It's time to make my Pick-'em picks. So far, only Tyler has decided to participate in this, and everyone else who reads this and has not made their picks is Lame! Email me at jake@ambiguously-disgruntled.com with Yourpicks! So, if you haven't been paying attention, look here and here.

NFL games:
1) Seattle over Arizona
2) Pittsburgh over Oakland
3) San Fran over Denver
4) Buffalo over Minnesota
5) Philly over Washington

Pac 10:
Has WSU ever played in a bigger non-bowl-game than their match against 6-ranked Ohio State on Saturday? Other than the '97 Rose Bowl against 1-ranked Michigan, this has to be the biggest game they've played. It breaks my heart to pick against them... but at least it's in the 5 slot!
1) Mich State over Cal
2) UCLA over OK State
3) Arizona over Utah
4) Colorado over USC
5) Ohio State over WSU

Well, It looks like my team (indoor soccer) wrapped up first place for the August-September session at Arenasports, but it wasn't without some drama.

We were in first coming in to tonight, a point up on two teams in 2nd, and were playing the last place team comng in (this is a 6-team league). Earlier in the night, both the team in 2nd had won, meaning we needed to win to clinch 1dt place. We played like crap, and stumbled to a 6-5 win, pulling it out... somehow, despite giving up 2 (two!) own goals. Individually, I guess I played pretty well, but it doesn't feel like it given the circumstances. We were down 3-1 at the half, amd scored two quick goals to start the second. I scored to make it 4-3, then we scored again to go up 5-3. After that we alternated goals, with them pulling within 1, then us getting our insurance goal back.

I scored my second of the game on a free kick with about 7 minutes left, to put us up 6-4. Then, two minutes later, I knocked in the second own goal trying to make a defensive play to give the goal I'd scored right back. I was disgusted, and subbed out, thinking we would cycle through the subs and I'd be back on for the last 2 minutes or so.

As it turned out, I didn't get back on -- even though some of the guys on the field really shouldv'e subbed out, but I don't really want to open up that can of critical worms -- but one of our guys got called for a foul with just under 2 minutes left. It was a horrible call, as the referee would later claimed he was screened from seeing what was really happening, which is that our player was grabbed by the arm and pulled down. Our player protested, and was given a two minute penalty.

Despite being a man down, we somehow clung to our 1-goal lead, and preserved the win. A contentious argument/shouting match ensued between our player given the penalty, the referee, and me joining in howling my protest. I guess what set me off, other than the horrible call that very well could have cost us the game, was that the referree was saying our player was lucky to not get a red card. I let the referee know, rather forcefully, that he blew the call and should just admit it, because giving out a red crad on his mistake is bullshit, basically. Fortunately, things cooled down, and it ended as amicably as such a thing can.

On another sporting note, the Mariners aren't going to the playoffs. yeah, mathematically, they are still in it, but the loss tonigh to Texas just aout does them in for all practical purposes. But more than that, i feel compelled to comment on the Booone incident in the top of the ninth, when he failed to score from second on a double.

To me, that is on the third base coach. I can understand how a runner on second can have trouble tracking a line drive to center. That is why the third base coach is out there... if not, what IS his purpose? Scratching himself?

So, it's the 9/11 anniversary, and i'm wondering if I am supposed to write something... maybe something poignant or thoughtful, maybe go on one of my rants that I am so famous for... maybe come up with a unique perspective on the whole thing... in general, be creative and put up some content for my avid readers (ha!)

But I don't feel like it

I came up with some good lead-ins in my head today, but I don't really feel like writing any of them. That's really about it.

next week's "Pick 'Em" points contest games:
Sunday night: Oakland @ Pittsburgh
Monday: Philly @ Washington
Arizona @ Seattle
Buffalo @ Minnesota
Denver @ San Fran.


Once again, for those of you not paying attention, you can read the Blog one down (from 9/7/2002, before my protracted 'Hwks rant) for an explanation. Just pick the winners -- no point spreads -- and rank them in order. We'll see who scores the most points, and in a couple weeks after some "warm-up", I want to start keeping season totals. The total points winner can get... some free beer or something.

As I stated before, I'd like to get some PAC-10 action going to (as a separate contest from the NFL) but the schedules are still pretty scattered. The Huskies have a bye, and most everyone else is playing pushover teams. But as a "warm-up" here are some games featuring PAC-10 teams to pick:
WSU @ Ohio State
Utah @ Arizona
Cal @ Michigan State
USC @ Colorado
UCLA @ Oklahoma State

Well, not a good Sunday for me in my football picks. At least I got the 8-pointer, which is the one to get, obviously, if one will be 1-for-4. My faith and confidence in the Bledsoe-led Bills was shattered by two kick returns for TD's by the Jets to lead the way to a win in a game "statistically dominated" by the Bills. I'm beginning to wonder if the Rams, while being the most skilled team on paper, are also the most self-destructive. Fumbles, miscues, bad play-calling, general lack of execution. It seems Mike Martz is a great "X's and O's" coach but a horrible game manager... aka he is a great O-coordinator, but crappy coach. And this preseason press about the 'Boys rising back to contender status seem to be bullshit. They may have a great D, but Quincy Carter is simply incapable of being an NFL quarterback, and their offense will never be good enough with him in it. Also, reports of a terrible Texans defense seem to be egregiously false.

But what I really want to talk about is the 'Hawks, and their poor performance against the Raiders in a 31-17 loss that wasn't nearly as close as the score seems to indicate. It is disturbing to me that this was seen as a game they had no chance to win, then promptly went out and had a lost cause by halftime. Self-fulfilling prophecy... or a prime example of a team not prepared for the Season?

And doesn't that reflect on the poor job that Mike Holmgren is doing as King of the Franchise. As a coach, he can hardly be blamed for the inadequate personel which took the field for the game. He did what he could with what he had -- sort of , but that is another rant for another day -- and they lost. But Holmgren is also the GM, "Vice President of Football Operations," (whatever That is supposed to mean) and de-facto offensive coordinator -- seeing as how he calls the plays. There isn't a bit of the day-to-day and game-day operations of this franchise that don't bear at least the partial mark of King Mike, and he is Very well compensated financially for this, and seems to enjoy almost unheard-of job security in the NFL (but these two issues are also another rant for another day!)

So, it seems to Me -- who will readily admit to knowing squat about the X's and O's of game-day and game-preparation of professional football, but from a fan's standpoint feels like I know enough to know a poorly-run team from a well-run team -- that this utter lack of preparation for the Season we saw manifested on Sunday IS Mike Holmgren's fault. What are we paying for again?

It is all-too-easy, and tempting, to blame this all on Trent Dilfer's knee "sprain" in the 1st quarter of the 1st preseason game, and Walter Jones' inexplicable holdout. Throw in some injuries, like All-pro calibre DT John Randle's offseason knee surgery from which he is still recovering, the fact that leading tackler Anthony Simmons went down with an ankle injury early, starting Tackle Chris McIntosh is Out for the year with a chronic (and seemingly career-threatening) kneck injury, and suddenly one can piece together a reason for the fact the 'Hawks didn't have a prayer to win yesterday.

EXCEPT... isn't it Mike Holmgren's Job to put together a competitive team, while dealing with injuries, holdouts, and other "unforseen circumstances." Isn't this what separates the Men who Are capable of doing this job in the NFL from those who Aren't? It is incumbent upon the men who run NFL franchises to field a team that Can win despite various personnel issues, and whil there are admittedly very few of these, it is also becoming more and more clear to me the Holmgren is certainly NOT one of them!

We Knew about Randle's knee surgery. We Knew that Chris McIntosh had chronic kneck problems (as he missed most of last year with the saem thing). We Knew Matt Hasselbeck was largely incapable of being a competent starting QB. We Knew all this before training camp even started!!!

The Seahawks lost yesterday because they have no foundation as a team. This one isn't on Hasselbeck. Granted, 155 pass yards is hardly noteworthy, but 23 of 32 with 2TD and 0 INT for a 103 rating are the kind of performances that made Tom Brady a "superstar" and MVP for the Patriots. Seattle hardly got torn apart by a Raider's high-powered passing attack, either. Gannon's numbers (19/28 for 214, 2T 1INT) are Solid, but not Great. No, the 'Hawks got blown out yesterday because of the most fundamental apsect of football.

40 attempts for a 5.5-yard average. Those are Raiders rushing numbers. 16 attempts for a 2.7-yard average. Those are the Seahawks rushing numbers. From that alone most anyone could tell me who won the game.

And that speaks to the Offensive and Defensive Lines, the foundation of any succesful football team.

"Sure!" you say, "but the injuries and holdouts." Sure, but I re-iterate, isn't it Holmgren's Job to work through those things, to take the 6 weeks of training camp and preseason to field a team that Can win? And please correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't he Fail to do that?

I see porous run defense, and I immediately think of the DT's and middle linebacker. John Randle Was gone yesterday, but Holmgren also made a highly questionable decision before training camp to cut Levon Kirkland, who had a superb year at ML last season. Ostensibly, it was because of his "weight problem," but it seems to me that it was am attempt by King Mike to prove a point and piss his territory... and I think it Hurt the team. Don't get me wrong, I like Isiah Kacyvinski as much as the next guy, but...

More damning than anything about yesterday's awful performance was that two of the 'Hawks scores were set up directly by long returns. Maurice Morris took the first kick return (after the Raiders quickly socred) of the season 66 yards to set up the Hawk's first TD of the season, and lent the game an all-too-temporary feel of competitiveness. Later, Shawn Springs returned a fumble 71 yards, setting up the offense for a scintillating 10-yard drive to set up a field goal to pull the Hawks to 31-10. Yipee.

Despite all the negativity flowing out of their opening performance, there may still be reason for hope. This was only one game, and one loss, and the first game at that. Last season, they stumbled to a 9-6 win over Cleveland before getting creamed by Oakland and Philly, and a 4-or 5 win season seemed a certainty. They recovered, found their stride, and made a semblance of a playoff run and at least got us a winning season at 9-7. I guess we'll just have to see what happens.