Iggy’s Ravens Report – October 23, 2012

Iggy’s Ravens Report – October 23, 2012

News & Commentary

News and Personal Thoughts:

Giants and Tigers! Oh my! Replacement for Baltimore Arena still under consideration.

Ravens:
Well, I expected to lose, but not like that. The first drive, offensively and Defensively, were impressive and encouraging. What followed, not so much. Front line left no time for Flacco to pass, and after the safety, he was scared to hold on to the ball past 2-mississippi. Rice was not given a chance to make things happen, and wide receivers didn’t have time to make moves and get open. Defensively, Suggs probably needs to get tested for drugs. He did not look like he was recovering from anything, except a mild strain of the flu. Other than that, we still weren’t able to pressure their QB, and the secondary was just sorry. We still have the 2nd best record in the AFC (Not much of a question who has the best record now), and we have a bye week to try and lick a few wounds. Watch out for Cleveland! If we can’t figure out how to improve productivity on the road, we could be in for a long 2nd half of the season.

Orioles:
Best summary of the free agent scenario is a posting I found on the Baltimore Sun. Teams can begin negotiating with their own pending free agents starting with the conclusion of the World series, and last for 6 days. At that point, they can sign with any team. Wolf is out for the season (already) and is out of the picture. Thome should be released. Other than that, anything goes! O’s will be looking for an experienced starter, and a few big bats, but whether or not they have shed the 3rd tier designation after a surprisingly successful 2012 campaign remains to be seen.

Alouettes
The Als (10-6) defeated Saskatchewan (8-8) 34-28 on Saturday, as nearly blow a 20 point fourth quarter lead, allowing 2 late touchdowns to put the Rough Riders within a score. The win, combined with Toronto’s loss to Winnipeg clinches the regular season East Division title, as they prepare to host Edmonton (7-9) on Sunday.

Blast:
2012-13 Schedule has been posted. With less than two weeks remaining before the hope opener, the Blast will travel to Syracuse on Thursday for a preseason exhibition match against the Silver Knights.

Chesapeake Bayhawks: (Home games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium)
Nothing to Report.

 

Charm:
(No change in status from last weeks report, but repeated in case you missed it) The Lingerie Football League announced that they are cancelling their 2012 season. The reason for the change is that the league plans on changing from a fall league to a spring and summer league in the 2012-13 season. The League stated that they have plans to expand during the hiatus and continue to look for athletes, or talent, or (insert your own word) here to fill the new teams they have planned. The planned expansion includes having separate league based in Canada and launching a version of LFL Australia. The League also announced that they will hold promotional tours in Mexico, Australia, and Asia during the hiatus in an effort to expand their brand globally. They have planned an “All-Fantasy Game” or All-Star Game for Brisbane. The Toronto Triumph have moved from the LFL’s American Division to be part of the new all-Canadian league which be known as LFL Canada. This league will play their games starting in the fall of 2012. The league will feature four teams, the aforementioned Triumph, the B.C. Angels based in Vancouver, along with the Regina Rage, and Saskatoon Sirens who will be sure to be bitter hair-pulling rivals on the field. The League is also planning LFL Europe league to launch in 2014. Cities have yet to be announced. The League also announced that it hopes to have its 4 champions (USA, Canada, Europe, Australia) meet in a tournament every four years to determine an LFL World Champion.

Capitals (See website for more details):
League offers 50/50 split in revenues. Players rejected proposal saying it would cost them $1.6B over 5 years, pretty much ending any chance that the season can be played in its entirety.

 

Wizards (See website for more details):
Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has exercised the fourth-year contract options on John Wall, Trevor Booker, Kevin Seraphin and Jordan Crawford while picking up the third-year contract options on Jan Vesely and Chris Singleton. Wall, Booker, Seraphin, Crawford, Vesely and Singleton are now signed through the 2013-14 season. Season opens November 3.

 

Mystics (See website for more details):
Indiana fever defeat Minnesota Lynx, 3 games 1 to take the championship.

 

D.C.United (See website for more details):
United (17-10-6) defeated the Columbus Crew (14-12-7) 3-2, and prepare to travel to Chicago (17-11-5) for the regular season finale on Saturday. With the win, the United has catapulted into the 2nd seed, 1 point ahead of Chicago.
For all playoff possibilities, please check out the DC United webpage where they have all their possibilities laid out more clearly than I can describe in this space.

 

What do you want to see in the Ravens report? What should be scrapped? Actually, never mind. No one is reading this anyway so you probably won’t know the difference. Send an email to iggy at tealdragon.net. Thanks!

Schedule

 

2012 Preseason
Date Opponent Time Result Thursday, August 9, 2012 @Atlanta Falcons 7:30 PM W 31-17 Friday, August 17, 2012 Detroit Lions 8:00 PM L 27-12 Thursday, August 23, 2012 Jacksonville Jaguars 7:30 PM W 48-17 Thursday, August 30, 2012 @Saint Louis Rams 8:00 PM L 31-17 2012 Regular Season Date Opponent Record Time Result Monday, September 10, 2012 Cincinnati Bengals 18-14 Overall, 11-6 Home 7:00 PM W 44-13 Sunday, September 16, 2012 @Philadelphia Eagles 1-1-1 Overall, 1-0-1 Away 1:00 PM L 24-23 Sunday, September 23, 2012 New England Patriots 1-7 Overall, 0-2 Home 8:20 PM W 31-30 Thursday, September 27, 2012 Cleveland Browns 19-7 Overall, 10-3 Home 8:20 PM W 23-16 Sunday, October 7, 2012 @Kansas City Chiefs 3-3 Overall, 2-0 Away 1:00 PM W 9-6 Sunday, October 14, 2012 Dallas Cowboys 3-0 Overall, 2-0 Home 1:00 PM W 31-29 Sunday, October 21, 2012 @Houston Texans 6-0 Overall, 3-0 Away 1:00 PM L 43-13 Sunday, November 4, 2012 @Cleveland Browns 19-7 Overall, 9-4 Away 1:00 PM Sunday, November 11, 2012 Oakland Raiders 6-1 Overall, 4-0 Home 1:00 PM Sunday, November 18, 2012 @pittsburgh steelers 14-21 Overall, 6-12 Away 8:20 PM Sunday, November 25, 2012 @San Diego Chargers 4-4 Overall, 2-4 Away 4:05 PM Sunday, December 2, 2012 pittsburgh steelers 14-21 Overall, 8-9 Home 4:25 PM Sunday, December 9, 2012 @Washington Redskins 3-1 Overall, 2-1 Away 1:00 PM Sunday, December 16, 2012 Denver Broncos 6-3 Overall, 5-0 Home 1:00 PM Sunday, December 23, 2012 New York Giants 3-1 Overall, 1-0 Home 1:00 PM Sunday, January 30, 2012 @Cincinnati Bengals 18-14 Overall, 7-9 Away 1:00 PM

 

Relevant Football Links

Iggy’s Predictions

  • Week 7 Warning: I was burned last week by all the dogs winning/covering, so this weeks picks are a little heavy on the underdogs…
    • Niners over Seattle (+7.5), but take the points . Seattle is 4-0 as the dog so far this season, but this game is in SF. Hawks covered… barely!
    • Houston over Baltimore (+6.5), but take the points. With all the injuries, I am hoping the Ravens can keep it close enough to cover. Arg!
    • Minnesota over Arizona (+5.5), but take the points. Cards are undefeated as the dog so far. Vikes win by a TD.
    • Cowboys over Panthers (+2.5). Records against the spread point the other way, but I think Dallas will recover from last weeks loss to the Ravens. Looked questionable for a while, but Boys pulled it out
    • Tampa (+2.5) over Saints. Tampa is 3-0 and covered twice on points as the dog. Tampa looked good early… but it was a long game.
    • Pack over Rams (+5.5), but take the points. StL is 5-1 as the dog, while Green Bay is 1-4 as the Fav. Rodgers is back, although being a football player is apparently not a career!
    • Giants over Skins (+6.5). Giants put an end to the skins fans bragging (please!) Took a last minute 77 yard TD pass to seal the victory, but skins covered.
    • Bills over Titans (+3.5). Buffalo looks to keep first place standing against a floundering Titan team (despite surprise victory against stealer last week) Titans found a way to win, again!
    • Browns (+3.5) over Colts. Cleveland is about 2 receivers short of a good team. A botched extra point even kept me from covering. I got NO breaks this week!
    • Pats over Jets (+10.5), but take the points. Can’t tell what to do with the Jets. So Erratic. Overtime, that means the Jets covered!
    • Raiders over Jax (+4.5). East coast team travels west and gets stomped. It’s tradition. Raiders win in OT, but Jax covers. I just picked all the wrong teams to cover!
    • Bengals (+2.5) over steelers. Steeler are really hurting in the injury department, and they have the record to prove it. %(#^%)&%#^)^Q@%steelers
    • Bears eat Lions (+5.5). Bears are 3-0 as the Favorite, while Detroit is another disappointment. Chomp!
    • This Week:: 9-4 Straight Up, and 4-9 Against the Spread
    • Season:: 62-42 Straight Up, and 54-50 Against the Spread
  • Week 8: Let’s see how bad the spread messes me up this week…
    • Vikings over Tampa (+6.5), but take the points.Tampa is 3-1 as the dog, while Minnesota has failed to cover twice so far.
    • Dolphins (+2.5) over Jets.Jets spent their luck last week, taking the Pats to OT.
    • Chargers over Cleveland (+2.5).Twilight zone only kicks in when East Coast team travels West, not vice versa.
    • Titans over Colts (+3.5) but take the points.This will be a neck and neck battle.
    • Pats over Rams (+6.5) (in London).Was prepared to take the points in St. Louis, but this ain’t in St. Louis.
    • Packers over Jags (+12.5).I looked back over the past several games and saw the Jags lost to the Bears 41-3 a few weeks back at home.
    • Falcons (+2.5) over Eagles.Vick to fumble this one away.
    • stealers over skins (+5.5), but take the points.I’m pulling for a tie, personally.
    • Hawks (+2.5) over Lions.Seattle is 5-0 as the dog this season; Lions are 0-3 as the Fav.
    • Bears over Panthers (+7.5).I thought about those points, but that 41-3 clubbing of Jax a few weeks back was still on the brain.
    • Chefs over Raiders (+1.5).They say KC is one of the hardest places to play.
    • Giants over Dallas (+1.5).Giants to bring their A game in Dallas.
    • Denver over Saints (+5.5), but take the points.Good old fashion shootout?
    • Niners over Cardinals (+6.5), but take the points. The Desert does strange things to teams…
  • MLB
    • Wild Card Round (0-2)
    • Divisional Round (0-4)
    • Championship Round (1-1)
      • Yankees over Tigers in 6. Detroit barely made the playoffs, and you expect them to win? I am now 0-7, but glad the yankees are now spectators!
      • Giants over Cards in 6. Cards should never have made it out of the first 2 rounds… But then again, Giants should never have beaten Cincinnati Oh well, it’s as hard to be perfect as it is to be unperfect!
    • World Series
      • Giants over Tigers in 6. Despite the long rest period for Detroit, the Giants have remained competitive the last week and has refused to die, setting a MLB record for 6 straight wins when facing elimination in one post season. Giants won’t need any more of those as they take the series the old fashion way!

Please send comments to Iggy at tealdragon.net