Bryan Paul’s Puzzling NFL Predictions: Week 7

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In the 1850s, journalists began referring to baseball as America’s national pastime.

Perhaps that’s no longer the case.

A Harris Interactive poll of 2,331 adults cited in a Jan. 25, 2011 USA Today article said the National Football League topped Major League Baseball as America’s favorite sport 31 percent to 17 percent.

Baseball shares several connections with football. Yankee Stadium hosted the 1958 NFL Championship, known as “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” Seven announcers have broadcasted both the Super Bowl and the World Series. Deion Sanders, the only person to play in a both a Super Bowl and a World Series, told The Houston Chronicle in 1991 “football is my wife and baseball is my mistress.”

But as the late comedian George Carlin pointed out, baseball greatly differs from football. A baseball manager wears the same uniform the players do. A football coach doesn’t. Baseball season starts in the spring as the weather becomes warmer and daylight increases. Football season begins in the fall as temperatures and daylight decrease. Rain delays or postpones baseball games. Football games often take place in rainy or snowy weather.

Despite football’s rise in popularity, baseball remains a major aspect of American culture. In honor of this month’s playoffs and its tradition of being one of America’s most beloved sports, this week’s predictions theme is baseball.

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 Seattle Seahawks (4-2) at San Francisco 49ers (4-2)-Oct. 18-8:20 p.m.-NFL Network

Major League Baseball introduced interleague play in 1997, scheduling series between American and National League teams during the regular season. San Francisco hasn’t been a kind city to Seattle’s American League team, the Mariners. Since 1997, the Mariners are 5-3 in games at San Francisco’s National League team, the Giants.

Bryan Paul’s Pick: San Francisco

Pollock’s Pick: San Francisco

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 Cleveland Browns (1-5) at Indianapolis Colts (2-3)-Oct. 21-1 p.m.-CBS

The Cleveland Indians lost the 1997 World Series to the Florida Marlins in seven games. In years the Browns and Colts have played each other and the World Series lasted seven games, Cleveland is 8-7 against Indianapolis. But it’s unknown how many games this year’s World Series will be.

Bryan Paul’s Pick: Indianapolis

Pollock’s Pick: Indianapolis

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 Washington Redskins (3-3) at New York Giants (4-2)-Oct. 21-1 p.m.-Fox

Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson guided the Baltimore Orioles to the playoffs in 1997. Redskins fans should be upset the Nationals reached the playoffs this season. In years Johnson has managed a playoff team, New York is 7-2-1 against Washington.

Bryan Paul’s Pick: New York

Pollock’s Pick: New York

Bryan Paul’s Puzzling NFL Predictions: Week 6

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Perhaps only college football rivals the National Football League’s popularity.

The two brands differ. The clock stops when a team achieves a first down in college football. Not in the NFL. In college football, a receiver needs only one foot in bounds to secure a catch. NFL receivers need both feet in bounds. The average NFL stadium holds about 70,070 fans. Twenty-nine college football stadiums hold more than that.

College football fuels the NFL with player and coaching talent. An Associated Press article posted by The Dallas Morning News on Sept. 20, 2011 called college football the NFL’s de facto minor league. Currently, eight Heisman Trophy winners, college football’s most prestigious individual award, play in the NFL. Five Heisman winners are Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees. Out of the league’s 32 head coaches, 26 have had college football coaching experience.

Both professional and college football have historic rivalries, hallowed traditions, crazy fans and close contests on a weekly basis. The Week 6 predictions theme celebrates college football’s pageantry, excitement and thrills.

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 Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2) at Tennessee Titans (1-4)-Oct. 11-8:20 p.m.-NFL Network

The University of Tennessee Volunteers won the 1998 national championship. In 1998, the Tennessee Oilers defeated the Steelers, 41-31. But now, the Oilers are the Titans.

Bryan Paul’s Pick: Pittsburgh

Pollock’s Pick: Pittsburgh

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 Dallas Cowboys (2-2) at Baltimore Ravens (4-1)-Oct. 14-1 p.m.-Fox

Running back Jamal Lewis, a member of the 1998 Tennessee championship team, played for the Ravens from 2000-06. The Ravens were 5-2 against NFC East teams in those seven seasons. Baltimore will miss him in this game.

Bryan Paul’s Pick: Dallas

Pollock’s Pick: Baltimore

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 Kansas City Chiefs (1-4) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3)-Oct. 14-1 p.m.-CBS

Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano coached Rutgers University to an 11-2 record in 2006. During Schiano’s Rutgers tenure from 2001-11, Kansas City had a 24-19 October record. Tampa Bay was 21-23. Luckily for Buccaneers fans, Schiano coaches their team now.

Bryan Paul’s Pick: Tampa Bay

Pollock’s Pick: Tampa Bay

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Bryan Paul’s Puzzling NFL Predictions: Week 5

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On Oct. 8, 1921, KDKA (AM) in Pittsburgh, Pa. presented the first college football game radio broadcast between the University of Pittsburgh and West Virginia University.

Broadcasting and football formed a prosperous marriage that day.

According to SB Nation, National Football League teams received $322,000 in broadcasting revenue in 1962. In 2009, they collected $95.8 million.

Forty-five million people watched the Baltimore Colts play the New York Giants at Yankee Stadium according to the book The Glory Game: How the 1958 NFL Championship Changed Football Forever. Since that watershed contest, NFL games have produced other dramatic broadcast moments including “The Immaculate Reception,” “The Catch,” and “The Music City Miracle” and have made names such as Howard Cosell, Curt Gowdy and Pat Summerall famous.

In honor of the networks and individuals that present games, news and other stories about our world and culture, this week’s predictions theme is broadcasting.

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Arizona Cardinals (4-0) at St. Louis Rams (2-2)-Oct. 4-8:20 p.m.-NFL Network

While this week’s theme primarily focuses on television broadcasting, this prediction highlights a radio announcer. Jack Buck called St. Louis Cardinals baseball games from 1954-2000. The football Cardinals played in St. Louis from 1960-87. The Rams began playing in St. Louis in 1995. The Cardinals beat the Rams in both meetings between 1995 and 2002. Buck died in 2002.

Bryan Paul’s Pick: St. Louis

Pollock’s Pick: St. Louis

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Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) at Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2)-Oct. 7-1 p.m.-Fox

Buck’s son, Joe, became Fox Sports’ lead NFL announcer in 2002. Philadelphia has a 109-68-1 record since 2002. Pittsburgh is 117-61-1. But Fox holds the league’s NFC broadcasting rights and the Eagles are an NFC team.

Bryan Paul’s Pick: Philadelphia

Pollock’s Pick: Pittsburgh

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Green Bay Packers (2-2) at Indianapolis Colts (1-2)-Oct. 7-1 p.m.-Fox

Fox outbid CBS, who held broadcasting rights since 1956, for NFC games in 1994. Green Bay fans should be glad. Since 1994, the Colts are 184-130. The Packers are 202-116.

Bryan Paul’s Pick: Green Bay

Pollock’s Pick: Green Bay

Bryan Paul’s Puzzling NFL Predictions: Week 4

The Roger Goodell puppet show of using replacement referees in regular season National Football League games came to a merciful end Wednesday night with a tentative new labor agreement between the league and the NFL Referees Association.

To many fans, the replacement referees were as incompetent at controlling games as Fozzie Bear is at telling jokes. Social media allowed fans to heckle the league and its inept officials from a safe position like Statler and Waldorf did to Muppet Show performers.  The Count should have enjoyed counting all the flags thrown by the replacement officials. According to Pro-Football-Reference.com, the replacement referees called 655 penalties in 48 games.

Indeed, the replacement referees seemed like something out of the crazy world of the Muppets. To celebrate this wackiness and what would have been Jim Henson’s 76^th birthday on Monday, the predictions theme for Week 4 is the Muppets and the other characters and worlds Henson created.

Cleveland Browns (0-3) at Baltimore Ravens (2-1)-Sept. 27-8:20 p.m.-NFL Network

The University of Maryland, College Park unveiled a statue of Jim Henson and Kermit the Frog on Sept. 22, 2003 on its campus. Kermit feels it’s not that easy being green. For Cleveland, it’s not that easy beating Baltimore. The Ravens are 13-4 against the Browns since the statue’s unveiling.

Bryan Paul’s Pick: Baltimore

Pollock’s Pick: Baltimore

Seattle Seahawks (2-1) at St. Louis Rams (1-2)-Sept. 30-1 p.m.-FOX

Cleveland last defeated Baltimore in 2007. The Count appeared on Dancing with the Stars in 2007. Seattle beat St. Louis one, two times that season. Cue the Count’s trademark laugh, thunder and lightning.

Bryan Paul’s Pick: Seattle

Pollock’s Pick: Seattle

Carolina Panthers (1-2) at Atlanta Falcons (3-0)-Sept. 30-1 p.m.-FOX

St. Louis last defeated Seattle in 2010. During Super Bowl XLV, the conclusion of the 2010 season, an NFL Network commercial featuring television icons celebrating football, including Ernie from Sesame Street, aired during the game. Carolina was 2-14 during the 2010 season. Atlanta was 13-3.

Bryan Paul’s Pick: Atlanta

Pollock’s Pick: Atlanta

Bryan Paul’s Puzzling NFL Predictions: Week 3

On Sunday night, the 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will recognize excellence in television programing. The National Football League has a strong partnership with television. According to The Washington Post, the NFL receives $3 billion annually in broadcast revenue from CBS, FOX and NBC. Last year, NBC Sunday Night Football topped the Nielsen Media Research as the highest rated program of the 2011-12 broadcast season, the first sports program to earn the distinction.

Television has helped popularize football. Ed Sabol and his son Steve, who passed away on Tuesday, founded NFL Films in 1962 and influenced the way fans view the action and emotion of the sport on television. Under the Sabols’ leadership, NFL Films has produced television programs such as NFL Films Game of the Week, NFL’s Greatest Games and Football Follies and earned 107 Emmy Awards. The Sabols received the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.

To celebrate the Emmy Awards and Steve Sabol, the prediction theme for Week 3 is television.

New York Giants (1-1) at Carolina Panthers (1-1)

Sept. 20-8:20 p.m.-NFL Network

The Apprentice, a reality television show, primarily takes place in New York City. Kwame Jackson, a Charlotte, N.C. native, was the runner-up of the show’s first season in 2004. The Giants will tell the Panthers “you’re fired!” on Thursday night. New York is 3-2 against Carolina since 2004.

Bryan Paul’s Pick: New York

Pollock’s Pick: Carolina

New York Jets (1-1) at Miami Dolphins (1-1)

Sept. 23-1 p.m.-CBS

HBO televised Sex and the City’s final episode in 2004. The Jets were 9-3 against the Dolphins during the show’s six-year run. New York’s success has continued with a 10-6 record against Miami since 2004.

Bryan Paul’s Pick: New York

Pollock’s Pick: Miami

Buffalo Bills (1-1) at Cleveland Browns (0-2)

Sept. 23-1 p.m.-CBS

Sex and the City won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2001. The Sopranos, another HBO show, won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 2004 and 2007. The Bills had a 19-27 record in those three seasons. The Browns were 21-25. The nominees for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Comedy Series at the year’s Emmys include five HBO programs. That’s not good for Buffalo.

Bryan Paul’s Pick: Cleveland

Pollock’s Pick: Buffalo

Bryan Paul’s Puzzling NFL Predictions: Week 2

Like the 16 National Football League teams that lost last week, this blog’s unique prediction format didn’t begin the 2012 season well, posting a 1-6 head-to-head record against Chuck Pollock of The Olean Times Herald. There’s plenty of time to improve as Week 2 begins.

Leadership gives football teams the proper guidance to become winners. Determined team owners hire front office officials to find talent on and off the field.  Spirited coaches instill a foundation of toughness and passion that drives players to succeed. Quarterbacks and linebackers guide offenses and defenses respectively to victory.

Because football requires wise, strong and influential individuals, the Week 2 predictions theme is leaders.

Chicago Bears (1-0) at Green Bay Packers (0-1)

Sept. 13-8:20 p.m.-NFL Network

Phil Jackson coached the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association from 1989-98. The Zen Master’s coaching successes didn’t mirror the Bears’ performance against their rivals. Chicago was 6-14 against Green Bay during Jackson’s tenure.

Bryan Paul’s Pick: Green Bay

Pollock’s Pick: Green Bay

New Orleans Saints (0-1) at Carolina Panthers (0-1)

Sept. 16-1 p.m.-FOX

Michael Jordan, owner of the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats, played for the Bulls from 1984-99. There were more cheers at this year’s Democratic National Convention in Charlotte than there has been at all the Bobcats games so far under His Airness’ ownership. Panthers fans won’t be cheering at this game either. New Orleans is 4-0 against Carolina since Jordan purchased the Bobcats in 2010.

Bryan Paul’s Pick: New Orleans

Pollock’s Pick: New Orleans

Arizona Cardinals (1-0) at New England Patriots (1-0)

Sept. 16-1 p.m.-FOX

Massachusetts voters elected Scott Brown to the United States Senate in 2010. Having Brown on Capitol Hill could cost New England this game. Brown is the first Massachusetts Republican senator since Edward Brooke held office from 1967-79. The Cardinals were 2-1 against the Patriots during Brooke’s Senate career.

Bryan Paul’s Pick: Arizona

Pollock’s Pick: New England

Bryan Paul’s Puzzling NFL Predictions: Week 1

Predicting National Football League game winners isn’t hard. With only two teams to choose from, one has a 50 percent chance of being correct. Deciding how to predict a winner presents a challenge.

Sports analysts and writers make weekly NFL predictions throughout the season based on player statistics, injuries and how teams compare and contrast with each other.

That doesn’t have to be the only way to predict games.

During the 2012 NFL season, this blog will offer a weekly picks column using random logic and facts from a specific theme. Additionally, Chuck Pollock of The Olean Times Herald will share his picks using traditional prognostication. Each post will update our prediction records for readers to see which method works best.

The Week 1 theme is beginnings, firsts and starts.

Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants-Sept. 5-8:30 p.m.-NBC

The Giants will play the Cowboys in a home season opener for the first time since 1995. They lost that game 35-0 as Emmitt Smith ran for 163 yards and four touchdowns. Unfortunately for Dallas, Smith retired in 2004.

Bryan Paul’s Pick: New York

Pollock’s Pick: Dallas

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets-Sept. 9-1 p.m.-CBS

The Bills are the only one of the three “New York” NFL teams that plays home games in the state. The Giants and Jets share a home field, MetLife Stadium, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Jets began playing in the Garden State in 1984, where they have a 3-6 Week 1 home record.

Bryan Paul’s Pick: Buffalo

Pollock’s Pick: Buffalo

Jacksonville Jaguars at Minnesota Vikings-Sept. 9-1 p.m.-CBS

New Jaguars head coach Mike Mularkey lost his debut as Bills coach to Jacksonville in 2004. It’s likely he’ll lose this game too. In the last five seasons, teams with new head coaches went 17-30 in Week 1.

Bryan Paul’s Pick: Minnesota

Pollock’s Pick: Minnesota

A conversation with Phoebe Heyerdahl

 

An interview with Anndi McAfee, who provided the voice of Phoebe Heyerdahl on Hey Arnold!

How did you start working on the show?

I auditioned for the role with Joey Paul Jensen, the casting director. I was chosen shortly after.

What did you enjoy about the playing Phoebe?

Being on a show as a kid with a bunch of other kids is a recipe for fun! There are so many great things about Phoebe, one of them being George Takei voicing Phoebe’s dad. I got to meet him! I love how smart Phoebe is. She cares about other people’s feelings.

What set Hey Arnold! apart from other ’80s/’90s cartoons?

What set Hey Arnold! apart was a cast of kids voiced by kids. We made a lot of stuff up as we went. Craig Bartlett, the series creator, and the other writers created this world for us. It really felt like a show by kids for kids.

Waufle’s football coaching skills took shape at Alfred

Mike Waufle has fond memories of the 1979 Alfred University football team. He coached the defensive line that included Steve DiLaura ’83, Frank Muraco ’80, Andy Lasky ’82, Joe DeBiase ’83, Steve Ratliff ’82, and Mark Shardlow ’83. He considers one moment to be a turning point for the team.

“We were up on Jericho Hill and I told Mark (Shardlow), take your helmet off,” recalls Waufle. “I put his helmet on, lined all the guys up and took them on one-on-one. I was trying to show them that Division I intensity. They really caught onto it. We ended up having a 7-2 season.”

Waufle, a Hornell native, now coaches the National Football League’s St. Louis Rams defensive line, a position he accepted this spring. He’s worked for five college football programs and three NFL teams, coaching in three college football bowl games, 14 NFL playoff games, and two Super Bowls (XXXVII and XLII). Pro Bowl players he’s coached include the late Darrell Russell, Richard Seymour, Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck, and Osi Umenyiora,

Olympic analysis everyone can understand

Here are 12 facts about the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London:

I

London is the first city to host the Summer Olympics three times.

II

London last hosted the Olympic Games in 1948, the year Charles, the Prince of Wales, was born.

III

Number of participating nations in London Summer Olympic Games
1908	22
1948	59
2012	204