As of right now Senator Barack Obama has 207 Electorial votes and Senator John McCain has 143 Electorial votes. At this time I can honestly say with Obama's win in Ohio and lead in Florida it is without a doubt tonight history will be made and we will have our first black President of the United States. This election I believe will reunite the nation as a whole, not just racially but, as a united nation. I believe America stepped up as a country tonight and cried out that they wanted change. With most likely record numbers of people going to the polls tonight people have spoken. It is time for a change and I believe Obama is the man to do it. Believe me I do feel bad for McCain because I believe pre President Bush this man could have run for president and easily won the election and hey honestly, I would have voted for him then. President Bush lost this election for the Republicans across the board and it leaves us with a new united alliance with more than half the nations popular vote. I think Obama has the right ideas in order to reboost the middle class in America and indeed united us where rich, middle, and poor classes can join together. Tonight marks a new era in American history and I am glad to be able to witness this historic event.

San Diego, Colts, and Dallas. I recently wrote an article saying how I thought Dallas would be all set even without Tony Romo and that St. Louis was almost a sure automatic win. I was wrong!!! It is something I could not believe seeing the Dallas Cowboys blown out yesterday 34-14. Now this blowout could have been so much closer but Dallas mistakes and turnovers lost Dallas that game. This team is now 4-3 and on the brink of diminishing any hope of making it to the playoffs. This team has showed they are in fact not ready for any playoff redemtion after another quick exit last year after a first round bye. Then the Colts followed suit to yes a much tougher team the Green Bay Packers losing 34-14. Again this team last year was playoff worthy and now, they look anything but playoff worthy. Now the Colts are 3-3 with a tough game against the league leading Titans who are perfect on the year. Now the Chargers. Injuries hurt the team last year in the AFC title game and since then this team has started off sluggish and have not shown any consistancy at all during the first 7 weeks of the season. The Chargers made late mistakes in order to lose their game against Buffalo. Yes Buffalo a highly praised team needing to show they are more than a fluke and they did against the Chargers who were suppose to win. This is terrifying in fact unforseen by most analyst in the NFL. Chargers where suppose to at the least get back to the AFC title game this year, Indy was suppose to compete as always and after the Patriots went down where suppose to again most likely face the Chargers in the AFC title game, and the Cowboys possibly Superbowl contenders who had a good chance of tearing up the NFC. So far, none of the above statements has occurred and while yes it is to soon to start counting any of these teams out, the future and next few weeks are critcal. Dallas needs to beat Tampa Bay who I would say is now one of the favorites in the NFC and probably number 2 in ranking in the NFC. The Chargers I would say are a win or go home team. They have New Orleans, Pittsburg, Indy, and Denver just to name a few of the games that are possible loses. Indy out of the three have an easier road but, they do have the Titans twice. These teams got to wake up and start living up to the expectations all three teams where suppose to reach.

Manny Ramirez is a superstar in LA these days. Manny came to LA after a long stuggle with the Red Sox. Manny then has an amazing second half and in 53 regular season games he cranks 17 homeruns and 53 RBI's as he leads the Dodgers to a playoff run which ends up having them reaching the NLCS before losing to the Phillys. The question now remains will Manny return to the LA Dodgers next year. My answer would be why would he. As of right now Derek Lowe is going to be a free agent and Brad Penny is also going to possibly part ways with the Dodgers. With two dominant pitchers for that club leaving why would Manny want to go back. This team is going to be dismantled as of right now and it will leave them in a position that says we are not expecting to make it back to the playoffs. I could see Manny return if they resign Derek Lowe and Brad Penny but, how much are they willing to pay for Manny. The truth is I don't see any of those three players returning to the LA Dodgers outside of maybe Brad Penny and with that said Manny most likely will not be back. So where does Manny end up. Manny is looking for one more big pay day and the 36 year old would most likely enjoy winning another championship. In saying that a few choices come to mind. One right off the back is the New York Yankees. The Yankees failed to make the post season this year and with that said Yankees are going to rebuild quick and fast. Manny would be a nice peace to that puzzle and be able to take some of the pressure off a A-Rod and beaf up the outfield which has been banged up over the last few years. Hideki has been battling injury and Johnny Damon is getting older, has faced injuries and hasn't had a very good career so far with the Yankees. So why not throw many into the mix since the Yankees are also going to be in the running for any good pitcher out there including C.C Sabathia. Another team that comes to mind would be the New York Mets. After another end of season collapse the only thing left to do is beaf up the roster again. The Mets are in a big market and can afford to pay the type of salary that Manny is looking for. Either team would be a good fit for Manny money wise and possibility of making it back to the big show and competing for another championship. The Yankees being more so though because of the fact they are the Yankees, and after not making it to the playoffs this year, next year is the year they have to return and re-establish themselves as still a threat and the team to beat in the division and the league. Manny has other options as well but these seem to be the most likely and strategic to get the money he wants and at least 1 or 2 more championships before his career ends in about 4 or 5 years.

The Red Sox are in a position all too familiar. Once again season hanging in the balance in the post season facing a 3-1 deficit and needing to win 3 straight in order to make it to the World Series. Lets face it if any team knows anything about pressure it is the Red Sox. The Sox had the amazing comeback against the Yankees winning 4 straight after being down 0-3 to win the series and eventually the championship. Last year the Sox also pulled off a 3-1 comeback over the Indians to make it to the World Series and the eventual win of it. However, despite being the comeback kings it is possible that this time the well has dried up. The Rays have out played the Sox scoring 9+ runs in the last 3 games and with a team like the Rays who have been so stellar at home it is hard to believe the Rays will lose two straight home games if the series is to go back to Tampa. Then again if any team could do it why not the Sox. The Red Sox have Dice K, Becket, and Lester pitching in the final three games which is a struggle for any team. Dice K who has the only win against the Rays in the series, Becket who had an excellent post season last year could come out of his shell against the Rays, and Lester who has been the best pitcher thus far for the Sox in the post season. At this point in time I just don't see it happening. The intensity the Rays have been playing with is just on another level that the Sox have yet to be able to match. The young pitching staff of the Rays still have much to prove and with their best three going and Kazmir pitching game five or maybe even game four it puts the Rays in prime position to win. Also the Rays offense has been dominating. They have racked up 10 homeruns in this series alone and are swinging the bat with ease while the Sox are struggling especially David Ortiz who is 1-14 in the ALCS. The young Rays also have no pressure on them since most people said the Rays couldn't match up with the Red Sox hitting, pitching, and experience. This swings the pressure in the Red Sox corner who are expected to win their third championship in 5 years. My prediction for the rest of the way is that Dice K gets in done in game five and brings the series back to Tampa with the Rays beating the Sox in game six.

Over the couple of days we have seen the Dallas Cowboys season go from possible Superbowl Contender to Wild Card Contender. How accurate are these accusations. The truth is they are pretty fair and resonable with all that has occured to Dallas. Tony Romo being out a minimum 4 weeks with a broken pinky on his throwing hand, Pacman Jones being suspended indefinetly with the possibility of coming back after 4 games, and a Felix Jones hamstring injury that has the rookie running back out 2-4 weeks. Qb position does hurt since all the Cowboys have to offer is Brad Johnston who has not started a game since 2005. The only upside is that Johnston does have solid playing experience and does have a Superbowl win under his belt. Offensively I can't see any experienced Qb having any problems with arguably the new dynamic 1 2 punch with Terrell Owens and newly aquired from the Lions Roy Williams. If that isn't enough the Cowboys still have one of the better tight ends in the league with Jason Witten. While the passing game still will have its effect the main question is running back. Marion Barber will now have to carry more of the load since his rookie compliment Felix Jones is out. This means more carries which will effect his ability to play at a high level. The bigger issue comes defensively with Adam "no longer Pacman" Jones. With already a banged up secondary with Terrance Newman being out for at least a month after undergoing surgery, Roy Williams being out with a broken Forearm (but could possibly be back in this weeks game), and Jones no longer being available for a minimum four games the Cowboys will have to rely on thier pair of rookie Cb's in Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick. The main question rests on these guys and if they can play at a high level so soon in their careers. If all of this is hard to swallow the Cowboys have also lost their Punter for the year with a broken foot. When the punter goes down in a injury driven season you know you are in some trouble. It's hard to dissagre that the odds are not stacked in Dallas' favor. My outlook on it is that there is hope. Dallas has a fairly easy game against St. Louis this week who despite getting a win over Washington is still ranking as one of the worst teams in the NFL. Tampa Bay will be a tough challenge for Dallas however I don't see them being much of a threat. Tampa may have a good defense but they rely heavily on rushing the ball. Not that big of a deal for Dallas who usually do a good job shutting down the run with their big front seven lead by Demarcus Ware. This game depends upon the front seven and not Dallas' Cornerbacks as much. The big game will be against the New York Giants which I see really the only potential threat of losing. This game mostly depends on the Giants and how they play within the next three weeks after having the devistating lose to the Browns. Giants also have a bruised up Eli Manning after he was completely pushed around like a rag doll through-out that game. This leads Dallas into their buy week which will give Romo enough time to fully heal and be back against (I would consider) a must win against the Redskins. During the Romo injury stretch I see Dallas going 2-1 and not really effecting their status as Superbowl contenders. To me the news has been blown out of perportion saying that Dallas' season is hanging in the balance. A study was done to see how much effect a Romo-less Cowboys would fair with Brad Johnston in the QB spot. Dallas for the most part still had the edge in all games but it dropped by about 4 percent per game. I say this Dallas, (even though the next few weeks are critcal) still are contenders and should not be ridden off as a wild card team. Jerry Jones has made the moves to make this team a contender and that is exactly what they are Superbowl contenders still.

NBA season is right around the corner and its time to discuss which team will be holding the crown at the end of this season. Honestly Let us eliminate 28 other teams off the back and lets just narrow it down to two the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. Boston is back with its big three Garnett, Pierce, and Allen. With the big three back they are automatically the favorite in the Eastern Conference. No other teams besides Cavs, Miami, Magic, and Detroit pose any sorts of threat and even they are far off from being where Boston is. Miami depends heavily on if Dwayne Wade can stay healthy and if him and Shawn Marion can pose as a 1 2 punch on the court. Don't forget to the Heat did get Micheal Beasley who could end up living up to his hype as one of the best college players out of the draft. Detroit is a different story because they are nearing the end of the dominance they controlled in the East and are aging rapidly and are diminishing in skill. The Magic are good but they still lack in skill and need one more player to put the package together. The Cavs got Lebron! Lebron always posses a little threat because he can take over a game but, realistically, without a Pipen like player that Jordan had Lebron will not be getting anywhere. In saying that no question that no team has a serious chance against Boston Celtics in the East. Out West is a slightly different story. With a healthy team and big guys consisting of Bryant, Odom, Gasol, and Bynum. If Bynum can stay healthy this team is automatically at the top of the West and posses a threat to any team. The West does have some better competition the Spurs, Rockets (who aquired Artest), Suns, Mavericks, and Nuggets. The Spurs always stay in contention and with Duncan, Parker, and Ginobli. However with Ginobli hurt that could hurt the Spurs early in the season so that is something to keep in mind. Rockets got Yao, Mcgrady, Artest and a solid pg in Alston they could make some noise. The only thing is with Yao healthy now Mcgrady isn't with arthritis in his shoulder. The Suns again are packed with a solid team however with Shaq peaking in years and not getting any younger his diminishing skill will probably be one of their biggest downfalls and cause this team to not go far in the playoffs. Mavericks have a solid team yet again but still show signs that there not over there NBA Title collapse against the Miami Heat. Team is good but they have to perform better in pressure games and situations. Last is the Nuggets who have Iverson who is still performing at a high level and Anthony who is starting to reach the superstar level by performing a lil more consistantly than his first few years in the league. Still with all the great teams nobody can match with the Lakers. The superstar player in Kobe Bryant who can change the game with the touch of the ball, Gasol who is solid down low and posses the low post threat that the Lakers needed, Bynum who can be even more dominating since he has Gasol to support him now, and a leader in Odom who will come off the bench and have the offense run through him. When the big men get tired it will be Odom's time to shine and expect him to probably win the six man award. Through all of the teams I see the Lakers facing the Celtics again in a rematch in the final with a different outcome. Lakers will be your NBA champs beating the celtics 4 games to 2.

When talking about biggest surprises this weekend lets start right off with the Miami Dolphins beating the San Diego Chargers 17-10. Chad Pennington threw a ridculous 75% from the field and Ronnie Brown is continuing his incredible year with a 125 yards on the ground and taking it to the endzone once. This was probably the biggest shocker of the week due to the fact that one Miami has just been god awful the past few seasons and two, the San Diego Chargers have put up 24 plus points a game so far this season. The big question remains is Miami a pretender or contender? The answer to me is simple and its they are still a pretender. Expect a possible victory next week but after that I suspect the losing will continue with games against Baltimore, Buffalo, and Denver. Another big surprise would be the amazing comeback by the Colts who scored 21 points in less than 2 1/2 minutes. One of the best sequences in such a very small time frame. Of course when the quarterback of the Texans fumbles twice and throws a interception that will put you in a very tough situation. Talking about quarterbacks how about Matt Ryan from the Atlanta Falcons picking up the win against the Packers? The falcons I believed in the beginning of the season would be down at the bottom of the barrel with the Cheifs but, surprisingly enough they have racked up 3 wins this year in only 5 weeks. To me this was one of the most important wins of the season due to the fact that every other team the Falcons have beat are last place in their respected divisions. The Packers are the first team the Falcons have beat that have a .500 record until now since the Packers now stand at 2-3. So much for letting Farve go! Maybe the Packers should have reconsidered. A shout out to for Arizona beating the Buffalo Bills yesterday 41-17 in an embarrassing way. This shows two things in my mind one, Arizona is an actual contender to win their division and two, Buffalo may not be able to support the kind of points in order to beat a high powered offense. Finally the last surprise of the day was the Pittsburg Steelers beating the Jaguars. Big Ben threw for over 300 yards and even without Fast Willie Parker the Steelers still managed to rush for over 100 yards on the ground. If the Steelers rushing was a surprise the bigger surprise would be that the duo of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew combines for a rushing total of 26 yards on the ground. Very surprising for the team that is known not only for its defense but its rushing. Tonights game is New Orleans Saints against Minnesota. Expect the Saints to lose tonight as I predict them beating the Vikings by at least 4 points.

Red Sox and the Angels had a spectacular game tonight which last more than 5 hours of playing time. Tonight we saw Angels start the game off early wtih a lead, the Angels battling back to tie, and get a late hit from the bottom of the line-up (which has been non-existant this series), and drive in the winning run. Now the question was brought up by The game was a long dragged out 12 inning game which honestly was exhausting to watch let alone playing in it. 12 total pitchers where used in this game including both K-Rod and Papelbon the two star closers for each team. Mike Scioscia (manager of the Angels) had said previous to the game that winning tonights game was pivtoal not only to stay in the post season but to change the tide and put the pressure on the Red Sox to avoid going back to Los Angeles for game 5 by winning game four 4 tonight. So, in Scioscia saying that I went to see would the pressure really be put on the Red Sox and does this game have any shot to go back to Los Angeles. The clear cut answer to this question is while the pressure is on the Red Sox this game will not continue after tomorrow night. Jon Lester will face off against John Lackey and honestly I like Lester coming out on top in this pitching match. After going through so many pitchers tonight including both closers each team will have to conserve what they have left in the bullpen in this game. The team that goes to the bullpen first will more than likely lose. In saying this Lester has the better opportunity to stretch his start out longer. Lester is known for pitching better as the game progresses and I would not be surprised at all if Lester pitches 7 to 8 solid innings letting up no more than 2 runs. In their first meeting this series Lester stayed in the game for 7.0 IP while Lackey was in for 6.2 IP but, despite this not being a far stretch Lester did stay in longer. In this pitching battle I think it is safe to say that the series will be over tomorrow night and the only thing left will be which team the Red Sox will play next the White Sox or the series leading Devil Rays.

What a spectacular first four weeks we have had in the NFL. Its not the beginning of every season you see a favorite to win it all lose such a valuable player, a team with high expectations and a dominating passing attack over the last few seasons disapear, and bottom of the barrel teams coming to the top like water in oil. Purhaps that is the best way to describe the Buffalo Bills. Yes yes I know they where not at the bottom but, after Brett Farve comes to the Jets and the patriots suppose to win it all as a favorite few would believe the Bills would even be in contention after week four. Instead the Patriots lose Tom Brady in the first quarter of the new season with a torn acl and he is gone for the season. Brett Farve and the crew have looked good at some points (like against Cardinalds, Farve threw 6 touchdown passes) but, at other times looked subpar. This leaves us with the 4-0 Bills. The breakdown is honestly the Bills have yet to play any significant teams yet outside of the Jaguars who are at a 2-2 record so far. Jaguars are the only team above .500 the Bills have played and despite winning even St. Louis gave the Bills a scare. This deludes fom the fact though the bills will most likely make it to the playoffs this year having really only have 5 challenges left on the schedule which could cause some problems. My outlook is Bills are going to be 11-5 and make it into the playoffs. Sorry Farve but I am afraid you are going to be on the outside looking in posting a record of 9-7. Another surprise so far for me this season would be the Indianapolis Colts who 1-2 and not putting up the big numbers they are acustomed too. Losing to Jacksonville wasn't as big of a surprise to me as losing to the Bears in the first week 29-13. The problems just get worse for the Colts as the running game is still very much extinct and the defense lost Bob Sanders the heart and soul of the defense. As of now yes I do see the Colts turning it around especially later on in the season with both Tennesse Titians games lurking. I find these games to be must wins for the Colts against the heavy defensive driven Titians. Speaking of the Titians what a surprise they are posting a 4-0 record without a possible stable quaterback. It was said that Young will be the quarterback when he returns but still even with Young the passing game is going to be in trouble. The Titians will have to rely on their powerful running game which at present is ranked 3rd in the Nfl. I do see the Titians and Colts going 10-6 with he Colts edging out the Titians due to my expectation of the Colts beating the Titians both times. Finally how about the NFC East. What a mess this division is becoming with every team above .500. The Giants have been coasting so far with their only major challenge being the Redskins. The Cowboys are in the hole already though losing the Redskins which dropped them to third due to the tiebreaker. The question with Dallas Remains can T.O get the ball enough to make him happy and can the defense step up and play like they should be playing. The Dallas Defense has to stop with the arial parade teams display against them and they have to stop the run which was a major reason they lost against the Redskins. The Eagles are the sleepers in the division though have 3rd best defense in the league and the resurgance of Donavan Mcnabb who is playing at such a high level over the first four weeks. They host the Redskins this week which I argue is the most important game of the Eagles young season. Losing to the Redskins would mean they will have already lost to 2 conference teams already leaving them hurting if a tiebreaker decides their position later in the standings later in the season. That is it for now next post will be tomorrow about predictions for this weeks football games.