WTF . . .
Wayne LaPierre (NRA President)
Paul Ryan (losing VP candidate on the Republican ticket for 2012)
Marco Rubio (Republican U.S. Senator from Florida)
John McCain (grumpy old man)
Harry Reid (spineless Democratic U.S. Senate majority leader)
Mitch McConnell (aka Mitch McTurtle)
ABC News (ignoring the shootings in Phoenix, AZ today)
Rush Limbaugh (mocking DEAD school children from the Newtown, CT GUN MASSACRE)
Sean Hannity (need I say more?)
Fox & Friends (mocking President Obama's Inaugural Address)
Fox News (do I have to explain why?)
WCPT-AM 820 radio in Chicago (Your management team is really screwing up a good thing with all the unnecessary changes in programming)
Obama Administration (for ignoring once again the Employee Free Choice Act)
ESPN (for over exposure of Ray Lewis)
Rocky Wirtz (for bashing the NHL Players Union when it was you and your fellow owners responsible for the LOCKOUT)
NRA supporters (when you gonna stop - when it's too late and one of your loved ones is shot dead!? RESPONSIBILITY LAWS NOW!!!)
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
College Basketball Top Ten
Heftyinfo College Basketball Top Ten (Week ending January 27)
1. Kansas (18-1)
2. Michigan (19-1)
3. Indiana (18-2)
4. Duke (17-2)
5. Syracuse (18-2)
6. Florida (18-2)
7. Arizona (17-2)
8. Butler (17-3)
9. Creighton (18-3)
10. Gonzaga (19-2)
1. Kansas (18-1)
2. Michigan (19-1)
3. Indiana (18-2)
4. Duke (17-2)
5. Syracuse (18-2)
6. Florida (18-2)
7. Arizona (17-2)
8. Butler (17-3)
9. Creighton (18-3)
10. Gonzaga (19-2)
Sunday, January 27, 2013
It's Super Turtle
Meet Mitch McConnell, AKA Mitch McTurtle, a U.S. Senator (Republican-Kentucky) who singlehandedly brought Senate majority leader Harry Reid (Democrat-Nevada) to his knees regarding filibuster reform in the U.S. Senate.
Now we Americans can expect more of the same "do nothing" Congressional activity during President Barack Obama's second term.
Thanks Harry and Mitch . . . for NOTHING!
Now we Americans can expect more of the same "do nothing" Congressional activity during President Barack Obama's second term.
Thanks Harry and Mitch . . . for NOTHING!
Saturday, January 26, 2013
The Best
Walter Payton, also known as "Sweetness" throughout his NFL career, was a running back for the Chicago Bears from 1975-1987 and is a Hall-of-Famer enshrined in Canton, Ohio. He died in 1999 from a liver disease and is still considered by many around pro football as the best ever when he played the game.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
It's 49ers, Ravens in Super Bowl 47
The San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens are headed to the Big Easy of New Orleans in two weeks to play in Super Bowl 47.
The 49ers (13-4-1) knocked off the host Atlanta Falcons in come-from-behind fashion 28-24 in the NFC Championship Game as quarterback Colin Kaepernick passed for 233 yards and a touchdown and running back Frank Gore (21 carries for 90 yards rushing) scored two touchdowns, including the go ahead score on a nine-yard run with 8:23 remaining in the game.
The Falcons raced out to a 17-0 lead when QB Matt Ryan connected with wide receiver Julio Jones (11 catches for 182 yards) on a 20-yard TD pass, which was his second scoring reception of the game.
The 'Niners closed to within 17-14 late in the first half on scores by running back LeMichael James (15-yard run) and a four yard TD pass from Kaepernick to tight end Vernon Davis.
But the Falcons, who were shut out in the second half, scored again for a 24-14 halftime lead when Ryan (396 passing yards and three touchdowns with one interception) hit tight end Tony Gonzalez on a 10-yard pass.
San Francisco did all the scoring in the second half as Gore (pictured upper right) ran for both scores and the defense did the rest, stopping the Falcons in the red zone in the final minutes of the game and also intercepting Ryan and recovering a fumble by the Falcons' signal caller to make the difference for their ticket to the Super Bowl.
Joining San Francisco Head Coach Jim Harbaugh in New Orleans will be his brother John, the Head Coach of the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens (13-6) went into Gillette Stadium and beat down the mighty New England Patriots, 28-13 behind solid defense (two interceptions and a fumble recovery) and the steady play of QB Joe Flacco, who threw for three touchdowns in the second half as the Ravens shut out the Patriots after trailing 13-7 at halftime.
Flacco connected twice with WR Anquan Boldin (five catches for 60 yards) for touchdowns in the fourth quarter to seal the deal for Baltimore, which avenged a heart breaking 23-20 loss in last year's AFC title game to the Patriots.
Flacco's five-yard scoring toss to tight end Dennis Pitta in the third quarter put the Ravens ahead 14-13.
New England QB Tom Brady suffered through a miserable second half and was intercepted twice in the final seven minutes of the game after the Ravens opened up the 28-13 advantage. In addition, the Patriots turned the ball over on a fumble by running back Stevan Ridley, who was crushed by Bernard Pollard early in the fourth quarter as the Pats were driving for a potential go-ahead score.
It was the Ravens third trip to the AFC Championship Game in five seasons and they finally won the game and will now face the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl.
The 49ers (13-4-1) knocked off the host Atlanta Falcons in come-from-behind fashion 28-24 in the NFC Championship Game as quarterback Colin Kaepernick passed for 233 yards and a touchdown and running back Frank Gore (21 carries for 90 yards rushing) scored two touchdowns, including the go ahead score on a nine-yard run with 8:23 remaining in the game.
The Falcons raced out to a 17-0 lead when QB Matt Ryan connected with wide receiver Julio Jones (11 catches for 182 yards) on a 20-yard TD pass, which was his second scoring reception of the game.
The 'Niners closed to within 17-14 late in the first half on scores by running back LeMichael James (15-yard run) and a four yard TD pass from Kaepernick to tight end Vernon Davis.
But the Falcons, who were shut out in the second half, scored again for a 24-14 halftime lead when Ryan (396 passing yards and three touchdowns with one interception) hit tight end Tony Gonzalez on a 10-yard pass.
San Francisco did all the scoring in the second half as Gore (pictured upper right) ran for both scores and the defense did the rest, stopping the Falcons in the red zone in the final minutes of the game and also intercepting Ryan and recovering a fumble by the Falcons' signal caller to make the difference for their ticket to the Super Bowl.
Joining San Francisco Head Coach Jim Harbaugh in New Orleans will be his brother John, the Head Coach of the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens (13-6) went into Gillette Stadium and beat down the mighty New England Patriots, 28-13 behind solid defense (two interceptions and a fumble recovery) and the steady play of QB Joe Flacco, who threw for three touchdowns in the second half as the Ravens shut out the Patriots after trailing 13-7 at halftime.
Ravens QB Joe Flacco reacts to one of his three TD passes in a 28-13 win over the Patriots. |
Flacco's five-yard scoring toss to tight end Dennis Pitta in the third quarter put the Ravens ahead 14-13.
New England QB Tom Brady suffered through a miserable second half and was intercepted twice in the final seven minutes of the game after the Ravens opened up the 28-13 advantage. In addition, the Patriots turned the ball over on a fumble by running back Stevan Ridley, who was crushed by Bernard Pollard early in the fourth quarter as the Pats were driving for a potential go-ahead score.
It was the Ravens third trip to the AFC Championship Game in five seasons and they finally won the game and will now face the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
College Basketball Top Ten
The Heftyinfo College Basketball Top Ten (Week ending January 20)
1. Syracuse (17-1)
2. Duke (16-1)
3. Kansas (16-1)
4. Indiana (16-2)
5. Michigan (17-1)
6. Arizona (16-1)
7. Louisville (16-2)
8. Butler (16-2)
9. Florida (14-2)
10. North Carolina State (15-3)
1. Syracuse (17-1)
2. Duke (16-1)
3. Kansas (16-1)
4. Indiana (16-2)
5. Michigan (17-1)
6. Arizona (16-1)
7. Louisville (16-2)
8. Butler (16-2)
9. Florida (14-2)
10. North Carolina State (15-3)
Saturday, January 19, 2013
NFL Playoffs - Conference Championship Game Previews
Here we are near the end of January and the NFL season is winding down as the AFC and NFC Championship Games take place this weekend.
The San Francisco 49ers face the Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome in the NFC while the New England Patriots will host the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC title tilt on Sunday.
Here is a preview of the games with the Heftyinfo picks as well . . .
San Francisco 49ERS at Atlanta FALCONS
The 49ers have been hot again as they topped the Green Bay Packers in easy fashion behind the record setting performance by quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who totaled 444 yards in offense (including a record 181 rushing yards) in the 45-31 win.
The Falcons had to hang on and won with a late field goal in their nail biting 30-28 victory last week against Seattle as QB Matt Ryan overcame two interceptions with touchdown passes and the running game got a big boost as Michael Turner played well.
The 'Niners are a slight road favorite in this game and the Falcons know they can win (only one home loss this season) at home and finally got the playoff monkey off their back.
Kaepernick has running back Frank Gore and a good array of wide receivers with Michael Crabtree, Randy Moss and tight end Vernon Davis. The Falcons give Ryan weapons to go with his cannon arm in Julio Jones and Roddy White and of course, veteran tight end Tony Gonzalez, who will be seeking his first Super Bowl appearance in his illustrious career.
Both teams have good defenses, but the 49ers rate the edge as they are extremely good at stopping the run while at times Atlanta will give up yardage, especially against quarterbacks that can run, which they will face with Kaepernick.
This game could go down to the wire (possibly overtime) and it will likely be decided by which team makes the fewest mistakes.
PICK - San Francisco 24, Atlanta 17
Baltimore RAVENS at New England PATRIOTS
The Ravens nearly topped the Patriots last year in the AFC Championship Game and this is their chance to prove they are the real deal as they get another shot in the big game.
Baltimore QB Joe Flacco proved his detractors wrong last week with three TD passes in a huge come from behind win at Denver that was decided by a field goal in a 38-35 overtime decision.
The Ravens also feature running back Ray Rice, who has been a solid fixture in their offense all season long. The Ravens also have targets for Flacco to throw to in wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith as well as tight end Dennis Pitta, who has really emerged this year. Also, don't forget about Jacoby Jones, who made the big TD catch in the final minute of regulation to help beat the Broncos last week.
The defense slipped some (especially against the run) as the season went along, but the Ravens have had a number of players battling injuries, including future Hall-of-Fame linebacker Ray Lewis, who has played well in the first two playoff games. The team has been without Ledarius Webb (out for the season) at cornerback but does have Terrell Suggs (linebacker) and Haloti Ngata (Defensive Tackle) back healthy in these playoffs.
The Patriots begin and end on offense with QB Tom Brady, who is seeking his fourth Super Bowl title.
Brady had a big game last week with three TD passes as the Patriots knocked off the Houston Texans in pretty easy fashion.
The weapons for Brady are numerous with running backs Stevan Ridley, Danny Woodhead (who was injured in last week's game) and now Shane Vereen, who stepped in and scored three touchdowns last week when Woodhead went to the sidelines.
The wide receivers are many with Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd, Deion Branch and tight end Aaron Hernandez. Rob Gronkowski, the team's top receiving tight end, is out for the season with a broken forearm.
Defensively, the Patriots have thrived on turnovers all season and have massive Vincent Wilfork up front on the line to stuff the run as well as get pressure on quarterbacks. The secondary has to be wary of the big play from Flacco and company this week.
One other game note is that these two teams met in Week Three with the Ravens winning 31-30 at home.
The key will be (as always) making minimal mistakes and controlling the football as these teams know each other very well.
PICK - New England 28, Baltimore 24
Last Week's Record: 3-1
PLAYOFF RECORD: 7-1
The San Francisco 49ers face the Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome in the NFC while the New England Patriots will host the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC title tilt on Sunday.
Here is a preview of the games with the Heftyinfo picks as well . . .
The 49ers have been hot again as they topped the Green Bay Packers in easy fashion behind the record setting performance by quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who totaled 444 yards in offense (including a record 181 rushing yards) in the 45-31 win.
The Falcons had to hang on and won with a late field goal in their nail biting 30-28 victory last week against Seattle as QB Matt Ryan overcame two interceptions with touchdown passes and the running game got a big boost as Michael Turner played well.
The 'Niners are a slight road favorite in this game and the Falcons know they can win (only one home loss this season) at home and finally got the playoff monkey off their back.
Kaepernick has running back Frank Gore and a good array of wide receivers with Michael Crabtree, Randy Moss and tight end Vernon Davis. The Falcons give Ryan weapons to go with his cannon arm in Julio Jones and Roddy White and of course, veteran tight end Tony Gonzalez, who will be seeking his first Super Bowl appearance in his illustrious career.
Both teams have good defenses, but the 49ers rate the edge as they are extremely good at stopping the run while at times Atlanta will give up yardage, especially against quarterbacks that can run, which they will face with Kaepernick.
This game could go down to the wire (possibly overtime) and it will likely be decided by which team makes the fewest mistakes.
PICK - San Francisco 24, Atlanta 17
Baltimore RAVENS at New England PATRIOTS
The Ravens nearly topped the Patriots last year in the AFC Championship Game and this is their chance to prove they are the real deal as they get another shot in the big game.
Baltimore QB Joe Flacco proved his detractors wrong last week with three TD passes in a huge come from behind win at Denver that was decided by a field goal in a 38-35 overtime decision.
The Ravens also feature running back Ray Rice, who has been a solid fixture in their offense all season long. The Ravens also have targets for Flacco to throw to in wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith as well as tight end Dennis Pitta, who has really emerged this year. Also, don't forget about Jacoby Jones, who made the big TD catch in the final minute of regulation to help beat the Broncos last week.
The defense slipped some (especially against the run) as the season went along, but the Ravens have had a number of players battling injuries, including future Hall-of-Fame linebacker Ray Lewis, who has played well in the first two playoff games. The team has been without Ledarius Webb (out for the season) at cornerback but does have Terrell Suggs (linebacker) and Haloti Ngata (Defensive Tackle) back healthy in these playoffs.
The Patriots begin and end on offense with QB Tom Brady, who is seeking his fourth Super Bowl title.
Brady had a big game last week with three TD passes as the Patriots knocked off the Houston Texans in pretty easy fashion.
The weapons for Brady are numerous with running backs Stevan Ridley, Danny Woodhead (who was injured in last week's game) and now Shane Vereen, who stepped in and scored three touchdowns last week when Woodhead went to the sidelines.
The wide receivers are many with Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd, Deion Branch and tight end Aaron Hernandez. Rob Gronkowski, the team's top receiving tight end, is out for the season with a broken forearm.
Defensively, the Patriots have thrived on turnovers all season and have massive Vincent Wilfork up front on the line to stuff the run as well as get pressure on quarterbacks. The secondary has to be wary of the big play from Flacco and company this week.
One other game note is that these two teams met in Week Three with the Ravens winning 31-30 at home.
The key will be (as always) making minimal mistakes and controlling the football as these teams know each other very well.
PICK - New England 28, Baltimore 24
Last Week's Record: 3-1
PLAYOFF RECORD: 7-1
Friday, January 18, 2013
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Sunday, January 13, 2013
NFL Playoffs - Patriots Roll, Falcons Hang On For Victory
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots made it look easy once again in beating the visiting Houston Texans on Sunday in a 41-28 victory in the AFC Divisional Playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons almost did it again (losing in their first playoff game that is) as they squandered a 20-point lead but then rallied late to hold on and beat the visiting Seattle Seahawks, 30-28 in the NFC Divisonal Playoffs.
ATLANTA 30, SEATTLE 28 - Falcons kicker Matt Bryant nailed home the victory for the Falcons with a 49-yard field goal in the closing seconds to propel his team to the NFC Championship Game next weekend against the San Francisco 49ers.
The fact the game came down to that was amazing in that Seahawks' rookie quarterback Russell Wilson brought his team back from a 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter for a 28-27 lead in the final minutes of regulation.
Wilson set a rookie record for passing yardage in a playoff game by throwing for 385 yards and had two touchdown passes with one interception.
The Falcons led 20-0 at halftime as QB Matt Ryan (250 passing yards with three TD and two INT) connected with tight end Tony Gonzalez and wide receiver Roddy White for touchdowns. The dormant Atlanta running game came alive as well with Michael Turner gaining 98 yards on 14 carries.
The Seahawks chipped away at the Falcons 27-7 advantage as they put up 21 points in the final quarter with Wilson leading the way.
After running back Marshawn Lynch scored on a one-yard touchdown run to give the 'Hawks the lead, the Falcons stormed back with Ryan hitting two passes to set up Bryant for the game winning kick.
NEW ENGLAND 41, HOUSTON 28 - The Patriots advanced to a re-match of last year's AFC Championship Game with Baltimore by blasting the Texans for the second time in five weeks.
New England QB Tom Brady (pictured below) passed for 344 yards and three touchdowns, including a pair of TD strikes to Shane Vereen, who came in when starting running back Danny Woodhead left the game with an injury.
Brady targeted Vereen for the two scores and also connected with Brandon Lloyd for another touchdown. In addition, WR Wes Welker hauled in eight catches for 131 yards to go with solid rushing by Vereen (one rushing score as well) and Stevan Ridley, who scored a touchdown and rushed for 82 yards on 15 carries.
On a down note, the Patriots lost starting Tight End Rob Gronkowski for the rest of the post-season as he re-broke his forearm early in the game.
Houston trailed 17-13 at halftime and fell behind 38-13 early in the fourth quarter before mounting a comeback to close to within ten points with five minutes remaining. Texans' QB Matt Schaub passed for 343 yards and two TD with one interception. Running back Arian Foster gained 90 yards on the ground in the loss.
Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons almost did it again (losing in their first playoff game that is) as they squandered a 20-point lead but then rallied late to hold on and beat the visiting Seattle Seahawks, 30-28 in the NFC Divisonal Playoffs.
Atlanta kicker Matt Bryant nails the game winner. |
The fact the game came down to that was amazing in that Seahawks' rookie quarterback Russell Wilson brought his team back from a 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter for a 28-27 lead in the final minutes of regulation.
Wilson set a rookie record for passing yardage in a playoff game by throwing for 385 yards and had two touchdown passes with one interception.
The Falcons led 20-0 at halftime as QB Matt Ryan (250 passing yards with three TD and two INT) connected with tight end Tony Gonzalez and wide receiver Roddy White for touchdowns. The dormant Atlanta running game came alive as well with Michael Turner gaining 98 yards on 14 carries.
The Seahawks chipped away at the Falcons 27-7 advantage as they put up 21 points in the final quarter with Wilson leading the way.
After running back Marshawn Lynch scored on a one-yard touchdown run to give the 'Hawks the lead, the Falcons stormed back with Ryan hitting two passes to set up Bryant for the game winning kick.
NEW ENGLAND 41, HOUSTON 28 - The Patriots advanced to a re-match of last year's AFC Championship Game with Baltimore by blasting the Texans for the second time in five weeks.
New England QB Tom Brady (pictured below) passed for 344 yards and three touchdowns, including a pair of TD strikes to Shane Vereen, who came in when starting running back Danny Woodhead left the game with an injury.
Brady targeted Vereen for the two scores and also connected with Brandon Lloyd for another touchdown. In addition, WR Wes Welker hauled in eight catches for 131 yards to go with solid rushing by Vereen (one rushing score as well) and Stevan Ridley, who scored a touchdown and rushed for 82 yards on 15 carries.
On a down note, the Patriots lost starting Tight End Rob Gronkowski for the rest of the post-season as he re-broke his forearm early in the game.
Houston trailed 17-13 at halftime and fell behind 38-13 early in the fourth quarter before mounting a comeback to close to within ten points with five minutes remaining. Texans' QB Matt Schaub passed for 343 yards and two TD with one interception. Running back Arian Foster gained 90 yards on the ground in the loss.
NFL Playoffs - 'Niners Roll, Ravens Shock Broncos
The Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs proved true to form as there were surprises abound in the two games played.
Unlike the defensive games last week in the Wild Card round, this weekend's first two games saw offensive explosions as the Baltimore Ravens beat the host Denver Broncos, 38-35 in overtime while the host San Francisco 49ers ran all over the Green Bay Packers in a 45-31 victory.
BALTIMORE 38, DENVER 35 (OT) - The Ravens rode the hot arm of quarterback Joe Flacco, who had 331 pass yards and three touchdown passes, including a 70-yard TD strike to Jacoby Jones to tie the game at 35-35 with just 31 seconds left in regulation.
The Ravens and Flacco proved to be up to the task going against the legendary Broncos' QB Peyton Manning, who had 290 passing yards along with three touchdowns and two interceptions.
The second interception was costly in the second quarter of the overtime as Manning threw on the run and Ravens' DB Corey Graham stepped in for the pick. Graham also had an interception, which he returned for a touchdown, in the first quarter with the game tied at 7-7.
The Ravens drove down the field and kicker Justin Tucker nailed a 47-yard field goal to win the game.
The Broncos and Ravens went back and forth with Denver kick returner Trindon Holliday taking both a punt and kickoff back for touchdowns, a first in NFL playoff history. Ravens running back Ray Rice had 131 rushing yards and a touchdown in the win.
The Broncos became yet another number-one seed to lose in the Divisional Round of the playoffs as has been the trend over the past few years.
SAN FRANCISCO 45, GREEN BAY 31 - 49ers' QB Colin Kaepernick was a one-man wrecking crew Saturday night in San Francisco as he ran for an NFL playoff record (for quarterbacks) with 181 yards rushing and two touchdowns and also threw for two scores to wide receiver Michael Crabtree to lead the way.
Green Bay jumped out to a 7-0 lead when Sam Shields intercepted Kaepernick and raced 52 yards for a touchdown.
Kaepernick ran 20 yards for the first of his two rushing TD to tie the game. But then the Packers and 'Niners went back and forth the rest of the first half, which San Francisco led 24-21 at the break.
Kaepernick later raced 56 yards for a touchdown to put the 'Niners ahead for good at 31-24. San Francisco added a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter to open a 21-point lead.
For the game, the 'Niners outgained Green Bay 579 to 352 in total offensive yardage as Kaepernick accounted for 444 of those yards. In addition, running back Frank Gore gained 119 yards on the ground as well as his team ran for 323 yards against the Packers' defense.
Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers had 257 yards passing with two touchdowns and one interception in the loss.
Unlike the defensive games last week in the Wild Card round, this weekend's first two games saw offensive explosions as the Baltimore Ravens beat the host Denver Broncos, 38-35 in overtime while the host San Francisco 49ers ran all over the Green Bay Packers in a 45-31 victory.
BALTIMORE 38, DENVER 35 (OT) - The Ravens rode the hot arm of quarterback Joe Flacco, who had 331 pass yards and three touchdown passes, including a 70-yard TD strike to Jacoby Jones to tie the game at 35-35 with just 31 seconds left in regulation.
Jacoby Jones celebrates huge TD catch. |
The second interception was costly in the second quarter of the overtime as Manning threw on the run and Ravens' DB Corey Graham stepped in for the pick. Graham also had an interception, which he returned for a touchdown, in the first quarter with the game tied at 7-7.
The Ravens drove down the field and kicker Justin Tucker nailed a 47-yard field goal to win the game.
The Broncos and Ravens went back and forth with Denver kick returner Trindon Holliday taking both a punt and kickoff back for touchdowns, a first in NFL playoff history. Ravens running back Ray Rice had 131 rushing yards and a touchdown in the win.
The Broncos became yet another number-one seed to lose in the Divisional Round of the playoffs as has been the trend over the past few years.
SAN FRANCISCO 45, GREEN BAY 31 - 49ers' QB Colin Kaepernick was a one-man wrecking crew Saturday night in San Francisco as he ran for an NFL playoff record (for quarterbacks) with 181 yards rushing and two touchdowns and also threw for two scores to wide receiver Michael Crabtree to lead the way.
49ers QB Colin Kaepernick races 56 yards for a TD. |
Kaepernick ran 20 yards for the first of his two rushing TD to tie the game. But then the Packers and 'Niners went back and forth the rest of the first half, which San Francisco led 24-21 at the break.
Kaepernick later raced 56 yards for a touchdown to put the 'Niners ahead for good at 31-24. San Francisco added a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter to open a 21-point lead.
For the game, the 'Niners outgained Green Bay 579 to 352 in total offensive yardage as Kaepernick accounted for 444 of those yards. In addition, running back Frank Gore gained 119 yards on the ground as well as his team ran for 323 yards against the Packers' defense.
Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers had 257 yards passing with two touchdowns and one interception in the loss.
Friday, January 11, 2013
NFL PLAYOFFS - Divisional Round Preview
After last week's Wild Card action, the next level of competition is now here and the four home teams are favored to advance to next week's Conference championship games.
That being said, look for some surprises in this round as in year's past. Last year the New York Giants stunned the mighty Green Bay Packers in Lambeau Field. And of course, twice in this round the heavily favored San Diego Chargers lost at home to inferior teams (Patriots in 2006 and Jets in 2009) as did the Indianapolis Colts (lost to San Diego) AND Dallas Cowboys (lost to NY Giants) in 2007.
Don't forget 2008, when the NFC was turned upside down with both the Carolina Panthers (losing to Arizona) and the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants (losing to Philadelphia) going down at home in this round.
Heftyinfo was 4-for-4 last week picking the games and here's the capsule style previews for this weekend's Divisional Round games.
NFC PLAYOFFS
Green Bay at San Francisco - The Packers get a shot at redemption against one of the best defenses in the NFL. The 49ers lost at home last season in the NFC title game, so there are no guarantees here.
Seattle at Atlanta - The Falcons have become the San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys of the post-season in recent years by losing early on in the playoffs. The Seahawks are still riding the magic carpet with a rookie quarterback.
AFC PLAYOFFS
Baltimore at Denver - The Ravens are trying to win it all for retiring linebacker Ray Lewis. The Broncos, led by Comeback Player of the Year Peyton Manning, are just plain good.
Houston at New England - The Patriots thoroughly crushed the Texans on Monday Night Football five weeks ago. Can they do it again?
Heftyinfo selections for Divisional Round of NFL Playoffs . . .
San Francisco over Green Bay
Atlanta over Seattle
Denver over Baltimore
New England over Houston
Last Week's Record: 4-0
PLAYOFFS RECORD: 4-0
That being said, look for some surprises in this round as in year's past. Last year the New York Giants stunned the mighty Green Bay Packers in Lambeau Field. And of course, twice in this round the heavily favored San Diego Chargers lost at home to inferior teams (Patriots in 2006 and Jets in 2009) as did the Indianapolis Colts (lost to San Diego) AND Dallas Cowboys (lost to NY Giants) in 2007.
Don't forget 2008, when the NFC was turned upside down with both the Carolina Panthers (losing to Arizona) and the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants (losing to Philadelphia) going down at home in this round.
Heftyinfo was 4-for-4 last week picking the games and here's the capsule style previews for this weekend's Divisional Round games.
NFC PLAYOFFS
Green Bay at San Francisco - The Packers get a shot at redemption against one of the best defenses in the NFL. The 49ers lost at home last season in the NFC title game, so there are no guarantees here.
Seattle at Atlanta - The Falcons have become the San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys of the post-season in recent years by losing early on in the playoffs. The Seahawks are still riding the magic carpet with a rookie quarterback.
AFC PLAYOFFS
Baltimore at Denver - The Ravens are trying to win it all for retiring linebacker Ray Lewis. The Broncos, led by Comeback Player of the Year Peyton Manning, are just plain good.
Houston at New England - The Patriots thoroughly crushed the Texans on Monday Night Football five weeks ago. Can they do it again?
Heftyinfo selections for Divisional Round of NFL Playoffs . . .
San Francisco over Green Bay
Atlanta over Seattle
Denver over Baltimore
New England over Houston
Last Week's Record: 4-0
PLAYOFFS RECORD: 4-0
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
FINAL College Football Top Ten
Final 2012 Heftyinfo College Football Top Ten
1. ALABAMA (13-1)
2. Oregon (12-1)
3. Texas A & M (11-2)
4. Georgia (12-2)
5. Notre Dame (12-1)
6. Stanford (12-2)
7. Florida State (12-2)
8. South Carolina (11-2)
9. Clemson (11-2)
10. Florida (11-2)
1. ALABAMA (13-1)
2. Oregon (12-1)
3. Texas A & M (11-2)
4. Georgia (12-2)
5. Notre Dame (12-1)
6. Stanford (12-2)
7. Florida State (12-2)
8. South Carolina (11-2)
9. Clemson (11-2)
10. Florida (11-2)
Sunday, January 6, 2013
NFL Playoffs - Wild Card Round Review
The Wild Card Round of the NFL Playoffs are in the books and it's the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans (in the AFC) moving on along with the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks (NFC) to the Divisional rounds next weekend.
AFC WILD CARD
Houston 19, Cincinnati 13 - The host Texans outlasted the Bengals as running back Arian Foster ran for 140 yards and a touchdown and QB Matt Schaub threw for 262 yards to go with four field goals by kicker Shayne Graham. The Houston defense limited Cincinnati to just 198 yards in total offense.
Baltimore 24, Indianapolis 9 - The Ravens beat down the visiting Colts behind a stingy defense that held them to just three field goals. Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis led the way with 13 tackles.
The Ravens offense saw QB Joe Flacco throw for 282 tards and two touchdowns, including one to wide receiver Anquan Boldin, who made five catches for 145 yards, a team playoff record.
NFC WILD CARD
Green Bay 24, Minnesota 10 - The Packers served notice on their home field they are healthy and ready to compete for a Super Bowl title with a domination of the Vikings on Saturday night.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers passed for 274 yards and a score while the defense, which was lit up twice this season by Vikings' running back Adrian Peterson for 409 yards in those game, held him to 99 yards on 22 carries. In addition, Minnesota QB Joe Webb (filling in for injured starter Christian Ponder) completed just 11 passes in 30 attempts for 180 yards with an interception and one touchdown.
Seattle 24, Washington 14 - The visiting Seahawks overcame an early 14-0 deficit and manhandled the Redskins to advance to the next round in the playoffs.
Washington jumped out in the first quarter behind a pair of touchdown passes from QB Robert Griffin III prior to suffering another knee injury that forced hm out of the game in the second half.
The Seahawks rallied behind running back Marshawn Lynch (132 yards and a touchdown) and QB Russell Wilson, who had 187 passing yards and a touchdown pass to go with 67 rushing yards.
Next Week's games will feature the Baltimore Ravens at Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, January 12 while the Seattle Seahawks play at the Atlanta Falcons and the Houston Texans play at the New England Patriots on Sunday, January 13.
AFC WILD CARD
Houston 19, Cincinnati 13 - The host Texans outlasted the Bengals as running back Arian Foster ran for 140 yards and a touchdown and QB Matt Schaub threw for 262 yards to go with four field goals by kicker Shayne Graham. The Houston defense limited Cincinnati to just 198 yards in total offense.
Baltimore 24, Indianapolis 9 - The Ravens beat down the visiting Colts behind a stingy defense that held them to just three field goals. Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis led the way with 13 tackles.
The Ravens offense saw QB Joe Flacco throw for 282 tards and two touchdowns, including one to wide receiver Anquan Boldin, who made five catches for 145 yards, a team playoff record.
NFC WILD CARD
Green Bay 24, Minnesota 10 - The Packers served notice on their home field they are healthy and ready to compete for a Super Bowl title with a domination of the Vikings on Saturday night.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers passed for 274 yards and a score while the defense, which was lit up twice this season by Vikings' running back Adrian Peterson for 409 yards in those game, held him to 99 yards on 22 carries. In addition, Minnesota QB Joe Webb (filling in for injured starter Christian Ponder) completed just 11 passes in 30 attempts for 180 yards with an interception and one touchdown.
Seattle 24, Washington 14 - The visiting Seahawks overcame an early 14-0 deficit and manhandled the Redskins to advance to the next round in the playoffs.
Washington jumped out in the first quarter behind a pair of touchdown passes from QB Robert Griffin III prior to suffering another knee injury that forced hm out of the game in the second half.
The Seahawks rallied behind running back Marshawn Lynch (132 yards and a touchdown) and QB Russell Wilson, who had 187 passing yards and a touchdown pass to go with 67 rushing yards.
Next Week's games will feature the Baltimore Ravens at Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, January 12 while the Seattle Seahawks play at the Atlanta Falcons and the Houston Texans play at the New England Patriots on Sunday, January 13.
Blast (or not) From The Past
Here are some sports team logos from long ago . . . (none of these teams won a championship ... EVER ... go figure)
A little history here ... The logos shown were former NHL hockey and NBA basketball teams that either went belly up or moved to different cities.
The Buffalo Braves (NBA) moved to San Diego (1979) and became the Clippers and are now known as the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Cleveland Barons (NHL) merged with the former Minnesota North Stars in 1978 and are now the current team known as the Dallas Stars, which did win the Stanley Cup in 1998-99. Neither the Barons or North Stars ever won a Stanley Cup title.
The Oakland Seals (NHL) eventually became known as the California Golden Seals and later moved to Cleveland, where they were known as the Barons until they (see above) in the 1970's.
The Kansas City Scouts played in the NHL during the 1974-75 season (expansion team along with the Washington Capitals that year) and lasted just one season.
The Kansas City-Omaha Kings (NBA) moved to Sacramento in 1985 and are still there to this day.
The Atlanta Flames came into the NHL in 1972 (along with the New York Islanders) as expansion team and eventually moved to Calgary in 1980, where they still reside and did win the Stanley Cup in 1988-89 as the Calgary Flames, but never won a championship when they were in Atlanta.
A little history here ... The logos shown were former NHL hockey and NBA basketball teams that either went belly up or moved to different cities.
The Buffalo Braves (NBA) moved to San Diego (1979) and became the Clippers and are now known as the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Cleveland Barons (NHL) merged with the former Minnesota North Stars in 1978 and are now the current team known as the Dallas Stars, which did win the Stanley Cup in 1998-99. Neither the Barons or North Stars ever won a Stanley Cup title.
The Oakland Seals (NHL) eventually became known as the California Golden Seals and later moved to Cleveland, where they were known as the Barons until they (see above) in the 1970's.
The Kansas City Scouts played in the NHL during the 1974-75 season (expansion team along with the Washington Capitals that year) and lasted just one season.
The Kansas City-Omaha Kings (NBA) moved to Sacramento in 1985 and are still there to this day.
The Atlanta Flames came into the NHL in 1972 (along with the New York Islanders) as expansion team and eventually moved to Calgary in 1980, where they still reside and did win the Stanley Cup in 1988-89 as the Calgary Flames, but never won a championship when they were in Atlanta.
BUFFALO BRAVES |
CLEVELAND BARONS |
MINNESOTA NORTH STARS |
OAKLAND SEALS/CALIFORNIA GOLDEN SEALS |
KANSAS CITY SCOUTS |
KANSAS CITY-OMAHA KINGS |
ATLANTA FLAMES |
Friday, January 4, 2013
NFL Playoffs - Wild Card Round Preview
The NFL Playoffs kick off this weekend with the "Wild Card" round games.
In the AFC, it will be the Cincinnati Bengals playing the Houston Texans while the Indianapolis Colts travel to play the Baltimore Ravens.
The NFC will see the Green Bay Packers hosting the Minnesota Vikings, a team that beat them last Sunday to qualify for the playoffs. The other NFC tilt will feature the Seattle Seahawks facing the Washington Redskins.
Following is a brief breakdown for each game along with the Heftyinfo predictions for the entire playoffs.
Saturday Games
Cincinnati Bengals (10-6) at Houston Texans (12-4) - The Texans have been slumping the past few weeks while the Bengals have been hot, winning seven of their last eight games to make the playoffs after a 3-5 start to the season.
The Bengals have a solid defense and recorded 51 quarterback sacks this season while Houston's strong defense is led by J.J. Watt, who led the NFL with 20.5 sacks.
Cincinnati relies on the tandem of QB Andy Dalton and wide receiver A.J. Green to ignite the passing game while Houston has a nice balance with running back Arian Foster (15 TD) and QB Matt Schaub throwing to WR Andre Johnson and tight end Owen Daniels.
PICK - Houston
Minnesota Vikings (10-6) at Green Bay Packers (11-5) - The Vikings just beat the Packers last weekend in Minnesota to make it to the post-season. The Packers blew a chance to get a "bye" in the playoffs and will likely be on the road the rest of the way as they try to get back to the Super Bowl.
Running back Adrian Peterson leads the Vikings offense and just missed breaking the single season rushing record of 2,105 yards as he gained 2,097 yards this season.
Green Bay has QB Aaron Rodgers and a plethora of wide receivers leading their attack and will challenge the Vikings defense.
On defense, the edge is with Minnesota as the Packers are vulnerable stopping the run, in particular stopping AP as he ran for 210 yards and then 199 last week in the two regular season games between these teams.
Another factor is the kicking game where the Vikings have record setting rookie kicker Blair Walsh, who nailed ten field goals beyond 50 yards this year. Green Bay kicker Mason Crosby struggled this season, accumulating the most missed field goal attempts in the league.
PICK - Green Bay
Sunday Games
Indianapolis Colts (11-5) at Baltimore Ravens (10-6) - The last time these two teams met in playoffs in Baltimore was six years ago, when QB Peyton Manning was leading the Colts to a Super Bowl title run.
This year's Colts team features rookie QB Andrew Luck and his two favorite wideouts, rookie T.Y. Hilton and veteran Reggie Wayne.
The Ravens are led by running back Ray Rice and QB Joe Flacco, who had 22 TD passes and threw just ten interceptions this season.
The Colts defense can get after the opposing quarterbacks, led by veterans Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney. The Ravens have several All-Pros on their defense, including veteran linebacker Ray Lewis, who announced he is retiring effective the end of the Ravens season. Safety Ed Reed is always a factor for opposing teams to worry about.
PICK - Baltimore
Seattle Seahawks (11-5) at Washington Redskins (10-6) - A lot has gone right for the Seahawks this year, including the emergence of rookie QB Russell Wilson, who can run and pass just like his opponent this weekend, RG3, who is also known as Robert Griffin, III.
These two rookie signal callers (along with Indy's Andrew Luck) have turned the NFL upside down by leading their teams to the playoffs.
Washington led the entire league in rushing with Alfred Morris (another rookie) going for over 1,600 yards while the 'Hawks counter with veteran Marshawn Lynch, who seems to get better the more he carries the ball as the game goes along.
Both teams play solid defense, but Seattle has been more steady all year long in this area. Their ball hawking style on defense rates better than the Redskins, who can be torched in the secondary on occasion.
PICK - Seattle
The Heftyinfo Playoff predictions
AFC Wild Card Round - Texans over Bengals, Ravens over Colts
NFC Wild Card Round - Packers over Vikings, Seahawks over Redskins
AFC Divisional Round - Broncos over Ravens, Patriots over Texans
NFC Divisional Round - Falcons over Seahawks, 49ers over Packers
AFC Championship - New England Patriots over Denver Broncos
NFC Championship - San Francisco 49ers over Atlanta Falcons
SUPER BOWL 47 - New England Patriots over San Francisco 49ers
Last Week's Record: 13-3
FINAL SEASON RECORD: 160-95-1
In the AFC, it will be the Cincinnati Bengals playing the Houston Texans while the Indianapolis Colts travel to play the Baltimore Ravens.
The NFC will see the Green Bay Packers hosting the Minnesota Vikings, a team that beat them last Sunday to qualify for the playoffs. The other NFC tilt will feature the Seattle Seahawks facing the Washington Redskins.
Following is a brief breakdown for each game along with the Heftyinfo predictions for the entire playoffs.
Saturday Games
Cincinnati Bengals (10-6) at Houston Texans (12-4) - The Texans have been slumping the past few weeks while the Bengals have been hot, winning seven of their last eight games to make the playoffs after a 3-5 start to the season.
The Bengals have a solid defense and recorded 51 quarterback sacks this season while Houston's strong defense is led by J.J. Watt, who led the NFL with 20.5 sacks.
Cincinnati relies on the tandem of QB Andy Dalton and wide receiver A.J. Green to ignite the passing game while Houston has a nice balance with running back Arian Foster (15 TD) and QB Matt Schaub throwing to WR Andre Johnson and tight end Owen Daniels.
PICK - Houston
Minnesota Vikings (10-6) at Green Bay Packers (11-5) - The Vikings just beat the Packers last weekend in Minnesota to make it to the post-season. The Packers blew a chance to get a "bye" in the playoffs and will likely be on the road the rest of the way as they try to get back to the Super Bowl.
Running back Adrian Peterson leads the Vikings offense and just missed breaking the single season rushing record of 2,105 yards as he gained 2,097 yards this season.
Green Bay has QB Aaron Rodgers and a plethora of wide receivers leading their attack and will challenge the Vikings defense.
On defense, the edge is with Minnesota as the Packers are vulnerable stopping the run, in particular stopping AP as he ran for 210 yards and then 199 last week in the two regular season games between these teams.
Another factor is the kicking game where the Vikings have record setting rookie kicker Blair Walsh, who nailed ten field goals beyond 50 yards this year. Green Bay kicker Mason Crosby struggled this season, accumulating the most missed field goal attempts in the league.
PICK - Green Bay
Sunday Games
Indianapolis Colts (11-5) at Baltimore Ravens (10-6) - The last time these two teams met in playoffs in Baltimore was six years ago, when QB Peyton Manning was leading the Colts to a Super Bowl title run.
This year's Colts team features rookie QB Andrew Luck and his two favorite wideouts, rookie T.Y. Hilton and veteran Reggie Wayne.
The Ravens are led by running back Ray Rice and QB Joe Flacco, who had 22 TD passes and threw just ten interceptions this season.
The Colts defense can get after the opposing quarterbacks, led by veterans Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney. The Ravens have several All-Pros on their defense, including veteran linebacker Ray Lewis, who announced he is retiring effective the end of the Ravens season. Safety Ed Reed is always a factor for opposing teams to worry about.
PICK - Baltimore
Seattle Seahawks (11-5) at Washington Redskins (10-6) - A lot has gone right for the Seahawks this year, including the emergence of rookie QB Russell Wilson, who can run and pass just like his opponent this weekend, RG3, who is also known as Robert Griffin, III.
These two rookie signal callers (along with Indy's Andrew Luck) have turned the NFL upside down by leading their teams to the playoffs.
Washington led the entire league in rushing with Alfred Morris (another rookie) going for over 1,600 yards while the 'Hawks counter with veteran Marshawn Lynch, who seems to get better the more he carries the ball as the game goes along.
Both teams play solid defense, but Seattle has been more steady all year long in this area. Their ball hawking style on defense rates better than the Redskins, who can be torched in the secondary on occasion.
PICK - Seattle
The Heftyinfo Playoff predictions
AFC Wild Card Round - Texans over Bengals, Ravens over Colts
NFC Wild Card Round - Packers over Vikings, Seahawks over Redskins
AFC Divisional Round - Broncos over Ravens, Patriots over Texans
NFC Divisional Round - Falcons over Seahawks, 49ers over Packers
AFC Championship - New England Patriots over Denver Broncos
NFC Championship - San Francisco 49ers over Atlanta Falcons
SUPER BOWL 47 - New England Patriots over San Francisco 49ers
Last Week's Record: 13-3
FINAL SEASON RECORD: 160-95-1
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
It's Your Move House Republicans
Now that the United States Senate has passed their version of a "fiscal cliff" bill, it is now up to the Republican majority ruled U.S. House of Representatives to do the same with the measure and send it along to President Barack Obama so it can become law.
The taxes would finally go up on the top income earners (reportedly anyone making $400,000 plus) in the United States and the Middle Class would still have a tax break at the current rates.
Actually, this is NOT a tax increase because the Bush tax cuts were set to "sunset" or expire two years ago.
The current 35 percent rate would go up to 39 percent (where it was under President Bill Clinton) on the top two percent of people in this country and there are also some concessions from both sides over spending cuts in different areas, including military budget spending as well as so called entitlement programs.
So now, it is wait and see as the GOP twiddles their collective thumbs under the leadership of Speaker John Boehner and leaders Eric Cantor and Paul Ryan (remember him?) over this issue.
It is a new year and maybe the Republicans can get over the fact they are resentful they lost big time in the elections two months ago.
As Boehner would say, "The American people have spoken."
Now do something for those people.
The taxes would finally go up on the top income earners (reportedly anyone making $400,000 plus) in the United States and the Middle Class would still have a tax break at the current rates.
Actually, this is NOT a tax increase because the Bush tax cuts were set to "sunset" or expire two years ago.
The current 35 percent rate would go up to 39 percent (where it was under President Bill Clinton) on the top two percent of people in this country and there are also some concessions from both sides over spending cuts in different areas, including military budget spending as well as so called entitlement programs.
So now, it is wait and see as the GOP twiddles their collective thumbs under the leadership of Speaker John Boehner and leaders Eric Cantor and Paul Ryan (remember him?) over this issue.
It is a new year and maybe the Republicans can get over the fact they are resentful they lost big time in the elections two months ago.
As Boehner would say, "The American people have spoken."
Now do something for those people.
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