Week 7 of NFL picks: Wanna be like Pujols in Game 3

FROM KEITH GROLLER

Hey Albert, love you man.

I am sure few people around here were watching.

Many sports fans were either celebrating Penn State's win over Danny Persa and Northwestern or drowning their sorrows after a mediocre USC team went into South Bend and beat Notre Dame -- again. Beware the Trojans next year by the way when the stupid sanctions by the hypocritical, phony NCAA are lifted and they can again compete for bowl games and national championships.

But in case you missed it, and you might have since it ended so late, in Game 3 of the World Series Albert Pujols hit three home runs. He is just the first since Reggie Jackson in 1977 to hit three in a World Series game, and the third man ever to do it. Some guy named Babe Ruth was the other, doing it twice.

Albert's three home runs traveled a combined distance of 1,226 feet, or about the limit I can walk in a given day.

He came through as he did back on my visit to St. Louis in August when he hit the longest home run in the new Busch's history, a shot that went 458 feet.
His price tag just went up.

And sadly, Saturday might have marked the last time he'll ever hit a home run in a Cardinals uniform because I highly doubt Texas will give him a pitch to hit in the rest of this series, and we know he's a free agent at the end of the year.

But now, either Pujols will go out a world champion or at least he'll get to come back to St. Louis to get a few more standing ovations in Game 6, and quite possibly, Game 7.

I want no standing ovations, but I did have my best week of the season on the NFL picks last week, going 12-1 outright, 9-4 against the spread, but a so-so 6-7 on the over/under numbers.

The totals for the year are now, 60-28 outright, 44-43-1 against the spread and 44-42-1 on the over/under totals.

It doesn't feel like a NFL Sunday without the Eagles playing, does it?

Here we go anyway.

HOME TEAMS IN CAPS

Chicago 23 (-1), TAMPA BAY 17 -- Under the 43.5 -- Kicking the ball to Devin Hester is like pitching to Pujols. Dumb.

Atlanta 21 (+3.5), DETROIT 20 -- Under the 47.5 -- Lions could Jim Schwartz on defense to charge after Michael Turner.

NEW YORK JETS (+2.5) 24, San Diego 17 -- Under the 44 --Who knew Norv Turner had a pulse,much less the spunk to fire back at Rex Ryan?

TENNESSEE 31 (-3), Houston 24 -- Over the 44.5-- I don't know about you, but when see Texans vs.Titans, I still have to think for a second which team is in what city and who used to be the Oilers.

CAROLINA (-2.5) 20, Washington 17 -- Under the 43.5 -- Redskins starting to crumble.

Seattle (+3) 20, CLEVELAND 16 -- Under the 41 -- The Seahawks sure knew how to defend Pat Shurmur's offense last year when he was the Rams offensive coordinator.

MIAMI (-2) 23, Denver 20 -- Over the 42.5 -- Remember when this one was Marino vs. Elway? It's not quite that exciting now, is it? Tebow at least adds some interest.

Kansas City (+4.5) 24, OAKLAND 20 -- Over the 42 -- The only Carson I want to see back on TV is Johnny Carson, and sadly, that's not happening.

ARIZONA 24 (-3.5), Pittsburgh 20 -- Over the 42.5 -- Just a hunch, and it's just hard for me to pick against any team nicknamed the Cardinals right now.

Green Bay (-9) 28, MINNESOTA 20 -- Over the 46.5 -- The Vikings were conserving energy for this one by not showing up in Chicago last Sunday night.

DALLAS (-13) 34, St. Lous 14 -- Over the 44 -- Thank God the Rams are back on the schedule so I can be guaranteed of at least one correct pick.

SUNDAY NIGHT

NEW ORLEANS (-14) 31, Indianapolis 20 -- Over the 48.5 --- Although the ratings will still clobber the World Series, NBC must be petitioning the NFL to get the Colts off their schedule for the forseeable future. Either that or they're seeking a miracle cure for Peyton Manning.

MONDAY NIGHT

Baltimore 23 (-8), JACKSONVILLE 17 -- Eager to see what former Lehigh lineman Will Rackley looks like on national TV.

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/2011/10/-week-7-of-nfl-picks-wanna-be-like-pujols-in-game-3-.html