The Hurricane is Coming

Alright fellas a thank you to Leonard for adding me on this and wanting my insight. I know half of the people I want to school with love to make fun of my opinions on sports but quite frankly, I don't give two fucks. A quick overview of my loves and hates in sports. Favorite teams are the Bears, Celtics, and Red Sox, don't have a die hard favorite college football team, and like a couple college basketball teams, but none specifially anymore. A few people that you will constantly hear me bitching about because well quite frankly, they suck, are Jim Calhoun, Arod, Pau Gasol, Skip Bayless, Anderson Varajeo, Dave Weber, and the list will increase as time goes on.
Enough about me, not that important.
College basketball season has begun rocking and one thing that stands out about watching the early run of games is that there is no clear frontrunner this season. Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State all narrowly escape getting pantsed on opening night, anthough for 'tucky fans, it would be nothing of a surprise siing the last two seasons they've been taken out by VMI and Gardner Webb in their opener. Bottom line with them though, don't ever say they're too young to win it this year. The big knock on the Cats this year is the youth on the floor isn't going to translate into a title when up against the likes of grizzled vets like Cole Aldrich and Kansas. Coach Cal will have this team dancing into the National Championship game, just hoping we don't see Mario Chalmers suiting up again to send Cal off a loser and making his bajillion dollar investment into the pocket of an AAU coach for a point guard a failure once again. As far as the Spartans of MSU go, well they play in the Big 10, so yea...they suck.
Not even sure what to think of the Big East this year. Really, it's a very strange season. Normally my thought now would be to say the Big East is the Jr. NBA and someone from there will go dancing in the end unless they all kick each other ass all year long to the point where they limp into the Final 4. Let's be real, if the Pac-10 tournament had a 6 OT game going on, fans would've arrived about the time the second half tipped off and been too pissed to wait around after the 3rd OT because they exceeded the west coast fan's time limit at a game. Too many things to do over there like see Tony Franco coach the defense.
Back to the Big East, 'Nova and West Virginia will be there in the end, Louisville will be there after Pitino decides he's out for blood to stick it to every fan who holds up a "No means no" sign in an arena (I cannot wait for the new white and black men at the Dunk to hold up anti-Pitino signs and hear Pitino in the huddle tell Samardo Samuels to tell them to shut the fuck up and see him go out for 40 and 20 and slap Keno's ass on the way by and say it would help to get out of a matchup zone for once when you play a team with a good big man, you're not in the MVC anymore buddy). Rounding out my top 5 for the B.E. I like Notre Dame to surprise some people with Harangody taking home Nat'l Player of the Year and rounding out the top 5 is Syracuse, who really isn't as bad as they looked against D2 juggernaut LeMoyne (joke, guys). Uconn well, they can fuck themselves, maybe Calhoun will go cycling again and never come back for the benefit of the world, and Georgetown, they'll crumble apart just like last year. Need a shooter fellas.

Quick NBA note, I'll go back to this in detail tomorrow as I will likely do as the NBA is by far my favorite sport to talk about, but a couple of early season things that have caught my attention:
1) 3 teams can win it this year. That's it. No the Hawks aren't one of these.
2) Allen Iverson, you have one option left as a player.
3) Danny Ferry, you are on par with Isiah as a GM.
4) The Grizzlies and Clippers will never be good in our lifetime.

Don't want to talk too much about this all today since I do want to go home, but I'll start it off with the contenders in the league this season. The Celts, Lakers, and Nuggets are the only three teams that have ANY shot this year (barring any sort of trade such as 2 years ago when Gasol gets traded for KWAME BROWN). I can see the Spurs fleecing someone like that. The Celts proved why they are and why they aren't the best team in the first 12 games of the season. When rested and clicking, they have no holes on the roster. None. When Rasheed isn't putting up 10 3's a game and making 2 of them, Eddie House isn't clanking, Pierce and KG aren't hurting, and Scal isn't in the arena, they are a well oiled machine, but this is what we've seen recently, and old team that is settling for playing down to their talent.
The Lakers haven't had that flaming metrosexual Pau Gasol play yet this year and rumor is that his hammy is a lot more beaten up than first noted. There is no timetable for his return and in the meantime, the Lakers have won games, but have needed overtimes to beat the likes of the Thunder and got thoroughly manhandled by the Nuggets the other night. If Pau comes back in time to do that "i'm going into labor fist pump" one more time this year, they have a shot, but if they shoot themselves in the head thinking that Artest can carry an offensive load in place of Gasol, well then we have a comedy show on our hands. Note to Jack Nicholson- don't drop your beer if Artest comes flying into the stands, he may think it's a guy 10 rows back and charge him, however it would be fantastic to see Sasha Vujacic try to be a tough ass and run into try to "protect" him and wind up getting smoked in the face. Just hope that Stephen Jackson and the Bobcats aren't in town that night or else he'll surely join in the fun.
The Nuggets are good too, but need to see a full season from them to annoint them as the overwhelming frontrunner. The Magic- way to go in picking up Vince Carter, that may ahve single handedly been the most retarded move I have seen since the Knicks traded for Steve Francis. How in holy Hell did anyone expect him to not only take a team back to the Finals, but to put them over the hump? This guy is the definition of a player that was a stud out of college, made himself a cool nickname, won a dunk contest, and all of a sudden found out his knees are as fragile as Manute Bol's and whenever asked to shoulder a load, tweaks an ankle and loses 2 seasons worth of games. I hate Vince Carter with an overwhelming passion since the days when people said he was the better pick than Paul Pierce in that draft. A Finals MVP and about 21489035019753 more games played later, I think its fair to say that question was answered.
Love the story of that draft by the way, one of the most humerous episiodes of why some teams, well, suck. It all starts in the draft people. Teams that don't draft well are never ever ever gonna win. Let's travel back for a moment in history and relive this June day in 1998. I will spit out for you the top 10 picks in this draft, let's look at their careers to this day, and how the teams that took them are faring. History repeats itself and the teams drafting habits have not changed 11 years later, so its fair to assume that if they fucked up that draft, they fucked up plenty more along the road.
With the first pick in the draft, the ... select Michael Olowokandi

The logic behind this pick, "Well we need a big man, this guy put up great number at the University of Pacific, he's kind of goofy but put up great college numbers even though the tallest guy in his conference other than him was about 6'7, but what the hell, we're the Clippers, let's do it.

Now- Not even in the league.

The Team- Yup, the Clips, same team that went on to take the likes of Yaroslav Korolev in the Lottery.

Pick #2- Mike Bibby by the Grizzzz

Logic- Needed a PG, best in the class.

Now- Still in the NBA, put together a solid career, but wouldn't you know the Grizz would later trade him for White-Chocolate Jason Williams and Bibby would go on to be a part of arguably the best team to never win a championship in the 2000's.

Pick #3- Raef LaFrentz

Logic- Good in college, but come on.

Now- Raef was better known for his expiring contrac tup until last season and now is out of the NBA. The Nuggets went on to stink up many more drafts until Joe Dumars and the Pistons threw them a bone and took Darko over 'Melo. Phew, saved the Nug's ass on that one Joe.

Pick #4 and #5- Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison (traded for each other on draft night)

Logic- Raptors and Warriors each took the guys and said what the hell, why don't we just swap them. (The conspiracy theorist would say that the Warriors saw Carter's physical and said get him the fuck outta here) Jamison has had an above average career, but as far as taking a team to the top, neither have some close. And the nickname "Air Canada" that Vince took then ditched is more of an insult than a compliment, right?

Now- Both hurt, both on their 3rd team, and you guessed it, both going nowhere.

Pick #6- Robert "Tractor" Traylor

Logic (Stupidity)- No this isn't a joke. This actually happened. Dallas took him here but in reality this may have been the best move in the history of the Dallas Mav's franchise. Why? No i'm not on crack. Team president Donny Nelson immediately shipped him to the pathetic Bucks for their draft choice at pick #9. Wait 'till we see who this turns out to be.

Now- Tractor Traylor has been arrested on drug charges, and there's a rumor his diet in 2004 could've fed a starving nation. He is long gone from the NBA after maybe one of the worst lottery pick careers we've ever seen.

Pick #7- Jason "White Chocolate" Williams

Logic- Blew away the crowd at the Rookie game this season with the Kings with his ridiculously (stupid) passes and was traded away the following year for Bibby after a team realizeed he couldn't lead an offense.

Now- Well, he's had quite a roller coaster of a career, but got his ring with the Heat a few years back. The ring gives you respect, but those tattoos he's got take that respect all back.

Pick #8- Larry Hughes

Logic- I remember this part of the draft vividly. As a Celtics fan I'm sitting in my family room yelling please, please, please Philly don't take Pierce. Pierce is on the verge of tears in the Green room as projections said he was going to be a top 3 pick, going as high as #2. The rumors all day leading up said that if Pierce slid, the Sixers needed that guard. Well, he slid, and the Sixers took Hughes. WOW. Yes! Giving high Fives to everyone around me, I scream out that only two picks remain, we just need PP to slip pas the Bucks, who hold the 9th pick (owed to Dallas).

Now- Hughes has one good season in his career, which he cashed into a huge contract with the Cavs, and now finds himself on the Knicks for the sole purpose that his contract is up after the season and in time for it to be off the books for the summer of 2010.

Pick #9- Dirk Nowitzki

Logic- Lot of hype on this guy heading in. Tall, skinny, white guy from Germany that apparently can shoot but nobody thinks his game can translate. Comparisons to Larry Bird's stroke and athleticism drew laughs from many. Fell to the Bucks, who I guess felt that their cafeteria wasn't getting enough love and wanted the Tractor, so they shipped Dirk off to Dallas or Traylor. Ouch.

Now- Dirk's an 8 time all star, 4 time all NBA first team, MVP, likely Hall of Famer, and nearly carried a team to the title. He's done ok.

Pick #10- Paul Pierce

Logic- No brainer- Even Rick Pitino can't fuck this one up.

Now- After bandwagoners all across New England swore him off after he vented his frusteration that he was sick and tired of having Ricky Davis and Tony Delk as his sidekicks, he bites the bullet, gets his help, and outduels LeBron and Kobe for a title and Finals MVP. Will likely finish as the leading scorer in Celt's history before it's all said and dont and the #34 will join the others in the rafters. We all knew it on Draft Day, the obvious choice, even Pitino couldn't fuck it up.

Will go down as one of the most lopsided drafts ever- and the reason the Clippers will always be the Clippers.

Other news and thought of the NBA-

• Allen Iverson, you want to be the man for one more season, you have one more team to try that on. The Knicks. They have clearly nothing to play for this season and have the aforementioned Larry Hughes starting at the 2. Sign with them AI, it's your last hope as a pro.
• Danny Ferry, did you really thing Shaq was the answer? You said no to Amare last year because you didn't want to take on the money, and this was your answer? It's ok though, Amare's a free agent after the seasons over, you can get him again, because you'll have the cap space once LeBron flips you off on the way out of town.

I'll dig into a little pro and college football, as well as maybe some baseball tomorrow.

Hump Day Walkaround

Welcome to Hump Day Walkaround, a column where we focus on the major issues involved in all sports. That includes the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NCAA (only football and basketball)...maybe soccer if I feel like it. Maybe we can get a guest commentator for that but I'm not sure yet. Anyways, this column will be featured every Wednesday, or "Hump Day", which of course is the politically incorrect nickname for Wednesdays. So without further adieu, let us begin with the NFL...

NFL

The major news to come out of the NFL so far this week is the Buffalo Bills firing Head Coach Dick Jauron yesterday. Perry Fewell will take over the job on a interim basis until owner Ralph Wilson starts calling Bill Cowher, Mike Shanahan, and/or Mike Holmgren to fill the position next season. At 3-6, the Bills weren't headed anywhere special this year. But they could have at least let Jauron finish out the season. Granted this was a team that had serious playoff expectations for this year, especially with the premier signing of Terrell Owens. But of course, everyone could see that the Bills were suffering from a delusion and were obviously not going to surpass the Patriots as the dominant team in the AFC East overnight. I still think they should have let Jauron retain the job on a lame duck status because seriously, there are far worse teams in the NFL right now than the Bills. Recent reports suggest that the Bills are interested in Mike Shanahan, even going so far as to start the process of arranging a meeting with the former Broncos coach. Obviously, that move would send shock waves up and down the AFC East. But I don't think its about the coaching in Buffalo but rather the core group of players. What the Bills need is another massive overhaul of personnel if they want to compete with the Tom Bradys and Peyton Mannings of the world. And what fans in Buffalo have to do is be really patient because this kind of overhaul may not come for a really long time.

In other news, Jets offensive tackle Damian Woody leaked to the press the other day that Head Coach Rex Ryan broke down and wept in front of his players during a team meeting. And of course, the entire New York media was on top of that, beginning to question who the real Rex Ryan is? Rex Ryan is still the same guy he was before these reports came out. He is a fiery head coach who clearly has the support of his locker room. He is a guy that players want to play for and want to win for. But he is also a rookie Head Coach in the first year of his tenure in New York. And let's not forget, he's in New York...not exactly a safehaven from the press. So for Ryan to say that he wants to seek out the advice of fellow and former head coaches like his father Buddy Ryan or Jack Del Rio, its not exactly a sign of weakness. He is learning on the job, just like his quarterback is right now. Sure this season may be lost but the Jets are a team of the future. This kind of behavior is not something to be overly concerned about.

And a prediction for tomorrow night's game in Carolina....I think the loss of Ronnie Brown will really affect the Dolphins. It will put a lot of pressure on Ricky Williams to carry the running game to success and force Chad Henne to throw the ball a little more than he should for a team built on the "Wildcat". And I don't think the Panthers will shoot themselves in the foot. Or should I say I don't think Jake Delhomme will shoot himself in the foot. The Panthers look like a team on the rebound and could make waves come the end of the season. Panthers win 27-17.

MLB

The major news in baseball coming out right now are the end-of-the-year awards being handed down on a daily basis. If I recall correctly, the MVP's aren't announced until next week I don't think. However, I think the AL MVP is Joe Mauer's to lose because his statistics this year were unbelievable for a catcher and because he put the Twins on his back and carried them to the playoffs without Justin Morneau behind him at tat. The NL MVP will go to Albert Pujols, who finished in the Top 3 in batting average, HR's and RBI's this year and quite simply put up the best offensive numbers on a consistent basis over anyone in the National League this year. So expect those two guys to get the MVP awards next week. This week, however, Zack Greinke won the AL Cy Young award. Not surprising to me in the least as Greinke put up a 2.16 ERA and struck out 242 batters this year. Those are pretty impressive numbers considering the team he plays for is the Royals. So those 16 wins were 16 hard-fought wins and Greinke truly deserved the Cy Young this year. But I must say if playoff performances were considered as part of the process, then CC Sabathia wins this hands down. But since it is only for the regular season, I guess I cannot complain too much that Sabathia was voted 4th behind Greinke, Felix Hernandez, and Justin Verlander. Ce-la-vi though as the Yankees have a World Series. Anyways, I think Lincecum will take his 2nd NL Cy Young this year simply because Carpenter and Wainwright will split the vote. But we shall see...

I also have no problem with Jim Tracy and Mike Sciosia winning Managers of the Year. Tracy deserved it for quite simply just turning the Rockies season around after a terrible start, going 74-42 and sending the Rockies into the playoffs. Tracy was rewarded with a three-year contract today, which kind of reminds me of the deal Charlie Weis got with Notre Dame after that close loss to USC a few years ago. We'll see if Tracy can make the Rockies a consistent contender in the NL West for years to come. Sciosia too was well-deserving of Manager of the Year, just guiding his team past the surging Rangers after the death of Nick Adenhart and managing them as far as the ALCS. Sciosia is regarded by some as the best manager in baseball and he certainly proved it this year by just taking all the talent around him and using Adenhart's death as a source of inspiration to get the Angels past their playoff nemesis in the Red Sox. So again, well-deserved rewards for both managers to end the 2009 baseball season.

NBA

Surging starts for the Phoenix Suns and the Atlanta Hawks are not really surprising considering the depth and talent that both teams have on their starting lineups and benches. What is more surprising to me are two teams in particular, namely the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Spurs have been plagued by injuries to both Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. As a result, their record out of the gate is an unspectacular 4-4 with a mini-showdown against the 8-3 Dallas Mavericks coming up tonight. I think the Spurs will be there in the end of course. The 2nd half of the season will show who the real Spurs are and who we thought they were going to be when the season started. A team with Duncan, Parker, Richard Jefferson, and Manu Ginobili anchoring their starting lineup. The thing that might hurt the Spurs is the age factor but I still think they are a playoff team in the West. The Oklahoma City Thunder are off to a 6-5 start, with wins over seeming powerhouses in the Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs, and Miami Heat. They also have close losses to the Portland Trailblazers and an overtime loss to the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. This is a phenomenal start for the Thunder, being led by Kevin Durant who is slowly becoming one of the best players in the NBA. He is a efficient scorer and can get the ball in the hoop whenever he wants to. His defense needs to improve a bit but once it does, don't be surprised if the Thunder are still in it towards the end of the season. Also, the Knicks considering adding Allen Iverson to their team...at this point, the Knicks are willing to try anything and should try anything because they simply cannot get any worse than they have been. Letting Iverson hog the ball for them would not be such a bad thing. Hell, they might win a few more games than they should. I know one guy who would love The Answer at MSG. Hopefully, he starts contributing to this blog real soon.

NCAA Football

The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry used to be something of great luster; something golden and special that you could look forward to every year. The last decade has proven that the days of Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler are over. Now, the only thing you can look forward to every year is Jim Tressel sticking it to every single Michigan coach that graces the sidelines against the Buckeyes. Tressel is 8-1 against the Wolverines and has Ohio State primed to hand Rich Rodriguez a beating on Saturday afternoon. Ohio State is already smelling the roses after securing their trip to Pasadena in an overtime thriller against Iowa. So maybe they won't put up their best effort against a Michigan team that started out strong but is 1-6 in their last 7 games....1-6...those proud Wolverine alums can't be screaming "GO BLUE" about anything or anyone out there in Ann Arbor. Michigan is about to go 5-7 this year, facing their 2nd straight season without appearing in a bowl game. And those impatient fans who scream "GO BLUE" every Saturday, well you should see them calling for Rodriguez's head just below Michigan Stadium with the golden boy himself shouting "Let them eat cake".

Another coach on the hot seat is Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis. And from the looks of it, Notre Dame is about to eat another large contract as they will most likely let Weis go and will attempt to go after the likes of Brian Kelly and Urban Meyer. That is of course if they can bribe them to leave their good situations at Cincinnati and Florida. I think they could actually get Kelly but let's face it, Urban Meyer has a great thing at Florida and he is not leaving anytime soon. Not when he can keep sticking it in Lane Kiffin's face every time Tennessee loses to Florida. As for Weis, he needs a convincing win over UConn this saturday and another convincing win over Stanford on Thanksgiving weekend to march into their bowl game and convincingly win that. That is a tall order considering Stanford just laid 51 on Oregon and 55 on USC. They can score...and Notre Dame's defense cannot get a stop when it counts. So for Weis, the seat is burning right now so much that the flames are starting to eat him alive. Can he pull himself out of the fire? Only time will tell...

NCAA Basketball

Lots of what our new contributor Mr. Wendth said is true. Last night's close games featuring Kansas, Michigan State, and Kentucky opened up a lot of eyes concerning those three teams. Kansas barely survived Memphis, winning only by 2 over what appears to be a newly revamped squad minus "Coach Cal" as Bri likes to call him. Kansas doesn't have much to worry about with this game. They are still a very talented team led by Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins and shouldn't have any stiff competition throughout the season. But they will need their leaders to step up big time when it counts. One close game against Memphis is not the end of the world. A recent poll says that Kansas looked like the most vulnerable team last night over Michigan State and Kentucky. But I agree with Bri in saying that Michigan State is not the 2nd best team in the country. In fact, as the season progresses, I see a lot of potential upsets that Michigan State could fall into, particularly when they have to play the likes of Purdue, North Carolina, Texas, or Ohio State. They won't be ranked #2 at the end of the year that's for sure. But that doesn't mean they won't make the tournament because they obviously will. As for Kentucky, "Coach Cal" was very happy with his team last night even though they fell behind by 18 points. "I wanted to see what we were made of. In the huddle, they (his players) were saying 'We're not going to lose this.' Hey, this was kind of fun." Indeed, Kentucky fought hard against the likes of Miami, OH. And John Wall showed that he has the potential to be the freshman sensation everyone is hyping him up to be. But can they come back from 18 if they play teams like Kansas or Michigan State or Texas? That will be the true test for Calipari's group as the season progresses and they start to play those better teams.

I've decided not to talk about the NHL because I simply don't feel like it and because I don't really follow hockey that much. Same goes for soccer unfortunately.

As I said above, this will be a weekly thing occurring every Hump Day. I hope you enjoyed the debut column. Stay tuned for more exciting things from my colleagues in James Emeigh and Brian Wendth. Bye bye for now!!!

Week 10 NFL Recap

Week 10 did not exactly get off to a bang as the NFL Network opened its football coverage with the Chicago Bears and the San Francisco 49ers. Good Lord, can the Bears actually get a legitimate quarterback who can actually LEAD their team to the promised land? I mean seriously, when the Jay Cutler trade was announced back in April, I can remember Bears fans acting completely ecstatic and unbelievably enthused. It was like Christmas had come early this year because finally, they had an elite quarterback fresh off a stellar season with the Broncos and a world-class defense that could hold its own against anyone in the league. It seemed like the stars had aligned for Bears fans everywhere....how wrong they were. We should have seen it coming when Brian Urlacher went down for the season with a severely dislocated wrist. But then a victory over the world-champion Steelers delayed the inevitable, making it seem like the Bears were truly among the elite teams in the NFL. And then what happened? 45 points to the Bengals, 41 points to the Cardinals...need i say more? And then this abomination from Crybaby Cutler. 52 pass attempts, 307 passing yards, 5 interceptions...hmm, not exactly Pro Bowl material. And what does he do throughout the course of the game...he blames his teammates, as if throwing 5 interceptions couldn't possibly be his fault. His quote after the game, "I think the offense as a whole needs to apologize" DUH!!!!!!!! 6 points against the 49ers in a must-win game is completely unacceptable from a team that had high hopes for itself entering the season. Sitting at 4-5 right now, the Bears' hopes are slowly fading away with Philadelphia and Minnesota coming up next. Can they pull it together? We shall see...

Sunday's matchups featured a slew of great games, particularly the ones that were hyped up throughout the week in the Bengals-Steelers and Colts-Patriots. Before covering those games, let's just go around the league real quick and see what happened. The Saints's perfect record was put in jeopardy yesterday by THE RAMS? Hmm...how very interesting. Many assumed that the Saints would have no problem with the Rams and would simply go marching in to St. Louis no questions asked. Drew Brees was not godlike yesterday as he only threw for 223 yds with 2 TD's and 2 INT's. The Rams were very competitive throughout the day and seemed to treat the game like their personal Super Bowl. At halftime, the score was 14 all and the game was close throughout the course of the day. But in the end, the better teams always find a way to win these games and the Saints did exactly that. They move on to 9-0 with the lowly Buccaneers coming in next week and then the Pats in 2 weeks on Monday Night Football. Also, this week saw the Jets and their GQ quarterback begin to dive further into oblivion with a tough loss to the Jaguars. Ever since their phenomenal 3-0 start, the Jets have won 1 of their last 5 games and that was against the RAIIIDEERSSSS. Yesterday's loss to Jacksonville has demonstrated two things; that the Jets defense is terribly overrated and cannot make a stop when it counts, and that Rex Ryan and his team should keep their mouths shut from now on because they're not very good. And another thing, I don't understand what the big deal is with Maurice Jones-Drew taking a knee at the end of the game. Clearly, the offense was going to run victory formations and take knees to center the chip-shot field goal. And they did not want to give the ball back to Sanchez, who had just led his team down the field to give the Jets the lead. It's not terrible thinking and the Jaguars ended up winning the game anyway. But the Jets are in trouble that's for sure. With a stop in Foxboro next weekend against an angry Pats team, all is not well in the Meadowlands for one New York team.

And all would not be well with the other New York team either had both the Cowboys and the Eagles took care of business in Green Bay and San Diego this week. Fortunately for the Giants, the Packers defense showed up and absolutely manhandled the Cowboys offense in the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field. The only Cowboy score came in desperation in the final two minutes as Romo hurled one to the right corner of the endzone and found Roy Williams. But the Cowboys could not establish a running game nor get their main weapon Miles Austin on track against a Packer defense that had surrendered 38 points to the Buccaneers last week. There were some out there who called this a trap game for the Cowboys. And indeed, they were right. Coming off a big division win against the Eagles last week, along with another division matchup next week against the Redskins, the luck of the Cowboys finally ran out on Sunday as Romo, Wade, and good ole Jerry Jones lose their battle to Cheesehead nation. Eagle nation also has a lot to be concerned about as McNabb and company went out west and got struck by lightning in a big way. Upon hearing that he was going to be a father, LaDainian Tomlinson was so excited that he ran the ball 24 times for 96 yards and scored 2 TD's. The Eagles defense, which hasn't been the same since the passing of their coordinator Jim Johnson, was stifled by a vintage Tomlinson yesterday as he was the main focus of the Charger running game yesterday. They were also befuddled by a good performance by Philip Rivers, who is once again stepping up his game in the latter part of the season. Beware the Chargers now in the AFC West. They have won four in a row now since starting 2-3 and meet the division leading Denver Broncos next week in a pivotal showdown. And since the Broncos have lost three in a row, including a bad one against the Redskins yesterday, I'd say the Chargers are looking pretty good right now. As for the Eagles, now that Brian Westbrook is out indefinitely with his second concussion this season, the onus is now put on Donovan McNabb to put points on the board and carry the Eagles the rest of the way. He almost led them to a comeback win yesterday, but they need to find a way to balance their running game with their passing game and hope that their defense can get their problems solved real fast. If they don't, the Cowboys might run away with the division. But don't sleep on the Giants. If they cleaned up their act this week, they could be right back in this thing. We shall see...

Now, for the two big matchups of this past week. Let's start with the Bengals and the Steelers. This was not exactly an offensive juggernaut of a game yesterday. The only touchdown of the game came on a 96-yard kickoff return from Bernard Scott of the Bengals. The rest of the offensive output came from Shayne Graham and Jeff Reed. It was a defensive struggle from start to finish, each team trying to match each other on the scoreboard and constantly settling for field goals. The stats were not pretty. Carson Palmer and Ben Roethlisberger were not Tom Brady and Peyton Manning yesterday. Cedric Benson left the game in the 2nd quarter with a hip flexor, carrying the ball only 7 times for 22 yards. Rashard Mendenhall did not have a great game against a terrific Bengals defense with only 36 yards rushing. But I think the biggest part of the game that turned the tables in favor of the Bengals was when Troy Polamalu left the game with his 2nd knee injury of the season. Once again, the Bengals were able to capitalize on that, capably moving the ball down the field and in the end, getting more field goals than the Steelers and winning an enormous game on the road against the defending world champs. The Bengals have a cakewalk of a schedule the next 3 weeks as they face Oakland, Cleveland, and Detroit respectively. They should be 10-2 heading into their next big game against the Vikings and I do not see them getting caught in a trap next week against a team as horrible as Oakland. This is a good Bengal team that is focused, sharp, and mentally tough. Hopefully, they can maintain that as they seem to be headed on cruise control into the playoffs this year.

The big game of the night was obviously the New England Patriots against the Indianapolis Colts. And until the fourth quarter of that game, the game was honestly nothing to write home about. The Pats were dominating the Colts offensively all night long, gaining 477 yards of total offense and leading the Colts 31-14 early in the fourth quarter. But alas, Peyton Manning managed to get his team back in the game late, cutting that deficit down to 34-28 on a four-yard run by Joseph Addai. And this is what everyone has been talking about all day long...the controversial fourth down call by Bill Belichick. Personally, I think Kevin Faulk actually got the first down on the forward progression and that the referees spotted the ball in the wrong place. However, because Bill Belichick used his final timeout on the last Colts possession, he was unable to challenge the spot of the ball. Therefore, the Patriots turned the ball over on downs and left Peyton Manning with a short field to work his magic against the Patriots defense. Sure enough, that's exactly what happened as Manning found Reggie Wayne in the back of the endzone for the go-ahead touchdown. Perfect season saved...final score 35-34...every Patriots fan has a sleepless night...every Boston sports radio show condemns Belichick. Now, I disagree with the idea of going for it on 4th down. I understand the idea that if you convert the fourth down, then the game is virtually over and everyone salutes Belichick for a terrific victory over an undefeated Colts team. But you simply cannot run the risk of not converting the fourth down and giving Peyton Manning the short field to work with. He will burn you everytime and he did so last night. And you especially cannot do it when you have no timeouts left and the game is on the line. You must have faith in your defense in that situation, who granted put the seed of doubt in Belichick's mind after allowing Manning to drive down the field twice and cut the lead to 6. But you have to do it in that situation. You have to give Manning a longer field to work with and at least make him work for the victory. Because honestly, did you really think the Patriots were gonna win that game when the ball is on their 29 yard line and Peyton Manning is staring at you in the face? This was an uncharacteristic blunder by Bill Belichick and it most definitely cost them the game. But alas, all is not lost in Patriot land. The Pats are still sitting pretty atop the division with a 6-3 record. And they most certainly have to be proud of the fight they took to the Colts last night. They should have won that game and should be recognized today as perhaps the 2nd best team in the NFL right now. Trust me Pats fan...all of this is forgotten if Brady and company crush the hapless Jets next week at home and then go down to the Big Easy and stun the soon-to-be 10-0 Saints. Then everyone will start to give credit where credit is due. And Belichick will look like a genius again. Brady will be hailed and exalted on high once more. And all will be right with the world. But for now, consider this a bump in the road for what could be a potentially memorable season.

That's all for now...the Ravens are in sound control right now over the absolutely horrible Cleveland Browns. God help that team...they need Mike Holmgren to come next year in the worst way because this team simply has NOTHING on offense. Granted though the score was 0-0 at halftime so what does that tell you about the Ravens? Personally, I think they could upset the Colts next week but I'm not sure now. Anyways, look for this to be a regular thing every week for the rest of the season. If there's a big game on Monday Night Football, then this column will be pushed a day because obviously, proper attention must be given to that game. Hope you enjoyed it dear readers. Bye bye for now!!!

#27

AND THE NEW YORK YANKEES ARE THE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS OF BASEBALL!!!!!!!!! Sorry, I had to get that out of my system. The New York Yankees are obviously my favorite baseball team and I simply cannot contain my joy and happiness over the fact that the Yankees are once again World Series champions. I'm probably not as happy as Mr. Emeigh is that the Yankees defeated the Phillies in 6 games, but I'm sure he will let you in on how happy he is when he posts his reaction and commentary on what this World Series means in Yankee history. That is enough of my biased commentary for one day. Now, on to my reaction and commentary on Game 6.

There were many experts out there who were very hesitant to predict the Yankees would win in 6 games. I don't know why. I mean, with Pedro Martinez pitching on the mound for the Phillies (and this is not vintage Pedro Martinez), how could you not give the Yankees a slight edge in this game, especially when they're at home in the Bronx. I could understand if the game was on the road in Philadelphia but I mean come on now. This was a team that finished with the best record in the major leagues. This was a team that took care of business against the Twins in the first round of the playoffs and were able to get past their postseason nemesis in the Angels with no real problems. And up until Game 6 actually began in New York, all I could hear on sports talk shows was concern over Andy Pettitte pitching on three days rest. Yes, I can buy the argument that Pettitte hadn't pitched on three days rest since 2006. I can also buy the argument that his best playoff numbers have never occurred in the World Series. I can also buy the skepticism of a possible Game 7 looming in the Bronx, with the Phillies having some momentum after completely bashing A.J. Burnett in Game 5. All that was washed away on Wednesday night, as Pettitte did not pitch great as he went 5.2 innings and gave up 3 earned runs. However, the Yankees potent and explosive lineup were able to back him up enormously in Game 6, giving Pettitte a little leeway in the early innings to put pressure on the Phillies to match the Yankees in the run column. The potency and explosiveness actually came from one guy on Wednesday night and that of course is Hideki Matsui or "Godzilla". And boy did he just launch a major attack on Pedro the other night. My god, Pedro never fails to prove that the Yankees will always be his daddy and it just seems really funny to me that they were able to clinch their 27th with him on the mound. With that being said, Matsui was absolutely brilliant on Wednesday night, going 3 for 4 with 6 RBI's and winning the World Series MVP with I believe the fewest at bats in a championship series ever. And that is just an amazing statistic because Matsui was limited to pinch-hit duty in Philadelphia because he simply cannot play the outfield anymore. Matsui won this game for the Yankees on Wednesday night, driving in all Yankee runs with the exceptions of Mark Teixeira's RBI single that scored Jeter in the 5th inning and proved why he was the appropriate choice for World Series MVP.

The Yankee bullpen was absolutely spectacular on Wednesday night, shutting down the Phillies in the later innings and just handing the ball to Mariano Rivera in the 8th inning to close the door on this World Series. Kudos to Joba Chamberlain and Damaso Marte (who looked like the Damaso Marte we thought we were getting last year when he came from the Pirates) for providing an easy path to Mariano, who looked crisp and sharp in securing another championship for the storied Yankee franchise. This should not discredit the effort the Phillies put into this World Series. They were indeed a worthy opponent with an absolutely star-studded lineup led by Chase Utley, who was absolutely unstoppable in this series. And I'd have to agree with what the experts are saying right now, which is that the Phillies have a better shot of making it back to the series next year than the Yankees do right now. I would say that's a fair argument because if the Phillies can add another decent pitcher to back up Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels in their rotation, then they will definitely be the favorite heading into next season. The Yankees, though still a very explosive team, will have some questions concerning the back end of their rotation. Pettitte will only be getting older and do the Yankees want to start cashing in on their future by putting Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain back in the rotation? Also, what will they do with Chien-Ming Wang? Should they go out and spend money again on a big-name pitcher? These are questions that will be answered in due time, but for now, the Yankees will enjoy their 27th World Series title as they march along the Canyon of Heroes in Manhattan and receive the keys to the city from Mayor Bloomberg. And that is indeed a truly great thing if you're a Yankee fan.

Comments on last night's Game 2

This was a game the Yankees had to have last night. And they took it in a very surprising way. Game 2 last night showcased two very good pitching performances from Pedro Martinez and A.J. Burnett, with the latter throwing up 7 innings of magnificent work comprised of 4 hits, 1 earned run, and 9 strikeouts. Burnett was wheeling and dealing some nasty stuff, using his curveball and four-seam fastball to weave a gem against the Phillies all-star lineup. However, as typical with Burnett this season, there were many nerve-racking situations that he got himself into but, and this is the surprising part, he managed to work his way out of them. The only situation Burnett didn't get out of was the one time the Phillies got the lead on a Matt Stairs base hit in the 2nd. And at that point I'm sure every Yankee fan was starting to think "Oh my god, Pedro's gonna shut us down and the quest for #27 is as good as lost". Yet, in the 4th inning of last night's win, Mark Teixeira stepped up to the plate and demonstrated why he has been the MVP for the Yankees this season, delivering a solo blast out to right-center field that tied the game at 1. This gave the Yankees some much-needed momentum throughout the game against Pedro and allowed them to operate with a quiet confidence and relax a little bit in the game. Eventually, the Yankees were able to finally get to Pedro again with a Godzilla attack out in right field. Matsui crushed a low curve ball by Pedro and allowed for the Yankee Stadium crowd to finally celebrate the fact that they had a lead in the World Series. Before Matsui's home run, Pedro was having a very decent game of his own, striking out hitters left and right and getting out of scary situations when the Yankees were threatening. And let me just say one thing, where the hell has A-Rod been in this series? It seems the Kate Hudson Effect is starting to wear off a little bit, kinda like the Secret Stuff in the movie Space Jam. If this is going to be a problem for the rest of the series, then it looks like the rest of the Yankee lineup is gonna have to discover that they don't need the Secret Stuff anymore and score some runs with or without A-Rod. However, I am not worried about A-Rod entirely. I think he will come through when the Yankees visit Philadelphia for Games 3, 4, and 5.

In a much similar fashion to Game 1, the Yankees were able to provide a little leeway between themselves and the Phillies when Charlie Manuel left Pedro in for the 7th inning (a Grady Little moment perhaps?) and he gives up 2 base hits and leaves with runners on 1st and 3rd with nobody out. Jorge Posada nails an RBI single and the Yankees were able to take a 3-1 lead. To show how much the Yankees needed this game, Joe Girardi brought out the Sandman for 2 innings last night. Despite getting into a little bit of trouble in the 8th, Rivera took care of business against the Phillies lineup, striking out Matt Stairs with authority to end Game 2 last night and send the Yankees to Philly with the series tied at 1.

Now, a little preview of Game 3. The pitching matchup is very interesting to say the least. Andy Pettitte is obviously one of the best postseason pitchers in MLB history and will no doubt bring his A-game to the table for Game 3. However, the guy to watch is obviously Phillies starter Cole Hamels, who had an incredible postseason last year and was named World Series MVP. This year has not been so incredible for Hamels as he has struggled consistently and has not been able to give the Phillies a strong outing on the mound. If Hamels can find some way to shut down the Yankees lineup (and that is a very tall order), then Game 3 could be very interesting especially being on the road in Philadelphia. Another thing to watch for is if the Phillies lineup starts to hit against Yankees starting pitching. Against CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, the Phillies lineup has only managed 6 hits collectively and just 3 ER. And with Andy Pettitte stepping on the mound for Game 3, the Phillies' struggle to score runs just might continue. Again though, a lot depends on what you're getting from Cole Hamels as well. Can he bring his A-game to the mound on Saturday? Can the Phillies score some runs off Pettitte? Will the Yankees control the pace of the game? We shall find out all this on Saturday night and I think it's gonna be very interesting.

Game 3 Prediction: Yankees 4, Phillies 2

Comments on last night's Game 1

Last night's Game 1 of the World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees featured a classic pitching performance from veteran and former Cy Young award winner Cliff Lee, who threw a complete game "shutout" against the Bronx Bombers on 122 pitches. I put "shutout" in quotations because even though the Yankees managed to score one run in the 9th off Lee, the run was unearned due to a throwing error and did not really undermine the masterful work given to us by Lee. I mean, there were times where Lee just seemed unfazed by what must have been enormous pressure to win the opening game of the Fall Classic. He looked calm, cool, collected on the mound, making hitters swing and miss on pitches that were both inside and outside. He mixed and matched on hitters, taking command of the strike zone with such efficiency and precision that Yankee hitters remained baffled for nearly the entire game last night. It also appeared as if their inability to solve Lee throughout the course of the evening led to frustration and maybe even allowed some hitters to force swings a bit. I mean, how else do you explain Johnny Damon's pop fly to the pitcher's mound and the blind luck of Lee's behind-the-back grab of Cano's possible single up the middle. Cliff Lee was nearly perfect last night and if he keeps pitching like this and it comes down to a Game 7 where Lee has to pitch on 3 days rest, watch out because this may not be the year of #27 after all.

This is not to undermine the performance of CC Sabathia last night as well. Sabathia gave 7 strong innings of work and only made two mistakes throughout. Unfortunately, both mistakes were home runs to right field by Chase Utley, who took advantage of fastballs that were right down the middle of the plate. He was trying to throw inside to Utley and make him chase the inside pitch only to have himself miss completely and allow the Phillies to take a 2-0 lead. But other than that, Sabathia pitched just as well as Lee in my opinion. However, the Yankee bullpen did not look great last night. Phil Hughes still has not solved his postseason woes and the game was pretty much over when Raul Ibanez hit a 2RBI single through the hole to give the Phillies a 4-run lead. The way Lee was pitching last night, the Yankees were not coming back from that because they were not putting up any offensive numbers and when they did get hits off Lee, they would always be held in check.

Tonight's Game 2 is a pivotal matchup for the Yankees. The Phillies are sending Pedro Martinez to the mound primarily because of his history against the Yankees and because Hamels has struggled mightily this postseason so Charlie Manuel wanted to make him feel comfortable by giving him Game 3 at home. But the Yankees are not exactly sending up a strong opponent in A.J. Burnett, who has had his share of pitching problems this postseason even with Jose Molina behind the plate. I think James would argue for a strong offensive showing by both teams tonight, with both pitchers probably exiting the game after the 5th or 6th innings. I wouldn't be surprised if the game went into extra innings tonight with the final dividend being a 6-5 game. Hopefully, Joe Girardi will have some sense to place Jorge in the catcher's role tonight and make Burnett suck it up and throw the ball like he is supposed to. I understand you want Burnett comfortable, but these are grown men and this is the World Series. You throw the ball over the plate and you make your pitches, get the win, and notch your team closer to championship glory. That's how its done in the big leagues, or at least that's how it should be done. And I think it will happen tonight for the Yankees, but it probably won't be because of A.J. Burnett.

Game 2 Prediction: Yankees 6, Phillies 5 (11 innings)

"It's deja vu all over again"

Does anyone remember this feeling? It's been awhile. Six years, in fact. Six LONG years. This may be even better than 2003. I would even argue it feels more like 2001, where it was all about the WS titles and not merely beating the Red Sox. I recall the start of the 2003 series feeling anticlimatic, due to the Aaron Boone ALCS victory (and it obviously ended with a similar, if not worse feeling). Suffice to say, I'm pretty over the rivalry. Do not get me wrong, it's always fun to beat them for bragging rights against Brian and Brett, if nothing else. But getting super hyped up for a regular season victory leaves me with a shallow feeling, even against the sox. We could go 0 - 18 against the Sox (we were on track after 9 games this season), but would anyone care if we came out with a WS title? NOOO.. I am back in the mantra that a win over the sox counts as much as it does beating any other division opponent. Important, but no longer does it mean the world to me. Even beating them in the playoffs is not a priority. I could not have cared less who we beat in the ALCS as long as we were still playing tonight. I guess not having Pedro throwing Zimmer to the ground, the Big Poopie or Manny being Manny to loathe shapes my feelings. But you get my point.


-So on to the World Series talk. On a personal note, there is an inter-family rivalry between my mom and myself as she is an avid Phillies fan. And I cant believe we actually got our wish to meet in the WS. In fact, we're headed to Game 5 (if necessary) upon my request - I wanted to experience a new ball park, and for her to not deal with any taunting. What a good son I am. Citizens Bank will actually be my 9th MLB ballpark.**

-Both lineups are stacked, both teams have a flare for the dramatic, the bullpens are solid but unpredictable so far (minus Mo). So it comes down the starting pitching. That said, I've got the yanks in 6. Here is why:



Game 1: Lee vs. CC ->

Toss up, so clearly I hope the Yanks get the better end of this one. 1 - 0 either way


Game 2: Pedro vs. Burnett

The most intriguing game. There is no shot that Pedro will shut the yanks down AT YANKE STADIUM no less. Look for a very crooked number sometime between the 4th and 6th inning after the yanks see him a second and third time. However, there are two things working against us here: Its AJ Burnett on the hill. You can get a gem or a dud and be not surprises either way and its October, where anything can happen. We'll have a better idea of what Games 5-6-7 will be after Game 2.

Game 3: Pettitte vs. Hamels

I think the yanks take this one. Hamels has not been very effective this post season as he hasn't made it through 6 innings yet in his three starts. I think he's battling some sort of injury??? It looks like last year's workload did a number on him this year. He's done. Yanks up 2 - 1 at this point or 3 - 0 at this point depending on Game 1.

Game 4: CC vs. Lee x2

Again a toss up. I'm going to take the safe route and say that whoever won game 1 will probably lose this one. Something to mention - I'm not sure of Lee's numbers on short rest, but anyone who watched last year knows what CC can do on 3 days rest, ESPECIALLY since he's been well rested down the stretch of the season and playoffs. Series 3 - 1


Game 5/6: Burnett/Gaudin/Pettitte vs. Blanton, Pedro, Happ, Meyers?

The yankees look pretty tough to beat for the first four games, but it gets pretty fuzzy once you have guys like Burnett/Pettitte going on short rest/Gaudin starting. My feeling is that Girardi will start AJ on longer rest (game 6) if he pitches well into game 2, and they'll pitch him in game 5 if he only lasts only a few innings and hav Pettitte pitch Game 6. Gotta remember also that AJs track record indicates he'll be fine on short rest. But either way I see them wrapping it up here in 6 games.

**old Yankee, new Yankee, Citi Field, Fenway Park, Coors Field, Petco Park, Dodger Stadium, SafeCo Field, Citizens Bank Ballpark.