Last week, feminists rallied in Washington and lobbied Congress to prevent the elimination of federal funding for a private business. This business’ primary reason for existence is to perform abortions. Representative Louise Slaughter of New York ratcheted up the hyperbole to defamatory levels by stating, “Now they're (referring to Republicans) here to kill women.” Obviously, Representative Slaughter needs to see a side-by-side comparison of the number of humans killed at the hands of the Republican Congressional delegation (presumably zero) as opposed to the number of slayings by Planned Parenthood (definitely millions). Maybe she could slip an earmark into the revised budget to fund research to resolve her confusion.
Leaving aside the debate over the legality or morality of abortion, conscientious citizens should question why this funding even exists as an issue. How can anyone constitutionally justify funding a private business? Why is one that facilitates sexual acts without unintended consequences worthy of subsidies? One should notice that these blowhards cannot cite any clause in the Constitution mandating that Uncle Sam contribute to the cost of women’s and girls’ birth control and of their abortions after those measures fail or they failed to use them.
Federal funding of Planned Parenthood serves as fodder for militant supporters of teen girls engaging in sexual acts then aborting the unwanted consequences. Planned Parenthood does nothing which a private enterprise could do without any governmental subsidies. Pharmacies sell contraception and pregnancy tests, often after business hours and on weekends and holidays when Planned Parenthood’s locations are closed. In order to display some intellectual honesty, should not they demand that funding go to businesses which provide the same goods and services as Planned Parenthood at more accessible times for the general public?
Why do self-proclaimed advocates for women’s rights obsess over facilitating abortion while failing to address issues such as polygyny, wife-beating, marriage of child brides, female genital mutilation, wearing of suffocating and dehumanizing clothing? Do they fear threats or violence from Islamists who regularly torment fighters for rights of women and girls throughout the Islamic bloc? Do feminists remain ignorant of these crimes committed against women and girls under Sharia? Do they excuse brutality inflicted on female Mohamadans as mere “cultural differences” that must be tolerated within the Free World? Why do they equate a lack of taxpayer dollars underwriting abortionists to American society being outrageously misogynistic? Are they blind to the plethora of freedom that they enjoy compared to the second class status of their sisters under Islamic regimes? It seems that their allegiance to political correctness and nanny-statism outweighs any concern for the lives and liberties of women and girls.
If feminists truly valued all of those of the feminine gender, their priorities would include diverting funds from businesses like Planned Parenthood to pressing concerns affecting women and girls. Increased focus of law enforcement agencies is necessary to respond to rampant incidents of anti-female violence. Mohamadan men are brutalizing and eventually killing their female relatives for being raped, refusing to hide under tent-like outfits, dating infidels, listening to music or otherwise not conforming to Islam. Also, Mohamadan families are transporting their girls out of the country to undergo mutilation of their genitals. Increasingly, Mohamadans are setting up clandestine networks to perform the gruesomely cruel Islamic ritual that scars women for life. Even the most hardcore libertarians and progressives should agree that a government must intercede in such cases to protect the lives and human rights of female victims of Islam. Now, feminists must decide if their notion of women’s rights extends beyond extracting taxpayers’ money to dispose of the results of irresponsible sexual activity.
COPYRIGHT BY CHARLES KASTRIOT APRIL 2011
12 April 2011
08 December 2010
Headed toward the Finish Line in 2010
With three quarters of the National Football League regular season completed, a review of the divisional and playoff races seems timely. No team has clenched a playoff berth yet. Only a handful of teams have been mathematically eliminated from playoff possibility. The following is commentary broken down by divisions.
AFC East: New England is revving its engine as the finish line nears. In the process, the Patriots ran over the Jets to take the lead in the race. The damage will not last long. These two will both advance to the playoffs once again. The question is whether or not the Jets can overcome the Patriots one game lead with four left to play. If not, they will have to try to beat their incredibly stunning post-season performance of last season. On a side issue to ponder, are the Bills steadily creeping toward relocation to Toronto?
AFC North: With its win at Baltimore on Sunday, the Steelers are en route to claiming the division title. They hold a one game lead, both within the division and overall. Of the remaining games, only the visit by the Jets appears to be a possible loss. In contrast, the Ravens must sweep the final four games in addition to hoping for the Browns or Bengals to defeat the Steelers. We can expect to see the Ravens go to the playoffs but as a wildcard once again.
AFC South: What had been Indianapolis’ fiefdom to reign perennially has turned into a full-scale battle royale. Could the Colts actually miss the playoffs? How would the networks fill airtime reserved for adulation of Peyton Manning if his team is sitting at home in January? Considering that they trail the Ravens by two games and the Jets by three for the wildcards, the Colts must overcome Jacksonville to win the division and seize the automatic playoff berth. Their season hinges on winning the three remaining divisional games.
AFC West: After teasing their fans with stringing together the most wins in several seasons, the Raiders have slipped two games behind Kansas City. San Diego has failed to start its annual post-Thanksgiving Day blitzkrieg toward winning the division. That leaves Kansas City in position to wrap up the division assuming the Chiefs do not stumble more than once in the last four games.
NFC East: Philadelphia has a tie-breaker advantage over the other first place team, New York Giants, due to a win in their first meeting plus a superior divisional record so far. Michael Vick is a virtual lock to win “Comeback of the Year” awards. Jerry Jones has already fired its head coach to give Jason Garrett a long anticipated opportunity as a head coach. Fans would expect Daniel Snyder to do the same in Washington if this season were not Mike Shanahan’s first there.
NFC North: After sending envoys to beg Bret Favre to return this season and initiating a puzzling trade for Randy Moss, the Viking cruise back to the conference championship game ran aground soon after leaving port. Meanwhile, Green Bay has not disappointed the pundits who tabbed the Packers as the trendy pick to win the NFC’s spot in the Super Bowl. Chicago has awakened from its hibernation in mediocrity during the past three seasons. Both are slugging out the divisional race which should go the full sixteen rounds to determine the winner.
NFC South: This division has three of the strongest in the league. Any one of these would likely win any other division in the league. Atlanta possesses the most wins in the NFC. The defending Super Bowl champions trail Atlanta by one game. Third place Tampa Bay has more wins than anyone in the NFC West and as many as the AFC South leader. All three could conceivably advance to the post-season. Unfortunately for the Falcons, Saints and Buccaneers, only one will enjoy a home game for its first playoff game this season. The Falcons hold a game advantage over the Saints in addition to a win in their first meeting. The Saints must win their last four games and hope for a Christmas miracle in the form of a Falcons’ loss to Carolina or Seattle.
NFC West: Will the NFL ever consider revoking automatic playoff berths for division winners and giving them higher seeds than wildcards? If so, this year’s version of the NFC Worst will serve as a strong case for making the change. For not a single member of this division to hold a winning record in December is a disgrace. If the NFL has any sense of fair play, the team that has fewer losses than the other three should be forced to travel to the stadium of a wild card team for the first round of the playoffs.
Several exciting races remain for divisional titles and wildcard berths. The NFL could not have asked for a more compelling season in the race toward that date in early February in Jerry World. Will this season’s drama serve as motivation to settle lingering labor issues and avoid a cancellation or truncation of next season? The fans deserve a solution.
COPYRIGHT BY CHARLES KASTRIOT DECEMBER 2010
AFC East: New England is revving its engine as the finish line nears. In the process, the Patriots ran over the Jets to take the lead in the race. The damage will not last long. These two will both advance to the playoffs once again. The question is whether or not the Jets can overcome the Patriots one game lead with four left to play. If not, they will have to try to beat their incredibly stunning post-season performance of last season. On a side issue to ponder, are the Bills steadily creeping toward relocation to Toronto?
AFC North: With its win at Baltimore on Sunday, the Steelers are en route to claiming the division title. They hold a one game lead, both within the division and overall. Of the remaining games, only the visit by the Jets appears to be a possible loss. In contrast, the Ravens must sweep the final four games in addition to hoping for the Browns or Bengals to defeat the Steelers. We can expect to see the Ravens go to the playoffs but as a wildcard once again.
AFC South: What had been Indianapolis’ fiefdom to reign perennially has turned into a full-scale battle royale. Could the Colts actually miss the playoffs? How would the networks fill airtime reserved for adulation of Peyton Manning if his team is sitting at home in January? Considering that they trail the Ravens by two games and the Jets by three for the wildcards, the Colts must overcome Jacksonville to win the division and seize the automatic playoff berth. Their season hinges on winning the three remaining divisional games.
AFC West: After teasing their fans with stringing together the most wins in several seasons, the Raiders have slipped two games behind Kansas City. San Diego has failed to start its annual post-Thanksgiving Day blitzkrieg toward winning the division. That leaves Kansas City in position to wrap up the division assuming the Chiefs do not stumble more than once in the last four games.
NFC East: Philadelphia has a tie-breaker advantage over the other first place team, New York Giants, due to a win in their first meeting plus a superior divisional record so far. Michael Vick is a virtual lock to win “Comeback of the Year” awards. Jerry Jones has already fired its head coach to give Jason Garrett a long anticipated opportunity as a head coach. Fans would expect Daniel Snyder to do the same in Washington if this season were not Mike Shanahan’s first there.
NFC North: After sending envoys to beg Bret Favre to return this season and initiating a puzzling trade for Randy Moss, the Viking cruise back to the conference championship game ran aground soon after leaving port. Meanwhile, Green Bay has not disappointed the pundits who tabbed the Packers as the trendy pick to win the NFC’s spot in the Super Bowl. Chicago has awakened from its hibernation in mediocrity during the past three seasons. Both are slugging out the divisional race which should go the full sixteen rounds to determine the winner.
NFC South: This division has three of the strongest in the league. Any one of these would likely win any other division in the league. Atlanta possesses the most wins in the NFC. The defending Super Bowl champions trail Atlanta by one game. Third place Tampa Bay has more wins than anyone in the NFC West and as many as the AFC South leader. All three could conceivably advance to the post-season. Unfortunately for the Falcons, Saints and Buccaneers, only one will enjoy a home game for its first playoff game this season. The Falcons hold a game advantage over the Saints in addition to a win in their first meeting. The Saints must win their last four games and hope for a Christmas miracle in the form of a Falcons’ loss to Carolina or Seattle.
NFC West: Will the NFL ever consider revoking automatic playoff berths for division winners and giving them higher seeds than wildcards? If so, this year’s version of the NFC Worst will serve as a strong case for making the change. For not a single member of this division to hold a winning record in December is a disgrace. If the NFL has any sense of fair play, the team that has fewer losses than the other three should be forced to travel to the stadium of a wild card team for the first round of the playoffs.
Several exciting races remain for divisional titles and wildcard berths. The NFL could not have asked for a more compelling season in the race toward that date in early February in Jerry World. Will this season’s drama serve as motivation to settle lingering labor issues and avoid a cancellation or truncation of next season? The fans deserve a solution.
COPYRIGHT BY CHARLES KASTRIOT DECEMBER 2010
17 November 2010
Pilgrims to the Playoffs and Turkeys of the Season
Less than two weeks remain before one of the most important holidays occurs. Although the plethora of décor in retail locations would lead one to assume that Christmas is rapidly approaching, the calendar indicates otherwise. Thanksgiving Day provides not only its traditional platter of National Football League’s games, it also serves as a benchmark at this point of the season.
Numerous turkeys have already appeared on the scene. Dallas made the first termination of a coach. Randy Moss has accelerated his “Alienation of the Nation Tour” by joining his third team this season; one must assume that he will jump to yet another team after this season. Fans rooting for a team to finish undefeated were all crushed by the end of the fifth week of the season. Also, the folly of players hosting their own television series has been exposed as a cause of a defending divisional champion to crumble.
American Football Conference
Eastern Division: The Jets hold a slim lead over the Patriots, based mostly on their victory at home versus New England. New York can distance itself from the rest of the division with victories in the first weeks of December. However, New England has plenty of experience to overtake New York, if they can win the rematch to keep pace with the Jets. Miami is fading fast due to its losing record within the division and the conference. The Dolphins must win on the road against both divisional leaders just to have a prayer of making the playoffs.
Northern Division: Baltimore and Pittsburgh are running neck and neck, with the Ravens ahead by a nose due to its head-to-head win. Each team plays three divisional games during the last five weeks of the season. Those will decide who grabs the AFC North title and who settles for a wildcard entry. The prima donnas in the orange and black stripes have flopped miserably.
Southern Division: The Colts no longer can claim this division as their personal playpen. Indianapolis is alone in first place by only one game, with the cellar dwelling Texans only two games back. Houston and Jacksonville have already beaten Indianapolis to remain in contention for the divisional crown. Everyone in the AFC South has at least one divisional win. This race most likely will not be settled until Week Sixteen at the earliest.
Western Division: This division is also no longer the domain of a single franchise. The Chargers have plodded to losing records, both overall and within the division. The Raiders and Chiefs have overcome their recent history of putridity to eke out records a game above .500. One must wonder if Oakland and Chiefs might become too distracted by media reports of their resurgence then falter, allowing San Diego to regain its mastery of this group.
National Football Conference
Eastern Division: The media’s favorite division is not as dominant as predicted but still entertainingly competitive. The top two teams in this division have yet to face each other. In fact, the Giants have yet to face either the Redskins or Eagles. Despite the Eagles’ demolition of the Redskins, Washington remains in contention. Cowboys’ fans can only lament Jerry Jones’ late decision to fire Wade Philips and his predictions of hosting the Super Bowl with his team participating.
Northern Division: Chicago holds multiple tie-breakers over Green Bay so their first place tie is rather deceiving. Vikings’ fans only have the never-ending speculation over Bret Favre’s retirement to occupy the remainder of the season. The Lions will have to settle for trying to win on Thanksgiving Day for the first time since 2003.
Southern Division: If not for the awful presence of Carolina, this division would clearly stand out as the toughest in the league. Both NFC wildcard could easily emerge from this group. Atlanta holds the advantage over New Orleans and Tampa Bay by virtue of victories over both. However, both trail the Falcons by only one game so either one could surpass Atlanta to grab the divisional title. This race will go down to the final week and likely require multiple layers of tie-breakers.
Western Division: Could someone delve into the NFL’s by-laws to find an obscure clause precluding this division’s least odious team from the entering playoffs? The divisional leader sits one game above .500 while the rest sport losing records. Despite the hype over Pete Carroll’s arrival, San Francisco’s revival and Arizona’s recent post-season success, this is the still the “NFC Worst”.
COPYRIGHT BY CHARLES KASTRIOT NOVEMBER 2010
Numerous turkeys have already appeared on the scene. Dallas made the first termination of a coach. Randy Moss has accelerated his “Alienation of the Nation Tour” by joining his third team this season; one must assume that he will jump to yet another team after this season. Fans rooting for a team to finish undefeated were all crushed by the end of the fifth week of the season. Also, the folly of players hosting their own television series has been exposed as a cause of a defending divisional champion to crumble.
American Football Conference
Eastern Division: The Jets hold a slim lead over the Patriots, based mostly on their victory at home versus New England. New York can distance itself from the rest of the division with victories in the first weeks of December. However, New England has plenty of experience to overtake New York, if they can win the rematch to keep pace with the Jets. Miami is fading fast due to its losing record within the division and the conference. The Dolphins must win on the road against both divisional leaders just to have a prayer of making the playoffs.
Northern Division: Baltimore and Pittsburgh are running neck and neck, with the Ravens ahead by a nose due to its head-to-head win. Each team plays three divisional games during the last five weeks of the season. Those will decide who grabs the AFC North title and who settles for a wildcard entry. The prima donnas in the orange and black stripes have flopped miserably.
Southern Division: The Colts no longer can claim this division as their personal playpen. Indianapolis is alone in first place by only one game, with the cellar dwelling Texans only two games back. Houston and Jacksonville have already beaten Indianapolis to remain in contention for the divisional crown. Everyone in the AFC South has at least one divisional win. This race most likely will not be settled until Week Sixteen at the earliest.
Western Division: This division is also no longer the domain of a single franchise. The Chargers have plodded to losing records, both overall and within the division. The Raiders and Chiefs have overcome their recent history of putridity to eke out records a game above .500. One must wonder if Oakland and Chiefs might become too distracted by media reports of their resurgence then falter, allowing San Diego to regain its mastery of this group.
National Football Conference
Eastern Division: The media’s favorite division is not as dominant as predicted but still entertainingly competitive. The top two teams in this division have yet to face each other. In fact, the Giants have yet to face either the Redskins or Eagles. Despite the Eagles’ demolition of the Redskins, Washington remains in contention. Cowboys’ fans can only lament Jerry Jones’ late decision to fire Wade Philips and his predictions of hosting the Super Bowl with his team participating.
Northern Division: Chicago holds multiple tie-breakers over Green Bay so their first place tie is rather deceiving. Vikings’ fans only have the never-ending speculation over Bret Favre’s retirement to occupy the remainder of the season. The Lions will have to settle for trying to win on Thanksgiving Day for the first time since 2003.
Southern Division: If not for the awful presence of Carolina, this division would clearly stand out as the toughest in the league. Both NFC wildcard could easily emerge from this group. Atlanta holds the advantage over New Orleans and Tampa Bay by virtue of victories over both. However, both trail the Falcons by only one game so either one could surpass Atlanta to grab the divisional title. This race will go down to the final week and likely require multiple layers of tie-breakers.
Western Division: Could someone delve into the NFL’s by-laws to find an obscure clause precluding this division’s least odious team from the entering playoffs? The divisional leader sits one game above .500 while the rest sport losing records. Despite the hype over Pete Carroll’s arrival, San Francisco’s revival and Arizona’s recent post-season success, this is the still the “NFC Worst”.
COPYRIGHT BY CHARLES KASTRIOT NOVEMBER 2010
11 November 2010
Leaves, Contenders and Excuses Continue to Fall
As foliage diversifies in color then drops across the country, college football has entered into the final third of its season. The controversies surrounding the Bowl Championship Series continue to build like piles of leaves at this time of year. The proponents of the BCS point to the regular season games as de facto playoffs. If that is true, losses by Utah, Alabama and Oklahoma have winnowed the forest of red-hued contenders for the two slots available in Glendale, Arizona, at least in the opinions of the defenders of the status quo.
However, this picturesque and orderly scene deceives those who deny the BCS's flaws. Pundits switched from mentioning Alabama’s self-determination to reach the BCS title game to speculating on what must occur for Louisiana State to finish in the top two after the regular season. Additionally, since Saturday, the media has frequently debated about which of the nine teams with one loss could or should surpass Boise State or Texas Christian in the polls. The concept of eliminating challengers each week seems spurious. Actually, the rankings appear like a freshly raked lawn, which is quickly re-cluttered by the appearance of more leaves.
Four weeks remain before the final BCS poll will determine the contestants for the mythical national title game. The presence of two undefeated teams from minor conferences in the top five of the polls has spawned a tremendous amount of debate. The acrimony will spike even higher if Auburn or Oregon lose. If the Ducks or Tigers or both drop a game, who should replace them in the BCS title game? Should a one-loss champion from Big Ten or Big Twelve leap over undefeated Boise State or TCU? If LSU finishes with only one loss but does not play the Southeastern Conference’s championship game, do the Tigers deserve a shot at the BCS title instead of the Frogs or Broncos? If the top four teams all finish 12-0, the media and fans will scream thunderously for a “plus one” game after bowls long touted by critics of the current system.
The controversy will not exist solely around the pairing of opponents for the last game of the season. If Boise State or TCU do not play in the BCS Title Game, in which bowl will they conclude their seasons? The Atlantic Coast Conference’s champion will play in the Orange Bowl despite having at least two losses. The winner of the Big East will receive an invitation to one of the four other BCS bowls despite having at least three losses. Would the four bowls prefer to choose an also-ran from the SEC, Big Ten or Big Twelve in lieu of one of those undefeated teams without a guaranteed BCS bid for winning their conferences? The debate in the backrooms among bowl executives will weigh the value of larger fan bases and more name recognition versus the allure of underdogs with perfect records. This issue will also spawn more threats of lawsuits and Congressional intervention plus calls to strip automatic BCS berths from the ACC and the Big East.
There remains one final question to ponder. Will this year’s batch of thorny issues finally kill the BCS and give birth to a true playoff system? Lovers of college football can only wait and hope that the beauty of this and future seasons will cease their annual dreary conclusions.
COPYRIGHT BY CHARLES KASTRIOT NOVEMBER 2010
However, this picturesque and orderly scene deceives those who deny the BCS's flaws. Pundits switched from mentioning Alabama’s self-determination to reach the BCS title game to speculating on what must occur for Louisiana State to finish in the top two after the regular season. Additionally, since Saturday, the media has frequently debated about which of the nine teams with one loss could or should surpass Boise State or Texas Christian in the polls. The concept of eliminating challengers each week seems spurious. Actually, the rankings appear like a freshly raked lawn, which is quickly re-cluttered by the appearance of more leaves.
Four weeks remain before the final BCS poll will determine the contestants for the mythical national title game. The presence of two undefeated teams from minor conferences in the top five of the polls has spawned a tremendous amount of debate. The acrimony will spike even higher if Auburn or Oregon lose. If the Ducks or Tigers or both drop a game, who should replace them in the BCS title game? Should a one-loss champion from Big Ten or Big Twelve leap over undefeated Boise State or TCU? If LSU finishes with only one loss but does not play the Southeastern Conference’s championship game, do the Tigers deserve a shot at the BCS title instead of the Frogs or Broncos? If the top four teams all finish 12-0, the media and fans will scream thunderously for a “plus one” game after bowls long touted by critics of the current system.
The controversy will not exist solely around the pairing of opponents for the last game of the season. If Boise State or TCU do not play in the BCS Title Game, in which bowl will they conclude their seasons? The Atlantic Coast Conference’s champion will play in the Orange Bowl despite having at least two losses. The winner of the Big East will receive an invitation to one of the four other BCS bowls despite having at least three losses. Would the four bowls prefer to choose an also-ran from the SEC, Big Ten or Big Twelve in lieu of one of those undefeated teams without a guaranteed BCS bid for winning their conferences? The debate in the backrooms among bowl executives will weigh the value of larger fan bases and more name recognition versus the allure of underdogs with perfect records. This issue will also spawn more threats of lawsuits and Congressional intervention plus calls to strip automatic BCS berths from the ACC and the Big East.
There remains one final question to ponder. Will this year’s batch of thorny issues finally kill the BCS and give birth to a true playoff system? Lovers of college football can only wait and hope that the beauty of this and future seasons will cease their annual dreary conclusions.
COPYRIGHT BY CHARLES KASTRIOT NOVEMBER 2010
10 October 2010
NFL out of the Gates in 2010
The National Football League has completed the first quarter of its season. The following is a brief review of each division.
American Football Conference
AFC East: The Jets have demonstrated that their playoff odyssey as a last minute addition as a wildcard team through the AFC last season was no fluke. By sweeping their first three divisional games, they find themselves in the driver’s seat, slightly ahead of the Patriots. Bills’ fans need to continue to attend the woeful Bills’ games or the rumors of relocation to Toronto will increase.
AFC North: This group is tighter than appears at first glance. The cellar dweller, Cleveland, has a divisional victory while the second place, Pittsburgh, lost its only intra-divisional game so far. This division seems highly likely to produce at least one wildcard entry.
AFC South: The Colts’ domination of this group has officially ended. Two divisional losses buried that birthright. Fans must wonder if the Texans or Jaguars can handle success to stay ahead of Indianapolis.
AFC West: After last season’s run of two undefeated teams into December, only an amazingly clairvoyant forecaster could have predicted that the Kansas City Chiefs would remain the sole team with a perfect record. Their game versus the Colts will reveal the Chiefs to be legitimate contender for the post-season or just a pretender just teasing their followers with fleeting success.
National Football Conference
NFC East: Was this the same division touted as the strongest in the NFL over the summer? None of the four teams have a winning record. If anyone could be tabbed as the frontrunner, that label would fall to the Washington Redskins. Their two victories over Dallas and Philadelphia give them an advantage in terms of tie-breakers.
NFC North: Chicago has raced out to a slim lead in the division. The Bears’ win over Green Bay gives them the edge so far. The Vikings are in third place but still easily capable of winning the divisional crown. Minnesota won its sole divisional game and is only one and a half games behind the Bears and Packers. The Lions’ fans are left with their annual thrashing on Thanksgiving Day and trying to avoid another winless season.
NFC South: This division is already a two team race. Both are 3-1 but the Falcons hold the tie-breaker with their victory at New Orleans. The Panthers’ management clearly did not care to participate in this season’s playoffs by letting go of their only experienced quarterback and declining to troll the free agent market for quality players. It seems that Carolina’s front office wants to set up John Fox to fail and just let him finish out the final year on his contract.
NFC West: This quartet has been referred to the “NFC Worst”. Its members have done little to counter that moniker. No one is above the .500 winning percentage. San Francisco is one of the five remaining winless team in the league. Does the divisional champion truly deserve an automatic playoff game at home? Objective fans can justifiably reply in the negative.
COPYRIGHT BY CHARLES KASTRIOT OCTOBER 2010
American Football Conference
AFC East: The Jets have demonstrated that their playoff odyssey as a last minute addition as a wildcard team through the AFC last season was no fluke. By sweeping their first three divisional games, they find themselves in the driver’s seat, slightly ahead of the Patriots. Bills’ fans need to continue to attend the woeful Bills’ games or the rumors of relocation to Toronto will increase.
AFC North: This group is tighter than appears at first glance. The cellar dweller, Cleveland, has a divisional victory while the second place, Pittsburgh, lost its only intra-divisional game so far. This division seems highly likely to produce at least one wildcard entry.
AFC South: The Colts’ domination of this group has officially ended. Two divisional losses buried that birthright. Fans must wonder if the Texans or Jaguars can handle success to stay ahead of Indianapolis.
AFC West: After last season’s run of two undefeated teams into December, only an amazingly clairvoyant forecaster could have predicted that the Kansas City Chiefs would remain the sole team with a perfect record. Their game versus the Colts will reveal the Chiefs to be legitimate contender for the post-season or just a pretender just teasing their followers with fleeting success.
National Football Conference
NFC East: Was this the same division touted as the strongest in the NFL over the summer? None of the four teams have a winning record. If anyone could be tabbed as the frontrunner, that label would fall to the Washington Redskins. Their two victories over Dallas and Philadelphia give them an advantage in terms of tie-breakers.
NFC North: Chicago has raced out to a slim lead in the division. The Bears’ win over Green Bay gives them the edge so far. The Vikings are in third place but still easily capable of winning the divisional crown. Minnesota won its sole divisional game and is only one and a half games behind the Bears and Packers. The Lions’ fans are left with their annual thrashing on Thanksgiving Day and trying to avoid another winless season.
NFC South: This division is already a two team race. Both are 3-1 but the Falcons hold the tie-breaker with their victory at New Orleans. The Panthers’ management clearly did not care to participate in this season’s playoffs by letting go of their only experienced quarterback and declining to troll the free agent market for quality players. It seems that Carolina’s front office wants to set up John Fox to fail and just let him finish out the final year on his contract.
NFC West: This quartet has been referred to the “NFC Worst”. Its members have done little to counter that moniker. No one is above the .500 winning percentage. San Francisco is one of the five remaining winless team in the league. Does the divisional champion truly deserve an automatic playoff game at home? Objective fans can justifiably reply in the negative.
COPYRIGHT BY CHARLES KASTRIOT OCTOBER 2010
29 September 2010
NCAA Football Review After September
The first month of the college football season has concluded. A few early overrated teams (Virginia Tech, West Virginia, North Carolina, Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech) have already been exposed and eliminated from the polls. Likewise, underappreciated teams left out of the pre-season polls (Nevada, Arizona, Michigan State, North Carolina State, South Carolina, Michigan and Stanford) have been belatedly included. Several high-profile inter-conference games have already helped solidify the polls by reinforcing the lofty rankings of Alabama, Ohio State, Boise State, Texas Christian, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Oregon.
With the exception of the Southeastern Conference, too few intra-conference matches have been occurred so far to distinguish the likely contenders for championships. No one in the Big East or Big Ten has played a conference game yet. No team in the Big Twelve, Pacific Ten or Western Athletic Conference has played more than one conference contest so far. Based solely on non-conference games, West Virginia appears as the favorite to win the Big East while the Big Ten race has four teams, Michigan, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Ohio State, in serious contention for the title. This Saturday’s game between Oregon and Stanford will weigh heavily in determining the Pacific Ten championship.
Only the Southeastern Conference has played a significant number of conference matches to start to filter out the pretenders from the contenders. Nine of twelve teams in the SEC have played at least two conference games; Georgia and Mississippi State have played three already. In the Western Division, Auburn and Louisiana State have raced out ahead of the pack with two wins in their first two conference games. The two teams from the Magnolia State are already positioning themselves in the basement of the SEC West as many pundits forecasted. On the other side of the conference, Florida grabbed the early lead but South Carolina remains within striking distance. Georgia is realistically eliminated from winning the SEC East.
The Atlantic Coast Conference appears to be destined to have a conference championship game featuring two unranked divisional champions. The top two teams in the Coastal Division each have unforgiveable non-conference losses to an FCS member and to a team that lost to an FCS member respectively. In the Atlantic Division, North Carolina State is the sole undefeated team left in the ACC. If Florida State’s coaching changes can end the malaise of the past several years, the Seminoles still have a great shot at winning the ACC. Miami has the talent to contend but has not tested the waters yet in conference. It appears that the fans of the Atlantic Coast Conference have to wait once again for basketball season to restore their pride.
The question in the Big Twelve revolves around Nebraska’s and Colorado’s impending defections. Will the other four weaklings on the Northern Division manage to upset the perceived traitors? Otherwise, the task of salvaging conference pride will fall to Texas or Oklahoma to continue the Big Twelve South’s domination of the other half of the conference. One must wonder if either traditional power is up to the task. Oklahoma narrowly escaped with home wins over Air Force and Utah State. Unranked UCLA embarrassed Texas in its own stadium. The passion of the undeclared blood feud of the remaining Big Twelve teams versus the departing members may not suffice to prevent one of those two from taking the conference title on their way out of the door.
For college football fans, many questions remain to be answered. Will Alabama navigate unscathed in the SEC once again on its way to repeating as national champions? Can Ohio State remain at least second in the polls in order to have another shot at winning the BCS title and possibly end its winless post-season streak versus the SEC in the process? Will enough BCS conference members lose games to allow Boise State or Texas Christian to land in the BCS title game, assuming either will finish undefeated? Will the Big East and Atlantic Coast Conferences manage to convince the BCS overlords that their champions still deserve automatic bids for their champions? Will the Mountain West and Western Athletic Conferences continue to make their cases to receive automatic BCS bids for their champions? Many more games need to be played, all of which will provide more fodder for debates and controversies.
COPYRIGHT BY CHARLES KASTRIOT SEPTEMBER 2010
With the exception of the Southeastern Conference, too few intra-conference matches have been occurred so far to distinguish the likely contenders for championships. No one in the Big East or Big Ten has played a conference game yet. No team in the Big Twelve, Pacific Ten or Western Athletic Conference has played more than one conference contest so far. Based solely on non-conference games, West Virginia appears as the favorite to win the Big East while the Big Ten race has four teams, Michigan, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Ohio State, in serious contention for the title. This Saturday’s game between Oregon and Stanford will weigh heavily in determining the Pacific Ten championship.
Only the Southeastern Conference has played a significant number of conference matches to start to filter out the pretenders from the contenders. Nine of twelve teams in the SEC have played at least two conference games; Georgia and Mississippi State have played three already. In the Western Division, Auburn and Louisiana State have raced out ahead of the pack with two wins in their first two conference games. The two teams from the Magnolia State are already positioning themselves in the basement of the SEC West as many pundits forecasted. On the other side of the conference, Florida grabbed the early lead but South Carolina remains within striking distance. Georgia is realistically eliminated from winning the SEC East.
The Atlantic Coast Conference appears to be destined to have a conference championship game featuring two unranked divisional champions. The top two teams in the Coastal Division each have unforgiveable non-conference losses to an FCS member and to a team that lost to an FCS member respectively. In the Atlantic Division, North Carolina State is the sole undefeated team left in the ACC. If Florida State’s coaching changes can end the malaise of the past several years, the Seminoles still have a great shot at winning the ACC. Miami has the talent to contend but has not tested the waters yet in conference. It appears that the fans of the Atlantic Coast Conference have to wait once again for basketball season to restore their pride.
The question in the Big Twelve revolves around Nebraska’s and Colorado’s impending defections. Will the other four weaklings on the Northern Division manage to upset the perceived traitors? Otherwise, the task of salvaging conference pride will fall to Texas or Oklahoma to continue the Big Twelve South’s domination of the other half of the conference. One must wonder if either traditional power is up to the task. Oklahoma narrowly escaped with home wins over Air Force and Utah State. Unranked UCLA embarrassed Texas in its own stadium. The passion of the undeclared blood feud of the remaining Big Twelve teams versus the departing members may not suffice to prevent one of those two from taking the conference title on their way out of the door.
For college football fans, many questions remain to be answered. Will Alabama navigate unscathed in the SEC once again on its way to repeating as national champions? Can Ohio State remain at least second in the polls in order to have another shot at winning the BCS title and possibly end its winless post-season streak versus the SEC in the process? Will enough BCS conference members lose games to allow Boise State or Texas Christian to land in the BCS title game, assuming either will finish undefeated? Will the Big East and Atlantic Coast Conferences manage to convince the BCS overlords that their champions still deserve automatic bids for their champions? Will the Mountain West and Western Athletic Conferences continue to make their cases to receive automatic BCS bids for their champions? Many more games need to be played, all of which will provide more fodder for debates and controversies.
COPYRIGHT BY CHARLES KASTRIOT SEPTEMBER 2010
23 September 2010
Mighty Mites
They are technically called “members of the Football Championship Subdivision”. However, people still refer to them as “Division 1-AA”. Fans and commentators often label them as “warm-ups” “punching bags” “rent-a-wins”, “tomato cans” and other demeaning monikers. However, several of these slighted teams have already scored upsets.
FCS members have already played sixty-nine matches versus the Football Bowl Subdivision in the first three weeks of the 2010 season. Six FCS members have already beaten Football Bowl Subdivision teams in that span. Four of these wins occurred versus members of the six conferences whose champions automatic qualify for the Bowl Championship Series. They have upset a member from each of these conferences: Southeastern, Atlantic Coast, Big Ten and Big Twelve respectively. Additionally, two Mid-American Conference teams have lost to FCS opponents. James Madison, Liberty, Gardner-Webb, Jacksonville State, North Dakota State and South Dakota all deserve a round of applause for overcoming the disparity of scholarships and overall talent to topple those "Big Boys".
Considering that the FBS versus FCS games are no longer guaranteed victories, should college football fans expect to see no more of these mismatches? An optimistic fan might say that because nearly ten percent of these FBS versus FCS contests have resulted in a victory for the FCS, the formerly labeled Division 1-A members will no longer schedule FCS teams to avoid any future ignobility. A pessimistic fan would counter that FBS teams will simply lower those odds of embarrassment by lining up teams from Division Two of the NCAA.
COPYRIGHT SEPTEMBER 2010 BY CHARLES KASTRIOT
FCS members have already played sixty-nine matches versus the Football Bowl Subdivision in the first three weeks of the 2010 season. Six FCS members have already beaten Football Bowl Subdivision teams in that span. Four of these wins occurred versus members of the six conferences whose champions automatic qualify for the Bowl Championship Series. They have upset a member from each of these conferences: Southeastern, Atlantic Coast, Big Ten and Big Twelve respectively. Additionally, two Mid-American Conference teams have lost to FCS opponents. James Madison, Liberty, Gardner-Webb, Jacksonville State, North Dakota State and South Dakota all deserve a round of applause for overcoming the disparity of scholarships and overall talent to topple those "Big Boys".
Considering that the FBS versus FCS games are no longer guaranteed victories, should college football fans expect to see no more of these mismatches? An optimistic fan might say that because nearly ten percent of these FBS versus FCS contests have resulted in a victory for the FCS, the formerly labeled Division 1-A members will no longer schedule FCS teams to avoid any future ignobility. A pessimistic fan would counter that FBS teams will simply lower those odds of embarrassment by lining up teams from Division Two of the NCAA.
COPYRIGHT SEPTEMBER 2010 BY CHARLES KASTRIOT
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