First Pick Blog

Week 4 is in the books….time to rank each team!

1. Atlanta Falcons (4-0) A near loss to Carolina made this a tough choice, but I don’t see it making sense to move the Falcons down after another win. (Last Week’s Ranking: 1)

2. Houston Texans (4-0) Big win margins in all their games so far…but also look at the quality of their opponents…(Last Week’s Ranking: 2)

3. Arizona Cardinals (4-0) Great story for the Cards this season, loving the success they are having. (Last Week’s Ranking: 3)

4. San Francisco 49ers (3-1) Made Sanchez and the Jets look like…Sanchez and the Jets. (Last Week’s Ranking: 4)

5. Baltimore Ravens (3-1) Throwing for an impressive amount of yards, also giving up a ton of passing yards (Last Week’s Ranking: 5)

6. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) Been in some nailbiters, but another great win against New York on Sunday Night. (Last Week’s Ranking: 8 )

7. Green Bay Packers (2-2) Gotta think Green Bay will go on a roll the rest of the season, such  an uphill battle though. (Last Week’s Ranking: 6)

8. Chicago Bears (3-1) The Bears showed me something Monday Night, they are a much better team than I thought. (Last Week’s Ranking: 11)

9. New England Patriots (2-2) Patriots went off in the 2nd half against Buffalo, still a lethal team. (Last Week’s Ranking: 10)

10. New York Giants (2-2) Almost identical team to last year’s. Trust in Eli though and everything will be fine. (Last Week’s Ranking: 7)

11. Cincinnati Bengals (3-1) Big home stretch coming for the Bengals, surprise team so far. (Last Week’s Ranking: 13)

12. San Diego Chargers (3-1) Good start, need a strong finish. (Last Week’s Ranking: 14)

13. Denver Broncos (2-2) Two big road games against New England and San Diego before their Bye week. (Last Week’s Ranking: 16)

14. Minnesota Vikings (3-1) I am shocked at how well Ponder is playing this year. (Last Week’s Ranking: 21)

15. Dallas Cowboys (2-2) Plenty to improve after the loss to Chicago, plenty of time to work during the bye week. (Last Week’s Ranking: 12)

16. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2) Bye week….nothing to say…. (Last Week’s Ranking: 15)

17. Washington Redskins (2-2) Another week…nothing else to say but, “RGIII!!!!” (Last Week’s Ranking: 19)

18. St. Louis Rams (2-2) New coach has the Rams thinking playoffs (Last Week’s Ranking: 24)

19. Seattle Seahawks (2-2) Fantasy owners of Seattle D are always happy (Last Week’s Ranking: 9)

20. Buffalo Bills (2-2) Too many points being given up lately…(Last Week’s Ranking: 18 )

21. New York Jets (2-2) It would be absolutely idiotic to not give Tebow a shot (Last Week’s Ranking: 17)

22. Detroit Lions (1-3) Fire the Special Teams coach, these are not the Lions of last year. (Last Week’s Ranking: 20)

23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3) Got some easy games coming up, need to turn things around. (Last Week’s Ranking: 23)

24. Carolina Panthers (1-3) Hey Cam! Grow up! You are not Superman! Win some games first, then we’ll talk. (Last Week’s Ranking: 22)

25. Tennessee Titans (1-3) Of course I sat Chris Johnson this week…..ouch (Last Week’s Ranking: 25)

26. Miami Dolphins (1-3) Tannehill starting to come into his own. 431 passing yards last game. (Last Week’s Ranking: 29)

27. Oakland Raiders (1-3) Was hoping they would look better this year… (Last Week’s Ranking: 26)

28. Kansas City Chiefs (1-3) Have fun getting killed by Baltimore (Last Week’s Ranking: 28)

29. Indianapolis Colts (1-2) God Bless Chuck Pagano, get well soon. (Last Week’s Ranking: 27)

30. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3) Crappy week, crappy team this year. (Last Week’s Ranking: 30)

31. New Orleans Saints (0-4) The woes continue…(Last Week’s Ranking: 31)

32. Cleveland Browns (0-4) Trust me…Trent Richardson will be really…really good. (Last Week’s Ranking: 32)

Comment on this post with your winners!

1. Rex Ryan (New York Jets)

vs.                                                                                                   

8. Jason Garrett (Dallas)

4. Mike Shanahan (Washington)

vs.                                                                                                               

5. Dennis Allen (Oakland)

2. John Fox (Denver)

vs.                                                                                                  

7. Leslie Frazier (Minnesota)

3. Ken Whisenhunt (Arizona)

vs.                                                                                                                    

6. Mike Mularkey (Jacksonville)

Like them? Hate them? Don’t care? Give us your thoughts…

Comment on this post with your winners!

1. Jim Schwartz (Detroit)

vs.                                                                                                            

8. Joe Philbin (Miami)

4. Chuck Pagano (Indianapolis)

vs.                                                                                                                 

5. Pat Shurmur (Cleveland)

2. Greg Schiano (Tampa Bay)

vs.                                                                                                                   

7. Romeo Crennel (Kansas City)

3. John Harbaugh (Baltimore)

vs.                                                                                                                      

6. Mike Smith (Atlanta)

TV Show: Louie

Target Audience: Fans of cringe-worthy comedy

Time for week two of our Netflix Pick of the Week. On the spotlight this week: FX’s comedy Louie starring comedian Louis C.K. Netflix has recently added season two of the comedy which brings the total to 27 episodes, each around 20 minutes long. For those who have not delved into the strange and sad mind of Louis C.K. you can check out his comedy special: Chewed Up, which is also available on Netflix Instant Watch. C.K. has been around for quite some time, making his name through the comedy world and TV world as well. C.K. landed on HBO in 2006 creating and starring in the dark humor sitcom: Lucky Louie.

Enough background, let’s jump right into what makes this show great. C.K.’s brand of humor in his stand-up is extreme self-deprecation, sprinkling in some hilarious observations and thoughts on the world in general. The show follows the same lines, a comedian father of two young girls goes through daily life, but in a hilarious and semi-sad existence. He pursues his love interest Pamela (played by Pamela Adlon, who acted in Lucky Louie, and was the voice of Bobby Hill in King of the Hill), gives us snippets of his live stand-up routines, and interacts with many of his comedy friends. Included familiar faces are: Jim Norton, Nick DiPaolo, Todd Barry, Ricky Gervais, Jay Leno, Sarah Silverman, and the always-entertaining Chris Rock.

One of the amazing aspects of this show is that C.K. pretty much has complete control of the project, all the way down to what music is played. When great minds are given free reign to create their product usually they come out with something fantastic (ex. Vince Gilligan and Breaking Bad). The cinematography in many of the episodes is wonderful, and noticeable immediately. But it is in the actions of Louis C.K. himself that makes this show. The character of Louie appeals to the pathetic side of us, the lazy side. He struggles with his weight, his eating habits, his excessive masturbating. He can’t catch a break, can’t get a date, and still tries to be the best father he can be to his daughters. Sure, many of his jokes are offensive to some, but in most of those jokes are deeper meanings and thoughts that haven’t been said before. The best comedians are those who tell us what we already know, but in a way we never thought of.

It may take a few episodes, it may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but Louie is a great show if you give it a chance. Think of it as Seinfeld on crack.

Ben’s Rating: Four and a Half Stars out of Five

By Ben Simpson

Week 3 is in the books…time to rank each team!

1. Atlanta Falcons (3-0) Good win over the Chargers. Could be 4-0 if they can handle Cam and the Panthers next week. (Last Week’s Ranking: 2)

2. Houston Texans (3-0) Taking down Peyton at Mile High? Impressive. Good balance in the offense. (Last Week’s Ranking: 3)

3. Arizona Cardinals (3-0) Being undefeated deserves its accolades, Cards take number three spot for now. Big wins over Philly and New England. (Last Week’s Ranking: 12)

4. San Francisco 49ers (2-1) Upset loss to the Vikings drops San Fran from 1 to 4 in our power rankings. Look for them to bounce back against the Jets in week four. (Last Week’s Ranking: 1)

5. Baltimore Ravens (2-1) Baltimore could easily be 3-0 or 1-2, very tight games being played for the Ravens early. I still believe this team can contend, trust in Rice. (Last Week’s Ranking: 6)

6. Green Bay Packers (1-2) It is appalling that the NFL didn’t overturn that terrible call last night, but the Pack will have to use it as motivation. Poor start, gotta believe things will turn around. (Last Week’s Ranking: 5)

7. New York Giants (2-1) Big test against Philly coming up, can the Giants prove they can defend the title? (Last Week’s Ranking:8)

8. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) Gotta limit the turnovers, starting to get ridiculous. (Last Week’s Ranking: 7)

9. Seattle Seahawks (2-1) Should be 1-2, but that’s besides the point. Pete Carroll has a solid team, and a dangerous one as well. Could continue to play spoiler as the season progresses. (Last Week’s Ranking: 15)

10. New England Patriots (1-2) A Bill Belichick squad with a losing record? Unheard of in Pats country. (Last Week’s Ranking: 4)

11. Chicago Bears (2-1) The NFC North continues to be intriguing. Bears throw their hat into the ring as a contender. (Last Week’s Ranking: 13)

12. Dallas Cowboys (2-1) America’s Team is off to an okay start. Still plenty left to be proven for the ‘Boys. (Last Week’s Ranking: 17)

13. Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) Almost let the Skins come back and win, couple brownie points for the trick plays. (Last Week’s Ranking: 18)

14. San Diego Chargers (2-1) Norv’s squad had two easy opponents out of the gate, now getting into the more difficult part of the schedule. (Last week’s Ranking: 10)

15. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2): Not quite the defense we are so used to seeing out of Pittsburgh. Gotta change things up. (Last Week’s Ranking: 11)

16. Denver Broncos (1-2): Can’t fall in a hole early, Denver off to some dreadful starts. (Last Week’s Ranking: 9)

17. New York Jets (2-1): Nailbiter against the Dolphins….did I just say that? (Last Week’s Ranking: 20)

18. Buffalo Bills (2-1): 3 real tough opponents up next in the Pats, 49ers, and Cardinals (Last Week’s Ranking: 22)

19. Washington Redskins (1-2): Before you call me a homer understand that the Skins are the 2nd ranked team in rushing and RGIII still looks solid. (Last Week’s Ranking: 16)

20. Detroit Lions (1-2): Matt Stafford is still so shaky this season, Detroit can’t lose to the Titans and be happy. (Last Week’s Ranking: 14)

21. Minnesota Vikings (2-1): Ponder is looking terrific after last week’s win, combined with a healthy AP watch out NFC! (Last Week’s Ranking: 28)

22. Carolina Panthers (1-2): Cam stunk up the joint, can’t dance around like that when your team is losing. Grow up and be the quarterback we know you can be. (Last Week’s Ranking: 19)

23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-2): Had a chance to beat Dallas…should have taken it. (Last Week’s Ranking: 21)

24. St. Louis Rams (1-2): Something tells me the Rams shouldn’t be ranked this high….going against my better judgement here. (Last Week’s Ranking: 24)

25. Tennessee Titans (1-2): The return of Chris Johnson, kind of. Plenty of trickery and luck against the Lions, we’ll see how long it lasts. (Last Week’s Ranking: 26)

26. Oakland Raiders (1-2): Possible upset pick against Denver next week?  (Last Week’s Ranking: 30)

27. Indianapolis Colts (1-2): 313 passing yards last game for Luck (Last Week’s Ranking: 25)

28. Kansas City Chiefs (1-2): Jamaal Charles had a bomb of a game, fantasy owners were ecstatic. (Last Week’s Ranking: 29)

29. Miami Dolphins (1-2): Dolphins last week were pretty darn exciting…don’t think it will last (Last Week’s Ranking: 27)

30. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2): I shouldn’t have laughed at these guys last week, no longer the worst team in the NFL. (Last Week’s Ranking: 32)

31. New Orleans Saints (0-3): I am actually shocked at this start…(Last Week’s Ranking: 23)

32. Cleveland Browns (0-3): Poor..poor…T-Rich…(Last Week’s Ranking: 31)