Football is Back

I can't remember a bad football season. I can remember being heart broken, angry, or indifferent about a game but never unsatisfied. I love everything about the football season. The pageantry, the smells, the sounds, the colors. Maybe its the season and when it starts. After a long summer of baseball we finally get back to the hard hitting, high flying, football fun. The weather is cooling and the days get shorter. It just feels like football. Almost nothing saddens me more than a cool 58 degree day with clear skys and a light wind and me not playing a pick up game of football. I might stop calling it fall or back to school time. It should just be called football season.

I don't like getting caught up in pre-season story lines. I don't care if Manning can bounce back after a Super Bowl lose, or if the Jets are as good as everyone says or if TO and Chad Ochocino can co-exist (that one will be fun to watch though). I think the games speak for themselves. Instead of waiting two months for a holiday in summer, you only have to wait 7 days because every Sunday is a religious holiday during football season. Family and friends gather to celebrate another big game. It's beautiful.

I do however have some pre-season picks. Anyone can pick Aaron Rodgers or Payton Manning as league MVP. Anyone may also end up being right but I'm going to go with Frank Gore as MVP. The NFC West is the weakest and the 49ers should be able to run right through it, Gore picking up the stats along the way. The come back player of the year will be Matt Forte of the Bears. They learned that having Jay Cutler throw the ball all around the field isn't the most productive thing and Lovie Smith is fighting for his job. They'll have better balance and Forte will have a much better year than last.

Winning the:

AFC North- Baltimore Ravens

AFC South- Indianapolis Colts
AFC West- San Diego Chargers

AFC East- New York Jets

AFC Wild Cards- New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals

NFC North- Minnesota Vikings

NFC South- New Orleans Saints

NFC West- San Fransisco 49ers

NFC East- Dallas Cowboys

NFC Wild Cards- Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons

AFC Champions- Baltimore Ravens

NFC Champions- Atlanta Falcons

Super Bowl Champions- Baltimore Ravens

I'm not like most people going with the Cowboys, Packers, or Colts, Jets, or Patriots. Defense is still important and that's why the Ravens can win it all. They are older but they are still one of the best and their offense could be one of the most improved coming into this year. It'll be very balanced with Ray Rice running and Joe Flacco finally having some weapons to throw to. As for the Falcons in the NFC, there is always a team that sneaks up on you. The Saints did it last year but if you remember, two years before that they were in the NFC Championship game vs the Bears. Two years ago the Falcons had a playoff type year with a rookie qb, Matt Ryan. Atlanta, if healthy has can have good balance on offense with Michael Turner and can throw the ball with Matt Ryan and Roddy White.

PLAYOFF HOCKEY!!!

So I know it's been a while since I've posted something, but hey, I was hiding from my embarrassing March Madness performance. But now it's time for maybe the 2nd best tournament in sports. Playoff Hockey. Edge of your seat action, 7 Over Time games, guys diving all over the ice to keep a puck in the offensive zone during a big power play. I love it.

March Madness has the best tournament because of the Cinderellas and great buzzer beaters. The only tournament/playoff that can match the intensity those kids bring to every second of a game is the NHL playoffs. They are great every year and this year has the potential to be one of the best in recent memory. That's because there is no clear cut favorite.

The defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins were the team that I picked in the beginning of the year to once again raise the world's best trophy. I'm going to stick with that pick but I'm not as confident now as I was then. Their power play is way down this year. If they come up against a hot goalie, which can be the death of a great team, they'll need this power play to step up. Goalies are the most important position come playoff time and last year Marc-Andre Fleury stepped up. This year his numbers are down but some players are able to turn it on come playoff time. The main reason I'm sticking with the Penguins is because Sidney Crosby wins. He was the star of the Stanley Cup Finals last year, he was the star of the Olympics this year. He's the best player in the world because he wills his team to victory.

The Red Wings have been the hottest team since the Olympics. They are finally healthy getting Franzen and Kronwall back. They have great experience having gone to the last two finals. They have two of the most underrated players in the league in Zetterberg and Datsyuk. Here's the problem I see with the Red Wings. They don't have a grinder. They all play hard, they all play defense but come playoff time you need someone mean and or crazy. They don't have that player. When they won the Cup two years ago, they brought back Darren McCarty, a guy that could rough people up if need be. Helm is not that guy even though he's and exciting little guy that likes to hit and neither is Kronwall even though he likes to dish out big hits. The other problem I see with the Red Wings is their goalie. Jimmy Howard could be considered the rookie of the year. He's regular season numbers were great coming in for veteran Chris Osgood. But he's young and gives up way too many big rebounds. He got away with it in the regular season but you can't do that in the playoffs. I except the Wings to make it past the Coyotes and maybe past the next round but I don't see another trip to the Finals.

The other teams people are talking about are Washington, San Jose, and Chicago. The Capitals won the Presidents Trophy for having the best regular season record but I don't think they have enough defence to win the Stanley Cup. Alex Ovechkin is one of the best two players in the world and has a very good surrounding cast but Jose Theodore is a slouch when it comes to tending in big playoff games. I don't trust him. I believe that the Caps will score but I don't know if it'll be enough.

San Jose is the number one seed in the West. They have been one of the best two or three team over the past five years but always seem to choke it away. I don't know if I see them doing that again this year. I think their line of Thorton, Marlaue, and Heatley have gained a lot of confidence from their Gold Metal run with Team Canada. They also have Nabokov in goal who can get hot and take over a series.

The Blackhawks were my team of choice to come out of the West when the season started. I'm slightly backing away from that. I still think they have one of the best shots of coming out of the West but once again it comes down to who's in net and I don't trust Huet. The run to the Western Conference Finals last year will help with this young teams confidence but I think that the Sharks, Red Wings, and some surprise team could be too much for the Blackhawks this playoff season.

Predictions:
Surprise team in the West: King: I didn't expect them to make the playoff and the Canucks don't really scare me.
Surprise team in the East: Sabers, never dought a team with the goalie that put up the best regular season numbers.

Caps over Canadians in 5
Devils over Flyers in 5
Sabers over Bruins in 6
Penguins over Senators in 6
Sharks over Avalanche in 5
Red Wings over Coyotes in 6
Blackhawks over Predators in 5
Kings over Canucks in 7

Round 2 Pens over Caps in 7
Devils over Sabers in 7
Sharks over Kings in 5
Blackhawks over Red Wings in 7

Conference Finals Pens over Devils in 6
Sharks over Blackhawks in 7

Stanley Cup Finals Pens over Sharks in 6

wOw CANADA

I only watch a few Winter Olympic events. Mainly hockey and curling and I normally don't cheer for a North American team in hockey. But thanks to you Canada, I did this winter and you made the 2010 Olympics for me, as the USA's rival and providing the three best Olympic moments for 2010.

I watch a great deal of hockey and the gold metal game was one of the best games I've seen in the past 10 to 15 years. The emotion was so high and controlled. The game had great flow and speed to it. And to end in sudden death overtime, ensuring that everyone was on the edge of their seat made it all the better. It's a sport Canada invented and it was in Canada. The pressure to win may have never been so great for any team ever and you did not disappoint.

If the United States hadn't beaten the Canadians earlier there is no way the gold metal game would've been the second most watched non-NFL sporting event ever. It gave the USA something to believe in and even though Canada would never admit it, I think it scared them just a little.

However, the best team in the world coming into the Olympics came out as the best team in the world. Also, Sidney Crosby proved for the second time in less then a year that he is undoubtedly the best player in the world. Last spring he etched his name on the most coveted trophy in sports, the Stanley Cup. This winter he scores the overtime game winner against the USA to win gold, neither of which Alexander the Great has accomplished.

But Crosby's game winner in the best game/event of the Olympics wasn't in the top two moments of the Olympics. Number two was in the second best game of the Olympics during the Great Britain/Canada men's curling match. Canada was down one with the last rock in the last end. The Canadian fans broke out into "O Canada." The Canadian men's team waited for them to finish and then, with a beautiful throw and the most powerful sweeping I've ever seen, they scored two and won the match.

The most touching moment of the Olympics came from Joannie Rochette. She somehow was able to keep her emotions together and win a bronze metal in figure skating just four days after her mother died suddenly of a heart attack. It's impossible to imagine what this young women was going though and to preform as beautifully as she did was truly amazing.

So Canada, congratulations on your great performance and thanks for making the 2010 Winter Olympics the best in recent memory.

The Great American Pot Hole

Well done NASCAR. The hightlight of your "Great American Race" wasn't the record 22 leaders, wasn't NACARS's most popular driver making a power move in the last few laps to take second, wasn't the 55 lead changes. The highlight didn't have to do with the very good race. It had to do with a hole in the track.

Twice competitive side by side racing was sent to pit road seeing red for about two and a half hours of parking. NASCAR and Daytona Speedway Officials should be embarrassed. Their Super Bowl was delayed because they can't maintain their hallowed grounds. This is equivalent to if the Super Bowl was delayed because the field goal posts kept falling down. Embarrassing. This is something they control. I understand if the race is delayed due to rain. Last year the race was cut short because of rain. I wasn't happy but that's something out of our control but track failure? Yes they did fix it, eventually but lets look at this mecca of racing. It hasn't been paved since 1978. Thirty two years! And the track wasn't scheduled to be re-paved until 2012. I think their plans will change.

I do need to give credit to the drivers and the fans. For the fans, way to stick it out. I've never been to Daytona, but the track I have been to, Bristol, didn't have too much going on in the building during the race. The drivers wanted to get back out there, hole or no hole. They gave interviews like they aways do. The one thing I love about NASCAR is the drivers care for the fans more than any other sport. The one small grip I do have is that none of the drivers ripped into Daytona Officials for allowing something like this to happen.

They wanted to put on a show and when they were on the track they did. The Dayton 500 always seems to deliver some dramatics and NASCAR may be turning the corner with these new cars and rules but we won't find out until we get to a track that historically hasn't had the most exciting racing. But first, NASCAR maybe you should make sure that your tracks are raceable.

Nascar in 2010

Backwards is a word you wouldn't want used in racing, pretty much ever. That's the word I'll use to describe the direction of NASCAR the past few years. I think they know it. That's why the brass has changed a number of rules, bringing back bump drafting and spoilers, to the new green-white finish rule. The car of tomorrow has received a fair amount of blame for boring racing. Mega teams such as Hendrick figure out the car and dominate and the C.O.T. makes it more about the car than the driver.

I agree the C.O.T. deserves blame but I'm going to blame the roads they drive on. Cookie Cutter Tracks like Chicago, Texas, Kansas, and Vegas has made racing boring. We already had similar tracks why make more and take away tracks like Rockingham and North Wilksboro or taking away a race from a track with great character like Darlington. Why? Better racing? No. $$$ Bigger track in more populated areas equal more money. I get it. I don't even know where North Wilksboro is. But I've been to Bristol, a half mile in the middle of no where. Great racing, great seats always packed to the brim. You don't need to have a mile and half track to sell seats, you need good racing which is why Bristol is always sold out.

Now to 2010. Will we see a five time champion? Will we see a woman break through and find success? I hope no to the first question and yes to the next even though I don't like Danica. Hendrick Motorsports always seems to figure out new cars quicker than other teams so Jimmy Johnson does have a great chance and his crew chief is the best in the business. That's also why Danica could be successful because she'll be running Hendrick's engines and chassis.

Prediction time:
Rookie of the Year: Brad Keselowski. The 26 year old won a big race last year and had 4 top tens in only 15 races. He is very aggressive. He reminds me a lot of Kyle Busch and he's got himself a nice ride with Penske Racing.
Comeback Driver: Kevin Harvick. He missed the chase last year. It was just a terrible year for Richard Childress Racing. He won the Bud Shootout giving that team confidence. Look for him to break his winless streak and contend in the chase.
Champion: I don't want to bed against Jimmy Johnson but the guys luck has to run out soon. Right? So I'll take Mark Martin. He's one of the smartest drivers, he was close last year, and he's running with the same parts as Johnson. If I guy ever deserved to finally win a championship its Mark Martin.

I hope race turns it around. Letting the guys be more racier, letting them talk a little trash. I think NASCAR is trying put it in the right direction but it'll take longer than this year. I think weather permitting the Dayton 500 will once again be a great race but it will come down to the cookie cutter tracks which take up most of the season.

Wecome To Scot Spells Sports

Good day sports fans. My name is Scot Frassetto. I'm a big sports fan. I try not to be a homer but a loyal fan from Wisconsin's Fox Valley. So in fairness to all of you I feel like I should let you know where my alliances are. First and foremost I bleed Green and Gold for the Green Bay Packers. Nothing is more holy (in sports) than Lambeau Field. Now, most people go to a baseball team or college team. I'm going to the NHL and the Detroit Red Wings. Not a band wagon pick, I liked them since I started watching hockey, mostly because of Sergei Fedorov and Steve Yzerman in early 90's. Then I'll go to the Badgers, then Brewers, then Bucks. I'm a big European football fan cheering for Italia and AS Roma. I'm also one who likes to get one's red-neck on with some NASCAR. Go Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin.

Here, I'll give out my pre-season sports predictions some good (Saints going to Superbowl XLIV) some bad (Royals to the playoffs). I'll try and put different ideas out there, not always pretty sounding ("Texas is warm and Chicago is not" was my take on the 2005 World Series. Ended up being correct because Clemens couldn't pitch in the cold.) I try and focus on some of the sports or sporting endeavors that aren't always looked at.

Oh yea and the name of the blog. I'm sure you'll soon be apart of a running joke poking fun of my inability to spell. I blame my parents for spelling my name wrong.

Thanks for joining.