Deja Vu?

What a weekend in sports! Football fans, both college and pro, enjoyed a weekend of down-to-the-wire finishes and big upsets. And we almost saw a late timeout rear its ugly head on Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt.

The Dallas Cowgirls
"The team to beat"..."The most talented team in the entire league"..."They only got better in the offseason." All of these are descriptions for the Dallas Cowboys, the most underachieving 4-2 team in recent memory. After suffering an overtime loss to the once-lowly Arizona Cardinals (after scoring 10 points in the final three minutes) one weekend after almost losing to the (still) winless Cincinnati Bengals, I am sure owner Jerry Jones is having convulsions. Coach Wade Phillips should be held accountable as the coach, but the players are the ones who need to take responsibility for such poor play. Terrell Owens still pouts when he doesn't get looked at downfield, the secondary is full of talent and still allows many catches and now Tony Romo may be out to a month with a fractured pinky finger. They play the Rams, Bucs and Giants in the following three weeks with backup QB Brad Johnson at the helm. He did win a Super Bowl in Tampa, but that was years ago and he had an amazing defense. That Week 9 "bye" is looking pretty important for the 'Boys right about now.

NO-klahoma!
It was another crazy Saturday when many ranked teams lost, including LSU, Vanderbilt, Missouri and of course Oklahoma. Texas is the new #1 in the AP poll, vaulting past idle Alabama. The Longhorns deserve the ranking as they did beat the #1 team in the Sooners. Colt McCoy has really matured over the past season and is poised to bring a title back to Austin, a la Vince Young. Texas still has many tough opponents ahead, including Missouri, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. However, with the amount of ranked teams and parity in the Big 12, it must be considered as the best conference in the country. Usually the SEC reigns supreme, but this year's Big 12 crop is nothing to laugh at - it is actually something to fear. This year is becoming just as wild as last year. I guess the BCS has payed off for Myles Brand and the NCAA - at least in the entertainment department. The national champion could come out of the Big 12 conference this year, but then again, stranger things have happened.

NBA Preview 08 Extravaganza!!!
It is almost that time of year - seeing a player soar through the air, dunking a basketball while dousing their opponent under the rim with sweat from the pelvic area of his baggy gym shorts. Hoops season brings up a lot of questions. Is Shaq finally finished? Are the Blazers actually going to make the playoffs? Will the New Orleans Hornets get over the hump? Will the Boston Celtics repeat with a weaker roster? Many questions but no answers. Bold Prediction: I think the Blazers, if Greg Oden stays healthy, make the playoffs as an 8th seed. Brandon Roy is a gamer, LaMarcus Aldridge is good on the glass and Jarrett Jack is underrated in the point guard position. Nate McMillan is a talented coach and will motivate his young guns to step it up and finish games. There is always some team that breaks out of the mold and surprises everyone. It happened with Golden State a couple years ago and with the Hornets last year. The Blazers will blaze their way into the postseason, barring any health setbacks. Greg Oden is the real deal AND he looks 12 years older than LeBron James. Will somebody check their birth certificates? It is getting close to a Danny Almonte situation. More to come next time...

What to watch for:
Who will win a damn game first, the Detroit Lions or the Cincinnati Bengals? The Lions lost late (what a shocker) against the Vikings, whose own fans chanted for the firing of head coach Brad Childress. Yikes. The Bengals have no Carson Palmer, but they are playing hard. Ask the Cowboys. Till next time...