Leben vs. Rosholt – Take the Underdog at UFC 102

As much as I dislike Chris Leben, I have to say that the kid has some serious balls on him. Nobody digs deeper than this underdog to prove himself and his worth in the octagon. He fights with passion and a desire to prove that he’s better than his opponent. The problem is that Leben is the favorite in this matchup due to his experience and not his credentials.

Not much is known about Jake Rosholt aside from the fact that he was supposed to be good. Rosholt has a big following from his WEC days, but a submission loss to Dan Miller in his UFC debut caused his backers to jump ship pretty fast. Those that are still around are counting on his versatility and willingness to win to get him back on track.

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My problem with Leben is that, in the eyes of the UFC, he’s used primarily to draw out the best in the guys that are supposed to be the next, big things. He’s just 18-5 SU, but a lot of his fights early on were against nameless jobbers. Aside from a split decision over Patrick Cote, he doesn’t have any big wins to his credit. Now, losses to Michael Bisping and Jason Macdonald are the ones I remember because it proved that Leben is used to test the new UFC rookies.

Rosholt is being undersold because he came in all jittery during his UFC debut. But now he has to clear out the cobwebs and get back on his feet. Withstanding the onslaught that is Chris Leben, whose powerful overhand right can knockout a horse, is going to be a surefire test for Rosholt. But it’s the only way to prove that he belongs in the UFC. For now, I’m still biting on his potential because I’ve seen what Leben can do…and I’m not impressed.

Furious Free Pick: Rosholt +120

Main Event Preview – Couture is going to Evict Nogueira from the UFC

Nobody has more on the line this weekend than Antonio Nogueira. The man known as “Minotauro” steps in to the ring to battle the 46-year-old Randy Couture with his pride on the line, and his career in the UFC in jeopardy. A lot of fanfare is being made about Randy Couture’s mind-boggling age, but none of that gab has given way to the critics doubting the man known as “The Natural”.

Couture is the logical favorite at -170, and he stands to gain some momentum if he can get past his younger opponent this weekend. The last time we saw the 16-9 SU legend, he was getting hammer punched by Brock Lesnar. Usually I have hesitations about a fighter who is over-the-hill and has a lot to prove, but the great thing about betting on Couture is that he has zero left to prove to the world. He is still a championship caliber fighter who is far too versatile to go out in to the setting sun. He’s in it for the love of the game…and by “game” I’m referring to his love of “punching people in the face repeatedly”.

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Lost in all the talk about Couture’s age is Minotarou’s mileage. Nogueira has been around since 1999 and has stepped in to the octagon with the likes of Frank Mir, Fedor Emelianenko, Heath Herring and Tim Sylvia. Since UFC 92, where Nogueira got his ass handed to him by Frank Mir, he’s been trying to solve the problems with his game. The main problem, however, is that he’s just taking too much of a beating throughout his career. Bob Sapp crushed this guy seven-years ago in a brutal beating, that still makes Nogueira fans cringe despite the fact that he won the fight.

This isn’t a make-or-break fight for Couture. It’s business. As a slight favorite, you’re best hedging your bets. The only thing you have to decide is how badly Couture is going to rumble through Nogueira, who is outmatched in power and outclassed in technical precision. The main event on this card is a no-brainer.

Furious Free Pick: Couture -170 (TKO)

UFC 102 Preview – Just How Good is Maia’s Striking?

Maia will put his all-world jiu-jitsu skills to work against Marquardt, who by all standards is out of his league in terms of wrestling. The problem with this fight is that we don’t have enough information on the 10-0 SU Maia. The highest profile fighter he’s defeated is Jason Macdonald, and he’s taken everyone to the mat in each fight. We have no idea how good his striking is.

“The Great” Nate Marquardt is a punishing fighter, and for him to win this match he’s going to have to stay of the mat and let Maia show us just how good he really is on his feet. If Marquardt goes to the ground, then he’s a dead man. Plain and simple. Maia is perhaps the greatest jiu-jitsu wrestler on the planet, and Marquardt’s grappling is average in the ranks of the UFC.

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For Maia, the time will come when he has to prove just how strong his striking abilities are. But this is not that fight for him. He is showcasing some brilliant wrestling right now, and will continue to do so until he gets a chance to take on Anderson Silva at the 185 weight class (if Silva ever comes back from 205). For now, Maia will take it to the mat every time until a fighter is able to defend against his takedowns and challenge him to stay on his feet.

Sorry, Marquardt fans. I know he’s the favorite in this fight, but I can’t side with him. The only reason Maia is the underdog is because we rightfully don’t know enough about him yet. I love the pile driving antics of this maniac as much as you do, but Maia is about to give him a wrestling lesson that Marquardt would prefer to forget.

Furious Free Pick: Maia +140

UFC 102 Vera vs. Soszynski – It’s Put Up or Shut Up for “The Truth”

There was a time when Brandon Vera was considered the proverbial “next big thing,” but by his own admission, he got a little too comfortable and didn’t pair his world-class talent with the type of talent it takes to succeed on the big stage.

Vera said he was used to only training about “two times a day,” but now he’s back in top-notch shape and ready to show his losses to Tim Sylvia and Fabricio Werdum as well as his impossibly boring debut at light heavyweight (after dropping from heavyweight) were flukes.

His opponent at UFC 102, Krzysztof Soszynski, is on a different career arc right now as he has won all three fights inside the Octagon and is just now making a name for himself.

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It’ll be a battle of finesse (well, Vera’s game is about as finesse as it can be in a sport where the goal is to inflict as much physical harm on your opponent as possible) against all-out aggression and physicality (Soszynski).

The Sportsbook has Vera as a respectable favorite with odds at -200 compared with +160 for the underdog Soszynski.

Many feel that this fight has the potential to be as close as any of the others at UFC 102 in Portland, Oregon because of the clash in styles.

Vera is a rangy muay thai guy who likes to use the clinch game whenever possible along with razor-sharp knees and leg kicks. His fight against Michael Patt at UFC 96 was a brutal clinic in the leg kick game as Vera kicked Patt so often and so hard that he began limping around like a 90-year old man at the man as the crowd waited on pins and needles for Vera’s finishing blow.

Vera ultimately had no choice but to chop Patt down with a couple more leg kicks that left him gasping in pain on the Octagon canvas and more than 10,000 people feeling downright sorry for Patt.

Soszynski on the other hand is one of the more aggressive UFC fighters in the light heavyweight division, which is saying a lot considering the stacked roster of brawlers in the weight class. He likes to get in close, maybe clinch a little, and throw bombs, and his submission game is also excellent.

Soszynski has the skill to pull off a wide variety of jiu-jitsu finishers, but 9 times out of 10, he’s coming right at you with his trademark kimura. He’s become so well-versed at it and strong with that it can be hard for even the most seasoned BJJ fighters to deal with at times.

This is another fight that could go either way, but in the end, expect Vera’s athleticism and more varied attack to pave the way for a big win at UFC 102.

The pick: Vera (-200) by decision

UFC Lock Alert – Krzysztof Soszynski WILL Bust Up Brandon Vera

I don’t know what’s more unbelievable. The fact that Brandon Vera has never been able to get his act together, or the fact that Microsoft Word knew how to spell “Krzysztof”. We’ve been through this whole Vera act before. Since Vera toppled Frank Mir at UFC 65, we were all waiting for him to take the next step. The sad part is that we’re still waiting.

Soszynski’s another letdown story. The 18-8 SU fighter known as “The Polish Experiment” has six consecutive victories under his belt, and is trying to build some momentum to prove that he is the submission specialist we all believed him to be. After being discovered on “The Ultimate Fighter”, Soszynski has been given chances to prove his worth. When he filled in to fight Andre Gusmao just one month after his last fight, he destroyed Gusmao with punches. Now he has a chance to use Vera as a stepping stone as he ascends the ladder in the UFC.

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Brandon Vera is one of the fighters that Keith Jardine has utterly victimized. He was on the cusp of great things in the UFC but let down his backers by losing a decision to the ugliest man in the UFC. It’s a sad story, but Vera has been on the outs in the UFC for quite some time. The only way he comes out of this fight with his career intact is by dispatching Soszynski quickly and efficiently.

With so much on the line for the overhyped Vera, nerves and impatience will get the better of him. The Brandon Vera Experiment is all but down, but “The Polish Experiment” will keep on…uh…experimenting? Whatever, bet on the guy who isn’t a proven loser!

Furious Free Pick: Soszynski (+160)

BCS Dream Matchup – Texas vs. Ohio State

BetOnline NCAA College Football Futures Odds

To Win BCS National Title

Florida +180

Oklahoma +500

TEXAS +650

Southern Cal +650

OHIO STATE +1000

Alabama +1200

Louisiana State +1800

Notre Dame +2000

Florida State +2200

Penn State +2500

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Texas was made last year. They beat Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout, and tied with them for the Big 12 South title, yet did not get the opportunity to play in the Big 12 championship game, watching as the Sooners beat Missouri and moved on to the BCS title game. I guess one of the themes is revenge of a sort, and making their way to the national title in the process.

Ohio State lost a lot of standouts to the NFL draft, but that is nothing new for coach Jim Tressel’s program. The man at the trigger of their offense, Terrelle Pryor, is back for his sophomore season, and so the Buckeyes are once again a favorite in the Big Ten and one of BetOnline‘ top five in the national title odds.

What if both these teams got through their respective conferences in an impressive enough fashion that they qualified to face each other on January 7 in Pasadena with the BCS championship on the line?

We’ll explore.

If this kind of fortune were to come to Texas, it would probably mean they were able to beat Oklahoma, although from last year’s experience we know there are no guarantees. They also have to visit Oklahoma State, which has a loaded offense, and Missouri, which is still capable offensively despite the loss of people like Chase Daniel, Chase Coffman and Jeremy Maclin. Then they would have to win the Big 12 title game, against either Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, or whoever else may be there. All this should be enough to bag one of the top two spots in the BCS rankings.

How would they do that? Well, we’d have to assume Texas came up big in the secondary, and that in turn means they would have more than the six interceptions they had in 2008. When you play in a conference like they do, with so many great QB’s, that is a must if you want to stay at a high level; you have to take the ball away. It would be a foregone conclusion that the Longhorns would somehow fill the pass rushing void left by Brian Orakpo, who went off to the first round of the NFL Draft. Hypothetically, that could mean Sergio Kindle, who’s a little bit of a flake off the field, got himself together enough that he became a major pass rushing force, and that furthermore, Alex Okafor, who has come to Austin with a lot of hype, turned out to be a big-time freshman at defensive end. There is no question that Texas will have figured out a way to stop the run better as well.

You’d have to expect that Colt McCoy, who came into the season as a Heisman contender (+275 in the BetOnline odds, in fact) at least approached his 2008 numbers (34 TD’s, 76.7% completions) and maintained his Heisman candidacy. and that he didn’t have to be the leading rusher on his team, but got help either from the "committee" approach, or from an emerging guy like Aaron Brown. This may be a lot to ask for, but there are four starters coming back on the offensive line, including one of the best left tackles in the country in Adam Ulatoski and high hopes for Texas entering the season.

Ohio State’s task is to beat USC when they host the Trojans at Columbus and go through the Big Ten undefeated, in a schedule that includes visits to Penn State and Michigan. The Buckeyes would have to find solutions at the linebacker position, as they lost studs in Marcus Freeman and James Laurinaitis. The defensive line, which brought back three veterans, would have to be as good as advertised. These guys have been through this drill before – look how many players from the defensive unit they have lost to the NFL in the last few years.

Terelle Pryor (+800 in the BetOnline Heisman odds), who came to Columbus as one of the most highly-touted athletes in recent memory, would have to be every bit as good as the Buckeyes hoped, creating confusion with different formations that show off his versatility. However, one thing you would have to assume is that he has improved himself as a passer to the point where the opponent could not overplay the run. That would make him an awesome force, and someone mentioned in the Heisman conversation. If Ohio State got this far, it means that they have found some people who could sufficiently replace Chris Wells, who was drafted by Arizona in the first round (maybe freshman Jamaal Berry helps in this area), and that receivers could step up (Dane Sanzenbacker is leading returnee, with 21 catches last year).

Has Texas seen anyone quite like Pryor? The closest thing would be Robert Griffin of Baylor, who they play near the tail end of the year. No matter how good Pryor is, Kindle would be a pain in the neck for him. We would certainly know that Texas is a heck of a team if it got through all the minefields in front of them. We know that Ohio State can get through the Big Ten schedule without a scratch, or with enough substance that they wind up in the title game, and still get outclassed once they get there. Although you can’t count out a guy like Tressel, I would expect that Texas could win this matchup by double digits, and perhaps two touchdowns.

Friday Night Lights – New England Patriots vs. Washington Redskins

New England Patriots (1-1 SU, 0-2 ATS) at Washington Redskins (1-1 SU & ATS)

Friday, August 28

BetOnline NFL Odds: NEW ENGLAND -3, Total 37.5

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Here are some of the NFL pro football betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

• NE has lost five of its last six pre-season games SU
• NE is 0-6 ATS in its last six pre-season games
• NE is 1-4-1 ATS in its last six pre-season road games
• WASH has covered two of its last six pre-season games
• WASH has won its four of its last five pre-season home games SU
• WASH has played six of its last seven pre-season home games UNDER the total

New England lost all of its pre-season games a year ago, but as we know, the third exhibition game is usually the one where starters get the most time and show the most interest, and in the three seasons from 2005-2007 New England won that particular game three times by a total of 82 points. The difference between those games and last year’s game is that Tom Brady didn’t throw a pass in Game 3 of last year’s pre-season.

We say some of this because when you look at what the Pats have done, it doesn’t look like they are overly concerned about winning anything in the pre-season. That is understandable, because if there is one coach who knows it doesn’t count until the regular season bell rings, it’s Bill Belichick.

Brady wants to play in these pre-season games, though. He thinks it’s essential for someone at his position. “We don’t get live reps in practice like the other guys do. At the other positions in practice, they go live. Anybody gets anywhere near the quarterback and everything stops, so you don’t get a real look at the speed of things." He also believes that for someone like him, who is coming off an injury, he needs to experience the feeling of defenders coming at him to make himself more comfortable going back into the pocket. He has been under center for only nine snaps in the pre-season.

The Redskins did well in beating Pittsburgh last week, bouncing back from a complete lay down against the Ravens the week before, but the work they got from Jason Campbell was non-existent. Campbell was just one-for-seven for ten yards and the talk is how he has been affected by all that talk in the off-season about dealing for other quarterbacks, including Jay Cutler. Colt Brennan made another bad decision on his interception, and the most impressive QB for them was Chase Daniel, who was fourth on the depth chart at the outset of camp but came in and threw for two TD’s in the second half against Pittsburgh.

Coach Jim Zorn will feel compelled to use Campbell for at least the first two quarters of this game, but one has to wonder whether he has a true grasp of Zorn’s offense. This could be bad news for the ‘Skins if Brady and the Pats show up motivated. We’re going to lay the points with New England, the three-point favorite in the NFL pre-season football betting odds.

JAY’S PLAY: NEW ENGLAND -3 ***
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

Favre Prop Watch – Bet on Everything Brett

I would like to take a crack at all these new Brett Favre props that have been presented by the folks at BetOnline:

Brett Favre Total TD passes:

• Over 21½ 5/6
• Under 21½ 5/6

Favre has averaged 22 touchdown passes over the last four years. He’s also thrown almost as many interceptions over that time (84). In none of those seasons has he had the kind of running game to work with that he has in Minnesota. In fact, he has never worked with a running back quite like Adrian Peterson. It can be reasonably argued that Thomas Jones had the best statistical year of his career, which included 13 touchdowns, with Favre at the helm (with the Jets, of course). The Minnesota running game will cut into his touchdown numbers, and the arm ain’t what it used to be.

UNDER 21.5 (-120)

Brett Favre Total INT’s:

• Over 19 5/6
• Under 19 5/6

Favre is the "gunslinger," and that has never changed. Whether he will become more conservative in Minnesota is a good question, but it can be argued that Favre is always going to have a lot of attempts, and has been quite erratic even when he was playing in his prime. In fact, one year where he had 31 TD passes he also had 23 interceptions. That was back in 1998. As mentioned, the last four years, he has had 84 pickoffs, which averages out to 21 per year. Sure, he’ll be playing in more of a West Coast set than he had last year, and has a team that can also advance the ball on the ground, but I would never underestimate Favre’s ability to throw a game away.

OVER 19 (-120)

Will Brett Favre retire after this season?

• Yes 1/2
• No 2/3

This is a two-way prop? In other words, the favorite (that he will retire) is -200, while the "underdog" (that he won’t) is -150? I’d say "yes" because no off-season would be complete these days without a Brett Favre retirement, although I should pass on this one on the general principle of no value being offered.

Will Brett Favre announce a comeback for 2010?

• Yes 5/6
• No 5/6

Favre has signed a two-year deal with the Vikings, just like he signed a two-year deal with the Jets. I have a feeling he will stick with this one, because I liked this team’s chances to get to the playoffs even before he came aboard. However, like the proposition above, we might need a clarification on this one: does it mean he has to announce a retirement first before announcing a "comeback"? Or if he simply comes back to play again, is that enough of a "comeback"? With all the unnecessary drama, people tend to forget that Favre has never really launched a "comeback" in the traditional sense; in fact, his string of consecutive seasons has been unbroken since 1991, and his string of consecutive starts is at 269. In fact, if he starts the first two games of the 2009 season, he will break Jim Marshall’s NFL record for consecutive games played, which right now stands at 270.

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Will Brett Favre make the Pro-Bowl?

• Yes 5/7
• No 1/1

I should never disqualify the "yes" vote here, because he was indeed voted into the Pro Bowl over more deserving players like Philip Rivers last year, despite his 22 interceptions. To be fair, he threw seven in the last three weeks, and off-hand I think the Pro Bowl voting started before he completely tossed away the Jets’ playoff hopes. In looking at the NFC, he’s got people to contend with, such as Kurt Warner, Tony Romo, Donovan McNabb, Eli Manning, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Matt Hasselbeck and the new kid on the block, Jay Cutler. So I will offer a rather strong "no" here.

NO (Even)

Viking win/loss record vs. the Packers in 2009:

• 2-0 5/7
• 1-1 1/1
• 0-2 3/1

In the last ten years, the Vikings have swept the Packers in the season series only once, and that was in 2005, when they beat them three times, including a playoff game. Other than that, wins have been much more sparse for Minnesota. Yes, they think Favre will make a difference, but I’m figuring that a split, at even money in the BetOnline nfl odds, is much more likely, and a Packer sweep, which is listed at 3/1 at BetOnline and which has happened four times in the last nine seasons, may be a possibility to grab some value.

1-1 (Even)

Favre has also been installed at +1200 to win the MVP at BetOnline, as well as +1000 to throw for the most passing yards. I would not wager on him to win either of those props.

If Garrard Bounces Back, so Will Jaguars

I believe the majority of how the Jaguars’ upcoming season unfolds depends largely on how starting quarterback David Garrard bounces back from what was undeniably, a lackluster 2008 season, his first as the unquestioned starter in Jacksonville.

To improve in 2009, Garrard must first cut down his interceptions. However, that seems very likely as he has not had a track record of throwing interceptions.

He threw 18 touchdown passes and just three interceptions in 2007 while starting 12 games and compiling a 102.2 percent passer rating. But Garrard’s numbers dropped markedly last season as he threw just 15 touchdowns and a surprising 13 interceptions while compiling a poor 81.7 percent passer rating.

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One significant statistic you may want to look at when predicting how Garrard will do in 2009 is the fact that, prior to last season, Garrard had thrown just 16 career interceptions in 40 career games since 2002, throwing three interceptions or less in five of his seven pro seasons.

Another thing the Jaguars and Garrard may want to look at is taking a few more shots deep downfield. Garrard’s longest completion of the 2008 season went for just 41 yards, a pretty pathetic stat for any quarterback and offense.

Of course, Jacksonville’s offensive line also left a lot to be desired in 2008 as Garrard was rushed and hurried far too often, not to mention, sacked a whopping 41 times.

Garrard’s numbers and Jacksonville’s offense also suffered because of the team’s inability to run the ball effectively. Running back Maurice Jones-Drew and former running back Fred Taylor rushed for just 824 and 556 yards respectively after putting up 768 and 1,202 yards in 2007.

Jaguars will also need some improved play from an undistinguished group of wide receivers that left a lot to be desired last season.

Former wideout Matt Jones led the team with 65 catches and Jones-Drew was second on the team, catching 62 passes out of the backfield. Dennis Northcutt, Marcedes Lewis and Reggie Williams rounded out Jacksonville’s top five receivers with 44, 41 and 37 catches respectively.

While Jacksonville added veteran wide receiver Torry Holt to help boost the team’s passing attack, I’m going on record right now to say that Jacksonville’s wide receiving unit is shaky at best.

If the Jaguars can improve in all of the aforementioned offensive areas and they can shore up a defense that fell to 17th overall last season – Jacksonville could challenge for a better than .500 record while improving their uninspiring 4-12 ATS record.

It won’t be easy though, playing in the powerful AFC South with the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts as likely conference title contenders, the Jaguars will undoubtedly have their work cut out for them.

Check out all the latest Jacksonville Jaguars NFL Odds in the bettor-friendly BetOnline Sportsbook.

NFL – Michael Vick’s Return

If you didn’t feel the biting sarcasm in that headline, then you’ve been swallowed up by the hype train that is becoming Michael Vick’s 2009 Saga. The standing ovation was a little over the top, but that’s what you can expect from Philly fans who have gone 49-years without a Super Bowl. But all the other nonsense has to stop. The PETA affiliations, the humane society crap – just let it stop.

Vick made a mistake, but he’s not Peyton Manning who’s a model citizen by comparison and a good spokesperson. What exactly is Vick going to do for the humane society? Is he going to film a public service announcement surrounded by adorable puppies saying, “Man I can’t believe I used to kill these things for fun. DON’T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE AS ME, KIDS!”? Does this gain any legs in any green room?

Listen, I’ve written in the past about Vick and athletes in general. I will say about Vick as a football player that I did about Michael Jackson as a singer. MJ was undoubtedly the greatest, single performer of my lifetime and while he was a complete lunatic in his personal life, that wasn’t what I asked of him as a fan. I asked him to sing and dance…and maybe not dangle babies off of hotel balconies. But I mean as long as he wasn’t hurting anyone, what did I care about his crazy personal life?

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We’re as punch-drunk-in-love with Vick as we were with Jackson. He’s a monster who’s trying to “fix” himself, and whether I believe his whole PR angle is a work or not, I’ve stopped caring. I’ve made my point that playing professional sports is a privilege, and that I would’ve preferred to see him hold-out for a year and “struggle with a real job”, but that didn’t happen. Just imagine if that happened in a corporate job for a second:

CEO: “We have a really big problem with Johnson. He’s a really twisted psychopath. Have you seen his myspace page? I mean, who even uses myspace anymore…

VP of Operations: “Yeah, I know what you mean, but he can type incredibly fast. I mean nobody crunches numbers faster than Johnson. And besides, he said he was sorry. Didn’t you get his email?”

CEO: “It’s just that the stuff he did…the photos he posted…they were really messed up. And man, it’s all true. Didn’t you see the police reports?”

VP of Operations: “Listen! He’s a versatile weapon in the company that can type crazy fast, brew coffee better than anybody I’ve ever known, and he is a maniac with that photocopier. don’t care if he’s piss-poor for our corporate image…he’s got incredible gifts which justify his six-figure salary!”

This stuff just doesn’t happen unless we’re talking about mobs and gangs. Not that the NFL is going to be ruined by Vick. He’s a millionaire again. He’s getting out of bankruptcy. He’s helping activists. He’s saying and doing all the things you would expect a screw up to say if you dangled a bag full of cash in front of him. I’m not one for sour grapes, so whatever. You move on.

Now all I can do is see if he can pad a futures bet on the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles are slated as +550 favorites to win the NFC Championship, putting them right on the heels of the +500 New York Giants. When it comes to personnel, the Eagles’ offense is stacked to the nines, and Vick showed that he has shaken the majority of rust that he carried for the past two seasons. Vick’s 4-for-4 performance covering 19-yards was fine. It wasn’t spectacular, but it also wasn’t shamefully bad. So far, so good for the Eagles.

The oddsmakers have pegged the odds for Eagles regular season wins at 9.5 O/U. Aside from the Cowboys and Giants, who take up four games of their schedule, the only other real competition Philadelphia faces is New Orleans in Week 2 and the San Diego Chargers in Week 10. Aside from that, their schedule is a cake walk filled with matches against Chicago, Oakland, Kansas City, Tampa Bay, Carolina and Denver. Can you say “10 win seasons are easy”? I’m going OVER with Vick on board. Even if McNabb goes down with another injury, Vick showed that he’s well on his way to shaking the rust off old lefty and can stand in should he need to. Vick and Westbrook in the backfield? That has at least 10-wins written all over it.

For now the Vick Saga will carry on and draw way too much attention to itself. I just wonder who’s going to get more hits on Google this year: Brett Favre or Michael Vick. Why isn’t that a prop bet anyways?

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