With two weeks to go in the NFL regular season the playoff picture is starting to take shape.  While 12 teams make the NFL post-season, the sportsbooks and online casino pa are looking fairly steady in their picks and it is safe to say that only seven of them appear to be considered top contenders to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in early February.

The team of the moment is the Baltimore Ravens.  Led by their Quarterback, and likely MVP, Lamar Jackson, the Ravens currently hold the NFL’s best record and are on a ten-game win streak. Baltimore had the most Pro Bowl selections with 12, and Jackson has already set the single-season rushing record by a QB.  While they have no glaring weakness, this is not a team with a top option in their receiving core, and their playoff performance last year left little to be desired.  Still, this is the team that most pundits feel should win the AFC Championship. But it won’t be easy.

The New England Patriots are closing in on their eleventh straight AFC East Title, and they are defending Super Bowl Champions, and have won three in the last five years.  While their Quarterback, Tom Brady, has shown the signs of age this season, this is the most successful football player ever, who is still paired with Head Coach, Bill Belichick.  There is no tandem in football that has more playoff savvy, and if any team can overcome a deficiency, it is New England.

Last year’s MVP, Quarterback, Patrick Mahomes will lead his Kansas City Chiefs back to the playoffs.  While everyone is in agreement that the Chiefs offense with Mahomes, Tight End, Travis Kelce, and Wide Receiver, Tyreke Hill are the most exciting, their defense has been mediocre, and they have to outshoot every opponent.  It makes for exciting football, but it is a recipe that rarely translates into a Super Bowl win.

The Buffalo Bills have also qualified for the playoffs, but as good as their defense is, their offense is not explosive enough to make it to the big game. Other AFC contenders include Pittsburgh, Tennessee and Houston, but all three have been inconsistent through the season, and will be lucky to win a game in the playoffs, let alone advance to Super Bowl LIV.

The NFC seems far more wide open.  Weeks ago, it appeared that the San Francisco 49ers had the inside track to represent the NFC.  They still might, but as of this writing, they are no longer leading their division, as the Seattle Seahawks hold that spot, but while the Niners have faltered of late, they are a balanced team with a lot to prove.

As for Seattle, while they aren’t “sleepless”, but many have been “sleeping” on them due to the focus on San Francisco.  Quarterback, Russell Wilson has already taken Seattle to two Super Bowls, winning one of them, and their week 17 game against the 49ers could decide the who gets the top seed.  No doubt that Seahawk’s head coach, Pete Carroll, still has a chip on his shoulder from losing on the last play of the game on Super Bowl XLIX.  

Another contender is the New Orleans Saints, who still feel robbed from the non-pass interference call that cost them a Super Bowl appearance last year. No team has more motivation to win it all than the Saints, and they would love to do it in the year where their Quarterback, Drew Brees overtook Peyton Manning as the all-time leader in Touchdown Passes.  Brees already has a Super Bowl Ring, but his biggest weapon, Wide Receiver, Michael Thomas does not.  He is a possible contender for the MVP, and if he does not win it, the chance to hold the Lombardi Trophy will be all the consolation he needs.

The NFC Central is still up for grabs, but most eyes are on the Green Bay Packers to take the division.  Green Bay’s QB, Aaron Rodgers, was just chosen for his eighth Pro Bowl, and while he has not received the attention he used to due to the emergence of Jackson, Mahomes and DeShaun Watson of the Houston Texans, he is without question the elite pivot in the division.  That division could still go the Minnesota Vikings, but despite them likely to return to the post-season, their Quarterback, Kirk Cousins is not considered to be at the level required in this era to win it all.

As for the NFC East, nobody (including us) thinks that the winner of the division, be it the Dallas Cowboys or Philadelphia Eagles will represent the conference.

The road to this year’s Super Bowl is far from clear, but as always it is fun. We will be watching and placing our bets.  We just won’t say on who!

In a recent interview with Fox News, Todd Rundgren was asked about his second Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nomination.  His reaction bordered on apathy, yet respectful of the desire of his fans, a trope that we see often from many in his position.

He had this to say:

Fox News: “When it comes to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, some artists are all for it. Others feel it’s a popularity contest. What’s your stance?”

Rundgren: “Well, I’ve never taken it seriously for one thing... When they decided that this was a good idea, I already had like three careers *laughs*. So personally, I never saw that kind of acknowledgment — you know, just some arbitrary bunch of people get together and hands out awards at a fancy event according to rules nobody really understands. I never cared about it. I have made no secret about that.

I have to say that I am upset at the fact that they pulled this stunt — vote and essentially ignore the fans. For years, I have tried to get [my audience] to be realistic about it. But for years, they felt it was an important thing for them, for me to be up there… The treatment towards the fans does upset me. They seem to be out of the whole process. And I believe their say matters the most in this whole process.”

Rundgren is correct in that his fan base is fervent about Rundgren getting in.  He has been eligible for the Hall since 1995. His current ranking on our latest Notinhalloffame.com Rock list has him at #11.

We know for sure that there will be more drama coming regarding the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

It was announced today by the Cauliflower Alley Club, that former WWWF World Tag Team Champion, Rene Goulet passed away at the age of 86.  Goulet had passed away in May of this year, but the family has only made the announcement of his death public today.

From Quebec, Goulet began his career in 1957, and would spend a lot of his career in the American Wrestling Association.  He was in the WWWF in 1971 where he and his partner, Karl Gotch would win the Tag Team Titles.  Goulet was also the tag team partner of Andre The Giant in the 1981 World Tag League, which they would win.  

Late in his career, Goulet was used as enhancement talent in the WWF for a few years before transitioning into a long term agent for the company.  In our latest ranking for those to consider for the WWE Hall of Fame, Goulet was listed at #148.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends and family of Rene Goulet.

Less than an hour ago, it was announced that the New World Order (Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and Sean Waltman) will be entering the WWE Hall of Fame.  It has how been announced that Dave Bautista will be joining them in the Hall. 

Dave Bautista cut his teeth in the WWE farm promotion, Ohio Valley Wrestling as “Leviathan”, and the 300 pound behemoth would be brought up shortly as “Deacon Batista”, the henchman of D-Von Dudley when he was doing his reverend gimmick.  That didn’t last, and he was moved to the RAW brand and placed in a faction with Triple H, Ric Flair and Randy Orton.  As his wins piled up, his momentum shot up, and he was placed in a program against his mentor, Triple H, who he defeated in the main event of Wrestlemania 21 for the first of what would be six World Heavyweight Championships. 

Batista left in 2010 to pursue an acting career, and he came back in 2014, winning the Royal Rumble, but he would not stay long.  He returned to acting, and became very successful, most notably as Drax the Destroyer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Batista made one last comeback, and lost to Triple H at Wrestlemania 35

The Hall of Fame ceremony will take place on April 2, 2020, as part of the Wrestlemania 36 weekend.

Batista was ranked #9 on our latest Notinhalloffame.com list of those to consider for the WWE Hall of Fame.  He will be removed when we do our revisions in April.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our congratulations to Dave Bautista for his impending induction.