NHL power rankings for mid-January

By Rick Morris

NOTES: Rankings from start of season are in parentheses.

TOP TIER

1 Washington (9-8-8)

2 Columbus (8-4-1)

3 Minnesota (21-6-5)

4 Pittsburgh (6-5-2)

5 Chicago (1-1-3)

6 New York Rangers (2-2-4)

7 Montreal (3-3-7)

SECOND TIER

8 San Jose (7-7-6)

9 Anaheim (11-12-12)

10 Edmonton (20-14-9)

11 Ottawa (5-11-11)

12 Boston (14-13-13)

13 Carolina (24-20-15)

14 Calgary (26-16-18)

15 Toronto (17-24-16)

16 St. Louis (4-9-14)

17 Philadelphia (15-10-10)

18 Dallas (22-22-17)

19 Florida (19-18-20)

20 Los Angeles (12-15-21)

21 Nashville (13-23-23)

22 Vancouver (25-26-25)

23 Winnipeg (23-21-24)

24 New York Islanders (30-28-27)

25 Tampa Bay (10-17-19)

26 New Jersey (16-27-28)

27 Buffalo (27-25-26)

28 Detroit (18-19-22)

THIRD TIER

29 Arizona (29-29-29)

FOURTH TIER

30 Colorado (28-30-30)

BIGGEST RISERS: Washington (7 spots), Calgary (4 spots), Anaheim, New York Islanders and Vancouver (3 spots)

BIGGEST FALLERS: Philadelphia (7 spots), Detroit and Tampa Bay (6 spots)

RANKINGS BY DIVISION – 1 POINT PER RANKING SPOT FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TEAM, DIVIDED BY THE NUMBER OF TEAMS, LOWEST SCORE IS BEST

1 METROPOLITAN 11.63

2 PACIFIC 16

3 CENTRAL 16.57

4 ATLANTIC 18

RANKINGS BY CONFERENCE

1 EAST 29.63

2 WEST 32.57

NBA power rankings for mid-January

By Rick Morris

NOTES: Rankings from start of season are in parentheses.

TOP TIER

1 Cleveland (2-3-1)

2 Golden State (1-1-2)

3 San Antonio (3-2-3)

SECOND TIER

4 Houston (9-4-4)

THIRD TIER

5 LA Clippers (4-6-6)

6 Toronto (5-5-5)

7 Boston (8-10-9)

8 Utah (11-7-7)

9 Atlanta (13-18-13)

10 Memphis (7-8-11)

11 Oklahoma City (10-9-8)

FOURTH TIER

12 Milwaukee (15-12-14)

13 Washington (23-17-12)

14 Charlotte (12-11-10)

15 Indiana (14-14-20)

16 Chicago (6-15-16)

17 New York (19-13-15)

18 New Orleans (22-25-22)

19 Portland (17-19-23)

20 Sacramento (24-22-17)

21 Orlando (21-20-19)

22 Detroit (18-16-21)

23 Denver (20-21-18)

FIFTH TIER

24 Minnesota (25-26-24)

25 Philadelphia (30-30-29)

26 Los Angeles Lakers (16-23-25)

27 Phoenix (26-27-27)

28 Dallas (29-29-28)

SIXTH TIER

29 Miami (27-24-26)

30 Brooklyn (28-28-30)

BIGGEST RISERS: Indiana (5 spots), Atlanta, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Portland (4 spots)

BIGGEST FALLERS: Denver (5 spots), Charlotte and Miami (4 spots), Oklahoma City and Sacramento (3 spots)

RANKINGS BY CONFERENCE – 1 POINT PER RANKING SPOT FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TEAM, LOWEST SCORE IS BEST

1 WEST 228

2 EAST 237

Lounge on YouTube: The FDH Lounge 10th Anniversary Retrospective

By Rick Morris

As part of the observation of The FDH Lounge’s 10^th Anniversary on January 14, 2017, we are going through some of our most momentous moments on the show.  Mini-Episode #805 features a look through the history of the show with FDH Lounge co-creator Jason Jones.

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Lounge on YouTube: Bob Barker

By Rick Morris                                          

As we referenced previously, our pals at Sportsology are hooking us up for live segments that we’re doing with guests and remote FDH Lounge Dignitaries these days.  We’re happy to report that we’ve been able to produce many segments on our own, but we’re thrilled for the help on some of these with guests and the thanks all go to our great friend Russ Cohen.

Mini-Episode #804 features our 7^th conversation with the legendary Bob Barker on the occasion of The FDH Lounge’s 10^th Anniversary.

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Lounge on YouTube: 5 great roundtables from the last decade

By Rick Morris

As part of the observation of The FDH Lounge’s 10^th Anniversary on January 14, 2017, we are going through some of our most momentous moments on the show.  Mini-Episode #803 relives five great roundtables.

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Lounge on YouTube: Mini-Episode #802 – 2016-17 Divisional round preview

By Rick Morris                                          

As we referenced previously, our pals at Sportsology are hooking us up for live segments that we’re doing with guests and remote FDH Lounge Dignitaries these days.  We’re happy to report that we’ve been able to produce many segments on our own, but we’re thrilled for the help on some of these with guests and the thanks all go to our great friend Russ Cohen.

Mini-Episode #802 features our 2016-17 NFL Divisional round preview with FDH Lounge Dignitary and Vegas handicapping veteran Kyle Ross.

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Lounge on YouTube: Mini-Episode #801 – 2016-17 NFL Wild Card round preview

By Rick Morris                                          

As we referenced previously, our pals at Sportsology are hooking us up for live segments that we’re doing with guests and remote FDH Lounge Dignitaries these days.  We’re happy to report that we’ve been able to produce many segments on our own, but we’re thrilled for the help on some of these with guests and the thanks all go to our great friend Russ Cohen.

Mini-Episode #801 features our 2016-17 NFL Wild Card round preview with FDH Lounge Dignitary and Vegas handicapping veteran Kyle Ross.

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Lounge on YouTube: 10 great guest moments from the last decade

By Rick Morris

As part of the observation of The FDH Lounge’s 10^th Anniversary on January 14, 2017, we are going through some of our most momentous moments on the show.  Mini-Episode #800, which also marks our 900^th hour of total programming, celebrates 10 great guest moments.

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Lounge on YouTube: Top 5 TV shows of the last decade

By Rick Morris

As part of the observation of The FDH Lounge’s 10^th Anniversary on January 14, 2017, we are looking back at large stories covered in the past decade on the show where “nothing is off-topic.”  FDH Lounge Mini-Episode #799 analyzes the top five TV shows of the last decade.

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Lounge on YouTube: Top 5 news stories of the last decade

By Rick Morris

As part of the observation of The FDH Lounge’s 10^th Anniversary on January 14, 2017, we are looking back at large stories covered in the past decade on the show where “nothing is off-topic.”  FDH Lounge Mini-Episode #798 analyzes the top five news stories of the last decade.

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Lounge on YouTube: Top 5 pro wrestlers of the last decade

By Rick Morris

As part of the observation of The FDH Lounge’s 10^th Anniversary on January 14, 2017, we are looking back at large stories covered in the past decade on the show where “nothing is off-topic.”  FDH Lounge Mini-Episode #797 analyzes the top five pro wrestlers of the last decade.

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Lounge on YouTube: Top 5 team sport athletes of the last decade

By Rick Morris

As part of the observation of The FDH Lounge’s 10^th Anniversary on January 14, 2017, we are looking back at large stories covered in the past decade on the show where “nothing is off-topic.”  FDH Lounge Mini-Episode #796 analyzes the top five team sport athletes of the last decade.

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2016 NFL rankings for impressiveness of victories

By Rick Morris

NOTE: These rankings are based on our final NFL power rankings for the 2016 season and our strength of schedule rankings.  The highest scores are the best ones.  Each number is composed by adding the strength of schedule rating to a stat strictly based on the number of victories attained by each team.  Playoff teams are denoted with an X.

1 X-Dallas 179

2 X-Oakland 167

3 X-Kansas City 162

4 Philadelphia 161

5 Denver 153

6 New Orleans 150

7 X-Green Bay 144

8 Washington 142

9 X-Atlanta 139

10 Minnesota 135

11 X-New York Giants 134

12 San Diego 133

13 X-Houston 132

14T Cincinnati 130

14T Tampa Bay 130

16 X-Pittsburgh 128

17 Indianapolis 123

18 Carolina 121

19 Baltimore 114

20 X-New England 113

21 X-Detroit 109

22T Chicago 100

22T Jacksonville 100

24T Buffalo 99

24T Los Angeles 99

26 X-Seattle 98

27 New York Jets 97

28 Arizona 94

29 X-Miami 94

30 Cleveland 91

31 Tennessee 79

32 San Francisco 73

2016 NFL strength of schedule rankings

By Rick Morris

NOTE: These rankings are based on our final NFL power rankings for the 2016 season, with the lowest scores representing the toughest schedules.  Playoff teams are denoted with an X.

1 Philadelphia 207

2 New Orleans 228

3 San Diego 229

4 Cleveland 239

5 Denver 241

6 Cincinnati 244

7T Chicago 246

7T Jacksonville 246

9 X-Dallas 247

10 Washington 248

11 Carolina 249

12T Minnesota 251

12T X-Oakland 251

14 Los Angeles 255

15 X-Kansas City 256

16 X-Green Bay 258

17 X-Houston 262

18 Indianapolis 263

19 Tampa Bay 264

20T New York Jets 265

20T San Francisco 265

22 X-Atlanta 271

23 Baltimore 272

24 X-New York Giants 276

25 Buffalo 279

26 X-Pittsburgh 282

27 X-Detroit 285

28 Arizona 286

29T X-Miami 308

29T X-Seattle 308

31 Tennessee 315

32 X-New England 321

2016 final NFL power rankings

By Rick Morris

NOTE: Rankings from start of season are in parentheses.

TOP TIER

1 New England (1-2-1-4-3-1-1-1-1-3-3-3-3-1-1-1)

2 Dallas (23-19-15-12-9-5-4-3-3-1-1-1-1-3-2-2)

3 Pittsburgh (3-1-6-2-1-4-7-7-10-12-12-13-10-5-4-3)

4 Atlanta (25-20-16-9-5-6-11-8-7-8-10-10-12-9-7-4)

5 Kansas City (9-12-12-16-16-8-8-5-5-5-6-4-4-2-6-5)

6 Green Bay (2-7-4-5-6-9-6-10-13-15-20-17-16-13-12-6)

7 New York Giants (16-13-13-18-18-17-17-16-8-7-7-7-11-6-5-7)

8 Seattle (4-10-7-7-7-3-2-4-2-2-2-5-5-10-9-8)

SECOND TIER

9 Tampa Bay (15-18-24-27-25-25-21-28-28-26-16-12-9-7-8-11)

10 Denver (8-5-2-1-4-7-3-2-6-6-5-6-7-11-13-14)

11 Tennessee (28-23-25-29-27-27-27-21-24-19-19-14-14-12-11-16)

12 Detroit (19-22-26-28-24-19-19-19-9-9-8-8-8-8-10-10)

13 Miami (26-24-30-30-30-29-25-25-19-17-14-11-13-14-14-13)

14 Oakland (11-15-14-10-8-10-10-6-4-4-4-2-2-4-3-9)

15 Washington (18-25-19-20-12-12-12-13-14-10-9-9-15-16-19-12)

16 Houston (10-9-17-13-15-13-13-11-12-11-13-19-19-18-17-15)

17 Indianapolis (21-27-21-23-22-26-23-23-23-24-23-24-18-19-16-18)

18 Baltimore (13-11-11-11-11-15-18-17-15-14-17-16-11-15-15-17)

19 Arizona (7-3-10-17-17-14-14-14-20-20-21-25-23-23-23-21)

20 Carolina (5-4-8-14-20-22-22-20-16-18-15-23-26-20-18-19)

21 New Orleans (27-26-28-25-26-23-29-22-21-22-25-21-21-21-20-20)

22 Philadelphia (29-17-5-6-10-18-9-12-18-16-18-18-25-26-26-25)

23 Minnesota (12-6-3-3-2-2-5-9-11-13-11-15-17-17-21-22)

24 Cincinnati (6-8-9-8-14-16-15-15-17-21-26-26-24-24-24-24)

25 Buffalo (22-29-22-19-13-11-16-18-22-23-22-22-22-22-22-23)

26 San Diego (24-14-23-26-29-24-20-26-25-25-24-20-20-25-25-26)

THIRD TIER

27 New York Jets (20-16-18-21-23-28-26-27-27-27-27-27-27-27-27-27)

28 Jacksonville (14-21-27-22-21-20-28-30-30-30-30-30-30-30-30-30)

29 Chicago (17-28-29-24-28-30-30-29-29-29-29-29-29-28-28-28)

30 Los Angeles (31-30-20-15-19-21-24-24-26-28-28-28-28-29-29-29)

31 San Francisco (30-31-31-31-31-31-31-31-31-31-31-31-31-31-31-31)

32 Cleveland (32-32-32-32-32-32-32-32-32-32-32-32-32-32-32-32)

BIGGEST RISERS: Tennessee (5 spots), Denver (4 spots), Philadelphia (3 spots)

BIGGEST FALLERS: Oakland (5 spots), Washington (3 spots)

RANKINGS BY DIVISION – 1 POINT PER RANKING SPOT FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TEAM, LOWEST SCORE IS BEST

1 NFC East 46

2 NFC South 54

3 AFC West 55

4 AFC East 66

5 NFC North 70

6 AFC South 72

7 AFC North 77

8 NFC West 88

RANKINGS BY CONFERENCE

1 NFC 258

2 AFC 270