Don't Be Skrrred

The Mock Draft

2008-04-23T19:08:00.001-07:00

Since I can't pretend to know whether Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie out of Tennessee St. is a better corner than Leodis McKelvin, I decided to keep my mock draft at 10 picks. After that, I've seen a guy like Cromartie go 10th in some mock drafts and 30th in others. I've seen Branden Albert (G, UVA) taken 6th overall and in the 2nd round. So after 10, things go a little haywire, but here's how I think the top picks will shape up:

1. Miami Dolphins: Jake Long, OT Michigan- As a Dolphins fan, even though they have already signed him to a contract, I still think they'll find a way to mess this one up. It's hard to get excited about an offensive lineman at #1 instead of someone flashy like McFadden or Ryan. However, this is the right pick for a team that has the amount of rebuilding the Phish have to do. Great teams start in the trenches, and 6'7, 313 pound Long will anchor the line for years to come.

2. St. Louis Rams- Chris Long, DE UVA- It's either going to be him or Glenn Dorsey, but I think the Rams will go with the safer pick. Long is a hard-nosed, feisty end who can give the Rams a much needed pash rush. Dorsey has tremendous upside, but his injury concerns should prove too much for a team coming off a year decimated by injuries.

3. Atlanta Falcons- Glenn Dorsey, DT LSU- Matt Ryan could also be the pick here, especially if Dorsey does go #2, but the Falcons will have a tough time passing on Dorsey at 3. While injuries are a concern, he is often described as "freakishly" athletic and Falcons fans are going to need a player that can keep them interested, because they are going to be bad for years to come.

4. Oakland Raiders- Darren McFadden, RB Arkansas- Assuming Dorsey is taken by one of the above two, it will come down to Chris Long or McFadden for Al Davis, and thus by process of elimination McFadden is the pick. I personally believe he's the most talented player in the draft. McFadden is a tremendous athlete who posses a rare ability to run with both speed and power.

5. Kansas City Chiefs- Vernon Gholston, DE Ohio State- This is where the draft will get dicey, because KC can do a number of things here. They have a 2nd pick (#17) and it appears they want to address their offensive line issues with one of the picks. Ryan Clady and Branden Albert are both possibilities here as well. I think the Chiefs will try to trade this pick, which if Matt Ryan is on the board is a definite possibility (especially with Baltimore expressing interest in doing so). However if they don't trade it, logic says to take the best player available, which in my opinion here is Gholston.

6. New York Jets- Sedrick Ellis, DT USC- The Jets are going to want McFadden or Gholston (or would be ecstatic if Chris Long somehow fell), but as above, will have to take the best player available. I would be shocked to see the Jets go QB here with Pennington and Clemens still on the roster. This could also be a spot where Baltimore jumps in with a trade to prevent anyone else from doing so.

7. New England Patriots- Keith Rivers, LB USC- The Patriots will try to trade down as they always so, but assuming they don't, Rivers will be the pick. The Pats need help at CB too with the loss of Samuel, and should they trade down later in the first round, would often grab a Talib, Cromartie, or McKelvin. However, sitting at 7 with no clear cut favorite at corner, the Pats will fill another need at LB, where they continue to age.

8. Baltimore Ravens- Matt Ryan, QB BC- There's no chance the Ravens pass on Ryan if he's sitting here at #8. It's quite possible they trade up to get him as well, but he won't fall past 8.

9. Cincinnati Bengals- Ryan Clady, OT Boise State- The Bengals love Sedrick Ellis, but he won't fall to #9. They'll address their need on the line with either Clady or Albert, but since Clady won't have to switch positions, they'll take Clady.

10. New Orleans Saints- Aqib Talib, CB Kansas- The Saints will likely go corner if they are unable to get Ellis or Rivers (potentially in a trade). To be quite honest, this will most likely not be the pick. McKelvin, Cromartie and Mike Jenkins of South Florida are all rated higher on most draft guru's board, and one of them will likely go here instead. However, watching Talib play, he is a tremendous athlete. He's a shutdown CB with tremendous breakway speed, who can also return kicks and punts. I didn't watch too many Tenn. St or Troy games, and can't compare to the other top CBs, but Talib is a special player and whoever lands him will be thrilled.

A couple of other notes for the rest of the draft.

1) Whoever gets Brian Brohm will get a steal. This guy was a potential 1st overall pick last year before a lackluster senior season after a coaching change. Try being a 20 yr old QB and transition from a Bobby Petrino offense to a human offense. Brohm is a great player, and I would be thrilled if he falls out of the first and the Dolphins could nab him with pick #32.

(Of course, Drew Brees fell into the Dolphins lap years ago, but the dolphins opted to take CB Jamar Fletcher instead of Brees, while sporting the best pair of corners in the NFL at the time. We later traded Fletcher for David Boston.)

(And of course, Brady Quinn fell to #9 last year, and we took a punt returner instead.)

2) There could potentially be 11 Virginia Tech players taken tomorrow, which would really be exciting for me. CB Brandon Flowers should be a 1st round pick, but could fall to early 2nd round (attention Dolphins again). OT Duane Brown will be a mid 2nd round selection. LB Xavier Adibi will like fall to round 3, and be a complete steal there. WR Eddie Royal is a solid 3rd selection, he's quick, great hands and is also a fine returner. After that WRs Justin Harper and Josh Morgan will find homes in round 5-7, DE Chris Ellis could get a picked a bit earlier, and D-Lineman Barry Booker and Carlton Powell will likely be picked. Don't be surprised if S D.J. Parker gets taken before round 6 too, as Hokie defensive backs have found roles in special teams.

3) There's a few QBs that I believe will be better pros than people think. In addition to Brohm, I think Chad Henne is underrated. The former Michigan star has a heck of an arm, and has proven himself in big spots. I wouldn't mind him in round 2 either. I'm not sold on Joe Flacco yet, but word is he has tremendous upside as well. John David Booty is also an excellent player, who didn't have the college career many were expecting. But then again, that Brady guy didn't light the world on fire in college either.

The Masters

2008-04-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

It's incredible what Tiger Woods has created. He has created a golf world where the focus is not the tournament, the course, or the field, it's on him. It's not about who will win the Masters, but whether or not Tiger will win. It's the field vs Tiger, and the amazing thing is, I'd still take Tiger. Woods is currently playing on a level no one has ever seen before, perhaps even for Tiger. And if someone else wins, the story will not be that Rory Sabbatini won, or that Luke Donald won, it will be that Tiger DIDN'T win.

And if Tiger does win, expect the Grand Slam talk to commence immediately.

Opening Week

2008-04-08T17:52:00.000-07:00

1. Not quite the start you'd want from the mets, but definitely some great early signs.
Both Santana and Oliver Perez look terrific early on, and keeping these two dominant throughout the season is essential, especially with the injury to Pedro. Additionally, the #3-#8 hitters are all batting over .300, with Church and Delgado both having surprisingly good starts. However, the Mets still can't seem to manufacture runs, which can be attributed in large part to the struggles of their table setters. Reyes and Castillo have slumped in the season's opening week, which is particularly scary for Reyes, who closed out last year in similar fashion. But the same old story has been the bullpen, who still doesn't appear to be able to get any out. This is going to need to change, or the boys from Queens could easily find themselves near the basement of the NL East.

2. It's hard to make a comment like this only 7 games into the season, but at some point you have to be concerned about the Tigers. Starting off 0-7 is digging quite a hole for yourself, and if it gets any deeper it may be tougher than you think to get out of it. Consider the following situation: If the Tigers drop 3 more and go to 0-10, they'd have to play .667 baseball just to get to .500 at the season's 1/4 mark. Not exactly promising for a team who opened up the favorites to win the World Series at 3:1. This is not to say the Tigers are overrated or that their season is over, but just a heads up that the hole they are digging is becoming problematic.

3. Other than the Tigers 0-7 mark, don't put too much stock into the early performances of teams. There's no reason for Indians', Mariners' or Rockies' fans to sweat a losing record after one week. By the same logic, I'd caution Royals, Cardinals and Marlins fans to get too enthusiastic over there early season mark. It's a long season, and the bad teams will show their true colors, just like the talented ones will hit their stride.

Memphis Meltdown

2008-04-08T15:36:00.000-07:00

In what could be a considered the year of the Meltdown, Memphis added their name to the list of choke artists. Leading 60-51 with 2:12 to play, the Tigers had a national title in their grasp. This coming in a year where despite how many games they won, no one would give them the credit they deserved. Three key factors led to the collapse.

1) Abysmal free-throw shooting down the stretch, hitting just 1/5 in the final 1:15 of regulation.
2) With a 7-point lead and all the momentum with 1:54 play, a stolen inbounds pass followed by a subsequent 3-ball from Sherron Collins.
3) A very questionable decision not to foul with only 10 seconds left and a 3-point lead.

All three of these are inexcusable, but it seems coach John Calipari is taking the brunt of this from talking heads around the nation. In my opinion, the blame should fall squarely upon the shoulders of the players. CDR missed his last three free throws, and with a chance to ice the game, Derrick Rose (considered to be one of the top players in the country) only hits 1/2. Additionally, Joey Dorsey commits a foolish foul with 1:23 left, knocking himself out of the game and giving Kansas 2 free points. This is not representative of poor coaching, but of poor execution by the stars of your team.

And can you really fault Calipari for not wanting to foul in that situation? After all, Kansas shot 14/15 from the stripe yesterday. Should he really have given Kansas 2 free points, and then put his own team back on the line and trusted them to respond?

You can blame Calipari all you want, call him a great recruiter but an average coach until you are blue in the face, but when you put your team in a position to win, you must be able to count on your stars to deliver. When a first team All-American misses 3 foul shots down the stretch, it's time to blame the player, not the coach.

On the flip side, lets give some credit to Kansas for the a gutsy comeback. The tremendous play by Collins, two clutch free throws from Mario Chalmers, and of course, Chalmers historic desperation three to send the gave to OT. Kansas stayed calm, they did not panicked, and they executed down the stretch, and thus, deserved to win.

The Return

2008-04-08T15:10:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile, but I am happy to inform you that Don't Be Skrrred is back. I'm sure you are all wondering about the reasons for the hiatus, and I assure you it can be explained. Over the past 6 weeks, here are all the things that have been keeping me from informing, entertaining and wowing you:

1. Spring Break ( 2 days in Florida, 5 day cruise followed by a weekend in Vegas.)
2. Formal (3 days in Louisville, Kentucky)
3. Invasion of the 16-year olds (A 4 day visit from baby sister and friend)
4. The revelation I should have gone to a state school (My trip to Bloomington, Indiana).
5. The loss of my free time (Watching the first 3 seasons of LOST)

Now that my American road trip is over, and theres no more LOST to watch, I can get back to doing what I do best; telling you why I am right and everyone else is wrong.

Upcoming posts:
Week 1 of the MLB season
NCAA tournament recap

St. Louis Cabbies, round 5

2008-02-15T13:24:00.000-08:00

A quick excerpt from my cab ride home last night, from a 30-something year old yetti named Lee with a 19-year old son:

"Lee: So where are we going?

Jess: Wash U, Forsyth please"

Lee: Ok, foreskin, heh heh heh, foreskin, heh heh.

Jess: No, Forsyth, it's near Big Bend.

Lee: Yeah, yeah, foreskin, heh heh heh. Foreskin, heh heh. You know, like from Beavis and Butthead"

Me: Oh yeah, I remember that phase, then I passed the fifth grade."

Ramblings

2008-02-15T12:30:00.000-08:00

1. I've gotta give Roger Clemens some credit. He took a situation where its so obvious that he's lying, and turned it around and made McNamee look like a jackass. Clemens is still so obviously lying, and all the evidence points there, but his charade coupled with McNamee's inability to come off as any semblance of a human being made McNamee come off as the liar. And I think if it weren't for Henry Waxman's highly inappropriate closing comments (where he basically said it's obvious Clemens is still lying, and apologized to McNamee) the general public might have been swayed. With two completely conflicting stories, it's obvious someone is lying, and there's likely to be a federal investigation. While I firmly believe Clemens will eventually be outed as a liar, kudos to Roger for convincing many dumb Americans, and congressmen, that he might be telling the truth.

2. Happy Pitchers and Catchers! Early reports are that Johan and Pedro look great, and Duaner Sanchez is in the best shape of his life. I can't help but get excited for this year, as I hope to get the horrible taste of the 07 collapse out of my mouth as quickly as possible.

3. Every time I watch the Richard Zednik highlight, I cringe. What an absolute freak accident, and thank god team doctors were able to get him into a hospital on time. It just goes to show that in sports literally anything can, and will happen eventually. I've heard analysts say they are 'amazed' that more things like this don't happen on the ice with skates flying everywhere, but how often are people inverted in the air in hockey, and do so at the same time another players neck is in the area. I, for one, am glad it doesn't happen more often, and hope it never happens again.

4. As a Dolphins fan, I fully anticipated that Bill Parcells would come in here and clean house. I expected Randy Mueller to get the ax, I knew Cam Cameron would get his walking papers, and I wasn't surprised when Trent Green was sent packing along with other starters like Marty Booker and Keith Traylor. But did they really have to release Zach Thomas? This guy has been the heart and sole of the Dolphins since Marino left, and he deserved a better fate. It's gonna be a young, inexperienced team out there next year, and what better thing for a defense than a veteran leader who busts his ass play after play and makes 150 tackles a year. I know his contracts is big, and I know he's old, but the Dolphins faithful can only take so much. After a 1-15 year, 6 straight seasons without playoffs, and 5 different opening game QBs in 5 years, I don't know that I can swallow losing a team icon like that. Jason Taylor, one of the league's premier players, has been keeping his mouth shut while playing hard for this insufferable losing team. However with 1-15 and now the release of his half-brother (although I heard rumors they got divorced), we might hear some trade demands from JT. And the sad thing is, I think Parcells would let him go.

5. It's hard to comment on the Kidd trade fiasco, because it's hard to know what the exact deal was. I originally heard the deal was Devean George, Devin Harris, DeSagna Diop, Jerry Stackhouse, $3 million, and 2 first round picks for Kidd. In which case, what a deal for the Nets. They get a couple of expiring contracts, cash, and two first rounders for an unhappy player who, as good as he is, is causing more harm than good. But now, Devean George, who inexplicable has a no trade clause thanks to a little known NBA rule regarding 1-year contracts, has vetoed the trade and the NBA says Stackhouse cannot be traded to the Nets, only to be waived and return to Dallas in a month. Instead, the Mavs now want to be Trenton Hassell and Keith Van Horn in their place. Sure, just what the Nets fans have been itching for...the return of Keith Van Horn. More on this to come...

Phoenix Folly

2008-02-07T10:39:00.000-08:00

I think I speak for all NBA fans when on Tuesday night I said...."WHAT?!?! Marion and Banks for Shaq?? Why on earth would the Suns do that? Has to be a rumor."

Sure enough, the Big Aristotle is on his way to Phoenix, and Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks are headed to Miami. The Suns have traded 29 year old PF who has average 18 and 10 over his career, for a 35 yeard old, 325 pound center who has seen his PPG and RPG drop each of the last 3 years. As a longtime Shaq fan, I'm thrilled with this trade because the Daddy will get a chance for a 5th ring. But from the Suns standpoint, regardless of whether or not you like the guy, you can't trade superstar in his prime for a legend on the steep decline. Shaq is all-time great, but to call him a mere shadow of his former self might be giving him too much credit. He's slow, he's out of shape and hes owed 30 million dollars over the next year and a half. Since the Suns sell out consistently, the 'he'll put asses in the seats' defense doesn't work here. Unless the Suns ownership recently developed a personal vendetta against UNLV grads, this trade makes no sense from the Suns' standpoint. The Heat however, will have a solid combination between Wade and Marion for the next few years, and if some pieces can be put around them, will once again turn into an Eastern Conference contender.

Eli Manning, Super Bowl MVP

2008-02-07T10:01:00.000-08:00

Five months ago this guy, Eli Manning was seemingly the second coming of Ryan Leaf. Giants' fans everywhere were regretting the draft day swap of Eli Manning for three pro bowlers, Philip Rivers, Shawne Merriman and Nate Kaeding. And can't blame them, Eli turned the ball over this season more than any player in the National Football League. But over the past 6 weeks, Eli Manning underwent a transformation likened to LeBron's game 6 performance against the Pistons. Each player went from a player with tremendous talent, to a winner. It appears the G-Men have found their franchise QB, just 4 years after they drafted him.

This upset happened for a few reasons. 1) A tremendous 4th quarter performance by Eli Manning. If the previous 4 games hadn't proved it, 9-14, 152 yds and 2 TD in the biggest pressure quarter against a top defense..that might do it. 2) Hitting Brady 18 times. Part of what allows Brady to be so dominant is that he's never touched, he's only hit a few times a game. On Sunday, Brady was not only sacked 5 times, but knocked of his feet 18 times. The Giants' front four was tremendous, and the difference make in the game. 3) No big plays from the Pats. As I said in the preview, a key was to limit big plays. No Maroney 50 yard runs, no Moss 60 yard TD bombs, no pick sixes. The Giants made the Pats sustain long drives to score, of which they could only produce 2. 4) The Patriots' arrogance. Mostly this was demonstrated by the genius head coach opting to bypass a 48 yard FG in a dome and go for it on 4th and 13. I don't buy the long FG argument, if you can't trust your kicked to a 48 yd FG in perfect conditions, then why have a kicker. They went for it because Belichick was saying 'you can't stop us'. I think a lot of Pats went into the game with that attitude, and it contributed to their demise.

The Super Bowl Preview

2008-01-30T23:31:00.000-08:00

In what will be one of the highest rated Super Bowls of all-time, the unbeaten Pats will try to finish off their undefeated season against the resurgent Giants. This game has endless story lines: Manning's breakout months, a 4th title in 7 years for New England, Brady's ankle, 19-0, New York vs Boston, the list goes on and on. The game itself is likely to be anti-climactic after all the hype, so don't get your hopes up. A few disclaimers before my analysis begins:

1) For those of you who don't know, I absolutely, positively despise the New England Patriots. Additionally, I have fully jumped on the Giants bandwagon. That being said, this becomes the Super Bowl I have the most rooting interest in my 21 year life, so please excuse any bias.

2) Plaxico Burress needs to shut his mouth, but I don't buy into the fact that his comments are going to 'pump up the Pats'. If you need comments from a WR to get you psyched for the Super Bowl, you don't deserve to be playing. All players should be motivated to play with the highest intensity, and to the fullest extent of their ability, it's the Super Bowl. Give me a break.

3) Tom Brady's ankle is completely fine. Kudos to ESPN for filling up hours of dead air with a non-story.

Super Bowl XLVII

The Giants actually come into the game with more momentum, which is tough to do against a team who has won 18 straight. The G-Men come in riding the 'no one respects us' wave, which is always dangerous. Meanwhile, the Pats have failed to live up to their expectations and blow out opponents. So despite playoff victories by 11 and 9 point margins, the Pats have been 'disappointing'. However, the momentum stops the second the ball is kicked off, and the Pats are the more talented, and more experienced team.

When the Patriots have the ball:

The Giants do possess the one thing that can slow the Pats offense, a consistent pass rush. Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora are among the best DE tandems in the game, and must get to Brady early and often to stay in the game. The problem on defense is the mismatch of the Giants secondary vs the Pats receivers. Big Blue's defensive backs are suspect, which is bad enough without having to face the likes of Moss, Stallworth and Welker. Madison, Ross and Webster have all battled injuries, and R.W. McQuarters appears to have been infected with fumblitis. I think the Giants will get pressure on Brady, and knock him down a few times, frustrating him a bit early on. However, I think in the end the mismatch down the field is too great, and I expect several plays of 20+ yards. A major key for the Giants is limiting big plays, and I think this will be a tremendous challenge. Additionally, what we've seen over the past few weeks is that even if you manage to slow Brady and the passing offense, Maroney is perfectly capable of carrying the load to the tune of 150 yards. The Pats big boys have been dominating the line of scrimmage, and the Pats always find a way to score. The G-Men will frustrate the Pats offense, but despite Plax's prediction, they'll drop more than 17 points.

When the Giants have the ball:

On the other side of the ball, I fully expect the Giants to move the football. His big mouth aside, Burress played a tremendous game last week, and will be a big factor in the ball game. Eli has thrown the ball extremely well the past 4 weeks, and has spread the ball around successfully. Most importantly, he has been smart with the football, making efficient throws and avoiding turnover. Manning has yet to throw an interception in the playoffs, and continuing this trend is a must. Amani Toomer is the go-to-guy in big spots, and TE Kevin Boss has filled in quite nicely for the injured Jeremy Shockey. Brandon Jacobs is among the toughest runners in the league, and will provide the Giants with the ground attack they need to open up the passing game. The key for the Giants is to take advantage of red zone opportunities. The past two weeks, Jacksonville and San Diego have moved the ball well, but couldn't convert opportunities into 6 points. I expect the Giants to have little trouble piling up the yardage, but the less we see of Lawrence Tynes, the better. Plus, we know the Giants will get at least 30-45 yards on Rodney Harrison penalties, probably on hits administered to #17.

Prediction:
I truly believe this will be an exciting, competitive game. Contrary to popular belief, Giants are a talented, well-coached, fundamentally sound football team, not simply a hot one. If they can limit the big plays on offense, protect the football, and convert opportunities into touchdowns, the Giants have a real shot. Unfortunately, that's just too many 'ifs' against a team as good and as experienced as this Pats team.

New England 31, New York Giants 24

(Inserts Santana Exclamation Here)

2008-01-29T14:04:00.000-08:00

The Mets have acquired LHP Johan Santana from the Twins in exchange for four prospects.

It's over. I can't believe it. No Fernando Martinez. No Mike Pelfrey. No Jose Reyes. And to think, all it took was last night's blogpost to give the Twins the kick in the ass they needed. This is a great day to be a Mets fan, and later today, when I have finished celebrating, more reaction will follow.

As the Rumor Mill Turns..

2008-01-28T20:41:00.000-08:00

Erik Bedard

There are officially 17 days until pitchers and catchers report, and the rumors are beginning to catch fire once again. All signs point to an imminent deal between the Orioles and Mariners, sending stud pitcher Erik Bedard to Seattle in exchange for OF Adam Jones, RP George Sherrill and two top Seattle prospects.

The deal would give the Mariners 2 potentially dominant starting pitchers in Felix Hernandez and Bedard, to compliment lights-out closer J.J. Putz. The M's offense is strong behind Japanese stars Ichiro and Kenji Johjima and vets Adrian Beltre and Richie Sexson, but with Jones heading to Baltimore and Jose Guillen signing with Kansas City, the outfield has taken a big hit this season. Still, a lineup featuring something like Ichiro-Vidro-Ibanez-Beltre-Sexson-Johjima, with Jeremy Reed, Jose Lopez and Willie Bloomquist at the bottom of the order is still a strong top to bottom lineup. The Mariners play a big role in the AL West race, as they showed significant potential after their 2007 run.

On the flip side, this trade sets the Orioles further and further back in returning to respectability. With young players maturing in Tampa, the Orioles may need to make themselves comfortable in the AL East basement. A perennial power in the '90s, Peter Angelos has run this team straight into the ground, and as the Yankees and Red Sox continue to get stronger, the Orioles may not see the players for many years.

Johan Santana

This has to be one of the most talked about, debated, blogged, and written about trade in MLB history. Articles seem to surface on this story daily, incredible since there hasn't been any real news here since the winter meetings. The latest 'story' has the Mets as the new front-runner. According to multiple 'sources' , the Yankees have taken Phil Hughes off the table, and the BoSox have done the same with Jon Lester. Suddenly, a package of all the Mets top prospects is much more attractive to the Twins. The deal rumored to be on the table is 18 year old pitching prospect Deolis Guerra, SP Phil Humber, SP Kevin Mulvey and OF Carlos Gomez. The sticking point is reportedly 18-year old phenom OF Fernando Martinez, who the Mets are currently refusing to add.

I find it so hard to comment on this, because no one really knows what's really happening. Some seem to think the Twins are just keeping the Mets in it to keep the Yankees interested, and in turn, the Red Sox. It appears now that the Twins would pull the trigger on a Phil Hughes trade without insisting on the addition of Ian Kennedy. The price has dropped for Santana since December (or so it appears), but apparently not low enough to accept a package of prospects from the Mets. As a Met fan, I say throw the lot of young talent at Minnesota, because a pitcher like this comes along once a decade. It is near impossible to acquire an ace of Santana's statute in this day and age, and the Mets have the money to sign him long-term, and no player who has yet to make a major league contribution should hold up this deal.

If a deal is to happen, it will likely happen in the next week or so, as the team will want to prepare for spring training. I'm on the edge of my seat, I just don't know how much more I can read.

The Rest of Baseball

Incredibly, this entire off-season centered around three players, none of which were free agents. Danny Haren, Bedard and Santana have been the story, and only Haren was actually moved. Despite some big names still on the free-agent market (Livan Hernandez, Kenny Lofton, Bartolo Colon, some guy named Bonds), no one seems to care. This has been of the most boring off seasons in recent memory, as the trend is toward locking up young players for many years, even if it means buying out some arbitration years. Any winter where the biggest signing for a team from New York is Matt Wise, well....it's a good thing the Giants are in the Super Bowl. Go Big Blue!

Super Bowl Preview will debut on Wednesday

Against the Spread

2008-01-21T01:14:00.000-08:00

Just for the record, here are my picks against the spread this playoff season, all spreads are from the Thursday Star Ledger, as per my football pool rules:

Wild-Card Round:

Seattle (-3) over Washington
Jacksonville (+2) over Pittsburgh
NY Giants (+3) over Tampa Bay
San Diego (-8) over Tennessee

Divisional Round:

Green Bay (-8) over Seattle
Jacksonville (+13.5) over New England
Indianapolis (-8.5) over San Diego
NY Giants (+7.5) over Dallas

Championship Round:

San Diego (+14) over New England
NY Giants (+7) over Green Bay

For those keeping score, that's 9-1. Don't be Skrrrrrrrred.

Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue

2008-01-21T00:43:00.000-08:00

Well, it's not surprising that the red, white and blue team from Foxboro, Massachusetts has made it all the way to the Super Bowl. Despite 3, count 'em, 3, interceptions from Tom Brady, the Chargers fell short, falling to the Patriots 21-12. Despite the three picks, and three trips inside the Patriots 10-yard line (3 FGs), the Chargers could not capitalize on an off-day from the Pats-O. If any there were a day for this team to be beaten, it was on this day. Tom Brady played as poorly as you'll ever see, as perhaps the frigid temperatures got to him. However, despite the poor play by the MVP, the Chargers hobbled offense could not take advantage. Philip Rivers turned in a gutsy performance on a bum knee, but could not get the ball into the end zone. The Bolts outplayed the undefeated Pats for 3 quarters, but because they could not push the ball across the goal line, still trailed 14-12. An early 4th quarter TD allowed the Pats running game to take over, while Laurence Maroney solidified his status as an elite-back with a big-time performance down the stretch. The Pats did not turn in an 'A' effort, but it was good enough to advance to the more important A, Arizona.

The other red, white and blue team from straight down I-95 served as a bit more of a surprise. To all those who said 'No way is Eli winning 3 straight road games'. To all those who said "No way can the Giants win in Lambeau'. To all those who said it couldn't be done, I present to you the 2007-08 NFC Champion New York Football Giants. In one of the most entertaining and exciting championship games in recent history, Big Blue shocked the Pack in Green Bay, with a 23-20 overtime win. And it all starts and ends with Eli, who threw of over 250 yards, and for the 3rd straight time this playoff season, did not turn the football over. The G-Men came out and outplayed the Packers from the get go, jumping out to an early 6-0 lead before a 90-yd TD pass to Donald Driver. The Giants went into the locker room down 10-6 at the half, but a strong drive in on the opening series in the second half gave the Giants the lead, capped by a Brandon Jacobs TD run. The two teams traded 7s to make the score 20-17 Giants before the game got interesting. With the Packers driving, R.W. McQuarters, one of the heroes of last weeks upset in Dallas, picked off Brett Favre deep in Green Bay territory, only to fumble the ball right
back to the Pack. Mason Crosby tied the game with a 37-yard field goal, setting the stage for a classic ending. The Giants took the ensuing kickoff down the field, giving Lawrence Tynes a chance to give the Giants a lead with 7 minutes to play. Tynes pushed the kick left, giving the Packers life. After both teams were stopped, the Giants were set to get the ball back with 2:30 to play. After returning the ball inside the Packers 40, R.W. McQuarters coughed the ball up yet again, but instead of falling on the ball, the Packers attempt to pick it up, and the ball winds up in Domenik Hixon's hand as the Giants retain possession at midfield. Following 2 big catches by Steve Smith and tough runs by Ahmad Bradshaw (including a 48 yard touchdown which was called back), Lawrence Tynes was set up with a chance for redemption, a 36 yard game winning FG attempt. However, once again Tynes booted the kick left, badly, sending this instant classic to overtime. After winning the coin toss, Favre made things happen quickly, throwing the ball right into the hands of the Giants' Corey Webster on 2nd down. The Giants did nothing with the field position, and coach Tom Coughlin decided to leave it up to his shaky kicked for a 47-yard attempt ( keeping in mind no one in the history of the NFL has every made a 40+ yard FG in Lambeau Field during the playoffs). Sure enough, Tyned drilled this FG, sending the Giants to the big show and half of New York into a frenzy.

Enough already

2008-01-15T14:19:00.000-08:00

I honestly can't take it anymore. This steroid scandal has been made infinitely worse than it had to be. Major League Baseball has turned a performance-enhancing drug scandal, which has arisen in nearly all sports, and cranked out the Mitchell Report, books authored by intellectuals such as Jose Canseco, and multiple hearings before Congress. We get it, people took steroids, it's a blemished era. Must we beat the dead horse and find out exactly who did it, and for how long? Must we continue to make this into a circus? With our country at war, healthcare problems galore and a potential recession looming, should Congress really be wasting their time listening to Roger Clemens lie about whether or not he took a needle in the ass to make him throw a baseball harder? This is ridiculous, and frankly, I've had enough and can no longer be bothered.

Now starting for the New York Mets?

2008-01-14T01:02:00.001-08:00

I refuse to comment on speculation, especially with the 2 months of drama regarding Johan Santana. However, I will re-iterate one point. As a Met fan, I am willing to deal ANY package of players that does not include Jose Reyes, David Wright or Carlos Beltran to bring Johan Santana to the Mets. This guy is the best pitcher in the game, in his prime, and I refuse to let any player(s) who has yet to make any kind of impact in the major leagues prevent me from getting him. With a package of guys like Deolis Guerra (18), Fernando Martinez (18), Carlos Gomez (hit .250 in the big leagues last year, Kevin Mulvey (a 22 yr with just 1 AAA start) and Philip Humber (still waiting for ANYTHING impressive), the BEST case scenario is that ONE of them rises to the level of Santana.

I'll take the sure bet, and don't kid yourself, the Mets can afford the 6 yr/$150M extension. After all, their biggest off-season acquisition to this point remains Matt Wise and the $1.2M we gave him.

For the record..

2008-01-14T00:45:00.000-08:00

In week 17, many were debating the right approach was for a team with nothing to play for. Here is a small statistical sampling:

New England- At 15-0, with the #1 seed wrapped up and only a perfect season to play for, the Pats played as hard as any week, and now find themselves hosting the AFC championship game.

Indianapolis- At 13-2, the Colts were locked into the #2 seed, and took all starters out before the start of the 2nd quarter. Their reward? Losing their first playoff game at home to Billy Volek.

Jacksonville- Locked into the 5th seed at 11-4, the Jags willingly took a beating from the Texans to give Garrard, Jones-Drew and Taylor a rest. While they did win at Pittsburgh, they still find themselves watching on TV with the rest of us next week.

Dallas- At 13-2 with te #1 seed in hand, Tony Romo played just the first half, and Marion Barber carried the ball only 6 times as the 'Boys let their division rival Redskins walk into the playoffs with a 27-6 win. Their reward? An opening round home loss to hated rival New York.

Green Bay- Despite having the #2 seed locked up, the Pack came out with something to prove, started their A-team and routed the Lions 34-13 to wrap up the season. Not surprisingly, they find themselves hosting the NFC title game next week.

New York Giants- Locked in the #5 seed and faced with a no-win situation ( try to derail the Pats perfect season or rest up a beat-up squad), Big Blue opted to play their hearts out and have the Pats a run for their money. They lost Sean O'Hara, but gained priceless confidence. Two road wins later they find themselves a game away from the Super Bowl.

So much for 'much-needed rest'...

A Giant Weekend

2008-01-13T23:59:00.000-08:00

It's down to four in the NFL playoffs, and its a tale of two different stories in the AFC and NFC. Pre-season odds on a Pats/Chargers AFC Title game would have been pretty reasonable, but how many people predicted a Packers/Giants NFC Championship game before the season?? After the Packers outscored Seattle 42-6 in the final 55 minutes on Saturday, the Patriots took the Jaguars best shot, and still rolled to a 31-20 victory.

Sunday was the more interesting day; two road teams pulled significant upsets, and two preseason favorites were derailed. Despite a hobbled Antonio Gates, and losing both Philip Rivers and LDT to injury, the Chargers shocked the Colts in Indy to advance to the AFC Championship game. This sets up a potentially disastrous AFC title game, and the big wigs and CBS are still weeping over losing their dream matchup. The only way the Chargers can make this a game, is if they can get healthy (fast) and Shawne Merriman can terrorize Brady. I don't like the Chargers chances at all, but its football, and stranger things have happened.

How about them GGGGGG-Men?? You have to give Eli Manning credit. After all the abuse he's taken, after all the talking heads saying he would never be a star in this league, he has elevated his game the past 4 weeks and grown by leaps and bounds. He hasn't put up eye-popping numbers, but he's made the smart plays, avoiding the disastrous ones, and emerged as a true leader. While Eli has blossomed, the Giants have quietly been working the two-headed rusher monster, as Ahmad Bradshaw has served as the perfect compliment to the hard-nosed Brandon Jacobs. Additionally, Amani Toomer has proven himself to be among the league's most underrated receivers, and Kevin Boss has filled Shockey's shoes flawlessly. The pass rush has been key all season, and was outstanding on the Cowboys final drive. R.W. McQuarters played a phenomenal game, but the secondary must get healthy in a hurry for the Giants to advance. The blue and red have exceeded expectations, and Giants' fans are thrilled to even make it to Lambeau, but don't expect anyone to be satisfied. Going into Lambeau and winning is a tall task, but who can really argue with 8 straight road wins??

"National Championship"

2008-01-09T00:16:00.000-08:00

Pretty much what I expected. LSU was bigger, faster and better. This Ohio State team is extremely young, losing only 3 seniors to graduation in 2008. The future is bright for this team, and Chris "Beanie" Wells may be a Heisman favorite heading into next season. The Buckeyes jumped out to a quick start, similar to last year's game, and were overmatched from there on out. The SEC truly seems to be the dominant conference in the NCAA. SEC teams went 7-2 in bowls this year, and have won the past 2 national titles.

In a shocking development, after being screwed out of the national title thing, Georgia president Michael Adams is suddenly advocating a playoff. Funny how the system is all well and good until it screws your school. My theory is, once all 119 teams in the Bowl Championship Subdivision have been screwed out of a title shot, we will finally see a playoff. But until then, the best we can hope for is a plus-one format in 2010, which may be becoming a realistically possibility.

That's Why They Call It Wild-Card

2008-01-08T23:39:00.000-08:00

The NFL uncharacteristically lacked parody this year, which did not bode well for the postseason. However the opening weekend to the playoffs was extremely entertaining, with 4 competitive, entertaining games.

Seattle/Washington: The emotional wave can only carry you so far and met its enemy on Saturday, deafening crowd noise. Qwest Field is an impossible place to play, and even harder when your starting QB is returning from a decade absence in the NFL. The Redskins showed heart and rallied to take the lead with two scores in a three minutes, but the Seahawks pulled away behind Marcus Trufant's pick-6. Don't count the Seahawks out of the NFC picture. I'm a firm believer in Matt Hasselbeck, and an experienced QB, excellent coach and quality defense can carry a team to the big show.

Jacksonville/Pittsburgh- In the most thrilling game of the weekend, the Jags did what 80% of the world expected, knocked off the Steelers in Heinz Field. After an atrocious first half, Big Ben rallied the troops as the Steelers mounted a furious comeback. Rothlisberger has proven himself time and time again to be one of the leagues premier QB, despite the fact that he lacks the skills of the majority of signal callers. He's an outstanding leader and a tough, gutsy football player. As is David Garrard, who recorded the first of what I suspect will be many memorable playoff moments, with a 4th-and-2 scramble for 32 yards to set up the game winner. I love the Jacksonville-New England game next weekend, as I believe the Jags are the only team outside of Indianapolis who can give the Pats a game.

NY Giants/Tampa Bay- You can give me as much proof as you want, and I still won't believe Peyton didn't play the final three quarters of that game. After 15 minutes, the New York media had already written their stories about how the Giants will never win in the playoffs with the ambivalent Eli Manning. But the supposed Black Sheep of the Manning family came through on Sunday afternoon, completing 20 out of 27 passes for 185 yards and 2 touchdown passes. And where in the world did Ahmad Bradshaw come from? This team has finally shown character to go along with its obvious talent, and could surprise Dallas next weekend. The Giants are playing their best football over the past month, while Dallas hasn't played well since Thanksgiving, a dangerous combination for Tony Romo's hope of erasing past playoff woes. In other news, rumor has it Tim Mara has invited Jessica Simpson to the game as his special guest.

San Diego/Tennessee- I refuse to elaborate too much on this game, because it may well have been the worst played playoff game I have ever seen. San Diego looked miserable, and if the Titans had any talent on offense outside of Young, would have lost this game. However, I am thankful the Bolts pulled this game out because a) they covered their 9 point spread, and b) we don't have to sit through Tennessee-New England next week. Imagine the carnage.

Hokie low

2008-01-04T12:15:00.000-08:00

If you had told me Kansas would come out and throw all over VT's defense, I might have believed it. If you had told me the offense would sputter against a quick KU defense that only allowed 16 pts/game, I might have believed it. But the fact that the Jayhawks came out and beat the Hokies in the area that has brought them fame is simply shocking to me. A blocked field goal, a fake punt for a first down, two 60+ yard punts, a missed FG return for 40 yards. That's right, Kansas' SPECIAL TEAMS won the Orange Bowl for the Jayhawks, upsetting my 3rd ranked Virginia Tech Hokies 24-21.

In fairness, the Hokies played a very poor game. Glennon and Taylor completed less than 50% of their passes and threw 3 deadly interceptions, one returned for a TD, and another returned to the Tech goal line. The offensive line did a miserable job protecting the QB, giving up 5 sacks, including on consecutive plays on the opening drive which took VT out of scoring range. However, what makes Virginia Tech a great team, is they normally win games like this. They normally can pull out those games where the make mistakes, with special teams and big defensive plays. But yesterday, it was Kansas that pulled out the big special teams plays and big defensive plays, and that made all the difference.

Congratulations to Mark Mangino and his team for the win, but they beat VT at their own game, and that's what stings.

Later Sooners

2008-01-03T00:18:00.000-08:00

So much for Oklahoma deserving to go to the national championship game. The Sooners defense looked impossibly slow all night, as the Mountaineers ran all over Bob Stoops' bunch for 249 yards. For the fourth straight year, the Sooners lost a BCS game, and for the second straight year, to a heavy underdog. The sad part is, this game, and its 20-point margin of victory, was the closest BCS game yet. These games have been painfully disappointing thus far, hopefully the next 2 will make up for it.

As for tomorrow, I'm really not sure what to expect because I don't know what to make of Kansas. The team did have an 11-1 record in a major conference, despite not playing Texas or Oklahoma, and getting trounced by Mizzou. Should be a good one, as I hope the Hokies come out and do exactly what Georgia did; show why they should be playing for the National Title.

Happy New Year Omar!

2008-01-02T10:05:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all, especially Mets GM Omar Minaya.

Hopefully 2008 will be a year where we can't say, 'our biggest move was signing Matt Wise'.

(I'm quite glad I decided not to blog about just the Mets, poor Matt Cerrone).

BCS hangover

2008-01-02T09:56:00.000-08:00

If there wasn't already enough to complain about with the BCS, yesterdays games gave us brand new ammunition. On New Year's Day, historically the biggest day for college football, the slate was cleared for a USC-Illinois Rose Bowl, and a Georgia-Hawaii Sugar Bowl. Thanks to the ever flexible folks of the Rose Bowl Committee, deserving teams like Missouri and Arizona State got passed over for... Illinois. After all, why have a match-up of two deserving teams when you can keep the tradition of Pac 10 vs Big Ten.

So as a result of the open-minded sensible decision makers in Pasadena, we get...USC 49, Illinois 17.

And for an encore...Georgia 41, Hawaii 10.

Yeah, there's nothing wrong with the system.

16 and Oh Well

2008-01-02T09:48:00.000-08:00

So it happened. Similar to the 2007 Mets collapse, it had you think "It's really gonna happen isn't it? Nah, it couldn't happen, could it?" And then sure enough, it did, the Pats went 16-0. The shock is minimal, as people talked about 16-0 after the Week 1 victory against the Jets, and while the Pats were down in a few instances, it never really seemed like they were actually going to lose. I only really have two words in response "Oh well". What else can you say? It wasn't as if the gods of fate didn't try. They slapped a cheating scandal on them after Week 1. Dealt them several injury blows with Maroney, Seymour and several other defenders. The gods of fate allowed Kyle Boller and the Ravens to give the Pats a run, and allowed Eli Manning to pose as a polished passer. None if it mattered, as the Pats were destined for this. And while I wouldn't take 5:1 odds that they don't win the Super Bowl, I will say this: It means nothing if they don't win the Super Bowl. Some have argued the fact, but consider this. When you think of the great baseball teams of all time, where do the 2001 Seattle Mariners rank. Probably not on your radar, despite their all-time record 116 wins. Why? Because they didn't even PLAY in the World Series. Regardless of regular season performance, the Pats need to seal the deal for this to mean anything, and even if you don't agree, there's 52 guys in Foxboro, Massachusetts who do.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-24T23:43:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas to any gentiles who read this blog.

here's a present for all, very cool article

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=3165287&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab3pos1

Some excitement still left for Week 17

2007-12-24T00:11:00.000-08:00

The NFL has seen an unprecedented lack of parody this year, and for the first team in recent memory, there seem to be several dominant teams. Starting with the 15-0 Pats, the 13-2 Colts and Cowboys, and the 12-3 Packers, there could be 4 teams with 13 wins for the first time since the turn of the century. However, despite the fact that 10 of the 12 playoff spots have been filled, several games still have playoff implications. Tennessee and Cleveland are both still alive for the AFC's 6th and final playoff sport. The Titans travel to Indianapolis to play a Colts team with nothing to play for (Dungy has already admitted that Manning and Addai will both play a half at most), and the Browns host the 4-11 Niners. Should both teams win or both teams lose, the Titans have the tiebreaker.

Over in the NFC, the Redskins, Vikings and Saints are all still alive. The 'Skins are in the driver's seat, and are in a with a win. The Vikings need a win and a Skins loss or tie, while the Saints need a win and losses from both teams. The Redskins host the Cowboys (also playing a meaningless game), who will certainly be resting an already injured Terrell Owens. Minnesota finishes in Denver and the Saints will travel to Chicago.

Here are the games to watch in Week 17,

(Games with playoff implications)
Tennessee @ Indianapolis
San Fransisco @ Tennessee
Dallas @ Washington
Minnesota @ Denver
New Orleans @ Chicago

(Games with historic implications)
New England @ New York Giants

(Games to determine #3 and #4 seeds)
San Diego @ Oakland
Pittsburgh @ Baltimore

"Getcha Popcorn Ready"

The honeymoon is over..

2007-12-24T00:04:00.000-08:00

I think it's safe to say America's obsession with Boise State is over. After their stunning win in last year's Fiesta Bowl, both America and the voters fell in love with the Broncos. A 2 loss team in the WAC, they still managed to stay in the top 25 at #24. After Broncos dropped the Hawaii Bowl to 7-5 East Carolina tonight, expect Chris Peterson's bunch to fall out of popular opinion and back into the sea of mid-major mediocrity. Not even another Ian Johnson on-screen proposal can save them.

NBA Rumblings

2007-12-23T23:30:00.000-08:00

1) Don't look now, but the Oden-less Portland Trailblazers have won 10 in a row, and sit just one game behind division leading Denver. The young core of Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Martell Webster, Channing Frye and Jarrett Jack have brought Portland back into contention. Vets Steve Blake and Joel Przybilla have fit nicely into their roles, as the team is enjoying shocking success. With a strong young nucleus, this is a team that will compete in the West for the next 5 years. Imagine this 2008 lineup:

Blake, Roy, Webster, Aldrige and Oden: With Frye, Jack and Outlaw coming of the bench

This team is a better PG away from being the class of the West.

2) Unfortunately, it appears another Boston team is truly dominant. As much as I tried to write off the quick start as a hot streak, the Celtics really are this good. At 22-3, they have already built themselves a 9 game division lead, and are currently outscoring opponents by an average of 14 points per game. Rajon Rondo is developing into a very solid player, giving the Celtics the role player they needed. However, be wary if one of the Big Three goes down, as the teams only weakness is its lack of depth.

3) Today, Kobe became the youngest player ever to score 20,000 points, beating Wilt Chamberlain by approximately two weeks. Quite an impressive achievement, but Kobe is still just over half way to Wilt's all time record. Somehow, I don't see Kobe playing another 10-12 season and breaking this record. However, Kobe has to considered the most dominant scorer of this era. While guys like Shaq, Duncan, and LeBron will go down as better players, Kobe holds the title as the best scorer of the post-Jordan era, and there's still no one I'd rather have taking the big shot with the game on the line.

Week Wrap-Up

2007-12-19T00:51:00.000-08:00

Apologies for the lack of posts the past few days, things have gotten hectic as I ended semester 7/8. Here's a few comments on some recent stories:

1) Gotta love the brilliance of Andy Pettitte, Brian Roberts and Fernando Vina. "I admit I took HGH once, but it was only to heal from an injury, and I NEVER took steroids." Their PR personnel is magnificent, as Andy came off smelling like a sweet rose. I'll leave it up to you whether or not these guys are full of crap, but regardless, this was the best way to explain the rumors and save face. Still no word from the Rocket yet, who has infinitely more explaining to do.

2) Florida State gets caught in an academic cheating scandal. In other shocking news, the sun rose this morning, and set later this evening. Surprise, surprise. I've been dubbing this team as a group of cheater since 1999, when they boasted several illegitimate players. Peter Warrick gets caught red handed in a robbery, and only misses TWO games. Chris Weinke shows up at the age of 26, and Sebastian Janikowski manages to maintain a 2.0 GPA while knowing approximately 4 words of English and never being spotted on campus. This has been a corrupt program for decades, and it is about time they got caught.

3) Rich Rodriguez to Michigan. If I am to take credit for Petrino's departure, I'll have to take a hit here, as this one surprised me. I honestly don't buy into the fact that Rodriguez is a great coach. He took over a successful program with a ton of incoming talent, and despite playing in a weak conference with a weak OOC schedule, could not land a BCS championship. Not to mention coaching his team to one of the biggest choke jobs in NCAA history, a final week loss to hapless Pittsburgh (led by Dave Wannestedt) to fall out of a guaranteed national championship berth. With Miles and even Greg Schiano saying no, it appears they didn't have more attractive options, but I personally don't love this fit for the maize and blue.

Kudos to Schiano by the way. Here's a guy in the midst of creating a national powerhouse from scratch and having the opportunity to hear his name mentioned with Bobby Bowden, Joe Paterno and Frank Beamer, as coaches who have single handedly built college football powerhouses. The allure of the big name job did not sway him, and give credit to Shiano for staying loyal.

4) 1-13!! The Dolphins finally pulled one out, with an overtime victory over the Baltimore Ravens. I did not celebrate like we won the Super Bowl as the team did, but I am certainly glad the team will stay out of the record books for eternal infamy. I give the guys credit, as it has looked the previous two weeks as if the team had given up. Cam Cameron somehow kept the team motivated, and may have saved his job in the process. The win takes a lot of pressure of the team, and will allow them to play with slightly more confidence. Next up: play with a tremendous amount of pride defending the '72 Dolphins as the only undefeated team ever. For the Phish to have a shot in New England, they will have to play a flawless game, with incredible passion and hope to catch the Pats on an off day. I would bet infinite money against it, but oh boy, what a story it would be...

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Shanahan

2007-12-14T12:22:00.001-08:00

Erratic teams are a norm in sports, and the phrase "You never know which team will show up" has been beaten to death. But this year's Denver Broncos have taken this to a new level. Every week it seems a different team has shown up, as I have pegged the Broncos at some point in the year as anything from a Superbowl contender to a team worthy of a top 5 draft pick. Granted, this is a team with an inexperienced quarterback, a running back by committee approach, and is still grieving the death of Darrent Williams from New Years. However, explain the volatility in some their performances this year.

Week 5: San Diego 41, Denver 3
Week 7: Denver 31, Pittsburgh 28

Week 9: Detroit 44, Denver 7
Week 11: Denver 34, Tennessee 20

Week 14: Denver 41, Kansas City 7
Week 15: Houston 31, Denver 13

A nightmare team for gamblers, the Broncos are simply a crapshoot. Here are their 2 remaining games and my predictions:

Week 16: @ San Diego. Denver 55, SD 10
Week 17: Minnesota. Min 62, Denver 3.

The 'Mitch' Hunt

2007-12-14T12:11:00.000-08:00

All things considered, I think the MLB dodged a bit of a bullet yesterday. Regardless of Senator Mitchell's request, the names are, and will continue to be the story. As I said in my previous post, baseball could not afford an iconic player to be named in these investigations. Granted, Bonds and Clemens are about as big as you can get, but both of these guys had already been convicted in the public eye. The judgment has been out on Bonds for years and anyone who doesn;t suspected a 40+ year old pitcher winning Cy Youngs is not in touch with reality. Additionally, while great players, both Bonds and Clemens are hated figures. Arguments can be made for both as the greatest hitter and pitcher of all time, but neither is loved nor revered. The saddest name is Andy Pettitte, a star pitcher with a reputation as clean as a whistle. Pettitte is a guy no one had pegged, and is the most surprising name in the lot of all-stars including Miguel Tejada, Eric Gagne and Paul Lo Duca. Obviously, Paulie being named is a dissapointment to those Mets fans that learned to love him over the past few years. But with his incredible passion for the game, and psychotic competitive nature, I can't say I'm shocked he tried to get an edge. It's certainly not a good day for baseball, but my initial reaction, and one that appears to be echoed around the league is, "It could have been a lot worse."

The Mitchell Report Looms...

2007-12-12T19:15:00.000-08:00

I can't even fathom how many professional baseball players will be sitting home tonight waiting for the other shoe to drop. This would be the real story, how many baseball players are wondering whether or not they will named tomorrow? It's like waiting for a jail sentence, a career ending jail sentence. I will not begin to speculate who will be named, because that's all it would be, speculation. However, nothing said tomorrow will be good for baseball, and some news could be potentially devastating. The best that the MLB can hope for is that no iconic players (Jeter, A-Rod, Ortiz, Vlad, DWright, etc) get named in the report. The Jose Guillens and Jay Gibbons' can be absorbed, but if a role model type player gets named in the Mitchell Report tomorrow, it could be a deadly blow.

Bobby Saban, er, Petrino

2007-12-12T02:32:00.000-08:00

As predicted on this very blog a weeks ago, Bobby Petrino has jettisoned from the NFL to take the Arkansas head coaching job. You will read several articles over the next few days bashing Petrino for leaving, explaining how he only cares about himself and always looks for the better job. However, in this case, can you truly blame him for wanting out of Hotlanta? He was brought to to Atlanta solely to bring his run and gun offense to Michael Vick and Co. The Falcons dumped Schaub, brought int Joe Horn, and hired Bobby Petrino all to make Michael Vick all the more comfortable. As it turns out, quick Vick was most comfortable in a bark-a-lounger (pun intended) watching two dogs fight until death. So instead of getting an enormously talented, yet slightly under achieving franchise player, Petrino got Joey Harrington, a washing up Byron Leftwich and gulp, Chris Redman. (Not to mention half a season without Warrick Dunn).

Can you really blame Petrino for leaving because 'this isn't what he signed up for'? Can't the team fire him without any public scrutiny because it 'wasn't what the signed up for'? If the Dolphins fire Cam Cameron because they didn't 'sign up for 0-16', will anybody blame them? I am not one to defend 'scoundrel coaches' as I despise Nick Saban about as much as the '07 Patriots. ( I still laugh every time Les Miles says 'I will be the LSU coach'). However, in this case, I give Petrino a pass, because he was brought in here to work with Mike Vick, and the only thing Vick will be working on for the next 23 months is lawnscaping duty. Not to mention, he took about a $2 million per year pay cut to head back to college, so the greedy argument doesn't work here either.

P.S. Can we get a better Monday night game than New Orleans/Atlanta? Can someone force ESPN to adopt the flex system, because I really don't think Chicago/Minnesota next week will be much better, especially when it could be Jacksonville/Pittsburgh.

The inevitable..

2007-12-09T23:42:00.000-08:00

It's going to happen. Both of them. The Dolphins are going to go 0-16. The Patriots are going to go 16-0. And there is nothing Eric Mangini, Don Shula, Anthony Smith, John Beck or Cleo Lemon can do about it. The Dolphins had their chances, 6 games decided by 3 points or less. They got a gift from God in the form of the great equalizer, an unplayable turf and a scoreless game late into the 4th quarter. Nothing seems to be able to derail destiny, the first 0-16 team in NFL history. The team has given up, and you can see it on the field. While early in the season they fought hard, and kept it close, they have lost all motivation on both sides of the ball. They don't want to be playing football, and they want this to come to an end. Well luckily for them, in three weeks time, they'll get their wish, along with the historic distinction.

As for the Pats, it seems their mini-slump has passed, and days of steamrolling opponents have returned. With two upcoming home games against the lowly Jets and the hapless Dolphins, the only semi-test will come in East Rutherford in Week 17 against the G-Men. Although the Giants front 4 is a tough match-up for the New England Offense, Eli Manning vs Belichick is a frightening thought. This team will go 16-0, but the playoffs may get interesting. Both Dallas and Indianapolis get better by the week, and although this has been one of the dullest regular seasons in recent memory, January may just make up for it.

Tebow wins the Heisman

2007-12-08T19:09:00.000-08:00

As predicted by my flawlessly accurate poll, Tim Tebow took home the Heisman Trophy tonight. It's hard to argue with the pick, considering he had 41 total TDs, became the first QB in history with 20 rushing and 20 passing TDs, and did in the toughest conference in college football. His performance and statistics speak for themselves, and he lead the Gators to a 9-3 record and a spot in a New Year's Day bowl game as a sophomore. However, it begs the question, what is the Heisman Trophy for? Like the MVP in baseball, there seems to be certain qualifications for the award.

1) You must be a skill position player
2) You must play in a BCS conference
3) Your team must have a successful year
4) You must have eye-popping statistics
5) You must be an upperclassmen

Occasionally, we've seen one of these qualifications left unmet, and this year Tebow became the first exception to to rule #5. Interestingly enough, there doesn't seem to be a qualification "You must be the most outstanding player in the country." For if this were a qualification, the award could only go to Darren McFadden. Yes he missed a few games, and yes his team doesn't have the prestige of Florida, but in this blogger's opinion, the award should go to the most outstanding player in college football, and that is Darren McFadden. (It was Dennis Dixon but his injury cost his team a shot at the national title, a Pac-10 championship, and a bowl outside of El Paso, Texas). Congratulations to Tebow, who is certainly not undeserving of the award, but McFadden would have gotten my vote. Well, maybe 2nd after Jo-Lonn "Bone Crusher" Dunbar.

From the Winter Meetings

2007-12-04T23:34:00.000-08:00

To my dozens of readers:

The last few, and next few days are hectic for me, as they are the last of my academic career. Posts will appear more frequently starting Friday. Terrible timing with the winter meetings and all, but such is life. A few comments so you can get your fix:

1) I'm extremely dissappointed that the Ravens didn't pull off the upset last night. They badly outplayed the Patriots, and seemingly had the game won on 3 different occasions. However, as much as the Ravens want to blame the refs, they have no one to blame for themselves. After taking a 7 point lead, they had the ball inside the Pats 30, and Boller threw an awful interception. They had two more chances to eat clock after that, and went 3 and out both times. The holding call on Scott was a very tough call, but not necessarily the wrong one. It looked like holding, but I don't agree with making that call in that situation. Nonetheless, the Ravens need to stop whining and learn how to close out a game.

2) I can't stand the Santana rumors any more, and don't believe anything you hear until there is a press conference. I still think the Twins are holding out to get Ellsbury and Lester, and I think that's why a deal has not been struck. And although Steinbrenner claims the Yanks are "out of it", if the Twins call and say they are willing to except Hughes, Cabrera and Prospect X, we'll see how out of it they are. However, I do think its a two team race.

3) Kudos to the Tigers for pulling off a deal like that. They get two studs in their prime for a group of prospects of which it would be shocking if two of them approach level of Willis and Cabrera. This puts the Tigers right at the top of the AL with the Red Sox, and if Willis returns to form, have fun facing Verlander-Willis-Bonderman in the playoffs, not to mention a middle of the lineup with Cabrera and Magglio. Yikes.

4) Sadly, it's beginning to look bleak for the Mets chances of acquiring an ace. The fact is simple, our prospects are weak, and no one wants them in any combination. Let this be a lesson to the team. As I stated in one of my earliest posts, the Mets need to spend more focus on scouting, and with 2 first rounders and a sandwich pick, what a great year to start. Nevertheless, I'm still holding out hope Omar pulls something off..

- Scott
That's all for now. Check back on Friday for more.

Wow

2007-12-02T22:27:00.000-08:00

There's very few other appropriate responses, than Wow. When I put concocted my VT into the National Championship game scenario, I could never have predicted I was a Tennessee TD away from its fruition.

First, LSU plays a mediocre game against Tennessee, but holds on for the win, securing the SEC title. In a conference which is universally regarded as the toughest, the Tigers lost 2 games, both in triple overtime. A home loss to unranked Arkansas on the last day of the regular season is a very tough pill to swallow, but clearly the voters found a way.

Second, West Virginia lays one of the biggest eggs in college football history. Of all the losses by top ranked team to unranked teams in 2007, this one has to be the biggest choke job. With a BCS title shot in their future, and nothing but a 4-win, Dave Wannestedt led Pittsburgh team at home left in their way, the Mountaineers score just 7 points and lose 13-7 to Pitt. I read earlier that even had WV pulled that game out in the final seconds, many voters would likely have ousted them from the #2 spot. To play that poorly with so much at stake against a flat out bad football team at home, is the ultimate choke job. Kudos to Pitt and the worst head football coach in America for pulling the upset, but the Mountaineers won't soon forget this missed opportunity.

In the final game, Mizzou gets blown out by Oklahoma. Not a shocker here, Oklahoma is more balanced, better coached and more experienced. Mizzou put up a good fight for a half, but the Sooners are just simply the superior team. It would have been a great story to see the Tigers play for the title, but the conference title game came back to bite them in the ass. There's been a lot of talk about giving teams the option to decline a bid to the conference championship, a move that would benefit a team like Mizzou when an extra can only hurt them. I'm not a proponent of this, as I am a fan of the Conference Championships, but I think all leagues should be required to have them. Further, I think Chase Daniel lost his Heisman chances last night, as he didn't play well enough in a must win. It's down to Tebow and McFadden, and regrettably, I'd have to give the nod to Tebow.

This left the BCS in complete disarray, leaving 7 teams with a legitimate argument to play for the National Title.

1-loss teams.

Ohio State- the only conference champion with 1 loss. OSU won a soft Big 10, and played an even softer out of conference schedule. However, the Buckeyes get the de-facto auto bid, despite losing to unranked Illinois and only beating 1 team that finished in the top 25.

Kansas- the only other major conference team with only 1 loss. KU played a schedule ranked 106/119, and its most impressive with came over #24 Kansas State. The Jayhawks failed to win their conference, or even play for their conference title.

2-loss teams

LSU- champions of the best conference in the nation. Both losses came in triple overtime, but the home loss to unranked Arkansas on the last day of the season is tough.

Oklahoma- Big XII champs, and beat the #1 team in the country by 21 points (Just ask Bob Stoops, he'll tell you). But two losses to unranked teams really killed them.

Virginia Tech- going into the day, VT was the next highest conference champion. Further, VT did not lose to an unranked team, and both losses were to the #2 team in the country at the time. Further, VT actually ended up with the toughest strength of schedule of the teams left (4/119). However, a 41 point loss to fellow 2-loss LSU is the argument killer.

Georgia- the next highest ranked team, and one of the hottest teams in the nation. But the Bulldogs, like Jayhawks, failed to even qualify for the conference title game.

USC- many, including myself, feel the Trojans are actually the best team in the country. Both losses came without starter John David Booty, and the team has played extremely well of late. However, any team that loses to Stanford has a tough case to make.

To me, you have to win your conference if you want to play for the national title. The current system is admittedly flawed, but it's what we have to work with right now. The system only allows for 2 teams to play for the title, and as such, both teams should have to be conference champions.

This eliminates Kansas and UGA.

After that it becomes difficult, but to me, it came down to who won the toughest conference. The answer to that is LSU, and I believe that's why the voters put them in at #2. Oklahoma also leapfrogged many teams, going from #9 to #3. Interestingly enough, has VT been ranked #3/#4, they might have edged out LSU in the BCS. Due to their strength of schedule, VT was the #1 team in the land according to the computers, and had the human polls been kinder, the Hokies might have sneaked in.

Nonetheless, if you have to only give two teams a chance, I believe the two most deserving teams got in. I'm glad Hawaii gets a chance to play in a BCS game, and I'm outraged that the Orange Bowl picked Kansas over Mizzou. If this year in college football doesn't push the stubborn powers at be toward a playoff, nothing will. Just for fun, imagine this playoff after 2007.

6 conference champions get in, 2 at large (Georgia and Hawaii). Using the BCS to determine seedings, these would be the match-ups.

#1 Ohio State vs #8 Hawaii
#2 LSU vs #7 West Virginia
#3 Virginia Tech vs #6 USC
#4 Oklahoma vs #5 Georgia

Now tell me that wouldn't be fun...

ACC Champs

2007-12-01T15:13:00.001-08:00

In one of the uglier games I've seen in awhile, VT successfully got its revenge on BC, knocking off the Eagles 30-16 for the ACC title. Barring a situation where LSU, West Virginia and Missouri all lose (coupled with some help for the voters) Tech will play in the Orange Bowl, likely against Kansas or Georgia. Tyrod Taylor looked awful for most of the game, except for a 31 yard run in the 4th quarter which set up the game winning touchdown. Glennon was the star of the game, completing 18 of 27 for 174 yards and 3 TDs. As stated before, I am not huge fan of the two headed system, and have been screaming for Beamer to just start Taylor. Glennon has proved me wrong in a big way, looking outstanding the past 4 weeks, after being abysmal in both of VT's losses. The defense was suspect for much of the first half, but shut down Matt Ryan and the BC offense after Tech blocked an extra point and returned it for 2 points in the first half. Going into half tied at 16 was enormous, considering how poorly we played in the first half, as BC controlled the ball for 21 minutes. The defense took over in the second half, and both stud LBs, Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi, came up with huge picks after being MIA for most of the game. Kudos to Cam Chancellor for a couple of ferocious hits. A great job by the coaching staff to rally this team down the stretch after a heartbreaking loss to BC. This is a team that although isn't one of the 3 best teams in the country, could give anyone a game, and if Tech did somehow sneak into the BCS title game, I'd love our chances against the Buckeyes.

Also of note, BC's MLB is named Jo-Lonn Dunbar, and introduced himself as "The Bone Crusher". Nullis.

A comeback for the ages...

2007-12-01T15:04:00.000-08:00

Monday Night Miracle, Red Sox over Yankees, take a back seat. Last night, I completed a 7 cups to 1 comeback in a game of beer pong. Myself and partner Scott Stern found ourselves down 7 cups to 1 before the comeback began. I sunk the 7 cup, to force the rack, and Scott came back with cups 6 and 5. On the next turn we doubled up (knocking off cups 4 and 3) and on the send back I hit cup 2, earning myself "heating up" status, as per NBA Jam Rules. After our opponents missed, I sunk the last cup to go "on fire" and then hit it again to ice it. I have received word that the match will be played on ESPN Classic tonight at 9:30 CST.

Milledge to the Nationals for Church, Schneider

2007-11-30T11:05:00.000-08:00

Sometimes after a deal is done in baseball, it's real obvious why. Other times, you are left just hoping your team knows something that you don't. I know Milledge's value does not appear to be what it once was, but trading him for a 29-year old mediocre OF and a catcher who can't hit a lick?
I can only hope of one of two things:

1) As Cerrone from Metsblog suggested, it's plausible that the A's, Twins and Orioles would prefer Church in a deal, and the Mets have continually insisted that landing a front-line starter is their #1 goal

2) Milledge will be named in the Mitchell Report

Outside of these two possibilities, I have no explanation for this trade. Omar if you're reading, feel free to explain.

Fire I-zay-ah!

2007-11-30T00:33:00.000-08:00

Just when you think nothing can get worse for the New York Knickerbockers, it always seems to happen anyway. In the Pre-Henrik Lundquist era, I thought the Rangers were the worst run franchise in professional sports. Now that they have found a star goalie and have returned to respectability, their MSG counterparts own that distinction.

Isiah Thomas has done a remarkable job; he took a bad team, and turned them into a complete catastrophe. His theory of 'lets bring as many overpaid, shoot first guards and throw them on one team' has managed to turn the Knicks into the laughing stock of the league. If that wasn't enough, he lost complete respect of all his player with his off the court discretions (sexual harassment) and personal vendetta with Marbury. This team needs a complete makeover in the worst way. Keep the young kids like Lee, Balkman, Randolph and Nate Robinson, fire the coach/GM and bring in completely new personnel. This is the only way to restore respectability, and it's not like they'll win games in the short run either way. The Dolan-Thomas-Thomas trio has to rank amongst the worst Owner-GM-Coach trios in professional sports history. I'd like to take 2 friends and a few players from the Wash U basketball team and give it a go. Hey, it can't be much worse...

So long Jose?

2007-11-29T09:54:00.000-08:00

According to the New York Daily News, there's "speculation in MLB circles" that the Mets are considering parting with Jose Reyes in a potential trade for Johan Santana.

This, I am not OK with. As badly as the Mets need an ace, you absolutely cannot trade a 24-year old star shortstop in his prime. Reyes changes the game, and brings an electricity to the team you can't measure with statistics. He manufactures so many runs with his speed from stealing bases to inducing balks. The Mets have control of him for 3 more years at an absolute steal of around $6 million (less than he would likely have received in arbitration). Dealing Reyes would be a monumental error, and I hope this "speculation" is just that.

On a personal note..

2007-11-29T01:46:00.000-08:00

I've been asked to write about something other than sports, so here's a quick personal post.

1) Today I won the 2007 Intramural Arm Wrestling Championship for the 136-150 lbs weight class. Why is this notable? Because it's actually important enough to my life to report. Granted I only had to beat 2 people to get there (I had a bye to the semifinals based on my semifinal appearance last year) but it's an accomplishment nonetheless. Boy I need another hobby. Seen any good movies lately?

2) Today I also randomly ran into someone I met on an cruise 3 years ago. It's quite amazing how the random things in your life never seem to go away, yet the things to wish to keep around fade away oh so quietly. For those interested: Jake dropped out of school, quit his job and is now playing in a band called 'Dead City Dregs'.

3) Can someone find a bar for me where you don't come back wreaking of smoke? This is becoming a major deterrent to going out, and it's quite frustrating. Who would have ever thought that I would be longing for New Jersey (where smoking in bars is illegal)?? Yes, our governors may be gay, and yes, they pay off young girls to keep their mouths shut, but at least our bars are free of smoke!

Odds and Ends

2007-11-29T01:19:00.000-08:00

My apologies for the lack of updates, the few assignments I have left were calling my name. A few updates in the world sports:

1) Terrible tragedy regarding Sean Taylor. For some reason, I always liked Taylor. No one will claim he was the most moral guy, or the most upstanding citizen, but he loved football and had great passion for the game. As a VT fan, I remember watching him since college, and this guy struck fear in your heart as an opposing fan. He was a great athlete and a great player, and I am sad to see him go. The more I read, the more I learn about how he was progressing not only as a solid defensive stud in the NFL, but as a human being as well. I think he would have done great things in this league, and the NFL was robbed of a true star. RIP Sean.

2) Pardon my bias, but the Magic are really, really good. They aren't the deepest in the league, but something about their makeup works. A dominant center, a pure scorer, a true point guard, a scrappy 2-guard and a shot-making, role-playing, hard-nosed 3 in Hedo Turkoglu. The combo of Howard, Lewis, Nelson, Bogans and Turkoglu seems to me be working wonders. Throw in a decent bench of Foyle, Arroyo, Redick, Battie, and Garrity, and you have the makings of an Eastern Conference contender. If this Magic team can stay healthy, they will be a major factor in the Eastern Conference, ans have already proven they can play with, and beat, the Celtics.

3) I really can't understand the logic of the Delmon Young for Matt Garza deal. Both are teams that are trying to compete in the short run, as neither will be able to sign either player once the arbitration years end. The Twins will lose Santana, and Carlos Silva, and will need a guy like Garza to front end their rotation. The Rays, more than anything, need to put asses in the seats, and I guarantee you no one in the great state of Florida has the slightest clue who Matt Garza is. Delmon Young, although a controversial figure, is an intriguing player, and one who many would pay to see. I can't see why either team would be motivated to make this deal, but would gladly take either young player in Queens.

4) The college coaching carousel is getting interesting. Houston Nutt has taken the Mississippi job (not surprising) and ex-Packer failure Mike Sherman has accepted the Texas A&M job. The Nebraska slot and the Michigan opening remain the most notable jobs, and most fascinating to follow. If I were to bet on it, I think Les Miles will end up in Ann Arbor, especially after LSU's title chances went down the tubes (and even more so when LSU loses to Tennessee...trust me).

5) Don't look now, but the Devils have won 5 straight. Amazing what happens when one of your top defensive players and veteran scorers/assistant captains return from injury. Magically, Brodeur can play goalie again. Don't be surprised if the Devils find themselves perched atop the Atlantic Division by the time March rolls around, however Detroit and Ottawa remain the class of the league.

Ocean's Eleven

2007-11-26T20:41:00.000-08:00

I have never, ever seen a football game quite like the one I witnessed tonight. The kicking game seemed to be completely useless, open field running was impossible, and punts literally plugged into the ground (perhaps the craziest thing about tonight.) Nevertheless, as the Patriots proves a great team always finds a way to win, the Dolphins proved a bad team always finds a way to lose. What a shame too, because the Dolphins played their hearts out. John Beck showed a lot of moxy and made several excellent throws, while avoiding mistakes in a mistake prone environment. The defense came up big on their end of the field on several occasions, keeping the game close until the end. As I have said for weeks, the Dolphins really are not as bad as their 0-11 record would indicate. They're bad, but when you lose 6 games by 3 points or less, a few of which came down to game winning field goals in the final seconds, you are clearly capable of playing competitive football. The defense has improved by leaps and bounds as the season has progressed, but the offense just can't seem to get a break. This season thus far, the Dolphins have lost their starting QB, starting RB, and seen their #1 WR traded away. Then tonight, they lose both Ricky Williams AND Jesse Chatman, and must make ends meat with Patrick Cobbs, who had 0 NFL carries coming into the year. This team just can't catch a break, and seems destined for the #1 pick.

Comments

2007-11-26T18:38:00.001-08:00

My loyal reader(s):

Feel free to post comments on any post. The comments link is in the bottom right hand corner of each post.

Santana to the Bronx?

2007-11-26T17:47:00.000-08:00

According to ESPN.com, the Twins and Yankees are having preliminary discussions about a deal that would bring ace left-hander Johan Santana to the Bronx. I would expect that at least one big pitching prospect (Joba Chamberlain, Philip Hughes or Ian Kennedy), one position player (Cano or Cabrera) and another prospect. The Yankees have to be the favorites for two reasons. 1) That package of prospects will be as good as any offered, and 2) The Yankees can afford to sign Santana to a 7 year extension, a demand of Santana in order for him to waive his no trade clause.

As a Mets fan, I can only hope that the Yankees refuse to deal Chamberlain or Hughes and that thew Twins demand one of them be included. The Mets simply do not have the young talent to compete with the Yankees in this area, however I believe the Mets are willing to move anyone outside of Reyes and Wright, and this could be their only saving grace.

How the Mighty have (Almost) Fallen

2007-11-26T16:49:00.000-08:00

Leave it to Belichick to find a new way to wreak havoc over the Patriot Hater Nation. Beating teams by 40 points? Been there, done that. Running up the score? Old News. The Sweatshirt came up with a new idea: Let's take a game in which we're favored by 20+ points at home, and the opposing team has their backup QB starting (a guy who couldn't hack it for the team that's currently 0-10 mind you), and let them make a game of it. Let's give all the cheater haters false hope that we're beatable, and then flip the switch late in the 4th on the way to 11-0.

As president of the "I Despise the Patriots" fan club, this one hurt. Especially because even after the inevitable Patriots go-ahead TD to make it 31-28, the Eagles went right down the field with little resistance from the Pats D. With the ball inside the 30, the Eagles simply needed to run clock for either a game tying field goal or the TD for the win. Instead, they took a foolish chance in the end zone, and an awful A.J. Feeley pass ended up in the hands of Asante Samuel.

You have to give credit where credit is due, in that for the 2nd time this season, the Pats did not play well and yet found a way to win, a sign of a truly great team. But the fact that a McNabbless Eagles gave them a game ensures the following, although the Pats are great, they ARE beatable.
However, it's starting to get to crunch time and the '72 fins bubbly remains unopened. The question remains who can knock them off, and it would seem the Giants, at home, in week 17 present the biggest challenge. But after a 4 INT performance from Eli Manning and a 41-17 home drubbing to the Vikings, it may be time to accept the fact that the Pats aren't going to lose.

Long live the King

2007-11-24T23:10:00.000-08:00

It's always talked about how sports are about the team, and not the individual. Generally, of course, this is true, but I find it increasingly hard to accept as concrete fact when wacthing the Cleveland Cavaliers. It's unbelievable how much that team depends on LeBron James. He's currently averaging 30.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 7.7 assists, and leads the team in points, rebounds, steals and blocks. It's rare that a player who carried the type of hype that LeBron did ever quite lives up to, but this guy has done it. I continue to marvel as his greatness, and firmly believe he is hands down the best player on the planet.

The picture gets a little clearer

2007-11-24T18:04:00.000-08:00

So my scenario didn't quite work out as planned, but Virginia Tech did take care of business with a 33-21 win in Charlottesville for the ACC Coastal title. The Hokie offense looked great, as their offense moved the ball as well as they have all season. It was a little disconcerting to see 4 drives stall in the red zone, but Branden Ore showed flashes of why he was first-team all ACC last year, and the two-headed quarterback system worked perfectly. I really was not in favor of the Spurrier-esque plan, but the change of pace between Glennon's pocket presence and Taylor's athleticism really throws off opposing defenses, as the Hokie offense has scored at least 33 points in their last 3 games. The defense gave up a few big plays, but their speed makes it so difficult to sustain a long drive. Next week's match-up against BC in the ACC Championship game is particularly intriguing as Tech looks to avenge its heartbreaking loss to the Eagles from earlier in the season. I'm very optimistic about this game, as Tech's offense is light years better now than it was a month ago, and Vince Hall and Tyrod Taylor will both play this time. The winner likely gets the Orange Bowl, facing one of the at large teams.

After West Virginia manhandled UConn, dropping 66 points on a supposedly tough defense, it appears as if they are headed to New Orleans for a chance in the title game. They still need to get past a weak Pitt team in backyard brawl, but it would appear they control their own destiny at the moment. I still think they're defense is weak and a team with a few quick linebackers, like the pair in Blacksburg, could neutralize the shifty backfield of White, Slaton and Devine. Nevertheless, you can only beat who's on your schedule, and the Mountaineers earned lots of style points tonight.

The national picture seems clear now, as it appears only 4 teams are realistically still alive.

Missouri now has the inside track to New Orleans, and likely the #1 seed tomorrow morning. I was extremely impressed with Missouri tonight. Its tough to tell how good Kansas actually is, but Missou played such solid football on both sides of the ball for 3 quarters. They did let the Jayhawks back into the game in the 4th, a sign of a team inexperienced in big games, but managed to put the game away with a safety to seal the deal for a 36-28 win.

Assuming the Tigers beat Oklahoma next week in the Big XII title game, they are a lock for a spot in the title game. West Virginia gets in with a win over Pittsburgh, but would be out should they be the next fall victim to the curse of #2. Ohio State is next in line, and would sneak into the title game with either a Missouri loss next week, or a West Virginia loss.

In the unlikely event that West Virginia and Missouri lose next week, your guess is as good as mine as to who Ohio State would play. Georgia, Virginia Tech, LSU, Oklahoma, Kansas, and even Hawaii could be possibilities.

Here's my top 10 and bowl projections after this weeks action:

1. Missouri
2. West Virginia
3. Ohio State
4. LSU
5. Virginia Tech
6. Georgia
7. USC
8. Kansas
9. Oklahoma
10. Hawaii

National Championship: Missouri v West Virginia
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs Georgia
Sugar Bowl: LSU vs Hawaii
Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs USC
Fiesta Bowl: Arizona State vs Kansas

Another #1 bites the dust

2007-11-23T22:30:00.000-08:00

Unbelievable.

The BCS picture was seemingly set. LSU vs the winner of tomorrow's Missouri/Kansas game. Now, several teams just jumped back into the mix. LSU had been living on the edge week after week, and it finally caught up to them. A great game, but you have to be a little disappointed in LSU's defense, especially in the red zone. They are all but eliminated from National title contention, and don't be shocked if Les Miles to Michigan rumors intensify after this loss.

While on the topic of head coaches, I had been curious why Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt was on the hot seat (rumor has it the school has all but signed his walking papers). It's hard to knock a coach who just upset the #1 team on the road with an unbeaten squad, but I think I see why the folks in Fayetteville are unhappy. After LSU tied it at 28-28, the Razorbacks took the ensuing kickoff to the 47 yard line with 50 seconds left and 1 timeout. They proceeded to run the ball three times, and let the clock run down to 9 seconds, calling a timeout on 4th and 1. They pick this opportunity to finally put the ball in the air, leading to Coby Dick throwing the ball 10 yards out of bounds. Horrendous clock management, which if LSU could play any red zone defense, would have cost Arkansas the upset.

(So far my VT-OSU National Title game scenario is 2 for 2. Here's rooting for the Hokies, Huskies, and Yellow Jackets tomorrow)

Fransisco Cordero to the Reds

2007-11-23T22:17:00.000-08:00

4 years, $46 million, the largest deal in MLB history for a reliever. And for Fransisco Cordero. Not to sound like a broken record but, it must be some market out there...

Torii Hunter to the Angels

2007-11-23T10:21:00.000-08:00

5 years, 90 million for Torii Hunter. A couple of things stand out here:

1) Hunter is now making more than teammate Vladimir Guerrero.

2) $18 million per annum for a career .271 hitter, with one 30 HR season, and 2 100 RBI seasons? Once again, it must be some market out there.

3) I'm curious how the departure of Hunter will affect the Santana situation. Although it was seemingly a foregone conclusion that Hunter would not re-sign, this has two potential impacts on the Santana sweepstakes. 1) It could free up some money to increase the currently rumored 5 yr, $93 million offer, 2) The loss of Hunter could further prove to Santana that this will never truly be a contending team, and he can't win in Minnesota. Personally, I think there's little chance Johan stays in Minnesota, and I think he'll be dealt before Spring Training.

Thanksgiving Football

2007-11-23T08:24:00.001-08:00

A few notes on yesterday's action:

1) USC is a completely different team with a healthy John David Booty. The Pac-10 got slaughtered by injuries this year, as I think Oregon and USC are two of the nation's best teams, but neither were quite the same without their signal caller. An Oregon loss to UCLA seems likely with Brady Leaf at the helm, which sends USC to the Rose Bowl. Watch out OSU.

2) The Cowboys and Packers are really good. I loved the dynamic of Favre in the early game, Romo in the afternoon, and Manning in the nightcap. Kind of a past, future, present type of thing. It's a shame the Patriots are so good, because their dominance is going to overshadow the fact that there are some really great stories in the NFL this year. The Packers 10-1 start is their best since 1962, and considering its an extremely young team with a QB who nearly retired, incredible.

3) Michael Vick really screwed up the Falcons. That offense just doesn't function without him. It's not really a knock on Leftwich or Harrington, but more that everything the Falcons did in the off-season was made to complement Vick. Petrino was brought in for his offense system, which needs a guy like Vick to work. Don't be shocked if Petrino's name get thrown into the ring for major college jobs (Nebraska, Michigan, etc) as I think he'll hop the first plane out of there if possible.

BCS

2007-11-22T20:40:00.000-08:00

As much as I hate the BCS, it really does give college football fans so much to talk about. For those of you who are BCS challenged, consider the current situation. The standings are as follows:

1) LSU
2) Kansas
3) West Virginia
4) Missouri
5) Ohio State
6) Arizona State
7) Georgia
8) Virginia Tech
9) Oregon
10) Oklahoma

This coming weekend#2 Kansas plays #4 Missouri (for the Big XII North championship), #1 LSU hosts Arkansas, #3 West Virginia plays #20 UConn (winner gets the Big East crown), #6 Arizona State plays #11 USC (winner likely wins the Pac-10), #7 Georgia faces state rival Georgia Tech and #8 Virginia Tech travels to #16 Virginia (ACC Coastal title at stake). Also a fun matchup, #19 Boise State heads to #15 Hawaii to face the unbeaten Warriors. What an amazing weekend in college football. Go Tech.

Here's my winning scenario. Arizona State has already lost to USC, LSU falls to Arkansas this weekend, and then again in the SEC Championship game, amidst Les Miles to Michigan rumors. Missouri beats Kansas, then falls to Oklahoma, again, in the Big XII Championship game. UConn shocks West Virginia on the road, and Georgia Tech knocks off UGA. The result, Ohio State vs Virginia Tech in the National Championship. You heard it here first.

Mets offseason

2007-11-22T20:02:00.000-08:00

Starting off with the bread and butter, here are/were my offseason goals for the Mets, updated with current progress.

1) Bring in an ace starting pitcher, no matter the cost (The stove is very hot..)

Honestly, at this point, every single deal I have heard for Santana that doesn't include Reyes sounds good to me. There is so little out there, that I can see myself rationalizing a deal along the lines of Pelfrey, Humber, Milledge, Gomez, Fernando Martinez and Deolis Guerra for Santana. It's sad, but I really don't have tremendous faith that any of these guys will develop into great players, and I want to see Santana in orange and blue in the worst way. Tell me you care who is in right field next year if Santana takes the mound on opening day for the next 8 years...

2) Upgrade the bullpen ( ??????)

Well the Mets off-season is underway for 53 days now, and I feel like I have made as much effort to upgrade the bullpen, well unless you consider addition by subtraction, which will be discussed in #3. However, how can this not be priority #1. This was so clearly the cause of the meltdown, and I feel like its not being addressed. Yes, Padilla and Sanchez are due to come back healthy, but they need to be treated as pleasant surprised if they're healthy, not be counted on. Get on it Omar..

3) Get rid of Guillermo Mota under any circumstance (Check plus)

Unbelievable, I would have been willing to pay a team to take him AND pay his salary, and somehow we got a team to not only take him off ours hands, not only eat his salary, but send us a decent player at a need position. Estrada for Mota has to go down as one of the biggest head scratching trades in MLB history. Looks like maybe there's a reason Milwaukee has the most bars per capita in America (Meyer, Brian).

4) Upgrade at catcher (Check-ish)

Haven't really done this, however, I don't truly think Omar is done looking yet. Omar will have no problem non-tendering Estrada if a better option becomes available, seeing as we gave away less than nothing (literally) to bring him here. I'm really glad Omar didn't give Posada 4 years, as I think I will be as effective as Posada in 2011. While I'm glad Castro will be back due to his power bat and getting to hear the Imperial March every few games, you know he isn't good for more than 100 games played, and is much better suited for a backup role. Even when filling in full time for Paulie, it was evident he can't handle playing constantly. He's a perennial backup, but a good one at that. As for the second head of Omar's 'two-headed monster, I'll say two things. 1) Yorvit Torrealbea at 3 years/$15 million? Michael Vick is a better investment at this point, maybe G-d is a Mets fan for making that one fall through. 2) I'm OK for now with Estrada being the second half, but I hope Omar keeps his eyes open..

5) Re-sign Castillo (Check)

I know some people disagree with me here, but I thought this was the right move. He's great fit for this team. A perfect 2 hole hitter that allows Reyes to flourish, a solid defender who meshed well with Reyes, and a guy who was surprisingly clutch in his 2 months in New York. However, 4 years, $32 million? It must really be a tough market out there...

6) Pick up the option on Alou. (Check)

.341 with a .916 OPS. He can play on my team any day, even if its only for 100 games. This guy is ageless, must be the ammonia.

7) Bring in a mid-level veteran outfielder

Alou can only be counted on for about 100 games, Beltran is guaranteed at least one DL stint, and who knows what young guys will still be on the roster come April. I'd feel a lot more comfortable with someone that you can feel OK with plugging in when someone goes down. Endy will be around, maybe give Green $3-4 million to break the All-Time Jewish Home Run Record on the Mets, but we need someone who can play every day if needed. Some ideas: Luis Gonzalez, Jose Guillen, Kenny Lofton

8) Improve scouting

It's painful watching the Yankees and Red Sox crank out great young players by the minute. Where's our Joba Chamberlain? Or Clay Buchholz? Or Jon Lester? Or Dustin Pedroia? Or Jacoby Ellsbury? As of this moment, the Mets have two first round picks and a sandwich pick, let's spend some money on scouting and get some young studs.

Numero uno

2007-11-22T19:45:00.000-08:00

Attention dozens of people:

I have decided to start this blog for the following reasons.

1) I currently have enormous amounts of free time on my hands
2) I am tired of discussing my sports opinions with myself in the shower
3) The slight possibility lots of people read this blog, I can make it big, and then make millions by sitting on my ass and writing about sports.

Posts will mostly be about sports, but will also include some general ramblings. Expect a few motifs:

1) The Mets
2) From August-January, lots of college football
3) Slightly less bias than a Bill Simmons column, who despite writing solely about sports from the Devil's town, remains incredibly popular.

Happy Thanksgiving and tune in for more.