Here at PFB we love to let our members spout off their opinions on anything and everything.

This week we were curious about what our members thought of the World Baseball Classic

(FYI…these opinions were all submitted before the USA’s dramatic comeback win last night.)

Here’s what they said…

	I have none, because I really don’t care about it at all. I find it about as compelling as the Goodwill Games.
	how many days until football starts back?
	In sports, WBC stands for both World Baseball Classic and World Boxing Council. Both are equally irrelevant.
	I think the WBC is great, it’s about time we got a grown-up Little League World Series.
	A great idea, but why does it have to happen during Spring Training, when no one’s in shape yet and when everyone’s worried about staying healthy for the season? Do it in November.
	I like the WBC. It is a chance to see some players play for pride and nothing else. Also, as we saw last year, it’s about the team and not the individuals. The team with the most MLB All Stars is not guaranteed to win (i.e. the Netherlands beating the Dominicans)
	The only thing I like about this is the fact that there are a few “no names” on the different teams that are actually pretty impressive. And I like baseball. And I’m desperate for anything that’s baseball (or football) since it’s JUST now Spring Training.
	Does anyone else think it is weird that some countries have cheerleaders for baseball?! Or, maybe we (the Americans) are the weird the ones for not having cheerleaders.
	I don’t care for the WBC at all. Three reasons: First, it takes MLB players away from their real teams in a time where they are supposed to be preparing for the season. Yes, Derek Jeter can still get his workouts done, but he’s the captain of the Yankees, and he’s not there to be a leader in the clubhouse as the team prepares for the season. Second, there’s the risk of injury while the player is away from his team. Yes, players could be injured while playing for their real team, but I’ve tried to look at this from the owners’ perspective. If I were to pay someone millions of dollars to play baseball, I’d be furious if they were injured while playing with another team. Third, it takes away from the excitement of spring training. I go down to Florida with my dad every year, and we’ve got to be careful to schedule our trip after the WBC so we don’t miss all the players that are away. That’s not usually a problem, but one year we were down there for a day or so before the WBC players got back. Those days were not nearly as great as the rest of that trip.
	Going into it, I thought it was a waste of time. However, I have really enjoyed watching the first couple games. US / Canada had me on the edge of my seat, and now I’m strongly pulling for the US to win this thing. I will be watching from here on out.
	I love love love baseball, so I’m a fan. I don’t think the US really gets into it like the rest of the world, but I think it’s a good idea.
	I have been slowly descending into rabid baseball fandom (at this rate, Bryan, you’ll need to change my team logo to the Hanging Sox by mid June), spending all of my tax refund on baseball related items; the final tally is one 59Fifty Red Sox Hat, one membership to Red Sox Nation, three tickets to go see the Red Sox play at Fenway in July, one two year subscription to ESPN The Magazine(for the Insider treatment), one 2009 Curt Schilling away Red Sox Jersey(my first jersey, and yeah, i realize he’s not with the team anymore, and yeah, i’ll argue my reasoning in the comments), and one Premium Level subscription to MLB.TV. This last thing has been my conduit to my phenomenal World Baseball Classic experience. I’ve gotten to see most of the games in all pools, and greatly enjoyed the sites outside of the Major League stadiums(Toronto was kind of a crappy site for this, frankly), from the 55,000 Japanese and Korean fans packing out the Tokyo Dome, chanting and singing, and making it feel more like a soccer match than a baseball game, to the AMAZING 11-inning thriller of a pitcher’s duel that was Dominican Republic-Netherlands II in San Juan, and the Cuban trumpeters and the flawless play-by-play of Charlie Steiner in Mexico City. I’m hoping that the U.S. games are as great, and deliver as unique an experience that the Pool games have.
	Actually into the WBC. Not sure if it’s because it coincided with our first day of beautiful weather in which i started softball practice, or if it’s because i just like watching baseball, but I’ve watched the better part of 3 games. And i plan on following team USA. Certainly better than watching spring training games.
	You know, this was the first year I had ever heard of the World Baseball Classic. I watch some of the US/Venezuela game. Personally I thought it was a waste of time, 15 to 6? I don’t know, like I said, this was the first time I had even heard about it. I could be wrong, there could be some amazing games out there. But they are anything like the US/Ven game, I wouldn’t waste my time.
	really, really, really want to get into the WBC the same way I get into World Cup soccer every four years. It’s baseball and I love baseball. But even a game loaded with Major League stars like last night’s USA/Venezuela match-up didn’t completely hold my attention. It’s a great idea and I want it to succeed. It just makes me realize that the thing I like most about baseball is following my favorite team, not a team filled with a bunch of players I would otherwise be rooting against during the regular season. The most enjoyable part of the game last night was seeing Mark DeRosa play, but even that was a bummer when I was reminded that I’m still in denial over his trade to the Indians. Ditto for Team USA’s Saturday game, which was a reality check of the Jake Peavy trade that didn’t happen. That said, the WBC sure beats a month of utterly meaningless and impossible to watch spring training games. And the Netherlands upset of the Dominican Republic was pretty awesome to read about.

Want to be a member and have your voice heard? Email a headshot and your favorite team to prayersforblowouts(at)gmail.com and you’re in!

Here at PFB we love to let our members spout off their opinions on anything and everything.

This week we were curious about what our members thought of fighting in hockey.

Here’s what they said…

	I used to be anti-fighting in hockey. I no longer am, based on my discussions with players. [And note: these guys are NCAA players who really can't fight with impunity, because the NCAA frowns on that.] Simply put, the referees can’t see everything that happens on the ice, and sometimes, you have to take matters into your own hands. I think that the instigator penalty has really harmed the NHL, because dirty stick play has increased—even with the two-referee system—and guys can’t immediately react to it.
	Go to a boxing match and a hockey game breaks out.
	Let’s start out with this agreement: hockey is a really lousy sport if you eliminate hard checking and physical play. (Exhibit 1: The NHL All-Star game.) If you can find a way to eliminate the after-the-whistle fighting w/o affecting the physicality of the game, I’m all for it. My fear is that if they clamp down on fighting, the physicality of the whole game declines. And that would be lame.
	The entertaining part of hockey that happens between the skating parts.
	Ridiculous, but it seems like it’s expected now. Just be a professional, play the game and stop acting like a bunch of little boys on the playground. (My gut reaction: it’s hockey… who cares?)
	Fighting in hockey…your thoughts? I like fights. I don’t really care for hockey. If the fights were to ever go away, I would watch even less than I do now. Which would be a big deal seeing as I don’t watch (on purpose) now.
	I’d like to be mature and say that fighting in hockey is barbaric and sets a bad example for the kiddies, but honestly, that would be lie. I think fighting in hockey is pretty awesome. It’d be one thing if they came at each other their sticks or the blades of their skates, but I really don’t think they’re out to hurt each other. As long as they still shake hands after the buzzer, I think it adds a little excitement to game.
	should be allowed. It’s part of the game. It’s exciting for fans. Those who don’t like it – don’t watch. Hockey is built on that foundation, they need to embrace their roots.
	I think it’s dumb. Why in the world does a major league sport allow it? I guess the funny thing is, they pseudo-try to stop it. A fight breaks out and the refs stand there, waiting for a lull in the action to break it up. Silly. For teams to have “enforcers” whose sole responsibility is to take other guys out is downright dumb. Ask Donald Brashear (sp?).
	I love fighting in hockey. Now, to be fair, my knowledge of hockey doesn’t really go much beyond what i learned when i was a kid with my repeated viewings of the Emilio Estevez masterpiece of cinema /The Mighty Ducks/. However…that did spawn a bit of a period where my parents got me a hockey stick and a puck and a street hockey ball (I even think we had a net at one point). However…it’s kind of hard to play hockey in a driveway that is at a 30 degree angle. So that passion died quickly. But now days the things that remain from my short-term love affair are Barry Melrose’s mullet, and fighting in hockey. Ahh…memories.
	Not a hockey fan but you gotta allow fighting. And i realize how absurd it is to imagine sanctioned fist fights in other sports but still, it’s hockey. They say it’s actually a legit way to police themselves. and you rarely see it get out of hand. If it were like baseball and it caused a 20 man pile of windmills and hay makers I’d say let’s get a handle on it, but it’s usually a tidy little way to let two grown men do something that’s completely illegal to do. It makes what i think of a boring sport, a little bit interesting.
	I am sure everyone has heard the old saying, “I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out.” Sometimes that seems to be the case, and frankly, I think that is one of the most annoying things about hockey. It slows down the flow of the game. Now that said, it doesn’t mean I don’t like watching to guys drop gloves and get after it. There is a time and place for it in the game, not every 5 minutes. Two of the best moments for a fight that I like are these: 1) Standing up for a teammate and going after the guy that got a cheap shot, and 2) when a guy send the sprays the snow in your goalies face after covering a puck. Those are the two times in a game I like to see the gloves come off.
	I don’t follow hockey at all, but I do enjoy going to Hershey Bears games when my wife and I are visiting family in Pa. When players start fighting I usually head for the exit or silently protest by closing my eyes or turning my head. If I wanted to see fights, I’d go to a boxing match or an MMA fight. I think it should be treated in hockey the same way it is on the playground and in every level of professional sports where fighting isn’t the object of the sport. Either way, I wouldn’t follow the NHL much less go to a game unless someone gave me free tickets.

Want to be a member and have your voice heard? Email a headshot and your favorite team to prayersforblowouts(at)gmail.com and you’re in!

Here at PFB we love to let our members spout off their opinions on anything and everything.

This week we were curious about what our members thought of a Kobe-LeBron matchup in the NBA Finals, so we asked them this question:

If we offered you a Cavaliers-Lakers NBA Finals right now, would you take it?

Here’s what they said…

	No thank you. I’d prefer to see two teams not named the L.A. Lakers or Boston Celtics in the finals and LeBron’s crab dribble bowing out early in the playoffs.
	Nay. The death of the NBA for me directly correlates with the “Person A vs Person B” marketing scheme.  I know it was “Magic vs Bird”, but I still saw it as the Lakers and Celtics.  It even got more complicated with “Jordan vs Insert Name Here” thing, because A) no one can beat MJ and B) often the other superstar wasn’t even a guard (Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kemp, Malone). Team basketball wins playoff games, which is why the Pistons and Spurs have been so successful, and why the three headed monster in Boston beat Kobe and the wannabes last year.As well as the Lakers are playing, it would actually be “The Lakers against LeBron”, until the Cavs figure out a way to play around their superstar.
	I’m a Cavs fan, and the Lakers/Cavs games have always been exciting over the years. I’ll take it!!!
	I really don’t like Kobe, so I’ll just say no based on that.  The Cavs have to get by the Celts and the Magic, both of which stand a decent chance of beating the Lebrons in a short series.  I think there are enough other good teams in the league that you’d be silly not to take the field on this one.
	I’d take it, because “Lakers” and “Cavaliers” are two really goofy names for sports teams, when you think about it, and for that reason alone I’d like to see them in the Finals. I’d also be cool, for the same reason, with the Jazz vs. the Heat.
	I don’t buy Lakers-Cavs.  Cavs aren’t deep enough.  The Celtics have the best bench, probably in the league, if not the east.  That’s why it’ll be a repeat of last year.  I’ll give it to the Celts in very tight 7 games.  Last year the lakers were soft.  We’ll see what Bynum brings to the play-offs.
	I would love a Kobe v. LeBron finals.  That would be a great matchup.  The master v. the pupil
	NBA.  Meh.  I won’t start caring about the NBA until after the NCAA tourney is over.  I’m sure ESPN would go ga-ga over a Kobe V. LeBron finals….  so that’s probably enough for me to wish for some other matchup.
	I would take a Kobe v. LeBron NBA Finals any day – ANY DAY! Are there other entertaining players? Sure, but there aren’t any two more captivating, more dominant players in the league than them.  Do I want to watch the Celtics do anything? No (though I kinda like Garnett).  Do I get great joy from watching Dwight Howard destroy his opponents under the basket? Absolutely (though the Magic have NO depth on their bench).  Do I care about any of the 3 teams from my home state of Texas?  Only the Rockets (and they can’t seem to keep Yao and T-Mac on the floor together for 50 games a year).  So, would I watch a Lakers-Cavaliers final? Heck yeah!
	I think a Kobe v. LeBron Finals would by way too hyped up.  I’m not a huge NBA fan in the first place, but I do listen to sports talk radio quite a bit and I’ll get very sick of hearing about it after…um…. 2 days.
	Yes.
	I’m ok with a Kobe and LeBron final. I’m not sure if such a series could live up to the hype but it would definitely be intriguing!
	I guess I would watch Kobe vs. LeBron. However, I can’t really seem to get into the NBA. The professionalism and class in the Bird/Magic, Jordan/Bird, Jordan/Magic, Jordan/The world. Even though the Bulls and Pistons hated each other, there was still a mutual respect for each other. The rivalries that exist today seem to more about ego and the size of their wallets, more than for the love of competition. Would I watch? I guess, I am not sure I would make sure I block that time out of my schedule to do so.
	Are we talking about Kobe and LeBron just playing mano-a-mano best of 7 or would we have to put up with each guy bringing 4 more guys just to take up space and watch the magic (which is essentially what we would get in June)?
	Hell yeah, I’d take a Kobe-LeBron Finals right now. Even with as much as I’d love to see the Celtics pick it up and finish 2nd in the East, I am still too scared of the Cavs right now, because I really think this is LeBron’s Jordan year, and after this…no one will be able to stop him from doing anything for the next 5-6 years.

Here at PFB we love to let our members spout off their opinions on anything and everything.

This week we we asked them for their predictions of Super Bowl 43.

Here’s what they said…

First, the chalk-lovers who like the Steelers to win.

	Steelers 31 Cardinals 17. I’d like to see the Cardinals win because I know it would make a lot of the “but they sucked during the regular season” fans and Kurt Warner haters angry, but it seems highly unlikely Pittsburgh won’t be picking up Super Bowl No. 6 on Sunday.
	3-0 Steelers. They’ll get a field goal on their first possession and the rest of the game will be dull, making football fans everywhere realize they should be longing for baseball season instead of getting all hyped up for (what’ll turn out to be) a rather boring Super Bowl.
	Defense wins championships, so we’re going with the Steelers. I’d say Steelers 24-14 because I like the number 4, and because I don’t think Troy Polamalu can stop Fitzgerald every time. Plus Fitz played at Pitt, so I’m sure they’ve got some film on him and stuff.
	Pittsburgh wins 24-17. (It will be close, but Pittsburgh’s offense is much better than people think.)
	27-24 Steelers. The Cards proved they can still score a few points against a good defense, so they’ll put up a few. I think it’ll be close, and I’d like to see Arizona win, but I think Pittsburgh prevails.
	Steelers, 27-19

…and here are your riders of the Arizona Cardinals bandwagon.

	30-27, Cards in the 1st O.T. in Superbowl history. Are you going to get sued if people use the word Superbowl on here? Superbowl.
	31-17 Cardinals. I just think Kurt Warner is going to pick the Steelers apart and the Steelers can’t win a high scoring game
	Cards 28, Steelers 17
	The final score will be Cardinals 24, Steelers 23. Kurt Warner will throw for around 250 yards & 3 scores, but will only complete 20 of his 41 attempts. 13 of those (and 2 scores) will go to Larry Fitzgerald, who will subsequently win the SB MVP award. In general, the Steelers keep the Cardinals locked down, but Fitzgerald is simply a beast who can’t be denied.
	34-31, Cardinals; Hey, why not?
	Cardinals Eleventy Billion – Steelers 0 (as a Cowboys fan, I’m still a bit chuffed about Super Bowls X and XIII and don’t want them to become the first team to win 6)
	28-21 Cardinals. Two words… Larry Fitzgerald
	My prediction is that the Cardinals win the Super Bowl in stunning fashion 32 – 14, Arizona. I think that the offensive line of the Cardinals will step up to the challenge of protecting Warner. This will expose the weakness of the Steelers, and I use weakness very loosely b/c their defense is incredible, but the weakest part of their defense is their corners. The only answer the Steelers have for Fitzgerald is putting Warner on his back. Cards win, Warner goes to Disneyworld with the MVP trophy. My real reason for picking the Cards is, being a Browns fan, I rue the Steelers and the day they became a franchise!
	Cards- 16, Steelers – 15
	I really have no idea what’s going to happen on sunday between the Steelers and the Cardinals. Will Kurt Warner continue to keep his eyes down the field and keep finding Larry Fitzgerald for ridiculous amounts of yardage? Or will the speed of Pittsburgh’s defense be too much for the Cards’ O-line to protect? Because I have to make a pick here, I’ll go with Arizona in the huge upset, 24-16 Cardinals.

Last Week the Schnoz was 1-3 in his playoff picks. What’s shocking was that he got any right at all. Let’s move on to this week.

Baltimore Ravens (+3) at the Tennessee Titans

I want to pick the Titans in this game. I’ve believed in their defense and running game all year, I think Kerry Collins is better than people realize,  I even want to spend my winters in Jeff Fisher’s mustache. But there’s something about this Baltimore defense that makes me fear picking against them. It seems as though they are just as likely to score when they’re on the field as the other team’s offense is. Flacco on the road…again? Why not?

The Prediction: Ravens 23, Titans 17

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Arizona Cardinals (+10) at the Carolina Panthers

Could this be the year of the outspoken Christian athlete? Tim Tebow wins the National Championship… then Kurt Warner wins the Super Bowl, Dwight Howard wins the NBA Championship, and Josh Hamilton and the Rangers win the World Series? Highly improbable…but it begs the question, if you had a chance of winning a million bucks if one of these 3 things happened, which would you pick?

a) Kurt Warner wins his next 3 games and wins the Super Bowl

b) The Orlando Magic win the NBA Finals

c) The Texas Rangers win the World Series

You’d take “a”, wouldn’t you? See that, there is a chance.  And on that note…

The Prediction: Panthers 30, Cardinals 14

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Philadelphia Eagles (+4) at the New York Giants

I’m guessing Eagles fans, including Larry Shallenberger, are hoping the Schnoz goes against the Eagles again like I did last week. I was going to type up a defense of why I picked the Vikes to blow out the Birds in their game last week, but my fingers refused to press the keyboard. I had nothing. It was an indefensible pick. But this week, just in case the Giants lay an egg and Philly wins, I’ve got a nice defense for myself. I just don’t think I’ll need it. Why? EAGLES LOSE! SAME SCORE AS I WRONGLY PREDICTED LAST WEEK!

The Prediction: Giants 35, Eagles 14

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San Diego Chargers (+6) at the Pittsburgh Steelers

I just don’t see the 6 points in this one. Pittsburgh’s great D is countered by their weak O. Pittsburgh’s Home Field advantage is countered by the fact that the Chargers are peaking NOW and playing their best ball of the season.  I think this will be a field goal game either way, so I’m taking the 6 points and grabbing a seat on the sidelines next to LT to watch this one unfold.

The Prediction: Steelers 24, Chargers 21

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As a special to the Schnoz Report this week, I asked the PFB Members to give me their lock of the 4 games, as well as the other 3 winners. (These picks are straight up, not against the spread).

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If I had to pick one lock I’d say the Panthers because I think the Cardinal’s are the weakest team left.  Every game seems to close to call so I’ll go with the home teams……Titans, Steelers, Panthers and Giants.

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Lock to win this weekend Carolina.
Other wins.  Tennessee, Pittsburgh, New York.

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Pittsburgh over San Diego.  San Diego Doesn’t belong.  No way Rivers gets it done in that weather against that defense.

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Pittsburgh Steelers are my lock. I’m wishfully thinking the Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens will all win.

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Lock-Panthers, Giants, Titans and Steelers

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Stillers take down the Bolts.  Of course, I’m predicting this as a lock so it’ll be wrong and I can rejoice with a sack dance over “Ben”’s concussed head.

[I should be more adult about this, but I'm still mad about the Stillers killing Carson Palmer's career and my remaining love of the NFL.]

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My lock is Carolina over Arizona. Arizona hasn’t won a single important road game all season long.  They will not start now, especially with Anquan Boldin’s iffy status.  Also, Chargers upset the Steelers, the Titans eke out another win over the Ravens, and the Eagles stun the Giants.

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Baltimore lock, I am very biased in this pick I really like the Ravens but I do think that they are on a roll and I am not certain of the other 3 games. I’ll go with the other favorites, Pittsburgh, Giants, Panthers. I think the Chargers will have a tough time winning in cold Pittsburgh, the Giants are a much better team than the Eagles and the Panthers should be able to run all over the Cards

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Giants over the Eagles are my lock. Other winners are Carolina, Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

My lock to win this weekend is…oh wait. There’s no lock. Seriously, I don’t think there’s a clear favorite in any game and they all are dangerous for the favored team. With that said, I think Philly and Carolina win in the NFC, and in the AFC, i think Tennessee and San Diego win this weekend.

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Lock to win: Tennessee over Baltimore.  The Titans have just been too good this year.  My other winners:  Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Philly.

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Tennessee, Giants, Pittsburgh (as much I would like that to not happen), Arizona

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I like Pittsburgh at home as a lock.  San Diego is going to have to travel to the eastern time zone and play in some pretty cold weather.  Doesn’t look good for them.  Also going with Baltimore, Carolina and the Giants.

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I really want to say that my one lock this weekend is San Diego, on the back of former Kansas State great Darren Sproles (it’s a small back).  However, the obvious pick here is Carolina over Arizona. SD over PIT – Little Darren Sproles.  He’s shifty. TEN over BAL – I really liked the Oilers growing up. NYG over PHI – McNabb is due for a breakdown

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the Lock this weekend is the Panthers over the Cardinals other three winners Chargers, ravens, Giants

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Just like everyone else, I think the Panthers are a lock to win. Other winners are Giants, Ravens, and CHARGERS!!! I seriously think the Bolts will win.

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Lock- Pittsburgh over the “just happy to be here” Chargers. Other three: Giants, Panthers, and (ugh) Ravens

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Lock – Tenn, SD, Arz, NYG

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Want to join the team at PFB? Just send your name, favorite team, a lock of your hair, and a headshot to prayersforblowouts(at)gmail.com.

Here at Prayers For Blowouts we love to let our members spout off their opinions on anything and everything.

This week we we asked them for a final score prediction for the BCS National Championship game.

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I’ve got to go with the speed and experience of Florida, plus doesn’t Tebow have God on his side at this point?  Florida 35 Oklahoma 28

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Have to say 42-35 Sooners

OU had an average of 54.8 points a game over 45 by Florida.

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I care more about the Cork Board episode of the show “How it’s Made” than i do this game, or college football for that matter, but what the heck… Florida 38 – Oklahoma 24.

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Oklahoma 41, Florida 35

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Gators 31-21

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FL 41, OU 35.

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Florida 44, Oklahoma 41.

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35 – 27 Florida wins

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Florida 28, OU 17

Florida 38, OU 27

Florida 52, Oklahoma 21.

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Florida 35, Oklahoma 31

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Florida  38 Oklahoma 31

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Oklahoma 41 Florida 37

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I’m a homer, and since I’m in Big XII country, I say that Oklahoma breaks the string of BCS futility and get it done.

OU, 34-27

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Oklahoma 37 – FLA 27

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Gators 38 Sooners 31

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Floored: 35, Jokelahoma: 28

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Gators 77 Sooners 76

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Want to join the team at PFB? Just send your name, favorite team, all of your cash4gold, and a headshot to prayersforblowouts(at)gmail.com.

Here at Prayers For Blowouts we love to let our members spout off their opinions on anything and everything.

Recently we asked them to tell us what their favorite sports book of all time was…

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I’ve read almost all of John Feinstein’s books.  You could pick any of his and have a good tale.

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Michael Lewis’s  – Moneyball

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I’m a closet Grisham fan so when he wrote The Bleachers I looked forward to it…and I think it delivered.  But I am a Cowboys fans too and when Jeff Pearlman’s Boys Will Be Boys came out…it was an instant winner on my book lists.  I remember the 90’s cowboys but from a school aged kid’s perspective…and that book gave me more details to the whole picture.  It was a great read.

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As quickly as I devoured Matt Christoper books like “Catcher With A Glass Arm” and “The Kid Who Only Hit Homers” as a kid, I’d have to go with John Updike’s “Rabbit, Run” because nothing illustrates the dull post-high school lives I jealously wished on all of the star athletes I went to school with quite like Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom. In case no one else mentions them, I also want to give shout-outs to Buzz Bissinger’s “Friday Night Lights,” Joe McGinniss’ “The Miracle of Castel di Sangro” and Bill Buford’s “Among the Thugs.” All three books changed the way I looked at sports, writing and journalism.

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seabiscuit.  seriously.  great book.

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This is easy – everything that Matt Christopher has ever written.  I credit his cheesy, optimistic ’50s-era novels as the reason I became interested in sports.

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Lance Armstrong’s It’s Not about the Bike.

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I don’t read much (Bryan, I swear I’ll read your book when you’re published, even if I don’t get a free copy), so for this question, I’ve got to go back more years than I’d like to admit.  I’m also going to offer 2 answers to this question.

The first is “Field of Hope” by Brett Butler.  I had a chance to meet Brett back in 1993, and some of the things he said impacted me in ways I can’t begin to explain.  Ten years later when my son was born, we named him Brett.  Butler’s story holds a special place in my life.

The second is “The Worth of a Man” by Dave Dravecky.  Dave deals with how we wrap up the “who we are” in what we do.  Who is Ron Davis?  Keeping families safe online is what I do, but who I am is so much more than that.From what I recall, neither of these books is exceptionally well written (they’re athletes, not writers), but they are 2 books that will always have a home on my bookshelf.

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As a 27 year old, I’ve been reading sports books for close to 22 years – yes, I am going all the way back to the Berenstein Bears and the book in which Brother Bear is on the soccer team but skips school and loses his spot on the team.  Even as a kid, sports books were the best way for me to stay engaged and reading – I could plow through a Matt Christopher novel in a day or two – but who among us didn’t?

As a teen I turned to biographies for pleasure reading – I distinctly remember reading Bo Knows Bo, Carl Lewis’ biography, and a book called Rise and Walk about paralyzed NY Jets lineman Dennis Byrd.

As I’ve grown older, I find the best sports books are the ones which touch not just on the action on the field, but also on the off-field side of sports.  Michael Lewis hits a homerun with Moneyball and The Blind Side – and David Halberstam’s Playing for Keeps is a classic for the way it looks at Michael Jordan’s total impact on the sports world.

Yet I think the best sports book I’ve ever read is a little-known piece of non-fiction about an American writer who spent a year following a local team from one of Italy’s poorest cities.  Against all odds, the team puts together a series of wins to sit on the edge of promotion to the ultra competitive SerieB…but I won’t spoil the ending.  It’s worth a look even for those who hate the Beautiful Game.

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Three Nights in August.  It’s about a three game set between the Cards and Cubbies in August of 2003 in the heat of a playoff chase.  Gives a lot of great insights on being a MLB manager, as well as some interesting side stories on particular players.

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Play Ball, Kate for obvious reasons; it completely blew up the stereotyped images in a 4 year old boy’s head and is an against-the-odds story of success. You know a book is good if you read it multiple times and I don’t have enough phalanges to count the number of times I read this classic gem.

Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby.  I’ know very little about the game of soccer, but Nick Hornby’s confession of an obsessed fan relates to all of us who sometimes take our love for sports a little too far.

One of the more interesting sports-related books I read was Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer by Warren St. John.  St. John does a great job of following Alabama fans around for a season of football and giving us a glimpse into the odd culture of hardcore southern football fans.  He does a good job of portraying the idiosyncrasies and head-scratching actions that some of these people do without being too condescending or mocking the fans.

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Walk-on: Life from the End of the Bench by Alan Williams. AW played two years ahead of Chris Paul at Wake and has an incredible story about what he had to do just to stay on the Wake squad for four years and he ties his faith into the whole thing. A close second would be The Miracle of St. Anthony: A Season with Coach Bob Hurley and Basketball’s Most Improbable Dynasty by Adrian Wojnarowski

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Mind Game : how the Boston red sox got smart, won a World series, and created a New Blueprint for Winning by The Writers of Baseball Prospectus

Want to join the team at PFB? It’s the perfect Christmas present for yourself this holiday season! Just send your name, favorite team, and a headshot to prayersforblowouts(at)gmail.com.

Here at Prayers For Blowouts we love to let our members spout off their opinions on anything and everything.

Recently we asked them to tell us who they liked in the National Championship Game on January 8th…Oklahoma or Florida?

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Oklahoma will defeat Florida in a close game shootout.

Reasons why i believe this to be true:

1. Oklahoma lost in the Fiesta Bowl the last two years and coach Bob Stoops is 0-4 in his last 4 BCS Bowl games. i am a believer in the law of averages and find it hard to believe Oklahoma won’t pull this one out.

2. Oklahoma’s offense is coming into this game hotter than Elisha Cuthbert in season 2 of 24. they have scored atleast 61 points in 5 of their last 6 games! I can’t remember the last time a team came into the national championship game on that kind of torrid offensive rampage.

3. Oklahoma is first in the nation in Turnover Margin. For a team who’s offense gets all the rub, Oklahoma’s defense has shown an uncanny ability to put the offense in opportune positions to rack up the huge offensive numbers.

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Oklahoma – just so we don’t have to hear about SEC speed and SEC speed and SEC speed and all the other things that the SEC does better than everyone else on the planet! (Though I do like Tebow and his life story, but not enough to pull for the Gators)

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He Will

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UF

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Every time Oklahoma has played a ranked opponent lately, they’ve not just beat them, but beat them down.  It should be a great game, but I’m going with OU.

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Anybody but Florida, although I really like Tebow.  I would really like for both teams to lose.

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I’ve gotta go with Oklahoma this year.  It seems like the karma is with them.

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Florida, because they have an SEC-caliber defense and Tim Tebow.

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I hope Florida rips UO a new one like WV did last year, and Boise State in 2006, and USC in 2004, and LSU in 2003.  Can you tell I don’t like the Sooners?  But lets face it 1 Bowl win out of the last 5 for UO…They make Ohio State look pretty good.  (And its UO b/c their school name is University of Oklahoma)  And I don’t care if they make the Big 12 look bad…at this point the Big 12 deserves that too.  I better go cool off…

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I’m an Oklahoma fan, but I’m not completely excited about either prospect – a. The Sooners losing yet another bowl game or b. The Sooners winning a national championship Texas fans will dispute to the end of time.

Still, I hate the BCS more than I hate the Longhorns so I have to pick Oklahoma. Oklahoma winning would add a Texas-sized reason to the mix of why the BCS needs to go the way of the pager.

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College Football… I knew this would be an issue as a member of this site.  Lots of big college football fans here but, college football?  As a child growing up w/o cable i was forced to watch Notre Dame, Michigan and Miami games after cartoons on Saturday afternoons.  It was the worst part of my childhood.

The Gators big, 42-17.  Tim Tebow will throw for five touchdowns, and convert half the Oklahoma team to Christianity after the game, although hopefully he won’t circumcise them.

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Want to join the team at PFB? Of course you do! Just send your name, favorite team, and a headshot to prayersforblowouts(at)gmail.com.

Here at Prayers For Blowouts we love to let our members spout off their opinions on anything and everything.

Recently we asked them to tell us which of these 4 NFL teams currently outside of the playoff picture – Patriots, Dolphins, Bears, and Falcons – would sneak in.

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Patriots, because they’re my favorite team and because they’ll win out and Miami will lose to the Jets in week 17.

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Patriots, because I’m friends with Sammy Morris.

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The Falcons will most likely sneak in as an NFC wildcard because their competitors (Bears, Cowboys, & Redskins) can’t perform consistently against the big teams. Matt Ryan & Michael Turner have surprisingly turned into a powerful combination.

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I pick the Dolphins, but only because I think it would be cool to see them make it instead of the Patriots. It would be an extreme case of “what a difference a year makes” – the Dolphins from 1-15 to playoffs; the Patriots 16-0 to running up the score against the Dolphins…on Madden 2007.

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Probably the Patriots…b/c Belicik has a way of working some magic that crushes everyone else in the nation.  A lot of people in the South think he just might be a direct spawn of satan.

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But the Dolphins would be the most interesting to see slide into the play-offs

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Logic calls for the Pats, but everyone I know is SO tired of their victories that we actually enjoy seeing them not make it.  That said, even without their fearless leader (and, in my opinion, the scariest guy in the league), they’ve still managed to squeeze out more wins
than some of my preferred teams.  In the end, I’m rooting for the Falcons.  They deserve it.

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Most likely the Patriots because of a guy named Bill. If not them, the Fins will probably make it because of a guy named Bill.

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The Falcons

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Da Bears!  Honestly I think they have the easiest road in.  The 3 games they have left are all against non play off teams while the Vikings, who they trail by one game, all have very difficult teams left to play.  I think the NFC North is there for the Bears taking.

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The Dolphins have the best shot at winning their division.  If both they and the Patriots win out, the Dolphins would actually have a better conference record, which would give them the division in a tiebreaker.  There is no shot of them getting in as a Wild Card, but they can steal their division simply by winning out.  They are the most in control of what happens to them.

I think I picked the Saints and Chargers to play in the Super Bowl this season, so does it really matter who I pick here?  I’ll go with the Patriots, only because I don’t want them to make it, and I seem to be the curse of death.

I think the Falcons have the best chance of sneaking in, because Matt Ryan is for real and they are emotionally driven to avenge the Vick era.

Not a member? Leave your answer in the comments.

Better yet, join the team at PFB! Send your name, favorite team, and a headshot to prayersforblowouts(at)gmail.com. Unlike trying to be a politician in Illinois, membership here is still free.

Here at Prayers For Blowouts we love to let our members spout off their opinions on anything and everything.

Recently we asked them to tell us their thoughts on President-Elect Barack Obama pushing for a College Football Playoff. (note: these responses were submitted before Texas got the shaft for the Big 12 Title Game by the BCS and the Big 12 Tiebreaker rules. That explains why Isaac Ll. was coherent enough to formulate an articulate response.)

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If Obama can outlaw the stinking BCS, he’ll have the everlasting adoration of every college football fan in the nation.

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It’s nice that the Pres-elect wants a college play-off, but unless he’s going to open Fort Knox and kick in the ridiculous amount of money it would take for the powers that be to give us one, it ain’t gon’ happen.

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More power to Barack if he can get a playoff system going for CFB…however…as much as I LOVE CFB I would urge that he tackle some of the bigger problems facing the nation first and foremost. But also the problem arises of how those 8 teams for the playoff would be selected.  So that’ll have to be worked out too.  But, I am ALL FOR IT!  w00t!

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I think Obama has much bigger fish to fry while he is president. There is no need to interfere with college sports when there is the economy and two wars abroad to deal with.

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If Barack Obama can somehow push through a college football playoff system and get rid of the BCS, it will do more to establish his legacy than anything else short of complete world peace or his unmasking as the Antichrist.  And it would more than completely justify my vote for him back on November 4th.  I’m only partly joking.

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I find it humorous that the BCS folks felt it to be necessary to actually respond via an official press release to President-Elect Obama’s remarks regarding the potentiality of a college football playoff.  It simply shows that the BCS is so hyper-sensitive to how people are clamoring for such a system that they had to issue a statement regarding a politician’s answer to a softball question in a televised interview.  In short: BCS = Money-Grubbing Corporate Whores.

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I think its sad that college football’s post-season is so messed up that the president elect takes the time to explain how he would fix it.  This is probably the last we’ll hear Obama talk about it because for the next four years he has his hands full.

No real opinion.  I don’t like college football because of the BCS, but I also don’t think it’s the role of the President to get involved in such things.

My first thought was……doesn’t he have better things to worry about.  But with the atrocity that is the BCS, I’m glad someone of influence finally weighed in on the subject and maybe we can finally have a true national champion.

Matt S., a die-hard Cardinals fan who couldn’t stand the fact that Cubs fans outnumber everyone else here decided to take matters in to his own hands and sign up. Welcome to the team, Matt. Love the angry face!

Want to represent your favorite team as a PFB Member? Send your name, favorite team, and a headshot to prayersforblowouts(at)gmail.com. Membership is still free for anyone who loves sports, and cost $1000 to everyone who hates sports.