Guess who's in the best shape of his life...

By Jeff

This guy.

Ray Bourque is curling up into the fetal position and crying somewhere!

That's right. No. 66 is going to be donning a Pittsburgh Penguins jersey again. As a part of the Winter Classic, Mario Lemieux and other famous Pens like Ron Francis and Bull Guerin will be taking the ice against former Washington Capitals.

The story from the the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is here. 

If only they could have all of the former players Lemieux embarrassed during his career (I'm looking at you, Ray Bourque.) and let him skate circles around them again. I guess Peter Bondra will have to suffice. Tickets are only $25. I'm so there if my girlfriend lets me go.

Steve Winwood - Back in the High Life Again

Despite insanity, Artest deserves props for charitable contributions

By Jeff

Ron Artest is crazy. There is no arguing that fact. He's fought fans, shaved his record label into his head, appeared on Jimmy Kimmel in just boxers, and probably thousands of more strange things nobody else knows about. But he is also a very good man when it comes to giving to charity.

ESPN reported yesterday that Artest is going to give a large chunk of this season's salary to charities that benefit mental health awareness. He is already auctioning off his championship ring, which ESPN reported is currently going for more than $460,000.

And he's a dog lover.

I'm a sucker for stories like this. Here is a guy whose reputation of being a nutcase has overshadowed his good work. Yeah, he charged into the stands in Detroit and tried to kill a few guys, but wouldn't you if someone threw a beer on you? But the money he raises for good causes is 100 times more worthy of attention than his loony on-court antics.

Mental health is a issue near and dear to Artest's heart. In a Rick Reilly column he described how he desperately needed a counselor in school when he was growing up. So now he raises money to get more counselors in schools and help troubled youth.

It's a great deed that deserves more attention. If this were a LeBron's or Kobe's caliber, it would be the top story on any major sports outlet. Instead, Artest was on ESPN.com's front page for a day and then gone.

It's time to forget about the brawl and recognize how far Artest has come in the past fews years. He's still one the craziest individuals in pro sports, but he's also one of the most charitable. Who would have thought Artest could be somewhat of a role model?

Billy Joel - You May Be Right

Week 14 picks: Don't trash talk Tom Brady

By Jeff

You'd think that NFL players and coaches would know better by now than to talk smack on the New England Patriots. The New York Jets are just the latest victims of the ill-fated approach.

The usual outcome of these actions is Tom Brady goes off and makes your defense looks like crap. He did it a few years ago when Pittsburgh Steelers safety Anthony Smith did it. It happened again Monday night. The New York Jets and their coach Rex Ryan were guaranteeing a win all week. They said they were going to kick the Patriots' ass. Well, the Patriots responded with a 45-3 schooling of the Jets. Brady led the charge with lots of yards and lots of touchdowns.

When he gets mad, the Patriots win games.

Now the Patriots are entrenched in "Screw You Mode". Thanks a lot, Rex. The last thing this team needed was more motivation, now a fourth Super Bowl is very possible for Brady and Bill Belichick. If this happens, you know the drill. All of your Boston friends will become unbearable for a year, Bill Simmons will have three podcasts and a column a week touting their greatness and general goodness in the world will see a drastic decline.

Granted, I said Peyton Manning was the favorite for MVP, and he turned into a turnover machine. Then I said Phillip Rivers was the front runner for MVP, and he couldn't do jack against Oakland. Maybe this jinx will transfer to Brady now that I'm saying his team is scary good and is on pace to win another MVP.

As for last week's picks, I almost had two consecutive winning weeks! I finished 7-8-1 and am 84-101-6 for the season. The big miss of the week was picking the Jets (+3) to cover against the Patriots. They wouldn't have covered if it was +40. Yeah, that was a big miss.

Picks for Week 14 are below and home teams are in caps.

Indianapolis (-3.5) over TENNESSEE: As I typed that I just had visions of Chris Johnson torching the Colts for 200 yards and three scores. But I also see Manning getting back in his groove and throwing for four touchdowns of his own.


JACKSONVILLE (-4) over Oakland: West coast teams traveling east for a 1 p.m. game usually ends in disaster for the west coast team.

Cincinnati (+8.5) over PITTSBURGH: The Steelers will win this game, but I just don't see it being by more than a touchdown. These teams have gone down to the wire the last three games they've played. The difference will not be more than a touchdown.

New England (-3) over CHICAGO: This is weird. I find myself cheering for Jay Cutler. That should tell you how much I hate BRady, Belichick and the Pats.

Cleveland (+1) over BUFFALO: How the hell am I supposed to pick this game. They both look better than their records some days, and worse on others. The Bills have forced Pittsburgh and Baltimore to overtime this year, but then they just got killed by Tavaris Jackson. The Browns crushed New England, but then were a missed field goal away from losing to Carolina. I'm banking on the Bills tanking to try and get Andrew Luck.


New York Ginats (-3) over MINNESOTA: Speaking of Tavaris Jackson, the Giants are going to have fun chasing him after Brett Favre gets knocked out in the first quarter.

Green Bay (-6.5) over DETROIT: Drew Stanton is friggin' incredible! Not really. The Packers are going to roll.


Atlanta (-7) over CAROLINA: I just don't see the Falcons losing again until the Super Bowl. That could come back to bite me, but I'm sticking to it.

WASHINGTON (+2) over Tampa Bay: The Bucs' defense is hurting and so is their stud center. Don't get me wrong, the Redskins will do whatever they can to screw this game up, but somehow they pull it the victory.


NEW ORLEANS (-9) over St. Louis: I like St. Louis to win the NFC West, but I going into New Orleans is a very tough task, especially for a rookie quarterback. On a side note, people need to stop complaining about an NFC West team making the playoffs. I never hear the sports shows complaining about the NBA non-stop when they have losing or .500 teams make the playoffs in the East. Feel free to make fun of their mediocrity but stop whining that one of these teams is guaranteed a spot in the playoffs.


Seattle (+5) over SAN FRANCISCO: No reason here, I just never think the 49ers should be favored.


Miami (+5.5) over NEW YORK JETS: Why the heck is the media saying it was a brilliant gesture by Rex Ryan to bury the game ball from Monday night's slaughter. That sounds like something you do with your pee-wee team. It's not even original. Belichick did it like 10 years ago. Whatever, the Jets just don't win by wide margins this year.


Denver (-5.5) over ARIZONA: Interim head coaches are doing great this year. The trend is going to continue Sunday in Arizona.

SAN DIEGO (-7) over Kansas City: Even if Matt Cassel recovers from his appendectomy in time for this game, he can't be 100 percent. If he doesn't play, this is going to be a blow out. If he plays, it will be a two-touchdown game.


Philadelphia (-3.5) over DALLAS: Unlike Indy, Philly is healthy. Dallas will have to focus on more than two players and Michael Vick will take over.


Baltimore (-3) over HOUSTON: Andre Johnson is a beast. He's been hurt almost the entire season, yet he has only missed one game and has put up top five numbers at his position. Too bad the Ravens are going to be too much for Johnson and Arian Foster to overcome.

Photos to come later, but I have to head out.

Rogue Wave - Eyes

He did it again

By Jeff

It didn't even take 10 minutes for Sidney Crosby to extend his points streak 17 consecutive games. He tapped in his own rebound to score his 25th goal and 49th point of the season. However, reports are still coming in from the rest of the country that he sucks.

Aerosmith - Pink

Pirates making big waves

By Jeff

Who said the Pittsburgh Pirates aren't willing to spend money on big name free agents? They have been very active in the past few days signing Scott Olsen, Kevin Correia and Matt Diaz.

OK, so maybe they're not making a splash in free agency. Instead, they're just doing what they always do in grabbing a bunch of guys nobody else wanted. Sweet.

Olsen is coming off major arm surgery, has a career ERA of 4.85 and career WHIP of 1.479. But at least he's a lefty. Crap. So was Zach Duke and Mark Redman.

Zach Duke thinks Scott Olsen sucks.

Correia has a career ERA of 4.57 and a WHIP of 1.441 in eight seasons playing in the NL West. He had a decent year in 2009 when he posted 12 wins, a 3.91 ERA and 1.303 WHIP. But then he took a step back last year and saw his ERA climb to 5.40. It's encouraging that his K/BB ratio is almost two, but he is still just a mediocre pitcher on a staff already full of them.

Diaz is a career platoon outfielder. He's batting .301 for his career (Hello, Cooperstown!), but he has very little pop and it's doubtful he could be an effective everyday starter.

And that's what it's like to be a Pirates fan. While other teams are out shopping for big name players and bringing excitement to their fans, the Buccos are going dumpster diving. But unlike your typical dumpsters divers, who are hoping someone actually threw away something very valuable, the Pirates and their fans know that what they're finding isn't going to help the team win. They're getting enough guys to put a team on the field until their prospects get to the majors, or have major arm injuries that set them back two years.

With all that being said, I still believe in the current management's plan. They are trying to build from within and not overspending on the market's biggest free agents. I know it has been their plan for the past 10 years, but scouts are actually praising the team for their recent drafts, rather than tearing them apart.

Fans will come out in force ripping the team for not spending, especially when you look at the money the Washington Nationals just threw at Jayson Werth. But would you rather the Pirates pay $126 million over the course of seven years to a good player that won't put them over the hump, or would you rather them remain cheap for a few more seasons and grow their own talent? A team like the Pirates can't afford a big free agent signing like Werth to be a bust. If he sucks, the team is set back for years, they will trade him for very little and fans will be unhappy anyway.

So yeah, the Pirates' additions so far are not exciting, but they don't hurt the team at all beyond this year. They are just a bridge to guys like Stetson Allie and Jameson Taillon. You've waited 18 years, what is two more?

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - The Waiting

SDEE Bowl Challenge

By Jeff

At the request of Joe, I have set up the SDEE Bowl Challenge on Yahoo. It's your typical NCAA Football Bowl Pick'em contest. The scoring is set for straight picks, rather than confidence. I will happily spring for a small gift card to some retail outlet if we get enough people, so tell your friends.

To enter simply click here. The league ID is 13215 and the password is jcvd4life.

Queen - Gimme the Prize

Defensemen earning their big contracts

By Jeff

When the Pittsburgh Penguins lost 10 of their first 19 games, there were grumblings that Ray Shero overpaid Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek. Those same people are the ones who cry every offseason that this team can't win without a scoring winger on Sidney Crosby's line.

Well, those critics are in hiding now as the Pens have won 10 games in a row and have the most points in the NHL with 40. None of this is possible without the play of Martin, Michalek and the rest of the Pens defense. This group is third in the NHL with 2.31 goals-against per game. They were 20th at the end of last season with a 2.87 goals against average. The penalty kill is second in the league at 88.8 percent. They were ninth in that category last year with a 84.1 percent kill rate.

If you look beyond the stats, you'll see two players who are getting better with every game. There is no denying they took some time to get acclimated to the Pens' style of play. I'm pretty sure Martin, who played in the New Jersey Devils' boring system his whole career, was not initially aware that defensemen are allowed to join the rush, or even cross the blue line at even strength. Now he's skating through entire teams (see Monday's Columbus game) and making plays at both ends of the ice.

Sergei who?

Then there is the Kris Letang contract Shero put together last year. Letang received a $14 million deal over fours years ($3.5 million per season) last season and it was greeted with mixed reactions. Many fans thought it was too much for someone who hadn't proven himself, basically meant they weren't resigning Sergei Gonchar and used up money that could have been spent on a winger. But Letang is currently on pace for 73 points. The last Pens defenseman to put up those kind of numbers was Paul Coffey. Even if Letang doesn't get 73 points, he is proving to be a bargain at his current deal.

Letang's game isn't limited to just offense, though. He leads the team in plus/minus with 15 and is showing more physicality every season. There have been a few times his mind has wondered and a goal was the result, but he's only 23. He's just going to get better.

The rest of the crew has been solid as well. Orpik has been his usual self. And by usual self I mean he is crushing any opponents that come within three feet of him and scaring the crap out of them with his stare. Goligoski has been inconsistent in the defensive zone, but like Letang, he's young and still growing. And then there is Deryk Engelland. The man just beats people indiscriminately with his fists. He isn't bad on defense and his fighting prowess allows the team to scratch Eric Godard against more physical teams, which is a major plus.

So the Devils are free to have Ilya Kovalcuk, and the New York Rangers can enjoy Alexander Frolov. I'm perfectly content with Shero's moves to ignore the wing this off-season and stock up on solid defensemen.

The Talking Heads - Road to Nowhere