The al davis raiders team season week

Was September the worst month in NFL history for quarterback play?
Will the Bills, Titans, Cowboys, Broncos, and Ravens all stay
undefeated? Sean Crowe has the answers…

Denver’s offense has scored 114 points over three games. Kansas
City’s offense has scored 32 points over three games.
That’s a difference of 82 points.

To put that point differential into perspective, only six NFL teams
have scored 82 points this season. And the Broncos have scored 82
points MORE than the Chiefs.

Back in the late nineties, it was pretty awful being a Boston sports
fan. Cleveland isn’t exactly on that level, but they’re
close.

Their baseball team is constantly one or two players away, and when
they finally put it together, they blow it all up the next season.

Their basketball team has one of the greatest players in the NBA and
is one of the top teams in their conference, yet all anyone can talk
about is when, not if, LeBron James leaves for New York.

Their football team was supposed to be one of the best teams in the
AFC, now I’m picking them to lose to the winless Cincinnati
Bengals.

Come to think of it, it might be as bad in Cleveland as it was in
Boston back in the late nineties…

Houston’s world has been turned upside down this season with the
hurricane and the unexpected bye week. But that’s not their only
problem. I’m watching their quarterback, Matt Schaub, looking
tentative, slow, and sometimes downright frightened.

Five interceptions and only one touchdown is a problem. Eight sacks in
two games, and about thirty additional quarterbacks hits is a problem.

I’m not sure if Schaub is the problem—I’m more
inclined to blame it on the offensive line. But a switch to Sage
Rosenfels, who played pretty well last season, should probably be on
the table right now.

I’m not on board with the “Jets are playoff bound”
crew, but I’m not counting them out just yet either. The Jets
aren’t great, but they’re too good to start the season
1-3.

Plus, let’s be honest, if their offense needs to get healthy the
Arizona defense isn’t the worst medicine for them to take.

Martin Gramatica, he of the dancing Gramaticas, should have been cut
before he reached the sidelines last week.

By all rights, the New Orleans Saints should be 2-1 right now. They
lost last week because, to coin a Peyton Manning phrase, their idiot
kicker couldn’t put the ball between the uprights.

As punishment, since apparently there’s nobody else in the
country who is available to play kicker, they should have made him
play scout team linebacker in practice.

Couple of interesting stats: Michael Turner is averaging 6.2 yards per
carry so far this season. His backup, Jerious Norwood, is averaging
6.0 yards per carry.

You want to know why Matt Ryan has looked so good this early in his
NFL career? Look no further than those two statistics.

In the end, I think Carolina is the better team and they pull this one
out. But the Falcons aren’t pushovers anymore, and they will
keep the game close.

If I’m right, and the Titans convincingly defeat the Vikings,
they will become the highest ranked AFC team in next week’s .
Regardless of what the Broncos and the Bills do this weekend.

Minnesota’s defense is pretty good. But Gus Frerotte can’t
beat a defense as good as the Titans’ defense. He’s good
for three or four picks this week.

I’m on board with the world underrating the defending NFL South
champions. But to make them one point favorites over the defending NFC
North champions is vastly OVERRATING the Bucs.

I’m not sure there’s much to talk about here. The Bills
are good. The Rams are a mess. This will be a massive blowout.

I wonder, should the Patriots come calling (they won’t, but I
can dream), what the Rams would want for recently benched quarterback
Marc Bulger.

Is Lane Kiffin still employed? Was he fired? Did Al Davis fire him,
but forget to tell him?

The Oakland situation is a mess. Worse than the Rams situation,
because their team has talent. Al Davis should be forcefully removed
from the front office of the Oakland Raiders. Replace him with one of
those Halloween costume wearing guys in the stands.

Heck, replace him with recently fired Matt Millen. Someone, ANYONE,
with a pulse who will back his head coach.

Oakland would be better off with me running their front office. And my
first act as GM would be to trade Nnamdi Asomugha to the Patriots for
a late round draft pick.

If you’re a Washington fan, why complain? Clearly, we have an
understanding here. Whatever I say the Redskins are going to do, they
won’t do. So you better hope I don’t ever pick them to
win…

Here’s the question: If they can turn a quarterback as good as
Ben Roethlisberger into Drew Bledsoe, what can they turn Kyle Orton
into?

If Ben Roethlisberger were healthy, I’d have no reservations
taking Pittsburgh to cover a relatively small 5.5 point spread at
home. But there are some things working against the Steelers that make
me think, at the very least, this game will be close.

Second, he’s not healthy because the offensive line can’t
pass protect. Think the Ravens’ defense won’t take
advantage?

Third, one of their rookies was dumb enough to send a taunting text
message to one of the Ravens’ rookies.

The Steelers should win this game, but I’m thinking this is a
field goal game, not a touchdown game.

Sean Crowe is a Senior Writer and an NFL Community Leaderat Bleacher
Report. You can email him at .

Standard Messaging Rates or other charges apply. To Opt-out text STOP
to 4INFO (44636). For more information text HELP to 4INFO (44636).
Contact your carrier for more details.

Religulous release’s hudson you’re person

Actress Jennifer Hudson was put to the test for her role as a
housekeeper in the 1960s South in the movie “The Secret Life of Bees.”

TORONTO — Viggo Mortensen played the piano in a hotel lobby, John
Malkovich clarified he was here in “Disgrace” (not disgrace), and
questions about the Obama-McCain presidential race proved you can run
but you cannot hide from American politics.

Paris Hilton was live and in a documentary called “Paris, Not France,”
Mark Ruffalo scored a triple play with “The Brothers Bloom,”
“Blindness” and “What Doesn’t Kill You,” and Mickey Rourke emerged as
the Comeback Kid at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The 33rd annual event ended Saturday night with Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog
Millionaire” winning the Cadillac People’s Choice Award.

Based on the novel “Q & A” by Vikas Swarup, it’s the story of an 18
-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai who is one question away
from winning 20 million rupees (roughly $438,000 in U.S. dollars) on
India’s version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” Fox Searchlight
will release it into theaters in late November.

First runner-up for audience favorite was “More Than a Game,” a
documentary about an Akron high school basketball team that includes
future superstar LeBron James. Second runner-up was “The Stoning of
Soraya M.,” the dramatization of a true story about “honor” killing
starring Shohreh Aghdashloo.

Other winners: best Canadian first feature, “Before Tomorrow,” about
an Inuit woman and her grandson trapped on a remote island; best
Canadian feature, “Lost Song,” a portrait of post-partum depression;
and Diesel Discovery Award, “Hunger,” starring Michael Fassbender as
Irish hunger striker Bobby Sands.

Also, Prize of the International Critics to both “Lymelife,” about
life and Lyme disease in 1970s Long Island, and “Disgrace,” an
adaptation of the J.M. Coetzee novel starring Malkovich as a professor
in Cape Town whose life falls apart after an affair with a student.

Here is a snapshot of some of the sights and sounds of the festival,
with more to come as the fall movies roll out:

Moviemaking as history lesson: Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, who plays
a housekeeper in the 1960s South in “The Secret Life of Bees,” said
she didn’t realize how unaware she was about the civil rights era
until she was hired for this movie.

Then, she immersed herself in history to the point where she was
terrified “because I did so much research that my mind was just
clouded with the South being so horrible and people being lynched and
people being hosed and beaten, crazy stuff like that.”

But when director Gina Prince-Bythewood asked her to meet co-star
Dakota Fanning at a North Carolina store, Hudson complied. Prince-
Bythewood handed Hudson a shopping list and said, “Whatever you do,
don’t hit anyone.” Once she was inside, the all-white employees
treated Dakota like a “queen” and were rude or dismissive to Hudson,
asking her to empty her pockets at one point.

When the actresses went to buy ice cream, the clerk told Dakota, “You
know she can’t be in here, right?” Hudson said, “Did I hear him right?
… I sit down at the parlor and there’s this white man eating his
food and he leans over to the clerk, ‘Can you get this [N-word] out of
here, I’m trying to eat my food.’ And the only thing I can hear was
Gina in my head, ‘Whatever you do, don’t hit anybody. ‘ ”

It had been a set-up, to test their reactions and get them into the
1960s frame of mind, and it worked.

Reminder it’s all in the details: Mickey Rourke’s character in “The
Wrestler” may have a body built on steroids and exercise but he also
has an old-fashioned, oversize hearing aid and a pair of reading
glasses, which lend a touching vulnerability to Randy “The Ram”
Robinson.

Finding religion … or not: Bill Maher and director Larry Charles
(“Borat”) say they didn’t plan for their comic documentary about
religion called “Religulous” to come out in an election year but
consider the timing fortuitous.

“Laughter, I would say, is a good weapon to make points,” said
Charles, whose long graying beard makes him look like an extra from
“The Ten Commandments.” He acknowledged, “This is a hard subject, and
it’s a hard subject for people to hear their beliefs threatened and
questioned — these kind of core beliefs — and by using comedy, it
makes that a more palatable equation.”

But Maher says if you’re religious “you’re defending indefensible,
primitive mythic thinking. If you’re an adult and you still believe
this stuff, I’m sorry, you can’t have it both ways, you’re a rube.
There are just no two ways about it. We all have this imaginary person
in our mind who is somehow this smart person but he’s a religious
person, but he’s never any of us.”

Sorry I missed: Mortensen, here in “Appaloosa” and “Good” and soon to
be seen in “The Road,” playing the piano in the lobby of the Sutton
Place Hotel.

Glad I missed: A New York Post critic whacking Roger Ebert with a
rolled-up program or festival binder. An embarrassed Ebert wrote about
it, explaining how he tapped the person in front of him to signal he
was blocking his view of the “Slumdog Millionaire” subtitles and the
critic swatted back. Ebert’s medical condition has left him unable to
speak, so tapping was his way of communicating.

I was at a press conference when this happened but witnessed cross
words at “The Wrestler” when a man confronted someone who appeared to
be saving a pair of seats, forbidden at jam-packed screenings. No
fisticuffs ensued, just sharp words exchanged in a 580-seat theater
with almost no place left to plop down.

Pittsburgh connections: Gaylen Ross, who starred in “Dawn of the Dead”
and “Creepshow” many years ago, directed a documentary called “Killing
Kasztner,” about Dr. Israel Kasztner, a Hungarian Jew who negotiated
with Adolf Eichmann to save Jewish lives.

Kevin Smith’s “Zack and Miri Make a Porno,” set largely in
Monroeville, had its world premiere, and “The Hurt Locker” stars Brian
Geraghty, who lived in Pittsburgh from roughly ages 3 to 7 and
attended North Allegheny’s Espe Elementary School.

Wacky questions: “Pride and Glory” director Gavin O’Connor was asked
if he and his twin brother, Greg, were made to dress alike as
children. Keira Knightley was questioned about reports that she
opposed movie-poster enhancement of her breasts and asked if she’d
prefer to have a son or daughter some day, and Ricky Gervais was
quizzed about his imperfect teeth in “Ghost Town.” It turns out
they’re really his.

The jim thome stats team steelers twins

Welcome back to Around The Dorm, where our best players can still
finish the season with a torn ACL. This week, defending ATD champion
Duncan Slobodzian, staff writer Justin Jez and Opinions Editor Michael
O’Donnell pass judgment on the AL Central race, next week’s Steelers-
Eagles contest and whether or not LeBron James can be a Yankees fan.
Sports Assistant and part-time ninja warrior Bobby Olivier will ref.
1. The Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox are battling for the AL
Central division. Who will come out on top and why? JJ: It’s hard for
me to say the White Sox will be playing in October, mainly because it
would be too weird to see both Chicago teams in the playoffs. The
universe might implode on itself. But I have to say, I really do think
they’ll edge out the Twins. As of now, they are deadlocked with the
Twins at the top of the division. They have a series with the
disappointing Yankees and the dismal Royals, which should give them
momentum going into their decisive three-game series with the Twins. I
just don’t see Chicago coming out of those two series without a two-
or three-game lead, putting all the pressure on the Twins. Also, in
the event of a tiebreaker game, the White Sox would have home-field
advantage. Neither team is playing well right now, so it very well
might end in a tiebreaker, with the home team limping into the
playoffs. DS: As I write this, the Sox and Twins are tied atop the
division with less than 20 games to play. The two teams look fairly
equal on paper, and the three-game series in the Metrodome from Sept.
23-25 will go a long way in deciding the division crown. I’ll give the
Twins the slight edge, but not just because they have home field in
that late September series. The Twins have four starters who, while
not overwhelming, have double-digit win totals. Pitcher Joe Nathan has
been solid this year, boasting a 1.03 ERA and 36 saves in the closer
role, and pitcher “Everyday” Eddie Guardado brings some veteran
presence. Catcher Joe Mauer (.322, eight home runs, 73 RBIs) and first
baseman Justin Morneau (.310, 23, 120) are the cogs in the Minnesota
offensive wheel. Steady pitching from start to finish, coupled with
timely hitting from young studs, should prove to be a winning formula
for the twinkies. MO: The White Sox will easily take that division.
Minus the freak injury of left fielder and MVP candidate Carlos
Quentin, who’s still leading the AL in home runs after two weeks on
the DL, the Chi-Sox have several proven commodities on offense,
including right fielder Jermaine Dye, designated hitter Jim Thome,
center fielder Nick Swisher and right fielder Ken Griffey, Jr. The
quartet has combined to lead the AL in home runs and stand at third in
RBIs and slugging percentage. As far as pitching goes, the team is in
the top half of the AL in ERA, walks and hits allowed, strikeouts and
WHIP. Four Sox pitchers have 10 wins or more, and all but one are
below the age of 30. Young hurlers John Danks and Gavin Floyd have
breathed new life into an older franchise, while Mark Buehrle and
Javier Vazquez have solidified the more-veteran presence of the staff.
Besides, how can the no-name Twins stay in it anyway? Answer: They
can’t. BO: Duncan gets the 3 with good facts about the schedule and
some good stats – don’t call them the twinkies ever again though. Jez
gets the 2 for discussing the momentum swing and O’Donnell gets 1 for
stat vomit. 2. Next Sunday, it’s a battle for Pennsylvania when the
Steelers march to Philly to play the Eagles. Who ya got and why? JJ:
While both teams looked impressive in their openers, I’m going to have
to take the Steelers. The Eagles were a questionable team coming into
the season and benefited from a 38-3 stomping of the Rams. But what I
took away from that game was the Rams are worse than people thought. I
really doubt quarterback Donovan McNabb will be able to duplicate that
kind of 350-plus yard, no-pick performance against a solid Pittsburgh
defense. Pittsburgh’s win over the Texans was a little more
impressive. Running back Willie Parker ran for 138 yards against a
good defensive team. Also, the tandem of quarterback Ben
Roethlisberger and wide receiver Hines Ward seems to have the
chemistry that led them to a Super Bowl title. We will definitely know
more about the Eagles after they square off against the Cowboys this
week, but my prediction after Week 1 is 27-14 Steelers. DS: I’m going
with the NFC team here: Eagles in a surprise double-digit win.
Although the Birds looking impressive against a down-on-its-luck Rams
defense doesn’t tell us too much about Philly’s makeup, they clearly
have all the pieces in place to be a successful football team this
season. They have plenty of weapons on offense (running back Brian
Westbrook is a more versatile threat than Pittsburgh’s stable of
running backs), and their young front seven complement their seasoned
secondary nicely. Some are handicapping the Steelers as AFC favorites
after Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady’s injury and San Diego and
Indy’s lackluster Week 1. I’m still not sold on the Steelers,
especially with the knowledge that Big Ben’s shoulder is bugging him
early in the season. I think the Eagles will set the tone early and
capitalize on the rabid home fan base to outscore the Steelers. MO:
The Steelers will come out on top. Since the defenses seem to be even,
the reason lies in the offense. The Eagles have few weapons on
offense, with rookie and unproven receivers trying to take the load
off of overworked Westbrook’s back. The Steelers, on the other hand,
have a wide array of weapons. Wide receivers Ward, Santonio Holmes and
Nate Washington lead the receiving core, while rookie running back
Rashard Mendenhall lightens the load for perennial All-Pro Parker.
McNabb has certainly proven he is back in top form, but Big Ben has
shown he is playing at as high a level. The Steelers just smoked a
much-improved Texans’ defense in Week 1, while the Eagles romped the
less-than-stellar Rams’ defense. This leaves a huge question mark for
the Eagles: They’re good, but are they that good? BO: Jez gets the 3
on this one for talking about the chemistry between Big Ben and Ward;
I think that’s going to be the key. O’Donnell gets the 2 for
mentioning Mendenhall, a guy no one is talking about. Duncan rounds
out the round with the 1 for not making a strong enough argument. 3.
LeBron James got some crap from Cleveland fans when he wore a Yankees
hat to the Cowboys game last week, and Tom Brady has gotten crap for
similar occurrences last year. Should stars of that magnitude be more
careful with what they wear? JJ: This is the first I’ve heard about
this, so let me analyze this situation. LeBron (a basketball player)
caught flack for wearing a Yankee hat (baseball) to a Cowboys game
(football). Just who exactly had a problem with this? It had to have
been those damn Red Sox fans from Cleveland. Honestly, this is absurd.
LeBron, or any other professional athlete, should be allowed to wear
whatever piece of sporting wear he chooses to a Cowboys game – well,
almost anything. He should be prepared to defend himself if he wears
Cowboys attire to a game in Cleveland. That’s just bad public
relations in Cleveland. Otherwise, it really shouldn’t matter what he
wears. A Yankees hat is more of a fashion statement than a declaration
of fanhood anyway. Professional athletes should be treated like anyone
else when it comes to their fashion choices while they are simply fans
at a game. DS: If you’re a celebrity of LeBron or Brady’s stature, you
have to understand the paparazzi are going to find you when you’re in
public. It’s their job, after all. I feel like those two guys are more
New York (the city) fans than they are actual Yankees supporters. That
said, the distinction is pretty transparent if you’re a devoted
follower of Cleveland or Boston sports. You want your city’s
superstars to care about the home front. Even if LeBron isn’t the
biggest Browns fan in the world, what’s he got to gain by wearing a
Yankees cap on field, under the watchful eye of the Dog Pound? Overall
I would say yes, those kinds of guys should be more cognizant of what
they’re wearing in public since the level of exposure is inarguably at
an all-time high right now. MO: This does not matter one bit. The only
allegiance an athlete has is to his own team. Sure, athletes do
community service and live in their towns at least part-time. And yes,
the athlete is also a firm representation of the city he/she plays in.
But does signing a contract to play for one team revoke the right to
show their love for a team in a different sport? Absolutely not. Not
one athlete is contractually obligated to root for a team in their
city. If LeBron James likes the Yankees, then he likes the Yankees.
Cleveland fans may not like it, but King James is not going to root
for the Indians because the people want him to. Not one person on this
planet is going to change team allegiances because someone else wants
him to. Same goes for all professional athletes, and this is, in all
seriousness, not a big deal at all. BO: O’Donnell makes a good point
about not signing a contract to root for certain teams and gets the 3.
Jez gets the 2 for talking about fanhood and Duncan gets the 1 for
questioning King James’ Yankee hat. Jez wins his return bout 7-6-5

Point team think in tim brown career stats

Point guards are like orchestra conductors. Even the great ones can’t
fully shine without the right people around them, but they sure make
things run a lot more smoothly.

There may have been two average point guards starting in the NBA
Finals last summer, but the best ones still led their teams to
outstanding seasons.

Four of the top five points orchestrated their teams to at least 54
victories during the regular season. The only one who didn’t win big
was the enigmatic and often-injured Gilbert Arenas.

If you were starting an expansion team today, most general managers
would make young center Dwight Howard, 22, their first pick. The
second, though, would be young Chris Paul, 23, the No. 1 point guard
in the league.

1. , Phoenix: The two-time MVP may just be starting his downside, but
there still is no other point guard in the league who can set up his
teammates like he does. Despite the bad hair and weak defense, he
makes up for it in leadership and the ability to run an offense.

3. , Detroit: Some of the luster he once had is eroding. His contract
makes him untradeable, or the Pistons might have dealt him this
summer. He peaked during those back-to-back trips to the Finals and
just doesn’t seem to have the hunger he once did.

1. Chris Paul, New Orleans 2. Deron Williams, Utah 3. Baron Davis,
L.A. Clippers 4. Steve Nash, Phoenix 5. Andre Miller, Philadelphia 6.
Jason Kidd, Dallas 7. Tony Parker, San Antonio 8. Mo Williams,
Cleveland 9. Chauncey Billups, Detroit 10. Jose Calderon, Toronto 11.
Raymond Felton, Charlotte 12. Devin Harris, New Jersey 13. Randy Foye,
Minnesota 14. Rafer Alston, Houston 15. Kirk Hinrich, Chicago

8. , Cleveland: Had a nice season when he averaged 17.2 points and 6.3
assists for Milwaukee. Is looked to as the guard who can finally help
LeBron James.

13. , Atlanta: Became a stabilizing influence once he joined the
Hawks, putting them into the playoffs. The team that passed on taking
Paul and Williams in that 2005 draft has a guy good enough to help its
young, athletic players succeed. Expectations for this team are
rising.

17. , Orlando: Smart enough to know that Howard should be his focus,
but also is learning his two forwards also want the ball. Nelson’s
problem will be keeping all three happy as a low-profile point guard.

While I know this doesn’t relate to the article, is this guy really
saying that he’d pick a 22 year old over 23 year old LBJ. No friggin
way.

The will never win anything with Gil at the point. He is only
concerned with shooting and scoring, which does not even come close to
what a true PG should be. He doens’t look to get his teammates
involved. Why do you think they played better without him in the
lineup last year? Tell me another PG on this list who’s team could
lose …

The guys who are doing this are guys from the mailroom and whoever
happens to be handy at the time. They” ll say hey, the economy sucks,
we can’t give you a raise but, you want to make the position rankings
this year? Hey you want to be the football guru this week? We need a
guy to be the baseball commisssioner, you want to decide on whether
these baseball trades are fair or …

I believe Cavs have two of the best 20 point guards in the league.
Delonte toasts Jameer every game. over Delonte? don’t think so. If
Barbosa can be on this list so can Delonte.

Really? Arenas is projected to be the fourth best point guard this
year? Wow. He will be out the first month of the year, and has shown
he can’t stay healthy 81 games. I think the NBA sends these stupid
lists to CBS from their marketing department.

3., Washington: Yes, he’s an oddball at times, but he sure is fun to
be around. His unpredictability is endearing, unless you are trying to
coach him or play with him, and your future is tied to him. Another
knee …

I don’t think he should be ranked as a top PG since he hasn’t played
an NBA game yet, but if they have as the 8th best Center then you have
to rank Rose…right??? Rose was drafted ahead of Beasley …

I think and Bird did. They put up very similar numbers offensively
while Deron plays a tad better defense overall. They are both …

This guy must not watch much basketball for …really? He had a
terrible year and his team stunk! AM had one of his best years and led
a young and inexperienced team to the playoffs. …

Seriously, Ford is better than at least 8 of the guys mentioned here.
I guess no one cares about the small market teams.

I have gotta say that the fantasy rankings are much more accurate than
the actual rankings. and how in the heck did move up 6 spots when he
hardly played last season? Is it the huge contract?

I can live with Nash for one more year as a top 3 PG, but I’m not
quite sure about had an awfully good season last year only to be
ranked #6.