Standings are CLOSE with 3 games to go!

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Spurs are 19-3 since February 25th. In our last three games we took down Curry and the Warriors, Westbrook and the Thunder, and Harden & the Rockets. None of the three "MVP" candidates went off, and more importantly, the Spurs are on a serious ROLL! Completion of a home and home with Houston tonight IN Houston. We win this game, and we have a great chance at the #2 seed!

BooYah!!!1


UPDATE: Here it is 1 day later!

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Memphis has games 3 games left: @ Clippers, @Golden State, and vs. Indiana.

Spurs only have 2 games left: vs. Phoenix, and @ New Orleans.

GSG!

Still Creeping Closer & Closer

Update to We're Closing In!, with 19 games to go..

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Spurs have withstood a 4-game losing streak since that post further down the page, and are surely coming into playoff form. Tony Parker looks MUCH closer to 100%, and the offensive ball movement that blew everyone away during last year's Finals is showing its presence again, finally! Defense has been solid, and yet is still getting better all the time.

I've said it most of the season -- That #3 seed is still ripe for the taking!

A Bubba Watson Fan Having a Difficult time being Subtle

Image screen-capped from official Masters video (masters.com)                     Click to enlarge!!

I saw this immediately after it happened, when they replayed the shot in very slow motion. I laughed instantly, and HAD to go back and find it for you guys. It's a ton better in the video, which you can see by going to Masters.com, and clicking on "leaderboard", then clicking on Ooosthuizen's "4" on hole #18 (the first playoff hole) inside the sudden-death playoff mini-scorecard. A 2½ minute video will play, showing Oosthuizen's 4 shots for that hole.

NFL Week 17 -- AFC

Updating a previous post, the AFC is a lot more cut & dried than the NFC. This wasn't true before this last week, but the way the games played out, the only things left to be determined are the last two playoff teams, and where they will play.

All 4 divisions are already clinched, and the Colts have locked-up the #1 seed. This also means that the Chargers will be the #2 seed, since they are 2 games ahead of both the other two division winners, the Patriots & Bengals. Patriots & Bengals will each host next weekend's two AFC wild-card games.

There are still 5, yes FIVE teams at 8-7, and all are fighting for those last two playoff spots (Jets, Ravens, Broncos, Texans, and Steelers). Even 2 of the 3 teams who are 7-8 still have a very miniscule chance to grab one of those spots. They are the Dolphins and Jaguars. But if the Jets beat the Bengals Sunday, they solidify one of those spots. The Ravens can do the same thing if they also win at Oakland. Beyond that it gets a little more complicated. Here's why:

It suffices to say that a ton of different combinations of teams could grab these two spots, but Denver hosts the Chiefs. That says a lot right there, as does the Ravens going to Oakland, but that's why they play the games.

Denver needs a win and

either the Jets and Ravens to lose,

the Jets and one of either the Steelers or Texans to lose,

or the Ravens and Texans or Steelers to lose.

or if four of Pit, Bal, Hou, Jax, Mia, or NYJ loses.

That is actually a lot more possible for Denver to get in than it looks like.

Steelers & Texans need a lot more help, remember they've still gotta WIN first: Steelers play Dolphins Sunday, but both the Jets and Texans must lose! Oh and Houston hosts the Patriots. Hence the importance of that Bengals/Jets game!

That's as far as I'm going.. Dolphins & Jaguars both need a win and 4 teams all to lose.

Much of this isn't going to matter. I like the Pats winning their wild-card game against anyone unless it's the Steelers. It's the team that wins their game Sunday AND draws the "honor" to go to Cincinnati next weekend. The Bengals are good on both sides of the ball, but have shown vulnerability lately. Don't be surprised to see either the Ravens or Broncos go into Cincinnati and win. The Jets? Ehh, they have the easiest route to the playoffs of all these fighting for those two spots, and they're the team I'm the least sold on. Mark Sanchez is going to be good - very good. But I don't trust him any further than I can throw a piano right now. Will they win Sunday? I say probably not! Cin 24 NYJ 13

Steelers ruin Denver's parade: Pit 20 Mia 17

Here are my AFC Super Bowl Odds:
Colts - 5:2
Chargers - 3:1
Patriots - 7:1
Ravens - 15:1
Steelers - 16:1
Bengals - 20:1
Broncos, Jets - 25:1
Texans, Dolphins - 50:1
Jaguars - 300:1

NFL Week 17 -- NFC

Wow. I love the last week of the regular season in the NFL.

95% of all your "fantasy football" involvement is now gone, and playoff scenarios are getting cut down to about 1/3 after everyone plays a game. And yet this season, there's still tons of things that can happen. Well, in the NFC, anyway.


I won't bore everyone with that crazy total scenario monologue that you hear a little too much, but it's incredibly crazy in the NFC with a week to go, though... and here's why:

Dallas and Philadelphia have both locked-up a playoff birth. But they just happen to play each other in the final week - for the NFC EAST division championship, and at worst a home playoff game... but better yet, each team is also gonna be motivated by the fact that a Minnesota loss gives us a chance at a first-round bye! But of course we gotta win! And a few more chances for something else to happen. But,

The winner is very likely to host the 6-seed in a wildcard game... which just happens to be each other. Oh yeah, and both have as good a chance as any NFC team of going as far as anyone.

DAL 26-17

Almost..

No one takes more advantage of his post-game press-conferences like Brett Favre. Right? Does anyone else go that deep into his thought process? Kurt Warner, maybe, but hey.. don't they get tired?

They.. the Vikings.. have lost 3 of 4 now, and will limp into the playoffs whether or not they win next week, really. But no doubt they'd much rather play at home - in da dome? But we get the Giants? Damn.. I haven't picked this game yet, but nothing would make these G-Men happier at this point.

Packers/Cardinals are both playing very well at the moment, but it could always change. Don't forget Kurt Warner's most important statistic. The Cardinals have at least won three of their last 5, after an eerily similar start as Minnesota. But haven't won more than 3-striaght all season. A season which has been very similar to their last, in which we saw them win those three straight at JUST the right time, en route to the Big Game. I don't think anyone would look forward to playing the Packers, either. But having lost twice in 5-weeks to the Vikings, at least they can hope to avoid them, which is very possible.

GB 34 Arz 27

Wait, the other team is the New Orleans Saints. Having already gotten to the 13-0 mark, I think they realized just what they had achieved, and also know exactly what they are doing. Of course, they'd like to have won the last two. But they knew this 2 weeks ago. Maybe a "get it out of your system now" or "these 3 games are meaningless" mind-set. Even Carolina is gonna be a tough win next Sunday, but Saints go into the playoffs with the best, most complete team. Sunday will be a huge key to how this NFC will unfold. But I think this is the team to beat.

Super Bowl Odds after NFL week-16:
Saints - 5:1
Eagles - 7:1
Cowboys - 15:2
Cardinals - 12:1
Vikings - 13:1
Packers - 16:1

I will be updating this! And will also be back for the AFC.