The 2014 Man vs. Wife Prediction Competition

Well, it's New Year's Eve 2013, and as all other outlets are doing today, it's time for 2014 sports predictions. When I first decided to post something on this, I thought of one thing:

"Everybody does this already, why should I conform to the norm?"

A valid question, but I eventually convinced myself to do it since I can be wrong about everything just as well as the big media boys can be.

The twist for me is that I felt it would be more entertaining if I included my wife, Cathy, in the predictions. After much begging and pleading, she agreed to "jot a few ideas" down on paper. I'll also be organizing the closet at some point in the near future.

For transparency, we went to separate rooms to make our sports-related predictions. I didn't want to knowingly give her an edge that would somehow lead her to besting me in the one area of expertise I excel at more than her . At the end of 2014, we can go back and see how well we both did...if I remember.

And now...the 2014 Man vs. Wife Prediction Competition!!!! Remember, this is what we both wrote separately and then smushed together for the blog.

NCAA Football BCS National Championship
Justin: Auburn vs. Florida State for all the marbles. I made my prediction on this game in a previous post, so I need to stay the course. Auburn 45, FSU 39. The Tigers win the title.

Cathy: Auburn

NFL
Justin: The playoffs start the first weekend in January 2014. Denver and Seattle are the #1 seeds in the AFC and NFC, respectively. Seattle is tough at home and will be tough to beat there. Denver plays well at home too, but it WILL be cold and windy and Peyton Manning is not as dominating in cold weather. However, the Broncos offense is tough to stop and I think Peyton does get his team to the Super Bowl for the third time.

On the NFC side, any of the six teams are capable of a run, but I think the Carolina Panthers do just enough to make it to the Super Bowl. They remind me of the 49ers last year and I think they get the job done.

So...Denver and Carolina in the Super Bowl. Winner: Denver. Peyton matches his brother's ring total in Eli's backyard.

Cathy: Denver Broncos

Sochi Winter Olympics
Justin: In case you don't know, there are Winter Olympic games in 2014. I only know this because NBC has broadcast rights to the games and I watch NBC Sunday Night football. Obviously the Peacock has been making a push to get more people aware of the upcoming Olympiad. The Winter games just don't have the same luster as the Summer games. Except when it comes to the Biathlon. Look for that great event this winter. By the way, Sochi is in Russia and the country is rather volatile.

Predictions for the Sochi games: 

Shaun White will win the gold medal in Snowboarding and will once again be the U.S. team's star. 

Lindsey Vonn will not have as much luck and her knee injuries prove too hard to overcome. She will not finish on the podium in 2014. 

Ratings for the games will be lower than 2010. Technology has made it hard for people to sit around in primetime to watch events that they already know the outcome of. Of course for people that do care, watch on your cell phone or tablets live at work. Take my advice, your boss won't care.

Cathy: Lindsey Vonn most hype...won't medal. Sarah Hendrickson has a better shot.

NCAA Basketball
Justin: March Madness will bring its annual excitement to the job scene and internet usage will once again spike during the tourney's 2nd and 3rd rounds (Remember, the first round is now dedicated to the four play-in games).

My Mens Final Four teams: Syracuse, Arizona, Michigan State, and Ohio State. It's tough to predict, but I'll go with these four for now. Michigan State wins it all.

My Womens Final Four teams: UConn, doesn't matter, doesn't matter, and doesn't matter. UConn will win no matter who is in the Final Four.

Cathy: Mens - Kansas State, Kentucky, NC State, Arizona...Champ - Kansas State

Womens: UConn

NHL
Justin: Disclaimer: I don't follow hockey on a regular basis so this will be an uneducated guess. The NHL re-shuffled how the divisions are set up starting this season so, in theory, the best teams in each conference will make the playoffs.

Stanley Cup finals: The Chicago Blackhawks over the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.

Cathy: Capitals

NASCAR
Justin: Two predictions for the circuit:

Kyle Busch wins the Daytona 500

Jimmie Johnson wins the title AGAIN.

Cathy: Jimmie Johnson

NBA
Justin: The Indiana Pacers get past the Heat in the East and I'm still going to stick with the Oklahoma City Thunder out of the West. Russell Westbrook is hurt right now, but I think they make do without him and then run through the playoffs with KD and Westbrook at full strength.

In the end though, the Pacers beat the Thunder in seven games.

Cathy: Heat

MLB
Justin: The baseball season is too long and I lose interest even before opening day. The playoffs are all I care about and are much more fun to watch.

World Series: The Washington Nationals over the Oakland A's in seven games.

Cathy: Boston...again.

And finally...

Will Tiger Woods win a major golf tournament in 2014 and inch closer to the Golden Bear's major record?

Justin: In one word...No. Oh and he and Lindsey Vonn will go their separate ways in 2014.

Cathy: No, he will not. I hate 'em and he stinks.

NFL Coach Update

Here is a quick update on the NFL’s coaching shuffle.  As previously discussed on the threekbros “NFL Coaching Changes” podcast, the gang provided a list of AFC and NFC teams with coaches on the hot seat.  Now that it is Black Monday, many coaches have started to get the axe.  Some more humorous than others.

Below is a table S, J, and N did with odds of ouster.  And as of 8:30 pm (EST), the latest firings.

Team	Coach		Odds Coach would be Fired / Not Retained					Insight
			Steven	Justin		Nathan
AFC
NY Jets	Sexy Rexy (Rex Ryan)		60%	65%		30%		Nathan wins. After the Jets Week 17 victory over the Dolphins, the J-E-T-S announced the Return of Rex.
Tennessee Titans	Mike Munchak		75-80%	90%		30%		Munchak has a meeting with Titans brass later this week.  He is firmly on the hotseat.
Houston Texans	Gary Kubiak (Fired) Wade Phillips (Interim)		100%					Phillips will not get the job.  Frontrunners for the gig are current Penn State coach Bill O’Brien and Chargers OC Ken Whisenhunt.
Oakland Raiders	Dennis Allen		60%	15%		55%		The Davis family is a wildcard.  The HC is always on the hotseat.
Cleveland Browns	Rob Chudzinski		????					The threekbros missed this one.  We didn’t think a one year HC would get the axe.  However, it was clear by the end, Chud had lost the team.
NFC
Dallas Cowboys	Jason Garrett	40%			25%		70%		America’s team misses the playoffs again. King Jerry has said that Garrett is safe…but we’ll see if he has the patience.  I like Justin’s odds.
NY Giants	Tom Coughlin	10%			45%		80%		I don’t expect a quick decision on this one. As discussed, we think Coughlin will ponder retirement.
Washington Redskins	Mike Shanahan	70%			90%		20%		As Justin correctly predicted, Shanny got the axe.  This team is in a downward spiral and basically mishandles everything.
Detroit Lions	Jim Schwartz	90%			100%		80%		Justin wins again.  Schwartz got fired and Detroit is now in competition with Houston for the best job available.
Minnesota Vikings	Leslie Frazier	90%			1%		80%		Steven was closest on this one.  Frazier got fired in what is an unpopular move with the players.  The new HC will have their work cut out for him to gain the confidence of the team.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Greg Schiano	????							We missed this one too.  The team improved over the season but laid a couple eggs at the end of the year.  GM Mark Dominik also got fired as the team cleans house.  Does Lovie love Tampa?

So here are the scores so far:
Justin  2
Nathan 1
Steven 1

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NFL Coaching Changes

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Mini Podcast

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The Most Memorable Ads of 2013 (Forbes)

Hello, again.  This is the J brother posting.  I have to be honest, last night at 11:45 pm, I found myself watching "The Matrix" on #Syfy.  I can't be more direct and tell you that I love this movie.  Caveat: I'm a male and the movie is considered and action flick.  Two for me, zero for my wife. She immediately went upstairs to bed..."How can the guy from Point Blank dodge bullets?"  Nevermind those "in-law" gifts we need to wrap for Christmas. G'night, honey.

Anyway, that scenario got me thinking, what movies do I watch any time they're on TV.  And yes, that includes commercials.  Broadcast TV is based on the commercials, but I've found myself able to sit through all the consumerism to watch certain movies.  Here is a list of movies that apparently, I can't live without...

Movies
The Matrix
As mentioned before, I have to watch this movie.  Whether it's on Syfy, TNT, Telemundo, HBO, etc., I will watch this movie.  The story is complex, yet easy to understand and identify with.  Keanu learns Kung-Fu via the internet and a love story is contained within the boarders.  Great movie and I can't turn away.  By my count, I've watched this movie 17 times.  And I mean from start to finish.  My wife would probably double that.  When asked if I could get rid of the VHS tape of The Matrix, my response was and emphatic, "NO!!!!"  As of this moment, and for the last 5 years, I do not own a VCR.  Neither does 99.99% of the country, but it's the principle.   BTW, I own "The Matrix" soundstrack because, in college, I thought Rage Against the Machine's "Wake Up" sounded better on the soundtrack album.  Yep...let that soak in for a moment.

There's Something About Mary
Maybe it's the Farrelly brothers bringing humor back into the cinemas scene or maybe it's seeing a pre-oral surgery Ben Stiller making a fool of himself, but this movie is classic.  I need to watch the "frank and beans" scene, I need to watch the go-kart scene with Warren crashing and starting a fire, I need to see Magda's "boyfriend" pull out a rifle.  Oh, and the hair gel scene.  Everyone mentions that, but in reality, it's so true.  Kudos for the Farrellys and Ben Stiller for putting it on the big screen.

Up
In my opinion, one of the best Pixar has ever created.  The movie is so layered and complex, but understandable to children.  Granted, the first 10 minutes is rough...if you're mature to understand what's happening.  But the rest of the movie is a great example of overcoming fears and challenges presented during a lifetime.  The bottom line: work toward achieving your goals.  A great film from start to finish.  And don't forget, an animated film that was nominated for Best Picture by the Academy.

Batman Begins
As a male, I'm obligated to like Batman...and I do.  This movie re-invented what we thought of the Caped Crusader.  Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan successfully rebooted the franchise after Joel Schumacher had ruined it.  The origin story the complexity and the simplicity is great.  They nailed it.  Great reboot and stepping stone for DC comics movies.  I have found that I can watch this film repeatedly moreso than "The Dark Knight."

Elf
Every Christmas.  No, seriously, every Christmas.  This movie stands the test of time.  Will Ferrell is great and the movie is watchable as years go by.  It's become a holiday tradition.  Maple syrup on spaghetti?  Yes, please.

I'd love to hear what you're mandatory movies on broadcast TV are.  Leave a comment or let me know @justin_pi32

25 Most Powerful Superheroes

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Tips for Christmas Day

Ok, we are finally at that point where excitement meets anxiety and we all know which corner wins. It's less than a week from Christmas and if shopping is not complete, well, it's time to finish it. Gift cards...easy...random seasonal gift at CVS or Walgreens...check. They'll never know it was last minute.

Aunt: Wow...a gift card to Bass Pro Shops.
Me: Heck yeah! They sell turduckens there!

Christmas Day can be daunting.  Early wake up call, especially with kids, family gatherings, false energy, no naps, etc.  The list could go on and on. So without further ado, here are some tips to get through the big day. By tips, I men beverages.

Wake Up: Greyhound. What better way to wake up at 6:00 on a mandatory federal holiday than grapefruit juice and vodka?  First off, grapefruit juice is Black Crowes hard to handle so you get the tartness on your tongue to face the mounds of gift wrap on the floor. Vodka...no smell. WIN.

Post gift opening:  Coffee - Irish or mixed with Adult Chocolate Milk.  Yes it is counter-intuitive to have uppers and downers in the same mug, but it will keep you level.  At least that's what Barney told me from Springfield.

Post-shower / Pre-gathering:  Water. 12 oz.

Family gathering:  This will depend on the number of gatherings scheduled for the day, but here is a template:
1st - Egg Nog
2nd - Celebratory shot of at least 80 proof liquor with out of town family members
3rd - Wine with dinner
4th - Random dessert drink, most likely scotch or peppermint schnapps that someone finds in the back of the liquor cabinet
5th - Water...lots of water

There you have it. This will allow for  maximum enjoyment.

OMG! NCAA Football Goes Wild

It's December 15, 2013 and the NCAA Football offseason is already in swing.  And yes, Bowl Season has not even started.  (BTW Fresno State vs. USC will go down on December 21st and it's going to be amazing).

First off - Congrats to Jameis Winston for winning the 2013 Heisman Trophy.  There's no doubt Famous Jameis was dynamic and amazing as a RS Freshman playing at FSU.  His stats are worthy of the Heisman and I'm not going to argue the win, but lets just remember who the finalists were this year.  Just remember to Google that in the future.  Oh and the sexual assault allegation. 

Second - As previously reported, Mack Brown resigned today.  This is a week in the making and was reported before Brown wiped his ass after his morning poop on Monday the 9th.  Yes, the pooh-poohing began earlier this week, but we all knew it was coming.  Mack is a well-respected person (1st) and coach (2nd) around the country but it got to the point where he was fighting a losing battle.  The University of Texas is a beast amongst itself - large athletic budgets, high expectations, oh and their own effin' TV network.  The odds are against any high profile coach there.  (Rick Barnes - get ready...it's coming).  Mack did what he had to do - resign (not on his own terms) and get out while he could.  The large contingent was calling for his head early in the 2013 season, but he rebounded and lead his team to a respectable 8-4 season.  However, 8 wins a season is not acceptable at UT.  Mack knew that and he would be the first to admit some QB recruiting mistakes that lead to the disappointing finishes.  But coaches at UT don't have the luxury of missing high profile recruits.  The crappy part about this whole situation is that a nice guy and a national championship winner could not go out on his own terms.  If anyone doesn't remember that Texas-USC championship game years ago, take it from me, it was epic.  Vince Young vs. Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart.  Great football...great ending.  Mack - I wish the best for you and I respect the way you had to resign with everything in your grill. 

Now - who replaces Mack?  Saban just re-signed with Alabama at over 7.5 million per year!  That's Super Bowl winning Coach money.  Congrats Nick, you have once again raised the bar.  Every new high profile coaching gig will be measured against the Nick Saban template.  No disrespect to Nick, he has the track record (Dolphins...eh, not so much).  So who does Texas focus their search on?  New TX AD Patterson has his work cut out for him.  He needs a coach with energy and clout to get back to the 10 win level ASAP.  Is that David Shaw from Stanford?  Is that James Franklin from Vandy?  Is that an NFL coach?  Texas has the money to pay any buyout that exists on ALL football contracts.  They'll get the guy they want.  Keep an eye on Shaw, Gundy in OK State, Gus Malzahn at Auburn, Jimbo Fisher at FSU (if he wins the BCS title, don't bother), and Bill O'Brien at Penn State.  Texas will want to make an impact so don't be surprised if any coach who just re-upped at their school leaves and the buyout is paid out. 

At the very least, the offseason has started and what a great day for all of this to happen. 

BCS

It's that time of the year again...and I don't mean Christmas...or holiday season. It's BCS time! Of course this is the last year for the "Bowl Championship Series" which I've always thought was a misnomer. If not for Tennessee saving the BCS in the first year of existence, who knows what anarchy could have been lobbied for and possibly achieved. Tee Martin, ladies and gentlemen.

Regardless, it's 2013 and the final BCS game will be played January 6th. The matchup in the big one is Florida State vs. Auburn. To be honest, I like the matchup. Yes, I know Jameis and crew have not really played anyone this year, but they are undefeated and deserve the opportunity to play for the title. (Don't say Clemson counts as a big victory because let's be honest, it's all smoke and mirrors in their case.)  and the FSU opponent...a down and dirty Auburn team. Their second national championship game in four years. Now don't be distracted, this auburn team has dodged more bullets than Neo at the end of the first Matrix movie. Cue Trinity saying she's never seen anyone move that fast. But at the end of the day, the Tigers beat the Alabama Sabans and then handled Missouri. They too deserve a chance at the title.

Anywho, I fully believe this is the perfect game to bury the BCS in the ground. The SEC has owned this era and it's only perfect that the Ohio State BuckUrbans lost in the Big Ten championship. Auburn took care of business and will play for the title, with some help from Sparty. (Thank you very much, Sparty. No seriously...love ya). The SEC owns this and Auburn gives the conference a chance to once and for all solidify their dominance. I expect a high scoring, highly entertaining game.

Prediction:Auburn 45, FSU 39.

As for the other BCS games, how the f*** does Oklahoma get a bid? Oh wait...politics and money. Sorry I forgot. At least the Sooners play the Sabans so there's hope for a thrashing. When Saban has a month to prepare for anyone, my money is on Saban. This is also a rematch of when LSU dominated OK for the title years ago. That was Little Nicky's first title. No matter how Bobby Stoops massages the truth, the Sooners were overmatched and got dominated. I expect the same in 2014.
Prediction: Alabama 38, Oklahoma 17

Baylor vs Central Florida. No match right? Wrong. UCF keeps it somewhat close.
Prediction:Baylor 45, UCF 27

Michigan State vs.  Stanford. One word: slobberknocker. Good lord, these two teams will punch each other in the mouth until the cows come home. The drinking game should be take a sip every time one of them runs the ball. WARNING: this will cause crazy drunkeness.
Prediction: Stanford 27, MSU 24

Ohio State vs. Clemson. Wow. Clemson has a horseshoe tucked somewhere. Not even close. oSU will come in angry after choking versus MSU. Clemson hangs for a half but the OSU running game proves too much.
Prediction: Ohio State. 38, Clemson 20

There are my picks. As this bowl season draws closer, I'll make picks for all the games. For up to the minute info, I highly recommend ESPN NCAAF and of course Pat Forde (@YahooForde) and Bruce Feldman with CBS.

Game

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