Why I want the Dolphins to make the playoffs
I should first point out that I am a Patriots fan. (Readers: Booooo) Ok. But if the Patriots can’t make it into the playoffs this weekend, my clear preference for AFC East winner would be the Miami Dolphins.

If the Dolphins beat the Jets this week in the Meadowlands, it would be a great thing for the NFL. Why? Because it means that parity in the league really does exist, and that every year is truly a new year for teams (I’m looking at you, Detroit Lions). The Dolphins had just 1 win last year, then made a few smart moves, and now they control their own destiny into the playoffs. You can say they’re doing it with a gimmick offense, and a QB with less pop in his arm than a Red Ryder BB gun, and with a cupcake schedule, but they are doing it.

The Lions aren’t as bad as they seem. It’d be one thing if they phoned in every game after going 0-10 and then finished the season at (likely) 0-16. But they’ve played hard every week. They gave the Colts, who may be one of the most dangerous teams in January, a tie ballgame into the 4th quarter. This team also has some talent too, even if most of it is concentrated in the body of Calvin Johnson. But if a 1-15 team can make the playoffs a season later, who’s to say that a 0-16 team can’t?

Headline: “Guns Found At Burress’ Home”

How is this news? No one is denying that Plax had guns. The evidence is lodged somewhere near his femur. So it’s pretty obvious that he would have guns in his home… right? Obvious enough that it shouldn’t be headline news. Just keep a lookout for this headline next: “Christmas 08; Presents, Ornaments Found Lying Near Trees”.

“Those damn Yankees!”

That quote was uttered by Angels OF Torri Hunter, as well as millions of Red Sox fans around the New England area. But people need to stop hating on the Yankees. They have the four highest paid players in the game, and that those four players’ salaries could pay for the payrolls several small market teams and GDP of a small country. But what is lost in the Yankee-bashing is that they’re payroll is actually under what it was last year. Th Bronx Bombers shed $85 million in payroll this off-season. Even with the big signings so far, if they stopped spending now they’d be penny-pinching compared to last year.

And while they Yankees are buying all the Christmas presents for Scott Boras’ extended family, it seems the Rays aren’t going to be bothered by the rah-rah going on in NY, probably because they’re too busy making their team better as well. The Rays signed reliever Joe Nelson for a frugal $1.3 million. I had never heard of him before the signing, but with a 2.0 ERA and 60 strikeouts over 54 innings, I’d guess that he was cut from the same cloth as Grant Balfour and J.P Howell. Pitchers who no one has really heard of, until they beat out both Goliath and Godzilla in a Japanese-biblical battle for the AL East.
Say as much as you want about the Yankees, but I want to know how the Rays keep getting these bargains on some of the best talent in the league.

Home-Field Advantage?
During Week 13 in the NFL, 15 games were played. Of these 15, 10 were one by the road team, only 5 were won by the home team. If that number doesn't mean much to you, imagine that out of every 3 random football fans who went to see their team play this past Thursday/Sunday/Monday, 2 went home pissed.

Considering the amount of money people pay to go to football games, not to mention the amount of time and effort it takes to get to the game, sit in the weather, and find ways around the 2 beer per person limit, the average NFL isn't getting very much bang for their buck.

Detroit Fans: We're #2!
According to some sources, on the list of most dangerous cities in America, Detroit is #2, behind only Camden, NJ. Can anyone blame the citizens of Detroit for resorting to criminal activities? In the past calendar year, the Tigers acquired the likes of Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis only to finish dead last in the division, the Pistons get beat by the eventual champion Boston Celtics in 6 games and in the next season see Chauncey Billups shipped off to Denver and the end of their archetypal “team” mold, and the Lions are well on their way to 0-16. The lone bright spot in Hockey Town is a bright one, with the Red Wings bringing home the Stanley Cup.
Detroit isn't just the #2 most dangerous city though. It also deserves the #2 ranking as “Most Pitiful Sports City in America”. Coming in narrowly at #1 has to be Seattle. It's karma for Seattle though, after Mariner Moose single-handedly tried to end Coco Crisp's career last year.

Native-American turned Investment Broker
If you haven't visited your nearest casino in the last few years, it may be about time you did. Also, if you have your money tied up in traditional investment products (stocks, bonds, CD's, etc), it may be about time you took them out. Don't believe me? Consider the following:
The interest rate received on bonds, CD's, and savings accounts are all based of the rate the Fed sets. Lower rates set by the Fed means you get a lower interest rate on your savings, vice versa. With the economy as bad as it is, the Fed sets the interest rate very very low in an effort to discourage consumers from putting their money away in savings accounts and to encourage spending. The low amounts of accrued interest discourages saving, and if you factor in current inflation rates (estimated by economists at 5%), even funds in a high-yield savings account at 3.00% APY are losing about 2% of its purchasing power a year. By setting the interest rate low, the Fed is hoping people will find better use for their money investing it in other things, such as tangible goods, services or stocks. But with the way the Wall Street is right now and President-elect Barack Obama still to take office, it's too unstable for people to confidently say that the market has hit bottom and that it is time to invest.
So what's a person to do with all the money that they would have normally saved or invested in the market? Well, you could pay off your credit card debt (which I highly recommend). But if you're in the business of making more money of your money, I suggest going to Vegas and making a killing there. The reason is the effects of inflation and the rate the Fed sets are largely ignored by casino. When you bet on any game, you're playing against the casino and the odds, and if you can beat them, you are rewarded as such. In blackjack, if you beat the dealer you pay out 1:1 against your bet. Casino's don't adjust their odds based on how the current economy is, whether the economy is in a recession or boom. The risk is always going to be there, but the risk and return are both always going to be consistent. The main reason traditional savings opportunities are beneficial is that they have low risk with middle-of-the-road returns. But when the returns shrink and the risk is elevated on these traditional investments, by comparison the risk you take while gambling is reduced. Everything is relative, so although you may think that gambling is too risky, when the economy is about to bottom-out as it is right now, there is never going to be a more opportune time to try your luck.

NYPD Blues?
So the G-Men of New York have found themselves in quite a bit of trouble this past weekend. Plaxico Burress was at night club, allegedly with other Giants teammates, and discharged a firearm into his own leg. The story from there is hazy, but apparently he was picked up by teammate Antonio Pierce, taken to a hospital where he received treatment from a doctor while using a false name.
Already we're seeing the fallout of these events. Mayor Bloomberg has already demanded that Burress be prosecuted to the “fullest extent of the law”. Plax has also been suspended by the team for at 4 games, and there could still be an additional suspensions handed out under the NFL's personal conduct policy. Antonio Pierce is being investigated, and his SUV was impounded today for police to search. The doctor who treated Burress has already been suspended by the hospital. Meanwhile, the Giants have continued their domination of the league and improved their record to 11-1. Dominik Hixon and Amani Toomer are making Giants fans forget all about their malcontent wide-receiver.
Last week, I said that Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb should consider themselves on the hot seat, a statement which I think still holds true for the former (Reid) but retract for the latter. This week, I say Plaxico Burress doesn't wear a Giants jersey after this season. Yes, I realize they tied him up to a big contract this year, but the NFL operates in a way that teams can balk on a player's contract if the player balks on the law (read: Michael Vick). Given the way the Giants have played with him, and the way they dealt with a certain problematic tight end, I say Tom Coughlin finds a way to find Plax a new home.

It's Christmas Time Again, Charlie (Weis)
Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick announced that Charlie Weis would stay at ND another year, after finishing 6-6 this year and just 7 games over .500 in his 4 years as head coach. In related news, Matt Millen was seen giving Mr. Swarbrick advice on how to run a program into the ground.

Big Paycheck for the Little Guy
Dustin Pedroia got an extension for the Red Sox worth upwards of $40 million over six years. Pedroia is coming off an MVP season in just his second season in the league. Many fans remember Pedroia as a go-getter his rookie year as well, but few fans remember what it was like to be DP at the beginning of his rookie year. At the end of his first full month as a starter in April of '07, Pedroia was batting just .182 and fans were calling for his head. The Sox had a capable player sitting on the bench in Alex Cora, and Boston fans are notorious for calling out a player when he's down. Francona stuck with the 5' 9” rookie, who then went on to hit .415 in May, and never below .299 in any of the following months. Needless to say, Francona made the right call.

Funny or Mean?
As a nod to tradition, Pete Carroll has decided that his USC Trojans would wear their red home jerseys this weekend when they got into the Coliseum and play UCLA. The tradition dates back to when USC and UCLA shared the stadium, and both teams would wear the home jerseys. Pac-10 rules state that if USC wears their home jerseys, they will be penalized 2 timeouts, one for either half.
UCLA coach Rick Neuheisal has already said that he digs the idea, and that if USC were penalized he would call timeouts at the start of each half to even things out. Some people have questioned whether or not Neuheisal would actually do this come gametime, but take it one step further. What if, to really stick to USC, who could win this game quite easily, UCLA wore their away jerseys? UCLA fans should consider it a slap in the face by USC if the Trojans wore their home jerseys on Saturday. I get it that USC used to play their home games their, but it's not their house anymore. And what better way to get back at someone, than to slap them right back in the face?


Something to look forward to next week:
Top 10 list of players who wish they were somewhere else right now.