Blue Sunday

Hey Peeps and anyone else checking in. A special "Hey" goes out to Hazel Mae.

Hazel Karma took the day off yesterday - the Maple Leafs lost in a shootout to Montreal, blowing a great performance by Andrew Raycroft; and the Dodgers were swept by the Mets last night at Dodger Stadium. I don't want to discuss either of those games, so on to this week's NFL picks.

SPREADS POOL

16) NEW ORLEANS -6.5 over Tampa Bay - Tampa will be starting a rookie at QB for the ailing Chris Simms - that doesn't bode well for the Bucs against a Saints team that is much better than expected.

15) INDIANAPOLIS -18.5 over Tennessee - I hate giving up 18.5 points, but I can't since Vince Young doing much in the Dome - on the other side, Manning is coming off a "so-so" game, so expect him to have a big one against a bad Titans team.

14) CAROLINA -8.5 over Cleveland - the Browns' secondary is banged up and Carolina's Steve Smith is healthy. Carolina's defence smothers the Browns and Smith has a big day against a depleted secondary.

13) NEW ENGLAND -9.5 over Miami - Tom Brady vs Daunte Culpepper, need I say more? Ok, how about the Patriots coming off a huge win in Cincinnati against a Dolphins team that lost to the Texans.

12) DENVER -3.5 over Baltimore - Denver is coming off a bye week - Baltimore is coming off back to back games that they easily could have lost. I'll take Denver's defence to stuff McNair and the Ravens...and the Broncos to run against a Baltimore D that looks a little softer than in recent years.

11) SAN DIEGO -3.5 over Pittsburgh - The Chargers are all a little angry about last week's loss to the Ravens - they need this game in convincing fashion to right the ship. Pittsburgh looks like an average team to this point - until they prove different, I'm going against them.

10) SAN FRANCISCO -3.5 over Oakland - This is more about how bad Oakland is, as opposed to having any sort of faith in the 49ers.

09) Buffalo +10.5 over CHICAGO - The Bills defence is good enough to keep this one close. Grossman is due for an average week.

08) NY GIANTS -4.5 over Washington - Giants coming off a bye week and they absolutely need this one if they want to have a chance to compete in the NFC East. Manning and Burress have a big day against Washington.

07) Dallas +2.5 over PHILADELPHIA - do I have to explain?

06) New York Jets +7.5 over JACKSONVILLE - I expect Jacksonville to win - but this is one game where I see a backdoor cover at the end of the game. Jacksonville doesn't usually blow anyone out.

05) Kansas City -3.5 over ARIZONA - has anyone been able to confirm that Hazel is still a big-time Chiefs fan? This game is a little scary, but Matt Leinhart's first career start scares me a little more than taking the Chiefs - ok, I'm sucking up to Hazel.

04) Detroit +6.5 over MINNESOTA - Minnesota has been struggling, and I don't think they can blow anyone out. Detroit was close last week, expect a repeat performance this week in another loss.

03) St. Louis -3.5 over GREEN BAY - yuck. I'll take the Rams and Stephen Jackson to control the ball on the Pack.

There you have it...I will warn you know, this week is tough - inflated spreads leave the door open for those last minute meaningless covers.


HAZEL'S THREE STARS

Jeremy Bonderman of the Tigers shut the Yankees down yesterday - 2 runs and five hits over 8.1 innings...you gotta know Hazel was loving that one.

Chris Young of the Padres came up with a big game to keep the Padres hopes alive yesterday in St. Louis. No runs over 6.2 innings in St. Louis is always impressive.

Alexander Semin of the Washington Capitals scores a hat-trick in a win over the defending Stanley Cup champs.

There you have it gang, have a great Sunday.

HAZEL'S SUNDAY HOROSCOPE
Emotional ups and downs will keep you on your toes. This is not the day to initiate talks or to try and sort through past personal problems. Listen to someone older who has experience. 3 stars

Hazel, I hope things are groovy in your world - enjoy your NFL Sunday. If you get a minute, how about letting us know where you stand on the Chiefs?

Song of the Day on Hazelspeeps - just because

Sculptured - Calanit (download it...its worth it).

Peesth Out...Buh Bye!