Please please please get ya'll cousin!

A few things I learned watching the Eagles/Vikings game last night

Number 1:

The average age of the Eagles most prolific offensive weapons is a little over 24.5 years old. I'm including Mike Vick, Brent Celek, LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, and Jeremy Maclin only. Take out Mike Vick and it's a little over 23 years old. Either way, if these guys stay together they could have a run of at least 5 more solid years if they're healthy. Staying together is probably unlikely in this age of free agency but depending on how the collective bargaining stuff turns out it may be more likely. That should be a scary thought for the NFL.

Number 2:

All that Mike Vick MVP talk has to go away now. Leading up to this week it was plausible to say he had a shot at winning the MVP, but after the performance last night, it's a wrap. Go ahead and give it to Brady now. I've heard the arguments about how Brady is gonna win it regardless because he's Brady and his reputation is better than Mike Vick's in general and I agree with that to an extent. But combine winning an MVP with Mike Vick's story and it is far more compeling, motivating, and means a lot more than Tom Brady putting up big numbers this year or (for that matter) Mike Vick putting up big numbers this year. Vick's story transcends the sport and is about life's mistakes, consequences, and subsequent recovery and return to respectability. No matter how much you may hate what Mike Vick did or was involved in, you have to respect how he came back, showed humility, and performed well at what he's paid well to do. So while Brady will win the MVP this year, Vick's story is more valuable than just a trophy.

Number 3:

If Andy Reid is worth the money the Eagles are paying him, this win should galvanize the Eagles for a solid playoff run. The timing of the loss is almost perfect in that a team that's playing well toward the end of the season knows they're good and may be a little overconfident going into the playoffs. Losing a game in the last couple of weeks can help to humble them. Remember when the Patriots ran the table and lost in the Superbowl? That's all I'm saying. Sometimes a loss is a good thing. For weeks now the Eagles have been riding on a cloud of Mike Vick fairy dust and it seemed nothing could go wrong. Last night proved that Vick is most definitely human and the Eagles need to execute better and more importantly, learn how to stop the corner blitz coming from Mike Vick's left.

Number 4:

I understand why no defenses have been able to effectively make Mike Vick roll to his right rather than his left. It's because he's FAST AS HELL! He'll just dodge someone coming from the left and then continue left if there's room. By doing this he can easily square up and make his normal left-handed throws. When he rolls to the right he takes a little more time to set-up and throw the ball and is more likely to run. The commentators mentioned this last night and I've heard it before several times and thought the same exact thing I've always thought: "Ya'll must not realize just how elusive and quick this guy is. He will dodge that shyt and go right back to his left." Vick managed to do just that several times last night but not enough. And it also seemed like he and DeSean Jackson just weren't on the same page at all last night and I think that also played into it. But either way, the Vikings blitz schemes last night were effective and I expect that to be the blueprint for anyone that faces the Eagles from here on out.

Number 5:

LeSean McCoy may be the closest thing to Marshall Faulk in the NFL in terms of his ability to catch and run with the ball. He's not as good at running the ball between the tackles as Marshall Faulk but on dump-off passes and screen plays he's about as elusive as anyone in the NFL and plays with that sort of silky smoothness that Marshall Faulk had. I think lots of people expected Matt Forte to assume the Marshall Faulk role in Chicago this year because of Mike Martz being there but McCoy leads all RBs in receptions this year (and I bet it's by a landslide) and there was one pass he caught last night where he probably ran for 30 yards or so but he looked about as elusive as anybody ever has (Barry Sanders notwithstanding) in the NFL.

Number 6:

Mike Vick deserves a raise. I honestly don't think the Eagles are going to sign him to any sort of long-term deal as a starter. He's 30, Kevin Kolb is 26, and this is Mike Vick's shot to win a title in Philly. This year only. I bet the Eagles will use him as trade bait for a team like Minnesota who will need a solid QB next season if they can't draft one. I would throw Washington in that mix but Andy Reid isn't that stupid. There are a lot of teams that could use a solid QB so even though I don't think Vick will be in Philly he's earned a solid contract somewhere in the NFL next season.

Number 7:

Joe Webb might already be a better NFL QB than Tavaris Jackson. No disrespect to Tavaris but Webb showed a lot of poise and composure and the ability to make plays last night. Everybody's talking about how he was drafted as a receiver blah blah blah but dude was a QB in college so the position is not foreign to him and that showed last night. And if you look at what he did in college (albeit at UAB) you'll see that he's quite the athlete and put up rushing yards a la (ahem) Mike Vick. With that said, maybe the Vikings should start thinking about a future with AP, Webb, and Lesley Frazier as their team's nucleus. They've got two solid wide-outs in Rice and Harvin and a solid tight-end in Shiancoe. Grab another good wide-out, a lineman or two where you need 'em, a couple solid defensive players, and they're right back to being competitive with the Bears and Packers.

THROWBACK!

Every time I hear this it reminds me of Crystal Skate in Marlow Heights, MD. I remember being a young, stiff, barely-knows-how-to-skate kid doing laps trying to check out the girls. Meanwhile, it's grown azz men flying around the rink with white skates on shooting the duck and moving in unison like a dance troupe. It was good times, until people got to fighting or shooting anyway, lol.

Video: Where Do We Go - Ab Lica & iCan (feat. Malice)

I'm not sure who iCan is but I've been a fan of Ab Liva for a minute (ie - back when he was on "Hot Damn" by the Clipse). And if memory serves me correctly he was in one of those Philly rap groups back in the day not named The Roots or Philly's Most Wanted (for some reason, the name is escaping me but they did have one hit song the name of which I can't remember either).

Nevertheless, I ran across the track below on nahright.com and only listened because I saw that Malice was on it (sorry Ab). Speaking of Malice, since the Clipse's last CD dropped, it appears that he has started to master the art of rapping positive but keeping it gully/street enough so that you don't really notice. For example, "Freedom". Meanwhile, Pusha T has moved on to talking about Versace sofas, salmon-coloered suits, and his favorite topic, cocaine lol.

This Ab & iCan joint is one of those tracks that'll find it's way to my "NewShyt" playlist and enter the "Day2Day" rotation soon thereafter.

Ab Liva & iCan Ft. Malice - Where Do We Go? from YenEuroDollar on Vimeo.

NFL Picks - Week 15

Three games left in the season, except for this guy.


Normally this is the time when things are either really exciting (for those teams jockeying for playoff position) or really boring (for those teams that have no chance of making the playoffs). I'm guessing the playoffs turn out like this...

AFC
New England
Pittsburgh
Kansas City
Jacksonville
Baltimore
San Diego (yes San Diego. And I realize the Jets would basically have to lose-out the remainder of the season and the Chargers would have to win-out)

NFC
Atlanta
Philly
Chicago
New Orleans
NYG
Seattle (I know, I know. San Fran is probably the trendy pick here but I'm gonna gamble on the bum-azz Seahawks)

I'm not sure of who I think will win it all yet though.

San Diego over San Fran: San Diego needs this win. They are a more talented team and the only way I can seem them losing is if they self-destruct.

Bengals over Browns: Flipped a coin and when I looked it had T.O. and Ocho Cinco's face on it.

Dallas over Washington: My Skins will lose yet another one. As far as talent goes, Dallas is far more talented than the Bucs who we (as I predicted about halfway through this game) found a way to lose to.

Houston over Tennessee: Tennessee won't be able to stop Houston from scoring. I'm expecting a shoot-out in this one.

Jags over Colts: This may signal the beginning of the end of the Colts dominance in this division. Then again, maybe that was week 1 when Arian Foster went all Adrian Peterson on the Colts.

Chiefs over Rams: Chiefs are the better team and need the win.

Dolphins over Bills: Flipped a coin on this one too. The Dolphins have a better record but the Bills play harder. It would not surprise me at all to see the Bills show more heart than the Dolphins and pull this one out.

Philly over NYG: If Philly can stop the run and force Forrest Gump to beat them, this is a win for the Eagles.

Tampa over Detroit: Tampa is solid enough to win this one.

Arizona over Carolina: Arizona's only slightly better than Carolina but they'll show up in this one and get the "W".

New Orleans over Baltimore: The Ravens lose at home for the second time this season. Unless the Ravens can put some points on the board early I expect the Saints to be pretty consistent on offense (though it won't be a rout by any means) and do enough on defense to confuse Joe Flacco and contain the Ravens here-one-week-gone-the-next offense. If this turns into a shoot-out, the Ravens and their DBs have no chance.

Atlanta over Seattle: Atlanta isn't losing this week either folks.

Oakland over Denver: Denver's a team in disarray and Oakland appears to be a team (dare I say it) that'll be one to be reckoned with next year. Wow, I just said that.

Pittsburgh over NYJ: The Jets are showing their true colors. Defense wins championships but unless their defense can score like the Ravens defense used to, there will be no championship. And I will take a gritty Pittsburgh team that sticks to the run and play-action pass to control the clock and make a couple big plays in this game. But I am definitely sitting Mike Wallace and Big Ben on my fantasy squad this week (though I have a feeling Wallace has one or two big plays coming his way this week).

New England over Green Bay: The Packers only have a chance if Aaron Rodgers plays. And even then, the Patriots can keep pace with the Packers when it comes to scoring. I'd expect the Packers defense to break before the Patriots defense does. Although the Pats defense does bend quite a bit, they never really break. And their consistency on offense always keeps them in games even with the defense gives up yardage. Besides, how (at this point) can you pick against the Patriots in cold and/or inclement weather?

Chicago over Minnesota: Much like Brett Favre's season, the Vikings season is done. Favre probably won't play again eVAR and Tavaris Jackson is on the IR. They signed Patrick "I used to be a Redskins QB not named Rypien or Williams, isn't that enough" Ramsey and their other QB option is Joe Webb who is a freak athlete that they wanted to play wide-out originally. I say all this to say, it's time for Minnesota guys to start thinking about the sex boat outing they will be on once it gets warmer on the lake.

Stuck in the horns of a Fantasy Football Dilemma

I'm in 3 fantasy football leagues this year, 2 ESPN and one Yahoo! I'm doing pretty well in my Yahoo! league (second place going into the playoffs) and one of my ESPN Leagues (#1 ranked). In my other ESPN league however - the one I enjoy the most and the one with my good friends - I somehow limped into the playoffs in the 8th spot. The playoffs started last week and I managed to pull a GIGANTIC upset and knock-off the #1 ranked team. Funny thing is, I wasn't even paying attention and didn't realize it was the first round of the playoffs because I was out-of-town all weekend lol.

But here's my dilemma for the second round. I'm going this round with a QB problem. Here are the 3 QBs I'm carrying on my team:

Ben Roethlisberger: Ben has been performing decent enough for me to start him every week since I acquired him in a trade earlier in the year.

David Garrard: I picked him up off waivers last week or the week before. I'm not a big fan of Garrard because he's one of those "thin line" guys. As in, there's a thin line between when he'll perform average-to-okay and when he'll perform horrendously. But to his credit, he's come on over the past 5 weeks as the Jags have started to surge/strengthen.

Kerry Collins: I picked him up this morning off waivers SOLELY BECAUSE HE'S PLAYING THE TEXANS! The Texans defense is ranked dead-azz-last in the NFL and Collins is a proven (but sometimes shaky) veteran with Kenny Britt, Randy Moss, and Nate "I'm a deep threat only" Washington at his disposal. Not to mention Chris "Pinball" Johnson who can take a screen all the way at any point.

So here's what I need to figure out...

WHICH ONE OF THESE GUYS SHOULD I START?


Ben is playing the Jets. The same Jets that appear to be showing their true colors in that they can't keep up the scoring enough to consistently win against good teams. The problem with the Jets is not necessarily defense even though they've been losing, so I expect them to play solid defense against the Steelers and limit Ben's yardage.


Garrard is playing the Colts. The last time these two teams played Garrard 150+ yards and 2 TDs, not a bad performance at all. I can definitely see him putting up these types of numbers again and I have the Jags winning this one.


Kerry Collins is playing the Texans. Again, they (the Texans) are ranked last in the NFL in passing defense. They give up the most passing yardage and passing TDs. Oddly enough, the Texans are solid against the run (ranked 6th). Because the Texans can put up points with anyone in the league I'm expecting this to be a shoot-out with lots of passing yards. Again, this theory of mine is the sole reason I picked up Kerry Collins and even if he does well this week (and I make it to the next round) I'll still be dropping him and going back to my "Ben Garrard-Roethlisberger for the Win" plan since Ben has the Panthers and Browns the next two weeks and Garrard has Washington and Houston.

I know lots of people consider their matchup (who the other team has playing) when considering who to start. I never really understood that approach and I don't use it. I just try to put the best possible team of starters together each week and let the chips fall. But this week, I'm having a tough time deciding on a QB. I need to get through this week with as many points from the QB position as possible. If you were me, who would you start?

Mystery Solved: Nikki Minaj's "Accent"

I know for a fact that I am not the only person that is sometimes annoyed by Nikki Minaj's penchant for using a faux accent in her raps. I guess I could call it a faux Bri'ish accent but it's not really that good of an attempt. It's like listening to Diddy rap lyrics that he's penned himself, you can only take so much of it. For those of you that think her over-usage of the fake accent is cute, shouldn't you be in 2nd period right now? Hopefully it's spelling or French class because m-i-n-a-j is surely not how you spell ménage.

Anywho, last night I was watching some news show and I heard of a medically recognized syndrome that clearly explains one reason why Nikki Minaj may be using this accent. What is that syndrome you ask? No, it's not fetal alcohol syndrome (I know that's what most of you guessed, don't lie) but Foreign Accent Syndrome.

YES, that's a real syndrome.

Check the details about this syndrome as stated on the most reliable source for medical information on the InterWeb, Wikipedia:

"Foreign accent syndrome is a rare medical condition involving speech production that usually occurs as a side effect of severe brain injury, such as a stroke or head trauma."

The keys words here (as I highlighted for you) are "head" and "trauma". Keep that in mind while you learn a bit more about this syndrome.

"It must be emphasized that the speaker does not suddenly gain a foreign language (vocabulary, syntax, grammar, etc); they merely pronounce their native language with a foreign or dialectical accent... To the untrained ear, those with the syndrome sound as though they speak their native languages with a foreign accent."

AHA!

So this would lead me to believe (and perhaps only me) that at some point one of the following things happened to Nikki Minaj:

1. She was dropped on her head as a child
2. She got smart with some dude with a chip on his shoulder and he smacked the bejesus out of her
3. Wearing a weave that's too tight is almost as traumatic as a stroke
4. Doggystyle sex accident (*blank stare*)

It had to be one of those reasons or it's foreign accent syndrome induced by exposure to a recording studio or stage.

Unfortunately, this only (potentially) solves only one of the mysteries of the act/persona that is Nikki Minaj. We still have to solve why she wears those wigs (no Beyonce), whether or not she likes boys, girls, or both, and also how her butt got that ridiculously big (not that I'm mad about it).

Not to mention the one question I'd like to ask her which is, did she purposely try to make herself the combination of Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and Lil Kim or was it all Diddy's idea before she dropped him as "manager"?

I'm sure there's more to Nikki Minaj than what we all see on television and hear in her songs. But if there isn't, hide ya wife, hide ya kids... Especially your daughters!

NFL Picks - Week 14

Somehow it seems ironically fitting that Ben R. has gotten punched in the face twice this year. Once on purpose and the other in the flow of the game, with the first one leveling him and the other breaking his nose. Or maybe it's just me and the girl he allegedly raped in the bathroom of a bar that feel this way. Not that I want to see the man hurt at all but I just think it's kinda funny.

Nevertheless, Ben came away with a across nose but also a HUGE divisional win on Monday night. Kudos to the Steelers and a smh to Joe Flacco who short-armed the hell out of the throw that would have kept the Ravens final drive alive and maybe let to a game-tying field goal (at the least). I've been saying all along that Joe Flacco has the tools to be a great quarterback but cannot handle the pressure. After Monday night, I rest my case. Where's Trent Dilfer when John Harbaugh needs him?

Indianapolis over Tennessee: Indianapolis needs this win and the Titans appear to be descending. I'll take Peyton in this one even with the shytload of interceptions he's thrown over the past few weeks.

Buffalo over Cleveland: Buffalo's been playing well all season (with the exception of last week) and I'm hoping they haven't started to mail it in. I'm a little leery about this pick because my gut is telling me the Bills' players are thinking about sunshine and margarita's in the Caribbean coming up and not about stopping Peyton Hillis. I've only picked one underdog this week (Washington) so maybe I'll change this one before the Thursday night game. We'll see.

Cleveland over Buffalo: Just realized Buffalo has the worst run defense in the league and Peyton Hillis is the new Mike Allstott. But the whole Jake Delhomme factor (in the event this comes down to a shoot-out) kinda makes me nervous. Hopefully it'll be snowy in Buffalo and the game will be mostly rushing (the forecast is calling for rain/snow).

Green Bay over Detroit: Aaron Rodgers much?

Giants over Vikings: The Giants and the Vikings are both two teams that can look good at times but really aren't going to do much if they make it to the post-season. Presumably the Giants will and I'm about 100% sure the Vikings won't. But, the Giants defensive line can potentially wreak havoc every single week from both sides of the line. I don't think Tavaris (or Brett) can handle that constant pressure. The Giants also have proven to have a very solid run game with the combination of Bradshaw and Psycho Jacobs. Minnesota has the 3rd ranked rushing defense in the league so it'll be an interesting match-up in that regard. If Minnesota runs AP 30 times and shuts down the running game of the G-Men I think they'll win. But something tells me the Giants (like the Eagles) will realize that they need this win to stay tied atop the NFC East and pull off the win.

Pittsburgh over Cincy: Cincy stinks and Pittsburgh plays tough. Hopefully Ben has a big day to help out my fantasy squad.

Washington over Tampa: The Redskins will show some heart and win this game at home. Apologies in advance to my brother who is a Bucs fan.

Atlanta over Carolina: Like my man Lance mentioned last week, Atlanta is due for a loss, but I just don't see the Panthers being good enough to pull it off.

Jacksonville over Oakland: I really want to pick Oakland, I really do. I think they've got the potential to win this game in a close battle. But Jacksonville's been toughing out wins lately and showing a lot of heart.

New Orleans over St. Louis: Drew Brees is going to have a good day.

49ers over Seattle: Flipped a coin and when I looked at it there was Mike Singletary starting at me like he used to do opposing QBs at the line of scrimmage. How was I supposed to NOT pick the Niners after that happening?

Patriots over Bears: Another case (like last week) of Bill Belicheck against a young QB. You know who won last week and expect it to happen again this week. Jay Cutler (no matter how well he's been playing in recent weeks) is always one week away from throwing a gazillion interceptions. I expect this to be the week he does just that. But if the Pats don't find a way to stop Julius Peppers it could be a long day for Tom Brady.

Denver over Arizona: Even with McDaniels gone I expect Denver to win this game. And no, I don't have any idea who his replacement is.

Chargers over Chiefs: Chargers lost last week to the Raiders and they need this win. If the Chiefs get out early and put points on the board this pick my go to smithereens. The Chiefs beat the Chargers back in week 1 and I'm sure the 6-6 Chargers who were surging (till last week) remember that. Also, I'm sure the Chargers are fully aware that they NEED to win this game to stay in the playoff picture.

Eagles over Cowboys: The Cowboys have been looking good lately and have beaten some decent teams. I think that Michael Vick however, poses a unique threat to them that none of the other teams the Cowboys have beat recently posed. And that is, a QB with the ability to run the ball if need be and also create on the run. Aside from that, the Eagles need to win this game to keep pace in the NFC East lead and I don't think they'll let the Cowboys get in the way of it.

Ravens over Texans: I expect the Ravens to fall behind early in this game but come back to win. Houston can run the ball well and pass well. That is, well enough to score on the Ravens defense that isn't as good as it used to be. The bad part for Houston is that their defense STINKS to high Heaven so I also expect the Ravens and Joe "Freeze-up in crunchtime" Flacco to be able to put up points on them.

Toca Tuesday Freestyle: CyHi Da Prince

This is CyHi post #2 (check out the first post here). If he keeps doing stuff like this he's gonna have a few more posts at the least.


He's still gonna have to do better than this though to live up to that "if God had an iPod I'd be on his playlist" line he spit in So Appalled.

Video: Masspike Miles feat. Rick Ross - Nasty

I've been a fan of this song since I first heard it on one of Ross's mixtapes prior to Teflon Don. As I've mentioned before, I'm definitely a fan of Ross and Masspike on the same track together and I still think that Masspike Miles and Eddie House may have been separated at birth.

NFL Picks - Week 13

It's about that time!!!

This week has some good match-ups with playoff implications. You've got Ravens/Steelers, Pats/Jets, and Falcons/Bucs. Not to mention some other divisional rivalries that'll can potentially impact one team's playoff chances (Bears/Lions, Kansas City/Denver, Giants/Skins, and Chargers/Raiders).

Before I get into my picks this week I have to comment on the Johnson/Finnegan "fight".


This was a decent semi-scrap slash skirmish or whatever. But based on Goodell's reputation for being a disciplinarian I can't see how Andre Johnson didn't get suspended a game for this, if not both of them. I mean he two-pieced Courtland pretty good there. If this were James Harrison of the Steelers connected to someone's dome he would have gotten a 4-game suspension I bet. Even Finnegan said if he'd have swung like Johnson did, he'd probably be suspended (Finnegan has a reputation for being a dirty player). I'm really surprised the NFL only levied $25K fines for both players and didn't suspend. Is the league saying it's ok to fight? Really? I wish they'd have done more to show that this type of behavior is intolerable, even if it meant that arguably the best WR in the league would have to sit out a week.

Now for my picks. I'm betting the Ravens/Steelers game will be the best game this week and I'm picking the Ravens to win this one at home. As for the full list of picks, here ya go:

Philly over Houston: Houston's pass defense is statistically worse than the Redskins. Remember what the Eagles did to the Redskins?

Saints over Bengals: I thought about taking the Bengals but then I came to my senses. It's gonna be cold in Ohio and the Saints are a dome team but in the end, I just don't think the Bengals are gonna pull it off. Nor do I think they can stop the Saints from scoring.

Bears over Lions: I'm not as convinced as to how good the Bears are after last week's win over Philly but I do think they're going to beat the Lions. Jay Cutler is always one game away from being horrible so it wouldn't surprise me if he plays mediocre. But after Julius Peppers's last game, I just don't see the Lions offense being able to manage a win.

Packers over 49ers: The win against ARIZONA didn't fool me, San Fran isn't that good. They're relatively good. That is, relative to everyone else in their division. Go to Green Bay and pull out a win against a team that can score on just about any defense? I think not. Especially when Green Bay's coming off a loss.

Jacksonville over Tennessee: Jacksonville's a lot better than I give them credit for (I think it's because MJD started off so slowly this year for my fantasy squad) and Tennessee seems to be a team headed in the wrong direction.

Kansas City over Denver: After their last meeting and the embarrassment the Chiefs must have felt, I don't think there's any way they lose this game. And Dwayne Bowe is playing like a beast right now.

Miami over Cleveland: I really wanted to pick Cleveland in this one (and I still kinda do) but I think Jake Delhomme is going to be the weak link, especially considering Miami is ranked 4th against the pass. Stack the box to stop Peyton Hillis and defend the pass, that'll hopefully be the game plan.

Buffalo over Minnesota: Upset special. Minnesota squeaked by the Redskins last week and I think Buffalo's playing with the most heart of any mediocre (lol) team in the league right now. They're in just about every game and they've got some talent in Fred Jackson, Stevie (last week we could have called him "Stonehands") Johnson, and Lee Evans. This is my gut feeling pick of the week.

Giants over Redskins: The Giants are the better all-around team. I don't think my Skins are going to Giants stadium and pull out a win. Sorry fellas.

Chargers over Raiders: If the Chargers defense shows up, this should be a fairly easy win. I don't think they'll blow the Raiders out but I do think they'll dominate.

Indy over Dallas: I totally picked Dallas to win this game initially then decided against it. Peyton had a bad game last week so I'm 100% sure he's been studying his azz off this week and will find a way to take advantage of Dallas's iffy corners. The only problem here is that Indy cannot stop the run or run the ball AT ALL. But I don't think Dallas can stop Indianapolis from scoring if the Colts o-line can keep DeMarcus Ware in check. I'm going to go with the older Manning brother in this one.

Rams over Cardinals: Arizona proved to me on Monday night that they are not worth picking anymore this entire season. Depending on the match-up I may go with them (similar to why I went with them last week) but this week the Rams and Sam "I'm playing better than Mark Sanchez already" Bradford along with Steven "Yup, I'm still really really good but stuck in the 'Lou" Jackson will rip them a new one.

Seattle over Carolina: Seattle's not very good. But they are good enough to beat the Panthers after the Panthers have had to travel across the country. I still expect it to be close and I expect Mike Goodson to have a solid game nonetheless.

Falcons over Bucs: Falcons overall balance as a team gets them the win. The Bucs are a solid team and they will play well but I think the Falcons are just a better team. If the Falcons don't turn the ball over too many times and create points for Bucs I expect them to win this one.

Ravens over Steelers: The Ravens haven't lost at home. I think their pride won't let them lose this one. It's gonna be a tough game and it's gonna be close through-out but I think the Ravens will pull this one out at home. And yes, it's hard to fathom that the Ravens will sweep the Steelers this year but they got the tougher win (the at Pittsburgh one) already. And I don't think they'll take that for granted and fail to prepare well for this game.

Patriots over Jets: Bill Belicheck's defensive schemes > Mark Sanchez's QB abilities. Aside from that, the Pats lost to the Jets earlier in the year and I'm sure they'll be out for a little payback in a big time Monday Night divisional match-up. I fully expect Tom Brady to get his Peyton Manning on this week.

Say Goodbye to The Mustache Lemon Pepper!

This is it people! The last week of the Mustache for Kids. It's been an interesting and at times embarrassing journey but it was all worth it. I was able to raise $812 (so far) and I'm proud that I'm able to help some of the kids here in Baltimore City.

If you have already donated, I would like to thank you very much. And that's a thanks even if you only donated because you thought the idea of me growing a mustache would be hilarious. And as you're aware of already, it was. Lol.

If you have yet to donate and would like to, please visit my Donor URL below and make a contribution. Your contribution can be as little as $1 (every dollar counts) and you can even donate anonymously if you like.

Donor URL: http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/viewChallenge.html?id=99841

Last but not least, if you're wondering how the mustache looks now, check out the picture below.


Yes, the 'stache will be gone by Saturday night. Sorry to everyone who has made fun of me relentlessly (Lance, Laf, you reading this?).

And for a quick recap of how le 'stache got to this point, check out these blogposts...

Contemplating...

"The Decision"...

The Shave...

The Growth

Thanks again to everyone that has donated and those of you that donate after reading this!

Looks like I'm not the only one that had an answer for LeBron

1. LeBron James is my favorite player in the NBA. Yeah "The Decision" was a gbad look but I'm talking about on-the-court, not off (shot out to Kobe).
2. The Heat have gotten off to a very AVERAGE start at best. I'm not sure of their record, but I know they won't be challenging that 72-10 record the Bulls had back in the day.
3. I've already commented on what I think LeBron should do. Apparently, there are a couple virals floating around the InterWeb that also address what LeBron should do (see below)

Shot out to Clevelanders that are "still salt bout dat".


Shot out to whoever mashed up the Jumpman and LeBron ads together. This is a pretty good job.

Your eventual 2010-2011 NBA Rookie of the Year: Blake Griffin

Watch the video and realize that Blake Griffin is an athletic freak. Also realize that since he didn't play a game last year this is technically his rookie year. AND realize that he is also eligible for the dunk contest because he's "technically" a rookie.

To be honest, I'm not sure how John Wall is doing (and I'm a Wizards fan). He could be putting up stellar numbers. But the one (or in this case 10) thing(s) John Wall cannot do is stuff like you just saw in that video. Fans care about freakish dunks more than stats - just ask Harold Minor. And Griffin's capable of putting up both.

NFL Picks - Week 12

GOODBYE CHILLY!


The Vikings finally came to their senses this week and fired Brad "I'm No Pu$$y Like Brett Favre" Childress. My only question to their ownership is, why didn't they just send Brett right along with him? All season these two have disliked one-another and been having a pissing contest over who really runs the offense. If both of these guys would have put their egos aside and looked to the side they'd have seen one of the best 3 RBs in the league standing right there. That is, Adrian Peterson. All Brad had to do was keep feeding the beast. Now, he's gone. Pretty soon, Brett will be gone too. I'm predicting a season and therefore career-ending injury for Brett in the next couple weeks. Until then, watch the Vikings somehow manage a win IN WASHINGTON this week to give everyone in the media and the Brett Favre knob-slobbers something to hold onto for a week or so (no Jenn Sterger to everything questionable in that last sentence).

And now, my picks...

New England over Detroit: Unless something really ridiculous happens (on multiple occasions) in this game, New England should win. I expect Detroit's defensive line to play well but not well enough to stop Tom Brady.

New Orleans over Dallas: Dallas is playing a lot better and so is New Orleans. If Dallas hadn't looked like crap until two weeks ago I'd probably take them this week. But I think New Orleans is surging and even though Dallas is playing well I think this is the first post-Phillips test that they will fail. I was VERY tempted to take the Cowboys at home but with John Kitna at the helm and one hell of a defensive coordinator in New Orleans, I have to take the Saints. Not to mention I expect Drew Brees to be able to easily throw on the Dallas secondary.

Jets over Cincy: After screwing up my picks last week there's NO WAY I could pick the Bengals against a Jets team with a solid defense and the ability to pull wins out of their azzez every week.

Atlanta over Green Bay: They've gone under the radar long enough. This is the week Atlanta gets the respect their due. I didn't believe they had it until they beat the Ravens but now I think they may very well be the top team in the NFC even though they're probably the one nobody pays attention to (ahem Giants and Philly fans).

Pittsburgh over Buffalo: Pittsburgh coming off a solid win in Oakland and I think they may still be a bit pissed about their loss at home the week before the Oakland game. I expect them to go up to Buffalo and run the ball, run the ball, run the ball. I'm expecting a pretty big day for Mendenhall and some nice play-action passing from Ben.

Cleveland over Carolina: Cleveland isn't that good by any means but Peyton Hillis is a MONSTER! How are the Panthers gonna stop him and find a way to score points with Pierre St. Jacques at the QB position?

Giants over Jacksonville: I'm going with the Giants but I would not be surprised if Eli "Forrest Gump" Manning found a way to screw this one up. The Giants need a win to try and keep pace in the division and I think they'll find a way to pull this one out. The loss of Steve Smith might be hurting the Giants (well, aside from fumble-itis) more than people realize. Jacksonville on the other hand, is playing much better than they probably should be. MJD's got it in gear and they're looking like they might be a contender. This game will come down to the wire.

Minnesota over Washington: No, the win in Tennessee did not put me into the "over-zealous and unrealistic Skins fan" zone. Just when you get your hopes up, we lose by a TON coming off a bye week to Phillly. Just when you get your hopes up, we win on the road in Tennessee and then give up a win at home against a 57 year old QB. If the Redskins are smart defensively (which is questionable), we'll load up the box to stop Adrian Foster and make Old Man Favruh beat us. At least that's what I'd do. I'll take my chances with the old man gun-slingin' and making questionable choices throwing the ball like he normally does. That might just work. The problem with the Redskins is that if McNabb is having an off day, it's a wrap. The running game is weak-to-nonexistent and they don't have a true #1 receiver that they can go to when necessary (closest thing is Chris Cooley). Skins lose, AT HOME.

Houston over Tennessee: I would say this is a shoe-in for Houston since the Titans appear to be starting someone name Rusty Miller at QB. But the Texans defense gives up yards and points to ANYBODY! They are however, super-talented on offense. If Tennessee can't stop Arian Foster it'll be a long day. If they can't stop Andre Johnson it'll be a long day.

Oakland over Miami: Oakland got beat up by Pittsburgh the other day but I expect them to rebound from that loss. Miami has to travel cross-country and play a team coming off a home loss. It won't be easy. I just hope that Jason Campbell gets it together. Then again, I don't really care per se I just want Oakland to win so my pick is right.

Kansas City over Seattle: I never sleep on the Seahawks at home because for some reason I tend to believe they have a better home-field advantage than most other teams being wayyyyy up there and wayyyy over there (you know what I mean). But, Kansas City is just a better team all-around.

Philly over Chicago: Can you say shoot-out? Mike Vick's mobility will be tested this game. I am hoping for a shoot-out in this one. Jay Cutler doesn't care, he'll throw it 70 times if you want to. Andy Reid will definitely let Mike Vick throw it 40 times. And with Mr. Jackson and Mr. Maclin running those speed routes, the pressure's on the Bears's defense. Good luck with that.

Denver over St. Louis: Kyle Orton to Brandon Lloyd! Expect to hear this a lot.

Baltimore over Tampa Bay: The Ravens are talented and tough enough to win this easily but they'll find a way to make it difficult. They're playing against a young QB they should presumably be able to confuse with a variety of different defensive coverages. They should be able to hold the run in check and only give up 70-80 yards. And on paper, the Ravens have one hell of a set of offensive weapons. I'm just never convinced that the Ravens are a guaranteed win unless it's against a team like the Panthers that sucks beyond belief. Remember, the Ravens came close to losing at home against the Bills earlier this season. Granted, the Bills aren't as bad as their record indicates but they still should have never had a chance against the Ravens.

Colts over Chargers: I know San Diego will be the trendy pick with Mr. Rivers throwing for a bazillion yards and a bazillion TDs so far this season (7 in his last 2 games). Not to mention that the Chargers have had the Colts number as of late. But, somehow the Colts manage to play well against solid teams (see, Colts/Pats last week). The game is in Indy so I think that means there's a slight home-field advantage for the Colts. If Collie's back I think Peyton has an even better chance of winning. This would have been an additional underdog pick for me but I'm not going to bet against Peyton at home against a team that I think they can keep pace with.

Chargers over Colts: Initially I thought Colts at home. But now looking at the facts that: 1) SD is #1 in the league in sacks, 2) SD gives up the least passing yards/game in the league (not that this matters as much as #1), 3) SD has the 3rd best rushing defense in the league (and Indy has very little of a running game), and 4) we are probably in the midst of that patented SD midseason surge. With all that said, I've gotta go with SD winning in a shoot-out.

Arizona over San Francisco: The 49ers looked bad last week. The Cardinals have looked bad all season. But who better to spoil any chance whatsoever that the Niners still have of winning this division? By the way, this division really is a horrible division!

The PronStache Has Arrived...

If you've been following my blog over the last 3 weeks (and I know for a fact that THOUSANDS of you have been, ha) then you're keenly aware of my effort to grow a "Mustache For Kids". You're also aware that I was a bit reluctant to shave my face clean in order to grow this 'stache.

Well, it's 3 weeks in and I've gone from this...


...to this...

...to this...

I know what you're thinking, "It's not that bad!" Oh ok, well you grow one then!

I didn't think so!

A week and a half to go and the mustache is only going to get thicker and more "interesting". But thank goodness it's just one more week and a half!!!

As always, if you feel compelled to support my mustache (and the kids of the Baltimore City Public School System), please visit the URL below or use the widget below:

http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/viewChallenge.html?id=99841



A big thanks to those of you that have already donated.

On another note, I just found out that Mr. Kutcher (also known as "The Cooch", well at least in my mind) is also participating.

THROWBACK!!!!!

If you grew up in the late 80s/early 90s and call yourself a hip-hop head/fan but don't know this song, you are lying to yourself.

Video: Cyhi Da Prince - Living Wonderful

This is off of Cyhi's Royal Flush mixtape which I like a lot. The mixtape is put together really well for a newcomer. He's signed to Kanye's G.O.O.D. Music label and had a guest verse on "I'm So Appalled" so I guess we can expect him to be on the upcoming G.O.O.D. Music compilation as well.

Cyhi Da Prynce - Living Wonderful from Decatur Dan on Vimeo.

THROWBACK!!!!

Do you wanna riiiiiide in the backseat of a Caddy?!


Shot-out to the big-azz suits they're rockin' in this video. This is classic though especially if you grew up on midwest hip-hop (not that I did but I got a little of everything lol).

"Twista had that shyt on in the SOURCE!" - Chris Rock, Blame Game skit (off Kanye's My Dark & Twisted Fantasy)

[Probably NSFW] Who taught you how to have a diva moment? ... YEEZY TAUGHT ME!

I just saw the clip below from Russell Simmon's new "reality" show. The clip was labeled as Amber Rose having a "diva" moment? Well, what a surprise? She went from being an aspiring model to dating one of hip-hops most popular stars and she *somehow* either turned into a diva, had a diva moment, or has been a diva all along. None of the 3 would shock me but I'd gamble my money on the guess that since she started modeling Amber has probably wanted to be a "diva" but just didn't have the resume (don't all women have at least a little diva in them anyway though) and Kanye was her ticket to enable her to be a real diva if she wanted to.

And boy oh boy did she hit a home-run! She caught Kanye post-break-up/post-engagement and aesthetically she's one of those women whose sex appeal and general appearance would make most men want to holla (read: hit that). And even though she seems/seemed quite quiet she has that intriguing look/edge to her with the short hair and the fact that she posed half-naked in magazines for a living (yeah fellas, THAT edge).

Amber seemed to just play the role of Kanye's armpiece for a long time. This isn't surprising as Kanye probably has to be the bigger diva in his relationships (no shots I love Kanye but let's be real here). She didn't talk much, she was just there, looking fashion-forward, trendy, voluptuous, and flyy just about all the time. But even as Yeezy's armpiece she always had this aura of mystery about her, probably because she was so quiet. You know they say you have to watch out for the quiet ones. And once I heard Cassidy's lyrics on his Ego Remix I started wondering if Amber Rose was just another allegedly reformed hoodrat that hit the jackpot. At this point, I'm not saying that she is at all because I don't know her (in other words, this entire post is conjecture and/or my perception which could definitely be wrong). But I will say that after watching this video it seems like the fame (and money by the way because she was allegedly given a six or seven figure amount to not talk about her relationship with Kanye) she gained from being Kanye's girl *MAY* have gone to her head a bit. Or maybe I'm missing something and if so, ladies please explain it to me.

What I find most interesting about this video is that Amber Rose said she likes a "manly man". Presumably this implies that she likes guys a little less "metro" and a little more "street". At least that's how I interpreted it. And if that's the case, no offense to Ye Tuda but how did Kanye fit that description? Like seriously, how did Kanye even come remotely close to that description?


The diva moment is something I think every woman has every once in a while. Some of you ladies have more than others because you listen to too much Beyonce and watch too much Basic Broads of... Real Housewives shows and think you can pull off the same shenanigans. So for Amber Rose to have one isn't out of the realm of reality by any means at all, but it did seem a little extra. But I guess being extra is part of what makes it a diva moment.

NFL Picks - Week 11

First and foremost, shot out to Mike Vick for having an amazing season so far and beating the BRAKES off my favorite team on Monday Night. If I were him I'd probably be doing this behind closed doors to everyone that STILL wants to see him fail because of the dogfighting conviction and him being a conceited, arrogant, herpes-spreading prick back in his Atlanta days.


Yeah, I'd be doing that behind closed doors ONLY lol.

I'm glad to see Vick has improved quite a bit as a (passing) QB - he's always been great at running - and that he's seemingly matured quite a bit. I just hope that his growth off the field as a human being is far more pronounced than his growth on the field as a football player. At the end of the day Michael Vick is a person just like the rest of us and to see him grow more as a person than an athlete is what will be really impressive to me. So far, it looks like that's the case and I'm rooting for him, even when he beats the crap out of my favorite NFL team.

As a Redskins fan I have no excuse for that Toby-esque whippin' we took. Not blaming Shanahan, McNabb, Haynesworth, Snyder, or anyone else. That's a team loss and a historically embarrassing team loss at that. Yet and still, you know what it is....BLACK-AND-YELLOW-BLACK-AND-YELLOW!


Now for my picks this week...

Chicago over Miami: I'm sorry, I just don't think they can win with Tyler Thigpen as the starter. Even with the Wildcat I think that Chicago's defense is solid enough to win this game. I really really want to pick Miami because I think they're well-coached AND they're playing at home. But I think that the Bears defense is gonna pull some good tricks out the bag for Mr. Thigpen.

Cincinnati over Buffalo: Sorry Buffalo, this won't be a two-game winning streak. As much as I think Carson Palmer stinks to high heaven, I don't think the Bengals are gonna give up this game at home. Besides, Chad can celebrate his engagement with a few TDs.

Dallas over Detroit: I will say this about the CowGirls. They looked kinda dangerous last week. Not "we gonna make a playoff run" dangerous (aaaahhhbviously!) but "we gonna fock up a few people's shot at the playoffs" dangerous. They seem to have a renewed energy so I expect them to win this game, especially at home.

Titans over Redskins: After getting obliterated by the Eagles and next up having to play in Tennessee against a well-coached team with a sick running back and a really good defense... Yeah, I'm not picking my favorite team in this one. I expect Chris Johnson (aka Pinball) to break 200 yards.

Chiefs over Cardinals: Even after the loss last week within their division I still think that Kansas City might actually be for real this year (speaking of, I'm officially convinced that the Falcons are the real deal).

Green Bay over Minnesota: The Vikings season ended last week. Check out Brett Favre's curtain call against his old team. After the Vikings lose this one I hope Chilly is intelligent enough (yeah right) to start Tavaris Jackson so they'll have an idea of what next year might be like. Imagine Tavaris Jackson pulling a Michael Vick next year. It's possible.

Jets over Houston: The single solitary reason I am picking the Jets in this one is that Houston's defense stinks so bad that even the slowly-getting-better Mark Sanchez should be able to put up a few TDs. Ok, two reasons. The other is that this game is a home game for the Jets. I'm not sold on the Jets as much as I thought I'd be at this point in the season and for as many wins as they've squeaked out (against solid teams though), I think QB play is what's going to determine their season. And I'm just not sold on Sanchez being able to pull through and actually win one in the clutch against a really good team. Fortunately for them, Houston is not a really good team but just average.

Steelers over Raiders: Omar Epps alter-ego slash body-double (Mike Tomlin) is my favorite coach in the league right now. That's it. Nothing more.

Baltimore over Carolina: Who is playing QB for the Panthers again? Oh yeah, it doesn't matter.

Cleveland over Jacksonville: After talking trash about the Browns before they beat the Pats and watching them come close to beating the Jets last week I'm going to go out on a limb here and take them against Jacksonville. The Jags got lucky last week and I don't believe they're as good as their record says they are. Not to mention taht as of late, Celeveland's been playing better than their record indicates.

Atlanta over St. Louis: Like I said earlier, I'm convinced the Falcons are for real this year. They may actually be the best team in the NFC even though everyone was talking about the Giants a week ago.

New Orleans over Seattle: Taking the Saints because they're at home at coming off a bye week.

Tampa Bay over San Fran: Sorry @riprock81, I gotta go against your boys this week. Tampa Bay (to my shagrin and my brother's excitement) is a solid football team this year. San Francisco is inconsistent at best. I am however rooting for Troy Smith to have a good game and hopefully for him to be their starter in the future. I think he got a raw deal in Bmore (let go in lieu of Mark Bulger).

Pats over Colts: The Colts could possibly will themselves to a win in this one because of Peyton. BUT, I do not see them doing it in Foxborough. Dome team in New England? I dunno buddy!

Philly over Giants: This is a bandwagon/trendy pick I know because of how the Eagle buffocked the Redskins on Monday night. I don't expect the Eagles to play that well against the Giants defensive front. But I don't think either of these teams can stop one-another from being successful offensively (Philly with the pass, NYG with the run) so I think it'll come down to QB play. And even with his Superbowl ring I don't think Forrest Gump (Eli Manning) will be able to pull it off. Mike Vick's legs might actually be the difference in this one.

Chargers over Denver: THIS JUST IN....The Bolts have the 2nd easiest schedule in the league from here on out. You know what that means right? They're gonna run off 4 or 5 wins and look like a Superbowl contender until they get to the playoffs. Every year it happens... Wash, rinse, repeat!

November 18, The Holiday

Presented. Without. Comment.

THROWBACK!!!! I got em hollerin' how you do dat derrr

Don't fake like Percy didn't used to have a RACK of songs that were BANGERS!

For some odd reason this song popped into my head about 5 minutes ago and reminded me of how hype I used to get when I heard it. It took me back for a minute. Master P had one hell of a run back in the day and this is one of the songs of his that I really enjoyed (and I enjoyed the video as well lol).

Skype/Video-Chatting Man Law

I just remembered a conversation that I had with my boy Laf via Skype the other night. The point of the convo was to talk about an web idea we've got (probably more to come on that topic later, but not too much later). Anywho, the convo started off as a chat and then morphed into a video chat because the idea we're discussing sort of revolves around video-chatting.

One thing I realized real quick in the video conversation was that I did not want to look Laf in the eyes during the video chat session. Call me weird, homophobic, extra, or suppressing my inner-fruit-booty but I just could NAUGHT! The shyt just didn't feel right. You all know how video chat sessions work. Both people are typically too close to the camera so everything is like a close-up. You can't really help but to be staring into someone's face, it's like the default view! So the other night Laf and I are having the conversation and I realize that video-chatting with a woman is far more enjoyable and easy-to-do than with a dude. We both all close to the video camera and the picture is big as hell on my computer and it just felt ... the shyt just ain't feel right.

Soooooooo, if I could, I would institute the first Skype/Video-Chatting Man Law which would be...

Under NO circumstances should one man ever stare into another man's eyes during a Skype video conversation!

Something about it just isn't right. Kinda like this...



Or this...

Ladies & gentleman, I present to you James Chadwick Pennington

A Rhodes Scholar finalist, NFL quarterback, and Hip-Hop pantomimer.


I find this hilarious if only because this is probably exactly how I look at home with the music turned up loud getting ready to go out for the night.

Shot out to Raheem for sending me this and saying that Chad looks like he just drank some 4Locos, lol.

Call Me "Uncle Mike"!

On Monday, November 8, 2010 my twin nephews Malik and Makél were born. Almost a full 8 weeks ahead of time. When you get a phone call 8 weeks in advance from the father-to-be (my brother) you get a little bit nervous, even when it's twins. Fortunately, the twins were born in good health (4.5 and 5.5 pounds) and the mother had no complications during birth. And I was fortunate enough to be at the hospital when they were born and see them a couple hours later.

My two nephews feel like a life-changing blessing already and they haven't even left the hospital yet. I can't help but sit back and picture them in my mind and wonder what they'll be like in a month, a year, and so on. What will it be like to watch them grow up? What can I do to help give them the best lives possible? So much stuff is going through my head but most of all I'm just happy right now. Happy for my brother, his girlfriend, my mom, and the rest of my family. I can't wait to be a part of the journey that's to come with these two boys :-)

Makél on the left, and Malik on the right.


Slightly NSFW pics. Ladies, close your eyes!!!



Malik being fed.


Mommy feeding Makél


Like I said, I CAN'T WAIT!

NFL Picks -Week 10

The hit felt 'round the league last weekend...


Since I've essentially ethered myself in my Pick'Em League (I'm now completely last lol) I think it may be time for a change in my picking strategy. This week I won't go with as many underdogs (or underDUGS if you're from Baltimore) as I have been up to this point in the season. THIS WEEK, it looks like I'm only going to take 2 underdogs. I doubt this will help me regain any points in the Pick'Em League since I'm obviously the last person to figure this out (as my position in the league clearly demonstrates). So for those of you that have been following my picks, now may be the time to actually take my picks seriously and stop laughing.

Week 10 Picks...

Baltimore over Atlanta: This is probably going to be a trendy pick this week. Baltimore's a tough team and Atlanta just came off of a tough win last week. I expect this game to be very close but in the end I think the Ravens will win.

Buffalo over Detroit: I've been thinking the Bills would get their first win for a couple weeks now and they haven't. But with Matt Stafford being out and the game being in Buffalo AND Detroit being a dome team, maybe (just maybe) this is the week. Detroit's defense has been playing very well so it won't be easy but Ryan Fitzpatrick doesn't have a problem airing it out and hopefully one of my new favorite WR's in the league (Steve Johnson) can have another big game.

Minnesota over Chicago: The Bears annoy me and so does Minnesota. The Vikings defense is good enough to put pressure on Cutler and Lord knows Jay Cutler is prone to have a game where he likes to throw to the defenders more than his own receivers. Minnesota should be able to win this one if they are smart and rely on Adrian Peterson rather than Brett Favre.

Jets over Cleveland: I really really want to take Cleveland at home in this game. Peyton Hillis is playing like Mike Alstott used to and they're coming off a good win against one of the better teams in the NFL (Patriots). The difference is however, that the Jets defense is definitely better than the Patriots. The only question mark here is whether or not the Jets can muster enough offense to put Cleveland away. The Browns are going to show up for this game coming off that momentum from last week but I think the Jets will pull off the win.

Colts over Bengals: T.O. appears to be surging the last couple of weeks but the Bengals just aren't that good of a team overall. I'm definitely not convinced Carson Palmer is back but I may be convinced that T.O. is back if he has another monster game. Either way, I'm taking the Colts at home.

Titans over Dolphins: Miami's better on the road than at home. The Titans play really good defense and "just-good-enough" offense. Titans.

Houston over Jacksonville: Either I missed a serious injury to Andre Johnson, Arian Foster, or Matt Schaub. OR, somebody is out of their mind making the Jags a favorite in this game.

Kansas City over Denver: In a shoot-out.

Giants over Dallas: Jason Garrett is the answer Jerry? Really? I expect this to be SackFest 2010 with the Giants defense loading up and pulverizing John Kitna.

Arizona over Seattle: This was actually a tough pick for me but Arizona's playing at home and they've beaten Seattle once already this year.

49ers over Rams: Not sure why I picked the Niners but I picked the Niners.

Steelers over New England: Mike Tomlin will probably kill someone on the field if they lose this game at home.

Philly over Redskins: I'm picking against the Skins this week even with a bye week to prepare. Mike Vick is playing really well and unless they hurt him like they did last time I think he'll show why he's a worthy candidate for MVP this year (though I don't believe he'll win it and he'll win Comeback Player of the Year). It's gonna be a GREAT Monday Night game though. I can't wait!

NFL Picks - Week 9

This week's picks dedicated to the one-and-only Randy Moss...


Why's he actin' so RAAAAAANDY?!?!?!

As for my picks I'll keep it simple and straight-forward this week...

Tampa Bay over Atlanta: Ok ok, let me explain. I don't believe that Tampa is as good as their record. BUT, they play tough (solid defense and ball-control offense) and this is a divisional game so they'll be motivated. Besides, I'm in 11th place out of 13 in my pick'em league and I need to start picking some upsets.

Buffalo over Chicago: Another upset pick this week (see last sentence from previous pick). Buffalo's been trying hard for a win this season and Chicago is not that good. Solid defensively, but just like Brett Favruh, Jay Cutler is one bad interception away from losing any game. I'm gonna take a chance on the Bills getting their first win this week at home.

New England over Cleveland: No way I'm taking Mangini over Belicheck.

Jets over Detroit: The Jets offense better put up some points this week and I think they will but I do not think this will be an easy win. Detroit has a lot of talent on offense and after their win against my Skins last week they may very well have all that talent working together now. When-and-if they do get it together, that offense will be pretty scary.

Minnesota over Arizona: With or without Mr. Dyck-Pic, the Vikings win.

Saints over Carolina: After a nice win over one of the better teams in the NFL, I may be back on the Saints bandwagon.

Miami over Baltimore: This is a dumb pick I admit. I knew that when I picked it. But again, I've gotta pick some upsets. Miami's GREAT on the road and the Ravens tend to play down to their competition from time-to-time (ie - the Bills). So this just might be an UPSET SPECIAL!

Charger over Houston: It's time for San Diego to surge. It'll be worth nothing in January when they're at home after a play-off loss but still, it's time for a Charger surge. And I think it started last week.

Giants over Seattle: The ONLY reason I'm picking the Giants is because they had a bye week to prepare. Otherwise, I'd take Seattle because they're at home (I don't think it's easy to go to Seattle and win).

Oakland over Chiefs: Oakland is surging. Laugh if you want, but they are playing well. If they're dumb enough to bench Campbell for Gradkowski right now then they deserve to lose this game.

Indy over Philly: This is going to come down to the last possession. But who better to win a game on the last possession than Peyton? And even though I'm taking Indy, I hope Vick plays well.

Packers over Dallas: I won't say anything bad about Dallas other than they're gonna lose, again.

Steelers over Bengals: This will be a prime opportunity for the Steelers to rebound from their loss in N'awlins. I say it every week, Carson Palmer is washed up. I still believe this and I'm sure by now Ocho Cinco and T-Hoe are aware as well. I'm just surprised they haven't said anything publicly yet. This is a divisional game so I expect them to play well but I can't believe that after coming off a loss the Steelers will lose a game against an obviously weak team.

For a different perspective, check out my homie Lance's picks for this week.

They be like John, can you teach me how to dougie?

You know why...


And for those of you that have been under a rock someplace (or stuck in the 'burbs without access to "urban" radio), here's where he got it from...


Shot out to @jasonaaron for sending me this joint.

I know some people may take issue with John Wall doing the Dougie for his introduction but I don't really see anything wrong with it. He's having fun and although there is a sense of "Hey look at me!" to it, I think it's not his intention to draw attention to himself but just to have fun with it. If he was being disrespectful or anyone else for that matter, then I'd take issue. He's like 20 years old right? That song and dance is right in his demographic so this is probably what he does in practice every day (aside from his own "John Wall Dance"). As long as he's playing well and the team is getting some wins, I don't mind the dancing though I could see why some people might.

WebNerd Alert: Table Connect for iPhone

A co-worker of mine just sent me this video and even though I'm not an iPhone zealot, I have to admit this is pretty cool.


Like I said, pretty cool. That is, until that dyck-pic from Brett Favre shows up on the table for all your friends and family to see. You can hear your moms now, can't you..."Oh, it's so life-sized!" OR, what about that pic you sent to your boy/girlfriend that you forgot to remove from your phone. I'm sure mom and dad will love seeing you in this...

Man Enough

Dedicated to my step-dad who was man enough to be a father and dad to me when my father wasn't around. I love my dad (RIP) with all my heart and we had a solid relationship before he passed but from the age of 6 till now I've always known who my dad was even though he wasn't my father.

To all you guys out there with kids whose lives you're halfway in just remember that if you don't step up your child won't remember the few times that you were there, he/she will mostly remember the fact that most of the time you weren't. Man up and be a father and a dad. I'm one of the lucky ones but there are a lot of kids that aren't lucky at all.

The PronStache Cometh: Step 1, The Shave

Because I'm a glutton for punishment, I'm going to blog about the month-long shenanigans that's about to ensue.

By now you've read this... and this.

As you'll see below I was a little apprehensive when it came time to shave (sidebar: Laf catch up!!!!)...


After that ensued one of the absolute worst decisions I have made in life...THE SHAVE! While I was doing it I could tell it wasn't going to turn out ummm, well. But I went ahead anyway (hell, I didn't have a choice since half my mustache was already gone) and here's what I get for being a dumbazz...


Is it just me or is my skin so white in that pic on the right that the picture looks brighter? Whatever.

And for those that would like to see the individual pics, before and after here ya go (have fun, enjoy, laugh, whatever lol)...



Soooooo, now that you've seen that video and the post-shave pic, I'm going to ask you to support my (soon to be visible) mustache and donate a few bucks ($5 at least please) toward supporting a school program here in Baltimore City. You can use the form below to visit my Donor page and donate.



If the form isn't displaying above (the widget seems to be wishy-washy), please please please visit http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/viewChallenge.html?id=99841 and make a donation.

The PronStache Cometh...

Okay, so a couple days ago I mentioned that I was considering doing this Mustache's For [Bad-Azz] Kids thing to support Baltimore City Public Schools.

Well I put out a call via email and got ABSOLUTELY no response from my friends. Well, actually I did get one response and it was from the husband of one of my former co-workers who I never really hang out with but I'm in his fantasy league so I guess we're at least cool. Anywho, he's gotten two of his co-workers to join and he'll be shaving his face clean this evening as well and growing a mustache - that'll obviously be incomparable to my forthcoming Ron Jeremy PronStache - for the next month as well.

I'll be posting more information either tonight or tomorrow and on-going throughout the next 30 days to try and solicit donations. Hopefully I won't look too stupid or better yet, any more stupid that I normally look. Below you'll see pics of me this morning. Bye-bye goatee. Bye bye premature greys. Bye bye jaw-defining beard. Until next month...


Why did I try to do the serious face though? LMAO!


Fellas I know you gonna hate on it but that scarf = THE BUSINESS!

A Year In Review: mcarroll4716 - 2005

2005 was the first year I started this blog. In May I believe it was. Back then, it looked totally different. I think this was the header at that time...


That joint is still dope to me (I may go back to it now that I found it lol). It's definitely one of those pictures that's emblematic of what you'd see from me in real life. A fitted low, seemingly over my eyebrows or indeed over my eyebrows.

My initial vision was for this blog was for it to be a journal of sorts. A "Day2Day" reflection of some of the things that were going on in my life and things I had thoughts about. Over the last 5 years it has morphed/evolved/devolved into a lot of different things. It's also been all over the friggin' place from time-to-time as well lol.

Nowadays you will probably find stuff that's mostly hip-hop, sports, pop culture-related with the occasional current events and/or "this is more personal than what I expected from him" post. Right now it's NFL season so there'll be a lot of NFL posts. Around February (ie - after le SuperBowl) it'll still be hip-hop but probably less sports and maybe more general interest/current events type of stuff. In May and June, it'll probably be NBA. In the summer, who knows (though you can bet it won't be much baseball talk)?

I say all that to say that over the past 5 years this blog has gone through a lot of change. The only thing that's constant in life is change though, right? I've definitely said some things here that looking back I don't agree with or think were dumb but I've also said some things that I think were pretty friggin' on-point too. Like everything else, neither of those will change in the future I'm willing to bet. Like I tell people, opinions are like azzholes and lots of times azzholes have opinions as well, lol. Not that I think I'm an azzhole at all but you get the point.

Even with all the change that's taken place there's one thing that's stayed consistent. I've always talked about what's on my mind at any given point in time on any topic that garnered my interest or evoked a response/opinion. That's one thing that won't change as this blog continues for however long it may continue.

Here are some highlights from this blog during 2005:

May

Waaaaay Before LeBron Made His "Decision"... people were questioning his move to have his boys be his management team. It actually worked-out quite well for a while. Then came, "The Decision".

It's Keith, the midget!"

June

Who knew there was a Six Flags in Boston? And, who knew that I'd hit Fenway Park, Six Flags, and get some "work" work done all in a single trip to Beantown.

August

Did I call "Late Registration" an Opus? YES, I did. And no matter how much you want to hate on Kanye, pick any 3 of his albums to this date and you got 3 classics ("Peep my rap sheet ni99a, 3 classics" - Jay-Z). Maybe I should do a blogpost on Kanye's discography. Hmmmnnn....

September

What Hip-Hop Needs... Looking back on this post, a couple of these things were accomplished (numbers 1 and 9) but I still think we need: 1) a Nas & AZ album and, 2) a Nas album that tells a story from beginning-to-end. We also need a Beans, Jay, and Free album as well as a Face, Jay, and Beans album but for obvious reasons neither of those will happen.

October

Halloween!!! The most hilarious part of that blogpost is that some of you clowns sitting back thinking "I'd still hit that joint though, it's kinda fat". What is it with some guys' fixation with a fat butt? I mean I like a phatty just like the next guy but I have a homeboy who refuses to seriously date a girl that doesn't have a "big booty". Seriously? I think a fixation like this says more about the individual with the fixation than anything else.

Burned out celebs... Al B. Sure went on to be on a show where he was fighting for the "love" of Omarosa (yikes!). KC passed-out onstage during some performance and I haven't heard anything about him since. And not even Quincy Jones cares about Tevin Campbell anymore.

DC Metro Area Slang... This is BY FAR my most popular post eVar on this blog. Yes, I live in Baltimore but I am DC/PG to the core. The response from people on this post was pretty surprising to me and I still get a couple comments every year on this post.

November

Went to see LeBron in Cleveland...Leave Bmore at noon to fly to Cleveland...Go to Cavs/Wiz game at 7pm... Go to a "club" after... Hop on a plane the next morning and get to work by 12.

December

Anyone remember the Minnesota Vikings Sex Boat? Brett and his dyck-pics fit right in.

The SoundTrack of My Life... Certain types of music had coincided with different points in my life and perhaps still do. Maybe I need to do another post like this one.