Author: georgefattell

NFL Playoffs Rd 2

Posted on by georgefattell

Saints vs. Cardinals: This should be quite a shoot out. I haven’t been all that impressed by the Saints defense this year and I do think the Cardinals will score at least 24 points. OTOH, as Green Bay demonstrated, Arizona has it’s own problems on defense and Drew Brees should be able to riddle the weak AZ secondary with both short and long passes. I think the Saints will score at least 30 points. Of course, the Superdome also gives the Saints another advantage. In the end I think New Orleans just has too much firepower for Arizona and will win a high scoring contest.

Colts vs. Ravens: A classic match-up here pitting a high octane pass oriented offense against a very aggressive defense that is usually capable of disrupting their opponents game plan.

Can’t say that I would be shocked if the Ravens pull off an upset in this game, but I don’t think they will. I have to pick Peyton Manning & Co. to win this game.

Vikings vs. Cowboys: Only a couple of weeks ago I thought the Vikings were the best bet to win the Super Bowl, but that changed as I came to the conclusion that the Cowboys are peaking right now and present a real threat to the Vikings. I think the Cowboys will upset and move on for a rematch with the Saints in New Orleans.

Chargers vs. Jets: The Jets have had a great season and they are a formidable team, especially on defense, but I just don’t think the Jets can score enough to win against the Chargers. This game is similar to the Colts and Ravens. High power offense against high power defense and in this case I think the high powered offense wins. Chargers QB Phillip Rivers and the tall Charger receivers pose a problem that Jets do not have a solution for. I think the Chargers will dispatch the over achieving Jets and move on to a Battle Royale against the Colts.

Las Vegas trip

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The Trump Intl and The Fashion Show mall

Paid a visit to Las Vegas this past weekend. Stayed at the Trump International Hotel and found the hotel quite accommodating. Only in Vegas could a Trump property seem understated and reserved. The hotel does not have a casino and I considered that a positive.

The ever evolving skyline of LV continues to be fascinating. I made a point of visiting the heralded new CityCenter and I must say I was impressed by the dramatic futuristic buildings of the complex.

2010 NFL Playoffs Rd 1

Posted on by georgefattell

Jets vs Bengals: I think the Bengals will win at home. I just can’t see the Jets going very far with their Rookie QB, Mark Sanchez. He may prove me wrong, but rookie QB’s usually don’t go that far inthe playoffs. I expect Cincy to turn up the D a few notches and force Sanchez into a few turnovers. Bengals should win.

Cowboys vs Eagles: Tough game to call, should much closer than last weeks game between these two, but I think Dallas is the hotter team and the home field gives them the advantage they need to beat the talented team from Philly. Cowboys win.

Patriots vs. Ravens: Another tough one. If the Pats still had Wes Welker I would feel comfortable picking them to win, but they don’t and that makes them vulnerable to the Ravens imo. Edelman looks like decent substitute for Welker, but WW cannot be totally replaced at this stage of the season. I think the Ravens will upset the Brady Bunch.

Cardinals vs Packers: The Pack is the better team right now imo and I expect them to defeat Arizona at home. Aaron Rodgers seems to peaking at the right time of the season and he is as valuable as any QB in the league right now.

UFC 108: Post event thoughts

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The card for UFC 108 looked pretty weak due to the fact that so many fights had to be cancelled within the last few months due to an inordinate string of injuries that forced fighters to pull out. However, a lot of credit should be given to the UFC for putting together what turned out to be decent card that featured some very competitive fights.

The main event, Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva, was a very interesting, hard fought contest. Evans won by decision, but he definitely had his hands full with Silva, who came close to knocking Evans out in the third round. I picked Silva to win based on his punching power. Evans, to his credit, used his wrestling ability to take down Silva numerous times in first two rounds and neutralize his striking.

Welterweight Paul Daley and Heavyweight Junior Dos Santos also distinguished themselves win devastating KO’s of their opponents, each in the first round.

Fantasy Football Finale

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This was my first year participating in my office’s Fantasy Football League and my team actually won the whole thing today! My team, the Warthogs, came in 1st place overall in a 10 team league, which I can honestly say is a performance that exceeded my expectations. Going into the season I was hopeful that I would have a respectable performance and possibly take 2nd or 3rd. It was a long 17 weeks and it wasn’t easy. I’ve never studied so many scouting, injury and weather reports during a football season. I also had a some luck. It was fortunate that none of my players were injured and very rarely did I select players that were shut out during the week(s) that I had them.

A trip to Vegas during the playoffs maybe in order so I can put my football prognosticating ability to the ultimate test.

Visit to West Palm Beach

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West Palm Beach
I spent my Christmas vacation in West Palm Beach, FL visiting relatives and had a great time. The Palm Beach area has a well deserved reputation for beauty and tranquility. I stayed near the City Place mall complex in WPB and found that an excellent location from which explore the downtown sections of WPB, as well as Palm Beach itself.

High Performance Electric and Hybrid Cars

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The Audi E-Tron
I have been very impressed recently by the progress that is being made in the development of high performance electric cars and hybrids. There were quite a few of these cars on display a few weeks ago at the 2009 L.A. Auto Show, where I had a chance to see some of them in person. Some, such as the Audi E-Tron and the Fisker Karma, were truly striking. What is also exciting is that some of these vehicles will be hitting the streets soon. The Karma will go on sale within the next year and the E-Tron maybe ready within two years. Of course, these cars will be expensive and produced in small numbers, but the technology they employ should become much more common in the not too distant future.

Hollyhock House

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Last week I had a chance to visit the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Hollyhock House in East Hollywood. This house was built for Aline Barnsdall, an oil heiress that Wright met in Chicago in the early 1910’s. It was built from 1919 to 1921 and was Wright’s first project in Los Angeles. The original site of the house was called Olive Hill and it occupied 36 acres. The site included two guest houses, one of which still stands. It was designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Dept. of the Interior in 2007.

The house has only been open to the public since 2005 and is still in the process of being restored, but it is well worth visiting if you are a fan of Wright’s work. Tours are available Wednesday to Sunday and admission is $7.00. Hollyhock House is easy to get to from downtown Los Angeles. Just take the Metro Red Line to the Vermont/Sunset stop and you are less than a 10 minute walk from the entrance at 4800 Hollywood Blvd.

To learn more this about architectural landmark go the Hollyhock House homepage.

UFC 107 Predictions

Posted on by georgefattell

UFC 107 looks like it has a pretty good card imo. I think the top four fights could all be very competitive.

Penn vs. Sanchez: I don’t think Sanchez can dethrone the champion. As a result of his new training regimen Penn looks unbeatable at 155 lbs. Kenny Florian found out the hard way that Penn is very capable of going four rounds without gassing. I expect Sanchez will find out the same, if it goes four rounds, which I doubt. Sanchez will be aggressive and this fight will probably end with a KO/TKO, one way or another. I think Penn will prevail with a KO by round three.

Mir vs. Kongo: Interesting contrast of styles here. The Jiu Jitsu expert vs the Puncher. I’ll take the newly bulked up Frank Mir in the fight. Kongo definitely has KO capability and Mir has to be very careful to avoid the Big punch that will put him never-never land. I think Mir is smart enough to avoid that and will bring the fight to the ground, where he should have a great advantage. Cain Velasque’s recent victory over Kongo demonstrated that Kongo is still very vulnerable to fighters with superior wrestling ability. Mir’s Jiu-Jitsu skills and the 20 pounds of muscle that he has added (he now weighs 264 lbs) should enable him to beat Kongo. Mir by submission in the second round.

Fitch vs. Pierce: I never seen Pierce fight, but I have seen Fitch on a number of occasions and Fitch always fights well, even when he loses. I’ve got to go with Fitch. I’ll say Fitch by decision.

Florian vs. Guida: Florian suffered a very decisive loss to B.J. Penn in his last fight and as a result Florian decided to switch trainers. He is now using the Montreal based Firas Zahabi, who also trains Georges St. Pierre. I expect to see a new and improved Florian. Clay Guida will present a real challenge because he skilled in multiple fighting styles and has high endurance. This should be a tough fight, but I don’t see Florian suffering a second consecutive defeat. I’ll say Florian by sub in round three.