New Website

www.boxscorebanter.com is the new website for the crew. Check it out. We'll be writing posts daily so leave comments, questions, concerns and we'll talk about some of the interesting points in the show. Thanks for the continued support.

Banter Crew

NFL Week 17 Picks....

JJ: NY Giants(+13.5), Miami(+3), Buffalo(+7.5), Seattle(+1), Chicago(+2), Tampa Bay(+3), Cleveland(-10), Green Bay(-4), Houston(-6.5), San Diego(-8.5), Kansas City(+6.5), Arizona(-6), Washington(-9), Minnesota(-3), Pittsburgh(-3.5), Indianapolis(+6)

Erik: NY Giants(+13.5), Cincinnati(-3), Philadelphia(-7.5), Seattle(+1), Chicago(+2), Carolina(-3), Cleveland(-10), Green Bay(-4), Houston(-6.5), San Diego(-8.5), NY Jets(-6.5), Arizona(-6), Washington(-9), Minnesota(-3), Pittsburgh(-3.5), Tennessee(-6)

Timmy: NY Giants(+13.5), Cincinnati(-3), Philadelphia(-7.5), Seattle(+1), New Orleans(-2), Carolina(-3), Cleveland(-10), Green Bay(-4), Houston(-6.5), San Diego(-8.5), NY Jets(-6.5), Arizona(-6), Washington(-9), Minnesota(-3), Pittsburgh(-3.5), Tennessee(-6)

Aneeshy:
Greeting from Bombay, India!

I'll be back in the States on Sunday, so I will not get the to see the
Patriots go 16-0. They will beat the Giants, no question about it.
First off, if I lose, I want to put an asterisk next to whoever wins.
Here we go...

New England -13.5 against NYG... Sheli Manning sucks
Cincy -3.0 against Miami... Who is this bum receiver making noise in Miami?
Philly -7.5 against Buffalo... Scum woke up too late
Seattle +1.0 against ATL... Seneca Wallace can even beat the awful birds
NO -2.0 against Chicago... Man its gotta be cold there... it's 80
degrees plus in Bombay
Carolina -3.0 against Tampa... We saw how bad TB is without Garcia last week
Cleveland -10.0 against SF... Pound and Playoffs baby!
GB -4.0 against Detroit... The niners should have drafted Aaron Rodgers
Houston -6.5 against Jax... Andre es un animal
SD -8.5 against Oakland... Norv Turner is also a bad head coach
NYJ -6.5 against KC... Again, I'm done with Herm
STL +6.0 against Arizona... AZ likes to blow games to bad teams cough
cough San Fran
Washington -9.0 against Dallas... the bad news in all of this is that
Gibbs is keeping his job
Minnesota -3.0 against Denver... Denver might as well play with just
Lynch, D.J. Williams, and Champ Bailey on defense
Pittsburgh -3.5 against Baltimore... Has somebody been hired yet to
replace Billick yet?
Tennessee -6.0 against Indy... Vince Young knows how to win, but
doesn't know how to play QB

Happy New Year Everybody!

Angry Indian

Patriots... 16-0 my take....

Well... after all this talk it finally happened... The New England Patriots did what many thought could never be done and finished with a perfect regular season and a job well done to them. But let me pose this question to most of you out there. Aside from those outside the bubble of New England, how unlikable is this New England Patriots team. Just watching the game this evening on the NFL Network made me realize how fans all over the place just hate this team. And here are some things that to quote my Buddy Peter Griffin are just grinding my gears.

Now.... do I think Tom Brady is a great great quarterback... Yes.... Maybe the best ever... Time will only tell... But some of the guys on this team are just big big jerks.... And like Mr. LaDanian Tomlinson said it starts with the Head Coach. Bill Belichick has made a mockery of the National Football League... whether its cheating which they did do.... running up the score which they did do!.... and lets face it they have some guys on their team that are impossible to root for.... Belichick being a very poor loser not shaking hands and showing class like a real man does.... And let us not forget how poorly he has treated protege Eric Mangini. Mr Randy Moss... I mean a guy who does not TRY at ALL in Oakland doesn't even run routes hard and then all of a sudden decides to TRY.... I mean maybe I missed the memo.... but you know in the NFL the idea is to try hard all the time it is your job... I thought that was what NFL wide receivers did but... I guess not...

And then The BUMS in the secondary whether its Rodney Harrison who is one of the most classless guys in the NFL... Not only did he ruin the career of Trent Green in St Louis by hitting him unnecessarily in a pre season game but has a history for being the dirtiest player in the NFL... and lets not forget he used steroids....

And last but not least Mr Ellis Hobbs... Just Shut Up... I mean you stink... you cant cover... and... just shut your mouth....

So thats it... I along with the rest of America applaud the Patriots for going 16-0... but we don't like you.... In fact we hate you......

Thats its folks... Stay Tuned for the picks tomorrow morning

Be Good

JJ Bombs

Week 16 Posts... Better Late the Never

Merry Christmas all... Sorry for the delay but in the festive spirit of the holiday season and Christmas Eve and all... Santa Claus was very nice to JJ this year... and especially with week 16 picks... for Erik and Aneeshy not so much... Stay Tuned for week 17 picks...

JJ: Pittsburgh(-7.5), Dallas(-10.5), Jaguars(-13), Detroit(-4.5), Houston(+7), Philadelphia(+3), Buffalo(+3), Green Bay(-8.5), Cleveland(-3), Arizona(-10), Tampa Bay(-6), NY Jets(+8.5), Miami(+22), Seattle(PK), Washington(+6.5), San Diego(-8.5)

Erik: St Louis(+7.5), Dallas(-10.5), Jaguars(-13), Kansas City(+4.5), Indianapolis(-7), Philadelphia(+3), NY Giants(-3), Green Bay(-8.5), Cleveland(-3), Arizona(-10), Tampa Bay(-6), Tennessee(-8.5), New England(-22), Seattle(PK), Minnesota(-6.5), San Diego(-8.5)

Timmy: Pittsburgh(-7.5), Dallas(-10.5), Jaguars(-13), Detroit(4.5), Indianapolis(-7), Philadelphia(+3), NY Giants(-3), Green Bay(-8.5), Cleveland(-3), Arizona(-10), Tampa Bay(-6), Tennessee(-8.5), New England(-22), Seattle(PK), Washington(+6.5), San Diego(-8.5)

The Angry Indian will take care of the rest....

Greetings from India!

It looks like I've caught Erik for first place. Now it's time to be a
closer...

Pitt -7.5 against STL... Pittsburgh can't blow this one can they?
Dallas -10.5 against Carolina... Tony don't listen to TO keep banging
out Jessica
Jax -13.0 against Oakland... Oakland isn't clearly the best team in
the bay area anymore, but they certainly are not better than
Jacksonville
Detroit -4.5 against KC... I've had it with KC
Houston +7.0 against Indy... Indy has nothing to play for
NO -3.0 against SCUM... Bush back for NO... no not george we know he
doesn't care about the inner city black folk
Buffalo +3.0 against NYG... the Giants only have 3 more games left
GB -8.5 against Chicago... GB needs homefield advantage
Cleveland -3.0 against Cincy... Cincy couldn't stop the 49ers
Arizona -10.0 against ATL... who cares
Tampa -6.0 against SF... Shaun Hill time?
Tennessee -8.5 against NYJ... Give it to Lendale he's 300+ pounds
NE -22.0 against Miami... they won a game? What happened to Cam? I was
looking forward to Cam leading the John Beck to Ted Ginn Jr. era
Seattle over Baltimore... if you think Baltimore threw in the towel
after NE they will certainly have thrown in the towel after losing to
los finos... and why is there no spread?
Washington +6.5 against Minnesota... God help me
SD -8.5 against Denver... Jay Cutler in a temple in India praying with
me because even he knows they have no shot

Week 15 NFL Picks....

Crunch time for the Banter Crew:
JJ: Denver(-1), Cincinnati(-8.5), Tampa Bay(-13.5), Tennessee(-4), Seattle(-7.5), Green Bay(-10), Baltimore(-3.5), NY Jets(+23.5), Arizona(+3.5), Jacksonville(+3.5), Buffalo(+5.5), Indianapolis(-10.5), San Diego(-10), Dallas(-10.5), Washington(+4.5), Minnesota(-10)

Erik: Denver(-1), Cincinnati(-8.5), Tampa Bay(-13.5), Tennessee(-4), Seattle(-7.5), Green Bay(-10), Baltimore(-3.5), New England(-23.5), New Orleans(-3.5), Pittsburgh(-3.5), Cleveland(-5.5), Indianapolis(-10.5), Detroit(+10), Dallas(-10.5), NY Giants(-4.5), Minnesota(-10)

Timmy: Houston(+1), Cincinnati(-8.5), Tampa Bay(-13.5), Tennessee(-4), Seattle(-7.5), Green Bay(-10), Baltimore(-3.5), New England(+23.5), Arizona(+3.5), Pittsburgh(-3.5), Cleveland(-5.5), Indianapolis(-10.5), San Diego(-10), Dallas(-10.5), NY Giants(-4.5), Minnesota(-10)

Aneeshy's thoughts
I will be in India for the next 3 weeks of the season. Here are my
week 15 Picks (Done right before I left). I will do my best to get
internet access for the other two weeks because I know so many people
read this...

Houston +1.0 against Denver... Let's hope Bryant Gumbel isn't calling the game
Cincy -8.0 against SF... Thank god for the Dolphins
Tampa -13.5 against Atlanta... The Stupid Birds... Free Mike Vick?
Thank god Petrino is free from this mess
KC +4.0 against Tennessee... Titans are playing to lose the game
Seattle -7.5 against Carolina... I wish the Panthers still had Weinke
Green Bay -10.0 against STL... Ryan Grant was unfairly called a bum repeatedly
Baltimore -3.5 against Miami... I'd take Baltimore if they were a 15
points favorite
NE -23.5 against NYJ... 63-6
New Orleans -3.5 against AZ... Game in Katrina Dome not Phoenix
Jacksonville +3.5 against Pitt... Throw at Anthony Smith
Cleveland -5.5 against Buffalo... Woof Woof
Indy -10.5 against Oakland... 63-6... well it would be if Dungy liked
to run up the score
SD -10.0 against Detroit... Kitna, another stupid player who makes
stupid guarantees
Dallas -10.5 against Philadelphia... I'm tired of picking Philly SCUM
NYG -4.5 against Washington... I thought about it, but it ultimately
came down to the fact that I will never pick a Joe Gibbs coached team
in a big game on the road
Minnesota -10.0 against Chicago... Chicago can't stop Minnesota's
running game even if they put 12 in the box

Hope everybody has a Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year! Safe
travels, stay warm, and enjoy the greatest time of the year.

The Angry Indian

Mitchell Report: MurrDogg's Take

Hey guys, I haven't talked with any of the BoxScore crew about this, but with the Mitchell Report being released in just over an hour, I felt like I needed a forum to input my feelings on what will most likely go down as the most controversial day in baseball history.


For those of you who don't know, Former Senator and current Boston Red Sox director George Mitchell has been investigating MLB and the steroid and HGH use that has tarnished the last decade or so of great baseball. Mitchell has used information from multiple sources, including clubhouse attendants and shipping/delivery receipts to compile the McCarthy-esque report. I could go on and on about the report and its background, but I'd rather get to my thoughts, and spare everyone the bore of reading what they've read countless times already.

Buster Olney has stated that for those people listed in the Mitchell Report, their reputation could be severely hurt or damaged forever. For some athletes whose reputation is already tarnished (Barry Bonds), this report is almost meaningless, but for those athletes who have appeared to be incredible role models for years and years, the athletes whose batting stances, swaggers, etc. were mimicked by countless little leaguers, the report might go beyond hurting their reputation, but also damaging the innocence of young children.
Recent sources have identified Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte as names in the Mitchell Report. Lets forget about Roger Clemens because frankly, I don't care for him and fully expected him to be on the list, but Andy Pettitte, a religious man who has served as a role model for young Yankee fans, this could be absolutely damaging to his reputation. Yes, he might have an easier time being forgiven because of his reputation off the field, but regardless, this will still tarnish his career.
During the playoffs this year, Paul Byrd announced that he had used HGH in order to help fight a disease he had struggled with. I highly doubt Mitchell's report will include the exact reasons why people used HGH or steroids, but I believe that the public must take the accusations with a grain of salt. Just like Paul Byrd, there is a good chance that some of the players listed might have used HGH for reasons other than getting bigger and improving athletic performance. In a competitive league like MLB, it is important for players to stay on the field and out of the trainer's room in order to make a paycheck. When a player suffers a setback caused by a bad injury, it can be assumed that the athlete and team doctors would do anything in their power to get the athlete back onto the field as fast as possible. HGH was not banned from baseball until 2005, making it safe to say that it was often prescribed to athletes before that time, and given its probable success, it can be assumed that team doctors might have continued to prescribe it after the ban (note that HGH cannot be tested for, making it difficult to trace). Yes, I realize that even those earning minimum salary in MLB are making a good amount of money, but making a few hundred-thousand dollars a year doesn't look so good if you struggle to stay in the league for more than a few years. Many of these athletes might struggle to find success maintaining a job in the corporate world, as they have dedicated their lives to their trade, some forgoing college and others leaving lives behind in foreign countries. Think now of the pressure to make a large paycheck in MLB, and you might understand why these guys would want to do whatever they can to stay in the league.
Personally, I do not want to see any names on the Mitchell Report. Yes, I am a diehard Red Sox fan, but I would prefer not to see names on the Yankees just as much as I would prefer not to see names from my beloved Sox. Disregard steroids and baseball is in a great place right now. Young players are emerging as future Hall of Famers, records are being broken, and the Boston Red Sox have won two World Series titles in four years, after an 86 year drought (had to throw it in there). MLB needs to realize that it is not helping its reputation by releasing Mitchell's report, regardless of what Bud Selig believes. Selig did a great job in getting a strong steroid policy in baseball (arguably the strongest in all of sports), but by releasing the Mitchell Report, it is as if he has no confidence in it. Stick to the testing, create even heftier suspensions if necessary, and let the problems weed themselves out. For all you fans out there, be true fans, and support those whose lives are about to be changed (most likely for the worse).

That is all I really have to say. Also, Brian and I WILL be back for shows after January 14th. As each of us move closer to graduation, our lives are getting more and more hectic, and we are finding less time to do shows. Fortunately, we have arranged our schedules for next semester so that we can put away some time to do a show every week or so. We will be back in mid-January with a basketball show. Until then, Happy Holidays.

- MurrDogg

Week 14... NFL Picks... Hope for Better

Here they are... Enjoy folks it was a good week for all
Enjoy Wednesdays show

JJ: Washington(-3), Buffalo(-7), Cincinnati(-6), Jaguars(-10.5), Dallas(-10.5), Houston(+3), Green Bay(-10), San Diego(PK), Philadelphia(-3), Minnesota(-9), Seattle(-7), Denver(-6.5), Pittsburgh(+10.5), Cleveland(-3), Indianapolis(-9), New Orleans(-4)

Erik: Chicago(+3), Buffalo(-7), Cincinnati(-6), Jaguars(-10.5), Dallas(-10.5), Tampa Bay(-3), Green Bay(-10), San Diego(PK), NY Giants(+3), Minnesota(-9), Arizona(+7), Kansas City(+6.5), New England(-10.5), Cleveland(-3), Indianapolis(-9), New Orleans(-4)

Timmy: Chicago(+3), Buffalo(-7), Cincinnati(-6), Jaguars(-10.5), Dallas(-10.5), Tampa Bay(-3), Green Bay(-10), San Diego(PK), NY Giants(+3), Minnesota(-9), Seattle(-7), Denver(-6.5), Pittsburgh(+10.5), Cleveland(-3), Indianapolis(-9), New Orleans(-4)

The Angry Indian:
Chicago +3.0 against Washington... Never trust a Joe Gibbs coached team
Buffalo -7.0 against Miami... Buffalo never blows anyone out, but
Miami might be that bad
Cincy -6.0 against STL... Brock Berlin? Is he an NFL Europe prodigy?
Jacksonville -10.5 against Carolina... just a complete mismatch
Dallas -10.5 against Detroit... Payback from last year
Houston +3.0 against TB... Anybody can throw to el animal named Andre
Green Bay -10.0 against Oakland... GB will have no problem with the
best team in the bay area
SD 0.0 over Tennessee... I would never trust a Norv Turner coached
team unless they have LT
Philly -3.0 against NYG... Scum has to have it
Minnesota -9.0 against SF... Section 69 won't be very gay
Seattle -7.0 against AZ... Kurt is a sitting duck
KC +6.5 against Denver... division game, gotta be close
Pitt +10.5 against NE... I guarantee this, ok just kidding I'm not
this stupid like some people
Cleveland -3.0 against NYJ... the pound will be in the stands as Jets
fans won't be
Indy -9.0 against Baltimore... Indy is just better
NO -4.0 against ATL... why is this game on Monday night?