the Steelers come in at #6, and the Bengals are #25.

 
 
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Keisel expected to return

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday he expects defensive end Brett Keisel to return after missing the past two games with a hamstring injury.

In fact, the only player Tomlin listed as unlikely to play this week is Aaron Smith.

Only Flozell Adams and Isaac Redman, who both suffered ankle sprains in the loss at New Orleans, will be limited in practice this week. Both are expected to play Monday at Cincinnati.

Tomlin again refused to speculate how long Smith, who suffered a triceps muscle tear two weeks ago, will be out of action.

He did say he was pleased with how Ziggy Hood played in Smith's absence.
 
 
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Wild Talladega Race Keeps NASCAR's Sensors Busy

The fall edition of the twice-yearly trip to Talladega Superspeedway certainly put the sanctioning body's electronic timing and scoring system through its paces.

The sanctioning body placed scoring sensors at various checkpoints in regular intervals around the 2.66-mile track, as it does at every track, and they didn't get the day off.

Indeed, the system was tested to the limits as NASCAR had to fall back on the information to establish running orders at the point of caution flags, including a finishing order that established Clint Bowyer as the winner by a fender.

At the same time, the system tracked some interesting race-within-a-race statistics.

Take this, for example, involving a driver in just his second race with a team.

Aric Almirola, driving Kasey Kahne's old Budweiser digs for Richard Petty Motorsports, surpassed Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s April Talladega tally by completing 501 green flag passes. Almirola, though, needed about 20 more on the last lap of green, as he came home 20th.

Two drivers who finished in the top five made more than 400 passes Sunday, including second-place Kevin Harvick (400 passes) and fourth-place David Reutimann (458).

 

 
 
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Monday, November 1, 2010

Grading the Game: Ohio State 52- Minnesota 10

Offense:  A

One of the most productive days for the Ohio State offense the entire season, the filleting of the Golden Gopher defense was as close to an "A+" as you can get without being one. Terrelle Pryor's one mistake, an interception in the corner of the endzone, marred the offensive performance, but the rest of his day was deadly efficient. Going 18/22 (82%) with two touchdown passes and one touchdown run, Pryor made quick decisions and spread the ball around against the porous Gopher defense.  It's hard to judge a quarterback when he is playing such an awful defense, but Pryor did everything he needed to for Ohio State to take care of business.

  And once again, Boom Herron had a great day rushing the ball, achieving the first 100 yard game of his career. On 17 carries, Herron gained 114 yards and a touchdown before he was pulled from the game shortly after halftime. Paving the way, the Buckeye offensive line absolutely bullied the overmatched Gopher front seven. Ohio State had little trouble running or passing at will because of this domination of the line of scrimmage.

DeVier Posey led the receivers with 115 yards and a touchdown on only six catches, with Dane Sanzenbacher catching five passes for 57 yards. Those two accounted for the vast majority of the passing yards, although a host of other players had a handful of receptions.

Defense: A

While Ohio State did hold the Minnesota offense to 232 yards on 51 plays (4.54 yards per play), they experienced a little bit of struggle on the first Golden Gopher drive, giving up consecutive pass plays of 30 yards or more. It was Minnesota's sole touchdown, but it was enough to prevent an "A+" grade for Ohio State's defense. Defensive tackle Johnny Simon had a special moment when he returned an Adam Weber fumble for a touchdown, and middle linebacker Brian Rolle made one of the most spectacular defensive plays I've ever seen. Blitzing Weber's strongside, Rolle hit the Gopher quarterback, caused a fumble, and then recovered the fumble himself, all in the span of three seconds.

Anyone who questions Rolle's importance to the Buckeyes' defensive success need only look at the effect his absence had. Minnesota's only touchdown of the game came on a drive where Rolle was injured, and after his return, Minnesota struggled to move the ball in any direction other than backwards.

Special Teams: A

Special Teams built on their positive performance against Purdue, and much of that is attributable to punt returner Jordan Hall. His 70 yard return was a work of art, and it was largely a self-made one. Minnesota's coverage unit lost backside lane discipline, and Jordan Hall squeaked through the initial Gopher surge to open field, where he galloped all the way to the two yard line before being pushed out of bounds. Ohio State's coverage units also did their job well on the numerous opportunities Minnesota had for returns.

The only negative for special teams was kicker Devin Barclay's missed chip shot in the 3rd quarter, which may have been a product of the rough elements.

Player of the Game: Brian Rolle. The senior middle linebacker not only had the play of the day with his sack, fumble, recovery drill late in the game, but his absence also proved to be the catalyst for Minnesota's best offensive drive of the day. B-Rolle has been an indispensable part of Ohio State's success the past two seasons, and his continued excellence will be necessary over the next four weeks, as the Bucks look to defeat Penn State, Iowa, and Michigan to win their 6th straight Big Ten title.

 
 
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Surprising Teams Halfway Through The NFL Season


ST. LOUIS - OCTOBER 31: Sam Bradford #8 of the St. Louis Rams looks to pass against Eric Norwood #92 of the Carolina Panthers at the Edward Jones Dome on October 31 2010 in St. Louis Missouri. The Rams beat the Panthers 20-10. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

Dilip Vishwanat - Getty Images

1 day ago: ST. LOUIS - OCTOBER 31: Sam Bradford #8 of the St. Louis Rams looks to pass against Eric Norwood #92 of the Carolina Panthers at the Edward Jones Dome on October 31 2010 in St. Louis Missouri. The Rams beat the Panthers 20-10. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

View full size photo »

Some NFL teams are having good turnaround seasons. Here we take a look at five who are pleasant surprises

Alright, so technically it is not "halfway through the NFL season" for all teams, And unless byes are done away with there never will be a week when all teams have played half their season at the same time. In fact, as of the end of tonight's action, 22 teams will have played seven games and only ten will have played eight.

Even so, as the old saying was, it is close enough for government work. With that being said, this week I will take a look at what I consider the five most surprising teams as the season gets ready to head into its second half.

As always, I do welcome your input, and if you disagree with any of my choices, I welcome your own choices and, if you would like, your reasons for those choices.

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#5 -- Seattle Seahawks (4-3)

The Seahawks are coming off of a 5-11 season in 2009, and with one game left until their halfway point, are only one victory shy of their total from last year.

After a decisive victory over the 49ers at home in their first game, Seattle lost the following week at Denver. A victory at home against San Diego came next, but that was followed up with a loss at St.Louis.

After the Seahawks' bye, consecutive victories followed at Chicago and at home against Arizona before a defeat yesterday in Oakland.

The Seawhawks are undefeated at home and currently lead the NFC West over one of my other surprise teams -- the St.Louis Rams.

Can Seattle be a factor for a playoff berth or even a division title? Yes, apparently they can, especially in a watered-down division. One sign of worry though would be the fact that Seattle has been outscored by 17 points on the season. Another worrisome sign is that they were demolished by Oakland yesterday. Even so, not bad at all for a team that lost more than twice as many games as they won last year; not bad for a team that finished with the same record as the Browns.

#4 -- Oakland Raiders (4-4)

The Raiders finished 2009 with a 5-11 record, the same as Seattle, and at this stage have as many victories as the Seahawks, but are -- in my mind -- a bit more of a surprise. After all, the Seahawks have had a proven quarterback, and the Raiders, to this point, have not, although Jason Campbell, if he continues to perform as he has the past couple of weeks, might enter Hasselbeck territory quickly.

The Raiders began the season getting soundly beaten at Tennessee, then bounced back for a narrow win over St,Louis. Two very close losses followed, a one-point defeat at Arizona and then a seven-point loss at home against Houston.

Then the Raiders picked up a signature win, taking down the Chargers, before going in reverse and giving San Francisco its first win of the year in a Battle of the Bay Area that dropped Oakland to 2-4.

But the past two weeks, the Raiders have exploded. First they went into Denver and beat the Broncos by 45 points, and then yesterday shellacked Seattle at home by 30. In the last two games, Oakland has outscored their opponents 92-17.

I can see the Raiders using the momentum they have built and being in the AFC West race the rest of the way. The way the past couple of weeks have gone, they certainly can be considered a surprise, even after a slow start. A game and a half behind Kansas City and in second place, Oakland is right there going into the second half of their season.

#3 -- Kansas City Chiefs (5-2)

The Kansas City Chiefs have already exceeded their four-win victory total from last year, and the Chiefs don't look to be a flash in the pan.

The Chiefs made a statement in their first game with a win at home against San Diego, and followed that up, as we all know, with a victory over the Browns.

Kansas City then beat the 49ers before a two-game losing streak that could have sent their season spiraling -- especially coming directly following their bye week. What was key in the losses though were that the games were close -- first on the road in Indianapolis, and then at Houston. A team learning how to win can also learn a lot by losing close games and not imploding with some adversity.

After falling to 3-2. Kansas City has put a little two-game streak together with a victory over Jacksonville at home and then, yesterday, with a tense overtime win over Buffalo in Kansas City.

The Chiefs lead Oakland by a game and a half in the AFC West. San Diego is showing signs of coming to like, while Denver looks as if they have thrown in the towel on 2010. Kan Kansas City do a worst-to-first in their division?

Oh yes they can.

#2 -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-2)

Tampa Bay has used the momentum gained in their season-opening victory over the Browns to jump out to a 5-2 start which gives the Bucs -- already -- two more wins than they had all of last year.

After the Browns' game, Tampa Bay won in Carolina before losing at home to the Steelers in their last game before their bye.

After the week off, the Bucs won narrowly in Cincinnati before being thrashed at home by New Orleans, dropping to 3-2.

Since that loss, Tampa Bay has won back-to-back close games, first at home against St.Louis and then on the road in Carolina, and as of this moment, the Buccaneers are tied with Atlanta atop the NFC South, a half-game ahead of New Orleans.

Would I be surprised if they can maintain this pace? Yes I would be surprised, especially in the teeth of that duo of the Saints and the Falcons in the same division. But this column is about surprise teams to date in 2010, and I would say that a three-win team from last year already having five wins in seven games a major surprise.

#1 -- St.Louis Rams (4-4)

Here is a team that is coming off of a 1-15 record in 2009, and with a rookie quarterback. Put those two elements together and you have the recipe for another long, long season.

Right?

Yet here the Rams are, halfway through, at .500, and rookie QB Sam Bradford is showing poise and resiliency, which of course add to his confidence, which in turn lead to more and more impressive performances.

The season began for the Rams with a familiar refrain -- losing. A four-point loss at home to the "old" St.Louis team -- the Arizona Cardinals -- was followed by a two-point loss in Oakland and the Rams were exactly where they were "supposed" to be at 0-2.

But then they surprised Washington at home, and followed that up with a home win over Seattle to reach the break-even point.

Then the Rams were obliterated in Detroit for the Lions' first win and the feeling was "Ah, here we go". But St.Louis bounced right back the next week and shocked San Diego at home.

A one-point loss followed in Tampa Bay before the Rams took down the Panthers in Carolina yesterday to once again reach the break-even point.

Besides the blow-out loss in Detroit, St.Louis, in their other three losses, has been outscored by a mere seven point total. With a little luck, this one-win team in 2009 could be 7-1 right now.

A half-game behind Seattle going into their bye week, the Rams must feel in some pretty heady territory right now, with a chance to win a division a year removed from 15 losses. Can they sustain what they have started?

We will see.

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And there you have it, five teams who, like the Browns, struggled mightily last year and yet are right in the thick of things this year. All of them might miss the post-season. There is a long way to go, and as Denver showed last year, a strong start guarantees nothing. You must finish what you start. But even so, such "success stories" as these five teams should give hope to Cleveland, especially with the Browns seemingly headed in the right direction.

Next week I will take a look at the five most disappointing teams in the first half.

The Browns will not be one of the five.

 
 
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