UFC 137: Preview and Predictions

Today the UFC is blessing us with another STACKED card.  Even with the loss of the original main event of Georges St. Pierre and Carlos Condit, Dana White has outdone himself with the second such talent laden card in a row.  We should all be in for a treat with 11 exciting matches.  Here is my preview and predictions for tonight’s card.

In the opening bout of the evening, we have undefeated Clifford Starks, who fills in for injured Brad Tavares, facing another undefeated prospect in Dustin Jacoby.  Clifford Starks is about 50/50 on finishes to decision wins, as it looks like Jacoby is the more explosive finisher, not going past the second round in all 6 off his wins.  Jacoby is the bigger, stronger, and younger fighter and my edge goes to him.

Prediction:  Jacoby by second round TKO

The next fight we have Chris Comozzi (15-4) vs. Francis Carmont (16-7).  Carmont comes into this fight making his UFC debut and on the heels of a 5 fight win streak.  Comozzi is making his return to the octagon after a disappointing first round submission loss.  Both fighters are up and comers trying to make a statement to remain in the UFC, but only one can win.

Prediction:  Carmont by first round submission

In the third fight of the evening we have Ultimate Fighter finalist Ramsey Nijem (5-2) vs. WEC veteran Dan Downes. Nijem is coming off a disappointing first round KO loss to Tony Ferguson in the finale of the Ultimate Fighter.  Downes is also coming off a hard fought decision loss to Jeremy Stephens.  Both fighters are young and are trying to make a name for them self.  This should be an all our war.

Prediction:  Downes wins by decision

The fourth fight of the night is Brandon Vera (11-5-1 NC) vs. Eliot Marshall (11-4).  Vera is making his return to the octagon after a three round drubbing loss that was later ruled a no contest at the hands of a juiced up Thiago Silva.  Prior to the no-contest, Vera was decimated by Jon Jones and lost a close fought battle, which many thought he won against Randy Couture.  Vera a once promising heavyweight dropped down to light-heavyweight and has been anything but impressive.  Marshall is also coming off two straight loses.  Both fighters need a win in a big way to keep their jobs in the UFC.  Vera wants to get revenge against Silva and to do so he must be around for Thiago’s return early in 2012 from suspension.

Prediction:  Vera by first round TKO

In the first bout of the evening on Spike TV we get to see Tyson Griffin (15-5) vs. Bart Palaszewski (33-13). After three straight losses in the lightweight division, Griffin dropped down to featherweight and won his debut there against highly touted Manny Gamburyan.  Palaszewski has been just as inconsistent losing to a lot of big name fighters but does have a claim to fame beating Anthony Pettis in a close decision.  This will be a close fight and both fighters need a win.

Prediction: Griffin by Decision

In the second Spike fight we have a fight that I think should have been a main card attraction when Dennis Siver (19-7) faces Donald Cerrone (16-3-1NC).  Dennis Siver has been on a tear of late winning his last four contests.  Cerrone is coming off five straight wins and is poised to make a title run with a win.  Both this fighters have dynamite in their hands and feet.  But don’t sleep on either of them if it goes to the ground.  I think it is a push on their feet but if it goes to the ground I think the advantage lies with Cerrone.

Prediction: Cerrone by Decision

In the first bout on the pay-per-view portion of the card, Hatsu Hioki (24-4-2) is taking on George Roop (12-7-1).  Hioki is making his UFC debut after having a huge successful fighting career in Japan.  Roop, an Ultimate Fighter vet, has a big TKO victory over highly respected Josh Grispi.  Roop is always known for putting on exciting fights and this should be no different.  He has the huge task of taking down Hioki in his debut, who has won his last four fights and last nine of ten.

Prediction:  Hioki by third round Submission.

Fight number two on the main card is Scott Jorgensen (12-4) vs. Jeff Curran (35-13-1).  Jorgensen is a great young up and coming fighter while Curran is in the twilight of his career.  Both, however, have strung together a string of victories.  Jorgensen have won six of his last seven and Curran four of his last five.  Neither are known for their finishing abilities so I see this one being an exciting fight of the night candidate going all three rounds.

Prediction:  Jorgensen by Decision

In what I would call the co-co- main event, MMA legend Mirko Cro Cop (27-9-2-1 NC) takes on Roy Nelson (16-6).  The only thing I am looking forward to more than the fight itself is seeing this new physique Roy Nelson is carrying around.  For those of you that didn’t see the weigh-in yesterday, Nelson who has always been fairly round and proud and normally weighing in at 265 in just his underwear, came out yesterday in a sumo suit and weighing in at 252.  He left us still wondering what the new Roy Nelson looks like until the fight tomorrow.  In any case, both fighters are in need of a win.  Cro Cop who claims this could be his last match win or lose, has lost his last two fights, both by KO.  Nelson has also lost his last 2 fights by decision.  In both fights Roy Nelson showed he could take a beating and still come forward.  With the Mirko losing those lethal strikes that once hard the whole MMA world fearing him, he will have his work cut out for him against “Big Country”.

Prediction: Nelson by Decision

In the Co-Main Event of the evening we have Cheick Kongo (26-6-2) vs. Matt Mitrione (5-0).  Cheick is coming off of a huge first round comeback KO victory over a much smaller Pat Barry, after Barry mauled him for the better part of the first round.  Mitrione, who has become a huge fan favorite, has won all five matches in the UFC and all but one has not made it out of the second round.  Mitrione has evolved into a scary knockout fighter and has a bright future, especially if he takes the next step in getting by Kongo.

Predicition:  Mitrione first round KO

In the main event of the evening we have BJ Penn (16-7-2) vs. Nick Diaz (26-7-1).  Penn has made it no secret that he is on a mission to make another title run.  To do that, he will have to get through Diaz who hasn’t lost since 2006.  Nick for all intensive purpose is still the Strikeforce welter weight champion.  This is one of the most evenly matches I have seen in a long time.  Neither fighter has a clear cut advantage in the stand up game or the ground.  With both these guys being Brazilian Jujitsu blackbelts, we will probably see a stand up war.  I believe Diaz has a slight advantage here since in my opinion he is the best boxer in MMA. But BJ is ferocious on his feet as well as seen in his crazy first round finish of hall of famer Matt Hughes.  The only clear advantage here is stamina which Diaz far exceeds Penn if their previous fights are any indication.  Diaz wants to make a statement and get the fight he had and was pulled from with GSP back to be the UFC welterweight champ.

Prediction: Diaz by Decision


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Week 9 College Football Predictions

Week 1 Picks: 14-11-0

Week 2 Picks: 14-20-2

Week 3 Picks: 15-25-0

Week 4 Picks: 17-22-1

Week 5 Picks: 19-23-0

Week 6 Picks: 20-22-0

Week 7 Picks: 7-9-0

Week 8 Picks: 18-21-0
 

Season to Date: 124-153-3

Top 25: 64-58-2

Big East: 15-18-0

Big Ten: 20-23-0

Everything Else: 40-68-1

N/A			N/A
24			11
34			20
27			18
24			33

Here are my predictions against the spread for all of the week's games listed on Bodog.eu as of Saturday morning:

#25 West Virginia -7 over Rutgers

#19 Penn State -5 over Illinois

Top 25

#3 Oklahoma State -14.5 over Baylor

#5 Clemson -4 over Georgia Tech

#6 Stanford -8.5 over USC

Washington State +35.5 over #7 Oregon

#8 Kansas State +14 over #9 Oklahoma

#10 Arkansas -10 over Vanderbilt

#11 Michigan State +4 over #14 Nebraska

#12 Virginia Tech -15 over Duke

Tennessee +4 over #13 South Carolina

#15 Wisconsin -8 over Ohio State

Missouri +10 over #16 Texas A&M

#18 Michigan -14.5 over Purdue

#19 Penn State -5 over Illinois

Iowa State +15 over #20 Texas Tech

Colorado +32 over #21 Arizona State
Florida +3 over #22 Georgia

#23 Auburn -13 over Mississippi

#24 Texas -28 over Kansas

#25 West Virginia -7 over Rutgers

Big East

#25 West Virginia -7 over Rutgers

Syracuse +3 over Louisville

Big Ten

#19 Penn State -5 over Illinois

#11 Michigan State +4 over #14 Nebraska

#18 Michigan -14.5 over Purdue

#15 Wisconsin -8 over Ohio State

Northwestern -9 over Indiana

Iowa -16 over Minnesota

Everything Else

Marshall -6 over UAB

Central Michigan -7.5 over Akron

NC State +18.5 over Florida State

Bowling Green -3.5 over Kent State

Ball State +12.5 over Western Michigan

Air Force -31 over New Mexico

Maryland -7.5 over Boston College

North Carolina -7 over Wake Forest

Tulsa -3 over SMU

East Carolina -17 over Tulane

Miami (OH) -4.5 over Buffalo

Navy +21.5 over Notre Dame

Western Kentucky +6 over Louisiana-Monroe

Memphis +30 over Central Florida

Hawaii -7 over Idaho

Colorado State -3 over UNLV

Mississippi State -10 over Kentucky

Utah -5 over Oregon State

UCLA +5.5 over California

North Texas +17.5 over Arkansas State

Louisiana-Lafeyette +3 over Middle Tennessee State

Southern Mississippi -10 over UTEP

Nevada -15 over New Mexico State

San Diego State -18 over Wyoming

Washington -4.5 over Arizona

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Week 8 NFL Panel

Bob Schreiner made a sharp move up the standings getting to third with an eleven win week. His only two losses came in games that were unanimously picked in favor of the losing team. Jon Saia and Rick Caswell matched each other to remain just a game apart in the battle for the top spot. This week there aren't too many differences with plenty of mismatched games, but there are a few spots open to make movement up and down the board.

STANDINGS:

Jon Saia: 71-32

Rick Caswell: 70-33

Rob Jentsch: 68-35

Bob Schreiner: 68-35

Kristina Rukavina: 62-41

Bobby Schreiner: 60-43

Katie Noone: 56-47

 

 

 

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Week 7 NFL Power Rankings

My first power rankings of the year. I'll try to make this a weekly thing if time allows. Disagree? Suck it.

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Game 11 Penguins Hat Trick

• Another day, another Penguins injury. Zbynek Michalek missed the game and will miss plenty more with a broken finger. That just adds to the ridiculous tally of man-games missed from the past two seasons especially when you include suspensions. Is there anyone out there still doubting that this team can win no matter who is out of the lineup?

• James Neal doesn't have to score a goal for the rest of the season and I would love having the guy. He's such a hard worker, not unlike anyone else on the team, but his raw ability is what sets him apart. Even if he can't get the puck in the net, enough rebounds should come off of his shots, to get the Penguins on the board in more than a few games.

• Pascal Dupuis is on fire as of late, and I'm not sure that he wasn't the bigger piece of the Marian Hossa trade a few years back. Dupuis is a grinder that has the ability to score and he fits well in his role on the team... and at a much cheaper price tag. Keeping Hossa would mean that a lot of the Penguins we see on the team today wouldn't be here.

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Around the NFL: Steelers Clip Cardinals' Wings

The number of bridge jumpers in the Steel City seems to have slowed to a halt with the Steelers finally starting to look more and more like the team we all expected. They easily thwarted the Cardinals efforts to pick up a rare win in the eastern time zone and jumped back into the national spotlight as a legitimate contender. This week that notion could be either further enhanced with a win against the New England Patriots. But let's look back before we look ahead and go around the NFL.

STEELERS 32, Cardinals 20

• The Steelers don't win with as much pizzazz as the New England Patriots or the Green Bay Packers, and they rarely have the dominant defensive performances that the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Jets occasionally produce, but these players, as well as head coach Mike Tomlin, know how to win football games. They are aggravating to watch a lot of times, but they are a better team than the 67% of fans on espn.com that picked the Patriots to beat the Steelers next week think.

• Ben Roethlisberger has been on fire and is it any wonder why? Even while he remains the best quarterback at evading a rush and making a play (Mike Vick can evade the rush, but where the play ends up is anyone's guess), any quarterback is better behind a strong offensive line. The Steelers offensive line has been nothing less than stellar the last couple of weeks and it shows.

• I'm sure a lot of it was the obvious lack of ability that Kevin Kolb displays with each drop back, but the secondary looked great again, shutting down Larry Fitzgerald who has done more against way better secondaries. If anyone still has complaints, then shall I suggest becoming a fan of the Eagles and their "dream team" secondary?

Around the NFL

• Who would've thought that a team would be clamoring to have Tarvaris Jackson back at quarterback? Well I bet that's how the Seattle Seahawks feel after the way Charlie Whitehurst played in a loss to the Cleveland Browns.

• Don't look now, but the Chicago Bears are right behind the Detroit Lions in the NFC North. The Lions took round one, but it'll be fun to see how much their game means when these two teams meet in week 10. 

• How amazing is it that when you let a young quarterback loose, they come out looking golden more often than they look bad? Tim Tebow didn't even have ten attempted passes through the third quarter against the Miami Dolphins, but when the Denver Broncos finally got desperate enough to call a few pass plays they thrived, erasing a 15-0 deficit and winning in overtime. I'm not saying he will be a star, but if they let him get comfortable he'll win them a few games.

• The San Diego Chargers proved once again that they will never win an important game so long as Philip Rivers is the quarterback. Rivers played miserably in their loss to the New York Jets, and showed why Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning are the top two quarterbacks of that draft class.

• The Atlanta Falcons sent a major wakeup call to the Detroit Lions and the rest of the NFL. The Falcons remain very much in the playoff race and are looking better with each passing week. The Lions, meanwhile, have now dropped two straight and really need to pick up their game after two potentially pivotal conference losses.

• The Washington Redskins look like they will quickly become one of the NFC's whipping boys as Tim Hightower and Santana Moss are out for an extended period of time and there are plenty of issues at the quarterback position. When you can't beat the Carolina Panthers you know you're in trouble.

• I feel like I'll be eating my words soon about the Tennessee Titans. They got pummeled by the Houston Texans after a bye week, and have struggled against teams with better records. I still don't think the Texans are even close to a top tier team, but I'm not sure that they have any competition in the AFC South.

• The Kansas City Chiefs are back in the hunt. I picked them to win the AFC West but I'm shocked at how they've been able to turn it around after one of the league's worst starts. There is plenty of talent on this team, but I thought that injuries to key players mixed with Matt Cassel's inability to take a game over would do them in. Next week against the Chargers should tell us everything we need to know about the Chiefs.

• I know it was Carson Palmer's first game in quite a while, but three interceptions in one half of football is inexcusable. I've been saying for a long time that he isn't that good. He wasn't worth the first round picks, that's for certain. I know that he'll play better than he did this week and I know that he'll play better than Kyle Boller, but what did they expect to do with Jason Campbell when he comes back? I'll take Campbell any day over Palmer and I have a feeling the Oakland Raiders will be saying the same thing. For the time being, I believe Palmer is easily the best option, however he's got to shake the rust immediately.

• It's good to know it isn't just Sam Bradford. The St. Louis Rams got pounded by the Dallas Cowboys with A.J. Feeley playing quarterback and my suggestion would be make sure Bradford is 100% before he plays again because this season isn't going anywhere.

• Before anyone gets too high on their New Orleans Saints horses, remember that this is the same Saints team that lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a week after Tampa got destroyed by the San Francisco 49ers. The Saints are good, but a 62-7 win alone doesn't put them at the top of the NFL.

• There is no way Peyton Manning touches the field in 2011 if I'm the Indianapolis Colts. Well, that is, unless they want to showcase him for a trade...

• And we get to end with my favorite topic of the week: The Baltimore Ravens. Their offense is pitiful with the exception of Ray Rice. Their defense is really good, but they can be scored on. I just don't think this team has the ability to be a top tier team and for at least the week hopefully the national media will agree with me.

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Week 8 College Football Roundup: PSU = Big 10 Champs?, WVU Gets Knocked Down a Peg, Pitt Doesn't Lose

Syracuse 49, WEST VIRGINIA 23
- I was shocked at how poorly WVU played this week against a Syracuse team that isn't bad, but isn't necessarily good. I'm not overwhelmingly surprised that they lost (even if I did predict them to walk all over 'Cuse), but I can't believe that they were never even really in it.

- West Virginia's first half woes finally came back to haunt them. It's amazing how different their team looks from half to half. If they don't begin starting strong, their strong finishes won't mean anything.
- If there is any silver lining in West Virginia's loss it's that it will certainly be a wakeup call that shows them that they aren't nearly as good as they think. When the Pitt fan in me comes out, I'm not really a huge Dana Holgorsen fan, but I think he's a good coach and his players will respond. Or at least they better if they don't want to leave the door open for Cincinnati, Syracuse, Rutgers, or Pitt to steal this conference.

PENN STATE 34, Northwestern 24
- I've criticized this team often this year, but I think I'm sold on them now. Even while the offense has sputtered, the defense has salvaged every game with the exception of the game vs. Alabama. This week they showed offense that hasn't been there all year even when their defense struggled a bit. This team has a shot at big things all of a sudden.

- FINALLY! Joe Paterno went with one quarterback and did it ever payoff. I don't know why it took so long, but it doesn't matter. They would be 7-1 either way and that is extremely impressive. I think that will go a long way in finishing the season strong against a crop of BCS bowl contenders, if not national title contenders.

- Since their record is 7-1, I think the pressure that Paterno would have faced is gone. There's no way you can push the guy out, especially if he gets to double digit wins. As many times as I or anyone else has doubted the guy, his teams seem to always respond. That has to speak to the man's abilities as a leader, if not a head coach. His record-tying 408th win speaks to his abilities as a head coach.

DUQUESNE 37, Wagner 21

Bryant 34, ROBERT MORRIS 27




Articles:
None this week, but they'll return soon! For now check out the links section to find all the news you'll need about your team!




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Week 7 Steelers Pregame

The Steelers again opened themselves up to criticism while winning yet another game. Jacksonville, who came into last week's game with a 1-4 record and a rookie quarterback, were heavy underdogs and rightfully so. It looked like the Steelers would coast after jumping out to an early dominating performance and a pretty big lead. But alas, the Steelers lack of a killer instinct nearly cost them another game as it's done so many times in my time as a Steelers fan. But as Mike Tomlin says, NFL teams can't earn style points and the Steelers will continue to do what they do no matter how close they come to losing because even a narrow victory counts as a win.


What I'll be looking for this week:

• Finishing strong - The Steelers are, and always have been, capable of winning almost every game by two touchdowns or more under Mike Tomlin. However, it seems they only do it in games that they are underdogs in or games following a narrow escape. This week happens to be a case of the latter. I see a big win on the horizon.

• Don't look ahead - After the Cardinals, the Steelers get the Ravens and the Patriots. The Cardinals are really bad, but they are still an NFL team and if you take them lightly they can beat you. I still believe in Ken Whisenhunt and his team will be prepared to capitalize on lazy miscues.

• Larry Fitzgerald to be shut down - The Steelers not only have the best defense in the NFL, but they also have the best pass defense. Fitzy is really the only guy worth paying attention to and Kevin Kolb is a really bad quarterback so it shouldn't be a tough task to pay extra attention to him. The door is open for Beanie Wells and the Steelers replacement defensive line needs to shut him down as well.

• Final thoughts on Aaron Smith; Troy Polamalu's fine - This is not really a part of what I'm looking for, but it's something I wanted to touch on. Troy Polamalu getting fined $10,000 for letting his wife know that he's ok after nearly suffering a concussion. No player should be penalized for letting his family know that he's ok. Obviously this isn't a rule the NFL wants abused, but don't fine Polamalu or any other player. Why not put a phone on the sideline just for that occasion? And it's sad to see Aaron Smith's career (likely) end the way it is going to. He was a potential hall of famer three years ago and now he's played less than half a season in three consecutive years. A great guy and a great career and hopefully the Steelers can get him one more ring.

Prediction:

• Steelers 34, Cardinals 13

Articles:
Articles will return next week! For now you can visit any of our links for great Steelers coverage.


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Week 7 NFL Panel

Jon Saia continues to maintain his lead with a great week 6. Meanwhile Rick Caswell kept pace with an 11 win week himself and the race is only heating up as we move closer to the season's halfway point. "The Rob" and Bob Schreiner are hanging in there near the top while Krissy, Katie, and myself keep plugging away in the cellar.

STANDINGS:

Jon Saia: 62-28

Rick Caswell: 61-29

Rob Jentsch: 60-30

Bob Schreiner: 57-33

Kristina Rukavina: 55-35

Bobby Schreiner: 52-38

Katie Noone: 48-42

 

 

 

 

 

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Week 8 College Football Predictions

Just a note - Apparently I started my picks for week 7 and never finished them. So only the Top 25 games were completed. I have adjusted last week's picks so that it is now correct.

 

Week 1 Picks: 14-11-0

Week 2 Picks: 14-20-2

Week 3 Picks: 15-25-0

Week 4 Picks: 17-22-1

Week 5 Picks: 19-23-0

Week 6 Picks: 20-22-0

Week 7 Picks: 7-9-0
 

Season to Date: 106-132-3

Top 25: 54-51-2

Big East: 15-15-0

Big Ten: 17-21-0

Everything Else: 33-56-1

BYE			BYE
27			17
48			27
27			18
24			33

Here are my predictions against the spread for all of the week's games listed on Bodog.eu as of Thursday evening:

#15 West Virginia -14.5 over Syracuse

#21 Penn State -4.5 over Northwestern

Top 25

#2 Alabama -30.5 over Tennessee

#3 Oklahoma -29 over Texas Tech

#4 Oklahoma State -7.5 over Missouri

Air Force +30 over #5 Boise State

#6 Wisconsin -8 over #16 Michigan State

#7 Clemson -11 over North Carolina

#8 Stanford -20 over #25 Washington

#9 Arkansas -16 over Mississippi

#11 Kansas State -11 over Kansas

#12 Virginia Tech -21 over Boston College

#13 Nebraska -25.5 over Minnesota

#15 West Virginia -14.5 over Syracuse

#17 Texas A&M -21 over Iowa State

#19 Houston -23.5 over Marshall
#21 Penn State -4.5 over Northwestern

Miami -3 over #22 Georgia Tech

#23 Illinois -4 over Purdue

Big East

#15 West Virginia -14.5 over Syracuse

Rutgers +1.5 over Louisville

South Florida -3 over Cincinnati

Big Ten

#21 Penn State -4.5 over Northwestern

#23 Illinois -4 over Purdue

#13 Nebraska -25.5 over Minnesota

#6 Wisconsin -6 over #16 Michigan State

Indiana +24 over Iowa

Everything Else

Central Florida -16.5 over UAB

UCLA +5 over Arizona

Buffalo +14 over Northern Illinois

Wake Forest -3.5 over Duke

Western Michigan -12 over Eastern Michigan

New Mexico +43 over TCU

Ball State -2.5 over Central Michigan

Florida State -18 over Maryland

Temple -14 over Bowling Green

Ohio -14.5 over Akron

East Carolina +11.5 over Navy

Nevada -11.5 over Fresno State

Tulsa -10.5 over Rice

Army +11.5 over Vanderbilt

Utah +2 over California

Miami (OH) +16.5 over Toledo

USC +9 over Notre Dame

Colorado State +9.5 over UTEP

Washington State -3 over Oregon State

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Game 8 Penguins Hat Trick

• How awesome would it be for all of those that wrote James Neal off, if Neal won the "Rocket" Richard Trophy? And can he really be better when Sidney Crosby comes back. This guy could be really fun to watch and really soon.

• It's good to see that Evgeni Malkin should be back very soon. Not that the Penguins can't win without him, but it makes it a lot easier when he's there.

• And it's also nice to see the Penguins being able to score without Geno or Crosby. They have struggled somewhat, but guys like Neal, Pascal Dupuis, and Matt Cooke have stepped up really well. That just goes to show how well Ray Shero's done assembling this team

Around the NFL: Steelers Stifle Jaguars Purr

And the tale of two Steelers teams continues. They dismantled a solid Titans team last week and looked well on their way to another blowout victory against the Jaguars. Somehow that didn't happen and it made what should have been a relaxing Sunday afternoon, into a pre-Halloween horror story. The Steelers get another gimme game this week against the Cardinals but, before we get there, let's go around the NFL.

STEELERS 17, Jaguars 13

• I have to admit that I never felt nervous at any point during the Steelers game after they jumped out to a big lead. Why? Maybe because the Jaguars are that bad. Maybe because I knew we had Big Ben on our side against a rookie quarterback. Or maybe it's because the Steelers defense is #1 in the league. Yeah, that's right. The eleven members of the AARP that makeup the defense, are holding their own pretty well. Any comment Mr. Sapp?

• The replacements on defense look much better than the regular starters. The writing is on the wall for Casey Hampton and Aaron Smith no matter how well they play when they return.

• The offensive line has looked much better and it has to be mainly the play of Max Starks. How the heck is he pulling this off?

• Can we say Rashard Mendenhall and Lamarr Woodley are back to normal? I don't know, but I sure hope so. I'm very surprised at how well Mendenhall ran.

Around the NFL

• The Cincinnati Bengals are 4-2 somehow. Seriously if anyone has a clue how they're doing it, let me know.

• If I'm the Indianapolis Colts, I place Peyton Manning on IR today. Why bother risking his future, assuming he's in any plans for the future, to play on a team this bad.

• There seem to be a lot of people that aren't high on the New York Giants. I like them personally. They are the furthest thing from healthy on either side of the ball and still boast a 4-2 record. Not that it's all his fault, but if Eli Manning played any bit consistently, they might be 6-0.

• If that's they way Jim Harbaugh is going to act when he wins a regular season game, I sure hope the San Francisco 49ers don't win the Super Bowl. If that happens he might bludgeon someone to death.

• If that's the way Jim Schwartz is going to act when he loses, then thank God he wasn't the coach when the Lions went 0-16...

• How far the St. Louis Rams have fallen even before they actually got up. They were easily the favorites to win the NFC West coming into this year and now sit 4.5 games back of the San Francisco 49ers and even worse they've yet to record a win. It's no easy task to beat the Green Bay Packers, but at least make it a game.

• The Philadelphia Eagles got back on track with a win. When you get four interceptions against one quarterback who doesn't finish the game, you should probably win by more than seven points though. How is this team so bad?

• Really Vince Young? Really? You're the guy responsible for the Philadelphia Eagles being labeled the "dream team" and your first pass gets picked off. Young has talent, but that guy can't get out of his own way.

• Rex Grossman or John Beck? This one is easy. Grossman plays if the Washington Redskins want to win the division. He played a bad game, but he always does. This week he just happened to turn the ball over often which isn't the norm for him. He'll bounce back fine as long as the D.C. media keeps the pressure off of him.

• Once Jason Campbell went down, I was ready to write the Oakland Raiders' obituary right next to their late owner Al Davis.' Kyle Boller wasn't going to get it done, but Carson Palmer is a much better option, even without playing all year. Giving up a first and second rounder for him wasn't wise though. As NFL panelist Jon Saia said, "Good to know the Raiders can still be really stupid even without Al Davis..."

• Don't look now, but the Houston Texans are 3-3. The win over the Steelers seems a distant memory as this team has lost two crucial games against potential foes in the battle for playoff spots. Will they even make the playoffs?

• I thought the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be better than they have been, but then they got obliterated by the San Francisco 49ers. Then, a week later, they beat the New Orleans Saints. I'm not really sure what to think of them at this point.

• And finally the Christian Ponder era begins for the Minnesota Vikings. It's such a shame that Donovan McNabb's career will likely end like this. The guy just needed to play well enough to solidify a spot in Canton, and he's only made the notion of the Hall of Fame a dream at best. It's especially worse that his coaches and receivers have done him no favors.

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Frankie Edgar is the Best Pound-for-Pound Fighter in MMA

Last weekend at UFC 136, we got to witness the man that I consider the best pound for pound fighter in the UFC and, more impressively, the best fighter in the sport of MMA.  Frankie “The Answer” Edgar answered all of my questions about whether or not he should be considered in the pound for pound arguments. 

In the first round of his title defense against Gray Maynard, Gray caught Edgar with a vicious upper-cut and floored him with a barrage of punches much like he did in the second fight.  This time I wasn’t so sure Frankie could overcome it.  Gray methodically picked his shot instead of throwing everything at him and paced himself for a finish.  Unfortunately for Gray, Edgar’s “Rocky Balboa” attitude would not let him quit.  Even though Edgar tagged Maynard in the first half of the round and was winning up until he was hit with the lethal upper-cut, most people scored the first round 10-8 for Maynard. 

In the second round, Frankie took it to Gray with the stick and move strategy that got him the title in the first place.  Gray was unable to catch Frankie again. 

In the third round, more of the same was happening as Frankie was moving in and out, scoring at will on Maynard.  At the end of round 3, everyone, including myself, had the fight scored 28-28.  As Dana White stated and everyone was thinking, “Here we go again”.  If one of these two warriors didn’t decisively win the last two rounds we were about the witness another draw. 

Then, in the fourth round, the unthinkable happened.  Frankie Edgar, giving up an enormous amount of size to the much larger challenger, caught Gray Maynard with an upper-cut and viciously assaulted him to end the fight by knocking him out.  Nobody in their right mind would have bet money on the fact that Edgar, who many suggest is fighting out of his weight class and is too small for the lightweight division, would have the power to knock out Gray Maynard.

During the post-fight news conference, Dana White made the statement that Frankie is the number two pound for pound fighter.  He claimed that he surpassed Georges St. Pierre and is only behind Anderson Silva.  Then White continued to suggest that Edgar should move down to the featherweight division to fight Jose Aldo in what most people would consider a super-fight.  He suggests that Frankie will vacate his light-weight crown to do this.  Are you kidding me?  Frankie Edgar is the champion of the most stacked division in MMA, just got done ending the undefeated streak of a great light-weight and he thinks Edgar should move down to fight Jose Aldo? 

All of the talk about pound for pound best fighters and super-fights, prior to this weekend, were always about how Anderson Silva and GSP haven’t cleaned out their divisions. I am still trying to figure out who these guys have left to beat.  Anderson Silva is the champion of the weakest division in the UFC and maybe all of MMA, period. He has unfinished business with Chael Sonnen.  After Chael, who is left? Dan Henderson? Ok, say Hendo gets past Shogun Rua. That will leave Anderson with 2 fights that people could get behind.  The same can be said about GSP.  If he gets by Carlos Condit, then he has the winner of Nick Diaz and BJ Penn looming.  After that? Jake Ellenberger?  If that is the case, and Ellenberger stays hot, that will leave GSP with 3 fights. 

The lightweight division took a hit this week with Melvin Gullard losing to Joe Lauzon, but there are a lot of fights left at light-weight for Edgar.  Dana White insists the time for a super-fight with Aldo is now.  I’ve named off about 5-8 guys that are in line to challenge Edgar.  How is it when you fight in a division, that you are clearly undersized for, continue to win, and have no shortage of challengers, your boss tells you that you should move down in weight?  I tell you what Dana, find a fighter that can beat him and then you can have that conversation.  Until then, you can continue finding lame excuses on why Anderson Silva and GSP can’t fight super-fights.   And while we’re at it, add Jon Jones to that mix.  As for Jose Aldo, he is closer to cleaning out his division than Frankie Edgar is his.  Tell him to move up a class where many suggest he belongs.  Then make the Aldo-Edgar super-fight and if Aldo is victorious then that will suggest Frankie should move down.

Ok, with that rant out of the way, I do agree that Frankie Edgar is clearly cutting his longevity in the sport of MMA shorter by fighting these bigger guys.  I mean let’s look at it this way:  Frankie Edgar walks around without a weight cut at 160 pounds, he only has to cut 5 pounds to make weight, and he can’t even make the welter-weight division.  For example, Gray Maynard, before his weight cut, walked around at close to, if not more than 200 pounds.  The same can be said for 80-90% of all the guys that fight at light-weight.  But isn’t this more of a reason to acknowledge Frankie Edgar as the pound for pound king?  While everyone in MMA, with the exception of maybe B.J. Penn, is trying to get every advantage possible to fight guys they can over power, Frankie Edgar stands alone in trying to debunk that theory.  He fights bigger men every fight he is in.  And he wins!  Look at the other fighters in the conversation of pound for pound best fighter:  Jon Jones walks around at 225-230 before he cuts down to 205; Anderson Silva walks around at 220 before he cuts down to 185; GSP walks around at 190-200 before he cuts down to 170; Jose Aldo walks around at 185 before his cut to 145. Frankie Edgar defies the laws of fighting physics.  He doesn’t hide behind a weight to get an advantage.  What defines the best pound for pound fighter if not that? It is the fighter who can win a fight no matter what his weight is.  Frankie Edgar is the best in the most stacked division on the planet.  There is no need for him to move down to feather-weight.  But there is a need for him to be recognized as the pound for pound king because he is and he deserves that title.

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