9502100930
DETROIT FREE PRESS
951223
Saturday, December 23, 1995
METRO FINAL
6B
MITCH ALBOM
The picks
Copyright (c) 1995, Detroit Free Press
TAMPA BAY JUST WAITING FOR SUN TO SET ON ITS SEASON
* Detroit 28, Tampa Bay 10: The Bucs, having missed the playoffs, can't wait
to end the season and get out in the sun. Wait a minute. They live in the sun.
Pick vs. spread: Detroit.
* San Diego 30, NY Giants 20: The Giants can't wait to finish this year and
get the heck out of New York. But then, that goes for anyone who lives there.
Pick vs. spread: San Diego.
* Indianapolis 27, New England 17: At the start of the year, if I told you
only one of these teams would make the playoffs, which would you have chosen?
Uh-huh. That's what I thought. Pick vs. spread: Indianapolis.
* San Francisco 34, Atlanta 20: There are two things you don't want to get in
front of in late December: 1) The door opening at the shopping mall; 2) The
49ers. Pick vs. spread: San Francisco.
* Pittsburgh 20, Green Bay 19: So I pick from my heart, so what? Pick vs.
spread: Pittsburgh.
* Kansas City 10, Seattle 9: The best story that nobody is following dies now
without anyone noticing. I am talking about the Seahawks, in case you didn't
notice. Pick vs. spread: Seattle.
* Philadelphia 27, Chicago 20: The only thing frightening about the Chicago
defense these days is when it looks in the mirror. Pick vs. spread:
Philadelphia.
* Minnesota 23, Cincinnati 20: There's one easy way to beat the Vikings:
Kidnap Cris Carter. Pick vs. spread: Cincinnati.
* Buffalo 26, Houston 6: After the year they've had, the Oilers must be
thrilled about having to travel to Buffalo on Christmas Eve. Pick vs. spread:
Buffalo.
* New Orleans 3, NY Jets 2 1/2: Zzzzzzz. Pick vs. spread: Jets.
* Cleveland 20, Jacksonville 10: And for his final trick, Tom Coughlin ends
the season by sleeping on a bed of nails! Pick vs. spread: Cleveland.
* Miami 17, St. Louis 16: Forget the manatee. Don Shula is Florida's most
endangered species. Pick vs. spread: St. Louis.
* Denver 26, Oakland 20: The Raiders were once playoff favorites. Now you
wouldn't let them do the valet parking. Pick vs. spread: Denver.
* Carolina 1, Washington 0: Zzzzzzz. Pick vs. spread: Carolina.
* Dallas 30, Arizona 19 (Monday night): Few things are less stable than Barry
Switzer; Buddy Ryan is one of them. Pick vs. spread: Dallas.
* Last week: 11-4.
* Season: 101-79 (I got a late start).
* Last week vs. spread: 5-10.
* Season vs. spread: 76-100-4.
* Mitch vs. Curt (vs. spread): Curt Sylvester leads Albom by 10 games, 86-90-4
to 76-100-4. The sports writer with the better record gets his choice of
teams in the Freep's annual Great Super Bowl Debate. The debate will appear
the day before Super Bowl XXX in Tempe, Ariz.
* Best pick last week: Carolina 19, Atlanta 17 (Panthers won, 21-17).
* Worst pick last week: Oakland 22, Seattle 15 (Seahawks won, 44-10).
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