I’m sure that all of you know that Tom Brady is out for the season after tearing his ACL during the Patriots’ game against the Chiefs on Sunday. It’s a huge blow to the Patriots organization and all of the fans in New England. With Tom Brady out, the entire AFC landscape has been altered. And the AFC East is wide open.

The football analysts are going crazy with this one. So what I want to know is this: With Tom Brady out, who’s going to win the AFC East?

(Don’t forget to cast your vote in the poll!)

My argument is this:
You might call me a “homer” for this, but I am going with the Buffalo Bills. Their win against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday was not only impressive, it also showcased an incredibly well-rounded team that has the ability to not only win it’s division but also finally make the playoffs after an eight-year drought.

The Buffalo Bills have a more solid team than any other contender in the AFC East. Sure, the Patriots are still a strong team. But with out Tom Brady they are a mere shadow of the offensive juggernaut that they were last season. Matt Cassell performed well but he was hardly pressured on defense. I can’t wait to see what he does against a Bills defensive line that caused five sacks, blitzed 16 times, and caused a number of hurried throws against the Seahawks.

The Bills’ special teams unit scored twice and is capable of providing a spark against any opponent. As for offense, Marshawn Lynch is a solid and productive running back. Lee Evans has proven that he can catch the deep ball and score touchdowns. And Trent Edwards, while still improving, has shown the ability to make smart decisions under pressure.

It’s because of those keys that I think, out of the four teams in the AFC East, the Buffalo Bills have the best shot at winning the division. And that’s my argument. If you choose to leave a comment below, please be respectful.

The results of the Matthew Mitcham poll are in! The question was: Should NBC have mentioned that Olympic diver Matthew Mitcham was gay? The majority of you think that, yes, it was significant.

For previous editions of For Argument’s Sake, go here.

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Post from: EveryJoe

With Tom Brady Out, Who’s Going To Win The AFC East?

Aaron Rodgers

If the whole thing goes the way I think it’s going to go with Brett Favre
(he’ll be traded even though he arrive in Green Bay last night with his wife Deanna) then Rodgers just might have a breakout season. He’s been the study of Favre and a clipboard holder for a few seasons now so he’s definitely got the apprentice thing down. Now it’s more of a matter of putting it into action. He has a very talented and young team that was only an interception away from the Superbowl last season. He’s got a great running back in Grant and a extremely efficient wide receiver in Donald Driver. I think Rodgers also has something to prove and after all of this time, he’s determined to show everyone what he can do.

Jason Campbell

Peter King of SI said that “Campbell looked terrific, accurate and sure of himself” when he was reporting from the Washington Redskins camp. He was impressive at the end of last season and left me (and his coaches) remarking about his potential. With some definite weapons in the form of a few rookie receivers, I think Campbell could most certainly have a breakout season.

Trent Edwards

After filling in for a less than impressive JP Lossman (who, after how many years, still hasn’t lived up to his so-called potential) Trent Edwards gave the Buffalo Bills a much needed light at the end of the tunnel. He was named the starter halfway through the Bills season last year and will reprise that role again this season. As a Bills fan and resident of Buffalo, I have two words — Thank God. I’m so ready for a change. Now that we have Marshawn Lynch, who should have another productive season if he stays out of trouble, a solid defense, and decent wide receivers I think that the Bills are poised to be the surprise team this season. If Edwards can capitalize on his performance last season, I think he’ll be able to turn a few heads.

So those are my picks. Which quarterback do you think is going to have a breakout season?

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Post from: EveryJoe

Which Quarterback Will Have A Breakout Season?

First off, I have to take a moment to pay my respects to Tim Russert who passed away on Friday, June 13. Tim was from Buffalo, as am I, and he’s been a permanent supporter of the Buffalo area. He is beloved and revered, and everyone here at home feels as though we have lost a member of our family. God bless Tim and the rest of his family.

Now on to sports.

The NBA Finals

First off, let’s talk about the NBA Finals game last night. The Celtics basically lost that game. The Lakers did not win it, they were not impressive in closing it out and they shouldn’t feel any more confident about their play going into Game Six. I know this because I watched (and blogged) the entire game last night. And even though the Celtics had to make a comeback once again (can’t they just start off the game playing the way they finish?) they were in control of that game for three quarters. The turning point was Kobe’s “big steal,” which is up for debate.

I called it last night and said that it should have been a reach-in … but it wasn’t. Kobe went on to dunk the ball with such vigor that the crowd finally showed some life after falling asleep at some point through the second quarter of play. I’m sorry but Kobe should not feel as though he was the savior here. He played mediocre and I’m kinda of tired of all the MJ comparisons at this point. He’s not MJ. He didn’t take over the game and he didn’t want the ball in his hands at the end of the game either. Would MJ have passed off to Pau Gasol in the lane when the game was on the line? I doubt it. Regardless, I think the Celtics are going to wrap up this series back home in Boston on Tuesday night.

The U.S. Open

I’ll be honest, golf is about the last sports activity I tend to watch on television. But with the drama unfolding yesterday during the U.S. Open, how could I not watch?

I was wrong about Mickelson. He’s wasn’t even in the running for this one. Remember when I said that no analyst wanted to bet against Tiger, well now you know why. Even after knee surgery, he comes out and putts like he has a beacon hidden in his golf balls which leads them all directly into the hole. Did you see the putt he made on Saturday that practically curved like a half moon?? It was incredible!

He was behind the leader by one stroke and managed to send the Open to a one-on-one playoff round with a birdie on the 18th hole — 12 lonely feet from the cup. Now he and Rocco Mediate will play against one another today to decide the winner.

Man, talk about pressure. And I’m not talking about Woods here either. He never falters under pressure, he LOVES pressure situations, and he has proven it time and time again. I’m referring to Mediate. He busted his hump to turn in what is probably his best major performance to date and now he has to muster up a little more magic for one more round. I hadn’t even heard of Mediate before. Who has? He is the 158th ranked player in the world. His last victory was in 2002 at the Greater Greensboro Open. It’s like David vs. Goliath!

Like I said, I don’t usually tune in for golf. But I sure wish I was home watching golf today.

The WNBA

I thought I’d do a quick rundown of the current WNBA standings:

Eastern Conference
Connecticut
Detroit
New York
Indiana
Chicago
Washington
Atlanta

Western Conference
LA
Seattle
San Antonio
Minnesota
Sacramento
Phoenix
Houston

I don’t think it’s a big surprise to see the LA Sparks on top. With Candace Parker AND Lisa Leslie, they are a force to be reckoned with. The surprising bit is that Phoenix is second to last after winning the WNBA Championship last year. Diana Taurasi can’t do it all by herself!

NFL

Despite the Marshawn Lynch debacle, the Bills have something to be excited about. They could be the surprise team of the NFL 2008-2009 season. John Clayton breaks it down on ESPN.

The Dallas Cowboys took a chance on Pacman Jones … why do NFL players continually piss on their talent by acting like fools off the field (I’m including Lynch in these sentiments folks). My father thinks Jones won’t last the entire season. I give him three weeks tops.

That’s it for me — Comments? Class discussion? Anyone?

Post from: EveryJoe

Weekend Sports Update

yawn

I stayed up to watch the game because the Boston Celtics put on the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history. It was amazing to watch (and I was watching and blogging at the same time). I read on Yahoo! Sports this a.m. (a brilliant column by Dan Wetzel) that Paul Pierce came in the locker room at halftime and pretty much said to Doc Rivers, “Give me Kobe.” The rest, as they say, is history.

Pierce played a gutsy second half with aggressive defense on Kobe Bryant (who was so frustrated that he walked off the court with three seconds left in the game). He played so aggressively, in fact, that by the end of the game he could have collapsed in a pool of exhaustion. He showed more heart in the second half than the entire Lakers basketball team. And so the Celtics won. This coming Sunday, Father’s Day, I predict that they will win the series.

On to football.

This one is happening in my own backyard and I’ve been following the story quite closely since I work at the Buffalo News. It’s hard to avoid.

Marshawn Lynch was apparently involved in a hit and run incident a couple of weeks ago, only he’s been avoiding the police investigators like the plague. They know that he was in the car, and now they know that he was driving. Was he intoxicated? That is the question.

I was disappointed when this story broke because I was under the impression that Lynch was one of the “good guys.” But it’s now coming out that he’s been involved in numerous automobile incidents since he’s been in Buffalo and has not cooperated with the police on any of them. I know Lynch is a young guy, but he’s got to understand that he’s not above the law. And the Bills organization is handling this in the wrong way. Instead of saying, “Be a man, be responsible and go deal with this,” they are protecting him as if he has done nothing wrong.

As a result, subpoenas have been handed out to three other players. Buffalo Bills owner Ralph C. Wilson may also be required to appear before the grand jury next Friday to give a statement. This thing is turning into a tumbling snowball that just keeps on getting bigger.

Come on Lynch. Step up and be the “good guy” you want all of us to believe you are. Take some responsibility for your actions. You’ll earn our respect that way, not by scoring touchdowns.

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Post from: EveryJoe

Celtics Win; Lynch Dodging Hit And Run Charge