Hey everyone, welcome back to the 3rd annual GRAMMY Awards Edition! Regular readers know that I usually do a GRAMMY preview edition where I predict winners in each category etc, etc. Unfortunately, I realized that what I viewed as award winning music, and what the academy viewed as award winning music drifted in opposite directions over the past few years. So instead of getting mad, I decided that reviewing all the action that took place seemed like a better idea. This is my favorite award show of the year, with the ESPY’s coming in a close second. I love music, and over the past few years my mind has been opened up to new artists and genres that I never thought I would enjoy. Music is one of the pure joys in life, so I hope you get a chance to enjoy this edition of the Red Card.

R.I.P.

The major talking points:

• Whitney Houston’s death overshadowed the entire proceedings this year. The atmosphere inside of the Staples Center reflected that. People were mourning the loss of their friend and colleague. Whitney Houston, in her prime, had the best voice of a generation. She hit notes that nobody else could, all while remaining graceful in her performance. She was a once-in-a-lifetime talent that will never be replaced. Of course everyone knows of her struggles with addiction later on in life, but strictly as a musician- she was undeniably brilliant. The 2 songs I will remember her for are I Will Always Love You (best key-change in a song, ever) and her rendition of the National Anthem at the Super Bowl in 1991. Both performances will never be topped. Rest In Peace, Whitney. I hope her legacy can help those struggling with addiction.
• One of the finer moments of the night happened right off the bat. Host and Emcee LL Cool J opened the night by talking about Whitney Houston’s death and offering up a prayer. You could almost feel a sense of peace wash over an incredibly tense crowd. Well done, LL.
• The performance of the 2012 GRAMMY’s was undoubtedly by Jennifer Hudson as she sang I Will Always Love You as an ode to Houston. She absolutely killed the performance. But that performance also made people realize how good Whitney Houston really was. Jennifer Hudson’s rendition of the song was fantastic, but it still didnt hold a candle to Houston’s version. Still- a great job under highly emotional circumstances by Jennifer Hudson.
• Adele, Adele and more Adele. The sultry singer absolutely dominated the 54th GRAMMY’s. She took home 6 awards for her performances off of her album, 21. She also delivered an amazing performance of her hit song, Rolling In The Deep. Fresh off of vocal reconstructive surgery, she sounded pitch perfect and wowed the crowd. Unbelievable year for a star that will be around for a long while.
• Tony Bennett and Carrie Underwood performed a great duet during the middle of the show. Once again, Tony Bennett is the king. Few people will ever reach his level.
• Bruno Mars opened the show with an awesome song and dance number right after LL Cool J’s intro. The best part of his performance, besides the dancing, was him telling the crowd to “get off your rich asses and lets have some fun!” It really got everyone to lighten up. He killed his performance.
• Speaking of dancing, Chris Brown returned to the GRAMMY’s this year and his dancing did not disappoint. The controversial star jumped around and danced on a layered platform with ease before back flipping off to end his performance. Cool stuff.
• The Beach Boys returned to the GRAMMY stage for their 50th anniversary with Foster the People and Maroon 5. They are all-time greats and can still perform the hell out 0f their songs. The worst part about their performance, astutely pointed out by the Twitter world, was the absence of the Full House gang. Uncle Jesse couldve been the cherry on top of that performance.
• The Foo Fighters delivered a great performance of Walk in the middle of L.A. L!VE. They cleaned up the Rock categories with four GRAMMY’s.
• Easily the best acceptance speech of the night came from Foo Fighters frontman, Dave Grohl. He told the crowd that the special part of their latest album was that it was largely made in his garage. He also added that music isnt about fancy equipment or technology, its about the ability to learn how to play an instrument and make music, even though it might not be perfect all the time. Commendable speech.
• Bon Iver’s speech after winning Best New Artist was kind of strange, but funny at the same time. He thanked everyone in his rolodex before thanking the fans who voted for him by saying “thanks for the sweet hook up.” Awesome.
• The Civil Wars needed to get a full length performance of Barton Hollow. That song kicks ass.

RED CARD.

Now lets show some folks a much deserved RED CARD:

• Nikki Minaj: what the hell was that? You get the first ever PLATINUM RED CARD for your exorcism performance. I wanted to perform an exorcism on my TV to get you off of it.
• A big issue I’ve had with the GRAMMY’s over the past few years is that there are too many performers and not enough awards given out. It is, at its core, an award show- and Sunday night I think there were 6 or 7 awards given out live. Lose some of ridiculous acts and give the artists their moment in the sun. RED CARD.
• Another big problem I had with the GRAMMY’s this year was the absence of Jay-Z and Kanye West. They are the top-draw in music right now, and both missed last nights proceedings. They needed to perform a song off of Watch The Throne, and get their due in the rap categories. Having the top artists not perform at the biggest night in music is unacceptable to me. RED CARD.
• Another issue I have with the academy is awarding songs that were released more than the calendar year ago. There needs to be a rule that says if your song wasnt released in the year prior, then it will not be up for consideration for a GRAMMY. We shouldnt be seeing awards go to songs released in 2010. RED CARD to the Academy.
• The In Memoriam segment of the GRAMMY’s was missing a few key contributors this year; Don Cornelious and Etta James. That is embarrassing. Also, they need to make that segment last longer to give each artist their due. RED CARD.
• Chris Brown dancing = good. Chris Brown singing = RED CARD.
• Even Coldplay cant escape the dreaded RED CARD this time. Chris Martin’s singing was off for Princess In China and Paradise.
• Giants Receivers Victor Cruz & Mario Manningham presented the Best Rock Song award. They were terrible in doing so. RED CARD. Go enjoy the off-season in peace.
• Adele had one slip-up during her amazing GRAMMY night. She got so emotional after winning best album that some snot flew out of her nose and she let the entire crowd know about it. While it was genuine and endearing, it also deserves a RED CARD.
• Taylor Swift playing the banjo looked like me trying to air guitar on a tennis racquet. RED CARD.
• Katy Perry’s blue hair deserves a RED CARD. Darling, I love you, but please go back to brunette by our wedding day.

WINNING

Watch The Throne got snubbed as Best Rap Album. Disgraceful.

Finally, in my eyes at least, it is time to give soccer some love on the Red Card. Now that the January Transfer Window has closed, we have reached the half-way point of the English Premier League season; which means that it is time to analyze what we know and predict what we don’t.  This edition of the Red Card (aptly named) will rank the teams, give out some plaudits and show some folks the RED CARD before predicting the second half.

First, let’s look at the current table in the EPL. But- instead of ranking the teams 1-20, Im going to rank my top 6, then the middle 8 and finish with the 6 teams in the relegation battle. Note: not all teams will be ranked according to points, I take into account current form as well.

Top 6 Teams (Top 4 qualify for the Champions League in 2012-2013):

1. Manchester City: 54 points.

2. Manchester United: 54 points.

3. Tottenham Hotspur: 49 points.

4. Chelsea: 42 points.

5. Newcastle: 39 points.

6. Liverpool: 38 points.

Mid-table teams:

7.  Arsenal: 37 points.

8. Stoke City: 30 points.

9. Sunderland: 30 points.

10. Everton: 29 points.

11. Norwich City: 29 points.

12. Fulham: 27 points.

13. Swansea City: 27 points.

14. Aston Villa: 28 points.

Bottom 6 teams (Last 3 get relegated to the Championship Division)

15. West Bromwich Albion: 26 points.

16. Queens Park Rangers: 21 points.

17. Bolton Wanderers: 20 points.

18. Wolverhampton Wanderers: 18 points.

19. Blackburn Rovers: 18 points.

20. Wigan Athletic: 15 points.

David Silva has been worth his weight in Silva for Manchester City.

Starting XI from the first half:

Goalkeeper: Tim Krul (Newcastle)

Defenders: Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City), Fabricio Coloccini (Newcastle) , Jose Enrique (Liverpool)

Midfielders: David Silva (Manchester City), Juan Mata (Chelsea), Yaya Toure (Manchester City), Clint Dempsey (Fulham)

Strikers: Robin Van Persie (Arsenal), Demba Ba (Newcastle)

Honorable Mention: Goalkeeper: Joe Hart (Manchester City); Defenders: John Terry (Chelsea), Bacary Sanga (Arsenal), Leighton Baines (Everton), Micah Richards (Manchester City); Midfielders: Leon Britton (Swansea City), Antonio Valencia (Manchester United), Luka Modric (Tottenham Hotspur), Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur); Strikers: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)

Balotelli is Italian for Red Card.

Here is the list of those most deserving RED CARDS from the first half:

• Mario Balotelli (Manchester City): This guy is a talented lunatic. Among his many acts of idiocy this year: blowing up his bathroom with fireworks, the Why Always Me t-shirt after scoring the opener against Manchester United, and most recently stomping on Scott Parker’s face intentionally before scoring the winning goal against Tottenham. His personality is like The Joker. RED CARD.
• John Terry (Chelsea): His reputation precedes him. He cannot remain England captain if found guilty of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand. RED CARD.
• Luis Suarez (Liverpool): Currently serving an 8 match ban for being found guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra. RED CARD
• Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool): The Liverpool manager OK’d shirts supporting Suarez during the FA’s racism hearing. Dirtball move. RED CARD.
• Roberto Mancini (Manchester City): For displaying and appealing for RED CARDS during games. It is not sportsman-like, stop it. Now Ill show you one: RED CARD.
• Andre Villas Boas (Chelsea): The Chelsea manager has been at the helm of controversy this entire season, but his ruthless skepticism of the English media is getting old. It is a high pressure job- deal with it. RED CARD.
• Fernando Torres (Chelsea): Has scored 3 total goals for Chelsea since arriving on January 31st of last year for $80 million. That is $26.7 million/goal. RED CARD.
• Andy Carroll (Liverpool): If you think Torres form is terrible, try watching Andy Carroll play. RED CARD.
• Premier League Referees: The harsh decisions by Premier League referees are at an all-time high. They need to get it together before they ruin anymore matches with silly decisions. RED CARD. 
• Joey Barton (Queens Park Rangers): Barton leads the league in fouls, and total yellow and red cards with 9. He is a tough midfielder, but constantly goes over-the-top with bad play. RED CARD.
• Arsene Wenger (Arsenal): His management magic at Arsenal might be up. Wenger has looked, and managed, like a shell of his former self. RED CARD.

One of the many tributes to the life of Gary Speed at Leeds United.

Best Moment: Gary Speed Tributes. Unfortunately for many in the UK and around the world, footballing legend Gary Speed died in November. He played for Leeds United, Newcastle, Everton and Bolton before becoming the Wales manager and leading that team to unbelievable success. The outpouring of support for this former great player was unbelievable. Many clubs had moments of silence, chanted songs with his name during large portions of entire matches and had memorials set up outside of their respective stadiums. Speed was revered like very few footballers in the UK, and his legend will live on accordingly.

Luis Suarez engages in racist remarks with Patrice Evra. Suarez was banned for 8 matches.

Worst Moment: John Terry (Chelsea) and Luis Suarez (Liverpool) racism allegations. Suarez was banned by the F.A. for 8 matches after it was found that he shouted racist remarks at Patrice Evra (Manchester United) during the teams match on October 15th. Terry has yet to be charged by the F.A., but is also under investigation from the Crown Prosecution Service for alleged racist remarks that he said to Anton Ferdinand (Queens Park Rangers) during their October match. What makes both situations even worse is that both players have a history of terrible lapses of character. In this day and age, it is unfathomable that this kind of behavior still exists- especially in the top football league in the world. It is reprehensible, and I hope justice is done.

RVP is the first half MVP.

Player of the first half: Robin Van Persie. Arsenal’s captain has been nothing short of spectacular through the first half. He has amassed 19 goals and 5 assists already and is on pace for many more. Plus, his leadership have helped Arsenal weather a tough first half of the season. We will truly see how good he is in the second half.

Team of the first half: Manchester City. Without a doubt, City have been the most impressive squad of the first half of the season. Their consistency and attacking threat have been unmatched so far.

Chelsea's Daniel Sturridge had the goal of the first half with his amazing back-heel shot.

Goals of the first half:

1) Daniel Sturridge vs. Sunderland: watch

2) Robin Van Persie vs. Everton: watch

3) Luka Modric vs. Liverpool: watch

It's now or never for Fernando Torres.

Bold predictions for the 2nd half of the season:

• Fernando Torres will find his goal scoring form. I expect the Spaniard to ‘come good’ during the second half of this season.
• Manchester United will have a tough 2nd half and finish 3rd or 4th. I know they are the standard by which all other teams are measured, but they seem to have lost their creative spark this season. Goals are much tougher to come by these days for United.
• Arsenal will not qualify for the Champions League. I dont see how the Gunners finish in the Top 4- especially with the squad decisions that Arsene Wenger has been making lately.
• Norwich and Swansea City will both finish middle of the table. Both squads are built to play in the Premier League, and they will continue to play spoiler to big clubs.
• Landon Donovan will finish the second half of the season with Everton and sign for them permanently.
• Clint Dempsey will end up playing for a bigger club by the start of the next season. His form is top-notch right now.
• Tottenham will qualify for the Champions League, sparking Harry Redknapp to stay with Spurs instead of taking the England National Team position.
• David Moyes will take the England job.
• Chelsea’s 2nd half MVP- Michael Essien. If ‘Ess’ can come back to health- he can be a destructive force for the Blues.
• Newcastle continues their great form when Demba Ba returns from the African Nations Cup. They qualify for the Europa League.

NFL Season Wrap Up/Playoff Preview: by Adam Troester

The final game of the 256 game NFL season wrapped up late Sunday night with the New York Giants taking down their archrival Dallas Cowboys to earn the last of 12 playoff spots.  The four month regular season is in the books, but what exactly did we learn that we didn’t already know?  What surprises did we see both good and bad?  Most importantly, who positioned themselves the best to make a run at claiming Super Bowl XLVI?

Even Jim Harbaugh is surprised with his team's success.

Biggest Surprise (Good):

Before this season began, there is no way anyone predicted that the Bengals, Broncos, Lions and 49ers would all be in the playoffs.  That in itself is a great surprise for the NFL.  It is clear that parity is part of every NFL season, but these traditional franchises pushing their way to the playoffs can only benefit the league even more.  With that said, there can only be one biggest surprise and that goes to the 49ers.  Before the season, they hired a first time NFL head coach in a season proceeded by a lockout.  It is hard to get a team prepared for any season, but having mere weeks to get a new system in place, as well as, a new culture makes this season one to remember for San Francisco.  There were talks of them throwing the season away to get Harbaugh’s old quarterback Andrew Luck with the first pick of the upcoming draft.  Instead, they run away with the West with a 13-3 record while securing a first round bye.  That along with one of the best defenses in the league gives them a decent chance to win their first playoff game since 2002.

Biggest Surprise (Bad):

While there are always surprise teams that make the playoffs, the same can be said with some of the teams that fell short of the postseason.  The teams that fall in this category for the 2011 season are the Eagles, Jets and the Chargers.  While the Colts 2-14 record was by some shocking, you have to give them a pass for not having their all-time great quarterback in Peyton Manning.  Out of the three mentioned teams, the biggest surprise to not make the playoffs has to be the San Diego Chargers.  The NFC and AFC East divisions are very strong.  The AFC East obviously has the New England Patriots to get past, so it’s not all too surprising the Jets didn’t win the division.  The Eagles had a lot of additions with little time to get used to each other before the season began.  They clicked in the last quarter of the season and will be the team to beat in the NFC East next year.  The San Diego Chargers play in a division where no one finished over 8-8.  Going into the season, they were the heavy favorites to take the West.  They were 4-1 through five games.  It took them six weeks to get over Rivers’ botched snap that cost them the Kansas City game.  With the talent that they have an 8-8 record in the 2011 AFC West is inexcusable.

Coach of the Year:

Jim Harbaugh of the San Francisco 49ers is the “no brainer” Coach of the Year.  Not only did he take the 49ers’ decade long streak of missing the playoffs, he did it on the back end of a lockout.  In Andrew Smith’s first seven years he has had seven different offensive coordinators.  He may have finally got the keys to the right car in this new West Coast product.  A probable date with the New Orleans Saints in the Divisional Round will show us just how far they have come.

Newton has earned his Superman title in his rookie season.

Rookie of the Year:

There really are only four people to consider for this award.  While Julio Jones seems to be a go-to player for years to come for the Falcons, the fact still remains that A.J. Green had a better season against tougher defenses, so that eliminates Jones.  A.J. Green, Cam Newton, Andy Dalton and Patrick Peterson would be the four I would consider.  While Peterson is definitely the Defensive and Special Teams Rookie of the year, he falls short of comparing to the other three.  AJ Green’s 1,057 receiving yards to go along with 7 touchdowns is very respectable, but there is nothing like being a rookie quarterback in the NFL.  That’s why this award comes down to two.  Andy Dalton and Cam Newton both had years that no one expected.  While Dalton did lead the Bengals to the playoffs the Rookie of the Year still goes to Cam Newton.  Newton put together one of the best rookie seasons of all time.  He broke Peyton Manning’s rookie passing record with 4,051 yards (312 more yards than Manning).  He also set the record for rushing yards by a rookie QB with 706 yards (154 more than second best).  He set the NFL record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in any season.  He accounted for 4,757 yards and 35 touchdowns.  He lived up to the expectations of being the #1 overall pick. In 2010, the Panthers scored 16 touchdowns—16! In 2011, after picking up Newton, they scored 48 touchdowns.   They increased the points scored from 196 to 406 points scored.  The Bengals went from 322 points in 2010 to 344 in 2011.  All of that makes him the Rookie of the Year.  The future looks very bright in Carolina.  An additional weapon in Justin Blackmon could be what this team needs to make a run in years to come.

Defensive Player of the Year:

Jared Allen had a monster season for the lowly Minnesota Vikings.  He lived up to his first half statistics and almost broke the all-time record of 22.5 sacks held by Michael Strahan.  Allen finished ½ a sack short at 22 for the year.  He also had an interception, forced four fumbles and recovered four fumbles.  That makes him a dominant force.  To do all that on the defense the Vikings had makes it even that much more impressive.  Charles Woodson made a great push for the honor once again with seven interceptions, two sacks and his overall presence in the Packers’ secondary, but no one even comes close to Jared Allen’s performance.  He has 105 career sacks which puts him within striking distance of the 160 sacks for 3rd overall by the time he is done playing the game.

Most Valuable Player:

This will be the most competitive MVP race since Barry Sanders and Brett Favre shared the 1997 honor.  How can you determine who has been the best player when two players surpassed the mark for passing yards in a season. Another threw 45 touchdowns with only 6 interceptions in 15 games and set the record for best passer rating in a season.  Another led his team to nine consecutive seasons with 10 wins or more to see them win only TWO in his absence this season.  We can eliminate Peyton Manning based on the fact that it is the Most Valuable Player and he didn’t play a single snap.  That doesn’t change the fact that this might be the most important season for his legacy.  If the Colts bounce back next season and make the playoffs, there will be no doubt how important Manning is to this franchise and the league.  He is one of the best quarterbacks to play the game and now he adds a coaching dimension that was seen throughout this season.  With that said, will the Colts take Andrew Luck with the #1 overall pick?  I still would.

This award really comes down to three outstanding quarterbacks.  Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Tom Brady all had seasons they will never forget.  They compiled 15,354 combined passing yards.  They had 130 touchdowns while throwing only 32 INT’s.  They all had passer ratings of 105+.  Most importantly, they all led their teams to 13 or more wins to win their respective divisions.  If there was ever a year to have multiple winners 2011 would be the year.  However, the award must go to someone.  Aaron Rodgers’ season just can’t be overlooked.  He had 45 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions in 15 games.  If he had started instead of Matt Flynn in the final game and accumulated his average stats from the first 15 games his line would’ve been:  4,953 yards, 48 TD, 6 INT, 122.5 rating.  Some quarterbacks have great seasons in one or two categories. He had all-time numbers in the most important stats, including a 14-1 record.  Brees and Brady did manage more passing yards per game, but Rodgers averaged more yards per attempt and half the number of interceptions as the other two quarterbacks.  If he had as many passing attempts as Brees, he was on pace for 6,077 yards.  In any other season, Brees and Brady would have run away with the award. But, my NFL MVP is Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers.  We all know what these three men want is another Super Bowl ring and I have no doubt these will be the three biggest players in the postseason.

Play of the Year:

Jerome Simpson’s touchdown reception against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 16 is hands down the best play of the year.  If this would’ve happened in an exhibition game it would’ve been unreal.  The fact that it came in a must win game for the Bengals makes it that much better: LEAP

Playoff Predictions:

AFC Wildcard Round:

 #6 Cincinnati Bengals at #3 Houston Texans:  Everyone knows the Texans really aren’t the third best team in the AFC.  They are down to their third string quarterback and their most explosive players on both sides of the ball are hurt.  Although Andre Johnson is likely to play with his two sore hamstrings, they still don’t have Mario Williams to threaten Andy Dalton.  The Texans won the last meeting by one in Cincy, but that game gave the Bengals some insight on how to beat Houston.  Pick: Bengals 24-Texans 17

#5 Pittsburgh Steelers at #4 Denver Broncos:  The annual “this game should be played at the other stadium” game (ie: see 2010 Saints at Seahawks).  This is an interesting matchup.  The Broncos backed their way into the playoffs losing their last three games.  The Steelers are banged up with Ben Roethlisberger having a nagging ankle sprain and losing Rashard Mendenhall for the season in Week 17.  If the Steelers defense shows up these two injuries shouldn’t make much of a difference.  The Broncos are playing with nothing to lose which is dangerous, but I don’t see the upset.  Pick: Steelers 27 -Broncos 13

NFC Wildcard Round:

#6 Detroit Lions at #3 New Orleans Saints:  Is any team more prepared for the playoffs than the Saints?  They have won eight games in a row and haven’t lost at home the whole season.  Throw in the fact that they beat the Lions by two touchdowns in December and it seems this one is an easy pick.  Lions DT Ndamukong Suh was serving the first game of his two game suspension during the December 4^th.  Matthew Stafford just threw for over 500 yards and 5 touchdowns at Green Bay.  Throw those facts in and it becomes a little blurry.  With all of that said, the Saints are likely to win this in a shootout.  Pick Saints 38- Lions 27

#5 Atlanta Falcons at #4 New York Giants:  The NFC East as a whole was pretty disappointing this year.  The Falcons only lost 2 games against non divisional winners, while the Giants lost 4.  New York only has one win against teams with a winning record.  After last Sunday’s 42 points in one half Atlanta is hitting its stride at the perfect time.  I don’t see the Giants coming through in this one despite the season Eli Manning is having.  Pick Falcons 24- Giants 23

AFC Divisional Round

#6 Cincinnati Bengals at #1 New England Patriots:  This has been a great season for the rebuilt Bengals.  They won the games they needed to to make the playoffs.  However, they were 9-0 against non-playoff teams and 0-7 against playoff teams.  Combine that with the fact that the Patriots are at home and looking for their first playoff win in four years and you have a deadly combination for Cincy.  Their feel good story ends in the second week of January.  Pick Patriots 34- Bengals 20

#5 Pittsburgh Steelers at #2 Baltimore Ravens:  The Ravens said at the beginning of the year that their main hurdle to get over is the Pittsburgh Steelers.  They have managed to do that so far this season, sweeping the season series with the Steelers.  They are also one of three teams in the league to run the table in their eight home games.  One of the toughest things to do in sports is beat the same team three times in one season.  With the injuries to the Steelers and the defense of the Ravens, I see that exact scenario playing out. Pick Ravens 27- Steelers 17

NFC Divisional Round

#3 New Orleans Saints at #2 San Francisco 49ers:  San Francisco has neither hosted nor played in a postseason game since the 2002 season.  Their fans will be jacked for this matchup between one of the highest octane offense in the Saints.  Something will have to give as San Francisco is giving up just over 14 points per game and New Orleans is scoring over 34 points a game.  Seeing as how the 49er defense is better at stopping the run than the pass, I like the Saints to make it back to the NFC Championship game.  Pick Saints 37 -49ers 24

#5 Atlanta Falcons at #1 Green Bay Packers: After the second half of the season took a toll on the Green Bay Packers health, they should be full strength heading into the playoffs.  The highest scoring offense will have all of its weapons back, which is scary for any opposition.  The Week 5 matchup between these two can’t be forgotten.  The Falcons got out to a fast 14-0 start over the Packers in Atlanta.  Aaron Rodgers led Green Bay to 25 unanswered points and an 11 point win.  This game, obviously at Lambeau, favors the Pack even more.  Pick Packers 38- Falcons 31

AFC Championship

#2 Baltimore Ravens at #1 New England Patriots:  This is a battle between two teams that couldn’t be built further apart.  The New England Patriots have a top 3 offense in the league with a horrid defense.  The Ravens have a top three defense with only one real weapon on offense in Ray Rice.  The question is, which of these attacks will win in the post season.  With a chance to go to the Super Bowl on the line you better believe Tom Brady will deliver.  Even if the Ravens shut down the Patriots, that means they still score 24 points.  This ones goes to the three time Super Bowl Champs.  Pick Patriots 31- Ravens 20

NFC Championship

#3 New Orleans Saints at #1 Green Bay Packers:  Can anyone remember ever having a better offensive matchup in a playoff game?  This is an offensive coordinator’s dream and a defensive coordinator’s nightmare.  These two offensives combined for 1,107 points.  Their defenses rank 30^th and 32^nd in stopping the pass.  The only thing that will stop an all-time shootout is a Green Bay blizzard.  It may come down to whoever has the ball last.  Whoever wins this toss up game faces another high powered offense in Super Bowl XLVI in the New England Patriots.  When in doubt, go with the home team who happens to be the defending Super Bowl Champion.  Pick Packers 38- Saints 34

Super Bowl XLVI

Green Bay Packers v New England Patriots:  The team of the 2000s vs the probable team of the 2010′s.  This is a matchup for the ages and could rival the 53.6 million viewers who watched the Saints beat the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV and happens to be the most viewed event in the history of TV.  Two storied franchises with two great fan bases would make this an event the NFL would clamor over.  The buildup would be unmatched.  The comparisons of Brady v Rodgers v the other all-time quarterbacks would be talked about nonstop for two weeks.  On top of that you have a team looking to become the first repeat champion since the Patriots did it in 2004/2005 playing the team that still wants to be the last team to win back-to-back Super Bowls.  The traditionalists who want to see solid, hard hitting defense may be opposed to this matchup, but really who outside them doesn’t want to see this?  The Super Bowl should come down to two teams of this caliber.  I see this game yet again coming down to the wire with a turnover here or missed field goal there deciding it.  Aaron Rodgers becomes a back-to-back Super Bowl MVP cementing his legacy in Green Bay and NFL history.  Pick Packers 41- Patriots 37

 All of these predictions may be shot down by the second week of the playoffs, but that’s why they play the games.  If you agree or disagree, it doesn’t matter.  What matters is when there is a world title on the line, and at the end of it all, it only matters who shows up at the right time.  Over half way to Super Bowl LXXXVIII (88, can’t wait to see the logo for that one).  As always, thanks for reading.  Good luck to your teams and don’t do anything to deserve a RED CARD.

Hey Red Card Nation! Welcome back to the last post of 2011- the Sexiest Women of 2011 Edition! I would just like to thank everyone one last time in 2011 for being an active reader of this project of mine. Shown The Red Card has grown tremendously this year, and I will make it my New Years Resolution to continue to grow and evolve this blog into something special. Again, I wouldnt be here without all of you- so thank you for a great 2011. Please have a safe and Happy New Years. Here’s to a fantastic 2012- cheers.

Now, on to what will be the most popular post of 2011. Everyone had a lot of input on my list last year, so I took extra time in crafting this years list and I think I did a good job. In all honesty though- these lists are awesome to do and I had a lot of fun doing it. A lot of thought and effort went into the rankings. Enjoy.

Here are the qualifications that shaped this years post:

• Sexiness isn’t a mathematical formula. Every person sees ‘sexy’  in different ways. This list is how I saw it. I’m sure you’ll disagree- AND THAT’S OK.
• I took into account 3 factors: Beauty, Brains and Talent.
• I also took into account how ‘current’ the woman is. If she hasnt acted, sang, modeled, etc. in 5 years, she probably isn’t on the list. This is the Sexiest Women of 2011, not 1998.
• To all the ladies reading this: be you- nothing is better.

60. Alex Morgan: GOOOALLLLLLL. Every man in America was drooling over her this past Summer during the Womens World Cup. She has potential to be the hottest athlete in the world.

59. Emma Stone: Rising Superstar. Ms. Stone is on the cusp of being one of the darling actresses of this decade. Not only was she in Crazy, Stupid Love this year, but she will also be playing Mary Jane in next years The Amazing Spider Man.

58. Zooey Deschanel: Sexy Nerd. Zooey made the jump from movies into primetime T.V. this year with her hit show New Girl. She has never looked so good.

57. Danneel Harris: Spicey Cajun. Danneel starred in The Roommate and A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas this year.

56. Jessica Biel: Quiet Babe. Until this years film New Years Eve we hadnt heard much from Ms. Biel. Fear not, she is scheduled to be in 5 movies over the next 2.5 years.

55. Carrie Underwood: Country Star. Full disclosure, I dont listen to country music, BUT she always makes me look twice.

54. Audrina Patridge: Reality Babe. Look, I despise reality T.V., but this girl could persuade me to watch.

53. Beyonce: Baby Mama. Everyone knows that she debuted another platinum album this year, but the big news is that her and Jay-Z will be having a baby soon.

52. Natalie Portman: Stunning. Not only did Portman have a baby this year, but she was in three movies: New Years Eve, Your Highness and Thor. Busy bee.

51. Rashida Jones: Harvard Grad. This was a busy year for Jones, as she was in four movies: The Big Year, Friends With Benefits, Our Idiot Brother and The Muppets.

50. Erin Andrews: Sports Reporter. Every man in America wants to date E.A. Not only is she a good sideline reporter, but she has made many appearances on Good Morning America and College Gameday. Long live Erin Andrews.

49. Julianne Hough: Dancing Star. Hough has been a regular champion on Dancing With The Stars, and recently tried her hand at country music. She also appeared in Footloose this year making her a triple threat.

48. Selita Ebanks: Fierce. Few words need to be said about Ms. Ebanks. Why? Because shes a Victoria’s Secret Angel.

47. Erin Heatherton: Baby Angel. Also a V.S. Angel, Erin is only 22- so there is room for her career to flourish. Hallelujah.

46. Eva Mendes: Sultry Activist. For many, Eva is a lot of things. Not only is she beautiful, but also very funny and sassy. She was in Fast Five this year, meaning that she is also a badass.

45. Claire Coffee: Beyond Law. Claire is a relative unknown to most, but that wont last long. She starred in the funny new show Franklin and Bash this year. Watch for her star to rise. Plus, she loves football. #winning

44. Scarlett Johanson: Zookeeper. She is in this years movie We Bought a Zoo, but what sets her apart in 2011 is her phone picture leak. Wowza.

43. Jessica Alba: Spy. Sure, she starred in Spy Kids 4 this year, but on pure beauty alone- she remains one of the all-time greats.

42. Jennifer Aniston: Horrible Boss. If anyone had any doubts about why she made the list this year, I encourage you to go see how sexy Jen was in Horrible Bosses. She will have ‘it’ forever.

41. Jennifer Love Hewitt: Love Actually. While it was a relatively quiet year for Love Hewitt, she is still incredibly sexy. She will be back in 2012 with a movie and 2 T.V. shows.

40. Rihanna: Caribbean Queen. Rihanna has been on fire for what seems like the last 5 years. She backs it up with hot music videos that show off her finest dance moves. Talk That Talk is in stores now.

39. Kate Beckinsale: Underworld Beauty. Kate was quiet in 2010, but oh boy is she about to heat up. She is starring in Contraband, Underworld: Awakening and Total Recall in 2012. Plus she has an amazing British accent and loves a certain part of herself the best. Take a guess.

38. Brooklyn Decker: ‘It’ Girl. Decker has been all over the map in 2011. She not only featured in Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Editon, but also had a huge roll in Adam Sandler’s Just Go With It. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Andy Roddick is a lucky bastard.

37. Blake Lively: Gossip Girl. Blake is widely known for her role in Gossip Girl, although I couldnt tell you what that is. What I can tell you is that she is a rising film star and that she is really hot.

36. Malin Akerman: Swedish Sensation. Malin Akerman will be everywhere on your movie screen in 2012, so look for her in Wonderlust, The Giant Mechanical Man, Medallion and Rock of Ages. Any list has to have room for a girl with legs this good.

35. Abbey Clancy: W.A.G. Not only is Abbey British, but she is also married to English Premier League player Peter Crouch. She is on the rise across the pond.

34. Anne Hathaway: Catwoman. Look, Anne was hot before playing Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises (coming Summer 2012), but after it debuts she may rise to #1 next year.

33. Delta Goodrem: Australian for Sexy. Not only is she an Aussie, which earns her major points in my book for her accent, but she also sings and danced on Dancing With The Stars. So hot.

32. Mila Kunis: Friend With Benefits. If only, right? Not only was she in a few steamy situations with Justin Timberlake, but she still continued her role as Meg on Family Guy. Hot damn.

31. Megan Fox: Sexy Like a Fox. Plain and simple, she embodies the word sexy. So, even though she had a quiet 2011, she still made the list.

30. Nicole Scherzinger: X Factor. Oh boy, how I love this former Pussy Cat Doll. She is now a judge on the X Factor and will be in Men In Black III next year. Sexy.

29. Olivia Munn: Game Changer. Munn is sexy, nerdy, funny and most importantly; smart. She is also a correspondent on The Daily Show which makes her a winner in my book.

28. Vanessa Hudgens: Sucker Punch. Ms. Hudgens has really come of age lately. In 2011 she starred in the female thriller Sucker Punch and is on the slate for 3 movies in 2012. She is incredibly sexy as well, which helped her reach #28.

27. Miranda Kerr: Aussie Angel. 2 things make Miranda Kerr ultra-sexy: 1) She’s an Aussie. 2) She’s a V.S. Angel. Do the math.

26. Bar Refaeli: Raising The Bar. She is one of the big time Sports Illustrated Swimsuit models. I think its clear why she made the list.

25. Leighton Meester: Seductive. Meester is all-around sexy, as well as talented. She was in three movies this year: The Roommate, Monte Carlo and The Oranges.

24. Alessandra Ambrosio: Brazilian Beauty. She is a badass. Why? She was 2 months pregnant when she featured in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show a few weeks back.

23. Minka Kelly: Minx. Of all of the ‘misses’ I had on last years list- she was the main one. I admit my error and thus ranked her in the Jordan spot.

22. Freida Pinto: Immortal. Pinto ran a muck in 2011, totalling four films including Immortals. She is a goddess, after all.

21. Emma Watson: Magic. Point blank, Emma Watson may be the prettiest lady on this list. She was also in the final installment of the Harry Potter series this year. Onto bigger, and hopefully sexier things now.

20. Adriana Lima: The Standard. Adriana is one of the most iconic VS Angels ever. She also confirms my theory that Brazilian women are the sexiest women in the world.

19. Alice Eve: Oxford Grad. In 2011, Alice was a big part of the last season of Entourage playing Vince’s new love interest. She will also be featured in next years Men In Black III. Plus, she’s sexy and smart. Count me in.

18. Odette Anable: Doctor. She’s not a real doctor, but she does a damn good job of playing one on House, one of my all-time favorite shows. Gotta love that.

17. Marisa Miller: Hang Ten. There isnt much that needs to be said for Marisa Miller. She’s just ungodly hot, loves sports and is a V.S. Angel and an S.I. Swimsuit model.

16. Candice Swanepoel: Diamond. Candice is from South Africa and is currently a Victoria’s Secret Angel. If you saw her in the V.S. Fashion Show- you know that she had to make the list.

15. Hayden Panettierre: We All Scream. Hayden played a role in Scream 4, but guys have been after her for awhile now. She has a big 2012 coming up as well. Let her be your hero.

14. Zoe Saldana: License To Kill. Zoe is as badass as females come. Dont believe me- see Columbiana. She is sexy and fierce at the same time.

13. Cheryl Cole: Cole World. This pop diva made the transition to being an X Factor judge this year, like Nicole Scherzinger. She is also working on her third album.

12. Amber Heard: Heard That. She had a busy 2011, starring in both Drive Angry with Nicolas Cage and The Rum Diary alongside Johnny Depp.

11. Katy Perry: Single Lady. News just broke that Ms. Perry has gotten divorced from Russell Brand! To use one of my favorite quotes ever: “So you’re sayin’ there’s a chance!”

10. Stacy Keibler. Clooney’s Girl. Yes, thats right- George Clooney has deemed Stacy hot enough to date, so she may as well be #1 on the list. Plus she had stints on Blue Mountain State, Psych and Chuck. Best legs/butt on the list.

9. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley: Transformer. Rosie busted onto the scene in 2011. She starred in Transformers: Dark of the Moon and kept her role as a V.S. Angel. I dont think there could be a sexier Autobot.

8. Olivia Wilde: The Change-Up. Natural beauty. Those are the two words I associate with Olivia Wilde. She was in four films this year: Cowboys and Aliens, In Time, The Change-Up and On The Inside. She will always be Dr. Thirteen to me though.

7. Emmanuelle Chriqui: Thundercat. She was in a variety of T.V. shows in 2011, including Thundercats. But, she was crucial as Sloan in the final season of Entourage. So sexy.

6. Kate Upton: The Next Big Thing. Kate exploded onto everyones radar in 2011 with her spread in the S.I. Swimsuit Editon. Something (looks down) tells me that she will stay on the top of our mind for years to come.

5. Melanie Iglesias: Flipbook. I dont blame you for not knowing who Melanie is. She’s a relative newcomer, winning Maxim’s Hometown Hotties contest in 2010. But, if you dont go to youtube right now and check out all four of her Flipbook videos, you are out of your mind. Wow.

4. Joanna Krupa: Last Years #1. Krupa dropped 3 spots from last year when she held the first ever Red Card Sexiest Woman crown. But looking at this photo, I may have been crazy to do so.

3. January Jones: Mad Woman. While Mad Men was on hold for 2011, January was great in X-Men: First Class. Clearly, she gave me something to think about. Contrary to popular belief, January isnt cold- she’s hot.

2. Brittany Snow: On Fire. Britanny Snow has grown up in a big way. She plays a new role on the show Harry’s Law, and she may have the best eyes on the list. Good lord.

……and now:

1. Sarah Shahi: Fairly Legal. This may come as a surprise to many, and frankly, I dont care. Of all the women on this list- I stayed infatuated with her the most. She debuted on a pretty awesome new show, Fairly Legal, in 2011 as well. She also used to be a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. Go ahead, start drooling boys. Oh, and Sarah- wear the crown proudly. (Note: there isnt an actual crown.)

So there’s the list. Start arguing!

Uprise Design is a start-up graphic design firm in Lincoln, Nebraska. It is the creation of three friends: Kyle Jensen, Alex Quinn and Kyle ‘Foosh’ Faucheux. Uprise does a variety of work, including apparel design and production for clients, vinyl graphics for businesses, and they have their own line of clothing. Over the last 6 months, I have had the opportunity to befriend them and learn about their business, which has been a real eye-opening experience for me.

There are plenty of stories about small businesses, or ‘start-ups,’ and how a majority of them end in failure, especially in the current economic climate. This company and these guys are rewriting that script. They are not only extremely talented and creative, but what is more impressive to me is their work ethic, dedication, and overall understanding of where they are- and where they want to be in the future. I sat down with Kyle, Alex and ‘Foosh’ to do a Q&A session about how they got started, the process along the way, and what their goals are in the future. If you are interested in learning how a start-up works, or any of the work that Uprise Design does; this should shed some light on an up-and-coming design firm.

Notice: Currently, Uprise is in the process of helping a student at UNL help fight a rare form of cancer with their #TeamDan Project. All proceeds go to Dan. Please buy some apparel if you can. Every bit helps when it comes to fighting cancer. Here is the web page: http://www.uprise-design.com/store/fraternities/teamdan.htm

Connect with Uprise Design:

Apparel: http://uprisebrand.com/

Graphic Design: http://www.uprise-design.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uprisedesign

Twitter: @uprisedesign

Uprise Design: Kyle Jensen, Alex Quinn and Kyle 'Foosh' Faucheux

Now lets get into the questions.

Q: What makes Uprise Design different?

A: (Foosh) “The creativity of our designs. Also, every shirt is made by hand using water-based inks, which actually dye into the material making them soft and durable. That really sets our product apart from others.

Water-based inks set Uprise apart.

Q: Where did the concept of Uprise come from?

A: (Alex) “The three of us are a team; we all share this company evenly. Everyone threw out ideas for our name, but nothing sounded right until Foosh said ‘Uprise’, and all three of us said yes immediately! Foosh was a whiz kid with the logo. Originally it started with the “U”, but all three of us had input on it. The actual design took 15 minutes and it just clicked! We want Uprise to be synonymous with going above and beyond, not just in business, but in any and all aspects of life.

Q:  What is the spirit of a start-up business?

A: (Kyle) To me, it is taking nothing and turning it into something. It is about seeing the possibilities that nobody else can see and having foresight and belief into what can become. It’s about working for far less than minimum wage because you’re doing what you love. It’s also about not having a ceiling; the sky is literally the limit for us. We know what’s going to happen when this takes off, and right now we are creating the foundation for our future.

Q: How did you start Uprise Design?

A: (Kyle) “We originally started brainstorming the idea at a Nebraska Football tailgate last October. Alex and I had thrown the idea around while in college, but it wasn’t something we took overly serious. At the time I was bartending at Texas Roadhouse after I had graduated in May of 2010. Once the school year started in August, reality started to set in, and I knew it was time to do something. Alex, Foosh, and I all met up at a Husker tailgate, and we were talking about what we had been doing since graduating. None of us were really happy with where we were. Then we started throwing out hypothetical’s—the ‘what if’s’.  We met the following Monday and started brainstorming and making our business plan.”

After starting at a Nebraska tailgate, former Huskers Niles Paul and Prince Amukamara both wear Uprise Apparel now.

Q: What was your process in making your business plan?

A: (Kyle) “When we threw around the idea at first, it was all very new. I asked Alex and Foosh; are you guys really ready? Because, if you are, I’ll spend all my time trying to make this happen if you guys are in. I don’t think they realized how fast I was going to put it together. I said we would meet the next Monday, so for the next week I spent 10 hours a day doing market research, brainstorming for potential investors, and researching what all needed to be included in a business plan for people to take it seriously. So it was definitely fast paced and crazy, but things started coming together. I was still working at Texas Roadhouse and one of the regulars once told me: ‘You know you’re ruined right? Once you have your own business, you’ll never work for anyone again!’ I think he is right.”

[They set up a timeline from the middle of October to be open by January 1st of 2011. Few people really believed that they could get a business opened that quickly, but everything fell into place perfectly. Kyle had a family friend who was a Business Lawyer who walked them through the ins and outs of making Uprise Design a legitimate company, and he did the work pro-bono.]

(Kyle) “The funniest thing about this part of our story is that Alex and Foosh were working at Signs Now  while this was all happening, and we didn’t want their boss to catch wind of what we were doing. There were times during their work shift when I would need something signed to file with the State or with our lawyer, so they would run out behind the building and quickly sign large documents, without even looking at them! We always said that one day we would look back and laugh at how ridiculous it was, but we got everything filed that we needed.” ……

“Then I went to a networking group with a friend to see what it was all about, and it just so happened that an accountant was the guest speaker that day. After the meeting I approached him because I knew that bookkeeping and taxes was one area where we would need help. He had just opened his own accounting firm, and offered to help with our bookkeeping at a really cheap rate.  Also, my roommate at the time was in commercial real estate and he started scouting 5 different buildings to set up our shop.”

Alex and the Uprise girls!

Q: Another important question along those lines….where did you get your start-up money?

A: (Alex) As far as investors go, those are all family and friends. They helped us out big! All it took for us to get our funding was 5 phone calls, which was unbelievable. Luckily our start up cost was very low for a new business. I’ve been told that if we become successful with amount of money that we started with, it’d be almost unprecedented.”

(Kyle) “When I went to deposit the money, (after a night of celebrating that we got it in the first place) in sweatpants and with bloodshot eyes, the bank teller took a step back and looked at me funny. I just laughed and nodded. At that point I knew “yeah, this is real!”  We are extremely lucky to have lots of support from friends and family and we will absolutely never forget it.”

Q: What has been the best part of the first year as a new business owner?

A: (Kyle) “I come to work every day and work with good friends, I’m my own boss, and everything I do immediately affects the outcome of every situation that Uprise is in. We are responsible for everything- it all rests on us, my own wellbeing rests on my decisions. That means I can’t blame anyone but myself if things go wrong. I hate excuses and looking for others to place blame on- that’s everywhere in the world today. When you own your own small business and you are putting your heart and soul into it, you can’t make excuses; you only have yourself to blame. It’s a very eye-opening experience. It’s been amazing seeing how the business world operates in general. We are also learning what we do not want Uprise to become. Everything is new to us, so we just trying to soak up as much knowledge as we can.”

Uprise apparel gets the ladies attention, apparently.

Q: What was it like to get noticed for the first time?

A: (Foosh) “Right when we got started, we were practicing printing some of our own designs so that we got to wear our own stuff. It was really awesome to wear it out in public. It felt pretty bad ass actually. To wear your own designs out and be able to say, ‘I made this’- not many people are able to say that.  I remember after a month or so- some random girl at a bar came up and asked us ‘who made the shirts we were wearing; what brand were they?’  We said that we owned our own design company and made the shirts ourselves and her face lit up- that was really cool.”

(Kyle) “I was talking with the Principal of Norris High School about making their apparel, and he said that they already had a design company that they used, but that Uprise was the ‘talk of Norris’, so he went with us. That was my first hint that we were on to something and the word was spreading.”

(Alex) “River Riot was a huge high for us. We made 1500 shirts for their concert and got to talk to the D.J.’s at 89.7 The River on air to promote the event. Our first order ever was 7 shirts, so this was a big jump! 89.7 The River loved us; they said that we get their style and attitude. That was my first really positive experience that I will remember.”

The team working Big Red Welcome at the University of Nebraska.

Q: What has been the toughest/most stressful part of the first year in business?

A: (Kyle) “All three of us are graphic designers by trade, not business people; So stuff like taxes, licensing agreements, copy-writes, trademarks, and all of the potential legal ramifications should you slip up were there. The red tape is far more extensive than I could have ever imagined and that’s stressful.”

(Foosh) “Making our designs creative and unique is tough and time consuming, but it’s what we love to do. A big frustration was when we unveiled our first online store in April, thinking that people would just dive right in a start buying stuff, then, after three weeks, we had only sold one shirt. Then the question was ‘why aren’t people buying our apparel?’  We loved them, people that saw the designs loved them, but people are just kind of skeptic buying something online that doesn’t have much of a background, so that was very frustrating. We know our potential. We also know that people will continue their habit of going to The Buckle and spending $80 on something that we do better for $17. But, I will say that we have seen a lot more good than bad in year one. The 80 hour work weeks are tough, but necessary at this stage.”

Foosh, Alex and the Uprise Girls pedaling merch.

Q: What are your immediate goals?

A: (Kyle) “Basically, to see continued growth because after a while, it is inevitable, the shine wears off of any new business. We need to continue to put in time with our customer service and make it the best in the business because there is always someone right behind you take your clients if you aren’t on top of your game. We won’t settle for less than amazing here. I’ll admit, some of the things we do on a first run aren’t good enough, so we do it until its right. Any company can do what we do; what makes us better is our commitment to our customers and the creativity of our designs. We don’t want our customers just to get a t-shirt and that is the end of it. We want them to love what they get. I bring a sports-type of mentality into our business. I strive to be the best in everything. If it is between us or them (competition), I guarantee it is going to be us. I’m that competitive.”

Q: What about long-term goals?

A: (Kyle) “Our big goal is that we want Uprise to be 2 companies; Uprise Design and Uprise Apparel. Uprise Design will be the graphic design we do for clients. Uprise Apparel is our own line of clothing. At some point we will have to split the company to get the best out of both sides. Also, we definitely want to open a store for our apparel. I want Uprise to be the next Hurley; to be the next big thing. But, as much as I want to blow the doors off of the world, I know that you have to build slowly. If you get too big, too fast, you start to miss important details, get off track from what you originally set out to be, and you’ll fail.”

Q: How are all three of you different?

A: (Kyle) “We are all very different; we all have our areas of expertise. We’re each very unique. I love talking to people, getting clients, and sharing our story. I like the business side. Foosh is an amazing designer. He has a way of knowing what people are looking for when it comes to a design and making it into something that they can physically see. We get clients that come to us with very little to go off of in terms of what they are looking for, and somehow he figures it out. The guy is a computer wizard. Alex has an eye for detail. He built the tables and our press. He is the hardest worker I know. We are all part of the same chain though, and if you take a link out of the chain, this would be nothing.”

Q: Who is the most creative among the three of you?

A: (Kyle) “I’d have to say the most creative is Foosh. He is a magician on the computer coming up with designs. But, we are a tripod. All 3 of us have input on every design. The process starts with Alex and Foosh and then it comes to me. I deal more with the business side of things and offer my tweaks and finishing touches for the most part.”

Q: When did you know growing up that you had a passion for design?

A: (Kyle) “This is kind of crazy- I’m really into art. I was always good at drawing as a kid, but not many people foster art at a young age. My art teacher and my parents said I was good, but when I got to college, I figured out it would be really tough to be an artist so I kind of dismissed it. I started at UNL as a Biology major. My brother is a doctor, so he was a major influence. I did well in classes, but my heart wasn’t in it, so then I went and changed my major to history because I thought that I wanted to be a teacher. I still think that I would have loved teaching, but it wasn’t the ideal situation for me at the time. Then I went and switched my major again to business because it was practical. I could see what I liked in business, but I didn’t like everything. I knew that I needed to go back to art, which broke my parents’ heart (laughs) because switching to Art as a Junior is like starting over as a Freshman! I decided to go into graphic design. It was an artistic, yet applicable major for the “real world”. It clicked, and I knew it was what I should’ve been doing all along. It took me 6 years to graduate. Some people think I have a Masters degree (laughs), but that experience definitely molded me into the person I am today and conditioned me for what I do now.”

Team mascots?

Q: Who is the goofiest of you guys?

A: (Everyone laughing) We all have our moments.

(Alex) “If we are talking about Fridays after a week full of printing, definitely me.”

(Kyle) “Usually it depends on who has the least amount of sleep, sleep deprivation can cause humor or grumpiness.”

(Foosh) All 3 of us have a persona. When you’re at the shop all day long, you need some entertainment and humor. Sometimes we even get to see Alex rocking out to Rihanna.

(Kyle) We have a very good grasp on the work to fun ratio here. We realize that we are laying the foundation for something great, so we take it very seriously. We want this company to blow up, but if we let stress get to us, then we would be toast. It is a fun environment here.

Dressed up for Halloween: Brian Wilson and an oversized Tiger.

Q: What are some fun facts that you can share about Uprise?

A: (Kyle laughing) “Here is a good one; the first time Alex printed shirts it took him 5 hours to do 25 shirts. Now he can do 700 in a day.”

(Alex) “Yeah, in college I printed my first 6 shirts for a class by toughing myself how to print off of YouTube. I rigged it all up in my basement. I’ve come a long way since then!”

Alex has mastered the printing for Uprise.

(Kyle) “We have shipped our line of Uprise Apparel to 15 states. We made stickers and had a ‘best sticker placement contest’  to create some noise on Facebook, and we had 3 stickers show up in pictures in Italy! I’m still not sure how they got there.”

(Foosh) My craziest thing was driving 23 hours straight to Maryland and back in 3 days last winter to pick up the shirt press and dryers to help set our shop up and then drove back. It was a long trip.

(Kyle) This first year has been an all-around learning experience, and we have a lot more to learn. We’ve faced a lot of adversity, broken equipment, money situations, and so much more. Sometime I think that we are lucky to have gotten to this point, but I then I remember what a good friend of mine told me:

“chance favors the prepared mind; we were given a chance and we were prepared to take it.”

This NFL season has been like the 45 before it in many ways, but it also has provided a lot of surprises that have made this blogger take an even greater interest than in years past.  As always, one or more teams are getting eliminated from playoff contention with each passing week.  That much is always true.  What most didn’t think would happen is having two division champions with four weeks left to play.  While the Green Bay Packers were on nearly 100% of preseason playoff ballots, you would have to be a liar or a genius if you told me you thought the 49ers would clinch the NFC West at the three quarter mark. With that being said there is little left that we do know.  The Saints are only one game behind San Fran for a crucial first round bye and the other 9 playoff spots (excluding the Pack) are as jumbled as I can remember.

Discount Double Check

Before the season started we knew the Packers were going to be good, but did you see Aaron Rodgers playing at this rate?  His completion percentage has SLIPPED to 70.6% in the past three weeks, but he is on pace to break almost every single season passing record in the game.  If you think the Packers are going to bench their starters at the end of the season instead of going all out for 16-0 you would probably be on the wrong end of that argument.  They are going for it all and it looks like they may be the only team that can beat themselves.  Aaron Rodgers’ success has overshadowed how good of a season Drew Brees is having.  Rodgers may be on pace to break Dan Marino’s single season record for passing yards, but Brees is on pace to smash it.  There have been two 5,000 yard passing seasons in NFL history.  This season there are three on pace to break the 5k mark (Tom Brady) and this would make Brees the only one to do it twice.

Drew Brees may not be able to dunk, but he is sure to slam Dan Marino's single season passing record.

Even with the amazing seasons the previously mentioned quarterbacks are having, the two most surprising QB performances might come from run oriented snap takers.  Rookie Cam Newton set the NFL record for most rushing TD’s by a quarterback in a single season.  He could put it out of reach of anyone not named Newton with four games remaining.  What may be even more surprising is that he is also on pace for over 4,000 passing yards and 35 total touchdowns.  Even so, the offensive Rookie of the Year award might be the closest race ever between Cam and Andy Dalton.

Finally, the biggest surprise in my eyes is Mr. Timothy Tebow of the Denver Broncos.  He has led Denver to a 6-1 record in the 7 games he has started.  They’ve done it with offense and defense (mostly defense) and 9 wins is looking doable.  With Oakland having 2 games left against the Packers and Lions, this division is Denver’s to lose.  For all of you still hating out there just remember this theme about Tebow.

It's Tebow Time.

With a fourth of the season still remaining, there are bound to be even more surprises, upsets and Packer wins to end the season.  Now on to the rankings:

1)      Green Bay Packers (12-0):  With three of their last four games at Lambeau the Pack should expect to finish 16-0.  Three wins away from the longest streak in history.

2)      New England Patriots (9-3):  Just when everyone thinks the Patriots are down and out they wake up and look like they’ll probably win 13 games again.

3)      Baltimore Ravens (9-3):  Another AFC team that looks a 13 game winner.  The AFC Championship could be determined by who snatches home field these next four weeks.

4)      San Francisco 49ers (10-2):  Could they really finish 14-2?  One slip up still has them with the first round bye based on tie breaker over New Orleans.

5)      New Orleans Saints (9-3):  Undefeated at home, but can’t lose another game if they have any chance at catching San Fran.

6)      Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3):  I don’t see any way they don’t get to at least 12 wins.

7)      Houston Texans (9-3):  Even with a third string quarterback the Texans should finish 12-4 and earn their first playoff appearance.

8)      Dallas Cowboys (7-5):  Lost a big game against Arizona this week.  Two huge games against the Giants will decide their fate.

9)      Atlanta Falcons (7-5):  Should end up winning 10 games, emphasis on should.

10)   Denver Broncos (7-5):  If they get to 10 wins or even 9 and win the division this will be a season no Bronco fan will ever forget. 

11)   Detroit Lions (7-5):  Should still finish with 10 wins which would probably get them in over the Bears.

12)   Cincinnati Bengals (7-5):  A must win game this week at home against the Texans.  If they can pull that off they start praying that 10 wins gets them a playoff spot.

13)   Chicago Bears (7-5):  Jay Cutler’s injury may as well of ended the season for Chicago.

14)   New York Jets (7-5):  They have four winnable games remaining and three W’s gives them a chance.

15)   New York Giants (6-6):  Haven’t won since the last release of the power rankings and I can’t say I’m all that surprised by it.  As mentioned before, two huge games with Dallas remain.

16)   Tennessee Titans (7-5):  They’ve had a good showing this season and still could get 9 or 10 wins.  Looks like 10 is needed to at least compete for a tie breaker.

17)   Oakland Raiders (7-5):  Much tougher remaining schedule than the Tebroncos.  This team will be a force in 2012 with Palmer and McFadden having a full off season together.

Another seven teams have had the power removed from them and haven’t been included in this list.  With the standings so jumbled it really is tough to decide between teams 2 to 10.  Good thing there is actually a playoff…what an idea that is.  The only other thing that I am certain of is the Indianapolis Colts will have the #1 pick (unless traded away) in the 2012 draft.  What isn’t certain is if they’ll select Andrew Luck or not.  I think they should and groom him for 15 more Manning-like years when #18 retires.

C'mon man! Get it right, #90.

Now as my esteemed founder would do, let’s hand out some RED CARDS:

• Ndamukong Suh:  I don’t know what’s worse your actions on the field or your lame excuse of why you did it after the game… DOUBLE RED CARD.
•  Jim Schwartz and the rest of the Lions:  Stop complaining and grow up, you’re killing yourselves with all this whining and fighting… RED CARD.
• Jason Garrett:  Way to call a time out and ice your own kicker right before he drilled the 49 yard field goal that would’ve won the game… RED CARD.
• DeSean Jackson:  You think you’re worth the money that the rest of your teammates have received, pull a Matt Forte show it on the field instead of skipping meetings… RED CARD.
• Philadelphia Eagles as a whole:  No explanation needed… RED CARD.
• To the BCS and its voters:  If every week in the regular season is a playoff LSU already beat Alabama.  Give Oklahoma State a shot… RED CARD.
• To college football in general:  Stop taking ESPN’s opinion as the almighty and make your own decisions.  Just because they tell you who should play for the title or who should win the Heisman doesn’t mean they are always right… RED CARD.

I’ll see you all again in four weeks for my playoff preview blog.  As always, good luck to your teams and do your best not to deserve a RED CARD.

Hey folks, welcome back to the Top 25. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and were able to help those a little less fortunate than yourself. On that note I would like to list the Top 25 things that I am thankful for. This list made me realize how blessed I truly am. Here it is (in no particular order):

Chipotle, buffalo sauce, my beard (and beard trimmer), working indoors, the gym, Sperry’s, FIFA 12, Chick-fil-A, a tasty Guiness, Tim Tebow (and the Broncos D), Uprise Design, TKE Alumni Weekend, U.S. Soccer, friends that like soccer, a Stella’s burger (best in NE), moms cooking, sticky notes, Men In Blazers, Red Bull, a fine cigar, friends abroad,  the men and women of the military, my very best friends, the readers of my blog, and last but CERTAINLY not least; my family. Whew.

Definitely thankful for the Top 25.

1. LSU. Is there any doubt that this team is the best in the nation? No? Good.
2. Alabama. They have taken care of their business. Now the Tide gets to wait to see if Oklahoma St. will jump them with a win over Oklahoma.
3. Oklahoma St. Easy scenario: win big against OU and they should make the National Championship game. If not, to the Fiesta Bowl they go.
4. Stanford. Just like last year, they will just miss a National Championship bid by 1 game.
5. Virginia Tech. 1 word for their win over Virginia: shellacking.
6. USC. I would love to see how the Trojans stack up in a high profile bowl game, but alas, we will not see that. They are playing great football right now.
7. Houston. The Cougars could be headed to a BCS bowl with a win over Southern Miss.
8. Boise St. The Broncos BCS dreams are most likely over.
9. Arkansas. If dont like LSU running up the score on you, it is probably best to have not done it 2 years earlier. Karma.
10. Oregon. Oregon goes to the Rose Bowl if they show up to Autzen Stadium Friday night.
11. Oklahoma. Bedlam time. Forget the records, this game will be fun to watch.
12. Georgia. The Bulldogs could spoil the whole BCS picture if they are able to upset LSU. Lets not forget, they are on a 10 game winning streak.
13. South Carolina. The Gamecocks beat rival Clemson convincingly last week. They will most likely be headed towards a New Years Day bowl game.
14. Wisconsin. The Badgers systematically destroyed Penn St. to win the Leaders Division last week. Is it revenge time for Bucky?
15. Michigan St. They have a chance to go to the Rose Bowl by beating Wisconsin this week. Look for the fightin’ Dantonio’s to be ready.
16. Kansas St. K-State has an outside chance of a BCS at-large bid if a couple of teams ahead of them lose this week.
17. Michigan. The Wolverines will be fighting K-State for the last at-large BCS bid after their nail-biting win over Ohio St.
18. Baylor. 2 letters, 3 numerals: RGIII.
19. TCU. The Horned Frogs ended the regular season strong and are awaiting their bowl fate.
20. Nebraska. After a convincing win over Iowa to end the season, the Huskers may be headed to a New Years Day Bowl.
21. Clemson. Oh how the Tigers have fallen. They could save their season with a win against Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship.
22. Penn St. Well, the Nitany Lions gave it a good run, but they ran into the buzz saw that is Wisconsin playing in Madison.
23. West Virginia. The Mountaineers could still make a BCS bowl game, as silly as that is.
24. Cincinnati. The Bearcats will be fighting West Virginia for that BCS bowl bid as well. They host UCONN this week.
25. Florida St. The Seminoles went into the Swamp and took it to the Gators. Good win.

Still my leader in the Heisman race.

Bedlam is always an entertaining rivalry.

LOL.

Welcome back to the Top 25 everyone! After last weeks slew of upsets, you will see a much different set of rankings this week.

Before we get into the Top 25, I just want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Im extremely grateful and thankful to have you, the reader, decide to stop by and read this little project of mine. I appreciate all the support and comments that make this thing fun to do.

Not Wide Right.

1. LSU. Guess what? LSU gets to play another Top 5 team this week in Arkansas. Luckily, they have this one at home.
2. Alabama. The Tide have to travel to Auburn to play in the Iron Bowl this weekend.
3. Arkansas. This could be Arkansas shot to play in the National Championship. Beat LSU, and it could happen.
4. Stanford. The Cardinal need to play better this week against Notre Dame to garner attention for the National Championship again.
5. Oklahoma St. After falling at Iowa St., the ‘Pokes need some luck and a huge win over Oklahoma to have a chance at the National Championship.
6. Virginia Tech. I dont know what to make of this squad. They are ranked this high almost by default.
7. Houston. We will find out how good Houston is this week against Tulsa.
8. Boise St. A strong comeback win over San Diego St. last week helped ease the pain of the TCU loss.
9. USC. The Trojans cant be ranked by the BCS, but they are playing damn good football right now, ask Oregon.
10. Oklahoma. The Sooners lost another heartbreaker last Saturday at Baylor, another team they were heavy favorites over. What is going on in Norman?
11. Oregon. The Ducks blew a huge chance in Eugene last week. We learned last year that they need to get more physical as a team to compliment their immense speed.
12. Georgia. Lets be honest, the Bulldogs win over Kentucky was sloppy. But, they clinched a berth to the SEC Championship, so all is good in Athens. Up next: at Georgia Tech.
13. Michigan. Oh man, Michigan has really looked good the last three weeks. They host eternal enemy Ohio St. this week, so look for a little extra from Denard Robinson and Co.
14. Kansas St. This year K-State has beaten every team from Texas in the Big XII. That is impressive.
15. Michigan St. The Spartans will represent the Legends division in the B1G Championship. Look for them to use this weekends game against Northwestern as a tune-up.
16. South Carolina. After a nice win against Citidel, the Gamecocks host their in-state rival Clemson. Look for a lot of fire coming out of this game.
17. Wisconsin. Well, their 2011 B1G campaign comes down to their Senior Day against Penn St. Win, and they represent the Leaders division in the championship game. Lose, and consider this season a failure.
18. Clemson. Whoa, what the heck happened to this team against North Carolina St.? Terrible loss.
19. Baylor. Their win against Oklahoma was as impressive as a win as Baylor has ever had. Great play by RGIII and the Bears offense.
20. Penn St. Much like Wisconsin, their season will hinge on if they can go into Camp Randall and beat the Badgers.
21. TCU. The Horned Frogs have consistently gotten better throughout the year. They are playing as tough as any team in the country right now.
22. Notre Dame. The Irish have a big chance to make the next step in their progression this week if they can beat Stanford on the road.
23. Virginia. The Cavaliers are 8-3?! When did this happen? They host rival Virginia Tech this week.
24. Georgia Tech. The Wramblin’ Wreck host bitter rival Georgia this week. Thats all that needs to be said.
25. West Virginia. They make the Top 25 for lack of another team to put here.

RGIII and his heroics vaulted him back into the Heisman race.

Can LSU finish the job against #3 Arkansas?

Time to re-evaluate "the process", Bo.

Hey everyone- welcome back to the Top 25. Last week saw a major shake up in the rankings, so prepare yourself for something a little different this week as we charge towards the last couple weeks of the regular season.

Before we start the Top 25, let’s wrap up the Penn St.-Nebraska game from last week. First off, I would like to say how proud I am to be a Husker after the amount of sportsmanship that was shown last week to support the current Penn St. players and fans in light of the scandal that rocked their campus. When both teams gathered at mid-field to shake hands and then bow in prayer, led by Nebraska Running Back Coach Ron Brown, I knew that I was watching something incredibly important and special. Those types of moments are few and far between in sports these days, and it was definitely needed to start the healing process in State College. Im really proud of how Nebraska’s coaches and players handled the adversity, and that they were able to come out with a victory, even though that hardly seemed to matter at the time. With everything that happened last week, it seemed like that was the perfect moment to show the humanity of such a brutal game. Great job to everyone involved. Here are some letters to the Daily Nebraskan from Penn St. Alumni that prove how much the game meant to them.

 ”I thought it was the right thing to do. I thought it showed solidarity and was something that was pretty surely needed in a situation that everybody was facing. I will be honest with you going into the game, I didn’t think the game should have been played, for a lot of different reasons. I look at my job as a football coach as to educate and to prepare the kids that come into the program for the rest of their life. That’s what we are; we are a university system. I thought that this game gave us an opportunity to show that the situation going on is bigger than football.” – Nebraska Head Coach Bo Pelini

Better than Baylor's pass defense.

1. LSU. Nothing has changed here from last week. The Tigers are still #1.
2. Oklahoma St. Can an offense get more explosive? Good lord.
3. Alabama. The ‘Tide are lying-in-wait to see if Oklahoma can beat Oklahoma St.
4. Oregon. It’s all about the ‘O’. Oregon’s offense confused Stanford’s defense for the second straight year in route to a 53-30 win. Next up: USC.
5. Oklahoma. After a bye-week, the Sooners travel to Baylor to take on RGIII and Co. This will be the last true road test before the Sooners head to Stillwater in 2 weeks.
6. Arkansas. The ‘Hogs have really turned it on the last 2 weeks. They have played much better defense and that will be the key for their success going forward.
7. Clemson. The Tigers BARELY escaped losing to a scrappy Wake Forest team. They still need to play a complete football game.
8. Virginia Tech. After a quality win at Georgia Tech last Thursday, the Hokies play North Carolina at home.
9. Stanford. Whoever in charge of turf management at Stanford really dropped the ball last week, and therefore so did the Cardinal offense.
10. Boise St. You would think that the Broncos would have recruited a kicker after last year’s Nevada debacle. Alas, they did not.
11. Houston. Fun fact: Case Keenum could trust as far as he could throw you.
12. Georgia. Oh man, did Aaron Murray and the Bulldogs have a dominant performance against Auburn.
13. South Carolina. After a scrappy win against Florida, the Gamecocks host the Citidel this week.
14. Michigan St. To be frank, the Spartans pummeled Iowa last week. That game was not nearly as close as the score indicated.
15. Nebraska. After an incredibly tense week for the Nebraska coaches and players, the team came out against Penn St. and performed admirably. They will need that effort again this week in the Big House.
16. Wisconsin. ‘Sconnie seems to be blasting its way towards Indy.
17. USC. Im impressed with the way USC has played of late. They seem to be hitting their stride. Next up: @ Oregon.
18. Kansas St. Whew! What a win for K-State over A&M in 3 overtimes. Colin Klein has been playing out of his mind lately. Next up: @ Texas.
19. Michigan. The Wolverines have a chance to make a statement against Nebraska at home this week.
20. Penn St. The Penn St. team performed admirably in the face of a ton of scrutiny last week against Nebraska. They face Ohio St. at the Horseshoe this week in what will be a huge challenge.
21. TCU. Beating Boise St. in Boise is almost impossible, but the Horned Frogs did it. Impressive.
22. Southern Miss. Edit: The Golden Eagles lost against UAB.
23. Florida St. Look who made it back to the rankings after a 6 week hiatus. The ‘Noles face Virginia at home this week.
24. Notre Dame. The Irish have been playing much better on offense the last 2 weeks. They will need to keep that up to beat Stanford in 2 weeks. Next up: Boston College.
25. Baylor. The Bears BARELY made the Top 25 this week. They will need to beat OU to stay.

Brandon Weeden is coming on strong.

Sexy Rexy will need to have a Herculean effort to help the Huskers beat Michigan.

• #16 Nebraska at #18 Michigan. This is the game of the week in an admittedly light week in college football. Nebraska has to travel to an 100,000+ seat stadium for the 2nd week in a row as they take on the improved Wolverines. This game is meaningful for both squads, as BCS and Legends division implications still exist. For Nebraska, this week brought rumblings of a possible BCS at-large bid, should they win out. For Michigan, the BCS rumor was smaller, but it will grow louder should they beat the #16 Huskers decisively this weekend. Both teams are trying to best position themselves for the B1G Championship Game should Michigan St. lose to either Indiana or Northwestern. On the field, this game comes down to who plays better defense. Nebraska has struggled with mobile quarterbacks all year, and Denard Robinson is the most elite athlete in the nation playing quarterback. If Nebraska can contain him to a pocket they could have success as Mr. Robinson has struggled with accuracy all year and is hurt coming into this game. Dont be suprised to backup QB Devin Gardener quite a bit, as they use him to switch up tempo. For Michigan’s defense, stopping Rex Burkhead is their #1 priority. When Rex runs wild Nebraska is able to control the line of scrimmage and time of possession. Prediction: Michigan 35-28. Confidence: 6.

• USC at #4 Oregon. This may be the most intriguing match up of the weekend. Right after Oregon rolled into Palo Alto and put a hurting on Stanford. Now they go back to Fortress Eugene to take on a USC team that has been playing inspired football as of late. This will be a big test for Oregon, as they need to win to stay ahead of Stanford in the Pac 12 North, but also for a possible shot at the National Championship should Oklahoma St and Alabama lose. For USC, this could be their bowl game since they’re unable to play in the postseason due to NCAA violations. The Trojans have been much better on defense as of late and Matt Barkley is proving his worth to NFL scouts. The key to this game will be if USC is able adjust to Oregon’s high tempo offense. Stanford really struggled with it last week and it costed them big plays and penalties. If the USC defense is able to communicate effectively, it could be a tight game going into the 4th quarter. Prediction: Oregon 38-28. Confidence: 7.

• #5 Oklahoma at #22 Baylor. This could be another one of those shootout type of games in the Big XII. Last week Baylor was absurdly unimpressive, almost losing to Kansas before barely winning in overtime. They will face another challenge entirely this week in Oklahoma. The Sooners are fresh off of a bye-week, and although they have face crucial injuries this season, they should be about as healthy as possible going into this game. Robert Griffin III will need to have a whale of a game for Baylor to have a chance at an upset. The main puzzle that Baylor will have to solve will be their pass defense against Landry Jones and Oklahoma’s receivers. Even without Ryan Broyles, the Sooners still have Jazz Reynolds and Kenny Stills who are great route runners and have a good YAC (yards after catch) average. Look for a close game. Prediction: Oklahoma 52-45. Confidence: 8.

Yet another un-clutch loss to A&M.

Now, its time to show some folks a RED CARD:

• To Texas Tech: RED CARD. Did you even get off the bus to play Oklahoma St.?
• To Texas: RED CARD. 5 points, huh? Im no expert, but Im sure that wont win you many ballgames. How hot is that seat, Mack?
• To Texas A&M: RED CARD. Least. Clutch. Team. EVER.
• To the Stanford turf management team: RED CARD. You would think that placing a tarp down to prevent a sloppy field before the biggest game of the year might be a good idea. Again, Im no expert.
• To Arizona St.: RED CARD. What happened to you guys?
• To Baylor: RED CARD. Beating Kansas by 1 point  in overtime is basically losing. Just sayin’.

Hello everybody and welcome back to the Red Card Top 25. After last week’s games, we have a lot to get to, but first, I’d like to give a little bit of commentary on the truly inexcusable situation that is going on a Penn St.

As a sports fan, I’m truly sad to see Joe Paterno’s legacy end in a ball of fire like it has. The man is a legend, and nobody will ever be able to replicate his success ever again. His longevity and perseverance are things that I truly value and admire. BUT, as a person, Im inclined to get my pitchfork and join the rest of the rioters. The man is the second-most powerful person at Penn St., and through inaction, allowed numerous children to get sexually assaulted by former Defensive Coordinator Jerry Sandusky. Sandusky is a predator, and has ruined the lives of countless families. How someone as dialed in to his program as ‘JoePa’ is and didnt have a sneaking suspicion about these actions is beyond my comprehension. And even if he didn’t know, how on Earth did former graduate assistant and current Wide Receivers coach Mike McQueary catch Sandusky in the act and basically do nothing about it. Had that been me in McQueary’s position, I would have most likely beaten Sandusky to a pulp and dragged him to the police station kicking and screaming. This whole situation just stinks of a cover-up which is why I believe JoePa had to go. By doing what amounted to nothing, Joe Paterno basically enabled Sandusky, which is not only wrong, but reprehensible. For a man of his ethical and moral fiber, this situation is about as bad as it gets, short of murder. With great power comes great ACCOUNTABILITY, and unfortunately it was time to pay the piper for JoePa. I hope that you are able to help the victims and their families throughout your retirement.

Light. Crisp. Refreshing. 60% of the time, every time.

1. LSU. In the game of the year, LSU game out on top thanks to clutch defense and special teams. What an unbelievable, physical match-up that was. Next up: Western Kentucky.
2. Oklahoma St. Well, compared to Alabama or LSU, Okie St. doesnt feature a defense on Saturday’s. Luckily, their offense can score 60 whenever they need it.
3. Stanford. Stanford took care of business in Corvallis last week. Now they get their chance to avenge last years loss to Oregon this week at home. Let’s face it, they need this one to have any shot at the National Championship.
4. Alabama. What a gut-wrenching loss that was. If only the ‘Tide would have recruited a kicker. Not all is lost though, with a couple losses ahead of them, we could be looking at a rematch with LSU for the National Championship.
5. Boise St. Kellen Moore just overtook Colt McCoy as the all-time wins leader in NCAA history. That is amazing. Big props to you, sir.
6. Oklahoma. The Sooners are finally starting to fire on all cylinders again.
7. Oregon. The Ducks have been waiting for this game since LSU throttled them in week 1. Beating Stanford is their chance to prove that they belong in the Elite category this year.
8. Arkansas. Plain and simple: the ‘Hogs took it straight to South Carolina last week and the Gamecocks had no answer. Great win. Next up: Tennessee.
9. Clemson. The Tigers host a sneaky Wake Forest squad this week. They would do well to play a complete game.
10. Virginia Tech. Edit: Great win for the Hokies on the road at Georgia Tech. That will basically wrap up the Coastal Division.
11. Houston. Fun fact: Case Keenum gave out touchdowns for Halloween.
12. Penn St. On the football field, Penn St. should be fired up to play Nebraska at home. This could be a close game.
13. Kansas St. After a well-played game against Oklahoma St., Kansas St. travels back to Manhattan to play Texas A&M in a really important match-up in the race for the Big XII title.
14. Georgia. I like how Georgia is playing right now. They could be a really tough match-up in the SEC Championship.
15. South Carolina. Let’s face it, South Carolina is just too beat up to contend for the SEC this year. They have a huge game with Florida coming up this week at home.
16. Texas. The Longhorns have steadily improved this year. Let’s see if they can win a tough road game in Columbia before declaring that they are ‘back’.
17. Michigan St. ‘Ol Sparty barely won against a feisty, but terrible Minnesota squad. Now they have to go on the road to play Iowa. This could be the make-or-break game in the B1G Legends division.
18. Wisconsin. The Badgers have gotten back to playing good football. They would do well to throttle Minnesota.
19. Nebraska. This is the most inconsistent team in the country. Losing at home to Northwestern is bad. Losing at home to Northwestern with their backup QB in for the entire 2nd half is worse. Now the inconsistent Huskers travel to not-so-Happy Valley to take on an emotional Penn St. squad. Be safe everyone.
20. Auburn. The Tigers travel to Athens this week to take on the ‘Dawgs. This could be a huge road win if they are able to throw the ball consistently on offense.
21. Cincinnati. The Bearcats are playing pretty good football right now. They host West Virginia this week in a game that could essentially determine who wins the Big East.
22. Michigan. After a controversial loss at Iowa, the Wolverines have to dust themselves off and go to Champagne to play Illinois.
23. Georgia Tech. Edit: The Wramblin’ Wreck had a huge chance to take over the Coastal Division lead, but came up short against Virginia Tech.
24. Southern Miss. They are overlooked because of who they play in Conference USA, but nobody wants to see this team in a bowl game.
25. Ohio St. The Buckeyes have seemingly turned the tables and are back in the Top 25 after a string of good performances.

Focused.

Can Oregon out-run Stanford again?

• #7 Oregon at #4 Stanford. This is the game I have been waiting for since last October. I admit that while I dont have a great affinity for Pac-12 football, this game is one that I think has ‘Game of the Year’ type of credentials. Why? Because of last years match-up. Most expected Oregon to roll Stanford, but The Cardinal came out and shocked the entire city of Eugene in the 1st half by getting up 21 points. Oregon did take over in the second half and won fairly comfortably, but both teams are a little different this year which is why I am so excited to see this rematch. Oregon has been plagued by injuries this year. They dont seem to be as explosive on offense because of it, and have relied on string defensive performances to take over when their offense is sputtering. Stanford, of course, brings Heisman front-runner Andrew Luck to the game with an explosive offense, but the Cardinal are not as strong on defense as they were last year thanks to a couple of key injuries. This has the makings of a much more balanced and competitive game. The key to the game will be time of possession. If Stanford is able to eat up clock with long sustained drives, then they should win and get revenge for last year’s loss. Prediction: Stanford 42-35. Confidence: 7.

• #19 Nebraska at #12 Penn St. Oh boy, has this game taken on a whole new meaning. After the week that Penn St. has been through, now they have to play their cross-division rivalry with Nebraska, on senior day, without Joe Paterno. I dont know if there will ever be another atmosphere like this in college football history. It will either be an intense, riled-up crowd or Beaver Stadium could look like a funeral. I would caution Nebraska fans who are going to this game to be careful. Penn St. fans are notoriously among the worst in college football, and now they have a reason to spread a little extra ‘love’ (if you know what I mean). On the field, these 2 teams are a good test for each other. Penn St. brings a tough defense and a struggling offense to the table, while Nebraska has been incredibly inconsistent on both sides of the ball. You do not know what you will get from the Huskers, which is kind of the wildcard in this whole scenario. The key to this game for will be whether Penn St. interim coach Tom Bradley can get his team to focus on football. Nobody will blame him if he cant, considering all that has occurred this week, but if he can it would help the recovery process for the community. Likewise, this will be one of the biggest tests in Nebraska coach Bo Pelini’s young career. He needs to control his teams angst and emotion going into the hornets nest that is Beaver Stadium. No idea how this will turn out. Prediction: Nebraska 35-28. Confidence: ?

• #20 Auburn at #15 Georgia. Welcome to another tricky match-up in the SEC. Auburn has been playing much more consistent football as of late. With QB Clint Moseley, the Tigers have found a game manager, and that has made all the difference to this team. Defensively is where you can see room for improvement with this squad. So far this year, Auburn has played well against mediocre offenses, but against talented teams they have really been exposed. They will need to find an answer to stop QB Aaron Murray and the Georgia offense. Murray has played great in the last 7 games, which coincidentally are all wins. He is distributing the ball effectively, even when the Bulldogs running back situation is less than ideal. Georgia is winning games with defense though. I see that trend continuing, especially at home. Prediction: Georgia 28-17. Confidence: 7.

RED CARD.

There are only 2 RED CARDS to hand out this week:

• To the entire Penn St. Athletic Department, Joe Paterno, Mike McQuery and President Graham Spanier: RED CARD. This whole situation is absolutely inexcusable. You deserve what is coming to you.
• To Jerry Sandusky: RED CARD. Enjoy hell.