The political news is too depressing, so I'm going to deny reality and focus on sports for this entry!
1) Can the New England Patriots run the table? Winning at Dallas (and yes, I know that it was only Week Six of the season, but 48-27 right in Big D?) makes that possibility a lot more likely. Here is what New England has done through six games: 230 points scored, an average of 38.7 per game. 96 points given up, which averages out to a very respectable 16 a game. The Pats are on pace to score over 600 points this season, which would obliterate the previous NFL record of 556 set by the 1999 Minnesota Vikings. It will be hard for the Pats to go undefeated; they still have a very, very tough road game at Indianapolis against the Colts, who most people seem to have forgotten actually won the Super Bowl last season. There will also be a game against a very tough Pittsburgh team. Still, even if they don't win all of their games, this Patriots team might be the best one the NFL has seen since the glory days of the 49ers in the mid-1980s.
2) How about a Top Five and Bottom Five in the NFL?
TOP FIVE
i) New England Patriots (6-0): See above. New England is frighteningly good.
ii) Indianapolis Colts (5-0): That upcoming clash with New England has the promise of being an instant classic.
iii) Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1): New coach, same old Steelers. Pittsburgh still plays great D and the offense is more than adequate.
iv) Jacksonville Jaguars (4-1): The southern answer to the Steelers. Jacksonville is an underrated team.
v) Dallas Cowboys (5-1): They may be the best the NFC has to offer, but they were schooled yesterday by the Patriots.
BOTTOM FIVE
i) St. Louis Rams (0-6): The worst team in the worst conference. Was it really just a few years ago that the Rams played the Patriots in the Super Bowl and were known as the "Greatest Show on Turf"?
ii) Denver Broncos (2-3): Why do I have the Broncos ranked below a winless team and one-loss teams? Because they won their first two games by a combined four points, and have since lost their last three by a combined 65 (points).
iii) Miami Dolphins (0-6): Talk about a storied franchise falling on hard times. The Dolphins still have home games left against the Bills and Jets, so there are a couple of likely wins, but other than that, it's looking pretty bleak in Fish-land.
iv) Atlanta Falcons (1-4): I'm actually kinda surprised that the Falcons already have a win.
v) New York Jets (1-5): Well, we have our answer. Last season WAS a mirage for Jets fans.........
3) Hockey is back, making a me a happy man. Well, okay, I'm not happy. But, I'm less miserable than I normally am. So far, in the early going, there are a couple of trends which are already establishing themselves. The changes to the game that the NHL made to try and get scoring up have not helped. There was a brief surge in scoring, but the best offense in the league (which is Philadelphia, so far), is averaging only 4.25 goals a game, but the Flyers have only played four games and half those goals were scored in an 8-2 blowout of the Canucks. Most teams are below 3 goals a game. The teams that are usually good--Detroit, Ottawa, Tampa Bay, etc.--still are. Still, bad hockey is better than no hockey!
4) I don't know that there has been a more unpredictable college football season than this one. The preseason Top 10 (according to most publications) has been decimated, but that might be more a reflection of the worthlessness of preseason polls than anything else. Still, After starting the season outside the Top 10, the Ohio State Buckeyes now sit in the top spot, and if they run the table, will be playing for the national title for the second straight year. Who will their opponent be? Amazingly enough, it could very well be either the University of South Florida Bulls (a program that didn't even exist 15 year ago) or the Boston College Eagles, both of whom, like the Buckeyes, are undefeated. However, with the vagaries of the BCS system, it wouldn't be shocking at all to see a one-loss team such as the Oklahoma Sooners or LSU Tigers squeeze their way in if they win out. LSU arguably belongs there, but I wouldn't say the same for the Sooners, who have played no one. As well, the Big Twelve is absolutely lousy this season. Ohio State still has one tough game left, at Michigan. Can you imagine a BCS title game of South Florida vs. Boston College? I love it..................
5) The Colorado Rockies are on a run the likes of which I have never seen. They won 14 out of 15 games to get into the playoffs, and are now a perfect 6-0 in the post-season. It's almost as if the team has simply forgotten how to lose. I wouldn't bet against them completing their sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks and then awaiting the winner of the Cleveland Indians-Boston Red Sox ALCS. All of a sudden, the American League representative doesn't look like such an overwhelming favourite in the World Series.................
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