Sports September 5, 2011

So the NFL season is about to start, and apparently Tiki Barber is going to have to cut his comeback attempt short and sit the season out. I found this to be of little surprise. What I did find surprising about this whole ordeal is why everyone else is. To start with, not many teams are willing to take chances on veteran running backs, especially if he hasn't played in few years. With players like Clinton Portis who have played the last few available, why take a shot at Tiki. Sure, Tiki was a great player, but that was 5 years ago. Times have changed, especially because passing games are becoming more relevant. Running backs at his age who have played the entire time tend to not whether seasons so well. Plus, Tiki took cheap shots at his former team in the broadcast booth, only to have them win the Super Bowl. On a side note, the Giants won the Super Bowl the year after Tiki left.

If you think Josh Beckett's injury isn't going to have any impact on the pennant race this year, I think your mistaken. Beckett, up to this point, was the Red Sox best pitcher and a possible Cy Young candidate (that is if Verland slips badly). Any injury at this point in the season can have a huge impact, especially one to a player of Beckett's caliber. The Red Sox can ill afford to lose him. Jon Lester has been their only other consistant starter this season. John Lackey and Tim Wakefield have struggled, and Clay Buchholz is already out. Erik Bedard has been good since he was acquired, but can he really be counted on in the postseason. The Red Sox seem to be a lock for the Post Season, but with Beckett lost, their chances seem to be slipping. They've fallen to 2.5 games behind the Yankees in the AL East. If they do lose the division, they might get stuck to playing the Rangers on the road, a team they've struggled against. If Beckett cannot make it, then they might have to pitch Lester on 3 days rest, a daunting task for anyone. I don't like their chances against the Rangers period, especially on the road without Beckett. Then again, I'm a Yankees fan, what do I care.

Speaking of rotations, weren't the Yankees supposed to have the question marks in their pitching staff. Granted, behind CC, there is no guaranteed Yankee's second starter, but the two rotations, that is if the Red Sox lose Becket, will have strikingly similar rotations: a dominant ace ahead to several question marks. Yet, in that situation, I think I would have to say advantage Yankees. The Yankees have the better bullpen, which is why they made no moves at the deadline to acquire pitching. The Yankees can afford to have their starters, other than CC, pitch only 5 innings because their bullpen can close out the last four. Don't forget that in recent games, the Yankees starters have done well. Also keep in mind that Ian Nova has won 15 games this season and hasn't lost in a long time. Both offenses can score, but the Yankees are more dynamic in their ability to steal bases. Head- to- head, the Red Sox are better, but the Yankees are better against other teams and took 2 of 3 in the last series at Fenway. If the Yankees and Red Sox are on a collision course for the ALCS, a series that should be promising, I would have to say the Yankees hold the slim edge at the moment.

However, none of this will matter if the Rangers and Tigers have their say. The Yankees and Red Sox might be the best teams in the AL, but underdogs seem to have good seasons these days. The Rangers have an explosive offense themselves and did ride it to the World Series last year. C.J. Wilson of the Rangers has also proven to be a good starter, and not many would want to face him. The Tigers also have an ace of their own. No one, and I mean no one, wants to face Justin Verlander in Game 1 of any series against any pitcher. The Tigers rotation does seem less ferocious after him, but don't count out Doug Fister, Rick Porcello, or Max Scherzer who are all solid starters in their own right. In the chance that the Rangers do lose the AL West and the Angels win it, something that seems unprobable but is very possible, no one would want to face their fearsome rotation in any series. If the Yankees and Red Sox are going to play in the ALCS, they'll have their work cut out for them.

Sports July 31, 2011

Is it just me, or every year do people always talk about how so many teams are competing and how not very many players will be traded? And then, when the deadline does roll around, a bunch of players that can potentially change some races are dealt. If Carlos Beltran can give the Giants any offensive production at all, they could end up running away with the NL West. However, he will have his work cut out for him as he will need base runners to drive in runs, something the Giants lack. Hunter Pence, who the Phillies acquired from Houston in response to the Giants acquisition, could be the right handed bat need to put the Braves away in the NL East. I think Pence is better than Beltran, as he is much younger and still has good legs. Pence, in my opinion, will do a better job than Beltran because of the offense around him, the ball park he will play in, and his age. Ubaldo Jimenez, going to Cleveland, can make an impact in the AL Central. The Indians aren't the best team on paper, but Ubaldo does give them star power, has pitched in a postseason game, and, if he is on top is game, is an ace on almost any pitching staff. And after all of that, you still want to tell me no one got moved?

What about Verlander vs. Weaver? I think they are the two best pitchers in the AL, and are definitely going to finish 1 and 2 in the Cy Young voting. The question is who? When they went toe to toe today, I think the question was answered. Justin Verlander threw 7 and 2/3 no hit innings on his way to victory, while Weaver, who pitched well, was ejected. Even though statistics can indicate a lot of things, there is also the big game aspect to a player. It may only be July, but against another pitcher of his caliber, Verlander shined. At this point, unless there is a massive turnaround, Justin Verlander is in line for the Cy Young award. Before this matchup, I had thought the pick should be Jered Weaver, who started the All Star game for the AL and has been dominant all year long. But head to head, Verlander won straight out.

The Eagles have been busy in free agency and trades and have acquired several good defensive players. Maybe its because I'm a Giants fan, but I somehow don't see all these moves paying off for the Eagles. I do think the Eagles will be a factor in the NFC, they will compete for the Super Bowl, but I think they will fall short. After all, acquiring big names in free agency doesn't always translate to winning a Super Bowl; if it did, the Redskins would have won the last five Super Bowls. Instead, the Redskins, despite all their big name acquisitions, have suffered through years where they did not have the draft picks to acquire new talent. The other reason I believe the Eagles will fall short is depth. When looking at all the great defenses in recent memory, like that of the Steelers, Ravens, Patriots, the Giants team that won the Super Bowl, and even last year's Packers, they all had depth. True, all those teams did have Pro Bowl playmakers, but they also had depth. When their starters went down (which will invariably happen) or were subbed out, there was always another guy who could take his place, and the team wouldn't miss a beat. Last year's Packers are a prime example. Several of the Packer's starters went down last season, yet they simply put another guy in, and the team still clicked. Several undrafted rookies came in and did an outstanding job for the Packers. The Eagles may have that depth, and may still acquire it, but 5 players don't make up a defense.

Sports July 17, 2011

The all star break has come and gone and you know what that means, its time for trades. Baseball is unique in that at the trade deadline, a significant number of big name players get moved. Sure there are blockbuster deals in other sports, but most of them happen in the offseason and don't happen nearly as often. Some trades with only one big name player may seem insignificant. Francisco Rodriguez, who went from the Mets to the Brewers, is definitely a significant player to have been traded so far. He happens to be the man who holds the single season saves record and is still very young. Yet, that trade will almost definitely be dwarfed by other trades. Jose Reyes, for example, getting traded will create so much buzz, the Rodriguez trade will definitely seem insignificant. But thats the excitement of it all. The magnitude of trades make some very important trades seem unimportant.

The team Rodriguez got traded to, the Brewers, always seems to be an enigma to me. They do have a solid team, and have been in recent years, yet it always seems to have a glaring weakness. The offensive production has always been there, but other factors are more inconsistent. One year they might lack pitching, and the next relievers. This year, despite all of the good starting pitchers they have, they are 21st overall in ERA. That's not good, but its not the worst of their problems. At home, the Brewers are one of the best teams in the league. On the road, the Brewers are one of the worst. The Brewers inability to win on the road will, in my opinion, be their undoing. It may prevent them from winning the NL Central. Even if they do win it and do make the postseason, I doubt they will win the wild card with 2 very good teams in the East, they will have their hands full playing most of the series on the road. They will more than likely end up playing the Phillies, where they will get killed by the best team in the league. It win the NL Central, but I doubt they can make a World Series run unless they can win on the road.

Sports April 3, 2011

The Yankees were caught "cheating" the other day because they had a coach in the stands relaying information to hitters at the plate. However, the Yankees were very open about the situation and told baseball officials they only had a man behind the plate to relaying information that would be on the scoreboard anyway (the scoreboard had broken down). Baseball officials seem fine with that and have decided not to punish the Yankees in any way. But does it really matter. Teams get to use 1st and 3rd base coaches to relay information and can use signs from the dugout. How is having someone behind the plate that different? Teams pickoff each others' signs anyway, but you don't see a game won or lost because one team used more signs or could read the other team's signs. Baseball games are won on execution, and no matter how many coaches you have relaying signs, someone still has to make a play to win a game.

The Heat are a good team, but they are far from great. They might have three of the most talented players in the league, but that doesn't automatically make you the best team in the league. Yes the Celtics did have a big 3, were the best regular season team, and won a championship all in the same year, but that was with a remarkable supporting cast. The Heat are a solid team and will have a decent playoff run, but that is a far cry from what they were expected to do. They will not win 70 games, they are not the best team in the NBA let alone the Eastern Conference, and Lebron isn't the leading candidate for MVP, I believe that honor belongs to Derrick Rose. They also have not played very well against the better teams. They will steamroll through the first round, but I think they will be done after that.

There is always one team that makes a big splash and makes big moves. Some times, like the '09 Yankees, the team goes on to win a World Series. Other teams, like the '08 Tigers, miss the playoffs completely. This years team is the Red Sox. So far however, their moves don't seem to be paying off. It might be too early to tell, but they just got pounded in a three game sweep by the Rangers. And by pounded, the Rangers were hitting Home Runs everywhere. Unless they can get that part figured out, the Red Sox might be in for another long season.

Sports March 27, 2011

Baseball season is right around the corner. Like in every sport, there usually is a or two team that falls from playoff contention. I think that team this year will be the Rays. There are in a very tough division with the Yankees and Red Sox. The Red Sox added some key players this offseason, and the Yankees are always good. Baltimore also got better, and the Blue Jays can definitely hit. The Rays also lost a lot of key players. They lost Carl Crawford, their speedster and a good part of their defense, Carlos Pena, a very good defender and power hitter, Rafael Soriano, their closer, Jason Bartlet, their shortstop, and Matt Garza, a frontline starter. They did add Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez, but two veteran outfielders way past their primes cannot help you very much. They do have some good young prospects and Joe Maddon will still have them in contention, but I think they lost too many pieces and only two AL East teams can make the playoffs anyway.

A team that didn't make the playoffs the last year usually makes the playoffs the next year. I think that team is the Cardinals. Despite losing their ace Adam Wainright, the Cardinals still have a very deep rotation. They also have one of the better offences in the NL because, other than the Phillies, there are very few elite offensive teams in the National League. I think they will finish fourth in that category, behind the Phillies, the Brewers, and the Rockies. Albert Pujols and Matt Holiday solidify that lineup. Colby Rasmus should also hit well for them. Ryan Theriot at the top of their lineup should provide a boost. They also have a solid bullpen, and in a weaker division, the best team only won 85 games last year, they should have little trouble making the playoffs. Then again, that's what they said last year...

I believe Evan Longoria will win the AL MVP. He has had some solid seasons and has proven he is an elite player. Even if the Rays don't make the playoffs, he will keep them in contention and will have a strong season. Jon Lester of the Red Sox will win the Cy Young as the Red Sox will rebound and he will be at the forefront. Buster Posey will win the NL MVP because of his success last year and he will be one of the few hitters in a pitching heavy Giants team. Zack Greinke will win the NL Cy Young. Because he will miss the early parts of the season, his superior numbers later on will stand out more.

Sports March 13, 2011

Is there really going to be a lockout in the NFL? I still can't imagine not watching football on a Sunday in the fall. Can't they just come to an agreement? I know the business end of the game and the money there is to be made, but don't you sometimes feel they get a little too greedy? Don't they realize that if they don't come to an agreement, they not only will lose revenues for one year, they will also lose much of their credibility and brand image. That will multiply their problems, and it might take a miracle to bring most fans back.

Even if there is no football season, the free agent market this year should be interesting. Several big players are hitting the market. I think one guy that will definitely get the short end of the stick is Antonio Cromartie. Even if Cromartie is a legitimate corner, he might have difficulty finding a job. The Jets don't really need him after they drafted Kyle Wilson, and he isn't the best corner available. Frankly, he is not quite the player that picked Manning off three times. Defensive backs are pretty hard to come by, but most of the elite teams seem to have one or two corners they really like. For a guy that doesn't tackle well, Cromartie might not end up on a playoff caliber team.

Sports January 23, 2011

You have one of the best running backs of all time, you're on the opposing one yard line, and you throw the football? That's what the Jets did, and it might have cost them the game. You have to like LT's chances to get 1 yard on atleast 2 carriers, even if it is against a very strong Steelers defense. Instead of passing on 2nd and 3rd down, like the Jets did, running on those 2 downs would have helped them more than being stuck with running on 4th down. Say they scored the touchdown there, and got no safety. The score is now 24-17 Steelers. The Jets have all the momentum, stop the Steelers, and get the ball back. They continue to drive down the field as they had been, and get a touchdown, like they did. The score is now tied at 24. The Steelers have to throw, don't score, give the ball back to the Jets. The Jets have multiple timeouts, and win the game. Now, the Jets are going to the Superbowl, and not the Steelers.

What about Caleb Hane? No one thought the Bears would do anything, they were down 2 scores and were yet to score. Yet, Hane, the 3rd Bears' quarterback, came in and did what Jay Cutler, the quarterback they paid so dearly for, and Todd Collins, the wily veteran, could not. That is score. Hane led two touchdown drives, and brought the Bears back in contention. He also out threw Cutler and Collins combined in 1 quarter of play. Even if his effort wasn't enough for a win, he still managed to bring some life into the game. He might not be the Bears' future, but his services might be required by several teams that could be a quarterback away from a playoff run, say the 9ers or the Vikings. Don't be surprised if a move is made to acquire him, and Hane leads the charge into the playoffs.

A Packers vs. Steelers super bowl could be intriguing. Both teams have solid defenses, but I think it will turn into a shootout, especially if the game is close in the 4th quarter. The Packers' defense showed holes in the running game against Matt Forte this week, as he was able to make some gains on the ground in the 4th quarter. This also made it possible for Hane to make gains through the air. Rashard Mendanhall, the Steelers' running back, had a big game against the Jets this week. Even if the Packers do have a strong secondary, they may become vulnerable to Big Ben leaving the pocket and throwing the ball downfield. On the other hand, Aaron Rodgers has proven to be a great quarterback this postseason, and has made several big plays. The Packers receivers, especially Greg Jennings, have been very strong as well. If there are any holes in that very strong Steelers defense, its definitely in their secondary. The Jets managed to find many holes in them in the second half, taking most of their possessions deep into Steeler territory. I think the Packers' passing game will prevail as it often has, and the Packers will take home the Lomardy trophy with a 27-24 victory, with most of the points coming in the fourth quarter.

Did the NFL really change the Pro Bowl to be before the Super Bowl, and not after it? Why would you do something like that? Don't you want the best players to play? The Steelers' Defense came through with another strong showing this year, don't you want them to play in the Pro Bowl? What about the lethal Packers' offense? I don't know if the profit returns are any higher, but now that some of the best players in this league are not going to play simply because the game is before the Super Bowl and have to prepare, why not make it the week after the Super Bowl.