I need to take a moment and discuss something with everyone. Those who personally know me know how much I love sports, particularly certain areas of them. An example of this is hockey, where I admittedly enjoy the grinders, fights, and physical play. But an event last night went too far over a line that separates sport from jailhouse brutality. For anyone who did not watch the Bruins-Penguins game or a highlight of it, an incident occurred during a play that had been blown to a stop. Bruins skater Shawn Thornton, still upset at a hit by Brooks Orpik on another Bruins skater, skated toward a cluster of Penguins, tripped Brooks Orpik (who was not aware of Thornton), and once Orpik had fallen, punched him twice in the face. Orpik was sent to a local hospital, but is expected to miss some time with a severe concussion. Thornton has a disciplinary hearing, but his actions can’t be undone. The point is, there is a line we all have where a love of sports can go too far. Liking hard hits in a game that are part of the game is perfectly fine. But when a player is at risk of severe injury during something that is not directly related to the in-game action, a love of sports has gone too far. So next time you think of pegging the remote through the TV or charging your neighbor who is wearing the rival’s colors, cool down and remember that in the end, sports will change by next year, but your actions won’t.

My week was a solid 10-6 last week, and the timing allowed me to talk about food in some of my introductions. That is the definition of a successful Thanksgiving season! 112-79 is where I am at in regards to my record and yes, that is two games out of second-to-last place. It’s been a good run, but things are coming to an end, and any chances of salvaging my season are pretty small. So here are my picks:

Houston over Jacksonville

Cincinnati over Indianapolis

Atlanta over Green Bay

New England over Cleveland

New York Jets over Oakland

Philadelphia over Detroit

Miami over Pittsburgh

Tampa Bay over Buffalo

Kansas City over Washington

Baltimore over Minnesota

Denver over Tennessee

St. Louis over Arizona

New York Giants over San Diego

San Francisco over Seattle

Carolina over New Orleans

Dallas over Chicago

I hope everyone enjoys what is left of their weekend, and has a wonderful Sunday! If you live in colder areas, be careful on the roads as winter storms roll through!

God Bless!

– Dan