DavidPatrickCastro.net

With the NFL Playoffs just around the corner I feel it’s time to throw out my two-cents with some pigskin prognostication. For once I will do my best to pick with my head instead of my heart. Last year’s Cardinals Super Bowl pick being a fine example of using one’s heart instead of logic.

Wild Card Round:
Jets over the Bengals. I am a fan of Dhani Jones, mainly for his TV show and not for his work with the Bengals, and with that said I believe that his squad is somewhat stagnant whereas the Jets are riding a wave of solid victories. The Jets are built for playoff football, defense and a running game, and the Bengals need to rev themselves up after taking Week 17 off.

Patriots over the Ravens. Yes, I realize Wes Welker is done after blowing out his knee. I also realize that the Pats defense is not very stout but I have absolute faith in Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.

Cowboys over the Eagles. The Cowboys are hot and looked legit in their Week 17 shutout over these very Eagles. I know Tony Romo has been shutout in January but that streak is about to end.

Cardinals over the Packers. At the beginning of this entry I said I was going to do my best to avoid picking with my heart and use stone cold logic but I like the Cardinals and I want to see them succeed. Last weeks game against the Packers was irrelevant. The Cards had nothing to gain by winning and accordingly they played a vanilla game with their bench.

Divisional Round
Jets over the Colts. The Colts are cold after sitting for nearly three-weeks and with the red hot Jets coming into Lucas Oil Field they we’ll be out of whack in the divisional round.

Patriots over the Chargers. Some teams know how to win and the Chargers are not one of them. I don’t like Norv Turner in chess match against Belichick.

Cardinals over the Saints. Like the Colts, the Saints have be sitting stagnant and resting their players the last couple of games. As 13-game winners go they maybe the most vulnerable I have ever seen.

Cowboys over the Vikings. It helps to be hot going into the playoffs and the Cowboys definitely fit that description.

Conference Championship
Patriots over the Jets. This isn’t the best team of the Patriots’ modern dynasty but Belichick is a master motivator and will likely come in with a chip on his shoulder after being overlooked throughout the season.

Cardinals over the Cowboys. Kurt Warner and the Cardinals use their playoff experience to earn a return trip to the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl
Cardinals over the Patriots. Kurt Warner get his revenge for Super Bowl XXXVI.

I am a big fan of Dhani Jones. Not as a footballer for the Bengals but from his show on the Travel Network, Dhani Tackles The Globe. Jones’ charisma shines through on his weekly adventures and shed light onto lesser known (for American audiences) cultures through his participation in their sport. On StreetLevel.com he shares his Travel Essentials.

Courtesy of StreetLevel.com:
Cincinnati Bengals linebacker, Dhani Jones, won’t have much trouble figuring out what to do when his playing career is over. He certainly won’t sit around being wistful about impressive on-field exploits such as starting for the Super Bowl XXXIX runner-up Philadelphia Eagles or being an integral part of Michigan’s 1997 National Championship squad.

Instead, he may spend more time running his bow-tie company, Five Star Ties. Or he might focus on building a burgeoning broadcasting career that already includes hosting or appearing on shows like The Colbert Report and ESPN’s Cold Pizza. Better yet, he might just continue entertaining the masses with more adventures from his Travel Channel show, Dhani Tackles The Globe, which found him learning Muay Thai in Thailand and racing Dragon Boats in Singapore during the first season. This August you can see the ubiquitous Dhani alongside his fellow Bengals in training camp in the HBO original series Hard Knocks. We recently caught up with the self-proclaimed “Black James Bond” to find out what items he has to have when he’s out and about globetrotting.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

“It’s the baddest camera out. It takes the sickest photos ever. A two-year-old could take a picture that would look like it came from a straight professional. Ashton Kutcher always talks about Nikon. Nah, nah, it’s about that Cannon.”

Havaianas

“You never know where you’ll end up. Even in your room you might want to walk around in some flip-flops.”


Blackberry Curve 8900

“The new Curve is the best Blackberry out. You’re always uploading and downloading things. They’ve got Blackberry messenger which works all around the world. “

Apple iPhone 3GS

“You’d be surprised how many people have both [a Blackberry and an iPhone]. When I do business, I like to do it on the Blackberry. When I’m having fun and doing Facebook, or tweeting, I like doing it on my iPhone. I can also use the multitude of apps they have on the iPhone. “

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean

“That’s the watch James Bond wears and I feel like I’m the black James Bond. I’m tired of people not knowing. [You know that] Dos Equis commercial about ‘the most interesting man in the world?’ I should be the most interesting man in the world.”

Ray-Ban Wayfarers

“If I’m trying to look classy, I’m wearing my Ray-Bans. If I got my blackberry, I’m wearing Ray-Ban Wayfarers. If I got my iPhone, I’m wearing my Von Zipper Papa Gs.”

Burton Luggage

“It’s sick. They have all kinds of different additions that you can add and subtract. It’s the best functional luggage I’ve found. I carry a Burton backpack and roller bag. It’s got two halves that open up. You can put stuff in both of them, close them together and open the top.”

DVDs

“I always carry “Boomerang,” “Shawshank Redemption,” and “Top Gun.” “Boomerang” is a classic. Eddie Murphy when he was really funny. When he was funny period. Shawshank because it’s like a guide to keep fighting for what you believe in in your life. “Top Gun” ’cause I like to go fast. Up there in the sky, taking chances.”