I know, I know. My predictions don't look that much different from how the standings meted out in 2007-8. That's for good reason, too.

For the last 10 years or so, some team comes from out of nowhere to surprise us all. Like the Giants last year. The Rams in 2000. The Falcons in 1998. New Orleans in 2006. You get the idea.

I suppose that's why I am a little conservative with my picks. I mean, heck, given the great parity in the NFL my Raiders could make the wild card this year. Yup, just as soon as monkeys fly outta my butt.

The point is making NFL predictions is a tricky affair. Things just never remain the same from season to season, and that's a good thing. Except for the Patriots, and even they have issues this year.

So let's get to my I'm-no-professional picks.

NFC EAST
Dallas--Addition of Adam "Pacman" Jones helps on D and ST. Hint to Tony Romo: Get ball to TE Whitten in red zone more.
New York--They beat New England in SB XLI. So why am I still not a believer?
Washington--Coach Jim Zorn's west coast offense should rack up points no matter who's a QB. A real surprise in the making.
Philadelphia--Donovan McNabb needs somebody else to rely on other than RB Brian Westbrook.

NFC NORTH
Green Bay--Understudy QB Aaron Rodgers gets to test what he learned from The Master.
Minnesota--RB Adrian Peterson will see more 8-man fronts than he can possibly fathom.
Detroit--Christ at QB. Or at least John Kitna thinks he is.
Chicago--Christ, find a QB.

NFC SOUTH
New Orleans--If new TE Jeremy Shockey can stay healthy, that opens up an already explosive offense even more.
Tampa Bay--Note to Jon Gruden: Jeff Garcia is no Rich Gannon.
Carolina--This could be Coach Fox's last season.
Atlanta--Screw sitting #1 pick QB Matt Ryan. Nothing teaches better than experience.

NFC WEST
Arizona--Sooner or later, they'll take this division. I say sooner. Though I have a lot of reasons to say the opposite.
Seattle--Quick, name an able-bodied wide receiver on this team. See what I mean? Ouch.
St. Louis--They've still got an O, but can the O-line stay healthy? It better, the defense is awful.
San Francisco--It's official. QB Alex Smith is a bust.

Wild Cards: Washington, New York
NFC Champion: Dallas

AFC EAST
New England--They're going to need all those points this year to make up for a sub-par secondary. They'll run more, too.
Buffalo--A lot better than people think. Well, sort of. QBs Trent Edwards and JP Losman don't exactly make you think of Joe Montana and Steve Young.
NY Jets--An embarrassing way to end a Hall of Fame career for Brett Favre.
Miami--Bill Parcells needs a couple of years to finish his grocery shopping. In the meantime, the cart is running on wobbly wheels.

AFC NORTH
Pittsburgh--Punishing RB tandem in Willie Parker and rookie Rashard Mendenhall takes a lot of pressure off Big Ben. A Super Bowl berth is not out of the question.
Cleveland--QB Derek Anderson and WR Braylon Edwards click. This team is primed for a deep run.
Cincinnati--Dog bites man analysis: Coach Lewis has lost control of this team.
Baltimore--The AFC version of the Bears. And neither of these two have figured out that defense doesn't win championships.

AFC SOUTH
Jacksonville--Why first place? Two reasons: Defense and they give the Colts fits.
Indianapolis--Playoffs? Playoffs? Oh yeah, they'll make the playoffs. Too much O.
Tennessee--Such a gritty, tough team that simply plays in a division with 2 better teams.
Houston--Could easily go a respectable 8-8 again, if not better.

AFC WEST
San Diego--Lots of D. Lots of LT, too. It's this year or never for the Bolts.
Oakland--RB Darren McFadden gives my guys hope for the first time in 5 years. Dare I dream of an 8-8 season?
Denver--You know the wheels are spinning off when there are questions about the running game.
Kansas City--With an O-line gutted by retirements, RB Larry Johnson will find yards harder to come by.

Wild Cards: Indianapolis, Cleveland
AFC Champion: San Diego

Super Bowl: Dallas over San Diego

Ouch. And ouch.

The Tampa Bay Rays, who have been one of the MLB's best stories this year as they continue to lead the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees in the AL East, suffered two big losses in recent days. OF Carl Crawford and 3B and Rookie of the Year contender Evan Longoria have both suffered wrist fractures.

According to CBS Sports, Crawford's break may require season-ending surgery. Longoria is out for at least 6 weeks, if not longer.

These are two huge bats in the Rays' lineup and they'll be sorely missed during the last month and a half of the season--particularly with the Red Sox only 4 games back.

A young, inexperienced team already facing the turbulent competitive waters of September baseball, now find themselves in a Bering Sea world of hurt with Crawford and Longoria gone.

It's cup check time for the young, upstart Rays.

Warning: This has very little to do with sports, save for a well-timed reference or two and a simile.

It's hap-hap-happy day for this Wizbang Sports editor! I've been banned from Wizbang Blue by Lee "The Liberal Lip" Ward and his Big Bad Blue Button of Hypocritical Intolerance.

Here's the instant replay that tipped the scales (after some right-leaning folks, including myself, laid wood to Hooson's 10 Reasons Why The Anointed One Should be Prez article):

Lee said: Looks like a cage broke over at the idiot circus, and a few escaped.

My response: You should know, ringmaster.

In the annoying words of Stuart Scott at ESPN, "BOO-YEAH! I'm banned!"

It's not an elite club, but hey, membership is membership!

Best of all, no longer will I be driven by my dark, masochistic desire to read the tripe written over there and attempt to respond logically, only to incur a Hercuelian-like migraine in the process. No sir, I've been banned faster than Michael Vick from the Westminster Dog Show. And I couldn't be happier!

I want to rest assure every one of the 3 or 4 Wizbang Sports readers that we welcome your dissent to our opinions. You're free to question us any time! Of course, if you want to be a dick about it, you can do that too. Just remember, though, you will get it back in spades. But you will never be banned!

Mostly because I don't know how. So there's that....

In the process he makes some NASCAR history. From AP-

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. - If Kyle Busch has a weakness, it's apparently going to be awfully difficult to find. After rivals Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon said during the week they thought he was slipping following two straight lackluster finishes, Busch answered by making NASCAR history on Sunday.

He led 52 laps from the pole and won the Centurion Boats at The Glen at Watkins Glen International to become the first driver in NASCAR's history to win three road course races in one season.

"That's pretty neat, pretty special to me," said Busch, who finished second Saturday in the Nationwide race here. "To be a force to be reckoned with means a lot. This year has just been phenomenal. It's just crazy."

Busch, who also clinched the top spot in the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup title, has won 16 races in NASCAR's top three series this season -- eight in Sprint Cup, six in Nationwide and two in trucks. His win Sunday completed a trifecta on road courses that includes the Nationwide race in Mexico in April and the Cup race at Sonoma in June.

Busch also joined another select group. Only Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon had swept both Cup road course events in the same year.

So this conclusively proves it requires more of a driver than lots of left hand turns to win a NASCAR race. Before someone shoots me, let me note I used to watch alot of NASCAR when I was a teenager. Ask me about the finishes of the 75 and 76 Daytona 500s if you don't believe me.

Three weeks after winning his 2nd consecutive British Open, Ireland's Padrig Harrington wins the PGA Championship. Back to back 66s gave Harrington a two-shot win over Sergio Garcia and Ben Curtis.

Harrington has been a top European golfer for a decade. I thought he could win a major one day, but 3 out of 6 and back to back? Never. His 2007 British Open win may have been more than a little fortunate. Several golfers having Sunday meltdowns. In 2008 Padrig came out on top at the British and PGA playing the best golf, at the same time no one else blowing the tournaments. Will there be Padrig slam talk now? He's two Major championships away from holding the Grand Slam. That seems an impossible feat for someone not named Tiger Woods, but who would have thought Harrington would have the chance?

A South Korean born golfer has won twice now on the Ladies European Tour aka the LET in 2008. From AP-

STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Amy Yang of South Korea spoiled Annika Sorenstam's finale on home turf, tying the course record with a 9-under 63 Sunday for a six-shot victory at the Scandinavian TPC.

Amy Yang said she had no idea she could win Sunday, but a course-tying record 63 lifted her to victory.

Sorenstam eagled the par-4 17th to move into second place. The Swedish Hall of Famer took a double-bogey on the last hole, hitting her tee shot into the water and three-putting.

Sorenstam, the tournament host, shot 72 and finished seven strokes back to tie for sixth with three other Swedes. She was greeted by a packed gallery on the 18th green.

*****

The 19-year-old Yang captured her second win as a professional in the rain-shortened 54-hole tournament with a 14-under 202 total at the Frosaker Golf and Country Club.

"I never thought I could win the tournament," said Yang, who accepted the trophy and a hug from Sorenstam. "The leader was four shots ahead of me, so I thought I'd just go out and have fun. I'm very happy."

When will the European golf press start talking about the Asian invasion? Will anyone propose there be a LET quota for players from that part of the world?(Time to turn off the sarcasm)

Yang has been having a very impressive year. After her win in Germany, Amy Yang stood #1 on the LET money list. Yang has lost the top spot, but is like #2 or #3 now. If Yang wins a LPGA major in 2008 it will hardly come as a surprise.

In only a few days two women's professional golf tournaments in the USA have bit the dust. First, The Fields Open.

The Fields Corporation, title sponsor of the Fields Open in Hawaii, has announced it will not renew its title sponsorship for the LPGA tournament for 2009, leaving an early-season hole on the tour's schedule for next year.

Fields officials said the Japanese entertainment company will concentrate its future marketing efforts primarily in Japan.

*****

"I hate to see our tournaments go," veteran player Juli Inkster told Golfweek. "What's going on with the economy, it's tough. We're just going to have to fight through it."

Inkster, a member of the LPGA Player Executive Committee, said although the tour is worldwide, it's still primarily American-based and needs more strong events in this country.

"I think our No. 1 objective is to get more U.S. tournaments (with) full fields," Inkster said.

Ryan at GNN writes- "That seems to fly in the face of international expansion of the LPGA Tour." That's true, the LPGA appears to be pay little attention to shoring up its US based schedule. I have no problems with the LPGA playing events around the world, but understand where those tour players are coming from, when they say the increasing amount field of limited events isn't necessarily a good thing.

If one plumetting sandbag aimed at Carolyn Bivens head wasn't enough, then this news broke on Friday.

The organizers of the LPGA's Ginn Tribute hosted by Annika Sorenstam announced Friday they couldn't obtain the sponsorships needed to keep the tournament through 2010.

Ginn Companies chairman Bobby Ginn blamed a faltering economy and less corporate funds for the demise of the tournament at RiverTowne Country Club.

"The golf tournament business is primarily fueled by economic support," Ginn said in a statement. "We did everything in our power to generate the sponsorship necessary to continue with the Ginn Tribute, but given the current market and corresponding cuts in corporate spending, it was an uphill battle."

The Ginn Tribute's demise was written about in this post almost two weeks ago. There were even rumors several months back that Ginn tried to pull out of the 2008 event. I wonder how Seon Hwa Lee feels. Her first three tour victories coming in tournaments that went belly up immediately afterwards.

One of those wins was the Shoprite Classic. Let me remind my readers, why that tournament is not on the LPGA schedule anymore.

There is more turbulence on the LPGA Tour between its administration and tournament sponsors. This week's dilemma: Will a new sponsor with deep pockets double its presence on the tour? Will the rookie commissioner turn her back on an event that has been loyal to women's golf for 21 years and give its spot on the schedule to the rich new kid on the block? And will the spurned event strike back by taking legal action against the LPGA, further complicating what has already been an awkward transition in leadership? The answers, mostly, are "yes."

According to sources familiar with the situation, the LPGA will announce next week a new event in South Carolina and sponsored by Ginn Clubs & Resorts, which debuted as a sponsor this year with a $2.5 million stop in Orlando. That's the good news. The problem is the date discussed with the new tournament is the week before the McDonald's LPGA Championship--a spot currently occupied by the ShopRite LPGA Classic, won this year by Seon Hwa Lee. Larry Harrison, general chairman of the Atlantic City event since its inception in 1986, says he'll sue if his date is given away.

No lawsuit was filed. Carolyn Bivens gave the Ginn Tribute the Shoprite's dates on the LPGA tournament schedule, and not long afterward that sponsor ended its association with the LPGA.

Now the Ginn Tribute is dead in addition to the Shoprite. I was highly critical of this maneuver by Bivens when it took place.

This is suicidal for a tour with money problems, decaying tournament scheduling and sponsor retention problems.

I don't hit the bullseye too often but was I ever right about the Shoprite fiasco.

With the Ginn Tribute gone plus the Shoprite, LPGA players would be more than justified to begin calling for Carolyn Bivens head because of the outright managerial incompetence she has more than shown herself able to do. What I said two years ago, still applies today.

Carolyn Bivens has to go or the LPGA is sunk.

Further posts about Bivens blunders can be read here and here.

Virtually unknown, Moody's win at the 1969 played at the Champions GC in Houston Texas ranks as one of my most stunning out of nowhere wins in USGA history. Moody never won again on the PGA Tour, but had a highly successful career on the senior tour. If I recall right, Moody was never even a decent putter. When he came out on the Senior tour, a daughter of Orville's worked as his caddy and helped her father with putting. Moody won 11 Senior tour events including the 1989 US Senior Open. I used to watch the Seniors in those days, and remember Moody well. Including his teaming with Bruce Crampton in the Legends of Golf team tournament. The AP article reports none of us, or that Moody had a stroke recently or that he was 1969 PGA Player of the Year. Why am I not paid to write about pro golf instead of the know nothing error prone hacks employed by Associated Press? RIP Sarge.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Orville Moody, the U.S. Army veteran who won the 1969 U.S. Open for his only PGA Tour title, died Friday. He was 74.

This in order to make salary cap space for recently acquired Brett Favre. From ESPN-

The Jets released Pennington at 4 p.m. Thursday to clear salary-cap space for Brett Favre's arrival, but a half dozen teams already have contacted Pennington's agent, Tom Condon, to express interest in signing the eight-year NFL veteran, a source told ESPN.com.

The source also said Pennington probably wouldn't find a new home for two or three days because the interested clubs are busy with preseason games.

Pennington wasn't a bad QB during his Jet days, but he was considered a disappointment. The Jets have been looking for the next Joe Namath for over 30 years.

Note- The Jets were my favorite team while growing up in New York and after my move to Florida. After leaving the Navy in 1989, I gradually changed allegiance to my local team, the Miami Dolphins.

Pennington, who is 32 years of age, was comeback player of the year in 2006. So his services are likely to be sought by other NFL teams.

One of the teams is the Miami Dolphins, who open their preseason Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

One columnist at the Palm Beach Post has already written how Miami should try to sign Pennington. My feelings are pretty mixed. The Dolphins have spent the last four years seeking QB solutions. AJ Feeley, Daunte Culpepper, Cleo Lemon, Trent Green, Joey Harrington and Josh McCown, are other quarterbacks brought in by Miami to fill in at QB. We know how all of them turned out with the exception of McCown who has yet to play a down. Pennington may lead Miami to 5 wins in 2008, instead of 4 with McCown and Company. Bottom line- Chad Pennington will be just another stop gap QB patch job by the Dolphins. One that is not likely to be any more successful than those already tried.

156 players will be teeing it up at the Oakland Hills Country Club outside of Detroit Michigan. Defending champion Tiger Woods is not in the field due to recent knee surgery.

I'm just out of the hospital and less than a week from having heart surgery. So I'm not really up to a detailed preview. Oakland Hills has been a major championship venue since the 1920's. Winners at the course include all-time greats, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player. The next tier of winners include David Graham, Gene Littler, and Ralph Guldahl. That's an accomplished group of winners, but Oakland Hills has seen its share of surprises too. Cyril Walker, Andy North, and Steve Jones. Jones was a better golfer than his win total indicates, mainly because he couldn't stay healthy for long. I'm a little surprised Oakland Hills has never hosted a Women's event.

Who will win this week? Here are two picks- Boo Weekly and KJ Choi. Both have won in 2008 and are having solid years overall. I think the winner Sunday will be someone without a prior major championship triumph. Nor will it be one of the A List favorites, like Phil Mickelson, Anthony Kim, Padrig Harrington, Sergio Garcia etc etc. Something tells me we will have a journeyman winner, and the PGA has had a recent history of these. Wayne Grady, Jeff Sluman, and Rich Beem to name a few. A AP article yesterday focused on the PGA's tendency for first time major champions.

This is the last golf major for all the tours in 2008. The Ryder Slaughter Cup which is to take place next month, while interesting, doesn't have the same allure as any of Golf's Grand Slam events. Either Men or Women.

Jay Glazer at FoxSports.com was the first to report that legendary Green Bay Packer quarterback Brett Farve was traded to the New York Jets.

Now instead of round the clock coverage on the Farve unretirement we can enjoy the daily front page battle sure to break out between The New York Post and The New York Daily News.

That didn't take long.

China is already showing her true (intolerant of dissent) colors by revoking the visa of a nonparticipating athlete in the person of former speedskating gold medalist and Darfur activist, Joey Cheek. Story here.

Personally, I hope China continues to make an ass out of herself--and, indirectly, the International Olympic Committee for selecting Beijing in the first place--during these Games.

They both can't be more deserving of the scorn and ridicule hopefully heaped upon them.

He was 10-0 lifetime versus Florida before last night's game.

Whether it was simply the law of averages catching up or a 45-year-old pitcher struggling on a hot night, Moyer lost to the Marlins 8-2 Tuesday after having won all of his previous 10 starts against the Marlins. "It was bound to happen,'' Moyer said. "The way I look at it, I beat myself tonight.''

And for the Marlins - who beat Moyer for the first time in four starts this season - their win in front of a sold-out crowd of 44,896 at Citizens Bank Park couldn't have come at a better time.

Backed by Josh Johnson's strong start and Jeremy Hermida's four RBI, the Marlins started an important road trip by moving to within 11/2 games of first-place Philadelphia in the National League East.

It is simply amazing Florida is contending this year. I would have sworn they would lose 90 at least.

As for Moyer, some pitchers have certain team's numbers. Tom Seaver used to clobber the San Diego Padres, on the other hand Al Oliver used to clobber Seaver. As Moyer said, the Marlins were bound to beat him eventually.

The veteran southpaw helped his own cause with a RBI double. From AP-

SAN FRANCISCO - Mike Hampton earned his first victory in nearly three years and hit an RBI double, leading the Atlanta Braves past the San Francisco Giants 11-4 on Tuesday night. The 35-year-old Hampton had to feel great about this outing: He hadn't won since Aug. 14, 2005, for the Braves against Arizona -- 1,087 days earlier. And this was just his third start of 2008 after he returned July 26 following a nearly three-year absence in which the two-time All-Star underwent two major surgeries on his left elbow.

This season, he was sidelined by both a strained chest muscle and an injured groin.

Hampton (1-0) allowed four hits and two runs in seven innings and improved to 14-4 in 25 career appearances against the Giants with his first win over them since May 11, 2003, which also was his last start versus San Francisco. He lowered his ERA from 10.00 to 6.75.

Most ML pitchers will win when their team gives them eleven runs.

Hampton was a good MLB pitcher but his career problems date back to when signed with the Colorado Rockies after the 2000 season. After leaving Colorado, he had one good year in Atlanta, and one not so good. At 36 years of age, I don't expect Hampton to make a comeback even to the 03-04 level of his career.

Mike Hampton has always been a good hitting pitcher. He has a lifetime .243 BA and 15 career homeruns. In my Startournaments playing days, I frequently used Hampton as a pinch hitter.

Three days to go until (snooze) the Olympics in Beijing, China start and the Chinese government is still having a major issue with pollution.

Good God, the Beijing air makes 1972 Los Angeles air look like a frakkin' oxygen tent.

I can just picture our athletes coming home with diseases equivalent to their finishes:

Gold medal=black lung

Silver medal=emphysema

Bronze medal=asthma

Not placing=a mild case of bronchitis...you weren't trying hard enough.

Note: I'd love a tutorial on how to post photos and video to Wizbang Sports. If anyone would care to pass along how I can do that, I'd greatly appreciate it!)