NFL Pick 'Em Week 8

I don't have much time to elaborate on these picks because it's almost 5 and I need to get out of here! As you can see, Jason Thompson's picks didn't make it in for this week. He's on vacation so I'll forgive him.

As for me:
Houston over Buffalo - I really like the Texans. I keep saying that, but it's all I got for picking this game this way!
Chicago over Cleveland - Cleveland is really bad. Just trade one of your quarterbacks already!!!!!!!
Dallas over Seattle - Wouldn't be surprised if I'm wrong here.
Detroit over St. Louis - Two really bad teams. Detroit's at home.
Baltimore over Denver - Somebody's got to beat them eventually and it might as well be the Ravens with the game played in Baltimore.
Indy over San Francisco - I like the Niners but the Colts are just too good.
Miami over NY Jets - This is mainly because I like the Wildcat offense so much.
NY Giants over Philly - Can't see the Giants losing three in a row.
Jacksonville over Tennessee - Will Tennessee be better or worse with Vince Young?
San Diego over Oakland - LaDainian Tomlinson crushes Oakland and just because he's 30 doesn't mean that changes.
Arizona over Carolina - I like the Cardinals more and more every time I watch them.
Green Bay over Minnesota - Obviously the game of the week for me. I don't feel great about my Packers so far and this game is no different. But I do feel that if the Green Bay offensive line can buy Aaron Rodgers a little time the Packers have a good chance. At the very least they've got to give up fewer sacks this time around.
New Orleans over Atlanta - Saints are really good.

NFL Pick 'Em Week 7 Results

Week 7 belonged to Dan Erickson as he finished with an 11-2 record, moving him into a tie for second place with Geoff Cocanower and myself, all at 69-34. Craig is holding fast to the No. 1 spot at 77-26.

NFL Pick 'Em Week 7

Week 7 already? It's hard to believe, but here we go:

Green Bay over Cleveland - This was a very easy pick because the Browns are really bad. Plus, you know I love me some Packers!

San Diego over Kansas City - The Chiefs are bad. The Bolts are not bad. Easy pick.

Indianapolis over St. Louis - The Colts may be the best team in the NFL (yes, I just said that) and the Rams may be the worst.

Pittsburgh over Minnesota - GREAT GAME! Tough pick. But the Vikings cannot stay undefeated forever, right? I hope Troy Polamalu is back for the Steelers and picks off Brett Favre.

New England over Tampa Bay - This game is in London, not that it really matters. I think last week's pummeling of the Titans may be a sign of things to come from the Patriots, so I like them to win big this week.

Houston over San Francisco - Really good game. Two teams who are really close to being really really good, but can't seem to get over the hump. Tough pick, but Houston is at home, so that's why I picked the Texans.

Carolina over Buffalo - I can't think of a game involving either of these two teams that I would want to watch.

NY Jets over Oakland - If the Jets are really a good team, they'll rebound from two straight losses against this really bad Raiders team.

Atlanta over Dallas - This one is at Dallas, so it wouldn't surprise me if the Cowboys won, but I think the Falcons are really good.

Cincinnati over Chicago - This was a tough call for me, but the game is at Cincinnati and since the Bengals lost last week to Houston, I think there's some motivation to win this one. Plus I could see Cedric Benson really taking it to his old team.

New Orleans over Miami - Even the Wildcat offense isn't enough for the Fish to beat another team vying for the title of best team in the NFL.

NY Giants over Arizona - The G Men are not a great pass defense, but they're going to put enough pressure on Kurt Warner to keep him in check.

Philadelphia over Washington - This is a pretty bad MNF game, but it's still a division rivalry I guess. The Eagles lost to Oakland last week and are probably going to take out their frustrations on the Redskins.

Pictures from the last 21 hours

This praying mantis showed up outside the office next to mine just before lunch.



I was just about to pull out of the driveway this morning when I glanced out over the lake and saw this.




After work yesterday I went to see Tim Berkey and check his progress on his car. This guy has put in lots of work and the end is almost in sight!

NFL Pick 'Em Week 6 Results

Rodney Jernas turned in the best performance of Week 6 with a record of 9-5. With that, he climbs into a tie for third place with me (at 59-31) behind Craig Helfrich (67-23) and Geoff Cocanower (60-30). It was a rough week for everybody - nobody saw the Raiders beating Philly, only one picked Buffalo and only two picked Houston to beat Cincinnati.

Sunday evenings

Katie and I have gotten involved with Student Ministries at NMC. As part of that, we each have our own Small Groups that we are leading. I am working with a group of freshmen boys that meets Wednesday nights. Katie's group is junior girls and they meet Sunday nights from 6-8 p.m.

This has been a bit of an adjustment for us just because of the additional items on our weekly schedule. But it has been pretty rough on our kids because it means mommy is gone every Sunday night. She doesn't get home until after they are in bed.

The last few weeks, however, have been a lot of fun for the kids and me. Last week we went to a concert at Grace College. This week we spent time outside riding bikes, playing basketball, playing tag and enjoying a campfire with roasted marshmallows. Here's some pictures:

NFL Pick 'Em Week 10

Here we go again! Week 6 is almost here and the NFL Pick 'Em challenge rolls on. Craig Helfrich has a large lead (5 games) but it's a long season and nobody (not even Preston Edwards - 13 games back) is out of it yet.

So, here's how my Week 6 picks happened:

Cincinnati over Houston - This was a very tough call for me. I find myself rooting for Houston a lot - probably because I spent a lot of money on Andre Johnson in an auction draft. But it's hard to deny what the Bengals have accomplished so far this year.

Green Bay over Detroit - I'm probably going to pick Green Bay every week of the season because I'm a fan, but this week was a no-brainer. I think Detroit is on the right track, but a long way from winning at Lambeau.

Baltimore over Minnesota - This was a very tough call. In the end it came down to not believing the Ravens could lose three games in a row. I think they're too good. But I also think the Vikings are good, so this could be a great game.

New Orleans over NY Giants - I pick these games early in the week, usually Monday or Tuesday. So I'm not sure why I went this way. Maybe it's just because the Saints are at home ... I don't know.

Pittsburgh over Cleveland - The only thing I wasn't sure about on this one is whether to start Hines Ward. I hope he gets in the end zone this week.

Carolina over Tampa Bay - If my kids do something really bad this weekend, the punishment will be making them watch this game.

Washington over Kansas City - Wait, a better punishment would be making them watch this game.

Jacksonville over St. Louis - After getting pounded by Seattle last week, this is just what the Jags need.

Arizona over Seattle - Does anybody know what to make of the Seahawks? I think the Cardinals are tough to pick against when facing mediocre teams. They've just got too many weapons.

Philadelphia over Oakland - The best part of this game may be getting to watch Michael Vick play in mop-up time.

New England over Tennessee - This is scary because Tennessee has got to win a game eventually. It's probably not going to happen this week, though.

NY Jets over Buffalo - I have a feeling the Jets put a whooping on the Bills this week after losing to Miami last week.

Atlanta over Chicago - I'm glad this one's the late game because it should be a great one. I won't be surprised, or even that disappointed, if I'm wrong here.

San Diego over Denver - I will probably regret this one, but Denver's not going undefeated and this is a big divisional game for the Chargers.

NFL Pick 'Em Week 5 Results

Well, it was another crazy week in the NFL. Would we expect anything less?

In the NFL Pick 'Em challenge, leader Craig Helfrich did not win the week but did well enough to maintain a comfortable lead. He's at 59-17 and the only competitor with less than 20 losses. Geoff Cocanower remains in second place at 54-22 while I am tied with Tim Emmons and Dan Erickson for third place at 51-25.

Congratulations to Kevin Edwards, Rodney Jernas and Derry Prenkert for 11-3 records in week 5. It took some gutsy calls to do that well (i.e. Cincinnati and Miami).

NFL Pick 'Em Week 5

Well, we're back at it for Week 5 of the NFL season. Is it really Week 5 already?

This week's schedule of games is not very exciting. Unlike last week, there's not really any MUST-SEE games, especially since the Packers aren't playing!!!

Anyway, here's my explanation for why I picked the way I did:

Buffalo over Cleveland - This is not going well for Eric Mangini. Winless, and now you trade away your best receiver (even with a bad case of the drops, he's the Browns' best option). Sadly, I think it's going to get worse before it gets better. Hopefully the Browns will have the guts to trade either Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson away and get some value in return.
Dallas over Kansas City - KC is bad. Dallas lost last week and is probably mad about it.
Minnesota over St. Louis - After watching the Vikings last week, I'm convinced. They are for real. The Minnesota pass rush is really good (Green Bay's poor offensive line made them look phenomenal) and the Vikings have a really diverse offense as well. They're fun to watch.
NY Giants over Oakland - Watch for Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw to run wild against the Raiders.
Philly over Tampa Bay - Philly's a good team that's getting it's superstar quarterback back from an injury. Deshawn Jackson is shaping up to be everything he was expected to be coming out of college. And look out for the Wildcat!!!!
Pittsburgh over Detroit - Detroit is getting better for sure, but not enough to beat the reigning champions. If Troy Polamalu is back the Lions are really in trouble!
Carolina over Washington - Two very disappointing teams. What a terrible game this is.
Baltimore over Cincinnati - I bet Ray Lewis is mad after losing last week, especially when his team gets penalized for bumping into Tom Brady. Watch out Carson Palmer - you've got more than a little bump coming your way this week!
San Francisco over Atlanta - I like the Niners a lot. This is probably the best game of the week and a tough one to pick. If the Niners win this, they are in really good shape to win their division.
Jacksonville over Seattle - The Jags might just be finding their chemistry.
Arizona over Houston - This was another tough pick and this would probably be a fun game to watch. I like the Cardinals to have a big week coming off a bye.
New England over Denver - This one would be fun to watch just because it's Josh McDaniels with his undefeated team facing his old team that's still trying to separate themselves from the pack.
Indianapolis over Tennessee - OK, last week when the Titans got slammed by the Jags I told Derry that it didn't matter who they played this week I was picking against them. Turns out it was the easiest pick of the week. Now watch the Titans pull off the amazing upset and prove me wrong!
NY Jets over Miami - Big game in the division, but that's about it. The Jets look like Super Bowl contenders and the Dolphins look like last year was a fluke. I bet Braylon Edwards catches a TD in this game ... just a hunch!

Happy Birthday to my best buddy!

Today is my son David's fifth birthday! I cannot believe he's five already.

Over the past year David and I have become really great buddies. We do a lot together. He rides with me while I mow. He helps me pick up leaves and sticks. We play football, baseball and basketball together. We build all kinds of stuff with Legos and Lincoln Logs.

Lately, David has gotten really excited about Spiderman, as you'll see in the pictures below.

David is an incredible blessing in my life and I am very thankful for him.

Happy Birthday buddy!

NFL Pick 'Em Week 4 Results

Well, Craig continues to separate himself from the pack with a 12-2 performance in Week 4. He's now 49-13 overall, well ahead of Geoff Cocanower, who's all alone in second place at 45-17. I am alone in third at 43-19 then there's a three-way tie for fourth between Tim Emmons, Dan Erickson and Jeff Simpson - all at 42-2.

Craig has a commanding lead, but it's a long season and it only takes a couple bad weeks to bring him back to the pack!

NFL Pick 'Em Week 4

Last week was a pretty good one for the whole group. We averaged 11 correct picks. Things are tight at the top and there are some tough picks this week.

Here's why I picked the way I did:

Chicago over Detroit - The Bears are rolling pretty well and I think it's way too early to predict a Lions' winning streak.

Cincinnati over Cleveland - I'm worried about this one only because everyone picked the Bengals. But it's hard to pick Cleveland with as bad as they've played.

Indianapolis over Seattle - While I think the Colts play better on the road, they're too good to get beat at home by Seattle.

NY Giants over Kansas City - The Chiefs are bad.

Baltimore over New England - In my mind this is the game of the week. And the best part is it could be an offensive shootout. I think both teams are strong on offense and the Ravens are probably better on defense. I'm wacko for Flacco!

Washington over Tampa Bay - This was a tough one just because it's hard to figure out which team is worse.

Tennessee over Jacksonville - The Titans have to win this week, right? There's no way this team goes 0-4, right? Right? Please!

Houston over Oakland - I like the Texans. They are fun to watch. Oakland has a quarterback who weighs nearly 300 pounds. That's not very fun to watch.

New Orleans over NY Jets - I believe in the Jets' defense, but not against the Saints' offense.

Miami over Buffalo - T.O.'s destruction of the Bills continues.

San Francisco over St. Louis - The 49ers are on the verge of something special. The defense is really good. Neither of those statements applies to the Rams.

Dallas over Denver - Even if Marion Barber and Felix Jones don't play, I think the Cowboys are better than Denver.

Pittsburgh over San Diego - This is another great game. It's at Pittsburgh and that's probably the biggest factor in my pick.

Green Bay over Minnesota - I'm one of only two that picked the Packers, but I'm looking at it as an opportunity to gain some ground. I really think this game is an even matchup, so I had to go with my heart.