Let's Talk 2010 Football

In all of my years watching NFL football, I can’t recall a more intriguing Week 1 slate than the one that awaits us. Of the 16 games in the docket, there’s not a single easy "gimme" pick. Are you in one of those survivor pools? Good luck. To be certain, Las Vegas doesn’t have a single Week 1 spread larger than a touchdown at the moment. In fact, half the games feature spreads that are just 3 points or less.

What’s it all mean? Well, that NFL football is back and the world is all right. Along with an incredible college football Saturday and the U.S. Open semifinals and finals, this weekend is what being a sports fan is all about. Have a friend's birthday party you committed to months ago? Cancel it. Thinking about taking the lady out for a nice 10th anniversary dinner? Push it to Tuesday. Promised your daughter you'd take her to see that "Nanny McPhee" sequel? Nanny McPhee will have to wait. She takes a backseat to Willis McGahee.

Football season's back and it feels damn good!
Let’s dig right in with 10 hard-hitting predictions for 2010, courtesy of ESPN.

1. Whether with Jason Campbell or Bruce Gradkowski under center, the Oakland Raiders are playoff-bound for the first time since 2002.
2. The New York Jets, everybody’s favorite to win the Super Bowl in July, start the season off with back-to-back losses at home to Baltimore and New England and ultimately fail to make the playoffs.
3. Green Bay's Jermichael Finley emerges as the league’s premier tight end in his third NFL season, catching 90 balls, scoring double-digit touchdowns, and winning millions of American men fantasy league titles nationwide.
4. Rex Grossman starts more games than Donovan McNabb in Washington and plays as well, if not better, than Kevin Kolb in Philadelphia.
5. Jordan Shipley emerges as a stud third receiver in the Bengals offense, putting together a breakout rookie season similar to the one Austin Collie had in Indianapolis last year.
6. The Bills finish with the league’s worst record and draft either Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett or Washington QB Jake Locker with the first overall pick in next April’s draft.
7. The 2010 AFC Pro Bowl quarterbacks: Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers and Carson Palmer. Tom Brady, Joe Flacco and Matt Schaub find themselves on the outside looking in.
8. Both receivers named Mike Williams — the rookie on the Bucs and one-time Lions draft bust now on the Seahawks — have big years for their respective teams, proving their respective critics wrong.
9. Of all the big-name rookie safeties in the NFL this season — Eric Berry, Earl Thomas, Nate Allen, Taylor Mays — it’s Cleveland’s T.J. Ward who has the best first-year campaign.
10. The Houston Texans, fail to qualify for the postseason for the ninth straight year.

Any given Sunday.

Does George Dubbya have something to do with the Houston Texans?

He owns part of the Texas Ranger baeball club but I don't know about the football team.

Pres. Bush and wife attended a Yankee/Ranger game this past Sat. Not only did the Rangers win when he was in attendance, they swept the series. Way to go Rangers.

And how do you spell Photoshopped...LOL