Yesterday I attended one of the most interesting sporting events that I have seen in my life.

It’s something that you MUST check out.

It’s roller derby.

In their first bout of the year, the Naptown Roller Girls hosted the Bleeding Heartland Roller Girls at the Pepsi Coliseum in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Afterwards, I sat down with Strawberry Jam of the Naptown Roller Girls to learn more about this entertaining sport that is increasing in popularity.

Listen to my interview with Strawberry Jam:

The event on Saturday was a doubleheader where The NRG (Naptown Roller Girls) played both their main team, The Tornado Sirens, as well as their “minor league” team if you will, the Warning Belles.

The first game between the Warning Belles and the visiting Code Blue Assasins proved  to be a blowout as the Belles would win 124-33.

In the main event, The Tornado Sirens also dominated the Flatliners 121-33.

I won’t get into the details of the match or how scoring works, because I will likely confuse you, and we cover it in the podcast, but if this is something that interests you (And if you like chicks rolling around on skates beating the hell out of each other) then check out these links:

• Naptown Roller Girls Website – www.naptownrollergirls.com
• WFTDA (Women’s Flat Track Derby Association) www.wftda.com

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* – Naptown Roller Girls photo credit: PotterDad

*** Intro music credit: Eyes On Fire “Behind the Walls of Sleep” from the album “Anger to Ashes” Check them out at www.myspace.com/eyesonfiremusic.com

*** Special Thanks to Fire Anne Brimstone and Touretta Lynn from the Naptown Roller Girls for their courtesy to me at the event.

*** Special Thanks to Strawberry Jam and Asian Sensation for their interviews.

The Bears defensive problems were yet again exploited today by Arizona and their potent offensive game. Kurt Warner threw for 5 TD passes, which tied a career high for the 38-year old.

The Cardinals came into the game without Anquan Boldin, but that didn’t slow down the team at all. Larry Fitzgerald had nine catches for 123 yds and two touchdowns, while Steve Breaston also tallied a TD catch. It was all Arizona in the first half as Warner had four TDs and Arizona went into the half with a 31-7  lead.

The Bears’ defense looked like a high school defense in the first half as they couldn’t stop the Cardinals’ run or passing game. The Cardinals scored on every drive they had in the first 30 minutes.

It was embarrassing to watch the Bears get manhandled on their own turf, and the fans let them know that by booing after every Arizona TD.

The Bears just don’t seem to improve much week after week, although the offense did perform relatively well, especially in the second half.

An interception thrown by Matt Leinart was returned by Zack Bowman for 39 yards and led to a TD throw form Jay Cutler to Greg Olsen, who had three TD catches in the game. The score was then 34-21 with 9:06 left in the 4th quarter. It seemed like the Bears could pull off a comeback.

The comeback stalled, however, after Cutler threw an interception, although it was not his fault. Culter thought Earl Bennett would continue his route and did not have any more time to hold onto the ball. He threw the ball Bennett’s way but Bennett, instead of continuing his route, stopped and the ball was easily picked off.

That would seal the game in Arizona’s favor.

The Bears wasted a great performance by Cutler, one made all the more impressive by the constant duress he found himself under. He was sacked four times and hit on almost every drive. You could see the frustration on Cutler’s face after his O-line was unable to protect him.

As for the defense, this is not close to the defense that we saw the year the Bears went to the Super Bowl. Something needs to change and fast because it’s looking like the Bears are going to miss the playoffs for the third straight year.

The next few weeks are not in Chicago’s favor. The Bears play the 49ers, Eagles, and the Vikings the next three weeks. Those are some very tough matchups. Unless the Bears change the game plan defensively, which I don’t see them doing, I am betting that they lose at least two out of those three games.

NOTE: Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris was ejected very early in the 1st quarter for clearly hitting Card’s offensive tackle Deuce Lutui.

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* – Jay Cutler photo credit: Nuccio DiNuzzo / Tribune via ChicagoBreakingSports.com

Here is a little something to help you get ready for another Sunday of watching NFL football. After a brief hiatus the 4th and Short NFL Picks podcast is back, as Myles and I took some time to break down the eight most important games on the Week 9 schedule for all of you Midwest NFL fans out there.

Among the games discussed: Bengals-Ravens, Colts-Texans, Packers-Bucs, Bears-Cardinals, Titans-49ers, Dolphins-Patriots, and of course the Sunday night and Monday night matchups between the Eagles and Cowboys and the Steelers and Broncos.

Discussion, analysis, and spread picks…all in yet another edition of 4th and Short.

Enjoy, and have a great Week 9 everyone.

4th and Short NFL Picks Podcast

Jerod and Myles discuss Week 9 of the 2009 NFL schedule

[Note: All MSF podcasts are available for free at iTunes. Intro and outro music provided by Indy's own Henry French and the Shameless.]

Below is the information for the games discussed on this week’s 4th and Short NFL Picks podcast. Spreads are current as of Sunday morning. The picks are Jerod’s from Monday’s NFL Week 9 TV Schedule and Picks post.

Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears

• Cardinals-Bears Date: Sunday, Nov 8th
• Cardinals-Bears Kickoff Time: 1:00 pm
• Cardinals-Bears TV Network: FOX
• Cardinals-Bears Announcers: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman
• Cardinals-Bears Point Spread: Bears -2.5
• Cardinals-Bears Over-Under: 44.5
• Cardinals-Bears Spread Pick: Who knows what to think of these two teams. The Bears won by 24 on Sunday, but I didn’t think they looked particularly good against Cleveland. Arizona is all over the place, pounding the Giants one week while getting creamed by the Panthers the next week. In the end, I’m just not that impressed with Chicago and I think Arizona can shut down Matt Forte. I’m calling the Cardinals’ Week 8 beat down a fluke and pitching them to at least keep it closer than a Bears field goal; if push came to shove, I’d pick Arizona to win outright. Cardinals-Bears free pick: Cardinals +2.5

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals

• Ravens-Bengals Date: Sunday, Nov 8th
• Ravens-Bengals Kickoff Time: 1:00 pm
• Ravens-Bengals TV Network: CBS
• Ravens-Bengals Announcers: Dick Enberg and Dan Fouts
• Ravens-Bengals Point Spread: Ravens -3
• Ravens-Bengals Over-Under: 43.5
• Ravens-Bengals Spread Pick: This should be a very interesting game. Baltimore was sterling at home last week coming off of their bye and handed Denver its first loss of the season. Cincinnati is coming off of its bye and its best game of the season, a thorough pounding of the Bears. I am starting to believe more and more in these Bengals and simply cannot give the Ravens three points with the game in Cincinnati. Ravens-Bengals free pick: Bengals +3

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts

• Texans-Colts Date: Sunday, Nov 8th
• Texans-Colts Kickoff Time: 1:00 pm
• Texans-Colts TV Network: CBS
• Texans-Colts Announcers: Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots
• Texans-Colts Point Spread: Colts -8
• Texans-Colts Over-Under: 47.5
• Texans-Colts Spread Pick: This is a tricky one. Peyton Manning always plays well against the Texans, whose running game looked better than it really is last week against the worst rushing D in the league (Buffalo). Losing Owen Daniels will hurt the Texans, and I just don’t think they have what it takes to stay with Indianapolis in Indy. I think Houston gets humbled a bit this week, but still can contend for a playoff berth moving forward. Texans-Colts free pick: Colts -8

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots

• Dolphins-Patriots Date: Sunday, Nov 8th
• Dolphins-PatriotsKickoff Time: 1:00 pm
• Dolphins-Patriots TV Network: CBS
• Dolphins-Patriots Announcers: Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
• Dolphins-Patriots Point Spread: Patriots -10.5
• Dolphins-Patriots Over-Under: 46.5
• Dolphins-Patriots Spread Pick: As a someone who grew up a Dolphins fan, this is a game I am greatly looking forward to. The Dolphins played the Patriots very well last season and are currently 3-0 against AFC East rivals. I do not think Miami can go into Foxboro and win the game; however, I do believe that Miami’s running game and smashmouth run defense can keep it close for a while. Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and Wes Welker will ultimately be too much for Miami’s young secondary though, and I think the Patriots pull away in the second half. Dolphins-Patriots free pick: Patriots -10.5

Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Packers-Buccaneers Date: Sunday, Nov 8th
• Packers-Buccaneers Kickoff Time: 1:00 pm
• Packers-Buccaneers TV Network: FOX
• Packers-Buccaneers Announcers: Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan
• Packers-Buccaneers Point Spread: Packers -9.5
• Packers-Buccaneers Over-Under: 43.5
• Packers-Buccaneers Spread Pick: Green Bay will no doubt smarting from its lost to Minnesota and the Packers clearly have no figured out their protection problems. However, Tampa Bay is a terrible team and the Packers have already proven that they can dispose of terrible teams on the road with ease. I think this is a good weekend for the Packers to lick their Week 8 wounds and get right for four quarters on offense. Packers-Buccaneers free pick: Packers -9.5

Tennessee Titans at San Francisco 49ers

• Titans-49ers Date: Sunday, Nov 8th
• Titans-49ers Kickoff Time: 4:15 pm
• Titans-49ers TV Network: CBS
• Titans-49ers Announcers: Ian Eagle and Rich Gannon
• Titans-49ers Point Spread: 49ers -4.5
• Titans-49ers Over-Under: 41
• Titans-49ers Spread Pick: Tennessee appeared to get itself righted last week, but let’s keep in mind that they were playing at home against Jacksonville, a team that is terrible on the road. The 49ers played very well at Indy and almost stole a W. I’m beginning to believe more in Alex Smith and Michael Crabtree, but still do not have faith in Vince Young. I want to see him do it again before I’ll trust the Titans. I’m still high on the 49ers though and think this is a game they win rather handily. Titans-49ers free pick: 49ers -4.5

Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles

• Cowboys-Eagles Date: Sunday, Nov 8th
• Cowboys-Eagles Kickoff Time: 8:20 pm
• Cowboys-Eagles TV Network: NBC
• Cowboys-Eagles Announcers: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth
• Cowboys-Eagles Point Spread: Eagles -3
• Cowboys-Eagles Over-Under: 47.5
• Cowboys-Eagles Spread Pick: What a terrific game this should be. Philadelphia has rebounded from their Oakland loss to beat Washington despite playing an uneven game and then beating the Giants in a rout. Dallas, meanwhile, has quietly reasserted itself as a team to be reckoned with. The Cowboys, I believe, have actually been playing more consistent football than Philadelphia, and I think they will be out to avenge to last season’s shellacking at the end of the regular season. I think Dallas has a great chance to win this game outright, and I think they at least cover the three. Cowboys-Eagles free pick: Cowboys +3

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos

• Steelers-Broncos Date: Monday, Nov 9th
• Steelers-Broncos Kickoff Time: 8:30 pm
• Steelers-Broncos TV Network: ESPN
• Steelers-Broncos Announcers: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden
• Steelers-Broncos Point Spread: Steelers -3
• Steelers-Broncos Over-Under: 38.5
• Steelers-Broncos Spread Pick: Did the glass slipper fall off of Denver last week in Baltimore? Or was it just a one week blip? We will certainly find out Monday night, but I think Denver is good enough to get more respect than being a three point home dog. Pittsburgh has been uneven this year and I think Denver will be able to slow down Big Ben and the passing game. With Rashard Mendenhall’s fumbilitis, I think plenty of opportunities will be there for Denver to get good field position and win a low scoring game. Steelers-Broncos free pick: Broncos +3

Sammy Sosa’s stunning new skin color is a story that continues to surprise, and this time the surprise has nothing to do with Sammy’s appearance. Rather, it has to do with the reaction that Sosa’s new look is getting from those in the city of the Chicago.

According to NBCChicago.com, there is a plurality of Chicagoans whose primary reaction to seeing the startling new Sosa picks is laughter. As of 1:33 am CT on November 8th, 41% of responding readers voted “laughing” as their response to seeing the new Sammy. This overwhelmingly topped “sad,” “bored,” and “intrigued,” which were the only other options to receive 10% or more of the vote.

Ironically enough, people from Philadelphia apparently have a little more compassion — or at least curiosity — regarding the new Sammy. Despite have a sports fan base that is renowned for its nastiness (ex. booing Michael Irvin while he lay motionless with a neck injury), the reaction with the plurality of the votes was “intrigued” at 41%.

Below are the screenshots if you’re the kind who likes documented proof of things. First is the Windy City, where the winds that once blew in fawning favor of Slammin’ Sammy obviously have not recovered from his inglorious exit from the city.

And here is Philadelphia, where the “City of Brotherly Love” monicker sometimes gets questions, but does at least appear to be somewhat apt in this case. At a minimum, there is less “brotherly mocking” than what Chicagoans are exhibiting.

Who knows, maybe both have small sample sizes and the numbers will be different in the morning. But I have to say that even knowing the hard feelings that existed in Wrigleyville after Sammy’s exit, I would have expected a little more compassion or at least patience than a plurality of laughter…especially when juxtaposed against the numbers from Philly.

Plus, it gave me something to write about while I wind down after dinner-and-a-movie night and prepare for bed.

I will tell you this: I side with the Philly people on this one.

I’ve been shocked, dismayed, and clearly very curious considering this is my third post on the Sosa subject…but I have not once laughed about Sammy’s new appearance. He is either trying to cover up a pigmentation disorder or purposefully trying to lighten his skin for some sort of psychological reason — no, I don’t buy the “it’s bad lighting!” nonsense — and I don’t consider either option funny.

Many athletes and celebrities were in attendance and sitting courtside at the historic MSG to witness the Lebron James Show, including: former Tribe Pitcher CC Sabathia and several of his World Series Champion teammates (fresh from a New York Yankee Victory Parade); Jay Z; John Legend; Chris Rock; DJ Grand Master Flash; Woody Allen; plus Charles Oakley and several former Knick players.

Several members of the media had a field day, following James around and snapping pictures of him. Also, talk regarding whether or not James will re-sign with the Cavaliers in 2010 was the topic of the night. Not being one to disappoint, and being all that the local New York media hypes him up to be whenever he plays in their city, James put on a show for the spectators and scored 21 points, had 5 rebounds and 7 assists at halftime.

Although the night belonged to James, who finished with 33 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists; two of his teammates also scored in double figures. Mo Williams added 12 points, and Daniel Gibson scored 11 points.

Earlier this week in my start em, sit em post, I recommended that you should start David Garrard over Matt Shaub in Week 9. I’ll let you read the post to get the full detail of the reasoning, but it boiled down to the following two points:

#1 – the Colts have the 7th best pass defense in the league in terms of yards given up (180.1 yards per game) and have given up the fewest touchdown passes (three). Thus, I looked at Matt Schaub as a shaky start.

#2 – David Garrard and his Jaguars are at home this week taking on the Kansas City Chiefs and their crappy pass defense. Garrard is only playable when he’s at home and this seems like about as plum a matchup as you’ll get if you’re a Garrard owner.

There is a problem though. A couple of them. And I’m changing my vote to Schaub over Garrard for Week 9.

Here are the two issues:

1. First off, the more I’ve thought about this, specifically as it relates to a Schaub-Garrard debate, the more I’ve begun to question my own line of thinking in voting for Garrard.
2. Second, and most importantly, Marlin Jackson and Bob Sanders have both been declared out since I wrote my post, thus severely diminishing the Colts’ ability to defend the pass, at least in theory.

In regards to the first issue, while I do believe there were significant red flags about Schaub for Week 9 (0 TDs, 2 INTs last week; Indy’s prowess against the pass) I overlooked the likelihood that this game will turn into a shootout.

We know that Indianapolis has a terrific passing offense led by Peyton Manning, and Houston’s secondary is not scaring anyone. The Texans will likely be throwing the ball a lot just to try and match Peyton and the Colts TD for TD.

Still though, if the Colts’ secondary was really as good as its stats suggest, the threat of a shootout still wouldn’t make Schaub a must-start.

But take a closer look at the Colts’ opponents this year. It suggests that their pass defense numbers may be as much a function of who they’ve played as it is evidence that they have a dominant secondary:

• Jacksonville – 19th in passing yards, 5 passing TDs on the season
• Miami – 29th, 5 TDs
• Arizona – 8th, 11 TDs
• Seattle – 17th, 12TDs
• Tennessee – 26th, 6 TDs
• St. Louis – 24th, 6 TDs
• San Francisco – 22nd, 9TDs

All of Indy’s opponents except for one has been in the lower half of the league in passing offense. Surely their one game against Indy contributed to that, but each team has six or seven other games of stats woven into those numbers.

I think it’s safe to say that Indianapolis’ current pass defense rankings are a little inflated. And now their starting CB plus their former Defensive Player of the Year safety have been removed from the mix. With Matt Schaub and Houston boasting the league’s third most prolific passing attack, we may see those Indy pass defense numbers take a hit this week.

Now, none of this changes my thoughts on Garrard. He is still a good start and I expect a solid day from him, with at least one TD and the potential for two or three. However, I most certainly would rank Matt Schaub above him and I am officially changing my outlook for Schaub to a start ‘em for Week 9.

Here are my revised Matt Schaub Week 9 fantasy projections: 315 yards passing, 2 TDs, 1 INT

My apologies to anyone who benched Schaub based on my Tuesday post. I take 50% of the blame because I do believe that my initial thinking was somewhat flawed, but I would not have changed the call were it not for the depletion that has occurred in Indy’s secondary over the past 48 hours.

It’s a good lesson in the fluidity of fantasy football recommendations and information. Everything is in flux until Sunday about 15 minutes before kickoff. It’s just the nature of the beast.

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* – Matt Schaub photo credit: ColtsAllDay.com

During the second week of the 2009-2010 season, the Pistons have gone 1-2 and are 2-4 overall at the moment.

They began with an 85-80 home victory over the visiting Orlando Magic minus both Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince, who’d come down with an unexpected lower back strain. Prince’s injury ended his streak of 496 consecutive games played and league-leading mark of 439 consecutive starts.

The loss was the Magic’s first of the season and their 20th to the Pistons in 24 games going back to the 2006-2007 season.

The depleted Pistons controlled the pace of the game from start to finish and held Dwight Howard, who fouled out, to 8 points and 5 rebounds in 16 minutes. There were a number of heroes from Ben Wallace, who defended Howard, to Will Bynum, who led the reserves with 20 points and drove to the basket repeatedly (despite being poked in the eye by Marcin Gortat) and helped get Howard to foul out in the fourth quarter.

Vince Carter played for Orlando, but was hobbled by a hurt ankle. Rashard Lewis was out, serving a suspension for testing positive for elevated testosterone during the offseason.

The Pistons’ road defeats in Toronto (110-99) and then against Orlando (110-103) followed a somewhat similar pattern. The Pistons had a defensive lapse in one quarter, rallied, and fell short at the end. The Raptors outscored the Pistons 44-28 in the second quarter and the Magic opened the game with a scorching 40-23 first quarter. Toronto was at full strength, while Orlando played without Lewis and Carter. And unlike in the Toronto game, the Pistons shot poorly from the free throw line, making only 23 of 37 free throw attempts.

Rather than quit, the Pistons displayed excellent tenacity by clawing back into both games before finally falling. Rodney Stuckey, Ben Gordon, and Will Bynum all played roles in keeping the Pistons competitive.

Rookies Jonas Jerebko and Austin Daye have steadily improved over the course of the week in Tayshaun Prince’s absence. Both provided significant contributions in defense, rebounding, and offense to help spur Pistons’ rallies. Jerebko has done well starting in Prince’s place and Daye has come off the bench to help bolster the play of the reserves.

While he did not play in the home win against Orlando, Jason Maxiell came off the bench in the road losses to provide energy, defense, and rebounding.

Kwame Brown’s minutes fluctuated this week as he struggled in the low post and the free throw line.

After having some solid preseason games, Chris Wilcox has yet to make an impact in the regular season.

The Piston who has improved the most over the course of the week is Charlie Villanueva. In addition to solid defensive play, he has been giving the Pistons’ frontcourt a much needed scoring and rebounding boost:

• 12 points and 8 rebounds against the Magic in Detroit.
• 16 points and 7 rebounds against the Raptors in Toronto.
• 28 points and 5 rebounds against the Magic in Orlando, including 22 points in the fourth quarter when he carried the Pistons.

Those who would dismiss the Pistons for their 1-2 record during the week are overlooking the signs of this young team building chemistry, becoming comfortable with Coach Kuester’s system, and learning how to win without leaning on injured veterans Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince. Hamilton is day-to-day, but word on his recovery is hopeful.  Prince has been recently diagnosed with a ruptured disc in his lower back, though, so he will be out of the lineup indefinitely.

Under Coach Kuester, the young Pistons are in step with their learning curve at this point of the season.

When he is not contributing content here at Midwest Sports Fans, Boris is the administrator of Club Pistons, one of the best Detroit Pistons fan forums on the web.

Who isn’t excited for the showdown on Sunday night?

The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles are two franchises that despise one another, which always makes for quality television, as well as a good game too. Yet, let’s not forget the last time these two teams met in December of 2008, which was a complete blowout and hardly a game Cowboys fans want to remember.

Losing to their most hated rival 44-6 on the final weekend of the season clearly was not a happy ending or cherry on top of a topsy-turvy 2008 season. For the Cowboys that game has been erased from their minds and currently the squad focused on the 3-game winning streak that has them at the top of the NFC East standings.

Ever since Tony Romo as been at the helm, the Cowboys are 11-1 in November, which includes a win against the Eagles in Philadelphia in 2007. This game means more for to the ‘Boys than the Eagles, especially with all the hype that surrounded this team last season and the scrutiny they continue to receive on a weekly basis.

Sunday Night Football

Dallas Cowboys (5-2) at Philadelphia Eagles (5-2)

• Dallas-Philadelphia Date: Sunday, Nov 8th
• Dallas-Philadelphia Kickoff Time: 8:20 pm
• Dallas-Philadelphia TV Network: NBC
• Dallas-Philadelphia Announcers: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth
• Dallas-Philadelphia Point Spread: Eagles -3 (as of Saturday morning)
• Dallas-Philadelphia Over-Under: 50.5 (as of Saturday morning)
• Dallas-Philadelphia Spread Pick by Jerod: What a terrific game this should be. Philadelphia has rebounded from their Oakland loss to beat Washington despite playing an uneven game and then beating the Giants in a rout. Dallas, meanwhile, has quietly reasserted itself as a team to be reckoned with. The Cowboys, I believe, have actually been playing more consistent football than Philadelphia, and I think they will be out to avenge to last season’s shellacking at the end of the regular season. I think Dallas has a great chance to win this game outright, and I think they at least cover the three. Cowboys-Eagles free pick: Cowboys +3
• Dallas Sports Fans: Cowboys-Eagles Preview

4th and Short NFL Picks Podcast

Jerod and Myles discuss Week 9 of the 2009 NFL schedule

[Note: All MSF podcasts are available for free at iTunes. Intro and outro music provided by Indy's own Henry French and the Shameless.]

As for the Eagles, their win last week against the New York Giants was clearly a message sent to the entire league of how scary they can be when all cylinders are working.

Having Donovan McNabb behind center, a healthy Brian Westbrook, as well as a great receiving corps featuring DeSean Jackson, Brent Celek, and Jeremy Maclin, will certainly make things tough on the Dallas D. Putting pressure on McNabb is something the Cowboys must continue to do, which has been an ongoing theme that occurred against the Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons, and Seattle Seahawks.

However, don’t sleep on this Eagles defense that has sacked their opponents quarterback 23 times, forced 8 fumbles, and has intercepted 14 passes.

This game should clearly live up to the hype, as well as feature some great plays, with both offenses stretching the field. Conversely, we should also see some terrific defense too.

Playing at home with a great home crowd will come in handy for the Eagles, which is why I believe the Eagles should indeed capture this contest, as well as take control of the NFC East. The Cowboys, however, will put up a good fight, with the only two question marks being whether or not Romo and the defense bring their A-game.

If so, then this game belongs to the Cowboys. And I think that’s what we will see.

Dallas-Philadelphia Prediction: Dallas Cowboys 31 – Philadelphia Eagles 26

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* – Tony Romo photo credit: Silent Archimedes

* – Donovan McNabb photo credit: ReceivingMe.com

Editor’s Note: AJ Kaufman’s weekly MNF coverage on MSF is sponsored by Sadler’s Smokehouse, a producer of premium pit smoked meats that are best described by Sadler’s slogan: Legendary since 1948.

Sadler’s premium meats are perfect for tailgating on Saturday, for grilling out at home on Sunday, or for when you are hosting a group of friends, or even just the family, on Monday night.

With a variety of delicious choices (beef, pork, ribs, turkey, brisket, and more) and availability at grocery stores throughout the U.S., Sadler’s meats are the tasty, convenient choice when you want to watch the big game and eat well while you’re doing it.

Check out Sadler’s Monday Night Football Recipe of the Week: Sadler’s Smokehouse Pulled Pork Stew

Visit the Sadler’s Smokehouse website: Sadler’s Smokehouse

4th and Short NFL Picks Podcast

Jerod and Myles discuss Week 9 of the 2009 NFL schedule

[Note: All MSF podcasts are available for free at iTunes. Intro and outro music provided by Indy's own Henry French and the Shameless.]

——————–

Monday Night Football

Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) at Denver Broncos (6-1)

• Steelers-Broncos Date: Monday, Nov 9th
• Steelers-Broncos Kickoff Time: 8:30 pm
• Steelers-Broncos TV Network: ESPN
• Steelers-Broncos Announcers: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden
• Steelers-Broncos Point Spread: Steelers -3 (as of Saturday morning)
• Steelers-Broncos Over-Under: 40 (as of Saturday morning)
• Steelers-Broncos Spread Pick by Jerod: Did the glass slipper fall off of Denver last week in Baltimore? Or was it just a one week blip? We will certainly find out Monday night, but I think Denver is good enough to get more respect than being a three point home dog. Pittsburgh has been uneven this year and I think Denver will be able to slow down Big Ben and the passing game. With Rashard Mendenhall’s fumbilitis, I think plenty of opportunities will be there for Denver to get good field position and win a low scoring game. Steelers-Broncos free pick: Broncos +3

Steelers-Broncos MNF Preview and Analysis

While analysts around the league have suggested that last week’s loss against the then .500 Ravens is a “sign of things to come,” Broncos fans need not get wrapped up in such conjecture.

After all, the Ravens could easily be 6-1 if not for a back-breaking missed field goal in the closing moments of their loss to Minnesota, and a Ray Lewis unnecessary roughness penalty (that seemed literally back-breaking) against Ochocinco and the Bungles. Plus, historically, Denver is terrible against the Ravens, for whatever reason.

That being said, the true test for the Broncos will be how they bounce back from the loss against a very dangerous Pittsburgh Steelers team.

Kyle Orton’s performance against the Ravens was typical…for 2008. For 2009 however, it was his worst performance of the year. I think that much of the blame however has to be deferred onto Josh McDaniels who inexplicably refused to take chances down the field.

It has been posited (and I believe rightfully so) that the deep ball is the most deficient part of Orton’s game, and with deep threats like Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, it is reasonable that the Broncos go deep every now and then. Without that “vertical element” to the game, the Ravens were able to effectively jam receivers on the line and jump the short routes. They also were able to consistently keep eight men in the box, and in doing so, completely shut down the Broncos running game.

McDaniels will probably have to try and stretch the field (with a relative amount of success) in order to avoid another offensive meltdown.

The Broncos also have a big injury concern on their hands, as starting Right Tackle Ryan Harris has been ruled out for Monday Night’s game. Harris has done a good job this year, shoring up the line and providing Orton with enough time to get through his progressions.

With Harris out, the Broncos are left with Tyler Polumbus–a former undrafted free agent making his first NFL start. He will be matched up against LaMarr Woodley , who had 18 sacks last year in the regular season and playoffs combined. Yikes. Expect Tight End Tony Scheffler to help out Polumbus, thereby limiting his potential in the passing game.

The Broncos defense has been rock solid, and looked good again last week (with the exception of the 4th quarter). Denver’s biggest weakness is their secondary depth, of which they have practically none — leading to the Friday signing of five-time Pro Bowler, Ty Law.

Meanwhile, now that dandruff-free Troy Polamalu is back to full health, the argument can be made that the defending title holders are still the team to beat. Ben Roethlisberger is enjoying an MVP-caliber season, and Hines Ward keeps crack-blocking and grinning his way to 100 yard games.

There are, however, some causes for concern in Steel City. The first is that Travis Kirschke (who replaced Aaron Smith after his season ending injury) will probably miss the game this week. That means that the Steelers will be starting third-stringer, Nick Easton; but more importantly, that their D-line may struggle to get consistent pressure on Kyle Orton from the strong side.

Perhaps the bigger issue is that Lawrence Timmons has been held out of practice all week, and has now been ruled questionable for Monday Night’s game. Timmons has been a consistent cog in the Steelers 3-4 who has explosive play-making ability. His replacement, Keyaron Fox, has an explosive first name, but not much else.

The other “major injury concerns” for the Steelers are of little consequence.

Willie Parker, whether he is 100% or not, has already been supplanted by the more talented and better pass-blocking, 22 year-old Rashard Mendenhall, and Mewelde Moore is among the best 3rd down backs in the league. Also Ryan Clark’s absence from the game (because of a sickle-cell trait that reacts poorly with the “mile high” atmosphere) will be mitigated by veteran Tyrone Carter, who, despite not provide as many bone-crushing hits, will be just fine.

Steelers-Broncos MNF Prediction

Despite the Steelers injury concerns, I think they are the more talented team–the significantly more talented team. That said, Denver is primed for a rare Monday night game. The team that somewhat lost its Mile High dominance the past few years is still undefeated at home. I lean their way as an underdog.

Steelers-Broncos pick: Broncos +3

A post that we made here on Friday afternoon regarding Sammy Sosa’s shockingly white appearance (hat tip again to Jimmy Traina) kicked off a flurry of activity around the web (for example: here, here, and here) and rightfully so.

The pictures are jarring.

It’s been a while since Sammy Sosa has been in the public eye, and we all remember a much darker version of him than what we are seeing in this current pictures. (Not to mention, as Big League Stew pointed out earlier this evening, when did Sammy start wearing green contacts?)

The obvious question in the immediate aftermath of these pictures making their way around the web is, what might be the root cause of Sammy’s paleness?

I decided to do a little digging — admittedly with a hypothesis that steroid use might have something to do with it — and found some interesting information.

Sammy Sosa with his wife at at a Person of the Year ceremony in honor of Juan Gabriel at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Nov. 4. (Getty Images)

Hypothesizing that vitiligo might be the root cause of Sammy’s white appearance was a pretty obvious initial direction, and pretty much everyone who has posted about this has mentioned vitiligo (a skin disorder that claims Michael Jackson as its most famous victim).

However, I always assumed that contracting vitiligo was all based on genetics and hereditary issues. The truth, as I’ve come to learn while researching tonight, is that scientists and doctors are still unsure exactly what causes vitiligo.

The prevailing hypothesis seems to be that genetics play a major role in one’s chances of experiencing vitiligo symptoms, but there is also plenty of empirical evidence to suggest that single events and/or lifestyle choices can contribute as well.

Furthermore, there appears to be at least some evidence suggesting that steroid use could be one of the lifestyle choices that increases a person’s likelihood of becoming symptomatic with vitiligo.

Quick aside: I am obviously not a doctor, nor have I done anything more detailed than sift through various Google searches looking for a possible connection between steroids and vitiligo. I am not posting this as an explicit endorsement of the idea, but rather because I found it interesting and thought you might too. I trust you to take the information and make up your own mind.

Steroid.com, as you might expect, purports itself to be “the world’s most visited anabolic website”.  According to Quantcast, Steroid.com get around 125K visitors per month. Not too shabby, especially when the discussions center around activities that are, for the most part, illegal.

I found two forum discussions in particular that seem to suggest a possible connection:

Posted in Anabolic Steroids Q&A: White Blotches / Skin Pigmentation

Initial post: I have just finished my third cycle, after the last 2 cycles blothces on my skin, mainly my face and head have appeared, almost like loss of pigment on my skin. It begins approx 3-4 weeks after I have finished my cycle. When my face goes red from exercise or whatever these blothces are increasingly more noticeable. Does anyone have an idea what is causing this? Or can anyone recommend anything to combat it?

Forum poster response: Fluctuating hormones as the cause would be my guess. Do some google searches on vitiligo and hormones, testosterone, thyroid, etc. You’ll find some info out there.

Posted in Member’s Cycle Results: Melanotan and vitiligo

Initial post: Hi all i have a mate with vitiligo he has white hair eye brows and facial hair and white patches all over his skin. This started about 5 years ago and he has had a hard time with it!

The website Mesomorphosis.com also has a steroid forum where the topic of vitiligo has come up, in this case with a guy asking specifically about white splotches on his penis. Here is one of the responses:

in addition to the other comments here, i’d consider getting your estradiol and test levels checked, ur hormones can effect ur pheomelanin and eumelanin levels. and check if ur diet might be high in phytoestrogens or other endocrine disruptors.

Obviously I do not frequent these forums so I cannot vouch for the historical accuracy of the posters I am excerpting here. And a couple of discussions about vitiligo in a couple of steroid forums does not draw a direct line between steroid use, vitiligo, and Sammy Sosa’s apparent Michael Jackson starter kit.

However, here are a few more things that we do know about vitiligo:

From Medicine.net (and echoed numerous places elsewhere) regarding the use of anabolic steroids:

Notify your doctor if you develop: vomiting, skin color changes, swelling of the feet or ankles.

From WebMD.com regarding the prevalence of vitiligo, which is far more prevalent than I thought:

Vitiligo affects up to 2% of the population, and it is estimated that two to five million Americans have the condition. In most cases, vitiligo develops early in life, between the ages of ten and 30 years. Ninety-five per cent of those affected will develop the disorder before age 40.

For the record, Sammy Sosa turns 41 on November 12th of this year.

And finally, from MayoClinic.com regarding one of the common treatments of vitiligo, which will sound familiar to many Michael Jackson fans:

Depigmentation may be an option for you if you have vitiligo that covers more than half of your skin. Depigmentation therapy lightens the unaffected parts of your skin to match the areas that have already turned white. For this treatment, you apply a medication called monobenzene ether of hydroquinone twice a day to the areas of your skin that still have pigment. Treatment continues until the darker areas of your skin match the already-depigmented areas.

Ultimately, the only conclusion I can make is that there really is no definite conclusion to make. All we have are pictures to go off of. And while they may say 1,000 words, they aren’t telling us specifically what is going on with Sammy’s skin color.

Certainly the general consensus of the sports blogosphere is that Sammy is dealing with vitiligo or something like it, but we’re sports bloggers…not doctors.

I’ve tried my best to do some learning tonight so that I can at least discuss the topic in an informed manner, which I feel an obligation to do since I helped to give the story some momentum earlier this afternoon.

For me, the most intriguing question is if we will find out anything regarding whether Sammy’s confirmed steroid use might have contributed to whatever he is dealing with now.  Something tells me we won’t, and that this story will fade as we move into the weekend and get distracted by football.

However, if there is a connection, can you imagine how powerful of a statement to young athletes Sammy Sosa could make without even saying a word?

If the road this story ultimately travels manifests some connection between steroids and vitiligo (or skin pigmentation changes in general), it will just add one more layer in the case that can be made to young people imploring them to stay away from PEDs.

There is a certain level of vanity required for someone to make the decision to use steroids. No one with any semblance of vanity can look at these pictures of Sammy Sosa and not be both shocked and a little horrified.

Then again, maybe Sammy had dressed up as a vampire for Halloween the weekend before these pictures were taken and just hadn’t showered yet. For his sake, I hope so.

I just doubt it strongly, along with everyone else I’ve seen post about this tonight.

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* – Sammy Sosa photo credit: Getty Images via Big League Stew

Still not so hot with college though. 12-16-1 in a disappointing year so far.

Click here to see Jerod’s picks from earlier this week and then follow after the jump for this week’s college and NFL picks.

College

Alabama -7.5 vs. LSU
Ever just have a hunch? I have one with this game. I think LSU can come out and win this game. With that being said, my hunches have been horrible so far this college season. Bettors and fans want LSU to win to throw a dagger into the BCS system. LSU has been putrid on offense so far this season, and they will be going against the best D in all the land. Take Bama and lay the points.

Navy +13 vs. Notre Dame
Can you say trap game? I sure can. Looking at the line, one would expect Notre Dame to blow out Navy. ND has both WR back for the first time in weeks which should add fire power to a hot offense to begin with. However one thing Navy can do is run the ball, which is the Fighting Irish’s weakness. Navy controls the clock and keeps it close. Take Navy.

UCONN +17.5 vs. Cincinnati
This is a lot of points to give to a stingy UCONN team. In the last 9 games UCONN has played they haven’t lost to anyone by more than 4 points. I know everyone is on Cincy’s back, they are good, but not good enough to cover the 17.5. Take the Huskies

NFL

Ravens -2 vs. Bengals
I took the Ravens last time, and I will take them again this time. I just can’t see the Bengals beating the Ravens two times in one season. Besides the Ravens after the bye sure looked sharp on Defense last week. I expect that to continue. If the Bengals win I won’t be shocked, but may turn into a believer. Roll with the Ravens

Colts -8.5 vs. Houston
I saw that Bob Sanders is having season ending surgery today. So instead of the Colts winning by 21 they’ll win by 14. Houston has been hot, no doubt, but Indy has their number (9-1 in their last 10 match-ups), and Peyton will have a career day. If you like offensive games, you will love this one.

Carolina vs. Saints
Another trap game here. If anyone has a shot at beating the Saints this year, it’s the Panthers. Lets face it, they have played themselves back into the playoff hunt, Jake Delhome hasn’t been turning it over every other play and those running backs are beasts. Carolina absolutely owns the Saints(7-3 in their last ten), but more importantly they know how to beat the Saints on their turf (5-0 in last 5 meetings.) Carolina may only throw the ball 9 times this game to keep the Saints offense off the field. Which means 17.5 points is a lot to give. Take the Panthers

You can also check out my site at nflandcollegefootball.com

After reading this tweet and following the link supplied by Jimmy Traina, I had to quickly post this.

Does anyone know what is going on with Sammy Sosa?

As Traina’s tweet wonders, did Sosa get a facelift? Botox? Is he possibly dealing with vitiligo (the disease Michael Jackson suffered from that causes splotches of pigment-less skin)?

I am wondering if any of our readers knows of an explanation for Sosa’s drastically altered appearance.

Update: here is a link to our subsequent post on this topic, exploring a hypothesis that Sammy’s new pale look could be the result of vitiligo-like symptoms caused by steroid use.

This is clearly not a lighting issue or anything of that nature. Sosa looks completely different, and you can see him here and here at the same event in different light.

Despite the fact that I hate the Cubs and never was a Sosa fan, I’m not posting this to poke fun at Sammy. It just completely took me aback when I saw the pictures and I wanted to share. I imagine post people’s reaction will be similar and I’m hoping someone can shed some light on the reasoning or explanation behind it.

I don’t really know what else to say.

Quick update: Just sent this post over to my co-worker and his first reaction was to say, “that’s not Sammy Sosa! It must be photoshopped.” I thought so too at first, expect that the links supplied above show Sosa looking the same in pictures taken by many different photographers.

Here is a bigger version of the thumbnail picture above:

Another quick update. Here is a picture that was just sent to me of Sammy Sosa from May of 2009. He’s obviously a little more plump than we remember him (which is to be suspected), but you can see the obvious difference in his skin pigmentation:

One possible explanation posited by a number of readers: a really bad makeup job. I suppose that is possible, although if you look at this picture in particular, his hand is same color as his face. Why would he get makeup on his hand? Not sure the makeup explanation really flies.

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* – Sammy Sosa looking white photo credit: PRN / PR Photos via Exposay.com

* – Sammy Sosa in May photo credit: Reuters via DayLife

I was going to copy/paste it here for you to read, but then I thought to myself, “who in the hell do I think I am? ESPN?”

Thus, I shall do what the rest of us small, no-name blog sites are required to do: provide a short excerpt to the story and a link for attribution:

Yesterday afternoon, our own Michael David Smith (who writes primarily for AOL’s FanHouse.com) posted a blurb regarding Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter’s belief, as articulated on NFL Network, that Pats quarterback Tom Brady has his own set of rules. Rich Eisen, the NFLN host extraordinaire who handled the segment with Porter, tweeted a link to the MDS story.

Several hours later, someone from “ESPN.com staff” posted the first five paragraphs of the MDS story — word for freaking word.

Word. For freaking word.

To read the full account, and to find the links where you can do a side-by-side comparison that confirms Florio’s claims, head on over to PFT. Yes, I’ve included two links to the PFT story just for good measure.

One of these days…maybe, just maybe…MSF will be a giant like ESPN. And then I can consider everything reported about sports to be under my dominion, free to repost as I please.

Until then, we’ll keep giving credit to a) the original source of a story and b) where we find out about the story if we find out second-hand. You know, the way it’s supposed to be done.

Unless, of course, you’re ESPN. But when you invented sports, I guess you can do whatever you please.

OK – the end of the baseball season doesn’t mean we all have to start betting on football. But we sports fans sure will be watching it and some of us will wager on it for office pools, friendly bets and so on. Let’s try a few more Week 9 NFL picks.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Sunday, November 8, 1:00 p.m. ET

Sportsbook favorite: Jaguars -6.5

Sure, most of us won’t be tuned in to this toilet bowl matchup, including Jaguars “fans.” But we should still take the opportunity to make a good pick when it’s available and the Jags look good this week.

Neither team can make a stop; both rank in the NFL’s bottom third in every major defensive category and are 31^st and 32^nd in sacks. But the Jags at least give the odd inspired effort at home, as they did against Indianapolis in Week 1 and Tennessee in their first meeting.

Maurice Jones-Drew should absolutely demolish the porous Chiefs O-line and David Garrard should have one of those good games he mixes in with his strings of mediocre performances.

Pick: Jaguars -6.5

Carolina Panthers @ New Orleans Saints

Sunday, November 8, 4:05 p.m. ET

Sportsbook favorite: Saints -13

Could this be your shocker special of the week, online betting fans? The Saints should win but they may not cover.

• First off, they may underestimate the Panthers after beating the Giants and Falcons in recent weeks.
• Second, the Panthers are running the ball with authority again and Sedrick Ellis’ injury leaves a hole in New Orleans’ run defense, as we saw when Michael Turner went off on Monday night.
• Third, Carolina quietly has the NFL’s No. 1 pass defense; the stat was bloated early on by easy matchups but there was nothing easy about a road game versus Arizona last week and the Panthers still prevailed.

I see them keeping this game surprisingly close.

Pick: Panthers +13

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Denver Broncos

Monday, November 9, 8:35 p.m. ET

Sportsbook favorite: Steelers -3

How’s this for a stat: Pittsburgh has faced Chris Johnson, Cedric Benson and Adrian Peterson already this year…and still leads the NFL in run defense. We can thus expect the Steelers to shut down Knowshon Moreno and force the ball into Kyle Orton’s hands.

I don’t know about you, but I’d bench Orton when I make my NFL fantasy picks this week. He’s just been too mistake-free. Time for the Steelers to correct that.

Pick: Steelers -3

If an entire city holds its breath, does everything in that city turn purple?

Will the city ultimately “pass out?” (Which I guess would be manifested in power outages, stalled cares, and the like…)

Will bloggers strain to adequately develop forced metaphors instead of getting right to the point?

Well, we’re going to find out, because the entire city of Indianapolis is about to hold its collective breath while it awaits the results of yet another Bob Sanders visit to see Dr. James Andrews.

The Colts’ D has already been killed by injuries this year and we saw during the team’s Super Bowl run a few years ago just how vital Bob Sanders is to their chances.

Of course, Sanders has only been healthy for a couple of games this year and the Colts have been able to shoot out of the gates with an undefeated record. Don’t be fooled though; this team is not making a deep run in January without its superstar strong safety, especially when you consider the guys they’ve already lost on D.

Peyton Manning is incredible, but probably not that incredible.

So Big MB and the rest of the Circle City waits to exhale.

Update: Uh oh. Looks like Colts fans can exhale, but only so they can begin hyperventilating. According to PFT, Bob Sanders needs elbow surgery and will be out indefinitely.