Sports December 5, 2010

Football is a team sport. This is especially visible in the Colts this season. Despite having Petyon Manning, possibly the single best player in the NFL today, they still have struggled to win games and are second in their division to the Jaguars. Injuries have hit them hard, and several of Manning's receivers are out for a long time. I believe they are no longer the dominant team they were before without many of their players. As they have struggled to give Manning help, they are no longer the offense that dominates teams. Sure Manning will make them competitive, but they will still miss the playoffs to a Jaguars.

With the Vikings season pretty much over, I think they should bench Brett Farve and start Tarvaris Jackson. They have already fired their head coach, and Farve is too old to be a long term solution. The quaterback problem will definitely be addressed in the offseason, but they should give Jackson a shot before they make any move for a quarterback. When Farve went out in today's game, they had their highest offensive output this season under Jackson. Jackson was also their future before they acquired Farve. Even if Jackson doesn't do well, the season is lost, and then you would know Jackson is not future, and that another quarterback would be necessary.

The Nationals are one of those teams who are hardly ever in contention and attempt to make a big splash by signing a big name free agent but never do. Well, they finally did this season by signing outfielder Jayson Werth. The Nationals over the last couple season have had a solid batting order with the likes of Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn. Despite the loss of Dunn, the addition of Werth should offset that. Plus, Werth is a better defender. I believe the move to get Werth was huge for the Nationals, and if their starting pitching improves, they may be able to compete for a postseason berth.

Sports November 21, 2010

Titan's QB Vince Young has a cannon for an arm and can run with the best of them. However, the only thing he lacks is consistency. After winning rookie of the year a few years ago and being the madden cover boy, we was benched the next season. He managed to win his job back the season after that, but has lost it again this year. VY suffered a thumb injury, and was replaced today in the second half by Rusty Smith. Titan's coach Jeff Fisher said the benching was permanent. Looking ahead, I think the Titans are better off without Young, and should try to get value for him. He has proven that he is not a long term solution, and the Titans will need more consistent quarterback play. If Rusty Smith doesn't work out, the Titans will have to revaluate their quarterback position before they can compete again.

Sports November 14, 2010

I don't think anyone thought anything of the Browns coming into this season, or anything of Cleveland sports at all. Cleveland was more or less drained of star power after LeBron left, and the entire city was doomed right? Wrong. The Browns have since pulled off huge upsets against the Saints and Patriots, and took the Jets to overtime only to lose in the last minute. On top of that, Peyton Hillis has stepped up and been a huge player for the Browns this season. I think this had to have happened at some point. It's next to impossible for a city with three professional sports to all lose that badly. The Indians were downright miserable in baseball, and the Cavs just lost LeBron in basketball. It can't be all bad. All the years the other Bay Area sports teams were bad, the Sharks were solid. The same can be said for Houston. The Rockets have been more or less constant, making the playoffs and not making the playoffs almost consistently, but the Astros have turned bad to make way for the Texans.

Sports November 7, 2010

In every game, officiating is always in question. It naturally should be, as contraversial calls are part of the game. However, some calls are plain crazy. I know they always try their best, and officials want the game to go more smoothly than anybody, but interpreting rules sometimes does not happen. If officials were meant to just read off a rule, then we mush as well use robots instead of people. But officials are people, and they should be able to use their intellect and logic to determine if the rule applies to what happened on the field. Of course there will be a lot of opinion involved, and some calls might not be right, but after a while, similar plays will show up. At that point, an accepted logic for how to apply the rule comes in, and the call by the official should be relatively simple. Since most proffessional sports have been around for a while, these calls should be pretty easy to make. However, leagues only seem to put many new rules in the play book. Of course some rules need revision, and some need to be added, but it becomes pretty confusing if the accepted logic for what a call should be changes every few years. I think sports leagues should stop adding new rules and changing old ones unless it is absolutely necessary. They should instead focus on developing knowledge for how the rules are to be interpreted, so there is an accepted logic for how a rule works, simplifying the jobs of official. It will also make calls from game to game more consistent.

Sports October 31, 2010

This World Series has just become more exciting. After the two Giants routes, the Rangers came back and took game 3 at home. If they win tonight, they will have tied the series, and have Cliff Lee back for game 5. I think the Giants should have won game 3, or atleast played it like a game 7. If they won, then they will have the Rangers backed up, and not have to face Cliff Lee again with a win today. However, they let the Rangers back in and gave them a chance knowing their ace will pitch another game. True Lee might have come out of the bullpen anyway, but by that point they could have a lead to work with. I still think the Giants have the edge, as they really only made one bad pitch to Mitch Moreland.

Who thought the Chiefs would be an elite team in the AFC? With a win today they are 5-2, and in contention for a first round bye. Who saw this coming? Their running game is solid, and Cassel has made the throws he has had to make to win these games. They have shown a steady consistency for the most part of the season, and can get a playoff spot pretty easily. Look for them to stake their claim this season, and maybe take it all the way.

Sports October 25, 2010

How about the underdogs in baseball this year. Most people expected it to be another Yankees Phillies World Series, but the Rangers and Giants both came up big when they needed to to win their series. I think the Rangers are the better team right now and are going to win the World Series. Their entire lineup hit well against the Yankees. I know the Giants have a better pitching staff, but the Rangers bats are on fire. Their front line starters also matchup with the Giants starters. The Giants will also have to score some runs, as they have only scored more than four runs once this post season. However, the Rangers will win it this year.

The Cowboys have had a very disappointing year. They were expected to compete for the Super Bowl at the start of the season. That's all gone now with a 1-4 start. I think its over for them. Wade Phillips is the only coach in that division who has not been to a Super Bowl as the head coach. Tony Romo is the fifth best QB in that division (with the two Eagles quarterbacks). They also have no running game. If the lose to the Giants on Monday, some serious changes will have to be made, or Wade Phillips might be out of a job.

Sports October 17, 2010

The Yankees are the better team in the ALCS. They have better starting pitching than the Rangers, a deeper lineup, and so far a better bullpen. Yet, if they keep giving up runs like they have been in the beginning of games, its going to be a long series. The magic that happened in game 1 can't happen everyday. They need to get better starting pitching. I think the only issue was the long layover. They will correct it later in the series. Watch for the Yankees to be in the World Series, again.

What's up with the NFL this year. Can no team stay consistent? The Chiefs won three in a row, then lost 2. The bears also won 3 in row, and have since gone 1-2. The Giants went 1-2, then have won 3. This is what comes of free agency. Players move so often, its hard to build consistency. The Patriots dynasty will be the last for a long time if this keeps up. Every team might just go 8-8 this year. Then what? They play another 16 games to see what will happen? If one team can step up and sustain a long winning streak, in either conference, they will almost certainly get a first round by. Look for teams, like the Jets and Giants, who have long winning streaks to gain momentum for the playoffs.

Sports October 11, 2010

Can the Rays come back and win a best of 5 series after losing the first two games at home? They look well on their way to do so on Tuesday after they won two games in Texas and have their ace 19 game winner David Price on the mound. However, they will also have to face a very tough pitcher on the other end in Cliff Lee. They also have to prove they can beat the Rangers at home. I don't think they can do it. They have to shut down a very potent Rangers offense and score off Cliff Lee. Doing one of those things is hard enough, let alone both. Look for a Yankees/ Rangers ALCS.

The Braves have way too many injuries to compete for a World Series. They are missing Martin Prado and Chipper Jones, two of their better hitters. It was also seen last night when Brooks Conrad, Prado's replacement, let a ground ball roll through his legs. A blunder that lost them the game. They still have the arms and fire power to get past the Giants, but they don't to get past the Phillies. Look for the Phillies to represent the NL in the World Series for a third straight season.

The AFC South looks tight this year, as all four teams are tied at 3-2. Considered one of the better divisions in the league, they don't seem to have a definite team thats the best. The Colts were suppose to be that team, but they have lost two key divisional games, to teams they seem to beat when things are going well. The other teams in that division have also shown similar inconsistency, as every team wins some big games, then loses some. Keep in mind the Titans are yet to play a game within their division, and Colts have lost both their divisional games.

Sports October 3, 2010

Of all the possible senarios of between the Phillies/ Braves and Giants/ Padres game, the one that had to happen was the one that did not involve any tiebreakers. The Giants won to clinch the east, and the Braves won to clinch the wildcard. Had either of the two games had a different victor, there would have been a tie breaker played tomorrow. As a baseball fan, its very exciting. To have a game that determines it all for the fourth straight season would be quite a feat. This tiebreaker also would have meant something, as these teams, unlike in some years past, are legitimate World Series contenders.

What a turn around in Philly. Just days ago, there was talk that Michael Vick was the savior, and the Eagles were the team to beat in that division. However, he got hurt in his teams loss to the Redskins, and former Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. So much for all that. Everyone was expecting a grudge match between these two teams, but the loss of Vick will definitely hurt the Eagle's fortunes. A couple of years ago, everyone thought the NFC East was the best division in the NFL, and that even held for a good part of last season. But with the inconsistent play of all four teams and big losses, it seems they have fallen from the heavens. Only expect one team to go to the postseason from that division, but look out for them next year. Three of those teams have a reputation for developing draft picks, and will likely do so for next season.

Sports September 26, 2010

Where did the Twins come from? They came out of nowhere, and now their competing with the Yankees and Rays for the best record in the American League. I had given up on them when they lost Joe Nathan for the season, but they have been able to overcome the loss of their all- star closer. However, I do not think they will be able to overcome this loss for long. They will likely have to go through both the Yankees and the Rays if they want to go to the World Series, and both have very good offenses that can come back late in games. Their bullpen will have to hold onto the few games they are in late, or they will go down and they will go down hard. They also have uncertainty at the back end of their rotation, and they don't matchup well lineup to lineup with either the Yankees nor the Rays. They could just be a giant road bump on an epic Yankees/ Rays ALCS, but they will go down fighting.

Sports September 19, 2010

Who actually thought the Jets would be good this season? I know they won two big playoff games on the road last season and gave the Colts a run for their money, but seriously? They have a young quaterback who still isn't in the games elite, or even close for that matter. To make matters worse for him, he has average receivers and a running game that just lost a 1,400 yard back. Their defense might be very good, but their all pro corner, Darrelle Revis, held out for most of the off season. They also have several other contract desputes. How can a team with all these issues really be that good? The evidence of this was Monday against the Ravens when Mark Sanchez threw for only 75 yards. The defense played well, but their offense really needed help. True the last time I doubted them they proved me wrong, but it just doesn't look like their year.

Baseball is full of random statistics. Some, like WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched), are good barometers of how good a player might be. But others, like BABIP (batting average of balls in play), are utterly useless. Austin Jackson, who leads the league in BABIP at .413 is suppose to join elite company with it. However, his batting average, .302, is more than a hundred points below that. So how does he make that .109? Strikeouts. Austin Jackson leads the American League in strikeouts, and its not even close. So why create a second, unrelated statistic that basically measures the same thing? Why make a player look like he's having a better season than he really is? Nothing on Austin Jackson, he's an important player in the Tigers lineup. But if your going to create a statistic, make sure it actually measures something significant, and not just another way of representing something else.

Sports September 12, 2010

Are the Texans the best team in the AFC South? I think so. With a convincing win over the Colts on Sunday, they proved that they are here to stay. 230 yards from Arian Foster is ridiculous. The Colts over the last couple of seasons have struggled when they couldn't stop the run, and that has been their weak spot. 14-0 will not happen again this season. They might struggle when teams are able to run the ball effectively against them like the Texans did today. The Texans, on the other hand, have proven they are for real. This most likely will be the year they finally break into the playoffs, and they have a very good shot at taking home the Lombardy trophy.

The NL West race has just gotten tighter. The Padres have seemed to bounce back somewhat from that long skid they had earlier. The Giants are also very good. The series didn't decide very much as there is still a tie atop the division. The division will come down to final series of the season, and may end up in a tiebreaker. That would be strange, as that would become the fourth straight season with a tie- breaker. Are they really necessary? Can't other things like division record and head to head record come into play? Can't you decide who the best team is after 162 games? The last two years, the team that won the tie breaker lost in the first round anyway to far superior teams. The Rockies did go all the way to the World Series two years ago, but they got thrashed by the Red Sox in 4 games. That was an exception however, as the Rockies got hot at the end of the season. This year might turn out to be different, as the NL West teams are very good.

Sports September 5, 2010

What happened to the Padres? Weren't they going to run away with the National League? Weren't they going to dominate with their dominate pitching staff, unbelievable bullpen, and new found hitting. Well, they have lost 10 games in a row. And to think they hadn't lost 3 in a row so far this season. They now only have a 1.5 game lead over the Giants and aren't even the best team in the NL anymore. They've fallen to fourth, behind Cincinnati, Atlanta, and Philly. If these standings hold, they'll be in trouble because they have to go to Atlanta, who is very good at home. It also goes to show what can happen to a young team. They don't have very much playoff experience in their roster. The last time they made the postseason as a club was in 2006. Since they have gotten young, inexperienced talent for some of their former greats, like Jake Peavy. However, they still are very dangerous. It might have been good for them to get this long losing streak now instead of in October. They might still yet be able to rebound, and take it all the way to the World Series.

Manny Ramirez is going back to the AL, this time for the White Sox. Despite leading the Dodgers charge into the postseason in 2008, his last two seasons have been bitten by a suspension and injuries. Going to Chicago again might get him rejuvinated. We all know he can hit, but does he want to hit? Manny could very well have an '08 repeat, but only if he wants to. The White Sox will definitely need his bat if they are going to catch the Twins in the Central.

Sports August 29, 2010

Second in the American League in strikeouts, third in the AL in strikeouts, and an even record? That never happens right? It has this year to Felix Hernandez. King Felix has been dominant for the Mariners this season, yet his win total doesn't show it. He has also won two straight decisions, meaning he was two games under .500 at one point. The Mariners just don't have the offense to support him. He's doesn't have the luxury that a pitcher C.C. Sabathia has. C.C. won his 18th game of the season yesterday, despite the White Sox putting up 5 runs against him.

The big talk for who will win the NL triple crown this year is between Joey Votto and Albert Pujols. That race is even more magnified by how their teams are in a tight NL Central race. But what about Carlos Gonzalez? He has a higher batting average than Pujols (but lower than Votto) and is tied for third in the NL for rbis. He's about 6 homers off the pace, but with a good September, he can make it up. If he has another multi- homer game, he could very well win the triple crow.

Sports August 22, 2010

Lou Piniella has decided to call it quits early on his career. He meant to retire at the end of the season, but he had to early because of his mother's health. The season was lost for the Cubs anyway. The important question is what is his legacy? He will always be remembered for his famous collision at home plate with Carlton Fisk. He also did well as a manager. He won a world series for the Reds in 1990, turned a the Mariners around, and made good decisions with the Cubs, like making Kerry Wood a closer and Ryan Dempster a starter. He might just be Hall of Fame callibur.

Brett Farve is back for another NFL season, but did it really take 3 players to go down there to convince him to return to the NFL. That goes to show how desperate the Vikings are. Its a complete lack to trust in the quarterbacks they have. What if Farve goes down, what then? Do you go with Tarvares Jackson, who his own teamates decided they would rather have Farve? The future of the Vikings quarterback position is not too bright.

Sports August 15, 2010

The Reds and Cardinals had a huge confrontation last week. A confrontation that could have been avoided all together. Yadier Molina did not have to kick Brandon Phillips bat away. It was completely unnecessary. Nor did Phillips have to say what he said about the Cards either. Once it had started, Johnny Cueto kicked Jason La Rue in the head and gave him a concussion. He got suspended for only 7 games. That would mean he is only missing 1-2 starts since he's a pitcher. For intentionally injuring another player, he should get way more than that. He should be out for at least 2 weeks. So what if it hurts his team? He hurt another player.

The AL Central race is going to be tight again this year, but does it really matter? Both of the last 2 seasons the AL Central has been decided by a tie- breaker. Both times, the winner lost in the first round to far superior teams. A team like this years Red Sox deserves to play in the postseason more than any AL Central team. The only reason the race is close because the top two teams are equally mediocre. They also have arguably the two worst teams in the league, the Royals and the Indians. Both the Twins and the White Sox are really just .500 teams that have much better records because of the week division.

Sports August 9, 2010

The Mariners fired their manager Don Wakamatsu. Not only that, they also fired their bench coach and pitching coach. It usually isn't good to bring about change this late into the season, but they are dead last in the AL West. They also brought in their triple-A coach to manage their team, Darren Brown. It actually is a smart move on their part because most of the players they want to use would have played under him. However, Wakamatsu did a good job last season, despite missing the playoffs. I think he can become a good manager for a rebuilding team, like the Royals and Indians, with his success in Seatle.

Sports August 1, 2010

The trade deadline is over in MLB, but it did have its share of big moves. One of them was the Yankees acquiring Lance Berkman from the Astros. Berkman had been one of the faces of the Astro's franchise and is a former all star. However, he has been having a down year. Going to New York should give him some protection, as he will be hitting in front of Mark Teixeira and A-rod. Yet it also limits the rest some of the veteran Yankees get. With the DH spot open, Joe Girardi could give one of his veterans a defensive day off, and many of them took advantage of it. Now that they have a permanent DH, they don't have that luxury. Yet, a good veteran hitter with power can help any team, even a team like the Yankees that has an abundance of them.

More big deals were made by the Padres. In an effort to get more hitting, they acquired former American League MVP Miguel Tejada from Baltimore. He, like Berkman, was also having somewhat of a down year, yet he, like Berkman, is a good veteran hitter with power. This helps the Padres a lot because now they have a hitter they can use to protect Adrian Gonzalez, who for the past couple seasons has provided almost all the power for their team. They also received Ryan Ludwick from the Cardinals. Ludwick isn't that far removed from a 37 hr, 113 rbi season where he hit alomst .300. Yet injuries have hurt him this season and he was the odd man out of a crowded Cardinal outfield. In San Diego, he has the potential to be a good player for them, if only in a fourth outfielder type role. The Cardinals got Jake Westbrook out of that trade as well, and with the many injuries in their rotation, he can be good as a fourth or fifth starter.

A big player that wasn't moved was Jayson Werth of the Phillies. There was much speculation that he would get traded to make space for prospect Dominic Brown. However, an injury to Shane Victorino has kept him as a Phillie. This might have saved the Phillies in the long haul. Werth has value to them because he is the one right handed home run threat on their team. Raul Ibanez's contract also expires at the end of next season, and he isn't getting any younger. Ibanez is also a left handed hitter, and the Phillies have an abundance of them. Should they keep Werth, he can move over to left field and play in the place of Ibanez in the future.

Sports July 25, 2010

What about Arod going for his 600th career home run. When he does so, he will the be the 7th player to do so. He is also getting to this mark in his prime. The last 2 players to do so, Sammy Sosa and Ken Griffey Jr., both did so at the ends of their careers, and weren't fixtures in the lineup anymore. But Arod still has some years left in him, and has a legitimate shot at 800 home runs. Keep in mind Albert Pujols is also chasing him, even if he is well back, and might get there himself.

Sean O'Sullivan is facing the Yankees for the second time in a week, and for different teams. He pitched against them for the Angels on Tuesday. Then he got traded to the Royals and faces the Yankees again today. Quite a feat for a young pitcher, considering he only has 7 career descisions.

Sports July 18, 2010

Did the NL finally win an all-star game? That took long enough. An NL team will finally have home field advantage in the World Series. But do they deserve it? Three of the five best teams are in the AL. There are more AL teams at .500 The two best teams are in the AL, and it looks like they are their own best competition. Whoever wins the ALCS will run over an NL team in the World Series, as no NL team has broken out and proven they can win over the Yankees and the Rays. All this means is that whoever wins the ALCS will win the World Series at home in game 4 or 5 instead of on the road later on.

The Heat have also amassed three big superstars this offseason. It reminds several of people of the Celtics acquiring their big 3. However the Celtics did a lot of their damage with support players and always had a very strong bench. The big 3 were also veterans, on the decline, and would have lost some shots anyway. Whereas the Heat have 3 players in their prime who will all want the ball. They will have trouble satisfing all of them.

Sports July 4, 2010

The long awaited free agency period in the NBA is finally underway. Unfortunately, Lebron is yet to sign, and the suspense lives on. However, another big move was made when the Hawks resigned their point guard Joe Johnson to a huge deal. Joe Johnson might no be a Lebron or Dwade, but the Hawks did win the 3rd seed last year, and with stars moving around, keeping their core players together is crucial. With Lebron out of Cleveland, they can overtake the Magic, and potentially take over as the best team in the east.

What about David Wright? After a disappointing season last year, it seemed as if he had lost his form. Many people thought he might not have such a good year this year. However, he has topped his last seasons HR total, and almost matched the RBI amount in the first half. He was also voted to start for the NL in the all star game. More importantly, he has the Mets in a penant race this season. If the Mets can acquire another arm, they might be able to make a post- season push, and might end up in the World Series.

Sports June 27, 2010

The knockout round of the FIFA world cup is underway, and not without contraversy. The referees have made some vital calls that have cost some teams the entire tournament. This is not a first either, as several calls were blown in group play as well. I remember last world cup where the referees were given extra money for giving cards. So they gave out more cards, many times without reason. You might say they're only people, but why not use technology and have instant replay. It doesn't really slow down the game either. The NFL challenge system has been around for a long time, and has become pretty efficient. Why can't FIFA use something like that? Its not that far fetched, we get the replay on our TVs at home.

The year of the pitcher continues with another no-hitter, this time from Edwin Jackson against his former team the Rays. Thats 3 out of the last 5 no-hitters against the Rays, and the other two were perfect games. This is ridiculous. The Rays aren't that bad a team either as they have the fifth best record in the league. They just seem to come up empty way too often. Edwin Jackson also threw 149 pitches to get it. I remember earlier in the year when the Yankees were going to pull C.C. Sabathia in a game he had a no-hitter in. Fortunately for Joe Girardi, C.C. gave up a hit, letting him escape a painful decision. Ironically, that was against the Rays...

The NBA draft also went down this week, all two rounds of it. True the NBA draft can't be too long, as the maximum roster size is 12 players. However, some of the rebuilding teams can use more rounds so they have a chance to win. Take the Nets for example. They are way more than one player away from the playoffs. By the time they can get a good roster full of players through the draft, the players they had first drafted will be gone to free agency, dooming them for long periods of time. True they can always acquire a player through free agency, as they are banking on right now, but it makes the Cinderella effect harder, something fans like to see.

Despite being down 13 points in the second half, the Lakers came back to win Game 7 and take the NBA Finals away from the Celtics. This series had been between the NBA's two most storied franchises. They are 1 and 2 in total NBA titles. In the last 3 seasons, the only other team to make the NBA finals is the Orlando Magic. It cements Kobe's fate as one of the greatest players of all time. You can talk all you want about how good Lebron James is, but he has never won, and might never win an NBA title. Sure we call Dan Marino one of the greatest QB's of all time and he never won a Super Bowl, but he put up statistics that were unrivaled in the league. He also shattered the touchdown record. Dan Marino was a far better player than Lebron.

The Washington Redskins acquired former first round pick Jammal Brown from the Saints for a conditional pick, in either the third or fourth round. This might seem trivial, but Brown was a solid O-lineman before getting hurt last season. It also shows how the Redskins consistantly acquire good veterans in the offseason at the expense of the draft. They also seem can't seem to keep the ones they have in line. Albert Haynesworth is demanding a trade, yet that wont't happen because of all the money they gave him. All that for finishing last in the division. They did acquire Donovan McNabb, but he is yet another player known to fall short of a championship. I think the Redskins will fall short again, only to get setback a year or two because they won't have as many draft picks.

Sports June 13, 2010

This has been a classic NBA finals. Two age- old enemies duking it out with the best players in the game. The best part is that I haven't even heard Lebron's name since it started. Finally, some news to keep the press off of this offseason. I started to get the feel that the prize this offseason was Lebron James, not the NBA finals. I think the drama of this finals has been just what we needed to take the attention away from the Cavs. Remember, just because you have Lebron, it does not mean you're going to win the finals. Basketball is a team game, not just one person. We remember Michael Jordon as the greatest player of all time, but he still had Scottie Pippen.

What about Stephen Starsbourg? He completely blew past the Pirates. I know its the Pirates and they're a struggling team, but that was quite a show he put on. You might think he would have jitters pitching in the big leagues for the first time. But he struck out 14 and walked none. Thats something veterans have trouble doing. I also thought the Nationals would pull him earlier than they did, but he did get good innings in. The Nationals are only 6 games out in the East, so Strasbourg can become a valuable stopper for them.

So much for the Red Sox. This has become a tight race in the AL East between the Rays and Yankees. With a big win over the Astros, the Yankees have tied the Rays for the best record in the league. The Yankees over the last few seasons have been a much better second half team, so they could cruise to 100 victories. The Rays have the potential to do so as well. It also hogs up the wildcard spot, it makes other AL teams need to win the division, or go home.

Sports May 30, 2010

The NBA finals are set. After both teams started to stumble and blow their leads, the Lakers and Celtics will play each other in the finals again. I thought the Magic would claim the series and come all the way back after they were able to force a game 6. It would have been the second time in a month a Boston team had blown a 3-0 lead. A big reason the Magic didn't make the finals was their consistency of play. They were sloppy against the Bobcats but managed to win. They dominated the Hawks, but then they went down 3-0 on the Celtics. They did play well to get back 2 games, but not so well in the last one. If they want to win a Finals, they have to play well a lot longer.

What about Halladay throwing a perfect game? Its the second time this month, by far the shortest time between two perfect games. There have also been 3 no- hitters so far this season, and its not even the end of May. This all happens with luck. Remember a stretch between Randy Johnson's perfect game and Anibal Sanchez's no hitter more than two years later. That spanned a good part of three seasons in which no one threw a no- hitter, much less a perfect game. Now, we have had three (including Mark Buehrle's last year), within five baseball months. That's ridiculous.

The National League also looks very tight this year. There are 9 teams within 5 games of a wildcard berth. I know its May and several teams will drop out as the year progresses, but this has to be exciting. Thats more than half of the league in contention. It might not matter, as the wildcard teams are often times much worse than the division winners. However, every year since the turn of the century, either a wild card team or a team that missed the postseason the year before won a penant.

Sports May 23, 2010

There have been way too many routes in the NBA playoffs this year. The Magic looked like the team to beat in the east after the Cavs lost and they won eight straight. Yet, they are down 3-0 Celtics, and got trashed last night. The Lakers also have a 2-0 advantage on the Suns. We could have another Lakers/Celtics finals. Rajon Rondo has also stepped up this postseason, and has been the Celtics best player. I think Rondo can carry the Celtics past the Lakers.

Interleague baseball is also underway. It is interesting to see these matchups. Teams like the Red Sox and Phillies are fun to watch because they both have many good players that you don't often see face each other. You rarely see Lester vs. Howard, Lackey vs. Utley, or King Felix vs. Adrian Gonzalez. You also get wacky results in local series, like the Yankees vs. the Mets. I always like to watch these unfold, but they do take a lot away from the all- star game.

Why are people so hung up on whats going to happen in the NBA offseason. Come on, we have the NBA finals a week or so away. We have a team that seems to be able to take down the Lakers, and its set up to be an interesting finals. Why can't we worry about that now, and worry where Lebron will go later. I had found it a relief when the playoffs started, so people will shut up about this offseason, but that has not been the case. The entire media is worrying about who will have a chance to win it all next season. We all know that the entire league will be shaken up and many superstars relocated, but can't we worry about that after the finals? There still are many superstars playing right now. Why can't they steal the highlights instead?

Sports May 16, 2010

What was with the NBA Playoffs this year? Three sweeps in the second round is ridiculous. One would think the Jazz and Spurs could win at least one game. The Jazz have one of the best point guards in the league, couldn’t he carry them to win one game? What about the Spurs and all of their veterans? Couldn’t Duncan, Parker, and Ginobli win one game? In the East, the Hawks got absolutely manhandled. You would think they were the 8^th seed, and the Magic the 1^st seed. But no, they were 2 and 3. The Hawks also struggled to beat the Bucs in the first round, who they should have beat in less than 7 games. Don’t the Hawks have enough fire power to at least not lose by double digits for one game?

The other series, the Cavs and Celtics, was slightly closer, but with the wrong victor. The Cavs were the one seed and favorites going in, yet the Celtics were still able to dethrone King James. Could the King be done in Cleveland? For the vast majority of his time there, Lebron hardly ever got support from his supporting cast. He made the finals that one year, only to get swept by the Spurs. He has had some solid players around him the last couple years, but has fell short of the finals both of those years. If Lebron is going to win the finals, he will need another superstar, and that isn’t going to happen in Cleveland. If he wants to win the finals, his best bet is going to the Bulls, and playing alongside Derrick Rose. I think he’s done in Cleveland.

Wasn’t the NL West race suppose to be between the Dodgers, Rockies, and Giants this year? The Padres don’t think so. No one even gave them a shot at anything this year, yet they have a 1.5 game lead over the Giants going into today. When they traded Jake Peavy to the White Sox last season, they were done. Yet, they are leading that division at the moment. A lot of teams, like the Red Sox, were hoping to acquire Adrian Gonzalez this season to aid their offense. Yet, the way this season is going, the Padres could be the ones adding a bat midseason. What a season that would be, if the Padres ended up making the postseason.

I think the Tigers have also been a surprise this season. When they traded Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson this offseason, I thought they were done this year. But Austin Jackson has been a big bat for them, as had fellow rookie Brennan Boesch. The Tigers are also in the middle of a pennant race, and they might take the division back from the Twins.

Sports May 9, 2010

The second round of the NBA playoffs are around half way done, and it has surprised me that 3 of the 4 series are 3-0. The second round is suppose to be a lot closer than this, since the lower seeded teams have been eliminated. The 2-3 series is also suppose to be very close. We have 1 2-3 series this year, the Magic against the Hawks, and that series is 3-0, and it’s not even close. The closest game has been by 14 points. The other two games were more than twice that. The Magic have dominated the Hawks. The only close series, the Cavs and the Celtics, has been fun to watch. Rondo has been amazing for the Celtics, often outplaying King James himself. From the looks of it, it looks like the Magic are going to have another long rest before they play again, and could be well on their way to another NBA finals.

Great game by Dallas Braden, as he tossed a perfect game against the Rays. Coming into today, the Rays had the best record in the league, yet Braden was still able to retire 27 of them in a row. Remember when A-Rod ran over the mound against him? Well, no one is going to disrespect Dallas Braden in any way for a long time after today. The last perfect game ever thrown was last year by Mark Buerhle against the Rays last year. One might get the impression that the Rays aren’t a very good team, but that is untrue. The Rays do have a formidable lineup, with the likes of Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford. Yet, they have come up empty in two games against two solid south paws.

Another big series going down is the Yankees- Red Sox series. Any time they play each other there is always a big commotion. Remember the start of last year when the Red Sox won eight straight games against the Yankees? Well, that’s all ancient history, as the Yankees beat them 9 out the next 10, won the World Series, and now have won 4 out of 5 games in Fenway Park to start the season. What about that turn around? With a win today the Yankees will sweep the Red Sox in Fenway Park, and will move in to first place in the AL East due to the Rays loss. Note: The Yankees still haven’t played the Red Sox in Yankee Stadium.

What about the Mets? Weren’t they suppose to roll over and let the Phillies win another division this year. They don’t seem to think so. They’re one of the hottest teams in the league right now, and hit two walk off homers to beat the Giants in two straight games. Despite losing today, they still managed to get runs off Tim Lincecum in 6 innings. That’s actually quite an accomplishment. Rod Barajas has also been huge for them, as he has 9 homeruns thus far for them. That’s amazing when you realize that he’s on pace to get around 40 this year. The scary part is that they don’t have Carlos Beltran, one of their best players, back from injuries yet. They have also found a solid second starter in Mike Pelfrey. They definitely have the potential to make a run at the division, and maybe more.

Sports in the USA, May 02, 2010

Good week in sports. The end of April spells some good times for many baseball players. The second round of the NBA playoffs is also underway with the Cavs getting a big win over the Celtics in game 1 of that series last night. And at home Dad is all excited about the T20/20 World Cup currently underway in the West Indies.

The Mets have moved Jose Reyes from leadoff to hitting third. Reyes is known for his speed, and is an ideal leadoff hitter, and not much a third hitter. However, the Mets had won eight straight games with him hitting third before losing to the Phillies yesterday. I think Reyes is better hitting leadoff, as he is always a threat to steal a base. In the long run, the Mets will win many more games with him hitting leadoff.

Do you bunt in the 9th innnings with 2 out and a runner on 3rd? That is exactly what Howie Kendrick decided to do. He bunt hit to win the game for the Angels. With two outs and the go ahead run on third, players generally swing away. Kendrick is a solid hitter, and had a shot of getting a knock to the outfield. However, he opted to bunt in the run. The Angels are known for being an aggressive small ball team, so this play would not have been so surprising had it been in an earlier inning. Kendrick called that play himself, and it worked. If it didn’t work and the Indians won the game, he would have looked like an idiot, especially if the Angels were to finish one game out of a playoff birth.

Something I find disturbing is that the second round of the NBA playoffs started before the first round ended. The Cavs and Celtics played game 1 of their second round series on Saturday, while the Bucs and Hawks played game 7 of their first round series on today. It makes little different for those two teams, but it has a big impact of the other team left in the East, the Magic. They get extra days of rest, for doing nothing extra. They swept the Bobcats, and have had a very long time to rest before their series with the Hawks gets underway. It gives them a different playing field with the other teams in the East. The only determining factors of these series should be the seeding, and how they are able to finish off their opponents, not how the other teams are doing. The playoffs should be planned out before the season, so that all of the first round series end before the second round starts.

What about the Bucs. On paper, they ‘re no match for the Hawks. But that’s why you play the game. They put up an admirable effort by taking the Hawks to 7 games. It reminds me a lot of the Bulls team last year that took the Celtics to 7 games. If you draw similarities between those two teams, they both had a rookie point guard (Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings), and they also had a common starter: John Salmons. I don’t think you saw that coming. But he has been a good scorer over the last couple of years, and was a big part of both of those teams. He did a good job by getting traded midseason twice, and taking both of those teams on good runs.

I also want to congratulate the Sharks as the only good Bay Area team. They moved on to the second round and beat the Red Wings in game 1. Good job.

And Dad got all excited when Australia lost 5 wickets in an over in international cricket. He thought it was hilarious and funny. Unfortunately I don't know the game and cannot comment.

Sporting Analysis

Big week in the NFL with the draft. Bradford to the Rams with the first pick was good because the Rams got a franchise QB, but he isn’t going to have very much success this year as he will have little help from his skill players. But Steve Spagnuolo has already pulled off one miracle as a defensive coordinator, so with a weak division, don’t count out the Rams. There were also an unusually large amount of nose tackles taken early in this draft. This is unusual because the players that go in the top 5 are usually high impact players that make big plays. NTs usually allow others to make big play. It makes sense for the Lions and Bucs, because they both badly need to upgrade their defense.

Maybe it’s because I’m a Giants fan, but I found the Giants picks extremely intriguing. Jason Pierre-Paul is very talented and athletic, but has too many question marks like the rest of the Giants. It also doesn’t fill a very big need of theirs, to draft another pass rusher. However, the Giants won a super bowl by getting after the quarterback, and Pierre-Paul can definitely help them get back to that. They ended up taking 3 D-linemen, going back to the style of play that won them a super bowl.

Another big event this week is when A-rod ran over the pitcher’s mound on his way back to first against the A’s. Dallas Braden didn’t like the gesture at all. It was a play A-rod should not have made, as he disrespected Braden and the A’s. Braden has good reason to be upset, as it was unnecessary for A-rod to do that.

Another note on the Yankees is the success they are having. Before losing today to the Angels, and that series 2-1, the Yankees had won all of their series against good teams too. Its scary to think they have done all that almost entirely without their 3 and 4 hitters, Teixeira and A-rod. Teixeira especially has been known to start slowly and become big later in the year. Once those two take off, the Yankees will be well on their way to their second straight championship.

What happened to the Red Sox? I know its only April and 2 of their starting outfielders are on the DL, but this is ridiculous. They can’t score at all. What happened to all those years with Ramirez and Ortiz. Weren’t they suppose to be the best 3-4 since Ruth and Gehrig? The balance of power in the AL East has more and more shifted towards the Yankees and Rays. The Red Sox too have gotten off to bad starts and comeback later, but as long as the Yankees and Rays continue to play well, that seem less and less likely.

The NBA playoffs are underway. I thought that in the 4-5 matchup in the East the Heat would put up more of a fight than to go down 3-0. They did win today though, so they still have a chance. Its been a relief the regular season is finally over. I got the feeling it was a lame duck season, as many teams are saving money to have a big offseason.