2011 NFL Season Week 1 Predictions

I pleased to present my 2011 week 1 predictions. I began doing this last week, and I felt performing this exercise enhanced my knowledge of the game.

Welcome to the week where nobody knows nothing about nothing. We don't know who will surprise us, and who will disappoint us. We don't know the great developing stories just yet. At the risk of quoting my brother's buddy Sara Bareilles, it's all uncharted. I'm going down. Follow if you want. I'm all out of foolproof ideas, so don't ask me how to get started. It's all uncharted.

Incidentally, I think she wrote that song for my brother. They used to pal around together when they both worked at the Lazy Daisy in Santa Monica. He's been bugging her to take his band out tour with her ever since she made it.

There appear to be a lot of close match ups on this initial weekend, and not many easy calls.

Everyone is looking at the kickoff special: Packers v Saints. The Packers have the home field advantage, and the greater continuity. I take the Packers. The Saints have more than a puncher's chance to win, but I'll bet on the Packers.

I take the Ravens over the Steelers based on home field advantage and Super Bowl hangover.

I take the Browns over the Bengals based on general superiority and home field.

I take the Texans over the Colts based on general superiority, a lack of Peyton Manning, and home field. If you guys loose this, just put a gun to your heads and blow 'dem brains out.

I take the visiting Lions over the Bucs, despite home field. Yes I am on the Lion band wagon. I believe the Lions have more weapons on offense, and a much more violent defense.

I am taking my Rams over the Eagles. I say we ambush them in my upset special of the week. I can hear you all saying "Only an absolute fucking fool of a homer would make that pick." I don't care. I'm picking my Rams.

I'm taking the visiting Falcons over the Bears. I don't believe the Bears are anywhere close to the Falcons in terms of power. The Falcons should overwhelm them.

Reluctantly, I am going to pick the Chiefs over the Bills. I have no confidence in either team, but the Chiefs do seem to have better talent.

Speaking of no confidence in either team, how about the Titans vs. Jaguars? Just got word today the Jags cut veteran QB and former starter David Garrard. I can't pick the Jags. I pick the Titans based on the notion that they have a veteran QB... for the first 10 minutes of clock time. I also like Locker over Gabbert, if it comes down to that.

I am going to take the visiting Giants over the Redskins. I believe the plucky Redskins will make this entertaining, but the Giants have an overwhelming advantage in talent. This is a very talented Giant squad. I can't see them losing in this one.

Now we come to one of the worst games on the board: Seahawks v 49ers. This is going to be ugly folks, but I am going to take the 49ers based on marginally better talent.

Reluctantly, I taking the Chargers over the Vikings. The Vikings have absolutely pure dogshit in their defensive backfield. I think Philip Rivers is going to have a field day. I can't see the Vikings outscoring the Chargers in a scoring fest.

Folks, I take the Cardinals over the Panthers by a knock-out. This is the only sure-fire blow-out on the board. If the Cards don't beat the Panthers by 25 points, they should hang their heads. They have every advantage in this game.

I'm taking the Jets over the Cowboys, based on home field and general superiority. I would really hate to be Tony Romo in this game. With an 80% new offensive line and a slew of Rex Ryan blitz schemes in your face, there is no telling how often or how hard you might get hit.

I'm not going to pick the Dolphins until Coach Sparano convinces me he still controls his locker room. As you know, Dolphin owner Stephen Ross perpetrated the biggest fiasco of the off-season when he went around shopping for a new head coach, courted every big name, and got turned down by everybody. He then turned back to Sparrano and said "You're the man." He robbed his head coach of the fundamental respect he needs to function as head coach with that one. BAD! Very BAD!

And now we come to the absolute worst match up on the board: Broncos vs. Raiders. I am not going to watch this raw-red bloody abortion of a game. Still, I am going to take the Broncos over the Raiders as they are a little less lousy than those filthy, stinkin', wretched, disgusting, detestable, abject, foul, nasty, dirty, motley, bleeding, stenchin' Raiders.

Just remember it's all uncharted as of Week 1

203.2... and 12.21 miles before breakfast

The Tanita score this morning was 203.2, meaning the Bod Pod would have me at 202.35. This is a new low.

That was the score before 30 minutes, 374 kcal, and 10.1 miles on the bike. It was also before the 22 minutes, 2.21 miles, and 366 kcal on the elliptical motion machine. I did all that before breakfast. I bet you can't tally 12.21 kcal before breakfast. And I am on a heavy-duty calorie restriction diet also.

Something strange seems to be happening to me. I seem to be transforming into Superman and nothing can stop the process.

I hammered a ROM full cycle in less than 20 minutes yesterday morning. I worked far too long on my 2011 NFL predictions, and was way too sedentary during that time. After finishing that piece, I was full of the lethargy and fatigue that comes with inactivity. If you are on a calorie restricted diet, your body will take any opportunity afforded to shut down the any unnecessary expenditure and conserve energy. This is why you have to constantly ratchet your metabolism up through exercise.

I felt a little too weak to do both weights training and aerobic training, so decided to lift. I have prioritized lean muscle over fat loss in these past cycles. The workout at my local 24 Hour fitness was very successful. I increased my weight and my reps on nearly everything.

Afterward, I downed my second Pure Pro 50 of the day. By that point, I had consumed 180 grams of protein for the day. I had 30 grams in a Big 100 bar as well. This is (by far) the largest protein total I have consumed since having roux en Y gastric bypass. I felt this was too much protein, but you just can't skip the protein after weight training. You waste your workout that way.

The funny thing was this: Less than 30 minutes later, I was at loose ends, burning up with energy. I knew I wasn't finished for the night. I decided I would at least do a Sauna at 24 Hour Fitness in Thousand Oaks.

I did a hell of a lot more than that. I did 12 minutes of initial warm up on the tread mill, because a lame dude was wasting time on my Olympic rower. I did 12 minutes on the Olympic rower, and I went hard. This was after a full weight lifting regime that included rows and pull downs. I went back to the tread mill and did 10 minutes at higher speed, finishing at 4.1 miles per hour and a level 8 incline. I jumped on the bike and did 15 minutes, burning 220 kcal. I jumped back on the Olympic rower and did 5 more minutes.

It was around that time I noticed a very young, blond, Pisces-looking girl shadowing me around the gym. She positioned herself on the Elliptical machine just in front and too the left of my rower. Of course, this gave me an excellent rear view. This was her third move to position herself near-by me. Co-inky-dink? I think not.

I wouldn't put her a day over 21. She was allowing her custom-cut-up sweat top to droop over her shoulder, exposing her sports bra suggestively. That was no happen-chance accident. That was orchestrated.

Despite strong distractions, when all was said and done, I hammered 54 minutes of constant aerobic activity burning 688.5 kcal. I didn't take time to rest between these exercises. I went straight from one station to the next.

I wasn't precisely exhausted either. I felt I could do more. That was when I started to realize that I was transforming into Superman. Such a workout would put most 45 year old guys under ground. I wasn't really tired.

I hit 11 minutes in the steam sauna, and realized I still had some nervous energy left. I decided 20 minutes of laps in the pool would be the best thing. I proceeded to practice my backstroke.

Somewhere around minute 12 or 13, I noticed that the 21 year old blond Pisces had returned. She was at poolside. She was sitting on a stool, to the right of me, text-messaging. This was night-time folks. It was around 10:00pm. There was nobody there but us chickens. I felt this was unusual behavior on the part of young lady... unless she's interested.

I decided it wouldn't be wise to break the workout to talk to her. Too forward. Finish the workout, then see if you can have a word. I kept swimming. She got tired of waiting after about 5 or six minutes, and started walking around the pool a bit. That was when I knew she was trying to get me to notice her.

I kept going. I was going to finish. She got tired of waiting and went into the hot sauna. Perfect, I thought. That's where I am headed next. We spent about 11 minutes in the sauna together. she was listening to Pandora music on her smart phone. He had about 6 minute conversation about Pandora. She was pretty shy in conversation. She took off after that. I finished my sauna.

Piscean women are usually shy and retreating, and fearful of rejection. There are exceptionally aggressive and assertive specimens, but they are few and far between. Most Pisces girls are not like Rihanna. That was a first brush. It will be interesting to see what happens the next time we bump into each other at the gym.

She'll be surprised when she finds out how old I am.

However, this is another indication that I seem to be transforming into Superman. I'm still around 27% body fat. I am going to be absolutely fucking deadly when I reach 10-12% body fat. I'm not joking either. I'm a little scared of the prospects.

I am going to keep my protein consumption level at around a 150 grams per day from here on out to the finish line. I think this doing me a world of good.

Lee Roy Selmon has died

Somber days.

I just read a few moments ago that Lee Roy Selmon passed away yesterday, Sunday 9/4/2011. He suffered a massive stroke Friday, and initial reports indicated that he had died. These reports turned out to be false, but only in the short run. The diagnosis was terrible. The medical reports indicated that he had a large blood clot logged in his heart. This is almost always fatal, and one of the most immediate and difficult health threats to correct.

I suspected this might be the end, but we all hoped for the best. He was a personal hero of mine. He was one of the good guys as well a Hall of Fame defensive end.

2011 NFL Preseason Prediction

So, after seeing most of preseason games on the NFL Network, CBS and Fox, I feel as confident as I ever will about issuing my preseason predictions. I hereby predict that the 2011-2012 NFL Playoff picture will look like this

NFC Tournament

1. Packers 13-3
2. Falcons 12-4
3. Eagles 11-5
4. Rams 8-8
5. Saints 11-5
6. Lions 10-6

AFC Tournament

1. Ravens 13-3
2. Jets 12-4
3. Texans 11-5
4. Chargers 8-8
5. Patriots 11-5
6. Colts 10-6

NFC North

The defending world champion Packers are the prohibitive favorite to repeat as the NFC North champ. They also prohibitive favorites to repeat as world champs. Most of us see the Packers the same way. This team is straight-up loaded to the gills. If they can win the Super Bowl in year as ravaged by injury and adversity as last season, what in the world will stop them this year? This is the best bet to repeat since the 1992-1993 Dallas Cowboys.

The Bears made some major mistakes in the draft and in free agency. They did nothing much to repair their dreadful offensive line. They did nothing to equip their QB with weapons. The Bears have a nasty historical tendency to be good one year and down the next. All of this adds up to the conclusion that the Bears will barely factor in the NFC North.

The Vikings may be a bit better with Donovan McNab at the helm, but I don't expect a full return to respectability. I expect them to be competitive, not dreadful, and finish 9-7.

This brings us to the Lions. Rich Eisen says the Fire Marshall has ordered people off the bandwagon due to overcrowding and safety issues. The Lions are everybody's preseason darlings. It's about time. This is a long-suffering fan base who have waited, and waited... This team is loaded everywhere except the Secondary and the OL positions. Those are both critical weaknesses. Nevertheless, I expect the Lions to do very well. I predict a 10-6 record a #6 seed in the NFC tournament.

NFC East

We've heard a lot about the Eagles being the NFL's equivalent of the Miami Heat Dream-Team, and there is some merit in these comments. I think Eagles have to be favored to win the division at this point. This does not mean they will ultimately win the division, but I do believe you have to make them the preseason favorites.

I am not particularly strong on the Eagles. I do not believe they are a legit Super Bowl contender. I do not believe they match up well with the Packers, Falcons, or Saints. I think any of those three teams can knock them out of the NFC bracket in the tournament. If Eagles get there, they going to have to run one hell of a gauntlet to get there. I don't think they can do it. They just aren't that physical a football team.

This brings us to the New York Giants. The Giants are the leading candidates to upset the Eagle tea-party. However, they suffered several major set-backs in preseason: 3 major injuries including both their #1 and #2 picks. It sucks to be a Giant fan right now. A team that was certainly competitive now has some doubts. The Giants also have some issues surrounding changes on their OL, but so far that unit is looking pretty good. I predict the Giants will be 10-6 but lose the 6th seed to the Lions based on tie-breakers.

I believe that the Cowboys are rebuilding and not redecorating by moving the furniture around. Their changes on the offensive line have been profound, with 80% of their starters changing. Ultimately, the Cowboys won't be a highly competitive team this year.

This brings us to the subject of the Redskins. Before preseason began, I believed the Redskins were the most talent-less and dysfunctional organization in football. I made them my prohibitive favorites to win the Andrew Luck Bowl. I remember scoffing when I heard Joe Theisman denying this assertion on NFL Total Access. "He's a loyal hommer. Can't blame him for being blind to the facts", I though.

Well shut my mouth and call me a fool. The Redskins have been shockingly competitive in preseason, whupping the Steelers and coming within a hair's breath of beating the Ravens. That Raven game was the most entertaining dandy of the 2011 preseason. The Skins may lack a mountain of talent, but Mike Shanahan has gotten these dogs to get up on their hind legs and fight like pitbulls. That is some serious coaching! If he can get this motley crew to go 7-9 or 8-8, his genius as a coach will be re-confirmed and he will get my vote as NFL coach of the year.

NFC South

Welcome to the toughest and nastiest division in professional football. This is the division where 3 of the 4 residents are all talented contenders. Two of your top 3 prospects for the Super Bowl dwell here.

Last year the Falcons earned the #1 seed in the NFC, and they have gotten better. The big problem is that they have gotten better on offense and not defense. Many consider the Falcon defense a bit suspect and the Achilles heal of the football team. The Falcons obviously disagreed. They traded their entire draft for Julio Jones so they could assemble a trifecta of brilliant pass-catchers for QB Matt Ryan: Tony Gonzales, Roddy White and Julio Jones. Obviously, the Falcons believed they need more explosive offense, not more dominant defense.

We shall see if their hypothesis was correct. It shall be put to the test. Right now, I consider them a good bet to repeat as NFC South camp.

The Saints are a particular favorite of mine. I like these guys quite a bit, but I don't like the loss of Reggie Bush. Reggie was the Swiss Army knife that allowed this offense to be explosive. He also delivered on the special teams. I think this loss is going to hurt more than they think.

I love the acquisition of Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram. He was one of my favorite kids in the the 2011 draft. I wanted the Rams to take him, and I drafted him for my fantasy team. I would not have done that if I wasn't expecting good things from him. However, he is not a one-for-one drop-in replacement part for Reggie Bush. These are two different guys who do two different things. They are as different as Marshall Faulk was from Emitt Smith.

There is another factor to consider. When the Saints won the Super Bowl they featured a 3-4 defense with Darrin Sharper ball-hawking in the defensive backfield. Now they have a 4-3 defense without Sharper. Right now the defense is looking bigger, meaner, more physical and dominant than ever. We shall see if this holds true in the regular season. However, this is a big, big change. Don't over look the magnitude of this change.

I am very bullish on the Buc. I think they are loaded on offense. I think they have a clutch QB and three good receivers, a power runner, and a bunch of big offensive linemen. I believe they successfully completed a dominant defensive line in the 2011 draft.

If the Bucs were in the AFC or NFC West, they would have to be the favorites to win those divisions. Unfortunately, they are in the biggest, baddest, toughest division in the NFL. The Bucs biggest problem is the twin 800 pound gorillas sitting on top of them. This going to be a serious issue for them.

Given the power of the Lions and the Giants, I find it very difficult to pick the Bucs as the 6th seed in the tournament. It could happen, but both the Lions and the Giants would have to stumble. I don't see that happening. One might, but the other won't.

This brings up Carolina. Forget about it! You fucked up big-time in the draft. You just might win the Andrew Luck Bowl. You got three Godzillas in your division just waiting drop down on your head and go caca-doodle-do.

NFC West

As I have said before, I see the NFC West as a two-horse race between the Rams and the Cardinals.

Many experts have anointed my Rams as the class of the NFC West. We appreciate this, but it is not a done-deal just yet. My 2011 Rams feature a greatly-improved offensive line that was manhandling and abusing enemy defensive lines this preseason. Who knew Harvey Dahl could make such a big difference? We also have a greatly improved defensive line that features our #1 pick Robert Hall, and free-agent acquisition Justin Bannan. This is reason to celebrate. The game is won and lost in the trenches.

Over on the negative side of the fence, our receiver corp is no longer the worst in football... hopefully... but it still far from the best. We still lack big-time play makers and game changers. This will place a hard-cap on what we can do this season. We will find it difficult to upset superior opponents without game-breakers on offense.

We also have a vastly more difficult schedule than last year, but not as difficult as some presume. The NFC South was no cake-walk last season. Neither was the NFC North. Overall, if we can improve our record by 1 game, it will be a pretty good year.

I expect the Cardinals to be resurgent in 2011. Their first unit looked like dynamite against the Chargers in preseason. It looks to me like they are getting what they wanted out of the Kevin Kobb trade. He is hitting Larry Fitzgerald in the great-wide-open with intermediate and long passes. That is what they need offensively. Further, Beanie Wells is starting to show up strong on the radar. It's about time. I once picked him as my rookie of the year. Finally, Patrick Peterson is looking like an impact rookie. Did you see him jump that route and intercept Philip Rivers for a Pick-6? Rivers was pissed. Peterson is an exciting, exciting rookie.

It is going to be a very interesting and asymmetrical battle between the Rams and the Cardinals for the title.

What about the Seahawks? Forget about it! Stick a fork in it, their done. They let their franchise QB go, and they have nothing in hand to replace him. Do you remember Herm Edwards' Law? I am subtracting 4 victories from their 2010 record for the lack of a franchise QB. This puts the Seahawks at 3-13, and near the top of the draft. They may be intentionally tanking this season so they can win the Andrew Luck Bowl.

What about the 49ers? If you want to know who is at or near the top of my hot list for who was the most screwed by the lockout, the 49ers would probably be #2. The 49ers did play a bit better than I expected during this preseason, but this is a hard-pressed franchise right now. They are in the midst of a full-flush and clean of the coaching staff, a conversion to the West Coast Offense, Quarterback transition, and a deeply worn-out franchise running back. The defense lost it's heart and soul when Mike Singletary was fired. Call it 3-13 folks.

AFC North

The Ravens are my prohibitive favorite to win the AFC, not just the AFC North. I think it is Packers v Ravens in Super Bowl 46. I love the architecture of this team. I love their offense. I love their defense. I love their special teams. I love their head coach. They got one of the greatest GMs in the league, and he is a home-grown guy, raised inside the organization.

Throughout much of last year, the Ravens looked like the most powerful team in the NFL. They sputtered a bit down the stretch, ending with another disappointing loss to the Steelers. I don't think this will happen again this year.

Joe Flacco is seen as the key man by nearly everyone. This team will go as far as their QB's performance will allow them to go. Many site a lack of success in the final 2 minutes of clutch games as being Joe Flacco' s key weakness. They compare that to Ben Roethlisberger's tremendous success in the final 2 minutes of clutch games, and they bet against the Ravens.

Give Flacco a little chance here. He's one of the most over-criticized men in the league. I think he's going to do it. Some call him a front-runner, but I think he can front-run through the entire AFC this year.

Regarding the Steelers, I am going to stick with the statistical and historical tables that firmly teach us that the team that loses the Super Bowl does not make the playoffs the next year. Accordingly, the Steelers will not make the playoffs in 2011.

Steeler nation will complain bitterly that the Steelers are better organization than that, and they are showing new signs of explosive offense. I don't care. I am sticking with the probability tables, no matter what. I would remind you that the last time you won the Super Bowl, you did not make the playoffs the next year. Now you have to face the post-loss depression.

The Browns are rising football team, and the most likely to upset my playoff picture. I would make them my #7 seed and the first team to play their way in if somebody else should stumble. Mike Holmgren is turning that franchise around, but it might take one more year to reach the playoffs. They are looking dramatically better, though.

What about the Bengals? Forget about! This is a heavy rebuilding year. Stick a fork in, their done. Call it 3-13.

AFC East

I know you... I know what you are thinking! You are think the Patriots, the 8 time defending ESPN champions, will win the Super Bowl for a 9th straight season. Aren't you thinking that? I know you are.

Get off drugs! The Assemblies of God run a good detox program called Teen Challenge. It will help you to sober up.

In case you were wondering I am not a believer in the Patriot theory. The Patriots got to 14-2 last season through scheme, smoke and mirrors, and plain-old luck. How lucky they were to face the Packers without Aaron Rodgers? They almost lost that game anyhow. I was one of the few guys not surprised by their quick exit from the playoffs. One and done, bitch.

The fact of the matter was that the Patriots were a 10-6 class football team that somehow made it to 14-2 by a fluke. That was the flukiest outcome since the Rams went 13-3 in 2003. In case you didn't get the memo, the Patriot dynasty officially ended in 2007. That was it. That was all she wrote. Over and done with. No more Patriot dynasty, Buber.

They are a little bit better this year, but their arch-nemesis is also better this year... I think. The Patriots are still nothing to write home about in 2011. They will not be a major factor in the Super Bowl 46 picture. I think they get the 5th seed and lose in the first round to the #2 seed... which would be the Jets again.

This brings us to those frickin' Jets. I did not like some of their moves in this off-season, but the overall picture is improved. I didn't think Plaxico would do well in this environment, but so far so good. I think all systems are go for them to win their first Easter Division Title in quite some time.

What about the Dolphins and Bills? What about them? They are cannon fodder. Stick a fork in 'em, they are done.

AFC South

The AFC South is the most difficult call on the entire scoreboard. The Colts are great organization, but I see them on the cusp of a down-turn. Manning is recovering from neck surgery, and may miss the beginning of the season. If he does, they will lose every game they play without him, I assure you of that.

Furthermore, I don't like the Colts offensive and defensive lines this year. I done saw them get blowed out too many times in preseason to believe this group is ready for trench-warfare in 2011. I think both line units are suspect. That is a very untoward and foreboding sign of problems in the near future. I don't expect great things from the Colts in 2011.

Furthermore, I suspect Jim Tressell has been brought in as an heir-apparent waiting in the wings should Jim Caldwell lose favor due to adversity. I think Bill Polian has his backup plan in his hip pocket right now.

This brings us to the Texans, the heir apparent waiting in the wings. Folks, I love what I saw from their defense in this preseason. Wade Phillips is working some major-league magic in reviving this unit. He's doing it again, I am convinced of it.

Just sit back and imagine what this high-powered Texan offense will do if they have a #12 ranked defensive unit to make their scores stand up? Dude! They could do so much more! If the defense can terminate just 7 possessions a game without a score, the Texans should win a lot of games. Right now, I think they can go 11-5, and I think that might be enough to defeat a diminished Colt team.

What about the Jags and the Titans? I don't have much confidence in either. Both are going to be breaking in rookie QBs. The Titans are going through a full-scale rebuild right now. I expect both to finish low.

AFC West

Regrettably, we must now discuss the worst division in professional football, the AFC West. Regrettably, I must select the Chargers.

I want it to be understood that I have absolutely no faith or confidence in the Chargers. I mean zip, zero, ziltch, nil, nada, nothing in the way of confidence in the Chargers. I think they are dead meat in the playoffs. They will exit quietly with their tails between their legs, one and done.

Still, I have to pick them because there is nobody else to pick in the AFC West. I have looked at the other three teams and I see absolute dog shit piled on top of dog shit. I see a Chief team that looked plain terrible in preseason. They have regressed mightily. I see a Denver team that is still in the Titanic mess that Josh McDaniels put them in. It will take them a couple of years to dig out of this mess.

And then we have the Raiders. This is truly the most dysfunctional organization in professional football. I thought that might be the Redskins, but they are proving me wrong. Al Davis is in the 7th stage of dementia due to advancing Alzheimer's disease, and he won't take his hands of the wheel of the ship.

I am convinced that this team will continue to founder and crash on the rocks until the day Al gives up the ghost.

In the preseason, the Raiders looked absolutely terrible. They were worse than even the Kansas City Chiefs. The Raiders are the prohibitive favorite to win the Andrew Luck Bowl. This is probably the worst team in professional football. I think the Raiders finish 1-15 or 2-12.

Poor Andrew! I'm hurting for you kid, but take hope: Knowing, Al, he just might trade your pick to get a couple of unknown track stars.

Lee Roy Selmon

It was with great dismay that I heard Lee Roy Selmon suffered a massive stroke. Initial reports last night stated that Selmon had died, but this is not the case. He was in 'extremely critical' condition at St. Joseph's hospital in St. Petersburgh Florida. The television report indicated that he had a blood clot lodged in his heart.

Incidentally, a blood clot in the heart was the malady that killed former Chief defensive end (and Hall of Famer) Derrick Thomas.

This is is hard news. The NFL Network is reporting that his condition is now stable and improving, so there is some reason to wipe the sweat off your brow.

As kid growing up and playing on defensive line in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Lee Roy was one of the iconic role models I looked up too. I wore number 63 in those days. I wore that number because I thought it was great number, regardless of what side of the field you played on. On the offensive side of the ball, Gene Upshaw wore that number. On the defensive side of the field, Lee Roy Selmon wore that number. I was aware of other greats like Ernie Holmes and Willie Lanier. I wanted to be like those guys.

We were all particularly awestruck by Lee Roy, though. He was a defensive force as a 5-technique defensive end in a 3 man line. There weren't many ends who could make that claim. In fact, there really weren't any other ends in a 3 man line that could make that claim until Howie Long came along. Recently, only Richard Seymour could stake such a claim.

Everyone always wondered what Lee Roy might do if he played in a 4 man line. We all thought it would be pretty spectacular.

Usually a 5 technique end is a 350 pound space eater. He doesn't need to be particularly athletic, or active. He just needs to eat space and be stout at the point of attack. If he is that much, the linebackers will be able to run around and flow freely to point of attack. The 3-4 is all about destroying an offensive unit with your linebackers.

Selmon was not a 350 space eater. He was a roving destroyer who got the point of attack quickly and smashed the ball-carrier. He did pretty well in the sack-department also, scoring 78 sacks in just 8 years. It's not easy to tally about 10 sacks a year in a 3 man line. None of the Steeler or Packer linemen can do that today.

After being inducted into the Hall of Fame, Lee Roy became a fairly significant Restaurant owner, with his chain being voted one of the 10 sports bars in the country back in 2009. He was into food, as am I.

We all hope he will make a full recovery, but the truth is this doesn't look good. He may recover, but with a terrible stroke as this, side effects, brain damage, and physical impairments are typical. This would be a dreadful thing.

Lee Roy is only 56 years old, and won't turn 57 for more than a month and a half. He's certainly too young to go, and he has a lot going for him. If he should pass away, this will be an object lesson on how premature death strikes former NFL linemen.

We all wish him the best and pray for a full recovery.

Bod Pod IX... Meh!

The results of the Birthday Bod Pod are in, and in the famous words of Tedy Bruschi, that ain't what were looking for. That is probably a Bellichick saying.

The findings of the study are these:

• My scale weight was 203.734, down from 209.340,
• This is a loss of 5.606 gross pounds
• I now have 55.912 pounds of body fat, down from 62.414
• This is a loss of 6.502 pounds of fat.
• I know have 147.821 pounds of lean weight, up from 146.926 last time
• This is scarcely 0.895 of one pound increase of lean. I guess that beats a poke in the eye.
• My body fat percentage is now 27.4%, down from 29.8% last time.
• This is a 2.4% reduction in Body Fat Percentage, matching my BFP drop last time
• My body volume is now 89.135 liters, down from 92.042 liters last time.
• This is a decrease of 2.907 liters of body volume.

I guess anytime you increase you lean and decrease your fat, it's a pretty good week. The BFP reduction is equal to the one during the previous cycle. Still, I can't help but think it is a mediocre, mediocre, mediocre showing. I have done better before. I was hoping for my best cycle ever. This did not happen.

I should balance that sentiment out by meditating on the look of awe displayed on the Bod Pod operators' faces when they see my progress charts. I must admit that the purple trend line on the BFP chart is as constant as the Northern Star. It just keeps going down and down and down and down on a straight trajectory.

They openly say they wish they owned a trend line that looks like mine.

Still the pronounced saw-tooth pattern on my lean-weight is a spoiler and a bitch. I need to get my lean up to 160, post-haste. I am announcing a new plan to start training with my linebacker buddy as soon as possible. The lean has got to increase.

The cumulative totals the Bod Pod history show are impressive. In just 16 weeks:

• I have Reduced my BFP from 44.1 % to 27.4%
• My lean percentage has gone from 55.9% to 72.6%
• I have altered my body composition 16.7%.
• Cut my body fat weight from 114.090 down to 55.912 pounds
• That is a loss of 58.178 pounds of fat.
• I have cut 51% of my fat weight in 16 weeks.
• I still maintain a net positive 3.261 pounds of lean weight.
• My body volume has diminished from 117.111 liters to 89.135 liters.
• My body volume has dropped 27.976 liters. Think of 28 x 1 liter bottles of Pepsi vanishing from under my skin.

At the same time, we have the sobering fact that I remain in the high risk category. Anyone carrying more than 25% body fat is considered to be at high risk for obesity related health problems. As far as I've come in all this time, I'm still not out of the woods just yet.

Just how far do I have to go get out of the woods? The Bod Pod will change my check mark for the first time when I go under 25%. Unless I do better on this next cycle, it won't happen on September 16th. If I nail the same 2.4%, I will be sitting right on the 25% mark. They will still check the high risk box in that case. Even if I should score a -2.5% BFP reduction, the check box will only indicate moderate risk.

I won't get into the healthy category until I reach 19.99%. How far away is that? At present speed, it will happen in 6 weeks. This is presuming 6.5 pounds of loss each cycle, and no change in lean. In other words, a sub-average performance. This means it should show up on the October 14th Bod Pod. At that time, my body weight should be 184.233 pounds. I should have no more than 36.412 pounds of fat on my frame. Presuming a constant lean, I would have 147.821 pounds of lean mass.

There are better and happier scenarios, but let's not bank on it.

The fact is that my GP and Dr. Quilici have settled on the figure of 17-18% BFP as their ultimate target for my good health. When will that happen? 8 weeks from today is the earliest we should expect to see such a figure. It should show up on the October 28 Bod Pod.

204.8

I'm trying to make my first ever blog entry from my Verizon Android Thunderbolt. It ain't easy. It is a good time killer, as I am a prisoner at the DMV, waiting for my butcher's number to come up.

204.8 was the score this morning. This means I would be 203.95 on the Bod Pod. Less than 24 hours to go and I turn 45, and it will be time for the very important Bod Pod VIII. Let's hope it's great. At the moment, I have lost only 4.54 pounds of scale weight in this 2 week cycle. We also know that the name of the game is lean weight and Body Fat Percentage.

I am hoping for a 3% reduction in Body Fat Percentage this time.