Pardon My Bias

Pardon My Bias Week 13 Picks

It wasn’t too long ago the Washington Capitals were the premier team in the Southeast division, one of the top powerhouses in the East, and perennial Cup contender. And to start this season it appeared to be more of the same. A lot of this due to good draft picks, mostly high first rounders, from prior awful season, all of which translated to guys like Alex Semin (2002), Mike Green (2004), Nicklas Backstrom (2006), and of course Alex Ovechkin (2004). At the same time these guys were breaking into the league so was Bruce Boudreau breaking into coaching.

A lot of success for Boudreau and Ovechkin over the past seasons, but not enough. Photo courtesy of russianhockeyfans.com

Boudreau led the Caps’ minor league squad to a championship in 2006 and back to the finals in 2007. He was finally named head coach when in the 2007-2008 season the Caps, who were still struggling even with the likes of their new young stars, fired their coach. Boudreau got the job, turned Washington’s season around from 6-14-1 into a division winning year, and never looked back. The Caps won the division each year with Bruce, he won coach of the year in 2008-2009, and the Caps won the President’s Trophy in 2009-2010. Not to mention he turned the young stars of Washington into goal scoring machines.

The Capitals became the team to watch if you wanted to watch goal scoring at its finest. The system was embraced by the team, the results were bountiful, just like the goals, and the Caps couldn’t be stopped.

But the Caps only won two playoff series. Guys stopped producing in clutch periods. There were still plenty of goals during the season, the vast majority coming from the young guys Boudreau put on the spot to produce. But the Caps just couldn’t quite translate it into playoff success. Naturally in the playoffs goals get tougher to come by. The run and gun system which was so actively employed by Washington couldn’t get it done and the goals were drying up. And then all of a sudden guys like Semin and Ovechkin were enigmas whose egos needed massaging. So despite all that Bruce Boudreau did, the things he was unable to do overpowered it and he got axed.

Now it’s Dale Hunter’s turn. Hockey pundits everywhere are saying that the thing he needs to do most is reach Alex Ovechkin and get on the same page. Now maybe I missed something, but as a captain shouldn’t the player wearing the ‘C’ be leading the team instead of running it into the ground? Isn’t that Kobe Bryant’s or Lebron’s job? A lot of the animosity brewing with Ovechkin came from reduced ice time. Again, a real mature thing to do where instead of trying to produce still one sits and whines until someone new comes in.

As for the lack of production in clutch moments, I am not quite sure how this one falls on Boudreau. If your team needs goals desperately, put out your goal scorers. Boudreau put out his guns if AO, Semin, and company nearly every time up until this season where it made sense not to. Largely because those guys weren’t the ones putting up goals any more.

Numerous playoff failures, missed opportunities, and decaying leadership. Plenty at fault, but the 9.5 million dollar man has to step up. Photo courtesy of ottawasun.com

In my mind Boudreau’s most glaring problem, along with the overall management of the Caps was never bringing in a veteran player with past Cup winning experience to lead the team. The closest the Caps ever got was Chris Clark. This is where Boudreau went wrong, and it was giving Ovechkin the captaincy. In the ever persistent battle of Crosby vs. Ovechkin this is why in my mind Ovechkin will fall short. Crosby, for all the grief given (most of it deserved), for being a whiner to the refs and protected by his team and management, is a leader for his team. He leads by example, letting his play do more of the talking than he does, but the difference is the heart he displays in all situations. This is Ovechkin’s issue. His play most of the time could be enough to lead his team by example. The issue has been consistency. When he goes cold, AO goes bonkers (kind of like Semin in a fight) and the frustration bubbles over into tantrums.

It has been the immaturity of Ovechkin that has been holding him back as a leader and as a player. It’s the case of gripping one’s stick too tightly. In this case, Alex is clenching his jaw too much also. And it is spreading through the team, as evidenced by the recent skid the Caps are going through. When the Caps are winning, they just start rolling, but as evidenced with the postseason and lately, when the going gets tough the team buckles. New coach Dale Hunter has to see this and deal with this promptly, and to that extent the numerous talking heads in hockeyland are correct. Ovechkin needs to be dealt with, and at this point in time there is no way you can take away the C from him unless Hunter wants to be executed like Marie Antoinette before 2012.

The breakup got ugly, and the Caps stopped listening. Photo courtesy of si.com

The Caps lack character, and they lacked leadership from their most important player. It got Boudreau fired rather unjustly, but not getting through to your team through your most pivotal scorer who has an ego as fragile and combustible as a button for a nuke can have that effect. Many could be quick to point that the defense is what did the Caps and Boudreau in. But they were never a defensive team. Even still Boudreau adjusted the Caps game to be stronger defensively and it worked. There were a few less goals and maybe that had something to do with the enigma implosion in the capital. Maybe Hunter and some of his tough love can snap some sense into Ovechkin and the rest of the team. Then he can worry about trying to figure out how to get Alex Semin to show up each game.

Crosby is like the Tim Tebow of the NHL, leading his team to new highs, except unlike Tebow he actually has talent and isn't ruining the sport. Photo courtesy of NHL.com

1 – Pittsburgh Penguins (14-6-4) Last week: 1

3-0-1 since Crosby has returned, and he’s got nine points and is a plus seven. The east may be a runaway by January.

2 – Chicago Blackhawks (14-7-3) Last week: 2

It was not an easy road trip for the Hawks but rallying from three goals down in the third in Anaheim and winning the last game of the trip in L.A. is a mark of a team with a lot of character.

3 – Detroit Red Wings (14-7-1) Last week: 6

9-2 and a current five game winning streak after that six game skid and just like that everyone fears the Wings again.

4 – Philadelphia Flyers (13-7-3) Last week: 3

Pronger goes down with another injury, and it requires surgery on his knee. That may mean more Erik Gustafsson, though Staples keeps telling me he doesn’t exist.

5 – San Jose Sharks (13-6-1) Last week: 4

The Sharks have been winning lately with a tough defensive game, only allowing more than one goal in a game once in their past four, though that of course was a 3-2 loss. Well, ok, it was more Antti Niemi catching fire than anything else.

6 – Toronto Maple Leafs (14-8-2) Last week: 9

That little hiccup of losses and sputtering offensive displays quickly is dismissed as the Leafs go 3-0 on the week and score 16 goals in that span. And none out of Kessel?

7 – New York Rangers (12-5-3) Last week: 8

Following two losses to the Panthers and Canadians, the Rangers’ offense explodes against Washington, and then New York stifles the Flyers. Should make the game against Pittsburgh rather interesting.

8 – Boston Bruins (14-7-1) Last week: 13

The Bruins finally lose again, though it was in a shootout against the Red Wings. Remember when people were wondering what was wrong with this team? Helps when you score nearly five goals a game.

9 – Buffalo Sabres (13-9-1) Last week: 7

The Sabres are giving up a lot of goals as of late, and they can’t blame it on Ryan Miller currently. Brad Boyes and Ville Leino are very expensive useless players, putting pressure on Scott Gomez for title of biggest underachiever in the division.

10 – Vancouver Canucks (13-9-1) Last week: 14

Finally the Canucks see reason and are using Cory Schneider as their go to starter in net. Now to finalize the process and trade Luongo. Any takers? Anyone?

11 – Dallas Stars (13-9-1) Last week: 10

Kari Lehtonen goes on injured reserve which in my book spells doom for the Stars.

12 – Minnesota Wild (13-7-3) Last week: 11

It appears the goaltending duo of Backstrom and Harding is cooling off which also spells doom for the Wild. Never overvalue a team when just their goalie(s) get hot. So ignore the fact I have them ranked twelfth.

13 – Washington Capitals (12-9-1) Last week: 5

The Caps are playing like they are in the playoffs, Ovechkin is whining, and Bruce Boudreau gets fired (just like AO asked). Somehow in the NFL San Diego still employs that tool known as Norv Turner.

14 – St. Louis Blues (13-8-2) Last week: 17

Though apparently coaching changes do help as the Blues have been unstoppable (almost) under Ken Hitchcock. Only one regulation loss so far still (7-1-2).

15 – Edmonton Oilers (12-9-2) Last week: 15

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is easily looking like Calder trophy material lately and Ryan Smyth is playing like he isn’t due to retire at all.

16 – Florida Panthers (12-7-4) Last week: 16

3-5 against their own division and yet somehow the Panthers are in first. Given how bad the Lightning and Caps have looked at times it’s no wonder the Canes fired their coach when they could be in first. Instead it’s Florida and it makes absolutely no sense.

17 – Nashville Predators (10-8-4) Last week: 12

The Predators have been the most up and down team since 2008 it seems. Four straight losses and a total of seven goals in that span and seventeen given up. Might want to take back that contract to Mr. Rinne.

18 – Phoenix Coyotes (12-7-3) Last week: 19

Kyle Turris finally gets a contract with Phoenix, and also skates with the team. He is then sent to the AHL for a conditioning assignment. My guess is he stays there.

19 – Tampa Bay Lightning (11-9-2) Last week: 20

Remember when I said the Canucks should trade Luongo? I think the Lightning may be a team that would actually think about making that deal.

20 – Los Angeles Kings (11-8-4) Last week: 18

The Kings were toted as having some solid young depth. Unfortunately they have played more like the Ducks’ young depth and not Philadelphia’s young depth. Coach Terry Murray’s seat must be getting rather warm as the team still can’t score.

21 – New Jersey Devils (12-9-1) Last week: 22

Travis Zajac may be close to returning which may make the Devils’ lineup look less like a mashup of All-Stars from 2002 and AHLers.

22 – Colorado Avalanche (10-12-1) Last week: 21

Colorado used to be unable to win at home. Glad to see they fixed that. Now they are unable to win anywhere.

23 – Ottawa Senators (11-10-2) Last week: 23

Nick Foligno calls Crosby a hypocrite, as he received an elbow to the head from Sid. The league points out that Foligno’s face could have done severe damage to Crosby’s elbow and suspends him indefinitely.

24 – Montreal Canadians (10-10-4) Last week: 24

In the last three seasons Andrei Markov has played in 52 games, including seven last year. He is on pace for zero games this season. It may be easier to ask for a trade than just never playing for Montreal again.

25 – Winnipeg Jets (9-10-4) Last week: 25

If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. I don’t abide by this; I just have nothing to say about the Jets.

26 – Calgary Flames (9-12-1) Last week: 27

I think Jarome Iginla has given up. Which explains why the Flames are out to replace him with Blake Comeau.

27 – Carolina Hurricanes (8-13-4) Last week: 26

Another coaching change, but not nearly the shocker as the Washington firing. More of a wakeup call, given that the Canes lost to Montreal, Winnipeg, and Ottawa. More specifically, a wakeup to Eric Staal.

28 – Columbus Blue Jackets (6-14-3) Last week: 29

At least Columbus was earning points for a while.

29 – New York Islanders (6-11-4) Last week: 30

Nabokov? No. DiPietro? Not a chance. It’s Al Montoya time and hopefully the Islanders remember that. Been far and away their best goalie.

30 – Anaheim Ducks (6-13-4) Last week: 28

It can’t get much worse in Anaheim. More on them later this week, but it may be time they explore trade possibilities, and not to try and turn their season around.

Pardon My Bias Week 12 Picks

So the 2011 season for the San Diego Chargers has not fared well so far but I am a true fan and therefore have no choice but to have faith that things will turnaround. I put money on Philip Rivers to win the MVP this year (money well lost) and I’m sure many others wouldn’t have been surprised of this outcome before the season started. He still has the ability to be a top 5 quarterback in the NFL and I am sure that he can turn it around, whether it be this season or not. Although, I am a little worried about his clutch factor. There have been many games this season and last season in which he had the ball in his hands for the winning drive but came up short…but the guy has heart and I can’t bet against that. As a Chargers fan, I believe that this team will work its way out of this hole…I’m just hoping that they start digging themselves out this season. This though, is not what I am here to write about. It is no secret that I am not a huge fan of Norv Turner but today my beef lies with A.J. Smith and the Spanos family.

What exactly is a football team, or a sports team in general? It is a product, simple as that. You have an owner and management that strive to put out the best product possible in order to create the most profit. This is just like any other regular company, whether it be Coca-Cola, McDonald’s or a small business down the street. I work in social media marketing and therefore I do a lot of interacting with consumers and fans, and the end goal is to create conversation with your target audience and keep them happy. If your target consumers are not happy, well then good luck selling your product or service. Fair warning to Dean Spanos…your target consumers are not happy!

In 2006, we had a 14-2 team that couldn’t win a playoff game but sure as hell were going to get there. We then got rid of Marty Schottenheimer because he had a terrible playoff history (wasn’t a huge fan of the move but understood the decision). We then brought in Norv Turner (who had a terrible coaching history in general), and yes we have won a few playoff games but we are no better off than we were in 2006. Actually we are worse off. We allowed the Kansas City Chiefs to win the division last year (and did not make the playoffs) and this year we are on a 5-game losing streak. Like I said, I’m not here to bash on Norv Turner because I have already done that.

Time to stop smiling and get back to business.

The city of San Diego has been fighting to find a way to keep the Chargers here in San Diego while all these rumors swirl of them leaving to go off to Los Angeles. I can’t say whether our fans are fair weathered or not but I can tell you that it is extremely difficult being a fan of a team that is consistently inconsistent. We have plenty of injuries this season, and I understand that, but remember that they were saying the same thing about the Green Bay Packers last season. My issue is that home games are always very close to being blacked out, or are blacked out, but there is nothing being done to increase the quality of this team…of this product.  Besides the players that we resigned this offseason, our biggest acquisitions were Takeo Spikes and Bob Sanders. Both beastly at their position but not really something that could take this team over the top. I was hypnotized by these pick ups at first and was sure that our defense was going to be rock solid, as many others thought also. I lost perspective of how Sanders had been highly injury prone and how Spikes is up there in age  and how he has never made the playoffs. To be honest, what has been our biggest acquisition in the past 4-5 years? I can’t even think of one. Don’t get me wrong, we have some very solid players but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be looking for more.

A few weeks ago there was a lot of discussion on Twitter about how the Chargers should have tried trading for Asante Samuel. Oh yeah, I guess our management didn’t notice how shoddy our secondary was and how Cason and Gilchrist were getting torched. On top of that non-existent free agency activity, A.J. Smith has definitely lost his magical touch when it comes to drafting. Why was Steve Jobs revered? Why is Apple one of the greatest brands out there? They are all about innovation and staying on top of their field. In football this happens by drafting the right players and signing those that can make a huge impact. Things that the Chargers have lost sight of.

So now the Chargers are sitting at 4-6, two games behind the Oakland Raiders, one game behind the Tebow led Broncos, and struggling to sell tickets to their home games. All of this while us fans sit here wondering whether or not we will still have a team in the future. It is just good business to put out a product that people want and trust me, we want it. It doesn’t matter where the Chargers go, after a few years people are going to stop caring for a team that doesn’t live up the hype…a team that doesn’t make the changes needed to stay on top of its field. It is time that the Chargers owners and management take a real good look at what their target consumers want. It is time for them to do the research and develop a team that we can rally around and have faith in. It is time for them to stop being average and quit underachieving season after season. It is time for them to invest in a team that can live up to and go beyond expectations. It is time for them to give us iPods and stop trying to sell us Zunes.

It will be interesting to see how Crosby and the Penguins do against an actual opponent and not the Islanders. Photo courtesy of nhl.com

1 – Pittsburgh Penguins (12-6-3) Last week: 2

In case you didn’t hear, Crosby is back. Two goals, two assists, and one bad mustache=trouble everywhere. The Pens are healthy and that alone vaults them to the top.

2 – Chicago Blackhawks (12-6-3) Last week: 1

Sure, their record is as good as Pittsburgh’s, but the Penguins weren’t blown out 9-2 by the Oilers.

3 – Philadelphia Flyers (11-6-3) Last week: 7

Sure half the roster is on the wrong side of 30, but 29 other teams are drooling over the young talent the Flyers got stockpiled.

4 – San Jose Sharks (12-5-1) Last week: 9

Talk about a top heavy team. The bottom six rotation of forwards for San Jose have a combined amount of goals equal to Joe Pavelski’s total.

5 – Washington Capitals (11-7-1) Last week: 3

Nothing like a little four game losing streak to knock you back down to earth. Alex Ovechkin sporting a none too impressive minus five.

6 – Detroit Red Wings (11-7-1) Last week: 8

The Wings still can’t beat San Jose, but they do a good enough job beating up on everyone else.

7 – Buffalo Sabres (12-8-0) Last week: 6

Tyler Myers replacement Mike Weber has done a great job replicating his play already with a comparable minus five and seven penalty minutes to Myers’ minus four and ten penalty minutes. Except Weber reached it in under a fifth of the games. Eek.

8 – New York Rangers (10-4-3) Last week: 10

The end of the seven game winning streak comes thanks to a 4-0 shutout to Montreal?

9 – Toronto Maple Leafs (11-8-2) Last week: 5

Two wins in six games sounds more like the Maple Leafs we all know.

10 – Dallas Stars (12-8-0) Last week: 4

The Stars finally snapped that five game skid they were on where they played horrendous. You know, just like how everyone thought they would.

11 – Minnesota Wild (12-5-3) Last week: 13

Two unbeaten weeks in the past three for the Wild, though they got some help by playing the likes of Anaheim and Columbus. Backstrom and Harding I would say have turned into the top goaltending duo in the league.

12 – Nashville Predators (10-5-4) Last week: 14

The Preds are getting healthy, giving them a semblance of offense yet again. No, seriously. They have earned a point in all but one game in their past eleven.

13 – Boston Bruins (12-7-0) Last week: 17

It appears the Bruins have remembered how to play hockey…By taking runs at players and getting away with it, cough*Lucic*cough.

14 – Vancouver Canucks (10-9-1) Last week: 12

Just think what will happen when the Canucks get into gear like the Bruins. Burrows needs to bite some fingers, pronto.

15 – Edmonton Oilers (10-8-2) Last week: 11

So after the six game winning streak, the Oilers go on a four game losing streak and have lost five of their last six. But that one win was a 9-2 demolishing of Chicago.

16 – Florida Panthers (11-6-3) Last week: 20

Behold the division leading Florida Panthers. The Fleischmann-Weiss-Versteeg is a wonder. Brian Campbell, Dmitry Kulikov, and Jason Garrison are point machines. The goaltending has been incredible. Too bad the other nine forwards are non-existent.

17 – St. Louis Blues (10-7-2) Last week: 21

Ken Hitchcock still has yet to lose a game in regulation and the Blues have won four out of six. Using Brian Elliot over the crashing and burning Jaroslav Halak improves the odds of winning of course.

18 – Los Angeles Kings (10-7-3) Last week: 18

2-1 last week, and even though the Ducks are crashing a home-and-home sweep has got to feel good.

19 – Phoenix Coyotes (10-6-3) Last week: 16

I just realized Shane Doan was set to a be a free agent this off-season, so Phoenix should start looking for a new franchise player I suppose.

20 – Tampa Bay Lightning (9-8-2) Last week: 15

The Lightning just can’t seem to find any consistency this season and their record reflects it. The production is there, but the goaltending isn’t. Wonder if they can pluck away Mikka Kiprusoff (nope).

21 – Colorado Avalanche (9-11-1) Last week: 19

2-11 over the past 13, and just like that the Avs are looking like the same floundering team from last season. Semyon Varlamov looking like a bust equally as fast.

22 – New Jersey Devils (10-8-1) Last week: 22

Seriously Brodeur, just retire for crying out loud. Zach Parise says his chances of re-signing with New Jersey depends on their chances of winning. The Devils don’t like their chances.

23 – Ottawa Senators (10-9-2) Last week: 23

Is Ottawa’s goalie of the future Robin Lehner? One game in and he already looks superior to Craig Anderson and Alex Auld.

24 – Montreal Canadians (9-9-3) Last week: 24

Is there a chance that Montreal accepts reality and actually unloads players to try and rebuild a little bit? Probably not.

25 – Winnipeg Jets (8-9-3) Last week: 28

Winnipeg gets their first three game winning streak for the photo album. It was also the productive their offense has been.

26 – Carolina Hurricanes (8-11-3) Last week: 27

Eric Staal has ten points and is -15. That’s a bad sign when you are being outpaced by Tuomo Ruutu.

27 – Calgary Flames (8-10-1) Last week: 25

A 4-1 loss to the Blue Jackets can’t be good for your confidence. Look for the Flames to start clearing house soon. And I’d say everyone is available.

28 – Anaheim Ducks (6-10-4) Last week: 26

A home-and-home sweep by Los Angeles only further demotes the Ducks to an even further laughable state. Somehow Andrew Cogliano, George Parros, and Sheldon Brookbank are the only ones on the plus side with their +/- rating.

29 – Columbus Blue Jackets (5-13-2) Last week: 30

Back to back wins for Columbus gets them out of the cellar finally. Still should probably try and trade Carter and Nash, but finally not using Steve Mason could mean a turnaround.

30 – New York Islanders (5-10-3) Last week: 29

Pretty bad when Crosby’s first game back is confused for a minor league rehab assignment.

This season in the NFL has been dubbed as “the year of the quarterback,” with QBs putting the ball in the air much more than before. Two quarterbacks, Tim Tebow and Cam Newton, have certainly made a ton of headlines. Both are outstanding characters and have brought a positive vibe and outlook to two markets that have seen their fair share of struggles in the past few seasons. This past year’s first overall pick Cam Newton has played exceptionally well for the Carolina Panthers and is the front-runner for the Rookie of the Year. Unfortunately for the Panthers, Newton’s great stats have not translated into wins this season, although his play has shown much promise for the future. Meanwhile in Denver, Tim Tebow has taken over the reins as starting quarterback and has won 4 out of 5 games. The Broncos reached for Tebow in the 2010 draft by trading up to take him with the 25th overall pick in the draft; a decision that was criticized by many experts and analysts. Although Tebow’s numbers have not been good for a starting QB in the NFL, he is winning games. Tebow throughout his career at Florida was known as a “winner,” and perhaps that is translating over into the NFL even though most thought it never would. So if you were the general manager of an NFL franchise and had both Newton and Tebow on the board, who would you draft?

photo courtesy of weallscheme.com

Cam Newton has had everyone’s attention this season from Week 1 with his unbelievable 422 yard, 2 TD game against the Cardinals, which unfortunately ended in a loss for the Panthers. Newton has thrown for 2605 yards, 11 TDs, rushed for 374 yards, and 7 rushing TDs. With that said, the Panthers have only won 2 games this season, but Newton has shown so much promise. When Peyton Manning started his career with the Indianapolis Colts, he had similar struggles that Newton is having. It’s clear what Peyton Manning then became — arguably the best QB in football. Newton certainly has the skills needed to be a successful QB in the NFL, and Panthers fans have a lot to look forward to in the near future. Newton is exactly the type of QB you would want to draft with the first overall pick in the draft. He without a doubt is a franchise QB for years to come for the Panthers.

photo courtesy of blog.al.com

Tim Tebow on the other hand has been the anti-quarterback to say the least. Tebow this year in his 5 starts has thrown for only 709 yards with only a 44.8% completion rate. One of his wins against the Kansas City Chiefs came with him only completing 2 out of 8 passes. Tebow has rushed for 388 yards with 3 rushing TDs. The Denver Broncos offense has looked unconventional at best. Credit goes to John Fox and his coaching squad for completely changing their offense midseason to cater to Tebow. The offense has a limited play book which revolves around wildcat plays for Tebow because he simply can’t throw the ball. Nonetheless the fact remains, the Broncos have won 4 games with Tebow as the starter. The guy simply knows how to win, and he has put the Broncos in the hunt for the AFC West.

So the question remains, who would you pick if both Tebow and Newton were both left on the board? For me the answer is easy–you have to go with Cam Newton. There have been a number of quarterbacks who play with an unconventional style such as Michael Vick and Vince Young (who ironically are on the same team now) that have never won anything. Tebow may be able to win a few games for the Broncos in the regular season against mediocre teams, but it will never transfer over into the playoffs where there are elite teams and elite defenses. Cam Newton needs  to develop the closer gene, but that will come with experience. He has the tools in place to be a great QB in the NFL. Newton’s style of play has translated to wins historically in the NFL. Winning regular season games is great, but winning in the playoffs and competing for championships is the ultimate goal of any NFL franchise (unless you are the Indianapolis Colts this year who are putting on a great ‘Suck for Luck’ campaign). So let the Tebow fans rejoice now, but this will not last. Cam Newton is a future star.

Courtesy of sportsgrindent.com

The Chicago Bears have slowly risen there way up to the top of the NFC and have finally gotten some attention. It is eerily similar to their run that they made to the NFC Championship game last year. Yeah, I know you forgot, it was the Bears that Aaron Rodgers crushed to get to the Super Bowl. This season looks like another promising one, but fans from the Windy City will certainly be hoping for a better finish this season. With strong defense, a fabulous run game, and a determined QB, the Bears may have the perfect concoction to make a charge into the playoffs again.

The biggest issue for the Bears has to be their division. The NFC North is the best division in football with three teams that could very well win the NFC. The Packers obviously being the defending champions, are the favorites to win the division with their 9-0 start. The Detroit Lions have surged this season finally tapping into some of the potential they had built up. The Lions are also 6-3 like the Bears, but it appears the Lions stock is slightly falling, while the Bears stock is certainly rising. The Lions lack the ability to run the ball and stop the run – two weaknesses that will hurt them tremendously in their run to make the playoffs.

Meanwhile, the Bears are getting some of the best performances from their stars. The three-headed defensive monster of Julius Peppers, Brian Urlacher, and Lance Briggs may be the most dangerous trio in the league (although Carlos Rogers, Justin Smith, and Patrick Willis from San Francisco are pretty damn good too). Devin Hester continues to be the most explosive return man the NFL has ever seen. Matt Forte has been the best running back in the league so far, even in Mike Martz’s high powered aerial offense (PAY THE MAN!). Jay Cutler has stepped into his roll as the leader of his team, highlighted by the clinic he put on Monday Night Football against the Eagles.

The Bears have what it takes to make it into the playoffs, and I believe they will surpass the Detroit Lions and secure on of the NFC Wildcard spots. Left on the schedule is the AFC West, which has been a struggling division to say the least, and most notably one more matchup with the Packers. It is not going to be an easy road for the Bears, but their confidence is at an all time high with wins against the Buccaneers, Eagles, and Lions over the last three weeks.

At the end of the day, defense and the running game always win December and January. The Bears have some of the best personnel at each of those positions. Jay Cutler has a chip on his shoulder, especially the way he went out last year in the NFC Championship game. His commitment was questioned, and he has come out shutting down all his critics. The stars may just line up for the Bears to make a deep run into the playoffs. This is a team that should not be slept on.

Pardon My Bias Week 11 Picks

TEBOW TIME!

For all of you Tebow lovers that are truly having your day (3-1 as a starter):

• Every time tim tebow swims, dolphins appear…and then he beats them at home
•  Tim Tebow doesn’t wear a watch, HE determines what time it is
• When Wikapedia has a question..it goes to TimTebow.com
• Tim tebow jumped for joy…and got it.
• Tim Tebow had to pee on a recent road trip…the result was the Grand Canyon
• Tim Tebow’s business card says “i’ll call you”
• Tim Tebow never says “long story short”
• When Tim Tebow sheds a tear crops grow in Africa
• When tim tebow dices onions, they cry.
• It is known that when Tim Tebow sneezes…followers gather for religious beliefs
• If you have $5 and tim tebow has $5…he has more money than you
• Tim Tebow challenged his shadow to a race…..and dusted it
• Facebook added Tim Tebow
• Tim tebow knows who let the dogs out…and it wasnt michael vick
• Tim Tebow once thought he was wrong… that was the only time he was ever wrong
• When someone tells Tim Tebow a Knock Knock joke he always knows who’s there.
• Tim tebow won connect four…in 3 moves.
• Atlas would drop the world for a chance to shake Tim Tebows hand, but the world would not fall because he would catch it with is free hand
• Tim Tebow once took a rain check…it promptly started to drizzle for 13 consecutive days
• The bartender always tips Tim Tebow
• Tim Tebow milked a cow..by looking at it
• Tim Tebow’s blood is a natural cure for every disease known to man.
• Tim Tebow invented daylight savings because nighttime was jealous
• Tim Tebow once killed a bear with a can of tuna and a suggestion
• Tim Tebow threw for 300 yards and 5 touchdowns…on a bye week
• Kanye West would let tim tebow finish his heisman speech…
• Tim Tebow saw a lunar eclipse..at 3 in the afternoon
• Tim tebow’s mom has a tattoo that reads “Son”
• Tim Tebow walked a mile in my shoes, and returned them brand new
• Tim tebow’s rice crispes dont snap crackle pop…they recite verses from John 3:16
• Samuel L. Jackson once got off a flight because Tim Tebow was tired of him being on the plane.
• When Tim Tebow spikes the ball he strikes oil
• God had tim tebow play football a mile higher than the others, just so he can be close to him.
• Makes sense that Tim Tebow believes in God since every time he completes a pass it’s a miracle.
• Tim Tebow can touch MC Hammer
• Tim Tebow got pulled over while driving..the officer asked him “do you know how fast you were going,” He responded “God Speed”
• While taking the SAT, write “Tim Tebow” for every answer. You will score more than 1600
• Tim tebow has never lost a game of rock paper scissors.
• Superman wears Tim Tebow pajamas
• We celebrate Thanksgiving to thank Tim Tebow
• Tim Tebow knows exactly how many licks it takes to get to the center of Tootsie roll pop
•  Tim tebow can prevent forest fires
• Tim Tebow counted to infinity. Twice.
•  How many humans are out there that are like Tim Tebow? None, because Tim Tebow himself is not human!
• Tim Tebow knows where Waldo is at all times
• The most interesting man in the world was tim tebow for halloween…
• The active ingredient in Red Bull is Tim Tebow’s sweat
• When Tim Tebow smiles…others teeth whiten
• Tim Tebow offered Peyton Manning his stem cells for his neck surgery, but no needle could penetrate his skin