A Token Effort

 Just so I don't go a full year between posts, once I get around to my NFL picks next month.

NFL predictions

 How is this the one post I still do?

AFC West: Chiefs, Broncos, Chargers, Raiders
AFC South: Jaguars, Titans, Texans, Colts
AFC North: Bengals, Steelers, Ravens, Browns
AFC East: Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, Jets
Wild cards: Steelers, Dolphins, Ravens

NFC East: Eagles, Giants, Cowboys, Commanders
NFC North: Vikings, Packers, Lions, Bears
NFC South: Falcons, Panthers, Saints, Buccaneers
NFC West: 49ers, Seahawks, Rams, Cardinals
Wild cards: Giants, Cowboys, Packers

NFC Championship: 49ers over Eagles
AFC Championship: Bengals over Steelers

Super Bowl 58: Bengals over 49ers, as Cincinnati is able to pull it out this time since Joe Montana isn't suddenly quarterbacking for San Francisco.

As a note on my beloved Packers, I have absolutely no idea how this season is going to go.  You can tell me any record from 10-7 to 3-14 and I wouldn't be surprised.  Given how bad the NFC is overall, Green Bay will still be at least on the mediocre side of okay even if Jordan Love is a disaster, but who knows.  Surely the football gods wouldn't be so kind as to give the Packers their third straight superstar QB, would they?

June 2

"June 2" is the date that sounds closest to "U2," so you'd think the band would do something special on this day, right? Or, you'd think I would've posted something this year prior to June 2nd?

NFL Predictions

 Post outta nowhere!

NFC East: Eagles, Cowboys, Giants, Commanders
NFC West: 49ers, Rams, Cardinals, Seahawks
NFC North: Packers, Vikings, Lions, Bears
NFC South: Buccaneers, Falcons, Saints, Panthers
Wild cards: Rams, Vikings, Cowboys, Falcons

AFC East: Bills, Patriots, Dolphins, Jets
AFC West: Chiefs, Broncos, Chargers, Raiders
AFC North: Bengals, Steelers, Ravens, Browns
AFC South: Colts, Titans, Texans, Jaguars
Wild cards: Steelers, Ravens, Broncos, Titans

NFC Championship: Packers over Rams, since can Green Bay please just avoid the 49ers once? Is that too much to ask?
AFC Championship: Chiefs over Colts

Super Bowl 57: Chiefs over Packers.  Is it just me, or is Kansas City maybe the only actual good team in the NFL? Everyone else has so many flaws, or "could" be good but they have to prove it to me.

?

 I should probably get at least one post on the books for the year, right?

NFL Predictions

 Oh man, almost forgot to post these inevitably incorrect picks!

AFC East: Bills, Patriots*, Dolphins, Jets
AFC North: Browns, Ravens*, Steelers*, Bengals
AFC South: Titans, Colts, Texans, Jaguars
AFC West: Chiefs, Chargers*, Broncos, Raiders

NFC East: Cowboys, Eagles, Football Team, Giants
NFC North: Packers, Bears*, Vikings, Lions
NFC South: Buccaneers, Saints, Falcons, Panthers
NFC West: 49ers, Seahawks*, Rams*, Cardinals

* = wild card teams

AFC Championship Game: Chiefs over Bills

NFC Championship Game: Buccaneers over Packers.  Oh, if you're wondering my take on the whole Aaron Rodgers situation, I think he is 99 percent dead-on with every criticism he has of the Packers organization, and it is amazing to me that this team has gone out of its way to alienate its franchise player.  I'd love to see Rodgers depart after one more Super Bowl win, but I think their window was realistically last year, before the Bucs became fully super-powered.  Gee, I wonder if having a first-round pick who did LITERALLY ANYTHING might have helped in last year's title game.  Oh well!

By the way, the Packers aren't actually making the NFC title game.  Doing literally nothing to improve their defense will (surprise) not make their defense any better, but this will somehow be twisted as Rodgers' fault.  The Bucs will beat the Seahawks.

Super Bowl 56: Chiefs over Buccaneers in the rematch

All The Playoff Picks Possible

I realize that the playoffs have technically already started, but whatever.  It's not like I couldn't edit this post after the fact and pretend I got everything completely accurate.  

THE STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

* Penguins over Islanders in six
* Capitals over Bruins in six
* Hurricanes over Predators in five
* Lightning over Panthers in six
* Maple Leafs over Canadiens in six (gulp)
* Oilers over Jets in seven
* Golden Knights over Wild in seven
* Avalanche over Blues in five

* Penguins over Capitals in six
* Lightning over Hurricanes in seven
* Maple Leafs over Oilers in six (double gulp)
* Avalanche over Golden Knights in seven

* Penguins over Maple Leafs in seven
* Avalanche over Lightning in six

* Avalanche over Penguins in seven

***********

THE NBA PLAYOFFS

* Play-in games: Warriors over Grizzlies, Wizards over Pacers.  Incidentally, these play-in games are a dumb idea.  I know the Lakers/Warriors game was a banger, but let's be real, the ninth and 10th teams in a conference have no business playing for anything.

* Jazz over Warriors in six
* Clippers over Mavericks in six
* Lakers over Suns in seven (and seven is also the amount of close calls that will go Phoenix's way in the series, with the other 85 close calls all going the Lakers' way)
* Nuggets over Trail Blazers in six
* 76ers over Wizards in five
* Hawks over Knicks in seven
* Nets over Celtics in six
* Bucks over Heat in seven

* Clippers over Jazz in seven
* Lakers over Nuggets in six
* 76ers over Hawks in five
* Bucks over Nets in seven

* Lakers over Clippers in five
* Bucks over 76ers in six

* Lakers over Bucks in six.

This is also the first NBA playoffs in years when I have absolutely no idea who's going to win.  I'm going chalk in taking Los Angeles but if LeBron or Davis gets hurt again, any of a half-dozen teams could emerge as champions.

Bowling!

 Leaping out of posting hiatus since this bowling alley drone video is that darn cool.

 

Happy New Year!

 Ah, a new post.  Keeping the streak of annual blog entries alive! 

NFL Predictions

Since the season has technically started, time to get these down on paper.  Starred teams are the wild cards, and don't forget, it's seven playoff teams per conference now.

*********

NFC East: Cowboys, Eagles, Washington, Giants

NFC West: Cardinals, Seahawks*, 49ers, Rams

NFC South: Saints, Falcons*, Buccaneers*, Panthers

NFC North: Packers, Vikings, Lions, Bears

AFC East: Patriots, Bills*, Dolphins, Jets

AFC West: Chiefs, Raiders*, Chargers, Broncos

AFC South: Titans, Colts, Texans, Jaguars

AFC North: Ravens, Steelers*, Bengals, Browns

NFC title game: Cardinals over Packers.  No, I haven't lost my mind, I'm just not crazy about just about everything in that conference.

AFC title game: Chiefs over Titans

Super Bowl 55: Kansas City over Arizona