WEEK 16: 11-5
SEASON: 146-94

NFL WEEK 17
SUNDAY'S GAMES
Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles 1 p.m.
The Eagles should end the season on a strong note on Sunday and with the nightmare season behind them after this game, I expect them to come back next season as a strong contender in the NFC.  As for the Redskins, I won't be surprised if the Mike Shanahan era is over because this is the second straight year they have finished at the bottom of the division.  It should be a close division game, but I like Philly to take care of business at home.
Eagles 35, Redskins 31

N.Y. Jets at Miami Dolphins

1 p.m.
As the Jets fight for their playoff lives, the last team they need to play is a resurgent Miami that is fully capable of beating this squad.  If Tom Brady had problems picking this defense apart, imagine the difficulty Mark Sanchez will have.  However, New York will show up when it counts and steal a victory on the road.  To my fellow analysts Tony and Sheldon, the Dolphins will lose again.

Jets 20, Dolphins 16

Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints 1 p.m.
The NFC South should be the toughest division in football next year, but the throne belongs to the Saints, who have earned the right to be called elite and the class of the division.  Carolina should be able to compete with this team, but with New Orleans at home I don't think the Panthers can keep up in the dome.  
Saints 27, Panthers 14

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers 1 p.m.
With Green Bay having nothing to play for, the Lions can clinch the number five seed with a win and avoid the Saints or the 49ers in the first round - which would be a smart idea.  I fully expect them to grab the victory while the Packers get to start their bye week early.
Lions 28, Packers 13

San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams 1 p.m.
Another disappointing season for the Rams is in the books, and hopefully this team can restore a winning culture by building through the draft and free agency.  As much as I would like to believe they can pull off an upset, they aren't capable of doing that against a dominant 49ers squad.

49ers 20, Rams 6

Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars 1 p.m.
Now that the Colts have avoided imperfection, the question is whether or not they should select Andrew Luck with the first pick.  Luckily they face a Jaguars team that is just as bad as them, but not that terrible to lose at home.

Jaguars 13, Colts 10

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots 1 p.m.
Knowing Tom Brady and the Patriots, they would love to get some revenge on a Buffalo team that beat them early in the season.  I think they do that in a half of work for the starters and lock up home field advantage throughout the AFC.  
Patriots 27, Bills 17

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans 1 p.m.
The Titans have a shot to get in the playoffs too if they win and I think Houston will not risk any more injury to its starters and look forward to its first playoff berth in history.  If Tennessee gets up early and creates some distance between them and the Texans, then they should be able to grab this win and hope for the other teams in the hunt to lose.
Titans 24, Texans 13

Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings 1 p.m.
With Chicago imploding during the second half of the season, the importance of Jay Cutler and Matt Forte couldn't be more evident.  On the Vikings side, Adrian Peterson suffered a torn ACL injury and I hope he can fully recover and be ready for next year.  As for this game, your guess is as good as mine, but I'll take the Bears because the Vikes are just that bad.
Bears 16, Vikings 10

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns 4:15 PM
The Steelers are still alive for the division, but I don't even think it matters where they start their playoff action at because they are a battle tested team that's no stranger to this stage.  I feel like the Browns have a chance, but this is the Browns I'm talking about so they will find a way to lose.
Steelers 20, Browns 10

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos 4:15 PM
There is no better way for Kyle Orton to end his season than having a chance to take down Tim Tebow and the Broncos team that left him out to dry.  The Tebow magic has been off lately, but I think Denver will muster up enough energy to capture a win at home and secure a playoff berth.  
Broncos 23, Chiefs 21

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons 4:15 PM
The Falcons have to use this game as a tune-up for the playoffs, but I think the outcome of this game will be decided by what the Lions do in their game against the Packers.  Since I trust Detroit to win, I feel like Atlanta will not go 100 percent this game and rest their starters for next week.  However, since Tampa Bay is so bad, I still think Atlanta can win.
Falcons 27 Buccaneers 20

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals 4:15 PM
For some strange reason I feel like the Bengals will win because they have put together a great season under the radar and are due to actually beat a good game, and the Ravens don't have a preference on where they begin their playoff quest.  However, with a first-round bye essentially on the line, Baltimore will find a way to win and end a great season by Cincinnati.
Ravens 17, Bengals 13

Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals 4:15 PM
The Seahawks and Cardinals should be an entertaining game and a division match-up never falls short on competitiveness; so this will be a back-and-forth contest.  This could go either way, but I'll take my chances with the home team.

Cardinals 24, Seahawks 20

San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders 4:15 PM
The Raiders have a lot to play for too, but running into a Chargers team that has found their stride will spoil their playoff chances on Sunday.  Oakland was plagued with injuries and I hope their key players can get healthy next year, but unfortunately, it's Tebow time.
Chargers 37, Raiders 20

Dallas Cowboys at N.Y. Giants 8:20 PM
With the NFC East on the line, the stakes could not be any higher for both of these teams.  With the injury status of Tony Romo up in the air, the G-men should be able to disrupt him all night with pressure and capitalize on a few bad throws.  However, the Dallas defense is no slouch either, and Eli Manning must be able to take care of the ball and counter the pressure that will be coming from DeMarcus Ware and company.  This will be more of a defensive slugfest than anything else, and I want to take my chances with a New York team that has proven they can excel in these pressure situations and loves the role of underdog.  This will come down to a fourth quarter drive, which Manning will orchestrate flawlessly.
Giants 23, Cowboys 16

The Bahamas Commercial Fishers Alliance (BCFA) has said the number of illegal fishermen currently operating in the country is swiftly approaching 100, Guardian Business has learned.
While taking away jobs from locals is a major concern, Adrian La-Roda, the secretary and head of public relations for the BCFA, said a disrespect for the natural environment is another factor taking its toll on the industry.
The count stands at 86, according to records from the BCFA, which doesn't come from any government organization. It comes from the source - the fishermen themselves.
"This number goes up every year," he said. "Our sources work on the fishing vessels. That's how we get our information. Trying to get it from the Immigration Department or the Department of Labour is a waste of time."
Over the last few weeks, La-Roda added that reports have come in of six additional illegal workers finding employment on Bahamian waters. It is illegal for non-Bahamians to directly engage in fishing.
The BCFA doesn't have the resources to enforce standards or personally monitor the vessels, so they rely on information confidentially provided by fishermen.
La-Roda said he could "confidently" say that the current tally of illegal workers is "more or less accurate".
The Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources didn't return calls before press time.
In November, Guardian Business reported that BCFA, made up of 250 Bahamian fishermen, was pushing to have their voices heard on a non-partisan level. Although there is a Fisheries Advisory Council, La-Roda said the average fisherman rarely has access to this level. The organization is actively seeking a more active role in the administration and regulation of their industry.
BCFA recently celebrated its third anniversary.
Glenn Gaitor, the assistant fisheries superintendent in Andros, said in an earlier interview that the situation was "a matter of policing".
He agreed that regulation and further resources are needed, but currently there is no funding to stop the problem.
Another initiative for BCFA is to develop a National Licensing Program to assist in the regulation of fishermen.
"Many operators circumvent the law by hiring foreigners as engineers. Often you'll have five 'engineers' on a vessel with two engines. How does this happen?" she asked. "They are employing people who are working much cheaper than a Bahamian would work."
Most of the illegal labor, according to La-Roda, comes from the Dominican Republic and Honduras.
Operators can also flout the law by placing Bahamian names on work permits and giving them to foreign employees. The Bahamas does not require a photo on its work permits for fishermen at this time, La-Roda added.
But apart from the loss of jobs, BCFA said the damage done to marine life is perhaps most troubling.
"They don't have an interest in the country. They are not concerned about the long-term effect of their actions. They see the quota and they want to make the quota today," he said.
As operators are driven by the bottom line, cheap labor is encouraged to use questionable practices, such as fishing juveniles or fishing out of season. Pains are not taken to protect ecosystems and pollution is left behind, he explained.
He pointed out that revising the permit model would not even come at a cost to the government. Instead, the relevant applicant will take on any additional expenditure.
"The authorities just need to understand. But the political will is not there," he said.

The unions representing staff at Sandals, Customs and Immigration officers and air traffic controllers yesterday hinted at possible collective industrial action if the minister of labour does not move quickly to resolve their outstanding issues.
Although he stopped short of committing to combined withdrawal of labor, Head of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Obie Ferguson issued the veiled threat to the government over the unresolved labor disputes.
"Something will happen, but we can't tell you [what].  What I'm prepared to tell you though, these matters must be resolved to the satisfaction of all the parties. The minister must be fair, not only to the employers, but also to the trade unions and the workers of this country," Ferguson said at a press conference at the House of Labour.
When pressed to reveal what action the unions have planned, Ferguson was vague, but said the unions will not do anything to destabilize the country.
"As an experienced trade unionist, I don't think any one of my colleagues [or me] would tell you the day, nor the hour that the son of [God] visits.  Rest assured, our interest is the interest of the workers but at the same time...we will do nothing to destroy this little piece of land we have here. . .but we are not going to build The Bahamas for other people," said Ferguson, flanked by executives of the various unions in question.
The TUC is the umbrella organization for The Bahamas Hotel Maintenance and Allied Workers Union (BHMAWU), the Bahamas Air Traffic Controllers Union (BATCU) and the Bahamas Customs Immigration and Allied Workers Union (BCIAWU).
The BHMAWU is agitating for a sit down with Labour Minister Dion Foulkes and executives at Sandals so all parties can hash out an agreement.
BHMAWU President Lynden Taylor said staff at Sandals Royal Bahamian and Sandals Emerald Bay in Exuma are "at the end of the rope" and want the union as their collective bargaining agent to settle disputes at the two properties.
"No one wants to take any action against an employer, but sometimes that's what you have to do. The 500 workers at Sandals are willing to make any move that is necessary in order to get our negotiating process started and get our agreement finalized," Taylor said.
But Foulkes said he does not have the legal authority to force the parties to negotiate an agreement.
"I can only encourage them to do so, which I have done," he said.
The BCIAWU is upset that Foulkes has not signed a strike certificate, weeks after a strike vote was taken.
Last Thursday, air traffic controllers began work-to-rule which was reportedly partly to blame for flight delays at Lynden Pindling International Airport over the Christmas holiday weekend.
On Tuesday, Tourism Minister Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace met with the union and both sides have said their grievances are being addressed.
BATCU President Roscoe Perpall said yesterday while discussions with Vanderpool-Wallace were productive, his union would support the BCIAWU and BHMAWU until they reach a satisfactory resolution with the government.
Foulkes told The Nassau Guardian, Labour Board officials have a January 10 date set to sit down with officials from the group representing customs and immigration officers.

A 24-year-old mother of four was found dead late Wednesday night in a Cowpen Road home, in a case that police have classified as a sudden death.
However, the mother of Sandy Joachim, believes that there is something sinister about her daughter's death.
Jenifer Utel said her daughter died on Wednesday at around 11:30 p.m.
So far, details surrounding Joachim's death are sketchy.
Assistant Superintendent B. K. Bonamy, who heads the homicide squad, said officers from the Carmichael Road Police Station went to the home on Wednesday night and found nothing to indicate that any foul play was involved.
However, he added that the body would be examined by a pathologist sometime today. "The autopsy will tell us which direction the investigation is headed in," Bonamy said.
Bonamy added that the police will also have to look at Joachim's medical record to see if she was suffering from any illnesses at the time of her death.
But Utel said her daughter was healthy and insists that she was murdered.
"She has all kinds of marks on her. They killed her," she said. "It don't look like a sudden death to me. My child just been to me yesterday."
Utel said her daughter had scratches on her face.
Bonamy, who had not personally viewed the body up to yesterday, said if the scratches are there, the police would look into it.
"I'll look at the file and speak to the pathologist in the morning," he added.
Utel said Joachim is survived by her husband and children, who are between the ages of eight months and 10 years.
Her family gathered yesterday to reflect on her life.
"She was a very friendly person, always happy and smiling," Utel said.  "We can't get over this."
Bonamy said he would provide an update on the investigations sometime today.