Remember to call us with your questions/comments/suggestions for the show #708-316-8822…
0:06:10 – BSV: Right off the hop! The guys check in on the BS Voicemail. MLB Free Agents, Rugby concussions, and Binge Fantasy Football!
0:30:05 – 60 SECONDS: New Segment where we highlight as many topics in 60 sesconds and pick one to discuss. GO!
0:44:48 – COLLEGE ROUNDUP: The College Football Playoff is set. The Championship games were a bit of a disappointment, but does it really matter? Did the committee get it right? Ohio State fans are pissed, but should they be?
0:57:07 – AROUND THE LEAGUE: What’s happening with the NFL? We’ve got guys taking cheap shots during plays and after the whistle. Teams firing coaches and GMs who said they’d never fire anyone during the season. All this… and it’s actually overshadowing what is looking to be a pretty fun playoff run! (In the NFC at least).
1:27:18 – THE PICKS: TM and PJ had good weeks… 4 weeks to go. Can PJ catch TM? Chad D helps out with the guest picks
1:36:50 – FANTASY: We have our playoff picture set! TM was locked into first, but did he outscore Chad C enough to win that money? Who’s in? Who’s out? and Who’s in the Toilet… we’ll give you one guess! Playoffs Start this week! Hold on to your butts!
Keep an eye out for the Binge Sportscast on a weekly basis through the NFL season!
Remember to call us with your questions/comments/suggestions for the show #708-316-8822…
0:02:12 – BSV: Right off the hop! The guys check in on the BS Voicemail. 3 new BSVs!
0:30:37 – COLLEGE ROUNDUP: The College Football Rankings are out for the last time before the Final Four are announced and… it’s Championship Week! Are the guys excited with the mix-up at the top? Is this the year Alabama gets left out? Would an 8-team playoff make this better or worse? Who’s a shoe-in…. and who is the long shot to get in?
0:42:25 – Other news? Is there anything except football? Tiger Woods is back on the course… does anyone still care? Soccer gets talked about for more than 5 minutes. You’re welcome!
0:54:00 – AROUND THE LEAGUE: Eli sitting… Jimmy G starting. Chain fight!! Other news? Did the “Contenders” remain as contenders or was there another shake-up at the top? Now that the good teams are staying on top, how do the guys feel about this years possible playoff matchups. Who’s going to come out on top in the NFC behind Phili… a crazy next 3 weeks for the other contenders.
1:27:24 – THE PICKS: “Check out the big brain on TM!” What a week for the Gamblin Man! Does anyone else get out of the red?
1:38:37 – FANTASY: Guess who won a game? And guess who he possibly knocked out of playoff contention! Boom! TM clinches 1st place and a bye. Everything else is going to come down to the final regular week of the regular season!
Keep an eye out for the Binge Sportscast on a weekly basis through the NFL season!
And here we go. Welcome to the first of a series of previews as Binge Media Sports coverage of the 2014 NFL season begins. Each preview will give you a look at eight teams, four from the AFC and four from the NFC. I’ll tell you how they did last season, followed by a quick look at the highlights (and lowlights for some) of the team this year. We are having some issues on the site with the voting options, but as soon as the boys sober up from Lawlapalooza, I’m hopeful we can get it taken care of. I’ve been told to leave the title of the poll up, so the plug-in team can see what they’re dealing with, so know that I’m not a moron and just forgot to list the teams. I may end up making the vote its own post later next week, so just keep checking in. But let’s move ahead with at least the previews. We’ll start today with the teams in the AFC and NFC East. Enjoy.
BUFFALO BILLS
LAST SEASON: 6-10, FINISHED 4TH IN THE AFC EAST, MISSED PLAYOFFS
2014 PREVIEW: Wide receiver Sammy Watkins is the biggest addition to a Buffalo (not Toronto, sorry Bon Jovi) team that is still looking to break through just to get to .500. It’s been almost a decade since they’ve done that. The question remains whether or not last year’s first round pick, QB EJ Manuel can get Watkins the ball. He’s still got some improving to do, but a nice 1-2 running back combo in CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson may open up the field a bit.
The defense is on the rise. CB Stephen Gilmore comes back from a broken wrist and could very well become a top corner in the entire NFL if he can play to potential. On the line, they’re still waiting for the Mario Williams signing to pan out, but the real beast is Kyle Williams. He’s made three of the last four Pro Bowls and d0uble teams on him could allow everybody else to step it up.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
LAST SEASON: 8-8, FINISHED TIED FOR 2ND IN THE AFC EAST, MISSED PLAYOFFS
2014 PREVIEW: The Dolphins are looking to get beyond the Richie Incognito drama that plagued them last year. They’ve started that process by completely overhauling the offensive line to protect QB Ryan Tannehill, who got knocked around in the 2013 campaign. WR Brian Hartline seems to have become his favorite target, even though they still have Mike Wallace, who still has to be laughing at all the money he was given. A new system that allows Tannehill to move around a little more should help everybody.
The defense is the strong suit of this team. A solid line that includes Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon, who finished with 11 1/2 sacks in just his second year, mixed with a decent secondary should keep Miami near the playoff hunt throughout the season.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
LAST SEASON: 12-4, WON THE AFC EAST, LOST AFC CHAMPIONSHIP TO THE DENVER BRONCOS
2014 PREVIEW: Even with the hodgepodge of receivers he had to work with last year, QB Tom Brady still led the Pats to the second best record in the AFC and a spot in the AFC Championship, eventually losing to rival Peyton Manning. It seems that no matter who they put on the field, they find a way to get things done. If the injuries can remain limited, especially to Shane Vereen and Rob Gronkowski, the offense should be very sharp.
The dangerous thing about New England this season is the upgrade on the defensive side of the football, the biggest addition being perennial All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis, who signed after a very short time in Tampa. He can change the way an entire offense plays, which may help if they run into the Broncos again in the playoffs. I’ll go ahead and cast my vote here. The Patriots will win this division and are a strong contender for the Super Bowl. (How happy did I just make Jack?)
NEW YORK JETS
LAST SEASON: 8-8, FINISHED TIED FOR 2ND IN THE AFC EAST, MISSED PLAYOFFS
2014 PREVIEW: J.E.T.S., J.E.T.S., J.E.T.S., JETS, JETS, JETS!!!!! That’s about as excited as anyone can get about the green and white this season. Sure, they brought in some big names to fill the back page in Michael Vick and Chris Johnson, but neither are anywhere near their prime. Instead, Jets fans get Geno Smith and Chris Ivory, who just aren’t ready to compete for this division.
The defense doesn’t help much. Muhammad Wilkerson is a monster and 2013 Defensive Rookie of the Year Sheldon Richardson is up and coming, but the secondary is atrocious. They’ll squeak out four or five wins, but is that enough to save Rex Ryan’s job again?
[yop_poll id=”144″]
Before I write anything, just know that I root for the Dallas Cowboys, but I’m still a professional, so I’ll still talk about the positive aspects of the other teams that I despise so much in this division. I just wanted you all to know how painful it is for me. Let’s continue.
DALLAS COWBOYS
LAST SEASON: 8-8, FINISHED 2ND IN THE NFC EAST, MISSED PLAYOFFS
2014 PREVIEW: The offense is there. Bash Tony Romo all you like, but the guy puts up numbers. TE Jason Witten may be the most consistent player on this team and maybe one of the most consistent in the league. Year after year, he continues to produce. The maturity of wideout Dez Bryant has made him one of the best receivers in football, and he could have his best year yet. RB DeMarco Murray could be an All-Pro if he could only stay healthy, but that’s a really big if. Throw in arguably the best offensive line in the league, and the Cowboys could put up 35 a game.
The problem is that they’ll give up 36. After the worst year in franchise history on that side of the ball, something has to change. Just when the offense would do something great, the defense would do something equally awful to hinder any momentum. Throw in the fact that DeMarcus Ware moved to Denver, and there could be real trouble in Big D. People have been waiting for years for this team to realize its potential, and we may have to continue to wait. The talent is there, but the coaching is not. As a fan, I hope they surprise me, but if I had any big money to throw around, the easiest bet in football right now is an 8-8 finish.
NEW YORK GIANTS
LAST SEASON: 7-9, FINISHED 3RD IN THE NFC EAST, MISSED PLAYOFFS
2014 PREVIEW: The Giants are moving to a West Coast offense. What? After ten years of playing in a system, Eli Manning looks to bounce back after a dreadful 2013. It will be interesting to see if this new style can limit his interception total. He’s got some good receivers in Victor Cruz and Rueben Randle to get the ball to.
The defense could go either way depending on injuries. Jason Pierre-Paul is getting older and didn’t have a great year last year, so he’ll be looking to get the defensive line back on track. They didn’t get to the quarterback much last year, which you have to do in this division. The secondary isn’t spectacular, but can be very efficient. But here’s the thing about New York. Every time I count them out, they end up going on a run and sneaking into the playoffs. We’ll see if the new schemes can get them back on track.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
LAST SEASON: 10-6, WON THE NFC EAST, LOST IN THE WILD CARD ROUND TO THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
2014 PREVIEW: Head coach Chip Kelly surprised everyone last year by making a smooth transition to the NFL. He won’t be able to sneak up on teams anymore, but they’re still going to be very good. Quarterback Nick Foles became a star last year, yes you read that right. In his ten starts, he threw for 27 touchdowns while only throwing 2 picks. Mix that kind of passing efficiency with a strong 1-2 punch at running back and you’ve got a recipe to win football games. LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles can change an entire game with the ability to run and catch passes out of the backfield. Look for this offense to score a ton of points.
The defense isn’t terrible either. It could certainly be better, but part of the reason that they give up so many yards is because the offense scores so quickly. But some free agent signings like Malcolm Jenkins and the improvement on the corners of Bradley Fletcher and Cary Williams could move them in the right direction. The Eagles have to be considered the favorite in this division. (I just threw up in my mouth a little.)
WASHINGTON REDSKINS
LAST SEASON: 3-13, FINISHED 4TH IN THE NFC EAST, MISSED PLAYOFFS
2014 PREVIEW: The biggest topic in the offseason was actually just the team name itself. On the field, all eyes will obviously be on Robert Griffin III. New head coach Jay Gruden is looking to limit how much RG3 runs the ball, but we’ll have to wait and see if that becomes a reality. He’s a hell of an athlete, but he’s got to learn how to throw the football. Former Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson gives him another option opposite Pierre Garcon. Injury will always be a question for Griffin, but they’ve got a great backup in Kirk Cousins, who may still end up on another team.
Defensively, the ‘Skins need to improve. There’s really no other way to say it. The numbers aren’t as bad as the rival Cowboys’, but something needs to change. They take a ton of chances on defense and have a tendency to get burned. I think they’ll get more than the three wins they got last year, but not by much.
[yop_poll id=”145″]
8 down, 24 to go. Next time I’ll take a look at the North Divisions, so I know my loyal Illinois readers will be excited about the Bears preview, but I’ll also be looking at the Packers, Lions, Vikings, Bengals, Steelers, Ravens, and Browns. There will certainly be plenty to discuss with those teams. Again, I really hope our voting system gets fixed quickly and I’ll let you know as soon as it does. If you want to leave a vote in the comments section, feel free to do so and we can punch it in later, and I know I’ll have at least one Pats vote (yes, Jack, I’m talking to you). But if you’re thinking upsets or otherwise, let me know below or follow me and tweet @THElukenorris.
30 For 30, 24, The Station Agent & The Goddamn Batman
Another week, another blogpost from your favorite (admit it) Binge blogger. This week was a particularly productive one, since I jumped back on the workout wagon in full force, automatically raising my weekly movie consumption by at least 70%. You see, I convince myself to stay on the elliptical by bribing my brain with a movie that I can only watch while on said machine, so it’s a win-win. While most of you were out watching the fireworks this past weekend I used my time off to bask in the glorious glow of my TV set. As a result, I was able to catch a pretty solid rash of flicks this week, both documentaries and theatrical flicks, as well as get some new I’ve been waiting on for a long time.
My first flicks were a pair of documentaries from the 30 for 30 series. The first was the Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya Harding (seen above, in all her glory) flick “The Price of Gold,” which was very solid. Sports controversy doesn’t get much juicier than this and the documentary does a good job of giving you the background on what went down as well as the bullet points of the crime and subsequent criminal trial. I’m no figure skating fife but there’s no denying those fuckers have some serious athleticism which comes across pretty well here. 8 on 10 all day.
The second 30 for 30, titled “The Announcement,” was all about Magic Johnson and his journey with HIV. I know this sounds really naive but I had no idea there was a large contingency of people that live with HIV, staying alive through medication and strict care. If anything, this documentary taught me a little bit about the disease, which is great. Documentaries should highlight something you don’t know about the world around you and I’m glad this flick did that for me. I also appreciate the hell out of true sportsmanship, seen here with some of the interviews with MJ and Larry Bird. I’m a moderate Celtics fan, but an even bigger fan of Larry Bird highlights, so I know of the Johnson/Bird rivalry, but the fact that Bird shows up here and gives the man his due is awesome and something I love to see in sports. Except in reference to Eli or Peyton Manning, fuck those douchebags.
24 is about to round out it’s final episode this coming Monday and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve seen season 1 and this Live Another Day miniseries and that’s it, but I’ll be goddamned if I’m not loving some Jack Bauer ass-kicking. I’m just having a great time with it, despite the logic gaps and plot holes, because they stick to their fucking guns on that show. The showrunners have been doing it so long that the confidence of the writers and Sutherland is all over every moment of this season. Also, is there anything more tense than the ticking clock noise? Fucking genius, still works like a charm.
I think, because of Game of Thrones primarily, from here on out I’m a Peter Dinklage mark. A buddy of mine told me years ago to give The Station Agent a watch and I finally got around to it this week. Was it worth the watch? Absolutely. This is a difficult flick to recommend because the movie lives and dies on the backs of the cast and, literally, nothing else. Simply put, you need to either like or, at least, be intrigued by Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson and the always charismatic Bobby Cannavale. Ever since he played Gyp Rosetti on Boardwalk Empire I’ve liked this dude. He’s shown up on the Rich Eisen podcast a couple times and despite his New York fandom I feel like I could drink with this guy. Anywho, it’s tough to criticize this movie for being anything other than a hidden gem, one that got a lot of fanfare back when it was released but not enough love nowadays. 9 on 10, easily, for this great little flick.
As for video games, I’ve decided to jump back into a replay of Batman Arkham City, this time on my Mac. The game is just as amazing as I remember it the first time round, being somehow more operatic and grandiose than the first play-through. This was, of course, a direct result of the glorious Steam Summer Sale, which I am still reaping the benefits of now. Speaking of which, does anyone out there play Tropico? I grabbed Tropico 4 and can’t figure out how to get past the first level. I’m down with RTS but this game seems like a magnificent clusterfuck, created solely for the purpose of making me lose sleep at night. Not about to give up on it, but anyone with some pointers, give me a shout.
It’s finally happening, Batfans! The original 1966 Bill Dozier Batman series has finally been given a street date for later this year, some time in November, and I couldn’t be more stoked. This is the missing piece of Bat-film that most collectors, myself included, have been dying to get their hands on. For those of you not in the know, the show has been in syndication quite a bit over the past 50 years but never released, officially, on home video due to some issues with the rights to the show. Last year, when all that cleared up, the action figures started getting released, and now we’re finally getting into the real meat and potatoes. I’ve never seen the entire series in all its cheesiness but you bet your ass I’ll have this thing when it hits the street.
Another week down. What does the future hold? Who the fuck knows. Keep reading and I’ll keep writing, until next time!